TRAINING, RESEARCH, PALESTINIAN-ARAB SOVEREIGNTY OVER NATURAL RESOURCES, AMONG ISSUES ADDRESSED IN WIDE-RANGING DEBATE

Press Release
GA/EF/2891

TRAINING, RESEARCH, PALESTINIAN-ARAB SOVEREIGNTY OVER NATURAL RESOURCES, AMONG ISSUES ADDRESSED IN WIDE-RANGING DEBATE

Committee Also Hears Draft Texts On Small Island Developing States, Training-Research Proposals

Training could very well be the basic challenge for the twenty- first century, the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning as it considered training and research.

It required a voluntary commitment, often directed against existing institutional constraints, said Marcel A. Boisard. Trainers had to know the requirements of recipient States and then had to format the curriculum without dogmatism. It was not so much official development assistance (ODA) funds that were lacking, but more ideas and innovations. To create real change, training should revolve around action and reflection at the national and regional level.

The United Nations Staff College at Turin was in a key position to identify cross-cutting agency requirements and design, and deliver the activities that helped to develop and sustain the Secretary-General’s plans for improving the way the Organization worked, said its Director, John Machin. Building on the talents of all staff was key, because the development of human resources was vital in helping organizations to become more relevant, competitive and effective. Through its activities, the College aimed to create a more cohesive United Nations system-wide management culture and build it on a solid competency base.

Several delegations expressed indignation at the fact that among the largest beneficiaries of UNITAR were some of the richest Member States, many of which were not contributing financially to the Institute at all. Speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, the representative of Finland found that a matter of concern, given that the Institute should clearly target its programmes to the specific needs of developing countries and countries in transition. In that regard, an active policy of fund-raising and partnerships with the private sector and foundations was welcome.

Second Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/EF/2891 35th Meeting (AM) 9 November 1999

The representative of Suriname, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that future topics of UNITAR’s training courses should focus more on economic, financial, social and trade issues related to sustainable development. A greater effort by UNITAR in selecting experts from developing countries for the preparation of the relevant training materials, and also their involvement in the training courses, were also necessary.

Also this morning, the Committee considered the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.

The observer for Palestine stated that the establishment of settlements, and the confiscation of lands and water for those settlements, were to the detriment of the Arab people and to their confidence in the seriousness of Israel’s intentions for peace. It was impossible to persevere with the peace process while Israel was violating United Nations resolutions. The seriousness of Israeli practices in the occupied territories, pursued by a succession of Governments, was clear evidence of Israel’s intention to continue that occupation. Jerusalem was being encircled by settlements, which were themselves surrounded by military blocs, creating a new reality in the area and preventing Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.

Syria’s representative said that the suffering of the Palestinian people was the result of Israeli practices aimed at continuing occupation and expanding settlements. Practices in the occupied territories, including seizure of land and water, and detention and torture of Palestinians, had led to many structural imbalances in the economic, social and environmental landscape of the occupied territories. Israeli settlement activity in the Arab occupied territories was incommensurate with peace. Israel had sought strenuously to change the demographic and geographic features of the occupied territories, especially in Jerusalem. Peace and occupation could never coexist under the same roof. What was needed was respect for the commitment of the former Rabin Government to withdraw to Israel’s 1967 borders.

The Committee also heard the introduction of two draft resolutions this morning. The first, on implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of small island developing States, was introduced by the representative of Guyana, on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China. The second, on the United Nations Staff College in Turin, Italy, was introduced by the representative of Finland, on behalf of the European Union and associated States.

Second Committee - 1b - Press Release GA/EF/2891 35th Meeting 9 November 1999

Statements were also made by the representatives of Guyana (on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China), Pakistan, Russian Federation, Israel, Jordan, China, Japan, Libya and Yemen. The observer for Switzerland also spoke.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. to conclude its discussion on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources. It will then begin its consideration of the report of the Economic and Social Council.

Committee Work Programme

This morning, the Second Committee (Economical and Financial) met to consider training and research, as well as permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.

The Committee was also expected to hear the introduction of a draft resolution, sponsored by Guyana, on behalf of the “Group of 77” and China, on implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (document A/C.2/54/L.23). By its terms, the Assembly would call on governments, the regional commissions and organizations and other intergovernmental organizations to take into account the areas identified in the review document for priority action. It would urge them to take the action necessary for the further implementation and effective follow-up of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. It would also call on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to give substantive consideration in its work to the Declaration and review document adopted by the Assembly at its twenty-second special session, including in its preparations for UNCTAD X. Further, it would call on all stakeholders, in particular local communities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to take the action necessary for the further implementation and effective follow-up of the Programme of Action.

