DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19960402
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
At the 1 April noon briefing, Ahmad Fawzi, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, referred to the Secretary-General's report regarding the 1996-1997 biennium budget (document A/C.5/50/57, dated 28 March) as the day's "big news". He told correspondents that Joseph Connor, Under-Secretary- General for Administration and Management, would meet with correspondents in room 226 at 4:30 p.m.. Because he had three briefing sessions scheduled -- at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 3 p.m. -- each with some 30 to 35 permanent representatives of Member States, Mr. Connor would not be able to meet with the press before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, 2 April, he would have two more briefings for delegates before briefing the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) about the report in the afternoon.
The document, a complete report on what had been done so far to confront the Organization's financial crisis, in its summary stated that reductions amounting to $154 million were to be achieved through reduced staffing and other savings, Mr. Fawzi said. The Secretary-General was taking all possible steps to mitigate the negative impact on United Nations staff. Under the current budget "an estimated 800 vacancies, in both the Professional and the General Services staff posts, would have to be brought about through the course of the 1996-1997 biennium".
Mr. Fawzi went on to say that in Seoul, the Secretary-General had addressed the subject of United Nations reform, calling that issue the continuing responsibility of the Secretariat management. Beyond reform as a general principle, the reality was that the United Nations was a political institution, which in effect meant that reform efforts were affected and often hampered by the domestic politics of certain Member States and by the political give-and-take between demands for cost-cutting, on the one hand, and demands for added services from the United Nations, on the other. The Secretary-General likened the present period of the United Nations to a turning point in history; the decisions to be taken were no less critical than the decision, taken at the end of the Second World War, to create the world organization.
The Secretary-General was winding up his visit to the Republic of Korea today, having received an honourary doctorate of philosophy at Koryo University, dedicated a "United Nations Peacekeeper Garden" and addressed a seminar on the United Nations, Mr. Fawzi said.
Also while in Seoul, the Secretary-General had met with the former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, for a tete-a- tete on the Great Lakes region; they had discussed the progress of Mr.
Nyerere's efforts to defuse tensions in Rwanda and Burundi. The Secretary- General had also reviewed 100 servicemen from the Republic of Korea who would soon be dispatched to Angola to join the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), Mr. Fawzi continued. A summary of the Secretary- General's activities in the Republic of Korea was available in the Spokesman's office, including texts of his acceptance speech at Koryo University and his address to the international seminar on the United Nations, in which he specifically addressed reform of the Security Council.
Mr. Fawzi drew correspondents' attention, especially those interested in the subject of the reductions made at the United Nations, to an editorial published today in The New York Times, entitled "Don't capsize the United Nations". The editorial acknowledged the contribution that the United Nations had unquestionably made over the years in helping to end war and preserve the peace in many regions; in mediating and monitoring cease-fires; in helping to put human rights, including women's rights, on the diplomatic agenda and many other achievements in its 50-year history.
A press release on Guatemala was available in English and Spanish, Mr. Fawzi said. The talks between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) had ended on 30 March in Mexico City. Both sides had recognized that any future agreement should serve to overcome the conflict-ridden social situation, which was a long-standing characteristic of Guatemalan society, and should respond to the population's urgent needs in the economic and social spheres, the press release stated. Both sides would be working very hard over the next few weeks to conclude the social and economic agreement, which would be a viable tool in building peace.
Mr. Fawzi then recalled that at the Peacemakers Summit two weeks ago at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the final declaration had included the formation of a working group open to all Summit participants to prepare recommendations on how best to implement the decisions contained in the declaration. That working group had met Thursday and Friday in Washington, D.C. The United Nations was represented at the working group's meeting by Hans Corell, Under- Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel. Mr. Corell had made available to participants all United Nations documents pertaining to the combat of terrorism. Another meeting, at the level of Foreign Ministers, is expected to take place later this month, probably in Luxembourg.
There were no new payments to the United Nations regular budget to announce today, Mr. Fawzi said. However, the overall amount owed to the United Nations had dropped slightly, from $3 billion to $2.9 billion, of which $1.2 billion corresponded to the regular budget and $1.7 billion to peace- keeping. The drop reflected several payments, including a sizeable one from France of approximately $36.5 million. So far this year, 44 of the 185 Member States had paid their dues in full, he added.
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 2 April 1996
The United Nations Daily Highlights were suspended from 7 to 18 March because of staff cuts, Mr. Fawzi told correspondents. That service, usually handled by the Dissemination Unit, was now the responsibility of the Central News Service. The Daily Highlights were updated daily at 6 p.m. New York time and were being posted on-line as well, now in a more user-friendly format which required fewer clicks of the mouse than previously.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea had addressed a letter to Yasushi Akashi, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, requesting a new humanitarian inter-agency appeal for food and other urgent needs, as large parts of the country were still suffering from last summer's severe floods, Mr. Fawzi went on. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs had initiated the consulting procedure involving all bodies concerned, including the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Last time, the target had been set at $54 million, but only some 45 per cent of that sum was actually achieved.
Mr. Fawzi then announced that copies of the report of Jose Ayala Lasso, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, were available in the Spokesman's office. The report, which ran about 50 pages, had been released in Geneva last week.
An award for excellence on stories concerning women's issues related to HIV/AIDS, was being offered in a joint programme by the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the Family Health Aids and Control Program, Mr. Fawzi said. Interested correspondents should submit a story already published in a newspaper, magazine or journal; particulars were available in the Spokesman's office.
