GA/9635

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS FIVE NON-PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS; BANGLADESH, TUNISIA, MALI, JAMAICA, UKRAINE FILL SEATS

The General Assembly this morning elected Bangladesh, Tunisia, Mali, Jamaica, and Ukraine to two-year terms on the Security Council, effective 1 January 2000. Those results were determined during one round of balloting for the African and Asian States and for the Latin American and Caribbean States, and four rounds for the Eastern European States, with the five elected Member States obtaining the required two-thirds majority.

Today's elections were held to fill non-permanent seats being vacated on

31 December by Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia and Slovenia, which were not eligible for immediate re-election. The action today to fill those five seats was based on the following geographic distribution: three from the African and Asian States; one from the Eastern European States; and one from the Latin American and Caribbean States.

The five other non-permanent Security Council members which will serve for another year, until 31 December 2000, are Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia and the Netherlands.

Also this morning the Assembly paid tribute to Julius Nyerere, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who passed away from leukaemia at age 77 in London early this morning (local time) and it observed a minute of silence for the three United Nations staff members, Valentin Krumov of Bulgaria, Luis Zuniga of Chile and Saska von Meijenfeldt of the Netherlands, who recently lost their lives in Kosovo and Burundi in the line of duty.

Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General, paying homage to the late Julius Nyerere, the founder and first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, said he was the architect of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and one of the giants of the twentieth century African liberation movement. He was a "mwalimu", or "teacher" and his death took away a good friend and a tireless supporter of the United Nations.

Reviewing situations such as the murders of Valentin Krumov in Kosovo, Luis Zuniga and Saska von Meijenfeldt in Burundi and other United Nations colleagues

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General Assembly Plenary - 1a - Press Release GA/9635

34^th Meeting (AM) 14 October 1999

held hostage in Georgia, she said that such incidents had become far too routine in conflict zones. It was necessary to conduct vigorous investigations into all such occurrences and prosecute those responsible. Only one person had ever been found guilty and imprisoned for killing or causing the death of a United Nations staff member. That impunity could not be allowed to stand, she stressed.

She called on those who had not already done so to sign and ratify the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, which would make it a war crime to attack personnel involved in humanitarian assistance or a peacekeeping mission.

Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), President of the Assembly, paying tribute to

Mr. Nyerere, said the African people had lost an active pan-Africanist, a man of high principles and a champion of the continent's self-determination. On behalf of the Assembly, he expressed condolences to Mr. Nyerere's bereaved family and the courageous people of Tanzania at the passing of their founding father.

He said that the number of civilian staff killed in the field this year was 13. That indicated a sharp increase in attacks on the Organization's personnel. "I strongly condemn these wanton acts of brutality", he said, "and call upon the international community to assist the United Nations to further intensify public education with a view to putting an end to the loss of innocent lives". Member States must play a decisive role by ensuring scrupulous adherence to international humanitarian law instruments, including the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

Also this morning, the President informed the Assembly that Gambia had made the necessary payment to reduce its arrears below the amount specified in

Article 19 of the Charter.

[Article 19 states that a Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years.]

The Assembly will meet again at a date and time to be announced in the Journal.

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Background

The General Assembly met this morning to hold elections for five non-permanent Members of the Security Council.

THEO-BEN GURIRAB (Namibia), President of the General Assembly, this morning paid tribute to Julius Nyerere, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who passed away from leukemia at the age of 77 in a London hospital. He said Mr. Nyerere was one of Africa's most charismatic statesmen, whose life was legendary. "Mwalimu (teacher)" led his country to independence, serving first as Prime Minister of Tanzania and then as President of the United Republic of Tanzania. He was the pillar of his nation's politics and mediator whose wise council was sought after by other world leaders. When Mr. Nyerere stepped down from politics, he was one of the few African leaders to have done so. The African people had lost an active pan-Africanist, a man of high principles and a champion of the continent's self-determination.

He said that without Mr. Nyerere's firm guidance and steadfast support, the struggle for liberation, particularly in South Africa, would have been more difficult. Mwalimu's contributions to public life did not end with his retirement from national political office. He served as Chairman of the South Commission and also as Chairman of the intergovernmental South Centre which promoted

South-South solidarity. Mr. Nyerere devoted much of his time to the search for African solutions to African problems while working diligently to promote African unity. On behalf of the Assembly, the President expressed condolences to

Mr. Nyerere's bereaved family and the courageous people of Tanzania at the passing of their founding father.

