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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-05-14United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSWednesday, 14 May 1997This document is prepared by the Central News Section of the Department of Public Information and is updated every week-day at approximately 6:00 PM. HEADLINES
The members of the UN Security Council have called on the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to put aside their differences and engage in a political dialogue aimed at achieving peace and national reconciliation. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the members of the Council stressed the need for the Afghan parties to cease immediately all armed hostilities and renounce the use of force. Expressing grave concern about the danger of the continued armed conflict in Afghanistan, the Council members welcomed the Secretary- General's initiative to convene a meeting of concerned countries to discuss how best to promote a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Afghanistan and reinforce the United Nations peacemaking efforts. The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday reviewed the situation in two African hot spots, Rwanda and Burundi. After a briefing by UN Assistant- Secretary-General Ibrahima Fall, President of the Security Council, Ambassador Park Soo Gil (Republic of Korea), told the press that the Council members had expressed concern about some of the recent developments in those countries, while taking note of the improving situation in Burundi. On Rwanda, the members of the Council expressed concern over the deterioration of prison conditions, lack of proper legal protection, and the poor judicial system in Rwanda and called on the Government of Rwanda to improve the situation in that regard. Ambassador Park Soo Gil informed the press that the members of the Council were also concerned about the deterioration of the overall security situation in Rwanda. They condemned the attack on the civilian population by ex-FAR element, in particular the killing of 17 schoolgirls on 28 April by interahamwe. The Council members also stressed the need for the Rwandan Government to closely cooperate with the International Tribunal. Regarding the situation in Burundi, the members of the Council expressed concern at the acts of violence committed by armed elements against the civilian population and also at the policy of forced resettlement pursued by the Burundian Government. On a positive side, Ambassador Park Soo Gil told the press that the Council members took note of the dialogue conducted between the Government of Burundi and the armed opposition which, in his words, was "adding a new element". He said that the Council members also appreciated the continuing efforts of the leaders of the region, in particular the 'conciliator' of the Burundian process, President Nyerere". The Council members also welcomed the Arusha decision to ease the sanctions on Burundi. Some delegations expressed a view that, perhaps, the Security Council should react to the improving situation by way of issuing a presidential statement. A UN commission dealing with disarmament issues has "generally" agreed that a fourth General Assembly special session devoted to disarmament could be convened, subject to the emergence of a consensus on its objectives and agenda. The action came at the conclusion of the 1997 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission which ended its work at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. The Commission noted that although no consensus on objectives or the agenda was reached, some progress had been made. It was also generally agreed that the decision on the convening a fourth special session should follow the procedure set for previous special sessions of the Assembly on disarmament. It was recommended that the item on the special session should be considered at the next session of the Commission. The Disarmament Commission is a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly which was set up to make recommendations on specific disarmament issues and to follow up on the decisions of the Assembly's special sessions on disarmament. During the just concluded session, it also adopted reports of its working groups on the establishment of nuclear- weapon-free zones and on guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to begin a three-day official visit to Russia. With this trip, the UN leader will complete a round of top-level meetings with all permanent members of the Security Council. According to his Spokesman, such meetings should give the Secretary-General a chance to get the necessary support of Member States for his reform agenda to be unveiled in July. Earlier on Wednesday, the Secretary-General concluded his visit to Japan after meeting with the Governor of Tokyo Yukio Alshima. The Secretary- General also visited Chou University in Tokyo where he received an honorary degree. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday welcomed the decision by the United Kingdom to rejoin the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Mr. Annan said it was a demonstration of the importance of the multilateral system in an increasingly interdependent world. The news was also enthusiastically greeted by UNESCO's Director General Federico Mayor, who said in Paris that his organization was looking forward to "great contribution educators, scientists, intellectuals and artists from the United Kingdom could make in our worldwide partnership to build peace". United Kingdom's decision was announced on Wednesday by Queen Elizabeth in her traditional Government speech at the opening of Parliament. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended that the mandate of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in Albania be renewed for an additional six months until 30 November 1997. In his report to the Security Council, Mr. Annan stated that it would be imprudent to recommend that the UNPREDEP mission be terminated. In an overview of the situation in Albania, the Secretary-General noted that recent developments in Albania have demonstrated that stability in the Balkan region remained extremely fragile. He said that uncertainty still prevailed in Albania, partly because of the lack of a constructive dialogue among the parties. The pivotal role of modern communications in getting the UN message across to the general public was the subject of a spirited debate at the Committee on Information as it continued on Wednesday the first part of its 1997 session. At the opening of the session yesterday, Chairman of the Committee Jose de Sousa (Portugal) said that the current segment of the session would give Member States an opportunity to express their views on the future of the Organization's communications and media services. He noted the importance of consultations with Member States in undertaking reform of the Organization's information activities. Addressing the reform issue, Mark Malloch Brown, Chairman of a task force that is now looking at ways to reorient the UN information activities, stressed that the Task Force aimed to harness the power of modern communication to help put the United Nations back on the public map, from where it had slipped somewhat over the past few years. The need for the UN to "win the hearts and minds of the general public" was also emphasized by the Netherlands. Its representative Robert Zaagman, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said that the Task Force was in a position to take a fresh look at the responsibilities of the Department of Public Information (DPI) in order to help it in the efforts to explain the work of the UN fully and clearly. Meanwhile some members of the Committee underscored the need for transparency and openness in approaching any process of restructuring. Speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, the representative of Tanzania Rhadia Msuya noted that a number of actions were being taken which affected the work of DPI, sometimes without adequate involvement by the Committee on Information. Of particular concern, she said, was the proposal to change DPI from a department to an office. San Marino became the 56th UN Member State to pay its regular budget dues in full, a UN spokesman announced today in New York. In a related development, the Russian Federation paid $37 million out of outstanding contribution of $45 million for this year. The United Nations is still owed just under $2.5 billion, of which $800 million is for the regular budget and over $1.6 billion for peacekeeping. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgUnited Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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