DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19991122The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Shirley Brownell, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.
Briefing by Spokesman for Secretary-General
Good afternoon.
**Dissatisfied with 'Oil-for-Food' Extension, Iraq Cuts Oil Supply
Independent oil experts working for the United Nations oil-for-food programme in Iraq reported that early this morning Iraq cut the supply of oil to the Turkish port of Ceyhan with the completion of shipments under oil contracts signed under phase VI of the oil-for-food programme. Those contracts were of course under Resolutions 1242 and 1266. It is expected that Iraq will do the same on shipments out of Mina al Bakr when the last contracts are filled tomorrow. Iraq appears to be expressing dissatisfaction with the two-week rollover of the oil-for-food programme adopted by the Security Council on Friday.
Iraq also orally informed the United Nations over the weekend that it would not renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which sets forth agreed arrangements for the implementation of the oil-for-food programme. That MOU is normally extended through an exchange of letters shortly after the Security Council extends the life of the oil-for-food programme.
The Executive Director of the Iraq Programme, Benon Sevan, informed the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Hans von Sponeck, that normal operations should continue unless the Government of Iraq submits an official request to the contrary.
**INTERFET, Indonesian Military Sign Agreement to Speed Repatriation Efforts
Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations Administrator in East Timor, travelled this afternoon to West Timor, where he and United States Ambassador Richard Holbrooke witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Multilateral Force (INTERFET) and the Indonesian Armed Forces designed to speed up the return of refugees from West Timor.
The United High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today reported that despite continued harassment by militia, some 5,000 people returned to East Timor, most of them spontaneously, bringing the total number of returns to over 90,000.
You'll find on the racks today a report by INTERFET on the border incident with the Indonesian military of 10 October -- which is transmitted to the Security Council by the Secretary-General. **Prosecutor of Rwanda Tribunal Ready to Ask for Review of Barayagwiza Decision
Carla del Ponte, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, has now officially made public her intention to ask for a review of the decision by the Appeals Chamber to release Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza. Mrs. del Ponte wants to present new facts which could have been decisive factors in the decision.
The rules of the Tribunal permit a review of a judgement if a new fact has been discovered which was not known and could not have been discovered through the exercise of due diligence. Mrs. Carla Del Ponte is on her way to Arusha, Tanzania, where the Tribunal is headquartered. She will meet there for the first time with her staff, the Judges and the Registrar of the Tribunal.
In the meantime, the Government of Rwanda has asked to be heard on the same Barayagwiza case. Rwanda wants to request that the detainee be delivered to Rwanda or Tanzania and not to Cameroon, where the Appeals Chamber had decided that he should be released. They argue that Cameroon is not a party to the Genocide Convention and will not extradite him to face genocide charges in Rwanda. We have a press release in my office.
**UNMIK Closes Pristina Airport as Investigation into World Food Programme Plane Crash Continues
In Pristina today, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo announced as a cautionary measure the temporary closure of Pristina airport for civilian aircraft. The move was recommended by the French investigation team looking into the WFP plane crash of 12 November.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, a team of experts of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) is arriving in Pristina to look into the situation and make recommendations in about a week's time regarding the operation of Pristina airport, which is under the control of the Kosovo Force (KFOR). Currently, only military airplanes can go in and out of Pristina airport.
**Secretary-General Conveys Report on Security Situation in Kosovo to Security Council
At United Nations headquarters, the Secretary-General has conveyed to the Security Council the monthly report on the international security presence in Kosovo. The report, which is out as a Security Council document today, says KFOR troops continued their deployment. As of 26 October, there were 49,517 troops in place.
KFOR reports no significant change in the security situation in Kosovo since the last report. It reports that attacks against ethnic minorities, especially the Kosovar Serbs, remain a concern, and the potential exists for tension in areas such as Mitrovica and Orahovac to escalate and spread.
**Secretary-General Arrives in Ankara, Begins Official Visit to Turkey
The Secretary-General travelled from Istanbul, where he attended the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to Ankara yesterday to begin an official visit to Turkey.
This morning he laid a wreath at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, whom he called "a visionary and wise leader". He then met with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, and had a brief encounter with the press afterwards. We made the transcript of the Secretary-General's remarks available to you earlier this morning.
After a visit with United Nations agency representatives and United Nations staff at United Nations House, he went on to the Presidential Palace for a meeting with President Suleyman Demirel, with whom he then had a working lunch. The Secretary-General then met with Parliamentarians at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, before giving a press conference. Most of the questions were on the issue of Cyprus; other topics covered included Iraq and the northern Caucasus.
