YouSaid · the spoken record

Mackay

lines on the record: 224
first: 2001-01-16
most recent: 2005-02-28
sittings or episodes: 38
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

“I should like to join others in congratulating Russia on its assumption of the presidency and in thanking Norway for the way in which it presided over the Council last month. The issue under consideration by the Council today is one of the utmost gravity. New Zealand deplores in the strongest terms the increased intensity of the violence, which is simply putting a durable solution farther out of reach. The fact that it has escalated so dramatically in such a short period prompts us to address the Council today. We urge both sides to reflect on where this terrible violence is leading. New Zealand has already criticized the use of excessive force by the Israeli Defence Force, along with its stated policy of assassinations, which should be halted immediately.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“New Zealand has long pressed for adequate measures to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel. In our View, the safety of UNAMA's regional personnel, as well as that of the Afghan population outside Kabul, needs to be taken into account in decisions on the future role and scope of ISAF.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“New Zealand experience, particularly in the Pacific, suggests that this programme should be integrated into the mission and addressed as part of the wider political process. Finding alternative activities for former combatants will be crucial. New Zealand has also contributed personnel to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and is the only country outside Europe so far to do so. In doing this, we have demonstrated a commitment to Afghanistan's stability and security. In the event that a decision is made to extend the mandate of ISAF beyond Kabul, New Zealand hopes that additional countries will join in the security operation. Only in stable and secure conditions will the personnel assigned by UNAMA to the seven regional centres outside Kabul be able to function effectively.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“New Zealand's contribution to these reconstruction efforts will be directed to projects identified in the Immediate and Transitional Assistance Programme for the Afghan People and through a further allocation towards New Zealand non- governmental organization activities in Afghanistan. These contributions demonstrate New Zealand's firm commitment to support the Afghan Interim Authority and the Afghan people in their reconstruction efforts after nearly two decades of tragic war and upheaval. We stand ready to play our part in the reconstruction effort in partnership with the international community and with the Afghan people. Clearly, a critical element for achieving a lasting peace is a successful demobilization, disarmament and reintegration programme.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We subsequently made a contribution of one million New Zealand dollars to the United Nations Consolidated Appeal for Afghanistan and have provided a quarter of a million New Zealand dollars for New Zealand non- governmental organizations to assist their work in Afghanistan. At the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, New Zealand pledged that we would remain engaged in the international aid effort to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. We have followed up this pledge by announcing in the past week a further contribution of 600,000 New Zealand dollars for reconstruction efforts.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“New Zealand very much welcomes the Secretary-General's proposals in his report for the structure and functioning of UNAMA and this first use of the concept of an integrated mission task force. When implemented, it will certainly stand as a tribute to Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, who proposed the concept when he was the United Nations special adviser on peacekeeping. In its response to the crisis in Afghanistan, New Zealand has sought to provide effective emergency assistance to the Afghan people. Our initial response to the crisis was focused on the urgent humanitarian needs of refugees who reached our shores.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“With the continued help of the international community, we hope that the Afghan people will be enabled to secure a more peaceful and prosperous future. The next major step in the programme foreseen in the Bonn Agreement will be the convening of the emergency Loya Jirga in June. In the period leading up to that very significant date, we expect that the Interim Administration will step up its programme of integrating the work of regional and provincial authorities with its own. High on the agenda for the new governing structure should be the establishment of the commissions on judicial affairs and human rights, including the rights of women. For its part, the United Nations is seeking to bring together its own functions in Afghanistan under the proposed United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“May I join others in expressing our condolences to the delegation of Afghanistan on the tragic earthquake that has struck their country very recently. I might also thank Norway for convening this open debate, which we consider a very timely initiative. New Zealand welcomes the progress that has been made in bringing Afghanistan back into the community of nations. Without the tireless efforts of the United Nations, in particular those of the Secretary- General's Special Representative, the landmark Bonn Agreement and the installation of the Interim Administration in Kabul, this would not have been possible. While the situation clearly remains fragile and dangerous, we should acknowledge at the outset the important steps that have been taken in the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497Resumption1 (2002) · source
