MILLENNIUM ASSEMBLY.

Hitting High Notes

Harri Holkeri, former Prime Minister of Finland, likens his work us President of the Millennium Assembly to a music conductor's. It is the United Nations Member States who actually play the tune, he told the Chronicle. His "merely took the right sounds and put them together".

Indeed, this -- the fifty-fifth -- Assembly was not a standard repertoire. The rousing overture of the Millennium Summit set the tone and vision; the pace of debate ranged from thoughtful and andante to spirited allegro. And the grand finale of the scale's-of-assessment breakthrough gave hope that, with symphonic synergy, the international community would enter the single unifying theme, enriched and enlivened by the verve of its variations.

In addition to reconfirmation of resolutions on issues such as maintenance of peace and security, poverty eradication, advancement of women, protection of the environment, promotion of democracy and good governance, and strengthening of the Organization itself, there were discernible fresh elements in those matters, as well as the introduction of relatively new subjects.

With the Assembly's expansive workload, topping 183 agenda items with 281 resolutions adopted this year, the First Committee took a step forward on nuclear disarmament and brought the problems of small arms into sharper focus. The Second Committee again debated intensively on globalization and its effect on development, and planned a number of high-level meetings to deal with issues as diverse as human settlements, sustainable development, problems of least developed countries and financing for development. The Third Committee, in addition to traditional social, humanitarian and cultural problems, for the first time took issue with the misuse of information technology and so-called honour crimes against women. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations studied the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (the Brahimi Report) in detail, approved some emergency recommendations and asked for further comprehensive review from the Secretariat. The Fifth Committee approved a new scale of assess ments of the regular budget, as well as peacekeeping operations, and the Sixth Committee forged ahead with plans for a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

Mr. Holkeri, who considers the Millennium Declaration the most important United Nations document after the Charter itself, emphasized to the Chronicle that the political will given by world leaders gave renewed impetus to existing programmes. In translating those ideals into action, he said, half of the work is in the hands of Member States, and the Organization is one of the tools in that effort.

It was indeed a banner year. The Millennium session started with the largest-ever gathering of heads of State and Government, and the Summit Declaration served as an inspiration for many plenary debates during the 55th regular session of the Assembly, which took place from 11 September to 22 December. Globalization, with its positive and negative effects, was the overarching theme. Among new items considered directly in the Plenary were "the situation in East Timor during its transition to independence", "the role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order" and "the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict".

Heads of State emphasized in the Declaration that no effort would be spared to free peoples from the scourge of war. The Assembly, in that context, in a resolution adopted without a vote, urged all States to support efforts of the diamond producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as the diamond industry, to find a way to break the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict, as a contribution to the prevention and settlement of conflicts.

The resolution on the role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order, which was adopted without a vote, stressed the need for a broad-based consensus for action within a comprehensive and holistic framework towards the achievement of the goals of development and poverty eradication.

The Assembly, acting without a vote, decided to convene as a matter of urgency a special session of the General Assembly from 25 to 27 June 2001, to address the problem of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, 34.3 million adults and children are HIV-positive and the disease has already killed 18.8 million people.

In addition, the Assembly welcomed Tuvalu as the 189th Member State of the United Nations and, acting on a recommendation of the Security Council, adopted by acclamation a resolution admitting the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to membership of the United Nations on 1 November. Also adopting without a vote, the Assembly recognized a resolution introduced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea welcoming and supporting the inter-Korean Summit and the Joint Declaration adopted on 15 June 2000 by the two leaders of those countries.

Talking to the Chronicle as the regular session was winding down, the 63-year-old Holkeri said he was personally impressed with how delegates to the Assembly were "intelligent, hardworking, real professionals" and "the best boys and girls of their countries".

One of "the boys", a diplomat from a developing country, who dealt mostly with bilateral issues before ins first overseas posting to the UN, told the Chronicle he was struck by the complexities of the issues and found the meetings to be a challenge. It was most difficult, after all sides had a chance to voice their concerns, to put in one place a position that could satisfy everybody, he said.

Another diplomat from a developing country, who bas been based in New York for four years, described ins experience as somewhat of a disillusionment. "We argue about commas and words when we deal with people's lives in security issues. I know it's important for many countries and I know where they come from, but for me the fundamental issue is people's lives.... But it's not all negative. A lot of things that we discuss, a lot of the resolutions, form the body of world opinion, especially issues of developing countries. It helps build the momentum needed to address some of the problems."

Several other diplomats echoed that assessment and some said that, with new actors on the world stage, the role of the United Nations as envisaged in the Secretary-General's Global Compact approach, ultimately, is one of a facilitator that brings all sides into the framework.

First Committee (Disarmament and International Security)

Towards a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World One Step Closer

The outcome of the 2000 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held in New York in April, and the decision of the United States Administration to defer the deployment of a national missile defense system enabled a number of UN Member States to move one step closer and granted a favourable vote on the issue of nuclear disarmament.

The First Committee was able to make real progress and end its session on a positive note. Three recurring draft resolutions on nuclear disarmament underwent perceptible changes, described by Committee Chairman Mya Than of Myanmar as "a remarkable development", given that previous attempts to a consensus agreement had never been reached. These changes reflect the consensus agreement of the latest NPT Review Conference when the five nuclear Powers-China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States--pledged "an unequivocal undertaking ... to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals."

The 187 States party to the NPT emphasized the necessity of achieving the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and prompt negotiations on a fissile material production ban, which was currently deadlocked in the Conference on Disarmament because 11111of the continued divergence of views on the priorities of the international disarmament agenda. However, it was the programme of action in the final document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference, which identified 13 incremental steps to be taken towards nuclear disarmament, that was mirrored in the drafts on nuclear disarmament.

Thus, for the "New Agenda Coalition" (Bra4 Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa), the third time was the charm. Voting patterns on the resolution entitled "Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: the need for a new agenda", which had undergone changes to incorporate elements of the NPT Final Declaration, saw switches among the five nuclear-weapon States: China voting in favour instead of abstaining; the United Kingdom and the United States in favour instead of against; and France and the Russian Federation abstaining instead of against, as they had done in the previous two years.

