Â鶹´«Ă˝

Secretary-General

Noon briefing of 19 September 2005


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Monday, September 19, 2005

**Monday’s noon briefing was not posted to the Internet because of technical difficulties relating to a partial power outage at the United Nations. On Tuesday, there will be no noon briefing took place because the Secretary-General is to give a press conference at the end of the meeting of the Middle East Quartet.

ANNAN WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON DEM. PEOPLE’S REP. OF KOREA

  • Secretary-General Kofi Annan strongly welcomes the consensus reached at the six-party talks in Beijing on the principles for a peaceful and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. This is a major step towards a comprehensive settlement through multilateral diplomacy of one of the most difficult international security issues.

  • The Secretary-General welcomes in particular the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s commitment to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs, as well as its return at an early date to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. He is hopeful that this agreement, when fully implemented, will lead to a Peninsula free of nuclear weapons, normalized relations and enhanced security between the countries concerned, and flourishing economic cooperation in Northeast Asia.

  • The Secretary-General commends the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States, as well as all other participants for their flexibility and realistic approach, as well as for their readiness to overcome differences through dialogue and mutual respect. China’s efforts were critical for the success of the fourth round of the talks.

  • The Secretary-General also welcomes the role played by the Republic of Korea, as well as all other participating governments. Continued efforts in this direction will be necessary in devising “a road map” for implementation of the agreement just reached. Â鶹´«Ă˝ will do its part to support this process toward a successful conclusion.

U.N. NUCLEAR WATCHDOG LOOKS FORWARD TO SENDING
INSPECTORS BACK TO DEM. PEOPLE’S REP. OF KOREA

  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei also the commitment by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to abandon nuclear weapons and to rejoin the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

  • Speaking to members of the international press corps in Vienna this morning, ElBaradei said he looked forward to the return of IAEA inspectors to the DPRK.

  • He said the Agency would conduct “the necessary inspections to assure ourselves that the nuclear weapons program in the DPRK has been abandoned and that all nuclear activity in the DPRK is subjected to safeguards and dedicated for peaceful purposes.” We have a press release upstairs with more details.

  • ElBaradei told reporters today that he will be consulting with the DPRK on when the IAEA inspectors can return to the country.

LEBANON: ENVOYS GATHER TO SUPPORT NEW GOVERNMENT

  • The Secretary-General this morning read out the final statement of a meeting held by representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, the European Union, the Russian Federation, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Nations and the World Bank with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fuad Siniora.

  • The Secretary-General said that those officials gathered to demonstrate support for and commitment to the new Government of Lebanon as it works to reaffirm Lebanon’s sovereignty, engage in vital reforms, and strengthen Lebanon’s democratic institutions.

  • He said the participants at the meeting welcomed the Government of Lebanon’s response to the Lebanese people’s calls for reform. They also expressed their strong support for the work of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission and called on regional states to respect fully the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.

  • Asked about the significance of having the Prime Minister, rather than the Lebanese President, attend today’s meeting, the Spokesman said nothing should be read into the timing of the conference, and added that the need was for a time that would be good for all participants to attend.

  • He said that Prime Minister Siniora was newly-elected, following the recent free and fair elections, so it was only natural for him to speak at the event. The meeting, Dujarric added in response to a question about pledges at the meeting, was not only about money, but was designed to send a message of support for the people and the Government of Lebanon.

IRAN CALLED ON TO EXPAND EXISTING CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES

  • The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors is meeting in Vienna today, and Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told the Board that, since October 2003, good progress has been made in terms of Iran’s corrections of past breaches and in terms of the Agency’s ability to verify certain aspects of Iran’s nuclear program.

  • Regarding the chronology of Iran’s centrifuge enrichment activities, some progress has been made since last November, he said. However, this progress has been slow, and the Agency has made repeated requests for additional information.

  • ElBaradei called on Iran to expand the transparency and confidence building measures it has already provided. By promptly responding to these Agency requests, he said, Iran would well serve both its interests and those of the international community.

IRAQ: U.N. TO HELP DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF DRAFT CONSTITUTION

  • Ashraf Qazi, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, said that the adoption of a draft Constitution by Iraq’s Transitional National Assembly was an important step.

  • He said that the distribution of the draft text among the Iraqi people, which the UN Mission in Iraq will assist, will help them to make an informed choice on whether to accept or reject the document during the referendum scheduled for 15 October. He urged the Iraqi people to participate in the referendum to exercise their democratic right of choice.

ANNAN URGES AFGHANS TO HOLD PEACEFUL & ORDERLY ELECTIONS

  • The Spokesman’s Office issued a statement Sunday saying that the voting in the elections for Afghanistan’s National Assembly and Provincial Councils shows once again the clear determination of the Afghan people to pursue the peaceful and democratic development of their nation.

