YouSaid · the spoken record

Axworthy

lines on the record: 248
first: 1996-09-27
most recent: 2000-04-19
sittings or episodes: 14
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

“I note in reports that we have heard today that there has been a modest, if localized amelioration, with the Taliban permitting home-schooling for girls, for example. This incremental progress needs to be redoubled, however, if it is to represent even a first step towards meeting the minimal standards required by the international community. It is fair to say that people around the world are outraged over the treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan. Canadians are no exception. Two years ago, I personally delivered some 5,000 letters from Canadians to the Secretary-General expressing their concerns about the situation in Afghanistan. A group of concerned Canadians recently formed a National Coalition in Support of Afghan Women, which is working to mobilize worldwide action to address the status of women in Afghanistan.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“Restrictions on women's mobility, first introduced in Kabul and other cities by the United Front and retained or extended by the Taliban since their seizure of control, not only deprive women of their human rights and the most basic degree of personal autonomy, but also impede - as we have heard so often today - their access to employment, education and health care. These restrictions are a matter not of mere neglect, but of active, directed policy. They have compound effects on the situation of women and girls. Maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan are the second highest in the world and, while overall literacy rates are estimated at 30 per cent, for females this number is 13 per cent.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“At a minimum, it is essential that humanitarian operations in Afghanistan be allowed to continue if the war is not to claim hundreds of thousands more victims, directly or indirectly. Perhaps most disturbing is the Taliban's systematic pattern of violation of the human rights of half the population - women and girls - a violation which the Taliban misrepresent as having a religious foundation. The interdiction on women travelling for any purpose except in the company of a close male relative has been rigorously and, indeed, brutally enforced by the Taliban's virtue and vice squads. Women daring to transgress their ordinances are subject to harsh punishment, including public beatings and torture, but those who obey are virtual prisoners and still subject to harassment and physical abuse.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“The United Nations Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan is making considerable efforts to rid the country of these horrible weapons, yet the Secretary-General's most recent report indicates that new mining is under way, negating those de-mining efforts and in flagrant violation of the provisions of the Ottawa Convention. Interference with humanitarian operations, particularly the denial of safe and unhindered access to affected populations, imperils the lives of those dependent on such operations for food and medical care. It is only through the efforts of United Nations agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and various non- governmental groups that famine has been averted.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“The comments of so many speakers today have made it plain that, in Afghanistan, the only unambiguous reality after two decades of civil war, destruction, brutality, violence and deprivation is that Afghan civilians - women, men and children - suffer most from this endless and senseless conflict. All aspects of this conflict are reprehensible. Some, however, stand out more than others. Some 5 to 7 million anti-personnel landmines are strewn indiscriminately across Afghanistan. They have limited military significance, but continue to kill or maim more than a dozen Afghan civilians every day.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“I thank the representative of Jamaica for his kind words addressed to me. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada. Let me begin by thanking those who have welcomed me to the Council Chamber. I appreciate their remarks. I also want to thank Mr. John Renninger for his sombre but informative briefing on the situation in Afghanistan, and Ambassador Listre for his very important report. Of course, I would like very much to welcome Angela King to our proceedings. Her presence here, I think, underlines an important aspect of the conflict, which preys upon the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. Their plight demonstrates again today how, in armed conflict, it is the civilians who suffer most. And, as for all victims of armed conflict, the Council bears responsibility for their protection.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for his very forthright statement and for the kind words he addressed to me.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security, document S/2000/205, and a letter dated 4 April 2000 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Afghanistan addressed to the President of the Council, document S/2000/282. Members of the Council have also received photocopies of the report of the United Nations Interagency Gender Mission to Afghanistan, which took place from 12 to 24 November 1997. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Mr. John Renninger, Officer-in-Charge of the Asia and the Pacific Division of the Department of Political Affairs, on the situation in Afghanistan. I call on Mr. Renninger.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“The President: In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. John Renninger, Officer-in-Charge of the Asia and the Pacific Division of the Department of Political Affairs. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Renninger to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“The situation in Afghanistan Report of the Secretary-General (S/2000/205) The President: I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Afghanistan, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Farhcidi (Afghanistan) took a seat at the Council table.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of April, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of March 2000. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Chowdhury for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council's business last month. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“At the outset of the meeting, I should like, on behalf of the Council, to express grief and sorrow at the passing of His Excellency Mr. Habib Bourguiba, leader and former President of the Republic of Tunisia. As the father of Tunisia and as one of the architects of the Organization of African Unity, President Bourguiba was deeply committed to the cause of peace, and was an embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of generations of men and women in Tunisia and throughout Africa. On behalf of the Council, I should like to request the representative of Tunisia to convey to the bereaved family and to the Government and the people of Tunisia our profound condolences.”
