Thursday,
September 11, 2008
 

Ladies
and gentlemen, glad to see you again, I’m meeting you for the third time
this month.  I feel personally sorry that I have not been able to meet you
as often as I hoped during the summer break.  I understand that it has been
some months since we had this type of press conference last.  I’d like to
meet you more regularly, from next month.  So I’d like to propose that we
meet on the first Tuesday of each month, unless my schedule prevents me.  If
I have to travel outside of Headquarters, then we’ll try to arrange another
date.  So, I’d like to meet you more regularly from today.

 

On the
eve of the new General Assembly, which is going to be my second General
Assembly as Secretary-General, I am very much excited and anxious to make
this General Assembly as successful - and even more successful than before. 
I see this as a new beginning, a fresh start with fresh initiatives.

 

As you
know very well, on September 25th, the President of the General Assembly and
I are going to convene the High-Level Event on the Millennium Development
Goals. And also, before that, on September 22nd, again, there will be an
equally important High-Level Meeting on African development issues, on NEPAD
[New Partnership for Africa’s Development].

 

Last
year we used these kind of high level meetings to galvanize political will
and action on climate change. And I would like to use these two occasions to
really work more for the poorest people - the poorest of the poor – the
‘bottom billion’ trapped in poverty.

 

Some
150 countries will be represented, including more than 90 Heads of State or
Government and other international figures. Nearly twenty of the world’s
biggest and prominent philanthropic foundations will also be here.

 

Today
we’re releasing The Millennium Goals Report 2008 – the most comprehensive
global assessment to date. It provides hard evidence on what we have done
well, and what more needs to be done if we are to reach our goals by 2015.

 

Developing countries are devoting more resources to education and health,
thanks to reduced external debt servicing, fresh assistance and new
financing from private foundations.

 

Primary
school enrolment is rising, and we’ve been seeing progress on health and
gender equality.

 

The
proportion of people living in extreme poverty is expected to decline by
half by 2015, according to new data from the World Bank.  That, too, is a
major accomplishment.

 

But
progress is largely concentrated in Asia. Until recently, sub-Saharan Africa
was losing ground in the fight against extreme poverty.  Investment in
agriculture is critical.

 

Despite
the challenges, there are enough successes to prove that most of the Goals
are reachable in all countries.

 

In most
cases, we already know what needs to be done, and how. Now we need an
aggressive push to get the world on track.

 

On
MDGs, there have been some questions, even doubts, about whether these MDG
goals are achievable ones.  I believe that these are achievable goals, as
set out and agreed by world leaders in 2000. For that to be possible, we
must really galvanize political will and mobilize necessary resources and I
count on the leadership of developed countries.

 

I
expect all participants to announce specific initiatives or commitments and
lay out plans for them.  By the close of the meeting, we hope to be in a
very different place from where we are today.

 

I am
going to have another press conference at the close of the high level event
on September 25^th.

 

I think
this is a new era of global partnership, not just by Member States, but by a
galaxy of emerging players on the international scene.  I know that you have
more immediate concerns.  Let me address a few issues of conflicts.

 

On
Georgia, I remain in almost daily contact with world leaders.  I have
offered my good offices to facilitate international discussions, and we will
explore possible peacekeeping or other arrangements for Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.  We are also looking at sending a fact-finding mission to Georgia. 
UN agencies are delivering assistance to all people they can reach.

 

On
Cyprus, I am encouraged by our progress and by our facilitation role on this
issue. This week, I have spoken with all the key players, including the
Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, and the Greek Cypriot leader,
Mr. Dimitris Christofias, as well as the prime minister of Greece, Mr.
Kostas Karamanlis, and the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Recep Erdogan.

 

The
first substantive negotiations began this morning, attended by my Special
Advisor, Mr. Alexander Downer. He describes the meeting as “productive” and
“fruitful.” During my telephone calls to all the leaders, I have urged them
to seize the momentum and try to demonstrate their political leadership with
a sense of flexibility and wisdom, also looking beyond their visions and
issues; they should look to the future of the Cypriot people. While I
believe that the Cypriot people have the ownership of this, we are committed
to continue to provide our facilitating role.

 

On
Lebanon, I am encouraged by President [Michel] Suleiman’s efforts toward
establishing an inclusive national dialogue, also including diplomatic
relations between Lebanon and Syria. At the same time, I condemn yesterday’s
car bombing and urge restraint. This is a very frustrating situation, that
we see many such bombings and killings. This violence only underscores how
important it is for dialogue and reconciliation to move forward.

