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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“Like the Secretary-General, France believes that this body is a partner with whom the United Nations and the international community should be able to work as a first element of Iraq's provisional administration, whose establishment is called for in paragraph 9 or resolution 1483 (2003). The first step must be completed and the process of national and regional dialogue must continue. We welcome the active role played by the Special Representative of the Secretary- General in setting up the Council. That is something everyone has appreciated. How are the goals to be achieved? France fully supports the approach taken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, in particular with regard to the following five points.”
2003-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4791 (2003) · source
“The people of Iraq - who have been left exhausted by two wars, a dozen years under sanctions and decades of political repression and violations of human rights - have suffered enough. It is incumbent upon the international community to help Iraqis once again become masters of their own future, as well as of their resources, without delay. In that regard, the recent establishment in Baghdad of an interim Governing Council having certain executive and budgetary powers is a first, positive step towards the establishment of a representative and internationally recognized Government to be established by the Iraqi people.”
2003-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4791 (2003) · source
“Pachachi, who heads the delegation of the interim Governing Council. As French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin has publicly stated several times in recent days, the position of France is well known, as is the position of the European Union, which was made known yesterday during the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the European Union's General Affairs and External Relations Council. I would simply like to recall a few main points here. What are our goals? France wants to see the successful political and economic reconstruction of Iraq. Like the Secretary-General, we are convinced that the solution is political rather than military. We want a swift restoration of Iraqi sovereignty.”
2003-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4791 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I would like to begin by welcoming you, Madam President, and by saying how pleased we are that you have agreed to preside over this important meeting. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his detailed and informative report on the situation in Iraq (S/2003/715) and on the work of the United Nations on the ground pursuant to resolution 1483 (2003). I would also like to warmly thank Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and his entire team, who are working in particularly difficult circumstances. I also wish to welcome Mr. Adnan Pachachi, Ms. Aqila Al- Hashemi and Mr. Ahmed Chalabi, who are members of the recently established interim Governing Council. We have listened very carefully and with great interest to the statement made by Mr.”
2003-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4791 (2003) · source
“Ngongi once again how much we appreciated his work at the head of MONUC. The baton has now been very successfully passed to Ambassador Swing, who assumed his new duties with his well-known competence. We assure him of our support.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“In that regard, the formulas already mentioned in the Council - such as, for example, a declaration of good- neighbourliness made within a regional context that could eventually be endorsed by a future international conference on peace in the Great Lakes region - merit further development and encouragement. I would add that combating impunity is also essential. In that regard, we have noted with interest the proposal made recently by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. I would like to underscore that the deployment of Operation Artemis in Bunia is a particularly important event in the relationship between the European Union and the United Nations. That act represents a first step, which will undoubtedly be decisive, towards cooperation in the area of peacekeeping. In conclusion, I would like to tell Mr.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“The draft resolution that we will adopt shortly will give the Mission a more robust mandate and will increase its personnel, particularly in Ituri, where 3,800 men will be deployed with appropriate equipment, pursuant to the recommendations of the Secretary-General. If we want the Congolese peace process to take root permanently, we must ensure respect for the principle of the unity and sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the whole of its territory. The holding of elections in two years' time, at the end of the transitional period, will be meaningful only if the elections involve the entire country. We should also ensure respect for the security and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and all States of the region. Those countries should be able to live in peace within their borders.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“Bunia is once again becoming a normal place in a Democratic Republic of the Congo that is on the road to normalization. However, as I have said, we must remain vigilant because the situation remains fragile. By mobilizing in that way, the European Union and its member States have also helped to strengthen the peace process by making additional resources available and by providing support to the new Congolese national institutions. The need to effectively replace the Multinational Force in Bunia on 1 September 2003 has no doubt increased awareness about the importance of strengthening the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“In that regard, as has already been said, we can only be gratified at the launching of the transitional period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the swearing-in yesterday of the four Vice-Presidents and tomorrow's first scheduled meeting of the ministerial council of the Transitional Government of National Unity. By intervening resolutely on the ground the Multinational Force made it possible to stabilize the situation in Bunia. As Mr. Solana has said, those displaced by violence are gradually returning to the town; militia, which have been kept under control and urged to no longer carry weapons, have found themselves rendered relatively harmless; and interim institutions have been strengthened and are gaining confidence and trust.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“Javier Solana. I very much concur with his analysis and I thank him for the details he has given us following his recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through Operation Artemis, the Member States of the European Union - including France as the lead nation and the other countries that have joined the Interim Emergency Multinational Force, whose contribution I wish to recognize - it has been possible to prevent a humanitarian tragedy by intervening at a decisive moment. By embodying the resolve of the Security Council and demonstrating the European Union's interest in the Great Lakes region of Africa, the deployment of the Force has also made it possible to consolidate the political process under way in Kinshasa.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“Mr. de La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): We are pleased to have the Secretary-General with us this morning. We would like to thank Mr. Guehenno and Mr. Ngongi for the briefings they have just given us, which have described the contrasting situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the last Security Council mission. We have noted some very positive developments, for which we should be glad and which we should now seek to encourage. It should nevertheless be borne in mind that, despite those positive developments, some grounds for concern continue to exist. For example, fighting has not come to a definitive end in the Kivus. Moreover, in Ituri the relative stability that now prevails in Bunia is still fragile. I shall come back to this point later. I fully associate myself with the statement made today by Mr.”
