DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN OF SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN OF SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Susan Markham, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.

Briefing by Spokesman for Secretary-General

Good afternoon.

We'll start with the Security Council and Sierra Leone. The United Kingdom just introduced a technical roll-over draft resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone for an interim period until 31 October. The current mandate expires tomorrow.

This afternoon at 5 o'clock the Council will hold a private meeting to hear the Indonesian Special Envoy, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs. He will tell Council members about actions taken to implement resolution 1319. That resolution calls on the Government of Indonesia to “disarm and disband the militia immediately”, restore law and order in West Timor, ensure safety and security for refugees and humanitarian workers and prevent cross-border incursions into East Timor.

Prior to the Security Council session, Yudhoyono will meet with the Secretary-General at 3:30 p.m. In answer to a question on entering the building this morning, the Secretary-General said that he will tell the Indonesian envoy what he already said to President Wahid: “they need the bring the violence under control, they need to deal with the militia, they need to disarm them, they need to dismantle those refugee camps within three months and help the refugees who want to go back to East Timor go back.” The Secretary-General added that until this is done, Indonesia's “reputation and relationship with the rest of the world could be compromised.”

**UNHCR Still Awaits News on Abducted Staff Member

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that it still has no word on the UNHCR staff member who was kidnapped on Sunday in Guinea. UNHCR says it is doing everything it can to locate her and obtain her release.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that a new crisis in Guinea has raised the prospect of large numbers of Sierra Leonean refugees returning back across the border into their homeland. But, international health agencies are worried that such a new influx would put health services under intense pressure.

**Secretary-General Says Greater Steps Will Be Taken to Protect Staff

Regarding staff security, the Secretary-General was asked this morning about the safety of aid workers around the world. He responded by saying that the United Nations is going to take greater measures to protect staff and also come up with stricter guidelines as to where it can operate and where it cannot as well as when to pull the staff out and stay out.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 19 September 2000

He said, “We're also trying to put pressure on some of the governments in the areas we operate who are responsible for law and order. But what is unacceptable and really appalling is that these young men and women go to these areas to help –- to assist -- then become targets.”

He added, “It is unforgivable that these human beings would then become targets of either rebels or government forces which are at war with each other.”

The Secretary-General has launched what he described as “a very, very critical review” of the security system, and will be making recommendations to the General Assembly on ways to improve the system within the next few weeks. Lack of funding for security personnel in the field and headquarters, and for equipment and training is a major problem.

**More Former Combatants Turn in Weapons in Sierra Leone

We have some good news from Sierra Leone where the United Nations Mission reports that yesterday 162 former combatants of the “West Side Boys” faction turned in their weapons to Nigerian United Nations troops. One day earlier 64 members of the “West Side Boys” had disarmed, bringing the two-day total to well over 200. Since last November, more than 17,800 former combatants of all the various factions have turned in their weapons. The situation in Sierra Leone is described by the Mission as calm.

**WHO Compound in Somalia Comes Under Attack

Today in Somalia two United Nations security officers who were trying to assess security conditions in the southern city of Merka had to be evacuated following an attack on the World Health Organization (WHO) compound where they were staying.

The security officers had arrived in Merka on Monday, on the first assessment mission to that area since it was closed to United Nations ground and air operations earlier this year, following attacks on the WHO office and on an aircraft at a nearby airfield.

The two officers tried to spend last night at the WHO office but the office was attacked by several gunmen carrying small arms at about 10:30 Monday night. The attackers fled after a half-hour firefight with local guards during which several rounds hit the building. There were no casualities on the United Nations side, and the security officers have been evacuated from Merka.

**Rwanda Tribunal Continues Trials of Two Groups of Genocide Suspects

We have available upstairs a press release on the recent proceedings of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which yesterday began joint trials of two groups of suspects charged with genocide and crimes against humanity.