Mr. Fawzi then informed correspondents that the father of Spokesman Sylvana Foa, Joseph Victor Foa, had passed away yesterday in Bethesda. Dr. Foa had reached 86 years of age, and his last position in a long and very distinguished career was as Engineering Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University, where he had taught from 1969 to 1980. The Secretary-General and the Spokesman's Office expressed their deepest condolences to Ms. Foa and the Foa family. There was an article in the obituaries section of today's Washington Post on the matter.
Asked if the Secretary-General's report on Chechnya was out yet, Mr. Fawzi replied that because of a slight delay in Geneva, it had not yet been issued, but it was expected out at any moment, perhaps early this afternoon. The Spokesman's Office was in touch with Geneva and would inform correspondents as soon as it was available.
Was there any information as to the level of the delegations in the oil- for-food talks next Monday? Not at the moment, Mr. Fawzi said. They were still at the technical level.
The United States delegation was still "unhappy" with the cuts at the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), a correspondent said. The Deputy Spokesman noted that there was "no question of further cuts in DPI"
Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 2 April 1996
since the approval of the biennium budget. "It's finalized, finished, gone", Mr. Fawzi emphasized. "Then they asked for further cuts which were reflected in the present report", he added. The DPI in particular was going to make some further reductions in its expenditures, amounting to at least $7.2 million of the required total of $154 million, as already noted. Mr. Fawzi reminded correspondents that all reductions were mandated by the General Assembly, and "every single scope of activity has a budget for it: if you cut the budget, you cut the activity". In addition to the reductions in staff, there would inevitably be reductions in programme activities.
How could the insistence of the United States delegate, who had mentioned it again in the Fifth Committee last week, he explained? the correspondent asked. Mr. Fawzi referred the correspondent to the United States delegation itself, as he was not privy to those discussions.
Discussions on the International Tribunal were going on in the Secretariat; what was the Secretary-General's position on the death penalty? a correspondent asked. Mr. Fawzi said he had not yet had a chance to ask the Secretary-General about that particular issue.
In the report of 6 February, the total sum of the budget cuts seemed to be the same as in the present report, so what was the difference between the two? Did the new report pinpoint the departments? a correspondent asked. Mr. Fawzi said that the 6 February report acknowledged that the General Assembly had required the Secretary-General to make cuts to the tune of $104 million in one area and $50 million in another, totalling $154 million; the present report said "basically how we are going to do it". It specified the estimated reductions by section and department and the impact they wold have in each area.
For example, Mr. Fawzi continued, in the DPI, the preliminary reduction was between $7.2 million and $8 million, the impact of which would mean greater selectivity in the frequency of radio programmes; integration of information centres with UNDP in full consultation with the host countries concerned; reduction in the promotion and marketing of videos and radio programmes; curtailment in Audio Bulletin Board services; distribution of news scripts and statements to radio producers; and postponement of the plan to upgrade exhibits along the guided tour route; as well as the proposed purchase of an exhibits system.
Was it still a 10 per cent staff cut? the correspondent asked. Yes,
Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 2 April 1996
approximately so, Mr. Fawzi said, and reminded correspondents that Mr. Connor would give a briefing in room 226 at 4:30 p.m.
In response to a question as to whether Mr. Connor could brief the press earlier in the day, Mr. Fawzi said he was aware of the problems caused by correspondents' deadlines, but that regrettably it was Mr. Connor's responsibility to brief Member States before speaking to the press and he already had three sessions scheduled prior to his meeting with correspondents. Unfortunately, the same problem would come up on Wednesday with Carl Bildt, the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who would speak with the press at 5 p.m.
Was the Secretary-General satisfied with what was going on in the Fifth Committee concerning the United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) and the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH)? "Nobody's satisfied with what's going on with MINUGUA and MICIVIH, none of us are, and least of all the Secretary General", the Deputy Spokesman answered. "We are being asked to do the impossible with very limited resources. We're being told 'run your operations with the existing budgets or the resources', whereas the resources don't exist. We are going to have to sacrifice certain programmes in order to cover the costs of MICIVIH and MINUGUA." Mr. Fawzi added that whatever had happened in the Fifth Committee was not yet final, and he urged correspondents to put events in that context; all decisions taken had yet to go through the "informals", from there to the final meeting of the Fifth Committee and then to the General Assembly, where a decision would be taken or a resolution passed. "In the meantime we are coping as well as we can", Mr. Fawzi said. The General Assembly and the Fifth Committee had told the Secretariat to continue funding MICIVIH, MINUGUA and other missions through the regular budget and to report back at the end of May. "So then we are going to say, here's the crunch. We can't do it any more without cutting back on X, Y and Z programmes, or closing down those missions."
Had the size of the missions been reduced already? the correspondent asked. Reductions were in progress, Mr. Fawzi said.
Was there any information on the expansion of the Security Council? That was a question for the General Assembly, Mr. Fawzi noted. The debate would continue for a long time, possibly years. The correspondent asked if there was a working group on that subject. Mr. Fawzi said that there was and that he would check whether it was in session with the spokesperson for the Assembly President.
What was happening to people in DPI on contracts, a correspondent asked, noting that the Spokesman's office was losing staff. Short-term temporary contracts that were awarded after 1995 were not being renewed, Mr. Fawzi said. Other staff was being offered buy-outs and early retirement packages; much would hopefully be achieved through attrition.
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