“For its part, New Zealand will continue to contribute to East Timor's and international efforts in the build-up to independence and beyond through ongoing military and civilian expertise and through development assistance. We are now well-launched down the path of a new bilateral relationship with a new and very valued regional neighbour. It is thanks to the determination of the United Nations to do right by that new and small country that the possibility for such constructive links exists. We therefore reiterate New Zealand's support for this last extension of UNTAET's mandate and look forward to the Council's detailed consideration of the United Nations post-independence presence at a later date.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“For our part, we take this occasion to renew New Zealand's unequivocal support for what the people and the interim Government of East Timor, with exceptional international assistance, are striving to achieve. We all share the same end-goal - self- sufficiency for the country and people of East Timor - and look forward to donor relations with East Timor reverting to a normal development model as soon as feasible. We are therefore very happy to endorse the Secretary-General's concept of a successor mission whose primary objective will be to enable an independent and stable East Timor to stand on its own two feet and for the United Nations to quickly fulfil its post-independence mandate.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“I think that, if one looks at the themes that have come through from the discussion in the Council both this morning and this afternoon, that has certainly been a very consistent theme. Our colleague from Singapore used the term "unfinished business" and I think that is very much what everyone has in mind. It is certainly true that the challenges that lie ahead are considerable and, as underlined in Oslo last month, will call for constant vigilance that precious funds are directed to top-priority activities. Both the East Timorese leadership and the international community have a particular duty to ensure that mutual expectations - both those of the East Timorese people and those which the international community has of East Timor - remain realistic and within the capacity of donors and the East Timorese Government to deliver.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We also very much applaud the interim Government's ongoing efforts to strengthen East Timor's relations with its neighbour, Indonesia. We also note with some pleasure how the small seeds planted by New Zealand customs officers back in January 2000 have today grown into a very respectable East Timor customs, immigration and quarantine service responsible for bringing in significant government revenue. As the Secretary-General's report makes clear, however, the partnership venture between East Timor and the United Nations is not yet over. I noted the words of Prime Minister Howard of Australia in his most eloquent statement, when he said that, without continuing support, these successes cannot be maintained.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We very much commend the hard work and determination of the East Timorese people and of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor and the leadership provided by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in laying the foundations for independence in such a very short period. The Secretary-General's report of developments in East Timor, from mid-October 2001 to the present, summarizes very well both the achievements and the ongoing challenges. New Zealand very warmly endorses that report. We welcome in particular the innovative step taken by the East Timorese Council of Ministers to hold open meetings in each of East Timor's 13 districts as a means of educating the population on the workings of government.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Thank you, Sir, for the opportunity to address the Council today and for your presidency this month. We are, as always, very appreciative of Council meetings which are held in open session, like this one, as well as of other mechanisms to strengthen dialogue with Council members, such as the very useful troop-contributor meeting held on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) last week. We are also very pleased to see Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta here participating in the discussion today so eloquently and perceptively, as they always have in the past. New Zealand is very happy to support the renewal of UNTAET's mandate through to East Timor's forthcoming independence in May this year.”
2002-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4462Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We urge the Council to endorse the Secretary-General's report and recommendations in unequivocal terms. Today's debate provides an opportunity to reaffirm the United Nations strong commitment to international security and stability. The pursuit of these goals forms the core of the United Nations - its inception, its Charter and the obligations inherent in membership of this Organization. We encourage the Security Council to take this opportunity to celebrate the successes of UNTAET and provide a strong message about its commitment to East Timor.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Funding the successor mission from assessed peacekeeping contributions will provide financial security for core functions identified by the Secretary- General in ongoing consultation with the Constituent Assembly, donors, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. It will also provide assurance to the people of East Timor and to the international community of the collective political will to complete the job mandated in 1999. Two years ago, the Security Council set out a vision for assisting East Timor to become a secure and viable independent State. The Secretary-General's report confirms how far East Timor has come. His recommendations set out the road map by which the Security Council's vision and mandate will be fully and finally achieved.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand has contributed to the United Nations effort in East Timor since the preparations for the popular consultation in 1999, and we can verify first-hand the conclusions of the Secretary-General's report. It is a careful and measured assessment of need based on the advice and experiences of the East Timorese and those who have witnessed and contributed to progress made. We have spoken before of the need to provide assurance to the people of East Timor and to maintain necessary levels of support at this crucial time at which progress should be consolidated. These are critical points for us as a regional neighbour - and those other regional neighbours that have also spoken - and also as a troop contributor and Member State of the United Nations, as well as for the new nation of East Timor.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Assessed contributions funding from the peacekeeping budget, in our view, is not only necessary but is clearly justified. On the civilian side, the further contributions sought by the Secretary-General are minimal compared to the overall investment of the United Nations in East Timor, but are essential to securing that investment. The scale of the downsizing proposed is significant, but it is appropriate and realistic. We would certainly caution against seeking to trim the numbers further or to speed up the timetable. The Secretary- General's rigorous but flexible approach provides for further adjustments on the basis of developments on the ground, and we support this.