YouSaid · the spoken record

Legwaila

lines on the record: 469
first: 1992-07-16
most recent: 1999-09-17
sittings or episodes: 63
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We all know that the human rights situation in the former Yugoslavia has been the most disastrous, to say the least, and we also know that the Serbs have been the worst violators. But none of the parties in that senseless war has a clean record or is an angel. Botswana believes that all human rights violations in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina should be investigated and those found responsible should be brought to justice. Similarly, all human rights violations committed in the territory of Croatia should be investigated, and appropriate charges should be preferred against the suspects irrespective of their origin.”
1995-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3591 (1995) · source
“Equally, while it is almost impossible to draw a line between the political and human rights aspects of the war in Bosnia, it is important that the Security Council guard against the possibility of infringing on the responsibility of the competent bodies of the United Nations, especially the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991. This could be damaging to whatever prestige and credibility the Council can still claim on the question of the former Yugoslavia. It is important that we avoid the temptation to politicize human rights.”
1995-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3591 (1995) · source
“Botswana wishes to express its strong disquiet at these incidents of human rights violations, and insists that the Serbs should abide by the Security Council resolutions and cooperate fully with the ICRC and other international humanitarian organizations in this very important matter. It is against this background that Botswana will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us. However, we do so under no illusion that its adoption will have any significant effect on the behaviour of those being addressed.”
1995-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3591 (1995) · source
“Reports that captives were shot in cold blood do not go away. If these reports could be categorically confirmed, the action of the Bosnian Serb party would constitute the most blatant and flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the accepted norms of international morality. The Secretariat has recently informed the Security Council of similar Serb atrocities in the regions of Banja Luka and Sanski Most. Draft-age men are reported to have been rounded up, and some of them summarily executed. There are also corroborating reports which confirm that 120 civilians were killed by the Serbs before the fall of Sanski Most. In addition, there is evidence that some of those detained had been maltreated and/or used in degrading forced labour.”
1995-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3591 (1995) · source
“Allow me first to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and to wish you every success. I also wish to pay tribute to Ambassador Gambari for a job well done. Three months after the fall of Srebrenica the fate of thousands of men and boys of draft age is still unknown, because the Bosnian Serbs have denied representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international humanitarian agencies access to the town. If the Serbs have nothing to hide, we wonder why they are unwilling to grant access to persons displaced from Srebrenica. Their behaviour would seem to confirm our worst fears - that shocking atrocities may have been perpetrated against the helpless and defenceless people of Srebrenica when their town was overrun by the Bosnian Serb party.”
1995-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3591 (1995) · source
“The United Nations cannot wage war in Bosnia and hope to make peace at the same time, without compromising the execution of one of these aims. Furthermore, it is critical that the Security Council should jealously guard against losing control altogether in transferring the authority of the United Nations to regional arrangements. In such situations, the United Nations should never assume the position of a bystander in an operation that is supposed to be under the command and control of the Security Council.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3578 (1995) · source
“The horror of the Serb shelling of a marketplace in Sarajevo, which resulted in the death of 37 innocent civilians, constituted a cynical provocation directed at the authority of the United Nations, and therefore deserved a strong response. However, the United Nations should avoid the appearance - I repeat "appearance" - of taking sides in that conflict. The United Nations cannot be an honest peace broker and a peace enforcer at the same time. Far be it from me to think our response was intended to weaken the Bosnian Serbs to a point where they could be defeated militarily by the Bosnian and Croat coalition. No such thought has ever crossed my mind. I am, however, mindful of the fact that the line separating peace and war is at times a very slim one in that area.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3578 (1995) · source
“My delegation none the less welcomes the agreement signed yesterday for the withdrawal of the Bosnian Serb heavy weapons from Sarajevo, thus relieving the city of the shelling that for three years has been maiming innocent civilians. It is our hope that this agreement will serve as a foundation for a durable peace, not only for the residents of Sarajevo, but for all three ethnic groups in that war-ravaged country. We remain convinced that there is only one sensible and realistic path to salvation and peace in Bosnia: the path of mutual accommodation and acceptance by all three peoples of Bosnia. Finally, as we celebrate all this progress, I wish to caution against the appearance of partiality by the United Nations in the Balkan conflict.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3578 (1995) · source
