YouSaid · the spoken record

Baja

lines on the record: 635
first: 2003-05-30
most recent: 2007-02-12
sittings or episodes: 101
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

“In baseball, one has to touch home plate in order to score a run and to win. East Timor is already on third base and in the final inning. It needs to score a run. We urge the Security Council to help East Timor to win by extending UNMISET for another year, as recommended by the Secretary-General. Then, when the success story of East Timor is told, it will be a tale of how the United Nations, through the Security Council and UNMISET, and the international community as a whole, helped East Timor to stand on its feet, make the decisive run and win against all odds.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“They noted that a number of ARF participants continued to make major contributions to the post-independence multilateral effort in Timor-Leste. The Ministers stressed that, as part of the Asia-Pacific, Timor- Leste's future was reliant on the development of economic, political and security ties with its neighbours." We also note that a joint border commission has been established by Indonesia and Timor-Leste to take care of border and refugee concerns, among other issues. A joint bilateral commission has also been created to monitor and address other issues of common concern. There have also been high-level visits between the two countries, and they have just recently concluded negotiations on an air services agreement that is now ready for signing by the respective Governments.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“This includes the conduct of serious-crimes investigations and proceedings. East Timor's political and economic growth, however, relies on a global consensus on the need to assist the country. Japan, Australia, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and the European Union are important contributors to the creation of a viable nation. Indonesia is a key neighbouring, and my delegation notes the growing progress in the relations between Indonesia and East Timor. At the tenth ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting, held on 18 June 2003, the ministers issued a paragraph on East Timor, which reads: "The Ministers congratulated the Government of Timor-Leste on its progress since independence. In particular, the Ministers noted the positive relationship developing between Timor-Leste and Indonesia.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“Hope for economic salvation lies in expected revenues from oil and natural gas in the Timor Sea, but as revenues from this source have been delayed, the assistance of United Nations agencies, bilateral donors and the Asian Development Bank must be maintained. There is also an urgent need to concentrate on human resources development, particularly in developing mandatory basic education and in imbuing the people of Timor-Leste with entrepreneurial skills. Other key areas for assistance, as referred to by the Under-Secretary-General, include the management of public finances and the justice system. The judiciary, owing to the incomplete legal and procedural framework in which it operates, is not yet fully capable of implementing the rule of law in a manner consistent with international human rights standards.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“East Timor boasts a committed team of leaders who not only are politically astute and mature but also understand the challenges confronting their newly independent country and are aware of the responsibilities involved in ensuring its sustainable development. East Timor inner strength also comes from the resolve of its people to survive. Nevertheless, efforts to create means for sustainable development and secure economic growth must be provided. The country is one of the least endowed on Earth. Its population is heterogeneous in language and culture. The country does not as yet have major industries; unemployment is high; and the infrastructure is poorly developed.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“This security presence will also be able to assist in the continued development of the East Timor National Police and provide protection to United Nations military liaison officers. It will also be able to assist in institutional capacity-building to ensure the stability and functioning of Government in civil administration. East Timor has requested a continued military presence and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has recommended such an extension for another year, in a reduced size and with a modified mandate. We urge the Security Council to head East Timor's requests and vision and to support the professional advice and recommendations of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“The Under-Secretary-General has articulated the achievements of the United Nations presence there. Notwithstanding the gains made by East Timor and UNMISET, there remain areas of concern that could necessitate a continued United Nations presence in East Timor in order to build a stable and sustainable democracy. Foremost among those concerns is the maintenance of peace and security. We believe that an immediate pullout of the international military and police presence there might create a security vacuum in the country. A continued United Nations security presence there, however, will be able to deal, under East Timor's operational leadership, with law enforcement activities and to take care of possible disturbances from remnants of the anti-independence militia and other criminal elements.”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this public meeting of the Security Council on East Timor. We also thank Under- Secretary-General Guehenno for his comprehensive and positive briefing on East Timor, and we welcome the Foreign Minister of East Timor, Mr. Jose Ramos- Horta, to our meeting. At this stage, we can justifiably consider the case of East Timor as a model of United Nations involvement that is close to being a success. The odyssey started with the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) in 1999, followed by the Security Council-authorized International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) also in that year; then came the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in 2000 and, now, the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET).”
