General Assembly Session 52 meeting 53

The Acting President

As announced previously, sub-item (c) of agenda item 20, entitled "Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan", will be considered together with agenda item 43 at a later date.

I should like to inform the General Assembly that the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, on behalf of the Group of Western European and Other States, in a letter dated 10 October 1997, requests that the General Assembly hear in plenary meeting a statement by the Observer of Switzerland during the debate on agenda item 20.

Members will recall that in accordance with the established practice of the General Assembly, observer non-member States may normally make statements only in the Main Committees. However, following consultations, it is proposed that the General Assembly should take a decision on that request.

May I take it that there is no objection to the proposal to hear a statement by the Observer of Switzerland in the course of the debate on agenda item 20?

The Acting President

In connection with agenda item 20 (b), to date the Assembly has before it five draft resolutions: A/52/L.14, entitled "Special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo"; A/52/L.16, entitled "Special economic assistance to central African countries receiving refugees"; A/52/L.34, entitled "Assistance for the reconstruction and development of El Salvador"; A/52/L.36, entitled "Assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon"; and A/52/37, entitled "Emergency assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of Burundi".

In connection with agenda item 20 (e), the Assembly has before it draft resolution A/52/L.32, entitled "Participation of volunteers, White Helmets', in activities of the United Nations in the field of humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and technical cooperation for development".

In connection with agenda item 20 (f), the Assembly has before it draft resolution A/52/L.33, entitled "Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster".

I give the floor to the representative of Argentina to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.32.

Mr. Frigerio (Argentina)

At the outset, my delegation thanks the Secretary-General for his report on the "White Helmets" initiative [A/52/586]. The report clearly indicates the strength and quality of the commitment shown by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the unstinting support of the United Nations Volunteers programme. I take this opportunity also to pay tribute to the continuous, intelligent and dedicated cooperation of the Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers, Ms. Brenda Gael McSweeney, through whom we hail her colleagues in Bonn, in Geneva and in the many developing countries where national and international "White Helmets"/United Nations Volunteers have been serving the humanitarian cause.

My Government also thanks the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, with whose help and support the "White Helmets" have consolidated and expanded their efforts.

My delegation also expresses its special appreciation to the Governments of France, Germany and Italy for their generous support, which has enabled the initiative to expand in the past year in Angola and Haiti. We convey particular thanks to Government of Saudi Arabia for its generous contribution that made possible missions in Palestine, Lebanon and Rwanda.

We also thank the Governments of Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Cyprus, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Madagascar, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, Romania, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey and Uruguay, which have joined my country in sponsoring draft resolution A/52/L.32, which it is my pleasure to introduce to the General Assembly.

As the Secretary-General notes in his report, the "White Helmets" initiative is clearly viable in its technical, financial and institutional aspects. This assessment encourages us to explore new ways to consolidate the achievements of the past three years and to make the most of the potential of the initiative, with the cooperation of the agencies of the United Nations system and the States participating in the initiative.

This draft resolution invites Member States to develop and strengthen their respective national volunteer corps to support humanitarian relief operations. Commitment of that kind, of course, requires joint efforts by Governments and non-governmental organizations and by civil society at large: the main source of the human resources that sustain volunteerism.

The draft resolution further invites the United Nations system to encourage increased participation by Member States in the decision-making process and in the implementation of humanitarian activities. Donor countries and specialized agencies must work together and in a complementary way. Recipient countries too must join this dialogue in search of the same outcome: better and more timely aid delivery, with reduced administrative costs.

It is in this broader context that my delegation believes the draft resolution must be considered. Volunteerism has a fundamental role to play in strengthening the response capacity of the humanitarian system, and can at the same time provide Member States with a new quality-control system for humanitarian assistance, avoiding duplicated and overlapping efforts and contributions. We should create conditions that will encourage contributions on the basis of a better knowledge of operations and greater involvement of donor countries at the implementation phase in the field.

