YouSaid · the spoken record

Korpi

lines on the record: 50
first: 1999-07-08
most recent: 1999-11-29
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“For the European Union, sustainable development in Africa is the priority. An enabling political environment conducive to human rights, good governance and a vibrant civil society are essential for sustainable development. The European Union is the world's leading source of development assistance to Africa. This assistance should also be seen as a long-term contribution to stability and conflict prevention. We are all aware of the human suffering and the humanitarian and economic costs if we fail to prevent conflicts. Prevention may not be visible and make no headlines, but it is and will remain the supreme task of this organization and of the Security Council. Let us shift focus from acting only when a serious conflict has broken out to giving appropriate early responses to early warning.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Unfortunately, the situation in Africa has yet to improve significantly, and much remains to be done. The European Union has sought to develop an active, comprehensive and integrated approach to the issue of violent conflicts in Africa, based on the 1997 common position and the European Union Council conclusions on "Conflict prevention and resolution in Africa". One-third of African countries are at present, or have recently been, involved in civil wars. The European Union welcomes the Security Council's strong commitment to prevent conflicts in the continent and looks forward to further Council activity in this respect. The European Union is ready to assist in building capacity for conflict prevention in Africa, particularly through the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the subregional organizations.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The European Union has actively supported measures to ensure accountability for criminal acts under international law. The adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was a particularly important milestone in this respect, and we urge all States to sign and ratify it as a matter of priority. It is to be hoped that in the long run the main function of the International Criminal Court will be that of prevention. Increased awareness of the Court's ability and determination to try to punish those responsible for serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law should effectively contribute to the prevention of such crimes. The report of the Secretary-General on Africa of April 1998 comprised important elements and strategies for conflict prevention.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Since arms and combatants move easily across the border in most conflict areas, the Security Council should try to formulate mandates in such a manner that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes could be addressed in a regional context whenever possible. The European Union welcomes with appreciation the increased role and contributions of non-governmental organizations in conflict prevention. The European Union emphasizes the important role of international law in conflict prevention. International criminal tribunals serve important accountability, reconciliation and deterrence functions. They also provide a legitimate process through which individuals are held accountable for their transgressions, thereby avoiding the vilification of entire groups.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We should develop a more targeted use of the instruments of development cooperation in addressing the root causes of violent conflicts and redressing inequalities. Such activities must build on and strengthen local capacities and institutions. Development cooperation may have unwanted effects if deployed in disregard of the overall political situation. Therefore, regular analysis of the impact of development and humanitarian assistance policies is needed. In this connection, the European Union welcomes the proposal of the Secretary-General exploring the idea of conflict impact assessments of development policies. Restoration of security and order as well as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants into society are also vital.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The European Union is convinced that the best strategy to maintain peace and security is to address first and foremost the root causes and the triggers of conflicts. Long-term structural prevention tries to address the underlying economic, social and other causes of conflict. It pursues the creation of equitable access to economic growth, economic opportunity, social cohesion and development. It promotes greater respect for human rights, maintenance of the rule of law and strengthening of democratic institutions. Today, conflict situations are often internal in nature and associated with violations of human rights, in particular those of persons belonging to minorities. The European Union attaches great importance to the promotion and protection of human rights for the prevention of conflicts.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The European Union looks forward to the next meeting between the United Nations and the regional organizations in order to explain in detail the changing role and capacities of the European Union in the field of crisis management and conflict prevention. The European Union launched the Stability Pact for South-Eastem Europe, which was signed in Cologne on 10 June 1999. Furthermore, the European Union will also contribute to security and prosperity in Europe through its enlargement. The European Union welcomes the upcoming G-8 Foreign Ministers' meeting on conflict prevention, to be held in Berlin on 16 and 17 December 1999. This meeting will seek to further strengthen ongoing efforts to enhance the role of conflict prevention in international relations.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The European Union plays an active role in the area of conflict prevention, early warning and crisis management, in cooperation with the United Nations and regional organizations. With the entry into force of the Amsterdam Treaty on 1 May 1999, the European Union has enhanced recourse to new measures of conflict prevention. The establishment within the European Union of the Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit as well as the appointment of Mr. Javier Solana to the new post of High Representative will contribute to the European Union's capabilities. The Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit should serve as the European Union's focal point vis-a-vis the United Nations in the area of conflict prevention.