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 that the Security Council was scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. in consultations on Kosovo. The item on the agenda would be resolution 1199 (1998) and it concerns further measures by the Council on the situation in Kosovo. A representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would brief the Council on the humanitarian situation in Kosovo and the just completed mission to that region by High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata.

As already reported, the Spokesman said, the Council on Monday had requested the Secretary-General to submit his report on Kosovo in accordance with resolution 1199 as soon as possible, preferably within a week. The resolution had also requested the Secretary-General to provide regular reports to the Council, as necessary, on compliance with that resolution by the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and all elements in the Kosovo Albanian community. The Secretary-General had met with the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the Security Council yesterday and had told them he would have the report ready as soon as possible early next week -- "and we think that means Monday", Mr. Eckhard added.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, issued a statement today on the latest massacres reported in Kosovo, Mr. Eckhard said. Mrs. Robinson repeated her call for independent investigation by experts, including by international forensic specialists, into violent deaths resulting from armed actions and into reported massacres. She had also recalled having sought to increase the number of her monitors on the ground there, and called on the Yugoslav Government to conclude the memorandum of understanding that would allow the increase. The statement, issued in Geneva this morning, was available in room S-378.

In addition, Mr. Eckhard said, following her letter of Tuesday 8 September to the Security Council, the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, was expected to address the Council tomorrow at around 11 a.m. In her letter, Judge McDonald had called the attention of the Council to the continuing refusal of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to cooperate with the Tribunal. She had also wanted to seize the Council of the "urgent need to impress upon the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia the need to honour its pledges under the Dayton Agreement and its obligations under Security Council resolutions and international law".

Arrangements were being made for Judge McDonald to address the press after her briefing, the Spokesman said. It seemed fairly certain she would have to do so at the stand-up microphone outside the Council Chamber.

On other matters, Mr. Eckhard said, the United Nations had today launched the International Year of Older Persons. Addressing a ceremony this morning, the Secretary-General had described a "silent revolution" under way with respect to demographic changes marked by an increase in the number of older persons worldwide. The Secretary-General had spoken of the importance of the Year's theme, which was "Towards a society for all ages".

"A society for all ages is one that does not caricature older persons as patients and pensioners", the Spokesman quoted the Secretary-General. "Instead, it sees them as both agents and beneficiaries of development." The Secretary-General had pointed out that, having reached the age of 60, he was now counted among the statistics he was citing, Mr. Eckhard continued. "I am an older person", the Secretary-General had said, adding that from that perspective, he had seen the great potential of an "age of ageing". The full text of the Secretary-General's statement was available in room S-378, along with additional information on activities connected with today's launch of the Year.

Also as had been announced, Mr. Eckhard went on, a press conference was being held this morning in the Trusteeship Council Chamber in connection with the fortieth ratification of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. Copies were available in room S-378 of the statement made at that event by Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette.

In that statement, Mr. Eckhard continued, Ms. Fréchette had said the battle against landmines had only just begun. The next two battles would be fought "in the effort to remove the millions of landmines that continued to kill, maim and sow terror among the weakest and most vulnerable of our world; and in the effort to universalize the Treaty and bring every nation and every people into compliance with this Convention of conscience."

Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General's report on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had been made available on the racks today. The report (document A/53/429-S/1998/857) was to both the General Assembly and the Security Council.

This morning, the first session of a panel discussion on the International Criminal Court had taken place, Mr. Eckhard said, adding that it had been organized by the non-governmental organization "No Peace Without Justice". The Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, Hans Corell, had addressed the meeting and the European Commissioner Emma Bonino had been the guest speaker. Panellists had called for the early ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC, adopted in July.

Yesterday's appalling headlines about massacres in Kosovo were cited as another example of why the Court was urgently needed, Mr. Eckhard said. A second panel on the Court would be held in Conference Room 1, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. today, organized by Parliamentarians for Global Action. In addition, the Department of Public Information had published a fact sheet on the ICC as

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part of its "Setting the Record Straight" series. Copies were available on the racks and on the side table of room S-226.

Further on the Landmines Convention, Mr. Eckhard said, the Maldives had signed this morning, becoming the 131st signatory. With regard to press conferences, at 3:15 p.m. today the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Guatemala would hold one and at 4:30 p.m., the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia would also talk to the press. Tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. the leader of the Turkish Community in Cyprus, Rauf Denktash, would hold one.

At the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Club at 12:30 p.m. today, there would be a briefing on the recent election in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Eckhard announced. The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Muhamed Sacirbey, would be there, as well as three other speakers: the Foreign Minister of Bosnia, Jadranko Prlic; the country's Deputy Foreign Minister, Dragan Bozanic; and its Assistant Foreign Minister, Sidik Spahic.

With regard to the collapse of the roof in the General Assembly building yesterday, the Spokesman said the Building Maintenance Service had put a temporary plug in the roof and would be making permanent repairs over time.

The guided tours had been suspended for the general debate, but would resume regular operations on Saturday, 3 October, he said. In the meantime, the guides had been giving brief explanations of United Nations activities in the Visitors Lobby, and an anecdote from yesterday had been reported by the Head of the Guided Tours Unit.

An elderly gentleman had come to take the tour, the Spokesman reported. Unable to take the tour, the elderly man decided to take part in the events offered in the lobby, for there was no charge but just a requested donation of a dollar. But he insisted on giving a donation of $442, the amount of the cheque for his last week's work before retirement. Refusing recognition in any way, the man took the "lobby tour" and left quietly, insisting on remaining anonymous.

Was the roof not repaired two years ago? a correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard said his recollection was that the turret had been resurfaced, whereas that was closer to the main building, right near the connection between the General Assembly and the Conference Building, so it was unclear if that part of the roof had been resurfaced.

A correspondent asked whether the Secretary-General had anything to say on the controversy in Malaysia over Anwar Ibrahim.

"In fact, the Secretary-General spoke to me about that this morning", Mr. Eckhard responded. "He knows both the Prime Minister and Mr. Ibrahim, and he has the highest respect for both of them. He is saddened by the situation that has come to pass between them." The Secretary-General had addressed a message to the Prime Minister through the Foreign Minister of Malaysia,

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expressing the hope that Anwar Ibrahim would be treated properly and in accordance with the due process of law. The Secretary-General had also been heartened by a subsequent statement of the Prime Minister, that reported physical abuse of Mr. Ibrahim while in prison, would be investigated.

A correspondent asked about why a second version of a press release on the subject of Cyprus had been released yesterday. Had there been a mistake in the first? the correspondent asked, and Mr. Eckhard said yes. Was the mistake in the titles of the two leaders mentioned? the correspondent continued and Mr. Eckhard said the correct titles were in the second statement, which contained the titles that by a long-time Convention were used in the context of negotiations.

Asked what chance there was of the Secretary-General reporting on Kosovo earlier than next week, Mr. Eckhard said that originally the report had been expected about the middle of next week. Because the Council had asked for it sooner, every effort was being made to deliver it by Monday.

A correspondent asked about the denials that had been mentioned last week as having been given by the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Secretary-General. What specifically were those denials?

"I'm not sure I can go into detail on this, but the Foreign Minister had suggested the Secretary-General was ill-informed and had invited him to come see for himself", Mr. Eckhard answered.

"Ill informed on anything specific?" the correspondent asked.

"On the allegations of massacres", the Spokesman said. "And the Secretary-General told him that Sadako Ogata and others from the United Nations system, as well as the European monitors, had been reporting to him, and that he felt very well informed".

Asked if the Secretary-General had followed up on the meeting or had contact with the Foreign Minister, the Spokesman said no.

A correspondent asked if there was a precedent in General Assembly activities in reference to the Assembly's reversal of a decision by the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. Also, was there a precedent for the Secretary-General trying to reverse a decision of the Administrative Tribunal? Mr. Eckhard said he would look into that.