Forty countries are already involved in this initiative as donor or recipient countries or through active diplomatic support. Voluntarily and gradually, and in keeping with their respective capacities, Member States can supply the Secretary-General with one or several lists of teams of "White Helmet" volunteers slated to act in case of emergency, at the request either of the Secretary-General or of the agencies or programmes he designates as humanitarian assistance coordinators in a crisis situation. Here we think it important to consider appointing an officer to carry out liaison between national "White Helmet" focal points and the United Nations system.

The national humanitarian assistance "White Helmets" teams could be assigned by Member States or the Secretary-General to act in specific geographical areas or in specific emergencies, in a manner consistent with the approach of the contributing State and the various United Nations programmes. We would thus create a means of bringing together donors and recipients and ensuring prompt and efficient implementation of programmes, a mechanism permitting a better identification of the end use of the contributions. The institutions and programmes of the system would have more realistic data regarding the cost and availability of human resources for project implementation.

This scheme, together with several Argentine missions, has allowed for the successful participation of volunteers and "White Helmets" experts in the Middle East, Africa, Central America, Latin America and Central Asia, covering such needs as drinking water, monitoring of elections, assistance to displaced groups, provision of medical and food assistance and carrying out mine-clearance operations.

Of course, I would not wish to miss this opportunity to renew the invitation for new financial contributions to the "White Helmets" initiative, either through the United Nations Volunteers special window or through other trust funds. A higher level of contributions would allow for even further progress in broadening the initiative's international scope to cover other areas of the world and other humanitarian tasks.

We also think that this draft resolution makes it possible for the United Nations system and Member States to address the question of new sources of financing. In this respect, I am pleased to confirm that our Government will be contributing in the next few days an additional $1 million to the "White Helmets" special window.

Given the commitment we have all made, I hardly need to appeal for redoubled solidarity efforts. Nonetheless, I think this is a useful opportunity to demonstrate our conviction that not only can we show solidarity but also that we can be more efficient and more participatory, by encouraging and facilitating, through support for volunteer service, a greater involvement of civil society in the difficult task ahead.

In this respect, we welcome the Assembly's adoption of the resolution declaring 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers, which recognizes the significant contribution made by volunteers to the well-being and full realization of the aspirations to improve citizens' living conditions, with peace, development and human rights.

The "White Helmets", just like the "Blue Helmets" in the maintenance of peace and security, can give the Organization an effective multilateral tool to combat the scourges of violence, hunger, poverty and injustice.

The Acting President

Before calling on the next speaker, I should like to propose that the list of speakers in the debate on this item be closed at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

The Acting President

I therefore request those representatives wishing to participate in the debate on this item to inscribe their names as soon as possible.

I now call on the representative of Ukraine to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.33.

Mr. Parashin (Ukraine)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the delegation of Ukraine on agenda item 20 (f), "Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster".

I am happy that, as the director of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, I have been given a rare opportunity to participate in this session of the General Assembly, which is of historic significance, and to discuss an issue of crucial importance to Ukraine -- and not only to us, but to others as well.

More than 11 years have passed since the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, but the problems generated have unfortunately not diminished. Its ecological and economic effects have been aggravated by socio-psychological consequences.

Dealing with the consequences has become a very heavy burden for Ukraine. By allocating 6 per cent of our State budget to heal the wound of Chernobyl, Ukraine has lost the opportunity to finance many other vitally important programmes for building an independent State, at a time when it is undergoing profound economic reforms.

Ukraine has agreed to decommission the Chernobyl nuclear power plant by the year 2000. This involves major measures which my country, unfortunately, does not have sufficient experience to carry out, and, more important, does not have the funds to carry out. Preparing to close the plant, with international cooperation, is only the initial phase of decommissioning it. It is also a serious social problem for the 6,000 personnel who have managed to secure the plant's safe operation during the 11 years since the accident occurred. In addition, the town of Slavutich, where the power plant personnel and their families live, has a population of 26,000 without support, and unemployment there is expected to reach 17 per cent by 1998.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on 20 December 1995 in Ottawa between the Government of Ukraine, the Governments of the G-7 nations and the European Union on closing the nuclear power plant. This offers real opportunities for cooperation in dealing with the Chernobyl problem.

