YouSaid · the spoken record

Akram

lines on the record: 1,374
first: 2002-06-13
most recent: 2023-12-20
sittings or episodes: 175
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Permit me at the outset to extend the warm felicitations of the Pakistan delegation to you, Mr. President, and to the delegation of Greece on the skilful manner in which you are guiding the work of the Council. I would also like to express our appreciation to Ambassador De La Sabliere and to the French delegation. Ambassador De La Sabliere conducted his presidency with his usual grace, understanding and competence. I would like to join other delegations in thanking the Chairmen of the three committees, who briefed the Council today. We support the efforts of all three committees in promoting greater transparency and dialogue with Member States concerning their respective areas of activity. We hope that the committees will also ensure the involvement and participation of the general membership of the United Nations in their work.”
2005-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5229Resumption1 (2005) · source
“Good offices and other mechanisms for pacific settlement and conflict avoidance could be utilized, as appropriate, under the framework of the commission. It should promote development as the best means to prevent conflict and should address abuses of international humanitarian law and human rights in order to prevent conflict. With the concurrence of the Governments concerned, assistance can be provided in pre-conflict stages: in the governance, economic and social recovery, human rights and humanitarian fields. In that way, the United Nations as a whole can join together in addressing and overcoming the challenges which face developing countries of Africa and several other developing countries at the dawn of the twenty-first century.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“In that regard, the proposal of a peacebuilding commission has evoked considerable interest within the general United Nations membership. In its country-specific operations, the proposed commission would need to embrace Pakistan's concept of ad hoc composite committees. While several aspects of the proposal need to be worked out, we feel that the idea offers a real opportunity to promote a truly comprehensive approach to the issues of peace and development. It should not be merely a mechanism to fill the gap between conflict and post-conflict situations. We believe the commission should focus on all stages of conflict. It should serve as a mechanism for early engagement of the international community with situations that risk sliding towards conflict.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“We expect that relationship to develop further in an institutionalized way. While Sierra Leone was an example of successful peacekeeping, Guinea-Bissau, in our view, could be a reference point - or a test case of the combined efforts of the Security Council and Economic and Social Council for peacebuilding. As we know, much more needs to be done to ensure the success of that combined effort. For peacebuilding, the key challenge, among other issues, remains the mobilization of sustained and adequate international support, including funding and resources. The discussion today on the African dimension in the work of the Security Council has highlighted the need for a system-wide response, based on greater coordination and synergy among the principal organs of the United Nations.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“Somali efforts and those of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development must receive the necessary backing and support of the United Nations and, in particular, of the Security Council. We welcome the intention of the Secretary- General to appoint a special representative to lead the expanded United Nations role in Somalia. The Council should also play its rightful role in that context. In the case of post-conflict situations, managing the transition from conflict to long-term development and preventing relapse into conflict have also gained greater attention at the United Nations. The recognition of the inextricable link between peace and development has opened the window for increased cooperation and coordination between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“Harmonious and coordinated policies add to the effectiveness of Security Council decisions and actions. In the context of the regional approach, the Security Council should, in our view, also focus on the Horn of Africa in a more coherent way, as it has done in the cases of West and Central Africa. We cannot fail to mention another test case here: Somalia, which, over the years, despite being on the agenda of the Security Council, has not benefited from the kind of political support that it so desperately needs and which only the United Nations can provide. In particular, the recent progress in the Somali peace process offers yet another opportunity which should be fully seized.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“We welcome that decision, which we hope will contribute to long-term peace and stability in that great country. UNMIS will be a big challenge, considering the scale of the operation and its duration, besides other complicating factors. In that perspective, we hope that the Security Council will give serious thought to the compatibility of a cooperative United Nations peace operation with the policy of sanctions. The need for regional or subregional approaches has also been recognized, due to the cross-cutting nature of the problems and the desirability of comprehensive solutions. The increased interaction and coordination between contiguous peacekeeping operations is welcome. We are also encouraged by the growing cooperation of the Security Council with the African Union and several subregional organizations.