ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR ZONE OF PEACE, COOPERATION IN SOUTH ATLANTIC, ASKS STATES TO REFRAIN FROM AGGRAVATING TENSIONS IN REGION

Press Release
GA/9009

ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR ZONE OF PEACE, COOPERATION IN SOUTH ATLANTIC, ASKS STATES TO REFRAIN FROM AGGRAVATING TENSIONS IN REGION

The General Assembly this morning called on all States to cooperate in promoting the objectives of the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic, and to refrain from actions which might create or aggravate tensions or potential conflicts in the region. It requested the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations system to render all appropriate assistance which States of the zone might seek in their joint efforts to implement the declaration of the zone.

A resolution with those provisions was adopted by a vote of 124 in favour to none against, with and one abstention (United States). (For details of voting, see Annex.)

The resolution was introduced by Brazil. In the debate on the item, the Assembly heard from representatives of Nigeria, Cameroon, Uruguay, Benin, South Africa, Panama and Gambia.

Also this morning, the Assembly took up the subject of the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin. The representative of Iraq said the sanctions imposed against his country and foreign intervention into its affairs had led to large-scale expropriation of Iraqi artifacts. He called on the international community to stop such acts and to ensure the restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin.

Khmer art objects had been subject to unprecedented pillaging and vandalism, and the danger of their destruction was growing day by day, according to the representative of Cambodia. He called on the international community to declare illegal the importation, exportation or transfer of Khmer cultural goods; stop national museums and related cultural institutions from acquiring Cambodian antiquities; and institute all the necessary measures to help the Cambodian Government recover illegally exported objects from dealers.

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The representative of Cyprus said the cultural property in the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkey continued to be under serious threat. As a matter of official policy, it was neglected, looted and deliberately destroyed.

The representative of Turkey said his country had become a key target for looters and traffickers in stolen art and antiques. Most recently, its efforts to recover its stolen property had been vindicated by the successful resolution of its six-year law suit against the Metropolitan Museum of Art to recover the fabled "Lydian Hoard" antiquities.

A draft resolution calling for the restitution of cultural treasures was introduced by Zaire, and at its request, action on the draft was postponed to a later date. Also speaking on this item were representatives of Lebanon, Bolivia and Belarus.

The General Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. today to consider the questions of strengthening the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations and of the participation of volunteers ("White Helmets") in activities of the United Nations.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this morning to consider reports on the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic and the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin. It also had before it draft resolutions on both those matters.

The Zone of Peace was declared by the Assembly in its resolution 41/11 of 27 October 1986, by which it called on all States in the region of the Atlantic between Africa and South America to promote further regional cooperation for social and economic development, protection of the environment, conservation of living resources, and the peace and security of the entire area.

A report by the Secretary-General on the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic (document A/50/671) conveys, among other things, concerns expressed by Argentina regarding the recent transit of radioactive waste through the waters of the South Atlantic and the ecological risks this poses for Argentina. These concerns are also reflected in a reply from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) which states that stronger cooperation on environmental affairs in the zone is essential, and in particular, that Africa and Latin America need to cooperate to control the illegal traffic of hazardous products and wastes, and that guidelines on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity need to be prepared.

The report is a collection of replies from six Member States and five organizations and bodies of the United Nations system regarding the implementation of the Declaration on the zone. The Argentina reply further states that, while that country respects freedom of navigation as governed by international instruments, it believes that such freedom should be regulated in the case of ships transporting highly radioactive substances. The Government is determined to call upon the relevant international organizations to enforce and strengthen international rules and standards for preventing, reducing and controlling contamination, and to develop rules regulating the passage of ships transporting highly radioactive substances, to ensure, in particular, that the packing of such substances meets the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerning safety in packing.

"The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea confers on coastal States the authority to exercise jurisdiction in their exclusive economic zone, among other things for the protection and preservation of the marine environment," the reply states. "Argentina has exercised and will continue to exercise that authority in accordance with international law."

