Press encounter with Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, UNHQ (unofficial transcript)

SG: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We have just had a very good meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, where we assessed the fast-evolving situation and talked about the humanitarian, the political [situations] and the need to form a broad-based Afghan government. Mr. Brahimi was able to brief the ministers on his recent trip to the region, and the progress that has been made. The group stressed the need for speed, and that, as things are moving very fast, we need to try and bring the political aspects in line with the military developments on the ground.

Mr. Brahimi will be continuing his efforts. The ministers expressed full support for the work that Brahimi and myself are doing and we will continue our work. We have also agreed a Declaration, which Mr. Brahimi will read to you later, and we will make it available, and he will be able to take your detailed questions.

I will take a few questions and then will rush to the Security Council where we have a meeting on terrorism.

Q: You talk about progress, what progress is there?

SG: I am talking about progress in discussions with the Afghan parties, which we are going to accelerate, and Mr. Brahimi will step up his work in consulting the Afghan parties and promote the idea of a broad-based Afghan government. Obviously we need to get them together and to move as quickly as possible.

Q: Are you concerned that events on the ground are moving so fast that what you are trying to do here is going to be too late?

SG: We have always been aware that when you get into these kinds of operations things can move very fast and sometimes can get stuck. In fact, in the early days of the crisis, when the [Security] Council discussed this issue, I used the word, we would have to be nimble, we would have to be able to move quickly and we would have to be flexible, and I think we are at that stage where the nimbleness is going to come into play.

Mr. Brahimi will speak.

LB: I don't think you need me to read the Declaration.

What I would like to say, simply, is that this Declaration reaffirms the desire or the will of these countries to work together in support of what the United Nations is going to do. I hope that, because of these developments on the ground, we are going to try, as soon as possible, to get a, hopefully, a representative sample of the Afghan population together, and see what kind of interim arrangements we can work together for Kabul.

Q: Where will they be taking place, Sir?

LB: I don't know yet.

Q: [inaudible]

LB: We are going to discuss this in the next couple of days.

Q: What is the timeframe for that meeting, the first meeting?

LB: Very, very soon, I hope.

Q: Days?

LB: Days I hope, yes.

Q: Is there any concensus on the timing of the Northern Alliance's progress towards Kabul. Would you like them to hold off until a certain time, or how do you want them to proceed?

LB: No, we are not part of what is happening on the ground.

Q: How helpful are the Iranians in this?

LB: Everybody is very helpful.

Q: Regarding the American Airlines crash, will the rest of the UN meetings continue as scheduled?

LB: I think so.

Q: The Secretary-General talked earlier about the need for speed and to bring the political aspects in line with the current developments. Specifically, on the political side, what political formulation do you see as being the most actionable and quickest to get in there, and what do you see as most appropriate?

LB: Everybody agrees [inaudible] a broad-based government...

Q: We are beyond that now... any specifics to that that you have?

LB: The specifics is that we are going to get people representing the various groups, the various processes together as soon as possible, and don't forget that we have always insisted that this process should be home-grown. It is the Afghans that are going to decide what [inaudible]

Q: That includes the Taliban?

LB: That includes everybody that is willing to participate in this process. *****