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

“Before I begin my prepared remarks, I hope that you would allow me to add a brief impromptu comment. I was fortunate to be here at l p.m. today when Sir Jeremy Greenstock was speaking. I was actually very pleased that he was responding spontaneously and off the cuff to many of the comments that were made this morning, and I thought that this is the sort of interactive dialogue that we should encourage and have in the Security Council, because it is one way of ensuring that some of the good ideas that are put across in some of these open debates are not, in a sense, thrown into a big, black hole and forgotten, but are indeed bounced around and carried forward and will perhaps remain alive in subsequent meetings of the Security Council. Please allow me now to begin formally by congratulating you, Sir, on your diplomatic dexterity.”
2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source
“To our mind, the surest way of developing and sustaining peace is to make all citizens of the society stakeholders in peace. For this reason, development issues cannot be divorced from peace. Those who live in abject poverty, as many do, have no vested interest in pursuing peace if peace fails to uplift them. The temptation to loot, pillage, rape and murder grows more acute when there is little to lose. But a population that believes that tomorrow will be better than today will be more inclined to pursue peace. Peace and development should therefore be seen as two sides of the same coin. Both women and men can and should play an equally important role.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“As some of those present may be mystified by these comments, let me explain that we in South-East Asia have had direct experience of this, as some of the wives of the Khmer Rouge leaders were as brutal as their husbands during the genocide in Cambodia. Lady Macbeth was certainly no solitary exception. As we reflect on this issue, we may have to acknowledge that neither vice nor virtue is gender based, nor is it confined to young or old. In considering how we can better harness the potential of women playing a role in enhancing peace and security, we should therefore be honest and realistic. In not all situations have women marched for peace. Some have marched for war. We see this on our CNN screens occasionally. To achieve real peace and security, we must gain the commitment of both men and women to enhance peace.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“This morning we saw a video presentation of the determination of the women of Burundi and elsewhere in their efforts to contribute to the peace process. Their courage should set an example for us all. Having praised the contributions of women towards peace, I hope that I will be forgiven for introducing a slightly politically incorrect note. It is true that women have often sought peace. But it is also true that women have on occasion displayed equal propensity to encourage human rights violations. When they were not in positions of leadership, women have sometimes, as wives, supported and participated in the evil deeds of their husbands.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“I will cite a few examples. In South Africa, women formed a strong Women's National Coalition that cut across racial, social and political lines, contributing in no small measure to South Africa's success in establishing a democratic Government today. In Northern Ireland, another women's coalition, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, which drew its membership from both the Catholic and Protestant communities, also succeeded in galvanizing the grassroots and securing a seat at the peace table. In Guatemala, women's voices and visibility in the peace process were achieved again through the existence of a cross-party and cross- sectoral women's coalition. The exertions of their sisters in Georgia, Palestine and Cambodia, often in difficult and even hostile environments, have also led to positive outcomes.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Is it any wonder, then, that women are uniting to end the conflicts that destroy the lives of their loved ones, as well as of their communities? Women are half of every community. Are they, therefore, not also half of every solution?" (GA/SM/157) The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) should be commended for highlighting the significant contributions women have made towards both achieving and consolidating peace. In this regard, we also commend both Ms. Noeleen Heyzer and Ms. Angela King for the excellent statements they made earlier today. I would also recommend that we read carefully UNIFEM's publication entitled "Women at the Peace Table: Making a Difference". It has captured well many examples of the achievements of women all over the world in fostering the conditions for peace and stability.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Many have not even had charges filed against them. The wheels ofjustice have to be seen to be moving more swiftly if they are to provide any deterrence at all. One major change between the second half of the twentieth century and earlier times was the growing recognition that women can play an effective role in ending or resolving conflict. You expressed this well, Mr. President, when you addressed the gathering on the occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March this year: "Women know intimately the horrific warfare and bloodshed that they face daily in conflict zones, but they also know the conditions that need to be met to ensure that the peace in their countries is sustainable, equitable and just. Women and children are the first Victims of conflicts.