Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organizationlegal.un.org/ola/media/info_from_lc/A_57_1E.pdf · 2012. 11. 6. · steps that can help to meet the millennium development

A/57/1

United Nations

Report of the Secretary-Generalon the work of the Organization

General AssemblyOfficial RecordsFifty-seventh SessionSupplement No. 1 (A/57/1)

Report of the Secretary-Generalon the work of the Organization

General AssemblyOfficial RecordsFifty-seventh SessionSupplement No. 1 (A/57/1)

United Nations • New York, 2002

A/57/1

ISSN 0082-8173

iii

[28 August 2002]

ContentsChapter Paragraphs Page

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1�9 1

I. Achieving peace and security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10�71 2

Conflict prevention and peacemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12�33 2

Peacekeeping and peace-building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34�54 6

The United Nations and regional organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55�58 9

Electoral assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59�61 10

Terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 10

Disarmament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63�68 11

Sanctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69�71 11

II. Meeting humanitarian commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72�113 13

The challenge of protecting and assisting refugees and displaced populations 74�84 13

Delivering humanitarian assistance and the challenge of underfundedemergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85�102 15

Natural disaster management: responding to emergencies and buildingcapacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103�106 17

Coordination of assistance and the protection of civilians in armed conflict 107�113 18

III. Cooperating for development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114�146 20

Eradicating extreme poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114�124 20

Sustainable development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125�127 22

Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128�131 22

Addressing the needs of the least developed countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132�135 23

Battling HIV/AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136�139 23

Social development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140�146 24

IV. The international legal order and human rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147�184 26

Human rights development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147�156 26

The International Criminal Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157�163 27

International Tribunals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164�175 28

iv

Enhancing the rule of law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176�179 30

Legal affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180�184 30

V. Enhancing management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185�202 32

Administration and management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185�192 32

Accountability and oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193�200 33

Strengthening the Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201�202 34

VI. Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203�229 35

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203�212 35

United Nations Fund for International Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213�217 36

Project services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218�223 37

Civil society partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224�229 37

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 39

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Introduction

1. During the past year there have beenextraordinary challenges to security and stability. Theterrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11September 2001 dramatized the global threat ofterrorism and highlighted the need for a broad strategyto combat it. Already, the United Nations has played animportant role in mobilizing international action in theglobal struggle against terrorism. We know, to our cost,that terrorism is not a new phenomenon; it has deeppolitical, economic, social and psychological roots. Ifirmly believe that the terrorist menace must besuppressed, but States must ensure that counter-terrorist measures do not violate human rights.

2. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11September the international community has focused itsattention on the challenge of reconstructing weak orcollapsed States, like Afghanistan, which providefertile breeding grounds for terrorism. Simultaneously,there has been a sharp escalation of violence andtension in the Middle East, in South Asia, and incentral Africa over the past year.

3. There were also positive developments on theinternational scene. East Timor gained independenceand Sierra Leone held peaceful presidential andparliamentary elections. The conferences at Doha ontrade, Monterrey on financing for development, andJohannesburg on sustainable development outlinedsteps that can help to meet the millennium developmentgoals. The entry into force of the Statute of theInternational Criminal Court was an unprecedentedstep forward for world order and justice. There wasalso increasingly widespread recognition that respectfor international treaties and international law isessential for human security, stability and progress.

4. One of the basic truths of our time is that nosingle country has the capacity to cope with thepolitical, economic, environmental and technologicalchallenges of an interconnected world. Problems suchas terrorism, mass refugee movements, HIV/AIDS,overpopulation, environmental degradation andpollution transcend national borders, and requireinternational solutions � and the number of globalproblems requiring global solutions is continuallygrowing. All nations stand to benefit from theconstructive change that multilateralism makespossible, as well as the opportunities and solutions thatit provides. Moreover, multilateral action is possible inmany cases where unilateral involvement would beimpossible or undesirable.

5. Fulfilling its role as a universal organization, theUnited Nations has helped to develop the principlesand practice of multilateralism. The Organization is aunique instrument available to the world for dealingwith critical global problems that require the collectiveresources and cooperation of all countries. It providesthe common structures and institutions by which wecan further our profound universal human interests.

6. The main concerns of the United Nations are ofrelevance to all nations, and affect the lives of ordinarypeople all over the world in many ways. As is evidentin this report, the agenda of the United Nations is vast:achieving peace and security, combating poverty,meeting humanitarian commitments, promotingdevelopment, extending international law and humanrights, and establishing partnerships with wide sectionsof civil society. These issues reflect the changingnature and growing complexity of international affairs;and the breadth of cooperation noted in this reportbears witness to a fundamental commitment toimproving the human condition. The results of ourefforts are sometimes immediate and direct; sometimesthey take a long time to be realized.

7. The award of the centennial Nobel Peace Prize tothe United Nations was a fitting recognition of its roleas an instrument for making and maintaining peace,and promoting human rights. As the Nobel Committeeput it, �the only negotiable route to global peace andcooperation goes by way of the United Nations�.

8. The United Nations is an imperfect institutionwith limitations; but every Member State has a stake inensuring that the Organization continues to strive toachieve its purposes. The choice before us is clear. Wecan continue to increase our efforts to achieveinternational order and justice through negotiation andconsensus, or we can return to an earlier age whenconflicts of interest between States were resolved byother means.

9. Fifty-seven years after the United Nations wasfounded, it continues to grow in numbers, andmembership remains a potent symbol of a country�splace in the community of nations. I am delighted towelcome East Timor and Switzerland as new Members,which will bring the number of Members of the UnitedNations to 191. I hope that all Member States, largeand small, old and new, will continue to give theirsupport to the United Nations and the principles forwhich it stands.

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Chapter IAchieving peace and security

10. The setbacks to international peace and securityin the past year were numerous, from the rise intensions between India and Pakistan to thedeterioration in the Middle East, and from the terroristattacks of 11 September 2001 against the United Statesto the eruption of violence in Liberia. It is noexaggeration to say that, to many people, the world feltlike a much more dangerous place this year than it hasfor many years. There are however millions of peoplearound the world for whom it has long been dangerous:people who live in conditions of extreme insecurity andpoverty, and for whom progress towards peace andprosperity did not advance this past year as much as itshould have. The people of the occupied Palestinianterritory, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of theCongo and elsewhere would be justified in asking whatmore the international community and their ownGovernments can and should be doing to help themadvance towards peace.

11. Significant progress, however, has been made insome areas. The people of Afghanistan, with theassistance of the international community, have made aremarkable transition from more than two decades ofwar to the beginnings of a post-Taliban stability. InAngola, an entire population has, at last, the possibilityof a peaceful future. It is the obligation of theinternational community to help them to achieve it.Prospects for peace seem better also in the Sudan and,in May 2002, the whole world celebrated with the EastTimorese as their country gained its independence.

Conflict prevention and peacemaking

12. During the past year, the focus of implementationof the recommendations contained in my report of June2001 on the prevention of armed conflict has been onsecuring greater cooperation with Governments,supporting subregional initiatives to promote peace andstability and encouraging the mainstreaming of conflictprevention into national development programmes. Thedevelopment, humanitarian, human rights and politicalarms of the United Nations system will continue towork in concert for sustainable peace.

13. In the Middle East, an already tense situation wasaggravated by a vicious circle of violence. Previously

understood �red lines� were violated, with heavy lossof life on both sides. In March 2002, following asuicide bomb attack in the Israeli city of Netanya, theIsraeli Defence Forces launched a massive operation inthe West Bank, severely damaging the Palestiniansecurity and civilian infrastructure, and provoking ahumanitarian and human rights crisis. To address thesituation, in April 2002 I proposed the establishment ofa multinational force to help provide security for Israeliand Palestinian civilians, and to promote anenvironment conducive to the resumption ofnegotiations. While there is no consensus yet on such aforce, its potential for generating momentum towards apeaceful solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hasbeen widely recognized by the internationalcommunity.

14. The Israeli incursion into the Jenin refugee campled to allegations of human rights abuses and violationsof international humanitarian law. In response, Ioffered to send an impartial fact-finding team tocompile an accurate account of what had occurred. TheSecurity Council in resolution 1405 (2002)unanimously accepted my offer. Accordingly, Iassembled an appropriate team. In view of the fact thatIsrael�s subsequent concerns on this issue werefundamental in nature, I found it necessary to disbandthe team without its being able to visit the sites. In May2002, the General Assembly requested me to submit areport on the events in Jenin and other Palestiniancities. That report was issued on 1 August 2002(A/ES-10/186).

15. Amid these distressing circumstances, there wereopportunities for progress towards a politicalsettlement. In particular, the Security Council, inresolution 1397 (2002), affirmed a vision of a regionwhere two States, Israel and Palestine, would live sideby side within secure and recognized borders. Theassistance of a third party is critical to help the partiesemerge from the present cycle of destruction. To thisend, I continue to maintain close and regular contactswith all concerned. I engaged in particular with theUnited States, the Russian Federation and the EuropeanUnion, a group which has evolved into a newcoordinating mechanism known as the Quartet.

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Achieving peace and security

16. At a meeting in Madrid in April 2002, the Quartetcalled for a three-pronged approach tocomprehensively address security, economic andpolitical concerns. In May 2002, in Washington, D.C.,the Quartet announced its intention to work with theparties to hold an international peace conferencefocused on attaining the goal set out in resolution 1397(2002). In July 2002, in New York, the Quartet reachedan agreement on the goals identified in the statement ofthe President of the United States of 24 June 2002,namely, two democratic States living side by side inpeace and security; a complete and lasting halt toviolence and terrorism; an end to the occupation thatbegan in 1967; a halt to settlements; reform of thePalestinian Authority�s security and civilianinstitutions; the holding of elections; and theconclusion of permanent settlement negotiations on theoutstanding issues within a defined time frame, namely,three years. Representatives of the Governments ofEgypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia had their first meetingwith the Quartet at that time.

17. Since the departure of the United Nations SpecialCommission from Iraq in 1998, United Nations armsinspectors have not been allowed into the country toverify its adherence to Security Council resolutions onits programme on weapons of mass destruction. Thepace of my dialogue with the Government of Iraq has,however, accelerated. Since March 2002, I have heldseveral rounds of meetings with the Minister forForeign Affairs of Iraq. The United NationsMonitoring, Verification and Inspection Commissionremains ready to resume on-the-ground inspections. Inan effort to minimize hardships for the civilianpopulation of Iraq, the Security Council in May 2002unanimously adopted resolution 1409 (2002), designedto increase the flow of humanitarian goods into Iraq. Amore comprehensive easing of sanctions, however,continues to depend on Iraq�s full compliance withrelevant Security Council resolutions.

18. The Government of Iraq continues to rejectSecurity Council resolution 1284 (1999), on thequestion of Kuwaiti and third-country missing personsand seized property. Recently, Iraq undertook to returndocuments belonging to the Kuwaiti national archives,and my High-level Coordinator was able to participatein my meetings with the Iraqi Foreign Minister in July2002. I have proposed the re-establishment of a UnitedNations mechanism for the return of the nationalarchives and other Kuwaiti property, and the

Governments of Kuwait and Iraq have accepted thatproposal. Iraq has repeatedly refused to meet with myHigh-level Coordinator to discuss the question ofmissing persons. The Special Rapporteur of theCommission on Human Rights on the situation ofhuman rights in Iraq recently visited the country for thefirst time in nine years.

19. While developments in Africa over the past year,such as progress in negotiations to settle the long-standing conflict in southern Sudan, and Africa�scommitment to promoting democratic governance andpreventing armed conflict, gave some reason foroptimism, the devastation caused by conflict on thatcontinent has demonstrated the costs of not actingquickly to prevent conflict. The United Nations hascontinued to work closely with Governments,opposition parties and civil society to provideassistance in maintaining socio-political stability.Strategies have included measures to alleviate poverty,consolidate democracy, promote the rule of law,enhance respect for human rights and facilitate thereturn and resettlement of refugees and displacedpeople.

20. I dispatched senior envoys to the Central AfricanRepublic in the wake of a failed coup in May 2001, tothe Gambia in October 2001 and January 2002, and toCameroon in June 2002, at the time of critical electionsin those countries. Those missions helped to restoredialogue among government and opposition leaders,allowing democratic processes, including elections, toproceed. During my visit to Nigeria in July 2002, Iexplored with the President, Olusegun Obasanjo,practical ways for the United Nations to assist theGovernment, and society as a whole, to create a stableenvironment before the 2003 presidential elections.Upon a request from the Independent NationalElectoral Commission of Nigeria, the ElectoralAssistance Division of the Department of PoliticalAffairs sent a needs-assessment mission to Nigeria inMay 2002, and is currently preparing a programme ofelectoral assistance for the 2003 elections. The UnitedNations supported the Government of Nigeria inorganizing the Niger Delta Conference, in December2001, which developed options for promoting stabilityand development in that region. In the Niger, theUnited Nations in partnership with the Government,organized a National Forum on Conflict Prevention inJuly 2001, which brought together governmentofficials, representatives of civil society and traditional

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Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization

and religious leaders to promote a strategy forimproving national capacities for conflict prevention.

21. The situation in Angola changed dramaticallyafter the death, in February 2002, of Jonas Savimbi,leader of the National Union for the TotalIndependence of Angola (UNITA). Negotiationsbetween the Angolan Armed Forces and UNITA led toa ceasefire agreement at the end of March 2002, andthe signing of a Memorandum of Understandingcovering demilitarization in April 2002. Although theUnited Nations entered reservations on the provisionon general amnesty, the Organization signed theMemorandum as a witness, and has begun to assist inits implementation. My Adviser for SpecialAssignments in Africa has held intensive consultationswith Angolan parties, at their request, on implementingthe Memorandum of Understanding. On the basis of thefindings of an inter-agency Technical AssessmentMission sent to Angola in June 2002, I have proposed arevised structure of the United Nations presence inAngola to better assist the parties. In this new andpromising political context, I note that both partieshave publicly affirmed their commitment to lastingpeace and reconciliation.

22. In Burundi, substantial progress was made in theimplementation of the Arusha Agreement on Peace andReconciliation. The Transitional Government wasestablished in November 2001 and the ImplementationMonitoring Committee, chaired by my SpecialRepresentative, returned to Bujumbura. As a result ofthe deployment of the South African special protectionunit, exiled political leaders were able to return toBurundi to participate in the Transitional Government,the National Assembly and the Senate. Ceasefirenegotiations have however failed to produce tangibleresults so far, and fighting between the army and armedgroups continues to impede the implementation of theArusha Agreement. To build confidence in the peaceprocess, it is important that a durable ceasefire bereached and that all stakeholders make every effort toimplement the provisions of the Agreement.

23. Very limited progress was achieved in WesternSahara over the past year. My Personal Envoy hascontinued to pursue intensive consultations with allrelevant parties on possible options and I welcome thesupport and encouragement that the Security Councilhas extended to him. I remain hopeful that an earlypolitical resolution, providing for self-determination,will bring an end to this long-standing dispute. With

respect to Somalia, progress towards peace has beenslow despite the efforts of the �frontline States� of theIntergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)to assist the Somali parties in holding a NationalReconciliation Conference. I hope that the newlycreated Contact Group on Somalia will help to narrowthe differences among the IGAD frontline States, thusincreasing the effectiveness of the mediation process.In the Sudan, renewed mediation efforts by IGAD withenhanced assistance from the IGAD Partners Forum ledto significant agreements on some outstanding issues inJuly 2002. My Adviser will be attending the next roundof the IGAD-led talks, from mid-August 2002, where, Ihope, a definitive agreement will be reached to end thewar in the Sudan.

24. In South Asia, an abrupt escalation of tensionsbetween India and Pakistan during the first half of2002 created great international anxiety. The situationremains volatile, and an outbreak of hostilities betweenthese two countries with nuclear weapon capabilitieshas the potential to escalate with terrible consequences.At the same time, there can be no tolerance for eitherincursions across the Line of Control or terrorist acts ofany kind in the region. I have consistently appealed tothe parties to resume their bilateral dialogue and toresolve their differences, over Kashmir in particular, bypeaceful means. I encourage both sides to reduce theirmilitary contingents stationed in Kashmir, and toconsider other measures and initiatives aimed at furtherreducing tensions. My own good offices remainavailable to both sides to promote a peaceful solution.