“There is no doubt that the proposed length of the period of suspension is a clear recognition by the Security Council of the positive role that the authorities in Belgrade have played in the Yugoslav peace process over the past few weeks. When the Security Council adopted resolution 943 (1994) last October, the idea was to isolate the Serb forces in Bosnia and pressure them into accepting the Contact Group peace plan. That pressure has contributed in no small measure to the current developments in the peace process in Bosnia. My delegation attaches great importance to the Geneva basic principles for a peaceful settlement of the war in Bosnia, brokered by United States Assistant Secretary of State Holbrooke, and it is our hope that all parties in Bosnia will halt all military action in favour of the peace process.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3578 (1995) · source
“We therefore look forward to the outcome of the Secretary-General's consultations with the Chairman of ECOWAS and to his recommendations on the possibility of holding a pledging conference for Liberia. In this respect, we very much welcome the language of operative paragraphs 8 and 14 of the draft resolution. The Secretary-General has reminded us that since 1989, at least 10 peace agreements have been signed and broken. He has, however, expressed optimism that the prospects for peace are better this time than ever before. My delegation is convinced that the Liberian political parties and leaders have the primary responsibility to give practical expression and credence to the words of the Secretary-General. They are in essence an expression of the hopes and aspirations of the people of Liberia and the international community as a whole.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“My delegation fully shares the sentiments reflected in operative paragraph 6 of the draft resolution, and wishes to express the hope that the international community will respond positively and concretely by providing financial and logistical support to the subregional peace-keeping operation, ECOMOG, to enable it to end the war in Liberia once and for all. The months ahead will be very important in managing and nurturing the nascent peace process in Liberia. There are enormous humanitarian problems that need urgent attention. The Secretary-General's report before us indicates that out of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 combatants, 25 per cent are children. There are 450,000 internally displaced persons. Some 800,000 Liberians are refugees. These are problems which are at the very core of the peace process in Liberia.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“An opportunity for durable peace now exists in Liberia, and the Security Council should not be found wanting in rendering assistance to the Liberians to speedily consolidate it. There are numerous challenges which, if not urgently confronted, could reverse the gains which have been made so far. In this regard, UNOMIL must be restored to its full strength, as reflected in operative paragraph 3 of the draft resolution before us. This is not only in line with the language of operative paragraph 6 of resolution 1001 (1995) of 30 June 1995. It would also be a strong signal to the Liberians that the international community stands ready to help them if they are willing to resolve their own differences. ECOMOG has a major role to play in monitoring the cease-fire and in the disarmament and demobilisation of the combatants.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“We also commend the facilitating role played by Ambassador Nyakyi, the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, and the Reverend Banana of Zimbabwe, the Eminent Person of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Resolution 1001 (1995), among other things, called upon States neighbouring Liberia to harmonize their policies in their approach to the situation in Liberia. The resolution also expressed the readiness of the Security Council to restore the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) to its full strength if significant progress was achieved in the peace process. The policies of Liberia's neighbours vis-a-vis the Liberian conflict are in harmony, and the Liberian parties have done exactly what the international community demanded of them.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“It remained steadfast in their pursuit of peace in Liberia even in the face of the recalcitrance of the warring Liberian political leaders and the impatience and despair of the international community. Patience in the pursuit of a noble cause often pays in the end. It is patience that has today resulted in ECOMOG succeeding in delivering a peace agreement so pregnant with promise and, for that matter, a peace agreement struck in the nick of time, when the United Nations was threatening to abandon the people of Liberia to their own fate. My delegation commends the efforts of ECOMOG and, in particular, the crucial role played by the Governments of Ghana and Nigeria.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“The political leaders and parties have witnessed the true expressions of the wishes of the people of Liberia, and it is only fair that they should heed the will of the people by making concerted efforts to ensure that there are no cease-fire violations. The cease-fire must continue to hold and remain effective in accordance with the clearly expressed wish of the people for a peaceful future. It is important that the parties demonstrate as early as possible their commitment to peace by moving expeditiously to implement the other aspects of the Abuja Agreement to take the peace process to a point of irreversibility. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) has been at the cutting edge of the search for durable peace in Liberia.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“Mr. President, my delegation joins you in regretting the departure of our friend, Ambassador Merimee. We will miss his friendship, not to mention his sartorial elegance. The signing of the Abuja Agreement by the Liberian parties and political leaders on 26 August 1995, and the subsequent installation of the Council of State on 1 September, presented those in positions of political leadership in Liberia with an ample opportunity to end the senseless killing and destruction that they had visited upon their country and people for a long time. The spontaneous jubilation in Monrovia during the swearing-in ceremony of the Members of the Council of State was a clear demonstration of the Liberian people's yearning for peace and for their country's return to normalcy.”
