YouSaid · the spoken record

Mejdoub

lines on the record: 281
first: 2001-03-22
most recent: 2002-10-16
sittings or episodes: 34
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

“We believe that the dialogue between the United Nations and Iraq remains the ideal forum for resolving all unsettled problems. In that regard, we reiterate our satisfaction at Iraq's decision to accept the unconditional return - I repeat, the unconditional return - of the inspectors, which constitutes, as the Secretary-General indicated at the beginning of the session of the General Assembly, a step towards detente in the region and the lifting of sanctions. In that context, Tunisia reaffirms its attachment to the Arab position of opposing all strikes against an Arab State, while calling for the prevention of further suffering and harm to the Iraqi people and for the need to preserve Iraq's national integrity, its sovereignty and its territorial unity.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“First, it owes it to itself to dispel all the doubts regarding the credibility of the Organization and prove that the world's affairs are not managed according to a double standard. The Council's second responsibility is to remain vigilant in order to avoid providing a sort of legal cover for unilateral tendencies or creating dangerous precedents that could turn out to be disastrous if they were ever transposed and applied in the resolution of other conflicts and to other areas of tension throughout the world. As do all other peace-loving countries, Tunisia, which is known for its moderation, supports the call of the United Nations Secretary-General and other world leaders for restraint and for exploring all diplomatic channels in the search for a peaceful solution and to spare the Iraqi people further suffering.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“In this respect, the French approach might be of assistance to the Council, as might the statement presented on behalf of the Secretary-General this morning. We must also ensure that the great Powers, as much if not more so than the young countries, show respect for international law, if only to set an example. An ill-advised act of force would undermine all the principles of the United Nations Charter: respect for sovereignty, sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States, as well as the prohibition of the use of force. We believe that the Council, as the sole guarantor of peace and international security, today has a weighty historic responsibility in two respects.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Now that we have the stick we need to pay more attention to the first part of his admonition, and we need not just to speak more softly but to listen more carefully." (spoke in French) It is no offence to our friends to tell them to listen to the international community and act with the Security Council. The Arab Group had expressed the hope that there would be no new draft resolution. Such a draft would now be pointless, as it would arrive half way through the process, when the inspectors are already prepared to return to Iraq to carry out their mission. However if - God forbid - a resolution were to be adopted by the Council, it should be devoid of any bellicose dimension that might lead to a new unilateralist concept of the settlement of international disputes.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Such a war would be an affront to the Arab world, which during the Beirut Summit rejected any attack directed against Iraq. How then, should we handle this crisis? First of all, we must put an end to the war-mongering hysteria. To some extent, President Bush gave a sign of hope by stating that war was not inevitable. Other speakers have made the same point, including Senator John Warner, who stated that the resolution under consideration in Congress was not a blank cheque, but rather a deterrent. We must therefore reconstruct multilateralism and place our trust in the good sense of the international community. In a striking book, Joseph S. Nye, Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, wrote: (spoke in English), "Teddy Roosevelt advised that we should speak softly but carry a big stick.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Such a war would also be harmful because it would trigger an avalanche of reactions and counter- reactions in Iraq and in the region as a whole. It would upset the balance in several ways. It would provide certain extremists with a pretext for expanding the war still further. Such a war would be damaging because it would be likely to undermine the campaign against terrorism - a campaign that the international community has been painstakingly organizing, on the basis of a multilateral network, since the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). Why risk creating the fracture in the alliance against terrorism that many experts have predicted and perhaps jeopardizing the commitments that have been undertaken by those involved in that alliance?”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“The Beirut Summit also demanded that the independence, sovereignty, security, national unity and territorial integrity of Iraq be respected and that the sanctions imposed on it be lifted in order to put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people with a view to securing stability and security in the region. In September, the idea of a war became even more pointless because the consensus was expanded, thanks to the goodwill, positive attitude and constructive approach of the Iraqi side. The Arab Group, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of the Islamic Conference welcomed Iraq's unconditional acceptance of the return of inspectors, thereby providing an opportunity for the problem to be resolved by diplomatic and peaceful means.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“In March 2002, following the active diplomacy of Crown Prince Abdullah, the Arab countries, inspired by wisdom and in a constructive peacemaking spirit, came together at the Beirut Summit to cement reconciliation among all the countries of the region. Iraq undertook to respect the independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the State of Kuwait - those were the very words to come out of the summit - and to settle all humanitarian questions still outstanding between the two nations. I remind the Council that the Beirut Summit unanimously and firmly opposed any attack against Iraq and took the View that any threat to the security and integrity of one Arab State was a threat to the national security of all Arab States".”