SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Press Release
SC/6124

SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Security Council this afternoon adopted its fiftieth report to the General Assembly, covering the period 16 June 1994 to 15 June 1995.

The report, intended as a guide to the Council's activities during the 12- month period, will be submitted to the Assembly in accordance with Article 24, paragraph 3 and Article 15, paragraph 1, of the Charter. It was introduced by the Director of the Security Council Affairs Division, Neylan Bali.

During the period under review, the Council adopted a number of measures in connection with the ongoing review of its documentation and other procedures. Appendices listing resolutions and Presidential statements provide cross- references to the relevant chapter, section and subsection of the report for each resolution and Presidential statement.

Regarding membership of the Council, the report recalls that the General Assembly last year elected Botswana, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia and Italy to fill the vacancies resulting from the expiration on 31 December 1994 of the terms of office of Brazil, Djibouti, New Zealand, Pakistan and Spain.

During the 12-month period covered by the report, the Council held 152 formal meetings, adopted 70 resolutions and issued 82 Presidential statements. In addition, Council members held 274 consultations of the whole, totalling some 420 hours. The Council considered about 100 reports by the Secretary-General and almost 300 communications from the President of the Council or the Secretary- General and more than 1,000 documents and communications from States, regional and intergovernmental organizations.

Part I of the report deals with questions considered by the Council under its responsibility for international peace and security. This part of the report reflects the growing number of issues the Council has had to address in carrying out that responsibility. Items under this heading include the situation concerning Rwanda, the situations in the former Yugoslavia, Haiti, Somalia, Liberia, Burundi and Georgia, and the situation between Iraq and Kuwait.

Other items in Part I relate to the situations in Somalia, Angola, Mozambique, Central America, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Tajikistan. Part I also covers such developments as the agreed framework of 21 October 1944 between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the proposal by the five permanent members on security assurances, the situation in Nagorny Karabakh, and the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Part II deals with other matters the Council considered, such as the Presidency of the Council, the current draft report, the election of members of the International Court of Justice, admission of new United Nations members, and Council working methods and procedure.

Part III of the report covers the work of the Military Staff Committee. Part IV lists communications on matters brought to the Council's attention but not discussed at formal meetings during the period covered.

The report also describes the work of the subsidiary organs of the Council that were active during the period in question. They include the Committee on the Admission of New Members, as well as Security Council Committees established with regard to the situation between Iraq and Kuwait, to Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Angola and Liberia.

Other subsidiary organs listed in the report are the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, set up by the Council to review claims resulting from Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait (resolution 692 (1991)); the Special Commission set up to monitor the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (resolution 687 (1991)); and the Security Council Committee set up by the terms of resolution 751 (1992) concerning Libya.

The Council also appointed a new Prosecutor and a new Registrar for the International Tribunal for the prosecution of persons responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in the former Yugoslavia. The report states that the Prosecutor for the International Tribunal had initiated field investigations and prepared indictments against 22 persons suspected of such violations.

The report notes that on 8 November 1994 (resolution 955 (1994)), the Council established the International Tribunal for persons responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda. It further decided that the seat of the Tribunal would be Arusha (United Republic of Tanzania), and established the list of candidates for the position of Judge of the Tribunal for selection by the General Assembly.

The report adds that during the period under review, the Council dispatched six special missions, composed of Council members, to Burundi (on two occasions), Mozambique, Somalia, Rwanda and Western Sahara.

The report will be issued as document S/1995/948.

The meeting, which was called to order at 12:10 p.m., was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.

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