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

“The purpose was to share experiences and identify how Governments and other agents can work to support them. Their experiences were both compelling and encouraging. Above all, they emphasized that in order to be effective, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration need to be well planned and well coordinated within the United Nations system and with others that may be involved. Most importantly, it needs the full support of the parties most directly affected. More active measures to limit the use of these deadly weapons, to prevent the need for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in the first place, would be even better.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“Canada believes we should take a practical approach to this problem. That is why we have supported microdisarmament in Mozambique and El Salvador; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts in Sierra Leone; and elaboration of a firearms protocol within the Economic and Social Council. Even in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), we have called on new members to ensure that their modernization efforts do not result in unwanted flows of arms to other regions, and we have served notice on would-be members that their behaviour in this regard will be factored into enlargement decisions. The fact is, on small arms, small steps often yield big dividends. Earlier this week, Canada and Norway hosted a meeting of microdisarmament practitioners from Sierra Leone, El Salvador, Mozambique and Albania.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“( spoke in French) A broader and more systematic approach is needed: that is the conclusion of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms, which proposed a world conference in the year 2001. Canada supports that proposal. In order to be effective, that conference must have the broadest possible mandate and agenda. (spoke in English) We need to use the conference, and more importantly, the time between now and then, to change our thinking and to change behaviour. Canada is ready to host a preparatory meeting to bring a practical focus to this work, but we cannot wait until 2001 to take action: the need is too urgent and too immediate. Rather, 2001 should be an opportunity to take stock of results and plan the way ahead. But to get those results we need to start action now.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“This is what I mean by responsible behaviour: when a group of countries has the courage to say "no" to small arms, we must have the decency to respect their decision. We also need to think of new ways to approach the problem of small arms. Small arms are ubiquitous, but they are useless without ammunition. We should consider how we might track, control or mark ammunition as one way of controlling the lethal effect of these weapons. As one expert has told me, sometimes it is too late to stop the supply of the weapons themselves; but if you stop the supply of bullets, you stop the killing. We should also look at unilateral actions such as destruction of surplus stocks. South Africa did it because it had the foresight to know that it had to destroy these weapons before they could kill.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“One of the failures of globalization is that it has permitted the creation of a new war economy where, in exchange for diamonds and other natural resources, certain corporations provide warlords with the financial resources they need to operate - money that is funnelled back to yet other dubious businesses that are only too happy to make their profit through the illicit arms trade. Those companies must look beyond narrow short-term interests and start to appreciate the real impact of this trade on the lives of people. In other words, they must become part of the solution. Some encouraging steps are being taken. Canada and a number of other members of the Wassenaar Arrangement have worked to ensure that Wassenaar members respect the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) moratorium on small arms and light weapons.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“Small arms are simple to use and light to carry, lowering the barrier for violence and terror. They make it easy for corrupt Governments and warlords to transform innocent children into chillingly efficient killing machines. They endanger international military, police and humanitarian assistance workers, whose very jobs are to help those victimized by conflict. These arms make economic development impossible. The challenges of controlling them are complex, but come down to a question of supply and demand and, frankly, the political courage to do something about them. The demand for small arms is fuelled by those whose ambitions perpetrate human misery. They are aided and abetted by the dubious business interests that profit from the market place of conflict.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“(spoke in English) In the past decade alone, 46 of the 49 conflicts that beset the world have been carried out primarily or exclusively through the use of small arms and light weapons; that is close to 90 per cent. The impact on civilians has been devastating. Consider these facts: civilians constitute over 80 per cent of casualties in armed conflict; more than a million people die each year as a result of those conflicts; and 90 per cent of those deaths are caused by small arms. Conservatively speaking, this means that more than 700,000 civilian deaths a year are attributable to small arms. These are truly arms of mass destruction. Their widespread availability has made it easier to fight, multiplying the human cost in civil and ethnic disputes.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“The proliferation, misuse and excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons is a direct concern for the Security Council. I would like to thank the Netherlands for taking this initiative today to focus the Council's attention on a very critical issue. ( spoke in French) Last week, the Council studied the report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. That report places human security at the centre of the Council's work. That was Canada's objective last February when it requested that report in the Council. It is impossible to secure the protection of civilians without controlling small arms. These arms are the main instruments of war today. They are used to kill, mutilate and terrorize people, most of whom are innocent civilians.”
