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 announcing that there would be no Security Council consultations today. The Council would meet tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. to receive a briefing from the Secretariat on the situation in Sierra Leone.

He said the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1160, which imposed an arms embargo on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was having a second meeting this afternoon at 3:30 in Conference Room 7. The meeting would be closed.

The fourth round of talks on East Timor at the senior officials level would begin at United Nations Headquarters this afternoon, he said. The Indonesian delegation was headed by Ambassador Nugroho Wisnumurti, who was currently the Director-General for Political Affairs at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, and was a former Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations. The Portuguese delegation was headed by Ambassador Fernando Neves, Director-General for Special Political Issues at the Portuguese Foreign Ministry. The talks would be chaired by Ambassador Jamsheer Marker, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, and were scheduled to continue until Friday.

Mr. Brandt said he was trying to see whether Ambassador Marker would be able to attend the noon briefing on Friday, 8 May, to discuss the talks on East Timor.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, left today for Haiti, where he would stay until 9 May, Mr. Brandt said. During his visit, Mr. Miyet would meet with Haitian authorities and political leaders. He would also assess the functioning of MIPONUH, the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti. In this week's issue of "UNDP Flash" (the United Nations Development Programme), a positive story on post-conflict resolution stood out, said Mr. Brandt. Some 50,000 Liberians uprooted during the country's civil war would receive help in returning home or resettling in new communities through a project supported by UNDP. Most of the people to be assisted had been living in temporary shelters or squatting in government buildings in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Each family head would receive basic tools and materials to construct new shelters or to repair homes damaged by war, as well as implements for small-scale agriculture. The UNDP was working with other United Nations aid agencies to complete the resettlement before June, when the next rainy season would begin.

The Afghan Donor Support Group met in London yesterday and expressed support for the common approach of the United Nations agencies to Afghanistan and the United Nations peacemaking efforts, Mr. Brandt said. It called on the Taliban to improve security conditions so that the United Nations agencies could carry on their humanitarian work. Meanwhile, negotiations between the United Nations team and the Taliban on the resumption of United Nations humanitarian work continued in Kabul. The weekly update on humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan was available in room 378.

Mr. Brandt said that Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, welcomed the commitment of the parties to the armed conflict in Sri Lanka to observe two days of tranquillity during his visit to the conflict-affected areas of the northern province of Sri Lanka. Mr. Otunnu expressed that hope that the commitment would be fully observed by all parties. He was visiting Sri Lanka to assess first-hand the plight of the children affected by the armed conflict and to call for action by all parties to promote and protect the rights and welfare of children.

Mr. Otunnu's call for action included protecting children from the effects of armed conflict, promoting the rights of children not to be used in conflict in any way, and promoting the right of children to special assistance and care in the post-conflict phase, the Senior Associate Spokesman said. Mr. Otunnu had visited the Jaffna Peninsula, a district recently emerging from active conflict, and was proceeding to visit Vavuniya and Madhu, which were still in the midst of conflict. He had the opportunity to exchange views with government officials, members of the armed forces and parliamentarians, as well as with members of the academic community, religious and civic leaders, and international and local non-governmental organizations. The text on that was available upstairs.

The Secretary-General was currently in Dar es Salaam, Mr. Brandt said. Before that, he had been in Arusha, in the United Republic of Tanzania. A report on his activities was given to the press yesterday afternoon. In Dar es Salaam, the Secretary-General met with over 50 heads of diplomatic missions posted there. He briefed them on the status of his reform efforts at the United Nations and asked them to resist the tendency to micro-manage the world body. Responding to questions, he described a United Nations-Organization of African Unity (OAU) planned meeting, aimed at furthering plans to enhance Africa's capacity in peace-keeping. He also talked about his hopes for the forthcoming conference on refugees in Kampala, which he would attend, as well as current efforts to resolve the Middle East problem.

The Secretary-General's next meeting had been with heads of United Nations agencies, at which he heard about the work of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and UNDP with the Government on development and investment, the Senior Associate Spokesman said. He had also heard from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on the agricultural needs of the country, and from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the problems between the United Republic of Tanzania and Burundi on the subject of refugees. He then met with United Nations staff and encouraged them -- as he usually did on such trips -- to work together and reach out to civil society. He had an encounter with members of the Tanzanian Parliament, including members of the opposition. He was to finish his day with a meeting with President Benjamin William Mkapa, to be followed by a dinner hosted by the President.

