18 September 2000

During today's General Debate statements were made by the Foreign Ministers or other representatives from Ethiopia, the Russian Federation, Israel, Pakistan, Ghana, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Australia, Bahrain, Ukraine, Armenia, Tunisia, Madagascar, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, Swaziland and Chad. The Deputy Prime Minister of Belize also spoke.

The President met with the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Joschka Fischer. Among the topics discussed during their meeting were the scale of assessments, reform of the Security Council, the implementation of the recommendations of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations and the need to strengthen multilateralism.

During their meeting, the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Lee Joung-Binn, had a lengthy discussion on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed Mr. Holkeri about the current state of talks between the two Koreas and on the improving prospects for the Korean economy.

The President had a working lunch with the Chairperson of the Third Committee (which deals with social, cultural and humanitarian issues) Mrs. Yvonne Gittens-Joseph, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN from Trinidad and Tobago, and Vice-Chairperson, Ms. Sarah Paterson, from New Zealand, the only Vice-Chair of the Committee elected so far. The President thanked Mrs. Gittens-Joseph, for having given a strong reminder to the Committee of the need for it to work efficiently. They also discussed the need for a more rational use of resolutions and reports that were proliferating annually. The Chairperson said that she did not foresee any particularly difficult items coming up this year, although human rights issues were considered sensitive. The decision of the Commission of Human Rights to establish a Forum of Indigenous Peoples was briefly discussed as well as the issue of trafficking of women and girls.

Later, Mr. Holkeri attended a Carnegie Hall performance of the Chinese Disabled Performers Arts Troupe.

Today the President sent a letter concerning observance of the Olympic Truce to the President of the International Olympic Committee. (Full text of the letter)