2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source
“Finally, the international community must remain engaged in Kosovo and committed to its international and internal development. The international civil and military commitment to Kosovo should be maintained for as long as the internal security situation requires. Kosovo needs the strong and sustained political will and commitment of the actors on the issue and the full engagement and support of the international community, particularly on ways to implement the standards or reach the benchmarks. In this way, we may no longer have to avoid any longer the discussion of the issue of final status for Kosovo.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“We would like to know how the UNMIK police is ensuring peace and stability and combating organized crime. As the representative of the United Kingdom stated, the actors in the area - the politicians, including UNMIK, the Kosovo Force and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government and the diplomatic officers - need to develop greater cooperation and partnership amongst themselves. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General exercises praetorian authority over 2 significant number of sectors of Government and therefore plays a key role in ensuring a safe and secure environment in which institutions can function. At the end of the day, the United Nations is legally responsible for what happens in Kosovo. At the end of the day, the credibility of such future peacekeeping missions of a similar nature depends on a successful UNMIK.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“UNMIK is more that four years old and has had two Special Representatives of the Secretary-General. Since much has been improved there, this issue of an impasse should not be allowed to sit on the wall of distrust and should, like Humpty- Dumpty, have a great fall. Such a fall would have positive implications, not only for Kosovo, but for the entire region. We suggest that, in addition to the working groups, focal points of contact would promote confidence-building measures and cooperation on issues of common concern. I recall that when the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China were negotiating a code of conduct for the South China Sea, focal points were very useful. Fifthly, as of 31 December 2003, we have 55 Filipinos in the UNMIK police.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“All delegations have mentioned these parallel structures, and we would like to know how extensive these parallel structures are, what their impact is on the political process, how they can be dismantled and how to engage the local leaders and institutions in the political process. Fourthly, we welcome the statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General that efforts will be made to open dialogue - or reopen dialogue - between Belgrade and Pristina. The report also said that Belgrade still finds the "Standards for Kosovo" document unacceptable and was of the view that the consultations had not been sufficient. It also stated that the Kosovo Serb leadership had distanced itself from the document, as had some Albanian leaders. Why is this?”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“Third, the report introduced by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (8/2004/71) shows that much more work is needed to reach the benchmarks in preparation for any form of final status for Kosovo. These areas include the judiciary, the police service, the penal system and the rights of minorities and displaced persons. Paragraphs 53 to 55 of the report mention that parallel administrative structures as well as lack of participation in the Provisional Institutions and of engagement in the political process by local leaders and institutions hinder real progress.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“The most encouraging sign of progress is the renewed atmosphere of cooperation between UNMIK and the Kosovo Government, resulting from the launching in December of the "Standards for Kosovo" formula and the announcement, a month earlier, of a mechanism that would review Pristina's implementation of the standards. We also note other positive developments in such areas as legislation, at both the central and local levels of self-government, as well as the transfer of non-reserved responsibilities to the Provisional Institutions of self-government. Minority returns are also on the rise. The other day, UNMIK and the Danish Refugee Council were reported to have made possible the safe and successful return of four Kosovo Serbs four years after they fled their homes in Pristina. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“Being the thirteenth speaker on this agenda item and speaking after France and Brazil does not leave us with much to say over and above what others have said already. Nevertheless, we would like to offer some observations and ideas. First, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is no ordinary peacekeeping mission. Capacity-building and development are important components of the mission. Here, one of the objectives of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) is to build autonomous institutions of self-government and transfer administrative responsibility to those institutions. Secondly, we welcome the positive developments that have taken place in Kosovo in the past several months.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“Along with other members of the Council, we congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency for this month and commit our cooperation and support to you and to your presidency. We also congratulate Ambassador Munoz and the Chilean delegation on a successful presidency last month. We thank the Secretary-General for his recent report and his Special Representative, Ambassador Harri Holkeri, for his informative briefing to us today. We also join other Council members in expressing outrage at and condemnation of the suicide bombing in Moscow today and extend our condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of the Russian Federation. Of course, these expressions would acquire added feeling and meaning if the international community were able to work out measures to pre-empt such terrorist acts.”
