(unofficial transcript)

 

Press encounter with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, New York, 30 April 2002, p.m.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, have you made a decision on the Jenin team, on what to do? Have you made a decision yet? The Council has made it clear that they plan to wait another day while they deal with the resolution they have to discuss. Have you made a decision on what to do?

SG: I have, as you know, given the Council my views, and this morning [Under Secretary-General Kieran] Prendergast conveyed my position to them, indicating that, given the team's inability to proceed, and the difficulties we've had, that I was inclined to disband the team. And of course the Council is seized of it. And I hope in the next 12, 24 hours, 12 hours, because I think they're going to meet again tomorrow, I will get some reaction from them, take their counsel and move on from there. And I suspect other capitals, including Washington, are active, trying to see what they can do to de-block the impasse

Q: Is your decision based on what the Council says or will you make an independent (inaudible)?

SG: The Council did give me a mandate, and I think it's important that I seek their counsel and move ahead with whatever decision I take.

Q: Do you have a timetable within which you want this decision to be made, if, for example, this resolution becomes something that takes a bit more time? Do you have a time limit? Your representative, Mr. Prendergast, indicated that you planned to take a decision "imminently," as soon as possible…?

SG: We have very prominent people, and highly respected individuals, who form part of the team, who dropped very important tasks they were doing to come and join the team to be able to find out what happened in Jenin, because like me, they thought it was extremely important for us to find out what happened. There are lots of accusations, lots of rumours; we don't know what is true and what is not.

And I really felt that it was in everyone's interest that we clarify this issue as quickly as possible and therefore put together a credible team, a team that is made up, as you know, of Mr. [Martti] Ahtisaari, Mr. [Cornelio] Sommaruga and Mrs. [Sadako] Ogata, as well as the three advisers - the legal, military and the police commissioner, who is also an expert on security matters and had dealt with quite a lot of counter-terrorist and terrorist issues.

And so as a team of six, they are very solid and a very competent team, and I thought that was what was needed, and we've had a very good discussion with the Israelis. The team that they sent here was competent, and the discussions were held in a very good atmosphere. And I wrote a letter to them, which I felt clarified the issues and dealt with their concerns. But evidently, that was not the case. And in these circumstances I cannot keep these gentlemen and women sitting in Geneva, and we will have to draw the consequences and take action. I know the anxiety in Israel, the concern they have that the team may broaden its mandate or it may lead to legal charges, but we have made it quite clear that the team was going specifically to find the facts, and what they discover would be used for their report and their report only. Despite these clarifications, we've not been able to really de-block the impasse, and so I have no choice but to share my feeling with the Council, and tomorrow is another day. We will see how the Council reacts.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, do you think the situation is serious enough that it would be appropriate for the Council to invoke Chapter VII as a measure to try to force Israel to comply with this mandate and the mission?

SG: The resolution is actually in blue…

Q: Not yet…

SG: I don't think the Council has even got the chance to debate it or discuss it. I do not want to jump ahead of the Council. I will leave this matter to them.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, if it came to a point where you had to recall your team, do you believe that sanctions against Israel would be appropriate considering the circumstances - if you had to recall your team?

SG: That is again something for the Council; it's not for me. I don't want to lead the Council. Thank you very much.

Q: Are you aware of Israeli concerns?

SG: I am very much aware of them. We had the team, and I've also been on the phone. I've spoken to Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon over the weekend; I've spoken to Foreign Minister [Shimon] Peres several times, including twice today. And I have also in the past been in touch with [Defence] Minister [Binyamin] Ben Eliezer. So I know their concern, I know their anxiety, I know the situation in the country and the Cabinet. I am very much aware. And I think in our letter, you can see that we have shown some understanding. But of course we also have to allow the team to do a credible and a competent job. And therefore we will have to sort of agree on a framework and an approach to their work that will allow them to be credible and do a good job. But we are not insensitive to the concerns of Israel.

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