United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-09-25

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, 25 September, 1998

HEADLINES

• President of Armenia says resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict demands unconventional approaches.
• Stressing the need to solve the Cyprus problem, President Clerides offers his vision for the future.
• Prime Minister of Swaziland reiterates Africa's call for two permanent seats in the Security Council.
• Assembly concludes first week of general debate.
• Secretary-General stresses need for a "genuinely free market" open to developing countries.
• Secretary-General says performance of Croatian police in Danube region has improved over past three months.
• Secretary-General recommends continuing UN Verification Mission in Guatemala through end of 1999.
• Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs calls for focused action to address proliferation of small arms.
• Actor Michael Douglas -- a UN Messenger for Peace -- says he will give voice to facts about proliferation of light weapons.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees tells President Milosevic that hostilities in Kosovo must end.
• United Nations refugee agency concerned about reports of Rwandan asylum seekers joining fighting in Congo-Kinshasa.
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees deeply regrets death of Nigerian asylum seeker during expulsion from Belgium.
• United Nations environment agency says hurricane Georges could be linked to "La Niña" weather phenomenon.

Addressing the General Assembly, President Robert Kocharian noted, however, that the negotiation process at present was at an impasse due to such reasons as the unclear definition of Nagorno-Kharabakh's status as a party to the negotiations; Azerbaijan's refusal to directly negotiate with the elected leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Azerbaijan's insistence on preconditions regarding the future negotiated status of Nagorno- Karabakh.

President Kocharian called on the international community to exert maximum efforts to overcome these obstacles. "However, given the specifics of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, its resolution demands unconventional approaches based on the principle of equal legal rights for both parties of the conflict, ending the enclave status of Nagorno- Karabakh and providing international security for its population," he said. Pledging Amernia's readiness to move forward, President Kocharian called on Azerbaijan to resume negotiations without preconditions in order to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Addressing the General Assembly on Friday, President Glafcos Clerides said that the solution of any constitutional problem on the basis of communal or ethnic criteria and federalism contained elements of partnership and political equality of the constituent parts. "The solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of bicommunal and bizonal federation requires such a partnership of the two communities as would constitutionally provide for a maximum degree of internal self administration to the two constituent cantons, provinces or states and, adhering to the principle of equal political status of the constituent parts, it must provide them with the same rights, powers and functions regarding their respective separate internal self administration," he said.

President Clerides added that the constitution must also provide effective participation of the constituent parts in the federal government. He said it must also secure all fundamental human rights and freedoms for the citizens of the Federation. Above all, the Cypriot leader said, the constitution must safeguard the single sovereignty, its indivisibility and the unity of the bicommunal bizonal federation. Such Federation, becoming a member of the European of the European Union, would thrive at home and abroad, President Clerides said.

In his address to the General Assembly, Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini said that his country continued to support the African common position which calls, among other things, for membership of the Security Council to be based on geographical formula.

However, Prime Minister Dlamini said, in the longer term, the right of veto should be reviewed as it was not in accordance with recognized democratic practices since it gave unequal weight to the minority view.

Prime Minister Dlamini said his country was concerned at the "painfully" slow rate of progress in the debate on the restructuring of the Security Council. He said that this delay was especially frustrating given the existence of a global consensus on the need to make the permanent membership of the Council more democratic and representative of the developing world.

Don McKinnon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, told the Assembly that the arrears owed by the largest contributor to the United Nations had "cast a long shadow" over the Organization.

Countries contributing troops to peacekeeping operations were not reimbursed in time, he noted. Outstanding dues had reached alarming proportions. "This affects all of us, large and small."

Canada's Foreign Minister, Lloyd Axworthy, welcomed the fact that with the fortieth ratification last week, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti- Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction would now enter into force. Canada also welcomed Mozambique's offer to host the first meeting of the States Parties to the Convention early next year and urged those who had not already done so to sign and ratify the Convention.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, Hong Soon-Young, described the constructive engagement policy his country had adopted towards the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. He added that Inter-Korean consultations, with the United Nations acting as a facilitator, were indispensable for the economic recovery of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Amre Moussa, said the hand of terrorism had struck many places around the world in the past years, including Kenya, Tanzania and Ireland. Calling this phenomenon intolerable, he reiterated the call made by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to convene an international summit, under the auspices of the United Nations, to deal with terrorism.

