United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-08-09

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, 9 August, 1999

Latest Developments

HEADLINES

• Secretary-General calls on governments to pledge a better future for world's indigenous peoples.
• Croatia surrenders war crime suspect to UN tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

In a message on the fifth International Day of the World's Indigenous People, Mr. Annan said the occasion was an opportunity to draw the world's attention to indigenous peoples and celebrate and reflect on their contribution to the world's diversity.

"We recognize the resilience and richness of our world's indigenous heritage. And we recommit ourselves to ensuring that these ancient traditions enter a new age -- an era not only of survival, but of revival," said Mr. Annan.

The Day was established in 1995, the year that the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People was launched to strengthen the global response to problems they face in such areas as human rights, the environment, education and health.

Two of the Decade's main objectives are the adoption of the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and the establishment of a permanent forum for them within the UN system.

In his message, the Secretary-General appealed for donors to support two UN voluntary funds that support projects during the Decade and offer travel grants so indigenous representatives can participate in UN meetings.

Croatian authorities delivered Vinko Martinovic, also known as "Stela," to the ICTY's Detention Unit after he had been held since early 1997 for domestic criminal charges. The Tribunal indicted Mr. Martinovic in December 1998 together with Mladen Naletilic for their alleged involvement in the ethnic cleansing of Mostar in 1993 to 1994.

Chief Prosecutor Justice Louise Arbour applauded the Croatian Government's action and demanded the surrender of Mr. Naletilic as well in a statement released at the Tribunal's Headquarters in The Hague.

"In bringing this joint indictment against both accused it was, and still remains, the Prosecutor's intention that they be tried together," the statement read. "The Prosecutor calls upon the Government of Croatia to act promptly in the surrender of the co-accused Naletilic, so that the joint trial of both accused can proceed."

According to the indictment, Mr. Martinovic was a commander of a sub-unit in the "Convicts' Battalion" (KB), whose main tasks "were combat missions on the front-line, expulsions and attacks against Bosnian Muslim civilians in the territories" in Bosnia and Herzegovina occupied by the Croatian Army.

The indictment accuses Mr. Martinovic of planning political, racial and religious persecutions and holds him responsible for the acts of his subordinates, saying that "he knew or had reason to know" what they did or were about to do and failed to prevent or punish such actions.

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

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