YouSaid · the spoken record

Idohou

lines on the record: 52
first: 2005-09-20
most recent: 2005-12-19
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“We must break that vicious circle and establish a virtuous circle that ensures a more promising future for the affected countries. Finally, we welcome the General Assembly's establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund to respond to disasters and humanitarian emergencies.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“Furthermore, the negative impact of the cross- border flow of displaced persons and refugees on the social situation in the countries receiving them constitutes a very harmful factor for destabilization, which can lead to insecurity and the proliferation of armed bands, because mass cross-border movements are difficult to control and foment the circulation of arms and cross-border crime. We need a coordinated, consistent response to those concerns. Special attention should be given to the problem of the reintegration of child soldiers. We should increase resources for the social reintegration of child soldiers, because, as is the case in numerous countries of the Great Lakes region, the lack of assistance programmes results in child soldiers becoming involved in organized crime.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“For that reason, we welcome the new approach adopted in preparing for the consolidated humanitarian appeal that has just been launched for Burundi, which envisions involving humanitarian assistance in conjunction with longer- term goals. In addition, we should give special attention to the increased risks for humanitarian workers in the region, who are more and more often mistaken, at worst, for combatants or, in the best of cases, for Blue Helmets. We must find ways to ensure more effective protection for humanitarian aid workers.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the internal displacement of populations continues, especially in Katanga, where an offensive attack by the Government army is under way to dislodge the Mai- Mai from certain areas. That is taking place in a country where the United Nations is present and is maintaining one of the largest missions ever deployed. That presence should guarantee respect for international humanitarian law and for the effective protection of humanitarian workers and of population affected by the military operations. The critical situation of refugees and internally displaced persons requires that we develop a comprehensive approach to their problems and that humanitarian assistance encompass not only the provision of survival resources but also the restoration of basic social services.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“If the emergency level has been passed, we must immediately sound the alarm to mobilize the international community to save human lives. We would like to thank the Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Jan Egeland, for his efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the everyday or forgotten hardships, which constitute violations of human dignity. We must deplore the fact that in a number of countries of the Great Lakes region, returning refugees are becoming displaced persons in their countries of origin, due to the lack of adequate reintegration policies and, above all, because there is no possibility for those people to recover their property in order to rebuild their lives. Those are all issues that deserve the active commitment of the international community.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“Perhaps the world has even become accustomed to reports of losses of human life and the unimaginable scale of the disasters that have been afflicting our planet since December 2004. As astronomic as those figures are, they seem no longer to move us. Otherwise, how can we understand the passivity of the international community when faced with such a critical situation as that in northern Uganda, where about 2 million people are internally displaced and where more than 1,000 people die each week - a total far beyond the emergency threshold. It is said those figures are twice the mortality rate in Darfur. The organizational policies of the camps, where freedom of movement has been curbed, thus promoting overcrowding, have lead to the spread of diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, not to mention the enormous stress that has also resulted.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): I would like at the outset to pay tribute to the humanitarian aid workers for their inestimable efforts to halt the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and elsewhere in Africa. In Darfur we must ensure the success of the Abuja negotiations. We must also find ways to stabilize the situation. The Security Council should re-evaluate the situation and, in close cooperation with the African Union, find ways to increase security and to ensure effective protection for civilian populations. The situation in the Great Lakes region is a silent catastrophe that is taking place outside the View of the world. Very often, our gaze is clouded by the military and political aspects of the conflicts in the region.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5331 (2005) · source
“The Secretary-General has quite rightly drawn the Council's attention to the issue of guaranteeing access to populations requiring humanitarian assistance, as well as to the grave attacks against the physical safety of humanitarian assistance personnel. We believe that the Council must not limit itself to proscribing such attacks; it must also provide protection for such personnel through means commensurate with the risks that they take. We cannot conclude without paying a well- deserved tribute to humanitarian assistance personnel for the courage and devotion that they have shown working in the service of peace and human dignity.