Secretary-General recommends establishment of UN Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC).

Negotiations on the draft Agreement had reached an advanced stage. The draft Agreement was reported in a 26 November 1990 communique of the five permanent members of the Security Council--China, France, USSR, United Kingdom, United States--and the two Co-Chairmen of the Paris Conference on Cambodia (PCC). The text was communicated to the Secretary-General by the Co-Chairmen on 8 January 1991.

The agreed draft text included an agreement with annexes dealing with: a proposed mandate for an UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC); withdrawal, cease-fire, and related measures; elections; repatriation of refugees and displaced persons; and principles for a new constitution, an agreement on international guarantees, and a declaration on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Cambodia.

The Secretary-General also reported that encouraging progress had been made in negotiations on a comprehensive political settlement to "the long and cruel conflict in Cambodia".

To maintain momentum

UNAMIC's deployment, he said, would help maintain the momentum and reduce the risk of the process being disturbed by "untoward developments" in Cambodia. It would also demonstrate the UN's determination to "help the Cambodian parties and people resolve their differences in a peaceful and democratic manner".

The Secretary-General stated at consultations in New York on 20 and 21 September with the PCC Co-Chairmen and the Council's permanent members that an advance mission could be envisaged as the first stage of the good offices mechanism foreseen in the draft Agreements.

UNAMIC would consist of civilian liaison staff, military liaison officers, a military mine-awareness unit and the necessary support personnel. Member States would provide the military personnel.

The Mission, Mr. Perez de Cuellar said, under the command of the UN, would be led in the field by a civilian Chief Liaison Officer, appointed by the Secretary-General, who would exercise authority over all UNAMIC elements.

The military elements would be commanded by a Senior Military Liaison Officer, designated by the Secretary-General with Council consent. The Senior Military Liaison Officer would report to the Secretary-General through the Chief Liaison Officer.

The Mission's mandate would extend from the signing of the Comprehensive Political Settlement Agreements until the establishment of UNTAC by the Security Council and the adoption of its budget by the General Assembly.

Then, UNAMIC would be absorbed into UNTAC and its good offices functions would be expanded by UNTAC during the first phase of the cease-fire.

The Chief Liaison Officer, assisted by the civilian staff, would also be responsible for liaison with the Supreme National Council (SNC) of Cambodia on preparations for UNTAC Deployment and on other matters related to the UN role in implementing the Agreement.

The SNC is described in the draft Agreements as the "unique legitimate body and source of authority" in which national sovereignty and unity would be enshrined during the transitional period in Cambodia. The Council was formed in September 1990 following lengthy political negotiations. It is composed of representative individuals of all shades of opinion among the people of Cambodia.

UNAMIC's military component would facilitate communications between the military headquarters of the four Cambodian parties in matters relating to the cease-fire, Mr. Perez de Cuellar stated.

UNAMIC headquarters would be in Phnom Penh and liaison teams would be sent to the general military headquarters of each Cambodian party. It would have its own communications network linking its headquarters and five liaison teams. It would use its good offices to resolve difficulties, restore the status quo and determine measures to avoid any recurrence of violations.

UNAMIC would so deploy small teams of military personnel experienced in training civilians on how to avoid injury from mines or booby traps.

The Secretary-General stressed that UNAMIC would need to be assured of the cooperation at all times of all Cambodian parties. It would have to have freedom of movement and communication, and the other rights and facilities necessary for the performance of its tasks. The Mission and its personnel would also have to be granted all relevant privileges and immunities provided for by the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN.

UNAMIC would require eight civilian liaison staff, 50 military liaison officers, 20 other military personnel to form the mine-awareness unit, and some 75 international and 75 local civilian support staff. In addition, a military communications unit and an air unit of four utility helicopters and one fixed-wint aircraft would be needed.

UNAMIC would be deployed progressively and in phases, Mr. Perez de Cuellar stated.

Survey mission

The Secretary-General said that a survey mission, headed by his Military Adviser, Major-General Timothy Dibuama, had visited the region from 19 August to 4 September in connection with military matters and the establishment of a mine-awareness programme in Cambodia.

The mission reported that the modalities for the control of the cease-fire and the cessation of outside military assistance had already been worked out and were described in an annex to the draft Agreement. It was not yet possible for the mission to evaluate the manner in which those modalities should be implemented because certain Cambodian parties were unable to provide some of the information which would be needed, and because the mission was not in a position to obtain other necessary information.

It was also unable to begin concrete preparatios for the implementation of the military aspects of the mandate foreseen for UNTAC once a comprehensive agreement was concluded. The mission said the mine-awareness programme initially should be concentrated in the north-western part of Cambodia and areas likely to be resettled by refugees on their return. The Secretary-General proposed that such a programme could best be provided by a small team of military personnel, who would form part of the UNAMIC.

Significant progress

Meanwhile, the five permanent members of the Security Council had held three meetings (17-18 July in Beijing; 29-30 August in Pattaya, Thailand; 20-21 September in New York) with the two PCC Co-Chairmen. The SNC convened on 16 and 17 July in Beijing and from 26 to 29 August in Pattaya.

Following the Pattaya meeting in August, the "Big Five" and the Co-Chairmen reported that significant progress had been made on national reconciliation efforts for Cambodia.

