YouSaid · the spoken record

Koonjul

lines on the record: 565
first: 2001-07-24
most recent: 2003-05-30
sittings or episodes: 63
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

“President, for the opportunity given to us to revisit the problems of Africa. We would like to convey our best wishes to the two leaders and to all the members of the Security Council who will undertake the mission. We wish them every success.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“We think that the Security Council should impress upon that country the need for security and military reform. This is an important aspect of peace there. With regard to Liberia, we believe that, in addition to what has been indicated in the terms of reference, the Security Council should try to find ways to have some kind of constructive engagement with the authorities in that country. It is important that, in the run-up to elections, the Security Council and the international community accompany the country and its people towards free and fair elections. Apart from what has been included in the terms of reference, we feel that there is very much a need for engagement. That would also be very much in line with what the African Union has been recommending. I would like to conclude by thanking you once again, Mr.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“In the paper circulated by the President, the President wrote about the role of the Security Council in trying to engage in activities geared towards the prevention of conflict. This is precisely one situation in which the Council can be very effective in trying to prevent the possibility of a full-fledged conflict in a country. We are also pleased to note that some members of the Economic and Social Council will also be travelling to Guinea-Bissau around the same time as the Security Council mission. As we have said, we feel that there should be more joint missions to countries like Guinea-Bissau and Burundi. In conclusion, I would like to make two brief comments regarding the terms of reference that have been circulated. We agree fully with the terms of reference that have been circulated with regard to Burundi.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“We have of course been told that Africa is still important, but that other urgent matters had arisen that had to take priority over the mission. We believe that urgency and importance are matters of perception. We believe that what is important to someone also becomes urgent. We had been concerned that the mission's travel to Guinea-Bissau was in question. I am very pleased with the reassurances given by Sir Jeremy Greenstock that Guinea-Bissau is going to be included in the trip to West Africa. We also feel that it is important that the full mission team be in Guinea-Bissau. Anything less than that would send a very wrong signal. We believe that Guinea-Bissau is at a crossroads. We have said in the past that Guinea-Bissau is at what we would call the post-conflict stage, but it is also at the pre-conflict stage.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“In fact, no more than 200 to 300 people have actually gone. Last year when the Security Council visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there was a big show of weapons being destroyed after having been collected through the DDR programme. I do not think that was enough to really address the problem of DDR. The Council will need to address the problem of how we should move from this attitude of voluntary disarmament to one with more incentives given, if not a kind of aggressive disarmament of combatants. Unless we do that, we feel that we will not be able to achieve long-term, sustainable peace. With regard to the mission to West Africa, the African Group regrets that it was abruptly postponed for other important matters.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“That was even recognized last year at the level of the G-8, when in their communique the ministers agreed that there could not be sustainable peace unless there were proper DDR. Such a DDR programme must be comprehensive and must enable former combatants to be reintegrated into normal day-to-day life and economic activities. Otherwise, those people will soon be employed elsewhere to continue the work that they are accustomed to doing. We therefore think that the mission, while in the field and upon its return, should try to look into what more should be done in order that we may make progress in the area of DDR. We recall that many DDR camps have been built - for example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - to supposedly receive combatants who were going to disarm themselves. However, very few of them have gone to those camps.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“It was even proposed that there could be joint missions between the Security Council and officials of the African Union. Of course, that is a long shot, and something that is not going to happen tomorrow. But I think we should start to consider these issues; we should at least start with some better coordination. We also believe that the missions to both the Great Lakes and Western Africa should consider the desirability of setting up a comprehensive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme for the whole of the continent. Generally speaking, we believe that quite a bit of progress has been achieved in terms of peace in the continent, but such peace cannot be sustained until, and unless, we address the problem of DDR.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“We also believe that in preparing for such missions, especially to Africa, it is extremely important that there be proper coordination and consultation with the African Union. We have felt that this is lacking. We have felt that we can very often be at cross-purposes with the African Union. The African Union is also concerned about the conflicts in Africa, and it has been involved in some of the peacekeeping efforts there. It is important that the Council should try to consult and to coordinate its activities with what the African Union is doing or has been doing. We remember that last year, when the Security Council set up the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, we did a lot of work to try to bring about better coordination between the Security Council and the African Union.