DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19960403
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Ahmad Fawzi, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told correspondents at today's noon briefing that events in the Balkans regarding the disappearance of the plane carrying United States Commerce Secretary Ron Brown were being followed very closely. As there were still no details as to what exactly had happened there, an announcement would be made only when more conclusive information had been received. Mr. Fawzi also informed correspondents that his briefing would be followed by the presentation by the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary- General in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Coordinator of United Nations activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iqbal Riza.
The Secretary-General, on the first day of his official visit to Japan, met with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto today for wide-ranging talks in the international arena, Mr. Fawzi said. He also met with the Foreign Minister, Yukihiko Ikeda, for a detailed review of issues confronting the United Nations. (See Press Release SG/T/2042 issued today).
The Secretary-General expressed the United Nations appreciation of Japan's multifaceted support in many different fields, including peace-keeping operations, democratization, disarmament and humanitarian assistance, Mr. Fawzi noted. Other issues discussed included the United Nations financial situation, the reform of the Security Council, Japan's participation in peace- keeping operations, events in the former Yugoslavia and the evolution of the "food-for-oil" talks between Iraq and the United Nations.
A summary of the Secretary-General's visit to Japan was available in the Spokesman's office, as well as copies of the two speeches he made today in Tokyo. The Secretary-General's visit to Japan would conclude on Friday and he would return to New York on Saturday, Mr. Fawzi said.
Mr. Fawzi reminded correspondents that this coming Friday was a United Nations holiday, but that the Spokesman's office would be staffed, as usual, by its weekend duty personnel, and the building would be open to the public.
Two more Member States had now paid their assessments for the current year in full, the Deputy Spokesman announced. Bahrain ($217,540) and Vietnam ($108,770) were now on the honour roll, having fulfilled their treaty obligations. As of today, 47 Member States, of a total of 185, had paid their arrears in full. The complete list was available in the office of the Spokesman.
There was some unfortunate news from the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), Mr. Fawzi told correspondents. The UNAVEM Force Commander informed Headquarters today that a United Nations vehicle had been ambushed by unknown elements in civilian dress in the Benguela province. Two military observers, from Zimbabwe and Jordan, were killed. A third, from India, was injured. A senior representative of OXFAM, from the United Kingdom, was also killed. A full investigation had been launched and the Department of Peace-keeping Operations was keeping the Secretariat advised of developments.
The prosecutor, the registrar and the members of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda expressed today their deep condolences to the people of Rwanda on the second anniversary of the genocide that took place in that country, starting 6 April 1994. A press release, issued in Kigali, was available. The text includes the following appeal: "We call on the international community to ensure that the Tribunal is adequately resourced and financed and is able to carry out the important mandate by the Security Council at the request of the Government of Rwanda". The spokesman pointed out that as of 15 March, the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia were owed $9.5 million by Member States.
Yesterday, the Fifth Committee made several decisions concerning the financing of the International Civil Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) and the United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which would now be considered by the General Assembly. The Assembly was also addressed today by the President of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, who in his speech was "extremely supportive" of the United Nations and called upon Member States to fulfil their treaty obligations, Mr. Fawzi said. The Italian President was now meeting with members of the Security Council. A copy of his speech was available to correspondents.
Today, the Security Council was taking up the Secretary-General's report on his Special Envoy's mission to Sudan, based on resolution 1044 (1996). The Secretary-General, in his report to the Council following the mission undertaken by his Special Political Adviser, Chinmaya Gharekhan, said the Sudan had not yet complied with the Security Council's demand to extradite to Ethiopia the three individuals accused of trying to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Tomorrow, Thursday, 4 April, a press conference would be held at 11 a.m. in room 226, on the outcome of the fiftieth-sixth session of the Human Rights Committee, with the Chairman of the Committee, Francisco Jose Aguilar Urbina (Costa Rica), and the Special Rapporteur of the Committee, Christine Chanet (France). The Under-Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations, Kofi Annan, would be present at tomorrow's noon briefing, Mr. Fawzi reminded correspondents. Also, today at 5 p.m., the High Representative for the
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 3 April 1996
Implementation of the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Carl Bildt, would meet correspondents in room 226.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague issued two press releases today. The first referred to the detention conditions of General Blaskic; the second announced the issue of international arrest warrants against Mile Mrksic, Miroslav Radic and Veselin Sljivancanin, and also contained a reprimand to Belgrade authorities for the refusal of that Government to cooperate with the Tribunal. Both documents were available in the Spokesman's office.
The General Assembly today was also discussing the situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti, the Report of the Secretary-General (A/50/861 and Add.1), the letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the General Assembly (A/50/891) and the report from the Fifth Committee (A/50/913). (See Press Release GA/9054 issued today).
Finally, the spokesman told correspondents that the Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) was on the racks, as document S/1996/225.
In response to a question on whether there were any United Nations officials travelling with United States Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, Mr. Fawzi said that to the best of his knowledge there were none.
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Note:In the Daily Press Briefing of 2 April, the fifth paragraph on page two should have read as follows: The financial measures being taken by the Secretary-General had been described today in some news reports as "a milestone in the history of the United Nations." Mr. Fawzi commented that he hoped those measures "would not become a millstone around the neck of this Organization that would bring it to its knees," adding "we need these missions and we need to inject them with fresh blood, resuscitate them and keep them alive."