YouSaid · the spoken record

Jeremy Greenstock

lines on the record: 1,478
first: 1998-07-30
most recent: 2003-07-25
sittings or episodes: 194
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

“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. We too are very grateful to Under-Secretary-General Miyet for his very helpful update on the Secretary-General's latest report. Progress continues to be made, and we welcome in particular the continuing strong contribution of Nigeria and of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) as a whole, and the arrival of Kenyan and Indian peacekeepers under the new Force Commander, Major-General Jetley. It is critical that the force deploys to full strength and soon as possible, and we must ensure that the Force Commander has the clearest possible guidance and backing from his headquarters in New York.”
1999-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4078 (1999) · source
“The President: In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Bernard Miyet, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Miyet to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the first report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), document S/l999/l223.”
1999-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4078 (1999) · source
“I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Sierra Leone in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Kamara (Sierra Leone) took a seat at the Council table.”
1999-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4078 (1999) · source
“The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 5.50 pm.”
1999-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4077 (1999) · source
“I now put to the vote the draft resolution contained in document S/ 1999/ 1215. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Gabon, Gambia, Namibia, Netherlands, Slovenia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America Against: None Abstaining: China, Malaysia, Russian Federation France did not participate in the voting. The President: The result of the voting is as follows: 11 in favour, none against and 3 abstentions. One Council member did not participate in the voting. The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 1280 (1999). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.”
1999-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4077 (1999) · source
“Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided. I shall first give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.”
1999-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4077 (1999) · source
“The situation between Iraq and Kuwait Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 6 of Security Council resolution 1242 (1999) (S/1999/1162 and Corr.1) Letter dated 17 November 1999 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established by resolution 661 (1990) concerning the situation between Iraq and Kuwait (S/1999/1177) The President: The Security Council will now resume its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/ 1999/ 1215, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/ 1999/ 1215) before it.”
1999-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4077 (1999) · source
“As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of December, I should like to take the opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Danilo Turk, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of November 1999. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing our deep appreciation to Ambassador Turk for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council's business last month. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted.”
1999-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4077 (1999) · source
“If the United Nations is to live up to its goals, the Council must work in concert with the Secretary-General, with the Funds, Programmes and Agencies and with the wider membership. Today's debate should be the event which kick-starts our work in this whole area. We need to innovate, and we need to work together. With a shared commitment and a clear purpose, we will begin to make a difference. Thank you, Sir, for initiating this useful debate.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Preventive action can take many forms, and military action will not always be desirable or feasible. But when the international community does use force in response to humanitarian crises, it needs a framework for that response: a common understanding within the Security Council and the wider United Nations membership of the circumstances and conditions of action. Force should be used as a last resort. It must be limited in scope. It must be proportionate to the humanitarian objective of preventing major loss of civilian life. We shall soon be sharing more detailed United Kingdom ideas on humanitarian action for discussion with our partners in the United Nations. The subject we are discussing today goes far beyond the immediate remit of the Security Council.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We will restore the United Nations to its rightful role in international peace and security only if we adapt to a world in which the sovereign State has already, as a matter of objective reality, been redefined by globalization, a world in which there is a new recognition that the State is the servant of the people, not the other way round. The British Government firmly shares the Secretary- General's belief that we have a joint responsibility to act when confronted by genocide, mass displacement of people or major breaches of international humanitarian law. That does not necessarily mean the use of force. It may mean determined diplomacy, sometimes out of the glare of publicity when that would be more effective, sometimes more creative in its ideas and its implementation than has traditionally been the hallmark of the Council.