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Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am very glad that I came to Abuja for this important Summit. I have had very good meetings with President Obasanjo and other leaders, and also with Chairman Konaré.

In these meetings, as in my speech this morning, I expressed the hope that all African heads of state or government will come to New York in September for the Summit meeting, at which crucial decisions must be taken on the key challenges facing our world, and on renewing the United Nations itself. Already, a lively debate is taking place on the Report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, and on the report of the Millennium Project.

In this debate, African voices must be heard loud and clear. In particular, we must find ways to strengthen collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union, so that we can do better at resolving conflicts and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. That has been a central focus in my discussions here, which have covered a lot of ground, including the conflicts in Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Liberia, as well as the struggle against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

And in the context of heath, I have also had the opportunity here to discuss the importance of all countries of Africa to pursue active immunization campaigns against all childhood diseases, particularly polio, which we are on the verge of eradicating. Preventing child mortality rates from rising is a pledge made by all those who have committed to the Millennium Development Goals.

On Sudan, let me say that I am very worried about the situation in Darfur, and that I am now studying the report of the international commission of inquiry, which I received late last week. I have also given a copy to the Government of Sudan, as is customary with sensitive reports such as this one. I will transmit the report to the Security Council shortly. I am sure the Council will give most serious consideration to its recommendations.

We cannot allow further violence against innocent civilians. In that context I would like to commend the African Union, which has taken the lead in efforts to halt the violence, both by leading negotiations on a peace agreement and by monitoring the situation on the ground. In those efforts, the Union is entitled to expect the strongest possible support and cooperation from the United Nations.

I am also taking the opportunity of this visit to emphasize once again, to Africa's leaders and people, that I expect the very highest standards of professionalism and conduct from the tens of thousands of UN peacekeepers deployed in different parts of the continent. I am proud of the tremendous contributions they have made to the promotion of peace and stability in several countries in Africa. I am especially proud that African countries themselves are generously providing troops and police to UN peacekeeping operations, in large numbers, despite the dangers and hardship involved. Many have lost their lives in the service of peace.

I am deeply saddened to say, however, that an ugly stain is left on these heroic efforts by the appalling misconduct of a minority of peacekeepers. As I said in Dar es Salaam in November, I am absolutely outraged by the revelations that UN personnel in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sexually abused and exploited Congolese children. This cannot stand. We cannot tolerate even one UN peacekeeper victimizing the most vulnerable among us.

The allegations are being investigated thoroughly, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. One former MONUC civilian staff member is now in detention in his home country facing charges. Another is no longer in the UN's employ. I have appealed to the 20 top Troop-Contributing Countries to ensure that swift disciplinary action and, where warranted, prosecutions are initiated whenever their military or police are found to have committed abuses.

The time has come to overhaul our entire training, disciplinary, and investigative regimes to ensure that we do not again experience this abomination in any of our missions. I will be counting on the support of Member States in the coming months to help bring this about, and to treat this issue with utmost seriousness, as I myself most certainly do.

Thank you very much. I would now be happy to take your questions.

Q: Monsieur le SG, quelle crédibilité peut-on accorder à un tel scrutin qui se déroule dans un tel climat de violence ?

SG : Les élections sont en train de se dérouler. Je crois que c'est trop tôt pour juger. Evidemment, ce sont les premiers pas dans un processus démocratique. C'est le début, c'est pas la fin. Apres les élections, il y a un processus de constitution. Il faut formuler une nouvelle constitution. Ensuite, il faut avoir un referendum et une deuxième élection en décembre pour avoir un gouvernement élu utilisant la nouvelle constitution. Donc les Iraquiens qui sont sortis aujourd'hui pour voter sont courageux et ils savent qu'ils votent pour l'avenir de leur pays, ils votent pour le jour ou ils vont prendre leur destin en mains et régler leurs affaires eux-mêmes. Donc, on doit les encourager, on doit les soutenir, mais il faut attendre demain.

