SECRETARY-GENERAL'S PRESS CONFERENCE
UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
NEW YORK
Monday,
January 7, 2008
[There was no noon briefing today by the Spokesperson for
the Secretary-General. The noon briefings will resume tomorrow.]
The Secretary-General: Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I would like to send my best wishes for a
very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I hope that 2008 will bring to all
of you and your families best wishes, happiness and prosperity. It has been a
great privilege for me to work with you during last year, my first year, and I
count on continuing such a good relationship and friendship and exchange of
ideas, including constructive criticism, even. Thank you very much.
By tradition, this is the season for taking
stock—and for looking ahead.
We mourn the loss of 42 UN colleagues during
the year 2007, including 17 killed in the Algiers terrorist bombing. Yet we
enter 2008 with new determination—and new opportunities—to strengthen the UN’s
role in the world.
You know that I am not one to speak easily of
successes. The past year was one of immense challenges. But I think we have made
certain progress. We opened a new chapter on climate change. We took on new and
daunting challenges in peacekeeping, most specifically in Darfur.
We must build on this foundation. Protecting
our planet and its people—our global commons—requires all our best efforts. So
does the task of securing economic wellbeing, social justice, security and other
global public goods. This requires sustained and coherent international action
beyond what nations or markets can provide by themselves.
That is why I believe so strongly in the
United Nations. Only the United Nations can take on the issues that affect us
all, that shape the fate of the earth and its peoples.
These are powerful concepts: the “global
commons” and “global public goods.” They are the basic building blocks of modern
globalized society. If they are to have meaning, we must be mindful of the
responsibilities they impose upon us.
We must address ourselves to the needs of the
weak, the disadvantaged, those who have been excluded from the mainstream
international community. I speak here of those who are most vulnerable to
climate change. Those who suffer the most grinding poverty. Those who do not
enjoy basic human rights.
And so I say, let 2008 be the year of the
“bottom billion.”
That’s the phrase some economists use to
describe the poorest of the world’s poor. They are the forgotten ones, the
nearly one billion left behind by global economic growth. Most live in Africa or
the small developing islands of Asia, eking out lives of hardship on incomes of
less than $1 a day.
We must pay careful attention to these nations
with special needs. We must heed the voices of the world’s poorest people, who
too often go unheard.
For this reason, I shall work over the coming
year to strengthen the UN’s role in development. We are at the mid-point of a
great campaign to end world poverty, set forth in the Millennium Development
Goals. Too many nations have fallen behind. We need fresh ideas and fresh
approaches.
That is why, last year, I established the MDG
Africa Steering Group. In April, world leaders will gather in Accra, Ghana, for
the UNCTAD summit on trade and development. In September, we will host a
high-level meeting at the beginning of the General Debate. The goal: to
re-energize the world’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, with
special attention to the poorest of the poor.
Last year, we used a similar forum to
galvanize world action on climate change. This year, we will do the same for the
bottom billion.
In the pursuit of the global good, human
rights must be a core principle. It is fitting, then, that 2008 should also mark
the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
As I have said before, I say again. Economic
and social advancement is an implicit human right. I will use this milestone
year, therefore, to call for the universal ratification of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
I am determined to press ahead with the
special tribunal in Lebanon and to work with the international courts to promote
justice and oppose impunity. We will launch a new global awareness campaign on
human rights, push more aggressively to better protect women and children
against violence, and strengthen the office of the High Commissioner on Human
Rights.
The demands on the UN grow ever greater. If
anything, the coming year promises to be even tougher than the last. Look how it
has begun, with turmoil in Kenya and renewed violence in Sri Lanka. We must
nurture a fragile peace process in the Middle East. We must do more to help the
people of Iraq emerge from conflict and rebuild shattered lives. We must stay
the course in Afghanistan, so that it does not again fall into lawless anarchy.
In Darfur, we must do our utmost to push the
peace talks to a successful conclusion. We must manage the very complex
deployment of UN-African Union forces. To succeed, we need the full cooperation
of the government of Sudan. We also need the Member States—including the
Security Council—to live up to their commitments.
The road from Bali will be difficult as well.
Two years is not a long time to win a climate change deal that all nations can
embrace. I intend to keep up the momentum. We need a global grassroots public
awareness campaign to focus political pressure and keep global warming at the
forefront of public consciousness.
We therefore move into the new year with
renewed commitment to our ultimate mission—building a stronger UN for a better
world. As ever, I seek results, not easy rhetoric. Our watchword must be
effectiveness. I will continue my push to modernize, revitalize and streamline
the UN system, upholding the highest standards of ethics, performance and
accountability.
