DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
20001120The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Middle East
Good afternoon, the Secretary-General met yesterday evening with former United States Senator George Mitchell who is the chair of the fact-finding committee created by the United States as a result of the Sharm-el-Sheikh conference.
After that meeting, the Secretary-General explained to reporters that he had asked Senator Mitchell to see him so that he could brief on the Sharm-el-Sheikh meeting and also on the Islamic Conference meeting in Doha, Qatar, as well as to exchange ideas on the current crisis in the Middle East. The Secretary-General also said he had briefed the Senator on his view of the situation on the ground.
The complete transcript of the Secretary-General's and the Senator's remarks are available in my office.
Today, the Secretary-General is beginning his consultations with the parties, concerning the deployment of an international presence in the conflict area. Early this afternoon, that is, I think, at 12:30, he will meet with the Permanent Representative of Israel, Ambassador Yehuda Lancry, and later today he will meet with the Permanent Observer of Palestine, Ambassador Nasser Al-Kidwa.
**UNRWA Appeal
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) today launched a new emergency appeal for $39 million.
This amount is needed to cover the emergency work of the agency among refugees in the West Bank and Gaza for the next three months.
The ongoing conflict in the area has strained UNRWAs resources. Over the last five weeks the agency has kept its health centres opened around the clock to all persons injured in the clashes, and has also converted several vehicles into mobile clinics. UNRWA is also working with other United Nations agencies, as well as with NGOs and the Palestinian Authority, in distributing supplies to the refugee population in Gaza and the West Bank.
The previous UNRWA emergency appeal was launched on 4 November, that was for $4.8 million. There is a press release in my office.
**Statement from Knutsson
One last item from the Middle East -- we have available upstairs the remarks made to journalists in Beirut by the Secretary-Generals Personal Representative for Southern Lebanon, Rolf Knutsson, following his meeting with the newly appointed Lebanese Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Hammoud.
He told reporters that he had a warm, fruitful and friendly meeting with the Minister. He said that they had both agreed on the need for Lebanon and the
Daily Press Briefing - 2 - 20 November 2000
United Nations to work together to reinforce the appropriate conditions for peace and security in the south of the country.
Secretary-Generals speech at IPA
This morning, the Secretary-General delivered the opening remarks at the International Peace Academy's symposium on humanitarian action, in which he stressed that, within the United Nations, humanitarian action is narrowly defined as work to save lives in imminent danger or to relieve acute suffering.
In that context, he said, the word "humanitarian" should be avoided in describing military operations. Although "military intervention may be undertaken for humanitarian motives", the Secretary-General said that such intervention should not be confused with humanitarian action. Otherwise, he said, "we will find ourselves using phrases like 'humanitarian bombing', and people will soon get very cynical about the whole idea".
The Secretary-General's speech is available, as delivered, in the Spokesman's Office.
**Security Council
This afternoon, at 3:30, the Security Council will hold a private meeting -- that is, a formal session which is closed to all but the Council's invited guests -- in the Council chamber to hear from the Council mission that returned over the weekend from visiting East Timor and Indonesia.
Countries contributing troops to the United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor have been invited to participate.
The seven-member Council mission, led by Ambassador Martin Andjaba of Namibia, will report on its trip, which included visits to East Timor, West Timor and Jakarta. The mission is also expected to submit a written report on its trip.
We've been trying to see whether Ambassador Andjaba would be available to talk to you this afternoon on that trip, and he is expected to brief the press, on an embargoed basis, at 3 p.m. in this room.
Tomorrow morning, the Council will hold a formal meeting to hear briefings on the recent work of the two International Criminal Tribunals. Judge Claude Jorda, President of the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and Judge Navenathem Pillay, President of the Rwanda Tribunal, will brief the Council; both judges are meeting the Secretary-General this afternoon.
After tomorrow's Council briefing concludes, we hope to have a press briefing in this room by Carla Del Ponte, the Tribunals' Prosecutor.
