Indonesia's Nugroho takes over UNSC chairmanship

Indonesia's Nugroho takes over UNSC chairmanship

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's senior diplomat Nugroho Wisnumurti
officially takes over the chairmanship of the powerful United
Nations Security Council today, with a plateful of controversial
and complex issues on the agenda, ranging from the Bosnian
conflict to the UN economic sanctions against Iraq.

The head of the Indonesian Permanent Representative Office at
the United Nations headquarters in New York will be president of
the 15-member council for the next month.

"This is both an honor and a challenge, because the council
chairman has to show leadership, particularly in dealing with
world crises," Nugroho told Antara in New York on Sunday.

The chairmanship is seen largely as ceremonial with little
real power because the council's five permanent members -- the
United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- still call
the shots, given their vetoing power.

Indonesia is at odds with the big powers on several
international issues, most notably the conflict in Bosnia
Herzegovina. Indonesia, along with dozens of Moslem countries,
has been calling for an end the to arms embargo in Bosnia, a move
which they say would allow the Bosnians to defend themselves
against the better armed Serbian aggressors.

Previous efforts to have the arms embargo lifted had been
vetoed by the council's permanent members.

Nugroho said the Bosnian conflict is expected to become one of
the main issues to be debated by the council in August,
especially given the recent fall of Srebrenica and Zepa to
Serbian hands, despite the UN's declaration that these are "safe
areas".

He noted that every Security Council member is deeply
concerned at the situation in Bosnia. "But, regrettably, this
concern is not matched by a commitment by the permanent members
to take firm action."

Another issue expected to be debated at the council this month
is the UN economic sanctions against Iraq, Nugroho said.

There have been calls, from Indonesia included, to ease the
sanctions on humanitarian grounds, but the United States and
several other countries are objecting to this call, insisting
that Baghdad first destroy all its biological weapons facilities.

Nugroho said that in mid-August, the Security Council will
also mark the end of World War II in the Pacific. "On that
occasion, I will present a statement as Security Council
Chairman."

Indonesia takes over the chairmanship from the Honduras
representative, Gerardo Martinez Blanco.

The position is rotated in alphabetical order among the 15
council members. The 10 non-permanent members of the council are
Argentina, Botswana, the Czech Republic, Germany, Honduras,
Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, Rwanda and Oman. (emb)