Ambassador Henrik Salander, who represented Sweden in the First Committee and led his country's delegation at the NPT Review Conference, in an interview with the UN Chronicle underscored the fact that the positive outcome of the Conference was surprising, given the widespread pessimism before the meeting. Even though the 13 steps identified in the outcome were not all that the New Agenda Coalition had proposed, because "you have to compromise in a conference of that type", the steps were "still an agenda of sorts. It's partly built from both what we proposed at the Review Conference and what we had earlier in the 1999 proposal [to the First Committee]." The Coalition's strategy was to solidify and universalize the NPT outcome by taking it from that forum, where some countries were not party, to the General Assembly. The resolution calls for the development and implementation of interim measures so as to lessen the role of nuclear weapons in the security policles of concerned States and to further reduce the status of nuclear-weapon systems.

The NPT, which was signed in 1968 and came into force in 1970, is considered by many experts to be the bedrock of the non-proliferation regime. It provides for a review conference every five years, but except for this year and in 1985, members have been unable to reach consensus agreement on the substance and language of their final determinations.

Other issues that dominated the debates in the First Committee were the Treaty on the Limitation of AntiBallistic Missiles Systems (ABM Treaty), negotiation of a fissile material cut-off treaty, the CTBT and its entry into force, nuclear-weapon-free zones and small arms.

The 1972 ABM Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation, by which the two countries agreed to limit the deployment and development of anti-ballistic missiles, was the subject of a UN resolution for the first time last year as a result of the United States plan to deploy a national missile-defense system. Many fear that if the United States were to proceed with the plan, it would constitute a breach of the ABM Treaty and trigger a new arms race.

Thus, although welcoming United States President Bill Clinton's decision not to authorize a national missile defense system dining his administration, the Russian Federation, China and Belarus, for the second year introduced a draft resolution on the preservation of and compliance with the ABM Treaty. China's Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Hu Xiaodi, said during a debate in the Committee that the Treaty went beyond bilateral relations in its significance, and its violation "would undermine global strategic balance and stability, jeopardize trust between States, and produce far-reaching negative impacts on international peace, security and multilateral disarmament and arms control processes".

On the other hand, United States Ambassador Robert Gray said the ABM Treaty was negotiated and signed in a different political era and under different circumstances and it had not contemplated new emerging threats. The resolution was approved by a recorded vote of 78 to 3 (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States), with 65 abstentions.

For the second consecutive year, Iran introduced a draft resolution on missiles, arguing that it is a global issue and that "partial or very narrowly defined measures" to deal with them was not conducive to results that would be generally accepted. A new element in the resolution is that it asks the Secretary-General to establish a study group to assist him in preparing a report on missiles in all its aspects and report back to the Assembly in 2002. The draft was adopted by 90 to none, with 60 abstentions, which reflected the positions of countries wishing to maintain the existing limited framework of the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Taking advantage of the consensus language from the 2000 Review Agreement, Canada put forward for consideration a revised draft resolution it had first introduced two years ago, encouraging negotiations on a fissile material production ban by linking the subject with the Conference on Disarmament programme of work--that the Disarmament Conference has to agree on the work programme before launch ing the negotiations. The draft was adopted without a vote and it is believed this will pave the way for possible establishment of an ad hoc committee on the subject to prepare for negotiations in the 2001 session of the Conference on Disarmament. Chairman Mya Than stressed that the development was "very significant" and sent an important political signal to the Conference on Disarmament to overcome its impasse for its 2001 session.

As far as resolutions on small arms were concerned, the First Committee was able to agree to hold the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001. Meanwhile, substantive considerations were going well, according to Ambassador Carlos dos Santos of Mozambique, who chairs the Preparatory Committee.

Consultations were held in the margin of the First Committee meetings on a draft structure of elements for the programme of action prepared by Ambassador dos Santos. Most important, he told the Chronicle, since the Conference was called for by the 54th General Assembly, many regional meetings have been held that were very supportive of the work of the Preparatory Committee.

In Africa, where the easy availability of small arms corresponded with high numbers of civilian casualties, a high-level meeting in Bamako, Mali, of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security resulted in a common position adopted in a declaration by consensus.

Ambassador dos Santos emphasized that the programme of action meant business and that the issue could not be solved unless all components and stakeholders were involved. Although the Conference itself was not a treaty-making conference, he hoped its programme of action, which would deal with what measures to take at the national, regional and global levels, would contribute towards developing an international instrument.

A resolution on the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) urges all States that had not yet done so to ratify the Convention without delay.

Summing up the work of the First Committee, Ambassador Mya Than called it very successful, and the atmosphere less acrimonious than in previous years, not to mention that they had finished ahead of schedule. Upon the Committee's recommendation, the General Assembly adopted 48 disarmament and security-related resolutions and 1 decision.

Second Committee (Economic and Financial)

United and Flying High

Although the issue of globalization and its effects continued to be the most intensely discussed subject in the Second Committee, in the end, whether it was the world agenda on sustainable development, combating poverty, bridging the digital divide or financing for development, the common denominator of the 35 resolutions passed by the Committee was that the commitment of the international community is most crucial in dealing with transnational problems.

The matter is best summed up by Eduardo Galvez, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Chile. Invoking the image of an albatross flying high in elegant circles against a dear blue sky over the sea, he perceives the role of the United Nations as that naturally of the custodian of fundamental values of solidarity and international cooperation. The world body, Mr. Galvez said, is like an albatross whose majesty is most evident when it is high in the sky, and ugly and clumsy when it is forced to walk on earth.

He first used this metaphor to rally delegates to an earlier informal meeting on the preparations for the High-level International Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development. The meeting had been bogged down on procedural issues, and concerns had been raised about the utility of another United Nations conference. Mr. Galvez urged his colleagues to stand up for the ideals of human solidarity and equitable distribution of wealth, instead of only defending the interests of the States they represented. It resonates with what the Chairman of the Second Committee, Alexandru Niculescu of Romania, calls a "verification of multilateralism in the face of the challenges of globalization."