2003-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4790 (2003) · source
“Ramcharan be more specific? Secondly, paragraph 30 refers to the possibility of human rights rapporteurs from the Commission on Human Rights carrying out a joint investigative mission. I wonder how such a joint mission by the special rapporteurs would be combined with the international investigation team. Thirdly, would it be possible for military observers to report on human rights violations? And should not human rights observers enjoy some protection?”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“We further agree that fighting impunity means that the United Nations must also work on that basis. All United Nations bodies must consider how we can ensure that the fight against impunity will succeed. We agree that we should support the establishment of national mechanisms to promote and protect human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as a National Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the strengthening of the operational capacity of the judiciary. As I read the reports I had three questions. First, in paragraph 29 of the report on the events at Drodro, it is recommended that we consider the possibility of sending an international investigation team at an appropriate time to Ituri and the eastern part of the country. What would be an appropriate time, in the view of the author of the report? Can Mr.”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“McAskie said before the Security Council mission visited the region. At the time, of course, establishing the truth about violations was the first essential step in order to provide assistance to the victims, and also in order to combat impunity. Mr. Ramcharan was correct to stress the importance of the fight against impunity. This is what the Council and the Commission on Human Rights have often emphasized. Before asking a few questions, I would like to comment on the recommendations. We agree it is essential that the transitional Government establish an appropriate judicial mechanism to ensure the prosecution of those responsible for serious human rights violations. We also believe it is essential that those involved in violations not be given refuge anywhere.”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“The result has been a stabilization of the security situation and the start of the return of the civilian population. Mr. Guehenno said this has begun to change the balance between those with guns and the legitimate parties, namely the Ituri interim administration, which was acquiring a political space within which to operate. As Mr. Guehenno said, the people who have benefited from this are the civilians. I am interested that a strategy has been developed to guide the activities of United Nations agencies and of other donors. I am also interested in the Secretariat's efforts to ensure that the IEMF can be replaced by a robust task force that will be deployed by 15 August 2003. Turning now to human rights matters, the briefings by Mr. Ramcharan and Mr. Guehenno were indeed devastating. We all remember what Ms.”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“He spoke of his concern over the situation in Kivu and condemned what was happening there. He noted some interesting developments, for example, the completion of the first implementation phase of the agreed ceasefire and withdrawal following the meetings organized by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) on 19 and 26 June 2003. I shall offer a few comments on Bunia to highlight a point made by Mr. Guehenno that I believe is important. First, the Interim Emergency Multinational Force (IEMF) has had the expected beneficial effect there. Despite logistical problems related to the airstrip being in poor condition, the force was deployed there more quickly than had been expected.”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I, too, should like to begin by thanking Mr. Guehenno and Mr. Ramcharan for their briefings. I pay tribute to the extremely difficult work being carried out by the human rights staff of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). I believe that they deserve such a tribute. Without making a statement, as you requested, Madam, I shall first briefly address Mr. Guehenno's comments on political developments and then I shall address the issue of human rights. A few days ago, the Council rightly welcomed the settlement relating to the problem of armed forces, which opened the way for the establishment of the transitional Government at Kinshasa. This is an important step to which Mr. Guehenno rightly referred.”