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Most pertinent is the Secretary-General's point about the resources being more cost- effectively employed in prevention than in surgery. So, overall, this amounts to an ambitious agenda for the new millennium. We will not succeed straightaway, and we will have to face up to the consequences of our occasional failures. For a start, when the Security Council fails to prevent genocide and other massive abuses of human rights, others are encouraged to believe that they too can get away with crimes against humanity. The fact that so many of these conflicts are internal should not bar us from taking collective steps to resolve them. The Secretary-General set out this problem in his opening statement at this year's session of the General Assembly.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In this whole area, the Security Council must work harder and show more initiative than others. It is a test of leadership and responsibility for this Council. In 1999, we have done our best. We should be proud of the success of Ambassador Andjaba's mission to Jakarta and Dili in September. Ambassador Fowler should be congratulated on his ongoing work to tighten the enforcement of sanctions against UNITA. We have done well to address directly the fragile situation in Sierra Leone and to support the process of reconciliation there. But apart from addressing each issue on its merits, we have to think creatively about acting on our best intentions and about the policy instruments at our disposal. The Secretary-General has this afternoon given us four practical points for early consideration. This debate is raising more.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“It also means a greater focus on conflict prevention in the funds, programmes and agencies of the United Nations system. The Secretary-General must have the freedom to work up more creative approaches to preventive diplomacy. He must be allowed to carry them forward discreetly and under his own tactical judgement if they are to succeed. As for the Member States, we too must play a stronger role, not least in Africa. We must help the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the other regional organizations take a more proactive role in conflict prevention. The OAU has recently published a plan for expanding the capacity of its conflict management centre. The United Kingdom has committed $1 million to support this, and we hope that others will contribute soon.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“To stop this increasingly vicious trend, we have to prevent disputes from escalating into armed warfare. The presidential statement which you, Mr. President, will deliver at the end of this debate, sets out a comprehensive framework for our own activity. But it also recognizes the essential role of the Secretary-General. He must be given the support he needs to work for peace on his own initiative. That means building the capacity of the United Nations Secretariat. It must be able to produce sharper analyses of potential conflicts. We must also reinforce the ability of Department of Peacekeeping Operations to deploy rapidly United Nations peacekeepers, police and civilians if fragile peace agreements are not to disintegrate.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The United Nations Charter is crystal clear about our first and most fundamental objective. It is "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". Any success which we, the Member States of the United Nations, have had in achieving that objective can only be regarded as partial. Too often Security Council intervention comes too late to prevent widespread death and destruction. Modern war and internal conflict remain a blight on our planet. It is civilians who bear the brunt. Despite the efforts of this Council, too many belligerent groups target the innocent and the defenceless. Massive numbers of refugees are forced to flee for safety, and gross and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are perpetrated.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We believe that there is solid commitment to an early outcome to those negotiations. More work needs to be done. I would sincerely hope that we could bring a draft text back to the Council within a very short period. It is not actually a question of the extension of time; it is a question of coming to decisions - very difficult decisions, as we all acknowledge - to reach the kind of negotiated compromise that is going to be essential on this subject. Perhaps we have been a bit diverted by the question of time, when the real question is one of determination to reach a solution. I hope we will have the encouragement of the whole Council, and of the United Nations membership at large, in bringing the negotiations to a successful close.”
1999-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4070 (1999) · source
“A reference has been made in this debate to the timing of the current negotiations. I entirely agree that there is no linkage with any other matter. The comprehensive draft resolution needs negotiations in their own time and for their own purpose. But there is a relationship with our intention to improve the situation on the ground, which will not be improving day by day until we take more comprehensive steps. There was no real reason not to have an extension of the oil-for-food programme from phase VI to phase VII, if there was no such linkage. But it has been sensible to agree to the extension of the current phase for a two-week period. I would like to report again to the Council that five members of the Council are indeed involved in extremely detailed negotiations on a comprehensive text.”
1999-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4070 (1999) · source
“The United Kingdom supports the draft resolution before the Council. The situation in Iraq does need attention. The humanitarian situation on the ground does need treatment. Of course, much of the work that can now be done is in Iraq's own hands; there is an enormous programme that could be moved forward with effect for those most closely affected by the economic situation if there was full cooperation with the United Nations programme. But that is not what we are talking about today. I believe that we all agree that real improvements in the humanitarian situation will not be possible until and unless there is a comprehensive approach, fashioned by the Council, to our overall relationship with Iraq that will include taking steps for the suspension or lifting of sanctions under conditions that relate to the Council's resolutions.”
