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 Manoel Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Lebanon

Good afternoon. For the first time since it was established in 22 years, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is able to implement Security Council resolution 425 by deploying throughout southern Lebanon. This morning, the decision to give a green light for the full deployment of the force was given by Lebanese President Emile Lahud to UNIFIL force Commander Major General Seth Kofi Obeng.

The main redeployment of the United Nations forces peacekeepers to several positions near the Lebanon/Israel border, including points along the withdrawal line, will begin tomorrow, Saturday, at 6 a.m. local time. The troops supported by the Force mobile reserve will move to more than 20 new positions in villages and along the withdrawal line, and will conduct mobile and foot patrols of the line, as well as area reconnaissance.

The expanded deployment will involve about 800 troops with 35 to 40 peacekeepers occupying each position. Currently, about 150 troops are deployed at six positions along the withdrawal line.

Yesterday, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi informed the Security Council that there had been no violations of the withdrawal line during the previous week. On Thursday, the United Nations and Lebanese visited a recently demined point along the withdrawal line at Yaroun and the Lebanese side expressed satisfaction that, in their view, there were no violations of the line.

**Statement Attributable to Spokesman on Afghanistan

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over the humanitarian impact of the edict recently issued by Taliban authorities that would prohibit Afghan women from working with foreign agencies and non-governmental organizations, with the exception of the health sector. As a result, the United Nations has no choice but to caution all Afghan women directly employed by the Organization and its programmes to stay home until further notice for their own protection.

"The Secretary-General notes that these restrictions on women's employment come at a time when Afghanistan is facing a severe drought and an unprecedented food deficit, and are expected to impact negatively on the aid community's ability to provide urgently required humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, particularly women and children. In Kabul alone, an estimated one quarter of the population of 1.8 million are dependent on aid for survival.

"The Secretary-General underscores the critical need to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan population, and urges the Taliban to reconsider their position in order to avert further unnecessary human suffering."

Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 4 August 2000

**Security Council Consultations

Security Council members began their informal consultations today by participating in a demonstration by Canada of the use of technological aids, including high-tech maps, in Council briefings. The briefing was given by Lieutenant Colonel Brad Smith of the National Defence Intelligence Centre, which is in Ottawa.

After that, the Security Council will hold closed consultations on Sierra Leone, in which members are to discuss the possibility of sending a Security Council mission to that country later in the year. Yesterday afternoon, after hearing from Sierra Leone Force Commander Major General Vijay Jetley, the Council also discussed a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), which expires next Monday, by another month, until 8 September. The Council is expected to go into a formal vote to approve that resolution once its consultations end.

As you recall, in his report to the Council earlier this week, the Secretary-General said he intends to submit proposals to the Council in the near future on the further strengthening of the Sierra Leone Mission after a thorough assessment of the political and military situation in the country. He also emphasized that the strength of the Mission will ultimately depend on whether Member States are willing to make available "well-trained and well-equipped" troops to the United Nations.

By the way, there will also be a meeting at 3:30 this afternoon of the troop-contributing countries for Sierra Leone, which General Jetley is expected to attend.

The Council is also discussing, under "other matters", the possibility of holding a Heads of State meeting involving the heads of State of the 15 Council Member States, during the time of the three-day Millennium Summit that begins 6 September at Headquarters.

**New Head for Angola Mission

Available on the racks today is an exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, concerning the appointment of the head of the United Nations Office in Angola.

The Secretary-General has appointed Mussagy Jeichande of Mozambique as his Representative and Head of Office in that country and the Council took note of that appointment in its consultations on Wednesday. Jeichande will head an office that maintains liaison with political, military, civilian and police authorities to explore measures to restore peace in Angola and assist in humanitarian and human rights activities, among other tasks.

Also in Angola news today, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it is gaining momentum in operations to assist some 300,000 internally displaced persons and returnees in Luanda and northern Angola. Today, a World Food Programme (WFP) cargo flight will transport 4,000 buckets and nearly 1,000 blankets to Uige, where soap and clothes have also been distributed to internally displaced Angolans in recent days.

As I said, the two letters are available on the racks and Mr. Jeichande's curriculum vitae is available in the Spokesman’s Office.

**Cyprus

Also available upstairs is a transcript of a press conference given by Alvaro de Soto, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General in Cyprus, on the interruption today -- as previously agreed upon -- of the latest round of Cyprus "proximity talks" in Geneva.

De Soto said the talks would resume on 12 September in New York, and would continue into October.

**Kosovo

The United Nations mission in Kosovo today expressed its extreme concern over the recent increase in political violence as it approaches the planned elections. Overnight violence on Wednesday claimed the lives of six people -- three people from the ethnic Roma minority and three Kosovar Albanians.

Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was concerned about continued deportations from Germany of Romas. On Thursday, a Roma family of three told UNHCR upon arrival at Pristina airport they feared for their safety in Kosovo.

The three, who said they had lived in Germany since 1992 and had nowhere to go in Kosovo, were temporarily accommodated in a UNHCR transit centre for minority returnees in Pristina. The deportation came one day after the three Roma were killed by a booby trap planted at their house in a village south of Pristina, UNHCR said.

**East Timor

UNHCR also tells us that tension continues in the camps of East Timorese refugees in West Timor. Today, fighting broke out among the refugees at Tuapukan camp outside the West Timor province capital of Kupang, forcing aid workers to stop food distribution and pull out. There were no reported injuries.

With this latest incident and since September, when UNHCR started its activities there, there have been 103 incidents against aid workers and refugees.

You can find more details in the UNHCR briefing notes in the Spokesman's Office.

**OCHA Drought Assessment Mission to Iran Concludes

Today's briefing notes from Geneva contain information on the conclusion of work yesterday by a mission of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to Iran to assess the impact of a regional drought. According to preliminary findings announced in Teheran yesterday, 37 million people, or 50 per cent of the population, have been affected by the drought to some extent, with 18 of Iran's 28 provinces affected. It is also estimated that more than 60 per cent of the rural population might be forced to migrate to cities because of the acute water shortage.

A full report on the Iran drought will be released on 14 August. Until then, the donor community has been asked to provide 10,000 mobile water tankers to deliver water to both rural and urban areas.

**The Week Ahead

Finally, I wish to inform you about our regular weekly feature, "The Week Ahead", which is available upstairs. I will mention a few of the events that it lists.

On Wednesday, the Security Council has scheduled consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on Thursday, the Council is expected to discuss a draft resolution on the trial of Sierra Leonean nationals accused of violations of international humanitarian law.

**Questions

Question: Is there any reaction from the Secretary-General on the statement by Donald Trump that the ruling of the New York Appeals Board in his favour was a great victory?

Deputy Spokesman: No. We have not seen that statement. It has not yet been filed by us. It is a group of citizens in the city against Mr. Trump, but we have taken note of it.

Question: With reference to a Washington Post story this morning, can you confirm that United States Secretary of State Madeline Albright sent a letter to the Secretary-General asking him to appoint Jacques Klein to a Number 2 post in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations?

Deputy Spokesman: That is incorrect. The Secretary-General did not rebuff, as had been mentioned. Rather, the Secretary-General has received a number of names for the Assistant Secretary-General position currently vacant in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. He does not intend to make any decision on the appointment for that position until the Brahimi report is considered by both the Security Council and the General Assembly.

I should also add that Mr. Klein continues to lead a complex mission and the Secretary-General has full confidence in his Special Representative.

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