TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS ON 13 FEBRUARY

Press Release
SG/SM/6156

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS ON 13 FEBRUARY

FRED ECKHARD, Spokesman for the Secretary-General: Good morning. The Secretary-General told you he'd be available to you periodically through the year. His first press conference was, of course, after he was appointed but before he assumed office. So this is his first chance to take your questions on the first six weeks of his tenure as Secretary-General. I think you might like to have a few comments on his efforts at United Nations reform in these six weeks, and then we'll take questions on any subject of interest to you. Mr. Secretary-General?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Thank you very much, Fred. I am very happy to see you all again. One wouldn't think we live in the building together. I used to see more of you than in the past few months.

I know that some feel that the reform process has not moved fast enough. On Monday, at a luncheon with the Security Council members, I apologized to them for not completing the reform in five weeks. The Russian Ambassador was quick to point out that I had had more time than God did. But I also pointed out to him that He had the great advantage of working alone, without committees and without 185 Members. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we are proceeding with the reform. And, I have had the occasion to indicate that it is a process and not an event, and also that change has to be managed.

I am going to lead this process as a Chief Administrative Officer, and I have brought in Mr. Strong to work with me on this. I will undertake those measures which are within my authority in streamlining the Secretariat and improving the managerial processes without waiting for governmental approval. And I have indicated that I will put a report to the membership at the end of July. That report will include all the things we've done from the first of the year till July, and will also make proposals that require governmental approval, and will indicate where we go from there. We have a two-page paper which gives you an idea of some other things we've done, which will be circulated this morning.

I have also established a cabinet-style approach, and I meet twice monthly with all the Under-Secretaries-General and heads of programmes, including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the population programme. In addition, I have created four core groups covering peace and security, humanitarian, development issues, and social and economic matters -— and, of course, human rights, which cuts across all of them. That requires all the Under- Secretaries-General in each cluster, in each group, to meet once a week to harmonize their activities, take decisions where they can, and refer policy issues to me. I think it is a major shift in the way we do business in this house.

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I think, with the streamlining effort, most of you know that I've set the example in my own Office by eliminating three senior adviser posts, and encouraging the Department heads concerned to go down and brief the Security Council on issues that they are dealing with rather than sending a senior official. I think that has also helped open up things a bit. In my own high- level meetings, I invite a head of a Department and a junior officer to come to the meetings, and so the staff feel involved and also feel that they are in control of the projects or the programmes that they are managing.

I have also decided that we should try and reduce documentation by 25 per cent in the course of the year. I would hope that all the Member States will accept this and that programme managers will work with me in achieving that objective.

I think I will pause here and take your questions. As Fred said, they can be on any issue.

QUESTION: At the press briefing earlier this month, Fred Eckhard said that you had had a discussion with Gro Harlem Brundtland. My question to you is: Have you offered Gro Harlem Brundtland a job as your second-in-command?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I did meet Gro Brundtland, whom I respect very much and is a very able leader, not only on the national level but on the international level. I have no deputy post to offer and therefore did not offer her a post. I am on record as saying that I support the creation of a deputy secretary-general's post, and I would look very seriously at a woman candidate.

QUESTION: Do you have other candidates than Gro Harlem Brundtland?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I have no candidates at this stage.

QUESTION: The criticism has not only been that you have moved too slowly, according to some, but that you are relying on old employees, that you are not making bold enough moves, and I am wondering what you think about that criticism.

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the implication here, that old hands or people who are in the house cannot be effective, is something that I do not share. When you look at the team that I came up with, there were two new appointments in important areas of the Departments of Peace-keeping and Political Affairs. There were also several promotions from within, and then continuity for others. So you have three groups: new elements, promotions rewarding talent and competence, and continuity. And as we go on through the year, there will be other changes. And again, I repeat: reform is a process, it is not an event. There will be other changes, and you are going to see that the team that is put together is cohesive, balanced and competent.

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MODERATOR: I violated protocol by not giving the first question to the representative of the Correspondents' Association. Ian Williams, please?

