YouSaid · the spoken record

Mekdad

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597

first

2001-03-19

most recent

2006-06-14

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87

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un-security-council

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1. “Not recognizing that recent events in Rafah and Gaza were crimes that shocked humanity is unacceptable, especially since the Security Council adopted a resolution condemning Israeli practices and calling on the Israeli Government to desist from the demolition of Palestinian homes and property and from carrying out extrajudicial killings. We cannot forget the suffering of innocent civilians on the African continent. We welcome the progress achieved in Liberia, cote d'Ivoire and Burundi after the deployment of joint forces in those regions. The report presents a 10-point platform to strengthen the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We believe that they are important points that should be discussed meticulously.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

2. “Recent developments - including the construction of the Israeli security barrier - will serve only to further limit the access that affected communities have to humanitarian assistance, to essential services and to their livelihoods. Our efforts to secure access where it is denied require unflagging commitment provided on a systematic basis by all of us" (S/PV.4877, p. 3). We are indeed delighted that the Under-Secretary- General repeated this in his statement this morning. It was our hope that the Secretary-General's report would have discussed these facts and not dealt with them in such a hurried manner. Civilians everywhere have to be protected.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

3. “The Middle East is a glaring example of the suffering of civilians - specifically Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian civilians, who are suffering as a result of the continued Israeli occupation of Arab territories. This suffering is evidenced in the continued killing, the demolition of homes, the displacement of people and the restriction of movement of both workers and humanitarian personnel, who are indeed sometimes deliberately targeted by occupation forces. This has exacerbated the suffering of the Palestinian people, as has the building of the expansionist barrier. Under- Secretary-General Egeland, in his briefing to the Security Council on 9 December 2003, stated that: "Issues of humanitarian access in the occupied Palestinian territories also continue to be of great concern.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

4. “The report of the Secretary-General emphasizes that all parties to a conflict must abide by international law. Regrettably, there are still those who, under flimsy pretexts - such as, in Israel's case, the pretext of self- defence - pursue practices that run counter to international humanitarian law. If this law had been respected, large numbers of deaths and injuries could have been prevented. We also wish to emphasize something that the report states: that combating terrorism does not justify a failure to respect international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter or the principle of State sovereignty and security, and that we have to deal comprehensively with the root causes of conflicts and not ignore those causes.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

5. “Civilians constitute the majority of the victims of armed conflicts, which not only cause death and destruction, but generate large numbers of refugees and internally displaced men, women and children who are compelled to live in difficult conditions, facing deprivation for long years, far from home. The number of refugees and persons displaced as a result of armed conflicts worldwide has reached an unprecedented level, estimated at 50 million, and it continues to grow. There are millions of Palestinian and Syrian refugees and displaced persons who are still far from home, in many cases after more than 56 years. This is the result of the Israeli occupation of Arab territories and Israel's lack of respect for international law and numerous relevant United Nations resolutions.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

6. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me at the outset to express the gratitude of the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic for the convening of this important meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. My delegation wishes to thank the Secretary-General for the report before the Council (S/2004/431). We wish also to express our appreciation to Under-Secretary-General Jan Egeland for his briefing this morning. We further wish to express our gratitude to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for its efforts in various regions of the world.”

   2004-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4990 (2004) · source

7. “Allow me in conclusion to stress once again the importance that my country attaches to countering, through cooperation with the countries of the world within the United Nations and other forums, the challenge posed by the acquisition by terrorist groups of weapons of mass destruction. Such mutual cooperation represents the sound approach to pursue in order to avert the danger posed by those weapons and to spare humankind the scourge that has emerged over the past century. The meeting was suspended at 1.05 pm.”

   2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

8. “We would welcome the convening of more such consultations prior to the Council's adoption of its final draft. In particular, we would stress the need to refer to the establishment of zones free of weapons of mass destruction, including and particularly in the Middle East, and to clarify certain terms used in the draft resolution, such as "means of delivery" and "relevant material". We also stress the special importance of the statement issued by NAM. concerning the need for the draft resolution to be fully in line with Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations. Finally, the follow-up mechanism for the implementation of the draft resolution must have a clear mandate and terms of reference, including the time frame.”

