YouSaid · the spoken record

Deputy Secretary-General

lines on the record: 595
first: 1998-06-29
most recent: 2020-11-03
sittings or episodes: 58
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

“That is why we welcomed the recent resolution in which the General Assembly recognized the need to strengthen the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator and the need for a full-time Security Coordinator. I am pleased to inform the Council that the Secretary-General intends to act on this resolution by appointing a full-time Security Coordinator as soon as possible. A second goal is to ensure that field missions are adequately staffed with security professionals and adequately provided with essential equipment, such as radios, satellite telephones, flak jackets and so on. An urgent review has been initiated to establish the exact requirements, country by country. A third and essential objective is to place much greater emphasis on security training.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“The first is to strengthen the capacity of the Office of the United Nations Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD) to perform its responsibilities as overall security manager of the United Nations system. This is not, by any standard, a small task. To do a good job, UNSECOORD needs to be able not only to carry out security assessment missions, training and investigations. It should also be able, for instance, to send short-term security personnel to the field in crisis situations or provide stress counselling. It should also have at its disposal adequate computer programmes to enhance its management capacity. To meet all these requirements, we need a larger team with adequate resources, headed by an experienced individual able to make the tough decisions the job entails.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“They are very well placed to brief the Council on the special difficulties encountered by humanitarian workers in the hostile environments where they now most often serve. When I say "we" are responsible, that includes us in the Secretariat, and it also includes you, the Member States. The people who venture into peril are our colleagues, but they are also your citizens. We in the Secretariat firmly believe there is much we ourselves can do to better safeguard the security of our United Nations colleagues. In recent months I have held consultations with the major United Nations operational agencies working in conflict situations, and we are considering a number of concrete steps to improve our security procedure.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“But this in no way reduces our responsibility towards those who deliver that help in high-risk environments. The least we can do is to make sure that they are not exposed to unnecessary danger. Let me, at this point, clarify one very important point. When I speak of United Nations personnel, I mean not only military and police staff, but also the thousands of civilians who serve in peacekeeping, peacemaking and humanitarian missions; and not only international staff, but also the locally recruited men and women without whom we simply could not fulfil the mandates that the Member States give us. Our responsibility extends to them all. I am grateful to the President for inviting Ms. Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), and the representative of the ICRC, to join us today.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“We are faced with a dramatic increase in the number of killings, assaults and kidnappings of United Nations staff since the early 1990s; and I might add that our colleagues from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and our non-governmental-organization partners in the field have suffered in equal measure. We cannot just wring our hands and go on with our business. Nor do we have the option of simply walking away from dangerous situations. Often the United Nations has to stay because it represents the last ray of hope for suffering populations. If we leave, there may be no one else to take our place. We cannot, therefore, let threats intimidate us, and we cannot let violence drive us out. We have too great a responsibility towards the people we promised to help.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“There could be no finer way to use your presidency than to focus attention on those brave men and women who risk their lives bringing peace to the world and relief to the victims of conflict. It is not just United Nations personnel, but the international community as a whole that stands to benefit from this initiative and from the stronger sense of urgency that I hope it will generate. For whenever a Blue Helmet, a relief worker or a local interpreter falls victim to hatred and violence, their families, friends and colleagues are not alone in mourning their loss. It is felt also by those who depend on their help: sick and hungry children, refugees and displaced persons and civilians threatened by armed conflicts.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“I am especially pleased to welcome the new Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic on his first visit to the United Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Argentina for the invaluable and constant support it has given to the Organization. I would particularly like to express my deep appreciation for the important contributions it has made to peacekeeping operations throughout the world. Today's initiative illustrates the fact that Argentina continues to be as committed as ever to supporting our work in the world's most dangerous regions. (spoke in English) I want to thank you, Mr. President, and your country for bringing us together to discuss a vital issue that is often overlooked: the protection of United Nations and associated personnel.