Part 1 Political and Security Regional Issues Middle East Situation in the Middle East The 54th General Assembly, like its two predecessors, failed to adopt a positive resolution expressing support for the achievements of the peace process and calling for international support for the economic and social development of the Palestinian people. The draft resolution was withdrawn by the cosponsors after agreement could not be reached on acceptable language. The United States continued to oppose a number of perennial resolutions on the Middle East (Syrian Golan, Question of Palestine, Israeli Settlements, Palestinian Right to Self-Determination, Israeli Practices). The United States opposes these resolutions because they address permanent status issues that are the subject of negotiations between the parties; they advocate activities or language incompatible with basic principles of the Middle East peace process; and/or they expend resources that could be used in more productive ways to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. UN Interim Force in Lebanon The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established by Security Council Resolution 425 in March 1978 in response to an Israeli operation in Lebanon which, in turn, had followed an attack inside Israel by the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The mandate calls for confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, restoring international peace and security, and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area. UNIFIL currently has six battalions deployed in southern Lebanon and, at the end of the year, had a troop strength of 4,495. The Security Council extended the UNIFIL mandate for six-month periods twice in 1999, most recently on July 30, by Security Council Resolution 1254. UN Disengagement Observer Force The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was established by Security Council Resolution 350 in May 1974, after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, to supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights in accordance with the U.S.-negotiated Israeli-Syrian agreement of May 1974. At the end of 1999, UNDOF had a troop strength of 1,037. The Security Council extended UNDOF's mandate at six-month intervals, most recently on November 24, 1999, by Security Council Resolution 1276. UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) The General Assembly adopted a group of seven resolutions on the UNRWA. Voting on the resolutions was as follows: Resolution 54/69 "Assistance to Palestinian Refugees" was adopted by a vote of 155 to 1, with 2 (U.S.) abstentions; Resolution 54/70 "Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" was adopted by consensus; Resolution 54/71 "Persons Displaced as a Result of the June 1967 and Subsequent Hostilities" was adopted by a vote of 154 to 2 (U.S.), with 2 abstentions; Resolution 54/72 "Offers by Member States of Grants and Scholarships for Higher Education, Including Vocational Training, for Palestine Refugees" was adopted by a vote of 158 (U.S.) to 0, with 1 abstention; Resolution 54/ 73 "Operation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" was adopted by a vote of 154 to 2 (U.S.), with 1 abstention; Resolution 54/74 "Palestine Refugees' Properties and Their Revenues" was adopted by a vote of 154 to 2 (U.S.), with 2 abstentions; and Resolution 54/75 "University of Jerusalem 'Al-Quds' for Palestine Refugees" was adopted by a vote of 155 to 2 (U.S.), with 2 abstentions. In its explanation of vote, the U.S. delegation underscored its longstanding commitment to the work of UNRWA, noting that the United States was the largest contributor to UNRWA and would continue to support UNRWA's important educational, health, social, and humanitarian relief programs. The U.S. delegation expressed criticism for the inclusion of politicized language in several of the resolutions, and urged that narrow political agendas be set aside so that UNRWA could receive the wholehearted support it deserves. Iraq Iraq's record of compliance with Security Council resolutions was again poor in 1999. Throughout the year, the Iraqi government barred the return of UN-mandated weapons inspectors and failed to meet its obligation, under Resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent resolutions, to disclose and relinquish all capabilities and programs pertaining to weapons of mass destruction. Consequently, UN sanctions on Iraq (in accordance with Resolutions 661, 670, and others) remained in effect through 1999. Iraq's failure to cooperate fully with UN-mandated weapons inspection teams led to four days of coalition air strikes, known as Operation Desert Fox, in late December 1998. In January 1999, the Security Council decided to reevaluate the situation in light of Iraq's continuing noncompli ance. The Council established expert panels recommend actions to the Council in three areas: disarmament, humanitarian issues, and matters pertaining to Kuwait. The three panels, all chaired by Brazilian UN Ambassador Celso Amorim, submitted reports and recommendations to the Council in late March. Taking the panel reports as a point of reference, Council members began work on a new comprehensive resolution addressing all three areas. A draft resolution put forward by the Netherlands and the United