YouSaid · the spoken record

Guehenno

lines on the record: 1,147
first: 2000-11-14
most recent: 2011-05-12
sittings or episodes: 58
sources: un-security-council

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“In the humanitarian arena, the Secretary- General's report emphasizes that there is indeed ample scope for even more effective coordination among United Nations entities, non-governmental organizations and refugee and displaced women's groups and for more funding for women-specific programmes. The report calls for greater understanding of how truth and reconciliation processes have met the needs of women, calling for a review of the extent to which they have participated in them to date. The findings of the report show that women's knowledge and experiences are underutilized in the prevention of violent conflict, while gender perspectives have been neglected in early warning exercises and the development of response options.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“The Secretary- General's report covers how human rights observers from the United Nations system, regional organizations such as the African Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, non-governmental organizations and civil society are forging critical alliances to ensure better monitoring, reporting and investigation of violations of the human rights of women. I have mentioned just a sample of examples of how much has been accomplished to implement resolution 1325 (2000), but the report equally calls attention to how much is left to be done.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“All of these different parts of the United Nations system are not working in isolation. The Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and the Task Force on Women, Peace and Security have played an important role in advocating and supporting a coordinated approach to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Mine Action Service has played an important coordinating role in its area of expertise. Likewise, as the High Commissioner for Human Rights knows best, there has been growing cooperation among all international human rights actors on the implementation of the resolution.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“The report also illustrates the ongoing efforts by the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political Affairs and the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women to advance the participation of women in electoral processes. The report describes the development of gender- sensitive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes in a number of post- conflict countries, although it acknowledges that those are initial steps which need to be further elaborated. Agencies such as UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme are among those most actively engaged in those efforts. DPKO and UNIFEM are working in partnership to develop standard operating procedures on gender and DDR, and the Department for Disarmament Affairs has designed a gender mainstreaming action plan.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“Individual departments and agencies such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have developed a gender mainstreaming policy and action plan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has made five commitments to refugee women. The report points to ongoing technical assistance activities provided to several countries under the coordination of the Division for the Advancement of Women. It recognizes the initiative of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to advocate a stronger system-wide approach to addressing gender justice issues in post-conflict situations.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“For example, full-time gender advisers are now deployed and are playing a prominent role in 10 of the 17 United Nations peacekeeping operations. In 2000, there were only two gender advisers in total. Gender policies and training for peacekeeping personnel are now standard features of our daily discussions, whereas in 2000 they were considered novel innovations. Furthermore, this year DPKO adopted a policy on human trafficking and produced a package of anti-trafficking guidance for peacekeeping operations. Humanitarian and development agencies have much to be proud of as well, as the report illustrates. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Gender and Humanitarian Assistance has developed strategies to facilitate gender mainstreaming in all humanitarian activities.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“My distinguished and respected colleagues scheduled to speak throughout the day will elucidate, from various expert perspectives, the magnitude of the challenge that has been overcome and that yet also remains to be tackled in the implementation of this historic resolution. For my part, I am honoured to introduce the Secretary-General's report (S/2004/814), to which 25 countries contributed information, and to highlight for the Council the range of issues that it addresses. I will begin with the good news, and I hope the Council will not mind if I turn to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and peacekeeping first. I am sincerely proud that in his report the Secretary-General highlights that it is in this sector where much of the most significant progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) has been achieved.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“Mr. Guehenno: Four years ago, the Security Council adopted its landmark resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. Since then there has been a tangible and positive shift in international understanding of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls. There has also been growing recognition that peace and security cannot be built through the exclusion of more than half of a country's or the world's population. Women and girls have an essential role to play in rebuilding war-shattered societies, not through token representation but as full- fledged and rightful participants in the process.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066 (2004) · source