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“However, more thorough coordination of structures and institutions responsible for managing problems related to civilian protection would, in our View, permit greater comparable effectiveness, ensuring consistency in assistance and supervision policies and programmes by taking into account the regional dimension and the mobilization of adequate resources for financing crucial activities such as the social reintegration of ex-combatants and the rehabilitation of child soldiers and female victims of sexual exploitation. From that perspective, we appreciate the systematic data-collection mechanism currently used by the relevant structures of the United Nations system, supported by existing sectoral monitoring and follow- up mechanisms and by the maintenance of databases on incidents in conflict-affected countries.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“United Nations action must be aimed at developing reliable national judicial institutions as a means of preventing armed conflicts. But it must also promote recourse to international justice whenever national circumstances do not permit reliable prosecution of perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The issue of the lack of a multisectoral monitoring and follow-up mechanism, presented as one of the gaps in the current framework for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, needs particular attention. We believe that the best solution would be to follow the model accepted for children affected by armed conflict.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“In that connection, we fully support reaffirmation of the major responsibility of the international community, acting through the Security Council, to ensure effective and efficient civilian protection when public authorities are unable or unwilling to provide it. We do that even more easily when we recognize that that same collective responsibility to protect is the basis of the creation of the African Union and its structures concerned with the maintenance of peace and security. We also support the approach of giving peacekeeping operations adequate mandates that enable them to fully carry out the duty to protect threatened civilian populations. The role of justice in combating violations of international humanitarian law is crucial.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“This time, once again, the Secretary- General has usefully presented various aspects of critical situations that the United Nations must address through its competent bodies, particularly the Security Council. In that regard, he has significantly facilitated the Council's work by clearly identifying current problems and by providing specific indications concerning actions that could be undertaken at the appropriate level. It would be a good idea if the Council could promptly reach a consensus concerning proposed measures with regard to strengthening the normative framework and operational protection and assistance activities.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“The heart-rending picture of the practices cited enables us to realize not only the degree of moral decay of the perpetrators of the acts in question, but also the magnitude of the challenge that must be met in order to restore the rule of law, particularly international humanitarian law, so as to restore peace in countries in conflict situations. The international community, which embodies the principle of humanity, and the United Nations are deeply frustrated by the crimes against human dignity committed in contemporary armed conflicts. They must resolutely commit themselves to combat and put an end to such crimes by using the means offered by the Charter. We must recognize and duly appreciate the considerable progress made in this area since the Secretary-General's first report on the issue of civilian protection.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“The behaviour of those non-State actors resulted, strangely, in actions that were fundamentally negative and in complete violation of the contemporary legal, social and moral law. In some cases, these were formerly peaceful national or multinational communities in which a breach of the social contract occurred because of ethnic or religious intolerance or a ruthless battle for control over vital space and resources. Those phenomena are described in detail in the Secretary-General's very instructive report, in the section on general trends of the situation of civilians in contemporary armed conflicts.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“Over the centuries, a set of norms and principles has been established that has made it possible to expand the influence of the human ideal within the collective consciousness, to the point where, at the turn of the century, one could speak of the continual improvement of humanity, since the aspirations of individuals and peoples to the rule of law was obvious. The changes that accompanied the end of the bipolar world and the birth of a new world order at the end of the 19803 led to an increase in the number of internal low-intensity armed conflicts. Those conflicts were caused by the prolonged destabilization of some countries, with the appearance of rebel groups and other non-State armed groups, thanks to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): I should like to express to the Secretary-General my delegation's great appreciation for the clarity of his fifth report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2005/740). I should also like to welcome the presence among us of the Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and to thank him for his contribution to today's debate, which leads us to reassess problems related to the human condition and its complex nature.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“We are pleased at the European Union military mission's substantial support for the activities of the High Representative and its contribution to the continuing efforts to stabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina. We welcome its operations in priority strategic areas, which are proving to be particularly beneficial, as witnessed by the good reputation that the military mission has earned on the ground in such a short period of time. In conclusion, we pay tribute to all actors in the international community who are working together to implement the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina and to consolidate the rule of law in that country.”
