YouSaid · the spoken record

Emyr Jones Parry

lines on the record: 1,334
first: 2003-07-29
most recent: 2007-08-10
sittings or episodes: 195
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

“This has been key to raising the international profile of the sanctions and the work of the Committee. Ambassador Mufioz will have the fullest support of the United Kingdom. I welcome the Al Qaeda and Taliban Monitoring Team's report which identifies the changing nature of the threat from Al Qaeda and the Taliban. That report has inspired the Committee, both by making practical recommendations on implementation and by providing new insights into issues which have proved contentious for the Committee in the past. We cannot shy away from such issues and the Monitoring Team's report and recommendations have already stimulated discussion and provided a basis on which to focus debate. We must move that discussion forward now. The United Kingdom fully supports the future activities supported by the Chairman of the Committee.”
2004-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5031 (2004) · source
“The United Kingdom fully associates itself with the statement soon to be made by the Dutch Ambassador on behalf of the European Union and the acceding States. As recent events have shown, the threat of terrorist attack is ever present. The United Kingdom Government has already offered its condolences to the people of Russia and Indonesia. Such attacks underline again the need for the international community to do everything possible to prevent future attacks. That is why the briefing of Ambassador Munoz today is so important, as is his personal commitment and efforts on behalf of the Committee. His visits to Member States have been particularly important. They provided opportunities to discuss the importance of sanctions, to promote the work of the Committee and to find out how sanctions are being implemented at an operational level.”
2004-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5031 (2004) · source
“What this is all about is a simple decision to decentralize, to actually give responsibility to people where it ought to be exercised, to give greater responsibility to the institutions in Kosovo. But, at the same time, a new Special Representative needs to exert himself on that process so that we have less UNMIK, but also so that the UNMIK we have is more effective and delivers on those objectives.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Those were my five points. It seems to me that the immediate priority now is to build tolerance and trust and to reassure the Kosovo Serbs. The Provisional Institutions of Self-Government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to strengthening the rights and the protection of Kosovo minorities. We were encouraged by the open letter of 14 June from Kosovo leaders calling for all Kosovo citizens to build that tolerant democracy based on the rule of law and laying the foundation for establishing a ministry of returns, communities and human rights. Belgrade and Kosovo Serbs have an important role to play in that process, and they have to make a constructive contribution; that is part of the overall deal. Unilateral statements on status by any side seem to the United Kingdom to be totally unacceptable.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Belgrade's proposals on decentralization are a useful contribution to the debate that ultimately needs to be held by the people who will live under the arrangements in Kosovo. But I have to say that the recent decision by Prime Minister Kostunica to urge Kosovo Serbs not to participate in the October elections is extremely disappointing. That is British understatement. Non-participation will only disenfranchise the Kosovo Serbs at a time when we have seen real progress on their key concerns. The Kosovo Serbs should participate in the elections and should rejoin the institutions. Our vision - our collective vision - of Kosovo is of a multi-ethnic entity looking forward positively to a normal European existence, reflecting the standards, the aspirations and the behaviour which, I think, generally characterize the reconciled Europe.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Priority work should continue on the three areas relating to the minority communities: returns, including the new ministry of returns; introducing one or two decentralization pilot projects; and remembering that decentralization is not only for Kosovo Serbs but is part and parcel of more effective governance in Kosovo as a whole. And participation by all sides in the local Security Advisory Group is very desirable. We look forward to considering the Special Representative's assessment of progress towards meeting the standards. That has been asked for several times. I hope that in the next discussion we do not have to remind anyone - for the third time, I think - that that statement is due. We need that report. Lastly, there has to be a dialogue with Belgrade. That is basic. But Belgrade cannot expect to exercise oversight or veto.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“Implementation of standards remains the best basis on which to build an inclusive, multi-ethnic, democratic Kosovo in which all citizens can live in peace and security. The standards which we set out and which were accepted in the communication of spring 2004 (S/PRST/2004/13) remain a vital goal. But at the same time, to be realistic, what we need at the moment is a robust prioritization focusing on those standards to which we should try to give immediate effect; that means minority rights. It should be clear that this approach of prioritization is not to weaken conditionality. It is actually to deepen it, but to deepen it in the areas where there can be maximum impact. So, we expect to see concrete action taken and having effect to help minorities: not just pious statements of commitment but delivery on the ground.