1999-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4048 (1999) · source
“The Council encourages the Secretary-General to consult the Inter-Agency Standing Committee in formulating his recommendations. "The Security Council affirms its intention to review the recommendations of the Secretary- General in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1999/6. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. I might also add my personal thanks to all members of the Council for their commitment to this briefing, for their attention and for the eloquent statements that they have all made. We look forward to the report. The meeting rose at 2.15 pm.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“"The Security Council considers that a comprehensive and coordinated approach by Member States and international organizations and agencies is required in order to address the problem of the protection of civilians in situations of armed conflicts. To this end, the Council requests the Secretary- General to submit a report containing concrete recommendations to the Council by September 1999 on ways the Council, acting within its sphere of responsibility, could improve the physical and legal protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict. The report should also identify contributions the Council could make towards effective implementation of existing humanitarian law. The report should examine whether there are any significant gaps in existing legal norms, through the review of recent reports in this regard.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“The Council welcomes the commemorative events planned to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions and the centenary of the First International Peace Conference of The Hague. These occasions provide an opportunity for a further exploration of ways and means by which the international community may enhance the compliance of parties to an armed conflict with the relevant rules of international law, including those of international humanitarian law. "The Security Council welcomes the continuing contribution to the implementation of international humanitarian law of the International Committee of the Red Cross.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“"The Security Council notes the deleterious impact of the proliferation of arms, in particular small arms, on the security of civilians, including refugees and other vulnerable populations. In this regard, it recalls its resolution 1209 (1998) of 19 November 1998 which, inter alia, stressed the importance of all Member States, and in particular States involved in manufacturing and marketing of weapons, restricting arms transfers which could provoke or prolong armed conflicts or aggravate existing tensions or armed conflicts in Africa, and which urged international collaboration in combating illegal arms flows in Africa. "The Security Council expresses concern over the widening gap between the rules of international humanitarian law and their application.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“"The Security Council also condemns all attempts to incite violence against civilians in situations of armed conflict and calls upon States to fulfil their obligations to take action at the national level. The Council affirms the need to bring to justice, in an appropriate manner, individuals who incite or cause violence against civilians in situations of armed conflict or who otherwise violate international humanitarian and human rights law. In this regard, the Council reaffirms the importance of the work being done by the ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and calls upon all States to cooperate with the Tribunals, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Council acknowledges the historic significance of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“"The Security Council calls upon all parties concerned to comply strictly with their obligations under international law, in particular their relevant obligations under the Hague Conventions, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, as well as with all decisions of the Security Council. "The Security Council strongly condemns the deliberate targeting by combatants of civilians in armed conflict and demands that all concerned put an end to such violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The Council expresses its willingness to respond, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to situations in which civilians, as such, have been targeted or humanitarian assistance to civilians has been deliberately obstructed.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“Bearing in mind its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Council affirms the need for the international community to assist and protect civilian populations affected by armed conflict. The Council calls upon all parties concerned to ensure the safety of civilians and guarantee the unimpeded and safe access of United Nations and other humanitarian personnel to those in need. In this regard, the Council recalls the statement of its President of 19 June 1997 (S/PRST/l997/34) and also recalls its resolution 1208 (1998) of 19 November 1998 on the status and treatment of refugees. "The Security Council expresses particular concern at the harmful impact of armed conflict on children and, in this regard, recalls the statement of its President of 29 June 1998 (S/PRST/l998/18).”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“The Council condemns attacks or acts of violence in situations of armed conflict directed against civilians, especially women, children and other vulnerable groups, including also refugees and internally displaced persons, in violation of the relevant rules of international law, including those of international humanitarian and human rights law. (spoke in English) "The Security Council is especially concerned about attacks on humanitarian workers, in violation of the rules of international law. "The Security Council notes that large-scale human suffering is a consequence and sometimes a contributing factor to instability and further conflict, whether due to displacement, violent assault or other atrocities.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“The Security Council will now resume its consideration of the item on its agenda. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: (spoke in French) "The Security Council has considered the matter of protection of civilians in armed conflict. "The Security Council expresses its grave concern at the growing civilian toll of armed conflict and notes with distress that civilians now account for the vast majority of casualties in armed conflict and are increasingly directly targeted by combatants and armed elements.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3978 (1999) · source
