United Nations Daily Highlights 96-08-20

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, August 20, 1996

HEADLINES

• UN Secretary-General says political mechanisms have to be found to share power between the majority and the minority in Burundi.
• The UN Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala says progress has been made in compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights, albeit insufficient.
• India says it will oppose the existing text on the comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty; Negotiating Committee reports a deadlock on treaty negotiations.
• An Independent Task Force on UN reform says the Organisation is a useful and important instrument to United States national policy and interests.
• The Preparatory Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court focuses on trial verdicts and reprisal procedures.
• UN Secretary-General appoints new Judge to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

In a report on the situation in Burundi, Dr. Boutros-Ghali said it would be quicker and more effective if military intervention is planned by countries with the necessary military and logistic capacity, adding that "it is a delusion to think that such an operation could be planned, deployed and commanded by the United Nations as if it were a peace- keeping operation".

He said the conflict in Burundi is exacerbated by a deeply rooted perception among its people that the survival of each community would be imperilled, unless it secured the reins of power for itself.

"Consequently, the historically dominant Tutsi minority refuses to relinquish effective control, whereas the Hutu majority is determined to recover the power which it won in a democratic election in 1993," Dr. Boutros-Ghali added.

He stressed that political mechanisms had to be found to share power between the majority and the minority in a way that would allay fears of both sides and gradually build the confidence that would enable them to live in harmony. "It is also evident that in the present circumstances the two sides will not be able to identify and establish effective political mechanisms by themselves," the Secretary-General noted.

Emphasising that while the human rights situation continued to be of serious concern, involving impunity and serious public insecurity, the Mission Director said the overall context in Guatemala was increasingly positive, and was marked by important strides forward in the peace process and a growing commitment by the Government and civil society to move forward in the fight against impunity and the consolidation of a state of law in which human rights were respected.

The report recognised the efforts made by President Alvazo Arzu and his Government to combat crime and, with regard to the peace process, highlighted the suspension of offensive actions by the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) and counter-insurgency actions by the Army, which had helped to reduce the suffering of the civilian population.

Underlining the fact that, while goodwill and action by the Government were necessary, the report stated that they were not sufficient in themselves to bring about desired results. Action was also required by national institutions and by society as a whole, supported by the international community, the report stated.

According to a UN Radio report, India put on record its opposition to the existing text and said it would block any effort by the Conference to forward the text in any form to the UN General Assembly.

Noting that the position resulted from the refusal to recognise her country's legitimate concerns, Ambassador Arun Dhati Ghose of India said her country's concerns included calls for a timetable for nuclear disarmament and provisions to prevent nuclear development and proliferation in its region as well as objections to language requiring its adherence to the treaty.

The Conference adopted the report of its Negotiating Committee and would decide on further action at Thursday's plenary meeting.

Meanwhile, the European Union urged all countries participating in the negotiation of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in Geneva to accept and adopt the draft Treaty text presented on 28 June by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Conference on Disarmament.

In a statement issued by the Presidency on its behalf, the European Union said proceedings in Geneva must reflect the sense of urgency felt by the international community. "The EU believes that further urgent efforts must now be made to ensure that the draft text is adopted and opened for signature within the agreed timetable," the statement concluded.

The 26-member Task Force, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations said the major powers in the United Nations should agree on when, how and where to use the organisation wisely. Speaking to Un correspondents on Monday, the Chairman of the Task Force, George Soros said the Task Force had concluded that since the end of the cold war, the United Nations had served American interests well when American Presidents had a clear and firm position.

"...the United Nations is in crisis, mainly in the United States ...partly because of political jockeying, but principally because Member States, including the United States have failed to pay their bills, have given the United Nations responsibilities without the power to carry them out, and have blamed the United Nations for failures in national policies," Mr. Soros said.

He added that the UN remained first and last, simply an organisation of Member States with little or no independent power and with its ultimate effectiveness dependent on the unity of the major powers.

The Task Force members came from widely varied professional and political backgrounds.

Several delegations indicated that the provisions of the court's draft statute on protection were insufficient. The representatives of Egypt and the United States suggested that the protection unit should be similar to the special unit established by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

The meeting also heard that if the judges in the trial chamber of the proposed international criminal court could not reach a verdict, the accused should be acquitted.

Representatives of Germany and Italy said that all the judges should be present while the trial was in progress, and not a minimum of four as stated in the draft.

Mr. Justice Saad Saood Jan will serve the remainder of the term of office of Judge Rustam Sidhwa, also from Pakistan who has resigned for reasons of health.

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

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article