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“But we are pleased that the Summit meeting of the Council endorsed in general the Brahimi report. If the Council can now follow through with deeds that match its words, all victims of armed conflict, women as well as men and children, will benefit enormously. The resolve of the international community to tackle the issue of impunity should be demonstrated by meting out swift and effective justice to those who violate universally accepted norms. Indeed, the death penalty would be both an appropriate judicial response and a key deterrent to prevent a recurrence. The International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, which the Council established in response to the widespread violations of international humanitarian law, have done much good work. Unfortunately, many key perpetrators remain unapprehended.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In a speech to the Council in April this year, we quoted from a booklet published by the ICRC entitled, "International humanitarian law: Answers to your questions": "The lack of discipline among belligerents, the arming of the civilian population as weapons flood the territory and the increasingly blurred distinction between combatants and non- combatants often cause confrontations to take an extremely brutal turn, in which there is little place for the rules of law." Realistically, we could do little at this stage to try to educate such combatants on the civilized rules of war. The only solution is for the international community to deliver robust responses when major infractions take place. This is too large a subject to be covered in this debate.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“There are more than 560 articles in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, which protect both women and men, as civilians, and also as combatants who have fallen into enemy hands. Among these, more than 40 are of specific concern to women." The tragedy we face today is that these norms were written on the assumption that armed conflict would take place between well-trained and well- disciplined armies which could be schooled in the rules of war. Unfortunately many combatants today are young and lack the basic rudiments of education.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Downstream consequences of sexual violations, loss of male family members and eviction from their homes impose incalculable burdens on women, and these may last several years after the end of conflict. Clearly, these barbaric practices must come to an end. One of the greatest contributions of the twentieth century the clear spelling out of the norms that should govern armed conflict. But as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently observed, "If women are subject to so many of the tragic repercussions of armed conflict, it is not from any shortcoming in the rules protecting them, but rather because the laws are not observed. International humanitarian law grants wide-ranging protection to women.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The role of women has changed significantly in the twentieth century, and the Council should recognize this. Clearly, over the course of human history, more men than women have died in armed conflict. But women have also suffered in countless ways. Mothers grieve when they lose sons in battle; so do wives when they lose husbands. We saw this most recently in Bosnia when men were separated from women and brutally slaughtered. Women have also suffered more directly. Over the ages, in armed conflicts women have been victims of direct and immediate physical injury that involve rape, forced prostitution, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, abduction and even slaughter. Women also make up the majority of refugee and internally displaced populations that result from the outbreak of conflicts.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Mr. President, few leaders have had the honour and distinction of presiding over both the General Assembly and the Security Council in the same year. You belong to a small, distinguished league. I am confident that your unique experiences with both the key organs of the United Nations will result in an unusually productive month in the Council. The decision of Namibia to place the issue of the role of women in peace and security on the Council's agenda reflects Namibia's keen awareness of the impact of peace and security issues upon women. We are equally pleased that the discussion will not be one- dimensional. It will not reflect just women's traditional role as victims of war but also, more recently, as key victors in several peace processes.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208Resumption1 (2000) · source
