YouSaid · the spoken record

Henze

lines on the record: 203
first: 1994-07-21
most recent: 1998-07-30
sittings or episodes: 30
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

“Let me end by expressing Germany's deep appreciation for the dedicated work done by the Special Representative, Mr. Liviu Bota, and the members of UNOMIG, in a tense and dangerous environment. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Maria Magdalena Wewiorska, Mr. Bota's secretary, who was murdered on the doorstep of her apartment in Tbilisi only a few days ago. We also mourn the members of the peacekeeping forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States who were the victims of cowardly attacks in recent days.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“But the measures already taken by the Secretariat to improve security conditions, under severely restricted operational conditions, will not be sufficient to maintain a meaningful and justifiable mission over a protracted period of time. We fail to understand why the Abkhaz leadership has chosen to oppose giving UNOMIG the possibility to defend itself against persons or groups attacking it. Germany continues to favour that option, in the form of a self-protection unit to be added to UNOMIG. We call upon the Abkhaz leadership to reconsider its initial reaction and to understand that such a force would be limited strictly to self-defence, with no motive other than to ensure UNOMIG's security against banditry or politically motivated attacks.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“The parties are responsible for working towards an effective political negotiating process, through direct dialogue and in the framework of the Geneva process, with the assistance of the Russian Federation as facilitator, the group of Friends of the Secretary-General and the OSCE. The other crucial factor in the equation is the serious risk to which the troop contributors to UNOMIG - and Germany, along with Bangladesh, is the largest among them - are being forced to submit their personnel. As I mentioned earlier, determined steps against the activities of armed groups and against mine-laying in UNOMIG's area of operations must be taken urgently.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“It is certainly no coincidence that, in this context, the draft resolution recalls the declaration of the Lisbon summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which refers to related earlier events. A third and final basic message is also clearly expressed in the draft resolution: the patience of the Security Council is running out. Unless there is an improvement in the peace process and in the security situation on the ground, a reconsideration of the United Nations peacekeeping commitment in Abkhazia, Georgia, cannot be excluded. The last six months have cast serious doubt on whether there actually exists a serious, ongoing peace process which has the unreserved support of the parties. Without such a process it will be difficult to justify the present level of United Nations engagement.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“The reckless attacks of these groups are not only a serious danger to the personnel of UNOMIG and of the CIS peacekeeping forces; they are also seriously disrupting any attempt to peacefully solve the issues underlying the conflict. The second and even more important message we see in the draft resolution is: The Abkhaz side must allow the refugees from the Gali region to return to their homes immediately and Without condition. The recent destruction of houses in the Gali region by Abkhaz forces, in an apparent campaign to drive out the local population, is totally unacceptable and a matter of utmost concern. We welcome that the Council is not afraid to address the facts in their proper terms and evaluate them accordingly.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“The first message is: The fighting that broke out in May was a major setback for peace and brought the parties to the brink of full-scale war. Both parties have allowed the situation in the Gali region to degrade to this point. It is now the demand of the international community that they take determined steps to move back from this brink and engage constructively in the peace process led by the United Nations. Germany is willing to render its assistance to the parties to reach a comprehensive political settlement, provided they show their genuine commitment to the search for peaceful options. The Georgian authorities must step up significantly their efforts to curb armed groups operating from the Georgian side of the Inguri River.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“As a member of the group of Friends of the Secretary-General on Georgia, Germany fully supports and welcomes the draft resolution before the Council today. This is particularly so because this draft resolution contains several important messages addressed directly to the parties, reflecting our grave concern and sense of urgency over the volatile political situation in and around Abkhazia, Georgia; the fate of the thousands of persons who were recently forced to leave their homes; the lack of tangible progress towards a political settlement; and the continuing danger which the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UN OMIG) and the peacekeepers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are facing on the ground. Let me try to elaborate on the messages of the draft resolution as we see them.”
