SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT FIVE COUNTRIES OF LATIN AMERICA

Press Release
SG/SM/6631
SG/T/2143

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT FIVE COUNTRIES OF LATIN AMERICA

This is the text of a statement today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Kofi Annan:

On Monday, 13 July, in Brasilia, Brazil, the Secretary-General of the United Nations begins a five-nation tour in Latin America that will also take him to Uruguay, Argentina, Guatemala and Mexico.

In Brasilia, the Secretary-General will meet with President Fernando Henrique Cardozo, visit that country's Parliament, and deliver an address before the Diplomatic Academy of Brazil at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. In Sao Paulo, in addition to a meeting with the Governor of the State, the Secretary-General will visit the headquarters of the Latin American Parliament, PARLATINO, where he will deliver a lecture before representatives of civil society on the subject of their increasingly important role.

In Montevideo, Uruguay, the Secretary-General will be the guest of President Julio Maria Sanguinetti. He will receive the Keys of the City of Montevideo from its Governor and address both chambers of the Uruguayan Parliament on the subject of "Contributions to the United Nations by Small States".

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Secretary-General will also receive the Keys of the City and, after talks with President Carlos Saúl Menem, he will meet with congressional representatives of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He will also meet with Argentinian Civil Society representatives and deliver a speech before the Argentinian Center for International Relations. The Secretary-General will receive an Honoris Causa degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires and participate in a model United Nations event where he will meet students and youth groups.

In Guatemala City, Guatemala, the Secretary-General will hold meetings with President, Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen and that country's government leadership. Together with the President, the Secretary-General will participate in a ceremony marking the presentation of the final report of the Joint Commission

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on Education Reform in the presence of government and indigenous organizations. An important aspect of his programme in Guatemala will be meetings with representatives of the United Nations Mission in Guatemala, MINUGUA, and the various groups representing civil society, the Government, the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG), non-governmental organizations and the diplomatic community which are closely connected with the work of the Mission.

In Mexico City, Mexico, on the final stop of his Latin American trip, the Secretary-General will meet with President Ernesto Zedillo. Following that meeting, the Secretary-General, upon accepting the Keys of the City, will be declared a "Distinguished Guest" by the Governor of that city and will participate in a working luncheon hosted by leaders of civil society, the business community and academicians. After a meeting with the Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General will deliver a magisterial lecture on the topic of multilateralism.

Throughout his trip to Latin America, as is his practice during visits to Member States, the Secretary-General will meet with the staff from the various offices of the United Nations system located in those countries.

The Secretary-General returns to New York during the weekend of 25-26 July 1998.

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