On the eve of a three-week trip that will include three days in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters June 25 that "terrible crimes" have been committed against the people in Darfur, and he is anxious to see the problem for himself.

Annan recounted progress made in the last several months by U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in providing food, shelter, measles inoculation for children, and safe drinking water to those who are suffering in the region, but he said that "massive" needs still remain.

He noted his repeated appeals to President Bashir to improve access to the area and urged the international community to fulfill its pledges of aid and to provide additional funding.

But the purpose of his visit, Annan said, will be to see to the welfare of Darfur's residents. Of Sudan's government, he said, "The most sacred responsibility of any government is to protect its people against the kind of crimes that have been committed in Darfur. The international community must hold it to that responsibility."

"If the Sudanese Government doesn't have the capacity to protect its population, the international community must be prepared to assist, and the Sudanese Government should seek such assistance," Annan said.

The secretary-general said he also plans to meet with other leaders in Africa to discuss the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary situation.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S OPENING REMARKS

"Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for coming this morning; I know it's a bit early.

I am leaving this weekend for a long overseas trip, and I thought I should talk to you, and answer your questions, before I go.

One of the countries I'll be visiting is Sudan, and particularly Darfur.

I am very anxious to see this problem for myself. The people of Darfur are suffering a catastrophe. Terrible crimes have been committed against them.

On the humanitarian side, the needs are massive. As so often the initial response was too slow, partly because of the severe restrictions on access we faced and security. But in the last couple of months UN agencies and their NGO partners have made significant progress.

-- In May, the World Food Programme provided food to nearly six hundred thousand people. The goal is to reach twice as many - 1.2 million - by the end of August.

-- By the end of this month, we will have enough shelter material and blankets on the ground to reach 90 per cent of the displaced population.

-- A massive measles campaign in June has targeted more than 2.2 million children.

-- About 350,000 needy people now have access to safe water.

One of the most acute needs, if we are to prevent the spread of disease and epidemics during the rainy season, is for latrines. Large numbers of these are now being constructed.

I have repeatedly appealed to President Bashir of Sudan to make it easier for humanitarian workers to reach the population. Access has now improved, and the number of international staff in Darfur is increasing. But more are needed, and serious problems remain. Entry of supplies and equipment, including trucks, must be facilitated; threats against humanitarian workers must cease; and delays in registering NGOs or granting them visas must also be removed.

And there is still a desperate need for funds. We have a shortfall of $140 million for this year - which severely affects our ability to deploy more staff and resources, especially in key areas such as health, water and sanitation.

I appeal to all donors to convert the pledges they have made, and to provide substantial additional funding. We have also asked them to provide engineers and a range of equipment, such as water tankers and mobile field clinics. We need all of this assistance now, not in one or two months when it will be too late. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake.

Humanitarian relief is the most urgent need, but of course it is not a solution. The most sacred responsibility of any government is to protect its people against the kind of crimes that have been committed in Darfur. The international community must hold it to that responsibility, and that, above all, is the purpose of my visit. And if the Sudanese Government doesn't have the capacity to its protect its population, the international community must be prepared to assist, and the Sudanese Government should seek such assistance.

Behind the atrocities lie complex political and social conflicts over land and other issues. These problems must be solved, urgently, through inclusive negotiations.

The conflict in Darfur is also a threat to the process that is at last bringing an end to the war in southern Sudan, which has lasted for decades, causing untold misery to many millions of people.

I have just appointed Jan Pronk as my Special Representative, to lead the UN's contribution to peace-building in Sudan. He will be with me on my visit, as well as Mohammed Sahnoun who has been representing me at the north-south talks, and whom I have now asked to work with the parties in Darfur in the search for a political solution. And of course, Jan Egeland of OCHA will also be with me.

I will report on my findings to the Security Council, and also discuss it with leaders attending the summit of the African Union, and as you know, the Union has already been involved in efforts to solve the Darfur conflict, notably by deploying ceasefire monitors. The United Nations fully supports those efforts. And I will look for ways to strengthen our support and make it more effective.

At that summit I hope to have meetings with heads of state involved in the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo - another African country where a laboriously negotiated peace process, offering hope after years of slaughter and misery, is in acute danger of being swept away by renewed conflict. We must do everything to prevent that from happening.

I look forward also to meeting the leaders involved in efforts to resolve the almost equally worrying situation in Côte d'Ivoire, where we have to prevent the Linas-Marcoussis agreement from unraveling. And I shall be discussing with the leaders of both Eritrea and Ethiopia how to implement the demarcation of the boundary between the two countries. And of course, I will continue to Nairobi, to see the UN operations and hold consultations with the Government.

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Question: You said just now that the Sudanese Government has a sacred obligation to protect its people. You've said they must cease putting restrictions on aid workers and people like that trying to get in. My question is, isn't it really much worse than that? Isn't it a fact that the Sudanese Government is funding and equipping militias who are committing what your own Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, has called ethnic cleansing and what many other people are calling genocide?