** Disarmament Report
This afternoon at 2:45, the Secretary-General will hand over a copy of his recent report on the methods of destruction of small arms, light weapons, ammunition and explosives to the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Jozias van Aartsen, acting in his capacity as Security Council President. This is the handover that was scheduled for last Friday and that was postponed because of time constraints.
The Secretary-General's report, which is out today on the racks, concludes that there is a need for a United Nations reference manual that can be used in the field to deal with weapons destruction questions. That manual, according to advice from technical experts, should look for environmentally responsible or environmentally sound methods of destroying small arms and light weapons.
The report also includes some interim recommendations and evaluation of different methods of weapons destruction, on which the final reference manual, which is to evolve from this process, will expand.
**Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson is in Beijing today where she signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Government.
Through this Memorandum, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will assist the Chinese Government in the area of human rights by providing technical assistance on the ratification and the implementation of human rights treaties.
For example, the High Commissioners Office will hold workshops with Government officials, judges, prosecutors, police officers and prison officials. The Office will also provide the Chinese authorities with international experts to facilitate the process of ratification of more international human rights conventions.
Tomorrow the High Commissioner is scheduled to hold a press conference in Beijing before leaving China.
We have the full text of the memorandum available in my office.
**Climate Change Conference
Following a week of informal meetings, the International Climate Change Conference moved into a higher gear at The Hague today with the opening of the ministerial segment.
The delegates heard from Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok and French President Jacques Chirac.
The Dutch Prime Minister said that although climate change affected all countries, developing countries would bear the brunt of the impact, making existing problems worse and reducing their options for sustainable development.
President Chirac called on the United States to join with the other leading industrialized nations in making a successful transition to an energy-efficient, yet not less thriving, economy. He promised that the 15 European Union countries would ratify the Kyoto Protocol by 2002.
Ministers and other high-level officials will continue to make public policy statements today and tomorrow. They will then meet in informal working groups until the closing session, which will be held this coming Friday.
**Bosnia
Early yesterday morning in the Bosnian town of Brcko, an explosive device that had been planted underneath a parked United Nations vehicle exploded, just outside the house of a member of the United Nations International Police Task Force. The explosion shattered the car's windshield and several windows, and damaged the nearby house, but no one was injured.
The United Nations Police Task Force and the Stabilization Force, or SFOR, are working together to investigate the incident. In a press release, which we have upstairs for you, the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina "strongly condemns this senseless act of violence".
**Kosovo
The Secretary-Generals Special Representative, Bernard Kouchner, inaugurated three Serb municipal assemblies in Kosovo today.
Results of last months municipal elections in the three northern municipalities of Kosovo were not certified, because too few people had cast ballots. Under the regulation on the self-government of municipalities, the Special Representative then had to appoint the assemblies.
We have a press release with more details.
**Secretary-General Speech on Disarmament
Last Friday evening, the Secretary-General spoke at the Conference on the Second Nuclear Age, which was sponsored by the Nation Institute and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and warned against complacency in dealing with the global nuclear threat.
In his speech, copies of which are still available upstairs, the Secretary- General emphasized that nuclear conflict remains a real and terrifying possibility and urged all nations, particularly the nuclear-weapon States, to do more for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. He also took questions on subjects ranging from the nuclear threat to the Middle East and Iraq sanctions, and we have the transcript of the question-and-answer session available in my office.
**Memorial Panels
Memorial panels for those United Nations peacekeepers and staff members who have lost their lives in the service of peace in 2000 will be on display first at the Delegates Entrance from today to 3 December -- during which the General Assembly is expected to take up the issue of staff security. These panels list the names, nationality, date of death and the missions of 61 individuals from 32 countries.
The panels will then be moved to the northern end of the Staff Lobby, near the revolving door, and displayed there from 4 to 15 December. They will be put on display in the Public Lobby, near the Chagal Window/Moon Rock area, from 18 December to the beginning of January, when we expect a large number of visitors for the holiday season.