25. I am encouraged by the progress made in thepeace process in Sri Lanka, facilitated by Norway. Atthe request of the Government of Sri Lanka, the UnitedNations system is providing developmental andhumanitarian assistance to support and promote thisprocess. In Nepal, however, I am increasinglyconcerned by the escalation of violence between theGovernment and the armed insurgency. If requested, Iwould positively consider the use of my good offices tohelp achieve a peaceful solution. In the meantime, theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)dispatched an innovative �conflict assessment mission�to Nepal in May 2002 to explore ways of targeting thedelivery of assistance so as not to further aggravateeconomic and social inequities.

26. In East Asia, I remain ready to assist and supportall efforts aimed at fostering inter-Koreanreconciliation through dialogue and cooperation. I urge

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Member States, for their part, to actively seek creativestrategies to encourage rapprochement on thepeninsula, and to strengthen peace and stability in theregion.

27. In Myanmar, I have used my good offices tofacilitate national reconciliation and democratization.An important development occurred on 6 May 2002,when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to resumeher normal political activities as the General Secretaryof the National League for Democracy. This marked anew beginning for the national reconciliation processthat began in October 2000. I will continue to do myutmost, together with my Special Envoy and withsupport from interested Member States, to facilitatethat process in accordance with General Assemblyresolutions that call for national reconciliation anddemocratization in Myanmar.

28. In May 2002 I visited Indonesia. I noted theconcerted efforts being made by United Nationsorganizations, funds and programmes to support theGovernment�s pursuit of political, economic and socialreforms. I still firmly believe that Indonesia�s nationalunity and territorial integrity can best be ensured byadherence to democratic norms and the promotion ofhuman rights. I intend to enhance United Nationsefforts to assist the Government as it seeks to promotegood governance and to establish a stable, democraticand prosperous society.

29. In the Pacific region, the implementation of theBougainville Peace Agreement (signed in August2001) between the Bougainville parties and theGovernment of Papua New Guinea is progressing. I amheartened by advances made in weapons disposal, inwhich the United Nations Political Office inBougainville has taken a lead role at the request of theparties. A joint mission composed of members of theDepartments of Political Affairs, Disarmament Affairsand Economic and Social Affairs was dispatched toBougainville in May 2002 to identify measures forenhancing disarmament efforts. The United Nationsremains ready to work with the internationalcommunity, especially other States in the region, theGovernment of Papua New Guinea, and theBougainville parties to fulfil all elements of the PeaceAgreement.

30. In Latin America, my Special Adviser onColombia continued to assist peace efforts in thatcountry through regular contacts with the Government,

guerrilla groups, civil society and the internationalcommunity. Early in January 2002 my Acting SpecialAdviser, the group of 10 facilitating countries, and theCatholic Church helped to avert a breakdown in thepeace talks between the Government and theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.Unfortunately, similar efforts in February 2002 wereunable to prevent the talks from collapsing. Talks withthe smaller guerrilla group, the National LiberationArmy, continued intermittently throughout this period,but these ended in May 2002. I am concerned that thebreakdown of these negotiations will have grave effectsboth nationally and regionally. The civilian populationof Colombia continues to bear the brunt of the conflict,owing to frequent violations of human rights andinternational humanitarian law by all parties. I haveurged the parties to sign a humanitarian agreement thatwould protect the civilian population and ensure fullrespect for human rights and international humanitarianlaw. In June 2002, I met the President-elect, AlvaroUribe Vélez. In a useful exchange on the situation inColombia, we discussed how the United Nations canmost effectively assist the Colombian people. TheUnited Nations stands ready to provide furtherassistance in promoting a peaceful resolution to theconflict.

31. The United Nations Verification Mission inGuatemala has continued to oversee compliance withthe peace agreements reached in 1996. Owing to thecomplexity of the agreements, the implementationtimeline was extended until 2004 but, despite the statedcommitment of the Government, the new deadlines arenot being met. Increasing political polarization becauseof the approaching elections has also impededimplementation of the agreements. Regrettably, thispast year has seen a rise in human rights violations,increased poverty and hunger, and indications of theremilitarization of society. The renewed commitment tothe agreements exhibited at the Consultative Groupmeeting held in Washington in February 2002 has,however, given some cause for optimism. Thecommitment of the people and the Government ofGuatemala must be redoubled to realize the promiseembodied in the 1996 agreements.

32. My hopes for a political dialogue between theGovernment of Haiti and its opposition were notfulfilled in the past year. Despite efforts by theOrganization of American States (OAS) and theCaribbean Community to promote dialogue, neither

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party has made the compromises necessary formeaningful negotiations. This failure has prevented therelease of urgently needed development assistance. Iwelcome the establishment of the OAS Special Missionto Strengthen Democracy in Haiti, in particular itsfocus on the promotion of security, justice, humanrights and governance. The comprehensive transitionprogramme coordinated by UNDP, following theclosure of the United Nations International CivilianSupport Mission in Haiti in 2001, remains a valuablecomplement to these efforts.

33. In Cyprus, direct talks between the leaders of theGreek and Turkish Cypriots began following anagreement reached in December 2001. The talks havebeen taking place in the United Nations Protected Area,and in the presence of my Special Adviser. I travelledto Cyprus in May 2002 to encourage the two leaders toquicken the pace of the talks, resolve the key issuesand achieve a comprehensive settlement this year. Iwill meet both leaders again on 6 September with aview to taking stock of the current talks and charting acourse for the way ahead. In the meantime, the UnitedNations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus continued tomonitor the buffer zone across Cyprus.

Peacekeeping and peace-building

34. On 20 May 2002, the United Nations successfullyconcluded the transitional administration of EastTimor. It was a privilege to witness the birth of anindependent East Timor, and to hand over authorityfrom the United Nations to East Timor�s firstdemocratically elected President. In Kosovo, FederalRepublic of Yugoslavia, specific powers weretransferred from the United Nations mission to ademocratically elected assembly in March 2002. InSierra Leone, successful elections in May 2002 shouldlay the foundation for a peaceful future. InAfghanistan, many of the plans mapped out in theBonn Agreement of December 2001 have beenimplemented, with the support of the United NationsAssistance Mission. Over 1 million refugees andinternally displaced people have returned to theirhomes in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2002.While these examples of progress in peace-building arewelcome, much remains to be done in all UnitedNations peace missions.

35. The establishment of the Democratic Republic ofEast Timor led to the successful conclusion of the

United Nations Transitional Administration in EastTimor (UNTAET) on 20 May 2002. The achievement isall the more remarkable in view of the state ofdestruction at the start of the UNTAET mandate, andthe fact that institutions of national government neverexisted in East Timor. This accomplishment is aboveall the product of the determination, courage andpatience of the East Timorese people, who wereassisted by the international community and the UnitedNations in laying the foundations for political, socialand economic development. UNTAET has beenreplaced by a new, smaller-scale peacekeepingoperation, the United Nations Mission of Support inEast Timor (UNMISET). While the mandate ofUNMISET does not entail full-scale administrativeresponsibilities, the Mission does retain responsibilityfor executive policing, and a substantial militarycomponent. It also has a number of civilian advisers inareas that are crucial for the continued stability andviability of the new Government.

36. In Afghanistan, the fall of the Taliban regimecreated a unique opportunity for peace and nationalreconciliation. Under United Nations auspices, theAfghan parties met in Bonn in December 2001, andagreed to a political process to secure a peaceful,democratic society where human rights are respected.As provided in the Bonn Agreement, the power-sharingInterim Authority was replaced in June 2002 by anindirectly elected Transitional Authority, following thesuccessful conclusion of a nationwide traditionalassembly, or Loya Jirga. It was particularly hearteningto hear the voices of previously disenfranchisedAfghan women at the Loya Jirga.

37. Mindful of the impact of the fall of the Taliban,and the Bonn Agreement, I recommended that anintegrated United Nations Assistance Mission inAfghanistan (UNAMA) be created to assist theAfghans in implementing the Agreement, and to beginthe immense task of reconstruction. The SecurityCouncil endorsed this recommendation, and UNAMAwas established at the end of March 2002. My SpecialRepresentative for Afghanistan and UNAMA willcontinue to work closely with the TransitionalAuthority to secure the path to peace and sustainabledevelopment. UNAMA is a positive example of anintegrated mission designed to support the political,governance and peace-building processes whilesimultaneously responding to urgent humanitarian andrecovery needs.

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38. In Sierra Leone, the United Nations has madegood progress in implementing its peacekeepingmandate. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone(UNAMSIL) completed its deployment to all areas ofthe country in November 2001. A total of 47,000combatants from all parties were disarmed anddemobilized, and the process was completed on 17January 2002. This paved the way for presidential andparliamentary elections, held in May 2002, accordingto the consensus reached at the National ConsultativeConference in January 2002. The major challenge nowis to consolidate the current fragile peace, and managethe transition to national recovery. Urgent efforts mustbe focused on extending the Government�s authoritythroughout the country, completing the reintegration ofex-combatants, and promoting justice and nationalreconciliation.

39. The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia andEritrea (UNMEE) continued to monitor the ceasefireand the Temporary Security Zone, verify theredeployment of Ethiopian and Eritrean troops, andcoordinate mine action activities. In April 2002, thepeace process entered a crucial phase when theBoundary Commission rendered its decision on thedelimitation of the common border. Both partiespublicly accepted the decision. It is important that theparties cooperate closely with the BoundaryCommission and UNMEE during the implementationof the decision.

40. The deployment of the United NationsOrganization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (MONUC) has continued and the ceasefirehas generally held, although serious incidences ofarmed conflict still occur, especially in the east of thecountry. The withdrawal of foreign forces, an essentialrequirement under the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement,has largely been accomplished, although the presenceof foreign forces in the east of the country remains asignificant problem. A major element in the MONUCmandate is the voluntary disarmament, demobilization,repatriation, resettlement and reintegration of armedgroups, a programme which depends upon a politicalaccord at the Congolese and regional level. Theparticipants in the inter-Congolese dialogue at SunCity, South Africa, in March and April 2002, could notreach an all-inclusive agreement. Consequently, in June2002, I appointed a Special Envoy for the inter-Congolese dialogue to assist the parties in reaching anall-inclusive agreement to bring peace, national

reconciliation and unity to the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo. On 30 July 2002, the heads of State of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda signed,at Pretoria, a peace agreement on the withdrawal of theRwandan troops from the Democratic Republic of theCongo and the dismantling of the ex-FAR andInterahamwe forces in that country with the assistanceof the United Nations. The agreement was facilitatedby South Africa, whose President, Thabo Mbeki, is thefirst Chairman of the African Union. I shall soonsubmit my recommendation in this regard to theSecurity Council.

41. The United Nations Peace-building SupportOffices in the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissauand Liberia have continued to play a catalytic role inassisting those countries to emerge from conflict.Particular emphasis has been applied to promotingnational reconciliation, consolidating the establishmentof democratic processes, enhancing respect for humanrights and the rule of law, and mobilizing internationaleconomic assistance. The offices have also beenworking closely with United Nations country teams tomainstream conflict prevention into nationaldevelopment programmes, within the common countryassessment and the United Nations DevelopmentAssistance Framework, and by incorporating earlywarning and conflict prevention into programmeformulation and priority setting.

42. I regret, however, the recent deterioration of thesituation in Liberia. This compromises hopes forachieving sustainable peace after nearly a decade ofdestructive civil war in that country, and alsoundermines the successes achieved in neighbouringSierra Leone. The cross-border movement of thousandsof Liberian refugees, mixed with the potential for amass return of refugees from Sierra Leone who arecurrently in Liberia, could have a serious effect onregional stability.

43. There were heightened tensions along the BlueLine between Israel and Lebanon over the past year. Inparticular, there was a pronounced escalation in violentincidents across the line, both within and outside theShab�a farms area, in March and April 2002. Althoughthe situation stabilized in May 2002, the potential fordeterioration remains significant. The Government ofLebanon has yet to take all the necessary steps torestore its authority throughout the south, where theactivities of armed elements along the Blue Line keepthe situation unstable. Israeli violations of Lebanese

8


airspace have contributed to the tension. The SecurityCouncil has repeatedly called upon all partiesconcerned to respect fully the Blue Line, most recentlyin its resolution 1391 (2002). The functions of theUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)continue to be largely those of an observer mission.Accordingly, the Force has continued with itsreconfiguration exercise, which has entailedimplementation of a plan to reduce its numbers.

44. The United Nations Mission in Bosnia andHerzegovina (UNMIBH) is in the final stages ofimplementing its core mandate of police reform andrestructuring. It is preparing to hand over to a missionorganized by the European Union at the end of 2002.Improvements in police performance have significantlycontributed to 110,000 minority returns throughout thecountry, an unprecedented number, in 2001 and thefirst quarter of 2002. UNMIBH has provisionallyauthorized 17,000 police personnel and the final phaseof certification has begun. Independent, professionalcommissioners now command most policeadministrations, despite some political resistance. TheUNMIBH Special Trafficking Operations Programmehas been instrumental in countering trafficking inwomen. The State Border Service has expandedrapidly, and now covers 88 per cent of the border. Itplays a vital role in the fight against illegal migration,organized crime and terrorism.

45. The United Nations Interim AdministrationMission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has focused onestablishing the provisional institutions of self-government, following elections to the newly formedKosovo Assembly in November 2001. In line with theConstitutional Framework for Provisional Self-Government, the provisional institutions of self-government have assumed public administrationresponsibilities, for instance for health care andeducation, while my Special Representative retainscertain reserved powers, including powers over thepolice, justice and foreign relations. UNMIK hasenhanced its dialogue with the authorities of theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia since November 2001with positive results, including the transfer to Kosovo,in March 2002, of the remaining Kosovo Albaniandetainees from Serbian jails.

46. UNMIK has also focused on laying thefoundations for economic progress, tackling crime andviolence, and creating a fair and safe society. Oneelement of this process has been the establishment of

the Kosovo Police Service; currently 5,500 local policeofficers have been trained and are operational. Specificemphasis has also been placed on privatization, thereturn of Kosovo�s ethnic minority populations, thesituation in Mitrovica, and targeting organized crimeand corruption. In order to facilitate a process that willdetermine the final status of Kosovo, withoutprejudging the outcome, my Special Representative hasset down benchmarks that must be reached before sucha process can begin.

47. The situation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflictzone, the area of responsibility of the United NationsObserver Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), deterioratedin the second half of 2001, when several hundredirregulars infiltrated through the Kodori Valley fromthe Georgian side of the ceasefire line and clashed withAbkhaz forces. On 8 October 2001, a UNOMIGhelicopter was shot down close to the entrance of thevalley; all nine persons on board were killed. ByNovember 2001, the fighting ended and, in the firstquarter of 2002, the tensions in the Kodori Valleysubsided, not least because of the mediation efforts ofmy Special Representative and the resumed patrollingof UNOMIG. My Special Representative continues hisefforts to forge a comprehensive settlement of theGeorgian-Abkhaz conflict. In December 2001, heobtained the full support of the group of Friends of theSecretary-General for Georgia for a package proposalto be presented to the parties as a basis for negotiationson the future status of Abkhazia within the State ofGeorgia. Efforts continue to ensure that both sides willaccept the package.

48. In Tajikistan, post-conflict peace-buildingprocesses are under way and developing successfully.The work of the United Nations Tajikistan Office ofPeace-building and the United Nations country teamhas helped to stabilize the political and securitysituation in the country, in particular by promotinggood governance and strengthening civil society.Extremist groups, however, continue to pose a threat tothe region.

49. Over the past year, the United Nations hascontinued to improve the management of peaceoperations, focusing on implementing therecommendations of the Panel on United Nations PeaceOperations. With strong support from the MemberStates, progress has been made on improving rapiddeployment capacities, training, and integratedplanning of peace operations. An important step has

9


been taken towards meeting the challenge of rapiddeployment within a 30- to 90-day time frame. Iwelcome the General Assembly�s endorsement of theconcept of strategic deployment stocks, which willenable the Secretariat to pre-position equipment tosupport one complex mission at the United NationsLogistics Base at Brindisi, Italy. Together with clearerpre-mandate commitment authority, the strategicdeployment stocks will considerably improve theSecretariat�s ability to provide timely logistics supportand financing for rapidly deployed missions.