“On this we agree with the point made by Minister Axworthy this morning when he described the work of the Council here today to promote human security as being work in progress. Indeed, last week Minister Axworthy also cited a very moving account given by Philip Gourevitch in his book of how young, defenceless Hutu girls in a convent school refused to leave the side of their Tutsi friends, even though they were ordered to do so by the genocidaires. The simple question that the rest of the world will ask of the United Nations in the future is whether the soldiers will display the same courage and sacrifice as those Hutu girls, or whether they will be withdrawn by their parliaments and media at the first hint of danger.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In short, we should recognize that protecting civilians in armed conflict will require hard decisions. Considerable resources, human and otherwise, have to be placed at risk. Consistent and coherent policies have to be worked out. But in this context, is it fair to ask the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations to do more when it is being starved of resources, especially from the United Nations major contributors? Is it not obvious that an underfunded United Nations can do little to protect civilians? Our remarks today are not intended to create pessimism. But we should set realistic expectations for the civilian populations of the world about what the international community can and cannot do.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Ash has also detected what he had called "reverse ethnic cleansing" taking place in Kosovo "under the very noses and tank barrels of more than 40,000 international troops". Resolution 1291 (2000), which extended the mandate and authorized the expansion of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, exemplifies yet again the difficulties of reconciling the lofty ideals of today's debate and the actual painful decisions made by the Council. MONUC's mandate to protect civilians is deliberately couched in even more conditional language than the mandate given earlier to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). A quick comparison of resolution 1291 (2000) and resolution 1289 (2000), expanding UNAMSIL, will, we believe, illustrate this point.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“But the key implication of what he said is often unmentionable in the Security Council - to save civilians you need effective military forces. The question is, where will they come from and who will pay the costs? In the case of East Timor, for example, every Australian taxpayer was asked to pay an additional 1,000 Australian dollars per person. How many taxpayers in democracies are prepared to do this? Even when troops and resources are available, it may not necessarily mean that civilians will be protected. It is troubling that Timothy Garton Ash, in a recent article in The New York Review of Books, has reported a growing intolerance of all other ethnic groups among the Kosovars.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Fortunately, in this case the United Nations authorized the deployment of a well-equipped international force, under strong leadership and provided with a clear mandate. This force had the will to robustly execute its mandate. In so doing, this operation proved that the United Nations could fulfil its responsibility of preventing the brutalization of innocent civilians by armed militia. Clearly, all conflict situations are different. But none - I repeat, none - provide easy solutions. As Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy of Canada told the Council last week, "the protection of civilians requires strengthening our disposition to intervene with force if necessary." (ibid., p. 24) Minister Axworthy may have been stating the obvious.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We congratulate Ambassador Peter van Walsum of the Netherlands for candidly explaining the source of the problem: "It is understandable, but unfortunate, that a troop-contributing country which suffers heavy casualties will inevitably find itself under pressure from its parliament and its media to withdraw its contingent. The more this reflex can be counted on, the greater the likelihood that precisely such a contingent will be targeted by parties opposed to the peace operation. We have no solution for this problem, but it raises a discomforting question as to the suitability of democratic countries for peace operations." (S/PV.4]27, p. 6) Fortunately, not all democracies behave in this way. In East Timor, the lives of hundreds of thousands of East Timorese civilians were also threatened by rogue militia.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“What message, for example, was conveyed by the deeds and actions of United Nations operations in Rwanda and Srebrenica? Will such history repeat itself again? Will the United Nations once again be paralysed by political inertia and apathy? Will soldiers again abandon supposedly safe areas, leaving innocent civilians as sitting ducks ready for the inevitable ensuing slaughter? Will the United Nations once again send a mission that is from the start grossly understaffed, under-resourced and ill equipped? If we are to be completely honest with ourselves, we have to admit that both in Srebrenica as well as Rwanda, it would appear that the protection of the lives of soldiers was more important than the protection of the lives of civilians. Although this may appear strange at first sight, we know why this happened.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Here, we should be grateful for the incisive analysis and recommendations contained in at least three recent reports: the Secretary-General's report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, of 8 September 1999, the Carlsson report on the 1994 Rwanda genocide, of 15 December 1999, and the Secretary-General's report on Srebrenica, of 15 November 1999. If we read these reports in detail, as we all should, we will find many valuable solutions. I also understand that the Council's informal working group has been studying the Secretary-General's comprehensive recommendations since last September to examine how they could be implemented. But let us remember that the peoples of the world will judge the United Nations not by its words but by its deeds.