Secretary-General's press conference at Special ASEAN leaders' meeting on the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami
媒体活动 | Kofi Annan, 前任秘书长
This appeal presents a focused set of programmes agreed with the affected governments and some of them are already on the way. These programmes must in themselves set the stage for and make possible efforts in the longer term. With the particular emphasis on the early restoration of livelihoods. Of course, the first priority is to ensure we reach the affected communities with water, sanitation, food, shelter and psychological support. Together with the host governments, we are overcoming many practical obstacles to the delivery of aid. Let me thank the governments who have offered major logistical and communications support to enable us to distribute aid to the areas where it is most needed, with the US Government in the lead.
With everyone's commitment to strong coordination, we are confident that we will prevail. Let me commend the countries affected for their rapid and relevant responses.
Beyond the immediate relief, there is already a great deal we are doing to get recovery efforts on the way. Let me give you an example: the vast number of those affected are sub-subsistence fishermen and their families. To enable both their rehabilitation and livelihoods, the best assistance we can offer them is an early opportunity to repair their boats and their fishing nets. More broadly, these are very self sufficient people who are in need, who are used to living by their own hard work. If we give them quick financial support, building materials and other resources, they will make their own recovery. They will get their villages and municipalities cleaned-up, their children back in school. We must invest in their recovery efforts and not make them wait for hours.
It is equally important to ensure that from now on there are no gaps in the funding effort as we move into the intermediate and the longer term. We know from experience that such gaps can wipe out painstakingly achieved progress towards recovery. We trust that the world community will work with us in the implementation of the programmes covered by this appeal and stay with us for the longer term. And I look to you, the media, to hold them to that commitment. Copies of the appeal are being distributed to you, if you haven't got them already. And with me here on the podium is Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom, my Special Coordinator for the tsunami relief effort, who over the past week has visited several of the countries affected and together we will try to answer your questions. The floor is open.
Q: Mr. Annan, in your assessment, are the early warning system elsewhere in the world, for example, in the EU, US and Canada, other places of the world, are they good enough to cope with the tsunami of similar scale if it happens again?
SG: There is a tsunami early warning system in the Pacific but we didn't have it in the Indian Ocean, and I hope that that system will offer early warning to be able to protect people and mitigate against the consequences of another tsunami. As part of this conference this morning, lots of speakers, lots of the leaders who spoke, did indicate that it is important that we establish an early warning system in this part of the world too and I think you're going to see lots of attention focused on that as we moved forward.
Q: Secretary-General, there's been some talk that the UN should take the lead in establishing early warning systems and secondly, there has been a lot of discussions about debt relief versus direct assistance. Can you talk about that?
SG: Yes, we would encourage the establishment of an early warning system and work with the governments for its establishment. On the question of debt relief, I know that the issue is being discussed and what is important here is that the international community does whatever it can to assist the governments in the affected countries. And the issue of debt relief and other forms of financial support is very, very much on the table and I would wait to see what the countries concerned, the creditor, countries decide.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you have many governments here rushes aid around the world, yet on the other side of the planet, Darfur, there appears to be a large crisis, thousands and thousands dead, yet there doesn't appear to be any action by the world. Are you outraged by this, have you talked to leaders here about maybe you could also send a few dollars and send political will and capital to that story and others?
SG: That is a dilemma we live with. In fact this crisis has generated incredible amount of resources and spontaneous and generous response, whilst other crises do not get the kind of response that we would need. In some situations, where we've made appeals, we've got as little as 14% of the amount we need to respond. And, of course, you do mention Darfur, where there are urgent needs and the security situation is deteriorating but the response has not been anything and like this one. But I hope, we as international community and governments will learn from the reaction or the response we got from the tsunami crisis and redouble our efforts to assist other situations like Darfur. But there are many other situations, some comparable to Darfur, where we are not getting the kind of support that we need. So let's learn from the spontaneous reaction, the international solidarity that has been demonstrated in this particular case, and try and extend it to other situations. Thank you.
Q: There is a lot of countries promised to donate to help the people in this region, but are you sure that or there is any guarantee that these countries are willing really to pay this donation because in previous catastrophe we see that there was a lot of promises but there was no payment in exactly.
SG: That is an issue I commented on here and elsewhere. Yes, we have had gaps in the past and I hope it is not going to happen in this case and we are going to be vigilante and urge governments that have pledged to make their contributions real and transform it into cash as quickly as possible. We hope it will not happen in this case and I think we need your help, as I said, ladies and members of the press, to keep on the pressure, to keep limelight on to ensure that we do get the moneys pledged.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you mentioned a Chinese girl in your opening speech at the meeting who donated her lifetime savings for the tsunami victims. My question is that I am asking for your comments on the efforts making so far by the Chinese government to these relief efforts. Thank you.
SG: Thank you very much. The Chinese government has donated about 63 million dollars to the effort and also has personnel in the field assisting those in need and we are very grateful for that contribution.
Q: This time Taiwan donated 15 million dollars but this meeting never invited Taiwan to participate, can you tell me why?
