DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19961118
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Sylvana Foa, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing by saying that the Director of the New York Liaison Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Enrique Aguilar, was joining today's briefing. Yesterday, UNIDO had celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Instead of dragging correspondents in on Sunday to join the party, Mr. Aguilar had come today to tell the press that reports of UNIDO's impending demise were greatly exaggerated.
Today was a very, very quiet news day, Ms. Foa joked. Nothing whatsoever was happening in the Building. "We understand that the Security Council met this morning", Ms. Foa said. "They locked themselves in; we're not sure why. The meeting has something to do with the renewal of some obscure mandate, we're not sure which one. We understand that they will be reconvening again at about 12:30 p.m. Anyway, whether the meeting was on the mandate of UNTAES or UNIKOM or whatever, I'm sure they will accept the recommendation of the Secretary-General on the matter, as they usually do", she laughed.
Ms. Foa went on to say that this morning the Secretary-General had convened a United Nations meeting on Afghanistan. Attending the meeting were representatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and of the following 19 countries: China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyz Republic, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The meeting, being held in Conference Room 6, was closed. She did not have the Secretary-General's opening remarks, but the idea of the meeting was to bring together countries of the region and those countries which had influence in Afghanistan. That included countries who had influence owing to their geographic proximity, their roles in the region, their wealth, their commitment to humanitarian assistance, as well as their commitment to helping Afghanistan find peace.
The point of the meeting was to underline the fact that there could be no military solution to the Afghan problem, Ms. Foa continued. The participants would be discussing what steps the United Nations had taken to achieve peace in Afghanistan. They would also work to identify the kinds of help Member States, particularly those taking part in the meeting, could provide to the United Nations in support of its effort in Afghanistan. Ms. Foa said that also attending the meeting were "our dynamo", Norbert Holl, head of the Special Mission to Afghanistan; Marrack Goulding, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs; and Yasushi Akashi, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. Although it was an all-day meeting, it was hoped a progress report would be available in the afternoon.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., the Secretary-General would launch a United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Flash Appeal for the Great Lakes Region, in response to the crisis in eastern Zaire. He was asking for $259.3 million in urgently needed humanitarian assistance for eastern Zaire for the period 1 November 1996 to 31 January 1997.
In his statement to donors, the Secretary-General would say that the conflict had, over the past few weeks, led to the dispersal of more than 1.25 million refugees. He would go on to say that the "mass movement of people within and across the borders of Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi, as well as of other neighbouring countries, underscores the regional dimension of this humanitarian crisis. At present, there are also 250,000 internally displaced persons in Zaire and another 500,000 conflict-affected Zairians", in addition to the refugees. He would note that the Appeal had been prepared in collaboration with all United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations operational in the region. He would urge all governments to respond to the Appeal generously and without delay.
Ms. Foa said the Secretary-General would also mention the Security Council authorization of the deployment of a multinational force. He would say that the force would enable the immediate return of humanitarian organizations to the area and the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid, and would facilitate the voluntary repatriation of refugees.
"So, what's happening in Zaire?", Ms. Foa asked. She said she had received a report that by this morning the flow of refugees had slowed from a pace of 15,000 an hour yesterday to about 5,000 an hour. So far, more than 500,000 people had returned to Rwanda from Zaire. It was reported that the group of refugees trickling across the border now were those who had been hiding in the forest around the Virunga mountain, the volcano north of Mugunga. People who had fled Kahindo and Katale were now gathering in the Mugunga camp waiting for buses to pick them up. Many among that group were elderly and many were sick. So far, about 2,500 people had been bussed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from Mugunga to Gisenyi. Those refugees had told the United Nations that there were many more people still behind them who were too weak to make the trek. The United Nations needed to go and check on their condition. Local residents were informing the United Nations that the Interahamwe and remnants of the former Rwandan Army and their families had moved further to the west. This group was estimated at between 120,000 and 150,000.
The main head of the refugee column had moved 70 kilometres into Rwanda, Ms. Foa said. Moving on foot, refugees had reached the town of Ruhengeri. UNHCR personnel were reporting that the refugees looked exhausted. Some had sores and bleeding feet from walking for days on volcanic terrain. The hospitals were treating people for bullet and shrapnel wounds. A total of 1,050 children had been abandoned, orphaned or separated from their mothers during the trek. The children were being held in the Nkamira transit centre.
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 18 November 1996
Refugees who had not made it across the border last night had settled down and built camp-fires, cooked evening meals and slept by the roadside under plastic sheeting given out by the United Nations. A sea of plastic sheets had been left along the road. It had rained most of yesterday, but the weather had improved last night from the night before. People were building their strength to keep going.
The United Nations was not doing any food distribution along the read, except for high-protein biscuits, Ms. Foa said. The World Food Programme (WFP) had determined that would be impossible. Instead, food was being brought directly to communes to which people were returning. Within 48 hours, the WFP expected to begin a two-week food distribution programme from within the villages, rather than on the roads.
