GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATES $46 MILLION FOR WESTERN SAHARA, LIBERIA CONCLUDES REVIEW OF 1990 WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN, 1995 WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT
Press Release
GA/9136
GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATES $46 MILLION FOR WESTERN SAHARA, LIBERIA CONCLUDES REVIEW OF 1990 WORLD SUMMIT FOR CHILDREN, 1995 WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT
19961017 The General Assembly this morning appropriated approximately $46 million gross for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) for the period 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997.Subject to the Security Council's extension of the MINURSO and UNOMIL mandates beyond 30 November, the Assembly, by adopting two of the three peace- keeping texts recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary):
-- Appropriated and apportioned some $13.3 million gross ($12.6 million net) for MINURSO for 1 July to 30 November and $18.6 million gross ($17.6 million net) for 1 December 1996 to 30 June 1997; and
-- Appropriated a rounded $14 million gross ($13.2 million net), or about $1.2 million gross ($1.1 million net) monthly, for UNOMIL for the period 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997. About $8.2 million gross ($7.7 million net) for 1 December 1996 to 30 June 1997 was apportioned at about $1.2 million gross ($1.1 million net) monthly, should the Mission be extended; the other $5.8 million gross ($5.5 million net), for 1 July to 30 November 1996, could be appropriated after the Assembly reviews the Mission's performance report for the period 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996.
By terms of the third text, the Assembly determined how to dispose of an unencumbered balance of about $2 million gross ($1.7 million net) for the period 16 May 1995 to 12 January 1996 in the account of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). By its action, it would apply the balance to the future apportionments of Member States that had paid their dues and reduce the arrears of those that had not done so.
Also this morning, the Assembly concluded its mid-decade review of progress to implement the goals of the 1990 World Summit for Children, as well as its review of the follow-up to the 1995 World Summit for Social Development.
During its consideration of the Children's Summit, several speakers, while reviewing a wide range of national programmes established to improve child health, education and legal protection, said some factors continued to bar progress. For example, the representative of Colombia said the burdens of poverty and debt impeded developing countries' ability to improve the lot of their children. The representative of Syria added that children living under occupation or in the midst of massacres, such as children living in the occupied Arab territories, could not reap the benefits of development. Sudan's representative said conflict in the South of his country hindered national efforts to eradicate guinea worm.
Statements on the World Summit for Children were also made by the representatives of Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Uganda.
Poverty was also a main obstacle to social development, many speakers told the Assembly during its review of the World Social Summit. The representative of Jamaica said the urgency of the need to mobilize resources to support poverty eradication and social development programmes could not be underestimated. The representative of Iran said it was clearly the responsibility of the international community, notably the developed countries, to generate external resources for poverty eradication. However, he said that apart from United Nations actions, international cooperation had been of little substance. Praising United Nations efforts, the representative of Pakistan said the World Bank's decision to invest in poverty elimination projects would produce quick and tangible results.
Statements on the Social Summit were also made by the representatives of Ghana, Argentina, El Salvador, Guyana, Syria, Kuwait, Poland, Malaysia and Venezuela.
The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. Monday, 21 October, to elect non-permanent Security Council members.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to act on reports of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on the financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL). The Assembly will also continue its consideration of the follow-up to the World Summit on Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995) and its mid-decade review of progress towards the goals of the World Summit for Children (New York, 1990). (For background on follow-up to the Social Summit, see Press Release GA/9134 issued 16 October; for details on the review of the World Summit for Children, see Press Release GA/9130 issued 14 October.)
The report on MINURSO (document A/51/502) contains a draft resolution (document A/C.5/51/L.4) which would have the Assembly appropriate an authorized and assessed sum of some $28 million gross ($25.5 million net) for the period 1 February to 30 June.
The Assembly would also appropriate some $13.3 million gross ($12.6 million net) for the Mission for 1 July to 30 November. The sums would include $526,835 for the support account for peace-keeping operations and take into account $7.8 million gross ($6.9 million net) that had already been authorized and assessed for 1 July to 30 September, as well as some $2.6 million gross ($2.5 million net) previously authorized for 1 to 30 October.