50. New posts in the Department of PeacekeepingOperations have increased capacity, and restructuringto take advantage of these new resources has helped toenhance management and planning. For the first time, ahandbook for multidimensional peacekeeping is beingprepared, as are more detailed standard operatingprocedures for military, mission support and publicinformation. Improved techniques in mission planningand start-up have been piloted during the establishmentof UNAMA, and the Department has expanded itscivilian training cell, which provides administrativeand logistics training for staff in field missions.

51. At Headquarters and in the field, lessons learnedare being integrated into policy formulation, strategicplanning and implementation. In particular,commitments to incorporate a gender perspective intopeacekeeping operations, pursuant to Security Councilresolution 1325 (2000), are being fulfilled. I haveappointed Gender Advisers in five missions: MONUC,UNMIK, UNMIBH, UNAMSIL and UNMISET. Asystem-wide implementation plan prepared by the TaskForce on Women, Peace and Security, chaired by theSpecial Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement ofWomen, outlines other efforts being made by theUnited Nations system to implement that resolution.Further, in accordance with Security Council resolution1379 (2001), taking action to protect children hasbecome an explicit objective of United Nations peaceoperations. I have appointed Child Protection Advisersin MONUC and UNAMSIL. United Nationspeacekeeping missions also now regularly includehuman rights components.

52. The United Nations has continued efforts to buildnational and regional peacekeeping capabilities, forexample by reorienting military and police trainingtowards improving the capacity of national andregional training centres. The Organization currentlyworks with training institutes in Côte d�Ivoire, Ghana,

Kenya and Zimbabwe to standardize peacekeepingtraining. Standardized training helps to ensure thatpeacekeeping troops are better prepared to integrateinto a peacekeeping force, improving both UnitedNations and regional peacekeeping efforts.

53. Although the effort to reform and improve themanagement of peace operations is progressing well inthe Secretariat and in the field, United Nationspeacekeeping continues to be challenged by a shortageof troops. A number of countries that have historicallytaken the lead in contributing troops to peacekeepingoperations are no longer significant contributors.Notwithstanding the critical importance of financialand political support provided by the Member States,troop contributions from a larger pool of countries arenecessary to ensure that United Nations peacekeepingremains as effective an instrument as it should be.

54. The Security Council has continued, in itsresolutions, to recognize the importance of mineaction, and mine action is an integral and crucialcomponent of peacekeeping missions in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia andEritrea, Lebanon and Sierra Leone. Given the stronghumanitarian focus of mine action, its inclusion has ledto a more productive interaction between peacekeepersand the humanitarian community. In Lebanon,following the successful conclusion of an agreementbetween the United Nations, the United Arab Emiratesand Lebanon, effective mine clearance started in May2002, in the UNIFIL area. Over 7,000 anti-personnellandmines, in more than 30 minefields (for a total of600,000 m2), have already been cleared. At the sametime, UNIFIL troops are marking minefields along theBlue Line, clearly identifying areas as safe ordangerous for local communities.

The United Nations and regionalorganizations

55. The United Nations continues to attach greatimportance to strengthening cooperation with regionalorganizations and arrangements. High-level meetingsover the past several years have built a practicalframework for cooperation in the fields of conflictprevention and peace-building in particular. The UnitedNations liaison office with the Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) continues to generate a wide range ofcollaborative programme activities between the twoorganizations. It is expected that this collaborative

10


relationship between the United Nations and OAU willbe further reviewed and redefined now that OAU hasbecome the African Union.

56. During the past year, much progress was made instrengthening cooperation with the European Union.Particular emphasis was placed on cooperation inconflict prevention and crisis management. The UnitedNations and the European Union agreed to bettercoordinate their training programmes in conflictprevention, and their efforts to develop early warningmechanisms. In the framework of the annual policydialogue between the two organizations, the DeputySecretary-General travelled to Brussels in April 2002to continue the process of high-level consultationsbetween the European Union and the United Nationson ways of enhancing cooperation between the twoorganizations. The annual high-level consultationsbetween the United Nations, the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe and the Council ofEurope have been further strengthened by theparticipation of the European Union and the EuropeanCommission, a process now referred to as �tripartiteplus�. The aim is to rationalize the division of labourbetween these entities, specifically in peace-buildingand particularly in cases where they are co-deployed.

57. The current and potential security threats to thecountries of Central Asia have prompted theirGovernments to strengthen institutions of regionalcooperation. At Almaty, early in June 2002, after 10years of patient discussions, 16 Asian countries heldtheir first summit meeting, at which a new regionalorganization, the Conference on Interaction andConfidence-building in Asia, was created. A few dayslater, the leaders of the Shanghai CooperationOrganization, which comprises China, Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan andUzbekistan, signed a charter transforming the groupinto a fully-fledged international organization with apermanent secretariat in Beijing. It will, among otherthings, undertake joint efforts for the maintenance ofpeace, security and stability in the region andencourage effective cooperation among member States.

58. The establishment of the Office of the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General for WestAfrica is an important example of the commitment ofthe United Nations to working more closely withStates, regional organizations and regional civil societyto address the complex challenges of the subregion. Iam grateful to the Government of Senegal for offering

to host the Office, and for pledging its full support toit.

Electoral assistance

59. From September 2001 to June 2002, the UnitedNations received 17 requests for electoral assistance,and was able to respond in 14 cases. Electoralprocesses are evolving rapidly in many countries. Asnational expertise and capacities improve, the UnitedNations is increasingly being called on to provide morespecialized technical assistance. The United Nationshas also taken steps with partner organizations to refineand enhance the standards for international electoralassistance activities.

60. To keep pace with these transformations,innovative projects are being developed and piloted.Expert technical monitoring of elections is a non-intrusive means of providing international support andadvice. Such a monitoring operation was conducted inSolomon Islands in 2001. Longer-term projects relatingto civic education and capacity-building for electionmanagement bodies are being implemented, forexample in Nigeria, and are contributing to buildingdemocracy between election cycles. In other cases,election monitoring bodies have requestedcomprehensive reviews of their electoral operations tostreamline processes and ensure maximum cost-effectiveness in future elections.

61. Over the past year, two electoral processes inparticular should be noted for their success: theparliamentary and presidential elections in East Timor,and presidential elections in Sierra Leone. In bothcases, elections played an important role in broaderinternational efforts to mitigate conflict and promotedemocratization.

Terrorism

62. In the past year, the Organization intensified itswork in the fight against terrorism. Shortly after 11September 2001, the Security Council unanimouslyadopted resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001) andthe General Assembly adopted resolution 56/1 byconsensus, and held a week-long debate in October. Byresolution 1373 (2001) the Security Council imposedbinding obligations on Member States to suppress andprevent terrorism, and established a Counter-Terrorism

11


Committee to monitor the implementation of theresolution. In June 2002 an international symposium oncombating international terrorism: the role of theUnited Nations was held by the Office for DrugControl and Crime Prevention, which also initiated aprogramme to promote the ratification andimplementation of the 12 universal legal instrumentsagainst terrorism.

Disarmament

63. There was little international cooperation inmultilateral forums on disarmament this past year.Negotiations on nuclear disarmament and a treaty onfissile materials, as well as efforts to prevent an armsrace in outer space, remained deadlocked in theConference on Disarmament. The review of theBiological Weapons Convention was suspended untilNovember 2002, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has still not entered into force.

64. I welcome the signing of the Moscow Treaty bythe Presidents of the Russian Federation and the UnitedStates of America on 24 May 2002, as a step towardsreducing their deployed strategic nuclear weapons. Theworld would be more secure, however, and relationsamong States more stable, if the reductions were madeirreversible, transparent and verifiable. Thoserequirements are especially important in the light of thedemise of the bilateral Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty on13 June 2002, which was a cornerstone of strategicstability for 30 years. Another source of seriousconcern is the steep rise over the past year in globalmilitary spending, now estimated at $839 billion.

65. This year marks the tenth anniversary of thecreation of the United Nations Register ofConventional Arms, an international effort to promotetransparency and confidence-building among Statesthat trade in seven categories of major conventionalweapons. In 2001, the number of participants in theRegister rose by 20 per cent, to a total of 118 States.There was also increased participation in the othertransparency measure, the standardized instrument forreporting military expenditures.

66. Regional initiatives are driving progress onimplementing the Programme of Action adopted by theUnited Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in SmallArms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects held in2001. United Nations regional centres for peace and

disarmament, relying entirely on voluntary funding,have supported those initiatives and assisted regionalprogrammes for weapon collection and destruction, andtraining in developing relevant legislation andregulations.

67. Partnerships between the United Nations,Governments, non-governmental organizations, andintergovernmental organizations such as theInternational Federation of the Red Cross and RedCrescent Societies have resulted in progress on mineaction and nearly halted the production and transfer ofanti-personnel landmines. Six States became parties tothe Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-personnelMines in 2001, bringing the total number of Statesparties to 124. The expansion of the scope ofapplication of the Convention on Certain ConventionalWeapons to cover conflicts between and within Statesis another encouraging advance in internationalhumanitarian and disarmament law.

68. Two groups of governmental experts, one onmissiles in all their aspects and the other ondisarmament and non-proliferation education, willcomplete studies for the fifty-seventh session of theGeneral Assembly, and I commend their reports foraction by Member States.

Sanctions

69. Recent Security Council action has involvedimposing targeted measures and modifying existingsanctions regimes to render them more effective. Byresolution 1390 (2002) Security Council expandedcounter-terrorist measures beyond the territory ofAfghanistan to include individuals and entities linkedto the Taliban movement, Osama bin Laden and the al-Qa`idah organization. By resolution 1407 (2002) theCouncil established a panel of experts to makerecommendations to improve enforcement of theembargo on weapons and military equipmentconcerning Somalia. Similarly, the Council renewedthe mandate of the Panel of Experts on Liberia toinvestigate compliance with, and possible violations of,existing sanctions measures, pursuant to resolutions1395 (2002) and 1408 (2002). By resolution 1409(2002), the Council streamlined the sale and supply ofhumanitarian goods to benefit Iraq�s civilianpopulation, but strengthened control over military-related and dual-use items. Security Council sanctionsmeasures were terminated in the cases of the Federal

12


Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, and theSudan. In addition, the Council, by resolution 1412(2002), suspended the travel restrictions on members ofUNITA for a period of 90 days.

70. With a view to addressing the possiblehumanitarian consequences of sanctions regimes, theSecurity Council is increasingly requesting evaluationsof the impact of sanctions, assessments of thehumanitarian implications of existing sanctionsregimes and assessments prior to the imposition ofsanctions. The Office for the Coordination ofHumanitarian Affairs, mandated to carry outassessments of the humanitarian implications ofsanctions, is developing a standardized methodology toassess the potential effects of sanctions on vulnerablepopulations in advance of, during, or following thetermination of sanctions regimes.

71. I am encouraged by the ongoing efforts at theintergovernmental and expert levels to design

�smarter� Security Council sanctions measures. TheInterlaken and Bonn-Berlin processes sought tosharpen such measures by focusing them on targetedleaders and non-State actors, minimizing their adversehumanitarian or economic effects on third States. Thecurrent Stockholm process focuses on theimplementation of targeted sanctions. The participationof partners, especially from the private sector, in theseexpert meetings can help to build the political willnecessary for effective sanctions. Refining financialsanctions will shore up efforts to block financial flowsused for terrorist activities, pursuant to SecurityCouncil resolution 1373 (2001). Finally, in addition tobeing an effective means to resolve conflicts, targetedsanctions could play an important deterrent role andcontribute to an overall strategy for preventivediplomacy.

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Chapter IIMeeting humanitarian commitments

72. The scale and diversity of the humanitarianchallenges of the past year have underlined the need tofurther strengthen the capabilities of the UnitedNations to respond, quickly and effectively, and tooffer comprehensive protection to civilians facing warand natural disaster. In a number of regions,particularly in Africa, long-standing humanitariancrises, many of which were intimately linked toprotracted and violent intra-State and regionalconflicts, continued unabated. Natural disasters,environmental emergencies and the spread of infectiousdiseases, most notably HIV/AIDS, have also causedgreat loss of life.

73. The range of current crises has demanded aflexible, strategic and system-wide response linking theprovision of emergency assistance to the search forsustainable solutions. The protection of civilians is atthe centre of the wider United Nations response tocomplex emergencies. Although the means may varyby country and region, in all situations the UnitedNations focuses on its areas of comparative advantage,and builds strong partnerships with other internationalinstitutions, as well as with Governments and non-governmental organizations.

The challenge of protecting andassisting refugees and displacedpopulations

74. Alarming numbers of civilians � more than 50million all told � continue to be displaced worldwidebecause of either natural disasters or armed conflict.While peace initiatives in countries such asAfghanistan, Angola, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka haveprovided opportunities for the reintegration of largenumbers of refugees and internally displaced persons,the deepening humanitarian crises in other countries inAfrica, Asia, Europe and the Americas have causednew waves of displacement. Obstacles preventingaccess to displaced populations, lack of respect forbasic human rights and humanitarian principles andinsufficient funding continue to pose enormouschallenges for United Nations agencies, and the widerhumanitarian community, in their efforts to bringprotection and assistance to the most vulnerable.

75. This context requires system-wide policies andmechanisms to ensure a more predictable andcollaborative response to the problems of internaldisplacement. An inter-agency Unit on InternalDisplacement was created in January 2002, under theleadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator and inclose cooperation with my Representative on InternallyDisplaced Persons, as well as with competent agencies.Already, the Unit has provided targeted support tocountry teams in humanitarian operations, using theGuiding Principles on Internal Displacement as theoverall framework for its work, in Afghanistan,Colombia, Guinea, Indonesia, Liberia, Sierra Leone,Sri Lanka, Somalia, the Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe andelsewhere. It has also carried out field missions toassess the internal displacement situation, identify gapsin the response and make specific recommendations forimprovement.

76. The response to problems of internaldisplacement rests primarily with the affected MemberState. In a number of countries faced with severedisplacement crises, the United Nations has workedclosely with the national government to developresponse strategies adapted to the specificcircumstances. This has included incorporatingminimum operating standards into national legislation,as in Angola and, more recently, Uganda, to ensure thatdisplaced populations are moved from temporaryshelters in insecure areas to settlements free fromlandmines and the risk of fighting, where basic servicesand protection can more readily be provided untilreturn or permanent resettlement is possible. It has alsoallowed the United Nations to undertake negotiationswith non-State actors to gain access to populations cutoff from assistance, as in the Sudan and Colombia.

77. Of the millions of the world�s displaced, refugeesfall under the specific mandate of the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR), as do persons of concern to UNHCR. At theend of 2001, these numbered some 19.8 million people,comprising refugees, asylum-seekers, returningrefugees in the early stages of reintegration and someinternally displaced persons. In 2001, UNHCRlaunched an intensive process of engagement withStates, non-governmental organizations and otherstakeholders to revitalize the international refugee

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protection framework, and to mark the fiftiethanniversary of the Convention relating to the Status ofRefugees. The Global Consultations on InternationalProtection also sought to enable States to addresscurrent refugee protection challenges in a spirit ofdialogue and cooperation. The result of theConsultations is a comprehensive Agenda forProtection, which identifies key areas for improvementin protection and burden-sharing.

78. Positive developments in some countries allowedthe return of over 700,000 refugees and internallydisplaced persons in 2001. Elsewhere, however, armedconflict and serious human rights violations led to newoutflows of refugees, particularly in Africa. Theterrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 led severalStates to adopt legal and practical measures to tightenasylum procedures. Some countries resorted to suchmeasures as interception at sea in response to mixedmovements of asylum-seekers and economic migrants.

79. In Africa, some 100,000 refugees from SierraLeone voluntarily returned home from neighbouringcountries as a result of greater stability since the end ofthe war, and the completion of the disarmamentprocess. More than 50,000 refugees were repatriatedfrom Ethiopia to north-western and north-easternSomalia, and some 36,000 refugees returned to Eritreafrom the Sudan. While these numbers are modest inrelation to the total of 5 million refugees throughoutAfrica, they represent important progress.

80. Allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation ofwomen and children by humanitarian workers andpeacekeepers have compelled the humanitariancommunity to take swift action on a number of frontsfor both refugees and internally displaced persons. TheInter-Agency Standing Committee has created a TaskForce which has set out recommendations for specificstandards of behaviour for humanitarian workers;improved mechanisms of accountability andresponsibility, particularly for managers; andstrengthened systems for providing protection andassistance to populations affected by humanitariancrises.

