United Nations Daily Highlights 96-04-29

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Monday, April 29, 1996

HEADLINES

• Security Council demands Sudan act to extradite suspects in assassination attempt of Egyptian President by 10 May, or face sanctions.
• Secretary-General arrives in Nairobi to preside over meeting of heads of UN agencies.
• UN Conference on Trade and Development invaluable tool for international community to deal with economic consequences of global economy, Secretary- General says at opening of UNCTAD IX.
• Secretary-General asks Member States to identify programmes to be cut to finance missions in Haiti and Guatemala.
• United Nations financial situation remains "precarious" with $2.8 billion in unpaid assessments; UN's regular budget cash currently zero, Under- Secretary-General for Administration and Management says.
• Tensions rise in Bosnian-Serb territory as muslims attempt to visit relatives' grave-sites; new mass grave discovered near Bihac.
• "Deep concern" expressed at economic and social consequences of rapid upsurge in international trafficking and use of amphetamine-type stimulants, as Commission on Narcotic Drugs ends two-week session.

Acting Under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Council adopted resolution 1054 (1996) by a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (China and the Russian Federation). By the text, the Council also demanded that the Sudan, henceforth, act with its neighbours and others in full conformity with the Charters of the UN and of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The demands being made had been originally contained in Council resolution 1044 of 31 January 1996.

Should the Sudan fail to comply with its demands by 10 May, the Council decided that all States shall significantly reduce the number of their staff at Sudanese diplomatic posts, and restrict or control the movement within their territory of all remaining staff. In addition, all States were asked to restrict the entry into, or transmit through their territory, of members of the Sudanese Government and of its armed forces. Those measures would remain in force until the Council determines that the Sudan has complied with its demands.

It is the first time that the twice-yearly ACC session of Executive Heads of all UN organizations and agencies met in a developing country, Ms. Foa said. The meeting, which began today, will mainly discuss the implementation of the UN System-wide Special Initiative on Africa. The initiative, launched last month in cooperation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), seeks to promote the development of the entire continent.

Upon his arrival in Nairobi, the Secretary-General met with Kenya's President Daniel Arap Moi and discussed issues related to Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda and the Sudan, Ms. Foa said. Later, at a reception in Nairobi, hosted by Vice-President, George Saitoti, the Secretary-General said the world's attention should be on Africa since it was the continent with the greatest number of conflicts, refugees and displaced persons, as well as facing the most danger of being marginalized.

By holding several international conferences, such as the Conference on Population and Development and UNCTAD IX, the UN had signified its intention to put a stop to the marginalization of Africa, Dr. Boutros- Ghali said. Furthermore, it had signified its intention to cooperate with Africans in achieving peace and prosperity.

In his address at the opening of UNCTAD's meeting on 27 April, the Secretary-General said the challenge of the Conference was to promote growth and sustainable development in a globalizing and liberalizing international economy. UNCTAD remained an invaluable tool at the disposal of the international community so that it could come to terms with the economic and commercial consequences of the global economy.

The Conference needed to achieve three goals; the first, to be a forum where countries can formulate, express and share their views on development issues, Dr. Boutros-Ghali said. The second goal UNCTAD needed to fulfil was that of technically assisting the most disadvantaged countries by being the developing countries principal agency of change. Finally, UNCTAD needed to be the conscience and advocate of the most disadvantaged countries.

Also during UNCTAD'S ninth meeting, the Group of 77 issued a ministerial Declaration calling on the international community to ensure that developing countries be included in the decision-making on important international economic questions, according to a UN Radio report from Midrand. The Declaration further called for a greater degree of coordination among major actors in the world economy with a view to also considering the interest of developing countries.

The Group of 77, through the Declaration, raised the questions of exclusion, referring to globalization and liberalization as a phenomena which might exclude certain countries from the global economy. It also expressed deep concern over "coercive economic measures which run against the principle of international law".

According to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), changes in programmes were the prerogative of the General Assembly, UN Spokesman Sylvanna Foa said today. Earlier, the General Assembly had voted to cut the programme budgets by $154 million, without affecting the full implementation of any programmes or activities.

The Secretary-General has requested that such suggestions be made by the end of April so he can report back to the General Assembly by 15 May, Ms. Foa said. Overall additional requirements for anticipated non- peace- keeping political missions were $120 million over the biennium, she added.

During his update on the UN financial situation at Headquarters, Mr. Connor said most of the debt was due to the United States' owing $1.5 billion, the Russian Federation's debt of $400 million and the $250 million owed by the Ukraine. Unlike what had been forecast in February - that the UN's regular budget cash would be $79 million by 30 April - the budget cash was currently zero. For that reason, the UN would have to borrow, once more, from peace-keeping funds in order to meet the regular budget operations, Mr. Connor added.

Even though 53 Member States had paid, in full, their 1996 assessments, the negative budget cash situation was largely due to the lack of payments from the United States, Germany and Japan, Mr. Connor said. The forecasts provided by those countries, had not been adhered to. Japan, for example, needed to solve its own national budget impasse before it could pay $128 million he said.

In spite of the negative news, the United States had legislated a national budget for its fiscal year - which began October 1, 1995 - which would result in cash payments to the UN of $256 million more than the forecast had anticipated for 1996, Mr. Connor said. In addition, peace- keeping payments would be received but further US Congressional actions needed to take place. Also, the Russian Federation had announced that it would pay $400 million to the UN in 1996, that amount was $275 million more than the forecast. The good news was preliminary since "promises are good but cash was better", Mr. Connor concluded.

Three buses full of muslims who intended to visit grave-sites, as part of the three-day religious holiday custom, had been stopped in northern Bosnia, by a crowd of 100 Bosnian Serbs armed with sticks and stones, Ms. Foa said. In order to defuse the situation, the Implementation Force (IFOR) intervened and cautioned the passengers in the bus to avoid their visit. IPTF as well as IFOR had discouraged muslim refugees from entering Bosnian Serb territories in order to avoid problems, she added.

Ms. Foa announced that the IPTF patrol had confirmed the existence of a mass grave in Kulen Vakuf, near Bihac. Even though only 20 bodies had been discovered, more were expected to be found since an estimated 800 people were missing in the area, she added.

The Commission has called for new and tighter controls on chemicals used in the manufacture of such synthetic drugs. In a draft resolution approved for submission to the Economic and Social Council later this year, the Commission is seeking government regulation and close monitoring of the import and export of "precursors" used in the production of a number of stimulants, including the so-called "designer drugs" such as "ecstasy".

In discussions leading up to that action, speakers had expressed alarm at the dimension of the phenomenon, whereby amphetamine-type drugs were surpassing traditional, plant-based narcotics in a growing number of countries. They had also discussed how operators of clandestine laboratories were able to obtain ample quantities of the ingredient chemicals from suppliers or intermediaries.

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

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