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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-07-29United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, 29 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
Responding to the request of the Government of Lebanon, the Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until 31 January 1998. In a unanimous resolution, the Council reiterated its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries. The Council condemned all acts of violence committed in particular against the Force, and urged the parties to put an end to such acts. In a related action, the Council, in a Presidential statement read out by Council President Ambassador Peter Osvald of Sweden, reiterated its full support for the Taif Agreement and for the continued efforts of the Lebanese Government to consolidate peace, national unity and security in the country. "The Council commends the Lebanese Government for its successful effort to extend its authority in the south of the country in full coordination with UNIFIL", the Council President said. He said the Council expressed concern over the continuing violence in southern Lebanon, and regretted the loss of life. It urged all parties to exercise restraint. At the same time, the Council noted with deep concern the high level of casualties which the Force had suffered and paid a special tribute to all those who gave their life while serving in UNIFIL. The Council commended the Force troops and troop-contributing countries for their sacrifices and commitment to the cause of international peace and security under difficult circumstances. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday applauded the initiative taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to suspend the latest effort to build housing in east Jerusalem, a UN spokesman said. Spokesman Fred Eckhard said the Secretary-General, in a telephone conversation, told the Israeli Prime Minister that the latest move was "the kind of gesture that was needed to get the peace talks back on track". UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi as his Special Envoy to undertake a short-term mission in Afghanistan in order to assess the UN peacemaking activities in the country, a UN spokesman announced on Tuesday. The Special Envoy would also consult interested and relevant countries and parties and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on their positions regarding those activities. UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard said the Special Envoy would submit his findings to the Secretary-General in "time for these to serve as a basis for the Secretary-General's report to the 52nd session of the General Assembly". "Mr. Brahimi's mandate is to be distinguished from that of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, as defined by resolutions of the General Assembly. The Special Envoy's consultations are to be time limited and are intended for the purpose of advising the Secretary- General regarding all aspects of UN activities relative to its peacemaking efforts", the Spokesman said. The estimated costs associated with the operation of the proposed United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH), for a period of four months, from 1 August to 30 November 1997, would amount to $10.1 million, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council. The estimate provides for a strength of 50 military personnel and 250 civilian police. In an addendum to his earlier report to the Security Council, the Secretary- General noted that should the Council decide to authorize the deployment and implementation of the Mission, it would be his recommendation to the General Assembly that the costs be considered an expense of the Organization to be borne by Member States. The new Mission would be charged with supporting the Haitian authorities in the further professionalization of the Haitian National Police (HNP) and will be composed of military and civilian police elements. The Conference on Disarmament held its first plenary meeting in Geneva on Tuesday. The Conference, which is the single global disarmament negotiating forum of the international community, is still to find agreement on its programme of work. During Tuesday's session, the representatives of the United Kingdom and Ukraine, among others, took the floor. Ukraine was in favour of the establishment of an ad hoc committee on landmines. However, the United Kingdom representative said the Ottawa Process was complementary to the work of the Conference. The third part of 1997 session of the Conference on Disarmament opened Monday and is expected to last until 10 September. Corruption exacts a high toll on developing countries by impeding both economic growth and poverty reduction efforts, according to a publication released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Monday. The publication, "Corruption and Good Governance" and "Participatory Local Governance", is part of a UNDP series examining the critical link between governance and development. "Corruption and Good Governance" examines the debilitating role of corruption on developing countries. The study found that corruption harms the poor the most since they are the least able to pay bribes for government services and for access to market opportunities. The other UNDP publication, also released on Monday, "Participatory Local Governance", looks at one of UNDP's most innovative programmes, the Local Initiative Facility for Urban Environment (LIFE). It reviews the LIFE process which promotes participatory governance in low-income areas, involving local authorities, NGOs, community-based organizations and the private sector. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Wednesday said it was dispatching emergency relief assistance to 1,466 Rwandan refugees who have arrived in Angola's eastern border town of Luau. The UN refugee agency said more refugees were arriving in the town, leaving behind the sick and malnourished women and children in the forest. The refugees reportedly travelled over the past nine months across Congo- Kinshasha after leaving the camps in eastern regions of Bukavu, Goma and Uvira. "We expect that, including those still waiting to cross over into Angola, the final figure will be between 2,500 and 3,000. The refugees are in poor health. They said several of their companions were shot and killed when they attempted to cross another eastern Angolan border town in May", the UNHCR said. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia said in a statement on Tuesday that a forensic team from the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has commenced its 1997 exhumation programme at a site in Brcko, northern Bosnia. The forensic team, which consists of 25 members, has been present at the site for four weeks carrying out preliminary tasks. The exhumation is related to the indictment issued on 21 July 1995 against Goran Jelisic and Ranko Cesic in connection with the confinement and systematic killings of hundreds of Muslim and Croat men from Brcko at the Luka camp. "It is believed that the exhumation of this site will provide corroborative evidence of the crimes alleged in the indictment. This exhumation and the subsequent post mortem examinations will enable the Office of the Prosecutor to establish manner and cause of death of the victims interred", the statement said. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday welcomed a letter from the Bangladeshi government confirming that there would be no further forced repatriations of Myanmar Muslims and that any further repatriations would be voluntary, and also follow procedures agreed with the UN refugee agency. According to UNHCR, the Bangladeshi authorities requested the UN refugee agency to work with it towards voluntary repatriation for those cleared to return to Myanmar. Meanwhile, UNHCR reported that officials from the agency continued to try to defuse the extremely tense situation in the Kutu Palong and Nayapara camps. The officials were aiming to persuade the Myanmar Muslim refugees to begin taking their food rations again. Some 21,000 people in the camps were still refusing their rations and refusing to send their children to feeding centres. The refugee agency said there were signs that there was now a hunger strike "forced on the population by radical elements within the camps". "There are signs of intimidation by radical groups within the camp against ordinary refugees - for instance a few women who accepted food rations were attacked by fellow refugees", UNHCR said. 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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