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A feed from The UN Says.
Copyright The Government Says 2004-2005
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.</p>
So, good afternoon, everybody.</p>
As you know, we have with us today John Holmes, who is the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.  We have about half an hour.  He is available to brief you on his recent visit to the Middle East. </p>
So, please, I’ll give the floor to you straight away, to save time.</p>
[<a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100311_Holmes.doc.htm">Briefing</a> by Under-Secretary-General Holmes issued separately]</p>
Okay, just very briefly, a few points and, of course, I’m happy to take questions.</p>
The Secretary-General addressed a Panel on Violence against Women this morning and in his <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sgsm12784.doc.htm">remarks</a> he said that women’s empowerment is central to all of the Millennium Development Goals.  Freedom from fear and violence is a precondition for this empowerment.  He said the United Nations must have the resources it needs to pursue this goal with the urgency it deserves.  The Secretary-General urged Member States to press ahead and establish a strengthened UN gender entity. </p>
This Panel was part of the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, and we have copies of his remarks available from my office.</p>
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy briefed the Security Council this morning on Sudan.  He discussed with Council members the preparations for the April elections in that country.</p>
The Secretary-General has <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sga1225.doc.htm">appointed</a> Major General Luiz Guilherme Paul Cruz of Brazil as Force Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).  Major General Paul Cruz will be replacing the outgoing Force Commander, Major General Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto, who is also from Brazil.  </p>
The Secretary-General appreciates Major General Floriano Peixoto’s performance while serving in MINUSTAH, where his dedication, professionalism and leadership greatly contributed to the United Nations stabilization efforts in Haiti.  And we have more information on the new Force Commander in my office.</p>
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin, has just completed a meeting in Abidjan with the new President of the Independent Electoral Commission.  Choi outlined to the new head of the Commission the assistance that the UN mission will provide to his institution in the run-up to the elections.</p>
In recent days, Choi has met with a number of party leaders, including President Laurent Gbagbo and key opposition figures.  We have a statement from the mission in C<u>ô</u>te d’Ivoire (ONUCI) with more details on that.</p>
And UNICEF [the United Nations Children's Fund] has announced today that Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi will be its newest Goodwill Ambassador.  And for those of you who aren’t soccer fans, Mr. Messi plays for FC Barçelona and is the current FIFA World Player of the Year.  UNICEF says Messi will work on a series of events to highlight the challenges faced by vulnerable children around the world and supporting children’s rights.</p>
And continuing on this sports and goodwill theme, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has named [Indian] cricket star Sachin Tendulkar as a Goodwill Ambassador.  Mr. Tendulkar is the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day international cricket matches.  And you can find more on these appointments online at the UNICEF and UNEP websites.</p>
So, questions?  Please.</p>
Question:  [asked during John Holmes’ briefing] Mr. Holmes, on the new settlements in East Jerusalem, is the UN’s message the same or does it follow what [United States Vice-President] Joe Biden said in terms of asking for those settlements to cease while negotiations are taking place?  And part two of that question, in your discussions with Israeli officials, did you ask on behalf of OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] for the settlements to cease due to the humanitarian situation for those families being evicted?
[Following Under-Secretary-General Holmes’ answer, the Spokesperson added the following]:</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Just to come back to your point about the settlements.  The Secretary-General shares the deep frustrations of the Palestinian leadership and of Arab League members at the Israeli announcement of new settlement units in East Jerusalem.  And as you know, the Secretary-General and members of the international community, including the United States, have condemned this announcement. As John [Holmes] has just mentioned, settlements are illegal, and their expansion violates the Road Map.</p>
The United Nations has registered its protest with the Israeli Government.  And we are also in contact with the Palestinian leadership and are counselling them to continue to engage in efforts to convene indirect negotiations.  The United Nations is active on the ground and is coordinating with international partners in the lead-up to the Quartet meeting in Moscow.</p>
Question:  The Secretary-General had the visit of the Israeli Deputy [Prime] Minister Silvan Shalom a few days ago, and the Deputy [Prime] Minister -- I guess he is the Vice Premier, whatever -- he said that he had asked the Secretary-General to do certain things with the Security Council with regard to Iran.  And meanwhile, Israel has [resolution] 1860 outstanding, and the border crossings are closed.  So I wondered, from the Secretary-General’s perspective about this meeting, I thought there is a section of the [United Nations] Charter that says that the Secretary-General is not allowed to act in the interests of other countries, as he has to be independent.  And yet, here is a country that comes to him -- doesn’t respond in any way to something like the 1860 and the border crossing being closed but asks him to go to the Security Council to bring something about another country, and to punish another country.  And I just wondered what the Secretary-General’s feelings are?  Or what his response was to the Israeli official, because we couldn’t hear that from the Israeli official?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Well, look, the Secretary-General meets many officials, ministers and other Government officials from any number of countries.  And when those ministers or other officials come, the Secretary-General is in listening mode.  It’s not for him to dictate what those ministers or other officials tell him.  I am not going to go into details of precisely how the Secretary-General responded in this particular case.  Just a couple of points:  one is that any action in the Security Council, that rests with the Security Council.  And the second point is just to reinforce that the Secretary-General believes that it is important to listen to many people, from wherever they may be, to understand their point of view.  This is not the same thing as always sharing that view.  But it’s being able to listen, to be able to be an honest broker between parties, which he is currently doing with regard to the Middle East. </p>
Question:  But why doesn’t he speak to officials from Hamas, as they are the elected officials?  Is there -- he can speak with Israel, Israeli officials, with this resolution against Israel that’s not responded to in any way.
