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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-07-25United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSThursday, July 25, 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
UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has expressed deep concern at reports that the armed forces of Burundi have over-thrown the legitimate coalition Government and announced the installation of a new President, UN Spokesman Sylvana Foa announced today. "The situation remains uncertain and the Secretary-General is in frequent contact with the Special Representative in Burundi, Mr Mark Faguy. The Secretary- General strongly urges all concerned to uphold the constitution and to bear in mind that the international community will not accept the change of government by force or other illegitimate means in Burundi," the Spokesman said. The Secretary-General called upon the armed forces, all political parties and the people of Burundi to show restraint and prevent any new outbreak of violence, which would only increase the extent and duration of suffering of the Burundian people. He noted that the armed forces should also recognise that a coup will not solve any of Burundi's problems and is only likely to intensify violence on all sides. Supporting calls for a regional Summit meeting that should be urgently convened to discuss ways of calming the situation in Burundi, Dr Boutros- Ghali indicated that the UN Secretariat has intensified consultations with Member States concerning contingency planning for a rapid humanitarian response in the event of widespread violence in Burundi. Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali has learned with horror of the loss of a large number of lives and many injuries caused by an explosion on a crowded train on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka. "The Secretary- General condemns in the strongest possible terms, all attacks targeting civilians and extended his sympathies to the families of the victims", UN Spokesman Sylvana Foa said. "Terrorism can have no justification" and "represents a direct challenge to all of us", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has said in a message to the International Institute for Non-aligned Studies Conference being held today in New Delhi, India. The theme of the conference, "Democracy and Terrorism" was never far away from his mind, he told the conference. Dr. Boutros-Ghali noted that terrorism is the very antithesis of democracy and the instrument of dictators. He recalled that the international community had already agreed to cooperate in its efforts against the terrorist threat. The United Nations was at the forefront of such initiatives and has called for a more systematic and organized response from Member States, greater cooperation, and the sharing of information, he added. "Today, the United Nations stands ready to coordinate new counter- terrorist measures on a global scale", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros- Ghali said. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has urged Member States to report suspicious movements or thefts of precursor chemicals and take a series of measures to control them under the terms of one of two resolutions, adopted without a vote, as the Council continued its general segment. The resolution was recommended by the Commission on Narcotics Drugs. Under the terms of the other text, the Council invited governments to establish authorities to control psychotropic substances and exercise vigilance over their import. The Council also took note of a cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration. Director-General Federico Mayor of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has expressed great concern over "the tragic situation in Burundi". Mr. Mayor said the situation in that country was "characterized by the repeated murder of innocent civilians and the weakening of its institutions". The Director-General reiterated UNESCO's commitment to the peace process in Burundi and expressed his "complete solidarity with all those who ceaselessly work for national reconciliation". The first 21 judges to serve on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea are expected to be elected by the meeting of the States parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Convention, presently in session in New York, would also approve the draft agreement on the privileges and immunities of the Tribunal, its judges, the Registry and staff. The Tribunal's 21 judges will be chosen from a list of 33 candidates nominated by more than 35 States, during elections scheduled for 1 August. Under the Convention, the election must ensure that there is equitable geographical distribution in the Tribunal and among its judges, and that the Tribunal must represent the principal legal systems of the world. The Convention on the Law of the Sea requires States parties to settle their disputes on interpretation or application of the Convention by peaceful means. A "truce" which has been holding in war-torn Afghanistan since the start of the Atlanta Olympic Games ended in a major rocket attack on the Afghan capital of Kabul. All major warring factions had agreed to lay down their arms in response to a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) brokered- agreement to ensure safe passage for health workers to reach 3 million children with life saving immunisations as part of an Olympic Aid-Atlanta mass immunisation campaign. UNICEF announced its officials will now appeal to all factions in Afghanistan's 17 year conflict to re-establish the "truce" for the remaining days of the Olympic games. A comprehensive index of links to all United Nations system sites on the Internet World Wide Web has been launched, providing users with "one stop shopping" to the dozens of agencies which comprise the UN system. The Web Site Location can be accessed at "http://www. unsystem.org". Prepared by the inter-agency task force of the Information Systems Coordinating Committee of the Advisory Committee on Coordination, the locator provides Member States with optimal access to the United Nations Informatics system, as recommended by Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/61 of 28 July 1995. 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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