Q: Most of the African leaders have consistently maintained that they will be able to measure up to the standard of requirements in the Millennium Development Goals, that debt cancellation, outright cancellation, is very necessary. What role will the UN play to see that this is done? And in your address this morning at the opening session, you said something that there are certain limitations, investment on the manpower requirements for maintaining and building peace after conflicts. What has the UN done to increase staff in this area?

SG: On your first question, let me quickly say that the Millennium Project Report, which I referred to this morning in my statement, recommends, that if we are going to meet the Millennium Development Goals, we are going to need increased Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and its going to require a debt relief or debt reduction. And some governments are already working on this. As you recently heard, Chancellor Gordon Brown indicated that the UK Government is prepared to work on a pay off or reduce a certain percentage of the debt owed by the African countries. And there are discussions with other governments that are likely to do the same.

On the question of peacekeeping operations, if that is what you meant, I think that this is where I indicated that it is under-resourced, we need additional resources. We will need to work with donor countries and with the financial institutions like World Bank, IMF and the regional development banks to be able to assist countries coming out of conflicts and work with them to achieve stability and move on with their development.

Q: You mentioned the report on Darfur, (inaudible question regarding recommended sanctions.)

SG: As I said, I have just received the report and we are in the process of analyzing it and I shall release it to the Security Council very shortly. So, I am not able to go into details. And let me say that regardless of how the Commission describes what is going on in Darfur, there is no doubt that serious crimes have been committed, serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross violations of human rights have taken place and this cannot be allowed to stand. An action will have to be taken regardless of what name one gives to it. And while I release the report to the Council, we will also make it public and you will all get to know what the Commission says.

I think you are wondering if the Commission recommends sanctions. This, I think is something that, as I said, the report is being studied now and the Council will have to look at it. But the Council itself had considered sanctions and has not been able to move for it because of some divisions in the Council. But I believe that sanctions should still be on the table.

Q: Vous etes maintenant au Nigeria. Vous allez ensuite au Cameroun. Vous avez évoqué la question de la péninsule de Bakassi. Quand pensez-vous que les troupes nigérianes conformément à la décision de la Cour internationale de justice [inaudible] vont évacuer de la péninsule de Bakassi, [inaudible]si vous avez abordé le sujet si cela n'a pas déjà été fait avec le Président Obasanjo et le Président Biya?

SG: Je crois que sur cette affaire on a fait énormément de progrès depuis la décision de la cour internationale. Je suis en train de travailler très étroitement avec les deux chefs d'Etat. Je crois qu'on doit pouvoir trouver une solution et régler cette affaire pacifiquement. La question du retrait des troupes ne se pose pas. Je suis très convaincu qu'on doit qu'on peut régler l'affaire.

Q: My question has to do with the report on DDR, what is the UN doing to compel donors to support our country?

SG: For those of you who do not know what DDR means, it is disarmament and re- ntegration of former combatants. The disarmament process has been on and I think it has done very well in Liberia and, we are also trying to take steps to ensure that we do not have weapons crossing borders either from Liberia into Cote d'Ivoire or Cote d'Ivoire into Liberia and to Sierra Leone. So we are taking measures to protect the borders. When it comes to reintegration of combatants and retraining of combatants, it takes a bit more time. Yes, we do need resources and we are working with the World Bank and other donors to be able to get the resources that are necessary to carry on the work. And we are determined to pursue our reintegration efforts and as I have indicated, it takes a bit of time and one has to be a bit patient.

Q: (Inaudible request to comment on Iraqi elections in English) I don't know if you have met the President of Sudan and if so, what was the nature of those discussions ?