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Well, Rhonda, you know very well that the Secretary-General speaks with the Palestinian Authority.  Other questions?</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I don’t have any further update.  It may have been that John did, but I don’t have any further updates.  Certainly we’re aware of the reports about an earthquake taking place, in fact during the inauguration ceremony, as I understand it.  But I don’t have any further details at the moment.  If we do, we can come back to you.  [He later provided information from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which reported that there were four aftershocks today, the strongest measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale.  ECLAC said it received no reports of major damage in Santiago, but damage was reported in Rancagua.  No fatalities had been reported yet, it added.]</p>
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<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Let me see.  Anything else?  Okay.  Thank you very much.  Have a good afternoon.</p>
<strong>and the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President</strong>
</p>
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, and Jean Victor Nkolo, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly.</p>
<u>Briefing by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General</u></p>
So, good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the briefing.</p>
As you can see, we have with us Filippo Grandi, the newly appointed Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  And just very shortly I will hand the floor to him.</p>
And as you also know, the Secretary-General and Dr. Rajendra Pachauri will be at the stakeout position in the new building, in the North Lawn Building, at 12:30 p.m.  So we are going to keep this to schedule so that you will be able to follow that, either by running over there or on the webcast.  And at 1 p.m., we have Professor Robbert H. Dijkgraaf, who is Co-Chair of the Inter-Academy Council, will come here to <a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100310_IAC.doc.htm">brief</a> correspondents on the result of the stakeout, which is talking about, as you know, a review of the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change].</p>
And then just briefly, tomorrow there will also be, at the noon briefing, our guest, and that is John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.  He will be here to brief you on his recent trip to the Middle East.</p>
So, I will pass the floor over to you, Filippo, and please, the floor is yours.</p>
[<a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100310_UNRWA.doc.htm">Press conference</a> by Mr. Grandi issued separately.]</p>
<u>Briefing by the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President</u></p>
Good afternoon.  We start earlier today because of the busy schedule.</p>
The President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, travelled to [the Republic of] Korea.  He left yesterday.  In Seoul, he will meet with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-O and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan.</p>
After his visit to Korea, President Treki will travel to Manila, where he will attend the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue for Peace and Development.  President Treki will be in the Philippines from 14 to 18 March.</p>
On his meeting yesterday with the President of Gabon.  Dr. Treki met with Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Gabon.  President Bongo Ondimba was accompanied by Paul Toungui, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Laure Olga Gondjout, Minister of Communications, Posts, Telecommunications and New Information Technologies, and other senior officials from Gabon. </p>
They exchanged views on important issues on the agenda of the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly, including peace and security, development and climate change.  President Bongo reiterated the full support of Gabon for the United Nations Organization, which, in the view of both Presidents, is the best framework to promote multilateral and effective solutions to global challenges.</p>
They discussed the situations in Africa and the Middle East, prominent on the agenda of the Security Council.  President Treki also noted the priority accorded to Africa’s interests in the General Assembly, referring in particular to the importance of the September 2010 high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals.  President Bongo Ondimba accepted President Treki’s invitation to attend the September summit.</p>
President Treki also briefed President Bongo Ondimba on the thematic debates to be held in the General Assembly.  They also discussed United Nations reform, including reform of the Security Council, revitalization of the General Assembly and efforts for enhanced coordination and interaction among the principal organs of the United Nations.</p>
Also yesterday, President Treki met with the newly appointed Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Filippo Grandi, to discuss the situation of Palestine refugees in the Middle East.  The President thanked UNRWA for its vital support to nearly 4.7 million Palestine refugees and congratulated Mr. Grandi on his appointment.</p>
President Treki noted that, after more than 60 years, the question of Palestine refugees was still awaiting a just and durable solution, based on United Nations resolutions.  Mr. Grandi expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where UNRWA continues to provide health and educational services to refugees.  Mr. Grandi emphasized that UNRWA was a voluntarily funded Agency whose needs grew steadily each year.  He stressed the importance of providing UNRWA with the necessary financial and human resources to fulfil its mandate.</p>
Following the landslides in Uganda, President Treki wrote to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.  Deeply saddened by the news of the landslides that have claimed many lives and destroyed some rural areas in Uganda last week, Dr. Treki stated in his letter of condolences to the people and Government of Uganda that he is encouraged by the solidarity and goodwill shown by the United Nations system and the international community in supporting Uganda.  He praised the resolve and perseverance of the Ugandan leadership and people.</p>
Following the earthquake in eastern Turkey, President Treki wrote to President Abdullah Gül.  In his letter of condolences to the people and Government of Turkey, Dr. Treki stated that President Gül’s resolve and leadership, and the strength and perseverance of the people, have motivated the solidarity and goodwill shown by the United Nations system and the international community in supporting Turkey in this difficult hour.</p>
That’s what I have for you.  Questions?  No?  Thank you so much, and have a good afternoon.  Martin will join you soon, thank you.</p>
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.</p>
Good afternoon everybody, and welcome to the noon briefing.</p>
As I’m sure you have all seen this morning, a memorial ceremony was held for the 101 UN staff members who lost their lives in the Haiti earthquake, and as you also know, the Secretary-General spoke at that ceremony. </p>
