DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
20000822The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon. Well, the critical mass in the room is due to the visiting journalists from Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Welcome to the United Nations.
**Secretary-General Invites Defence Chiefs to Discuss UNAMSIL
We're going to start with a statement attributable to the Spokesman on the visit tomorrow of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of Sierra Leone troop contributors:
"At the invitation of the Secretary-General, the Chiefs of Defence Staff, or their deputies, from nine countries contributing troops to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), will meet tomorrow at United Nations Headquarters. The senior officers from Bangladesh, Ghana, Guinea, India, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation and Zambia will discuss a wide range of issues relating to UNAMSIL operations and how they can be more effective. The Secretary- General's Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, and the Force Commander for UNAMSIL, Major General Vijay Jetley, also will participate.
This meeting will provide an opportunity for the troop-contributing countries and the Secretariat to exchange views on UNAMSIL's mandate and tasks, and any revised concept of operations based on Security Council resolution 1313 of earlier this month, which asks the Secretary-General to propose a restructuring scheme after consulting with troop contributors.
The meeting will also address the issues of equipment requirements in UNAMSIL, as well as identifying possible means of assistance in this area.
The Secretary-General looks forward to an open and constructive discussion on all these matters and is confident that, in addition to reviewing the Mission's operational aspects, the meeting of the military chiefs will contribute to strengthening the cohesion and coordination with UNAMSIL."
We have available upstairs in my office a list of the delegations coming to tomorrow's troop contributors meeting.
Immediately after the briefing today, at 12:30, there will be a senior United Nations official from the Peacekeeping Department who will give a background briefing on this meeting.
**Notes from Sierra Leone: UN Police Chief Discusses Possible Release of Former RUF Combatants
Also from Sierra Leone, the Chief of the United Nations Civilian Police, Maaritz Dutoit, yesterday met with Sierra Leonean Vice-President Joe Demby to discuss the possible release of former combatants of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) who have been under detention in recent months. The Vice-President
Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 22 August 2000
said that the Government was planning to release some 187 RUF ex-combatants who had been in custody. The decision to release the RUF prisoners was announced yesterday by Sierra Leone's President, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, who informed the visiting Presidents of Nigeria and Mali that he would take immediate steps for their release in the interest of achieving sustainable peace in Sierra Leone.
The Government of Sierra Leone also emphasized the need for the new RUF leadership, under Issa Sesay, to cooperate with disarmament and to return unconditionally all weapons and equipment taken from the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).
We just received information from UNAMSIL that, so far today, the screening process is still going on for the RUF prisoners who are to be released. Sierra Leonean police and prison officials are currently doing that screening.
Also, we'd like to note that, starting yesterday, UNAMSIL Radio began to broadcast regular news programmes three times a day. The United Nations radio service also includes updates on United Nations operations in Sierra Leone and of course, music.
**In Democratic Republic of Congo, Abubakar Discusses Role of UN Mission, Security Council
The Secretary-General's Special Envoy dealing with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, General Abdulsalami Abubakar of Nigeria, arrived in that country -- that is, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- at noon today, local time, where he met with Special Representative Kamel Morjane and other United Nations officials.
In about an hour's time, General Abubakar is expected to meet with President Laurent Kabila, to clarify once more the position of the Security Council and the role of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). That meeting follows one he had in Zambia with Zambian President Frederick Chiluba before arriving in Kinshasa.
Tomorrow, General Abubakar will travel to Addis Ababa, where he is to hold consultations with the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Salim A. Salim, before coming to New York to report to the Secretary- General.
**New UN Report Examines Humanitarian Impact of Sanctions on Afghanistan
A report released today in Islamabad by the Office of the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan shows that sanctions imposed by the Security Council are having a devastating physical and psychological effect on the local population.
As you will recall, the Security Council approved the sanctions on 15 October last year as a means of, among other things, pressuring the Taliban authorities to hand over Usama bin Laden for trial.
The report, which examines the humanitarian impact of the sanctions, states that these come on top of an already very dire situation made worse by a severe drought, continued civil strife and restrictive edicts by the Taliban concerning women.
At this stage, the majority of the population is unable to meet its food and non-food needs.
There is, according to this report, strong consensus among the population on the need for the United Nations to intensify its political engagement in finding a peaceful solution to the war.
The complete press release is available in my office
**OCHA Assessment Team Reports 'Devastating' Affects of Drought in Iran
More than half of Irans population is being adversely affected by the worst drought in 30 years, according to a United Nations humanitarian team which just returned from an assessment mission to the country.
The lack of drinking water is having an especially devastating effect on the rural population. Crops have been lost and an estimated 800,000 cattle have already perished. The United Nations team fears that up to 60 per cent of the rural population may move to urban areas.
The Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which led the mission, is making an urgent appeal to the international community for mobile water trucks. The countrys poor water distribution infrastructure is making it impossible to move water from areas that have it to those regions which need it desperately.
