United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-07-30

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, 30 July, 1999

HEADLINES

• Secretary-General Kofi Annan says regional approach can support lasting peace and stability in Balkans.
• United Nations administration is only government in Kosovo, stresses head of UN mission, Bernard Kouchner.
• Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova expected to return to province.
• Mandate of UN force in Lebanon renewed for six months.
• Security Council extends mandate of UN Mission in Georgia until end of January.
• UN refugee agency deals with growing wave of displaced people in East and West Timor.
• Security Council members welcome African leaders commitment to deal with challenges facing continent.
• Million people face severe food shortages in Somalia, says UN official.
• Mexico to ratify the 1951 refugee convention.

The message was read to the Stability Summit for South Eastern Europe by Mr. Annan's Special Envoy for the Balkans, Carl Bildt.

The Secretary-General said peace and stability could be achieved by integrating the region into the larger economies of Europe and by continuing to place respect for human rights of both minorities and majorities at the core of reconstruction.

The Secretary-General said the international community's emphasis should be on enabling the people and parties themselves to build lasting peace and democracy.

At the close of the Summit in Sarajevo Friday, participants adopted a 15- point declaration outlining steps to enhance regional peace and stability. Specifically, governments committed themselves to efforts to achieve economic and political reform, development and enhanced security in the region. They also pledged to pursue democratization and the protection of human rights, transition to a market economy, establishment of the rule of law, and regional cooperation.

The two-day meeting, which was chaired by the European Union, was attended by some 40 heads of State and Government, and more than 15 international and regional organizations.

Speaking to the press in Sarajevo following the close of the Stability Pact Summit, Dr. Kouchner said although the mandate of the UN Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was temporary, it would fully exercise its civil authority over the province.

Dr. Kouchner, as the Secretary-General's Special Representative, heads UNMIK which holds ultimate legislative and executive powers pending the establishment of self-government.

The UN was not, however, in competition with any of the parties, Dr. Kouchner said. It would cooperate closely with all groups to develop a system of democratic self-government. He said all Kosovar parties must participate in the Kosovo Transitional Council, which serves as the highest political authority in the province.

Meanwhile in New York, Sergio Vieira de Mello, former acting Special Representative for Kosovo, said at a press briefing that the assumption of some civil authority by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) could not be seen as a truly negative development.

If persons assuming civil responsibility were carrying out their functions democratically and inclusively, they should be maintained, said Mr. Vieira de Mello, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. However, if they were not, they would be removed by UNMIK, with the backing of the KFOR international military force.

Responding to recent press criticism that slowness on the part of the UN had allowed the KLA to take over civil authority, he said since arriving in Kosovo on 13 June þ just 24 hours after KFOR þ UNMIK had made great strides in setting up the civil administration.

The UN was not a colonial power sent to Kosovo to impose authority from abroad, he said. It was there to promote self-government and autonomy. Each person in a role of civil authority would operate under the sole authority of Dr. Kouchner, cooperate closely with a UN regional administrator and be assisted by UN civil affairs officers.

"We welcome his return to Kosovo and look forward to his participation in the Council" said an UNMIK Spokesman.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative, Bernard Kouchner has repeatedly urged Rugova to return to the Kosovo Transitional Council. As Dr. Kouchner put it after the first Council meeting held on 16 July, it is impossible to imagine discussing the future of Kosovo in the Council without having the LDK present and obviously to have Mr. Rugova there would add weight to that body.

Meanwhile, in an encouraging development at odds with reports from elsewhere in Kosovo, local Serb representatives from Orahovac are willing to stay on. The Serbs told the UN refugee agency that a dialogue has been established with the Albanian community.

In a unanimous resolution, the Council reiterated its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders.

The Council called on all parties to cooperate fully with the UN Force, condemned all acts of violence, particularly against the UN force, and urged the parties to end them.

In a Presidential Statement, the Council expressed its concern over the continuing violence in southern Lebanon, expressed its regret over the loss of civilian life and urged all parties to exercise restraint.

The Council noted with deep concern the high level of casualties which UNIFIL has suffered and paid a special tribute to all who those who had given their life while serving with the Force.

In the statement, the Council also stressed that its resolution 425 of 1978 needed to be implemented urgently. The resolution set up the UNIFIL to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist Lebanon to re- establish its authority in the area.

The Council commended Lebanon for its successful effort to extend its authority in the south of the country in cooperation with UNIFIL.

In a unanimous vote, the Council demanded that the parties to the conflict widen and deepen their commitment to the UN-led peace process, continue to expand their dialogue and contacts at all levels and display the necessary will to achieve substantial results on the key issues of the negotiations.

The Council underlined the need for the parties to achieve an early and comprehensive political settlement, which includes a settlement of the status of Abkhazia, within the State of Georgia. It also expressed concern at the situation of refugees and displaced persons, particularly those resulting from hostilities of May 1998.

Further, the Council demanded that both sides observe strictly the Moscow Agreement of 14 May 1994 on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces. It noted the substantial progress on setting up a joint mechanism for violations of the Agreement, as well as the greater restraint exercised by the parties along the line of separation of forces.

The Council decided that UNOMIG's mandate would be subject to review if there were any changes to the mandate or presence of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping force.

According to UNHCR, an estimated 45,000 to 60,000 persons have been displaced in East Timor. Anti-independence militias have been intimidating sympathizers of the pro-independence movement since early May, when the United Nations, Indonesia and Portugal agreed that a referendum would be held to decide East Timor's future.

At the same time, up to 10,000 opponents of East Timor's independence have fled to West Timor, whose future will not be subject to a referendum. The displaced persons on both sides lack adequate food, medical care, shelter and protection. UNHCR's emergency programme in Timor initially runs for six months.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) is in the process of registering an estimated 400,000 eligible voters for the ballot. To date, about 240,000 voters have been registered.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has set 30 August as the date for the ballot which has been postponed twice amid concerns over the security situation in East Timor.

In a press statement, the Council encouraged the OAU and its current Chairman, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, to continue their efforts to find solutions to the numerous conflicts and other challenges facing their continent. They also encouraged the international community, including relevant international financial and development institutions to provide assistance to the African Governments.

Earlier this week, Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefed the Council on his contacts with African leaders before and during the Summit.

According to the spokesman, humanitarian agencies have not been able to assist some vulnerable communities, particularly in the area of Kismayo and the capital Mogadishu, where some 300,000 displaced persons are living in precarious conditions.

However, in some areas, improved security conditions have enabled relief agencies to make progress, the spokesman said. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) began redeploying staff to their offices in Baidoa earlier this month.

The UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Alvaro de Soto, briefed the Security Council about conditions in Somalia, said the spokesman.

Mexican Interior and Foreign Ministry officials made the announcement during talks with UN High Commissioner Sadako Ogata in Mexico City late Thursday.

"This is an historic day in partnership between Mexico and UNHCR and a key step towards UNHCR's effort to achieve universal accession to the refugee convention by the year 2000," said Ms. Ogata.

Mexico, Guyana and Cuba are the last three major refugee-hosting countries in the Americas which have not yet acceded to the 1951 Convention or the 1967 Protocol, the two legal pillars of refugee protection worldwide.

The announcement came one day after Ms. Ogata, accompanied by Mexico's President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon and Guatemala's President Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen officially ended the repatriation program for tens of thousands of Guatemalan refugees who fled their country at the peak of a 36- year civil war.

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

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