We have copies of his remarks available in my office, and we also have here as our guest today the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Edmond Mulet, to speak with us on developments on the ground.  And I’d also like to recognize Michèle Montas, my predecessor, as you well know, who is sitting, I think probably gratefully, in the front row rather than here.  But welcome to you too.  </p>
And the floor is yours, Edmond.</p>
<u>Acting Special</u>:  Thank you, Martin.  Thank you very much, and good afternoon to all.</p>
[Mr. Mulet’s <a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100309_Mulet.doc.htm">briefing</a> on Haiti issued separately]</p>
So just to carry on with the rest of the briefing, in response to questions I have been getting on the Secretary-General's travels, in addition to what he told you at the stakeout yesterday, I can now confirm that the Secretary-General is expected to visit Israel, the West Bank and Gaza following his attendance at the Quartet meeting scheduled on 19 March in Moscow.  And we will get back to you with more details when we have them.</p>
The Secretary-General has <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sga1224.doc.htm">appointed</a> Martin Kobler of Germany as his Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan.  Mr. Kobler will be responsible for political issues, including electoral and parliamentary matters, as well as issues related to peace and stability, security sector reform and human rights.  He replaces Peter Galbraith of the United States.  </p>
With more than 25 years in the foreign service, Mr. Kobler has a vast experience in developing policies for conflict areas.  And he most recently served as Director-General for Culture and Communication in Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  We have more information on Mr. Kobler in my office.</p>
Just a heads up on an event tomorrow.  At noon, the Secretary-General will meet with Rajendra Pachauri, the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).  The start of this meeting will be recorded by UN Television.  And then, at around 12:30, Rajendra Pachauri and Robbert Dijkgraaf of the Inter Academy Council (IAC) will be here to brief you.</p>
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has just announced that its annual Award will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  The Award is given annually to individuals and institutions for outstanding work in population and in improving the health of individuals.  The Awards are scheduled to be presented during a ceremony on 3 June at the United Nations.</p>
A couple of press conferences: at 12 p.m., in addition to the one I mentioned about the IPCC, at 12 p.m. tomorrow, Filippo Grandi, the newly appointed Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), will be our guest at the noon briefing.  And at 2 p.m., Marcela Villarreal, the Director of the FAO Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division, will hold a press conference about supporting women to respond to the challenges of food security.</p>
So I’m happy to take a few questions.  </p>
Question:  I have three questions, but I’ll break them up if you want.  I wanted to ask first about the Congo and MONUC [United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo].  There is an interview with Zimurinda, the noted warlord accused of war crimes by Philip Alston, in which he says that the UN continued to provide him and his units assistance into January 2010, that is after the Alston report, after Mr. Doss said it was no longer taking place.  And he, one of his associates, Dieudonne, says that that assistance continues to come, and thank you very much to the UN.  So I am wondering, given all the statements that have been made about this particular individual, is Zimure… does the UN dispute his statement that he received assistance from the UN into January?  And if it doesn’t, how do you, how does the UN, explain the various statements that were made?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Well, first of all, I assume that you are referring to the <i>Washington Post’s</i> story, which is not just an interview, it’s quite a wide-ranging piece.  It’s not just an interview.  Well, first of all, MONUC reiterates that it is not providing support to Zimurinda or any units under his command.  And to come to the second point that you were raising, MONUC rations or other support may have reached units in Zimurinda’s sector during Kimya 2 and in January, contrary to MONUC’s intent.  No direct MONUC support was provided to him or his unit.  </p>
Let me explain how this works.  When Kimya 2 was running, MONUC was providing, as I have mentioned to you before in connection with this present operation, providing dry rations, fuel and medevac, for example.  But most important of these was the food, the dry rations.  And when you had that operation running, Kimya 2 running, those supplies were being taken to distribution points; about 80 distribution points from which the FARDC, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, distributed further.  So, MONUC brought the food supplies to these distribution points, and then from there it was further distributed.  That process was going on up to the end of Kimya 2, and it continued for a couple of weeks into January.  </p>
The reason for that is that you cannot just turn the tap off.  MONUC was not continuing to provide supplies into the system.  There were already material supplies in the system, for example, at these distribution points.  And from these distribution points, it’s being delivered out further by the FARDC.  And clearly, MONUC is not controlling that closely.  It cannot be monitoring every individual supply that goes out of those 80 distribution points.  So that’s very important, to understand the mechanics of it.  And just to reiterate, no direct MONUC support was provided to him or to his units.  What this <i>Washington Post</i> article does, it gives the inaccurate impression that Kimya 2 rations in the pipeline in January were directed to Zimurinda.  This is not the case.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Zimurinda is ineligible for support and MONUC has made that clear to the FARDC commanders, and it’s made clear which units, which commanders the Mission can support, and which ones it cannot support.</p>
Question:  Alain Le Roy, when he was here, I guess on Friday at the stakeout, was asked and seemed to indicate he would look into whether the 18 or 19 battalions that will be assisted by the UN in Amani Leo can be named so that this type of unclarity is… obviously, there is some dispute about which units Zimurinda controls.  The Washington Post thinks two of them, the UN says they don’t.  So, the question is, what are the units the UN is supporting?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  You asked Mr. Le Roy, and I am sure he will get you the answer in due course.  As you know, today he’s had some other things on his mind.  As I said, it’s up to the FARDC to distribute from those distribution points.  That’s the first thing, and there are about 80 of these distribution points around the Kivus, where Kimya 2 was taking place.  And also, Zimurinda is a sector commander; that means he has a number of different battalions or contingents under his command.  It’s not just one battalion, but a number, and that’s why you cannot narrow it down to a specific unit.  From our perspective, we were providing the supplies, as MONUC does, to these distribution points, 80 distribution points.  And from there that’s were it was going further.  But no direct MONUC support was provided to him or to his units.  And importantly, MONUC is not providing support to Zimurinda or any unit under his command.  </p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  To answer the second question first, no, I can’t.  We’ll give you the dates when we can.  I’ve told you what I am able to tell you at the moment, and gone beyond what the Secretary-General told you at the stakeout yesterday.  That is that he will be visiting Israel, West Bank and Gaza immediately after the Quartet meeting, as you know, which is on 19 March in Moscow.  After that we will give you the dates and information when we have it.  This is something that’s still in the works.  </p>
