YouSaid · the spoken record

Levitte

lines on the record
1,215
first
2000-03-21
most recent
2002-11-12
sittings or episodes
146
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “The UNICEF representative who spoke to the Committee on Monday pointed out that education had lost value in Iraq today as the country's young people see their parents forced to accept jobs at a lower level than their studies had prepared them for. This "embargo generation" is a lost generation. In the area of social services, the situation has also deteriorated. Only 41 per cent of the population has regular access to clean water, the quality of which has also deteriorated, according to the World Health Organization. Power cuts are frequent and growing longer. Iraq's health-care system has suffered greatly from the shortages of clean water and electricity. At this point, it is in a decrepit state, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

    2000-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4120 (2000) · source

  2. “It also confirmed that the disturbing figures given by United Nations agencies on the nutrition, health and social situation of the country are reliable and exact. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the mortality rate for children under five rose from 56 per 1,000 in the period 1984-1989 to the current 131 per 1,000. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world. One dramatic statistic in a recent British parliamentary report deserves mention: If the progress in health observed during the 1980s had been maintained through the following decade, 500,000 children would have survived. The situation is scarcely better in the educational sector. According to UNICEF, the school attendance rate fell by 20 per cent between 1991 and 1999.”

    2000-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4120 (2000) · source

  3. “Mr. Levitte (France) (spoke in French): I should like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his outstanding introduction to our debate today. I wish also to pay tribute to the very effective and dedicated efforts of all those who are working in difficult conditions in Iraq to implement the humanitarian programme. In examining the Secretary-General's report today, the Security Council is considering once again the very serious humanitarian crisis in Iraq. I think it would be useful to review the main characteristics of this crisis in order to show the extent to which the Iraqi people have been profoundly affected by the deterioration in their living conditions. Under the direction of Ambassador Amorim, the humanitarian panel reported that Iraq had experienced "a shift from relative affluence to massive poverty".”

    2000-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4120 (2000) · source

  4. “The Secretary-General's initiatives regarding seed money for "quick impact projects" within the assessed budgets of peacekeeping operations deserve every encouragement. The presidential statement that will be issued following this debate must reflect our ongoing, determined commitment to the success of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes, particularly in a peacekeeping context. The report of the Secretary-General has helped us clearly to identify remaining obstacles and the objectives we should keep clearly in view. We fully support the presidential statement, and, as always, hope that its principles and recommendations will be implemented every time we deal with a case of this kind.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  5. “The third area is that of financing, as rightly mentioned by a number of delegations; the representative of the United Kingdom, for example, spoke of the problems now being faced in Sierra Leone. The fact is that the lack of financial resources too often causes the failure of a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, which cannot be completed because of this problem. It is particularly regrettable that these tasks - which no one doubts are decisive for effective peace-building - all too often depend on voluntary contributions, which by their very nature are unpredictable. There should be a more decisive joint effort so that, at least in the early stages, we can draw on the budgets of peacekeeping operations.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  6. “It is important to understand the importance, as stressed by the Secretary-General, of involving the United Nations at the earliest possible stage in the process established by a peace agreement. Secondly, there must be better coordination on the ground among all actors, something that has been mentioned by a number of other speakers. The mandates of peacekeeping operations that include a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration element must set out a clear division of labours and an effective allocation of responsibilities among all the organizations and all the actors involved in implementing the programme. During the peacekeeping phase, the special representative of the Secretary-General in the mission area should unequivocally assert his or her authority in this area and should understand his or her role as a coordinator.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  7. “My next point is that the international community must speedily demonstrate its firm resolve to contribute to the success of these programmes, and in particular to create the climate of confidence that is indispensable for success. A lasting commitment by the parties to a conflict to keep their commitments depends on this. We consider that there are three priority approaches in a strategy that must be comprehensive and long-term. I note that the Secretary-General has rightly stressed that any activities in this sphere must indeed be comprehensive and long-term. The first approach relates to adapting the mandates of peacekeeping operations. When a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process is deemed necessary, relevant provisions must appear in the mission mandate.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  8. “Secondly, in the three-part process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, the third part is without doubt the most important. We must not confuse causes with symptoms: taking up arms is a way - a violent way - of responding to a situation such as underdevelopment, inequitable distribution of wealth, ethnic rivalry or political oppression. To permanently convince combatants to lay down their weapons and, more important, not to take them up again in the future, four guarantees are required: personal safety; equitable and effective political participation; genuine economic prospects for them to meet their needs and the needs of their families; and a social status as attractive as that of warrior, which they are being asked to renounce.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  9. “Everyone agrees that the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants is an indispensable part of the settlement of conflicts. But that task can succeed in the long term - and I stress "in the long term" - only if a number of conditions are met. First of all, disarmament and demobilization must come about through agreement among all belligerent parties. To impose it by force inevitably means a return to war. For if those bearing arms are given no guarantees, can they be expected to let themselves be disarmed without resistance? Therefore, agreements between belligerent parties - before peacekeeping operations are set up - must include specific provisions in this regard. As the Secretary-General stresses in his report, a lack of clarity on this point carries inherent risks and can have serious future consequences.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  10. “Mr. Levitte (France) (spoke in French): Allow me first to thank you, Mr. President, for your initiative in organizing the resumption of a debate on this item that the Security Council began in July 1999 on the initiative of Malaysia. Today we can learn from the new light shed on this subject by the recent report of the Secretary-General. My delegation thanks the Secretary-General and congratulates him on his excellent report, which provides a good overview of the demands now being placed on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes in a peacekeeping context. The representative of Portugal will soon make a statement on behalf of the European Union; clearly, France associates itself fully with that statement. I wish only to make a few brief comments at this stage.”

