YouSaid · the spoken record

Lee

lines on the record: 254
first: 1998-06-06
most recent: 2013-02-12
sittings or episodes: 34
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

“The Council will be taking up the protection of civilians again later this year, and the Secretariat is producing a new report with recommendations for the Council's consideration. It would be helpful if the Secretariat could not only address cases of grievous breaches of humanitarian law, but also explore cases where such breaches have not occurred. Serious analysis of the factors determining why atrocities occur in some cases but not in others might be helpful to the Security Council in developing its tools for prevention and management of conflict, as well as for protection of civilians in specific cases.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“It is not good enough to say that the Council is blocked and to move on to other business, as we have seen it do far too often. If the Council is deadlocked over how to end a conflict, then all 15 members have all the more responsibility to find ways to address the protection needs of civilians. Finally, it is important to note that not every conflict is conducted in a manner involving atrocities against civilians. That is important, because it gives us hope and shows that some combatants, even in civil wars, abide by the basic norms of international humanitarian law. Moreover, it gives us scope for a new practical focus for the ongoing thematic work of the Council.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We also recognize another limitation faced by the Council, namely, the tension it often faces between its role in executing its responsibilities to end conflict and establish peace, on the one hand, and its duties to ensure that such conflicts are conducted in a manner consistent with international norms, particularly those limiting the impact on civilians, on the other hand. Both dimensions are important, and neither should become an excuse for ignoring the other. It is natural that in different situations Council members will focus more on one dimension than the other. But Council members have a high responsibility to the broader membership and to the people we represent; those differences must not be allowed to become a reason to give up. We have seen that far too often - during the war in Sri Lanka and today in Syria.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is one option available to the Council in that regard. As we observed to the Council last October, such referrals are not always the best mechanism, and where they are made, their timing must be carefully judged, particularly in situations of on-going conflict. Nevertheless, there are practical steps that the Security Council can take to bolster accountability, including extending the mandate of its working group on tribunals to cover ICC matters.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We must ensure that current and future peacekeepers are best placed to emulate those brave efforts. The option of doing nothing can never be justified. The Council is also reliant on the Secretariat's being more courageous. The 2000 Brahimi report (see S/2000/809) warned that the Secretariat must tell the Council what it needs to hear and not what it wants to hear. Sadly, the Secretariat's recent conclusions regarding its role during the conflict in Sri Lanka show that Mr. Brahimi's advice was not taken as much to heart as it should have been. We recognize also that the Council is not a legal body and is not well suited to determining the legal character of events, especially in the midst ofa conflict. But the Council can play an important role in building accountability, as it has done in the past.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We know that the Council's efforts to protect civilians are also dependant on the actions of peacekeepers in the field. There is a pressing need for practical and constructive measures to ensure that United Nations peacekeepers are ready and able to respond quickly and effectively to emerging threats. It is not good enough for missions to hide behind the "within available resources" provisions in mandates and do nothing while atrocities are being committed against civilians. There many examples of United Nations peacekeepers responding with extraordinary courage and commitment to defend civilians in times of crisis, such as the efforts of Ghanaian and Canadian peacekeepers during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, whose resolute action saved thousands of civilians.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“The members of the Security Council have assumed special responsibilities with respect to international peace and security. The Charter has given members of the Council extraordinary powers to act decisively on our behalf. And we join others in calling on the members of the Council to exercise more actively their responsibilities when civilians are manifestly the targets of armed attacks. The Council's thematic work on the protection of civilians is an important element in that campaign, but it is not enough. A more active focus on protection in the Council's work on country specific situations is what is really needed. New Zealanders are practical and constructive people. We know that the Security Council, despite its wide powers, has real limitations.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“That body of law is now almost universally accepted as binding, not only for participants in wars between States but also for participants in those of a non-international character. Far too often, those rules are not applied. Let us be blunt - breaches of those rules through the targeting of civilians, the use of high explosive weapons without regard to likely civilian casualties and attacks on medical personnel or facilities are all war crimes. And war crimes are, in a sense, crimes not only against the victims, but against us all. Serious war crimes are subject to universal jurisdiction. We all therefore have moral and political responsibilities when they are being systematically committed in a conflict - wherever that conflict may be. That is why today's debate is so important.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“New Zealand is pleased that your country, Mr. President, is highlighting the protection of civilians during its presidency of the Security Council. We know that civilians in your country suffered terribly in the 1940s and 1950s. New Zealand stood with you then. We know the strength of your people, and we welcome your determination to improve the situation of civilians in future conflicts. We also welcome the presence with us today of the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC is the custodian of one of the most important developments in human history, namely, the body of law and practice designed to limit the terrible impact of war and, in particular, to protect civilians.