United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-11-25

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, 25 November, 1998

HEADLINES

• Security Council acts to extend United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti through November 1999.
• United Nations Disengagement Observer Force will continue monitoring Israeli-Syria sector through May 1999.
• Security Council increases security personnel protecting United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia.
• Security Council members urge respect for international humanitarian law in Angola.
• United Nations human rights official hails overturning of "sovereign immunity" for Augusto Pinochet.
• Secretary-General's Special Representative says elections in Central African Republic were held without major incidents.
• Secretary-General welcomes Indonesia's decision to investigate reported violence in East Timor.
• General Assembly calls for continued efforts to regulate maritime transport of radioactive and toxic waste in South Atlantic.
• UN food agency honours memory of its workers killed in line of duty.
• General Assembly's Legal Committee works to maintain momentum on International Criminal Court - Chairman.
• Impact of sports on environment discussed at a United Nations seminar in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Council, however, expressed its intention not to extend MIPONUH's mandate beyond 30 November 1999.

The Council acted by adopting resolution 1212 (1998) by 13 votes in favour with none against. China and the Russian Federation abstained.

The resolution requested the Secretary-General to make recommendations to the Council on a viable transition to other forms of international assistance, "taking into account the need to preserve the progress made in the reform of the Haitian National Police and to further strengthen United Nations support for the consolidation of democracy, respect for human rights and the maintenance of law and order in Haiti."

The Council also requested all States to contribute to the trust fund for the Haitian National Police, particularly for the recruitment and deployment by the United Nations Development Programme of police advisors.

The Council strongly urged Haiti's authorities and political leaders to negotiate an end to the country's crisis in a spirit of tolerance and compromise. The authorities were also called upon to pursue the reform and strengthening of Haiti's justice system.

The Council emphasized that significant international assistance was indispensable for sustainable development in Haiti, where economic rehabilitation and reconstruction constituted the country's major tasks. Stressing the international community's commitment to a long-term programme of support for Haiti, the Council invited United Nations bodies and agencies to contribute to that effort.

In his latest report to the Council, the Secretary-General observed that although United Nations civilian police officers have had a positive effect on the conduct of police work in Haiti, more remains to be done.

Noting that Haiti has not had a Prime Minister since June of 1997, the Secretary-General appealed to Haiti's political leaders to solve the current political impasse, which had "serious consequences" for the future of democracy in the country and for its economic development.

There are currently 300 civilian police, 74 international staff, 133 local staff and 17 United Nations Volunteers working for MIPONUH. In his report, the Secretary-General estimates that extending MIPONUH's mandate through the end of November 1999 would cost some $33 million.

By unanimously adopted resolution 1211 (1998), the Council also called on the parties to immediately implement resolution 338 (1973). That landmark text called on the parties to immediately start negotiations to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. It also reaffirmed resolution 242 (1967) -- another landmark -- which defined the principles for such a peace, including the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the 1967 conflict.

In a related statement read by Council President Ambassador A. Peter Burleigh of the United States, the Council recalled that the Secretary- General's report on UNDOF had stated that despite the present quiet in the Israeli-Syrian sector, the situation in the Middle East continued to be potentially dangerous and was likely to remain so until a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East problem could be reached. That statement reflected the view of the Council, Ambassador Burleigh said.

The 1974 agreement on disengagement provides for an area of separation and for zones of limited forces and armaments on both sides.

In a statement read out on behalf of the members by Council President A. Peter Burleigh of the United States, the Council strongly condemned the deliberate acts of violence against the UNOMIG personnel and staff of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States. "The Council demands that both sides take determined and prompt measures to put a stop to such acts, which subvert the peace process, and to ensure that the security environment of all international personnel improves significantly," he said.

Deeply concerned at the threat of resumption of serious hostilities, the Council demanded that both sides refrain from the use of force and resolve disputed issues only by peaceful means.

The Security Council welcomed the reinvigoration of the negotiations within the United Nations-led peace process. It particularly welcomed the meeting in early September of the largest and most representative meeting of the parties since the military confrontation of 1993, as well as the increased bilateral contacts between the two sides. "The Council strongly urges the two sides to build on this momentum to widen their commitment to the United Nations-led peace process, to continue to intensify their discussion, in particular within the Coordinating Council, and to expand their relations at all levels," the statement said.