The Assembly would apportion among Member States an additional $5.5 million gross ($5.7 million net) for the period 1 July to 30 November, taking into account the $7.8 million gross ($6.9 million net) previously apportioned. It would then appropriate some $18.6 million gross ($17.6 million net) for 1 December 1996 to 30 June 1997 and assess it at no more than $2.7 million gross ($2.5 million net) monthly, should the Security Council extend MINURSO's mandate beyond 30 November.
The report on UNOMIG (document A/51/503) contains a draft decision (document A/C.5/51/L.2) by which the Assembly would decide that, for Member States that have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Mission, their respective share in an unencumbered balance of $1.9 million gross ($1.7 million net) for the period from 16 May 1995 to 12 January 1996 shall be set off against their future apportionment. For States that have not fulfilled their financial obligations to the Mission, the Assembly would use their share of the unencumbered balance to settle some of their outstanding obligations.
The report on UNOMIL (document A/51/504) contains a draft text (document A/C.5/51/L.3), which would have the Assembly appropriate $14 million gross ($13.2 million net) for the Mission for the 12-month period from 1 July 1996
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to 30 June 1997, equivalent to a monthly rate of $1.2 million gross ($1.1 million net). The amount to be apportioned includes $791,800 for the support account for peace-keeping operations.
The Assembly would also apportion among Member States $8.2 million gross ($7.7 million net) for the period 1 December 1996 to 30 June 1997, at the monthly rate of $1.2 million gross ($1.1 million net). The decisions would be subject to the extension of UNOMIL's mandate by the Council beyond 30 November.
By other terms of the text, the Assembly would also decide that the apportionment of $5.8 million gross ($5.5 million net), for the period from 1 July to 30 November 1996, would be made at a later time, following the review of the Mission's performance report for the period from 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996.
World Summit for Children
JUAN CAMILO RUIZ (Colombia) said that it was difficult to interpret the progress made so far. While such areas as the fight against preventable diseases and the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child had recorded meaningful advances, the results in the areas of education, malnutrition and reduction in the mortality rate were unacceptable. The ratification of the Convention was indispensable in supporting health, nutrition and education measures, as well as the national action plans. The effectiveness of those plans in developing countries, however, also depended on assistance from the United Nations system. That responsibility should not fall on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) alone, as that would contravene the broader nature of the issue. To guarantee success, such organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) should also be involved.
Mobilizing financial resources to achieve the objectives of the Summit was one of the most serious problems, he continued. Developing countries were hampered by their structural reform programmes, and -- in many cases -- a heavy debt burden. International cooperation should be substantially increased. Only if the international community fulfilled its commitment to finance social development could the promises made to children seven years ago be kept. He endorsed a special review session of the General Assembly in 2001 to examine the fulfilment of those promises. A younger generation would be "our supreme judge".
MIKHAIL WEHBE (Syria) said although much had been done to achieve the goals of the Summit, concerted action was needed to ensure that the cause of
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children remained a focus. The future of each State depended on fostering the well-being of children. Syria had made efforts to provide protection and development for children and the family. Representatives of the economic sector, social and religious organizations had participated in Government organized meetings. A programme of action through the year 2002 had been adopted by his Government.
He said that efforts were also under way to improve nutrition and to lower infant mortality rates. In the field of education, Syria was a leader in the region in providing free primary eduction. A ministerial committee had been established to conduct public education regarding laws for children. Syria would continue to ensure and protect the health, education and protection of children. No child, however, could develop under occupation or in the midst of massacres, such as existed in the Golan and the occupied Arab territories. The high expense of war robbed funding from less costly work towards peace and the protection of children.
CHARLES MENIANG (Sudan) said the interest of his country in the protection of the rights of children stemmed from its faith in Islam. National efforts were under way to reach the goals established at the Summit for Children, and the welfare of children had been included in the national development plans. The work of his Government to reach peace would continue until the negative effects of conflict on children were eliminated. The Sudan was also fully committed to the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which had become a binding legal instrument in his country. Instability in the south stood in the way of eliminating the guinea worm disease. Despite the instability in the south of his country due to the ongoing rebellion, national efforts to eradicate the disease continued. He called upon the international community to provide material and technical assistance to help eliminate guinea worm.
ANWARUL KARIM CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said that the coordinated efforts taken by United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and national governments as recorded in the Secretary-General's report have set an example on how the international community could be mobilized for the welfare and well-being of children. However, he said that a great deal remained to be done to improve the conditions of children in most parts of the world. He noted an inscription at the entrance to UNICEF Headquarters that reads, "the world has not been given to us by our parents but lent to us by our children".