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We think the logical next step would be for the Aide Memoire, which is a living document, to be revised, where relevant, to include inputs on all three emerging challenges. This could also be included in the roadmap once it is finalized. We fully agree with the Secretary-General's point in the statement he made earlier this morning, that what is now needed is practical action.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“We support wholeheartedly the proposed actions that could be taken to combat sexual exploitation and the illegal exploitation of natural resources. As for the issue of terrorism, we agree that it has wide ranging implications for the protection of civilians. Increasingly, civilians are not only the usual - if this word can be used in such an unhappy context - victims of terrorist attacks, some will also and unavoidably be the victims of pre-emptive and retaliatory actions. In this regard we welcome the Secretary-General's intention to further study this issue and to formulate clear guidelines for future work for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, where terrorist organizations are involved.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“With such checklists, it is hoped that all United Nations bodies, together with regional organizations and national Governments, would be able to work together to nip potential conflicts in the bud. At the same time, the Council should react proactively and act collectively to prevent conflict. Unfortunately, the culture of prevention has yet to take hold. Furthermore, the Council lacks a structured mechanism that could be implemented to deal with conflict prevention. In future, the Council needs to consider whether such a mechanism could be established. This would allow the Council to respond promptly when it receives reports of a potential conflict brewing. My third and final point relates to the emerging challenges identified in the Secretary-General's reports.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“We should build on this, perhaps by setting up a structured mechanism to ensure that we also take stock of the other mission mandates periodically. My second point relates to a familiar and often used phrase to the effect that prevention is better than cure. Clearly civilians would be in a far better position if there were no armed conflict at all. However, while this utopian world is beyond our grasp, there are certain factors that are generally acknowledged as root causes of conflict. Indeed, the European Commission has come up with a checklist of factors which include the legitimacy of the state, rule of law, sound economic management and the geopolitical situation.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“While that debate continues, what the Council can at least do now is to include a component on the plight of civilians in all of its relevant resolutions. The March 2002 Aide Memoire is particularly important in this regard. The Council can use its provisions to assess whether current missions have been effective in protecting civilians or if we need to adjust the mandates. The Aide Memoire is also a continuous reminder that we need to incorporate this aspect into new missions. Like other speakers, we also feel that the seminar on the Mano River Union, held by the United Kingdom Council Presidency in July 2002, and the stop-taking that we made on the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone with regard to the protection of civilians, was a good first step.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“But as we have said many times in the past, the Council will not be judged by the amount of paper it produces, but by the impact of its decisions. In this regard I would like to make three points. First, there needs to be less talk and more action. The Council has often been accused of not responding to situations which demand a fast and effective response. It has been said that while civilians perish in the field, we sit here in New York debating the issue. But the idea of humanitarian intervention is a complex issue, as ongoing debates have shown. Is there a right of intervention? If so, how and when should it be exercised? Who might authorize such an action? These questions have been debated ad infinitum, ad nauseam, and still, there is no agreement.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“But in the twenty-four conflicts currently taking place in the world, ten civilians die for every soldier who perishes. How do we explain this drastic reversal in the short space of less than a century? The answer is simply that we live in a world today where civilians have become the legitimate targets of violence. Parties in conflict turn to the civilian population as resources for waging further war, and men, women and children are characterized in stark binary terms. How then, can we protect civilians from undue military violence or threats of violence? The United Nations, of course has always taken a key role on this issue. In this regard, the Aide Memoire adopted by the Security Council in March 2002, in S/PRST/2002/6, is an important contribution by the Council.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“We found the Secretary-General's report - with its focus on the three key areas of humanitarian access, the separation of combatants from civilians and the rule of law, as well its recommendations on how to tackle those issues - to be a very useful document. We particularly appreciate the identification of the three emerging challenges and the preview of the road map for the protection of civilians. From the briefing by Under-Secretary-General Oshima, we now have a clearer picture of the practical implementation of the road map and of the laudable efforts undertaken by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). What we have seen is a good start and we look forward to it being further refined. In the First World War, nine soldiers died in battle, for every civilian death.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“At the outset, I would like to welcome the President to New York and to thank her for presiding over this high-level meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, particularly on this special day celebrating world human rights. We also appreciate the time that the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have taken from their busy schedules to be with us today. We are also grateful to the Secretary-General for his very useful report, and to Mr. Oshima and the Director-General of the ICRC for the comprehensive briefings they have given us.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“Deputy President Zuma mentioned that the United Nations, and in particular the Security Council, needs to continue to play a role in Burundi. I would like to ask whether he has any specific suggestions about how the Security Council can help to bring about the transfer successfully and on schedule.”
