UNdemocracy - General Assembly Session 49 meeting 68

Date	28 November 1994
Started	10:00
Ended	13:15

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A-49-PV.68 1994-11-28 10:00 28 November 1994 [[28 November]] [[1994]] /

The President: (Cote d'Ivoire)

The meeting was called to order at 10.20 a.m.

More on this topic

Agenda item 37 (continued)

Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance

(a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations

(i) Report of the Secretary-General (A/49/177 and Corr.1 and Add.1)

(ii) Draft resolution (A/49/L.19)

(b) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions

(i) Reports of the Secretary-General (A/49/158, A/49/263 and Corr.1, A/49/356, A/49/376, A/49/387 and Corr.1, A/49/388, A/49/396, A/49/397, A/49/431, A/49/456, A/49/466, A/49/470, A/49/516, A/49/562, A/49/581, A/49/683)

(ii) Draft resolutions (A/49/L.26, A/49/L.28, A/49/L.30, A/49/L.31, A/49/L.32, A/49/L.34, A/49/L.36, A/49/L.37, A/49/L.39)

(c) International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

(i) Note by the Secretary-General (A/49/453)

(ii) Report of the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (A/CONF.172/9 and Add.1)

(iii) Draft resolutions (A/49/L.21, A/49/L.29)

(d) International cooperation to mitigate the environmental consequences on Kuwait and other countries in the region resulting from the situation between Iraq and Kuwait: report of the Secretary-General (A/49/207 and Corr.1)

(f) Emergency international assistance for a solution to the problem of refugees, the restoration of total peace, reconstruction and socio-economic development in war-stricken Rwanda: draft resolution (A/49/L.24/Rev.1)

(g) Special assistance to countries receiving refugees from Rwanda: draft resolution (A/49/L.17/Rev.2)

The President

I wish to draw the attention of members to an additional draft resolution the Assembly has before it under sub-item (b) of agenda item 37, namely, draft resolution A/49/L.39, "Assistance for the reconstruction and development of El Salvador".

Mr. Sardenberg (Brazil)

The delegation of Brazil has considered with great interest the report presented to the General Assembly pursuant to the requests contained in resolution 48/57 and Economic and Social Council decision 1994/291.

It was with some surprise that we noted that the measures identified by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for enhancing field-level coordination are addressed only to complex emergencies, a specification that was not made in the terms of resolution 48/57. The report goes on to define complex emergencies as those that do not

"fall within the mandate and competence of given United Nations organizations." (A/49/177/Add.1, para. 10)

In the view of my delegation, a precise distinction between complex and non-complex emergencies has as yet to be defined. In fact, the difficulties of attempting to determine such a distinction have been specifically avoided in relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, which speak only of natural disasters and other emergencies.

Although the agreed conclusions of the 1993 substantive session of the Economic and Social Council refer to complex emergencies, my delegation has reiterated on several occasions that these conclusions should not be seen as precedents for the specific language of General Assembly resolutions, at the risk of undermining the flexibility inherent in the agreed-conclusions format.

This is all the more relevant when a closer analysis of those agreed conclusions reveals that complex emergencies are portrayed in one instance as those that are not natural disasters, while in another they are described as those that require a system-wide response. It is clear that these alternative definitions are not equivalent, for such an interpretation would be tantamount to saying that natural disasters do not require a systemwide response, an interpretation that would be highly regrettable.

It seems, however, that in presenting a definition of complex emergencies the report only contributes to aggravating this confusion. By defining complex emergencies as those that require coordinated systemwide response and at the same time highlighting the notion that preventive actions for impending complex emergencies are constituted by preventive diplomacy, we are led to believe that complex emergencies are only man-made and that therefore natural disasters can be tackled without a coordinated systemwide response.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee has recommended, in compliance with the request contained in resolution 48/57, that the interim mechanism for financing coordination arrangements in the initial stage of an emergency, the use of the interest earned by the Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF), be continued. There is, however, very little information on the amount of funds currently available through that mechanism, on the estimated requirements and on the reimbursement record so far of the utilization of CERF interest apart from the fact that $200,000 has been used in the case of Rwanda.

This information is essential, since the use of interest from CERF would also be on a revolving basis, and yet last year's report clearly identifies field-level coordination costs as those components with the lowest response in the consolidated appeals process. It seems evident that such a measure would still be insufficient as there is an additional proposal for "increased standby funds for quick-response coordination", on which my delegation would appreciate further clarification.