1999-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4070 (1999) · source
“This is an important programme and I think the time has come for a much more wide- ranging commitment to reconciliation from the common institutions of the country. In our view, the joint Presidency's visits to refugee return areas were a good start in that. The Presidency's presence here today marks another important milestone. I hope that the practice begun today of dialogue between the joint Presidency and the Security Council will continue and will mark a progressive accumulation of successes for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a modern, united State.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“This was an issue that the United Kingdom Government raised in July 1997, as President Izetbegovic will remember, and that still needs action if the work of Dayton and its implementation is not to be vitiated by those who are working against the State. I hope the Presidency will be sincere in taking forward that particular commitment. Beyond these individual issues, I hope that the Members of the joint Presidency understand their important moral and political role in leading Bosnia and Herzegovina beyond the narrow issues of ethnic politics. I entirely agree in this respect with the list of priorities which President Izetbegovic gave us earlier this morning, including refugee returns, the arrest of indictees, economic regeneration, dealing with corruption and reducing the amount of money spent on military matters.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“We also welcome the agreement to the establishment of a Presidency secretariat and of a joint commission on returns, which will report to the Security Council, as well as the agreement to the principle of a single national passport for Bosnia and Herzegovina. But the United Kingdom is particularly interested in the role of the joint Presidency in looking forward to what needs to be done next. I would like to hear the Members of the Presidency state what their next priorities will be in the series of accumulated steps for the permanent stability and regeneration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In that context, I particularly welcome the inclusion in the Declaration of their commitment to action against corruption.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“Again, I would like to pay tribute to the input of the High Representative in bringing this about, and also to the role of the United States and Ambassador Holbrooke personally, who has continued to work with huge energy to make sure that Dayton is not just an event in history, but actually leads to a success for Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a particular pleasure to see members of the United States Congress with us this morning. I would like to welcome the joint Presidency's agreement to the establishment of a state border service on the basis of the High Representative's proposals. We have waited a long time for this and it is an essential part of bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina together.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“Here, I think I must take slight issue with President Radisic, in that the High Representative must be given support in what he is doing. He must be able to take the decisions that are necessary day by day, because he is doing it for the sake of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not for nothing that people continue to work and, indeed, to die for international interests in the Balkans. In this context, I pay tribute to the victims of the recent air crash. The United Kingdom particularly welcomes the New York Declaration reaffirming the Presidency's active support for the implementation of Dayton.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“We were very pleased to see the recent effort of the joint Presidency to promote the interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina together overseas, including in their recent visits to Slovenia and Germany. That was a good example of what the joint Presidency should be doing. We are nevertheless still disturbed, as is the High Representative, that the common institutions as a whole are performing poorly and that there is still a long way to go before Bosnia and Herzegovina is able to function effectively as a modern European State. I think here, as President Izetbegovic has recognized, outside assistance is still necessary. First and foremost in that must be the High Representative and his Office. His presence there and his proactive work are essential to the success of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a modern and united State.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“I congratulate you, Sir, on initiating this event today and on bringing it to fulfilment. It is very good to see this subject coming under your presidency on this day. I think that Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina can understand that, for a diplomat who has been associated with their country over the last eight years, it is a particular pleasure for me to see the three Members of the joint Presidency here in the Security Council, united on their business and taking steps together to bring the Dayton Accords into a further round of fruition. I congratulate them on their presence here today. The United Kingdom welcomes their strong commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign and united State and to the enhanced implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
1999-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4069 (1999) · source
“In the expectation that we shall soon have an International Criminal Court coming into being and being operationally active, we have to discuss further the obligation on the Security Council to make sure that the Statutes are implemented. The United Kingdom is concerned also at the recent announcement by the Government of Rwanda to suspend cooperation with the Tribunal for Rwanda. We hope that both the Tribunal and the Government of Rwanda will continue to work together and to maintain dialogue. We note that before the Rwandan Government took this decision, the Government and the Tribunal were beginning to work more effectively together. We hope that the visit by the Prosecutor and the return of her deputy to Kigali will help improve relations to that end. Again, we thank Ms. Del Ponte for her briefing this morning.”