The Secretary-General: In fact, I myself have appealed to the Sudanese Government to stop the Janjaweed - that is the militia - and disarm them. Not only that, we have recently sent in the Special Rapporteur, Human Rights Rapporteur Asma Jahangir, who will be submitting a report on this situation to us. And I am going in myself to assess the situation on the ground, support my people and put additional pressure on the Government to do what it has to do.

As it happens, Secretary of State Powell's visit and my visit will coincide, and we will be together for at least one day in Khartoum, where we will be collectively putting pressure on the Government to do what it has to do. And, of course, given the atrocities that have happened and the crimes that are being committed - these are universal crimes. So the perpetrators ought to be put on notice that they will be held accountable, whoever they are. It is not just the field commanders, but also some of the leaders who are giving the orders, who may also be held accountable.

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Question: Back to Darfur: is it time for the Security Council to act in a stronger way to hold the Sudanese Government accountable, responsible for its actions - sanctions or really concrete steps beyond a press statement or a presidential statement?

The Secretary-General: The Council is seized of the matter. I myself have given them several reports, and they have issued a statement.

I think what is important here is that not only the Council; I would say all Governments with influence in Khartoum must engage the Government of Sudan and insist that the Government must protect its people - it must disarm the Janjaweed, it must create an environment that will allow the displaced to go home, and it should engage with the rebel side very seriously in political settlement and in negotiations.

We also have to make clear to all those who are involved in the peace process in Sudan that, yes, we have made progress on the north-south track, but you cannot have comprehensive peace in Sudan if the west continues to burn. So we have to settle Darfur to be able to talk of a comprehensive peace in Sudan and so that the Sudanese can hope to receive their peace dividends and serious engagement by the international community.

Question: But you aren't really willing to go beyond that to call for the Council to really take a strong action.

The Secretary-General: I think the Council - the time may come for the Council to do that, but I think we need, in the meantime, to put collective pressure and encourage the Government to do what it has to do. But the Council should be vigilant and remain engaged, and it should not hesitate to do that, should that be necessary.

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Question: A quick follow-up first on Warren's question. Do you not - or do you - consider what's going on in Darfur genocide, ethnic cleansing?

And my question is about the report by your Under-Secretary yesterday, Sir Kieran Prendergast, to the Security Council, in which he made very clear that the Israeli excesses continue, thousands of people are displaced, still demolition of homes, building of the barrier. The Egyptians are pressuring the Palestinian Authority, according to the meeting of the Quartet yesterday. What are you going to do beyond just another appeal and another ... sort of like the Israelis, turning a blind eye to what you're saying? And do you seek the US help on that, just like the Egyptians are pressuring the Palestinians?

The Secretary-General: Let me say that on the question of what is happening in Darfur, there has been lots of discussion as to whether it is genocide or ethnic cleansing, and I myself in Geneva had indicated that, from the report I was getting, it was bordering on ethnic cleansing.

But let me say that the issue is not to discuss what name to give it. We all agree that serious crimes are being committed. International humanitarian law is being broken, and there are very serious human rights violations - grave ones - that we need to act on. We don't need a label to propel us to act, and so I think we should act now and stop arguing about which label to put on it. And, as I said, I sent in a human rights rapporteur, and I'm waiting for her report in the next week or so.

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Question: You have just said that everyone agrees that serious humanitarian crimes have been committed in Darfur. Do you think in that case that the International Criminal Court could possibly play a future role in dealing with this? And, secondly, how would you compare the international community's response to Darfur thus far with what happened in Rwanda 10 years ago?

The Secretary-General: Let me say that the Sudan has signed the Rome Statute but has not ratified it. So it is morally bound to live by the provisions of the Statute. I would also say that the crimes being committed in Sudan are universal crimes, and so even if the ICC does not have a jurisdiction, the culprits can be arrested and tried anywhere in the world if they step out of Sudan, and so they may not be able to hide.

Your second question - no, that's it.

Question (spoke in French): Darfur - in your view, what is the responsibility of the Sudanese Government for what is happening? And, secondly, would you be in favour of sanctions? You say that we must act now. Diplomatic pressures haven't been working. You have been trying that for several weeks. What else can one do?

The Secretary-General (spoke in French): Obviously, the Government of Sudan is responsible for the protection of its citizens. If that situation continues, I hope that the Security Council will act. Sanctions have been proposed, or other actions, and I hope that they won't be excluded. But the Council must maintain the pressure, and I expect that if the situation does not improve, the Council may take other measures.

Question: So can you do Arabic?

The Secretary-General: Aiwa. No, no, at least I've said yes. Yes, I want to see where he goes from there.

Question: Iraq, then southern Sudan. Notwithstanding the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, people in the Arab world who have always wanted you to go to Iraq are saying now you're going to Doha. The SG's going so far and no further. What do you say to that?

