DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ENV/DEV/482-OBV/48.)
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ENV/DEV/482-OBV/48.)
19980616
Also available in room S-378 on the subject, Mr. Brandt said, was a release of highlights of a press briefing about the Day held in Geneva today by the Executive Secretary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, Hama Arba Diallo. His statement on the Day was also available. As a reminder, the Day was proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1994 and would be observed tomorrow, June 17.
And finally on the subject, Mr. Brandt said, a message from the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was available in room S-378. The message was entitled, "Winning the battle against desertification".
The Deputy Secretary-General's programme of activities for the day included, at 3 p.m., a meeting with the Permanent Representative of Bolivia, Roberto Jordan Pando, and at 4:30 p.m., a meeting with the Permanent Observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Mokhtar Lamani.
Another press release available in room S-378 was one issued in Rome today, Mr. Brandt continued. It was on a World Food Programme appeal to donors for $6.5 million to provide emergency food aid to Cambodian refugees in Thailand.
Last but not least, Mr. Brandt said, all journalists were invited tomorrow to Conference Room 2, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., for a presentation by the World Bank Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist, Joseph Stiglitz. The topic of the presentation was, "How can aid best facilitate development?". The focus was on the role of aid in facilitating development with a view on responsibilities and opportunities for developed and developing countries. Mr. Stiglitz would also emphasize the critical need for continued funding of international aid organizations to ensure the effectiveness of aid.
Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 16 June 1998
A journalist asked for further information about the good results achieved by Mr. Dhanapala's mission to Albania. Mr. Brandt said available information conveyed the communication Albania's Foreign Minister had given to the Secretary-General in Rome. There was no indication that the good results mentioned had been expounded upon.
When asked if some funds from the UNHCR appeal for the refugees in Kosovo would be used for helping the 30,000 refugees arriving in Kosovo from eastern Slavonia, Mr. Brandt said that certainly would be looked into.
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