In addition, the Assembly would invite the Commission on Sustainable Development to integrate into its current and future work programme matters relating to the further implementation of the Programme of Action, taking into account the report of the Assembly on its twenty-second special session. Also, the Assembly would urge the United Nations Secretariat, UNCTAD and other relevant international organizations to move towards an early conclusion of their work on the development of a vulnerability index for small island developing States, and urge the Committee on Development Policy to review the criteria of least developed countries for consideration and decision by the Assembly.

The Committee had before it a note of the Secretary-General on training and research: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (document A/54/390), conveying a report approved by the Board of Trustees of the Institute, entitled "Reflections of the Board of Trustees on development and possible reformatting of UNITAR".

According to the Board of Trustees, about 120 courses are now being organized regularly each year, benefiting about 4,000 persons from almost all the member and observer States. Two thirds of these courses are related to capacity-building with a strong emphasis on environmental issues, and a relatively minor emphasis on financial management, information technologies and urban planning. One third are related to multilateral diplomacy, including international law, peacekeeping and preventive diplomacy, and international trade.

In its consideration of recommendations, the Board offers as arguments for change: declining official development assistance (ODA) resulting in a narrow financial base; the mushrooming of training institutes within the United Nations system resulting in much duplication and overlap; adjustments to new technologies of the information revolution; and the growth in scope of the private sector.

With respect to training, the Board feels that capacity-building remains the foundation of the development of Member States. It is important to continue efforts to fully integrate the complexities of economic, developmental, social and environmental concerns of countries into cohesive capacity-building and training curricula, and also to better evaluate the long-term impact of training activities on institutional transformation. The time is also ripe, according to the Trustees, to reconsider areas where operationally oriented research can further contribute to both the training activities of the Institute itself, and the larger reflection undertaken by the Secretary-General and the United Nations on future developments of the multilateral system.

Also before the Committee was a report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (document A/54/480), which highlights complementarities and synergies among the training institutions within the United Nations, gives an assessment of a survey prepared by UNITAR [see and offers some future policy directions.

The report states that the training institutions within the United Nations oriented towards training officials can be divided roughly into three categories: the UNITAR; different United Nations entities, particularly the regional commissions, which have established centres with specific and sometimes technical training objectives in areas such as planning, demography and statistics; and training activities that are collateral to ongoing programmes.

The report recommends that the United Nations continues to play a key role in offering specialized workshops and seminars and other learning opportunities to national officials, and that it continues to adapt and improve programmes by using the considerable experience and results of all organization in the system. A more coherent and comprehensive approach to planning and organizing learning for governmental officials is desirable. Linkages among outside training efforts should be explored whenever possible.

The report further recommends that whenever possible, training should be provided within the countries concerned to reach a critical mass of participants and to reduce costs. A focus on reaching trainers within the countries concerned also helps to create momentum through a multiplier effect. Within the United Nations system, the aim should be to ensure that the activities and capabilities of the relevant organizations are made to reinforce each other in meeting governments' training needs. This implies not only that cooperative links among learning programmes in the same broad fields should be systematized and become standard operating procedures, it also requires a renewed effort at fostering greater synergies between normative and research work, and training activities.

Also before the Committee was a note by the Secretary-General (document A/54/481) transmitting a progress report by the Director of the United Nations Staff College at Turin, Italy, entitled "Training and Learning: The United Nations Staff College project".

The report states that the United Nations Staff College was established in January 1996 to provide training for international civil servants throughout the United Nations system. Its rationale was to strengthen collaboration within the system in areas that cut across traditional lines of organizational responsibility. The aim was to develop a shared vision for the future and to increase operational effectiveness, enhance cooperation with Member States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and create a more cohesive United Nations system-wide management culture.

In the three and a half years of its existence, the report notes, over 3,500 middle and senior United Nations staff have participated in its programmes, with special attention paid to those in key positions of interagency concern in development support and related areas, such as Resident Coordinators and United Nations Country Teams. Training activities are of varying duration and range from policy-oriented workshops, process-focused, team-oriented workshops, open workshops and the design and development of training packages. About 80 per cent of the activities have been in direct response to requests from clients.

According to the report, the college undertook a major review and a comprehensive training needs analysis in October 1998. It has since developed with its United Nations system partners a new future strategy for design and implementation of training and learning activities focusing on the change and reform process of the United Nations, especially in the field. The college had re-defined its strategic direction into four product areas across which programmes and activities are being developed: executive/learning forums on issues of global concern; learning and training workshops in selected areas; expert services; networking/clearing house providing specific support services.