SG: On your first question, I indicated that the elections are in process and it is a bit pre-mature to comment on the outcome. But I can say that this election is not the end of the process. It is a beginning of the process of transition, political transition, which eventually should see the day when Iraqis run their own affairs and take charge of their own destiny. And it is important that they participate in the process. And in a statement I had issued earlier, I asked those who were inclined to challenge the election not to use violence, that it cannot be acceptable that they shoot voters, election workers and candidates. The Iraqis who choose to vote must have a chance to exercise their democratic right. After this election, the process of preparing a new constitution will begin. Once the constitution is drafted, there will be a referendum and once the constitution is approved there will be another election. The target date for that is December this year and you have a fully-fledged Iraqi government that can then begin to run the affairs of state based on a new constitution.

I have not met President Bashir yet, I will be meeting him later today.

Q: A little rider on Darfur. The African Union is having problems (inaudible) enough troops. Is it going to become a UN operation? (Inaudible qustion on role of the African Union as an « enforcer ») Which countries are succeeding and which are not?

SG: I think the African Union has taken on a noble and bold mission in Darfur. For the moment they are on the lead with regards to the peace negotiations in Darfur which takes place here in Abuja. They have also deployed troops to the ground. I reviewed this with them yesterday and I am told that by February, they would be fully deployed. They are about a 1,000 plus now. We expect that probably they would have deployed 3,000 or 3,500..

And in fact the African Union troops on the ground are making an important contribution. They are making a difference. My Representative from Sudan is here, Jan Pronk, just briefed me about the good work that they are doing. Yes, they need support. They need logistics and financial support and so far the international community has been so generous and we at the UN intend to work with them very closely and give the assistance and support that we can have. But I sense also your concern that they may be taking on too much. But let me say that as far as Sudan is concerned, we are doing well. Deployment has been a bit slow, but they are beginning to accelerate it. And if we have the numbers, not only of the monitors, troops and the police, we should be able to help the people on the ground. And as you know UN itself will be deploying peace implementation operation to the South now that the agreement has been signed. And once we are on the ground , we also expect to work very closely with the African Union forces.

Q : (Inaudible mention of continental peace enforcers)

SG: When you said peace enforcers, enforcement implies using force to impose peace. It is extremely difficult to impose peace on any group of people. It is up to those in conflict –those who are at each other's throat, who can make peace. The international community and organizations like the AU can assist. They cannot make peace for them. What they are trying to do is to get them to negotiate. And I think it is quite laudable that IGAD was able to get the North-South agreement in Nairobi and I hope the African Union will be able to resolve the conflict in the Darfur region and when necessary deploy troops to try and calm the situation on the ground. But enforcement and imposing peace as such, I think it is a tough proposition for any peacekeeping force for us and even the most powerful peacekeepers have a problem.

Q: In the advent of the Iraqi crisis and invasion, and both, by the superpower, the only superpower, the United States of America, you stood firmly, united in the position of the UN and since thereafter, there has been these moves by the United States to get rid of you in that position. Are you rattled, because the job of the UN Secetary General demands (inaudible)?.

SG: Let me say that my position on the war is clear. But I have a very important assignment to carry on and I am working extremely well with the member States, 191 of them and we have a major reform agenda on the table. We are working on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. So the next two years is going to keep me and the member states very busy, and I am carrying on with my work without hesitation or fear.

Q: Recently, drawing your attention to the plight of the Tsunami victims, a lot of criticisms have been raised on the apathy of the West on the plight of African countries also affected by that disaster. What is the position of the United Nations on these criticisms?

SG: I think we have been very frank about this. It is a fact, it is a reality in the history of our humanitarian operations. It is a fact that we do not always get the response we expect for some of the serious humanitarian situations in Africa. In some situations, we make an appeal and we are lucky if we get 15%. And so, you do have some crises that we consider the orphaned crises, the forgotten crises, where you can hardly get any response. I was very pleased that the Tsunami (crisis) got the response that it did get. I think that there were special reasons for it. We all saw it live on our televisions. Tourists who were there took videos, which they shared with the public as it was happening on our televisions and on the front pages of our newspapers. And I was pleased with the spontaneous outpouring of support from governments, from private corporations, and from individuals. What I hope is that we can somehow capture that moment, that spirit, and nurture it, nurture that spirit of generosity and apply it to other crisis situations. We should not begrudge the victims of the Tsuami. But what we should hope is that we can get the same response for other crises around the world. We have made it clear that it is uneven, that the responses have been uneven.

