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 Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

**Democratic Republic of Congo

Good afternoon. At the end of the work day yesterday, we issued a statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General welcoming the news that the ministers for defence and foreign affairs and rebel leaders meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, had adopted a ceasefire agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 7 July.

The Secretary-General urged the heads of State and the rebel leaders concerned to sign and otherwise ratify the ceasefire agreement as a matter of urgency. He called on them to declare and enact an immediate cessation of hostilities and troops standstill, pending the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement.

The Secretary-General is dispatching on Monday a technical survey team to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assess the feasibility of deploying United Nations military observers. As you know, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bernard Miyet informed the Security Council on Tuesday of the Secretary-General's willingness to seek authorization to deploy observers at an early date, with a possible subsequent deployment of a full- scale United Nations peacekeeping operation.

Zambia's President Chiluba, who is spearheading the peace process for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has announced a summit on Saturday in Lusaka to sign the ceasefire agreement.

The statement I referred to is available in the Spokesman's Office.

**Sierra Leone

Also, yesterday in Dakar, the Secretary-General welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone, "ending years of brutal and painful warfare". He also expressed his sincere hope that the people of Sierra Leone could now begin rebuilding the country and their lives and called on the parties to honour their commitments.

You will recall that in his last report, the Secretary-General had indicated to the Council members that once the agreement was signed he would revert to them with a concept of operation for an expanded United Nations presence on the ground. The report of the Secretary-General outlining this

expansion of the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone is expected to be submitted to the Security Council next week for approval.

I have just received a statement on Sierra Leone from Sergio Vieira de Mello, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, where he says that he noted with great satisfaction the successful completion yesterday of a United Nations-led inter-agency humanitarian mission to the rebel-held town of Buedu in Sierra Leone. The mission comprised senior representatives of United Nations organizations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and international non-governmental organizations.

The rebel commanders, Brigadier-General Sam Bokarie and Steve Williams, coordinator of the RUF's humanitarian wing, provided the mission with assurances for the security of humanitarian personnel nationwide. They also agreed to participate in the planning of humanitarian assessment missions as early as next week. The first humanitarian missions would go to Makeni, Kambia, Kabala and Koindu.

This full statement is available in our Office if you want more details.

**Secretary-General in West Africa

We have not had telephone contact with the Secretary-General's delegation in West Africa; however, this morning his schedule included, upon his arrival in Sierra Leone at 9:45 a.m., a meeting with his Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Francis Okelo, and heads of United Nations agencies. At 10:30 a.m., a meeting with President Kabbah was scheduled, followed by a meeting with Major- General Felix Mujakperub, the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) Force Commander.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., the Secretary-General was to attend a luncheon given in his honour by President Kabbah and, following the luncheon, he would have a press encounter along with the President. After an address to United Nations staff at approximately 12:30 p.m., the Secretary-General was to attend a meeting with the inter-religious council of Sierra Leone and civil society representatives.

Other activities were a visit to the United Nations mission headquarters and the city centre, followed by a visit to a rehabilitation centre for amputees. The Secretary-General was scheduled to leave Sierra Leone for Monrovia, Liberia, in the early afternoon.

When we have more details and, of course, if we have the transcript of his press encounter, we will announce that.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 8 July 1999

**Kosovo

Today, we got a snapshot of the level of destruction inside Kosovo, where over 628,000 refugees have returned in one of the fastest turnarounds of a refugee population we have seen in a long time.

Partial and preliminary results of an Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-led survey showed that out of about 140 villages surveyed, 64 per cent of homes were severely damaged or completely destroyed. Another 20 per cent sustained moderate damage. The survey found 40 per cent of water sources were found to be contaminated, many by household garbage and human remains.

The survey also revealed that food availability has been dramatically reduced over the past three months as shops were looted or destroyed and farm production ground to a halt. Wheat was available in just 35 per cent of the 141 villages, oil in 28 per cent, sugar in 23 per cent, fruit in 18 per cent, coffee in 12 per cent and meat in only 7 per cent. It also found that 88 per cent of the surveyed villages lacked functioning health facilities and more than half of the facilities surveyed were completely destroyed or had sustained serious damage.

