DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Juan Carlos Brandt, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's press briefing by announcing that the Spokesman's Office had resumed, as of last Monday, 30 June, its 12:30 p.m. briefings for delegations in room 226.

Mr. Brandt then read a statement, noting that it would be available in the Spokesman's Office and also issued as a press release, as follows:

"The Secretary-General, on the request of the United States authorities and following consultations, has agreed to the curtailment of Jacques Paul Klein's assignment to the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES). Mr. Klein, who is on loan from the United States Government, is being nominated by his Government as the Principal Deputy High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr. Klein is expected to assume his new post at the end of July.

"The Secretary-General regrets the departure of Mr. Klein from UNTAES. Since his appointment by the Secretary-General as the Transitional Administrator of UNTAES in January 1996, Mr. Klein has served the United Nations with great distinction and dedication. He has, among his many accomplishments, successfully overseen the demilitarization of the Eastern Slavonia region, the creation of a multi-ethnic Transitional Slavonia Police Force, the organization of free and fair local elections and initiated the gradual and peaceful reintegration of Croatian institutions into the region.

"The Secretary-General wishes to express his deep appreciation for the outstanding work done by Mr. Klein in the Eastern Slavonia region and wishes him every success in his new department.

"The Secretary-General is currently considering candidates for the replacement of Mr. Klein in UNTAES. It is expected that an announcement will be made in the near future." (See Press Release SG/2036.)

Mr. Brandt then announced that the Secretary-General had appointed today Patricia Lewis of the United Kingdom as Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). Located in Geneva, UNIDIR was an autonomous institution within the framework of the United Nations undertaking independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly on international security issues. Ms. Lewis succeeds Sverre Lodgaard of Norway. Since 1989, Ms. Lewis, a nuclear physicist, had been the Executive Director of the Verification Technology Information Centre, a London-based non- governmental organization providing information on the role of verification technologies and methods for arms control and environmental agreements, with offices also in Tbilisi. (See Press Release SG/A/641-DC/2587.)

The joint United Nations/Organization for African Unity (OAU) Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Mohamed Sahnoun, was in New York, Mr. Brandt said. Ambassador Sahnoun would brief the Security Council tomorrow, 3 July, on his work with the Mediation Committee on Congo- Brazzaville. The Spokesman's Office had invited Ambassador Sahnoun to brief correspondents. If such a meeting were possible, an announcement on the details would made later this afternoon or early tomorrow morning.

Several additional press releases were available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Brandt continued. One concerned the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, located in The Hague. The date for the accused Slavko Dokmonovic's initial appearance before the Tribunal had been set for 10 a.m., Friday, 4 July. During the hearing, Mr. Dokmonovic would be asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty on each count of the indictment. The release had been received from The Hague and contained more information on the matter.

Another press release was from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Mr. Brandt said. According to that text, Justice Louise Arbour had on 17 June signed an amended indictment in the case of Jean-Paul Akayesu. That indictment contained new charges of sexual violence against female civilians which the accused was alleged to have committed between April and June 1994 in Rwanda.

The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had concluded its second session, held from 23 to 27 June at the Netherlands Congress Centre in The Hague, Mr. Brandt said. The 41-member Executive Council had been charged with the task of supervising the activities of the organization on behalf of its Member States.

The text of a statement made in Geneva today before the Economic and Social Council by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Carol Bellamy was now available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Brandt continued. Ms. Bellamy's statement, made at the Council's high-level segment, urged a new assault on global poverty. A related press release was also available.

The Secretary-General was en route to Geneva, Mr. Brandt said. Today was a travel day; he had left Hong Kong in the morning, local time, and was expected to arrive in Geneva tonight. Tomorrow, 3 July, in addition to his official programme in connection with the Economic and Social Council, the Secretary-General would inaugurate the "cyber-space" library in the United Nations Office at Geneva. The "cyber-space" area was created by the Organization's Library for use by Permanent Missions, conference delegates and international civil servants. It was also available for use by university scholars, researchers, non-governmental organizations and the media. The "cyber-space" library comprised 24 multimedia workstations and provided

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electronic services as the Internet, the United Nations Optical Disk System; an "info-server" with some 50 networked CD-ROMS covering a variety of subjects; numerous databases; and other electronic resources.