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand clearly and unequivocally endorses the Secretary-General's report on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and all of its recommendations. We consider the recommendations for an UNTAET successor mission comprising military, police and civilian components as a logical and necessary next step in fulfilling the mandate agreed by the Security Council and detailed in resolution 1272 (1999). We consider it essential that the core military, police and civilian components of the United Nations successor mission be funded from assessed peacekeeping contributions. Establishment of an effective government administration, as mandated under resolution 1272 (1999), is as integral to the maintenance of East Timor's future security as the development of an effective military and police force.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“These are indeed impressive achievements, and we should celebrate them as a reflection of the commitment and determination of the people of East Timor working in partnership with the United Nations community. New Zealand, for its part, congratulates the people of East Timor and those who have assisted their progress. New Zealand is in excellent company in voicing our strong support for an ongoing United Nations role in East Timor after independence. It is a particular pleasure to be able to speak in support of Mr. Alkatiri and the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. There have been many eloquent presentations today, and I intend to speak plainly and briefly about New Zealand's position.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand welcomes the opportunity to address the Council as it considers the Secretary-General's proposals and recommendations for a post-independence United Nations presence in East Timor. I would like to compliment you, Sir, on Ireland's presiding over the Council and to express our strong appreciation for the Secretary-General's report on East Timor, introduced this morning. There could be no more compelling arguments for why the United Nations must finish the job it has started than those put forward by Mr. Alkatiri on behalf of the people of East Timor, the world's newest democracy. Great progress has been made during the past two years to help East Timor prepare for statehood, with the date for independence now set for 20 May next year.”
2001-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4403Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We have seen this ourselves in our own region, the South Pacific, where small arms have exacerbated recent unrest and conflict. We have also seen it further afield in our peacekeeping and peace-building work with the United Nations. Countries of our region find external support to be vital as they try to resolve conflict. While the supporters come mainly from regional partners, the international community also has an important part to play, as the United Nations continues to do, for example, in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Mr. President, we fully endorse your objective in seeking to formulate a set of practical and workable recommendations as an outcome of this meeting, and we look forward to the final product.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“This requires the more frequent inclusion of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration elements in post-conflict United Nations peace- building operations, as recommended in last year's Brahimi report on United Nations peace operations. I note that a number of those who have spoken before me have also placed considerable emphasis on this aspect. Recent experience in Sierra Leone and Kosovo has certainly shown that such measures are by no means easy, but they are absolutely essential. If stability is to be achieved, the law of the gun must not be allowed to reign freely. It is the role of the Security Council to recognize when such elements are required in missions and to include appropriate provisions in mission mandates.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In situations where conflicts are fuelled by the uncontrolled exploitation and smuggling of natural resources, measures should also be taken by the Security Council to address these factors. Further work must be undertaken on refining United Nations sanctions, including arms embargoes, so as to ensure that they are effectively targeted towards achieving sustainable peace with a greater certainty of success. The Council also has an important role to play in ensuring that the widespread and uncontrolled presence of small arms and light weapons in areas of recent conflict does not disrupt nations' peace-building efforts.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It also might place additional lives at risk, including lives of personnel of operations mandated by the Council. While the Council should continue to use these powers where necessary, it must also be sure that the effect of such measures will both halt the proliferation of small arms and make the prospect of an end to conflict more likely. The cooperation of all States is needed to ensure that domestic systems are in place to comply with such measures. In our view, consideration should also be given to strengthening the capacity of the Secretariat so that it is able to provide further support for monitoring by the Council, to ensure that any embargo is not circumvented by illicit trade. Recent conflicts in Sierra Leone and Angola have shown, however, that embargoes on weapons alone might often prove insufficient.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The Security Council's powers under Chapter VII of the Charter to take measures considered necessary to deal with threats to or breaches of the peace include, in appropriate circumstances, the imposition of arms embargoes to prevent the proliferation of small arms in a particular environment. We consider that, with careful thought, such measures can be helpful in achieving the core objective of restoring peace and security. We recognize that it may be argued in some circumstances that imposing embargoes where the size of opposing arsenals is already skewed may do little more than freeze the existing balance of power. But, on the other hand, the Council's overriding concern should be to defuse the conflict situation as much as possible. The importation of more arms only adds fuel to the fire.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“At the outset, let me congratulate you, Mr. President, on your initiative in the Council's role in relation to the issue of small arms and light weapons, particularly following the important achievement of the Programme of Action at the small arms Conference last month here in New York. The Programme of Action underscored the multifaceted nature of the small arms issue and the real and immediate threat that these weapons pose to the security of nations and individuals. While the final outcome was not all that we might have hoped for, it is the first time the international community has agreed on measures to tackle the illicit trade in these weapons. At this stage, may I acknowledge the pivotal role that was played by Colombia, and in particular by Ambassador Reyes, in ensuring that the Conference had a successful outcome.”