The strategic direction of the Staff College and the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) conclusions ["Responsiveness to a rapidly changing international environment by the organizations of the system must be accompanied by steps to develop a system-wide culture, geared to reform and the management of change, and to enhancing the collective capacity of the system to address the new cross-sectoral challenges before the international community. The Staff College provides an inter-agency instrument specially suited to furthering these objectives"], together with the growing realization within the system that reform and change require continuous learning, support the view that there is demand, and there will be a continuing need, for a viable, effective United Nations Staff College in the years ahead.

The Committee also had before it a draft resolution introduced by Finland, on behalf of the European Union and associated States, on the United Nations Staff College in Turin, Italy (Document A/C.2/54/L.26). According to the terms of the draft resolution, the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to consult with the Administrative Committee on Coordination and relevant United Nations agencies and to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session a report on the Staff College based on a full and independent evaluation of the implementation and completion of the activities undertaken by the College (incorporating the College's corporate plan and programme of action) and including recommendations on the future status, funding and operations of the College after the conclusion of its pilot phase in December 2000.

Also for the Committee's consideration was a note by the Secretary-General on economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (document A/54/152-E/1999/92). The failure to fully implement the terms of agreements reached between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), says the note has caused continuing hardship to Palestinians in the occupied territory. Israeli settlement policy and closures of occupied territory continue to aggravate the living conditions of the Palestinians and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan.

According to the note, by the end of 1999, more than 375,000 Israelis will be living in over 200 communities established since 1967 in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. The geographic distribution of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory severely restricts the growth of Palestinian communities. In most cases, settlements either surround Palestinian communities, and therefore prevent their natural growth, or huge tracts of Palestinian land are confiscated for future settlement expansion.

According to the Wye Memorandum, agreements about the southern safe passage route, designed to connect Gaza with the West Bank via Hebron, should have been concluded within a week of the date of entry into force of the Memorandum, and operation of that route should have begun as soon as possible thereafter, states the report. Agreements on the southern route have been delayed by unresolved issues relating to the northern route. There is no confirmed opening date for any safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank. Similarly, opening the port of Gaza has been delayed owing to security demands by Israel. On the other hand, the international airport in the Gaza Strip, under joint Israeli and Palestinian Authority supervision, opened to limited traffic in late 1998. Continuing restrictions on the Palestinian Authority's operation of the facility have contributed to its failure, until now, to make a recognizable contribution to the Palestinian economy.

The report states that the construction underway attests to a significant campaign of intentional settlement expansion. More than 20 per cent of all land to be marketed by the Ministry of Construction and Housing during 1999 is located in the occupied Palestinian territory. Also, the upsurge in settlement expansion in the West Bank continues and thousands of apartment units are planned for settlements east of Jerusalem to produce a ring of Israeli settlements around the city. The immediate repercussions of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory are the constant frictions between the settlers and the Palestinians.

The repercussions of Israeli occupation on Palestinian healthcare have been severe, according to the report. Responsibility for healthcare has been transferred to the Palestinian Authority as part of the Oslo I agreement, but has been largely supported by private organizations. The Authority has not been able to cope financially with the burden of high population growth and extremely limited economic resources.

Regarding the occupation's repercussions on education, movement restrictions continue to affect school attendance for those students who must cross Israeli-controlled checkpoints. While the increase in the size of the population in the territories is clearly reflected in the number of students attending schools, that increase was not matched by an increase in the number of teachers.

According to the report, a continuing factor in the Palestinian exodus from Jerusalem is financial. Thousands of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem have moved to more affordable housing in the nearby West Bank. In hundreds of cases, Palestinians with Jerusalem identity documents who reside outside the city have been forced by Israel to surrender their Jerusalem identity documents and thus their right to reside in the city. The plan for an "umbrella municipality" for Jerusalem and its environs, unveiled in June 1998, will, if implemented, bring West Bank settlements into "Greater Jerusalem" one administrative step further along the road to de facto annexation.

Israeli occupation is strictly affecting and undermining the Palestinians' supply of drinking water as well as its quality, states the report. Israel's national water company was charged by a human rights group with drastically cutting water to Palestinian communities in the West Bank during the summer to meet increased consumption in Israel and its settlements in the territory. The Group had also charged that Israel had imposed obstacles to the drilling of new wells, expropriated wells owned by Palestinians and neglected to maintain water systems.

Israeli control and neglect of the occupied Palestinian territory is having negative repercussions on the environment, according to the report. Environmental regulations on soil, air and water quality and restrictions on industrial development have generally been far less comprehensive and much less assiduously enforced in the occupied Palestinian territory as compared with Israel itself. Combined with State- subsidized incentives for Israeli concerns to locate to industrial parks in and near settlements, the relative laxity of environmental enforcement and monitoring has led to the relocation of polluting industries into the occupied territory. Palestinian scientists face difficulties in collecting waste samples, owing to lack of access to the effluent source. Reliable data about waste-water generated in the settlements is difficult to obtain. A large amount is dumped, untreated, on Palestinian land, creating a health hazard for many communities.

