TALKING POINTS

· Statement on Uruzgan Bombing

Good morning, first of all we have a statement for you on the Uruzgan bombing which took place on the 1st July.

Following the Uruzgan bombing on 1 July 2002, the United Nations dispatched a fact finding mission comprised of United Nations staff in Kandahar, together with representatives from the local authorities to assess humanitarian concerns in the affected areas.

We would like to stress that the United Nations was not involved in either an inquiry or an investigation but was simply responding to humanitarian needs as it does everywhere in the world in similar situations. The United Nations report referred to recently in the media was a preliminary internal document for assessment purposes and to determine what assistance would be required and could be provided.

We deeply regret the fact that there was loss of life and injuries to civilians. And we are also absolutely certain that the United States regrets that such a situation has occurred as well.

We therefore repeat the appeal made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, for United States forces to be extremely careful and hopefully to ensure that such incidents do not happen again; and that the protection of civilian lives becomes a primary concern in the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan

The Government of Afghanistan and the United States are carrying out an in-depth investigation. The final findings of the United Nations have now been communicated to both of them and we are certain that they will make good use of it.

· Accession by Afghanistan to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction

The first international conference to be held on Afghanistan joining the global ban on anti-personnel mines ended yesterday, 31 July 2002 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul after four days of meetings, presentations and workshops.

Continuing commitments made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Tokyo, the Islamic Transitional Government of Afghanistan in a cabinet meeting on Monday 29 July, approved a decision to accede to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. The following day at about 11:30 a.m., Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Minister for Foreign affairs, officially signed the treaty at the Intercontinental Hotel.

The Transitional Government expressed full support for the complete implementation of the treaty.

As you may already know Afghanistan is one of the worst mine-effected countries in the world, where mines and unexploded ordnance account for between 150-300 injuries per month.

· Statement by SRSG on accession by Afghanistan to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction

Because we did not have a briefing on Tuesday we have a statement in connection with the signing of the Convention by the Special Representative.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, has warmly welcomed the signing on Tuesday by the Afghan Transitional Authority of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Convention). He said this announcement illustrates the determination of President Hamid Karzai, his Government and the people of Afghanistan to turn away from decades of conflict, and to embrace a peaceful future.

Noting that Afghanistan is the world’s most severely mine affected country, Mr. Brahimi said, that with this decision, the work of the clearing mines and unexploded ordnance, and destroying mine stockpiles, assumes renewed significance. The United Nations is committed to supporting President Karzai and his Government in their efforts to rid the country of the menace of mines, he added.

· IOM Update
We have a note from IOM on displaced persons.
During the month of July a total of 28,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to their home provinces with IOM.
The returns from the west, north and centre of the country bring the total number of IDPs returning home with IOM since February to over 207,000.
In July, roughly half of the IDPs returned from camps near Herat in the West and the other half from Mazar-e-Sharif in the North. But returns also restarted from Kabul, with over 1,300 people joining IOM road convoys in the past 10 days.
The Kabul authorities, who are coping with increasingly stretched infrastructure and services as more refugees and IDPs crowd into the city, are keen for newcomers to return to their home provinces to start the process of reconstruction.
At current levels of funding, IOM hopes to provide return assistance to roughly 80,000 of the remaining estimated 410,000 IDPs in the west, north and central regions of the country by the end of September.

· AACA Press Conferences
For your information the weekly press conferences by the AACA have resumed with the first being held yesterday at 2.00pm at the AACA Sederat. Other press conferences will be held every Wednesday at the same time and at the same location with the first half hour in the English and the second half hour in Dari and Pashtu. The AACA Director and Minister of Finance, Ashraf Ghani, and other members of the Government depending on the current issues will give the press conference.
That is all I have for you I will now pass you to UNHCR and UNICEF and we will then take questions.

· UNHCR Update - Maki Shinohara
Good morning, today I will give you some update on figures. Due to the temporary closure of the Torkham border over the weekend, we have had a record high number of returns on Monday. More than 11,600 people returned through the Puli Charkhi encashment center alone, bringing the total number of refugee returns from Iran and Pakistan to 1.4 million the same day.

The current figure of assisted refugee returns as it stands is 1.42 million: the breakdown is 1.3 million from Pakistan and 112,600 from Iran.

We have also conducted last month a preliminary survey of internally displaced people in Afghanistan. According to our sub-offices collaborating with our implementing partners throughout the country, the estimated number of internally displaced people stands at over 800,000. Nearly half of them have been recorded in the south.

Breakdown:
West:    64,000
Center:  172,000
North:  144,500
East:     68,000
South:   410,000

This brings the total to around 800,000, but having said this, as you know there the assistance for those people who would like to go back continues and we have so far assisted the return of 200,000. In addition, an estimated 400,000 have returned on their own. We plan to help return another 260,000 by the end of this year.