81. In order to achieve sustainable returns, UNHCRhas collaborated with development agencies includingUNDP, the United Nations Children�s Fund (UNICEF)and the World Bank. These partnerships have focusedon addressing the transition from relief to development

and ensuring that returnees can rebuild their lives andengage in productive activities.

82. There have been some hopeful developments insouth-eastern Europe. Initiatives in southern Serbia,Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, such as the creation ofa multi-ethnic police force, have helped to curb newoutbreaks of violence. In the former Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia, European monitors and representativesof the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and UNHCRhelped to rebuild confidence between communities;more than 80 per cent of the 170,000 displaced peoplewere assisted in returning to their homes. Similarly, inBosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia some 100,000refugees and internally displaced persons have beenable to go home. More than 800,000 people from thesecountries have not yet been able to return home,however. UNHCR is continuing its efforts to ensurethat local authorities implement property laws andassist with the reconstruction of properties destroyedby war, two measures which can support therepatriation process.

83. There was a positive example of local integrationin Mexico, where the Government naturalized morethan 1,300 Guatemalan refugees who chose not to berepatriated. Organized resettlement to third countriescontinued to provide a durable solution for manyrefugees, including, in particular, victims of trauma andrefugees facing serious protection problems incountries of first asylum. In total, some 33,100refugees (44 per cent of them female) were resettledunder the auspices of UNHCR in 2001. Twenty-fivecountries received refugees on a resettlement basis,although just 10 countries accounted for 98 per cent ofresettlement arrivals.

84. Efforts have been made to accord specialattention to women, children (including adolescents)and older refugees to ensure that their needs areproperly identified and met in the planning andimplementation of refugee operations. Approximately1 million refugee children and adolescents wereenrolled in education programmes supported byUNHCR, UNICEF and other humanitarian partners.Girls and young women constituted approximately 40per cent of those enrolled. United Nations agencieshave continued to promote access to education, both asa fundamental human right and a means of reducing therisk of military recruitment, forced labour andprostitution among refugee children. Emphasis has alsobeen placed on reducing the disproportionate effect of

15

Meeting humanitarian commitments

statelessness on women when they seek to registermarriages and births, obtain recognition of traditionalmarriages, avoid being trafficked, pass their legalstatus to their stateless children or spouses, and securedocumentation. UNHCR continues to campaign topromote accession to the relevant conventions onstatelessness, with some positive results.

Delivering humanitarian assistanceand the challenge of underfundedemergencies

85. The challenges of delivering assistance andmobilizing adequate resources for underfundedemergencies remain much the same in 2002 as in recentyears, and donor responses to United NationsConsolidated Appeals remain unsatisfactory. As theinternational security situation evolves as a result ofcounter-terrorist measures, and resources flood towardscertain humanitarian situations, it is imperative that theinternational community pays close attention to andprovides adequate resources for other humanitariancrises that are not so highly visible.

86. In response to the crisis in Afghanistan, theWorld Food Programme (WFP) launched one of itslargest relief operations ever, almost doubling itsassistance in the country, late in 2001, to reach morethan 6 million people and position vital food stocks inadvance of the difficult winter period. WFP continuedto assist large segments of the world�s poorest, mostvulnerable and food insecure populations affected bynatural calamities and man-made disasters. Thanks to arecord level of contributions, it was able to assist 77million people in 82 countries with almost 4.2 milliontons of food aid, in the form of life-saving emergencyfood relief and assistance in protracted crisis situations.UNICEF assistance to the Afghan Ministry ofEducation ensured that over 2.9 million childrenreturned to school by the time of the completion of theBack to School Campaign of March 2002.

87. Positive political developments have helped toimprove humanitarian conditions, or have at least setthe stage for expanded humanitarian assistance in anumber of conflict zones. In Angola, the ceasefireagreement of 4 April 2002 vastly changed thehumanitarian environment. At the beginning of 2002,humanitarian agencies were assisting 1.9 millionvulnerable people. A further 800,000 vulnerable people

are now accessible as a result of the ceasefire, some forthe first time in several years. The health andnutritional status of many of these people, in particularwomen and children, is extremely poor and many needemergency aid. The specific health needs of womenand adolescent girls, particularly with regard toreproductive health, require attention. A dramaticincrease in resources will be necessary to cope withthis new group of people in need of assistance.

88. The improvement in the security situation inSierra Leone since January 2002 has allowedhumanitarian agencies access to all parts of the countryfor the first time in 10 years. This has permittedUNICEF to support the expansion of primary schooleducation by renovating schools, supplying teachingand learning materials and furniture, and providingrefresher training for teachers. Education helps torestore normality, and plays a crucial role in thereintegration of child ex-combatants.

89. In many other places, however, peacenegotiations have stalled and increased insecurity hasrendered huge numbers of people inaccessible. InLiberia, the humanitarian situation has deterioratedconsiderably as a result of ongoing fighting betweenGovernment forces and armed elements of theopposition movement. It is estimated that only 120,000people are now receiving humanitarian assistance,while approximately 200,000 vulnerable and displacedpersons remain inaccessible in rural areas. Yet theappeal for funds to meet needs in Liberia has met onlya very limited response in 2002, and several UnitedNations agencies have not received any funding at allthrough the appeal. This has resulted in a criticalinability to provide for such basic needs as shelter andwater.

90. The humanitarian situation in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo remained extremely poor. ForUnited Nations humanitarian agencies, access remainsthe greatest constraint. They were forced, for example,to evacuate Shabunda in April 2002, when, accordingto nutritional surveys, the rate of global malnutritionamong children under 5 was higher than 20 per cent.The humanitarian situation in the east has been ofparticular concern. The eruption in January 2002 of Mt.Nyiragongo, on the outskirts of Goma, forced almostthe entire population of the city to flee temporarily.UNICEF and partner agencies provided assistance tomore than 80,000 families affected by the eruption.

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91. In the Sudan, the humanitarian situation hascontinued to deteriorate. Protracted conflict in EasternEquatoria, and elsewhere in the country, has uprootedfamilies and prevents civilians from obtaining food,clean water, health care and education. The continuingabductions of women and children are also deeplytroubling. In January 2002, a ceasefire in the NubaMountains was brokered, allowing needs assessmentsand relief deliveries in this formerly unserved area.

92. In Iraq, the oil-for-food programme, establishedby Security Council resolution 986 (1995) andadministered by the Office of the Iraq Programme, hascontinued to provide food, health, nutrition, housing,agriculture, water and sanitation. The delivery of healthcare improved in the 15 central and southerngovernorates of Iraq, mainly owing to a wideravailability of local and imported drugs and an increasein the number of surgical operations and laboratoryinvestigations performed. In the housing sector, in2001, 14.9 million square metres of housing were builtin the central and southern governorates, providinghomes for approximately half a million people, andgenerating over 200,000 new jobs for skilled andunskilled workers.

93. In the past seven years more than US$ 23 billionworth of humanitarian supplies and equipment hasbeen delivered to Iraq under the programme, whilemore than $10 billion worth of additional supplies arein the production and delivery pipeline. Yet there is agrowing funding shortfall because of the drop in oilexports, and a corresponding drop in revenuesavailable to the programme.

94. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency(UNRWA) provides education, health, relief and socialservices as well as income-generation programmes tomore than 4 million Palestine refugees. As at 31 May2002, donor pledges amounted to $254.5 million,leaving an estimated deficit of $53 million. A declinein funding would jeopardize the quality and extent ofhealth and education services provided by the Agency.The major escalation in violence since February 2002has led to the destruction of civic infrastructure on avery large scale. Many Palestinians, including refugees,who depended on the public sector services providedby the Palestinian Authority, are now expected to lookto the Agency for relief. It is estimated that this wouldrequire additional expenditure by the Agency of $46million in the West Bank alone. The Agency ispreparing to issue a supplementary appeal to cover

these additional emergency costs. In view of thissituation, I appointed my Personal Humanitarian Envoyto undertake a mission to assess the nature and scale ofthe humanitarian crisis in the region.

95. In the Democratic People�s Republic of Korea,the United Nations and partner organizations havemade some progress in meeting the basic needs of thepopulation, and have supported efforts to create atransition to development. A critical lack of funding,particularly for essential drugs and emergencynutritional rehabilitation programmes, has however,placed vulnerable groups fatally at risk, even thoughthe threats are preventable. Of concern is the lack offunding for nutrition programmes. UNICEF hasreceived less than 10 per cent of the funds required tosupport severely malnourished children, even though2.5 million children under 5 and some 930,000pregnant and nursing women are at risk. Similarly, inApril 2002, WFP was forced to halt the distribution ofcereals to children and the elderly, so as to preservethose resources for the most vulnerable persons.

96. With regard to child protection, a notable successin 2001 was the demobilization of more than 3,500child soldiers in the Sudan; a product of more than 12months� negotiation, planning and preparation. Othermeasures have included wide-ranging activities inhumanitarian mine awareness in Somalia; programmesto develop the fostering of children without primarycaregivers in Uganda; and campaigns to support birthregistration in Angola.

97. Through National Immunization Days entirecommunities have been mobilized by UNICEF, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) and other partnerorganizations, and children otherwise inaccessible toaid workers have been reached. These mass campaignshave already been held in a number of areas in conflict,including Afghanistan, Angola, the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo and the Sudan. To allow thisimmunization work to be carried out in the midst offighting, �days of tranquillity� have been negotiatedwith the warring parties, creating humanitarianceasefires. Such initiatives have also led to non-healthdevelopments, for example in Sierra Leone, where thenegotiations helped to move the peace process forward.

98. In April and May 2002, the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO) and WFPcarried out a joint mission to assess six southernAfrican countries. Those countries are seriously

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affected by food shortages and are threatened by arange of other factors, including increased vulnerabilityresulting from HIV/AIDS. The assessment found thatup to 13 million people may be at risk of starvation. Asa result of the findings, the United Nations launchedappeals in July 2002 for the affected countries, seeking$611 million for relief assistance. The initial responsehas been positive.

99. The United Nations Mine Action Service of theDepartment of Peacekeeping Operations, UNICEF andUNDP are the principal entities involved inhumanitarian mine action. UNICEF supports mine-awareness programmes in over 25 mine-affectedcountries and UNDP provides technical advice in 16countries. The humanitarian mine action programme,coordinated by the Mine Action Service in the provinceof Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, came to anend in December 2001, after two and a half years; allareas known to be affected by landmines or unexplodedordnance have been cleared to an acceptable residuallevel.

100. Attacks on humanitarian workers over the pastyear highlighted the importance of staff safety andsecurity and, conversely, the need for an uncontestedhumanitarian presence on the ground. The lack ofadequate security for the maintenance of humanitarianoperations leading to the withdrawal of internationalassistance has been the primary impediment toreaching the vulnerable.

101. As a result of a growing recognition that staffsecurity should be funded from the regular budget, theOffice of the United Nations Security Coordinator nowhas a full-time Security Coordinator at the AssistantSecretary-General level and a core budget, and hasdeployed 100 field security officers in crisis areas.Initiatives to improve security management haveincluded establishing minimum operating securitystandards (which define basic security measures for agiven country or operational environment), mandatorysecurity training for 4,500 United Nations staffmembers working in high-risk environments, and thedissemination of information, selection criteria forsecurity personnel and training standards andmethodologies through the Inter-Agency SecurityManagement Network.

102. Yet, despite the best efforts of the United Nationsto provide its staff with the skills and resources toensure operational security, during the first seven

months of 2002 four United Nations staff membershave been killed, and two abducted.

Natural disaster management:responding to emergencies andbuilding capacities

103. The frequency and severity of natural disasterscontinue to increase, affecting, on average, around 200million people per year, people who lose their homes,land and access to jobs. Increasingly, natural disastershave come to pose a threat to the gains made bydevelopment.

104. The United Nations system has been workingclosely with national Governments to strengthen theirpreventive and response capacities. UNDP has beenadvocating the inclusion of disaster risk considerationsin all phases of national development planning, inparticular for capacity-building in disaster pronecountries in accordance with the goals of theInternational Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

105. Where there are limited viable nationalmechanisms to respond to natural disasters, the UnitedNations assists through mobilization of resources andthe provision of emergency and rehabilitationassistance to affected populations. In the first half of2002, two natural disasters, both occurring within thecontext of ongoing complex emergencies, called for anintegrated United Nations response in both theemergency and recovery phases of the disaster � thevolcanic eruption in Goma in the Democratic Republicof the Congo, and an earthquake in Afghanistan.

106. Drought is currently affecting southern Africaand Central Asia, and floods have recently hitAfghanistan, Central Europe, China, the IslamicRepublic of Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, the Philippines, theRussian Federation and South Asia. The severity ofclimatic variation is likely to increase, leading to moredrought and flooding. To help countries to be betterprepared to cope with weather-related disasters,including a possible new El Niño cycle, the UnitedNations system is strengthening existing early warningsystems as well as providing advice, education andtraining to increase resilience in the event of naturaldisasters.

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Coordination of assistance and theprotection of civilians in armed conflict

107. A principal role of the United Nations in thehumanitarian field, in addition to providing directrelief, is the coordination of assistance and protectionfor people in distress. Today, the community oforganizations and institutions around the worldengaged in humanitarian work is larger and morevaried than ever. Coordination therefore requirestimely and efficacious planning, the avoidance ofduplication, and efficient and effective delivery ofemergency relief. Through the ResidentCoordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator system, UnitedNations country teams have continued to promote thecoherence of crisis response around the world, byproviding in-country support to relief, rehabilitationand recovery activities.

108. In most situations, the United Nations acts inpartnership with international and non-governmentalorganizations to establish emergency coordinationmechanisms, negotiate access, mobilize resources, andprovide common services such as flight operations andcommunications.

109. During the past year, coordination work involvedcontinuing assistance to long-standing complexemergencies. All 18 countries or regions for which theUnited Nations launched a Consolidated Inter-AgencyAppeal were areas that had already seen a prolongedUnited Nations humanitarian engagement. In everycase, coordination arrangements were reviewed orstrengthened, and efforts to obtain increased fundingcontinued. Coordination arrangements were mostsignificantly revised in Afghanistan, resulting in theestablishment of the United Nations AssistanceMission in Afghanistan, an integrated mission designedto support the political, governance and peace-buildingprocess while simultaneously responding to urgenthumanitarian and recovery needs. UNAMA contains arelief recovery and reconstruction pillar, headed by myDeputy Special Representative, who performs theresponsibilities of the Resident Coordinator, theHumanitarian Coordinator and the designated officialfor security. Supporting the field operations, a jointworking group of the United Nations DevelopmentGroup and the Executive Committee on HumanitarianAffairs has developed the Immediate and TransitionalAssistance Programme for Afghanistan, through whichrelief, recovery and rehabilitation activities are

implemented by means of an integrated strategy,focusing on developing national capacity.

110. The United Nations Assistance Mission inAfghanistan thus seeks to build a new model ofstrategic coordination with the Government ofAfghanistan. Programme coordination at the nationallevel is managed through eight programme secretariatsthat are responsible for assisting counterpartGovernment departments. For each programmesecretariat, a particular United Nations organization,fund or programme has been designated, for exampleUNICEF for education and WHO for health.

111. In November 2001, I issued my second report onthe protection of civilians in armed conflict. Theprotection of civilians is an umbrella concept thatembraces legal, military, humanitarian assistance andhuman rights concerns. Several practical measureshave been taken during the past year. Child protectionand gender advisers have been incorporated intopeacekeeping missions; recent Security Councilresolutions have advocated for safe and unimpededhumanitarian access to vulnerable populations,including women and children, and the Council isconsidering designing sanctions in such a way as tolimit any unintended humanitarian impact.

112. In March 2002, the Security Council formulatedan aide-memoire (S/PRST/2002/6, annex), intended toguide deliberations for the establishment, review ortermination of peacekeeping operations. The aide-memoire has already been used within the Secretariatduring country-specific discussions with regard to theprotection of civilians in armed conflict, for example,in the context of the Angola peace agreement and, mostrecently, as a means of reviewing the experience of theUnited Nations Mission in Sierra Leone.