2003-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4784 (2003) · source
“It seems to me that, while remaining mindful of the possibility of holding an international conference on peace in the Great Lakes region, we could also consider the idea of a declaration of good- neighbourliness, which was met with interest on the part of the heads of State to whom we presented it. In conclusion, on behalf of all the members of the mission, I should like to thank everyone who participated in its organization. That involved considerable work and enabled the mission to work under excellent conditions. Since I had the honour to lead the mission, I should like to say, on a more personal level, how pleased I was with the work that we did together.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“This Security Council mission, which took place at a particularly delicate time in the two peace processes that are under way in Central Africa, enabled us to renew a direct dialogue with the actors. Mindful that our visit in the region would not fail to create strong expectations, we took care to remind our various interlocutors that it was, above all, on them that peace and reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Burundi depended. The States of the region also have an important part to play in promoting a return to peace and security. In that regard, everyone recognized the need to restore confidence on both sides of the borders.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“We told them that, as Burundians, they must prove their sense of responsibility by joining the peace process, and we encouraged the Government, from that perspective, to provide room for them within the army and in the transitional institutions. We also emphasized to everyone that the grave human rights Violations that the Burundians had endured could not remain unpunished. The Council members were able to witness the work of the mission that the African Union deployed to Burundi. That peace operation - the first sent by the African Union - deserves the international community's support. In addition, the Council mission noted the need to provide adequate economic and budgetary assistance to the transitional Government.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“The Security Council mission encouraged the Burundians to take the final steps that, however difficult they may be after 10 years of civil war, will enable them to seal their reconciliation. We invited those engaged in the transition to continue to demonstrate their determination by accelerating reforms, particularly those in the security forces and in the justice system. We urged the belligerents to put an end to the hostilities. In particular, we let it be known in the clearest way possible to the rebel movements that did not sign the Arusha Agreement that the ceasefire commitments must be respected.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“It is from that perspective that Council members should examine the recommendations submitted by the Secretary-General in his recent special report on MONUC (S/2003/566). It will be a matter of defining how MONUC's role in the peace process of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be most effective, perhaps considering the possibility of giving it a more robust mandate, taking into account the departure of the Multinational Force from Bunia on 1 September. In Bujumbura. the presidential transition that occurred on 30 April, in conformity with the provisions of the Arusha Agreement, has made the process irreversible. In the absence of a complete ceasefire, however, peace in the country remains fragile.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“A great many of the militia members we saw along the side of the road were young children; the problem of child soldiers is well known to the Security Council. However, the dignity and determination of the representatives of the interim institutions of Ituri and the women's associations that we met in Bunia attest to the fact that peace and reconciliation are deeply desired by the population - an essential condition in the search for a political solution. In Ituri, as in the rest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we told everyone that a settlement of the conflict must be political. MONUC, together with the authorities of the transition in Kinshasa, must work to that end.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“The deployment of the Multinational Force, which is being carried out - despite particularly difficult logistical conditions - somewhat more rapidly than anticipated, has already begun to create favourable conditions for a return of security. Thus, the conditions will be right, when the Multinational Force departs on 1 September, for a more effective United Nations presence in Ituri. It is very likely that the camps in Bunia housing people who were internally displaced by the recent violence will grow as the situation normalizes. The humanitarian needs that the international community will have to address will be considerable. Bunia has been deeply traumatized by the massacres of which its inhabitants were victims.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“The Security Council mission also provided an opportunity to remind all the actors that there can be no impunity for the human rights Violations that, unfortunately, almost always accompanied the fighting. The pillaging of natural resources, analysed by the Panel of Experts headed by Ambassador Kassem, has become one of the causes of the continuing hostilities in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and can no longer be tolerated. In Bunia, the Council members were able to witness the remarkable cooperation between the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the Interim Emergency Multinational Force. Here, I must commend the dedication and courage of the Uruguayan contingent.