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Adekanye

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76

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2001-11-20

most recent

2006-06-22

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9

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un-security-council

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1. “Conflicts in the West African subregion have claimed many lives and rendered thousands of people traumatized and homeless. Generations of our youth have been sucked into those conflicts and lost their childhood and innocence. Women have been abused and exploited. Indeed, the devastation wreaked by those conflicts is writ large on the destroyed cities and infrastructure of affected countries. Worse still, their consequences have been felt beyond the immediate theatres of operation, compounding the challenges created by the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, increasing desertification and environmental degradation, and a crippling debt burden. While significant progress has been and continues to be made in resolving those conflicts, the subregion remains vulnerable.”

   2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source

2. “May I first thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to address this body on behalf of the Group of African States. I wish to express our appreciation to you for convening yet another important meeting of the Security Council on cross-border issues in West Africa. It is heartwarming for us that this subject is being discussed under the Beninois presidency and steered by you. That is an indication of your country's commitment to the goals of peace, security, stability and progress in our subregion and the African continent as a whole. We are also grateful to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his continuing interest in the best approaches towards the resolution of conflicts in the region. His exertions reflect the shared desire to make West Africa and, indeed, Africa as a whole crisis-free.”

   2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source

3. “My delegation is confident that, working together in an open and transparent manner, in a true spirit of cooperation, with all stakeholders - including the United Nations, regional organizations, State and non- State actors - we can reduce the need for recourse to conflict and thus prevent children from being made instruments and victims of armed conflict. Thus we will have succeeded in creating a world that is truly fit for children.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

4. “Urgent action should be taken to totally eradicate, in all its forms and manifestations, the culture of impunity, and, as a follow-up, to bring to justice perpetrators of violence against children, including those who abduct, recruit or conscript children into armed forces. It is also necessary to improve the monitoring and reporting of child rights violations and to pay greater attention to demobilization and reintegration programmes, including those aimed particularly at girls seriously affected by conflict, and engaging in special and accelerated educational programmes, such as free and compulsory education for child victims of war. There should be continued efforts made to mainstream child protection into United Nations regional and national peacekeeping operations.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

5. “It is also important to strengthen the protective environment by encouraging countries to ratify and apply treaties that aim to protect children from the physical and emotional trauma of war. On its part, Nigeria has not only ratified and fully incorporated the Convention on the Rights of the Child into its domestic legislation, but it has also strengthened the domestic environment by enacting, in 2003, the Child Rights Act as well as the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law Enforcement and Administration Act. Those laws should protect our children and promote their rights.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

6. “Above all, we also call on the international community to provide assistance to those countries emerging from conflict to enable them to rebuild their shattered economies and infrastructure. It is equally essential that the efforts of the international community be geared towards strengthening the rule of law at the international, regional and national levels, and, within that context, towards the protection of children through appropriate mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and enforcing compliance, including through constitutional, legislative, judicial and multisectoral means. We must put children first - before, during and after conflict. A stop must be put to the recruitment of child soldiers.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

7. “President Obasanjo has made conflict resolution in Africa one of the cardinal foreign policy objectives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, mindful of the fact that Africa can neither achieve the Millennium Development Goals nor attain the lofty social development targets set by the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen 10 years ago - and renewed only last week at the forty-third session of the Commission for Social Development - unless there is peace, stability and security in our continent. There is a need for increased international cooperation in support of those efforts. There is also a need to strengthen coordination with the African Union in resolving the diverse conflicts in Africa.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

8. “Nigeria has closely coordinated efforts with like- minded States to meet the challenges posed by conflicts in the West African subregion, in particular, and Africa in general. I wish to mention in that regard significant initiatives among States members of the Economic Community of West African States, which are already yielding positive results. I should also refer to the efforts towards peace and accommodation in Darfur that resulted in the Abuja agreement.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

9. “Conflicts do not occur in a vacuum, but are oftentimes the product of an inability to redress, by dialogue and other means, real or perceived injustices, including economic, social and political exclusion, and marginalization or discrimination based on racial, ethnic, religious or political affiliations. It is important therefore to identify and tackle head on the root causes of conflict and to deny its perpetrators access to the instruments of war, such as small arms and light weapons, which those children are forced to carry. In that connection, my delegation reiterates its conviction that conflict prevention and resolution strategies must be sincere and comprehensive. They must include a willingness and a capability to take bold and concrete political actions that will lead to the removal of real or perceived injustices.”