113. The disarmament, demobilization andreintegration of ex-combatants is often a fundamentalrequirement in the effort to end conflicts and achievesustainable peace and lasting development. Ex-combatants must be assisted to return to normalcivilian life, their communities may often need supportto receive them, and the entire effort must be supportedby the political will of the parties to the conflict andthe international community. Effective disarmament,demobilization and reintegration programmes mustextend from the immediate post-conflict period tolonger-term development efforts, and, they thereforerequire the coordinated efforts of various elements of

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the United Nations and the international community,host Governments and the parties to the conflict. Overthe past decade, disarmament, demobilization andreintegration tasks were included in a number ofpeacekeeping mandates, including those relating toAngola, Cambodia, Liberia and Mozambique. Themany lessons drawn from those experiences areinforming ongoing efforts, such as those in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone,where MONUC and UNAMSIL have played a lead roleduring the reporting period in coordination with UnitedNations and other partners, including the World Bank.In seeking comprehensive approaches and linkingpeacekeeping and humanitarian assistance to longer-

term recovery strategies, the experience of UNDP insupporting the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants and in small arms reduction has provedmost valuable. Such programmes reduce insecurity andfacilitate the regeneration of economic activity incountries such as Chad and the Central AfricanRepublic and regions such as the Great Lakes.Similarly, the work of UNICEF in the demobilizationand reintegration of child soldiers has continued in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka, theSudan and elsewhere. Over the coming years, moreattention will need to be paid to integrating theseprogrammes into a broad strategy for sustainablesolutions to ensure human security.

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Chapter IIICooperating for development

Eradicating extreme poverty

114. Eradicating poverty remains a central priority forthe United Nations system. The millenniumdevelopment goals clearly articulate the variousdimensions of poverty that must be addressed. Effortscontinue to ensure that interventions to alleviatepoverty are effective and targeted, and to secureinternational cooperation in resource mobilization,policy planning and implementation. During the pastyear, several global conferences have been held toshore up support for the millennium development goalsby advancing towards a more participatory tradingsystem at Doha, by building consensus on financing fordevelopment at Monterrey and by reaffirmingcommitments to sustainable development atJohannesburg.

115. United Nations development initiatives arefocused on the eradication of poverty at the local level,and promote a decentralized, participatory approach tothe provision of basic infrastructure and themanagement of natural resources. The programmesfocus on partnerships with Governments, localauthorities and civil society to ensure that localinvestments match local needs and that they aremanaged efficiently.

116. The multidimensional nature of poverty isincreasingly being addressed through policies targetedat women, children and the growing number of urbanpoor. Women make up the majority of the world�s poor,and are frequently denied access to the naturalresources, credit, technology and training that theyneed to become financially independent. The UnitedNations Development Programme has been working inBrazil, where mothers were targeted for small incentivepayments; these were used to reward them for enrollingand keeping their children in school. This initiativenow brings $1 billion annually to 5 million of Brazil�spoorest families, and supports nearly 10 millionchildren in school. The United Nations DevelopmentFund for Women (UNIFEM) is working to eradicatepoverty among women by assisting their efforts to gaincontrol over money and assets and providingopportunities for them to participate in the marketeconomy. Programmes include the Technical ResourcesNetwork for small and micro-enterprises in the Arab

States, a forum for South Asian women entrepreneurs,a network of Peruvian and Ecuadorian women artisans,and networks of women entrepreneurs usinginformation and communication technologies to accessnew markets.

117. United Nations anti-poverty interventions onbehalf of children focus on health and basic education.The UNICEF immunization plus programme delivers aset of essential and cost-effective maternal and childhealth interventions. The programme offers safeimmunization, with all available cost-effectivevaccines and vitamin A capsule supplements wherenecessary. Globally, the distribution of vitamin Acapsules, added to immunizations, may have saved upto 1 million children. With regard to education,UNICEF has prioritized the rights of girls and AIDSorphans. In line with the Dakar Framework for Action,the United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO), together with variouspartners, supports the adoption of Education for Allplans aimed at reinforcing formal and non-formaleducation for poor children. The World FoodProgramme is helping poor children, especially girls, toattend primary school through school feedingprogrammes and by providing take-home rations. In2001, 15 million children in 57 countries benefitedfrom this assistance.

118. At the international level, increasing attention isbeing given to the problem of chronic food shortages,and to the role of agricultural and rural development inpoverty reduction. Agricultural trade-related issueswere given prominence in negotiations at the FourthMinisterial Conference of the World TradeOrganization, held at Doha in November 2001. TheInternational Conference on Financing forDevelopment, held at Monterrey, Mexico, in March2002, gave serious consideration to the need for greaterinvestment in rural areas for agriculture. Themomentum generated at Monterrey was carried throughto the World Food Summit held in Rome in June 2002.Governments reaffirmed commitments to goalsestablished at the previous World Food Summit fiveyears earlier, and acknowledged the need for increasedinvestment for hunger reduction. Direct food assistanceis an essential complement to longer-term agriculturaldevelopment efforts to address hunger.

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Cooperating for development

119. Almost 3 billion people, half the world�spopulation, now live in cities. By 2030, the proportionis expected to reach 60 per cent. The United NationsHuman Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) focuseson alleviating the most visible manifestations of urbanpoverty, namely, inadequate housing and homelessness,weak infrastructure and poor basic services, and on thelinkages between urban poverty, on the one hand, andthe environment, disaster management, security andurban governance, on the other. In December 2001, theGeneral Assembly transformed the United NationsCentre for Human Settlements into a fully-fledgedUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme,demonstrating a commitment to implementing themillennium development goals, including the urgentneed to improve the lives of more than 100 millionslum dwellers by 2020. The Programme�s activitieshave included producing and disseminating a toolkit tosupport participatory urban decision-making andproducing Participation to Partnership, an evaluationof lessons learned from urban governance projects in200 cities. The Safer Cities Programme undertook eightcity projects in seven African countries, and initiatedprogrammes in the Pacific islands and in LatinAmerica. During 2001, the Programme focused onappraising urban insecurity, promoting policies toprevent juvenile crime and gender violence, andsupporting the development of new forms of urbanpolicing.

Cooperating to attain the millenniumdevelopment goals

120. At the request of the General Assembly, I havesubmitted to it at its fifty-seventh session the firstannual report on progress achieved by the UnitedNations system and Member States towardsimplementing the Millennium Declaration, includingthe millennium development goals. That report, whichgives an overview of all the commitments set out in theDeclaration, includes a statistical annex that tracksprogress made in achieving the millenniumdevelopment goals, starting from a common baseline.

121. A number of measures have been taken in 2001and 2002 which will help to develop an open, rule-based, predictable, and non-discriminatory tradingsystem and improve market access for exports fromdeveloping countries, central to the millenniumdevelopment goals. The Fourth Ministerial Conferenceof the World Trade Organization (WTO) successfully

increased the membership of WTO to 144, and agreedon an agenda for further trade negotiations. In additionto continuing negotiations on agriculture, services,non-agricultural products and the trade-related aspectsof intellectual property rights (TRIPS), the Doha workprogramme also includes a broad range of issues forfuture negotiation (known as �Singapore issues� andincluding investment and competition policy). TheDoha agreements also highlight questions relating tothe special and differential treatment of developingeconomies and enhanced market access under existingagreements. The agreements put considerable emphasison capacity-building and technical assistance, whichthe United Nations system is helping to implement.The next ministerial meeting of WTO will be held inMexico in 2003. The United Nations Conference onTrade and Development (UNCTAD) continues to assistdeveloping countries to participate in the internationaltrading system. Programmes are aimed at expandingthe trading opportunities of developing countries, bybuilding up their capacity in this area through policyadvisory services, access to information and training.The emphasis is on the enlargement and improvementof export market opportunities, including thecommodities sector, and on improving the efficiencyand cutting down the costs of export and importtransactions.

122. More than 50 heads of State and Government andover 200 ministers for foreign affairs, trade,development and finance gathered at Monterrey,Mexico, in March 2002 for the InternationalConference on Financing for Development. It was thefirst United Nations-sponsored summit-level meetingto address key financial issues pertaining to globaldevelopment and was held with the active collaborationof the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and WTO.

123. At the Conference, heads of State andGovernment adopted the Monterrey Consensus, whichoutlines actions to be implemented in areas that are atthe core of the millennium development goals, namely,mobilizing domestic financial resources fordevelopment; mobilizing international resources fordevelopment; enhancing foreign direct investment andother private flows; expanding international trade as anengine for development; increasing internationalfinancial and technical cooperation for development;making external debt sustainable; and addressingsystemic issues.

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124. Building on the outcomes of the Conference, theUnited Nations will continue to collaborate with theWorld Bank, IMF, WTO and other partners toimplement the Monterrey Consensus. Strongercooperation on financing for development amongministries of finance, trade, development and planningand foreign affairs and civil society should bepromoted. Such global partnerships are critical forachieving the millennium development goals.

Sustainable development

125. The year 2002 marks the tenth anniversary of theUnited Nations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (the Earth Summit), held at Rio deJaneiro in June 1992. The decision of the GeneralAssembly to organize the 10-year review at the summitlevel and convene the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment at Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26August to 4 September 2002 gained strong supportfrom Member States and civil society across the world.

126. Preparations for the World Summit onSustainable Development were undertaken at thenational and regional levels. The Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs, in cooperation withUNDP, launched an international survey for the 10-yearanniversary of the Rio Conference. The Department,the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)and UNDP provided assistance to countries in supportof preparations at the national level. Technicalcooperation was also provided to developing countriesin such areas as new and renewable sources of energy,solar energy, small-scale hydropower, sustainableenergy plans, water supply and water quality. A seriesof recommendations to reflect gender perspectives inresearch, policies and capacity-building in the areas ofenvironmental management and natural disastermitigation emanated from an expert group meetingorganized by the Division for the Advancement ofWomen and the inter-agency secretariat for theInternational Strategy for Disaster Reduction at Ankarain November 2001.

127. At the regional level, the Economic Commissionfor Africa (ECA), in collaboration with other UnitedNations bodies and African regional and subregionalorganizations, convened deliberative processesresulting in the adoption of an African MinisterialDeclaration on the priorities of the region regardingsustainable development. The main challenge ahead is

to reinforce the institutional capacity for theimplementation of the regional programme.

Africa

128. African leaders have created the New Partnershipfor Africa�s Development (NEPAD), in which theycommit themselves to improving governance andmanaging their economies better. Specifically, clearstandards are being set for accountability, transparencyand participatory governance; appropriate standardsand targets are being stipulated for fiscal and monetarypolicies, and transparent legal frameworks for financialmarkets are being established. The African PeerReview Mechanism, to monitor progress in compliancewith such standards, has been established and will bean important instrument for achieving those objectives.These steps deserve the strong support of theinternational community. For its part, the UnitedNations will continue to support African developmentpriorities within the framework of the New Partnershipfor Africa�s Development and through the AfricanUnion.

129. The Economic Commission for Africa hasworked closely with African Governments to developcodes and standards for the economic and corporategovernance initiative of the NEPAD Peer ReviewMechanism. To monitor and report on the status ofintegration on the continent, a new flagship publicationof ECA was launched during the African DevelopmentForum III, in March 2002. The Annual Report onIntegration in Africa will provide qualitative andquantitative information on regional integration for useby policy makers, the regional economic communitiesand intergovernmental organizations. FAO is assistingNEPAD in a joint programme to ensure agriculturalstability and economic development. Such programmesin support of Africa within the framework of the NewPartnership for Africa�s Development must be pursued.

130. An independent review of the United NationsNew Agenda for the Development of Africa in the1990s was completed in May 2002. The independentevaluation, undertaken by a panel of eminentpersonalities, concluded that the New Agenda hadfallen short of its objectives, and highlighted lessonsthat could be useful for other initiatives on Africandevelopment. It critically reviewed the past reliance onliberalization, privatization and market-based reformsand recommended that development strategies be

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developed at the national level, and with a balancebetween macroeconomic stability and long-termstructural transformation. At its fifty-seventh session,the General Assembly will consider the final review ofthe implementation of the New Agenda, including theNew Partnership for Africa�s Development.

131. The Economic and Social Council hasdemonstrated its willingness to play an important rolein peace-building in Africa. In July 2002, by itsresolution 2002/1, the Council decided to considercreating, at the request of any African countryemerging from conflict, a limited but flexible andrepresentative ad hoc advisory group on Africancountries emerging from conflicts. I am pleased to notethat consultations for establishing the first ad hocadvisory group are well under way.

Addressing the needs of the leastdeveloped countries

132. The General Assembly by resolution 56/227established the Office of the High Representative forthe Least Developed Countries, LandlockedDeveloping Countries and Small Island DevelopingStates. The Office is responsible for United Nationssystem-wide coordination, follow-up and monitoring ofthe implementation of the Brussels Programme ofAction for the Least Developed Countries for theDecade 2001-2010, the Barbados Programme of Actionfor the Sustainable Development of Small IslandDeveloping States, and the Global Framework forTransit Transport Cooperation between Landlocked andTransit Developing Countries and the DonorCommunity.

133. The challenge now for the 49 least developedcountries, and donor countries, is to build capacity toensure that the Brussels Programme of Action isimplemented as soon as possible. The United Nationssystem will mobilize and coordinate actions tofacilitate the implementation of the Programme at thenational, regional, subregional and global levels.

134. The geographical handicaps and economic andecological vulnerabilities of the landlocked developingcountries and small island developing States, 26 ofwhich are also least developed countries, continue toconstrain their overall development. The GeneralAssembly requested me last December to convene in2003 an International Ministerial Meeting of

Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries andDonor Countries and International Financial andDevelopment Institutions on Transit TransportCooperation. The preparatory process for that Meetingwas launched in June 2002, coordinated by the Officeof the High Representative, in cooperation with theWorld Bank, UNCTAD and the regional commissions.

135. The Least Developed Countries Report 2002,published by UNCTAD, assesses the progress of theleast developed countries towards the millenniumdevelopment goals. Least developed countries continueto be the primary beneficiaries of various UNCTADcapacity-building programmes in the areas of customsreform, transit transport, business and trade facilitationand international trade. To assist countries which havenot fully benefited from the WTO Plan of Action forthe Least Developed Countries, the Economic andSocial Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in closecollaboration with WTO, held courses and seminars intrade policy, from May 2001 to June 2002. Theseminars also discussed trade and investmentopportunities in the Greater Mekong subregion. TheUnited Nations Industrial Development Organizationcontinues its assistance to the least developed countriesthrough programmes on improving industrialgovernance and institutional infrastructure,strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises,upgrading technological capacities, enhancing skillsand access to modern technology, building trade andexport capabilities and adopting energy efficiency andcleaner production measures.

Battling HIV/AIDS

136. The Joint United Nations Programme onHIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) serves as a hub for policy adviceand strategic information based on scientific evidence,and for tracking the global response to the epidemic. Atthe country level, UNAIDS provides support to 130United Nations theme groups on HIV/AIDS,encouraging United Nations organizations to addressHIV/AIDS issues, in most cases embracing keynational partners, and ensuring United Nations supportto national programmes. Of the 50 United Nationscountry teams that had completed the United NationsDevelopment Assistance Framework by end of 2001,70 per cent had included HIV/AIDS as a key elementor a cross-cutting theme. During the past year, allUnited Nations agencies, in particular UNAIDS

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co-sponsors, have significantly increased theirresources to support the response to the HIV/AIDSpandemic, especially in Africa. The World Bank�sMulti-Country HIV/AIDS Programme for Africa nowtotals $1 billion. In April 2002, the World HealthOrganization endorsed the inclusion of 12 anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV infection in itsModel List of Essential Medicines, facilitating theirregistration in countries and their procurement bymajor distributors. WHO also issued guidelines forincreasing the use of anti-retroviral therapy in poorerareas. In November 2001, at the Fourth MinisterialConference of the World Trade Organization, WTOmembers unanimously declared that TRIPS could andshould be interpreted and implemented in a mannersupportive of WTO members� right to protect publichealth and, in particular, to promote access tomedicines for all. The Code of Practice on HIV/AIDSand the World of Work, adopted by the InternationalLabour Organization in 2001, provided practicalguidance to Governments, employers and workers fordeveloping workplace programmes on HIV/AIDS.

