established with the intent of enhancing the effectiveness of the structure and function of the UN system through training delegates to the United Nations in the operation of the UN system, its governing bodies and the issues it addresses, as well as through research on the UN system and issues.

Headquartered in New York, UNITAR is managed by an Executive Director, who is appointed by the UN Secretary General after consultation with the Board of Trustees. Incumbent Executive Director Michel Doo Kingue has directed UNITAR since January 1983. UNITAR also has a liaison office in Geneva.

A Board of Trustees provides policy guidance and direction. The Board is composed of no less than 11, nor more than 30, members appointed by the Secretary General, in consultation with the Presidents of the General Assembly and the ECOSOC, including four ex officio members: the UN Secretary General, the President of the General Assembly, the President of the ECOSOC and the UNITAR Executive Director. In 1989 the Board of Trustees consisted of 17 appointed members, who serve in their personal capacities and not as formal representatives of governments. In January 1989 former Ambassador Lawrence Eagleburger, who had represented the United States on the Board since his appointment in September 1988 resigned to accept an appointment as Deputy Secretary of State. The United States has not named a successor to Mr. Eagleburger.

At the time of UNITAR's establishment, the UN General Assembly directed that it be wholly dependent upon voluntary contributions. However, since the early 1980s when UNITAR began experiencing financial difficulties, the United Nations, has subsidized UNITAR's operations in a variety of ways. In 1980 and 1981, the General Assembly provided financial assistance in the form of "grants-in-aid." In 1983, over the strong objections of the United States, the 38th General Assembly awarded UNITAR an "advance" of up to $886,000 on a "non-recurrent, reimbursable basis," to be repaid in installments of about $100,000 annually beginning in 1986. In 1984, after the 39th UN General Assembly adopted resolution 39/177 granting UNITAR an additional $1.5 million, albeit on an exceptional basis, to supplement funds raised through voluntary contributions to the General Fund, the United States reduced its pledge to UNITAR for 1985 by an amount equivalent to the U.S. proportionate share of the grant, or $375,000.

In 1986, as a result of the inability of UNITAR and the General Assembly to resolve UNITAR's long-term financial problems within UNITAR's mandate, the United States ceased making a pledge to UNITAR. It was also that year that the United States publicly announced a position that continues to prevail: UNITAR functions do not justify its continuation as a separate institution. If it is unable to operate within available non-UN General Assembly resources, UNITAR should be abolished and its training function be placed elsewhere within the UN system.

In 1987, however, the 41st General Assembly decided to give UNITAR another chance. Adopted by consensus, resolution 41/172 called for restructuring the Institute over a 3-year period (1987–1989) and for concentrating UNITAR's activities on training. (It also requested the Secretary General to take steps in 1987 to close UNITAR should sufficient funding not be forthcoming.) A decision was taken to sell UNITAR's headquarters property in order to repay its debt to the United Nations.

UNITAR IN 1989

The UNITAR Board of Trustees held its 27th regular session from March 30 to April 7 in New York. The Secretary General informed the Board that purchase of the land under the UNITAR building would soon be finalized. Such action would open the way for sale of the entire UNITAR property. The Board agreed that the United Nations should be repaid its $2.5 million advance to UNITAR in one installment out of the proceeds from the sale of the UNITAR property. It discussed the relocation of UNITAR headquarters. The Executive Director reported on UNITAR activities. After reviewing the Institute's financial situation in 1988, in which income exceeded expenditures, the Board approved UNITAR's 1989 budget of $1.2 million, but called for reductions in expenditures if income in 1989 proved inadequate. The Board welcomed a recommendation that governments in a position to do so establish trust funds from which UNITAR could draw on the interest for its general fund.

The Board decided the UNITAR Office in Geneva, whose work is often supported by special purpose grants, should remain open and continue its activities. It approved the publication of a UNITAR newsletter and the appointment of three Senior Fellows. The Board recommended to the Secretary General that he seek UN General Assembly approval for UNITAR to be an executing agency of the UN Development Program (UNDP) and provided guidance to UNITAR Executive Director on the 1990–1991 work program for the Institute.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

In December the 44th UN General Assembly adopted resolution 44/175 which reaffirmed the validity and relevance of UNITAR's mandate, as amended, commended measures the Secretary General had taken to implement resolutions 43/201 and encouraged him to take further steps. It authorized UNITAR to enter into appropriate arrangements with UNDP to become an executing agent. In adopting the resolution, the General Assembly urged the Secretary General to proceed rapidly with the sale of UNITAR headquarters and reaffirmed its approval for establishment of a reserve fund with the proceeds remaining after the sale of the UNITAR properties and repayment of its UN debts. It urged UNITAR to submit its 1990 and future budget proposals to the UN's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) for review and comment prior to approval by the Institute's Board of

Trustees and urged member states to support UNITAR financially. The Secretary General was requested to report to the 45th General Assembly on the longer-term issues related to financing of the Institute, to continue to explore new modalities for greater interface among UN research bodies, and to report to the 45th General Assembly on implementation of resolution 44/175.

