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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-07-14United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSMonday, 14 July 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, on Monday, welcomed the completion of the first round of direct talks between the leaders of the two Cypriot communities held in New York under the aegis of the UN Secretary-General. Following a briefing to the Council on Monday by the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Cyprus, Council President Ambassador Peter Osvald of Sweden told journalists that the Council was very pleased to learn that the talks were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Ambassador Osvald said the Council members urged the leaders of the two communities to uphold a sustained process of direct negotiations until the instruments that will constitute a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue had been concluded. Meanwhile, the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Cyprus, Diego Cordovez who led the talks, told reporters on Monday that the United Nations had suggested to the two Cypriot community leaders that instead of trying, as they had tried before, to work out an agreement which would then be turned into the legal instrument that would constitute a comprehensive settlement, they should take a short cut and go straight to the legal instrument. "If we have a sustained process of talks, this will also be an incremental process", said Mr. Cordovez. Urging the Government of Croatia to remove administrative and legal obstacles to the return of refugees and displaced persons in Croatia, the Security Council on Monday decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) until 15 January 1998. The Council, at the same time, endorsed a plan for the gradual devolution of executive responsibility for civil administration in the Region and stressed that the pace of the devolution would be commensurate with Croatia's demonstrated ability to reassure the Serb population and successfully complete peaceful reintegration. The Security Council has authorized the United Nations military observers to continue monitoring the demilitarization of the Prevlaka peninsula until 15 January 1998. In a resolution unanimously adopted on Monday, the Council renewed its call on the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to abide by their mutual commitments, and to implement fully the Agreement on Normalization of Relations between the two countries. The Council called on the two parties to adopt practical options proposed by the UN military observers for the improvement of safety and security in the area. It also urged the parties to, among other things, cease all violations of the demilitarization regime and military or other activities which may increase tension, and to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of all UN personnel. Noting the increasing role and special functions of civilian police in United Nations peace-keeping operations, the Security Council on Monday encouraged States to make appropriately trained police available to the Organization at short notice, if possible through stand-by arrangements. It also encouraged the Secretary-General to guide States, in order to promote a standardized approach to the training and recruitment of civilian police. In a presidential statement read out by Lena Hjelm-Wallen, the Foreign Minister of Sweden which holds the current Presidency of the Council, the Security Council encouraged the efforts by States to organize joint training between civilian and military components designated for United Nations operations, in order to improve coordination and security for personnel in the field. Stressing that the civilian police performed indispensable functions in monitoring and training national police forces, the Council said the forces could play a major role, through assistance to local police forces, in restoring civil order, supporting the rule of law and fostering civil reconciliation. Expressing grave concern at recent developments in Cambodia, the Security Council on Friday evening condemned all acts of violence and called for an immediate end to the fighting. The Council also called on all parties to the Cambodian conflict to ensure the security of persons and to respect the principles and rules of humanitarian law. In a Presidential statement read out by its President Ambassador Peter Osvald of Sweden, the Council stressed the importance of the electoral process and reminded the Cambodian Government of its undertaking that free and fair legislative elections would be held in May 1998. It called on all the parties to respect fully their commitments under the Paris Agreements on Cambodia, and urged them to resolve their difference peacefully and through political dialogue. On the eve of the announcement of reform proposals on 16 July by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a working group of the UN General Assembly has completed what it called "one of the broadest reviews of the functioning of the General Assembly and the UN Secretariat ever undertaken". The Open-ended High-level Working Group on Strengthening the United Nations System announced on Monday that it has achieved consensus agreement on almost one hundred measures for improving both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the world body. In a statement released for the press on Monday by the leadership of the Group, which was chaired by the General Assembly President Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, and co-chaired by the Ambassador Hans Biorn Lian of Norway and Ambassador Prakash Shah of India said agreement was reached after two years on the unusually broad-based package of reforms through "research debate and often hard-fought negotiation". The statement noted that because deliberations were open to all 185 member states, the Working Group's final report and recommendations were expected to be swiftly approved by the Assembly. The Group noted that the Working Group regularly informed the Secretary- General