2004-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4910 (2004) · source
“In playing such a role, security and development offices within the United Nations system should maintain their core roles as they work for greater synergy, which will integrate political strategies with development policies. As the delegation of Germany has observed, the real challenge for the United Nations will be its ability to deliver it expertise and its assistance in a coherent, coordinated and effective manner. Here, the Security Council should have a leading role in generating the political will among the parties in conflict areas, the countries in the region and the subregion and the international community to adopt strategies and frameworks that will heal the wounds of conflict and promote the reconciliation process.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“This is not a simple task, as it could require the transformation of post-conflict societies from the culture of violence to the culture of peace. In the end, the goal of national reconciliation is to enhance justice based on recognizing and completely accepting the supreme value of the human person, as guaranteed by institutions providing its fullest expression. It creates a society that would have a capacity to deal creatively and equitably with the threat or eruption of conflict based on the values of truth, justice, mercy and dignity. With those considerations in mind, the United Nations has a key role in achieving national reconciliation in post-conflict situations.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Reconciliation, in this case, can lay the path from a past where justice was denied, to a present where it is not yet fully attainable and to a future where it will be an integral part of the social order. Finally, let us not lose sight of one of the most important functions of national reconciliation: to lay the foundation for preventing future conflicts and atrocities. This is one of the dimensions of the process that must be carefully considered by the parties to the conflict. National reconciliation should not focus narrowly on reacting to overt violence associated with the widespread abuse of human rights. It must include proactive social and political strategies for the removal of political and social conditions that made discrimination and abuse acceptable in the society.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“While justice should figure out in the process of national reconciliation, it must be recognized that in many instances the attainment of retributive justice is not feasible at the onset of the reconciliation process because of the inability of transitional institutions to provide justice through conventional means. This is why one of the most important needs in post-conflict societies is the strengthening of the rule of law and its institutions. This does not mean, however, that contrition and restitution by wrongdoers are not possible during the reconciliation process. Those goals could be pursued through truth-telling alternatives such as truth commissions, which have been tried in various post- conflict societies over the last few decades.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Let me at this time discuss one of the shared, perennial dilemmas in transitional societies that weigh heavily on the issue of reconciliation: how to balance the legitimate demands for justice against the perpetrators of heinous crimes with the vital need for peace and stability. It is difficult to measure the legitimate interest in punishing perpetrators against the imperative for national reconciliation in a society recently torn by conflict. Should post-conflict societies pursue truth and justice above all else, or should they focus on the attainment of political stability and not put in jeopardy their fragile new democracies under the pressure of truth commissions and prosecutions? In our View, the correct approach would be somewhere in between those two positions.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The physical and political ravages of war and violence are clearly felt and observed and, more often than not, become the focus of attention in the reconstruction of societies in transition. While this is an important consideration, those ravages do not represent the totality of the negative impact of conflict. Healing the hearts and minds of victims in post-conflict societies is sometimes more critical than the reconstruction of burned villages or the salving of maimed bodies. The violent rupturing of a society sometimes necessitates the search for new social identity, meaning and values, which cannot be downplayed or smoothed over with political niceties and rhetoric. Post-conflict societies face a multitude of challenges.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“In many instances, the traumas of violent conflicts are so deep that conflicting groups require the even-handedness of objective outsiders to overcome emotional, cultural, political and other hurdles to mount a successful reconciliation process. But such an intervention, while desirable in certain instances, must be pursued carefully to maintain the integrity of the reconciliation process. One danger that could undermine such integrity would be for the interveners to yield, wittingly or unwittingly, to the temptation of supplanting the goals and values of the stakeholders with their own. Thirdly, reconciliation should delve into a conflict's dynamics, which span the entire political, physical, cultural and psycho-social dimensions of the society concerned.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The parameters of the process of reconciliation must grow out of the specific experiences of the society concerned. No external body or organ can decree reconciliation from the outside. That would invite disaster. Stakeholders in post- conflict societies must have the sense of having ownership of the process if it is to bring about the emergence of institutions and practices capable of creatively resolving the kind of social and political tensions that led to past violent conflict. This is not to say, however, that the expertise and the guidance that could be provided by outside groups such as the United Nations have no place in national reconciliation processes.