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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-03-12United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSWednesday, 12 March 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 expressed its grave concern at the recent increase in attacks and the use of force against United Nations and other personnel associated with United Nations operations, including personnel of international humanitarian organisations. In a Presidential statement Wednesday, the Council President, Ambassador Zbigniew M. Wilosowicz of Poland said the Council was also gravely concerned at attacks on and violations of United Nations premises. "The Council is concerned that these attacks and the use of force have in some instances been carried out by certain groups with the deliberate goal of disrupting negotiating processes, international peace- keeping activities and hampering humanitarian access", he said. Emphasizing the unacceptability of any acts endangering the safety and security of personnel, the Council urged all Member States and others concerned to prevent and bring to an end all such acts, adding that the perpetrators of such acts bore responsibility for their actions and should be prosecuted. The Council emphasized that the host country and others concerned must take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of United Nations personnel and premises. The General Assembly Wednesday began debate on the situation in the Middle East, in particular, the question of Palestine. The meeting comes at the request of the Arab Group through the Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement. In a statement to the Assembly, the Permanent Observer of Palestine Mr. Nasser Al-Kidwa affirmed the permanent responsibility of the United Nations towards the question of Palestine until a comprehensive solution of the question in all its aspects was attained. He said the existence of the peace process and agreements between the parties did not diminish that responsibility but rather consolidated it to include the provision of support for the process and the prevention of damage to it, as well as confirmation of compliance by the parties with their contractual obligations. The violation of its contractual obligations by Israel caused great damage to the peace process and threatened the possibilities for achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region, he said. Israel's Charge d'affaires, Ambassador David Peleg told the Assembly that Israel did not regard the United Nations as the appropriate forum for discussing the issues of contention between Israel and the Palestinians. He said direct negotiations, beginning in Madrid and continuing for the better part of the decade, had proven the only way to advance the cause of peace in the region. The United Nations Compensation Commission Wednesday made available US$144, 019,945 to 63 Governments and one international organisation for distribution to 57,636 successful claimants. The funding for the payments came from a 30 per cent share of the revenue derived from the sale of Iraqi petroleum sold pursuant to the oil-for-food mechanism, the Commission said in a statement Wednesday. It said claimants were to receive an initial payment of up to US$2,500 each, adding that for those whose actual award amounts exceeded that figure, additional payments would be made later. The Commission's Governing Council determined that all successful claimants in Categories "A" and "C" should receive up to US$2,500 each before any payments may be made from the Compensation Fund to corporations, Governments or individuals with claims for losses in excess of US$100,000. The Government of Tajikistan and the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) concluded a round of inter-Tajik talks on 8 March in Moscow under United Nations auspices with the signing of a Protocol on military issues, according to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General Fred Eckhard. The Protocol provides for the integration of armed opposition units into the government structures or their disarmament and disbandment, as well as the reform of government power structures, he stated. "The Secretary-General is grateful to the Russian Federation for facilitating those negotiations. He welcomes this significant and important step in the process of national reconciliation and peace in Tajikistan, and hopes it will contribute to the return of safety and security in the country", the Spokesman said. He said the Secretary-General urges the parties to pursue vigorously the process of comprehensive peaceful settlement of the inter-Tajik conflict. The Commission on Human Rights has condemned the occupation of the residence of the Ambassador of Japan in Lima, Peru and hostages taken there by terrorist elements. It also condemned hostage-taking all over the world. In a statement Wednesday, the Chairman of the current session of the Commission on Human Rights said the Commission strongly supported the efforts of both the Peruvian and Japanese Governments to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner. The Commission encouraged the continuation of the discussions between the intercolutor of the Peruvian Government and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), to arrive at prompt results. Recalling that it had repeatedly condemned hostage-taking as acts aimed at the destruction of human rights, the Commission demanded that the hostages taken in the residence of the Ambassador of Japan in Lima and all other hostages held in any other country, be released immediately. The Commission began its 1997 session in Geneva on Monday. The United Nations could best achieve full equality for women by making more room at the top, where it counts, the Commission on the Status of Women was told as it continued its debate on the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. The representative of the United States said women's contribution at that level would serve as an inspiration. He added that his country found the Secretary-General's stated goal of considering a woman for the position of Deputy Secretary-General in the Organisation laudable. The representative from Indonesia agreed that the United Nations bodies should reflect the equality on which the organisation was founded. In that regard, mainstreaming of a gender perspective within the United Nations system and other forums was of considerable importance, the representative said. Earlier, the Commission heard that women should be empowered to incorporate sound environmental practices into their activities, the Commission was told during a panel discussion on the theme "women and environment". The Minister for Environment, Science and technology of Ghana emphasized that the presence of a critical mass of women in leadership positions would be conducive to such empowerment. She also stressed the need to shift away from the concept of "women's affairs departments" to introducing gender- sensitive programmes in every department. The panel was part of a series of discussions that the Commission will hold on four critical areas of concern included in Platform for Action of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The areas include education and training of women; women and the economy; women in power and decision-making and the environment. The Secretary-General should not use gratis personnel or other voluntary contributions to solve budget and cash flow difficulties to implement mandated operations, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). Gratis personnel are military and civilian personnel loaned to the United Nations by Member States at no cost to the Organisation. Speaking as the Committee took up both, a Secretary-General and an ACABQ report on the issue of gratis personnel, ACABQ Chairman Conrad S. M Mselle said such a practice, in the long run, could distort the international character of the Organisation and the equality of Member States. In addition, the Organisation's regulations and rules on fair and transparent procedures as well as the relevant financial regulations and rules governing competitive bidding for goods and services through the United nations procurement process, could be compromised. Addressing the issue of equitable geographical representation and a related Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) report, the representatives of Algeria and Germany said the Committee should consider increasing the number of posts subject to that principle, from the current 2,700. The representative of the United States, however, opposed any expansion of that range of posts. That figure had been established by the Assembly and could not be extended unilaterally by the Secretariat, she said. The major political and economic developments on the African continent in 1996 will be the main focus of the Panel of High-Level Personalities on African Development to be held from 13 - 14 March at United Nations Headquarters. The Panel will review the efforts of African countries to implement political and economic reforms, the encouraging economic performance of recent years and its social impact. The meeting will also discuss governance in Africa, recognised as a critical factor in development, as well as the issue of agriculture and food security in the aftermath of the recent World Food Summit. The High Level Panel was established in 1992 by former United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to advise and assist in the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s and to foster Africa's development in general. 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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