The text of the Secretary-General's opening remarks at the press conference are available in my office, and we expect a full transcript later in the day. Tonight the Secretary-General will be the guest at a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. And then he leaves for Geneva early tomorrow.
**Election Date a 'Step forward' for Haiti, Secretary-General says in MIPONUH Report
We have available on the racks today the latest report on the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH), which is set to end its mandate -- to assist and train Haiti's National Police -- by next Tuesday, 30 November.
In today's report, the Secretary-General says that the setting of a date, on 19 March 2000, for legislative and local elections in Haiti is "a step forward". But he warns that recent demonstrations and shooting incidents in Haiti have raised fears of increased violence before the elections. He adds that, even after MIPONUH's mandate expires, international assistance for Haiti's democratic process is important.
"It is critical", he says "that the transition between MIPONUH and the successor mission be as smooth and orderly as possible". There are currently 281 Civilian Police deployed in Haiti, although the United Nations is prepared to withdraw them once their mandate ends, the report notes.
However, the Security Council is expected to take up the future of MIPONUH on Wednesday of this week, in informal consultations, and some members are hoping to secure approval for a smooth transition between MIPONUH and its successor mission.
**No Consultations Today as Security Council Readies for Meeting on Conflict Prevention
The Security Council did not meet today. However, a group of experts is meeting today to work on a draft Presidential Statement on the role of the Security Council in conflict prevention. Council members expect to have a fairly lengthy Presidential Statement ready by next Monday, 29 November, when, as you know, the Council will hold an open meeting on its role in preventing conflicts. Tomorrow, the Council is expected to discuss Kosovo and East Timor, both in informal consultations.
**General Assembly Hears Report on Gender Equality in UN Secretariat
Last Friday, Rafiah Salim, the Assistant-Secretary-General for Human Resources, addressed the General Assembly and presented a report on the Composition of the Secretariat, including the issue of gender equality. Here are some figures on how the Secretariat is doing so far:
The percentage of Professional women has increased by 1.2 per cent to 35.8 per cent since last year. At this rate, gender equality will not be reached until the year 2012.
Two offices with 20 or more staff have met the goal of gender equality: The Office of Human Resource Management and the Office of the Under-Secretary- General for Management. The Department of Public Information had previously reached 51.2 per cent, but unfortunately has slipped to just under the 50 percent line with 49.8 per cent.
The biggest improvement has been made at the top management level -- D1, Director level and above -- 28.1 percent, and that's up from 23.7 percent last year. However, the largest number of women continue to be found at lower levels, and there is no woman currently heading any peacekeeping mission. We have a background paper from the Office of Human Resources management in my office with those details and more.
**Secretary-General 'Pleased' with Positive Vote on US Arrears in Congress
Last Friday evening, those of you who were still in the building were able to receive a statement, attributable to the Spokesman, on the decision by the United States Congress to repay some of the US arrears to the United Nations. As you remember, the Senate voted on Friday, by 74 in favor to 24 against, to approve the budget that included the United Nations arrears repayment. A day earlier, the House of Representatives had voted by 296 to 135 in favor of the budget agreement.
The Secretary-General responded that he was pleased that the Congress had acted positively on the issue of United States arrears, and called the vote "a turning point in the efforts to restore the United States to its natural leadership position in the United Nations". He expressed his thanks to President Clinton and his foreign policy team, as well as to members of the House and Senate. However, the Secretary-General also noted that the legislation did not provide for full payment of the US arrears and included terms and conditions that can only be resolved in negotiations among the 188 United Nations Member States. We have the full statement available upstairs.
**Secretary-General's UNDOF Report on Middle East out Today
A new report on the racks today gives an account of the activities of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) over the past six months. In his report, the Secretary-General notes that, despite the present quiet in the Israeli-Syrian sector, the situation in the Middle East continues to be potentially dangerous and is likely to remain so, unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the Middle East problem can be reached. The Secretary-General hopes "that determined efforts will be made by all concerned to tackle the problem in all its aspects, with a view to arriving at a just and durable peace settlement".
In the circumstances, the Secretary-General considers the continued presence of UNDOF on the Golan Heights to be essential, and thus recommends the Security Council extend the mandate for a further six months, until 31 May.
**HIV Epidemic Continues 'Unabated' Says UNAIDS/WHO Report To be released Tomorrow
Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 50 million people around the world have been infected with HIV and, of that number, more than 16 million people have died. That information comes from the latest report on the epidemic, which will be issued tomorrow, 23 November, by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, better known to you as UNAIDS.
