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, said that the Security Council was this morning being briefed by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Hans Blix, concerning his report to the Council on Iraq, which had come out earlier in the week. The Council would also be briefed by the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission established by the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 687 (1991), Richard Butler, whose report had also come out earlier in the week.

Following the press statement which the President of the Council had issued last night, Mr. Eckhard continued, the Council had agreed to consider a Presidential Statement on Congo-Brazzaville today. The draft of that statement had been circulating since late last night, and the Council was expected to take up the issue this afternoon. Under 'Other Matters', it was expected to discuss Western Sahara, the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) -- about which there was also a draft presidential statement under consideration -- and Iraq.

He then read the following statement, available in Room 378 and attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General: "The Secretary- General is concerned by reports of increased tension between Greek and Turkish forces in connection with military exercises in and around Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean. This follows increasingly belligerent rhetoric in recent weeks emanating from both communities in Cyprus, and from Greece and Turkey. Competition in military exercises increases tension on the island, is dangerous, and could provoke a confrontation.

"The Secretary-General strongly urges all parties to act in accordance with recent Security Council resolutions, which specifically express grave concern at the continuing excessive levels of military forces and armaments in Cyprus, and the rate at which they are being expanded. They call upon all concerned to commit themselves to a reduction in defence spending and a reduction in the number of foreign troops on the island, and call upon the parties to create a climate for reconciliation and genuine mutual confidence on both sides, and to avoid any actions which might increase tension." (See Press Release SG/SM/6361)

Turning to Haiti, the Spokesman told correspondents that the Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Bernard Miyet, had returned from his visit to that country yesterday. He had met with President Rene Preval, the Presidents of both Chambers of Parliament, and leaders of the main political groupings. At a press conference before his departure, Mr. Miyet had confirmed that the United Nations Transitional Mission in Haiti was planning for its departure at the end of November when its mandate expired, and that he did not anticipate an extension of the United Nations military presence in Haiti beyond that date. The Secretary-General would submit his report on the United Nations mission later this month, with recommendations.

Concerning the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), Mr. Eckhard said that in view of the calm and stable military situation in Eastern Slavonia, the second phase of downsizing the military contingent of UNTAES had begun yesterday as the Secretary-General had indicated in his 2 October report to the Security Council. The downsizing exercise would be completed by 15 November, leaving 720 military personnel and a platoon guard of 45 men at Pleso. 400 civilian police and 100 military observers would remain until at least 15 January 1998 when the mandate of UNTAES expired. The current strength of that mission was 3,000. In response to the Secretary-General's progress report on UNTAES, the Security Council was this afternoon expected to discuss the draft presidential statement referred to earlier in the briefing by Mr. Eckhard.

He told correspondents that the 661 Committee, which oversees the sanctions on Iraq, had yesterday approved one more oil contract under the "oil-for-food" plan. It was worth 1.8 million barrels, and had been awarded to a Russian company, bringing the total volume approved so far under Phase II of the plan to 123.43 million barrels. The 661 Committee had before it a new oil pricing formula for November submitted by Iraq earlier this week. The deadline for approval of the new formula under the "no-objection" procedure was 4:00 p.m. today.

Referring to a question that had been asked in the briefing in the past two days concerning United Nations staff in Congo-Brazzaville, and their security status, Mr. Eckhard said there were no international staff in Brazzaville itself. However, he noted, the World Health Organization (WHO) had 30 local staff, while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had 17. They were currently on the outskirts of the city and were reported to be safe. In Point Noire, there were three international staff, one for the World Food Programme (WFP), one for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and one for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). There were also 30-40 local staff. The three international staff were in an oil company compound yesterday, but might have returned to their hotel and residence later in the evening.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 16 October 1997

Concerning figures given at yesterday's briefing on the plan by the International Supervisor for Brcko, Ambassador William Farrand, to form a multi-ethnic police force there, the Spokesman said they had added up to only 90 per cent. That office had now confirmed a mistake in their original cable, he said, and given the correct figures as 50 per cent Serb, 40 per cent Bosniac, and 10 per cent Croat.

