DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
20001019The 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 are going to have a guest at the briefing today; it'll be Tun Myat who is the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq. I think we told you that earlier this week there was an inter-agency meeting on Iraq, that he is here for and he will give you an update on our programme there. The Secretary-General is back from the Middle East, he arrived last night, and we put out his programme for this afternoon. He will be arriving in the early afternoon and then his programme starts at 3 o'clock, you have all the details.
***World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of cases of Ebola haemorrhagic fever now stands at 111, from which there have been 41 deaths. The WHO is leading the international team assisting the Ugandan Ministry of Health in its efforts to manage this outbreak. The team reports that the isolation units at two hospitals in Gulu are well organized and well supplied, and cases are being managed effectively. WHO staff travelled to Kitgum yesterday to investigate reports of cases occurring in that city, but found no evidence of the disease there. Investigations to determine the spread of the disease in the region are intensifying.
In response to the general unrest in the area, the World Food Programme has launched a multi-million dollar food aid programme in northern Uganda, including the Gulu region. Fifty million dollars will be spent over the next two years to ensure that hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict in the region will continue to receive food aid. Special measures will be put in place at food distribution sites in areas affected by the Ebola outbreak to ensure the safety of staff and aid recipients. Additionally, relief food will be provided to hospitals caring for Ebola patients as local authorities are concerned about the virus spreading to visiting relatives who customarily bring food for the patients. There is more information in a press release.
Question: The 41 dead is that part of the 111 cases?
Answer: That's my understanding. Let me double check that right after the briefing, but I assume that, of the 111 cases, there were 41 deaths, so its not 111 plus 41, but we will double check afterwards.
**East Timor
From East Timor, we have news that the Timorese leader, Jose Ramos-Horta, was sworn in today as a member of the East Timor Transitional Cabinet. He becomes the Cabinet's ninth member and will be responsible for the Foreign Affairs portfolio. The Cabinet's responsibility for foreign affairs has up to this time rested with the Political Affairs portfolio. Now, Jose Ramos-Horta will manage
Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 19 October 2000
all day-to-day foreign affairs functions, including relations with foreign governments and international organizations. His tasks will also include the establishment of the future Foreign Ministry and diplomatic corps of East Timor. More details on this are available in the notes from Dili that we have in my Office. We also have a press release from the United Nations Volunteers Programme which announces the visit of its Executive Coordinator, Sharon Capeling-Alakija, to East Timor from 22 to 26 October, during which time she will meet senior United Nations officials and discuss security conditions for the more than 400 United Nations Volunteers working in that territory.
**Drugs
During the opening today in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, of the international conference to develop an integrated approach to counter drugs, organized crime and terrorism in Central Asia, Pino Arlacchi, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention, said that the conference should be "the last step of a process of planning and the first step of the action that is so urgently needed".
He said that the effort could be intensified at the national level. Mr. Arlacchi also called on the support of the international donor community and added that "the memoranda, the agreements, the resolutions, the plans, the project proposals -- everything is in place. Let us act now". Noting that action already taken needed to be expanded, he announced that tomorrow he would officially inaugurate the new Drug Control Agency in Tajikistan. To date, his Office has provided $2.5 million worth of assistance to the new agency. Assistance was also provided to the Russian Federal Border Service, which operates in close cooperation with the Tajik authorities. As a result of this joint effort, a total of over four tons of narcotics have been seized in the first nine months of this year, including the record amount of 1,300 kilos of heroin. For more details, please pick up a copy of Mr. Arlacchi's speech and a background note on the new Tajik Drug Control Agency. Both are in my Office.
**Rwanda Tribunal
In The Hague today, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda confirmed the judgment of the trial chamber of its decision to convict former Rwandan Prime Minister Jean Kambanda of genocide. The Appeals Chamber affirmed the previous judgment in all respects, and Kambanda's sentence of life imprisonment stands.
Kambanda, who pleaded guilty to genocide charges in May 1998, becomes the first head of government to be convicted of genocide, and today's appeals decision also marks the third conviction by the Rwanda Tribunal that has been upheld on appeal. The Tribunal also has recorded five other convictions that are currently being appealed.
**No Security Council
The Security Council is not in session today, although a Security Council working group will discuss follow-up to the report of the Brahimi panel on United Nations peace operations. That will happen this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, the Council will hear from the Secretary-General on his trip to the Middle East.
**Human Rights Commission
A short while ago in Geneva, the special session of the Commission on Human Rights adjourned its ongoing discussions until 12:45 p.m. New York time. At that point, they are expected to resume their debate on a draft resolution sponsored by Algeria on the recent events in the Middle East. The special session has been meeting since Tuesday.
**The Balkans
The Secretary-General's Special Envoys for the Balkans, Carl Bildt and Eduard Kukan, are scheduled to be at UN Headquarters tomorrow to report on their recent meetings in Belgrade.
**Myanmar
The International Labour Organization (ILO) sent a technical mission from Geneva to Myanmar today to discuss with the Government steps to be taken to eliminate forced labour in that country. In 1998, the ILO commission of inquiry found that the use of forced labour was "widespread and systematic" in Myanmar. The full press release from the ILO with background information is available in my Office.
**Religion Report
We also have on the racks today a report on religious intolerance prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, a special rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, which summarizes the communications he has had with 25 countries on the subject of religious rights. The report notes what it calls the "ever-growing scourge" of religious extremism, and says that, in many cases, the primary victims have been women and minorities. The report refers to the treatment of women and religious minorities under Taliban rule in Afghanistan as a case in point, and it warns against the abuse of religion for extremist ends.