Another area which raises some concern for my delegation relates to the appointment of humanitarian coordinators. Although we welcome the fact that the Inter-Agency Standing Committee has come to an agreement on this issue, there are still certain aspects which require clarification.

First, we are given the impression that a humanitarian coordinator will be designated for every complex emergency, whether or not he is already the resident coordinator. This seems to contradict General Assembly resolution 46/182, which states that:

"the resident coordinator should normally coordinate the humanitarian assistance of the United Nations system" (resolution 46/182, annex, para. 39).

The fact that the resident coordinator, who is appointed by the Secretary-General with the agreement of the host Government, has such a mandate would seem to obviate the need for his reappointment as humanitarian coordinator.

Furthermore, we deem it essential that in the few instances where a special humanitarian coordinator is required he should necessarily be designated resident coordinator, in line with the approved procedures, in order to ensure that there is no lack of continuity in the transition from relief to rehabilitation and development.

Finally, we understand that it is necessary to outline clearly the relationship between the resident coordinator and the humanitarian coordinator when he is one of the agency representatives, as well as his relationship with the proposed zone-area coordinators.

With regard to the possible enlargement of the CERF, we are convinced that this is a necessary measure, particularly in the light of the unsuccessful attempts to accelerate the reimbursement to the Fund. This had been identified in resolution 48/57 as an alternative to the enlargement, but it is now evident that such an alternative is not feasible. In this respect, the Government of Brazil is ready to consider participating, within its possibilities, in a concerted effort by the membership to increase the funds available to the CERF.

The delegation of Argentina has brought a timely and relevant initiative before the General Assembly -- the constitution of national volunteer corps that could be called upon by the United Nations in the context of humanitarian emergencies: the "white helmets" initiative.

The delegation of Brazil welcomes the constructive informal consultations promoted by the Argentine delegation with a number of interested parties. The draft resolution benefited from a wide range of comments and suggestions made in these consultations, and the result is a well-balanced text, which provides clear guidelines as to the modalities of participation by volunteers in the response of the United Nations system to humanitarian emergencies. My delegation is therefore pleased to join the sponsors of the draft resolution.

Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to convey to the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Peter Hansen, and to the dedicated staff of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and of the agencies involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance the appreciation of the delegation of Brazil for their selfless commitment, frequently at great personal risk, to the increasing tide of victims of natural disasters and other emergencies -- a tide that threatens to engulf even the best efforts of the international community if we do not act promptly to address the root causes of these emergencies: lack of development.

Mr. Catarino (Portugal)

The Portuguese delegation fully supports the statement made by the representative of Germany on behalf of the European Union concerning the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.

I should like, however, to address the sub-item related to assistance to Mozambique. In this context, I reaffirm that the Government of Portugal welcomes the successful conclusion of the recent elections in Mozambique. I congratulate the Mozambican people on the highly civilized manner in which the electoral process was conducted and wish to convey our appreciation to the Government of Mozambique and all the other parties involved in the electoral process.

We sincerely hope that a new page has been turned in the history of this brotherly country and that the Mozambican people will use all their human and natural resources for the construction of a new society in which the well-being and rights of the citizens are fulfilled. In their efforts, they should be able to rely on the support of the international community. I am pleased to note that under agenda item 37, "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance", a sub-item relating specifically to assistance to Mozambique has been included.

The report contained in document A/49/387 gives an overall view of the different programmes carried out by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in the light of emergency requirements for the period 1992-94: food aid, basic health services and nutrition, water supply and sanitation, agriculture, the repatriation of refugees and the transportation of internally displaced people. Special attention should, however, be given to programmes in the areas of the reintegration of civilians and demobilized soldiers, road reconstruction and mine clearance. In this context, I commend the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Peter Hansen, for his active role and his dedication in these fields.

Adding to the human suffering in Mozambique, heavy damage was caused by cyclone Nadia, which recently devastated the country -- mainly its northern provinces. Portugal, having followed with concern this natural disaster, which seriously affected the housing and crops of the Mozambican people, provided relief aid.

My Government strongly supports the efforts made by the Government of Mozambique, in cooperation with the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and other relevant organizations of the United Nations system, to ensure the implementation of development projects, especially with regard to poverty alleviation, the strengthening of institutional and human capacities, and all programmes to pave the way to national reconstruction and the country's economic rehabilitation.