The survey is of 141 villages out of a total of more than 2,000, so we still have a long way to go to get a complete picture of the immediate needs in Kosovo.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has found in its survey of schools that between 40 to 50 per cent of schools have been damaged.

A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Food Programme (WFP) food-and-crop assessment mission in Kosovo indicates a severe wheat deficit, an 80 per cent loss in corn production, 60 per cent loss of small livestock and 30 to 40 per cent in large livestock.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, said that what was needed in some of the gutted towns was immediate reconstruction, not just emergency humanitarian assistance.

On the political front today, the acting Special Representative for Kosovo, Sergio Vieira de Mello, met with Serbian opposition leaders, the Alliance for Change, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Among the nine opposition leaders were Zoran Djindjic (Democratic Party) and Vuk Obradovic.

Mr. de Mello explained his efforts to stop the Serb exodus and what was being done to seek the release of kidnapped Serbs in Kosovo. The opposition leaders said they were the first to speak up against President Milosevic and that the Serbian people don't know about Serbian atrocities committed in Kosovo. They said they wanted to have good relations with Albanians in

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 8 July 1999

Kosovo. Mr. de Mello pointed out the dire situation of 3,000 Serbs under seige in Orahovac and said that unless suspected criminals among them are dealt with under the rule of law, it would be difficult to ease their plight.

In various places, minority groups being monitored by the UNHCR are living in increasingly perilous situations.

The UNHCR continues, together with KFOR, to make every effort to enable minority groups to stay in their homes in Kosovo. But, in the wake of the increasing number of incidents where minority groups, particularly Serbs, including ethnic Serb refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Roma, have been placed in life-threatening situations. The UNHCR is faced more and more frequently with the difficult question of when and whether to help in the evacuation of such persons.

**Security Council Consultations

The Security Council has had informal consultations this morning on a draft presidential statement in relation to the open debate which is taking place right now on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants in a peacekeeping environment. Under other matters, Security Council members also discussed Libya this morning. This afternoon, after the open meeting, consultations are expected to take place on Sierra Leone.

In the open meeting, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette called on Council members to consider a number of essential elements in their debate, including the need for peace agreements to contain provisions for weapons disposal. Calling attention to the plight of child soldiers, she said the Council must consider their needs when establishing peacekeeping operations. Those operations, she added, must have rigorous media components to mobilize public support for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts.

A full text of her speech is available in our Office.

**Iraq

On Tuesday, we told you that the United Nations would be investigating allegations made by the Iraqi Government against a New Zealand national, Ian Broughton, also known as Red, who was said to have planted boxes of locust eggs in northern Iraq.

The results of the investigation indicate that neither Broughton nor any other person connected to the United Nations was in the area in question. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Hans von Sponeck, told Iraqi officials that this could have been a case of mistaken identity, but they insisted that Broughton should leave the country. He left the country this morning.

Daily Press Briefing - 5 - 8 July 1999

Speaking from Amman, the Executive Director of the Iraq Programme, Benon Sevan, expressed disappointment at the incident. He had been in Iraq on a 20-day mission and, while there, he had told government officials that he would like to visit the site where the locust eggs were allegedly planted, but there was no response to this suggestion.

We have a note in our Office with more details on the matter.

Still on Iraq, today we have out on the racks the Secretary-General's letter to the President of the Security Council regarding the requirements of Iraq's oil industry and also with a report from the group of experts who visited Iraq last month.

It is a detailed and technical report, but, in general, it emphasizes the need of the oil industry to receive spare parts and equipment in order to sustain and increase current production which is now averaging slightly over 2 million barrels a day.

Also, later today, the office of the Iraq programme will make available their weekly report which shows that last week Iraq exported 14.3 million barrels of oil.

**East Timor

This afternoon, there will be a troop-contributors meeting on East Timor. In relation to this, you will find on the racks a letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council listing the countries that will contribute military liaison officers to the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET).

Still on East Timor, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, said today she was deeply worried by recent attacks by armed militia on the United Nations Mission and the negative effects the violence could have on the exercise by the East Timorese of their right to decide their future. She said, "The violence aims clearly at keeping the East Timorese from exercising their right to determine the status of the territory. The Indonesian authorities must make good on their pledge to investigate the attacks and bring to justice those responsible. The militia must not be allowed to succeed." The full text of her statement is available in room S-378.