1999-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4063 (1999) · source
“Croatia also has been at times dilatory, though at times also responsive about compliance with the court, and the court wants us to remain - and we should remain - in direct communication with Croatia to make sure that it responds. We are particularly insistent that Croatia should extradite the indictee Mladen Naletilie to The Hague as soon as possible, and that the Croatian Government should make progress on handing over documents on Operation Storm and Operation Flash without delay, to the satisfaction of the Court. In this respect, I think we have to take rather sharper notice among ourselves that the Security Council has a responsibility to ensure that States live up to their obligations. Just as the court is breaking new ground in this area, so is the Security Council.”
1999-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4063 (1999) · source
“We have heard her appeal also for the need for forensic work now in Kosovo; we are helping, and will continue to help, in that. As others have said, it is the duty of States to hand over the Tribunal's custody all those indictees residing in their territory, in accordance with their obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. It is important that they comply with Tribunal orders without undue delay. We remain particularly concerned that indictees remain at large in Republika Srpska and in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Serbian performance in this respect has been the least satisfactory of all.”
1999-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4063 (1999) · source
“We are grateful too for her updating us on the details of what is happening on the Balkan scene and in Kosovo in particular. There have been, I think, some misstatements about the volume and the intensity of the abuses that occurred during the conflict earlier this year, and we are glad that she is paying immediate attention to that. The United Kingdom remains strongly committed to the Tribunals and fully supports the Office of the Prosecutor and her investigation of atrocities in bringing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice. I think the United Kingdom has done as much as any individual nation actually to take steps to help bring indictees before the court, and it will continue to do so, particularly in the Balkan sphere.”
1999-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4063 (1999) · source
“We too have warmly welcomed the appointment of Ms. Carla Del Ponte to this task and congratulate her on it, if that is the right phrase for such a daunting responsibility. We are very grateful to her for her briefing this morning. I am glad to hear that she was impressed by the quality of her staff when she first got to know them, and I think it is right that the Council should pay tribute to the staff of the Prosecutor's Office for what they have done over the past few years. They have broken new ground and have shown us that it is possible to end the culture of impunity. I would like her to take back the message from the Council that we warmly appreciate what the whole staff of the Prosecutor's Office, and the Court as a whole, has done.”
1999-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4063 (1999) · source
“Terrorists are increasingly well-funded and adept at transferring funds across borders. Speedy adoption of this new convention will be an important step forward. Similarly, the pending convention against acts of nuclear terrorism must be finalized as quickly as possible. I am grateful to the Russian Federation for taking the lead on this subject at this time. By rejecting peaceful methods and choosing violence, or the threat of violence, to further their aims, terrorists fly in the face of the purposes and principles of the United Nations set out in the Charter. We must move beyond the mere condemnation of terrorism, important as that is, and take up the urgent task of finding practical ways to combat the continuing threat. Adoption of this draft resolution will demonstrate that we mean business.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“As the draft resolution before us makes clear, it is important for all Member States to become parties to these conventions, in order to turn the regime which we have created into a universal one. The draft resolution before us rightly draws attention to the key role of the United Nations in strengthening international cooperation against terrorism and promoting enhanced coordination among States and within international and regional organizations. In this regard, the United Kingdom is pleased that the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly will soon consider the text of a new draft convention on the suppression of terrorist financing, agreed in its working group on terrorism. We are indebted in particular to the Government of France for its skill in bringing this work to fruition.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“Taken together, these Conventions represent a body of international law which lays the foundation of the international community's response to terrorism. As well as providing a framework for cooperation between States, they are a key tool by which terrorists may be brought to justice. The Conventions establish an international legal regime, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which imposes on States parties the requirement to prosecute or extradite suspected terrorists. It is essential, as the five permanent members of the Security Council reiterated in their statement of 23 September, to deny terrorists safe havens. There can be no hiding place for terrorists, no place where they can feel secure or beyond the reach of the law.