1995-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3577 (1995) · source
“We welcome their commitment to report violations of the arms embargo to the United Nations sanctions committee. The positive response of the international community would therefore contribute substantially to addressing one of the root causes of the endless fratricidal war in Liberia. It is the sincere hope of my delegation that the Liberian parties and political leaders will rise to the challenge of the moment by seizing the opportunity to make peace for the sake of their people. It would be most unfortunate if selfish, personal interests were to continue to occupy centre stage in that country. This extension of the UNOMIL mandate may be their very last chance.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“We call upon the Liberian parties and political leaders to cooperate fully with the Ministers of the Committee of Nine of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve outstanding issues within the period of the extended mandate of UNOMIL. The international community should play its part to help the peace process in Liberia. The Liberian parties continue to receive arms and ammunition in violation of resolution 788 (1992). The Heads of State and Government of the Committee of Nine on Liberia of the Economic Community of West African States have appealed to the international community to provide appropriate assistance to enable them to monitor the land and sea borders of Liberia. The States in the subregion have a pivotal role to play in the monitoring and stemming of the flow of arms to Liberia.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“My delegation strongly believes that their efforts provide important lessons for future peace-keeping operations and deserve the full support of the Security Council and the international community as a whole. The draft resolution before us outlines a number of pertinent issues. It draws the attention of the political leaders of Liberia to the readiness of the Security Council to restore the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) to its full strength and to contribute to post-conflict peace-building in their country provided that they demonstrate a corresponding readiness to place their country and people above their differences by taking urgent steps to install a Council of State which, in the view of my delegation, would facilitate agreement on the other issues stated in paragraph 4 (b) and (d) of the draft.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“The United Nations is their source of hope, and the presence of UNOMIL assures them that the international community is actively engaged in the search for solutions to their tragedy. The States of the subregion that have committed substantial human and material resources to the pursuit of peace in Liberia have clearly stated that the contribution of UN OMIL to the peace process in Liberia far outweighs its numerical strength. The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) has played an enormous role in alleviating the pain and suffering of the Liberian people. It has contributed to new experience in the responsibilities of regional organizations in the maintenance of peace and security under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“The Security Council should encourage this process, as it holds a considerable degree of hope for peace in Liberia. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Nyakyi, last week informed the Council that the people of Liberia would very much like to see a continued presence of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL). The primary victims of the tragedy in Liberia are the civilian population. They have been subjected to all forms of atrocities. Their most fundamental human right, the right to life, is violated with impunity. There is no one to protect them, as they have lost control of the political process to the rule of the gun.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“The intractability of the situation in that tortured country is no doubt discouraging, but it would be wrong for this Council to give up trying to find a solution to it. We should not fail to use the opportunity within our grasp to give impetus to encouraging political developments in the area. The Abuja summit meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government of the Committee of Nine on Liberia brought about dialogue among the Liberian parties and political leaders. The assessment of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government was that: "a substantial measure of agreement had emerged among the parties on nearly all the issues that had remained unresolved" (S/1995/473, annex 1, para. 6).”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“Let me start, Sir, by expressing regret that this meeting represents the twilight of your very successful presidency. At midnight tonight you will retire from the helm of our Council and, as your professional fate has it, we learn that you will also be retiring from the diplomatic service of your great country. Allow me to extend to you my delegation's best wishes for the future. I doubt if there is any member of this Council who does not share the frustration we must all feel at the failure to date to find a solution to the tragedy of Liberia. Yet we in the Botswana delegation continue to hold firm to our conviction that it would be unconscionable for the Council to lose hope in the search for peace in Liberia.”
