YouSaid · the spoken record

De La Sabliere

lines on the record: 1,423
first: 2002-12-04
most recent: 2007-07-25
sittings or episodes: 233
sources: un-security-council

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“We understand the concerns expressed by the Secretary-General regarding the security of his staff. That is why we proposed that, initially, a special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General be appointed. While not residing permanently in Iraq, that envoy could, at the outset, help to engage Iraqis and countries in the region in the transition process, which would thus reinforce its legitimacy. We hope that the representative that the Secretary-General will appoint in the near future will be able to perform this essential task. The idea of a national conference under United Nations auspices that would bring together all of the Iraqi sensitivities and all of the Iraqi groups, to which countries of the region should be invited along with others, was mentioned. This idea deserves careful consideration.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Sll'V.4869 First, there needs to be an immediate expansion of the social and political basis of the political process. All Iraqis that oppose violence or who agree to give up violence must be involved in this process, including those who thus far have been excluded or have excluded themselves from the process. Every Iraqi should be able to identify with the institutions that will be established. It is also essential to involve and to hold accountable all of the States of the region, without exception, to enable Iraq to become once again part of its regional environment. It is essential also that the United Nations be allowed, with full independence, to lend its legitimacy and its support to see the transition in Iraq through each of its stages.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“It is in this context that Iraqis will then, at their own pace, be able to define permanent constitutional arrangements and organize elections in order to freely choose their leaders. We cannot waste this opportunity; it could be our last. We must therefore see to it that this new approach indeed makes it possible to effectively curb the violence and to establish on a solid basis the political recovery and economic reconstruction of Iraq. To achieve this, we need to see to it that the implementation of the Baghdad agreement does not create new divisions, but brings people together. It is a matter of urgency to rebuild a consensus, not only in Iraq at the regional level, but also within the international community. In order to attain this three-fold objective, we believe that several elements are crucial.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Maintaining a state of occupation feeds the Iraqi people's resentment and growing frustration, which are exploited by extremists to extend their audience and to justify violence. That is why we, since the end of the conflict, have been advocating a rapid restoration of Iraqi sovereignty and the end of the occupation. We therefore welcomed the new approach contained in the agreement signed in Baghdad on 15 November between the Governing Council and the Coalition Provisional Authority. The agreement indeed recognizes that the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty must be the first stage in the political transition, with the establishment of a fully responsible transitional Government.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“I cannot forget to mention here the considerable efforts also made by the member countries of the Coalition, under their responsibilities as occupying Powers. Unfortunately, this progress, however positive and real, could be eclipsed by the continuation of violence that we have witnessed throughout this same period. Acts of violence and attacks continue unabated, and are becoming ever more deadly, now indiscriminately targeting the personnel of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the Coalition force and, in particular, Iraqis themselves, who are the primary victims. Given these criminal, horrendous acts, the strongest possible condemnation and punishment are necessary. But that is not enough.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“The Madrid Conference brought about an encouraging mobilization for the reconstruction of Iraq. After three decades of tyranny, more than 12 years of a sanctions regime unprecedented in its severity and three deadly wars, this progress was eagerly anticipated by the Iraqi people. This progress is necessary to restore confidence in the future. Together, we must see to it that this progress continues. France pays tribute to the work of those, whether Iraqis or foreigners, and whether acting in a national capacity or working for United Nations agencies and programmes or non-governmental organizations, who have taken and continue to take an active part in this progress, at times sacrificing their own lives.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank our colleagues from the United States and the United Kingdom for the briefings they have just given the Security Council, pursuant to resolution 1483 (2003). I would like to make the following comments. As my United States and United Kingdom colleagues have noted, significant progress has been made during this period. Some public services have been restored or are in the process of being restored. Most schools and hospitals have thus reopened and are functioning. The production and supply of electricity have for the most part been restored to levels comparable to pre-war levels. The dreaded humanitarian crisis has not taken place. Markets are well-stocked. The distribution of food aid has continued, particularly within the oil-for-food programme.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“The important thing today is to seize the opportunity provided by the progress made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Burundi and to take advantage of the hopes for national reconciliation that that progress has provided. Let us not run the risk losing the momentum that the conference itself will be producing. My comments lead into two questions that I would like to pose to Mr. Fall. The first concerns the request made by neighbours of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that have not yet been included in the preparations for the conference. How will they be guaranteed that the conference will indeed take place in an inclusive manner, namely, including them? My second question pertains to security issues, which go right to the heart of our concerns.