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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-04-24United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSWednesday, April 24, 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 expressed concern at the quality of weapons surrendered by the Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) and urged UNITA to release all remaining prisoners. In a presidential statement today, members of the Council urged UNITA to fulfil its commitment to turn over all of its arms, ammunition and military equipment as the quartering process continues. Security Council President for April, Ambassador Juan Somavia of Chile reading the statement on behalf of its members, said the Security Council had noted that limited progress had been achieved during the past two months in the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol. The progress had not fulfilled the hopes generated by the meeting between President dos Santos and Dr. Savimbi in Libreville, Gabon, on 1 March 1996. The Council emphasized that the ultimate responsibility for restoring peace rested with the Angolans themselves. The Council reminded the parties that extension of the mandate of UNAVEM III will be based, to a large part, on progress by the two parties towards meeting the goals set by the Lusaka Protocol. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has expressed his satisfaction at an agreement reached, in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire, between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) for a "continued cessation of hostilities with a view to creating a climate of confidence to the conclusion of a peace accord". Through a joint communique, the "Yamoussoukro Communique", the Government of Sierra Leone and RUF reaffirmed their commitment to a just and lasting peace in Sierra Leone and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, according to a UN Spokesman. To that end, they agreed to establish three joint working parties to deal with the following matters: a peace-accord; encampment and disarmament of combatants; and demobilization as well as resettlement of combatants. They are to prepare draft agreements on those issues, for consideration at a plenary meeting within two weeks of the Yamoussoukro Communique. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali had a telephone conversation today with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz during which they decided to postpone the oil-for-food talks until Dr. Boutros-Ghali returns from Africa in early May. He will be in South Africa for the opening of the ninth UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). According to UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa, the Secretary-General and the Iraqi Prime Minister shared the view that a lot of progress had been achieved, but that certain problems remained which required further negotiations. They agreed that the political will existed on both sides to continue the negotiations and to overcome remaining difficulties. The next round of talks - the fourth - will take place in New York, Ms. Foa added. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Marrack Goulding has completed his mission to Rwanda and is currently in Burundi, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. The Government of Rwanda has accepted the establishment of a new UN office in Rwanda called UNOR, Ms. Foa said. The new office will be very different from UNAMIR and its presence did not imply that Rwanda was still in an emergency situation, she emphasized. The three members of the fact-finding mission to Nigeria had presented their report to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. The main purpose of the mission had been to investigate the circumstances surrounding the trial and execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and others. In addition, it sought the establishment of a democratic regime in that country, Ms. Foa added. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that both, Israel and the Hezbollah guerrillas, continued their attacks, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. Hezbollah guerrillas continued firing rockets towards Israel while two successive bombs dropped by the Israeli air forces, hit close to a finnish armoured personnel carrier and damaged it. The UN had protested such actions, Ms. Foa added. The roads in southern Lebanon were full of craters and there was serious damage to the water supply in the region, Ms. Foa said. Furthermore, humanitarian convoys had been delayed due to Israeli air strikes. UNIFIL was helping prepare grave sites for the victims of the shelling incident, she added. Member States of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in Bangkok, have pledged a total of $17.45 million for the Commission's 1996 work programme, regional institutions and technical cooperation projects. That amount, which excludes assistance to ESCAP from other UN organizations, represented an increase of $3.68 million or 27 per cent over 1995. Of the total amount contributed by bilateral donors and developing country members and associate members, $10.62 million was received from eight donor countries: Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Japan remained the largest bilateral donor to ESCAP with its contributions of about $5.73 million, followed by the Netherlands, which contributed $2.04 million. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Yasushi Akashi, today opened a major exhibition at UN Headquarters entitled "Land-Mines: A Global Crisis", UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa announced today. The exhibition is being timed to coincide with the Review Conference on Conventional Weapons in Geneva - the only source of international treaty law that directly applies to the use of land-mines. Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to add their names to the 1.6 million signatures in support of a ban on the production, export and use of land-mines, Ms. Foa said. The petition will be presented to Member States through the General Assembly at the closure of the exhibition. The Gestetner Corporation of the United Kingdom received the 1995 UN Grand Award for outstanding achievement in public relations for its campaign encouraging businesses to donate used laser printers to schools. The award was presented at a private luncheon at Headquarters today. Given in conjunction with the International Public Relations Association Golden World Awards, the UN Grand awards were established in 1990 by the Department of Public Information in order to recognize campaigns that address priority issues of the UN. The Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, Samir S. Sanbar, presented the awards. Kenya and South Africa were also presented with awards. UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Director- General Federico Mayor has expressed deep concern and preoccupation at the loss of lives and the threats to world heritage sites in southern Lebanon due to the on-going conflict. Lebanon was a rich area with cultural heritage and archaeological remains of the Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic periods, Mr. Mayor said. Tyre for example, which has been bombed and shelled, was a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it used to be a major Phoenician city that ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage. 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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