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, opened the noon briefing on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by announcing that the guest at today's briefing would be the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson. (Mrs. Robinson's briefing has been issued separately.)

Mr. Eckhard then said that, in a live address at the Palais de Chaillot ceremony in Paris, the Secretary-General had recalled that in the very location 50 years ago, a generation of human rights founders had made their contribution to our freedom today. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights had been drawn from the "best of human imagination and the worst of human experience", the Secretary-General had said. "Its principles guide the United Nations."

In his address to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General had said that throughout this year, around the world, "rights have been asserted where regimes once ruled, justice has been delivered where impunity once reigned and memory has been honoured where crimes had gone unpunished", Mr. Eckhard said. To the United Nations, the Secretary-General had said, the anniversary was more than a milestone. It was a mirror to reflect "how far we have come and how long we have yet to go".

Key United Nations leaders had taken the opportunity today to press governments around the world to do more for human rights on a range of issues, from refugee protection to ending the forced induction of child soldiers.

As the head of the main refugee agency of the United Nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, had said "it was a sad fact that violations of basic human rights continue to create refugees in many parts of the world". As a barometer of the global lack of respect for human rights, the High Commissioner had cited the fact that "today, one out of every 120 people on earth has been forced to flee" because of violence or persecution. The High Commissioner had appealed for greater political will on the part of all concerned in preventing further human rights violations and forced displacement.

The World Food Programme (WFP) had declared that "for millions of people, the ability to get the food they need has been suddenly and dramatically threatened by armed conflict and natural disasters". The WFP had reminded States that it was their obligation to ensure the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had said a number of countries had enshrined the right to adequate food in their national constitutions, or at a minimum, had acknowledged the State's responsibility in

that regard. However, no country yet had adopted national legislation to expressly implement the right.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy, had called for a renewed commitment to children's rights. In particular, Ms. Bellamy had singled out the need to end the abduction and forced induction of child soldiers. As a case in point, she had cited the Ugandan midwife who today had been an awardee of the United Nations Human Rights Prize and who had become a vocal leader of a Ugandan parents movement mobilizing those whose children had been abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army, as her own daughter had been. "The international community should match that courage", Ms. Bellamy had urged.

The full statements of the Secretary-General and of the United Nations agency heads were available in the Spokesman's Office (room S-378). Also available were embargoed messages and statements the Secretary-General would make throughout the day, with the scheduled delivery times marked.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) would, tomorrow, hold a day-long student conference to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary. Delegates from 200 schools in the United States and a number of other countries would prepare a declaration of human rights and present it to the General Assembly President. A hand-out on that was available in room S-378.

On other subjects, Mr. Eckhard said that according to the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), inspection teams in Iraq at various sites had all gone out and returned to their base without blockage today. A delay of entry lasting about 45 minutes had occurred at one site declared by the Iraqi side to be "sensitive". A difference of view over how to inspect a "sensitive site" had emerged and had been resolved by the Iraqi side accepting the UNSCOM view and the team had been allowed to inspect the site. UNSCOM's weekly report to the Security Council had been transmitted to the Council late yesterday.

The Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) had been issued and was on the racks today, Mr. Eckhard said. In it, the Secretary-General had expressed concern over the continued upgrading of military capabilities by both sides. He had recommended a further six-month extension of UNFICYP's mandate until 30 June 1999, with the current mandate due to expire at the end of December.

The International Court of Justice today had concluded hearings on a case relating to a United Nations Special Rapporteur being sued for defamation in Malaysia. Under the circumstances leading to the suit, the Secretary- General continued to maintain that the Special Rapporteur, Param Cumaraswamy, had been speaking in an official capacity and therefore was immune from prosecution under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The Economic and Social Council had requested the Court to issue an advisory opinion on the matter, which was expected to be delivered

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next Spring. Identical press releases in English or French with further details were available in Room S-378.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia had pronounced its judgement today in the case of Anto Furundzia, Mr. Eckhard declared. Found guilty as a co-perpetrator of torture, Mr. Furundzia had been sentenced to 10 years in prison. A press release with details on the matter was available in room S-378.

Tomorrow, Mr. Eckhard said, the Secretary-General would be the keynote speaker at the morning session of the fourth annual New York City Economic Development Conference hosted by City Controller Alan Hevesi and New York University. The conference would begin at 10 a.m. in the University's Vanderbilt Hall. The Secretary-General would speak on the contribution of the United Nations to New York City, and on the city's contribution to the United Nations. A press release with further details was available in room S-378.

Right now, Mr. Eckhard then continued, Germany and Colombia were about to sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which would bring the number of signatory parties to 67. It had been announced that Germany would sign earlier this week, but that signing had been postponed. Also, the monthly Summary of Troop Contributions to Peacekeeping Operations was available today in room S-378.

"Press conferences", Mr. Eckhard announced. Today at 2:30 p.m., the 1998 Global Campaign for Women's Human Rights would feature three speakers. Tomorrow, at the noon briefing, the Director of the Division of International Protection for UNHCR in Geneva would speak on asylum and on current efforts being made to reaffirm international commitments to the right of asylum. And then tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. there would be a briefing by the Y2K Steering Committee, "concerned with the year 2000 computer glitch problem", the Spokesman explained. Speakers would include the Chairman of the Working Group on Informatics, Ahmad Kamal (Pakistan), and the United States Special Representative for Y2K Conversion, John Koskinen.