IAN WILLIAMS, representative of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA): I will forgive you, just this once. [To the Secretary- General:] I would like to welcome you on behalf of the correspondents and apologize for our President, Raghida Dergham, who is in Washington and was almost on the verge of coming up, but couldn't make it.

In the context of the newspaper accounts, everybody agrees that the United Nations wants reforms, but you yourself have suggested that there are several different agendas for what reforms are necessary. And one of the fulcrums of this seems to be the role of the Bretton Woods institutions, and it seems for many years now that they have been the tails wagging the dog and that they are supposed to be part of the United Nations system. But the G-7 a year ago was making determined efforts to have them wag the dog and to control the United Nations system in its economic and development aspects. Do you have any strong thoughts on their role within the United Nations system? Will you try to bring them into line and remind who is the tail and who is the dog?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Yes, I think one of the things that I have said right from the beginning is that I am going to try to get the United Nations and its agencies, including the Bretton Woods institutions, to work more as a system. And my early meetings had been with Jim Wolfensohn of the Bank and Michel Camdessus of International Monetary Fund (IMF), and we have agreed to work very closely together. I have also met the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and as we look at the reform and our effort to restructure the economic and social area, we are not limiting ourselves only to the Secretariat per se; we are looking at the United Nations, the funds and the programmes, and, of course, the linkages with the other agencies. And I do expect to be able to engage Jim Wolfensohn, Mr. Camdessus, James Speth and the other units in the economic area much more effectively.

Obviously I'm not going to attempt to reform the whole system in one go; we have to take the problem in manageable chunks. So in the first phase I'm going to focus on the Secretariat and the funds and programmes that are directly dependent on the United Nations, and, in the next phase, see how we can get the system to work together as a system. I am going to attach a great deal of importance to the economic area. That is why I went to Davos, and I think some of you have seen the statement I made there. And I really look forward to the pooling of efforts between the Bretton Woods institutions and us. I don't think our roles should be seen as competitive, but complementary. There are things that UNDP and the economic commissions and others do better than the Bank, and there are areas where the Bank has got an advantage. And I think if we pool our efforts and work for common objectives, we will get much better results, and we are going to start on that very actively.

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QUESTION: Two issues that have reached you from your predecessors: East Timor and Angola. Do you have reasons to be more optimistic than your predecessors about reaching a solution to East Timor? And on Angola, do you think it will be during your tenure that we will see a final peace for the country?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: On East Timor, as Fred, I think, informed you, we are going to move ahead with the talks. I have had the chance to talk to both Governments at high levels and both are prepared to resume the talks. I have designated a very good man, a very able diplomat, and I think if we all get engaged and sustain the effort and keep the talks going in a sustained manner, it is quite possible that we will make some progress. I don't consider the situation hopeless. I am optimistic that we will make some progress, and I think it has become a high-profile issue and both Governments would want to see some movement.

On Angola, as you know, our mandate expires at the end of February, and in principle we should begin the withdrawal of the troops as soon as possible thereafter, one battalion a month. We still have not resolved the issue of the role of Dr. Savimbi. We seem to be making progress on the formation of a national government and a reintegrated army, but we are not there yet. And the Governments in the region are also trying to help. I myself hope to go to the region some time next month and hopefully talk to both leaders and see what we can do to move the process forward. I would hope that we will be able to resolve the Angolan issue this year. It is important not only for Angola but for the whole southern African region and for the continent.

QUESTION: Recently, the British Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed the view that Greece and Turkey could be on the verge of war over Cyprus. A lot of things were expected to start in 1997, and so far nothing has happened. Two questions. Do you think, first, that this is a correct statement: Greece and Turkey are on the verge of war? And secondly, what are your concrete and immediate plans for that particular issue?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: There have been tensions as well as a tendency to bring armaments into the region, which has raised tensions. What we are hoping to do is to continue the talks, the proximity talks, and the efforts of Han Sung-Joo. As you know, Mr. Han has seen both parties, and we are hoping that we can see enough progress and identify enough common ground for us eventually to have face-to-face talks.