“I thank Mr. Otunnu for his kind remarks and his own leadership in a very crucial area. There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The meeting rose at 2.05 pm.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“I would like to thank Ms. Bellamy for the good work of the United Nations Children's Fund and for the indication of ongoing cooperation. I now call on Mr. Otunnu.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“We look forward to the Secretary-General's report and to working with other Council members to address the situation, starting now. I now call on Mr. Sommaruga to respond to any comments or questions or thoughts that he has heard. I would just remind him that, as time goes on, economy is the watchword for the next 10 minutes.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“For this reason, Canada strongly welcomes the statement the Council will adopt requesting the Secretary-General to submit a report later this year containing practical, concrete recommendations for further actions to protect civilians. If I have heard one compelling message today from Virtually everyone around this table, it is that the plight of civilians in armed conflict is an urgent matter, growing and global in the threat it poses to the fundamentals of human security. It goes to the very core of the Council's mandate and deserves continued attention. The Council has a responsibility to act resolutely and vigorously. To do otherwise risks diminishing the Council's standing and opens the way to a more disorderly and far less secure world.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The Council might also consider how to better target, design and enforce sanctions regimes, as so many members have pointed out, to maximize their impact on belligerence, to dry up the resources to wage war and to constrain those who profit from it while minimizing their effect on non-combatants. These are only a few suggestions, and if time permitted, I would like to give a more exhaustive list. But members have also presented many ideas and there has been a good discussion today about how the Council can respond. To help in moving forward, the Council needs a comprehensive assessment that brings together the numerous challenges that we face with an inventory of possible responses.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“There are no easy solutions. Nonetheless, we believe that the Council has the capacity to respond, provided, as our friend from Gabon has said, that there is political will. The Council should ensure that the Secretary- General highlights the situation of civilians, especially children, in reporting to the Council. The when, why and how of Council-mandated peace missions and good offices might be re-examined thoroughly to enable the Council to act rapidly when civilians are threatened and to propose ways to give peacekeepers the authority, guidance and resources they need to defend civilians. Other innovative practices, such as how Council missions could assist in minimizing the abuse of mass media to target civilians, as suggested by Under-Secretary-General Vieira de Mello last month, also merits further exploration.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The Tribunals established for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda were a step forward, but backing for a more systematic prosecution of alleged war criminals, for example through support to the International Court, should happen sooner rather than later because it is needed. There is a simple demand for it now. Taking aim at the purveyors and instruments of war is a fourth major objective. Those who are accessories to these crimes and violations - the merchants of conflict who illicitly traffic in the means of war - can likewise not be left unaccountable. Conflict areas are awash with arms, especially military small arms and light weapons. Their abuse compounds the misery of civilians, and the flow and abuse of weapons that terrorize, maim and kill requires urgent action. These are complicated challenges. I recognize that.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“We have developed a considerable body of law and standards regulating the conduct of belligerents and the protection of civilians, both local and international in scope. In this regard, the situation of children and refugees merits our special attention. It is also important to underline, as briefers have indicated, that new standards are emerging to adapt to the changing nature of conflict, for example with regard to the treatment of internally displaced persons. However, too frequently these standards are flagrantly violated or ignored or simply left unanswered. Thirdly, supporting the pursuit of those who violate humanitarian norms and standards is imperative. The impunity of individuals who commit gross violations of humanitarian law against others during armed conflict is a widely acknowledged problem.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“First, as many members have pointed out, is the prevention of conflict. Averting the outbreak of armed conflict is the optimal means to avoid needless destruction and suffering, in particular the victimization of civilians. There is nothing new in this observation. Yet the United Nations record is not all it might be either in taking pre- emptive steps, building strong human rights institutions, ensuring early warning of impending crises, offering concerted support for peace processes or having the capacity to act quickly in the absence, for example, of the rapidly deployable mission headquarters that we and other nations have espoused. Frankly, the Council needs to reassert its leadership in this area. The second challenge is ensuring respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The Council's establishment of ad hoc Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda were concrete measures against those who violate international humanitarian law. The Council's words and deeds to date are a promising start. However, the march of time is relentless. Civilians continue to be brutalized by the hundreds of thousands. There are no signs that we, the international community, can somehow wait this out. Our briefing today has made this urgently clear, and I thank the briefers for the eloquence and drama with which they have brought this to our attention. It makes the decline in the Council's active presence in the world's conflict areas all the more disturbing. More, not less vigorous, comprehensive and sustained action on the part of the Council is imperative. In Canada's View, the challenges of the Council are fourfold.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“And last month, the Council considered the humanitarian impact of conflict. Awareness, as someone has said, precedes action. The Council undoubtedly is more sensitive than ever to the many dimensions of this contemporary problem. In its practice, the Security Council decisions have begun, and I use the word begun to reflect the reality. The Council exhorts both State and non-State actors involved in conflict to comply with relevant provisions of international rights and humanitarian law that relate to protection of civilians. Peace support operations, as appropriate, include provisions relating to the security of United Nations personnel, including human rights monitors, and take special consideration for the situation of civilians.