United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-03-17

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, 17 March 1997

HEADLINES

• United Nations Secretary-General unveils wide-ranging reform measures.
• Former United States Secretary of State, James Baker III, appointed as Personal Envoy of United Nations Secretary-General to Western Sahara.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urges warring factions in Zaire to give humanitarian workers full access to refugees in eastern Zaire.
• Special Political and Decolonisation Committee approves draft resolution on 12 Non-Self-Governing Territories.
• Importance of education for achieving women's equality stressed in Commission on Status of Women.
• Austria wants immediate total ban on anti-personnel mines, representative tells Conference on Disarmament.
• Report on mercenaries presented to Human Rights Commission.
• Commission on Narcotic Drugs to hold fortieth session in Vienna from 18 to 27 March.

The reform measures, designed to transfer resources from administration to economic and social programmes include: enhancing support for the intergovernmental processes; reorienting information services, expanding common services; integrating activities at the country level and reducing administrative costs.

The new initiatives are part of the Secretary-General's "two-track" reform programme for the Organisation, involving immediate managerial changes in areas within the Secretary-General's authority, and long-term plan of action to address more fundamental issues involving input from Member States of the United Nations.

Unveiling the reform measures at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mr. Annan told UN correspondents that "reform is a powerful tool for strengthening the Organisation, and not an end in itself".

He expressed pride at the accomplishments of the United Nations and its staff, and stressed that improvements would be accomplished "in a manner which revitalises the spirit and commitment of staff, and renews confidence in the future of the Organisation."

Outlining specific facets of the new reform measures, the Secretary- General said the functions of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, (DPCSD), the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, (DESIPA), and the Department of Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS) would be merged into a single department.

He said the Department of Public Information would be transformed into an Office for Communications and Media Services which will incorporate the latest media technologies and techniques. Emphasis would be placed on the delivery of communications and outreach services to Member States, the media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Mr. Annan said.

Mr. Annan continued by stating that major technical support services for the General Assembly and other intergovernmental bodies, and Conference Services would be integrated into a Department of General Assembly and Conference Services.

Other major targeted areas include, budget and transfer of resources from administration to programmes, working better at country level by enhancing the ability of the United Nations to better deliver programmes; consolidating administrative, financial, personnel, procurement and other services; creating United Nations Code of Conduct, and a 25 per cent reduction in the documentation produced by the Organisation.

The Secretary-General said the second track of the reform programme would unfold in the months ahead in consultation with member States, adding that a report will be issued in July 1997.

"Since assuming office, the Secretary-General has been actively considering how the peace process in Western Sahara can be put back on track," the Spokesman said.

The Security Council had requested the Secretary-General to continue his efforts with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente POLISARIO to break the impasse blocking implementation of the plan for the settlement of the question of Western Sahara, the Spokesman said.

"The refugees are at the end of their strength. Their harrowing odyssey through the wilderness has to stop now, or many more lives will be lost," Ms. Ogata said. She added that the refugee agency would expand its relief operations and start repatriating refugees to Rwanda as soon as it gained unimpeded access to the area.

She said the UNHCR was ready to deploy emergency teams in Kisangani and other areas as soon as the security situation improved. Ms. Ogata expressed the hope that the Alliance leadership would abide by its promises not to attack Ubundu area where the refugees have converged. She stressed that the refugees were extremely exhausted by the months-long trek through the jungle. "They must gather some strength before we can repatriate them to Rwanda", she said.

By the terms of the draft resolution, the General Assembly would call for specific actions with respect to American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, Tokelau, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.

It would also pronounce itself on broader issues applying to all the territories. In addition the Assembly would also ask the Special Committee on Decolonisation to continue its work and to recommend appropriate ways of assisting the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to exercise their right to self-determination.

Speakers suggested the provision of free basic education and scholarships as some of the means to counter high drop-out rates. The representative of Ghana said her country was trying to enroll girls who became pregnant in schools other than the ones from which they had dropped out. That was being done to protect them from sexual harassment and discrimination, she said, adding that family education was being included in the school curricula.

Several speakers emphasised the necessity of integrating gender issues in school curricula and of improving the quality of teaching available to girls. In that regard, a reform of guidance and counselling programmes in schools was important, they said.

According to Ambassador Harald Kreid, the momentum existed for the conclusion of negotiations on a land mine-ban treaty before the end of the year.

He said the Vienna meeting, held from 12 to 14 February and attended by 111 countries, had not solved the question of where such a treaty should be negotiated. Austria was willing to pursue various tracks, but it considered that the Conference could not simply ponder the matter in its customary slow-motion fashion, he said.

Presenting a report to the Commission as it debated the exercise of the right to self-determination,at its meeting in Geneva, the Special Rapporteur said new legislation should make the "recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries" illegal, as such activities violated human rights, sovereignty and the self-determination of peoples.

He added that hundreds of European and African mercenaries were being used by the Zairian government against fighters led by Laurent Kabila in the east of the country, and called for urgent steps to remove mercenaries from the region.

Earlier, the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic told the Commission that the establishment of international tribunals for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda was a remarkable achievement for human rights.

He, however, said that the courts could not execute their mandate if the States concerned did not fulfil their obligations regarding the prosecution and extradition of persons suspected of war crimes, adding that the establishment of a permanent international criminal court was necessary.

During the general debate, several speakers decried the recent decision by the Israeli Government to build a settlement in East Jerusalem.

Against the background of a worsening worldwide drug problem, the Commission will devote the last two days of its meeting to preparations for a special three-day General Assembly session in 1998 to consider international action to fight drug abuse and illicit production and trafficking, the Global Programme of Action adopted in 1990. The Commission will also review the activities of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme during the past year.

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

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