1998-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3912 (1998) · source
“In summary, Germany wants to be second to none in combating violence against children in armed conflict, a particularly detestable form of abomination.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“In the interest of tens of thousands of Victims, among them thousands of children, my Government appeals to all those States which have so far opposed a total ban on anti-personnel mines to give up their resistance, sign the Ottawa ban treaty, and support its early entry into force. Impunity is one of the main causes of the abuse of children in armed conflict. We are convinced that misusing children for active participation in armed hostilities constitutes a crime. At the Diplomatic Conference for the early establishment of a permanent international criminal court, which is currently being held in Rome, Germany therefore strongly supports the inclusion of that most serious offence in the statute of the international criminal court.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“We urge States Parties to the Convention to contribute to ensuring the successful adoption of the optional protocol and, even prior to its adoption, to apply paragraph 2 of article 38 in such a way that the age limit is increased to 18 years. Every year, some 20,000 civilians, including thousands of children, fall victim to the indiscriminate use of landmines, and anti-personnel mines in particular. Germany has therefore long demanded a worldwide ban on anti-personnel mines and urged a speedy conclusion of a binding international convention to that effect. The Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti- Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction of December 1997 is an important international achievement.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“When depositing its instruments ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the German Government declared that it would not avail itself of the opportunity provided by the Convention to set the age limit at 15 years, as allowed by paragraph 2 of article 38 of the Convention. In the opinion of my Government, it would be desirable to enforce a minimum age of 18 years for indirect participation in armed conflict as well. In further negotiations, Germany will advocate, in close coordination with its partners in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the highest possible standard of protection for children and juveniles involved in armed hostilities.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Another focus of our project support is the demobilization of ex-combatants, especially juveniles and children. In the last several years, Germany has funded income- and employment-generating activities for ex-combatants in Angola, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cambodia with more than DM. 24 million. A further DM 9 have been earmarked in 1997 for the same purpose. In the current negotiations on an optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child relating to children in armed conflict, my country advocates the stipulation of 18 years as the minimum age for direct participation in armed conflict.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“To a great extent the rise in public awareness of the situation of children in conflict zones seems due to his commitment and political outreach. The results of his visits to countries affected by violent disputes clearly show that his interventions in favour of suffering children can make a difference. I wish to thank Mr. Otunnu on behalf of my country for his commitment and to express Germany's continuing support, morally as well as financially, for his mandate. In view of children's vulnerability in situations of armed conflict or natural disaster, they are one of the prime target groups of my Government's humanitarian relief abroad. Thus, in 1997 under our refugee aid programmes, we provided special emergency relief for children in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Our debate will undoubtedly raise awareness among all States and the public about this important subject, and the position taken by the Council should give a clear indication to all perpetrators that the United Nations and its Member States will not passively stand by and watch while children are intentionally targeted, brutalized and used as instruments by belligerents. Germany commends the Secretary-General for having appointed a Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and especially for the choice of the personality to discharge this mandate. During his first year in office, Mr. Olara Otunnu already has proved to be a true advocate of all children victimized by the scourge of war.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“We have committed ourselves to participate most actively in activities and initiatives undertaken at all levels and in all fields that are suitable for protecting children from being victimized in the theatres of conflict around the world and for rehabilitating those children who have already suffered physically, mentally and emotionally from the cruelties of war. My country therefore warmly welcomes the initiative taken by the Security Council to bring the subject of children in armed conflict to its agenda.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“Let me, at the outset, express our full support for the statement made by my British colleague on behalf of the European Union. My country attributes the greatest importance to the promotion and protection of all human rights. But it is particularly intolerable and unacceptable for all of us that children, who are one of the most vulnerable groups in our societies, have, during recent decades, increasingly become Victims and targets in armed conflicts and have even been misused as soldiers. Their rights especially deserve our full attention and political commitment. While condemning all kinds of human rights violations, violence deliberately inflicted on children in modern warfare is particularly appalling.”