**Press Releases and Reports
Among the documents out today is the list of countries whose arrears are large enough to exclude them from voting in the General Assembly under the terms of Article 19 of the Charter. Although Haiti is included in the list, it yesterday made a payment which reduced its arrears below the amount specified under Article 19, and it has now been removed from the list.
In news from the World Food Programme (WFP), United States Ambassador George McGovern is to receive the Food for Life Award at a ceremony in Rome today, for his role in the creation of the WFP. More information is available in a press release.
We'll take your questions, we'll go to Sue. I see Mr. Tun Myat is in the audience. Why don't you some up, Sir, and join us. And I have a note from Nanci here confirming that the 41 deaths are included in 111 cases. Welcome to the briefing. Your questions before we go to Sue.
Questions and Answers
Question: Does the Secretary-General feel that Mongolia's declaration of unilateral disarmament could be applied to other countries? Spokesman: I'll have to ask him. We were both out of town. Sorry.
Question: Any developments concerning the investigation involving Israel and the Palestinians on the situation in the territories?
Spokesman: Are you talking about the trilateral security committee or the fact-finding committee? No, the United States is taking the lead on that. The Secretary-General would be consulted and would be shown a copy of the report before its published by the United States. I think that's the formula that was agreed upon, so we have nothing more to say about that, at this time anyway.
Question: We were told that the Secretary-General was in the Middle East on his own initiative, and now we are told he is going to report to the Security Council.
Spokesman: Before he left, he had been in touch with a number of Member States concerning the wisdom of his going. He received overwhelming support for the idea that he should go. While he was there, as you have all read and some of you have reported, he played an essential support role. And I think the Council would like to hear from him on what happened there, and that's why he is going to report to them. I don't think there is anything unusual in that from a procedural point of view. OK, Sue.
Briefing by Spokeswoman for President of General Assembly
Thank you. In the plenary this morning, the remaining nine speakers on the report of the Security Council were heard and then they took up a new agenda item, "The elimination of coercive measures as a means of political and economic compulsion". A draft resolution was to be introduced by Libya. There are nine speakers listed.
Tomorrow, the plenary will take up the question of cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and there are 10 speakers listed for that. The second item will be cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which, as you know, is a new agenda item.
In the afternoon, there will be a resumption of the tenth emergency special session and we have 42 speakers listed for tomorrow afternoon. The President today started a round of meetings in relation to the informal consultations that will be held on 27 October in follow-up to the Summit. As you know, this is one of his priorities. Today, he met with the regional groups and talked to them about his plans for a follow-up, and at lunch he will meet with the Under- Secretaries-General of the Secretariat, and this will be high on his agenda for that too.
In the Committees, I will just quickly mention some of the new items. This afternoon, the Third Committee will take action on drafts related to women. I did tell you that once a week they are going to take action on resolutions in the afternoon, and today is the day. The Second Committee begins discussing environment and sustainable development issues, including the Convention on Biodiversity; also the Convention on desertification, small islands and new and renewable sources of energy. There was the introduction of two draft resolutions this morning on economies and transition, and preparation of the Year of the Mountains in the year 2002. And that's all I have.
Questions and Answers
Question: Will Kofi Annan be the first speaker in the afternoon debate, and is that going to be a 3 o'clock start?
Spokeswoman: Yes, that's my understanding.
Question: What's the latest on any resolution in the General Assembly on Palestine. Is it going to happen tomorrow?
Spokeswoman: We don't know. Unless one is tabled, then we will be able to tell you and give you the information.
Question: Since we can't get near the Assembly, could you see that if there is a resolution the Spokesman's Office gets it?
Spokeswoman: We certainly will make any resolution available as soon as we get it. Even midnight, I promise.
Question: Just for clarification, that's going to start at 3 o'clock you say, and then you have 42 speakers?
Spokeswoman: Yes, so far that's what we have now.
Question: There has been a request by the Secretary-General that the tone be moderated. Is the President of the General Assembly going to follow that or is he going to let the situation go wild?
Spokeswoman: The President of the General Assembly presides over the meetings, as you know, and the speakers; list is there and people inscribe their names. He will proceed under the rules of the General Assembly.
Question: Was the call by the Secretary-General heard that he had requested some moderation in the language?
Spokeswoman: Well, as you know, this is the place where all Member States can speak in the General Assembly. We had the first four speakers yesterday, so you can judge for yourself whether the call was heard.
Spokesman: That message that he delivered from Sharm El-Sheikh was aimed primarily at leaders in the region. He was appealing to everyone to moderate their language and not inflame passions when everyone's focus now is on calming things down. And I do have an answer for you, Ted. The United Nations welcomes the five permanent members declaration on Mongolia's status as a non-nuclear- weapon State.
Question: On what you said, Fred, on the Secretary-General's Sharm El-Sheikh statement, what is the difference between the leaders in the region and their representatives of the region in the General Assembly.
Spokesman: It would apply more broadly, but I was with him and I know he was aiming that statement primarily at the leaders. But it would apply universally, as well.
Question: Does the Assembly have any latest information regarding the implementation of the decisions of the Millennium Summit?
Spokeswoman: Well, at the moment, the Committees are finding ways that they can include reference in their resolutions that they are drafting and adopting to the Millennium Summit Declaration. So you will see in some of the resolutions reference to the Declaration, and there will be other ways that they will reflect it. Early next week, we expect some sort of paper, a sort of food for thought paper from the President to Member States with some ideas on how to proceed, and that would be the basis for the informal negotiations on the 27th. So as soon as that paper is made available, we will give you a copy.
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