Middle East.

• Position: Peacewatch - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's appeal to Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization

Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 30 November appealed to Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to redouble their efforts in pursuit of a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East, and not to be swayed by incidents of violence committed by elements opposed to the peace process.

In a message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Mr. Annan also stressed that the parties must address not only the manifestations but also the causes of violence, working together for a future of peace, cooperation and good-neighbourliness. He expressed earnest hope that the Wye River Memorandum, signed by Israel and the PLO on 23 October in Washington D.C., United States, would be fully implemented, paving the way for negotiations to resume on all tracks.

On 25 November, the Security Council renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) - established in May 1974 to supervise the ceasefire called for by the Council and the Israeli-Syrian disengagement agreement-for a further six months, until 31 May 1999.

In unanimously adopting resolution 1211 (1998), the Council also called on the parties concerned to implement immediately resolution 338 (1973), which had called fora ceasefire, the termination of all military activity and the immediate implementation of resolution 242 (1967). By resolution 242, the Council called for a just and lasting peace, which included the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in 1967, and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in secure and recognized boundaries.

Through a statement by its...