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In closing, the reply adds that the Argentine Republic wishes once again to state that the colonial situation of the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands persists in the South Atlantic, affecting its territorial integrity. The increasing normalization of relations between Argentina and the United Kingdom, along with related developments and commitments, have not achieved a solution to the sovereignty dispute.

In its reply, The United Kingdom states that it wishes to draw the Secretary-General's attention to developments in Anglo-Argentine relations which have contributed to the lessening of tension in the south-west Atlantic. In particular, cooperation continues in the conservation of fish stocks and in military confidence-building measures. There are on-going discussions regarding cooperation in oil exploration around the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and to enable the removal of land mines left on the islands following the conflict of 1982.

Brazil states that recent developments in the context of the South Atlantic, such as the integration of a democratic South Africa in the zone and progress in subregional integration agreements, offer new opportunities for enhancing the links among countries sharing the African and South American coasts of the South Atlantic. Further joint efforts are to be expected in order to address challenges in areas such as the easing of tension, preservation of the environment, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and cooperation for development.

South Africa reports that recent developments in relations between South Africa and the States members of the zone have contributed not only to a lessening of tension in the South Atlantic but also to prospects for increasingly close economic and other contacts. It is clear that the emergence of a democratic, non-racial Government of National Unity in South Africa, preceded by the independence of Namibia and the reintegration of Walvis Bay into that territory, have provided a more propitious environment for furthering the objectives of the zone. It is important not to become complacent about the many problems, such as poverty and deprivation, human rights and asymmetrical development, that beset the region and individual Member States.

A reply from Malawi states that that country is committed to the promotion of international peace and security, as well as conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources, and endorses the objectives of the zone.

Poland said it encouraged the idea of the zone.

Among the replies from organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, is one from the Department of Public Information (DPI) reviewing its efforts to publicize the zone. It states that, from the beginning of

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December 1994 to the end of June 1995, questions relating to the zone's purposes and objectives have been the subject of 612 radio magazine and documentary programmes produced in 11 languages and distributed to about 800 broadcasting organizations. There have been 506 press releases in English and French on related issues. A great number of those press releases, as well as relevant background notes, have been transmitted by electronic mail and by pouch to United Nations offices around the world, and through publicly accessible databases and networks such as the Internet. Nine productions of the United Nations Television series "UN in Action" and six productions of its programme "World Chronicle" have been directed to those issues.

A reply from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) states that Argentina, Brazil and South Africa have accepted international responsibility for the broadcast of meteorological forecasts and warning, via satellite, in support of maritime safety, to specified zones in the South Atlantic. These broadcast services are now operational. The same three countries have also accepted provisional responsibility for providing meteorological support services, under the WMO Marine Pollution Emergency Response Support System for the same zones, for operations in response to marine pollution emergencies on the high seas.

A reply from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) refers to its encouragement of South-South cooperation, and a reply from the Economic Commission for Europe offers its cooperation, if needed, in the field of environment.

By the terms of a draft resolution (document A/50/L.25) on this item, the Assembly would call upon all States to cooperate in the promotion of the objectives of the zone and to refrain from any action inconsistent with those objectives and with the Charter, in particular those actions which might create or aggravate tensions or potential conflicts in the region. It would request the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations system to render all appropriate assistance which States of the zone may seek in their joint efforts to implement the declaration of the zone. It would request the Secretary-General to keep the implementation of resolution 41/11 and other subsequent resolutions regarding the zone under review and to submit a report to the Assembly at its next session.

The draft is sponsored by Angola, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uruguay and Zaire.

A report on the return or restitution of cultural property discusses the work of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation, at the Committee's eighth session in Paris from 24 to 27 May

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1995. The recommendations adopted by the Committee are contained in the appendix to the report.

The report (document A/50/498) is from the Director General of UNESCO. He states that the Committee received reports of two cases pending before the Committee. Regarding Turkey's claim against Germany for restitution of a sphinx from Boguskoy, negotiations were continuing between the two countries. With respect to Greece's claim to the Parthenon Marbles, the United Kingdom authorities had reviewed the matter but had not modified their position that the Marbles had been legally acquired. The secretariat would consider the United Kingdom's legal arguments, but had adopted no recommendations regarding cases under negotiation.