The parties were strongly urged to work together in order to convene a meeting between President of Georgia and Abkhaz leader Vladislav Ardzinba. They were also urged to reach agreements particularly on the return of refugees and measures for the economic rehabilitation of Abkhazia, Georgia, as a concrete step towards easing tensions and leading to improvement in the security environment.

The Security Council also reminded both sides that the international community's continued commitment to assist them depended on their progress in achieving peacefully a comprehensive political settlement.

In his latest report to the Council, the Secretary-General warned that unless the parties take urgent measures to improve the security environment for the United Nations, he would be obliged to reduce UNOMIG's strength.

The members of the Council, who were briefed today by senior United Nations officials, also called for safe access for aid organizations to populations in need in Angola, according to Security Council President, Ambassador Peter Burleigh of the United States.

Addressing the situation which had developed with regard to the personnel of the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) in Andulo and Bailundo, Ambassador Burleigh said that Council members voiced concern about resolving it without further delay. Meanwhile, Council members expressed their intention to keep this situation under close review within the context of a draft resolution on MONUA which was being prepared by the Troika (Portugal, the United States and Russian Federation) for consideration early next week.

High Commissioner Mary Robinson said in a statement that the decision had raised the hope that Augusto Pinochet would finally be brought before a court to face allegations of violations of human rights.

Ms. Robinson said that both the decision of the House of Lords and the initiative of Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon to ask for Mr. Pinochet's extradition were made possible by a turn of the tide in international law, as evidenced last summer in Rome with the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. She said that the statute was meant to counter impunity for particularly "egregious" violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights said that several international instruments, including the UN Convention against Torture, legally required States to establish jurisdiction over such offences. States that accepted these conventions, she pointed out, must either extradite offenders or try them. Ms. Robinson recalled that just last week, the Committee against Torture had recommended that in the case of Pinochet the matter be referred to the office of the public prosecutor with a view of examining the feasibility of, and if appropriate, initiating criminal proceedings in England in the event that the decision was made not to extradite him.

Ms. Robinson said that the outcome in the Pinochet case reinforced the need for States to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Court, she added, would pave the way towards consistent, comprehensive and universal prosecution and punishment of international crimes and help avoid embroiling governments and domestic courts in difficult complications arising from diplomatic relations.

Special Representative Oluyemi Adeniji said the 109 seats in the Legislative Assembly were contested by over 800 candidates representing 29 political parties and including 107 independent candidates. According to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA), voter turnout appeared to be high, especially in the capital, Bangui, with very few irregularities reported.

MINURCA played a crucial role in the delivery of electoral materials, as well as in the maintenance of law and order during the electoral process and in the monitoring of the elections, Mr. Adeniji reported. Some 80 UN electoral observers were deployed in Bangui and in all regions of the country for this purpose. The provision of security by MINURCA enabled the international observers to cover more than the envisaged 25 per cent of the polling stations in Bangui and in the provinces, Mr. Adenji said.

Through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General welcomed the peaceful and orderly manner in which the first round of legislative elections has been conducted. He congratulated the Government and people of the Central African Republic, the Independent Electoral Commission, as well as all staff of MINURCA and United Nations agencies operating in the country, for the important step in the country's peace process. "As vote counting proceeds, the Secretary-General looks forward to the successful completion of the legislative election process," said Spokesman Fred Eckhard.

"The effort to ascertain the veracity of these reports is continuing," said United Nations Spokesman Fred Eckhard, referring to recent reports of violence and the allegations of a large number of civilian deaths. "The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement that the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights will conduct an investigation."

According to Mr. Eckhard, the Secretary-General is eager to maintain the continuation of the talks between Indonesia and Portugal under his auspices. As part of the ongoing process of consultations, United Nations officials will visit East Timor shortly. The Secretary-General's Personal Representative, Jamsheed Marker, will also travel to Indonesia and East Timor in mid-December.

