YouSaid · the spoken record

Cunningham

lines on the record: 847
first: 2000-02-09
most recent: 2004-06-14
sittings or episodes: 129
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

“His experience, his reputation and his commitment to global issues make him an excellent choice to carry forward the remarkable leadership of Mrs. Ogata.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“In particular, the physical and sexual abuse of refugee women and children remains a widespread problem, especially when they have been forced to flee their homes without their husbands and fathers. During last month's Security Council meeting on women and peace and security, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council to do everything in its power to give women an equal voice with men on questions of peace and security. This includes protection as an important component in obtaining a broader humanitarian commitment to those who are most vulnerable in times of conflict. The Security Council reflected this concern last week, when it adopted its first resolution on women and peace and security. I would like to conclude by saying that my Government warmly welcomes the choice of Ruud Lubbers as the new High Commissioner.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“The recent loss of four UNHCR staff members in West Timor and in Guinea reminds us all that States are responsible for safeguarding the physical security and property of humanitarian workers. When any attack occurs, States must investigate and bring to justice those responsible. The enormous contribution of refugee-hosting countries, the majority of which are in the developing world, is not sufficiently recognized and appreciated. The impact on their countries, their communities, their homes and their environment is immeasurable. It is time we collectively identified how we can better help them. A final point: the United States remains concerned about the protection of vulnerable groups among refugees.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“Perhaps most importantly, we need to move forward on addressing the security of both refugees and humanitarian personnel. It is not acceptable that humanitarian workers have become targets of conflicting parties seeking to politicize or disrupt humanitarian assistance. It is not acceptable that we do not have better mechanisms to reduce their vulnerability to attacks and intimidation, and it is not acceptable that humanitarian aid has been directed by warlords and corrupt Governments. We have read the Secretary-General's report of 18 October on the security of United Nations personnel with interest, and welcome the upcoming debate on the recommendations.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“I commend her for her efforts to try to redress the inequities that the internally displaced face in the international system. UNHCR has indeed galvanized the international community to respond to the humanitarian imperatives of our time. But it is not an independent actor - it is an organization in which all Member States of the United Nations are stakeholders, and it is our collective task to ensure that UNHCR fulfils its mandate responsibilities to protect and provide durable solutions for refugees. To do this, UNHCR must prioritize and maximize the use of its resources. But it is the obligation of Member States to adequately fund UNHCR so that refugees may receive the standard of care and protection they deserve. We cannot hold UNHCR accountable if donors do not increase their generosity.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“We appreciate, as always, her thoughtful comments today on the huge challenges that continue to confront UNHCR, the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. We salute Mrs. Ogata for her courage in daring to challenge those who have sown conflict and are reluctant to make peace, those who continue to make it difficult for their citizens to go home, those who abuse the human rights of refugees or of their own people. She has taken a tough stance and has not been afraid to speak up on behalf of peace and reconciliation. She leaves a high standard, an example of courage, commitment and determination that paves the way for the future. Mrs. Ogata has also tackled the issue of the internally displaced. UNHCR has defined its willingness to step up to the plate and respond where asked to do so, as in the Balkans, Angola and Eritrea.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“As this is Mrs. Ogata's last briefing to the Security Council, I would like to begin by paying tribute to her for her leadership and commitment during the turbulent and difficult years of the 1990s. She so ably led her organization through the turmoil of northern Iraq, the Balkans, Rwanda, Timor and other crises. For her efforts she has earned our gratitude and for her commitment and her successes she has earned our deep respect. In recent years, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been called on as never before to take on enormous responsibilities in responding to the needs of so many refugees and others, including internal refugees, caught up in conflicts.”
2000-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4219 (2000) · source
“In the light of repeated difficulties with funding for the local administration, we would like to urge the Office of the High Representative to issue a decision instructing the local electricity company, Elektroprivreda, to pay a portion of its revenues to fund the budget of Mostar under terms that have been under discussion for several months now. Finally, the democratic change in Belgrade is particularly significant and auspicious. There will be many problems ahead, but we hope the new leadership of President Kostunica will have a positive influence on events in Bosnia in the same way that Croatia's change in regime has helped to normalize relations between Croatia and Bosnia.”
