DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-
19991123 GENERALThe following is a near-verbatim transcript of todays 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. I see we have some guests from Old Dominion University. Welcome to the briefing. And our guest today is Oluyemi Adeniji, who is the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic and just recently appointed Special Representative for Sierra Leone. Today he will be talking to you about the Central African Republic after I complete my briefing and Shirley completes hers.
**In Geneva, Secretary-General Launches Inter-Agency Appeals for Humanitarian Assistance
The Secretary-General arrived in Geneva from Ankara, Turkey at mid-day today to address the consolidated inter-agency appeal.
But first, he had a private meeting with Sadako Ogata, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who reported to him on her recent visit to Moscow and the northern Caucasus as his Special Envoy.
He and she then met with United Nations agency representatives in Geneva to discuss coordination of humanitarian relief for the northern Caucasus.
The Secretary-General then launched the Consolidated Inter-agency Appeals for the Year 2000.
In a statement issued in Geneva, he called on the international community to provide $2.4 billion for humanitarian assistance. Generous and timely response to these appeals will enable United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners to address the needs of 34 million less fortunate persons in 14 complex emergencies around the world.
Saying that the Appeals are the last to be launched in the 20th century, the Secretary-General noted, It is a century that has seen the very best and worst of human behaviour. It has seen humanitarian principles take form and take hold, and it has seen them egregiously violated and ignored. Its history will be written in blood as much as in the ink of our United Nations Charter, he said.
**UN Humanitarian Agencies Desperately Need Assistance, Secretary- General says
The Secretary-General later held a news conference with Carolyn McAskie, Officer-in-charge of the Office for the Coordinaion of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Sadako Ogata. When asked if he was hopeful that he would get all the money he was looking for, the Secretary-General said, We need it desperately.
That press conference was piped in live - at least the audio portion - for you to listen to here in New York.
Summaries of all the humanitarian appeals are available on the OCHA Web site.
After the press conference, the Secretary-General was scheduled to meet with Eddy Boutmans, the Secretary of State for Development Cooperation of Belgium. Then, he was also supposed to see the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland.
**Flash Appeal Made for Northern Caucasus as Number of Displaced Chechens Now Exceeds 200,000
In addition to the consolidated appeals, a flash appeal for the Northern Caucasus for three months for the amount of $16.2 million was also launched today.
We have copies of that appeal for you upstairs.
According to the High Commissioner for Refugees, the Ingushetian authorities now put the number of people displaced from Chechnya at more than 222,000, with about 1000 people crossing every day.
Another UNHCR convoy with relief items arrived in Nazran this morning bringing 120 winterized tents, 200 firewood stoves and 136 metric tons of food.
The UNHCR said it has spent $832,000 since the start of the relief operation on 1 October.
**Iraq Wants UN to Continue Oil-for-Food Operations as Normal
The Permanent Representative of Iraq, Ambassador Saeed Hasan, met late yesterday with Benon Sevan, the Executive-Director of the Iraq Programme.
Ambassador Hasans message was that Iraq wished the United Nations to continue normal operations, implementing the oil-for-food programme. Mr. Sevans office advises that work is continuing both in New York and in Iraq.
On the oil side, theres been a slight slippage. The oil experts now advise us that the loading of the remaining two ships at the Iraqi port of Mina al Bakr, are expected to finish tonight, local time. Yesterday, we said we expected them to be finished in the afternoon.
**Clinton in Kosovo: Supportive of UN Mission, Tough on Issue of US Dollars, Kouchner says
On Kosovo: Following his meeting with United States President Bill Clinton today, Bernard Kouchner, the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Kosovo, delivered a few comments to journalists and we have those available for you in my office.
Kouchner said that he and Clinton had discussed what the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has achieved. He said, "Step by step, the UNMIK has helped rebuild local power plants, schools and homes. In five months, we have achieved more than in five years in Bosnia."
President Clinton was very supportive of the UNMIK and Kosovo Force missions, Kouchner said, and was "very tough on the topic of American money". Clinton, Kouchner said, was particularly interested in UNMIK's work to reorganize Kosovo, build the administration, organize local elections and protect minorities.
