81. Maintenance of international security

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, pursuant to resolution 47/60 B of 9 December 1992. At that session, the Assembly reaffirmed that, with the end of the cold war and of bipolar confrontation, the United Nations faced new tasks in the area of maintaining international peace and security; recognized the need for effective, dynamic and flexible measures, in accordance with the Charter, to prevent and remove threats to peace and to suppress acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace; emphasized its commitment to preventive diplomacy and the need to develop appropriate political mechanisms for the early solution of disputes and for the timely and peaceful resolution of any situation that might impair friendly relations among States; stressed the need for the full implementation of Security Council resolutions; recognized that it had an important role to play in helping to address situations that might lead to international friction or dispute, in close cooperation and coordination with the Security Council and the Secretary-General in accordance with the Charter; stressed the great importance of the role of regional arrangements and organizations and recognized the need to coordinate their efforts with those of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security; urged all States to strive for sustainable progress in the field of disarmament, arms control, non-proliferation, transparency in arms transfers and confidence-building measures; recognized the importance of humanitarian concerns in conflict situations and welcomed the increasing role of the United Nations system in providing humanitarian assistance; and decided to continue consideration of the question of maintenance of international security and invited Member States to provide their views on further consideration of that question (resolution 48/84 A). The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States, particularly those from the Balkan region, and of international organizations, as well as of competent organs of the United Nations, on the development of good-neighbourly relations in the region and on measures and preventive activities aimed at creation of a stable zone of peace and cooperation in the Balkans by the year 2000; and decided to consider the report of the Secretary-General on the subject at its fiftieth session (resolution 48/84 B).

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly decided to include the item in the provisional agenda of its fiftieth session (decision 49/428).

At its fiftieth session,(124) the General Assembly adopted two resolutions under the item. In the first resolution, entitled "Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan", the Assembly recognized and supported the status of permanent neutrality declared by Turkmenistan; and called upon States Members of the United Nations to respect and support that status of Turkmenistan and also to respect its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity (resolution 50/80 A). In the second resolution, entitled "Development of good-neighbourly relations among Balkan States", the Assembly urged relevant international organizations and competent bodies and organizations of the United Nations system to submit to the Secretary-General their views on the subject; called upon all Balkan States to endeavour to promote good-neighbourly relations and continually to undertake unilateral and joint activities, particular confidence-building measures as appropriate, in particular within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; emphasized the importance for all Balkan States to promote mutual cooperation in all fields; stressed that closer engagement of Balkan States in cooperation arrangements on the European continent would favourably influence the political and economic situation in the region; urged normalization of the relations among all States of the Balkan region; requested the Secretary-General to continue to seek the views of the Member States, particularly those from the Balkan region, and of international organizations, as well as of competent organs of the United Nations, on the development of good-neighbourly relations in the region and on measures and preventive activities aimed at the creation of a stable zone of peace and cooperation in the Balkans by the year 2000, and to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session taking into account the views expressed by Member States; and decided to consider the report of the Secretary-General on the subject at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/80 B).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/80 B).

82. Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security

The item entitled "The strengthening of international security" was included in the agenda of the twenty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in 1969, at the request of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (A/7654).

At its twenty-fifth session, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security (resolution 2734 (XXV)). At its twenty-sixth to forty-eighth and fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of this item (resolutions 2880 (XXVI), 2993 (XXVII), 3185 (XXVIII), 3332 (XXIX), 3389 (XXX), 31/92, 32/154, 33/75, 34/100, 35/158, 36/102, 37/118, 38/190, 39/154, 40/158, 41/90, 42/92, 43/85 to 43/88, 44/126, 45/80, 47/60 A and 48/83, and decisions 46/414 and 50/418).

At its fifty-first session,(125) the General Assembly decided to include the item in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/415).

No advance documentation is expected.

83. Rationalization of the work and reform of the agenda of the First Committee

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, at the request of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (A/48/194). At that session, the Assembly decided to enhance the effectiveness of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) by: (a) addressing in a more systematic manner the issues of disarmament and related matters of international security; (b) streamlining its functioning and encouraging more detailed and focused discussion of the specific agenda items; and (c) reviewing annually the time and resources allotted for its work; decided also, in relation to the restructuring and reorganization of the annual agenda of the First Committee, to adopt a thematic approach whereby items presented by Member States are clustered in broad topic areas, such as: (a) nuclear weapons; (b) other weapons of mass destruction; (c) conventional weapons; (d) regional disarmament and security; (e) confidence-building measures, including transparency in armaments; (f) outer space (disarmament aspects); (g) disarmament machinery; (h) other disarmament measures; (i) international security; and (j) related matters of disarmament and international security; requested the Chairman of the First Committee to continue consultations on the further rationalization of the work of the Committee in terms of improving its effective functioning; and urged the Secretary-General to provide the appropriate means and adequate resources to the Centre for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat in order to ensure that it could carry out its mandated tasks (resolution 48/87).

The General Assembly continued consideration of the item at its forty-ninth session (resolution 49/85).

At its fiftieth session,(126) the General Assembly welcomed the progress achieved in the rationalization and improvement of the work of the First Committee; requested the Chairman of the First Committee to continue consultations on the further rationalization of the work of the Committee with a view to improving further its effective functioning; and decided to defer consideration of the item until its fifty-second session (decision 50/421).

No advance documentation is expected.

84. Effects of atomic radiation

At its tenth session, in 1955, the General Assembly established the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, consisting of 15 Member States, and requested it to assemble, study and disseminate information on observed levels of ionizing radiation and radioactivity in the environment, and on the effects of such radiation upon man and his environment (resolution 913 (X)).

At its twenty-eighth session, the General Assembly decided to increase the membership of the Scientific Committee to a maximum of 20 (resolution 3154 C (XXVIII)) and, at its forty-first session, it decided to increase the membership to a maximum of 21 (resolution 41/62 B). At present, the Committee is composed of the following 21 Member States: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Sudan, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America.

Substantive scientific reports reviewing in detail the levels, doses, effects and risks of ionizing radiation were submitted by the Scientific Committee to the General Assembly at the following sessions: thirteenth (A/3838), seventeenth (A/5216), nineteenth (A/5814), twenty-first (A/6314 and Corr.1), twenty-fourth (A/7613 and Corr.1), twenty-seventh (A/8725 and Corr.1), thirty-second (A/32/40), thirty-seventh (A/37/45), forty-first (A/41/16), forty-third (A/43/45), forty-eighth (A/48/46) and forty-ninth (A/49/46). Shorter reports on progress of work were also submitted at the intervening sessions.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²⁷⁾ the General Assembly commended the Scientific Committee for the valuable contribution it had been making in the course of the past 41 years to wider knowledge and understanding of the levels, effects and risks of atomic radiation; noted with satisfaction the completion in 1996 of a further scientific annex by the Committee; requested the Committee to continue its work, including its important activities to increase knowledge of the levels, effects and risks of ionizing radiation from all sources; endorsed the Committee's intentions and plans for its future activities of scientific review and assessment on behalf of the Assembly; also requested the Committee to continue the review of the important problems in the field of radiation and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; requested UNEP to continue providing support for the effective conduct of the work of the Committee and for the dissemination of its findings; and expressed its appreciation for the assistance rendered to the Scientific Committee by Member States, the specialized agencies, IAEA and non-governmental organizations, and invited them to increase their cooperation in the field, and to provide further relevant data about doses, effects and risks from various sources of radiation (resolution 51/121).

Document: Report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, Supplement No. 46 (A/52/46).

85. International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space

The item relating to the peaceful uses of outer space was first included in the agenda of the General Assembly at its thirteenth session, in 1958. At that session, the Assembly established the Ad Hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, composed of 18 members (resolution 1348 (XIII)).

At its fourteenth session, the General Assembly set up a permanent body, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (resolution 1472 A (XIV)), whose original membership of 24 was ultimately expanded to 61 at the forty-ninth session (resolutions 1721 E (XVI)), 3182 (XXVIII), 32/196 B, 35/16 and 49/33). The Committee established a Legal Subcommittee and a Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. At present, the Committee is composed of the following 61 Member States: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Yugoslavia.⁽¹²⁸⁾

The Committee has considered the work of its subsidiary bodies and reported each year to the General Assembly. The discussions and recommendations of the Committee have led to the formulation and adoption of several important international legal instruments, including the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (resolution 1962 (XVIII)), the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (resolution 2222 (XXI)), the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space (resolution 2345 (XXII)), the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (resolution 2777 (XXVI)), the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (resolution 3235 (XXIX)), the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (resolution 34/68), the Principles Governing the Use by States of Artificial Earth Satellites for International Direct Television Broadcasting (resolution 37/92), the Principles Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Outer Space (resolution 41/65), Principles relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space (resolution 47/68) and the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interest of All States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries (resolution 51/122).

At its thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth session, the General Assembly endorsed the wide-ranging recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, held in 1982, and requested the Committee to consider the implementation of those recommendations (resolutions 37/89, 37/90 and 38/80). At its thirty-ninth to fiftieth session, the Assembly reiterated that request (resolutions 39/96, 40/162, 41/64, 42/68, 43/56, 44/46, 45/72, 46/45, 47/67, 48/39, 49/34 and 50/27).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²⁹⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, endorsed the recommendations of the Committee with regard to its working methods; and also the recommendations of the Committee that the Legal Subcommittee, at its thirty-sixth session, and the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, at its thirty-fourth session, should continue consideration of the items included in their agenda under resolution 51/123; welcomed the fact that, beginning with its thirty-sixth session, the Legal Subcommittee would be provided with unedited verbatim transcripts in lieu of summary records, following the utilization of unedited verbatim transcripts in the Committee in lieu of verbatim records; noted with satisfaction that the Committee would evaluate the use of unedited verbatim transcripts at its fortieth session and inform the Assembly at its fifty-second session of the experience of the Committee with the transcripts; emphasized the urgency and importance of implementing fully the recommendations of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and invited the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the matter; agreed that the multi-year work plan for the consideration of the item on space debris should continue to be implemented with flexibility; noted with satisfaction that significant progress had been achieved in establishing regional centres for space science and technology education in the each regions covered by the regional commissions; endorsed the United Nations Programme on Space Applications for 1997, as proposed by the Expert on Space Applications; endorsed the recommendation of the Committee that a special session of the Committee (UNISPACE III), open to all States Members of the United Nations, should be convened at the United Nations Office at Vienna, preferably in 1999; requested the Committee and the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee to act as the Preparatory Committee and the Advisory Committee for UNISPACE III and the Office for Outer Space Affairs to act as the executive secretariat; and also requested the Preparatory Committee and the Advisory Committee to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in the preparatory work for UNISPACE III by carrying out the tasks entrusted to them, which include finalizing the agenda, determining a specific date, outlining the participation of relevant international and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations and limiting the cost within the existing resources for the Committee and its secretariat by reducing or curtailing the duration of the sessions of the Committee and its subsidiary bodies during the year of UNISPACE III (resolution 51/123).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space: Supplement No. 20 (A/52/20);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/123)

86. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

At its third session, in 1948, the General Assembly initiated United Nations assistance to Palestine refugees (resolution 212 (III)). At that session, the Assembly established the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, composed of France, Turkey and the United States of America (resolution 194 (III).

At its fourth session, the General Assembly established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (resolution 302 (IV)). Since May 1950, the Agency, which is supported by voluntary contributions, has been providing education, training, health, relief and other services to Arab refugees from Palestine. In 1967 and 1982, the functions of the Agency were widened to include humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis and as a temporary measure, to other displaced persons in serious need of immediate assistance, as a result of the 1967 and subsequent hostilities (resolutions 2252 (ES-V) and 37/120 B). The Agency's mandate has been extended several times, most recently until 30 June 1999 (resolution 50/28 A).

By its resolution 302 (IV), the General Assembly established an Advisory Commission to advise and assist the Director (now Commissioner-General) of the Agency in the execution of its programme. At present, the Advisory Commission of UNRWA is composed of the following 10 Member States: Belgium, Egypt, France, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America. In the same resolution, the Director (now Commissioner-General) of the Agency was requested to submit to the Assembly an annual report on the work of the Agency and to the Secretary-General such other reports as the Agency might wish to bring to the attention of the United Nations or its appropriate organs.

At its twenty-fifth session, the General Assembly, in view of the Agency's deteriorating financial situation, established the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to study all aspects of the financing of the Agency (resolution 2656 (XXV)). The Working Group submitted recommendations to the Assembly at its twenty-fifth session and every subsequent session, and the Assembly has annually extended the Working Group's mandate. The Working Group is composed of the following nine Member States: France, Ghana, Japan, Lebanon, Norway, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁰⁾ the General Assembly adopted seven resolutions under this item (resolution 51/124 to 51/130.

In the first resolution, entitled "Assistance to Palestine refugees", the General Assembly noted with regret that repatriation or compensation of the refugees, as provided for in paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III), had not been effected; recognized that the Agency was doing all it could within the limits of available resources; noted the significant success of the Peace Implementation Programme of the Agency since the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements; welcomed strengthened cooperation between the Agency and the World Bank and other specialized agencies; urged all Member States to extend and expedite aid and assistance with a view to the economic and social development of the Palestinian people and the occupied territories; reiterated its concern regarding the continuing seriousness of the financial position of the Agency; noted with profound concern that the structural deficit problem confronting the Agency portended an almost certain decline in the living conditions of the Palestine refugees and therefore had possible consequences for the peace process; and called upon all Governments, as a matter of urgency, to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of the Agency, including the costs of moving the headquarters to Gaza (resolution 51/124).

In the second resolution, entitled "Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East", the General Assembly requested the Working Group to continue its efforts, in cooperation with the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General, for the financing of the Agency for a further period of one year (resolution 51/125).

In the third resolution, entitled "Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities", the General Assembly reaffirmed the right of all persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities to return to their homes or former places of residence in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967; endorsed the efforts of the Commissioner-General of the Agency to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis and as a temporary measure, to persons in the area who were currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities; and requested the Secretary-General, after consulting with the Commissioner-General, to report to the Assembly before its fifty-second session on the progress made with regard to the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/126).

In the fourth resolution, entitled "Offers by Member States of grants and scholarships for higher education, including vocational training, for Palestine refugees", the General Assembly urged all States to respond to the appeal contained in its resolution 32/90 F in a manner commensurate with the needs of Palestine refugees for higher education, including vocational training; invited the relevant specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue, within their respective spheres of competence, to extend assistance for higher education to Palestine refugee students; appealed to all States, specialized agencies and the United Nations University to contribute generously to the Palestinian universities; appealed to all States, specialized agencies and other international bodies to contribute towards the establishment of vocational training centres for Palestine refugees; requested the Agency to act as the recipient and trustee for the special allocations for grants and scholarships and to award them to qualified Palestine refugee candidates; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/127).

In the fifth resolution, entitled "Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East", the General Assembly welcomed the completion of the transfer of the headquarters of the Agency to Gaza; acknowledged the support of the host Government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the Agency in the discharge of its duties; called upon Israel to accept the de jure applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and to abide by Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations with regard to the safety of the personnel of the Agency and the protection of its institutions and the safeguarding of the security of the facilities of the Agency in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem; called once again upon Israel to compensate the Agency for damages to its property and facilities resulting from actions by the Israeli side; requested the Commissioner-General of the Agency to proceed with the issuance of identification cards for Palestine refugees and their descendants in the occupied Palestinian territory; noted that the new context created by the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by Israel and the PLO and subsequent implementation agreements had major consequences for the activities of the Agency, which was thenceforth called upon, in close cooperation with the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, the specialized agencies and the World Bank, to continue to contribute towards the development of economic and social stability in the occupied territory; noted also that the functioning of the Agency remained essential in all fields of operation; and urged all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to continue and to increase their contributions to the Agency so as to ease current financial constraints and to support the Agency in maintaining the provision of the most basic and effective assistance to the Palestine refugees (resolution 51/128).

In the sixth resolution, entitled "Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues", the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to take all appropriate steps, in consultation with the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, for the protection of Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel; called once more upon Israel to render all facilities and assistance to the Secretary-General in the implementation of the resolution; called upon all the parties concerned to provide the Secretary-General with any pertinent information in their possession concerning Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel that would assist him in the implementation of the resolution; urged the Palestinian and Israeli sides, as agreed between them, to deal with the important issue of Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues in the framework of the final status negotiations of the Middle East peace process; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/129).

In the seventh resolution, entitled "University of Jerusalem 'Al-Quds' for Palestine refugees", the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to continue to take all necessary measures for establishing the University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds", in accordance with resolution 35/13 B; called once more upon Israel, the occupying Power, to cooperate in the implementation of resolution 51/130 and to remove the hindrances that it had put in the way of establishing the University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds"; and also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/130).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA: Supplement No. 13 (A/52/13);

(b) Report of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA (resolution 51/125);

(c) Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 51/126, 127, 129 and 130).

87. Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

At its twenty-third session, in 1968, the General Assembly established the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories (resolution 2443 (XXIII)). At present, the Special Committee is composed of the following three Member States: Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka

At the twenty-fifth session of the General Assembly, the Special Committee presented its first report to the Secretary-General in conformity with resolution 2443 (XXIII). The Secretary-General made the report available to the Assembly and, following the inclusion of the item in the agenda of that session, the report was referred to the Special Political Committee. At that session, the Assembly renewed the mandate of the Special Committee (resolution 2727 (XXV)).

At its twenty-sixth to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item on the basis of reports of the Special Committee and requested the Committee to continue its work (resolutions 2851 (XXVI), 3005 (XXVII), 3092 A and B (XXVIII), 3240 A to C (XXIX), 3525 A to D (XXX), 31/106 A to D, 32/91 A to C, 33/133 A to C, 34/90 A to C, 35/122 A to F, 36/147 A to G, 37/88 A to G, 38/79 A to H, 39/95 A to H, 40/161 A to G, 41/63 A to G, 42/160 A to G, 43/58 A to G, 44/48 A to G, 45/74 A to G, 46/47 A to G, 47/70 A to G, 48/41 A to D, 49/36 A to D and 50/29 A to D).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³¹⁾ the General Assembly requested the Special Committee to continue to investigate Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, and to report to the Secretary-General as soon as possible and whenever the need arose thereafter, and to submit regularly to the Secretary-General periodic reports on the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territory; and requested the Secretary-General to provide all necessary facilities to the Special Committee, to circulate regularly its periodic reports to Member States and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the tasks entrusted to him in the resolutions; reaffirmed that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War was applicable to the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967; and also reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan were illegal and an obstacle to peace and economic and social development (resolutions 51/131 to 51/135).

Documents:

(a) Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the reports of the Special Committee (resolution 51/131), A/52/131

(b) Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 51/131 to 135).

88. Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects

At its nineteenth session, in February 1965, the General Assembly established the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, which was to undertake a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, including ways of overcoming the financial difficulties of the United Nations (resolution 2006 (XIX)). At present, the Special Committee is composed of the following Member States: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The General Assembly considered the question at its twentieth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 2053 (XX), 2220 (XXI), 2308 (XXII), 2451 (XXIII), 2576 (XXIV), 2670 (XXV), 2835 (XXVI), 2965 (XXVII), 3091 (XXVIII), 3239 (XXIX), 3457 (XXX), 31/105, 32/106, 33/114, 34/53, 35/121, 36/37, 37/93, 38/81, 39/97, 40/163, 41/67, 42/161, 43/59 A and B, 44/49, 45/75, 46/48, 47/71, 47/72, 48/42, 48/43, 49/37 and 50/30).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³²⁾ the General Assembly endorsed the proposals, recommendations and conclusions contained in the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations; urged Member States, the Secretariat and relevant organs of the United Nations to take all necessary steps to implement the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the Special Committee; decided to expand the membership of the Special Committee, in accordance with the provisions of its report; decided also that the Special Committee, in accordance with its mandate, should continue its efforts for a comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, and should review the implementation of its previous proposals and consider new proposals so as to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to fulfil its responsibilities in that field; and requested the Special Committee to submit a report on its work to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/136).

Document: Report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (resolution 51/136), A/52/209.

89. Questions relating to information

At its thirtieth session, in 1975, the General Assembly decided to consider at its thirty-third session and item entitled "United Nations public information policies and activities" (resolution 3535 (XXX)). At its thirty-third session, the Assembly considered the item as a sub-item under "Questions relating to information", and decided to establish a Committee to Review United Nations Public Information Policies and Activities, consisting of 41 Member States (resolution 33/115 C).

At its thirty-fourth session, the General Assembly decided to maintain the Committee and rename it the Committee on Information (resolution 34/182). The Assembly continued to consider the item at its thirty-fifth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 35/201, 36/149 A and B, 37/94 A and B, 38/82 A and B, 39/98 A and B, 40/164 A and B, 41/68 A to E, 42/162 A and B, 43/60 A and B, 44/50, 45/76 A and B, 46/73 A and B, 47/73 A and B, 48/44 A and B, 49/38 A and B and 50/138 A and B). In addition, the Assembly took a number of decisions on membership of the Committee on Information during this period (decisions 43/418, 44/418, 45/422, 46/423, 47/424, 47/322, 48/318, 49/416, 50/311 and 50/411).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³³⁾ the General Assembly urged all countries, organizations of the United Nations system and all others concerned, inter alia, to cooperate and interact with a view to reducing existing disparities in information flows by increasing assistance for the development of communication infrastructures and capabilities in developing countries; to ensure for journalists the free and effective performance of their professional tasks and to condemn resolutely all attacks against them; and to provide full support for the International Programme for the Development of Communication of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (resolution 51/138 A).

