SG: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is a great day for Sudan. After a long war, finally peace is at hand and, as I indicated this morning, we also need to press with a settlement in Darfur and the East.

It is extremely important that now that the Sudanese have come this far, that the international community also honours the commitments that it has made to them in terms of recovery and reconstruction as well as humanitarian assistance, not just to Darfur but also to the South.

There have been some spontaneous returns of refugees and after the rainy season we expect many, many more to come. We do need support, we do need resources. We have got less than half of what we require, and it would be a shame that having worked so hard for peace that it falls apart for a lack of cash. I will take a few of your questions.

Q. About the delay in the sanctions committee, what caused it and when will it start working?

SG: That's a decision for the Security Council. And I think they have also been monitoring developments, calibrating these things very carefully. It's still on the table, it's not off the table yet. And they will make the judgement when to apply it.

Q. Do you consider the new government that was sworn in today and the declaration of principles in Abuja [inaudible]?

SG: It is extremely important that we work hard to establish peace -- a comprehensive peace throughout the country. I think that should be our main objective. And this is what has happened this morning. So encouraging, so exciting, I think it's going to have a positive impact on the discussions in Darfur and the discussions in the East. And the lessons that were learnt in Naivasha could be applied because we are dealing with the same issues: governance, revenue sharing and others.

As far as the decision of the ICC's concern, the decision is taken and the prosecutor has made it clear that he will go where the evidence takes him. I know that the government has also established a tribunal to try some of the perpetrators and that is not in contradiction with the Rome statutes which cover the ICC in the Hague.

Q. When will the UN consider Sudan's complaint against Eritrea and do you consider Sudan's complaint seriously?

SG: I know the complaint has been lodged with the Security Council, and later on this month the Council will be discussing Sudan, developments and progress and any problems, and I suspect they will take up that issue as part of that discussion on Sudan, and, in fact, my Special Representative, Jan Pronk, will be in New York for that discussion, and the Council will look at it then.

Q. About the UN's contribution to the post-conflict settlement in Sudan, what other type of support are you going to offer?

SG: I think we are doing a lot but for that I should let my man on the ground answer. He'll tell you what we're doing and what he's been brought here to work with you on.

JAN PRONK: Very briefly, because we had a press conference today. We have presented a new work plan, it goes up from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. We will also in ten days from now, organize a meeting with donors, also in New York, and launch a campaign in order to use the political momentum which was created today, also in economic terms. And given the international positive reaction to what's happened today, I foresee that also assistance following the Oslo conference will be set up.

SG: I should say that yesterday at the G8 meeting, I did raise this issue, the need for support, the need to honour the pledges for Sudan and I will be writing to the major donors to urge them to convert their pledges into cash. Thank you very much.