In progress at UNHQ

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

10 June 1996



Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

19960610 FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY

Ahmad Fawzi, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said that the Secretary-General, who was in Geneva, had met with the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Vladimir Petrovsky. He had also met with the Minister for Industry and Labour of Comoros, Mahadi Ahamada, and with the Chairman of the International Law Commission, Ahmed Mahiou (Algeria). The Commission is currently holding its forty-eighth session in Geneva and is focusing on a draft code of crimes against the peace and security of mankind. The session, which began on 6 May, will continue until 26 July. The Secretary-General had also met with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, José Ayala-Lasso, Mr. Fawzi said. In the evening, he would host a dinner in honour of Glafcos Clerides, President of Cyprus. Recalling that the Secretary-General had attended the opening of the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul last week, and that he had paid an official visit to Ankara three days prior to the Conference, Mr. Fawzi said the Secretary-General would return to Istanbul tomorrow to attend the summit level meeting of Habitat II. In addition to the Secretary-General and the President of Turkey, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan were expected to address the plenary of the Conference. The Presidents of Kenya, Uganda, Romania, Poland, Israel, Bulgaria and Zaire would also address the high-level segment, as well as the heads of government of the Kyrgyz Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Djibouti, Burundi and Armenia. The Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania was also expected to address the Conference. Referring to the murder last week in Burundi of one Italian and two Swiss members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mr. Fawzi said the United Nations agencies planned to suspend their operations for one day in solidarity with the ICRC and their condemnation of the killings. Twenty-eight non-governmental organizations had also agreed to suspend operations for a week. The ICRC had suspended its work in Burundi at the time of the incident. The Secretary-General had made a statement condemning the killings. Mr. Fawzi said that the technical reconnaissance mission to Iraq, headed by a director in the Department of Political Affairs, Raymond Sommereyns, had visited southern Iraq to inspect oil installations. The mission would also visit oil facilities in the north. It was expected back at Headquarters over the weekend. The Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) had concluded the latest round of peace talks, Mr. Fawzi said. A press release had been issued in Mexico City over the weekend, a

Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 10 June 1996

Spanish copy of which was available in the Spokesman's Office. The next meeting between the two parties was to be held from 21 to 23 June, when there would be a continuation of negotiations on civil-military relations.

The Government of Zaire had addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council requesting an urgent meeting to discuss clashes on the border between Zaire and Uganda, which had reportedly left 30 people killed, Mr. Fawzi said. It was possible that the Council would take up Zaire's request tomorrow.

Announcing that the Secretary-General's regular three-month report on the situation in Tajikistan was available (document S/1996/412), Mr. Fawzi said the mandate of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) would expire on 15 June. In the report, the Secretary-General expresses concern at the deterioration of the situation in Tajikistan, which he says is at its "worst and most volatile" since the end of the civil war in 1992. Large-scale fighting in the Tavildara region has resulted in many human losses, the interruption of communication between the capital and a large part of the country, and a dramatic aggravation of the humanitarian situation of the civilian population. The report raises serious questions regarding the intention and the sincerity of the Tajik parties. On the other hand, the Secretary-General states that the new Special Representative and head of mission in Dushanbe has begun his activities, and his efforts should be given time to show results. The Secretary-General, therefore, recommends that the Council extend the mandate of UNMOT for a further six months.

"Good news on the financial front", Mr. Fawzi said as he announced that the Lao People's Democratic Republic had paid its full balance of $108,770 to the regular budget, making it the seventieth country to honour its treaty obligations to the United Nations.

In response to a question, Mr. Fawzi said he expected that the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Cyprus would be available tomorrow.

Asked if the President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, was scheduled to meet with United Nations officials during her trip to the United States, Mr. Fawzi said that as far as he knew, there were no plans for her to meet any United Nations officials, but he would check. [Subsequent checking with the Protocol Office at Headquarters indicated there were no requests for meetings between Ms. Robinson and United Nations officials.]

Replying to a question about when correspondents would know what the Secretary-General had decided about running for office again, Mr. Fawzi said, "You will know when he is ready to announce it and he is not ready yet. It will take him a couple of months, at least".

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Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 10 June 1996

For information media. Not an official record.