This morning, Deputy-Secretary-General Louise Frechette chaired the Wednesday cabinet meeting -- the Senior Management Group meeting, said Mr. Brandt. The topic of discussion at the meeting had been the outcome of the recently concluded fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. Participating from Geneva were the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Rubens Ricupero, and the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala. Ms. Frechette had a meeting at 12:30 p.m. with Ambassador Richard Sklar of the United States, and in the afternoon would meet with Gert Rosenthal, the former Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Mr. Brandt reminded correspondents that there would be a briefing today by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and experts from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Conference Room 9, on a new UNDCP study on the drug problem in Africa. The study found that Africa was likely to emerge as a key transit region for drug trafficking in the future.

Responding to a question asked yesterday on the programme of mass grave exhumations being carried out by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Mr. Brandt said the exhumations project had its own spokesperson. Her name was Kelly Moore, and she could be reached today at her office in Mostar. She was "anxious to give you lots of information and lots of answers to your questions". Mr. Brandt said he would give the correspondent that telephone number after the briefing. If it was not possible to reach her there, tomorrow evening she would be in Tuzla, where she could be reached at her hotel. He would also give the correspondent that number.

On another question asked yesterday, regarding the United Nations position on efforts by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to press for an international code of conduct to govern arms sales to repressive regimes, Mr. Brandt said the Secretary-General had been saying that something must be done to stop the excessive accumulation and proliferation of small arms. When it came to the proposed code of conduct, it was up to the countries concerned to agree to specific measures.

World Chronicle television programme No. 710 would be shown today on in-house channels 6 and 38 at 2:30 p.m., the Senior Associate Spokesman said. The guests were Julia Alvarez, the Dominican Republic's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Commission on Social Development; Aliye Pekin, Chief of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements; and Dianne Davis, of the NGO International Council for Caring Communities.

Mr. Brandt then said that Sonia Lecca had asked him to inform correspondents that the Buildings Management Service (BMS) would be giving estimates to in-house media interested in having their offices painted and carpeted. A notice to that effect had been posted, asking correspondents to contact her office and to make known their names, organizations, room numbers and extensions, so that BMS could begin to pull together the necessary information and give estimates. The greater the response, the lower the cost.

A correspondent asked when the next meeting of the five permanent members of the Security Council concerning Cyprus would be held. Also, what was the name of the lady who would replace Gustave Feissel as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General? Mr. Brandt said the name, nationality and biography of that person would be made available as soon as it was ready to be announced, which was not yet. He did not know when the next meeting of the permanent five on Cyprus would be, but he would try to find out.

A correspondent requested that Bernard Miyet meet with the press on his return from Haiti to discuss the Haiti question and the whole issue of peace-keeping operations. "We have barely seen him in the building", the correspondent said. Certainly, replied Mr. Brandt, he would see to it that Mr. Miyet came to answer correspondents' questions.

A correspondent asked why former United States National Security Advisor Anthony Lake had met with the Deputy Secretary-General yesterday. The meeting was in connection with Haiti, said Mr. Brandt. He would try to get more details.

Did Gert Rosenthal have a United Nations function now? asked a correspondent. Mr. Brandt said he was here this week and would go back to Guatemala to assist with the peace process and the commission there to work towards reconciliation. Asked if Mr. Rosenthal was a national of Guatemala, Mr. Brandt said he was.

A correspondent requested that Ms. Kelly, or someone from the field be brought to Headquarters to answer correspondents' questions. She was in Mostar, Mr. Brandt said. Tomorrow, she would be in Tuzla. It would be difficult to fly her here to answer questions. Her telephone number was available, and correspondents could call and speak with her.

What about somebody from the War Crimes Tribunal? asked the same correspondent. The Spokesman said he did not think there was anyone from the War Crimes Tribunal at Headquarters. Why were they avoiding the press? the correspondent asked. They were not avoiding the press, he replied. They were very busy people and there were not enough hours in the day for the kind of work they did. It was up to the correspondents to take the initiative. "If you need assistance, come to us -- that's our job. We will try to facilitate your work." Asked what the President of the Tribunal, Judge Gabrielle McDonald, had asked at Headquarters, he said he would try to find out.

Had the Secretary-General made any comments on plans by former United States Attorney General Ramsey Clark and others for a humanitarian aid shipment into Iraq? a correspondent asked. Also, was there any need for groups who wanted to take such supplies into Iraq to get the approval of the 661 Committee? Mr. Brandt said he believed such missions went through the 661 Committee, otherwise they would be in violation of international regulations. Clearance was given quickly by the Committee, because such efforts were deemed to be shipments of essential items going to people in need.