   2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

10. “Although children do not start wars, they are most vulnerable to its deadly effects. They suffer loss of their childhood and become objects of adult manipulation and exploitation. Children are, in most cases of armed conflict, the first victims and the ones most likely to suffer loss of loved ones, abduction, injury, death or sexual exploitation - girls in particular. Furthermore, children are made orphans and, at an early and unprepared age, assume responsibility as heads of families. Nigeria believes that a fundamental requirement for ending the involvement of children, as well as preventing them from being exploited in situations of armed conflict, is the prevention of conflict.”

    2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

11. “Olara Otunnu, for his continuing efforts to articulate a workable proposal for a monitoring, reporting and compliance mechanism for children and armed conflict. His insightful statement to the Council this morning set an appropriate tone for addressing the challenges before the international community on that important subject. In spite of international conventions and protocols that guarantee the safety and protection of children in armed conflict, as well as those that guarantee the rights of the child, innocent children are daily being dragged into the quagmire of armed conflict, with its terrible consequences. Children are paying heavy tolls for causes they know nothing about and are made pawns in dangerous struggles for political power and control of resources with no regard for their well-being.”

    2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

12. “I have the honour of conveying to you, Sir, the sincere appreciation of the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, for the invitation extended to him to participate in this open debate on children and armed conflict. Ambassador Adeniji could not make the trip to New York, but has asked me to convey his best wishes for a fruitful outcome. We are indeed grateful to the Republic of Benin for initiating this debate, which is both timely and necessary, as it will afford us an opportunity to focus attention on the urgent steps needed to prevent children from being used as instruments of war. We thank the Secretary-General for his in-depth report and the Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr.”

    2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129Resumption1 (2005) · source

13. “Finally, Nigeria notes with satisfaction the mission's support for the ECOWAS Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa. As the Council is no doubt aware, the Moratorium will soon be strengthened through a convention that will be mandatory on all signatories. That reflects the commitment of countries in our subregion to the fight against the scourge of these weapons. We shall continue to count on the Council and the international community in those efforts.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

14. “On Sierra Leone, Nigeria expresses its condolences to the United Nations and to the Governments of concerned countries, as well as our heartfelt sympathy to the families of the peacekeepers who perished in the recent helicopter crash in Sierra Leone. We salute the courage and dedication of those individuals, who paid the ultimate price in the service of humanity. While we welcome the progress achieved by the Sierra Leone Government, especially in the area of strengthening its military and police capacities, we believe that the security situation on the ground remains fragile. There is therefore a need for the cautious drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, in order to ensure sustainable peace.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

15. “On Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria is pleased to observe the progress made by the Government of that country in the political transition process. We commend the positive role being played by the Economic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Guinea-Bissau, as well as by the Group of Friends of Guinea-Bissau. Those efforts complement the role of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in support of a return to political normalcy in the country. We support the mission's recommendation that the Bretton Woods institutions and the international donor community should remain actively engaged by providing the necessary financial resources and technical assistance to the country.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

16. “We enjoin the Ivorian parties to accord the Mission the requisite support and cooperation. On Liberia, Nigeria welcomes the progress made since the National Transitional Government took office. Given the enormous challenges of post-conflict peace-building in that country, we join the Council in calling on those countries that have not done so to redeem the pledges they made at the international donors conference held last February. We also call on the Security Council to consider the lifting of its embargo on the trade in timber and other natural resources, so that the Liberian Government can have the necessary funds for the rehabilitation of its infrastructure. This is consistent with the decision of the recently concluded Third Summit of the African Union, which was held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

17. “We note that the leadership of that country is committed to taking necessary measures that would restore confidence and trust and would prevent relapse into conflict. Those measures include the reconstitution of the Government of National Reconciliation: a detailed time-bound schedule for implementation of the Linas- Marcoussis Agreement; legislation by the National Assembly on fundamental political reforms, as envisaged in the Agreement; and, of course, the holding of a regular high-level dialogue, without preconditions, among the country's parties. We are confident that the Ivorian parties will ensure that the benchmarks given the mission are indeed met. Meanwhile, we commend the positive role being played by the United Nations Mission in C6te d'Ivoire in the preparations for general elections by October 2005.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

