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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-07-23United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, July 23, 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
The Secretary-General has urged the Security Council to take immediate action in response to the deteriorating situation in Burundi, UN Spokesman Sylvana Foa announced today. Ms. Foa said that in a letter to the President of the Council, the Secretary-General called on the international community to take concrete and immediate action to stop the cycle of violence and to prevent another catastrophe in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. He reiterated the need to press forward with the ongoing contingency planning for a multi- national force, she added. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has protested against the forcible return of Rwandan refugees, UN Spokesman Sylvana Foa said today. The UNHCR has demanded that Burundi immediately stop the forced return of thousands of Rwandan refugees, describing it as a flagrant violation of basic human rights and international refugee instruments, Ms. Foa added. In a letter to the Burundian President, High Commissioner Sadako Ogata expressed her indignation and serious concern over the treatment inflicted on refugees and the UNHCR staff, the Spokesman said. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has taken action on the protection of Palestinian women. Acting on the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Council demanded that Israel, the occupying Power, comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families. Under other provisions of the resolution on Palestinian women, the Council called on Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes in the occupied territory. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) also took action on the advancement of women. Under a resolution concerning the follow-up to the Beijing Conference on Women, the Council decided that the Commission on the Status of Women should have a catalytic role in mainstreaming a gender perspective in United Nations policies and programmes. The Council approved a multi-year work programme which would enable the Commission to consider critical areas of concern identified in the Beijing Platform of Action by the year 2000, beginning next year with consideration of, among others, education and training of women; women and the economy; women in power and decision-making; and women in the environment. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Jose Ayala Lasso, has launched an appeal for contributions from UN Member States in order to increase the number of human rights observers in Burundi to 35. The cost of such a deployment is set at $5,029,630. In the appeal, the High Commissioner recalled that an initial group of five human rights observers was deployed earlier this year through the financial assistance of the European Commission. He stated that an evaluation report commissioned by the High Commissioner concluded that a human rights observer operation in Burundi was currently both useful, feasible and had a deterrent effect. Portugal has honored its treaty obligations paying its regular budget assessment in full. UN spokesman Sylvana Foa said Portugal paid $2,991,183., on 9 May. That brings the total to 80 Member States that have paid their assessed contribution in full. The Spokesman apologized for the late acknowledgement. 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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