“Despite considerable efforts made thus far to establish, train and deploy national army and police forces, they are not yet ready to bear the entire burden. Therefore, they continue to depend on the support of international forces. Beyond the elections, the Afghans and the international community must remain engaged. We cannot afford to lose sight of the challenges that remain: the preparations for the parliamentary elections, the need for significant development of the underpinnings of the State and stemming the tide of the illicit narcotics industry.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Additionally, the cantonment of heavy weapons has been accelerated - 50 per cent have now been cantoned - in an attempt to complete this programme for all operational weapons ahead of the elections. In conclusion, the successful outcome of the ballot on 9 October will represent a significant step along Afghanistan's path to democracy. In the 11 days that remain, it is incumbent on all - the Afghans and international community - to work in concert to ensure that the process is a success. As the Council has heard today, the technical arrangements are on track but are made vulnerable by the prevailing level of insecurity. The responsibility for security rests primarily with the Afghan Government.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“It is essential for the creation of an environment conducive to free and fair elections, as it will reduce the ability of local power brokers to exert undue influence during the elections. The DDR process has gained some momentum over the past few weeks. That is a result of the renewed commitment by the Ministry of Defence to implement the programme, concerted engagement of local commanders by the central Government and the international community and efforts by the Ministry of Justice to apply rigorously the law establishing that political parties can be registered only if they sever links with militia forces. As a result, more than 2,000 men have been disarmed in the past 10 days, with several thousand more being verified for inclusion in the DDR programme.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“With respect to the security of out-of-country registration and voting, we are grateful to the Governments of the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan for the considerable efforts deployed to protect electoral operations in their respective countries. In Pakistan, anonymous attempts to intimidate both voters and staff of the International Organization for Migration, our out-of-country implementing partner, have been made in recent weeks. Those threats have been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, and we are encouraged by the assurances we have received that they will be rapidly addressed and promptly responded to. Last but not least, let me refer to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Because security forces are thinly spread out, and based on the experience during the voter registration process, one key security factor will be the involvement of local communities in protecting staff, facilities and material in their respective areas. Considerable efforts are being made to define with tribal and community leaders their crucial role in local security arrangements, particularly in the east, south-east and south. Tribal elders have been requested both to provide security and to work with local councils to ensure that those attempting to disrupt the process are deterred or discouraged. In most cases, their response has been extremely positive.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“All efforts must be undertaken to be fully prepared to react to attacks, especially on polling sites, transportation of ballots and counting centres. To that end, we would like to thank the coalition for its decision to deploy an additional battalion and logistical capacity - actually, air capacity - in support of the process. The completion of ISAF's deployment in the north-east and the north-west is a welcome development, although we had hoped that the second stage of its expansion could have been finalized prior to the elections in order to enable the coalition forces to focus on the east and the south.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“International forces will focus especially on the sensitive aspects of the process, such as ballot transportation and counting centres. Discussions are ongoing with national and international security partners to further clarify roles and incident management and responses, including the utilization of quick reaction forces and communication channels. Last week, a simulation exercise was conducted, in which the JEMB and its security partners rehearsed a series of multiple incidents across the country. The information was centralized in one operations centre and fed through analysis groups to a senior decision-making body, which includes the Government security agencies, the JEMB secretariat, representatives of the international security forces and UNAMA. Multiple incidents across the country on or around election day cannot be excluded.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Turning to security of the elections, the election security plan has been developed by the JEMB secretariat in close consultation with national security agencies, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the coalition forces. The plan includes securing polling sites and counting centres, as well as the movement of personnel and sensitive material such as blank and filled ballots. Building on security arrangements developed during the registration process, the national police will provide security at the polling sites, with the national army ensuring security of the areas around the sites and ISAF or the coalition providing outer-ring support. The security plan also identifies secure routes for transport of ballots and provides that police units will accompany them.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Registration of voters in Pakistan will take place from 1 to 3 October in 400 centres in Islamabad and in the refugee-hosting provinces of Baluchistan and North-West Frontier, after which lists will be displayed for exhibition and challenges. It may be recalled that no registration will take place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, since existing refugee identification documents will be used as voter identification cards. Voting in Iran will occur in Tehran and the seven largest refugee-hosting provinces. After the polling, ballot boxes from each country will be transported to Kabul for counting. Diplomatic missions in Iran and Pakistan have expressed interest in being accredited as special guests.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Many groups will provide reports to their respective Governments or Member States on their findings during the electoral process. In addition, they will make recommendations with a view to improving the process ahead of the parliamentary and local elections scheduled for next spring. In total, on 9 October, more than 16,000 domestic observers and monitors and approximately 227 international monitors, or special guests, will closely watch voting in the areas where they are deployed, mainly concentrated in the regional centres. I would like to say a word on out-of-country elections. Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan will also vote in the presidential elections on 9 October. Despite a slow start, registration and voting preparations in both countries are now well under way.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“It is nevertheless encouraging that at least a number of international and national monitors are being deployed to various regions. The JEMB has accredited 11 national and international monitoring organizations, and it will accredit another 14 in the coming days. Some 3,510 monitors have applied for accreditation so far: 88 international and 3,422 national. International organizations, including embassies, have requested accreditation as special guests for more than 139 international staff, whose presence at the voting centres will undoubtedly enhance the confidence of Afghans in the credibility of the process. Further, more than 12,947 agents of 24 political parties have been accredited so far to monitor the elections. Those registered as monitors and special guests will not provide a formal statement after the elections.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“On the recommendation of the Media Commission, the JEMB adopted a code of conduct for the media that provides for, among other things, accurate, fair and balanced reporting and stipulates that the media have the duty to inform the public correctly and to promote democratic values. The regulation also specifies that all candidates have the right to free political advertising space or airtime on the State-run media. The Media Commission has begun monitoring media compliance with the code of conduct. As a further guarantee of freedom and fairness, the presence of national and international monitors will be important, especially on election day. Security and other constraints have made it difficult for international organizations and Governments to deploy a full- fledged observation mission.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“The second report, covering the period from 8 July to 24 August, was released on 5 September. The reports have been distributed to a wide audience in order to draw the attention of the Government and the international community to the need for corrective action in specific areas. They also point to a number of problems - in areas such as access to media, security and the behaviour of local officials - and make recommendations aimed at realizing the democratic potential of the presidential election. Those recommendations are addressed to the Government, political parties, the JEMB and the international community. A third report, focusing on campaign issues, will be released by the end of this month.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“The regulation on campaign financing defines who can contribute to campaigns and requires candidates periodically to report contributions and expenditures to the JEMB. The regulation also specifies that public resources cannot be used for campaign purposes except as part of a programme that benefits all candidates, without exception, under the oversight of the JEMB. The media regulation establishes rules concerning the allocation of advertising time and space in the media for political campaigns. It is also worth noting that candidates receive airtime on national radio and television. (spoke in English) With a View to improving the political environment, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and UNAMA continue to monitor and report on the exercise of political rights throughout the country.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Although Kabul is the centre of political activities - as one would expect - the various candidates have been campaigning throughout the country, disseminating their messages both through the public and private media and via public gatherings. Meanwhile, the JEMB has adopted several regulations - on campaign procedures, campaign financing, electoral offences and the media - which form a legal framework for the campaign. In addition, those regulations define the free exercise of voting rights and the responsibilities and limits of Government action with respect to the elections. They also require candidates, their agents and their supporters to refrain from using language that incites hatred or violence in any form.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Despite the recent episodes of violence in Herat, which somewhat delayed the operations in western Afghanistan, the tensions in that part of the country have now subsided, enabling the electoral preparations to resume despite the damage caused to the offices of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and of the JEMB during the incidents of 12 September. Eighteen presidential and 36 vice-presidential candidates, including three women, representing a broad spectrum of Afghanistan's various political and ethnic components, have been campaigning in the presidential election since the official start of the campaign, 7 September.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“They will then be transported to polling centres immediately before the election. Staffing those offices is currently the focus of a large and complex effort. The recruitment of some 125,000 people for approximately 5,000 polling centres in the country has been completed in six out of the eight regions involved. In the west and in the south, recruitment will be finished shortly. The staff already hired in Afghanistan include some 5,000 site supervisors, who are receiving training and who in turn are training the staff they will supervise. The recruitment has been carried out in close coordination with local communities. During the voter registration period, the cooperation of those communities proved how crucial an element it was for the security and integrity of the electoral process.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“Eleven days from now, a landmark development in the Bonn peace process will take place: Afghans will go to the polls to elect their President for the first time in the history of Afghanistan. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to update the Council on the preparations for the presidential election. The logistical preparations are on track for the 9 October polling date. All regional and provincial offices have submitted operational plans for the elections, on the basis of which material and staff have been allocated to the various field offices of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB). All ballot boxes and printed materials have arrived in Afghanistan. From Kabul, they are now being transported to the various provincial offices, where they will be secured until the election date.”