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“But the pain and the risk will surely be worthwhile if they give the peoples of Africa a real chance to build a peaceful and prosperous future for themselves and for their children. For my part, on behalf of the Secretariat, I pledge that we will do everything possible to sustain the momentum that this "month of Africa" has generated, and to make sure that it is effectively harnessed within the United Nations system. I am confident that members of the Council will do the same.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“So the real issue is: where do we go from here? Council presidencies come and go as the months pass, but Africa, with its deep wounds and its heroic efforts, remains with us month after month. Our commitment to heal those wounds and to support those efforts is worth nothing unless it matches deeds to words; unless it is strong and, above all, sustained. And African leaders on their side must not forget something they have heard over and over in this Chamber during the past few weeks: that no amount of international support can help them unless they themselves show statesmanship and real political will. No one imagines that their task is easy. The cause of peace and development requires many painful sacrifices and courageous compromises.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“And I must thank the Council also for drawing attention to the discrimination which often affects the internally displaced, an issue which has long preoccupied the humanitarian branches of the United Nations family but which until now has seldom caught the eye of political leaders or the international media. If I were to sum up the achievement of this month in a single phrase, I should say that the Council has spectacularly reaffirmed its long-standing engagement with Africa, and in doing so has shown a greater sense of urgency than ever before. But we all know that the real measure of our achievements, if such they are, will not to be found in this room. It can only be found on the African continent itself, in the peace we are able to restore or maintain, and the relief we are able to bring to the sufferings of so many innocent people.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“The important work of the Council's Committee on sanctions, led by Ambassador Fowler, must now be carried forward in order to reinforce the push for peace. No less important was the debate the Council held on the harrowing problem of refugees and displaced persons in Africa. These unhappy people merit our attention every bit as much as their counterparts in other parts of the world. I hope that the spotlight that the Council has focused on them will result in more generous funding of the humanitarian appeals which the United Nations has launched on their behalf.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“If all goes well, this should lead on to a major new peacekeeping and peace-building effort, which will demonstrate beyond any doubt the seriousness of the international community's commitment to resolving conflict in Africa. In Sierra Leone, the peace process is further advanced but still very fragile. Nowhere in Africa, at this moment, has the United Nations taken on a greater responsibility. I am glad that discussions during this month have moved us closer to having the mandate and the resources we need to carry out that responsibility, and I hope that next week the Council will be able to adopt a resolution to that effect, as planned. In Angola, the Council's discussions have at least helped bring the protracted conflict there back into clearer international focus, and I am grateful for that.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“Albright has aptly named "Africa's first world war". The Lusaka Agreement - already in itself an important example of Africa's renewed determination to tackle its own problems - thereby received a major boost. All the States which had signed it solemnly reaffirmed their commitment to it. And the fact that a statesman of such wisdom and moral authority as Sir Ketumile Masire has agreed to act as facilitator in the next phase of negotiations is certainly a source of hope. The Council has since been working hard to finalize a draft resolution which would enable us at last to deploy the promised 500 military observers and support troops.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“I particularly welcome the pledges of material support for this struggle given by Vice-President Gore and other representatives of donor Governments. The discussions on Burundi also yielded clear signs of a stronger intent to overcome the current stalemate. President Mandela's wisdom and faith once again proved invaluable. In thank him most sincerely for the trust he showed in the Council by coming to take part in its debate, and for the unforgettable statements he delivered both here and in Arusha. Similarly, when it came to the even more complex problems of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, no fewer than seven African heads of State joined your own Secretary of State, Mr. President, in giving us new hope by their presence and by their words. They reaffirmed their commitment to finding a peaceful solution to what Mrs.