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“In our view, decentralization is basic to better governance in Kosovo; at the same, it can respect better the interests and the aspirations of different communities and regions within Kosovo. Thirdly, UNMIK should streamline its operation and focus on priorities for action. We very much hope that the new Special Representative of the Secretary- General will assess whether UNMIK has the right structure and resources to meet the challenges confronting Kosovo. I think I should say that, when looking to see whether it has the right resources, my working assumption is that it has too many resources and that what we need is a more efficient use of fewer resources. Fourthly, standards remain basic to the development of Kosovo. The standards review process should be maintained, with a comprehensive review, at the latest, in mid-2005.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“I would like to set out five priorities that the United Kingdom sees for future policy. First, the Special Representative should initiate a programme by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to transfer competences and authorities to Kosovo institutions. Economic responsibility should be transferred progressively to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government over the period up to and beyond the comprehensive review in mid-2005. Next, this increased transfer of competences should take place in conjunction with a decentralization programme, with the aim of ensuring more effective local government and protection of minority rights.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“I must apologize. I was going to say that I was grateful for the briefing. But as I was discourteous enough not to be here to hear it, other colleagues will tell me exactly what happened in my absence. The United Kingdom associates itself with the remarks to be delivered later by the representative of the Netherlands. All sides need to learn the lessons of 17 to 20 March this year. The Council looks forward to seeing the recommendations of the Secretary-General following Mr. Kai Eide's report. The United Kingdom specifically looks forward to a more coherent, focused and efficient approach by the international community in Kosovo. We would expect a constructive response from the communities in Kosovo. The appointment of Mr. Soren Jessen-Petersen is very welcome, and he enjoys our full support.”
2004-08-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5017 (2004) · source
“The adoption of this resolution underlines the commitment of the Security Council to ensure that all Governments fulfil that most basic of obligations - the duty to protect their own citizens.”
2004-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5015 (2004) · source
“In this resolution, the United Nations is signalling its willingness to support that agreement and, as necessary, deploy a peace support operation. But a solution to Darfur is a necessary condition for that support. The international community wants to work in concert and cooperation with the Government of Sudan. This would be greatly preferable to compulsion and sanctions. But the message to the Government and to the rebels should be clear and firm. If commitments and obligations are not met, if peace talks are not entered into constructively and in good faith, and if the intimidation and atrocities do not end, then the Council, when it reviews progress next month, will be considering measures as provided for in Article 41 of the Charter.”
2004-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5015 (2004) · source
“Those commitments include the most basic of a Government"s obligations to its own people: the obligation to protect them - something that the Government of Sudan has so far failed to do. The rebels in Darfur also bear their share of the responsibility for the present crisis. The resolution demands that they, too, meet their obligations and, without pre-condition, engage in peace talks and act to resolve the conflict. The resolution supports the positive involvement of the African Union on the ground, and emphasizes the need for the international community to provide more humanitarian assistance. There has been progress elsewhere in Sudan, and we look forward to the successful completion of the Naivasha process.”
2004-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5015 (2004) · source
“The crisis in Darfur is dire. Large numbers of people face starvation and oppression. Tens of thousands have already died, and many more continue to live in fear for their lives. For months, the United Nations family, the African Union, bilateral donors and other organizations have been mobilizing attention and resources to avert the humanitarian and security catastrophe which has been emerging. My own ministers have worked tirelessly to that end. This resolution is a further vital step forward in the Council's consideration of Darfur. It builds on some positive steps which have been taking place, but underlines the need for the Government of Sudan to implement all the commitments it has already made to the Secretary-General.”