He said his country had become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an action that constituted one of the major components in its struggle to eradicate poverty. The Convention was, as the Secretary-General said, "a social tool to reach the unreached". Efforts had begun in his country to produce tangible improvement in the well-being of children. For example, 91 per cent of the country's children had been
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immunized and child mortality had declined significantly. Notable progress had also been made towards reducing death from diarrhoea through the use of oral rehydration therapy. He added that the issue of involvement of children in the work force had been addressed by Bangladesh through last year's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF, aimed at eradicating child labour from garment manufacturing.
EMILIA CASTRO DE BARISH (Costa Rica) said that the World Summit for Children served as a model for the improvement of the well-being of children and would yield important results. However, on average, only 12 per cent of national budgets were set aside for social development. Clearly, that did not reflect development with a human face.
None the less, she said that the World Summit had a galvanizing effect, creating new associations and partnerships aimed at assisting children. It had also been demonstrated that the girl child was in a more precarious position than the boy child in all aspects of life. Costa Rica had adapted its legislation to fulfil the commitments of the Convention and established an ombudsman institution to be a defender of children. She urged countries that had not yet signed the Convention to do so and asked countries to remember the words of former UNICEF President James Grant -- "Children first".
SENAKULA KIWAMUKA (Uganda) said that contrary to the progress that was being generally reported, improvement in the conditions of children in sub- Saharan Africa had been slow. It was not possible to discuss the issue of any progress without discussing the role that UNICEF played, and continued to play, in giving assistance to developing countries. The UNICEF should use the results of the mid-decade review and the programmes prepared by various countries to enrich its contributions. His country was about to embark on the full implementation of free education for children and shared the responsibility to ensure the survival and proper development of all its children.
World Summit for Social Development
JACK B. WILMOT (Ghana) said that his country had established a National Development Planning Commission charged with implementing and monitoring the Government's macroeconomic and sectoral policies to ensure that economic growth and development would meet everyone's aspirations. A comprehensive policy -- Ghana Vision 20-20: The First Step -- was being translated into a national programme of action describing the enabling environment for the country's priority social and economic activities. Emphasis was on coordination mechanisms and capacity-building and mobilization of resources to ensure effective implementation.
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At the international level, he noted that even though official development assistance (ODA) continued to decline in real terms, certain countries had raised their level of assistance in support of social development. In that connection, he cited the conference held in Oslo in April on the implementation of the 20/20 initiative, whereby interested developed and developing partners would allocate 20 per cent of ODA and 20 per cent of the national budget respectively to basic social programmes. Similarly, at the meeting of the Bretton Woods institutions a few days ago, decisions were taken not only on the issue of debt, but also on the overall financial and resource problems of developing countries and carrying out structural adjustment programmes with a human face.
He said that by far the greatest impetus to the implementation of the outcome of the Social Summit was that the United Nations had since 1995 asserted its leadership with task forces set up to monitor implementation of the outcomes of the various conferences. All of the actions taken since then had assured the international community that it was on the right path, even if there was still a long way to go to achieve the goals and objectives agreed upon in Copenhagen.
M. PATRICIA DURRANT (Jamaica) said the true measure of success of the Social Summit would be demonstrated through concrete action. In Jamaica, more than 60 programmes were in place working to eradicate poverty. The focus of that effort was on human resource development through investment and social policy reform. The involvement of civil society in social development was encouraged and the labour market had been reformed to encourage employment generation. The response of the Jamaican people had been positive, including among members of the private sector, and there was a collective recognition of the urgency with which poverty and social development must be addressed.
The vulnerability of the economies of small States could not be underestimated, she continued. The same was true of the urgency with which resources must be mobilized to assist national poverty eradication and social development programmes. Also of great importance was the participation of the scientific community, since science and technology were vital to the success of efforts to eradicate poverty and support development.
ANNA MARIA RAMIREZ (Argentina) said an improved economy in Argentina had helped her Government in its fight against poverty. Much remained to be done, none the less. A broadly framed social policy had been established to provide housing, employment and health services. Community initiatives in the poorest parts of the country were being financed by the Government. Greater emphasis had been placed on education and State reforms to promote investments. Regionally, Argentina was committed to work to achieve the goals of the Social Summit, and technical meetings had been convened to support
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follow-up by the Rio Group (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela).