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Advocating an automatic recourse to force, thus prejudging the outcome of inspections, is unacceptable; we must not lose sight of the fact that it has not yet been established that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction. Rather than embarking on a spiral path that leads inexorably to confrontation and war, we should be facilitating the immediate return of the inspectors, whose job it is to dispel any doubts surrounding this issue by fully carrying out the mandate entrusted to them by all relevant Council resolutions. Such a war would be pointless from the Arab standpoint. The Iraqi question - an Arab issue - has entered a new phase.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor to the first President George Bush, wrote recently: (spoke in English) "There is scant evidence to tie Iraq to terrorist organizations, and even less to the September 11 attacks". (spoke in French) That statement was often cited in the democratic debate in the United States Senate on 10 October, which we followed. Such a war would be pointless because United Nations inspectors have been expected in Baghdad to carry out their tasks since 17 September, as Iraq has agreed to receive them immediately and unconditionally. A formal agreement to that effect was reached on 1 October in Vienna between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Hans Blix on the one hand, and an Iraqi delegation on the other.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“The tragedy continues in Palestine, fighting goes on in Afghanistan, the world economy is in a dire state, and now there is talk of a new front - a fresh war in Iraq. It is hardly surprising, then, that the entire world is mobilizing; that Member States are engaging in a debate in an open meeting of the Security Council; and that those present here should hear directly what millions of people - including some of our longstanding Anglo-American friends - are telling our Governments: that there should not be an attack on Iraq and that there should not be a war, because such a war would be pointless. I say that it would be pointless because its motivation is not well-founded. Mr.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia) (spoke in French): Mr. President, allow me to convey to you our most sincere thanks for having acceded to the request of the Non- Aligned Movement that this open meeting of the Security Council be convened to consider the Iraq crisis. All signs had indicated that this issue was going to be resolved peacefully, in keeping with the norms of international law, relevant Council resolutions and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. But now we see that it has resurfaced in a way that threatens to plunge the world into crisis. Indeed, the world is heading towards a serious crisis, and, if we are not careful, we shall be entering a period of terrible turmoil. Terrorism struck on 11 September 2001, and its evil deeds are spreading, as the recent carnage in Bali attests.”
2002-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4625 (2002) · source
“A clear definition agreed upon by all States would definitely help avoid that confusion. Secondly, the fight against terrorism requires that we attack its root causes. Thus, it is necessary to tackle all manifestations of poverty and underdevelopment wherever they occur, work resolutely to eliminate causes of frustration and deprivation and resolve major pending issues so that they cannot be exploited by terrorist groups wishing to harm international stability.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“In that regard, we are grateful to Sir Jeremy for organizing periodic briefings with non-member States. We are also pleased by the Committee's increased cooperation with international, regional and subregional organizations and institutions, as well as by its continued efforts to obtain financing and specialized technical support. (spoke in English) Before concluding, I wish to underline two points of major importance to my delegation. First, the comprehensive strategy to prevent and fight terrorism should not jeopardize the inalienable right of peoples to self-determination or the legitimate struggle of peoples against foreign and colonial occupation. It is essential not to confuse those rights, recognized and protected by the Charter and by international law, with acts of terrorism targeting civilian populations.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“In compliance with this resolution, we have submitted to the Counter-Terrorism Committee two reports dealing with the measures taken in this regard, and we remain ready to respond to any new request from the Committee. Furthermore, my country has given effective support to the CTC, in particular by designating an expert in counter-terrorism law. During its term in the Council, Tunisia stressed the need to guarantee maximum transparency in the Committee's work. We also urged that technical assistance be provided to the States to enable them to fulfil resolution 1373 (2001) and called for equitable geographic representation in the selection of experts working with the CTC. One year later, we note with great satisfaction that the Committee is working resolutely in that direction.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Furthermore, Tunisia has adhered to regional conventions adopted by the League of Arab States, the Organization of African Unity and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as to the 12 international conventions on specific terrorism issues. Tunisia has also made many initiatives. Among these was the call by President Ben Ali to hold an international conference that would lay down common parameters for a code of conduct for all States. It would help initiate a responsible dialogue that would avoid double standards in regional conflicts and mitigate the feelings of deprivation and oppression experienced by many peoples. As a member of the Council at the time, Tunisia actively participated in the formulation of resolution 1373 (2001).”