137. Other organizations within the United Nationssystem are increasing their efforts in response to thedisease. In 2001, FAO, WFP and the International Fundfor Agricultural Development (IFAD) harmonizedpolicies on the impact of HIV/AIDS on food securityand rural poverty, with the aim of developing acommon framework for the agricultural sector.Increasingly, IFAD-financed poverty alleviation andrural investment programmes and projects in Africaincorporate activities aimed at HIV prevention and attempering the effect of the epidemic on ruralhouseholds, particularly orphans, through viable socialsafety net programmes.

138. The growing global commitment to fightHIV/AIDS is reflected in the increasing levels offunding within national budgets and for bilateral andmultilateral development assistance. Only nine monthsafter I called for such a fund at the OAU Summit atAbuja, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria was established in January 2002. Theestablishment of the Fund was made possible throughconcerted action by a wide range of stakeholders,including bilateral donors, the United Nations system,civil society and the private sector. Since early in 2001,a total of almost $2.1 billion has been pledged to thefight against HIV/AIDS. The Fund will providesignificant additional resources for national HIV/AIDS

efforts, an important step towards addressing the globalfunding gap. At its meeting in April 2002, the Fund�sBoard approved a total of $616 million in grants, for allthree diseases, for two years in more than 30 countries.

139. Despite successes in halting or reversing thespread of the epidemic in a growing number ofcountries, among them Cambodia, Thailand, Ugandaand Zambia, the global HIV/AIDS epidemic continuesto spread. Parts of Asia, which had previously not seenhigh levels of HIV, are now faced with a growingepidemic, and parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asiaare now experiencing some of the most explosivegrowth rates in the world. In high-income countries,where significant successes had been recorded inreducing AIDS mortality, increases in the practice ofunsafe sex and in HIV infection are indicating morerecent complacency.

Social development

140. The United Nations continues to address a widerange of social concerns, including ageing populationsand people with disabilities; drug abuse andtransnational crime; and urban governance. Technicalcooperation in the area of social development includedstudies on the social dimensions of macroeconomicadjustment, support for the preparation of nationalhuman development reports, strengthening governmentministries and units concerned with promotingwomen�s role in development, studies of poverty inspecific regions, and social impact assessments ofvarious policies.

Ageing and people with disabilities

141. The Second World Assembly on Ageing, held atMadrid in April 2002, highlighted the need to linkageing to human rights and social and economicdevelopment. It also drafted a set of objectives andspecific actions for Governments, internationalorganizations and civil society. As a regional follow-upto the Assembly, the Economic Commission for Europe(ECE) initiated negotiations in April 2002 on the ECEregional implementation strategy, which will beadopted at the Ministerial Conference on Ageing to beheld in Berlin in September 2002. The United Nationssystem supported a number of regional activities overthe course of the year to promote the rights of personswith disabilities.

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Combating drug abuse and transnational crime

142. In 2001 the United Nations International DrugControl Programme pursued a balanced approachencompassing support for the efforts of Member Statesto reduce demand and eliminate or significantly reducethe illicit cultivation of the opium poppy and cocaplant. Much headway was made in promoting theratification and entry into force of the United NationsConvention against Transnational Organized Crime andthe three Protocols thereto, which address the issues oftrafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants and illicittrafficking in firearms. Anti-money-launderingactivities included the provision of support in legal,financial, law enforcement and training efforts by theProgramme.

143. Steps to improve inter-agency coordination weretaken at the first Inter-Agency Anti-CorruptionCoordination Meeting, held at Vienna in February2002. Representatives of United Nations agencies andother international organizations exchanged views onanti-corruption activities and discussed ways andmeans of enhancing the coordination of anti-corruptionpolicies. Member States have also embarked upon thedrafting of a major instrument, a convention againstcorruption, setting the end of 2003 as a target date forits completion.

* * *

Promoting development through the use ofinformation and communication technologies

144. In November 2001 I inaugurated a UnitedNations Information and Communication TechnologiesTask Force, an innovative mechanism that broughttogether relevant stakeholders in a common effort toharness the potential of information technology.Working in close collaboration with other initiatives,including the Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOTForce) set up by the Group of Eight, our Task Force is

now ready to assist Member States, especially the leastdeveloped countries, in such vital areas as integratinginformation and communication technologies intonational development strategies.

145. Another significant step in this direction wastaken by the General Assembly at its meeting devotedto information and communication technologies fordevelopment, held in June 2002 at the initiative of thePresident of the General Assembly. The GeneralAssembly reaffirmed the multi-stakeholder approach ofGovernments, the private sector, the global civilsociety and the United Nations in promoting the use ofinformation and communication technologies.

Data collection and analysis to supportdevelopment

146. Assessing progress towards reaching themillennium development goals requires a solidinformation base. In April 2002, the Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs, in cooperation with allorganizations, funds and programmes of the UnitedNations system, the regional commissions and theOrganisation for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment, prepared the first global progress reporton the millennium development goals. The indicatordata series underlying the analysis can be accessed onthe Statistics Division�s new millennium indicator website, http://millenniumindicators.un.org. Over the nextfew years the United Nations will continue to workwith partner agencies to improve the commondatabases. Moreover, considerable progress was madein enhancing the national statistical capacities ofMember States in important fields such as statisticalmanagement and organization, statisticalclassifications, census and survey mechanisms,national accounting, trade, environment and energystatistics. This will enable them to produce their ownreliable and timely data series, which will facilitatecontinued monitoring of progress.

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Chapter IVThe international legal order and human rights

Human rights development

147. The Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights continued to provideleadership on promoting and protecting human rightsfor all, at the global, regional and national levels.Programmes to complement national efforts includeadvising on the incorporation of international humanrights norms into constitutions and legislation, assistingwith national human rights plans of action andsupporting the development of national institutions forthe promotion and protection of human rights. TheOffice also worked within the United Nations tointegrate human rights into all its activities, includingactivities relating to the rule of law, sustainabledevelopment, conflict resolution, and peacekeeping andpeace-building.

148. The Commission on Human Rights held its fifty-eighth session at Geneva in March and April 2002. TheCommission met under the shadow of the attacks of 11September 2001 and their direct or indirectconsequences for many countries, and the deterioratingsituation in Israel and the occupied Palestinianterritory. While States must take measures to protecttheir citizens against terror, they must also recognizethat security cannot be achieved at the expense ofhuman rights. On the contrary, stronger protection ofand respect for human rights, democracy and socialjustice are integral to the promotion of security.

149. The fifty-eighth session of the Commissionenjoyed wide participation; it was attended not only byits 53 member States, but also by almost all of the restof the Members of the United Nations as observers.Special rapporteurs and independent experts preparedreports on several countries and on themes relating tocivil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.They included 28 separate reports that raise criticalhuman rights concerns about specific countrysituations, providing information that can be used fordeveloping integrated approaches to the maintenance ofpeace and security, the rule of law and sustainabledevelopment. The Commission adopted 92 resolutionsand 18 decisions, despite the loss of one third of itsmeeting time because of budgetary cuts.

150. The core mission of the Commission on HumanRights is to extend the culture of human rights basedon universal values and to act to protect the victims ofviolations of human rights all over the world. If theCommission is to retain its vital protection andpromotion role, it must provide leadership, and bewilling to evaluate and strengthen national protectionsystems. It is unfortunate that the fifty-eighth sessionwas characterized by a marked increase in block votingby groups. Progress was made on issues such asracism, the right to health, the right to development,and enforced or involuntary disappearances, and ondeveloping a protocol to the Convention againstTorture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or DegradingTreatment or Punishment.

151. Despite the difficulties it encountered, the WorldConference against Racism, Racial Discrimination,Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in 2001adopted a comprehensive anti-discrimination agenda.Implementing that agenda is now more relevant thanever. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,established by the Economic and Social Council, wasinaugurated in New York in May 2002. The Forumoffers an opportunity to address the disadvantagesfaced by indigenous peoples. It has the potential togenerate high-level technical expertise on indigenousissues, and will build critical partnerships betweenindigenous communities and the United Nationssystem.

152. Human rights protection is strengthened by meansof the reporting and communications systemestablished under the core United Nations human rightstreaties. The Office of the High Commissioner assiststhe work of the human rights treaty bodies, whichprovide systematic and regular assessments of theimplementation by States of their human rightscommitments. From June 2001 to June 2002 the sixtreaty bodies examined more than 100 State reports.From more than 40 per cent of the reports theCommittees were able to acknowledge legislative orpolicy changes by the reporting State that enhance theprotection of human rights. Nevertheless, considerableefforts are required to ensure effective follow-up, at thedomestic level, to the observations, conclusions andrecommendations of the treaty bodies.

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The international legal order and human rights

153. The treaty body system provides opportunities forindividual victims of human rights violations to submitcomplaints for examination. From June 2000 to June2002, the Office dealt with more than 103,000 suchcomplaints. Moreover, since their establishment, theHuman Rights Committee, the Committee againstTorture and the Committee on the Elimination ofRacial Discrimination have registered 1,324communications and, not counting decisions todiscontinue cases, have adopted 809 final decisions.The jurisprudence of the treaty bodies offers importantpolicy direction to States, often leading to legislativeand policy reforms beyond the individual case. FromJune 2001 to June 2002, the special rapporteurs andindependent experts issued more than 945 urgentappeals to 56 States concerning allegations ofviolations of human rights such as torture, summaryand extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, andviolations of the right to freedom of expression. TheOffice of the High Commissioner has taken significantsteps to ensure that such claims are addressed in aneffective and efficient manner.

154. Following a request by the Committee onEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Office of theHigh Commissioner is currently developing guidelineson a human rights approach to poverty reductionstrategies. The guidelines will translate internationalhuman rights norms, standards and principles intooperational guidelines for practitioners involved in thedesign, implementation and monitoring of povertyreduction strategies.

155. At the regional level, the Office has worked inpartnership with Governments, regional organizationsand civil society to identify strategies to address humanrights concerns. To this end, a meeting of European andCentral Asian countries was held in October 2001 atDubrovnik, Croatia, in collaboration with the Councilof Europe and the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe. Useful consultations were alsoheld at Geneva on strategies for African countries, inNovember 2001, and for Central and South Americancountries in December 2001. A further Africandialogue meeting was held at Arusha in May 2002,attended by States, non-governmental organizationsand human rights experts. Those meetings createdimportant frameworks for action in the various regionson issues relating to the rule of law, the administrationof justice, racial discrimination, and economic, socialand cultural rights.

156. To assist in the implementation of human rightsstrategies, the High Commissioner for Human Rightsplaced human rights representatives in the headquartersof the regional commissions at Bangkok, Beirut,Santiago and Addis Ababa, and also at Pretoria,working closely with the South African DevelopmentCommunity. The Subregional Centre for Human Rightsand Democracy in Central Africa was established atYaounde to serve nine countries of the subregion.

The International Criminal Court

157. The Rome Statute of the International CriminalCourt entered into force on 1 July 2002, approximatelyfour years after its adoption. The pace of ratificationhas been remarkable, demonstrating a firminternational resolve to hold individuals who commitwar crimes and crimes against humanity responsiblefor their actions. Rarely have States and civil societybeen so united in advocating for a common cause. TheRome Statute has already contributed to theadvancement of criminal law, consistent with humanrights standards and due process, at national andinternational levels. The entry into force of the Statutehas spurred a worldwide demand for accountability,particularly from those in positions of political ormilitary leadership.

158. The first meeting of the Assembly of StatesParties will be held in September 2002. The principalofficials and staff of the Court, including the judges,the Prosecutor and the Registrar, will have been electedor appointed by August 2003, and will assume theirfunctions at the seat of the Court at The Hague. Thevision of a permanent international criminal court, agoal of the United Nations for more than 50 years, willfinally become a reality.

159. Much progress has been made on the operationalaspects of the Court. The Preparatory Commission forthe International Criminal Court held its eighth, ninthand tenth sessions at United Nations Headquarters, inSeptember/October 2001, April 2002 and July 2002,respectively.

160. At its eighth session, the Preparatory Commissionadopted draft texts of the Relationship Agreementbetween the Court and the United Nations, theFinancial Regulations, the Agreement on the Privilegesand Immunities of the Court and the Rules ofProcedure of the Assembly of States Parties, as well as

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draft resolutions on the establishment of the Committeeon Budget and Finance and on criteria for voluntarycontributions to the Court. The Commission alsocontinued its consideration of the crime of aggressionand began discussions on a budget for the Court.

161. At its ninth session, the Preparatory Commissionmade progress on many of the issues raised at theprevious session, adopting a further report containingdraft texts of the Financial Rules and the basicprinciples governing a headquarters agreement betweenthe Court and the host country. Resolutions weredrafted concerning the provisional arrangements for thesecretariat of the Assembly of States Parties and oncrediting contributions to the United Nations TrustFund to Support the Establishment of the Court. TheCommission began to consider procedures for electingthe judges, the Prosecutor and the Registrar. At itstenth and final session, the Preparatory Commissioncompleted all the operational arrangements for theCourt.

162. Despite the recent debate in the Security Councilabout the jurisdiction of the Court, I remain optimisticthat even those Governments that have been scepticalabout the Court have not fully closed the door toaccepting the Rome Statute. Those who fear theerosion of national sovereignty should recognize that,in accordance with the principle of complementarityenshrined in the Rome Statute, national criminal justicesystems will always have the first opportunity toexercise jurisdiction over serious violations ofinternational humanitarian law. The greater the numberof States that establish jurisdiction over such crimes,the stronger the affirmation of the principle that Stateshave the primary right and duty to hold those whocommit them accountable. What is most critical is thatthe community of States understands that the risksposed by the Court and its Statute are minor comparedto inaction in the face of genocide, war crimes andcrimes against humanity.

163. I consider the universality of the Rome Statutecritical to the Court�s ability to promote the rule of law,end impunity and prevent genocide, war crimes andcrimes against humanity. By 31 December 2000, thelast day the Rome Statute was open for signature, therewere 139 signatories. To date, 76 States have ratifiedand thus become parties to the Statute. It is essentialthat all States that have not yet done so embrace thecause of international criminal justice by signing,

ratifying and implementing the Statute as soon aspossible.

International Tribunals

International Tribunal for the FormerYugoslavia

164. The International Tribunal for the FormerYugoslavia has made significant strides during the pastyear towards completing all trial activities by 2008,and disposing of all appeals by 2010. The addition ofnine ad litem judges has been integral to the Tribunal�scompletion strategy, making it possible for six trials tobe conducted simultaneously. Another importantelement of the strategy is the Tribunal�s decision tofocus on the prosecution and trial of the highest-ranking political, military and paramilitary leaders,while transferring the cases of mid-level accused tonational courts for trial, particularly the courts ofBosnia and Herzegovina. In June 2002, the Tribunalsubmitted a report to the Security Council setting outthis proposed broad programme of action. In July 2002,the Council endorsed that programme, and, over thecoming months, the Tribunal will begin to implementthe programme.

165. The Tribunal has also implemented a range ofreforms during the past year to enhance its efficiencyand accelerate the preparation and completion of trials.These include amending the Tribunal�s Rules ofProcedure and Evidence, which has enabled judges toimprove the management and control of proceedings byincreasing their powers at the trial and pre-trial stages.The Appeals Chamber has improved its workingpractices and procedures so as to better manage itsrapidly increasing workload. Two additional judgesfrom the International Tribunal for Rwanda have joinedthe Appeals Chamber, which should increase itsjudicial capacity and ensure greater uniformity in thecase law of the two Tribunals. Steps have also beentaken to establish a bar association for defence counselappearing before the Tribunal to ensure bettercommunication between the Tribunal and defencelawyers, to enhance their familiarity with theTribunal�s rules, procedures and case law, and to bringabout an overall improvement in standards ofprofessional conduct.

166. During the past year, there has been a significantincrease in the number of accused who have either

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surrendered to the Tribunal or have been arrested andtransferred to The Hague. The Tribunal�s DetentionUnit has 42 of the accused in custody at present, and afurther nine are on provisional release. Of the accused,25 currently have their cases at the pre-trial stage, 11are on trial, 12 are on appeal and one is awaitingverdict. During the past year, the Tribunal hascompleted three trials, involving eight accused, and hasdisposed of two appeals, by five accused, from theverdicts of its Trial Chambers. The Tribunal hastransferred three detainees to Spain and two to Austriato serve out their sentences.

