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A UN working team wrapped up the latest round of negotiations Sunday night on a draft document to be presented to the UN summit slated to begin on Wednesday, with modest progress made on poverty reduction and security.
An official who declined to be named told Xinhua that progress had been made on foreign aid and debt relief and the working team had managed to strike a balance between the US and the developing nations as to the exact wording of the document on poverty reduction.
However, the official said the US and other industrialized countries refused to make concessions over reforms on trade and financial institutions.
As to the concept of "responsibility to protect" civilians threatened by genocide and war crimes, the official said agreement had largely been reached among the parties to the talks.
In regard to discussions on the definition of terrorism, the team formed by a dozen or so countries including the US, China and France agreed that the draft document will not produce any political definition of terrorism.
Nevertheless, Western nations refused to consider a request by their Muslim counterparts to include in the draft document the legality of the movement for national self-determination.
Discussions were also held on global disarmament, establishment of a peace commission and a new Human Rights Council to replace the Geneva-based Human Rights Commission, as well as reforms on the UN Secretariat.
The team will resume talks Monday morning and make a final effort to work out a draft document before the start of the summit that will last for three days until Friday.
(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2005)
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