Secretary-General's press conference at the Asian African Summit

I expect most of you heard my speech yesterday to the conference. I believe that strengthening the United Nations at this moment is very critical and vital. I have put forward a package of reforms which I hope would be acted upon at the High Level Summit in New York in September. These reform in my judgment are the most far reaching proposals for UN reform in 60 years. The United Nations will comprehensively improve the performance if the member states adopt the proposals.

This package of reforms is based on my conviction that without development there can be no security and without security there can be no development. And without human rights and the rule of law we can have neither security nor development.

I have come here to Jakarta to impress upon all the leaders gathered here, that this package is crucial to the peoples and states of Africa and Asia to enable them in the words of the UN Charter to live in larger freedom. I have urged the Heads of Governments and States that it is time for them to exercise their leadership and take charge of adopting these reforms.

The economic reform program in Larger Freedom puts the Millennium Development Goals squarely at the center of the global agenda, and thus makes development, and the challenge of development of poor countries the highest priority of global economic development. It recognizes the special needs of Africa regarding economic development. And we have also asked for an increase in development assistance and urged governments to achieve the target of 0.7 percent. Already five countries have achieved the target –Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Other governments have come up with a timetable for achieving the targets. France, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom. Japan has reiterated its commitment to reach 0.7 percent, but has not put forward a timetable and I hope that also will be forthcoming in time. I believe that with significance increase in ODA, we can meet the Millennium Development targets, and of course the completion of Doha would also be helpful.

Security Council reform has generated lots of discussions and I'm sure you are hearing about it in the corridor. I believe that the time has come for us to really reform the Council. Everybody agrees that the Council is in need of reform. And I hope that this time around, we will succeed.

I think I should pause here and take your questions.

Questions and Answers:

Q: Later today Prime Minister of Japan Koizumi and President Hu Jintao of China will meet. We can predict that they will discuss matters concerning their both countries. What do you expect out of their talks, Sir?

My second question is eventually, Sir, you are outgoing as Secretary-General, who do you think will be the most appropriate to replace you, Sir? Should he be an Asian or should be applauded on the floor? Thank you.

SG: Well, I'm delighted that the two leaders are meeting here in Jakarta. We have all read about the recent developments and I think these are two important countries in the region and in the world and they have been cooperating on many fronts from economic, political and other issues and I hope that the meeting between the two leaders will help reduce the temperature a little bit and set their relations back on track. So, I'm indeed very happy that they are meeting now. Obviously we will have to wait for them to tell us what they discussed and what came out of their discussions.

On your second question, obviously that is an issue for the member states to decide. But there is a general sense that it is the turn of Asia and that the next Secretary-General should come from this region.

Q: I have two questions with regard on the reforms of UN. One, from the response that I got from the briefing with the Foreign Ministers last Thursday, I was told that the concentration was more on the issue of UNSC (Security Council). What about power given to UN GA (General Assembly) as well? Meaning binding decision from UNGA rather just UNSC? Don't you think that UNGA should be given more power?

SG: You are discussing the relationships between the Security Council and the General Assembly?

Question: No, on the issue of the UN reform, why is that concentration only given to UNSC? And not UNGA? How confident are you that there will be a consensus with regard to UN reform since UNGA is just down the corner?

SG: I think we have not given emphasis to the Security Council in the reform proposals. The reform proposals cover a wide range of issues. It is a proposal that focuses a lot on economic development, because we believe that fighting poverty should be one of our high priorities, and for the first time we do have a common framework for development. That is the Millennium Development Goals that the Heads of States agreed to. We do talk about such as human rights, the conversion of human rights commission to a standing council that will have the authority and be able to review human rights of any country. We talk of the responsibility to protect in situations where there are gross and systematic violations of human rights. And the Government concerned is either unwilling or unable to protect its own citizens, the international community through the Security Council does have the responsibility to act and even authorize the use of force as a last resort. We have come up with guidelines for the use of force. We propose the establishment of a peace building commission that will help countries in distress, countries coming out of conflict, to rebuild their institutions and return to normalcy. We have also suggested that the General Assembly and Security Council should be strengthened. ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and General Assembly should be strengthened and they should become the forum for discussing economic issues and policies of the day. And they should also focus on real issues affecting that lives of people around the world. The members have focused on Security Council, but Security Council is only one of the proposals. And we also asking to strengthen the GA and ECOSOC.