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“The eventual development of a follow-up mechanism should not relegate to a lower priority the holding of a substantive discussion about the most essential problems affecting the peace and stability of the region. The States concerned are in agreement about the principles that should guide their relations. They confirmed that on 25 September 2003, during their presence here at the invitation of the Secretary-General. We believe that the conference should be an opportunity for them to translate commitments into action. If the participants in the meeting to be held next June in Tanzania decide that two summits will be held, that idea should not diminish the chances for a definitive conclusion of the work of the conference.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“We feel that ownership of the conference by Africans - which is being prepared, as we have heard this morning - can be made possible only if Governments that legitimately wish to take part in the conference are not excluded. Secondly, we believe that the principal themes should be prioritized to answer to the main concerns of the States involved. Security questions, clearly, must remain the top priority. Other issues - such as regional economic cooperation - are still important, but, as Mr. Fall noted, we must ensure that the conference is not sidetracked by considerations that fall within the competence of other bodies. Thirdly, we believe that the conference should seek to achieve tangible results.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“The conflicts that continue to affect the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, as well as the earlier conflict in Rwanda, cannot be understand in isolation. Borders have not stopped the movements of armed rebellions, military interventions by States, or the traffic in weapons and raw materials. The full normalization of relations among the Governments of the region and the implementation of confidence-building measures to ensure border security are therefore the basic objectives of the conference. France feels that three conditions need to be met in order to ensure the conference's success. We believe, first, that participation in the first round should be open to all neighbouring States, including the Western neighbours of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I wish at the outset to reiterate your condemnation, Sir, of the odious terrorist attack on the British consulate and other targets in Istanbul. We offer our British colleague our most heartfelt condolences. I thank Mr. Fall and those who spoke earlier for the information they have provided us on the preparation for the international conference for peace in the Great Lakes region. I believe that the members of the Security Council have duly noted the commitment of the African Union to the preparatory work for the conference. I support the statement made by our Italian colleague on behalf of the European Union and wish simply to make a few additional comments. The importance of this exercise has been amply demonstrated.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“That must become systematic - of course, while taking into account the specific characteristics of each situation. We must also continue to pursue our work with regard to the links between AIDS and peace and security. The Secretary-General could include a specific chapter on this subject in his annual report. I also note with interest the suggestion of my British colleague that a formal report be issued by the Secretariat in 2004 on the implementation of resolution 1308 (2000). Lastly, I would suggest that the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council together consider means of more effectively responding to these challenges. In that way, we would be augmenting our contribution to the essential mobilization in which we must all engage.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“For its part, it is important for the Security Council to continue to follow up the implementation of resolution 1308 (2000). Moreover, we are all aware of the geo-strategic stakes involved in the AIDS pandemic. This is undoubtedly one of the most fundamental and urgent threats that our world must face. In several regions AIDS hampers not only progress and development, but also peace and security themselves. In turn, violence and instability increase the risk of exposure to the disease. Combating AIDS must therefore become an important aspect of our efforts to prevent conflict and provide for the future of societies emerging from conflicts. We know that United Nations agencies have quite often integrated this priority into their activities and programmes.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“France is associated with the guidelines and programmes developed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). We have prepared national programmes based on long-term strategies that are in keeping with resolution 1308 (2000). Prophylactic measures based on a set of individual and collective steps - and essentially on the effectiveness of training, prevention, detection and voluntary confidential counselling - today constitute one of the most important aspects of training armed forces for peacekeeping operations. France will continue those activities. Of course, we will also continue to support the activities of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, DPKO and all others concerned. France is prepared to share our expertise and experience insofar as it can contribute to improving the coordination of our efforts.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“We recall the important meeting held on 10 January 2000 devoted to the impact of AIDS on peace and security in Africa. Resolution 1308 (2000) is part of the follow-up to that meeting, and our first responsibility is to apply it rigorously. We must therefore regularly monitor the situation. In that regard, we are grateful to Mr. Peter Piot and Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno for their tireless efforts and their quite comprehensive presentations. France is of course pleased at the measures undertaken and the activities pursued, as well as at the coordination demonstrated by all actors. That must be relentlessly pursued. We are also working on this issue as it concerns us. The fight against HIV/AIDS infection is a priority of France's army. As the Council is aware, the French army is present in many areas especially affected by the pandemic.