I want to stress this word. Accountability is
not a technicality. It must be the fundamental operational principle of the
UN—for the Secretariat, the agencies and Member States alike.
We will continue our work to stiffen
procurement and management procedures. I will shortly ask all senior executives
to sign management compacts with me, laying out specific and measurable
benchmarks for performance. Last year we re-organized our Department of
Peacekeeping Operations. This year, we will do the same with our
development-related bodies and the Department of Political Affairs. I want it to
become more proactive in tackling global crises, especially in the realm of
preventive diplomacy.
Member States, too, must hold themselves
accountable. They must put up the resources to deliver on their mandates. We
must deliver on our promises—openly, effectively and promptly.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since my first day
in office, I have sought an open and active dialogue with you in the UN press
corps. You were the first people I met last year on my first day, and you are
the first – after my Town Hall meeting with the staff this year – that I am
meeting in this new year.
I look forward to
our healthy, frank exchanges. They are valuable and, often, fun. Let me start by
taking your questions. And again, my best wishes to you all for a very
successful, rewarding 2008.
Question: Thank you very
much for your kind wishes to the United Nations Correspondents Association.
On behalf of all my colleagues here, I would
like to wish you and Madame Yoo Soon-taek all the best — and, of course, a very
successful second year, despite the slow activities and results of the last
year. You have set a lot of high expectations for this year.
So I wonder if you can tell us: First, there
is a new crisis in Africa, in Kenya, where accusations of genocide and ethnic
cleansing have become more and more visible now and heard all over the world. I
wonder what the United Nations is doing to prevent another case of Rwanda in
1994, where the United Nations is limited to providing relief services while the
killing went on?
The Secretary-General: I have been in
close contact with Kenyan leaders, including President [Mwai] Kibaki and
opposition leader [Raila] Odinga, and President [John] Kufuor of Ghana, in his
capacity as Chairperson of the African Union, and many other international
leaders to, first of all, calm down and stabilize the situation. I urged them
strongly to avoid further killings of civilians. That was unacceptable, as I
have stated in my two previous statements. I will continue to do that.
The United Nations has been doing our best
efforts to provide the necessary humanitarian assistance to many people there
who have been unfortunately displaced because of this situation in Kenya.
Protecting human rights is very important and paramount for us. We are taking
all necessary measures to prevent the further deterioration of the situation.
As for the specific question you raised, that
will always be a high priority in my mind. We will try our best to ensure that
no further casualties will happen there. And as the leaders of Africa –
including President Kufuor, who is expected to have consultations with the
Kenyan leadership — as well as some former presidents are also expected to visit
there — I hope, through those international interventions, the Kenyan leaders
will sit down together and resolve this issue in a peaceful manner.
Question: Mr. Secretary-General, both
you and the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping last month said that the
force going in to Darfur would be at risk unless the Sudanese Government agreed
to some of the troop assignments that you were requesting, and unless other
countries gave you the transportation and logistics you needed. Neither of those
two things has happened. You have had a formal change of command in Darfur,
which basically is just changing the colour of the helmets. My question is: If
this force is, as you say, at risk, how can you deploy them when they don’t have
the capacity to protect civilians and don’t have the capacity to protect
themselves?
The Secretary-General: That is exactly
why I, as Secretary-General, and the United Nations as a whole and the
international community – Member States – must ensure a rapid deployment of the
Hybrid Operation as agreed, to the level of 26,000, as soon as possible. We now
have 9,000 re-hatted soldiers in Darfur. That is not sufficient. That is why we
are very much concerned about this ongoing deteriorating situation in Darfur.
I had a long telephone discussion with
President [Omar al-] Bashir last Saturday, and we agreed to meet again in Addis
Ababa. Before that, before we meet again at Addis Ababa on the occasion of the
African Union summit meeting, we will have a high-level consultation to resolve
all these pending issues. There are, as you rightly said, two areas of pending
issues, one to be done by the Sudanese Government. There are still many
technical or administrative issues, to which the Sudanese Government must commit
themselves as agreed, including a status of forces agreement and also
composition of forces and other technical issues.
Then there are resources to be provided by the
Member States in general, including critical assets like helicopters and heavy
transport equipment. These are to be done by both sides: by the international
community as a whole and the Sudanese Government. I will do my best to expedite
this process. In fact, we have made a good framework to resolve these Darfur as
well as Sudanese issues as a whole, including a peace process and the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
All those three tracks will move hand in hand.