2004-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5015 (2004) · source
“In the twenty-first century we need to develop a mutually reinforcing partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations. We should aim to avoid duplication of effort, allow work to be undertaken by the organization with comparative advantage, help get regional support and buy-in for proposed solutions and help mobilize the necessary resources and capabilities to support regional initiatives and efforts. That amounts to a full agenda. In the case of areas such as West Africa, we know that that approach is indispensable: it is essential. But if we succeed, the gains for the United Nations, for regional organizations and, above all, for improving the situation in our Member States, are obvious.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“President, have chosen for this debate is actually one which is at the heart of the concerns of the Secretary-General's High- Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. I hope that in the conclusions that it brings forward later this year it will not just acknowledge the role of regional organizations, but give us some very practical ideas as to how that can be carried forward, because creating sustainable security requires concerted commitment from the United Nations, Member States and regional organizations, all held together, I hope, by political will. In conclusion, we need to move the debate on. Chapter VIII may be the foundation, but regional organizations are not just subcontractors for maintaining collective security.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The EU might complement United Nations peacekeeping efforts and bridge the existing capability gaps. Secondly, with regard to Africa, the Commission for Africa, launched by Tony Blair, will report early next year. I hope that that will contribute hugely to what has been said in this Chamber about the New Partnership for Africa's Development, the importance of the Millennium Development Goals and so forth. Lastly, with regard to justice and the rule of law, the United Kingdom launched an initiative during its presidency of the Security Council last September. We await the report of the Secretary-General, but that is an area where we must all do much more. The very subject that you, Mr.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The United Nations can also help ensure consistency of approach in important areas, especially, perhaps, in peacekeeping doctrine. The risk of forces not being interoperable is obvious. The United Nations can play a part in pulling them together. The United Kingdom is trying to play its part in terms of working with regional organizations. Next year we will preside over both the Group of Eight and the European Union: an opportunity, we hope, to promote a joined-up, outward-looking approach to regional organizations. I would like to give three specific examples. The first relates to cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations on crisis management, building on the development of the European security defence policy initiative and the Battlegroups Concept.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In our view, that is likely to work best where coordination on the ground is backed up by good communication at Headquarters level. How can the United Nations make the most of that partnership? I would argue, first, that we have a particular responsibility to help support regional efforts where they are actually emerging on the ground. The political and moral authority of the United Nations should be brought to bear. There is a particular responsibility for supporting regional structures when they lack the capacity to deal with problems alone or when that extra bit of help can make the difference and convert something into success. The United Nations should be ready to act as a clearing house for information exchange, review of best practice and the sharing of assets to actually make things happen more easily and more productively.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Extrapolating from that, there is a need in peace-building for the United Nations family, as a whole, to be coherent - and to be coherent with regional players and with all the other actors in a particular area, especially non-governmental organizations and civil society. Civilian command and control structures need attention. There are ways in which that can be done. But we should also acknowledge that peace-building is much more complex than any form of conflict resolution; it needs a range of interventions, done coherently - and done coherently by all those who have an interest, including, crucially, regional organizations. That should be done transparently so that the decision-making processes between the United Nations and the regional organization are clear to everyone.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“All of those are strong arguments for supporting regional efforts where they are happening indigenously, on the ground. How we make the partnership work is the key question. How do we convert it from theory to practice? There is no one model for partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations. It does not make sense to create heavy, formal mechanisms at Headquarters level, and structures need to be developed case by case and as flexibly as possible. But there is no question that stronger coordination is required, especially on the ground, and especially between military and civilian components. I think a key lesson from the past 15 years of stabilization, perhaps most recently in Kosovo, is the need to bring all the different pillars together coherently.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Regional organizations have unique and complementary capacities to offer in support of United Nations peacekeeping, including, in some cases, established and evolved rapid response capabilities. Operation Artemis demonstrated that. But the regional approach can also help to sustain political commitment to the stabilization effort. Regional organizations have a key role to play in sustainable economic development, which must - as a number of colleagues have underlined - underpin the stabilization effort. The Bretton Woods institutions and regional organizations must be at the heart of a coordinated response. We have heard from the Economic Community of West African States very clearly about what the economic dimension might mean in West Africa.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is so much better if regionally owned mechanisms enhance accountability and help create - on the ground - better government. Regional organizations can be a means of providing an incentive in the stabilization process. In the case of the Balkans, the prospect of European Union (EU) membership has been a great motivation. Regional structures can provide ways of pooling resources to maximize the impact on stabilization: regional training centres for policing and peacekeeping, for example. Such structures can help tackle cross-border aspects of stabilization, such as refugee flows and the monitoring of sanctions. Nowhere is that more apparent that in West Africa, where one cannot tackle individual countries absent the regional dimension.