The General Assembly, inter alia, also recalled its decision to consolidate the role of the Committee on Information as its main subsidiary body mandated to make recommendations relating to the work of the Department of Public Information; called upon the Secretary-General to implement fully the recommendations contained in paragraph 2 of its resolution 48/44 B; requested the Secretary-General to continue to ensure the involvement of the Department at the planning stage of the information components of peacekeeping and other field operations of the United Nations; requested the Department to review its publications, particularly those in the sphere of development, and proposals for publications and to report thereon to the Committee at its nineteenth session; called upon the Secretary-General to continue to study ways and means to rationalize and effect equitable disbursement of available resources to all United Nations information centres; requested the Secretary-General to review the functioning of the United Nations information centres and submit a report to the Committee at its nineteenth session with his recommendations on the strengthening and rationalization of their activities; requested the Secretary-General to evaluate, through an independent consultant and within existing resources and without detriment to mandated programmes and activities, the functioning of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library, and to report thereon to the Committee at its nineteenth session; requested the Department to continue to ensure the greatest possible access to United Nations guided tours; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Committee at its nineteenth session and to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the resolution; and requested the Committee to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/138 B).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Committee on Information, Supplement No. 21 (A/52/21);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/138 B).

90. Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations

Under Article 73 e of the Charter, Member States administering Non-Self-Governing Territories are required to transmit regularly to the Secretary-General statistical and other information relating to conditions in the Territories for which they are responsible. The information is examined by the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which, under the terms of General Assembly resolution 1970 (XVIII), is requested to take that information fully into account in considering the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories concerned.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁴⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed that, in the absence of a decision by the Assembly itself that a Non-Self-Governing Territory had attained a full measure of self-government in terms of Chapter XI of the Charter, the administering Power concerned should continue to transmit information under Article 73 e of the Charter with respect to that Territory; requested the Secretary-General to continue to ensure that adequate information was drawn from all available published sources in connection with the preparation of the working papers on the Territories concerned; and requested the Special Committee to continue to discharge the functions entrusted to it under resolution 1970 (XVIII), in accordance with established procedures, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/139).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Special Committee, Supplement No. 23 (A/52/23);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/139).

124. References for the fiftieth session (agenda item 81):

(a) Report by the Secretary-General: A/50/412 and Add.1;
(b) Report of the First Committee: A/50/601;
(c) Resolutions 50/80 A and B;
(d) Meetings of the First Committee: A/C.1/50/PV.3-11, 13-17, 22 and 23;
(e) Plenary meeting: A/50/PV.90.

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91. Activities of foreign economic and other interests which impede the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Territories under colonial domination

The General Assembly, following its consideration of the report of the Special Committee, decided to include in the provisional agenda of its twenty-second session an item entitled "Activities of foreign economic and other interests which are impeding the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples in Southern Rhodesia, South West Africa and Territories under Portuguese domination and in all other Territories under colonial domination" (resolution 2189 (XXI)). At its twenty-second, thirtieth, thirty-fifth, forty-fourth and forty-sixth sessions, the Assembly decided to amend further the title of the item (resolution 2288 (XXII), A/35/250, para. 22, and decisions 44/469 and 46/402 D). At its forty-eighth session, the Assembly decided to revise the title of the item to the present wording (resolution 48/46).

Since its twenty-second session, the General Assembly has maintained the item on its agenda and at each session has adopted resolutions on the item.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁵⁾ the General Assembly urged the administering Powers concerned to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the peoples of the colonial and Non-Self-Governing Territories to their natural resources and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, and requested the administering Powers to take all necessary steps to protect the property rights of the peoples of those Territories; and requested the Special Committee to continue to examine the question and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/140).

At the same session, the General Assembly reaffirmed its strong conviction that military bases and installations in the Territories concerned could constitute an obstacle to the exercise by the people of those Territories of their right to self-determination and reiterated its strong views that existing bases and installations, which were impeding the implementation of the Declaration, should be withdrawn; also reiterated that the colonial and Non-Self-Governing Territories and areas adjacent thereto should not be used for nuclear testing, dumping of nuclear wastes or deployment of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction; and requested the Special Committee to continue to examine the question and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (decision 51/427).

Document: Relevant part of the report of the Special Committee, Supplement No. 23 (A/52/23).

92. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations
 

This question has appeared as a separate item on the agenda of the General Assembly since its twenty-second session, in 1967. At that session, the Assembly recommended that the specialized agencies and international institutions concerned should take urgent and effective measures to assist the peoples struggling for their liberation from colonial rule and work out, in cooperation with OAU, and through it with the national liberation movements, concrete programmes to that end (resolution 2311 (XXII)).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁶⁾ the General Assembly requested the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to strengthen measures of support and formulate appropriate programmes of assistance to the remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those Territories; requested the administering Powers concerned to facilitate the participation of the representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories in the relevant meetings and conferences of the agencies and other organizations so that the Territories might benefit from the related activities of those agencies and organizations; recommended that all Governments intensify their efforts in the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system of which they are members to ensure the full and effective implementation of Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and other relevant resolutions of the United Nations and, in that connection, accord priority to the question of providing assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; and requested the Special Committee to continue to examine the question and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/141).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Special Committee, Supplement No. 23 (A/52/23);

(b) Report of the Economic and Social Council, Supplement No. 3 (A/52/3);

(c) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/141), A/52/185.

93. Offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories

At its ninth session, in 1954, the General Assembly invited Member States to offer facilities to the inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories not only for study and training at the university level, but also for study at the post-primary level as well as technical and vocational training of an immediate and practical value, and requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report for the information of the Assembly, giving details of the offers made and the extent to which they had been taken up (resolution 845 (IX)). A similar invitation has been reiterated by the Assembly at subsequent sessions and, on each occasion, the Secretary-General has been requested to report to the following session on the implementation of the relevant resolution.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁷⁾ the General Assembly invited all States to make or continue to make generous offers of study and training facilities to the inhabitants of those Territories that had not yet attained self-government or independence and, wherever possible, to provide travel funds to prospective students; urged the administering Powers to take effective measures to ensure the widespread and continuous dissemination in the Territories under their administration of information relating to offers of study and training facilities made by States and to provide all the necessary facilities to enable students to avail themselves of such offers; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/142).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/142).

94. Question of the Malagasy islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in 1979, at the request of Madagascar (A/34/245). At that session, the Assembly reaffirmed the necessity of scrupulously respecting the national entity and territorial integrity of a colonial territory at the time of its accession to independence (resolution 34/91).

At its thirty-fifth session, the General Assembly invited the Government of France to initiate with the Government of Madagascar, as a matter of urgency, the negotiations provided for in resolution 34/91, with a view to settling the question in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter; and requested the Secretary-General to monitor the implementation of the resolution and to report thereon to the Assembly at its thirty-sixth session (resolution 35/123).

At its thirty-sixth to fifty-first sessions, the General Assembly decided to include the item in the provisional agenda of its subsequent session (decisions 36/432, 37/424, 38/422, 39/421, 40/429, 41/416, 42/415, 43/419, 44/419, 45/402, 46/402, 47/402, 48/402, 49/402, 50/402 and 51/402).

No advance documentation is expected.

95. Question of East Timor

At its fifteenth session, in 1960, the General Assembly decided that the Territories under Portuguese administration were Non-Self-Governing Territories within the meaning of Chapter XI of the Charter and requested the Government of Portugal to transmit to the Secretary-General, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XI, information on the conditions prevailing in the Territories, which included Timor (resolution 1542 (XV)). Thereafter, the Assembly annually reviewed the question of Territories under Portuguese administration, until its thirtieth session when, under that item, it adopted a separate resolution on the question of Timor (resolution 3485 (XXX)).

At its thirty-first session, the General Assembly considered the question of Timor under the item entitled "Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples", and decided to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-second session an item entitled "Question of East Timor" (resolution 31/53).

At its thirty-second to thirty-sixth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 32/34, 33/39, 34/40, 35/27 and 36/50).

At its thirty-seventh session, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to initiate consultations with all parties directly concerned, with a view to exploring avenues for achieving a comprehensive settlement of the problem; requested the Special Committee to keep the situation in the Territory under active consideration and to render all assistance to the Secretary-General with a view to facilitating the implementation of the resolution; and called upon all specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, in particular WFP, UNICEF and UNHCR, immediately to assist, within their respective fields of competence, the people of East Timor, in close consultation with Portugal, as the administering Power (resolution 37/30).

Since the thirty-eighth session, the General Assembly has maintained the item on its agenda while deciding at each session to defer its consideration (decisions 38/402, 39/402, 40/402, 41/402, 42/402, 43/402, 44/402, 45/402, 46/402, 47/402, 48/402, 49/402 and 50/402).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹³⁸⁾ the General Assembly had before it a progress report of the Secretary-General (A/51/361), which highlighted the discussions he had held with the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Portugal at the seventh and eighth rounds of talks held, respectively, in London on 16 January 1996, and at Geneva on 27 June 1996, and other aspects of his good offices. The Secretary-General stated that the two Ministers held in-depth discussions on the substantive issues that had been previously identified related to an eventual framework for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution to the question of East Timor. He said that the two sides had continued to engage in serious, constructive -- albeit difficult -- discussions and that those efforts would need patience and perseverance in order to bear fruit.

The report also said that the Secretary-General had facilitated a second meeting of the All-Inclusive Intra-East Timorese Dialogue, held at Burg Schlaining, Austria, from 19 to 22 March 1996. The participants adopted the Burg Schlaining Declaration -- 1996, in which, inter alia, they expressed their interest and readiness to continue the Dialogue, conveyed to the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal a proposal for the establishment of an East Timorese cultural centre; declared that they would welcome Portuguese assistance to help East Timor's human resources development; and also reaffirmed the need to implement the necessary measures in the field of human rights in various areas, including the protection of women. The report said that at their eighth round of talks, the two Foreign Ministers considered these proposals and agreed to proceed with further consultations on those relating to the East Timorese cultural centre and to human resources development in East Timor. The Secretary-General said there was continued desire on the part of the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal to find a negotiated settlement and expressed confidence that the talks under his auspices would leadBR WP="BR1">

At the same session, the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/402).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (decision 51/402).

96. The situation in the occupied territories of Croatia

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1994, at the request of Croatia (A/49/142). At that session, the Assembly expressed its commitment to ensure respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fiftieth session a comprehensive report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 49/43). On 18 October 1995, the Secretary-General submitted the report called for in the resolution (A/50/648).

At its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions,⁽¹³⁹⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its next session (decisions 50/413, 51/428).

No advance documentation is expected.

97. Macroeconomic policy questions

(a) Financing of development, including net transfer of resources between developing and developed countries

The General Assembly considered issues concerning the financing of development at its forty-sixth to forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 46/205 and 48/187 and decision 47/436).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴⁰⁾ the General Assembly decided to consider at its fifty-second session the convening of an international conference on the financing of development, and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at that session a report on substantive areas, including the consideration of aspects of interrelatedness and coordination necessary as a basis for the full consideration of the issue of financing of development and its potential funding sources (resolution 50/93).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁴¹⁾ the General Assembly stressed that global financial integration presented new challenges and opportunities, and noted that the globalization of financial markets could generate new risks of instability, which required all countries to pursue sound economic policies in order to promote financial and exchange rate stability; noted that a number of developing countries that had not benefited from the globalization of finance continued to be in great need of official development assistance; recognized the need for the international community to assist low-income countries to create the enabling environment necessary to attract private capital flows; stressed that international financial institutions had a contribution to make in reducing the risks posed by the globalization of finance, and recognized the steps taken by the International Monetary Fund, including its enhanced surveillance capacities, its standards for the provision of economic and financial information to markets, the creation of an emergency financing mechanism and the new arrangements to borrow; welcomed Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/43 on strengthening collaboration between the United Nations development system and the Bretton Woods institutions; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session, in cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, on the implementation of its resolution (resolution 51/166). At the same session, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General on global financial integration: challenges and opportunities (decision 51/442).

Documents: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 50/93 and 51/166).

(b) Trade and development

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established on 30 December 1964 as an organ of the General Assembly (resolution 1995 (XIX)). The 188 members of the Conference are those States that are Members of the United Nations or members of specialized agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The principal functions of the Conference are set out in section II, paragraph 3, of resolution 1995 (XIX). The Conference held its ninth session at Midrand, South Africa, from 27 April to 11 May 1996. When the Conference is not in session, the 144-member Trade and Development Board carries out the functions that fall within the competence of the Conference. The Board reports to the Conference and also reports annually on its activities to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁴²⁾ the General Assembly considered the questions of international trade and development and of commodities (resolutions 51/167 and 51/169).

At the same session, the General Assembly took note of a report of the Secretary-General on strengthening international organization in the area of multilateral trade, and of notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the UNCTAD secretariat on specific measures in favour of island developed countries and transmitting the report of the Joint Inspection Unit entitled "United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: review of institutional and programme issues" and his comments on that report (decision 51/442).

No advance documentation is expected.

Economic measures as a means of political and economic coercion against developing countries

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴³⁾ the General Assembly urged the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use by some developed countries of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries that are not authorized by relevant organs of the United Nations or are inconsistent with the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations, as a means of forcibly imposing the will of one State on another; requested the Secretary-General to assign to the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the Secretariat, in cooperation with UNCTAD, the task of continuing to monitor the imposition of measures of that nature and to prepare possible methodologies or criteria for evaluating the impact of such measures on the affected countries, including the impact on trade and development, for the consideration of Member States; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/96).


Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/96).

Specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries

At its fiftieth session,143 the General Assembly took note of the report of the Second Meeting of Governmental Experts from Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Representatives of Donor Countries and Financial and Development Institutions, held in New York from 19 to 22 June 1995 (TD/B/42(1)/11-TD/B/LDC/AC.1/7); and invited the landlocked developing countries and their transit neighbours to intensify further their cooperative arrangements for the development of transit infrastructures, institutions and services to facilitate the faster movement of goods in transit with financial and technical assistance from donors and financial institutions; invited the United Nations Development Programme further to promote subregional, regional and interregional projects and programmes and to expand its support in the transport and communications sector to the landlocked and transit developing countries and its technical cooperation for development geared towards promoting national and collective self-reliance among them; requested the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, in collaboration with the donor countries and institutions, to organize specific consultative groups to identify priority areas for action at the national and subregional level and draw up action programmes; requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations to convene in 1997 another meeting of governmental experts from landlocked and transit developing countries, representatives of donor countries and financial and development institutions to review progress in the development of transit systems in the landlocked and developing countries; welcomed the note by the Secretary-General and the progress report of the UNCTAD secretariat on specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries; and requested the Secretary-General of the United Nations, together with the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/97).


Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/97).

At its fifty-first session,142 the General Assembly considered the question entitled "Transit environment in the landlocked States in Central Asia and their transit developing neighbours" (resolution 51/168).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴⁴⁾ the General Assembly stressed the importance for developing countries to adopt and implement their own science and technology policies that supported the national effort to achieve sustained economic growth and sustainable development in the light of their respective national conditions, needs, priorities and objectives; further stressed the need to strengthen the important role of the United Nations in the field of science and technology; recognized the role of the private sector in science and technology for development, in particular in the transfer and development of science and technology capabilities; also recognized the role of Governments in science and technology for development; stressed the potentially important role that the United Nations Fund for Science and Technology for Development should play in enhancing endogenous capacity-building in science and technology for developments in developing countries; took note of the decision of the Economic and Social Council to invite the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to consider ways and means for the formulation of a common vision regarding the future contribution of science and technology for development; reaffirmed the need for Governments and regional and international bodies to take measures to ensure that women had equal access to and equal opportunity to participate in scientific and technological areas; called upon the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the Commission on Sustainable Development and their secretariats to interact more effectively; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on progress in the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/101).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/101).

(d) External debt crisis and development

The General Assembly first considered this subject at its fortieth session and has addressed the issue as a separate agenda item at each subsequent session (resolutions 41/202, 42/198, 43/198, 44/205, 45/214, 46/148, 47/198, 48/182, 49/94 and 50/92 and decision 40/474).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁴⁵⁾ the General Assembly recognized that effective, equitable, development-oriented and durable solutions to the external debt problems of developing countries could contribute to the strengthening of the global economy, sustained economic growth and sustainable development; noted that further progress in that regard was essential; stressed the importance for developing countries of continuing their efforts to promote a favourable environment for foreign investment and the need for the international community to promote a conducive external economic environment; welcomed the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative; stressed the importance of implementing the Initiative's eligibility criteria in a flexible and transparent manner; recognized that the Initiative required additional resources from both bilateral and multilateral creditors, and invited bilateral donors to contribute to the Initiative's Trust Fund; stressed the need for new financial flows to debtor developing countries; invited creditor countries, private banks and multilateral financial institutions to continue to mobilize resources through the Debt-reduction Facility of the International Development Association; invited the International Monetary Fund to facilitate the financing of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility; recognized the efforts of developing countries to meet their debt-servicing commitments, and encouraged creditors to continue to address the commercial debt problems of both the least developed and middle-income developing countries; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the Initiative and of the resolution (resolution 51/164).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/164).

98. Sectoral policy questions

(a) Industrial development cooperation

At its forty-fourth session, in 1989, the General Assembly proclaimed the period 1991-2000 the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (resolution 44/237). At its forty-seventh session, the Assembly decided to adjust the period of the programme for the Second Decade to cover the years 1993-2002 (resolution 47/177). The Assembly continued its consideration of the item at its forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions (decision 48/456) and resolution 49/107).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴⁶⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the programme for the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1993-2002); emphasized the importance of industrial development cooperation and a positive investment and business climate; emphasized the continuing need for technical and financial assistance from the United Nations system and bilateral and multilateral sources to complement the efforts of African countries in achieving the objectives of the Second Decade, as well as the need for African countries to enhance cooperation among themselves; encouraged African Governments to strengthen their national committees for the Second Decade in order to monitor effectively its implementation; requested the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), to continue to play an active role in the implementation of the programme; requested UNIDO to facilitate the exchange of information among African Governments on activities carried out nationally in collaboration with the United Nations system in connection with the implementation of the programme; called upon UNIDO and ECA to enhance their assistance and coordinate their activities in human resources development for industry; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/94).

The General Assembly also considered the question at its fifty-first session⁽¹⁴⁷⁾ (resolution 51/170).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/94).

(b) Business and development

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-first and forty-fifth to forty-eighth sessions, resolutions 41/182, 45/188, 46/166, 47/171 and 48/180. In resolution 48/180, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to prepare a biennial report on policies and activities related to entrepreneurship, privatization, demonopolization and administrative deregulation.

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ the General Assembly valued the promotion of entrepreneurship in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and industries by various actors throughout civil society, and of privatization, demonopolization and the simplification of administrative procedures; invited Member States, requested the Secretary-General and encouraged the relevant organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to continue to foster active participation in support of entrepreneurship, privatization, demonopolization and the simplification of administrative procedures as described in resolution 48/180, and to encourage private-sector cost-effective involvement in the efficient construction, use and maintenance of infrastructure; welcomed the continuation of work on illicit payments; recommended that the Economic and Social Council report to the Assembly at its fifty-first session on the drafting of an international agreement on illicit payments; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/106).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 48/180).

(c) Food and sustainable agricultural development

The General Assembly considered this question biennially from its forty-first session, in 1986, to its forty-ninth session (resolutions 41/191, 43/191, 45/207, 47/149 and 49/103).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the decision of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to convene the World Food Summit in 1996; and invited the Director-General of FAO to submit to the Assembly, at its fifty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the outcome of the Summit (resolution 50/109).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Director-General of FAO (resolutions 50/109 and 51/171), A/52/132-E/1997/57.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵⁰⁾ the General Assembly invited the Secretary-General to ensure that the Administrative Committee on Coordination decided on the inter-agency mechanism for the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action and the incorporation of the mechanism into existing arrangements, and to report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1997 in the context of Council resolution 1996/36; requested the Secretary-General to ensure that a coordinated follow-up at the field level to the World Food Summit was undertaken, and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the World Food Summit Plan of Action; and reiterated its invitation to the Director-General of FAO to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Council, a report on the outcome of the World Food Summit, including actions to be taken to follow up the outcome of the Summit (resolution 51/171).

At the same session, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the use of freshwater resources for food and agricultural production, as well as the implications of the results of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations for food production, including agro-industrial products, and for global food security in developing countries (decision 51/943).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/171);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Director-General of FAO (resolutions 50/109 and 51/171), A/52/132-E/1997/57.

99. Sustainable development and international economic cooperation
(a) Renewal of the dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership

The General Assembly first considered this question at its forty-eighth session, in 1993, and has considered it annually since then (resolutions 48/165, 49/95 and 50/122).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵¹⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of dialogue on economic and development issues between the developed and developing countries; agreed to defer the holding of the high-level dialogue for a period of two days until the fifty-second session of the Assembly; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/174).

At the same session, the General Assembly took note of a document relating to an agenda for development (decision 51/445).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/174).

(b) Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁵²⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s as the basis for continuing cooperation between the least developed countries, which had the responsibility for their own development, and their development partners; endorsed the measures and recommendations contained in the report of the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s; called upon all Governments, international and multilateral organizations, financial institutions and development funds, the organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system and all other organizations concerned to take immediate, concrete and adequate steps to implement the Programme of Action; noted that many least developed countries, for their part, had been implementing courageous and far-reaching policy reforms and adjustment measures in line with the Programme of Action; strongly urged all donor countries to implement fully and expeditiously their commitments; stressed the critical importance of providing multilateral assistance for the least developed countries; reaffirmed the importance of the follow-up and monitoring mechanisms for implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and global levels as crucial to the implementation of the Programme of Action; emphasized the importance of the annual reviews by the Trade and Development Board of progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action and the pressing need for enabling representatives of the least developed countries to participate in such annual reviews; recalled that at the end of the decade, a global review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action would be carried out, in accordance with paragraph 140 of the Programme of Action and paragraph 7 (c) of Assembly resolution 45/206 regarding the consideration by the Assembly at its fifty-second session of the holding of a third United Nations conference on the least developed countries; called upon the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development at its ninth session to take into account the outcome of the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Mid-term Global Review of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/103).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/103).