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“But first, I would like to join those who spoke before me to pay tribute to the sustained efforts made in this regard by Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the Vice-Chairmen of the Committee, the other representatives of CTC members, the experts and the Secretariat staff. Tunisia, which was among the first nations to warn against the dangers of terrorism, is firmly committed to continue its work to strengthen cooperation aimed at effectively countering and finally eliminating this scourge. Therefore, beyond its multi- dimensional, comprehensive national counter-terrorism policy, Tunisia has signed bilateral agreements with 30 countries with a view to strengthening its cooperation with those countries in the legal and security areas.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia) (spoke in French): Please allow me at the outset, Sir, to congratulate you and all the other members of your delegation on your accession to the presidency of the Council. Let me assure you as well of our complete cooperation in the fulfilment of your duties. My congratulations go also to your predecessor, Ambassador Tafrov, for his excellent leadership of the work of the Council last month. Please allow me also to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this meeting, which marks one year since the first meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). Today's meeting gives us the opportunity to report to members of the Council about the measures that Tunisia has taken to combat the grave threat posed by international terrorism.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Its people are intelligent enough to understand that their soldiers and their Prime Minister have gone too far and that that is not in the interests of a country that will one day have to live in peace and harmony with its Arab neighbours. The Arab Summit held in Beirut made Israel a historic offer. Tel Aviv should seize that opportunity, sooner rather than later, to finally resolve the painful Israeli-Arab conflict. As far as the members of the Security Council are concerned, their adoption of this draft resolution today would mean that they were helping both parties in a decisive manner. Indeed, the necessary conditions must be created for a resumption of peace talks. In that context, the situation of President Arafat must be resolved as a matter of urgency. His freedom of movement and action must be restored to him.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“But in just five days' time, Palestinians will remember their September massacre of 1982. Will a single candle be lit for them in the West? Will there be a single memorial service? Will a single newspaper dare to recall this atrocity? Will a single newspaper commemorate the twentieth anniversary of these mass killings of 1,700 innocents? Do I even need to give the answer?" (spoke in French) Rest assured that we are realistic people and that we know that it is pointless to seek condemnation of Israel by the Security Council. The draft resolution before the Council expresses the hope that the Council will request Israel to behave like a civilized country.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“As we have in recent times constantly referred to the need for unity in the Council, let us demonstrate the solidarity of the international community even if we know that, unfortunately, Israel will ignore this admonition with total impunity. What disgusts the Arab world, and indeed the Muslim world, is the policy of double standards to which it is subjected daily. All peoples of common sense in the world have strongly condemned the crimes of 11 September 2001. But when it comes to the ills that beset our region, people are silent. This is what Robert Fisk wrote in The Independent on 11 September 2002: (spoke in English) "Today, 11 September, our newspapers and our television screens are filled with the baleful images of those two towers and their biblical descent. We will remember and honour the thousands who died.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“(spoke in French) In calling for this meeting of the Security Council, the Arab Group wanted the international community to be seized of the inadmissible behaviour of the State and the army of Israel. A legitimate complaint by the Palestinian Authority has been placed before the Council and it calls for the minimum minimorum. That entails an immediate halt to the punitive operations organized by a Member of the United Nations in disregard of the Charter itself; respect for the symbol of the Palestinian national struggle - President Arafat, whose life is being threatened; withdrawal by the occupying forces to the positions held prior to September 2000; and accelerated peace efforts by all international actors. None of that is cause for reservations.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We are profoundly convinced that the delicate international situation today requires the international community to step up its efforts to facilitate a return by both parties to the negotiating table in order to enshrine the vision of two States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within secure and recognized borders. The international community should also redouble its efforts to make Israel withdraw from the occupied Arab territories, to observe international law in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and to base its actions on the Madrid terms of reference and the principle of land for peace.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We need to work in parallel in all other areas, including the political and economic fields, so as to deal immediately with the humanitarian situation, which continues to deteriorate in the Palestinian towns and villages that have been reoccupied, in order thus to give rise to some hope and to avoid a deadlock. The brutality and daily acts of aggression suffered by Palestinian civilians at the hands of the Israeli occupying forces impel us today to reaffirm the proposal made at the Cairo Summit by President Ben Ali of Tunisia to establish a mechanism to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli practices and violations.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We condemn this persistence and call on the international community to urge Israel immediately to comply in full and without conditions with Security Council resolutions 1402 (2002) and 1403 (2002); immediately to withdraw from all reoccupied Palestinian towns; to return to the status quo of before 20 September 2000; and to put an end to its futile policy, which is fed by a short-term political vision that merely broadens the scope of the violence and fuels resentment and a thirst for vengeance. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that a comprehensive, just and lasting solution will be impossible as long as the security imperative continues to be considered paramount.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Tunisia condemns Israel's persistence in imposing a state of siege on the legitimate President of Palestine, President Arafat. It condemns Israel's continued implementation of a calculated and systematic policy against defenceless Palestinian civilians in order to starve them and to oust them from their lands, in flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and of relevant international instruments, mores and ethics.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Notwithstanding all of the efforts made by the Palestinian side to show good faith and good intentions and to reform its institutions in keeping with the vision and the requirements of influential international parties, and despite the calm we had seen in the past six weeks, Israel has continued to perpetrate barbaric military actions against innocent Palestinian civilians. Israel has not stopped its harassment of the legitimate President of Palestine, President Arafat. It has imposed a humiliating state of siege on him and has destroyed his headquarters. The Israeli Government has turned its back on all peace initiatives, including the Arab peace initiative that was adopted and endorsed at the Beirut Summit, whereas the Palestinian and all Arab countries remain committed to peace as a strategic choice.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia) (spoke in Arabic): We are profoundly disquieted and concerned to see Israel using provocation and military escalation while many peace- loving international parties are trying to rebuild following the serious damage inflicted on many Palestinian reoccupied towns by the Israeli military action. This is a clear attempt to demolish what remains of the infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority and its institutions and clear evidence of Israel's insistence on committing further crimes against the defenceless Palestinian people. It is clear that Israel is stubbornly and intransigently persisting in impeding peace efforts intended to defuse tension and to create conditions conducive to a resumption of the political dialogue and to a return to negotiations.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614Resumption1 (2002) · source
“The situation today requires that we keep an open mind and deal with the political and humanitarian realities in all their dimensions, both present and future, in order to save the entire region from an unknown and potentially dangerous fate. In the context of the current delicate international situation, this requires that all of us be level-headed and that we look to the future from the perspective not of narrow interests but of peaceful coexistence among States, nations and civilizations.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Fourthly, along with a political vision, there must be a neutral third party on the ground to serve as a deterrent and as a security guarantee to all parties, in order to put an end to the cycle of action and reaction. In this regard, it would be sufficient to follow up on the proposal made by the Secretary-General to set up a multinational force to separate the two sides, with a view to ensuring their security. Indeed, that security will never be guaranteed by the policy of fragmenting Palestinian territories - separating Palestinian lands and isolating them from each other - or by besieging the Palestinian people, restricting their movement and stifling their economy.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“One need only read the op-ed article written by the head of the Israeli Government that appeared last Sunday in a United States newspaper to see that the Israeli Government has no intention of opening up the political horizon. Thirdly, the only solution lies in opening up the political horizon, so that all parties can enjoy their rights and abide by their obligations. The role of the international community in this respect is to internationalize the settlement through an international peace conference encompassing all positive ideas, views and initiatives. Such a conference should be based on previous agreed frameworks, in order to realize the vision of two independent States coexisting within secure international borders, in keeping with the decisions of the international community and the resolutions ofthe Security Council.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“In the absence of a political vision for the resolution of the question of Palestine, how can we not expect the Palestinian people to reject occupation as a permanent situation and its practices as natural? Indeed, no actions to resist occupation took place following the Madrid and Oslo conferences, because the Palestinian people had pinned all their hopes and expectations on peace treaties that they expected would lead to a just, lasting and comprehensive political settlement of the question of Palestine. However, without any light at the end of the political tunnel, as is the case now, it is pointless for any political or military authority, however influential, to wager continually on the security option alone in the absence of a political vision to resolve the question.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“That, in turn, has freed Israel from responsibility and accountability under international norms and the texts and instruments of the United Nations itself, in particular those ofthe Council. Secondly, in the light of the representative of Israel's statement this morning, we believe that to consider the question of Palestine from the perspective of the Palestinian people's reactions to the practices of occupation on the one hand and the occupying Power's escalation of those practices in response on the other distracts us from the core of the question and its political foundations. The issue is one of occupation, and all occupations generate legitimate resistance until they are brought to an end.