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, began today's noon briefing by welcoming the President of the Staff Committee, Rosemary Waters, and the former Under-Secretary-General and hostage negotiator, Giandomenico Picco, who were at the briefing to commemorate the Day of Solidarity with Detained Staff Members, which was being observed today.

Mr. Brandt also reminded correspondents that the year of the disappearance of Alec Collett in Lebanon was also being observed and commemorated today. Mr. Collet was, at the time of his disappearance, working at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He acknowledged the presence of Mr. Collet's wife, Elaine, and reiterated that the United Nations would not close that chapter until it knew for sure what had happened and assurances about his whereabouts had been provided. (Ms. Waters' briefing is being issued separately.)

Conveying a statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary- General, Mr. Brandt told correspondents that the situation in Tajikistan had deteriorated over the last 24 hours as a result of attacks by opposition groups against government police and troops east of Dushanbe. Numerous casualties had been reported. The Secretary-General had condemned those attacks and had called on the leaders of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) to withdraw their personnel. He had also urged the Government and the UTO to work together in order to restore law and order, in accordance with their commitments under the peace accord. (See today's Press Release SG/SM/6503.)

Mr. Brandt said the "Contact Group" on Tajikistan had considered the incidents involving exchange of fire, which took place south of Kofarnikon, a violation of the peace agreement on the part of two identified field commanders. The Group had deplored the tragic loss of lives at Tajik hands and had strongly urged both parties to bring an immediate end to all actions resulting in the loss of life and injury. The Contact Group had also urged both parties to fully implement the Peace Agreement, as its slow implementation could affect trust and increase tensions.

The Security Council had met this morning to consult on Haiti, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic, Mr. Brandt said. The Council had before it a draft presidential statement on Haiti. If consensus was achieved on the text that morning, the Council could move to a formal meeting. The Secretary-General's report on Sierra Leone was also before the Council, and he had recommended several measures to strengthen the United Nations presence in that country.

No Council action was expected on the Central African Republic today, Mr. Brandt said. The Council, however, was expected to act on the draft resolution by Friday, 27 March, when the current extension of the Inter- African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) would expire. The Secretary-General had recommended a United Nations peacekeeping operation for the Central African Republic as a successor to

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MISAB. The Council was also expected, under other matters, to be briefed by the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi, on the latest situation in Afghanistan.

Mr. Brandt told correspondents that the Special Envoy of the Secretary- General for Afghanistan, Lakdar Brahimi, had met with Mullah Muhammad Rabbani, a representative of the Taliban, in Islamabad, for the second day. They had met first yesterday. They had discussed, among other things, ways of reviving the peace process between the warring parties in Afghanistan. Mr. Brahimi had arrived in Islamabad over the weekend for a three-week mission to the region. He was expected to stay in Islamabad until this weekend and then to visit several neighbouring countries and to hold talks with Afghan leaders. He was accompanied by the Permanent Observer of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Moktar Lamani.

The Secretary-General had begun the second day of his official visit to Israel with a breakfast meeting with the Mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, Mr. Brandt said. He had then visited Yad Vashem, the memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, where he laid a wreath in Remembrance Hall. Accompanied by his wife, Nane, he had viewed the tree planted in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, and had walked through the Memorial to Children killed in the Holocaust. On exiting, he had speculated what would have happened during the Second World War if the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had existed. "Would it have given courage to the victims to resist?" he asked. "Would there have been more Raoul Wallenbergs?"

The Secretary-General had then proceeded to the Knesset where he had met with the Speaker, Dan Tichon, and then with members of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, including the Chairman, Uzi Landau, Mr. Brandt continued. At a lunch hosted by the Speaker and his wife, the Secretary-General had drawn laughter when he referred to a David Ben-Gurion phrase "oom-shmoom" to describe a United Nations irrelevant or hostile to Israel. He had then added that without "oom" (the United Nations), there would be "kloom" (nothing). (See Press Release SG/SM/6505.) After lunch, the Secretary-General had met with the Chairman of the Labour Party, Ehud Bark, and other members of the opposition. They had discussed in depth the status of the peace process and the proposed Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

In the late afternoon, the Secretary-General had made a major policy address at the Israeli Council on Foreign Relations, Mr. Brandt went on to say. The Secretary-General had said that his visit was taking place at a time of considerable uneasiness in the region. He had delivered a three-point message: first, he warned the parties of the potentially grave consequences should the Oslo peace process fail; second, he called for a new era in relations between

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Israel and the United Nations; third, he asked Israel and its partners to make the difficult choices required for peace.

Mr. Brandt said the Secretary-General had urged both Israelis and Palestinians to persevere, saying, "There is no alternative, unless you want relations with our Palestinian partners, and perhaps others, to regress and revert to the enmity of old." He had pledged to usher in a new era of relations between Israel and the United Nations. He had called for dealing with the fact that Israel was not a member of one of the Organization's regional groups. "This anomaly should be corrected", he had said, adding "we must uphold the principle of equality among all United Nations Member States."

Calling for normalization of relations between Israel and the United Nations, the Secretary-General had said there was great potential for participation in work for peace and development, Mr. Brandt continued. He had gone to Israel as a friend, and he told the Foreign Relations Council that, as a friend, it was important that Israel understood that grievances against it "do not come out of the blue sky". The Secretary-General had pointed out that a great majority of Members States regarded Israel as having been responsible for provocative acts that undermined goodwill and sparked hostilities.

