United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-04-16

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Wednesday, 16 April 1997

HEADLINES

• Security Council decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission to Angola until 30 June 1997.
• Security Council expresses concern at the continued fighting in Afghanistan.
• United Nations Secretary-General expresses sadness at the tragic death of almost 200 pilgrims near the Holy City of Mecca.
• United Nations Secretary-General says it is essential that the international community continues efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East.
• Food and Agriculture Organisation says Asian water pumps could help African farmers.
• Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned countries underscore the vital role of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation at recent ministerial conference in India.
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is to pioneer United Nations staff training project.
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is to plan the region's step into the 21st century.

The extension of the mandate, the Council said, was with the understanding that UNAVEM III would begin, as appropriate, to proceed with the transition towards an observer mission, using resources already provided to UNAVEM III for the period ending 30 June 1997.

In a unanimous resolution, the Council expressed its intention to consider the establishment of a follow-on United Nations presence which would succeed UNAVEM III. It called on the Secretary-General to submit a report outlining the structure, specific goals, and cost implications of such an observer mission.

Welcoming the inauguration on 11 April 1997 of the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation, the Council urged the parties to complete without delay the remaining military aspects of the peace process, as well as to move ahead with the political tasks. It said it considered that a meeting between the president of Angola and the leader of UNITA, within the territory of Angola, would contribute to the process of national reconciliation.

The Council called on the Afghan parties to end immediately all hostile actions and to enter into sustained negotiations. "The Council strongly believes that a negotiated settlement is the only solution to the long- standing conflict in this country", the President of the Council said.

He said the Council fully supported the United Nations efforts to facilitate national reconciliation in Afghanistan, adding that the Council was convinced that the United Nations must continue to play the central role in assisting the warring Afghan factions to engage in a fully-fledged negotiating process.

The Council said it was deeply concerned at the worsening of the humanitarian situation, including the displacement of the civilian population. It said it was equally concerned at the discrimination against women and other violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law in Afghanistan.

In another action, the Council said the Government of Iraq proceeded with a flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia without specific consultations with the Committee established under a 1990 Council resolution governing such actions.

The Council in a Presidential statement said such consultations would have allowed the Committee to consider the matter and determine whether the flight required approval from the committee. At the same time, the Council underlined its respect for the obligations of Muslims to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

Addressing a joint press conference following their discussions, Mr. Annan and the Foreign Minister said they had intensive talks on "trouble spots in the world and the contribution that the United Nations can make to their settlement".

Responding to a question on the Middle East crisis, the Secretary- General said the international community must work together and act as one to keep the parties on the right track with regards to their peace talks. "It is essential that we continue our efforts to bring peace and stability to the entire region", Mr. Annan said.

Focussing on the Security Council reform, the Foreign Minister said the Council was no longer a true reflection of the situation "as it presents itself today, but is a reflection of the world as it was at the end of the Second World War".

"By making a new proposal for the reform of the Security Council, the Federal Government has made it clear that it is willing to use its increased weight as a re-united country to further strengthen multilateral foreign policy in this most important body of the World Organisation, the Security Council," Mr, Kinkel said.

In a study prepared for a sub-regional workshop on irrigation in Harare, from 14 - 17 April, FAO said the removal of trade barriers or joint ventures between Asian and African manufacturers could help African farmers to produce more food in countries suffering from chronic malnutrition.

According to FAO, the proportion of irrigated land compared to total arable land in sub-Saharan-Africa is 4 per cent, while it is 24 per cent in Northern Africa, 37 per cent in Asia and 15 per cent in Latin America.

"One of the major reasons for the low rate of irrigation in Africa is the fact that irrigation equipment is just too expensive for local farmers and not adapted to local conditions," said Arumugam Kandiah of FAO's Water Service, adding that equipment components are not matching and spare parts are difficult to obtain.

Recognising the relevance of industrial development to socio- economic growth and progress, the Final Declaration of the 12th Ministerial Conference of the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries, held in New Delhi, India, earlier this month, sent a strong signal to the industrialised countries about their priorities for reducing inequality among nations.

The declaration also calls on developed countries which have announced their withdrawal from UNIDO to reconsider and all member states to "renew their commitment to industrial development cooperation and to a stronger more viable UNIDO in the spirit of global partnership and mutual benefit".

Speaking on behalf of the Africa region, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, Dr. I.S.G Mudenge expressed the view that any reform of the United Nations or its agencies should have as its primary objective the enhancement of the efficacy and effectiveness of the organisation's ability to respond to the needs of the vast majority of the people.

The programme, to be financed by the Government of Italy will cover internal policy development, training in technical cooperation, and the design of a human resources development policy for the secretariat. Over 200 officials are expected to participate in a series of seminars and workshops to be held at the United nations Staff College in Turin.

The training programme of UNCTAD represents the next step in its far- reaching reform programme, which began with the reorganisation of its secretariat and revamping of the intergovernmental structure in mid- 1996.

"The changes in our work programme priorities agreed at Midrand, South Africa - sharpening our focus - must be accompanied by matching changes in our own working methods and management culture. to improve our delivery capacity", the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Rubens Ricupero said.

The challenging agenda before the ministerial-level delegates, which comes amidst clamour for change and relevancy at the United Nations General Assembly, includes future innovative scenarios and policy options.

The Commission will review current socio-economic conditions and the short- to-medium term prospects of economies in the region. It will examine the opportunities and challenges in the fields of trade, investment and financial flows, and transport and communications as critical elements in domestic growth and development, and for effective external linkages intra- regionally and locally.

It will also call for fair and full implementation of the Uruguay Round of trade agreements. Also to be considered will be a call to reject non-tariff barriers such as the introduction of environmental and social clauses and eco-labelling into international trade agreements.

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

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