HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING
BY
STEPHANE DUJARRIC
ASSOCIATE
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Friday,
May 6, 2005
SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES BLAIR ON U.K. ELECTIONS
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a
statement, expressed his warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Tony
Blair on the results of the elections held in the United Kingdom yesterday.
He greatly values the close working relationship he has established over the
past eight years with Blair and his Government.
The Secretary-General looks forward to continued
collaboration with the British Government in dealing with the many challenging
issues before the United Nations, including the critical process of
reform the Organization is undertaking.
ANNAN TO
OBSERVE VICTORY DAY IN MOSCOW, ATTEND QUARTET MEETING
The Secretary-General will leave for Moscow this weekend
to participate in the commemoration entitled "the 60th anniversary
of the victory in the Great Patriotic War." [At UN headquarters, the General
Assembly will also hold a plenary meeting to observe that event, next Monday.]
While in Moscow, the Secretary-General may hold a number
of bilateral meetings with a number of heads of state and government, who are
also participating in the ceremonies.
On the sidelines of these commemorations, the
Secretary-General will join the other members of the
Middle East
Quartet for a working meeting.
Also attending will be the Quartet’s Special Envoy, James
Wolfensohn, and the U.S. Security Coordinator, Gen. William Ward. They will
brief the Quartet members on the situation on the ground and the latest
developments regarding the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West
Bank.
The Secretary-General will then travel to Geneva, where
on Wednesday he will host a mini-summit with President Olusegun Obasanjo of
Nigeria and President Paul Biya of Cameroon to discuss the Bakassi Peninsula.
The Secretary-General will be back in New York towards
the end of next week.
DEPUTY
SECRETARY-GENERAL FOLLOWS UP ON INTEGRITY SURVEY
On Thursday, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette
concluded two days of meetings in which she received feedback from more than
50 different UN department representatives around the world, to follow up on
the findings of integrity survey that the United Nations commissioned last
year.
The talks included a dialogue with UN staff on the
reform initiatives that are being rolled out in the coming months,
developed this year.
On a specific reform proposal - the draft policy on
whistleblower protection posted on the internal website three weeks ago - the
Deputy Secretary-General also received constructive suggestions and input from
staff. This is the first time that a major policy decision goes through this
kind of process of informal staff consultation. It does not replace the
formal consultative process with the official UN Staff bodies.
SPOKESMAN TAKES
QUESTIONS ON OIL-FOR-FOOD INVESTIGATION
Asked whether the United Nations would sue former
Independent Inquiry Committee investigator Robert Parton concerning
documents that he provided to the U.S. Congress, the Spokesman said that the
issue of confidentiality and immunity at this point being dealt with between
Paul Volcker, who chairs the Independent Inquiry Committee, and members of
Congress.
He said that it is a fact that immunity belongs to the
United Nations, and can only be lifted by the Organization. In these cases, he
added, the United Nations will be guided by Volcker and whatever he decides to
do to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Asked whether the United Nations was frustrated that the
Volcker committee may be losing its authority because of a “political game,”
the Spokesman said that the Volcker panel was established close to a year ago,
to provide in-depth answers about the
oil-for-food program. The United Nations feels that the panel has the
tools for a deep and wide investigation, and hopes that it is able to conclude
its work.
He said that he could not speak to the motivations of the
U.S. Congress, but added that Volcker was trying to protect the integrity of
the investigation, which was also of concern to the United Nations. Volcker,
he noted, has not concluded his work.
Asked about a letter issued by the UN Office of Legal
Affairs on the issue of immunity, the Spokesman said that the United Nations
had received a letter from Robert Parton’s lawyer. It answered, on the same
day, by stating the facts: the experts from the committee are covered by
“functional immunity” as defined in the Convention on the Privileges and
Immunity of the United Nations.
The United Nations informed Parton’s lawyer that, should
he receive a subpoena, or any other legal process, from any government entity,
he should forward that document to the United Nations.
