HR/CN/99/4
23 March 1999 (p.m.)



Debate Begins on Right to Self-Determination


The Commission on Human Rights reviewed this afternoon the role and activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a series of national delegations outlining measures taken to improve the situation of women and children as emphasized under policies set by the Office.

Other activities of the High Commissioner that drew praise from national representatives were advice and support offered to national institutions for human rights, monitoring activities carried out around the world, and bolstering of regional human-rights efforts.

Introducing her annual report, High Commissioner Mary Robinson said that along with the rights of women and children, planning and preparation for the upcoming World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination merited special attention.

The Commission then moved on to its agenda item on the right to self-determination, hearing pleas to extend exercise of that right to residents of Jammu and Kashmir, occupied Palestine, and the Western Sahara. Iraq claimed that the United States and the United Kingdom had engaged in military attacks that amounted to denial of Iraq's right to self-determination.

Over the course of the afternoon, the Commission also heard an address by Abdul Kader Abdul Rahman Bajamal, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, who described the country's transition to democracy and its establishment of various human-rights programmes.


Earlier, the debate was concluded on the Commission’s working methods, with countries expressing differing opinions on how to proceed with a report issued by last year's Commission Bureau on rationalization of the Commission’s mechanisms and activities. Some nations urged establishment of an intersessional working group to take up the matter.

Speaking at the afternoon meeting were representatives of the following countries: China, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Botswana, Cuba, Norway, Iran, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, Sudan, Bangladesh, Palestine, Iraq, and Algeria.

The following non-governmental organizations also delivered statements: Association for World Education; Indian Council of Education; and International Association against Torture.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 24 March, to continue its discussion of the right to self-determination.

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and follow-up to the World Conference on Human Rights

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a note by High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson (E/CN.4/1999/3) on the meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission and of the advisory services programme which took place in Geneva from 26 to 29 May 1998. The note details the organization of work set out for the meeting, a statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf of the High Commissioner, and a number of issues considering progress in achieving mandated objectives, consideration of the revised manual for special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons, coordination between special procedures system and the treaty bodies, and cooperation issues with the Secretary-General and the Commission on Human Rights and with regional groups and non-governmental organizations.

The note outlines a number of decisions and follow-up activities including among others: the circulation of the draft Code of Conduct for Officials to be effected to all special rapporteurs; the re-issue of the draft manual incorporating a number of changes submitted by participants; the matter of insurance coverage for rapporteurs on mission; the settlement of the ongoing case of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers before the courts of Malaysia; the deep concern on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and a number of procedural issues on subsequent meetings and resolutions documents.

The Commission will also review an addendum (E/CN.4/1999//3/Add.1) by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the study on procedures for ensuring implementation of, and follow-up to recommendations of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and working groups. This addendum aims to propose ways of enhancing coordination and cooperation between the High Commissioner and Special Rapporteurs, and to establish a systematic procedure by which the High Commissioner may follow up their recommendations.

It will also consider another addendum (E/CN.4/1999/3/Add-2) which is a note by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the Report of the Chairperson of the fourth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the Commission on Human Rights and of the advisory services programmes. The addendum summarises the report submitted by the Chairperson of the fourth meeting of special rapporteurs and of the advisory services programme, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, to the fifth meeting concerning his activities from June 1997 to May 1998. The report covers, among other items: his meetings with the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights; his meetings with the Secretary-General, with Legal Counsel, with Chairpersons of Treaty Bodies, with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and with the Third Committee of the General Assembly. It summarises the actions taken in consequence of the questioning of the work of Special Rapporteurs and concludes with administrative questions including the call to increase the support to the effort and functioning of the Special Rapporteurs.

Also before the Commission under this agenda item is a report of the High Commissioner (E/CN.4/1999/9) pursuant to paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 48/141 which updates prior reports. The objective of this report is twofold: to provide the Commission with information on key areas of the human rights programme of particular interest, and to demonstrate the evolving orientations and trends in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The report summarises the orientations and trends in the Office as being, among others, to support the efforts of Governments in the promotion and protection of human rights. It identifies new infrastructural institutions and approaches to monitor and improve the efficiency and efficacy of the Office. Included in these developments are new financing, personnel, managerial, monitoring and evaluation systems, project-oriented approaches, policies and arrangements to support field presences, and in-house seminars and training sessions.