And we are also looking at the possibility of resuming the second peace process.
But that may take a little bit of time. My Special Envoy Mr. Jan Eliasson and
African Union Envoy Mr. [Salim Ahmed] Salim, they are working very hard. Jan
Eliasson is also going to visit Khartoum next week.
Question: Mr. Secretary-General, there
have been statements threatening war in the African continent lately. The
POLISARIO has been saying that this is the last chance that they give the
Moroccans in the Western Sahara; otherwise the preparation for war is afoot.
Also, we have the worrying aspect of Chadian aeroplanes bombing areas of Sudan,
Darfur, in chase of Chadian rebels, so they allege. And there are obvious and
frank threats from the President of Chad to enter Darfur to chase the Chadian
rebels. Your thoughts on both subjects, please.
The Secretary-General: On the Western
Sahara issue: As you may know already, I am going to issue a statement this
morning that there is going to be another consultation in Manhasset, in
Greentree, between the parties concerned. I appreciate all the parties concerned
to have accepted my invitation. Mr. [Peter van] Walsum is going to organize as
well as facilitate this dialogue. This is a painstaking and very complex issue,
and I hope that this time they will be able to make good progress on these
issues.
On the situation in Darfur and,
again, the Sudanese relationship, I am going to discuss with African leaders,
including President [Idris] Deby of Chad. I have spoken with President Bashir.
But I would really urge the leaders and countries concerned to refrain from all
these exercises – refrain from using military forces. This will only aggravate
the situations in Africa. I am very much concerned about all these ongoing
deteriorating situations – not only here but elsewhere, including Kenya, Sudan,
Chad and other areas.
I really hope that this new year,
2008, will see bright hope. We have started with gloomy prospects: the situation
in Kenya and elsewhere. I really hope that, with active cooperation and dialogue
among the leaders of the world, we will see some better world this year. This is
my firm commitment as Secretary-General.
Question: But the
POLISARIO is saying frankly, and their statements are very clear, that this is
the last chance they are giving the Moroccans. Your thoughts on that; are you
having any contacts with the POLISARIO? I understand that you hope that they
will reach an agreement, but it seems the obstacles are too high and, in the
face of these threats, it sounds like dire straits to me.
The Secretary-General: I
would not make any comment on such kinds of very definitive declaration by any
one of the parties. All the issues, they have their background and very complex
nature of the issues. And it needs the parties concerned to be, first of all,
patient and persistent and consistent and faithful in resolving this issue
through dialogue.
Question: We know that you
are a very humble person, but if you were to rate your first year’s performance
on a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you give yourself, and why?
The Secretary-General: I am the sort of
person – as you said, modest. I am the sort of person who is very strict to
myself, officially and personally. Even in my home and my private life, I really
want to be very strict to myself. When you set a guideline or rule, I want to be
bound by that. I stick to that.
The assessment of my performance as
Secretary-General during the last one year will be the role and duty of you and
Member States and other public and private organizations, including many NGOs. I
think that I have made certain progress. As I said, I am not a person who easily
speaks about success, because one year may be too long or may be too short for
anyone to assess my performance. All the issues which you may have seen last
year, they are all ongoing projects, including reform of the United Nations,
Darfur, climate change or all these Lebanese situations. All are ongoing and
very complex, so we need to continue and step up our efforts. I think I have
established good tracks on the basis of which I can move ahead on these
projects.
Question: Mr. Secretary-General, in
your opening statement you talked about pressing on with the investigation in
the Hariri assassination and the Lebanon tribunal. As you know, the family of
Benazir Bhutto has asked for United Nations participation in the investigation
of her murder. I would like to get your thoughts about that. And do you feel
that the United Nations should be the one organization or agency in the world
that is the place to go for such political assassination investigations?
The Secretary-General: In other places,
you mean?
Question: Yes. In other words, Benazir
Bhutto’s family has asked for the participation of the United Nations to
investigate her murder and her assassination, and as you know, Scotland Yard has
been invited in by the Government. But do you feel that the United Nations
should be the place where the buck stops and where investigations start in such
political assassinations?
The Secretary-General: First of all,
the United Nations has not received any formal request from the Government of
Pakistan, and as you may very well be aware, Scotland Yard are now providing
technical assistance in the investigation process of this very tragic
assassination case. Therefore, I am not in a position to comment on any request
on a private, personal level. All this kind of establishing Special Tribunals
should be, first of all, based upon the formal request of the Government
concerned. And then that should be decided by the Security Council. That means
that all Member States should decide. The assassination of Hariri case, which
has been establishing this Special Tribunal, was a very special one, where the
whole Security Council has made a consensus agreement on this.
