48th session opens amidst substantial achievements, serious set-backs.

A few days before the opening of the forty-eight session of the General Assembly on 21 September, Secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali affirmed that the UN was "indispensable". Only it, he said, had the universal character, the global convening power and the extensive networks which cover virtually every international function in the service of all peoples".

The United Nations "is now understood to be humanity's best hope in the pursuit of peace, development and human rights", the 71-year-old Chief Executive declared in his annual report on the work of the organization (A/48/1), issued on 10 September. "Dedicated to the integrity and development of each individual, driving legitimacy from all peoples, expressing the consensus of States, the, United Nations Organization calls forth, through its universality and dedication to life's basic tasks, a greater potential than humanity has ever before conceived possible:'

The UN's vast potential, he went on, had been recognized and had begun to be employed in the establishment of a more stable world order: "as a strengthened voice for the poorest countries, as deliverer of humanitarian relief, as guardian of human and minority rights, as rescuer of States in crisis and as an instrument for repairing a damaged global environment". In virtually every area, there had been substantial achievements, but there had been serious set-backs and shortcomings as well.

As of mid-November, the Assembly agenda included 182 items, a record number - 24 more than the Previous record in 1989. Among 25 new agenda items, the Assembly will consider mine clearance, attacks on UN personnel, several UN peace-keeping missions, and building peace through sport.

The Assembly's, plenary is to act on a wide variety of topics, including an

item on review of membership of the the Security Council - not a new item-which has prompted replies from more than 70 countries. There is general agreement that membership should be expanded, but opinions differ as to how that should be done. it will also discuss the Middle East, Central America, Haiti, and the elimination of apartheid and establishment of a united, democratic and non-racial South Africa. The agenda covers the entire spectrum of UN activities, including political, disarmament, decolonization, economic, social and humanitarian affairs, as well as legal, administrative and budgetary questions.

Among the 175 participants in the general debate - a record number - were 28 Heads of State, two Crown Princes, 13 Prime Ministers, 107 Foreign Ministers, 15 Deputy Prime Ministers, 2 other ministers and 8 Chairmen of delegations. The annual exercise took place between 27 September and 13 October.

The forty-eighth Assembly is scheduled to recess on 21 December and officially conclude on 19 September 1994.

The achievements of the past year, the Secretary-general said, vastly outweighed the setbacks. Common concerns had become more evident and were more effectively expressed. The readiness to rely on the UN gave reasons for growing hope that it would fufil its original purpose and, beyond that, "prove able to adapt to the new challenges of this changing time in history". Mr. Boutros-ghali asserted that "democracy within States can be fully sustained over time only if it is linked to expanding democratization among States and at all levels of the international system". He warned that the reach of the international community at this time exceeds its grasp". UN forces increasingly found themselves thrust into areas of conflict, where major Powers "are not willing to venture themselves and are reluctant to make the hard choices posed by a new era of challenges to peace".

The UN, he observed, was also struggling to keep a focus on development when the poorest countries longer hold the same interest for the rich as they did in the previous decades of ideological competition". it could not resolve "the major problems on the international agenda in the absence of the political will, sufficient support and continuing commitment which each particular endeavour requires".

While recent accomplishments deserved great credit, the Secretary-General stressed, they did not Provide a sense of true satisfaction". The UN "renaissance remains in question". The international community stood at a turning-point. There was "an undeniable disparity between the vision and the reality" that must be "faced squarely" by UN States Members and the peoples they represented.

Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, president of the forty-seventh General Assembly, passed the gavel to Samuel R. Insanally of Guyana, who had been elected President of the forty-eighth Assembly by acclamation on 21 September.

After his election, Mr. Insanally told the Assembly that the UN would do well to come together at a summit level to address the world's economic problems and agree upon a practical programme of action for their solution. "The Agenda for Peace' must now be complemented by an Agenda for Development'."

Confidence of nations

A collective system of security would function effectively Only if it enjoyed the confidence of all nations, Mr. Insanally went on. it must, therefore, be democratic in its concept and transparent in its operation. The propagandists" of the doctrine of "failed States" - States which appear unable to govern themselves - "openly advocate the concept of spheres of influence in which strong nations will exercise a supposedly benevolent protectorate over the, weak". That was a troubling proposition" and antithetical" to the Charter's fundamental principles; which affirmed the right of all nations to determine their own political, economic and social systems.

He emphasized that there should be a renewal of commitment by all UN members to foreswear the use of force as the preferred means of settlement of disputes. The ethic of war must yield to the ethic of cooperation." To cope with change, the UN must find an early answer to the question of where to draw the line between selfdetermination and sovereignty, and between secession and respect for territorial integrity.

At the UN, "we can . . . work to build a community in which all nations will be treated with equal consideration and afforded the opportunity of full development". The Assembly was "best suited to the task of constructing a new order from the ashes of the old". The UN must be adequately endowed with human and financial resources to be able to carry out its mission.

On 23 September, Mr. Insanally told the press in New York that the year ahead would lend itself to initiatives that would further the UN's work in terms of building harmonious cooperation among nations. However, unless there was an infrastructure of stable economic and social conditions, peace could not be effectively guaranteed.