1995-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3549 (1995) · source
“I should also like to extend my delegation's sincere appreciation to Ambassador Piriz-Ballon, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, for his untiring efforts in the search for peace in Tajikistan.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3544 (1995) · source
“We appeal to the two parties to adhere strictly to the spirit and letter of the cease-fire. The resumption and intensification of hostilities during the month of April, in violation of the cease-fire agreement, and the resulting heavy casualties have not helped the peace process. We hope there will be no repetition. In conclusion, my delegation wishes to pay a special tribute to the positive and facilitative role played by the Russian Federation and other countries in the region - and by the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - and to their efforts to bring about reconciliation between the two parties in conflict in Tajikistan.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3544 (1995) · source
“It is our hope that the parties will make full use of the presence of UNMOT in their country over the next six months and will cooperate with the Secretary-General's Special Envoy in his endeavour to promote a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Tajikistan. The international community has demonstrated its readiness to assist the people of Tajikistan. However, the international community can help only where the parties are in all seriousness ready and willing to resolve their differences. The ultimate responsibility for a peaceful settlement and national reconciliation lies with no one else but the people of Tajikistan. We have noted that an agreement has been reached to extend the cease-fire by three months. Our preference would have been for an indefinite extension.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3544 (1995) · source
“There is no doubt that the presence of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) has served as a stabilizing factor and has provided an enabling environment for a peaceful settlement to the conflict. It is for this reason that my delegation will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us. I wish, however, to emphasize the importance we attach to operative paragraph 2, which links the continued presence of UNMOT in Tajikistan to a commitment by both parties to an effective cease-fire, to national reconciliation and to the promotion of democracy. We are seriously concerned that, after four rounds of talks, no progress has been achieved on institutional matters.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3544 (1995) · source
“We have read with interest the Secretary-General's report on the situation in Tajikistan. It is encouraging to note that, after many months of prevarications, the parties have finally been able to break the deadlock and meet for the fourth round of the inter- Tajik talks on national reconciliation. This is a welcome development, even though the two sides could not reach agreement on a comprehensive political settlement. It is worth noting that the talks were held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. My delegation hopes that the agreements reached at Almaty on the release of political prisoners and a safe return of refugees to their homes will pave the way for an overall settlement to the crisis in Tajikistan and bring about national reconciliation.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3544 (1995) · source
“We are also very much aware - painfully aware, in fact - that the Government of Bosnia has accepted the Contact Group peace plan and that the Serbs have rejected it. Had the Serbs accepted the plan, it is likely that Bosnia would not be in the kind of terrible situation in which it is today. We wish the new-look UNPROFOR were operating under different conditions than those that currently obtain on the ground. I must repeat: a cease-fire is a must, because you cannot keep peace where there is no cease- fire, where hostilities continue unabated. If there is no cease-fire, our efforts in Bosnia will continue to be futile. We wish the men and women of UNPROFOR success in the tasks ahead. Theirs has thus far been an impossible task.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“In his report, the Secretary-General has attributed the current crisis in the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations mission in Bosnia to attempts to make it serve the purposes of both peace-keeping and peace- enforcement. In our present efforts to enhance the capacity of UNPROFOR to better implement its mandate, we should guard against creating the perception in the eyes of the parties to the conflict that UNPROFOR is a peace- enforcement mission, which it is not and should not be. All these questions and the concerns we have raised cannot detract from our sympathy with the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Government we recognize. We have voted in favour of all Security Council and General Assembly resolutions condemning the Serb forces.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“A simple one is: have we drawn any lessons from the troubles that have brought us to this terrible pass? And under what circumstances exactly would the rapid-reaction force be called in? Is NATO air power still relevant, or has it been superseded by the rapid-reaction force? How are we going to treat the parties if they continue to behave in the way they have behaved in the past? Are we now going to engage them militarily? And are the UNPROFOR troops going to be quartered in large camps a la Somalia in order to afford them protection? Here are some more questions: what will be the parties' perception of this rapid-reaction force? Have we ascertained their perceptions? Will they treat it as impartial?”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“We have decided to increase the number of troops in the field, complete with a rapid reaction capacity, and to put at their disposal enough fire-power to defend themselves more robustly. The basic complicating factor in the Bosnian conflict is the absence of a cease-fire. There can be no peace- keeping without a cease-fire, because if there is no cease- fire, there is no peace to keep. We have nothing against strengthening the United Nations force in Bosnia. We are, however, a little concerned about the possibility of UNPROFOR getting engulfed in that senseless and wasteful war. We have taken note of the fact that the rapid-reaction force will operate under peace-keeping rules of engagement. There are still, however, lingering questions begging to be asked.