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“By devoting its very first meeting of the new millennium to the question of AIDS, the Council recognized the epidemic as a security threat for Africa, both as a direct killer of millions of Africans and as an agent of social, economic and political instability. Members of the Council showed a clear understanding that it would make no sense for the international community to try to address peace and security issues on the continent Without bringing HIV/AIDS into the picture. Many important proposals were made during the debate and must be followed up energetically. All in all, a new impetus has been given to the fight against this most cruel of diseases and to the alliance against AIDS in Africa which is currently being built under the leadership of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“I salute President Chiluba of Zambia, as well as the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab. I am also very happy to salute the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Ms. Dlamini- Zuma. As the Council knows, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has also followed its proceedings with intense interest. A long-standing conflict in another part of the world, Cyprus, requires his presence in Geneva today. But I assure members he is very much with us in spirit, and I shall give him a full account of the Council's deliberations when he returns to New York tomorrow.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“I am glad to see that on Friday, European Union ministers, in their turn, began a historic debate on a new and strategic relationship with Africa, focused on reducing poverty and conflict. In the course of this "month of Africa", we have seen real and encouraging signs of the understanding, interest, determination and commitment which all sides need to demonstrate if we are to address the root causes of conflict and bring an end to the suffering of so many Africans. We have benefited from the wisdom and sustained attention of several outstanding African leaders, whose interest in solving the continent's problems clearly goes well beyond the immediate national interests of any one African country. Let me salute, in particular, the contributions made by the African leaders who have stayed with us for this final meeting.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“If there is one country in the world where the efforts of the United Nations in peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building have made an incontrovertible difference, I suggest that Mozambique would be that country. So let no Afro-pessimist say, therefore, that you in the United States, or we in the Secretariat, or any of the members of this Council are wasting our time in trying to help Africans solve their problems. On the contrary, I am convinced that, if only we can sustain the momentum, the Council's efforts to mobilize the international community, as well as the continent itself, will make a tangible difference to peace, stability and prosperity in Africa.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“It is particularly gratifying that you have used this opportunity to focus attention on the challenges that face us in Africa. No part of the world is in greater need of our help, and none has greater potential to reward our efforts if we apply them in a wise and timely manner. Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, is likely to be the world's fastest- growing region this year in economic terms. And which country is leading this impressive spurt of growth? Mozambique, a country which only a few years ago was in the grip of a civil war apparently as intractable as any of those still raging or smouldering on the continent.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, and your country, once again, for the truly historic start you have given to the Council's activity in the new millennium. Seldom, if ever, can this Chamber have been graced in the space of one month by so many heads of State or Government and by such distinguished representatives of the host country. You have brought both the executive and the legislative branches of your Government here at a very high level. I believe it may be true to say that as a result, the United Nations and the United States now understand each other better than they have for many years. It may not be too much to hope that this will mark the beginning of a new era of positive engagement by the United States in all aspects of this Organization's work.”
2000-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4096 (2000) · source
“The process of post-conflict disarmament, demobilization and reintegration is rooted in and feeds into a broader search for peace. The international community, working through the United Nations, has a real contribution to make. I look forward to hearing the Council's views.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“It can be the first thing the parties to a conflict are able to agree on, and so become the starting point for a dialogue which later leads to a ceasefire and a broader agreement. Fourthly, the deployment of a follow-on political mission after the termination or withdrawal of a peacekeeping operation can be a useful means to avoid setbacks and relapses into insecurity. The inclusion within such missions of expertise in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration might not be an obvious step, but it would certainly prove beneficial. Finally, a rigorous media and publicity campaign to educate and mobilize popular support for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts must be built into the operation from the start.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“But much more needs to be done. The problem will not be solved until the international community adopts a concerted approach, which must address the causes as well as the consequences of child recruitment, that is, the social, economic and political factors which make children susceptible to it. The Security Council should in future make the needs of child soldiers a central concern when it considers specific crises, when it mandates peacekeeping or peacemaking missions and when it designs peace-building programmes. It is also worth remembering that demobilizing child soldiers and children who are pressed into the war effort in other roles can be an opportunity as well as a problem.