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![handle is hein.journals/nyuilp22 and id is 651 raw text is: FACT-FINDING BY
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE
UNITED NATIONS
M.- CHRISTIANE BOURLOYANNIS*
I. INTRODUCTION
Although the United Nations (U.N.) remains in financial
crisis, it seems to have finally overcome its problems on the
public relations front. The U.N. peace-keeping forces were
awarded the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize, and the organization at
last has had a few political successes--of which the achieve-
ment of Namibian independence and the decisive action
taken by the Security Council in the Gulf Crisis are but the
most recent examples. Due to the major changes that have
swept through the international community in recent years
and months, the confrontational atmosphere of discussions
within the organization has diminished to a great extent.'
Furthermore, there appears to be a new willingness on the
part of member states to enhance the role of the United Na-
tions. Evidence of this new trend can be seen in the adop-
tion-without a vote-of General Assembly resolution 44/21
on November 15, 1989, based on a joint initiative by the
United States and the Soviet Union.2 With this resolution,
the General Assembly stated firmly its desire to strengthen
further the role and effectiveness of the United Nations in
maintaining international peace and security for all States on
the basis of full and universal respect for [its] Charter.3
In this spirit, proposals have been made in recent years
for improvement and development of various areas of U.N.
activity. Fact-finding by the United Nations is one of the
most important of these areas.
* Legal Officer, Codification Division, Office of Legal Affairs, United
Nations. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do
not necessarily represent those of the organization.
1. See, e.g., Lewis, The U.N. ResuscitatA Feels Lihe What It Was Meant to
Be, N.Y. Times, Sept. 24, 1989, Sec. 4, at 2, col. I.
2. G.A. Res. 44/21, 1 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 29 (1989), U.N.
Doc. A/RES/44/21.
3. IdL
641
Imaged with the Permission of N.Y.U. Journal of International Law and Politics](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/nyuilp22&div=36&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)