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United Nations Daily Highlights 96-07-02United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgDAILY HIGHLIGHTSTuesday, July 2, 1996This document is prepared by the Central News Section of the Department of Public Information and is updated every week-day at approximately 6:00 PM. HEADLINES
The UN Special Initiative on Africa, based on priorities identified by Africans, including good governance and democratization, is the largest coordinated United Nations undertaking in history, UN Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said. Addressing the Informal Consultation on the United Nations System- wide Special Initiative on Africa in Geneva, the Secretary-General said the Special Initiative is different, both qualitatively and quantitatively and was launched at a time when prospects for economic recovery and development are better than they have been for years. The Secretary-General cautioned that the Consultations on the Special Initiative are taking place against the backdrop of donor fatigue, and "Africa fatigue" in particular. "This gathering continues our concerted efforts to put an end to the terrible conditions in which more than half of all Africans live." He urged the meeting to break the vicious cycle of marginalisation, underdevelopment, poverty and insecurity, and to meet the pressing needs of the continent's men, women and children. In a message to the International Conference on Mine-Clearance Technology in Denmark today, UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali called for a total ban on production, sale and use of land-mines. "While we should continue to increase and improve our efforts to move these indiscriminate weapons from the ground, today more mines are being laid than cleared. It is therefore imperative that the international community not be allowed to be complacent with the progress made so far in the banning of land-mines," he said. Noting that the world has made tremendous strides in the development of technology, including in the field of weapons, the Secretary-General said little progress has been achieved in the advancement of technical know-how in mine-clearance. In a statement, delivered on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Yasushi Akashi, the Secretary-General says mine clearance is an increasingly important humanitarian problem. "We would all benefit from internationally recognised standards and procedures to promote greater cost-effectiveness, higher quality of delivery and improved safety for mine-clearance workers in the field." Urging participants to come up with concrete recommendations in the establishment of internationally recognised standards for mine-clearance purposes, Dr. Boutros-Ghali said the UN will spare no efforts to promote the adoption of such standards by all those who engage in mine-clearance activities. Relations between Egypt and the United Nations are excellent, UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said following a meeting today with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, during the latter's stop over in Geneva. They discussed the general situation between Egypt and the United Nations, and the next Summit meeting of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to be held in Yaounde, a UN Spokesman said. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) positively featured at the recent G-7 Summit in Lyon, France, with explicit references to UNCTAD and progress it had achieved having been noted in the final Communique of the Summit. In an entire paragraph devoted to UNCTAD IX, the Economic Communique hails UNCTAD IX a major milestone in the renewal of UNCTAD. "We succeeded in reforming UNCTAD's intergovernmental machinery and in refocusing its work on a small number of priorities to promote development through trade and investment with the aim of facilitating the integration of developing countries in the international trade system," the G-7 leaders noted. Encouraged by this positive opinion, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rubens Ricupero said the implementation of the results of UNCTAD IX would proceed at full speed and the establishment of the three commissions, as decided by the Conference would be completed by the UNCTAD Trade and Development Board at a session scheduled for 8 July. These Commissions will deal with trade in goods, services and commodities; investment, technology and related financial issues; Enterprise, business facilitation and development. Cooperative leaders met at UN Headquarters in advance of the International Day of Cooperatives. The event included a panel discussion on the contribution of the International Cooperative Movement to the goals set at recent United Nations Development conferences held in Copenhagen, Beijing and Istanbul. During discussions, the panel focussed on the cooperative sector's contribution to the goals of the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty (1996), the Decade designated for the same purpose, and the forthcoming World Food Summit, to be held in Rome from 13 to 17 November. The international cooperative movement represents a significant and substantive share of world-wide economic, social and financial activity, counting more than 760 million men and women as member-owners. World Population day will be observed on 11 July this year with special events on the theme of combating the spread of HIV/AIDS through reproductive health care and community and individual responsibility. The Day will be marked by more than 150 countries, as well as institutions, non-governmental and private organisations. Special events planned for the Day include rallies, speeches by national and local radio, television and film programmes, newspaper and magazine supplements, special publications and exhibits. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says many national television systems and local stations will broadcast "Changing Places", a 19-minute video produced and distributed by the UNFPA. Based on the 1996 State of World Population report, the video illustrates the effects of global urbanisation as seen through the lives of women in Bangkok, Mexico City and Vancouver. For information purposes only - - not an official record From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.orgUnited Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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