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, told correspondents at today's noon briefing that the Security Council was meeting this morning to discuss Bosnia and Herzegovina, Angola and other matters. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elizabeth Rehn, was now briefing the Council on the latest situation in that country. The Council had before it the latest report of the Secretary-General on the Mission. Ms. Rehn would be at the noon briefing tomorrow.

The Council also had before it a draft resolution on Angola, which it was expected to adopt tomorrow morning, prior to the opening meeting on Libya, Mr. Brandt said. The Council, in addition, might issue a presidential statement on Brcko. "You might recall that the arbitration on the final status of Brcko was postponed until after January 1999." The Council might also issue a presidential statement on Haiti today, he added.

Concerning the open meeting on Libya, Mr. Brandt said it would start with the observance of a minute of silence for the victims of the plane disaster. Libya would be the first speaker, followed by the members of the Security Council and some regional organizations, all in the morning. Nineteen or so non-members of the Council were expected to speak in the afternoon.

He advised correspondents to please check the list of speakers tomorrow morning. Some families of the victims of Pan Am flight 103 were expected to be seated in the public gallery of the Council Chamber to observe the formal meeting.

The Senior Associate Spokesman said the Secretary-General had sent a letter to the President of the Security Council, informing him of a further delay in the presentation of his report on the situation in Africa, which might now take place in mid-April. The Secretary-General was planning to present it after his return to New York. That report on Africa was requested by the Security Council last September when it met at the ministerial level.

He said the report would contain recommendations regarding sources of conflict in Africa, ways to prevent and address those conflicts and how to lay the foundation for durable peace and economic growth following their resolution.

Concerning Kosovo, Mr. Brandt said it was unclear if it would come up today. A member of the "Contact Group" circulated to Council members informally yesterday a text which could be used as a possible resolution.

Mr. Brandt also informed correspondents that the Commissioner of the special group charged with the inspection of the eight presidential sites in Iraq, Under-Secretary-General Jayantha Dhanapala, had announced in Geneva today the initial composition of the special group. He said that he had sent a letter to 60 diplomatic missions in New York, inviting them to appoint two diplomats each above the rank of senior counsellor, preferably Arabic speaking and knowing the region, and able to come at short notice to Baghdad.

He said 28 countries had responded positively. Out of the list, 20 diplomats had been identified to carry out the initial eight visits. They had been alerted and were due to arrive in Baghdad early next week. Only two of them were based in Baghdad. The 20 documents came from 20 countries. A list of those diplomats was available at the Spokesman's office since this morning. The inspections were expected to start late next week.

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Prakash Shah, was due to arrive in Baghdad on Sunday, 22 March, Mr. Brandt continued. The Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) on disarmament of Iraq, Richard Butler, and Mr. Dhanapala would also arrive in Baghdad the same day.

Regarding the financing of Iraqi pilgrims to Mecca, the Senior Associate Spokesman said that the Permanent Representative of Iraq, Nizar Hamdoon, had yesterday notified the Chairman of the 661 Committee, which oversaw the sanctions on Iraq, that there was no longer any practical usefulness in continuing the discussion on that matter. So the matter was closed. That notification would be issued as a Security Council document later.

Mr. Brandt also announced that the United Nations had received today a partial payment from the United States of $51.7 million on its regular budget arrears. That was money that was appropriated some time ago. In his briefing to correspondents a week and half ago, Under-Secretary-General for Management, Joseph Connor had mentioned that the money was on its way.

He said San Marino yesterday became the sixth country to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. So far, 124 countries had signed the Convention, which would enter into force when forty of those countries ratify it.

Mr. Brandt informed correspondents about a press release regarding a ruling by the International Court of Justice on a case brought by Iran against the United States. The case, which was filed in 1992, concerned the destruction caused by United States Navy ships to three Iranian oil platforms in the late 1980s. Iran said those acts breached treaties between the two countries as well as international law.

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On the latest development in the case, he said the International Court of Justice had ruled today that counter-claims by the United States were admissible in Court. The United States was saying that Iran violated agreements when it endangered maritime commerce by laying mines and attacking ships in the Persian Gulf from 1987 to 1988. The press release was available in English and French, he added.

Mr. Brandt said there was an advance text available of the Secretary- General's message on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Saturday, 21 March.

In continuation of his visit to the Middle East, the Secretary-General was today in Cairo, Mr. Brandt said. He called on Esmat Abdel Maguid, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. They discussed the situation in Iraq, Libya and the Lockerbie case, the Middle East peace process, efforts by Egypt and Ethiopia to negotiate a peace agreement among the warring factions of Somalia, as well as Egypt's support for the peace efforts of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) regarding the Comoros.

At midday, the Secretary-General met with President Hosni Mubarak, who accorded him head of State honours. That meeting lasted for an hour and was attended by both the Prime Minister, Kamal El Ganzoury, and Foreign Minister, Amre Moussa. They had a detailed discussion of the prospects for reviving the stalled Middle East peace talks. The talks, described as warm and friendly, also touched on Iraq, Libya and Somalia. After the meeting, President Mubarak hosted a luncheon in honour of the Secretary-General. It was also attended by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister.

Mr. Brandt said the Secretary-General was scheduled later today to have detailed talks at the Foreign Ministry. He would then give a press conference, after which he would be the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Foreign Minister. The Secretary-General would leave Cairo tomorrow for Beirut.

The Senior Associate Spokesman said the Secretary-General had addressed the press and others who had come to receive him on arrival at the airport in Cairo yesterday. The Secretary-General said, "Thank you very much Mr. Foreign Minister. Let me say that I am very happy to be back in Egypt. As some of you may know, I lived here in 1974 both in Cairo and Ismailia. So, it is a little bit of a homecoming for me. I have also worked very closely with President Mubarak and Foreign Minister Amre Moussa during the Iraqi crisis.

