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 Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon. I'm sorry for the delay, but we had the Millennium Summit briefing at 11:15 that ran long.

**Annabi Briefs Security Council on Recent Developments in Kosovo

We'll start with Kosovo today. The Security Council is holding an open meeting on Kosovo which began with a briefing on recent developments there by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi.

Mr. Annabi discussed the plans for the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for 28 October, and noted that the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is concerned, in the pre-election period, with the recent rise in what is believed to be politically-associated violence. In particular, he noted attacks against members of one party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, and said that the Mission would realign police priorities to face the challenge of political violence.

Mr. Annabi also briefed the Council on the recent takeover by the United Nations Mission of the Zvecan lead smelter in the Mitrovica region, following indications that lead pollution in the area was 200 times the international standard established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

We hope to provide copies of Mr. Annabi's briefing to you later this afternoon.

Following that briefing, Council members proceeded to an open discussion of the situation in Kosovo, which is now under way. No resolution or Presidential Statement is expected at the end of the open meeting and only Council members will speak at it.

The Security Council had expected to discuss Sierra Leone in closed consultations tomorrow, but that discussion has now been postponed until Monday. The Council expects to receive the Secretary- General's next report on Sierra Leone, including a proposed concept of operations for an expanded United Nations Mission there, tomorrow. The reason for the delay was the discussions that they had yesterday with the Chiefs of Staff of the troop-contributing countries. Some of those elements are now being worked into the draft report.

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**Notes from Sierra Leone: United Nations Staff Attacked by RUF Rebels in West

In news from Sierra Leone, United Nations peacekeepers from the Nigerian contingent came under attack by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels along the road between Port Loko and Lungi, in the west, early yesterday morning. The attack is believed to have involved about a company of RUF combatants and lasted for about four hours. Two Nigerian soldiers were wounded.

The RUF yesterday also attacked Sierra Leonean Government forces in the Port Loko area. The situation in that area is now reported to be quiet, but units there have been placed on maximum alert.

Also yesterday, Salim A. Salim, Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), wrapped up a two-day visit to Sierra Leone, during which he was briefed on developments there by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Behrooz Sadry, and visited the United Nations Mission's units at Hastings, just outside Freetown. He expressed the region's strong support for the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

**Notes from Sudan: Special Envoy says Recent Bombings Underscore Need for Peace

On the Sudan: Today in Nairobi, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs in the Sudan, Tom Vraalsen, said that recent bombings in southern Sudan underscored the need for a negotiated peace settlement in that country.

He urged the parties to redouble their efforts to seek a political solution, and said, “Any act of war which causes injury or loss of life to innocent civilians, which leads to people having to move away from where they live, losing their livelihoods, leading to internally displaced people, causing damage to property and so on, is totally unacceptable. It must stop.”

Mr. Vraalsen visited Sudan earlier this week, where he met with Sudanese officials, and he has also been talking with non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives and other humanitarian officials who participate in Operation Lifeline Sudan.

On Tuesday, there were two aerial bombing incidents reported in southern Sudan, and Operation Lifeline Sudan confirmed that 14 bombs were dropped on Ikotos and three on Paluer. Some buildings were destroyed in the bombing of Ikotos and some bombs fell near the compound of one NGO, the Norwegian Church Aid, that is affiliated with Operation Lifeline Sudan. No casualties were reported, however.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 24 August 2000

**Secretary-General's Report on Assistance for Nicaragua out Today

Out on the racks upstairs is the Secretary-General's report to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on international assistance for the reconstruction of Nicaragua in the aftermath of war and natural disasters.

The report outlines the efforts of agencies and programmes of the United Nations system in Nicaragua. This includes a sizeable effort to locate and destroy some 135,000 landmines laid during the “contra” war, as well as deal with the destructive consequences of Hurricane Mitch, which is estimated to have caused $1.5 billion in damages.

As we mentioned, the full report is on the racks.

**Annual DPI/NGO Conference Opens Monday at Headquarters

The fifty-third annual conference of Non-governmental Organizations sponsored by the Department of Public Information will take place here at Headquarters from 28 to 30 August. The Deputy Secretary-General mentioned that as one of the events occurring in the context of the Millennium Summit. The theme of this meeting is "Global Solidarity: The Way to Peace and International Cooperation". Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will address the expected 2,000 participants from over 60 countries. Other keynote speakers include Hanan Ashwari, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Initiative for Global Dialogue and Democracy; and Ralph Nader, founder of Public Citizen.

For details on this conference, you can pick up a copy of the press release that is on the racks, or you can ask Paul Hoeffel -- who's right here in the front row -- who is Chief of the NGO Section for the Department of Public Information.

**Background Note on United Nations Peace Operations Available

Available in my office is the first background note on the 14 United Nations political and peace-building missions.

The note, prepared by the Information Department, is also available on the United Nations Web site.

That's all I have for you. Are there any questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question: We've heard reports that President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now authorized the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to Government-controlled areas. How will these reports be reflected in the review of what's going on in the

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region, particularly in light of the fact that other leaders in the region have been reported as seeking the suspension of the Lusaka Peace Accords?

