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United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-03-05United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSWednesday, 5 March 1997This 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 Wednesday welcomed the deployment on 3 March 1997 of a group of United Nations military observers in Guatemala for the purposes of verification of the agreement of the definitive cease-fire between the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Rovolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG) signed at Oslo on 4 December 1996. In a Presidential statement, Council President Ambassador Zbigniew M. Wlosowicz said the Council reaffirmed its full support for the peace process in Guatemala. He said the Council called on both parties to cooperate fully with the verification of the cease-fire, separation of forces, disarmament and demobilisation of URNG combatants, as well as the commitments under the other agreements in the overall package of Peace Accords. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan Wednesday met with Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). The two leaders discussed the question of the construction in Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghneim and on the ongoing discussions on that issue in the Security Council, according to a Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General. He said the Secretary-General reiterated the continuous support of United Nations to the peace process. Chairman Arafat expressed the hope that the discussions in the Council would result in a resolution and that the Council would be able to take meaningful action on that, the Spokesman said. The President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia also met with Mr. Arafat, the Spokeswoman for the Assembly President, Samsiah Abdul-Majid said. They exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East and underlined the need for all parties to honour their agreements and United Nations resolutions, the Spokeswoman noted. "The Assembly President congratulated Chairman Arafat for his courageous attempt to move the peace process, including the issue of Jerusalem, which will benefit both Palestine and Israel, as well as the region", she said. The Government of Zaire has ordered the expulsion of 40 relief workers, including 11 United Nations staff members, for evacuating from Kisangani and Tingi-Tingi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Wednesday. The agency said the interior Ministry summoned representatives of UN agencies and NGOs to a meeting Tuesday and announced that the expatriate workers who were evacuating from Kisangani Saturday were being asked to leave the country. "However, a government statement released to the press Tuesday night left the door open for continued international humanitarian operations in Zaire, " the agency said. Meanwhile, UNHCR and other UN agencies are holding discussions with Zairian officials in an attempt to reverse the expulsion order. The financial state and health of the United Nations in overall terms was "less bad, not good, managed to hang on one more year" according to Under- Secretary-General for Administration and Management, Joseph Connor. Speaking to United Nations correspondents, Mr. Connor said that unpaid assessed contributions totalled less than $ 2.2 billion at the end of 1996 - a decrease in the all time high of 2.3 billion at the end of 1995. He however noted that despite the drop, the 1996 year-end level of unpaid assessment was $400 million higher than in 1994, adding that while the aggregate decrease was good, it was not as good as it should be. He said 1996 was the first year that the amount of regular budget collections outpaced, by more than a nominal amount, the extent of the new assessments that were made. The follow-up meeting of heads of delegation to the Joint Commission in Angola met earlier this week and reviewed the time-table of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) deputies in Luanda, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Juan Carlos Brandt said Wednesday. The meeting also reviewed the assumption of seats in the National Assembly as well as the formation of the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation, the Spokesman said. He said the meeting concluded that all UNITA deputies and officials designated for the posts should arrive by 15 March in Luanda. The UNITA deputies should assume their seats in the National Assembly by 18 March and the Government of National Unity and Reconciliation inaugurated on 20 March, the Spokesman noted, adding that the meeting approved a new timetable for demobilisation, incorporation and selection of the military process. Under an arrangement made by the Administrator of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES), Mr. Jacques Klein, television programmes from local stations in the region from Croatia, from the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and from UNTAES will be transmitted via the Belje transmission tower in eastern Slavonia effective 5 March, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Juan Carlos Brandt said. Three channels will be made available to programmes from the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia and UNTAES each, to ensure free flow of information for the public during the election period, the Spokesman said. All registered political parties in the election will be invited for programmes on the UNTAES channel. The Commission for Social Development Tuesday nominated, for confirmation by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Heba Alimad Handoussa (Egypt), Eveline Herfkens (Netherlands), Marcia Rivera (United States), Gita Sen (India) and Graca Simbine Machel (Mozambique) to serve four-year terms on the board of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Introducing the Institute's report to the Commission, its Director, Dharam Gai, said the Institute had undertaken research into the reconstruction of war-torn societies by creating discussion forums in countries that required them, such as Eritrea, Somalia, Guatemala and Cambodia. The Institute had also studied the impact of environmental initiatives on the issue of livelihood, he said. More than 100 legislators from southern Africa and Europe as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations and the media will meet in Windhoek, Namibia on 7-8 March to articulate a common agenda for promoting equality between men and women in the region. The meeting, "Towards Practical Gender Equality: From Dialogue to Action", will be hosted by Dr. Mose Tjitendero, Speaker of the Namibian National Assembly. Other topics to be covered at the meeting include: mobilising Southern African Development Community women's parliamentary networks, advancing the agenda for the education of girls and women, balancing gender in society, and building strategic alliances between parliamentarians, NGOs and the media. 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 |