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The European Union also fully agrees with the wish of the Secretary-General, as expressed in his report, that conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace-making must not become areas of competition between the United Nations and regional organizations. It is important that conflict-prevention be approached in a pragmatic manner. We therefore fully support the Secretary-General's efforts to further improve coordination and cooperation with the regional arrangements. The United Nations and the regional organizations possess various strengths and capabilities in the area of conflict prevention. Focus should be on achieving greater complementarity as mutually reinforcing institutions, making use of their comparative advantages.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In this process, the Secretariat should make full use of all available information within the United Nations system. The ultimate aim would be that fewer and fewer conflicts reach the point where enforcement action by the Security Council is required. The European Union commends the Secretary-General for highlighting in his report on the work of the Organization the humanitarian challenge facing the United Nations. He rightly points out that the prevention of armed conflict is the highest goal of the United Nations. His ideas for improving and strengthening strategies for prevention deserve our attention and support.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In this context, we wish to recall Article 99 of the Charter, which provides the Secretary-General the possibility of bringing to the attention of the Security Council any matter that in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. For that purpose, the European Union considers that the Secretariat' s capacity needs to be enhanced to enable the Security Council to conduct regular surveys of potential conflict areas. We encourage Member States and regional organizations increasingly to share early warning information with the United Nations. The Secretariat should be made capable of providing the Security Council with an independent assessment on different regions, including early warning on emerging crises, as well as proposals for action.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“On the question of arms, the European Union encourages the Security Council to consider using its powers in a more decisive way to impose arms embargoes at early stages of emerging crises. The European Union also supports the central role of the Secretary-General in preventive diplomacy, including fact-finding missions, good offices and other activities. We support the Secretary-General's efforts to improve the United Nations early warning system and to place increased emphasis on preventive diplomacy. We believe that the possibilities of the Secretary-General and his Secretariat are still not fully utilized.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We have adopted a Joint Action on small arms and light weapons as a complementary measure to the European Union programme for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms. To combat the destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons is also an integral part of the European Union's emergency aid, as well as of its reconstruction and development programmes. The European Union strongly believes that in the search for a long-term solution to conflicts - especially in Africa - high priority should be given to curbing arms supplies and the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, as well as that of diamonds, gold and other precious materials that provide finance for them.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Certain preventive measures - like the establishment of demilitarized zones or preventive disarmament - belong to the traditional inventory of the means at the disposal of the Council. After the indisputable success of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the first-ever preventive deployment mission, there is a wider acceptance of this tool among the Member States of the United Nations. The recent mission of Council members, which was related to the crisis in East Timor, was, on the other hand, a good example of the Council's success in using some of the tools at its disposal in a swift and decisive manner. Preventive disarmament is a subject that has received extensive attention on the part of the European Union.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“A ladder of prevention would facilitate identifying suitable preventive measures to be taken at each stage of an evolving conflict. The idea of a ladder of prevention is partly, but not exclusively, based on the principle of proportionality; that is, that preventive measures should be taken in proportion to the level of conflict. The European Union is strongly committed to the primary role of the Security Council in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security. The Security Council should actively direct its attention to areas of potential conflict, including the regular holding of forward looking discussions, and in this regard maintain a high degree of readiness to take preventive action.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We welcome the effort demonstrated by the Council in bringing this issue up for debate in order to generate new ideas and visions of how to prevent conflicts and increase the awareness of prevention. Conflict prevention is a complex concept that encompasses short-term operational and long-term structural measures. The former include early warning mechanisms, preventive diplomacy, preventive deployment and preventive disarmament whereas the latter include peace-building measures that go deep to the roots of conflicts. The United Nations Charter provides a number of tools that can and should be used in conflict prevention. We need to build on them and further develop them. Existing methods, such as those enumerated in Article 33 of the Charter, should be strengthened and complemented.