DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's press briefing by informing correspondents that the Secretary-General had announced today the appointment of Senator Pino Arlacchi of Italy as Under-Secretary- General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, as well as Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme. Mr. Arlacchi would replace Giorgio Giacomelli, and his appointment would be effective as of September.

By that action, the Secretary-General was strengthening the United Nation's capacity to address, in a coherent and systematic way, threats from drug trafficking, money laundering, international terrorism and other international crime, Mr. Eckhard continued. Mr. Arlacchi brought to the Secretary-General's reform effort, and to the position to which he was appointed, strong academic, legislative and executive credentials, and a life- long commitment to the struggle against transnational organized crime, spanning the national as well as the international areas, and in the research as well as policy-making fields. Mr. Arlacchi was the individual responsible for establishing an Italian police force wholly dedicated to the investigation of transnational organized crime which had been instrumental in many of the recent successes of Italian law enforcement in the fight against organized crime.

The cease-fire in Congo-Brazzaville was holding, Mr. Eckhard said. The joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity (OAU) Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Mohamed Sahnoun, had been talking to the two parties, along with President El Hadj Omar Bongo of Gabon, who was leading the negotiating efforts, about the need to secure the Brazzaville airport while the French troops were departing. A letter from President Bongo had been received at Headquarters this morning on that subject and would shortly be transmitted to the Security Council.

Mr. Eckhard said unknown gunmen had shot and killed a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff member, his wife and two children -- a seven year-old boy and a six year-old girl -- last night in Ruhengeri in north-western Rwanda. The attackers had sprayed gunfire from a window. The High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, strongly condemned the killings and called on the Rwanda Government to take immediate measures against those responsible. A "UNHCR Update" on the Great Lakes Region was available in the Spokesman's Office.

So far this year, 13 humanitarian workers had been killed worldwide, including the latest incident, Mr. Eckhard said. In 1996, there were 11 workers killed during the entire year, and the same number was reported for 1995. Therefore, this represented an increase in the threat to humanitarian workers worldwide.

Also available in the Spokesman's Office was another "UNHCR Update" stating that the UNHCR was concerned about the European Union's decision to restrict access to asylum for its citizens, Mr. Eckhard said.

Regarding United Nations reform, Mr. Eckhard read out the following statement:

"As is well known, proposals for United Nations reform are being formulated by Maurice Strong for the Secretary-General. These proposals include options on specific aspects. The Secretary-General is reviewing the proposals and will soon take decisions to be reflected in the report to be presented to the General Assembly on 16 July.

"There appears to be an erroneous impression spreading that in the process of reform, entities such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) may lose their autonomous status. The Secretary-General would like to clarify that the distinctive roles and contributions of such organizations are highly valued and will be retained. The essence of the reform proposals will be to ensure that the effectiveness of humanitarian and development programmes under United Nations auspices is strengthened and made more efficient."

Mr. Eckhard announced that the Secretary-General was sending Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Yasushi Akashi to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to assess first- hand the critical humanitarian situation in that country. Mr. Akashi would visit the country from 24 to 28 June. Hiro Ueki, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, would accompany Mr. Akashi on his trip.

The Security Council today was holding consultations on Iraq, Mr. Eckhard said.

The United Nations International School (UNIS) would hold its graduation ceremony in the General Assembly Hall this afternoon at 2:30 p.m., Mr. Eckhard said. The Secretary-General was scheduled to deliver the commencement address, and the Spokesman's Office would make the text of his speech available to correspondents. The Secretary-General had been a member of the School Board of Trustees for 10 years and its chairman for eight years. This was the fiftieth anniversary of UNIS.

Mr. Eckhard announced that Samsiah Abdul-Majid, spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, would brief correspondents on security measures for the forthcoming special session of the Assembly. The format for Monday, 23 June, and Thursday, 26 June, would be the same. The second floor would be restricted to all, including resident correspondents, except for those correspondents that were part of the pools -- on Monday, from the early

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 20 June 1997

morning until 3 p.m., and Thursday, between the early morning and 1:30 p.m. Correspondents were advised to arrive at Headquarters, particularly on those two days, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Resident correspondents who were not carrying equipment would be able to use the 42nd Street entrance during the week, except when the "security freezes" were in place. Other media would have to use the First Avenue and 48th Street entrance.

The list of "Earth Summit + 5" informal consultations was available for correspondents in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Eckhard said. Also available were 50 copies of the recently issued "Second Information Note on Arrangements for the Special Session".

The Spokesman's Office had also been informed that the special session would be entirely "Webcasted", with live audio and video provided by an Internet Webcast service called "Media-on-Demand", Mr. Eckhard said. A direct link would start appearing on the United Nations Home Page today. "Media-on- Demand" was currently "Webcasting" and archiving the daily noon press briefing as well.

The Media Centre for the special session had been set up in Conference Room 1, Mr. Eckhard said. The room was currently being used for meetings, but the Department of Public Information (DPI) had scheduled a familiarization visit at 3 p.m. on Sunday, 22 June, for accredited journalists who wanted to see what media facilities would be available.

The ninth revised speakers' list for the special session was also available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Eckhard said.

Mr. Eckhard announced that "Population and Our World", an interactive multi-media exhibit produced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), would open at Headquarters on Monday, 23 June, at 2:45 p.m., in the neck area of the First Basement. Executive Director of UNFPA Dr. Nafis Sadik would deliver the opening remarks for the exhibit, which would remain on view until 2 July.

Four governments had requested the Spokesman's Office to announce a press briefing by the permanent missions of Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Singapore concerning a joint initiative that they would be launching at the special session, Mr. Eckhard said. The press briefing was scheduled to be held on Monday, 23 June, at 5 p.m. at the UN Plaza Hotel Ball Room.

Mr. Eckhard then announced that Ms. Abdul-Majid had just sent a note stating that the General Assembly had adopted the Agenda for Development. She also wanted correspondents to be informed that three other individuals would give the briefing at 12:30 p.m. today instead of Mostafa Tolba, Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Due to last minute changes in his schedule, Mr. Tolba would not be able to attend, as had been announced earlier.

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