2000-04-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4124 (2000) · source
“There is hope that in this instance the past is not prologue. ( spoke in French) More resolute engagement in promoting peace and security in Africa; increased understanding of the need to relaunch an approach that links Council action with other efforts; recognition that a more human-centred approach to security challenges is needed in Africa - these are all positive trends. (spoke in English) This week's meetings on the Democratic Republic of the Congo are further and welcome evidence of Security Council commitment to these ends, to which Canadians are fully dedicated in their support.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“To that end, Canada will contribute $1 million to help with disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration, including to the Democratic Republic of the Congo National Commission on Child Soldiers. The regional conference on war-affected children to be held this April in Accra, hosted by Ghana and Canada, will consider other concrete measures with relevance to West Africa, and undoubtedly to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes situation. It is our aim that the lessons learned from these initiatives will be shared and built upon at a global conference to be hosted by Canada next September on the broad question of war and children. Since its nadir, so vividly recalled in the Rwanda Inquiry report, the Security Council has been making headway in being more actively involved in Africa.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In the coming months, we will provide $2 million to support the peace and reconciliation process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the region. One million dollars will be earmarked for the inter-Congolese dialogue, led by Sir Ketumile Masire at the request of Secretary-General Salim Salim of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The serious, indeed tragic, problem of child soldiers demands particular attention. Last year, Canada contributed to the organization of the Kinshasa Forum on the demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Further concrete actions aimed at helping war-affected children are important in order to consolidate peace efforts.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We expect that the JMC and the United Nations peacekeeping presence will work hand in hand in the full implementation of the Lusaka Agreement. I can say to the Secretary-General that our contribution will be delivered immediately. Canada has been and will continue to help in other ways. We believe our most useful contribution, in addition to support for United Nations efforts, is in supporting the inter-Congolese dialogue, as well as the institutional development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Indeed, we have already been actively involved in efforts to promote reconciliation and peace. Canada has in the past supported projects emphasizing conflict prevention through the promotion of human rights, increasing popular participation in decision-making and encouraging good economic management. Canada will reinforce these efforts.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In the first instance, this means the early deployment of 500 United Nations observers, already agreed to by the Security Council last November. They will need to be supported with a clear mandate and adequate resources. To that end, Canada supports the immediate creation of a robust United Nations mission along the lines proposed by the Secretary-General to assist in the implementation of the Lusaka Agreement, and whose mandate should include clear and unequivocal provision for the protection of civilians under Chapter VII of the Charter. The Joint Military Commission (JMC) plays a central part in ensuring that the Lusaka Agreement is respected. Canada will contribute $500,000 to the operation of the JMC.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“As President Mandela said last week in the context of Burundi, no one can reach agreement but the parties themselves. His wise counsel rings equally true for those involved in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, the global community can and should now play an active role in reviving the peace process and in achieving the goals set by the Lusaka Agreement. The time has come for the international community to assume its share of the burden - not just African countries, but all of us. This should not be a responsibility to be contracted out to an ad hoc coalition; instead, it must be met by truly collective efforts, funded not as a charity case but by assessed contributions - in other words, through the United Nations Security Council and through a United Nations operation.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It addresses the principal issues that need to be resolved: a ceasefire and disengagement of troops, a national political dialogue, the orderly withdrawal of all foreign forces, the disarmament of armed groups, the re-establishment of State administration and the creation of a framework for implementation of the accord that involves the United Nations. The tools are there, but the momentum has stalled. Therefore, we strongly welcome the initiative of the United States in convening this meeting, its willingness to engage fully in efforts to resolve the conflict and its leadership in bringing the parties together here in New York. The prospects for peace are tied primarily to the actions and decisions of those directly involved. The onus is clearly on them.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“They want a chance to establish democratic institutions and to have a representative Government in order to realize their aspirations for stability and economic and social development. Today we have heard many of the leaders of African countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo express the same desire for peace, stability and a return to normality. They too want closure on these problems. (spoke in English) The elements of a solution, as we have heard today, are there. The Lusaka Agreement, signed last summer, is central to resolving the conflicts.