After detailing the substantive issues, the report concludes that the human rights programme is growing in breadth and complexity in the face of mounting challenges. The gap between human rights rhetoric and reality of the lives of millions of human beings is the tragedy of our times. Scientific and technological developments in fields such as genetics, human cloning and biotechnology pose fundamental questions about our understanding of human rights. Finally while the United Nations and other international community organs have great responsibility in the area of human rights, the principal responsibility is at the national level with Governments, civil society and individuals. Concrete objectives which Governments can aim at are: the signing and ratification of the International Covenants on Human Rights and the four principle conventions; the making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to every citizen; the implementation of the "Declaration on Human Rights Defenders”; and the redoubling of efforts to implement the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration in full.

The right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a report by the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/199/10)on the right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation which sites resolution 1998/4 "Situation in Occupied Palestine" and the subsequent verbal note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel and all other Governments requesting information pertaining to the implementation of the resolution by the Government of Israel. The report lists the Department of Public Information activities in this regard including the continuation of press coverage of the meetings of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices, the dissemination of United Nations information, materials and press releases and press coverage to the Special Committee's field mission to Egypt, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic in July 1998. The reply from Israel was not received by the time the report was issued.

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a written statement (E/CN.4/1999/NGO/32) submitted by North-South XXI, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status on the right of peoples to self-determination, which outlines the rights of the Iraqi people and the implications of the "military strikes" of December 1998. The statement maintains that the sanctions imposed on the Iraqi State by the United Nations Security Council creates an endless war waged by the United States and the United Kingdom against the Iraqi people. It maintains that the December 1998 military strikes against the city and inhabitants of Baghdad and Basra refinery constitute a flagrant violation of humanitarian law. The statement calls on the Commission on Human Rights to look into the implications of the December 1998 military strikes against Iraq's civilian population in relation to international humanitarian law.

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a written statement (E/CN.4/1999/NGO/58)submitted by the International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD) on the right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation which raises the question of the right afforded to Jews in the Law of the Return in Israel to migrate to Palestine and enjoy residency and citizenship rights in Israel while prohibiting any Palestinian, whether Christian or Muslim, from returning to the homeland where they, their parents and great-grandparents, were born.

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a written statement (E/CN.4/1999/NGO/59) submitted by the Federation of Associations for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights on the right of peoples to self-determination which deals with the stalled implementation of the peace plan for the Western Sahara. It raises the question of the status of the referendum for the self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara within the context of Morocco and the various decolonization attempts from 1993, 1996 and 1997 within the context of the Houston agreements. The statement calls for the investigation of the disappearance of hundreds of Saharawis, including Mohamed Basiri, the release of all the Saharawi prisoners, and the withdrawal of the services and bodies of the Moroccan State responsible for serious human rights violations. Additionally it calls for the international community, in particular the European Union, to direct the necessary pressures towards the Kingdom of Morroco to contribute decisively to the fulfilment of the existing accords.

Organization of the work of the session

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a letter (E/CN.4/1999/2) dated 30 April 1998 from the Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission on Human rights at its fifty-fourth session deals with the organization of the work of the session and addresses an incident in which the writer, Mohamed-Salah Dembri, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to Algeria, was accosted on the premises of the United Nations by three individuals, one of whom was Ammar Kebaili who was accredited with the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (IFHR). Mr Dembri requests that this letter be circulated in the same manner afforded to the Chairman of the organization, Patrick Baudoin.

Before the Commission under this agenda item is a note (E/CN.4/1999/109) submitted by the Secretariat which presents statistics relating to the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights with respect to the organization of its work including participants, meetings and parallel activities, time use, interventions and time distribution, documentations, and costs.

Statements

MARY ROBINSON, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, introducing her annual report, noted that there were two main issues that merited attention. The first was the human rights of women and issues relating to gender. She also hoped that the rights of the child would be focused on by the Commission. The second main issue was the planning and preparation for the World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination. The High Commissioner indicated her hope that the growth of the Commission as a unique global forum would continue.

ABDUL KADER ABDUL RAHMAN BAJAMAL, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, said that true freedom could only be achieved if all human rights were achieved. In looking at the world, one saw that sometimes, in reference to human rights, the truth was spoken, and sometimes slogans were used to disguise intentions which were not related to true human rights; there were standards of human rights that were selective and distorted and were used to apply political and intellectual pressure; this approach could amount to a form of terrorism.

Yemen had been united since 1990 through a democratic process and a new civil society; two elections to Parliament had been since held with full participation of all who believed in democracy; in the past thousands of Yemenis had suffered and even died in internecine struggles; the major cause of these difficulties was the lack of democracy and equal treatment. The situation had changed greatly; some acerbic criticisms and allegations were made challenging Yemen's great steps forward, but the progress made was real and substantive. A national human-rights committee had begun operation in 1998, and a human-rights plan had been adopted; another committee was investigating disappearances that had resulted from the former internal conflicts; subsidiary committees were carrying out human-rights activities; and children were being educated in human rights.

