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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-06-04United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, June 4, 1996This document is prepared by the Central News Section of the Department of Public Information and is updated every week-day at approximately 6:00 PM. HEADLINES
Delegates to the United Nations Human Settlements Conference (Habitat II), focused on the state of human settlements. Several also put forward strategies for their improvement, as the Conference entered its second day in Istanbul, Turkey. The representative of Brazil called for a commitment to the implementation of the Global Plan of Action, both in its recommendations for action at the national level and those for international cooperation. The Special Representative of President Geraldo Holanda Cavalcanti stressed that such a commitment should result in gradual and actual changes in the quality of people's lives. Jamaica's Minister of Environment and Housing noted that while his government had developed ambitious programmes and strategies to deal with human settlements, the situation, as in other small island developing countries, was compounded by a vulnerability to natural disasters. Minister Easton Douglas highlighted a programme known as Operation Pride - Programme for Resettlement and Integrated Development Enterprises, which promotes self-help rather than reliance on government. He said the programme was the centrepiece of the government's commitment to making land and shelter more accessible and affordable. The representative of Japan, Ambassador Takehiro Togo, noted that human resources development and consideration of the environment and of the socially vulnerable people and women in development were crucial elements to improvement of human settlements. Activities at the grass- roots level were another important factor, he added. Developing countries were calling for financing to implement the Habitat Plan of Action. Many saw a role for international financial institutions such as the World Bank in addressing the problem of human settlements. Managing Director of the Bank Caio Koch-Weser, said while the Bank had been successfully involved in addressing the problems of urban, social and environmental sustainability, its efforts were not without limit. He blamed lack of progress on insufficient and fragmented efforts. "We need to act within an overall strategic framework for urban development" he added. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali today addressed the "Best Practices Awards" for "Excellence in Improving the Living Environment" at a special ceremony in Ankara. Dr. Boutros-Ghali gave prizes to the 12 cities who won the awards, by coming up "with positive solutions to some of the world's pressing social, economic and environmental problems", according to a UN Spokesman. The 12 award recipients, who were given prizes by the United Nations Secretary-General include: Project on Sites and Services for Low-Income Families, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Post-Calamity Reconstruction of Anhui Province's Rural Areas, China and; Community Information Resources Centre in Alexandra, South Africa. Incidents of ethnic cleansing, including a 95-year-old Serb resident who has been severely beaten five times over the last week, have been reported from Sarajevo, over the past several weeks, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. A Muslim man in Banja Luka, who had complained to the local police about a family of Serb refugees who had settled in his house, was harassed, beaten and evicted from his home by a group of young Serbs, she added. It was evident the police did not care or were not doing their job, she noted. Some 229 soldiers of the Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) were quartered yesterday, according to UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa, bringing the total number of UNITA soldiers quartered to 38,261. She recalled that UNITA had promised to quarter 50,000 of its soldiers by 15 June. "They will have to quarter 11,739 soldiers" in the remaining days, if that goal is to be met, she said. Meanwhile, on the Government side, the Rapid Reaction Police now numbers 4, 566, according to the Spokesman. UNITA soldiers were being incorporated into the new national army and the first 15 UNITA officers had been formally integrated into the Angolan Armed Forces. "They will be trained and they will form teams who will go to the quartering sites and select UNITA soldiers from the quartering sites for incorporation into the new national army" she added. By three of five draft resolutions approved by the Administrative and Budgetary (Fifth) Committee, the General Assembly would appropriate or authorize commitments of about $45 million for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), for the period from 1 to 30 June and for the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH), for the period 1 June through August 1996; as well as for conference servicing of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. An appeal calling for $340 million for inter-agency humanitarian programmes in Iraq has been addressed to Member States by the Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Yasushi Akashi. Significant aspects of the current humanitarian programme in Iraq, particularly those which address the special needs of vulnerable groups, will require voluntary contributions from the international community until the implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995), according to Mr. Akashi. Some $80.5 million are urgently needed to cover immediate humanitarian needs of vulnerable groups in Iraq: food, agricultural assistance and nutrition; water supply and sanitation services; basic health services; shelter and education. One more UN Member State has paid its assessed contributions to the 1996 regular budget of the United Nations, a UN Spokesman said. The United Arab Emirates has paid $2,046,635 in full and the contribution brings the total to 69 member states and two non-member states that have so far paid their 1996 regular budget assessment. It was appropriate that in the year of the Habitat II Conference, the theme 'Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home' had been chosen for this year's World Environment Day, said United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Elizabeth Dowdeswell in a message to commemorate World Environment Day, observed every year on 5 June. The ultimate solution to every environment problem "lies in each of us taking the responsibility for our own acts and not giving up hope", she added. Star of the TV series "Madison's Adventures Growing Up Wild", is to be officially designated "Children's Wildlife Ambassador" by UNEP, at a ceremony to be held on World Environment Day - Wednesday 5 June at United Nations Headquarters in New York. In his new role as Children's Wildlife Ambassador, the feline host of the National Education Association- recommended weekly TV series will star in UNEP television public service announcements. UNEP has recently published a guide on environmental issues such as water pollution, air emission, solid waste and chemical handling, which the brewing industry faces. Key elements covered in the guide include assessment of environmental impact, occupational health and safety issues, measuring consumption reducing impact through cleaner methods. UNEP says the guide was prepared jointly with Danbrew, with the assistance of BRF International and Anheuser-Busch Companies. The Commission for Social Development reached near consensus on the structure of its future agenda, by approving, inter alia, a resolution that calls on the Economic and Social Council to decide on several aspects of the Commission's functioning, including the increase of its membership from the current 32 to 46 members. The Commission, at the conclusion of its special session in New York, also approved a provision recommending that the Council should distribute the seats of the increased membership as follows: 12 from African States; 10 from Asian States; nine from Latin America and Caribbean States; five from Eastern European States; and 10 from Western European and other States. It was further agreed that the Commission's sessions be held annually - instead of biannually - and that the meetings should last eight working days. Other issues the Commission agreed upon include: the need for the United Nations to take appropriate measures to strengthen, within existing resources, the United Nations capacity for gathering and analysing information and developing indicators of social development, as well as the adoption of a multi-year programme of activity to the year 2000. In expressing its central role in the follow-up to the Social Summit, the Commission adopted a resolution on strategies and actions for the eradication of poverty, urging governments to integrate poverty eradication strategies into overall development policies taking into account people- centred and equitable approaches with the ultimate goal of improving the human condition. The special session, which began on 21 May, dealt mainly with a review of the Commission's mandate, terms of reference and scope of work. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgUnited Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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