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“It states, "The lack of discipline among belligerents, the targeting of the civilian population as weapons flood the territory and the increasingly blurred distinction between combatants and non- combatants often cause confrontations to take an extremely brutal turn in which there is little place for the rules of law." Clearly, the long-term solution to this problem is to promote development and education. But is there anything we can do in the meantime to save civilian lives when an armed conflict breaks out?”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We can therefore support the call by the Secretary-General to encourage a "climate of compliance" (S/J 999/95 7, para. 5), which many others have echoed in their remarks today - a "climate of compliance" of existing rules and principles. But how does one explain humanitarian law to combatants, who are often underaged, poor and illiterate, let alone expect them to comply? Even the ICRC has acknowledged the difficulties of applying accepted humanitarian norms in today's "new" conflicts.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Hence, it is no longer a case of soldiers killing soldiers. Instead, as we heard at the debate on the Carlsson report, on Rwanda, last week in this Chamber, it is neighbours who kill neighbours, friends who kill friends, civilians who kill civilians. Rwanda is not the only place in recent history where civilians have killed civilians. We have seen the same thing in Sierra Leone, in Kosovo and elsewhere. We should, of course, be dismayed that such recent atrocities have taken place despite the great progress we have made in formulating rules to protect civilians and combatants alike against some of the more reprehensible acts of war. These norms are clearly set out in the Geneva Conventions, as well as in other instruments of international humanitarian law.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In an annex attached to our remarks, we have reproduced two tables from a recent book by Michael Renner, which indicate the heavy casualties among civilians in armed conflicts before and after 1945. Whether we live in Asia, North America or Europe, none of us has been spared the horrors of war. Indeed, as recently as 1898, in the Spanish- American War, up to 95 per cent of the victims were civilians. As we enter the twenty-first century, the great conceit that we have begun to believe in is that mankind as a whole has become more civilized. Indeed, we have in some respects. Inter-State wars seem to be a sunset industry. With a few exceptions, we do not see large armies in the field killing each other. But unfortunately, a new trend has emerged. In place of inter-State wars, we now see more intra-State wars.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“As this is the fourth meeting we have had on this subject, it may be fair to ask ourselves whether we are going in the right or wrong direction in our discussions - that is to say, will all our discussions actually lead to fewer civilians being killed in armed conflicts? Our first goal in the United Nations is always to prevent conflict, or, as the United Nations Charter states, "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". However, if conflict occurs - and it is likely to occur again - our job is to ensure that we protect the lives of civilians before those of soldiers in these conflicts. Is this goal realistic? We should begin by acknowledging that civilians have been killed in armed conflict for thousands of years.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Allow me to begin by congratulating the delegation of Canada on arranging another discussion on this important topic in this Chamber and to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report. We would also like to commend you, Minister Axworthy, for your decision to preside over this debate in person. Your personal presence here bears eloquent testimony to Canada's commitment to its human security agenda. We would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by Mr. Kellenberger this morning and to pay tribute to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for its substantial contributions over the years through its efforts to bring relief to civilians and those in need, often under very trying circumstances.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We hope that the Secretariat and other key United Nations agencies, like the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund, will provide greater support to the office of Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. We believe that all this attention needs to be woven into a holistic approach that the Council should take towards new peacekeeping operations. Political realities often dictate both the location and nature of the new peacekeeping operations that are created. But these political realities have to be balanced with a careful, professional evaluation of the soundness of the operations that are to be launched. Most of us would be alarmed if sailing boats were built and launched without professional advice having been heeded.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In the mid-1990s, we went through one wave of disillusionment that led to a sharp cutback in peacekeeping operations. How do we prevent another wave of disillusionment? This is the underlying concern that explains the remarks we are making to the Council today. Hence, we applaud the greater attention that the Council is paying to many key dimensions of peacekeeping operations, including DDR. We also value the attention that the Council is paying to the demobilization of child soldiers in this context. In this regard, we welcome the progress made in child protection and note that senior child protection advisers have been included in two recent peacekeeping operations in Africa to help ensure that protection of children's rights remains a priority throughout.