**Habitat
Today at 1 p.m. in Conference Room 7, Mrs Anna Tibaijuka, the new Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements or HABITAT, will give an informal briefing about the preparations for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, commonly known as the Istanbul +5 Conference, which is to be held in New York next June.
A series of regional preparatory meetings for Istanbul +5 have just been completed. Over the last few weeks, Mrs. Tibaijuka launched meetings in Geneva, Bahrain, Huangzhou, Santiago and Addis Ababa.
Interested journalists are invited to attend todays briefing.
**Press Releases and Reports
The Global Fund for Childrens Vaccines today announced grants of more than $100 million to 9 countries over the next five years. The grants will enable countries to immunize millions of children against hepatitis B and other deadly diseases. Also today the Government of the Netherlands announced a contribution to the Fund of $100 million over the next five years.
We have more information in the press release.
We have an information note from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on events being planned in the run up to the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Office on 14 December 1950.
And that's all I have for you. Yes Colum?
Question: Do you know when Mitchell will be travelling to the region and will he have a military or political component with him, and also has the Secretary-General begun discussion with the Israelis and the Palestinians on this notion of an observer group, and will the discussion take place with the heads of State and foreign ministers or with the ambassadors here or a bit of everything?
Spokesman: I don't know the date of Senator Mitchell's departure. The Secretary-General, as I already mentioned, is beginning consultations with the two parties today with meetings with Ambassador Lancry and Ambassador Al-Kidwa.
Question: Can you elaborate on what seems to be a new theory developed by the Secretary-General this morning in his speech? Military intervention versus humanitarian intervention, what does he mean, is the United Nations not going to intervene any more?
Spokesman: You know that he has been asking governments to define criteria for humanitarian intervention. As that debate has gone on, I think the humanitarian community has been concerned about the link between military action and humanitarian action, and so I think the Secretary-General today was underlining the distinction between the two. I would let the rest of the speech speak for itself.
Question: Fred, back on the Middle East, two questions. First question, any comment on the report in the Financial Times that the two sides have agreed on an observer force but not under a United Nations flag? And the second question, any comment on the military action taken by the Israelis just a few moments ago in the Gaza Strip?
Spokesman: On the first question, no, I wouldn't comment on that and if it's true I guess the Secretary-General's consultations today would lead to a quick and positive conclusion. But let's wait and see. On the Israeli military actions in Gaza we did check with our Gaza office just before the noon briefing. The Secretary-General's Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen is meeting now, or is just about to meet, Prime Minister Barak of Israel and he has scheduled a meeting later today, this evening local time, with Yasser Arafat back in Gaza. I think you can assume that the issue of these bombings will be taken up by Mr. Larsen with the Prime Minister, and I think probably its a safe assumption that they will come up in the Secretary-General's meeting with Ambassador Lancry at 12:30.
Question: Was that an already scheduled meeting with Barak?
Spokesman: I believe it was, yes.
Question: Fred, going back on this issue of the Secretary-General's consultations, last week Ambassador Al-Kidwa said that he would like a Security Council vote by Thanksgiving. Do you expect the Secretary-General to make some kind of recommendation to the Council after his consultations?
Spokesman: I don't think I can say. We'll have to see how this first round of talks goes today and then we'll just have to see whether the Secretary-General has anything to say to the Council or anyone else. But I'm not sure things will be completed that quickly.
Question: Is it safe to assume that the United Nations believes that having this kind of military action just as its trying to liaise between the two sides makes the job of the Secretary-General more difficult?
Spokesman: I think it makes the lives of the people in the region more difficult, when the Secretary-General's priority has been consistently to stop the violence so that the talks can get back under way. Presumably this military reaction is a reaction to the bombing earlier this morning of an Israeli school bus which killed two people. Violence begets violence. Its got to stop somewhere.
Question: Can you give me some background again on the United Nations group in Hebron now? Is it still around in that zone?
Spokesman: It's civilian observers, it's an international observer group and yes, they are still in Hebron.
Question: Quantity or countries?
