Secretary-General's press encounter
Press events | Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General
Q: Est-ce que vous n'avez pas trouvé que la Suisse avait été un peu trop vite sur le dossier du Kosovo (suite de la question inaudible)
SG: J'ai lu le rapport de l'Ambassadeur Eide. Il m'a rendu le rapport il y a trois jours. Aujourd'hui, je vais demander, je vais avertir le Conseil de sécurité que je veux commencer la discussion sur le statut du Kosovo; je veux nommer quelqu'un, un envoyé spécial, pour diriger ces négociations. Évidemment, je ne peux pas dire maintenant quel sera le résultat. La question de l'indépendance est posée; la question de l'autonomie est posée. On doit discuter de tout ça avec Belgrade, avec Pristina, avec des pays voisins et d'autres pays intéressés. Mais ce qui est important, c'est qu'on va commencer la discussion bientôt; et je crois que d'ici très peu de temps, je vais nommer, un envoyé spécial ou bien un représentant spécial.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, could you comment on the award that was given today to Mr. ElBaradei and to International Atomic Energy Agency, and specifically what is for you the significance of this award in the context of what happened this year with the conference at the UN in May on disarmament and non-proliferation and again in September and Iran and North Korea. My impression is this agency has more problems than success, and specifically this year.
SG: Let me say that I am delighted that the award was given, the prize was given to the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Director-General, Mr. ElBaradei. I think it's a message for all of us that we should take the issue of non-proliferation and disarmament very, very seriously. If you refer to failures of the agency, I'm not sure it's the agency that has failed, or it's a lack of will on the part of Member States that has made it difficult for the agency to come up with successes. The Agency is just Member States, it's not an independent satellite somewhere. It was very disappointing that at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, no progress was made, and again, at the Summit last month, as the President said, we could not even agree on a paragraph on non-proliferation and disarmament, and I had the occasion to say that it was a disgrace and a real failure. I hope that this award will wake us all up, and indicate that it is important, and here is an agency and it's head doing all that they can, to work with Member States on non-proliferation and armament issues. They need our support, and I hope the leaders of the world will pay attention. And I hope you, the members of the press, civil society and the public, you also have power, you also must raise your voice. Individuals can speak up. And so we have an opportunity now. Atomic Agency and its director are very much in the centre and you have raised some of the issues: Korea, Iran - who next? If we don't start containing this problem. Thank you.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, once your mandate expires next year, will you [inaudible] go back to Geneva [inaudible] back to Ghana or if not [inaudible]
SG: After your last question, yes, I plan to go hiking, again, and again, and again. On your first question, if you invite me to come and live in Switzerland, I may consider. But let me say that I would also, I hope to be able also to pay some attention to Africa, and I think initially, my wife and I would want to take a long rest and a long break because I have been in high-pressure jobs for about 15 years, first as head of peace-keeping operations, and it will be 10 years as Secretary-General, and I think that you would agree that we will need a bit of rest. So we'll take some rest, and try to get involved in activities that will give me a balance between reflection and action, and I will not be surprised if we spent a bit more time also in Switzerland.
Q: Hier ou avant hier, vous avez reçu le rapport de M. Kai Eide. Êtes-vous optimiste que bientôt vont commencer les négociations entre Belgrade et Pristina?
SG: La question a été déjà posée. J'y ai répondu en disant que oui, effectivement, j'ai reçu le rapport. Je vais demander au Conseil de sécurité que l'on commence les discussions sur le statut du Kosovo très bientôt et je vais nommer un représentant spécial pour s'occuper de ce genre de négociations.
Q: (inaudible question on Adolf Ogi)
SG: I think we have underestimated the capacity of sports to bring people together and to reach out, even in areas of development and community harmony and peace. Ever since I asked Adolf Ogi to serve as my Special Representative for Sports, Development and Peace, he has brought so much energy to this process, and we've made lots and lots of progress, and today, I think, it's one of the key avenues we use to reach out to people and to get other people to come together, whether in conflict areas or other areas and on the 21st of September, which was a peace day, we were able, for example, to appeal to all people who were fighting, to put their guns down for 24 hours. Of course 24 hours is not a long time, but it is enough for them to reflect and think about what they are doing. Why are we killing each other, they should ask themselves, is there another way, can we find other ways of submitting this. And of course, through the Olympics, we also ask for an Olympic Truce, to be able to, hopefully, to get them to lay their arms, not just temporarily, but see the senselessness of war and continuing, and I'm extremely grateful for the work Mr. Ogi is doing for the United Nations around the world, and I'm happy that it is seen, and I will be seeing him in Geneva on Monday for us to discuss future actions. Thank you.
Q: La Suisse est très active dans les idées de réforme de la Commission des droits de l'homme. On sait notamment que l'un des problèmes de la Suisse, c'est de garder le siège de cette commission à Genève. Quel est votre avis sur la question? Pouvez-vous garantir à la Suisse que le siège d'une éventuelle future commission soit toujours à Genève?
SG: Certainement.
Q: Pour quelle raison?
SG: D'abord, c'est déjà à Genève; et Genève est devenue le centre des agences humanitaires. Le Haut Commissaire travaille très étroitement avec le Haut Commissaire pour les réfugiés. Et je crois que les États membres sont d'accord pour que le Conseil des droits de l'homme reste à Genève. D'abord, il n'y a pas l'espace à New York; ils sont très bien installés ici, il ne faut pas les bousculer.