The report states that the authorities of member States also informed the Committee of such cases as the return of the Lydian Hoard by the Metropolitan Museum (New York) and that of the Brooklyn Museum (New York), which had taken steps to return a Roman sarcophagus stolen from Turkey in 1886.

The second section of the report, which deals with international technical cooperation, states that the Committee was informed of a study submitted to the UNESCO Executive Board on action taken for the protection of cultural heritage. The Committee also heard reports regarding assistance for protection of cultural property in time of armed conflict; efforts to improve the working of The Hague Convention of 1954 on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict; and multinational efforts to obtain return of cultural objects.

According to the Director General, the Committee was informed of measures to deal with the theft of and illegal traffic in cultural property in Italy. The measures included improved legal protection, computerized inventorying of cultural property and the creation of operational structures within national police forces. Many Committee members favoured an Italian proposal for an international fund to facilitate the restitution of cultural property.

The Director General writes that the Committee also heard reports regarding clandestine excavations and the theft of objects at archaeological sites in Sri Lanka and the Katmandu Valley in Nepal; the problem of restitution of cultural property to Kuwait; the illicit traffic in cultural property in Lebanon; and large-scale clandestine excavation in Iraqi territory.

Additionally, the Committee was informed of the resolution of cases resulting from collaboration between authorities of the United States and several South American and European countries, and an agreement whereby the

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Aidonian tomb treasure would ultimately be returned to the Government of Greece.

The third section of the report deals with steps to curb traffic in cultural property. It states that efforts to curb the traffic had resulted in an increase of the number of States parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention from 71 to 81; the distribution of notices concerning stolen cultural property among States parties; and the holding of several regional workshops.

The report goes on to state that the Committee was also informed of private initiatives to draw up lists of stolen cultural property that might turn up on the international art market. Additionally, commercial databases were being set up in the fight against illicit traffic in cultural property. "The time had come to set up a central database concerning lost and stolen property, which would benefit all member States."

According to the Director General, the Committee was also informed of methods for inventorying stolen cultural property and the problem of the illicit traffic in cultural property in Ethiopia and Mali. He also reports a number of specific measures taken to implement the recommendations adopted by the eighth session of the Intergovernmental Committee. Those measures include the assignment of a consultant to examine the possibility of establishing a network of databases on cultural objects, and the engagement of a consultant on the question of specialized studies.

By the text of a draft resolution on the return or restitution of cultural property (document A/50/L.28), the Assembly would reaffirm that the restitution to a country of its objects d'art, monuments, museum pieces, archives, manuscripts, documents and any other cultural or artistic treasures contributes to the strengthening of international cooperation and to the preservation and flowering of universal cultural values through fruitful cooperation between developed and developing countries.

The Assembly would request the Secretary-General, in collaboration with UNESCO, to continue to develop all possibilities for bringing about the attainment of the purposes of its resolution 48/15 of 2 November 1993 on promotion of the return of cultural property to the countries of origin as well as its restitution in case of illicit appropriation.

The draft resolution was sponsored by Zaire.

Zone of Peace

CELSO L.N. AMORIM (Brazil) introduced the draft resolution on the Zone of Peace and Cooperation. He hoped the draft would command widespread support.

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I.E. AYEWAH (Nigeria) expressed hope that greater attention would be accorded to the role which the zone could play in advancing global objectives in a variety of fields. In pursuit of the global objective of nuclear non- proliferation, the member States of the zone had declared their intention to keep it nuclear-free. In the economic sphere, the member States had worked to advance South-South cooperation through their Declaration on Business Cooperation, which paved the way for greater commercial interaction among them. By their Declaration on the Marine Environment, countries of the zone had focused their attention and cooperation on working for healthier environmental development. Their agenda also included the war against the illicit trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

In recognition of the important role being played by the zone in a variety of areas, the United nations and its Member States, especially the industrialized ones, should give greater support to it, he said. "We are confident that the international community will endeavour in the long run or at least in the short run to see its way clear to assist the zone in meeting its development objectives."

