DPI PUBLISHES 'THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INDEPENDENCE OF ERITREA'

Press Release
PI/986*

DPI PUBLISHES 'THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INDEPENDENCE OF ERITREA'

The 1993 referendum in Eritrea, which marked the end of one of Africa's longest wars and brought about a peaceful transition to democracy, was a significant achievement for the United Nations. The Organization played a critical role not only in the electoral process which gave the Eritreans the right to self-determination, but in a continuing assistance programme which is helping to move the country towards long-term stability and economic growth. The United Nations operation in Eritrea is described in detail in the latest volume of the Blue Books series, The United Nations and the Independence of Eritrea, published by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Following a 1991 agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which formally ended Eritrea's 30-year struggle for independence and recognized the right of the Eritrean people to determine their political future through an internationally supervised referendum, the United Nations was asked to participate in the electoral process. In addition to undertaking the technical task of assessing the conduct of voter registration, campaign and polling, the United Nations Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER) launched a civic education programme to promote the right to popular participation in government and explain the referendum process. The United Nations also coordinated efforts to revitalize Eritrea's economy, repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees and provide humanitarian aid to 2 million people left destitute by a protracted war.

The referendum in Eritrea offered an example of stability and harmony during a time of conflict throughout the Horn of Africa and demonstrated once again the value of United Nations electoral and other technical assistance for countries formerly at war. It also illustrated the link between democratization, development and peace. As Secretary-General Boutros Boutros- Ghali writes in his introduction to The United Nations and the Independence of Eritrea: "Without peace, Eritrea would not have been able to embark on the

* Press Release HR/4318 PI/985 of 12 December 1996 should have been numbered HR/4318 PI/984.

path of democratization and development. Without a democratic referendum, the Eritrean people would not have had a central voice in that process, as was their right. And without development, the gains Eritreans have made will remain fragile."

In addition to the introduction, The United Nations and the Independence of Eritrea contains more than 40 documents, including: resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council; reports of the Secretary-General on UNOVER, as well as other reports, letters and statements of the Secretary- General; reports of the United Nations Commissioner in Eritrea from 1951 and 1952; international appeals and programmes for Eritrea's reconstruction and recovery; and communications from Member States and previously unpublished correspondence of the Secretary-General. It also features a detailed chronology of events.

The Blue Books series covers major developments of the past five decades in which the United Nations has played a leading role. The series is designed to provide primary research and reference tools for historians, policy makers, journalists and others interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the work of the Organization.

The first book in the series, The United Nations and Apartheid, 1948- 1994, was published in December 1994. Also available are: The United Nations and Cambodia, 1991-1995, The United Nations and Nuclear Non-Proliferation, The United Nations and El Salvador, 1990-1995, The United Nations and Mozambique, 1992-1995, The United Nations and the Advancement of Women, 1945-1996, The United Nations and Human Rights, 1945-1995, The United Nations and Somalia, 1992-1996, The United Nations and the Iraq-Kuwait Conflict, 1990-1996, The United Nations and Rwanda, 1993-1996 and The United Nations and Haiti, 1990- 1996 (French).

The United Nations and the Independence of Eritrea (286 pages) is available as a sales item. For additional information, please contact United Nations Publications, Room DC2-0853, Dept. 184A, New York, N.Y. 10017 (phone: 1-800-253-9646 and 212-963-8302; fax: 212-963-3489); or United Nations Publications, Sales Office and Bookshop, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland (phone: 41-22-917-2614; fax: 41-22-917-0027); or United Nations Information Centres around the world.

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Note:Review copies of The United Nations and the Independence of Eritrea are available from the United Nations Publications Office.