Also available upstairs is the transcript of the press briefing today in Dili which would gives you the details of deployment of military observers and all other categories of staff of the Mission, and also indications of the arrival of the election kits in Dili.

Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 8 July 1999

**United Nations International Drug Control Programme

Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), is headed for Lebanon where he will spend three days, starting tomorrow, meeting with authorities on the fight against drugs and crime.

In the early 1990s, Lebanese and Syrian forces eradicated illicit drug cultivation in the Bekaa Valley. But since then, Lebanon has been transformed from a drug-producing country into a major transit point for cocaine and heroin trafficking. The UNDCP is working with the Lebanese Government to combat the problem, and Mr. Arlacchi's visit is aimed at furthering these efforts.

We have two press releases with details on that in our office.

**Treaty Update

Yesterday, Romania became the eighty-third country to sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Statute has three parties. Sixty countries must ratify it for the Court to be established.

**Question-and-Answer Session

Question: What is the official response to use of the Secretary- General's image in an advertising campaign on the New York City Metrocard?

Deputy Spokesman: We saw the card. The use of the Secretary-General's name and photo on the back of the card were not authorized by the United Nations and, as far as we could find out, there were no attempts to seek this authorization. Inasmuch as this may raise some legal issues, the legal office is looking into the matter.

Question: There were reports on Tuesday that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) had set up a provisional government and they told the United Nations that they would not unconditionally recognize the legal authority of the United Nations civil administration, and they warned that they would resort to armed struggle if the United Nations did not lead its administration to independence of Kosovo. Also, the minister for reconstruction that they have appointed supported that stand. What is the position on independence for Kosovo at the United Nations?

Deputy Spokesman: I have not seen the report. But, the position is very clear. The resolution does not talk about independence and that's what we take as our lead. It recognizes the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and it talks about substantial level of autonomy for Kosovo. But, the lead for us is what the Council decided in the resolution.

Daily Press Briefing - 7 - 8 July 1999

Question: How would you describe relations right now between Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations staff there and the KLA leadership?

Deputy Spokesman: He has contact with all groups. I have not seen any particular report on anything specifically of the nature that you just mentioned. I will certainly follow up and we will get back to you.

Question: On the meeting of the opposition Serbs, is that in anticipation of the departure of Mr. Milosevic? Also, how would that affect the relationship between the United Nations and Serbia in terms of their involvement with Kosovo? Are they setting something up for more involvement by a new government?

Deputy Spokesman: No. We talk to different groups in the country. We have always done this in different situations.

Question: Are you talking with Mr. Milosevic, as well?

Deputy Spokesman: We have an office in Belgrade, and all of our offices in Belgrade continue with the regular contacts with the Government.

Question: Can you tell us what exactly the United Nations is going to do to ensure that those people who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone are punished in some way? Also, how is the United Nations responding to criticism that signing on to this agreement is a cop-out and violation of international law? The Human Rights Watch put out a story on that.

Deputy Spokesman: That is their opinion. We respect their opinion. We have made our position very clear to the point of having attached to Mr. Okelo's signature, as a witness, the reservations we have regarding the scope of the amnesty which should not cover the international crimes that we have referred to. Regarding the amnesty, it is a matter of national sovereignty and it will be applicable within Sierra Leone only. I know the agreement has provisions for a truth commission. How that will function and relate to those applying for amnesty is not clear.

Our position is very clear. It is very clear to us that the agreement is a political solution for years of suffering and destruction, and that there must be justice as well. As the Secretary-General said in his statement yesterday, "the parties to this agreement must honour their commitments", and he offered United Nations support in their efforts at reconciliation and rebuilding. It is fragile peace, but let us move ahead not forgetting that justice must be served.

Question: How would you achieve that justice, taking into consideration this blanket amnesty?

Daily Press Briefing - 8 - 8 July 1999

Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, it is a matter of national sovereignty. It has to be done within Sierra Leone by their mechanisms. I also mentioned the truth commission indicated in this commission, so let's see how that will play in doing justice.