Q: Will you be asking North Korea to refrain from nuclear test? And what action should the Security Council and the six nations involved in the dialogue with North Korea take if not Korean goes ahead with such a test? Second is Koizumi's apology an adequate statement in your opinion of remorse that happened during WW II? Do you think Koizumi should stop visit to the Yasukuni shrine?

SG: On that North Korean issue, attempts are being made to resolve the issue diplomatically through the six party talks. And I hope that the talks will resume in the not too distant future. I know attempts are being made to bring every body back to the table. As to your second question, what would the Security Council do if this attempt were not to succeed? I hope we will be able succeed and dissuade North Korea from continuing on this current path. And that the Security Council need not have to get into take action on this. I would urge North Korea to work with the others and to resolve the crisis.

Q: Yesterday we heard you bragging about your reform program “In Larger Freedom”. You said you are not posing any time table to countries, but we heard that when ODA is far short of the 0.7 percentage, that is not satisfactory to developing countries. When three P 5 members are opposing a time table, when the Coffee Club organizes one hundred and more countries to say we don't agree with the time table, sounds like this is mission impossible. How are you going to persuade and galvanize support to make it happen in September?

SG: I think the discussions have begun and you've seen it here. It's healthy, it's active and I'm happy that Members States are engaged. I have suggested to the Member States that they try and reach agreement by September when the Heads of States come to New York to take decisions. I think it is possible and I hope they will aim to do it. Obviously, there are quite a lot of discussions going on, but I do expect that in another couple of weeks, maybe four weeks, we would begin to see it much more clearly, and the Members States will begin to come together. I know there are those who believe that there should be no deadline. I have made a suggestion. I have suggested a target date and I hope they will try to meet it.

Q: What do you think will be the consequences if relations between Japan and China don't get back on track thanks to this evening's meeting?

SG: I hope they do get back on track, and I have seen the Prime Minister of Japan and I'll be seeing the President of China later today. These are mature nations and they have wise leaders and I hope between the two of them, they will be able to get the relationship back on track.

Q: Mr. Annan, at this Asian-African Summit, the largest Asian country, I mean Russia, is present only as an observer. It would have been understandable during the Cold War era. But do you think this situation reflects the realities of today? And developing this question, what do you plan to discuss during your May visit to Moscow?

SG: On your first question, obviously this is an African-Asian meeting. Some of the governments, which are represented here, were at Bandung 50 years ago, and they have come to commemorate their organization. I am not aware that the Russian Federation has applied to be a member of the Non-Aligned Movement or the G-77. Most of the governments participating in the conference here are members of the Non-Aligned Movement and G-77, which grew out of the Bandung meeting. If the Russian Federation wants to join, it can submit an application and let the members decide. As to my visit to Moscow in May, obviously, it is going to be a rather huge affair and it will be the commemoration of the 60 years of Second World War. And I'm not sure if we are going to have too much time for intense discussions, but I will see President Putin and lots of other leaders who will be attending.

Q: Regarding the Security Council resolutions, with a few members, they impose the sanctions and measures on the majority of world countries like what is taking place now in Sudan. Do you think that it's unfair for the majority who are not members of the Security Council? So, how do you see the proposals, which calls for giving the authority to the General Assembly instead of the Security Council, which imposes only measures and sanctions against the weak countries.

