YouSaid · the spoken record

Gama

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34

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1997-09-25

most recent

1999-09-15

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4

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un-security-council

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1. “Nevertheless, this resolution gives us confidence that the international community is resolved to support and implement the overwhelming and irreversible choice made by the East Timorese people. An independent East Timor must now be our only goal.”

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

2. “The extent of the human rights Violations that have taken place in East Timor since the announcement of the result of the popular consultation has been eloquently described in the report of the Security Council Mission to Indonesia. Those crimes cannot be allowed to remain unpunished. We are encouraged by the announcement made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that the President of Indonesia accepted her proposal to set up a joint commission of inquiry into those violations. These endeavours have to be thoroughly pursued. Nothing can ever justify the loss of life, the deportations and the massive destruction that have occurred in East Timor.”

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

3. “Portugal will continue to honour its commitments to the New York Agreements. We must advance, in all its components, the road map of the transition period that will ultimately lead to an independent and democratic East Timor. This entails the restoration of the confidence of the East Timorese people in this process. We are determined to continue the negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary-General, and we welcome his decision to convene a trilateral meeting that will take place tomorrow. In this spirit, the Portuguese mission which was agreed to at the last trilateral round is also ready to arrive in Dili as soon as the adequate security conditions are met.”

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

4. “We urge Indonesia to cooperate fully with this endeavour, in the light of the decision announced by the Indonesian Government on Sunday. For its part, Portugal stands ready to participate in this multinational force, together with other interested countries, whose commitment we highly appreciate and commend. The humanitarian crisis in both East and West Timor is also a matter of priority and urgency. We are encouraged by the response provided by the competent United Nations agencies and by many non- governmental organizations. The ongoing persecution of East Timorese forcibly taken to West Timor must cease immediately. Relief actions must begin at once. Here, too, Portugal is already prepared to deploy a significant aid operation, in coordination with the United Nations.”

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

5. “We see it as the first step towards restoring a security environment which, without further delay, will allow the East Timorese to begin to rebuild their lives free from any fear and interference. It will also make it possible for humanitarian assistance to reach those in such desperate need. The multinational force will have to respond to the shocking situation on the ground. That must be the sole precondition for its structure and composition. The force must be strong and effective enough not only to immediately restore peace and stability, but also to make the fulfilment of the New York Agreements possible. It is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that the will of the East Timorese people will be respected without any additional suffering.”

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

6. “The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) itself, in spite of the guarantees given by the Indonesian authorities, has been forced to withdraw from its headquarters. The same happened to Portugal's Observer Mission, created by the New York Agreements. Those events are completely unacceptable. They are hard evidence, moreover, of Indonesia's inability to maintain peace and stability in the Territory. Indonesia has finally recognized this fact. The eruption of violence led Portugal to call for an immediate end to this tragedy, namely through the deployment of an international military presence in East Timor with a United Nations mandate. We therefore congratulate the Security Council for the approval of a resolution authorizing the establishment of a multinational force under a unified command structure.”

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

7. “The position of Portugal on the tragic situation in East Timor was made abundantly clear to the Security Council last Saturday; so was the firm and unequivocal condemnation by the international community of the crimes perpetrated against the East Timorese people, as was demonstrated by the impressive number of speakers who took the floor during that meeting. We have all been witnesses to the outcry of indignation that is being heard worldwide. Sadly, the security and humanitarian conditions in East Timor have not improved since then. On the contrary, we have been confronted with alarming reports of continued brutality, of violence against refugees and internally displaced persons, of major food and medicine shortages.”

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

8. “All the proposals and recommendations of the report of the Secretary-General have as a fundamental presupposition - I would even say a sine qua non condition - the political will of the international community and of individual States; the will to choose tougher roads, despite their difficulty; the will to transform rhetoric into reality; the will to choose peace and development, instead of war and selfish interests. In sum, the will to change the state of affairs. The very comprehensive approach towards Africa recommended by the Secretary-General relies on an act of will on the part of the international community as a whole. We hope that we are all up to this great challenge.”

