YouSaid · the spoken record

Mahbubani

lines on the record: 1,011
first: 1999-09-11
most recent: 2004-05-10
sittings or episodes: 106
sources: un-security-council

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

“The Council strongly encourages the Government of the Central African Republic to do everything in its power to strengthen democratic institutions and broaden the scope of national reconciliation. The Council urges all political actors in the Central African Republic to contribute each in their own way to the reduction of the existing tension between the Government and the Opposition. In this respect, while it welcomes the release, on 8 January 2001, of 62 persons who had been arrested during the prohibited demonstration of 19 December 2000, the Council nevertheless notes with concern certain constraints on peaceful public assembly of opposition and labour groups. "The Security Council calls upon the Government of the Central African Republic to take concrete measures to implement economic reforms and to ease social tensions.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4262 (2001) · source
“The Council appreciates the release by the World Bank of the second tranche of credit for the consolidation of public finances and welcomes the recent decision by the International Monetary Fund to release additional funds. The Council calls upon Member States which made pledges at the special meeting in New York co-chaired by the Secretariat, Germany and the United Nations Development Programme in May 2000, to fulfil their commitments. The Council also stresses the importance of international assistance to refugees and displaced persons in the Central African Republic and in the other countries of the region in order to contribute to regional stability. "The Council reaffirms that it is first up to the Central Africans to summon the necessary political will for national reconciliation.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4262 (2001) · source
“"The Security Council expresses its concern at the political and social tensions which have recently resurfaced in the Central African Republic, which threaten the national reconciliation process undertaken four years ago with the active support of the international community. The Council notes with concern the absence of dialogue between the Government and the opposition. The Council is also disturbed by the deterioration of the economic situation, partly because of the repercussions of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the resulting fuel crisis. "The Security Council welcomes the contributions already received and calls upon bilateral and multilateral donors to provide full support to the efforts of the Government of the Central African Republic.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4262 (2001) · source
“In this connection, the Council welcomes the additional progress made in certain areas since the previous report of the Secretary- General of 29 June 2000 (8/2000/639), particularly in the area of disarmament and the restructuring of the security and defence forces, and as regards respect for human rights by the police. "The Security Council welcomes the mission to the region of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to assess the impact of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo, in particular its humanitarian, economic, social and security implications. The Council is looking forward to discussing the findings ofthat mission in the very near future.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4262 (2001) · source
“The Security Council will now continue its consideration ofthe item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf ofthe Council: "The Security Council has considered the report of the Secretary-General dated 11 January 2001 (S/2001/35), submitted in accordance with the statement by the President of the Council of 10 February 2000 (S/PRST/2000/5). "The Security Council commends the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) and the Representative of the Secretary-General for the efforts they have constantly made to contribute to peace and stability in the Central African Republic.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4262 (2001) · source
“I thank Mr. Sy for the clarifications he has provided. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council will continue its consideration of this item at a meeting to be held immediately following the adjournment of this meeting. I would therefore like to urge members of the Council to remain seated as we move immediately to adopt the presidential statement. The meeting rose at 1.10pm.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“Sy returns to Bangui, he will carry a message, from our delegation at least, to Mr. Amara Essy, telling him that we fully support the work he is doing to bring about peace and stability in the Central African Republic and in the region. Finally, in conclusion, it is clear that in overcoming the hurdles I have mentioned, we need to establish a clear finishing line. The objectives we need to work for need to be understood by all of us, and we hope that the presidential statement we will adopt at the next meeting will be helpful in that direction. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to Mr. Sy to respond to comments and questions raised in this morning's discussions.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“Here - if we may make one simple suggestion - we hope that at the next session of the General Assembly's Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa, the Group will look at the experience of the Central African Republic in this area. The fourth and final hurdle, of course - and this again was referred to by several delegations - is the continuing unrest in neighbouring countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This point, I think, was made most eloquently by the Foreign Minister of Mauritius, when he said: "Indeed, the predicament of the Central African Republic cannot be dissociated from the dire conditions prevailing in the Great Lakes region." In this regard, I hope that when Mr.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“The third hurdle that I think we also need to address relates to the root causes ofthe problems being faced now. The latest report of the Secretary-General clearly paints a bleak picture of a political stalemate, a deepening social crisis and a precarious economic situation, but it is not clear whether the report analyses sufficiently what the root causes are of the problems currently faced by the Central African Republic. In this regard, I would like also to mention that one particular point that seemed to surface consistently in remarks today was the need to address the problem of arrears in salaries, and the consistency with which it was referred to suggests that this may be a fundamental problem that needs to be addressed in finding solutions to the problems in the Central African Republic.