'Spirit of cooperation and compromise overcomes 'tyranny of budgetary constraints.'.

Horst Rutsch Looks at the Current Assembly Session

The Assembly reviewed the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s and urged the international community to substantially increase the flow of financial resources to the continent. The European Union stated that it would work to improve market access for the least developed countries by 2000 and to set up by 2005 a mechanism by which those African nations would benefit from duty-free access to the European Economic Community markets.

The fifty-third General Assembly, after three months of deliberations on a wide range of items that included nuclear disarmament, the global financial crisis, international terrorism, human rights defenders and the peace process in the Middle East, successfully concluded its regular session on 17 December 1998 by designating the fifty-fifth session (2000) as the United Nations "Millenium Assembly".

Assembly President Didier Opertti of Uruguay praised the "spirit of cooperation and compromise" among all delegations prevailing during the debate. He cited the resolution on dialogue among civilizations as an eloquent illustration of how the Assembly furthered understanding and solidarity among all peoples of the world. But he cautioned that the "tyranny of budgetary constraints" had seriously affected the Assembly's work and threatened to undermine the spirit of tolerance pervading the international community if Member States did not soon pay their assessments in full.

The Assembly plenary opened on 17 September with a high-level dialogue and review of the social and economic impact of globalization, particularly in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. The two-day debate incorporated a series of ministerial round tables on international and national responses to globalization. The high-level participants, among them many Heads of State and Government and foreign ministers, warned that, although the process had opened up tremendous opportunities for creating wealth, globalization threatened to further widen the economic gap between richer and poorer countries. While accepting the "irreversible" nature of the process, many speakers called for urgent steps to manage it by developing a global mechanism to reduce its harmful effects. This entailed enabling the most marginalized countries, particularly African States, to gain access to international markets. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in closing the discussion, stressed that the international community needed to find a way to maximize the benefits of globalization and protect those who were in danger of becoming victims. The United Nations had a special responsibility to insist on global solutions, based on rules that were fair to all, he said.

Globalization, which also dominated much of the Assembly s two-week (21 September-2 October) general debate (see issue 4, 1998), was a recurrent theme throughout the regular session, particularly in the debates of the Second Committee (see p. 53).

The ongoing reform of the United Nations was another major focus of the Assembly's deliberations. Before the opening of the debate, the Secretary-General presented his annual report on the work of the Organization, in which he described United Nations reform as a "quiet revolution" from within. Despite the financial straitjacket within which it was obliged to operate, the United Nations system had begun to act with greater unity of purpose and coherence of effect than it had a year ago. Recommending that the United Nations continue "without haste but steadily" to modernize itself, Assembly President Opertti stressed that the Organization could only meet some challenges if its instruments were upgraded at both the political and Secretariat levels (Seep. 50).

A crucial but complex element in the future role of the United Nations is an enlarged and restructured Security Council. Accordingly, the General Assembly devoted two and a half days of debate to Council reform. On 23 November, it adopted a consensus resolution on the question of equitable representation, outlining that any future Council reform would require the affirmative vote of two thirds of Assembly members. Mr. Opertti believed that "this very brief resolution ... whose significance is in inverse proportion to its size", would be a contributing factor in creating a climate of mutual confidence for future negotiations (see p. 64).

Africa remained a priority concern of the United Nations. On 7 December, the Assembly discussed the Secretary-General's report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace in Africa. Many speakers urged the international community to focus on the root causes of African tensions, such as entrenched socio-economic problems, chronic poverty and ethnic tensions. Reaffirm g that the primary responsibility for assuring lasting peace and stability on the continent remained in the hands of African leaders, the Assembly called on African States to create an enabling domestic environment for sustainable development.

The Assembly also reviewed the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s and urged the international community to substantially increase the flow of financial resources to the continent. During the debate, the European Union stated that it would work to improve market access for the least developed countries by 2000 and to set up by 2005 a mechanism by which those African nations would benefit from duty-free access to the European Economic Community markets. The Assembly also urged the United Nations and the international community to extend their support to the African Economic Community, as well as continue to support the Organization of African Unity in its efforts to expand and strengthen democracy in Africa.

Plenary action

The General Assembly devoted a number of resolutions adopted in plenary to advancing international efforts toward a global culture of peace. On 4 November, it dedicated the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. Recognizing the achievements of diverse civilizations as the collective heritage of mankind and emphasizing the importance of tolerance in international relations and the significant role of dialogue as a means to reach understanding and strengthen interaction, the Assembly invited Governments, the United Nations system and other relevant international and non-governmental organizations to promote the concept of dialogue among civilizations.

On 10 November, it proclaimed the period 2001-2010 as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and NonViolence for the Children of the World. Recognizing the enormous harm and suffering inflicted upon children through various forms of violence at every level of society throughout the world, the Assembly stressed that the task of the United Nations to save future generations from the scourge of war required transformation towards a culture of peace. Such a culture.would embrace values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing, based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, human rights, tolerance and solidarity, and would reject violence and prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes through dialogue and negotiation.

On 18 November, the Assembly called on the international community to increase assistance to ensure the success of the Bethlehem 2000 Project - a commemoration of the new millennium, to be held in Bethlehem from Christmas 1999 to Easter 2001. The Secretary-General was asked to mobilize support for the event launched by the Palestinian Authority. Some 2 million visitors are expected at the historic site, which is being promoted as a symbol of peace among all people. Israel said it stood ready to cooperate with the Christian and Arab communities on the project.

On 16 October, the Assembly endorsed the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 as a contribution to the overall sustainable development agenda.

Recalling the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Programme for the Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Harare Declaration on Solar Energy and Sustainable Development adopted at the 1996 World Solar Summit, the Assembly recognized that environmentally friendly, renewable energies were key elements for attaining sustainable development, and asked Member States to contribute to the successful implementation of the World Solar Programme and ensure that it was fully integrated into the mainstream of United Nations efforts to attain sustainable development.

The Assembly also designated 2002 as the International Year of Mountains to increase awareness of sustainable mountain development, and invited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to serve as the lead agency for the International Year. It called upon Governments and other relevant actors in the public and private sectors to lend their support in accordance with the guidelines of the Economic and Social Council for international years and anniversaries.

The year 1998 also marked the twentieth anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action-an international framework to support technical cooperation among developing countries. According to Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, two decades later, developing countries still required international support, particularly in the areas of external capital and development assistance, access to export markets and foreign exchange, new technologies and a fair and stable external environment.

Reaffirming the commitments made at the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, the Assembly decided that a special session on the implementation of Social Development Summit goals be held in Geneva from 26 to 30 June 2000. Such a session would provide the opportunity for a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of programmes in support of social progress, social justice, the betterment of the human condition and social integration.

In addressing the issue of unilaterally imposed sanctions, the Assembly on 14 October urged States to repeal as soon as possible laws and measures with extraterritorial effects on the sovereignty and the freedom of trade and navigation of other States.

Action was also taken on strengthening coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance to individual countries and regions. Among Latin American and Caribbean States requiring special economic assistance were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica. Dominican Republic, Guatemala. Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and St. Kitts and Nevis; among African countries were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Liberia, Mozambique, Niger. Somalia and Sudan. The Assembly also called for assistance to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Comoros, Kazahkstan and Tajikistan. It further appealed to the international community to provide resources and strengthen operational support to refugees and countries of asylum in Central and Eastern Africa.

On 15 October, the Association of Caribbean States and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development were invited to participate in the sessions and work of the Assembly as observers.