The report states that the macroeconomic impact of Israeli occupation on the occupied Palestinian territory inhibits investment and growth as a result of the continued ambiguity of the legal and political situation. The situation is aggravated by border closures which include the ban on the movement of goods, factors of production and people between the Palestinian areas, Israel and the Gaza Strip, and between the rest of the West Bank and Jerusalem. Closures have a significant effect on the continuity and regularity of production, marketing, income generation and employment. It has also negatively affected trade, particularly exports from the territory.

The current uncertain border status and closures are the key reasons, the report goes on to say, why expectations for a revival of private investment following the signing of the Oslo peace accords have not been met. The regime of closures, the failure to open a secure transport link and the failure to open the anticipated port in Gaza have reduced the profitability of the critical export sector and have resulted in a distorted pattern of investment in the occupied Palestinian territory.

While incentives and investment continue to promote the Israeli presence in the occupied Syrian Golan, the report states that the Arab population faces further deterioration in living conditions resulting from Israeli restrictions on employment and education in Israel, as well as from Israeli taxation policy. Employment opportunities for the Arab population are extremely restricted since movement remains problematic, particularly in light of the current stalled peace process. The improvement of living conditions is further inhibited by measures that restrict the expansion of educational facilities, and limited access to education in Syria or in Israeli colleges.

Introduction of Draft Resolution

DONNETTE CRITCHLOW (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, introduced the draft resolution on implementation of the outcome of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of small island developing States. She said that it had been recognized both inside and outside the United Nations system that small island developing States faced particular vulnerabilities in achieving sustainable development. The Barbados Programme of Action remained the blueprint for their sustainable development. The resolution sought to draw attention to the further action that was needed for small island developing States in their implementation of the Programme of Action. One of the important issues it addressed was the development of a vulnerability index. She emphasized the importance the Group attached to the sustainable development of small island developing States. More careful consideration of the issue, including greater inputs by the international community, was necessary. She looked forward to the support of partners as the draft was considered.

Introduction of Reports

MARCEL A. BOISARD, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), introducing the report of the Secretary-General, said that the institute had now entered the phase of consolidation. The nature of the training programmes should remain unchanged. Various essential components for sustainable development were contained in the programmes. The UNITAR had been able to respond effectively and efficiently to changing demands. The report showed that the list of institutes and training programmes carried out last year by UNITAR, being minimalist and not very costly, provided useful information and was diversified. Many cooperation threads were woven, frequently spontaneously. Nearly all activities were joint enterprises with other members of the United Nations family.

The restructuring phase had been quite fast, starting seven years ago, he said, and the consolidation phase could be of equivalent duration and could provide tangible results on a regular basis. That phase was to constitute a body of authority within the Organization, with expertise in the theoretical and methodological field. He offered some statistics: more than 120 different programmes were carried out yearly for some 4,000 beneficiaries in five continents. The diplomatic community of New York saw more than 15 per cent of the activities. Seventy per cent were carried out in the field, outside the diplomatic context but in cooperation with ministries.

Training could very well be the basic challenge for the twenty-first century, he said. It required a voluntary commitment, often directed against existing institutional constraints. Trainers had to know the requirements of recipient States and then had to format the curriculum without dogmatism. It was not so much official development assistance (ODA) funds that were lacking, but more ideas and innovations. In order to truly create change, training should revolve around action and reflection at the national and regional level.

He said that the training programmes pivoted around four pillars: direct involvement of the largest number of partners concerned; cooperation between national and regional institutions; frequent and comprehensive use of new information technologies; and preparation and dissemination of original and innovative pedacogical material. Cooperation with the funds and programmes of the United Nations, which was a recurrent recommendation of the General Assembly, was underway. In 1998, UNITAR ended with more income than expenditure, and the same would happen in 1999. That did not mean that there were no financial difficulties. Current resources did not permit responses to more than 20 per cent of demand. The activities and role of UNITAR in the new approach would be what Member States wanted them to be. Funds for that had to be provided. The UNITAR should become an autonomous body.

JOHN MACHIN, Director of the United Nations Staff College, introduced the note by the Secretary-General. He said that the college occupied neutral ground, being located on the only fully residential campus in the United Nations system, an ideal environment for agencies to meet and share learning together. Through a thorough Training Needs Analysis and close contacts with inter-agency bodies, the College was in a key position to identify cross-cutting agency requirements and design, and deliver the activities that helped to develop and sustain the Secretary-General’s plans for improving the way the United Nations worked.

