YouSaid · the spoken record

Merafhe

lines on the record: 78
first: 1995-02-08
most recent: 2008-04-16
sittings or episodes: 6
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 encourage the Council to adopt them. We must now put in place a granite foundation in the area of conflict prevention and management, to ensure that the continuing threat to development and economic prosperity in Africa is brought to an end. I wish to conclude by reiterating what I said before this Council two years ago. Our business as States Members of the United Nations is to take out of business the business of making war. We must invest more resources in the capacity of both the United Nations and the African Union to make peace. Mediation and good offices must be strengthened, so that conflict does not break out because of a poverty of diplomacy or a lack of capacity to prevent, manage and resolve disputes.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“We believe that financial and material resources can be mobilized to assist regional organizations in effectively carrying out peacekeeping operations. Issues related to peace and security in Africa are urgent and important. This is not the first time that the Council has considered this matter at the summit level. There is a time to talk and negotiate. Clearly, there should also be a time for action and results. In that respect, it is our expectation that the outcome of this meeting will be practical and measurable. We urge the Council to adopt a draft resolution that can set in motion concrete measures aimed at translating into reality our hope that the necessary support will be provided to the African Union peacekeeping missions. We strongly believe that the proposals put forward are realistic and achievable.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“Regional organizations, such as the African Union, have a crucial role to play in enhancing the capacity of the United Nations to respond more timeously and efficiently in the prevention of armed hostilities. That is vital if we are to save human lives as well as improve the credibility of the mission of the United Nations. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union embodies the strong resolve of Africa to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts. It is a dependable mechanism that the international community should support and put to good use. We have to acknowledge that there are capacity constraints. A lack of adequate resources severely hampers Africa's ability to successfully execute and sustain peacekeeping operations.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“Therefore, there can be no doubt that, when the African Union deploys a peacekeeping mission in an African country, it does so on behalf of the Security Council and of the international community as a whole. As the United Nations recognizes the advantages of regional organizations in responding timeously to an outbreak of war in a given region, it is necessary that that recognition be translated into practical measures that can strengthen this relationship for the common good. A clearly defined partnership would achieve not only faster results in alleviating human suffering, but also better cohesion and alignment and efficient utilization of resources in peacekeeping operations.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“We strongly believe in the instrumentality of the United Nations and, in particular, of the Security Council, as the organ vested with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Peace is indivisible. The search for solutions to conflict is the responsibility of all. It is therefore imperative and urgent that we assume collective ownership of these challenges. Africa has the political will and determination to work alongside other countries in the prevention of conflict as well as in the management and resolution of disputes. In that respect, Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations provides for cooperation with regional organizations, such as the African Union, in the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April. We are particularly grateful to you for your initiative in organizing this high-level meeting to deliberate on an issue of the utmost importance to Africa and the wider international community. Indeed, the fact that you are presiding over this meeting is a clear testimony of your commitment and of the determination of your country, South Africa, to consistently use its membership of the Council to elevate to a global level the African agenda of achieving durable peace, security and sustainable development. Our presence here today is a clear demonstration of our full support for this initiative.”
