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, informed correspondents at the start of today's noon briefing that the Security Council had begun consultations at 10 a.m. Before taking up the subject of Iraq, they considered the Secretary-General's report on Western Sahara -- the first discussion on that subject since the report was submitted to the Council last week. In his report, the Secretary-General outlines the plan for the Organization and conduct of the referendum, as well as a timetable for the peace process. He also recommends that "the Security Council authorize the expansion of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for the full implementation of the settlement plan". Mr. Eckhard reminded correspondents that the Council had already extended the mandate of the Mission for six months, until 20 April 1998.

Still on the subject of Western Sahara, he said that in his briefing to the Council this morning, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Hedi Annabi, indicated that there were proposed names for the post of Chairman of the Identification Commission and for the post of Police Commissioner. A formal announcement on those two appointments would be made shortly.

The Council was at the time of the briefing just taking up the situation in Iraq, Mr. Eckhard said. The Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission to monitor the disarmament of Iraq (UNSCOM), Ambassador Richard Butler, had begun his briefing on the technical aspects of the Commission's inspections. In addition, Garry Dillon, the leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Action Team which had responsibility for monitoring Iraq's compliance in the area of nuclear weapons, would also be briefing the Council. Mr. Eckhard told correspondents that he did not know at that time whether Mr. Butler would brief them, but he had tentatively scheduled 1 p.m. in room 226, should the Ambassador decide to do so.

The Security Council was also expected to take up the situation in Angola today, Mr. Eckhard said. [The Spokesman later announced that at the Council, Mr. Butler had introduced several technical experts on chemical and biological weapons, who were "giving a very detailed briefing" on the technical aspects of UNSCOM's activities in those areas.]

The Foreign Ministers of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation were expected to meet today in Geneva, Mr. Eckhard went on to say. The United Nations Office in Geneva had concluded an

agreement with the Missions of those countries there to make available to them the Palais des Nations for the meeting, which was expected to start at 2 p.m. Geneva time (8 p.m. New York time). They had tentatively made arrangements to brief the press after the meeting, at about 10 p.m. New York time. He cautioned, however, that the parties had not confirmed that they would want to speak to the press.

The Spokesman then drew attention to a press release from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Its five new judges were sworn in yesterday for their new terms, and then elected a new President and Vice-President. The new President was Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, from the United States. The new Vice-President was Judge Mohammed Shahabudden, from Guyana. Biographical notes were available in the Spokesman's office, as was a press release on the composition of each of the chambers of the Tribunal.

Mr. Eckhard reminded correspondents of the United Nations World Television Forum, which was being hosted by the Department of Public Information (DPI). The Secretary-General had opened it with a statement, now available in room 378, from which the Spokesman read out the following:

"Issues before the United Nations such as environment, drugs, pandemics, sustainable development, are issues that carry no passports. This is the message we are trying to send to the world. Yet the public is still thinking in local terms; it is constrained by boundaries.

"This is where we need to rely on the possibilities of technology; this is where we need to work through the power of television.

"We at the United Nations are convinced that information has a great democratizing power, waiting to be harnessed to our global struggle for peace and development.

"We believe this because we are convinced that it is ignorance, not knowledge, that makes enemies of men. It is ignorance, not knowledge, that makes fighters of children. It is ignorance, not knowledge, that leads some to advocate tyranny over democracy. It is ignorance, not knowledge, that makes others say that there are many worlds when we know that there is one -- ours...

"With the help of television, we can shine a light into ever more pockets of intolerance; there is nothing those dark recesses fear more than light. Through television, the world can be brought alive, so that we may care about it enough to help make it a better place."

The Spokesman said that the afternoon programme for the Forum would resume at 3 p.m., with a panel on "The New Multimedia Environment". Tomorrow, at 10 a.m., Jean-Bernard Muench, the Secretary-General of the European

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 19 November 1997

Broadcasting Union would moderate a panel on "New Scenarios in Television: Quality, Quantity and Access". It would feature two-way video links with Michael Bloomberg, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg Information TV, who would be speaking from Asia, and Renato Ruggiero, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, who would speak from Geneva. At 3 p.m. there would be a panel on "Programming for People", which would be moderated by Larry Loeb, President of the North American National Broadcasters Association. A press kit on the Forum was available.