2002-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4655 (2002) · source
“I, too, would like to thank Deputy President Zuma for his very interesting and useful briefing today. We were already viewing the 2 December agreement as a significant step forward, and Deputy President Zuma's detailed briefing has confirmed our optimism about the developments of the situation in Burundi. I have just one question to ask, and it is very similar to the question already asked by the representative of China. I wanted to ask what more the Security Council could do to help; that just goes to show that Security Council members are of a similar mind with regard to our commitment to try to do our best to help Burundi. I will still ask my question, because it is focused on the issue of the transfer of the presidency, which is less than six months away.”
2002-12-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4655 (2002) · source
“But our research has shown that there appears to be a paradox between the abundant food surpluses today and the fact that more people are starving today than ever before. I would first like to ask Mr. Morris whether he would agree that such a paradox exists and, if so, if he could comment on the possible causes of that paradox. Finally I would ask whether Mr. Morris has any suggestions on how to turn the situation around.”
2002-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4652 (2002) · source
“But he and, I believe, our colleague from the United Kingdom have also mentioned that sometimes national Governments have control over their economic, agricultural and public policies. In relation to that point, I have one question. Working within the context of the dual mandate of the World Food Programme (WFP), that is to say development and dealing with emergencies, would it be possible for the WFP to develop programmes in Africa that are self-sustainable and that would be able to reduce the number of or eliminate chronic emergencies? My second point is a general point. Mr. Morris spoke of the increased demands on the WFP within the eight months since he has taken over as Executive Director.”
2002-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4652 (2002) · source
“I join my colleagues in congratulating Colombia on assuming the presidency of the Council this month and, of course, in expressing appreciation to the delegation of China for their presidency last month. We would also like to thank Mr. James Morris for his very comprehensive briefing on the food security situation in Africa and you, Mr. President, for arranging this briefing today on a very important issue. I have two main points to make and a few questions that are related to those points. My first point is that it is obvious that food insecurity has many causes and that some factors are beyond our control. Mr. Morris has explained how adverse climatic conditions are certainly causes beyond our control.”
2002-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4652 (2002) · source
“As the Secretary-General told the General Assembly on 12 September and reiterated in his compelling statement today, "If Iraq's defiance continues... the Security Council must face its responsibilities". The unanimous adoption of resolution 1441 (2002) today is a clear message to Iraq from the Council. The key objective of this resolution is to set up an enhanced inspection regime to bring to full and verified completion the disarmament process begun by resolution 687 (1991). It makes clear that Iraq will be given a full and final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. The difference between successful and unsuccessful inspections may be the difference between peace and war. We hope that Iraq will make its decision carefully.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“On 17 October, in the Security Council's open debate on the situation between Iraq and Kuwait, Singapore spelled out comprehensively its position on this issue. We voted in favour of resolution 1441 (2002), as it is consistent with the positions that we have espoused in the Security Council. In April 1991, the Council adopted resolution 687 (1991), which provided a comprehensive framework to secure peace and maintain the security of the region. One critical element was the requirement that Iraq fully disarm itself of its weapons of mass destruction. It is clear that Iraq has not complied with resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent resolutions. There is a clear international consensus that Iraq must comply with this Council's resolutions, which it has hitherto defied.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“And of course, we will need to find the funding to ensure that adequate resources are provided for those offices. Unless we can decide what our first step should be and map out clearly the route to take toward fully implementing resolution 1325 (2000), we are likely to go around in circles. What is urgently needed, as our Colombian colleague mentioned at the Arria-formula meeting - and as Ambassador Valdivieso reminded us again today - is a timeline or a programme of action for the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In that regard, Singapore would be happy to work with Cameroon and our other colleagues on the planned presidential statement to provide for concrete initial steps that could be taken.