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 about Richard Roth, Cable News Network (CNN) United Nations Bureau Chief, being back home after a successful surgical procedure. "We're glad you're home, Richard, but we will be happier when we see you back at work", Mr. Brandt said.

The Secretary-General had learned about the mine blast in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk which killed more than 63 coal miners and he wished to express his regret at the loss of life, Mr. Brandt said. On behalf of the United Nations, he had also expressed his condolences to the people and Government of Ukraine.

The investigative team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported late yesterday that Christopher Harland (Canada), a human rights investigator on the team, had been detained by that country's authorities, Mr. Brandt said. Mr. Harland was detained first in Goma and then at the airport in Kinshasa. The incident had reportedly arisen over a question regarding his travel documents. Mr. Harland had a Canadian passport, and more importantly for that particular mission, a United Nations laissez-passer.

Mr. Harland was detained throughout last night at the Kinshasa airport, Mr. Brandt said. United Nations officials, who immediately went to the airport and were present during the incident, had objected to demands by Democratic Republic of the Congo authorities to search his baggage. Two of the Organization's personnel had stayed with him at the airport at all times. Following interventions by United Nations officials in Kinshasa and New York, Mr. Harland was released at around 11 a.m. New York time, or 5 p.m. Kinshasa time. A full report from the head of the investigative team was awaited, and more information would be made available upon its receipt.

Conveying a statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary- General, Mr. Brandt said that after carefully assessing political developments in Cambodia, particularly the progress that the Cambodian authorities had made in establishing a framework for multi-party elections, and following the return of Prince Ranariddh, the Secretary-General had decided to accept the Royal Government of Cambodia's invitation to play a coordinating role in the international observation of elections on 26 July.

The decision had been conveyed to His Majesty King Sihanouk and Their Excellencies, Prince Ranariddh, Hun Sen and Ung Hot by letters dated 2 April, Mr. Brandt said. The Secretary-General had noted in his response that he made his decision notwithstanding continuing concerns on a number of issues which, if not addressed, could hinder the prospects for free and fair elections and their credibility thereafter. An accompanying memorandum to the letters had spelled out the main elements of the United Nations role and the conditions

for its participation. The statement would be available as a press release in room 378. (See Press Release SG/SM/6518 of 8 April.)

Conveying another statement attributable to the Spokesman, Mr. Brandt said the Secretary-General had been informed about a letter addressed to him by Abdullo Nuri, leader of the United Tajik Opposition. The letter, which was made public before it reached the Secretary-General, criticized the manner in which his Special Representative in Tajikistan, Gerd Merrem, had dealt with the recent crisis in the Kofarnikhon area. The Secretary-General had issued a statement on that subject on 25 March.

The Secretary-General reiterated his full support for Mr. Merrem's performance in directing a complex mission and overcoming obstacles in the implementation of its mandate, Mr. Brandt said. Mr. Merrem was about to retire from the United Nations after 25 years of distinguished service. The Secretary-General wished to record his full confidence in Mr. Merrem and the men and women serving with the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT), who had performed admirably in very difficult and often very dangerous conditions.

Mr. Brandt also drew correspondents attention to a press release from the Contact Group for the Implementation of a General Agreement on Establishing Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan, which was issued today. That Group had also expressed its appreciation for Mr. Merrem's job and his work, as well as his effectiveness in the role of mediator in the inter-Tajik peace talks and later in the implementation of the General Agreement. Copies of the Spokesman's statement and press release were available in the Spokesman's Office. (See Press Release SG/SM/6517 of 8 April.)

The Security Council was meeting this morning to discuss the situation in Rwanda, Mr. Brandt said. The Council had first taken up that issue to discuss the idea of reactivating the International Commission of Inquiry, which had looked into arms flows to former Rwandan government forces in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The Commission's third and last report was issued last December, he reminded correspondents. A possible draft resolution would be discussed further at the expert level.

Mr. Brandt went on to say that under "other matters", the Council had been briefed on the situation in Cambodia, including the Secretary-General's letter to Cambodian leaders on the United Nations role in the upcoming elections there, by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Alvaro de Soto.

