HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Monday, 31 January, 2004
ANNAN CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION AMONG IRAQIS FOLLOWING ELECTIONS
Last night the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, issued a statement on the Iraqi elections saying that current indications are that the elections have been successfully carried out.
He paid tribute to the courage of the Iraqi people. He especially congratulated all those Iraqi who were involved in either planning or monitoring the elections, and who worked in such a limited timeframe and such daunting circumstances.
He also noted the contributions of the security forces, both Iraqi and international, in ensuring a relatively safe and secure environment.
The success of the election augurs well for the transition process, he said, with the next phase being one in which the Transitional National Assembly drafts a permanent constitution for Iraq, which is expected to be put to a referendum in October 2005.
The Secretary-General called for reconciliation on all sides. It is important, he went on to say, to ensure that all those who, for whatever reason, were unable or unwilling to take part in the election are now brought into the constitution-making process.
The United Nations, he said from Abuja, stands ready to continue its electoral assistance, to facilitate vital outreach efforts, and, if invited, to assist the elected Transitional National Assembly, in its work of drafting the constitution.
Asked about future UN electoral assistance to Iraq, the Spokesman said that the Transitional Administrative Law calls for a new Assembly to write a constitution and present it for a referendum. Should the new constitution be approved by the referendum, there would also be elections on a permanent assembly. The United Nations stands ready to respond to any request from the Iraqi Government for both the referendum and the elections.
In addition, the Spokesman said, the United Nations has offered advice to many emerging nations on writing constitutions, and that task is one that the Security Council authorized it to do in Iraq, if asked by the Iraqis. In response to questions, Eckhard added that the United Nations would bring in legal and political experts to advice on all aspects of the constitution, including political rights and human rights.
He said that UN electoral experts would stay in Iraq to prepare for the upcoming elections at the end of the year, but other officials knowledgeable about constitutional issues would also go in.
In response to a question, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General does not have a view regarding the eventual withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. He noted that the decision to go to war in Iraq took place without Security Council approval.
In response to another question, the Spokesman said he was unaware of any plans for Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi to visit Iraq.
ANNAN TELEPHONED WORLD LEADERS ON IRAQ EELCTION
While traveling in West Africa, the Secretary-General kept himself abreast of the latest developments in Iraq.
In addition to regular contacts with his staff in Baghdad, the Secretary-General spoke by telephone with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, US Ambassador in Iraq John Negroponte and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
This morning, the Secretary-General also spoke to US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Asked about the conversations with Bush and Rice, the Spokesman said he had no read-out but they most likely concerned, among other topics, the Iraq elections.
Asked whether this was the Secretary-General’s first conversation with Rice since she was confirmed as Secretary of State, the Spokesman noted that he had also spoken to her earlier this month, while her confirmation process was progressing.
U.N. ENVOY HELD TALKS WITH BROAD RANGE OF IRAQI OFFICIALS
From Baghdad, on this day after the elections, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, held talks with a broad range of Iraqi political personalities.
They include the Vice President and President of Al Da’wa Party, Ibrahim Jaa’fary, the Deputy Prime Minister, Barham Saleh, the Head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution, Abdul Aziz al Hakim, the President of the Association of Muslim Scholars, Hareth al Dhari, and the President of the Iraqi Islamist Party, Muhsen Abdul Hamid, among others.
Qazi stressed that the elections represented an important step in the political process that must bring all Iraqis together in shaping the future of their country.
He emphasized the importance of encouraging a broad based dialogue among all Iraqi political forces as the best way to address differences in points of view.
He also stressed that all Iraqis must be represented in the political process, especially in the constitution making process, to ensure that it realizes its objective of building a safe, stable and democratic Iraq.
Qazi said the UN stands ready to support Iraqis in the post elections period and is willing to provide its expertise to the Iraqis in the constitution making process if the Iraqi authorities seek its help.
ANNAN TOLD AFRICAN LEADERS THAT AFRICA HAS AN “INDISPENSABLE CONTRIBUTION” TO MAKE
The Secretary-General has arrived in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where he is scheduled today to meet with President Paul Biya and to attend an early dinner, before leaving for New York.
On Sunday, the Secretary-General addressed the African Union Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, telling the assembled leaders, that “Africa has an indispensable contribution to make in ensuring that 2005 becomes a turning point for the continent, the United Nations and the world.”
He said he attaches the highest importance to nurturing the ties between the United Nations and the African Union.
The Secretary-General then gave a press conference at the summit site, in which he said, because of the “ugly stain” left by the appalling misconduct of a minority of peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, “the time has come to overhaul our entire training, disciplinary, and investigative regimes to ensure that we do not again experience this abomination in any of our missions.”
He argued, “We cannot tolerate even one UN peacekeeper victimizing the most vulnerable among us.”