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“For example, at the Arria-formula meeting, a representative from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Working Group on Women, Peace and Security felt that the key priority was for a gender unit to be set up at Headquarters and for all peacekeeping operations to have a gender adviser. This is all well and good, but merely saying it will not make it so. The NGO Working Group, UNIFEM, the Department for the Advancement of Women and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) will need to sit down and work out the possible terms of reference for the gender unit and the advisers. One of the UNIFEM. experts, Ms. Elisabeth Rehn, also reminded us that we will have to bear in mind that the gender adviser should be of sufficiently high rank to have direct access to the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“But we are barraged by recommendations from all sides - some presented by the Secretary- General through his report, some by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in its soon- to-be-released independent assessment and, lastly, some by non-governmental organizations through their materials. A cursory glance at the documents will show that many of the recommendations are similar and can be amalgamated and clustered. At the Arria-formula meeting, some members therefore felt that there was a need to prioritize. The Security Council needs the help of relevant agencies to reorganize and integrate the recommendations. But more important, the relevant agencies need to prioritize what needs to be done first. We simply cannot do everything at once.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“At that meeting, we heard poignant and passionate statements from women who had been personally affected by the conflict. For example, we heard a direct account of how women had been affected by the conflict in Burundi and how they had played a part in the Arusha Peace Accords. We also heard about the Lord's Resistance Army attacks on camps for refugees and internally displaced persons in northern Uganda and the sexual and gender-based violence that was often inflicted during such attacks. Fortunately, one point which emerged from the Arria-formula meeting is that the Security Council is clearly fully committed to implementing resolution 1325 (2000).”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“In this regard, instead of reiterating the points made by many of our colleagues with regard to the Secretary-General's recommendations, we thought that it might be useful to mention how Singapore has been trying to play its part on this issue, including through the Arria-formula meeting on women, peace and security that we chaired last Wednesday, 23 October. Since there is no formal mechanism whereby the information shared at the Arria-formula meeting can be transmitted to the Council, we feel that we need to share some of what was said at the meeting, so that the public record of this debate will be a testimony of what was transmitted to us. We hope that, by putting on record what was said, these accounts will be remembered when the topic of women, peace and security is raised again.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Noeleen Heyzer, of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), for their efforts on this issue. At an earlier meeting on conflict, peacekeeping and gender in July this year, we said that we were ignoring an invisible elephant of scepticism among Member States by our failure to incorporate a gender perspective into peace and security issues. We also said that we needed to show that what we were doing was not an abstract exercise, but one which would have an impact on real lives.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Almost two years ago, the Security Council passed the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) unanimously. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this open meeting for us to review what we have done to implement resolution 1325 (2000). I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for being present earlier today to introduce his report. The report which we have before us is an excellent and very comprehensive one, with many recommendations that we can support. For example, we support the Secretary-General's proposals for gender advisers and gender units in peacekeeping operations, and for women to be included in the negotiation of peace agreements. Our appreciation goes also to Ms. Carolyn Hannan, of the Division for the Advancement of Women, and to Ms.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Like other colleagues, we would like to express our willingness to seriously consider these suggestions when we discuss the draft presidential statement that you, Sir, have circulated. The meeting was suspended at 12.40p.m.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“Finally, we also need to consider what are the benchmarks to determine when the responsibility of the Security Council should or could end so that the conflict will not re-emerge. These are key questions that we should ponder as we go about our business. The easy availability of illicit small arms and light weapons has already caused much death and destruction. The Council will need to work with all members, non-governmental organizations and civil society to tackle this difficult problem. According to Buddha, "there are two mistakes that we can make: not going all the way and not starting." I am pleased to say that we have avoided the latter. Members that have spoken before us - and I am also sure that the speakers to follow will do the same - have given many useful ideas on how to bring this issue forward.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“This is a difficult area in which the United Nations role will overlap with that of Governments and in which peacekeeping and peace-building will overlap with development. We should discuss the ways in which the Security Council can provide support to the relevant United Nations agencies and work with other principal organs of the United Nations, such as the Economic and Social Council, to tackle this multifaceted issue. For example, we need to consider what can be done to sharpen the focus on retraining and finding jobs for such men, women and children. We need to consider what can be done to find a space for the ex-combatants and for their communities to reabsorb them. We need to look at the coordination between peacekeeping operations and the efforts of other United Nations agencies and at how they can be improved.