He announced a press release from the World Health Organization (WHO) which said that a new round of negotiations on the Convention on Hazardous Chemicals would take place in Rome from 20-24 October on the banning and restriction of chemicals and pesticides harmful to human health and the environment. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the convention would provide the world with a first line of defence in managing extremely dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Copies of the press release were available in Room 378.

Also from WFP, and available to correspondents, was the text of a statement by its Executive Director, Catherine Bertini, on the occasion of the World Food Day which was being celebrated in Rome today. In it, she had said, "World Food Day is an important occasion because it challenges all of us to rededicate ourselves to the battle against the poverty and hunger that afflict hundreds of millions of people around the globe". The occasion would be celebrated in New York on Tuesday, 21 October. For that, the text of the Secretary-General's statement was also available in the Spokesman's Office.

Mr. Eckhard also drew attention to a WHO press release, which announced that the world's top-ranked female tennis player, Martina Hingis, had today accepted an invitation to be a goodwill ambassador for the agency's programme on immunization. The 17-year old Swiss tennis star had also donated the $75,000 that she won in the Arthur Ashe tournament to the polio-eradication campaign in Ethiopia. She had further donated her own money to an immunization project in Nepal where young women her age were being immunized. He added that WHO's immunization programme was launched in 1974 with the objective of eradicating polio and tetanus world-wide by the year 2000.

Mr. Eckhard then told correspondents that the Administrator of UNDP, James Gustave Speth, would be in Room 226 tomorrow at 11 a.m. for a press conference. Also present would be Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Laureate for Literature, and Danny Glover, actor and crusader. The occasion would be the observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which was being marked tomorrow. On that subject, Mr. Eckhard said that copies of 'Note to Correspondents' were available on the third floor press racks. (Notes No. 5472 and 5473).

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 16 October 1997

Also tomorrow, the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, José Mauricio Bustani, would be meeting with the Secretary-General. He had been invited to the noon briefing to talk to correspondents. Today, Mr. Bustani would appear on the World Chronicle Television programme to be shown on in-house channels 6 or 38 at 2:30 p.m.

Concerning the announcement that the United States Permanent Representative, Ambassador Bill Richardson, would be going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a correspondent asked if he would be taking a message from the Secretary-General. In addition, given the timing of the trip, would the Secretary-General have to wait for Mr. Richardson's report before deciding what to do with the human rights investigative team? Mr. Eckhard said that the United Nations had provided the United States team with the 'non- negotiable' elements of the investigative mission. They would try to convince President Laurent Kabila and other members of his Government, and possibly other leaders in the region, of the wisdom of allowing the United Nations mission to go forward. As for the timing, he said that the United States mission had taken longer than the Secretary-General had hoped, but "he has no intention of acting until this last-ditch effort by the United States is made".

Asked where the investigative team was at the moment, he said the four team leaders were still at Headquarters, but the others were in Kinshasa.

The Spokesman was also asked for the Secretary-General's reaction to "the overthrow of a democratically-elected government by force". He said the Secretary-General was concerned that it could become a pattern in Africa, a point he raised before the Security Council yesterday, not only the overthrowing of a government by force, but also the involvement of neighbouring States. In talking to the Council in closed session, he had emphasized the importance of Charter principles and raised the question of how best to remind signatories of those principles, as well as how -- in the case of the Republic of the Congo and any future cases -- the Council might react to the overthrow of a government by force, or the intervention of foreign powers in such a development.

A correspondent asked if the United Nations still regarded Mr. Lissouba as legitimate President, given that his term of office had expired. Mr. Eckhard said that was a grey area, recalling that the constitutional court had extended Mr. Lissouba's mandate after his term expired until elections could be held. Mr. Lissouba's representatives at the United Nations had not been challenged by any Member State, he continued, adding, "It is obviously a very fluid situation and it was really not a matter of the Secretary-General recognizing or not recognizing him".

Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 16 October 1997

The correspondent remarked that in the case of Sierra Leone the Secretary-General had come out "very strongly", and regional sanctions had subsequently been imposed. Had the Secretary-General made any specific proposals to the Council yesterday? The Spokesman said he had not, but that the Council was well aware of the Sierra Leone case. "I do not think we in the Secretariat see a strict parallel, but it is a parallel that everyone seems to be aware of."

Asked to comment on the involvement of a permanent member of the Security Council in the situation in Congo-Brazzaville, he said he had no comment. The Secretary-General's report to the Council had talked of the involvement of a number of States, not necessarily naming all those who had been involved, including mercenaries, and from outside the region. He added that the internationalization of the conflict was a matter of great concern to the Secretary-General; that was what had brought him to the Council on Tuesday evening. The range of concern also included massive violations of human rights. What governments should do when those things happened was a question on the Secretary-General's mind and one that he hoped others would consider.

Asked whether the Secretary-General would address those principles in a report, Mr. Eckhard said 'No'; at this point it was just a thought.

A correspondent said that the Iraqi Foreign Minister had recently sent a letter to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council concerning a contract for spare parts meant for a pipeline that had not been approved. Was there a problem with that contract? The Spokesman said he was not aware of the letter, and would check.

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), said the Assembly had this morning begun consideration of agenda item 46, which was "Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development: report of the Secretary-General". There had been great interest in the item in the Assembly, where 39 delegates had already been inscribed in the speakers' list distributed yesterday. That number would now move up to 40, he noted, as Luxembourg, on behalf of the European Union, had proposed that the Holy See be permitted to speak, and the Assembly had agreed. Mr. Taukatch explained that according to established practice, observer non-Member States could normally make statements only in the Main Committees. He added that the Assembly would probably spend the rest of the morning today, as well as the afternoon, discussing agenda item 46; if there was a spillover, they would probably continue tomorrow.

Providing context, Mr. Taukatch recalled that the World Summit for Social Development had been held in Copenhagen, Denmark in March 1995. At its fifty-first session, the General Assembly had requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the outcome, which he had done. His present report before the Assembly (A/52/305) was a follow-up report and

Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 16 October 1997

contained selective information on initiatives and activities which had taken place since the issuance of the previous report. Mr. Taukatch pointed out that the report was to be considered in conjunction with another report of the Secretary-General, on the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (A/52/315), which was also before the Assembly at this session.

Turning to the subject of reform, he said that the General Assembly had yesterday held two meetings, in the morning and in the afternoon, within its format of open-ended informal consultations of the plenary, and had heard 26 speakers. It would meet again tomorrow within the same format, and would have before it three Conference Room Papers: 1, 2 and 3, as well as the Informal List of Measures and Proposals prepared by the Secretariat.

The President of the General Assembly had this morning presided over a meeting of the plenary; he had then met with the Secretary of State for Youth of Portugal who was also one of the speakers in the debate in the General Assembly. Mr. Udovenko had also met with Mauricio Bustani of Brazil, Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In the afternoon, he would meet with the President of the Board of the International Narcotics Control, Hamid Ghodze.

The First Committee was today continuing general debate on a range of issues related to security and disarmament. The Second Committee would today conclude its general debate on the world economic situation, and then go into the discussion of macro-economic policy questions.

Mr. Taukatch was asked what would happen when all the speakers in the open-ended, informal consultations of the plenary had been heard. He said the Assembly being "master of its own procedure", would have to decide how to proceed further. The spokesman said that it was a little premature at this point to say what action the Assembly would take, but definitely, the President was hoping that out of all the discussions would come some sort of decision by the General Assembly on the report of the Secretary-General.

Mr. Udovenko felt that the discussions had been extremely productive, the spokesman continued. Many Member States had shown great interest and there was a high level of participation, which he felt was very important for those kinds of consultations.

Was there some sense of agreement emerging from the discussions? the correspondent asked. "There is a sense, yes", Mr. Taukatch answered.

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