Ukraine shut down power unit 1 in 1996, ahead of schedule, thereby demonstrating its genuine intention to fulfil its commitments under the memorandum of understanding. However, the global dimension of the task and the current economic crisis mean that Ukraine alone cannot carry the huge expense of solving the Chernobyl problem. A few days ago, on 20 November, a very important Chernobyl Shelter Pledging Conference on raising funds for a workers' shelter project was co-chaired by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and United States Vice President Albert Gore here in New York. This Conference proves yet again how serious the Chernobyl problem remains and the importance that countries attach to its solution.

Contributions were made during the Conference, and this means that very soon we can begin making a secure cover over this sleeping threat to global ecology, health and life itself. On behalf of the Ukrainian Government, I should like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to all those who took part in that Conference.

We cannot forget that it is impossible to solve the Chernobyl problem just by decommissioning the power plant. The United Nations inter-agency needs assessment mission which travelled to affected regions of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine last May reconfirmed the complexity of the problem. Having evaluated the situation in all three countries, it stressed the need for further substantial assistance in the areas of public health, socio-psychological rehabilitation, the environment, socio-economic issues and information. There is also a need to finance power capacity to offset Ukraine's losses resulting from decommissioning the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In addition, there is the question of removing 200 tons of fuel-containing mass from the sarcophagus, because it is a serious ecological threat. As I have said, there is also the issue of social protection for the reduced personnel of the plant and the people of Slavutich, Ukraine's youngest city, where there is a concentration of major intellectual potential.

Chernobyl cannot be regarded as the problem of just one country or group of countries. This unprecedented technological catastrophe was man-made, but it remains a common human tragedy on a global scale. It continues to represent a serious problem not only for Ukraine and other affected countries, but for the international community as a whole.

We are deeply convinced that dealing with the aftermath of the disaster and resolving the whole spectrum of problems involved can be accomplished only through the joint effort of the entire international community. Multilateral cooperation combining the intellectual and financial input of international organizations, international financial institutions and scientific and charitable funds is necessary to mitigate and minimize the consequences of the disaster. In this connection, I should like once again to express our great appreciation for the humanitarian efforts made by the organizations of the United Nations system in mitigating the after-effects of the disaster.

Eleven years have passed, but Chernobyl continues to challenge our technical, scientific and humanitarian thinking. The way in which the world community deals with this problem will show civilization's readiness to deal with tragedies on a global scale.

All nations share a common destiny. Present and future generations are truly striving to live in an ecologically safe environment, and we call upon all countries, international organizations and financial institutions to unite their efforts in implementing the programme to eliminate the severe consequences of Chernobyl and to prevent similar disasters.

As the Secretary-General emphasized in his report, implementation of the programme would translate into positive action the resolve and commitment expressed in many United Nations resolutions on Chernobyl which, regrettably, remain largely unfulfilled.

On behalf of the delegations of Belarus, Japan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.33, entitled "Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster". This document expresses concern about the long-term nature of the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear-power-plant disaster, which was a major technological catastrophe, and about the ongoing effects on the lives and health of people, in particular children, in the affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

The draft resolution takes into consideration the results of the United Nations needs-assessment mission to the affected areas in May this year, as well as the conclusions and recommendations of the United Nations-sponsored seminar, "Chernobyl and beyond: humanitarian assistance to victims of technological disasters", which was held in Moscow, also in May this year.

The draft resolution also requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts in implementing the relevant General Assembly resolutions by using existing coordination mechanisms, in particular the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl.