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“We think that that country now deserves to receive greater attention from the Economic and Social Council. Perhaps this would have been a great opportunity for a joint mission between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. That would have sent the signal that, yes, we have now passed the conflict stage; we are in the post-conflict stage, and it is now time for post-conflict peace- building and development. It would also have sent the message that the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council are working together to try to establish firmly the grounds for peace. We therefore believe that the terms of reference should be prepared accordingly.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Sir Jeremy Greenstock mentioned that the Security Council is going to have its fourth mission to the Great Lakes. Four missions have taken place in four years. We believe that each mission should build upon the previous one and should make progress on the basis on what has taken place before. Unfortunately, we have not seen that. We have not seen that from the point of view of the Security Council. We believe that any mission organized in the future should try to see what has happened in the past - the failings of past missions and how to improve upon them. For example, we believe that the mission to the Great Lakes -Burundi, for example - should have something new to it. In Burundi, there has been a peaceful transition. Peace has now more or less been established.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“We very much welcome the decision of the Security Council to undertake these missions. We think that they are extremely useful; they are always very beneficial. They are helpful to the Council members themselves because they give members an opportunity to meet with the political and military leaders, as Sir Jeremy Greenstock has said, as well as to meet with civil society, both individuals and the non- governmental organizations. More importantly, it is an opportunity to impress upon the political leadership and the people in those countries the message of the Security Council. But we believe that it is also important that the missions come back to New York with some message that the people of those countries have for the Security Council and that action is taken on those requests from the people, who are the most concerned in the matter.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“Mr. President, you have asked us to speak on behalf of the African Group. But due to the late notification, it has not been possible for us to coordinate the statement that I am going to make. Principally, I will be making a statement in my national capacity, although I am sure that many of the views that I express are shared by my African colleagues. We are very pleased that the Council is holding a public meeting devoted to Africa after quite some time. It is taking place in this format, a wrap-up session, at a time when two important Security Council missions are going to be travelling to Africa. We wish that we had had a chance to hold such a meeting well ahead of time so that some of the suggestions that we could have made could have been taken on board in the terms of reference.”
2003-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4766 (2003) · source
“In conclusion, we would like to say that the Government of Mauritius stands ready to participate in its very modest way to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq, and in that connection, it has set up a solidarity fund for the Iraqi people, the proceeds of which will be channelled through the United Nations.”
2003-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4726 (2003) · source
“War is always a catastrophe and leads to human suffering. As the Secretary-General himself has pointed out, the current situation is a sad moment for all the Members of the United Nations. In the face of this human tragedy, it is our hope that the conflict should end as soon as possible, with minimum casualties, especially at the level of civilians. Mauritius calls for immediate action to be taken to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi civilian population. Furthermore, we believe that all prisoners of war on all sides should be treated humanely, in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. Mauritius appeals to the Security Council to fully assume its responsibility and to do its utmost to deal with the crisis in a manner that will restore its credibility and uphold its dignity.”
2003-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4726 (2003) · source
“At the same time, it is recognized that Iraq had made progress recently in its cooperation with the United Nations inspectors, albeit under pressure. That is why we have been of the view that war was avoidable and more time should have been allowed to the United Nations inspectors to complete their work. Mauritius has also been of the view that any military action against Iraq needed the sanction of the Security Council. During the deliberations that took place in the Security Council these past weeks, Mauritius and many other countries of the region were hopeful that the Security Council would remain united on this issue. Regrettably, this has not been the case, and we all know the sequence of events that followed, thereby showing the inability of the Security Council to avoid war.”
2003-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4726 (2003) · source
“We would, first of all, like to thank the Secretary-General for his statement this morning, and I would like to say that we agree with his statement. In the statement that I made during the public meeting of 19 February 2003, I pointed out that resolution 1441 (2002), adopted unanimously by the Security Council, reflected the will of the international community to see Iraq rid itself of its weapons of mass destruction. At that time, a last chance was offered to Iraq to opt for full compliance with resolution 1441 (2002). Iraq's full cooperation was an essential element in resolving the crisis. Had Iraq respected all its obligations, as mandated by Security Council resolutions, more particularly resolution 1441 (2002), we would not have reached this situation and war would have been avoided.”