Question:  I have two questions.  First of all, Mr. Mulet just informed us that it is very possible that either President [René] Préval or the Prime Minister from Haiti will be here.  Do we expect anyone from other Governments or Heads of State, perhaps Secretary [Hillary] Clinton or anyone else to be present at the donors’ conference?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  This is an event that is co-hosted by the United Nations and the United States, so I think it would be good for you to check with the United States State Department at what level they intend to be represented at that donors’ conference.</p>
Question:  Also, my other question is there is, an unofficial Asian news source, Chinese Phoenix News, and they’ve reported that China has officially signed the Copenhagen climate accord.  Does the UN have any comment on that?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  China today did officially inform the UN Climate Change Secretariat that it agrees to be listed under the title of the Copenhagen Accord.  And this follows a letter yesterday from India that it could also be listed.  And so that brings the number of parties to the Climate Change Convention listed under the title, the Accord, to 107.  </p>
Question:  Two quick questions on the ceremony this morning.  At the front of the Trusteeship Council Chamber there was an array of candles.  Can you just confirm there were 101 candles representing the 101 people who lost their lives in Haiti?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  That was the intention.</p>
Question:  Second question is, during the Secretary-General’s comments, he’s referring to the 101 people that lost their lives in Haiti, and he says, “They came to Haiti from all corners of the world, from all walks of life.”  But, according to Mr. Mulet, there were 37 Haitians that died in the tragedy.  I mean, they didn’t come from any corner of the world, they came from Haiti.  Is this like a mistake in the Secretary-General’s speech, or does it implicitly indicate a sort of prioritizing of international staff over national staff?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  That is absolutely not the case, and I think it’s really unfair for you to say it on a day like this, to bring that up.  In fact, if you read the speech carefully, if you’d listened to the speech carefully, he did actually say that it doesn’t matter whether people came to Haiti or were from Haiti.  He actually said that in his speech.  </p>
<u>Correspondent</u>:  I must have been given a different version from the UN, but I have got it in front of me.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Read the entire speech.  You have to see these things in their context.  There is absolutely no intention to draw a distinction between any of our colleagues who died on that day, and I think you know that very well. </p>
Question:  I have a Darfur question but there is a UN corruption question I want to ask first.  Umoja, which is the ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning, Inner-city Press received these documents that seemed to, that indicate that the head of the programme, Mr. Paul van Essche, hired a colleague or friend of his, John Solem, who doctored his PHP, Personal History, to delete all references to Mr. van Essche having been previously his supervisor.  These are documents.  What I want to know is whether you can confirm that OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] was informed of this, if there is an investigation of this and when it will be finished, and what the penalties are in the UN system for altering documents in order to be able to hire friends and cronies?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Let me find out.</p>
Question:  Now there is a new question in which the spokesman for the Sudanese army has chided or criticised UNAMID [the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur] saying that they were, that in the course of being ambushed they ended up losing, the Government says to the SLA [Sudan Liberation Army] seven Landcruisers, 53 AK-47s and 10 communications devices.  And the Sudanese Government says this took place without a fight.  Sixty-one UNAMID peacekeepers essentially gave this materiel to rebels.  Is that true, and if so, why hasn’t the UN spoken about an incident in which this amount of materiel was lost?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I think, as you know, UNAMID issued a press release at the weekend strongly condemning what was an unprovoked attack on peacekeepers.  Let me walk you through what happened, if you would like me to.  On 5 March, an assessment investigation patrol departed from Deribat, Jebel Marra, to verify reports of recent fighting in the area.  And then at around 14:45 near an abandoned village of Karra, which is approximately 50 kilometres north-east of Kass, the patrol stopped at the sound of gunshots.  The patrol was then halted by an armed group claiming to be the Abdul Wahid faction of the SLA.  And the patrol witnessed a substantial group of rebels who were heavily armed with rocket-propelled grenades, with grenades, mortars and AK-47 rifles.  The rebels demanded the UNAMID team to disarm.  And as the negotiations between the UNAMID patrol and the rebel group continued, the rebel group grew in size, with four vehicles equipped with machine guns and anti-tank guns.  And communication between the patrol and UNAMID was lost.  And then at around 21:00, several hours later, the patrol members were released, but their weapons and all of the soft-skin vehicles and the communication equipment, radios, were withheld by the rebels.  And UNAMID is clearly trying to negotiate their recovery.  The patrol members returned to the UNAMID Kass team site the following day.  </p>
Actually, it was 63, with two military observers, four police advisers, 56 protection force personnel, and one language assistant.  And as I said, they were on an investigation patrol, responding to reports of fighting, and that was their role to go out and do that.  And obviously, we’re also calling on the Government of Sudan to do all that it can to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel when they’re carrying out missions of this kind.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I don’t know the answer to that.  I’ll need to find out.</p>
Question:  The Government claims that they now control the Jebel Marra plateau.  If true, it would seem to be a major development following this peace agreement announcement that was made.  Can the UN confirm the Government re-taking control of the Jebel Marra plateau?