These are big words and major problems. As in the broader arena, the issue of globalization as debated in the Committee took on cultural, political and other connotations, in addition to an economic one, which ranges from the broadest sense--such as another name for capitalism--to the narrower ones of international trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the flow of capital. One of the responses to the downsides of globalization was the fifty-fourth General Assembly's decision to convene a high-level intergovernmental meeting on finance and development. Asda Jayanama, Thailand's Ambassador to the United Nations and a co-chair of the Preparatory Committee for the event, told the Chronicle that the matter had been discussed in the Assembly for many years, but the 1997 financial crisis in Asia that spread to other parts of the world "forced the issue".

The event will address development through the perspective of finance, as well as the mobilization of financial resources for the full implementation of the outcome of the major United Nations conferences and summits of the 1990s. Although he cautiously reminded that the agenda of the event is still evolving, Mr. Asda said that the likely topics of discussion would include: mobilization of domestic financial resources for development; mobilizing international resources for development such as FDI and other private flows; trade; official development assistance (ODA); debt; and systemic issues such as the world financial architecture and monetary system. Depending on the level of development and type of economy a country has, delegates would be able to focus on issues that interest them.

Since the General Assembly requested the Preparatory Committee to consider innovative ways and mechanisms to engage active involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the preparatory process as well as in the event, the Committee established special working relationships with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. Two public hearings have also been conducted: one for civil society and one for the private sector.

Ambassador Jorgen Bojer of Denmark, who is the other co-chair of the Preparatory Committee, told the Chronicle that he hoped that by sharing experiences, the most important contribution of this high-level meeting would be to create "a larger body of common analysis and opinion in what works in development" in order to achieve the right political motivation for action in the years following the event.

"For example, it must be recognized that ODA can never be the primary source for financing for development. The volume will always be limited compared to what comes from the countries themselves from private transactions and trade. Once we realize this limitation, we can identify the important areas for which ODA is essential, since some countries do not attract private flows or domestic resources. So, by putting ODA in the right context--that is its limitation and necessity--we hope we can increase the advocacy for ODA," said Ambassador Bojer.

On the role of Governments in globalization, he said it was a challenge to strike the right balance between leaving freedom for economic exchanges and foreign transactions, and still allow Governments and intergovernmental organizations their necessary role in mitigating the effects of free market forces. He stressed that "it's important to promote development, but if the outcome of that development is not distributed in a way that takes into account social consequences, then it's not satisfactory and that requires the role of the Government".

Upon the Second Committee's recommendation, the Assembly decided that the high-level international intergovernmental event on financing for development should be scheduled for the first quarter of 2002. It also extended its invitation to interested countries to host the event. A number of delegates who have spoken to the Chronicle indicated a preference for holding it in a developing country.

Discussions took place on two other global conferences: the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries and the 10-year review of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro). The Assembly decided to organize the review in 2002 at the summit level in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Summit, nicknamed Rio+10, will assess the current state of progress and examine the obstacles preventing the implementations of the Rio Agreement. It will seek to adopt time-bound measures, including institutional and financial requirements, to overcome those obstacles and address new issues that have emerged since the 1992 Summit.

Preliminary assessments made in 1997 for the Rio+5 special session of the General Assembly concluded that "business-as-usual" was not likely to result in sustainable development. Reports pointed to some progress, such as a slowdown in world population growth, a rise in food production and life expectancy, improvements in environmental quality in some regions, and steps by many Governments to conserve natural resources. However, this was tempered by major negative trends, including a growing scarcity of fresh water, loss of productive agricultural land, forests and biodiversity, and a downward spiral of poverty for many people.

For the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries(LDCs), the Assembly decided to convene the second session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee, from 5 to 9 February 2001 in New York, to undertake the first formal reading of the draft programme of action.

Saleumxay Kommasith, Second Secretary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic's Permanent Mission to the UN, in an interview with the Chronicle, said he thought the implementation of plans from the First and Second Conferences on LDCs were lacking, especially when it was coupled with the decline in ODA. However, he has seen signs of improvement during the preparatory process for the Third Conference and expects more tangible benefits this time around. Nevertheless, Mr. Saleumxay stressed that there were two important issues that needed to be addressed, namely, getting donor countries to commit 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to ODA programmes, and creating a mechanism to monitor and ensure a conducive global economic environment. "Even in stable times, LDCs need help in improving national capacity-building. In a crisis, we are very fragile," he said. Laos' GDP growth was shaved off by 3 per cent as a result of the 1997 financial crisis.

According to Mr. Bojer, Denmark's ODA is a little over 1 per cent of its GDP, making it one of the very few countries able to reach the 0.7 per cent target. The reason the country was able to succeed in getting good public backing, he said, was because the programmes showed that ODA worked and was being responsibly spent. He also emphasized that it helped that "our own society, to a large extent, is based on the sense of solidarity", and noted that it would help if other countries follow this example. "It does get difficult over the years to be at the top of the list", he said.

The Conference will be held in Brussels from 13 to 20 May 2001. Currently, 48 countries, with a combined population of 610.5 million--equivalent to 10.2 per cent of the world population--are identified as "least developed countries".

There were three resolutions adopted by the General. Assembly on further implementation of the outcome of past global conferences. In a text on the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the Assembly called on Member States and relevant United Nations organs and agencies to support the efforts of those States in the implementation of the Programme of Action, through the provision of adequate technical and financial resources.

Two related texts dealt with the review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the United Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II). The Assembly decided that a special session would be held from 6 to 8 June 2001 at UN Headquarters.

In adopting a resolution on the status of preparations for the 2002 International Year of Mountains, the Assembly encouraged all States, the United Nations system and all other actors to increase awareness of mountain ecosystems. Similarly, the Assembly proclaimed 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater.

