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 Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Shirley Brownell, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.

Good Afternoon. We have a group of students visiting us from Wheaton College today. I hope you're finding your visit to the United Nations useful and informative, and I hope you're having some fun. Welcome.

**Secretary-General Wraps Up Visit to Rome with Private Audience with Pope John Paul

The Secretary-General is wrapping up his visit to Italy today. After a morning meeting with the President of Italy, he went to the Vatican, where he had a private audience with Pope John Paul II. He presented the Pope with a bound copy of the United Nations Charter, as well as a copy of his Millennium Report. They discussed the Pope's recent visit to the Middle East and the message of peace and reconciliation he delivered there. They also assessed the prospects for peace in that region. They then talked of the plight of the world's poor and how to alleviate human suffering. They reviewed some of the ideas contained in the Millennium Report and resolved that in the Jubilee Year, concrete results should be achieved to improve the lot of the world's people, especially the poor.

After that meeting, the Secretary-General was joined by more than two dozen heads of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes who are in Rome to attend the twice annual meeting of the United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC). The Pope then addressed this group, citing the Secretary-General's Millennium Report. The world's problems aren't new, he said, they have just acquired a global dimension. The United Nations family is the natural forum for developing ways of thinking on how to deal with globalization. "I pray", he concluded, "that your work will be thoroughly pervaded by a generous and ambitious spirit of global solidarity".

We have the full text of those remarks upstairs.

After a working lunch, during which various poverty reduction strategies by United Nations scholars and heads of agencies were discussed, the Secretary-General and members of the ACC returned to the Headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP) for the final session of the two-day ACC meeting. On their agenda was the problem of HIV/AIDS and what measures should be taken to improve staff security and safety and how to fund them.

Tomorrow -- that's Saturday -- The Secretary-General and his wife will travel to Florence, where they will spend his birthday weekend. He leaves for Havana, Cuba, on Monday to attend the summit of the Group of 77 countries.

As I mentioned, the Pope's statement is available upstairs, as are the papers on poverty reduction discussed at the Secretary-General's working lunch.

We also have background note on the Horn of Africa. As you know, the Secretary-General is dispatching his Special Envoy Catherine Bertini of WFP to the region next week. This note is on the dire situation there.

Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 7 April 2000

**Secretary-General's to Visit West Africa

The Secretary-General will be back here for a week before travelling again. He is planning official visits to five nations in West Africa. He will be away from New York from 24 April to 4 May.

He is scheduled to leave New York on Monday, the 24th, and arrive in Dakar, Senegal -- the first leg of the trip -- the following evening. In Senegal, he will meet with officials of the new government of President Abdoulaye Wade. He will address the World Educational Forum organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other United Nations agencies, during which he is expected to highlight the need for the education for girls worldwide.

The Secretary-General is scheduled to leave Dakar on Friday, the 28th, and arrive in Banjul, the Gambia, and on the same day travel to Libreville, Gabon. He travels on 30 April to Bangui, Central African Republic. On 1 May, he goes to Cameroon, from which he departs on Wednesday 3 May.

His full programme will be made available as soon it is ready. At the moment, we have available for you upstairs the dates of his visits to these five African countries.

**Security Council Briefed on Latest Developments in Afghanistan

The Security Council began its work this morning with closed consultations on Afghanistan, during which it considered a draft presidential statement which it expects to adopt at the end of its formal meeting, which is taking place right now.

The Council then went into a formal meeting to hear a briefing by John Renninger, Officer-in-Charge of the Asia and Pacific Division of the Department for Political Affairs, on the latest developments in Afghanistan. Mr. Renninger noted that the Afghan conflict has now entered its twenty-second year, with no tangible hope for a solution foreseeable.

A stalemate has persisted on the battlefield, he said, with the intensity and frequency of clashes between the Taliban and the United Front on the rise. "Once again, the warring factions seem ready to repeat the vicious annual cycle of violence with the arrival of spring", he said.

Mr. Renninger also noted serious humanitarian problems, particularly in southern Afghanistan, which is experiencing drought conditions. He added that the Taliban has slowly shifted some of its policies that have restricted women's access to health services, education and employment, and has also eased restrictions on the movement of female staff of United Nations agencies. But, he said that the overall situation for women remains unacceptable. We have copies of his statement available upstairs.

Angela King, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, is on hand to answer questions that the Council might have on the status of women in Afghanistan.

