DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Juan Carlos Brandt, Senior Associate Spokesman for the Secretary- General, announced at the outset of today's press briefing that the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Douglas Coutts, who is also the World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director there, would talk to correspondents about programmes and projects under way in that country. (Mr. Coutts briefing is being issued separately.)

Mr. Brandt then said the Security Council was this morning briefed, first, on Afghanistan, by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for that country, Lakhdar Brahimi. It was followed by briefings by Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations Manfred Eisele, on the Central African Republic and Croatia. The briefing on Croatia dealt with the United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP), whose mandate was due to expire on 15 January. The Secretary-General had recommended a six-month extension of the mandate, and it was expected that the Council would agree to it and to act accordingly by 13 January.

Concerning the Central African Republic, Mr. Brandt said the Council had before it a monthly report of the International Monitoring Committee established pursuant to the mandate of the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB). On 6 November last year, the Council approved the continued operation of MISAB for three more months. He said that Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi was currently visiting the Central African Republic in connection with the preparation of the Secretary-General's next report on the implementation of the Council's decision. The report would include the Secretary-General's recommendations for further international support for the Mission.

"More good news!" the Senior Associate Spokesman exclaimed, and announced that three Member States had paid in full their assessed contributions to the regular budget for the year. They were Marshall Islands, $10,516; Mozambique, $21,032; and Sweden, more than $11.5 million. So far five Member States had paid in full, he said, adding that that might be "a good omen" because at this date last year, only four Member States had paid in full. He also said: "this might be a trend, and by the end of the week all Member States would have paid their assessed contributions. We'll see." The level of outstanding contributions was now $3.1 billion, out of which $1.6 billion was for the regular budget and more than $1.5 billion was for peacekeeping. For those who kept close tabs on the outstanding contributions, he said a report on the subject, as of last year, was out, and that copies could be obtained from the Spokesman's Office.

He said the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Julian Harston, who is also Head of the United Nations Civilian Police Mission, was at United Nations Headquarters for briefings today and tomorrow

Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 8 January 1998

on his assignment. He was expected to arrive in the Mission area next Saturday, 10 January. An exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on Mr. Harston's appointment took place last December. An attempt would be made to have Mr. Harston meet correspondents before his departure for Haiti. A national of the United Kingdom, Mr. Harston was previously Director of the United Nations Liaison Office in Belgrade. Further information on him could be obtained from the Spokesman's Office.

Mr. Brandt said that the Head of the United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention in Vienna, Pino Arlacchi, had met at noon (local time) today with the President of Italy, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. During the one-hour meeting, President Scalfaro and Mr. Arlacchi reviewed matters of common interest, reaching total agreement on a number of important issues. Mr. Arlacchi briefed the President of Italy on the initiatives for a special session of the General Assembly on drug control. President Scalfaro expressed his wholehearted support for the planned important gathering. He also endorsed a proposal to be presented at the special session concerning the abolition of bank secrecy laws for members of criminal organizations. The two also discussed the recent wave of immigration of Kurdish refugees. A summary of the meeting could be obtained at the Spokesman's office.

Turning to other matters, Mr. Brandt recalled a question he had been asked yesterday about Somalia and the role of the United Nations concerning agreements reached in Cairo by Somali faction leaders which were embodied in the Cairo Declaration. He said the Cairo Declaration called for general assistance from the United Nations in the implementation of the national reconciliation agreements. It did not envisage a specific action by the United Nations at present. However, he said that the Head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia in Nairobi, David Stephen, had been in touch with the various Somali leaders as well as with the countries of the region to discuss the peace process in Somalia. He said correspondents might recall that the Security Council in its presidential statement of 23 December last year (S/PRST/1997/57) expressed support for the Secretary-General's efforts to explore means for the United Nations to assist in restoring peace and stability in Somalia. In that statement, the Council also encouraged the Secretary-General to continue his consultations with the Somali parties, interested and regional States and organizations concerned in the matter.

Mr. Brandt drew attention to a situation report of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) -- available in the Spokesman's office -- which indicated that during the past week heavy rains had continued to cause flooding and landslides in the northern and central parts of Peru. The Government of Peru, through the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/DHA, had launched an appeal for humanitarian assistance.

He announced, on behalf of the President of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), that a meeting of the executive would take place at the UNCA Club at 3 p.m. today. * *** *