2000-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4209 (2000) · source
“We should seek to remove or restrain all those standing in the way of Dayton's full implementation: there are war criminals remaining at large, organized crime figures and nationalist extremists. In that regard, we welcome the removal of 24 individuals who were blatantly obstructing implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. But those 24 are not the only obstructionists, and decisive action is necessary to ensure that refugee returns continue and that a climate based on the rule of law is established in Bosnia. With specific regard to Mostar, we see some signs of progress there.”
2000-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4209 (2000) · source
“However, we remain concerned that some Government officials and other individuals continue to block the return of refugees and displaced persons. The message must be clear that we will not tolerate continued obstruction. We will work only with those political leaders who are committed to implementing Dayton. The United States strongly supports full and active use in Bosnia by the High Representative and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe of the mandates provided by the international community. Real progress is being made, and we need to accelerate it. With two vitally important elections coming up in the region - in Kosovo and in Bosnia - it is time to go forward and not to look back at the past.”
2000-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4209 (2000) · source
“I want to welcome Mr. Petritsch back to the Council and to thank him for his thorough briefing on the progress his office has overseen to date in building a peaceful multi-ethnic society in Bosnia. That is a very difficult task, and we are encouraged by the positive developments noted in his report. We congratulate him in particular on the re-establishment of the Council of Ministers and on the increased rates of return of those displaced by the war. We also welcome steps to establish an Independent Judicial Council and note especially that a multi-ethnic court in Mostar has begun to try those war crimes which the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia has approved for prosecution under the so-called rules ofthe road.”
2000-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4209 (2000) · source
“The closing of the smelter was conducted in an appropriate fashion, with the interest of Serbs in Kosovo paramount; workers continue to be compensated as the plant is renovated and reorganized. Resolution 1244 (1999) is a Chapter-VII resolution. It conferred upon UNMIK and the Kosovo Force (KFOR) the legal status necessary for them to fulfil their respective mandates. UNMIK and KFOR were therefore acting within their authority in issuing a joint statement confirming their legal status and their privileges and immunities, and UNMIK was within its authority in enacting a regulation effectuating that status in Kosovo. Finally, let me add that I fully share the concerns expressed by Ambassador Eldon about the detention of the four United Kingdom and Canadian citizens, and we fully support his call for Belgrade to release them or charge them.”
2000-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4190 (2000) · source
“There should be zero tolerance for the violence that we continue to see in Kosovo. We condemn the recent attacks directed against members of the Democratic League of Kosovo, and other episodes of violence from whatever source. We will continue to insist, with all parties, that they reject any and all forms of intimidation during the electoral campaign. On the smelter in Zvecan, let me say that, in our View, the smelter posed an environmental and health risk that was very well known and documented. Indeed, UNMIK personnel working in that area had to be redeployed after blood tests showed dangerously high levels of lead in their blood after only relatively brief exposure. This situation would not be tolerated by any Government represented on the Council.”
2000-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4190 (2000) · source
“We welcome the recent commitments made at Airlie House by Kosovo's political leadership, including Serbs, to democracy, and to scrupulously respect the election results and to accept the authority of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to ensure that all communities are adequately represented in the new municipal governments. We also welcome the commitment reaffirmed at Airlie House to the goal of a multi-ethnic civil society with security for all. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has done a tremendous job organizing the electoral registration, and we are encouraged to see its efforts continuing to ensure that there are no problems on election day. Like others, we continue to be concerned about the level of violence.”
2000-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4190 (2000) · source
“Rebuilding Kosovo and implementing the resolution will take time, patience and, most of all, commitment to success. It is a tribute to UNMIK's strong leadership that municipal elections will take place on 28 October. This will mark an important step in the establishment of transitional self-governing institutions, and it has our strong support. Any delay in municipal elections will only benefit Belgrade's desire to frustrate the implementation of resolution 1244 (1999), and will deny responsible self-government to all in Kosovo, including the Serb community there.”
