YouSaid · the spoken record

Mackay

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224

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2001-01-16

most recent

2005-02-28

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38

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un-security-council

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1. “The work of the Brahimi Panel, the report (A/C.4/55/6) of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the continuing focus on this topic in this forum present the international community with opportunities to reflect on the way we address post-conflict situations with a view to improving the outcomes for those involved in and affected by the conflict, and also for peacekeeping in general. Last year, New Zealand non-governmental organizations organized a seminar entitled "Peace and Security in the New Millennium: How Can New Zealand Contribute?" The seminar proceedings covered a wide range of relevant issues and noted that "Prevention of war is a multi-faceted exercise, and it requires patience and collaboration across sectors in our own society, within our region and internationally".”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

2. “It is worth noting that local and international non- governmental organizations have played key roles. New Zealand and other donors have been able to support peace-building efforts through the targeting of assistance to quick impact projects, including New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad's work in retraining former combatants. In Solomon Islands, the provision of an international team to assist with disarmament has resulted in some progress with regard to the return of weapons. Nevertheless significant challenges remain, and the will of the combatants themselves to support the peace process is of critical importance.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

3. “Recent days have brought news of positive developments in negotiations between the Papua New Guinea Government and the people of Bougainville. New Zealand welcomes these wholeheartedly. The success so far of the Bougainville peace process not only demonstrates goodwill on the part of the former parties to the conflict and the importance of communities taking responsibility for working together to resolve their differences, but also underlines the importance of peace-building, through the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, the restoration of civil authority and the focusing of donor efforts on rebuilding Bougainville's economy. Efforts in the these areas have been crucial in establishing the foundations for a lasting peace.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

4. “The East Timor operation clearly demonstrates the complexity of peace-building in practice, and the relevance of the Brahimi Panel's findings. While a great deal has been achieved in the humanitarian and security fields, further progress is needed in the peace-building side of the operation - for example, the greater transfer of authority to the East Timorese themselves, the establishment of the East Timor Defence Force and the effective functioning of the legal and judicial systems. New Zealand encourages UNTAET in its continuing efforts to build upon its achievements and address these areas, and stands ready to provide ongoing assistance. The granting of greater flexibility in the use of the UNTAET budget to the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Vieira de Mello, would facilitate progress in these areas.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

5. “We were also heartened by the support of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations for exploring the Panel's recommendation that a small percentage of a peacekeeping mission's first-year budget be made available to heads of mission to fund quick impact projects targeted at enhancing peace mission effectiveness. The importance of such projects in achieving support among local communities for peace operations and reconciliation cannot be overestimated. We also support the Committee's recommendation that programmes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration be provided with adequate and timely resources. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

6. “New Zealand welcomed the fine work of Ambassador Brahimi and his Panel, including their focus on peace-building. The Panel noted that for peace-building to be effective, active, multidimensional engagement with local parties is essential. Meaningful interaction with civil society, instituting and upholding democratic norms, the effective use of United Nations civilian police and the protection and promotion of human rights are all required if peace-building is to be effective. The Brahimi Panel's recommendations on these issues are extremely useful.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

7. “But we also acknowledge the Secretary- General's call this morning to further increase the profile of peace-building. Half, or more than half, of United Nations peacekeeping operations now involve an element of peace-building; indeed, in many cases, trying to keep the peace without taking further steps to cement peace and reduce the chance of the conflict resuming would simply fail to address the problem and would be an inefficient use of scarce resources. Peace- building is currently playing an essential role in peace operations in my own region: in East Timor; in the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville, where the United Nations maintains a Political Office; and in Solomon Islands, where an International Peace Monitoring Team has been deployed under the terms of the Townsville Peace Agreement.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

8. “Let me begin by congratulating you, Sir, on assuming the presidency and by offering my best wishes for your term of office. Let me also applaud your initiative in convening, so early in your term, this open debate on peace-building. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this important subject at an open meeting of the Council. In the Council's open debate on this issue in March last year, my predecessor noted that the complexities and challenges of peace-building deserved thorough consideration in this forum. It is reassuring that the Council remains actively seized of this issue. There is growing recognition that peace-building is an essential part of the work of this Organization, and, indeed, the level of participation in this debate attests to that.”

