Secretary-General finds increased interest in Middle East peace conference 'encouraging.' (Javier Perez de Cuellar)

Secretary-General finds increased interest in Middle East peace conference "encouraging'

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar on 7 May reported that sufficient agreement still did not exist among Security Council members or parties concerned to permit convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East. Nevertheless, he said he was determined to continue his efforts to "establish a process that will lead to a just and lasting peace' in the region.

In a report requested by the General Assembly (A/42/277-S/18849), Mr. Perez de Cuellar said he was "encouraged by the increased interest on the part of the international community in the idea of a conference that would be convened under United Nations auspices on a basis acceptable to all', and by indications of greater flexibility on this issue among the parties.

Mr. Perez de Cuellar also reported that "very deep differences' remained between the parties. He did not underestimate the difficulties involved in resolving those differences and in creating agreement on procedures to permit effective negotiations to the satisfaction of all concerned. In coming months, he said, he would intensify his contacts with the parties "in order to try to find ways of bridging the gaps between them'.

A peace conference under United Nations auspices was proposed originally by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, held in 1983 in Geneva.

The General Assembly, in its resolution 41/43 D of 2 December 1986, had asked the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council, to continue his efforts with a view to convening such a conference, and to report to the General Assembly not later than 15 May. It also endorsed the idea of convening a formal preparatory body for such a meeting. Consultations to determine current views on the conference and on how to prepare for it were held between February and May.

Support in principle

"In contrast with the experience of recent years', no Council member had opposed in principle the idea of an international conference under United Nations auspices, Mr. Perez de Cuellar stated in his report. All Council members were concerned about the Middle East problem, and all had expressed support for his continuing efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

All the parties--Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Palestine Liberation Organization--showed interest in a settlement of the conflict in the Middle East, and some viewed it as a matter of great urgency. It was generally agreed, he stated, that the positions of the parties themselves remained far apart on a number of issues of procedure and of substance.

Wide differences still existed regarding the form that a conference should take, he went on. Some Council members favoured early establishment of a formal preparatory committee, an idea endorsed by the Assembly in 1986; others either opposed such a body or felt further consultations were required, with the views of the parties themselves of especial importance in that context.

There appeared to be a "general readiness' among the parties concerned, the Secretary-General said, to consider options for an acceptable negotiating formula.

During consultations, the Secretary-General said, all the leaders from the region with whom he had met had encouraged him to make a special effort to promote the start of a negotiating process that would lead to a just and durable peace in the region.

"If these efforts are to prove successful, they will need the full support and understanding not only of the parties but also of the Security Council, with whose members I will continue to consult', he concluded, adding it was his responsibility to strengthen the resolve of those who sought a peaceful solution.