The draft resolution invites donor States, relevant financial institutions and other concerned parties of the international community, including non-governmental organizations, to continue to provide support to the efforts made by Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. Our document also welcomes the decision of the Heads of State and Government of the seven major industrial countries and the European Community, adopted at Denver in June 1997, regarding assistance in securing the environmental safety of the sarcophagus, and also welcomes the preparation of the inter-agency programme of international assistance to areas affected by the Chernobyl disaster. In addition, our draft resolution welcomes the convening by the United Nations of a special international meeting on Chernobyl to be held tomorrow, 25 November 1997, to generate further support for the populations of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

The draft resolution calls upon the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl to continue his efforts to deal with the health, social, economic and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl disaster in the most seriously affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the basis of the inter-agency programme of international assistance to these areas.

We should like to express our gratitude to those delegations that have sponsored the draft resolution and to those that participated constructively in drafting it. We appeal to all delegations to support our draft resolution; their support is very important to us.

In conclusion, I should like to touch upon another important issue of great concern to my Government: the question of special economic assistance to countries whose economies have been affected by the negative effects of sanctions imposed by the Security Council on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The delegation of Ukraine believes that this issue should remain on the agenda of the United Nations, as earlier resolutions on the issue have not been properly implemented -- at least with respect to our country, which has not received any practical assistance to compensate for our enormous losses resulting from our consistent compliance with the sanctions regime. Let me remind the Assembly once again that Ukraine's losses amounted to some $5 billion, so we cannot agree with the view that, once the sanctions were lifted, there was no point in further considering the issue.

The crucial importance of this problem was confirmed last week in the Sixth Committee, which adopted by consensus a draft resolution entitled "Implementation of the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations related to assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions".

Our delegation intends to introduce to the Assembly a draft resolution under agenda item 20 (b), on economic assistance to States affected by the implementation of Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

We sincerely hope for the understanding and the support of the Assembly.

Mr. Wolzfeld (Luxembourg)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union on the question of humanitarian assistance. The following countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union join in support of this statement: Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as does the associated country of Cyprus.

Humanitarian assistance is a priority commitment of the European Union. In this connection, we attach particular importance to the coordination of such assistance within the United Nations system.

The coordination of humanitarian assistance within the United Nations system has this year been marked by a concerted effort on the part of the Secretary-General to reallocate responsibilities for humanitarian activities. In this context, we welcome the establishment of the new Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator and the adoption by the General Assembly on 12 November of resolution 52/12, entitled "Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform". The operational activities that were formerly the responsibility of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, have been reallocated to other departments within the Secretariat and to operational agencies within the system.

The secondment of humanitarian personnel from other organizations in the United Nations system, as well as cooperation and coordination between the different agencies, will play a decisive role in achieving the aims of the Office. It is therefore essential to reinforce the role of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee under the chairmanship of the Emergency Relief Coordinator if consistency in policy both at Headquarters and on the ground is to be guaranteed. The viability -- indeed, the success -- of the new arrangements will depend upon the logical distribution of tasks, on a clear assumption of responsibility and, finally, on a division of labour between Geneva and New York that respects the particular qualities of each of those host cities.

The European Union believes that the principles set out in General Assembly resolution 46/182 will enable the new Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator to take on the crucial tasks of coordinating relief efforts on the ground, organizing public relations activities to attract potential donors and liaising with the United Nations apparatus for maintaining peace. We welcome, in this context, the appointment of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello to the post of Emergency Relief Coordinator. The European Union will offer him its full support. It is our view that the basic services of the Emergency Relief Coordinator's Office should be financed from the United Nations regular budget.

In the effort to strengthen coordination, more attention should be paid to the role of implementing partners entrusted with carrying out many activities and to their relationship with the humanitarian agencies in order to enhance efficiency, accountability and monitoring of the results of humanitarian assistance. An analysis of this matter is contained in the report of the Joint Inspection Unit.

The European Union will follow with interest the establishment in the coming months of the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator. We also attach particular importance to an appropriate follow-up to the reforms in humanitarian assistance in the light of the debate that will take place in the Economic and Social Council as provided for in the Council's resolution 1995/56.