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“Let me mention four hurdles. The first hurdle is the need for full and prompt implementation of the outstanding elements of the Bangui Agreement and the National Reconciliation Pact. These areas in particular remain central to the post-conflict peace-building efforts. These include, first, the strengthening of the police force and the restructuring of the armed forces to achieve greater ethnic and geographical balance; secondly, demobilization and reintegration of ex-soldiers; and thirdly, measures to strengthen the economy. These are not new elements. These have been mentioned by previous speakers. The second hurdle, which was also mentioned by several speakers, including our colleagues from the World Bank and UNDP, was the need to raise sufficient funds in support of peace-building efforts.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“In fact, a lot of praise has gone to the work of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA). As members know, MINURCA completed its work, and there is now a fear, as indeed the previous speaker mentioned, that the good work done by MINURCA may be lost as a result of recent developments. If there is one theme that I think we heard consistently this morning in the discussions, it was that it is clear that there is a need to promote national reconciliation in the Central African Republic, and I think if there were two words that we heard over and over and over this morning, they were the words "national reconciliation". It is also true that several hurdles need to be cleared before we can achieve a durable peace and lay a firm basis for the long-term development of the Central African Republic.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“While we have benefited from listening to all of you, we hope that all of you have also benefited from listening to the comments that have been made today. As the Ambassador of France said in one of the early statements, there clearly is a need for an integrated approach in peace-building, and, as he said, the Security Council can play a valuable role in promoting an integrated approach towards peace- building, and we hope that this debate has contributed in that sense. Of course, we hope that the Ambassador of France will elaborate on his comments when we next discuss the question of the Central African Republic. It is clear that the United Nations has been actively engaged in the Central African Republic for quite a while.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of Singapore. Like many of my colleagues here, I too have a prepared set of remarks, but in the interest of time and with a view to responding to or building upon the comments that have been made here, I will try to speak extemporaneously. First, I would like to thank very much, like all my colleagues, the Representative of the Secretary- General, Mr. Sy, as well as the representatives of the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their contributions. I would also like to warmly welcome the Minister for the Promotion of Civic Responsibility in charge of Relations with the Parliament of the Central African Republic, Mr. Agba Otikpo Mezode. We truly appreciate his presence here after the very long journey he has made to get here.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“I thank the Minister for the Promotion of Civic Responsibility in charge of Relations with the Parliament of the Central African Republic for his kind words addressed to me and to my country. The next speaker inscribed on my list is the Permanent Observer for the International Organization of la Francophonie to the United Nations, Mr. Ridha Bouabid, to whom the Council has extended an invitation under rule 39 if its provisional rules of procedure. I invite Mr. Bouabid to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“I now give the floor to the Minister for the Promotion of Civic Responsibility in charge of Relations with the Parliament of the Central African Republic.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“The next speaker is the Vice- President for External Affairs and United Nations Affairs of the World Bank, Mr. Mats Karlsson, to whom the Council has extended an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“I thank Mr. Sy for his comprehensive briefing. The next speaker is the Acting Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme, Mr. Frederick Lyons, to whom the Council has extended an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Bouabid to take the seat reserved for him at the side ofthe Council Chamber. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Central African Republic and on the activities of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic, document S/2001/35. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Sy, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic. I give him the floor.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“I would like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 22 January 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations, which reads as follows: "I have the honour to request you to extend an invitation to Mr. Ridha Bouabid, Permanent Observer for the International Organization of la Francophonie to the United Nations, in connection with the Security Council debate on the situation in the Central African Republic, scheduled for 23 January 2001, in accordance with rule 39 of the provisional rules of procedure ofthe Council." That letter will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/2001/67. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Bouabid.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“Frederick Lyons, Acting Deputy Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and to Mr. Mats Karlsson, Vice-President for External Affairs and United Nations Affairs of the World Bank. Before I announce a decision on this, let me mention that I had informed the members of the Council at the consultations ofthe whole yesterday that UNDP would be represented by Mr. Diabre. When I returned to my office yesterday evening I got a new message saying that, instead, Mr. Frederick Lyons would represent UNDP. I thought I should explain this to members ofthe Council. There being no objection to the participation of these two individuals, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Lyons and Mr. Karlsson to take the seats reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“The President: In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Sy, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Sy to take a seat at the Council table. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend invitations under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. On behalf of the Council, I welcome the Minister for the Promotion of Civic Responsibility in charge of Relations with the Parliament of the Central African Republic, Mr. Agba Otikpo Mezode. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Mezode (Central African Republic) took a seat at the Council table.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“At the outset of the meeting, I should like to acknowledge the presence at the Council table of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation of Mauritius, The Honourable Anil Kumarsingh Gayan. On behalf of the Council, I extend a warm welcome to him. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. The situation in the Central African Republic Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Central African Republic and on the activities of the United Nations Peace- building Support Office in the Central African Republic (8/2001/35) The President: I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of the Central African Republic, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda.”