He said that the loss of three staff members within a 24-hour period underscored the often difficult and dangerous conditions under which United Nations personnel served. The recent deaths of Valentin Krumov in Kosovo, and Luis Zuniga and Saska von Meijenfeldt in Burundi brought the number of civilian staff killed in the field this year to 13. That saddening statistic indicated a sharp increase in attacks on the Organization's personnel, and called for effective measures by governments and particularly parties in armed conflict situations to ensure the safety and security of United Nations personnel and other humanitarian workers. "I strongly condemn these wanton acts of brutality against peacemakers and peace workers, and call upon the international community to assist the United Nations to further intensify public education with a view to putting an end to the loss of innocent lives", he said,

He said justice demanded that the perpetrators of those heinous crimes be apprehended and prosecuted. Such criminal acts must not go unpunished. While such incidents were carried out by lawless elements, Member States could and must play a decisive role by ensuring scrupulous adherence to international humanitarian law instruments, including the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which entered into force this year, establishing a legal framework for protecting United Nations staff members in situations of armed conflict. He commended the courage and dedication of those who faithfully put their lives on the line in the service of the Organization and humanity. On behalf of the Assembly, he extended deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the cause of peace.

LOUISE FRECHETTE, Deputy Secretary-General, paid homage to Julius Nyerere, the founder and first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, an architect of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and one of the giants of the twentieth century African liberation movement. He was a "mwalimu", or "teacher". His death took away a good friend and a tireless supporter of the United Nations, she said.

She reviewed scenes that were unfolding elsewhere, such as the family of Valentin Krumov of Bulgaria who was mourning his brutal murder in Pristina on the very day he took up his duties there. Moreover, the family of Luis Zuniga of Chile and Saska von Meijenfeldt of the Netherlands were preparing to bury their loved ones, killed in cold blood while on a mission in Burundi to assess humanitarian needs. And the families of still more United Nations colleagues, held hostage in Georgia, were waiting in anguish for word of their fate.

She said that such incidents -- killings, assaults, harassment, kidnapping -- had become far too routine in conflict zones throughout the world. United Nations staff had become moving targets, not through any fault of their own, but because there were those who sought advantage in flouting international humanitarian norms and simple human decency.

Some would say that there was little that could be done against hatred and violence. Some things were indeed beyond control, but much was within it. Member States bore primary responsibility for ensuring the security of United Nations staff.

It was necessary that Member States conduct vigorous investigations into all such killings and incidents, prosecuting those responsible to the full extent of the law. Only one person had ever been found guilty and imprisoned for killing or causing the death of a United Nations staff member. That impunity could not be allowed to stand, she stated. Those States which had not done so already could sign and ratify two conventions: The Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel and the Rome Statute for an International Criminal Court, which would make it a war crime to attack personnel involved in a humanitarian assistance or peacekeeping mission pursued in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Continuing, she said it was also important to provide the funding necessary to improve staff security, and for Member States to use their influence over those who controlled the territories in which those atrocities occurred.

Member States were willing to send unarmed civilians into places where they would not send well-armed soldiers. Therefore, "let us consider what more we can do, on an urgent basis, to ensure that they can carry out their vital work in safety", she said.

Following the statement of the Deputy Secretary-General, the General Assembly observed a minute of silence in tribute to staff members who lost their lives.

Election of Five Non-Permanent Members of Security Council

The PRESIDENT, speaking prior to balloting, said, in accordance with established practice, of the three States to be elected from African and Asian States, two should be from Africa and one from Asia.

There were three candidates for the three vacancies from among the African and Asian States, Bangladesh, Mali and Tunisia. . The one candidate to fill the one vacancy for the Latin American and Caribbean States was Jamaica. There were two candidates to fill the one vacancy for Eastern Europe, Slovakia and Ukraine.

He informed the Assembly that the election would be held by secret ballot and there would be no nominations. The candidates receiving the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of those present and voting would be declared elected. In the case of a tied vote for a remaining seat, there would be a restricted ballot limited to those candidates which had obtained an equal number of votes.

The results of the first round of balloting to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning on 1 January 2000 were as follows:

African and Asian States

Number of ballot papers 172

Number of invalid ballots 0

Number of valid ballots 172

Abstentions 0

Number of Members voting 172

Required majority 115

Number of Votes Obtained:

Bangladesh 172

Tunisia 172

Mali 171

Eastern European States

Number of ballot papers 172

Number of invalid ballots 1

Number of valid ballots 171

Abstentions 0

Number of Members voting 171

Required majority 114

Number of Votes Obtained:

Ukraine 92

Slovakia 79

Latin American and Caribbean States

Number of ballot papers 172

Number of invalid ballots 1

Number of valid ballots 171

Abstentions 0

Number of Members voting 171

Required majority 114