   1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

9. “We are also concerned at the instability still prevailing in other areas of the Great Lakes, as well as in other regions such as Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea. The current impasse in the peace process in Angola causes us profound apprehension in Portugal. We will persevere, alone as well as with the troika, which met this morning at the ministerial level in New York, and in close cooperation with the United Nations, to seek a political settlement to the problem, in strict accordance with the Lusaka Protocol and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. The prolonged instability in Angola clearly shows that, in the final analysis, peace or war depend on the political will of the parties in situations of conflict. As a final note, I should like to emphasize this last point.”

   1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

10. “But Portugal's most significant contribution to economic growth in Africa should be seen in the increase of our flow of trade with several African countries, the opening of our markets to African exports and the increase in Portuguese investment in the continent. The wounds that affect Africa are particularly deep in certain parts of the continent. Some of these, as in the case of Sudan and Somalia, are longstanding and do not show any signs of improvement. Others are more recent and could spread out of control to infect others, with unforeseeable consequences. We feel concerned at the resurgence of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we appeal for a political solution based on respect for international law and the territorial integrity of that country.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

11. “Let me recall the wise words of the Chairman of the OAU here last year, when he affirmed that "it is also true that the seed of democracy cannot germinate, let alone thrive, in the soil of mass poverty, illiteracy, hunger and disease." ( S/PV.3 875, p. 32) The international community should provide appropriate assistance to the efforts of the Africans themselves to overcome these problems. Portugal has taken concrete steps in that direction by carrying out a global reform of the mechanisms of official development assistance in order to adapt them to the current needs of aid for development. From 1996 to 1997, Portugal was the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development country that registered the greatest proportional increase in its official development assistance - 27 per cent.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

12. “To that end, we are ready to contribute to the implementation of the recommendations put forward by the Secretary-General, stressing in particular the following: measures to increase the security of refugee camps, possibly the most visible consequence of the conflicts that have plagued the African continent; the expansion of the concept of children as "zones of peace", and here I would underline the expectations we have with regard to the pilot experiment in Sierra Leone; and the proposal that special human rights missions be funded from assessed contributions to the United Nations. A word also is needed to reiterate the importance we attribute to the promotion of good governance and sustainable development in Africa, equally vital components of the way in which we see the possible paths to overcoming the problems faced by that continent.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

13. “We sincerely hope the Security Council will avoid an overly narrow perspective of its own competencies with regard to this matter and discuss it with the seriousness it deserves. We believe that the elements of peacebuilding should be clearly identified and integrated, from the outset, into the mandates of peacekeeping operations. This is one of the lessons we have learned from our participation in the United Nations missions in Angola and Mozambique. The humanitarian and human rights components of peacekeeping operations and post-conflict peace-building are other elements to which we attach particular importance.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

14. “We believe that the mediation of this conflict, currently being carried out jointly by the CPLP jointly with the Economic Community of West African States, is a good example of how two international organizations can work towards the same goal - the peaceful and negotiated settlement of a conflict - taking into account their respective vocations and specifications. Often, the tasks of peace consolidation are as difficult as those of peace enforcement or conflict prevention. This may require a sustained and prolonged effort on the part of the international community. We fully share the views expressed by the Secretary-General on the importance of post-conflict peace-building as, in his own words, "actions undertaken at the end of a conflict to consolidate peace and prevent a recurrence of armed confrontation" (S/1998/318, para. 63).”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

15. “Therefore we support the recommendations of the Secretary-General pointing to closer coordination between the United Nations and those organizations. In this context, resolution 1197 (1998), adopted last week, is a step in the right direction. However, we should bear in mind that the final responsibility to authorize the use of force to restore peace always belongs to the Security Council. As a member of the Community of Portuguese- Speaking Countries (CPLP) - an organization principally composed of African countries - Portugal is in a position, through that organization, to provide an effective contribution to the resolution of the conflict in Guinea- Bissau, a country with which we share many close ties of cooperation.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

16. “We were part of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique and of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission in Angola, where we continue to participate in the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola. We are also present in the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and in the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic. Portugal has been one of the most active European Union countries participating in peacekeeping operations in Africa and is committed, to the best of its abilities, to responding positively to the needs of the United Nations. On another level, we recognize the unique role that the Organization of African Unity and African subregional organizations should have in both conflict prevention and conflict resolution in Africa.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

