UN help needed to build new institutions.

• Position: Former Russian republics - United Nations developments

The UN will pay special attention to countries in the territory of the former Soviet Union which, due to "inadequate political structures, no recent tradition of democracy and the absence of true financial institutions and markets", need help in "building institutions which consolidate and sustain peace", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has declared. In a statement to the Parliament of Ukraine on 18 June while visiting that country from 18 to 21 june, he said that their situation "illustrates clearly the need for an integrated concept of international action". In recent months, the UN has been actively involved in monitoring and mediating peacemaking and economic development efforts in those countries. Following is an overview of some of those developments from April through early July 1993.

Armenia, Azerbaijan

The Security Council on 30 April demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh - a small Armenian-populated enclave in Azerbaijan - with a view to establishing a durable cease-fire, as well as an "immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from the Kelbadjar district and other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan".

The Council acted by unanimously adopting resolution 822 (1993), in which parties concerned were urged to resume negotiations immediately to resolve the conflict, within the framework of the Minsk Group peace process of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and to refrain from any action that would obstruct a peaceful solution.

Unimpeded access was asked for international humanitarian relief efforts to alleviate the civilian population's suffering.

The Council also expressed serious concern at the latest invasion of the Kelbadjar district of Azerbaijan by "local Armenian forces" and the displacement of a large number of civilians and the humanitarian emergency in the region.

On 14 April, the Secretary-General had reported (S/25600) a major outbreak of fighting in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, seriously threatening the "maintenance of international peace and security in the entire Transcaucasus region". Reports of the use of heavy weaponry, including tanks, helicopter gunships and advanced fixed wing aircraft, were "particularly disturbing", indicating the "involvement of more than local ethnic forces", he said.

Fighting in the Kelbadjar district had led to a "humanitarian emergency", with some 50,000 persons displaced. An eight-day relief airlift was launched on 14...