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is a particular pleasure, Mr. President, to take part in a debate presided over by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Romania. Your wisdom in choosing the subject has been demonstrated by the quality of the debate we have had so far. Many contributions today have demonstrated why it is that the partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations is really so important, and why it has the potential to be so much more productive. It is because regional organizations can bring a great deal to the partnership. They can provide an accepted framework in which to take forward stabilization. They have greater knowledge of the situation on the ground. In many cases they are developing appropriate, regionally accepted norms and standards, and they match them with the right mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“That spectrum of activity, by the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Programme and all the others involved, should be undertaken in a fashion which meets the aims of countries and provides the sort of future which West Africa deserves and which its assets, its people and its resources should permit it to actually achieve. That is a quick summary, a snapshot - and by definition it can only be a snapshot. I think my regret, which I believe is the same as that of most other members of the mission, is that we went and had an awful number of meetings, but we did not see as much in-country of activities as we would have liked. But that was the schedule.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are classically important throughout the region; and if disarmament and demobilization are difficult, reintegration is much more so, it seems to me. Reintegration must provide opportunities; otherwise, idle hands make mischief. It is a simple lesson. There is also a quite basic need to bring policies to bear which will actually avoid a resurgence of conflict. To do all that, we need coherent approaches by the international community, by the international financial institutions, by all the organs of the United Nations and by donors. We must do so across the spectrum of intervention - and by "intervention" what I am talking about are the policies one needs to discourage and prevent conflict right through to what one does post-conflict to promote the rule of law, economic development and so on.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“The conclusions which we came to, I think, are straightforwardly set out in the report, but they do include a clear commitment that the United Nations and the Security Council have to stay the course in terms of their support for positive developments in West Africa and of the need to tackle those issues regionally, to give our support to the good things and to try and help Governments to tackle those issues which are the problems. That includes managing post-conflict situations, which are particularly difficult in the sense of building peace and durable institutions, creating the rule of law and having conditions of economic development which both harness the resources of countries and offer a prospect, especially to young people, of meeting expectations.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“They may not be specifically referred to in the report, but they were part of the context at all stages. We, of course, were impressed by the United Nations effort on the ground. Anyone who cynically wonders whether this Organization is relevant ought to go on the same visit that we went on. In their different manifestations, the Members of the United Nations family are doing a great job, and doing it with sensitivity, we thought, and in cooperation with local Governments, working primarily as enablers to permit Governments to better fulfil that which they wish to do and to encourage a durable independence of action by Governments. The international community should have a clear strategy for reducing dependency and actually helping countries to fulfil their very real potential.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“We also wished to set our approach in a regional context, being very clear that there are many issues which affect most of the countries in one way or another and that there is a natural knock-on effect as one tackles an issue in one country but it then passes across to have a consequence for a neighbour. There is thus an absolutely imperative need to take account of the regional dimension, and we tried to do that. That was why the discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and our support for ECOWAS were actually so important. As recommended, and as indeed the non- governmental organizations had suggested earlier, we took up lots of horizontal issues - such as child soldiers, peace-building, governance, small arms proliferation and so on - on a regular basis, as opportunity arose.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“My colleagues have got the written report. I think they have seen the record of the oral report which was made to the Council immediately after the visit, so I will not resume either of those. I shall take them as a basis which everybody has before them. May I begin by thanking the countries of the region - seven countries in eight days - for all the help they gave to the mission, to the United Nations teams on the ground in all their manifestations, to the colleagues who were on the mission and to the Secretariat, which made it all possible. In terms of the visit, our intention was very clear: to underline the Security Council's continuing interest in and support and concern for developments in West Africa and, more generally, that of the United Nations as a whole.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“That does not mean that, on each of them, we got full satisfaction in every place - of course not - but we did register our total opposition to what had taken place, our wish especially that the people who recruit child soldiers be prosecuted, and our belief that the problems of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration for child soldiers are particularly acute. Again, we recognized in the case of Liberia that some 300 children had been reintegrated into schools and with their families as a result of the United Nations effort, but child soldiers are one of the abominations of West Africa and it will require a substantial effort to tackle them.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“We did not get the impression, I think, that this was a military that wanted to hang on to power. Quite the opposite, there is a new Government after elections and all that has happened in the space of nine months. Thus, I think we came away believing in the commitment to political control. I do not think we were necessarily convinced that the steps that need to be taken on restructuring are actually going to be easy or rapid, but certainly we set out what we thought was necessary. Child soldiers were a theme throughout and, certainly in the case of Liberia, we hammered this consistently. Thus, we addressed the horizontal themes, as I said at the beginning, as best we could.