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“It is the last remaining situation of occupation faced by the international community. The reason for that situation is the occupier's rejection of the international will, of Security Council resolutions and of all other international instruments and agreements, in particular those pertaining to occupation and its practices. In our view, and in the view of the entire international community, the most important reason for this impasse is the Council's inability to deter the occupier and, by the means provided under the provisions of the Charter, to compel it to respect the resolutions of international legitimacy. We have come up against that fact again and again in the Council. The occupying Power continues to defy all international norms, while the Council regrettably remains a prisoner to a lack of the necessary political will.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia) (spoke in Arabic): I should like to congratulate you, Sir, and sisterly Syria on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. We have every confidence in your abilities and in the success of your presidency. There was every reason to call for the convening of this open Security Council meeting on the question of Palestine to follow the development of events and incidents in the Palestinian territories, which we believe must be perceived primarily as an issue of occupation. Addressing that issue requires, on the one hand, a political vision and, on the other, the dispatch of a neutral international third party. First, this question must be considered primarily as an issue of occupation, with all its attendant practices, including the suppression of rights.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“This is a reality with which we have to contend from now on. Now I would like to quote a wonderful statement by Mohatma Gandhi, who said that "Poverty is the worst form of Violence and insecurity". The Security Council has the right and the duty to recall this to the international community.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“NEPAD clearly expresses how Africa, in association with the rest of the world, could finally begin to tackle the enormous challenges that face it. The implementation of NEPAD is of great importance, and we are convinced that, if we want to put an end to the vicious circle of conflicts, violence and instability in Africa, the Working Group must seek to make itself aware of the economic and social causes of conflict whenever it looks at a given situation on the African continent. It is this relationship between peace, security, stability and development that should, in our opinion, always be at the very basis of every treatment of a conflict in developing countries, and in Africa in particular, where it has been amply shown that every intra-State or inter-State conflict also has economic and social causes and implications.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Peace depends on economic and social development. Despite the unquestionable progress that we have seen in recent years, the situation in many regions in Africa remains alarming. Africa has not been able to radically break with all matter of ills that still plague it. The continent has the largest number of least developed countries: 34 out of 49. This critical situation is worsened by the burden of a severe debt, low levels of savings and investment, the depreciation of the prices of commodities, reductions in official development aid, as well as insufficient levels of foreign direct investment. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) reflects the Africans' desire to take the future of their continent in hand.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“This regional organization has also undertaken mediation between the Central African Republic and Chad, as well as among the different Somali factions. This experience needs to be acknowledged by the Security Council, as these are mechanisms able to contribute to conflict resolution. Lastly, we must point out in this context the matter of the lack of resources within the OAU and subregional organizations ~ namely, when it comes to being able to play their role in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace-building. The role of regional organizations can be crucial, especially when it comes to designing exit strategies after peacekeeping operations. Once the conflict is resolved, the long-term plan and peace-building could be entrusted in the field to subregional mechanisms that the United Nations must assist politically and financially.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“It is also important to include the subregional organizations, such as the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is undeniable that these subregional organizations constantly contribute directly to resolving internal conflicts and inter-State conflicts in Africa; and therefore they must be heeded by the Security Council whenever dealing with a conflict or tension in the regions that they represent. The efforts and initiatives of ECOWAS in the Sierra Leone conflict and in Liberia are well known. The CENSAD has also contributed greatly to resolving the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the internal conflict in the Central African Republic.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Most of the conflicts that take place in Africa in this post-cold-war period are domestic conflicts; and thus we feel that it is crucial to strengthen the institutional abilities of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), support its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution and help the OAU in the area of training, increasing its participation in United Nations activities and initiatives and promoting joint United Nations-OAU initiatives. Modalities for this cooperation have to be strengthened through the implementation of appropriate strategies in the area of cooperation and permanent mechanisms, including early warning, conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace-building.