SG: I think that question ought to be directed to the organizers of the meeting and second, not all the governments who have contributed, as far as I know, are here at the meeting. But it's not a UN meeting. I didn't organize it. I think you should direct it to those who organized the meeting.
Q: Do you think it is fair?
SG: I said direct it to those who organized the meeting. Thank you very much. Next question.
Q: The conference so far, did it give you hope that there will be a truly united world effort, or how big are the chances that this might deteriorate to power games and beauty contests?
SG: I think for the moment the world has come together and we are working together. The spirit in the conference and the spirit in the room and my discussions with the leaders who are here leads me to believe that we are responding and there is solidarity and we are going to really make a difference here.
Obviously, as you moved down to reconstruction, you're going to be looking very much at each national effort and what contribution the international community can make. But I am encouraged and I think it is not a beauty contest; it is not an act of presence. I think all the leaders here are genuinely concerned and would want to make every contribution they can to assist those in need and to rebuild the lives of the communities that have been shattered.
Q: In your speech this morning you mentioned that we might never be able to know the exact number of the victims. Is there a figure close to the facts, especially the number of the victims at some stages for the last few days in Indonesia for example is about 98 to 100 thousand. But as we heard the President saying this morning that he traveled by helicopter over 140 km and he did not see any sign of life. So is there a real figure or something close to reality?
SG: Let me say that yes, I stand by the statement that we may never know how many people actually died. But the figures are likely to go higher; they are likely to go higher because not every part of Sumatra or Aceh area has been surveyed. The survey is going on and we may discover additional bodies. So I am not in a position to give you an exact figure because it can change. Maybe Margareta would want to add a word.
Ms. Wahlstrom: As you know, by today the figure is something like 150 thousand. It will continue to go up over a period of time because as rubble is cleared, more dead bodies would be found or dead bodies will come back with the water. I think the large numbers in most places, maybe with the exception of Sumatra, have already been found. But even in Sri Lanka, there are still dead people that are being detected. So, you will keep following the numbers. What we are not fully clear on yet is how high it may become in Sumatra, where we still fear that the numbers may go much higher.
Q: With your announcement today, would you say that the United Nations has taken over the relief effort from the core group and secondly, which state in this region would the regional hub for the UN efforts that you have announced today.
SG: Let me, perhaps, clarify some misunderstanding. The UN is in the lead with regards to coordination of the humanitarian effort. The core group is made up of a group of countries which have assets in the region, military and otherwise, and came together to support the relief efforts. And that is why you are seeing US military, Australia, [Japan], India, coming together to provide logistical support. Without that essential contribution, it would have been extremely difficult for us to get to those in need, particularly those in remote areas, particularly when infrastructure has been destroyed, airports needing repair, bridges destroyed -- so we are very grateful to the core group for offering that essential support.
But yes, the UN is in the lead in the coordination of the humanitarian relief. Which would be the hub? We have, of course, a big UN presence in the region. Our regional headquarters is in Bangkok, Thailand and we have presence in all the countries affected, and of course if need be we will pull in some of our people from Bangkok as well.
Q: Some of the countries in the region worry about military force who will stay in the region more time than they need. And what do you think the impact on the security of the Malaka straight and the Indian Ocean is very sensitive agenda. Regionally, it is very sensitive because that US troops want to petrol Indian and Malaka Straight. But right now, it is really calm, but not for another reason. What do you think after that, after the relief program, when do they leave or do they stay here for a while?
SG: I think the core group has made it very clear that they have a specific and a limited objective to support the humanitarian operations and to support the UN's humanitarian effort. And they have made it clear that once that objective has been achieved and they have provided the logistical needs for this operation, the group will disband. And so this is where we are and I don't think there are any ulterior motives for the operations that are going on at the moment.
Q: How long they will stay?
SG: I think they would stay as long as the logistical requirements are there. But I think as soon as it is done, I think it is not going to take very long, from my discussions with them, we are talking weeks, or at most months, not years. So, I think that should reassure you.
Q: Mr. Secretary-General, I would like to hear your commitment to the plight of women because I might have to inform you that five years ago the Aceh women had their own Aceh women conference, with five hundred women representing their organizations and they made up a whole blueprint for peace in Aceh. They went to the government at that time but were less taken into consideration. So in the time of reconstruction of Aceh, what is the commitment to have Aceh women have their say in whatever is going to be planned or decided?
SG: I would hope the women of Aceh will play a very important part in this reconstruction. We are not going to be able to do this from outside. It is going to be the people who live in Aceh, in Sumatra, who are going to rebuild. We are here to assist and you need everybody: women's communities, community groups, NGOs and women in particular who are the backbone of the families will have an important role to play and I hope a voice in what is going to happen. As far as the UN is concerned, we will work very closely with them and rely on them and I am sure that our other partners will do the same. Do you want to add a word, Margareta.
Ms. Wahlstrom: I think the women, as the men and the children of Aceh, are absolutely crucial in the effort to start rebuilding and restoring people's lives and all the international partners and the national partners we have are familiar with programming that focus on people's needs and their definition of their needs. So I think that you will find that you have good partners in this exercise as far as the relief and recovery efforts as far as concerned.
SG: Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen and thank you for coming.