1998-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3896 (1998) · source
“As an important donor country, we have taken very careful note of the points made by the Secretary-General in his report on restructuring international aid, reducing debt burdens and the opening of international markets to more privately based economic exchange and partnership. We look forward to more detailed discussions of these questions within the United Nations and other international institutions.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“Allow me also to highlight the international workshops organized by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs held annually in Berlin, the last of which was devoted to the Great Lakes region under the topic of improving African and international capabilities for preventing and resolving violent conflict. We continue to support financially the diplomatic efforts of the Special Representative of the United Nations and the OAU for the Great Lakes region, Ambassador Sahnoun, and the Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, Berhanu Dinka, as well as the mediation efforts of former President Nyerere in the Burundi conflict.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“We wholeheartedly subscribe to all the recommendations of the Secretary-General related to this aspect. In the General Assembly, we addressed the problem of the illegal flow of small arms and light weapons in the context of the General Assembly resolution on consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures. We recently contributed to the Trust Fund to support the work of the reactivated International Commission of Inquiry on illegal arms flows to Rwanda. The situation in the Great Lakes region was the theme of a major conference of German ambassadors which took place recently in Nairobi, chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. We will gladly make available the final document of that conference to interested delegations.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“Building and constantly strengthening such a framework of interlocking and mutually reinforcing multilateral institutions would, in our View, be the most ambitious and also the most rewarding strategy to promote durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. Besides pursuing these rather long-range objectives, Germany will continue its efforts to contribute to practical measures of a more concrete nature. Let me give a few examples to illustrate our recent activities in this regard. Concerning the goal of stopping the proliferation of arms, I wish to stress that under German national law any export of weapons into zones of conflict or tension is illegal and strictly prohibited. This provision is implemented in the strictest possible way.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“In paragraph 49 of his report the Secretary-General points out the importance of effectively reacting to what he calls "a dramatic and unacceptable deterioration in the level of adherence to humanitarian norms in crisis situations". We will actively contribute to the forthcoming diplomatic conference, in June and July of this year, for the establishment of a permanent international criminal court. A lot of work still has to be done if we are to overcome the remaining legal and political hurdles. We are happy that many African countries are actively participating in the preparations for the establishment of such a court in Rome.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“Functioning multilateral structures such as the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Council of Europe have contributed immensely to reconciliation, peace and prosperity in a continent that for centuries was ravaged by ferocious wars. In this context, we maintain our position that an international conference on peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes region, under the chairmanship of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity, could have a positive impact on the situation in this region. Thirdly, Germany believes that the establishment of a permanent international criminal court should be pursued as a top priority, as the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross has just stated.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“This applies particularly to the improvement of their respective capacities in the areas of conflict prevention, confidence-building and peacekeeping. Germany is contributing bilaterally as well as through multilateral channels - primarily through the European Union - towards achieving this very important goal. We agree entirely with the Secretary-General that these efforts have to take place within the context of the United Nations primary responsibility for matters of international peace and security. If we point to the importance of developing genuine African capacity in these areas, we also do so due to the unique historical experience of European countries since the Second World War.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“We have to overcome what the Secretary-General rightly describes as a paralysis that threatens to undermine the credibility of the Organization as a whole. The reform must, among other things, put Africa in a position to shoulder the responsibility of permanent membership. Let me add at this point that recently we have been observing with some concern that in some cases financial considerations seem to play an important role in the decision-making process within the Security Council. It goes without saying that we all have to provide the United Nations with the financial resources it needs to carry out the tasks assigned to it. Secondly, the Organization of African Unity and subregional organizations in Africa ought to be strengthened for the reasons extensively described in the Secretary-General' 5 report.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“To be able to consolidate this partnership we have to overcome a widespread case-by-case approach in which we mainly react when impressed by a full-fledged crisis. This partnership must rather be at the centre of what I would call an attempt to build a framework of interlocking and mutually reinforcing multilateral institutions. I would like to highlight just three important aspects of this more general task. First, the task starts here in New York, here at the United Nations. Drawing on my own personal experience during Germany's non-permanent membership in the Security Council during the years 1995 and 1996, and deeply impressed by the contributions made by our colleagues from African delegations there, I am of the conviction that this body needs to be reformed.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“In the crucial area of mine clearance, Germany has since 1995 spent DM. 18 million for various projects mainly in Angola and Mozambique. On our political agenda, Africa and African affairs have never ranked higher. We are devoting more rather then less attention to Africa as a result of the end of the cold war. One of the most important conclusions to be drawn from the Secretary-General's report is that a renewed spirit of partnership is urgently required. The Secretary-General points to the responsibility Africans ought to assume for their own affairs on the one hand and to the obligations of the international community on the other. Acknowledging and respecting African ownership and offering and accepting advice, support and cooperation must be core values of this partnership.