It would be preferable for the talks to take place this year and ideally before September. Otherwise, we are going to get into the election fever and a whole host of things will happen. I plead with the Governments to cooperate with Mr. Han and really try and bridge their differences and allow us to be able to organize face-to-face talks.

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The British and the American Governments are working in a supportive role with us. And as you know, the British Government has named Sir David Hannay to support the effort. We expect Washington to designate someone also to work with us. The United Nations will be in the lead. The British and American efforts will be in support.

QUESTION: Do you think there is going to be war soon?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think I have answered that question. I don't think so. I don't think there will be a war. I think we are attempting to defuse the tensions, and I think we have seen an improvement already. And I would hope none of the leaders will do anything that will escalate matters.

QUESTION: If you are going to decide that you want a deputy, what kind of model would you choose for that post?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: A model from which models?

QUESTION: Will it be a real second-in-command post?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I see what you mean. My sense is that, if I do have a deputy, I would want to see the deputy as someone who stands in for me when I am away, who will be kept abreast and be involved in what is going on in this building, and, hopefully, focus a bit more of his or her time in the economic and social areas and on sustainable development and in the whole area of resource mobilization and that effort. But it will be across the board, with particular emphasis on the economic and social areas. This is the model that I have in mind.

QUESTION: With the success of the disarmament process in Liberia, it is safe to assume that the Abuja peace agreement is finally on course and that elections might be held in May. But there is a feeling in certain quarters that the United Nations is leaning towards the postponement of the elections, apparently because of disagreement among the factions about the recommendations by the technical survey team of the United Nations. Do you think that these disagreements can be resolved early enough for May elections? And what is the United Nations willing to do now to rally support for the peace process in Angola?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think we are working very closely with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and with the Chairman of ECOWAS. In fact, there is a meeting in Liberia [today and tomorrow], with ECOWAS members. One of the issues they will discuss will be the electoral process. I think they are going to see the proposals the United Nations has put forward and, hopefully, we will get the support and endorsement of everyone to move forward. I know there have been rumours that the elections may be postponed, but we have not made any such announcement. It depends very much on what

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happens at the meeting this weekend and on the cooperation of the parties on the ground. We would want to go ahead with the elections and resolve the Liberian issue as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, for elections to be credible, certain minimum conditions will have to be fulfilled. If those are fulfilled, we will go forward. If they are not and there is no agreement on them, and a slight delay is needed, we would have to consider that. But I would hope that that will not be necessary.

QUESTION (interpretation from French): I have a double question on Zaire. First, can you tell us, according to your information, who is fighting in eastern Zaire? And secondly, yesterday you received members of the national electoral commission of Zaire; are there any preconditions for United Nations assistance for the electoral process?

SECRETARY-GENERAL (interpretation from French): I did not quite hear your first question.

QUESTION (interpretation from French): According to your information, who is currently fighting in eastern Zaire?

SECRETARY-GENERAL (interpretation from French): Kabila and the rebels. Clearly there are suspicions. There are people who believe that neighbouring countries are involved, but I do not have clear proof of that.

Regarding the elections, the Zairians are very much in a hurry. They are firmly committed to holding elections in July, but there is work to be done. There is an enormous logistical problem and we are in the process of helping them. We have a team on site. Mohamed Sahnoun will be there in a few days, and the head of the electoral section will also be there tomorrow. We are going to give them assistance. But, there is a problem of financing, there is a problem of logistics, and there is a legal problem. I wonder whether we can resolve all of these problems before July. But we are going to work with them. There is also the problem of whether an election can be organized in a country where a war is going on. That problem must first be resolved.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary-General, can you characterize for us the first five weeks in the job? What has surprised you the most? Do you feel that the honeymoon with the United States is over?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think perhaps one of the most surprising things has been the incredible demand on one's time. I have always tried to manage my time very effectively, but there are such pressing demands and requests for meetings. On top of that, every Member State also wants you to visit its capital. If I were to accept all the invitations I think I would be on the

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plane full time, and I cannot run my office or the reform from the plane. So the time pressure and the demands on-the-job have been a bit more than I had expected.

