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United Nations Daily Highlights, 96-11-26United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: [email protected]DAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, 26 November 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
The representative of Indonesia, Ambassador Nugroho Wisnumurti, has told the General Assembly that reforms in the United Nations system must be undertaken with the full concurrence and participation of the developing countries, which constituted a majority of the membership. He said it was of pivotal importance that the General Assembly, the highest deliberative and decision-making organ, function effectively, focusing on major issues of political significance. Speaking on behalf of the members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the representative of Jamaica said those countries would like to see the universal nature and democratic character of the Assembly preserved. She said steps should be taken to enhance the capacity of the Assembly and its subsidiary bodies to provide clear and coherent policy direction. The Assembly was meeting at the time to consider the strengthening of the United Nations system. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says nearly one billion people around the world, approximately 30% of the entire global work force, were unemployed or under-employed in industrialised and developing countries alike. In its report, World Employment 1996/97, the ILO described the global employment situation as grim. It warned that the growing numbers of working poor risked aggravating the social and economic ills caused by high jobless rates. The Organisation said it believed that nothing short of a renewed international commitment to full employment was required to reverse the poverty, unemployment and under-employment now prevailing in many parts of the world. The Committee against Torture has completed its two-week session in Geneva which reviewed reports from six States parties to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Among other actions, the experts called for the establishment of an independent committee to look into allegations of torture and other cruel treatment by Russian forces and Chechen separatists in the ongoing conflict in the south of the Russian Federation. They also urged that allegations of ill-treatment of detainees in the Republic of Korea be fully investigated. The experts further noted with concern that, in the course of an intensive battle against terrorism, the Government of Algeria was once again being accused of acts of torture. The General Assembly would recognise that the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which provides for, among other things, the demilitarisation of Antarctica, prohibition of nuclear explosions, and disposal of nuclear waste, was in furtherance of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Under the terms of a draft resolution approved by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) the Assembly would recall that States carrying out scientific activities in the Antarctic should make their research available to the international community, and enhance access to such data by the international scientific community and specialized agencies of the United Nations system. The General Assembly would call upon the United Nations system to continue to study possible ways of promoting more effective cooperative arrangements between land-locked States in Central Asia and their transit neighbours. By the terms of one of the three draft resolutions approved by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), the Assembly would also encourage a more supportive role by the donor community. It would invite donor countries and multilateral financial and development institutions to provide newly independent and land-locked developing States in the region, and their transit neighbours, with appropriate financial and technical assistance to improve the transit environment. The General Assembly would demand the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to immediately end human rights violations against the ethnic Albanian population in Kosovo, according to the terms of a draft resolution introduced to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural). The Assembly would demand the authorities, among other things, revoke discriminatory legislation; release political prisoners; stop the persecution of political leaders and members of human rights organisations. Member States would be called on to make further national and international efforts to remove obstacles to the realization of the right to development, according to terms of another text introduced in the Committee. It also would call on the Commission on Human Rights to continue making proposals through the Economic and Social Council on future action, particularly practical measures to implement the Declaration on the Right to Development. The systematic violation of human rights in the Israeli occupied territories has endangered the peace process and stability of the Middle East, speakers told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonisation), as it began consideration of the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices. Introducing the report, covering the period from 18 August 1995 to 20 September 1996, the Special Committee Chairman said it documented practices that reflected "a culture of sadism." The observer for Palestine said Israel must "end its manoeuvres aimed at destroying the agreements reached, and comply with its contractual obligations under those agreements." She said there obviously could not be a peace process and Israeli settlements at the same time. The representative of Israel said Israelis and Palestinians had assumed responsibility to bring an end to conflict through dialogue and face to face negotiations. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: [email protected]United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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