**Questions and Answers

Question:  You read out a statement about how not to misinterpret procedural disagreements in Geneva.  Some are saying the Russian delegation walked out.  They said the talks were finished.  Is that not the case?

Spokesperson:  That is not the case.

Question:  So, they have agreed to come on 18 November?

Spokesperson:  Yes.

Question:  I had asked you earlier in the week, when it would be decided who was going to provide security for the UNOMIG [United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia] observers?

Spokesperson:  We have asked that question and we’ll get the answer for you soon.

Question:  Do you think it was determined during this meeting or the meeting...?

Spokesperson:  I don’t know.  We don’t have the details yet.  We spoke with Mr. Verbeke about the general content of the meeting but we did not speak about the specific details.

Question:  Was the procedural thing that you referred, was this the inclusion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia representatives in the meeting?

Spokesperson: It was about participation, yes.

Question:  Did the UN have a position on whether they should be able to participate or...

Spokesperson:  The UN was not involved. Well, the UN was involved in the technical meetings, of course, but the position is to be decided at those meetings.  That’s the whole purpose.  Yes, Masood.

Question:  Michèle, not to belabour the point on an update on Darfur and peacekeeping force, we have been asking that question again and again.  Have they got the helicopters that they have been talking about?

Spokesperson:  As I said, I think the Secretary-General did answer that question partially, saying that there are some possibilities of us getting at least some of the helicopters.  And we’re trying to get an update for you.  As I said yesterday, we’re waiting for Mr. [Alain] LeRoy to come back and you will have a briefing from him.

Question:  Where is he?

Spokesperson:  He is there now.

Question:  So, you don’t have a figure as to how much is needed and how many…?

Spokesperson:  Well, you already heard the figure about how much was needed.  How much we got is something that you will be updated on when Mr. LeRoy returns.

Question:  Michèle, (inaudible) force in Lebanon, when it is supposed to be coming in.  And also whether the Secretary-General, in the framework of the statement issued on this establishment of relations between Syria and Lebanon is making any contacts to speed up this process and the demarcation of (inaudible)?

Spokesperson:  Well, you’ve asked me two different questions here.  On 1559, I’ll check that for you.  Your second question was?

Question:  It was about the Secretary-General’s contacts with Syria and Lebanon to speed up the process of demarcation of borders after this establishment of diplomatic relations.

Spokesperson:  As you know, he spoke about that issue when he met both leaders during the General Assembly meeting.  If we have any more on this, I’ll let you know.  Yes, Mr. Abbadi?

Question:  Thank you, Michèle.  As you indicated, Jacques Diouf of the FAO is concerned that aid would be reduced to developing countries in the agricultural sector.  And today, the President of the General Assembly, addressing the New Partnership for Africa, expressed a different concern, that the commitment, because of the financial crisis, that the commitment made may be, in his words, “undone”.  Is the Secretary-General concerned about the same issue?

Spokesperson:  In the statement he issued on the financial crisis, as you know, he did express concern and asked and called upon the different countries who had actually given pledges to actually stick to their commitments for the developing countries.  Yes, Anne, but the last one, because we have first to give the floor to Enrique, then Mr. Boutroue will come in.

Question:  Do you have any details on that news blackout that occurred in Geneva and why photographers were not allowed to take photos of the delegations of participants as they went into the UN building?

Spokesperson:  Because, as you know, it was a very delicate matter.  The participation issue was a very delicate matter and, I guess the news blackout was lifted afterwards since there was, as you heard, a press conference afterwards.  So it was really a temporary measure.

Question:  I guess I’m going to ask Enrique something that’s related.  It actually has to do with DPI.  This week, the Committee on Information and the G-77 has issued a kind of a critique of the UN DPI, the Department of Public Information shifting from (inaudible) UN Chronicle to UN Affairs; was asked under what mandate the shift was made.  It asked a series of questions and so, I’m wondering, what the response?