2001-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4355Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We recognize that the cooperation of the countries of the region in particular is essential to make the proposed new arrangements workable and effective, and we welcome clear recognition of this fact by the Council. The current sanctions regime against Iraq has been characterized by compliance problems. The successful implementation of the changes proposed to the sanctions regime will require the full cooperation of all Member States. The commitment of the Council in resolution 1352 (2001) to bring about significant improvements in the flow of commodities and products to Iraq will be of benefit to the region as a whole. The restoration of normal trade is an important step in Iraq's return to the modern world and will also be of great benefit to the Iraqi Government itself, should it choose to cooperate.”
2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source
“That the Government of Iraq has chosen not to do so, and continues to undermine the effectiveness of the programme through its current refusal to export oil, remains a matter of grave concern to my Government. The key to removing the need for any sanctions regime is clearly in the hands of the Iraqi Government. It must comply with the resolutions of the Council, including by admitting United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) inspectors into Iraq in order to verify that it has met its disarmament obligations. My delegation fully endorses the Council's efforts to secure Iraqi compliance with its obligations to disarm.”
2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source
“It was not, however, designed as a long-term mechanism to meet all the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi population. That said, the oil-for-food programme should be able to fulfil their basic needs. New Zealand has welcomed the efforts of the Council, particularly since the adoption of resolution 1284 (1999), to improve the situation of ordinary Iraqis by making the programme more effective. The lifting of the ceiling on Iraq's oil exports and the streamlining of the approval process for importing civilian goods have been demonstrable improvements in the way in which sanctions have been applied to Iraq. They have given the Government of Iraq the clear means of meeting the needs of its civilian population.”
2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand fully supports the current efforts of the Council to revise the sanctions regime in respect of Iraq in order to permit the restoration of normal trade as far as possible, while maintaining effective controls on goods which may assist Iraq to rearm with weapons of mass destruction. Sanctions are an indispensable tool for the Council, but they are also a blunt instrument. My delegation considers that sanctions must be targeted for maximum effectiveness and focused so as to minimize any harmful impact on the humanitarian needs of the civilian population concerned. The urgent need to alleviate the serious humanitarian suffering of the Iraqi civilian population is well recognized. It was out of concern for the civilian population of Iraq that the oil-for-food programme was first put in place.”