<u>Spokesperson</u>: No, he has not.  But as you also know, he has condemned in the past, and will continue to condemn, terrorist attacks.</p>
Question:  But recently, since the withdrawal of WFP [the World Food Programme] and all that, the United Nations and the Secretary-General [are] more reticent to say anything about the terrorist attacks in Pakistan any more.  Is there a particular reason?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I would actually question your analysis.  This is not the case, and certainly it’s not the case that WFP and other UN agencies have withdrawn.  They continue to do work there.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I think you know what my answer will be to that.  We don’t talk about security arrangements.</p>
<u>Correspondent</u>:  I have been here a long time.  In the past, every time anything used to happen, the Secretary-General used to respond.  Now, only what you say is that is what the Secretary-General has said.  [And] that’s it. </p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I fully respect that you’ve been here a long time and I know I’ve only been here a little.  But let’s be clear about it.  There are many things happening around the world, and the Secretary-General is trying, with the help of his advisers, to stay on top of developments around the world.  And he does this incredibly well.  Whether he responds to every single development everywhere in the world is obviously something that can be discussed further.  As I said to you, he has condemned terrorist attacks in Pakistan and elsewhere, and I am sure that he condemns this one too. </p>
Thank you very much.</p>
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.</p>
<u>Briefing on Iraq elections by Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, via video conference</u></p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>: Good afternoon.</p>
I think we’ll be ready to start shortly.  Is everything okay?  Can you hear us?</p>
While we’re waiting, just to let you know that also at 12:30 p.m., as you know, we’ll have here with us Ms. Ann-Marie Orler, the new Police Adviser from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.  And as you will have heard, the Secretary-General announced her <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/bio4173.doc.htm">appointment</a> this morning.</p>
And then at 4:45 p.m., [Israeli Deputy Prime Minister] Silvan Shalom will speak to reporters at the North Lawn Building stakeout following his meeting with the Secretary-General.</p>
So, right, okay.  Good afternoon, good evening, Mr. Melkert.  Welcome to our noon briefing.</p>
<u>Special</u>:  Good afternoon, Martin.  Good to see you.  Very good to have this opportunity.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  And the floor is yours.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  All right, thank you very much.  It is a great pleasure from my side to be able… Is it still okay?</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  You’re audible here.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  All right.  Well, let me continue.  It is a great pleasure for me to be able to comment on the elections as they took place in previous days, starting on Thursday, with the so-called special needs voting, and then followed by the start of out-of-country voting in 16 countries around the world, and yesterday, the big day of elections here in Iraq.</p>
And it has been a big day for the future of the country.  It has been very reassuring that the way upwards towards recovery and stability that we thought we saw already for some time appears to be genuinely rooted in the wish of the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people, that reason prevails over confrontation and violence.  So I congratulate the more than 12 million Iraqis who went to the polls, which is a turnout percentage of 62.3, higher than many had expected, and that marks the historic character of election day.  </p>
We as the UN commend the boards of commissioners of IHEC -- the Independent High Electoral Commission -- and the more than 300,000 Iraqis engaged by IHEC for their efforts to conduct elections in a well-organized and professional fashion.  And we’re proud to have supported their work.  And it is also encouraging for the UN to see that efforts that have started basically in 2005, 2004, with previous election rounds and last year’s rounds, that they show that the capacity-building objective of the UN is really bearing fruit in the strengthened capacity of IHEC to really organize these elections in a very professional way.  </p>
Yesterday, our staff has visited polling centres in many of the governorates of Iraq, and it was really heartening to see how motivated people were to come there to the polls and to cast their votes, and even when we thought that it was relatively complicated, how the whole set up has been decided by IHEC.  Voter education that took place on a relatively massive scale really turned out to be a big help for many voters to be able to fill out their form, their ballots, in the way as they were asked to do.  And many people are quite satisfied, actually, the way that it went.</p>
There are certainly still issues and questions with regard to certain aspects of the process.  We don’t have the impression at this point in time that they are of a massive character or of a systematic nature.  But we wait at this moment [for] the analysis of the complaints that have come in.  There was an official complaint procedure, so individual voters or parties could make use of that procedure.  And we are very keen with IHEC to see to it that dealing with the complaints will be done in a very transparent way, and will be communicated well to the Iraqi people, also in the possible consequences of dealing with those complaints.</p>
And we therefore also encourage political agents and observers to continue to monitor the process and to direct any complaints to the IHEC, in accordance with the law.  It is expected that in a couple of days from now, probably Thursday, maybe Friday, the preliminary results of the elections will be announced by IHEC.  That will be done on the basis of 30 per cent of vote counts in each and every governorate.  And then it might still take considerable time in the whole of this month before the final results will be announced by IHEC, and their final results subsequently will have to be certified by the Federal Supreme Court.</p>
Let me finally say that, after the big days that we have had, and the remarkable days that we have had with the elections, we are very much aware that very crucial moments will arrive when the results will be announced, and that could even count for the preliminary results.  And that’s why we as the UN have called on all candidates and parties to unite in accepting the results because that will set an example for a culture of democracy that requires commitment of all concerned beyond elections only.  And we also have called on all those newly-elected to move resolutely to seat Parliament and form the new Government, so that political, economic and social progress is not delayed.  At the same time, we must understand that in a system with probably minority parties some time will be needed to form a majority coalition.</p>
So, let me stop here and give it back to you, Martin.  Thank you very much.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Thanks very much, Ad, for that.  And we’ll go to questions now.  I think we have until about half past, so about 20 minutes.  And I would ask folks here to say who they are and who you work for as well.  Yes, please; the first question.</p>
Question:  Thank you.  Sir, a significant amount of Iraq’s population is actually outside Iraq.  They are in Jordan, they are in Turkey, and they are in Syria.  How transparent do you think this election can become, or how fair, when almost 20 per cent of the population is outside of the country?
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Well, let me first leave the figure that you mentioned, really, for your own account, because I think there are various figures being used about the number of Iraqis abroad.  But your figure is really extremely high, and I don’t think that reflects reality.  It is clear that quite a number of Iraqis are abroad, particularly in the neighbouring countries.  That was also the reason for IHEC to promote out-of-country voting in 16 countries.  That is what happened in previous days.  Figures at this moment show that probably around 275,000 Iraqis abroad voted, but these figures are still developing so it’s not yet the final figure.  But that is more or less the range that you should look at.  And that is more or less in line with what we have been seeing on previous occasions.  It is not clear what it exactly tells about the percentage of voters that turned out in countries outside Iraq, because there is no count for the total number.  Iraqis were entitled by way of number-specified identification documents to come forward and then be allowed to vote.  The final results will be made known at a later stage.</p>
Question:  Ayad Allawi has been quoted as saying that he’s calling for some kind of an inquiry into the results, saying that there were irregularities and confusion in different polling places.  Are you aware of that and what do you make of his claim of irregularity, and will an investigation be conducted?
<u>Special Representative</u>:  We’re aware of different points that have been made by different candidates or party representatives.  I don’t think it’s my task to comment on particular statements that have been made.  Suffice it to say that we have called on all candidates and parties to make use of the official complaints procedure, because there is simply no way to address particular issues and potential problems if the official way is not followed through the complaints procedure.  And on that basis, IHEC should rule. </p>
Question:  Can I just ask one follow-up.  Your statement that things were generally fair and the way that you described it, can we take that as an implicit rejection of these complaints?  What are you saying about what UNAMI [United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq] observed on the day of the election?  You are saying it seemed free and fair to you? 