(c) Population and development

At its second regular session of 1989, the Economic and Social Council decided, in principle, to convene in 1994, under the auspices of the United Nations, an international meeting on population (Council resolution 1988/91). At its second regular session of 1991, the Council decided that the meeting should be called the International Conference on Population and Development; and defined the objectives of the Conference (Council resolution 1991/93).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly decided that the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference should become a subsidiary body of the Assembly and also decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth session an item entitled "Report of the International Conference on Population and Development" (resolution 48/186). The Conference was held at Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994. The report of the Conference was issued as a United Nations publication (Sales No. E.95.XIII.18).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵³⁾ the General Assembly noted the action taken by Governments and the international community to implement the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, and encouraged them to strengthen their efforts in that regard; reiterated that Governments should continue to commit themselves at the highest political level to achieving the goals and objectives and to take a lead role in coordinating the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the follow-up actions at the national level; urged all countries to consider their spending priorities, with a view to making additional contributions for the implementation of the Programme of Action; emphasized that international cooperation in the field of population and development was essential for the implementation of the recommendations adopted at the Conference, and called upon the international community to continue to provide support and assistance for population and development activities; emphasized the need for the Commission on Population and Development to continue to broaden its focus so as to reflect fully the Programme of Action; invited the Secretary-General to ensure that the Task Force on Basic Social Services for All of the Administrative Committee on Coordination informed the Commission and the Economic and Social Council on the progress of its work; emphasized the importance of the ongoing efforts of the Task Force to develop indicators as reliable means for monitoring the progress of the implementation of the Programme of Action, and to make that information available to the Commission, the Council and the Assembly at its fifty-second session; recommended that the special session for the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21, which was to be convened from 23 to 27 June 1997, give due attention to the issue of population in the context of sustainable development; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/176).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/176).

(d) International migration and development, including the convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development

At its forty-ninth session in 1994, in the context of its deliberations on the report of the International Conference on Population and Development, held at Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to prepare, in consultation with all States and relevant international and regional organizations, a report on international migration and development, including aspects related to objectives and modalities for the convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development, to be submitted to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1995 for discussion (resolution 49/127).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report to be submitted to it at its fifty-second session containing concrete proposals on ways and means to address the issue of international migration and development (resolution 50/123).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵⁵⁾ the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure that, in the context of the report to be submitted pursuant to resolution 50/123, the Assembly would be informed of the cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration as it developed under the Cooperation Agreement of 25 June 1996 (resolution 51/148).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolutions 50/123 and 51/148).

(e) Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) from 3 to 14 June 1996; and requested the Secretary-General to establish an ad hoc secretariat for the Conference, which would be organizationally part of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) (resolution 47/180).

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the question at its forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 49/109 and 50/100).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵⁶⁾ the General Assembly endorsed the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements and the Habitat Agenda adopted by the Conference on 14 June 1996; reaffirmed that the Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Settlements should constitute a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism to oversee the coordination of activities for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda; reaffirmed that the Assembly should consider holding a special session in 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Conference, and that a decision on the matter should be taken at its fifty-second session; emphasized that the Assembly and the Council should review and strengthen the mandate of the Commission on Human Settlements; requested the Commission, at its 1997 session, to review its programme of work in order to ensure an effective follow-up and implementation of the outcome of the Conference and to make recommendations thereon to the Council; invited the Secretary-General to undertake a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) with a view to its revitalization, to present terms of reference and a preliminary report on that assessment for the consideration of the Commission at its sixteenth session and to make a final report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; requested the Commission to review at its sixteenth session its working methods in order to involve in its work the representatives of local authorities or international associations of local authorities, and the relevant actors of civil society, particularly the private sector and non-governmental organizations; recommended that the Council review the periodicity of the meetings of the Commission, taking into account the need for full and effective implementation of the Habitat Agenda; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Council, on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/177).

Document: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/177).

(f) First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty

At its forty-eighth session, in 1993, the General Assembly proclaimed 1996 International Year for the Eradication of Poverty (resolution 48/183). The Assembly continued its consideration of this question at its forty-ninth session (resolution 49/110). At its fiftieth session, the Assembly proclaimed the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) (resolution 50/107).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁵⁷⁾ the General Assembly decided that the theme for the first United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty would be "Eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind"; decided that the themes for 1997 and 1998 would be "Poverty, environment and development" and "Poverty, human rights and development", respectively, and that the themes for the remaining years of the Decade would be decided every two years, commencing in 1998; decided that the objective of the Decade was to eradicate absolute poverty and reduce overall poverty substantially through national action and international cooperation; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on the overall assessment of the implementation of the programme for the observance of the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty (resolution 51/178).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/178).

(g) Women in development

The General Assembly considered this question biennially from its fortieth to forty-sixth sessions (resolutions 40/204, 42/178, 44/171 and 46/167).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁵⁸⁾ the General Assembly urged all Governments to ensure women's equal rights and access to economic resources, and to develop and promote methodologies for incorporating a gender perspective into all aspects of policy-making; called upon the United Nations system to promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all policies and programmes; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on action taken to implement the resolution (resolution 50/104).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/104).

(h) Human resources development

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-fourth to forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 44/213, 45/191, 46/143 and 48/205).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁵⁹⁾ the General Assembly encouraged all countries to accord priority, in particular in national budgets, to human resources development in the context of the adoption of economic and social policies; emphasized the need to ensure the full participation of women in the formulation and implementation of national policies to promote human resources development; called upon the international community to support national efforts to develop human resources for development by increasing the priority of resources for those activities; called upon the relevant organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to ensure the coordination of activities in support of national and regional action in the area of human resources development; emphasized that structural adjustment programmes should include social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty, the promotion of full and productive employment and the enhancement of social integration; also emphasized that Governments and relevant institutions should ensure an adequate social safety net under structural adjustment programmes and should develop policies to reduce the negative effects of those programmes and to improve their positive impact; noted with serious concern the worrisome trend of a decrease in overall development assistance, which affected the level of resources for human resources development, and emphasized that financial commitment to human resources development was of critical importance in contributing to the enhancement of people-centred sustainable development; called for follow-up action to be taken as recommended in the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development and in the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, in order to ensure the strengthening of human resources development; requested the Secretary-General to take into account the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in the context of human resources development; and also requested the Secretary-General to continue to monitor the activities of the Untied Nations system in human resources development and to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/105).

Document: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/105).

(i) Cultural development

At its forty-first session, in 1986, the General Assembly proclaimed the period 1988-1997 the World Decade for Cultural Development, to be observed under the auspices of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). At that session, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General and the Director-General of UNESCO to report biennially to the Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, on the progress of the Decade (resolution 41/187).

The General Assembly continued to consider the question at its forty-fourth to forty-sixth sessions (resolutions 44/238, 45/189, 46/157 and 46/158).

At its forty-ninth session,⁽¹⁶⁰⁾ the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General and the Director-General of UNESCO to submit a further progress report to it through the Economic and Social Council in 1996 (resolution 49/105). The Council, at its substantive session of 1996, taking note of a letter from the Director-General to the Secretary-General (E/1996/6), decided to postpone to its 1997 session consideration of the biennial progress report.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁶¹⁾ the General Assembly considered the report of the World Commission on Culture and Development, and requested the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General of UNESCO, to stimulate further international debate on culture and development; and encouraged the General Conference of UNESCO at its twenty-ninth session in 1997 to discuss the report further, taking into account the views, comments and proposals submitted by member States (resolution 51/179).

Document: Final progress report of the Secretary-General and the Director-General of UNESCO (resolution 41/187 and Economic and Social Council decision 1996/206).

100. Environment and sustainable development

At its twenty-seventh session, in 1972, the General Assembly adopted a number of provisions setting up the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (resolution 2997 (XXVII)), including the establishment of the UNEP Governing Council. The Governing Council was to report annually to the Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, which would transmit to the Assembly such comments on the report that it might deem necessary. At its forty-second session, the Assembly changed the annual cycle of submission of reports to a biennial one (resolution 42/185).

At its thirtieth session, the General Assembly considered the question of conventions and protocols in the field of the environment, urging all States to become parties to such conventions and protocols, and requesting the Governing Council to keep the Assembly informed annually of international conventions concluded in the field of the environment and of the status of existing conventions (resolution 3436 (XXX)).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁶²⁾ the General Assembly endorsed the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme on its eighteenth session and the decisions contained therein; recognized the Governing Council's decisions on the role and priorities of UNEP, the in-depth evaluation of the programme on environment, environment and sustainable development and on good environmental housekeeping within the United Nations system; noted the importance of sufficient and timely contributions to the Environment Fund, and called upon Governments to make contributions in a timely fashion in order to allow for the full and effective implementation of the work programmes; welcomed the efforts of UNEP to promote maximum and cost-effective utilization of the conference facilities at its headquarters; and called upon Governments and relevant intergovernmental bodies to support such efforts to ensure optimum utilization of the capacity of all United Nations conference facilities; and requested the Secretary-General to inform the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/110).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/110).

(a) Implementation of decisions and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

At its forty-fourth session, in 1989, the General Assembly decided to convene a United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, to be held in Brazil in June 1992 and to establish a Preparatory Committee for the Conference (resolution 44/228).

At its forty-seventh session,⁽¹⁶³⁾ the General Assembly endorsed the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development on institutional arrangements for its follow-up, particularly those on the establishment of a high-level Commission on Sustainable Development, as a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (resolution 47/191). The 53-member Commission, which was established by the Council at its organizational session for 1993, reports to the Council and provides appropriate recommendations to the Assembly through the Council. It meets annually for a period of two to three weeks (Council decision 1993/207).

The Commission on Sustainable Development held three substantive sessions during the period 1993-1995. At its first session the Commission adopted a multi-year thematic programme of work for 1994-1997. Reports of the Commission's sessions, containing its conclusions and recommendations, were subsequently endorsed by the Economic and Social Council. In accordance with paragraph 3 (i) of resolution 47/191, the Commission provides appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, on the basis of an integrated consideration of the reports and issues related to the implementation of Agenda 21.

No advance documentation is expected.

(b) Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the elaboration of an international convention to combat desertification (resolution 47/188). On 17 June 1994, the Committee adopted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa. The Convention entered into force on 26 December 1996.

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the question at its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/191, 49/234 and 50/112). Also at its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁶⁴⁾ the Assembly welcomed the efforts made by UNEP and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen their cooperation in combating desertification; renewed its appeal to Governments, regional economic integration organizations and other interested organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, to make contributions to relevant United Nations bodies, including the Office to Combat Desertification and Drought of UNDP, to strengthen their capacity to support activities to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in all affected developing countries and regions; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/114).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁶⁵⁾ the General Assembly decided that the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention would be held at Rome, from 29 September to 10 October 1997, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; requested the Secretary-General, subject to the decision of the Conference of the Parties, to consider authorizing the secretariat established pursuant to resolution 47/188 to act as secretariat for the transition period until the permanent secretariat began operating, which should not be later than 31 December 1998, maintaining the arrangements within the current programme budget for the interim secretariat until the permanent secretariat began operating, and maintaining the arrangements concerning extrabudgetary funds; urged all relevant actors to take actions and measures for the full and effective implementation of the provisions of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee resolution 5/1 on urgent action for Africa, as well as to promote actions for other affected developing countries and regions; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution and on any possible implications arising from the report of the Conference of the Parties on its first session (resolution 51/180).

Also at its fifty-first session, the General Assembly decided that the head of the interim secretariat, under the authority of the Secretary-General, should have the possibility of using the Special Voluntary Fund established pursuant to Assembly resolution 47/188 to assist developing countries affected by desertification and drought to participate fully and effectively in the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention; and that the head of the interim secretariat should also have the possibility of using the Trust Fund established pursuant to the same resolution to support the participation of representatives of non-governmental organizations in the work of the session (resolution 51/238).

Documents: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 50114 and 51/180).

(c) Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind

The item entitled "Conservation of climate as part of the common heritage of mankind" was included in the agenda of the forty-third session of the General Assembly, in 1988, at the request of Malta (A/43/241). At that session, the Assembly adopted a resolution on the question (resolution 43/53).

At its forty-fourth to forty-sixth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the question (resolutions 44/207, 45/212 and 46/169).

At its forty-seventh session, the General Assembly welcomed the adoption, on 9 May 1992, of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (resolution 47/195).

At its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the question (resolutions 48/189, 49/120 and 50/115).

At its fifty-first session⁽¹⁶⁶⁾ the General Assembly considered the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 50/115; noted a number of administrative arrangements to support the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to review those arrangements and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the results of those reviews, taking into account evolving needs arising from the relocation to Bonn of the Convention secretariat; called upon Member States that were parties to the Convention to pay in full and in a timely manner their contributions to the trust fund for the core budget of the Convention; and invited the Executive Secretary of the Convention to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and, pending the outcome of the special session of the Assembly in 1997, to report on the results of future meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (resolution 51/184).

Documents:
(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/184);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Executive Secretary of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (resolution 51/184).

(d) International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

At its forty-fourth session, in 1989, the General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, beginning on 1 January 1990, and adopted the International Framework of Action for the Decade (resolution 44/236).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly decided to convene in 1994 the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (resolution 48/188). The Conference, held at Yokohama, Japan, from 23 to 27 May 1994, adopted the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation.

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly endorsed the Yokohama Strategy, in particular the Plan of Action contained therein (resolution 49/22 A).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁶⁷⁾ the General Assembly continued its consideration of the Decade (resolution 50/117 A).

Also at its fiftieth session,167 the General Assembly commended the secretariat of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, as part of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, and all concerned agencies and organizations of the United Nations system for the constructive inter-agency approach they had applied; requested the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Decade to continue to examine and study new scientific and experimental concepts and methodologies for accurate and timely short-term forecasting of earthquakes, other natural disasters and similar disasters with an adverse impact on the environment, with a view to making recommendations on their applicability and development; took note of the conclusions and proposals made by the Secretary-General in his report with respect to the improvement of early-warning capabilities, better international coordination in their use, and more effective and beneficial exchange of knowledge and technology; invited the Secretary-General to facilitate, within the existing International Framework of Action for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, an internationally concerted framework for improvements in early-warning capacities by developing a concrete proposal for an effective international mechanism on early warning; called on the secretariat of the Decade to continue to facilitate a concerted international approach to improvements in early-warning capacities for natural disasters and similar disasters with an adverse impact on the environment, within the process leading towards the closing event of the Decade; recommended that donor countries give greater priority to disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation in their assistance programmes and budgets, including through increasing contributions to the Trust Fund for the Decade, and promote and facilitate the transfer of technologies related to early warning to developing countries within the framework of the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action; encouraged improved efforts, in the context of international technical assistance and cooperation within the framework of the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action, towards facilitating the availability of appropriate technology and reliable data, along with the corresponding training, and access to network systems related to early warning, particularly to developing countries; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on progress made in the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/117 B).

At the same session, the General Assembl of sustainable development strategies and national development plans of vulnerable countries and communities; called upon all States, relevant intergovernmental bodies and all others involved in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction to participate actively in the financial and technical support for Decade activities, in order to ensure the implementation of the International Framework of Action for the Decade, in particular with a view to translating the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action into concrete disaster reduction programmes and activities; commended all countries, in particular developing and least developed countries, that had mobilized domestic resources for disaster reduction activities and had facilitated the effective implementation of such activities; reaffirmed the need to support the implementation of the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action with particular regard to improving education and training in disaster reduction, for the purpose of capacity-building and human resources development in developing countries; invited the Secretary-General to facilitate, within the existing International Framework of Action for the Decade, an internationally concerted framework for improvements in early warning by developing a concrete proposal for an effective international mechanism on early warning, to include the transfer of technologies related to early warning to developing countries, under the auspices of the United Nations; called upon the secretariat of the Decade to continue to facilitate a concerted international approach to improvements in early warning capacities for natural disasters and similar disasters with adverse impact on the environment within the process leading towards the closing event of the Decade; reaffirmed that the secretariat of the Decade would continue to serve as the substantive secretariat for the preparation of the closing event of the Decade; requested the Secretary-General to continue to appeal for additional voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Decade; also requested the Secretary-General to bring forward, as a first step in the process leading towards the closing event of the Decade and in order to begin the preparatory process in 1998, proposals arising from consultation with interested parties, and to set forth in his substantive report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session proposals regarding the format, substance and timing of the event, also taking into account the need to review relationships and responsibilities relevant to natural disaster reduction with respect to the future and the performance capability of the secretariat of the Decade (resolution 51/185).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolutions 50/117 B and 51/185).

(e) Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and entered into force on 29 December 1993. The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-ninth and its fiftieth sessions (resolutions 49/117 and 50/111).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁶⁹⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the results of the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held at Jakarta from 6 to 17 November 1995, reaffirmed the need to take concrete action to fulfil the objectives of the Convention and took note of the Jakarta Mandate on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity, which proposed a framework for global action; took note of the results of the second meeting of the Convention's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, held at the seat of the secretariat of the Convention at Montreal, Canada, from 2 to 6 September 1996, and of the work carried out at the first meeting of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on Biosafety, held at Aarhus, Denmark, from 22 to 26 July 1996; encouraged those States that had not yet ratified the Convention to do so; recognized that States parties had agreed to provide financial resources for the implementation of the Convention; welcomed the work being carried out under the Convention to enhance cooperation with the Commission on Sustainable Development and biodiversity-related conventions, and invited the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to take into account the outcome of the 1997 special session at its fourth meeting, when considering ways of promoting greater cooperation with the United Nations system and the international community in relation to activities relevant to the objectives of the Convention; and invited the Executive Secretary of the Convention to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and, pending the outcome of the 1997 special session, to report to it on the results of future meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (resolution 51/182).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

(f) Implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

Pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 47/189 and 48/193, the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States was held at Bridgetown, Barbados, from 25 April to 6 May 1994.

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly endorsed the Declaration of Barbados and the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, as adopted at the Conference on 6 May 1994 (resolution 49/122). The Assembly continued its consideration of this question at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/116).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷⁰⁾ the General Assembly stressed the importance of maintaining the Small Island Developing States Unit within the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development of the Secretariat, and requested the Secretary-General to maintain the Unit at an appropriate level of staff and improve the structure and organization of the Unit, in accordance with resolution 49/122; called upon Governments, and the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to continue to implement fully all the commitments and recommendations that were made at the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and to continue to take the necessary actions for effective follow-up to the Programme of Action; recognized the importance of the technical assistance programme, known as SIDSTAP, and the information network for small island developing States, known as SIDSNET, in the overall implementation of the Programme of Action, took note of the progress made by UNDP in implementing resolution 49/122, and requested UNDP, in cooperation with Governments, to continue its actions to implement fully all provisions in order to operationalize the two mechanisms; welcomed the inclusion of the development of a vulnerability index for small island developing States as part of the work programme of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, and in that regard requested the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNEP, other relevant United Nations organizations and non-United Nations organizations, to prepare in 1997 a report based on the views of relevant experts on the vulnerability index; requested the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development to look into appropriate modalities for mobilizing resources for the effective implementation of the Programme of Action and to provide information thereon; requested the Secretary-General to seek the views of Governments on the creation of an informal open-ended working group within the existing International Framework of Action for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, with a view to ensuring full integration and participation of small island developing States in the mapping of a concerted strategy for disaster reduction into the twenty-first century and in improving access to disaster and warning information in order toenhance the capability of small island developing States with respect to disaster management; called upon the international community, including the Global Environment Facility, to support commercial energy development in small island developing States based on environmentally sound renewable sources; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a progress report on the actions taken to implement the resolution (resolution 51/183).

Document: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/183).

(g) Special session for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21

The convening of a special session for the purpose of an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21 was envisaged by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Agenda 21, para. 38.9). At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly decided to convene such a special session not later than 1997 (resolution 47/190).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷¹⁾ the General Assembly decided to convene the special session from 23 to 27 June 1997; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to it at its fifty-second session a report on the special session (resolution 51/181). Also at its fifty-first session, the General Assembly decided to invite major non-governmental groups to participate in the plenary meeting of the special session (decision 51/467).

Document: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 50/110 and 51/181).

FOOTNOTES

135. References for the fifty-first session (agenda items 89 and 19):

(a) Report of the Special Committee: Supplement No. 23 (A/51/23 (Part III)), chaps. V and VI;
(b) Report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee): A/51/596;
(c) Resolution 51/140 and decision 51/427;
(d) Meetings of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee): A/C.4/51/SR.2-5, 8 and 18;
(e) Plenary meeting: A/51/PV.83.

101. Operational activities for development
(a) Operational activities for development of the United Nations system

Document: Relevant chapter of the report of the Economic and Social Council, Supplement No. 3 (A/52/3).

(b) Economic and technical cooperation among developing countries

At its thirty-third session, in 1978, the General Assembly endorsed the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, held at Buenos Aires from 30 August to 12 September 1978 (resolution 33/134). In accordance with the Plan of Action, a high-level meeting of all States participating in the United Nations Development Programme was convened in 1980 to carry out an overall intergovernmental review of technical cooperation among developing countries within the United Nations development system. At its thirty-fifth session, the Assembly decided to change the name of the high-level meeting to High-level Committee on the Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (resolution 35/202). The High-level Committee meets biennially.

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁷²⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General drawing its attention to the report of the High-level Committee on the work of its ninth session (decision 50/436).

Cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community

The question of cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) was included in the agenda of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly, in 1982, at the request of Botswana (A/C.2/37/SR.43) on behalf of the States members of SADCC (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe (resolution 37/248).