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“Attacks in the Kivus have recently become more intense. The main Victims are not combatants, who are often well armed, but rather the civilian population. We do not want the next victim to be the peace process itself if the political programme of the transition does not materialize. That is why all the parties must ensure that the armed groups receive no further foreign assistance, which enables them to perpetuate the conflict. We spoke to the Presidents of Rwanda and Uganda - who assured us of their support for the Multinational Force deployed in Bunia - of the great importance of what they can contribute to the stabilization of the Great Lakes region by exerting a positive influence on the armed groups.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“Given their countries' contributions to the peace process, the members of the Council mission took pains to listen to the views of Heads of State in Pretoria, Luanda and Dar es Salaam with regard to the two situations at the heart of the mission. In Kinshasa the mission asked President Kabila and other Congolese officials to speed up the establishment of a transitional Government. In that regard, we took note of the commitment expressed to us by the parties to resolve by the end of the month the issue of appointing political and military transitional staff. We reminded everyone in the strongest possible terms, and in particular the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Goma (RCD-Goma), that the Council demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities. A cycle of violence has ravaged Ituri for several months.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“It is to be hoped that an all- inclusive agreement should soon take the form of a Government of national reconciliation in Kinshasa. Nevertheless, we must note the fact that active hostilities continue in both countries. Both countries are at a critical juncture in their history. Along with the Heads of State of the countries most directly involved in the peace processes - namely, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda - the Council's mission contacted the heads of rebel movements and conveyed very strong messages to them. The mission visited Bunia a scant two weeks after the humanitarian crisis there led the Security Council to adopt resolution 1484 (2003).”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“The members of the Security Council mission to Central Africa have asked me to report to the Council on the mission. As the President has just said, we have prepared a report, which is currently being finalized and which is now before the Council. The report includes our analysis of the situation and the mission's recommendations. I would like to make a brief oral report about our mission today. Of course, I suggest that each member refer to the written report we have prepared. The Security Council mission that visited Central Africa from 7 to 16 June 2003 set for itself the main objective of supporting the peace processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. A second transitional President has just taken office in Bujumbura.”
2003-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4775 (2003) · source
“This international mobilization must be ongoing. It is indispensable that the United Nations, the Security Council and the General Assembly participate fully in the implementation of this strategy. This is why France completely supports the Presidential statement that will be adopted at the conclusion of this meeting.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“Upon France's initiative, the representatives of 55 countries gravely affected by the trafficking of opium and heroin produced in Afghanistan met in Paris on 22 May of this year. Over 30 Ministers were present. A declaration, the Paris Covenant, was adopted at the conclusion of the meeting; it has been submitted for circulation as an official Security Council document. By this Covenant, the Ministers agreed to combine their countries' efforts to strengthen national capacities, to develop regional partnerships and to establish a multilateral strategic framework under United Nations auspices. Precise follow-up measures have been planned; for example, the establishment of a regional structure in charge of centralizing information, developing shared analyses and, as needed, conducting joint action.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“We must support these measures, together with the lead nations: the United Kingdom, in charge of the fight against drugs; Germany, for the police; and Italy, for judicial reform. This presupposes supporting the sustainable development of replacement crops. Afghanistan is by no means doomed to remain the world's biggest opium producer. Poppy cultivation is not a traditional activity in Afghanistan. It is important that the international community's response to the drug scourge respect certain principles. All instruments must be used: repression, prevention and treatment. The objectives must be well balanced: the reduction of supply and demand. Coordination needs to be improved, regionally and internationally. In order to implement this strategy and to tackle the problem in all its aspects, international mobilization is indispensable.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), under the remarkable leadership of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, is providing irreplaceable support to the Afghan authorities on both these fronts. But the battle is not won. After a considerable decline in 2000-2001, opium production in Afghanistan was estimated by the United Nations to be at 3,400 tonnes in 2002. The 2003 harvest will most likely be of the same magnitude. It suffices to look at the brochure distributed today to see the extent of the gravity of this problem. Recently, President Karzai took courageous measures to confront this challenge. A plan of action was adopted by the Transitional Government. It is very significant that this plan proposes a long-term strategy for the complete elimination of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan by the year 2013.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“The distinction between transit countries and consumer countries is no longer relevant. The countries of transit are now also consumer markets and have experienced the brunt of the effects of this situation: the destabilization of already fragile economies, a breakdown in State structures because of corruption, an explosion in criminality and a deterioration in public health. For Afghanistan, of course, the production of and trafficking in drugs represents an enormous challenge. The continuation of poppy cultivation blocks reforms that are vital to the modernization of the country. Struggling against poppy cultivation in Afghanistan means making progress in two major areas of the Bonn process - that of security in the provinces and that of strengthening central authority vis-a-vis local strongholds.