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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-04-12United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSFriday, 12 April 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 Security Council has noted with deep satisfaction the signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty in Cairo, Egypt, and the adoption of "The Cairo Declaration". The Declaration, in part, calls upon Nuclear- Weapon States to sign and ratify the relevant Protocols to the Treaty as soon as possible. It also calls upon States which have not yet done so to adhere to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a presidential statement today, Security Council President for April, Ambassador Juan Somavia of Chile, said the signing of the Treaty by more than 40 African countries constituted an important step towards its effective and early implementation. He emphasized the importance of early ratification of the Treaty with a view to securing its rapid entry into force. The Council reaffirmed its belief that the signing of the Treaty and of its relevant protocols constituted an important contribution by the African countries to the maintenance of international peace and security. In addition, it encouraged such regional efforts aimed at achieving the universality of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali today expressed his deep concern at the continuing hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border and inside Lebanon. He also renewed his appeal for restraint by all parties. In a statement, Dr. Boutros-Ghali said he was especially concerned about the attacks on civilians in both countries. He said that according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Israeli aircraft are carrying out attacks on villages in and around its area of operations. UNIFIL Force Commander, Major-General Stanislaw Wozniak, has protested to the Chief of the Israeli Defense Force Liaison Unit, expressing concern that such actions could lead to an escalation of violence. The General Assembly has authorized $116.2 million gross for several peace- keeping and other missions in the former Yugoslavia. The amount includes allocations for the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda for different periods this year. The Assembly authorized this appropriation, by adopting three resolutions recommended by its Fifth (Administrative and Budgetary) Committee. According to the texts on financing the Tribunals and the missions in the former Yugoslavia, the Assembly authorized $100 million gross for the period 1 January to 31 May for the pre-liquidation of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the UN Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia (UNCRO), the UN Peace Forces headquarters (UNPF). The funds would also be used to maintain the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and the UN Preventive Deployment Force in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (UNPREDEP). The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia will receive $8.6 million gross for the period 1 April to 30 June; the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda will receive $7.6 million for the same period. There was absolute anarchy in Monrovia with bodies scattered in the streets and looting everywhere - including the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and private homes, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. About 50 to 60 thousand people were homeless and without food roaming the streets of Monrovia. Street fires and the chaotic situation had prevented food from arriving at Mambo point where up to 20, 000 people had taken refuge, she added. Due to the existing chaos, 39 non-essential UN staff members had been taken, under the heavy escort of the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG), to a port area to board a Dutch ship, the spokesman said. The few UN staff members still at Mambo point would be evacuated as soon as possible. There were 19 military observers in other parts of the country, she added. United Nations operations in Liberia will be consolidated in River View - north of Monrovia, Ms. Foa announced. A total of 38 UN staff members will be stationed there: 14 of them from the World Food Programme (WFP), UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies; 13 UNOMIL civilians and 10 military observers along with the military commander. Ms. Foa also announced that a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has arrived in Monrovia to begin discussions seeking a ceasefire. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) will run out of funds by 20 April this year, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa announced today. The 679 military personnel stationed in Rwanda under the mandate - which had ended 8 March - will be departing by 18 April while the Commanding Officer will do so by 20 April. The Security Council had requested the Secretary-General to maintain a United Nations office in Rwanda with a communications system and a radio service. The status of that office and its technicalities would be discussed at a later date, the Spokesman added. Heads of Government, Ministers and Senior Officials from 59 member and associate states of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will meet, 17 April, to devise strategies to combat the existing poverty which threatens economic prosperity of the region. The week-long Commission session will review, among other aspects of development, the region's growth performance, which averaged 7.8 per cent in 1995 compared to a world average growth rate of 2.6 per cent. It will also review the situation of many countries in the region which have remained among the world's least developed. The major theme of the session will be "rural poverty alleviation and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific". It will focus on infrastructure development as well as issues of food security. 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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