Today in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, the Tribunal's first trial chamber dismissed a motion by defense lawyers for the so-called "media group", comprising three suspects linked to Radio and Television Milles Collines and other "hate media". The defence had asked for two out of three judges to be excused on grounds that they were not impartial, but the trial chamber dismissed the motion and arguments can now proceed on the merits of the case. Tomorrow, the second trial chamber will resume proceedings against the other three suspects linked to the massacres in the Cyangugu region, which began yesterday, but were briefly suspended to allow the defence time to view slides that the prosecution intends to use as evidence.

**Bertini Meets President Moi

Catherine Bertini, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on drought in the Horn of Africa, continued her mission in Kenya today. She met with President Daniel arap Moi and also with Dr. Richard Leaky, the head of the Kenyan Civil Service, regarding the drought response. They both expressed their deep satisfaction with the efforts being taken by the humanitarian community to combat the drought. Ms. Bertini also briefed donors and noted that, while much progress had been made, much remains to be done. She also held a press conference and met with United Nations agency heads in Kenya.

Tomorrow she will proceed to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to visit regions affected by the drought and to meet with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, as well as other senior Government officials and representatives from the donor and humanitarian communities.

**Oil-For-Food Programme

We have the weekly update from the “oil-for-food” Programme which shows that during the week of 15 September, Iraq sold 16.8 million barrels of oil for an estimated value of some $490 million. The current revenue for Phase VIII is now over $5.1 billion.

**UNCTAD to Launch Trade and Development Report

At 3 p.m. today, Professor Jan Kregel, a high-level expert working with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will meet with you here to launch UNCTAD'S Trade and Development Report for the year 2000.

The annual Report this year focuses on the economic recovery in East Asia and concerns about imbalances in growth, external payments and capital flows. Overall, the Report welcomes the turnaround in the global economy during 1999 and estimates that growth this year will exceed 3 per cent. We have limited copies of the UNCTAD Report available at the documents counter today.

**Energy Report to be Launched Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 12:45 p.m., the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs and the World Energy Council will hold a press conference in this room to launch a report they have jointly produced, titled "World Energy Assessment: Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability".

The Report describes ways in which, if governments encourage the delivery of energy services in cleaner and more efficient ways, they can handle the energy challenges of the future and protect the environment. The Report is a unique collaboration between the World Energy Council, which represents the world's energy producers, and the two United Nations agencies.

The UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown, Gerald Doucet of the World Energy Council, Patrizio Civili of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and José Goldenberg, a former science, environment and energy minister of Brazil, will attend tomorrow's briefing. And the UNDP also has a press release, which is embargoed until briefing time.

**OCHA Appeals for $76 Million for Tajikistan

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has launched an appeal for $76 million to address the most urgent needs of the drought-affected population of Tajikistan. Nearly 3 million people, or about half the total population, are affected by the worst drought in 75 years.

In other OCHA news, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Mission that has been mobilized for Cambodia to support the Resident Coordinator and the Government in responding to floods affecting that country is expected to arrive in Cambodia tomorrow. You can get more information at the OCHA Web site.

**UNFPA to Release World Population Report Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 10 a.m. in this room, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will be launching its “State of the World Population” report, which this year focuses on gender inequality, discrimination and violence.

The Fund's Executive Director, Nafis Sadik, will be participating in the launch in London, and we have embargoed copies of her statement at that launch available in my office. She is expected to draw attention to the consequences of gender violence, which is estimated to affect one out of every three women worldwide.

**Outer Space Committee Releases its Latest Report

The latest report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space –- do you have to write reports on all these reports? This must be the forth or the fifth one. We have to work on our timing. Okay. Back to this. The latest report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which last met in Vienna from 7 to 16 June, is out on the racks today. It includes information on its June meeting, including discussions about preventing an arms race in outer space and on the use of nuclear power in outer space.

**Global Polio Summit Will Take Place on 27 September

And finally, we have available copies of a press advisory from the United Nations Children’s Fund on the Global Polio Partners Summit, which will take place on Wednesday 27 September –- when is that? A week from tomorrow –- here in New York. The Secretary-General will attend the Summit, at which agency heads will present the Strategic Plan for Polio Eradication and Certification for the period 2001 through 2005.

