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 announcing that the Security Council was now concluding its consideration of an extension of the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and that a formal meeting on the subject was expected afterwards.

The Central African Republic was also on the Council's agenda today, he said. Kenya, on behalf of the African States, had sponsored a draft resolution on a multinational peace-keeping force that was currently in the Central African Republic and for which they were seeking some support from the Council.

He went on to say that the talks on Burundi, held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, last Tuesday "went very well", in the words of the joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region, Mohamed Sahnoun. The regional talks on Burundi -- requested by President Pierre Buyoya of Burundi -- would take place on 25 August in the Tanzanian city of Arusha.

The Secretariat had not yet finished its review of the oil-for-food distribution plan submitted by the Iraqi Mission last Monday, the Spokesman said. The task was expected to be completed by the beginning of next week. He reminded correspondents that the annexes were over 600 pages long.

The States parties to the Biological Weapons Convention agreed today to meet during August in Geneva to consider allegations by Cuba that it had been the target of biological aggression. A press release from the United Nations office in Geneva was available in room S-378.

The Secretary-General issued a statement on the inauguration of the Clarification Commission in Guatemala, which would begin its work tomorrow, 1 August, the Spokesman said. The statement was available at present in Spanish and was embargoed till 6 p.m. local time. Copies were available in room S-378.

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi (Algeria), would be in New York over the weekend and until the middle of next week, Mr. Eckhard said. There appeared to be some confusion over Mr. Brahimi's role, which was supportive of the day-to-day task of the Head of the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan, Norbert Holl (Germany). Mr. Holl, he said, "has been making a valiant effort against very difficult odds". Mr. Brahimi's appointment, for a limited period of time, was similar to that of James Baker for the United Nations mission in Western Sahara, even though the acting Special Representative was already in place, "slogging it out day after day". Mr. Eckhard said it was the Secretary-General's intention to give impetus to another long-standing mission by appointing an envoy who could give "a fresh look at the big picture".

Yesterday, the Secretary-General had completed his round of consultations with United Nations funds and programmes, with a visit to the senior staff of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Spokesman said. The Secretary-General intended to maintain personal contact with those organizations and visit them regularly, and hoped that they would do the same, "as part of the tighter integration that he hopes for, and calls for, in his reform efforts".

The Secretary-General met this morning with the Chairman of the World Press Freedom Forum, James Ottoway, the Spokesman said. Subjects discussed included the importance of promoting press freedom and the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to be celebrated next year.

The Lao People's Democratic Republic became the 146th Member State to sign the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) yesterday. So far, there are 146 signatory States and five ratifications.

He said Portugal became the seventy-eighth Member State to pay its full contribution to the regular budget for the current year, with a final payment towards its assessment of almost $3 million. At this time last year, 83 Member States had paid in full.

An update for the week on the refugee situation and demobilization process in Angola, prepared by the Coordination Unit of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, was available in room S-378.

A clarification was issued concerning the visit to United Nations Headquarters of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Jamsheed Marker, who was due in New York to chair the next round of the East Timor talks. Mr. Marker would travel to South Africa after those talks -- and not before, as had been announced -- to confer with President Nelson Mandela on the issue. Mr. Marker would brief the press on the progress of the talks before leaving for South Africa.

Also, it was announced that the incident yesterday regarding the rig that had partly fallen from the outside of the DC-2 Building had not caused fatalities, as was mistakenly announced at the time. Both members of the team of window-washers were rescued safely.

At 1:30 p.m. today, the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), along with the Parliamentarians for Global Action, would be holding a press conference on the situation in Cambodia.

A correspondent asked why the review of the Iraqi distribution plan was taking so long. Mr. Eckhard said that it was a meticulous review. The annexes were 678 pages long, there had been a computer virus in one of the diskettes, and there was also a need to wait for evaluation by the United Nations Special Commission for dual-use materials. "It's going to take an extra day", he said.

Asked about the virus, Mr. Eckhard said a computer virus had been found on one of the diskettes, and it had been necessary to ask for a replacement from Iraq.

Had the problem of vulnerable groups in Iraq been settled yet? a correspondent asked. "It's settled from our point of view", Mr. Eckhard said. "We asked Iraq for assurances on that subject and we received them in writing."

A correspondent asked whether the Secretariat could brief the press on President Mandela's initiatives concerning East Timor. Juan Carlos Brandt, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said he would look into the matter.

Samsiah Abdul-Majid, spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, read out the statement by Assembly President Ismail Razali regarding yesterday's bombing incidents in Jerusalem, which he made at the start of today's plenary.

"As President of the General Assembly, I must express shock and horror over the deaths and injuries as a result of the bombing in Jerusalem. Our heart must go to the bereaved and we extend our condolences. Our time is too often punctuated by violence and acts of extremism and destruction. We need to reach out for peace and reconciliation." (See today's Press Release GA/9287.)

The General Assembly adopted all the draft resolutions before it without a vote, the spokeswoman said.

The resolution on Haiti extended the mandate of the United Nations component of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) till 31 December.

By the resolution on El Salvador, the Assembly welcomed the continuing commitment of the Government and people of El Salvador to the consolidation of peace and progress, and urged all concerned to continue to work together.

By the resolution on Guatemala, the Assembly welcomed the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA). It commended the Government, the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) and the Guatemalan people, institutions and organizations for their participation in the implementation of the peace accords.

At the time of the briefing, the Assembly was considering the report of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System.

She added that, in a statement made by President Razali at the end of the presentation of the Working Group's report, he had stated that the report contained specific measures to improve the workings of the General Assembly, its subsidiary bodies, as well as the Secretariat. All those decisions would take effect from 1 January 1998 and should contribute to the goal of making the United Nations efficient and effective in discharging the mandates given to it. "The Group has produced a solid and sensible package of measures that constitute a steady foundation on which to build in the coming years", he said.

Juan Carlos Brandt, Associate Spokesman, had joined the podium and was about to speak when a knock was heard coming from the briefing room's side door.

The door opened and Winnie the Pooh walked in. Mr. Brandt, smiling broadly, introduced the bear to correspondents and reminded them that the animated children's film, "Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin", would have its world premiere at 7 p.m. today in Conference Room 4, following a 6 p.m. premiere party for children at the Visitors Plaza. The bear and other costumed characters would also be present. The film was produced by Walt Disney Home Video, based on the character created in 1924 by British author A.A. Milne. The honey-loving bear was first brought to the screen by the Disney studios in 1956, with animation based on the original children's books illustrated by E.H. Shepard.

In honour of Friendship Day on 5 August, the wife of the Secretary-General, Nane Annan, would present a plaque symbolically naming the cartoon character "Honorary Ambassador of Friendship to the World's Children", Mr. Brandt said. Correspondents were invited to cover the event.

From his seat at the podium, the bright yellow bear waved cheerfully at correspondents before exiting through the side door.

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