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“As Governments we are bound by the rule of law and our international obligations. Those who practise terrorism, a brutally indiscriminate and cowardly crime, claim a special status outside the reach of the rule of law. Over the past 36 years, the Member States of the United Nations have decided to oppose that claim in a variety of ways, not least by carefully negotiating 11 international anti-terrorism conventions, which cover such acts as hijacking of aircraft and shipping, hostage-taking and the illegal use of explosives. The United Kingdom has ratified 10 of those conventions, and signed the eleventh, the terrorist bombing Convention, on the day it was opened for signature here in New York.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“Terrorism is condemned by all States, each in its own way. But the draft resolution before us today is right to note that such condemnation, to be effective and credible, cannot in any way be equivocal or selective. All acts of terrorism, wherever they take place and whoever commits them, must be unequivocally condemned, regardless of the motive behind them. Sadly, not all members of the international community appear ready to accept this principle; and it is right that the Council should reiterate it firmly in this draft resolution. Unanimous adoption of the draft resolution will send a firm message that the international community distances itself from those who attempt to argue that terrorist methods may be justified in certain circumstances because of the nature of the cause.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“Acts of terrorism kill, injure or intimidate many hundreds of innocent men, women and children each year. But they do more than that. Terrorist acts, by their indiscriminate nature, their defiant rejection of the norms of civilized behaviour and their challenge to the rule of law constitute a challenge to the authority of those States on whose territory they are committed and a threat to the wider peace and security of the international system. The Council has addressed a number of terrorist outrages in the past, not least the tragedy of Lockerbie, the bombing of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi and, most recently, the presence of Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan. But we welcome this initiative to address the problem of international terrorism in a comprehensive fashion.”
1999-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4053 (1999) · source
“Secondly, to follow up on my theme of structure, does he believe that there would be a role, given that we want to see even economic prosperity and political stability entrenched in the region, for an international conference - as France, for instance, proposed long ago - that brings together the countries of the Great Lakes and sets a longer-term strategy for what we all want to do for the Great Lakes region and regarding the problem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular? If so, is there a particular timing for that conference that would fit in well with the efforts and operations of the leaderships of the region?”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“In the light of that, and looking at the next steps regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I would like to add to President Chiluba's list of questions a couple of others. First of all, we need to make sure that the parties to the conflict stick to their guns, are going to stay in the committees, are going to live up to their public and expressed and political obligations. Is there a role that President Chiluba thinks that outside players, particularly the Security Council, can play in keeping all the parties to the Agreement to their responsibilities? And does he want to see constant action from outside the continent and from the Security Council, or would he prefer that African diplomacy should lead on this particular item, that of having the parties to the conflict stick to their obligations?”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“If we are to have a peacekeeping force or a coordinated operation on a problem like that of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we need to know what we are getting into, what we are going to do and what the countries of the region are going to contribute. And our parliaments and our peoples will want to know what the resource costs are going to be and when we will be able to finish our work and hand the responsibility back to the leaders of the area. So there are practical and pragmatic considerations that we have to consider, as well as giving expression to our wish to see the continent of Africa more at peace, seeking greater prosperity - with success - and better able to manage its own affairs.”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“I want to say to President Chiluba and to all our African friends that there is not a lack of willingness by the Council to address the problems of Africa or to get to grips with the problems of Africa. There is a need to work with the leaders of Africa and to have a structure to what we are doing in addressing the problems of Africa. It is a vast continent with a variety of different problems in its various regions. And the approach of African leaders themselves is not always united across the whole continent. The Security Council has to take account of the realities of what we are doing.”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“President Chiluba has set out for us a number of interesting proposals, which we already had in our minds, on what the next step should be. I am sure that the Council is going to consider these. As an example of the interest of members of the Council, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the French Republic had a private meeting yesterday at which they agreed that the area of the Great Lakes was of high importance to their two countries together. In the joint approach that the United Kingdom and France are taking to Africa, we will be contributing to the further evolution of a solution to the problems of the region. But President Chiluba has with justification pointed out that the Security Council has not often been either swift or successful in addressing the conflicts of Africa.”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“I too would like to express our gratitude to His Excellency President Chiluba for coming to the Council and giving us an interesting briefing concentrating on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also drawing attention to the need for the Council to pay special attention to what is going on in Africa at the moment and to how the Council can contribute. We too would like to congratulate President Chiluba on the role that he has played in leading a number of African leaders to address directly the problem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on carrying out personal diplomacy at a high level and of a high quality. The Lusaka process is the basis of what the Security Council will now wish to do on the problem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