The Council's next scheduled meeting is on Wednesday, when it is expected to hold consultations on the United Nations Office in Angola. The Secretary-General will issue a report to the Council on that subject early next week.

**Hague Tribunal: Bosnian Serb Leader Enters 'Not Guilty' Plea

Today in The Hague, Momcilo Krajisnik pleaded "not guilty" before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to nine counts of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.

Tribunal Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte indicted Krajisnik in February, and the sealed indictment was amended last month. It accuses Krajisnik, formerly President of the Bosnian Serb Assembly, of criminal responsibility -- along with Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and others -- for atrocities committed by Bosnian Serbs between 1 July 1991 and 31 December 1992, when the "ethnic cleansing" campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina began.

Krajisnik was arrested by the NATO-led Stabilization Force on Monday at his home in Pale, and was transferred to the United Nations Detention Unit later that day. His arrest brings the number of suspects who have been brought to trial before the Tribunal to 41.

**Notes from Kosovo: First UN Special Police Unit to Mitrovica

WE have an update on the status of police in the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK): the first complete Special Police Unit to be deployed in Kosovo by the United Nations will be operational in Mitrovica on Monday, 10 April. The 114- strong unit is from Pakistan. A total of 10 Special Police Units, which have a public order function, are scheduled to be deployed. The next two to go to Kosovo will be from India, in mid-April, and Jordan, later this month.

At a meeting here at Headquarters yesterday of countries contributing civilian police to the UNMIK, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations ascertained that there will be a shortfall of between 270 and 350 regular police, unless further contributions are forthcoming. The total authorized strength of regular police is 3,229, which means the shortfall could be more than 10 per cent.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is seeking other sources to bring the authorized total up to full strength. There are currently 2,886 police on the ground in Kosovo, with a projected strength of 3,179 in four weeks. Total authorized strength, which includes regular, border and special police units, is 4,718.

Still on Kosovo, we have today's UNMIK press briefing available for you upstairs. This includes briefings by UNMIK, KFOR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

**World Health Day: WHO, Secretary-General, Stress Importance of Safe Blood Supplies

Today is World Health Day, which is dedicated this year to the importance of safe blood supplies.

The Secretary-General, in a message that we issued earlier as a press release, says that blood transfusions save millions of lives each year, and are an essential component of the health care system. However, he warns, an estimated 13 million units of untested blood are transfused each year -- increasing the risk of infections and of the spread of hepatitis B and HIV.

The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages governments to mark this day by pushing for voluntary blood donations, taking steps to screen blood and to train professionals on the effective clinical use of blood. The Secretary-General says in his message that blood should be seen as one of the essential services to which every human being is entitled.

**Rwanda Tribunal

We have received a press release from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda about the note by (former UN employee) Michael Hourigan concerning the plane crash in April 1994 that killed the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi.

The release, in French, contains a statement by the President of the Rwanda Tribunal in which he says the note, which was sent to the Tribunal from Headquarters last week, has been placed under seal. None of the Tribunal's judges have read the note, he said.

**Press Releases Available Today

We have a number of other press releases available for you upstairs today.

The Secretary-General announced today the establishment of a Task Force on the United Nations Response to Long-term Food Security, Agriculture Development and Related Aspects in the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued a press release on the drought in Ethiopia, noting that an estimated 8 million Ethiopians are now threatened. UNICEF earlier this year issued an appeal for $7.7 million in non-food emergency requirements.

We also have the latest update from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which notes that Sudanese refugees are fleeing into Kenya and Uganda in higher numbers, with more than 500 arriving in Lokichokio, in north-west Kenya, in a single day this past week.

And, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a research institute of the WHO, issued a release noting that, in the 8 April issue of The Lancet, researchers reported interference by the tobacco industry in the work of international epidemiologists who are studying lung cancer in non-smokers.

We also have press releases from the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), welcoming grants from the United Nations Foundation, and from the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), on the need for population censuses for countries in transition in Europe.

**The Week Ahead at United Nations

Finally, we have a look at the week ahead for you:

**Sunday, 9 April

As I mentioned to you, the Secretary-General will be in Florence on Sunday, where the Mayor will award him an honorary citizenship.

**Monday, 10 April

The Secretary-General's report to the Security Council on the United Nations Office in Angola is expected. Also, the report of the group of experts to the Security Council on general issues relating to sanctions is due; the Council will discuss that report on Monday, 17 April.

