YouSaid · the spoken record

Kumalo

lines on the record: 1,090
first: 1999-08-25
most recent: 2008-12-31
sittings or episodes: 160
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

“Care should be taken to keep a clear distinction between peacekeeping and humanitarian activities. The Council's second role, which we believe could be strengthened, underscores the need to address the safety and security of humanitarian personnel. Clearly, with the increase in intra-State conflicts, there is greater pressure than ever on the United Nations to provide humanitarian assistance. South Africa participated in the Council debate on this issue in February 2000. We still believe that stronger action is needed on this issue, as criminal activities against humanitarian personnel have yet to stop. South Africa therefore supports three specific recommendations, which we believe the Council could implement.”
2000-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4109Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In Article 1, the United Nations Charter states that the purpose of the United Nations is, amongst others, "To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace". It further sets out: "To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character". South Africa sees the role of the Security Council in humanitarian activities as twofold. The first role, which it currently performs, is to focus attention on humanitarian aspects resulting from conflict situations. In this regard, we believe that the humanitarian dimension should also be incorporated at the earliest stage in the formulation of peacekeeping mandates.”
2000-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4109Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The Security Council has often witnessed in the past how a breakdown in peace and security in many countries invariably leads to humanitarian crises. These humanitarian crises in turn can fuel further instability and a breakdown in security. One of the things that could be said about the Security Council is that it has an undeniable role to play in support of humanitarian activities. Already the Council refers to humanitarian situations in its decisions and communications on conflict situations around the world. These references highlight humanitarian difficulties and add political authority to efforts to address them. While the Council has a role to play in humanitarian activities, we believe its actions should in no way undermine the principles of impartiality related to humanitarian assistance.”
2000-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4109Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It is a tremendous joy to see you, Sir, up there, and I am delighted that you came all the way to this meeting. I wanted you to know that those of us in the Non-Aligned Movement are really pleased at what your delegation has been doing in the Security Council. They are doing such a good job that some of us are even thinking of not joining the Security Council. The meeting today comes at a very important time. Even though the subject is not quite related, our hearts go out to our neighbours in Mozambique and in Zimbabwe, who are devastated by the floods that have taken place in that part of the world. Our hearts go out to them. I could not pass up this opportunity to mention them, even though the subject here may be slightly different.”
2000-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4109Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Only by maintaining the impartial nature of humanitarian personnel and the assistance they provide can continued relief be ensured to those who need it most. Millions of people affected by conflict rely on United Nations and humanitarian personnel for their daily existence. If we do not protect these personnel, we will be failing them, the people who depend on them, as well as our own humanity in which we pride ourselves.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The Council should also promote the wider acceptance of the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. In this regard, my delegation further supports the recommendation by the Secretary-General that efforts be initiated to extend the scope of the Convention. We welcome the classification of intentional attacks against humanitarian personnel as war crimes under the Statute of the International Criminal Court. South Africa is actively participating in the establishment of the International Criminal Court, which we believe will further promote the protection of United Nations and humanitarian personnel. My delegation strongly believes that a distinct division should be maintained between humanitarian actions and efforts to secure political settlements.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“My delegation strongly supports the Secretary- General's recommendation, contained in his report S/1999/957 of last year, that civilian populations should have unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance. Realizing this goal should be the Council's first order of business when addressing any new or existing conflict. It is imperative to obtain firm guarantees from state and non-state parties for the safety of United Nations and humanitarian personnel, even if this requires the imposition of targeted sanctions. It is important to remind ourselves that the primary responsibility for the protection of United Nations and humanitarian personnel lies with the host Government. Non-state parties should similarly protect such personnel, in line with the provisions of international humanitarian law.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We are convinced that no one benefits from such criminal actions. Civilians may be the immediate victims, but Government and non-state actors alike suffer in the long run when humanitarian assistance is suspended. For example, the brutal murder in October last year of two United Nations officials in Burundi severely curtailed humanitarian assistance in that country and the prevailing insecurity continues to do so. It is clear from these examples that the suffering of civilian populations is exacerbated when United Nations and humanitarian personnel are not protected. Killings, attacks and harassment of United Nations and humanitarian personnel are therefore tantamount to waging war on unarmed civilians. For this reason, the protection of such personnel requires urgent attention.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In many cases, particularly in Africa, such assistance represents the only means of survival for civilian populations affected by conflicts. In 1999, more than 700,000 people benefited from food aid in Somalia, while more than a million people are currently receiving such aid in Angola. Yet, millions more remain in dire need, as they will not receive even this basic level of assistance due to the unacceptable threats faced by United Nations and humanitarian personnel. Frequent attacks on and the killing of humanitarian personnel in Somalia are preventing food assistance from reaching an estimated 65,000 people in dire need. The criminal actions of armed groups in that country are also disrupting vaccination campaigns against polio. In Angola, at least 700,000 internally displaced persons go without food and shelter.