Compromise raises hostage-ban hopes

Press, 11 December 1976, Page 8

Compromise raises hostage-ban hopes

NZPA-Reuter New York A key compromise be* tween Western and Arab nations has lifted the first big obstacle from the West German drive to get a comprehensive United Nations treaty against the taking of hostages. A measure calling for a 35-nation panel to draft such convention by next year is now expected to win strong approval when it comes to a vote in the General Assembly’s legal committee. Subsequent passage by the full Assembly would be largely a formality. The breakthrough in negotiations came when Libya agreed to drop an amendment that would limit the scope of the proposed treaty to innocent hostages — a qualification that could be used, for example, by Arab guerrillas to justify taking Israeli hostages. In return, the West Germans and their 37 co-spon-

sors — mostly Western States, but including a number of Third World delegations — called on the drafting committee to consider suggestions and proposals from any State, bearing in mind the views expressed during the debate on this item at the current Assembly. The Germans also dropped reference in the resolution to the punishment or extradition of perpetrators. Despite the changes, a West German diplomat hailed the compromise as a product of remarkable sense or co-operation and good will from all nations.

But observers agreed that militant Arabs could still torpedo the measure in the drafting committee or at next year’s Assembly.