   2001-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4272Resumption1 (2001) · source

9. “Such an operation will need to include a blue-helmeted security component. Finally, I would like to record my Government's appreciation for the actions by the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian armed forces which led to the detention recently of Jacobus Bere, a leading suspect in the murder of Private Manning, who was killed last July while serving with the New Zealand contingent to UNTAET. Those responsible for this crime must be brought to justice. New Zealand and, I am sure, many other countries represented in this Chamber will be following this case very closely.”

   2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

10. “The day when an East Timor defence force might take over some of these responsibilities is still some way off. Future reductions in United Nations troop numbers will have to be based on a careful, objective military assessment of the situation by those in the field. Such a decision should not be driven by extraneous issues such as budgetary concerns. Looking ahead to the post-independence period, we believe it is equally important for the international community to continue to remain engaged if UNTAET's achievements are to be secured. We fully endorse the Secretary-General's tasking of UNTAET to draw up plans for an integrated operation, in close consultation with the Timorese and partner organizations, which might be considered by the Security Council closer to the time.”

    2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

11. “This is perhaps the most difficult challenge, but, despite serious skill shortages among the Timorese people, UNTAET must make every effort to put them in the driving seat. The day must come, sooner rather than later, when East Timorese are the ones making decisions, with United Nations staff acting as mentors and providing guidance. While gains have been made in guaranteeing East Timor's security, the threat posed by the militia groups in West Timor remains and will continue to do so as long as they are not disbanded. Moreover, the maintenance of security will be crucial for the conduct of pre-independence political events, including elections. New Zealand therefore strongly believes that UNTAET operations, including the military component, should continue at present levels through the period of the extended mandate.”

    2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

12. “Today's debate to consider the extension of UNTAET marks an important milestone in the period since the operation's mandate was originally adopted by the Council in October 1999. A great deal has been achieved since then, particularly in the security and humanitarian fields. This is a credit to the efforts of the people of East Timor, to Mr. Vieira de Mello and his team as well as hardworking officials of the Secretariat here in New York, and to the contributions of Member States. It is critical that UNTAET now build upon these achievements. The Secretary-General and Mr. Vieira de Mello have identified areas where further progress is essential. Chief among these, in our View, is the accelerated transfer of authority to the Timorese.”

    2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

13. “Finally, I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for his perceptive observations on his recent visit to East Timor and the representatives of the development agencies for their statements this morning and their commitment to East Timor. New Zealand fully supports the proposed extension of the mandate of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) until 31 December this year, as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report. We do so as one of the major troop contributors to the operation, providing a battalion group and a helicopter squadron for service in the sensitive western border region. I am pleased to note that we were able to advise the Secretary-General shortly before Christmas that New Zealand will maintain its present level of military contribution until May 2002.”

    2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

14. “Before I begin, I should like to join others in expressing condolences to India and Pakistan on the earthquake which has struck them so tragically. In opening, may I express my appreciation to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello for his excellent briefing this morning. We are extremely fortunate to have an international civil servant of his calibre at the head of the United Nations operation in East Timor. May I also record our great pleasure at the fact that Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta is also taking part in the Council's proceedings today. This is highly symbolic of the process we are embarked upon in assisting East Timor to come to independence, which was the choice of the overwhelming majority of the people of the territory in the United Nations-sponsored consultation in September 1999.”

    2001-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4265Resumption1 (2001) · source

15. “There might well be scope for an informal subcommittee, perhaps meeting at the expert level with officials of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, to assist the committee. We hope these ideas can be taken further. In sum, we congratulate you, Mr. President, on using your office this month to focus on an issue of very great interest to the wider membership. You have shown by example how the Council's business can be managed in a way which provides for the interests of troop contributors to be properly taken into account. We look forward to contributing further where we can to concrete recommendations which will lead to a better relationship between the body charged with maintaining international peace and security on our behalf and those countries that predominantly provide the means to carry out its decisions.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

16. “We recall that the Brahimi report indeed suggested, in paragraph 61, that troop- contributor advice to the Security Council might usefully be institutionalized through the establishment of ad hoc subsidiary organs of the Council. We believe that a formal committee should in fact be established. The committee, chaired by the President, should comprise all the members of the Council and every Member State which is contributing formed units to the peacekeeping operation on the committee's agenda. The committee would have a regular cycle of meetings, as well as being convened to discuss new deployments, new mandates and other significant changes to an operation, including troop reductions.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