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We are acutely aware, as are most in this Chamber, that most peacekeeping operations are not launched under perfect circumstances. Given the nature of the problems that they have to deal with, they are inevitably launched in messy and often difficult situations. But these obvious difficulties make it even more imperative for the Council to identify the critical factors that will create success stories rather than failures out of new peacekeeping operations. Peacekeeping operations, as we indeed noted in our previous statement to the Council, are once again becoming a growth industry. The number of peacekeepers reached a high of about 80,000 in 1994, but then declined to around 10,000 in 1998-99. The number is now on the verge of going up significantly again.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Like all human creations, it has also erred, but, unlike other human institutions, it does not freely or frankly discuss its failures. Take the two most recent peacekeeping operations that have been launched: in Kosovo and East Timor. The operation launched in Kosovo clearly appears to be conceptually unsound. The reasons are obvious. No explanation is needed. The daily reports we read of the trials and travails of United Nations and other peacekeepers in Kosovo confirm that all is not well. The current phase of the East Timor operations, by contrast, appears to be a conceptually sound operation, even though we have to concede that the initial phase under the United Nations Mission in East Timor had flaws. We hope that the rest of the East Timor operation will continue to do well. Our role here is not to be negative.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Poorly designed boats are more likely to sink. They are handicapped even before they are launched. The elements of DDR serve as three additional sails on such a boat. On a well-designed boat, with favourable winds, they can help. On a poorly designed boat, even the best sails will make no difference. Hence, one key point that we hope to put across today is that each time we discuss DDR, we should do so in a holistic manner: look at the total picture of the boat and not just the sails. We make this point here because the record of the Security Council in launching peacekeeping operations has been a little mixed. Many successful operations have been launched. The success stories are well known and lauded, but there have also been failures. This is normal. The Security Council is a human institution.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The logical conclusion that emerges from the report is that the success of DDR depends on the overall conceptual soundness and viability of the peacekeeping operation that is launched. DDR on its own cannot be the crucial variable to determine a peacekeeping operation's success. A conceptually unsound peacekeeping operation cannot be rescued by good DDR, but a conceptually sound peacekeeping operation can be assisted by DDR. A simple analogy may help explain this point. Each time the Council launches a new peacekeeping operation, we should compare it to the launch of a new sailing boat. Preferably, of course, it should be launched in propitious or favourable weather, but we are sure that the Council is aware of this. Whether the boat sinks or sails after the launch will depend on the conceptual and practical soundness of its construction.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“If an operation arrives in the field without the necessary capacity, this not only hobbles its practical effectiveness, but undermines its political viability. Credibility becomes a wasting asset unless support is forthcoming to sustain it, and where an operation is called upon to discharge a robust role in ensuring security, it is particularly important that well-equipped elements be deployed quickly. A mission that has been perceived as strong from the beginning of its deployment is far less likely to be tested than one which is perceived as initially vulnerable or ineffective." (S/2000/10], para. 67) Therefore, the Secretary-General's report essentially indicates that a long list of factors are required for a successful DDR process.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“These included the political will of parties to the conflict to abide by the peace agreement; full cooperation of the whole affected population, including both combatants and non-combatants; a clear and robust mandate for DDR in the peacekeeping operation; strong political support from the Security Council and the international community; the swift provision of ample resources for DDR; and the swift deployment and considerable deterrent capacity of the peacekeeping operation. There is one particular paragraph of the Secretary- General's report is worth reading in full: "The ability of an operation to reassure demobilizing combatants of their security may require considerable deterrent capacity; this should be available as swiftly as possible with deployment of an operation.