2001-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4261 (2001) · source
“There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by show ofhands. In favour: Bangladesh, China, Colombia, France, Ireland, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Norway, Russian Federation, Singapore, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America The President: There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1335 (2001). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 1.10 pm.”
2001-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4256 (2001) · source
“Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka, document S/2000/1251. Members of the Council also have before them document 8/2001/34, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council's prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following documents: S/2000/1235, letter dated 22 December 2000 from Yugoslavia addressed to the President of the Security Council; and S/2001/13, letter dated 5 January 2001 from Croatia addressed to the President of the Security Council. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (8/2001/34) before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.”
2001-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4256 (2001) · source
“I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Croatia in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it was so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Simonovie (Croatia) took a seat at the Council table. The President: The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.”
2001-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4256 (2001) · source
“"The Security Council welcomes the Secretary-General's intention to put in place a trust fund for peace-building in Somalia. It notes that despite the recent positive developments in Somalia, the security situation in the country is still a cause for serious concern. The Security Council therefore invites the Secretary-General to prepare a proposal for a peace-building mission for Somalia. Such a proposal should, with specific attention to the security situation in the country, outline possible ways to advance the peace process further. "The Security Council remains seized of the matter." This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2001/ 1. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“"The Security Council reiterates to all States their obligation to comply with measures imposed by resolution 733 (1992) of 23 January 1992 and urges each State to take the necessary steps to ensure full implementation and enforcement of the arms embargo. It strongly condemns the illegal supply of weapons to recipients in Somalia. It reiterates its call upon all States, the United Nations and other international organizations and entities to report to the Committee established by resolution 751 (1992) of 24 April 1992 information on possible violations of the arms embargo. "The Security Council insists that all States should refrain from any military intervention in the internal situation in Somalia and that the territory of Somalia should not be used to undermine the stability in the subregion.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“It calls upon the United Nations, its Member States and specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations as well as the Bretton Woods institutions to assist in addressing these challenges. "The Security Council, emphasizing the importance of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, notes with concern that the humanitarian and security situation remains fragile in several parts of Somalia, including Mogadishu. It strongly condemns attacks by armed groups on civilians and humanitarian personnel and calls upon all Somalis to respect fully the security and safety of personnel of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and of non-governmental organizations, and to guarantee their complete freedom of movement and safe access throughout Somalia.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“It encourages the Transitional National Government to continue, in a spirit of constructive dialogue, the process of engaging all groups in the country, including in the north-eastern and north-western areas, with the view to preparing for the installation of permanent governance arrangements through the democratic process. "The Security Council underlines the massive challenges facing Somalia with respect to reconstruction and development, and the immediate need for urgent assistance, particularly in the areas of demobilization (with special attention to measures to combat HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases), disarmament and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“It strongly urges all political groups in the country, in particular those which have remained outside the Arta peace process, to engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue with the Transitional National Government in order to promote national reconciliation and facilitate the democratic elections scheduled for 2003, as called for in the Transitional National Charter. It further calls upon all groups, in particular armed movements, to support and participate in the demobilization efforts undertaken by the Transitional National Government.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“It expresses gratitude for the efforts undertaken by the Government and people of Djibouti in convening the peace conference. Furthermore, it recognizes with appreciation the impetus provided to the process by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), including the mandate extended by the Ministerial meeting in Djibouti in March 2000. "The Security Council further welcomes the efforts of the Transitional National Government to promote reconciliation within Somalia.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: "The Security Council notes with appreciation the Secretary-General's report of 19 December 2000 on the situation in Somalia (S/2000/ 1211) and reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the situation in Somalia, consistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, bearing in mind respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia. "The Security Council welcomes and supports the outcome of the Arta peace conference, the establishment of the Transitional National Assembly and the Transitional National Government.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia, document S/2000/1211.”
