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 Shirley Brownell, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, and Manoel de Almeida Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Briefing by Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

The General Assembly meets this afternoon to consider the second report of the General Committee (A/54/250/Add.1).

The report recommends that the Assembly include in the agenda of its current session an additional item, entitled “Observer Status for the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries in the General Assembly” (A/54/232); that it include a sub-item entitled “Relocation of South Africa to the group of Member States set out in paragraph 3 (c) of General Assembly resolution 43/232” (A/54/233); and that the Assembly consider directly in plenary the sub-item entitled “Follow-up of the World Summit for Children”, as requested by the Chairman of the Second Committee (A/54/438).

The Assembly will then hear the remaining five speakers on the Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/54/1), after which it will take note of the report.

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) this morning began its general debate on all disarmament and international security agenda items. Opening the discussion, the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, said the Committee would be taking up some timely and very complex issues on the international security agenda. This challenge had been rendered all the more formidable by a number of developments over the last year that had jeopardized existing disarmament agreements, while at the same time military expenditures were once again on the rise in many countries. These events, which included a significant increase in 1998 in the frequency of intra-State wars, only further underscored the vital role that the United Nations must play in upholding existing norms of international peace and security in forging the necessary political will to establish new agreements.

He said: “Together, we must refuse to accept that war, weapons of mass destruction, or the excessive accumulation or illicit transfer of arms are now just hallmarks of the natural human condition. We must reaffirm our collective commitments to the principles of the Charter, including the peaceful settlement of disputes and the duty to protect non-combatants in wartime environments.” The Committee’s debate concludes on 20 October.

At two meetings today, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) is concluding debate on macroeconomic policy questions. Various reports of the

Secretary-General, on science and technology for development and on external debt crisis and development, are before the Committee.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) is meeting this afternoon to take up two items: advancement of women; and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Among documents on the advancement of women is a report of the Secretary-General on improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (A/54/405). It states that notable progress has been made in improving the representation of women at the D-1 level. However, it continues, the progress in improving the representation of women overall is still limited, owing to the lower rate at which women are recruited into the Secretariat and the relatively small number of appointments made each year compared to the size of the staff population.

Other documents include: the report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on its twentieth and twenty-first sessions (A/54/38/Rev.1); three reports by the Secretary-General, on traditional or customary practices affecting the health of women (A/54/341), on improvement of the situation of women in rural areas (A/54/123-E/1999/66) and on violence against migrant women workers (A/54/342); a note by the Secretary-General transmitting reports on the activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)(A/54/225), and another transmitting an evaluation by the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) (A/54/156-E/1999/102).

Concerning implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Committee has before it the report of the Commission on the Status of Women acting as the preparatory committee for the special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace in the twenty-first century” (E/1999/60 and Add.1). The report contains a draft resolution, for adoption by the Assembly, on preparations for the special session. A report of the Secretary-General (A/54/264) -- the third one presented this year on a rolling basis -- provides updated information by intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations system and non-governmental organizations on follow-up activities.

This afternoon, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) will begin debate on the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/54/325). The Special Committee, which since its establishment in 1968 has not had access to the occupied territories, says, in its concluding observations and recommendations, that the Israeli authorities have put in place a comprehensive and elaborate system of laws and regulations that affect all aspects of the lives of the Palestinian and Syrian peoples there -- laws and regulations designed to meet the policy objectives of the Israeli Government and to enhance the exercise of its control over the occupied territories and their population.

The report goes on to say that bitterness at their treatment by the Israeli authorities and the sense of dispossession, hopelessness and despair of the people of the occupied territories, caused to a large extent by lack of progress in the peace process and a lack of tangible benefits for the people, make the situation in those territories one of the greatest urgency. The Special Committee thus welcomed the recent resumption of dialogue in the peace process. It also reaffirmed its observations and recommendations of last year, that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in consultation with the Secretary-General, should establish a system of communication with the Israeli authorities to improve the very difficult circumstances in which the Palestinian and Syrian peoples of the occupied territories currently live.