Questions and Answers

Before we go to Sue, do you have any questions for me? Mark.

Question: On Sierra Leone, is the fact that we're seeing a technical roll-over evidence of the fact the Secretary-General is having particular difficulty persuading troop contributors to come up with the extra soldiers for the envisaged 20,500 force?

Spokesman: It is true that in partial implementation of the Brahimi report, the Secretary-General wants to make sure he has all the troop contributors lined up and that is not yet the case. It needs a little bit more work, and, so I think that is the reason for his request to the Security Council to hold off the resolution that would take us to the next step. He wants to make sure he’s got all those troops and he doesn't yet have them.

Question: Is the Secretary-General’s report on the United Nations system available?

Spokesman: The security report, did you say?.

Question: Yes.

Spokesman: No, I think it's coming in another couple of weeks, if you check with Marie Okabe in my office, she has the particulars. Dogan.

Question: Fred, it is almost about 10 days now. I am still expecting some response to my enquiries from the Chief of Protocol. When the photograph of the world leaders was taken and the Secretary-General's luncheon arranged, I wanted to know the composition and arrangement criteria -- who sits where and why. I came to your office and I also contacted the General Assembly President's office. They all sent me to the office of the Chief of Protocol. I was told that a lot of things, including lottery and alphabetical order, might have applied to this arrangement. Some suggested the Legal Counsel. I thought that this is very serious business and I am going to end up at the Security Council. Finally, they told me “Nadia is going to tell you all about this.” And when I asked Nadia, I was told she was in Kosovo or call her. I will really appreciate it, if it is not a secret, that someone should tell me what is the situation.

Spokesman: Is it both on the photo and the head of State’s luncheon that you wanted the protocol? Because we did explain the photo. I think Sue explained it, that at the centre you had the Secretary-General, the Co-Chairs, the five permanent members of the Security Council, and then it went alphabetically, alternating -- the first A on the left, the second A on the right.

Question: (Inaudible) …without any regular order.

Spokesman: Well, that was the plan. If it didn’t follow the plan, we will try to get an explanation for you. I don’t believe there were any adjustments to that in the course of taking the photo as there were at the fiftieth anniversary when, because of height and so on, they had to move some people around. This time, they built the risers a full one foot up from each so I don’t think that was problem. So, no one had to be moved after they were put in place. Anyway, we’ll double check on the protocol in both cases and I will try to get an answer for you.

Any other questions? If not, Sue what do you have for us today?

Daily Press Briefing - 6 - 19 September 2000

Briefing by Spokeswoman for General Assembly President

Well, as we speak, the Peace Day event is going on out in the Plaza, which was a little wet in the beginning, so I'm not sure how it's going now. I think the rain has stopped, but there was going to be this large, several-mile long, in fact, banner of peace quilts and many signatures from children around the world. So, I'm sorry we're all missing that, because it's happening as we speak.

This week the President has been focusing on the work of the committees, which, as you know, starts next week and he's been meeting individually with the chairpersons of each of the committees to discuss their work, to see what the crucial issues are going to be. Yesterday, he met, for instance, with the Third Committee Chair; today he's meeting with the Fifth Committee Chair; later in the week he's meeting with the Second Committee. He's also meeting today with committee chairs relating to the process of implementing, as we call it in short-hand, the Brahimi report, -- the Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations -- and that will probably come into the committees later. We're looking at probably early November as the possible scenario. And, as promised, I've begun the chart to show you what issues are going to come up, week by week, for the next five or six weeks, which is the heavy period of the Assembly. I hope to have that for you by the end of this week, so that you can have it for the beginning of the meetings when they all start on Monday. The Fifth Committee today, this afternoon, is having its organizational meeting, so we won't have that until later today. The plenary has not yet been decided, either: that is how the items will be brought within the plenary. That's all. Thank you.

Spokesman: Any questions for Sue? If not, thanks very much.

* *** *