But there have also been some pleasant surprises in that there has been considerable will and enthusiasm on the part of lots of Member States, and at the highest levels, to cooperate with me and the United Nations to ensure that we adapt the Organization and prepare ourselves for the future.

On the personal level, the lack of freedom, the lack of spontaneity and the ability of just saying I feel like going for a walk, I want to drop in on a friend, and do that -- those things are gone. Both my wife and I find that very difficult. We still have not decided whether we are going to adapt or whether the security forces are going to adapt to us. But we will see.

QUESTION: We have not seen those two papers that you have sent to us about reforms that you have done so far, I mean proposals and everything. But going beyond these requests and talk about cutting the number of staff and costs of the United Nations -- mainly on the request of the United States -— would you be able to tell us what is at the bottom of these requests for reforms? Are they going much deeper than cutting the staff, for example reorganization of the Security Council -- which we heard is at the bottom of the requests of the United States -- and how you see this trying to change the balance of power in the Security Council, which actually becomes the centre of power of the United Nations?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: In my discussions with the Member States, and also right from the beginning, I have attempted to define what I understand by reform. I think that the Member States have, by and large, agreed with that definition, that the effort of the reform exercise is to create a United Nations that will be efficient, more effective, leaner, relevant and better able to take on the tasks that Member States set for us. In the process we may find opportunities for economies, we will eliminate duplications and overlap, we will consolidate certain services and there will be possibilities for savings.

On the other hand, if we are going to have a serious reform and build a United Nations that is better able to cope with the challenges ahead, we may have to make investments in some areas. We may have to bring in the skills we do not have on board today. We will have to train our staff for the challenges ahead, and we may have to invest in further computerization.

I think this definition is acceptable to most of the Member States, and I did make the same point when I was in Washington. I think it is that kind of reform that I am working on with the Member States.

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On the question of Security Council reform, obviously it is an issue for the Member States. The President of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail, has indicated that he is going to do his best to bring it to a head by June of this year -- not just the work of the Committee on the Security Council, but also on the financial issue, on the intergovernmental machinery, the agenda for peace and the agenda for reform.

I am working very closely with the President of the General Assembly. We are in constant touch to ensure that we are going in the same direction and not working at cross purposes. Of course, what they do in the intergovernmental groups down the line will have an impact on what I do and the effectiveness of the Secretariat, particularly the intergovernmental area. So I am looking forward to his efforts and attempts to bring everything to a head in June.

Besides that, I would hope that, even if the whole issue cannot be resolved this year, we can at least agree on the broad parameters on the question of the types of membership and the number and leave the actual filling of those vacancies for later.

QUESTION: The mismanagement of the Rwanda Tribunal represents one of the first tests of your ability to really deal with a major crisis in reform. So far, you and your predecessor both made some staff changes. However, there have been no disciplinary actions taken so far. This, I think, sends a lot of us the message that the United Nations is still unable to set a very strong example, that it is incapable of making heads roll when there is a major crisis of this proportion that brings shame upon the Organization. Are heads going to roll? Are severe disciplinary actions going to be imposed by you in the coming weeks?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: The report was only finalized a few days ago and we have got it. Joseph Connor, Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management, and my administrative people are studying the report and, if disciplinary action is required, we will take disciplinary action.

Apart from taking disciplinary action, we need to take urgent measures to strengthen the Tribunal and place it in a better position to carry on its work. A lot has been done, but a lot more needs to be done and we are going to move expeditiously. If need be, this will include disciplinary actions.