GUILLERMO A. MELENDEZ-BARAHONA (El Salvador), speaking on behalf of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador, said the Copenhagen Summit was a historic event which recognized the importance of social development. The Summit reflected the globalization that had occurred. The human person was the centre of world economies, and institutions needed to be organized to reflect that reality. Currently, there was a widening of the economic gap between the developed and developing countries. Central America was promoting policies that would increase employment and improve social integration; the region was pursuing social development with equity.
He stressed that the globalization process will lead to international solidarity and would gradually improve the well-being of society. However, in order to eradicate poverty, the world community must approach its causes, not just its effects. Nations should adopt an open, flexible attitude and avoid the negative effects of the distribution of income. The importance of international cooperation and assistance could not be questioned. It was indispensable to developing an international strategy to make the commitments of the Summit more viable.
SAMUEL INSANALLY (Guyana) said the Summit had underscored the critical importance of national action and international cooperation in the progress of social development. Within the framework of a global partnership for development, the most basic social services could be made available to all peoples and the scourge of poverty removed from the world. In Africa, the situation of people living in poverty was expected to worsen in the coming years with the concomitant threat of further instability. There needed to be a great coordination of the United Nations system activities for poverty eradication, as was decided at the recent session of the Economic and Social Council.
Guyana had mounted a relentless campaign against poverty, he said. Despite limited resources, Guyana had consistently increased the portion of the national budget designated for the social sector, especially health and education. He said that the current allocation was 16 per cent of the national budget and would be increased to 20 per cent in 1997. Like other developing countries, however, Guyana's efforts had been severely constrained by the servicing of debt. The implementation of existing debt-relief agreements and negotiation of further initiatives needed to be expedited.
FAYSSAL MEKDAD (Syria) said that the international community must embark on a path of true solidarity if it really wished to resolve the problems of the developing countries. He assured the developed countries that assistance to the developing world would help them as well in the long run. Syria
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believed in cooperation based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. It was important for the Bretton Woods institutions to implement the results of the Social Summit and alleviate the debt burden of the developing countries. In terms of economic development, Syria was among the ten leading States in the developing world. Over the last two decades, it had concentrated on the individual in its development thinking. Education and health care were free and available at all levels.
The country was concerned with individuals with special needs -- such as the handicapped and the elderly -- and had provided for them in its plans, he said. All the policies in this area had yielded major social accomplishments, reflected in an enhanced standard of living for everyone. The benefits of education and health care programmes were evident in the towns and villages, as infant mortality, maternal mortality and unemployment were down. In the Golan, however, where many people had to leave their homes and their schools, there had been a very heavy burden on the efforts of the Government.
MOHAMMAD A. ABULHASAN (Kuwait) said his country's objective was to make its citizens productive and to improve their human and cultural dimensions. Its social programmes were designed to enhance the participation of people in social development, and to promote the role of women, young people and the marginalized. The Government was dedicating a significant proportion of the State's gross national product (GNP) to that end.
Since Kuwait had achieved a surplus because of oil earnings, it was providing loans and gifts to support those programmes in many Arab countries, and had given out hundreds of individual loans. The rate of assistance averaged 4.4 per cent of the GNP during the 1980s. Noting the debt burden problems of developing countries, he said Kuwait had appealed to the countries concerned to cancel these debts, in order to free up more resources for development. He stressed the importance of following up the decisions of the Social Summit, and commended UNDP for supporting national efforts to put an end to poverty.
KAMAL KHARRAZI (Iran) said commitments had been made at the Social Summit to generate new and additional resources and to strengthen international cooperation to eradicate poverty. Nonetheless, apart from some actions taken by relevant bodies of the United Nations, there had been little substantive international cooperation. Clearly, it was the responsibility of the international community to generate a substantial increase in the flow of external resources for poverty eradication. However, it remained to be seen whether the international community, particularly multilateral financial institutions, would play their role. The major responsibility rested with the developed countries. However, the developing countries were not looking for a free hand-out, but calling for a fair global economy. But, genuine
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competition and the development of a foundation of a market economy were hampered by protectionism.