The General Assembly continued to consider the question at its thirty-eighth to fortieth sessions, and subsequently at its forty-second to forty-eighth sessions on a biennial basis (resolutions 38/160, 39/215, 40/195, 42/181, 44/221, 46/160 and 48/173). The Assembly welcomed the membership of Namibia to the Conference at its forty-sixth session (resolution 46/160) and the transformation of SADCC into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) at its forty-eighth session (resolution 48/173).

At its fiftieth session,172 the General Assembly, welcoming the strengthening of SADC through the admission of South Africa and Mauritius as member States, renewed its appeal to the international community to maintain current levels of, and increase, where appropriate, its financial, technical and material support to SADC in order to enable it to implement fully its programme of action and to meet the reconstruction and rehabilitation needs of the region; appealed to the United Nations, its related organs and the international community to assist SADC to implement the programmes and decisions adopted by various United Nations world conferences, with specific emphasis on the enhancement of women in the development process; requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Executive Secretary of SADC, to continue to intensify contacts aimed at promoting and harmonizing cooperation between the United Nations and SADC; and also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/118).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷³⁾ the General Assembly, on the proposal of the Congo, and welcoming the establishment of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, which effectively superseded the front-line States, decided to discontinue consideration of the question under the item entitled "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance" and to consider all related matters in the context of its consideration of the question of cooperation between the United Nations and SADC (decision 51/431).


Economic and technical cooperation among developing countries and a United Nations conference on South-South cooperation

Also at its fiftieth session,172 the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to present to it, on a biennial basis, a report entitled "State of South-South cooperation", containing a comprehensive overview and analysis of South-South economic and technical cooperation worldwide and international support in that regard, including quantitative data and indicators on all aspects of South-South cooperation; and invited the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, along with the regional commissions and all other organs, organizations and agencies of the United Nations system, to provide analytical and empirical material for the preparation of that report (resolution 50/119).

Documents:
(a) Report of the High-level Committee on the Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, Supplement No. 39 (A/52/39);

(b) Reports of the Secretary-General:

(i) Cooperation between the United Nations and the Southern African Development Community (resolution 50/118);
(ii) State of South-South cooperation (resolution 50/119);
 
(c) Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting comments of the Administrative Committee on Coordination on reports of the Joint Inspection Unit entitled:
(i) "Review of financial resources allocated by the United Nations system to activities by non-governmental organizations" (resolution 31/192), A/52/114-E/1997/46;
(ii) "Coordination of policy and programming frameworks for more effective development cooperation" (resolution 31/192), A/52/115-E/1997/47;
(iii) "Strengthening of field representation in the United Nations system" (resolution 31/192).

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1965, pursuant to a decision taken by the General Assembly at its eighteenth session (resolution 1934 (XVIII)). UNITAR was established as an autonomous institution within the framework of the United Nations for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations in maintaining peace and security and promoting economic and social development through training and research programmes. The Executive Director of the Institute is appointed by the Secretary-General after consultation with the Board of Trustees. The Executive Director, in consultation with the Board of Trustees, reports through the Secretary-General to the General Assembly, to the Economic and Social Council and, as appropriate, to other United Nations bodies.

The General Assembly considered the question at its thirty-ninth, fortieth and forty-second to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 39/179, 40/214, 42/197, 43/201, 44/175, 45/219, 46/180, 47/227, 48/207, 49/125 and 50/121).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷⁴⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the relevance of the Institute; invited the Institute to strengthen its cooperation with other United Nations institutes as well as regional, national and international institutes; requested the Board of Trustees to regularize the post of Executive Director of the Institute; renewed its appeal to Governments and private institutions to provide financial and other support of the Institute; took note of the report of the Joint Inspection Unit and the subsequent decision of the Board of Trustees to postpone any decision to relocate the Institute; requested the Secretary-General to explore, in consultation with the Executive Director and the heads of other United Nations programmes and funds, ways of cooperating in order to better define the role of the Institute, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and requested the Joint Inspection Unit to prepare a study on the training institution programmes and activities of the United Nations system, and to submit a report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/188).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/188);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (resolution 51/188).

103. Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources

The Security Council, in its resolution 446 (1979), of 22 March 1979, determined that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 had no legal validity and constituted a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. That position was reaffirmed by the Council in its resolution 465 (1980), in which it affirmed the applicability to those territories of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949.

The General Assembly has considered this question at numerous sessions, including its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/212, 49/132 and 50/129).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷⁵⁾ in 1996, in the course of its consideration of the item entitled "Report of the Economic and Social Council", and on the recommendation of the Second Committee, the General Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session an item entitled "Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources" (resolution 51/190). In the same resolution, the Assembly, recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/40, reaffirming the principle of the permanent sovereignty of people under foreign occupation over their natural resources, affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, recalling Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 465 (1980) and 497 (1981), and reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, reaffirmed the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land and water; called upon Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, to cause loss and depletion of or to endanger the natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan; recognized the right of the Palestinian people to claim restitution as a result of any exploitation, loss or depletion of, or danger to, their natural resources, and expressed the hope that that issue would be dealt with in the framework of the final status negotiation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it, at its fifty-second session, on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/190).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/190), A/52/172-E/1997/71.

104. Social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family

Towards full integration of persons with disabilities in society: implementation of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and of the Long-term Strategy to Implement the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond

At its thirty-seventh session, in 1982, the General Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons (resolution 37/52). The programme recommended periodic reviews of progress in its implementation. The first review was conducted in 1987, at the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, and the second review was conducted in 1992, at the end of the Decade. The third review, conducted in 1997, is before the fifty-first session of the Assembly.

The General Assembly continued to consider the question at its thirty-eighth to forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 38/28, 39/26, 40/31, 41/106, 42/58, 43/98, 44/70, 45/91, 46/96, 47/88 and 48/99).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly adopted Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (resolution 48/96); and requested the Secretary-General to report to it biennially on the progress of efforts to ensure the equalization of opportunities and full inclusion of persons with disabilities in the various bodies of the United Nations system (resolution 48/95).

At its forty-ninth session⁽¹⁷⁶⁾ the General Assembly urged all Governments to implement the Standard Rules; welcomed the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Disability to monitor the implementation of the Standard Rules and the establishment of a panel of experts to be consulted by the Special Rapporteur and the Secretariat; called upon Governments, when implementing the World Programme of Action, to take into account the elements suggested in the Long-term Strategy to Implement the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons to the Year 2000 and Beyond (A/49/435, annex); requested the regional commissions and other regional organizations to facilitate the adaptation and transfer of global approaches, standards and disability-related technology to the specific needs of the region; and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution and on the implementation of the Long-term Strategy (resolution 49/153).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁷⁷⁾ the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session on progress in the collection and transmission of data to be used in the development of global disability indicators (resolution 50/144). At the same session, the Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the World Programme of Action (decision 50/442).

Documents:

(a) Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 49/153; 50/144);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the final report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission for Social Development on monitoring the implementation of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (resolution 49/153), A/52/56.

World social situation

At its first regular session of 1985, the Economic and Social Council endorsed the recommendation of the Commission for Social Development at its twenty-ninth session that the report on the world social situation should be prepared at intervals of four years (Council resolution 1985/21).

Accordingly, the General Assembly, at its fortieth session, in 1985, requested the Secretary-General to submit the next full report on the world social situation in 1989, for consideration at its forty-fourth session (resolution 40/100).

At its forty-fourth session, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to continue monitoring the world social situation in depth on a regular basis, and decided to consider the next full report at its forty-eighth session (resolution 44/56).

The General Assembly continued its consideration of the item at its forty-fifth to fiftieth177 sessions (resolutions 45/87, 46/95, 47/92 and 48/100 and decisions 48/428, 49/445, 49/446 and 50/442).

Document: Report on the World Social Situation 1997 (resolution 44/56), Sales No. E.97.IV.1.

Implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond

At its fiftieth session,177 the General Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the year 2000 and Beyond, and requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-second session, through the Commission for Social Development and the Economic and Social Council, on progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action (resolution 50/81).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/81), A/52/60-E/1997/6.

International Year of Older Persons

At its fiftieth session,177 the General Assembly took note of the conceptual framework of a programme for the preparation and observance of the International Year of Older Persons in 1999, as contained in the report of the Secretary-General (A/50/114); invited Member States to adapt the conceptual framework to national conditions and to consider formulating national programmes for the Year; invited United Nations organizations and bodies to examine the conceptual framework and identify areas for expanding upon it; requested the Secretary-General to monitor activities for the Year and to make coordinating arrangements; encouraged the Secretary-General to allocate sufficient resources for promoting and coordinating activities for the Year; invited the regional commissions to bear in mind the goals of the Year when convening regional meetings in 1998 and 1999 at which to mark the Year and formulate action plans on ageing for the twenty-first century; encouraged the United Nations Development Programme to continue to ensure that the concerns of older persons were integrated into its development programmes; encouraged the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat to launch an information campaign for the Year; invited the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to continue its work on ageing and the situation of older persons; decided that thenceforth the term "older persons" should be substituted for the term "elderly", with the result that the Year and Day concerned should be called the International Year of Older Persons and the International Day of Older Persons; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the preparations being made by Member States, United Nations organizations and bodies and non-governmental organizations for the observance of the Year (resolution 50/141).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/141).

Follow-up to the International Year of the Family

At its fiftieth session,177 the General Assembly invited Governments to continue their action to build family-friendly societies; urged Governments to ratify or accede to and to ensure implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and to take urgent measures to achieve universal ratification of or accession to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; invited the Commission for Social Development to consider how best to integrate the follow-up to the International Year of the Family into its work programme; requested the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive document containing the family-related provisions from the outcome of the seven global conferences of the 1990s, to be submitted to the Commission for Social Development at its thirty-fifth session; and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Commission and the Economic and Social Council, on the progress made on the follow-up to the International Year of the Family, taking into account the promotion of integrated reporting (resolution 50/142).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/142), A/52/57-E/1997/4.

Progress made and problems encountered in the struggle against illiteracy

At its fiftieth session,177 the General Assembly commended those Governments that had launched national literacy programmes and attained notable progress in meeting the objectives of the International Literacy Year and those set forth in the World Declaration on Education for All; and requested the Secretary-General, in cooperation with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, in 1997, through the Economic and Social Council, a progress report on the implementation process of the education for all objectives, including the recommendations of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All, taking into account the possible measures, if any, to improve the reporting procedure (resolution 50/143).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/143), A/52/183-E/1997/74.

105. Crime prevention and criminal justice

At its fifth session, in 1950, the General Assembly authorized the Secretary-General to make arrangements for the transfer of the functions of the International Penal and Penitentiary Commission to the United Nations. Among the functions assumed by the United Nations was the convening every five years of an international congress on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, similar to those previously organized by the Commission (resolution 415 (V)).

The First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders was held at Geneva in 1955, the Second Congress at London in 1960, the Third Congress at Stockholm in 1965, the Fourth Congress at Kyoto in 1970, the Fifth Congress at Geneva in 1975, the Sixth Congress at Caracas in 1980, the Seventh Congress at Milan in 1985, the Eighth Congress at Havana in 1990 and the Ninth Congress at Cairo in 1995.

At its forty-sixth session, the General Assembly acknowledged the work of the Ministerial Meeting on the Creation of an Effective United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, held in Paris from 21 to 23 November 1991, and approved the statement of principles and programme of action recommending the establishment of a United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme (resolution 46/152, annex).

At its forty-seventh to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the question (resolutions 47/87, 47/89, 47/91, 48/101 to 48/103, 49/156 to 49/159 and 50/145 to 50/147).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷⁸⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the upgrading of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Secretariat to a division; requested the Secretary-General to strengthen further the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme by providing it with the resources necessary for the full implementation of its mandate; reaffirmed the high priority attached to technical cooperation and advisory services in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice; called upon States and United Nations funding agencies to make significant financial contributions for operational activities of the Programme; called upon the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and other international, regional and national funding agencies to support technical operational activities in that field and to include such activities in their programmes; requested the Secretary-General to continue to strengthen cooperation between the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division and the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in particular in the area of money-laundering; also requested the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures to assist the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, as the principal policy-making body in that field, in performing its activities, including cooperation and coordination with other relevant bodies, such as the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the Commission on Human Rights and Commission on the Status of Women; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/63).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/63).

United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders

At its fifty-first session,178 the General Assembly reiterated the need for the strengthening of the Institute's capacity to support a national mechanism for crime prevention and criminal justice of African countries; requested the Secretary-General to intensify efforts and mobilize all relevant entities of the United Nations system to provide necessary financial and technical support to the Institute to enable it to fulfil its mandate; appealed to all Member States and non-governmental organizations to adopt concrete practical measures to support the Institute in the development of the requisite capacity and in the elaboration and implementation of programmes and activities aimed at strengthening crime prevention and criminal justice systems in Africa; urged the States members of the Institute to make every possible effort to meet their obligations to the Institute; and requested the Secretary-General to make concrete proposals on strengthening the programmes and activities of the Institute and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/61).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/61).

Question of the elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime

At its fifty-first session,178 the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to invite all States to submit their views on the question of the elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime, including, inter alia, their comments on the proposed draft United Nations framework convention; requested the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to consider, as a matter of priority, the question of the elaboration of an international convention against organized transnational crime, taking into account the views of all States on that matter; requested the Commission to report through the Economic and Social Council to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the results of its work on the question; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/120).

Document: Relevant section of the report of the Economic and Social Council (A/52/3).

106. International drug control

The item originally entitled "International campaign against traffic in drugs" was included in the agenda of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1981, at the request of Bolivia (A/36/193). At its forty-fourth session, the Assembly changed the title of the item to "International action to combat drug abuse and illicit trafficking" (resolution 44/142). At the forty-sixth and forty-seventh sessions, the item appeared as "Narcotic drugs". Since the forty-eighth session, the item has been entitled "International drug control".

Global Programme of Action

The Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly on activities undertaken by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and Governments relating to the implementation of the Global Programme of Action (resolution 47/100).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁷⁹⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the importance of the Global Programme of Action as a comprehensive framework for national, regional and international action to combat illicit production of, demand for and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; called upon States to implement the mandates and recommendations of the Global Programme of Action; called upon the relevant United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, the international financial institutions and other concerned intergovernmental organizations and all actors of civil society, to cooperate with and assist States in their efforts to promote and implement the Global Programme of Action; encouraged the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, in cooperation with other United Nations bodies, to take further steps to facilitate the efficient collection of data on the global problem of drug abuse; and called upon Member States to continue to make efforts to provide systematic, precise and updated information to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme on the various ways in which the drug problem affects their economies (resolution 51/64).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Global Programme of Action (resolutions 47/100 and 51/64).

Special session of the General Assembly devoted to the fight against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities

At its substantive session in 1996, the Economic and Social Council decided to recommend that the General Assembly convene a special session in order to consider the fight against the illicit production, sale, demand, traffic and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and related activities, and to propose new strategies, methods, practical activities and specific measures to strengthen international cooperation in addressing the problem of illicit drugs (Council resolution 1996/17).

At its fifty-first session,179 the General Assembly decided, inter alia, to convene a special session for three days in June 1998; stressed that the special session should be devoted to assessing the existing situation within the framework of a comprehensive and balanced approach that includes all aspects of the problem, with a view to strengthening international cooperation to address the problem of illicit drugs within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 and other relevant conventions and international instruments; decided that the Commission on Narcotic Drugs should act as the preparatory body for the special session, and that its deliberations should be open-ended, allowing for the full participation of all States Members of the United Nations and members of specialized agencies and observers, in accordance with established practice; invited the Commission to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the progress in the preparations for the special session; and requested the Secretary-General to submit comments to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, if necessary, on the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs regarding the preparations for the 1988 special session of the Assembly (resolution 51/64).

Document: Report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its fortieth session acting as preparatory body for the special session of the General Assembly (resolution 51/64).

107. Advancement of women

Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women

At its thirty-fourth session, in 1979, the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (resolution 34/180). The Convention entered into force on 3 September 1981. As at 1 May 1997, 160 States had ratified or acceded to the Convention, and 14 States parties to the Convention had ratified or acceded to the amendment of article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

In accordance with article 17 of the Convention, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women consists of 23 experts. Members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election. At present, the Committee is composed of the following members:

Ms. Charlotte Abaka (Ghana),** Ms. Ayse Feride Acar (Turkey),* Ms. Emna Aouij (Tunisia),** Ms. Tendai Ruth Bare (Zimbabwe),** Ms. Desiree Patricia Bernard (Guyana),** Ms. Carlota Bustelo García del Real (Spain),* Ms. Silvia Rose Cartwright (New Zealand),* Ms. Miriam Yolanda Estrada Castillo (Ecuador),** Ms. Ivanka Corti (Italy),** Ms. Aurora Javate de Dios (Philippines),** Ms. Yolanda Ferrer Gómez (Cuba),* Ms. Aida González (Mexico),* Ms. Sunaryati Hartono (Indonesia),** Ms. Salma Khan (Bangladesh),* Ms. Yung-Chung Kim (Republic of Korea),* Ms. Ahoua Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso),* Ms. Anne Lise Ryel (Norway),* Ms. Ginko Sato (Japan),** Ms. Hanna Beate Schöpp-Schilling (Germany),* Ms. Carmel Shalev (Israel),** Ms. Lin Shangzhen (China),** Ms. Kongit Sinegiorgis (Ethiopia)* and Ms. Mervat Tallawy (Egypt).**
_______________

* Term of office expires in 2000.
** Term of office expires in 1998.

In accordance with article 21 of the Convention, the Committee shall, through the Economic and Social Council, report annually to the General Assembly on its activities and may make suggestions and general recommendations based on the examination of reports and information received from the States parties.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held its sixteenth session in New York from 13 to 31 January, and its seventeenth session from 7 to 25 July 1996.

The General Assembly considered the question at its thirty-fifth to forty-fifth, forty-seventh and forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 35/140, 36/131, 37/64, 38/109, 39/130, 40/39, 41/108, 42/60, 43/100, 44/73, 45/124, 47/94 and 49/164).

At its fiftieth session, under the item entitled "Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace", the General Assembly took note with approval of the resolution regarding the amendment to article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention, adopted by the States parties to the Convention on 22 May 1995 (resolution 50/202).

At the ninth meeting of the States parties, on 29 February 1996, the States parties recommended that the General Assembly, at its fifty-first session, should approve the holding of two sessions annually of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, starting from 1997, in order to enable the Committee to continue to reduce the backlog in reports of States parties awaiting review.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁰⁾ the General Assembly approved the request made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and supported by the States parties to the Convention for additional meeting time so as to allow the Committee to hold two sessions annually, each of three weeks' duration, preceded by a pre-session working group, for an interim period starting in 1997 (resolution 51/68).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Supplement No. 38 (A/52/38);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the status of the Convention (resolution 45/124).

United Nations Development Fund for Women

At its thirty-ninth session, in 1984, the General Assembly decided that the activities of the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women, established at its thirtieth session (A/10034), should be continued through the establishment of a separate and identifiable entity in autonomous association with UNDP (resolution 39/125).

The work of the Fund was subsequently discussed by the General Assembly at its fortieth to forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions (resolutions 40/104), decision 41/426 and resolutions 42/63, 43/102, 44/74, 45/128, 46/97 and 48/107).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁸¹⁾ the General Assembly requested UNIFEM to take into account the need to strengthen its activities to eliminate violence against women at the national and community levels as part of system-wide efforts of the United Nations towards that goal, in accordance with the measures set out in the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, in close cooperation with the relevant United Nations organs and bodies, in particular the Division for the Advancement of Women of the Secretariat, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on violence against women, the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat, the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Secretariat and the United Nations Children's Fund; and requested the Administrator of UNDP, in consultation with the Secretary-General and the relevant United Nations organs and bodies, to consider the possibility of establishing a trust fund, within the existing mandate, structure and management of UNIFEM, in support of national, regional and international actions, including those taken by Governments and non-governmental organizations, to eliminate violence against women (resolution 50/166).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report on the activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (resolutions 39/125 and 50/166).

Violence against women migrant workers

The General Assembly first considered this question at its forty-seventh session, in 1992 (resolution 47/96) and subsequently at its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/110, 49/165 and 50/168).

At its fifty-first session,180 the General Assembly encouraged Member States to enact and/or reinforce sanctions in domestic legislation and to take measures to ensure the protection of women subjected to violence; reiterated the need for States concerned, specifically the sending and receiving States of women migrant workers, to conduct regular consultations; encouraged Member States to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, as well as the Slavery Convention; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution, including the reports received from all authorities and bodies of the United Nations system, Member States, intergovernmental organizations and other concerned bodies, with due regard for possible measures to improve the reporting procedure (resolution 51/65).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/65).

Trafficking in women and children

The General Assembly first considered this question at its forty-ninth session, in 1994 (resolution 49/166), and at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/167).

At its fifty-first session,180 the General Assembly called upon Governments of countries of origin, transit and destination to implement the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women; invited Governments to accord standard minimum humanitarian treatment to trafficked persons, consistent with human rights standards; also invited Governments to formulate training manuals, to develop methodologies and to collect national information, including statistical data, on trafficking in women and girls; called upon all Governments to criminalize trafficking in women and girls in all its forms and to condemn and penalize all those offenders involved; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/66).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/66).

Status of women in the Secretariat

The General Assembly considers this issue every year, on the basis of a report by the Secretary-General, in the context of the work of its Third Committee. In even years only, the issue is also considered in the Fifth Committee.

At its fifty-first session,180 the Assembly reaffirmed the goal of 50/50 gender distribution by the year 2000, and expressed its concern that that goal might not be met, especially at policy-making and decision-making levels (D-1 and above); called upon the Secretary-General to ensure full and urgent implementation of the strategic plan of action for the improvement of the status of women in the Secretariat (1995-2000); requested the Secretary-General to continue his work to create a gender-sensitive work environment; also requested him to enable the Focal Point for Women effectively to monitor and facilitate progress in the implementation of the strategic plan; strongly encouraged Member States to support the strategic plan by identifying and regularly submitting more women candidates and by encouraging women to apply for posts within the Secretariat, specialized agencies and regional commissions; urged the Secretary-General to increase the number of women employed in the Secretariat from developing countries and from countries that have a low representation of women; and requested him to report on progress made to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/67).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/67).