And on Sudan, Sir, both London and Washington have rejected Khartoum's charges that they have a political agenda in Sudan. Will you be seeking to give the Sudanese assurances that basically the UN will not provide diplomatic and humanitarian cover for those political agendas?

Just one last more on John Danforth - John Danforth, the new US Ambassador to the UN, he's obviously - he's been working as the US envoy to Sudan. He will be bringing a special understanding of the situation there. But he is also an Episcopalian. And dealing with Sudan, where the conflict has been depicted as a conflict between the Muslim north and the Christian and animist south, is his appointment going to be an asset for the UN or toil and trouble in Sudan?

The Secretary-General: Let me start with your first question. You are right that I will be in Doha on my way to Sudan. Specifically, I think I will be in Khartoum or in Darfur on 30 June. Also, the security forces on the ground are extremely stretched. I do not think we should impose additional responsibilities on them by taking them away from their essential duties to look after VIPs. It does require quite a lot of security to look after visiting VIPs. Besides, both the CPA and the Iraqi Government want to make this a low-key affair. And I think it is appropriately right. So, I will be in Darfur as the handover takes place, but of course we are following it very closely and are involved.

On your second question, I am not aware of any political agenda that the Washington Administration and the UK Government might have. So the possibility of our being used as a cover for these political agenda, I think, is not going to be like -- We are there to help the Sudanese people. We are there to carry out our humanitarian work. We are there to encourage the Sudanese to reconcile and settle their differences. We are there to encourage them to protect their people and to seek comprehensive settlement in Sudan.

As to your question on - maybe I should call him Ambassador Danforth, since he has now been confirmed. Ambassador Danforth, I think, is going to bring lots of experience from Sudan. Despite his background, he has managed to work extremely well at the talks with both north and south. If the kind of suspicion you imply were there, I think his role as mediator in the process would have been almost impossible. So my sense is that he will be an asset here and that he will bring useful knowledge that will perhaps energize the Council - and all of us - on Sudan.

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Question: Mr. Secretary-General, I would like a quick follow-up on Sudan. When you say that in Sudan, if the Government cannot protect its people, it should allow the international community to do so. What specifically are you thinking about? Are you thinking about having some kind of multinational force come in, or whatever?

My real question was on the International Criminal Court. You took a very outspoken stand. Your stand prevailed. Are you now concerned that the United States might follow through with the threats that it made initially, two years ago, to block peacekeeping operations and to make great difficulties for those missions authorized by the United Nations?

The Secretary-General: On Sudan, I don't think we are ready to send in the cavalry, and I am not sure I have that many countries ready to go. So the Council will have to think. If it becomes necessary to take concrete action, the Council will have to decide what to do. Someone has suggested sanctions, and there is also a series of actions the Council can take. It will be up to them to decide.

We have had other situations where the Government concerned has failed to protect its people and the international community has gone in to help. East Timor is a case in point. When Indonesia couldn't do it, a force did go in to help them do it. I was on the phone almost night and day with President Habibie, saying, if you cannot do it, let international community come in and help. But that willingness to go in and help must also be there and be demonstrated, and I think we should all begin thinking about that.

On the question of the International Criminal Court, I hope that this is the end of the - well, let me step back. Let me say that I think the outcome was a good one for the Council, and I think also for the Americans. We should not forget that the Council, after divisions, just came together on Iraq. The unity of the Council is extremely important - it is not form; it's substance. When they are united and they work well together, they have greater impact and their decisions are usually sound. We are going to have to deal with lots of tough issues along the way, so I was concerned that the Council be divided on an issue like the one before it on the ICC. I hope everyone will see it as a helpful decision, and I hope the US will not introduce other threats or, as you say, carry out this threat made two years ago to withdraw from peacekeeping operations.

Question: I have two questions, one on Sudan, one on Iraq. You are in Sudan at the same time as Secretary of State Colin Powell. Are you meeting, or have you coordinated anything? Secondly, Mr. Egeland said last week that the NGOs were not getting their supplies in, while the UN was. Do you think this has changed at all? A quick question on Iraq: I do not see how you can be a player if you are not going to have a Special Representative there. Are you going to name one by 30 June?

The Secretary-General: Yes, I expect to meet Secretary of State Powell in Sudan. On your last question, I will be naming a Special Representative shortly, and his duty station will be Baghdad.

Question: When?

The Secretary-General: Shortly.

Question: Before the 30th?

The Secretary-General: Let's say in about a week, within a week. The third question dealt with the Sudan, where the NGOs are not getting their visas and are not allowed in. That is part of our - I have spoken to the President about this, I have spoken to the Sudanese about it, and that is beginning to improve. But we will need to press ahead and ensure that they get their visas. They tend to differentiate between the United Nations and the NGOs, but the NGOs are essential for us. We work in partnership, and we cannot do what we do without them. So we have tried to get the Sudanese Government to understand that it is no use letting us in and refusing to let in our essential partners.

Thank you very much.