2000-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4190 (2000) · source
“We too want to thank Mr. Annabi for his customary informative and thorough briefing. I note and commend the continuing commitment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to the security of all Kosovars and to their inclusion in the rebuilding of Kosovo. I would also like to commend again Bernard Kouchner; his strong and even-handed approach has helped UNMIK meet the challenges posed by a very complicated Security Council resolution in a very difficult situation in a very difficult part of the world. Resolution 1244 (1999) is very clear about the power and authority the Council has vested in UNMIK's leadership. We agree with the course they are charting, and we have to be realistic about the continuing problems that they will face.”
2000-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4190 (2000) · source
“The great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminded us during one of the darkest moments of the twentieth century that a test of morality of a society is what it does for its children. We must not forget that today's children are tomorrow's hope. We must all work together to ensure that the future for all children is better and brighter.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“In Sierra Leone USAID has made equally substantial contributions to UNICEF for assistance to war-affected children, including documentation and tracing of unaccompanied children and reunification with their families, demobilization and community reintegration of former child soldiers. We welcome the Secretary-General's report and are reviewing its specific recommendations closely. We look forward to working with the other Council members on a closer review of the report. We also look forward to hearing from other delegations and key stakeholders so that we may be well guided throughout the course of our decision-making process. Yesterday's Arria-style meeting was a solid step in this direction.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“In recent years the United States has contributed substantially to activities for refugee children, including support for the children- at-risk programmes of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which focus on children affected by armed conflict, including child soldiers, and for the Liberian Children's Initiative, a joint UNHCR/UNICEF programme to address the needs of children and youth in Liberia following seven years of war. Thousands of children have received assistance, either directly or indirectly, from programmes funded by the United States in Angola, Liberia, northern Uganda and Sierra Leone. Last year we contributed $5 million to UNHCR in support of its children-at-risk programme and refugee-children-related activities.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“Since the 1980s the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided over $30 million in support of activities - including demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration - that respond to the needs of children, including child soldiers affected by armed conflict in such areas as Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. We are particularly concerned about the plight of uprooted children. Over half of the internally displaced persons today are children, and the proportion of refugee children is equally high.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“The United States places the highest priority on assisting young children throughout the world who are forced against their will - often kidnapped at gunpoint - to take up arms in support of militias and paramilitary groups. The United States works closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with respect to programmes to rehabilitate children through counselling, reconciliation, education and vocational training, in the hope that they will readjust and be reintegrated into civilian society.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“Signatories will do everything feasible to keep even volunteers from taking a direct part in hostilities before they are 18; they will make it a crime for any non-governmental force to use children under 18 in war; and they will work together to meet the needs of children who have been forced into war to save a generation that already has lost too much. We believe that it is time to step up pressure to implement the many existing norms to prevent further abuse and brutalization of children. We should not let our attention be distracted by debates on the margins of the problem, but should focus on where the real abuses are. Children even younger than 15 whose lives are totally distorted by their recruitment or impressment into armed conflict and brutality are becoming both perpetrators and victims.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“Two important international initiatives to protect children from illegal use in armed conflict are the Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which President Clinton signed in 1999, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which President Clinton signed, here at the United Nations, on 5 July, and submitted to the Senate for ratification just yesterday. The Optional Protocol sets a clear standard: no one under 18 may ever be drafted by any army in any country.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“This disintegration of local value systems yields an ethical vacuum in which civilians and combatants are viewed without distinction as enemy targets. Children, women and the elderly - that is, the most vulnerable - have, all too often, tragically become fair game for the most horrendous of atrocities in the valueless climate which prevails in too many war zones. As civilian populations are often deliberately targeted, children suffer disproportionately as their families are killed or displaced. One of the most heinous developments has been the increasing use of young children in armed conflict in blatant violation of international law.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“In recent months we have looked at the humanitarian aspects of questions facing the Council, at the protection of civilians in armed conflict and at the issue of internally displaced persons. All of these topics are interlinked, and we cannot look at them in isolation from each other. We echo the sentiments expressed by Special Representative Otunnu in his most recent report: when children are used as pawns in warfare, whether they are targets or perpetrators, a shadow is cast on their future and on the future of their society. As Mr. Otunnu has pointed out again and again, many regions of the world are experiencing the breakdown of traditional norms and social codes of behaviour, the casting aside of local injunctions and taboos and the undermining of the authority of local elders and community structures.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“Thank you, Madam President, for convening this meeting on such an important subject for the Security Council. I would also like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General and the Executive Director of United Nations Children's Fund, Ms. Bellamy, for their continuing efforts to strengthen the role of the United Nations in bringing these issues to the attention of the international community and in dealing with the plight of children in conflict. Of course, we greatly appreciate the important work of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu. His remarks show that we are making some progress. He has eloquently described the devastating impact of conflict on millions of children and, unfortunately, his remarks, and those of Director Bellamy, show that much more needs to be done.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176 (2000) · source
