In progress at UNHQ

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

27 June 1996



Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

19960627 FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY

Sylvana Foa, the Spokesman for Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, began today's noon briefing by announcing that the Secretary-General was in Geneva. He would leave Geneva tomorrow morning for Lyon to attend the "Group of Seven" summit.

Today, in Geneva, the Secretary-General had chaired the eighth round of talks on East Timor. He began the day's talks with a private meeting with the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas. Later, he held another private meeting with the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Jaime Jose Matos da Gama. Following that, the Secretary-General met with both Foreign Ministers. The meeting lasted for six hours.

A communiqué issued at the close of the talks was available in the Spokesman's Office, Ms. Foa said. "It is written in a language which you would need a Ph.D in UNese to understand." However, the bottom line was that the parties had discussed developments since the last round of talks, held last January, and that they agreed to continue their efforts, with the assistance of the Secretary-General, to find a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable settlement to the question of East Timor. They also agreed that the ninth round of talks would be held on 21 December in New York. In the interim, talks will continue at the level of the Permanent Representatives.

Ms. Foa then announced that the Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) would be issued today. In the report, the Secretary-General gave an optimistic assessment of the situation in Eastern Slavonia. The UNTAES had achieved significant progress in the implementation of its mandate and had contributed to the gradual normalization of relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The region's demilitarization had been completed with relative ease even though the local population had retained quantities of small arms and ammunition because they were nervous about their future security.

To build further confidence among the local population, the Secretary- General recommended an extension of the military observers' mandate until 15 January 1997, she said. The current mandate expires on 30 July. The mission had a ceiling of 100 military observers, 99 of which were on the ground. The report stated further that the easy part of the mission's mandate -- demilitarization -- had been completed. The more difficult part -- reconciling the former warring parties, facilitating the return of refugees and rebuilding a multiethnic society -- must now be implemented.

The region faced a precarious financial situation, particularly following the closure of the Djeletovci oil field. In the report, the Secretary-General asked Member States for increased contributions to UNTAES to allow the mission to increase public services, carry out demining and provide employment for former combatants. The deployment of the mission's military component had been completed on 5 May. The total military strength was currently close to the authorized level of 5,000 troops and personnel in support units. "All is well in Eastern Slavonia, but money is lacking", she said.

Ms. Foa then informed correspondents that the Under-Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations, Kofi Annan, had arrived in Beirut yesterday. Today, he had met with the Commander of the Lebanese Army, General Emile Lahoud, the Lebanese Minister of Defence, Mohsen Dalloul, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabi Berry and the Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri. This afternoon, he was scheduled to meet with the Lebanese Foreign Minister, Fares Bouez. Tomorrow morning, he would meet with the Lebanese President, Elias Hraoui. Mr. Annan would then visit the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon where he would spend Friday afternoon and Saturday.

The head of the Iraqi delegation to the oil-for-food talks, Abdul Amir Al-Anbari, was expected at Headquarters at 6 p.m. today to meet with the Secretary-General's Senior Adviser, Chinmaya Gharekhan, Ms. Foa said. Mr. Al- Anbari was expected to bring Iraq's plan for the distribution of humanitarian supplies under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between Iraq and the United Nations as part of the implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995). Iraq's plan was reportedly more that 700 pages long and would be sent to the Legal Office and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs for them to look over. Ms. Foa informed correspondents that she had transmitted their requests for a "photo-op" with Mr. Al-Anbari but she had not yet received an answer.

On a related issue, Ms. Foa said her Office had asked for an update on the preparation of the draft procedures on the distribution of humanitarian supplies by the Sanctions Committee. She had been informed that the Committee was making progress with that complex task. [Those procedures were required by Security Council resolution 986 (1995) as a means by which the Sanctions Committee would monitor the sale of Iraqi oil and the sale to Iraq, and the arrival, of humanitarian supplies there.]

Ms. Foa then announced that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)'s report on the downing of planes by the Cuban Air Force was still not available. It was expected to be sent to the Secretary-General before 29 June for transmission to the Security Council. At that time, it should also be made available to correspondents.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 27 June 1996

Today, the Security Council was discussing the Secretary-General's report on United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and his good offices mission to that country. The Council was expected to take action on those reports today and grant a six-month renewal to UNFICYP. The Council would also discuss the mandate of United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) which would expire on Sunday, 30 June. "It looks as though they were going to go right down to the line" as no action was expected on UNMIH until tomorrow.

Ms. Foa reminded correspondents that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Peace Academy would host a two-day conference entitled "Healing the Wounds: Refugees, Reconstruction and Reconciliation", on Sunday, 30 June and Monday, 1 July at Princeton University. The conference would focus on the transition from conflict to peace and the processes of rehabilitation and reconciliation that facilitate the return of refugees as well as the lessons to be learned from the refugee crises in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. One of its objectives is to generate ideas to guide future policy and practice in assisting refugees. Speakers and participants would include the High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, the President of the International Peace Academy, Olara Otunnu, and the Chairman of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, James Jonah.

All correspondents were invited to the conference, Ms. Foa said. Anyone interested in taking the shuttle leaving from Headquarters on Sunday morning should call Jennifer at extension 3-5228.

Ms. Foa then announced that the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) would hold a meeting in the UNCA Club at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the trip to Nicosia and Beirut which was now scheduled for 6 to 16 July.

Ms. Foa also announced that the Independent Commission on Population and Quality of Life would launch their report, entitled "Caring for the Future", at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Delegates Dining Room. The report stated that nations should accelerate progress towards stabilizing the world's population by massive efforts in health, education and the use of development assistance.

Asked about the Commission's status, Ms. Foa said it was a non- governmental organization.

Another correspondent asked if the Secretary-General would hold a teleconference on the re-election issue while he was still away from Headquarters. She replied that the Spokesman's Office had tried to arrange the teleconference last week but it had not been possible. However, she would try to arrange it but was not promising to do so. She added that she felt that it was not the best means of communicating, despite the technological advances made in teleconferencing.

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 27 June 1996

A correspondent asked what would be the role of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) if the Security Council decided that Jerusalem was an occupied city. Ms. Foa said the issue of Jerusalem's status had nothing to do with UNTSO, which was a peace-keeping operation. The mission deployed military observers at observation points in areas where troops of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were not deployed. They had units along the Golan Heights as well as in Beirut, Damascus and Ismailiya.

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For information media. Not an official record.