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“Its technical assistance and support programmes are irreplaceable, and its leading role deserves to be further strengthened. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) must also make a useful contribution. The Security Council must do its share in this effort. Trafficking from Afghanistan constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. Today drugs are among the ranks of other major threats, such as terrorism, arms proliferation and organized crime. This threat affects everyone - Europe included, of course. An important share of Afghan opium is consumed in Europe. The transit countries are also harshly affected, and in growing numbers. The traditional route across the Balkans unfortunately has now been joined by a whole series of routes across Central Asia.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): I wish to thank Mr. Guehenno and Mr. Costa for their mutually complementary briefings. The representative of Greece will shortly make a statement on behalf of the European Union with which France fully associates itself. I will make just a few remarks on the problem of the anti-drug campaign. I wish first to welcome Russia's initiative. The United Nations has a central role to play in the fight against the scourge of drugs. It must establish the guiding principles of international cooperation in this area as in many others. The General Assembly, at its twentieth special session in 1998, adopted seminal texts in this regard. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is unquestionably the best instrument for the implementation of anti-drug policies.”
2003-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4774 (2003) · source
“The mission, which will spend an entire day in Bujumbura in order to meet all the political players in Burundi and which will also attempt to establish contacts with the last of the rebels, will, I hope, help us to find answers to these difficult questions.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“The transition also needs to be supported because the economic situation in the country is extremely difficult. We all are aware that a key condition for the success of a peace process is the provision of economic assistance, which is indispensable to bringing about peace. In the near term, we must therefore strive to help the Burundians to consolidate the Arusha process, which is already irreversible. To do so, we will need to provide answers to several questions: how to provide our support to the establishment of the African mission; how to induce the last rebels to join the negotiations process; and how we can help the Burundians to fight impunity.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Indeed, the Council is less involved there than in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, simply because there is no United Nations peacekeeping operation in that country. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned also by the situation in Burundi, where, for two years now, the Arusha agreement process has been under way. The political transition envisaged in that agreement has taken place, with the accession on 1 May of the former Vice-President. This is testimony that the process is working and that, more than ever, it must be supported. It must be supported because there are real difficulties facing the process, primarily the absence of a ceasefire. This is a paradoxical situation: a peace process is being established that encompasses more than 20 parties, while the last rebels are continuing to fight.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“A good-neighbourly pact has been suggested, which we should consider. There is also the prospect of an international conference for the Great Lakes region, in whose preparations Ibrahima Fall is also involved. On the basis of what our interlocutors will say to us, we will then identify the means available to us to continue to assist the peace process, in particular through MONUC. It is thus in the light of the lessons learned from that mission that we will read the report that the Secretary-General has just provided to us, and which contains proposals on adapting this peace operation's mandate to the latest challenges to the peace process. I should like also to touch upon the situation in Burundi, where the mission will also go.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Another message will be to tell all those who support armed groups, whoever they may be - rebels, militias or foreign armed groups - that they must immediately put an end to this type of support and stop being engaged in conflict by proxy, and that they must also prevent such support from being given. The mission should also explain to the Congolese parties, which, at long last, have reached agreement - due to the personal involvement of President Mbeki with respect to the modalities of the transition - that they must now, without losing any more time, begin that transition. The mission should also remind all the parties that the wealth of the Congo must be used for the benefit of the Congolese people. In addition to these messages, we also need to consider what potential confidence-building measures we could propose.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“The Council must also strengthen the political framework of the peace process - in short, it must give new momentum to the process, which clearly has moved forward, as I said earlier, but which needs to be put back on track. This is precisely the goal of the mission that the Council will be sending to Central Africa in a little over a week, and which I will have the honour of chairing. The mission will have many messages to convey, in particular to remind the Congolese parties of the imperative need immediately to end military operations. This is indispensable, as a major military operation is being launched in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also necessary in order definitively to set in motion the process of the disarmament and repatriation of foreign armed groups.