[06 Jul 1999] : Extract from Daily Press Briefing Of Office Of Spokesman For Secretary-General
Some of you may have seen some media reports on Iraq involving a citizen of New Zealand. The information we have from
the Office of the Iraq Programme is that by 10 a.m. today the Humanitarian Coordinator, Hans von Sponeck was called to
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs where he was given a note verbale demanding the departure, within 72 hours, of someone
by the name of Ian Broughton, a New Zealand national employed by the company contracted by the United Nations to provide
demining services in the three northern governorates of Iraq.
The United Nations has begun an investigation of the allegations made in the note verbale regarding the planting of
boxes near a village in the north. Mr. Von Sponeck will meet tomorrow with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to review
the situation.