18. “The mission, in our estimation, not only underscored this but also recognized the increasingly active and valuable role being played by ECOWAS in mobilizing countries in the region to undertake peacekeeping missions. In that regard, we wish to underscore the proactive role of the ECOWAS Chairman, President John Kufuor of Ghana, President Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Eyadema of Togo in the search for a solution to the Ivorian political impasse. The wide-ranging discussions the mission held with West African leaders, including President Obasanjo, provided insights and identified challenges that the international community faces in the subregion. In Cote d'Ivoire, there is a need to support the process of rapprochement and reconciliation.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

19. “It is thus noteworthy that among the objectives of the mission was to identify additional measures for the promotion of sustainable peace, security and development, and for cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the design and implementation of a subregional conflict prevention strategy, including how to tackle cross-border problems. Central to the realization of those objectives is the return of trust and confidence among and between parties to conflict in affected countries. In that process, the value of cooperation between United Nations missions and bodies in the subregion on the one hand and ECOWAS on the other cannot be overemphasized.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

20. “I wish on behalf of the delegation of Nigeria to convey our congratulations to you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. May I also express our appreciation to the Permanent Representative of the Philippines for the efficient manner in which he conducted the proceedings of the Security Council last month. The delegation of Nigeria has read the report of the Security Council mission to West Africa, 20 to 29 June 2004, contained in document S/2004/525. The visit was indicative of the Security Council's continuing engagement with the situation in West Africa, as well as a demonstration of the Council's commitment to regular consultation with Member States in the search for durable peace, security and stability in the conflict areas of the subregion.”

    2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source

21. “There is also a need to ensure the provision of adequate resources for ongoing United Nations peacekeeping missions to enable them to carry out demobilization and rehabilitation programmes. We also encourage the establishment of child protection units and the inclusion of monitoring provisions in United Nations peacekeeping and peace-building mandates. Finally, it is our hope that war-affected children throughout the world - and especially in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Angola - will find in the draft resolution on which the Council will be taking action at the end of this debate the support and sustenance they deserve.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source

22. “It is noteworthy that, as we learned from the statement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Optional Protocol to the Convention will enter into force next February. However, ratifications of the Convention and of the Protocol are not enough; they should be backed by concrete action. Nigeria is committed to the implementation of those and other relevant instruments. We welcome the increased level of cooperation and partnerships among Governments, non- governmental organizations and civil society to provide education, training and humanitarian relief to affected children. It is imperative that the rehabilitation of war- affected children be sustained and properly completed so as to facilitate their integration into society.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source

23. “A conducive atmosphere in which children can develop must be created. In our region, a number of initiatives have been taken to address the problem, as part of a broad commitment to enhancing the social, economic and cultural well-being of women and children. These include the establishment of a child protection unit within the Economic Community of West African States last April to protect and enhance the rights of children caught in conflict situations in the West African subregion. Undoubtedly, the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides us with the most comprehensive instrument for strengthening the rights of children affected by armed conflict.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source

24. “That is pursuant to resolutions 1261 (1999) and 1314 (2000), and it underscores the Council's commitment and its resolve to address the issue of children in conflict on account of its relevance to international peace and security. The need for action cannot be overemphasized. Children who are traumatized by the experience of war are scarred for life, both physically and psychologically. Because they are made to serve as child soldiers, they may grow up to embrace violence unless they are properly rehabilitated. The case of girls is even worse, as they are vulnerable to sexual abuse, rape and addiction; they are also exposed to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. The international community therefore cannot afford to stand aloof in the face of this deplorable situation.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source

25. “But the story also pointed to the urgency of remedial action by the international community to translate into action the shared commitment to protect children in armed conflict. In that regard, we thank the Secretary-General for his statement and for his report (S/2001/852). We also welcome the detailed statement to the Council of the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Olara Otunnu, whose clear advocacy and concern for children caught in conflict are shared by the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Carol Bellamy. We thank them all for their engagement on this issue. We are gratified to note that today's debate is the fourth the Council has had on the issue of children and armed conflict.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source

26. “Nigeria is pleased to participate in today's Council debate on children and armed conflict. We are delighted to see Jamaica presiding over yet another open debate of the Security Council on the well-being of children during and after armed conflict. My delegation appreciates the efforts of the Council in keeping the issue of children on its agenda. Let me also recall with appreciation, Madam President, your role as Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children: the lO-year review of the outcome of the World Summit for Children. The story that Alhaji Babah Sawaneh told the Council this morning was a graphic presentation of the challenges facing child soldiers during and after conflicts, especially in the African region.”

    2001-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4422Resumption1 (2001) · source