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - and the associated countries Cyprus and Malta, as well as the European Free Trade Association country member of the European Economic Area, Iceland, align themselves with this statement. The European Union welcomes the initiative by Slovenia to hold this meeting and the opportunity to participate in this important debate on conflict prevention. We acknowledge the importance of this link in the chain of thematic debates that the Security Council has organized in the past few months.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In conclusion, the European Union would like to express its appreciation for the present report, which is very action-oriented and provides a good basis for further active engagement by the Security Council to ensure improved protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The Security Council has a special responsibility and special powers to authorize coercive action when international peace and security are threatened as a result of systematic and widespread violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, ranging from the imposition of arms embargoes or sanctions to intervention - when all other measures prove ineffective - to protect the civilian population from immediate threats to their lives and to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian convoys. The European Union believes that the factors presented by the Secretary-General to be considered in extreme cases when contemplating an intervention are relevant in that context and may help the Security Council to further develop an active policy aimed at preventing or alleviating profound human suffering wherever it occurs.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We all have fresh in our minds the violent attacks unleashed on the civilian population of East Timor following the popular consultation of 30 August this year, with the complicity of elements of the Indonesian armed forces and police. In the case of East Timor, the Security Council has demonstrated its capacity to react swiftly, effectively and in line with the recommendations of the Secretary-General. In this light, the European Union welcomes the adoption of resolution 1264 (1999) authorizing a multinational force to assist in restoring law and order in East Timor.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Targeted sanctions, aimed at specific individuals and entities of the targeted country, have already been adopted by the Security Council on certain occasions. We also agree that the proposals made by the President of the Council to the sanctions Committees in January 1999 form a good basis for further efforts to develop standards and rules aimed at minimizing the humanitarian impact of sanctions. The protection of civilians is fundamental to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. The international community must not stand by, helpless, in the face of humanitarian catastrophes. The tragic events taking place in East Timor before the eyes of the world are the most recent unfortunate example of why the United Nations must act.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In this respect, the European Union welcomes the steps taken to establish a rapidly deployable mission headquarters within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and looks forward to its early and full operation. The European Union stresses the importance of providing adequate resources to that headquarters. Deployment of international military or civilian police observers to monitor the situation in camps for refugees or internally displaced persons is also a measure that must be seriously considered. The European Union agrees with the recommendation to make greater use of targeted sanctions so as to improve the effectiveness of sanctions while minimizing their humanitarian impact.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In the area of conflict prevention, the European Union fully agrees with the recommendation to consider wider use of preventive peacekeeping operations or other preventive monitoring presence. The United Nations Preventive Deployment Force in The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was the first ever United Nations preventive deployment mission. It serves as a positive and encouraging experience from which many lessons can be drawn for the future. The European Union strongly agrees with the recommendation to strengthen the Organization's capacity to plan and deploy rapidly. Quick action may often limit or even prevent conflict and breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Serious consideration should be given to the Secretary-General's recommendation relating to hate media. Better use should be made of existing mechanisms, such as the International Fact-Finding Commission under article 90 of the first Protocol Additional to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The services of this existing body can be called upon whenever violations of international humanitarian law occur in armed conflict. It can conduct enquiries into the alleged breaches of the Geneva Conventions or their Protocol I and facilitate, through its good offices, the restoration of an attitude of respect for international humanitarian law. Peacekeeping itself has to be seen as part of a continuum, stretching from prevention to conflict resolution and peace-building.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The European Union supports the wider use of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in the work of the United Nations at the country level. The European Union supports the Secretary- General's continuing efforts to place increased emphasis on the prevention of conflicts. The promotion of economic and social development, establishment and consolidation of democracy, good governance and the rule of law as well as the full implementation of human rights are of great importance in conflict prevention. With regard to confidence-building, effective public information is vital. The United Nations must enhance its public information capability at mission level. In this respect, it is also crucially important to prevent the media from being used as a tool of conflict.