United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-11-06

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, 6 November, 1998

HEADLINES

• Security Council welcomes Abuja agreement on Guinea-Bissau as step to national reconciliation.
• Security Council calls on Croatian government to enhance public confidence in the police force.
• UN Secretary-General condemns bombing in Jerusalem, says attack should not derail peace process.
• United Nations refugee agency reports high level of fear among people returning to Kosovo.
• Agreement reached on enhanced United Nations human rights monitoring in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
• Secretary-General says Comorians should seek peace in unity in wake of President's death.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees protests Burundi's forced return of Congolese asylum-seekers.
• United Nations continues to mobilize emergency relief for Central American areas ravaged by hurricane Mitch.
• Hurricane Mitch discussed at Fourth Conference of Parties to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Boat people from Somalia and Ethiopia continue to arrive in Yemen, according to UN refugee agency.
• Costa Rica, Pakistan, India and United Kingdom elected to General Assembly's financial advisory committee.
• Human Rights Committee issues recommendations on Iceland, Belgium, Armenia, Libya, Japan and Austria.
• High Commissioner for Refugees wraps up official trip to Canada.

The agreement was reached on 1 November 1998, in Abuja, Nigeria, during the 21st Summit of the Authority of the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In a statement read out by its President, Ambassador Peter Burleigh of the United States, the Council commended the mediation efforts of ECOWAS and of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), and their respective Chairmen. The Council also recognized the role of other leaders, in particular, the preponderant role of the President of the Gambia in the negotiations that led to the agreement.

The Security Council considered the agreement to be a positive step towards national reconciliation and lasting peace in Guinea-Bissau. It called on the Government and the Self-Proclaimed Military Junta to respect fully their obligations under the Abuja Agreement and the Praia Agreement of 26 August 1998. The Council welcomed, in particular, the decision to immediately put in place a Government of National Unity and to hold general and presidential elections not later than the end of March 1999.

The Council called on all States to provide voluntarily technical, financial and logistical support to ECOMOG and it appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and refugees.

The Security Council called on the Government and the Self- Proclaimed Military Junta to continue to respect relevant provisions of international law, including humanitarian law, and to ensure safe and unimpeded access by international humanitarian organizations to persons in need of assistance as a result of the conflict.

In a statement read out by its President in an open meeting, Ambassador Peter Burleigh of the United States, the Council noted that while the overall security situation in the Danube region remained satisfactory and police performance had improved, a worrying trend of ethnically motivated incidents persisted. The Security Council expressed its deep concern at the continuing departures of Serb residents resulting from these incidents.

The Security Council called on the Government of Croatia to address the perceived lack of security which was contributing to continuing departures of Serbs from the region. It also called on the Government to remedy a number of problems which are preventing the full implementation of the "Programme for the Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons. The Council called on the Government of Croatia to promptly and fully address all unresolved issues, including restitution of property to Croatian citizens of Serb ethnicity. It also called for the harmonization of legislation with the provisions of the return programme to enable its non-discriminatory implementation.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, the Secretary-General said that he had learned with deep regret of the bombing which caused loss of life and further human suffering.

He said that Friday's bombing, like similar acts, had the obvious purpose of derailing the peace process. Mr. Annan added that those who espoused terrorism and violence must not be allowed to stand in the way of the pursuit of peace that has for too long eluded the Israeli and Palestinian people.

"In general the level of fear amongst the population þ- Albanians and Serbs -þ remains high and continues to be the main factor affecting returns," UNHCR Spokesman Judith Kumin told reporters in Geneva. She said the police still had a considerable presence on the main roads.

"Officially, check points have been dismantled, but they seem to have been replaced by roving ones," Ms. Kumin said. She added that there was also a heavy presence of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) soldiers in certain areas, especially in those villages which had been vacated by security forces. "Returnees face enormous obstacles: many houses are damaged or were systematically destroyed, electricity is cut off, mines have been laid and some houses booby-trapped."

UNHCR reported that significant numbers of displaced people had returned to their villages, both from within Kosovo and from Montenegro. None the less, on Thursday, 11 displaced persons were detained by Serbian police who held them at the Serbian border check point at Savine Vode, according to the agency.