Spokesperson:  Well, the response will be done by DPI.  Once the response is done to the Committee by DPI, then we can inform you on what was said.

Question:  But it said the new publication will save money, but I’ve spoken to people that are intimately involved with it and they’ve said that’s totally not the case.  That in fact the publication is more…

Spokesperson:  First, as I said, the answers will go to the Committee and to the General Assembly from DPI and then you, of course, in the press will be informed.  Thank you so much.  Enrique.

Briefing by the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President

Good afternoon to everybody, especially to welcome our guests the students.

I do not have much new information today. But I would like to mention that during the opening remarks at the plenary session of the General Assembly this morning on the progress of NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, President Miguel d´Escoto said that, and I quote:

“We are now deep into a global economic crisis and we must reinforce our efforts to protect our dear brothers and sisters in Africa from any retreat by the international community in our support for their development. As the global financial crisis deepens, so does my concern that our commitments may be undone. This would be an unforgivable reversal and bring shame on all of us.”

And that’s basically what I have for you today, unless you have any particular questions.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  The Credentials Committee last week, did the issue of Burma come up?

Spokesperson:  I don’t hear you very well, can you repeat the question?

Question:  At the Credentials Committee last week, did the issue of Burma/Myanmar come up at the meeting?

Spokesperson:  Not that I am aware of.  But I am going to check that for you.  Matthew.

Question:  It’s related to the same thing.  I wanted to know if the General Assembly’s Committee on Information has the power to... Is its approval required before, you know, things that it has previously approved are suspended and new initiatives are begun by a UN Secretariat department? And also do they have, (inaudible) something like editorial independence of this UN publication.  What’s the role of the Committee in terms of its power to ask whether the Secretariat is acting under authority or not? Do you see what I mean?

Spokesperson:  The Committee on Information provides guidance on what are the priorities of the Organization in the area of public information.  That’s basically it.  I can give you more background on the precise mandate, but that’s basically it.

Question:  But if they said something (inaudible) “we have a mandate”, it sort of implies that they are supposed to approve things before they happen, or are they just get told after the fact…

Spokesperson:  No, you don’t go into such details.  They provide a guidance on what are the priorities in the area of public information of the Organization and they don’t go into details of approvals in the sense that the financial implications are being handled in the Fifth Committee.  Therefore, the Committee on Information is a forum to provide guidance and advice on the main priorities of the Organization in the public information area.

Question:  Thank you, Enrique. It’s a technical question on something that’s happening in the First Committee.  I don’t expect you to necessarily know the answer straight away, but there two resolutions being sponsored by the Arab Group.  One is the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.  The other is about nuclear proliferation in the region.  I’m just wondering if you can give any idea when it’s going to be debated in the Committee and when it’s going to be voted on.

Spokesperson:  That’s the First Committee, correct?

Question:  Yes

Spokesperson:  I’ll check that for you right after the meeting.  I’m not aware of it.

Question:  Yes, I know, I know.

Spokesperson:  Señor Abbadi?

Question:  Grácias, Enrique.  As you mentioned, the General Assembly President spoke about the economic crisis and warned against any retreat from supporting the development of the African States.  Does he intend to follow up that with any concrete action?

Spokesperson:  Well, he is following up the Doha issue very closely.  He’s been talking to the Permanent Representatives, he’s talking to senior advisers.  For President d’Escoto, Doha is a key step in the area of development and that’s why he is expressing some concerns several times, now that we have a new element in the equation, which the financial crisis and he doesn’t want this to be used, if I may use his words, as an excuse for the international community not to fulfil the commitments that they have already made.  And in Doha, there is going to be another round of negotiations, but we don’t want, the President says, to “go backwards”, we need to go forward.  And that’s basically one of his main concerns right now.  At the same time, there is also, as you know, right now being negotiated, the draft document for Doha.  And that is also a very important element, that all those issues are included in the document.  And he is following this very, very closely.  And obviously, he will participate in Doha.

Any other questions?  If we don’t have any questions, we give the floor to the noon guest.