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo's economic development languishes, with some of its rich endowment of resources shamelessly pilfered to support war-making. Most important, ordinary people are suffering at an appalling and unacceptable level. Civilians are the principal victims of this violence. Tens of thousands have been uprooted from their homes. Thousands have been killed or maimed. Women and children suffer hugely. ( spoke in French) There are, however, other equally important realities. The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are a nation, united in their commitment to maintaining the integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's territory and the security of its borders. The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo desire peace, with open dialogue.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The Council's active involvement is therefore indispensable. The territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is contested by foreign military forces occupying vast swathes of its eastern provinces. Some domestic opposition forces have chosen military conflict over political means to contest national leadership. Dialogue on the country's future institutions and on the path to democracy is thwarted by both internal and external forces. An array of military groups and militias - armed, dangerous and acting with impunity - use Congolese territory to contest the Governments of many of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's neighbours. The influence of the new war economies is significant.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“If accepted and successful, these new measures on Angola might be applied to other conflicts, and we hope they will provide a model for constraining the market place of conflict. All of this is progress: progress in concrete Council action in Africa and progress in making the advancement of human security an important focus of this activity. But it is tenuous progress. The Council's engagement needs to be reinforced and sustained. We must not shrink from doing what is needed. Too often, the Council is motivated by avoiding cost and evading risk. This cannot be the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The conflict and turbulence in the Democratic Republic reflect many of the realities of modern war. It is clearly a significant human security challenge, and it is one of the most complex conflicts facing the global community.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In Sierra Leone, the Security Council established a new Mission that is helping implement a fragile Peace Agreement and bring a measure of peace and security for the people of that country. For the first time, a United Nations peacekeeping operation's mandate specifically includes the protection of civilians. The Council is currently considering the expansion of this operation; the Secretary-General is making recommendations. It is now up to the Council members to demonstrate their willingness to match our professed concern with resources and resolutely endorse his plan. In Angola, Canada has been working on practical ways to make the sanctions regime relating to the illicit trade in diamonds, weapons and petroleum more effective. These measures are aimed at bringing an end to the senseless civil conflict that has claimed so many lives.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“But it is also true that thematic discussions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, on the abuse of small arms and light military weapons and on war-affected children are helping broaden the Council's awareness and inform its responses to the security challenges of the new century. They have served to highlight the specific impact in African war zones. Beyond words and awareness there are also deeds. There is an increasing sense that, in Africa as elsewhere, the Council must lend its weight to ongoing peace efforts being made by others. In the Sudan, for example, the ongoing armed conflict is a serious concern that, beyond the glare of the media spotlight, continues to take a devastating toll. The Security Council should consider how it can support the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in its mediation efforts.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It underlines how the Council neglects the continent at its peril and the appalling price Africans pay when the Council fails to act. It lays all of this out clearly, methodically and indelibly, making it difficult, if not impossible, for the Security Council henceforth to shrink from or ignore its obligation to support peace and security in Africa. There are encouraging signs that the Council is learning from experience. I believe the deliberations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo that we have heard today are evidence that we are taking those obligations to heart. It is true that there has been no lack of Council consideration of the armed conflicts that continue to beset parts of Africa, as well as a search for solutions. To this end, the Council's recent open debates on Africa have helped focus attention.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We - as the Security Council, as Member States and as individuals - would do well to take the Secretary-General's example and clearly acknowledge our own shortcomings in Rwanda. However, retroactive mea culpas alone serve little purpose. We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it and apply its lessons to the present. The Inquiry highlights how terribly wrong things went in Rwanda, yet it also provides specific guidelines on how to prevent tragedies in the future. The Inquiry underlines how human security - the safety and protection of civilians - has become a central concern in modern armed conflict. In so doing, it underlines the need to integrate the human dimension into action on matters of war and peace. The Inquiry reinforces the importance of African issues to the Security Council's activities and to Council credibility.