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“The pertinent question to raise concerning this issue, as does the Secretary-General in paragraph 60 of his report, is: "whether UNPROFOR is to be a peace-keeping operation, conducting itself in accordance with the established principles and practices for such operations, or an enforcement operation" (5/1995/444, para. 60). This question is central to the continued presence of UNPROFOR in Bosnia. We had hoped that the debate on this rather intractable question would have featured more prominently in the draft resolution before us, given that the Mission, as presently configured and operated, does not enjoy the full cooperation of the parties to the conflict - an indispensable condition in peace-keeping. Unfortunately, the situation on the ground seems to have dictated differently.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“The spectacle of United Nations peace-keepers taken hostage, some of them tied to poles like sacrificial lambs, has outraged my delegation beyond belief. It has always been unacceptable to us that UNPROFOR troops often have been targeted for attack by the parties to the conflict in Bosnia and openly criticized and condemned by those they are supposed to be helping maintain peace, but for the Serbs to actually chain them to poles, bridges and other objects was the worst humiliation of United Nations personnel and a callous demonstration of total disrespect for the authority of the United Nations. The Bosnian Serbs should unconditionally release the United Nations peace-keepers they are still holding hostage and remove all the restrictions they have placed on those they have blockaded.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“The international community has a moral responsibility to help in any way possible the innocent people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the actions of the parties, particularly those of the Serbs, have not inspired confidence in us in the past, and there is no reason to expect them to behave differently in the future. They have made no fresh, credible commitments to cooperate with UNPROFOR, and, even if they did, would we really believe them? Yet this is absolutely necessary if UNPROFOR is successfully to execute its mandate. The onus to make peace or wage war rests with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina - both Bosnians and Serbs - and not with the Security Council. If they choose war, as they increasingly seem inclined to do, they should know that the United Nations presence in their country is incompatible with the ends of war.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“The Secretary-General's report (S/ 1995/444) provides a candid and honest assessment of the latest developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have noted in particular, and carefully studied, the options that he outlined and the analysis of their implications. The crisis in Bosnia has indeed put the reputation and credibility of the United Nations on the line, and it is right for the Secretary-General to alert the Security Council to the wider ramifications of the situation in that country. Botswana has never been attracted to the option of withdrawing the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) from Bosnia. Botswana has in the past resisted the withdrawal of the United Nations peace- keeping operations elsewhere, and we are not about to accept the abandonment of the people of Bosnia in their hour of peril.”
1995-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3543 (1995) · source
“Paragraphs 3 and 4 deal specifically with this issue. The fourth, fifth and sixth preambular paragraphs are devoted to this matter. Let there be no impression, therefore, that by its action the Council is in any shape or form harming the peace process. The action which is inimical to the peace process is the Israeli decision to expropriate land in East Jerusalem. It is our sincere hope that Israel will heed the collective will of the international community and rescind the expropriation orders.”
1995-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3538 (1995) · source
“The delegation of Botswana has already stated its position concerning Israel's decision to expropriate land in East Jerusalem. I shall therefore limit my remarks to the draft resolution before the Council. The draft resolution is a statement of facts. It makes no value judgements. It does not deplore the action nor condemn the offending party. There are no threats, ultimatums or measures aimed at modifying or changing the behaviour of the offending party. It deals directly and incisively with the issue which is of concern to it, namely, the expropriation of land in East Jerusalem. It is important that the position of the Council on a matter that is so vital to the Middle East peace process be made loud and clear, without engaging in violent polemics. The draft resolution fully supports the peace process in the Middle East.”
1995-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3538 (1995) · source
“The Council is duty- bound to call upon the Government of Israel to rescind its decision to expropriate the 53 hectares of disputed land in East Jerusalem and to treat the Israeli-Palestinian peace process with more sensitivity and care. We must act to preserve the integrity of the agreements signed by the two parties, Israel and the PLO: no more, no less.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“Fortunately, Israel still has an opportunity to rescind the decision. My delegation is fully aware of the strong views of some, including the Government of Israel, who hold that this issue should not be discussed in the Security Council since it involves complex and sensitive negotiations. As argued by Israel, it runs counter to article XV of the Declaration of Principles and article XVII of the Gaza- Jericho Agreement. We are acutely sensitive to such views. Nevertheless, it is unacceptable that one of the parties to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations should take decisions or actions which have the effect of disparaging the negotiations. In the circumstances, the Security Council is compelled to pronounce itself one way or the other, however delicate the question.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“It is of the utmost importance that Israel should do everything possible to avoid creating conditions that could have a deleterious effect on the atmosphere of mutual confidence and trust which has been critical to the peace process and has proved vital to its sustenance. It would be a tragedy if Israel and the PLO were to lose the political and diplomatic peace initiatives to the enemies of the peace process. The peace process is at a critical stage. The parties should rely on each other's fortitude and determination to remain committed to negotiations in good faith even in the face of continuous and often murderous sniping by their detractors and their fellow-travellers. This is not the time for unilateral decisions. This is not the time to pollute the peace process with controversy over settlements.