In two meetings today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) is considering the report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) on the work of its thirty-second session (A/54/17). The document reports on progress made in the drafting and elaboration of various trade law instruments, including draft uniform rules on electronic commerce.

Copies of Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab’s appointments for today are available in room 378 and on the Internet. He will preside at this afternoon’s plenary meeting. The President will later attend the opening, in the United Nations Secretariat Lobby, of an art exhibition, “The Message of Humanity for the New Millennium”, hosted by the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Kukan, and the Permanent Representative of Slovakia, Dr. Peter Tomka.

Briefing by Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General

Good afternoon, everyone. I will start today’s briefing by telling you about the Secretary-General’s activities on his trip to Europe. I will start with today’s activities, and then move back through the weekend.

**Secretary-General Meets With Prime Minister of Italy, then to Sarajevo Later Today

The Secretary-General concluded his visit to Rome this morning with a meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy, Massimo D’alema. Their talks focused first on Kosovo, then on humanitarian aid to displaced Serbs and progress on reconstructing Bosnia.

At a press encounter which followed that meeting, the Secretary-General said that he and the Prime Minister had also discussed the emerging international order and the need to focus on protection of the individual.

They also discussed the humanitarian situation in Serbia, where there are 700,000 refugees from previous wars -— from Bosnia to Croatia and now Kosovo. The Secretary-General also said to the press that he has argued for quite a long time that we should define humanitarian assistance in a broad enough manner to allow for assistance to the electrical, heating and water systems to be able to assist the people through the winter. Otherwise, he said we will have another major humanitarian crisis on our hands.

The transcript of his remarks to the press is available in the Spokesman’s Office, room 378.

**Secretary-General: “Tragedy of Srbrenica Will Haunt Our History

Forever

After Rome, the Secretary-General then flew to Sarajevo at mid-day, where he was briefed by his Special Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jacques Klein. He also addressed local and international staff working for the United Nations mission there. He then met with the heads of United Nations agencies in Bosnia.

In the late afternoon, he met with the three-member Presidency of the Bosnian Government -- Arte Jelavic, the current Chairman, Zirko Radisic and Alija Izetbegovic.

At a ceremony at which the Government announced its intention to build a memorial to all United Nations staff members who contributed to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Secretary-General remarked that the United Nations experience in Bosnia was one of the most difficult and painful in its history.

“No one regrets more than we, he said, the opportunities for achieving peace and justice that were missed. No one laments more than we, the failure of the international community to take decisive action to halt the suffering and end a war that had produced so many victims.”

“We will never forget that Bosnia was as much a moral cause as a military conflict.” And he added, “the tragedy of Srbrenica will haunt our history forever”.

The text of his remarks are available in our office.

In the evening the Secretary-General was to attend a reception for Sarajevo’s political, diplomatic and religious leaders hosted by Jacques Klein, and then to have a private working-dinner with Mr. Klein.

**Trip Began in Geneva with Briefing by High Commissioner for Refugees

The Secretary-General arrived in Geneva Friday evening. On Saturday morning he had a number of meetings, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sadako Ogata, who briefed him on the humanitarian situation in Kosovo. They also reviewed the humanitarian crisis in East and West Timor.

Saturday morning, he also met with the former Environment Minister of Finland, Pekka Haavisto, who is Chairman of the Balkans Task Force created by the United Nations Environment Program/Habitat (UNEP/Habitat). Mr. Haavisto presented the Task Force Report of the environmental impact of the NATO bombing of Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro, which took place from March until June of this year. Klaus Topfer, the Executive Director of (UNEP/Habitat), contacted the Secretary-General and announced that the report will be made public simultaneously in Geneva and in New York on Friday, 15 October.

**Secretary General Addresses Eighth World Telecommunications

Exhibition and Forum

Also on Saturday, the Secretary-General attended a luncheon in his honour hosted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Afterwards, the Secretary-General addressed the opening of the Eighth World Telecommunications Exhibition and Forum, an event hosted by ITU every four years. This year, it was attended by 130 communications ministers and over 400 heads of private communications companies. At that Forum, he said, “With the power to create new opportunities, telecommunications are a tremendous force for integrating people and nations into the global economy —- the only real hope we have of overcoming poverty”.