2005-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5306 (2005) · source
“Concerning the issue of prosecuting war crimes, the Council must remain firm regarding the principle of apprehending fugitives still at large by finding them and transferring them to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We must remind the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities of their obligation to ensure full and complete cooperation with the Tribunal, particularly with regard to Mladic and Karadzic. Bosnia and Herzegovina must accelerate its progress in all those areas so that it can attain its major objectives. The High Representative must increase the pressure on all the relevant structures to obtain concrete results.”
2005-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5306 (2005) · source
“We must resolutely tackle the inertia that continues to impede the progress expected in critical sectors such as the judicial apparatus; the restructuring of the police; the intelligence sector; economic reforms, particularly agricultural modernization and privatization; the delimitation and demarcation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's borders with its neighbours; and the creation of agencies and institutions that are essential for its association with the European Union. Moreover, we are concerned at the instability resulting from the indictment of certain political figures whose actions have compromised the smooth operation of national institutions.”
2005-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5306 (2005) · source
“In particular, we should congratulate the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities on their remarkable achievements in reforming the defence sector and in strengthening economic stability, with increased participation by the Bosnian authorities in businesses, and on the progress made in terms of unifying and rehabilitating the city of Mostar and the Brcko district, which has made such good progress that the High Representative is considering withdrawing from it. That remarkable progress is a tribute both to the Office of the High Representative and to the international community; it should be considered an achievement to consolidate. Such consolidation requires continued efforts on issues that have been addressed too slowly. We agree with the High Representative's analysis regarding the causes of that slowness.”
2005-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5306 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): My delegation would like to join the preceding speakers in thanking the High Representative, Lord Ashdown, for the informative briefing he has just presented to the Council on the developments in implementing the peace agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It would appear obvious that the normalization and national integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina has maintained all of its momentum, even though the entity has been unable to achieve either of the two major objectives, which are the conclusion of a stabilization and association agreement with the European Union, and integration into the Peace Partnership Programme of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”
2005-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5306 (2005) · source
“In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our great sympathy for the families of those who died on 14 February, and we would like to pay tribute to the memory of the Victims. We are convinced that the international community will carry out its sacred duty towards the Victims and their families, namely, to find and punish those who are guilty of these crimes. This is the very raison d'etre of the rigour that the Council has shown, and will continue to show, in this matter. This strictness must be maintained until the conclusion of the matter. In that way the international community can provide a disincentive for any political assassinations in future. There is no doubt that this is absolutely necessary in order to preserve human life, democracy and freedom of opinion as a means of governance.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“Neither Lebanon nor Syria would gain from the politicization of a crime of such gravity that could involve the international community in an uncontrollable spiral. Besides, the politicization of this matter would, in the final analysis, only benefit those responsible for the attack, because politicization would result in rendering the search for the truth more difficult. It would not help us at all in the major goals pursued by the international community - that is, to put an end to impunity and to combat terrorism resolutely in all its forms. We then exhort all of the parties to remain faithful to this approach and to work in good faith with the Commission. We renew here our firm support for the Commission, and we hope that it will maintain the high degree of professionalism that has thus far characterized its work.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“This formula would guarantee the safeguarding of the rights of the people concerned in this procedure, while avoiding the stumbling block of putting the investigative Commission into a situation where it would appear to be both judge and jury in the proceedings. It would be appropriate if those suspected, whose responsibility has not been confirmed by the inquiry, might fully and promptly regain their rights. This is a step that would require the full cooperation, both of the Lebanese authorities and of the Syrian authorities among themselves, and their cooperation with the Commission, in order to uncover the truth. This approach, which would consist of determining the responsibility of the individuals involved, has a certain advantage to it. It remains within the framework of the law and avoids politicizing the matter.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“The resolution just adopted shows, above all, the determination of Council members to focus their action on determining the individual responsibilities of those who were implicated in this attack. With this in view, it is of the utmost importance that the inquiry take place with strict respect for the law. That is why Benin welcomes the establishment of a Security Council committee in order to ensure the managing of a list of those persons who come within the purview of the protective measures provided for under the resolution, regarding both listing those persons and de-listing them.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“Benin voted in favour of this resolution in order to show its firm disapproval of a terrorist attack of extreme seriousness that cost the life of the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, the late Rafik Hariri, and of 22 other people on 14 February 2005. By the same token, Benin would like to express its agreement to extend the mandate of the Commission that it might continue to help the Lebanese authorities, as requested, to continue and conclude its investigations. This resolution, in our view, has no other goal but to give the Commission the means to find out all the details about the terrorist attack that we have unanimously condemned. It is clear that we have to identify those who were involved and bring them to justice so that law may prevail.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): Mr. President, my delegation would like to convey our most earnest congratulations to you on this Security Council ministerial meeting that has been convened in order to take a decision on an issue of great importance for international peace and security. Since it began dealing with the first report of the International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC), the Security Council has been trying to draw the necessary consequences. In the light of the conclusions of the report and its own analysis of the situation, the Council has spared no effort to forge a consensus on the steps to be taken in order to follow up on this report. The resolution we have just unanimously adopted bears witness to this.”
