DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

[Incorporates briefing by Spokesman for General Assembly President]

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General began today's briefing by apologizing for the "dribs and drabs" yesterday in announcing the Secretary-General's decision to recall the human rights investigative team from the Democratic Republic of the Congo for consultation. After correspondents had left for home, the last drib had gone out, essentially saying that four members of the team, not three, were being recalled. There were three principal investigators -- Atsu-Koffi Amega, Reed Brody and Andres Chicovera -- and a coordinator, Jose Luis Gomez del Prado. All four would be arriving in New York on Tuesday, 7 October.

Mr. Eckhard then read out a statement on Tajik refugees in Afghanistan, attributable to the Spokesman: "The Secretary-General is disturbed at reports of deaths and injuries among Tajik refugees in the Sakhi refugee camp near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan as a result of fighting between Afghan groups. The fighting also caused serious shortages of food, water and medicine. The United Nations is in touch with all relevant authorities in order to prevent a humanitarian tragedy and ensure the safety of some 7,000 in the Sakhi camp. The Secretary-General urges all Afghan parties to cease all military activities in and near the camp and to allow the refugees to repatriate safely as soon as possible." The statement was available in the Spokesman's Office. (See Press Release SG/SM/6346 of 2 October.)

The new President of the Security Council for the month of October was Ambassador Juan Somavia (Chile), Mr. Eckhard said. Today, the Council held consultations on its programme of work. Under "other matters", it might also discuss the situation in Sierra Leone.

Also available in the Spokesman's Office was the Department of Humanitarian Affairs Situation Report No. 4, on the environmental emergency on South-East Asia, he said. The report stated that the fires had continued to burn out of control and it was now unlikely that fire-fighting operations would have a marked effect on extinguishing them any time soon. In the absence of heavy rainfall in the immediate future, the fires could continue to burn for some time to come. It was now felt that the disaster could have substantial long-term effects on social, economic, health and ecological sectors in the region.

The Secretary-General today addressed the annual coordination meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Mr. Eckhard said. The text of his statement was available. In it, he states: "I have made cooperation with other international organizations the cornerstone of my efforts to advance peace and promote development through the United Nations. The conditions are right, the need is clear, the potential is vast. Pooling our efforts and coordinating our activities, we can take on far greater challenges."

The Spokesman drew the attention of correspondents to a long-term media advisory, also available in the Spokesman's office, from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The second session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention would be held from 1 to 5 December at The Hague. A media accreditation form was now available as well.

"You will hear directly from the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bizima Karaha, this afternoon at 2 o'clock", Mr. Eckhard said, announcing forthcoming press conferences. At 3 p.m., the Foreign Minister of Belarus, Ivan Antonovich, would be available to discuss the integration between Belarus and the Russian Federation as a form of subregional integration within the framework of the European integration process, as well as United Nations reform.

Tomorrow at 10 a.m., the Foreign Minister of Burundi, Luc Rukingama, would meet with correspondents. At 11:30 a.m., the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar, would also meet with correspondents.

Addressing the recall of the human rights investigative team from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a correspondent asked what the next step would be. In taking yesterday's decision, had the Secretary-General recalled the events of the 1960s, in which Mr. Kabila was one of the major players? The Spokesman said that from what he knew of the meeting between the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister of that country, the events of the 1960s had not come up. However, at his last press conference in room 226, the Secretary-General had said he was sensitive to those events as a factor among some members of President Kabila's Government.

As for the next step, it was hoped that in the next two weeks the final determination of the policy of that Government would be made, to arrive at a final agreement with them on mutually acceptable terms for the team to get into the field, the Spokesman said. President Kabila's Government had denied press reports attributed to the President concerning his intention to inform the Secretary-General that he wanted the team withdrawn. On the contrary, the Foreign Minister told the Secretary-General that his Government was eager for the team to get in the field and begin its work. "We remain hopeful that something can be worked out to allow that to happen."