"And so whatever little success I had, I did not do it alone. I had lots of support and I am grateful to the President for his advice and support during those critical weeks. And I look forward to having constructive and very helpful discussions both with the President and the Foreign Minister and the whole Egyptian leadership. I am very happy to be back here. I always feel good in Egypt."

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On Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette's appointments for today, Mr. Brandt said she attended the resumed session of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning. She spoke at that session. At noon, the Permanent Representative of Nepal, Narendra Bikram Shah, would pay a courtesy call on her. At 3 p.m., she would also meet with the Permanent Representative of Norway, Hans Jacob Biorn Lian.

At 3:30 p.m., she would receive the Permanent Representative of the United States, Bill Richardson, who would be accompanied by four other Ambassadors from that country's mission. The Permanent Representative of Andorra, Juli Minoves-Triquell, would pay a courtesy call at 4:30 p.m.

Mr. Brandt drew the attention of correspondents to a press release issued by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which announced that the Union had opened a liaison office in New York at 821 United Nations Plaza, ninth floor. The office would be headed by Andre Varchaver, formerly the IPU Liaison Officer in Washington, D.C.

Regarding scheduled press conferences, Mr. Brandt said the Charge d'affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Vladislav Jovanovic, would address correspondents at 1 p.m. today. He was expected to speak on recent developments in the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia, Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Tomorrow at 10 a.m., Ambassador Richardson would meet with correspondents to talk about the Lockerbie case. Family members of the victims of Pan Am 103 flight would be attending.

At 11 a.m., the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Agwu Ukiwe Okali, would also address a press conference on issues before the Tribunal. At noon, the Special Representative of the Secretary- General to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elizabeth Rehn, would speak with correspondents. The Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, Sir John Weston, would also brief correspondents on the Lockerbie case.

He also reminded correspondents of a briefing at 1:30 p.m. today, at the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Club on plans for the education and employment of women in Afghanistan. Also at the UNCA Club tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., the families and relatives of the British Lockerbie victims would brief the press. That was in connection with the Libyan sanctions debate.

Asked if the Spokesman's office had anything on ethnic cleansing in Croatia, which had been reported in The New York Times today, Mr. Brandt said he did not have anything. He promised to look into it.

A correspondent asked what Russia's position was regarding the proposed sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Mr. Brandt said he

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heard the same press report to which the correspondent was referring. "I tried to get something on that before the briefing but I was not able to get that information. I will try again this afternoon. Besides the information on the Security Council, I do not have any further information on Kosovo and the sanctions", he said.

On tomorrow's plan by the Security Council to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Lockerbie tragedy, a correspondent asked if such ritual would be repeated when discussing other tragedies in the future. Mr. Brandt said both the General Assembly and the Security Council had taken such action in the past whenever a discussion merited it. It was the decision of any of those bodies to do that. "It had happened before and it would happen again, do doubt."

Asked if Deputy Secretary-General Frechette could receive credentials from foreign envoys on behalf of the Secretary-General, Mr. Brandt said she could. She was fully in charge in the absence of the Secretary-General. Even if the Secretary-General was in the building and for some reason he could not fulfil his usual obligations, he would designate the Deputy Secretary-General to do so.

Finally, the Senior Associate Spokesman issued a correction in the list of diplomats going to Baghdad which had earlier been provided to correspondents. The representative of Canada was in fact, Michael Bell, Canada's Ambassador to Egypt.

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko, reminded correspondents of the Secretary-General's phrase "reform is not an event, but a process", which Mr. Udovenko himself had often reiterated during last year's consideration by the Assembly of the Secretary- General's reform measures and proposals.

The Assembly President emphasized that point anew these days, as he was holding consultations on a number of reform issues stemming from General Assembly resolution 52/12B. As part of those discussions, the Assembly President would host today a working luncheon with Deputy Secretary-General Frechette.

Mr. Taukatch recalled that in its resolution 52/12B, the Assembly had asked the Secretary-General to submit a number of follow-up reports on some of his proposed measures, including the establishment of a new system of core resources, the establishment of a revolving credit fund; on a new concept of trusteeship, a Millennium Assembly and a Millennium Forum. Those reports were expected to be submitted by the end of March, and Mr. Udovenko wanted to consult with the Deputy Secretary-General on the status of their preparations.

Regarding the work of the Committees, Mr. Taukatch said the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) was continuing today its resumed fifty- second session. It would consider the question of financing for development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries. He said the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) had a number of items today that would be of interest to correspondents. The Committee would begin general discussion on the report of the Secretary- General regarding the proposed United Nations code of conduct (document

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A/52/488).

Issues or reports that should come before that Committee today would include the report of the Secretary-General on office accommodation at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, he said. That was of particular interest to journalists in Geneva. There was a draft decision that the Committee was expected to act on today (document A/C.5/52/L.23). By that decision, the Committee was expected to approve the Secretary-General's proposal to accept the offer of the Swiss authorities to place the office accommodation at the Palais Wilson in Geneva at the disposal of the United Nations.

For those interested in the subject of communication, Mr. Taukatch said the Committee on Information would hold its twentieth session from 4 to 15 May. Document A/AC.198/1998/1 contained its provisional agenda and programme of work.

Asked for an update on the activities of the Credentials Committee, Mr. Taukatch said there was none. There were no meetings of that Committee planned at this time.

The same correspondent wanted to know if the status quo remained regarding disputed representation. Mr. Taukatch said there had been no changes to the situation that existed during the main part of the Assembly session.

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