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 responding to questions posed throughout the morning regarding the decision by the Israeli Cabinet to comply with Security Council resolution 425 (1978). "As the Secretary-General made it clear when he visited the region recently, he welcomed the implementation of all Security Council resolutions, including 425."

Japan takes over the Presidency of the Security Council today, Mr. Brandt said. Ambassador Hisashi Owada was holding bilateral consultations with the members of the Council on the work programme for the month of April. As usually the practice at this time, there were no activities planned for the day.

Ambassador Richard Butler, Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), would be visiting London on 2 and 3 April as part of his routine consultations with the five permanent members of the Security Council, the Senior Associate Spokesman said. He was expected to meet with senior government officials and would return to New York after the trip.

The two-day biannual session of UNSCOM ended yesterday, he said. It reviewed the recommendations made in its emergency session last November and discussed elements that could be included in the next report of the Executive Chairman, which was due on 11 April. The Commissioners were also briefed on the recent agreements with Iraq, in particular the memorandum of understanding, as well as on the recent technical meetings with Iraq. At the invitation of UNSCOM, and at his request towards the end of the session, the Permanent Representative of Iraq, Nizar Hamdoon, made a short presentation on Iraq's cooperation with that body.

According to World Food Programme (WFP) Weekly Report No.58 on the implementation of the "oil for food" programme, the 661 Committee, which oversees the sanctions on Iraq, approved 29 humanitarian sales contracts last week, he said. The Committee again did not block any applications. It had in fact not blocked any humanitarian applications under Phase III. Copies of the report are available in the Spokesman's office. As far as the report of oil experts was concerned, it was expected to be submitted to the Security Council in the week of 13 April.

The International Court of Justice this morning took a procedural decision on the cases brought by Libya against the United States and the United Kingdom concerning the Lockerbie incident, Mr. Brandt said. The Court fixed 30 December of this year as the date for the United States and the United Kingdom to file "counter-memorials" in the cases against them. A press release on that was available in the Spokesman's office, in English and French. Also available was a press release in English and French on a Court ruling today concerning a case brought by Qatar against Bahrain.

On Angola, he said that yesterday, 31 March, was to have marked the conclusion of the Lusaka Protocol, but that did not prove to be the case. Radio Vorgan continued to broadcast this morning, in spite of assurances given by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) that it would cease on that date. "So, as far as this particular issue is concerned, we will believe it when we don't hear it", he said.

The telephone conversation that was to have taken place yesterday, between UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi and Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, did not occur, for what were described as "technical reasons", he added. However, UNITA Vice-President Antonio Dembo was due to arrive in Luanda shortly, heading a delegation that was expected to include Alcibiades Sakala, UNITA's so-called "Foreign Affairs Secretary", and two other leading personalities. That should mark the first step of the UNITA leadership's transfer to Luanda. Mr. Dembo was expected to bring a letter from Mr. Savimbi to President dos Santos concerning the arrangements for extending State administration to Andulo and Bailundo, where UNITA was headquartered. Although the deadline for completing the peace process had not been met, the process was still moving forward. The mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) would be reconsidered by the Security Council at the end of April.

On a related note, the Senior Associate Spokesman said the current MONUA Force Commander Major-General Philip Sibanda, would be leaving his post in the next few weeks after two-and-a-half years of distinguished service to the cause of Angolan peacekeeping. He would be succeeded as Force Commander and Chief Military Observer from 1 May by Major-General Seth Kofi Obeng from Ghana. A biographical note on the new appointee was available from the Spokesman's Office.

In Beijing this morning, the Secretary-General toured the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City, Mr. Brandt said. In the afternoon, he visited the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where he was briefed by Tian Zeng Pei, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Consultative Conference. The Secretary-General then gave an address to members of the Committee, focusing primarily on prevention as an essential aspect of the United Nations work in peace and security. The Secretary- General then took questions on Iraq, the Middle East peace process, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and United Nations reform. Finally, he met with representatives of United Nations agencies, as well as local and international staff, at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Beijing. The UNDP then hosted a dinner in his honour.

In his speech to the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Secretary-General focused on the importance of preventing armed conflicts, Mr. Brandt said. Because civilians were increasingly targeted in conflicts, the

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Secretary-General said that "preventing these wars is no longer a matter of defending interests or promoting allies -- it is a matter of defending humanity itself". And yet, the Secretary-General observed, "We never seem to learn". Time and again warning signs were ignored, and the international community valued prevention only after it was too late.

The Secretary-General said that, in the twenty-first century, the United Nations must become a global centre for visionary and effective preventive action, Mr. Brandt continued. At the same time, the Secretary-General stressed that prevention could only work if the root causes of conflicts were addressed. He said that sustainable economic development, based on respect for human rights was essential to preventing conflicts, and in that connection, he welcomed China's intention to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Secretary-General quoted a Chinese proverb that it was difficult to find money for medicine but easy to find it for a coffin. "Have we not seen enough coffins -- from Rwanda to Bosnia to Cambodia?" he asked. He stressed that effective prevention would result in true human security. Copies of the speech were available in the Spokesman's Office. (See Press Release SG/SM/6511.)