International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women

Pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 45/175 and 46/140, the Assembly considers this question in the Third Committee biennially in odd years. At its forty-sixth, forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions, the Assembly considered the question (resolutions 46/99, 48/105 and 49/163).

At its fiftieth session,181 the General Assembly encouraged the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women to further develop active and close cooperation with the specialized agencies and related organizations of the United Nations system and with other institutions; invited Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to contribute to the Trust Fund of the Institute, thus enabling it to continue to respond effectively to its mandate; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the activities of the Institute, especially on those activities related to research and training needs for the advancement of women as contained in the follow-up process of the plans and platforms emanating from the major United Nations conferences (resolution 50/163).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/163).

Improvement of the situation of women in rural areas

Pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 45/175 and 46/140, the Assembly considers this question in the Third Committee biennially in odd years. The Assembly continued its consideration of the question at its forty-eighth session (resolution 48/109).

At its fiftieth session,181 the General Assembly invited Member States to attach greater importance to the improvement of the situation of rural women in the national development strategies; requested the international community and relevant United Nations organizations and bodies to promote the improvement of the situation of rural women within the overall framework of integrated follow-up to recent global conferences; and requested the Secretary-General to prepare, in consultation with Member States and relevant United Nations organizations, a report on the implementation of the resolution and to submit it, through the Economic and Social Council, to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, taking into account possible measures to improve the reporting procedure (resolution 50/165).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/165).

108. Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women

This item was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session at the request of the Philippines (A/50/232). At that session, the General Assembly endorsed the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action as adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women on 15 September 1995 (resolution 50/42). The Assembly considered the item at the same session (resolution 50/203).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸²⁾ the General Assembly took note of initiatives and actions taken towards the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action; stressed that the means of implementation of the Platform for Action should include mainstreaming a gender perspective in the context of preparation of the programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999; reiterated its request to the Secretary-General to ensure that the Division for the Advancement of Women of the Secretariat could effectively carry out all the tasks foreseen for it in the Platform for Action by, inter alia, providing sufficient human and financial resources within the regular budget of the United Nations; encouraged INSTRAW, UNIFEM and the Division for the Advancement of Women to strengthen their cooperation; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and thereafter annually, through the Commission on the Status of Women and the Economic and Social Council, on ways to enhance the capacity of the Organization and of the United Nations system to support the ongoing follow-up to the Conference in the most integrated and effective way, including human and financial requirements and measures taken and progress achieved in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action (resolution 51/69).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/69).

109. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons and humanitarian questions
 
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

At its fifth session, in 1950, the General Assembly adopted the statute of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (resolution 428 (V), annex). In accordance with paragraph 1 of the statute, the High Commissioner reports annually to the Assembly through the Economic and Social Council.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸³⁾ the General Assembly, distressed at the widespread violations of the principle of non-refoulement and of the rights of refugees, inter alia, strongly reaffirmed the fundamental importance and the purely humanitarian and non-political character of the function of UNHCR and the need for States to cooperate fully with the Office in order to facilitate the effective exercise of that function; urged States to ensure access for all asylum-seekers to fair and efficient procedures for the determination of refugee status; called upon States to take all measures necessary to ensure respect for the principles of refugee protection and the humane treatment of asylum-seekers, and to ensure the security of staff engaged in humanitarian operations; reiterated its support for the role of the Office of the High Commissioner in exploring further measures to ensure international protection to all who need it; encouraged UNHCR to continue efforts for the protection of women having a well-founded fear of persecution, including persecution through sexual violence or other gender-related persecution; urged all States and concerned organizations to support the High Commissioner's search for durable solutions and welcomed in particular UNHCR's pursuit, whenever possible, of opportunities to promote conditions conducive to the preferred solution of voluntary repatriation; underlined the interrelationship between protection and solutions, as well as the desirability of prevention; acknowledged the desirability of comprehensive approaches by the international community and regional approaches to the problems of refugees and displaced persons; endorsed, in that connection, the conclusion on comprehensive and regional approaches within a protection framework adopted by the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme at its forty-seventh session; recalled that UNHCR might be called upon to extend its assistance to other groups, such as internally displaced persons; reiterated the relationship between safeguarding human rights and preventing refugee situations; encouraged the High Commissioner to continue her activities on behalf of stateless persons; reiterated the right of all persons to return to their country; reaffirmed that the Inter-Agency Standing Committee is the primary mechanism for inter-agency decisions on system-wide policy issues relating to humanitarian assistance; and called upon all Governments and other donors to demonstrate their international solidarity and burden-sharing with countries of asylum, in particular developing countries and those with limited resources (resolution 51/75).

Document: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Supplement No. 12 (A/52/12) and Supplement No. 12 A (A/52/12/Add.1).

Assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa

The question of assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-sixth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 46/108, 47/107, 48/118, 49/174 and 50/149).

At its fifty-first session,183 the General Assembly, inter alia, called upon UNHCR to intensify its protection activities by, inter alia, supporting the efforts of African Governments through appropriate capacity-building activities, including training of relevant officers, disseminating information about refugee instruments and principles and providing financial, technical and advisory services to accelerate the enactment or amendment and implementation of legislation relating to refugees; appealed to Governments, United Nations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the international community to create conditions that could facilitate the voluntary return and the early rehabilitation and reintegration of refugees; appealed to the international community to respond positively to the third-country resettlement requests of African refugees; commended the Governments of the Great Lakes and West African regions and UNHCR for their initiatives to promote repatriation within the framework of the tripartite agreements; encouraged UNHCR to continue cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in emergency humanitarian situations in Africa; welcomed efforts to address the negative impact of large-scale refugee influxes and concentrations on the environment and ecosystems of countries of asylum; called upon the international donor community to provide material and financial assistance for programmes to rehabilitate the environment and infrastructure in areas affected by refugees in countries of asylum; noted with satisfaction the voluntary return of millions of refugees to their homelands; expressed concern about the long stay of refugees in certain African countries; urged the international community to continue to fund UNHCR's general refugee programmes, taking into account the substantially increased needs of programmes in Africa; called upon Governments, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the international community to strengthen the emergency response capacity of the United Nations system; requested all Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to pay particular attention to meeting the special needs of refugee women and children; called for increased capacity for coordination and delivery of humanitarian emergency assistance and disaster relief; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive and consolidated report on the situation of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, and an oral report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1997 (resolution 51/71).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/71).

Assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors

The question of assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 49/172 and 50/150).

At its fifty-first session,183 the General Assembly, inter alia, called upon all Governments, the Secretary-General, UNHCR, all United Nations organizations, other international organizations and non-governmental organizations concerned to exert the maximum effort to assist and protect refugee minors and to expedite the return to and reunification with their families of unaccompanied refugee minors; called upon the Secretary-General, UNHCR, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the United Nations Children's Fund and other United Nations organizations and international organizations to mobilize adequate assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors in the areas of relief, education, health and psychological rehabilitation; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/73).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/73), A/52/273.

Comprehensive consideration and review of the problems of refugees, returnees, displaced persons and related migratory movements

The comprehensive consideration and review of the problems of refugees, returnees, displaced persons and related migratory movements was considered by the General Assembly at its forty-eighth, forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/113, 49/173 and, in particular, 50/151).

At its fifty-first session,183 the General Assembly noted with satisfaction the successful conclusion of the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, Other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Relevant Neighbouring States, held at Geneva on 30 and 31 May 1996; urged all States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned to take further action to implement fully the recommendations of the Conference; requested UNHCR, with the International Organization for Migration and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to coordinate closely activities ensuring progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action; welcomed the readiness of States and interested international organizations to provide support for the practical implementation of the Programme of Action; reaffirmed the necessity for effective follow-up mechanisms to the Conference and the importance of focusing on respect for human rights as an important factor in implementation activities; welcomed the Joint Operational Strategy for 1996-2000 of UNHCR and IOM in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/70).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/70), A/52/274.

110. Promotion and protection of the rights of children

Protection of children affected by armed conflict

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁴⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the report of the expert of the Secretary-General on the impact of armed conflict on children; recommended that the Secretary-General appoint for a period of three years a special representative on the impact of armed conflict on children; encouraged the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat to provide support to the Special Representative; and requested the Special Representative to submit to the Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights an annual report containing relevant information on the situation of children affected by armed conflict (resolution 51/77, sect. II).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights, inter alia, took note with appreciation of the recommendations in the final report of the expert appointed by the Secretary-General to undertake a study on the impact of armed conflict on children; called upon all States to participate constructively in the negotiations on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict with the aim of an early agreement on the text; and decided, with regard to the prospective Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the impact of armed conflict on children, to invite Member States, United Nations organs and bodies, and other relevant organizations to contribute to the work of the Special Representative (Commission resolution 1997/74, sect. IV).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the preliminary report of the Special Representative (resolution 51/77, sect. II).

Prevention and eradication of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

At its fifty-first session,184 the General Assembly welcomed the interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; expressed its support for her work; requested the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and welcomed with satisfaction the adoption and dissemination of the Declaration and Agenda for Action of the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (resolution 51/77, sect. IV).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights, inter alia, welcomed the measures taken by Governments to implement the Programme of Action for the Prevention of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; called upon all States to participate constructively in the negotiations on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography with the aim of an early agreement on the text; and requested the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography with all necessary assistance and to urge all relevant parts of the United Nations system to provide her with comprehensive reporting to make the full discharge of her mandate possible and to enable her to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session and a report to the Commission at its fifty-fourth session (Commission resolution 1997/78, sect. III).

Also at its fifty-first session,184 the General Assembly, inter alia, invited Governments, United Nations bodies and organizations, including UNICEF and UNESCO, relevant mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with one another to ensure greater awareness and more effective action to solve the problem of children living in exceptionally difficult conditions by, among other measures, initiating and supporting development projects that could have a positive impact on the situation of those children; requested the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography to submit an interim report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the rights of the child to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, containing information on the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the problems of exploitation of child labour, its causes and consequences (resolution 51/77, sect. VII).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General, when reporting on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 51/77, to cooperate closely with relevant actors and United Nations specialized agencies, in particular ILO and UNICEF, in order to provide information on initiatives aimed at eliminating the exploitation of child labour and to recommend ways and means to improve cooperation at the national and international levels in that field (Commission resolution 1997/78, sect. VI).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/77, sect. VII);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (resolution 51/77, sects. IV and VII).

172. References for the fiftieth session (agenda item 97):

(a) Report of the High-level Committee on the Review of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries: Supplement No. 39 (A/50/39);
(b) Reports of the Secretary-General: A/50/340 and Add.1, A/50/421 and A/50/664;
(c) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Joint Inspection Unit (A/50/113) and the comments of the Administrative Committee on Coordination thereon (A/50/113/Add.1);
(d) Note by the Secretariat (A/50/202/Add.3-E/1995/76/Add.3);
(e) Report of the Second Committee: A/50/619;
(f) Resolutions 50/118 and 50/119 and decision 50/436;
(g) Meetings of the Second Committee: A/C.2/50/SR.3-8, 24-29, 37, 40, 41 and 43;
(h) Plenary meeting: A/50/PV.96.

111. Programme of activities of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People

At its forty-ninth session, in 1994, the General Assembly recommended that the Secretary-General establish the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Decade (resolution 49/214) and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-first session on the status of the Fund (decision 49/458).

The General Assembly continued its consideration of this item at its fiftieth session (resolutions 50/156 and 50/157).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁵⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the adoption of a declaration on the rights of indigenous people as a major objective of the Decade; welcomed the report of the Secretary-General on the existing mechanisms, procedures and programmes within the United Nations concerning indigenous people, and requested him to transmit the review, prior to the fifty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights, to Governments, indigenous people and relevant international organizations for their comments; recalled its recommendation contained in resolution 50/157 that the Commission on Human Rights consider the convening of a second workshop; recommended, in the light of the Secretary-General's review, that efforts be made to ensure that relevant United Nations organs, organizations and bodies take part in any further consultations on the issue, and welcomed the offer of the Government of Chile to host a second workshop on the possible establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous people within the United Nations system; reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the human and institutional capacity of indigenous people to develop their own solutions to their problems and, for those purposes, its recommendation that the United Nations University consider the possibility of sponsoring, in each region, one or more institutions of higher education as centres of excellence and the diffusion of expertise, and invited the Commission on Human Rights to recommend appropriate means of implementation; encouraged Governments to support the Decade by, inter alia: (a) contributing to the United Nations Trust Fund for the Decade; (b) preparing relevant programmes, plans and reports in relation to the Decade, in consultation with indigenous people, (c) seeking means, in consultation with indigenous people, of giving indigenous people greater responsibility for their own affairs and an effective voice in decisions on matters that affect them; and (d) establishing national committees or other mechanisms involving indigenous people; also encouraged Governments and other donors to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations; invited the United Nations financial and developmental institutions, operational programmes and the specialized agencies: (a) to give increased priority and resources to improving the conditions of indigenous people; (b) to launch special projects through appropriate channels; and (c) to designate focal points for coordination with the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat of activities related to the Decade; recommended that the Secretary-General ensure coordinated follow-up to the recommendations concerning indigenous people of relevant world conferences; and encouraged Governments to consider contributing, as appropriate, to the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean, in support of the achievement of the goals of the Decade (resolution 51/78).

No advance documentation is expected.

112. Elimination of racism and racial discrimination

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

At its twentieth session, in 1965, the General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (resolution 2106 A (XX)). The Convention entered into force on 4 January 1969.

In accordance with article 8 of the Convention, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination consists of 18 experts. Members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election. At present, the Committee is composed of the following members:

Mr. Mamoud Aboul-Nasr (Egypt),* Mr. Hamzat Ahmadu (Nigeria),* Mr. Michael Parker Banton (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),* Mr. Theodoor van Boven (Netherlands),** Mr. Andrew Chigovera (Zimbabwe),* Mr. Ion Diaconu (Romania),** Mr. Eduardo Ferrero Costa (Peru),** Mr. Ivan Garvalov (Bulgaria),** Mr. Régis de Gouttes (France),* Mr. Carlos Lechuga Hevia (Cuba),* Mr. Yuri A. Rechetov (Russian Federation),** Mrs. Shanti Sadiq Ali (India),** Mr. Agha Shahi (Pakistan),* Mr. Michael E. Sherifis (Cyprus),* Mr. Luis Valencia Rodríguez (Ecuador),** Mr. Rüdiger Wolfrum (Germany),* Mr. Mario Jorge Yutzis (Argentina)** and Mrs. Zou Deci (China).**

_______________
* Term of office expires on 19 January 1998.
** Term of office expires on 19 January 2000.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁶⁾ the General Assembly took note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on the work of its forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions; commended the Committee for its work with regard to the implementation of the Convention; and called upon States parties to fulfil their obligation, under article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention, to submit in due time their periodic reports on measures taken to implement the Convention (resolution 51/80).

Document: Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions, Supplement No. 18 (A/52/18).

Financial situation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

At its fifty-first session,186 the General Assembly, inter alia, urged States parties to accelerate their domestic ratification procedures with regard to the amendment to the Convention concerning the financing of the Committee and expeditiously to notify the Secretary-General in writing of their agreement to the amendment; strongly appealed to all States parties that were in arrears to fulfil their outstanding financial obligations under article 8, paragraph 6, of the Convention; requested the Secretary-General to invite those States parties which were in arrears to pay the amounts in arrears and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and decided to consider at its fifty-second session, under the item entitled "Elimination of racism and racial discrimination", the report of the Secretary-General on the financial situation of the Committee and the report of the Committee (resolution 51/80, sect. II).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/80, sect. II).

Measures to combat contemporary forms of racism and racial discrimination

At its fifty-first session,186 the General Assembly, inter alia, took note of the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to convene, without further delay, a world conference on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to include the question of immigration and xenophobia in its agenda; encouraged all States to include in their educational curricula and social programmes, at all levels as appropriate, knowledge, tolerance and respect for foreign cultures, peoples and countries; categorically condemned any role played by print, audio-visual or electronic media in inciting acts of violence motivated by racial hatred; urged all Governments to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, with a view to enabling him to fulfil his mandate; and once again requested the Secretary-General to provide, without any further delay, the Special Rapporteur, as in the case of other Special Rapporteurs, with all the necessary human and financial assistance to enable him to carry out his mandate efficiently, effectively and expeditiously and to submit, in a timely manner, an interim report on this question to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/79).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights, inter alia, commended those States that had so far invited and received the Special Rapporteur, and invited them to examine carefully the recommendations contained in his reports, with a view to their possible implementation; requested the Special Rapporteur to make the fullest use of all appropriate sources of information, including country visits and evaluation of the mass media, and to elicit responses from Governments with regard to allegations; and requested the Secretary-General to provide, the Special Rapporteur, without any further delay, with all the appropriate assistance and resources to carry out his mandate and enable him to submit an interim report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session and a comprehensive report to the Commission at its fifty-fourth session (Commission resolution 1997/73).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (resolution 51/79).

Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly proclaimed, on 20 December 1993, the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (resolution 48/91).

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, which began in 1993, and adopted the revised Programme of Action for the Third Decade contained in the annex to resolution 49/146.

At its fifty-first session,186 the General Assembly, requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to give priority, through the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat, to the follow-up of programmes and activities for combating racism and racial discrimination; requested the Secretary-General to continue to accord special attention to the situation of migrant workers and members of their families and to include regularly in his reports all information on such workers; called upon all Member States to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families as a matter of priority; commended all States that had ratified or acceded to the international instruments to combat racism and racial discrimination; encouraged the media to promote ideas of tolerance and understanding among peoples and between different cultures; recommended that a seminar be organized by the Centre for Human Rights in cooperation with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, UNESCO, ITU and other relevant United Nations bodies, non-governmental organizations and Internet service providers, with a view to assessing the role of the Internet in the light of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; requested the Secretary-General to continue the study on the effects of racial discrimination on the children of minorities; urged the Secretary-General, United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies, all Governments, intergovernmental organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations, in implementing the Programme of Action for the Third Decade, to pay particular attention to the situation of indigenous people; regretted the lack of interest, support and financial resources for the Third Decade and its related Programme of Action, and noted that unless a supplementary financial effort was made very few of the activities planned for the period 1994-1997 would be carried out; requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the necessary financial resources were provided for the implementation of the activities of the Third Decade during the biennium 1996-1997; also requested the Secretary-General: (a) to accord the highest priority to the activities of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade; (b) to submit each year to the Economic and Social Council a detailed report on all activities of United Nations bodies and the specialized agencies, containing an analysis of information received on such activities to combat racism and racial discrimination; and (c) to submit proposals to the General Assembly with a view to supplementing, if necessary, the Programme of Action for the Third Decade; invited the Commission on Human Rights to consider at its fifty-third session as a matter of priority the question of a possible world conference to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related contemporary forms of intolerance and to make appropriate recommendations through the Economic and Social Council to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and once again requested the Secretary-General to consult Member States and intergovernmental as well as non-governmental organizations on the possibility of holding a world conference to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related contemporary forms of intolerance (resolution 51/81).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights, inter alia, recognized the laudable and generous efforts by donors that had made contributions to the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, but felt that those financial contributions had proved inadequate and that the General Assembly should consider all ways and means of financing the Programme of Action, including, inter alia, through the United Nations regular budget; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a detailed report on the financial and personnel resources required for the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade and invited the Assembly to consider the possibility of providing the resources required for the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade (Commission resolution 1997/74, sect. II).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/81).

113. Right of peoples to self-determination

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁷⁾ the General Assembly took note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights (A/51/392/annex) on the use of mercenaries and mercenary-related activities to topple sovereign Governments and to violate the human rights of peoples and impede the exercise of self-determination despite Assembly resolution 50/138; urged all States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur in the fulfilment of his mandate; reaffirmed that the use of mercenaries and their recruitment, financing and training were causes for grave concern to all States and violated the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; urged all States to take the necessary steps and to exercise the utmost vigilance against the menace posed by the activities of mercenaries; and requested the Special Rapporteur to report, with specific recommendations, his findings on the use of mercenaries to undermine the right of peoples to self-determination to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/83).

At the same session, the General Assembly reaffirmed that the universal realization of the right of all peoples, including those under colonial, foreign and alien domination, to self-determination was a fundamental condition for the effective guarantee and observance of human rights and for the preservation and promotion of such rights; and requested the Secretary-General to report on this question to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/84).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/84);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries (resolution 51/83).

114. Human rights questions
(a) Implementation of human rights instruments

Report of the Human Rights Committee

At its twenty-first session, in 1966, the General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (resolution 2200 A (XXI)). The Covenant and the Optional Protocol thereto entered into force on 23 March 1976.

In accordance with article 28 of the Covenant, the Human Rights Committee is composed of 18 experts. The members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election. At present, the Committee is composed of the following members:

Mr. Nisuke Ando (Japan),* Mr. Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati (India),* Mr. Thomas Buergenthal (United States of America),* Mrs. Christine Chanet (France),* Lord Colville (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),** Mr. Omran El Shafei (Egypt),* Mrs. Elizabeth Evatt (Australia),** Mrs. Pilar Gaitan de Pombo (Colombia),** Mr. Eckart Klein (Germany),* Mr. David Kretzmer (Israel),* Mr. Rajsoomer Lallah (Mauritius),** Mrs. Cecilia Medina Quiroga (Chile),* Mrs. Lavre Moghaizel (Lebanon),** Mr. Fausto Pocar (Italy),** Mr. Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador),* Mr. Martin Scheinin (Finland),** Mr. Danilo Türk (Slovenia),** and Mr. Maxwell Yalden (Canada).**
_______________
* Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.
** Term of office expires on 31 December 2000.