The April report of the Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission on the disarmament of Iraq (UNSCOM), which was due on 11 April, was likely to be delayed until the middle of next week, Mr. Brandt told correspondents. The separate report by Jayantha Dhanapala, Chairman of the Special Group on the inspections of eight presidential sites in Iraq, was

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being finalized right now. The next report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iraq, which was also due on 11 April, was likely to be submitted to the Security Council on time.

"Thank you very much San Marino", Mr. Brandt said. That country had become the fifty-fourth Member State to pay its dues so far this year, with a cheque for over $21,000. Last year on this date, 49 Member States had paid their dues in full.

Hungary had become the eighth country to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, Mr. Brandt told correspondents. So far, 124 countries had signed the Treaty, which would enter into force after 40 countries had ratified it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine were commemorating their fiftieth anniversaries with a Conference on Global Rehabilitation today in Conference Room 1, Mr. Brandt said. The meeting, which began at 10 a.m. today and would go on until 1:30 p.m., had heard introductory remarks from Under-Secretary-General for Public Information Kensaku Hogen.

Today also marked the beginning of a series of panel discussions sponsored by the Department for Disarmament Affairs, the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Non-Governmental Organization Committee on Disarmament, Mr. Brandt said. Today's morning panel would address the issue of "Cutting back on war: what can we do about conventional weapons?" The afternoon panel would focus on "humanitarian and development implications of small arms proliferation". More details were available in the Journal.

Available in the Spokesman's Office was a press release from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on a case brought by Paraguay against the United States, Mr. Brandt said. The case concerned a Paraguayan national who had been scheduled to be executed in the United States on 14 April. The press release was issued in English and French.

There was also a press release from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on its new publication, which indicated that "serious flaws" in the international monetary and financial system had been found, Mr. Brandt added.

At 10 a.m. today, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette chaired the usual Wednesday Senior Management Group/Cabinet meeting, Mr. Brandt said. The Organization's offices in Geneva and Nairobi had participated in that meeting through United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Klaus Topfer, respectively.

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At 3:30 p.m. today, Ms. Frechette would meet with the Permanent Representative of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Naste Calovski, Mr. Brandt continued. The Deputy Secretary-General was also scheduled to have a meeting with the Permanent Representative of Haiti, Pierre Lelong.

The Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance would host a luncheon tomorrow at its Secretariat offices for the Group of Chernobyl children, who would also be presented with gifts, Mr. Brandt said. In addition, the Office wanted to contribute to the knowledge of the United Nations by the children and to express to them how important it was to the Organization for there to be a follow-up to the disaster in Chernobyl and its consequences.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) would hold a multimedia exhibit on landmines at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, 9 April, in the UNICEF House lobby, Mr. Brandt said. Correspondents were invited to join UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy for the opening ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Also attending would be UNICEF Special Representative for the Performing Arts Judy Collins; the Coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Jody Williams; the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, Robert Fowler; and the Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations, Machivenyika Tobias Mapuranga.

The exhibit would feature all types of special effects, including a simulated detonation by a sensor, to demonstrate the scourge of landmines, their prevalence and their toll on human lives, Mr. Brandt went on to say.

The former Minister of Information of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Radmila Milentijevic, who had recently returned from Belgrade, would brief correspondents at 11:30 a.m tomorrow on developments in Kosovo and Metohija, Mr. Brandt announced.

The Permanent Representative of Cameroon, Martin Belinga-Eboutou, was inviting all correspondents to a reception in the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) club at 3 p.m. tomorrow, 9 April, Mr. Brandt said. Details of the invitation would be posted on the UNCA bulletin board.

Asked when the UNICEF exhibition would take place, Mr. Brandt said it was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. tomorrow.

In light of recent incidents, did the Secretary-General feel that the investigative team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was making any progress? a correspondent asked. That assessment was being made "even as we speak", Mr. Brandt said. He would not be surprised at a decision concerning that team, one way or the other, over the next few days. Today's incident with Mr. Harland, of course, had added a new layer of problems to the mission, which had been plagued by many incidents. All kinds of impediments had been put in the way of its work from the beginning, and he would not be surprised if the Spokesman's office would be in a position to tell correspondents more about some kind of decision regarding the very existence of that mission.

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