 

The UN
Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. [Asha-Rose] Migiro, arrived in Lebanon today.
Her visit will focus chiefly on economic development, but she will have
meetings with President Suleiman, Prime Minister [Fouad] Siniora and Speaker
[Nabih] Berri.

 

We have
strongly supported the Annapolis process with its ambitious goal of a
comprehensive peace by the end of 2008 – a peace that will encompass the
reality of two states, Palestine and Israel, living in peace and security.

 

The
meetings I will host on the margins of the General Assembly offer an
opportunity to assess the situation and chart a way ahead. There will be
meetings of the Quartet and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee as well as an iftar
for Arab Leaders.

 

I share
the frustration many feel with the situation in Myanmar. We have not seen
the political progress I had hoped for.  We want to see the parties, in
particular the Government of Myanmar, take tangible steps toward
establishing a credible and inclusive political process in the country,
which of course must include progress on human rights.

 

Somalia
cannot be abandoned. Since coming into office I have insisted on a stronger
response. The recent Djibouti agreement reached under the auspices of my
Special Representative is encouraging. But to consolidate this process we
need to deploy an international force. And Member States must strengthen the
current AU force on the ground. 

 

In the
broader Horn of Africa, more than fourteen million people urgently need
help. In Ethiopia alone, the population needing food aid could double to
eight million by the end of this year.

 

Hurricanes have been devastating the Caribbean. In the last month, Haiti has
been hit especially hard. There is also severe flooding in South Asia. 

 

Climate
shocks are affecting people everywhere. We have to find ways to revitalize
this debate. Our first test comes three months from now in Poznan, Poland.
By then we need a shared vision of what a global climate change agreement
will look like. We have only eighteen months until Copenhagen. The clock is
ticking. In that regard, I would like to again urge the leaders of the
Polish Government, the Danish Government and all other Member States of the
United Nations to demonstrate their political leadership.

 

Our
theme for last year’s General Assembly was building a stronger UN for a
better world. This is an ongoing effort. You may have read my remarks to our
senior advisers in Torino during our senior retreat. Some press reports
misconstrued what I said, suggesting that I viewed our first year as a
failure.

 

To the
contrary, I think we’ve made good progress in many areas, particularly when
it comes to management reform. Please remember that the purpose of the
retreat in Torino was that we really wanted to improve the areas where we
have not made progress rather than focusing on the areas where we have made
some progress. Therefore, my remarks to our senior advisers have been mainly
focused on what we need to do more.

 

But my
essential point is that we need change. The world is changing around us, and
the UN must also change with it. We are responsible to the global taxpayers
– and to the UN’s thousands of hard-working and dedicated staff members – to
create an Organization that is more effective and more modern. That is
better able to deal with the world’s problems.

 

 This
year – and in coming years – I will devote strenuous effort to changing and
reforming how this Organization does business.

 

Lastly,
today we are observing again the tragic anniversary of the 11 September
terrorist attacks. This week, as you have already participated, the UN held
an unprecedented symposium in support of the victims of terrorism and we had
also a review session of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. On this
solemn occasion, we stand with the families and the loved ones they lost.
And you have our firm commitment to fight against terrorism.

 

Thank
you. I will now take your questions.

 

            Question: Mr. Secretary-General, on
behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, thanks for doing
this, especially the Q&A. As you said, it’s been too long, but this idea of
doing it on the first Tuesday of every month will, I think, go well and
should lead to a different mix of questions.

 

Also, thanks for addressing at
least some of the conflicts that are going on, particularly like Myanmar. I
know it’s been almost three weeks since Mr. [Ibrahim] Gambari made his
visit, and there has been a lot of actually negative press coverage saying
that the visit was perceived as a failure, that he didn’t meet with Aung San
Suu Kyi, nor with General Than Shwe. It’s also reported that he’s offering
electoral help, whereas most of the opposition parties say that the way the
election is proceeding toward 2010 is undemocratic and is under a
constitution that really wasn’t legitimately approved.

 

I wonder if you could say
specifically where you would like to see things go in Myanmar, and also,
while over the summer, while we haven’t had this opportunity, things in the
Security Council have, if not spiraled out of control, there’s been a lot of
heated rhetoric, particularly between Russia and the United States; many
people are calling it a new Cold War. There’s something as the
Secretary-General – maybe in the context of Georgia or maybe more generally
– that you can do to try to get the permanent five, and particularly those
two, working more closely and constructively together.