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“(spoke in English) As the President of Rwanda has reminded us, this report is a stinging portrait of failure in Africa by Members of this Organization, members of the Council and the United Nations Secretariat. It documents a failure to participate, anticipate and prepare; a failure to communicate; a failure to exert leadership and to commit resources - in short, an abysmal failure by the global community to act when the people of Rwanda most desperately needed our help. I commend the Secretary-General for establishing this unprecedented inquiry and for acknowledging the role he and the United Nations Secretariat played in the tragedy. But the burden of responsibility is spread wide.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The conflict in the Congo jeopardizes regional peace. It certainly undermines the fragile prospects for stability in an African country that is very central to the continent's interests. But most importantly, it is senselessly taking many innocent lives and ending the hopes of countless others, and for that reason we must all shoulder our responsibilities. (spoke in French) A solution that creates lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is therefore imperative. Canada is hopeful that this gathering will bring progress. As we focus on building a more promising future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, we also need to be mindful of the sometimes disheartening past. Last month, the Independent Inquiry into the actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda published its findings.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“I am very glad that we have been able to bring such warm weather from the Canadian North - Canadian weather. I should also like to thank you, Mr. President, for your very fine initiative in convening this meeting. Canada welcomes this special Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we have been very encouraged by the very effective, strong and powerful presentations made by the United States Secretary of State, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the leaders of the African States, the members and the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and the facilitator. It has really been one of the very important consensus-building exercises that this Organization has been involved in. We are glad to be here because this is an issue that involves us all.”
2000-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4092Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It falls to Africans, Council members and the broader global community to take this agenda forward and secure peace for the people of the African continent.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“Canada is the only remaining non-African contributor to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic. Prime Minister Chretien will reaffirm this commitment when he Visits Africa later this year. (spoke in French) As for the Council, much of its time is already absorbed by African issues. The focus needs to be more on both the quality and the effectiveness of the attention it devotes to its African agenda. To this end, an approach to Africa's security challenges that takes human security concerns fully into account makes sense. (spoke in English) The Secretary-General has provided us with an insightful progress report on the causes of conflict in Africa. The Secretary-General's comments reinforce the relevance of a human- centred agenda for Africa; his recommendations underline the need for a comprehensive approach.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“The Council needs to establish common criteria to trigger humanitarian intervention, apply them consistently in consultations with regional partners and overcome the reluctance of some to commit their people and resources to help the victims of war in far-off lands. The security of Africans should be a matter of concern for us all. It is for Canadians. That is why Canada is devoted to African development, the surest way to ensure sustainable peace. That is why Canadians - judges, police, teachers and humanitarian workers - serve in Africa. That is why Canadians were willing to lead a multinational effort in Zaire to protect the safety of a terrorized refugee population and why today we continue to play a part in African peacekeeping operations.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“The bitter experience of the individual Africans who have suffered most - victims of genocide in Rwanda, widespread starvation in Somalia, pervasive terror in Sierra Leone, a generation-long slaughter in Angola, slave-trading in the Sudan and a senseless war in Ethiopia and Eritrea - should demand effective intervention by the Council. Such is the responsibility of this body and no other. This humanitarian imperative has been applied, but elsewhere - in Kosovo and in East Timor but not in Africa - raising legitimate concern about how evenly these initiatives are put into practice.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“The risks and the costs of these operations must be assumed by us all. Making this solely or even primarily a local responsibility and simply passing around the hat to see what might be dropped into it is as shameful as it is inadequate. In Sierra Leone, ECOMOG has shouldered the burden long enough. Let us ensure that the mission this Council agrees to implement peace is coloured blue - United Nations-authorized, United Nations-managed, United Nations-funded - and that the United Nations and the remaining ECOMOG forces are as integrated as possible.