DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

Good Afternoon.  You should get comfortable.  Today we have a lot of stuff.  [Inaudible comment]  I didn't say a lot of interest.  I just said a lot stuff. 

**Kosovo

Today was the last day for Bernard Kouchner, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Kosovo.  We spoke with Pristina just a few minutes ago.  Kouchner gave a farewell address to 2,000 guests, including political and civil society leaders, as well as people from all the communities of Kosovo.  He praised them for their achievements and exhorted them to practice tolerance and stop the violence if they want to join European society and enjoy the benefits of a western democracy.

At the ceremony, he was joined by Hashim Thaci and Ibrahim Rugova, the Albanian leaders, as well as Rada Trajkovic and other Serbian leaders.  There were also a dozen primary school children representing all ethnic communities of Kosovo, who were singing and dancing, and they all sang together "We are the world”.

**Secretary-General Statement in Tribute of Bernard Kouchner

The Secretary-General is issuing the following statement on Bernard Kouchner:

"I wish to express my deep gratitude to Bernard Kouchner for his service to the United Nations and the people of Kosovo as he concludes his term as my Special Representative.  A man of remarkable talents, deep intellect and great charisma, Bernard Kouchner has devoted his life's work to helping the most vulnerable of our world, and to ensuring that their calls for justice and peace do not go unheeded.

"Never one to be satisfied with words alone, he has not shied away from dramatic action to address urgent needs.  It was in this spirit that he accepted the challenge of leading the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, and helping its people rebuild the fabric of their society after years of repression and conflict.

"Though much remains to be done, and many wounds remain unhealed, the healing has begun, and a better future is now in sight -- not least, thanks to the tireless efforts and extraordinary contribution of Bernard Kouchner.  I join his many friends and admirers in wishing him all success in the future.”

**Depleted Uranium

The Secretary General welcomes the decision announced yesterday by Bernard Kouchner to set up of a voluntary programme at Pristina Hospital to test the civilian population for possible radiation levels.

On that same subject, in Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a fact sheet on depleted uranium (DU).  In addition to basic facts about DU, the document underscores the need for more scientific research to better assess the risk to humans who come in contact with DU.

In touching upon the cases of leukemia in military personnel who have come in contact with DU ammunition, the WHO says that, based on the information they have now, a link between the two is unlikely.  However, even with the present uncertainties, the WHO recommends that clean-up operations be undertaken in impact zones where remnants of DU ammunition are known to exist.

**Security Council

This morning the Security Council began its work with closed consultations on Prevlaka, on which it received a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi.  How many of you know where Prevlaka is? [laughter]  Good.  How many in the TV audience know?  Zero.  Never mind.

Council members discussed a draft resolution circulated yesterday by the United States, to extend the Mission in Prevlaka by six months, until July

15, 2001.  After today's consultations conclude, the Council is expected to go into a formal session to adopt that draft resolution.  Prevlaka, by the way, is that little peninsula where Croatia and Bosnia come together, and just across a narrow straight is Montenegro, and through that narrow straight is the only access that Yugoslavia has to get from the Bay of Kotar to the Adriatic Sea.  End of history lesson. 

Following the consultations on Prevlaka, the Council has just started discussions on Angola, on which it is receiving a briefing by the Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Special Assignments in Africa, Ibrahim Gambari. 

Mr. Gambari told the Council that the armed conflict in Angola has continued in recent months, with much of the country remaining insecure.

In response, the Secretary-General has initiated wide consultations with Member States and is considering a United Nations-sponsored conference to examine the challenges of peace-building in Angola.

Yesterday afternoon, following a briefing by the Secretary-General's Representative for Somalia, David Stephen, the Council held a formal meeting in which it adopted a Presidential Statement on Somalia.  In that Statement, the Council welcomed and supported the outcome of the peace conference held last year in Arta, Djibouti, and urged all groups to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue with the new Transitional National Government.

The Council also invited the Secretary-General to "prepare a proposal for a peace-building mission for Somalia", which should pay specific attention to the security situation in the country and outline possible ways to advance the peace process.