Jacques F. Poos, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Cooperation for Luxembourg, called attention to the problem of extreme poverty, which reflected a grave imbalance in the world. In response, Luxembourg would increase its official development assistance (ODA), he said.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, Nguyen Manh Cam, said that the downward trend of ODA must be reversed. Such assistance was critical to the creation of social and economic infrastructures needed for development, he said.

Indrek Tarand, the Permanent Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, said his country offered an example of the success of economic reform. By 1997, Estonia had the highest economic growth rate in Europe and preliminary figures for 1998 indicated that growth continued to be strong.

Andrei Gabriel Plesu, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania, pointed out that his country had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations regarding stand-by arrangements in the area of peacekeeping. By so doing, Romania had demonstrated its political will to foster international stability.

The Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Mohamed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, reaffirmed that Iraq must fulfil its international obligations concerning the elimination of weapons of mass destruction and the release of Kuwaiti and other prisoners of war and detainees. Any progress in that respect should be recognized as a first step towards the alleviation of the suffering of the Iraqi people, he said.

Addressing an annual ministerial meeting of the "Group of 77" developing countries, the Secretary-General pointed out that the present crisis was not strictly financial. "It has disastrous consequences for millions of people in their everyday lives." It was essential to find ways to protect those being left behind by globalization, as well as those victimized by it, he said.

Rather than despair, the Secretary-General urged the Group of 77 ministers to view the current crisis as an opportunity. "We must make the case that it gives a new urgency to the issue of debt relief. We can argue that it obliges us to re-invigorate, or even re-invent, development cooperation as an effective weapon in the battle against poverty."

Mr. Annan said that the United Nations had a special responsibility to speak up for the disadvantaged. "We cannot forget, and we must not allow others to forget, the countries in Africa and elsewhere whose debt burdens the crisis has made even more unsustainable," he said.

In his latest report to the Security Council on the activities of the United Nations Police Support Group, the Secretary-General says that the building of functioning multi-ethnic police force is a noteworthy achievement, which can serve as a model for other areas of potential return of displaced persons.

However, the Secretary-General points out, there is more work to be done before the police can enjoy local confidence and prove itself to be fully capable of policing a multi-ethnic community effectively and impartially. He says that the wide gap between the actual security provided by the police and the perception of security held by many Serb residents has been an important factor leading to the continuing departure of Serbs from the region.

The Secretary-General adds that maintaining the ethnic balance of the police force, including by recruiting non-Croat officers in the future will be an essential element in preserving the prospects for multi-ethnicity in the region and in enhancing confidence in the police force. Mr. Kofi Annan stresses that this should remain a priority for the Government of Croatia.

The Secretary-General reiterates his view that improved police performance is not sufficient by itself to offset the range of outstanding problems that create a climate that fosters ethnic hatred, intolerance and intimidation. He expresses concern at the increase of violent ethnic incidents and the number of repeat offenders over the last three months and urges the Government to urgently take preventive action to deter such incidents and to address their outstanding root causes.

In a report published on Friday, the Secretary-General notes that MINUGUA has contributed to consolidating the peace process in Guatemala, which is based on agreements signed in 1996 by the Government and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatelmalteca (URNG). Because 1999 will be an election year in the country, the MINUGUA will have the delicate task of helping the parties and other sectors of society to keep to their commitments under the peace agreements "in a political context inevitably marked by partisan confrontation."

As part of its work, the Secretary-General reports, MINUGUA will do everything within its mandate to help resolve the case of the assassination of human rights activist Monsignor Juan Jos‚ Gerardi last April. Bishop Gerardi's murder came two days after he publicly released a report on human rights violations during the internal conflict. The widespread perception that the killing was politically motivated and linked to the Bishop's human rights work "has revived memories of past violent practices and, in that sense alone, constitutes a setback for the peace process," the Secretary- General observes.

"We cannot afford to wait longer for all-embracing agreements covering the broader dimensions of all the issues raised by the recurring incidence of violence and conflicts resulting from the proliferation and use of small arms and light weapons," he warned.

Addressing a gathering of ministers organized by Canada and Norway, Mr. Dhanapala said the United Nations had become a central forum for generating better public understanding of the direct and indirect consequences of the use of small arms. The Organization would continue to act as a catalyst in the search for the most effective steps, to be a clearinghouse, to facilitate an exchange of national experiences, and to be the global forum for arriving at agreements and arrangements most suited to the specific situations faced by Member States affected by the problem.