   2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

9. “That fact has been confirmed by employees of the Israeli industrial complex. This issue raises many questions about the credibility of the approach taken towards the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons foremost among them. The draft resolution before the Council today contains references confirming that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons poses a threat to international peace and security. It also stresses support for multilateral agreements aimed at curbing proliferation. While we approve those references, we share the questions and doubts raised by the States members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at their meeting with the sponsors concerning other aspects of the draft resolution.”

   2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

10. “The Security Council still has before it a draft resolution that was submitted twice by the Syrian Arab Republic last year on behalf of all Arab Member States and issued in blue as document S/2003/1208 of 29 December 2003 (see document S/2003/1219, annex). In its operative and preambular paragraphs, the draft resolution stresses the need to address the danger posed by the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups and seeks to prevent such weapons from falling into the hands such groups. It is truly regrettable, however, that the Council has not yet adopted that extremely important draft resolution. Instead, some have tried to exert misplaced pressure, wilfully forgetting the fact that Israel possesses all types of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological and chemical.”

    2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

11. “This should compel us all to consolidate international cooperation in stemming the danger Syria is eager to protect our region and the world from the danger posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Syria's commitment to shielding the world from that threat prompted us to take an important step in the 1960s by acceding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We later concluded a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is worth noting that virtually all Member States are now party to the NPT. Israel, however, is the only Member that has not yet acceded to the Treaty, thus preventing the declaration of the Middle East as a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction and, most importantly, of nuclear weapons.”

    2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

12. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): We thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting to give Member States an opportunity to express their opinions on the important subject on the Council's agenda today. My delegation associates itself with the statement to be made later by the representative of Malaysia on behalf of the Non- Aligned Movement. The international community has agreed that the best way to eliminate the danger posed by weapons of mass destruction (WMD) lies in their total elimination, whatever form they may take and wherever they are found. Syria supports that approach. There is no doubt that the possibility of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorists, in particular, and the issue of international terrorism in general are matters of grave concern.”

    2004-04-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4950 (2004) · source

13. “We believe that a just and comprehensive peace cannot be realized without respect for the Palestinian people's right of return and of self-determination in their territories, through the implementation of Security Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace and the Arab initiative adopted by the Beirut Summit in 2001, among other initiatives.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

14. “Is not the Council duty-bound to enforce its resolutions, which have become an international term of reference for the Middle East peace process, particularly resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973)? Israel, which is indebted to the United Nations for its establishment, does not respect the United Nations or its resolutions, while the Arab States believe in the primary role this Organization should play in realizing a just and comprehensive peace in the region. In conclusion, I wish to recall that Syria takes the realization of a just and comprehensive peace in the region as a general policy matter.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

15. “Israel's recent attempts, as evidenced by the dismissal of the Palestinian people's right to return to their homeland and by the annexation of illegal settlements in the West Bank, represent a grave violation of the Security Council's resolutions regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian question. These efforts will have grave repercussions on the region and international peace and security. The time has come for the Security Council to adopt decisive resolutions that will put an end to Israeli war crimes, including Israel's defiance of international humanitarian law, international legitimacy and other relevant United Nations resolutions. Is not the Council duty-bound to say enough is enough, and to stop the killing and destruction, after Israel has killed more than 3,000 children, women and elderly Palestinian civilians?”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

16. “Israel is the party that pursues terror in full View of the world, whose conscience has yet to be moved, for the sole purpose of distracting attention that should have otherwise been focused on its continued occupation of Arab territories for decades, its annexation of Arab territories, its building of settlements, its destruction of thousands of homes and its construction of the racist separation wall. Israel's promoting its actions as an exercise of the right to self-defence is nothing more than the promotion of a policy of killing, destruction, occupation and expansion and is a violation of international law.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

17. “However, the assassination that Israeli has just carried out demonstrates to us once again that the Israeli leaders do not heed international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, nor do they respect the will of the international community. Furthermore, it proves that Israel continues to carry out extrajudicial killings and daily massacres of the Palestinian people and other crimes against them and their inalienable rights. Israel has also shown yet again that it does not hesitate to use the senseless force of terrorism in order to realize its goals. It lies when it says that it kills women, children and other innocent Palestinians and their leadership to fight terrorism. Israel is the party that has brought terror to the region.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

