YouSaid · the spoken record

Le Roy

lines on the record: 386
first: 2008-10-28
most recent: 2016-05-11
sittings or episodes: 28
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

“Verification efforts to identify children in assembly areas are ongoing. The significant developments are the result of concerted and sustained advocacy and the engagement of the facilitator, the Political Directorate and the United Nations system, including, of course, the United Nations Mission in Burundi and UNICEF, with the support of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Secondly, peacekeeping operations are now increasingly able to leverage their political resources and offer means to promote the protection of children in armed conflict and to address violations of children's rights.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“This investment has yielded concrete outcomes and enhanced the mainstreaming of concern for children affected by conflict in our operation. First, child protection advisers support heads of mission in integrating key child protection concerns into all stages of the peace process and the overall strategy of the peacekeeping operation, including, of course, negotiation with Governments, armed groups and parties to a conflict. In Burundi, for example, the release of former child combatants associated with the Parti pour la liberation du peuple hutu-Forces nationales de liberation was placed at the heart of the negotiation as a priority item on the agenda of the Joint Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, resulting in the release of 340 such combatants in Burundi this month alone.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“The Council's sustained support for the role of child protection advisers in relevant peacekeeping operations has enabled us to deploy advisers to the eight most significant peacekeeping operations to date, with the most recent deployment, at the beginning of 2009, to the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur mission and to the United Nations Mission of Assistance in Afghanistan. We have also built up a supporting capacity of child-protection expertise composed of both international and national staff. The latter, comprising over 40 per cent of the total staffing for child protection, serve as a key resource for our work due to their knowledge of local norms and communities. They also remain as an important national capacity when the United Nations and the peacekeeping operation ultimately wind up.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“For the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the protection of children affected by armed conflict is therefore a fundamental element both of our strategy and of our daily commitment. For that reason, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has already put a large number of measures in place. 09-31649 (spoke in English) As a first step, DPKO established in-house capacity for child protection in the form of child protection advisers in 2001.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“Allow me at the outset to say to all present what an honour it is that they are participating with us in this important Security Council debate on our commitment to the vital topic of children in armed conflict. In adopting resolution 1261 (1999), the Security Council formally recognized that the protection of children in armed conflict was crucial to peace and security. The Security Council thus included specific and very precise provisions on the protection of children in several mandates of peacekeeping operations and has consistently demanded that the protection of the rights and well-being of children affected by armed conflict be taken into account in all peace processes and peace agreements as well as in post-conflict and reconstruction phases.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“The more complicated ones might be provided before the end of the year, but before the summer, we hope that there will be recommendations on the table, which will be approved by the Council if possible, but also by the various bodies of the General Assembly. 09-21747”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“I am very pleased to see that many speakers are ready to work on this, including Canada, of course; Japan through the revitalization of the Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations; the African Union, which we have just heard from; the European Union, which we heard from earlier; the Non-Aligned Movement; and the troop- contributing countries. I believe that this dialogue has now begun. Everyone has expressed their concerns. We have taken note of everyone's message. Once again, I would like to thank France and the United Kingdom for this initiative. We hope that it will continue. I would like to reiterate that, for our part, we are ready to provide the Council with our own internal observations so that we can come up with recommendations before the end of the summer.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Given the time, I will be very brief. I would simply say that this debate makes those of us in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the Department of Field Support (DFS) optimistic on the collective willingness to work on questions that concern us all. I was very pleased to see that the challenges that we are facing were mentioned by all of the speakers and that everyone is ready to carry out some soul-searching, including the Security Council, just as those of us in DPKO and DFS are.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Obviously, we consider this debate to be an essential first step on that path. We recall that, for all of us, success requires a clear vision of the instrument that we want to have and, of course, the need to achieve it by consensus. To that end, we need both determination and unity.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“It is our fervent hope that this time we will not need to have a new generation of reports on regrettable operations and major failures - such as those that followed the tragedies in Rwanda and Srebrenica - before we seek solutions to the new challenges besetting us. The year 2009 needs to be a year of both new ideas and success on the ground. Obviously, it must be a year of cooperation and tangible solutions. Now is the time to reinvigorate our thinking about partnership as it relates to peacekeeping operations. For our part, we in the Secretariat are fully mobilized to engage in such reflection with the Security Council, the General Assembly, the contingent contributors and all actors in order to come up with recommendations and very specific solutions as soon as possible.