SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENTS ON GUIDELINES ISSUED TO ENVOYS

Press Release
SG/SM/7257

SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENTS ON GUIDELINES ISSUED TO ENVOYS

The following statement of Secretary-General Kofi Annan was issued today in New York:

During the course of the year, I issued guidelines to my envoys and representatives involved in peace negotiations to assist them in tackling human rights issues that may arise during their efforts. These guidelines address the tensions between the urgency of stopping fighting, on the one hand, and the need to address punishable human rights violations on the other. The guidelines do not attempt to provide sweeping answers to these questions. However, they are, I believe, a useful tool with which the United Nations can assist in brokering agreements in conformity with law and in a manner which may provide the basis for lasting peace. They are a significant step in the direction of mainstreaming human rights.

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