167. The trial of Slobodan Milo�ević, former Presidentof Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,opened in February 2002, the accused conducting hisown defence. The Prosecutor is due to finish presentingthe Kosovo portion of her case by the summer recess in2002. After the recess, she will begin presentation ofthe other portions of her case, dealing with chargesarising out of events in Bosnia and Herzegovina andCroatia. She is due to complete her case by April 2003.The failure to arrest Radovan Karad�ić and RatkoMladić, both indicted by the Tribunal, continues toundermine respect for the rule of law. Every effortmust be made to ensure that these indicted warcriminals are brought to justice without further delay.

168. The Prosecutor has spent considerable timeencouraging Governments to make arrests and respondto requests for assistance from her Office. Whilecooperation with Croatia and the Federation of Bosniaand Herzegovina has been satisfactory, a lack ofcooperation from the Republika Srpska remains asource of major concern, as it poses a serious obstacleto the implementation of the Prosecutor�s mandate.Nevertheless, the Prosecutor expects to complete allinvestigations by the end of 2004, by which time sheanticipates that she will have submitted indictmentsagainst some 100 additional accused.

International Tribunal for Rwanda

169. In December 2001, the International Tribunal forRwanda transferred six of the persons whom it hastried and convicted to Mali to serve their prisonsentences. Among them was Jean Kambanda, PrimeMinister and Head of the Interim Government ofRwanda from April to July 1994. Mr. Kambanda is thefirst head of Government to be convicted of genocideby an international tribunal. The Tribunal sentencedhim to life imprisonment.

170. Over the course of the past year, States havearrested and transferred a total of seven accused toArusha. In an effort to secure the arrest and transfer ofother accused individuals, the Tribunal�s Registrar metwith the Presidents of the Republic of the Congo andthe Democratic Republic of the Congo in February2002 to encourage them to apprehend and hand overwanted persons believed to have taken refuge in thosetwo States. Both heads of State pledged theircooperation. The Government of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo has invited the Tribunal to opena field office there to facilitate efforts by the Prosecutorto track down suspects and accused.

171. The joint trial of Théoneste Bagosora, GratienKabiligi, Aloys Ntabakuze and Anatole Nsengiyumva,high-ranking officers charged with playing major rolesin planning the Rwandan genocide, commenced on 2April 2002. At present, 22 individuals are on trialbefore the Tribunal in eight trials.

172. The Tribunal has taken a number of institutionaland legal measures to improve its efficiency, so that itcan complete all trials at first instance by 2008. Thejudges have amended the Tribunal�s Rules of Procedureand Evidence to enable the Tribunal to transfer somecases to national courts for trial, and so allow it toconcentrate on trying a limited number of importantcases, involving the highest-ranking political, militaryand paramilitary leaders. In July 2001 and February2002, the President of the Tribunal wrote to theSecurity Council, requesting the creation of a pool ofad litem judges in the Tribunal, broadly similar to thatalready in place at the International Tribunal for theFormer Yugoslavia � a measure that would help theTribunal to deal more expeditiously with both itscurrent and its anticipated future caseload. TheSecurity Council took action on that request in August2002 (resolution 1431 (2002)).

Special Court for Sierra Leone

173. An important development in strengthening therule of law was the establishment of the Special Courtfor Sierra Leone, which began operations on 1 July2002. The Special Court is a �mixed tribunal�,established through an agreement between theGovernment of Sierra Leone and the United Nations,and combining international and national mechanisms,staff, investigators, judges, prosecutors and laws. TheSpecial Court will hold accountable those individualswith the greatest responsibility for serious violations of

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international humanitarian law in Sierra Leone, andcrimes under relevant national law. By the end of 2001,States had made sufficient resources available to fundits establishment and operation. A planning mission toFreetown in January 2002 discussed concrete measuresfor setting up the Special Court with the Governmentof Sierra Leone, and, on 16 January 2002, the UnitedNations and the Government of Sierra Leone signed theagreement on the establishment of the Special Court.

174. In May 2002, I appointed an Acting Registrar anda Prosecutor of the Special Court, and in July 2002, theGovernment of Sierra Leone and I appointed the judgeswho will serve in the Trial and Appeals Chambers.Also in May 2002, the Management Committee for theSpecial Court considered, and provisionally adopted,financial and staff regulations for the Court.

175. The Special Court will complement the role ofSierra Leone�s Truth and Reconciliation Commissionand, together, they will promote accountability,deterrence and national reconciliation. The SpecialCourt will also help Sierra Leone to rebuild its nationallegal institutions and re-establish a firm foundation forthe rule of law.

Enhancing the rule of law

176. The effort to enhance the rule of law ininternational affairs has continued to be a majorconcern of the United Nations. I have referred in myprevious reports to the campaign by the United Nationsto promote participation by States in internationaltreaties. During the past year, two more successfultreaty events were held, focusing on multilateraltreaties relating to the advancement of the rights ofwomen and children and on treaties for the preventionand suppression of terrorism. A total of 135 treatyactions (involving 65 signatures and 70 ratificationsand accessions) were taken by 61 States in respect of23 treaties relating to the advancement of the rights ofwomen and children. With respect to the fourconventions on preventing terrorism, even more Statestook a yet greater number of treaty actions, includingthose that resulted in the entering into force of theInternational Convention for the Suppression of theFinancing of Terrorism on 10 April 2002. Anothertreaty event was held during the World Summit onSustainable Development, to encourage participation in25 conventions that reflect humanity�s efforts to

achieve economic advancement while ensuring that theenvironment will be preserved for future generations.

177. Despite this progress, strengthening the rule oflaw globally has been hampered by a shortage oftechnical expertise at the national level. Manycountries are prevented from participating in theinternational treaty framework because they do notpossess the relevant expertise to execute treaty actions,or to enact national laws to ensure compliance withtreaty commitments.

178. The United Nations has taken a number of stepsto address this problem. The Office of Legal Affairshas published and made available online a TreatyHandbook to provide Governments with practicalguidance on the technical process of registering,participating in, and signing international treaties. Twotraining seminars for Permanent Missions have beenheld at Headquarters on this subject, in October 2001and May 2002.

179. A number of the Organization�s offices,departments, funds, programmes and agencies offerassistance to Governments in drafting laws necessaryfor the implementation of current or prospective treatycommitments and provide training for individualswhose work will involve the application of those laws.The International Trade Law Branch of the Office ofLegal Affairs, for example, provides consultants, onrequest, to States that wish to implement particularuniform commercial laws or conventions, to help themreview the draft legislation that their nationalauthorities have prepared or to assist them in the actualpreparation of their drafts. The United NationsDevelopment Programme organizes technicalassistance for States drafting national laws regulatingjudicial administration, legal procedures and access tojustice. The Office of Legal Affairs and othersthroughout the system are using the United Nationsweb site to improve awareness of such programmesand enhance their accessibility. They are alsodeveloping a system to centrally coordinate theseprogrammes, so as to eliminate gaps in coverage andavoid duplication.

Legal affairs

180. The past year, the first of its new quinquennium,was another productive one for the International LawCommission. The Commission included new topics in

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its agenda, and advanced work on a number of existingtopics, adopting further guidelines on treatyreservations, dealing with late reservations and withinterpretative declarations. The Commission alsoconsidered outstanding legal and policy issues relatingto unilateral acts of States, diplomatic protection andinternational liability for transboundary damage.

181. In June 2002, the United Nations Commission onInternational Trade Law adopted a Model Law onInternational Commercial Conciliation. The purpose ofthe Model Law is to foster economy and efficiency ininternational trade by encouraging the use ofconciliation, and to provide greater predictability in theuse of that method of resolving disputes. TheCommission also continued its work on the subjects ofinsolvency, security interests, electronic contracting,transport law and privately financed infrastructureprojects.

182. In November 2001, the Office of Legal Affairsorganized a treaty event focusing on multilateraltreaties for the prevention and suppression ofinternational terrorism. A total of 79 States completedapproximately 180 treaty actions in respect of thevarious terrorism conventions of which I am thedepositary. The Sixth Committee of the GeneralAssembly and the Ad Hoc Committee established byGeneral Assembly resolution 51/210 of 17 December1996 continued work on the elaboration of a draftcomprehensive convention on international terrorismand a draft convention for the suppression of acts ofnuclear terrorism.

183. The Office of Legal Affairs continued to providelegal advice to UNMIK on the exercise of itslegislative and executive authority under theconstitutional framework, and assisted UNTAET inaddressing a broad range of legal issues that arose inthe course of East Timor�s transition to independence.It provided advice and support to UNAMA regardingits relationship with the bodies established under theBonn Agreement and helped the Mission in setting upthe various commissions stipulated in the Agreement.The Office also provided legal advice and support tothe Organization�s other peacekeeping missions. Itparticipated in the negotiation of several status-of-forces and status-of-mission agreements, including thefinalization of the agreement between the UnitedNations and East Timor concerning UNMISET. Inaddition, the Office assisted the International Tribunalsfor the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in developingstrategies for the completion of their respectivemandates by the end of the current decade.

184. The Office of Legal Affairs continued to defendthe Organization in complex arbitration proceedingsand in other disputes with third parties, while advisingthe Organization on a wide range of issues. The Officesucceeded in ensuring the dismissal of the lawsuits thathad been pending in the Malaysian civil courts againstDato� Param Cumaraswamy, in accordance with theadvisory opinion of the International Court of Justiceof 29 April 1999, confirming the immunity from legalprocess of a special rapporteur of the Commission onHuman Rights.

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Chapter VEnhancing management

Administration and management

185. Reform efforts continue to transform themanagement culture of the Organization bystreamlining work processes, strengtheningmanagement and improving staffing systems. Particularprogress has been made in ensuring sound financialmanagement, mainstreaming performancemanagement, consolidating the reform of humanresources management and building a common servicesplatform. The �Electronic United Nations�, aninitiative to convert manual, paper-based processes toelectronic formats, is being expanded andinstitutionalized and, through advances in informationtechnology, practically all important information isdigitally available to staff and Member States.

Human resources and performancemanagement reform

186. Implementation of the �ten building block�strategy for human resources management continues,and has included the introduction of a new staffselection system, which increases the delegatedauthority to heads of department and office. Now, oncecentral review bodies are satisfied that candidates havebeen properly evaluated and appropriate procedureshave been followed, heads of department and officecan select their own staff. The new system alsointegrates recruitment, placement, promotion andmobility through the use of an electronic tool, Galaxy,a global, web-based recruitment system whichautomates, streamlines and re-engineers therecruitment process. Work continues to expand careersupport, execute the managed reassignment programmefor young Professionals and further refine both humanresource planning and the human resource handbook.With regard to our internal system of staff justice, theoffice of the Ombudsman, established at the end of2001, will strengthen the informal mediation processand replace the panel that considers discrimination andother grievances. Other performance managementinitiatives include developing a key item reportingsystem to bring online information to managers, andimplementing the performance appraisal systemthroughout the Secretariat.

187. The next step in the managerial arena will be toimplement a global management network for theOrganization, based on a broad delegation of authorityand supported by well functioning monitoring systems,management reviews and advisory mechanisms. Morefunds will be needed to consolidate the �ElectronicUnited Nations�, and to safeguard the informationtechnology platform.

Capitalizing on technology

188. An information and communication strategy hasbeen adopted that will improve access to information,field support, technical standards, capacity-buildingand e-administration. The Integrated ManagementInformation System is now in place, serving as thecentral electronic platform for the Organization at allHeadquarters locations, the regional commissions andfive peacekeeping missions. In addition, the OfficialDocument System is now operational as a universaltool for document retrieval.

Capital master plan

189. The capital master plan will refurbish the entireUnited Nations complex in New York in acomprehensive and cost-efficient manner. The GeneralAssembly has requested that a preliminarycomprehensive design plan and cost analysis beprepared, which will be reviewed at the fifty-seventhsession. The design plan provides a set ofrecommendations covering core refurbishment;essential improvements; security enhancements;additional back-up plans for both building systems andequipment; and sustainable �green� renovation � all toequip the United Nations complex for the twenty-firstcentury.

190. Given the magnitude of the financing involved,the General Assembly may wish to authorize thepreparation of complete design and constructiondocumentation. It will also be important to develop, inconsultation with Member States, potential fundingarrangements as rapidly as possible for submission tothe General Assembly for approval, so that the requiredfunding will be in place to begin the refurbishment inOctober 2004.

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Enhancing management

Financial management

191. Initiatives to ensure managerial accountabilityhave included the introduction of results-basedbudgeting; streamlining rules governing programmeplanning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation; andpresenting regular updates to Member States on thefinances of the Organization. These initiatives haveprovided a means to improve the content and format offinancial reporting and kept Member States fully awareof trends and the difficulties the Organization faces infinancial matters, in particular its cash flow situation.

192. An encouraging development during the past yearhas been the improvement in the financial situation ofthe United Nations. All three components of theOrganization�s financial base � cash on hand, the levelof paid assessments and debt to Member States, havebeen better than at any time over the last six years.Problems remain, however, concerning cyclical cash-flow variations, which result in periodic deficits inregular budget cash, especially towards the end of theyear. Borrowing from peacekeeping missions is nowpermitted only from active missions; as the number ofactive missions is declining the availability of suchresources will soon be depleted, effectively eliminatingthe financial safety net of the United Nations.

Accountability and oversight

193. The Office of Internal Oversight Services isworking in partnership with managers at all levels toinstil accountability and best management practicesthroughout the Organization.

Monitoring, evaluation and consulting

194. The Office has introduced new working methodswhile it continues to promote ethical awareness in theUnited Nations so as to combat fraud and the abuse ofpower. The merger of several oversight functions in thenewly established Monitoring, Evaluation andConsulting Division has energized cross-disciplinaryteamwork in these areas. The newly establishedpresence of the Office at Geneva will deliver moreresponsive and coordinated audits and investigationservices, and will help programmes strengthen theircapacity for self-evaluation, as required.

195. Three major inspections undertaken during thepast year focused on the effectiveness of internalcontrols and monitoring systems. An inspection of the

Department for Disarmament Affairs resulted in theoverall positive assessment of its programmemanagement and administration. An inspection of theprogramme management and administrative practicesat the Economic Commission for Latin America andthe Caribbean found that, in general, the Commissionis a well-run organization with a good institutionalculture and staff morale, but that there was a need toimprove human resources management and to reviewthe responsibilities and accountability of managers. Aninspection of the administrative and managementpractices at the United Nations Office at Nairobiconcluded that, although its role and mandate had beenclearly defined, there was a need to clarify itsfunctional responsibilities and its reporting lines withUNEP, UN-Habitat and their governing bodies. TheUnited Nations Office at Nairobi was also experiencingmajor difficulties in attracting highly qualifiedProfessional staff and in filling vacancies in seniormanagement positions.

196. An in-depth evaluation of the Office of LegalAffairs concluded that it has generally discharged itsfunctions effectively, but that a strong central capacityis needed to ensure uniform and consistent applicationof the law within the Organization. An evaluation ofthe Division of General Assembly and Economic andSocial Council Affairs of the Department of GeneralAssembly Affairs and Conference Services concludedthat the Division has provided technical secretariatservices efficiently and effectively. There was howevera need to strengthen the provision of advice andsupport to the Office of the President of the GeneralAssembly and to the bureaus of the main committees.The Office of Internal Oversight Services intends toprovide increased support to Departments to strengthentheir self-evaluation capacity, in a mannercomplementary to the implementation of the results-based budgeting.

Audit management

197. Internal audit activities continue to focus on high-risk areas such as peacekeeping and humanitarianoperations, as well as the activities of the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Fieldmissions pose a high risk to the Organization, owing tofactors such as the large number of transactions madein cash, which increase the potential for the loss ortheft of United Nations resources, and so requireenhanced audit coverage. The Office of Internal

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Oversight Services has therefore assigned residentauditors to the largest peacekeeping missions toprovide close and continuous audit coverage. Incooperation with a major consulting firm, the Office isalso undertaking an in-depth risk assessment ofUNMIK, as part of an effort to improve risk-basedplanning systems for audit.

198. The high level of financial risk, the wide range ofactivities carried out and the unprecedented level offunds involved have also required the Internal AuditDivision to expand audit coverage of the Office of theIraq Programme, the United Nations CompensationCommission, and the International Tribunals forRwanda and the Former Yugoslavia. Audits of theactivities of the Office of the Iraq Programme and theUnited Nations Compensation Commission haveresulted in operational improvements and significantcost savings. The Internal Audit Division is in theprocess of assigning resident audit staff to theTribunals.