 

The Secretary-General:
Those are two timely questions; I thank you very much for them. On Myanmar,
I am as concerned as you are, and as frustrated as everybody else. But I
would like not to characterize Mr. Gambari’s visit as a failure. If you talk
about failure, then if we stop making progress through all possible
diplomatic means, that should be viewed as a failure. I continue to make
progress in this, as mandated by the General Assembly. As you may know, I’m
going to convene an ambassador-level meeting of the Group of Friends on
Myanmar tomorrow afternoon to discuss this matter with concerned Member
States. I’ll try to continue to do whatever I can, in close coordination
with Member States, particularly those countries which may have some
influence on Myanmar.

 

On Georgia, again, I have been
personally engaged on a near-daily basis since the outset of this crisis. I
have made clear the UN’s willingness to help in every way it can. I
dispatched the High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. [José Antonio] Guterres,
immediately after this situation broke out during the month of August, and
UN humanitarian agencies are working very hard to assist those affected by
the conflict and to get people back to their homes. As I said, I’m now
working very hard, in close coordination with concerned parties, to dispatch
fact-finding missions, largely humanitarian, as well as on some human rights
issues, led by OCHA [the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs] and composed of many agencies of the United Nations. Mr. [Johan]
Verbeke, my new Special Representative on Georgia, visited European
capitals. Most recently – I think Monday this week – he had a good meeting
with Russian Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov in Moscow and with other
senior Government officials to discuss all these issues.

 

In accordance with the
six-point agreement, the UN obviously has a role to play. The UN Secretariat
is involved in setting up an international mechanism and international talks
as stipulated in the agreement. As envisaged, an international conference on
Georgia, as already announced, will take place in Geneva on October 15, and
I am currently discussing with both France and Russia the possible UN role
in this context, and we are currently working, as I said, on dispatching
these humanitarian assessment teams.

 

Question: Do you agree
with the idea that there may be kind of a new cold war between the two
forces, both the [unintelligible] and the Zimbabwe resolution, on Kosovo, on
a variety of issues. I just wonder if you can … you would be one person that
could try to mediate that in some way.

 

The Secretary-General:
As the Secretary-General, I really try to avoid your question, because I do
not want to really think about that kind of possibility.

 

Question: Thank you,
Mr. Secretary-General. A quick follow-up to what you stated about this
fact-finding mission to Georgia. Would the UN want to send this fact-finding
mission to South Ossetia as well as to the rest of Georgia?

 

Secondly, I know you talked
about the Turin meeting, but one of your great criticisms was the lack of
flexibility in a lot of the UN bodies in terms of trying to meet the needs
and demands of the world today regarding staff and a lot of other things.
What was the response that you got, and what specific measures are you
planning to take to try and make this organization more responsive?

 

The Secretary-General:
Of course, this assessment team will have to visit South Ossetia and other
areas, but we are still working on exact terms of reference. We are not yet
there. We are working very hard to finalize it and to again complete our
coordination with other concerned parties.

 

About the level of
flexibility, well, if I say jokingly, please bring me anybody who is more
flexible, in many areas, than I am. I am sure that my staff will agree with
me on that point. I am a man of flexibility - real flexibility,
reasonableness and sound judgment - and I do not insist on my own, sometimes
egoistic, views. I have been warning and advising our senior staff. I do
appreciate and respect any person’s own philosophical views, sometimes
egoistic views, independent-minded views. When you are working for a huge
organization like the United Nations, composed of many different
nationalities, then you really need to have a very harmonious management
style. That is what I have been doing. Therefore, when somebody criticizes
me as lacking flexibility, I regard that as unfair. That is my personal
view. I am very firm in principle.

 

There may be some exceptional
things. People want to have some exceptions. In fact, there are no rules
without exceptions. That may be a fact of life, but I like to base my
conduct of business and management on the basis of rules and regulations and
principles. When it comes to ethics, you have to be ethical, as guided by
all these ethical rules.

 

When it comes to mobility,
then you really need to change. I know that there is some reluctance on the
part of staff, but when I said mobility, mobility should be accompanied by
good prospects for job career development as well as training. This is what
I am going to do. If you look at certain statistics you will be surprised
how much this Organization has not been mobile. I really want to make this
Organization mobile, versatile, efficient and effective. Then, why should we
not respond to criticism - sometimes constructive criticism, but sometimes
very severe criticism against our Organization. As a Secretary-General, it
is natural that I have to look at the criticism very seriously. Whatever
needs to be changed and improved, that’s what I have to do.