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The responsibility of the Council to protect civilians is therefore compelling from a human security perspective, in terms of fulfilling the Council's own mandate and in the interest of enhancing State sovereignty. Our discussion today is a welcome acknowledgement of the Council's role. Indeed, this meeting builds upon recent initiatives by current and previous Council members, as well as the existing Council declarations and actions. In its deliberations, the Council has condemned the targeting of children in armed conflict. It has indicated a willingness to consider how to assist with the provision and protection of humanitarian assistance. It has recognized a need for peacekeeping operations to take better account of the needs of civilians and it has considered the devastating impact of arms transfers in areas of conflict.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“Active Council engagement would reverse this situation. It would also reinforce the legitimacy of the States. It is the prerogative and the obligation of States to ensure the protection of all citizens, especially in times of armed conflict. This is the fundamental public good that the State provides. But oftentimes Governments do not or cannot provide it. Sometimes this is a consequence of weakened State structures or failed States. In these cases, Council action to defend civilians in armed conflict will also diminish the threat to the States themselves. The reluctance to involve the Council, justified by some by the need to uphold State sovereignty, only serves, ironically, to undermine this very principle itself.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The ultimate aim of the Council's work is to safeguard the security of the world's people, not just the States in which they live. Clearly, faced with the disproportionate toll that modern conflict takes on civilians, the protection of individuals should be a primary consideration in the Council's activities. As many here have pointed out, the Council does not have to do it all; other parts of the United Nations and the wider international community have their responsibilities. However, in the absence of resolute and effective Council leadership, civilians in situations of armed conflict are left in a security void. This vacuum will be, and in some cases already is, filled by others combatants, including mercenaries, who act with little restraint and scant regard for even the most basic humanitarian standards.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“The promotion of human security is the bedrock upon which all other objectives of the United Nations Charter must rest - from economic and social development, to human rights and freedom, to the free flow of commerce. The dark side of globalization is the attack upon the basic integrity of people. No one can prosper or progress if they fear becoming victims of marauding child soldiers set loose by political leaders, of the drug warlords who exploit human misery, or of combatants who sow landmines without discrimination. The point of this meeting is that the Security Council has a vital role to play in confronting these threats. There should be no mistake. Promoting the protection of civilians in armed conflict is no sideshow to the Council's mandate for ensuring international peace and security; it is central to it.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“Consider the brutality in Sierra Leone; "ethnic cleansing" and the slaughter of non-combatants in the Balkans; genocide and the mass movements of refugees and displaced persons in the Great Lakes region of Africa; and the emergence of modern-day warlords in failed States who take advantage of, brutalize and terrorize local residents - aided and abetted by outside arms dealers and private groups who benefit from the marketplace of conflict. Indeed, there is today a marketplace of conflict. (spoke in English) It is a fact of our time that the threats to human security - the risks that individuals, communities and people face in their daily lives - outweigh the risks to security occasioned by conflicts across borders, the more traditional concern of the Council.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“More than ever, non-combatants - especially, as our briefers have pointed out, the most vulnerable - are the principal targets, the instruments and, overwhelmingly, the victims of modern armed conflict. The number of casualties from armed conflict has almost doubled since the 19805 to about 1 million a year; of those, 80 per cent are civilians. (spoke in French) Our discussion leaves no doubt about the considerable threats faced by civilians or about their global dimension.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Canada. (spoke in French) I too should like first of all to thank Mr. Sommaruga, Ms. Bellamy and Mr. Otunnu for their presentations to the Council. Their presence here is an important milestone in the Council's deliberations. They have conveyed with honesty and clarity the precarious plight and the enormity of the problems faced by ordinary civilians caught in the grip of armed conflict. (spoke in English) I think it is true to say that the victimization of civilians in war is as old as time, but never more so than at the end of this century. As so many here have commented, what is most disturbing today and provides the global community with a compelling reason for engagement is the increasing "civilianization" of conflict itself.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“I thank the representative of the United States for his kind words addressed to my country. I give the floor to the representative of the Gambia.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“I thank the representative of Bahrain for his kind words addressed to me. If I might just comment on the clock, which is now going past the witching hour, we still have five speakers left plus the responses of the briefers. Because of the importance of the topic, I would hope that the members of the Council would indulge us in allowing us to continue right through without a break. I know that this may do some damage to members' physical nourishment, but the nourishment of a higher order that is being supplied so ably by the speakers thus far, I think, will suffice to keep us sustained during that period of time. So that will be the intention of the President, if members are all in agreement.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“I would now like to give the floor to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF; and Mr. Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict, regarding the protection of civilians in armed conflict. I give the floor to the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“Carol Bellamy and invite her to take a seat at the Council table. 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. Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict. There being no objection, it is so decided. I welcome Mr. Otunnu and invite him to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear briefings by Mr.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“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. Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. There being no objection, it is so decided. I welcome Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga and invite him to take a seat at the Council table. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of any objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). There being no objection, it is so decided. I welcome Ms.”
