DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Fred Eckhard.

**Kosovo

The Secretary-General has formed a group of Friends for Kosovo and has invited them to New York next Wednesday morning to consult on issues that have arisen during the initial implementation of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

You'll recall that in his report to the Security Council of 12 June, he said he would consult regularly with governments and organizations who are in a position to assist him in his implementation of their resolution 1244 on Kosovo.

The provisional list of Friends (and I stress provisional) includes Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. Three international organizations are also included. They are the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Because the Friends include the Group of Eight countries, who are meeting at ministerial level in Brazil just before, it is expected that these eight Friends will be represented here at the level of Foreign Minister.

High tension persisted in areas of Kosovo today marked by shootings, sporadic arson attacks, amid reports of the worst violence in Pristina since the deployment of the international security force in the province.

Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General's acting Special Representative in charge of the United Nations operation in Kosovo, went today to Mitrovica, a town in northern Kosovo where tensions are running high between the Albanian and Serb communities who live on the opposite sides of the river running through that town. An Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) team sent to open an office in Mitrovica on Thursday had reported the town was "a ticking time bomb".

Meanwhile, in Pristina today, the stand-off between Serb and Albanian medical staff at the main city hospital deteriorated further when negotiations between the two sides, under the auspices of the United Nations and KFOR, broke off amid reports that the chief Serb physician had been killed. United Nations staff of the advance team describe the tensions at the hospital as a microcosm of the problems and challenges elsewhere in the war-torn province.

According to KFOR accounts relayed to the United Nations, 247 Kalishnakovs have been seized in the hospital alone over the past few days, as well as a similar number of pistols and knives. Tensions in the hospital are not only between Serb doctors and staff who are confronting Albanian medical staff wanting their jobs back, but also between patients brought in for treatment. For example, one patient brought in with a gunshot wound yesterday pulled out a pistol upon recognizing someone who he identified as his assailant, thus, triggering an exchange of fire. The KFOR removed two pistols from one patient and one pistol from the other.

On the political front, Mr. de Mello is scheduled to meet tomorrow in Pristina with the Albanian signatories of the Rambouillet accords. The aim of the meeting is to discuss and define the work of this group, which is expected to become known as the "transitional consultation council". We briefed you earlier this week on the launching of the various joint civilian commissions to take up immediate reintegration issues and to address the pressing need for judges, as part of overall efforts to restore law and order in the province. We need to appoint judges as quickly as possible, so that those who are arrested, including murderers caught red-handed, could be brought to trial in a speedy manner.

Spontaneous returns to Kosovo continue. The numbers reached a record high of nearly 50,000 on Thursday, bringing to over 300,000 the number of refugees who have now returned. Aid workers struggled to find shelter for them in war-devastated villages and to help victims of landmine accidents.

Under a repatriation plan to three locations inside Kosovo (Pristina, Prizren and Urosevac) announced by the UNHCR Thursday, the first organized return is scheduled to take place from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Monday. Meanwhile, aid convoy and relief operations are gathering steam, with dozens of trucks reaching those in need on a daily basis.

The UNHCR also announced today that the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme for refugees from Kosovo will be suspended at the beginning of July, with the exception of refugees in need of special medical care. The programme began in early April mainly to relieve the pressure on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia posed by the arrival of large numbers of refugees.

Carl Bildt, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, is today in Greece where he will participate in an international seminar on "Developing a Network of Young Leaders from South-eastern Europe".

Eduard Kukan, the Secretary-General's other Special Envoy for the Balkans, is in Crans Montana, Switzerland, to attend the annual International Economic and Political Forum and chair the plenary session on the "Crisis in the Balkans - Which Future for the Region?". The guest speakers of the session include Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russia's Special Envoy for Kosovo, and

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Reverend Jesse Jackson, United States Special Envoy for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights. Among other speakers are: Kiro Gligorov, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Montenegro's Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic; Slovenia's President Milan Kucan; Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidium member Alija Izetbagovic; and Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova.

**Lebanon

The following statement on Lebanon is attributable to the Spokesman:

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the escalation in the Israel-Lebanon sector. Over the last three weeks, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has reported an apparent slackening of control on both sides over their personnel in south Lebanon. This has affected the civilian population, as well as UNIFIL.

"Yesterday's direct attacks on civilian targets in several areas of Lebanon, and the rocket fire into northern Israel, represent a serious escalation. That innocent civilians lost their lives is particularly deplorable.