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“The Secretariat looks forward to continuing its ongoing dialogue with the Special Committee and the Fifth Committee in the coming session on many peacekeeping issues that lie squarely within the Assembly's remit. I hope that 2009 can be a decisive moment for re-energizing our thinking on how we can better support United Nations peacekeeping. With troop contributors, police contributors and those who fund capacity-building efforts, we need to build a fully functional dialogue on What is needed. The first step in strengthening our partnership is to work together constructively to develop a more shared appreciation of what United Nations peacekeeping is today and can be tomorrow. (spoke in French) Too often, changes in attitudes and operational changes come only after crises.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Several weeks ago, Susana Malcorra and I initiated an internal process of introspection and stock-taking to review how far we have come in the Brahimi process and to consider how to meet new challenges on the horizon even as we grapple with today's urgent issues. We need to look at our own house and to find new and innovative ways to tackle the challenges of modern peacekeeping. We will, of course, share our findings with the Security Council and the General Assembly with a view to building consensus on the way forward and sharing our reflections. The General Assembly, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the Fifth Committee are absolutely pivotal actors in that partnership.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“The Secretariat, the troop and police contributors, the Fourth and Fifth Committees of the General Assembly and, of course, this body, the Security Council - each of us carries a fragment of the puzzle that is peacekeeping. Those puzzle pieces must be brought closer together than they are today. I hope that we can harness our intellectual energies and our capacity to come together to solve problems in order to address some of the persistent challenges we face. For that reason, I am extremely grateful for the debate that is starting today. It marks the beginning of a process of reflection in the Security Council. The Council is, of course, a major part of the equation, but others need to act as well.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“That leads me to the second track of work: we may need to tackle larger, systemic challenges. We need to bolster - and, in some instances, mend - the global partnership that we need for a healthy and well- functioning United Nations peacekeeping system. United Nations peacekeeping is effective only if all actors have a shared vision of what that instrument can and cannot achieve. Much needs to be done to achieve a better convergence of views. Peacekeeping, although owned by all, is not commonly understood by all. Today we find ourselves looking at a very complex puzzle from different angles and with differing assumptions and expectations.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“In those situations, the unified voice of the Security Council - an unequivocal political message - and behind-the-scenes political pressure from key players in the Council and countries in the region are critical. Peacekeeping and political leverage must work together. Political support from the Security Council can assist in other ways too, for example in mobilizing troops and other resources through demarches and bilateral engagements with prospective troop and police contributors. The Secretariat needs continuous support from the Security Council and Member States after a resolution is adopted. At the same time, we are, of course, ready to work with the Security Council to ensure that it has the information it needs to craft mandates with relevant benchmarks and to engage with the Council in monitoring and evaluating them.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“I will dwell for a minute on that last point of political support. Too often, missions are launched only to find themselves later being tested on the ground as 6 they pursue their mandates. When these missions are tested, as we recently were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or as we were with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea and as we are continually in Darfur, it is not just the mission that is being tested. It is a test of the will of the international community and of the Security Council. In those situations, the mission, while needing to play its part, must also act knowing that the political response will also come from the strategic level.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“The recent support in moving materiel for UNAMID is an example of the sort of assistance that, on a larger scale, may be needed to establish fully and quickly those underdeployed and expanding missions. We need on-hand capacities to reinforce missions from the strategic level if a crisis erupts. Contingency plans for those likely crisis spots must begin to emerge immediately. In missions where we have stabilized the peace process, but where lack of peacebuilding investment is threatening gains - such as in Haiti, Liberia and Afghanistan - critical resources need to flow to shore up peacekeeping efforts. And we need, of course, to find ways to intensify and sustain political efforts - a political surge if you will - to support peace processes or to help realize peace where it has not yet been realized.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“We can then construct solutions to impediments through an honest exchange on what is working and What is not. To ensure that United Nations peacekeeping remains a viable and indeed a stronger instrument for the future, I believe we need to follow two simultaneous tracks this year. First, we must survive the current operational workload and the looming challenges in the months ahead. This demands concrete and practical action on several fronts. For example, we must find short-term measures to close the gap between the troops and material we are able to raise and the authorized levels needed to meet our mandates. At the same time, we must begin to find new potential contributors to the peacekeeping endeavour. To deploy at high pace into remote territories, we must find innovative ways to draw on support which only Member States can provide.