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 2 October 1997

Asked if the recall was a reaction to the report about President Kabila's supposed remarks, Mr. Eckhard said that report was really "just the tip of the iceberg". There had been a substantial amount of frustration on the part of the United Nations at the inability to come to specific agreement with the Government on the terms for the team to begin its assignment. "It was a much bigger problem than that one report."

Mr. Eckhard stressed that the Secretary-General had not merely reacted to that report. "The advisory group that he set up within the Secretariat had been scheduled that morning to meet in any case, to look at this option, and I think that they would have recommended it to him even without that report on President Kabila's comments."

Asked if the Secretary-General would attend the forthcoming OIC meeting in Tehran, Iran, the Spokesman declined to announce the Secretary-General's travel plans. There was a possibility, however, that he might address that meeting.

To a question about his announcement yesterday of the closure of some broadcasting facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina by troops of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Spokesman referred the correspondent to the statement put out by the Office of the High Representative. He declined additional comments beyond those he had made yesterday in response to questions.

Had it been a late development yesterday that "forced the Secretary- General" to recall Mr. Chicovera? a correspondent asked. What would the forensic experts left in Kinshasa be doing in the next two weeks? Mr. Eckhard said there had been "a little bit of internal confusion on our part", but the decision had been that four senior members were to return. He would assume that the team members left in Kinshasa would use their time to the best advantage. On the identity of those people, he said that, contrary to what he said yesterday, there were at the moment no forensic experts among them. "There are human rights specialists, logistics and administrative personnel. There were two forensic experts on the team that had finished their tour of duty and left Kinshasa, but their replacements have not yet arrived."

Asked about a report in Newsday claiming that the United Nations was flying diplomats in unsafe helicopters, Mr. Eckhard said those planes were Mi8s military helicopters. In the case of United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), it was a military responsibility. The United Nations had asked the Ukrainian Air Force to provide a helicopter transport unit, which they did. Where military aircraft was concerned, it was the rules of the contributing nation that applied, while with civilian aircraft, it was those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "We use these Mi8s all over the world. In addition to the ones in Eastern Slavonia, which also service Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have them in Angola, Western Sahara and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 2 October 1997

The military aircraft were continuously inspected for the maintenance of those military safety standards, the Spokesman added. "We categorically reject that there is anything inherently unsafe about the Mi8s or about the crews that fly them."

A correspondent said that the Federal Aviation Authority had refused to certify the aircraft in question and that the extra gas tank in the passenger area was a risk. Responding, Mr. Eckhard said that "if you are sitting on top of a bunch of fuel you are at risk, no matter what aircraft you are in." The regular fuel tanks on the Mi8s were located external to the fuselage, just under the passenger compartment. "If you are travelling with fuel and you get in a crash, there is risk that there will be an explosion of fire, and that is true of any aircraft."

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), said the Assembly this morning had continued its general debate, which was scheduled to end on 7 October.

The President of the General Assembly had continued intensive consultations on the plenary's programme of work, he said. This morning, the President had met with the chairmen of the regional groups, with whom he discussed a number of issues relating to the work programme, including the item on the reform of the United Nations, as well as items relating to elections and appointments. There were quite a few of the latter in the agenda of the current session, Mr. Taukatch said.

Also today, the Assembly President was scheduled to meet with the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Somavia of Chile. That meeting was in line with Mr. Udovenko's intention to be closely in touch with other main bodies of the United Nations. In September, he had also met with the then President of the Council, Ambassador Richardson. With Ambassador Somavia, the President was planning to discuss, in part, the agenda item on the report of the Security Council.

Referring to a point he had made earlier concerning elections in the General Assembly, Mr. Taukatch announced that the elections of five non- permanent members of the Security Council was now scheduled for 14 October, at 10 a.m. The five retiring members were Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Korea, Poland and Chile. According to the Council's rules of procedure, they were not eligible for immediate re-election.

Mr. Taukatch said that another important election in the course of the Assembly's current session would be that of the 18 members of the Economic and Social Council. The total membership of the Council was 54. That election would take place on the morning of Thursday, 30 October. As for the rest of the programme of the plenary, the Spokesman said it was still being worked on and he was hoping to have more details by the end of the day tomorrow.

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