Secretary-General's press encounter upon arrival at UNHQ

SG: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I think I should add my voice to those who are welcoming the Iraqi people for designating a new government. I think this is a new beginning; it is not an end. There is lots of hard work ahead, and I would also like to congratulate my own envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, for the work that he has done. It has been difficult. He has had to make compromises to move the process ahead. It was never going to be easy; he knew that. But now that the new government is installed, we all need to look forward and work for the handover of sovereignty and power to the Iraqis on 30 June.

As you know, the Security Council will continue its discussions on the new resolution, and there is the expectation that the new government would also be consulted on the contents of the resolution. I do not know how the Council is going to proceed with that consultation, but I hope they will be able to arrange it as soon as possible.

Q: Sir, there is a very strong impression that the United Nations didn't get its way as far as choosing the Prime Minister of Iraq, and it didn't get its way as far as choosing the President of Iraq. Would you address that?

SG: I think Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi will be here himself, and in fact he is giving a press conference tomorrow. But let me say that after extensive consultations he produced a list, and the Prime Minister came from the list that he had produced. Mr. Alawi's name was on the list. As far as the government itself is concerned, he discussed the list with the new Prime Minister who, after the discussion, exercised his privilege and selected the cabinet. But that also was from the list that Mr. Brahimi had produced.

Q: So what are your expectations as far as how choosing a new Prime Minister would play into the current debate on the new draft resolution?

SG: I think I will leave the Council to determine that. I don't know who from the new government will be here to speak to the Council, but I will leave them to speak for themselves and for the Council to decide that.

Q: A number of Council members complained that there was US pressure on the Council to pick particular candidates. Are you concerned by that, whether that will help the new government fly?

SG: I think the idea was, right from the beginning, it was clear that there will be discussions with the CPA, with the members of the Governing Council and other Iraqi constituencies leading to the designation of the government. So the fact that they were involved in the discussions shouldn't be surprising.

Q: Mr. Yawar made a very forceful statement today for the return of full sovereignty to Iraq. How concerned are you that the Security Council is not going in the right direction with its resolution, or how satisfied are you with the direction the Security Council is going in?

SG: Well, I think you are referring to the first draft. There will be a second draft, there is a second draft, which I think the members will begin discussing today, and we shall see how it has changed in regard to the issue of sovereignty. My sense is that most Council members are determined to ensure that Iraq gets full sovereignty.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, what would you say to the Iraqi people who, looking at this list, see a lot of names that are familiar from the Governing Council, who have heard about the fact that the coalition in particular had a lot to say and that the Governing Council which was picked by the United States had a lot to say –what would you say to them looking at this new government that is going to lead them for the next seven months.

SG: I think we all have to recognize that the process wasn't perfect, and it is a difficult environment. And I think, given the circumstances, I believe Mr. Brahimi did as best as he should. And the government that he came up with, you should remember, also includes six women, which is quite a step forward. It has six women, it has other new faces. Yes, there are members from the Governing Council, but there are new faces on the team. We should look at the government as a whole, not at its individual members.

Q: Sir, after what happened last year, I got the impression that you wanted to avoid the United Nations again becoming a prisoner of events there, that you wanted to be in control of events. I am wondering if there is anything that has happened in this whole process of choosing a new governing group that makes you concerned that the UN is again not in control of events, but a prisoner of events?

SG: Well, I don't know if I would say whether we are prisoner of events. I think let's step back and review the situation. You will recall that at the meeting here on 19 January, and even before that, the Iraqis and the Governing Council had asked us to determine whether elections were possible before 30 June, and whether the caucus system as proposed was viable, and if it was not viable to propose a new approach. I think we have done that. Not only have we done that, we are also working with them in preparing for the elections in January 2005. We have established an independent electoral commission, an electoral administrator has been appointed. We are working on political parties, law, and so forth. So we have done exactly what we have set out to do. It was never intended that the UN would go and appoint and impose a government on the Iraqis. We had to discuss it with them, and given the circumstances and the factors on the ground, it is not surprising that you have a mix of people from the Governing Council and from outside who are forming the new government. So I think in a way Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi has done exactly what he set to do, and the mandate that he was given in the beginning.

Q: Sir, if I may ask a follow up. What do you say to those Iraqis who say that the most important posts actually went to the Iraqis who were living outside of Iraq before the regime was toppled? What do you also say to those Iraqis who say that the United Nations has again let itself be used by the Iraqis?

SG: I would say that, obviously you have a government that includes exiles and people who had been in Iraq. The fact that some of the exiles have emerged as key leaders was part of, it came out of the process of consultation. It was not the UN that imposed them on Iraq or on the people. I think it would be wrong to say that the UN has allowed itself to be used. I think I have explained the circumstances under which we went, what we were asked to do, and I think we have done just that.

Q: How disturbed are you by the allegations of abuse of minors by UN peacekeepers in Congo, specifically the Uruguayans who are investigating their troops?

SG: We take that very seriously, and we are investigating it very fully. I will let the investigation take its course.

Q: Sir, back to Iraq for one second if I could. The announcement today was immediately met by more violence in Baghdad. How concerned are you now in this period of continued deterioration and destabilization?

SG: I think the violence in Iraq is a concern for everyone, and I have no reason to believe that it is going to stop because a government has been designated. We all have to be vigilant. But I have indicated in my discussions with heads of state, including with President Bush this morning, and also with others that we need to try and bring the violence down because that's also going to be crucial, not just for the elections, not just for reconstruction, but for the average Iraqi to go about his [business].

Q: What else did you talk about with President Bush?

SG: Thank you very much.