2001-01-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4255 (2001) · source
“However, we are not sure who will take ownership of the peace process in Kosovo, and we would very much like to be enlightened on this major peacekeeping operation and its termination. In conclusion, let me congratulate you once again, Mr. President, on raising a very important subject. It is not normal, as far as I can recall, to have a title with two negatives in it, as in "No exit without strategy". Letting the two negatives cancel each another out would give us a positive statement, which would read "Exit with strategy". We hope, therefore, that our deliberations will lead to more strategically considered rather than ill-considered exits as well as entrances in key and important peacekeeping operations.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Does each one have a unique strategy? Or are we, honestly, whistling in the dark and hoping for the best? Of these live cases, East Timor probably remains the most hopeful. The reasons are complex. At the core of it all, there is a capable group of leaders led by Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos-Horta who are prepared to accept local responsibility for peace- building and nation-building. Sergio Vieira de Mello has also done a truly excellent job as the chief administrator. But - and this is an equally important point - East Timor can succeed only if the international community does not abandon it prematurely. We see a fair degree of hope for the local leaders and population taking ownership of the peace process in East Timor.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Hedi Annabi describes the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) as follows: "UNTAET is a multidisciplinary operation, which combines the following elements: humanitarian relief, provision of security by a military force, administration of the territory and capacity- building for self-government, economic recovery and development assistance. In other words, the United Nations is employing in East Timor, as it did in Kosovo, a comprehensive approach that combines elements of peacekeeping, enforcement, peace-building and development assistance." Any discussion of mission closure and mission termination should look at these "live" case studies as much as it looks at past case studies. In which of these cases can we see a happy ending? And how do we avoid unhappy endings in the rest?”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“But the United Nations decision to walk away completely without leaving behind any kind of presence or involvement to help improve the situation will also remain a blot on the United Nations conscience. All those who plan mission termination and mission closure should have a section entitled "Remember the lessons of Somalia". Somalia almost killed new peacekeeping operations. Fortunately, they survived as a species, and new ones in the second mode were born: Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone and, possibly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kosovo and East Timor further pushed the envelope of peacekeeping operations to handle transitional administrations. Mr.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We are, I must confess here, intrigued by the concluding sentence, which states that "some key Council members pursued objectives in their own perceived national interests at the expense of making firmer commitments to resolve the Haitian conflict." (ibid.) There was also, unfortunately, one major disastrous failure in the immediate post-cold-war era: Somalia, which has been referred to. We honestly do not know enough about Somalia to be able to explain the failure. Local factors played an important role. But key external actors also made major errors of judgement. The tragedy here is that the United Nations was held accountable for this failure when its hands were virtually tied throughout the operation.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“President, in Mozambique "the peace process enjoyed deep and patient support from various elements of civil society." (S/2000/1072, annex, para. 11) It is also not possible to draw general conclusions about the grounds for peacekeeping-operation failures, such as in Haiti. As the same annex notes, "In light of the never-ending political stalemate in Haiti and the persistent related violence, one is likely to View the United Nations efforts in that country as a disappointment." (ibid., para. 13) The annex goes on to state the reasons why.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Hence, in the immediate post-cold-war period many could be quickly resolved - and, I should add here, this was partly because the Security Council was also able to act in almost total unity. This paved the way for many early successes in the peacekeeping operations established to deal with internal situations, including in Namibia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cambodia, Mozambique, Tajikistan, Eastern Slavonia, Guatemala and the Central African Republic. It would be foolish to try to draw general conclusions about why these peacekeeping operations succeeded. But one key common factor that we should take note of is that in all these cases, it appears that it was the local populations that took ownership of the peace process. As your annex notes, Mr.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Many, of course, still exist: the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) after 51 years; the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) after 36 years; the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) after 26 years; the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) after 22 years; and the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) now after 9 years. To the best of our knowledge, no one is suggesting sunset clauses for these operations. This is a light burden which the international community seems ready to bear. The second type of peacekeeping operations emerged as a result of the burst of euphoria that followed the end of the cold war. There was a genuine feeling, justified in many cases, that many of the old conflicts had been stoked by the cold war.