UNITED NATIONS STAFF MEMBERS WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO GIVING UP WORK FOR PEACE, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS MEETING ON SECURITY OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE
Press Release
SG/SM/6472
ORG/1263
UNITED NATIONS STAFF MEMBERS WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO GIVING UP WORK FOR PEACE, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS MEETING ON SECURITY OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE
19980225 Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's statement to the Summit on International Security and Independence, held at Headquarters today, which was delivered on his behalf by United Nations Security Coordinator Benon Sevan:I would like to begin this meeting on the security and independence of the international civil service by mentioning the names of a few staff members: Alfred Nsinga; Abdala Daker Hayatli; Elizabeth Assey; Tomas Ouijada; Alec Collett.
Most of you probably do not know these individuals. But all are members of your family: the United Nations family. And as with family, you worry about their safety when they step in harm's way; you feel pain and emotional stress when they are attacked or injured; and you suffer grief, loss and trauma when they die.
So let me tell you what has befallen these members of your family: one died of gunshot wounds in El Salvador; one has been detained in Rwanda since 1995; another was killed during a robbery in the United Republic of Tanzania one year ago yesterday; one has been detained in Lebanon since 1985; and one has been missing in Syria since 1980. Yes, I said 1980.
In the Caucasus, Vincent Cochetel of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is still being held following his abduction earlier this month.
And as recently as last Thursday, four military observers with the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) were kidnapped by an armed group. As you know, three have been released, and we are actively working to free his remaining colleague, as well as the Georgian civilians captured along with them.
I mention these names to provide a taste of the threats faced by staff around the world. Peacekeepers, humanitarian workers and civilian staff of United Nations organizations, international and local staff alike, have faced security problems throughout United Nations history. But today they work in an environment vastly changed from that of just a few years ago.
The year 1992 marked a crossroads. Before then, security was not a major issue. It was almost unheard of for non-military staff to be killed. When it happened, it was a random act, caused by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Since 1992, however, a new climate has prevailed. In many conflict zones, government authority is nowhere to be found. Violence is aimed deliberately at civilians. Sanctuaries such as hospitals, schools and places of worship are destroyed or desecrated. Combatants fail to respect the United Nations impartial presence, and instead target those wearing United Nations blue for detention, extortion, robbery and murder.
The mounting threat is borne out by the numbers. Prior to 1992, no more than a handful of civilian staff lost their lives. Since then, however, 219 civilian staff have died while serving the United Nations. And since 1994, another brazen violation of civilized norms -- hostage-taking -- has become a new threat: 130 staff members have been held, in 43 separate incidents.
But numbers do not tell the full story. They do not measure the suffering inflicted on the families. They do not measure the negative effect on United Nations programmes.
Each time a defenceless United Nations staff member dies in the line of duty, fear takes its toll on those who carry on. It is particularly disturbing to me that no one has ever been charged or brought to justice for killing or causing the death of a United Nations staff member. Such impunity must not stand.
And each time a United Nations warehouse is looted, a sense of futility takes firmer hold among donors. It is also disturbing to me that United Nations property is now seen as fair game. Last October, damage by looters who broke into a World Health Organization office caused the loss of irreplaceable medical records. Such disregard, not only of the United Nations but of one human being for another, must find an antidote.
This meeting is a call to action. I would like to commend the President of the Staff Union, Rosemarie Waters, and the Staff Union's Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service, for recognizing the importance of this issue and for assembling this programme.
For my part, I see opportunities for progress in two areas.
First, we can put pressure on governments of countries where United Nations personnel are stationed. Their responsibilities flow from every government's normal and inherent function of maintaining order and protecting persons and property within its jurisdiction. Governments must also uphold the relevant Articles of the United Nations Charter and the Conventions on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations and of the Specialized Agencies.
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One concrete focus for pressure on governments is the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1994. The Convention will enter into force when ratified by 22 Member States, but only 17 have done so -- and none so far in 1998. To their credit, Member States agreed quickly on the text of this treaty; they must now finish the job.
Second, we must rely on ourselves. The United Nations Security Coordinator, Benon Sevan, and his Office, together with their colleagues in all the other United Nations organizations, have been working hard to develop a strategy to raise the level of security awareness of staff throughout the United Nations system and to train all staff in the field.
As part of this strategy, I am pleased to announce that the Office will soon publish a comprehensive book on security for all staff members at all duty stations. Together with a system-wide security training package, this handbook will be a valuable element in enhancing staff security. I appeal to Member States to show their support by providing the resources needed to put our plans into practice.
But even with a Convention that has entered into force, even with resources for improved security structures and communications, and even with our own vigilance, risks and casualties will continue to be an inherent part of our work.
We mourn when a loved one falls, but we must also celebrate that life and its achievements. When tragedy occurs, we must renew our vow to uphold the principles for which so many men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice.
My distinguished predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, was one such victim. I would like us now to observe a moment of silence in memory of all who have lost their lives in serving the cause of peace since the United Nations was founded.
We in the United Nations form a unique world family, united by a common vision and a deep faith in the Charter. United Nations staff members can be held hostage, but the spirit of peace and progress that drives our work can never be imprisoned. United Nations staff members can be attacked, but we will not be bullied into giving up the work for peace that we carry out on behalf of the international community. The men and women of the United Nations system will continue to rise to the challenges placed before them. Let us do our utmost to ensure that staff have the independence and protection to which they are entitled and which they deserve.
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