17. “Equally, in these days when only a few Council members can be counted among the major troop-contributing countries to United Nations operations, there would seem to be an imperative for Council members to seek the views of troop contributors, especially on issues concerning the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. As my delegation argued in the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations as far back as April 1994, there is a direct correlation between the willingness of Member States to commit personnel to United Nations operations and the level of comfort with mechanisms in place for consultation. Finally, comment has been sought on the idea of establishing a special subcommittee of the Council on peacekeeping operations.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

18. “President, for the way in which you have scheduled troop-contributor meetings for the four operations whose mandates expire this month - the United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia - well in advance of Council consideration. The strengthening of cooperation with troop contributors is of very great importance to our capitals, especially as United Nations operations grow more complex and more hazardous. We must be able to demonstrate to our parliaments and to our publics that we have an avenue to contribute to decisions that affect our servicemen and women.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

19. “In particular, if the Council is to consider any proposals to alter significantly the mandate or the size of a force, we, for one, would expect a fuller military appreciation to be provided to Council members and to troop contributors in just such a meeting, and we have heard here today from a number of other troop contributors who very clearly share this View. Timeliness is also an essential requirement if meetings between the Council and troop contributors are to have value. May we applaud your efforts, Mr.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

20. “Among the key features of that 4 October meeting were the provision of an excellent briefing by Under- Secretary-General Guehenno on the current political framework, a first-class military appreciation of the situation facing UNAMSIL, presented by Major- General Ford, and the readiness of the Council President at the time, Ambassador Andjaba of Namibia, to see a free and frank exchange of views among the participants. The content of troop- contributor meetings must be well prepared, as it was in this case.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

21. “We firmly believe that this Article must be given due weight in United Nations peacekeeping in the twenty-first century. On paper, things have come a long way since 1994. Resolution 1327 (2000), adoptedjust two months ago by way of follow-up to the Brahimi Report, speaks of strengthening significantly the existing system of consultations through the holding of private meetings with troop-contributing countries. Even before that resolution was adopted, we were greatly encouraged by the private meeting between the Council and troop contributors to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), which was held on 4 October last year. We very much hope that the format of this meeting might serve as a model for the implementation of private meetings in accordance with resolution 1327 (2000).”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

22. “We are represented in operations in Asia, Africa and Europe, with our biggest single contribution being a battalion group in East Timor. We approach the question of strengthening cooperation with troop contributors, therefore, with strong credentials, we believe, and from the perspective that the Charter guarantees, under Article 44, those troop contributors who are not members of the Council the right to be heard by the Council, at the very least. As others have noted, the Charter speaks of troop contributors being invited to participate in the decisions of the Security Council concerning the employment of their contingents. This must be our starting point in considering the possible establishment of new mechanisms and the procedural issues that flow therefrom.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

23. “Our joint letter to the President of the Council on 18 September 1994 (S/1994/1063) got the ball rolling and led to the institutionalization of the procedures set out in the presidential statement of 4 November 1994 (S/PRST/l994/62). We sought these improvements because of our commitment to the key United Nations role in the maintenance of international peace and security and because of our concern to see the Organization do better in the face of some very great challenges at the time. That commitment has never diminished. New Zealand has been a willing contributor to United Nations operations for half a century. Our current level of contribution to United Nations peacekeeping is the highest ever. Over 30 per cent of the New Zealand army is at present involved in peacekeeping.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source

24. “It is a great pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr. President. I want first to compliment you and the Singapore delegation for convening today's meeting on this important topic, as well as for your innovation in permitting non- members to speak first. Hopefully, this initiative will indeed promote greater interactivity. Ambassador Mahbubani has asked us to keep our statements short and punchy, and I will try to oblige. I want to explain briefly why New Zealand takes a particular interest in this subject and what we would like to see by way of an outcome. As Ambassador Listre of Argentina has mentioned before me, New Zealand and Argentina, while serving together on the Security Council in 1994, were perhaps pioneers in seeking the institutionalization of procedures to provide for appropriate consultation with Members outside the Council.”

    2001-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4257 (2001) · source