Mr. Eckhard also drew attention to a press release from Geneva, which said that the Georgia/Abkhaz talks had concluded today. A final statement on the talks was also available in room 378.

The flood emergency in Somalia was worsening at an alarming rate, and yet more rains were predicted over the next two weeks, Mr. Eckhard said. In view of that situation, the Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, Yasushi Akashi, had issued the following statement, which was also available in the Spokesman's office:

"I am deeply concerned over the continuing flood emergency in Somalia and the increasing toll it is taking on human life and material destruction. It is estimated that the death toll has doubled within the last week, and it is continuing to increase exponentially.

"The international humanitarian community requires immediate financial support to engage eight helicopters to bring relief assistance to over 200,000 who are in urgent need. These people are stranded on rooftops, in trees and on small islands of high ground.

"I urge donors to contribute generously and speedily to this pressing emergency."

The Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Catherine Bertini, was in Somalia on Monday, Mr. Eckhard said. She visited Badera in the southern part of the country, which was one of the areas worst hit by the flood. Even as he spoke, a Flash Appeal asking for helicopters had just been released. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs report was available in room 378.

Two relief workers, both of them French citizens serving in Tajikistan, had been reported missing from their residence in Dushanbe yesterday, the Spokesman announced. Their car was found abandoned this morning about five kilometres east of the capital. The circumstances of their disappearance suggested that they might have been kidnapped, but no group had yet claimed responsibility. The Secretary-General strongly condemned all acts of violence against relief workers and hoped that efforts undertaken by the Tajik authorities to find them would soon yield results.

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He went on to say that Mr. Akashi had established an inter-agency task force to advance collaborative efforts in the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters related to El Nino. A press release on that was available to correspondents, as was another from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the conclusion of the twenty-ninth session of its Governing Conference.

The Spokesman then announced the tasting of the French wine "Le Beaujolais nouveau" tomorrow in the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Club, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Correspondents were all invited as guests of the press office of the Permanent Mission of France.

Asked the purpose of the meeting today between the Secretary-General and the Ambassadors of the United Kingdom and the United States, Mr. Eckhard said he would find out.

What were the Secretary-General's hopes and expectations for the meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Geneva? a correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General was "guardedly optimistic". The efforts that were taking place regarding the stand-off in Iraq were at a very high level, and there was a general feeling that everyone would like to find a political solution, if possible. The Secretary-General was therefore looking forward to the outcome of that meeting, as well as to the emergency meeting of the Special Commission on Friday, when -- should something emerge from Geneva in the early morning hours -- it could be further discussed and possibly nailed down on Friday.

Did the Secretary-General favour expanding the size of the UNSCOM mission in Iraq, "thereby lowering the percentage of Americans" in it? a correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General did not want to comment at this time about any of the specific ideas floating around.

A correspondent said that a Member State had mentioned in the Fourth Committee last week that the Organization owed $907 million to various countries for peacekeeping expenses, and asked for a breakdown. The Spokesman said that such information was not made public. However, that issue was really at the crux of the United Nations financial situation for 1998. "We've used those funds to borrow from, to keep the doors open here." He added that the United Nations would be "looking at whether peacekeeping continues to shrink and at what rate in 1998, so that we know how much cash will be available to borrow. And we will be keeping a nervous eye on the troop contributors that we owe money to, because we are technically in bankruptcy".

"The only reason the United Nations is surviving is that our creditors have not demanded payment", Mr. Eckhard said. Should anything change in the mood of those Member States who are owed money, the Assembly, for example, could vote that we no longer have the authority to borrow from peacekeeping. That would trigger an immediate cash crisis." He described the matter as one

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of "major concern", adding that when the high-level group on finance meets next week, it would be focusing on it. The Under-Secretary-General for Management would make a comprehensive presentation there and had been invited to talk to correspondents following that presentation.