2005-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5297 (2005) · source
“The international community could, in the near future, thereby do justice by the other half of the world's population by recognizing and valuing the role it plays in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Finally, we believe that the Council should consider practical provisions to ensure more effective follow-up to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in order to promote gender equality proactively as a means of promoting international peace and security. A periodic report on the implementation of the Secretary-General's action plan would serve that purpose well. Similarly, the appeal launched by non- governmental organizations for the establishment of a Security Council working group on that issue deserves consideration. Such a working group could provide real added value as a framework for cooperation among the partners in a regular assessment of progress.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“In our view, the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) must be fully integrated into the mandate of the peacebuilding commission envisioned by heads of State and Government at the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. The commission would do well to mainstream gender issues through broader consultation with civil society, and women's organizations in particular. In that respect, we express our full support for the Secretary-General's recommendations on specific measures to be taken at the intergovernmental level, systemwide at the United Nations, within its agencies, and at the national level to improve implementation of the resolution. They will help to institutionalize the role of women in preventing and settling conflicts and in peacebuilding.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“That represents a major step towards the measurable enhancement of the United Nations system's contribution to empowering women in conflict areas. Despite such considerable progress, we are disturbed by the emergence in some peacekeeping deployment zones of the phenomena of human trafficking and persistent sexual and physical violence against women and children. We pay tribute to the Secretary-General for his bold initiatives to combat those phenomena. Efforts in that field must be pursued and complemented by the international community's adoption of new measures to ensure greater protection for women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“That global strategy will enable the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other interested partners to act together in a coordinated manner to promote women's full participation in conflict prevention activities and to integrate their needs and priorities into data collection and analysis for conflict prevention and early-warning strategies. We note with satisfaction that considerable progress has been achieved with respect to peacekeeping operations in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Republic of Benin welcomes the drafting of a comprehensive strategy and action plan to integrate gender issues into peacekeeping activities here at Headquarters and in the field, in particular in the planning for new operations, which will now have targeted monitoring and follow- up mechanisms.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Here, we commend the initiative of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, the Peace Mission of African First Ladies and the approaches taken by various interested partners aimed at defining a set of indicators that take into account the special situation of women when elaborating and implementing conflict-prevention and early-warning mechanisms. We particularly welcome the Secretary-General's proposal of a global strategy to be implemented in the United Nations system, including an action plan defining priority areas of action to be carried out in the process of its implementation.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“We welcome the joint efforts of Member States, the United Nations system and civil society organizations - particularly women's groups - which have succeeded in bringing about a reversal of the negative tendencies that the resolution seeks to correct. The heart-rending accounts that the Council heard during the Arria formula meeting held on 25 October enabled its members to be convinced of the crucial role that women can and must play in conflict prevention and settlement, particularly in post-conflict reconstruction and recovery. Since 2000, there has been a better understanding of the role that women should play in decision-making with regard to conflict prevention and of the need to recognize and promote their contribution to the establishment of lasting peace.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): We wish to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this public debate and to thank Mr. Guehenno for his statement. By adopting resolution 1325 (2000) five years ago, the Security Council set for itself the objective of providing the international community with a common frame of reference for guiding the action of States, international institutions and civil society in gender mainstreaming. The Secretary-General's assessment of the resolution's implementation clearly shows both progress and shortcomings. Since the adoption of the resolution, we are beginning to see a change in attitudes about the situation of women as well as concerted action at all levels to give women their rightful place in our societies.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294 (2005) · source