“Today and in the future, the United States welcomes the opportunity to work with all Council members so as to put into practice the ideas and plans we are discussing here today.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Last, but certainly not least, I would like to highlight the role women can play in conflict prevention and peace-building activities. We encourage the United Nations to make better use of the contributions of women in peace negotiations and operations, particularly by naming more women as special representatives of the Secretary-General and special envoys. International efforts to address mounting political, economic and humanitarian crises can be substantially strengthened by integrating women fully into all phases of the process of conflict resolution, mitigation and prevention, thus enhancing opportunities for building just and equitable societies. As the Council continues to develop and refine the methods and means to prevent conflict, our ability to successfully undertake these preventative efforts will undoubtedly improve.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“This is a critical element of conflict prevention, as international civilian police help indigenous civilian police forces develop the capacity to provide public security. We also reiterate our concerns about the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons and the threat their uncontrolled proliferation and destabilizing accumulations continue to pose to international peace and security. Noting the events in Sierra Leone, we also must press forward on curbing the illicit trade of high value commodities, in particular the illicit diamond trade, used to prolong and exacerbate conflict. The United States welcomes the initiatives proposed within the United Nations framework to assess the impact of the illegal exploitation of such natural resources and also welcomes the G-8 commitment to addressing this serious problem.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“A possible means of strengthening the United Nations conflict-prevention and early-warning capacity may be to consider reinforcing the roles of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, in particular their abilities to identify hotspots and to intervene early. We note the establishment by the Secretary- General of the Brahimi Panel on peacekeeping and peace operations and welcome his efforts to conduct a comprehensive review in this field as a contribution to efforts to strengthen the quality and speed of United Nations responses to peacekeeping challenges. Key to increasing the effectiveness of the United Nations in this regard is strengthening its capacity to recruit, train and deploy international civilian police.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“We encourage the heightened international attention to the need to take steps to prevent conflict - for example, the determination of the Organization of African Unity in pursuing a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the recently announced commitment of the G-8 to promote a "culture of prevention". We ask all nations to actively support such initiatives. Another means of improving the United Nations ability to prevent the outbreak of conflict is through better early-warning, in order to allow the Council and the Secretary-General to identify situations before they deteriorate into armed violence.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“The scale and complexity of recent United Nations missions, such as those in East Timor and Kosovo, and crises worldwide also underline the importance of close cooperation and coordination among United Nations organs. As we have noted before - and will continue to do - the United Nations cannot by itself get the job done. To maximize effectiveness, we must augment our use of the existing and capable resources available, in particular the regional and subregional groups in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America that have successfully addressed local crises and helped to prevent the escalation of violence. We must enhance further the cooperation between the United Nations and regional groups.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“This fact alone justifies taking early and effective action to prevent the development of armed conflict. But experience also proves that there is no system as such that will get this job done. Rather, we must all bring energy, intelligence and imagination to developing the means to mitigate the tensions that breed conflict. And we must commit ourselves to early preventive action. We must not only address the consequences of such tragedies, but, more importantly, focus on the conditions that give rise to conflict. Furthermore, we need a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention, one that encompasses the promotion of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and equal economic opportunity - all elements of a sure path to long-term global stability and development.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Developments in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and between Ethiopia and Eritrea, recall similar tragic events in the Balkans and East Timor. All remind us of the fragility of peace and our shared obligation to use all of the resources available to prevent and defuse conflict. As another example, we are reminded sadly that this year marks the five-year anniversary of Srebrenica. The United Nations, and in particular we members of the Security Council, must learn from these horrific events and take steps so that future generations do not suffer. As we know too well, peacekeeping missions today have grown more and more complex - not only in scale, but also in scope and mission. Concomitantly, the resources required for successful missions, as well as their costs, have also increased.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Thank you, Sir, for convening this public meeting on such a pertinent and vital subject for the Security Council. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his continuing efforts - demonstrated today- to strengthen the role of the United Nations in preventing armed conflict and its attendant far-reaching consequences for the international community. The United States welcomes the Security Council's decision to make the prevention of conflict a priority and sees it as our responsibility as Member States and members of this Council to address the underlying causes of conflicts in hope of preventing them. It has been eight months since we last discussed conflict-prevention strategies in detail. We are dismayed by the almost daily reports since then of burgeoning crises.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Finally, we note that the United States has forwarded some 50 resumes of qualified candidates for staff positions in UNMIK in response to the appeal from the Secretariat. We will continue to support this process, and we encourage others to do so as well so that UNMIK has the staff and resources it needs to accomplish its difficult mandate. I would also like to second Mr. Annabi's call for personnel and political support for the developing police force, and for our condemnation of violence no matter where it originates.”
