SG: Richard is happy to see me at a disadvantage. [Laughter] Anyway, it's good to see you all. I am mending. The operation went well. It will take time to heal. One has to be patient, but it's going well. I am pleased, and my doctor is pleased.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, first of all, I hope you are recovering well. On the subject of Zimbabwe, it had been reported that you are going to Zimbabwe. Are you going to Zimbabwe? What do you expect to accomplish there that your Envoy [Anna Tibjaijuka] couldn't accomplish? And can you tell us some of the things about Mr. [Robert] Mugabe [President of Zimbabwe] had to say about his policy of destroying the shanty towns and so forth, when you spoke to him on Friday?

SG: As you know, we did issue the report on Friday, and I spoke to the President on Friday, basically explaining to him my reaction, which was also given to you, the press. And he indicated that there were other positive aspects of the move, of the activities, of the operation, which had not been covered by the report. And I stressed the need for action to be taken to help the people affected, to stop the clearances, and to ensure that those affected are not only looked after, but they are given adequate housing. And that we, the international community, would want to muster the aid necessary to help the people, and also to work with the Government in changing the situation.

Q: Will you make a trip there?

SG: Well, he did invite me to come. I would want to go to see how we can resolve some of the issues raised in the report. But I haven't set a date yet. But I would want to do it.

Q: Are you thinking maybe, are you suggesting that the report gets looked at by the Security Council? Do you think the time is right now or would you rather wait?

SG: I have issued the report generally, and all the Council members, as well as the other Member States, have it. And it's up to the Council to decide how it wants to proceed.

Q: Sir, the London bombings were carried out by what the British authorities say are people who are actually born and raised in the UK itself – the mother of all parliamentary democracies. How does that “sit on your couch”, so to speak, with the Bush administration's assertion that terrorism is spread by despotic regimes?

SG: You do have violence in situations where people are in despair. You refer to despotic regimes. We do see it in those situations. But terrorism has also occurred in other regions. Terrorism is, as I have indicated, killing and maiming of innocent civilians regardless of your cause. I don't attach it to any specific religion. We've had it in England; we've had it in Spain; we've had it here. And the main thing is to deal with the perpetrators, for who they are and what they are, and of course, it is difficult to generalize along the lines that it only occurs in societies governed by despotic leaders.

Q: In light of the killing of the Brazilian man in London, if you were black or brown living in the west, do you think now you have more reason to be concerned, or do you think that was an inevitable outcome of the war on terrorism?

SG: London is a very international city, a bit like New York. The whole world is in London, and I think the United Kingdom Government has been very open, very lenient in its asylum laws and has received many people from around the world. But given what has happened, there may be a tendency in some quarters to profile individuals from certain regions, and we saw it here. And I hope it doesn't happen there, and that they will go after the criminals, but not generalize to a group of people coming from one region or the other. And I think, from my own experience, I would say that the UK has been able to do that over the years, and I hope it will maintain that policy.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, Jean Ping, the President of the General Assembly released his latest outcome document. Talking about terrorism, were you pleased that there is at least a political definition of terrorism in this document, and do you believe that, as a result of this, you might get a comprehensive convention against terrorism? And what was your broad feeling about how this document compares to your original proposals?

SG: What has happened in the last few weeks, from London to Sharm el-Shaikh and others, gives us one more reason to press ahead and get a good definition of terrorism that we can all live with. As I said, it's not Islamic; it's not whatever. We know them for what they are. And a simple, clear statement, bringing in moral clarity, that maiming and killing of civilians is unacceptable regardless of one's cause, I think, will satisfy all of us. We also need to press ahead with the 13th convention and get a comprehensive convention approved. We know what we are living with, and I think the whole world is now standing together in the fight against terrorism. And the UN and its General Assembly must lead in that fight.

As to my reaction to the document, it's a long one, but all the key elements are in there. And I hope the definition of terrorism will be agreed to by the Member States. I don't think it will be understood by their own citizens and by the world if the UN is unable to act on that. I think the President's definition is acceptable. I thought mine was a bit stronger, but we can live with that.

Q: Donald Trump said last week that the people at the UN don't know what they're doing[inaudible] with contractors, the renovation of this building. What's your view [inaudible]?

SG: You know, he came to see me some time ago, and indicated that he can do it cheaper, faster than anybody else. And I encouraged him to bid when we go out for bids. And I hope he will, because if that is the case, he would definitely be able to come up with a competent and a good bid, and probably at half the price. And if that's the case, I'm sure he will get the contract. And so I would encourage him to bid.

Q: Secretary-General, on the issue of Security Council expansion, can you give us your assessment of where we are? What is on the table in London between the G4 and the African resolutions?

SG: I think you have the two resolutions, and I know that the African Group and the G4 are talking amongst themselves to see if they can find a common ground. I don't have the latest state of play, but I know that discussions are going on and we'll have a better sense of what is happening, maybe in the next 24-48 hours. Thank you very much.