 

I really want to make this
Organization very mobile. There should not be any fear or concerns about the
mobility. In that regard, to have a better understanding with our staff, I
am going to have a town hall meeting again with all of our staff after this
general debate period is over, but my remarks in Torino were not to
reprimand our staff. In fact, I went out of my way to very highly praise the
dedicated service and devotion of our staff. But my point was more focused
on our senior advisers, that they should follow my lead by example, a
policy. Now, this has to trickle down to all areas of our staff. Thank you
very much.

 

Question: Thank you,
Secretary General. I would like to ask you about the Western Sahara issue.
There has been a lot of controversy about Mr. [Peter] van Walsum, whether he
is the one who had to resign or whether you are the one who decided to not
renew his contract. Also, concerning the new envoy and when he is going to
be appointed and the prospects of holding a new round. Finally, Sir, on the
Quartet issue that you plan to, on the side of the General Assembly, can you
give us more details of what you expect out of this?  Don’t you think it is
too late now to achieve this goal of Annapolis that was referred to, about a
Palestinian State by the end of 2008?

 

The Secretary-General:
About the Western Sahara, I would like to make it quite clear: it was not my
decision not to extend his term of contract. He came to me; he sent me a
note saying that he felt that he had done enough for his role and that I had
better find some other person. I did not make a decision on that until the
last minute. He had shown extremely capable leadership, commitment and a
great deal of passion to come to a resolution to this long-standing issue. I
highly appreciate his contribution.

 

Since he decided voluntarily
to quit this post I had to find another person to replace him, because I am
also very committed to continue this negotiation process. He has convened
four rounds of negotiations with some success, improvement, progress, but
with ups and downs. It is not the case that the two parties have completely
agreed, but they appreciated it and they agreed that these meetings should
continue. I am now in the process of selecting a good replacement negotiator
on this matter.

 

Question: Will it be
Christopher Ross?

 

Secretary-General: I am
not in a position to confirm it. I saw the report.

 

Now, on the Quartet, as I did
participate, I have been participating in the Quartet meeting, I thought it
would be very deSirable and important to have another Quartet meeting during
the time of this general debate. There is an agreement. I am going to do it
on - I think it is a Friday, September 26. After that I will have a press
conference and after that I will convene an iftar dinner, inviting
many Arab leaders together with the Quartet principals.

 

There are, again, questions
and doubts whether this Annapolis process is achievable by the end of this
year as has been announced. Until such time as we see the final resolution
of the Annapolis process, we must continue. Leaders of both Israel and the
Palestinians have been meeting regularly. That has been one encouraging
situation. I hope they will continue, whatever may happen to the leadership
of Israel.

 

If we do not see any tangible
agreement by the end of December, then I would really hope that the next
United States Administration will take over this process and continue. But
at this time, I would really urge and hope that this process continue, and
try to achieve as much as we can and build upon this progress.

 

            Question: You said you had
discussions with the leaders of the two communities [in Cyprus] and the
Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey. What do you make of their seriousness
and commitment? And also, what will the United Nations do differently this
time so we don’t have an effort doomed to fail like all the previous times?

 

            The Secretary-General: The Cyprus
issue is four-decades long — a long-standing conflict issue — that really
must be resolved as soon as possible. I had bilateral meetings with both
leaders from Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot side, in June while visiting
Paris. I was also very impressed by their commitment and willingness to
engage between the two leaders and continue their negotiation. I was told
that they had been long-standing, old friends. This will also create a good
atmosphere politically.

 

            I think we have good momentum. The United
Nations is now re-energizing with a new Special Adviser, a very experienced
and seasoned diplomat who is well respected by both sides and other
concerned parties. Therefore, I urge them, when they are going to discuss
very substantive and very contentious issues, like governing and
power-sharing and property issues, they must really show flexibility and
leadership by thinking beyond current issues and by thinking of their
future.

 

            Question: I am going to ask you my
question in English to move things along more quickly.

 

            You said, a moment ago, that you did not
feel that you had to answer every criticism directed towards the UN.
However, the current paralysis, as it seems, of the
Security Council on certain key sensitive issues — doesn’t that worry
you that soon again we may hear a very familiar criticism, which is that the
UN is irrelevant? And I am not only talking about those who advocate a
League of Democracies. Are you worried about that? And what do you intend to
do to push for the reform of the Security Council?