MPAY JEAN MARC (Cameroon) said the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic would lead to peace and security in the entire region. The 24 members of the zone were committed to increasing their cooperation in the fields of economics, technology, environment, culture, sports and disarmament. The declaration on the marine zone adopted at the third meeting of the members was a reflection of that commitment. However, considerable resources and assistance would be required to implement the declaration.

Cameroon welcomed the initiatives towards denuclearization and invited all countries to promote beneficial trade exchanges, he said. It hoped that the nuclear Powers would make the South Atlantic truly nuclear-weapon-free.

JORGE PEREZ OTERMIN (Uruguay) said his country was an active participant in activities related to the zone. The countries concerned had made great advances in a number of areas, including the consolidation of peace in such States as Liberia and Angola. They had committed themselves to establishing a nuclear-free zone, which would lead the way to the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Cooperation in other matters included the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. He expressed gratitude to South Africa for its offer to host the next meeting of the members of the zone, and expressed hope that the draft resolution would be adopted without a vote.

RENE VALERY MONGBE (Benin) said increased cooperation between the States of the zone was absolutely necessary to eliminate the tensions there. South- South cooperation, however, was no substitute for international cooperation which, in the interest of the harmonious development of an interdependent world, must guarantee financial, technical and technological assistance to the developing countries. The holding of the proposed United Nations conference

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on South-South cooperation was essential to reinforce the collective autonomy of countries such as those of the zone.

KHIPHUSIZI J. JELE (South Africa) said the General Assembly had before it a resolution which declared a sizeable portion of the world's surface area as a zone of peace. South Africa supported it with fervour and believed it should not be regarded merely as an exercise that was repeated annually. The zone provided a very important opportunity for the promotion of common interests and aspirations between States which shared the Atlantic.

JORGE E. ILLUECA (Panama) said his country was interested in the activities of the zone. Like the countries of the zone, Panama was highly involved in maritime affairs. It intended to host the universal congress on the Panama Canal, which would address many of the concerns of the countries of the zone, such as the promotion of neutrality. The draft deserved support, among other reasons because it encouraged progress towards the attainment of peace and national reconciliation in Liberia. The Assembly should continue to give its attention to the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic, as that would benefit the entire international community in the economic, political, cultural and commercial spheres.

MOMODOU KEBBA JALLOW (Gambia) said United Nations ideals of universal peace and development had inspired the zone, which had played, and would continue to play, a crucial role in the development of an acceptable international economic order. The member States were working to preserve the environment and promote free trade, and to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The membership of the zone was growing, and that had strengthened the resolve of the group.

Prior to action on the draft, Panama joined as a co-sponsor.

The Assembly then adopted the draft resolution on the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic by a vote of 124 in favour to none against, with 1 abstention (United States). (For details of voting, see Annex.)

ADNAN MANSOUR (Lebanon) said there had been a great deal of illicit trafficking in cultural property that was stolen during the 17 years of armed conflict in his country. Numerous stolen items were now on sale in international art markets. As part of its efforts to gain restitution of such property, Lebanon intended to present a list of those countries holding treasures that were lost or illegally exported during the conflict. The worst incident involved a non-Lebanese armed group that stole a large number of Lebanese treasures and gave them to a major Power in return for weapons. Lebanon was fully ready to cooperate with international and governmental institutions to put an end to the illegal traffic in cultural property -- the cultural inheritance of all mankind.

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LUKABU KHABOUJI N'ZAJI (Zaire) introduced the draft resolution on return and restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin. Bolivia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Greece, Peru, Lebanon and Turkey joined in co-sponsoring the resolution.

NIZAR HAMDOON (Iraq) said a number of factors had contributed to the growing illegal appropriation of the cultural property of developing countries by developed countries. Some capitalists in Western countries were investing their money in the illegal traffic in archaeological artifacts. Thus, such trafficking had become organized, operating in full view of the governments concerned. Those States did not facilitate discussions on the illegal appropriation of cultural property.