2000-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4171 (2000) · source
“We continue to believe that in addition to strengthening the rule of law, the solution to the violence lies in the political process and the determined support of the international community. Elections and a responsible governing structure are the best way to temper passions. We applaud the decision of the Kosovo Serbs to rejoin the joint interim administration. We are also encouraged that UNMIK and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have registered over 800,000 people for the upcoming municipal elections in the fall. They continue to look for ways to encourage Serbs and other minorities to participate in this process. This is important, and we should all join them in doing so.”
2000-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4171 (2000) · source
“The progress that the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is making to find qualified international judges, the cooperation between UNMIK police and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and agreements such as the one with Bishop Artemije on security are all reassuring. However, as the Council's own mission to Kosovo stressed, we must be realistic in how we evaluate the situation on the ground and how we look at the efforts of UNMIK and KFOR. We applaud KFOR's recent success in identifying arms caches and the ongoing efforts to strengthen control of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). We are heartened by UNMIK's determined efforts to find the difficult balance between freedom of the press and security for individuals.”
2000-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4171 (2000) · source
“As in the past, we see positive trends in Kosovo in the context of mixed and even troubling developments. We are pleased to note the continued leadership of Mr. Kouchner, the effective working relationship between the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), and the responsiveness of the Mission to the many difficult problems on the ground. The level of violence remains unacceptable. We regret it; we want it stopped. But we should not be surprised. As we have all come to understand, there are no quick and easy fixes, just the continued requirement to seek progress.”
2000-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4171 (2000) · source
“In our View, the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has done nothing since it walked out of the December 1998 Madrid Peace Implementation Council Ministerial to support implementation of the Dayton Accords or to merit its participation in the Peace Implementation Council process.”
2000-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4162 (2000) · source
“We also regret that the resolution did not receive consensus support, but I am pleased to note, as did Ambassador Greenstock, that the role of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) and its very important effort does have the unanimous support of the Council, as well it should. We also fully support the Peace implementation Council and its role in the implementation of Dayton. Indeed, its role is vital and merits Council support, as contained in this resolution. My Government feels strongly that the Council should not weaken its support of the High Representative or the Peace Implementation Conference process. We fully supported the decision by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board not to invite the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to its recent Ministerial meeting in Brussels.”
2000-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4162 (2000) · source
“I simply wanted to say that our work on, and support for, this unanimous resolution results from my delegation's concern for the difficult circumstances that the people of Iraq find themselves in while the Iraqi Government fails to comply with Security Council resolutions. I would like to associate myself with the remarks of Ambassador Greenstock, both in terms of the resolution and with regard to activities of coalition aircraft in the no-fly zones. And in that context I want to add that it is disingenuous to suggest that the limited military operations of our aircraft, in self-defence against military targets that threaten them, somehow impacts the overall humanitarian situation.”