On Darfur, he said that he had just received the report of the International Commission of Inquiry, adding, “We are in the process of analyzing it and I shall release it to the Security Council very shortly.”
He said that, regardless of how the events in Darfur are described, “serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross violations of human rights have taken place and this cannot be allowed to stand.” He added, “I believe that sanctions should still be on the table.”
In the margins of the Summit yesterday, the Secretary-General held back-to-back bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Sudan, Senegal, Niger and Rwanda, as well as with Nigeria’s foreign minister.
On Monday morning, the Secretary-General had six bilateral meetings in a row. They were with the presidents of South Africa, Egypt, Somalia, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General had a one-on-one meeting with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who formally handed over the UN House building to the United Nations in Nigeria.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s views on sanctions on Sudan, the Spokesman recalled that the Secretary-General has said that we should not wait for a decision on whether genocide has taken place or not, since violations of human rights have taken place, and action is needed.
Already, African Union monitors have gone to Darfur, with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations providing technical advice. Now, the Spokesman added, we will see how the Security Council reacts to the recent Commission of Inquiry report on Darfur.
SECURITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE BRIEFING ON SUDAN TODAY
At 3:00 p.m. today, the Security Council has scheduled consultations on Sudan, to receive a briefing from the Secretariat on recent developments there. Haile Menkerios, Director in the Department of Political Affairs, is expected to brief Council members.
Asked if the Commission of Inquiry’s report on Darfur said that what took place there was not genocide, the Spokesman declined to comment on the report until it is given to the Security Council. The report could go to Council members on Tuesday, as previously planned, or possibly later today, he said.
Asked about the Secretary-General’s views regarding whether what happened in Darfur should be examined by the International Criminal Court or a different tribunal, the Spokesman said that such a decision is ultimately one for the Security Council to make. The Secretary-General will keep informed about their thinking.
In response to a comment by a journalist, the Spokesman agreed that the Secretary-General is “a well-known supporter” of the International Criminal Court.
The Spokesman added that the Secretariat would not comment on the report for now, and would wait for the Security Council to digest the 140-page document.
Asked about a list of names of people accused of crimes in Darfur, the Spokesman said that the list is in the Secretary-General’s hands, but is confidential, and will not go initially to Council members.
U.N. MISSION RECEIVED REPORTS OF CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND TRIBESMEN IN EASTERN SUDAN
The UN Mission in Sudan has received reports that Sudanese police opened fire on Biga tribesmen who were demonstrating over the weekend in Port Sudan, in the country’s east. There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties.
There are also continuing reports of violence in Darfur. In South Darfur , several routes are currently closed for UN movement because of continued insecurity.
Meanwhile, in West Darfur, the security situation appears to have calmed down since heavy fighting took place north of Sirba on 20 January, but the situation there remains tense.
SECURITY COUNCIL AGAIN POSTPONES MEETING ON COTE D’IVOIRE SANCTIONS
Earlier today, the Security Council decided once more to postpone a formal meeting, which had been scheduled to take place this morning, to vote on a resolution on sanctions in Cote d’Ivoire. That formal meeting is postponed until further notice.
Today marks the last day of Argentina’s Presidency of the Security Council. Tomorrow, Benin will take over as Council President for the month of February.
CLEAN, WATER, SANITATION AND FOOD REMAIN A PROBLEM IN BANDA ACEH FOLLOWING TSUNAMI
A UN assessment in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, - of 50 settlements of people who lost their homes - revealed no immediate health concerns, although access to clean water, sanitation and food remains a problem in the wake of the tsunami.
According to the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Indonesia, the Indonesian military has welcomed a more permanent UN presence to reinforce the coordination of assistance in the city of Calang. Infrastructure for a UN office there is on the way, and several UN agencies already have staff on the ground.
Meanwhile, the UN’s World Tourism Organisation is holding a two-day emergency meeting in Phuket, Thailand, to discuss how to lure visitors back to tsunami-hit areas.
In other news, Yusuf Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, joined a team from the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees over the weekend, to visit children displaced by the tsunami.
Asked when a coordinator for tsunami relief would be named, the Spokesman said that should happen this week.
2,500 VILLAGERS SEEK REFUGE WITH U.N. PEACEKEEPERS IN EASTERN DR CONGO
The UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) says that around 2,500 people have sought refuge near UN peacekeepers after fleeing the village of Che, in the Ituri district in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The villagers are now located around the peacekeepers' posting, and they claim to be fleeing from attacks by ethnic tribal militias around Che. The peacekeepers arrived in Che by helicopter Saturday to secure the area following reports of burning homes and residents fleeing for safety.
Today, the peacekeepers reinforced their positions since the number of people who are seeking their protection has increased to 2,500 from an initial 120.