Economic and structural reforms in Yemen had had a negative impact on the economic and social situations of some Yemenis, the Minister said; efforts were being made to improve this situation, and the Government appealed to the international community and to non-governmental organizations for help; help also was needed for health programmes. There had been a recurrence of terrorism and violence that violated the most basic of human rights; it was necessary that all participated to resolve such problems in the country and in the region.

QIAO ZONGHUAI (China) said that the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was an important task as was the review of the mechanisms of the Commission in line with the historical tide so as to make them adaptable to the needs of time. There should be respect for the rights of each country as members of the international community. As there were different states of development, naturally there were different priorities in promoting and protecting human rights. There was a need to resolve differences through dialogue on the basis of equality and to oppose confrontation. China, in addition, called for the Commission to deal with human rights in a comprehensive and balanced way and to put all kinds of rights on an equally important footing. Special attention should be given to redress the imbalance towards the right of subsistence and the right to development.

The Representative of China said that of the 5.7 billion people of the world today, 4.9 billion lived in developing countries and 1 billion were hungry. It was reasonable for the Government and people of each country to determine their priorities in the field of human rights according to their own national conditions. He hoped this session would initiate a good start into the twenty-first century.

SAVITRI KUNADI (India) said her country believed that making human rights a collective endeavour that involved all States was the best means of strengthening the hands of the Commission. However, she insisted on the role of civil society in strengthening human rights and on the rationalisation of procedures of the Commission. Amongst the most important issues was the consideration of the report of the previous Bureau on the mechanisms of the Commission. India supported the intent of the Commission to supervise these mechanisms more closely. The Indian Government would like an appropriate, fair, and transparent way of observing the status of human rights in the Member States. India was committed to engage in a positive and constructive dialogue.

LILIA BAUTISTA (Philippines) said the country felt that an open-ended intersessional working group offered the best avenue for review of the issue of reform of the Commission's working mechanisms; the Philippines did not preclude substantive intersessional discussion of the issues, including the possibility of reaching agreement on some of the matters raised in the Bureau's report. However, it had doubts on whether consensus for a decision could be reached during the Commission session, given the hectic schedule and the plethora of other important issues to be considered, and in any case smaller delegations would have a hard time focusing on so many important matters at once. An early decision to establish such a working group would be an effective way to clear the table for more meaningful discussion.

SUSANTO SUTOYO (Indonesia) warned against the increased politicization of the Commission. Human rights were aimed at contributing to the protection and promotion of human rights throughout the world. The Bureau of the Commission on Human Rights was thanked for its pursuance of preparing document (E/CN.4/1999/104) to cover as many of the concerns of the Member States as possible. The rationale of this was that the review of human rights mechanisms was not just a privilege of certain Member States, but should address the concerns of the widest possible number of parties.

MOUNIR ZAHRAN (Egypt) hoped that cooperation and a spirit of respect would prevail in the Commission. Egypt insisted that human rights instruments should be applied across the board to those who breached them. The Egyptian Government supported what the delegate of India said this morning about the establishment of an open-ended working group for overseeing the mechanisms of the Commission. A glance at the agenda showed an imbalance between individual and collective rights. Egypt hoped that item 8 would be attended to fully, and insisted upon the importance of rationalisation of the Commission.

J.M.J. LEGWAILA (Botswana) said the operations of the High Commissioner's Office were complex and challenging, and countries must provide all the cooperation the High Commissioner needed to achieve her goals. Botswana supported the establishment of the two international tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia; equally important was the adoption of the statute for creating an International Criminal Court; crimes against humanity should not go unpunished.

Botswana took her responsibilities for the rights of children seriously; it had adopted a number of laws and policies to meet its obligations; similarly, it was putting great emphasis on the rights of women. As a growing nation with a long history of a paternalistic culture, it had not always been able to avoid the trappings of male domination, but recently had taken steps to promote equal enjoyment by women of all human rights. The country also had a number of strong civil human-rights organizations and institutions.

SAVITRI KUNADI (India) shared the views regarding the activity of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote human rights through capacity building, human rights education and vigorous advocacy of a culture of human rights and tolerance. Human rights were a collective endeavour that involved all States and working to achieve them provided the best means of strengthening the hands of the High Commissioner and enabling her to fulfill her mandate effectively. India had certain views with regard to some of the areas of activity of the Office such as protection and prevention, early warning, monitoring mechanisms and field presences. While these were important, the principal task of the Office was to promote human rights through capacity building, human rights education and vigorous advocacy of a culture of human rights and tolerance. Given its limited resources, this was the most cost-effective way for the Office to fulfill its mandate.