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“This allows us to maintain a permanent dialogue with the Governments on all issues of common interest and common concern. Even more important is close cooperation for development. The Secretary-General rightly points out in paragraph 79 of his report that "Development is central to the prospects for reducing conflict in Africa." Germany is meeting its obligations as a donor country. From 1991 to 1996, my country spent roughly 22 billion deutsche marks on bilateral and multilateral development cooperation for sub-Saharan Africa. Our overall debt relief for African countries amounts to DM. 9.7 billion. From 1994 to 1997, our bilateral and multilateral humanitarian aid for the Great Lakes region alone - including our contribution to European aid - amounted to DM. 583 million.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“The Secretary-General describes in detail what immediate impact this historical transition has had on Africa in general and on some of the conflicts between African countries - and inside some of them as well. He rightly draws the conclusion that significant progress in Africa will require sustained international attention at the highest political level. Only then will we avoid marginalization of this continent and the so-called Afro- pessimism. From a German perspective, the changes that have occurred since the end of the cold war have had wide- ranging implications. In terms of foreign policy, the most important one is that we are no longer pre-eminently preoccupied by what was previously called the "German question". It is true, Africa has always been important to us. My country is present in almost every African capital.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“At the outset, I wish to subscribe fully to the statement made by the Presidency of the European Union. Allow me to add just a few additional points that are of particular importance to us. First, I would like to express particular thanks to the Secretary-General for his profound, comprehensive and well-balanced report. It is both impressive and inspiring. The recommendations contained therein are action- oriented and of great practical relevance. The Secretary-General presented his report at a crucial time of historical importance. Nine years after the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, we are beginning to develop and to adapt to new parameters in the field of international relations as we leave the legacy of the cold war behind.”
1998-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3875Resumption1 (1998) · source
“We have been active in the General Assembly in addressing this difficult issue, especially in the context of the General Assembly resolution "Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures", initiated by Germany. Germany was actively involved in the work of the Commission of Inquiry in the past. A German expert was a member of the Commission from October 1995 to April 1996. It gives me great pleasure to announce that my Government has decided to continue to support the Commission by granting $50,000 for the continuation of its work.”
1998-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3870 (1998) · source
“Allow me first to congratulate you, Sir, on your reassumption of the presidency of the Security Council. I am sure that the work of the Council will greatly benefit from your experience. Germany fully subscribes to the statement made by the Presidency of the European Union. My Government welcomes the reactivation of the International Commission of Inquiry on illegal arms flows to Rwanda. We support its work as a means to curb the continuing violence in Rwanda, which is seriously affecting the stability of this country and of the Great Lakes region as a whole. The illegal flow of small arms and light weapons is a serious obstacle to the lasting resolution of conflicts. The topic is of particular concern to my Government.”
1998-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3870 (1998) · source
“Germany also believes that we should take no chances by ending the international military presence in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia before a sufficient degree of stability is achieved throughout the surrounding region. In view of this situation, Germany supports the draft resolution before the Council today, which foresees an extension of UNPREDEP's mandate for nine months. We are also looking forward to the recommendations requested from the Secretary-General for the most appropriate type of international presence after the end of this mandate period. Let me end by expressing my appreciation to the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Henryk Sokalski. to the Force Commander, Brigadier General Bent Sohnemann, and to all members of UNPREDEP for their successful work in preserving peace and stability in the region.”
1997-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3839 (1997) · source
“With preventive missions -- and UNPREDEP is a model in this regard ~- it is always particularly difficult to gauge the degree of success. It is similarly difficult to decide when a preventive mission has satisfactorily completed its task and is no longer necessary. This is due to the fact that the lack of negative events, that is, the forestalling of destabilization, is the goal to be achieved, and there can never be absolute certainty that the preservation of stability is really due to the presence of the mission, or perhaps would have been possible even Security Council 3839th meeting Fifty~second year 4 December 1997 without it. Nevertheless, there seems to be general agreement that UN PREDEP has been a success story that the United Nations and the Council can claim full credit for, and we entirely share this assessment.”
1997-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3839 (1997) · source
“Thanks mainly to the good offices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in the person of former Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky, and also to the multinational protection force mandated by the Council, the situation in Albania has stabilized considerably. Inter-ethnic relations in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia remain of concern, but do not seem to have been directly affected by the crisis in Albania. Today, it is the situation in the Kosovo region of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, characterized by repression and recent terrorist acts, which is deteriorating and giving rise to fears of destabilization also in the area of operation of UNPREDEP. Germany strongly encourages the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to enter into a peaceful dialogue with the Kosovo Albanians on a solution to the crisis.”