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“Ex- combatants respond well to non-monetary incentives- such as tools, schools, construction materials, health care services and road repairs - to the voluntary surrender of weapons. Consequently, we have had some success in the fields of disarmament and demobilization. However, our biggest challenge lies in the reintegration of ex-combatants. As one Special Representative of the Secretary-General has noted, the focus of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration should be reversed to reintegration, disarmament and demobilization. Unless ex-combatants are given the opportunity to reintegrate into society, they will find it difficult or have few incentives to lay down their arms and demobilize. Our record in this area is sketchy.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“Just as dams and embankments are not built by the architect and the engineer alone, stemming the torrent of illicit small arms will need to be a coordinated effort between the Council, regional organizations, Member States and civil society. The Council needs help from Member States for the effective implementation and monitoring of these embargoes. We have also made some progress in soaking up the weapons already in the hands of former combatants. All of us know that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration are crucial in post- conflict societies. The Council has also emphasized disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in United Nations peacekeeping operations.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“Surely, the West African countries are just as important as countries in southern Africa. Many of the recommendations made by these monitoring mechanisms or panels are also similar. For consistency and to avoid duplication, the Council should consider a permanent monitoring mechanism to deal with all the arms embargoes that it has imposed. Furthermore, as the Secretary-General has hinted in his report, there are frequent and flagrant violations of the Council's arms embargoes. Indeed, it is often the same States and international non-State actors that violate our various arms embargoes. This reinforces what we and other Council members have pointed out in the past - that the Council cannot enforce sanctions in a vacuum.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“It is heartening that the Council has, through the establishment of monitoring mechanisms and panels of experts, taken concrete action to strengthen the enforcement of its arms embargoes to dam up the flow of weapons into conflict and post-conflict regions. There is a Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions against UNITA; Panels of Experts on Liberia and, most recently, Somalia; and, of course, a Monitoring Group mandated by resolution 1390 (2002) on the sanctions against the Taliban and Al-Qa'idah. It is laudable that the Council has set up such monitoring mechanisms and panels to enforce its sanctions. However, the terms of reference for such bodies is arbitrary. For example, there is a permanent Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions against UNITA, but only ad hoc Panels were set up for Liberia and Sierra Leone.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“We are pleased to see that the Secretary- General has elaborated on these in his report. We said that the Security Council could contribute first by giving teeth to our arms embargoes through more stringent implementation and monitoring of such embargoes. Secondly, we could focus on more disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Our logic was simple: We need to slow the flood of small arms and light weapons being channelled into conflict or post- conflict regions. We also have to mop up the reservoir of weapons already in those regions. However, as all of us know, this is much more easily said than done. Nonetheless, one year on, the Security Council appears to be going in the right direction.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“In recent times, the United Nations and the international community - clearly aware of the dangers of having a swollen river burst its banks - have taken reinforcement action. The adoption of the Programme of Action at last year's United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and the Council's presidential statement reinforcing the Programme of Action are examples of this. When the Council asked the Secretary-General to recommend ways that it could contribute to combating illicit small arms and light weapons in the issues under its consideration, the Council was also in fact commissioning architectural plans for yet another embankment. In our statement last year, we made two key points about the Council's role in combating illicit small arms.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“A child can be taught to use one in a single lesson, and these weapons - unlike tanks, aircraft or artillery guns - are also easy to conceal and transport. And, as we all know, these weapons are lethal. Concerned countries and non-governmental organizations have asserted that illicit small arms and light weapons are a threat to peace and development, democracy and human rights. Illicit arms destabilize regions, exacerbate conflicts, obstruct relief programmes, undermine peace initiatives and foster a culture of violence and impunity. Given the global emphasis on combating terrorism, I would be remiss if I did not also mention the role of small arms in relation to terrorism. Certainly, terrorists can and do use such weapons to carry out heinous acts against the innocent.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“I would like to compare the flow of small arms to a river. If harnessed correctly it can be damned up to provide hydroelectric power and be an important source of water. Similarly, small arms used in a legitimate context can be wielded to ensure law and order. Just as water is essential for our survival, legitimate small arms are crucial for a country's self- defence. But, like a river that bursts its banks during a monsoon, a flood of illicit small arms can also leave death and destruction in its wake. Like water, too, small arms are inexpensive and easily available. In some places, the deadly AK-47 assault rifle will set you back by as little as $6. That is what commuters pay each day to drive into Manhattan. That same rifle can be obtained for a bag of grain in other parts of the world. These weapons are also easy to use.