subjects: Meeting with Kofi Annan.
E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard, your meeting with Kofi Annan – how did that go today and were any specific concerns raised by him about Australia’s attitude to the UN committees?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it was a very good meeting. He thanked us again for our contribution to and leadership in East Timor and we had a talk about East Timor. The UN thing was raised, yes, quite directly by both of us. I told him that what Australia was concerned about was the way the committee system operated. I assured him as I have the Australian public that our concerns about the committee system which are quite real, do not indicate any desire to turn away from the human rights values and goals of the United Nations which of course Australia has been a vigorous defender of and remains so. But we are unhappy with the way the committee system operates and I was able to tell him that directly. He said that no section of the UN was immune from criticism or examination and he felt that we could work through the difficulties that Australia had and I’m very happy to operate with him on that basis. But it was a wholly constructive meeting. I didn’t in any way resile from the criticism that I’ve expressed. I pointed to one or two examples of where we felt the committee system had not worked and how it had exceeded its mandate. But I made it clear to him as I have repeatedly to all of you that we’re not walking way from the UN. I mean that’s ridiculous, and we’re not walking away from the human rights goals of the UN but we are concerned about the way the committee system operates and I was quite direct in saying so.
JOURNALIST:
Did he raise any wider concerns about the impact that Australia’s stand on the rest of the [world’s] attitude towards the UN?
PRIME MINISTER:
No, no, definitely not.
JOURNALIST:
What examples did you give him Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well one example was one of the committee proceedings where the views of a State Attorney General used in a very political environment were quoted back at the Minister by a member of the delegation. I mean once you get that sort of thing happening quite plainly there’s something wrong with the way the system operates. That was a particular example I quoted.
JOURNALIST:
Did Mr Annan say it would be better to work from the inside, why not join the committee system and do your criticising inside rather than stay on the sidelines?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he did not say that so I don’t need to go any further. That was not….look the whole thrust of the discussion was yes we have a concern. We’re not backing away from the expression of that concern. But we’re not wanting to pull out of the United Nations or walk away from the shared human rights goals of the UN but we are unhappy with this committee system and we’re not backward in saying so. And I made that very plain. He understands that. It was a very workmanlike, courteous, efficient, no misunderstandings meeting. He knows we’ve got a concern, he acknowledges that he’s got to work on that. He accepted my reassurance about our commitment to the generic goals of the UN and our strong commitment to human rights and our strong demonstration of human rights values and I think the meeting was very constructive, and I’m very pleased that we were able to see each other, eyeball each other, and just to frankly express our views.
JOURNALIST:
Did he concede any points of your criticisms? Did he agree with……?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he certainly agreed that there was no section of the UN that was immune from criticism. It wasn’t a meeting where you sort of….people conceded things. It was a meeting to make clear where each of us stood. We are a strong supporter of the Untied Nations. We make our contribution. We’ve made it. We’re a strong punctual financial supporter of the United Nations – very strong, very punctual supporter of the United Nations. But we’re unhappy with the way the committee system operates and no self-respecting, robust, open transparent democratic society like Australia should remain silent when we are not being properly treated.
JOURNALIST:
Mary Robinson has expressed some concerns. Have you made any attempt to speak to her about…..?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I said hello to Mary Robinson on the way into the Commonwealth meeting. But look, I don’t frankly mind in a sense Dennis who expresses concern. We have a wholly tenable, credible position on this, and we’re not going to be deflected by anybody. But it is not something that should be overwritten if I may say so advisedly. We are not declaring diplomatic war on the United Nations. We do not want to pull out of the United Nations. We share the humanitarian and human rights goals of the United Nations but we don’t think the committee system is operating well. We don’t think a robust decent democracy like Australia is being treated properly and we intend to pursue this point. Now we can do that in a civilised constructive way and that I’m sure is the mindset that the Secretary General, who I admire greatly and I think he’s done a great job, is going to bring to this issue. Okay.
[ends]