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“We had, I think, 12 military officers and the chief of the defence staff of Guinea-Bissau, and by agreement with the mission, I did a lO-minute presentation on the importance of political control of the military and the importance of restructuring, and discussed aspects which all our military face in terms of adaptation to tomorrow's challenges. In a very frank response, the chief of the defence staff explained why there was a coup and made it clear that it was the last thing they wished, but that they had got to the point where, in their view, the interests of the country were being put at risk. What is significant about that coup is that the Economic Community of West African States was on the ground within 24 hours and that, within another 24 hours, a path for the restoration of civilian control had been established.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“We were very clear about what we expected, but I detected - especially by the end of the day - a very cooperative response and appreciation of what the United Nations was trying to do and what the Security Council mission actually intended. In terms of Guinea-Bissau and the military, I should say that, for those who have sat in briefings with the military in other countries, it was a salutary experience. We were in a fairly large room with lots of strip lighting, only one of which worked. It was near darkness.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“I think that the first thing to say is that there will be a written report available very soon. I think it would be rather good if we had an opportunity to consider that, to have experts look at it, and perhaps to schedule some sort of open discussion on it, which might include the countries of the region. Let us have a transparent debate - I would very much favour that. The report, when you see it, goes into far greater detail, obviously, than the three of us have sketched out, but it does explain the extent of what we are doing in Cote d'Ivoire. It raises some issues. Of course, what the mission is doing in C6te d'Ivoire is with the full agreement of the Government, and in everything we were talking to the Government about it was all in the best of atmospheres.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“Those of us who last week saw first-hand the work of the United Nations in West Africa and who now have a reinforced impression of the problems which the United Nations is tackling there have no doubts about the primary importance of the United Nations and of its work in the field. It is a simple truth, it seems to me, that we need to tackle these problems in West Africa if only because, if neglected, they could become problems for all of us. That is my contribution, but the mission was very much a team effort. If I may, Mr. President, I would like to ask you to invite Ambassador De La Sabliere and Ambassador Gaspar Martins to add their personal impressions, too.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“Certainly, the special event which the incoming Romanian presidency intends to hold on 20 July to look at the relationship with regional organizations is a step in that direction. Development, security and stability are essential if peace is to endure in West Africa. That will demand the sustained effort of the international community as a whole and all the interventions that we can bring to bear. By that, of course, I do not mean military intervention; I am talking about the range of peaceful support which can be given to Governments. Sometimes in this city, perhaps in this country, some dispute the role and the relevance of the United Nations.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“The present moratorium needs to evolve into a more aggressive attack on all aspects of this trade, something which I hope the Council can come back to soon. By necessity, most of our United Nations effort is targeted at post-conflict situations. But clearly more effective conflict-prevention policies are needed, and that is not only in West Africa. Again, that is something which I hope the Council could address substantively, and soon. In all this, we were struck that ECOWAS is a force for good, and we should look to see how we can give it further support. Are there imaginative ways in which we can help with the training and even the funding of a standby force? It seems to me that we need a better definition of the relationship between United Nations peacekeeping and regional efforts. Perhaps the High- Level Panel will help us on that.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“The Mixed Commission on Bakassi, for example, chaired by Special Representative Ould-Abdallah, is a good example of conflict prevention and of better value and more effective use of funding in the long run than peacekeeping. Within the region, the Special Representatives meet regularly, and it is important that the regional synergies of individual peacekeeping operations are better developed. But what we have to remember is that the peacekeeping operations are very tightly resourced indeed, with no reserves and little flexibility. They are very much operating at the maximum of what is possible. More people are killed by small arms in Africa than by any another type of weapon. The arms trade causes instability.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“It seems to us that the regional approach is absolutely essential, for the reasons I have tried to set out. The countries and the different issues are so intertwined that regional success is a prerequisite for stability in one country. Therefore it also makes sense for us to support those countries in the region which demonstrate commitment to good governance and to human rights. Sometimes they are overlooked in our concentration on the problem cases. It was suggested to us that, if there is another mission next year that we ought to go and see more of the successful countries, those not in conflict. We should not be too shy in taking action to avert conflict. If the warning signs are there, we should be prepared to act, and be prepared to act sooner.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“The risk of slipping back into conflict is always greater in the first two years or so after the end of conflict, so vigilance and sustained commitment by the United Nations and its entire family, by the international financial institutions, by ECOWAS and all the other elements of the international community, will, in our view, remain essential. But to get there, economic development will also be essential. It is essential to underpin, support and harness the assets and economic potential of the region. Some continuing degree of dependency culture is natural and inevitable, but sovereign Governments must exercise control and assume their responsibilities quickly, so that sustainable development and peace go hand in hand and are secured.