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Ceasefire was not fully realized." And these are the crucial words: "Disarmament and demobilization of soldiers did not take place. This was a major reason why the ability to implement the other aspects of the mandate was eroded." Clearly, even in relatively successful peacekeeping operations, DDR can be a problematic element. Indeed, if one reads the report of the Secretary- General carefully, the only clear example of success that is frequently mentioned is Mozambique, although in some aspects this, too, was seen or described as a qualified success. There may be other success stories, but we must confess that we did not find them in the report. What we did find in the report, however, was sound commonsensical advice on the key factors that could lead to success in disarmament and demobilization.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In an article entitled "The Nightmare is Over", which appeared in the New York Times on 12 October 1993, William Shawcross wrote: "Let there be no doubt about it. Success is the right word" to describe the United Nations operation in Cambodia. And indeed, a recent conference on peacekeeping in Singapore made the following observations: "From the start, UNTAC [United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia] was conceived as a comprehensive and ambitious operation, with a good mix of both peacekeeping and peace-building elements, including human rights, the return and rehabilitation of refugees, civil administration, civilian police and electoral assistance." However, the same conference in Singapore also observed that "UNTAC was, however, not a complete success.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“As elsewhere in Africa, AK-47s gave dispossessed young men more money and more raison d'etre - even if it was only senseless violence - than peace." But it is not only the United Nations that has had problems with disarmament. Even peace processes outside the United Nations framework - for example, the Northern Ireland peace process - have had similar difficulties with disarmament. In reviewing these problems, we asked ourselves one simple question: which United Nations operations have successfully carried out disarmament or demobilization? The failures are of course, well known. Somalia is the best example, although there the United Nations has been unfairly blamed for serious errors in judgement by amajor Power acting independently of United Nations control. Cambodia has rightfully been hailed as a peacekeeping success story.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“However, when we compare this new dimension with the traditional work done by the Blue Helmets in the past, we must acknowledge that disarmament and demobilization are inherently difficult and dangerous operations. Most people who have been carrying guns for years have either been shot at or have been shooting at others. Guns have become an essential part of their existence. Indeed, many feel naked without them. They will not part with their guns easily. One clear example of this can be found in Sierra Leone. In his new book, Deliver Us From Evil, William Shawcross writes: "The RUF [Revolutionary United Front] was part of a post-cold-war phenomenon - a non-ideological guerrilla movement.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The use of this term implicitly acknowledges that the concept of peacekeeping may no longer be adequate to cover all the work that the United Nations is doing now under the umbrella of peacekeeping. We would like to note here that peacekeeping operations are traditionally launched under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter, but sometimes under Chapter VII or in between. It may be useful for Mr. Brahimi's panel to assess the criteria for creating peacekeeping operations under Chapter VI or Chapter VII, because at this stage we are not clear as to what the criteria are. DDR is, therefore, clearly a new dimension of peacekeeping.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“If these combatants attempted to breach the peace, the United Nations peacekeeping operation would merely report the breach without seeking to enforce the ceasefire. Indeed, the pride of traditional United Nations peacekeeping forces was that they could do their job without using force and, often, without arms. The Blue Helmets served as a true symbol of peace. It is truly amazing how much things have changed since those halcyon days. Indeed, United Nations peacekeepers have been deployed in such a variety of roles that it may be legitimate to ask whether the term "peacekeeping" has a distinct or singular meaning. The Secretary-General's initiative in creating a new panel under the leadership of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi to study all aspects of peacekeeping is therefore timely. Significantly, this project is called "peace operations".”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We congratulate you, Mr. President, on your initiative to have a second debate on the role of United Nations peacekeeping in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR). We would also like to thank Malaysia for introducing this item in the Council last July. We hope that over time, with the discussion of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, when United Nations delegates see the term "UN-DDR" they will no longer associate it solely with the United Nations Delegates' Dining Room. The fact that we are talking about DDR today as a normal aspect of peacekeeping operations shows how far peacekeeping has evolved. In the early days of peacekeeping, the sole purpose of a peacekeeping operation was to provide a buffer between two combating countries after they had decided to make peace.”
