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Friday, 22 November 2024
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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-07-01United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSMonday, July 1, 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
Expressing determination to ensuring substantial flows of aid and to provide the necessary support to multilateral action in favour of development, the Heads of State and Government, at the conclusion of G-7 Summit in Lyons, France, issued a Summit statement entitled "A new Partnership for Development." The statement calls on the heads of international organisations to persevere resolutely in their drive to reform and rationalize their institutions and to better coordinate their efforts where rapid deployment of assistance for urgent post-conflict and peace-building is necessary. The G-7 Heads of State and Government decided to pay particular attention to Sub-Saharan Africa, noting that a medium-term strategy will be framed for that continent, taking as its starting point the Initiative on Africa, launched by UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on 15 March. The statement concludes by stating that "based on solidarity and effective burden-sharing among all participants in the development process, this new partnership should contribute to sustainable development and the success of globalisation for the benefit of all." Outlining salient aspects of the discussions, Under-Secretary- General for Administration and Management, Joseph E. Connor today said the G-7 leaders agreed that the work of the UN is being impeded by the present financial crises and they called on Member States to pay their contributions. Underscoring strict budgetary controls currently in place within the UN system, Mr Connor said UN institutions have adopted budgets with a zero, or in some cases negative, growth rate in real terms. "Maximizing the use of increasingly scarce resources, they ensured continuation of their development programmes," he said. The ideas of the G-7 leaders expressed during discussions were in line with those of the Secretary-General, Mr Connor said. He expressed the hope that major progress on reform could be made when the high-level groups resume for the 56th session of the General Assembly. The heads of the UN and the Bretton Woods institutions, for the first time, met with the leaders of the industrialised nations at the conclusion of the Lyons Summit, to elaborate on ways to implement the new partnership for development. UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has extended sympathy to the people of the Republic of Yemen on the toll of life taken by the floods that recently struck that country causing extensive damage to many villages, towns and cities across the country, UN Spokesman Sylvana Foa said. The Secretary-General, the Spokesman said, is taking all the necessary measures to assist in alleviating the hardship that has resulted from this tragedy. Money laundering and financial crimes were undermining national economies as a side-effect of international drug trafficking, the Economic and Social Council noted as it concluded its high-level segment of the current substantive session. The theme of the three-day segment was International Cooperation against the Illicit Production, Sale, Demand, Traffic and Distribution of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances. The meeting also considered the drafting of a global convention on money laundering, noting that if the problem of money laundering was not dealt with multilaterally, there would be unfair distortions in global capital markets. Meanwhile, the Council, at the start of its segment on operational activities for development was told that structural adjustment was dead, but policy reform, sound macroeconomics, open trading systems, limited and efficient government, and a supportive environment for foreign investment were alive and well. "Inter-agency development at the country level was the best example of a new 'intellectual convergence' regarding the changing role of development assistance," Mark Malloch Brown, Vice- President of the World Bank told the Council. Engineering Educators and Industry leaders are expected to meet in Paris tomorrow to look at ways of fostering cooperation between educators and industry to better support national and international economies. The World Congress of Engineering and Industry leaders, jointly organised by the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the UN Industrial and Development Organisation (UNIDO) as well as several other international institutions, will bring together industrialists and leaders of educational institutions as well as intergovernmental and financial institutions to examine ways to fit engineering education to the needs of industry, particularly in developing countries and those evolving towards a market economy. Discussions will revolve around, among others, the role of education and industry in creating sustainable development with acceptable environment impact, continuing education for engineers and researchers, and university- industry cooperation. Some 136 Whittan Franciscan Nuns in Illinois, USA sent a cheque of $598.40 to the UN "for our share of dues outstanding," a UN Spokesman said. In a "heartwarming letter" the sisters say that "our goals of community building are congruent with the mission of the UN and we hope that our witness will encourage others to do so." The International Court of Justice is to hold a public session on Monday, 8 July in The Hague, Netherlands to deliver an advisory opinion on the request made by the World Health Organisation and the UN General Assembly regarding the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of the use of nuclear weapons, a UN Spokesman said. 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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