In other Council news, the Sierra Leone Sanctions Committee has cleared the report of the panel dealing with violations of Sierra Leone sanctions, including the role of conflict diamonds.  The Council now expects to hold a formal meeting to discuss that report on January 25.

**Cambodia

In response to questions received, I can confirm that the United Nations received an unofficial translation of the draft law adopted last week by the lower house of the Cambodian Parliament, which would provide for a national court with international participation to try Khmer Rouge leaders.

The United Nations Legal Counsel, Hans Corell, has reviewed the text and found some discrepancies in relation to what was discussed during his visit to Phnom Penh last July.  On Tuesday of this week, he wrote to his Cambodian counterpart, Mr. Sok An, to seek clarifications.

The draft legislation is now before the Cambodian Senate, and it is hoped that the remaining outstanding issues can be resolved so that the United Nations can approve the new court and work with it.  It should be stressed that any cooperation between the United Nations and Cambodia will have to be regulated by a separate agreement.  A draft of such an agreement was elaborated in July of last year, but it has to be formalized once the law is adopted.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) today called for calm as the parties to the conflict traded military threats and reported accusations of ceasefire violations.

In a statement issued in Kinshasa, the mission force commander, General Mountaga Diallo, said that these allegations and the ongoing fighting in Equateur and Katanga provinces undermine the political progress achieved towards the inter-Congolese dialogue to convene in accordance with the Lusaka peace accord.

On behalf of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative in the Congo, Kamel Morjane, Diallo expressed concern over the potential deterioration of the military situation on the ground and called for all parties to refrain from any further military action in order to enable the deployment of United Nations observers to all fronts.

Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) today urgently appealed for

$112 million for its relief operations to feed more than 2 million people in the increasingly volatile Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the number of people in need of WFP aid has nearly tripled over the past year.  We have available the United Nations Mission statement.  It is only in French so that will help [one of] you, and the WFP press release, which is in English, will help the rest of you.

**Secretary-General at Group of 77 Transfer

This morning in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Nigeria formally handed over the chairmanship of the Group of 77 (G-77) developing countries to Iran, with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazzi on hand for the transfer.

The Secretary-General, in remarks at the occasion, praised the work done over the past year under the leadership of Nigerian Ambassador Chief Arthur Mbanefo, including its encouragement of the Economic and Social Council's examination of the role of information technology in development.  He also urged the G-77 to provide ideas to the high-level panel he appointed last month, chaired by former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, that will make recommendations on concrete steps that can be taken to improve financing for the developing world.  We have copies of his text in my Office.

**Afghanistan

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the number of Afghans arriving at a makeshift camp in the north-west frontier province of Pakistan had jumped from 250 to 750 in the past three days.

Erick de Mul, United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan, yesterday called an emergency meeting of donors asking for an immediate response to the

2001 Appeal for Afghanistan and specifically for $3.5 million for non-food items, and $3.2 million for food-for-work programmes as well as $600,00 for seeds.

Since last summer more than 470,000 people have left their homes and most are internally displaced within Afghanistan.  It is feared that not only will this internal displacement continue in the next few months, but that it will also continue to spill across borders, resulting in more requirements for both food and non-food items.  More information is available in the UNHCR briefing notes for today and in the bulletin from the Office of the United Nations Coordinator for Afghanistan.

**Mongolia

A United Nations Disaster and Coordination Team, made up of representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the WHO and the WFP, has arrived in Mongolia and will begin their assessment, weather permitting.  The team will be preparing an appeal to be presented to donors on 19 January, that is a week from today, by Carolyn McAskie, Emergency Relief Coordinator, ad interim, at the conclusion of her visit to Mongolia next week.

Eighty per cent of the population of Mongolia lives a nomadic lifestyle and depends on livestock for their livelihood.  With temperatures dropping sharply and recent daytime temperatures at about minus 30 degrees centigrade, over 55,000 families and 9 million cattle are in disastrous condition.  For more information on the effect of the severe weather on Mongolia, you can check the Reliefweb Web site, as well as today's briefing from Geneva.

