United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-07-20

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, 20 July, 1999

HEADLINES

• United Nations Controller calls on General Assembly to provide funds for Kosovo.
• Secretary-General calls on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to help democracy in Kosovo.
• More than 700,000 Kosovar refugees successfully repatriated, says UNHCR.
• Security Council members express deep concern at minimal progress in Central African Republic.
• Members of Security Council call on rebel movements to observe ceasefire in Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Secretary-General condemns shelling of UN position in southern Lebanon.
• UN population fund welcomes US House vote to restore funding.
• Secretary-General describes press reports of two mass graves in Angola as "deeply disturbing".
• Warring sides in Afghanistan meet to discuss possible ceasefire during UN- sponsored talks.
• Deputy Secretary-General opens exhibit highlighting impact of small arms proliferation on children.
• An estimated 20,000 refugees flee fighting in Republic of Congo, reports UNHCR.
• Conflict in Sudan prevents vaccination of 50,000 children against measles, UNICEF reports* Downward trend in global military spending may be reversed in 2000, says top UN disarmament official.
• Astronauts and Cosmonauts celebrate 30th anniversary of Moon Landing at UNISPACE III Conference in Vienna.

In his 2 July report on financing of UNMIK, the Secretary-General had noted that the timely deployment and effectiveness of the United Nations operation would depend on the availability of sufficient and sizeable case resources. The requested funds are to meet the preliminary operating costs of UNMIK from inception until a full budget is presented to the Assembly in the fall. The amount is inclusive of $50 million already authorized by the Assembly.

The representative of Finland, addressing the Fifth Committee today on behalf of the European Union and associated countries, said the European Union was determined to play its full part in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Kosovo and to contribute to its long-term economic development. The Union would bear its fair share of the overall burden of reconstruction in Kosovo. Since the physical reconstruction and rebuilding of Kosovo fell outside the scope of the UNMIK budget and financing for reconstruction, he said that funding would be raised through international donor conferences.

Members of the Fifth Committee continued consideration of the request for funding of UNMIK. They are expected to formally make its decisions on the allocation of those funds Wednesday.

Also today, the Secretary-General met with OSCE Secretary-General Jan Kubis, to review the democratization and institution-building role the OSCE will play in the United Nations Missions in Kosovo (UNMIK). The institution- building task in one of the four pillars of civilian rehabilitation and reform the United Nations is overseeing in Kosovo. The other pillars are civil administration, to be undertaken by the United Nations itself; humanitarian assistance, led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and economic and reconstruction, managed by the European Union.

In other developments, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, met in Pristina Tuesday with the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Wesley Clark. Wednesday, Mr. Kouchner is scheduled to meet with the President of the World Bank, James Wolfenson, to discuss efforts needed to assist with reconstruction of the region.

During the past weekend, from 16 to 18 July, more than 9,000 refugees returned to Kosovo, many coming from countries outside the area. More than 20,000 refugees have returned from abroad to date, with 14,000 returning from Turkey alone. In addition to refugees returning via The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, a growing number of Kosovars are coming through Albania, mainly on the ferry from Italy to the port of Durres. All efforts are being made by UNHCR staff, working with partners from non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in Albania, to help those refugees return to their homes safely.

In a press statement released after a briefing by Oluyemi Adeniji, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the Central African Republic, Council members expressed dismay at the negative impact of continued fighting and strongly urged all parties to respect the country's neutrality.

They emphasized the importance of settling contentious issues peacefully and democratically, in accordance with the Bangui agreements and the national reconciliation pact. They also urged the Central African Republican authorities and parties to cooperate closely with Mr. Adeniji and take his recommendations into account.

Council Members underlined the need for the authorities to promulgate four National Assembly bills on restructuring the armed forces. They strongly urged the Government to keep the special defence force of the republican institutions (FORSDIR) from assuming law and order functions beyond its mandate. And they also urged the Government to address the crucial issue of salary arrears and take further fiscal reforms to strengthen revenue collection.

In the statement, Council Members said a secure environment would be increasingly important after the departure of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) on 15 November. This would be necessary to assure the establishment of a UN post-conflict peace- building presence, they said and asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report on the situation by 30 September.

After a briefing by Bernard Miyet, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Council members released a press statement reiterating their dismay that leaders of rebel movements had still not signed the agreement. They said the agreement was the only effective way to bring about national reconciliation and lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Council members called again on Rwanda, Uganda and other governments with influence, to "make all necessary efforts" so that rebel movements signed the agreement. They also called on rebels to abide by the ceasefire, pending their signature to the agreement.

In the statement, the Council members welcomed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's preliminary deployment report issued on 15 July and its proposals for initial actions the UN could take to implement the peace accord fully and promptly, and to encourage the rebels to sign the agreement without delay.

