DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN OF SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN OF SECRETARY-GENERAL

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing by stating that today the Security Council briefly took up the draft resolution on Angola. While the troika consisting of Portugal, the United States and the Russian Federation was finalizing the text, the Council moved on to discuss the Central African Republic. A draft resolution on the role of the United Nations in the legislative elections had been circulated. A formal meeting was scheduled to follow the consultation on the draft resolution on the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola, whose mandate was expiring today.

Council members would also hear a briefing on Afghanistan by the Department of Political Affairs, the Spokesman said. And under other matters, it would consider Japan's letter of 31 August concerning the missile launching over Japan by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The briefing concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which had been indicated on the programme, had been postponed until later this week because the agenda was too full for today.

As mentioned, Mr. Eckhard said, the Secretary-General had met yesterday with the permanent representatives of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the three countries recognizing the Taliban. During that meeting, the Secretary-General had expressed his concern over the heightening tension along the Iran/Afghan border and the report of mass killings upon the capture of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan by the Taliban last month. The Secretary-General had asked the three representatives to use their influence to persuade the Taliban to respect the rights of all civilians, regardless of their beliefs. The representatives agreed to do so.

Meanwhile, Mr. Eckhard said, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had reported that in the course of interviewing refugees newly arriving from the Mazar-i-Sharif area into Pakistan, eyewitness accounts of what occurred after the city fell seemed to corroborate the information about the mass killings recently reported.

The United Nations was studying a request from the Taliban asking that humanitarian agencies visit Bamiyan, Mr. Eckhard continued. The request was in the form of a letter received by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator's Office in Kabul yesterday. A meeting with the Taliban was scheduled later today here at United Nations Headquarters.

Mr. Eckhard said that yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General had presented a copy of the report of his high-level panel on Algeria to the permanent representative of that country. It was agreed that the report would be made public simultaneously in Algeria and in New York at noon tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, the Secretary-General would travel tomorrow to Amherst, Massachusetts, in the afternoon, Mr. Eckhard said. There he would deliver a lecture on "Knowledge and Civilization" to the five-college consortium based in that region. Those were Hampshire College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts.

The Secretary-General would then travel to Boston, where he would have a full-day programme at Harvard University on Thursday, the Spokesman continued. In the afternoon, the Secretary-General would give a speech at the Harvard Academy on "The Politics of Globalization", and he would return to New York Thursday evening.

The Secretary-General's report on Western Sahara was out today, Mr. Eckhard said. The report mentioned that the identification of all applicants from tribes other than those contested had been completed during the month of August. However, the Secretary-General also noted that a number of problems continued to impede progress towards holding the referendum.

Among the problems sighted was the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement, which the Secretary-General called long overdue, Mr. Eckhard said. The Secretary-General also remained concerned that while Moroccan authorities had agreed to formalize the presence of the UNHCR, they had yet to take concrete action to enable the UNHCR to carry out its work for the repatriation of Saharan refugees. The report also provided an update on various aspects of the mission, such as military, police, refugee repatriation, administration and financial matters.

The weekly report of the Office of the Iraqi Programme, which outlined the usual issues of oil contracts and applications, was now available in his Office, the Spokesman said. It could be picked up in room 378.

Mr. Eckhard also said the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, had ended her trip to China yesterday. While there, Mrs. Robinson had met with President Jian Zemin, as well as with Vice-Premier Qian Qichen. China had confirmed it would shortly sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Today, Mrs. Robinson was flying back to Geneva. She was expected to arrive tomorrow.

The fourth meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies of Europe, a subsidiary body of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, got under way in Vienna yesterday, 14 September, the Spokesman said. As a follow- up to the Twentieth Special Session of the General Assembly on the drug problem, the meeting would review and discuss new modalities for more effective regional cooperation on illicit trafficking in drugs. A note on the meeting was available in room 378.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 15 September 1998

The annual DPI/NGO conference was continuing today in Conference Room 4, Mr. Eckhard said, conveying best wishes for getting a meal in the cafeteria. The discussions were focusing on the impact of globalization on human rights, and for those interested, there was a detailed report on the racks today. It was document A/53/170, and it was on the participation of non-governmental organizations in the United Nations system. The report concluded that the United Nations had entered a new era in its relations with non-governmental organizations, requiring new attitudes and approaches.

From the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there was a hand-out on floods in China, Mr. Eckhard said. There was also a hand- out saying that the Slovak Republic had requested international assistance to address damage resulting from flash floods. Copies of both were available in his Office.

At the moment, Mr. Eckhard said, the Secretary-General was honouring former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali as a Messenger of Peace. The Secretary-General would present Mr. Ali with a framed citation and the famous lapel pin that the Secretary-General himself wore every day. Copies of the citation text were available in room 378, and the DPI had put out a press release, available on the racks.

With regard to press conferences, the Spokesman said, it had already been announced that tomorrow morning at 11:30, the Secretary General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, would be here speaking about his recent visit to Kosovo. The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Nitin Desai, would then be at the noon briefing to give a preview of the globalization conference.

Mr. Eckhard said that on Thursday at 10:30 a.m., sponsored by the United States, the United Nations Association of the United States would present results of a poll on the attitudes of United States citizens towards the United Nations. At 11:15 a.m. on the same day, a joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report on corruption would be released. A media advisory on that was available in room 378, and details on speakers for both of the above would be posted on the bulletin board.