Spokesman: I don't know the number but we can look into that for you. [He later announced there are about 80 observers from Norway, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.]
Question: Are they under a United Nations flag?
Spokesman: I don't know. I'll have to double-check that. I don't think so. [He later confirmed no.]
Question: If the Middle East peace process ever gets back on track, is it likely that the Secretary-General will play some role working alongside the Americans, or would he be more integrated into the peace process then he has been in the past?
Spokesman: He has said that there has been talk of changing the format of the peace talks to enlarge it to include other actors, including the Europeans, the United Nations and others. But his position hasn't changed. He is prepared to help if he can. The Americans remain the mediator of choice. To the extent that all parties ask him to help out in some way, he is happy to do that but he is not trying to insert himself where he may not be wanted by one party or the other.
Question: Could we see some sort of umbilical link between Senator Mitchell and what he is doing on the investigative side and any further observational monitoring role?
Spokesman: I don't want to speculate about that. The Secretary-General has emphasized the importance of getting observers on the ground quickly. He is also -- as he said last night, and he and the Senator agreed -- convinced that it's important that the fact-finding committee get on the ground quickly. They feel that would be a stabilizing factor. The Security Council has discussed a number of options. The Secretary-General has said that he does not want to be bound by any narrow limits. He wants merely to talk to the parties about what they are both willing to accept. So I don't want to speculate about what that could be linked to.
Question: Fred, regarding Haiti's scheduled elections, did the Government request any assistance? What is the position of the United Nations in this matter?
Spokesman: Sorry, I don't know, I'll have to look into that for you. Check with me right after the briefing. [He later said that the United Nations has no role in Haitis upcoming elections.]
Question: On Iraq, is there really a chance that the Secretary-General might go to Baghdad?
Spokesman: To my knowledge, there is no plan for the Secretary-General to travel.
Question: Would he be meeting Tariq Aziz then?
Spokesman: In Doha, Qatar, when he met with the Iraqi Vice-President, if I can use that title, the Iraqis said they were prepared to meet him anywhere, but no specific venue was discussed. The Secretary-General merely told them to get back to him with their ideas on what would be discussed and how it would happen, he would do the same from here. We have not yet reached that exchange.
Question: What is the story with this artist who is claiming that Boutros Boutros-Ghali owes him $4,000 for a portrait he painted which is in the lobby?
Spokesman: Our view is that this is between the former Secretary-General and the artist. The United Nations has not paid for any of those portraits that you see on display on the first floor and we hope that it can be resolved amicably.
Question: Would there be a hole there perhaps?
Spokesman: We are hoping they can sort it out.
Question: Is the Secretary-General going to send some sort of paper on what he thinks the Iraqi discussions should be about, and would the Iraqis be doing the same?
Spokesman: He told them he would go back to New York and think about the shape of these talks and how they might happen and he asked them to think about
the same thing and then get back to him with their views. Whether he would put his ideas on paper or not, I don't know.
Question: The Afghan talks, where are we at with that?
Spokesman: I don't know, I would have to check for you. [He later said that the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, Francesc Vendrell, was shuttling between the parties to arrange a date and place for the talks.]
Question: Is there a chance of getting both Lancry and Al-Kidwa at the stakeout right after their meetings?
Spokesman: That's their option. We can convey to each of them that you are interested in talking to them, and then if they want to stop at the stakeout it would be up to them.
Question: Did the Secretary-General enjoy Michael Douglas' wedding and did he take a Polaroid with him that he can maybe make accessible to news organizations?
Spokesman: (Did not respond)
Question: I'm going to ask a question that you probably won't answer either. Is the Secretary-General concerned that the Western Sahara peace process is suffering since James Baker spends so much time in Florida these days?
Spokesman: Somehow I think that the former United States Secretary of State's involvement in the election issue in Florida is not slowing up the search for a solution in Western Sahara.
Question: Which situation do you imagine would be resolved first?
Spokesman: I don't want to speculate. Okay, thanks very much.
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