U.N. chief urges for new ways for peace-keeping

The U.N. security council is working like 'an ongoing task force on global security' and new ways must be found for peace-keeping, u.n. secretary-general boutros boutros-ghali said today. addressing a commencement ceremony at johns hopkins university in maryland, the u.n. chief said the security council now meets almost continuously to deal with new challenges to international peace and security. 'what has emerged in the security council is something similar to an ongoing task force on global security,' he said. 'there are as many types of peace-keeping as there are conflicts... we must do our best in these peace operations --even as we search for answers we have yet to find,' he continued. the world organization is now engaged in 17 peace-keeping operations in various parts of the world. boutros-ghali said the u.n. has succeeded in containing the conflict within the borders of the former yugoslavia and the importance of it 'should not be minimized'. but he admitted that major questions still are posed --the acquisition of territory by force, punishment of crimes of war, protection for minority rights and the territorial integrity of member states. on the situation in haiti, the u.n. chief urged the haitian military to comply with the resolutions of the security council to restore democracy in the country. boutros-ghali called for forceful action in Rwanda to stop the massacre and restore law and order in the African country. 'if we do not intervene in a situation where over a quarter of a million people are reported to have been killed in a few weeks, where will we intervene?' he asked. he criticized 'many who advocate action on human rights elsewhere' for being 'strangely reluctant' when it comes to Rwanda. the u.n. chief held that the u.n. operations in Somalia must maintain its presence, at its current reduced level, at least until the end of this year. he said the u.n. mission there has brought the conflicting factions together and encouraged them towards national reconciliation, but the factions continue to re-arm, although large-scale fighting has ceased. he said the world today needs to look beyond the old assumptions of state security to ensure 'human security' -freedom from fear, disease and death.