MONUC is providing the refugees with water, and has sent a team of doctors – the main injuries suffered by the refugees were caused by traditional weapons including knives, machetes and arrows. Other assistance from humanitarian NGOs – such as food, blankets and clothing – will follow and their distribution should be completed by tomorrow.
Peacekeepers are also patrolling the area by helicopter to maintain security, and MONUC will ask the DRC’s government and the Ituri armed groups to find a common solution to the situation in Che.
NEW IDEAS ON SELECTION OF U.N. SENIOR STAFF TO BE FORMULATED IN NEXT FEW WEEKS
Asked whether steps would be taken for the United Nations to exercise more transparency in its appointments of senior officials, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General has asked new Chief of Staff Mark Malloch Brown to think about that issue, with his initial ideas expected to be formulated in the next couple of weeks.
Asked whether geographic diversity would still be a consideration for filling senior appointments, the Spokesman said that geographic diversity at all levels is one of the UN’s guiding principles, and that it tries to be as balanced as possible.
He noted that, in 1997, the Secretary-General said that no government should assume that they own a certain job. The Secretary-General supports the idea of rotating nationalities for senior positions.
At the same time, the Spokesman said, for certain specialized agencies, major contributors tend to get the senior spots.
Asked whether there would be any shake-up of UN senior staff, the Spokesman said that attrition had given the Secretary-General the opportunity to make changes by appointing new people to key positions, such as Malloch Brown, and other such changes will come in time. But Eckhard said there would be no mass firings.
NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST SEEN IN OIL-FOR-FOOD INQUIRY’S APPOINTMENT
Asked about Paul Volcker’s links to businesses, the Spokesman said that Volcker’s office has issued an explanation of those links, and the United Nations does not see any conflict of interest in those links. Volcker was chosen to head the Independent Inquiry Committee, Eckhard added, on the basis of his enormous stature in the United States and his reputation for integrity, and the Secretary-General sees no basis to change his mind on that. The Spokesman said that the Secretary-General still trusts Volcker.
Asked about reports concerning business transactions made by the Secretary-General’s son, Kojo Annan, the Spokesman said he understood that Kojo Annan has given any information about that to the Volcker panel.
OTHER NEWS
U.N. ANTI-DRUG CHIEF CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ARREST WARRANTS FOR AFGHAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, has wrapped up his three-day visit to Afghanistan, after calling for international arrest warrants for Afghan drug traffickers. The call for such warrants is based on the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, as well as the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances.
FORMER YUGOSLAV ARMY OFFICER JAILED FOR EIGHT YEARS: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Pavle Strugar, a retired Lieutenant-General of the then Yugoslav Peoples’ Army, who was found guilty of war crimes in the Dubrovnik area of Croatia in 1991. The Tribunal found Strugar guilty of attacks on civilians and the destruction or willful of historic and religious sites.
UNESCO CONDEMNS MURDER OF HAITIAN JOURNALIST: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the murder of a journalist in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, calling it an “intolerable attack on democracy and rule of law.” According to reports, Abdias Jean was shot and beaten by police while covering a police raid on a shantytown district.
10-YEAR OLD GIRL SHOT DEAD IN U.N.-RUN SCHOOL IN PALESTINIAN TERRITORY: The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has confirmed that a 10-year old elementary school girl was shot and killed today while lining up the yard of the U.N.-run school in Rafah. A second girl was injured in the hand by a second bullet fired at the same time. This is the fifth incident in the last two years in which children have been killed or seriously injured inside UNRWA school premises in the Gaza Strip.
In response to a question, the Spokesman noted that a forensic examination was taking place to determine who was responsible for the gunfire that killed the schoolgirl.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON DISABILITIES CONCLUDED FIRST WEEK OF WORK: The General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities concluded its first week of work last Friday by drafting articles on equal recognition before the law, liberty and security.
HUGE INVESTMENTS IN WATER, AGRICULTURE AND ECOSYSTEMS NEEDED TO REDUCE HUNGER AND POVERTY: Investments in agriculture and ecosystems in poor countries are essential to reduce by half the number of hungry people by 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today. According to FAO's latest estimates, around 852 million people worldwide were suffering from chronic hunger and undernourishment in 2000-2002.
AFRICAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: Senior officials from more than 40 African countries will gather in South Africa, from 31 January to 4 February, for the first African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development. The aim of the conference, which is co-sponsored by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), is to develop a plan of action to guide national initiatives for the development of towns and cities.
PRIZES AWARDED FOR IMPROVING LIVING ENVIRONMENTS: At a ceremony in Dubai today, Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), presented this year’s joint UN-HABITAT and Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment. Each winning practice received a $30,000 cash prize. Award winners were from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Iran, Kenya, Palestine, Spain, Togo, and Uzbekistan.
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