Secretary-General's press encounter upon return from Liechtenstein, Austria and Rwanda [unofficial transcript]

As you know, I just returned from Rwanda this morning.

First, however, let me brief you on the meeting I just had with Senator [George] Mitchell on the Middle East.

Senator Mitchell provided an overview of the first round of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

I underlined the need for a broad international support for this process, including the role of the United Nations and the Quartet. The Quartet principals will meet later this month in New York. They will also meet with the Arab partners. I look forward to meeting Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and President [Mahmoud] Abbas during the General Assembly.

I also underscored the need for an end to violence, and to extend and expand the scope of the Israeli Government's settlement restraint.

On Gaza, the international community needs to continue pushing for further measures to ease closures and address the needs of the population.

I commend President [Barack] Obama, Secretary of State [Hillary] Clinton and Senator Mitchell for their tireless work in this effort, and for working so closely with the United Nations. I also commend Quartet representative Tony Blair for his role; he has also briefed me by telephone.

Negotiations are the only way for Israel and the Palestinians to resolve all final status issues and realize their aspirations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me turn now to my just-completed trip.

Before flying to Rwanda on Tuesday, I visited Liechtenstein and Austria.

In Vaduz, I congratulated the people of Liechtenstein and Prince Hans-Adam, who are celebrating 20 years of joining the United Nations.

Liechtenstein has been a generous supporter of the United Nations. Liechtenstein's efforts were also crucial to the success of the recent review conference of the International Criminal Court, which was held in June in Kampala, which was chaired by Ambassador [Christian] Wenaweser.

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In Austria, I had good talks with President [Heintz] Fischer and Foreign Minister [Michael] Spindelegger. I also attended the inaugural conference of the International Anti-Corruption Academy –an important joint initiative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Austria.

In Alpbach, I attended the European Forum to discuss the impact of the global economic and financial crisis on the Millennium Development Goals. I also took part in a Security Council retreat and my own senior management retreat –both well timed to bring fresh energy to the Summits and meetings in the weeks ahead.

Now let me say a few words about my visit to Rwanda.

I had very constructive meetings with President [Paul] Kagame, Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo and other ministers, including the Justice and Finance Ministers. I congratulated President Kagame on his inauguration for a second term.

We discussed Rwanda's great strides in working toward the Millennium Development Goals. I look forward to President Kagame's personal participation in the MDG Summit, during which he will co-chair a second meeting of the high-level MDG advocacy group.

As you know, I decided to visit Kigali to speak directly with President Kagame and his Government about their concerns regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo Human Rights mapping exercise commissioned by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

We discussed the matter in great detail. I listened very carefully to their concerns. I fully understand and appreciate the depth of their feelings on this matter.

I encouraged President Kagame and the Rwandan Government, and indeed all concerned countries, to submit their comments on the report by the end of this month, as requested by High Commissioner Navi Pillay. Those comments will be released together with the final version of this mapping report simultaneously on 1 October.

We will continue our dialogue when President Kagame visits New York this month.

I also strongly praised Rwanda's commitment to the United Nations and in particular its role in peacekeeping operations. Rwandan forces are well trained and continue to make important contributions to peace and security in the region. Many Rwandan soldiers have given their lives while serving the cause of peace, and I honour their memory.

Rwanda's contribution is all the more important because we are going to see two referenda in Sudan in January next year. We need to do more to protect the civilian population –not least women and children.

President Kagame and I agreed that it is extremely important for Rwanda to continue its role in peacekeeping operations.

Finally, I know you have heard a frank and open assessment from Assistant Secretary-General Atul Khare and Ms. Margot Wallström on the shocking rape incidents in the eastern DRC. The Government of the DRC must play its role in fighting this horrific violence. But clearly all of us at the United Nations must and will do better.

I'll be holding a press conference on Monday. But I'm happy to take a couple of questions this morning.

Thank you very much.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, on Rwanda, have you made a decision now to endorse the report as it is written, because Rwanda will get a chance to comment? Are you satisfied that Rwanda will not pull their troops out? And how difficult of a personal decision and matter has this been for you?

SG: First of all, the leaked version was a draft. We are still in the process of reviewing the draft, and the final version will be released on 1 October, so the final version has not been released yet. There should be no misunderstanding. Whatever has been reported was based on a leaked version, a leaked draft.

My meeting with President Kagame was very helpful and constructive, and that is what I have just briefed on now.

Q: Was it a difficult decision to make? A difficult issue for you personally, given the consequences of what the report could have?

SG: It has been quite a difficult process. Through all this dialogue, on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual respect and considering the security situations in and around Rwanda, particularly in the Great Lakes region, I was able to have very useful discussions, and this discussion will continue when he visits later this month during the General Assembly.

Q: Mr. Ban Ki-moon, thank you very much. I am sure you have heard President Obama this morning commenting about the proposed burning of the Koran by the priest in Florida, and I was wondering, as Secretary-General of the UN, where a lot of Muslims work and where the UN is active in many Muslim countries, what is your personal reaction, Sir?