In response to questions, Mr. Eckhard said he was not aware of any exchange of letters or papers between the Secretary-General and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iraq, Tariq Aziz. "They did have a working dinner last night", Mr. Eckhard said. The Secretary-General's team and that of Mr. Aziz had discussed the need for Iraq to come back into full compliance with Security Council resolutions, which was a prerequisite for proceeding with the comprehensive review being discussed. The Secretary-General felt they were making progress. When asked what progress meant, Mr. Eckhard said he could not be specific but was conveying a general comment the Secretary-General had made.

In answering further questions, Mr. Eckhard said Iraq was the host for

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the dinner, which was held at the residence of the Iraqi Ambassador. Present were the Iraqi delegation and the Secretary-General's team, which included his Chef de Cabinet, Iqbal Riza; his Special Envoy to Iraq, Prakash Shah; the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala; Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, Hans Corell; and the Senior Political Officer dealing with Iraq, Rolf Knutsson.

A meeting last night between the Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), Richard Butler, had been a routine meeting, Mr. Eckhard said in answer to other questions. The Secretary-General and Ambassador Butler had discussed the case of former UNSCOM inspector Scott Ritter and the comments he had been making. Ambassador Butler had informed the Secretary-General that he had sent Scott Ritter a letter, informing him that he was in violation of his United Nations contract in making public, the information that had come to him through his work at the United Nations.

The letter had been sent by Mr. Butler earlier and the Secretary-General had been informed of the letter last night, the Spokesman clarified in answer to other questions. In response to a question asking for a specific date, Mr. Eckhard said Mr. Butler himself would have to be contacted for that.

"Had they discussed why Mr. Butler had waited so long to write the letter?", a correspondent asked, and Mr. Eckhard said that had not come up during the meeting. Asked whether the Secretary-General had any response to Mr. Ritter's actions, Mr. Eckhard said that the Secretary-General agreed with the thrust of the letter, that Mr. Ritter was in violation of his United Nations contract, which clearly stated that he was not free to divulge such information.

What would be the consequence of Mr. Ritter violating his United Nations contract? Could the United Nations do anything about it? "I would have to leave that to the Legal Adviser", Mr. Eckhard answered. "But we don't have a prison or court or anything here."

"Is he owed any money or anything like that under the contract?", he was further asked. Mr. Eckhard said he didn't know. "But very often we are late with our payments so we ought to look into that", he said jokingly.

Were any more meetings planned between the Secretary-General and Mr. Aziz? What did the schedule look like for the rest of the week? "There was talk of another meeting possible tomorrow, maybe in the afternoon", Mr. Eckhard said, adding he did not know of any meetings today.

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Jadranka Mihalic, spokesman for General Assembly President Didier Opertti (Uruguay), said that this morning the general debate in the plenary had continued with statements by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Chad, Jordan, Lesotho, Congo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Assembly had also heard the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uganda and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone and Gabon.

At the end of the morning's session, the spokesman said, the Assembly was scheduled to take action on a draft resolution contained in document A/53/L.1, introduced by Indonesia, on assistance to Bangladesh in the wake of devastating floods. The issue was a sub-item under agenda item 20, special economic assistance to individual countries and regions.

Under the same item, Ms. Mihalic continued, the Assembly was expected to take action tomorrow morning after all the inscribed speakers had been heard, on a draft resolution contained in document A/53/L.2, entitled emergency assistance to Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

This afternoon, the Assembly would continue the general debate, Ms. Mihalic said. Statements were expected to be made by the Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs of the Solomon Islands; the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic; Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Maldives, Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Guatemala; the Chairman of the delegation of Grenada; and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malawi. On the side table were speakers for both today and tomorrow, she added.

In response to a question on whether elections were scheduled yet, Ms. Mihalic said elections were scheduled for 8 October in the morning for the Security Council. A schedule for the plenary for the period between 28 September and 16 October was available as document A/53/INF/3. The meeting of the Credentials Committee, she said in response to another question, was still set for mid-October.

In response to a question on information regarding Chad's involvement in the problems of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Eckhard said there were only press stories available on that. "But there is a clear indication that the conflict in the Congo is involving a greater and greater number of actors, and looking more and more dangerous, so we are doing what we can", he added. "The Secretary-General is in touch with the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and with individual heads of State. But to date, there does not seem to be anything braking the expanding nature of this conflict."

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