YouSaid · the spoken record

Downer

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19

first

1996-09-27

most recent

1999-09-29

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3

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un-security-council

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1. “We have seen the beginnings of a fundamental attack on endemic famine and poverty, and the development of more sustainable economies; and we have seen more countries commit themselves to the cause of reform and good governance. The road of change and reform is one which no country finds smooth, but it is one that we must all take, for to do otherwise is to invite stagnation and long-term decay. There will be hardships ahead for the peoples of Africa as they take this path, but they can count on the support of the Australian people in their journey. It is with great confidence, therefore, that I look at Africa at the birth of the new millennium. May it mark a new beginning for all Africans in which we may realize the full potential of that ancient continent.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

2. “With the resourcefulness, stamina and goodwill between Australians and Africans, I know that we cannot fail to build stronger and more productive links between our two lands in the future. Australia stands ready to help the nations of Africa meet the challenges of the next century, just as we have lent a hand in the past. But we must all recognize that the most important, the most fundamental, work will be done by the peoples of Africa themselves. And in that regard, although the problems still to be overcome are formidable, there is cause for optimism. In the past decade, we have seen the end of the stain of apartheid. We have seen great strides made in conservation and environmental protection, on a local and regional basis.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

3. “Much of this growth in trade is attributable to the opening up of the market in South Africa following the abandonment of apartheid and the liberalization of many African economies. Australians have also begun to invest in Africa, against the overall trend of falling foreign direct investment flows into Africa. We estimate that Australian investment in sub-Saharan Africa currently stands at about $A 2.5 billion. Much of this is associated with Australian mining ventures, particularly in countries such as Ghana and Tanzania, where Australian mining companies have been taking a leading role in revitalizing the mining industry. I have spoken today of Australia's ties with Africa.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

4. “Unconditional debt relief could also encourage further accumulation of unsustainable debt or discourage creditors from providing future assistance. It is important that we work for a durable and sustainable solution to this problem. If debt relief is to be truly effective, it must be part of a process of sound economic management. In the past few years, Australia's interests in Africa have taken on a new dimension with the emergence of Africa as a significant market for Australian trade. In the last five years, our exports have increased by almost 140 per cent, to $2.2 billion - more than our exports to Latin America and Eastern Europe combined. Our imports from Africa have also doubled in about the same period, albeit from a low base.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

5. “Our Government supports the principle of providing faster, broader and deeper debt relief to heavily indebted poor countries, linked to the goals of poverty reduction, sustainable development and good governance. Australia announced at the September meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington just the other day that Australia would provide $A 35 million to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative. This is more than double our existing pledge. We are realistic about the effects of this Initiative. We do not support unconditional debt relief that may give Governments an excuse not to pursue policies which promote sustainable economic growth and alleviate poverty.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

6. “By any major measure of the world's well-being, therefore - whether in health, an end to famine, the fate of the environment or peace and good governance - if Africa is not faring well, the world as a whole suffers. Australia has a modest but carefully targeted aid programme in Africa that has been maintained at an average of over $80 million Australian dollars a year over the past five years. We are helping African countries at a practical level with assistance in the areas of health, sport and education, including through scholarships and rural development programmes. Good-governance programmes - and these include more than just election monitoring - also make up a significant component of our aid budget. Australia is also aware of the importance many African countries attach to the question of debt relief.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

7. “We support the United Nations-fostered peace process in Angola and the efforts of the sanctions Committee under Ambassador Robert Fowler to strengthen sanctions against the UNITA rebels, and we support and encourage current regional peace initiatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. These are practical examples of Africans working together to develop solutions for African problems. Australia will continue to support and encourage these regional efforts, just as we are demonstrating our readiness to contribute to regional solutions in our own Asia-Pacific region. The African continent is home to some 700 million people, a significant part of humanity.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

8. “Our relations with the countries of Africa have always reflected our strong commitment to the principles of decolonization, self-determination and democracy, as well as an unwavering commitment to the struggle against apartheid. This was a commitment backed up by the application of sanctions at some cost to the Australian community. Australian soldiers have been involved in many United Nations and other international peacekeeping operations in Africa, including most recently in Western Sahara, Somalia and Rwanda. We are helping rid Africa of the scourge of landmines.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

9. “Our contemporary relations are based on the linkages we have with many nations of Africa through the Commonwealth, through direct people-to-people ties - as evidenced by an increasingly significant African community in Australia - and through growing economic and Government-to-Government links. On Monday, I addressed the United Nations special session on small island developing States, emphasizing Australia's linkages with our own Asia-Pacific region. Clearly that is where our foreign policy priorities lie. But this is not to say that we do not have global horizons and that we do not recognize the fact that our relationship with Africa is one of real potential.”

