United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-03-23

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, 23 March, 1999

HEADLINES

• Security Council members look forward to suspension of sanctions against Libya.
• Members of Security Council reaffirm support for work of UN police monitors in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Tensions rise sharply as refugees flood Kosovo's main city of Pristina.
• Secretary-General recommends mandate of UN Mission in Western Sahara be extended by one month.
• Secretary-General plans independent inquiry on UN response to Rwanda genocide.
• New US national committee to advocate return of American funds for UN population agency.
• UN General Assembly President expresses shock at assassination of Paraguayan Vice-President.
• Top UN emergency relief official says urgent measures needed after aid worker killed in Somalia.

In a press statement, Security Council President Ambassador Huasun Qin of China said the Council members welcomed Libya's indication, given in its 19 March letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, that it would hand over two suspects wanted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland to the Secretary-General on or before 6 April.

Ambassador Qin said Council members looked forward to the handover in accordance with agreed arrangements and taking into account also the information provided by French authorities regarding UTA flight 772. They also reaffirmed existing Council resolutions as the basis for bringing about a full and final conclusion of the situation.

Members thanked Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his efforts in reaching an understanding with Libya on implementation of Security Council resolution 1192 (1998) and the positive actions by the Governments of South Africa, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

The Mission has a mandate to help monitor, restructure and reform the local police, assess the judicial system and strengthen the legal system's respect for human rights.

The President of the Security Council Ambassador Huasun Qin of China read a press statement after the Council had discussed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's latest report on the Mission. Ambassador Qin said Council members welcomed progress in police restructuring and reform as well as the establishment of the rule of law in both entities -- the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. They appealed to both entities to commit to further progress in order to make it self- sustaining.

Aware of recent challenges to the political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Council members reminded the leaders of both entities of their obligation to fulfill the provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement and appealed for effort to ensure the functioning of common institutions in the country.

According to staff from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the city's usually bustling market place was practically empty because people feared going out onto the streets. UNHCR reports a heavy police presence following the killing of four policemen on Sunday night and a number of bomb blasts.

UNHCR dispatched a convoy of nine trucks to seven locations inside Pristina to assist 12,000 people seeking refuge in the city. Remaining aid workers are finding it increasingly difficult to access certain areas in Kosovo because of the scope of the military operations. On Monday, one UNHCR convoy in Kosovo was stopped by police 11 times.

Agency staff were unable to enter the town of Srbica which they found two thirds empty on Sunday. Earlier, gunfire and shelling could be heard in villages in Vucitrn, Srbica and Glogovac in the Drenica area and in Podujevo along the Pristina-Belgrade road.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a statement on Monday appealing to the Yugoslav authorities to halt their military offensive in Kosovo, act to alleviate the humanitarian situation and reach a political settlement.

The referendum will decide whether the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara should gain full independence or become part of Morocco.

In his latest report on the Western Sahara, the Secretary-General said Morocco had indicated its acceptance, in principle, of a UN-proposed package, designed to accelerate the referendum process. This was on the understanding that certain amendments would be incorporated in the identification and appeals protocols, and that operational directives, together with a revised timetable, would be provided to the parties by the UN Mission.

Morocco asked that the modalities for organizing the identification and appeals be consistent with the objective of holding the referendum by March 2000. According to the report, the UN Mission expects to provide the parties with revised texts at the end of March.

The Secretary-General has designated Robin Kinloch, the Chairman of the Identification Commission, as Acting Special Representative in Western Sahara. The former head of the UN Mission, Charles F. Dunbar announced he would resign when his contract expires at the end of March.

MINURSO was established in accordance with the Settlement Plan of 30 August 1988 to undertake several tasks, including monitoring a ceasefire, and identifying and registering qualified voters for the referendum.

A UN spokesman on Tuesday confirmed press reports that the Secretary- General sent a letter last week to the President of the Security Council asking for its support in the inquiry, which he said would seek to establish the facts and reach conclusions on the United Nations response.

Ms. Maloney was speaking at a UN press conference in support of the newly formed U.S. Committee for UNFPA set up to increase Congressional and public support for the agency. Ms. Maloney said the bill, which would restore $25 million in US funding in fiscal year 200O and $35 million in fiscal year 2001, also had support from more than 40 independent non-government organizations.

Traditionally, Ms. Maloney said, one quarter of U.S. family planning assistance went to UNFPA, but last year funding for the agency was completely cut by a conservative Congress. The loss of funding would mean that 870,000 people would be deprived of effective modern contraceptive, leading to 500,000 unintended pregnancies, 234,000 births, 200,000 abortions and thousands of maternal and child deaths, she added.

At the press conference, Robin Chandler Duke, the Director of the U.S. Committee for UNFPA, said many in Congress did not recognize UNFPA's accomplishments. Because of the agency's work, many Asian and African countries had better health services and 60 per cent of the world's fertile couples now had access to family planning services compared with only 10 per cent 30 years ago. Americans needed to hear about that great success story, she stressed.

UNFPA Executive Director Nafis Sadik said she hoped the many influential people working with the new U.S. Committee would help restore American funding. The U.S. should re-establish their leadership and recommit their support and resources to the UNFPA's cause of providing universal access to reproductive health and family planning services, she said.

According to press reports, gunmen shot and killed Vice-President Luis Maria Argana in his car while on his way to work Tuesday morning.

In a statement, General Assembly President Didier Opertti of Uruguay sent his condolences to Mr. Argana's family and expressed his sincere hope that the democratic institutions of Paraguay would be able to overcome the crisis quickly and efficiently.

Sergio Vieira de Mello said he was deeply saddened by the brutal death of Deena Marie Umbarger of the United Methodist Committee, and that the killing was a reminder that the international community had to "safeguard the lives of relief workers and civilians, whose only aim is to help the vulnerable populations".

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

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