2004-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5045 (2004) · source
“The left hand invests in peacekeeping, and it is an important and necessary investment. But that investment has to be complemented by broader investments. It is not one or the other; I am afraid it has to be both.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“So the tension that is sometimes observed between peacekeeping and development is not actually a tension. You will not see investment and development aid in a country that is afflicted by conflict. But you will not see peace being sustained if a real, broader strategy does not accompany the peacekeeping mission. Peacekeeping is a fragile bridge towards peace. That bridge is essential. But if it is not anchored in a broader strategy, with the Member States making sure that the country that has been afflicted by conflict gets much broader support than the support that peacekeepers can provide, then no indeed, our costly investment in peacekeeping will not bear fruit. I would like to conclude on that point. Sometimes we have the feeling that the left hand ignores what the right hand is doing.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Four billion dollars is less than half of one per cent of world military spending. After all, the bulk of peacekeeping costs are military costs, and so the reference to military spending makes some sense. It means that still only a tiny percentage of overall military spending is focused on United Nations peacekeeping. At the same time, I recognize that, when compared with the figure for official development assistance, $4 billion is a very significant figure: it is a lot of money compared to official development assistance. There cannot be sustained peace if there is conflict. There cannot be the beginning of peace if there is conflict. But peace that has been imposed, that has been consolidated by peacekeeping operations, will not grow roots if there is no development.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We need enabling capacities and force multipliers, which multiply, as the name indicates, the capacity of a force far beyond the numbers provided; we need them in the present situation. My last point is a broader one: long-term success requires that peacekeeping deployments be accompanied by and embedded in a broader strategy. Many have stressed the need not to transform peacekeeping forces into a long-standing presence. Peacekeeping must be a phase in the return to peace. Peacekeeping must be as short as possible. Peacekeeping must not cost too much money, because the resources, both financial and human, are not unlimited. I would like to make a comment here. Yes, it is possible that if new missions are mandated, the peacekeeping budget could get close to $4 billion. That is a lot of money. But it can be looked at in several ways.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Fourthly, whatever improvement we can bring to the management of peacekeeping operations, the end point of all of our efforts is the commitment of the membership of the United Nations at large. The efforts of the United Nations Secretariat can only go so far. There is no standing army. This means that there must be an improvement in the standby arrangement system so that it becomes something really effective and so that the arrangements have really been made beforehand and so that we can mobilize military resources quickly. We know how important that is. We need more specific capabilities. The Secretary-General mentioned this issue this morning in his statement. This means that, in challenging military environments, we need to get the kind of capabilities from Member States that we now very often find are stretched.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Confronted with such huge challenges, we will not succeed unless we mobilize all the resources, not just within the United Nations system, but from all Member States. This means more and more interaction with the troop contributors, more interaction with the major financial contributors, more interaction with the Bretton Woods institutions and more interaction with regional organizations. We strongly believe in transparency and in finding more ways to intensify relationships so that Member States have a better understanding of what our needs are - and of what our weaknesses are, so that these can be corrected. I think it is in the interest of all of us that we share with Member States in the most transparent manner what our concerns and needs are.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In the field, I think this integrating function already works and has seen some very serious improvements. The fact that the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary- General - or one of the Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General in a multidimensional mission - is often the Resident Coordinator as well as the Humanitarian Coordinator provides the kind of integration of the United Nations presence in the field that makes our operation more effective. With regard to Headquarters, many speakers stressed the need to improve the functioning of the Integrated Mission Task Force to make it more effective. At Headquarters, we have to work harder to bring together the whole system. Thirdly, there is a need for stronger partnerships. This, in a way, is an expansion of my previous point.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Secondly, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, at a time when peacekeeping is becoming increasingly multidimensional, does not want to - and should not - become a jack of all trades, so to speak. The Department has some core capacities that it needs to strengthen and continue strengthening, but, indeed, it has to serve as an integrator, drawing on the resources, capacities, capabilities and expertise of the whole United Nations system. Our strategy is certainly not to try to duplicate competencies and expertise that exist outside the Department, but to make sure that we have the right entry points so that we can mobilize in an effective manner all of these resources that already exist within the system or, sometimes, within Member States, and so that these resources can be part of a comprehensive and coherent plan.