**Chechnya

The United Nations announced on Thursday that it has suspended all humanitarian action in Chechnya for the time being, in order to evaluate the situation following the kidnapping of a member of the staff of Medicins sans Frontieres-Holland.  We have been informed that non-governmental organizations working with the United Nations and those funded by the European Community Humanitarian Office have similarly suspended operations.  Humanitarian assistance in other parts of the Northern Caucasus is continuing.

**ICTY

As I informed you yesterday, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) held a closed hearing last evening to consider a request from Biljana Plavsic's lawyer for modified conditions of detention. Following that session, the President of the Tribunal, Judge Claude Jorda, decided that the hearing would resume next Wednesday, 17 January, again in closed session.

**UNTAET

The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) is launching an initiative to carry out a poverty assessment throughout the country, in which it intends to conduct a survey of all 500 of East Timor's neighbourhoods, called "sucos", by March of this year.

The United Nations Mission's National Planning and Development Agency will also survey some 1,500 to 2,000 households by July, to ask Timorese about the quality of development assistance so far, and what could be done better.  It is also creating a database that shows development assistance in each district and sector of East Timor.  The entire programme is to be implemented in partnership with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and UNDP.

Today's briefing notes from Dili have more information on this, as well as on the visit that began today to East Timor of the President of the General Assembly, Harri Holkeri.

**Budget

On contributions, Latvia today became the fifteenth Member State to be paid in full for this year, 2001, for the regular budget with a payment of over $103,000.

And we have the Week Ahead for you, which I won’t read, but which you can pick up in my Office.  Any questions?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Fred, can you expand on the discrepancy about Cambodia?  What is the nature of this discrepancy?

Spokesman:  I can't.  There were a number of relatively minor issues and then a few more substantive ones.  However, we don't feel that any of them are necessarily deal breakers.  I think with a little fine tuning we can come to a final agreement.

Question:  Although the Prevlaka Observer Mission is independent, it draws money from the UNMIBH.  How much particularly goes into the funding of the Prevlaka Mission?

Spokesman:  I didn’t quite understand your question.  The funding of Prevlaka?  The Prevlaka Mission?

Question:  Is it going out of the funding of UNMIBH in Bosnia and Herzegovina?  And how much is it?

Spokesman:  Okay.  I don’t know.  There are only 27 observers in Prevlaka. It is the world's smallest peacekeeping mission.  It doesn't amount to a lot, but I will get the figure for you.  Alright.  Otherwise?  Yes?

[After the briefing, the Spokesman said that the Prevlaka Mission accounted for about $2 million of the Bosnia Mission's $150 million budget.]

Question:  Angola.  You mentioned that the Secretary-General is calling for a conference after the report of Mr. Gambari.  What is the conference going to be and when?

Spokesman:  Well, we don’t have a specific time.  The idea is whether we can move to the peace-building stage while there is still fighting going on. There must be some hope that there is some scope for peace-building or that there could be and that the Secretary-General wants to give this idea a boost.

Question:  [Follow-up]  And also in Chechnya.  I saw that there was a lot of criticism about the comportment of the United Nations regarding Chechnya, and now you mentioned that you are closing your Mission?

Spokesman:  Well, there was this kidnapping of a United States national, as you know, a couple of days ago, and all of the agencies working in the area have suspended their operations.  I think that is kind of a normal reaction.  The security in Chechnya has been a problem from the very beginning.  I don’t know what criticism you are referring to, but we do the best we can under a very difficult security situation there.  For the most part, we are working outside of Chechnya, dealing with, the UNHCR is dealing with, the refugee population there.  That’s about all I can say.

Question:  Does the United Nations still have people over there and how many?

Spokesman:  Oh, I don't have that number but yes we do and I will have to get back to you.  Alright, thanks very much and have a good weekend.  [He later announced there are about a dozen international staff in the northern Caucasus.]

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