2003-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4726 (2003) · source
“This is the time for Iraq to choose full compliance with resolution 1441 (2002) and pave the way for the lifting of sanctions. The Iraqi Government must avoid any step that would increase the suffering of its people. At a time when a large number of countries are suffering from abject poverty, malnutrition and lack of development, addressing which requires significant resources, the consequences of war and the ensuing reconstruction will not only aggravate the situation of the Iraqi population but also represent a major setback in addressing global development programmes. We therefore appeal to the Iraqi Government to comply fully and unconditionally with the inspectors and to disclose whatever it failed to disclose in its 12,000- page declaration.”
2003-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4709Resumption1 (2003) · source
“My delegation looks forward to the next report of the inspectors, which we hope will show that Iraq has displayed greater cooperation on substance and provided the necessary evidence as requested by the international community. Iraq must understand that it is being given a chance to cooperate and to come clean. My delegation considers that in the unfortunate event that no tangible progress is seen in the next report, the Security Council will have to assume its responsibility and take whatever action is necessary while maintaining and reinforcing its credibility and centrality, as well as its unity. It is to be recalled that resolution 1441 (2002) was adopted unanimously by the Security Council, thereby reflecting the will of the international community to see Iraq get rid of its weapons of mass destruction.”
2003-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4709Resumption1 (2003) · source
“It is important for Iraq to understand that it is the will of the international community to see Iraq rid itself of weapons of mass destruction and that it should engage in fuller, more proactive and genuine cooperation with the inspectors, whose job, we agree, should be the verification of Iraqi disarmament rather than the search for weapons of mass destruction. We have noted that on several occasions Iraq has claimed that it does not possess any weapons of mass destruction. If such is indeed the case, it should provide all the necessary evidence that can convince the international community that it has indeed destroyed whatever amounts of biological and chemical weapons it is known to have possessed.”
2003-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4709Resumption1 (2003) · source
“ElBaradei pointed out that they had noted greater cooperation on the part of the Iraqi authorities insofar as process is concerned. However, they still feel that there is a deficit in terms of cooperation on substance. It is extremely important for the Iraqi authorities to understand that resolution 1441 (2002) puts an obligation on Iraq to comply fully with all the requirements of the resolution, leading to the complete and total disarmament of Iraq in the field of weapons of mass destruction. We welcome the steps taken by the Iraqi Government to allow U-2 surveillance flights, and the conduct of private interviews with scientists, and the reported adoption of national legislation prohibiting proscribed activities. But we note that such measures are being taken on an incremental basis and only under the pressure of severe consequences.”
2003-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4709Resumption1 (2003) · source
“In the interest of time, Mr. President, I am going to skip the courtesies to you and to your predecessor. My delegation would like to thank the Executive Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), Mr. Hans Blix, and the General Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Mohamed ElBaradei, for presenting their second periodic reports last Friday. My delegation considers the reports of the inspectors to have been very comprehensive, objective and highly professional. We would like to reiterate our full confidence in Mr. Blix, Mr. ElBaredei and their respective teams of inspectors. We have no doubt that they will continue to do their work with the same dedication and professionalism. In their reports, both Mr. Blix and Mr.”
