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, and Susan Markham, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly:

Briefing by Spokesman for Secretary-General

I'm sorry for the delay. Our guest at today's briefing is Randolph Kent, who's United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia. And he'll talk to you about the humanitarian programme in that country, and the assistance the United Nations hopes to provide Somalia's Transitional National Government in building and maintaining a stable and a peaceful administration.

**Secretary-General in Paris

Before leaving Strasbourg this morning, the Secretary-General had further meetings with European Union leaders, and he also gave a press conference.

He told journalists that his talks with European leaders on strengthening the European Union's relationship with the United Nations had been productive. "I am convinced", he said, "that the European Union can make an even greater contribution to various areas that are of concern to the United Nations."

He is now in Paris, where he is scheduled to have further talks on the European-United Nations relationship with French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine, whom he is to meet over dinner this evening.

As you know from news reports, United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is also in Paris. We understand that she is now meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Both Barak and Arafat have asked to see the Secretary-General after their meeting with the United States Secretary of State. We understand that both are planning to leave Paris tonight, and so the timing of their meeting with the Secretary-General is still in doubt, as they continue to meet with Madam Albright as we speak.

The Secretary-General has been joined in Paris by his Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Terje Roed Larsen. Yesterday, Mr. Larsen opened a meeting in Gaza of donors to address the emergency health needs of the Palestinians affected by the current crisis. As a result, some 20 groups have pledged more than $1.6 million worth of medicine and health supplies. And that, just some few minutes ago.

Concerning events in the Middle East, the Secretary-General told journalists in Strasbourg before leaving this morning, "I would hope at the end of the day we would at least be able to count on some understanding on stopping the violence ... and then try and bring the peace process back on track."

We'll keep you posted on developments.

Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 4 October 2000

**Statement Attributable to Secretary-General's Spokesman

I have a statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning comments made by the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights concerning President Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

"The Secretary-General was surprised to learn of the statement attributed to Jiri Dienstbier, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, suggesting that the war crimes indictment against Slobodan Milosevic be dropped.

"The Secretary-General wishes to make clear that the Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights act in their personal capacity as independent experts and do not represent the views of the Secretary-General or of any intergovernmental organ.

"The Secretary-General recalls that the question of indictments before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, under its Statute, falls within the exclusive competence of the Prosecutor and the Trial Chambers acting as independent organs of the Tribunal."

We also have reaction to those comments out of the Tribunal. In my Office, we have the briefing notes from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, quoting the spokesman for Prosecutor Carla del Ponte -- that's Paul Risley -- who said that while he could not comment on the words of another United Nations official, he did add that the Prosecutor's Office has no intention to change or challenge the indictment of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic or members of his Cabinet charged with crimes committed in Kosovo in 1999. He also said that the legal basis for the indictments was very clear. We have the briefing notes in my Office for your reference.

**Security Council

This morning, the Security Council began its work with consultations on the situation in Guinea, in which it heard a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahima Fall.

Mr. Fall discussed the military, humanitarian and political situation in Guinea, including recent attacks on Guinea from insurgent groups in areas near the Liberian and Sierra Leonean borders. He also noted the impact the crisis might have on West Africa as a whole, including the effects of possible refugee outflows on neighbouring countries.

After that briefing, the Council members and troop-contributing countries for Sierra Leone began a private meeting at about 11:30 on the United Nations mission in that country. As in yesterday's briefing to the Council on Sierra Leone, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Military Adviser Major General Timothy Ford are providing briefings on the latest developments to the troop contributors.

While we're on the subject of Sierra Leone, let me anticipate your questions by saying that the Secretary-General's report to the Council on a special court for Sierra Leone is still not out. In fact, it's still with the Secretary-General in Paris for final comments. The United Nations Legal Adviser, Hans Corell, is scheduled to brief the Council on that report in closed consultations on Friday of this week.

This afternoon, the Security Council will resume its formal meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Already, more than 25 speakers are inscribed for the afternoon session, which will begin at 3 p.m.

Yesterday afternoon, the Council began that open debate with speeches from the Palestine Observer Mission, Israel, Egypt and South Africa, as well as the 15 members of the Council before adjourning in the afternoon.

**Oil-for-Food

The Secretary-General has written to the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Martin Andjaba (Namibia), on his serious concerns regarding the “oil- for-food” programme in Iraq. You'll find this letter on the racks this morning.

In it, the Secretary-General notes that holds -- that is, contracts placed on hold -- in the transport and telecommunications sector are around 45 per cent of all contracts circulated to the Sanctions Committee. In the electricity sector, contracts on hold are around 35 per cent, while in food handling, water and sanitation and education holds stand at approximately 20 per cent.