Question: Mr. Secretary-General, happy
New Year to you and your family, and thanks for welcoming constructive
criticism. Actually, this is praise of what you have done in Paris, when you
chaired the meeting in Paris on Lebanon. I am wondering if you are satisfied
with the follow-up to that meeting you have chaired. And since you said you are
pressing ahead with this tribunal on Lebanon, are you going to name the judges?
You said you will accept the recommendations, but are you going to be naming the
judges, and is the tribunal pretty much ready to be operational in February, as
we have heard from the American ambassador? And is this tribunal now
unstoppable?
The Secretary-General: We have made
good progress on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The
United Nations remains committed to the search for truth and justice in this
case. On 21 December, after three months of negotiations, we signed a
headquarters agreement with the Dutch Government on the Special Tribunal, to be
headquartered at The Hague. I have also received and adopted the recommendations
of the selection panel created to help me recruit judges for the tribunal. It is
a panel of international judicial experts, which includes my Legal Counsel, Mr.
Nicolas Michel. I will announce the names of those selected at an appropriate
time in the future. The judges will assume their functions on the date I will
also determine soon.
In this regard, I would like to
speak more broadly on the situation in Lebanon, if you will allow me to say a
few words. I continue to be in close contact with Lebanese leaders and, more
broadly, with international and regional leaders to try to find a solution to
the prolonged political crisis. I am deeply disappointed by the current
situation, in which the Lebanese people have not been able to elect their own
President for such a long time. There has been a prolonged constitutional vacuum
by not having a President yet.
Failure to reach an early
agreement would represent a betrayal of the expectations of both the Lebanese
people and the international community. You have seen the international donors
conference, which was held in January last year in Paris, which committed almost
$8 billion, and you have seen this meeting which I convened last December in
Paris on the occasion of the other international meeting. I am, at the same
time, encouraged by the efforts of the League of Arab States, announced
yesterday.
I once again call on Lebanese
leaders to think about the future of their country, transcending sectarian and
individual interests. And, on the neighbouring countries, I urge them to help
the Lebanese people, so that they will be able to overcome this crisis on their
own will, without outside interference.
Question: A follow-up for
you, Mr. Secretary-General: Have you been in touch with a particular neighbour
who is thought to be interfering in Lebanon, and there is a Syrian presidency or
Syrian Government: have you had any recent contacts with them? And what do you
mean when you say that in due time you will announce the names of the judges? Do
you mean when the tribunal becomes operational? And will that be in February,
like the American ambassador said?
Secretary-General: The
tribunal is making good progress, including the funding. We have been receiving
necessary funding from many, many countries. Therefore, first of all, the
headquarters agreement should be ratified by the Dutch parliament. We need to
have sufficient funding. We are talking about $120 million for the period of
three years, out of which we may need at least $40 million or $45 million, I am
not aware of the exact amount, for the first year. I think necessary
preparations are going on well. As soon as all these administrative and legal
measures are finalized, then I will be in a position to announce the names of
the judges.
Question: And Syria?
The Secretary-General: As
you know very well, I have been in close contact with many leaders in the
region, including President [Bashar al-]Assad of Syria. I think I have spoken
with him last month, and I will continue to discuss this issue with whoever is
known to have influence or interest in the future of Lebanon.
Question: Thank you,
Secretary-General, and happy New Year. I wanted you to give me your perspective
- or the perspective of the United Nations Secretariat - regarding the Greentree
accord between Nigeria and Cameroon. The Nigerian Senate keeps saying that the
treaty has not been ratified, but the treaty is already being implemented. Now,
did that decision, or did the information that the treaty was not ratified, did
it come to the United Nations, as a surprise? Is the United Nations supposed to
implement a treaty that has not been ratified by the competent authority in one
of the countries that signed the treaty?
The Secretary-General: I
will continue to discuss this matter and urge the leaders of Nigeria and
Cameroon to abide by this Greentree agreement, which has provided a good
framework for resolving all these pending issues.
Question: Let me follow up
with you. Are you surprised that the Nigerian Government did not ratify the
treaty before it was implemented?
The Secretary-General: That
was a source of concern last year, which I have been discussing with the
countries concerned.
Question: Mr.
Secretary-General, are you watching any of the US presidential debates, and who
do you think is going to win, and will it make any difference to the United
Nations?
