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]

Juan Carlos Brandt, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's briefing by welcoming the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, James Gustave Speth, who was present to talk to correspondents about "Development and Human Rights", in the context of Human Rights Day. (Mr. Speth's briefing is being issued separately.)

Yesterday, the Security Council held informal consultations on the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), Mr. Brandt said. There had been general support for the Secretary-General's recommendation to terminate that mission on 15 January next year. In the report, the Secretary-General also recommended to the Council the establishment of a support group of about 180 civilian support police monitors, whose task would be to continue to monitor the performance of the Croatian police in the Danube region, particularly concerning the return of displaced persons. The Council also received a briefing yesterday from the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Judge Laity Kama.

Mr. Brandt said the Council was today holding consultations on the Secretary-General's progress report on the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA), in which he urged the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), to complete, without further delay, the crucial tasks of demilitarization and extension of State administration throughout Angola. In that connection, Mr. Brandt reminded correspondents that the Secretary-General had indicated to the Council his intention to draw down the mission's military component, as previously planned, from approximately 2,500 to 1,750 by the first week of January. Concerning its agenda today, he said the Council was consulting on the first periodic report of the Member States participating in the Inter-African Mission for the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) in the Central African Republic.

To give correspondents a "head-up", the Associate Spokesman said that tomorrow, the Council was expected to be briefed by the Under-Secretary- General for Political Affairs, Kieran Prendergast on the situation in Burundi. It would also discuss the Secretary-General's report on Sierra Leone.

Mr. Brandt announced that the Secretary-General had today submitted to the Security Council his report on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). In it, he noted the continuing tension and lack of progress towards an overall settlement in the country. The military forces and armaments in Cyprus continued to be expanded, upgraded and modernized at an increased rate over the last six months, he noted, adding that the presence of

UNFICYP on the island remained indispensable in order to maintain the cease- fire between the two sides. The Secretary-General therefore recommended the extension of the UNFICYP mandate for another six months, until 30 June 1998. He would report to the Council separately on his mission of good offices; that report was expected to be issued shortly.

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he informed correspondents that Andrew Chigovera, head of the human rights investigative team in Mbandaka, was back in Kinshasa, as was spokesman Jose Diaz. After the meeting of the Provincial Security Committee last night and this morning, the Vice-Governor indicated to the team that arrangements for the security of their work and themselves had been made. The team should be deployed tomorrow morning to sites in Mbandaka, and to the village of Wendji, 25 kilometres from Mbandaka. Depending on the progress of the investigations, Kofi Amega, the head of the team, might himself travel to Mbandaka during the weekend.

He drew attention to a press release available in the Spokesman's Office on the four-party peace talks on the Korean Peninsula, which had met for the first time in plenary session in Geneva. It said the parties had successfully inaugurated the negotiating process to achieve permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula. The next plenary session would begin on 16 March in Geneva.

Mr. Brandt announced that two helicopters based in Garissa Kenya were delivering immediate relief goods to vulnerable populations in Badera and Kismayo in Somalia, operating daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Concerning Burundi, he said that a mission from the Department of Humanitarian Affairs had returned from Burundi, where they were asked to assist the United Nations team in the processing of humanitarian exceptions under the regional sanctions regime. That report was out, and a background briefing would be given to correspondents on the United Nations response to the sanctions regime and the humanitarian impact by a United Nations official in Room S-226 at 3 p.m. on Friday. Those interested in a copy of the report could contact Rolando Gomez in the Spokesman's Office.

The Associate Spokesman drew attention to another press release from the World Food Programme (WFP) regarding the delivery of emergency aid to drought- stricken Tanzanians. Also available in the Spokesman's Office was a World Health Organization (WHO) press release on the effects of El Nino, and some findings that had been highlighted on the subject at the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Kyoto. Those referred to links between El Nino and issues of health.

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The President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Mr. Kama, and the Tribunal's Registrar, Agwu Okali, would be present at tomorrow's briefing, Mr. Brandt said. Mr. Kama would speak to correspondents about his briefing to the Security Council, and about the annual report of the Tribunal to the General Assembly. For that briefing, there would be simultaneous interpretation in English and French, he added.