 

            The Secretary-General: During the
last 20 months, whenever — or even without any serious regional conflicts
happening — I have been closely coordinating and consulting with the
Security Council members. I have had the regular
monthly luncheon. In addition to that, I have been meeting with the
Presidents of the Security Council and even all
the P5s [five permanent members of the Security Council] and the
non-permanent members. Often, we have been frustrated by the inability to
reach an agreement, because of very acute political differences.

 

            But, largely, we should not be very
frustrated by all these things that are happening. I sincerely hope that the
members of the Security Council, while deeply
recognizing the primary responsibility for peace and security mandated by
the Charter of the United Nations, should really be able to agree on all
those issues.

 

            Question: On Lebanon, you just
praised the national dialogue and also you were frustrated by what you are
seeing in Lebanon right now. In July, you sent an assessment team. The
official report came out two days ago. The recommendations and the
implementation of team one were insufficient. How much are you still
concerned about the smuggling of arms into Lebanon, in the light of the
declaration of Israeli officials and Mr. [Ehud] Olmert have been loudly
threatening against Lebanon? And, another thing -- who has replaced
Ambassador Verbeke in Lebanon as [your] representative?

 

            The Secretary-General: Ambassador
Verbeke, as you know, was appointed Special Representative in Lebanon. But,
due to some unavoidable circumstances, which I do not want to discuss with
you publicly, I have decided, in close coordination with the
Security Council, to [appoint him to] work as a
new Special Representative in Georgia. He is now in the process of
discussing his transition with Mr. Jean Arnault, the current Special
Representative. I hope you understand my answer.

 

            On Lebanon, again, this illegal smuggling
of arms, that has been a source of great concern in dealing with the
Lebanese situation. We have been trying to implement
Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). UNIFIL has been very closely
coordinating with the Lebanese armed forces. It is encouraging that the
Lebanese and Syrian Governments have agreed to discuss the delineation of
borders and border security, including this illegal arms transfer. Whenever
I have met and spoken with President [Bashar] al-Assad of Syria, I have
raised this issue and discussed and urged him to strengthen his border
monitoring systems. This will be a continuing commitment and effort by the
United Nations, urging them to expedite this process.

 

            Question: [inaudible] the threat in
Lebanon?

 

            The Secretary-General: You should
know that there have been some indirect talks between Israel and Syria,
under the auspices of the Turkish Government. I hope that this indirect
negotiation will continue, which will really lessen and reduce the security
threat in Lebanon. There should be overall peace and stability in the
region. Of course, security and stability in Lebanon is also very important.
But these days I think we see a generally improving and encouraging
development of the situation among the parties concerned. This is what we
have been encouraging, and I have always been talking with the leaders. Even
yesterday, I discussed this matter with the Prime Minister of Turkey, to
encourage him to contribute to that process.

 

            Question: Do you think that Lebanon
should start a peace process with Israel? Is it the right time?

 

            The Secretary-General: Any peace
process is deSirable. Since they formed the national unity Government, they
have much more leverage and political unity. This is the right time for them
to engage in all dialogue.

 

            Question: First of all, I would like
to add my voice to Matthew’s endorsing the idea of regular press
conferences. A good idea, although I would caution against holding one on
the first Tuesday of November, as your words might get drowned out by other
news that day.

 

            My question is on North Korea, two aspects.
One, what is your level of concern about the reports of Kim Jong Il’s
possible debilitating illness and the possible transfer of power and the
implications for a destabilized North Korea and the peninsula? Also,
combined with that, there are reports that the Yongbyon nuclear reactor is
being reassembled. How concerned are you about those two developments, and
is there anything you might be able to add in terms of your knowledge of
those two developments?

 

            The Secretary-General: As
Secretary-General of the UN and also as a Korean citizen, I am deeply
interested in this and am closely following the situation and what is
happening there. But at this time I am not in a position to have any
independent source of
information to confirm what has been reported in the media. I can tell you
that I am closely following this matter. I only hope that any situation
taking place in the DPRK will not negatively affect what has been going on
in terms of the denuclearization process of the Korean peninsula, as agreed
by the six parties.

 

            On the denuclearization process, I am also deeply concerned by
the DPRK’s decision to go back to reassembling that nuclear facility. They
must commit to their agreement, made at the six-party talks, for the early
realization of the denuclearization process. I have welcomed the agreement
reached by the six parties, which was a very welcome development in the
situation on the Korean peninsula. Now with this impasse, I sincerely hope
and urge all the six-party members to play their role in facilitating that
ongoing process.

