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 noon briefing by reading out the Secretary-General's statement on the bomb attacks this morning in Jerusalem:

"I am shocked and horrified by the carnage in Jerusalem today. At least 18 innocent lives are lost and over 150 people injured in apparent twin suicide attacks.

"I express my heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Israel, and especially to the families of the victims. And I condemn this act of terror unreservedly, as I condemn terrorism from whatever quarter. Violence of this kind can never advance the cause of peace.

"This is a crucial time in the quest for peace in the Middle East. I appeal to all concerned to reject violence and pursue their aims through dialogue, at the negotiating table." (See today's Press Release SG/SM/6292.)

The Secretary-General would send a letter of condolence to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today, Mr. Eckhard said. The Security Council had also discussed the matter in the morning, and its Council President would make a statement to the press.

In closed consultations this morning, the Security Council reviewed the Secretary-General's reports on the United Nations peace-keeping mission in Abkhazia, Georgia, as well as on Liberia, the Spokesman said. The Council was briefed by the Department of Political Affairs on the situation in Sierra Leone and also discussed the Secretary-General's plans to send an investigative human rights team to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was now preparing for a formal meeting on Haiti.

The Iraqi Ministry for Trade yesterday announced the contents of its food basket for the month of August under Phase 1 of the former oil-for-food programme, the Spokesman said. The list covers 10 items: wheat flour, rice, sugar, tea, cooking oil, milk powder, pulses, iodized salt, soaps and detergents.

The East Timor talks would resume next week in New York, from 4 to 8 August, with Secretary-General's Special Envoy Jamsheed Marker chairing the talks, Mr. Eckhard said. He reminded correspondents that the Secretary- General had asked Ambassador Marker to travel to South Africa to discuss the latest initiatives concerning East Timor taken by President Nelson Mandela. For that purpose, Mr. Marker would be consulting with the Secretary-General later this week. He would then proceed to chair the next round of talks.

The Spokesman also drew attention to regrettable incident that had occurred just prior to the briefing, in which scaffolding being used by a team of window-washers on the United Nations DC-2 Building, across the street, had collapsed. One person of the team had died as a result. A rescue mission was currently at the scene.

Samsiah Abdul-Majid, spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, told correspondents that the Assembly would meet tomorrow morning, 31 July, to consider several draft resolutions, the report of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System, and a procedural matter.

The first of the three draft resolutions concerned the extension of the mandate of the United Nations component of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH), which would expire on 31 July. The second referred to the support unit for the Secretary-General's envoy to El Salvador. The third concerned the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA).

She said the 19-Power draft resolution on MICIVIH (document A/51/L.77/Rev.1) would extend the mandate of the United Nations component of the mission until 31 December. In his report, the Secretary-General recommended a five-month extension of the mandate, to continue to support judicial reform efforts, institution-building and the strengthening of democracy through technical assistance and through human rights and civic education activities.

Should the Assembly approve the draft resolution, the spokeswoman said, the additional requirements for the period from 1 August to 31 December would be around $2.6 million. The Secretary-General believed it would be possible to absorb the additional cost within the 1996-1997 budget. The Fifth Committee had met this morning and recommended that, should the Assembly adopt the resolution, the Secretary-General should be authorized to enter into commitment for that amount.

By the draft resolution on El Salvador (document A/51/L.76), the Assembly would welcome the continuing commitment of the Government and people of that country to the consolidation of the peace process and would urge all concerned to continue working together, she said. The Secretary-General had said in his report (document A/51/917) that the implementation of the peace process was at a sufficiently advanced stage to allow him to recommend the closing of the support unit for his envoy in El Salvador at the end of its mandate, 30 June.

However, there were a number of accords, particularly in the socio- economic area, in which implementation had yet to be completed, she said. The Secretary-General proposed the assignment of two Professional officers to stay in El Salvador to follow up on outstanding elements of the peace accords. They would be funded from the trust fund for the United Nations Mission in El Salvador.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 30 July 1997

According to the draft resolution, the Assembly would decide to close the support unit for the Secretary-General's envoy in El Salvador and welcome his proposal to assign two Professionals for six months attached to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to follow up on outstanding elements of the peace process. The draft resolution was sponsored by Colombia, Mexico, Spain, United States and Venezuela.

By the draft resolution on MINUGUA (document A/51/L.75), the Assembly would welcome the Secretary-General's reports, the spokeswoman said. She reminded correspondents that MINUGUA had been established to verify compliance with the agreements signed between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG). The Secretary-General's report described the results of the Mission's verification of the fulfilment of commitments covered under the first phase of the Timetable Agreement for the period from 15 January to 15 April.

Taking note of the progress made so far in implementation of the peace accords, the Assembly would encourage the two parties and all sectors of the Guatemalan society to join efforts for the implementation of all steps provided in the second phase of the Timetable Agreement.

The Assembly would also consider tomorrow the report of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System (document A/51/24), Ms. Abdul-Majid said. The Group itself was set up in 1995 and had focused its work on improving the capacity of the General Assembly to discharge its functions, role and power, as well as that of the Secretariat, to carry out its mandate efficiently. The report contained a draft resolution by which the Assembly would adopt the Group's recommendations (contained in an annex to the report) for implementation effective 1 January 1998, and would decide that it had completed its work.

The Co-Vice Chairmen of the Working Group, Ambassadors Prakash Shah (India) and Hans Jacob Biorn Lian (Norway), had met with the press and issued a communiqué on 14 July, Ms. Abdul-Majid reminded correspondents. In that document (available as Press Release GA/9285), the Ambassadors stated that the Group had completed one of the broadest reviews of the functioning of the General Assembly ever undertaken. On 10 July, it had achieved consensus agreement on almost 100 measures for improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of the United Nations.

She said the procedural matter before the Assembly involved a decision to retain on the agenda of its upcoming fifty-second session the item on United Nations reform -- the Secretary-General's "track 2" reform, which he presented on 16 July.

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