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We of the South Africa delegation wish to warmly congratulate Argentina for assuming the presidency of the Security Council. We are also happy to see the continued practice of open debates in the Security Council, which is an important part of the ongoing efforts to democratize it. South Africa salutes those United Nations staff members and humanitarian personnel who have paid the ultimate price while bringing relief in conflict situations. It is deplorable and totally unacceptable that caregivers to the most vulnerable in conflict situations - namely women, children and the elderly - should have their lives taken so frequently and with such impunity. The role that humanitarian personnel play during conflict situations is of immeasurable value.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Furthermore, the donor countries must ease restrictions on the money they earmark for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa so that recipient countries can use it to alleviate poverty, help improve the living standards of their citizens and fund education programmes on this disease. Otherwise, the money given for the treatment of HIV/AIDS may not produce the results that are needed in fighting off this epidemic. Let me conclude by saying that there is no cure for AIDS at this point. As we await a possible cure, we have the ability to halt its spread. Let us not shy away from this.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“They include experts sent to assist women and children caught in conflict, including many people who had their limbs cut off by ruthless guerrillas. The Security Council must be applauded for having adopted this innovative decision. We hope that the same creativity will prevail soon when the Security Council decides on a mandate for a peacekeeping force for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Perhaps it is time that all 188 Members of the United Nations participated in a General Assembly debate on the challenge posed by the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the world and developed a comprehensive plan to address this disease that knows no boundaries.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The Security Council, whose job is to guarantee security around the world, must use its peacekeeping operations to create a space and climate for other institutions and regional and subregional organizations - such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which are best suited to address other aspects of security - so that they can do their work. Already, the Security Council has set a wonderful precedent in Sierra Leone, where the Council's Chapter VII mandate allows peacekeeping troops to be accompanied by expert United Nations personnel dealing with social issues that result from conflict.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We are encouraged by efforts now being made by such institutions to evaluate some of these policies and to focus on their core mandate, which is development. The Charter of the United Nations, in Article 24, paragraph 1, bestows upon the Security Council the "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security". In the age of globalization, it has become important to define security in broader terms. In other words, the definition of security has to include economic security, food security and health security.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“At the Third African Population Conference held in Durban, South Africa, in December 1999, it was noted that "AIDS is 100 per cent preventable through openness and proper education". However, a look at the countries with the largest number of people who live with HIV/AIDS shows that there has been a decline in social spending. There is less money for alleviating poverty and for improving the nutrition of the people as a defence against nutritional diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, which make it easier for HIV/AIDS to fester. Many developing countries are overburdened with paying off international debt, which leaves them with little money for development. The decline in social spending happened over many years, mainly as a result of policies of multilateral institutions.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We have found instances in our own country where communities know that there is a disease called HIV/AIDS, but do not appreciate the connection between that disease and their sexual behaviour. This connectedness is understood better within literate communities in our own country. More spending on health care results in HIV/AIDS preventative tools, such as condoms, being more accessible to communities. The better levels of nutrition in high- and middle- income societies ensure stronger resistance to disease. The positive impact of good nutrition on opportunistic infections is well known to all of us. The accessibility and affordability of ordinary drugs are also central to this issue. A body weakened by ordinary diseases is more susceptible to AIDS. We use these few examples to illustrate the relationship between HIV/AIDS and poverty.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The answer, therefore, lies in the difference in the standard of living of the people infected. In other words, until there is a cure for HIV/AIDS, the level of development in each country will influence how much such a disease spreads. Poverty and underdevelopment destroy families and health systems. While we must continue striving to find ways of halting the spread of and curing HIV/AIDS, the only way to immediately address the spread of this disease is through raising the standard of living in developing countries. Addressing issues of poverty is central to this approach. If you have an educated populace, it is easy to communicate AIDS-prevention programmes in a manner which does change behavioural patterns.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“As hurried as we are, let me welcome you, Sir, to the position you occupy today. I cannot resist also bursting with pride at seeing some of my dear friends who have joined this Council. It is a wonderful, wonderful day today. It is important for me to say that HIV/AIDS is a global problem. There is no country that has been spared this epidemic. It is said that, at the end of 1999, there were more people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world than in the developed world. The majority of people living with HIV/AIDS are indeed in the developing countries, yet the human beings affected are the same. The disease is the same. The reason for the disparity is not hard to find. The core difference between the developed and developing world is the level of development itself.”
