YouSaid · the spoken record

Nambiar

lines on the record: 300
first: 2002-07-10
most recent: 2006-07-21
sittings or episodes: 28
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 thank you for scheduling this open meeting of the Security Council on an issue that the Security Council has not specifically addressed on any previous occasion, but that is, nonetheless, of considerable import and great concern today. We note in particular, Madam President, the intensity of your personal involvement in the subject of today's debate. We also seek your indulgence for the length of our statement. For many Member States of the United Nations, the experience of nationhood is still relatively new. Indeed, the transition, after the Second World War, from empire to nationhood in many regions of Asia and Africa and parts of the Caribbean was itself the result of a process of political conflict, post-conflict reconciliation and deliberate crafting of nationhood. This process was unique for each region, if not for every nation.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We should strive for increasing efficiency, cost-effectiveness and impact while dealing with this important question of protecting children from the effects of armed conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“These concerns are not raised with a view to belittling the importance of the problem or the urgency of the need to deal with it. Any breakdown of peace and security and the ensuing conflict can be expected to have a tragic impact on children. All Member States have a duty to soften the effects of armed conflicts on children, because they are innocent and vulnerable and should not be made to suffer. However, we feel that we ought to make decisions and act in ways that will lead to effective results. We should also bear in mind the need for obtaining the most efficient and optimal results, as the resources that are dedicated to any of these mandates are finite and inelastic, especially in an era of zero-nominal growth in most United Nations budgets.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“One final point relates to the attempts to expand on the areas of consideration of the Security Council to include, for example, effective monitoring of "especially egregious violations", as mentioned in paragraph 81 of the report. While one cannot but recognize the motives behind the strenuous efforts to cover the entire gamut of violations that could affect children directly or indirectly, it must be said that there are other United Nations bodies - such as the Commission on Human Rights - that are mandated to undertake such tasks. By taking a continuously expansionist role for itself, the Security Council would not only overlap its functioning with that of other mandated United Nations bodies, but would also be committing its valuable time and resource allocations to functions best handled elsewhere.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“But it is not clear which non- governmental organizations would be depended on, how they would be chosen, how their credentials would be vetted or which type of reliability test would be applied to the information and data provided by the non-governmental organizations. In the area of monitoring and verification, the report recommends that increasing use be made of the field presence of the United Nations. That raises some pertinent questions. Do the country teams - particularly the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - have the necessary expertise to perform that function? Would it be within their mandates? Will UNICEF have the necessary expertise at the field level to perform such functions wherever it is called upon to do so?”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“There is well- established machinery for dealing with alleged violations of human rights by the Government of a State that is party to a specific human rights instrument. The procedures in that respect are well- known and time-honoured. The likely interface between that procedure and the monitoring-reporting mechanism that would come into existence as a result of the Special Representative's recommendations is not at all clear to us. Moreover, the treaty bodies have their own system of dealing with non-compliance by parties with their treaty obligations. There is the ever-present danger of duplication and overlap. With respect to information gathering and data collection, the report seeks to set much store by information collected from non-governmental organizations.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“How does the Special Representative expect to deal with monitoring the situation of a Member State that is not party to the Optional Protocol, the Statute of the International Criminal Court or ILO Convention 182? The Member State in question - while otherwise committed to the norms and commitments concerning the promotion and protection of the rights of children - would be right in maintaining that it was not bound by any instrument to which it was not a party. The Special Representative must recognize that neither he nor anyone else, for that matter, can seek to impose on Member States the standards derived from these non-universal instruments. We should like to voice one more concern about the agenda for monitoring and reporting.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The report does catalogue the deployment of child protection advisers in many peacekeeping operations. It is not clear, however, whether any assessment has been made of their work in the area of child protection and the involvement of children in armed conflict. A purposive audit of the efforts undertaken so far in the area is missing in the report. It could have been more useful if the recommendations had built on the lessons learned after providing a critical assessment of the work accomplished in this area. That would have added to the efficacy of the recommended measures. In the subsection on monitoring and reporting, there is a conclusion that a body of standards constitutes the basis for monitoring. The list consists of a number of instruments that do not command universal acceptance or adherence.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Many of them are infused by religious or political ideology, economic interests or simply outmoded or feudalistic social beliefs and are known for their gross, massive and systematic violations of the rights of children. We would urge the Special Representative to pay greater attention to that aspect, for it, in our view, is the root cause of many of the problems in this area. Similarly, we would sound a note of caution on the recommendation to establish a dialogue and engage in negotiations with parties to armed conflict, particularly when such parties are non-State actors. Non-State actors are not bound by any legal obligations or commitments, as they have not assumed any such. By initiating a dialogue and engaging in negotiations, we should not encourage a process that would confer on them any legitimacy that they should not have.