2008-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5868 (2008) · source
“It would be highly regrettable if countries making progress in building peace and strengthening national and democratic institutions were to relapse into conflict because of slow movement or a lack of progress in tackling the regional dimensions of the peace process. Let me conclude by stating that a number of resolutions have been adopted by the Security Council on peace and security in the Great Lakes region. Those decisions should be implemented. Chapter V, Article 25, of the United Nations Charter states: "The Members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council". Let us implement these decisions as a matter of urgency, in order to give peace a chance.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo deserves the support of the international community to ensure that the elections are held as scheduled. The success of the elections would be another historic milestone in the democratic process. It would be deeply regrettable if the militia marauding in the region were to endanger a climate conducive to free and fair elections and thus have an adverse impact on the gains made on the road to peace. The international community should not allow this to happen, because it would be tantamount to abandoning the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is for these reasons that the second International Conference must be convened as a matter of urgency, so that we can not only build on the achievements made at the country level, but also reinforce such gains at the regional level.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“We therefore urge the Security Council to call upon Member States participating in the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region to approach the negotiations constructively and with a spirit of compromise and moderation so that reason and common sense can prevail. The second International Conference should be held as early as possible, because progress on the regional dimensions of the peace process would have a salutary effect on the gains attained at the country level. A democratically elected Government has been installed in the Republic of Burundi. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congolese approved a national Constitution in a referendum held in December 2005. Preparations for national elections are in progress.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The mandate of the newly established Peacebuilding Commission and today's Council meeting at the initiative of our industrious Tanzanian brothers and sisters should serve as challenges to the countries of the Great Lakes to play their part, to make the transition to peace, tolerance and inclusiveness. This conference presents a great opportunity. This is the African and universal human way: a culture of botho, which in my language means a culture rooted in the strong belief that one is human because of the humanity of others.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“In helping the countries of the Great Lakes region, the international community would be helping countries such as my own, Botswana. Our prosperity depends on the prosperity of our neighbours and of Africa. We encourage the countries of Africa's Great Lakes region to begin the new year with a sense of hope and determination to work towards ensuring that peace is possible and achievable in our lifetime. We have witnessed a period of Violent conflicts, and never again should our continent and people be subjected to the same painful slaughter of the innocent: men, women and children.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“That means providing financial, material and technical resources for the resettlement of returning refugees and internally displaced persons, the reintegration of former combatants and the provision of education, health care, potable water and, above all, assistance in building and strengthening institutions. Consistent and assured support in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and the reactivation of the economies of the region's countries should go a long way towards reinforcing the process of economic cooperation and regional integration. A comprehensive package of assistance would be the greatest peace dividend that the international community could provide to assist in consolidating a lasting political settlement.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The international community has a crucial role to play in facilitating the development of the will to peace in order to help usher in a new political dispensation in this troubled area. Given the area's violent history, the people of the Great Lakes need assurances that entering into agreements on the governance issues outlined in the Dar es-Salaam Declaration would not be tantamount to surrendering their own security and that of generations yet unborn. They should be encouraged to see these governance issues as underpinning durable peace, embracing good-neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence in exchange for a larger share of expanded opportunities in a larger region. The international community must demonstrate a readiness to support a comprehensive peace agreement by providing resources to underpin such an agreement.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“It is in that context that we call upon the militia groups that have so far refused to join the peace process and continued to be a source of instability and mayhem to voluntarily disarm and join the movement towards peace. That they can do by agreeing to live under and participate in an alternative order based on tolerance, consensus, compromise and democracy. The time has come for the Security Council to send a clear message to the militias that it can no longer tolerate continued defiance of the collective will of the international community. In that regard, we commend the recent joint military action by the Government and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to disarm militias in that country.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“We wish for the people of the region the peace, stability and security that the rest of humanity enjoys and sometimes inadvertently takes for granted because it is as natural as breathing. It is only under conditions of peace and stability that, together, we can devote our resources and energies to improving the human condition and attain the Millennium Development Goals. The immediate beneficiaries of a comprehensive peace agreement would be the people of the Great Lakes region themselves, who have borne the brunt of untold human suffering. Any further delay in achieving durable peace in the region can only condemn all of us in Africa to economic stagnation and the vicious circle of violence and crises. There can be no doubt that the people of this area have a common history and a shared future.