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“In an article entitled "The Privatization of Peace" published in the Advertising Supplement to The New York Times of Saturday, 6 May 1995, the Foreign Minister of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, stated that fundamentalism "is the greatest danger to world peace and economic welfare - the greatest menace since the fall of communism. Were fundamentalism to take control of the Middle East, it would suffocate it in the name of God and maintain poverty and stagnation". My delegation agrees fully with this position and cannot but reach the same conclusion vis-a-vis the continuing proliferation of settlements in areas which are on the agenda of the very difficult and delicate negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“However, the Declaration of Principles cannot by any stretch of the imagination render irrelevant Security Council resolutions concerning the illegality of the settlements and the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to the territory occupied by Israel. The decision of the Government of Israel to expropriate 53 hectares of land in East Jerusalem is therefore highly regrettable. It gravely undermines the peace process and significantly weakens the position of its partner, the Palestinian Authority, in the peace process. The Israeli settlements policy will only serve to embolden the enemies of the peace process, the men of violence whose instruments of negotiation are the gun, the hand-grenade and worse.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“In his statement before the Council on 28 February, the representative of Israel said, among other things, that the PLO's decision to initiate a debate on this matter in the Security Council was "in contradiction of the agreements it signed with Israel" (S/PV.3505, p.8), especially article XV of the Declaration of Principles and article XVII of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement. He further stated: "The Government stopped allocating public resources to support the extension of existing settlements. No land has been or will be confiscated to establish new settlements" (ibid., p. 8). Unfortunately, the truth is now self-evident. My delegation has, since its adoption by the two parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, considered the Declaration of Principles as a major breakthrough and an important milestone on the road to peace.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“On 31 January this year, the Group of Arab States brought to the attention of the Council a decision by Israel to pursue its controversial settlements policy in the occupied territories. In February, the Council held a formal meeting which deliberated on this vexing issue. On that occasion, my delegation expressed its full support for the concerted efforts of the Israeli and Palestinian people in the search for durable peace. Our position remains unchanged. It is a matter of profound regret that the Security Council should be meeting again on the same subject within a space of two months.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3536 (1995) · source
“Lastly, we are at least encouraged that there is a satisfactory level of respect for the United Nations and its forces in Georgia, unlike in other parts of the world where the authority of the United Nations and its peace-keeping personnel is defied with reckless abandon. Let me end by paying homage to the brave men and women of UNOMIG and the CIS peace-keeping forces for the sacrifices they are making in Georgia to help the people of that troubled country make peace with one another.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3535 (1995) · source
“It is our hope that the talks currently taking place between the two parties in Moscow will usher in an era of peace and national reconciliation in a fully integrated Georgia. My delegation supports an extension of the mandate of UNOMIG for an additional period of eight months. We have taken note of the Secretary-General's concern that an untimely withdrawal could lead to the resumption of hostilities. At the same time, we hope that the parties to the conflict will guarantee that this extension is used profitably to further a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and not to maintain or entrench the status quo.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3535 (1995) · source
“It must be improved as a matter of urgency, and pressure must be brought to bear on the Abkhaz authorities to allow the return of refugees in conditions of safety and security. My delegation is also disappointed by the lack of progress in the political talks. Over a year has passed since the Council adopted resolution 881 (1993) but the parties' positions remain polarized. There is however a ray of hope. The cease-fire is still holding for one thing, and the parties have started talking again, for another. Unfortunately, the parties continue to take two fundamentally different approaches to the nature of the new Constitution and the form the State should take. The draft resolution we are about to adopt reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia with Abkhazia as an integral part thereof.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3535 (1995) · source
“It would not come as a surprise if in the next few weeks or months these people decided to march en masse back to their homes, and the consequences of such a move, given the present mood of the Abkhaz authorities, are too ghastly to contemplate. There is no doubt that any attempt by the refugees to return to their homes in large numbers would cause panic in Sukhumi and this could result in the mass murder of the returnees by the Abkhaz militia. Yet we are told that, in their frustration, this is what the refugees intend to do. The international community should do everything possible to avert this potential disaster. The poor and deteriorating security situation in the Gali region does not augur well for the return and resettlement of refugees.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3535 (1995) · source
“These are people who remain away from their birthplaces against their will, and so they shall remain for as long as the Abkhaz authorities maintain their present separatist, ethnocentric policies. The few people of Georgian origin who have been brave enough to return have been tortured and murdered in cold blood. The harsh and inhuman treatment meted out to the few returnees is meant to frighten the refugees into leaving Abkhazia permanently. This state of affairs cannot go on indefinitely. History teaches that no people can be for ever deprived of their national birthright or forced into eternal submission.”
1995-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3535 (1995) · source