Mr. Brandt said that this morning (local time) in Tehran University in Iran, the Secretary-General had delivered a human rights address, advance copies of which had been released to correspondents yesterday evening at Headquarters in English and French. Recommending it highly to correspondents, he quoted the following paragraphs:

-- "Human rights lie at the heart of all that the United Nations aspires to achieve and develop."

-- "Tolerance promoted, protected and enshrined will ensure all freedoms. Without it, we can be certain of none."

-- "Human rights are your rights. They are the best in us. Give them life."

Copies of the address were still available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Brandt went on. It had also been issued as a press release.

Following the ceremony at Tehran University, the Secretary-General and his party flew to Isphahan, where he was greeted by the local authorities, Mr. Brandt said. After a tour of the sites and a meeting with the Governor of Isphahan he had then returned to Tehran, where he met with representatives of United Nations agencies and missions. Tonight, he was scheduled to have a United Nations "family dinner" with the roughly 170 national and international staff in Iran.

Mr. Brandt announced that the Secretary-General, on 1 December, sent a letter to all Heads of State and Government of Member States on the occasion of the launching of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In it, he recalled that the cause of human rights was at the core of the mission of the United Nations. He called on all Governments to support the global effort to reinvigorate the international system, and for the promotion and protection of human rights, which had developed in the last 50 years.

"Much remains to be done", he said in that letter, "to ensure that the goals of the Universal Declaration are realized for every individual, but I am confident that the international community will respond to this challenge in a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity." He further called on Governments to take appropriate measures to turn solemn commitments into concrete actions for

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 10 December 1997

the betterment of all people, and encouraged them to sign and ratify outstanding treaties. Copies of that letter were also available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Brandt said, noting that it had not been made available before.

On behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), he reminded correspondents that the Coalition for the International Criminal Court was inviting them to a briefing today between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the UNCA Club.

A correspondent said that at the United States Congressional hearings on United States policy on Haiti yesterday, broadcast by C-SPAN, a United States congressman had referred to the Argentine contingent that the United Nations was sending to that country as a "swat team" and a "mercenary" force. Asked for comment, Mr. Brandt stated that first, the Argentine contingent was not a swat team, but a civilian police contingent which was highly-trained and highly prepared for the tasks ahead of them. Secondly, he said the correspondent should ask that question to the congressman, as "he was the one who made that allegation".

He pointed out that there was a Security Council mandate that clearly established the role of a civilian police in Haiti in the future. "They should find out from the resolutions what it says and you should address your question to him."

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), saying he was sure that correspondents were either in the Economic and Social Council Chamber this morning, or monitoring on television the special programme to mark Human Rights Day there, noted that Mr. Udovenko had made the opening remarks. The text of that address had been made available, he added.

In that statement, Mr. Udovenko said he wished that 1998 would become a milestone in the long struggle for the achievement of one of the worthiest purposes of the United Nations Charter. He also underscored the fact that promotion of human rights had been one of the key missions of the United Nations.

Mr. Udovenko had also this morning welcomed to the United Nations the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the spokesman said. The Assembly President met with Mrs. Clinton before the beginning of the programme. Their conversation focused on some of the main issues before the current Assembly session. The spokesman noted that in his remarks this morning, Mr. Udovenko recalled that Mrs. Clinton had been in Ukraine recently and "spoke eloquently" there about the need to protect human rights and build civil society.

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Turning to the General Assembly today, Mr. Taukatch said it would meet in plenary to act on the reports of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon. Looking ahead, he said that the next plenary meeting would be on Friday, 12 December, when the Assembly would take up the reports of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).

For the benefit of those who might have missed events in the Assembly, Mr. Taukatch announced that concerning the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East, two draft resolutions -- one on the peace process in the Middle East, and the other on the full participation of Palestine in the work of the Assembly -- had been withdrawn by the sponsors. The other resolutions under those agenda items had been voted on and adopted by the Assembly.

In addition to his meeting with Mrs. Clinton this morning, the President of the General Assembly had also met with the former Prime Minister of France, Pierre Mauroy, the spokesman said. At about the time of the briefing, he was scheduled to meet with the Permanent Representatives of Mexico, Italy, Pakistan and Egypt as part of his continuing consultations on the question of Security Council reform.

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