The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Security Council Holds Consultation on Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo
This morning, the Security Council began its work with closed consultations on Afghanistan. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Danilo Turk, briefed Council members.
Mr. Turk noted the outbreak of large-scale fighting between the Taliban and the United Front in northeastern Afghanistan since July, the worsening humanitarian situation following the severe drought, and the recent Taliban edict banning female Afghans from being employed by aid agencies outside the health sector.
He also mentioned recent diplomatic efforts by the Secretary- General's Personal Representative, Francesc Vendrell, who visited five
Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 23 August 2000
of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries in recent weeks. Also, next month, in New York, the "Six plus Two" informal group intends to hold a high-level meeting to discuss a comprehensive regional action plan to deal with illicit drugs emanating from Afghanistan.
Following the Afghanistan meeting, the Security Council will hold consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to discuss a draft resolution on extending the mandate of the United Nations Mission in that country (MONUC). There is a possibility that the Council may follow the consultations with a vote on that resolution.
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