Middle East.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 30 November appealed to Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to redouble their efforts in pursuit of a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East, and not to be swayed by incidents of violence committed by elements opposed to the peace process.

In a message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mr. Annan also stressed that the parties must address not only the manifestations but also the causes of violence, working together for a future of peace, cooperation and good-neighbourliness. He expressed earnest hope that the Wye River Memorandum, signed by Israel and the PLO on 23 October in Washington D.C., United States, would be fully implemented, paving the way for negotiations to resume on all tracks.

On 25 November, the Security Council renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) - established in May 1974 to supervise the ceasefire called for by the Council and the Israeli-Syrian disengagement agreement-for a further six months, until 31 May 1999.

In unanimously adopting resolution 1211 (1998), the Council also called on the parties concerned to implement immediately resolution 338 (1973), which had called fora ceasefire, the termination of all military activity and the immediate implementation of resolution 242 (1967). By resolution 242, the Council called for a just and lasting peace, which included the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in 1967, and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in secure and recognized boundaries.

Through a statement by its President, A. Peter Burleigh of the United States, the Council also recalled that the Secretary-General's recent report on UNDOF had stated that despite the present quiet in the Israeli-Syrian sector, the situation in the Middle East continued to be potentially dangerous and was likely to remain so until a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East problem could be reached.

Bethlehem 2000 project

Welcoming the celebration in Bethlehem of the birth of Jesus Christ and the onset of the third millennium as a symbol of peace among all people, the General Assembly on 18 November voiced support for the Bethlehem 2000 project, undertaken by the Palestinian Authority to mark the events.

As it adopted resolution 53/27, the Assembly called on the international community to increase assistance to ensure the success of the project - a commemoration of the new millennium to be held in Bethlehem from Christmas 1999 to Easter 2001 - and asked the Secretary-General to mobilize increased United Nations efforts to that end.

Expressing the need for immediate change in the situation on the ground in the vicinity of Bethlehem, the Assembly also expressed the hope for rapid progress in the Middle East peace process and the achievement of the final settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides within the agreed time, so that the millennium may be celebrated in an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation.