LEGAL COMMITTEE URGES STATE ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS GOVERNING ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST DIPLOMATIC, CONSULAR MISSIONS

Press Release
GA/L/3168

LEGAL COMMITTEE URGES STATE ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS GOVERNING ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST DIPLOMATIC, CONSULAR MISSIONS

Assembly Asked to Ensure Strict Observance of Applicable Rules; Debate Continues on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism

The General Assembly would strongly condemn acts of violence against diplomatic and consular missions and representatives by a draft resolution approved without a vote by the Sixth Committee (Legal) this morning.

The Assembly would express alarm by the recent acts of violence against diplomatic and consular representatives, as well as representatives of international intergovernmental organizations, which had endangered or taken innocent lives and seriously impeded the normal work of such representatives. It would emphasize that such acts were never justified.

States would be urged to strictly observe, implement and enforce the principles and rules of international law governing diplomatic and consular relations. Practical measures were also to be taken by States to prohibit illegal activities that encourage perpetration of acts against the security and safety of diplomatic missions.

In other action, the Committee also approved, without a vote, a draft resolution on the status of the additional protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts. Among its provisions was a call to States parties to Protocol I to accept international fact-finding commissions in relation to an armed conflict.

The representatives of Israel and Mexico spoke in explanation of their position.

Before acting on the draft resolutions, the Committee had continued its debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism.

Speakers generally supported drafting a comprehensive convention on terrorism as a way of filling in the gaps left by the traditional sectoral approach to elaborating conventions which focused on specific aspects of terrorism.

The representative of China said the cross-boundary feature of terrorist acts was becoming increasingly evident. That trend called for close

Sixth Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/L/3168 28th Meeting (AM) 14 November 2000

international cooperation, especially in the elaboration of international treaties, strengthening domestic legislation and extending judicial assistance and extradition. The representative of Sri Lanka said his country had suffered an unparalleled campaign of terror by a ruthless terrorist group operating within and outside Sri Lanka. It operated with impunity in a number of foreign countries, behind a façade of political, religious, social, cultural and even humanitarian organizations which collected funds ostensibly for legitimate purposes. The connections between terrorist networks carrying out random acts of terror in different parts of the world needed to be carefully examined.

A number of countries made point that any legal definition of terrorism in a comprehensive convention should take care to distinguish between legitimate acts of people attempting to exercise their right to self-determination and pure terrorist acts. On the scope of the proposed convention, several stressed that it must be applicable to occupying armed forces. The representative of Lebanon said that because there was no specific legal instrument that served as a deterrent to occupying forces, his country had had to pay a great price for its resistance over the years.

Also speaking in the debate were the representatives of Morocco, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Cuba, Pakistan, Iraq, Philippines, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala and Sudan.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 15 November to conclude its discussion on terrorism, and to take action on several other draft resolutions before it.

Sixth Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/L/3168 28th Meeting (AM) 14 November 2000

Committee Work Programme

The Sixth Committee (Legal) met this morning to continue its discussion of measures to eliminate international terrorism. Before the Committee is a report of its working group on terrorism (document A/C.6/55/L.2) containing a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism submitted originally by India.

Another report before the Committee is from the Secretary-General (document A/55/179 and Add.1) on national and international measures to suppress international terrorism, including information on incidents caused by international terrorism. (For further details see Press Release GA/L/3167 of 13 November.

Statements

KARIM MEDREK (Morocco) said the aspirations of humanity to be able to live in peace and security had never been as clear they were today. When a terrorist act was committed, it trampled upon all; it negated the very idea of civilization and was morally wrong. Terrorist acts were intended to destabilize international peace and security and constituted a major obstacle to economic development.

He reiterated his country’s condemnation of all acts of terrorism, whatever their form or manifestation and whatever their objectives. Morocco energetically rejected all acts of terrorism, particularly hijacking and all other acts targeted at civilians.

He said States should cooperate bilaterally and regionally in efforts to combat terrorism. The international community should act in a coordinated manner to persuade all States that had not done so to become parties to all international anti-terrorist instruments and to bring their domestic legislation in line with those instruments.

He said serious consideration should be given to the kind of measures the international community needed, in order to curb the scourge of terrorism. He referred to the 1994 General Assembly declaration on measures to eliminate international terrorism, noting that the drafting of a general convention on the subject had now become a possibility. The draft instrument being elaborated by the working group should be a framework for all anti-terrorist instruments not previously covered. He said it should also preserve the integrity of those previous instruments.

He commended India for its draft convention, which, he said, was a serious basis for the work of the working group. Work on the draft should be continued in the ad hoc committee. Turning to the work on a draft text on suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism, he praised the special coordinator on the text, Cate Steains of Australia, for her efforts.

He noted the various international anti-terrorist instruments his country had become party to and the efforts under way to ratify some of them, and said Morocco continued to support the convening of a high-level conference under United Nations auspices for an organized international response to terrorism.

ALOUNKEO KITTIKHOUN (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), speaking for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), said that, in light of the increasingly sophisticated and extensive network of organized terrorist acts, concerted action by the international community through the establishment of an effective global legal framework was needed more than ever. He applauded the continued progress of the ad hoc committee to reinforce the legal regime for countering international terrorism. He commended the Indian delegation for its proposal for a comprehensive convention. He said such a convention should create an effective mechanism, whereby a State party could exercise jurisdiction over terrorist offences and ensure that the alleged offender was brought to justice and did not escape punishment.

The draft should also emphasize the importance of international cooperation, he continued, expressing the hope that the deliberations on the comprehensive convention would lead to the adoption of an appropriate legal framework more comprehensive and relevant to the contemporary realities of the world. A high-level international forum could play an important role, he said, and serve as an effective measure to eliminate international terrorism through formulating a joint response. Such a conference should focus, among other things, on preventive measures, including promoting cooperation among the law- enforcement authorities of States.

LYDIA RANDRIANARIVONY (Madagascar) said acts of terrorism and the drug- trafficking that was often linked to them, constituted a serious threat to international security, as well as to fundamental human rights. Fighting terrorism was a common obligation of the international community. Madagascar had signed three of the anti-terrorism conventions and ratified four others. Recent events had demonstrated that no nation was insulated from acts of terrorism.

She recalled that her country’s Foreign Minister had called during the Millennium Summit for the prompt elaboration of a convention on nuclear terrorism, as the issue represented one of the most lethal threats.

She expressed gratitude to the delegation of India for the submission of the document on a comprehensive convention, the negotiations on which her country supported. Peace and stability were indispensable factors along the road to prosperity, so States must join efforts in putting an end to terrorist acts. Terrorism destabilized not only certain countries and regions, but the whole world.

SU WEI (China) said his country was firmly opposed to using terrorist acts as a means for achieving political or any other objectives. China denounced all terrorist acts committed by any State, organization, group or individual. The cross-boundary feature of terrorist acts was becoming increasingly evident. That trend called for close international cooperation, especially in the elaboration of international treaties, strengthening domestic legislation and extending judicial assistance and extradition to effectively suppress all forms of terrorism.

He said China was a party to almost all the international treaties aimed at combating terrorism and had fully demonstrated its political will to suppress all kinds of terrorist acts through concerted efforts with other countries. China was currently cooperating with the framework of the “Shanghai Five States” to jointly combat terrorist acts that posed major threats to regional security, stability and development.

He expressed support and appreciation for the Indian initiative on a comprehensive convention, which could serve as an important complement to the existing sectoral treaties, rather than replacing them. A comprehensive convention touched upon some very sensitive and complex political and legal issues, the solution of which depended upon the imperative political will of all parties concerned and on their imagination and creativity in accommodating various interests and concerns. He supported the efforts to have further consultations to reach a compromise at an early date on the draft on nuclear terrorism. Supporting the Egyptian initiative on the high-level conference on terrorism, he said that, to be meaningful and fruitful, the conference should be well prepared beforehand.

LIONEL FERNANDO (Sri Lanka) said an unparalleled campaign of terror had been unleashed on innocent men, women and children by a ruthless terrorist group operating within and outside Sri Lanka. The group operated with impunity in a number of foreign countries, behind a façade of political, religious, social, cultural and even humanitarian organizations which collected funds ostensibly for legitimate purposes. The reality, however, was that those funds were channelled for the purchase of weapons, ammunition and high explosives to sustain the campaign of terror.

He said Sri Lanka was not the only country faced with such a dilemma. The connections between terrorist networks carrying out random acts of terror in different parts of the world needed to be carefully examined. The evil nexus between terrorism and drug trafficking, human smuggling and arms trafficking was well recognized. Only a concerted and collective effort by the international community could effectively combat the ruthless and deadly efficacy of those complex terrorist networks.

Welcoming India’s initiative on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, he said his country was working closely and constructively with all delegations on the text. He recalled that the main issues being addressed included the scope of the draft convention and its relationship to existing conventions; the concept of State responsibility for the suppression of terrorism; and measures to prevent terrorists from seeking safe haven under the guise of refugee status. Another issue was the need for States to take appropriate measures to ensure that the asylum-seeker was not in any way involved in terrorist activities.

SORAYA ELENA ALVAREZ NUNEZ (Cuba) said international terrorism was a source of great concern, and it was appropriate that the issue have high priority on the international agenda. Cuba condemned all acts of terrorism, including those acts financed or tolerated or sponsored by states themselves. She said that, for more than forty years, Cuba had been the victim of a variety of terrorist acts, sponsored from outside and which had resulted in great economic losses and incalculable suffering by the Cuban people. The ad hoc committee had achieved sectoral advances in the adoption of several anti- terrorist legal instruments. Despite their limitations, Cuba had supported them. Cuba believed a comprehensive convention was needed to strengthen the existing legal framework. It, therefore, supported the draft submitted by India.

She said Cuba shared the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the convening of an international conference on terrorism, under the auspices of the United Nations. It could be a significant contribution to international cooperation on the matter. The United Nations was the most appropriate forum for a conference. There could be a broad preparatory process for the conference in the Sixth Committee.

On the draft convention on nuclear terrorism, she went on, Cuba supported the position of the Non-Aligned Movement. The successful conclusion of the convention would depend not on cosmetic amendments to the scope of the convention but rather on the political will exhibited by all parties.

SHAMSHAD AHMAD (Pakistan) said his country had consistently condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. While all acts of terrorism were unacceptable, he said, State terrorism was the worst form. Terrorism was an evil that should be countered with full force and determination. Pakistan strongly believed that active cooperation among Member States could help eradicate the evil and bring perpetrators of terrorist acts to justice. His country had information sharing arrangements on various aspects of terrorism with a number of countries, and that had led to better coordination.

He said there was an unfortunate tendency in certain countries to equate the legitimate struggle of liberation movements with terrorism. They sought, unjustly and wrongly, to label the freedom struggles in Palestine, Kashmir, and elsewhere as terrorism. They would like to divert the attention of the international community from their extensive campaigns of repression to bludgeon subjugated peoples into submission.

As a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Pakistan had always supported the Movement’s principled position that, under international law, struggles of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and self-determination did not constitute terrorism. A struggle for freedom and against injustice and repression could not be termed terrorism, he said.

Pakistan was equally disturbed by a recent trend on the part of some States and certain sections of the media to identify terrorism with a particular religion. Even random acts of violence involving Muslims were immediately dubbed as Islamic fundamentalist acts of terrorism, whereas similar acts perpetrated by individuals belonging to other faiths escaped such an appellation, he said. Islam was a religion of peace and universal brotherhood, he said. It was against violence and the killing of innocent people.

He said Pakistan would like the question of definition of terrorism to be addressed in the work on the comprehensive convention against international terrorism. He referred to the proposal submitted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference member States relating to definition of terrorism. He said that the proposal was not discussed during the session of the working group because of lack of time. He hoped substantive discussions on the subject would take place at the meeting of the ad hoc committee on terrorism next year.

ABDUL M.AL-KADHE (Iraq) said his Government had taken actions to combat terrorism. Iraq had become party to the 1998 Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism. It also supported the position of the Non-Aligned Countries, as enunciated at its Summit in Durban, South Africa, on the need for international cooperation in combating terrorism.

He said it was high time the international community established a legal definition of terrorism. The new draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism did not include a definition, thus opening the way for powerful countries to exploit the loophole for their own purposes. There should be a differentiation between terrorism and the legitimate struggle of peoples against foreign occupation and independence.

The working group was moving in the right direction, he said, but the text before it was not comprehensive enough. The text must not exclude issues related to the activities of official armed forces of states.

He asserted that, in 1991, two permanent members of the Security Council had used depleted uranium weapons against his country. The effects -- in the killing of scores, and the environmental damage -- would remain for years to come. That was the reason Iraq supported the position of the Movement of Non- Aligned Countries on the use of that new generation of radioactive weapons, and the call for a study of that question.

He said Iraq commended the initiative of India in submitting the text of the comprehensive convention. Such a comprehensive instrument was needed by the international community, but it must, indeed, be comprehensive, containing a definition of terrorism and also drawing a distinction between the armed struggle of peoples against foreign occupation and for independence. He said “the attacks by Zionist occupiers who were making use of the latest weapons to kill scores of children,” were to be condemned. There were tanks bombarding Palestinian towns and villages. Hundreds had been killed, thousands wounded, and many properties destroyed.

He said state terrorism had been perpetrated against his country by two permanent members of the Security Council, which, since 1991, had been operating a “no-fly zone” over his country without Security Council authorization. He referred to a news report that the United States was training and providing help to Iraqis who were CIA agents. That was shortly after the Security Council had condemned international terrorism; reality showed that victims of State terrorism were larger than individual acts.

He said Iraq supported the Malaysian amendment to the text on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

CARLOS SORRETA (Philippines) said a high-level conference to formulate a joint response to terrorism would be of immense significance, but the Committee must prepare well for it. He looked forward to the continuing consultations on the issue. The issues remaining to be resolved on the draft on nuclear terrorism had proved difficult in the past. He expressed the hope that the difficulty would not adversely affect future work. He said work on the comprehensive convention should serve as the focal point for all previous efforts at establishing legal norms that would aid in fighting terrorism. In its current form, the draft offered the level of comprehensiveness that could meaningfully address the issue of international terrorism and achieve universal acceptance. Perhaps in the future, though, there could be a discussion that would go beyond the rules that merely prohibited the use of one’s territory for terrorist purposes, to rules involving State responsibility.

Until then, he said, situations that called for the invocation of State responsibility would be dealt with on the political level or through unilateral actions (or uses of force) of dubious legal validity.

The scope and definition of offences was an important and almost prejudicial issue. Discussions on article 2 brought out points that needed to be further addressed, he said. As to the relationship with existing conventions, the proposal by some delegations to apply the provisions of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties was an interesting one that had the attractive charm of simplicity. But when those rules were written, the authors had in mind the application of those rules to treaties already existing and did not intend them to be a set of rules applied by those drafting a treaty. He supported the proposal to give due consideration to the victims of terrorism, including their ability to obtain compensation or damages.

DRAHOSLAV STEFANEK (Slovakia) said the working group had engaged in a very fruitful, substantive and focused discussion on the draft comprehensive convention submitted by India. If that businesslike approach were maintained in future work, the Committee could expect substantive results within a reasonable period of time. He supported the view that a comprehensive convention should add to the existing body of anti-terrorism conventions by filling in remaining gaps, while preserving the achievements of those conventions.

Should a nuclear attack occur, its consequences would be devastating and far-reaching, he said. Slovakia, therefore, supported the accomplishment of the work on a draft convention on nuclear terrorism, as well as the adoption of a text on the issue. After citing Slovakia’s recent decision to become a party to three more anti-terrorist conventions, he said it would then be party to 11 of the 12 instruments. Moreover, Slovakia intended to sign the Convention on the Suppression of Financing of Terrorism.

MAHMOUD M.AL-NAMAN (Saudi Arabia) said his country was party to a number of anti-terrorist instruments, including the Arab Convention against the Suppression of Terrorism, and another adopted by the Organization of Islamic Conference. It had participated in the elaboration of several conventions and had been active in organizing seminars on the subject. It was, thus, one of the leaders in international actions to combat terrorism..

He thanked India for its text on a comprehensive convention against terrorism, which his country supported. Although it was meant to be comprehensive, he noted that such issues as, distinction between acts of terrorism and the struggle of peoples against occupation and for independence, as well as a definition of terrorism, were not included in the text. He also referred to the Israeli armed attacks on Palestinians.

He said he supported the Malaysia amendment to the Indian text, which, he noted, was not discussed at the session of the working group because of lack of time. He hoped time would be set aside for that purpose at the meeting of the ad hoc committee on terrorism.