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Within DPKO, we have struggled with some of these questions in the enunciation of our internal publication - the so-called capstone doctrine - on 5 principles and guidelines for United Nations peacekeeping, which sets out our views, from the implementation perspective, about what modern peacekeeping is doing and what it is able to do. It builds upon the Brahimi review process and captures internal lessons and good practices that we have learned. This effort to arrive at a common vision is not easy, even internally, and it would surely be even more difficult across a partnership as diverse as the United Nations peacekeeping partnership. But it is this sort of intellectual endeavour that will be at the heart of establishing a common vision for the future.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Do we have a common vision of how United Nations peacekeeping differs from other options for peace and security? Can better conflict prevention avoid demands for peacekeeping? Do we understand the limits of peacekeeping and its comparative strengths? Have we entered an era where we appreciate that United Nations peacekeeping is the institution of first resort for some situations but is ill- suited for others? What other tools can be called upon reliably when United Nations peacekeeping is not the best instrument?”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“It is an endeavour of the Security Council and the General Assembly, of contributing nations and host nations, of the Secretariat and the field missions, of individual peacekeepers and the populations where they are deployed, who hope for security and a better future. We all need to work together to protect the investments we have made and the successes we have achieved. That calls for a renewed consensus on the state of peacekeeping, its challenges and its way forward. In order to move together to face our new set of challenges as one, I feel that there are some fundamental questions we must ask ourselves, for which we must find solutions together. Do we share a common vision of what United Nations peacekeeping can and cannot do?”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“There is an increased engagement of regional organizations as instruments for the maintenance of regional peace and security. How best should they, and the United Nations, fit into an overall international capability? There is an increased recognition by international and regional financial institutions of the need for early engagement in fragile post-conflict countries. The new Chairman of the World Bank was very clear on this issue. And of course, we now have an increased interest by Member States to support United Nations peacekeeping. We, collectively, must transform these opportunities into structural supports for United Nations peacekeeping. United Nations peacekeeping is a unique partnership, in which we all have a stake.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“United Nations peacekeeping has proven remarkably resilient and has established a good track record. It is a uniquely universal burden-sharing arrangement and enjoys a high degree of legitimacy when used appropriately. It combines military response within an integrated civilian approach, a critical attribute that gives it a niche role in the spectrum of options for the maintenance of peace and security. But it is not a tool for all situations. When used inappropriately, its failures can tarnish not just the image of the operation in question, but the credibility 09-21747 of the Organization as a whole as the guarantor of peace and security that saves succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Yet, there are also areas of potential opportunity which we should bear in mind as we consider the challenges.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Indeed, United Nations peacekeeping as a whole also faces questions of a more systemic nature: a deepening world economic crisis that will further limit our resources and our flexibility to respond to crises and changed circumstances on the ground, normative and legal developments in the fight to end impunity and ensure justice that have repercussions for peacekeeping operations, and increased demand for the implementation of protection of civilian mandates, among other questions. The very fact that we are engaged in this dialogue now, and not after a catastrophe, is an important indication of the seriousness of our collective intent to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping. If we act in concert, together we can ensure that peacekeeping does not falter, as it did in the 19905.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Indeed, over the past few years we have seen increasing signs of non-cooperation from host Governments and increased resistance from some parties to conflict to our presence and actions. Many of these questions were of course raised in the broad Brahimi process, and we would do well to return to take a look at how recommendations have, or have not been implemented. Some of the issues we face have arisen since the Brahimi reforms.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“I am conscious that this is an issue that will be addressed in an upcoming report of 09-21747 the Secretary-General in March, so I will not dwell extensively on it here. The third type of question - and probably the most fundamental for peacekeeping - is the question of where peacekeeping fits into the overall political response of the international community to complex crises. Are the political and regional dimensions which drive the crisis being adequately addressed, and is peacekeeping the right tool to do that? Is there even, in many cases, a peace to keep? Peacekeeping, however well resourced, will simply not be sufficient where the parties are not willing to achieve peace.