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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-05-16United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSFriday, 16 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 Security Council has decided to increase the strength of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (UNMIBH) following recommendations of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In a resolution adopted on Friday, the Council authorized an increase of 120 police personnel for the United Nations International Police Task Force (UN-IPTF) to enable it to carry out its tasks as set out in the conclusions of the London Peace Implementation Conference. In his 14 March report to the Council, the Secretary-General wrote that the increase of 120 police personnel for the Force would enable it to discharge and expand its human rights mandate while still carrying out its basic monitoring functions throughout the country. The Security Council also urged Member States to provide qualified police monitors and other forms of assistance and support to the UN-IPTF and in support of the Peace Agreement. On the second day of his official visit to the Russian Federation, Secretary-General Kofi Annan met on Friday with a number of senior officials, including the Chairman of the State Duma, Mr. G. A. Serigniev, and the Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Mr. I. M. Korotchenya. Also on Friday, the Secretary-General spoke at the Moscow Institute of International Relations and was a guest of honour at a musical recital and reception hosted by the Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov. On Saturday, before departing for St. Petersburg, the Secretary-General was expected to meet President Boris Yeltsin. The Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations on Friday stressed that United Nations peace-keeping missions should be provided with clearly defined mandates, objectives, command structures and secure financing. The 94-member Committee said that changes in mandates during a mission should be based on a thorough and timely re-assessment, taking into account implications for military and civilian populations, after a full discussion between troop-contributing countries and the Security Council. Adopting a report on its 1997 session, which began on 10 April, the Committee urged the Secretary-General to address the issue of reliance on loaned and seconded personnel within the Department of Peace-keeping Operations. The Committee welcomed the progress report of the Secretary- General on stand-by arrangements, noting, however, that there was a lack of certain specialized units to increase the effectiveness and rapid development capacity of peace-keeping operations. The Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services told the Administrative and Budgetary (Fifth) Committee that the situation at the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), was serious and should not be allowed to continue. In a report to the General Assembly's committee dealing with administrative and budgetary questions, Under- Secretary-General Karl Paschke said a recent oversight report identified significant shortcomings in the management of the Centre's programmes and human and financial resources. Commenting on the report, the representative of the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States said the serious management problems identified as hampering the work of Habitat should not be allowed to fester. The United States representative said his Government believed that all of the Centre's senior officials were responsible for the mess described in the Oversight Office report. Meanwhile the representative of Egypt noted that before any action was taken, the Centre's Executive Director, Wally N'Dow, should be invited to the Administrative and Budgetary (Fifth) Committee to inform it of relevant developments. Concern about the widening gap between developing and developed countries in communications technology has been voiced by several speakers during the debates in the Committee on Information, which is now holding the first part of its annual session at UN Headquarters. The representative of Egypt stressed that many societies depended totally on such media as radio and television. That view was echoed by the representative of Indonesia who said that although advanced communications technology offered many benefits, most people lacked access to it. The media should enhance understanding among peoples, not perpetuate divisiveness, he said. The crucial role of telecommunications in disaster relief is the focus of World Telecommunication Day traditionally observed on 17 May. The day marks the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Paris 132 years ago. Secretary-General of the Geneva-based Union, Pekka Tarjanne said that in choosing the theme for this year's observance, his Organisation tried to stress the importance of emergency telecommunications as an essential tool for saving human lives. He also noted that a new international convention was expected to be adopted later this year which would facilitate the use of telecommunications equipment across national borders. That convention should be instrumental in bringing the benefits of advanced telecommunications to relief operations in many countries which currently restricted importation of communication equipment, even in times of crisis, he added. A three-day Regional Forum on Poverty Eradication in southern Africa concluded its work on Thursday with a call to strengthen consultations between umbrella bodies of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the governments of the region. The "Windhoek Declaration and Programme of Action on Poverty Eradication" that was adopted at the forum, appealed to governments to assume primary responsibility in reviewing and creating poor- friendly policies and environment in health, agriculture, education, housing, land and food security areas. At the same time, the Declaration called for poverty eradication to be elevated to top regional focus in the media and urged local media institutions to commit themselves to publish and disseminate information on poverty issues to the grassroots level in local languages in order to ensure a voice for the poor. In this context, the Forum urged the United Nations Information Centres in the region to act as coordinating agencies in matters of public information and to coordinate strategies with regional media institutions, in training and coverage of poverty related issues. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has requested that the General Assembly confirm the appointment of the current Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), James Gustav Speth, for a further four year term of office, beginning 16 July, 1997. According to a UN spokesman, the General Assembly is expected to take up the issue next Tuesday. 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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