One aspect of humanitarian assistance -- the safety of humanitarian aid workers -- is unfortunately, becoming a burning issue. The European Union will submit to the General Assembly a draft resolution on the safety of humanitarian workers that reflects our deep concern at situations throughout the world where the safety of such workers is threatened.

The reasons for this state of affairs are many and complex. The general anarchy that reigns in many of today's crisis situations is certainly a factor. But of even greater concern is the evidence that aid workers are more and more being deliberately targeted. This highlights some of the realities now facing humanitarian aid projects. In the past, humanitarian principles and the impartiality of humanitarian action were respected by both sides in a conflict, but these no longer provide adequate guarantees for the security of humanitarian workers. Too often, it has become difficult, or even impossible for agencies and non-governmental humanitarian organizations to reach people affected by an armed conflict or the victims of other emergencies. We are all aware that it is civilian populations and refugees who suffer most in such situations.

Humanitarian assistance is directly affected by the political environment in which it is carried out. At the same time, humanitarian action can have a positive effect on such an environment. Apart from providing emergency relief in a humanitarian crisis, such action also helps reintegrate refugees and ex-combatants into civilian life, and this is often a crucial first step in stabilizing the situation and clearing the way for sustainable development in a country in crisis.

The question of access to people suffering hardships is of vital importance. The draft resolution thus appeals to Governments and parties involved in armed conflicts or other emergency situations to guarantee aid workers unrestricted access to the affected populations and to take all necessary steps to ensure that humanitarian activity can take place in an environment of safety. It also calls on States to hold to account anyone guilty of acts of violence towards aid workers. Finally, the draft resolution pays tribute to those who have given their lives while trying to help people in distress and salutes the courage of aid workers who continue to fulfil their mission, often in extremely dangerous circumstances.

In conclusion, the European Union remains acutely aware of the difficulties caused by natural disasters and complex emergencies, including the adverse impact that such crises can have on neighbouring States in the affected region. In this context, the European Union has offered substantial assistance to neighbouring countries in order to counteract the adverse economic impact of sanctions imposed against the former Yugoslavia. Although economic problems still remain in these countries, the European Union is pleased to note a marked improvement in the situation. The European Union remains, however, deeply concerned about serious humanitarian crises that persist in other regions. We shall, in the future, continue to help those countries as much as possible in their efforts to overcome their economic difficulties.

Mr. Konishi (Japan)

Japan has long emphasized the importance of responding to humanitarian crises and disasters effectively and in a coordinated manner, and it has done so in a number of international forums. The issue of humanitarian assistance was discussed at the last substantive session of the Economic and Social Council, on the basis of the report of the Secretary-General. In this context, Japan appreciates the initiatives of the Secretary-General, endorsed on 12 November by the General Assembly, to further strengthen the United Nations capacity for launching coherent and coordinated humanitarian actions under the guiding principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality.

My delegation wishes to take this opportunity to express its sincere gratitude to Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and also Emergency Relief Coordinator at the same time, for fulfilling so ably the difficult mandate entrusted to him and with such limited resources. His achievements in the course of his long years of service at the United Nations deserve our great admiration and deep respect. I believe that his career should serve as a model for present and future United Nations staff members.

I would also like to express my congratulations to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello on his appointment to the new post of Emergency Relief Coordinator and to wish him great success in his future work. Japan is ready to extend its full support to him in discharging his important responsibilities.

In carrying out his responsibilities, the new Emergency Relief Coordinator is expected to focus on three core functions, namely, policy development and coordination functions in support of the Secretary-General, advocacy of humanitarian issues with political organs and coordination of the humanitarian emergency response to crises. As Japan has long advocated that the Department of Humanitarian Affairs remain faithful to its function as a strategic centre for coordination and that it refrain from becoming involved in the operational field of humanitarian activities, it welcomes such an orientation, and is confident that, with its new and streamlined functions, the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, together with the strengthened Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), will contribute to an effective response to humanitarian crises. Furthermore, Japan hopes that the proposed steering committee of the IASC, which will consist of six members from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and a representative of non-governmental agencies, will contribute to increasing the speed of that response.