“We need to consider to what extent a State whose economy or social fabric has suffered a result of sanctions against Al-Qaida and the Taliban and other associated individuals and entities should benefit from fair compensation. We should establish mechanisms to that end. In conclusion, my delegation would like to emphasize the need for the international community to resolve conflicts throughout the world and tackle inequality, injustice and poverty, which provide a fertile breeding ground for the development of violence and extremism. Terrorism will be eliminated only if we make constant efforts and take concrete actions to promote peace and sustainable development to make our world better for all through a dialogue of cultures and an alliance of civilizations.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“We invite the Committees to spare no effort to make their activities as transparent as possible. We express full support for the CTC work programme for the last quarter of 2005. Furthermore, in the context of the implementation of counter-terrorism measures, the need to protect the international community's achievements in terms of human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot be overemphasized. The appointment of Mr. Martin Scheinin as Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism is clear proof of the commitment of the Secretary-General in that regard. In order to mobilize all States in the fight against terrorism, we must also pay further attention to the difficulties faced by some countries resulting from the application of counter-terrorism sanctions.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“That dialogue will also enable them to become acquainted with and gain an understanding of the internal workings of the Committees and the mechanisms set up to monitor the various sanctions regimes directed against terrorist movements. The holding of such a dialogue will help to eliminate any doubts and ambiguities that might otherwise lead to reluctance on the part of certain States. Visits to States by the Chairmen of the Committees are a valuable instrument for maintaining such dialogues. We welcome the considerable efforts made by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to move its work forward. At the same time, the Committees must continue to improve their working methods on the basis of clearly defined and well-known principles. The initiatives undertaken in that area are to be welcomed.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“The success of that effort will depend essentially on the adoption of national legislation and regulations - and their effective implementation - aimed at accounting for and managing, on a daily basis, the production and circulation of dual-use substances. That is a matter of concern for all countries. We call on all States that have not yet presented their first national reports to do so and to indicate the degree of assistance that they need in order to update their national mechanisms for combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), like the two other Committees, has begun a direct dialogue with Member States as part of the consideration of its report.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“Over and above the reports, efforts should be further directed towards the effective implementation of the measures that States are obligated to introduce into their own domestic legislation, as stipulated by the Council. The efforts on the part of the three Committee Chairmen to raise the awareness of parliamentarians during the consultations held in New York in the context United Nations reform efforts was a step in the right direction, because action by national parliaments will be decisive in the implementation of appropriate legislation and in the creation of an operational framework to monitor terrorist movements, to cut off their sources of finance and to prevent them from gaining access to weapons. That issue is of particular relevance in the light of the need to prevent non-State actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“The fight against terrorism can be effective only if we aim at preventing terrorist activities through appropriate policies aimed at strengthening States' national legislations through effective structures that seek to enhance cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, through information exchange and assistance to countries that need it in order to bring their capacities up to the level of other countries. We welcome the progress achieved by the three Committees in guiding such cooperation, which should be further intensified by concerted efforts on the part of States, national and regional organizations and civil society. In that connection, we are happy to see the reduction in the delays in the submission of national reports and in the analysis of those reports.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“Mr. Idohou (Benin) (spoke in French): We would like to thank the Ambassador of Denmark, the Ambassador of Argentina and the Ambassador of Romania for their briefings to the Council on the activities of the Committees that they chair. It is clear that the fight against terrorism remains a high priority for the international community. Acts of terrorism are crimes against humanity, especially when they target innocent civilians. They constitute a grave violation of the basic values of today's world, in particular human dignity. Terrorism's poisonous effect is further intensifying the divisions among civilizations and religions. In that regard, terrorism constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security.”