Asked whether the Secretary-General’s interviews with the
Volcker committee were taped, the Spokesman said that the records were all
kept by the Committee. The Secretary-General, he said, made himself and all
his files available to the Committee.
Asked whether the Secretary-General objected to the
handover of the documents, the Spokesman said that attacks on the integrity of
the investigation were of concern to the United Nations. He emphasized that
the Secretary-General was completely open with the Committee and had nothing
to hide from them. What he told them is summarized in the panel’s interim
report.
U.N. STRESSES
NEED FOR UNFETTERED ACCESS FOR LEBANON TEAM
Asked about the work of the UN verification team in
Lebanon, the Spokesman said that the team has its own timetable for work,
and will report back as it deems necessary. He said the United Nations wants
them to have free and unfettered access throughout the country, adding that
the team would try to resolve any problems locally.
He noted that the Secretary-General would meet the Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister of Lebanon this afternoon.
Asked about the investigation into the killing of Rafik
Hariri, the Spokesman said the United Nations was still looking for someone to
head that team. Meanwhile, an administrative team was in Lebanon for a week,
preparing the ground for the eventual arrival of the investigative team.
Asked about the status of Hezbollah, the Spokesman said
the issue of militias and other armed groups in Lebanon will be dealt with in
the next report by the UN Special Envoy on the issue, Terje Roed-Larsen.
OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNAN REPORTS RISE IN SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION ALLEGATIONS: In a
report to the
General Assembly, the Secretary-General says that the number of allegations
of sexual exploitation or abuse within the UN system in 2004 totaled 121, up
from 53 allegations the previous year. Most of the allegations occurred in
peacekeeping missions. The report also details what’s being done to deal with
the issue.
NO SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TODAY: The
Security Council has no meetings or consultations scheduled for today.
UNICEF SUPPORTS POLIO VACCINATIONS IN INDONESIA:
UNICEF says it is supporting the emergency vaccination of children in a
district near Jakarta, Indonesia, in an attempt to halt the spread of an
outbreak of polio. It also says that an immunization campaign against measles,
mumps and rubella was launched today for 1.2 million children and young people
in the West Bank and Gaza strip.
U.N. STAFFER RELEASED: The United Nations was in
close contact on Thursday with the New York Police Department concerning the
explosion earlier that morning at the UK Consulate. The Police Department
informed the UN that a UN staff member had been taken into custody for
questioning. The United Nations was later informed that the staff member has
been released.
BIOTECHNOLOGY MATURES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:
Several developing countries now have well-developed biotechnology programs,
according to a new
FAO assessment on the status of research and application of crop
biotechnologies in developing countries. They are approaching the leading edge
of biotechnology applications and have significant research capacity, with the
leading countries being Argentina, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Mexico and
South Africa.
THE WEEK AHEAD
AT THE UNITED NATIONS
Monday, May 9
The Secretary-General will be in Moscow, where he will
participate in the 60th observance of Victory Day. He will also
represent the United Nations at the principals-level meeting of the Quartet
dealing with the Middle East.
The Security Council has
scheduled consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Following the noon briefing, UN officials from the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs and
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will hold a background
briefing on Sudan.
In Copenhagen, Denmark, the
United Nations and World Bank are co-organizing a technical meeting on the
progress of reconstruction in Liberia.
Tuesday, May 10
The Security Council has scheduled consultations on the
humanitarian situation in Africa.
The 2005 International Investor Summit on Climate Risk,
which is co-sponsored by the UN Fund for International Partnerships, the UN
Foundation, and Ceres, will be held in the ECOSOC Chamber. The main speakers at
the meeting will hold a press conference at 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 11
In Geneva, the Secretary-General will hold a mini-summit
with the Presidents of Nigeria and Cameroon.
The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting to
discuss its recent mission to Haiti.
Thursday, May 12
The Security Council has scheduled a public meeting,
followed by consultations, on Sudan.
Friday, May 13
The Security Council may meet with countries contributing
troops to the UN Mission in Timor-Leste.
Office
of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only
Fax. 212-963-7055
All other inquiries to be addressed to (212) 963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org