DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19990615
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Fred Eckhard.
**Kosovo
Okay, good afternoon, thanks for waiting. We have this just in from the field in Kosovo. Tuesday saw a rush of refugees returning to Kosovo from both Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), with a line of people in cars and on foot stretching three kilometres on the FYROM side of the border. Mine incidents were reported among refugees and returnees from both countries. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the lead agency responsible for refugee return, said an estimated 2,000 refugees from FYROM will have crossed back into Kosovo by day's end. One staff member counted at least 300 cars. Many were headed to Kacanak, a town across the border from Kosovo, where Serb forces were scheduled to be withdrawn by midnight tonight. The UNHCR reported at least one mine explosion on the Kosovo side of the Blace border, in which one returnee was killed and another was injured.
From Kukes, Albania, a similar scene was reported, with some 1,200 people crossing back into Kosovo by car and tractor trailer, and an undetermined but large number crossing by foot. The UNHCR reported three people returning from Albania were injured in a mine explosion. The UNHCR reported that many of the returnees were men, apparently embarking on look-and-see visits to their hometowns. The UNHCR expressed concern about refugees returning ahead of the Serb withdrawals and the deployment of KFOR (Kosovo Force) troops. It also expressed deep concern about the departure of thousands of Serbian civilians in Kosovo. An estimated 13,000 Serbs have crossed in Montenegro. It is not known how many Serbs are crossing directly into Serbia. The Serb population of Kosovo is estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000. The UNHCR also opened its satellite office in Prizren, from where food convoys can be dispatched to villages in the south-western part of the province, while a third convoy arrived in Kosovo from Skopje today.
**Other Actors on Kosovo
Now, from Sergio Vieira de Mello, he was in Pristina today. He's, of course, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General. He held a meeting with the Governor of Kosovo, who said his primary concern at the moment was public security.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General is in Geneva. Louise Fréchette began her first meeting about a half hour ago, with representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The OSCE is to
lead the institution-building effort in Kosovo on behalf of the United Nations. That delegation was headed by Kai Eide of Norway, who was the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council.
Then, at 7:30 p.m. Geneva time, she will meet with representatives of the European Union and the European Commission. The Union, under the Secretary-General's plan, would lead the reconstruction and development effort in Kosovo.
Tomorrow morning, she will have her third meeting. That will be with a team from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at 9 a.m., and then at 10 a.m., she's expected to pull everyone together, representatives of those three non-United Nations actors, as well as United Nations departments and agencies involved in the civilian mission in Kosovo. She's expected to give a press conference at 1:30 p.m. Geneva time.
**United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
We just got this in from Mary Robinson's office. This morning in Moscow, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, announced that she plans to travel to Kosovo shortly, most probably by the end of this month, as a follow- up to her trip to the region last month, to see how human rights monitoring can resume in Kosovo. Details of her visit are now being worked out.
**Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Bernard Miyet, is with the Deputy Secretary-General in Geneva on the Kosovo meetings, and on Wednesday he will depart for Angola. He's scheduled to arrive on Thursday to consult with the Government on the future presence of the United Nations in the country.
**Statement on Angola
We have available for you in my Office a statement attributable to the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, again that's Sergio Vieira de Mello. This is on the ambush of humanitarian workers in Angola. It says in part: "It was with profound sorrow and concern that I learnt of the brutal attack on humanitarian workers from a Portuguese non-governmental organization on 12 June in Angola. The relief workers, in clearly identified vehicles, were ambushed while carrying out a polio eradication campaign east of Luanda. The ambush led to the death of two relief workers, while another two suffered serious injuries. This barbaric act comes at a time when the humanitarian community is seeking unhindered access to assist populations in need throughout the Angolan territory, and only two months after six relief workers were brutally killed in similar circumstances."
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 15 June 1999
**Statement on Korea
On the situation in Korea, I have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman: "The Secretary-General has been following the confrontation involving naval vessels of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea closely and with concern. He urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and to resolve their differences through peaceful means. The Secretary-General strongly encourages the two countries to further develop and strength their dialogue with a view to normalizing the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula.
**Security Council
On the Security Council today, Assistant Secretary-General Ibrahima Fall briefed members of the Council this morning on the Secretary-General's active efforts to implement the three resolutions of the Council which followed issuance last year of his report on "the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa". The three resolutions focus on: the destabilizing effect of illicit arms flows; on arms embargoes; and on conflict prevention in Africa, and the cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in that field. He noted that logistical and financial support to tackle these problems effectively is not meeting expectations.
Some members of the Council asked if the Secretary-General could write a progress report, with observations on all Africa-related issues. Others also were suggesting that an open meeting of the Council should take place sometime in the future. I expect we might hear more on these proposals from the President of the Council following the consultations this morning.
Since I'm telling you about the Council's activities, let me also inform you that the Committee on sanctions concerning Sierra Leone will meet today at 3:30 p.m. in Conference Room 7 to continue consideration of alleged violation of the arms embargo.
