UN General Assembly
1999

watched. Once again, the United Nations faced the problem of dealing with a dangerous situation that threatened the entire Balkan region. This situation was reversed only by the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces after Serbia refused to accept the provisions of the Rambouillet agreement. Resort to military force without a United Nations mandate to resolve such problems might not be the ideal way to settle international crises, but it becomes an unavoidable necessity whenever the Security Council, due to disunity and disagreements between its permanent Members, fails to fulfil its role in maintaining world peace and security. We hope that this pattern will not be repeated, so that the United Nations may preserve its dignity and integrity. Many regions of the world remain plagued by wars, regional and ethnic conflicts, border disputes and national and tribal conflicts. Fighting between the Afghan factions still rages, denying Afghanistan and its people the fruits of liberation from foreign occupation. It is regrettable to see that some have exploited the current situation in