SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Press Release
SC/6288

SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Security Council this morning adopted its fifty-first report to the General Assembly, covering the period from 16 June 1995 to 15 June 1996. Produced as a guide to the Council's activities during the 12-month period, the report will be submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with provisions of the United Nations Charter.

During the period under review, the Council held 132 formal meetings, adopted 64 resolutions and issued 62 statements. The Council held 240 consultations of the whole, totalling some 377 hours. It considered over 70 reports of the Secretary-General, and reviewed and processed more than 1,079 documents and communications from States and regional and other intergovernmental organizations.

Part I of the report deals with questions considered by the Council under its responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security. The subject receiving most of the Council's attention through open meetings was the situation in the former Yugoslavia, followed by those in Rwanda, Liberia, Angola, the Middle East, Tajikistan and the Tajik-Afghan border, and Burundi.

The number of meetings devoted to these situations, as well as resolutions adopted and presidential statements made, were as follows:

Situation Meetings Resolutions Statements

Former Yugoslavia 45 23 24 Rwanda 10 8 2 Liberia 9 5 2 Angola 8 3 4 Middle East 7 5 4 Tajikistan, border 7 3 4 Burundi 6 3 3

The Council also met on Afghanistan, Cyprus, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq and Kuwait, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Western Sahara.

Security Council - 2 - Press Release SC/6288 3711th Meeting (AM) 13 November 1996

In addition, the Council considered items relating to An Agenda for Peace, the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in the Asia- Pacific region, the extradition of suspects wanted in the attempted assassination of the President of Egypt, the shooting down of civil aircraft by Cuban forces on 24 February 1996, the Council's sanctions against Libya, and the signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). Part II of the report deals with other items considered, such as the International Court of Justice, the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the Council's working methods and procedures. Part III covers the work of the Military Staff Committee, while Part IV lists communications on matters brought to the Council's attention, but not discussed at formal meetings. The report also addresses the work of subsidiary organs of the Council which were active during the year. Those include the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission, set up to review claims resulting from Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait; the Special Commission set up to monitor the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction; and Security Council Committees established with respect to the situations involving Iraq and Kuwait, Yugoslavia, Libya, Somalia, Angola, Rwanda and Liberia. Regarding the Council's membership, the report notes that the General Assembly last year elected Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Poland and the Republic of Korea to fill the vacancies resulting from the expiration on 31 December 1995 of the terms of office of Argentina, Czech Republic, Nigeria, Oman and Rwanda. The report recalls that, in January 1996, the Council decided that the Chairmen of its Sanctions Committees should give oral briefings to interested Member States after each Committee meeting, just as the Council President gives oral briefings following consultations of Council members. During the period under review, the Council also expanded consultations and information- exchange with countries contributing troops to United Nations peace-keeping operations. Introducing the report, Neylan Bali, Director of the Security Council Affairs Division, said the introduction in this year's report included expanded information on the Sanctions Committees. Appendices to the report contained cross-referenced indexes of Council resolutions and Presidential statements, communications from the Council President or the Secretary- General, meetings of subsidiary bodies, and Council members. The Council's report will be issued as document S/1996/935. The meeting, which was called to order at 11:07 a.m., was adjourned at 11:14 a.m.

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