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In this context, the European Union wishes to stress that under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, attacks against humanitarian or peacekeeping personnel are war crimes. The proposal to extend the scope of the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel to cover other categories of United Nations and associated personnel, including locally recruited staff, merits serious consideration. The report rightly highlights the plight of internally displaced persons in many parts of the world. The European Union agrees with the report's emphasis on the work of the United Nations system to assist internally displaced persons, while noting that the primary responsibility for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons lies with the Government and the country concerned.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In this context it is to be noted that the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court also foresees a major role for the Security Council in referring situations to the Court where they involve most serious crimes of concern to the international community and are deemed to constitute threats to international peace and security. It is increasingly difficult for the international community to provide protection and assistance to those living in the midst of a conflict. Denial of access to civilians in need of humanitarian assistance has in many instances become a tool of warfare. Humanitarian and peacekeeping personnel are deliberately targeted, since they are seen by many armed groups as a threat to their objectives.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The European Union is of the view that the Security Council should consider all measures to induce compliance with orders and requests of the two ad hoc tribunals. The European Union would also like to stress the importance of the early establishment of the International Criminal Court and its important future role both in deterring grave breaches and serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious human rights violations, and in ensuring that those responsible for atrocities are brought to justice.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Irregular forces are increasingly a feature of today's conflicts and often bear significant responsibility for disrespect, grave breaches and serious violations of international humanitarian law as well as for serious human rights violations. We therefore call upon non-State actors that are parties to conflicts to strictly observe and respect international humanitarian and human rights law. It is also essential that violations of the international instruments pertaining to protection of civilians are addressed through appropriate judicial processes, either nationally or through the efforts of the international community. The International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda were important steps in establishing individual accountability for atrocities.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“However, the Security Council can in various ways draw the attention of States to the importance of ratifying the major instruments, ensuring their implementation in practice and heightening awareness and acceptance of humanitarian law among all sectors of society. In this respect, the European Union welcomes innovative approaches to strengthening the respect for international humanitarian law by developing codes of conduct, ground rules and clear principles of engagement, as well as by building on relevant legal norms. The measures proposed by the Secretary- General include promoting adherence to international law as well as, in certain well thought-out cases, enforcement measures under Chapter VII of the Charter.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In some cases aggressors have used ethnic cleansing and forced population movements - often across international borders - not only as a weapon, but also as a strategic objective. International humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law are often unknown to parties to conflicts, or they are ignored or wilfully disrespected. The European Union deplores the persistent violations of international humanitarian law. The recommendations proposed by the Secretary- General to address the failure to comply on the one hand, and the lack of effective enforcement measures on the other, head in the right direction. Our objective should be to ensure respect for and full implementation of international human rights and humanitarian law. The primary responsibility to ensure application and enforcement of these fundamental norms rests with States.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We have seen in recent days how much the world looks to the Security Council for action. The question of the protection of civilians in armed conflict deserves to figure higher on the international political agenda. Looking at the present global situation one can only feel a profound concern about the widening gap between existing international norms and respect for them. In today's conflicts the important distinctions between combatants and civilians have often become blurred, and the safety of humanitarian workers is not respected. Women, children, the elderly, the sick, refugees and internally displaced persons suffer greatly and have been specifically targeted and used as shields.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The Security Council has a special responsibility in this context. Large-scale human suffering, as was noted in a statement by the President of the Security Council issued this past February, is a consequence of and sometimes a contributing factor to instability and further conflict. Massive and systematic breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law can constitute threats to international peace and security, and therefore demand the attention and action of the Security Council. The European Union welcomes the Security Council's concern regarding threats to human security, as demonstrated by a series of resolutions it has adopted in recent years - including those that established international ad hoc criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - and the associated countries Cyprus and Malta, as well as the European Free Trade Association countries members of the European Economic Area - Iceland and Liechtenstein - align themselves with this statement. The European Union wishes to thank the Secretary- General for his thoughtful report on the ways in which the Security Council, acting within its sphere of responsibility, can improve the physical and legal protection of civilians in armed conflict. Its action- oriented recommendations can contribute to reinvigorating international efforts to protect civilians in armed conflict.