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“It is therefore in the interests of the Great Lakes region, Africa and the wider international community that this area be helped to emerge from violent conflicts and human suffering to embrace peace and stability and engage in economic cooperation, regional integration and development. There can be no doubt that the Great Lakes region has great potential for development and economic prosperity if only peace can be given a chance. The restoration of peace in the region should also have a positive impact on the prospects for economic growth and development in the Southern African Development Community region and, indeed, in Africa as a whole. It would open up greater opportunities for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development. The people of the Great Lakes region expect to live in peace. Peace is indivisible.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The Dar es-Salaam Declaration of November 2004 has already established a solid foundation for negotiations on the four themes of peace and security, democracy and good governance, economic development and regional integration, and humanitarian and social issues. The Great Lakes region is one of the African regions that are richly endowed with natural resources, fertile soils, good rains and, above all, industrious and enterprising people. It is the cradle of human civilization, and many people in Africa trace their origins to this area, which is at the heart of the African continent. And yet it is here that we witnessed one of the worst forms of man's inhumanity to man.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, but we recognize that in the final analysis, every State has the ultimate responsibility for establishing institutions that can ensure peace and stability within its borders. We have come here because we have abiding faith in the instrumentality of the Council to play an effective role in the search for peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. If the Security Council has been actively seized of the situation in the Great Lakes region for several years, 2006 should be the year in which we can expect to see increased determination to move from dialogue to action.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“While we welcome without reservation the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, let us never forget that when the United Nations was established 60 years ago, the founders declared their determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Today, 191 countries have freely committed themselves to the noble and great enterprise of ending war. Our business as Member States is to put the business of making war out of business by enhancing the capacity of the United Nations to prevent the outbreak of conflicts and to manage and resolve disputes. It is deeply regrettable that we have not always succeeded in doing that.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“We welcome the establishment of the Commission and, once again, are deeply grateful to your delegation, Madam President, for the pivotal role it played in the negotiations that produced a resolution that enjoyed broad support. We look forward to the constructive and practical work of the Peacebuilding Commission in helping countries emerging from conflict to manage the difficult and painful process of reconstruction, national reconciliation and development. It is our hope and expectation that the Commission will adopt an effective, timeous and action-oriented approach to post-conflict peacebuilding. The work of the Commission should be inclusive, transparent and measurable; that is the only reason for its existence.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“Recent developments in Tanzania are relevant to the subject of this open debate on peace, security, democracy and development in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The right of people to exercise their sovereign will in deciding on the nature of institutions that govern their affairs on the basis of consent is central to the question of peace and development. We therefore welcome the deliberations of the Security Council on the Great Lakes region - a region of Africa whose people have experienced some of the worst forms of atrocities in recent history. This debate is taking place a few weeks after the Peacebuilding Commission was put in place.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“I am delighted to congratulate you, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of January. I am particularly pleased to extend our commendation to your country, the United Republic of Tanzania, and its people for the successful election held during the last month of 2005. Over the years, Tanzania has demonstrated political vision. It led the way in the transformation of African political systems when it ended one-party rule, introduced multi-party elections and brought about a constitutional provision for presidential term limitation and the peaceful transfer of power. For the third consecutive time, it has shown how power can be transferred democratically, smoothly and peacefully. We are grateful to Tanzania for its admirable and exemplary leadership.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359 (2006) · source