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“I am thinking in particular of the implementation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the decisions of the World Trade Organization to provide the poorest people with access to medicines. The fight against HIV/AIDS calls for exceptional mobilization, for which we are all responsible. We must redouble our efforts to meet the commitments we assumed together at the United Nations in 2001. The Council is aware of the commitment of France and of Europeans in this regard. The President of the French Republic reiterated as much during his address to the General Assembly last September when he spoke about what the Director-General of the World Health Organization has called a global health emergency. The Security Council must continue to play its full part in this collective endeavour.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“We know about the consequences of the pandemic on society, public administration and infrastructure - including health and medical infrastructures - agricultural production and education. We know that in certain regions, and particularly in Africa, the situation has become dramatic. Nevertheless, there are signs of hope that lead us to think that the progress of the disease may perhaps not be an insurmountable inevitability. Awareness of what is at stake is now universal, as illustrated by the General Assembly's high-level meeting in September we are beginning to see an impact on our national policies of the progress we are making in international forums.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I am grateful to you, Mr. President, for having organized this important debate under your presidency. The Secretary-General has forcefully emphasized that the fight against AIDS must remain at the heart of our concerns. We unreservedly support the decisive effort he is making so that the United Nations devotes itself to that through every possible means. Unfortunately, since the adoption of resolution 1308 (2000) in July of 2000, AIDS has continued to decimate entire populations. Generations of men and women have been struck down in the prime of life. Countless children have become orphans. Societies have been greatly destabilized and damaged.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“I wish therefore to pay tribute to all those women who are not resigned to the status quo and who look to the future. Let me recall here the example of Ms. Lindh, whose political commitment cost her her life. The challenges faced in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) are a matter of collective responsibility - on the part of international organizations, States and civil society. In that respect, I would be interested in knowing Ms. Smythe's assessment of the relations between the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the various Congolese administrations concerned with gender issues, in particular the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Family and the Ministry of Human Rights.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“Lastly, and most importantly, let me touch on the issue of participation. We all are convinced that the stabilization and reconstruction of societies undermined by conflict cannot be lastingly successful without the active participation of women in public life. Indeed, that is one of the central themes of the Beijing Platform for Action. Accordingly, Security Council missions in the field should always include contacts with women's associations. During our most recent mission to Central Africa, I was struck - as was Ambassador Tafrov, as he has just noted - by the dynamism of the women we met. We all were impressed by the commitment shown by Ms. Petronille Vaweka, President of the Ituri interim assembly. Such examples deserve to be better known and appreciated, for they can change the way people think and inspire them.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“Secondly, with regard to justice, women must not only be the beneficiaries of, but must take an active part in, the fight against impunity. In this regard, I would like to call attention to the advances that have been made in connection with the establishment of the International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute, through its dual aspects of prevention and punishment, is a key element in the protection of women. It is innovative in that it recognizes for the first time that certain acts of sexual violence are among the most odious of crimes punishable under international law. But the International Criminal Court sets an example in another respect as well, since it is one of the most feminized institutions among all the international courts. This precedent deserves to be noted, and I encourage each of us to draw inspiration from it.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“In his report (A/58/323) on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, the Secretary-General stated clearly that the differential impact of conflict on women called for more effective responses from the international community. Here I highlight three key words: prevention, justice and participation. First, with regard to prevention, I think of all the young women and girls who suffer as a result of conflict. Even if they do not lose their lives, their childhood is stolen from them. How does such a person get her life together again? What can she do in order to re-weave the fabric of collective life? We will soon be dealing with the question of child soldiers. France will propose a draft resolution. I will personally make sure that our debates address very precisely the specific question of the reintegration of girl soldiers.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“They must be addressed by the entire United Nations system, in a spirit of cooperation and with imagination. They must be addressed on a daily basis, not just once a year during our commemorative debate. It is all well and good to commemorate the anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), but its provisions must be implemented in every new mandate and United Nations operation. We must continually try to increase the role and contribution of women on the ground in United Nations operations, particularly as military observers, members of civilian police forces, human rights specialists and members of humanitarian operations. Much remains to be done.