17. “Portugal agrees that much more has to be done to stop the flow of weapons, particularly small arms, across borders and from conflict to conflict. We believe that it would be useful to reduce defence budgets in Africa wherever possible, as well as to carry out a reassessment of the objectives of bilateral military cooperation programmes with developed countries. In this context, let me underline that Portugal has already adopted legislation making the Violation of Security Council arms embargoes a criminal offence. I would also note the importance we attribute to resolution 1196 (1998), recently approved by the Council. In my statement here last year, I indicated that Portugal would respond to the need to make available greater resources for United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

18. “Africa gives us several good examples of this, such as Mozambique and Cape Verde, which encourage us to act according to the proposals correctly identified by the Secretary-General. The common pursuit of peace and development in Africa presupposes the existence of a corresponding political will on the part of all actors in this process. Portugal will play its part in all international forums, including the United Nations system and the European Union. We are committed to bringing to fruition the holding of a Europe-Africa summit during the Portuguese presidency of the European Union in the year 2000. In harmony with the Secretary-General's report, Portugal agrees that weapons proliferation is one of the most devastating scourges currently affecting Africa. We should mobilize our collective efforts effectively to overcome this problem.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

19. “Mr. Gama (Portugal)(spoke in Portuguese; English text furnished by the delegation): Portugal has already had the opportunity to state in the Security Council its support for the remarkable report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. I would like to reiterate emphatically that the Portuguese Government is ready to support fully and actively the role of the United Nations in forging a new and more dynamic relationship with Africa. It is up to us all, as Members States of the United Nations, to turn from words to deeds if we really wish to contribute to freeing Africa from economic underdevelopment and to help the peoples of Africa to maintain their steady pace towards democracy and good governance.”

    1998-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3931 (1998) · source

20. “In favour: Bahrain, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, France, Gabon, Gambia, Japan, Kenya, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America The President: There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1180 (1998). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 6.40 p.m.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

21. “The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola, document S/1998/524. Members of the Council also have before them document S/1998/577, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council's prior consultations. It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by show of hands.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

22. “The representative of Mali has asked for the floor. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

23. “The Council expresses its hope that the efforts of this eminent son of Africa will not have been in vain and that his vision of a peaceful and prosperous Angola will soon triumph. I request members to stand and observe a minute of silence in memory of those who so tragically lost their lives on 26 June 1998. The members of the Council observed a minute of silence. The President: I give the floor to the representative of Angola.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

24. “Council members express their deepest condolences to the family of Maitre Alioune Blondin Beye, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Angola, and to the families of the colleagues and crew who were accompanying him: Mr. Koffi Adjoyi, Mr. Beadengar Dessande, Mr. Moctar Gueye, Mr. Ibikunle Williams, Captain Alvaro Costa, Mr. Jason Hunter and Mr. Andrew McCurrach. The members of the Council also express very deep condolences to the Governments concerned, namely, the Governments of Mali, Togo, Chad, Senegal, Nigeria, Portugal and South Africa. Over the past several years, the Council has relied on the wise counsel of Maitre Beye in guiding the peace process in Angola. Maitre Beye dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the cause of peace and maintained his optimism even under the most adverse circumstances.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

25. “I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Angola and Mali in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Van Danem "Mbinda" (Angola) took a seat at the Council table; Mr. Ag 0amar (Mali) took the seat reserved for him at the side of the Council Chamber. The President: I give the floor to the Deputy Secretary-General.”