SG: If I understood you correctly, your question is Security Council sanctions and the tendency to impose sanctions on weaker countries and that we are strengthening the Security Council but not the General Assembly. Is that correct? Was that your question?

Q: The authority should be transferred to the majority of countries, which are represented in the General Assembly.

SG: You said the authority should be transferred to the General Assembly. Is that it? I think the UN Charter is very clear in each of the organs. Main organs have their rights, responsibilities and authority and I think the Security Council has a very specific role that it plays. The General Assembly, which comprises all 191 members, also does have its role. It is the supreme body that brings all the members together and it can be influential and it can be powerful if the members would organize themselves and have the right type of issues on the agenda. And we have suggested ways they can strengthen the General Assembly. And as I indicated, as well as the Economic and Social Council. I don't think we intend to strengthen the Security Council to detriment of the other organs.

Q: I would like to ask what was the content of your meeting with the Gen. Than Shwe today and whether from the meeting, whether there was any indication that Gen. Than Shwe will release Aung San Suu Kyi . And what do you think of the democratic progress in Myanmar?

SG: Yes, I met Gen. Than Shwe. And we did discuss the situation in Myanmar and the democratization process. He briefed me extensively as to how he sees things and how things are going on. I did raise the question of Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD (National League for Democracy), and the fact that it was important that all citizens are able to participate in the constitutional process in the national discussions to be able to deal freely without restrictions and to be able to organize themselves and exercise their individual and democratic rights.

Q: Sir, what do you think will happen to the UN in terms of relevance and effectiveness if the five permanent members of the Security Council fail to agree to reforms that would dilute their power?

SG: I hope that they wouldn't do that, in the sense that I think everybody agrees that we need to reform the Council, we need to bring it in line with today's realities instead of 1945. And if they were to be a broad consensus, a broad agreement among the members to reform and change the Council, I think it would be difficult for a permanent member to veto the proposal. And so I hope we will not go that route. Was that your question? Well, nothing is impossible in this world, but “difficult” is the word I choose.

Q: What is the concrete outcome of this Summit?

SG: The Summit is still ongoing and I'm sure at the end of it, there will be a declaration. But let me say that the fact that so many leaders have come together to discuss issues of common concern and to discuss development and cooperation between the two continents, is a positive development. And quite apart from that, there have been lots of bilateral discussions between leaders on all sorts of issues and I think one of you mentioned the expected meeting between Chinese leader and Japanese leader. These are some of the benefits of a meeting of this kind. But I'm sure at the end you will see the communiqué.

Q: What assurances or guarantees could you give us that the voices of the Asian and African countries gathered here today for the Summit would be heard or taken into consideration by other members of the UN in relations to your UN reform plans, when unilateralism has been so dominant?

SG: I think the whole idea of the reform is to try to get the Member States to work together to define what threats we face together and invite the panel that I set up to look at Threats, Challenges and Change did define the threats for us. In addition to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, environmental degradation, poverty, disease, are all part of threats that we face and that we need to try and tackle these threats across the board and this is of direct interest to developing countries and countries who are here. And quite a lot of the proposals, whether its on the responsibility to protect or strengthening human rights or expansion of the Security Council to allow a more effective representative of the developing world is in their interest, and so they are not being ignored, and in fact, it would allow them to play a much greater role and a much more effective role in the Organization.

Q: Sir, do you think Mr. Koizumi's words yesterday were adequate and what sense do you get regarding reactions from others? And if I can repeat a question from my colleague, I think there was an interest to know what Mr. Than Shwe said regarding the future of his country? Thank you.

SG: I think he listened to me, he got my message. And obviously, he will go back and hopefully to think about it and do something about the message I gave him. Your first question was about a message of yesterday, is that it? I think the statement by Mr. Koizumi I believe has been well received, not only here, but I think around the world and I think it also sets the stage appropriately for the meeting that is going to take place between the two leaders today. And I hope it would also help facilitate their discussions and the understanding that they both seek. Thank you.