2000-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4152 (2000) · source
“We are now determining the kinds and quantities of equipment that can be most helpful. We are working to develop a coordinated approach with other members for delivery. We intend to support the commitment West African nations have made to send additional troops to Sierra Leone and a United States military team is in Nigeria to determine what assistance may be needed. The United States remains committed to working in partnership with Africa. We will continue our efforts to support and strengthen African regional organizations and initiatives and their ongoing efforts to ensure peace and stability throughout the region.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Our Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Joseph Melrose, remains in Freetown and is in constant communication with the Government of Sierra Leone and other key officials. Our focus continues to be on finding the best possible measures to seek the release of all United Nations and other international personnel who remain detained, to protect civilians, to restore stability and to reinforce the international presence in Sierra Leone. The United States will assist the deployment of additional troops for UNAMSIL. We are working hard with other interested States to find ways to accelerate the deployment of remaining battalions. The United States is prepared to help transport additional troops to Sierra Leone. We are also examining the possibilities of providing equipment support for the international forces there.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“President Clinton also reviewed the situation with Mr. Arman this morning. We are consulting closely with the Secretariat. President Clinton has asked the Reverend Jesse Jackson, his Special Envoy for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights in Africa, to return to the region to work with leaders there for a resolution of this crisis. Reverend Jackson has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to help the people of Sierra Leone to realize their peaceful intentions. We have intensified our continuing collaboration at the highest levels with the Government of Sierra Leone, with the United Nations in New York and Freetown, with other regional leaders and with our British colleagues. In that regard, we join others in acknowledging the United Kingdom's important contribution in securing Lungi airport.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“We also note that ECOWAS heads of State warned the RUF leadership that "it runs the risk of revocation of the amnesty earlier granted to the members of the movement under the Lome Peace Agreement, as well as being tried for war crimes if they continue to flout the Lome Peace Agreement". We welcome the decision reached in Abuja to convene a special meeting of ECOWAS defence ministers on 17 May to consider the practical modalities should ECOMOG forces renew their involvement in Sierra Leone. We commend and support the leadership demonstrated by the regional States and by ECOWAS in promoting political and diplomatic initiatives to stabilize the situation. My Government is seized of this issue at the highest levels. Secretary Albright has been in regular contact with the Secretary-General.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Acting as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) withdrew, and before United Nations forces were fully deployed, the RUF acted in a deliberate, cynical manner to subvert and reverse the peace process. The United States calls on the RUF immediately to release all detainees, cease all military operations, comply with its commitments under the Lome Peace Agreement and respect all applicable norms of international human rights and humanitarian law. We concur with the view expressed by regional leaders at the ECOWAS Heads of State summit in Abuja on 9 May, condemning the actions of the RUF.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“The conflict could spill over Sierra Leone's borders, engulfing neighbouring States and threatening stability throughout West Africa. We could face a general reluctance to support United Nations peacekeeping in Africa. We strongly support the United Nations peacekeepers. They were organized and sent to Sierra Leone not to impose a settlement, not to enforce the peace, but to assist in the implementation of the Lome Peace Agreement, an accord which the RUF signed, then violated, and finally subverted by launching their recent attacks. RUF actions against the members of the United Nations peacekeeping force are outrageous and in direct violation of the Lorne Peace Agreement.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Such actions are totally unacceptable, and this threat to peace and security must be brought to an end. We all know that peacekeeping is inherently risky. We commend the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and its troops, and the Secretary-General and his staff, for their commitment and for their attempts to respond to the difficult situation in which they have found themselves. But we must be clear that the fault for the current tragedy in Sierra Leone lies with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and its leader, Foday Sankoh, for their violations of the commitments undertaken in the Lorne Agreement. Unless the situation is resolved and the peace process put back on track, we could be faced with a resumption of one of the most ruthless and brutal rebellions in the world.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Unfortunately, the Security Council is meeting in emergency session tonight because a grave crisis is under way in Sierra Leone. Unfolding events threaten yet again to undermine the democratically elected government of President Kabbah. Renewed violence has initiated another round of human suffering for the people of Sierra Leone, a people who have suffered too much already. The American Government and the American people have viewed events in Sierra Leone with shock and dismay. Despite the presence of more than 8,500 United Nations peacekeepers, those who oppose peace in Sierra Leone, especially the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, have initiated new attacks and detained hundreds United Nations and other international personnel.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source