DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Hiro Ueki, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's press briefing by responding to queries received over the weekend on the "oil- for-food" programme, under which Iraqi oil can be sold to purchase humanitarian goods.

Mr. Ueki said that over the weekend Iraq had submitted a draft distribution plan for Phase III of the "oil-for-food" programme to Denis Halliday, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, who was in Baghdad. Mr. Halliday was now waiting for formal approval of the draft plan from the Iraqi Government. When approval was received from the Government, Mr. Halliday would transmit the entire plan to the Secretary-General. There was no indication of when Iraq would resume the pumping of oil, which had been suspended on 4 December when Phase II of the programme had expired. Nor, was there any information on when new oil contracts would be submitted. However, it was expected that as soon as the Secretary-General reviewed and approved the Iraqi distribution plan, Iraq would resume pumping oil and would submit new contracts.

The Security Council this morning had been briefed by the Secretariat on the situation in Somalia, Mr. Ueki said. In that regard, the Permanent Representative of Egypt, Nabil Elaraby, had briefed the Council on progress being made by Somali leaders who were meeting in Cairo to address national reconciliation. The Somali leaders, under the auspices of the Egyptian Government, were expected to sign a reconciliation agreement in Cairo this evening. Also, the Joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity (OAU) Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Mohamed Sahnoun, would brief the Council.

Following the briefing, the Council would return to its consideration of a draft presidential statement on Iraq which it had begun reviewing on Friday, 19 December, he continued. [During a formal meeting following those consultations, the Security Council made a presidential statement demanding that the Government of Iraq cooperate fully with the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM). The Council also demanded that the Government of Iraq allow the Special Commission inspection teams immediate, unconditional access to any and all areas, facilities, equipment, records and means of transport which the teams wished to inspect in accordance with the Commission's mandate. (See Press Release SC/6458.)]

Tomorrow, the Council was expected to consider the situation in Cyprus, taking up the Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) (document S/1997/962) and the Secretary-General's report on his good offices mission in Cyprus (document S/1997/973), Mr. Ueki said. The Security Council would take action on matters related to UNFICYP before 31 December, the date on which the mission's current mandate would

expire. The Council, attempting to address all matters before the end of the month, had a full agenda this week and would possibly meet on Wednesday, 24 December, and Friday, 26 December.

Turning to matters in the Great Lakes region of Africa, Mr. Ueki informed correspondents that on 12 December the Secretary-General had sent a letter to the President of the Security Council indicating the need to adjust the United Nations political presence to the region's new political environment. In adjusting to the momentous changes there during the past year, the Secretary-General proposed that the Council give Mr. Sahnoun a new mandate, as his Special Envoy in Africa, under which he would continue to follow closely developments in Central Africa, including in the Great Lakes region. He would also lend his support to existing peacemaking and peace- building initiatives there, giving special attention to the situation in Burundi. Mr. Sahnoun would also be available for preventive and other missions that the Secretary-General might ask him to undertake in other regions in Africa.

Also in that letter, the Secretary-General informed the Council of his intention to appoint Berhanu Dinka as his Representative and Regional Humanitarian Adviser for the Great Lakes Region of Africa. The Security Council had responded favourably to the Secretary-General's proposals through a 19 December letter. Both letters would be issued soon as formal Security Council documents.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi, had met today in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Mr. Ueki continued. During that meeting, which lasted approximately one hour, Mr. Prodi and Mr. Arlacchi had discussed matters of common interest and Mr. Arlacchi had briefed the Prime Minister on the progress of United Nations drug control initiatives. The Prime Minister had expressed his Government's support for the United Nations "Global Plan" for the eradication of illicit drug crops. Mr. Prodi had also voiced support for the programme for Afghanistan, which he said was being undertaken in full respect for the human rights of all concerned parties. Also discussed was the status of preparations for the special session of the General Assembly on the fight against illicit narcotic drugs to be held at Headquarters from 8 to 10 June 1998. The Prime Minister expressed his Government's support of the initiative and the five main themes of the special session, which he planned to attend.

A press release had arrived from Geneva on the recent fact-finding mission to Libya undertaken by Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, he said. It was expected that Mr. Petrovsky would report to the Secretary-General this week on his trip to Libya from 13 to 18 December.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 22 December 1997

A press release had also been received from Geneva on the visit of Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, to that country, Mr. Ueki said. The press release was available in French only.

The recently recorded World Chronicle television programme with Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, would be shown today on in-house television channels 6 or 38 at 2:30 p.m.

The BBC World Service feed to the in-house "MX" system, which had been broken, was now fixed, Mr. Ueki announced. He said the BBC wished to apologize on behalf of Bell Atlantic for the time it took to repair the feed and that the BBC thanked everyone for their patience. The BBC World Service could now be accessed on the "MX" system by dialling 056.

He announced that several press releases from the World Health Organization (WHO) were available in the Spokesman Office, including an update on the influenza A(H5N1) in Hong Kong, China. Also, a press kit on the El Nino phenomenon was available.

A correspondent asked about the rumour that the Russian Federation had decided to violate the "no-fly zone" in Iraq. The correspondent also asked for information on rules regulating the "no-fly zone". Mr. Ueki said he had no information on such intention by the Russian Federation and that he would provide information on the "no-fly zone" after the briefing.

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