DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing by announcing the schedule of the Security Council for this morning.

Mr. Eckhard said the Council was having its first reading of the report by the Secretary-General's investigative team on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council would also hear a briefing by the Department of Political Affairs on the situation in Somalia.

He said the most recent update on Kosovo prepared by the High Commissioner for Refugees Office in Belgrade was available upstairs. The report included information from other United Nations and non-United Nations humanitarian agencies operating in the region. The UNHCR reported that it had identified locations of some 52,000 people displaced by the fighting inside Kosovo. Regarding refugee outflows, the UNHCR reported that since the end of May, some 13,000 people had crossed into Albania. Approximately an equal number had crossed into Montenegro. The total of new arrivals was continuing downward but there were reports that there were many civilians in the Decani- Gjacova areas who wanted to cross the border into Albania. The outflow of people to Montenegro continued at a rate of about 200 people a day.

The report also mentioned plans by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania to launch early next month a series of development projects to improve the social and economic conditions in the extremely poor Albanian district of Tropoje bordering Kosovo. A large concentration of refugees had put a considerable strain on an area already suffering from economic decline, 50 per cent unemployment and geographic isolation.

Announcing a day-long meeting in support of durable stability and sustainable development in Guinea tomorrow, the Spokesman said that the Special Consultation was a joint initiative of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the UNDP. The Guinea delegation would be led by Foreign Minister Lamine Kamara. The Special Consultation would be attended by representatives of various United Nations programmes and non-governmental organizations, as well as the Africa Development Bank, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The meeting, which will take place in Conference Room 6, would be closed to correspondents.

The Spokesman said that a Press Release from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) welcoming United States-China agreements last week on global environmental protection was available. Klaus Topfer, the Executive Director of UNEP, had noted that many of the initiatives reflected UNEP's new areas of concentration, as outlined in the recent Task Force report to the Secretary-General. Mr. Topfer had said that UNEP stood ready to assist in any way and hoped that both countries would share their experience with UNEP as well as with other countries.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Spokesman said, there would be an interfaith memorial service for the victims of the tragic plane crash which killed the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Angola, Alioune Blondin Beye, five other staff members and their two pilots. The service would be held at 1:15 p.m. in Conference Room 4. The service was being sponsored by African Amicale, the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Division of Public Affairs of UNDP and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). A flyer with more details was available in the Spokesman's office.

There would also be a press release on the racks announcing that two United Nations Radio programmes had recently received finalist certificates from the New York Festival Radio Competition, Mr. Eckhard said. Margaret Hanley had been recognized for her programme on the female condom, and Annelle Wynyard won for her programme on teenage reproductive health in Namibia. (Details on the awards and this year's winners were contained in Press Release PI/1072.)

Turning to tomorrow's press conferences, Mr. Eckhard said that at 10:30 a.m., Salma Khan, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and others would brief correspondents on the progress and problems facing women's advancement and enjoyment of human rights.

Also tomorrow, the President of the Economic and Social Council, Juan Somovia (Chile), would brief correspondents on the ministerial communiqué on market access for developing countries issued by the High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council.

A correspondent asked if there had been any communication between the Secretary-General and the Nigerian Government since his press conference yesterday. Mr. Eckhard said that to his knowledge there had been no further communication since the Secretary-General spoke to the Nigerian head of State yesterday afternoon.

Was there a schedule for the Panel of Eminent Persons to visit Algeria? a correspondent asked. Were they going to be available for interviews? The Spokesman replied that the panel members had met with the Secretary-General at 10 a.m. today and would attend a luncheon hosted by him. The Spokesman's office had asked if and when panel members would be available for interviews and to address correspondents in the briefing room. Thus far, he had not received an answer. He was not certain how long they would be in New York but he would try to arrange a briefing before they left.

Had the Secretary-General defined the Panel's mission as to what they were supposed to do and how they were to conduct their business? a correspondent asked. The Spokesman's office had provided a definition of the mission to correspondents, Mr. Eckhard said. Presumably this morning's discussions would cover practical details as well as the more general purpose

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 8 July 1998

of the mission. He had nothing to add to what he had already said publicly about the purpose of the mission.

Was there any fear that the Government might try to tie things up for the Panel so that the members would see only what was good and not the bad and the ugly? a correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard repeated that he had nothing to add about the mission and its purpose.

Asked how long the Panel would stay in Algeria, he said that the mission would be in the country for about two weeks.

The Spokesman then relayed an announcement of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) that the Coalition for an International Criminal Court would hold its second and final briefing in the UNCA Club at 11 a.m. tomorrow to report on negotiations at the Rome Conference and expectations for its conclusion on 17 July.

A correspondent asked if there was anything new on the death of Slavko Dokmanovic in a Hague prison. Would the Spokesman agree that those who had arrested Mr. Dokmanovic were responsible for his death, she continued. Mr. Eckhard said that the inquiry into the case was continuing and he saw no reason to blame the jailers. There was nothing to indicate that the treatment he had received while he was incarcerated had in any way contributed to his death.

Asked for an update on the Commission of Inquiry investigating the supply of arms to the Great Lakes region, Mr. Eckhard said he would look into it and report back.

Another correspondent asked for information on the team of Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, to assess the possibility of collecting arms from civilians in Albania. Mr. Eckhard explained that Mr. Dhanapala had offered to talk with correspondents after reporting to the Secretary-General. That report was expected early this month. If correspondents were interested, the Spokesman's office would forward a request to him.

A correspondent repeated an earlier query as to whether the Secretary- General had pronounced himself on the involvement of Albanian terrorists in the Albanian Liberation Movement. The Spokesman said his office would look into it immediately following today's briefing.

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