18. “Syria asserts that the killing and destruction carried out by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories is an expression of its contempt for international legitimacy and Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Such acts expose aggressive Israeli settler policies that have hampered the peace process and fomented conflict in the region. When the Security Council met a month ago and all speakers, including some of Israel's friends, condemned extrajudicial killings, including the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, some believed that the Israeli Government would heed the call and perhaps hesitate prior to committing another crime.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

19. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me to first express to you, Sir, our appreciation for convening this meeting to discuss the new crime perpetrated by Israel in assassinating Mr. Abdel Aziz Al-Rantisi and his companions. The policy of assassinations that has become a major method of the Israelis is disgusting. It shows the Israeli leaders' real face to those who have yet to discover it. Those leaders have made systematic terror a policy, in a continuous manner, since the 1940s, while defying international legitimacy and usurping the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic condemned the crime of assassinating Mr. Al-Rantisi. It stressed the need to condemn the policy of terror practised by Israel against the Palestinian people in its occupied territory.”

    2004-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4945 (2004) · source

20. “We emphasize that the Council's continued silence on the Israeli practices will only lead to further violence, killing and destruction in our region. We therefore appeal to the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and to condemn the crime of assassinating Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - a crime that has already been condemned by the international community. We also call upon the Council to fulfil its role in the maintenance of international peace and security and to adopt all measures to force Israel to respect international legitimacy and the relevant Security Council resolutions as a prelude to moving forward with a resumption of the Middle East peace process so that we can find a just and comprehensive solution that will put an end to occupation and will guarantee security for all.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

21. “The Israeli Prime Minister might use excuses to justify this and many other heinous crimes, but the fact before us - which no one can deny - is that these events have only one cause: Israel's continued occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories and its rejection of every effort to arrive at a just and comprehensive solution to the Middle East problem. We followed the discussions in the Council yesterday and today on a statement that would condemn the heinous Israeli crime. It is truly regrettable that the Council has failed thus far to adopt a position in that regard. The fact that the Arab Group has turned to the Security Council is an expression of our Group's commitment to international legitimacy.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

22. “On the basis of humanitarian, ethical, political, strategic and security criteria, we believe that the Israeli head of Government's perpetration of the crime of assassinating Sheikh Ahmed Yassin cannot be justified - let alone taken lightly - whatever its motives or its repercussions. Israel's commission of that crime proves yet again that the Israeli Government will use any flimsy pretext to provoke the Palestinians and to suppress their aspirations to freedom and justice. All these events prove that Israel's crimes of assassination and its building of the expansionist wall to achieve an illusory Israeli "security" will not produce the desired result.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

23. “The spectacle of the Israeli Prime Minister and his Cabinet members celebrating in a toast the Israeli fighter pilots' success in assassinating a disabled, wheelchair-bound, elderly man who was barely able to see or hear was truly nauseating. However, that should not distract our attention from its proper focus: the path pursued by the Israeli Government, which has spared no effort to undermine every international attempt to pacify the situation in the Middle East and to create conditions for a resumption of the peace process with a view to the restoration of the Palestinians' inalienable rights, the establishment of a State on their territories and Israel's withdrawal from Syrian and Lebanese territory, in accordance with resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the Arab initiative.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

24. “The Syrian spokesman's statement also stressed that the deliberate murder of a disabled Palestinian political leader is the epitome of the policy of terror pursued by Israel - which targets Palestinian civilians, a defenceless people labouring under the yoke of occupation - an authority, armed with blind power, that continues to defy international law and divine teachings. The boast by the Israeli head of Government that he directly supervised the perpetration of this crime proves what we have said time and again before the Council: the practice of terrorism is an official Israeli policy that should be challenged and condemned in the context of combating international terrorism.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

25. “The Syrian leadership condemned this evil crime and stressed that the acts by the Israeli Government when it assassinated Sheikh Ahmed Yassin represent a heinous crime that took place in the context of other acts of killing and destruction by Israel against the Palestinian people. It represents a grave escalation of the volatile situation in the region. The Syrian Government emphasized that - regardless of the pretexts put forth by the Sharon Government - the international community should condemn, in all political and humanitarian forums, that Government's policy of murder, destruction and violation of international law and should work seriously to put an end to that policy.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

26. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Mr. President, allow me first of all to thank you for convening this open meeting of the Security Council to denounce the crime perpetrated by the Israeli Government in the early morning hours of yesterday that claimed the life of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and six other Palestinians who had been praying in the mosque after dawn. That Israeli terrorist operation, which constitutes a war crime, is a continuation of the policy of assassination and killings that is perpetrated by the Government of Israel against the Palestinian people in flagrant defiance and stark violation of the resolutions of international legitimacy and the principles of international humanitarian law.”

    2004-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4929 (2004) · source

27. “No country would be exempt from implementing such a resolution: it would be implemented in accordance with the rules of international legitimacy and without double standards. Our draft resolution is still before the Council, and we hope it will be adopted by consensus as soon as possible.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

28. “We believe that any party that kills innocent people, destroys houses upon the heads of women and children, creates faits accomplis in occupied territories and builds settlements is practising terrorism, regardless of the nomenclature. In fact that is more than terrorism. Syria reaffirms the linkage between terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. We call upon the international community to combat both terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in tandem. As an expression of our sound intentions, we submitted last year a draft Security Council resolution, on behalf of the Arab Group, in which we called for the Middle East region to be made an area free of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

29. “We are confident that the proposals to revitalize the Committee are, in every respect, consistent with the Charter, the financial and administrative rules and regulations of the United Nations and with the priorities contained in the medium-term plan. Syria condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and calls for serious discussion of its roots and causes. Such treatment should not be superficial or limited by time. In order to achieve this, Syria, which has fully cooperated with other countries in combating terrorism, thus thwarting many terrorist acts, renews it principled readiness to strengthen that cooperation, which serves our common interest and the interest of international peace and security.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

30. “The report's proposals should be viewed as a means to support what has already been accomplished, and to reinforce the work of the Committee and the Security Council in that respect. My delegation agrees with that principle, and we affirm that it is necessary to abide by it. International consensus on Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the work that has been done are a matter of prime importance that should not be neglected, regardless of any wish to do so. We also agree with paragraph 3 of the report, which relates to the objectives of revitalization. We hope that Council members will discuss that paragraph with all the necessary scrutiny and care. The Committee proposes the establishment of new structures, and there are also references to sound financial accountability.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

31. “I mention that only to recall that Syria has participated effectively in the work of that important Committee. It worked with other Council members to crystallize various proposals and ideas concerning the revitalization of the Committee. It gives us pleasure to note that the 19 February report on the revitalization of the work of the Committee (S/2004/124, annex) reflects a number of the opinions we had expressed. Here, I would like to reaffirm that Syria supports the role of the United Nations in combating international terrorism, based on the purposes and principles of the Charter - which become even more important when the world faces new challenges and dangers. The report on the revitalization of the work of the CTC notes that revitalization is justified by the need to safeguard and strengthen the relevant legal framework.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

32. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): It gives me pleasure to express our satisfaction at the convening of this meeting, which is being held within the framework of our collective follow-up on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). I would like to thank Ambassador Arias, Permanent Representative of Spain and Chairman of the Committee, and the other members of the Committee for the efforts they have been making to muster the efforts of all States Members of the United Nations, in particular, and of the international community in general, in combating terrorism. This is our first statement on the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) since the end of our term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.”

    2004-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4921Resumption1 (2004) · source

33. “Mari Alkatiri, Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, to the Secretary- General (S/2004/ll4), in which he requests the presence of United Nations peacekeping troops, a battalion-sized military force, backed by helicopters, in Timor-Leste beyond May 2004. In the light of the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General and the urgent need for such a force, as emphasized in the Prime Minister's letter and in the statement made to the Council this morning by Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister, Syria supports the request for an extension of UNMISET's mandate. We hope that any decision taken by the Security Council with regard to Timor-Leste will be reached by consensus. That would help to ensure an environment of stability, which would improve and strengthen the capacities of the institutions of this nascent nation.”