He said Saudi Arabia supported the position of the Movement of Non-aligned Countries regarding the inclusion in the draft text of the activities of armed forces of States. It also supported work on the elaboration of the draft convention on the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism.

ROBERTO LAVALLE-VALDES (Guatemala) said the issue of international terrorism had first appeared on the United Nations agenda in 1972. There were now no fewer than 12 multilateral treaties to combat terrorism. Those efforts, however, no matter how impressive, had not been able to protect the international community in a satisfactory manner from terrorist acts, nor had they been successful in “cutting the head off that snake”.

He said the United Nations continued to create new international mechanisms. Acts of terrorism must be punished for the mere fact that they were crimes that were obvious to all. Everyone ran the risk of death or severe injury as a result of terrorist acts. The immediate goal of terrorism was to kill the greatest number of people, no matter who they were.

Moreover, he went on, there was a grave impact on the harmonious relations among States from the fact that States might be directly or indirectly involved in those acts. The mere hint of such a connection was detrimental to international peace and security. He recommended that the Secretariat establish a web page on all the anti-terrorist instruments which the Secretary-General referred to in his report, including those which were not necessarily deposited with him.

ELFATIH MOHAMED ERWA (Sudan) said his country had, on 26 May, informed the Secretary-General that it had become party to six anti-terrorist instruments. During the Millennium Summit in September, the President of the Sudan had ratified the 1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Anti-Terrorist Bombings The attitude of Sudan on the question of terrorism was, thus, an example to be followed by others. He said there had been political attempts, including misinformation, to defame the country. Sudan’s only weapon had been the faith of its people, who had turned their backs on terrorism and refused to be part of it.

He recalled that the General Assembly had reaffirmed that States should not provide support for terrorism. There had been a recent terrorist attack against a city on his country’s border with Eritrea; the attack had caused the deaths of scores of people. There was no justification for it.

The United Nations, through the Sixth Committee, was undertaking work on a comprehensive international convention against terrorism. The draft should state clearly that State terrorism and the financing of terrorist acts were crimes. Sudan was fully against terrorism, whatever the motives or objectives. Humanitarian actions should not be allowed to be abused by countries for their own narrow purposes, supporting groups which had placed themselves above the law. He said the destruction of a bridge or a pharmaceutical plant, or a child sheltering behind his father or a block of flats were terrorist acts. There should be an end to all violence.

HOUSSAM ASAAD DIAB (Lebanon) said the draft comprehensive convention presented by India should make it possible to solve outstanding issues left over from other negotiations and from other anti-terrorist conventions. There were two constants in the position of his country: first, that terrorism was a grave scourge that threatened democratic societies, and one which must be fought as a part of organized crime; second, that the concept of terrorism must be defined in a clear and precise manner to distinguish between pure terrorist acts and legitimate acts of liberation movements against occupying forces. Military action against armed occupation forces was a legitimate right of a people to recover their freedom and their land. He said Lebanon’s position was guided by the principles of international law; those rights had allowed the Lebanese to defend themselves against the Israeli occupation for 22 years.

Because there was no specific legal instrument that could serve as a deterrent to occupying forces, he went on, Lebanon had had to pay a great price for its resistance. The occupying forces had not distinguished between civilians and soldiers and had carried out successive massacres. It pained those who were watchful of international law that there existed no distinction between the legitimate acts of people in exercise of their right to self- determination and the illegality of acts carried out by an occupying State.

On the basis of that principle, he said, Lebanon supported the draft on a comprehensive convention and all measures aimed at fighting terrorism, including the reinforcement of international cooperation in that area. In the context, he said, of a need to distinguish legitimate acts on behalf of self-determination, he would cite a report of the Secretary-General report on peace operations and prevention of conflicts, which stated the need to deal with the causes of violence and the environment that nurtured those causes. He said the dramatic events that shook the occupied Palestinian lands in the past few weeks had demonstrated -- beyond the barbarity of Israeli terrorism against the Palestinians -- that the sectoral solutions to fighting terrorism were not sufficient. If the international community wanted a lasting solution, it must be based on the rules of international law and the fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter. When drafting a legal definition in a comprehensive convention, language on the subject from the preamble to the Declaration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations should be included, as well as references from the General Assembly resolution 51/46 of 1991.