2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source
“I am very pleased that we have talked all morning about working together with the Organization of African Unity. One practical thing that maybe the Security Council can do is to appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and perhaps to the United States as the host country, to look at the situation of immunities and privileges for the office of the OAU in New York. My country has given a lot of help in strengthening the offices of the OAU, whether they be on the continent or here, but I think we can use help if there could be another real look, in a practical way, at what we can do here. So, as far as my country is concerned, the test is very simple: it is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we are watching. We have been watching since 10 July.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“I am not going to address any of the other issues that are on the table because the litmus test is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am not saying "do in the Democratic Republic of the Congo what you did in Kosovo". I am not saying "do in the Democratic Republic of the Congo what you did in East Timor or in Sierra Leone". We are very thankful for what was done in those countries. The situation is not the same. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is different. One of every five countries in Africa is directly drawn into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If you look at those who spend sleepless nights trying to be involved, the ratio is even less. Let me conclude, because I said I was just going to come and make one point only.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“Maybe the lot that we have done has to be concretized in a way that it can be real to the people of the Congo. All we did was come up with a peace treaty, and right now it is very fragile around the edges. But it is fragile like any peace. Even Kosovo, if you had left that situation for six months as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it would have been fragile too. I think that is why I say that this is a situation where this body has to really think hard about what it is that we can do. The Africans formed the Joint Military Commission (J MC). Those who could provide transportation, like South Africa, did. We gave helicopters and what have you. Zambia has given more than anybody in promoting this peace. Where is the international community? Or more "real", where is the Security Council? I am glad that we are discussing this issue.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“If not, how can we make it better? But we have to keep on coming to the situation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If, God forbid, the Congo were to fall apart, it would not be an African failure; it would be an international failure. The story of the Congo is very simple. The international community said to us as Africans, get your house in order, get involved, do something. Guess what? We did. We did. On 10 July the countries of southern Africa brought together all the combatants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - those inside, outside and everywhere - and came up with a peace treaty. What has the Security Council done since 10 July? What has this body done? I think that is the question that needs to be answered. Yes, we have talked about it, but to the people in the Congo, it seems as if nothing has happened.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“I hope you will forgive me. I was very struck that in one of the questions that is posed, the term "real time" was used. Now, to associate real time with the United Nations is very exciting, at the least, since it may be seldom real. What I would like to say to this meeting is very simple. I am not going to go through answering all the three questions. I am going to try to use "real time" as a guide. There is one issue that to us, as Africans, is a fundamental test for this Council, and that is the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am very thankful that the Security Council has discussed Africa many, many times. Perhaps, now that we are at the end of the year, we need to look at all the discussions that you have had on Africa and review them to see if something concrete has come out of them. If it has, what is it?”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“Thank you very, very much, Mr. President of this Council. Maybe it is true that we Africans are taking over; they just do not know how we are doing it. We will keep it a secret. Let me just say that when old wise women and old wise men sit down by an African tree and drink beer on a Saturday afternoon many years from now, and they look back at this century and think of the people who contributed to our struggle, I think your name will appear, though we would have loved you to be our minister. When the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom started this idea, which is an incredible and novel idea, of communication, he said that he hoped we would come here without prepared statements and be able to engage in this interactive session. It is very difficult for me to write something for five minutes, so my remarks may be disjointed.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081 (1999) · source
“In conclusion, in an era in which the majority of conflicts are intra-State conflicts, and in which many inter-State conflicts have intra-State origins, it is vitally important that interventions to prevent, manage and resolve conflict take place within the context of globally recognised criteria and norms, and with global support. This support will clearly not be forthcoming unless all the Members of the United Nations believe that they and their regions are adequately represented on the Security Council, for only by our simultaneously reforming and democratizing our system of international relations will our search for peace and security succeed.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“One of the chief reasons for this state of affairs can be traced to the lack of representativity and transparency of the Security Council. In order to be truly empowered by the membership to act consistently in defence of the ideals expressed within the Charter, the Security Council must be perceived to be legitimate in both form and function. This means that the composition of the Security Council, its powers, and its methods of functioning and decision- making must be representative of, and accessible to, the universal membership of the United Nations. Only when the Council is perceived to be fully legitimate will it be able to pursue its mandate of preventing armed conflict effectively and consistently.