    2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118 (2000) · source

  11. “In that context, are there any expectations that local resources will expand? We noted with much interest that just yesterday the first tax was levied in East Timor, in the form of a 5 per cent customs duty. We would be interested to hear Mr. Annabi's views on the long-term prospects for East Timor.”

    2000-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4114 (2000) · source

  12. “Of course, France welcomes the fact that it was set up on 2 December; it will make it possible for all Timorese to express their views. Has a preliminary assessment been made of the activities of the National Consultative Council? Does it meet on a regular basis? Is it dealing effectively with all important issues? Has the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice, the only pro- autonomy group that had not joined the Council by the end of January, done so yet? Finally, I would like to ask a more future-oriented question. UNTAET is, of course, doing excellent work and enjoys our total and unqualified support. I would like in particular to pay tribute to the outstanding work being carried out by Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. But East Timor must, of course, have a future beyond the United Nations presence.”

    2000-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4114 (2000) · source

  13. “But are the Indonesian authorities really in a position to implement those commitments on the ground and strictly to monitor the local echelons of the militia hierarchy? Here, I should like to associate myself with the comments of previous speakers; we are deeply concerned about what has been said in this regard. Has the rate of return increased in recent weeks? Furthermore, we have heard that former members of the pro-integrationist militias now seem to be returning to East Timor. If that is the case, how are they being welcomed, what treatment are they receiving from the local population and what role is the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) playing in this regard? My second question relates to the National Consultative Council.”

    2000-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4114 (2000) · source

  14. “We have read the report of the Secretary-General and listened attentively to the information provided by Mr. Hedi Annabi, whom I should like to thank. In the spirit of this interactive briefing, I should like, with your permission, Sir, to ask him a few questions relating to three issues. The first point that concerns us is the situation with regard to the return of refugees from West Timor. If I understood Mr. Annabi correctly, there are still about 100,000 of them, and the problem therefore remains one of the major concerns of our Council. The Indonesian authorities and the army high command have affirmed their willingness to work to put an end to the activities of the pro-integrationist militias.”

    2000-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4114 (2000) · source

  15. “Mr. Levitte (France) (spoke in French): First of all, I should like to say, Sir, how deeply touched I was by your words of welcome. I sincerely thank you. It is a pleasure for me to join the United Nations family again, for the third time in my career, and it is an honour for me to sit beside ambassadors who, on a daily basis, contribute their wisdom and experience to this Organization. Like my outstanding predecessor and friend, Alain Dejammet, I shall listen to everyone, pay attention to the concerns of all and remain ready to enter into discussion and dialogue. It is good that our Council is again addressing the question of the situation in East Timor. This is a particularly difficult situation, but for the United Nations it is a mission that could become a model.”

    2000-03-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4114 (2000) · source