The report is released in advance of World AIDS Day, which is held every year on 1 December. The report says that AIDS deaths reached a record level of 2.6 million this year, and that new HIV infections continue unabated, with an estimated 5.6 million people becoming infected during 1999. There are currently 33 million people who are living with HIV infection worldwide, according to the report.
We have a UNAIDS press release and advance copies of the report available on a strictly embargoed basis. UNAIDS has asked us to remind you not to distribute or publish any articles on the report before it is launched in London tomorrow at 1400 hours GMT, which is 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
**UNICEF Welcomes Gates Foundation Grant
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in a press release, welcomed a $26 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to be used in the effort to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus by the year 2005. The Gates grant was received yesterday by the United States Committee for UNICEF.
**UNCA Press Briefing Today
And finally, from your Correspondents Association (UNCA), an invitation to a press briefing by Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, United Nations Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, who will talk to you about Kosovo and the ABM Treaty -- those are two topics, not linked -- at 3 p.m. today in the UNCA Lounge.
Any questions before we go to Shirley?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Could you tell us how Iraq communicated their intentions concerning their reactions to the extension of the oil-for-food programme? Does Iraq's decision not to renew the MOU mean that the agreement is cancelled completely?
Spokesman: The Permanent Representative of Iraq contacted the Legal Counsel, Hans Corell, Saturday afternoon, to say that Iraq would not sign an extension of the MOU. And as I already said, our people in the oil-for-food programme will continue working normally in Iraq, unless Iraq gives us a request in writing to the contrary.
Question: So Iraq has not given a written confirmation?
Spokesman: No, they have not.
Question: I wasn't aware the MOU had to be renewed. What's the next step for the United Nations?
Spokesman: It is renewed every six months through an exchange of letters. I have nothing more to say about it. We'll be, as I say, continuing our work. There are an awful lot of supplies in the pipeline, so our work doesn't need to stop just because the oil stopped flowing. Our hope is that this can eventually be worked out and that Iraq will continue the oil-for-food programme, and continue the legal framework under which our people work in Iraq.
Question: Can you comment on the article on the front page of The New York Times that says that atrocities in Kosovo are occurring "in front of the eyes" of UNMIK?
Spokesman: Our impression was that it was a slightly exaggerated headline, at least. I think the word 'chaos' was in the headline. We don't underestimate the amount of work that still needs to be done in Kosovo -- for example, the winterization programme, which is behind schedule in part because we can't get supplies in from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. And there are other problems, such as garbage collection and basic security concerns. But we know Kosovo was going to be a very difficult mission. It isn't going to turn around in a few months. This will be a rough winter for many people and we'll do everything we can to alleviate suffering. We're working for the first time, you'll recall, with two totally different organizations, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), so we're still sorting out our communications with them. It's a difficult and very complex mission, so I don't deny that the things that are reported in the papers are largely true, but I don't think it's from incompetence so much as it is from the complexity of the issues we're dealing with.
Question: Are you satisfied with the dynamics of the deployment of the police force in Kosovo?
Spokesman: It's still very slow. As you know, (Chef de Cabinet, Under- Secretary-General) Mr. Iqbal Riza was in Pristina over the weekend for the memorial service. He visited one United Nations police station and he reported that it was very well organized an appeared to him very professionally staffed. Now that's just one persons' impression -- I'm sure we would have liked police to have been deployed more quickly. The main problem is one we have reported over and over to you; that just to get basic services going we need a civil service that we can pay. We rely on voluntary contributions to make those payments, and those voluntary contributions from governments are way behind where they should be. So, we're only making payments every other month, instead of every month, and thats not enough for a garbage collector, or a judge, or school teacher or fire fighter to support a family on. So that's really a critical problem -- and it's a resource problem.
Question: Is there any word on whether the Rwandan Government is likely to give (ICT Prosecutor) Carla Del Ponte a visa to enter that country.
Spokesman: My understanding is that when in Arusha, Tanzania, she hopes that this can be sorted out with the Rwandan Government. Certainly, she would like to go to her office in Kigali, meet with the staff there and have discussions with the Rwandan Government as well. So, as of this moment, as far as I know the situation in unchanged; she still does not have a visa, but she continues to hope that something can be worked out once she's in the region.
Question: Do you think that the fact that she's already registered an appeal with the Court might go some way towards building a bridge with the Government?
Spokesman: We can only speculate. I have to assume that the Government would welcome this effort by her to try to overturn that decision by the appeals court.
Shirley.
Briefing by Spokeswoman for General Assembly President
Good afternoon.