"What's happening with our multinational force?", Ms. Foa continued. "Well, we've gotten some complaints from countries that say they had not been adequately consulted about the modalities of the proposed force." The responsibility for consulting Member States on all matters regarding the force rested with those countries willing to participate in the operation; especially, "our heroes", Canada, which had agreed to lead it. Last Thursday, 14 November, the Permanent Representative of Canada, Robert R. Fowler, had invited all interested parties, including countries of the region and the observer for the Organization of African Unity (OAU), to meetings in the Economic and Social Council Chamber to discuss the multinational force. Lieutenant-General Maurice Baril of Canada, who would command the force, attended the meetings and answered many questions. "So", said Ms. Foa, "I don't know what anybody is complaining about."
The United Nations Secretariat was doing its part, she said. Security Council resolution 1078 (1996), on preparations for the multinational force, had instructed the United Nations to work in close cooperation with the OAU. The United Nations and the OAU were in contact almost daily, and the OAU received all documentation received by the United Nations.
"Where is General Baril?" asked Ms. Foa. He was arriving in Kigali today. He would be assessing the situation on the ground to see if there would be any need to adjust the plan. He was then expected to attend the troop-contributors meeting in Stuttgart, Germany, on Thursday, 21 November. Obviously, with the massive return of refugees, priority would also be focused on the human rights protection of the returnees, to ensure that they felt confident about returning to their home villages.
José Ayala-Lasso, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was still at Headquarters today, Ms. Foa said. He was holding consultations on the situation in the Great Lakes region with senior United Nations officials. He was scheduled to meet today with Under-Secretary-General for Peace-Keeping Operations Kofi Annan, and later in the week with Under- Secretary-General Goulding.
Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 18 November 1996
To date, no contributions had been made to the Voluntary Trust Fund established to support African participation in the multinational force, Ms. Foa said. However, some countries had indicated that they were interested in providing financial contributions to it. An appeal for contributions to the Fund might be needed.
Ms. Foa then announced that Zimbabwe had become the ninety-fifth Member State to pay its 1996 regular budget contributions -- of $108,770 -- in full. "Now, only 90 Member States to go." However, the United Nations was still owed $2.5 billion of which $.7 billion is for the regular budget and the rest for peace-keeping. Tomorrow, the General Assembly would hold a tribute to Ahmed Zaki, Permanent Representative of Maldives, who died on Friday. All day tomorrow, the United Nations flag would be flown at half-mast.
A correspondent asked if it was dangerous to allow Canada to define or design a new concept of peace-keeping operations independently. Ms. Foa said that many, many meetings had been held during the past year with the Department of Peace-keeping Operations on the concept of rapid deployment forces, particularly in the context of a humanitarian emergency. The concept had been kicked around for some time. It could not be said that Canada was being left to define the concept on its own, as Canada had been in close consultation with most troop-contributing nations. Of course, Canada had a great deal of peace-keeping experience, having participated in nearly 50 missions. "We've all been working on this for a long time, and different missions must be adapted to changing situations", Ms. Foa said.
A correspondent asked for specific information regarding the Secretary- General's report on the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) (documents S/1996/813 and Add.1). Juan Carlos Brandt of the Spokesman's Office said the report did not accuse the Dominican Republic of conspiring against Haiti. The report referred to the fact that elements of the former Government had moved to neighbouring countries, and the United Nations and the international community were concerned that those former elements could create instability in Haiti.
Asked if Canada had been the first to propose the multinational force, Ms. Foa said the need for a United Nations force had been made clear in various Security Council resolutions, beginning with resolution 1078 (1996). Although it was clear that something had to be done, it was Canada that "put its hand up" and agreed to lead the force.
If the nomination of Boutros Boutros-Ghali were vetoed in the Security Council today, would he withdraw his name from consideration on future ballots? a correspondent asked. "The Secretary-General has no intention of withdrawing his name", Ms. Foa said. Asked it that would be the case even if he was vetoed, Ms. Foa said, "What's a veto among friends, for goodness' sake".
Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 18 November 1996
Samsiah Abdul-Majid, spokeswoman for General Assembly President Razali Ismail (Malaysia), said that the Assembly Main Committees were now processing many draft texts and revisions of drafts.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) was today considering revised drafts on the following matters: the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament (document A/C.1/51/L.11/Rev.2); consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/51/L.38/Rev.1); the chemical weapons Convention (documents A/C.1/51/L.48/Rev.1 and A/C.1/51/L.49); and the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (document A/C.1/51/L.27/Rev.2).
Ms. Abdul-Majid said the following drafts would be among those to be introduced in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial): net flows and transfer of resources between developing and developed countries (document A/C.2/51/L.26); global financial integration and strengthening collaboration between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions (document A/C.2/51/L.28); the natural resources of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other occupied territories (documents A/C.2/51/L.30); and economic and social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967, and on the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/C.2/51/L.29).
The following drafts were among those being considered in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural): the girl child (document A/C.3/51/L.31); violence against women migrant workers (document A/C.3/51/L.17/Rev.1); improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (document A/C.3/51/L.19*); Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (document A/C.3/51/L.21); and the international Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (document A/C.3/51/L.32). The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), which was beginning its consideration of peace-keeping operations in all its aspects, had before it two related drafts: convention on the safety of United Nations personnel (document A/C.4/51/L.10*); and a comprehensive review of peace-keeping operations (document A/C.4/51/L.9).
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