Regarding the situation in Haiti, was Bernard Miyet bringing a special message from the Secretary-General? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt said he was sure that Mr. Miyet was going to Haiti to gather first-hand information on the situation there. He was not aware that the Under-Secretary-General was carrying any special message, but if he was, that would soon be known. Was the situation in Haiti, where there had been no government for a year, worrying the Secretary-General enough to send a message? the correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt said the situation in Haiti worried not only the Secretary-General, it also worried the international community, which had put a lot of energy, time and effort into solving the problem. Ultimately, it was up to the Haitians themselves to get the necessary agreements and to help themselves out of the crisis. The international community, the United Nations and the Member States, had been there and would continue to be there to help.

"In other words, the United Nations is washing its hands of the situation", said the correspondent. The United Nations was not washing its hands of the situation, Mr. Brandt said. It had a mission in Haiti and was working with all the necessary actors there. The UNDP was in Haiti, other United Nations agencies were there, and they were trying to make the best out of a very difficult situation. When everyone concerned got the necessary agreements for the formation of a new government, then the United Nations and the international community would help.

The correspondent then repeated that the country had been without a government for a year. "That is not the fault of the United Nations", Mr. Brandt said.

Alex Taukatch, spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), said that reform, as correspondents well knew, was a "process", and not an easy one, but it was well under way in the General Assembly. The Assembly was grappling with two broad issues: reform of the Security Council, and overall United Nations reform on the basis of the proposals put forward by the Secretary-General.

On Security Council reform, he said the working group had been discussing expansion of the Council this morning.

On the other issue, the President of the General Assembly was continuing intensive consultations -- "and 'intensive' is not at all an overstatement" -- on the draft decision regarding the set of seven documents submitted by the Secretary-General last month, he said. A meeting in the format of informal consultations of the plenary was scheduled for this afternoon. Once again, there was hope that it would convert to a formal meeting to take action on the draft decision (document A/52/L.73/Rev.2).

The spokesman said that intensive consultations were under way in an effort to reach consensus on issues on which there were differing views among Member States. "In this connection, let me tell you an interesting story", he said. A couple of days ago a group of about 50 school girls from the Chapin School were brought to the United Nations by correspondent Raghida Dergham. Barbara Crossette of The New York Times had met with them.

Mr. Taukatch said he had spoken with them about the General Assembly. They had a tremendous interest in the Assembly and had asked many questions. His explanation of the way the Assembly tried to reach consensus on difficult issues had apparently fallen on fertile soil, according to one of the letters he received from the children afterwards. He read out a part of the letter: "It was fun learning how to agree on a disagreement. Now I know how to agree with my brother."

The President of the General Assembly had received a special honour yesterday from the Council of the City of New York, Mr. Taukatch said. Following the Council's recent unanimous decision, the Speaker of the City Council, Peter Vallone, presented to the Assembly President a proclamation citing him for his distinguished diplomatic and governmental service. As Mr. Vallone stressed during the award ceremony, the proclamation was a very special way for the New York City Council to honour people who had distinguished themselves with their service to the community -- be it local or international.

A correspondent asked whether that was the first time a President of the General Assembly had received such an award. Mr. Taukatch said that as far as he knew, it was. "How do you read that?" the correspondent asked. The spokesman said he read it as recognition of the Assembly President's distinguished service, as the City Council had said in its proclamation, citing seven or eight reasons. The spokesman noted that the Assembly President knew New York City very well; he had spent much time here as Ambassador and had also worked in the Secretariat. He had made a great contribution to the improvement of Ukrainian-American relations. He had also been elected to the Ukrainian Parliament, which had proven to be of interest to Mr. Vallone.

What had been the Secretary-General's suggestions for the new Security Council? a correspondent asked. There were two separate issues, Mr. Taukatch said. Perhaps that should be clarified. One was an open-ended working group on Security Council reform. Expansion of the Security Council was a matter for the membership to decide.

The other issue, being discussed by the plenary was the broad issue of institutional reform of the United Nations and the Secretariat, Mr. Taukatch said. At the end of March and the beginning of April, the Secretary-General had presented seven documents, including proposals for a new concept of trusteeship and a revolving credit fund. The whole set of proposals was being discussed in the General Assembly.

Mr. Brandt added that the correspondent was welcome to come to the office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General for copies of those documents.

A correspondent asked whether the issue of credentials for the General Assembly had been resolved. Mr. Taukatch said that the latest decision had been made by the General Assembly last December, following the report of the Credentials Committee. That report spelled out the Credentials Committee decisions on all the relevant issues, including such cases as Cambodia and Afghanistan. There had been no further action on that in the General Assembly. Had any requests been made by the countries being considered? a correspondent asked. Not as far as he knew, Mr. Taukatch, said.

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