    1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3899 (1998) · source

26. “(See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-second Session, Plenary Meetings, 5th meeting.) A final word to express the sincere hope of the Portuguese Government that the serious conflicts and disputes which still divide African countries will shortly be resolved, through dialogue and development. In this way, an end may be brought to the serious humanitarian crises that plague some parts of the continent. As a member of the Security Council, and as a country which has in Africa hundreds of thousands of its countrymen, Portugal will not fail to help Africa and Africans reach that objective.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

27. “Secondly, we advocate that the Security Council continue to exercise fully its responsibilities under the United Nations Charter, with regard to peacekeeping and other operations, and in cooperation with other United Nations organs and agencies. Thirdly, we would like to widen this debate on African security, which has centred excessively on technical and operational aspects, to include questions related to peace-building. Indeed, a formal peace, guaranteed by military forces, should be complemented by conditions aimed at sustaining a material peace, freely accepted by the interested parties. As the Secretary-General pointed out in his opening statement to the fifty-second General Assembly: "We aspire to a United Nations that can act with greater unity of purpose, coherence of efforts and responsiveness in pursuit of peace and progress".”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

28. “First, Portugal believes that it is indispensable to have the active association of African countries - and their representative organizations, above all the OAU - in the development of doctrine and concepts on which those initiatives are based and in the implementation of those mechanisms. In this context, we consider that the concept of "African ownership" is particularly suitable; however, it should be made clear that this concept cannot be seen as a pretext for disengagement from Africa on the part of the international community. On the contrary, the aim is to help African countries acquire the capacities to play a more effective role in the resolution of their own problems, avoiding the recourse to external solutions, which have often brought to bear negative effects.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

29. “We know that the difficulties with which various African countries are grappling can ultimately be overcome, carefully and realistically. In Africa, as elsewhere, persistence pays. We sincerely believe that Africans will find the path to political stability and social and economic development, by way of democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights. We also believe that one of the main priorities of the international community should be to support initiatives aimed at preventing emerging conflicts in Africa, as well as the creation of mechanisms that, would establish the conditions necessary for their peaceful and negotiated resolution at a more advanced stage. The main elements that should orient our action in this area are clear.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

30. “We have also been allocating considerable resources to aid development in various African countries, and we have argued in international forums that funds should be provided commensurate with the demands of the current economic situation in Africa. Portugal jointly founded the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries with Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and, across the Atlantic, Brazil. This Community of 200 million people will increase our cooperation and will establish mechanisms of coordination and diplomatic consultation in areas of common interest, which include, naturally and prominently, those relating to Africa. In this context, the seven countries are currently exploring ways to build on their own experiences so as to enable them to contribute to peace actions in Africa.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

31. “The main goal is to place Africa at the top of the international agenda, as a continent whose dimensions and economic potential deserve a new model of relations. At the European Council meeting in Amsterdam, which took place last June, it was agreed that the summit should take place by the year 2000, and talks are starting with our African partners on that subject. Portugal has been participating in several United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa through an active presence with the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ), the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM), the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) and the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

32. “Many words have been spoken about the big challenges that are faced by the African continent, but these have not always been translated into practical action. The report and the recommendations that are today being requested from the United Nations Secretary- General will certainly be a step in the right direction. Strengthening the ties that bind Portugal and Africa is one of the priorities of Portuguese foreign policy. I would like to recall some of the initiatives that reflect this commitment. In the first place, Portugal submitted to its partners in the European Union a proposal for the holding of a Euro-African summit, aimed at establishing, for the first time, a political dialogue at the very highest level between the two continents.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

33. “We have therefore supported since the beginning the excellent initiative of the United States to promote a debate in this format and with this objective in mind. It is a timely debate, and it constitutes a clear sign of the interest of the United Nations in contributing decisively to the maintenance of peace and security in Africa. The welcome presence among us of the Chairman and the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) is a clear indication of the importance of this initiative. I also salute the United Nations Secretary- General, whose marked concern for Africa has been demonstrated in a number of concrete cases. The Portuguese Government welcomes this meeting of the Security Council on the understanding that it is not an end in itself.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source

34. “Mr. Gama (Portugal) (spoke in Portuguese; English text furnished by the delegation): Africa has been a major presence on the agenda of the Security Council. The reasons for the attention given by this body to African affairs are well known. Portugal, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, has sought to contribute to a constructive and productive debate on African problems. In this context, we are always ready to support initiatives that might, in an innovative manner, frame the work of the Council in this area. We believe that a fresh start is essential in the way the international community deals with issues concerning the African continent. Exceptional circumstances, such as those that today prevail in various African countries, require imaginative and effective answers from all of us.”

    1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source