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“I would like to say, in the context of certain current considerations, that in order to be effective, peacekeeping operations, especially in complex crises, must be well conceived and well planned, with competent management. They must be provided with the necessary human and material resources, a robust mandate to carry out wide-ranging functions, clear deployment and rules of engagement. This applies, in particular, to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). Its forces are operating under difficult circumstances. They have suffered casualties and have been engaged in intense firefights. MONUC and its forces require the full support of the Security Council and its membership. The Security Council has just authorized the establishment of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS).”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“The list is long and diverse, but poverty and underdevelopment seem to be omnipresent. As we have said before, it is the politics of poverty and scarcity - or a scramble for resources, in the words of South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister - which give rise to most of Africa's problems. The Council's response in the conflict- management phase - peacekeeping - has been quite good. United Nations multidimensional peacekeeping operations correspond to the specific needs of complex situations by bringing together resources in military and a whole range of civilian fields. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone was a crowning success whose experience is now being emulated in many other missions across Africa. Pakistan is proud to have been part of all of those peacekeeping operations.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“Discussions in those two meetings were summarized and issued as documents of the Council. I am sure that the ideas and new proposals emanating from today's meeting will complement the vast information databank that is already available to the Council. It is encouraging that the Security Council is continuously adapting its approach to the problems of Africa. Most of the situations in that continent are complex crises, with interlinking security, political, social, economic and humanitarian aspects. Many are also internal conflicts - armed rebellions or civil wars - although some situations involve outside interference and have cross-border or regional implications. In the context of conflict prevention and avoidance of relapse, it is important to address the root causes.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“Mr. President, I would like to congratulate you and the able Brazilian team for the skilful manner in which you have guided the Security Council this month. Let me also offer my felicitations to Ambassador Adechi on the outstanding Beninese presidency last month and convey my best wishes in advance to Ambassador Wang of China for a successful presidency next month. Africa is sadly, but necessarily, a major preoccupation of the Security Council. Sir, we appreciate the thoughtful background paper you have circulated to facilitate today's discussion. During its Council presidency in May 2003, Pakistan convened a wrap-up session on conflicts in Africa, Security Council missions and United Nations mechanisms to promote peace and security. In May 2004, Pakistan organized a thematic debate on complex crises and United Nations response.”
2005-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5156 (2005) · source
“The world needs a Council that can also stand up for the weak and powerless, a Council that is a force for objectivity, fairness, equality and justice in the management of international relations. I would like to thank the President of the Council very much. I am very glad to have ended our term under his presidency, which reflects not only the great skill of Algerian diplomacy but also the spirit of the season.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“The accountability of Council members will not be enhanced by creating new permanent members, as they will not be obliged to face the democratic test of a periodic election by their peers in the General Assembly. The privilege and claim of a country to represent its region or a group must be subjected to the periodic democratic test of elections by the General Assembly. During our two years in the Security Council, the delegation of Pakistan was often advised to temper its idealism in the face of power realities. However, that has not shaken our belief that sustainable security can only be secured when principles have primacy over power. The world needs a Security Council that does not always mirror power realities, but one that also acts with moral authority and credibility.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“As provided in the Charter and the Council's provisional rules of procedure, the Security Council's meetings should, as a rule, be open. Close consultations should be the exception. The dictum "open covenants openly arrived at" must also apply to the Security Council. The election of non-permanent members is also an instrument to ensure accountability on the part of those States that are accorded the privilege of serving on the Council. During its term, therefore, Pakistan sought to reflect not only its national interests but also the aspirations of our constituency, namely, the countries of Asia and the Islamic, non-aligned and developing world.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“A comprehensive non- proliferation strategy can only be pursued with the universal participation and cooperative action of all the Member States of the United Nations. It cannot be achieved by the Security Council alone, where some enjoy extraordinary powers and unequalled privileges in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament. It is obvious that the Security Council can be, and should be, made more effective and efficient. Due to the unequal power enjoyed by five of its permanent members, the Security Council is structurally constrained from always acting in an objective, consistent and just manner. But some steps can be taken to improve its functioning. Transparency and accountability are prerequisites to achieve that.