United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-03-31

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, 31 March 1997

HEADLINES

• Security Council decides to extend mandate of UN Verification Mission to Angola until 16 April.
• Security Council decides to authorise increase in strength of UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina by 186 police and 11 civilian personnel.
• Security Council welcomes establishment of multinational protection force for Albania.
• United Nations Secretary-General deplores attack against peaceful demonstrators in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• United Nations Secretary-General to pay official visit to India, Italy and Germany.
• General Assembly extends mandate of United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala until 31 March 1998.
• Two warring sides of Zaire agree to talks and cease fire.
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees says returning boatloads of Albanians to the country is inappropriate way of handling mass outflow of people.
• Unloading of 13,000 tons of Thai rice ends in Umm Qasr, Iraq.
• Administrative and Budgetary Committee asks expert body to present eight proposals for scale of assessments after failing to agree on single set of elements.
• New York City diplomatic parking programme should be delayed, speakers in Host Country Committee say.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1102 (1997), the Council called upon both parties, the Government of Angola and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), to form the GURN on 11 April 1997, as decided by the Government of Angola and announced by the Joint Commission.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today informed the Security Council that the Angolan Government and UNITA had agreed on a date for establishing the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation - 11 April 1997, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General Fred Eckhard said.

While briefing the Council on the subject of Angola, the Secretary- General said he had convinced UNITA's leader Dr. Jonas Savimbi to send the UNITA members of the Parliament to the capital, Luanda, to sit in a session of the Parliament that he addressed, according to the Spokesman. Some 58 UNITA members came to hear the Secretary-General's address the next day, he added.

Dr. Savimbi also sent a number of ministers, vice-ministers and other UNITA members of the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation, which is to be formed according to the Lusaka Protocols, the Spokesman noted.

The Spokesman said the Secretary-General felt that, while there were still significant aspects of the Peace Agreement to implement, the peace process was back on track.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1103 (1997), the Council urged Member States, with the support of the Secretary-General, to provide qualified police monitors and other forms of assistance and support to the UN-IPTF and in support of the Peace Agreement.

It also called upon all parties to the Peace Agreement to implement all aspects of that Agreement and to cooperate in full with the UN-IPTF in the conduct of its activities.

Adopting resolution 1101 (1997) by a vote of 14 in favour to none against, with 1 abstention (China), the Council welcomed the offer made by Italy to take the lead in organising and commanding the force. The Council also decided that the operation would be limited to a period of three months and that the cost would be borne by the participating Member States.

Taking note of the 27 March decision of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to provide the coordinating framework within which other international organisations could play a part, the Council also requested the Member States participating in the multinational force to provide periodic reports at least every two weeks, with the first such report to be made not later than 14 days from 28 March. At the end of the stipulated three-month period, the Council will assess the situation on the basis of those reports.

The Spokesman said Mr. Annan called on the Royal Government of Cambodia to investigate this act of violence and take all appropriate measures to see that such incidents are not repeated. The Secretary- General also called on all sides to exercise restraint and to do their utmost to ensure a political process conducive to the holding of free and fair elections scheduled for 1997 and 1998, according to the Spokesman.

Mr. Annan will then travel to Geneva, where he will chair a meeting of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), the coordinating mechanism for the entire United Nations system, the Spokesman added. He will make an official visit to Italy from 11 to 16 April, and another one to Germany from 16 to 18 April.

In adopting, without a vote, the resolution on MINUGUA, the Assembly authorised the Secretary-General to commit up to US$ 21 million for the Mission from 1 April to 31 December 1997 and requested him to continue to develop appropriate means to identify resources for the Mission within the limits of the approved budget for the current biennium and to submit a report with the recommendations on the structure and staffing of the Mission after 31 March 1998.

A specific date was impossible to make at the time because of communication problems, although the talks, which will take place in South Africa, are now expected to get underway on 5-6 April, according to the Spokesman. The talks will be led by the Joint UN/OAU negotiator, Mohamed Sahnoun.

Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has begun to move some 17,000 refugees from Lula, which is 7 kilometres from Kisangani, to one of the temporary sites for refugees, 19 kilometres south of Kisangani, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General added.

UNHCR emergency team, together with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have now had access to an estimated 100,000 refugees on the Ubundu/Kisangani access, according to the Spokesman. Three temporary sites have been set up along this route, he said, noting that a train carrying 230 tons of food today made its way to all locations along the route, except Lula.

Italy has begun - at the request of the Albanian Government - this kind of interdiction, according to the Agency.

"The initial flows of people from Albania appeared to be composed of those who feared persecution or those who fled to escape generalised violence. We agree with the Italian government's assessment that many of those involved in the later exodus may be motivated by the desire to leave Albania for purely economic reasons," UNHCR stated.

UNHCR has shown appreciation for the generous and humanitarian approach that the Italian Government has taken so far.

"While mindful of Italy's response to a pressing Albanian request and of its concern not to be overwhelmed by new arrivals with no protection needs, we are anxious that those who may be in need of temporary refuge should be able to reach safety and have their protection needs assessed," UNHCR noted.

Another shipment of rice is expected between 10 and 11 April, he said, adding that 14,500 tons were enroute to Iraq by ship.

On 29 March, the last truck transporting 1,500 tons of iodized salt crossed the border from Jordan, this being the second contract approved by the Sanctions Commission that has been completed, the Spokesman noted. In total, as of 30 March, 18,144.9 metric tons of goods have arrived in Iraq, he said.

Major points of contention include proposals on whether to set the maximum assessment rate at 20 or 25 per cent of the budget and whether to use statistical base periods of three, six or nine years.

The base period is the number of years used in calculating the national income of States for assessments purposes. It is currently 7.5 years.

Speakers noted that the opinion of the United Nations Legal Counsel on the Programme had been issued on 20 March and, while in general the Programme was found acceptable, it indicated several provisions "do not appear to be consistent with international law." Most speakers said the programme should not be implemented as scheduled, allowing time for certain elements to be clarified.

The representative of the United States, Robert Moller, defended the programme and said it could be implemented in a comprehensive manner as scheduled on 1 April. Implementation would allow the diplomatic community to receive the benefits provided in the programme and to assume their responsibilities under local parking laws, said Carolyn Wilson, of the United States.

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

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