The new Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator will commence operation at the beginning of next year, and it is important that it be structured and organized in such a manner as to ensure optimum implementation of the core functions. In this connection, my delegation wishes to make two comments.

First, Japan feels great concern over the fact that, according to the revised budget, the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator continues to depend largely on extrabudgetary personnel to carry out many of its functions, as did the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. However, inasmuch as the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator is a part of the United Nations Secretariat, further efforts should be made so that its core functions are financed through assessed contributions. To that end, the proportion of the staff funded by the regular budget should be gradually increased and dependence on extrabudgetary contributions reduced.

Secondly, I wish to refer to the Emergency Relief Coordinator's Offices in New York and in Geneva. The new Office will be relatively small in size and focused on its core activities. Considering the importance of a political interface with the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Japan supports the Secretary-General's plan with regard to the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator in New York. However, since the headquarters of major humanitarian organizations, which have direct links with field operations, are located in Geneva, Japan hopes that consideration will be given to the importance of the Office in Geneva when the new structure is finalized.

I would like to reiterate the need to address the issue of a smooth transition from emergency relief to rehabilitation and development. In this connection, the briefing given by Mr. Akashi in the Second Committee last Thursday on humanitarian crises and development was very informative and helpful. As he emphasized, planning for development should start at an early stage so that it will be sustainable, while humanitarian assistance agencies work at the same time to implement programmes that will help stimulate rehabilitation and development. To this end, a mechanism should be established for effecting close cooperation between humanitarian organizations and development agencies, so that the efforts of both may proceed in a coordinated and complementary manner.

Before concluding, I would like to touch upon one very important issue concerning humanitarian assistance. During the debate in the Third Committee earlier this month, serious concern was expressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and many delegations over the attacks and threats that have been levelled at humanitarian personnel, including those from United Nations organizations. It is of the utmost importance that the international community act to protect humanitarian personnel, and Japan, on many occasions, has urged that this be done. Discussions earlier this year in the Security Council on the question of their safety, in which Japan was an active participant, produced two presidential statements: one on the security of United Nations operations, which was adopted on 12 March, and the other on protection for humanitarian assistance to refugees and others in conflict situations, which was adopted on 19 June. Japan is pleased to join the initiative of the European Union in calling for the international community to address the issue of the safety of humanitarian personnel. In this context, I would like to draw the attention of the Assembly to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was adopted by the General Assembly on 9 December 1994 but, to our regret, has not yet come into force. Japan appeals to all countries that have not yet done so to become parties to this important agreement so that it will come into force without further delay. I hasten to add, however, that the adoption of a legal instrument in itself will not solve our problems. Japan continues to speak out on this issue and it will cooperate closely with all Member States in pursuing ways and means of improving the present situation.

Mr. Aass (Norway)

Norway warmly welcomes the appointment of Sergio Vieira de Mello as Emergency Relief Coordinator, and we pledge our full support for him in his important new function.

At the same time we would like to express our appreciation for the work and dedication of Under-Secretary-General Yasushi Akashi in heading the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Norway has strongly supported the Secretary-General's overall reform proposal and welcomes the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 52/12, on "Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform", by consensus.

We look forward to the implementation of the Secretary-General's initiatives pertaining to the field of humanitarian advocacy and coordination. The reform proposals requiring intergovernmental decisions should be dealt with in the near future, including within the framework of the follow-up of the Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/56.

Norway would like to highlight some elements in the humanitarian reform programme which we find to be of particular importance.

First, the authority of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, in his capacity as Humanitarian Coordinator, must be recognized and respected within the entire United Nations system. We are now entering the stage of system-wide implementation of agreed conclusions and recommendations.