QUESTION: On Zaire, there is no peace-keeping force going there because people said there were no refugees. Now that refugees are starting to reappear, do you see any concerted international action or is this a "mission impossible" of trying to do something diplomatically.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the situation in eastern Zaire, in particular for the refugees, is very tragic. Perhaps, in retrospect, the multinational force should not have been disbanded. It should have been suspended in order to be reactivated. Whether that would have been possible or not is difficult to say, but to create a multinational force you need to have a coalition of the willing and the will. In the absence of the willing and the will, there is very little the United Nations can do in terms of putting in a force.

At this rate, we are focusing on a political settlement. One of the things Mr. Sahnoun is expected to do, with the support of the governments in the region, is to try and seek a cease-fire and perhaps try and get them to the table. Once they are at the table and we begin to talk, we would hope that we will be able to convince all the parties in Zaire to accept participation in the election as the ultimate solution of their differences. So, Mr. Sahnoun will be very busy in the region pressing for that approach.

QUESTION: We know you had a pleasant visit to Washington. What I want to know on this day before Valentine's Day is: In your heart, do you feel it still a bit unseemly, the conditions that the United States Congress has put on paying the bills that it owes?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think that the payment of United Nations contributions and assessments is a legal obligation. Ideally, no Member State should impose conditions before payment, whether one describes them as "conditions" or "benchmarks". I think that none of the other 184 Member States has done that and I hope they do not.

What is important is that the United States itself is trying to move out of that illegal position and pay its dues. I think the administration is committed and is going to fight for it. I also believe that, during my visit to Washington, I was able to clarify some of the misunderstandings and I hope that, at the end of the day, the money will be released. I think there are quite a lot of Senators and Congressmen who are genuinely embarrassed, like most Americans, who feel that the United States should pay its debt, and are going to work with the President to ensure that the right thing is done.

You will recall that Senator Jesse Helms said that he would want to work with us to resolve this and that we can do business. My sense is that we will see constructive work by the Congress this year. I cannot tell you when I am going to get the cheque, but I am hopeful that, at the end, the right thing will be done by all the members of Congress. That's what the American people want anyway.

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QUESTION: What will be the decision-making process with regard to getting a deputy? What sort of time schedule will it be for this position to be established?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I see my Scandinavian friends are very interested in this post. First of all, the post has to be established, and it has to be funded, and I will need to go to the General Assembly to get it created. Ideally, I would want to be in a position to fill the post by the autumn of this year.

QUESTION: This is a follow-up question. There is a post at the director-general level that has been established; do you plan to use that at all? My main question is: After the Washington visit, a consultative process was agreed upon. At what stage is that process, and how have other governments responded or reacted to your agreement with Washington?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Yes, there was once a post of Director-General. That post does not exist anymore. I think the kind of deputy role I am referring to will go a bit beyond what the Director-General's role was: he was limited only to the economic and social area and had no involvement with other aspects of the Secretariat's work. I will seek a deputy who does much more than that.

On the question of the visit to Washington, I think that the Member States have understood that it was necessary for me to visit Washington and to try and clarify the misunderstanding that has existed between this Organization and the American Government. I do not believe that any of them feel that I should visit the other 184 Member States. I have made quite clear the exceptional nature of that exercise by indicating that I will devote the same amount of time to any Member State that pays 25 per cent of the budget and owes $1.3 billion.

On the question of the team -- the team was supposed to come on Monday, but stayed on in Washington to listen to the reading of the President's budget. So, they will come probably some time next week. The whole idea would be for Mr. Connor and the team to explain to them our reform approach, our timetable and our targets. And if they want to monitor that, that is fine with us.

QUESTION: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Israel that you called him after the crash of the helicopters. He was very moved by that. And you told him that there is a new era in the relationship between the United Nations and Israel. What do you mean by that? And the second question is: When do you think Israel will join the European geographical group?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I had a very good meeting in Davos with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I met quite a lot of leaders, about 16 of them, with

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Yasser Arafat, President Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Netanyahu and a whole group of leaders. It was a very cordial meeting, and, in fact, the Prime Minister indicated to me the willingness of Israel to work much more closely with the United Nations and to come back to the fold, and that it is unfortunate that they do not belong to any regional group, even though the United Nations is a universal Organization. Of course, Israel has two options and they have been considering two options for a while -- either to join the Asian Group or the European Group. I think they have concluded that it might be difficult to join the Asian Group and they are considering joining the European Group. They are taking this up with the Group. I think, from the conversations I have had with him, he is very keen to play a role in other United Nations activities, peace-keeping, or wherever Israel can play a role.