2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We believe the Secretary-General described the situation now before us most aptly when he said in his recent report on the closure or transition of peacekeeping operations, "No exit without strategy", and I quote him here: "The essential requirement in the case of East Timor is to ensure that the enormous sacrifices of the East Timorese, the substantial investments of the international community, and the cooperation of the parties required to bring about a successful transition to independence are not squandered for lack of international attention and support for the new State". (S/2001/394, para. 43) This is the challenge we collectively face and we must not allow ourselves to be diverted from it.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand wishes to see an appropriate and adequately resourced United Nations presence beyond independence, with core military, police and civilian administration functions funded by assessed contributions. These core functions are too critical to be left to the vagaries of voluntary funding, and there are established parallels elsewhere for what we are proposing. We are pleased that detailed planning for the United Nations post-independence presence is underway in Dili and at Headquarters. The Secretary- General's report highlights the importance of this planning being based on a careful assessment of East Timor's needs and conducted in close consultation with the people of East Timor. We agree that the ultimate goal is to ensure that the new State can exist on its own.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Taking all these things into account, we believe the Secretary-General's emphasis on a prudent approach when it comes to security is the right one. This is reinforced when we look ahead to the political calendar leading up to East Timor's independence. The Secretary-General has provided an objective assessment of all the relevant factors. We agree with his proposal to review the question of force levels again after the election of the Constituent Assembly. East Timor's independence is now not far away, yet a very great deal remains to be done. We fully share the Secretary-General's View that there will be a need for a significant international presence in the post- independence period.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Therefore we welcome the Indonesian authorities' decision to appeal these sentences, and we look forward to justice being fully served. We also share the Secretary-General's deep disappointment at the extremely limited jurisdiction of the Indonesian ad hoc human rights tribunal for East Timor, and we join others in asking Indonesia to bring to account those responsible for the serious human rights violations committed in East Timor during 1999. The international community must remain closely engaged on this issue. Across the border the situation of the refugees in West Timor remains unresolved. While we acknowledge recent initiatives by the Indonesian Government in this area, we urge greater expedition in implementing plans to register, resettle and repatriate the refugees in accordance with international standards.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand looks to the relevant agencies of the Indonesian Government to expedite, in close cooperation with UNTAET, the prosecution of Jacobus Bere, who has admitted killing Private Manning. We expect also that others involved in these attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in East Timor will be arrested and put on trial. We must also join others in recording our dismay at the manifestly inadequate sentences handed down to those who carried out the brutal murders of the three workers of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Atambua, West Timor, last September. The international community cannot hope to promote the safety of United Nations personnel when those who have admitted carrying out such acts receive such trivial sentences.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“The positive contribution of the Indonesian armed forces to the relative stability on the border during this period should also be acknowledged. But the situation does remain unpredictable. We agree with the Secretary-General when he says the overall capability of the militias has not diminished and they remain a force to be reckoned with. Their continued existence in spite of Security Council resolutions calling on the Government of Indonesia to disarm and disband them is a matter of great concern to us. In this regard we recall that those responsible for the murder of United Nations peacekeepers Private Leonard Manning of New Zealand and Private Devi Ram J aishi of Nepal have yet to be brought to justice.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“May I first express my delegation's pleasure at seeing Mr. Ramos-Horta and Mr. Gusmao in the Council today as we consider the important matters covered in the Secretary- General's interim report. I would also like to express my appreciation for the excellent briefing given by Mr. Annabi this morning. As one of the larger troop contributors to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), with a battalion group and helicopter detachment deployed in the Western Sector, we share the Secretary-General's assessment of the security situation in the territory. Recently, the situation has been generally good. In part this can be attributed to the robust response made by the peacekeeping force to militia incursions during the past dry season.”
2001-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4321Resumption1 (2001) · source
“New Zealand welcomed the child soldiers Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and also, as a practical measure, the appointment of Child Protection Advisers to United Nations peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We believe that, as a practical step, the appointment of Child Protection Advisers should be a standard feature of all United Nations peace operations.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Finally, in this respect I would note the Secretary- General's comment that political and legal instruments available for the protection of civilians in armed conflict are in urgent need of updating. In our View, the Convention on the Protection of United Nations and Associated Personnel is one such instrument. A number of the delegations that spoke in the Council on this subject just over a year ago made the same comment, particularly in relation to the scope of the Convention. The debate in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly later this year will provide a timely opportunity to review the Convention. The third and final point I wish to take up is the Secretary-General's comment that children are especially vulnerable to the harm that conflict causes. He is right to highlight this concern.