Iraq, as the cradle of civilization, had become a prime target for the theft of its archaeological artifacts, he said. As a result of constant plunder, foreign museums and personal collections were replete with those artifacts. The bombing of Iraq by the coalition forces had led to the destruction of many of its cultural treasures. The sanctions imposed against Iraq and foreign intervention into its affairs had led to large-scale expropriation of the treasures. The systematic sabotage of Iraq's cultural identity continued under the conditions fostered by the embargo. He called on the international community to stop such acts and to ensure the restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin.

MARCO ANTONIO VIDAURRE (Bolivia) said it was vital for his country to preserve its historic legacy and for the world to support diversity. Therefore, Bolivia resolutely endorsed the draft resolution. It had seen the practical usefulness of international mechanisms and instruments when ancient ceremonial textiles that had been taken illegally from his country were recovered and returned.

NICOS AGATHOCLEOUS (Cyprus) said the cultural property in the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkey continued to be under serious threat. As a matter of official policy, it was neglected, looted and deliberately destroyed. The intention of the occupier was to eliminate the features of the island's past, the main targets being Byzantine churches, monasteries, Hellenic forms of art and cemeteries.

The Turkish-occupied parts contained the largest portion of the island's archaeological and historical sites and religious monuments, he said. Those had been damaged by direct bombing during the Turkish invasion, apart from the now prevalent official neglect. Cyprus appealed to States which had not yet ratified it, to become parties to the UNESCO 1970 Convention and fully to implement it.

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HUSEYIN E. CELEM (Turkey) said his country had become a key target for looters and traffickers in stolen art and antiques. As the Director General of UNESCO noted in his report, Turkey had initiated bilateral negotiations with Germany for the return of the sphinx from Boguskoy and had issued two notices of stolen property, one of which was about the theft in 1994 of 34 antique coins from the collection of Kyaseri museum. Its efforts had been vindicated most recently by the successful resolution of its six-year law suit against the Metropolitan Museum of Art to recover the fabled "Lydian Hoard" antiquities.

It was essential that such properties be located and returned to countries of their origin, he said. He urged all nations to work together to that end.

OUCH BORITH (Cambodia) said he supported the report of the Director General of UNESCO as well as the draft resolution regarding cultural property. The danger of the destruction of Khmer art objects was growing day by day. Given that the monuments of Angkor had been classified since 1992 as a world heritage site, he requested the international community to aid his Government in its battle against illegal trafficking in the Khmer cultural inheritance, which had been the object of unprecedented pillaging and vandalism.

To recover all those treasures, he said, his Government was requesting that all countries exporting such objects, as well as those countries through which they were being transported, take several actions. Those included declaring illegal the importation, exportation or transfer of Khmer cultural goods; stopping national museums and related cultural institutions from acquiring Cambodian antiquities; and instituting all the necessary measures to help the Cambodian Government recover illegally exported objects from dealers.

S. SYARGEEU (Belarus) said that, for centuries, his country's assets had been transferred to different destinations and along various lines. As a result, scientists had nearly no materials to rely on in the study of Belorussian art, economics and politics.

Belarus had ratified the 1970 Paris Convention and called on Member States which had not yet done so, to become parties to it. There was a strong need to set up a central database concerning lost and stolen property.

Action on the draft resolution was postponed to a later date to be announced.

(annex follows)

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General Assembly Plenary Press Release GA/9009 69th Meeting (AM) 27 November 1995

ANNEX

Vote on Zone of Peace in South Atlantic

The resolution on the Zone of Peace and Cooperation in the South Atlantic (document A/50/L.25) was adopted by the Assembly by a recorded vote of 124 in favour to none against, with 1 abstention (United States), as follows:

In favour: Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Zaire, Zambia.

Against: None.

Abstaining: United States.

Absent: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cape Verde, Congo, Costa Rica, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Israel, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Palau, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

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