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“But if the CTC is to be effective in eradicating terrorism rather than in only addressing symptoms, its scope of action must be broadened to address the root causes of terrorism, especially the political and economic injustice against Muslim peoples in Palestine, Kashmir and elsewhere. We look forward to the comprehensive strategy to be proposed by the Secretary-General. Clearly, counter-terrorism endeavours must involve the active participation of all those countries whose contributions are essential to achieving the objectives of a comprehensive strategy. Similarly, the Security Council adopted resolution 1540 (2004) as a stopgap measure to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists and non-State actors.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Humanitarian interventions invoking the responsibility to protect could come to be perceived as the birth of a new era of recolonization. Nor is it clear that such interventions could be funded or well managed by the international community. In our View, it would be much wiser to devote the required resources for a pre-emptive strike against poverty and underdevelopment. There are two other areas in which the work of the Security Council cannot remain exclusive: terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. After 11 September 2001, the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), creating the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), was a necessary and desirable response.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“The question, of course, arises as to when that responsibility to protect commences - once the State is on the verge of collapse or well before, when conditions of poverty and underdevelopment clearly indicate that a country might collapse into State failure unless it is assisted by the international community. An international responsibility to protect can only become legitimate if it flows from a prior acceptance of the right to development of all peoples - a right that encompasses the right to food, shelter, fair terms of trade, relief from crippling debt, and adequate access to finance and technology. Without the international solidarity implied by the right to development, the world is destined to witness a host of failed States.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Pakistan has held the consistent view that many of those complex crises should be entrusted to mechanisms involving other major United Nations organs, especially the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, so that comprehensive action can be taken to address the political, economic and social dimensions of such crises. While the High- level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change has proposed the creation of a peacebuilding commission under the Security Council, Pakistan's view remains that a more practical mechanism would be the creation of ad hoc composite committees to address such crises as and when they arise. The preoccupation of the Security Council with intra-State conflict has been conceptualized in the thesis of the responsibility to protect populations that are at risk in so-called failed or failing States.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“However, the nature of peacekeeping has changed from simple operations involving the observance and enforcement of ceasefires to the management of complex crises involving duties in disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconstruction. In short, the United Nations is now in the business of nation-building. The oversight and management of such nation- building consumes at least half the time and attention of the Security Council, inevitably diffusing its focus on the more existential threats to international peace and security. Huge expenditures are incurred on peacekeeping, but there are consistent shortfalls in the resources required to reconstruct broken nations and build sustainable security.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Since Iraq's occupation of Kuwait, the Security Council has not taken enforcement action against States which have resorted to the use of force, aggression and occupation against other States and peoples. United Nations peacekeeping missions have emerged as the principal instrument of enforcement action by the Security Council. After the failures of Somalia, Srebrenica and Rwanda, United Nations peacekeeping succeeded in Sierra Leone. That success and the Council's preoccupation with intra-State conflicts have led to a strong surge in demand for United Nations peacekeeping, especially in West Africa, Central Africa and, perhaps, in the southern Sudan. Today, the United Nations fields over 70,000 military and civilian personnel in 16 missions. Pakistan is proud to be the largest contributor to those United Nations peacekeeping operations.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Thus, while the Council expends most of its time in seeking, not always successfully, to manage internal conflicts - some, admittedly, with cross-border or regional implications - and in worrying about putative threats from terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the real threats to global security are being addressed through arrangements outside the Security Council. It is almost as if the real threats to international peace and security are considered to be too important to be entrusted to the Security Council. The Council's power of enforcement is most often directed, at present, against weak regimes, militias or mullahs.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Moreover, there is a visible impatience on the part of some, once Chapter VII has been invoked, to move rapidly towards the application of Article 42 of the Charter and to threaten or authorize enforcement action. In our view, the space between Articles 41 and 42 of the Charter is not always fully explored, including in some celebrated cases, to achieve the international community's objectives without recourse to the use of force and military intervention. One consequence of the proclivity to punish and enforce, rather than conciliate and mediate, is that the major threats to international peace and security - such as in South Asia, North Asia and the Middle East - are prevented by one or the other of our permanent members from being addressed substantively in the Security Council.