Action on draft resolutions

The Committee approved, without a vote, a draft text on "Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts (document A/C.6/55/L.15) by which the General Assembly would appeal to all States parties to the Conventions to become parties to the additional Protocols and to ensure their wide dissemination and full implementation. The text was introduced in the Committee by Sweden yesterday.

It was sponsored by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Swaziland, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

By the terms of the draft, the Assembly would call upon States parties to Protocol I to make the declaration --provided for under article 90 of that protocol -- to accept an International Fact-Finding Commission in relation to an armed conflict. States would be called upon to become parties to the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and its two Protocols, and to other relevant treaties on international humanitarian law relating to the protection of victims of armed conflict.

The Secretary-General would be asked to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session in 2002 a report on the status of the additional Protocols relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts, as well as measures taken to strengthen the existing body of international humanitarian law, inter alia, with respect to its dissemination and full implementation.

By other terms of the draft, the Assembly would welcome the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the involvement of children in armed conflicts. It would also welcome the advisory service activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRC) in supporting efforts of Member States to implement international humanitarian law.

TAL BECKER (Israel), speaking after the approval of the text, said his delegation had joined in the consensus. He said some delegations might recall that Israel had taken an active and substantive role in the diplomatic conference convened between 1974 and 1977, during which the two Additional Protocols were formulated. In large part, he said, that involvement was an expression of the importance that Israel attributed to the development of international humanitarian law. But it also reflected the difficult dilemmas Israel had faced and the unique field of experience it had acquired in applying the principles of humanitarian law in the face of considerable challenges brought about, among other things, by the threat and use of terrorism.

He said his country had not been alone in expressing its concern about certain aspects of the Additional Protocols. The effectiveness of international humanitarian law, and for that matter, of the International Committee of the Red Cross, was predicated on complete neutrality and impartiality. When instruments of international humanitarian law were manipulated and politicized the result was necessarily to weaken their stature and, in so doing, risk harm to the very people they were designed to protect. Israel had been prevented from becoming a party to the Additional Protocols precisely because of political terminology which was allowed to intrude into the text.

He said that while the text of the draft resolution was, on the whole, unobjectionable, his delegation would have been compelled to abstain, had it been put to a vote.

Action on draft resolutions L.8 and Corr.1

The Committee then moved to act on the draft resolution on "Consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives (document A/C.6/55/L.8 and Corr.1), the General Assembly would strongly condemn acts of violence against such missions and persons. It would equally condemn similar acts against representatives and officials of international intergovernmental organizations. It would emphasize that such acts can never be justified.

Alarmed by the recent acts of violence against diplomatic and consular representatives, as well as representatives of international intergovernmental organizations and their officials, the Assembly would urge States to ensure, in conformity with their international obligations, protection, security and safety of the missions, diplomats and officials.

Concerned at the failure to respect the inviolability of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives, the Assembly would urge States to strictly observe, implement and enforce the principles and rules of international law governing diplomatic and consular relations.

Recalling that diplomatic and consular premises must not be used in any manner incompatible with the diplomatic or consular functions, the Assembly would ask States to take practical measures to prohibit illegal activities that encourage perpetration of acts against the security and safety of diplomatic missions.

By other terms of the draft, the General Assembly would urge States to take all appropriate measures, in accordance with international law, to prevent any abuse of diplomatic or consular privileges and immunities, in particular, serious abuses including those involving acts of violence.

The text would also have States consider becoming parties to the instruments relevant to the protection, security ad safety of diplomatic and

consular missions and representatives. They are to report on their action. They would be asked to make use of mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes arising from violations of international obligations relating to protection of diplomats, including the good offices of the Secretary-General.

The Assembly would ask the Secretary-General to offer his services when he deemed it appropriate, and to report on action taken by States regarding those instruments.

The General Assembly would decide to include the subject on the provisional agenda of its fifty-sixth session next year.

The draft resolution was sponsored by Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lesotho, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

MAURO POLITI (Italy), Chairman of the Sixth Committee, said he understood that Nigeria and Thailand had become co-sponsors of the draft resolution.

The representative of Mexico, speaking before the vote said privileges and immunities should not be used for purposes other than those for which they were granted. Mexico interpreted operative paragraph 8 of the text being the responsibility of accrediting state to punish abuses.

The Committee went on to approve the text.

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