He said that the changing vision of the Staff College’s mission [“Facilitating strategic change by supporting the evolving vision of a new United Nations and by building on the talents of all our staff”] was crucial because organizations were never static. It was only by learning how to manage one’s own changing role that one could help others to manage theirs. Building on the talents of all staff was key, because the development of human resources was vital in helping organizations to become more relevant, competitive and effective. Through its activities, the College aimed to create a more cohesive United Nations system-wide management culture and build it on a solid competency base.

The United Nations Staff College, UNITAR and the United Nations University had different mandates, he said. Their activities were nevertheless complementary, and finding ways to work more closely together was extremely important. The cost of putting the United Nations Staff College on a secure financial footing required minimal resources from the United Nations without any diversion from major programme activities. All activities were fully cost recoverable, but it took time to become self-financing.

AHMAD KAMAL, Chairman of the Board of UNITAR, introduced the Board’s report. The Board had undertaken a comprehensive review of UNITAR’s activities. In the Board’s view, UNITAR’s restructuring phase had been completed successfully. The events and courses organized by the Institute had received excellent reviews. The Board would now like to shift its focus to consolidation of the reform process. It felt that in addition to evaluation and follow-up activities during the consolidation phase, it should also focus on other areas, such as extending its geographical reach. It would also focus on adoption of a stronger policy for use of information and communication technologies, as well as expanding its interactions with universities. In the past, the Institute had benefited from the input of scholars from universities. Finally, it could gradually expand the research components of existing programmes.

The Board had emphasized the need for continuity in the management of the Institute during the consolidation phase, he continued. The post of Executive Director should be upgraded to make it commensurate with its onerous responsibilities. No institution could maintain its activities without adequate and predictable funds, and UNITAR was completely dependent on voluntary financing. In addition to fund-raising efforts by Governments, funding from the private sector needed to be pursued more actively. He appealed to Member States to make additional contributions to UNITAR’s general funds. That was one way of addressing its current vulnerability. While the Institute provided free training services to all participants, it was charged rent for its office in New York as well as for maintenance of its office in Geneva. The Secretary-General was encouraged to explore all possible ways and means to provide additional facilities to UNITAR for maintaining its offices and for conducting programmes and courses that were provided at no cost to States. He urged Member States to call on the Secretary-General to report on progress in that regard.

GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana), speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 developing countries and China, said that UNITAR had set an example for similar United Nations specialized agencies. In the words of its Board, UNITAR had accomplished the remarkable feat of turning itself around, from an institution which had lost much of its credibility and utility a few years ago to one that was highly focused and successful. The Group supported the argument contained in the Secretary-General’s note regarding UNITAR’s role in an era of declining ODA. While several factors had contributed to that unfortunate development, institutions like UNITAR had taken the lead in maximizing capacity-building in developing countries, even without securing increased donor funding for their programmes. That concrete response was laudable but unsustainable, unless Member States increased contributions.

He underlined the point that many of UNITAR’s beneficiaries were among the richest yet non-contributing Member States. The onus for the Institute’s long-term viability lay with those States, which were best placed to support its activities financially. The Group was also in favour of the view held by UNITAR’s Board that fund-raising efforts should extend to the private sector and foundations. The positive gains made by UNITAR should be continued on an expanded basis. Capacity-building remained the cornerstone of the development of Member States, and every effort that fulfilled that critical function should receive strong support from both developing and developed countries. In addition, he underlined the Group’s support for the United Nations Staff College in Turin.

MATTI KAARIAINEN (Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, said that while he appreciated the numerous examples of cooperation with UNITAR, he would like to have seen a more systematic identification of such partnerships. A greater degree of analysis with respect to the various partnerships, and the financial and other gains achieved through increased cooperation, would have been beneficial. A comprehensive overview of existing partnerships, together with an identification of the overall training requirements and areas of duplication across the United Nations system, would pave the way for a coordinated delivery of training between the various institutions.

The report of the Board had revealed that among the largest beneficiaries of UNITAR were some of the richest Member States, many of which were not contributing financially to UNITAR at all. That was an issue of concern, given that the Institute should clearly target its programmes to the specific needs of developing countries and countries in transition. The Union concurred with the Board about the importance of a strong policy for the use of new information and communication technologies. He stressed that in designing such a policy, the needs and constraints of all Member States, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs), were fully taken into account, so as to ensure that the use of new technologies did not exclude any country or institution from training opportunities due to lack of proper equipment or knowledge. He underlined that UNITAR’s focus should remain on developing countries, regardless of the new sources of funding. At the same time, an active policy of fund-raising and partnerships with the private sector and foundations was welcome.

To avoid duplication of efforts, a clear division of labour between UNITAR, the United Nations University and the United Nations Staff College was critical, he said. At the same time, there were areas where the three institutions could work together to build on their respective strengths. In that respect, the European Union supported the coordination efforts between the governing bodies of the three institutions and, where feasible, encouraged further cooperation in the form of joint programmes to ensure complementarity.