Elsewhere in Kosovo, UNHCR staff reported various incidents where villagers have been forced to flee anew. Meanwhile, UNHCR continued to provide aid to the area. The agency led convoys on Thursday delivering aid for some 28,000 returnees, including wheat flour, milk powder, sugar, vegetable oil, rice, margarine, beans, mattresses, clothing, stoves, blankets and soap.

High Commissioner Mary Robinson and the charge d'affaires of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Geneva, Branko Brankovic, signed the agreement to enable the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to expand its monitoring of and reporting on the situation in the country.

The agreement is expected to facilitate unimpeded freedom of movement for the personnel of the Office of the High Commissioner throughout the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The accord would allow human rights monitors to have direct contacts with non-governmental organizations, associations and individuals. The monitors would also have access to prisoners and detainees. The Government undertook not to abuse or threaten any person who comes into contact with the Office or its personnel.

The Office of the High Commissioner said that it expected to deploy up to twelve monitors in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia before the end of the month. The High Commissioner also reiterated her wish to open an office in the province of Kosovo.

During the signing of the agreement, Ms. Robinson expressed her concern about the refusal of the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to allow the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to carry out investigations in Kosovo. She said that she supported the Prosecutor's efforts to carry out the investigations in accordance with her mandate. Ms. Robinson asked Ambassador Brankovic to convey her concerns to the Government in Belgrade. For his part, Ambassador Brankovic transmitted to the High Commissioner a letter setting out the Government's position on the jurisdiction of the Tribunal.

In a statement released by his spokesman, the Secretary-General paid tribute to President Abdoulkarim who, since his election in 1996 had ceaselessly worked towards the improvement of the economic, social and political life of the people of his country.

The Secretary-General expressed the hope that the death of President Abdoulkarim would not be a cause of discouragement or a motive to foster division, but a catalyst for all Comorians to unite and seek a peaceful solution to the country's political problems.

Mr. Annan extended to the interim President, Mr. Tadjiddine Said Massounde, his best wishes for peaceful transition towards the holding of new elections.

According to UNHCR Spokesman Judith Kumin, the agency's staff in Bujumbura had been denied access to the five, who had accompanied the Governor of South Kivu to Burundi. "The Governor left Burundi for Europe in mid-October, leaving this escort party behind," she said.

The authorities in Bujumbura have confirmed to UNHCR that the five men were handed over to Congolese rebels at the border. Burundi currently hosts 6, 500 Congolese refugees who have crossed into the northwestern provinces since the rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo broke out on 2 August.

The Government of Switzerland has loaned the United Nations three helicopters, including crew, free of charge for two weeks.

United Nations agencies in the area are focusing on their own areas of expertise. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is helping to supply food and safe water to Honduras and is providing special attention to the needs of women and children. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is supporting the evaluation of damage to the agricultural sector in Guatemala, and the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing large amounts of food aid in Nicaragua and Guatemala. In Honduras, funds from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been re-channelled to support relief efforts.

"In addition to facilitating the emergency response, UNDP is laying the groundwork for a shift in the months ahead from relief to comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction," said UNDP Administrator James Gustave Speth.

Meanwhile, a United Nations spokesman in New York announced that the Organization's Emergency Relief Coordinator, Under-Secretary-General Sergio Vieira de Mello, will visit the region from 9 to 13 November. "The purpose of this mission, which is being carried out at the request of the Secretary- General, is to express solidarity with the countries affected by Hurricane Mitch, to attract greater international attention and support for emergency and rehabilitation needs, and to evaluate the United Nations response and help determine what additional measures the United Nations could take to assist the countries concerned," Spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York.

Mr. Vieira de Mello is expected to visit affected sites in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

According to experts, La Nina, the inverse of El Nino, is considered the strongest in history. It occurs when tropical winds churn up cold, deep-sea water in the eastern Pacific, creating storm-forming conditions.

Presenting a report on global observing systems to monitor climate change, a representative of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Victor Boldirev, indicated that the transition from El Nino to La Nina had been predicted. However, he warned, future meteorological forecasts would not be completely reliable because of the scarcity of information on La Nina, which had not occurred often over the past 20 years.