The World Chronicle television programme produced by DPI would feature the Director of the Emergency Response Division of the United Nations Development Programme, Omar Bakhet, the Spokesman said. It would be aired on in-house television today at 2:30 p.m., on either channel 6 or 38.

During the noon briefing, two additional press releases had been handed to him, Mr. Eckhard said. One stated that the UNHCR Spokesman in Geneva had expressed alarm at the denial of entry into Montenegro of displaced people from Kosovo. Details of that were available in the press release from Geneva.

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 15 September 1998

The other press release was from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Mr. Eckhard said. It stated that Angolan women and children were in desperate need. Today, UNICEF had announced that the Interagency Humanitarian Appeal for $91 million, which was coordinated by OCHA and launched in Rwanda in February by UNICEF on behalf of all United Nations agencies, was only about 37 per cent funded. The Executive Director of UNICEF, Carol Bellamy, had talked about that and her comments were in the press release.

Finally, Mr. Eckhard said, the Secretary-General was having a reception for the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) at his residence tonight. Some correspondents had asked why they were not invited. The invitees were those listed in the UNCA directory as members of UNCA boards, panels and other official bodies, as well as recent past presidents of UNCA. That was why some correspondents were left out, but all were encouraged to volunteer for UNCA and perhaps they would be invited next year.

A correspondent inquired about the Taliban's request for United Nations mediation, which she said was perhaps too strong a term for the planned visit. Was there any indication how long it would take to get the mission together? Obviously, the Taliban felt under the gun and the more time wasted, the more vulnerable they were for attack.

Mr. Eckhard said he knew the Secretary-General desired to see the mission get under way as soon as possible. It was a humanitarian mission, primarily. There were legitimate security concerns that had to be addressed, but the Secretary-General's intent was to get it launched as quickly as possible.

Another correspondent asked whether the joint task team involving Iran, Pakistan and the United Nations was being formed. What was the schedule?

It was still being talked about, Mr. Eckhard said. It had been somewhat overtaken by the discussion of the humanitarian mission. Clarification was still to come on whether the mission originally planned was still on or whether it would be replaced by the humanitarian mission.

Referring to a private meeting yesterday between the Secretary-General and the Ambassador of Pakistan, Ahmed Kamal, a correspondent asked whether the meeting had focused on the issue of a mission to Afghanistan or on other issues. The Spokesman said he had no specific read-out on that meeting.

Another correspondent asked for more specific detail on the meeting with the Taliban at Headquarters. Mr. Eckhard said it would be with the Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Political Affairs, who were jointly organizing the humanitarian mission the Taliban had requested. They would be meeting at 5:15 p.m. with a representative of the Taliban to discuss the modalities of that mission. Asked about the location

Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 15 September 1998

of the meeting, the Spokesman said he did not know. In response to a further question, he said the Secretary-General was not expected at that meeting, which was at a lower level.

Was the Secretary-General's meeting yesterday with the permanent five members of the Security Council about Iran or was Iraq included? the correspondent asked. That meeting had to do with resolution 1194 concerning Iraq, Mr. Eckhard answered. Was it also about the review? the correspondent asked. The Spokesman said he had no information beyond the line he had just uttered.

What was the true story about the report or rumour of Hillary Rodham Clinton calling the Secretary-General about a job in the human rights area? the same correspondent asked. Did it ever happen? Would the Secretary- General like to have the First Lady of the United States in a United Nations job in some capacity?

"I asked the Secretary-General yesterday and he denied categorically that he had been approached by anyone concerning a job for the First Lady of the United States", Mr. Eckhard answered.

When Michael Douglas became a Messenger of Peace, he said he might go to Albania in that capacity, the correspondent noted. Did he ever go? What happened? Had his visit inspired anything? There were still a lot of guns out there yesterday. Mr. Eckhard said he would check. "A Messenger of Peace is needed more than ever out there, but security doesn't seem great right at the moment."

Did anyone ever check up on the Messengers of Peace? Did anyone check on what Mr. Pavarotti was doing? the correspondent asked.

The programme was coordinated by the Office of the Assistant Secretary- General in Charge of External Affairs, Gillian Sorenson, the Spokesman answered, adding that yesterday he had been asked whether the United Nations paid for the Messengers to go to locations. It had been announced that there was no budget line for the programme and no payment would be made, although help could be given to raise money on the outside for a mission. "But there is no payment for these people", Mr. Eckhard said. "We expect in the course of their normal work that they would do a little public relations for the United Nations."

Jadranka Mihalic, Spokesman for General Assembly President Didier Opertti (Uruguay), said this morning the President had held his first working meeting with the Secretary-General. It was a get-acquainted session, which also had given an opportunity for an initial exchange of views on their respective expectations from the fifty-third session.

Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 15 September 1998

This afternoon, the President would chair the second plenary meeting, Ms. Mihalic said. That meeting would take up the report of the General Committee, whose activities had been detailed yesterday. More information was available in document A/53/250.

After this afternoon, the next meeting of the plenary would take place on Thursday, the Spokesman said. Actually, two plenary meetings would be held that day as part of the high-level dialogue of the General Assembly on the theme of the social and economic impact of globalization and interdependence and their policy implications. So far, there were 42 speakers inscribed for the two sessions on Thursday. The list of speakers could probably be made available later this afternoon in her office.

A correspondent asked whether the Credentials Committee had done anything yet. Were there any planned meetings regarding Afghanistan's seating?

Ms. Mihalic said there were no meetings of the Credentials Committee planned for probably the next few weeks. The Committee normally met in the first part of October. So far, it appeared very few credentials had been received.

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