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“Instead, most conflicts around the world have been fuelled by simple pistols, rifles and machine guns. The Secretary-General has described illicit small arms and light weapons as weapons of mass destruction in terms of the carnage that they have caused. The latest statistics of the United Nations show that at least half a million people die each year as a result of small arms and light weapons. What is even more disturbing is that most of those killed are civilians, the vast majority being women and children. According to the Secretary-General's report, there are more than 639 million small arms floating around. Of those, more than 40 per cent are illicit. In the hands of non-State actors such as terrorists and criminals, those weapons are forces of destruction to be reckoned with.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“At the outset, I would like to thank you, Sir, for convening this open meeting. I would also like to thank Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, for introducing the Secretary-General's report and for his briefing this morning. We also note the important role that Colombia has played on this issue, and we are in the process of studying their paper, as well. Disarmament efforts in the past tended to focus on weapons of mass destruction. At the very most, we concentrated on increasing transparency on major items of conventional military equipment such as tanks and artillery. But in so doing, we ignored the world's real killers. It is not tanks, fighter aircraft or high-tech weapons that cause the most deaths and injuries.”
2002-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4623 (2002) · source
“For example, Singapore, Japan and the Republic of Korea will be co-hosting an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum workshop on counter-terrorism and security issues in Tokyo next week. The other regional efforts, in which we continue to participate, will be outlined in the joint ASEAN statement that I referred to earlier, and I will not repeat them. Finally, I cannot overemphasize that the war against terrorism is a never-ending battle, with no guarantee of complete success. However, we have no choice but to work continuously, conscientiously and in partnership with others to combat international terrorism. We cannot afford to lose this war.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“We strongly urge the CTC to focus considerable attention on the development of full- fledged outreach programmes to galvanize international assistance to those States that need the necessary aid and support to strengthen their national capacities to combat terrorism. Singapore is ready to stand with the rest of the international community against the threat of the globalization of terrorism. We recognize that it is difficult for any one country to fight terrorism alone. Furthermore, we are situated in a region that has been dubbed "the second front" in the war on terror. Consequently, we are committed to regional efforts to eradicate international terrorism and to the deepening of our exchanges with regional and international players.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“The third challenge is the need to increase technical assistance to Member States. Bearing in mind the first two challenges that we have outlined above, this third is the most crucial. We live in a globalized environment where terrorism can and will exploit the porous borders and international trade of goods and services for their heinous ends. Therefore, it makes a great deal of sense for the international community and the United Nations to put together an extensive mutual assistance programme to strengthen the capacity of those Member States that lack the resources or experience to deal with terrorism effectively. In particular, the CTC needs to have a clear plan of action to deal with those States that have not taken firm action to counter terrorism, as required by resolution 1373 (2001).”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“These events were just two of the many that illustrate clearly that we should have no illusions about modern-day terrorism. Terrorist groups have gone through a privatization process by receiving private funding and training, and they have adapted to new technology and methods to become highly networked organizational structures which are much less visible but much more lethal. As the world is besieged with the internationalization of terrorism, it is critical for Member States to examine the current modalities and to institutionalize mechanisms to deepen the exchange of information between intelligence and law enforcement officers at the regional and international levels, thereby forming our own closely coordinated networks. It takes a network to beat a network.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“The global indifference to the evolution which has taken place in terrorist networks and their modalities has prevented us from effectively thwarting terrorists. For example, when the Aum Shinrikyo cult attacked Tokyo's subway network with deadly sarin gas in March 1995, countries around the globe were gripped with shock and scrambled to ask themselves whether they were prepared to handle similar biological or chemical terrorist attacks. When the world watched with disbelief and horror on 11 September last year, much of the shock had to do with the fact that commercial aircraft with ordinary civilians on board had been hijacked by Al- Qaeda terrorists and used as attack weapons. Only then did the rest of the world begin to grapple with the prospect of similar unconventional terrorist attacks on their own soil.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source