The Secretary-General: I
hope you will be able to tell me what are your own views. I am watching and
closely following all these debates, but I have to wait until the final choice
of the American people, who will be elected as the President of the United
States. I will be very happy to work with anybody chosen by the American
people.
Question: If you allow me,
I will ask my question in French, and you can answer in either English or
French.
The Secretary-General: In
French? Yes.
Question (spoke in
French): You referred, in your introductory remarks, to the attack that took
the lives of 18 United Nations employees, and you mentioned other recent attacks
in the region, which received less media attention. There was an attack carried
out against French tourists, another against Mauritanian soldiers and a further
attack against Italian soldiers, and also a recent attack targeting police
officers in Algiers. Do you share the view that is held by numerous individuals
in the region who believe that the Sahel region is an area of arms trafficking,
and therefore constitutes a base for the various terrorist groups that are
threatening the region, and, beyond that, threatening neighbouring countries?
The Spokesperson: The
question, for those of you who were not following in French, is about Algeria:
the recent bombing in Algeria, and the prospect of –
Question: I am actually
talking about the Sahel region as a zone of lawlessness and the smuggling of
arms. And a lot of countries and people in the region are worried that those
attacks mean that the region may be considered as ground for terrorist groups
that may threaten the region. Given the recent attacks in Algiers and also the
attacks in Mauritania that led to the cancellation of a major sporting event,
the Dakar rally, do you share the views of those who think that this Sahel
region is becoming ground for terrorist groups that may threaten the stability
in the region?
The Secretary-General: Let
me practice my French.
(spoke in French)
Thank you very much for putting
that question to me in French. I think you are well aware of my passion for the
French language. Now, if you will allow me, I am not fully prepared – but if you
will allow me to continue in English. I discussed matters with President [Abdelaziz]
Bouteflika when I was in Algiers last month, last year.
(spoke in English)
These are serious issues for any country
in the world, including those in the Sahel area. It is not only Algeria. I told
President Bouteflika that, while it was a very tragic – and I was so sad and so
shocked, and they were also embarrassed very much by not having been able to
protect the United Nations staff and United Nations premises - this should be a
global issue, not Algeria or any countries in the Sahel area. Therefore, this
needs a global, concerted effort to address, fight against international
terrorism. I think the international community must do more. Regardless of what
their belief may be, there cannot be any justification whatsoever when it comes
to terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism, and therefore that bombing in Algiers
really strengthened my resolve to work more. I again express my strong
commitment to work for that.
Question: I think the talks start today
on the Sahara issue. Don’t you think that this issue is also contributing to
this instability, since there is no prospect for a solution? Do you expect a
breakthrough in this round, or whether those talks will …
The Secretary-General: All sorts of
grievances coming from these conflict issues may be the source of some elements
of terrorism. That is why we must resolve all the conflict issues through
peaceful means, through dialogue. I cannot but be general on your questions.
Question: This is also about Algiers,
Sir. In the wake of the bombing, the Algerian interior minister said that there
were warnings against bombing of international institutions, including the
United Nations. There are also all kinds of reports about internal warnings that
came around. The question is, why doesn’t the United Nations, as it did with the
Ahtisaari case in the aftermath of the Baghdad bombing, why doesn’t the United
Nations create its own independent investigation, as opposed to just investigate
by [David] Veness?
The Secretary-General: First of all, the
United Nations has never received any advance warnings from whatsoever sources
on this issue. Then, I have instructed the Under-Secretary-General for the DSS
[Department of Safety and Security] to report to me by 11 January, this week,
about his own investigation and findings of this terrorist bombing incident. On
the basis of that, we are going to strengthen the measures for the safety and
security of our staff and premises, and I’m going to discuss with Member States
in general about how to strengthen the safety and security of staff. This is a
very paramount issue, as we have seen four years ago in Baghdad. This was the
second such terrorist bombing attack against the United Nations.
At the same time, the United
Nations also needs to do more in communicating with the international community
in general: why the United Nations is there and what the United Nations is
doing. We need to make the international community appreciate more what the
United Nations stands for. The United Nations is not working for any group of
nations over another. The United Nations is working for the benefit and
well-being of many developing countries; we are working for the promotion of
human rights and peace and security. So this must be correctly understood and
communicated to the world. And in that regard, I have been doing, on my own,
efforts to communicate with the international community in general.
Question: Don’t you think
it’s imperative for the credibility of the United Nations that there will be an
independent investigation that is not being done by the person who was in charge
of security, to see whether security procedures were actually followed?
The Secretary-General: I
will see; I will reserve my judgement until I have a full report from DSS.