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In some cases of internal conflict, non-State actors or rival political groupings may make offers to adhere to such instruments precisely to gain legitimacy or a political locus standi. Who is to decide whether they are entitled to that or not? The report of the Secretary-General (8/2003/1053) refers to the comprehensive body of instruments, norms and commitments that provide a basis for enforcement of the protection and rights of children exposed to armed conflict. While adhering States stand automatically committed and accountable to such norms, the accountability of non-State actors has not been adequately considered or documented.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“A sense of balance and perspective should be retained in order to make sure that too narrow a focus does not blot out the larger picture of what the Secretary-General has designated as the soft challenges to international peace and security. The second point relates to applicability. There are recommendations relating to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol and to international humanitarian law. No role is envisaged in any of these conventions or other legal instruments for the Security Council in promoting their implementation. While only States are parties to conventions, non-State actors are not bound by them. More important, most armed groups obey no laws, national or international.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Before commenting on the specifics in the report of the Secretary-General, a few general points made in the past by the Indian delegation may need reiteration. The first relates to salience. How useful is it to have thematic debates in the Security Council on subjects such as the present one? It is true that a large number of children are victims of armed conflicts. But it is also a fact that malaria and AIDS kill more children than conflicts do, but in the Council we do not deal separately with children and malaria or children and AIDS or request reports from the Secretary- General on them. An unconscionable number of children have died as a result of sanctions, but we do not recall the Council holding a debate on the effect of sanctions on children or seeking a report from the Secretary-General on that subject either.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“While no leniency should be shown on crimes perpetrated against innocent children, we need to see in perspective the fact that many children responsible for reprehensible crimes have often been manipulated by unscrupulous adults to take part in armed conflicts. The Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, deserves our commendation for his statement and comprehensive report (S/2003/1053). We note his recommendations on the road ahead, including the challenge of launching the campaign for an "era of application". The report demonstrates that significant progress has been made in the mandate of incorporating the impact of armed conflict on children in the international peace and security agenda.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Enticed by promises of food, shelter and security and sometimes plied with drugs, child soldiers are at times led to commit atrocities against other armed groups and civilian populations, sometimes even against their own communities. The use of children in armed conflict has been aggravated by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons worldwide. These weapons are inexpensive, durable, small, lightweight, easy to maintain and small enough for them to handle. Illegal arms trafficking and poor monitoring of the legal trade make it easy for them to gain access to such weapons. It cannot be denied that in many conflict situations, the most vulnerable members of the population, particularly women and children, are targeted with impunity.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“During the last few years, more than 500,000 children, recruited in 87 countries, with approximately 300,000 actively participating in combat, have been involved in conflict in some form or another. Aged generally between 15 and 18 and some as young as seven, child soldiers are often in support services. The rise in intra- State conflicts, compounded by conditions such as internal displacement and refugee situations, has caused the phenomenon of the child-soldier. It is often impossible to make a distinction between a forced and a voluntary child soldier. Whereas some children join armed groups for food, survival or to avenge atrocities committed in their communities, others are physically abducted for war by armed groups.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Your delegation has been sedulous, Madam President, in pursuing this month an agenda of important though sombre thematic issues for the consideration of the Council. This open meeting of the Council on children and armed conflict deals with one such issue. For those who believe the poet who said that "Heaven lies about us in our infancy", the "shades of the prison-house" that "begin to close upon the growing boy" would appear to have a context not quite apposite to the theme of today's debate. But they most certainly describe the plight of many children in different parts of the world caught up in the vicious grip of conflicts they hardly understand but find themselves hopelessly enmeshed in. Children have become increasingly involved in conflicts, both as targets of violence and as combatants.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“For its part, the international community must also extend all the assistance necessary to help with the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in the relevant post-conflict situations. Although the Programme of Action provides an adequate basis for further work at all levels - national, regional and global - and the primary responsibility rests with the Member States themselves to address the problem, we trust that the Security Council will take effective and practical steps, based on this report, in respect of those recommendations which are directly within its competence. Such steps would restrict the availability and use of illicit small arms and further help the implementation of the Programme of Action.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We are happy to note that Interpol is presently undertaking technical evaluation to integrate the IWETS with its communications systems and hope that that would be completed soon. This would provide an additional tool for Member States to fight terrorism and other crimes associated with the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons. Linkages among illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, the illicit exploitation of natural and other resources, as well as the trade in narcotic drugs, are important in the context of Somalia and Liberia as brought out in the report of the Secretary-General. We trust that careful consideration would be given by the Security Council to the recommendations and findings of committees constituted to investigate such linkages.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is our hope that all other States would also undertake an obligation not to supply such weapons to non-State actors and would insist on authenticated end-user certificates to ensure effective control over the export and transit of such weapons. The international community, for its part, must also ensure that the trade in arms flows only through channels authorized by both the exporting and importing Governments. Greater exchange of information and collaboration between Governments would be essential in order to effectively address the problem. In that context, we support the need to strengthen the effectiveness of the International Criminal Police Organization's (Interpol) International Weapons and Explosive Tracking System (IWETS).”