Q: D'une manière générale, quel regard portez-vous sur le rôle joué par la Suisse dans le processus de réforme de l'ONU?
SG: La Suisse a déjà joué un rôle très actif, pas seulement sur la question des droits de l'homme, mais aussi sur la réforme du Conseil de sécurité, sa méthode de travail et d'autres domaines de réforme. Je crois que la Suisse et les pays européens sont devenus le moteur pour la réforme. Ils travaillent, ils ont travaillé très bien avec moi et avec d'autres régions en poussant le processus de réforme qui est très important pour l'ONU.
Q: (inaudible) Human Rights Council established (inaudible)?
SG: These discussions are continuing in New York. I would hope that we can establish it this year and definitely early enough for the next session of the Human Rights (inaudible) in March. We should be able to work out the details, we know the issues, we've discussed them at length, and I hope that we will be able to do it, and I am determined to work with the Member States to see them establish a Council that will be effective, a Council that will sit all year round, a Council that will have the capacity to intervene when crises are brewing, a Council that will have the mandate to look at the human rights record of any member, and a Council that will be able to work and help Governments, giving them technical assistance to improve their own human rights machinery. And so we are looking for the establishment of a very active Human Rights Council, we have a wonderful High Commissioner, and we need to give her the tools to get her work done. Thank you.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, I wonder whether you could let us have your opinion on the ICC's warrants of arrest against the LRA?
SG: The Lord's Resistance Army? I think the ICC has begun a very important work. It has three cases on its docket now, the Darfur situation, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and of course now the Lord's Resistance Army. About six of them have been indicted. I think it is extremely important, these indictments, because Africa has been in the throes of conflict for so long. It is a continent with major resources, a continent that could be at peace, and begin to prosper if there were stability, and we can end these conflicts, Africa can then begin to focus on the issues of economic and social development. And I have often mentioned to the African leaders, that conflict in each country is their business as well. Because conflicts these days do not remain internal for very long. They start in one country, and before you know, the whole region is affected, by refugees going out, scaring away of investors - nobody invests in a bad neighbourhood. So these people spoil the neighbourhood for everybody, interrupts the life of the average man and woman, and usually it's the women and children who suffer most, and I think for the indictment to send out a message to would-be war-lords, that it is no longer acceptable, you will be held to account, you will be prosecuted, and impunity is not acceptable, I think is a very powerful message, and let the law take its course. Thank you.
Q: J'ai une question concernant ce qui se passe en ce moment à Ceuta et Melilla, les enclaves espagnoles au nord du Maroc: quelle est la réaction des Nations Unies sur ce dossier?
SG: Si vous permettez, je vais vous répondre en anglais pour ne pas perdre certaines nuances.
I think it's a very serious development. The whole issue of migration and asylum-seekers is become a very hot issue, and in some situations, highly charged and politically highly charged. I think what is important for us to realise is that the movement of people -- today we have about 200 million people who are working outside their homes and their own countries. In terms of global population, it is rather small, but it is double the number of 30 years ago, and it is growing. So what is important for us to understand is that most societies, including particularly some of the societies in Europe, are going to need immigrants to survive, are going to need immigrants to be able to sustain their level of economic development and security, given the birth rate in some of these countries, where they don't even have replacement rate, so immigration is going to be necessary for them. We cannot stop immigration and movement of people. We have to manage it, we have to come up with the right laws and the right approaches to manage it, and Governments have to work together to deal with this issue. It's interesting that you raised this question, because it was three days ago in New York, are we on the 7th today, on the 5th, the Global Commission on International Migration, which had been working for about 18 months, delivered their report to me, with some very specific recommendations as to how we deal with this issue. I recommend the report to you, and I hope you will all write about it. And we are going to have a special high-level dialogue in New York in September next year on the issue of migration, and so it is a problem I take very seriously, and I think Governments do seriously, but we need to find a way of working together to manage it.
Q: Secretary-General, what's to do if the Iraqi people failed and don't approve the next Constitution on October 15. What's the options of the United Nations to help? Thank you.
SG: Why did you leave the easiest question for the end? Obviously, the risk is always there. On the 15th of October, the Iraqis have a referendum to determine their Constitution. The Constitution may be approved, or it may not be approved. If it is either way, they will have to have a second election in December. If it is approved, then they will establish a new Parliament, a legitimate, fully-fledged Parliament, that will sit beginning January next year. If it does not succeed, elections will still have to go forward in December for them to establish a Constituent Assembly, that will begin working again on the Constitution. It is very difficult now for me to project what the outcome of the referendum will be, and I think those of you who live in Switzerland know that it's a tricky business, to judge, to try to predict outcome of referendums. But we, the United Nations, are on the ground, giving lots of assistance. We've been very active in the political transition process. We worked with them on the last elections, helped them within the electoral law, and we've been active advising them on the Constitution. And you noticed recently when they tried to change the laws to give advantage to one side, we insisted that it was unacceptable, and they reversed their position, and we will also be helping them with the referendum itself and the next elections. Beyond that, given the security situation on the ground, there's not much more we can do. We have the capacity and expertise to do more, either in the humanitarian area, economic development, institution building, improvement of human rights and judiciary, but the environment does not allow us to get engaged in that sort of broad activity because you cannot move around easily, and you cannot go and put people in the Green Zone in Baghdad who cannot move around to do their work - it would be pointless. But as and when the situation improves, and there's a secure environment, the UN and its agencies are prepared to play their role to the fullest to help the Iraqi people. Thank you very much.