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“A matter that has frequently dominated discourse at the United Nations is this: Whilst it may be our highest goal to promote and maintain peace, democracy and human rights, the questions "Whose vision of peace? "Whose vision of human rights?" and "Whose vision of democracy?" remain bitterly contested. The intersection of this reality with the pursuit of the noble ideals of the United Nations means that this disclosure has most recently found a renewed voice in the debate over humanitarian interventions. At a time when this Organization should be celebrating the attainment of peace underpinned by universal norms of democracy and human rights, we are instead divided; many seem to fear that such ideals mean instead the imposition of a global mono-culture on the less powerful.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In conferring those powers, the Members expect that the Security Council's approach to dealing with conflicts should at all times be informed by the universally applicable norms espoused by the United Nations Charter. However, as we approach the end of the millennium, we must acknowledge that by the majority of Members of the United Nations the Security Council is perceived as unrepresentative. To others it is merely an anachronism. By some even, it is perceived as a hegemonic instrument. These perceptions, which have grown over the past 54 years along with the growth in the number and diversity of the membership, have at times contributed to a grim atmosphere within the United Nations, in which the very principles and ideals of the Charter appear to have been brought into question.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Of course, it is not the role of the Security Council to do all of these things. It is, however, the role of the Security Council to ensure that an appropriate environment exists for the parties to a dispute to address these issues, with the cooperation of their regions and the wider international community. A number of factors have traditionally constrained the United Nations, and the Security Council specifically, in the pursuit of its conflict-prevention mandate, perhaps the chief amongst which is the lack of representativity and transparency of the Security Council. The Council's considerable array of powers are conferred upon it by the Members of the United Nations, via Article 24 of the Charter.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Armed conflicts, whether inter-State or intra-State, are not spontaneous expressions of violence. Typically their genesis can be traced to a combination of contemporary and historical factors including colonialism, poverty, underdevelopment and a lack of access to - or the denial of - socio-cultural, political and economic resources. Nevertheless, holistic approaches need to be adopted to conflict prevention and resolution strategies which incorporate humanitarian actions to address emergency and other short-term needs; sustained political dialogue and institution-building to promote reconciliation, human rights and democracy; and appropriate and sustainable programmes and processes aimed at promoting infrastructural and economic reconstruction and development, and the elimination of poverty.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Where regional and subregional organizations have made explicit recommendations to the Security Council on measures to address a specific conflict, such recommendations should receive early consideration and should be acted upon with appropriate speed. At the same time, and in the words of my President to the General Assembly in September, we believe that: "the requirement on the United Nations to make such interventions to prevent the outbreak of hostilities imposes an obligation on the United Nations that it should be seen by Governments and peoples as a truly even-handed interlocutor and peacemaker". (A/54/PV.4, p. 9) To this subject I will return later. In order to consolidate the gains made by successful diplomatic interventions, it is imperative to address the root causes of conflict.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“This, as we all know, is more often than not dependent on the capacity of the Security Council, and of the wider United Nations membership, to demonstrate the appropriate political will. In this context, early diplomatic intervention is typically the most useful and cost-effective means of intervention. Where possible, such international mediation should take place in cooperation with established regional and/or subregional governmental organizations. South Africa and its regional and subregional partners are investing heavily in early warning and conflict prevention. In return, and where appropriate, especially where capacity constraints exist, efforts by regional and subregional organizations to resolve conflicts should be supported and backed up both politically and materially by the United Nations at an early stage.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“The key to the provision of useful, credible information for the purposes of early warning for conflict prevention lies in the timely dispatch by the Secretary- General and the Security Council of United Nations fact-finding missions to conflict situations. Where regional or subregional organizations are involved in such initiatives, the Security Council should express its early and unambiguous support for such initiatives. Conversely, this places an obligation on Member States to accept such missions, and to extend to them the fullest degree of cooperation. The Secretary-General stated last year in his report to the Security Council on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa (S/ 1998/318) that no amount of early warning will prevent conflicts unless it is backed up by early action.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“For our part, States Members of the United Nations need to consider, collectively or individually, appropriate ways and means of contributing to the early warning capacity of the United Nations system, whether generically or for specific conflict situations. For the benefit of the conspiracy theorists out there, this need not translate into the creation of a global intelligence-gathering system. That is not to say that non-governmental organizations and the media do not have a role to play in the provision of early warning information; they clearly do. Collectively, non-govemmental organizations and the media typically command far greater information-gathering resources than all of our Governments combined. Certainly they command far greater resources than the United Nations.