Question: There is some scepticism in that there are other places where the United Nations has not insisted on national sovereignty in the event of war crimes among other things. Why is Sierra Leone an exception? Weren't war crimes committed there?

Deputy Spokesman: There are very serious allegations of that. Those have to be proven. Each situation is different. There are ad hoc tribunals for Rwanda and Bosnia. The world seems to want to move ahead with more regular mechanisms with the International Criminal Court. I just mentioned today that one other country had signed the treaty. But, unfortunately, this is not yet in place. It becomes operational when 60 countries ratify it. Once it's operational, it's not retroactive. The situation in Sierra Leone is not perfect -- it's not a perfect world -- but, this is what was possible and we are making it very clear that that amnesty, from the point of view of the United Nations, should not cover certain categories of crimes. But it is a matter that's limited to the national sovereignty of that country.

Question: Would the United Nations be involved in the truth commission?

Deputy Spokesman: I do not have details on that.

Question: I have a quick question on Kosovo and then one on Iraq. You said that they had contact with the KLA. Are they good relationships? Difficult? Testy? Can you describe them?

Deputy Spokesman: The reports that I have seen talk about contacts with different groups in Kosovo, including the KLA. I have not seen a special qualification of it. I can check and let you have details.

Question: On Iraq, why did the New Zealander, though innocent, leave the country? What does that say about United Nations cooperation with Iraq, for example, a team that is supposed to go there shortly?

Deputy Spokesman: Our investigations did not confirm the allegations. Coincidentally, his contract was concluding, so he was leaving in a few weeks anyway.

Question: What exactly would the expansion of the United Nations human rights presence in Sierra Leone mean for the staff there? Are they there to ensure that violations don't occur with this amnesty?

Deputy Spokesman: There will be a clearer definition of what the expansion of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL)

Daily Press Briefing - 9 - 8 July 1999

will be like and what the roles of the different components will be. That will be out very soon.

Question: Could you check whether the Sanctions Committee of the Security Council still have a list of people from Sierra Leone they don't want to travel since this list might allow someone to arrest perpetrators? Also, what is United Nations policy in allowing a State, Iraq or otherwise, to expel staff the United Nations has placed there? Is it United Nations policy to yield to governments' requests on what staff it should send in?

Deputy Spokesman: I don't think that it's United Nations policy. To enter any Member State, we need visas. They could or could not give them to us. They could revoke them if they wished.

Question: Why does the United Nations need visas to go into northern Iraq?

Deputy Spokesman: That's a part of Iraq.

Question: What kind of investigation did the United Nations conduct to discover that this man was innocent?

Deputy Spokesman: That's in a note that I mentioned is available to you. They talked to Mr. Broughton himself and the staff that were supervised by him on 8 April. None of them were in the area that the incident allegedly occurred. The person was in Iraq, but not in the place where the boxes were said to be planted.

Question: Western diplomats regard this incident involving Mr. Broughton as an attempt to create a scapegoat since Iraq does not like United Nations staff particularly in northern Iraq. Does the United Nations regard it this way?

Deputy Spokesman: We're certainly concerned that allegations were made, we investigated, we didn't confirm those allegations and they insisted on the measures that they took. It is a matter of concern about the quality of this relationship.

Question: Is there any sense of the number of troops needed to go into the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, so far, which countries have promised to donate troops? I have heard that it may be around 13,000.

Deputy Spokesman: I have seen similar figures also, but there is nothing more concrete. Also, a number of African countries have indicated willingness to send troops if the need arises. All of this is pending Security Council approval, specifically indicating what the role and mandate of a United Nations presence would be.

Daily Press Briefing - 10 - 8 July 1999

Question: How long would the assessment team be in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Deputy Spokesman: I do not think there is a time frame. These are normally short missions, but I will check.

Question: Concerning the investigation in Iraq, was anything else done to determine whether the man was in the area? Do you know whether boxes of locust eggs were planted in the place where Iraq says?

Deputy Spokesman: I do not have that in the note that was made available by the Iraq Programme. We will check with the Iraq Programme.

Question: You said the United Nations could not confirm the allegations, but could they deny them?

Deputy Spokesman: I just said I had no more details. I would have to get those from the Iraq Programme.

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