<u>Special Representative</u>:  No, not at all.  You can also not attribute to me any assessment as to the outcome of the results.  The counting is still under way.  I have not referred to fair elections; I’ve just said that the turnout has been really very good and beyond expectation, and that it was a big day just to witness Iraqis going to the polls in a country that has gone through so many things and that anyway doesn’t have a history of democracy.  </p>
It is not my task, it is not UNAMI’s task, to assess any complaints that would come forward.  That is solely in the hands of IHEC.  And there is an appeal procedure in place.  That is also the reason why it might still take a couple of weeks before the final results can be declared, because an election judicial panel will deal with possible appeals to the initial ruling of IHEC complaints.  And we, of course, as UNAMI, will have to, will respect that procedure.</p>
Question:  I have got two things for you:  one, you mentioned, you used the phrase “genuinely rooted” in terms of describing the democracy there.  To what extent do you believe that the foundation as such, as shown by this election, that democracy is on a virtually irreversible course in Iraq?  That this is strong enough?  That this is going to hold? And number two, when you mention about some time will be needed to form a majority coalition, to what extent is there concern about this time frame?  How long it could go and the longer it goes would test and show the fragility of the situation there?  If it goes on for too long, there will be violence and splinters of people and there won’t be a functioning Government.
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Yes, thank you for those questions.  Well first, on the routing.  I refer to that because it is very significant, in my view, that after a full first term of the directly-elected Parliament in 2005, now the stage to a second term has been really supported by the Iraqi people.  I think that’s a significance, also, of the turn-out figures that we have seen now.  And I believe that it is also shown by, really, the attitude of people.  Those of us -- and I’ve heard that same story over and over again from observers and poll-watchers today ‑‑ those of us who have witnessed, like in my own case, in Kirkuk, and in Mansour, which is a part of Baghdad, the motivation of people to go through the process to vote, to count, to be proud of the vote that they did cast, see that this is, really, something very elementary in human beings, that they want to take a decision to be part of decision-making about their own future.  So, both the fact that this is now the second time of elections and really a strong confirmation of a mandate for a second term of a directly elected Parliament, and this attitude of people that is so encouraging, make me make that remark.</p>
On the Government formation, I would like to say that in a system where most probably no party will have an outright majority, it is normal that time is needed to bring parties together.  Here, it is probable that, with my continental European background, I look at that as more a matter of course than maybe the case on the basis of experience in other countries.  But I really would call on everyone to be patient, also, in the way that that process will be described.  It is natural, and it is even necessary, to have a solid coalition in place that will really stand the test of being a cohesive Government in the years ahead.</p>
Obviously, there is an interest that it shouldn’t take longer than absolutely necessary.  If needed, and at the request of parties, the UN is certainly also available to advise in any way that might be considered necessary.  But for the time being, I believe that the Iraqi parties are also very much aware of the need to be decisive, and to have a Government in place in due course.  But any prediction could not be made at this point in time.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Well, I think in the first place it should be said that, in certain situations, it is normal that there is a caretaking Government in place, so that the current Government, headed by Prime Minister [Nuri Kamal al-]Maliki, takes care of what is absolutely necessary to continue as Government business, of course, under the watch of the newly-elected Parliament.  So, it’s very important that the new Parliament can also be seated very soon.  And then, it is a matter of parties also accepting the election results.  That, I find, is really the most important thing now, because as soon as parties accept the results, they also accept that there are winners, and relative winners, and relative losers.  And, that all of them have a role in either becoming part of a Government majority, or staying in Parliament as opposition, but with the opposition playing a crucial part in an effective democracy.  Once that is recognized from all sides, I would feel relatively reassured that also a period of transition could be phased by all concerned, in a decent way.</p>
Question:  Considering the level of violence before and, of course, during the elections -- the voting process rather -- what can you tell us about the Iraqi security forces in response, and of course the preventative measures that they’ve taken?  And just their capabilities, their current capacity?
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Well, let me first say that the violence that we saw yesterday morning, particularly in Baghdad, but also in other places, and in the weeks before, particularly in the area of Mosul, is very, very regrettable.  And we deplore the loss of lives of many people yet again.  At the same time, it was really very important to note that in the turn-out figures for Nineveh, where I speak about Mosul in particular, and also in the different areas of Baghdad, we have not seen any impact.  Just in the first hours, it looked like people were a bit careful to go out and vote.  But it picked up considerably, as many observers have noted, in the course of the day.  As the manager of the voting station in Mansour that I visited yesterday afternoon told me, this is something that Iraqis will not let themselves be influenced by.  They want to go out and vote no matter what.  And let me also add that the total number of incidents, although it looked slightly frightening yesterday morning, has remained remarkably low on the scale of what has happened, even in the recent half year or so, when the average number of incidents has come down, as you know, already very substantially.</p>
And many observers believe that we are seeing a steady increase in the capacity of the security forces to really take care of security in a much more effective way than before.  And the whole election exercise ‑‑ and now we must see that we’re not only talking Baghdad but really the whole country ‑‑ has been set up and controlled under the auspices of the Iraqi security forces.  They were in charge, and throughout the country we think that they’ve been in charge pretty well.  And, right now, they are in charge of making sure that the replacement of the ballot boxes from the voting stations to the counting centres and to the warehouses is going as it should.  And we have no indications of the contrary so far.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Well thank you for that question.  Of course, we stand advised by the Security Council mandates, and that also states that we should act at the request of the Iraqi Government ‑‑ and that is always the bottom line here.  As I said, during the Government formation process, it will really depend on what is needed.  But, both in more general terms, but also looking at some of the important issues ahead, like the relations between Arabs and Kurds, and also the issue still outstanding between Iraq and Kuwait, we really are ready to facilitate processes that would lead to political agreements.  I’ve also said something on that in my recent statement to the Security Council.</p>