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“None of these constraints, however, should be allowed to call into question the premise that early warning mechanisms should play a valuable role in preventing armed conflict. So what needs to be done? The Secretariat and the wider United Nations system need to continue holding themselves to the highest standards when collecting, collating and disseminating information on conflict situations. Given the need to address the sensitivities surrounding the question of information gathering for early warning purposes, the United Nations should continue to focus its primary efforts on building early warning and conflict-prevention partnerships with regional and subregional organizations.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We must acknowledge also that there is an ongoing debate within the United Nations on early warning mechanisms, where questions are often raised by Member States concerning issues of legitimacy and sovereignty. Questions are often rightly asked about the legitimacy and authenticity of information and analyses on conflict situations. Questions are sometimes understandably raised about whether the very act of gathering information on conflicts threatens the sovereignty of States. The Secretariat, on which the Security Council must rely for the bulk of its information needs, must more often than not tread a veritable minefield of controversy when it responds to requests for information.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“In this context, there are three things which we believe the Security Council needs to do - and do consistently - to demonstrate its resolve in the prevention, management and resolution of armed conflicts. The Council should commit itself to: promoting and supporting the efforts of regional early warning mechanisms; responding to the recommendations of such warning mechanisms with appropriate early action; and facilitating the establishment of an environment in which the root causes of a conflict may be addressed. We have heard many times before that early warning mechanisms are critical for conflict prevention, perhaps so many times that the message appears to have become lost in the medium.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Past experience has shown, however, that by the time Chapter VII actions are contemplated, let alone implemented, the costs are normally stupendous: in terms of civilian casualties and abuses of human rights; in terms of displaced persons; and in terms of stress and damage to the infrastructure, economies and ecosystems of entire regions, if not their outright destruction. On top of this, one must then add the costs to an already financially enfeebled United Nations system of bringing peace to full-blown conflicts. The South African Government would like to reiterate, as we have previously done before this body, the urgent need for all of us to renew our commitment to the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“However, if we examine the major crises the Security Council has addressed this year, we must conclude that the United Nations still focuses the bulk of its efforts and resources on stopping, rather than on preventing, managing and resolving conflicts. We need to shift this focus on conflict intervention more towards conflict prevention, management and resolution. In this context, it is worth noting that the United Nations has only twice in its history authorized the relatively inexpensive preventive deployment of United Nations peacekeepers to the field: in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and in the Central African Republic. Only once efforts under Chapter VI are exhausted is the Council meant to turn to other methods, such as enforcement.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“We also believe that unless there is a simultaneous commitment to address these fundamental inequalities within the system of international relations through reform and democratization, it will be difficult to attain their universal implementation at a national level. It is no secret that the United Nations Security Council, established over half a century ago, is also struggling to come to grips with this new reality. Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, the aim of which is to promote and institute appropriate methods for the peaceful settlement of disputes, has made some valuable contributions to the prevention of armed conflicts. Its principles should continue to constitute a fundamental starting point in our resolve to effectively empower the Security Council to promote the maintenance of international peace and security.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“To paraphrase the Secretary-General, we have been moving towards an era in which there is a near-universal acceptance that States exist to serve their citizens rather than the reverse. The stresses generated by these processes have often been so great that many countries have been unable to deal with the ensuing contradictions. More often than not, existing tensions within States have been exacerbated by the processes of globalization, and violence within States and societies has become epidemic. My Government believes that the recent proliferation of intra-State conflicts demonstrates that there is a fundamental connection between the inequalities generated at the level of States and those generated within States.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“Thank you, Mr. President, for convening today's debate on the role of the Security Council in the prevention of armed conflicts. Since tomorrow is the last day of your presidency, let me also, on behalf of my Mission, thank you, personally, and the staff of your Mission, for the commendable work you have done during the term of your presidency of the Council. The United Nations was established in 1945 with the primary aim of preventing armed conflicts between States. Over the past 54 years, unprecedented growth has taken place in the social, political and commercial interaction between States. These many and complex processes of globalization have in effect amounted to a period of rapid change, which, while holding out the prospect of many benefits, has often placed profound strains on States and their constituent parts.”