Kouchner added that the UNMIK was "encouraged" by Clinton's visit, and also assured the people of Kosovo that "things are getting better electric cuts will end, he said. We have the fuel. We have the money."
**Holbrooke Visits UN Mission in East Timor
The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNTAET) today played host to visiting United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke, who was briefed on the mission by senior staff.
Ambassador Holbrooke gave a press conference this afternoon at which he praised the agreement reached yesterday between the United Nations-authorized Multinational Force (INTERFET) and the Indonesian Military concerning the speedy return of refugees from West to East Timor.
We have the text of that agreement in my office.
**Militia Activity Continues to Hamper Timorese Repatriation Efforts
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, meanwhile, reports that militia activity on the western side of the border continues to hamper refugee crossings. The UNHCR has been conducting a mass information campaign in West Timor to reassure refugees that they can return safely to East Timor if they wish to.
**Secretary-General Appoints Public Administrator for East Timor
Also on East Timor, the Secretary-General today appointed Jean-Christian Cady - thats C-A-D-Y - as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Public Administration in East Timor.
Mr. Cady, a French national, is an expert in the field of public administration. We have asked for his CV and I hope well get it for you in the course of the afternoon. He is expected to arrive in East Timor in early December.
**Security Council
The Security Council began its informal consultations today with a briefing from Bernard Miyet, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on the situation in Kosovo. And after that, Mr. Miyet will brief the Council on the peacekeeping situation in East Timor.
Also, the Council is expected to circulate draft resolutions on the extension of the United Nations Mission in the Golan Heights (UNDOF) and on the continuation of the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH). The mandates for both those Missions expire next Tuesday. The Council will hold informal consultations on both topics tomorrow.
**Okelo Sounds Alarm on Human Rights Abuses in Sierra Leone
Francis Okelo, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, soon to be replaced by Mr. Adeniji, rang the alarm bell yesterday on human rights abuses committed on civilians by former rebels, mostly in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. A United Nations human rights assessment mission went to Port Loko last week and received reports of daily killings, rapes, abductions and house burning by former rebels. Mr. Okelo called on all the parties to the Lomé agreement to order the immediate release of all detainees, and to ensure that their followers understand the importance of abiding by the commitments made in Lomé to respect the fundamental rights of all Sierra Leoneans.
Today, a United Nations human rights officer went to Kabala, which is also in the North, where a high incidence of abduction, looting, rape and physical attacks against civilians has been reported this month.
**Okelo Welcomes Registration of RUF as New Political Party
In other news from Sierra Leone, this morning, Mr. Okelo welcomed the registration as a political party of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), one of the former rebel groups. Mr. Okelo noted with satisfaction that with this registration, the Government of Sierra Leone has now completed all the necessary steps envisaged by the Lomé Peace Accord to enable the RUF to participate fully and lawfully in the political life of Sierra Leone.
Both statements by Mr. Okelo are available in my office.
**High Commissioner Robinson Arrives in Mexico
Mary Robinson, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, arrived in Mexico today for a five-day visit that will take her to Tijuana, on the United States border, and to Chiapas, as well as the capital. Tomorrow she will sign a memorandum of intent with the Mexican Government on technical cooperation in human rights. She is arriving from San José, Costa Rica, and from Mexico, she will travel to Quito, Ecuador.
We have a press release in my office.
**Epidemics Spread Now a Development Crisis UNAIDS Director says
AIDS has become more global, and is affecting the young, the poor and women more than ever, says Dr. Peter Piot, the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
In a statement UNAIDS made available today, Piot argues, "In spreading, AIDS has changed. No longer just a health crisis, it has become a full development crisis." A record 2.6 million people have died from AIDS-related causes this year and the spread of HIV is increasing in places like the former Soviet Union and in the Caribbean.
Dr. Piot's comments were released in anticipation of World AIDS Day, which is next Wednesday, 1 December.