   1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

10. “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address the Security Council today on the important issue of Africa. Africa/Australia links are long- standing. Our connection with Africa extends back at least to the 1790s, when, during the early years of European settlement in New South Wales, Cape Town provided Sydney with shipments of flour and barley that saved the infant colony from starvation. And legend has it that the origin of the many eucalyptus trees that now grow in southern Africa can be traced back to seeds that were contained in the soil used as ballast for the colonial ships.”

    1999-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption1 (1999) · source

11. “In announcing the ballot outcome, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations would not fail the people of East Timor. The Security Council's action today will give confidence to the people of East Timor that the international community will follow through on that solemn commitment.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

12. “I would like to pay tribute to the Secretary-General and to the staff of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), under the leadership of Ian Martin. Their performance, under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, brings credit to this institution. We are pleased that the mandating of the multinational force will enable UNAMET's valuable work to continue. Australia has been a significant contributor to UNAMET and will continue to support the United Nations work in East Timor. I congratulate all participants here today on the cooperative approach that has characterized the development of this historic resolution. It is a measure of the depth of interest and concern that the world community has in this issue.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

13. “The process established by the 5 May Agreement has provided a once-in-a- generation opportunity to resolve the problem of East Timor, an issue that has been on the United Nations agenda for almost a quarter of a century. All of us here have an interest in seeing East Timor become stable and peaceful. The unanimous adoption of this resolution underlines our common commitment to East Timor's future. If this future is to be peaceful, reconciliation amongst the East Timorese will be critical. We are willing to assist in the process of reconciliation in whatever way we can. We urge the different groups in East Timor to work together, in cooperation with the United Nations, to put behind them the violence of the past for the sake of future generations.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

14. “We encourage the Member States that are in a position to do so to contribute generously to the trust fund being established under this resolution by the Secretary-General, in order to facilitate participation in the force by a wide range of countries. The events of the past 10 days in East Timor have generated a pressing humanitarian crisis in East and West Timor through the massive displacement of people. In cooperation with United Nations agencies and the Indonesian Government, Australia stands ready to assist in providing urgent humanitarian assistance. The force that has been mandated today will have a role in facilitating humanitarian assistance operations.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

15. “At the Secretary-General's request, Australia is willing to accept the leadership of the multinational force, which has been authorized here today. We look forward to working with regional and other countries to build a genuinely multinational force that will, as an interim measure, help bring the tripartite process mandated by the United Nations back on track until such time as a United Nations peacekeeping operation can be deployed. It is vitally important that the multinational force be deployed quickly. Australia is working with other contributors to ensure the earliest possible arrival of the force.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

16. “The world community was, therefore, all the more distressed by the violence that welded up after the ballot, and particularly after the announcement of the result of the ballot on 4 September. The international community, at the request of the Indonesian Government, now has the opportunity to assist the people of East Timor and to ensure that the process set in place by the Tripartite Agreement is seen through to its completion. Australia welcomed the decision of the Indonesian Government to invite a multinational force to assist in restoring peace and security in East Timor. I recognize that this has not been an easy decision, and I pay tribute to President Habibie and his Government for accepting that this was the most effective way to deal with the collapse of order there since the ballot.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

17. “It is with great pleasure that I address the Security Council following the adoption of this resolution authorizing the establishment of a multinational force for East Timor. We are engaged here in an historic process, launched by the landmark decision by President Habibie of Indonesia earlier this year to allow the people of East Timor to make a decision on their future. The ballot organized by the United Nations, which took place on 30 August, saw 98.6 per cent of the registered Timorese voters cast their ballot. We were all moved by the enthusiasm with which the people of East Timor voted on their future, and we were pleased by the generally peaceful conditions in which they did so.”

    1999-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4045 (1999) · source

18. “They should ensure that no steps are taken which further provoke violence. Australia strongly supports the Madrid process because it offers the best prospects for the achievement of a just and secure peace in the Middle East. In this context, we also call on all parties to honour the obligations and commitments they have made, including by commencing substantive talks on final status issues and the redeployment of forces. All parties should recommit themselves to the search for a peaceful resolution of their differences. They must resume direct dialogue. The promise to negotiate solutions was given. Those negotiations must not be stalled or avoided. It is only through such steps that progress towards forging a durable peace and securing the future welfare of both the Israeli and Palestinian people can be restored.”

    1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source

19. “The violent events which have taken place in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza during the last three days have deeply shocked the Australian Government and people. I want immediately to take the opportunity offered by this open meeting of the Council to express Australia's sympathy to the families of all those injured and killed. Clearly, there is great frustration in the areas where this violence has occurred. The only enduring answer that can be given to that frustration is peace. Peace must be pursued with vigour and must be accompanied by serious attempts to eliminate fundamental sources of injustice and to spread the message of tolerance. Australia calls upon the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to do everything in their power to stop the violence.”

    1996-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3698Resumption1 (1996) · source