1999-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4047 (1999) · source
“We believe that there is now a need to build up consensus within the Council and across the wider United Nations membership on when and how we should respond to such affronts to our shared values. The factors which the Secretary-General has proposed that the Security Council should take into account in considering enforcement action are an important contribution to the debate. We welcome them as a basis for early further discussions in the Council.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“Our task is not over: we must continue our work with the Indonesians to ensure the safety of returning civilian refugees and access for humanitarian aid in East and West Timor. The United Kingdom warmly welcomes the focus in the Secretary-General' s report on the issue of enforcement action in the face of massive and ongoing abuses of human rights or of international humanitarian law. The nature of modern conflict - chaotic, internecine and brutal - challenges the Council to reinterpret its mandate to maintain international peace and security in terms of the threat to the security and survival of populations as much as of States. In his report, the Secretary-General rightly stresses that when we are faced by massive human rights abuses, enforcement action must become an option for consideration.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“The more the Security Council is seen to act swiftly, boldly and decisively when civilians are under armed attack, when humanitarian access is deliberately denied and when basic human rights are violated, the more effectively we shall prevent such abuses from taking place in the future. It has thus been heartening to see the Council exercise a variety of its powers in a timely, proportionate and effective response to events in East Timor. From its initial statements stressing the concern of the international community, to a high-profile mission to Jakarta and Dili and now a Chapter-VII resolution authorizing a multinational force, the Council has demonstrated an ability to respond swiftly where international peace and security are threatened and where the rights of civilians are subjected to massive abuse.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“The United Nations has no troops of its own. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations cannot be expected to mount a United Nations operation within a matter of days even when civilians are under the gravest threat. That is why this week we have used the option of a multinational force. But United Nations rapid reaction and planning capabilities have to be improved. The United Kingdom and France together signed a memorandum of understanding in June on the forces we were ready to commit to the United Nations at short notice. We urge others to do the same. Timely action is also preventive action.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“It must continue to be ready to impose arms embargoes where appropriate, and it should, as the Secretary-General proposes, ensure that all United Nations peacekeeping deployments include effective weapons-collection and destruction programmes. Secondly, as regards the mandates the Council gives its operations, the Council should not shy away - as perhaps we have done in the past - from more robust mandates if a force needs to act in enforcement mode, for example to protect civilians. There are risks inherent in the deployment of operations on the ground in hostile and unstable situations, and we should be ready to face them. We cannot expect to make a difference on the ground otherwise. Remember "safe areas". The third area is the capacity of the United Nations for rapid peacekeeping deployment.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“The United Kingdom will continue to support all efforts to ensure that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are punished. This means not only support for ad hoc international tribunals and for the future work of the International Criminal Court, but action to deal with States that do not cooperate with them. Turning to the Secretary-General's practical suggestions for improving protection of civilians caught up in armed conflict, I would like to highlight three areas with direct relevance for Security Council action. The first area is the ready availability of small arms, particularly to non-state actors. Member States have a key role in controlling this flow, but the Council can act too.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source
“In many conflicts, belligerents target civilians in order to expel or eradicate segments of the population, or for the purpose of hastening military surrender." The Security Council Mission to East Timor can say a thing or two about the pertinence of that description. The United Kingdom will participate actively and imaginatively in follow-up work to the Secretary- General's report. Our support for the draft resolution before us today is only the beginning of that process. The Secretary-General is right to focus on efforts to increase observance and awareness of international humanitarian and human rights law. Better implementation of the legal framework that exists is critical, not more law. Better and more effective ways to address impunity are also a crucial part of this effort.”
1999-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046 (1999) · source