Q: (Inaudible question on SG views on the situation in Cote D'Ivoire) Do you think they will comply with the deadline ? Do you think it will be possible for the DRC to hold elections before the end of the year?

SQ: Let me say on your first question that I am extremely concerned about the situation in Cote D'Ivoire, like all the leaders here who would want to see a settlement. I congratulate President Mbeki for the efforts he has made and for the progress he has been able to achieve. But it is important that we get the government to come together, the government of the national unity and reconciliation -- for them to come together to work as a government. As you know, the Forces Nouvelles have not participated in the government for sometime. They have boycotted participation in the government for a while. But after Accra III, they went back to Government, and they walked away again. And we need to try and get them back, we need to begin to disarm and reintegrate some of the combatants. And I think what happens in Cote d'Ivoire does have an impact in the region and we do not want to have another regional conflict as we have seen the Great Lakes.

As to your second question, whether elections are going to be possible in June, any kind of elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo without infrastructure, with the difficulties that exist on the ground, is a major challenge. And we are working with the government to plan election hopefully for sometime this year and we are discussing with them the timing and the details of these elections.

Q. (Inaudible questions on observers in Iraqi elections and the strugg le by African Union countries for Security Council permanent seats)

SG: Let me say that the UN has been very actively involved in the preparations of the Iraqi elections.It was the UN that helped establish the independent Iraqi Electoral Commission. It was the UN that helped train and produce the legal framework for this election and came out with the political parties law. And I have had a team in Iraq throughout with other international experts from DFID, from IFIs and others working together to provide advise and assistance to the Iraqi Electoral Commission. So, from a technical point of view, the work had gone on well and they did all that they had to do. But of course elections don't take place in a vaccum. So the political and security contexts are also important. The UN does not have observers or declare itself often in elections where we have played the kind of role we play could be seen as judge and jury. And also given the situation in Iraq not many observers have gone in to monitor the elections. However, we have trained thousands of Iraqi monitors who will be in the polling booths Each party will have their own monitors in the polling booths. So there will be some checking and control of the situation. Thank you.

On the Security Council issue, let me say that there are two options that the High-level Panel put forward. Each would increase the membership of the Security Council from 15 to 24. Option A will create six new permanent members without veto and two of the seats will go to Africa. The other option would also create additional semi-permanent seats ; that is they will be elected for four years instead of the current two years, and they can be re-elected by the members. So you would have, if you go for that formula, you would have five permanent members and then you would have those who are elected for four years and those elected for two years.

The African Governments who are here are now discussing which option to support. And once they have decided on that option, which countries will be agreed to put forward for the permanent seats. And it is an issue that is being discussed, and it is for them to decide. I am neutral in this situation.

Question: [Inaudible]Apres une enquête officielle par [inaudible] des autorités onusiennes [inaudible] sur les violations des droits de l'homme en Cote d'Ivoire, une liste a été publiée qui comprend des noms des personnalités gouvernementales et de l'opposition [inaudible] tels que Madame Gbagbo et Guillaume Soro. Qu'en est-il exactement ? Sera-t-elle publiée ?

SG : Oui effectivement il y a une liste. Mais elle ne sera pas publiée, pour une raison très simple : si on doit poursuivre des gens coupables dans des cours, pour ne pas compromettre la situation donc on va pas publier la liste. Mais, un procureur recevra la liste. Et à partir ce moment, si un procureur sort les noms, vous aurez la possibilité de comprendre qui est sur la liste. Mais les Nations Unies ne vont pas publier la liste.

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