Since effective rehabilitation and recovery would take several years, WMO said, the next El Nino events may set in even before development investments have paid off.

Over the past week, the agency estimates, some 460 Somalis arrived in Yemen, bringing arrivals so far this year to just under 10,000. "Since the beginning of the year, around 250 boat people are known to have died at sea, " UNHCR Spokesman Judith Kumin told reporters in Geneva.

UNHCR is assisting some 10,000 of the roughly 65,000 Somali refugees living in Yemen.

Of those, only Nazareth Incera of Costa Rica was elected without a contest, since there were no other candidates from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States. Secret ballots were held to elect Ahmad Kamal of Pakistan, Rajat Saha of India, Nick Thorne of the United Kingdom and Gian Luigi Valenza of Italy. Fumiaka Toya of Japan was re-elected, also by secret ballot.

Tang Guangting of China lost out in the voting for the Asian seat. He received 105 votes, as compared with 143 for Mr. Toya, 127 for Mr. Kamal and 113 for Mr. Saha.

From the Group of Western European and Other States, Mr. Thorne received 105 votes, winning a seat in the first round of balloting. Susan Shearouse of the United States was eliminated in that round, having received 55 votes. Mr. Valenza, who had tied Klaus Stein of Germany with 92 votes each in the first round, won in the second ballot by 105 to 67.

Members of the ACABQ serve for a period of three calendar years, retire by rotation and are eligible for reappointment. The Committee's 16 members include at least three financial experts of recognized standing. They are appointed on the basis of broad geographical representation, personal qualifications and experience. No two may be nationals of the same State.

Concerning Iceland, the Committee noted with concern the persistence of certain areas of inequality between men and women, despite the efforts of the Government to redress the situation. It also reiterated its concern over the persistence of discrimination -- in law and in practice -- against children born out of wedlock.

On the report of Belgium, the Committee expressed grave concern over the reports of widespread police brutality against suspects in custody. Concern was also expressed about the behaviour of Belgian soldiers in Somalia who had been working as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there. It stressed that procedures used in the repatriation of some asylum seekers, entailed a risk to life.

In its recommendations on the report of Armenia, the Committee said the country should amend its Constitution so as to enable individuals to raise questions concerning human rights. Armenia should also consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, which aims at the abolition of the death penalty. The Committee also recommended that Armenia establish of a special independent body to investigate complaints of torture and ill- treatment by law-enforcement personnel.

With regard to the report of Libya, the Committee recommended that the Government fully, publicly and impartially investigate all allegations of extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions perpetrated by State agents as well as high incidence of arbitrary arrest and detention. It also called for urgent steps to reduce the number and type of crimes entailing capital punishment.

On the report of Japan, the Committee was concerned about discrimination against the indigenous Ainu minority and members of the Japanese-Korean minority. It was further concerned about allegations of violence and sexual harassment of persons detained pending immigration procedures. Concern was expressed that the number of crimes punishable by the death penalty had not been reduced.

On Austria's report, the Committee welcomed the country's ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant. It also viewed positively the admission of women to the armed forces and their advancement in the Civil Service.

The next session of the Committee is scheduled from 22 March to 9 April 1999 in New York. The expert body, whose 18 members serve in their personal capacity, is expected to discuss reports submitted by Cameroon, Chile, Canada, Costa Rica, Lesotho and Cambodia.

"Yesterday she had a very full day of meetings with senior government officials," said UNHCR Spokesman Judith Kumin. Those officials included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation, National Defense, Citizenship and Immigration, as well as the President of Canada's International Development Agency, the Chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board and the President of the International Development Research Centre.

Mrs. Ogata had also visited a refugee reception centre in Ottawa, according to UNHCR. "She also delivered the inaugural lecture of the Canadian National Committee for Humanitarian Law, in which she praised Canada's commitment to a refugee status determination system," Ms. Kumin said. She added that Mrs. Ogata had urged all States to uphold asylum as the cornerstone of refugee protection.

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

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