We also have a press release from UNAIDS about the launch of a new handbook on HIV/AIDS that was issued throughout the United Kingdom. That release is embargoed until 1 p.m. GMT -- or 8 a.m. for you New Yorkers - tomorrow, 24 November. Also upstairs, at the documents counter we have additional copies of the press kits for the AIDS update that the World Health Organization (WHO) issued today in London.
**Report on Status of Contributions out Today
Also on the racks today you can find the report on the status of contributions, as of 30 September. Obviously, there have been a few changes since then, and we hope a few more will be forthcoming. But the report shows that, by the end of September, contributions outstanding for the 1999 regular budget totaled more than $284 million, while total arrears to the regular budget were in excess of $643 million. I recommend that to you.
**UNEP Director Emphasizes Close Links Between Poverty and Environmental Problems
We also have a press release from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concerning the ongoing Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought. That Conference is being held for a period of two weeks in Recife, Brazil.
In his statement, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Klaus Toepfer emphasized the close links between poverty and the environmental problems facing dryland regions, which now total some 1,900 million hectares worldwide.
He said, "no long-term strategy of poverty eradication can succeed in the face of environmental forces that promote persistent erosion of the physical resources upon which poor people depend. At the same time, no programme for protecting the environment can succeed without alleviating the day-to-day pressure of poverty."
**Press Conference Tomorrow
The last announcement for today, a press conference tomorrow, at 11:15, Ambassador Penny Wensley, the Permanent Representative of Australia, will be joined by Daniel Kowalski - if you are a fan of Olympic swimming, youll know that he is an Olympic swimmer and UNHCR Goodwill Sporting Ambassador. They will be talking about the draft resolution on the Olympic ideal, which the General Assembly will be discussing tomorrow.
Any questions before we go to Shirley?
**Question and Answer
Question: Do you have any more details on the meeting between Saeed Hasan and Benon Sevan?
Spokesman: No. Im sorry, thats all I was given.
Briefing by Spokeswoman for General Assembly President
Good afternoon. There is no plenary meeting today. Tomorrow, the General Assembly will conclude discussion of the item on oceans and the law of the sea, and will then take action on three draft resolutions which I reported on yesterday.
The Assembly will then consider two other items: building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal; and zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. The discussion on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity has been postponed.
Also tomorrow, the General Committee will meet to take up a request for the inclusion in the agenda of an item entitled International recognition of the Day of Vesak (A/54/235). The sponsors are seeking the international observance of the Day -- the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists -- at Headquarters and at other United Nations Offices.
The Sixth Committee (Legal) will conclude its work this morning after taking action on a final draft resolution (A/C.6/54/L.15/Rev.1). It contains a draft International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which is being recommended to the Assembly for its adoption.
Copies of the appointments of Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab are available in room 378 and also from the Internet. At 9:30 a.m., he met with the 12 members of the Coffee Club to discuss Security Council reform. The 12 are: Argentina, Benin, Canada, Côte dIvoire, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Spain and Syria. This was followed by a meeting with the Prime Minister of Namibia, Mr. Hage Geingob.
At 10:30 a.m., the President met with the President of the Law of the Sea Tribunal, Mr. Chandrasekhara Rao. They discussed the work of the Tribunal, based in Hamburg, Germany. The Assembly President indicated the importance of the Tribunal, especially for developing countries that are trying to exploit the living resources of the sea. Its work, he added, was important for the environmentally sound development of the oceans.
At noon, the President is meeting with the Permanent Representative of Australia and Chairman of the Fifth Committee, Ms. Penny Wensley. Later today, he is scheduled to attend a memorial mass for the late President of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, at the Holy Family Church located at 315 East 47th Street. This evening, the President will attend a dinner hosted by the Permanent Representative of Senegal, Ambassador Ibra Deguene Ka.
Spokesman: Five committees have completed their work now, and one to go?
Spokeswoman: Yes.
Spokesman: Any questions for Shirley? If not, Mr. Adeniji, welcome to the briefing. Things have been going reasonably well in the Central African Republic, have they not?
[At this point Mr. Special Representative Oluyemi Adeniji briefed correspondents on the Central African Republic. His briefing will be issued separately.]
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