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“I would like, in that respect, to stress that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is now managing more than 11,000 civilian personnel. I am not talking about the uniformed personnel or the police, only the civilian personnel. They are more than 11,000, and that could go up to 15,000. That is much more than the whole of the Secretariat. We see, every day, that the rules and regulations that govern this personnel - who work side by side with personnel from the funds and programmes in the field - are not always well adapted to their work in the field. This is one of those practical things that will need to be adjusted if we want to have the best and the brightest serving in our difficult peacekeeping operations.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Let me just say that we will certainly follow up carefully with all the ideas that have been discussed today. At this hour, I want to make just five short points. First, a point that came through in many of the statements: the Organization - whose rules and regulations, after all, were designed to manage Headquarters activities - has to adjust the rules and regulations that govern it to accommodate the requirements of field operations, which are often quite different from the needs of Headquarters. The need for flexible means of early financing, replenishment of strategic deployment stocks and the possibilities of economies of scale through the provision of common services are some of the ideas that need to be further developed.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Mr. Guehenno: My thanks go to Pakistan for organizing this debate at such a critical time for peacekeeping. The fact that no less than 43 countries have participated in this debate shows the importance that the membership of the Organization attaches to peacekeeping. It has been very encouraging, throughout this day of discussions, to hear so many words of encouragement and support for the work of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and - more important, I would say - for our colleagues in the field who support the ideals of the Charter. Many important and very substantive ideas and proposals have been expressed throughout the day. At this late hour I do not think I should comment on each and every idea that was expressed during the discussion.”
2004-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4970Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The standards are not there to please the international community; they are there to help the Kosovars achieve the stability and prosperity that they deserve.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“When I was in Kosovo just before the violence erupted, I was struck by some misunderstanding - which I think still exists among many in Kosovo - on the nature of our efforts with respect to the standards. Too many see the standards as some artificial complication which would be imposed by the international community to create some kind of ideal society. I tried to make clear that, for the international community, the standards are certainly not some kind of artificial exercise. They are the indispensable foundation of a stable society in which various communities can live in peace and prosperity without the heavy presence of the Kosovo Force or UNMIK. I think we need to convey that message very strongly.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“At the same time, it is certainly a consequence of the sorry state of the economy, because it is easier sometimes to make a living by crime than by legitimate activities. Thus, the progress in the economic situation of Kosovo is a fundamental element of overall progress there. There certainly will be few returns of Kosovo Serbs if there are no jobs for the returnees. There will certainly be little investment from abroad - whether from the Albanian diaspora or from the investment community at large in the world - if there is no sense that there is a vibrant economy in Kosovo. Thus, there is a vicious circle there in the pessimism on the state of the economy in Kosovo. Let me conclude on the standards.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“It is a serious problem also because there are sometimes connections with political activists. I would want to stress to the Council that the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Police is taking very active measures to fight organized crime, although it is a very difficult phenomenon to eradicate. As to the economy and its sorry state, I would make a link to crime in that regard, because crime is both a cause and a consequence of the lack of progress in the economy. It is a cause because it makes some operations, such as privatization, more difficult. Indeed, we would not want privatization to entrench criminal interests, and so some precautions need to be taken.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“I think, however, that we must also recognize that this was more coexistence than a really multi-ethnic society, and that coexistence was indeed very fragile, as we could see before the violence in the difficult functioning of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government or the municipalities, where it was hard to have various communities working together. The issue of organized crime was raised by the Ambassador of the Philippines. Certainly, it compounds the political problems that I have just mentioned. I am not privy to any information or intelligence relative to Al Qaeda, but certainly I know that organized crime - in the more traditional form of smuggling, racketeering, corruption and intimidation- does indeed represent a very serious problem in Kosovo.