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“That then, is the basis for the Security Council's role: a political message, on the one hand; action on the ground, on the other. We cannot have one without the other. Today, the Council is active in precisely those two areas. We have just adopted resolution 1484 (2003), which authorizes the deployment of a multinational force to Bunia. That force, established at the Secretary-General's request, will have a mandate to stabilize the situation in Bunia and help ensure the security of the civilian population. Headed by France, it will be deployed until 1 September, the time needed to enable the Secretary-General to deploy a strengthened MONUC contingent in that city. Still, this emergency action cannot suffice. The Council cannot limit itself to authorizing a coalition of countries to send a multinational force to Bunia.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“That is the raison d'etre for the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), deployed to facilitate the disengagement of the combatants two years ago, the disarmament and repatriation of armed groups last year and the implementation of the Luanda and Pretoria Agreements after that. Concrete measures should also be undertaken to neutralize the forces driving the conflict. That is the substance of the work accomplished by Ambassador Kassem's Panel of Experts on halting the plundering of the Congo's natural resources. Other concrete measures aim to respond to urgent needs when such measures are necessary: when we need to stop massacres or when a situation becomes intolerable.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Moreover, it is in their interest. Perhaps some of the parties continue to think they can gain some immediate advantage by playing the military card either directly or by proxy, but, beyond the very short term, everyone has an interest in a negotiated political settlement in which the legitimate concerns of all are taken into account. The parties to the conflict have adhered to that logic by signing the Lusaka, Kampala and Pretoria Agreements and others, but now those agreements must be fully respected and implemented. It is not enough to explain to and remind the parties of their commitments or, where necessary, to apply political pressure on them to respect those commitments. The Security Council must sometimes undertake more concrete measures to help the parties implement their commitments.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“That is certainly not enough, because the withdrawal is not complete, because the transition must truly be launched and because the repeated rebel offensives in the east are sabotaging the attempts to disarm the armed groups. It is also not enough because progress at the political level is still far from becoming real progress in the life of the Congolese; massacres continue and instability remains. However, we must build on that progress so that the advances in the peace process are consolidated and peace returns. So what can we do today? The first thing we can do is to make clear to all the parties to the conflict in the region and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that it is their peace process. No one can make peace for them. We can help them, but the restoration of peace is their primary responsibility.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“From a regional conflict motivated by security concerns, it changed into an even more complex, multifaceted crisis with other dimensions: a domestic Congolese dimension; regional economic stakes; and local conflicts in a situation of total anarchy and human tragedy. The complexity and the sometimes difficult-to- understand nature of those conflicts are obviously not a reason to give up, first of all because the human cost would be alarming, but also because the peace process that we are supporting is beginning to bear fruit. There has been considerable movement towards the withdrawal of foreign forces. A political transition agreement has been signed among the Congolese. We have begun to disarm foreign armed groups.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“The Council's efforts were complemented by those of other international institutions such as the Bretton Woods institutions, which have become major actors in restoring peace in the Great Lakes region. But we must recognize that the international community's efforts to restore peace to the Congo have sometimes been frustrated. To the extent that provisions were put in place to end the conflicts, the conflicts seemed to adapt themselves and to resume in a different form, a bit like a bacterium developing resistance to medicines that are used against it. Thus, we saw the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo transform.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Mr. De La Sabliere (France) (spoke in French): In the context of the Security Council mission that will visit Central Africa from 9 to 16 June, I should like to refer to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Burundi. Several years ago, the Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced a situation of conflicts that we are told, caused some 3 million deaths. The Security Council immediately took up those conflicts, which involved practically all of the countries of Central and Southern Africa in one way or another. In close liaison with the Secretary-General, the Council worked with the parties signatory to the Lusaka Agreement, the founding Agreement of the peace process concluded in 1999 and aimed at establishing the peace process and moving it forward.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“The Security Council must therefore continue to be closely involved in the situation in Iraq, in particular through the information which the Special Representative, the United States and the United Kingdom will regularly provide it, pursuant to the resolution. It will reassess all the provisions of the resolution within 12 months' time, at the latest.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4761 (2003) · source