We believe that it is of the utmost importance that the United Nations system continue to mobilize the financial, technical and material resources required by the new Government in order to help the people of Mozambique to achieve a better life for future generations. In addition, the international community should continue to contribute actively to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Mozambique with a view to enabling the country to build a prosperous and stable economy.

Portugal is doing its utmost for the people of Mozambique in various areas of relief assistance -- health, education, training and humanitarian matters. In this regard, in 1993 my Government provided Mozambique with assistance amounting to $22 million.

Ms. Coelho da Cruz (Angola)

I should like first to express my delegation's appreciation to the Secretary-General for his report and to Mr. Peter Hansen, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for his statement and the information he has given us.

My delegation also associates itself with the statement of the representative of the Group of 77.

Despite the continuing difficulties over the provision of emergency relief, we note that some progress has been made. The establishment, in March 1994, of the International Emergency Readiness and Response Information System and the creation of the post of Emergency Relief Coordinator are important steps towards achieving effective action by the United Nations in this area.

On the other hand, shortage of financial resources is likely to hamper the implementation of humanitarian programmes. The state of the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, which was established by General Assembly resolution 46/182 as a financing mechanism, continues to give rise to concern. Urgent action must be taken to increase its financial base through an appeal to donor countries for additional contributions.

We also encourage the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to undertake a study of new strategies for the mobilization of resources.

Natural disasters and domestic conflict are increasing throughout the world, entailing considerable losses in human life and material damage. The signing of the Lusaka protocol on 20 November 1994 is opening up a new era in the history of my country, and will allow 3 million displaced persons to return to their homes and to resume their normal lives. However, for this operation to be crowned with success, my Government requires massive support from the international community and from all international and non-governmental organizations.

My delegation thanks all the organizations and Governments that have stood side by side with us in these most difficult times, and we launch an urgent appeal for an increase in aid at this critical juncture.

The World Conference on Natural Disasters, held last May in Yokohama, provided information for Governments concerning the dangers posed by natural disasters and the need to undertake global collective action. My delegation fully supports the Plan of Action adopted at the Conference.

Regarding the question of land mines, taking into account the fact that the de-mining process is part of the efforts to maintain and consolidate peace, my delegation wishes to reiterate that the development of the de-mining programmes being carried out in Afghanistan and Cambodia must be extended to the Republic of Angola.

The President

In accordance with General Assembly resolutions 3237 (XXIX) of 22 November 1974 and 43/177 of 15 December 1988, I now call on the Observer of Palestine.

Mr. Shreim (Palestine)

The signing of the Declaration of Principles between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, on 13 September 1993 in Washington, D.C., was a turning-point in the Arab-Israeli conflict, opening the door wide for political conciliation based on justice and for the achievement of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. This peace, however, can be strengthened and secured only when the people of the region begin to feel tangibly that their daily lives have changed for the better.

Among the most difficult circumstances now being faced by the Palestinian Authority is the lack of resources at both the human level and the financial level -- resources that would enable it to reverse the damage that has been inflicted upon the Palestinian economy and Palestinian society during more than a quarter century of occupation. The long and harsh years of occupation have left us with a ruined and inadequate infrastructure, with substantial portions of our land having been confiscated for the purposes of building illegal settlements, and we have had our water and natural resources expropriated.

The Palestinian Authority, upon its establishment, has undertaken the task of steering forward the direction of a society and an economy which, as a result of the prolonged and oppressive occupation from which they are emerging, do not enjoy a normal state of being and functioning. The policies and practices of Israel, the occupying Power, have led to the marginalization of the Palestinian economy, constrained its growth and forced it into extreme dependency on the Israeli economy. That is the situation the Palestinian Authority has inherited from Israel, the occupying Power, and it has had to begin with the very basics in the building of new structures and institutions for its new infrastructure, in addition to formulating policies and programmes for implementation. It is a great task and the challenges are numerous; after so many years of suffering and sacrifice, the expectations of the Palestinian people for a better future are high.

It has been 14 months since the signing of the Declaration of Principles, and six months since the Israeli withdrawal, which took place in the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, and the subsequent establishment of the Palestinian Authority in those areas, but the Palestinian people have yet to experience the dividends of peace. They supported the peace process, even with all its shortcomings, in the hope that this would be a first step towards the fulfilment of their inalienable rights, including the right to have their own independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital. At the same time, it was their understanding that the international community would assist them in this endeavour, as well as provide them with the chance to launch their own development plan and rebuild their society.