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Many of our peacekeeping missions are early peacebuilding missions, but do we have the expertise and resources necessary to rapidly deploy and plan the complex and long-term assistance required to support national actors in rebuilding their States? The linkage of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Security Council in aligning political direction, aid strategies and donor support is an important issue. The linkage of the missions, the United Nations country teams and international financial institutions and bilateral donors on the ground is, of course, equally important. We are working hard on these partnerships, and we have done a lot to integrate the United Nations response on the ground. However, there is much left to be done if, together, we are to provide a comprehensive peacebuilding response.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Are there sufficient troops of requisite capabilities? Can we find the air assets essential to meeting these robust mandates with mobility and deterrence? In too many cases, the answer is no. There is now a constant strain between mandates and resources and between expectations and our capacity to deliver, and there is a strain on Secretariat resources to plan, manage and support our current pace and scale of operations. My colleague and friend, Susana Malcorra, will speak more about the operational challenges that lie immediately ahead. Secondly, is the United Nations properly configured to manage the complexity of the peacebuilding challenges that are at the heart of resolving internal conflict and civil war?”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“At the same time, our missions carry out mandates that represent much more than the deployment of uniformed personnel. Many are fundamentally political operations supporting complex transitions to peace within deeply divided countries. Even with well-crafted mandates, these missions need continuous and concerted international support as they manage constant tactical and political adjustments on the ground. Even after the adoption of a resolution, this support is clearly badly needed. Yet for many of our missions, there is no consensus in the international community regarding the optimal political direction. Therefore, we face three sets of fundamental questions. First, is peacekeeping being developed beyond its capabilities? Is the current model of peacekeeping up to the challenges of these new mandates? Does it have the right resources?”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“It is clear that United Nations peacekeeping is overstretched. We face operational overstretch and, I would argue, political overstretch too. With 18 operations deployed in five continents and with 78,000 military, 11,500 police and 23,500 civilians deployed, the operational challenge of maintaining full support to all our missions and mounting new ones is far beyond what the Brahimi reforms envisaged. They were scaled to allow the United Nations to launch one peacekeeping operation per year. Only last week, the Security Council voted through two new mandates for Chad and for a potential mission into Somalia. Meanwhile, we are still in the deployment phase in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Darfur. That represents four operations at the same time for DFS in particular.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“Over 2.5 million refugees and internally displaced persons look to UNAMID for protection. At the same time, as members know, the Mission still lacks the helicopters that would provide the mobility essential to carry out its important mandate. As I speak, our DPKO and DFS colleagues are on an assessment mission looking at the situation in Somalia. The Security Council's resolution on the intention to establish a future United Nations peacekeeping operation is clear. In the interim, our colleagues in DFS now face the dual challenge of continuing to prepare and plan for a mission that will undoubtedly face tremendous operational hurdles while simultaneously strengthening and supporting the African Union Mission in Somalia. As members know, there remains no peace to keep in Somalia.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“A number of our missions face risks that are so significant that there is a potential for mission 3 failure, with terrible consequences for the entire United Nations. In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the parties recently brought the country to the brink of catastrophe and MONUC was hard-pressed to manage the crisis. The mission was called upon to support the Forces armees de la Republique democratique du Congo in combat even as it crumbled and at the same time protect hundreds of thousands of civilians spread across a vast area. In Darfur, UNAMID continues to face difficulties in deploying, while the parties on the ground are increasingly belligerent and the political negotiations move slowly. Even at full strength, UNAMID will continue to face daunting challenges.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“The implementation of the Brahimi recommendations, the Peace Operations 2010 reform agenda, and most recently, the Secretary-General's initiatives to create two strengthened departments - the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support (DFS) - have all been a manifestation of our desire to strive constantly to do the job of peacekeeping better. The Council has been our partner in this ongoing process and we want to assure members of our continued commitment to this agenda for professionalization and improvement. We are open to new ways of tackling persistent challenges and to new ways of doing business in partnership with the Security Council, the General Assembly and our operational partners. I believe that 2009 is a pivotal year for peacekeeping.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“These operations can indeed provide the international community with a credible response to assist in the implementation of peace agreements; they can also provide a platform for a wide range of assistance and support to help countries move from conflict to stability; and they can, of course, bring the legitimacy of the United Nations and its neutrality to bear, so it can serve as an honest broker in many instances. Ultimately, they have proven to be a flexible and resilient tool in the maintenance of peace and security. (spoke in English) Yet, as Council members are well aware, the last 10 years have not always brought good news. We have faced operational challenges in almost all of our theatres of deployment and the reform at Headquarters has not always resulted in as much improvement as is needed.