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“In Angola this is Canada's objective in proposing tougher measures to reduce UNITA's illegal diamond revenues, to limit its access to the petroleum sources and to curtail its acquisition of arms and ammunition - all of which make it possible for UNITA to pursue this murderous war. I am confident that if the will exists within the Council, these sanctions can be made to encourage UNITA to return to the negotiating table. If successful, the lessons learned here could well have application in other conflict zones. When there is peace to keep, there is no substitute for collective Council action. This is no less true, and the demand no less urgent, in Africa than elsewhere. We may be faced with the need for robust, comprehensive peace operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly in Ethiopia and Eritrea.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“If it wants to harness Africa's economic potential, it must join efforts to remove landmines, which not only kill but also impede access to resources. I think that it is also very clear that the Security Council has a responsibility to protect the security of individual Africans. Contrary to what some suggest, the Council has the authority and the mandate to take action against those who profit from misery. It has the competence to help establish sustainable peace and to intervene in the face of massive suffering, and it should make full and forceful use that mandate. More resolute action to cut off the ways and means for waging armed conflict and to ensure that these sanctions work is vital.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“Indeed, much of Canada's $30-million peace-building initiative is focused on shoring up these and other efforts with projects responding to local priorities and needs. Last week, my Government announced a further contribution of $4.5 million for Sierra Leone to help civilians, particularly children, who have been deeply affected by that conflict. Controlling the marketplace of conflict which fuels local African war machines is also vital in order to prevent the suffering of individuals. Encouraging more responsible business and government behaviour is a key. Such efforts by Canada and others in the Wassenaar group to respect the ECOWAS moratorium on arms flows is an important, and I think necessary, demonstration of what must be done. Business can contribute in other ways.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“Canadian peacekeepers know first-hand the skill and bravery of their African colleagues. To assist in this area we are helping build on these talents with further training at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centres in Nova Scotia and Montreal. Where conflict has ended, there is a movement away from a culture of war and towards societies at peace. These efforts need help from other Governments, from civil society and from the business community. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants are a primary challenge. The plight of war-affected children is a particular concern. Building on Mali's efforts on small arms, for example, Canada and Ghana will host a conference next year to map out an integrated approach to these peace and security concerns in West Africa.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“International support can bolster these efforts and help build local capacity. That is behind Canada's support for Commonwealth efforts in Sierra Leone. At the recently held Moncton Summit, Canada announced a three-year training programme to strengthen peace and security skills in countries of La Francophonie. We are also contributing to strengthening the OAU, especially the conflict management centre, and are committed to working for still closer consultation and cooperation between the United Nations, the OAU and the subregional organizations. We certainly welcome the presence here of Secretary-General Salim Salim and Ministers speaking on behalf of these organizations of Africa. But making peace is not enough. Keeping, building and consolidating peace are essential. Africans are increasingly called on to serve as peacekeepers.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“The rest of us should take care to listen and lend support - even if some around this table do not share this agenda. Equal attention, common action and collective resources to advance Africa's security needs are required. Anything less, especially from the Security Council, is an abdication of our shared obligations. As we have heard this morning, preventing and resolving conflict are a starting point. Africans are striving to bring conflicts in Africa to an end: the OAU in the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Arusha process in Burundi are all very important examples. Peace is being established in Sierra Leone, largely as a result of ECOWAS mediation and years of commitment by its Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“Africa's children are the main Victims of the appalling wars that have ravaged Africa. More are drafted into the service of violence as child soldiers than on any other continent. This year, Mozambique gathered Africans and others to take action on this front. In particular, Africans recognize that the new war economies that marry the brutality of warlords with the avarice of mercenaries and arms dealers and certain commercial interests exert a terrifying hold on many of their communities. Africans have categorically rejected the assumption of power by force. The decision this year by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) leaders in Algiers is a milestone of enormous importance. Clearly, Africans themselves have made the security of people an impetus for action.