UNICEF Update - Chulho Hyun

Good morning everyone. Afghanistan, on a nationwide scale is joining global celebrations to observe World Breast Feeding Week, which begins today. The Afghan Ministry of Public Health with UNICEF support and in partnership with Women’s Groups, health networks and NGOs will be organizing a range of activities this week to stress the urgent need to protect the health and well being of both babies and mothers through breast-feeding. In Kabul these activities are going to include a special exhibition at the Malalai Maternity Hospital to explain the benefits of breast-feeding to expecting mothers. Religious leaders in Jalalabad and Mazar-I-Sharif are being encouraged to include messages in their Friday worship. Special radio slots meanwhile will air related messages all throughout this week throughout the country. Some of those key messages do include breast feeding meeting all the nutritional needs of a baby for the first six months of life, and breast feeding can protect the lives of babies from the threats of diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Special roundtable discussions featuring candidates of the Ministries of Public Health, Women’s Affairs and Religious Affairs, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) were aired on Kabul Television and Kabul Radio last night in order to kick-off this campaign.

World Breast-Feeding week was officially launched in Kabul earlier this morning in a ceremony led by the Deputy Minister of Public Health in Kabul.

Questions & Answers

Q: Regarding the Uruzgan report, were any American Representatives contacted by UNAMA after the preliminary report. When then was the decision made not to release the final report?

PIO: The decision not to release the report was made by Mr. Brahimi after consulting with his senior managers within the Mission. It was decided that we would hand the findings over to both the Afghan Government and the Americans because they are in charge of the investigation and we did not want two conflicting investigations taking place.

Q: Were the American Representatives in contact with UNAMA?

PIO: As far as I know, no. This was a decision taken by Mr. Brahimi as Head of the UNAMA Mission here.

Q: And when was the decision taken?

PIO: The decision was taken, I think, probably two days ago… to hand over the findings.

Q: You say that the report was centered mainly on the Humanitarian needs, and yet, I gather that quite specific allegations that shrapnel, bullets were removed, and there seems to be a contradiction between the humanitarian assessment and come quite serious allegations which the Americans deny.

PIO: We sent in humanitarian people, as I said, we sent in people qualified in their areas, humanitarian relief. In the course of conducting the assessment they interviewed people who were on the locations, and they were given certain answers. They sent a very quick report in, Mr. Brahimi looked at it and said ‘Okay, you are humanitarian people, but you need a ballistics, military, police, or other investigators. Can you check these facts out again before we make a statement”.

Based on that, what we have are findings we feel might be helpful to the correct authorities doing the investigation. None of our people are qualified to make any such kind of investigation. It was a fact finding mission.

Q:In the final document that has been handed over to the US authorities, and the Afghan government, is there any reference to the removal of evidence

PIO: I am not at liberty to say what is in the report, as I said, because we are not qualified to make that kind of investigation. We have handed over what we feel will be helpful to the people conducting the investigation.

Q: If either the US or the Afghan government chooses to apend it’s final report does the UN retain the option to release this report publicly?

PIO: As I said, it’s not what we call a “proper” report. They have the option to append it, and whatever course of action they wish to take, it is left to them. We cannot tell them how to conduct their investigation.

Q:How many people were involved in this investigation?

Sixteen vehicles went. Four of them were Afghan authorities, the other 12 were people from UNAMA, the WFP, WHO, UNHCR. In addition there were come NGOs. I think Medecins sans Frontieres and Islamic Relief.

Q: If the final US report finds no wrong doing by the US military, does the UN have a potential role then, following up in some way, in investigating further?

Q: With the allegations of Human Rights abuses, does that mean that the Americans are going to be investigating these allegations?

I am sure the American will investigate whatever they see appropriate. We cannot speak for them it is their investigation.

Q: (inaudible)

They have qualified people, both the US and the Afghan Government. They have forensic people, they have ballistics people, they have military people, they have police people who are infinitely qualified to handle such an investigation - we cannot speak for them.

Q: (inaudible)

The Afghan government is also involved, so there is another face to the investigations, not just the Americans. It is both the Government and the Americans, so there is some balance there.

Q: If the Afghan government asked you to assist in the investigation, then could you?

PIO: Yes, under Bonn, if the Afghan Government asked us for assistance, then yes, we could provide it. But, we have to be asked.

Q: Just to clarify, you said that the new Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan, it is your understanding that they would clearly have jurisdiction, the mandate to look into something like this?

PIO: Yes, that is what they have been set up for.

Q: Then in answer to the last question you said the Afghan government (inaudible)

PIO: Yes, also if the Afghan government asked us for assistance, then we can provide assistance. That is within the Bonn Agreement.

Q: And that would be through the Human Rights Commission?

PIO: Probably in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission.

Q: (inaudible)

PIO: Mr. Brahimi decided, in consultation with his managers, that the information that we had found would be useful to the people conducting the investigation, and that for us to issue something separately might be conflicting - we have given it over to the Americans and the Afghan government and we hope it will be helpful to them in their investigations.

Q: Conflicting in what way?