Secondly, the Office of the Coordinator has been given a renewed opportunity to focus on its core mandate and functions. In this context, we welcome the decision to relieve the Office of all operational activities and allocate these to more appropriate parts of the system.

Thirdly, strong coordination between the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee is crucial. Consequently, the establishment of a joint secretariat is appropriate. Likewise, the secondment of staff to the Coordinator's Office from relevant parts of the United Nations system in order to ensure unified approaches to crisis management deserves our full support.

Fourthly, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs suffered from a chronic lack of sufficient funding. We strongly endorse the objective of including the activities of the Office of the Coordinator in the regular budget of the United Nations. Transitional voluntary funding must be the exception, not the rule.

A fifth point is that United Nations humanitarian activities are not sufficiently monitored and reviewed by Member States. We support the proposal to enhance the role of the Economic and Social Council in this respect and look forward to discussions about possible new monitoring mechanisms to be developed in a longer-term perspective.

The right to receive and to deliver humanitarian assistance is essential in international humanitarian law. This is the fundamental basis for discussions about the security of humanitarian personnel. We welcome and support the European Union initiative to focus on this particular problem under this agenda item. The international community should never accept that parties to a conflict interrupt humanitarian operations through criminal acts directed against humanitarian personnel. Joint efforts to eliminate such a flagrant violation of all humanitarian principles are urgently called for.

Mr. Yuan Shaofu (China)

The Chinese delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for the series of reports that he submitted to this session of the General Assembly in connection with agenda item 20, entitled "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance", and wishes to take this opportunity to state its views on some relevant aspects of this item.

The Chinese delegation has always shown great interest in emergency humanitarian relief activities, and attaches great importance to the role played by the United Nations in this field. On the basis of the progress in the implementation of General Assembly resolution 46/182 over the past six years and of an assessment of the activities of the United Nations in the humanitarian field, the Secretary-General, in his report on United Nations reform in document A/51/950, proposed certain actions and made some recommendations with regard to reform in the area of humanitarian affairs.

The Chinese delegation supports reform measures such as the establishment of an Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator to be headed by an Under-Secretary-General, as well as the strengthening of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the consolidated appeal process. The Chinese delegation believes that such reform will enable the United Nations system to further the implementation of General Assembly resolution 46/182, and to take concerted, expeditious and effective humanitarian action in response to natural disasters and emergencies, in accordance with the guiding principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality, bringing into full play the overall strengths of the United Nations in this field.

The Chinese delegation is of the view that the newly-established Emergency Relief Coordinator should focus more on three core functions -- namely, policy formulation and coordination, the advocacy of humanitarian issues and the coordination of humanitarian emergency responses -- in order to do a better job of implementing General Assembly resolution 46/182. Following the dissolution of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, its former responsibilities should be redistributed within the United Nations system in such a way as to ensure the continued provision of effective humanitarian assistance to disaster-stricken developing countries, to help them to carry out their post-disaster reconstruction and resume their economic development, and to enhance capacity-building in developing countries for disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness in a truly effective manner, so as to minimize the damages caused by various kinds of disasters.

Adequate resources are a prerequisite for providing humanitarian assistance to developing countries and assisting in their recovery and development. Since the adoption of General Assembly resolution 46/182, 68 United Nations inter-agency consolidated appeals have been made, resulting in a total of $10.4 billion to be used for assistance against various kinds of disasters. But this amount is far short of meeting the increasing needs of disaster-stricken countries for humanitarian assistance as a result of frequent natural and man-made disasters occurring all over the world. The Chinese delegation holds the view that development funds for disaster prevention and mitigation and for post-disaster reconstruction should not be provided from the limited development resources of other funds and programmes; instead, new sources of funding should be found in order to establish a special fund. Developed countries should make a commitment to contribute to such a fund, for without that the Secretary-General's reform would just be putting old wine in a new bottle, and the reform would lose its meaning.

Mr. Dimitrov (Bulgaria)

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