In the last few days, the Secretary-General and Ambassador Marker have been in touch with all parties concerned with regard to the situation in East Timor and the reported violence, according to Mr. Eckhard.

In a resolution on the zone of peace and cooperation in the South Atlantic which was adopted by 126 votes in favour, to none against, with one abstention (United States), the Assembly stressed that such efforts should to take into account the interests of coastal States, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the regulations of the International Maritime Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Assembly expressed concern about the increase in drug trafficking and related crimes, including drug abuse, and called upon Member States of the zone to promote regional cooperation to combat all aspects of the problems of drug related offences.

Covering a number of other matters related to peace and security, the Assembly, in part, viewed with concern the present armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirmed its willingness to contribute, by all means at its disposal, to an effective and lasting peace in Angola.

"During the consideration of this item in the Sixth Committee, the historic significance of the adoption of the Rome Statute was widely acknowledged and a strong consensus emerged on the need to proceed with the preparation work of the future Court," Ambassador Jargalsaikhany Enkhsaikhan of Mongolia said at a press conference in New York.

A draft resolution which the Committee approved for adoption by the General Assembly would bring the Court's Preparatory Commission into operation as early as February 1999. During the course of 1999, the Commission would work on practical proposals for the establishment and coming into operation of the International Criminal Court. The draft resolution, if adopted, would enable all States to participate in the Commission's work. It also provides for the participation of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Chairman Enkhsaikhan also highlighted a number of other accomplishments achieved during the Legal Committee's session, which concluded Tuesday afternoon. They included the adoption of a set of draft principles and guidelines for international negotiations. "It is to be hoped that the agreed principles and guidelines for international negotiations would prove useful in managing international relations, peaceful settlement of disputes and creating new international norms of conduct of States," he said. While acknowledging that the guidelines would not create the political will necessary for successful negotiations, he said they could set a minimum standard against which the conduct of States could be judged.

Another accomplishment was the Committee's decision to initiate the establishment of a text of a draft convention for the suppression of terrorist financing. "This would be an important and extremely useful practical measure to combat terrorism," he said.

The Committee also tried to finalize a draft international convention for the suppression of nuclear terrorism. The Chairman expressed hope that progress on the draft convention would be made in time for the General Assembly to adopt it before its next session opens in September, 1999.

The Rome-based World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that memorial, in the form of a brass plaque, contains the names of its members who have been killed while carrying out their humanitarian work.

"It is an unfortunate reality that the UN flag no longer protects humanitarian aid workers," said Catherine Bertini, the Executive Director of WFP. She said that her agency had chosen to dedicate the memorial to WFP's friends and colleagues so that they would never be forgotten and as a reminder that "our people put their lives on the line every day to feed the hungry and to keep people alive."

The UN agency said that in 1998 alone, eight of its staff members had been murdered, the most recent murder being that of Elias Segala who was shot and killed on November 14 while on duty at a WFP warehouse in Kuito, Angola. WFP added that over the past decade, it had lost 44 colleagues to murder, genocide, and work-related accidents and illnesses.

The head of WFP appealed for more concerted international action to punish those responsible for crimes against humanitarian workers. Ms. Bertini said that authorities in the countries where humanitarian workers got killed should be made to pay a price if they did not act to end this violence. "This is not an easy solution to contemplate but the international community has to begin somewhere because the current situation can't continue," she added.

Representatives from 22 National Olympic Committees in Africa, as well as delegates from Hungary, Iran, Norway and Switzerland are attending the first Regional Seminar on Sport and the Environment.

Sponsored and organized by the International Olympic Organization, (IOC), UNEP, and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, the two-day seminar is focusing on the impact of sporting events on the environment and the wider relationship between environment, sport, culture and health in the region.

"No athlete can perform at his or her optimum level if the air he breathes or the water she swims in is polluted," said Klaus Topfer, the Executive Director of UNEP. He said that the Seminar was one more step in a series of activities being undertaken by UNEP and the IOC since the two organizations signed a cooperative agreement in 1994 to sensitize those involved in sports to the need to protect the environment.

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

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