“With their power to promote openness and transparency,” he went on, “telecoms are leaving tyrants, polluters and ineffective governments fewer places to hide”.

“And with their power to inspire global dialogue, telecoms are making us more comfortable with diversity and more aware of our interdependence.”

**Secretary-General Attends NETAID Concert

Saturday evening, the Secretary-General, joined United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Mark Malloch Brown for the NETAID concert in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nation’s Palais des Nations. As you know, in addition to Geneva, this concert took place in two other locations on Saturday as well, in London and New Jersey -- here near New York.

**Secretary-General Arrives in Rome

On Sunday the Secretary-General flew from Geneva to Rome, where he met his Special Envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bilt, in preparation for his visit to Sarajevo and Kosovo.

In the evening, he was a guest at a dinner in his honour hosted by the Foreign Minister of Italy, Lamberto Dini.

**Timor: Repatriation Resumes, Supplies Distributed in East; Humanitarian Task Force to Atambua and Atapupu

Moving now, to East Timor, the repatriation by air of East Timorese from West Timor resumed with three flights to Dili today after a break on Sunday. The three flights carried a total of 292 returnees including 25 orphans and unaccompanied children who are going back to their orphanage in Liquica, 30 kilometres west of Dili. Monday’s count brought the total number of returnees since the operation began Friday to 660 people aboard seven flights.

A multi-agency humanitarian mission went to Atambua and Atapupu on Sunday. In a visit to Sesekoe camp, with a population estimated at 1,000, the UNHCR was told by several women heads of households that they want to go back to East Timor, but that militia leaders are in control of the site.

In East Timor, general distributions of relief supplies began Saturday in Dili at two locations in the capital. Around one third of Dili's population received plastic sheeting and other basic assistance. The balance of the city will be served in operations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

**UNAMET Reports “Quiet” in Dili

When I spoke with UNAMET in Dili this morning, the situation in the city was reported as “quiet”. The UNAMET confirmed that as of today 127 UNAMET personnel have returned to East Timor. Tomorrow some additional 24 are expected to return as well. The UNAMET now has re-established its presence in Dili, Baucau and Los Palos. The UNAMET personnel are also back in Liquica and Viqueque where they spend the day and return to their regional base at night. Until arrangements for a permanent accommodation is concluded, they will continue to shuttle.

**Secretary-General Deeply Saddened by Flood Damage in Mexico

Now, I have a statement attributable to the Spokesman: The Secretary- General is deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction that have been caused by floods and mudslides in south-eastern Mexico. He offers his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and the Government of Mexico. He notes the valiant efforts of the Government to assist the affected areas, and extends his assurances that the United Nations is ready to support these efforts should it be required.

**Joint Military Commission on the Democratic Republic of Congo Meets in Congo

The Joint Military Commission (JMC) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo is having its first substantive meeting in Kampala, Uganda today. The Joint Military Commission was established by the parties to the Lusaka ceasefire agreement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Lusaka agreement pending the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The United Nations representative at that meeting was expected to request written security guarantees from the JMC.

**Military Officers Deployed to Lusaka Signatories

We have now close to 40 military liaison officers deployed in the capitals of the six countries signatories of the Lusaka peace accord: Harare, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Luanda, Windhoek, as well as Lusaka and Bujumbura.

A Technical Survey Team is scheduled to be sent to the DRC soon to assess the conditions for the possible deployment of 500 military observers. This would constitute the second phase as envisaged by the Secretary-General in his last report to the Security Council.

**Coordinator says Displaced Congolese “Just One Facet” of Humanitarian Drama

Hundreds of thousands of Congolese are caught up in a daily struggle to remain alive on both sides of a vast ceasefire line in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says Darioush Bayandor, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for that country. "The existence of 1.1 million war displaced people within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across its frontiers is just one facet of the humanitarian drama in this country. These are sober facts with no tinge of dramatization...they should be highlighted so that there is no excuse for lack of knowledge."

