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

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.

** Security Council

Good afternoon.  Addressing this morning's Security Council open briefing dealing with the Council's two-week mission to the Great Lakes region of Africa, the Secretary-General said that the world faces a daunting challenge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  But he added that there is a foundation for peace in the DRC, based on maintaining a ceasefire, implementing the disengagement of troops and liberalizing political life.

He also highlighted remaining concerns, saying that international support for humanitarian work in the DRC is "unacceptably low," with only some 20 per cent of the current appeal for $139 million being funded.  He voiced concern at the dire human rights situation in the country, saying, "Without accountability for the most severe crimes, there can be no lasting peace."

The Secretary-General said that, in a report he intends to issue in mid-June, he would present his recommendations for the third phase of the United Nations Mission in the DRC.

Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, who headed the Council mission to the Great Lakes, began today's briefing, and noted the pledges by all sides to proceed with the disengagement of their forces.  He added that political parties and leaders had expressed their hope to the Council mission that an inter-Congolese dialogue can be held on Congolese territory.

Levitte said the current troop ceiling for the United Nations Mission of 5,537 military personnel "seems to be enough" to perform the tasks that are currently envisioned.

The Council debate is continuing now, with the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, Namibia, Uganda and Burundi all set to speak, along with the 15 Council members.

Before the Council began its formal meeting on the Great Lakes region, it unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights by six months, until 30 November.

** Great Lakes Mission

The report of the Security Council mission to the Great Lakes region is out now as a document.  It reports on the trip to Johannesburg, Pretoria, Kinshasa, Luanda, Lusaka, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, Kigali and Kampala which took place from 15 to 26 May.

In its conclusion on the DRC, the report states: “The Security Council mission found much that was encouraging in its visit to the Great Lakes region.  For the first time since the outbreak of the conflict, the outlines of a solution appeared to be taking shape.”

From all its meetings with politicians and representatives of civil society, the mission found that the attitude of the Congolese people shows that the country is eager to move towards national reconciliation. It is important for all the parties, the report goes on to say, to take advantage of this window of opportunity.

As for Burundi, the Council, according to report, was “struck by the complexity and intractability of the situation” in that country, and “its serious potential for large-scale violence”.

** MONUC

The United Nations Mission in the DRC meanwhile reported the arrival today of the first two patrol boats for use on the Congo river.  The boats are for use by a Uruguayan Riverine Unit expected to arrive early next month.

With receipt of these fast boats and the Uruguayan Riverine Unit, the UN Mission says it is taking an important step in the re-opening of the Congo river to navigation, as announced by the Security Council mission leader Ambassador Levitte in Mbandaka on 20 May.  The Secretary-General also just noted the re-opening of the river network as an important signal.

The first barge leaving Mbandaka for Kisangani is scheduled for 7 June.

** Afghanistan

The United Nation’s top humanitarian official for Afghanistan, Erick De Mul, said that his three-day mission to Kabul to meet with Taliban officials did not result in very good news.

“We have been bending over backwards in order to try to help the people, but the United Nations space to operate in Afghanistan is narrowing”, he said.

He noted that all staff are facing threats from what he called “non-Afghan” foreign guests of the Taliban.

He also said that the Taliban’s refusal to allow Afghan women to survey households enrolled in a World Food Programme bakery project would force the agency to suspend the project as of 15 June.

“The ball is in the Taliban’s court”, De Mul said.

De Mul said if the Taliban wished to have serious discussions he would be willing to go back and talk.

Details of his press conference are available in my office.

** Iraq Programme

The Office of the Iraq Programme, in its weekly update, noted that the Security Council’s 661 Sanctions Committee last week approved a list of about 100 items in the electricity sector for "fast-track" processing.  Since the adoption of the first of the lists of goods that can obtain "fast-track" approval, in March 2000, the Office of the Iraq Programme has processed over $4.76 billion worth of such contracts.

Iraqi oil exports showed a slight increase during the week of 19 to 25 May, totaling 15.6 million barrels, and earning an estimated €433 million in revenue, at current prices.  Revenue for Phase Nine of the "oil-for-food" programme, which ends on 3 June, stands at €6 billion.

The full text of the Office of the Iraq Programme weekly update is available upstairs.

** Yugoslav Tribunal

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia yesterday issued arrest warrants and orders for the surrender of two suspects, Radovan Stankovic and Dragan Zelenovic, to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  The two men have been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes -- including the rape of Bosnian Muslim women and girls in Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1992.

The Tribunal's order directs the Belgrade authorities to search for, arrest, and transfer to the Tribunal the two suspects, or report to the Tribunal if they are unable to do so.

Today in The Hague, the Tribunal's appeals chamber granted an appeal by Anto Nobilo, the defence attorney for one of the suspects tried by the Tribunal, who had been charged in December 1998 with contempt of court.

The appeals chamber found that, although Nobilo had disclosed protected information concerning another trial during his client's trial, he had not knowingly violated an order to protect a Tribunal witness.

The Tribunal has press releases available on both the contempt case and the new arrest warrants.

** Arlacchi in Africa

Pino Arlacchi, the Director General of the United Nations Office in Vienna, where he oversees programmes against drugs and organized crime, concluded his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa yesterday.

His main purpose was to meet with President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, at the President's request, to discuss technical assistance to Nigeria in the recovery of stolen assets.  In a meeting last Friday, the President and Mr. Arlacchi agreed on a course of action to address this problem.