He then introduced the draft resolution on the United Nations Staff College in Turin. Since the pilot phase of the College was coming to its conclusion in December 2000, the Union believed that preparations for consideration of the College’s future should be initiated in a timely manner to prepare for the future. The main purpose of the draft was to request the Secretary-General to report to the fifty-fifth General Assembly on the progress of the United Nations Staff College, based on a full evaluation of the activities undertaken by the College, and to make recommendations on the status of the College after its pilot phase.

ALAMGIR BABAR (Pakistan) said that human-resource development was a key factor in the success of any organization or nation. It was a continuous process which required consistent efforts, innovative approaches and international cooperation. The United Nations had an important role in providing training facilities and opportunities to Member States. The report on UNITAR had called for “a broader study” in order to obtain a complete and accurate picture of training within the United Nations system. The study might be expanded to focus on addressing the problems of proliferation and fragmentation of training facilities; avoiding overlap; collecting qualitative and quantitative data to assess the impact of training programmes; and making concrete proposals to enhance the impact of United Nations training activities.

He said that the future policy directions for the training activities of the United Nations, outlined in the report, were too general. More sector-specific directions, particularly the role of the United Nations in providing training in the use of information and communications technology, would have been preferable. While expanding its focus on building alliances with universities, the Board might consider making UNITAR an institution which could link universities from the developed and developing countries and encourage them to offer joint courses through "distant learning”. Constant and increased flow of resources and continuity in UNITAR’s management should be ensured.

BORIS AVRAMENKO (Russian Federation) said that his country supported the work of UNITAR, which was successfully fulfilling its mandate in the field of training and research. He welcomed the further strengthening of the Institute, based on its existing mandate, and noted the balanced approach it had adopted recently. The UNITAR had the necessary authority to draw up recommendations for the priorities which best met the interests of Member States. Russia, as a member of the Board, intended to assist in enhancing the results of UNITAR’s work.

With regard to the United Nations Staff College in Turin, he welcomed the fact that the College was focusing on work in areas such as international peace and security and economic and social development. At the same time, the report would have been better if it had been of a more analytical nature and if it had included the question of attracting funds. The question of the College’s future should be carefully studied at the Assembly’s fifty-fifth session.

OLIVIER CHAVE (Switzerland) noted that the United Nations Staff College was financed in part by Switzerland. The College should be encouraged to define even more precisely its scope of courses. A more systematic evaluation would no doubt optimize its offer of courses. Overlap with other institutions should be avoided. A question remained: how was the College, as well as other training entities within the United Nations, cooperating with the United Nations Developing Groups and the country teams? Certain courses would acquire greater efficiency if they were organized within the country context and could be decentralized.

The UNITAR had entered a new phase, he said. It’s training methods and materials had improved greatly. In fact, it could be considered a new institution. Its training programmes assisted countries in facing new challenges, such as financial management and building a better capacity for control of migration flows. It received no direct contribution from the United Nations budget. Noting that its resources showed a shortfall, he invited countries to participate actively in contributions to the Institute.

MORDECHAY LEWY (Israel) said that joint research and training programmes were essential vehicles for promoting economic and social development. He hoped that UNITAR would help promote regional cooperation through the venue of the United Nations University’s branch in Amman, Jordan. Jordan had already made great strides in peacemaking and achieved a very positive record when it came to bridge-building in the region. The Centre for International Cooperation, Mashav, together with Palestinian organizations and NGOs, had already been implementing joint training programmes for several years in the fields of agriculture, education, culture and society. The UNITAR and the Blaustein Institute for Desert Research (BIRD) would be establishing a joint programme devoted to global changes in drylands. To expand that framework, he proposed the implementation of similar joint training programmes through the good offices of UNITAR and the United Nations University. Israel, for its part, was willing to be a part of that initiative.

MICHEL O. KERPENS (Suriname), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that future topics of UNITAR’s training courses should focus more on economic, financial, social and trade issues related to sustainable development. CARICOM welcomed the training provided by UNITAR. He cited training seminars on drafting resolutions, negotiating skills and report writing, which strengthened the capacity of developing countries to participate more effectively in the work of the United Nations. He urged greater effort by UNITAR in selecting experts from developing countries for the preparation of the relevant training materials and for their involvement in training courses. It was appalling that the largest beneficiaries were some of the richest Member States -- which were not contributing financially to UNITAR.

The New York office should be strengthened and its staff and office space enlarged, so that it could assist Member States of the United Nations much better than at present. He requested the Department of Management to provide additional accommodation at United Nations Headquarters, including a small training/conference facility to allow for the holding of small and spontaneous training events and follow-ups for delegates. Regarding funding, he said that since UNITAR could be considered the training arm of the United Nations Member States, to whom it provided training free of charge, it should at least receive greater support from the United Nations, particularly in the form of conference facilities and other similar services.

