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13 DECEMBER 1999

The United Nations flag is at half-mast today because of the death, over the weekend, of President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia. On Saturday, the President of the General Assembly, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, issued a statement, in which he observed that Dr. Tudjman’s life mirrored the history of modern-day Croatia: as an anti-fascist partisan movement hero during the Second World War; as the youngest general in the Yugoslav Army; as a dissident, political prisoner, politician and first President of the independent Republic of Croatia. Dr. Tudjman, he said, would be remembered as the father of his nation and as the architect of Croatian nationalism and independence. Copies of that statement are available in room 378.

The President also sent a message to the Interregional Seminar and Symposium on International Norms and Standards relating to Disability, meeting in Hong Kong SAR from 13 to 17 December. He congratulated the organizers for taking on the significant challenge which the international community would continue to face in the new millennium, that of making our societies truly accessible, caring and inclusive for all, regardless of disabilities. He said the Seminar/Symposium was a welcome, innovative and unique undertaking to translate the commitment of the international community into concrete policies, strategies and programmes aimed at furthering equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with disabilities. Copies of the President’s message are available in room 378.

There is no plenary meeting this morning, the General Assembly having postponed consideration of the item on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina to a future date, at the request of the parties concerned.

Tomorrow, the Assembly will hold open-ended informal consultations of the plenary on agenda item 49 (b), the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations. The closed-door meeting, on preparations for the Millennium Summit and Assembly, will take place in Conference Room 1.

This morning, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) will select Ms. Dulce Maria Buergo Rodriguez (Cuba) as a Vice-Chairman, replacing Ms. Judith Maria Cardoze (Panama) who is no longer with the Mission. The Committee is expected to conclude discussion on the financing of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda; to introduce items under the programme budget for the biennium 2000-2001, including reports on the Development Account. The report of the Secretary-General (A/C.5/54/37) contains 16 projects proposed for financing from the resources of the Account. The Committee will also begin discussing items under the 1998-1999 budget; and will continue its consideration of the item on administrative and budgetary aspects of the financing of United Nations peacekeeping operations. It will hear the introduction of a draft decision (A/C.5/54/L.16), which would have the Assembly decide that, from the date of adoption, all financial contributions of Ukraine to the Organization would be counted against the minimum payments required to avoid the loss of voting rights in the General Assembly under Article 19 of the Charter.

Concerning the appointments of the President, at 12:30 p.m., he will unveil a commemorative stamp in connection with the launch of the International Year of Thanksgiving 2000. The ceremony will be held in front of the Norman Rockwell mosaic, "Do Unto Others", located on the 3^rd floor. The press is invited to witness the ceremony. In his remarks, the President commends the major religions of the world for joining together and proposing that the United Nations celebrate 2000 as the International Year of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, he states, is basic in human nature and is observed worldwide; it ties human communities together and encourages brotherhood and sharing. It is his special wish that the power and compassion of thanksgiving will guide us in a special way in 2000, so that we can concentrate on what unites us and make the coming century the thankful century. Copies of the President’s remarks are available in room 378.

At 1:15 p.m., the President will attend a luncheon in his honour, hosted by the Secretary-General. He is meeting, at the moment, with the Chairman of the Joint Inspection Unit, Mr. Louis D. Ouedraogo. At 3 p.m., he will meet with the Permanent Representatives of Australia, Canada, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United States to discuss the Millennium Assembly. Later this evening, he is invited to a reception hosted by the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan, Ambassador Aksoltan Ataeva, on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of that country’s independence.