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“First, there are no quick fixes to achieve reconciliation in post-conflict societies. National reconciliation generally takes place through a long- term process, aided by policies and actions that confront the conflict head-on. It requires serious efforts to take stock of, assess and analyse the conditions under which reconciliation can take place. While there are no easy solutions, the process of reconciliation is indispensable to ensure the long-lasting stability of post-conflict societies. Secondly, national reconciliation is essentially an internal process and cannot be imposed externally on communities in conflict. I think the delegations of Brazil and the United Kingdom have eloquently observed that. The context of each post-conflict society is unique.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“All are liable to be challenged by fissures in the fabric of their societies, some more acutely than others. There are diverse sources of the division of societies and communities, and experience has shown that they run the gamut of racial, ethnic, political, ideological and religious factors. Unfortunately, such conflict sometimes leads to violent confrontation and the breakdown of the body politic. If this happens, the easier task is to stop the violence. The harder challenge is to begin the process of reconciliation and reverse the dynamics of conflict that ruptured the society. Winning the war is easier than winning the peace. My delegation would like to add further emphasis to some general propositions referred to previously by members of the Council that have enriched our discussion of the topic at hand.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“I would like to congratulate your delegation, Madam President, for organizing this debate on a very timely topic and for organizing an Arria formula debate on the same topic last week. We are again honoured by your presence and by your presiding over this meeting on the eve of your much-awaited visit to my country. We are also grateful for the very informative briefings given by the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. The issue of national reconciliation has touched every nation in one form or another, some in the distant past while others more recently, if not even at the present time. No country has ever been homogenous in all respects.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“My delegation also awaits the recommendations of the joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-United Nations Office for West Africa- European Commission mission, which will visit ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja to assess the capacity of ECOWAS and suggest ways to enhance its effectiveness. We welcome the plan of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to West Africa to develop a strategy to address those issues that are at the core of the instability in the subregion, and we look forward to his report on practical ways to address them.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“In that connection, we are prepared to endorse the proposal for an increase in the troop strength of the United Nations Mission in C6te d'Ivoire (MINUCI) and its transformation into a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The Philippines has a contingent in Liberia, and we join the call for all Member States to redeem their pledges of troops to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as soon as possible. We attach great importance to the success of the forthcoming international conference on the reconstruction of Liberia. We support the projected assessment mission to Sierra Leone to evaluate the progress made in accomplishing the benchmarks that should guide the drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“Some progress has been made in these areas, and the Security Council, in coordination with ECOWAS, has to preserve those gains. The Security Council has identified the key areas in which the United Nations can play a role, such as facilitating peace negotiations, implementing peace agreements, establishing the rule of law, preparing the groundwork for the conduct of fair and transparent electoral processes, setting up transitional administrations, strengthening capabilities for the provision of security, addressing human rights violations, delivering humanitarian assistance and addressing the specific needs of vulnerable groups such as women and children.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“In cooperation with the United Nations, coordinated efforts have led to positive developments - just mentioned by the Assistant Secretary-General and by the representative of the United Kingdom - in Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone as well as to progress in the peace processes in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. However, cross-border issues remain daunting challenges that threaten the stability of the subregion. There is therefore a need to strengthen ECOWAS to enhance its effectiveness through robust and sustained technical, human and financial support from the international community. The main organs of the United Nations, specifically the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council and its agencies, could play key roles in extending assistance, especially in the areas just mentioned by France.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“12) Five years later, Africans have taken significant strides to mobilize their own strengths and resources to address their conflicts, especially and specifically through regional cooperation. Interlocutors in the region have been engaged in the formulation of home- grown solutions. The regional approach has assumed greater significance in West Africa. Its regional group, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is now 29 years old. Despite its members' political and cultural divisions and economic disparities, it has established one of the world's first subregional security mechanisms, creating an indigenous system for managing its own conflicts.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“My delegation is pleased that the Chilean presidency has included on our programme the progress report of the Secretary- General on the recommendations of the Security Council mission to West Africa (S/2003/ll47). I also wish to thank Assistant Secretary-General Tuliameni Kalomoh for introducing the report. In 1998, in his report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa, the Secretary-General said: "More than three decades after African countries gained their independence, there is a growing recognition among Africans themselves that the continent must look beyond its colonial past for the causes of current conflicts. Today more than ever, Africa must look at itself." (5/1998/318, para.