DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

(Incorporates briefings by spokesman for General Assembly President, and by Secretary-General's Special Representative for Tajikistan)

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's briefing by welcoming the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Tajikistan, Gerd Merrem, who was accompanied by the representative for Tajikistan of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), John McCallin, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, Paolo Lembo.

Mr. Eckhard said the Security Council was today in closed consultations on the subject of Tajikistan; it had earlier in the morning been briefed by Mr. Merrem. After that, it had begun discussing the multinational peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic. Following that, it would turn to the subject of Iraq.

Still on Tajikistan, Mr. Eckhard drew attention to a UNHCR press release on Tajik refugees in Afghanistan, which stated that UNHCR would start repatriating the last group of 5,000-7,000 Tajik refugees from a war-affected camp in northern Afghanistan, starting on Friday. The five-week operation aimed at taking advantage of improved security along the repatriation routes. That press statement was available in room 378.

The Secretary-General had submitted to the Security Council this morning his report on the situation in the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). In it, he observed that continued conflict in the country, especially if the involvement of foreign forces persisted, would represent a clear threat to regional peace and security. He also said that if the United Nations was requested to provide assistance to help ensure safety and security of humanitarian operations, he was prepared to draw up plans for a suitable United Nations presence. He would also initiate preparations for assisting in a programme of national reconciliation leading to the conduct of free and fair elections with the participation of all parties.

The Secretary-General had also said in that report that the Joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity (OAU) Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region, Mohamed Sahnoun, was exploring ways of promoting those objectives. On the basis of Ambassador Sahnoun's report, the Secretary- General would provide the Security Council with a "more detailed statement of needs in relation to emergency humanitarian relief, electoral assistance and a possible rehabilitation and reconstruction programme".

Mr. Eckhard said that the Secretary-General had this morning welcomed President Joaquim Alberto Chissano of Mozambique, and at 9:50 a.m. had a

meeting with the President. There would be an unveiling of a gift to the United Nations by Mozambique at 11:30 a.m. Drawing attention to some other items on the Secretary-General's programme for the day, Mr. Eckhard pointed out that at 12:45 p.m., he would meet with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams. Recalling a question asked of him last week, as to whether Ms. Williams would be included in the list of Nobel Prize winners to whom the Secretary-General was extending an invitation as occasional official consultants, Mr. Eckhard answered in the affirmative. The prize had been presented to Ms. Williams in her personal capacity, as well as to her organization, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, he noted.

The Spokesman said that later in the afternoon, from 3 to 4 p.m., the Secretary-General would address the Fifth Committee, where he would present his proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999. The Office of the Spokesman hoped to have the text of the Secretary-General's opening remarks at that meeting later in the afternoon, and would "squawk" it at that time.

The Secretary-General had met with his Senior Management Group this morning, the group's fourth meeting, with a video-conference link to Geneva. There had been no link to Vienna because Pino Arlacchi, the head of that office, was in New York and he attended in person. The focus of the meeting had been the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the efforts to get the human rights investigation there under way.

The Spokesman announced that the fourth annual report of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (document A/52/375) was out. It covered the activities of the Tribunal from 1 August 1996 to 31 July 1997.

On Angola, he said that following the issuance of the Secretary- General's report on that country yesterday, there would be a closed meeting of troop contributors tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Economic and Social Council Chamber.

Mr. Eckhard also announced that the United States had made a partial payment of $53.5 million. Ninety-four Member States had now paid in full, exactly the same number as at the same time last year. The level of outstanding contributions was now just over $2.2 billion.

On the subject of United Nations finances, he said there would be a worldwide vigil to protest the Organization's financial crisis. Concerned citizens from the New York tri-state area would gather at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, near United Nations Headquarters, at 6:15 p.m. tomorrow. Assistant Secretary-General Gillian Martin Sorensen would read a message to the group on behalf of the Secretary-General. Additional information on that occasion was available in room 378. Also available, he told correspondents, would be

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"little tags and ribbons for those of you who want to cross over the line as journalists and become activists".

Organizers of the worldwide vigil would also have a press conference tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., but the location was as yet uncertain. Participating would be Bill Pace, of the World Federalist Movement; Sharon McHale, of the World Federation of United Nations Associations; Jim Paul, of Global Policy Forum; and Jim Olson, of the United Nations Association USA (UNA-USA).

Mr. Eckhard also announced two press releases from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, which said that some of the best-known companies in the world were to join forces and launch the Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS tomorrow, 23 October, to expand the response from the business sector to the epidemic worldwide. The group included Cargill, The Financial Times, Glaxo, Levi Strauss and MTV. South African President Nelson Mandela, the Honorary President of the Global Business Council, said that "all sectors and spheres of society have to be involved as equal partners to address the challenge of AIDS".

A World Health Organization (WHO) press release confirmed that incurable cases of tuberculosis were emerging around the world where people lacked access to the most sophisticated and expensive health care. It said that the disease was often resistant to the commonly prescribed drugs isoniazid and rifampicin, treatments which could cost up to $250,000 per patient.

Also available was a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) press release on the food situation in Mongolia, following a two-week mission to that area, which stated that Mongolia faced a serious food deficit and needed urgent emergency aid for some 143,000 people.

The Spokesman also announced another press statement, from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, saying that four accused people had failed to make an initial appearance at the Tribunal last Friday.

In another press release, the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy, in the wake of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty which was observed last week, had stated that poverty-eradication must begin with children.