He asked UNITAR to consider replicating, in the Caribbean region, its training and institution building programmes now underway in the Pacific Region. The CARICOM needed to establish a pool of trained personnel capable of assessing climate change vulnerability and adaptation issues. In the mid-term, the programme would contribute to developing an integrated model for climate change assessment for the Caribbean region and outline a regional approach and cooperative mechanism.

WALID A. AL-HADID (Jordan) said he had had the honour of participating in various UNITAR training programmes, including the workshop on intellectual property rights. The Institute had the capacity to carry out its task and provide the necessary training to Member States, particularly developing countries. With a view to improving the work of UNITAR, the United Nations system should support the Institute as a body which carried out its training programmes free of charge. That support could take a number of forms, including the provision of conference services, and exemption from rent charges for its New York office and maintenance charges for its Geneva office. It was also necessary to find more a spacious office for its New York staff so that it could carry out its various training activities.

In addition, it was necessary to coordinate between the Institute and the secretariats of various United Nations bodies, including the Second Committee, to avoid overlaps and duplication of work, he added. The sessions of the Institute that related to the work of the Second Committee should be organized to avoid a waste of time and to assist those from smaller States, who could not cover all the work of the Committee and attend the Institute’s courses.

He expressed his satisfaction with the report presented by the Director of the Staff College at Turin, which referred to the need to ensure that the College had a stable and strong financial foundation. Jordan was proud to have in Amman the first institution of its kind in the Middle East for training future professionals.

LI SHIJIAN (China) said that he welcomed the comments of the directors of UNITAR and the Staff College in Turin. The UNITAR, after undergoing reforms, had become a dynamic member of the training system of the United Nations. Following the new situations and demands of Member States in the wake of globalization, United Nations reforms and the complex issue of development, UNITAR had done great work in the area of training and research. He hoped that the Institute would continue to play its important role. Despite its successes in reform, UNITAR’s lack of resources had seriously constrained it in effectively implementing training programmes. He noted that developing countries were contributing more than developed countries, which were among those largely benefiting from UNITAR’s training programmes.

YOSHITAKA KITAZAWA (Japan) said that in light of the importance of training, Japan appreciated the many kinds of programmes offered by UNITAR, particularly those aimed at capacity-building. Its restructuring phase had been completed successfully. As one of the major donor countries, Japan would continue to extend maximum support to UNITAR.

Introduction of Report

SULAFA AL-BASSAM, Chief of the Regional Commissions, New York Office, said that the report on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation was based on different sources, primarily from the Israeli and Palestinian press. She concurred that the repercussions had been all-pervasive and all-encompassing, adversely affecting the land and the people, natural resources and environment, lives and livelihood, education and health, welfare and human rights, economic prospects, opportunities and potentials, rights of communities and the dignity of human persons.

She said that conditions in the occupied territories were worse in 1998 than in the previous year. The upsurge in settlement expansion during 1998 had continued. From January 1996 to March 1998, 2,000 Palestinians carrying East Jerusalem identity documents were denied the right to live in occupied East Jerusalem, while the Israeli population there continued to grow. More than half a million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank were without reliable regular sources of water. The revival of private investment, anticipated at the time of the Oslo accords, had not materialized. Indeed, the macroeconomic impact of Israeli occupation on the occupied territory, including the occupied Syrian Golan, inhibited investment and growth because of the continued ambiguity of the legal and political situation.

The people of the Middle East welcomed the prospects for peace following the relatively recent general elections in Israel, she said. However, until peace proved to be enduring and based on the fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter, the issues under consideration would continue to be very troubling, both for the region and the world at large.

MARWAN A. JILANI, Observer for Palestine, said that the contents of the report clearly reflected the seriousness of the colonial policy of Israel and the devastating effects of that policy on the social and economic life of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of the occupied Syrian Golan. The establishment of settlements, and the confiscation of lands and water for those settlements, were to the detriment of the Arab people and the confidence of those people in the seriousness of Israel’s intentions for the peace process.

He said that Israel’s was deviating 90 per cent of the water supply from the occupied territories, and was therefore carrying out racist policies. In spite of the recent elections, and hopes that Israel would apply the provisions of the various signed accords, Israel’s policy of extending its settlements only threatened a peace that should be based on respect for international law and international humanitarian law.