1997-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3839 (1997) · source
“But first and foremost it is a country with particularly close ties and friendly relations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Therefore, it has taken and continues to take a strong interest in developments in the region and in the future of UNPREDEP. UNPREDEP operates in a region that is still particularly volatile and unstable. The mission started out as a preventive effort to prevent a spillover from conflicts in the other parts of the former Yugoslavia. Earlier this year, the focus shifted towards the civil unrest in neighbouring Albania and a possible spillover to groups of Albanian origin in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.”
1997-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3839 (1997) · source
“Mr. Henze (Germany) (interpretation from Spanish): Allow me first to say, Mr. President, what a great pleasure and honour it is for me to be participating in a meeting of the Security Council under your presidency. I congratulate you on your assumption of this important post at such an important time. (spoke in English) Let me also thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to express my Government's views on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and regarding the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP). Germany is a member of the Contact Group and of the Coordinating and Consultative Process (CCP), which prepared the draft resolution before the Council today.”
1997-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3839 (1997) · source
“A number of events which have occurred there over the past months have a direct bearing on the subject of today's debate. My Government urges President Kabila to reaffirm his commitment, previously given to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and to extend to it his full cooperation. We also call on the new Government to enable the Commission of Enquiry, which was mandated by the Commission on Human Rights, to expeditiously fulfil its task and extend to it, too, its full cooperation. As I stated at the outset, today's debate can only be a beginning. We look forward to continuing this debate with all other interested delegations so that we can come up with pragmatic and viable solutions for those in need, who have set their hopes on the United Nations.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“But while we might differ as to whether a certain case constitutes a violation of human rights or international humanitarian law, or whether we should indeed consider enforcement operations to ensure that humanitarian assistance can reach people in need, there is another point we should be able to agree upon: United Nations organs and individual Member States must not leave any doubt, vis-a-vis the violators of these norms, that they will be held accountable for such action or negligence. We have seen encouraging signs over the past few years: war-crimes tribunals have been established, and negotiations on an international criminal court are currently under way. We have witnessed dramatic changes in Zaire, or the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Herzog, raised a similar point right here in New York. He asked whether human rights should be safeguarded using military means if need be, and whether we were not even under a moral obligation to be prepared to use military means in cases of actual or potential genocide. The situations we are discussing today tend to be complex; distinctions between respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, so clear in theory, are often blurred in present-day conflicts.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Experience shows that the special representative of the Secretary-General may be able to have his say within the broader United Nations family. But when it comes to individual Member States or to non-governmental organizations, there is a clear limit to such coordination. What, then, could be done to ensure that the whole international community in the field, in a given relief operation, moves in the same direction? It is evident that a debate such as today's will of necessity leave a number of questions open, yet those questions constitute precisely one of the reasons for having such an exchange. The issue of whether the Security Council should, under certain circumstances, try to enforce the delivery of humanitarian assistance, remains one of the most contentious and thorny ones. Just one week ago, the German President, Mr.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“It calls for the involvement of all competent bodies in the decision- making process leading to a humanitarian operation. This may include individual Member States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and United Nations and other agencies or organizations. The aim must be to achieve a maximum of synergy between the peacekeeping component and the activities of the other actors, and to use their respective comparative advantages. Efforts should be made to improve the flow of information in all directions - to the Council in the form of expertise, and from the Council as a political frame for action. At the field level, the coordinating role of the special representative of the Secretary-General must be enhanced. He or she must be the head of the family. But how far, in real life, does this authority reach?”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Mandates should also be clear about who does what. This does not mean that they must deal with all humanitarian assistance aspects as such. But they must at least strive to assign a clear role to the peacekeepers in this respect. Obviously, humanitarian assistance, as a rule, should not be done by peacekeepers. But, on the other hand, there may often be a reason for some kind of dual role, both military and civilian, for peacekeepers as well. In any event, it seems doubtful whether there really is a clear-cut fault line between peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance in a conflict environment. Even humanitarian assistance as such will be drawn, in one way or another, into the conflict's own very specific logic. A mandate in an international operation must take this into account, or else it will fail. Coordination is not a one-way street.