    2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source

34. “We agree with the Secretary-General's analysis and his important ideas for follow-up by the United Nations, including the provision of the assistance needed to consolidate and build upon the gains already made. While we express our appreciation to donor countries, we hope that they will continue to assist in Timor-Leste's reconstruction and development process. My delegation notes in particular the Secretary- General's assertion that UNMISET continues to play a decisive role as the country's security capabilities are being built. We agree with him that the capacity of the Timorese authorities to meet the challenges ahead still requires assistance and support from the United Nations. In that regard, my delegation takes note of the letter dated 12 February 2004 from Mr.”

    2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source

35. “My delegation expresses its satisfaction with paragraph 9 of the report, which indicates that the excellent communication that has characterized the relations between Timor-Leste and Indonesia continued over the reporting period, supported by commitment at the highest political levels on both sides. We hope that the Governments of both countries will, as soon as possible, reach agreements that serve the interests of both countries with regard to the issues mentioned in the report. The report of the Secretary-General contains a special proposal to provide assistance to Timor-Leste in the coming period in the areas of stability, justice, internal security, the rule of law, external security and border control. There are also a number of excellent observations at the end of the report.”

    2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source

36. “The Secretary-General's special report reviews, in a general and comprehensive manner, all the important developments in Timor-Leste since its independence, the achievements made thus far in its reconstruction and the changes facing the country. We agree with many of the statements made thus far that Timor-Leste is one of the success stories of the United Nations because of intensive follow-up as a result of the efforts undertaken by the General Assembly and its Special Political and Decolonization Committee, the Security Council and the Secretariat. The delegation of Syria concurs with the report that the political institutions developed by Timor-Leste and the progress it has achieved are worthy of admiration.”

    2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source

37. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): It gives me pleasure to welcome the presence of Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste. I wish him and the Government and people of Timor-Leste every success in building their nation. I should like to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his special report on the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) (S/2004/117) and to thank Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno, Under-Secretary-General, for presenting the report. In addition, the efforts of Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste, merit our full appreciation.”

    2004-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4913 (2004) · source

38. “At the end of his report, the Secretary-General made a number of observations that the Security Council and the relevant parties should take into consideration.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

39. “Funds promised by donors at the conferences in Paris and Geneva must be disbursed in order to tackle the priority matter of establishing programmes and projects to restore peace in Burundi. We also support the appeal of the Secretary-General to bring about reconciliation between the transitional Government of Burundi and the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces nationales pour la defense de la democratie. My delegation believes that the international conference on the Great Lakes region will be a unique, historic opportunity that will make it possible to bring about peace and end the conflict in the region and to achieve the subregion's integration. We believe that the efforts of Mr. Ibrahima Fall in this connection deserve all support and appreciation.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

40. “It is important that the work of the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB), in which South Africa and other countries participate, be completed. We agree with the Secretary-General that AMIB faces difficulties that possibly could jeopardize its significant contribution to the peace process. We also support the Secretary-General's appeal to the donor community to generously provide funds to the mission. The Government of Burundi has taken some positive steps to carry out the DDR programme. United Nations agencies in Bujumbura have also supported the efforts of the African Mission in Burundi and of the transitional Government. Top priority should be given to disarming child soldiers. During the Council mission's visit to Bujumbura, President Ndayizeye said that his country sorely needed financial support to cover all areas.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

41. “Meetings in which heads of State of the region participated have made it possible to ease tensions in the region and strengthen understanding among neighbouring countries. We believe that such efforts should be continued in order to strengthen good-neighbourliness and to implement such agreements as the declaration signed by heads of State or Government in New York. My delegation believes that special attention should be paid to disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and resettlement or repatriation (DDRRR) programmes in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, since these will have an important impact on peace in the region. That country should also make every effort to put an end to the illegal exploitation of its natural resources.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

42. “The Special Representatives of the Secretary- General have made commendable efforts, in particular in rehabilitating the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in reforming the security sector. While we congratulate them on their efforts, we would like to recall that the road ahead is long, particularly when it comes to reforming the security sector and extending the authority of the Government throughout the country. There must be an end to impunity; here, of course, the rule of law needs to be strengthened. To achieve this, the transitional Government must play its role, particularly in strengthening the rule of law and creating institutions and entities that can reinforce that principle. We all know that the regional dimension of conflicts in Africa is of crucial importance.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