As to the future, I do believe it is important that UNAMI could contribute to the consolidation of electoral and constitutional processes on the basis also of lessons learned during this election, legislation and campaign.  And, referring to the future of Iraqi Kurdistan in the framework of the Federal State of Iraq, and also the Chapter VII issues, together with the big challenge ‑‑ maybe the biggest challenge for the new Government, the social and economic policy agenda and how to turn income from oil production into true investments into the social and economic future of the country ‑‑ we believe that in all those areas, both UNAMI and the UN country team could constructively help the people and the Government of Iraq, and along these lines, we will certainly also advise as to our potential and our willingness to stand by.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I think we have time for one more question.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  All right.  I think I understood your question on what was complex about the voting situation.  The complexity was really in the ballot.  It was quite a big ballot, I think a lot bigger than one would normally see, because of the choice by the council representatives to allow for double the number of candidates for the places available.  And then also, the 18 governorates that, particularly in the out-of-country voting and in the special needs voting, had to be part of the availability of forms.  So people had to be explained how that works.  But, as I said, it turned out pretty well.  And we even ask the question how did it go with illiterate people that could not write or read ‑‑ they got, of course, some assistance, but it didn’t turn out to be a specific point of concern.  </p>
And then, your second question was?  Sorry.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  Well, in all the voting stations, there were complaint forms available on a place where people could really see them.  And with any question that they had, also to the staff in the voting station, and certainly with their concerns, they would be referred to those forms and assisted to fill them out.  And those forms are transported together with the overall results forms of each individual voting station to the central count centre here in Baghdad, and they will be processed in the coming days.  And, each and every complaint will be dealt with by a team of lawyers, mainly Iraqi lawyers ‑‑ about 100 of them standing ready ‑‑ and they will be assisted by a number of highly experienced UNAMI staff.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Okay.  Well, thank you very much, Mr. Melkert, for coming on to this briefing.  It’s terrific to have a readout from the spot right after the vote.  So thank you very much for doing that.</p>
<u>Special Representative</u>:  My pleasure, thank you.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Okay.  Goodbye for now.  Okay, so we’re going to switch gears and, as I mentioned, we have with us the new Police Adviser to for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Ms. Ann-Marie Orler, and I would invite her to come and join me here.</p>
[<a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100308_Orler.doc.htm">Briefing</a> by Ms. Ann-Marie Orler issued separately]</p>
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.</p>
Good afternoon everybody.  And I think there is an expression in show business: “How do you follow that?”</p>
But just to reiterate that the Secretary-General has indeed actually arrived in Santiago, on a visit to Chile to show solidarity with the Chilean people as they deal with the destruction caused by the earthquake on 27 February.  And you’ve heard plenty about this already, I think.</p>
But, he said on arrival that the United Nations stands ready to help provide any assistance that the Chilean Government requests, immediate and long term.  And now is the moment, he added, for the United Nations and the international community to stand with Chile and its people.</p>
This afternoon the Secretary-General will meet with President [Michelle] Bachelet and President-elect [Sebastián] Piñera, as well as senior Government officials in charge of national disaster and emergency humanitarian assistance.  Tomorrow he will travel to Concepción to see for himself the situation there.</p>
As you know, millions of Iraqis will head to the polls on 7 March to elect a new Council of Representatives, in an exercise that has been supported by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).  Later this afternoon, we will have a <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sgsm12778.doc.htm">statement</a> attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General concerning those elections.  And the noon briefing guest on Monday will be the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ad Melkert, who will talk to you about the elections via videoconference from Baghdad.</p>
This morning, Joseph Mutaboba, the Secretary-General’s Representative in Guinea-Bissau, briefed the Security Council in an open <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sc9874.doc.htm">meeting</a>, saying that this year could be a turning-point for that country.  He said that Guinea-Bissau is experiencing a relatively stable political environment and growing international attention, which is a window of opportunity that should not be missed.  He continued to brief the Council in closed consultations afterwards.  The Council is expected to issue a <a href="http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/sc9875.doc.htm">press statement</a> on Guinea-Bissau.</p>
At 3 o’clock this afternoon, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy will inform the Security Council about his recent visit to Chad, in closed consultations.  He may also discuss Darfur.  Once those consultations have ended, Mr. Le Roy has said that he will speak to reporters at the Council stakeout.</p>
In Haiti, the World Food Programme (WFP) starts today the second phase of a general food distribution.  New coupons are being given out today and the distribution of a full food basket will begin in Port-au-Prince tomorrow. The operation will target 1.9 million beneficiaries in and around Port-au-Prince and will run through the end of this month.</p>
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that, in addition to food, emergency shelter, site management and sanitation continue to be the priorities.  OCHA adds that, to date, 425 sites have been assessed -- housing an estimated 606,000 people in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Gressier and Jacmel.  Also according to OCHA, protection monitoring teams are visiting an average of eight displacement sites per day.</p>
The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, will travel to India and Nepal next week.   He will be in India on 9 March for discussions with Government officials on a range of regional and international issues. He then travels to Nepal from 10-12 March.  In addition to visiting the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), Pascoe will hold meetings with senior Government officials and political party leaders to discuss the state of the peace process and encourage forward movement in the period ahead. </p>
And talking about the period ahead, The Week Ahead, 8 March is International Women’s Day.  At 11:15 a.m., there will be a press conference by the United Nations Global Compact and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to announce the launch of the UNIFEM-UN Global Compact joint initiative, which is called “Women’s Empowerment Principles”, and this offers guidelines on how to empower women in the workplace.</p>
And, as you know, on 9 March, on Tuesday, at 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony in memory of the United Nations system staff members who were killed in the Haiti earthquake, and that will take place in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.</p>
At 12 p.m. on that day, Edmond Mulet, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, will be at the noon briefing here to update correspondents on the situation in Haiti.</p>
And on Wednesday, 10 March, we will have Filippo Grandi, newly appointed Commissioner General of UNRWA as the guest of the noon briefing.</p>