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“The special debate on the pacific settlement of disputes, held during Pakistan's first presidency in May 2003, identified a number of views, ideas and proposals which need to be seriously pursued and promoted. In the recent past, the Council has been too quick to evoke its authority under Chapter VII of the Charter, often where the threat to international peace was neither imminent nor fully visible. The provisions of Article 41 have been utilized with increasing frequency to impose sanctions and punish recalcitrant regimes and warring parties. The effectiveness, value and negative consequences of such sanctions measures have yet to be fully analysed and evaluated, as is apparent from the report of our working group on sanctions.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Yet the essence of the Charter is cooperative, not coercive multilateralism. The Security Council's scope of action extends sequentially from pre-conflict peacemaking, through conflict-management and termination to post-conflict pacification. In our view, where the Council and the United Nations really fall short is in exploiting the tremendous possibilities contained in Chapter VI of the Charter for the pacific settlement of disputes. The Secretary-General, his special representatives, the Security Council itself, its subsidiary bodies and missions, as well as other United Nations judicial and humanitarian structures can play a much more active role in reconciling differences and settling disputes before they result in open conflict.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Our term has coincided with momentous developments in international relations - developments in which the Council and the United Nations have been in the eye of the storm. We have entered a new era in history marked, paradoxically, by the asymmetry of power as well as the interdependence of nations. We have yet to determine a new paradigm for managing global affairs in this new era, but the United Nations and the Security Council will have a central role in it. The United Nations is an indispensable instrument for the promotion of humankind's shared goals. The Security Council is the crown jewel of the United Nations, entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and empowered with the unique capacity to create international obligations and take enforcement action.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“There is a need to promote coordination in policies with regional and subregional organizations - in Liberia's case, with the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. The lifting of sanctions should be based on a political judgement rather than on technical requirements linked to conditions for lifting such sanctions; and in transitional situations, ways must be found to remove the stigma of sanctions against the country. Having offered those comments as Chairman of the Liberia Committee, I would like to add a few comments as Pakistan completes its two-year term on the Security Council at the end of this month. It has been a singular privilege for the members of my delegation and myself to serve on the Security Council with so many able and outstanding colleagues.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“My first and foremost priority in the Committee has been to maintain transparency in its work. I would like to briefly comment on some aspects of the Committee, and perhaps my comments may apply to others. In my View, in devising and implementing measures under Chapter VII, we must remain focused on the initial objectives that led to their imposition. The goalposts for the maintenance of sanctions should not be shifted in mid-course. The monitoring and implementation of sanctions is a difficult task and an expensive one. Sanctions need a closer cost-benefit analysis. The socio-economic and humanitarian impact of sanctions must be clearly and regularly assessed. It is equally important to objectively assess the capacity of the Government concerned to fulfil the conditionalities imposed by the Council.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“The first period was marked by ongoing civil war and continuing violations of the sanctions and the arms embargo. The second period, in 2004, was marked by an improvement in the situation as Liberia underwent a transition from conflict to peacebuilding. Since August 2003, there have been no violations of the arms embargo that have been reported. However, the Committee agreed to adopt an approach towards the continuation of sanctions that is differentiated between the arms sanctions and the economic sanctions. The Committee has had to rely a great deal on the Panel of Experts, in the absence of a mechanism for reporting by Member States. Also, the guidelines for the Committee's work have not been approved since the Committee was established in 2001. It is my hope that those matters will be finalized as a matter of priority next year.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“Mr. Akram: I welcome this opportunity to share some personal thoughts as Chair of the Liberia Committee for the last two years. I take this opportunity, first of all, to thank all Council members and, in particular, the Committee experts, as well as the Secretariat staff, for their contributions to the Committee's work and their support for the Chairman. I commend, in particular, Loraine Richard-Martin, the Secretary of the Committee during 2003, and her equally able successor James Sutterlin, as well as their colleagues Tilo Stolz and Arminia Decepida, for their outstanding performance. Our work over the past two years could be divided into two distinct periods: the first period, from January to December 2003 as the 1343 Committee; and the second period, from December 2003 to the present time, as the successor 1521 Committee.”