In a joint communique (A/46/418-S/23011), it was noted that the Five and the Co-Chairmen had held, for the first time, a joint meeting with the SNC on 29 August. They expressed satisfaction with the progress towards a comprehensive political settlement made at the SNC Pattaya meeting in August, noting their consensus on how to resolve "some very important remaining difficulties".

The Five and the Co-Chairmen recalled that they had consistently envisaged a detailed plan for the phased return to civilian life of all categories of forces of the Cambodian parties. They viewed such an arrangement as essential to minimizing the risk of a return to warfare, stabilizing the security situation and building confidence among the parties, thus ensuring the best possible prospects for the durability of the settlement. Such an arrangement remained their fundamental commitment.

They would support the formula devised by the SNC, which provided for demobilization before the elections of 70 per cent of all forces and their arms, subject to certain understandings. The SNC was urged to reflect further on the question of total demobilization, preferably prior to the elections.

The Five and the Co-Chairmen considered of great importance the SNC decision to give the final word to SNC President Prince Norodom Sihanouk on how to advise UNTAC on implementation of the Agreement when consensus was unattainable within the SNC. They would consider further the implications of that decision on the relationship between UNTAC and the SNC.

They also noted the SNC declaration that Cambodia would adopt a system of liberal, multi-party democracy, and its decision to promote and encourage respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The SNC was urged to reach a common position as soon as possible on the issue of the electoral system.

The Five and the Co-Chairmen agreed to give sympathetic consideration to the SNC proposal requesting the UN Secretary-General to send observers to Cambodia. The SNC was urged to resolve issues needed to conclude a comprehensive political settlement so that the Security Council could dispatch a UN observer force.

They also wanted the PCC to be reconvened at the ministerial level by late October and the Comprehensive Settlement Agreement to be signed before the SNC established itself at Phnom Penh in mid-November.

In a communique (A/45/508-S/23087) issued after the September meeting in New York, the Five and the Co-Chairman noted the SNC decision on the issue of the electoral system, which provided for national elections throughout Cambodia on a provincial basis, in accordance with a system of propostional representation.

They welcomed the decision of all Cambodian parties to provide the UN Secretariat with detailed information on their military forces at an early date to facilitate the process of preparing for the military aspects of UNTAC.

The process of creating a comprehensive settlement agreement for Cambodia seemed to have entered its final phase, they noted, thus bringing closer to realization the goal of national reconciliation and lasting peace in that country.

A neutral conciliator 

After the SNC informal meeting in July in Beijing, Price Sihanouk was recognized as the "sole Cambodian statesman in a position to achieve national reconciliation among all Cambodians and to speed up the peace process towards a comprehensive political settlement of the Cambodia conflict and towards the restoration of an independent, sovereign, peaceful, neutral, non-aligned and united Cambodia within her territorial integrity".

In a final communique (A/46/310-S/22808), it was noted that Prince Sihanouk, to implement fully his role as SNC President, would resign as President of both the Cambodian National Resistance and the National Government of Cambodia. He had decided "from now on, to stand neutral acting as a conciliator, without belonging to any faction or political party".

The UN was asked to send a survey mission to "evaluate the modalities of control and an appropriate number of United Nations personnel to control the cease-fire and the cessation of foreign military aids in cooperation with the SNG Military Working Group". (In June, the SNG had decided to implement an unlimited cease-fire and to stop receiving foreign military assistance.)

Six officials were appointed to the SNC secretariat, which began its work in August at the former Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok, pending the installation of the SNC headquarters in Phnom Penh.

An operational SNC working group was set upt to draft the SNC rules of procedure, the principles of the new Constitution of Cambodia and the electoral laws, and to examine the moralities of the installation of SNC headquarters in Phnom Penh.

The Secretary-General was asked for assistance to facilitate the repatriation of Cambodian refugees and displaced persons and to establish a mine-awareness programme in Cambodia and in the refugee camps along the Cambodian border.

At the meeting, it was also decided to set up a working group on repatriation that would closely work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for the preparatory work of repatriation, such as setting up refugee transit centres, warehouses and road access.

New opportunity

After the July meeting of the Five and the PCC Co-Chairmen in Beijing, a communique (A/46/340-S/22889) was issued stating that a new situation and opportunity to bring lasting peace to Cambodia had been created. If the SNC was able to reach consensus on a comprehensive political settlement, the PCC could reconvene to adopt and endorse such an agreement, which would then be referred to the UN for approval and implementation.

The SNC decision to implement an unlimited cease-fire and stop receiving foreign military assistance was welcomed by the Five and the PCC Co-Chairmen, the communique stated. All concerned were called upon to do likewise.

Aid programme

A $12-million aid programme to provide humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance and to strengthen the technical skills of Cambodians was approved on 17 September by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). It is the first time in 15 years that a UN organization has provided such aid to Cambodia. Since the mid-1970s, UN aid to that country had been limited to humanitarian assistance, following the civil and political crises there.

UNDP Administrator William H. Draper III said the commitment was made in response to the economic and political changes under way in Cambodia.

New pledges amounting to $6.4 million for the UN Border Relief Operation and programmes assisting displaced persons in Cambodia were made on 5 September, at a meeting of donorst to the Cambodian Humanitarian Assistance Programmes. In-kind contributions valued at $1.1 million were also pledged.

On 23 July, a UN official said that the Government of Cambodia had decided, during the course of its first plenary on 24 June, to adopt a new flag and anthem. The flag had been described unofficially as being "United Nations blue", with a map of Cambodia and Khmer inscriptions.