of the progress made to ensure close coordination between the reform efforts at the inter-governmental and Secretariat levels. "Several of the group's recommendations--such as creating a clear pyramidal structure for senior posts and a top management group under the Secretary- General, improving staff training, rotation, performance appraisal, and gender balance, and requiring financial disclosures for senior management-- are already being implemented by the Secretary-General", said the Group's statement. On the issue of the appointment of the Secretary-General, the Working Group urged for greater transparency. It said the Secretary- General should be appointed no later than one month before the date on which the term of the incumbent expired, and that the duration of the term or terms of appointment, including the option of a single term, be considered before the appointment of the next Secretary-General. The United Nations war crimes tribunal on Monday sentenced Bosnian Serb Dusko Tadic to 20 years in prison for his role in a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against Muslim civilians during the early stages of the conflict in Bosnia. In its sentencing, the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia recalled that Tadic's crimes consisted of killings, beatings and forced transfer, as well as participation in the attack on the town of Kazarac in north-western Bosnia. The Spokesman for the Tribunal, Christian Chartier, described the sentencing as a very significant development with wide ramifications. In an interview with UN Radio, Mr. Chartier said that the Tribunal had made it very clear that its was not only "up and running" but also "up to the job" it had been given in adjudicating the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991. He also stressed that the sentencing was very significant for the international justice set up by the United Nations. "We have made it clear that international criminal investigations were possible, international criminal prosecutions are possible, international proceedings before international impartial judges are possible. This is a very strong message: the cycles of impunity must be broken down", said the Tribunal Spokesman. A UN committee which is dealing with issues of discrimination against women has commended the Government of Namibia for its achievements within seven years of independence. The 23-member Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in their final comments on the Namibian report, offered the Committee's solidarity and support to the Government's efforts to eradicate discrimination against women. During the conclusion of consideration of Namibia's report on legislative, judicial and administrative measures adopted by the Government to give effect to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Committee heard that the Parliament of Namibia was considering a bill which would set a time-frame for action on violence against women. In another action, the Committee on Friday also concluded consideration of Luxembourg's report. The Director of the Ministry for the Advancement of Women told the Committee that the Government of Luxembourg would work towards removing its remaining reservations to the Convention. The UN Human Rights Committee began a two-week meeting in Geneva on Monday to consider reports from Slovakia, Belarus, France, Congo and India on efforts to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The countries are among 138 States parties to the Covenant, and under the terms of the treaty must inform the Committee periodically on measures taken to put the Covenant's provisions into effect. The Committee, which consists of 18 independent human rights experts will also consider in closed session confidential communications sent to it by individuals claiming to be victims of violations of the rights contained in the Covenant. The Economic and Social Council has considered the issue of conflicts between the needs of rapidly growing populations and limited supplies of freshwater. The Council which is currently meeting in Geneva heard on Friday from the Director of the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development that one-third of the world's people still lacked access to safe drinking water, while one-half lacked access to adequate sanitation systems. The UN official said water resources would limit economic and social development in many parts of the world unless steps were taken towards a coordinated and holistic approach to water management. Echoing the views expressed by the UN Director of Sustainable Development, several speakers pointed not only to problems of sufficient supply but to burgeoning threats to water quality through pollution by fertilizer and pesticide runoff, sewage, and industrial waste. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced the launching of a major renewed effort to combat malaria. Citing the rising toll of malaria deaths, especially among children, the UN children's agency said on Monday that the new initiative would support the ambitious global target of a 20 percent cut in malaria deaths by the year 2000 in at least 75% of affected countries. It said the effort will involve a new emphasis on bed-nets impregnated with insecticides that were safe to both humans and the environment. UNICEF said the randomised control trials conducted in the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, and Burkina Faso had shown that 20% to 25% of child deaths could be avoided if children slept under bednets treated with pyrethroid insecticide. According to UNICEF, working with communities to help them ensure that their children and pregnant women sleep under bednets as well access to affordable and effective treatment for malaria patients, would be an important aspect of the programme. The new campaign complements an agreement by African heads of State at the OAU summit in Harare last month, to initiate national malaria control programmes in all countries. 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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