**Tuesday, 11 April

The Secretary-General is to conduct meetings with government officials in Cuba on the first full day of his visit to Havana.

And we already mentioned to you, Catherine Bertini, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Drought in the Horn of Africa, will begin a mission to four drought-affected countries in that region on 11 April. That mission is expected to last until 19 April.

**Wednesday, 12 April

The Secretary-General will address the South Summit, the gathering of leaders of the Group of 77 nations meeting on Wednesday and Thursday in Havana, Cuba.

**Thursday, 13 April

The Security Council has scheduled closed consultations on the organizational plan for the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) dealing with Iraq. Hans Blix, the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, is expected to present the plan to the Council. We have asked him to come here to brief you afterwards.

The Security Council is also expected to hold a formal meeting on Angola.

**Friday, 14 April

The Security Council is expected to discuss in an open briefing the report prepared last December by former Swedish Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson on the United Nations role during the genocide in Rwanda. Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy of Canada will chair that meeting.

And finally, on Friday, we expect the Secretary-General to return to New York from his latest round of visits.

Now, before I turn the briefing over to Shirley, does anyone have any questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Did the President of the Rwanda Tribunal explain the reasons for sealing the note about the 1994 plane crash? Does this mean that there's going to be no further action?

Associate Spokesman: I don't think there are any more details than what I gave you, although the press release is available upstairs.

Question: Do we know how many more “secret indictments” there are coming from the various Tribunals? Does the United Nations have any comment on Mr. Krajisnik's accusations of political motivations on the part of The Hague Tribunal?

Associate Spokesman: I'll have to get back to you on the first question. As to your second question, I'll look into it, but right now, I have no comment. (The correspondent was later told that the Spokesman’s Office could not comment on “sealed” indictments, and that the United Nations stood by the integrity of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.)

Question: James Baker is headed to Western Sahara. Do you have any more information on what he intends to do there?

Associate Spokesman: I think we reported the trip to you. I'm sorry I didn't include it in the week ahead. He will be leaving this weekend. But give our office a call, and perhaps Farhan Haq can give you more details.

Question: In a recent letter concerning the situation in Haiti, the Secretary-General said that he noticed the increasing tendency of the United Nations to create missions without the necessary financial support. Is he starting to take a stronger position on this issue? He has mentioned the transfer of the mission in Haiti to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for lack of funds. Are there other United Nations missions that could be transferred or closed for this same reason?

Associate Spokesman: I think the theme of his calling for adequate resources for United Nations missions is not a new one. He has been doing that with all the missions. On the Haiti mission in particular, we raised this concern earlier in the week. The Secretary-General did bring it to the attention of the President of the General Assembly, because he feels that the mission's future is in jeopardy if adequate resources are not swiftly pledged. The ball is in the General Assembly's court right now and perhaps Shirley can give you more information on whether the General Assembly will be meeting to discuss this urgent matter.

[Shortly following the briefing, the Associate Spokesman announced that the Secretary-General had just recently drawn attention to the need to ensure that United Nations missions -– notably those in Kosovo (UNMIK), East Timor (UNTAET) and Haiti (MIPONUH) -- have the resources adequate to perform their respective mandates.]

Question: Does the United Nations have any comment on Nelson Mandela's recent statement's in a British newspaper earlier this week that he was concerned about the United States and Great Britain riding roughshod over the Organization in relation to Iraq and Kosovo? Mr. Mandela went on to imply that there might be some racial overtones to this issue in relation to the Secretary-General.

Associate Spokesman: I personally have not read the article and I don't have any immediate comment. I would like to take a look at it and get back to you.

Question: While he was in Rome, did the Secretary-General discuss the issue of dialogue among civilizations with the Pope?

Associate Spokesman: The first meeting the Secretary-General had with the Pope was a one-on-one, so I'm not sure we'll get a readout on the details. As for the second meeting, in which the Secretary-General addressed the Members of the ACC, we have his entire statement upstairs and you're welcome to take a look at that.

If there are no other questions, I'd like to give the floor to Shirley.

Briefing by Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

I thought I could perhaps address Serge’s question, because since the letter he referred to came out (A/54/819), I’ve been trying to get guidance on it. I was told that the General Assembly, in the resolution that it adopted in setting up the International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH) (54/193), had requested the Secretary-General to report back in the event that funding for the Mission was insufficient. And given that only the regular budget resources are available, the Secretary-General decided to report that fact to the Assembly. It is now up to the Member States to take appropriate action.