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“These Council mandates reflect, of course, a better appreciation by the international community of the complexities of current conflicts, as well as the desire for more comprehensive peace settlements by the various parties to the conflicts. 09-21747 The last decade has also, as I mentioned, been a time to rethink United Nations peacekeeping operations, undertake reforms within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and gradually strengthen the professionalism of our operations. We have seen many improvements. We have clarified our thinking on peace operations and strengthened the institutional capacity of the United Nations to support them. Nevertheless, as we can all see, much remains to be done. The growth in United Nations peacekeeping over the past years clearly reflects its success and its necessity.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“This growth has been ongoing and continues today, exactly a decade later, with over 112,000 personnel deployed and many more to come with the strengthening of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the ongoing development of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the authorization of an enlarged mission in Chad. These numbers will continue to increase in the coming weeks. As Council members know, planning and preparation for a potential new mission in Somalia is also under way. Today, we are more numerous and widely spread than at any time in our history, with mandates that are, as members know, both more complex and more robust than ever.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“The United Nations turned an important comer 10 years ago. The year 1999 was one of profound changes for peacekeeping operations as well as for international peace and security. The reports on Srebrenica, the operations in Rwanda and the monumental failure of the United Nation Operation in Somalia led to great introspection and, ultimately, to new ways of thinking about peacekeeping. That undertaking was in great part possible thanks to the report (S/2000/809) of the High- Level Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, known as the Brahimi report, which was published in 2000. A surge in peacekeeping operations in 2000 resulted in an increase in personnel from 14,000 to about 40,000.”
2009-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6075 (2009) · source
“A year ago, my predecessor cautioned that the longer this issue went unresolved, the greater the risks that UNAMID would fail to implement the mandate given to it by the Council. It is my hope that in one year's time, I can appear in this Chamber with better news.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Additionally, we must get the most out of the UNAMID units that are already deployed in the areas of protection of civilians and facilitation of humanitarian assistance. At the same time, the fundamental responsibility for making real progress lies with the parties. It is the Government of the Sudan and armed rebel movements which must cease hostilities and agree to dialogue under the auspices of Chief Mediator Bassole. It is the Government which must take concrete action to demonstrate its seriousness with respect to the outcomes of the Sudan People's Forum and the 08-66225 associated ceasefire. In addition, it is critical for regional stability and lasting peace in Darfur that the Governments of Chad and the Sudan implement the Dakar Agreement.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“However, some public statements made by Government officials have contradicted that position. Our peacekeeping missions and our humanitarian and development work in Sudan will continue to conduct their operations in an impartial manner, cooperating in good faith with all partners to further the goal of peace and stability in the country. We trust that the Government will continue to fulfil its commitments towards peace in Darfur and cooperate with United Nations efforts towards that end. In the meantime, priorities from our perspective are clear: the Violence must stop, the parties must commit to dialogue and the United Nations-African Union mediation efforts must receive all required support. On the peacekeeping side, we must redouble our efforts with troop-contributing countries to accelerate deployment.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Bassole has been urging the groups to resolve the question of their participation and representation at future peace talks. Now the rebels should be called on to conclude these issues rapidly. They have a sober obligation to do all they can to allow meaningful talks to begin. The 14 July application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an arrest warrant against President Al-Bashir, may also have an impact on peace and security in Darfur. So far, we have received mixed signals from the Government on this issue. On the one hand, we have been given reassurances that there will be no impact on UNAMID and the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) if the ICC agrees to the Prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant for the President.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole has been working closely with the parties over the past several months, urging them to cease hostilities, take steps to demonstrate their seriousness towards the settlements and engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of Darfur. He continues to work with the Government and movements in an effort to adopt a framework agreement that includes the cessation of hostilities and defines the modalities of and specific topics for direct negotiation. With the help of the Government of Qatar and other stakeholders, there has been some progress this past month in beginning these discussions in Doha. Many issues still remain outstanding, and Mr. Bassole has been engaged intensively to bring the parties' positions closer together. During his interaction with the armed movements, Mr.