In accordance with article 45 of the Covenant, the Committee submits to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, an annual report on its activities.

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁸⁸⁾ the General Assembly took note with appreciation of the reports of the Human Rights Committee on its work at the forty-ninth to fifty-fourth sessions submitted to the Assembly at its forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolution 50/171).

Document: Report of the Human Rights Committee, Supplement No. 40 (A/52/40).

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

At its twenty-first session, in 1966, the General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (resolution 2200 A (XXI)). The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entered into force on 3 January 1976.

In accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1985/17, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is composed of 18 experts. The members of the Committee are elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election. At present, the Committee is composed of the following members:

Mr. Ade Adekuoye (Nigeria),* Mr. Philip Alston (Australia),* Mr. Mahmoud Samir Ahmed (Egypt),* Mr. Ivan Antanovich (Belarus),** Mrs. Virginia Bonoan-Dandan (Philippines),* Mr. Dumitru Ceausu (Romania),** Mr. Oscar Ceville (Panama),** Mr. Abdessatar Grissa (Tunisia),** Mrs. María de los Angeles Jiménez Butragueño (Spain),** Mr. Valeri Kouznetsov (Russian Federation),* Mr. Jaime Marchan Romero (Ecuador),* Mr. Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Mauritius),** Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray (Jamaica),** Mr. Eibe Riedel (Germany),** Mr. Walid M. Sa'di (Jordan),** Mr. Nutan Thapalia (Nepal),* Mr. Philippe Texier (France)** and Mr. Javier Wimer Zambrano (Mexico).*

_______________

* Term of office expires on 31 December 1998.

** Term of office expires on 31 December 2000.

At its fiftieth session,188 the General Assembly took note with appreciation of the report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on its tenth and eleventh sessions (resolution 50/171).

Status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant

on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocols

to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

At its twenty-first session, in 1966, the General Assembly adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and expressed the hope that those instruments would be signed, ratified or acceded to without delay and would come into force at an early date. The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to submit to its future sessions reports concerning the state of ratifications of the Covenants and the Optional Protocol (resolution 2200 A (XXI)). In response to that request, reports on the status of the Covenants and the Optional Protocol have been submitted to the Assembly annually as from its twenty-second session.

At its forty-fourth session, the General Assembly adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty; and called upon all Governments in a position to do so to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to that instrument (resolution 44/128).

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entered into force on 3 January 1976; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entered into force on 23 March 1976; the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entered into force also on 23 March 1976; and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entered into force on 11 July 1991.

As at 1 April 1997, 135 States had ratified or acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 136 States had acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 89 States had ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 29 States had ratified or acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to that Covenant.

At its fiftieth session,188 the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit at its fifty-second session a report on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocols thereto under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 50/171).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights considered the item (Commission decision 1997/104).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/171).

Status of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families

At its forty-fifth session, the General Assembly adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (resolution 45/158, annex). The Convention will enter into force on the first day of the month following a period of three months after the date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession in accordance with paragraph 1 of its article 87.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁸⁹⁾ the General Assembly called upon all Member States to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the Convention as a matter of priority, and expressed the hope that it would enter into force at an early date; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to it at its fifty-second session an updated report on the status of the Convention (resolution 51/85).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the item at its fifty-third session (Commission resolution 1997/14).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/85).

Effective implementation of international instruments on human rights, including reporting obligations under international instruments on human rights

At its thirty-eighth session, in 1983, the General Assembly considered problems relating to the reporting obligations of States parties to United Nations conventions on human rights and requested the Secretary-General to consider the possibility of convening a meeting of the chairmen of the bodies entrusted with the consideration of reports submitted under the relevant human rights instruments (resolution 38/117).

The General Assembly considered the question annually from its thirty-ninth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 39/138, 40/116, 41/121, 42/105, 43/135, 44/135, 45/85, 46/111, 47/111, 48/120, 49/178 and 50/170).

At its fifty-first session,189 the General Assembly, inter alia, welcomed the report of the persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies on their seventh meeting (A/51/482, annex) and took note of their conclusions and recommendations; emphasized the need to ensure financing and adequate staff and information resources for the operations of the treaty bodies; requested that the Secretary-General report on the question to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; requested the Secretary-General to prepare a study comparing the provisions of the United Nations human rights instruments with a view to identifying duplication of reporting required under those instruments; urged States parties to contribute, individually and through meetings of States parties, to identifying and implementing ways of further streamlining, rationalizing, avoiding duplication in and otherwise improving reporting procedures; expressed concern about the increasing backlog of reports on implementation by States parties to United Nations instruments on human rights and about delays in consideration of reports by the treaty bodies, and again urged States parties to make every effort to meet their reporting obligations; invited States parties that had been unable to comply with the requirements to submit their initial report to avail themselves of technical assistance; encouraged the efforts of the treaty bodies to examine the progress made in achieving the fulfilment of human rights treaty undertakings by all States parties, without exception; urged States parties to address, as a matter of priority, at their next scheduled meetings, the issue of States parties consistently not complying with their reporting obligations; urged all States parties whose reports had been examined by treaty bodies to provide adequate follow-up to the observations and final comments of the treaty bodies on their reports; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on measures taken to implement the resolution and on obstacles to its implementation (resolution 51/87).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the item at its fifty-third session (Commission decision 1997/105).

Documents:

(a) Reports of the Secretary-General:

(i) Question of ensuring financing and adequate staff and information resources for the operations of the human rights treaty bodies (resolution 51/87);

(ii) Measures taken to implement General Assembly resolution 51/87 and obstacles to its implementation;

(iii) Progress towards the realization of the rights set forth in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/17);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the eighth meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies (Geneva, 15-19 September 1997) (resolution 51/87).

Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

At its forty-eighth session, in 1993, the General Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session an item entitled: "Fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (decision 48/416).

At its fifty-first session,189 the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to coordinate the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, invited Governments, United Nations organs and agencies, human rights treaty bodies, non-governmental organizations and national institutions to participate in the preparations for the event in coordination with the High Commissioner; requested the Secretary-General to include in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 appropriate activities to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration; and decided to review during its fifty-second session the state of preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration and to consider appropriate measures in that regard, including its own contribution (resolution 51/88).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to coordinate within the United Nations system the preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and urged the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Public Information to cooperate closely in the implementation of information activities for the anniversary (Commission resolution 1997/35).

Document: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Supplement No. 36 (A/52/36).

(b) Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms

Strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization

At its forty-third session, in 1988, the General Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-fourth session an item entitled "Enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections" (resolution 43/157).

At the forty-fourth to forty-ninth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 44/146, 45/150, 46/137, 47/138, 48/131 and 49/190).

The Commission on Human Rights also considered the item at its forty-fifth session (resolution 1989/51).

No advance documentation is expected.

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁹⁰⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, commended the electoral assistance provided to Member States at their request by the United Nations, requested that such assistance continue on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the guidelines on electoral assistance, recognizing that the fundamental responsibility of organizing free and fair elections lies with Governments, and also requested the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs of the Secretariat to continue to inform Member States on a regular basis about the requests received, responses given to those requests and the nature of the assistance provided; requested that the United Nations continue its efforts to ensure, before undertaking to provide electoral assistance to a requesting State, that there is adequate time to organize and carry out an effective mission for providing such assistance, that conditions exist to allow a free and fair election and that provisions can be made for adequate and comprehensive reporting of the results of the mission; commended the steps taken by the United Nations to ensure the continuation and consolidation of the democratization process in certain Member States requesting assistance, including the provision of assistance before and after elections have taken place and needs-assessment missions aimed at recommending programmes which might contribute to the consolidating of the democratization process, and requested that such efforts be strengthened; recommended that the Electoral Assistance Division provide post-election assistance, as appropriate, to requesting States and electoral institutions, and that it study, in cooperation with relevant United Nations offices, ways of defining more clearly the activities related to democratic consolidation which the United Nations might usefully undertake in assisting the efforts of interested States in that regard; requested the Secretary-General to take further steps to support States which request assistance by, inter alia, enabling the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to support democratization activities related to human rights concerns; commended the programmes of assistance carried out by UNDP for civil service reform and for governance; recalled the establishment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Trust Fund for Electoral Observation, and called upon Member States to consider contributing to the Fund; requested the Secretary-General to provide the Electoral Assistance Division with adequate human and financial resources, under the regular budget of the Organization and within existing resources, to allow it to carry out its mandate, and to continue to ensure that the Centre for Human Rights is able to respond, within its mandate and in close coordination with the Electoral Assistance Division, to the increasing number of requests from Member States for advisory services; recommended that the Secretary-General consider ways to continue to improve coordination and to strengthen further the efforts of the Electoral Assistance Division, the Centre for Human Rights and the United Nations system in general to respond to its increased and evolving responsibilities and enlarged mandate in the field of electoral assistance and democratization as reflected in the resolution, and to include his recommendations in that regard in his report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of resolutions 49/190 and 50/185, in particular on the status of requests from Member States for electoral assistance and verification, and on his efforts to enhance the Organization's support of the democratization process in Member States (resolution 50/185).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/185).

Respect for the principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States in their electoral processes

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-fourth and forty-fifth sessions (resolutions 44/147 and 45/151) under the agenda item entitled "Enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections" and at its forty-sixth to forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 46/130, 47/130, 48/124 and 49/180) under the sub-item entitled "Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms".

At its fiftieth session,190 the General Assembly, inter alia, reiterated that all peoples had the right, freely and without external interference, to determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development, and that every State had the duty to respect that right in accordance with the provisions of the Charter; reaffirmed that it is the concern solely of peoples to determine methods and to establish institutions regarding the electoral process, as well as to determine the ways for its implementation according to their constitution and national legislation, and that, consequently, States should establish the necessary mechanisms and means to guarantee full and effective popular participation in those processes; reaffirmed also that any activities that attempted, directly or indirectly, to interfere in the free development of national electoral processes, in particular in the developing countries, or that were intended to sway the results of such processes, violated the spirit and letter of the principles established in the Charter and in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations; reaffirmed further that electoral assistance to Member States should be provided by the United Nations only at the request and with the consent of specific sovereign States, or in special circumstances such as cases of decolonization, or in the context of regional or international peace processes; strongly appealed to all States to refrain from financing or providing, directly or indirectly, any other form of overt or covert support for political parties or groups and from taking actions to undermine the electoral processes in any country; condemned any act of armed aggression or threat or use of force against peoples, their elected Governments or their legitimate leaders; reaffirmed that all countries had the obligation under the Charter to respect the right of others to self-determination and to determine freely their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural development; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 50/172).

No advance documentation is expected.

National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights

At its fiftieth session,190 the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the importance of the development of effective, independent and pluralistic national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights in keeping with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and, inter alia, the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 48/134, and recognized that it was the right of each State to choose the framework that was best suited to its particular needs at the national level; encouraged Member States to establish or, where they already existed, to strengthen national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, and where appropriate, to incorporate those elements in national development plans or in their preparation of national action plans; encouraged national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights established by Member States to prevent and combat all violations of human rights; requested the Secretary-General to give high priority to requests from Member States for assistance in the establishment and strengthening of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and invited Governments to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Advisory Services and Technical Assistance in the Field of Human Rights for those purposes; noted the role of the coordinating committee created by national institutions at the second International Workshop on National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, held at Tunis from 13 to 17 December 1993, in close cooperation with the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat, to assist Governments and institutions, when requested to follow up on relevant resolutions and recommendations concerning the strengthening of national institutions; also noted the importance of finding an appropriate form of participation by national institutions in relevant United Nations meetings dealing with human rights; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/176).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/40).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/176).

Human rights in the administration of justice

At its fiftieth session,190 the General Assembly reaffirmed the importance of the full and effective implementation of all United Nations standards on human rights in the administration of justice; acknowledged that the administration of justice, an independent judiciary and legal profession in full conformity with applicable standards contained in international human rights instruments were essential to the full and non-discriminatory realization of human rights and indispensable to democratization processes and sustainable development; appealed to Governments to include in their national development plans the administration of justice as an integral part of the development process; invited Governments to provide training in human rights in the administration of justice; encouraged States to make use of technical assistance offered by the United Nations programmes of advisory services and technical assistance, in order to strengthen national capacities and infrastructures in the field of the administration of justice; urged the Secretary-General to consider favourably requests by States for assistance in the field of the administration of justice and to strengthen system-wide coordination in that field; invited the international community to respond favourably to requests for financial and technical assistance for the enhancement and strengthening of the administration of justice; called upon special rapporteurs, special representatives and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights to continue to give special attention to questions relating to the effective protection of human rights in the administration of justice and to provide, wherever appropriate, specific recommendations in that regard; acknowledged the important role of the regional commissions, specialized agencies and United Nations institutes in the area of human rights and crime prevention and criminal justice, and of other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; invited the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to coordinate closely their activities relating to the administration of justice; and decided to consider the question of human rights in the administration of justice at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 50/181).

No advance documentation is expected.

Human rights and mass exoduses

The General Assembly, at its fiftieth session,190 requested the Secretary-General to prepare and submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report containing detailed information on the programmatic, institutional, administrative, financial and managerial efforts instituted to enhance the capacity of the United Nations to avert new flows of refugees and to tackle the root causes of such outflows; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 50/182).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/75).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/182).

Human rights and terrorism

At its fiftieth session,190 the General Assembly, inter alia, reiterated its unequivocal condemnation of the acts, methods and practices of terrorism as activities aimed at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening the territorial integrity and security of States, destablilizing legitimately constituted Governments, undermining pluralist civil society and having adverse consequences on the economic and social development of States; called upon States to take all necessary and effective measures in accordance with international standards of human rights to prevent, combat and eliminate all acts of terrorism wherever and by whomever committed; urged the international community to enhance cooperation at regional and international levels in the fight against terrorism, with the aim of its eradication; condemned incitement of ethnic hatred, violence and terrorism; requested the Secretary-General to continue to seek the views of Member States on the possible establishment of a United Nations voluntary fund for victims of terrorism, as well as ways and means to rehabilitate the victims of terrorism and to reintegrate them into society, and to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report containing comments made by Member States on the subject; encouraged special rapporteurs, special representatives and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, as well as treaty bodies, to pay appropriate attention, within their mandates, to the consequences of the acts, methods and practices of terrorist groups; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 50/186).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/42).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/186).

Respect for the right to universal freedom of travel and the vital importance of family reunification

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹¹⁾ the General Assembly once again called upon all States to guarantee the universally recognized freedom of travel to all foreign nationals legally residing in their territory; reaffirmed that all Governments, particularly those of receiving countries, must recognize the vital importance of family reunification and promote its incorporation into national legislation in order to ensure protection of the unity of families of documented migrants; called upon all States to allow, in conformity with international legislation, the free flow of financial remittances by foreign nationals residing in their territory to their relatives in the country of origin; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/89).

No advance documentation is expected.

Strengthening of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights

At the same session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, reiterated the need to ensure that all the necessary human, financial, material and personnel resources were provided from the regular budget of the United Nations without delay to the United Nations human rights programme to enable it to carry out its mandates efficiently, effectively and expeditiously; requested the Secretary-General to enhance the capability of the High Commissioner and the Centre to fulfil effectively their mandates and their ability to carry out mandated operational activities and to coordinate efficiently with other relevant departments of the Secretariat, as well as other organs, bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations system, including on logistical and administrative questions; supported fully the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner in their efforts to strengthen the human rights activities of the United Nations, inter alia, through reorganization of the structure of the Centre to improve its efficiency and effectiveness; emphasized the need for full participation of the office of the High Commissioner and the Centre in all mechanisms related to the follow-up to major United Nations conferences; encouraged the High Commissioner, within his mandate as set out in Assembly resolution 48/141, to continue to play an active role in promoting and protecting human rights, including by preventing human rights violations throughout the world, and in that context requested the Secretary-General to support activities proposed by the High Commissioner; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/90).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/76).

No advance documentation is expected.

Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (resolution 47/135).

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, urged States and the international community to promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as set out in the Declaration; urged States to take, as appropriate, all the necessary constitutional, legislative, administrative and other measures to promote and give effect to the principles contained in the Declaration; appealed to States to make bilateral and multilateral efforts in order to protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities; called upon the Secretary-General to make available, at the request of Governments concerned, qualified expertise on minority issues; called upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote the implementation of the Declaration and to continue to engage in a dialogue with Governments concerned for that purpose; urged all treaty bodies to give due regard, within their mandates, to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities; called upon all special representatives, special rapporteurs and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights to continue to give attention, within their mandates, to situations involving minorities; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/91).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/91).

Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly reaffirmed that freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief was a human right derived from the inherent dignity of the human person and guaranteed to all without discrimination; urged States to ensure that their constitutional and legal systems provided adequate and effective guarantees of freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, including the provision of effective remedies in cases where the right to freedom of religion or belief was violated, as well as to ensure that, in the course of their official duties, members of law enforcement bodies, civil servants, educators and other public officials respected different religions and beliefs and did not discriminate against persons professing other religions or beliefs; called upon all States to recognize, as provided in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, the right of all persons to worship or assemble in connection with a religion or belief and to establish and maintain places for those purposes; expressed its grave concern at any attack upon religious places, sites and shrines, and called upon all States, in accordance with their national legislation and in conformity with international human rights standards, to exert utmost efforts to ensure that such places, sites and shrines were fully respected and protected; and requested the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights to submit an interim report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/93).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (resolution 51/93).

Strengthening of the rule of law

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, took note with interest of the proposals contained in the report of the Secretary-General for strengthening the programme of advisory services and technical assistance of the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat in order to comply fully with the recommendations of the World Conference on Human Rights concerning assistance to States in strengthening their institutions which uphold the rule of law; noted that the programme of advisory services and technical assistance did not have assistance funds sufficient to provide any substantial financial assistance to national projects that had a direct impact on the realization of human rights and the maintenance of the rule of law in countries that were committed to those ends but that faced economic hardship; welcomed the consultations and contacts initiated by the High Commissioner with other relevant bodies and programmes of the United Nations system aiming at the enhancement of inter-agency coordination and cooperation in providing assistance for the strengthening of the rule of law and encouraged the High Commissioner to pursue those consultations; requested the High Commissioner to accord high priority to the technical cooperation activities undertaken by the Centre with regard to the rule of law; took note with appreciation of the proposal of the High Commissioner to convene a high-level meeting of relevant United Nations agencies and programmes, in order to analyse means, modalities, financing and allocation of responsibilities for the implementation of a comprehensive United Nations programme of assistance for the rule of law; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the results of the contacts established in accordance with the resolution, as well as on any other developments pertaining to the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendation of the World Conference on Human Rights (resolution 51/96).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights considered the question of assistance to States in strengthening the rule of law (Commission resolution 1997/48).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/96).

The situation of human rights in Cambodia

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General to ensure the protection of the human rights of all people in Cambodia; endorsed the recommendations and conclusions of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for human rights in Cambodia (A/51/453); requested the Special Representative, in collaboration with the Office in Cambodia of the Centre for Human Rights, to continue his evaluation of the extent to which the recommendations made by the Special Representative in his report, and those contained in reports of his predecessor, were followed up and implemented; welcomed the efforts made by the Government of Cambodia to promote and protect human rights, in particular in the essential area of creating a functioning system of justice, and urged that efforts continue in that area; expressed grave concern about the atrocities that continue to be committed by the Khmer Rouge and about the serious violations of human rights as detailed in the reports of the Special Representative and his predecessor; commended the ongoing efforts of the office in Cambodia of the Centre for Human Rights in supporting and assisting the Government of Cambodia, as well as non-governmental organizations and others involved in the promotion and protection of human rights in cooperation with the Government; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the role of the Centre in assisting the Government and people of Cambodia in the promotion and protection of human rights and on recommendations made by the Special Representative (resolution 51/98).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/98).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/49).

Right to development

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the importance of the right to development for every human person and all peoples in all countries, in particular the developing countries, as an integral part of fundamental human rights; urged States to pursue the promotion and protection of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights and the implementation of comprehensive development programmes, integrating those rights into development activities; reiterated its commitment to implementing the results of the World Conference on Human Rights; reiterated that lasting progress towards the implementation of the right to development required effective development policies at the national level, as well as equitable economic relations and a favourable economic environment at the international level; called upon the Commission on Human Rights to continue to make proposals to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council on the future course of action on the question, in particular on practical measures for the implementation and enhancement of the Declaration on the Right to Development; noted the efforts made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights within his mandate, and encouraged him to continue the coordination of the various activities with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development; requested the Secretary-General to inform the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-third session and the Assembly at its fifty-second session of the activities of the organizations, funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system for the implementation of the Declaration on the Right to Development, as well as obstacles identified by them to the realization of the right to development; requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the sub-item entitled "Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms" (resolution 51/99).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1996/72).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/99).

Culture of peace

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, called for the promotion of a culture of peace based, inter alia, on the principles established in the Charter of the United Nations; welcomed with satisfaction the memorandum of understanding between the Director-General of UNESCO and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, signed in Paris on 19 October 1995; welcomed the establishment of the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize by the General Conference of UNESCO at its twenty-fifth session; and requested the Secretary-General, in coordination with the Director-General of UNESCO, to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution and on the progress of educational activities within the framework of the transdisciplinary project entitled "Towards a culture of peace", including the preparation of elements for a draft provisional declaration and programme of action on a culture of peace; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/101).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/101).