"The Secretary-General calls on the parties to cooperate with UNIFIL in containing the conflict. Above all, innocent civilians must not be targeted and the international status of United Nations personnel must be respected."

**Security Council Consultations

The Security Council is holding consultations this morning on Bougainville and East Timor. The Council was briefed by Noel Sinclair, Head of the United Nations Political Office in Bougainville (UNPOB), on its activities, including developments related to the electoral process and weapons disposal. Council members are currently discussing the Secretary- General's report on East Timor, which was introduced by the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Alvaro de Soto.

Under other matters, the Secretariat will also brief on the situation in Lebanon.

Yesterday afternoon, the Council adopted a presidential statement concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It called on all parties to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and to participate with a constructive and flexible spirit in the forthcoming Lusaka summit. The parties were also called upon to immediately sign a ceasefire agreement.

Ambassador Berhanu Dinka, the Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, is in Lusaka now attending the meetings there.

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The report on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which was scheduled to come out this afternoon, has been delayed. It should go to Council members this afternoon and be published as an official document on Monday.

**Secretary-General in London

As we mentioned to you yesterday, the Secretary-General travelled from Moscow to London yesterday, where he met with Prime Minister Tony Blair. His comments to the press after that meeting were made available to you.

Last night, he had dinner with Clare Short, the Secretary for International Development. On Kosovo, they discussed the resource needs of the civil administration, in particular, civilian police. Their talks also included crisis points in Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the Sudan. They discussed development issues, such as education projects for girls, and efforts to reduce poverty.

This morning, the Secretary-General met with Foreign Minister Robin Cook for two hours. In a press encounter afterwards, the Secretary-General welcomed the United Kingdom's intention to sign in New York this afternoon a document committing British military assets for rapid deployment as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions. The transcript of those remarks is available in my Office.

France is also joining the standby arrangements today and, together with the United Kingdom, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect at 3:15 this afternoon on the thirty-seventh floor of the Secretariat. The press are invited. The French and United Kingdom Ambassadors will be happy to take your questions.

Later this morning, the Secretary-General delivered the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Lecture on AIDS. He stressed that AIDS is far more than a medical problem, far more than a national problem, and far from over.

Devoting particular attention to the pandemic's impact on Africa, the Secretary-General said it seemed to be "an unending spiral of death and despair". Today, more and more people are coming to understand that "AIDS is everybody's business", he said, noting that this is the motto of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The Secretary-General challenged businesses to end discrimination against those affected by AIDS, to spread AIDS awareness, and to join the United Nations in its efforts to combat the disease.

In issuing this challenge, he said that "today, we have the chance to practice hard-headed realism and heartfelt idealism at the same time -- to combine self-interest with a sense of shared responsibility".

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We have copies of the text in my Office.

In the afternoon, he was to meet with George Robertson, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence. Later in the day, he was to get together with Pierre Sane, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International.

**East Timor

The last of eight United Nations regional offices in East Timor will open tomorrow in the town of Maliana. The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) is now estimating it will be fully deployed by mid-July.

**Mary Robinson in Sierra Leone

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has concluded her two-day visit to Sierra Leone, where, she said, she was "deeply shocked" by the extent and cruelty of the violence against civilians, which was mostly perpetrated by the rebels.

The High Commissioner called for increasing the number of human rights monitors in the country and working to create a human rights infrastructure there.

Yesterday, the Government signed a human rights manifesto, reaffirming its commitment to the "unwavering and non-discriminatory promotion of all human rights for present and future generations in Sierra Leone". The manifesto also contains provisions on the establishment of an independent national human rights institution and of a truth and reconciliation commission. In addition, through the manifesto, the Government reiterates its commitment to raising the military recruitment age to 18.

You can pick up a press release in my Office with more details.

**International Day against Drug Abuse

Tomorrow, the United Nations marks the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, as well as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

In his annual message against torture, the Secretary-General notes that, despite some gains, information reaching the United Nations Human Rights Commission indicates that this heinous practice continues. While it's too late to prevent torture from accompanying us into the new century, it is not too late to redouble our efforts to contain this menace. The Secretary- General appeals to all governments to do their part in the fight against torture. That message is out as a press release (SG/SM/7043).