**Guinea-Bissau
On Guinea-Bissau, Samuel Nana-Sinkham, Representative of the Secretary- General for Guinea-Bissau, is in New York today and is meeting with the Secretary-General this afternoon. They're expected to discuss matters related to the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau, which, after assessment of the situation on the ground, is now expected to be deployed as early as next week. That mission was established by the Secretary-General earlier this year to help create an enabling environment for restoring and consolidating peace, democracy and the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau, and for the organization of free and transparent elections. However, due to the changing political situation in that country, it has not yet been possible to deploy the Office.
Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 15 June 1999
**Western Sahara
The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) today resumed the identification process as planned. Identification is initially taking place in two centres, one in Laayoune and the other at one of the camps in the Tindouf area, Camp Smara. The Mission is identifying voters for a referendum next July to allow the people of Western Sahara to decide between independence and integration with Morocco.
**Treaty on Child Labour
We've been telling you since early this month about how the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) is poised to adopt a new treaty banning the worst forms of child labour. We now have a break- through on that subject. Yesterday evening, the Conference's Committee on Child Labour unanimously adopted the text of the proposed treaty. We had mentioned that this treaty would ban slavery and prostitution, among other terrible forms of child labour. The Committee introduced a number of new elements into the draft, including a ban on the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict.
Tomorrow morning, the President of the United States will address the ILO Conference, and in the afternoon the plenary will take up the proposed anti- child-labour treaty. Since the draft passed unanimously in the Committee, and since members are the same as those in the plenary, the Convention itself should be adopted when the Conference concludes on Thursday. At that time, the ILO will issue a press release that we will make available to you as quickly as possible.
**Treaties
Poland yesterday became the forty-sixth country to sign the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings. There are four parties to that treaty. Twenty-two parties are required for it to enter into force.
**Payments
Ukraine, today, paid its dues of over $3 million, and we now have 75 Member States paid in full for 1999.
**Guest
I'd like to introduce Lene Poulsen, the Technical Advisor on the Gender Programme within the United Nations Development Programme's Office to Combat Desertification. She's here to talk to you about the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, but I'll first take your questions.
Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 15 June 1999
**Question-and-Answer Session
Question: Are there any plans to involve the United Nations in talks on Korea, either here or there or anywhere?
Spokesman: Not that I'm aware, no.
Question: To follow up on Korea, how is the Secretary-General following the situation closely? Has he taken an active role or is he talking to anyone?
Spokesman: He's monitoring the situation.
Question: What is the status of the appointment of the permanent Special Representative for Kosovo?
Spokesman: Consultations are continuing.
Question: Any expectation by your Office on when he'll be appointed?
Spokesman: I have nothing to add to what I said yesterday. The Secretary- General's eager to get the job done, but he needs signals from all members of the Security Council that they will support his choice.
Question: It's part of the Security Council resolution that the Secretary- General has to report to the Council within 30 days of the resolution. Does that mean he was to wait, get some sort of authorization or endorsement from the Council to go forward with his recommendations, or is that just to notify the Council of his ideas?
Spokesman: Normally, with the creation of a new mission, the Secretary- General presents a concept of operations and an estimate of costs. Those cost estimates are then fleshed out and presented to the General Assembly for their approval. So that's the process we're now following.
Question: Are the Russians still preventing the United Nations from using the airport?
Spokesman: To my knowledge, the United Nations, contrary to what I said yesterday and we squawked a correction, has no need for the airport at the present time. All the heavy lifting we're doing is done by road. The air transport that we're using is helicopter, and they can land anywhere. So we are waiting for NATO and the Russians to sort out what the Russian role will be, and in the meantime there's no hindrance to our operations.
Question: You mentioned humanitarian goods were being trucked in yesterday. Will you be able to continue that or will you need the airport at some point for that?
Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 15 June 1999
Spokesman: Well, as you know, air transport is the most expensive way to move goods in, and Kosovo is a relatively small area, so that moving things by truck -- although the road system is not great, it's adequate -- that will be the most practical way to move in the heavy goods that we need for the humanitarian side.
Question: How will the mission in Kosovo be paid for? Is it regular budget or peacekeeping or what?
Spokesman: It's the peacekeeping budget, peacekeeping assessments, presumably, but those details are being worked out, and I hope will be finalized, as a result of the Deputy Secretary-General's meetings in Geneva today and tomorrow. And so we'll let you know as soon as the scheme is firmed up.
Question: Regarding Kashmir, the fighting is still continuing between India and Pakistan. The recent talks between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan have failed. So, does the Secretary-General have any new proposals or initiatives to start up talks between the two countries?
Spokesman: No, the Secretary-General is monitoring that situation, as well, but has no active role at the moment.
Question: I understand the Secretary-General is going to Russia next week. Can you provide us --
Spokesman: No, we're not ready to announce that, but by the end of the week we will announce it. But yes, in effect, he's planning a trip to Russia. It's an official visit, been in the planning stages for a long time. And he'll be making a non-official visit to the United Kingdom afterwards. And we'll give the details later this week.
Any other questions before we go to desertification and drought? No. Okay. Lene. Welcome.
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