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Within this context, my delegation supports the adoption of new institutional arrangements, with a View to making the role of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General in Africa more effective. Regional and subregional organizations have an important role to play in the area of conflict prevention and peace-building after conflicts. Chapter VIII of the Charter provides an ideal framework for cooperation and coordination between the regional organizations and the United Nations, in particular the Security Council and the Secretary-General. Because of their geographic proximity and their better knowledge of the unique situations that they cover, regional organizations could be a rapid early warning centre for the United Nations. They are sometimes better equipped in order to determine the right time for the Council to act.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Often placed at the head of support offices of the United Nations for peace-building, the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General already have a certain number of achievements to their credit. These include support given to Governments to build peace, fostering national reconciliation, strengthening democratic institutions, providing a framework to harmonize the United Nations peace-building activities in the field and facilitating the mobilization of international political support. There is also the collection of arms and assistance for their destruction, and facilitating communication between Governments, neighbouring States, regional organizations and bilateral donors.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Peace is rather something that has to be built, with the combined efforts of all United Nations bodies, in order to establish with foresight the foundations for peace or to build peace following a conflict. I would like to express our support for the establishment of an Economic and Social Council advisory group on African countries emerging from conflict and express the hope that the Security Council ad hoc Working Group will cooperate closely with the Economic and Social Council advisory group. The Special Representatives of the Secretary- General play a very important role when it comes to preventing conflicts and also in the field of peace- building.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Their participation in the Security Council meeting held on 29 January 2002 on the situation in Africa shows how beneficial the interaction between these two main organs of the United Nations is when we are talking about the maintenance of international peace and security in their political, economic and social dimensions, which themselves generate development within a context of stability. Cooperation and interaction between these two organs can fit perfectly into efforts to prevent armed conflicts and to build peace before and after conflicts. In the course of its presidency of the Council in February 2001, Tunisia suggested for the Council a discussion on peace-building, being convinced that peace is not simply the absence of armed conflicts or declared hostility.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We also believe that the activities of the Group should be part of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report on the causes of conflicts and the promotion of sustainable peace and development in Africa. The analysis and the recommendations in that report are still very relevant four years later. While expressing our gratitude for the document that was prepared in order to facilitate this discussion, allow me to stress the following points. We attach great importance to cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia) (spoke in French): The Tunisian delegation wishes to thank you, Sir, for planning and presided over this formal meeting of the Security Council devoted to Africa. I also wish to congratulate Ambassador Koonjul, Chairman of the ad hoc Working Group on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa, for his commitment to Africa. We are convinced that, thanks to his professional and human qualities, the work of this Group will be crowned with success. My delegation supports the mandate of the ad hoc Working Group on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa. Of course, the statement of the President of the Security Council of 31 January 2002 contains very interesting recommendations and suggestions that pave the way for the future action of the Working Group.”
2002-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4538Resumption1 (2002) · source
“I repeat, the essence of the question is the need for the Council to shoulder its responsibilities and do its utmost to expose to the light of day the tragedy, the nightmare that occurred in Jenin. We live in an open and democratic society, in which information flows freely, where fact-finding represents the essence of democracy. Let us reject double standards, if we truly wish to establish a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
2002-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4525 (2002) · source
“The Secretary-General has discharged his task with impartiality and in a most constructive spirit. Now, should the Council lack the energy and the unity necessary for political action in the Middle East, we will have to resort to other forums such as the General Assembly, which will henceforth be a recourse for condemning injustice and dealing with the weaknesses and shortcomings that we have, sadly, seen in the last three days. When the Security Council has proven its efficiency and effectiveness in other instances, how can we accept its inability to do the same in this situation, which constitutes a grave threat to international peace and security?”
2002-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4525 (2002) · source
“That is the disbanding, indeed, the dissolution, of the fact-finding team. We refuse to accept the failure of the Council. Israel cannot continue to deny the team access to Jenin on either political or legal grounds. Acting on the basis that "might makes right", Israel rode roughshod over four Security Council resolutions. The most recent is 1405 (2002), a United States initiative that we accepted in good faith and that Israel accepted unequivocally. Nevertheless, it will remain a dead letter. In such cases, the United Nations Charter, under chapters VI and VII, provides for the adoption of coercive and non-coercive measures to bring recalcitrant States to comply with the law. It is inadmissible for the Council to renounce its prerogatives and accept the defeat inflicted on it by Tel Aviv.”
2002-05-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4525 (2002) · source