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“To understand how peacekeeping operations can be terminated successfully, perhaps for a start a clear distinction between the two normally propounded types is necessary. The first type - created during the cold war in response to inter-State conflicts - provided the traditional definition of peacekeeping operations. The traditional peacekeeping operations were generally single-faceted operations. Their sole purpose was to monitor and supervise the lines of a ceasefire. The operations would exit only when the two sides arrived at a full peace agreement, unless they were compelled to withdraw earlier by one or both parties. They were peace monitors, not peacemakers or peace-builders. Yet they have provided valuable service, as demonstrated by their longevity.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Let me also add here that the need to review lessons learned was a point we heard repeatedly this morning, including, I believe, in the remarks made by Sir Jeremy Greenstock and of course in the remarks just made by the Permanent Representative of Germany, Mr. Dieter Kastrup. Our problem in analysing peacekeeping operations' successes and failures is that there is a huge variety of peacekeeping operation, even though they have only one name. In some ways, it is as useful to talk about peacekeeping operations in general as it is to talk about animals in general. Perhaps there is much in common between elephants and mice, snakes and monkeys, cats and dogs. But there are also important differences.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We hope that one concrete outcome of today's debate will be that the Lessons Learned Unit of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will produce brief case studies of all peacekeeping operations, as part of the revitalization process of the Lessons Learned Unit. These studies will provide the Council, the Secretariat and Member States with a valuable record of past mistakes, failures and successes in mission start-ups, transitions and closures. It is to be hoped that by recording all this in the United Nations institutional memory, some of the more egregious failures of United Nations peacekeeping will be avoided in the future.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In discussing both successful and negative examples of mission closure and mission transition, Mr. President, you mention three examples in your annex: Mozambique, Liberia and Haiti. We agree that these are three excellent case studies. Indeed, my delegation would like to offer its special congratulations to the Netherlands for adding another important dimension to the Security Council's work: reflecting in a lessons-learned mode on the successes and failures of Security Council decision-making regarding peacekeeping operations, as presented in the case studies. But it may also be helpful in this debate to cast our net wider and look at the full range of peacekeeping operations.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“If we are to be honest with ourselves, we should admit that the United Nations has still not exorcised the ghosts of Somalia and Rwanda from our deliberations. We hope that our debate today will be the first step in this direction. It may also be useful to complement our discussions here today by considering the topic "No entrance without strategy". Getting the strategy right before sending in a peacekeeping operation can also help to ensure that it terminates in success instead of failure. But we should also bear in mind that since perfect conditions for deploying a mission can never exist, the lack of such conditions should not be used as an excuse for staying out. What is important is that the strategy - not necessarily all the conditions - be right before the mission is deployed.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“This would seem to be in contradiction to the Council's mandate as contained in the Charter of the United Nations, which implies that it should facilitate the establishment of a self- sustaining peace, or at least a durable absence of violence." (S/2000/1072) There can be no better example to demonstrate the point in your letter than the case of Somalia - a classic example of a United Nations mission that entered and exited a situation without clear long-term goals. The experience of Somalia was also partly responsible for the tragic experience in Rwanda. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was downsized to a token force, which was helpless in the face of a preventable genocide there.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“But the peacekeeping operations also suffered a near-death experience in recent time. After the disastrous experience in Somalia, many key Council members almost developed allergic reactions to new peacekeeping operations. In the your letter of 6 November 2000, you said: "There have been cases in which the Council decided to end a mission or to reduce significantly its military component, only to have those situations remain unstable, or worse, descend again into violence and chaos soon thereafter.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It is sometimes said that a diplomat is someone who can tell a person to go to hell in such a way that the person will feel that he is going to enjoy the journey. You have performed an equal miracle - on the positive side - by persuading the Council to discuss an issue that has become virtually taboo: the shortcomings and failures of the United Nations Security Council decision- making on peacekeeping operations. Peacekeeping operations are the heart and soul of the work of this Council. It is the only activity for which the Security Council has a unique mandate. No other body can assume responsibility for peacekeeping operations. A quick glance at the peacekeeping operations budget will prove that this is once again a sunrise industry, going up from $1 billion in 1998 to more than $2 billion this year, we believe.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source