Promotion and protection of the right to development was one of the most important elements of the High Commissioner's mandate. New mandates in the fields of economic, social and cultural rights had been created to be reviewed this session. It was widely recognised that the Technical Cooperation and Advisory Services programme of the Office constituted one of the most efficient ways of promoting human rights. There was a need for further efforts to ensure equitable geographical distribution among the staff of the Office, including at decision-making levels.

AYMEE HERNANDEZ (Cuba) insisted that agenda item number 8 on the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine, deserved detailed study. Cuba noted the work carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner in order to produce the High Commissioner’s report, and insisted upon the importance of the support work of the Secretariat as it was vital that the mandates were not distorted or misinterpreted. Cuba was struck by the conclusions in paragraph 18 of the report, and the references made to the covenants and the four main human rights conventions. Certain omissions had been made, and this was to the detriment of the report.

Ms. Hernandez also found that ideas set out in reports were set into practice without the consultation of the different States, and that the relationship of the Commission with its mechanisms was deteriorating. The worry was that the Commission might become a passive body, and Cuba insisted on the importance of the Commission’s active mandate.

LIU XINSHENG (China) said it was laudable that the High Commissioner for Human Rights had provided more balance to the various human rights by emphasizing economic, social and cultural rights; she also had made useful attempts at advisory services with the cooperation of countries; such work was extremely popular with many developing countries; for example, a series of meetings had been held in the Asia/Pacific region. Last September the High Commissioner had visited China; agreement was reached on many issues and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed; the visit was a success. Experts of the High Commissioner's Office had been invited to China based on the Memorandum of Understanding. In general, prior consent of countries involved should be sought before undertaking activities. In expanding the staff of the Office, not enough geographical balance had been achieved, China felt that more representatives of developing and Asian countries should be included in the staff.

BJORN SKOGMO (Norway) reminded the Commission firstly of the acute need to promote human rights and the enjoyment of human rights being the corner stone of peace and security. Norway hoped more financial resources were given to the Human Rights Commission to enable it to carry out its work.

ALI KHORRAM (Iran) spoke of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action as the most comprehensive and action-orientated framework of principles and activities for achieving the objectives of the United Nations Charter in the field of human rights. International cooperation and the global affirmation of ensuring the universal consideration of human rights were important, but the present status of human rights was still far from satisfactory. Contributions of all nations would enrich the draft Code of Conduct for Experts on Missions and would ensure the success of experts of special procedures in their missions. However, the mandates of the special procedures should be reviewed without the creation of new mandates and mechanisms.

BAREND VAN DER HEIJDEN (The Netherlands) said the country sincerely supported the High Commissioner and her activities; it was good that the senior structure of the High Commissioner's Office was now in place; the High Commissioner was requested to continue to participate personally where possible in the three executive committees related to her mandate. The Netherlands felt that principal responsibility for human rights lay with national Governments; and it was a matter of concern that while human-rights rhetoric at the Commission continued to increase, the Governmental will to actually make progress seemed to decrease at every session.

AUDREY GLOVER (The United Kingdom) expressed support for the High Commissioner and her report in which she stressed the universality and indivisibility of the nature of various kinds of human rights including economical, social, cultural, civil and political.

VLADIMIR DOLGOBORODOV (the Russian Federation) spoke of the Vienna World Conference and its importance as it enshrined a comprehensive approach towards human rights and recognized the interdependent nature of this approach. However, along with the positive developments, the international community had not coped with the breaches of human rights carried out during armed conflicts, such as the ethnic cleansing of civilians across the world. The goals of the Commission could only be achieved by the full participation of the whole United Nation system.

Another important element was to perfect, strengthen, and rationalise the work of the various legal systems and human rights enforcement systems in the United Nations, the Representative of the Russian Federation said. With respect for existing mandates, his country had a preference for adopting the various recommendations made in the reports. Many violations of human rights were predictable and intervention by the international community could have prevented them. All human rights within the United Nations should be on an equal footing.

DAVID LITTMAN, of the Association for World Education, speaking also on behalf of Christian Solidarity International, said a grave danger came from systematic efforts made by some United Nations bodies to replace some of the dominant paradigms of international relations; for example, to undermine the universally recognized code of human rights expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Another example was a seminar sponsored by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in November in collaboration with the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) at which 20 Islamic specialists spoke on "Islamic perspectives" on the Universal Declaration; a major issue created by this seminar was whether an intellectual analysis on the basis of theologically inspired legal traditions could be used for political purposes. The issue was whether the actual purpose was to weaken the Universal Declaration or exempt certain States from its provisions.