The Assembly's 21 Vice-presidents, elected without vote, represent: Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Canada, Egypt, Grenada, Guatemala, India, Iran, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, United Republic of Tanzania, Zaire, Zambia, and the Security Council's five permanent members-China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.

Nine nations - Austria, the Bahamas, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Mauritius, Russian Federation, Thailand and the United States - were appointed to the Credentials Commitee. On 14 October, the Committee commended that the Assembly accept the formal credentials of 119 representatives of its 184 Member States for the forty-eighth session. Nitya Pibulsonggram of Thailand was elected Chairman.

New items

There were 63 items to be considered directly in plenary, including 9 of he 25 new items: observer status in the Assembly for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Latin American Parliament, and the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) (four separate items); UN initiative on opportunity and participation; assistance in mine clearance; building a peaceful and better world through sport: the situation in Burundi; and combatting locust infestation in Africa. Of the other new items, the rationalization of the work and reform of the First Committee was assigned to that Committee; nine items-one on personnel questions and eight on financing of: the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Low Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991: and UN operations in Cyprus, Cambodia, Haiti, Liberia, Georgia and two in the area of Rwanda-went to the Fifth Committee; two items-question of responsibility for attacks on UN and associated personnel and measures to ensure that those responsible for such attacks are brought to justice; and review of the procedure provided for under article I I of the statute of the Administrative Tribunal of the UN - were to be considered by the Sixth Committee; items on UN interim offices, emergency assistance for Rwanda, and economic assistance to States affected by sanctions against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would be taken up by the Second Committee; and an item on the rights of children victims of especially difficult circumstances, including armed conflicts", would be considered by the Third Committee.

"I see the future of the United Nations vested in a world mechanism for the prevention of conflicts and wars. This future is not unattainable. in the world today, there truly exist issues which warrant the attention of preventive diplomacy in which the United Nations can play a decisive role."

Never before in its history had the UN been asked "to do So much by so many". To be able to meet those challenges, the Organization must not only re-evaluate its mechanism and structure, but also its practices with a view to making it stronger and more efficient.

306 resolutions

A UN official pointed Out that the forty-seventh session had held 112 meetings, dealing with 157 agenda items and adopting 306 resolutions - 231 without a vote and 75 with a vote. He stressed that the Assembly was increasingly adopting resolutions without a vote or by consensus. It had admitted six new Member States-Andorra, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Monaco and the Slovak Republic-during its forty-seventh session.

On 20 September, the Assembly decided to devote in early December 1993 one plenary meeting of its forty-eighth session to launch the International Year of the Family 1994) and to observe 15 May, beginning in 1994, as the international Day of families. It also decided to devote two plenary meetings at its 1994 session, to the implementation of follow-up actions and designate those meetings as an international conference on families.

The Assembly urged Governments, specialized agencies and organizations to intensify efforts in the preparations for, and observance of, the Year. Governments concerned and Prospective donors were urged to pledge contributions to the Year's voluntary fund so that funds could be released for specific family-related projects, particularly in developing countries.

The Assembly called for a concerted promotional and information campaign at all levels, With strong mass media participation. The Secretary- General was asked to give widespread publicity to the Year.

On the same day, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (4 71120 B) on the Secretary-General's "An Agenda for Peace", by which it decided to consider "appropriate ways and means consistent with the Charter" to improve cooperation among competent UN organs; acknowledged the importance of considering, on a case-by-case basis, the use of preventive deployment and/or establishment of demilitarized zones; and encouraged States to consider making greater use of the international Court of justice for the peaceful settlement of disputes.

The Assembly also decided to continue examining ways to implement Article 50 of the Charter with a view to assisting countries; with their special economic problems arising from the implementation of preventive or enforcement measures. The Assembly emphasized that post-conflict peacebuilding should be carried out in accordance with the Charter and affirmed its readiness to support, as appropriate, post-conflict peacebuilding. The Secretary-general was encouraged to continue efforts to promote cooperation between the UN and regional organizations, and further steps to enhance the status and safety of United Nations personnel involved in UN operations should be considered.

At the closing of its forty-seventh session, the Assembly concluded consideration of the following items: the situations in Haiti, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Central America and Bosnia and Herzegovina; the question of Palestine; equitable representation on the Security Council; armed Israeli aggression against Iraqi nuclear installations; report of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED); the UN's administrative and financial functioning and its current financial crisis and emergency; scale of assessments; and convening of an international conference on Somalia.

It also concluded its consideration of the financing Of the UN peacekeeping forces in the Middle East - UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL))-THE UN Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) and the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia. it deferred for the next session consideration of the question of Cyprus; the consequences of Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait; and the UN's restructuring and revitalization in the economic, social and related fields.

In a Statement on the International Day of Peace-proclaimed by the Assembly in 1981 to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples-the Secretary-general on 21 September said the UN's mission was to make the dream of peace come true. There was hope in the Middle East, as well as in El Salvador and Cambodia, and the list would grow to include Liberia, Somalia, South Africa, Central Asia and elsewhere.

At a luncheon toast on 27 September in honour of Heads of State and Government attending the forty-eighth Assembly, the Secretary-General said the session was an opportunity to make history. The problems were many and vast, but they were "the problems of success". Together, the international community could surmount then.