QUESTION: Do you think that, if there was the political will, a peace- keeping mission in eastern Zaire and the Great Lakes region would be a good idea?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think it would depend on what that force is going to be. Of course, the situation has changed since we last talked about the multinational force. The refugees, some have gone home and others have moved deeper into Zaire.

Now the problem we have is that they are caught in between the two warring factions, in rather appalling and tragic circumstances, making it impossible for aid workers to reach them. If the force were to be put together with the right objective of, let's say, creating corridors, getting access to them, not getting involved in the war but assisting the refugees, which would also require some sort of cease-fire and understanding with the parties on the ground, it could be helpful for the humanitarian agencies and for the refugees. But the mandate of such a force would have to be very carefully thought through, and so the fact that there is a will and a willing coalition will not detract from the need to have a very clear and precise mandate that is capable of achievement.

QUESTION: This is another question on peace-keeping. Could you please clarify the situation in Sierra Leone with regard to the size of the pending peace-keeping mission and the objective and duration of that mission?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the size of the operation will be [60] observers, with a security group of about 700 men. We believe that the security group is necessary given the fact that if things were to go wrong, the international observers could not rely on another security group in the country to protect them. We saw what happened in Liberia and in other peace- keeping operations, and so we have learned the lesson that it is necessary to put in a security force.

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We are still trying to get Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Saybana Sankoh to agree to the deployment of the force without wanting to give him a veto power over its deployment. We would expect the observers' presence to be very brief, to monitor the withdrawal and the demobilization and then leave the Government to set up its army and carry on with its work. But the United Nations involvement will be very brief. At most, I would hope, not more than six months or so.

QUESTION: One of the main points that the United States has been seeking in recent months in the reform process has been the consolidation of various economic bodies, which they say duplicate too much work. Other countries have been worried that much of the economic and social work that the United Nations does do right now might get swept off the board. Is there any concern that the United Nations is being appreciated more as a peace-keeping and crisis-management body and not enough as one that performs economic and social functions?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I think the United Nations does quite a bit of work in the economic and social area, but it doesn't get the publicity peace- keeping gets. In fact, the United Nations system spends $5 billion a year on economic and social activities. It's not a big amount when you consider the amount of money the multinationals move around the world. The figure for the multinationals into the third world is about $176 billion, but most of that amount goes to only about 12 countries. Africa gets 5 per cent of that. So, while the multinationals are moving money into the third world, they are focusing on a group of highly profitable and dynamic economies. The work the United Nations does goes to the 100 least-developed countries.

Apart from institution-building, apart from the work we do in governance, apart from coming up with legal frameworks for investments, the United Nations also really helps some of these governments redirect their economies, and so the United Nations work in the area is very essential. When I referred to the role of the World Bank, I said that our roles were complementary and not competitive. And I think that from what I have indicated, you can see where the United Nations fits in. I do not believe that we should diminish the United Nations role in economic and social affairs, but we should be creative and adapt our role to be able to have greater impact on the ground. Part of that adaptation will involve pooling our efforts with the Bank, the IMF and other institutions to have greater impact for the governments we are seeking to serve.

QUESTION: I am sure you are fully aware of the situation of the Kashmir. The Security Council adopted resolutions in 1948 and 1949 recognizing the people of Kashmir's right of self-determination. Do you have any intention to implement those resolutions in the near future?

