DAILY BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
20000218The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon.
**"The Future Starts Now" Secretary-General Tells Crowds in Farewell Bid to East Timor
The Secretary-General concluded his visit to East Timor Friday morning. He walked the short distance from where he was staying to United Nations headquarters this morning, where he was greeted by the largest crowd United Nations staff remembers seeing there. Traditional leaders, accompanied by dancers, musicians and hundreds of barefoot children greeted him. Before mounting the podium to speak, the Secretary-General spoke with the families of United Nations staff members that had been killed during last year's violence. They then accompanied him onto an open-air platform where he was introduced by independence leader Xanana Gusmao.
The Secretary-General began by acknowledging the widows and children, saying their presence was symbolic of the losses suffered by all Timorese. "Your other family", he said, "the United Nations family, joins you in mourning your losses".
"Your strength and dignity have inspired the world", he said. "Now that the transition to independence has begun, your long national nightmare is ending", he said, "your dream of a peaceful and independent East Timor is about to become a reality". "East Timor, are you ready?" he concluded. "The future starts now." These final words echoed a song that had been composed for East Timor's millennial New Year celebration, which a popular group then sang. "The future is now", the song begins, "East Timor are you ready." I'm afraid I can't sing it for you because I don't know the tune.
The Secretary-General then went into the United Nations building where he took questions from the press for about half an hour. We have that transcript upstairs.
He and his team then flew to Sydney, Australia, where he hoped to relax on the weekend before flying on to the capital Canberra, where he is to begin an official visit on Monday morning.
**UNTAET Cargo Plane Forced to Emergency Landing; No Injuries Reported
Some of you may have seen the footage, but prior to the Secretary- General's arrival, a United Nations C-130 aircraft with 29 passengers plus crew onboard, landed on its belly today at Darwin's airport but there were no injuries. The plane had left Dili at 6:30 a.m. and was forced to make an emergency landing on its belly when its left wheel failed to activate. This is the only United Nations Mission (UNTAET) aircraft in operation on that route between Darwin and Dili -- the Missions main route of supply. A plane is expected to replace this C-130 by Wednesday.
**Secretary-General "Seriously Concerned" by Tension in South Lebanon
I have a statement attributable to the Spokesman: The Secretary-General continues to be seriously concerned at the high level of tension affecting South Lebanon, which has the potential for further destabilization of the already fragile situation. He reiterates his call to all parties to exercise restraint, and in particular to respect the non-combatant status of civilians.
The Secretary-General hopes that all parties will redouble their efforts to achieve measurable progress in the peace process.
We have copies of the statement for you upstairs.
**Annabi Briefs Security Council on Situation in Democratic Republic of the Congo
This morning, the Security Council went into closed consultations to hear a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hédi Annabi, on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
You will recall that the Secretary-General has recommended that the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo be expanded to some 500 military observers and more than 5,500 personnel in all. Some Council members have requested further clarification of those expansion plans.
The text of a draft resolution on expanding the United Nations Mission has been circulated among Council members, and a vote on that topic could occur sometime next week.
Monday, the Security Council has scheduled consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Tuesday, it is expected to hold consultations on Somalia.
**Secretary-General's Report on Western Sahara out Today
The latest report of the Secretary-General on the Western Sahara is expected to be available in all languages at the Documents Counter later this afternoon.
In it, the Secretary-General notes the repeated obstacles that have delayed the holding of a referendum on Western Sahara. He added that the United Nations Mission (MINURSO), which already has to deal with some 79,000 appeals from people wishing to vote in the referendum, now faces the prospect of receiving as many as 60,000 additional appeals by the appeals deadline of 25 February.
"Under these circumstances, the timetable envisaged is no longer valid", he says, adding that a date for a referendum cannot be set with any certainty for now.
In light of the difficulties, the Secretary-General intends to ask his Personal Envoy, James Baker III, to consult with the parties on ways to resolve their dispute. He also recommends that the Security Council extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission, which is set to expire on 29 February, until 31 May.
**In Report on Mexico, Special Rapporteur Calls for Protection of Human Rights Activists
The report of the Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Among her recommendations, the Special Rapporteur called for the adoption of effective measures to protect the lives of human rights defenders in Mexico; measures to ensure the demilitarization of society; and an end to the impunity enjoyed by privileged categories and classes of people.
At the Government's invitation, Jahangir visited Mexico from 12 to 24 July 1999. The Government's invitation came in response to a long-standing request partly prompted by repeated allegations of individual cases of extra-judicial killings, and reports of a number of massacres in past years in the states of Guerrero and Chiapas.
The report is available on the Web -- we have that address upstairs.
**Notes from Kosovo: As International Police Arrive in Mitrovica, UNHCR,CARE work to Provide Aid, Supplies
We have today's press briefing notes from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Among many developments, the Spokesman there says that an estimated 30 international police have been arriving in Mitrovica every day this week, starting Monday. Altogether, there are 342 police in the Mitrovica region of which 150 are in the town itself.
In the meantime, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that nearly 1,500 people, primarily ethnic Albanians but also Muslim Slavs and ethnic Turks have fled the Serb-populated north of Kosovo's divided city of Mitrovica, since ethnic violence erupted there on 4 February.
The UNHCR and its partner agency CARE are working on a project, meanwhile, to reinforce the doors of minority residents in Mitrovica to give them better protection against attacks. They have also been taking fresh food to the homes of minority families who are too terrified to venture out.
You can read more about their efforts in the note that we have upstairs.
