In progress at UNHQ

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

16 January 1997



Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

19970116 FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY

Fred Eckhard, Acting Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing by announcing that Maurice Strong of Canada had been appointed by the Secretary-General as his senior adviser on United Nations reform issues. Mr. Strong would help coordinate the effort to redesign the world Organization for the future, within financial limits that all Member States could support. Mr. Strong had been involved in United Nations environment and development issues since he chaired the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972) and had most recently been focusing on United Nations reform.

The Security Council would not be meeting today on the question of Sierra Leone, as had been announced, Mr. Eckhard said. Its next consultations would probably not be held before Tuesday, 21 January. Reports relating to the extension of peace-keeping mandates in Georgia and southern Lebanon were in the pipeline; the current mandates of those two missions expired at the end of the month.

Mr. Eckhard said the World Health Organization (WHO) had today announced that the transmission of Chagas disease, a chronic and incurable parasitic disease that could cause disability and death, had been virtually eliminated in Brazil. A WHO press release on the subject was available.

Among the Secretary-General's appointments today was an 11:30 a.m. meeting with the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea, who turned over a check for over $8.7 million, in full payment of his country's 1997 dues, Mr. Eckhard said. Once that payment was confirmed by the contributions section of the Secretariat, the Republic of Korea would become the seventh Member State to have paid its 1997 dues in full and early.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had been informed by the Government of Cameroon that four people indicted by the Tribunal would soon be extradited for trial, Mr. Eckhard said.

Mr. Eckhard then drew attention to a press release concerning the United Nations Compensation Commission, which states that the Commission would be receiving $20 million today, following the implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995) and the resumption of Iraqi oil exports. On Wednesday, 22 January, the Chairman of the Commission was to make a video presentation to the Security Council on the Commission's work to date. Efforts were also under way to have the same video screened for correspondents on that day. It was around 20 minutes long.

A correspondent said it was his understanding that China was holding secret talks with the Government of Guatemala regarding its recent veto in the Security Council. What was the procedure for resubmitting that item to the Council? Mr. Eckhard said that, in concluding the Council's most recent meeting on the question -- during which China cast a veto -- the President said the Council had concluded the current stage of its consideration of the matter. That indicated that the matter was still open.

Continuing, he said there had been bilateral discussions, and the Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Marrack Goulding had attempted to facilitate those contacts. One of the options available now was to go back to the Council with the choice of whether to approve a United Nations military mission for implementing the accords.

Do you have any update on the fighting between Sudan and Ethiopia, between the rebels there? a correspondent asked. Had it been established that the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was involved? Mr. Eckhard said he had no guidance on that matter today. There was to have been a briefing of the Security Council on that subject yesterday, under the heading of "other matters". He would check with the Department of Political Affairs for additional information.

Responding to another question, he confirmed that Maurice Strong had been on the thirty-eighth floor for a few months, working on reform. However, he would now be a member of the Secretary-General's staff and his principal adviser on reform. He would also be the coordinator of the major effort that the Secretary-General would be undertaking throughout the year. His salary would be $1 per year. Asked if Mr. Strong would continue as adviser to the President of the World Bank, Mr. Eckhard said Mr. Strong had disengaged from his World Bank commitments in order to accept this appointment.

So this is a full-time position, as opposed to the previous part-time involvement? a correspondent asked. "That's correct", Mr. Eckhard said. Asked for the duration of the assignment, he said he believed the initial appointment was for one year, but he would have to check. Asked if Mr. Strong had advocated something which showed that "he is the man on reform", Mr. Eckhard said the issue was not so much Mr. Strong's views, but those of the Secretary-General and then what Member States could agree on. That was the work of the next few months -- building a consensus on the Organization's future.

"How does somebody live on a dollar a year?" a correspondent asked. "Is he a wealthy man? Or does he have another salary coming from somewhere else?". Mr. Eckhard said Mr. Strong had earned his living well over many years. He had been a successful businessman who, in his later years, had devoted a fair amount of time to public service activities. Responding to

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 16 January 1997

another question, he said Mr. Strong's biographical note would have to be updated; the most recent one, dating from 1990, was available in the Spokesman's office.

A correspondent drew attention to a general strike which he said was paralysing Haiti. Those involved were calling for the removal of the current Government and of the United Nations, he said. Asked for comment, Mr. Eckhard said he did not have any information on the matter. The news received today from Haiti had concerned a personnel matter.

The correspondent went on to say that Canada had just removed one of its commanders in Haiti, citing human rights violations. Mr. Eckhard said it was his understanding that the person concerned had been the commander of the Canadian contingent which was attached to, but not an integral part of, the peace-keeping mission. "These were the additional troops that Canada provided; so it's purely a Canadian military disciplinary matter, and we won't comment on it."

"You don't tell us much about peace-keeping missions on the ground", a correspondent said. Was that because the missions did not report to Headquarters, or did that represent a new policy? An example was the situation in the Prevlaka peninsula, where the Croatian side was bringing more arms in the demilitarized zone. "It was mentioned in the Secretary-General's report, but it was not mentioned here", she said.

Responding, Mr. Eckhard said he tried to assess the news value of what he brought to the briefing. There had been no decision not to report on peace-keeping. The question was whether matters such as the one just mentioned were of interest to the press corps at Headquarters. "We continue to get the normal reporting from 16 different peace-keeping missions -- voluminous reporting. I can take 10 minutes of your time every day to bring you up to date on these missions, but in my judgement, there wasn't anything of particular interest today."

There was someone in the Spokesman's office who specialized in peace- keeping missions and read every cable that came in on the matter, Mr. Eckhard said. "So the information is there. If you want more, just let me know."

Asked how long the correspondents would have to stay without mail, Mr. Eckhard said mail delivery had resumed yesterday after an interruption the day before. On being told that the journalists' mail boxes were still locked, he said he would have to look into the matter. Another correspondent said the journalists' mail boxes were just being cleared out today, four days after the scare. Asked why it had taken so long, Mr. Eckhard said he did not know.

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For information media. Not an official record.