Press Encounter on departure from UN HQ to Washington D.C. (unofficial transcript)

SG: Let me say that obviously, following the votes, there is a level of frustration and anger out there. I hope the dust will settle and that we will look forward to the future. I have no doubt that next year the US will be back on the [UN]Commission [on Human Rights] and I hope, in the meantime, they will work with other Member States to get back on. I think we should focus on the future developing relations with their allies and other Member States to give the US the opportunity to play its natural leadership role in the Organization. I personally do not think that attaching amendments to dues due to the UN is the right way to go. I have always maintained as Secretary-General that Member States should pay their dues in full and on time and without conditions. I am pleased that they have not attached anything to their $582 million in arrears which is to be released to the Organization that was part of very delicate negotiations last December led by Ambassador [Richard] Holbrooke. If that had happened, it would have been seen as a break of faith by other Member States - and so I am happy that did not happen. Obviously I can not applaud their withholding or their attachment to the $244[million], but I am told this is the best we could get. But I hope at the end of the day, when all is said and done, that they will find a way of removing that as well. But I think the solution is not attachments, it is not punishing the UN, but working with the other Member States and looking forward.

Q: What do you hope to get out of your meeting with President Bush at the White House?

SG: I think tomorrow it will mainly be on AIDS. It will be on the global call to action to fight the AIDS epidemic and the establishment of the Global Fund for AIDS and Health -and I hope the event tomorrow morning will set us off in the right direction and that other leaders will come on board to support the effort.

Q: Are you pleased that the Bush Administration was against this punitive action in Congress and also did you notice that UNESCO, the money from UNESCO went through? Is there a chance of the US returning?

SG: I think it is very, very positive and I am really grateful that President Bush and the Administration did not endorse this withholding of the funds and believe that the funds should be paid and that the US should establish normal relations with the UN - and quite frankly I thought at the beginning of the year we were there, after the vote last December, and we should try and stay on a very even course and normal relationship with the US. I am also happy that the funds for UNESCO ha[ve] been released and I hope in time the US will join UNESCO sooner rather than later. They belong in the Organization - and I know lots of American scientists are dying to get back there and we need US backing.

Q: Are you going with any ideas regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories as the escalation is really dangerous - are you going to discuss any ideas with President Bush to see how this situation can be taken up?

SG: The main discussion will focus on AIDS, which is a major catastrophe and a dangerous epidemic for the whole world. There may be an opportunity to discuss the Middle East and I would say that what happened today is another major escalation of the conflict which no-one can or should condone. And we are all working very hard to get the parties to understand that they have to pull back from the precipice and sit down together to begin to resolve this issue. It is only through dialogue that they can get a ceasefire - that the economic conditions will be eased and they will find their way to the discussion of the final settlement based on [resolutions]338 and 242.

Q: Going back to the [Congressional] amendments on the International Criminal Court - could you comment on that?

SG: I think we know the position of Washington but I hope it is not immutable. *****