Remarks upon arrival to UNHQ (unofficial transcript)

SG: I know. I think I deserve some holidays, and I went to South Africa, etc.

Q: The Racism Conference, I know you said it was still worthwhile to occur, but with all of the hullaballoo about the reparations, racism, zionism, it has left a bad impression on some people here. Eli Weisel, your good friend, said he didn't recognize your remarks. He thought it was a tragedy for the United Nations.

SG: Well I think, as I said over the weekend, these kinds of conferences tend also to bring in the divisions amongst states. It is not something that one can turn off and on. And I think in the end, delegations worked very hard to find a common ground and came up with a language that most of them can live with. And I thought that was worthwhile. It is regrettable that it was overshadowed by all the acrimonious discussions in the NGO conference, and also the whole discussion about the Middle East and the reparation issue because there were lots of other victims. The conference was about victims; the conference was about the future; the conference was to try and come up with a plan of action and a declaration that would mean something to all those people in the room and around the world who are victims of discrimination. I think in the end, we did not achieve everything we went there to achieve, but at least the issue of discrimination was put on the agenda, was discussed, and in the end, a document came out. It was tough going, but the Member States stayed on and stuck it out and came up with a document.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, what about criticism, while you were away, that conferences like this are a waste of money: they didn't do enough, they didn't accomplish enough and they were extremely expensive?

SG: I think these are decisions for the Member States. If the Member States decide to have a conference, and we're going to have one next week and two more, it's a decision of the Member States to do it. But I think we need to be careful not to dismiss all conferences. We've had conferences in the 90's, which have really done a lot for humanity, for empowerment of women, on issues of population, on environment, and I don't think we can dismiss them. Yes, this did not go as well as we thought, but it does not mean that the world coming together to discuss common issues and find a solution is not a proper thing to do.

Q: Do you think better preparation would have helped?

SG: Probably things could have been done differently. Perhaps better preparation, there could have been better preparation and the Member States could have tried to do more at the preparatory meetings. In fact, everyone had hoped that they would have made serious effort to settle their differences on the document at the last Prep Com in Geneva, and it didn't happen. In the end, the agreements were made at that eleventh hour in South Africa.

Q: Sir, on the children's conference next week, what are you hoping to get out of that conference, to see happen at that conference, and also are you concerned that the US is showing certain intransigence now towards the goals of that conference so that it could possibly may be a trend?

SG: I think the objective of the conference is clear. And I hope the leaders who are coming here are coming to focus attention on the needs of children from around the world -- from education, to health, and what society needs to do to protect children and ensure their future. I think the leaders who are coming here are going to be focused. And from what I have picked-up, I think the US is coming and will be participating in this worthwhile cause. We all want to protect our future. We all what to protect our children. And I'm sure the US will be here.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, on the Middle East, things are getting worse and worse, and the Arab Foreign Ministers are saying the United Nations is simply standing by, watching what's happening, is not involved as it should be in the Security Council and probably also in the Secretariat. What do you think you can do now? And secondly, on Iraq, now that the Foreign Minister of Iraq will be coming for this Assembly, do you think it's time to see about renewing that round of talks that you started in light of the recent [inaudible]?

SG: I think on the question of the Middle East, let me first say that a lot is happening behind the scenes and there's lots of activities by the US, the European Union and myself, and even the Russian Federation. And I think tomorrow there'll be a meeting between Chairman [of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasser] Arafat and Foreign Minister [of Israel] Shimon Peres. And I hope that will be the beginning of a series of meetings in a search for a solution -- a solution in terms of calming the situation and getting the parties back to the table. The Security Council did discuss the Palestinian issue not very long ago, and I'm sure during the General Assembly, when everybody is here, there will be an opportunity for us to discuss this issue along the margins of the General Assembly.

On the Iraqi issue, the [Security] Council, of course, is still seized of it, and I have made clear the conditions under which I think I will be prepared to go ahead with the talks with the Iraqis. But if the Iraqi Foreign Minister were to come with some suggestions and proposals, obviously I'm prepared to discuss with him and to sit down with him. *****