 

            Question: Mr. Secretary-General, I know that you have
already expressed reluctance, through your spokesperson, to address the
issue of the cold war. But I will insist on trying to address that issue.
Can you state your view on everything that has been said before, regarding
the possibility of returning to - or even just displaying the rhetoric of -
the cold war here at the United Nations? What are your views, Sir?

 

            The Secretary-General: As Secretary-General, and as one
of the citizens of the world, I would like to really rule out any
possibility of returning to the era of the cold war. I do not want to repeat
the term “cold war” myself; that is why I have avoided it. That is very
firm, as far as I’m concerned. But it would be too hasty to characterize the
current situation we are seeing as going back to a so-called cold war. All
conflict issues must be resolved through dialogue, through a harmonious way.

 

The European Union and the Russian Federation
have been discussing the matter of the situation in Georgia, and they have
agreed on six points and on many other issues. We sincerely hope that when
we meet in Geneva on October 15, we will be able to discuss this issue in a
comprehensive way. So let us not be so pessimistic about what is happening
in this world. There have been many times when Security Council members have
not been able to agree on specific issues. But it is too hasty – and too
dangerous, even – to think about this so-called “cold war”.

 

            Question: What do you think about the recent rhetoric,
which we saw a few weeks ago in the exchange between the Russian and
American ambassadors in the Security Council?

 

            The Secretary-General: That harsh rhetoric is not always
deSirable in resolving a difference of opinions. That is why I have always
tried to highly value dialogue, and sometimes, if necessary, very quiet
diplomacy. I know that on several occasions, my diplomatic style has not
been very visible. You can be visible, but sometimes you need to be engaged
in a very quiet dialogue, behind closed doors. You have seen in the past, in
our history, that sometimes very quiet dialogue, quiet diplomacy,
behind-the-scenes dialogue has been very effective, more effective than an
exchange of rhetoric.

 

            Question: Mr. Secretary-General, with the 9/11
anniversary upon us, security and terrorism are high in our minds. You
condemned the attack that took place in Lebanon yesterday and took the life
of an opposition leader. Talking about terrorism, people in the Middle East
are wondering when they will see an end to impunity in Lebanon. We know
there is a tribunal being set up. They heard of the steps you mentioned and
the progress being made. Is there anything new about that progress that you
can tell them now, to make sure they believe that this is going to happen at
the end of this year or sometime soon?

 

Also, on terrorism, the New York Times has
pointed out that President Bush gave his OK in July to an operation by
special forces inside Pakistan, and today the head of the joint forces in
Pakistan, General Ashfaq Kayani, has said that they will never allow foreign
forces to conduct operations on their soil and that they will defend their
country. What is the view of the Secretary-General on countries running or
conducting operations in other countries, Member States, without their
approval? Do you consider that a threat to peace and security, or is it OK
in the name of the global war on terrorism?

 

            The Secretary-General: On your second question, I think
this is something that I need to mention: I am not in a position to make any
comment on that.

 

On terrorism, we discussed it quite at length
during my last press conference. Terrorism cannot be justified in any
reasons and should be prevented in all its forms and manifestations. That is
a very firm principle. The United Nations is now doing all to mobilize the
firm political will of the international community. But I am very much
frustrated by what we have seen recently: many suicide terrorist bombings
against civilians. Protecting civilians in particular is a very important
priority for us.

 

            Question: Sir, you did not answer my question with regard
to Lebanon. People are waiting to see if there will be an end to impunity
and if there is any more progress other than what they have already heard on
the tribunal issue. Concerning the attack on Pakistan and the statement by
the head of the joint forces, General Ashfaq Kayani, that they will defend
their country, they will not allow another …. It’s a grave situation that
threatens peace and security, and you should have an opinion about it. We
understand that it involves the United States, the host State, but we need
to hear from you, Sir.

 

            The Secretary-General: My Registrar [for the Lebanon
tribunal] has been instructed to start and continue his function as
Registrar, to make the necessary administrative preparations, so that once
this special tribunal is officially launched, it will be able to function
immediately. As I have said on previous occasions, sufficient
funds have been secured for the establishment and operation for the 12
months. I am now in the process of securing funds for an additional two
years of operation.