Mr. Eckhard announced a press conference, sponsored by the United States, which would take place tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. It would feature journalists from six countries who were recipients of the 1997 International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The journalists were from Croatia, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Taiwan and the United States, and they would discuss their experiences and press freedom issues, he added.

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The Spokesman said World Chronicle TV today at 2:30 p.m. would feature the Director-General of the FAO, Jacques Diouf. It would be shown on in-house channels 6 and 38.

A correspondent asked Mr. Eckhard if he knew when Turkish Cypriot leader Raul Denktash would meet with the Secretary-General. "I don't", he replied. Did Mr. Denktash have any appointment? the correspondent persisted. "No", said the Spokesman, offering to look into the issue.

To a correspondent who observed that the name of Ms. Williams had not been on a list of Nobel laureates being contacted by the Secretary-General, and whether she had been an "after-thought", Mr. Eckhard said he was not certain that that particular list had included this year's recipients. He said he believed the process had begun with a list of previous recipients, with a subsequent mailing to the current ones. "Anyway, she would be on it", he stated.

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), said the Assembly had a busy day today, which began this morning with the address by President Chissano of Mozambique.

As for the second item on today's agenda, he said that some had been puzzled by the "enigmatically-sounding" subject of "Notification by the Secretary-General under Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations: note by the Secretary-General" (document A/52/392). Mr. Taukatch explained that under the above-mentioned Article of the Charter, the Secretary-General was mandated to notify the General Assembly about matters related to maintenance of international peace and security that the Security Council was dealing with. In its consideration of that agenda item this morning, the Assembly had taken note of the Secretary-General's information on that subject.

The Assembly then elected seven members of the Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC). The spokesman reminded correspondents that that committee was composed of 34 Member States of the United Nations who were elected for three-year terms on the basis of equitable geographic distribution. Based on that formula, nine seats were for African States, seven for Asian States, seven for Latin American and Caribbean States, seven for Western European and Other States and four for Eastern European States. The seven members elected today were elected without a vote for a term beginning on 1 January 1998. Rounding up the figures, Mr. Taukatch pointed out that those seven were in addition to the 25 Committee members that would continue to serve after 1 January 1998; the two "missing" members would come from the Western European and Other States Group, but the Economic and Social Council, which was responsible for nominating the candidates, had postponed decision on that matter.

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The Assembly also took action on a number of "cooperation" issues, dealing with cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, the spokesman said. This morning's action included cooperation between the United Nations and the Latin American Economic System; between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference; and between the United Nations and the League of Arab States. It was also expected to take action on the subject of observer status for the Andean Community in the General Assembly.

Turning to the programme of work of the Assembly, Mr. Taukatch noted that an item that had been on the agenda for today on "Cooperation between the United Nations and the OAU", was rescheduled for a later date which would be announced. In that connection, he announced that the programme of work for the remainder of October, the month of November and up to 8 December, had been issued this morning, and gave the document number as A/INF/52/3/Addendum 1. He told correspondents it was a helpful guide for following the consideration of various agenda items at the plenary. Noting that he had been getting questions on some of those items, he said that the agenda item concerning the economic embargo against Cuba would be taken up by the Assembly on 5 November. Assistance in mine-clearance would be on 19 November.

He announced that a video-conference of a joint session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Board in Geneva and the Second Committee of the General Assembly in New York would be held tomorrow, 23 October, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Conference Room 2. The New York press was invited, and further information was available from Harris Gluckman at (212) 963-6895.

Mr. Taukatch said there had been a meeting of the open-ended, informal consultations of the plenary yesterday, at which 23 Member States had addressed the Assembly. They looked at recommendations of the report of the Secretary-General, and would continue with those discussions tomorrow.

Asked about the status of the delegation of the Republic of Congo at the General Assembly since the coup last week, Mr. Taukatch said there was no change. The Credentials Committee was the body making recommendations on those issues and so far there was no action by that Committee and therefore there was no change in the status.

In other words, the correspondent asked, the former government (of Paschal Lissouba) could vote at this Assembly? Mr. Taukatch responded that until the Committee made its recommendations and the General Assembly approved them, the status in the General Assembly remained "as is".

Gerd Dietrich Merrem, the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Tajikistan, told correspondents he was attempting to rally

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international support for the development of Tajikistan before the November donors' conference to be held for that purpose.

Mr. Merrem said the people of Tajikistan had suffered great loses during the civil war which erupted in 1992, with some 50,000 killed and hundreds of thousands more internally displaced or forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. Matters had improved since the signing in June of the General Agreement on Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan by the Tajik President and the leader of the United Tajik Opposition.

Since then, the economic situation had improved and the delivery of humanitarian assistance had been facilitated. Many high-level members of the opposition had returned to Tajikistan for the first time in five years. Prisoners of war had been released and refugees had begun to return in large numbers. The UNHCR, assisted by other international agencies, had supported the return of refugees from such locales as northern Afghanistan. In addition, the Commission on National Reconciliation had formed and held two meetings. Laws governing amnesty and legislation protecting returning refugees had been put in place. The international community had recognized improvements in Tajikistan and international interest was being expressed in the rehabilitation and development of the country.

Although the current situation could be presented with optimism, the peace must now be consolidated, he said. Tasks ahead included the incorporation of opposition members into government structures, the holding of elections and the application of the new laws regulating amnesty. The legal system must be revamped and the function of the judiciary must be viewed as fair and just. A new political culture, including respect for human rights, must be introduced. Armed units of the opposition must return from camps in northern Afghanistan and integrated into national armed forces.

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