DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19990507
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Fred Eckhard:
**Secretary-General Announces Envoys
The Secretary-General this morning announced his selection of Carl Bildt of Sweden and Eduard Kukan of Slovakia as his Special Envoys to the Balkans. He sent a letter to the Security Council last night informing them of his decision and providing their terms of reference.
At the stakeout this morning he called the two "very experienced" and "very good negotiators" and described them as "a wonderful team." He hopes to meet with them early next week, either here or in Europe, and he expects them to get to work right away on the search for peace in the Balkans.
**Assessment Team Gathers
Members of an advance team to pave the way for a United Nations needs assessment mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began gathering in Geneva today. They'll be en route to Belgrade over the weekend.
The dispatch of the advance team led by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) followed a meeting yesterday afternoon between Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Ambassador [Vladislav] Jovanovic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who relayed his country's acceptance of the mission proposed by the Secretary-General.
We are lucky to have Mr. de Mello here to tell you more. [The Spokesman then introduced Mr. Vieira de Mello, saying the Under-Secretary-General would take questions after Mr. Eckhard's report on the Kosovo crisis].
**Kosovo Crisis
From the field today, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that no refugees have crossed at the major crossing points into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia since the Interior Minister last night assured UNHCR that the border will remain open to refugees. It is not clear whether the refugees are being held up by the Serb side or by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia side.
UNHCR also reported that some refugees on their way to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were reportedly re-routed to Albania by the Serbs. A total of 609 people crossed the border at Morini in northern Albania Thursday and early Friday. More than 2,000 departures were scheduled under the humanitarian evacuation programme today.
UNICEF continued the registration, tracing and reunification project for separated children and families, and said children from grades 1 and 2 have started classes in two tent schools in the Stenkovec I refugee camp in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The United Nations refugee agency warned that lack of funds is threatening to disrupt efforts to deliver urgently needed supplies for Kosovar refugees. It said it has received about half so far of an appeal for $143 million to cover the Kosovo refugee emergency for three months. Of this amount, $11.8 million, which was left available yesterday, has since been used up to pay bills. UNHCR said it needs a minimum of $40 million for the month of May for the Kosovo emergency, the fastest and largest mobilization of resources ever -- faster than the emergencies to deal with in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Great Lakes in this decade.
UNICEF reports that it has ordered a total of $820,000 worth of supplies for children in Serbia, including clothes, blankets, hygiene kits and toys.
[Mr. Vieira de Mello then took questions from correspondents. A press release on that session will be issued separately].
[Mr. Eckhard then resumed the noon briefing].
**Security Council
The Security Council held consultations this morning. Council members reviewed a draft Presidential statement on Georgia and draft resolutions on East Timor, Angola and the humanitarian situation in the Balkans. Formal meetings on Georgia, East Timor and Angola are beginning as we speak.
Council members will continue to review the draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in the Balkans on Monday. The president of the Council is expected to make a statement to the press on the situation in Guinea Bissau.
**Statement on Guinea-Bissau Fighting
The following text is attributable to the Spokesman, also on Guinea Bissau:
The Secretary-General is deeply dismayed about the resumption of fighting in Guinea-Bissau at a time when the United Nations has just concluded a series of meetings during which the international community has pledged financial support to assist Guinea-Bissau with its peaceful transition and with its reconciliation, reconstruction and recovery programmes. He welcomes early reports that calm may be returning to Guinea-Bissau.
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 7 May 1999
He wishes to remind the parties to the Abuja Agreement that they had solemnly pledged never again to resort to arms to settle their differences. He calls upon them to create the propitious environment for the peaceful management of the transition and for the organization of free and transparent elections.
The background to this, of course, is that fighting broke out again in Bissau. This was between forces loyal to President [Joao Bernardo] Vieira and forces loyal to the former chief of staff. Heavy artillery was reported by United Nations staff today.
This morning, UNHCR staff reported that civilians could already be seen leaving Bissau. Most of the population of 300,000 had been chased from the city last year when the conflict began in June between the President's forces and those loyal to the former army chief of staff. Following political agreements that put an end to several rounds of fighting, the majority of the population of Bissau had returned.
United Nations staff members present in Bissau are all safe and well. There are currently 10 international staff members and 23 local staff members with their dependents and they are all presently at United Nations House. Fifty-seven others remained in their residences in areas that have so far not been affected by the fighting.
You will find more details on the humanitarian situation in the UNHCR update.
**Colombia Peace Talks
This statement is also attributable to the Spokesman:
The Secretary-General welcomed the announced decision to re-launch peace talks between the government of President [Andres] Pastrana and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). He hopes that the dialogue will lead to a process of good faith negotiations in which the parties demonstrate the necessary political will to achieve progress. He wishes success to the parties engaged in this endeavour.
**Liberia Request
The Government of Liberia has requested the United Nations to undertake an information gathering mission to look into circumstances surrounding a shooting incident last September in Monrovia that had reportedly resulted in the killing and wounding of scores of people. The mission will be led by James Ngobi, the former Director in the United Nations Department of Political Affairs. It leaves tonight.
Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 7 May 1999
**Robinson in Sarajevo
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, is in Sarajevo today to, among other things, bring attention to the situation in Bosnia, which risks being overlooked by the Kosovo crisis. She is also visiting her staff, present in Bosnia since 1993. She is scheduled to meet with the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Louise Arbour, tomorrow to discuss cooperation between the two institutions, especially in connection with the Kosovo crisis. Mrs. Robinson will leave tomorrow for Dubrovnik on her way to Montenegro and then Zagreb. She is then scheduled to arrive in Belgrade on 11 May.