Only the plenary is meeting formally today. This morning, the General Assembly heard the introduction of three draft resolutions as it began considering the item on oceans and the law of the sea. The Assembly is expected to take action on the texts after hearing 26 speakers, including the President of the Law of the Sea Tribunal, Chandrasekhara Rao, and the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, Satya Nandan. This means an afternoon meeting.
Finland, on behalf of the European Union, introduced a draft text on oceans and the law of the sea (A/54/L.31). Among its provisions, the Assembly would call upon all States that have not done so, in order to achieve the goal of universal participation, to become parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the related Agreement; appeal to all States parties to the Convention to pay their assessed contributions to the Authority and to the Tribunal; urge States to take practical steps to prevent the pollution of the sea by dumping radioactive materials and other industrial wastes; and call upon States to cooperate fully with the International Maritime Organization to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships.
The United States introduced a draft resolution relating to the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (A/54/L.28). By that text, the Assembly would call upon all States and other entities that have not done so to ratify or accede to the Agreement, while emphasizing the importance of its early entry into force and effective implementation; and would urge all States to participate in efforts of the Food and Agriculture Organization to develop an international plan of action to address illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
And New Zealand introduced the third draft, on the results of the review by the Commission on Sustainable Development of the sectoral theme of oceans and seas (A/54/L.32). The Assembly would decide to establish an open-ended informal consultative process in order to facilitate the annual review by the Assembly, in an effective and constructive manner, of developments in ocean affairs by considering the Secretary-Generals report on oceans and the law of the sea and by suggesting particular issues to be considered by it. Those meetings would take place for one week each year and, in 2000, would be held from 30 May to 2 June. The Assembly would review the effectiveness of the consultative process at its fifty-seventh session. The document referred to in the draft is the annual comprehensive report of the Secretary-General (A/54/429).
Before taking up agenda item 40, on oceans and the law of the sea, the Assembly concluded its discussion on strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance. It then adopted a consensus resolution on emergency response to disasters (A/54/L.17/Rev.1), expressing solidarity with the Governments and peoples of Greece and Turkey, as they cope with the consequences of earthquake disasters, and noting with satisfaction their decision to establish a joint Standby Disaster Response Unit to reinforce and expand existing standby arrangements of the United Nations system.
Action on other draft resolutions under agenda item 20 will be taken at a later date.
Regarding the tentative programme of work of the plenary, I wish to draw your attention to document A/INF/54/3/Add.3, covering the period from today, 22 November to 13 December.
There is no plenary meeting tomorrow, but on Wednesday the Assembly takes up three items: building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal; zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic; and cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.
Also on Wednesday, the General Committee will hold its fourth meeting at 9 a.m. in Conference Room 4 to take up a request for the inclusion in the agenda of the current session of an additional item entitled International recognition of the Day of Vesak (A/54/235). The explanatory memorandum, submitted by 16 countries states that Vesak, the day of the full moon in May, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world. A draft resolution would have the Assembly resolve that, without cost to the United Nations, appropriate arrangements shall be made for international observances of Vesak at Headquarters and other United Nations Offices.
Last Saturday, the death of Senator Amintore Fanfani of Italy was announced. He had served as President of the twentieth session of the General Assembly in 1965. The Secretary-General sent his heartfelt condolences to the Italian Government, the people of Italy and the family of Senator Fanfani. A statement is available in the Spokesmans Office.
Copies of the appointments of Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab are available in room 378 and also from the Internet. This afternoon, he will be interviewed for the World Chronicle television programme. He will also participate in the panel discussion on Dialogue among Civilizations: A Call for Common Grounds, organized by the Permanent Mission of Iran. The discussion is being held in the framework of Assembly resolution 53/22, designating the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. This evening, the President will attend a dinner in his honour, hosted by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See. Over the weekend, in Chicago, the President delivered the keynote address at the Tenth American Model United Nations International Conference. He told the participants that the United Nations was a human creation; it was not a perfect institution run by angels and prophets. Rather, it was a mirror image of the real world we live in, with all its vagaries and exigencies. Nevertheless, he said, the UN is the best there is as a universal oasis where different cultures, hopes and loyalties of millions and millions of peoples converge into the same big tent that represents brotherhood, justice and solidarity. The UN, he added, remains the only true universal and representative international organization capable of ensuring international peace and security and the cooperative co-existence and mutually beneficial development of all the nations and peoples of the world. It has the potential to promote the economic productivity and social advancement of all peoples. But the United Nations success or failure is directly dependent upon the action or inaction of its Member States. When there is agreement, the Organization is effective; when they disagree, it is immobilized. Copies of his statement are available in room 378.
Spokesman: Any questions for Shirley? Then, I thank you very much.
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