In resolution 44/183, the General Assembly inter alia requested the UNITAR Board of Trustees, among other UN agency governing bodies, to require its executive head to take steps to correct or improve conditions that resulted in issuance of qualified audit opinions by the Board of Auditors and urged UNITAR to solve technical problems that auditors might have identified. The General Assembly also endorsed observations and recommendations by the UN Board of Auditors and the ACABQ. The Secretary General as well as the UNITAR Executive Director, and other UN agencies mentioned in the resolution, are to report to the 45th General Assembly on actions taken.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

The principal human rights organ of the United Nations, the Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), held its 45th annual session January 30 through March 10. The U.S. Delegation was headed for the second consecutive year by Armando Valladares, the U.S. Representative to the Commission. ECOSOC subsequently considered the Commission's report at its first regular session in New York May 2 through 26. Finally, the General Assembly's 44th session, held from September 19 to December 29, considered a lengthy agenda of human rights issues. The 41st session of the Commission's Expert Subcommission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities was held from August 7 to September 1.

Situation of Human Rights and

Fundamental Freedoms in Cuba

A matter of prime interest to the United States was presentation of the Cuban Working Group (CWG) report to the 45th UN Human Rights Commission. An intense 2-year international effort spearheaded by the United States had come to fruition when the 44th (1988) session of the UN Human Rights Commission decided to send a team to Cuba to investigate the numerous allegations of systemic violations of human rights in Cuba. This was the first time action had ever been taken at the United Nations concerning the human rights situation in Cuba.

The UN team had been headed by the Commission Chairman, Ambassador Alioune Sene of Senegal, and the team members represented each of the five regional areas. The investigation took place in September 1988. The Chairman's decision requested that the team present the report of its investigation at the 45th (1989) UN Human Rights Commission.

During the CWG's visit, the Cuban Government attempted to fill the schedule with irrelevant activities and late night briefings. Prisons and other showcase sites had been spruced up in preparation for the team and some political prisoners had been released. The focusing of international attention on Cuba led to a number of temporary improvements in the area of human rights, such as releasing some political prisoners and allowing them to emigrate, showing limited tolerance for Cuban human rights groups, and permitting internationally recognized human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to visit Cuba. Nevertheless, systemic abuses of human rights continued to take place following the CWG visit as evidenced by reports of repressive actions subsequently taken by Cuban authorities against human rights activists including some of those who had given evidence to the CWG. This was in violation of Cuban Government promises to the contrary.

The results of the CWG visit were a 400-page report and nearly 2 days of debate in the 1989 UNHRC session. This was the largest report on a single country ever issued by the UNHRC. The diverse make-up of the CWG and its members agreement to work by consensus precluded a unanimous critical conclusion, but it was noteworthy that so much negative evidence was included and that representatives of six very different countries agreed on so much. The report left no doubt over the dismal state of human rights in Cuba.

As a result of the human rights picture presented by the CWG and the above debate, the United States introduced a resolution calling for the CWG to continue its scrutiny of Cuba and report to the 46th UNHRC. A competing resolution was introduced by Panama which in its original form would have removed criticism relating to Cuba. When it became clear that the U.S.-sponsored resolution would not attract sufficient votes to be adopted, the United States withdrew its own resolution and sought to achieve consensus support for amendments to the Panamanian decision that would call on the Secretary General to maintain contacts with the Government and people of Cuba and to report to the Commission as appropriate. The Cuban Delegation objected vigorously to inclusion of the language calling on the Secretary General to maintain contacts with "the Government and the people" of Cuba. Nevertheless, the Cubans were forced by this to modify somewhat the Panamanian decision to attract support of Commission members.

When the U.S. amendments were brought up for a vote, two countries which had earlier indicated their support for the amendments reversed their positions, and the amendments lost on a tied vote of 17 (U.S.) to 17, with 8 abstentions. The weaker Panamanian decision was then adopted in its slightly modified form, with both U.S. and Cuban support, 32 (U.S.) to 1, with 10 abstentions. (Decision 1989/113.) The approved decision called for the Secretary General to maintain his direct contacts and take up their results "in an appropriate manner." The U.S. Delegation continued to

maintain that this meant for the Secretary General to followup on the issues raised in the 11 (bis) debate and the CWG report and to present his own report to the next session of the Commission.

Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance

The right to freedom of religion has been a longstanding U.S. concern within the Human Rights Commission. At the 45th session of the UNHRC (1989), the United States cosponsored and vigorously supported a draft resolution introduced by Canada entitled "Implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief" (Resolution 1989/44), which was adopted by consensus. The resolution called upon states to take appropriate measures to combat religious intolerance. In a statement before the Commission, the U.S. Delegation deplored the religious persecution still firmly rooted in the political systems of many countries; at the same time, the statement noted some cause for hope in the Soviet Union and other countries where signs of increased tolerance for the practice of religion had appeared.

The 44th UN General Assembly continued its annual discussion of the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance as a major human rights issue. Ireland, which has taken the lead on this subject in recent years, again introduced a draft resolution which reaffirmed the principles of the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and called for an end to religious intolerance. This resolution was adopted by consensus. (Resolution 44/131.)

Human Rights in the Occupied Territories

of the Middle East

Following a pattern that has continued unbroken since 1968, the Human Rights Commission once again debated the agenda item entitled "Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, Including Palestine" at the outset of the 45th session. The United States vigorously opposed this annual and fruitless debate for its exaggerated and inaccurate rhetoric condemning Israel. Resolution 1989/1, introduced by the Representative of Cuba and cosponsored by several Arab and Communist countries, dealt with the human rights situation in occupied Syrian territories. This resolution, very similar to that submitted in 1985 by Nicaragua, contained numerous objectionable paragraphs, including unsubstantiated allegations against Israel. This resolution was approved by a vote of 31 to 1 (U.S.), with 10 abstentions.

The Indian Delegation put forward a two-part companion resolution cosponsored mainly by Arab and Communist countries, which contained the annual string of inflammatory and unsupported condemnations of alleged