August 30, 2005
U.N. Envoys Start Negotiating Key Document
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 4:31 a.m. ET
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Ambassadors from 32 nations started negotiations on a key document leaders are expected to adopt next month at a U.N. summit to tackle global poverty and reform the world body.
At a four-hour closed-door meeting on Monday, officials focused on fighting terrorism and helping countries emerging from conflict. The United States was among nations proposing amendments to the text on those two issues.
On Tuesday, the ambassadors hoped to tackle another divisive issue: the creation of a human rights council to replace the discredited Human Rights Commission. Protecting civilians against genocide, overhauling U.N. management, and fighting poverty are also on the agenda.
General Assembly President Jean Ping, who is shepherding the final document, wants negotiations completed on Friday, but the 39-page text can be amended.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said he was ''very happy'' that nation-to-nation negotiations had begun.
''There are a lot of different ideas,'' Bolton said. ''We have a lot of work to do. ... But I think this is going to be an open, transparent process, and we'll work as late as we need to and see if we can come up with a strong outcome document.''
The stakes are high, as the Sept. 14-16 summit -- marking the 60th anniversary of the United Nations -- is expected to be the largest gathering of world leaders in history. Some 175 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs have accepted Secretary-General Kofi Annan's invitation to come to U.N. headquarters.
Bolton sent a letter to all U.N. ambassadors just before the closed-door meeting saying ''a clear, strong declaration on terrorism will bolster our common efforts to preserve peace and security.''
The latest draft states that ''the targeting and deliberate killing of civilians or non-combatants'' aimed at intimidating people or compelling governments to act or refrain from acting ''cannot be justified on any grounds and constitutes an act of terrorism.''
Bolton said the United States wants additional language to ensure that this statement ''does not address military activities that are appropriately governed by international humanitarian law.''
He said the primary U.S. focus is on the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism by September 2006, which is in the draft. ''We want a strong political signal from the leaders who condemn terrorism in all its aspects, and work on this convention,'' he said.
Syria's U.N. Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad said his government views the language in the draft as a definition of terrorism and believes that should be left to the legal experts drafting a comprehensive convention. So it wants the words ''and constitutes an act of terrorism'' dropped, but it wants to add a reference to the root causes of terrorism, which aren't mentioned, he said.
The Syrian envoy implicitly criticized the United States for proposing hundreds of changes in the text just two weeks ago and suggesting line-by-line negotiations.
''If we don't all have the spirit of compromise,'' Mekdad warned, ''then we shall lose the momentum, we shall lose the spirit of coming out with a document that unites the United Nations and unites all of us.''