The Assembly decided to establish the United Nations System Staff College, as of 1 January 2001, after the approval of its statute. The basic mission of the College is to nurture innovation and a common management culture throughout the United Nations system. In his statement welcoming the adoption of this resolution, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said" the global challenges facing the system increasingly call for new, concerted responses cutting across the areas of competence of individual United Nations organizations and agencies. By providing a common, modem instrument for system-wide learning, the College will greatly strengthen the capacity of staff to be agents of change and to meet these challenges in an effective and cohesive way."

The only text recommended by the Second Committee that was adopted by a recorded vote called on Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, cause the loss to or the depletion of or to endanger the natural resources m the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. The Assembly adopted the resolution by a vote of 147 to 2 (Israel, United States), with 3 abstentions (Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru).

Asked to comment on signs of weariness of United Nations conferences, Mauricio Escanero, Minister of the Permanent Mission of Mexico, told the Chronicle a story of the time when he attended the Earth Summit. At the end of that historic forum, the then 34-year-old Escanero had asked a veteran diplomat what he thought had been achieved. "He said, 'look at me son. I'm talking about the environment and sustainable development. They were never in my vocabulary before."

Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural)

Keeping An Eye on Crime

The Third Committee, which has long been defined by the debate and discussions on human rights and humanitarian issues, this year had before it some new resolutions that were decidedly non-human rights, such as the misuse of information technology and the promotion of democracy.

On traditional human rights issues, there was both good and bad news. On the one hand, the centrality of human rights to the mission of the United Nations was firmly committed by world leaders in the Millennium Declaration; on the other, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said during her annual report to the Third Committee that the overall human rights situation worldwide continued to be worrisome and, in some areas, was worsening to a degree that had given rise to grave concern. It was, she said, "a chastening environment" in which the Committee held its first meeting of the millennium.

As one delegate said during the debate, no country was beyond criticism for its human rights record, and country-specific reviews of human rights situations triggered the most diverse responses. Committee Chairperson Yvonne Gittens-Joseph of Trinidad and Tobago told the Chronicle that despite some very controversial subjects, of the 63 resolutions recommended by the Committee for adoption, 48 were adopted without a vote. Many resolutions took into account the spirit of the Millennium Declaration, as well as new dynamics on issues of concern to the Committee, namely, children, women, indigenous people and migrants.

A new resolution concerned the abuse of women. According to the State of World Population 2000 published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), each year as many as 5,000 women and girls are murdered by members of their own families, many of them for the "dishonour" of having been raped, and the numbers are on the rise.

The issue has been discussed over the years in the Third Committee, but this year for the first time it was introduced under the resolution "Towards the elimination of crimes against women committed in the name of honour". Between 1997 and 1999, this was addressed under the resolution on "Traditional practices that affect the health of women". It is twice mentioned in the "Beijing+5" document--a follow-up to the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women--and dealt with in UNFPA and "Women 2000" [A General Assembly special session] reports. However, after conducting its own research in the summer of 1999, the Foreign Ministry of the Netherlands found that the issue "does not quite fit" under the scope of traditional practices that affect the health of women and deserved to be tackled in its own right. Thus, the subject was brought to the fore.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Paul Peters, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands, said his country sought to bring the matter to the attention of policy makers in the international arena after having supported a number of small local projects, which dealt with violence against women in general, around the world, for over $3 million in foreign aid in the past two years. "We just wanted it to have an integrated approach by addressing the issue at both the policy-making for a and on the ground in projects managed by small groups," said Mr. Peters.

In the Third Committee, the draft resolution was the subject of intense debate because some Member States objected to the manner in which a documentary on the subject was shown to delegates, albeit not as part of the work process of the Committee, and left an impression that the problem had religious connotations.

Talking to the Chronicle, Norlin Othman, Counsellor at the Malaysian Permanent Mission, said: "It is a problem, but why select one particular crime against women?" Malaysia, as chair of the Organization of Islamic Conference, issued a statement regretting what the organization sees as an attempt to link honour killings with Islamic countries. Ms. Othman stressed that the magnitude of the problem is not as big as other crimes against women and that it is not condoned by Islam.

In addition, there were also efforts to amend the language to include the term "premeditated" before the word "crime" in the preambular paragraph and one operative paragraph, but objections were raised that the due diligence of Governments in preventing all forms of violence against women was the language that had been agreed upon at the Beijing+5 meeting--a universally recognized document on women's issues which had placed no limitation on definitions of crimes of honour. The amendments were defeated by a recorded vote of 22 to 80, with 24 abstentions.

The resolution went on to be adopted in the Plenary. In it the Assembly expressed its concern about women continuing to be victims of violence, including many forms of crime committed in the name of honour. It would also express concern that some perpetrators assumed they had justification for such crimes, and call upon States to take certain actions, including implementing obligations under human rights laws and intensifying efforts to prevent such crimes.

Another kind of criminal act was the focus of a second new resolution. "I suppose crime comes under the social aspect of the Third Committee", said Avraham Rabby, Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Officer at the United States Permanent Mission, who introduced a resolution on the criminal misuse of information technology. The purpose of the resolution, he said, was first of all to raise awareness of the issue of "cyber-crime"; which is a relatively new subject in the General Assembly, secondly, to encourage countries to modify their legal and law enforcement systems to deal with this type of criminal activity, and lastly, since the crimes could be committed anywhere in the world, to have good cooperation among nations.

There was concern about how a resolution on such a subject could be made when countries around the world were at different stages of development in technology. That the issue came up at a time when developed and developing countries are bemoaning the large digital divide between the rich and the poor, both between and within countries, does not make it less relevant, according to Mr. Rabby, who told the Chronicle that even in developing countries, many important sectors, such as banking and public utilities, are run by computers which are vulnerable to hackers.

A growing number of incidents, such as the "Melissa" and the "I-love-you" viruses, wreaking havoc on computer data worldwide gives good reason to bring up the issue in the General Assembly, said Mr. Rabby. Precisely because it is a new issue, many countries have not had any provisions in their law to deal with it. Intergovernmental bodies, such as the Group of 8 and the Council of Europe, have already started cooperation on the matter and their positive response to the resolution was immediate. In addition to the issue of the digital gap, one concern during informal negotiations on the resolution was the definition of "cyber-crime". Mr. Rabby emphasized that the resolution deliberately does not get into the business of what cyber-crime is.