Mr. Dhanapala said the United Nations was ready to put together a profile of the magnitude and scope of the illicit arms trade "in which neither the manufacturer nor the seller nor the dealer, and sometimes even the buyer, has control over the use to which the weapons they handle will be put."

Mr. Douglas said that growing up in the United States, he had been told that his country should set an example for the world. "In the realm of small arms, that example is not a good one," he said.

"In the United States, every day 33 women are raped by someone holding a gun. Every day, 570 robberies are committed by criminals using a handgun. Every day, 1,000 assaults result from the use of a handgun. Multiply those figures by the 365 days of the year and you begin to see the enormity of this tragedy. Guns kill 40,000 people a year and maim another 100,000," he said.

Turning to the global picture, Mr. Douglas pointed out that 80 per cent of all people who had died in conflicts since the Second World War were civilians. Regarding the low cost of weapons, he said, "An AK-47 can be purchased for a few dollars in Albania. It can be exchanged for a chicken in Uganda. It can be bought for a sack of corn in Mozambique. It can be bartered for a loaf of bread in Chechnya."

If such weapons could not be controlled, he said, peace would become obsolete and so would humanity. "This is not the world I want to leave to my son." He said that as a UN Messenger for Peace, he would work to give voice to the facts. "I hope we can turn our weapons of death and destruction into the plowshares that can provide food where there is famine, and peace where there is strife."

Following the meeting, the High Commissioner expressed disappointment that the talks had revealed a wide discrepancy in their respective views of the extent of the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo.

On Friday, Mrs. Ogata was scheduled to continue her talks on Kosovo with Serbia's Refugee Commissioner, Bratislava Morina. She was also expected to hold meetings with the diplomatic community in Belgrade before travelling to Pristina later in the day.

UNHCR's presence in Kosovo is expanding rapidly. With the arrival of additional staff and vehicles, the agency has been able to open two new small field offices this week, in Pec and Mitrovica, and will open a third in Prizren next week. But an agency spokesman told reporters in Geneva on Friday that while humanitarian activities can save lives and alleviate suffering, ultimately there needs to be a political solution to the conflict.

The increase in international presence throughout Kosovo is a key element which could make return possible were there a cessation of hostilities, according to UNHCR. "Displaced people have repeatedly told us that although they would like to go home, they are afraid to do so as long as fighting continues," the spokesman told the press.

Concern centres on recent reports that an unspecified number of Rwandan asylum seekers are leaving camps in countries of Central Africa to join the fighting in Congo-Kinshasa.

In a statement issued in Geneva, the agency condemned any recruitment of refugees and asylum seekers for military action. "The Office calls upon states hosting asylum seekers and refugees to take all necessary measures to prevent activities which could contribute to the further destabilization of the region or which could undermine the humanitarian and civilian character of camps housing refugees and asylum seekers."

The UN refugee agency took the occasion to emphasize that, irrespective of the status of the person concerned, return has to be undertaken in a humane and dignified manner, in full respect of the human rights of the returnee.

The return of rejected asylum seekers is one of the most difficult questions which European governments face, according to UNHCR. The agency expressed hope that the investigation launched by the Belgian authorities into the circumstances of this case would not only shed light on the incident in question, but would also contribute to preventing the repetition of such a tragedy.

"Hurricane Georges is a typical storm for this time of year," said Peter Usher, Chief of UNEP's Atmosphere Unit. "But La Niña may be making conditions favourable for frequent and dangerous Caribbean hurricanes like Georges," he said.

In recent months many countries around the world, such as China and Bangladesh, have experienced unusually large amounts of rainfall. Some meteorologists are attributing the torrential rains around the globe to La Niña.

"For the last 18 months or so, the talk has been only of El Niño whenever unusual and destructive weather has made the headlines, whether it has been drought and forest fires in Indonesia or floods in California," noted UNEP Executive Director Klaus Töpfer. "If La Niña develops how we think it might, then the concern is that the frequency of storms like Georges might increase," he said.

While linked, La Niña and El Niño are not equal and opposite, according to UNEP. El Niño is caused by abnormal warming in the Central and Eastern equatorial stretch of the Pacific Ocean, whereas La Ni¤a comes about as a result of a below normal drop in Pacific temperatures.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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