“The Council should therefore be prepared to impose on UNITA the measures set out in paragraph 26 of Security Council resolution 864 (1993) and call for the vigorous and strict implementation of the measures outlined in part B of that resolution. When UNAVEM. III was launched on 8 February 1995 I observed that the primary responsibility for the successful implementation of the provisions of both the "Acordos de Paz" and the Lusaka Protocol rested with the people of Angola. I also noted that this could be the last chance for them to receive the support of the international community in the search for a peaceful solution to their problem. This is not to suggest that the United Nations has no responsibility to the people of Angola. It has; and it cannot and must not shirk it.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“The time has come for the Security Council and the international community as a whole to send a firm message that a return to hostilities will not be tolerated. Southern Africa a few years ago witnessed the collapse of the Bicesse Accords and its tragic aftermath. We do not wish to see such a painful experience repeated. The Council should not allow such a situation to occur in Angola for the second time as this would severely impair the credibility of the Council. Botswana and other southern African States are convinced that the Security Council should take measures to ensure the full implementation of its resolutions.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“What this means is that the international community has invested enormous resources to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Angolan crisis. It is therefore extremely important that UNAVEM. III should succeed in the discharge of its mandate. It should be appreciated that UNAVEM's failure would have far- reaching consequences not only for Angola but also for the whole SADC region. And the international community cannot afford to allow the enormous resources expended in the UNAVEM. III operation to go to waste. The situation in Angola must not be allowed to fester. A continuation of the current stalemate can only lead to the intensification of mutual suspicion between the Government of Angola and UNITA and result in a new outbreak of hostilities, which would pose a serious threat to peace and stability in southern Africa.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“In this respect, we encourage the Government of Angola and UNITA to hold high-level talks aimed at resolving the outstanding issues and putting the peace process back on track. Southern Africa has a strong desire to see peace prevail in Angola, and to this end, the Heads of State or Government of the subregion are prepared to play a constructive role in the search for a lasting solution to the political crisis in Angola. We encourage Mr. Savimbi and UNITA to have confidence in the commitment of the leaders of southern Africa to mediate in a fair, impartial and credible manner. It is our hope therefore that Mr. Savimbi will respond positively to their invitation to attend the next meeting of SADC on the situation in Angola. It is a matter of public record that UNAVEM. III is currently the largest United Nations peacekeeping operation.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“These practices, including UNITA' s policies of procrastination and its reluctance to honour its commitments under the Lusaka Protocol, have cast a shadow of doubt on UNITA's will for peace. The atmosphere of trust and mutual confidence between the Government of Angola and UNITA, which has been nurtured with the help of UNAVEM. III and which is vital to the implementation of the peace process, is being undermined. The decision of the Third Extraordinary Congress of UNITA to reject the Government's offer to Mr. Savimbi of a vice-presidential post is deeply regrettable and is not helpful to the creation of a climate conducive to national reconciliation in Angola. UNITA must recognize that the path to peace and democracy in Angola can only be through unity and national reconciliation.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“The most crucial aspects of the Lusaka Protocol, such as the completion of the quartering of UNITA personnel, the handing over to UNAVEM. III by UNITA of its heavy weapons and ammunition and the selection of UNITA personnel to be incorporated into the Angolan Armed Forces, remain unimplemented. UNITA's persistent obstruction of the activities of UNAVEM. III, such as the detention of a helicopter and its crew on 8 September, the denial of permits to aircraft to carry out investigations in Chitembo and interference with the demining activities of the United Nations-contracted company, are acts which the international community should deprecate in the strongest possible terms.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“My delegation associates itself with the statement made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, Mr. Mudenge, Chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial delegation to the Security Council, as well as those of my colleagues from southern Africa who have spoken before me. The Council is meeting to consider the situation in Angola barely three months before the termination of the life of the mandate of the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM. III). Botswana, like other members of the international community, had hoped that by now the peace process in Angola would have become irreversible. It is a matter of profound regret that today the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol has reached a stalemate. It is clear that the gains of the last few months are in grave danger.”
1996-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3702 (1996) · source
“As we commemorate this auspicious occasion, let us rededicate ourselves to the lofty ideals which inspired the founding fathers of our Organization and renew our faith in the efficacy of the United Nations, its purposes and principles. But also in equal measure, let us redouble our efforts to ensure that the Security Council will continue to be responsive to the wishes of a world sick and tired of conflict. We owe it to posterity to create a world safe for peace.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“The Security Council should never take sides, either by commission or omission, in any conflict, for therein lie the seeds of its undoing: it cannot be both an honest peace broker and a peace enforcer at the same time without compromising the ends of justice and the possibility of a more durable peace in the long term. Those of us who have emerged from the ashes of a region scorched by the hell fire of racial hatred and political oppression in southern Africa have learned a great lesson: that the freedom of any one country, be it big or small, rich or poor, resides in its affording other countries their own freedom. If this cannot be universally attained, there will be less hope for world peace.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“In situations where there is an absolute need for the derogation of some of the authority of the Security Council to regional arrangements to deter or prevent the aggravation of a conflict, the mandate of the regional arrangements must be clearly stated. This must include what is intended to be achieved and how, what can or cannot be done without prior consultations with the Council and such other limitations on the mandate of the regional arrangements which would ensure that the authority, credibility and respect of the United Nations are not compromised. It is a matter of the utmost importance that the United Nations should retain its impartiality in all conflict situations.