2003-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4709Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Last but not least, I want to thank my own team, both those who are sitting behind me and those who work behind the scenes, for their dedication and hard work. I would like to end my intervention by reading out a quote from former President Clinton of the United States, who has said that: "We have no choice but to learn to live together, to choose cooperation over conflict, to give expression to our common humanity by following simple rules: everyone deserves a chance; everyone has a role to play; we all do better when we work together; we are not as different as we think".”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“We are pleased with the establishment of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, just as much as with the beginning of a new phase of cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. It is our sincere hope that the Council will continue to further strengthen such cooperation in the future. As we look back on our performance, we have a feeling of great humility, as well as some pride that our modest contribution may have helped consolidate peace and international security in the world. I would like, in conclusion, to express my Government's sincere thanks and gratitude to all members of the Council, whose assistance and support have been of immense value to us. I wish to equally thank the whole Secretariat team for their support, especially during the Mauritian presidency.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“But it is that very specificity which has led us to take a stand based on principles, objectivity, impartiality, sense of justice, even- handedness, fair play and, above all, consensus- building to preserve and strengthen the unity of the Council. As one of the representatives of Africa, we have tried to focus the Council's attention on African issues and to bring a new perspective in dealing with some of the burning questions afflicting our continent. While advocating a global and comprehensive approach to problems in Africa, we have highlighted the specificities of each situation, which has to be viewed on its own merits.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“In this regard, we feel that the Council should work closely with regional and subregional organizations and should fully utilize their early warning systems. Closer cooperation with the African Union in the preventive field is absolutely vital. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and its Peer Review Mechanism provide the necessary framework to avert crisis situations, and the Security Council could work in helping to strengthen the institutional capacity of the African Union and in implementing N EPAD. Mauritius will be completing its two-year term in the Council at the end of this month. Our membership has been an extremely enriching and challenging experience for us, especially in View of our size, resources and influence.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“On several occasions, especially during brainstorming sessions, we have discussed the need for the Council to focus attention on preventive measures that can be more effective and more economical. At the beginning of this year, the Council very timidly addressed the crisis which Madagascar was experiencing at that time. Currently we have been doing the same with the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. The Council is often reluctant, lest it be accused of interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign State, to address what we would consider to be a clear pre-conflict situation. While we fully understand the limitations, we believe there is a need for the Council to see how it can best intervene in situations where conflicts may be averted, before they escalate to uncontrollable scale.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“My delegation has always supported the voluntary basis for undertaking DDR, but at the same time we have always stressed the need to have contingency plans in respect of those who continue to undermine peace. Incomplete DDR is a source for future instability. In the same vein, we feel that the demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration of ex- combatants should be taken at a regional or even continental level, especially in the case of Africa, where there is such mobility and such "demand" for combatants. We hope the Council will give serious consideration to this issue. The Council has been quite effective with conflicts that are already full-blown.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“That is the time when the prompt support of the international community is most important. It is an opportunity which we cannot miss, even though sometimes we tend to become complacent and start focusing attention elsewhere. Our experience in Guinea-Bissau and in the Central African Republic should remind the Council of the importance of peace consolidation; in this context, we feel that it will have to work in close cooperation with all United Nations agencies for peace to be permanently anchored. A full, comprehensive and effective programme of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) represents another challenge that the Council will have to address next year and in the years to come. Ways and means will have to be found to deal with those not willing to undergo voluntary DDR.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“We feel that the Council should consider splitting visiting missions into two or even three groups, as in that way it would be possible for such a mission to visit more places and to meet with more people in a particular country. As the Council discusses the whole question of field missions, it may wish to consider such a proposal. With the success of the peace processes in several conflict situations in Africa, namely Sierra Leone, Angola, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the challenge that we will face will be the consolidation of peace in those countries. The Council must work towards that objective to ensure that those countries reach a stage where peace becomes irreversible. The signing of peace agreements is a crucial stage in any process.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“That is why we feel that it is extremely important for Council members to undertake regular field visits to familiarize themselves with the situation on the ground by interacting with the actors and the local communities. Such visits also help to create greater awareness among Council members of the real needs and expectations of people at the grass-roots level, thereby allowing for discussion beyond the purely academic level. We have found all the field missions in which we have participated to be extremely useful, enlightening and, in many ways, very effective in terms of the message that the Council sends to the parties.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“Dozens of resolutions remain unimplemented, some of them because of defiance by members and others because they are simply impractical. Several decisions concerning appeals and urgent calls - for example, on rebel movements in Africa or even for the disarmament of Kisangani - have not been complied with. It will be necessary for the Council to address that important issue to ensure its own credibility. As the Council discusses situations in areas affected by conflict, we rely mostly on reports of the Secretary-General and on briefings by the Secretariat or by Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, which undoubtedly are both comprehensive and extremely useful. However, our experience has shown that, no matter how comprehensive such reports or briefings are, there is much vital information that we fail to obtain.