In a statement by his spokesman, the Secretary-General also called on the Israeli Government to take measures to ensure that IDF/DFF respect the non- combatant status of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

According to the statement, IDF/DDF de facto forces shelled a UN position in south Lebanon on Monday. The position was hit directly by two artillery rounds, while three other rounds impacted between 4 and 22 metres away. "It was only because of the quick reaction of the Finnish troops manning the position and a great deal of luck that there were no casualties," said the spokesman.

The latest incident recalled others in May and June, in which UN positions were targeted by the IDF/DFF. On 31 May, an Irish soldier was killed by such shelling. Mr. Annan described Monday's incident, which occurred despite Israeli assurances, as "deeply unsettling".

The vote of 221 to 198 is the first in a series of legislative actions needed to complete the funding process, said UNFPA. It is also the first time in several years that the full House has voted in favour of funding for the agency.

"These funds will be used to advance reproductive health and rights, including family planning, maternal health and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS," said UNFPA Executive Director, Nafis Sadik. "It will also help in the fight for gender equality and the full empowerment of women," she added.

In October last year, the US Congress eliminated funding to UNFPA for fiscal 1999. The agency received $20 million from the US in 1998 when its total regular resource income was $280 million.

In a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Annan said because of the deterioration in the security situation, the United Nations did not have a presence in the area and could not confirm the reports at this stage.

The United Nations was attempting to obtain further information or confirmation about the reported mass graves before making any further comment, said the spokesman.

After the hour-long meeting during which a possible exchange of prisoners was also discussed, the two sides were expected to consult with their respective leadership, said a UN spokesman.

Also at the talks were the so-called "Six-Plus-Two" group, which is trying to help resolve the Afghan crisis. The group consists of six countries neighboring Afghanistan -- China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- as well as the United States and the Russia Federation.

The Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, who is chairing the talks, met with the two sides and also held a series of bilateral meetings with delegations from the "Six-Plus-Two" group. Mr. Brahimi will stay in the region to pursue efforts to bring the two warring parties together for direct negotiations under UN auspices.

In her remarks, Ms. Frechette said the problems caused by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons could not be resolved by one entity. "That requires the joint efforts of the whole United Nations family," she said.

"Small children have big dreams. Small arms cause big tragedies. Clearly, the two do not mix. And yet, from war zones to inner city streets to suburban classrooms, this combustible blend is wreaking havoc and ruining lives," said the Deputy Secretary-General.

The exhibit at UN Headquarters in New York is called, "Taking Aim at Small Arms: Defending Children's Rights" and is co-sponsored by the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs and UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund.

Fighting in the Republic of the Congo worsened late last month and more arrivals were feared after the town of Pointe Noire was reportedly shelled three days ago, according to UNHCR. A large number of the refugees are women and children.

The UN agency has distributed limited quantities of emergency aid - - medical supplies, food and blankets -- and is arranging for more local food purchases. UNHCR staff report that refugees have been taken in by local people in Gabon, but many are sleeping in the open or in packed shelters which they have constructed. Some Congolese are already making their way to urban centres such as Libreville, Port Gentil and Franceville.

UNHCR is planning six wells in several main shelter sites and bringing in water purification kits to alleviate the shortage of safe drinking water. Two other UN agencies -- UNICEF the UN Children's Fund and the World Health Organization are preparing to vaccinate the most vulnerable new arrivals.

The so-called Operation Lifeline Sudan could reach approximately 150,000 children in Upper Nile and Jonglei regions if flight bans, conflict and the onset of the rainy season did not hinder access to remote areas.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to respect a period of tranquility and open air access to allow humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving assistance and measles vaccinations, which are essential to prevent this deadly disease.

The population of the area is already extremely weakened by chronic fighting since 1998, which has forced thousands of people to flee the area. Furthermore, the Medecins du Monde Staff had to be partly evacuated, leaving some towns without adequate medical care.

The global arms expenditure, $745 billion or $125 per capita in 1998, continued to dwarf spending on social sectors essential to human well-being, Mr. Dhanapala continued. Security against military threats and all other forms of violence was a precondition to the creation of an enabling environment for eradicating the curse of poverty, and achieving sustainable development, the Under-Secretary-General said.

The symposium was organized by the Steering Group comprising the Under- Secretary-Generals for Disarmament Affairs, Economic and Social Affairs and Peacekeeping Operations and the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with Economists Allied for Arms Reduction (EAAR).

Entitled "A Celebration of Humans in Space", the event was chaired by Franz Viehb”ck, the first Austrian to travel into space, and Astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Other participating astronauts and cosmonauts included, Claudie Andre- Deshays (France), Pedro Duque (Spain), Chris Hadfield (Canada), Alexey Leonov (Russia), Ulf Merbold (Germany), Chiaki Mukai (Japan), Dumitru Dorin Prunariu (Romania) and Yuri Romanenko (Russia).

The panel discussed the challenges of working side by side in space and the contribution of cosmonauts and astronauts to international cooperation.

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

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