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“One is for the Council to ensure, in resolutions establishing operations, that they are covered by the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. Not all operations are covered - and, indeed, there are some recent examples of operations that have not been covered - but it is possible for the Council to ensure through its resolutions that they are covered. Nor are humanitarian personnel generally covered. But, again, they can be so long as the United Nations or a specialized agency enters into an agreement with the organization concerned. In our View, that should become standard practice. I would also note that our colleagues from Japan and Argentina, speaking in the debate before me, referred to action that should be taken in respect of the Convention, and we agree.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“At that time the Council encouraged all States to become party to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel of 1994. It is revealing that since that debate and that call by the Council just over a year ago, the number of States parties has almost doubled, with an additional 22 parties since that time, including some members of the Council. Calls by the Council do have an impact. Nevertheless, more than two thirds of United Nations members remain outside the Convention, again, including some members of the Council. In our view, a useful practical step that the Council could take would be to repeat its earlier call for adherence to the Convention, which plays such an important role in the protection of civilians. There are other practical steps that can be taken as well.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“He notes that the Inter-Agency Standing Committee is looking at strengthening cooperation on issues of staff security between the United Nations and NGOs at the field level; Mr. Oshima also referred to this earlier this afternoon. Indeed, one of the recurring concerns in the Secretary- General's report is the threat faced by United Nations personnel and other humanitarian personnel when they are trying to assist civilians in situations of armed conflict. As the Secretary-General points out, the death or injury of such personnel is a tragedy both for the individuals directly concerned and for the civilians they are trying to protect, as it may lead to assistance being reduced or withdrawn. This is not a new issue, and there was an open debate and a presidential statement specifically on this subject in the Council in February last year.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“In the South Pacific we have, with our partners, responded to conflicts that have taken many civilian lives by establishing regionally based peace-monitoring operations, as in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands. The United Nations role in helping to backstop such arrangements, as for example through its Political Office on Bougainville, is very much appreciated. We consider the Secretary-General's recommendation that the Council establish more regular cooperation with regional organizations and arrangements to be highly pertinent for the reasons he puts forward, and we believe that it should be taken up. As to my second point, the Secretary-General has described the indispensable role of United Nations personnel and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in providing humanitarian relief and assistance to vulnerable people.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“We said then that the Council's response in the case of East Timor set a new benchmark in that regard. With more than 18 months' experience of the East Timor operation now behind us, that continues to be our view. I want today just to pick up on three points in the Secretary-General's report. As to the first point, I would thoroughly endorse the Secretary-General's emphasis on a need for a regional, rather than a country-specific, focus in dealing with situations where civilians are being targeted, because the spillover effects, including through refugee flows, can be highly destabilizing beyond national borders. This is true in the South Pacific as it is elsewhere.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“I also wish to thank you, Mr. President, for scheduling this open debate on this important subject. Like others, I also would like to commend the Canadian delegation for bringing forward the question of the protection of civilians during its recent term on the Council. It is now important that this item remain on the Security Council's agenda and that it be addressed regularly. The two reports presented by the Secretary-General, in September 1999 and March this year, have contributed greatly to our understanding of its many dimensions. As we commented a year ago in the Council's debate on this topic, in practical terms a great deal depends on the ability of the Council to take speedy and effective action to restore peace and security when civilians are being targeted.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Instead, it will simply provide more fertile ground in which extremist groups can seek to expand their destructive causes. We also urge Israel to release the tax payments due to the Palestinian Authority. The withholding of those funds, combined with the economic effects of the closure of Gaza and the West Bank, has caused a dire situation in the occupied territories. The loss of work and hope only increases the desperation of the Palestinian population. All conflict has an economic and social dimension, and the destruction of the Palestinian economy serves no one, but greatly increases human suffering. New Zealand calls on the leaders of both parties to find a way past the distrust and to work together to provide a Viable future for both their peoples.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“New Zealanders are dismayed at the continuation of violence in Israel and the occupied territories. It is clear from over half a century of conflict that neither violence nor repression holds any hope for creating peace and security. New Zealand firmly condemns all terrorist actions. The targeting of civilians promotes fear and hatred. It is for that reason that we urge both sides to refrain from such actions and that we urge Israel to lift its siege on the towns of the occupied territories. Just as terrorist bombs hurt indiscriminately, so too do the restrictions on the movements of ordinary Palestinians. The blockade of the Palestinian population is disproportionate to the threat Israel faces, and it cannot provide the security that Israel seeks.”
2001-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4295Resumption2 (2001) · source
“We believe this will require the General Assembly to grant greater authority and more flexibility to heads of peacekeeping operations so that they can administer their budgets in a way that maximizes their responsiveness to local needs, thus enhancing the prospects for lasting peace.”
2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source
“Despite our best efforts at conflict prevention - and we could always do better - there will be times when the international community has to pick up the pieces following war. When this happens, we should be prepared not only to preside over newly arrived-at peace, but we must also continue to be prepared to adopt a broad, multidimensional approach to ensure that the peace arrived at is sustainable and that the resumption of the conflict is prevented. We encourage the Organization to continue to find innovative ways to enable peacekeeping operations to address the broader needs of peace- building.”
2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source