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Illicit trade occurs because of illicit production or because licit production or licit stocks enter the gray and black markets, thus swelling the illicit weapons market. Those weapons end up in the possession of criminals, thereby exacerbating problems for law enforcement agencies and, worse, getting into the hands of unscrupulous arms brokers, ending up in areas of conflict and into the hands of extremists and terrorists. The Programme of Action recognizes that measures are needed to ensure that there are effective controls over legal transfers of small arms and light weapons. India follows a very strict policy with regard to the export of small arms and light weapons that includes the requirement for end-user certificates on a Government-to-Government basis, and a ban on exports to countries under United Nations embargo.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“India was also associated with the Group of Governmental Experts constituted to study the continued operation of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and its further development. The Group was able to adopt by consensus its report in which it agreed to the inclusion of man-portable air defence systems within the scope of the Register. Further, the group was also able to recommend that interested States may, on a voluntary basis, report on the transfers of small arms and light weapons as well. As we are all aware, those weapons have become instruments of choice of terrorists to execute their acts. We hope that these steps, which are in keeping with the recommendations of the United Nations Plan of Action, would help in reinforcing our collective efforts to deal with this scourge.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“India had the honour of chairing the Group of Governmental Experts constituted by the Secretary- General pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/24 V of 24 December 2001 to study the feasibility of developing such an international instrument. The group recommended by consensus that it was both desirable and feasible to commence work on such an instrument under United Nations auspices - a recommendation which was endorsed by the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session. India would continue to contribute in the efforts for the early finalization of such an instrument. We believe that would be a significant step in our efforts to combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Since almost all terrorist activities involve the use of illegal weapons, including small arms, addressing that issue would also contribute to the larger goal of combating terrorism. There were also a number of recommendations in the Secretary-General's report of 2002 (S/2002/1053), which could go a long way towards combating the problem of small arms. India is particularly pleased to see that definite progress has been made in the implementation of some of those recommendations. An important recommendation was made with regard to the development of an international instrument to enable States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“India has, therefore, been actively associated with the various initiatives under the aegis of the United Nations to address the problem of illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and welcomed the adoption of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in July 2001. Since then, India has been engaged in the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Programme of Action. We reiterate that commitment today. India welcomes the report of the United Nations Secretary-General contained in document S/2003/l2l7, on the ways and means by which the Security Council could contribute to that issue.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“India is particularly aware of the complexity and lethal nature of the problem of illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons. Since 1990 the Government of India has seized in its states in the north-east and in the north, approximately 39,000 weapons of all types. Their markings clearly indicate that the sources of these weapons lie outside India. Over the last two decades, thousands of innocent civilians in India have fallen victim to the acts of terrorists who use such illicitly obtained weapons for their nefarious activities. We have also paid a high developmental cost as a result.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Mr. President, I congratulate you on Chile's presidency of the Council for the month of January. We also congratulate Bulgaria for its steering of the Council in December. We welcome the presence of new members of the Council - Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Philippines and Romania, and extend our good wishes to them. We thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate of the Security Council on small arms. India attaches importance to this issue and is committed to the eradication of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. In keeping with this commitment, we have been closely following this issue in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, and have actively contributed to cooperative international efforts in addressing this multi-faceted issue.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Informed estimates suggest that over 210,000 cases under the Hudood laws are under process in Pakistan's legal system. The aforementioned is just an illustration of the problems that women in that country face. A State that is unable and unwilling to provide basic rights to its women is incapable of any sensitivity towards the plight of women in other countries brought about by terrorist actions. Conversely, it reveals the ethos - under which the sponsors of the regressive Taliban in Afghanistan have decided to use similar means to subdue a civilian population, particularly women and children, of another nation into succumbing to the threat of terror.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The letter also addresses, inter alia, the issues of the torture and mistreatment of political opponents and journalists, return to civilian rule and the legal framework order and sectarian violence. The letter specifically records that inaction on the Hudood laws persists despite the Government-run National Commission for Status of Women calling for a repeal of the Hudood Ordinance on the grounds that it "makes a mockery of Islamic justice" and is "not based on Islamic injunctions." This, despite the outcry over cases such as the tribal jirga-ordered gang-rape of Mukhtaran Bibi in Punjab and the sentencing to death by stoning of Zafran Bibi on grounds of adultery. Human Rights Watch has monitored those and other cases involving abuse under the Hudood laws.