1999-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3977 (1999) · source
“Since then, we have seen leaders of exceptional courage step forward and accept the challenge of building peace in the Middle East. Those foundations of peace have been painstakingly built, often with great sacrifice. Let us ensure they are preserved and the deliberations of this Council today are a very important start for that rebuilding to take place.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“Pearson, received a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts during the Suez crisis in 1956. Since that time, Canada has contributed to every United Nations peace-keeping operation in the Middle East. Canadians do not want to see the accomplishments of the last several years destroyed. Our active involvement in the peace process has helped, along with that of many others, to build peace. We have accepted the challenge of chairing the refugee Working Group. We have and will continue to support the economic development of the region, including direct aid to the Palestinians. We urge all parties to continue preparations for the third North Africa and Middle East economic summit in Cairo in November, building on the successes of those held in Casablanca and Amman. The Madrid Conference in 1991 heralded a new era in the Middle East.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“Our goal is a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on the principles laid out in United Nations Security Council resolutions over a generation - notably 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). It is also true that the international community has a responsibility to the peace process in the Middle East. We must ask ourselves today if we are prepared to continue the struggle for peace and if we are doing all that every member here can possibly do. It is our duty to speak out in the cause of peace and to consider, as members of the international community, any initiatives that would aid the parties to build confidence, such as a renewal of the Madrid process. Canada's involvement in the efforts to secure peace in the Middle East dates back almost 50 years. My predecessor, the late Lester B.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“We urge the Israeli Government to demonstrate that commitment by avoiding any further initiatives to change the status quo on matters subject to permanent-status negotiations. Expanding existing Israeli settlements, or ill- considered actions in Jerusalem or elsewhere, are not appropriate steps in this climate. We urge the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel to exercise maximum calm and restraint in the prevention of violence. It is vital that confidence be restored and that Israelis and Palestinians alike see that there is a real commitment to the serious and early implementation of those agreements. Unilateral actions cannot resolve these very sensitive questions; only negotiations can.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“Both parties can demonstrate their commitment to peace by honouring and fully implementing the existing agreements on Palestinian autonomy. We would like to see the start of serious negotiations between the Syrian and Lebanese Governments, and the Israeli Government. What is critical now is avoiding any further measures that will provoke further violence and suffering. We urge the Government of Israel to reverse its decision to open a new entrance to the Hasmonean tunnel, and we, too, deeply regret the recent demolition of the Palestinian community centre. The Israeli Government must move forward with speedy and substantive steps to implement the Oslo agreements, as it has said it intends to do.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“In the meantime, a terrible price has been paid in human suffering, and we must all acknowledge that. We know that nothing is to be gained from apportioning blame. We hope that out of the present suffering, Israelis and Palestinians alike will agree that violence is not the answer. We issue an urgent appeal for leaders throughout the region to do all in their power to restore calm and bring the violence to an immediate end. We all need to support these leaders, and accept that there is only one road, and that is the road of peace. We call on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to the negotiating table in the coming days and we very much hope that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat will soon meet.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source
“Mr. Axworthy (Canada) (interpretation from French): The escalation of violence this week in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza has deeply shaken Canadians. We are very much alarmed by the number of Palestinians and Israelis who have lost their lives in recent days, and we would like to extend our condolences to the families of those who have been killed or wounded. We are extremely concerned also about the future of the peace process in the Middle East. A lasting peace can be based only on confidence. (spoke in English) The tragic events of this week and the tensions of the past months have served to shatter the trust that has been so painstakingly built up over many years, a trust vital to the success of the peace process. Restoring that trust must be the very first priority.”
1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source