Keeping hope alive.

• Position: Brief Article

On 19 December 2001, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan held a press conference with members of the international press to both reflect upon the past year and look towards the future with optimism and determination. Here is a look at what Mr. Annan had to say.

Terrorism: Continuing the struggle--Discussions [on extending the struggle against terrorism to other countries] are taking place outside the United Nations and the Security Council. Obviously, if we were to get in a situation where it became apparent that the perpetrators being sought out in Afghanistan had moved to country X, what the reaction should be is a bridge that we will have to cross when we get there.

Defining the scourge--This is an issue that has preoccupied Member States and that has become particularly acute as we discuss a comprehensive convention against terrorism. [The definition] we can all accept is that anyone who kills or targets innocent civilians cannot claim that it can be justified, regardless of their cause.

Afghanistan: United Nations involvement--When you start an operation like the one the United Nations is to undertake in Afghanistan, you worry about getting the population to work together--getting people to forget their bad habits and come together to work in the interests of their country and people. We will also need to rely on the cooperation of the neighbours, some of whom have considerable influence on the parties in Afghanistan.

Interim Government--The decisions leading to the formation of this interim administration were taken by the Afghans themselves. After the Bonn Agreement, Mr. [Lakhdar] Brahimi went to Kabul and talked to quite a few of the leaders and other key players who had not been there. They confirmed to him that they were by and large in favour of that agreement.

The Middle East: Keeping the peace--I would prefer to see a collective international initiative, and for some time now a group of us--the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation, with leaders in the Arab world, in particular Egypt and Jordan--have been working together.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict--There has been international pressure on Chairman [Yasser] Arafat to take steps to contain extremist acts that emanate from his territory. In my own discussions with him, he has indicated how difficult it is for him to carry out those functions if bombing and shelling are going on and his police cannot move around. The Israeli side also has to help...