Spokesman: Well, this is like the good news and bad news on the Democratic Republic of the Congo today. I don't think those two are necessarily contradictory. In the conversations that the Special Envoy, General Abubakar of Nigeria, had with President Kabila, there seems to have emerged a change of position by the Government, which was reported by the Special Representative Mr. Morjane today. He said that the Kabila Government was now prepared to allow the United Nations to deploy to Government-controlled areas.

Of course, that is just one of the issues that Mr. Abubakar was trying to clarify with the Congolese Government. Freedom of movement is a very important issue. And also the essential issue, which is the cessation of hostilities. Now that's where the comments by the President saying he wanted to renegotiate the Lusaka Accords come into play. So I think you'd have to say it's still a mixed picture. If indeed the President is prepared to allow the United Nations to deploy to Government-controlled areas, that's a step forward. The questioning of the Lusaka Accords is a step backward. How all this plays out in the Security Council we'll just have to see.

Question: Where does all this leave deployment in the region now?

Spokesman: I think it's too early for me to say. I'm not sure we've thoroughly digested this new information, or made any sort of policy decision on whether to go forward with this deployment or not. I'll have to get back to you.

Question: Can one assume then that this issue will have to wait until Mr. Abubakar returns to Headquarters and meets with the Secretary- General or some of the people in the Security Council?

Spokesman: That was the feeling on the thirty-eighth floor this morning -- that it would be better to wait until General Abubakar gets back and reports personally to the Secretary-General.

Question: Do we know if President Kabila is coming to the Millennium Summit?

Spokesman: I don't know. I think you'll just have to wait and see on that.

Question: Are any of these problems going to be discussed during the Summit?

Spokesman: There's going to be so much going on in the sidelines of this Summit; the Deputy Secretary-General mentioned 700 bilateral

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meetings that had taken place during the Fiftieth Anniversary celebration and that number is likely to be exceeded. And those were just the meetings that we facilitated, where Governments asked us to arrange rooms for bilateral meetings. The number of meetings that take place at Missions and at hotels and so forth is much greater.

What we hope, of course, is that some progress can be made on these myriad issues of peace and security, among others, that are still hanging unresolved here on our agenda. Sometimes when heads of State have a chance to talk with one another or in small groups, you hope for progress, but I can't tell you whether any will be made on the Democratic Republic of the Congo or any other issue. We can just hope.

Question: Will there be some sort of central office that will collect information on all the events taking place inside and outside the United Nations during the Summit?

Spokesman: Inside the United Nations, the meeting places are provided by Conference Services: so those people will be able to tell you how many such meetings they arranged. What goes on outside, you'll have to ask individual Governments or delegations.

Question: I'd spoken to the Treaty Section concerning the particulars of expected treaty signings during the Summit and was told that for security reasons, that information could not be released. Is it possible then that as soon as possible after the fact we could be notified as to which countries have signed treaties?

Spokesman: I was under the impression that we were going to release that information sooner. Thus far, we have indications of more than 60 treaty signings that are planned. And we know from what Governments have told us what instruments they plan to sign. There are perhaps seven signatories expected for the International Criminal Court, for example. I'll see how soon we can get that information out to you. Again, I was under the impression that we were going to release it before the Summit. You said that you spoke with the Treaty Section, but I think it was the intention of the Information Department to put the information out sooner, so maybe both departments just need to reconcile their views.

Question: On a “housekeeping” note; how will this be televised? Will there be different in-house feeds set up in different places?

Spokesman: United Nations Television will have camera set-ups throughout the building and they will be feeding any media outlet that wants to take that feed. Then, other than meetings that are closed, in- house television will also be carrying the events. We were talking as recently as late yesterday afternoon about pool arrangements for you. So I think as soon as we finalize that, what we need to do is bring security and accreditation here and walk you through the press arrangements. I understand, however, that they are essentially the same as they were for the Fiftieth Anniversary, but perhaps slightly

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more restrictive on the second floor. But we'll get the Chief of Security in here to explain that to you at his earliest convenience.

Question: Do you have any idea what time the Security Council Summit set for 7 September will be held?

[A correspondent answered from the floor that the Security Council Summit would be held from 1:30 to 3:00 on that day]

Spokesman: So there you go: “early afternoon”, according to media sources. [Laughter.]

Question: Since peacekeeping operations are not a part of the United Nations Charter, do you forecast, in the wake of the release of the Brahimi report, that one day there will be a move to change that situation?

Spokesman: Member States don't seem to have thought that was necessary. They moved from Charter-described security arrangements based on the Military Staff Committee, the five permanent members putting their full military strength in a coordinated way to enforce international peace and security. That never happened because of the cold war. So what evolved in its place, as a kind of second-best arrangement, was peacekeeping. No one felt that the Charter needed to be modified. In fact, they marvel at the Charter's flexibility that allowed peacekeeping to evolve to where it is today. This would be a matter for Member Sates to decide, but I've not heard any discussion of amendment of the Charter to accommodate peacekeeping. I think they feel that the Charter already accommodates peacekeeping.

Question: The Brahimi report suggests that United Nations peacekeeping operations will be upgraded. How can this be done if they are not a part of the Charter?

Spokesman: Well, it's not specifically a part of the Charter, but the Charter gives the Organization responsibilities in the peace and security area. Peacekeeping is one of the instruments that has evolved as most useful for carrying out that element of the Charter -- a mandate given the Organization. But ultimately, it's a decision for Member States.

Anything else? Thank you very much.

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