2005-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5293 (2005) · source
“We also encourage the United Nations to study carefully the contribution of international NGOs and civil society to our reflection on the ways and means of ensuring better prevention and the pacific settlement of disputes, as summarized in the final document of the Forum held by the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict at United Nations Headquarters from 19 to 21 July 2005. It contains very relevant recommendations for the coordination of consistent strategies for the promotion of conflict prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“This has led, over the past several years, to the regular holding of Arria formula meetings with civil society organizations, which now go beyond international non-governmental organizations to encompass local non-governmental organizations, both in New York and, during Security Council missions, in the field. We reiterate here our support for the recommendations made by the Secretary-General's Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations-Civil Society Relations, especially as regards the relations between the Security Council and civil society.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“Such awareness can help civil society organizations acquire the means of best fulfilling their social role and can promote their mobilization at the international level, as well as their access to intergovernmental decision-making centres where disputes are settled and where development and cooperation policies are defined at different levels. Here they can provide their local know-how in the field and can better determine the details of decisions made in order to contribute to their implementation or to provide oversight for them. The Security Council is in the forefront of this new awareness.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“The great majority of such forums, brought about peaceful regime change. This was the case in my own country. Civil society can also help focus popular movements seeking peaceful regime change in a crisis of legitimacy or a breach of the national consensus, and can provide new, visionary, honest leadership to get a country which is in difficulty back on track. Nonetheless, the structures of civil society can be operated effectively only when their level of organization and their influence on the society concerned so allow. It is in the interest of Government leaders throughout the world to be aware of the advantages of promoting the emergence of a responsible civil society at both the national and international levels.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“Civil society can contribute to mobilizing national and international solidarity to support self- help efforts of disadvantaged communities and people who are victims of social exclusion, above all when a scarcity of income causes increased rivalry for access to power in order to gain control of resources mobilized by the State. Civil society can mediate between conflicting groups competing for power by promoting the consolidation of democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power and through its ability to lend legitimacy to those who govern. This role was clear in the central and recognized position of certain moral or religious authorities in the national conferences held in Africa in the 19903, which served as forum for dialogue and arbitration of national conflict.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“The West African Network for Peacebuilding has been outstanding in this field, working to strengthen regional conflict prevention capacities, in close cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Civil society can encourage well-targeted locally- based action to reduce tension in crises and crucial phases of processes which could escalate out of control. By way of example, let us recall the calming and moderating role played by non-governmental organizations in the holding of elections, through, among other methods, civic education, education for tolerance and election monitoring in order to strengthen the candidates' confidence in the legality of the balloting, and so forth. Civil society thereby contributes to the promotion of a culture of peace in the countries concerned.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“An effective conflict prevention strategy requires the active involvement of civil society in order to make best use of the comparative advantages of civil society. The Constitive Act of the African Union rightly emphasizes the need to establish a partnership between Governments and all segments of civil society. Thanks to its involvement in society and its retention of an identity distinct from that of the State apparatus, civil society can contribute to early warning mechanisms. This function has become particularly well developed in recent years, where civil society has shown its capacity to organize the collection, analysis and assessment of first-hand information on underlying trends of national communities, which allows for the identification of sources of potential tension and latent conflicts that could escalate.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“It aims to contribute to the monitoring of the Government sphere and give legitimacy to its actions. When these functions are well understood on all sides, there can be at least a relationship of tolerance, but also one of mutual benefit and even of partnership, which makes it possible to develop a synergy that benefits society as a whole. Civil society has real potential in shaping the public sphere and in acting as a social intermediary, and thus in the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prevention of violent conflicts. The complexity of problems and challenges related to preserving State stability and to the promotion of worldwide sustainable development requires a participatory national and international mobilization. The role of civil society is considerable in this.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source