United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-12-22

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, 22 December, 1998

HEADLINES

• Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in Cyprus until 30 June 1999.
• Security Council endorses Secretary-General's initiative to reduce tensions and promote lasting settlement in Cyprus.
• Security Council members welcome UN efforts to resume humanitarian programme in Iraq.
• Secretary-General recommends extension of United Nations mission in Central African Republic.
• UN food agency alarmed as conflict in Congo uproots thousands.
• UN human rights commissioner says she will continue to press for fair- trial standards.
• Secretary-General unveils exhibit at UN Headquarters featuring Dubai international environmental award.
• Sierra Leoneans comprise largest single group of refugees in Africa: UNHCR.

Noting with concern that restrictions to the freedom of movement of UNFICYP continued, the Council reminded both sides of their obligations to prevent any violence against UNFICYP personnel, and to cooperate fully with UNFICYP and ensure its complete freedom of movement.

The Council also called on the military authorities of both sides to refrain from any action which would exacerbate tensions, particularly in the vicinity of the buffer zone. It reiterated its grave concern at the continuing excessive levels of military forces and armaments on the island and the rate at which they were being expanded, upgraded and modernized.

The Council called upon all concerned to commit themselves to a reduction in defence spending and a reduction in the number of foreign troops in the Republic of Cyprus to help restore confidence between the parties and as a first step towards the withdrawal of non-Cypriot forces. It also stressed the importance of eventual demilitarization of the Republic of Cyprus as an objective in the context of an overall comprehensive settlement and encouraged the Secretary-General to continue to promote efforts in that direction.

The Secretary-General announced the initiative on 30 September 1998 within the framework of his Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus. It involves a process of on-island talks by his Deputy Special Representative for Cyprus, Dame Ann Hercus, with both parties.

By unanimously adopting resolution 1218 (1998), the Council asked the Secretary-General to work with the two sides on a series of objectives aimed at reducing tensions, limiting and reducing the level of all troops and armaments, refraining from the threat or use of force, achieving substantive progress on the core aspects of a comprehensive settlement, and building trust and cooperation between the two sides.

The Council called on the two sides to show compliance with all those objectives in full cooperation with the Secretary-General.

It also expressed appreciation for the spirit of cooperation and constructive approach the two sides have demonstrated so far in working with the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative.

The President of the Council, Jassim M. Buallay of Bahrain, said in a press statement that Council Members had asked the Secretariat, in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other organizations in Iraq, to provide emergency humanitarian assistance if needed.

Meanwhile, 93 UN humanitarian personnel left Amman for Baghdad on Tuesday, according to the Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Manoel de Almeida e Silva. He said the personnel had crossed into Iraq and were due to arrive in Baghdad on Tuesday evening.

The Deputy Spokesman said that the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme, Benon Sevan, had asked the UN humanitarian coordinator on the ground and UN agencies in Iraq to assess the impact of the military action, particularly to installations and facilities related to the oil-for- food programme.

Mr. Sevan had also asked for information about urgent humanitarian needs, which required funding and resources from outside the oil-for-food programme. Those assessments should be completed in approximately one week. Mr. Sevan looked to donor governments and organizations to respond generously to any additional needs identified by the humanitarian agencies, the Deputy Spokesman added.

In his latest report to the Security Council released on Tuesday, the Secretary-General not only outlines the accomplishments of the mission, including the most recent assistance in the legislative elections, but also underscores that the peace process in the country is still fragile. He says that there is the need to create a professional security and defence force, rebuild the national police and to assist in the upcoming presidential elections.

According to the report, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the Central African Republic intends to present to the Government a well- defined timeline and benchmarks to create a strong basis for the restructured armed forces by September/October 1999. The Secretary-General says that MINURCA could play an important role in ensuring the implementation of such a programme in the shortest possible time. In that context, he suggests the creation of a United Nations assistance team, composed of 35 military personnel, in addition to the existing 25 United Nations civilian police advisers, to assist in the restructuring and train- the-trainers process.

Mr. Annan points out that the experience of MINURCA in the preparations of the legislative elections confirms that the involvement of the international community was crucial for this important national endeavour. However, he adds, the stakes for the 1999 presidential elections will be even higher for the future of the country.

The Secretary-General says that the exit strategy for the operation will be firmly linked to the conduct of the presidential elections scheduled to be held by the fall of 1999. The mission would be terminated no later than 60 days after the announcement of the election results. The current strength of the mission is 1,362 personnel and its mandate expires at the end of February.

In a statement released on Tuesday in Nairobi, WFP said fighting, which had broken out in the south-west in September between government troops and militia of former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, was engulfing Brazzaville.

Recently, at least 20,000 displaced Congolese poured into the capital, according to the Rome-based WFP. However, fierce fighting in the city last weekend drove thousands northward and many of them have virtually no food, and little if any money, or personal possessions to help them survive, said the agency.

WFP, which is meeting with other humanitarian agencies to assess the type of assistance needed, said a large-scale humanitarian response would be required if the situation deteriorated. It warned that moving large quantities of relief supplies would be logistically difficult given the country's limited infrastructure, much of it cut off because of the security situation.

In a statement issued following the conviction and sentencing of three Chinese detainees, High Commissioner Mary Robinson recalled that on 5 October 1998 she had urged the Chinese Government in a public statement to apply, even before ratification, the standards enshrined in the International Covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights, which China had signed.

The Commissioner said that she had followed the trials of the three detainees, Qin Yongmin, Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai, and had had occasion to make representations to the Chinese authorities and to urge that the proceedings be open to international observers. Ms. Robinson added that she had also supported measures to guarantee the right to a fair trial and had been promised written information about the trials. Ms. Robinson said that other mechanisms of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights had also requested information about the situation of Xu Wenli, Wang Youcai and Qin Yongmin.

According to the estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Sierra Leonean refugees numbered 440,000 persons, with 350,000 of them sheltered in Guinea, and 90,000 in Liberia.

UNHCR expressed concern about the upsurge of fighting in Sierra Leone, especially around Koidu in the district of Kailahun in the eastern part of the country. The UN agency said it was also concerned about the security situation in Freetown, following a number of rebel incursions close to the capital in recent weeks.

UNHCR said that although there were no reports of new flows of refugees into neighbouring Guinea or Liberia, the fighting was reported to have caused new internal displacement.

In a related development, UNHCR reported on Tuesday that the number of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was growing in Uganda.

The UN agency said that its mission to southwestern Uganda had identified a group of nearly 3,000 Congolese refugees who had fled the Rutshuru district in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past weeks.

The award, which is a replica of a wind tower, will be displayed at the United Nations on an extended loan from the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking at the unveiling of the exhibit, the Secretary-General said it was fitting that the wind tower should serve as the Dubai award. He described wind towers as "a symbol of the Emirates' ability to manage and withstand the winds of change and storms of turmoil that have swept the region in the modern age".

The Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammad J. Samhan, said the Dubai Award represented his country's firm support for partnership among stakeholders, including Governments, local authorities, and international organizations, such as the UN and its agencies, as well as the private sector.

The Award was established following the Dubai International Conference on Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment, which was held in Dubai from 19 to 22 November 1995.

The Dubai exhibit will be seen by tens of thousands of people who take guided tours at UN Headquarters every year.

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

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