International measures such as dismantling trade barriers, the transfer of technology, alleviation of debt burdens and sharing of experience could do much to address unemployment and underemployment, he said. Support from the private sector, promotion of self-employment and financial support and investment could assist at the national level. The realization of national social integration should be equally applied at the international level. Iran was reorienting its development strategies towards people-centred development. The Government, in line with the commitments of the Summit, had embarked on initiatives to eradicate poverty, create full employment and address the concerns of the most vulnerable.
SHEREEN THAHIM (Pakistan) said that the eradication of poverty, the reduction of unemployment and the expansion of productive employment remained areas of top priority. Ultimate success would depend on operational programmes, regional commissions -- whose activities needed to be upgraded -- and multilateral financial institutions. The follow-up to the World Social Summit should not lead to a boom in expert meetings. All initiatives should remain cost-effective and not be bogged down in minutiae. Above all, the goals and targets should be realistic.
She welcomed the World Bank's decision to expand in areas of social development. Direct investment in projects aiming at eliminating poverty would produce quick and tangible results. Her Government had launched an $8 billion social action programme, focusing on poverty eradication, basic education, primary health care, nutrition, water supply and sanitation. Its programmes were supported by United Nations agencies based in Pakistan, donor countries and the World Bank. But the task could not be accomplished without massive investment in human resource development.
JOANNA WRONECKA (Poland) said that the central phenomenon of the present age seemed to be rapidly growing interdependence, from the globalization of the world economy to the information revolution. That being so, she asked, "doesn't our world depend on equitable and sustainable development in all parts of the world?"
Such development, in turn, depended on the flows of development assistance and on opening up the world's markets to trade and investment, she said. Mainly, however, it depended on the efforts of each individual country to support its own development and adapt to the fluctuating environment. The starting point was economic growth, by far the most effective mechanism for distributing wealth and opportunity. But markets and social justice needed each other, to inject a notion of humanity into efficiency. Her country's multidimensional strategies for development were in conformity with the
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recommendations stemming from the World Social Summit. Its current social security scheme was undergoing a period of complex reforms, and unemployment insurance was being developed.
V.K.K. TEAGARAJAN, (Malaysia), told the Assembly that the international community's follow-up of Copenhagen should be guided by the principle that people were central in the development process. In that way, the cause of pluralism and social justice would be promoted. One could not be oblivious to the fact that 1.3 billion people, a fifth of the human race, lived in abject poverty, lacking both food and clean drinking water. Poverty eradication should be a collective goal.
He said that donor countries had been reluctant to provide additional resources, however, and it was disheartening to realize that the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of the GNP and the increase of funding for social development programmes was far from being achieved. Donor countries should live up to their pledges if they were to contribute in a meaningful way to the world's poor and underprivileged. The initiatives taken by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), amounting to $3.33 billion in financing for various projects in education, health, population programmes and nutrition, were welcome, and should be carried out in a fair and just manner. Those institutions should act as neither debt collectors for the rich North, nor enforcers for the lenders.
OSCAR DE ROJAS, (Venezuela), said that his country, immediately after the World Social Summit, had decided to impose a series of measures in keeping with the guidelines proposed by the Copenhagen Declaration. His country's new development strategy had been designed to generate not just productivity, but also social equality. His "compromise for social solidarity" included, as one of its most important components, the strengthening of organizational capacities among the population to stimulate community programmes and participation. That, in turn, would be helpful in implementing the Government's social programmes. Those programmes required time and should not be halted or substituted for until better and more efficient alternatives had been found.
He said his country had also been working with other countries of the hemisphere to identify new and creative ways to combat poverty through national, target-oriented programmes and modernization reforms. Its commitment to combat poverty embraced three basic areas: a system of services targeting low-income families through direct subsidies, subsidies for education and for the care of the elderly; revision of the current legislation to guarantee universal access to the work market; and training programmes oriented to non-traditional activities. The theme of social justice should be assumed collectively by the whole international community.
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As the Assembly concluded its consideration of follow-up to the World Social Summit, the Assembly Vice-President, ALI SUNNI MUNTASSER (Lybia), announced that a draft resolution on implementation of Summit outcome would be considered at a later date.
Reports of the Fifth Committee
The General Assembly adopted, without a vote, the draft resolution contained in the report of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on financing of MINURSO.
The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, the draft decision contained in the report on financing UNOMIG and the draft resolution in the report on financing UNOMIL.
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