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“International institutions such as the World Bank can also provide valuable technical and financial support, but there must be close coordination between the Bank and the peacekeeping operation involved. Thirdly, the special needs of child soldiers, including girl soldiers, should, where appropriate, be seen as a crucial element in a peacekeeping operation's mandate. It has been estimated that more than 300,000 children under 18 years of age were used as soldiers in conflicts around the world between 1995 and 1997. Some United Nations peacekeeping operations have included a special focus on the demobilization of child soldiers. United Nations bodies such as the United Nations Children's Fund, and non-governmental organizations, provide special programmes for them, including counselling, education and family reunification.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“First, terms for the disposal of arms and ammunition should be included within peace agreements when they are first negotiated, so that the issue does not become an obstacle to peace at a later stage. Secondly, predictable financing is critical. Starting a programme without the funding to complete it may raise expectations on the part of ex-combatants that cannot be fulfilled. This, in and of itself, can prove to be highly destabilizing. Voluntary financing of demobilization projects can also be a problem, as any delays in receiving contributions can place the entire process in jeopardy. Member States are encouraged to contribute to the United Nations Development Programme Trust Fund that has been established to deal with small arms, and which includes a weapons collection and destruction component.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“Finally, reintegration denotes a variety of steps to help ex-combatants adapt successfully to a productive civilian life. This assistance has to be given to returning refugees and internally displaced persons as well as to demobilized combatants and their families. It includes employment and micro-credit programmes, vocational training and education. Clearly, reintegration is a long-term social and economic process which needs to continue even after a peacekeeping operation has completed its mandate. This will no doubt be a wide-ranging debate. What should not be questioned is that the international community can offer significant support to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. Allow me to suggest that success will be determined to no small extent by how well we bear in mind the following considerations.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“Weapons-collection programmes may need to be linked with incentives such as provision of jobs or training, which are not easily converted into cash, and related to development initiatives that benefit entire communities. Experience has also shown that if ex-combatants do not have the means of sustaining themselves as civilians, they can be tempted into carrying arms and committing acts of banditry, thereby destabilizing the peace process. Therefore, disarmament needs to be complemented by comprehensive demobilization and reintegration programmes. The process of demobilization involves registration, medical examinations, assistance to combatants to meet their immediate basic needs and transportation to their home communities or, sometimes, absorption into a unified military force.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“When timed properly, they can be very beneficial. However, experience has shown that, if timed wrongly, weapons exchanges which involve direct financial payments to individuals may actually be destabilizing. For example, civilian buy-back programmes may inhibit military disarmament, in which combatants are instructed by their leaders to hand over their weapons but are not paid to do so. Furthermore, the establishment of a high price for weapons to promote disarmament could create an artificial market for weapons, and spark an overwhelming movement of weapons into the country and surrounding region. So a cautious approach is highly desirable, even when non-monetary incentives are used. The final decision should take into account the overall context of proliferation and the potential effects at the local, national and regional levels.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“But that, too, is an essential feature of most peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building operations, and is much easier when the active cooperation of the parties to the conflict can be secured. As a rule, the disarmament of civilians is not the responsibility of a peacekeeping mission, but rather a task incumbent upon national authorities, sometimes with assistance provided by the international community. However, by supporting efforts to strengthen national law- enforcement capacity, a peacekeeping operation can play a key role in creating an environment in which the general populace does not deem weapons to be necessary. Buy-back programmes have been considered a useful means of accelerating disarmament and advancing the peace process in post-conflict periods and in regions marred by insecurity.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“The United Nations has been mandated to undertake disarmament in peacekeeping operations in Africa, South- East Asia, Central America, and the Balkans. Each is a different experience, reflecting a particular country's circumstances, the terms of the peace agreement and the mandate approved by the Security Council. But some general definitions apply. Strictly speaking, disarmament is the assembly and cantonment of combatants and the voluntary handing over of their weapons to peacekeeping troops, who then ensure the safe storage of the weapons and their final disposition. In most cases, the responsibility for the assembly of combatants lies with the party to be disarmed, as provided for in a peace agreement. Technically, demining is a separate task in its own right.