2000-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4118Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Without a comprehensive security plan, we may see a repeat of the unfortunate episodes we have witnessed. Finally, the Member States have an equally important role to play. Our words and deeds create the overall political climate in which United Nations missions operate. All those who withhold their regular funding to the United Nations should realize that their actions have real consequences - they endanger the lives of men and women in the field. At the same time, to prove their commitment to ensuring the safety of United Nations and associated personnel, all United Nations States should accede to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. Singapore was the fifth country to accede to the Convention in 1996. So far, only 29 States have ratified or acceded to it. Clearly, more need to do so.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“Symbolically, it was only appropriate that the Security Council despatched a mission, comprising five permanent representatives and ably led by Ambassador Martin Andjaba, when the situation in East Timor deteriorated. At that stage, the staff and occupants of the United Nations compound in Dili were also being threatened by rogue militia. The Security Council should analyse what went wrong and why. Accountability is an essential aspect of leadership. The Security Council should accept this. Similarly, the Secretariat should ensure that safety and security are fully taken into account when United Nations operations are planned and launched. The development of a comprehensive security plan for a peacekeeping and/or humanitarian operation is essential before any such operation commences. The plan should also cover contingencies.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“Unless we all work together, we will not solve the problem. Primary responsibility, as we said earlier, lies with the Security Council. Before launching any operation, it must factor in the safety and security of the personnel involved. Some risks are inevitable, but the risks should be carefully weighed and assessed. It is also the responsibility of the Security Council to ensure that there be a match between the mandate and the resources approved for each and every mission. From the beginning to the end of each operation, the Security Council must monitor the safety of the operation. Equally important, the Security Council must be accountable if any operation goes wrong.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“Louise Frechette, told United Nations Member States to bear primary responsibility for ensuring the security of United Nations staff and mentioned some concrete measures that Member States can take: "First, they can conduct vigorous investigations into all such killings and incidents, prosecuting those responsible to the full extent of the law. To our knowledge, only one person has ever been found guilty and has been imprisoned for killing or causing the death of a United Nations staff member. This impunity cannot be allowed to stand." (A/54/PV.34, p. 3) To protect United Nations, associated and humanitarian personnel, it is clear that each of us - the Security Council, the Secretariat and its agencies and we, the States Members of the United Nations - will have to bear some responsibility.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“We should also make every effort to continually strengthen the international rule of law for the protection of United Nations and associated personnel in conflict zones. We must bear in mind - as you have mentioned, Sir - that some of those lives being put at risk are volunteers, such as the White Helmets. To achieve such security for United Nations and associated personnel, all those responsible for harming them should be fully punished. In a statement made on 14 October 1999, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“They put their lives at risk in order that others may live and that peace may be maintained. In return, the international community, acting as a whole, has a Vital obligation to ensure that these people be adequately protected. The Security Council bears the main burden of this obligation. Slowly but steadily, we are moving towards a more civilized world order. Various conventions, formal and informal, have been created to protect innocent persons in conflicts. As we do this, the international norms for the protection of United Nations and associated personnel, as well as humanitarian personnel, should move in tandem. We should insist on the full and effective implementation of the relevant principles and rules of international humanitarian law related to the safety and security of such personnel.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“In August 1999, a group of United Nations military observers, civilian personnel and peacekeepers of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) were held hostage by rebels for about a week in Sierra Leone. Last year, United Nations personnel in East Timor were threatened and harassed. We should also not forget the dramatic scenes of Dutch peacekeepers being captured, handcuffed and held hostage by Serbian units. Even as we speak today, we have also been told that the whereabouts of some 50 United Nations staffers around the world are still unknown. This is totally unacceptable. United Nations and associated personnel who serve as peacekeepers and who render humanitarian assistance in dangerous missions in various conflict zones fulfil a crucial duty on behalf of the international community.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source
“Despite the entry into force of the Convention, the attacks on United Nations and associated personnel have continued unabated, resulting in the loss of many more lives. United Nations and associated personnel have also frequently been the targets of kidnappings, detentions, assaults and harassment. Some familiar examples of late include the downing of two United Nations-chartered aircraft over Angola in December 1998 and January 1999, in which 23 people working for or with the United Nations lost their lives; the brutal killing of Luis Zfifiiga and Saskia von Meijenfeldt in a road ambush in Burundi in October last year; and the detention of an official of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for about 11 months in 1998 by armed elements in a republic of the Russian Federation.”
2000-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4100 (2000) · source