**UNHCR 'Alarmed' as Thousands Flee Chechnya on Reports of Human Rights Violations, Detentions
The UNHCR also reports today that the numbers of people leaving Chechnya for Ingushetia have risen over the past few days amid persistent reports of human rights violations inside Russian-controlled Chechnya and heavy air and artillery bombardment in the rebel-controlled south. Since last Wednesday, more than 3,000 people have crossed into Ingushetia. Nearly 500 of them are believed to be newly displaced from southern Chechnya, which is now the focus of the Russian military push.
Reports of human rights violations and detention, which circulate widely among some 180,000 people displaced from Chechnya to Ingushetia, have instilled fear in the displaced population. The UNHCR says many of the people say they would like to go home but are afraid to do so.
People returning to Ingushetia after brief look-and-see visits to parts of Chechnya controlled by the Russians speak of looting, burning of property, and beatings by Russian troops. Even though UNHCR has no presence inside Chechnya and therefore no first-hand information from the ground, we are alarmed by these testimonies, as well as those of abuses in alleged Russian detention camps, cited by international human rights groups. The displaced say the worst abuses usually take place in areas freshly overrun by the troops, ahead of the establishment of a functioning civilian administration, according to UNHCR.
You can read more on this in UNHCR briefing note upstairs.
**In Wake of Cyanide Spill, WHO Issues 'Strong Call' for Adoption of International Watersafety Measures
We have an update relating to efforts to contain the cyanide spill in Europe. In the wake of environment and health problems related to precious metal mining operations in Romania, Spain and Kyrgyzstan, the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued a strong call for the rapid adoption and application of the safety provisions outlined in the Protocol on Water and Health -- the Protocol to an earlier Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. In this Protocol, ministers of health and environment agreed to take all appropriate measures to ensure adequate sanitation, adequate supplies of wholesome drinking water, to protect water resources, and to safeguard human health against water-related disease from recreation, aqua-culture, wastewater and sewage sludge.
WHO notes that of particular concern is that while the headlines are all about cyanide, they know that already elevated heavy metal concentrations, including copper and lead, are being detected and this may have additional impact on human health. You can read more about this in their press release.
**Deputy Secretary-General Fréchette Opens Decolonization Committee Annual Session
Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette opened the annual meeting of the Special Committee on decolonization this morning by noting that the Committee this year can assess progress in the eradication of colonialism and chart the course for its future work. She wished the Committee success in its efforts.
The Decolonization Committee then proceeded to adopt its agenda and to elect its officers for this year's session. Ambassador Peter Dickson Donigi of Papua New Guinea was elected as the Committee's Chair.
The Committee deals with the question of whether the peoples of the world's 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories can exercise their right to self-determination.
**New UN Web Site on Decolonization Announced Today
In a related announcement, the Department of Public Information has launched a new Web site on decolonization entitled "The United Nations and Decolonization.
More than 80 nations whose people were formally under colonial rule have joined the United Nations as sovereign independent States since the world organization was founded in 1945. Additionally, many other territories have achieved self-determination through political association with other independent States or through integration with other States. The United Nations has played a crucial role in that historic change.
The new site can be found on the United Nations Home Page under "Peace and Security" section, after "Question on Palestine."
**WFP Launches Appeal to Feed Needy in Sudan
We also have available upstairs for you a press release issued by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Nairobi saying that they launched today a $58 million appeal for funds to feed 1.7 million Sudanese each month in both rebel and Government-held areas of that country until the end of the year. The majority of the needy are in southern Sudan.
**Payments
We have three more payments to the United Nations regular budget for this year. Botswana, Honduras and the Maldives have become the fifty-third, fifty- fourth and fifty-fifth Member States to pay their full assessed contribution to the 2000 regular budget. Botswana made a payment just over $105,000, Honduras around $31,000, and Maldives around $10,500.
**The Week Ahead
The full week ahead is available upstairs, but here are a few of the highlights:
**Sunday, 20 February
A travelling exhibition by the Department of Public Information on "United Nations Peacekeeping: A Half-Century of Experience" will open at the Royal Museum of History in Brussels, Belgium. The exhibition will include a display of some United Nations peacekeepers' uniforms and vehicles.
**Monday, 21 February
As I mentioned, the Secretary-General, one day after his arrival in Canberra, will meet with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and other Government and Opposition officials.
In Arusha, Tanzania, a series of high-level meetings to further the peace process in Burundi, chaired by the Facilitator of the Arusha Process, former South African President Nelson Mandela, will begin. The Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Great Lakes region, Berhanu Dinka, will deliver a message on his behalf.
**Tuesday, 22 February
The Secretary-General is expected to deliver a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, before leaving for Wellington, New Zealand.
**Wednesday, 23 February
The Secretary-General will meet with Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, Foreign Minister Phil Goff and other senior officials and civil society leaders.
The Security Council will hold consultations on Guinea-Bissau.
The Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) will be simultaneously launched in Vienna and New York.
**Thursday, 24 February
The Security Council will hold consultations on Western Sahara, prior to the expiration on 29 February of the current mandate.
**UNCA Announcements
The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) has asked me to announce two things:
A memorial to honour the memory of Marian Isaacs, who passed away on 22 January, will be held at 1 p.m. today at the United Nations Centre Chapel at 777 United Nations Plaza - that's on forty-fourth Street and First Avenue.
And Bishop Artemije of Kosovo will brief correspondents at the UNCA Club on Monday, 21 February at 2 p.m.
And finally, Monday, as you know, is a holiday in the United States, but it's a regular workday for all of us at the United Nations, so we'll all be here.
**Question and Answer
Question: Is there anything from the Security Council on formal meetings on the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Associate Spokesman: As I mentioned, I think they have an eye to try and adopt a resolution sometime next week, but there has been no date set for that at the moment.
If there are no more questions...? For all you going on a three-day weekend, have fun and have a good weekend.
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