GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, IN STATEMENT TO THIRD UN 'SECURITY SUMMIT', COMMENDS COMMITMENT, COURAGE OF THOSE RISKING LIFE IN UN SERVICE

Press Release
GA/SM/174
ORG/1305

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT, IN STATEMENT TO THIRD UN 'SECURITY SUMMIT', COMMENDS COMMITMENT, COURAGE OF THOSE RISKING LIFE IN UN SERVICE

Following is the statement by the President of the General Assembly, Theo- Ben Gurirab (Namibia), to the Third Security Summit of United Nations Personnel in New York, on 15 June:

I am delighted to participate in this Third Security Summit on United Nations Personnel and to be among so many old friends.

This Summit takes place at the time when there are many regional conflicts and an increased demand for the deployment of United Nations personnel, both military and civilian. It is the primary responsibility of States to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of United Nations and other international personnel within their territory, including the locally recruited staff.

The General Assembly has played a central role in this effort aimed at ensuring the protection of United Nations personnel. To this end, the Assembly adopted the landmark 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. This Convention came into being because of the deep concern over the growing number of deaths and injuries resulting from deliberate, unjustifiable and unacceptable attacks against United Nations personnel.

To date, as noted just a while ago, 33 countries -– out of 188 -- have ratified the Convention. I applaud all those States that have done so, in particular the States that are being honoured here today. These countries -- Bangladesh, Botswana, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Senegal and Uruguay -- have ratified the Convention since the last Security Summit on 9 June 1999. France is the latest in joining this exemplary group of States.

I cannot let this opportunity pass by without appealing to all the other States that have not yet ratified this very important Convention to do so. The United Nations is our family of nations and its staff are our citizens. All we seek to do through this Convention is to protect our own citizens who are serving the United Nations, our Organization. They are the peacemakers and peacekeepers.

Each Member State which accepts to have a peacekeeping operation deployed in its territory -- most often to find a way out of a devastating internal conflict or dispute -- must guarantee the safety and security of all United Nations

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personnel, whether civilian or military, whether international or locally recruited. If a crime is committed against United Nations personnel, the country concerned has the obligation to do the utmost to bring those responsible to justice, without delay, as provided for in the Convention, in article 9.

The recent brutal and humiliating treatment of United Nations staff by armed rebels in Sierra Leone has brought shame to us all and must be prevented at all cost there and elsewhere in the future.

In addition, it is the obligation of United Nations and other personnel carrying out activities in fulfilment of the mandate of a United Nations operation to be properly informed about the conditions under which they are called upon to operate. In this regard, the General Assembly, in its most recent resolution, 54/192, requested the Secretary-General to take all the necessary measures to ensure that such United Nations personnel are informed about the relevant customs and traditions in the host country, the standards that the personnel are required to meet, and to receive adequate training in security, human rights and humanitarian law. This includes refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of States that have serious political consequences or that may result in embarrassing the United Nations itself.

On this occasion, I would like to pay a special tribute to all those who had put and continue to put their precious lives on the line in the service of the United Nations and humanity. I commend them for their commitment, courage and loyalty to the high principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Let me join others in renewing an urgent appeal to everybody everywhere with money to make generous contributions to the Coordinating Committee for International Staff Unions and Associations of the United Nations System (CCISUA) Fund, which is intended to assist the children of the deceased United Nations staff with education and security.

I would further like to extend, on behalf of the General Assembly, our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families and friends of all those who are losing their lives daily in the cause of peace in the world. We must ensure the safety and security of those who carry the United Nations flag, especially those staff members in the field -– in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-enforcement missions wherever duty calls.

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