Question: Happy New Year,
Mr. Secretary-General. Just to follow up on that, on the Algiers issue, were you
ever made aware during 2007, or the time since you became Secretary-General,
that the head of United Nations security in Algiers,
Babacar Ndiaye, had made repeated requests to
his superior in Algiers - that also reached New York - that there were, in his
view, likely to be attacks on Algiers, not maybe making a specific date or a
specific warning, but saying that they were a target of Al-Qaida and asking for
specific precautions to be taken, such as the erection of concrete barriers or
the raising of the phase level? Were you ever aware of that, that it had ever
reached your office? And if that’s the case, that he did make these warnings,
why wouldn’t that, combined with the Ahtisaari report after the Baghdad bombing
and the threat that the United Nations is under, really compel an independent
investigation?
The
Secretary-General: That’s a good point.
That is why we are now working very hard. I have talked at length with President
Bouteflika. First of all, as host Government, the Algerian Government is
responsible for taking all measures to strengthen United Nations safety and
security, and he assured me that he will find accommodations for UNDP and UNHCR.
And this is not only to the Algerian Government; this is what I am going to
discuss with Member States in general. I will keep in mind what you suggested.
Question: Well, can I get an answer to my
question? Did warnings and requests for greater protection from Babacar Ndiaye,
who was the head of the United Nations security in Algiers and who died in the
bombing, ever reach your office, ever come to your attention?
The
Secretary-General: I’m not going to tell
you anything on these internal procedures. But I’m very closely looking at this
matter, and I have instructed Mr. Veness to look into this issue very seriously
and carefully to make an overall report for me.
Question: It’s about Darfur. Last 21
December, the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly approved the budget about
the hybrid force, and they were very concerned about the Lockheed-Martin
contract, because it was without bids, and they asked for an investigation. And
I don’t know now in what point is the process of this investigation. What are
you going to do, and what do you think about this statement, this resolution of
the General Assembly?
The
Secretary-General: On what?
Question: On the Lockheed-Martin contract.
You know, at the General Assembly, the members of the Fifth Committee said that
they didn’t agree with the process used for doing this contract. And I only am
wondering: what do you think about that?
The
Secretary-General: I have answered this
question, I think, at least two or three times already before. The situation in
Darfur and all these preparations and constructions or procurement: the
situation is a very difficult one there. You don’t have many vendors who are
readily available to provide such service at a limited time. And that is why, in
accordance with the necessary rules and regulations bestowed upon me as the
Secretary-General, I have taken an exceptional decision. I am allowed to do
that. And at the same time, I made it quite clear, when it comes to transparency
and accountability, I will make sure that there should be a very transparent
process of executing this procurement.
Question: When do you think you are going
to inform the General Assembly about the process of the contract? I don’t know,
because they asked, they made a request.
The
Secretary-General: When they ask that
question, as you do - Member States – this may happen in many national
Governments too. You cannot always have all these open biddings, 100 per cent
open biddings, as required. But this should not make any precedents, of course.
But all the regulations - even in national Governments or other organizations,
they have certain exceptional cases when you have to make such a decision. So I
hope you will understand. But I’m not making to generalize this one.
Question: Talking about strengthening the
United Nations role in the world and the Security Council members to live up to
their commitments, I was wondering, Sir, why it took you 10 days or a couple of
weeks, to express your position towards the final status of Kosovo. And also,
Sir, I remember last time, while you were in Portugal, as far as I remember, you
advised them not to take any premature step by declaring their independence. I
was wondering, what can you tell them this time?
The Secretary-General: I
was mentioning in general, when there is a resolution, a mandate, for me to
implement, there should be accountability, both for Member States and the
countries concerned – and the party concerned. The Security Council has a
particular responsibility: when they take necessary resolutions and decisions to
deploy peacekeeping operations or any other security measures, then, in addition
to my own work as Secretary-General, they should also help mobilize the
necessary resources and funding. That is what I tried to mean.
Question: Would you tell us
clearly, Sir, what is your position towards the issue of Kosovo? Do you still
support Mr. [Martti] Ahtisaari’s plan? Do you call for new negotiations, and if
so, on what basis? And is there a time schedule for these negotiations?
The
Secretary-General: I will have to see and assess the situation as the
situation unfolds on the Kosovo issue.
Question: There seems to be
a difference of opinion between yourself and the Security Council on the issue
of Somalia, where they’ve called repeatedly for an advance team to go in for,
really, for exploring, dealing with this issue that [Ahmedou] Ould Abdallah has
called more serious than Darfur, very serious. So can you tell us where things
stand in terms of the Secretariat’s following up on what the Council has asked
it to do in terms of Somalia?
