HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE HEARS PRELIMINARY REPORT ON RESPONSES BY PERMANENT MISSIONS TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON HEALTH CARE MATTERS

Press Release
HQ/566

HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE HEARS PRELIMINARY REPORT ON RESPONSES BY PERMANENT MISSIONS TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON HEALTH CARE MATTERS

According to a preliminary analysis of responses to a questionnaire on health care matters, a number of permanent missions to the United Nations had expressed interest in having group or individual medical insurance made available to their staff, the Committee on Relations with the Host Country was told this afternoon as it discussed the problems of claims of financial indebtedness by diplomats.

The Chairman of the Committee, Nicos Agathocleous (Cyprus) said that a majority of the missions that had expressed their interest in medical insurance coverage, had indicated that a group insurance plan would be more appealing to their needs. In addition, some missions had said that they were interested in a plan which would also provide for dental care. The responses to the questionnaire would be further analysed by the Committee's Working Group on Indebtedness, the Chairman said.

The representative of the United States thanked the Chairman for his preliminary report on responses by Member States to the questionnaire on health care issues. He was encouraged by the responses and was deeply interested in the data. In the last two years a lot of work had been done on the problem of indebtedness of missions or their personnel, a substantial amount of which was related to health care issues. A questionnaire on medical insurance was thus a good way to address that problem. He asked for copies of the preliminary report.

The representative of the United Kingdom requested that the Chairman provide Committee members with statistical information mentioned in his preliminary report on responses to the questionnaire on health care issues.

The representative of Côte d'Ivoire said he knew of several missions that had not submitted their responses. He called for follow-up information on the questionnaire.

The Committee was also informed by the Chairman that he would apprise Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of the City of New York on issues of common interest to the diplomatic community at the Mayor's reception to celebrate the Committee's twenty-fifth anniversary on 21 October.

Host Country Relations - 2 - Press Release HQ/566 177th Meeting (PM) 3 October 1996

Also this afternoon, at the request of the Permanent Mission of Cuba, the Chairman drew attention to the following documents: A/AC.154/291, 292 and Corr.1, and 294; and also documents A/AC.154/293 and 295 issued at the request of the United States. He also mentioned a letter from the Permanent Representative of Nigeria contained in document A/AC.154/296.

The representative of Cuba, participating as an observer, drew attention to the various letters her Government had exchanged with the Permanent Mission of the United States as the host country. She hoped the letters would be properly reflected in the Committee's report to the General Assembly, particularly letters dealing with the street sign reading "Brothers to the Rescue Corner" located in the vicinity of Cuba's Permanent Mission and with an incident at the John F. Kennedy Airport involving Cuba's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Mr. Agathocleous, the Chairman, said it was his understanding that the Committee's report would duly reflect, as in previous years, all issues brought before its attention. He assured the Cuban representative that her country's concerns would therefore be reflected in the report.

The Committee's next meeting will be announced.

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