---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, OCTOBER 25, 1999 SECURITY COUNCIL: RI URGES THE UN TO MAINTAIN NEUTRALITY New York, Oct. 25 (ANTARA)-Indonesia has urged the United Nations, in its peace keeping operations, to maintain neutrality and respect national sovereignity. An Indonesian diplomat, Hazairin Pohan, made the statement here late Sunday in a session of the UN General Assembly. Pohan said Indonesia sees the importance of a mechanism to monitor and supervise the peace keeping force's activities. Such a mechanism is aimed at assuring that the force's operations maintain integrity as well as neutrality, in accordance with the UN's basic function as an international institution. "At the end, it will remain the security Council that in its peace keeping operations, the Council has a mandate from the UN members," Pohan added. Pohan has also underlined the importance of a balanced funtion between the Security Council and other UN organs. "There is a need to balance relations between the General Assembly and the Security Council as stated by the UN Charter," he said. The Security Council has to account for its decisions to the General Assembly. On the topic of sanctions against a certain country, Pohan said although it is relevant as a method of pressuring, a sanction could create more damage not only to the respective country but also to the neighboring countries. Therefore, a sanction should be the last alternative of the UN. It should explain the specific parameters, have a specific time frame, and be supported by a mechanism to review the sanction. "If a sanction has reached its target, it should be withdrwan immediately," Pohan said. Decision making Indonesia has seen the imbalanced process of decision making in the Security Council where informal consultations have dominated the process. "Although it is the right (of the council) to hold a closed-door meeting, it should not be a general practice," Pohan said. There should be a balance between the secrecy of such consultations and UN transparency. "The Security Council's concealment in making a decision which would affect the international community is not in line with developments in information," Pohan said. (U.LNY-01/NN-09/INT-TA/nn02/TB03) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 1 Nov 1999 jam 02:05:50 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