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“For us, as outsiders, the task of helping the afflicted countries find the path of peace and development presents an enormous challenge. Within that challenge, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are distinct tasks, but ones which often overlap, and which must in any case be approached as part of an integrated peace-building process. These are also highly sensitive tasks. They involve fundamental questions about the extent of State authority, about the course of economic development, and about societal cohesion. Moreover, in most instances, success is based both on the will of the parties to surrender their weapons and on the unstinting support of the international community - a difficult combination to find.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: I am pleased to be here today to share some thoughts on the role that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration play in United Nations peacekeeping. The conflicts with which the Security Council is grappling today have given these tasks particular urgency. Those conflicts are more often than not internal civil wars, with some degree of cross-border or international implications. They tend to take place in poorer countries, with vast movements of internally displaced persons as well as refugees. Easily available light arms, including landmines, are the weapons of choice. And often, one finds among the combatants young children conscripted as soldiers. These are, in short, highly complex and volatile situations.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020 (1999) · source
“The need to address the fact that conflicts with horrendous humanitarian consequences are increasing in number, duration and severity is now pressing. The Secretary-General has put forward a number of recommendations for the Council's consideration and stands ready to assist with any action which will give peace a chance and reduce the bulging statistics of human misery.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The establishment of the International Criminal Court is central to ending a culture of impunity. Every effort should be made to accelerate the establishment of the International Criminal Court. As recommended by the Secretary-General in his report on Africa, combatants should be held financially liable when civilians are made the deliberate target of aggression. To this end, a trust fund to support reparations to victims should be established. The Secretary-General is pleased that the Council is giving serious attention to this issue. Humanitarian agencies are equally appreciative of the interest shown by the Security Council in the enormous hurdle they face in contemporary war zones. They look to the Council for concrete action, particularly in situations where civilians are deliberately targeted.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Lawlessness and contempt for humanitarian norms imperil humanitarian personnel and their ability to help people in need, and further endanger the women and children who constitute the bulk of the population dependent on assistance for survival. As members are no doubt aware, this year has seen more United Nations civilians and United Nations military personnel killed in the line of duty. The report before the Council explains why the changed nature of warfare is so alarming and what should be done to protect the millions who are internally displaced or trapped in war zones. It also sets out specific measures to enhance the protection of refugees. Holding perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable will not end war, but it will definitely help in ending some of the most egregious abuses.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“They more than anyone else are aware that one of the most compelling and problematic challenges confronting humanitarian actors is the difficulty of operating in hostile environments where civilians are directly targeted and the work of relief agencies is deliberately obstructed. The changed nature of warfare means that every day humanitarian personnel must deal with the consequences of massive violations of basic humanitarian norms, as armed groups avoid direct confrontation and attack unarmed civilians. Disrespect for basic humanitarian norms implies added risk for relief workers. As the number of civilian casualties rises, so too does the number of workers who have been killed, wounded, kidnapped or assaulted while trying to carry out their humanitarian task.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“There is no substitute for ending conflict, putting an end to abusive practices and generating the conditions essential for lasting peace. It is against this background - the essential role of the Security Council in addressing the immediate and underlying causes of conflict - that the report before the Council has been prepared. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been instrumental in the preparation of this report, which also benefited from consultations with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, other United Nations humanitarian agencies, the Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of Legal Affairs and the United Nations Security Coordinator. This report draws on the experience of humanitarian agencies operating in conflict situations.