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Progress was made in the discussion at the national level on the issues of most concern to Darfurians: disarmament of militias, compensation, Darfur as a region, political representation and socio-economic development. The Government has pledged that the recommendation of this forum will serve as a basis for discussion, for direct dialogue with the armed movements and towards a final political settlement. For the Sudan People's Forum to make a difference, it is critical that quick action be taken to implement its recommendations. Violations of the ceasefire declared unilaterally by President Al-Bashir at the conclusion of the Sudan People's Forum, of course, have not helped promote a climate of trust between the parties.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Recent cooperation with the Government of the Sudan on the facilitation of UNAMID deployment has gone a long way in complementing our efforts. Under-Secretary-General Malcorra will provide additional details on this issue. As we have emphasized many times before, even when fully deployed and at full capacity, UNAMID cannot, by itself, bring peace to Darfur. Only a political settlement between the parties will be able to bring an end to the conflict. It is therefore deeply regrettable that another year has passed while the parties continue to engage in military action rather than investing themselves fully in political negotiations. The multiparty Sudan People's Forum, launched in October, takes a step in the right direction.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“We will need continued Government cooperation and sustained international support to reach this objective. In this context, we will continue to work with Member States to fill key gaps in the Mission's force composition. As Council members are fully aware, for over a year we have been requesting pledges for a multi-role logistics unit, a medium transport unit, a heavy transport unit, an aerial reconnaissance unit, light tactical helicopters and 18 medium-utility 3 helicopters. Pledges for these resources have been and still are outstanding. I reiterate my appeal to Council members to urge troop- and police-contributing countries in a position to provide those capabilities to do so without any further delay. Deploying UNAMID to its authorized strength as it endeavours to undertake its mandate activities has been and remains our priority.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Earlier this month, UNAMID played a central role in preventing a major crisis following clashes between nomads and internally displaced persons in Hassa Hissa camp, in Western Darfur, near the town of Zalingei. UNAMID intervened with camp leadership and local sheikhs to stabilize the situation. It then deployed troops to the area to prevent further escalation, and through coordination with the Government liaison officer, Government forces were deployed to restore order at the camp. UNAMID forces - police and civilian components - worked together with the community and local government officials to negotiate a settlement and to ensure a speedy resolution to the conflict. As its numbers and its capabilities increase, the Mission will be able to do much more of this good work.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Over the past year, the frequency of the Mission's patrols have drastically increased, in order to facilitate humanitarian access and provide convoy protection, but also as a confidence-building measure and to investigate security incidents. The 24/7 presence of UNAMID police in Kalma camp has been welcome by camp residents and has strengthened the relationship between UNAMID, the humanitarian community and the internally displaced persons. Several requests have been made for UNAMID to replicate this initiative in other camps, but so far limited resources, especially the absence of more formed police units, continue to hold the Mission back.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“However, the United Nations has emphasized to the Government that the pretext for those aerial bombardment cannot be accepted in any way and that the Government should honour its own commitment to the cessation of hostilities. 08-66225 The violence between the parties was not limited to aerial bombardments. Rebels also have a lot to answer for. In November, Government authorities were targeted by armed groups. Clashes between Government forces and the Abdul Wahid faction of the Sudan Liberation Army also took place over several days in November near Kutum in Northern Darfur. (spoke in English) Amid continuing violence and in this complex operating environment, UNAMID has been trying to implement its mandate even as it continues to deploy.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“In Southern Darfur, UNAMID found visible evidence of air strikes, including four bomb craters and unexploded ordnance near the Village of Abu Dangal, in Southern Darfur. UNAMID dispatched another verification patrol to Abu Shouk, in Northern Darfur, but it was twice stopped at Government checkpoints and was not allowed to proceed to the site. On 13 December, a UNAMID patrol was eventually allowed access to the area and observed six craters left from aerial bombardments in the Village of Korbia, 90 kilometres northwest of Kutum. The Government of the Sudan has justified the bombings in Abu Shouk by the need to clear the road of bandits so convoys from the Sudanese Armed Forces could pass safely.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source
“Many parcels of cultivated land were burned and livestock was stolen. Just this past week, inter-ethnic clashes in Southern Darfur claimed another 75 lives, including those of members of the Sudanese police, who tried to intervene. Despite the unilateral declaration by the Government of the Sudan of a ceasefire on 12 November, aerial bombardments and armed clashes between the Government and the rebel movements have continued. In particular, during the period from 12 to 25 November, UNAMID received unconfirmed information about significant military incidents in several locations across Darfur. Five of these incidents were related to aerial bombardments. UNAMID deployed patrols to verify these reports.”
2008-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6054 (2008) · source