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The message on the Day against drug abuse and trafficking is also out on the racks. In it, the Secretary-General reiterates the vital importance of the struggle against these twin scourges. "The global implications and cross- border nature of drug abuse and illicit trafficking make the United Nations the most suitable instrument for waging this war", he says, pledging the Organization's continued efforts to put an end to this calamity.

We also have in our Office a message by the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, Pino Arlacchi, on the International Day.

And to show that we're putting our money where our mouths are, the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) today announced a new $13 million programme to help Iran control illicit drugs. The initiative will help Iran cut down on trafficking, particularly along the borders, modernize its drug laws, increase public awareness, and cope with domestic addiction. All this in a country which is a major transit point for narcotics coming from Pakistan and Afghanistan to lucrative markets in Europe. You can pick up a press release from the UNDCP with more details in my Office.

We also have a press release from the United Nations Information Centre in Islamabad on poppy production in Afghanistan. It describes United Nations efforts to eradicate crops in the country, including those carried out in cooperation with the Taliban.

**Solomon Islands

The Secretary-General, in response to a request from the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, has decided to send a United Nations mission to the country to examine the humanitarian situation there.

The mission, which leaves this weekend, will be led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It will also include representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UNHCR, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Political Affairs. The mission will arrive on Tuesday and depart on Saturday.

**Last Guatemalan Refugees Return from Mexico

According to the UNHCR, the last organized repatriation movement took place with a group of Guatemalan refugees going home from Mexico. On Thursday, a total of 167 refugees left the Mexican States of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Chiapas to return home. This last group repatriation brought to about 43,000 the number of Guatemalan refugees who have returned home from Mexico with the help of the UNHCR and of the Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees. The UNHCR has invested $28 million in repatriation and reintegration programmes for this group within Guatemala.

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Guatemalan refugees began arriving in Mexico in 1982, fleeing the civil conflict in their country. Around 45,000 arrived between 1982 and 1984.

**New Web site The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict has just launched a new Web site at www.un.org/special-rep/children- armed-conflict.

We have a flyer in our Office with more details.

**Aretha Franklin Concert

You might have been wondering about the excitement yesterday out on the grounds, where Aretha Franklin performed near the Peace Bell. The performance was taped by RAI Italian TV as part of a television special sponsored by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. Aretha Franklin's performance yesterday will be broadcast on 29 June as part of this special, which will include a live choir performance from the same location here at the United Nations at about 4 p.m. that day.

We would have let you know sooner, but they didn't want an audience for the event. RAI has exclusive rights for the event and no press were invited.

**The Week Ahead

I normally highlight the week ahead, but I've taken so much of your time already, so I'll just tell you that it's available in my Office, if you're interested.

**Question-and-Answer Session

Question: Could you clarify the status of the independent team of experts going to Iraq to remove the remaining chemicals at the UNSCOM lab, since the OPCW in The Hague is objecting to the use of its experts in this mission?

Spokesman: We've been saying all along that our staff and others in Baghdad could be threatened by the existence of dangerous substances in the UNSCOM laboratory. We just want to send experts on these dangerous substances to the laboratory to clean it up and remove whatever threat might exist there. We've asked for help in identifying the experts who could do this job. It's got nothing to do with the mandate of UNSCOM. It's a safety issue and we're trying to deal with it in a straightforward way. There may well be objections, but we're looking for experts to do the job.

Question: Will the Secretary-General reconsider the planned mission?

Spokesman: We're looking for experts who could carry out the mission. When we find them, Iraq has agreed to them, we will send them.

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Question: Mr. Shah said in Baghdad yesterday that he had a list of 10 to 12 experts, including people from OPCW. Could you say who are the experts on the team? Secondly, why are the people from UNSCOM and Switzerland who set up the lab and could dismantle it not included in the team, and why is Iraq allowed to choose who should be included? Finally, how do we know these substances are hazardous when UNSCOM says they are not?

Spokesman: We need to negotiate with Iraq on personnel acceptable to them. They are a sovereign country. We are looking for the experts and we did ask, it is true, the OPCW in The Hague to recommend experts that we could use. I'm not aware of what was described as developments in The Hague this morning. But, our search will go on for experts who can do the job. We'll find out if a hazard exists when we get inside the laboratory. It's been reported that there are dangerous substances there by our Iraq programme personnel who are working in the same building.

Question: Were any pledges made yesterday at Bernard Miyet's meeting of potential troop contributors for police in Kosovo?