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“I am pleased to note that that proposal was adopted. I encourage the Department to develop its local network of advisers on gender issues. It is also essential that advisers with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, the United Nations Mission in Liberia and shortly, I hope, the United Nations Mission in Cote d'Ivoire, coordinate their activities so as to ensure a better understanding of the regional dimension of the problem. Reports to the Council should include as often as possible information on the situation of women and children. I invite the Department and the Office of Ms. Angela King - to whom I pay tribute - to cooperate closely on the common objectives set out in resolution 1325 (2000). The challenges regarding the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) are not to the Secretary-General and the Security Council alone.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I welcome the initiative of the United States delegation in convening this public debate on women and peace and security. I thank the Under-Secretary-General for his detailed briefing, and welcome his personal involvement in this issue. I listened with great interest to the statement of Ms. Amy Smythe about the application on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000). France fully aligns itself with the statement to be made later by the representative of Italy - which holds the presidency of the European Union - on behalf of the Union. I begin by welcoming the progress made during the past year. Last year we recommended the creation of the post of adviser on gender issues within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“To conclude, I wish to convey our concern over the absence at this stage of concrete responses to what will take place after 21 November - we are now less than four weeks from the end of the programme - which gives us reasons for concern in anticipation of humanitarian and logistical difficulties. We believe that it would be particularly useful for ensuring general confidence in any machinery to be established if the 661 Committee could prepare a written document containing questions and answers for the practical use of all delegations.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“In brief, it seems essential that there be complete and accurate information, in the form of a written report, on the schedule of the volume of funds transfers to be made from the escrow account to the Development Fund for Iraq. With respect to the last point, I wish to point to the interest of France and a great number of other members of the international community in knowing the machinery the Coalition Provisional Authority plans to put in place to replace the oil-for-food programme, in particular with respect to the delicate question of food security for the Iraqi population. That applies in particular to the delivery of humanitarian goods warehoused outside Iraq.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“Moreover, with respect to the transfer of funds from the escrow account to the Development Fund for Iraq, it seems to us to be normal that such transfers be made only if there is sufficient transparency with respect to the use of resources placed in the Development Fund for Iraq. So far, that has not been the case, which is a matter of concern, given, in particular, the transfer last spring of $1 billion from the escrow account to the Development Fund for Iraq. We hope that the International Advisory and Monitoring Board put in place last week - which we welcome - would rapidly carry out an audit of spending incurred.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“We welcome the statements made by the United Nations Treasury and the United States delegation during the meetings of the 661 Committee, according to which the priority contracts will continue to be paid after 21 November, from the United Nations escrow account, on the basis of current rigorous and transparent methods. The corollary is, of course, that it is indispensable that the funds covering the priority contracts be maintained in the United Nations escrow account, whatever their status in the amendment process and whatever the status of their letters of credit. Non-discrimination among suppliers must be the rule. All priority contract holders must be paid in accordance with the same procedures.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“Thirdly, I would like to underscore the urgency of immediately knowing how the contracts are to be carried out after 21 November, with respect to the delivery of goods, their authentication and payment to suppliers. The continuity of deliveries in the weeks immediately following 21 November would presuppose that the suppliers have a minimum amount of visibility at this time in order to be able to plan their deliveries in Iraq. If the Coalition Provisional Authority does not say today how this group of questions are to be dealt with, it will become vulnerable to dysfunction and breakdowns in the supply chain, which will have an immediate impact on the Iraqi population. The fourth point I wish to underscore concerns the financing of contracts, which must be carried out with the greatest transparency.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“In that regard, decisions must be taken on an urgent basis, and efforts must be made to inform suppliers. It seems to us that in order to minimize breakdown and uncertainty for suppliers and to ensure that the Authority does not have to establish an entirely new mechanism, there is a practical solution suitable for all: with the agreement of the Authority and the relevant Iraqi authorities, United Nations agencies could continue the process for a few weeks more. Such an arrangement would in no way constitute an extension of the programme; it would be simply a technical arrangement between the Coalition Provisional Authority and the agencies that would not contradict the terms of resolution 1483 (2003).”