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“It can act or function effectively only on the basis of whatever authority and titbits of national sovereignty the Member States are willing to cede to it. In other words, the United Nations can only be as good as its Member States want it to be. Obviously, there is a need to strike a balance between the national interests of the States members of the Security Council and the wider international implications of action or inaction in the light of threats to peace. And this is not an easy task. In the circumstances, the United Nations Security Council should serve as the crucible for the harmonization and coordination of these national interests and policies in order to ensure that the wider interests of the peoples of the world for peace and security are not compromised.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“Equally, the majority developing countries should not use the power of their numbers to frustrate the national interests of the big Powers, because the result would be an international impasse on issues of crucial importance to mankind. We are pragmatic and realistic enough to appreciate that total convergence of national interests among the Member States for collective action for the maintenance of international peace and security would be very difficult to attain. This would be so even at the best of times, so long as the nation-State system remains the predominant feature in international relations. We are also fully alive to the fact that the United Nations is not a world government or a super-State.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“Rather, it lies in the contribution it makes to the maintenance of international peace and security, to the promotion and enjoyment of basic human rights and freedoms and to economic welfare for all, and, finally, to the progressive elimination of other problems afflicting modern society which make the presence of war and conflict an ever-present spectre in human existence. The few rich and powerful Members of the United Nations should not use their power to veto the national aspirations, interests and policies of the poor majority. They should instead use this power for the elimination of poverty and for the economic and social uplifting of small and poor States and the poorer sections of society in those countries.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“The parties to the conflicts, who often fail to heed calls by the United Nations for the cessation of hostilities or even challenge the authority of the United Nations Security Council, must bear the lion's share of responsibility for failure in the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security. Where the parties have cooperated with the United Nations - in Namibia, Mozambique, Cambodia and El Salvador and now in Angola and Haiti, to mention a few recent examples - the results have been resounding successes. My delegation strongly believes in the sovereign equality of Member States. The importance of each Member State of the United Nations does not lie in how big or small, how rich or poor it is.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“This objective has largely been realized, to the extent that there has not been an outbreak of a major war in the 50 years of the Organization's existence. Yet, in the same period, local or regional wars have claimed more lives than were lost during the Second World War. In a local or regional sense, therefore, succeeding generations have not yet been saved from the scourge of war. The conflicts currently raging in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Sierra Leone, the genocide that was perpetrated against the people of Rwanda last year and the unsettled situation in Burundi, to mention but a few examples, are illustrative in this regard. Lack of success in conflict resolution, however, cannot be blamed on the Organization alone.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“Madam President, we are delighted to see you presiding over this celebratory meeting of the Security Council. Your country, Italy, and Botswana enjoy warm bilateral relations. We are therefore happy to see a friend at the helm of this august gathering. We congratulate you. The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations offers us a unique opportunity to review the Organization's successes and shortcomings and to reflect on what the world body has come to represent for all of us. The United Nations was founded in the aftermath of one of the most devastating wars in the history of mankind. It was established to, inter alia, "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“There are no further speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 7.05 pm.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“Let me highlight once again the primary responsibility of the people of Angola and their leaders for the successful implementation of the provisions both of the "Acordos de Paz" and the Lusaka Protocol. This could be their last chance to receive the support of the international community in the search for a peaceful solution to their problem. Equally, the United Nations has a responsibility to the people of Angola. There should be no attempt or threat to withdraw the Mission for flimsy reasons at any stage in the implementation of the provisions of the present resolution. It is the collective responsibility of all involved to usher Angola into a new era of peace and stability. We should do everything in our power to ensure that we succeed this time. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“We should also ensure that we have in place post-conflict peace-building measures, which are an indispensable condition for the stabilization of the country. Thus, the staged implementation of the operation at the beginning should be followed by phased withdrawal of the Mission to help the people of Angola build mutual trust and confidence and live peacefully together as good neighbours. To that end, there should be a continued, strong United Nations presence in Angola beyond the expiry of the mandate of UNAVEM. III to help the people of Angola adjust to a new life. We are happy that paragraphs 37 to 39 of the Secretary-General's report cover some of these concerns.