"We want countries to define that for themselves. For instance, the United States does not regard hate speeches on the Internet as criminal misuse of the Internet, because we are strong on the freedom of speech. We do include criminals who decide to penetrate a system of organization and cause havoc with the data." Despite what Mr. Rabby described as "some skepticism and resistance", the resolution was eventually adopted without a vote.

Mihaela Blajan, Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Romania, agreed with critics of the resolution on promoting and consolidating democracy that there is no one universal model of democracy. But she also thought that the resolution, introduced by Romania, was saying just that--there is no one universal model, but democracy, wherever it is practised, has shared, common values that UN Member States must recognize.

"We think it is a theme and an approach that is good for the UN entering the new millennium. More and more countries are choosing democracy as the best form of organizing society and people in decision-making. It has deep respect for human rights and sustainable development", she told the Chronide. Ms. Blajan also stressed that "we might not be able to agree on a definition of democracy acceptable to all, but we can identify things, principles and actions that we consider to be essential for democracy. ... There are many paths and steps countries are taking towards democracy that are acceptable within their own social and cultural background."

Some of the key principles the resolution highlights are the promotion of pluralism, in which a number of political parties participate in an election, good governance, accountable public institutions and the practice of responding to different interests in society through legal dialogues. Although there were reservations by some countries on a single-model concept and the issue of a pluralistic media, the resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 145 to none, with 14 abstentions.

China, in explanation of its abstention, said "each and every Government and its people have the right to choose and determine its economic and social paths according to its own circumstances. ... Promoting democracy should take into full account the different phases of development, cultural and historical background. ... The draft resolution requested each and every country to promote and consolidate democracy based on one model, rather than respect the rights of each people to choose the path towards democracy based on their own national situation, which is not in the spirit of democracy." Asked what she thinks about what scholars call a "backsliding" of democracy in some places, Ms. Blajan said that such things can happen, but stressed "democracy is something you have to work on every day".

Another theme that was prominent in the work of the Third Committee was racism, which bodes well for the upcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Decrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 7 September 2001. There were several resolutions in 2000 condemning acts of racism in light of the prominence of some extremist organizations, including one on measures to be taken against political platforms and activities based on doctrines of superiority, which are based on racial discrimination or ethnic exclusiveness and xenophobia, including in particular neo-Nazism. The Assembly also proclaimed the year 2001 as the International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

In addition, the Assembly decided to devote two plenary meetings of its fifty-sixth session to the question of volunteering to coincide with the close of the 2001 International Year of Volunteers. It also decided that the Second World Assembly on Ageing as a follow-up to the 1999 International Year of Older Persons would be held from 8 to 12 April 2002 in Madrid, Spain.

As part of the resolution on the 1994-2004 International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, the Assembly welcomed the Economic and Social Council's decision in July 2000 to establish a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues as a subsidiary organ of the Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues relating to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights (see box on page 42).

On the matter of migrants, the Assembly decided that 29 June would be commemorated as World Refugee Day. A resolution on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was approved without a vote, but its operative paragraph 20, referring to a disputed definition of the protection of internally displaced persons, called for a recorded vote, which was 118 to none, with 30 abstentions. Several delegations expressed disappointment at breaking precedent with a vote on any aspect of that resolution.

In her last address to the Assembly after 10 years as the High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata reflected on the work of the Organization in the last decade. She said the UNNHCR "had helped millions return home in Mozambique, in Indochina and Central America. But a key lesson learned was that real and lasting solutions take time, effort and sustained international engagement".

The Declaration against Transnational Organized Crime, which was opened for signing at a high-level meeting in Palermo, Italy on 11 December, was considered jointly by the Third Committee and the Assembly directly. In its deliberations, the Committee affirmed the nexus of drug trafficking, arms trade and terrorism, saying that drug trafficking was a major source of illegal proceeds and created a strong financial base for terrorist activities.

Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)

Peacekeeping Reform Soldiers On

With the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, also called the Brahimi Report, released on 21 August, just weeks before the fifty-fifth General Assembly, the issue of peacekeeping was the focal point of discussion in the Fourth Committee.

The Panel was established by the Secretary-General in March 2000 and chaired by Lakdhar Brahimi, Under-Secretary-General for Special Assignments in support of the Secretary General's preventive and peacemaking efforts. Its report contains a number of recommendations for changes in the way the United Nations handles peacekeeping, including: extensive restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, a new information and strategic analysis unit to service all United Nations departments concerned with peace and security; an integrated task force at Headquarters to plan and support each peacekeeping mission from its inception; and more systematic use of information technology.

Many of the proposed changes require political, financial or operational decisions from Member States. Subsequently, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations met in extraordinary session to discuss in a 119-member open-ended working group the Panel's recommendations, as well as a subsequent report by the Secretary-General on the Special Committee's recommendations on peacekeeping contained in its last report to the General Assembly(A/54/839).

In an interview with the Chronicle, Michel Duval, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada and Chairman of the Working Group on Peacekeeping, said the Special Committee reviews peacekeeping in all its aspects every year from Member States' input. Although the Brahimi Report is on peace operations, the focus was on peacekeeping, thus it was taken up by the Special Committee, which spent one month reviewing the Report. He also noted that about 65 per cent of the Report is drawn from the work of the Special Committee.

Two of the most contentious issues among some delegates, according to Mr. Duval, were the fear of what he called "suffocation from the North"--that peacekeeping would he used as an excuse to intervene in the internal affairs of Member States, and the other is the concern that peacekeeping operations will be improved at the expense of development issues. Personally, he said, "I think it is a fear that is not based on logic. You cannot rationalize fear, but that is where the fault-line was." Even so, he noted that, despite some apprehension, it was recognized that there was a need for a stronger peacekeeping capacity in the Secretariat.