The letter argues that this situation places an "additional strain on the already heavily burdened population by delaying the arrival and use of many key supplies and equipment".

**East Timor

Tomorrow in Dili, in East Timor, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor will hold a memorial service for the two Portuguese peacekeepers killed in a helicopter accident yesterday.

The United Nations Mission has been informed that militia leader Eurico Guterres was arrested by Indonesian authorities on Tuesday night, and is currently being held at the National Police Headquarters. Attorney General Marzuki Darusman informed the United Nations Mission of this arrest.

**Press Releases and Reports

A revised fact sheet on Hepatitis B has been issued by the World Health Organization. We have copies upstairs. On the racks is the report of the Joint Inspection Unit on senior-level appointments in the United Nations. And there's also a press release on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees's call for greater protection of refugees -- an appeal endorsed by the Secretary-General earlier this week.

**Budget

We got more money today. Ghana today became the 134th Member State to be paid in full for the regular budget for this year. And that was a payment of over $73,000. **Death of Prime Minister of Dominica

Tomorrow, the flag will be at half-mast outside Headquarters in observance of the death of the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The Honourable Roosevelt Douglas died on 1 October.

**International Day of Older Persons

The International Day of Older Persons will be marked tomorrow by an all-day event in Conference Room 4, starting at 10 o'clock in the morning. Focus of the event will be to generate ideas and momentum for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, which is to be held in Spain in April 2002.

**Press Conference

And, finally, a press conference tomorrow: the Permanent Mission of the Niger is sponsoring a press conference by ALPHADI, a well-known fashion designer. That will be at 1 o'clock. He'll be here to talk about the Second International Festival of African Fashion, which is taking place in Niamey, Niger, from 10 to 13 November. For you fashion buffs!

Any questions, before we go to Sue?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Fred, what will happen to the material from the embargoed press conference at which Mr.Zacklin announced the Special Court? Is that still embargoed or is it null and void?

Answer: As we said at the beginning, it's embargoed until the report comes out. We'll squawk it when the report gets into the hands of members of the Security Council. And from that moment onwards, you can use anything that Mr. Zacklin told you a week ago yesterday. Sue?

Briefing by Spokeswoman for Assembly President

The President of the General Assembly today continues his meetings with key players in the work of the General Assembly. Today, he has a working lunch with a number of ambassadors and the Deputy Secretary-General to brainstorm with them about how to improve the role of the General Assembly. This luncheon is the initiative of the Permanent Representative of Singapore, who felt that the collective knowledge and experience of the ambassadors and the Deputy Secretary- General could be useful to the President in supporting his work.

The President was saddened to learn today of the death of the Prime Minister of Dominica, His Excellency the Honourable Roosevelt Douglas, who passed away on Sunday. The Prime Minister attended the Summit and the general debate of the General Assembly. A tribute will be paid to him at the beginning of the next meeting of the plenary, which is on Tuesday.

Yesterday, informal negotiations were held on the preparations for the special session of the General Assembly to be held next year on HIV/AIDS. These

negotiations will continue tomorrow and also on Monday. It is expected that this issue will come up in the plenary on or around 16 October.

You might have also noticed in the Journal that currently informal negotiations are being held on oceans and the Law of the Sea. This is in relation to the drafting of two resolutions that will come to the plenary on 26 and 27 October. The discussion is part of a relatively new process called UNICPOLOS, which I have never heard of before. If you want to know more about it, you can consult the United Nations Web site under the Legal Affairs homepage. It is a three-year process which was agreed to by last year’s General Assembly, to bring together in a more coordinated way issues related to oceans, especially fisheries, discussed in the Second Committee, with that of the Law of the Sea, which is a plenary item. Informal negotiations will continue again tomorrow.

The Fifth Committee continues its discussion this morning on the scale of assessments for the regular budget. The First Committee continues its general debate this afternoon.

In the Third Committee, the discussion on crime and drugs concludes today. Already, three draft resolutions have been issued. These relate to the Tenth Crime Congress held in Vienna in April this year. One of them contains the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice adopted by the Congress. Another would start the process of preparing an international treaty against corruption.

On Friday, the Third Committee will take up the agenda item on women. At 10 a.m. on Friday, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, Assistant Secretary-General Angela King, will introduce the item to the Third Committee. That's at 10 o'clock.

Also on Friday, the Preparatory Committee for the Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms is scheduled to hold an inter-sessional meeting. As you may be aware, this Conference is expected to be held next year. The Preparatory Committee is still working out the details, including the objectives and the agenda for the Conference.

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