**Tribunal Judgement
This morning in The Hague, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia rendered its judgement on Zlatko Aleksovski. He was found not guilty on two counts, and guilty, both as an individual participant and as a commander, on violations of the laws or customs of war, namely outrages upon personal dignity. The Trial Chamber consequently imposed a sentence of two years, six months imprisonment. However, the Trial Chamber considered that he was entitled to credit for time already served and ordered his immediate release.
According to the indictment, many of the Bosnian Muslim civilian detainees at the prison facility at Kaonik, of which he was the commander, were subjected to "inhumane treatment, including but not limited to, excessive and cruel interrogation, physical and psychological harm, forced labour in hazardous circumstances, being used as human shields, and some were murdered or otherwise killed".
You can see the details in the press release.
**Maputo Anti-Landmine Conference
The first meeting of States parties to the Ottawa anti-landmine treaty concluded today in Maputo, Mozambique, with the adoption of a final Declaration. We have copies of that text in both English and French in my office, and we also have a detailed round-up press release covering the event.
In the "Maputo Declaration", as it's called, States parties reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the total eradication of anti-personnel mines. They also renewed their commitment to the treaty's universal adoption, and appealed for technical assistance to mine-affected countries. States parties also stressed the importance of assistance to landmine victims.
A total of some 1,200 people attended the five-day Conference, including representatives of 108 countries.
Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 7 May 1999
And as further evidence of the international momentum towards banning landmines, Chad today became the eightieth country to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.
**Polio Vaccination Campaign in Afghanistan
UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) are now gearing up for a major polio immunization campaign in Afghanistan, set to begin on Sunday and run through Tuesday.
Since 1994, the United Nations has been carrying out mass immunization campaigns in Afghanistan by negotiating with the parties to set aside "Days of Tranquillity" for reaching children. Last year, these negotiations opened the way for vaccinations in Bamiyan, but not in the northern region.
This year, the United Nations has again initiated negotiations with the Kabul authorities and the leaders of the [opposition] Northern Alliance to observe Days of Tranquillity for the current campaign.
We have a press release from the United Nations Information Centre in Islamabad with more information.
**New WHO Heart Disease Study
The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released the initial findings of the largest study ever done on heart disease, after examining 170,000 heart attack victims around the world over a 10-year period.
There's good news for the people in China -- Beijing showed low rates of heart attacks. But the situation in Finland, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland was not so positive -- these countries have the highest average rate of heart disease among men, according to the study.
Check out the press release.
**The Week Ahead
Finally, we have our weekly feature for you, "The Week Ahead". I won't read all of it, but I'll just mention a few things. On Monday, the Secretary- General's report to the Security Council on the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) is due.
Then, starting on 10 May -- that's Monday -- and running through 26 May, the Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Review Conference of the States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will meet here at Headquarters. There's a background press release on the racks and you can also find it on the United Nations website.
Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 7 May 1999
On Tuesday, Security Council consultations are scheduled on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a troop contributors' meeting for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is scheduled.
Then on Wednesday, the Secretary-General leaves New York for Geneva to begin a two-and-a-half-week tour that will also take him to The Hague, Sweden and Nigeria.
Security Council consultations on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and a briefing on the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea are scheduled. And finally, a troop-contributors meeting for the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan is scheduled.
Then on Thursday, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Tajikistan, Jan Kubis, is expected to be a guest at the noon briefing here following his Security Council presentation. The Council has scheduled a formal meeting on Western Sahara. The mandate expires the following day, Friday.
A two-day humanitarian meeting on the United Nations response to the Kosovo crisis convened by the Secretary-General begins in Geneva and will carry over to Friday. Specific emphasis is on humanitarian assistance, long- term assistance and human rights issues.
And finally, on Friday, a formal Security Council meeting is scheduled on the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan, whose mandate expires on Saturday.
**Question-and-Answer Session
Question: The Secretary-General confirmed the appointment of Mr. [Ingvar] Carlsson for the Rwanda investigation....
Spokesman: He hasn't.
Correspondent: He told me on the stairs.
Spokesman: That leaked.
Correspondent: Meaning...
Spokesman: He gave you an exclusive.
Correspondent: When will it [investigation] start? Will Mr. Carlsson be coming back here?
Daily Press Briefing - 7 - 7 May 1999
Spokesman: The intention is to name a two-person team. The second has not yet been firmed up. It may be announced early next week and until we announce the full team formally I don't think we want to talk about when they'll begin work.
Question: Can you tell us why Mr. Bildt was chosen over the other candidates, including Mr. [Flavio] Cotti and Mr. [Franz] Vranitzky?
Spokesman: The Secretary-General took that question at the stand-up [stakeout microphone], I have nothing to add to what he said.
Question: The Economic and Social Council is studying a long-term development plan for Haiti at the initiative of Ambassador Francesco Paolo Fulci [Italy]. What part is the Secretariat playing in this?
Spokesman: I can just give you something very brief. This is a Member States' initiative through the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Resolution 1212 (1998) of the Council invited United Nations bodies and agencies, especially the Economic and Social Council, to contribute to the design of a long-term programme of support for Haiti. The Economic and Social Council is expected to vote today on a resolution on this issue. The Secretary-General supports the effort.
Question: How will the roles and responsibilities shake out between the two Special Envoys?
Spokesman: The Secretary-General was asked today how the responsibilities would be divided between them and he said he expects them to work as a team. And we have a transcript of what he said at the stakeout.
Question: Will the Secretary-General be physically in the building on Wednesday?
Spokesman: Probably not. I think he'll be leaving on an early morning flight.
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