Human rights and unilateral coercive measures

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, urged all States to refrain from adopting or implementing any unilateral measure not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, thus impeding the full realization of the rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments; rejected unilateral coercive measures with all their extraterritorial effects as tools for political or economic pressure against any country, in particular against developing countries; called upon Member States that had initiated such measures to commit themselves to their obligations and responsibilities arising from the international human rights instruments to which they were party by revoking such measures at the earliest time possible; urged the Commission on Human Rights to take fully into account the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, including enactment of national laws and their extraterritorial application, in its task concerning the implementation of the right to development; requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in discharging his functions relating to the promotion, realization and protection of the right to development, to give urgent consideration to the resolution in his annual report to the Assembly; requested Member States to notify the Secretary-General about the implications and negative effects of such measures on their populations in the various aspects referred to in the resolution; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution; and decided to examine the question, on a priority basis, at its fifty-second session under the sub-item entitled "Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms" (resolution 51/103).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/103).

United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and public information activities in the field of human rights

The General Assembly considered the question of a decade for human rights education at its forty-eighth session, in 1993, under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 48/127).

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly proclaimed the 10-year period beginning on 1 January 1995 the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and welcomed the Plan of Action as contained in the report of the Secretary-General (resolution 49/184). The Assembly also considered the question at its fiftieth session (resolution 50/177).

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, took note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the Plan of Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and of the report of the Secretary-General on the development of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights; welcomed the steps taken by Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the Plan of Action; appealed to Governments, in accordance with their national conditions, to accord priority to the dissemination in their relevant national and local languages of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other human rights instruments, human rights materials and training manuals, as well as reports of States parties under the human rights treaties, and to provide information and education in those languages on the practical ways in which national and international institutions and procedures might be utilized to ensure the effective implementation of those instruments; requested the office of the United Nations High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to continue to coordinate the implementation of the Plan of Action and to continue to coordinate and harmonize human rights information strategies within the United Nations system; encouraged the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights to continue the development of training courses and materials, as well as the dissemination of human rights information materials as a component of technical assistance projects, supplemented by electronic means wherever possible; stressed the need for close collaboration between the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Public Information in the implementation of the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights and the Plan of Action and the need to harmonize their activities with those of other organizations such as UNESCO in the project entitled "Towards a culture of peace" and the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations with regard to the dissemination of information on international humanitarian law; and requested the Secretary-General to bring the resolution to the attention of all members of the international community and to intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with human rights education and public information and to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a comprehensive report on the implementation of the resolution for consideration under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/104).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights considered the development of public information activities in the field of human rights, including the World Public Information Campaign for Human Rights (Commission resolution 1997/41).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/104).

Strengthening of United Nations action in the field of human rights through the promotion of international cooperation and the importance of non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity

At its fifty-first session,191 the General Assembly, inter alia, called upon all Member States to base their activities for the promotion and protection of human rights on the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other relevant international instruments and to refrain from activities that were inconsistent with that international framework; reaffirmed that the promotion, protection and full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, should be guided by the principles of non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity and should not be used for political ends; requested all human rights bodies within the United Nations system, as well as the special rapporteurs and representatives, independent experts and working groups, to take duly into account the contents of the resolution in carrying out their mandates; invited Member States to consider adopting the measures that they might deem appropriate to achieve further progress in international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and decided to consider the matter at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/105).

No advance documentation is expected.

(c) Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives

The situation of human rights in Iraq

At its forty-seventh session, in 1991, the Commission on Human Rights requested its Chairman to appoint a Special Rapporteur to make a thorough study of the violations of human rights committed by the Government of Iraq and to submit an interim report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-sixth session and a report to the Commission at its forty-eighth session (Commission resolution 1991/74). The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been renewed annually since then.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹²⁾ the General Assembly took note with appreciation of the interim report on the situation of human rights in Iraq submitted by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights and the observations, conclusions and recommendations contained therein (A/51/496 and Add.1); expressed its strong condemnation of the massive and extremely grave violations of human rights for which the Government of Iraq was responsible, resulting in an all-pervasive order of repression and oppression which was sustained by broad-based discrimination and widespread terror; requested the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with all necessary assistance in carrying out his mandate and to approve the allocation of sufficient human and material resources for the sending of human rights monitors to such locations as would facilitate improved information flow and assessment and help in the independent verification of reports on the situation of human rights in Iraq; and decided to continue its consideration of the situation of human rights in Iraq during its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions", in the light of additional elements provided by the Commission and the Economic and Social Council (resolution 51/106).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights decided to extend for a further year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and requested him to submit an interim report on human rights in Iraq to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to give all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur to enable him to discharge his mandate fully and to approve the allocation of sufficient human and material resources for the sending of human rights monitors to such locations as would facilitate improved information on the situation of human rights in Iraq (Commission resolution 1997/60).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/60).

The situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran

At its fortieth session, in 1984, the Commission on Human Rights requested the Chairman to appoint a Special Representative of the Commission whose mandate would be to establish contacts with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to make a thorough study of the human rights situation in that country and to submit conclusions and appropriate suggestions to the Commission at its forty-first session (Commission resolution 1984/54). The mandate of the Special Representative has been renewed annually since then.

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly took note of the interim report of the Special Representative (A/51/479 and Add.1); expressed its concern at the continuing violations of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; requested the Secretary-General to give all necessary assistance to the Special Representative; and decided to continue the examination of the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority groups such as the Baha'is, during its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/107).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights welcomed the report of the Special Representative (E/CN.4/1997/63); decided to extend the mandate of the Special Representative, as contained in Commission resolution 1984/54, for a further year; requested the Secretary-General to continue to give all necessary assistance to the Special Representative; and requested the Special Representative to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority groups such as the Baha'is (Commission resolution 1997/54).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Representative (Commission resolution 1997/54).

The situation of human rights in Afghanistan

Upon the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights, the Economic and Social Council, at its first regular session of 1984, requested the Chairman of the Commission to appoint a Special Rapporteur with the mandate to examine the human rights situation in Afghanistan, with a view to formulating proposals that could contribute to ensuring full protection of the human rights of all residents of the country before, during and after the withdrawal of all foreign forces; and requested the Special Rapporteur to submit a comprehensive report to the Commission at its forty-first session (resolution 1984/37). Since then the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been renewed annually with a request to report to the General Assembly and to the Commission.

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly took note with appreciation of the interim report of the Special Rapporteur (A/51/481, annex) and of the conclusions and recommendations contained therein; requested the Secretary-General to give all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur; and decided to keep the situation of human rights in Afghanistan under consideration at its fifty-second session, in the light of additional elements provided by the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social Council (resolution 51/108).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan for one year; and requested the Special Rapporteur to consider submitting a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/65).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/65).

The situation of human rights in Nigeria

The General Assembly began consideration of the situation of human rights in Nigeria at its fiftieth session. At that session, the Assembly invited the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-second session to give urgent attention to the situation of human rights in Nigeria; and requested the Secretary-General to undertake discussions with the Government of Nigeria and to report on progress in the implementation of the resolution and on the possibilities for the international community to offer practical assistance to Nigeria in achieving the restoration of democratic rule (resolution 50/199).

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly urged the Government of Nigeria to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the independence of judges and lawyers, and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions during the joint investigative mission to Nigeria mandated by the Commission on Human Rights and with the relevant mechanisms of the Commission; requested the Secretary-General in the discharge of his good offices mandate and in cooperation with the Commonwealth to continue to undertake further discussion with the Government of Nigeria and to report on progress in the implementation of the resolution and on the possibilities for the international community to offer practical assistance to Nigeria to achieve the restoration of democratic rule and the full enjoyment of human rights in Nigeria; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/109).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights decided to invite its Chairman to appoint a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Nigeria, with a mandate to establish direct contacts with the authorities and the people of Nigeria, and requested the Special Rapporteur to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session, on the basis of any information which might be gathered; and requested the Secretary-General, in the discharge of his good offices mandate and in cooperation with the Commonwealth, to continue further discussions with the Government of Nigeria and to report on progress in the implementation of the resolution and possibilities for the international community to lend practical assistance to Nigeria in achieving the restoration of democratic rule and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms (Commission resolution 1997/53).

Documents:

(a) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/53);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General (General Assembly resolution 51/109).

The situation of human rights in Haiti

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly welcomed the satisfactory evolution of the political process in Haiti; took note of the report of the independent expert of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Haiti (E/CN.4/1996/94) and the recommendations contained therein; welcomed the establishment of the programme of technical cooperation prepared by the Centre for Human Rights aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity in the field of human rights, and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the programme to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and decided to continue its consideration of the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Haiti at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/110).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights requested the General Assembly to study the possibility of extending the mandate of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti, which expires on 31 July 1997; invited the independent expert to inform the Assembly at its fifty-second session about the development of the human rights situation in Haiti; and invited the Special Rapporteur on violence against women to consider favourably the invitation by the Government of Haiti to visit the country (Commission resolution 1997/52).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General on the programme of technical cooperation prepared by the Centre for Human Rights aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in the field of human rights in Haiti (resolution 51/110);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the independent expert (Commission resolution 1997/52).

Situation of human rights in Kosovo

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly condemned all violations of human rights in Kosovo, in particular repression of the ethnic Albanian population and discrimination against them, as well as all acts of violence in Kosovo; demanded that the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) take all necessary measures to bring to an immediate end all human rights violations against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, release all political prisoners and cease the persecution of political leaders and members of local human rights organizations, allow the establishment of genuine democratic institutions in Kosovo, allow the reopening of educational, cultural and scientific institutions of the ethnic Albanians and pursue constructive dialogue with the representatives of ethnic Albanians of Kosovo; urged the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to allow the immediate unconditional return of the long-term mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to Kosovo, called for in Security Council resolution 855 (1993); encouraged the Secretary-General to pursue his humanitarian efforts in the former Yugoslavia, in liaison with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children's Fund and other appropriate humanitarian organizations, with a view to taking urgent practical steps to tackle the critical needs of the people in Kosovo and decided to continue examination of the human rights situation in Kosovo at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/111).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/111).

The situation in the Sudan

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly recommended that the serious human rights situation in the Sudan be monitored, and invited the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-ninth session to give urgent attention to the situation of human rights in the Sudan; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its forty-eighth session (resolution 47/142).

At its forty-ninth session, in 1993, the Commission on Human Rights requested its Chairman to appoint a Special Rapporteur to establish direct contact with the Government and with the people of the Sudan and to investigate and report to the Commission at its fiftieth session and to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session (Commission resolution 1993/60).

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly, welcoming the fourth interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan (A/51/490, annex), recommended the continued monitoring of the serious human rights situation in the Sudan and invited the Commission on Human Rights to give urgent attention to the question at its fifty-third session; requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Special Rapporteur with all necessary assistance in the discharge of his mandate; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/112).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan for an additional year; requested the Secretary-General to give the Special Rapporteur all necessary assistance, from within existing resources, in the discharge of his mandate; recommended that priority be given to the placement of human rights field officers to monitor the situation of human rights in the locations, under the modalities and with the objectives suggested by the Special Rapporteur; and requested the Special RSIZE="-2"> At recommendations to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/59).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/59).

The situation of human rights in Cuba

At its forty-seventh session, in 1991, the Commission on Human Rights requested the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative to maintain direct contact with the Government and citizens of Cuba; and requested the Special Representative to report the results of his endeavours to the Commission at its forty-eighth session (Commission resolution 1991/68). The Economic and Social Council endorsed that resolution in its decision 1991/252.

At its forty-eighth session, the Commission on Human Rights requested its Chairman to designate the Special Representative of the Secretary-General as its Special Rapporteur to review the situation of human rights in Cuba (Commission resolution 1992/61). The Economic and Social Council endorsed that resolution in its decision 1992/236. Subsequently, Mr. Carl-Johan Groth was appointed Special Rapporteur. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been renewed annually since then.

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly expressed its full support for the work of the Special Rapporteur; regretted profoundly the numerous violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba, as described in the report of the Special Rapporteur to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/1996/60) and in his interim report (A/51/460, annex); called upon the Government of Cuba to carry out the recommendations in the interim report of the Special Rapporteur; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/113).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cuba for one year; and requested him to maintain direct contacts with the Government and citizens of Cuba as specified in past resolutions of the Commission, and to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/62).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the interim report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/62).

The situation of human rights in Rwanda

At its third special session, in 1994, the Commission on Human Rights requested its Chairman to appoint a Special Rapporteur, for an initial period of one year, to investigate at first hand the human rights situation in Rwanda and to receive relevant, credible information on the human rights there; and requested the Special Rapporteur to visit Rwanda forthwith and to report on an urgent basis to the members of the Commission on the situation of human rights in the country, including his recommendations for bringing violations and abuses to an end and preventing future violations and abuses (Commission resolution S-3/1).

At its fifty-first session,192 in 1996, the General Assembly welcomed the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (A/51/478, annex) and the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights (A/51/657, annex); called upon all States to respond to the appeal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and contribute urgently to the costs of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda and to work for lasting solutions to its financing problems, including through the regular budget of the United Nations; and requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the activities of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/114).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights took note of the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Rwanda and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda; expressed its appreciation for the work the Special Rapporteur had carried out in the past three years in the fulfilment of his mandate; requested its Chairman to appoint a special representative with the mandate to make recommendations on how to improve the human rights situation in Rwanda; requested the Special Representative to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; and requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to report regularly on the activities and findings of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda and to make those reports available to the General Assembly (Commission resolution 1997/66).

Documents: Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting:

(a) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (resolution 51/114);

(b) Report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/66).

Rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly strongly condemned the abhorrent practice of rape and abuse of women and children in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which constitutes a war crime; expressed its outrage that the deliberate and systematic practice of rape had been used as a weapon of war and an instrument of ethnic cleansing against women and children in Bosnia and Herzegovina; reminded all States of their obligation to cooperate with the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 in the investigation and prosecution of persons accused of using rape as a weapon of war; urged all States and relevant organizations to continue to give serious consideration to the recommendations in the reports of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia, in particular the recommendation concerning provision for the continuation of necessary medical and psychological care to victims of rape within the framework of programmes to rehabilitate women and children traumatized by war, as well as the provision of protection, counselling and support to victims and witnesses; demanded that the parties cooperate fully with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights and her staff, as well as other mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the monitoring and other missions of the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, including by providing full access; encouraged the Special Rapporteur to continue to pay particular attention to the question, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/115).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/115).

The situation of human rights in the territory of the former Yugoslavia

At its substantive session of 1992, the Economic and Social Council endorsed resolution 1992/S-1/1, adopted by the Commission on Human Rights at its first special session, in which it requested its Chairman to appoint a Special Rapporteur to investigate first-hand the human rights situation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, in particular within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and requested the Special Rapporteur to report on an urgent basis to the members of the Commission and to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session (Council decision 1992/305). The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been renewed annually since then.

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly expressed its serious concern about continuing human rights violations within Bosnia and Herzegovina and the delays in fully implementing the human rights provisions of the Peace Agreement; condemned in the strongest terms the continued forcible expulsion of individuals from their homes in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the practice of destroying the homes of those previously forcibly expelled, and called for the immediate arrest and punishment of individuals engaged in those actions; called upon the participants in the Peace Implementation Meeting held in London in December 1996 to ensure that the promotion of human rights, including the fulfilment of the respective human rights obligations by the parties to the Peace Agreement, as well as the strengthening of national institutions, would be a central element in the new civilian structure implementing the Peace Agreement; called upon the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to undertake greater efforts to adhere to democratic norms, especially in regard to the protection of free and independent media, and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; strongly urged the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to revoke all discriminatory legislation and to apply all other legislation without discrimination; urgently demanded that the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) take immediate action to put an end to the repression of, and to prevent violence against, non-Serb populations in Kosovo, including acts of harassment, beatings, torture, warrantless searches, arbitrary detention and unfair trials, and also to respect the rights of minority groups in the Sandjak region and in Vojvodina; called upon the Government of the Republic of Croatia to cooperate fully with the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium to assure that the reintegration of Eastern Slavonia occurs peacefully and with respect for the human rights of all residents and returning displaced persons and refugees; called upon the Government of the Republic of Croatia to allow the expeditious return of all refugees and displaced persons and to use all available means to secure their safety and human rights; strongly condemned the continuing refusal of the authorities of the Republika Srpska, the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), certain other elements within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to some extent the Government of the Republic of Croatia to arrest and surrender indicted war criminals known to be present in their territories, as they had agreed to do under the Peace Agreement; and decided to continue its examination of the question at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (resolution 51/116).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights stressed the crucial role that human rights questions played in the success of the Peace Agreement, and underlined the obligations of the parties under the Framework Agreement to secureto all persons within their jurisdiction the highest level of international norms and standards of human rights and fundamental freedoms; commended the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their efforts; called upon the Governments and authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) to continue to cooperate with and support the work of the Special Rapporteur; expressed its serious concern about continuing human rights violations within the countries of the mandate and the delays in fully implementing the human rights provisions of the Peace Agreement; called upon the countries of the mandate, as well as the authorities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska to cooperate effectively with the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 (the Tribunal); decided to extend for one year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur as revised in the resolution, and requested that she continue her vital efforts; urged the Secretary-General, from within existing resources, to make all necessary resources available for the Special Rapporteur to carry out her mandate successfully and, in particular, to provide her with adequate staff based in the territories covered by her mandate to ensure effective continuous monitoring of the human rights situation there; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to make the Special Rapporteur's reports available to the Security Council and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Commission resolution 1997/57).

Documents: Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the periodic reports of the Special Rapporteur (resolution 51/116 and Commission resolution 1997/57).

The situation of human rights in Myanmar

At its forty-eighth session, in 1992, the Commission on Human Rights decided to nominate a Special Rapporteur to establish direct contacts with the Government and with the people of Myanmar, including political leaders deprived of their liberty, their families and lawyers, with a view to examining the situation of human rights in Myanmar and following any progress made towards the transfer of power to a civilian government and the drafting of a new constitution, the lifting of restrictions on personal freedoms and the restoration of human rights in Myanmar, and to report to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session and to the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-ninth session (Commission resolution 1992/58). The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been renewed annually since then.

At its fifty-first session,192 the General Assembly expressed its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Myanmar for his interim report (A/51/466); and requested the Secretary-General to continue his discussions with the Government of Myanmar in order to assist in the implementation of the resolution and its efforts for national reconciliation and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and decided to continue its consideration of the question at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/117).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights decided to extend for a further year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to establish or continue direct contacts with the Government and people of Myanmar, including political leaders deprived of their liberty, their families and their lawyers; requested the Secretary-General to continue to give all necessary assistance to the Special Rapporteur to enable him to discharge his mandate fully; and requested the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/64).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/117);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/64).

The situation of human rights in Burundi

At its fifty-first session, in 1995, the Commission on Human Rights called upon its Chairman to appoint a special rapporteur with the task of drawing up a report on the situation of human rights in Burundi for submission to the Commission at its fifty-second session; and requested the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with all the assistance needed to carry out the mandate (Commission resolution 1995/90).

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights took note of the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi (A/51/459, annex) and his second report and the addendum thereto (E/CN.4/1997/12 and Corr.1 and Add.1); decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for an additional year; and requested him to submit an interim report on human rights in Burundi to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/77).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/77).

The situation of human rights in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights called upon Israel to put an immediate end to practices such as air raids and the use of prohibited weapons such as fragmentation bombs, and to implement Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 509 (1982), requiring Israel's immediate, total and unconditional withdrawal from all Lebanese territories and respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon; also called upon the Government of Israel, the occupying Power of territories in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, to comply with the Geneva Conventions of 1949, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War; further called upon the Government of Israel, the occupying Power of territories in southern Lebanon and West Bekaa, to release immediately all the Lebanese who had been abducted and imprisoned and other persons detained in prisons and detention centres in the occupied territories in Lebanon in violation of all the Geneva Conventions and international law; and requested the Secretary-General: (a) to bring the resolution to the attention of the Government of Israel and to invite it to provide information concerning the extent of its implementation thereof, and (b) to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on the results of his efforts in that regard (Commission resolution 1997/55).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (Commission resolution 1997/55).

The situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo⁽¹⁹³⁾

At its fiftieth session, in 1994, the Commission on Human Rights invited its Chairman to appoint a special rapporteur mandated to establish direct contact with the authorities and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to gather information on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including information supplied by non-governmental organizations. This mandate was renewed by Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1995/69 and 1996/77.

At its fifty-third session, the Commission on Human Rights welcomed the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (E/CN.4/1997/6 and Add.1 and 2); decided to extend his mandate for a further year; and requested the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (Commission resolution 1997/58).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Special Rapporteur (Commission resolution 1997/58).

The situation of human rights in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo193

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights expressed its concern at the armed conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and at the high number of civilian casualties, as well as at the widespread lack of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties; called upon the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and all other parties to accept with immediate effect investigations by the joint mission appointed by the Commission into allegations of massacres and other issues affecting human rights and to ensure the security of the members of the joint mission and their free access to all areas they wished to visit; and decided to request the Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and a member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to carry out a joint mission to investigate allegations of massacres and other issues affecting human rights which arose from the situation that had prevailed in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since September 1996 and to report to the General Assembly by 30 June 1997 (see A/51/942) (Commission resolution 1997/58).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Joint Investigative Mission in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Commission resolution 1997/58).

Internally displaced persons

At its substantive session of 1995, the Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/57, approved the Commission's decision to extend for a further three years the mandate of the representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced persons, and also approved the Commission's request to the representative to continue to submit annual reports on his activities to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly and the Commission's request to the Secretary-General to provide, within existing resources, all the necessary human and financial assistance to his representative to fulfil his mandate effectively (Economic and Social Council decision 1995/273).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights requested the Secretary-General to provide his representative, from within existing resources, with all necessary assistance to carry out his mandate effectively, and encouraged the representative of the Secretary-General to continue to seek the contribution of local, national and regional institutions (Commission resolution 1997/39).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the representative of the Secretary-General (Commission resolution 1997/39).