Kingdom became the basis for Council discussions, which continued throughout the year. Those discussions culminated in the adoption of Resolution 1284 on December 17. The four countries which abstained in the vote (China, France, Malaysia, and Russia) subsequently called upon Iraq to comply with the resolution. Resolution 1284 contained many important provisions. In disarmament, it established the UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission to continue the mandate of the UN Special Commission created by Resolution 687. It also defined numerous steps to increase the effectiveness of UN humanitarian assistance programs to the Iraqi people. In particular, Resolution 1284 allowed Iraq to sell an unlimited amount of oil for the purpose of meeting its humanitarian needs. To expedite the procedure for delivery of humanitarian goods to the Iraqi population, Resolution 1284 also created new categories of pre-approved goods and set a shortened target turn around time of two days for the categories of goods which still need to go through the approval process. Finally, it asked the Secretary General to appoint a high-level coordinator to intensify the UN focus on missing persons and other unresolved matters from Iraq's occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991. Iraq declared its rejection of the resolution, as the United Nations proceeded with implementation of those provisions not requiring Iraqi cooperation. Also on December 17, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 54/178, which strongly condemned the widespread and extremely grave human rights violations occurring in Iraq. The resolution denounced Iraq's continuing noncooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and cited numerous abuses, including summary and arbitrary execution, systematic torture and mutilation, and suppression of freedoms. In addition to the significant changes introduced in Resolution 1284 and noted above, the United States continued its strong support for the UN's oil-for-food program, under which Iraqi oil export revenues are used to provide humanitarian assistance to Iraq's civilian population. The Security Council adopted several resolutions during the year pertaining to the program, including: Resolution 1242 (May 21), which extended the program for a sixth period of 180 days; Resolution 1266 (October 4), which authorized the export of additional Iraqi petroleum to cover the shortfall in revenues authorized but not generated in previous phases; and Resolution 1281 (December 10), which extended the program for a sev enth period of 180 days. Two additional Resolutions, 1275 and 1280, extended the sixth phase for two weeks and one week, respectively, to allow the Council to complete discussion of the comprehensive resolution (1284). Africa Working Group on Reduction of Conflict The Security Council's first ministerial meeting on Africa, in September 1997, requested that the Secretary General report on "The Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa." The Secretary General submitted that report to the General Assembly (A/52/871) and the Security Council (S/1998/318) on April 13, 1998. In Resolution 1170 of May 28, 1998, the Security Council established a working group of all members of the Council to review recommendations in the report related to the maintenance of international peace and security, and to submit specific proposals for consideration by the Council. That process resulted in the Council adopting four Resolutions (1196, 1197, 1208, 1209) and two Presidential Statements (1998/28 and 1998/35) before the Working Group concluded its activities at the end of November 1998. Efforts inspired by the Secretary General's report on Africa continued in 1999. Canada, which held the Security Council presidency in February 1999, took particular interest in protection of civilians in armed conflict, and pursued that theme throughout the year. In a Presidential Statement of February 12 (S/PRST/1999/6), the Security Council condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians and asked the Secretary General to submit a report containing concrete recommendations on ways the Council could improve the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict. After receiving the Secretary General's report (S/1999/957 of September 8), the Security Council adopted Resolution 1265 (1999) of September 17, protection of civilians in armed conflict. on In a Presidential Statement of July 8 (S/PRST/1999/21), the Security Council emphasized the importance of the successful disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-combatants, including child soldiers, and in a Presidential Statement of November 30 (S/PRST/1999/34), the Council addressed its role in the prevention of armed conflict. General Assembly Resolution A/RES/54/234 of December 22 called for establishment of a working group to monitor implementation of the Secretary General's report on the causes of conflict and recommendations on the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, to prepare for discussions at the 55th session of the General Assembly in 2000. Angola The UN has been involved in Angola since 1988 when it established the UN Angola Verification Mission I (UNAVEM I) to monitor Cuban troop withdrawal. In May 1991, UNAVEM II was created to help monitor |