And one follow-up on my
colleague’s question about that contract: PAE. The General Assembly itself put
into its resolution that it noted with concern and asked for an investigation of
the process. So I know you’ve said transparency, and I believe you, but since
you’ve said transparency, we haven’t had any briefing by the people that pushed
for the contract, by Jane Holl Lute. We haven’t had the contract disclosed. So I
think the reason that you have been asked the question three or four times is
that it doesn’t seem there’s been any transparency, and the General Assembly in
its resolution on UNAMID seems to agree with that. So I just wanted to make sure
you understand what the question is, and that it is not an attempt to ask the
same thing again and again, but to say “where is the transparency?”
The
Secretary-General: On Somalia, I don’t think there is any difference
between me and the Security Council. I have been continuously consulting with
the members of the Security Council on these very important issues. I have
suggested to Security Council members that there should be a two-track approach.
One is, first of all, the Somalis themselves: they should engage in a broader
political dialogue at the leaders’ level for national reconciliation. And
secondly, on the security track, the international community should help AMISOM
so that they can have a better capacity to address the security situation there.
As for this advance team, I have
made it quite clear, even, I think, to you some time last year, that we are
considering dispatching a technical assessment team some time early this year.
On the basis of the report of this technical assessment team, we will discuss
again with the Security Council what measures should be taken to help the
situation in Somalia.
On this transparency and contract fraud:
transparency is one of my top mottoes to make this Organization work as a
trusted organization by the Member States. You should not have any question
about my commitment, personally and officially and organizationally.
As for some reports about
procurement fraud which have appeared in some of the media, I would like to make
it quite clear that I do not agree with all that has been reported. It is true
that there was some fraud, which was found, investigated by our own OIOS teams.
The amount which has been the subject of procurement fraud was sort of an
aggregate sum, not the fraud itself, so there were some exaggerations and
incorrect reporting. I feel it unfortunate that the United Nations has been
perceived in that way. It was not in the amount of several hundred million
dollars. That several hundred million dollars was the total aggregate sum of the
project fund. So I hope there should be no misunderstanding. But this issue was
also discovered and investigated by our own.
At this time I think the United Nations needs
some strengthened investigative capacity. We have many different mandates,
different organizations and different agencies, starting from the ombudsman,
OIOS, the Ethics Office; and there are all the specialized agencies and funds
and programmes. In November of last year, with my consistent efforts, we were
able to have a standardized ethics rule which will be applied to all the
agencies, funds and programmes. That was very good progress in terms of ensuring
and strengthening transparency and accountability. That effort will continue
this year and in coming years.
But I hope that Member States one
day will consider how we can strengthen the investigative capacity. We don’t
have such investigative capacity in the United Nations. We have been relying
upon this Procurement Task Force. Fortunately, that mandate has been extended
for another year.
Thank you very much. Again, I wish you all the
best: happy New Year to you.
* * *
[OTHER DEVELOPMENTS FROM
ACROSS THE U.N. SYSTEM]
BAN KI-MOON APPEALS TO
PARTIES TO WESTERN SAHARA TALKS TO MAKE FULL USE OF LATEST DISCUSSIONS
On the eve of a new round of
discussions under UN auspices on Western Sahara, the Secretary-General
wishes to express
his appreciation to the parties and to the neighboring States for accepting
his invitation to the talks, which are scheduled to resume tomorrow in
Manhasset under the mediation of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Mr.
Peter van Walsum, and under the terms of Security Council resolutions 1754
(2007) and 1783 (2007).
The Secretary-General
recognizes that it will take both time and patience to negotiate a mutually
acceptable solution to this longstanding dispute. He appeals to the parties to
make full use of this week’s round of talks to begin moving into a more
intensive and substantive phase of discussions.
DARFUR
ENVOY EXPRESSES CONCERN AT CHAD-SUDAN TENSIONS
The African Union-United
Nations Joint Special Representative for Darfur and the Head of Mission of the
African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation
in Darfur (UNAMID),
Rodolphe Adada, is
following with deep concern the escalating tension between the Sudan and
Chad, a matter which could negatively affect a region that is already
suffering from continued instability.
Adada is concerned that if
the situation is not immediately brought under control, great numbers of
internally displaced persons and refugees will likely be the first victims of
any further escalation.