(d) Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action1

The World Conference on Human Rights, which was held at Vienna from 14 to 25 June 1993, adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly endorsed the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and requested the Secretary-General to report annually to the Assembly on the measures taken and the progress achieved in the implementation of the recommendations of the Conference (resolution 48/121). At the same session, the Assembly created the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (resolution 48/141). The Assembly also considered the question at its forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 49/208 and 50/201).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹⁴⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights and other organs and bodies of the United Nations system related to human rights to take further action with a view to the full implementation of all the recommendations of the World Conference on Human Rights; took note of the intention of the High Commissioner to invite all States and all organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to human rights to carry out a thorough evaluation of the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, as part of the 1998 five-year review foreseen in part II, paragraph 100, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; requested the High Commissioner to continue to report on the measures taken and the progress achieved in the comprehensive implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the sub-item entitled "Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action" (resolution 51/118).

The Commission on Human Rights considered the question at its fifty-third session, in 1997 (Commission resolution 1997/69).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations of the World Conference on Human Rights (resolution 48/121).

(e) Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly decided to create the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and requested the High Commissioner to report annually on his/her activities, in accordance with his/her mandate, to the Commission on Human Rights and, through the Economic and Social Council, to the Assembly (resolution 48/141).

At its fiftieth session, the General Assembly decided to include in the agenda of its fiftieth session, as sub-item (e) of item 112, the following: "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" (see A/50/PV.41). At the same session, the Assembly, on the recommendation of the Third Committee in its consideration of the item entitled "Report of the Economic and Social Council", decided to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session and subsequent sessions a sub-item entitled "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" under the item entitled "Human rights questions" (decision 50/464).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹⁵⁾ the General Assembly encouraged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue his activities in discharging his responsibilities under resolution 48/141; expressed its appreciation for the constructive manner in which the High Commissioner was carrying out his functions; and decided to consider the question at its fifty-second session under the sub-item entitled "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" (resolution 51/119).

At its fifty-third session, in 1997, the Commission on Human Rights took note with appreciation of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights entitled "Building a partnership for human rights" (E/CN.4/1997/98 and Add.1); and expressed its satisfaction at the constructive manner in which the High Commissioner had carried out his functions (Commission resolution 1997/68).

At its resumed fifty-first session, in June 1997,195 the General Assembly approved the appointment by the Secretary-General of Mrs. Mary Robinson (Ireland) as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a four-year term (decision 51/322).

Document: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Supplement No. 36 (A/51/36).

115. Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors

(a) United Nations peacekeeping operations

At its forty-ninth session, in 1994, the General Assembly, inter alia, endorsed the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions contained in paragraph 30 of its report (A/49/664) relating to financial periods for each peacekeeping operation; and decided in that regard that the financial period for each peacekeeping operation should be from 1 July to 30 June, and requested the Secretary-General to submit the necessary draft amendments to the Financial Regulations of the United Nations for approval by the Assembly at its resumed forty-ninth session (resolution 49/233 A, sect. I).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁹⁶⁾ under the item entitled "Administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations: (a) Financing of the United Nations peacekeeping operations", the General Assembly, having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the draft amendments to the Financial Regulations to change the budget cycle of peacekeeping operations, decided to amend financial regulations 2.1 and 11.4 to read as follows:

"Regulation 2.1: The financial period shall consist of two consecutive calendar years, the first of which shall be an even year, except for peacekeeping operations with special accounts, whose financial periods shall be one year from 1 July to 30 June."

"Regulation 11.4: The accounts for the financial period, except those for peacekeeping operations with special accounts, shall be submitted by the Secretary-General to the Board of Auditors no later than 31 March following the end of the financial period. The annual accounts for peacekeeping operations with special accounts shall be submitted by the Secretary-General to the Board of Auditors no later than 30 September each year." (decision 50/472)

Document: Financial reports of the United Nations, Supplement No. 5 (A/52/5), vol. II, United Nations peacekeeping operations.

(b) United Nations Institute for Training and Research

(c) Voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The Board of Auditors (see also item 17 (c)) transmits to the General Assembly the audited financial statements for the previous financial period of the various accounts of the United Nations and other programmes for which the Board has audit responsibilities. Under the provisions of article XII of the Financial Regulations of the United Nations and the annex thereto, the Board submits reports to the Assembly on the results of its audits and issues opinions as to whether the financial statements properly reflect the recorded transactions and whether these transactions were in accordance with the Financial Regulations and legislative authority and present fairly the financial position as at the end of the financial period of each of the activities reported on. The reports of the Board are commented upon by the Advisory Committee, which also submits a report thereon to the Assembly.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹⁷⁾ the General Assembly accepted the financial reports and audited financial statements and the audit opinions and reports of the Board of Auditors for the period ended 31 December 1995 regarding the United Nations, including United Nations peacekeeping operations, the International Trade Centre, the United Nations University, UNDP, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNITAR, the voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNEP, UNFPA, the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, the Fund of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme and the United Nations Office for Project Services and approved the recommendations and conclusions of the Board and the comments thereon contained in the report of ACABQ; noted with serious concern that the Board had qualified its audit opinion on the financial statements of some funds and programmes and requested the Secretary-General and their executive heads to rectify the situation; requested the Board to indicate more clearly in its future reports those recommendations which had not been fully implemented and to point out incidences of malpractice and violations of rules and regulations; also requested the Board to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session proposals for improving the implementation, by the Secretary-General and the executive heads of funds and programmes, of the Board's recommendations, as approved by the Assembly, and for possible changes in reporting on the progress of such implementation; noted with deep concern the incidents of fraud and presumed fraud reported by the Board; requested the Secretary-General and the executive heads of the organizations concerned to take the disciplinary measures necessary in cases of proven fraud and to enhance the individual accountability of United Nations personnel; requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on measures taken to enhance accountability; noted with satisfaction the improvement in internal audit functions and structures in the United Nations; emphasized the need for greater transparency and stricter controls for trust funds; welcomed the efforts made by organizations in the biennium 1994-1995 generally to comply with the United Nations common accounting standards; noted that further work needed to be done in the biennium 1996-1997 to bring the financial statements fully in line with the United Nations common accounting standards; stressed the importance of the timely completion of the self-evaluation of subprogrammes; regretted that there was a steady decline in net income from revenue-producing activities and that the United Nations Postal Administration and the services to visitors incurred net losses during the biennium 1994-1995, and requested the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures to redress the situation and to report thereon to the Assembly; and also decided to consider the other substantive findings and recommendations of the Board of Auditors under the relevant agenda items and to consider in future, where appropriate, the substantive findings and recommendations of the Board under the relevant agenda items (resolution 51/225, sect. A).

At the same session, the General Assembly noted with deep concern the serious irregular financial practices in the Centre for Human Settlements; noted the actions taken by UNHCR with regard to the implementation of the Board's recommendations; welcomed initiatives by UNHCR to improve the procedure for selecting implementing partners and auditing their activities; noted with grave concern the serious problems identified with regard to the UNDP reserve for field accommodation; and noted the actions taken by the Administrator and the Executive Board of UNDP in that regard; and noted also the actions taken by the executive heads of UNICEF, UNEP and UNFPA with regard to the implementation of the recommendations of the Board of Auditors (resolution 51/225, sect. B).

Documents:

(a) Financial reports:

(i) United Nations Institute for Training and Research: Supplement No. 5D (A/52/5/Add.4);

(ii) Voluntary funds administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: Supplement No. 5E (A/52/5/Add.5);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the concise summary of principal findings, conclusions and recommendations contained in the reports prepared by the Board of Auditors for the General Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 47/211), A/52/261.

(c) Reports of the Advisory Committee.

116. Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations

At its fortieth session, in 1985, the General Assembly decided to establish a Group of High-level Intergovernmental Experts, with a term of one year, to conduct, in full accordance with the principles and provisions of the Charter, a thorough review of the administrative and financial matters of the United Nations with a view to identifying measures for further improving the efficiency of its administrative and financial functioning, which would contribute to strengthening its effectiveness in dealing with political, economic and social issues (resolution 40/237).

At its forty-first session, the General Assembly decided that the recommendations as agreed upon and as contained in the report of the Group should be implemented by the Secretary-General and the relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations in the light of the findings of the Fifth Committee (resolution 41/213).

The General Assembly also considered this question at its forty-second to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 42/211, 43/174, 44/103, 45/177, 45/254 C, 45/255, 46/220 and 46/232, decision 46/467, resolutions 47/212 A and B and 47/213, decision 47/455, resolutions 48/217 and 48/218 and decisions 48/458, 48/459, 48/493 A and B, 49/489 and 50/479).

At its fifty-first session, during its consideration of the item entitled "Programme planning", the General Assembly adopted the proposed medium-term plan for the period 1998-2001 (A/51/6 (Progs.1-25)); approved the programme structure of the medium-term plan; decided to maintain disarmament as an independent programme; requested the Secretary-General to implement the medium-term plan in accordance with the agreed overall priorities; took note of the report of the Secretary-General on the programme performance of the United Nations for the biennium 1994-1995; and endorsed the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee for Programme and Coordination at its thirty-sixth session that had not otherwise been approved by the Assembly at its fifty-first session (resolution 51/219).

Also at its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹⁸⁾ the General Assembly expressed concern that over the last two years eight procurement-related arbitration claims have been instituted against the United Nations, totalling more than 90 million United States dollars, and requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session a comprehensive report on procurement-related arbitration cases, taking into account the obligations of the United Nations under the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law; requested the Secretary-General to include in future reports on procurement also information on arbitration cases and the related costs; requested the Secretary-General to report through the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on the establishment of a standard procedure for the preparation of performance evaluation reports on vendors, in particular those with major contracts; expressed its concern about the insufficient use of expertise in procurement planning in eight peacekeeping missions, including the United Nations Protection Force and the United Nations Operation in Somalia, which led to payments for aircraft services not utilized, assessed at 2.4 million dollars in the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and 0.4 million dollars in the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia; regretted that, owing to deficiencies in procurement planning and failure to indicate specifications clearly, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees suffered a financial loss of about 3 million dollars; requested the Secretary-General to entrust the Office of Internal Oversight Services with the investigation of the situation mentioned in paragraphs 16 and 17 above and to report thereon through the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; requested the Secretary-General to expedite the steps being taken to establish a supplier roster on as wide a geographical basis as possible and to submit a report thereon, including a revised list of suppliers, through the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; requested the Secretary-General to review the possibility of consolidating the procurement functions at Headquarters and to report thereon to the Assembly as soon as possible and no later than September 1997; also requested the Secretary-General to develop an intensified training programme for all procurement personnel of the Secretariat and all its offices, including field offices of peacekeeping operations, to develop the capacity to dispatch in a timely manner qualified and trained procurement personnel to new or expanded missions and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on measures taken to enhance the training programme; also requested the Board of Auditors to report in the next audit report on peacekeeping operations, in January 1998, on the status of the implementation by the Secretary-General of its recommendations concerning the administration of letters of assist; and noted with concern the observations of the Office of Internal Oversight Services in paragraphs 37 to 42 of its report (A/51/432, annex), and requested the Secretary-General to report on the precise action taken in that regard to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/231).

Documents:

(a) Reports of the Advisory Committee, Supplement No. 7 (A/52/7) and addenda;

(b) Report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on the work of its thirty-seventh session, Supplement No. 16 (A/52/16);

(c) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/231).

117. Programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997

Unforeseen and extraordinary expenses for the biennium 1996-1997

At its fiftieth session, the General Assembly, inter alia, resolved that the Secretary-General should report to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and to the Assembly at its fifty-first and fifty-second sessions all commitments made under the provisions of the resolution, together with the circumstances relating thereto, and should submit supplementary estimates to the Assembly in respect of such commitments (resolution 50/217).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General on the second performance report (resolution 50/217).

Revised budget appropriations for the biennium 1996-1997

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ the General Assembly approved a revised budget appropriation for the biennium 1996-1997 in the amount of $2,603,280,900 (resolution 51/222 A).

Second performance report for the biennium 1996-1997

At its fifty-first session,199 the General Assembly took note of the first performance report of the Secretary-General on the programme budget for the biennium 1996-1997 (A/C.5/51/38) (resolution 51/221 A, sect. IV). The Assembly will have before it the report of the Secretary-General on the second performance report for the biennium 1996-1997 and the report of ACABQ thereon.

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General on the second performance report (resolution 50/217);

(b) Report of the Advisory Committee.

118. Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999

Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999

At its fiftieth session, the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General to keep under review the level of the post of the Executive Secretary of the Board of Auditors, taking into account the increased workload of the Board and Assembly resolutions 48/218 A and B on the strengthening of the external oversight bodies, and to report thereon in the context of the proposed programme budget for 1998-1999 (resolution 50/214, sect. III).

At its fifty-first session, during its consideration of the item entitled "Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations", the General Assembly invited the Secretary-General to prepare his proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 on the basis of a total preliminary estimate of $2,512 million at initial 1996-1997 rates, recosted to $2,480 million at revised 1996-1997 rates; decided that the contingency fund should be set at the level of 0.75 per cent of the preliminary estimate at 1998-1999 rates, namely at $19 million; also decided that the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 should contain provisions for recosting on the basis of the existing methodology; further decided that the preliminary estimate of resources for the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999 did not include a provision for special missions for which there were no legislative mandates; decided on the priorities for the biennium 1998-1999; requested the Secretary-General to submit information on outputs deferred, postponed or curtailed in 1996-1997 and their disposition in the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999, number of posts for the biennium by section and by category, and proposed vacancy rate for the Professional and the General Service categories for budgetary purposes; and also requested the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive policy paper which would examine all issues related to the question of all additional expenditures referred to in paragraphs 10 and 11 of annex I to Assembly resolution 41/213, including those relating to the maintenance of peace and security, inflation and currency fluctuation, and to submit that report to the Assembly, through ACABQ, no later than 31 May 1997 with a view to finding a comprehensive solution to such questions (resolution 51/220).

Also at its fifty-first session,⁽²⁰⁰⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, requested the Secretary-General to review the effect of vacant posts on programme delivery and to recommend, if appropriate, restoration of the funding of those posts in the context of the budget for the biennium 1998-1999 (resolution 51/221 B).

In accordance with regulation 3.4 of the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, the Secretary-General, in the second year of a financial period, submits to the General Assembly at its regular session his proposed programme budget for the following financial period.

Documents:

(a) Proposed programme budget for the biennium 1998-1999, Supplement No. 6 (A/52/6/Rev.1);

(b) Report of the Advisory Committee, Supplement No. 7 (A/52/7);

(c) Report of the Committee for Programme and Coordination on its thirty-seventh session, Supplement No. 16 (A/52/16).

119. Improving the financial situation of the United Nations

At its thirtieth session, in 1975, the General Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-first session an item entitled "Financial emergency of the United Nations" (resolution 3538 (XXX)). The Assembly considered this question at its thirty-first to forty-fifth and forty-seventh sessions (resolutions 31/191 and 32/104, decisions 33/430 and 34/435, resolutions 35/113, 36/116, 37/13, 38/228 B, 39/239, 40/241 A and B, 40/242, 41/204 A and B, 42/216 A and B, 43/220, 44/195 B, 45/236 B and 47/215).

An item entitled "Current financial crisis of the United Nations" was included as an additional item in the agenda of the fortieth session of the General Assembly, at the request of the Secretary-General (A/40/247). The Assembly considered this item at its fortieth and forty-second to forty-fifth and forty-seventh sessions (decision 40/472 and resolutions 42/212, 43/215, 44/195 A, 45/236 A and 47/215). At its forty-seventh session, the Assembly decided to consider in the future the agenda items entitled "Current financial crisis of the United Nations" and "Financial emergency of the United Nations" under one agenda item entitled "Improving the financial situation of the United Nations" (resolution 47/215).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly reaffirmed the obligation of Member States to pay assessed contributions promptly and in full; and recognized that non-payment of assessed contributions in full and on time had damaged and continued to damage the ability of the Organization to implement its activities effectively (resolution 48/220).

At its forty-ninth session, the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item to the fiftieth session (decision 49/490). The Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of its fiftieth session (decision 50/469).

The General Assembly, at its fifty-first session,⁽²⁰¹⁾ decided that the Fifth Committee should continue its consideration of the item and relevant reports at that session (decision 51/460).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General.

120. Joint Inspection Unit

At its twenty-first session, in 1966, the General Assembly established the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) for an initial period of four years (resolution 2150 (XXI)), and subsequently decided to continue the Unit until 31 December 1973 (resolution 2735 A (XXV)) and then for a further period of four years beyond that date (resolution 2924 B (XXVII)).

At its thirty-first session, the General Assembly approved the statute of the JIU as a subsidiary organ of the Assembly and of the legislative bodies of the specialized agencies that accepted the new statute (resolution 31/192). The membership of the Unit was increased from 8 to not more than 11 Inspectors, with effect from 1 January 1978. For the composition of the Unit, see item 17 (j).

At its fiftieth session,⁽²⁰²⁾ the General Assembly decided to consider the appropriate periodicity of the JIU agenda item in the context of the review called for in its decision 47/454; requested the JIU to seek a more reader-friendly and uniform format of reports; invited the legislative organs of other participating organizations to take concrete action on the recommendations of the Unit; requested the JIU to identify concrete managerial, administrative and programming questions and undertake comparative analysis of trends and problems faced by various organizations with a view to providing practical and action-oriented recommendations on precisely defined issues; requested the Secretary-General and the other executive heads of participating organizations to provide timely information requested by the Unit; encouraged the Unit to achieve a punctual and systematic follow-up of its recommendations; and urged Member States to pay special attention to the selection of qualified inspectors (resolution 50/233).

By its decision 50/470 of 23 December 1995 on the biennial programme of work of the Fifth Committee for 1996-1997, the General Assembly included the JIU item in its programme of work for 1997.

At the fifty-first session, the following notes by the Secretary-General transmitted to the General Assembly reports of the JIU and comments on them by the Secretary-General or by the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC): A/51/152 and Add.1, A/51/636-E/1996/104, A/51/642 and Add.1, A/51/655-E/1996/105, A/51/656 and Add.1, A/51/686 and Add.1 and 2 and A/51/705 and Add.1. At the same session, the Secretary-General submitted to the Assembly the following comments on previously transmitted reports of the Unit: A/51/180, A/51/422 and A/51/522.

Documents:

(a) Report of the Joint Inspection Unit: Supplement No. 34 (A/52/34);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations of the JIU (A/52/206);

(c) Notes by the Secretary-General transmitting the following reports of the JIU:

(i) "Accountability, management improvement, and oversight in the United Nations system" (A/50/503 and Add.1) and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/50/503/Add.2) and ACC (A/51/522);

(ii) "Management in the United Nations: work in progress" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/50/507 and Add.1);

(iii) "The advancement of women through and in the programmes of the United Nations system: what happens after the Fourth World Conference on Women?" (A/50/509) and the comments of ACC (A/51/180);

(iv) "Sharing responsibilities in peacekeeping: the United Nations and regional organizations" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/50/571 and Add.1);

(v) "Investigation of the relationship between humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping operations" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/50/572 and Add.1);

(vi) "Military component of United Nations peacekeeping operations" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/50/576 and Add.1);

(vii) "The involvement of the United Nations system in providing and coordinating humanitarian assistance" and the comments of ACC (A/50/687 and A/51/442);

(viii) "Travel in the United Nations: issues of efficiency and cost savings" and the comments of the Secretary-General and ACC (A/50/692 and Add.1 and 2);

(ix) "Strengthening of the United Nations system capacity for conflict prevention" (A/50/853) and the comments of the Secretary-General and ACC (A/52/184);

(x) "The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: review of institutional and programme issues" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/51/152 and Add.1);

(xi) "Coordination of policy and programming frameworks for more effective development cooperation" (A/51/636-E/1996/104) and the comments of ACC (A/52/115-E/1997/47);

(xii) "Feasibility study on the relocation of UNITAR to the Turin Centre" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/51/642 and Add.1);

(xiii) "Review of financial resources allocated by the United Nations system to activities by non-governmental organizations" (A/51/655-E/1996/105) and the comments of ACC (A/52/114-E/1997/46);

(xiv) "Inspection of the application of United Nations recruitment, placement and promotion policies (Part II - Placement and promotions)" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/51/656 and Add.1);

(xv) "Common services at United Nations Headquarters" and the comments of the Secretary-General and observations by the JIU (A/51/686 and Add.1 and 2);

(xvi) "Comparison of methods of calculating equitable geographical distribution within the United Nations common system" and the comments of the Secretary-General (A/51/705 and Add.1);

(xvii) "United Nations publications: enhancing cost-effectiveness in implementing legislative mandates" (A/51/946) and the comments of the Secretary-General;

(xviii) "Execution of humanitarian assistance programmes through implementing partners" (A/52/270) and the comments of the Secretary-General;

(xix) "Use of information technology in the United Nations system" and the comments of ACC;

(xx) "The challenge of outsourcing for the United Nations system" and the comments of ACC;

(xxi) "Strengthening field representation of the United Nations system" and the comments of ACC;

(xxii) "More coherence for enhanced oversight in the United Nations system" and the comments of the Secretary-General;

(xxiii) "Common services at Geneva" and the comments of ACC;

(xxiv) "Training institution programmes and activities in the United Nations system" and the comments of ACC;

(xxv) "Fellowships in the United Nations system" and the comments of ACC;

(xxvi) "The use of information technologies and information systems in support of the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa" and the comments of ACC;

(xxvii) "Review of management and administration in the International Labour Organization" and the comments of ACC;

(xxviii) "United Nations system support for science and technology in Latin America and the Caribbean" and the comments of ACC;

(xxix) Work programme of JIU for 1997-1998 and preliminary programme of work for 1998-1999 (A/52/267).