As of 1 January 2001, there are 15 peacekeeping operations with 37,719 military personnel and civilian police serving under the auspices of the United Nations. The estimated cost of operations from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 is between $2.6 billion and $3 billion. According to Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guehenno in his report to the Fourth Committee, presently roughly 400 Headquarters staff supported 58,000 field personnel. It is widely recognized that in recent years there has been a growing demand for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Moreover, the scope of

these missions has been much broader than the "traditional" peacekeeping operations of monitoring ceasefires and separation of forces after inter-State wars. Under the circumstances, according to the Brahimi Report, among other emergencies, the problem of understaffing at the Secretariat needed remedy. However, some Member States expressed concerned over what they call a "simplification of a complex problem". Nev ertheless, after what one diplomat called "excruciatingly going over the details" in the Brahimi Report, 93 posts were approved "to give the Secretariat the oxygen it needed".

Other major findings of the Special Committee included the necessity of strengthening and formalizing the consultation process between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries. Other areas given a high-level importance were the issues of senior mission personnel and the United Nations Standby Arrangements System. These reflected concerns raised during the general debate on peacekeeping in the Fourth Committee. Other problems that needed to be addressed, some delegates told the Chronicle, were political will, willingness of countries to contribute troops, the preparedness of those forces, and the working method of the Security Council which sets the mandate for these missions.

In a Chronicle interview, Graham Maitland, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of South Africa, called the Brahimi recommendations "a refreshing approach". He thought the issue was not about development vis a vis peacekeeping, and stressed that the focus should be on conflict prevention. Jose A. de Ory, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Spain, also observed that the Brahimi Report "is not about moving people from different departments. It's about doing things in different ways.... This thrust has somehow been lost."

Ambassador Duval emphasized that the matter of peacekeeping is urgent because "we see situations when peacekeeping is done by other organizations. It is a firm belief that the UN must regain its central role in peacekeeping." Echoing what delegates have said in debates, he also stressed that it is not only peacekeeping that needs reform but the Security Council, Member States and the Secretariat as well. He said that Member States have different roles. "The Member States appear as members of the Security Council, which has a special responsibility, then as members of the General Assembly, and in the Fifth Committee as providers of the resources, and they also host peacekeeping missions. It's not just a matter of sovereignty but of responsibility." He agreed that fixing the Secretariat is not the answer to the whole problem of peacekeeping, but it must be addressed.

Eventually, the resolution on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects was approved without a vote. According to the terms of the draft, the General Assembly would endorse the proposals, recommendations and conclusions of the report of the Special Committee from its extraordinary session. The Special Committee would resume its consideration of the Brahimi Report and the implementation plan during its forthcoming regular session, which would be held after the completion and submission of the comprehensive review of peacekeeping that it had asked the Secretary-General to prepare and which is expected by May 2001.

On the whole, the Fourth Committee approved 25 draft resolutions and 3 draft decisions. Of the 28 texts approved, 11 draft resolutions and 2 draft decisions were approved without a vote. Besides peacekeeping, decolonization was another issue of concern in the Committee. As the General Assembly adopted the recommendations of the Fourth Committee, it commemorated the fortieth anniversary of its adoption of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples on 8 December, and adopted a resolution declaring the period 2001-2010 the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism by a recorded vote of 125 to 2 (United Kingdom, United States), with 30 abstentions.

In the Fourth Committee itself, the question of decolonization was intensely discussed. Seventeen Non-SelfGoverning Territories are still in existence and speakers urged flexibility in the process of delisting them and expressed opposition to the exploitation of those Territories for natural resources or military activities.

Most delegates agreed that the renewed violence in the Middle East reaffirmed the importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Deeply concerned about the Agency's persisting financial problems, the Committee supported the continuation of its work and appealed for increased donor support. There was profound concern that the continuing shortfall in UNRWA's finances has significant negative influence on the living conditions of the refugees most in need, with possible consequences on the Middle East peace process.

Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary)

Fixing the Scale

After extended and grueling negotiations, in the eleventh hour the Committee was able to formalize a new scale of assessments for the regular budget of the United Nations for 2001-2003. Subsequently, the maximum percentage that any one Member State would be obliged to pay was reduced from 25 to 22 per cent. It would review this in 2003 and, depending on the status of contributions and arrears, may make further changes.

The resolution on the new scale of assessments was one of the most important questions on the Fifth Committee's agenda. The new scale, adopted without a vote, would be based on a State's gross national product (GNP) over statistical base periods of three and six years, with a low per capita income adjustment of 80 per cent. The Assembly also established a minimum assessment of 0.00 1 per cent and a maximum for least developed countries of 0.01 per cent. The maximum assessment rate would be 22 per cent, reducing the assessment of the largest contributor by 3 per cent. Market conversion rates for currency would be used except in exceptional circumstances. Ambassador Paul Heinbecker of Canada, speaking in explanation of vote, said that "while the new scale is not perfect, it is a reasonable compromise that does not unduly distort the methodology."

In 1999, the United States Congress adopted legislation authorizing the payment of $926 million in arrears to international organizations over a three-year period, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions. The payment for 2000 was conditional, among other things, on action by the Assembly to reduce the regular budget ceiling assessment for Member States, which the United States had been assessed, to 22 per cent, and the country's assessed share of peacekeeping operations to 25 per cent.

Ambassador Richard Holbrooke of the United States said during a debate on the item that his country did not shirk from admitting that its failure to pay dues on time had contributed to the problem of what he termed the Organization's state of "financial straightjacket". However, he also emphasized that the United Nations must leave behind the practice of placing excessive reliance on one Member State. "Capacity to pay was the cornerstone, but it was not sufficient to provide an adequate foundation for the edifice", he said.

In formulating the new scale of assessment, delegates weighed 12 proposals which were based on views expressed in the Committee debate during the fifty-fourth General Assembly. Discussions focused on issues such as the principle of the capacity to pay, adjustments for low per capita income and debt burden. Most speakers agreed that capacity to pay should remain the main principle for the calculation of the scale and should reflect the new economies of the world. Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries, and China stressed that consideration be given to those developing countries that had crossed, or were in the process of crossing, the threshold of the low per capita income adjustment, and which might be assigned a disproportionate burden that would affect their capacity to pay.

