DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19970108
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with the Security Council this morning to discuss the situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa, Acting Spokesman Fred Eckhard told correspondents at today's noon briefing. Mr. Annan told Council members that, because the situation there was still very dangerous, he was now inclined to appoint a special representative for the region rather than name a special envoy for another exploratory mission. Accordingly, the Secretary-General had asked the Secretariat to formulate a detailed proposal along those lines which he would present shortly to the Council.
After meeting with the Council, the Secretary-General had told correspondents that he would visit Washington, D.C. on 23 January to meet with United States President William Clinton, Mr. Eckhard continued. Mr. Annan would stay in Washington through 24 January, for meetings with members of the United States Congress, possibly non-governmental organizations and other activities.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda would take up the case of Jean Paul Akayesu tomorrow, hearing testimony from witnesses for the first time, Mr. Eckhard said. Mr. Akayesu had pleaded guilty last May to crimes against humanity and genocide, which had taken place in Rwanda between April and June 1994. The Government of Rwanda had already tried two individuals in connection with the genocide of 1994, but the Tribunal's statute, which accords primacy of jurisdiction to the Tribunal over national courts, also recognized the concurrent jurisdiction of national courts. So, there was no conflict between the two trials, Mr. Eckhard added.
Arbitration on the status of Brcko, a town in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, was scheduled to begin in Rome today, Mr. Eckhard said. Brcko's status had not been resolved at the Dayton peace talks and the parties had agreed instead to an arbitration process. The United Nations would not play any role in that process.
Although payment of assessments for the United Nations 1997 regular budget were not due until the end of January, two more cheques had been sent in by Member States, Mr. Eckhard said. Kuwait had paid just over $2 million and Sweden just over $13 million.
Continuing, Mr. Eckhard said Humanitarian News, a periodical published by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, was available today. It wrapped up the recently launched consolidated appeals for several countries -- the Great Lakes region of Africa flash appeal, and those for the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Somalia and Liberia. The bulletin also included updates on natural and technical disasters.
Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 8 January 1997
A correspondent asked whether the Secretary-General's cabinet would be in place by the time of his Washington visit. Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General had estimated he would complete all senior appointments by the end of February and expected his senior staff to be in place by the end of January. So, it was possible that by the time of Mr. Annan's Washington visit on 23 January, he would not have completed all his senior staff appointments.
The correspondent asked for clarification on the difference between senior staff and senior appointments. Mr. Eckhard replied that senior staff were those appointed to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. Senior appointments referred to senior officers, at the assistant and under-secretary-general level, such as heads of departments of the Secretariat.
Would the Secretary-General continue to meet with the press following his meetings with the Security Council? a correspondent asked. The Secretary-General had pledged to be more open with correspondents, Mr. Eckhard said, adding that he would certainly recommend to the Secretary-General that he "stop at the microphone" outside the Council Chamber. Mr. Annan had told Council members that he planned to spend more time with them. It was part of his process of "opening up the system which will have benefits not only to those of us who work in it but you who cover it", Mr. Eckhard said.
A correspondent asked if the Secretary-General would have any reform plans "in hand" when he visited Washington. Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General had held discussions on the subject of reform with Member States and he had staff working on it, analysing and extracting "common threads" from the many reform recommendations. But it would be a matter of months before he could weave those into a coherent package that he would then try to build a consensus on among Member States in all regions.
A correspondent said there seemed to be a sense following the Secretary-General's meeting with United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher last night, that the Secretary-General and the Clinton Administration did not agree exactly on what reform should be. Mr. Eckhard replied that the Secretary-General's discussions with Member States on the elements of reform had not advanced to the point where he could be described as having agreements or disagreements with any Member State.
Mr. Eckhard said he would like to emphasize, in light of some media reports on the meeting last night between the Secretary-General and Mr. Christopher, that it was, in fact, "extremely cordial and positive and upbeat". The United States had described the meeting as a "courtesy call" and the State Department spokesman had briefed correspondents on some of what Mr. Christopher had told the Secretary-General. They had not had a detailed discussion of reform issues and there had certainly not been any clashes or tension in the meeting, Mr. Eckhard added.
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