United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-03-16

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, 16 March 1998

HEADLINES

• Security Council approves continuation of regional peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic.
• Security Council lifts oil embargo on Sierra Leone.
• United Nations Secretary-General stresses universality of human rights.
• Secretary-General says delays by UNITA have stalled Angolan peace process and recommends more police observers.
• More than 90 countries agree on convention to ban trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1155 (1998) on Monday, the Security Council said that Member States participating in MISAB should continue their operation in a neutral and impartial way.

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, which allows for enforcement, the Council authorized the Member States participating in MISAB and those providing logistical support to ensure security and freedom of movement of their personnel. It said the authorization would be extended until 27 March.

The Security Council urged the Government of the Central African Republic to continue to fulfil its commitments to complete the implementation of the provisions of the Bangui Agreements and to implement the conclusions of the National Reconciliation Conference.

The Council also affirmed that it would decide by 27 March 1998 on the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic based on the Secretary- General's earlier recommendations.

In February, the Secretary-General outlined the mandate of the proposed United Nations mission in the Central African Republic, to be known by its French acronym, MINURCA. The proposed mission would be charged with helping the country's people to consolidate national reconciliation and secure a stable environment in the capital, Bagui. The proposed military strength would be approximately 1,400 personnel all ranks.

By its unanimous adoption of resolution 1155 (1998) on Monday, the Council also decided to review the other prohibitions it had imposed on Sierra Leone last October in the light of developments and further discussion with the country's Government. Those prohibitions included an arms embargo and travel restrictions of members of the military junta and adult members of their families.

The Security Council welcomed the return to Sierra Leone of the country's democratically elected President, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, last week. It also welcomed the intention of the Secretary-General to make proposals concerning the role of the United Nations and its future presence in Sierra Leone.

Opening the fifty-fourth session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the Secretary-General said that all people shared a desire to live free from the horrors of violence, famine, disease, torture and discrimination.

He told the opening session that as the world marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the commemoration's motto of "all human rights for all" summed up the challenge faced by the international community today. "Yes, the Declaration serves as our common proclamation of human rights. But unfortunately, it has yet to serve as our common call to action," he said. According to the Secretary- General, human rights violations remained a "widespread reality which we have not been able -- nor in some cases willing -- to stamp out."

Regarding Africa, the Secretary-General said that the continent had been through a series of transformations starting with decolonization and the struggle against apartheid. This was followed by a period "marked and marred" by civil war and military rule. He said it was time for Africa's third wave of peace, rooted in democracy and human rights.

The Secretary-General pointed out that some Africans still viewed the concern of human rights as "a rich man's luxury for which Africa is not ready; or even as a conspiracy, imposed by the industrialized West." He said that such thoughts were demeaning of the yearning for human dignity "that resides in every African heart."

Mr. Annan stressed the fundamental nature of human rights to humankind itself. He said they did not belong to any government, nor were they limited to any continent. "Do not African mothers weep when their sons and daughters are killed or tortured by agents of oppressive rule?" the Secretary-General asked. "Do not African fathers suffer when their children are unjustly sent to jail? Is not Africa as a whole poorer when just one of its voices is silenced?" he added.

Secretary-General Annan said that human rights belonged to everyone. "They are Asian rights; they are European rights; they are American rights," he told his audience in Geneva.

He called for prompt action to prevent the rights violations, saying that it was not enough to tell the victims of human rights abuses that "we have done our best." He emphasized the need to prevent such violations. "I am here to tell you that the next century must be the age of prevention," the Secretary-General said.

"Let this be the year in which the world once again looks to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as it did 50 years ago - - for a common standard of humanity for all of humanity," the Secretary-General concluded.

In a new report to the Security Council, the Secretary-General says that delays and last-minute conditions "have become a constant feature" of the tactics of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Urging both parties to comply with their obligations under the Lusaka Protocol, the Secretary-General says, "I do not believe that the international community is ready to accept continuing procrastination in this regard."

Noting that the completion of the peace process is contingent upon the full and unconditional demilitarization of UNITA, the Secretary-General says the presence of unregistered armed elements does not enhance mutual trust in the process of national reconciliation.

The Secretary-General also reports that there are allegations of human rights abuses being committed by the Angolan National police in newly normalized areas. "This is particularly regrettable considering the need to bring officials to justice in cases of confirmed human rights abuses, including the death of 10 UNITA supporters detained in Malange."

In the light of the progress made in the normalization of State administration, which has been extended to 264 out of the 335 localities, and the deployment of Angolan National Police into the newly normalized areas, a substantial revision of the deployment of civilian police is needed. The Secretary-General reports that the number of United Nations civilian police locations would be increased from 46 to 51. He recommends that the Security Council consider authorizing the deployment of an additional 83 civilian police observers.

Depending on the situation on the ground and the progress made in the implementation of residual military tasks, the Secretary- General says he will gradually reduce the military component of the mission by the end of April. He also says it would be advisable to maintain a significant United nations involvement in the peace process in order to promote confidence- building measures, national reconciliation and development.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that by drafting this treaty, governments meeting in Brussels had honoured the commitment made at the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro to negotiate a convention to curb the trade in certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

The international convention on dangerous chemicals and pesticides will replace the present voluntary "prior informed consent procedure". The treaty prohibits the export of harmful pesticides and chemicals which have been banned or severely restricted in at least two countries unless explicitly agreed by the importing country.

Under the new treaty, which will enter into force upon ratification by 50 countries, the mainly developed exporting countries will be legally bound to inform importing developing countries about exports of banned or severely restricted chemicals.

Countries ratifying the treaty, which took two years to negotiate, will be obliged to enforce the agreement nationally and to create enforcement mechanisms to control commercial exports and exporters.

According to UNEP, the Convention will help solve several major human health and environmental problems. There are large stockpiles of unwanted and obsolete pesticides and other chemicals which poison thousands of people in developing countries.

FAO warned that many pesticides that have been banned or severely restricted in Europe and North America were still marketed and used in developing countries. The agency added that many old, often highly toxic pesticides continued to be used in those countries because of their low price.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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