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“The current pace must be maintained, and we urge agencies to do their utmost to amend as many contracts as possible by between 21 November, without setting any artificial internal deadline prior to that date. However, the current pace - and I would remind the Council that 52 per cent of contracts have been renegotiated - does not lead one to conclude that all priority contracts will be renegotiated by 21 November, a date on which there will likely be a backlog of unamended contracts. It is essential to ensure continuity in the process beyond 21 November; otherwise those contracts cannot be executed, which will entail a cost to the Iraqi people and its economy. It is a matter of concern to us that the Coalition Provisional Authority does not yet seem to have provisions in place for the period after 21 November.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“Contracts that have not been selected as priorities should therefore, in accordance with resolution 1483 (2003), be subjected to careful review and sound decision-making. Generally speaking, we believe it essential for the list of contracts that have not been retained because they have been deemed to be of relatively low utility to be made public before 21 November. A clear statement setting out the reason for non-selection of those contracts should also be made, and suppliers should be contacted and informed. Secondly, the process of renegotiating and amending priority contracts prior to the transfer of responsibilities from the United Nations to the Authority is an essential component in ensuring the effective execution of priority contracts after 21 November.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“The programme is a tool, and it is in the common interest that it be used as much as possible - particularly within the current context, when the private sector appears reluctant to become involved in reconstruction, which itself is late in getting started. That tool is all the more important because the concerns about Iraq's capacity to absorb investment - concerns expressed, inter alia, by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme - are increasingly proving to be justified. Our main concern here has to do with transparency. Non-priority contracts must not appear as a mere residual category at the bottom of the list of contracts selected as priority contracts. Paragraph 16 (b) of resolution 1483 (2003) refers to non-priority contracts as contracts that may be determined to be of questionable utility.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“All of that also presupposes that, above and beyond reassuring speeches about the efforts of the United Nations and the Coalition Provisional Authority, concrete replies must be provided without delay to outstanding questions pertaining to how the period after 21 November will be organized. In that regard, I fully agree with what Ambassador Pleuger has proposed. There are, however, five points that are of particular concern to us. First, it is important that the selection of prioritized contracts continue up until 21 November. I would recall that, currently, only 81 per cent of approved and financed contracts have been selected.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“Our shared goal is that the transition process to end the oil-for-food programme be successful, and that the programme's disappearance from the stage not lead to an interruption of supplies, humanitarian assistance or equipment essential to the reconstruction of vital sectors in the country. As the Secretary-General stated at the opening of the Madrid Conference, the stakes are high. Over 60 per cent of the Iraqi people continue to depend upon the programme directly for their survival. A successful transition presupposes that a maximum number of existing contracts will be chosen to meet the urgent needs of the Iraqi people. Success will depend also upon continuity in the execution of prioritized contracts and upon the delivery of merchandise and equipment after 21 November.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I join others in vigorously condemning attacks such as those that took place yesterday, especially the one launched against the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross. As the Secretary-General rightly said, that attack was a crime against humanity. I also associate myself with the condolences expressed by the President and by others to the International Committee of the Red Cross. I would first like to thank Mr. Benon Sevan for his briefing and for the written report distributed to delegations. We also wish to pay tribute to all of his colleagues in New York, Amman and Iraq, who have spared no effort in preparing for the end of the programme.”
2003-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4851 (2003) · source
“The text can also create institutional momentum in the right direction. In the context of the spiral of violence and terrorism in Iraq and of extreme tension in the Middle East as a whole, we wish to make unity in the Council a priority. We wish to believe that today's resolution marks a first step that we feel will be followed by others, equally indispensable.”
2003-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4844 (2003) · source
“We also remain convinced that, in order to allow for the reconstruction and stabilization of Iraq, the sovereign assumption by the Iraqis of their own destiny is a necessary starting point to restore political prospects for the Iraqis; to marginalize those in Iraq who have chosen violence; and to mobilize the international community on behalf of Iraq. Furthermore, we believe that it is absolutely necessary for the United Nations to play a lead role in assistance to the Iraqi people in successfully managing the political process. We recognize, however, that the authors of the resolution, throughout the negotiations, took a number of our amendments into consideration - with regard, for example, to the roles of the Security Council and the Secretary-General or to transparency in the use of the Development Fund for Iraq.”
2003-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4844 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): At the outset, I welcome the presence among us of the Secretary-General at this important meeting. France, Germany and Russia decided to support the resolution we have just adopted and to agree on the text of a joint statement to be issued here in New York. With so much at stake, we feel that the text of the resolution should have gone farther. It would have been extremely desirable in particular for a clear text to set nearer and stricter deadlines for the transfer of responsibilities and the political transition.”