He is further concerned that
the Chad-Sudan border tension could have a negative effect on the Hybrid
Operation, currently being deployed, and on which Darfurians are placing great
hopes to help restore stability and create a climate conducive to the success
of the political process.
Adada urges the leadership in
both countries to exercise self-restraint, return to dialogue and abide by
their commitments to existing agreements between them.
The Security Council this
morning discussed the situation in Chad and the Central African Republic in
its closed consultations.
MORE THAN A THOUSAND DELEGATES GATHER FOR KIVUS PEACE CONFERENCE IN D.R.
CONGO
The Department of Peacekeeping
Operations (DPKO)
has confirmed that some 1,000 delegates are taking part in the Conference on
Peace, Security and Development in the Provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu,
in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Conference
opened yesterday in
Goma, the main town in the Kivus. President Joseph Kabila was not in
attendance, but a message from him was read by his Minister for the Interior.
Those present at the Conference
include, among others, representatives of the national and provincial
authorities and delegates from the Congress for the Defence of the People, the
political arm of the armed rebellion led by dissident General Laurent Nkunda,
whose standoff with government forces has heightened security concerns in the
Kivus.
Just before the start of the
Conference, on Saturday, the Congolese Defence Ministry announced the
suspension of military operations against illegal armed groups in North Kivu.
And despite the tense security environment in the region, DPKO says that no
major incidents were reported in connection with the start of the Conference.
TRIAL OF FORMER LIBERIAN
PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR RESUMES
The trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor
resumed today in The Hague. Under an
amended March 2006 indictment, Taylor is facing 11 counts for war
crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations of international
humanitarian law committed during the conflict in Sierra Leone.
Taylor has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
U.N. CONTINUES TO
REACH OUT TO DISPLACED KENYANS
Following the recent
post-election violence and displacement in Kenya, the UN and its partners are
continuing to deliver much-needed items, e.g. water, mosquito nets, blankets,
shelter material and medical supplies, to those who need them.
The Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
reports that as many as 2,000 Kenyans have fled to Uganda, and an assessment
mission conducted by UNICEF reveals that there are emerging issues of
separated children and sexual violence.
Meanwhile, a convoy of
food from the World Food Programme (WFP) left Nairobi today for displaced
people in Kenya’s Northern Rift Valley. Additional WFP food also left the
town of Eldoret for thousands of desperately hungry people in the western town
of Kisumu.
On Sunday, 20 trucks, loaded with enough food to feed at
least 70,000 people for two weeks,
arrived in
Nairobi from the port of Mombasa. Nine of the trucks unloaded their food in
Nairobi today and the remaining 11 headed on to Eldoret. The trucks were
escorted by police from Mombasa.
To respond to the current crisis, WFP is drawing on
stocks from its other ongoing operations in Kenya, which include drought
relief work, school feeding programmes and an HIV/AIDS project in Nairobi and
Eldoret. But the borrowed food will need to be repaid.
U.N. HELPING EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN
KYRGYZSTAN
The United Nations is
providing assistance for those affected by the 1 January earthquake near
the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan. The quake displaced about 3,000 people, many of
whom are currently living in summer tents under outside temperatures ranging
from -15 to -20 degrees Celsius.
UN agencies have been providing mattresses, sleeping
bags, blankets, kitchen sets, and soap, as well as shoes, sweaters and other
clothing.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
has also offered more than $30,000 for the purchase of heating items and
petrol to transport relief materials. In addition, OCHA has also secured 120
winterised tents, donated by the Norwegian government, which will be
dispatched shortly from the UN Warehouse in Brindisi, Italy.
U.N. DEPLOYS ASSESSMENT TEAMS IN WAKE OF
FLOODING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
The Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is
warning that humanitarian needs in southern Africa are likely to increase
in the coming weeks. Heavy rains have arrived unusually early this year,
threatening the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people.
Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes notes that many
of those affected are still struggling to recover from last year’s floods and
cyclones.
Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia have been hardest hit by
the sharp rise in river levels, OCHA says.
In central Mozambique, the floods have affected some
56,000 people – half of them children, according to UNICEF – and the
Government has declared its highest level of alert. UNICEF and other agencies
are deploying teams
of specialists to identify the most urgent needs.
Pre-positioned emergency supplies, such as water
bladders, hygiene and sanitation supplies, mosquito nets, plastic sheeting and
tents, are also being distributed.
U.N.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS NEPAL
Angela Kane, Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs, arrived in Nepal today for a four-day
visit.
The main purpose of her visit
is to apprise herself of the work of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)
in support of the peace process and the preparations for the Constituent
Assembly electi