Spokesman: He delivered a very strong message. We need money, we need police and we need civilian administrators -- and this is what we're shouting from the rooftops to governments who might be in a position to help us out. He made an impassioned appeal to possible police contributors yesterday. We may need as many as 3,000 police in Kosovo and we've got about 40, I think, who are making their way slowly overland towards Kosovo, but we're a long way from getting the numbers that we need.

Question: Are we confusing UNSCOM's mandate, where they do not need Iraq's permission to enter that country, and this special mission?

Spokesman: No, the Iraq inspections programme is premised on the assumption that Iraq will cooperate with UNSCOM and the United Nations. So, we need Iraq's cooperation to carry out our work there. Why is UNSCOM not in there today? Because Iraq has denied them access. We have a safety problem, we talk to Iraq about how we get the type of technical experts that we need in there to look to assess the problem, and, if there is a problem, to take care of it.

Question: What is the agenda of Wednesday's meeting of the Friends of Kosovo going to be? Are only the Group of 8 countries going to be represented by Foreign Ministers?

Spokesman: The Secretary-General told the Security Council he would be consulting with governments and organizations who could advise him. The Group of 8 initially proposed having this meeting at the Foreign Minister level on their way back from Brazil. The Secretary-General seized this opportunity to turn this meeting into the first meeting of what he calls his Friends of Kosovo. So, the invitation list was expanded. Whether the non-Group of 8

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members of the Friends would choose to come at ministerial level, we do not know as yet.

The focus would be on civilian administration. It would give the chance to the Secretary-General to again appeal for what he needs in the way of people and money to advance the mission there. The advance team is not expected to stay there indefinitely. We need the permanent personnel who are going to administer and carry out the mission. We've also experienced growing law and order problems and some of the other growing pains of the mission could be aired at this meeting. It would be a chance to review where we are, what we need and where we want to go.

Question: Yesterday, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia sent a letter to the Security Council demanding clarification between the division of work between the military and civilian sides. Could you comment on the relationship at the moment.

Spokesman: I don't quite understand. But, you know, the military and civilian components are co-equal, and the Council has asked that both report to the Security Council through the Secretary-General. I have no comment on this particular letter at this time.

Question: Will the Secretary-General have appointed a Special Representative by then?

Spokesman: I think he would hope to have made the announcement by that day.

Question: Is there any plan on how to conduct business in Kosovo? Who is going to be in charge?

Spokesman: The Security Council gives the United Nations Mission full civil authority in Kosovo, while recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Carl Bildt was here yesterday and he described it as the Council had effectively suspended that country's control over Kosovo and transferred it to the United Nations. That's probably the simplest way to describe it.

Question: The Central Bank in Yugoslavia said they would insist the dinar still be the currency in Kosovo and they were actually still sending notes there. What is the United Nations position on that?

Spokesman: The Special Representative will decide.

Question: You mentioned the need for judges. Will some of those be international?

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Spokesman: I don't think that's Sergio Vieira de Mello's plan. When the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia suspended the autonomy that Kosovo had enjoyed under Tito, many ethnic Albanian judges were fired. That was in 1990. Those people are still around, so he will have qualified people, the Serb judges who are already there and the Albanian judges who used to be there. He will be consulting with this group that he's going to meet with tomorrow on the selection of these judges, and he hopes to make an announcement next week on the appointment of judges.

Question: What about prejudiced opinions?

Spokesman: Well, he will be consulting with them. He has said he wants to consult with the Kosovar leadership -- ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb, and that's what he would be doing tomorrow.

Question: What law would be used to judge -- the criminal law of Yugoslavia, the provincial law?

Spokesman: I assume it will be on the law of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, except if that law would be seen as prejudicial. In that case, I think he would reserve to himself the right to suspend any laws that he considers unfair.

Question: Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the $5 million bounty on Milosevic?

Spokesman: No.

Question: Do you have any comments on reports that the Secretary- General met with officials of the KGB while he was in Moscow and could you say what they discussed.

Spokesman: He met with the Head of External Intelligence in a private meeting, and I would have to ask what they talked about.

Question: How many other countries signed the standby arrangements that France and the United Kingdom will sign this afternoon?

Spokesman: I mentioned the number yesterday, I can't remember it exactly. We have a list in my Office, if you'd like.

Question: Do you know if Mr. de Soto is going to accept the invitation of the Burmese Government to visit there in August or later to have talks on the economic conditions and possible international aid?

Spokesman: I would have to check for that information.

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