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“This should not be taken as advocacy of or a licence for an open-ended peace-keeping mission. We have noted the concerns of those who advocate "sunset provisions" in all peace-keeping operations. There is no problem with that approach so long as it is universally applied. It would surely help make the parties to a conflict understand that the United Nations does not have an infinite amount of time at its disposal for such operations. At the same time, however, we should guard against being overly cautious, to the extent that we might threaten the success of the Mission. In short, all we are saying is that we should not unintentionally impede the progress of UNAVEM. III with too many conditionalities.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“Failure or success will depend to a large extent on the patience, understanding and cooperation of all involved. There will be no easy solutions. The fact that we are discussing the deployment of UNAVEM. III today is a clear indication that we are not dealing with a normal situation. It calls for the exercise of restraint and flexibility in monitoring the situation on the ground. In other words, isolated and sporadic violations of the cease-fire provisions should not be used as a pretext for the withdrawal of the Mission. We should also realize that each peace-keeping operation is unique and that the experience gained in one peace-keeping operation is not necessarily directly replicable in others. Each peace-keeping operation is an experience in itself.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“III on the people of Angola. I believe, however, that the international community has an inescapable role to play in the progress of Angola towards stable and lasting peace, national reconciliation and reconstruction. After all, some Members of the United Nations may be as responsible as the people of Angola for the colossal destruction and mayhem that have unquestionably befallen that country. In that context, the international community should get its act together and assist the people of Angola in achieving peace. In that regard, we wish to urge the Security Council to guard against making the United Nations Mission in Angola a victim of stringent conditionalities that could impede its implementation. We should realize that the work of the United Nations in Angola is not going to be easy.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“That would make southern Africa a strong and viable economic proposition. As I have already stated, there is general "peace- keeping-operation fatigue" among members of the international community. This is perfectly understandable: peace-keeping operations, by their nature, are very expensive enterprises with no immediate benefits or returns. They are prone to breakdowns, as the experience of the United Nations in Angola, Rwanda and Somalia - to mention but three cases - has amply demonstrated. They also become wasteful in material terms, and a source of frustration. They divert scarce resources that could otherwise be released for social and economic development. It is for those reasons that our Angolan brothers must understand why UNAVEM. III must on no account fail. I have so far placed the onus for the success of UNAVEM.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“It is our last chance. The will of the international community to stay the course with repeated, and costly, peace-keeping operations has been tested beyond what is humanly acceptable. Angola forms an integral part of southern Africa; it pains our hearts to see the people of Angola continue to kill each other with abandon in a region that is now otherwise free of war, a region now marked by good governance and the rule of law. We want for the people of Angola what we cherish most in Botswana: peace and stability, freedom and development. In other words, we desire for the people of Angola exactly the good things in life that we desire for ourselves. We want Angola to become another political success story in our region, following in the footsteps of Malawi, South Africa and Mozambique.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“The presence here today of the African Foreign Ministers and the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity is a clear indication of the importance which Africa attaches to the Angolan conflict. The Lusaka Protocol and the "Acordos de Paz" which preceded it are the blueprints for the settlement of one of the most brutal and destructive conflicts in Africa. It is our hope that our Angolan brothers will, this time, faithfully adhere to the spirit and letter of the commitments they have made in these declarations of intent. We also hope that they will leave no stone unturned to ensure that UNAVEM. III becomes the success that the United Nations and our tortured continent want it to be. Nobody, and certainly none of us in southern Africa, wants to hear anything about UNAVEM. IV. UNAVEM III is Angola's last chance.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“I thank the representative of the Czech Republic for his kind words addressed to me. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Botswana. The Botswana delegation welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM. II), contained in document S/1995/97. I wish to pay a special tribute to the Secretary- General and his Special Representative for Angola, Mr. Alioune Blondin Beye, for the excellent work they have done in the search for peace in Angola. We are meeting here today to launch UNAVEM. III thanks to their resilience and tenacious efforts to find a solution to the Angolan conflict.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“I thank the representative of Argentina for her kind words addressed to me and to our Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Legwaila.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source
“I thank the representative of Rwanda for the kind words he expressed to our Ambassador. I shall now put draft resolution S/ 1995/ 117 to the vote. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Argentina, Botswana, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, Oman, Russian Federation, Rwanda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America The President: There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 976 (1995). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.”
1995-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3499Resumption1 (1995) · source