YouSaid · the spoken record

Arnault

lines on the record: 262
first: 2004-05-27
most recent: 2018-10-10
sittings or episodes: 15
sources: un-security-council

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“But registration figures will still have an impact in terms of creating a perception that some parts of the country have been - perhaps deliberately - disenfranchised. Much is riding, therefore, on providing to unsafe areas of the south an equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process. Another challenge relates to the determination of population figures themselves. Indeed, under the new Electoral Law, the figures that will be used to define the number of representatives per province will be based on a current survey done by the Central Statistical Office. Unfortunately, again due to insecurity, it is now quite likely that the provinces of Zabul, Helmand, Paktika and Uruzgan will not be surveyed, or only very partially.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“I have already mentioned the problem of security and the distinct possibility that insecurity could lead to under-registration in some provinces. The figures today are revealing: altogether, the nine provinces of the south and south-east represent a mere 12 per cent of registered voters. If that pattern should last, it will give rise to a second issue - namely, that of a lack of balance in registration between various provinces. Ultimately, under-registration in one province relative to another should have little impact on the outcome of the elections to the Lower House, since the number of seats for any one province will be based on population estimates rather than registration figures.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“As mentioned earlier, with the active support of the coalition, the high-risk provinces of Uruzgan and Zabul, which have been off-limits to international agencies for two years, are now open to registration, though on a reduced scale, and we hope to expand to the remaining high-risk provinces of Paktika and Nuristan in the coming days. In order to meet registration targets, further expansion is planned in the short term, from 600 currently to approximately 800 sites by 1 June. This is needed to enable voter registration to achieve the minimum required cruising speed of at least 75,000 registrations per day. Although the process is well under way, a number of concerns remain that I would like to share with the Council.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“Contrary to initial expectations, the participation of women has not dropped as voter registration expanded beyond the main urban centre. After a slow start between December and March, women's registration has picked up in the past two months, accounting now for between 37 per cent and 38 per cent of registrations over that period. However, we also have to take into account the fact that significant under-registration of women continues in the south-east and east, where women account for less than 30 per cent of registrants.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“The coalition has now reorganized its forces into three regional commands that cover the territory as a whole and that liaise with electoral authorities to allow registration to take place. I will now turn to voter registration and the electoral process. Upon completion in April of voter registration in the eight major population centres, the process entered its second and final phase, which is to cover the rest of the country over the next couple of months. The second phase started with 160 sites in early May and has now expanded to almost 600 sites in 31 of the 34 provinces, with more than 1,000 registration teams operating simultaneously. Since the beginning of May, close to a million people have been registered, which brings the total number of registered voters today to 2.7 million.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“In addition, grenade attacks took place in the province of Wardak and two improvised explosive devices were found in Logar, near a registration site, last week. It is still unclear, however, whether those attacks have been directed against the electoral operation per se or whether they are intended, like many other similar attacks, against Government targets. The level of violent opposition to the electoral process is therefore still difficult to gauge, but precautions are, of course, being taken, as registration is now pushing into the rural areas. In particular, very close coordination has been developed with coalition forces. The deployment of a new United States Marines unit in Uruzgan and Zabul has allowed access to the registration process in areas that until now have been forbidden to internationals.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“In addition, in recent weeks the number of arms caches uncovered by ISAF has been increasing, and multiple signs of heightened anti-Government activity have appeared, indicating that the spring surge under way in much of the country may be ongoing in the country's capital as well. While the aid community continues to keep a low profile in insecure areas in order to reduce its vulnerability, the expanding voter registration process - to which I will come back later - has been affected by the overall increase in incidents. So far, four attacks have taken place against registration teams, involving improvised explosive devices - one in the south, one in the north-east and two in the east - fortunately, in all those cases, without fatalities.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“In the north and north- east, tensions between the Jumbesh and Jamiat factions remain high following clashes that took place in March in the provinces of Faryab and Balkh. However, deployments there, and in Herat, of the new Afghan army have had a stabilizing impact and have prevented further escalation. In Kabul, even though no deadly suicide attacks - like those directed against the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) last winter - have taken place another ISAF patrol was attacked last week with rocket-propelled grenades, causing the death of one Norwegian soldier. Earlier, a rocket landed at ISAF headquarters, fortunately without fatality.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“Militias involved in combating the Taliban are also widely believed to be responsible for a high percentage of incidents in the areas where they operate. A recent attack against an electoral assessment mission in the south-east turned out to have been organized by the local border brigade commander, perhaps in connection with criminal activities. In addition, in the context of ongoing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes, there have been warnings that commanders targeted by DDR would get involved in incidents aimed at creating a perception of a security vacuum. Many of these factors are also present in other parts of the country. In particular, the province of Farah has become increasingly insecure as a result of rivalries among local factions.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“That increase is consistent with the spring surge in extremists' attacks, which the coalition had been expecting. The modus operandi - anti-Government forces operating in small groups of 10 to 20 men and targeting Afghan police, the Afghan National Army, the civilian administration, non-governmental organizations and Government representatives - also confirms the shift in the strategy of the Taliban and other groups that was observed last year. According to the coalition, various extremist groups are involved, including Taliban operating in the south, foreign fighters in the south-east and Hezb-i-Islami/Hekmatyar in the east. At the same time, one must be cautious in establishing responsibility for events taking place in the south, east and south-east. Drug-related violence is an important factor of insecurity.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“In keeping with the format of previous Security Council briefings, and in view of the critical impact of security conditions on the political process, I would like to begin this briefing with a review of the security situation in the country. In his latest report on Afghanistan to the Security Council, last March (S/2004/230), the Secretary- General observed that insecurity in Afghanistan continued to follow a well-known pattern. The most recent United Nations security map bears that out, with little change in the identification of low-risk, middle- risk and high-risk provinces. Within that pattern, however, the situation has evolved negatively in recent months in the more risky areas - and particularly in the south - with a tangible increase in the number of incidents and in the number of resulting casualties.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source
“As this is the first time I am briefing the Council, allow me to begin by warmly thanking the Council for its confidence in me, shown by its support for the Secretary-General's decision to appoint me his Special Representative for Afghanistan, for its strong support for the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its most recent resolution on that matter, resolution 1536 (2004). (spoke in English) A few months separate us from the holding of the national elections that will mark the end of the transitional Government. I would like therefore to focus my briefing on the main challenges confronting the country in the preparation of that event.”
2004-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4979 (2004) · source