We cannot have two people doing an investigation. We have a legitimate authority, two legitimate authorities, doing an investigation. We are not qualified to do that right now. The people, as I stressed before, the people who went to the site are not investigators, they are humanitarian people.

Q: Who made the decision then to send people to the site?

PIO: We did, as we do whenever there is a humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world - this is what the UN does. If there is a crisis and there is a particular humanitarian disaster we send people to assess it; that is what the UN exists for.

Q: Yes, but there have been air strikes all over the country, you don’t…..

PIO Yes, but previously we didn’t have the capacity in place. The mission has been up and running from around January. On this particular occasion we happened to be closely located so we could dispatch someone, a team. In the past we have not had the resources, the manpower - that may probably be why we have not responded before in the past.

Q: Then would you say that the fact-finding mission over reached their mandate by reporting on human rights violations?

PIO: No. In the course of their fact-finding mission they interviewed people, and they were given certain answer, which they thought would be useful to the people investigating.

Q: So the human rights violations were actually reported by someone else and not the fact finding mission?

PIO: Basically, if that was what was in the report, if that was what was said, it was based on what was reported our people there as they spoke to people round about the sites that were affected.

Q:But the report said there was evidence of human rights violations.

PIO: The report said there was evidence of human rights violations in terms of the people spoken to at the site. As I said this was a very preliminary report, it was unsubstantiated, done by people who are not qualified to do that kind of investigation. They may be qualified in humanitarian relief, but they are not investigators. They are not forensics, police or military experts. It was based on information they received talking to people at the affected sites, which is why Mr. Brahimi said, ‘go back, these are very sweeping statements, substantiate this and let us have another look at it’

Q: You said it was very preliminary

PIO: It was very preliminary, and very internal.

Q: So will there be a more detailed one?

PIO. No, there isn’t. Whatever findings we have are now with the government and they are with the US; they are investigating the matter.

Q: Just to clarify again, we are talking about two reports. We are talking about the preliminary report and a final report?

PIO: Yes. Were talking about a report that has been refined, that has been checked and the information we are now sure of has been submitted to the government. So in effect, two reports.

Q: When was the Human Rights Commission for Afghanistan set-up?

PIO: I think, early June. I would have to check that.

Q: Have they taken on any investigations?

PIO: Not yet.

Q: Talking about IDPs and that the majority are down in the south, can you flesh out the reasons why so many more people are down in the south and are they showing greater reluctance to return to their home?

UNHCR: Well, the reasons for a larger number of people down in the south are basically that many of these people were trying to cross the border into Pakistan. But officially the Pakistani borders were closed for refugees. Overall the direction of movement of people right now is definitely on the return, however we do have a few families who do arrive in the south. For example, I think it was last week, we know that over the course of 10 days or so there were about 115 families arriving in the Kandahar area. There are various reasons for this. Some people do say they have had to leave their villages because of lack of food, or to provide for themselves, mainly caused by the drought. The others, they fear persecution, they fear fighting between the factions in the north. Unfortunately right now we cannot go one by one to verify this information. For the time being what we are focusing on doing is to assist those people who do wish to return to their homes, to provide them with transportation, but at the same time, what we are looking at right now is to relocate these people to a site west of Kandahar,. The reason being the situation near the border area is very very difficult. We do have people stuck in Chaman area unable to go in to Pakistan. About 3,000 are staying in the Spin Boldak area. So the biggest issue for us these coming weeks is to try to transfer, voluntarily, those people who are stuck in desperate conditions to move them to a proper site west of Kandahar.

Q: You are saying a150 families came south, that is roughly the general trend?

UNHCR: There are some new arrivals but overall we have assisted over 200,000 people to returni home to their villages. For example, at the beginning of this year we had a quite a few people coming into an existing camp near Herat. There were about 140,000 displaced people in the vast camp there. Now we have managed to assist the returns of these people and now we are down to 40,000 or so. The numbers have been reduced in Spin Boldak area as well. During the time of crisis since last year there were many many people stuck around that border area. In that sense of course the numbers are decreasing, but at the same time there are a few families that arrived at the border.

Q: Are you finding it hard to persuade people to return from the south than in other parts of the country?

Not necessarily, I think that the solution for these internally displaced people, regardless of where they are, are pretty much similar. It’s a matter of wishing for rain to solve this issue of drought, as well as to solve this issue of local tension in various areas, mainly concentrated in the northern and central parts. Generally when they do try to flee, and many of these people do have relatives in Pakistan, for example, the majority of people in Spin Boldak area, they are Kuchis, they are Nomads and they have lost their cattle. Some of them do claim that they do have relative inside Pakistan therefore they would like to join them. Unfortunately they are not allowed to go further inside into Pakistan. The dilemma is what do we do with kuchis who are nomads? Do we give them additional cattle at the risk that they might lose them on the way again and become displaced? So for now, especially when we are looking towards winter, our best solution is to locate them to a temporary spot where at least we could provide them with decent assistance.