Referring to the World Television Forum which began yesterday, a correspondent asked if it was being implied that radio was now considered outdated. Mr. Eckhard said that the Forum just happened to be a television conference. In the peacekeeping missions, radio continued to be the primary medium for communication with the local populations and was a very important part of DPI's daily activities from Headquarters. Asked whether there would ever be a "Radio Day", Mr. Eckhard said he would relay that suggestion to Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information Samir Sanbar.

Did the Secretary-General now feel that the corner had been turned in the Iraq crisis? a correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard said he did not want to overstate the Secretary-General's hope that the United Nations was on the track to a diplomatic solution. "It is a hope. The actors are the Governments, and they have been keeping him informed of their discussions, and he has his fingers crossed."

Also asked if the Secretary-General felt that the discussions had been removed from the hands of the United Nations, Mr. Eckhard replied in the negative. "What the Foreign Ministers are discussing is the beginning of a consensual process that would come back within these walls to build a critical momentum for acceptance", he said.

Asked for a progress report on Angola since the Secretariat's briefing of the Security Council on that subject, Mr. Eckhard said he had nothing to add to what he had said yesterday. He referred the correspondent to Mr. Annabi of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations who had briefed the Council, should he have anything he wanted to share.

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), following up on the query on the role of radio in United Nations information activities, remarked that the question was "music to his ears". As somebody who had background in radio and had worked with the United Nations Radio Service, he could confirm that radio was an integral and very important part of the activities of the Department of Public Information. United Nations Radio's involvement in peacekeeping operations, as Mr. Eckhard had noted, was indeed a crucial part of its work. There was a clear understanding in the Department of the importance of radio as a medium, especially for developing countries.

In an effort to expand its outreach, United Nations Radio had recently launched a number of major projects, among them live broadcasts involving broadcasters from all over the world, Mr. Taukatch said. Those programmes had featured Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations High Commissioner

Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 19 November 1997

for Human Rights Mary Robinson, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Nafis Sadik. He added that United Nations Radio would soon be going on the Internet. Developing the information theme and referring to the comments of the Secretary-General on the role of the media that had been quoted earlier by Mr. Eckhard, Mr. Taukatch noted that the President of the General Assembly had made a similar point this morning in a meeting with a group of journalists who were fellows at the University of Maryland and were present at the noon briefing. Mr. Udovenko stressed the importance of the media in getting the United Nations message across to the public at large. In that context, the spokesman noted that the Fourth Committee continued today its discussion of issues relating to information. Turning to reform, he said that the General Assembly, moving with pace and purpose, had just before the briefing concluded another round of consultations on the recommendations of the Secretary-General. It had dealt with two issues. The first, on recommendation 1, concerned the creation of the post of Deputy Secretary-General. The second was recommendation 14, which dealt with the account for development. In that connection, he drew the attention of correspondents to two documents which had previously appeared as conference room papers but were now addendums to the report of the Secretary- General on reform. Their symbols were A/51/950/Add.5 -- "Elaboration of the Secretary-General's proposals for the establishment of a Development Account" -- and A/51/951/Add.1, which contained the United Nations leader's views on the "Creation of the Post of Deputy Secretary-General". Also this morning, the Executive Coordinator of United Nations Reform, Maurice Strong, and the Under-Secretary-General for Administration and Management, Joseph Connor, had both spoken in the open-ended informal consultations. Looking ahead, he said that the General Assembly would tomorrow resume its work in plenary, to take action on a range of items, including the filling of one vacancy in the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and a decision on a draft resolution "Towards a culture of peace". Concerning the Main Committees, Mr. Taukatch said that the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was dealing with a broad range of human rights questions, some of them dealing with alternative approaches to the issue of human rights. On that subject, he drew attention to background Press Release GA/SHC/3443 of 12 November. Yesterday the Sixth Committee (Legal) approved a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would underline the importance of effective negotiations in the management of international relations and a peaceful settlement of disputes, Mr. Taukatch said. One draft before the Committee today concerned the report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country (document A/52/26), whose work proved to be a source of interest for the media. He also drew attention to an item which concerned the establishment of an international criminal court, on which there was also a draft resolution. Action was also expected on that draft, by which the Assembly would, in part, decide that the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court should be held in Rome from 15 June to 17 July 1998.

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Daily Press Briefing - 7 - 19 November 1997