"Reminders from the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA)", Mr. Eckhard continued. In the UNCA Club at 1 p.m. a press briefing would be held by a group of human rights activists including from Tibet, Nigeria, China and East Timor. At 2 p.m., the People's Decade of Human Rights Education would hold a briefing, with participants from Argentina, Brazil and Peru.

And finally, Mr. Eckhard extended congratulations to Erol Avdovic of Studio 99, Independent Television of Sarajevo, on having been elected the fifty-first President of UNCA. An UNCA note with Mr. Avdovic's biographical data was available in room S-378 and the Spokesman's Office looked forward to working with him and his team. He invited Mr. Avdovic to meet with his Office within the next few weeks, "to sit down and see how we're doing and how we can improve". Mr. Avdovic would take over on 1 January from Ted Morello, whom the

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Spokesman cited for cooperation, support and having made work a pleasure. "We've accomplished a lot this year. Thank you", Mr. Eckhard added.

A correspondent then asked a series of questions about UNSCOM head Richard Butler and the situation in Iraq. The Secretary-General had been quoted, possibly in an Arabic newspaper in London, as having referred to Ambassador Butler as "undiplomatic, his diplomacy is seasonal...I've spoken with him about it...he has a very difficult job...under pressure...sometimes when we're under pressure we act...and so on", the correspondent said. Was that an accurate description of the Secretary-General's sense about the UNSCOM Chairman? he asked.

"I think the word seasonal is problematic in translation from English to Arabic to English", Mr. Eckhard answered, adding that the general thrust was accurate. It was not the first time the Secretary-General had spoken of Ambassador Butler in such terms and he had spoken to the Ambassador about it. "But they work very closely together", Mr. Eckhard continued. "They spoke this morning about the incident in Baghdad earlier today. There's no problem in the working relationship but yes, the quote is roughly accurate."

In response to a question, Mr. Eckhard confirmed that Ambassador Butler and the Secretary-General had talked about the 45-minute delay at an Iraqi inspection site and in response to another question, Mr. Eckhard said the Secretary-General would not be commenting on the report submitted by Ambassador Butler today but would, instead, wait for Ambassador Butler's final report early next week. And in response to a request, Mr. Eckhard said he would try to get an updated fact sheet from the UNSCOM spokesman on the differences in classifications of weapons inspection sites. "It's a little confusing because the ground rules have been renegotiated from the time of Rolf Ekeus", Mr. Eckhard admitted.

Asked whether new talks had been set on Libya between Libyan lawyers and the United Nations legal team, Mr. Eckhard said that so far only press reports had indicated that the Libyans were asking for another round. No official word had been received.

And finally, a correspondent quoted the Secretary-General as having said that justice had been done in the courts of Europe. What specific courts had the Secretary-General been referring to? Possibly London? the correspondent asked.

"General Pinochet?" Mr. Eckhard asked and the correspondent said "yes". "No, well, certainly he wouldn't comment specifically on that case. The Secretary-General has said that it's a legally complex case and in any case, it is sub judiciae, or under the jurisdiction of national courts. It would not be appropriate for the Secretary-General to comment."

Jadranka Mihalic, spokesman for General Assembly President Didier Opertti (Uruguay), said it was common knowledge that the plenary today was

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observing the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This morning, the observance had been opened in the General Assembly Hall with statements by the General Assembly President, the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Assembly had then proceeded to adopt by consensus draft resolution A/53/L.67, entitled fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Ms. Mihalic continued. The Secretary-General had, thereafter, awarded the 1998 United Nations Human Rights Prizes to six recipients who had made outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Those recipients were Sunila Abeyesekera of Sri Lanka, Angeline Acheng Atyam of Uganda, Jimmy Carter of the United States, Jose Gregori of Brazil, Anna Sabatova of the Czech Republic and Human Rights Defenders of the World.

Also as widely known, the spokesman went on to say, yesterday afternoon the plenary had adopted by consensus the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which, in the words of the Assembly President during his address of this morning, would be "deemed to become a historic testimony of the partnership between the United Nations and human rights defenders for past and future generations". In due course, a commemorative plaque of the Human Rights Prize would be displayed at an appropriate location at United Nations Headquarters.

In the meantime, she went on, following the first part of the observance, the Assembly had relocated its meeting to Conference Room 4. So far, 121 Member States and seven observers had been inscribed on the speakers list, which would close at 12:30 p.m. today. The plenary would also meet this afternoon and this evening to hear the inscribed speakers, and a five-minute limit had been placed on the length of statements. Also, the plenary proceedings today were being webcast live on the United Nations website (www.un.org/rights/50/anniversary.htm). No plenary meetings had been scheduled for tomorrow. [It was later decided that the Assembly would continue its commemorative meeting tomorrow.]

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) was meeting this morning with several items on its agenda, Ms. Mihalic said. It was scheduled to begin the general discussion on several issues, including the IMIS computer system independent expert study; relationship between the treatment of perennial activities in the programme budget and the use of the contingency fund; revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions of the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1998; consolidation of technical secretariat servicing of intergovernmental bodies; programme budget implications of draft resolution A/53/L.66, regarding the situation in Afghanistan; and financing of the Angola Verification Mission and the Observer Mission in Angola. Late this morning, the Committee would resume informal consultations, which would continue this afternoon and evening. No night meetings had been scheduled today.

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