SG: I believe you must have read my statement. I am deeply disturbed by reports of a small religious group which plans to burn copies of the Koran. Such actions cannot be condoned by any religion. They contradict the efforts of the United Nations and many people around the world, to promote tolerance, intercultural understanding, and mutual respect between cultures and religions. As you know, the United Nations has been promoting this effort through the initiative of the Alliance of Civilizations, and it is absolutely necessary for any group of religion or culture that people should understand and appreciate better and more the traditions and religions and faith and beliefs of other people. This is my position. I sincerely hope that they will not take such unacceptable actions.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, after you came back from Pakistan, and you asked for a special meeting, there was a groundswell of support for the millions and millions of Pakistan flood victims. And suddenly that international support has dissipated, there is no money coming in. Even your new head of OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] is also sounding very disappointed with it, and Mr. [Jean-]Maurice Ripert says the appeal should be doubled. In your opinion, how much appeal is needed to help the Pakistanis, because at this point in time nothing is coming in, as we see?

SG: One cannot say that nothing is coming in. The international community has been responding generously, and I appreciate and I am grateful for that.

Of course, assistance might not have come as needed at this time, considering the gravity and the seriousness of the [situation of the] people affected –at least 21 million people. The United Nations has been mobilizing all the international community's efforts. By this time, we have provided daily rations for at least three million people. And we have provided medical assistance for at least 4 million people, we have provided more than 350,000 shelters –like tents or tarpaulins. We have provided safe drinking water. Our target is to provide, to at least 6 to 8 million people, such assistance.

As you know, I have dispatched the new Under-Secretary-General of OCHA, Ms. Valerie Amos. She is now in Pakistan, discussing with the United Nations country team, as well as with the Pakistani senior leadership.

I sincerely hope that we will be able to mobilize more, and I urge the international community again to provide, urgently, humanitarian assistance.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you spoke about the rape in the Congo. The Congolese army is responsible for some of it, and the UN and the world stands behind the Congolese Government. How does one fix that? And in the Sudan, where Mr. Kagame is very active, it seems that when the Rwandans in UNAMID [Joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur] tried to protect Sudanese civilians who were being killed, the Sudanese Government stopped them from moving. Is anyone protesting?

SG: Mr. Atul Khare, and my Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict have extensively briefed the Security Council and the media, and this morning I also explained myself. This has been a top priority issue - how to protect women and girls and the most vulnerable people in armed conflict. The basic, primary responsibility lies with the countries concerned, in this case, the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], and I have spoken with President [Joseph] Kabila on this issue, very seriously, when I was in the DRC last June. I have spoken very strongly about this, and this will continue.

Having seen such unacceptable, intolerable, mass rape recently, now it has come to us how the United Nations could have done more, and should do more. Now, we are trying our best to establish effective alert systems. As you know, these villages are very remote, and there is no way to have effective communications, even though some tragic things might have happened. So MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) is now taking care to provide some necessary communication equipment, so that effective communication between MONUSCO and villagers - village leaders, church leaders –can be made. This may be just one specific area, but as a matter of policy, as we are observing the 10th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325, it is absolutely necessary and crucial that the international community do more on protecting women and girls from these inhuman crimes.

Q: On Sudan, it follows on what Evelyn was saying, but it is a little bit wider. It turns out that, despite the protection of civilians mandate of UNAMID, that in several recent instances, peacekeepers have been telling relatives of victims that they need to get approval before they can leave their bases to go out. Most recently it was at the Tabarat market in Jebel Marra. They told them that they had to get approval before they could go. By the time they went, some people who had been injured were in fact dead. So what I am wondering is, what is the policy of the UN in terms of seeking approval from the Government? There is also a case in Khartoum in which a dead Darfuri student that was allegedly tortured, UNMIS (UN Mission in Sudan) was unable to get access to his body until it was too late. So, what is the policy of the UN in terms of its freedom of movement to protect civilians in Sudan?

SG: In some cases it is true that there was some difficulty in getting smooth administrative support from the Government of Sudan. That has been the subject of continuous consultation with the Sudanese Government. During my visit to Austria last week I called in Mr. [Ibrahim] Gambari to Vienna, and I got a briefing on the situation and how we can ensure a smoother and more effective coordination and support from the Sudanese Government. We are aware of such problems and we will continue to improve the situation.

Q: Does it violate the Status of Forces Agreement, that the UN hasn't been to parts of Jebel Marra since February? That is what John Holmes said before he left, that there are whole regions of Darfur they haven't been able to reach.

SG: There is a Status of [Forces] Agreement, of course. They should be faithful to provide the necessary support and cooperation. In reality, when we are not able to get such support, it really constrains the movement of our people and peacekeepers. We will do our best to improve this situation.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, on the issue of Kosovo, the UN General Assembly is going to take up the issue today. While a lot of countries actually are calling on Serbia to take a more realistic approach to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, Serbia and its allies still insist that the only legal and binding document is Resolution 1244 of the Security Council, and this is the only legal document that should be applied in this case, which actually confirms the territorial integrity of Serbia. So what is your sense about this kind of contradiction, and how do you feel about Kosovo becoming a Member of the United Nations in any foreseeable future?

SG: For your last question, I am not in a position to say anything. This is Member States who make decisions about the membership of the United Nations.

[Resolution] 1244 remains valid and effective. The United Nations Mission in Kosovo will continue to work, consistent with Security Council Resolution 1244, as a status neutral mission. About this Serbian Government proposal, General Assembly proposal, I understand that consultations have been continuing between the European Union and the Serbian Government and other concerned parties. I hope that, through this consultation, they will be able to have a harmonious resolution on this issue. As Secretary-General, I am committed to continue to work for the peace and stability of the region, consistent with Security Council Resolution 1244.

Thank you very much. We will meet you again on Monday.