It was impossible to persevere with the peace programme while the Israeli Government was violating United Nations resolutions. The seriousness of its practices in the occupied territories, pursued by a succession of Israeli Governments, was clear evidence of Israel’s intention to extend the occupation of the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. Jerusalem was being surrounded by settlements and isolated from the territories. There were military blocs surrounding those settlements, which were creating a new reality in the area and preventing withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories. The report reasserted the Palestinian right to demand damages and interest. That issue should be taken up in the context negotiations for a final solution, he said.

MIKHAIL WEHBE (Syria) said that the Secretary-General’s report, which contained a detailed review of the sufferings of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan, added new pages to the existing record of Israeli practices. That suffering was the result of practices aimed at continuing occupation and expanding settlements. The illegal Israeli practices in the occupied territories, including seizure of land and water and detention and torture of Palestinians, had led to many structural imbalances in the economic, social and environmental landscape of the occupied territories.

Since the beginning of its aggression, Israel had adopted a two-part policy aimed at isolating the Golan from its motherland Syria and annexing it to Israel, he said. The first part of that policy had to do with land and the second part with population. Israel had implemented that policy in stages, beginning with the establishment of its first settlements in the area. That policy was strengthened following Knesset’s approval in 1981 of a bill for the annexation of the Golan. That was a measure condemned by the Security Council in resolution 497 of 1981. The Council had considered that annexation null and void. Israel had not stopped at seizing 96 per cent of the land in the Golan and demolishing hundreds of cities, but had also expelled over 130,000 Syrians for the sole purpose of establishing settlements. All that took place despite the peace process, which was based on the application of Council resolutions and the land-for-peace principle.

Settlement activity in the Arab occupied territories implied an orientation incommensurate with the achievement of peace, he said. Israel strenuously sought to change the demographic and geographic features of the occupied territories, especially in Jerusalem. Such endeavours would only lead to closing the doors on a comprehensive peace in the region. Israeli settlement policy had been condemned worldwide as a transgression of international law, as well as a violation of Council resolutions. Peace by its very nature was in contradiction with occupation. Hence, peace and occupation could never coexist under the same roof. He reiterated Syria’s continued endeavours to establish a comprehensive and just peace, based on the Madrid peace process and on Security Council resolutions, all of which called for immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. The former Rabin Government’s commitment to withdraw to the 1967 borders should be rigorously respected.

ALI AL-UJALI (Libya) said that the report demonstrated the difficult conditions imposed on the Palestinian people by the aggressive actions committed against them, in spite of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, which remained a dead letter. The occupying Power was now embarking on settlement expansion, carried out in such a way as to encircle and cutoff Palestinian conglomerations. Those policies were a challenge to the whole international community.

Settlement expansion was carried out by various means, he said, such as construction of settlements, demolishing of Palestinian homes and appropriation of land. In 1996, 2 per cent of West Bank land had been confiscated for the building of settlements. The water supply to West Bank Palestinian conglomerations had been cut off this past summer to satisfy Israeli settlement needs. There was also an environmental problem, caused by the increased waste generated by those colonies. All of those practices were hostile to peace. Arab suffering would never end until that awful occupation came to an end -– and the international community should ensure that that happened.

ABDULLAH M. AL-MONTASER (Yemen) said that the Secretary-General’s report reflected a number of truths about the continuation of Israeli practices in the occupied territories in defiance of numerous United Nations resolutions. Israel had chosen to ignore global public opinion and to continue with its hegemonistic policies. The report demonstrated that despite agreements signed with the Palestinians, Israel had pursued its settlement policies and destroyed Palestinian homes. Everyone in the Middle East would have liked to see an end to the Israeli occupation and to the suffering of the Palestinians before the end of the decade.

However, he continued, reality showed that those hopes had been in vain. Rather than bring settlement expansion to an end, Israel was simply doing it at a faster pace. There had been an alarming increase since 1998 in settlement activity. The Israeli Government had also annexed Palestinian territory in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, confiscated agricultural land and destroyed Palestinian homes. All of which were in open contradiction of United Nations resolutions and the will of the international community. The international community should call on Israel to respect its will, respect the accords signed with the Palestinians, and implement the peace process so that the inhabitants of the region could live in peace.

WALID A. AL-HADID (Jordan) said that the policy pursued by successive Israeli governments and aimed at building and expanding settlements, transformed the configuration of the population, flouting General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and the opinion of the international community as a whole. According to those resolutions, Israeli policies and practices regarding the settlements had no legality, and were a serious obstacle to overall lasting peace in the Middle East. The report emphasized that at the end of this year there would be 375,000 Israelis living in more than 200 settlements.

In the last few years, Jordan had made maximum efforts towards the achievement of a lasting global peace in the Middle East. He was convinced of the importance of economic development for all the people of the region, which would strengthen the longed-for peace. He called upon the international community to give greater economic assistance and invest more heavily in the region. His country again called on Israel not to expand settlements, since they were an obstacle to peace and development.

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