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“It is critical that information be gathered systematically and analysed effectively to enable the Council to assess the level of compliance by parties with their obligation to protect children. A database on all violations should strengthen and build on previous measures taken by the Council, and a monitoring process or system along the lines advocated by Brazil could be established for that purpose. As the film has shown, children are not only our hope for the future; they are also the reality of the present. There are opportunities within the Council's mandate to ensure an environment that protects children and helps them realize their right to live a normal life. The non-governmental organization community has contributed greatly and has expressed its readiness further to assist in this regard.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“Path Five of this framework addresses concerns arising from continuing armed hostilities, namely the rehabilitation needs of war-affected families and communities, and the role of children and youth in peace-building. Our Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Philippine Council for the Welfare of Children provide technical input on various conflict- resolution approaches that prevent and address the occurrence of the exploitation of children and youth in armed conflict. Any step that the Council decides to take in addressing the situation of children in armed conflict should be based on reliable data and information. A follow-up system and commitments by all parties regarding steps they are taking to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers could be instituted.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“In this respect, the Security Council can be instrumental, through its peacekeeping missions, in ensuring a safe environment that is conducive to the unimpeded and effective delivery of basic social services in conflict areas. We support the Secretary-General's suggestion on the need systematically to incorporate children's issues into all peace negotiations and peace accords, including conducting a dialogue on child soldiers with parties in conflict. Drawing again on our own experience, the Philippine Government has benefited from integrating the interests of children in its "Six Paths to Peace", which serves as the general framework for the implementation of the peace process with groups in conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“The Council should give emphasis to conflict prevention by recognizing the root factors of conflict, in particular the lack of development. In many communities, children involved in armed conflict usually come from areas where basic social services are inadequate. The experience of the Philippines in addressing the development aspects of conflict has been encouraging. Our Comprehensive Programme Framework for Children involved in Armed Conflict, which regards children as zones of peace, includes, as a major component, the integrated delivery of social services such as food security, livelihood programmes, education and health care in order to combat poverty and reduce the incidence of recruitment and exploitation of children in conflict areas.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“In carrying out its role, the Council should set priorities for action and make sure that its work is focused, particularly on areas where results might be tangible and immediately achievable. An example of a focused task is ensuring that child protection standards are consistently implemented in peacekeeping missions. The Council could also provide guidance in prioritizing countries and conflict areas that would need donor support for long-term community reintegration and rehabilitation. Experience on the ground has shown that when there are not enough resources to sustain disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes, the incidence of reprisal is increased and gains in improving the situation of children are wasted because of the lack or inadequacy of follow-through efforts.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“Spelling out responsibilities and tasks will be an important step in ensuring that the critical response areas are covered and that duties are not duplicated. The proposals of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on the development of a monitoring network of organs and bodies in the United Nations serve as a good starting point for identifying and assigning responsibilities based on their competencies and expertise. For its part, the Council should be able to determine its vital enforcement role in the network in a manner that is supportive of the work of other bodies that also have a mandate with regard to the situation of children in armed conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“In its most recent resolution on the subject, resolution 1460 (2003), the Security Council calls on, among others, the parties to armed conflict to provide information about steps taken to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers and develop action plans to end child soldier use. We therefore support the call of the Secretary- General that we must now move towards what he has called an era of application of international standards and norms for the protection of children in armed conflict. In this connection, there needs to be within the United Nations system - where the roles of relevant United Nations entities are clearly defined - an effective framework for the protection of children involved in armed conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“We are gratified that the presidency of the Council has recognized the importance of the issue of children and armed conflict by placing it on its agenda early in the year. We are honoured that you, Madam, the Foreign Minister of Chile, are presiding over this morning's meeting. We would also like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund for their important briefings. The issue of children and armed conflict has been the subject of a number Security Council resolutions.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898 (2004) · source