The Assembly noted that the new method would lead to substantial increases in the assessments of some Members, and decided to apply transitional measures to address those increases. The financial burden resulting from the changes to the scale for 2001 would be borne in part by a voluntary donation from the United States, equivalent to 3 per cent of the total amount assessed on Member States.

Another important development in the Fifth Committee's work this session were the scale of assessments for financing peacekeeping operations and providing resources for the implementation of the first phase of the Brahimi Report's recommendations.

It was decided that the assessment rates for peacekeeping would be based on the scale of assessments for the United Nations regular budget, but a different procedure is required to determine the actual level of assessment. Starting from 1 July 2001, some Member States would receive a discount or premium for peacekeeping assessments compared to the proportion of the regular budget that they are required to pay. The application and level of discounts and premiums would be determined by their categorization into 1 of 10 groups. Least developed countries would be placed in Category J for peace-keeping, and would receive a 90 per cent discount on what the regular assessment formula would otherwise determine should be their level of assessment. States in Category D through I would receive discounts ranging from 20 per cent to 80 per cent. Allocation to those categories would depend on a State's level of per capita income, with the maximum level for each category specified in the draft. Certain listed Member States would be assessed as Category C States, with a discount of 7.5 per cent. All other States with per capita incomes above the upper limit of $9,594 would fall into Category B, whereby no discount would apply. Permanent members of the Security Council would be assessed as Category A States and pay a premium over their regular assessment obligations sufficient to make up for the discounts.

The Assembly also reaffirmed the general principles underlying the financing of United Nations peacekeeping operations, including those of collective responsibility, the greater ability of more developed countries to pay, and the special consideration for Member States which are victims of events or actions leading to peacekeeping operations.

The Assembly also welcomed the commitment of certain States-Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey-to voluntarily contribute to peacekeeping at a higher rate than required by their per capita income. Other States can make such a commitment by informing the General Assembly through the Secretary-General.

On the implementation of the initial phase of the Brahimi Report, starting in January 2001 the Assembly approved $400,000 in new funds under the regular budget and $9.19 million under the peacekeeping support account for the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001.

The Committee also recommended appropriations for specific peacekeeping missions, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET); the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK); and the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

In light of the critical financial situation of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), the Assembly will advance up to $800,000 to the Institute for the year 2001 on an exceptional and emergency basis. That amount, less voluntary contributions received, would be considered a one-time-only subvention. The Assembly emphasized the need for the Institute, as a voluntarily financed programme of the United Nations, to actively pursue the expansion of its donor base.

After a plea from Benon Sevan, United Nations Security Coordinator, who said the existing safety system was a failure and the Organization's personnel had become "soft targets, free to be mistreated, abused, taken hostage and murdered with impunity, the Assembly appropriated $2.21 million for the Secretary-General to take immediate measures to strengthen the security management system.

Overall, the Fifth Committee's recommendations during the current session on revised estimates submitted by the Secretary-General, as well as on the programme budget implications of resolutions adopted by the Assembly under items considered by other Main Committees or in respect of items considered in plenary meetings, resulted in a net decrease in the approved level of appropriations in the amount of $2,563,800 and a net increase in the approved income estimates in the amount of $19,523,800. In its resolutions 54/250 A and B of 23 December 1999, the General Assembly approved budget appropriations for the biennium 2000-2001 in the amount of $2,535,689,200 and income estimates in the amount of $361,298,900.

Sixth Committee (Legal)

Saying No to Terrorism

Despite what Sixth Committee Chairman Marco Politi of Italy described as a "very intense debate" conducted during the height of the situation in the Middle East in September, the Committee's work was an unqualified success. It recommended 14 resolutions and 2 decisions to the General Assembly, all of which, with the exception of a resolution on terrorism, were approved without a vote.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Chairman Politi stressed that the atmosphere had been cooperative. There had been intense discussion on the resolution on measures to eliminate international terrorism, which focused on the traditionally controversial question of distinguishing between the act of terrorism and the struggle for self-determination. Although a consensus was not reached, the resolution was adopted by the Assembly by a recorded vote of 151 to none, with 2 abstentions (Lebanon, Syria).

Both countries, in explanation before the vote, reaffirmed their condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, but stressed the need to distinguish between criminal terrorist acts and acts of people fighting against foreign occupation and for self-determination, which Syria's representative said was "recognized under the United Nations Charter and international law". Lebanon said "it was the inalienable right of peoples to restore their independence and sovereignty".

Citing persistent worldwide acts of terrorism, the Assembly strongly condemned them as criminal and unjustifiable, irrespective of where they were committed and by whom. It also decided that its Ad Hoc Committee on Terrorism, established in 1996, should continue work on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism and on the draft international convention on acts of nuclear terrorism. So far, the Ad Hoc Committee has been able to finalize two conventions: for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and for the Suppression of Financing for Terrorism.

During the Committee debate, delegates observed that terrorism had become "globalized" and said there was a need to look at such issues as the "safe haven" that was given to terrorists by third countries, the legal definition of "terrorism", and whether the scope of a comprehensive convention should include acts by armed forces.

A working group of the Committee has been elaborating a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism based on a text submitted by India. In response to those troubled by the draft convention's relationship to existing conventions dealing with specific international terrorism issues, Narinder Singh, legal advisor at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, told the Chronicle that the draft had no intention of overriding or superseding those conventions. "To the extent that positive developments could be applied to those earlier conventions, then we would like to have them applied", he said, mentioning that some delegates were concerned that provisions in the draft comprehensive convention which do not exist in earlier conventions would amount to an amendment to those conventions.