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“While emphasizing the need to differentiate between peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance, it "considers that peacekeeping operations can play a role, subject to the mandates established by the Security Council, in contributing to the creation of a secure environment for the effective delivery of humanitarian relief assistance. Accordingly, the Special Committee believes there would be value in achieving improved coordination between peacekeeping operations and the United Nations and other agencies or organizations within their given mandates." The role of the Security Council in this respect begins with the mandate. Mandates have to be clear, balanced and feasible. If they are not, the humanitarian support operation may forfeit the consent of the parties and is likely to fail.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“On the other hand, the quotation also hints at an underlying problem: since decisions regarding humanitarian emergency situations are often influenced by pressure of international public opinion, a considerable degree of ad hoc decision-making often prevails. In other words, the "emotional environment" is not always conducive to the best, most logical or most feasible solution. From this follows the need for political guidance. The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, in its report adopted just a few days ago, made an interesting suggestion in this respect.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“In many humanitarian crisis situations, "the resulting horrors explode on to the world's television screens and create political pressure for the United Nations to deploy troops to facilitate and protect the humanitarian operation. While such images can help build support for humanitarian action, such scenes also may create an emotional environment in which effective decision-making can be far more difficult." (S/J995/J, para. 18) Support for humanitarian action has often become an important part of peacekeeping. Examples range from Somalia and the former Yugoslavia to the latest conflict in the Great Lakes region and Albania. To a large extent, it was the humanitarian problem that started these operations.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“There are many situations in which humanitarian aid has been and is still being delivered without the need for a peacekeeping operation or where humanitarian agencies can work side by side with such an operation without a special need for protection. This is how it should be. But sometimes, unfortunately, there simply is no choice. When the neutrality of a humanitarian operation is questioned by the parties to a conflict, when humanitarian organizations are arbitrarily denied access to refugees and displaced persons or access is prevented due to the security situation in the area, and people's lives are put at risk because of a lack of food and shelter, then the Security Council is asked to take action. This same idea was ably expressed in the Supplement to "An Agenda for Peace".”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“They range from brutal death by starvation or lack of medical attention to massive displacements of whole populations striving for survival. Apart from the traumatic consequences for the individuals concerned, this also engenders problems for the wider outside world. Neighbouring countries are faced with problems of the instability and economic and financial burdens that come with large refugee flows, but assistance to refugees also places a considerable financial strain on the international community as a whole. It can reduce resources which are urgently needed for assistance in long-term economic and social development. It is important to distinguish between humanitarian assistance and peacekeeping. Humanitarian agencies and their personnel must preserve their impartiality and independence so as not to be drawn into the conflict itself.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“My delegation would first of all like fully to endorse what the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands stated on behalf of the European Union. Over the last couple of years, we have witnessed some counter-current tendencies: on the one hand, an increasing willingness, coupled with an improved capability, on the part of the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and other affected populations; on the other, a worrisome development whereby civilian populations are denied humanitarian assistance by the Powers in control of the territory, in clear breach of the norms of international humanitarian and human rights law. The consequences of these actions are nefarious and far-reaching.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Like others, we are grateful to you, Sir, for initiating an open debate on a subject which is both of prime importance and, unfortunately, very topical and also of major interest to my country. Germany has been and continues to be one of the most important havens for refugees and displaced persons. Given the threat to security and stability posed in some regions by massive flows of refugees across international borders, in particular as witnessed in the Great Lakes region, it is only appropriate that the Security Council should turn to this question and examine ways to contribute to protecting humanitarian aid to refugees and displaced persons. What we are attempting to do today cannot be but a first gathering of ideas and comparing of concepts and we shall certainly have to revert to the subject more often in the coming months and years.”
1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source
“Assistance to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs is another aspect of our activities in Angola. In concluding I wish to reiterate that despite all the efforts made by the international community to assist the peace process in Angola, the ultimate responsibility for peace and tranquillity in that country lies with the parties to the Angolan peace process themselves. The fate of the people of Angola is in their hands. It is our hope that they will act in accordance with that responsibility. In the light of those considerations, Germany will vote in favour of the draft resolution on Angola before the Council today.”
1996-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3722 (1996) · source