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SECRETARY-GENERAL: This has been a long-standing issue and I must say I've been encouraged by some of the developments in the region there recently. I think the agreement between India and Bangladesh on the sharing of the water from the Ganges is a very good indication. We have also just signed the Sino- Indian agreement. This is another positive development. Following the elections in Pakistan, the new Prime Minister has made very positive noises about getting a meeting at the foreign-minister level with the Indians and the Indian Prime Minister has also indicated he will be prepared to do this. I think these are very, very positive developments that we must work on and encourage. They bode well for the whole region. And I think if we can get the leaders and the people in the region to cooperate and move the peace progress forward and eliminate the tensions between them, it will be the right way to go.

QUESTION: Are you going to Moscow this year? And, if yes, what do you expect from this visit? Who would you like to meet there? What might be the main items of discussion? In this light, what is your vision of Russian peace-keeping operations on the territory of the former Soviet Union?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Yes, I do expect to visit Moscow. In fact I spoke to Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin 10 days ago in Davos. If I go to Moscow I would also hope to see President Boris Yeltsin. I would hope to be able to discuss with them the Russian role in the United Nations, not only in peace- keeping, but also its role in the Security Council and its support for the Organization generally. I would hope to be able to discuss Georgia and Tajikistan.

And you asked me what I think of the Russian role in the former Soviet Union. They are there. The Council has authorized us to work side-by-side with them, which means that the Council has accepted that role. There are aspects of our collaboration that we think can be improved that I would also want to discuss with them and perhaps seek ways and means of moving some of the peace efforts forward, particularly in Georgia. And when I met Prime Minister Chernomyrdin we also discussed the expansion of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the reasons why Russia has some hesitation on that.

QUESTION: Two questions regarding Latin America. First, there are inconveniences with the deployment of observer forces in Guatemala. And secondly, it seems that the operation in Haiti is going down the drain. Can you tell us something about that?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Can you repeat the first question about Guatemala?

QUESTION: There are some inconveniences with the deployment of the observer force.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL: I don't know what you mean by inconvenience for the deployment of the observer force.

QUESTION: There is no agreement in the Congress to authorize the deployment.

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I see what you mean. No, I hope that problem will be wiped out. I think that we have invested so much in the Guatemalan peace process, and for the first time that whole region is going to be conflict- free. I don't think any government would want to hold that back or be responsible for the process not moving forward. We did have a slight problem with the Chinese authorities and that was resolved very amicably. And I expect that process to go forward and the observers will be deployed.

On Haiti, yes, we do have some problems. The police force may not have advanced as quickly as we had hoped and we probably do not yet have in place the type of middle management and leadership that will be required to make the police self-sufficient and independent. When this mandate expires, there are indications that some members of the Security Council would not want to see it extended. And we have no request from the Haitian Government at this stage for extension of the mandate, either. But I think that the international community has made a contribution in Haiti in restoring democracy, attempting to get the economy going and preparing a police force that will ensure the protection of citizens and their property.

QUESTION (interpretation from French): I would like to ask you two questions in French. First, what will the future of the United Nations be in the next five years of your term and what is your forecast, given your experience in the house and as the former head of the Department of Peace- keeping Operations? The second question has already been raised in English. You met President Bill Clinton. Were you satisfied with your meeting? Would you give us a general idea of what occurred?

SECRETARY-GENERAL (interpretation from French): I was very pleased with my discussion with President Clinton, who firmly declared to me that he is ready to work with Congress to pay the money owed by the United States and that he is also convinced that the United Nations is very important to the foreign policy of the United States. I hope that he will be able to convince Congress to accept this point of view and to pay the debts.

With regard to my own role in the five years to come, I think that I have stated very clearly that I will work intensively on reform and with all the Member States, in particular the Member States of Africa, on political problems. Without that, we cannot have economic and social development. The United Nations will play an important role in the economic and development areas.