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“As noted by various speakers at the open debate of the Security Council last year on this issue, there is a dramatic need to rethink what is meant by "humanitarian action" in today's war zones and to reformulate our understanding of what is required to protect and safeguard the well-being of civilians. No one will dispute that warfare reflects a breakdown of political structures. It is the responsibility of the Security Council to be bold, committed and determined when confronted by such crises. Unquestionably, securing a durable peace is the most important role of the Council and represents the best support it can provide to humanitarian agencies struggling with the humanitarian consequences of warfare.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“This phenomenon of directly targeting civilians, and the use of "scorched-earth" tactics, is not new, but the scale of such atrocities, and the horrendous cost in human suffering, has reached an unprecedented level. In recent days, the Council had before it the situation in Afghanistan, in Kosovo and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name just a few of the conflicts where the pitiless slaughter of civilians and the destruction of their means of survival is commonplace. When the killing, maiming, and displacement of civilians is not an incidental element of a political or military strategy but constitutes its major objective, the limitations of humanitarian action become all too apparent. Humanitarian action is not designed or equipped to stop the slaughter and deliberate displacement of civilians.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Never before have we seen such widespread and deliberate attacks against people who are massacred in their homes, have their villages flattened, have their schools and crops destroyed, and are essentially treated as the enemy. Terrorized and traumatized by armed violence, millions are obliged to flee and abandon their farms to become refugees or internally displaced. An unknown number are trapped in war zones, unable to escape or to be reached by those who could offer assistance. Notwithstanding the positive achievements in the ratification of the landmines treaty, these weapons are still being used, with tragic consequences for civilians. They are also a direct impediment to the provision of humanitarian assistance.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: I am pleased to present to the Security Council the Secretary-General's report on the protection of humanitarian assistance to refugees and others in conflict situations. This report, which the Council requested, sets out the challenges and obstacles which confront humanitarian agencies operating in violent and dangerous environments. Operating on the front lines of numerous conflicts, humanitarian agencies are all too aware that their ability to be effective - to stanch suffering - is extremely limited when defenceless civilians are deliberately targeted and access to humanitarian assistance is denied. What is happening to civilians in today's war zones is an abomination.”
1998-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3932 (1998) · source
“Expression of sympathy in connection with the deaths of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Angola and his colleagues in the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source
“His legacy and his name will live on in Angola. Recently, he used the funds of a prize awarded to him by Germany to endow a school in Malange province. The school now bears his name. Those who knew him well will remember his favourite phrase when things were going well - his trademark, if you like: "On va boucler" - "We're going to wrap it up". Let that optimism become his legacy. No one can replace Maitre Beye, but his work can and must be carried on. There could be no more fitting conclusion to his life than a timely completion of the Lusaka Protocol - a realization of his dream of a reconciled Angola. The suffering has gone on long enough, the hopes have been vanquished too many times. Today, I hope the parties in Angola will join us in humanity's greatest prayer: that which asks not for victory but for peace.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source
“If - as happened more than once - one of the parties chose to break an impasse in negotiations by introducing a new document at 11.30 pm. on a Saturday night, Maitre Beye would not wait until the next morning. Everybody would get to work there and then. There would always be those who said the Mission was not making enough progress - that the Lusaka Protocol should have been implemented in full by now. To them, Maitre Beye would simply recall the alternative: that when the process started, Angola's war took more than 1,000 lives every day. It was the cruellest of ironies that death took Maitre Beye at a time when he had just fully recovered from extensive heart surgery; when he was looking forward to a well-earned vacation this summer; when he was contemplating the time he could rightly look back upon his work as a duty accomplished.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: We have gathered this evening to mourn irreplaceable colleagues. Maitre Alioune Blondin Beye and seven members of his team paid the highest price possible for peace in Angola. We are here to remember them all: Maitre Beye, Koffi Adjoyi, Beadengar Dessande, Amadou Moctar Gueye, Ibikunle Williams, Alvaro Costa, Jason Hunter and Andrew McCurrach. But we are also here to pray that their mission of peace was not in vain. Warm, tenacious, full of energy, full of enthusiasm, Maitre Beye was a man totally dedicated to his Mission in Angola, a Mission which he had nursed since its inception five years ago. He literally gave the Mission all the hours God gave him. He would regularly telephone Headquarters at 2 am. his time. He would spend seven hours in one session negotiating with one side.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source