Given the existing disagreements between the advance team and officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo about the team's composition and the dates to be covered, could the investigation begin by its official start date next Monday? What were the Organization's options? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt replied that an announcement had been made yesterday that the advance team would hold another meeting in the region today with the authorities. While that meeting had not yet taken place, information had been received to the effect that the meeting had only been postponed and could still occur. The Spokesman's Office remained in close contact with Geneva on the matter, and would update correspondents as information was received. Yesterday's announcement had also indicated the likelihood of a joint communique being issued. Under the circumstances, that was uncertain, he added.

Mr. Brandt said he could only speculate that the advance team would return to Geneva with some agreements and some disagreements. The Commission on Human Rights would then decide on the next step. Another option would be for the matter to be brought to the Secretary-General in Geneva.

What would the Secretary-General's options be? the correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt said he was not commenting on the Secretary-General's options, but rather that one option in the current situation would be to bring the matter to the Secretary-General's attention while he was in Geneva. Resolution 1997/58 adopted by the Commission on Human Rights this year concerned the advance team's mandate. It remained to be seen what the Commission would do regarding matters upon which agreement had not been reached.

Had there been any update on the Cyprus talks? a correspondent asked. "So far, so good", Mr. Brandt replied. The Secretary-General planned to host a dinner on 8 July at his residence, to be attended by the leaders of the two communities, as well as other dignitaries. Arrangements were being made for press coverage of that event, in the form of photo opportunities. Then, as had been announced, on 9 July the talks would begin around noon in the presence of the Secretary-General, in Troutbeck, a conference centre near Amenia in Dutchess County, New York. A representative from the Spokesman's Office had yesterday attended a logistics coordination meeting in Troutbeck, and had brought back information, maps and brochures about the conference centre. Those materials were available to interested correspondents at the Spokesman's Office.

To what extent would the Secretary-General be involved in the Cyprus talks? a correspondent asked. The Secretary-General would be in attendance for the opening of the talks, Mr. Brandt said. He would make a statement in

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the presence of the leaders of the two communities and other dignitaries. He would host a lunch in their honour, in Troutbeck, and would then return to New York City in the afternoon. At that time, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Diego Cordovez, would take over the day-to-day aspects of the talks. The Secretary-General would be kept apprised as to the talks' progress, and would be prepared to intervene or participate as necessary in the course of the negotiations.

A correspondent said that there were reports that Mr. Denktash had said that if he were not presented with a paper or document prepared in advance of the talks before his arrival, he would not participate in the talks. Did Mr. Brandt have any sense of whether that turn of events would take place? He said he had seen those press reports. His understanding was that Mr. Cordovez, as was usual in a mediation process, had been preparing his thoughts, ideas and proposals. Those proposals would be the basis of the upcoming talks, and would be presented to both sides at the appropriate time. It was unclear whether that was the document to which reference had been made. For the time being, the Spokesman's Office understood that the talks would proceed, and that all sides had indicated their intention to participate.

Had there been any word from the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Cyprus, Gustave Feissel, about the matter? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt replied that he understood that Mr. Feissel was currently conducting an intense round of quiet diplomacy. It would not be prudent to comment further about those activities. However, Mr. Brandt's understanding was that the talks were proceeding and that all parties would be present.

This morning, Ambassador James Jonah of Sierra Leone had attempted to link the situation in his country with that of Liberia, a correspondent said. Did Mr. Brandt think that would have an impact on Liberia's upcoming elections on 19 July? he asked. Mr. Brandt said he would check on that question and get back to the correspondent on the matter. Because the Spokesman's Office was extremely short-staffed at the moment, he had been unable to hear Mr. Jonah's press conference.

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