Investigations

199. The Investigations Division reports on violationsof United Nations regulations, rules and pertinentadministrative guidelines to bring about greateraccountability on the part of staff members, and toprotect the Organization�s resources. During the pastyear, the Division received over 500 new cases andissued over 40 reports to programme managers. Severalcases cleared staff members of wrong-doing whenevidence gathered did not substantiate the allegation.The Division was also involved in a number of caseswhich required referral to national law enforcementauthorities.

200. Other major investigations conducted haveincluded an assessment mission to UNMIBH todetermine whether the International Police Task Forcewas involved in the trafficking of women and younggirls into the mission area for purposes of prostitution,and a follow-up investigation into possible fee-splittingarrangements between defence counsel and indigentdetainees at the International Tribunals for Rwanda and

the Former Yugoslavia. A third investigation focusedon allegations of sexual exploitation of refugee girlsand women by aid workers in UNHCR refugee campsin West Africa. The last investigation has to date notrevealed a widespread pattern of such exploitation. Theinformation gathered suggested that young femalerefugees resorted to prostitution or sexual relationshipswith aid workers as a result of extreme poverty.

Strengthening the Organization

201. Building on the work already done in my firstterm, earlier this year, at the start of my secondmandate, I initiated another round of reforms. TheMillennium Declaration adopted two years ago and themajor world conferences since then have set the broadparameters for our activities. The focus of the reform isto ensure that the Organization�s programme of work isaligned with the priorities and principles laid out in theDeclaration. I also intend to clarify the roles andresponsibilities of the different units and offices inorder to eliminate duplication, avoid fragmentation andimprove the impact of our activities. I will also beproposing a simplification of rules of procedure andprocesses � to cut paperwork and time and increaseefficiency and transparency.

202. My hope is that these reforms will help theSecretariat to focus its work, while also enabling us tobetter serve the General Assembly, the principalpolicy-making organ of the United Nations. Some ofthe proposals lie within the domain of MemberStates � streamlining and strengthening the work ofthe intergovernmental machinery is the most importantexample. Other reforms depend very much on ourability to reverse the under-investment in retraining ourstaff and in information technology. I am confident thatthe package of changes will result in a muchstrengthened Organization, as called for in theMillennium Declaration � one that continues to becredible and relevant to Member States, civil societyand the peoples of the world.

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Chapter VIPartnerships

Communications

203. An effective communications strategy requires adynamic network of partners and allies who understandwhat the Member States expect of the Organization. Atits fifty-sixth session, the General Assembly requestedme to prepare a comprehensive review of themanagement and operations of the Department ofPublic Information to ascertain how the Departmentcan better fulfil its responsibilities. Over the pastseveral months, the Department has undertaken closeself-examination, assisted by internationallyrecognized management consultants. The results of thatexercise will be reflected in the report on reform Iintend to submit to the General Assembly this autumn.

204. Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September2001 the Department projected the immediate responseof the United Nations and Member States, and spurreda system-wide media campaign in support of counter-terrorism efforts. Among the initiatives taken was thecreation of a new site on terrorism on the UnitedNations web site in all six official languages. Whentours of United Nations Headquarters were suspended,the guides in the Department were able to join theAmerican Red Cross in the relief effort as interpreters.

205. Early in October 2001, �town meetings� wereconvened in 10 United States cities with the help of theBetter World Campaign to explore the challenges posedby the attacks and to express solidarity with theAmerican people. The meetings were connected by asatellite link, allowing me to speak to, and respond toquestions from, participants, while my seniorcolleagues and distinguished national representativestook part in the discussions on site at the variouslocations.

206. Media partnerships continue to be vital. Thelaunch, early in 2002, of the United Nations NewsService enabled the Organization to reach thousands ofjournalists in all regions of the world swiftly anddirectly. More than 4,000 subscribers worldwide havealready signed on, including major news organizationsand individual journalists, and receive the NewsService via e-mail, and at no cost. This Service focusesin particular on the media in smaller developingcountries, which may not have access to, or may not be

able to afford, first-hand reporting from theOrganization�s headquarters and field offices.

207. In this spirit, the Department also providedlogistical support to journalists from indigenouscommunities to let them attend the first session of thePermanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2002.The Department continues to arrange briefingprogrammes to give senior journalists from around theworld the opportunity to meet members of the UnitedNations community. A media encounter on Palestinewas organized at Copenhagen in July 2002, whichbrought together eminent persons and journalists fromthe Middle East and elsewhere. United NationsInformation Centres are in daily contact withjournalists in their respective areas.

208. A measure of the widespread interest in theOrganization is the fact that the United Nations website is now accessed in 170 countries and territories,and the number of hits recorded annually crossed the1 billion mark on 19 October 2001. At the same time,the web site�s direct linkage of many parliamentarydocuments, in the six official languages, to the newOfficial Document System has dramatically expandedaccess to this important United Nations resource. In-house capability for live webcasting continues todevelop; more than 60 hours of live webcast wereprovided for the International Conference on Financingfor Development, and that coverage was accessed bymore than 21,000 users. Sales of electronic databases,and of the web edition of Development Business,continue to generate revenues for the Organizationfrom customers with the means to pay. TheOrganization�s history, reflected in the Yearbook of theUnited Nations over 50 years, has been placed on CD-ROM.

209. Over the year, efforts have continued to ensurethat the messages of the United Nations are articulatedin as many languages as possible, and its referenceresources similarly enriched. The United Nations website can be accessed in the six official languages of theOrganization. In addition to the broad range ofoutreach activities carried out by the United NationsInformation Centres in local languages, the Centresmaintain web sites in 29 languages. United NationsRadio broadcasts live programmes in six languages

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every day; weekly programmes are produced in nineother languages. Guided tours at Headquarters areconducted in 20 languages. Innovative partnershipshave been forged by the Department with externalprinting houses, making it possible to resumepublication of the UN Chronicle in Arabic, Chinese,Russian and Spanish through co-publicationarrangements, even as its newly instituted FeatureService allows publications the world over to reprint itsarticles in their respective languages.

210. A system-wide United Nations CommunicationsGroup has been constituted to ensure a strategicapproach to common communications challengesfacing the Organization. The Group meets weekly atHeadquarters, in addition to an overview session eachyear, and replaces the Joint United Nations InformationCommittee.

211. The Department successfully collaborated withother offices and organizations during the observanceof World AIDS Day. There was similar cooperation informulating and implementing the communicationscampaigns relating to important global conferences,such as the International Conference on Financing forDevelopment, the Second World Assembly on Ageing,the special session of the General Assembly onchildren, the World Food Summit: five years later, andthe World Summit on Sustainable Development.

212. The Department also undertook informationcampaigns relating to the independence of East Timorand the international community�s role in thereconstruction of Afghanistan. It assisted inestablishing Radio Okapi, a radio station operated bythe United Nations Organization Mission in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, in cooperation withFondation Hirondelle, a non-governmental organizationbased in Switzerland. The Cartographic Section of theDepartment provided valuable technical assistance tothe Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, resultingin the successful delimitation of the internationalboundary between the two countries in April 2002.

United Nations Fund forInternational Partnerships

213. The United Nations Fund for InternationalPartnerships (UNFIP) and the United NationsFoundation are now in the fifth year of their successfulpartnership. Through this collaboration, $423 million

has been programmed, as at 31 December 2001, for222 projects worldwide in four programme areas,namely, children�s health; population and women;environment; and peace, security and human rights. Inaddition, nearly $60 million has been generated, as atJuly 2002, by projects supported by the Fund and theFoundation.

214. In response to my call to action againstHIV/AIDS, UNFIP, in collaboration with the JointProgramme on HIV/AIDS and the Global BusinessCouncil, organized a meeting between myself andsenior representatives of 11 companies andfoundations. This generated both significant interest inthe issue and actual commitments, including fromDaimler Chrysler to provide comprehensive care andpayment for drug treatment for HIV/AIDS-infectedworkers in South Africa. Further, UNFIP is the �scorekeeper� of pledges and contributions to the GlobalFund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. As at 1June 2002, nearly 300 contributions have been receivedfrom the private sector, amounting to approximately$470,000.

215. Another innovative partnership facilitated byUNFIP is the Mother-to-Child-Transmission Plusinitiative, led by the Rockefeller Foundation, whichfocuses on HIV/AIDS prevention linked to treatment,so as to increase the survival rate of infected mothersand their infants. UNICEF and the Elizabeth GlaserPediatric Aids Foundation, among others, areimplementing this $100 million programme. TheMailman School of Public Health of ColumbiaUniversity is leading the partnership coalition ontechnical and operational issues, and a coalition ofeight foundations is providing sponsorship.

216. I am pleased to note that, as a result of GeneralAssembly discussions on cooperation, a framework forworking with corporate and foundation partners in thecontext of the millennium development goals can nowbe built. Most United Nations organizations,programmes and funds have now appointed privatesector focal points to identify new partners andstrengthen linkages with them.

217. The United Nations Fund for InternationalPartnerships also provides advice to the United Nationssystem on fund-raising and outreach, and on buildingpartnerships to attain the millennium developmentgoals. The Fund has established ties with foundations

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Partnerships

and advised organizations raising funds for UnitedNations causes.

Project services

218. In 2001, the United Nations Office for ProjectServices (UNOPS) acquired new project businessvalued at $603 million and delivered more than $504.7million in services for approximately 2,400 projectsworldwide. UNDP continued to be the largest singleUnited Nations client in the project portfolio: projectsfunded by or through UNDP accounted for $361million of the 2001 total. In addition, UNOPSsupervises a loan portfolio on behalf of theInternational Fund for Agricultural Development, grewin 2001 by $328 million in new projects.

219. The value of project portfolios acquired in 2001from United Nations organizations that are nottraditional users of UNOPS services grew from $155million in 2000 to $242 million in 2001. The latterfigure includes $179 in new project business from theUnited Nations Secretariat and $24 million from theOffice of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

220. The United Nations Office for Project Services isimplementing its first major project funded by theAfrican Development Bank through a managementservices agreement with UNDP: a $9.8 million loan tothe Government of Sierra Leone to assist with therehabilitation and modernization of hospitals andhealth clinics. In order to minimize internal disruptionsto its regular operations during an 18-monthreorganization process, the United Nations PopulationFund (UNFPA) requested UNOPS in 2001 to provideoperational and administrative support for recruitingconsultants and organizing workshops in the context ofits transition project.

221. An illustration of its diversifying project portfoliois the assistance UNOPS is providing to the LegalCounsel in the establishment of the Special Court forSierra Leone. In partnership with ILO and otherorganizations of the United Nations system, UNOPSwill be implementing an integrated developmentprogramme in the Evenkya Autonomous Region ofSiberia with local authorities and one of the largest oilcompanies in the Russian Federation. The programmefocuses on education, health, housing andinfrastructure.

222. Further evolution of services is exemplified by amajor urban water and sanitation project in northernIraq. The Office of the Iraq Programme requestedUNOPS to execute the project, valued at $194.6million, in close collaboration with UNICEF. UNOPSis also becoming an implementation partner, with theCentre for International Crime Prevention of the Officefor Drug Control and Crime Prevention, for projects inColombia, the Czech Republic, Lebanon, Nigeria, thePhilippines, Poland and South Africa. Also in 2001, inKosovo, a United Nations Mine Action Serviceprogramme executed with UNOPS cleared all areasknown to be affected by landmines or unexplodedordnance to an acceptable residual level.

223. Following a review conducted by the Office ofInternal Oversight Services to determine how bestUNOPS services could be used more broadly, Ireiterated my support for the continuing work ofUNOPS as a self-financing entity, encouraging allUnited Nations entities to avail themselves of theservices of UNOPS as long as it is a cost-effectiveoption. To strengthen the functioning of UNOPS as aself-financing entity, I recommended a number of areasfor improvement, both in oversight of UNOPS and inoperations, including the expansion of the membershipof the Management Coordination Committee and theestablishment of a working group to facilitate andsupport the work of that Committee. Thoserecommendations, endorsed by the Executive Board ofUNDP and UNFPA, have been implemented and areassisting UNOPS in addressing its financialdifficulties.

Civil society partnerships

224. Cooperation between the United Nations systemand civil society has continued to evolve over the year,not least in response to the complex social, economic,security and environmental challenges that exist today.The United Nations has been engaged in seekingcommon ground for constructive dialogue amongrepresentatives of Governments and civil society, aswell as new frameworks for cooperation. The primacyof government commitment and action to realize thegoals of the United Nations remains fundamental.Partnerships across the civil society-governmentalspectrum are essential, however, in the efforts to reducepoverty, promote sustainable development, guaranteehuman rights and enhance global security.

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225. The establishment of the International CriminalCourt in 2002 marked a milestone for the internationalcommunity, and is a measure of the contribution madeby non-governmental organizations, which contributedto every phase of the process. In the preparations forthe Monterrey Conference, and at the quadripartiteround-table dialogues on global macroeconomic issuesat the Conference itself, the insights and experiences ofcivil society were brought to bear on fundamentalissues of poverty, investment and economic growth.Similarly, the engagement of civil society has beenessential to the preparations for the World Summit onSustainable Development. The development of newforms of partnership involving Governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector is animportant feature of the Summit, and will have aconsiderable effect in the outcome and implementationof the Summit agenda.

226. The United Nations has constantly adapted to theevolution of civil society and its increasing role in theinternational community. The diverse interests,expertise and nature of civil society organizationsrequire a sophisticated and flexible approach to UnitedNations relationships with civil society. On a practicallevel, the establishment of focal points for non-governmental organizations within the Secretariat hasfacilitated interactions with and among thoseorganizations. Strengthened Secretariat support tointergovernmental bodies, which deal directly withnon-governmental organizations, have enhancedinteraction between the latter and Member States. Atthe same time the Secretariat has sought to facilitatecommunication among non-governmental organizationsthemselves by fostering the development of regionalnetworks of such organizations, particularly indeveloping countries.

227. A substantial body of practice has been developedregarding the role and extent of participation of non-governmental organizations in special United Nationsconferences. Decisions governing these arrangementscontinue to be largely ad hoc, notwithstanding the

general principles set out in Economic and SocialCouncil resolution 1996/31, part VII. It is, of course,the prerogative of the Member States to define theterms and conditions governing accreditation andparticipation of non-governmental organizations inUnited Nations conferences and other deliberations.Greater coherence, consistency and predictability inthis regard would further enhance relations between theUnited Nations and civil society as a whole.

228. Partnerships with the private sector are alsocritical. The Global Compact has worked withbusinesses across the world to encourage corporateresponsibility in the spheres of human rights, labourstandards and the environment. With partners at thenational level, and with the support of United Nationsorganizations, programmes and funds, the GlobalCompact has now been launched in every region of theworld. In Asia, for example, the InternationalOrganization of Employers worked with theInternational Labour Organization to undertake aregional survey of the implementation of the Compact,to establish management and advocacy groups at thenational level, and to find the most effectiveapproaches for engaging companies in Asia in the workof the Compact.

229. The Global Compact�s first progress report wasreleased in July 2002, and records the achievements ofthe Compact so far. Specifically, in 2001-2002, theCompact formed a Global Compact Advisory Counciland set up working groups on a variety of issues,including sustainable investment in the least developedcountries; continued a policy dialogue on the role ofbusiness in zones of conflict, and initiated a second onbusiness and sustainable development; established thelearning forum as a database of case studies bycompanies that are translating the Compact�s principlesinto practice; facilitated Partnership Projects betweencompanies and United Nations organizations, funds andprogrammes, and consolidated outreach at the nationallevel through high-level advocacy and official countrylaunches.

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Conclusion

230. This annual report provides an overview of whatthe United Nations is doing to help solve pressingglobal problems, and to strengthen internationalcooperation. More detailed assessments of specificissues reviewed in this report are contained in my otherreports to the legislative organs. Developments duringthe past year have affirmed the Organization�sincreasing relevance in world affairs; but a review ofthe work of the Organization is also a reminder thatmuch still needs to be done to achieve the aims andgoals of the Charter and the Millennium Declaration. Inthe coming year, let us take every opportunity to usethe Organization in our common endeavour to achievelasting peace and justice.

02-55176 (E) 060902*0255176*

Documents

Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organizationlegal.un.org/ola/media/info_from_lc/A_57_1E.pdf · 2012. 11. 6. · steps that can help to meet the millennium development