- 15 - Press Release SG/SM/6156 13 February 1997

QUESTION: Your predecessor indicated that the holding back of United States dues hampered reform instead of promoting reform, which is apparently the intention of members of Congress. To what extent does it slow down or hurt your work that the payments due are not paid, and might it not hurt your efforts to make the Americans pay up if you appoint a socialist deputy?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Let me say that I agree 100 per cent with Dr. Boutros-Ghali that lack of payments hampers reform. Reform cannot be undertaken on a shoestring budget. I think President Clinton was absolutely right when he said that, if the United States expects to lead the United Nations, it must pay its way. By not paying and insisting on changes on reform, it does irritate other Member States that are meeting all their commitments, and resistance does set in when you talk of reform.

We saw an instance of this -- I think it was about a year ago -- when Mr. Connor managed to convince about 40 staff members to agree to accept a buy-out and leave the Organization. After everything had been negotiated, he discovered that he did not have the money to pay them to leave. So they stayed on for a couple of months until he had money to do it. You can imagine the impact those 40 staff members had in this building. I am sure that not only were they not working, but they went around disturbing those who were working. That is one example of what can happen, apart from the psychological aspect of it. I do agree.

I think I have answered the question of the deputy, and I have a feeling you are ahead of me there. You have made a leap, but I do not know where you got it from. I do not want to get into it. I have already answered that question.

QUESTION: The Rwanda Tribunal report singled out two people for specific criticism: the Registrar and the Deputy Prosecutor. Are these two people going to be removed from their posts now?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I cannot say at this stage. They will have to have their due process. We have got the report. It is being looked at. We have asked the two people involved to come to New York to see the head of administration and others. But I cannot prejudge the issue. As I have said, I have not ruled out anything, nor have I ruled in anything. If it is necessary to discipline people once we have reviewed the report, it will be done and there will be no hesitation on my part.

QUESTION (interpretation from French): Some say that your predecessor was replaced because of his lack of public relations in this country. If we listen to you, we have the impression that we are listening to a head of some country saying, "savings, reform, reform." Is it, as they say here, that only Nixon could go to China? As an African would you not be tempted to use that symbolism to cut official development assistance -- such as the $5 billion that you talked about a while ago -— as a public relations move?

- 16 - Press Release SG/SM/6156 13 February 1997

SECRETARY-GENERAL (interpretation from French): I did not understand the question very well. Could you repeat it?

QUESTION: They say in America that only Nixon could go to China because he could not be suspected of weakness towards communism. As an African, you cannot be suspected of being anti-African. With the pressure to reform, would you not use the symbolism of cutting economic aid to Africa?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: No, that is definitely not on the agenda. (continuing in French) I do not think that we should have apprehensions regarding the area of economic development. I am absolutely convinced that the role of the United Nations in the economic area is necessary. I am now involved in discussions with my colleagues in the economic departments to find a way to do a great deal more for these countries. I was at Davos precisely to discuss economic questions.

Therefore, I do not see very well where this question is coming from: that, as an African, I would perhaps be encouraged to cut economic aid. On the contrary, I am trying to see whether it might not be possible to find ways to assist those countries that have an absolute need for economic assistance.

QUESTION: I just want to follow up on the question of Kashmir. In the past, the Secretary-General had offered his good offices because of the threat to the subcontinent because of India and Pakistan, and said he was available to mediate between the two States. But this issue has been going on for the past 50 years. Do you have any new ideas on that at this point in time and have you studied the issue, other than just the offer of good offices, which I believe stands?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: We have. Do not forget that it was my Department that was dealing with the Kashmir issue and with the peace-keeping observers who were on the ground. We have been in touch with both Governments and monitored the developments.

Like Dr. Boutros-Ghali, I would offer my role as a mediator or intermediary whenever the two parties want. But I think we have to be clear - - and I think I implied that in my earlier response -- that a lot can be done; the United Nations can assist. But the inspiration for the solution has to spring from the leaders and the people in the region. But I will be prepared to help and to facilitate that. In fact, I expect to go to the region and I will discuss this issue with the leaders. The United Nations can play a role, but cannot force a solution.

QUESTION: When do you expect to go to the region?

SECRETARY-GENERAL: My timetable has not been firmed up, but it will be some time in early April, the first half of April.

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