A.S. NARANG, of the Indian Council of Education reported that the World Conference at Vienna was able to produce a document which in essence, charted the course of action of the international community well into the next century. The recommendations of the study of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on procedures for ensuring implementation and follow up of the recommendations were in document (E/CN.4/1999/3/3/add.1). The Indian Council of Education found that the relationship between the Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was not very clear. It expressed concerns about the meeting of special rapporteur/representatives, experts and chair persons. Another important aspect of the World Conference was the vision of supporting democracy, development and human rights through increased international cooperation. Poverty, hunger and lack of education were causes of denial of human rights both political and civil, and social, cultural and economic.

ROGER WAREHAM, of the International Association against Torture, said that his organization had participated in the Vienna Conference where it pushed for the need for Special Rapporteurs, as well as the need for an international conference on racism. The organization was concerned on reading the report, especially regarding the words priority and catalyst referring to the World Conference on Racism, since it did not think that the High Commissioner’s Office was acting as a catalyst on this issue. The issue of racism was vital since it affected most of the world's population. The organization recommended that the Office of the High Commissioner should make the conference more than a rhetorical reality, indeed, a concrete reality, and should include everyone in the process. The Office of the High Commissioner should encourage the Secretary-General of the United Nations to articulate that the conference was a real priority and not just a rhetorical one.


AKRAM ZAKI (Pakistan) said most United Nations Member States were created through the right to self-determination; Pakistan had been created through that right; unfortunately, however, the exercise of this right had been denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir despite United Nations and Security Council resolutions; since 1990, Kashmiris had been carrying on a popular struggle against continued Indian occupation and repression that had led to the loss of some 60,000 Kashmiri lives and to widespread cases of torture, rape, and other offenses. It was essential that Kashmiris be allowed to determine their future. It was essential as a first step that India release Kashmiri leaders in detention; allow them the right to travel outside the country; allow humanitarian assistance into the region; withdraw its army of occupation; and allow a free and fair plebiscite under United Nations auspices.

GASIM IDRIS (Sudan) reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and called for the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Arab territories so that the Palestinians could realise their rights to self-determination.

IFTEKHAR CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) focused upon the concept of self-determination, since to deny this to any nation was to do violence to fundamental human values. He spoke of the plight of the people of Palestine and insisted that it would be a sad commentary on our times if this gross injustice were allowed to continue. Every human being had the right to have a life of dignity in freedom, and to enjoy the full spectrum of civic choices.

NABIL RAMLAWI (Palestine) said the Commission had been calling for Palestinians' right to self-determination for more than 30 years; it even had stated that achieving a just and permanent peace in the Middle East was fundamentally linked to the exercise of this right by Palestinians. The persistence of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territory was not limited to denial of that right but amounted to a grave and constant breach of the principles of international law and of numerous other human rights. Israel had flouted and betrayed the recent peace process, and since its creation had been a State of aggression, occupation, and racism. The Commission and the United Nations as a whole must take measures to put an end to these human rights violations inflicted upon Palestinians.

HUSSAIN SAAD (Iraq) accepted the principles of national independence, respect for human rights, the rights of peoples, equality of states, peaceful settlement of international disputes, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. Yet Iraq was being subjected to large scale and massive violations by the United States and the United Kingdom. Those two countries had imposed no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq by their military forces since 1992.

The United States administration had launched three missile attacks in 1992, 1993 and 1996. The missile attacks caused great material and human losses. The United States and the United Kingdom had committed military aggression from 16 to 20 December 1998; they had also committed a new military aggression on 25 January 1999 against the city of Basra. These had resulted in the killing of hundreds of citizens and had destroyed industrial, defence and security bases of the country without any legal justification under the pretext of Iraq's failure to cooperate with the United Nations. There was also the continuation of the spying air sorties by the planes of the two countries since 1991 under the pretext of protecting the no-fly zones. This aggression continued up to now. Iraq appealed to all States which condemned these acts and practices against Iraq to live up to their responsibilities under the international law of human rights and to demand these two countries to desist from these activities against Iraq and its people.

LAZHAR SOVALEM (Algeria) commented upon the right to self-determination, as a right that no longer seemed to have the attention and the commitment that it formerly had from the international community. The plight of the people of Palestine was a prime example of this. There was also the referendum on self-determination that the United Nations had undertaken to organise in the Western Sahara at the end of this year. Algeria wished for a resolution of all problems in the region, since this would permanently consolidate peace, security and stability in the region.