|
|||
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
|
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
/…
**Questions and Answers
/…
Question: There are conflicting reports in the newspapers about who was behind this flotilla, which the Israel Defense Forces raided and were able to kill so many people. I just want to know, when is the Secretary-General’s proposed commission going to begin working at all, if at all? And what is the delay? Why is there a delay?
Associate Spokesperson: As far as that goes, we would be prepared to do something very quickly once we get agreement from the parties. The Secretary-General has continued his efforts to talk to the parties, to win a positive response to his proposals. And as I mentioned, in recent days, he has spoken with, among others, the Prime Minister of Israel and the Foreign Minister of Turkey. So his high-level contacts on this continue.
Question: Okay, which is the hold-up? I mean, which country is a hold-up?
Associate Spokesperson: Like I said, he has particular proposals that he is continuing to discuss with the parties, and he is hopeful for a positive response.
Question: Just for our diary purposes, can you just then tell us what days we can expect what on the Goldstone [Report]?
Associate Spokesperson: Well, I think I mentioned earlier that Israel has a deadline of until Monday for its own response. After that, we expect the Secretary-General to put together a report that would go the General Assembly. I don’t know precisely what day a report will come out, but I do expect sometime in the coming week we would, the Secretary-General would, submit a report to the General Assembly in line with the previous report that he sent.
Question: Will the Israeli response be public?
Associate Spokesperson: In the past, as you know, when the Secretary-General has sent his report to the General Assembly, which is a public document, it included the inputs from the various parties as annexes. I can’t predict right now whether that would be quite the same way, but that is how we’ve handled it in the past.
Question: Isn’t there an obligation on Hamas to respond, as well?
Associate Spokesperson: We’ve received a response from the Palestinian Authority side, as well as from Switzerland already.
* *** *
For information media • not an official record
Document Sources: Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
Subject: Closures/Curfews/Blockades, Gaza Strip, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Incursions, Legal issues
Publication Date: 16/07/2010