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Bilateral and multilateral development agencies should direct part of their assistance to the rapid re-establishment of income-earning activities. Such assistance can help ensure the early success of practical disarmament measures. A key objective must be to allow the administrative capacity and infrastructure that were damaged during the conflict to be rebuilt in a process of conversion from a culture of war to a culture of peace. In the end, it is the parties to a peace agreement who are responsible for its full implementation and who alone can provide the best guarantee for the consolidation of peace and for the essential economic and political regeneration of their societies.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Secondly, the Council should see to it that enabling United Nations resolutions integrate disarmament, demobilization and reintegration as part of the peacekeeping operations mandate, with adequate funding and implementation follow-up. The Security Council should address the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration issue on a regular basis in the context of reviewing peacekeeping operations. But the key is that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration need a third D: development. Disarming and demobilizing troops and reintegrating ex-combatants cannot be done in a vacuum. The Security Council should endorse what is known as an integrated and proportionate approach to security and development. Perhaps a part of official development assistance should be devoted to the consolidation of peace and reconciliation.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“At the Fifteenth San Jose Ministers of the European Union and Central American countries agreed on the need to step up efforts to increase the participation of citizens in political life in order to further consolidate democracy in Central America. Needless to say, this also includes former actors of the internal conflict. Ministers also welcomed the European Union Joint Action on small arms and light weapons and underlined their determination to cooperate more closely in this field. Given the reality of present-day conflicts, the Security Council should consider the following. First, it should give direction to United Nations peace mediation efforts so that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are properly included in peace agreements.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The Mali initiative is a pioneering project and could serve as an example in other regions with similar problems. In Central America, the European Union has paid increasing attention to the reintegration of demobilized ex-combatants from both sides of the conflict into the economic and social life of their communities through financing important development programmes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. These programmes have shown very promising results. Ex- combatants who have participated in the reconciliation programmes have turned out to be active promoters of local development processes.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The European Union, bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1209 (1998) on arms flows in Africa, considers that in the search for a long-term solution to conflicts, high priority should be given to measures that curb arms supplies, the illicit circulation of arms, and the illicit trafficking of gold, diamonds and other lucrative commodities that may finance the arms. The European Union will actively contribute to the mechanism set up to help in the implementation of the West African moratorium, adopted within the Economic Community of West African States at the initiative of Mali. Its main purpose is to prevent illicit manufacture of and trade in small arms, as well as to make sure that these weapons are collected and put out of use.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Among the priorities of this regulation is the social reintegration of refugees, displaced persons and demobilized troops. Potential partners can represent international, regional, national, local or community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and public or private operators alike. The European Union is especially concerned by the extension of armed conflicts and the huge influx of arms and military equipment into conflict areas in Africa. More than a third of African countries are at present or have recently been involved in conflicts.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The needs of different target groups among the reintegrated combatants, including vulnerable groups such as children, should be identified and options designed for their integration to suit local conditions. The reintegration of child soldiers, representing the next generation, requires special measures, such as medical and psychological treatment, as well as education, housing and other similar measures. Any reintegration has to be complemented by systems of accountability and accompanied by proper legal procedures. In this context, lessons learned, for example, in South Africa or in the former Yugoslavia - recently in Bosnia and Herzegovina - could prove useful. In 1996 the European Union adopted legislation on rehabilitation and reconstruction operations in developing countries.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The initiative has the support of the Secretary-General. War-tom societies have great difficulties in offering socially and economically viable alternatives for ex- combatants. The promotion of sustainable employment and skills training should be a priority in integration programmes for former combatants, and international assistance should be made available for this purpose. At the same time, States should be encouraged to reflect in their educational and economic programmes the integration of combatants and to secure domestic resources for such activities, supplemented as appropriate by external support, in order to provide, inter alia, for effective follow-up action.