The Secretary-General yesterday, 31 March, attended a press conference where he responded to a number of questions regarding the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, relations between the United Nations and China, human rights and other topics. Mr. Brandt said audio tapes of that press conference were available from the Audio Library.

Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette was in London today, he said. In the morning, she had breakfast with Lord Judd, a member of the House of Lords who, like Ms. Frechette, was very concerned with the issue of development. The Deputy Secretary-General had stressed the need to make the United Nations a leading centre of development policy and development business. Later, Ms. Frechette met with members of the "United Nations family" in London, including representatives of the United Nations Information Centre, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Bank and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as well as representatives from the United Nations Association-United Kingdom.

Ms. Frechette had lunch with someone who would soon be well known to correspondents -- the future Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, Jeremy Greenstock, Mr. Brandt added. At 7 p.m. local time, the Deputy Secretary-General was scheduled to open a United Nations landmine exhibit at the Imperial War Museum entitled "Landmines: The Human Cost". That exhibit included examples of landmines from the Second World War and a mine-field simulation. It was dedicated to the memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and featured information on her campaign to ban landmines.

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Ms. Frechette had arrived in London on Monday, 30 March, in the early evening, he continued. Yesterday, 31 March, she met with the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), William O'Neil. She later attended a luncheon with Roy Maclaren, High Commissioner of Canada. The Deputy Secretary-General then participated in a seminar at the Overseas Development Institute featuring non-governmental organizations, policy analysts and others on the question, "Is there a distinctive development agenda for the United Nations?". Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General was scheduled to meet with Tony Lloyd, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, before she left London for New York at 2 p.m.

Klaus Topfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) delivered a message today on behalf of the Secretary-General in New Delhi at the First Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Mr. Brandt said. In his message, the Secretary-General noted that the Assembly, the first of its kind, offered an important opportunity to assess the achievements of the GEF and the challenges ahead. "In a very short period of time, the GEF has proven itself to be an innovative financial mechanism for the protection of the global environment", the Secretary-General said. "The GEF's work programme was under way in more than 110 countries", he added, and the three implementing agencies -- UNEP, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank "have demonstrated that collaboration within the United Nations system can be effective, bringing to the fore complementary strengths and expertise." A press release on that event was available in the Spokesman's Office. (See Press Release SG/SM/6512.)

Today, a group of children from Chernobyl took a private tour of Headquarters at 10:30 a.m., the Senior Associate Spokesman said. At 1 p.m. the children would be at a luncheon at the Delegates Dining Room hosted by the Restaurant Associates. "We hope they have a good time", he said.

Yesterday, 31 March, at the press briefing, it was announced that Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy would be at Headquarters, Mr. Brandt said. The Permanent Mission of Canada, however, notified the Spokesman's Office that Mr. Axworthy was required to be in Ottawa today and he would have to cancel his visit.

For those who were "poetically correct" there was a poetry event from 1 to 2 p.m. today at Headquarters in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, Mr. Brandt said. The event would feature readings by, among others, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stanley Kunitz, and selected student from New York City schools. Books on poetry would be given away free of charge to those attending.

In referring to a reminder from the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), he said the British-American Security Information Council would hold a press conference in the UNCA Club at 1:30 p.m. today. The topic

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would be "The alleged United States army role in developing Iraq's scud missiles".

Was it the Secretary-General's view that the withdraw of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon under resolution 425 (1978) be without condition? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt said he could not answer the question at that time as there had not been any official communication from the Israeli Government on the decision to withdraw from Lebanon. "We have to wait for more information on this", he said.

When asked if he could confirm reports that the Secretary-General had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Brandt said he was aware of the press reports and he had no reason to doubt the Prime Minister on that matter. However, he could not confirm the information without speaking to the Secretary-General's delegation currently in Beijing.

A correspondent said it was announced by the United States State Department that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright would go to Haiti. Had the Secretary-General been in touch with Mrs. Albright on that issue and was that a joint operation? he asked. Mr. Brandt said he did not know if the Secretary-General had been in touch with Mrs. Albright on that particular issue. He referred the correspondent to the statement made by the Security Council last week on Haiti, in which it urged Haiti to move forward in regards to the current impasse. The visit by the Secretary of State of the United States, who had played a very important role in Haiti, was probably a follow- up on the plans, projects and efforts made to move forward on the situation there.

Was there any information on the status of Vincent Cochetel who was kidnapped in the Caucasus region? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt said, regrettably, he did not have any information about Mr. Cochetel's situation, but every possible effort continued to be made to secure his well being and his release.

It was reported that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson had criticized the Democratic Republic of the Congo for blocking the investigation in Mbandaka, a correspondent said. Was there any comment on that? he asked. Mr. Brandt said he had not seen news reports on that particular issue. However, Mrs. Robinson was extremely concerned with the human rights situation in all parts of the world, but in that region in particular. She was concerned to see that the efforts being made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate violations were, in some instances, leading nowhere.

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