43. “We welcome the implementation of many of the recommendations of the mission that visited Central Africa from 7 to 16 June 2003, in particular those related to the establishment, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of transitional institutions in a number of crucial and sensitive areas. We welcome the appointment of members of the transitional Government representing the eight components and entities of the inter-Congolese dialogue. We also welcome the adoption by the Council of Ministers of a set of important policy goals, in particular the formation of a national army and a national police force. The Council of Ministers also adopted a series of draft decrees on reorganizing the Government and the various ministries.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

44. “Mr. Mekdad (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Thank you, Sir, for having convened this meeting. We would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We would also like to congratulate the representative of Chile on the way in which he conducted the presidency last month. My delegation welcomes the work of the Security Council mission to Central Africa, in which we participated. The mission's report was clear proof of the importance of such Security Council missions. These missions truly play an important role, particularly when they are followed by real efforts to implement their recommendations.”

    2004-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4911 (2004) · source

45. “Also, support for indigenous regional solutions and concerted efforts to ensure stability in areas of conflict and to end the cross-border flow of arms and mercenaries is crucial. We also underline the need to support United Nations and ECOWAS measures to consolidate the moratorium on small arms and light weapons in the subregion and to monitor the cross-border flow of such weapons.”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source

46. “Syria closely follows developments in Africa in general and in Central and West Africa in particular. We fully appreciate the efforts of the United Nations and the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General to bring closer together the views of all parties in the implementation of agreements forged with international participation by neighbouring countries, the African Union and ECOWAS member States. Here, I would like to commend Ghana, Guinea, South Africa and Nigeria for their key role in trying to resolve subregional crises. In closing, we would like to stress that United Nations missions and peacekeeping operations in the region, such as those in cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia, have a major role to play in restoring security, stability and national reconciliation in those countries.”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source

47. “My delegation welcomes the progress made so far in Sierra Leone, but we echo the call of the Secretary- General for further efforts to ensure that this progress continues until the scheduled drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, in order to enable the Government to shoulder its primary responsibilities. We support the Secretary-General's suggestion that the United Nations missions in the region should develop a contingency plan for preventing cross-border movements of foreign combatants, a point which was underlined by the Council mission to the region. The cross-border movement of combatants is a key reason for instability in the region, and we support the Secretary-General's recommendations with regard to addressing that phenomenon.”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source

48. “We also hope that the National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Rehabilitation will be successful, and we commend the role played in Liberia by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission until it handed over its functions to the United Nations Mission. My delegation would like to express its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his response to the Security Council mission's recommendation to appoint a senior representative in Liberia. He has appointed Mr. Jacques Paul Klein as his Special Representative for Liberia in order to coordinate the operations of the United Nations system in that country and to coordinate with other missions in West Africa, such as those in Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source

49. “My delegation welcomes the steps taken by President Gbagbo, Prime Minister Diarra and Forces nouvelles in progressively implementing some of those recommendations. We share the Secretary-General's regret at the lack of substantive progress in the peace process for the reasons cited in the report, and we support the Secretary-General's call for recommitment to the Linas- Marcoussis Agreement. Once again, we pay tribute to the French force for the positive role it has played. We are concerned at the Secretary-General's observations regarding Liberia, in terms of ceasefire violations and sporadic serious hostilities, and we hope that the work of the Joint Monitoring Committee will be successful.”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source

50. “My delegation is pleased to note the restoration of calm to Guinea-Bissau and the pledge by the transitional President and transitional Government to hold legislative elections on or before the time set in the Political Transitional Charter, in accordance with the recommendations of the National Elections Commission. We support the Secretary-General's call for the international community to participate in providing financial assistance to enable local authorities to fulfil their obligations. With regard to C6te d'Ivoire, we agree with the Secretary-General that the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement must be implemented as expeditiously as possible by all parties, as recommended by the Council mission, as must the recommendations set out in paragraph 31 of the mission's report (S/2003/688).”

    2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source