Source: http://www.un.int/usa/press_releases/20080402_073.html http://www.un.int/usa/press_releases/20080402_073.html
Date: April 2, 2008

USUN PRESS RELEASE #   073(08)
April 2, 2008 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Office of Press and Public Diplomacy 
United States Mission to the United Nations 
140 East 45th Street 
New York, N.Y. 10017

Remarks by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative, on the Program of Work, UNDP, Zimbabwe, Burma, the Middle East, and Lebanon, at the Security Council stakeout, April 2, 2008

 
Ambassador Wolff:  Good morning.  We had a very quick meeting this morning to welcome in the South African presidency and looked over the program of work which looks to be a busy one for the month of April.  I’m looking forward to it.  Take any questions…
Reporter:  Mr. Ambassador, we understand that there is going to be some kind of a session with the African Peace and Security Council.  What do you know about it and what’s going to happen there?
Ambassador Wolff:  Well, we will – we’ve had a meeting between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council before.  This time it will take place in New York.  It’s scheduled to take place, we learned today, the morning of the sixteenth of April.  This is different from the meeting that is scheduled to take place on the seventeenth which will be with member states themselves.
Reporter:  When you say with member states themselves, what does that mean?
Ambassador Wolff:  Well, the Peace and Security Council is a sub-entity of the African Union which is not necessarily all the governments.  The meeting that the South Africans are scheduling for the seventeenth is open to all member states and will include invitations to a number of African countries, not all of whom are on the Peace and Security Council, and they’ll be speaking in their national capacity there rather than in an organizational capacity on the sixteenth.
Reporter:  The meeting on the seventeenth, at what level will the United States attend that meeting?
Ambassador Wolff: We don’t have a definitive decision on that yet.
Reporter:  Is that meeting something that the United States supports, this high-level engagement with these African countries?
Ambassador Wolff:  We’re happy to be there and look forward to the discussion.
Reporter:  What’s the U.S.’s view of this story of UNDP and its procurement – not even – doing procurement for Venezuela, taking a fee and doing it on a no-bid basis – and of UNDP basically getting paid to do no-bid procurement for middle income countries, what’s your view?
Ambassador Wolff:  I saw that story and we’re looking into it and we’ll be asking some questions ourselves.
Reporter:  Where do you think you’ll be asking the questions and where will we see the answers?
Ambassador Wolff:  In the first (inaudible) of UNDP. 
Reporter:  Do you think the Council will have anything at all to say about Zimbabwe, particularly if there is a runoff?
Ambassador Wolff:  You know it’s a very good question, we hope that the election results will be fairly and honestly represented.  It is an important opportunity for the people of Zimbabwe and at the moment there is no expectation that this need come to the Council but we’ll be watching the situation closely.
Reporter:  Yesterday Ambassador Churkin had said something about - that the Council is not a board of elections.  So it didn’t sound like he is in favor of a PRST or Council talking specifically to the upcoming Myanmar vote.  Where does it stand with the PRST and what’s the U.S. view on why a PRST should…
Ambassador Wolff:  Well, a PRST is very important.  Burma is going to be listed – is listed on this Programme of Work as a footnote because we are obviously following the situation there very closely.  We expect there to be a PRST.  We will be circulating one shortly with support of other members.  So the situation in Burma is something that this Council and certainly the United States and other members are very concerned about and merits close scrutiny, including on the referendum on this constitution.  This is all part of a process that we believe should be to open up the society to give people a voice and allow a democratic process that’s serious, and real, and transparent to enfold.
Reporter:  Should Aung San Suu Kyi be allowed in the election?
Ambassador Wolff:  Yes.
Reporter: Ambassador Churkin was saying something to the effect of that there may be still a possibility of a position on the Middle East peace process from the Security Council, this month probably.  I’m asking because you know you just discussed the work of the month so is any such thing in the works and is there anything in the works regarding Lebanon?
Ambassador Wolff:  We’re not in the lead on it but I can tell you there is something in the works and consultations are taking place on it.  We’re working closely with the French delegation on this and I expect there would be something shortly.
Reporter:  On the Middle East or Lebanon?
Ambassador Wolff:  On Lebanon.
Reporter:  And on the Middle East?
Ambassador Wolff:  On the Middle East we have a scheduled briefing and a consultation this month.
Reporter:  No Security Council – because he was talking about the possibility of a position – Council position, not only briefing?
Ambassador Wolff:  I’m not aware of any specific product being considered.  As you know we’ve had difficulties in the past.  This Council is divided on this so it seems to me, highly unlikely we’d be able to do something. Thank you very…
Reporter:  Anything about North Korea?
Ambassador Wolff:  No, we had a briefing this morning from the chairman of the committee and it went through very smoothly, nothing further to report on that.  Thank you.