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“No distinction should be made, in our view, in the manner in which any particular subject is treated as opposed to another, nor should there be any distinction between one group of members and another within the Security Council. Any such divide would be harmful to the Council's long-term relationship with the rest of the international community. Council unity should remain the constant objective of every member, since we all know that the Council is most effective when it acts in unison. Consensus-building on the basis of collective interest, rather than divisions along the lines of national interests, needs to be emphasized. One of the major challenges for the Council in the future will be the effective implementation of its decisions and resolutions.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“In our View, that approach remains the most effective way to obtain the greatest support of the international community for any Security Council action, as evidenced by the overwhelming response that resolution 1373 (2001) obtained through the methodology adopted by Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock. Maintaining that approach, which in turn will strengthen the centrality of the Council, will be a major challenge for the Council in the years to come. Closely linked to that is the need for the Council to be perceived as a credible and even-handed body that looks at all issues with the same objective, impartial and constructive approach.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“During the course of the year, the Security Council has also made significant progress in its working methods, particularly in the area of increased transparency and interaction with the wider United Nations membership. The increase in the number of public meetings and of public briefings preceding consultations on certain issues has been highly appreciated by the general membership and has helped to break the divide between the Council and other United Nations Members. The Council should continue to give the general membership the opportunity to express their views and proposals on issues of which Council is seized.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“I will try to follow your guidelines and will focus on a number of issues that, I believe, have been and will remain very significant for the Council. Throughout the year, the Security Council has striven very hard to maintain international peace and security. Its commitment and perseverance have resulted in many success stories, such as an independent Timor-Leste and a stabilized and more peaceful Sierra Leone, Angola and Kosovo - to name only a few - as well as the remarkable Council action in Afghanistan. Those success stories can provide very useful lessons to the Council as it deals with other conflict situations and further complex issues.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“I should also like to thank your deputy, Ambassador Franco, for the daily annotated programme that he has been sending to our Missions. That has helped us enormously in preparing for Council consultations and public meetings in a better way, with the result that the work of the Council has become more effective. It would be a good thing if that practice could be maintained in the future. In addition, my delegation is very grateful to you, Mr. President, for having prepared and circulated a non-paper to serve as a general guide for today's meeting. In it you have asked us to assess the main contributions, political relevance, difficulties and dilemmas of the Security Council, using examples of the work accomplished during the year 2002, and to identify similar problems for the Council for 2003.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“First of all, let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this wrap-up meeting and for giving us, the departing members of the Security Council, the opportunity to share our views on the work of the Council over the past 12 months. This exercise will certainly be beneficial for the Council's future work as well as for the new members who will be joining the Council next year. I should also like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and your delegation on the manner in which the business of the Council is being conducted this month. There is no doubt that it has been a very busy month, but we are happy to note that you have striven very hard to maintain your initial plan to end the Council's normal business today.”
2002-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4677 (2002) · source
“I would like to make a special mention of the support that I received from Ambassador Gerry Corr, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ireland, for the comprehensive paper that he presented on the New Partnership for Africa's Development, from the United States delegation, in particular Mr. Rick Mills, for their contribution on the role of Special Representatives of the Secretary-General. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of my own team, in particular Mr. Jingree, for their dedicated support, which made the work of my Committee easier, and for the recommendations which we have made in regard to the work of the Working Group. We certainly hope that Council members will give serious consideration next year to continuing the Working Group and even to strengthening it further.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“We also believe that the dialogue that was initiated with the African Union by inviting the Secretary-General of the African Union to participate in the Council's public meeting last January, should continue. We certainly hope that next year the new Council will follow up on that. Finally, I would like to thank all Council members for the support which they have given me in the Working Group. I would like, in particular, to thank the Department of Political Affairs - Assistant Secretary-General Kalomoh and Ms. Vogt - as well as the whole Secretariat team for the continuous assistance that they have provided to the Working Group.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“The approach that the Working Group and the Economic and Social Council have taken with regard to Guinea-Bissau can also be applied to many other countries emerging from conflict, such as, for example, the Central African Republic, Burundi, Angola and even Liberia at some stage in the future. The African Union and subregional organizations in Africa are important partners of the Security Council with respect to dealing with conflicts in Africa. We believe that the Working Group can be of significant importance in strengthening the partnership among the Security Council, the African Union and subregional organizations in Africa. It is therefore our view that there is merit in maintaining and in strengthening the Working Group well beyond its current mandate.