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“I should like to thank my colleagues for their contributions and for the tireless energy which they displayed throughout a long mission, and our particular thanks are due to the Secretariat. If I may, I should now like to offer some conclusions, starting with a statement of the blindingly obvious: the United Nations and the international community have to stay the course in West Africa. This will require a sustained effort, but we cannot afford to give up anywhere. We cannot afford the risk of failing States, or even failure in parts of individual States. But building peace, establishing institutions, developing absorptive capacities, putting in place the rule of law and holding free and fair elections are much more difficult than trying to stop a conflict.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“Throughout the visit, we were very impressed by the dedication of United Nations peacekeepers and by the United Nations country teams. We were able to explore a range of issues with the different Special Representatives. Coordination is in place to deliver effective, coherent policies worked out in conjunction with host Governments. The Special Representatives of the Secretary-General have a key role in leadership and direction and also in presenting the United Nations to the host country. What is vital, it seems to us, is that the United Nations be seen to be supporting policies of which the Government has ownership and that it should be perceived as a friend, as an enabler, and that at the same time that it should do this without fostering permanent dependency. We felt that the representatives were achieving those goals.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to agree a special post-conflict programme in September, so we encourage the positive trends and underline to the military the importance of political control and the need for substantial restructuring and retirement within the military establishment. The challenge for the United Nations system and for Guinea-Bissau's development partners will be to support these positive trends and facilitate an absorptive capacity and administrative infrastructure, both of which are, at the moment, cruelly lacking. In Conakry, we spent an hour with President Conte and discussed regional issues. The President welcomed the dialogue, noted that Guinea had suffered most from regional conflict, and expressed his personal commitment to working for peace.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“We found Guinea-Bissau evidently the poorest country which we visited, yet we were told that the conditions were visibly better than when our colleagues visited last year. We welcomed there the presence of Ambassador Kumalo and of two colleagues from the Economic and Social Council, who joined us to underline the strength of United Nations support as a whole for Guinea-Bissau. The country is starting from the bottom, having emerged from turmoil, and the Government has been in office only for some 50 days. But there were encouraging signs, with a President and a Government committed to progress.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“But we were also able to discuss the positive developments in the Sudan and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. We are encouraged by President Obasanjo's commitment and his belief in the role that the African Union could play. The President also gave us a magisterial presentation on the importance of NEPAD. He emphasized the importance of the international community's supporting the initiative through a much increased flow of resources, improved trade access and debt relief. But he also set out a clear context of development and security and stressed the need for a partnership covering conflict, security, governance, democracy and economic development. He also briefed us on the useful progress made in the 25 June meeting, which he chaired between Presidents Kabila and Kagame.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“In Sierra Leone, there has been a lot of progress. The military and police forces are gradually strengthening, and we seem on course to drawn down the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) as previously agreed by the Council. But getting Sierra Leone to point where it is capable of managing its own security and defence is going to be only a first challenge. The State is fragile, and building its institutions, particularly developing a prosperous economy, one which at the moment is heavily dependent on the presence of the international community, is going to be very difficult. In Abuja, we had an outstanding meeting with President Obasanjo and Foreign Minister Adenji. We shared impressions on regional aspects and on the role of ECOWAS.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“In Monrovia, Liberia - a country starting afresh and picking itself up from the devastation wreaked by Taylor for so long - we were impressed by the commitment of Chairman Bryant and his team and by the improved security situation, thanks to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). But progress is clearly going to be a big challenge. In stressing the need to build peace and institutions, we emphasized that there could be no impunity for those who faced indictment. We spent 24 hours in Freetown - but I would like to say that our first thoughts today must be sympathy for the families of those who perished in yesterday's tragic helicopter accident, individuals who were dedicating themselves to peace and to rebuilding Sierra Leone, and our deepest sympathy must go to the Government of Pakistan.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“Economic aspects are less advanced, but they offer considerable potential. The visit to Abidjan was timely and important. We expressed concern at the present political impasse and the non-functioning of the Government, and we delivered tough messages to all the parties, to the Government, to President Gbagbo, to parliamentarians and to civil society. We emphasized the cardinal importance of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement and brought together its signatories for the first time since that Agreement was signed. We were given commitments, and it is our view that we should monitor them carefully and hold accountable anyone who is obstructive. The goal is clear: it is to proceed peacefully to elections in 2005 based on Linas- Marcoussis.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source
“We were also briefed in Dakar by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa. The formal written report should be circulated later this week - initially in English, I think, with translations to follow. Meanwhile, I would like to share some quick impressions of the discussion in the individual capitals. In Accra, Mr. Chambas, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, set out the agenda for the work of ECOWAS. Frankly, it is impressive and fits well with the Council's priorities. It is dominated by a political and military role, with the intention now being to prepare a standby force of 6,500. ECOWAS throughout is playing a constructive role in the region, especially through the Ghanaian-Nigerian efforts to facilitate dialogue in C6te d'Ivoire.”
2004-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5000 (2004) · source