1999-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4072 (1999) · source
“My delegation has already said that we look forward to a debate that will result in concrete steps to inform our activities to enhance peace, stability and development in Africa. Eighteen months after the issuance of the Secretary-General's report, it cannot escape us that it has become something more concrete. We are pleased that the report has not been forgotten. We realize that the task of putting more life into the report cannot be accomplished by this meeting. However, we hope that by discussing it here we are taking a modest step towards meeting the need for a different format to evaluate and review United Nations measures that can be undertaken to resolve conflicts. The meeting was suspended at 1.05 pm.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“The trend for the international community to wait for conflicts to develop into violence and even war, and subsequently to intervene through costly peacekeeping operations, no longer reflects a worthy method of intervention. The demand for the United Nations to become involved in preventing the outbreak of hostilities in countries that are caught in conflict, or to clean up after wars, imposes a difficult and expensive mandate on this Organization. At this rate, peacekeeping missions are becoming instruments for freezing conflict, perpetuating polarization and making timely conflict-resolution more difficult. The men and women of violence simply have to wait long enough for United Nations peacekeeping missions to depart from areas of conflict before resuming shooting at each other.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“It is urgent for the Security Council to move swiftly in deploying the necessary peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo so as to allow the peace process to take hold. In Africa - and elsewhere for that matter - the dangerous notion is beginning to develop that the United Nations is increasingly abrogating its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and ceding it to regional arrangements. Needless to say, it is of utmost importance that the United Nations should improve its record with regard to response to conflict situations. The United Nations has an obligation to be seen by the peoples of the world as a truly even-handed interlocutor and peacemaker.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“It is a reality that must be confronted honestly and constructively by all concerned if the people of Africa are to enjoy the human security and economic opportunities they seek and deserve." Another frustration experienced by developing countries is the lack of timely and decisive United Nations response to conflict situations in Africa; this has resulted in sharp criticism being levelled at the Organization. Swift United Nations involvement in places such as Kosovo and elsewhere is cited as a typical example epitomizing the lack of enthusiasm for the United Nations responding with similar zeal to African conflicts such as the tragic situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“The Secretary-General reached the same conclusion when he wrote in paragraph 5 of his report (S/1998/318) on the causes of conflict in Africa: "By not averting these colossal human tragedies, African leaders have failed the peoples of Africa; the international community has failed them; the United Nations has failed them. We have failed them by not doing enough to ensure peace; and by our repeated inability to create the conditions for sustainable development. This is the reality of Africa's recent past.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“In this regard, we commend all global advocacy for African development and efforts to mobilize the international community further in support of our continent and, in particular, to bring the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, to support African development within a coordinated framework. Continued support by the international community for this endeavour is of the utmost importance to the efforts of African countries to create an enabling environment for sustainable development as well as for the restructuring of their economies in order to improve their economic situation.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“But for us to consolidate our modest successes and increase the authority of the decisions we have taken so far, we will need support from the international community, especially the Security Council. It is for this reason that most of the leaders who addressed the General Assembly in the general debate last week, including President Mbeki, underscored the importance of creating a more democratic system of international governance, as would be reflected by a restructuring of the multilateral institutions, including the United Nations and the Security Council. South Africa believes that there exists an intrinsic link between peace and development which requires an integrated approach to conflict prevention, resolution and management.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source
“Our inaction in this regard, largely due to the lack of political will, is a manifestation of a fundamental problem that continues to impede the United Nations in taking resolute and immediate action. We should not allow this lack of political will to continue to hinder the United Nations from playing its rightful role in the pursuit of international peace and security and thus preventing it from getting closer to the people it should serve. Whereas the United Nations continues to be the foremost Organization in the maintenance of international peace and security, we African countries would like to declare that we are ready to address issues of conflict in the continent - in fact, we are already doing so.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source