 

In that regard, I need to
discuss this matter with the Lebanese leadership as to what would be a
realistically workable date for the official launching of that special
tribunal, but as far as plans are concerned, they are continuing well, and
as far as a commitment is concerned, you have my full assurance on that. I
should like to refrain from making any further comments on that.

 

            Question: Secretary-General, you
spoke about your tough-talking in Turin with your managers. There seems to
be a lot of resistance within the Organization to the type that you are
trying to bring about here. What concrete steps are you willing to take,
shake-ups, perhaps, within your management and the people working for you,
other concrete steps that you're willing to take to make sure your vision
comes through?

 

            On the MDGs, you mention global taxpayers -
and the United Nations belongs to us all - what can you tell the global
taxpayers in concrete terms what your expectations of them are, in terms of
monetary contributions from their Governments, and will the expectations
grow in terms of how much money will be expected to meet your goals within
the Millennium Development [Goals] project?

 

            The Secretary-General: On reform
policies, I think you will agree with me that in every part of the world,
when there are going to be some reform measures, there naturally is some
resistance; that I understand. In an organization, a very huge Organization
like the United Nations, composed of different nationalities, particularly
intergovernmental and Secretariat, you can also expect resistance, first
because of the differences in traditions and the differences in cultures and
understanding. Therefore it takes time. That may be the reason why the
United Nations has not really been able to make a genuine sense of reform.

 

            My proposal is not just to shake and stir
for that purpose. I really want to see the United Nations change, responding
to a changing world. It is not a new story that has appeared; it’s not a new
theory. From Day One I have been emphasizing mobility. Since I have seen the
United Nations from outside, even from inside, I think that nobody can say
no to the necessity for and importance of change for the good progress and
achievement of this Organization. That’s a mandate I am given by the Member
States.

 

            I have given instructions to the Department
of Management - the Under-Secretary-General and OHRM [the Office for Human
Resources Management], the Assistant Secretary-General - to make some pilot
programme, together with career development and training programmes, so that
people can feel more accepting of that proposal. It is absolutely necessary
and deSirable that we change. You may find somebody very handy and
comfortable to work with, when someone has been working in the same post for
10 or 15 years. But from that kind of person you will never be able to find
any sense of motivation, new creative ideas. For many people it becomes
routine, a daily routine job, with no sense of motivation. So I really want
to see this Organization re-energized, recharged and full of motivation,
creativity and versatility, and multifunctional and multi-skilled. That is
the major purpose, and this will be a managed mobility.

 

            On the MDGs, I do really appreciate and
understand the economic difficulties in many developed countries, let alone
many poor countries, so there may be some political resistance in allocating
0.7 per cent of GNI by 2015, but this requires some political leadership and
political priority. After all, resources are always limited. There is no
such country that can say it has enough resources. That will never happen in
the future, but if you have political leadership and determined
political leaders, you can put national policy
priority on MDGs. That is what I'm asking and urging of the
political leadership. That is exactly why I'm convening all those
high-level meetings in addressing climate change and the MDGs.

 

            Question: On that high-level meeting
on MDGs, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is about to attend this high-level event
and deliver a speech. I wonder if you have any comment on China’s MDGs so
far, and what kind of expectations do you have of the Chinese Government in
helping other developing countries achieve their MDG targets?

 

            The Secretary-General: China
is one of the fast-growing economic countries, and it has shown many good
examples. And those examples should be shared with, transferred to and
emulated by many developing countries. I'm very encouraged by and grateful
to the Chinese Premier that he comes himself to participate in this
high-level meeting. I sincerely hope that Member States will learn and that
China will be able to share its experience. Also, its commitment to
participating in the MDG realization will be crucially important. China has
been hosting African forums for many years and has been providing the
necessary economic and technological cooperation to many developing
countries. That is what we expect from other countries, too.

 

            Question: Just a follow-up to what
you're talking about regarding China. What do you expect of China as far as
a partner in climate change goes? They have not
exactly been very cooperative when it comes to the carbon footprint, in
which you yourself have made great strides?

 

            The Secretary-General: When I
visited China last July, I had very constructive and useful meetings with
President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yang
Jiechi and many others in the senior-level leadership. They showed me strong
commitment to contribute to these ongoing negotiations on climate change.
Everybody agrees that to be able to reach an effective, balanced, inclusive
and ratifiable global agreement by the end of next year, to replace the
Kyoto Protocol, we need the very constructive engagement and firm commitment
of several major economies. I think the United States will be one of the
most important countries          with respect to leadership, and China,
India and Brazil. Those are the countries that many members of the
international community expect to exercise political leadership. While we
appreciate all the individual challenges of individual countries, we are
talking about a global challenge that requires a global response through
global partnership. This is not the issue of a single country. We must
clearly see beyond national and geographical borders and national
challenges.

