HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON BRIEFING

BY FRED ECKHARD
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, November 11, 2004

[Tomorrow is an official UN holiday - Eid Al Fitr, the end of Ramadan.
The noon briefing will resume on Monday, November 15]

ANNAN DEEPLY MOVED BY DEATH OF PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT

Secretary-General Kofi Annan was deeply moved to learn of the death of President Yasser Arafat.

President Arafat was one of those few leaders who could be instantly recognized by people in any walk of life all around the world.

For nearly four decades, he expressed and symbolized in his person the national aspirations of the Palestinian people.

President Arafat will always be remembered for having, in 1988, led the Palestinians to accept the principle of peaceful coexistence between Israel and a future Palestinian state. By signing the Oslo accords in 1993 he took a giant step towards the realization of this vision.

It is tragic that he did not live to see it fulfilled. Now that he has gone, both Israelis and Palestinians, and the friends of both peoples throughout the world, must make even greater efforts to bring about the peaceful realization of the Palestinian right of self-determination.

The Secretary-General’s deep-felt condolences go to his wife Suha and his young daughter Zahwa and to the Palestinian people.

When he spoke to reporters at UN headquarters, the Secretary-General said that now that President Yasser Arafat is gone, the best legacy that his people can live by is to engage constructively and peacefully with the international community and the Israeli government and people to make his dream, a dream of two states living side by side in peace, a reality.

"I would urge that we all get to work and really press for the achievement of that goal," he said. He also noted the smooth transition of the Palestinian leadership.

U.N. ENVOY FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE TO REPRESENT ANNAN AT ARAFAT FUNERAL

*The Secretary-General has asked Terje Roed-Larsen, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestinian Authority, to represent him at President Arafat’s funeral in Cairo.

*At UN Headquarters,. the UN flag has been lowered at half mast.