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17 DECEMBER 1999

The President of the General Assembly, Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, will announce today that the session will recess on Wednesday, 22 December.

The Assembly’s debate on Security Council reform, which began yesterday, will continue on Monday, with some 44 speakers still to be heard.

This morning, the Assembly is taking action on 12 reports of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), documents A/54/595-606, relating to social, human rights and refugee issues. The reports contain 70 draft resolutions and seven draft decisions. Recorded votes are expected on 15 texts.

In the afternoon, the Assembly will take action on draft resolutions on the following plenary items: the situation in Afghanistan; the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel; emergency assistance to the Sudan; return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin; assistance in mine action; the question of East Timor; and observer status for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in the General Assembly. The Assembly will consider the situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti, while deferring to next year the question of the Comorian island of Mayotte.

Concerning Afghanistan, the Assembly will take action on two draft resolutions contained in draft resolution A/54/L.58, which Germany had introduced on 10 December. By adopting draft resolution A, on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, the Assembly would strongly condemn the sharp escalation of the conflict; reiterate its position that the United Nations must continue to play its central and impartial role in international efforts towards peaceful resolution of the Afghan conflict; and support the intention of the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan by appointing a new Head of Mission, by progressively moving its head office to Kabul from Islamabad and by increasing its presence in neighbouring countries. The Assembly would also condemn the acts of terrorists based in Afghanistan, including those in support of extremist groups operating against the interests of Member States and against their citizens. The Fifth Committee informed the Assembly that the adoption of draft resolution A would cost $3,407,600 (A/54/671).

By adopting draft resolution B, on emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan, the Assembly would stress that the responsibility for the humanitarian crisis lies with all warring parties, in particular with the Taliban; call upon the leaders of all Afghan parties to place the highest priority on national reconciliation; demand that all Afghan parties fully cooperate with the United Nations and other agencies and humanitarian organizations in their efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan; and would denounce the continuing discrimination against girls and women as well as ethnic and religious groups, including minorities, and other violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Afghanistan.

On the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel (A/54/L.70), the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure full respect for the human rights, privileges and immunities of United Nations and other personnel carrying out activities in fulfilment of the mandate of a UN operation. It would also call upon all States to consider signing and ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

By adopting a draft resolution on [Concerning] emergency assistance to the Sudan (A/54/L.72/Rev.1), the Assembly would stress the need for Operation Lifeline Sudan to be operated and managed with efficiency, transparency and effectiveness; stress the imperative of ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, as well as safe and unhindered access for providing relief assistance to all affected populations; and welcome the decision by the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army to extend the humanitarian ceasefire for a further three months.

The text on the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin (A/54/L.47/Rev.1) would have the Assembly commend the work accomplished by UNESCO and its Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation for the return or restitution of cultural property, the preparation of inventories or movable cultural property, the reduction of illicit trade in cultural property and the dissemination of information to the public. It would commend UNESCO’s efforts to encourage the linking of existing databases and identification systems to allow for electronic transmission of information in order to reduce illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Concerning assistance in mine action (A/54/L.71), the Assembly would urge Member States to assist mine-affected countries in establishing and developing national capacities in mine clearance, mine awareness and victim assistance; emphasize the role of the United Nations Mine Action Service as the focal point for mine action within the UN system; and would call upon Member States with the capacity to do so, to provide the necessary information and technical and material assistance, and to locate, remove, destroy or otherwise render ineffective minefields, mines, booby-traps and other devices in accordance with international law, as soon as possible.

On the question of East Timor, the Assembly will take action on draft resolution A/54/L.73, sponsored by Indonesia and Portugal. By that text, the Assembly would welcome the successful conduct of the popular consultation of the East Timorese people on 30 August 1999; take note of its outcome, which began a process of transition under the authority of the United Nations towards independence; and welcome the decision of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly on 19 October concerning East Timor. The Assembly would decide to conclude its consideration of the item entitled "Question of East Timor" and would, henceforth, include a new agenda item entitled "The situation in East Timor during its transition to independence".

The Assembly has before it the progress report of the Secretary-General on East Timor (A/54/654), which describes on events relating to the Territory from the time of the negotiations which led to the 5 May 1999 Agreements, to the establishment of the UN Mission in East Timor, the consultation process and ensuing violence, the establishment of a multinational force and, subsequently, of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor.

By adopting a draft resolution on observer status in the General Assembly for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (A/54/L.7/Rev.2), the Assembly would, in inviting the organization to participate in its sessions and work, also decide that, in the future, any request by an organization for observer status would be considered in plenary only after the issue had been dealt with by the Sixth Committee.

The Assembly will also consider the situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti. The draft resolution before it (A/54/L.36) would have the Assembly decide, at the request of the President of Haiti, to establish the International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti to consolidate the results achieved by the International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH), the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) and previous UN missions; and that the initial mandate would begin at the end of MICIVIH and continue until 6 February 2001. The Assembly would authorize the Secretary-General to utilize the amounts allocated in the regular budget for MICIVIH for activities undertaken by the new mission. The Fifth Committee has informed the Assembly that its adoption of L.36 would cost $10,353,200 -- $9,173,100 for MICAH and $1,180,100 for MICIVIH (A/54/665). In its related report (A/54/659), the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions pointed out that the total estimated resource requirements for the mission might not be sufficient to cover all the potential requirements identified in the report of the needs assessment mission to Haiti.

The Secretary-General says in his report (A/54/625) that he dispatched a needs assessment mission, which visited Haiti from 11 to 15 October 1999, to make recommendations for a possible successor mission. The mission proposed recommendations involving a dual programme of political support and technical assistance in the justice, human rights and police sectors, at a cost of $24 million (A/54/629).

By the end of today, the General Assembly will have dealt with all plenary items. There were no requests that certain items be taken up, and so they were not considered. These were items 59 to 61 and 170 -- strengthening of the United Nations system; revitalization of the work of the General Assembly; restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields; and armed aggression against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Action on the draft resolution containing a Code of Democratic Conduct (A/54/L.23) was postponed, and other items were deferred to the next session.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) is taking action, this morning, on draft texts dealing with the report of the Committee on Programme Coordination, amendments to the Staff Regulations to make them gender neutral, financing of the International Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the United Nations common system.

Looking ahead to next week, the debate on Security Council reform will continue in the Assembly on Monday. It is expected to take action on the reports of the Second and Fifth Committees on Wednesday, before recessing the session.

As to the appointments of the Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab, he is presiding over the plenary. At 12:45 p.m., he will join the Secretary-General, on the thirty-eighth floor, for a coupe de champagne, and will be presented with a bound volume of his notes used during the session, and a gavel.

Question: What is happening concerning a proposal for there to be co-chairmanship of the Millennium Assembly/Summit?

Answer: Earlier this week, on 14 December, the Assembly held open-ended informal consultations on the Millennium Assembly, at which many delegations stated their positions. The question of co-chairmanship was one of many proposals made. At the end of the meeting, the President announced that consultations regarding preparations for the Assembly/Summit would continue.