The Commission on Crime Prevention adopted a resolution earlier this month giving the Crime and Drug Programme a mandate to get active in the field of asset recovery.

Arlacchi also met with a number of other leaders in Nigeria, including from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), appealing for prompt ratification of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

** East Timor

The United Nations Mission in East Timor reported today that five civilians were killed, and up to 40 wounded, in the bombing incident at the border between East and West Timor that we told you about yesterday.  Hand grenades had been thrown at a group of Timorese attending a market near the East Timorese town of Balibo.

Those who were wounded in the attack were being treated in Balibo and in Atambua, in West Timor.  Both Indonesian and United Nations forces have deployed to the border area following the incident.

The motives behind the attack remain unclear, and the United Nations Mission and the Indonesian Armed Forces are investigating the incident.

We have few more details in the report today from Dili.

** Robinson Extension

The Secretary-General, in a note to the General Assembly that is out on the racks today, has formally proposed to extend the appointment of Mary Robinson as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a period of one year, until 11 September 2002.  Her present term expires this 11 September.

The Secretary-General trusts that the General Assembly will approve this extension.

** Book Launch

At 6:30 today, if you look at the Secretary-General’s programme, you’ll see that he will be launching the first in a series of books about the United Nations.  "Ahead of the Curve? UN Ideas and Global Challenges" is the first volume in the United Nations Intellectual History Project, an independent study, supported by the Governments of Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Copies of the Secretary-General's remarks, embargoed, are available in my office.

** Budget

Budget payments.  Saint Kitts and Nevis this morning made full payment of more than $10,000, becoming the eighty-third Member State to be paid in full for this year for the regular budget assessment.  We are still behind last year when there were 90 Member States paid in full on this date.

** Press Releases

Press releases.  There’s one from the World Health Organization today announcing the release of a report, “Women and the Tobacco Epidemic – Challenges for the Twenty-first Century”, warning that tobacco-related deaths among women will increase unless a wide range of control measures are implemented.  Calling second-hand smoke a women’s issue, Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland said, “Women everywhere are exposed to second-hand smoke and suffer serious health consequences because of it.”  Worldwide, 12 per cent of women smoke compared to 48 per cent of men.  The report says a greater effort is needed to educate women and girls concerning the risks posed to their health by smoking.

** UNIS

The United Nations International School (UNIS) class of 2001 will graduate in the General Assembly Hall tomorrow, Thursday, 31 May.  That will take place at 2:30 p.m.  Tim Russert, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press”, will deliver the commencement address.

This year’s graduating class of 110 is made up of 47 nationalities speaking 30 different languages.  Founded in 1947 by a group of United Nations parents to provide an education that fostered global sensitivity, the United Nations International School has grown from a nursery school for 20 children to a co-educational college preparatory school with an enrollment of more than 1,500 students. 

Copies of the programme are available here, and a press release is on the racks.

** Press Conference

Press conference tomorrow at 4 p.m. in this room.  The Permanent Missions of Austria and Hungary will be sponsoring a press conference on the draft resolution entitled “Protection of Religious Sites”, which is expected to be adopted by the General Assembly tomorrow afternoon.  Among the speakers will be Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, and Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Church in America.

** Noon Briefing Guest

The guest at the noon briefing tomorrow will be Anna Tibaijuka, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat).  She will be talking to you about the upcoming General Assembly special session for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.  That special session is taking place here at Headquarters next week from 6 to 8 June.

** UNCA

The Correspondents Association has asked me to announce that Gareth Evans, President of the International Crisis Group, will be speaking on “Challenges facing the Security Council: Congo, Sierra Leone, Burundi, the Balkans and Indonesia”.  That will take place tomorrow at 10:30 in the UNCA Lounge.

That’s all I have for you.

** Questions and Answers

Question: Fred, in the report on Afghanistan, the term "non-Afghan" foreign guests was used.  What does that mean?

Spokesman:  There are a number of Muslims from other countries who are in Afghanistan at the invitation of the Taliban; and it is apparently these people who are causing the most problems to the United Nations humanitarian workers.

Question: Are these people suspected of having any relationship with Bin Laden?

Spokesman: I’m not aware of that link.

Question: I have a question about “Ahead of the Curve”.  You said it was a United Nations Intellectual History project.  Who are the people writing for this project and how objective can it be?  It seems like a spin in favour of the United Nations good works, or is it an objective exercise?

Spokesman: It’s an independent study, and an independent publishing project; and I mentioned the organizations that have been sponsoring it -- both governments and foundations.  If you come to my office after the briefing, we'll see if we have any further information about the background of the project.

Question: On Afghanistan, is it a suspicion that these people are undisciplined or is there a suspicion that the Taliban is using them?

Spokesman: I don’t think I can answer that question.  Some of the Taliban authorities that Mr. De Mul spoke to about this problem indicated shock at the behaviour of their foreign guests.  Whether they can get this situation under control and restore a sense of security for aid workers remains to be seen.  As I mentioned, De Mul is ready to return to Kabul to discuss this matter further with the Taliban if they have any thoughts on how to bring it under control.  But right now it’s presenting an unacceptable risk.

Question: What actually happened?  Have there been any attacks on aid workers?  Have people been injured, kidnapped or what?

Spokesman: Death threats at one end of the spectrum, spitting on them and insulting them at the other end.

Thank you very much.

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