United Nations Daily Highlights 96-09-26

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, September 26, 1996

HEADLINES

• President of Cyprus proposes complete demilitarisation of that country as General Assembly continues to review global issues.
• UN Secretary-General expresses concern over violent clashes in the West Bank and Gaza.
• Members of the Security Council say they attach utmost importance to bringing to justice those responsible for acts of serious violence in Burundi.
• Setting up of the common institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be decisive phase in peace implementation process, Secretary- General's Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina says.
• Emergency needs assessment mission reaches thousands of civilians lacking basic foods, medicines and safe drinking water in Grand Cape Mount County, Liberia.
• Global ban on nuclear weapons remains in focus as eighty States sign Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
• Hungary becomes 91st member State to pay its 1996 regular budget assessment fees.

He told the General Assembly today that the proposal was part of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem and would be in exchange for the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops, as demanded by the relevant UN resolutions.

Sketching recent developments in Cyprus, President Clerides said any settlement of the Cyprus problem should be based, among others, on a State of Cyprus with a single sovereignty and comprising of two politically equal communities.

Elaborating on the theme of conflict prevention and the promotion of peaceful solutions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Lamberto Dini told the Assembly that controversies could not be pursued solely at the political and military level. "The conditions for peace are found, perhaps primarily, in the economic, social and cultural development of peoples," Mr. Dini said.

He said Italy appreciated the importance of both prevention and post- conflict reconstruction, and was determined to strengthen its collaboration with the UN specialised agencies.

Focussing on the question of UN reform, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, I.S.G. Mudenge told the Assembly, as it continued its general debate, that his country was deeply perturbed by the slow progress in the discussions on the equitable representation of, and increase in the membership of the Security Council. He said Africa, Asia and Latin America should each have at least two permanent seats with incumbents enjoying the same rights and privileges as the permanent members.

Reiterating the decision of the African leaders meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon this year, Dr. Mudenge said Africa had a clear unambiguous position, stressing that it was Africa's turn to provide a Secretary- General. "We stand ready to engage all members of this Organisation in the process of finalising consultations on this subject", Dr. Mudenge said.

Continuing on the theme of UN reform, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Lakshman Kadirgamar told the Assembly that the UN must not be used as a franchise to give legitimacy to causes that may not reflect the general will of the membership on whose behalf the Security Council should act at all times. He added that the present day economic and political realities rather than the past military power should be reflected in discussions on equitable representation on the Security Council.

Underscoring the essence of preventive diplomacy and post-conflict peace- building, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Hans van Mierlo said the UN, should more than ever, focus on the prevention of conflicts, and when conflicts do occur, defusing them at an early stage. He said the UN needs to be on the ground when it matters and where it matters. "This is the lesson that can be drawn from recent crises in Africa, such as Rwanda and Somalia...," Mr. van Mierlo said.

She said the Secretary-General deplored the escalation of violence in which dozens have been killed and hundreds wounded. "The Secretary- General urges restraint and appeals for a halt to any provocative action. He calls on both the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to bring an immediate end to the violence and prevent further casualties," the Spokesman said.

The Secretary-General has also called on the parties to resume negotiations that would lead to a full implementation of the agreements already reached, she said.

In a letter to the Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Alfredo Lopes Cabral said members of the Council continued to attach the utmost importance to bringing to justice those responsible for the assassinations, the massacre and other acts of serious violence which occurred in and after October 1993.

The members of the Council said they had noted the fact that the Commission considered that it was not in a position to identify by name the persons who should be brought to justice for those acts.

The President of the Council stated in the letter that the members of the Council were of the view that, once conditions permitted, the recommendations of the Commission should be given further consideration. "They believe it is vital that measures to deal with the problem of impunity should be addressed in the context of a negotiated political settlement in Burundi", the President of the Council said.

Speaking to UN correspondents on Thursday, Mr. Bildt outlined various initiatives underway towards the full implementation of the Dayton Accord. He said the Security Council was awaiting the certification of the election results before lifting sanctions.

Medical doctors determined that, of 250 children examined in Vonzuan, 50 were severely malnourished and 200 were moderately malnourished. In the other towns, numerous children, women and elderly persons were suffering from degrees of malnutrition, as well as from serious complications of malnutrition and skin infections. "It is clear, however, that the assessment mission did not see much of the population as most people are still living in the forests, hiding from the long months of fighting," UN- HACO said.

The humanitarian community, comprising UN agencies and national and international NGOs, conducted the mission to Grand Cape Mount marking the first visit to the County by relief organisations in six months. Access had been impossible due to heavy factional fighting in the region.

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

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