Question: What do you mean by appropriate action? To recall the Mission?

Spokeswoman: The matter is under consideration. The Secretary-General has written this letter because the Assembly said that if there were insufficient funds he should let the Members know about it, and that is what he has done. Now, it is up to the Assembly to consider what further action to take.

Question: What was the explanation as to the unusual funding of this Mission in the first place, because less than half is coming out of the regular budget. It seemed to be America’s own idea to come up with this voluntary funding mechanism.

Spokeswoman: Part of the funding is to come from the regular budget, and the United States and Canada agreed to fund the rest. I really don’t know the reason behind the decision.

Question: In the letter of the Secretary-General, there are two things: one is the complaint that you just spoke about; the other is his complaint of the general tendency to establish mandates without the necessary financial resources also being provided. Can we get an answer about this general tendency on the part of the Member States to create missions without having the money? Is someone going to address this issue?

Spokeswoman: Hopefully. The President of the General Assembly returned last night from a trip to Namibia, and this is one of the issues that will be before him.

If I may now turn to the work of the Assembly. It meets at 3 p.m. today to take action on 15 reports of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). Those reports contain nine draft resolutions and 14 draft decisions.

In one report, the Assembly would ask its Committee on Contributions to submit 12 proposals for a scale of assessments for apportioning the expenses of the Organization for the period 2001-2003.

Three reports pertain to peacekeeping operations. The Assembly is asked to approve $350 million gross for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) for the period from 1 December 1999 to 30 June 2000, as well as an additional $26.9 million for the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), which preceded UNTAET. For the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the Secretary-General would be allowed to enter into commitments of $200 million gross to cover expenses from 6 August 1999 to 30 June 2000.

One draft resolution deals with resource requirements for two conferences to be held in 2001 -- the Third United Nations Conference for Least Developed Countries and the High-level Intergovernmental Event for Financing for Development.

In it, the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to explore ways of providing resources for the two events.

Other draft resolutions deal with reports of the Joint Inspection Unit and the Office of Internal Oversight Services, guidelines for outsourcing United Nations activities and with enhancing the cost effectiveness of United Nations publications.

The draft decisions pertain to procurement reform; strengthening of external oversight mechanisms; programme planning; death and disability benefits; and the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). Four draft decisions deal with items being deferred, on human resources management; the Secretary-General’s report on the activities of the OIOS; gratis personnel provided by governments and other entities; and proposed regulations governing the status, basic rights and duties of officials other than Secretariat officials and experts on mission.

The Assembly will also appoint Victor V. Vislykh (Russian Federation) to serve on the United Nations Staff Pension Committee through 31 December 2000.

Today is World Health Day. In a message to mark the occasion, the theme of which is “Safe Blood Starts with Me -- Blood Saves Lives”, Assembly President Theo- Ben Gurirab said the global community shares a common life source: blood -- the life force in all human beings, regardless of colour, race or religion. As world citizens and fellow human beings, we have a responsibility to do whatever we can to contribute to sufficient and safe blood supplies, he said. There was no known risk factor in donating blood, and he encouraged people everywhere to give generously. The President said: “The day for each of us may come when we may need blood. When that happens, we would want to know that blood is available -- and that it is safe. Because there is no protection against unsafe blood, the time to act is now. Together, we can work to ensure that the blood we give –- or the transfusion we receive -– is safe.” That message is available as a press release (GA/SM/161- OBV/139).

The President returned to New York last evening from Namibia. He travels to Havana on Monday to attend the South Summit of the “Group of 77” developing countries. On his way back, he will stop over in Atlanta to attend a conference of African Ministers of Health on HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Question: Concerning the draft resolution on the scale of assessments, is there a time-frame as to when the 12 proposals requested are to be submitted? And has the Assembly ever requested this before? Is this a new step in reassessing the scale?

Spokeswoman: The Committee on Contributions will be meeting in June and will take up this request. Moreover, this is not the first time that the Committee has been asked to come up with proposals for determining the scale. It happens from time to time.

Question: What will be the main theme of the President’s speech to the Havana Summit, where he will be addressing G-77 member States as President of the Assembly?

Spokeswoman: I haven’t seen the text of the speech as yet. I’ll look into it and answer your question later.

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