United Nations Daily Highlights 96-04-04

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: [email protected]

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, 4 April 1996

HEADLINES

• Security Council demands parties to General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina fully implement it and stresses their unconditional obligation to release prisoners.
• Secretary-General expresses shock and sadness at death of United States Secretary of Commerce, in condolence message to U.S President.
• Security Council decides to maintain Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM).
• Efforts to reform UN in vain if financial crisis persists, Secretary- General says on second day of official visit to Tokyo.
• Secretary-General discusses deteriorating situation in West Bank and Gaza with President of Palestinian Authority.
• Two UNAVEM staff die in vehicle ambush in Angola.
• Some 30,000 cases of missing individuals in former Yugoslavia unresolved, Expert on special process on missing persons says.
• Space research can be shared with developing countries as Legal Subcommittee of Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space formulates new compromise text.
• UNESCO launches emergency appeal for independent media in Algeria.

In a statement read out by its President, Juan Somavia, of Chile, the Council also demanded that the parties to that Agreement demonstrate a genuine commitment to confidence and security building measures, regional arms control, reconciliation and the building of a common future. The Council also demanded that the parties comply fully, and without any further delay, with their commitments regarding: the release of prisoners; the implementation of the constitutional framework; withdrawal of foreign forces; cooperation with the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; return of refugees; and the respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Council stressed that the obligation, by all parties, to release prisoners was unconditional. Failure to release prisoners constituted a serious case of non-compliance, the statement said.

The Secretary-General praised Secretary Brown's personal commitment to enhancing the well-being of the world's citizens through deepened ties of commerce and trade. The international community would mourn the loss of an outstanding citizen of the world, he added.

In accordance with the provisions of Security Council resolution of 1991, the members of the Council reviewed the question of termination or continuation of UNIKOM, as well as its modalities of operation. In accordance with the resolution, they will review the question once again by 4 October, 1996.

In his address, Dr. Boutros-Ghali warned that as long as the financial crisis persisted, other efforts to reform it could not succeed. In addition, the Secretary-General asked the UN Association members to help him by speaking out in support of settling arrears, and of paying future contributions on time and in full so that the UN could survive in the short term.

Tomorrow, on his last full day in Japan, the Secretary-General will give a press conference at the Japan National Press Club and, together with Mrs. Boutros-Ghali, will be received by the Japanese Imperial family. He will also be visiting the Taukuba University and the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention.

Earlier, Mr. Arafat had expressed his concern in a letter to the Secretary- General in which he described the situation there as a violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people. He considered the blockade and closure as tantamount to the declaration of a State of War against the Palestinian people. In addition, he hoped for the continuation of the peace process and for the implementation of the agreements.

Mr. Arafat had also written last week to Israeli Primer Minister Shimon Peres urging him to consider lifting, at least gradually, the closure of Gaza and the West Bank.

The two UN staff members were working for the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM) and were from Jordan and Zimbabwe; the third was a representative from OXFAM in England. Another UNAVEM staffer - a national from India, was injured and taken to a hospital in Pretoria, South Africa.

Mr. Nowak, expert on special process on missing persons in the former Yugoslavia, said in a report to the Commission on Human Rights, about 27, 000 of the missing persons are from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 2,800 from Croatia. The Government in Bosnia believed those figures were higher, he added.

Those missing were believed to be buried in some 350 suspected mass grave sites in the territory - 300 of them in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the other 50 in Croatia - Mr. Nowak said. Until now there had been no excavations under his authority. However, excavations were expected to begin next month when the weather improved. He emphasized, however, that the main impediment to exhumation and identification of bodies was the lack of money.

In 1995, the General Assembly had adopted a resolution on the need to address the human rights situation in Myanmar. In accordance with that resolution, the Secretary-General will submit a report to the current session of the Commission on Human Rights on his discussions with the Government of Myanmar. A further report is due to the General Assembly at its 51st session.

The 61-member Subcommittee, one of two subsidiary bodies of the Committee, also concentrated its discussions on the possibility of reviewing the principles governing the use of nuclear power in outer space. In addition, it also discussed a possible definition and delimitation of outer space and the use of geostationary orbit. In addition, during the first day of the session, a symposium was held in which delegates heard presentations from several countries on protection of the space environment, particularly with regard to space debris.

The appeal was made by UNESCO Director-General, Federico Mayor, at a meeting organized by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Algeria last March. During the meeting, local and international media organizations discussed a plan to assist Algerian newspapers. The emergency programme would assist with immediate equipment needs, mostly computers and printers which cost more than $600,000. It will be coordinated by UNESCO and carried out by national and international professional organizations.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: [email protected]

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