For more information and other updates in the Great Lakes region, see the update issued by Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

**Security Council

The Security Council is holding consultations this morning to discuss several items:

They first took up Kosovo. Mr. Hedi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations answered questions from Council members.

Their next item is Sierra Leone. The Council will continue to work on the draft of a resolution to establish a United Nations presence in the country. The Council might have to continue their consultations on this topic tomorrow. At the end of the briefing the Deputy Spokesman announced that Council members did not discuss Sierra Leone today. They will take it up tomorrow. He also announced that today they are taking up the report of the Working group of the Security Council, on the Council’s documentation and procedures. As you know, this is an issue they take up periodically.

**Secretary General’s Report on Central African Republic Out Today

The report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) is out today. In it, the Secretary-General reports on the political security and human rights situation in that country, and on the presidential elections that took place last month. He acknowledges that there is a need to start considering a transition to post-conflict peace building, but notes that the political climate in the country remains tense and that the restructuring of the armed forces has seen little progress.

He also says that the security situation in the region also needs to be taken into consideration. Therefore, he recommends a short but gradual transition from peacekeeping to post-conflict peace-building. During such a transition, MINURCA would gradually reduce its military strength, until 15 February 2000, and will continue to provide assistance in the implementation of major reforms and its good offices to promote reconciliation.

**Kosovo Update

We have available today’s briefing notes from Pristina. Developments from Kosovo reported by the United Nations Mission (UNMIK) there include a police update which reminds Kosovars experiencing intimidation of threats to call the UNMIK police hotline staffed 24 hours a day by Serbian and Albanian operators. The UNMIK reports its current police strength at 1,629.

**Actor Michael Douglas in Albania Today

Screen actor and United Nations Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas is in Albania today visiting a United Nations-organized weapons collection project.

The project, which is being implemented in Gramsh, Albania, has collected around six thousand seven hundred small weapons and 100 tons of ammunition since January.

Mr. Douglas will witness the mechanical destruction of some of these weapons. He is also scheduled to visit a neighboring region called Elbasan, which is also awash in illegal weapons, where he will encourage people to follow the example of their neighbors in Gramsh.

There's a press release on the racks with more details on this.

**World Health Organization Reports Hip Fractures to Rise by Mid-Century

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the number of hip fractures worldwide due to osteoporosis is expected to rise three-fold by the middle of the next century, from 1.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million by 2050.

At the present time, the majority of hip fractures occur in Europe and North America. Demographic changes over the next 50 years will lead to unprecedented increases in the number of the elderly in Asia, Africa and South America. As a result, up to 75 per cent of all hip fractures will be occurring in the developing countries 50 years from now.

There are more details in the press release upstairs.

**Age Quake Debate

We have a media advisory that the third in a series of four “Agequake” Debates, titled “Generations of Peacemakers” will be held at the United Nations Headquarters on 12 October. That’s tomorrow. The debate will focus on contributions of older persons to the cause of peace. It will take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium.

**Upcoming Press Conference

Tomorrow’s press conference, is Michael Zammit, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Convention, who will brief the press on key issues to be discussed at the upcoming Conference of Parties to the Convention, which will be held from 25 October to 5 November in Bonn, Germany.

Any questions?

**Questions and Answer Session

Question: Is the Secretary-General’s statement to the ITU available? I can’t find it upstairs.

Deputy Spokesman: Yes it is. It should be there. It may be on the racks.

Question: You didn’t say anything about Angola. Is there any United Nations agency monitoring this war? Deputy Spokesman: There is very hard and courageous work of the humanitarian staff in Angola. WFP is in the lead of the UN effort and has been reporting consistently on the humanitarian crisis in Angola as a result of the war.

Question: Any plans or activities marking the six billion population day?

Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary-General will be in Sarajevo tomorrow, where he will witness the birth of the six billionth baby there. Later on this afternoon we will have a press release on this issue.

Question: Any activities here at Headquarters?

Deputy Spokesman: I would refer you to the United Nations Population Fund for that. I don’t know of any but they would be the ones who could help you.

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