 

            Question: Is this building safe?

 

            The Secretary-General: I can tell
you that this is safe. We have not taken many necessary measures to meet the
standards suggested by the New York City Government. In fact, there were
inspections by the Fire Department of New York, and I met Mayor [Michael]
Bloomberg in my office, together with the Fire Department Commissioner, and
after that I met with Mayor Bloomberg several times. I visited his residence
and discussed this matter.

 

            According to the suggestions and
recommendations and findings, the United Nations modified its guided-tour
route effective 1 August. We also found that New York City-based safety
advisers have confirmed that the building is safe for visitors, delegations
and staff. Close to 50,000 students visit the United Nations each year,
among 500,000 visitors every year. It is regrettable that some of the public
school students will not be able to see and learn the agendas of the United
Nations and learn more for the future.

 

We have taken the necessary
measures for safety, particularly on fire safety. We want to confirm also
that we are confident that the United Nations facilities are safe, and we
will take all necessary measures to make this building safe for all visitors
and all delegations, and also staff.

 

As we are preparing for this
General Assembly and for many incoming visiting heads of State and
Government and distinguished delegations, it is our duty to make this
building the safest place. We have, I think, installed all these fire doors,
which can prevent fire.

 

Question: But they are
very unfriendly to handicapped people, Sir. The place became a nightmare for
handicapped persons and should have been more friendly to them.

 

The Secretary-General:
I will look at this issue again. Thank you very much.

 

 

OTHER
DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE U.N. SYSTEM

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES NEW PRESIDENT OF
PAKISTAN: The Secretary-General this afternoon spoke by telephone with
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to congratulate him on his
inauguration. He also sent him a congratulatory letter.

 

BAN KI-MOON CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACK IN LEBANON:
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Lebanon on
10 September that killed Mr. Saleh Aridi, a member of the Lebanese
Democratic Party. He conveys his deepest condolences to the family of Mr.
Aridi. The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will
be brought to justice promptly.  He calls on all parties to exercise
restraint.

 

U.N. DELIVERS
HUMANITARIAN AID IN RUSSIAN-CONTROLLED AREAS OF GEORGIA: Today in
Georgia, the first UN humanitarian convoy was allowed to enter the
Russian-controlled area north of Gori and delivered aid to families hit by
the recent hostilities. The UN convoy crossed the Karaleti checkpoint after
previous attempts to deliver humanitarian assistance had failed. Four tons
of aid were delivered to the village of Patara Garadjivari, where residents
said their key concern continues to be personal safety, along with access to
health, food and shelter. The UN Office in Georgia says it hopes today’s
development leads to unimpeded access to the areas north of Gori by all
humanitarian actors.

 

REVISED IDEAS PRESENTED ON GREECE-F.Y.R.O.M. NAME
ISSUE: The joint meeting between the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy
for the talks between Greece and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM),
Matthew Nimetz, and the parties, is now over. The meeting featured a full
discussion of all elements of the issue, touching on name, scope of usage,
identity issues and the like. Nimetz presented some revised ideas, based on
earlier ones. The ideas had been revised after taking account of feedback
given during his last visit to the region. Nimetz asked the parties to
consider the ideas as a package. He believes there are possibilities for a
fair and honorable solution fulfilling the basic requirements of both
States. He will meet with the parties again in a few weeks.

 

INTERNATIONAL FACILITATION GROUP GRAVELY CONCERNED
AT RECENT FIGHTING IN EASTERN D.R. CONGO:  Representatives of the United
Nations, African Union, European Union, United States, and the Great Lakes
Conference today expressed their grave concern over the recent fighting in
North and South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 
In a joint statement, the members of the International Facilitation called
for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and for all forces to immediately
withdraw from the positions they have occupied after 28 August.  They
further called on all signatories to the 23 January 2008 Actes
d’engagement to scrupulously respect that agreement, and also called
upon all parties to implement, without delay, the separation of forces and
disengagement plan that will be proposed by the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC).

 

ATTACKS ON SOMALI STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
CONDEMNED: UN and humanitarian aid agencies worki