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“They address the criteria required for a successful and well-organized programme for the demobilization of combatants, as well as measures needed for their effective integration into civil society. The European Union looks forward to seeing the results of the work already done by the Lessons Learned Unit of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and encourages the Department to build on these guidelines in the planning management, implementation and monitoring of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in future peacekeeping operations. The European Union also welcomes the work and the initiatives of the group of interested States. This group supports concrete projects of practical disarmament and serves as a forum for the exchange of information about relevant lessons learned in the field of practical disarmament.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The adoption by consensus at the United Nations Disarmament Commission in April this year of guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament with particular emphasis on consolidation of peace represents a major step forward. The guidelines provide a valuable tool which can assist the international community, as well as regions, subregions and countries directly affected. They should also be drawn upon in the design of mandates for future United Nations peacekeeping and preventive operations. These guidelines contain specific recommendations for the collection, control, disposal and destruction of arms, especially small arms and light weapons, and conversion of military facilities.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“These undertakings may include, inter alia, weapons collection, demobilization and reintegration programmes. The European Union is funding in particular a pilot weapons- collection project in Albania. The project offers community-development assistance in exchange for weapons. The Union is studying proposals for the funding of similar projects elsewhere. The international community should promote regional and collective approaches to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants. In its first report, the United Nations Panel of Government Experts on Small Arms recommended a set of reduction and prevention measures to combat the destabilizing accumulation of small arms.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The previous year, 1997, the European Union adopted a programme for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms. The European Union supports a proportionate and integrated approach to security and development. Through its joint action, the European Union has committed itself to promoting the inclusion of provisions for arms collection, control, disposal and/or destruction; for demobilization; and for the integration of ex-combatants into peace agreements between the parties to the conflict and into mandates of peace-support operations where appropriate. The Union will also provide financial and technical assistance to programmes and projects of the United Nations and other organizations, including non-governmental organizations.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Many countries formerly in conflict have already gone several years without war, and there is a fair prospect of lasting peace. In these countries the conflict was successfully channelled into a legitimate political process, so that interests no longer had to be pursued by military means. The United Nations provided incentives for former combatants - many of whom had been pressed into service as children and had no other way of life - to demobilize. In other cases the United Nations has not been successful. Both instances merit a thorough evaluation of the lessons learned. The European Union has played an active role in efforts to combat the excessive and destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons, and invites all countries to support the aims set out in the joint action that it adopted in December 1998.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Instead, it should be viewed as a part of a wider process, ranging from preventive diplomacy to post- conflict peace-building. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex- combatants have been important parts of a number of peacekeeping operations with a view to strengthening post- conflict peace-building. Such practical disarmament measures have a special relevance to conflicts that are approaching solution, to recently ended conflicts, and, as a consequence, to preventing a given conflict from re- emerging. Without success in this area it is hardly possible to create the stable, just and democratic political environment which in turn is an indispensable precondition for sustainable human, economic and social development. The United Nations has been successful in resolving a number of conflicts.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We also welcome your idea that techniques for executing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes and the problems associated with them should be studied in depth to help enhance United Nations peacekeeping activities. I also would like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General for her introduction to this issue from the United Nations point of view. The international community faces enormous challenges in dealing with the complexity of conflict management today. The nature of the conflicts has become more and more complex since the fall of the bipolar cold- war order. Most of the new conflicts in the 1990s have been of a civil-war type. One of the most disturbing factors is the growing involvement of children in such conflicts. Peacekeeping can no longer be viewed as a distinct and isolated event.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - and the associated countries Cyprus and Malta, as well as the European Free Trade Association countries and members of the European Economic Area Iceland and Norway, align themselves with this statement. The European Union welcomes the Security Council discussion on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants as timely and pertinent. We highly commend your initiative, Sir. It highlights the growing importance of multidimensional approaches to the solution of today's conflicts.”
1999-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4020Resumption1 (1999) · source