Other peacekeeping-related matters.

Bosnia: European Union Police Mission (EUPM). The Security Council on 5 March hailed the European Union's decision to take over UN police training and monitoring duties following the end of the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH). Starting on I January 2003, EUPM could be completed by the end of 2005.

Burundi: Refugees return home. UNHCR on 12 March said that 16,000 Burundian refugees living in Tanzanian camps had signed up for voluntary repatriation since the installation last November of the Transitional Government in Bujumbura. UNHCR assists more than 350,000 Burundian refugees living in seven camps. It is not yet promoting organized repatriation due to the prevailing insecurity inside Burundi.

Colombia: Preparations for possible exodus. In response to the breakdown of peace talks, UNHCR said it was preparing for a possible increase in the number of civilians seeking refuge due to the escalation in the 40-year conflict. It currently responds to the needs of some 1 million displaced persons in Colombia, which proportionally has one of the largest displaced populations in the world.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Council mission to Great Lakes region. A Security Council delegation, led by Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, is scheduled to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in the region-Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda--from 27 April to 7 May. The Inter-Congolese Dialogue, begun in Sun City, South Africa on 25 February, was temporarily suspended following hostilities, but resumed on 21 March after the Government and the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) agreed to withdraw troops from disputed towns. They agreed to withdraw forces from locations in the eastern part of the country: RCD from Moliro within five days and Pweto within 10 days, and the Congolese Armed Forces from Yayama and Kayaya, 120 kilometres west of Pweto, within 10 days. Observers from the Joint Military Committee would monitor the withdrawal.

Georgia: Concern over election plans. The United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) on 1 March reacted with concern to the announcement of elections in Abkhazia, rejecting them as illegitimate. It appealed to the Abkhaz authorities to refrain from "acts that may hamper the peace process, especially at the current crossroads', noting that a UN-prepared document on the distribution of competencies between Tbilisi and Sukhumi was ready for consideration. The document aims to produce a comprehensive settlement covering agreement over the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia.

Guinea-Bissau: Only slight progress. In a new report on the UN Peace-building Support Office in GuineaBissau (UNOGBIS), Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that "after the cycles of violence and paralysis of recent years, there is now real hope that the country, despite its serious difficulties, can move forward". He reported progress in consolidating the democratization process, with the resumption of the National Assembly at the end of February. However, the Secretary-General stressed that "the creation of professional, modern armed forces under democratic civilian control, adequately remunerated and equipped to meet Guinea-Bissau's genuine needs, is essential if lasting stability is to be secured".

Iraq: UN talks resume. A second round of talks between senior Iraqi officials and Secretary-General Kofi Annan is set to take place in New York from 18 to 19 April, In the first meeting between the Secretary-General and Iraqi Foreign Minister Nali Sabri on 7 March, discussions included the return of UN weapons inspectors, Kuwaiti and Iraqi missing persons, and the return of Kuwaiti property.

Liberia: Sanctions panel established. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 8 March appointed four experts to conduct a follow-up assessment of Liberia's compliance with Security Council sanctions to end the country's support for the rebel Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone. The Council had imposed an arms embargo, restricted its diamond exports and banned Liberia's senior officials from travelling abroad, except for humanitarian reasons.

Rwanda: Speedier conclusion of Tribunal's work. By reducing the number of suspects targeted for investigation and ending all enquiries over the next couple of years, as well as adding a pool of temporary judges, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda would be able to wrap up its work no later than 2008, according to the President of the Court. Judge Navanethem Pillay on 12 March said that Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte proposed to shift trials to national jurisdictions, thereby relieving the Tribunal's caseload, and had reduced to 111 from 136 the number of accused under investigation. Also, her office would undertake no new investigations after 2003 and would terminate all probes by the next year.

RELATED ARTICLE: Protecting Civilians

Concerned by the hardships borne by civilians during armed conflict. and acknowledging the effect their plight has on peace prospects, the Security Council on I 5 March adopted a set of guidelines designed to help deliberations on issues relating to the protection of non-combatants. It stressed the need, when considering ways to protect civilians in armed conflict, "to proceed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the particular circumstances". Welcoming the aide memoire, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kenzo Oshima said it could "serve as a quick and easy reference guide for the Council when developing a peacekeeping mandate".