Unfortunately, many of the promises and pledges that have been made have yet to be fulfilled, and the Palestinian people have yet to reap the fruits of peace. As is the case all over the world, the fact remains that the cost of supporting and nurturing peace will certainly be much less than the cost of long and difficult conflicts. In our area, the Middle East, the cost of supporting peace is marginal compared to the costly era of conflict. In addition, supporting the Palestinian people at this critical stage will redress the injustices which have been inflicted upon them for almost 50 years, including the long years of occupation. Let me stress that it is very unrealistic to expect peace to prevail in the Middle East without solving the core of its conflict, the question of Palestine, in all its aspects, including the final status issues, to the satisfaction of the Palestinian people.

Immediately after the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the Conference to Support Middle East Peace was held on 1 October 1993 in Washington, D.C. At that Conference, $2.4 billion was pledged for the five years of 1994 to 1998, of which $720 million were allocated for 1994, and the task of coordinating the international aid effort through the agreed mechanisms and modalities was given to the World Bank. At this time, although we appreciate the efforts that have been made thus far by the donor community to help the Palestinian Authority, we cannot ignore the fact that little has been achieved with regard to the delivery of pledges. Moreover, we believe that continual delays in delivering the pledged assistance harms the peace process and increases the risk of failure.

We have before us a situation which is obviously unique and quite complex. In light of the circumstances, the Palestinian side is not and should not be expected to be completely ready, and we believe that the parties concerned should be more responsive to the urgent need for the rapid delivery of the assistance, without necessarily insisting, at least at the very beginning, on very strict, impractical conditions that have so far resulted in the delivery of less than 25 per cent of the money pledged for 1994. We are determined to increase our efforts and to do our part of the job, and we hope that soon we will witness different responses and different results.

We believe that the United Nations has an important role to play in this regard. Here we would like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his efforts to increase the contribution of the United Nations and its agencies, including his decision to appoint a Special Coordinator in the occupied territories, which has highlighted the important role the United Nations can play in the transitional period ahead by providing the Palestinian people with greatly needed and coordinated assistance. We do appreciate the very important contributions of the agencies of the United Nations, in particular the important work done by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the work of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

We also believe that the full and speedy implementation of the Declaration of Principles is imperative in order to give the Palestinian people more control in their daily lives and more control of the basic tools for economic development, such as land, water and other resources. This is also important for maintaining the confidence of the Palestinian people in the peace process and for achieving the necessary stability for investment, especially by the private sector. Furthermore, Israel should begin thinking in terms of the new situation and should terminate its detrimental policies and practices against the Palestinian people, including the dangerous policy of unilaterally closing Palestinian territory, which amounts to a collective punishment of the Palestinian people. It is noteworthy that this closing is not geographically based. It is directed against the Palestinian people, while the illegal Israeli settlers maintain their free movement.

The Palestinian Authority has many important tasks on its agenda that it must fulfil. The overall expansion and improvement of the economic and social infrastructure, which is in a state of collapse, is one of its most urgent and critical tasks. In this regard, the creation of employment opportunities in particular is among its basic priorities. This is a very serious and pressing objective in view of the very high level of unemployment, which exceeds 50 per cent in Gaza alone. Furthermore, the Palestinian Authority is determined to build a democratic society based on political plurality, modern institutions and adherence to market-economy policies. We have begun this difficult job and we are determined to finish it, overriding all obstacles, because this is the only means by which the Palestinian people can live in dignity and in freedom.

At this time, I should like officially to reiterate our deep thanks and appreciation to every donor country, specialized agency and non-governmental organization that has contributed to assisting of the Palestinian people during this critical juncture of our history, regardless of the size or timing of such contributions.

A draft resolution will be presented on assistance to the Palestinian people. Its text will be almost identical to the one adopted by consensus by the Economic and Social Council and to the resolution on this subject adopted by the General Assembly at its last session. We hope that it will be adopted by consensus at this session of the Assembly.

Let me take this opportunity also to express our support for the draft resolution presented by Norway on the financing of the police force, and also to express the hope that it will be adopted by consensus.

The President

In accordance with the decision taken at the 58th plenary meeting, held on 17 November 1994, I now call on the Observer of Switzerland.

Mr. Manz (Switzerland)

The experience of the past few years shows that the number and magnitude of emergency situations confronting the international community is continuing to grow. As a result, the search for solutions is becoming ever more difficult and must take into account a plethora of factors.

On the general level, Switzerland stresses that the credibility of any humanitarian commitment is closely linked to respect for two fundamental principles: neutrality and impartiality. The distinction between political action by the international community, whose ultimate goal is the re-establishment of peace, and humanitarian action must be preserved so that the independence and effectiveness of the latter can be ensured for the victims of conflicts, who have a recognized right to assistance.

On a more concrete level, the primary challenge in emergency situations remains coordination between the various players involved. Switzerland is closely following the efforts undertaken by the United Nations system to make improvements along these lines and is ready to support them. In this context, my Government welcomes the fact that the Inter-agency Standing Committee is increasingly playing its role as an instrument for priority coordination under the aegis of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, in conformity with resolution 46/182.

With regard to coordination in the field, Switzerland is satisfied with the solution adopted -- namely, to appoint humanitarian coordinators. The fact that we are basing ourselves primarily on a system of resident coordinators, as was envisaged in the initial resolution, has, to our view, several advantages, the most important being the necessary link between the emergency stage and the beginning of reconstruction.

My delegation would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the commitment of all entities in the humanitarian field, both within and outside the United Nations system, and in particular to the dedication of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of a large number of non-governmental organizations. These organizations will no doubt remain essential partners of the United Nations humanitarian agencies.

The immediate commitment of the necessary financial means is a sine qua non for any effective action in emergency situations. Since its establishment, the Central Emergency Revolving Fund has proved its usefulness in this field. As for the way it functions, we believe that the commendable effort of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs at transparency has helped clarify certain vague points and therefore should be pursued. We are confident that appropriate solutions can be found in other areas as well, such as speeding up reimbursements by the agencies, taking into account situations forgotten by the media and the international community, and ensuring that the Fund's resources will be devoted primarily to the initial stage of an emergency situation. Switzerland is in favour of additional improvements, in particular with respect to the functioning of the Fund as such and the strengthening of the complementarity between the Fund and the agencies' special funds. On the other hand, Switzerland is divided concerning the request of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs for an increase of the Fund's capital. In any case, increasing the Fund's resources cannot in itself solve all the existing problems.

Switzerland has taken note with interest of the Argentine initiative for the establishment of a network of "white helmets" and welcomes this idea. The establishment in various countries of such a network of volunteers seems to us wise and useful. We will need to define the form in which the "white helmets" could best be associated with the efforts of the United Nations.

The international community is still confronted with the scourge of mines. It is no exaggeration to assert that the proliferation of more than 110 million land-mines is one of the most barbaric ordeals that the human race has inflicted on itself over the last few decades. To fight this scourge, Switzerland attaches great importance to universal recognition of the 1980 Convention on restrictions on the use of certain inhumane weapons, and in particular to its Protocol II. Switzerland feels that strengthening the Protocol is of fundamental significance. That is why my Government has decided to apply a moratorium on the sale of land-mines to States that have not ratified it.

A special effort must be made in the field to step up de-mining activities, as well as programmes of consciousness-raising and of medical assistance for victims. Switzerland welcomes the important work carried out by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in this area but also wishes to emphasize the urgency of providing to the United Nations de-mining programmes with the means to meet the challenges facing them. Therefore, Switzerland will increase its contributions to United Nations de-mining programmes and related activities.

The importance of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law in conflict situations is indisputable. My delegation would like to draw the Assembly's attention to the conference of experts that the Swiss Government will be organizing next January in Geneva on the protection of victims of war. That conference will strive to identify practical means of promoting respect for and implementation of the rules of international humanitarian law. Switzerland hopes that the work of the conference will be crowned with success with the adoption of measures making it possible to improve in concrete ways the plight of the victims of armed conflict.

The President

We have heard the last speaker on agenda item 37 and its sub-items (a), (b), (c), (d), (f) and (g).

I wish to inform members that the Assembly will take decisions on the draft resolutions under agenda item 37 and its sub-items at a later date to be announced in the Journal.

In this regard, I wish to remind representatives once again that the first meeting of the coordinator of informal consultations on this agenda item will be held today at 3 p.m. in Conference Room 8.

In addition, I wish to inform members that the Assembly will consider sub-item (e), entitled "Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan" at a later date to be announced in the Journal.