The full report is available on line at OCHAs Web site: www.reliefweb.com
**UNMOVIC Commissioners to Meet at UN Headquarters Tomorrow
On the subject of Iraq, the College of Commissioners of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) will meet here at Headquarters tomorrow and Thursday.
UNMOVIC was created by Security Council resolution 1284 on 17 December 1999 to undertake the responsibilities of the former United Special Commission (UNSCOM), which was charged with monitoring the elimination of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
The 16 Commissioners are scheduled to discuss, among other issues, the second report of UNMOVICs Chairman, Dr. Hans Blix. That report is due to the Security Council on Friday 1 September.
The first batch of 44 trainees, representing 19 nationalities, completed their course on 10 August. UNMOVIC is currently involved in an ongoing training and recruitment process in order to reach its full strength.
Yesterday we gave you some information on Iraq oil-for-food contracts. Today we have the weekly update from the Office of the Iraq Programme. You can pick it up in my office.
**Notes from Timor: UNTAET and FALINTIL to Discuss Security Options
From East Timor, the United Nations Mission there (UNTAET) and the FALINTIL -- the armed wing of the National Council of East Timorese Resistance -- have initiated a series of meetings to discuss the future of FALINTIL. The discussions are based on an independent study on the establishment of a security force for East Timor.
The study was prepared by King's College in London, and puts forward three options: first, the creation of a force of 3,000 to 5,000; second, a defence force with a professional regular core of 1,500, supported by another 1,500 draftees serving for one-year periods; and third, a part-time volunteer reserve. The third proposal is similar to option two, with a total force of 3,000, but the 1,500-strong support group would be volunteer reservists, based at home but undergoing regular training.
Today's briefing note from East Timor also tells us that an Indonesian Government delegation is expected in Dili tomorrow to brief the United Nations Mission and the National Council of East Timorese Resistance on the Government's policy on the refugee camps in West Timor. Indonesia announced recently that they would close the camps in six months.
On West Timor, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) informs us of the reported setting up by former members of the militias of roadblocks along the road from Motaain in West Timor to Batugade in East Timor. Travelers on this road were reportedly harassed and had money extorted from them. UNHCR has urged Indonesian local authorities to dismantle these roadblocks. This development is of particular concern because this is one of the key roads used for the repatriation of refugees in West Timor who wish to return to East Timor.
The note from UNHCR, which is available in my office, will also give you details on the attack against one UNHCR staff in Atambua, West Timor, by a group of pro-Indonesia East Timorese refugees.
**Security Council
The Secretary-General is attending the regular monthly working luncheon with the members of the Security Council today. I understand that it will take place at the Malaysian Mission; Malaysia is currently in the President's chair.
Tomorrow the Council is scheduled to meet in closed consultations to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
**UNEP Press Release on Regional Impact of Toxic Substances
I've been asked to tell you that a press release is available on the racks from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It concerns a new $5 million project to gather data from a regional perspective on the use and impact of persistent toxic substances. The two-year project is funded by the Global Environment Facility, and will complement the ongoing negotiations for a global treaty on this subject.
**Budget Matters
We now have 109 Member States paid in full for the year 2000 -- at least as far as the regular budget goes. Qatar gave us a check for about $347,000. Thank you, Qatar.
**Brahimi to Brief Press on Findings Detailed in Report on UN Peacekeeping
Finally, copies of the report of the United Nations Panel on Peace Operations were given to the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council today. And first thing tomorrow, copies will be distributed to all delegations via their pigeonholes.
Then, of course, at 10:30 a.m., tomorrow in this room, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Chairman of the Panel, will be here to brief you on the main findings of his report.
That's all I have for you.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Is Mr. Abubakar expected to meet with any rebel leaders [in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] before returning to Headquarters?
Spokesman: I don't have any information on that. They didn't tell us that he would have such meetings, but before I say definitively that he won't, I'd better check with the desk officer and get back to you.
Question: When is Mr. Abubakar expected back? Will we get a chance to talk to him?
Spokesman: I don't think we have a specific date, but it will be very soon. We will ask him if he would give you a briefing. If that's what you'd like, we will do that for you.
Question: [Venezuelan] President Chavez has told the press today that five minutes was far too short a time to address the Millennium Summit and that he intends to speak for half an hour. Has anyone else made this sort of comment to the United Nations? What does the United Nations intend to do about this?
Spokesman: This is an Organization of Governments. When Heads of Government gather here, the best we can do is make polite suggestions about how long they should speak, so we don't spend three weeks here instead of three days. So we are counting on everyone cooperating with the suggested five-minute limit, but we would expect that there would be a few aberrations.
Question: When precisely will the Secretary-General submit his report on Sierra Leone to the Security Council?
Spokesman: The Council is scheduled to hold closed consultations on Sierra Leone on Friday, and therefore we would expect that report to be out tomorrow or mid-week, in time for Members to read it before their consultations. We're expecting it shortly.
Thank you.
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