Mr. Brandt said the Secretary-General had asked Israel to accept that the great mass of world opinion genuinely felt that Israel was doing a great disservice to its cause by persisting in those practices. "I ask Israel to accept that, just as you are entitled to ask your Palestinian partners to do their best to live up to their side of the bargain under the agreements reached, so they too are justified in asking you to fulfil your obligations."

The Secretary-General had said the process would either move forward or backward, but it could not remain stalled for long. "It was, therefore, essential that Israel -- and her adversaries in the region -- commit themselves to a comprehensive peace based on the principles enshrined in resolutions 242 and 338, and reflected in the Oslo accords -- most fundamentally land for peace." That, he had said, was the only principle that had a chance of bringing peace to that land. (See Press Release SG/SM/6504.).

The Secretary-General had then given a press conference before travelling to the office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where he met with Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini, Mr. Brandt said. Tomorrow, he would have breakfast with a former permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, Gad Yaacobi, and his wife before taking a flight back to Geneva. Transcripts of the speeches would be provided later this afternoon, Mr. Brandt said. The audio of the Secretary-General's press conference would also be available very soon through the United Nations Radio.

The Commissioner of the special group charged with the inspections of eight presidential sites in Iraq, Under-Secretary-General Jayantha Dhanapala, had indicated in Baghdad today that his team was now ready to start their

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work, the Senior Associate Spokesman said. Mr. Dhanapala expected to begin shortly. Weekly Report No. 57, on the implementation of the "oil-for-food" programme, was available in the Office of the Spokesman. The 661 Committee, which was overseeing the sanctions on Iraq, had approved 20 humanitarian sales applications last week. It had not blocked any applications. Oil revenue from Phase III of the programme had exceeded $500 million.

Also regarding Iraq, Mr. Brandt said the Geneva-based United Nations Compensation Commission had today paid out claims worth nearly $500 million. Those claims arose from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. A press release with more details on the matter was available in room S-378. (See Press Release IK/246.)

Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette this morning chaired the Senior Management Group -- the cabinet meeting that took place every Wednesday, Mr. Brandt told correspondents. At the time of the briefing, she was having a meeting with the Ambassador of Djibouti and would be leaving for Geneva in the afternoon. That would be her first trip abroad since assuming the position of Deputy Secretary-General. She would be going to Geneva mainly to attend meetings of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) meetings together with the Secretary-General. On that trip, she would have the opportunity to meet with her other colleagues from the United Nations system.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was in Paris for a short visit, Mr. Brandt said. Mr. Vieira de Mello had made a presentation today before the Foreign Affairs Committee at the French National Assembly. After being introduced by the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Jack Lang, Mr. Vieira de Mello had explained to the parliamentarian members of the Committee, United Nations action in the humanitarian field, and especially the protection of minorities and of the civilian populations. He had given many concrete examples, such as the Organization's action in northern Iraq, Somalia, the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.

Mr. Vieira de Mello had featured the need for protecting and promoting international humanitarian law and had suggested some ideas: the assurance that war criminals be brought to international penal courts or the growing idea of creating a corps of international police. During his visit, Mr. Vieira de Mello also had contacts with official at the Foreign Ministry and at the Elysee, Mr. Brandt continued.

"Thank you, Jordan!", the Senior Associate Spokesman said, in announcing that Jordan had become the fifty-first Member State to pay its regular budget dues, with a cheque for over $84,000. Last year on this date, there were only 45 Member States paid up.

Yesterday, Costa Rica had signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, Mr. Brandt said. There was a breakdown of all the countries which had signed that treaty to date, in room S-378. A list

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of all the 10 countries which had so far signed the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was also available.

A press release from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had stated that the case of Jean-Paul Akayesu was winding down, Mr. Brandt said. Closing arguments for the defence would take place tomorrow. A press release with more details was available in room S-378.

The World Bank had issued its Global Development Finance 1998 report today, he said. The report indicated that private capital flows to developing countries had experienced a roller-coaster year in 1997 rising strongly during the first half of the year before being badly hurt by the East Asian financial crisis.

The report had predicted that a combination of wary investors and uncertain prospects for recovery in East Asia, as well as possible further effects, were likely to reduce net long-term private flows to developing countries in 1998. The report had also investigated the causes and evolution of the East Asian financial crisis, Mr. Brandt said. The press release and background paper were available in room S-378.

A correspondent wanted to know whether the subject of Alec Collett had come up during the Secretary-General's visit to Lebanon. Mr. Brandt said he did not have specific information as to whether that particular question had been discussed. However, he knew that the Secretary-General did not fail to mention or address that question everywhere he went, especially since he was in the region. Mr. Brandt said he would try to get a confirmation as to whether the question was raised.

Asked if there had been any response from the Taliban to the United Nations on the incidents mentioned yesterday, Mr. Brandt repeated that yesterday, two people had been sent there from Islamabad from the United Nations Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs to seek assurances that incidents of that kind would never again take place and enough pledges to secure the safety and integrity of United Nations personnel. Until that happened, the Organization's personnel would be kept away and the suspension of activity in that area would continue. He had no information other than that which he had just given regarding Mr. Brahimi. When he received more information from the Security Coordinator, he would be in a better position to inform correspondents.

A correspondent wanted to know whether the United Nations was seeking any action against the Governor. Mr. Brandt said that, more than anything, assurances were being sought that such incidents would not happen again. There was no way that the Organization's staff who already worked under very difficult conditions should also be subjected to that kind of treatment.

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