2004-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5106 (2004) · source
“We believe that it needs to be added that such terrorism can be committed both by non-State and by State actors. Terrorist actions by sections of legitimate national liberation struggles for self-determination do not in themselves delegitimize such legitimate national liberation struggles.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“The Panel has identified a number of elements for that strategy, such as dissuasion; promotion of social and political rights, the rule of law and democratic reform; ending occupation and addressing major political grievances; and reducing poverty and unemployment. We believe that such a strategy must include a more direct approach to addressing the root causes of terrorism. President Musharraf has outlined such a comprehensive approach in his concept of enlightened moderation. We must include ways to address the larger systemic and structural issues, including the reform of the unequal international economic system. Suggestions have also been made by the Panel for a legal definition of terrorism. The Panel has rightly asserted that no cause justifies targeting of innocent civilians.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“However, all of us, including the 1267 Committee, need to bear in mind that there is a need for a broader strategy that addresses the challenge of terrorism - a challenge that is mutating in a comprehensive and effective manner. The Counter- Terrorism Committee and the 1267 Committee, which deals with an important aspect of the terrorist threat, both have to play an active and cooperative role. In that regard, we have also noted the recommendations of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change for a comprehensive strategy against terrorism. The Secretary-General has promised to suggest such a strategy in the near future.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“The Al Qaeda and Taliban threat is especially relevant to Pakistan, in particular because those organizations have targeted Pakistan and its leadership. We have taken extensive measures to combat terrorism, and had taken such measures even before 11 September 2001. We have strengthened our domestic legal framework and are working on further improving our financial mechanisms. Pakistan has extended international cooperation to both multilateral and bilateral agencies dealing with terrorism. We have launched actions in the tribal areas of our western border and arrested more key Al Qaeda operatives than any other country.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“Fifth, the Committee should continue to look not only at country reports but also at countries' counter- terrorism actions on the ground, in practical terms, in order to evaluate their performance in fulfilling the obligations set by the Security Council. Sixth, we have noted the Committee's efforts to cooperate with other United Nations bodies and Committees. Such cooperation should be pursued within the respective mandates of the Committee and the other bodies concerned. Seventh, the Al Qaeda and Taliban Committee is dealing with an issue that concerns all States. Therefore, ways and means should be explored to associate the larger membership of the United Nations with the work of this and other relevant Committees. The threat of terrorism continues to confront the international community. Pakistan is no exception.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“Second, the notion of "associates of terrorists" should not be interpreted too expansively, as that can dilute the focus and effectiveness of the work of the Committee. Third, the Committee should help States to strengthen their national banking and financial mechanisms to prevent the abuse of alternative remittance systems. Care should be taken not to unduly target Islamic charities, hamper their genuine welfare actions or penalize them for the actions of some of their employees. Fourth, we have noted the Chairman's comment that visited States have found great use in the Committee's visits. We believe that those visits should be used, in particular, to identify and facilitate the provision of long-term, sustainable technical assistance to those States.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“However, it is obvious that Al Qaeda continues to pose a threat to international peace and security. Today's meeting happens to be the final opportunity for my delegation to discuss the work of the Committee and the Monitoring Team as a member of the Security Council. I would therefore like to utilize this opportunity to make a few comments. First, we believe that the Committee should institutionalize the process of regularly reviewing and updating the consolidated list to maintain its efficiency and relevance. It should also improve its listing and delisting procedures in accordance with the requirements of due process in order to make those procedures transparent and efficient and to ensure greater cooperation with all States.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“I would like to join my colleagues in expressing our gratitude to Ambassador Munoz, Chairman of the Al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions Committee, for his briefing to the Council on the work of the 1267 Committee and the Monitoring Team and in commending him and his Mission for the exemplary manner in which they have led the work of the Committee over the last two years. I would also like to take note of the second report of the Monitoring Team, submitted on 15 December, pursuant to resolution 1526 (2004). The Al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions Committee has made considerable progress in terms of harmonizing and coordinating implementation of sanctions by States in three key areas: the freezing of financial assets, the imposition of travel bans and an arms embargo.”