  • The Secretary-General urged the candidates and their supporters to cooperate fully with the electoral authorities to ensure that the process, including vote counting and the certification of the results, unfolds in a peaceful and orderly manner.

BURUNDI WOULD BENEFIT FROM NEW U.N. PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION

  • The Secretary-General’s report to the Security Council on Burundi is available today, and it is the subject of discussion in this morning’s Security Council consultations.

  • In the report, the Secretary-General notes the progress achieved in consolidating peace, but outlines significant challenges ahead. Reconstruction, development, job creation, the rehabilitation of the nation’s health and education sectors, the promotion of reconciliation and putting an end to impunity, as well as the conclusion of the security sector and judicial reform programs and ensuring sound governance, are some of the key areas that will require sustained and enhanced international engagement and donor support, he reports.

  • The Secretary-General also says that should his proposal for the establishment of a peace-building commission be agreed upon by Member States, Burundi would be most appropriate for early consideration by the commission.

  • He also says he will provide recommendations on the size and mandate of the Mission in the post-transitional phase in the country by 15 November.

  • In addition to Burundi, the Security Council adopted the report of the Security Council to the General Assembly.

  • Council members then went into a formal meeting to vote on a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia.

HAITI’S ELECTIONS NEED TO BE INCLUSIVE, ANNAN SAYS

  • The Secretary-General chaired a ministerial meeting on Haiti at UN Headquarters on Saturday.

  • Members of the Core Group and the Prime Minister of Haiti took part.

  • In his opening remarks to the meeting, the Secretary-General said Haiti’s upcoming elections need to be inclusive and those seeking office should pledge now that they are ready to work together after the elections to promote progress in the next phase of Haiti’s transition.

  • He also said that the emergence of an effective and ethical rule-of-law culture there will depend on Haiti’s leaders.

ZIMBABWE DEEMS APPROPRIATE POSSIBLE VISIT BY U.N. HUMANITARIAN OFFICIAL

  • Asked about Zimbabwe, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General and President Robert Mugabe had a meeting at the margins of the World Summit, where they discussed issues relating to the UN-Zimbabwe agenda. The meeting was requested by President Mugabe as a follow-up to exchanges he has had with the Secretary-General regarding the humanitarian situation in the country.

  • The Secretary-General and Mugabe reviewed briefly the humanitarian requirements relating particularly to the situation resulting from the demolitions and food requirements shortfall and agreed that it would be appropriate to have a high-level visit by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

  • Regarding a possible visit by the Secretary-General to Zimbabwe, the two parties agreed that it needs to be properly prepared.

FUNDING SHORTFALLS LEAD TO RATION CUTS IN ANGOLA

NEW NUCLEAR TERRORISM CONVENTION GETS 82 SIGNATURES

  • The Focus 2005 Treaty Event ended on Friday. In all, 98 States and the European Community participated, with 52 States participating at the level of Head of State or Government.

  • In addition, there were a total of 265 signatures, ratifications and accessions, with Liberia alone accounting for about a third of those.

  • Other highlights included the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which opened for signature at the Treaty Event and got 82 signatures, and the Convention against Corruption, which received enough ratifications to enter into force on 14 December 2005.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

AFRICA ECONOMIC COMMISSION GETS NEW HEAD: The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Abdoulie Janneh of Gambia as Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, at the level of Under-Secretary-General.

U.N. POLICE VEHICLE EXPLODES IN KOSOVO: The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo reports that a UN police vehicle exploded yesterday south of Pristina. Although the vehicle was badly damaged, nobody was injured. Investigations are taking place at this time.

NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN TREATY CONFERENCE GETS UNDERWAY THIS WEEK: The Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty will meet this week at Headquarters, from Wednesday to Friday. At this year’s meeting, a number of States which have not yet signed or ratified the Treaty, are expected to do so. The President-designate of the Conference is Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.

MORE THAN 2 MILLION DIE OF WORK-RELATED ACCIDENTS EACH YEAR: The International Labour Organization (ILO) today reports that at least 2.2 million persons worldwide die of labor-related accidents each year. The ILO estimate, prepared for delivery at a safety conference in Florida today, says even that number may be low as underreporting is a problem.The agency also says that although work related injuries are down in industrialized nations, they are up elsewhere.

RURAL AREAS NEED MORE ATTENTION IN FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY: A report on the future of global agriculture published today by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends that governments give priority to rural areas if they intend to reduce hunger and poverty and improve environmental protection. The report is the consensus of a group of specialist who met earlier this month in Beijing.

**The guest at today’s noon briefing was Carolyn McAskie, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Burundi.