2003-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4844 (2003) · source
“The time has come to hold an international conference and to establish in the field a credible third- party monitoring mechanism. There is a need to take risks that will lead to peace in the Middle East; it is our collective duty to act.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“France reaffirms its conviction that only a just and negotiated solution to the conflict, leading to the end of the occupation of 1967 and to the creation, side by side with Israel, of a viable Palestinian State, will provide Israel that security to which all Israelis have an inalienable right. It is on this path that the two parties embarked in accepting the road map during the Aqaba Summit on 4 June last. They must stay on this path. France calls on the parties immediately to fulfil their reciprocal and parallel obligations within the framework of the road map. France is convinced that the international community, in particular through the Quartet, has a key role to play to contribute to the advent of peace. We must press on.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“What Palestinian leader could make his people agree to peace without the assurance of the creation of an independent and viable State, which is predicated on territorial continuity? To thus so seriously and permanently jeopardize the opportunity for a negotiated settlement to the conflict is in no one's interest. In such conditions, we believe that it is the responsibility of the Security Council to respond through the adoption of a draft resolution showing its opposition to the building of the wall following the route selected - a route that is illegal in terms of international law and whose humanitarian and political consequences are extremely serious and inadmissible. Security and peace, moreover, go hand in hand.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“What Israeli leader would dare in future to dismantle the settlements in the interests of a necessary peace with the Palestinians, if they have developed in the shadow of a security barrier? The price of peace for Israel will then be considerably higher. The planned route, if indeed followed, prejudges the borders of the future Palestinian State. The continued building of a wall of separation following a route that departs from the Green Line would de facto indicate that Israel no longer recognizes resolution 242 (1967) as an essential basis for negotiations with the Palestinians. There cannot be peace without mutual recognition by each of the parties of their territorial rights. The route also seriously damages the viability of a future Palestinian State, which would be likely to find itself reduced to a collection of isolated enclaves.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“Thirdly, the construction of the wall runs counter to the road map and is likely seriously to jeopardize the future of the peace process and of a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians, which can be conceived only based on the 1967 borders and a viable Palestinian State. The construction of the wall directly contravenes the road map, which expressly demands that the Israeli Government not undertake any action that would undermine confidence, in particular the confiscation of Palestinian houses and property. This will be a permanent structure that will permanently change geographic and demographic data. The building of the wall can only encourage the development of settlements and aggravate the already serious problems that these are causing.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“The wall is a physical barrier which gravely hampers the movement of persons and of goods, separates families and cuts off numerous Palestinians from their agricultural lands, thereby depriving them of their livelihood. According to various estimates, the lives of more than 200,000 Palestinians will be directly affected by the construction of the wall. Several thousand people will find themselves trapped between the wall and the Green Line. Life in general and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, which are a source of great concern, can only further deteriorate - let alone the offence to human dignity represented by the creation of a quasi-ghetto, as is the case in Qalqilya.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“Moreover, the inadmissible nature of the acquisition of territory by force is a fundamental principle of Security Council resolution 242 (1967), on which the peace process is based. In East Jerusalem, the construction of the wall calls into question once again a fundamental principle of the peace process, which should allow the city to become the capital of two independent States and which should preserve the specific status of the holy places. Today the construction of the security wall on the Mount of Olives directly threatens the property and gardens of several charitable religious congregations. I would recall here the importance to France of ensuring free access to the holy sites of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Secondly, construction of the wall following the chosen route has inadmissible humanitarian consequences.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“What can be criticized from a legal perspective regarding the building of the separation wall is not so much the wall itself as the route chosen by the Israeli Government. That route broadly cuts into the territories occupied in 1967 and opens the way to the confiscation of Palestinian territories, thus contravening international humanitarian law and in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as the agreements signed between Israelis and Palestinians. This is all the more true of the second segment of the wall, which is closely following the location of settlements - and in particular of Ariel - which are clearly illegal. The permanent nature of the wall means that the territories between the wall and the Green Line will be de facto incorporated by Israel and under its control.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source
“France has publicly indicated its opposition to the construction of the separation wall following a route that cuts into the occupied Palestinian territories and deviates from the Green Line, as it has indicated its opposition to the settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, and this for at least three reasons. First, construction of the wall following the route chosen is illegal in terms of international law and cannot be justified in terms of the war on terrorism. France recognizes Israel's inalienable right to security, its right to self-defence and its right to combat terrorist attacks, which are totally condemnable, morally odious and which no cause can justify. However, the struggle against terrorism cannot justify everything and must be carried out with respect for the law.”
2003-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4841 (2003) · source