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“Mr. Guehenno: Let me first say that we hear the call for a hard look at the action of the international community, and that we are doing that without jumping to conclusions, because it is a complex picture. Certainly, nobody would want to characterize Kosovo just on the basis of the horrible violence of last month. In the past five years, before last month's violence we had seen the statistics of violent acts steadily declining, which bears witness to the fact that, indeed, many Kosovars were prepared and were beginning to live next to each other.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“The message they are called on to convey to Kosovo's representatives and its population is simple and clear: there can be no peaceful and prosperous future for Kosovo without respect for the diversity of its people - violence will not be rewarded.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“What is required now is concrete action by Kosovo's leaders and its people to address the root causes of the ethnically motivated violence that continues to plague Kosovo and to implement measures that ensure that that violence will not be repeated. Indeed, beyond the immediate measures that are being taken to address the consequences of the violent events and take necessary corrective measures, there needs to be a collective effort to address their causes. Kosovo's leaders bear a responsibility in this regard, and they will be judged on how they do so. They are therefore called upon once again to exercise true leadership and responsible government and to marginalize and hold politically accountable those among them who may have condoned or supported the violence.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“In this regard, it is important that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, which is currently on hold, resume as soon as possible. Steps are under way within UNMIK to learn from what has occurred and to take necessary corrective measures. A crisis management review body to evaluate and assess UNMIK's response has been set up. UNMIK is also engaged in efforts at all levels to establish a basis of confidence for Kosovo Serbs and to foster reconciliation among Kosovo's communities. This is clearly an extremely difficult challenge, and it cannot be accomplished without the full commitment of Kosovo's leaders and institutions. The events have shown us that the international community's determination to ensure that Kosovo progresses on the path of coexistence and then reconciliation among communities is, on its own, not sufficient.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“Holkeri, together with Prime Minister Rexhepi, has gone ahead with the launch of the Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan in order to move the process forward and not to lose momentum. The Plan contains key priority actions in the areas of returns and freedom of movement in response to the violent events in March. Further review and revision of the Plan, with additional emphasis on security and the rule of law, minority rights and protection and returns, and on decentralization, may be necessary in the wake of the violence. Those who seek to undermine Kosovo's progress through violence must know that violence will not be rewarded and that the international community remains determined and committed to move Kosovo forward.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“The brutality and breadth of these events have indicated to all of us that Kosovo still has a long way to go on the path to multi-ethnicity. The violence represents a huge setback for the stabilization and normalization of Kosovo's security and political environment and for the efforts by UNMIK and the international community in Kosovo to continue to promote reconciliation. The events have also demonstrated the need for a genuine commitment of the leadership and of the people of Kosovo not only in words, but also in deeds, to the standards of a truly democratic and tolerant society. What is now required is that the standards implementation process be put back on track. Mr.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“To this end, UNMIK has asked for 100 additional police investigators and I would take this opportunity to urge those Member States which have been contacted with this request for a speedy and positive reply and to thank those that have done so already. Although it is early to make a comprehensive assessment of the role of the Kosovo Police Service, it should be noted that many officers performed courageously and professionally in extremely difficult conditions. While the performance of those officers should therefore be commended, there are also reports that some may have taken no action to prevent the violence or, worse still, may have participated in it. All these reports will be thoroughly investigated and necessary measures taken against any officers who did not behave according to professional standards.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source
“UNMIK has launched an investigation as well as an assessment of the violence and the extent to which it was organized. A task force and incident room coordinates the investigative efforts and works in close coordination with the criminal division of UNMIK's Department of Justice. So far, investigations have resulted in 183 arrests in connection with the violence. International prosecutors are currently working on 42 cases and an additional 90 are being handled by the local judiciary. However, given the scale of the violence, it is clear that additional investigative capacity will be needed in order for law enforcement authorities to be able to fully, vigorously and effectively pursue these investigations.”
2004-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4942 (2004) · source