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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-05-02United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSThursday, May 2, 1996This 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
Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali met today with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, at a luncheon- meeting in Headquarters. During their meeting, Dr. Boutros-Ghali and Mr. Arafat discussed current developments in the Middle East, including the forthcoming Israeli- Palestinian "final status" talks, according to a statement by a UN Spokesman. They also discussed the situation in Lebanon following the cease- fire agreement. Mr. Arafat called for an enhanced UN presence in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem and for a greater role in the peace process. The Secretary-General assured Mr. Arafat that the UN would continue to assist the Palestinian people in every possible way. At a Press Conference today in Headquarters, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, told correspondents that he had come to New York to extend his gratitude to the Secretary-General for his assistance to the Palestinian people. In response to a question, he said his recent meeting with United States President Bill Clinton had been very successful. They had discussed the establishment of a Palestinian- American Committee. The issue of Jerusalem was central to the peace efforts and would be the focus of discussion in the talks to take place in Egypt next Sunday, Mr. Arafat said. Jerusalem was part of the land occupied since 1967, he added. In response to a comment that Israelis and Palestinians must live separately, Mr. Arafat said they would live as neighbours in two States, a Palestinian, and an Israeli one. Back in 1988 he had already mentioned the two-States solution, he said. His main interest was in achieving a comprehensive and lasting solution. Regarding his reaction to a possible Likud party election in Israel, Mr. Arafat said the Palestinian Authority was dealing with the Israeli government and not with its internal affairs. In addition, Mr. Arafat rejected terrorist activities and called for the promotion of peace for the entire region. "We firmly extend against any action which undermines our efforts", he said. "We, all muslims, must fulfill all our promises", he added. When asked who profited more from the on-going tension in the Middle East, Mr. Arafat replied that the enemies of peace did. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has welcomed the agreement between the Governments of Eritrea and Yemen to settle peacefully, through arbitration, their dispute over the greater Hanish Islands and several other islands in the Red Sea, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. An accord on the principles of the arbitration had been agreed upon, Ms. Foa said. The Secretary-General had paid tribute to the mediation role by France in settling the issue. He also thanked the Government of Egypt for its role in it. Afghanistan was "the longest forgotten tragedy" in the world, Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Martin Barber said today at Headquarters. It was a tragedy that was going on uninterrupted, with rockets dropping every day in Kabul. "Afghans need to know that the world has not forgotten them", Mr. Barber said. Only in Kabul - a city of just over 1 million people - there were 25, 000 widows, Mr. Barber said. Those women faced danger daily, especially from the many existing land-mines. Last October, an appeal for $124 million, to cover the costs of humanitarian assistance, had been made. However, less than 30 per cent of that amount had been received. Mr. Barber made a renewed appeal for $50 million which was urgently needed to cover the costs of on-going programmes in Afghanistan. Among the current UN programmes in Afghanistan, Mr. Barber highlighted de- mining, for which 3,000 Afghans worked daily. In the past 6 years, over 50 per cent of the top priority areas had been cleared of land-mines. Also, the repatriation programme had been quite successful. Over half of the 6 million refugees who had originally left, were already back in Afghanistan. Helping that country was essential especially because it was the "poorest country in the world outside Africa". In addition, it was currently suffering from a serious flooding problem. The withdrawal from Eastern Slavonia of all the militia belonging to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and of their heavy weapons and military equipment has taken place, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. The Jordanian infantry battalion of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) had already arrived in Eastern Slavonia, raising the number of troops on the ground to 4,243. Ms. Foa said that 85 per cent of the 5,000 total number of troops expected, had been deployed. The Pakistani infantry battalion as well as Argentinean troops were expected to arrive soon, she added. 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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