2004-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5104 (2004) · source
“But this must also be done within a larger framework that puts an equal premium on conflict prevention, conflict resolution, addressing root causes and providing long-term assistance to tackle the developmental and reconstruction challenges of States affected by or likely to be engulfed by conflict. As the Secretary-General has stressed, our efforts to promote a culture of protection can achieve moral authority and credibility only through principled, consistent and effective practice.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“And eight, regular monitoring and consistent and objective reporting by the United Nations system across all conflict situations must be ensured with a View to encouraging necessary responses from the international community. In our view, there should be no neglected emergencies, no ignored conflicts. In conclusion, let me say that strengthening the framework for the protection of civilians in conflict situations, which are characterized by an increasingly challenging environment and diversity of actors, is not an easy undertaking. The Security Council should remain focused and keep individual civilian victims of conflict at the centre of attention.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“Sixthly, sexual violence and other abuses of women and children are inexcusable. Consideration should be given to the adoption of a declaration that the targeting of women and use of rape as an instrument of war constitute a war crime. Concrete steps must also be taken to bring the abominable use of child soldiers to an end. In this context, we welcome the Secretary-General's attention and efforts to address the problem of sexual violence by United Nations peacekeepers or civilian personnel. Seven, a coherent and integrated approach by all actors is essential. Closer coordination must be guaranteed among the national players - the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, regional and subregional arrangements and humanitarian organizations providing protection and relief assistance to civilians in armed conflict.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“All available legal mechanisms must be fully utilized to investigate, prosecute and punish the culprits. Thirdly, immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians in all conflict situations is critical to saving lives. No party should be allowed to deny or obstruct such access in any phase of the conflict. Fourthly, provision of emergency relief assistance to civilian victims of conflict is vital. Besides mobilizing resources through voluntary contributions, consideration must be given to providing funding through the regular budget as well. Fifthly, deliberate violence against humanitarian and United Nations personnel is an unacceptable and relatively recent phenomenon. Measures should be taken to hold perpetrators accountable in line with Security Council resolution 1502 (2003).”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“3) Article 48 of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions stipulates that "In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population the parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants." Unfortunately the disproportionate use of force, excessive rules of engagement, indiscriminate deployment of high-yield weapons and ill-treatment of prisoners have rendered such injunctions largely meaningless. Resolution action on the part of the international community is required to reverse these unacceptable trends. Secondly, it is imperative to bring an end to the culture of impunity. The parties guilty of harming civilians must be identified and the perpetrators brought to justice swiftly.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“There is no possibility of justice for victims under foreign occupation. The Secretary-General rightly stressed in his report of May 2004 that "Compliance by all parties to conflict with international humanitarian, human rights, refugee and criminal law is critical in all of these situations, whether they are situations of armed conflict, occupation or transition." (S/2004/43], para.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“Stark and disturbing evidence makes it clear that civilians, particularly vulnerable groups such as women and children, continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict and remain the prime victims in such situations. I should like to make eight points on the subject under discussion. First, the most important problem, as we see it, is to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law. In situations of foreign occupation, human rights organizations have extensively documented the incidence of harassment, extortion, abduction, search- and-cordon operations, unlawful detentions, and arbitrary and extrajudicial killings. Rape has frequently been used as an instrument of war, to dehumanize women and humiliate the communities to which they belong. Such crimes are committed without any accountability for the perpetrators.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“Mr. Foreign Minister, we are grateful to the Algerian presidency for organizing this open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and warmly welcome your personal participation in, and your presiding over, this important meeting. We are also thankful to Under-Secretary- General Jan Egeland for his comprehensive briefing and review of various conflict situations in the context of the 10-point platform. We also particularly welcome the presence of the Secretary-General at this meeting. About five years ago, the United Nations began systematically to approach the issue of the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100 (2004) · source
“Nor should it lose sight of the fact that the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is, in the final analysis, inextricably linked to the achievement of the disarmament of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and other means of delivery.”
2004-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5097 (2004) · source
“In that context, it will have to recognize the differentiated nature of the obligations of Member States. We hope that the Committee will keep some of those complexities in perspective while it proceeds with the consideration of national reports. Those complexities will be compounded further if attempts are made to enlarge the scope of the 1540 (2004) Committee beyond its mandate to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by non- State actors, including terrorists. We hope that the Committee, when considering national reports, will keep its focus on that specific scope and the objective of resolution 1540 (2004).”
2004-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5097 (2004) · source
“Such a decision would also help to dispel the widely held perception - outside the Council, perhaps, if not inside - that the whole process of drafting the resolution, the push for its implementation and the composition of the Committee's experts and staff are being led by the developed countries to the exclusion of a large number of developing Member States. It is obvious that the provisions of technical assistance that may be required by some States will have to be sought from other States or concerned international organizations, and not from the Committee itself. Fifthly, the Committee will have to ensure that it does not infringe upon, or erode the authority, or duplicate or complicate the work of established treaty regimes and international bodies established under them.”
2004-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5097 (2004) · source
“That has become obvious in the context of the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is therefore not surprising that over 100 States, including developed countries, have not yet been able to submit their national reports. Fourthly, there are also valid questions regarding the capacity of the 1540 (2004) Committee in the context of its expertise, manpower, resources and, more importantly, limited time frame. We wonder if the Committee can do its job with only four experts. We hope that the Committee will approve the hiring of more experts, particularly from developing countries of Asia and Africa, to assist in its work.”
2004-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5097 (2004) · source