MARCH 24, 1999, WEDNESDAY - 16:31 Eastern Time

HEADLINE: STATEMENT BY U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

REGARDING NATO AIRSTRIKES OF SERBIAN MILITARY TARGETS
UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

SEC.-GEN. ANNAN: I speak to you at a grave moment for the international community. Throughout last year, I have appealed on many occasions to the Yugoslav authorities and to the Kosovar Albanians to seek peace over war, compromise over conflict. I deeply regret that in spite of all the efforts made by the international community, the Yugoslav authorities have persisted in their rejection of a political settlement which would have halted the bloodshed in Kosovo and secured an equitable peace for the population.

It is indeed tragic that diplomacy has failed, but there are times when the use of force may be legitimate in the pursuit of peace. In helping maintain international peace and security, Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter assigns an important role to regional organizations. But as secretary-general, I have many times pointed out, not just in relation to Kosovo, that under the Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, and this is explicitly acknowledged in the North Atlantic Treaty. Therefore, the Council should be involved in any decision to resort to force. Thank you very much.

Date: Fri, 19 Mar 99 07:16:15 EST

AFP: Annan tells NATO it is not above UN

BRUSSELS, March 19, 1999(AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has told NATO, as it prepares for possible air strikes against Serbia, that the Atlantic alliance is not above the United Nations.

Annan's message, published in a special brochure produced by NATO for its 50th anniversary, reminds NATO that its "treaty opens with a reaffirmation of their faith in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."

He added that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation undertook to "refrain from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations."

Annan pointed out that article 1 of the alliance's treaty bound members to "settle any dispute in which they are involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security are not endangered."

"Moreover article 7, to make quite sure there is no misunderstanding, states that the Treaty does not in any way affect either the parties' rights and obligations under the Charter of 'the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security,'" Annan said.

He warned that air strikes against Serbia -- a sovereign state which has not attacked another state -- without the sanction of the UN would have serious consequences for international relations, in particular with Russia, Serbia's main international backer.

Even in the case of an attack against one of their members, which under article 5 of the charter would be treated as an attack against them all, they are still bound "to report imediately to the Security Council any armed attack, as well as measures taken in response to it."

The founding treaty, signed in Washington, also requires NATO to "terminate such measures "when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security," Annan said.

He congratulated NATO on the contribution it had made to regional security in Europe, especially in Bosnia, and expressed the hope that the alliance, which welcomed Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to its ranks last week, would act in future in line with its charter.

He said that if the Security Council had to again authorise coercive action in Europe or in North America, it could count on the alliance's competence, experience and resources, which he said were irreplaceable.

NATO is due to discuss the legality of actions undertaken outside its territory -- defined as the territory of its member states -- when it meets for its 50th anniversary celebrations in Washington at the end of April.

The alliance, which now has 19 members and three of them -- the United States, Britain and France -- with permanent seats on the UN Security Council, will discuss its strategic concept at the Washington meeting.

The European members of the alliance have said that any actions undertaken outside NATO's territorial zone should be sanctioned by the Security council, while the US has claimed such a measure is not needed.