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“Too many parts of the continent remain caught in the vicious grip of armed conflict, and the safety of Africans in these situations is fragile. Africa's people pay an especially high price in terms of threats to their personal security. That is why, as we have heard, Africans are working to confront these threats to personal security directly. On a continent where landmines kill and maim more people than anywhere else, Africans played a leading role in the campaign to ban anti-personnel landmines. Many of the hundreds of millions of assault rifles and other small arms now in circulation have found their way to African battle zones. The countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have had enough and have imposed a moratorium on the arms flows into their region.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“(spoke in French) Economic and social development are, of course, central to these processes. Canada's commitment to working with African people towards this end remains intact. A third of Canada's official development assistance is allocated to Africa. Canada has forgiven all official development assistance debt for the poorest African countries. This year, we helped forge an international mechanism to expand debt relief for the poorest countries. We have given great priority to the battle against the dangers that hit Africans particularly hard, including HIV/AIDS. We firmly believe that the prosperity of Africa depends on strong support for its sustainable development. (spoke in English) But the freedom from want is closely linked to the freedom from fear. Societies cannot flourish in conditions of violence and intimidation.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“I would like to thank the delegation of the Netherlands for convening this meeting on the situation in Africa and to you, personally, Mr. Prime Minister, for adding your presence to this very important debate. I should also like to thank the Secretary-General for his very thoughtful report and the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and the Ambassador of Algeria representing the Chairman of OAU, President Bouteflika, for their important contributions. As we have heard in the reports that have just been given here, Africans across the continent are seizing opportunities to build Vibrant and stable communities. Democracy is resurgent; civil society is taking hold and prospects for growth are promising. I think it would be fair to say that the African renaissance is under way.”
1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049 (1999) · source
“(spoke in English) We should pledge here to achieve a global division of labour to fight on all fronts - from the Security Council to individual Governments to the level of community organizations - to address the menace of small arms. If we work together with determination, I believe we just may succeed.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“Individual Member States can act to ensure that they have the legal framework in place to control the import and export of small arms and to destroy those weapons that are surpluses to their legitimate needs. Non-governmental organizations and civil society can work in partnership with Governments to promote implementation of measures designed to enhance individual security by curbing the spread and use of small weapons and working to build societies that see no value in the illegal possession and use of these arms. (spoke in French) The challenge posed by small arms is considerable. A variety of responses are needed - political, pragmatic, financial, technical and cultural.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“And as we know, blunt instruments hurt - but not always the ones they are intended to hurt. We need to make sanctions razor-sharp. They should be pointed at the perpetrators of conflict; they are the ones who should suffer, not the innocent people. Clearly the means are within our grasp to operationalize an agenda for action against small arms. First, the Council can act in the ways I have outlined: on sanctions, peace operation mandates, and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. Secondly, the General Assembly can reinforce and push the Council to implement the resolutions it has adopted and to do more. Thirdly, regional organizations can reinforce stability and security with arrangements and conventions on illicit and licit trade and trafficking in these weapons, as our friend from Malaysia has pointed out.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“This is the impetus behind Canada's efforts as Chairman of the Angola sanctions Committee - to choke the illegal diamond revenues that fuel UNITA's war effort; to reduce access to the petroleum resources that make it possible to operate their war machine; and, perhaps most importantly, to curtail acquisition of the weapons that makes the continuation of this murderous war possible. If we are successful in curbing the flow of diamonds and other resources, it will help the Security Council to devise models that might apply to other conflicts. In this context, efforts to control the spread of small arms call for a shift in the way we apply sanctions. Comprehensive sanctions cannot and must not be used as a way of doing peace and security on the cheap. They are a blunt instrument.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“To this end, the Council needs to inform itself about the abuse of small arms and military weapons in its examination of individual conflicts, and to make redressing those abuses the centerpiece of its efforts to restore stability. Where appropriate, the Council should impose arms embargoes and other sanctions targeting the illicit trades that pay for these weapons. Most importantly, the Council must not merely call for, but rather must ensure full and effective implementation of these measures.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source