Okay, so that’s what I have for you.  I can take some questions.  Please.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I don’t have anything for you on this.  Obviously, any violence at this time -- rather critical time -- is to be looked at very carefully.  But I don’t have anything specific for you.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  As I’ve said, anything that leads to increased tension in the region at this time is something that needs to be carefully looked at.  Obviously any tensions are something that the Secretary-General will want to be aware of, and is made aware of.  I don’t have anything more specific for you just at the moment.  Matthew.</p>
Question:  Sure.  I have two questions, Liberia and Sri Lanka.  On Liberia, there is this controversy about the incident in Lofa county that’s arisen about whether the UN peacekeeping force there took sides between the two groups, and even religions, it’s alleged.  There continue to be these reports and it looks like the SRSG there has challenged reporters to not ask the question.  So, I wanted to ask here, what is the UN’s response to reports, pretty widespread in Liberia, that the UNMIL improperly took sides during rioting in that region?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Well, first of all, I am not going to second-guess the Special Representative if he is speaking on the ground, which is where it should be.  What I would say, as a general principle, is that any of our peacekeeping operations, or other missions on the ground, are there for all the people of the country, and they work in a dispassionate manner, not taking sides.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Like I said, like I said, I am not second-guessing what the Special Representative is saying on the ground.  I am saying, as a general principle, an obvious general principle, that where there is a United Nations mission on the ground, the reason they are there is to be serving the people of the country in general, and not in some partisan fashion.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Yes.</p>
Question:  Yesterday you read out the… here that Navi Pillay had called for an investigation of events during the conflict.  Since then, the Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management has rejected that and has said, once again, that Sri Lanka will not further investigate what took place.  Since the Secretary-General had said that he believes the investigation should take place, and if not, he will name a panel.  It’s still a little unclear to me what he said he would do.  Has the Secretariat taken note of this pretty open statement by the Minister of Human Rights of Sri Lanka that they would not investigate the events?  And if so, what would Mr. Ban do?  Is Mr. Pascoe, as part of his trip to India and Nepal, that he considers performing the trip that had been mentioned to Sri Lanka?  And finally, there are reports in the Sri Lankan media about the Foreign Minister of the country writing to “a senior official”, who I am told is Vijay Nambiar, requesting a job for his son with the United Nations Secretariat.  Are you… Can you confirm, you know, get an answer, yes or no, if that took place?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  On the third one, I’ll find out, I don’t know anything about that.  On the first two, as it happens…  Well, let’s start with the question about Lynn Pascoe; why isn’t he going to Sri Lanka on this particular trip?  Mr. Pascoe does still intend to visit Sri Lanka fairly soon, but we don’t have the dates for that yet.  And it’s not a part of the trip that I just mentioned -- otherwise I would have mentioned that to you.  And, as it happens, the Secretary-General spoke by telephone with President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa yesterday evening, and he informed the President of his intention to go ahead with the establishment of a panel of experts.  He also explained that such a panel would advise him -- meaning the Secretary-General, that’s very important, Matthew -- on the way forward on accountability issues relating to Sri Lanka.</p>
I’ll just repeat that last sentence, because it is important that you get this right: he also explained that such a panel would advise him -- the Secretary-General -- on the way forward on accountability issues related to Sri Lanka.  Okay.  And on the other question, I’ll try to find out.</p>
Question:  I’m just wondering if this, I mean, if it is what you said, why this wasn’t read out as part of a kind of readout.  Has he had other communications in the last couple of days with presidents of countries informing them… I mean, it seems like it’s big news, I’m glad that you read it, but I’m wondering…
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  You’ve asked me a question about the panel of experts, I have some information I can give on that question.  It’s as easy as that.  Yes, please.</p>
Question:  I have some questions about Chile.  And so, you announced that the Secretary-General will meet the Chilean President and the next President.  And when will he meet, at what time will he meet the Chilean President?  And do you have any plan to release any statement about the meeting?  And, as far as I know, OCHA has not released a flash appeal concerning assistance for Chile.  So, do you think at the meeting with the Secretary-General, do you think the Chilean side will make some announcement about giving the authorization to release the flash appeal by, from OCHA?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Starting with that last part first, I am not here to speak for the Chilean Government.  You just had the <a href="http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/100305_Chile.doc.htm">Chilean Ambassador</a> here, you could have asked him that.  But, clearly, what I have also said is that the United Nations will respond if asked by the Chilean authorities.  And I have no idea what the Chilean President is going to say in that meeting with the Secretary-General.  I’ve said -- and we’ve said consistently -- that we’re ready to help.  That is why the Secretary-General is going there to express not just his solidarity with the people, but to reiterate the UN’s [readiness], the UN as a whole, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, to provide assistance, both immediate emergency assistance and longer-term assistance.  You’ve heard also from the Ambassador here a reiteration of the list of the very specific items that have been requested by Chile.  And as you also heard, OCHA is coordinating the response from countries to that very specific list of items, whether it is field hospitals or temporary bridges, generators, this kind of thing.  On the flash appeal, to come back to the beginning, this is a matter for the Chilean authorities to raise, and if they do, then we’ll be listening and ready to respond.  Yes?</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I beg your pardon.  And on the timing of the meeting, I don’t know that right here and now, but I can tell you afterwards for sure. </p>
Question:  Martin, I had asked you last week also about this construction of museum of tolerance over Palestinian graves, and that what is the reaction of the Secretary-General.  You said you have no guidance at this point in time.  Have you had any reaction as yet or you’re still waiting for the guidance?
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I’m always seeking guidance, certainly.  (Laughter)</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  At this point, that is the short answer.</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  Masood, if I had something, I would be able to tell you.  I don’t.  Okay.  Yes?</p>
<u>Spokesperson</u>:  I think it’s conceivable that it will happen.  I don’t know what, the reason I say that is because I don’t know what’s happened since my colleagues, including the Secretary-General, landed, which was while we were sitting here.  So, I don’t know whether plans have changed in the meantime.  But it was certainly something that was being looked into as part of the programme.</p>
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