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“With the events of 11 September 2001 and other pressing problems that the Council must address - combined with a number of positive developments in Africa - there may be a tendency to move the focus away from African problems. The Working Group, we feel, will greatly help in maintaining the focus on African issues. The link that has been created by the Working Group with the Economic and Social Council will not, we believe, survive on its own. The cooperation between the two Councils is of vital importance, and the Working Group can provide the vital link for the continuation of such cooperation.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“As the Mauritius membership of the Council will be ending this month, and since the Working Group will come up for review in February next year, I should like, in my personal capacity, to make certain observations on the future of the Working Group. In our opinion, the Working Group's informal nature makes it an ideal forum for discussion of issues relating to Africa, especially because the Group invites speakers from various organizations to brainstorm on African issues. Although the Security Council spends most of its time on African issues, it hardly has the time to devote itself to in-depth discussions. The Working Group compensates for that shortcoming.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“More recently, at the invitation of the Economic and Social Council, I participated in the joint Security Council-Economic and Social Council mission to Guinea-Bissau with the Economic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on African Countries Emerging from Conflict. We had a very constructive meeting in Guinea-Bissau, and later in Washington with the Bretton Woods institutions, and it is hoped that very useful recommendations will be made that will help Guinea-Bissau. Such joint activity illustrates the close cooperation that we have been able to establish between those two important organs of the United Nations.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“Indeed, there is a growing recognition that the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council should cooperate and coordinate their activities for lasting solutions to conflicts. It was in that spirit that the President of the Economic and Social Council was invited to participate in the public meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Africa in January and in the meetings that the Working Group held subsequently. Likewise, the President of the Economic and Social Council invited me, in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council's Working Group, to participate in the Economic and Social Council's commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the General Peace Agreement for Mozambique, which was held on 4 October 2002.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“The Working Group also held briefing sessions on the New Partnership for Africa's Development and on the activities of the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division in order to provide the delegations of Council members with a better understanding of those issues while they deal with their work in the Council. In addition, the International Crisis Group was invited to brief the members of the Working Group on the Mano River Union prior to the workshop that the United Kingdom presidency organized in the month of July. The most significant achievement of the Working Group has been the promotion of close cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“A second set of recommendations, relating to the enhancement of the effectiveness of the Representatives and Special Representatives of the Secretary-General in Africa, were made by the Working Group on 9 December (see S/2002/I352, annex). While preparing those recommendations, the Working Group consulted with the Department of Political Affairs, the Office of the African Union and the Office of the Secretary-General. I should like to stress here that the recommendations concerning Representatives and Special Representatives of the Secretary-General do not in any way reflect the performance of existing Representatives and Special Representatives but are intended to suggest ways and means to enhance their effectiveness.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“With regard to Guinea-Bissau, the Working Group had a rich exchange of views with the participation of the Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the Department of Political Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Peace Academy and the Permanent Representative of the Gambia, who acted as Chair of the Group of Friends on Guinea-Bissau. After discussing Guinea-Bissau's current peace-building needs and the obstacles that were being encountered by that country in addressing those needs, the Working Group made a number of practical recommendations.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“In brief, with regard to the group of friends, the Working Group based its discussions on background information provided by the Department of Political Affairs on the work of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General as well as on the experiences of Member States that had launched similar groups. On cooperation with the African Union, the Working Group discussed extensively the question of enhancing cooperation between the Security Council and the African Union. In that regard, the Working Group heard the views of the Permanent Observer of the African Union in New York and formulated a number of recommendations. I am pleased to report that there is now general and greater awareness among Council members of the African Union's activities with respect to conflicts in Africa.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“The debate that followed confirmed the general membership's approbation of the relevance of the Working Group and of the work programme that I had outlined. Here, I should like to express my gratitude for the wide support and encouragement that my Working Group received from the general membership at that meeting. I am also thankful to the Singaporean presidency for the very succinct report that it presented at the end of the meeting. After a number of meetings, my Working Group presented a first set of recommendations to the Security Council in August this year (see 5/2002/979, annex); they related to a group of friends, to cooperation with the African Union and to Guinea-Bissau.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source
“The very first meeting of the Working Group, which was held at the ambassadorial level, provided an opportunity for a very rich exchange of views and a powerful brainstorming session, which in turn gave the Group a general sense of direction and the broad parameters of its work. It was agreed that, in fulfilling its mandate, the Working Group would not duplicate the Security Council's work but would rather bring added value to it by looking at issues of importance to Africa, which generally are not adequately discussed in the Council. In May, under the Singaporean presidency of the Council, I had the opportunity to present the Working Group's programme of work to the general membership at a public briefing presided over by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore.”
2002-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4673 (2002) · source