“My country fully recognizes the tragic loss of innocent lives and the insecurity and fear that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons creates among the civilian population of the entire world. My delegation is therefore determined to contribute - together with relevant international organizations, civil society and other actors - to the search for solutions to this global problem.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“Promoting regional awareness of the issue and encouraging cooperation among regional partners in the fields of information exchange and training in law enforcement, customs and airport controls, among others, are effective tools to control the traffic in small arms and light weapons. My country in particular benefited from such an exercise in the Regional Seminar on Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, held in Manila in July 2002, co-sponsored by the Government of Canada and supported by the United Nations Secretariat. We are aware that similar exercises have been undertaken in other parts of Asia, South-Eastern Europe and Central Africa. We encourage more cooperation in that regard in order to prevent the diversion of small arms and light weapons to terrorist groups.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“The second point I wish to bring to the Council's attention relates to regional and subregional cooperative arrangements to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The process leading to regional cooperation should be pursued just as vigorously as the wider multilateral cooperative processes and the national processes of formulating and enforcing legislative and regulatory measures. There should be parallel efforts to develop regional arrangements as a vital segment of the policy continuum. In fact, global experience has shown that the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons has passed mainly through porous border routes in conflict areas.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“The Assembly, however, still faces the task of coming up with an international instrument for possible completion before the first review conference on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, to be held in 2006. We welcome General Assembly resolution 58/241, adopted last year, which established an open- ended working group to negotiate an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace illicit small arms and light weapons. In the same vein, the Council must adopt effective and practical enforcement strategies for arms embargoes, for targeted sanctions and for restricting the supply of ammunition to areas of instability. The sanctions committees must be provided by Member States with information on alleged violations of arms embargoes.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“My delegation therefore supports the holding of consultations between the presidencies of the Council and of the Assembly on this important issue of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects to identify complementarities and to avoid duplication in their work so that the many complexities of the issue can be addressed in the process. We also recognize that many Member States have undertaken initiatives to address the issue of small arms and light weapons, as reported during the United Nations First Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held last year.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“The Assembly is seized with establishing universal norms and making rules to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. On the other hand, the Council is focused on practical measures such as arms embargoes and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in conflict situations. We realize, however, that their respective concerns on the issue of small arms are not mutually exclusive, but overlap and complement each other. The nuances of organic competencies should thus be carefully weighed so as not to slow down the progress of work by overburdening the Council with the same issues already under consideration by the Assembly.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“The next step concerns the prescriptive stage. Here I would like to focus on two points. The first area of consideration to which I would like to invite the Council's attention is the value of complementarity between the two vital organs of the United Nations - the Security Council and the General Assembly - which are both seized with the issue of small arms and light weapons. If we were to examine closely the 12 recommendations of the Secretary-General, some of them fall - appropriately - within the competence of the General Assembly: for instance, recommendations 1, 2, 3, 9 and 12. Recommendations 5, 7, 10 and 11 fall within the Council's competence, while recommendations 6 and 8 concern both the Council and the General Assembly.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“The scope of the problem encompasses both the proliferation of millions of loose firearms, which claim millions of lives each year, and the entrenched clandestine system of illegal arms trafficking. Indeed, the problem can be likened to a malignant disease requiring bold and decisive surgery. This menace to international security - a factor that protracts and complicates armed conflicts and fuels the rise of terrorism and international organized crime - has been identified and internationally recognized as such. The identification and appreciation by the international community of the gravity and complexity of the problem represents a significant accomplishment that will facilitate the adoption and enforcement of appropriate measures. The importance of this first step - the completion of the diagnostic phase - cannot be overemphasized.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source
“Mr. President, we thank you for having provided the Council and other Members of the United Nations this opportunity to address the important issue of small arms and light weapons, and the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs for having presented the Secretary-General's report on the progress so far made on the issue. Why are solutions in combating the illicit trade in small arms still not in sight? Two reasons stand out: first, the magnitude of the problem, and secondly, the fact that it has been only a little more than two years since the adoption in July 2001 of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896 (2004) · source