Two other achievements in the Sixth Committee highlighted by the Chairman were the amendment of the Statute of the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations to enhance the Tribunal's judicial character and standing, and the adoption of a declaration on the nationality of natural persons in relation to the succession of States. The Assembly amended that Statute to replace some provisions relating to the qualifications of the Tribunal's members and term of office, and introduced an article by which a significant question of law could be referred for consideration by the whole seven-member Tribunal. The amendment took effect on 1 January 2001.

In 1999, the International Law Commission adopted final draft articles on the nationality of natural persons in relation to the succession of States, and recommended that the General Assembly adopt them in the form of a declaration. A key provision states that every individual who on the date of the succession of the States had the nationality of the predecessor State, irrespective of its mode of acquisition, has the right to the nationality of at least one of the States concerned. The intent of the stipulation is to prevent statelessness.

As the 31 December 2000 deadline for signing the International Criminal Court Statute--commonly referred to as the Rome Statute--loomed, the Sixth Committee discussed the report of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court. The report covered the results of the Commission's 12 to 30 June 2000 session, during which the body adopted by consensus the Rules of Procedure and Evidence for the Court, as well as a text on the Elements of Crimes listed in the Statute as being under the Court's jurisdiction.

The International Criminal Court, which is to be a permanent judicial body with jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by individuals, will become operational once, the Rome Statute establishing it, receives 60 ratifications. The Statute was originally opened for signature in July 1998 after intense negotiations and judicious compromises to reach widespread agreement. Despite lingering concerns over the jurisdiction of the Court, 139 States met the year-end deadline to sign the Statute and 27 countries have ratified it. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that he greatly appreciated the fact that so many Members, in particular the United States, took the decision to sign the Statute.

"The Governments that have made this enlightened move clearly understand that the Court represents no threat to States with an organized criminal justice system. On the contrary, it is designed only to protect those most vulnerable people whose own government, if they have one, is unable or unwilling to prosecute those who violate their most fundamental human rights," said the Secretary-General.

The Assembly asked that the Preparatory Commission meet for two more sessions in 2001 to continue working on the remaining arrangements for the Court to function effectively. Phakiso Mochochoko, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Lesotho, and the Coordinator of the Working Group on Privileges and Immunities of the Court, told the Chronicle that discussions on the issue had been going well. He argued that "the fear that the prosecutor would prosecute 'wily-nilly' is unfounded because safeguards are already in place." What was important, he said, was the Court's integrity and effectiveness as a deterrent.

Meanwhile, in his statement to the Sixth Committee, Judge Gilbert Guillaume, President of the International Court of Justice, warned of the dangers of legal fragmentation and inconsistency within the case law as a result of the proliferation of international courts. Although the increase in judicial bodies was a response to the need to subject the expanding inter-State relations and cross-frontier transactions to the rule of law, the unfortunate consequences were the risk of overlapping jurisdictions which, the Judge said, could lead to "forum shopping" and the rendering of conflicting judgements. He suggested that before creating a new court, it should be determined whether an existing body could serve the purpose. In addition, relations between the courts needed to be institutionalized and judges should engage in constant inter-judicial dialogue.

Another resolution dealt with the increase of State involvement in commercial activities. It was the context in which the Assembly established an ad hoc committee, which is to meet for two weeks in March 2002, to continue work on a draft convention on jurisdictional immunities of States and their property.

Asked to describe the development of the work of the Sixth Committee over time, Chairman Politi, who is leaving the Permanent Mission of Italy after eight years in New York, said "people realize that we need to have a results-oriented attitude, so there is an effort to make it more productive and focused. At the same time there is a tradition to try to have consensus on all resolutions."

Assembly Welcomes Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The United Nations began its first formal work on indigenous people in 1982 with the establishment of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. After nearly 10 years of work, with the participation of many Governments and hundreds of indigenous organizations, the Working Group completed a draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 1993, which was later submitted in 1995 to the Commission on Human Rights. The Commission set up an open-ended intersessional working group on the draft declaration to review the text submitted, and in that same year the General Assembly decided to celebrate the period 1995-2004 as the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which was established by an Economic and Social Council decision in July 2000, will be composed of 16 members, 8 of whom are to be nominated by Governments and elected by the Council, and another 8 to be appointed by the Council President.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Erica-Irene A. Daes of Greece, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People and their Relationship to Land, discussed concerns raised over the possibility of discrimination in the selection of indigenous representatives by Member States and the lack of progress on the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples:

"First, they will be selected at the level of their organization which can propose a certain number of representatives. The Secretary-General or the Economic and Social Council will have the opportunity to select according to their qualifications and select the best of these. So it's not so difficult because the indigenous people recognize certain of them as their representatives according to their education, experience and knowledge of the United Nations and the problems that indigenous people are facing. Perhaps at first we will have unavoidable problems of injustices, but it could be overcome.

"The Permanent Forum will have the greatest impact on the issues of human rights, environment and development. Indigenous people will be able to make proposals-very radical and meaningful proposals-concerning socio-economic and sustainable development. They will be able to make concrete proposals based on experience and knowledge, and will have an impact on the whole of the United Nations system."

On the declaration: "I'm the principal drafter, with the assistance of indigenous peoples themselves, and it is rare that an international instrument is drafted with full participation of the beneficiaries. Since the Subcommittee on the Promotion of Human Rights submitted the text to the Commission on Human Rights, almost seven years have passed but no substantive progress was made. There are two explanations.

"Firstly, certain Governments still obstruct the progress of the draft declaration because it includes certain principles and articles. For example, article 3 is related to self-determination, and some Governments are afraid that this might lead to a kind of separation of the indigenous people from States. This is not correct. Indigenous people are loyal to their countries. They love their countries and, in the 20 years of dealing with indigenous people, I have never heard anyone speak about separation. When they talk about self-determination, they mean having the opportunity to have their own way of life in the State in which they live.

"Secondly, some indigenous people think that, after the suffering and oppression, now is time to enjoy in actuality, freely, all human rights like everyone else. Consequently, they feel that the wording of the Declaration should be clear enough to recognize as much as possible this enjoyment of human rights and freedom without limitations. Substantial progress should be made in the consideration of the draft declaration."