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“I have earlier drawn the attention of the Council to the invaluable role the political empowerment of women can play in inculcating values that serve as a deterrent to violence and terrorism. The stark contrast between Indian and Pakistani politics, seen in their historical and current contexts, can offer no better evidence of the differing political, legal and social frameworks within which each country views its women as a resource in addressing the issue of peace and security. Early this month, in an open letter, dated 10 October 2003 addressed to the President of Pakistan, the Executive Director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch devoted one entire section to legal discrimination against and mistreatment of women and religious minorities in that country.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The debate today has provided a valuable opportunity for the Council and the larger membership to be updated on and further sensitized to the important role that women can and should play in securing peace and international security. It is incumbent upon the United Nations to play its role in supporting and furthering efforts in that direction. We support the implementation of the Secretary-General's recommendations, although, as with all broad recommendations, this must be conditional upon circumstances and situations. The representative of Pakistan has, in his wisdom, chosen to make unwarranted and unsubstantiated comments on the treatment of women in India.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Since at least one-third of all panchayat members in India are women by statutory law, that decision has opened up the opportunity to Indian women to lead on peace and security issues from the grassroots level. Undoubtedly, women having a voice in inculcating systems that foster peace and security in a country of a billion people will have an impact far and wide. Women and children constitute some 80 per cent of the world's millions of refugees and other displaced persons. They are threatened by the deprivation of property, goods, services and their right to return to their homes of origin, and by violence and insecurity. We therefore support the Secretary-General's recommendation that the reintegration of women through disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes be an integral part of all future peacekeeping missions.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“It is implicit that their participation would also foster and strengthen activities that combat terrorism. In Afghanistan, women are finding their rightful place in society. The violence of the gun has largely given way to a more peaceful and settled existence for a large part of the population. An entire generation of women who were denied their right to education and work by those represented by the Taliban are now pursuing educational and professional opportunities. Unfortunately, the same religious fundamentalists have now diverted their attention to other parts of the world, including the Indian state of J ammu and Kashmir. India recently undertook the largest democratic decentralization exercise when it provided grassroots level panchayats - locally elected self-governing bodies - across the country, with decision-making powers.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Perhaps those that direct and sponsor terrorist activities are aware that women, having the most vested interests in ensuring a stable and peaceful society, foster values that go against violence and terrorism. Moreover, when provided the opportunity to mobilize themselves through democratic processes, women have been at the forefront of initiatives for the consolidation of peace and security. One consistent factor in democratic elections in different parts of India has been the preponderance of women among voters. The success of elections in Jammu and Kashmir last year can be partly attributed to the high turnout of Kashmiri women desirous of utilizing this democratic exercise to empower themselves with the means for producing a more secure and stable environment.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The campaign of terrorism and intimidation seeking to force itself on an unwilling citizenry in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been compounded by the misguided zealotry of the fundamentalists who have launched a terror campaign specifically targeting women for their so-called non- observance of strict moral codes. In an area where society has traditionally placed no such restrictions on women and in which women have played such an important role, the externally-foisted and forced imposition of such social codes can only impact adversely on society in general and on women in particular. It is our experience that terrorists exploit the vulnerabilities of women in situations where violence prevails and where normal life and livelihoods are disrupted on account of terrorist activities.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Armed and other types of conflicts, terrorism and hostage-taking still persist in many parts of the world. My country has been the victim of a vicious campaign of cross-border terrorism for two decades, resulting in the deaths of at least 63,000 persons, mainly civilians, women and children included. On 27 October, two days ago, the first day of Ramadan, one person was killed and 34 were injured in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir when a grenade was indiscriminately lobbed into a public telecommunications centre where people were lined up to pay their bills.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Although entire communities suffer the consequences of armed conflict, women and children are particularly affected because of their status in society and their gender. Despite this, women should not be viewed solely as victims of war. They assume the key role of ensuring family livelihoods in the midst of chaos and destruction, and are particularly active in peace movements at the grassroots level and in cultivating peace within their communities. However, the absence of women at the peace-negotiating table is unconscionable. My delegation supported many of the recommendations made in the report of the Secretary- General (S/2002/ 1154) pursuant to resolution 1325 (2000). We welcome, in that context, the decision to appoint a gender adviser in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for holding this open debate of the Security Council on gender and peacekeeping to mark the third anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. I also wish to thank the senior United Nations personnel who have provided us with valuable introductions to the topic at hand. The critical importance of this issue stems from the fact that civilians are increasingly the victims, sometimes unintended and sometimes intended, of the violent conflicts that occur in different parts of the world today. It has been estimated that close to 90 per cent of current war casualties are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, compared to a century ago, when 90 per cent of those who lost their lives were military personnel.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852Resumption1 (2003) · source
“At the same time, India strongly condemns all acts of terrorism and violence, and reiterates its position that there can be no justification whatsoever for attacks against unarmed civilians, women and children. Only a complete cessation of violence can provide the conducive environment for a continuation of dialogue. We reiterate the need for both sides to fulfil their obligations under the Quartet road map, and strongly emphasize that every effort be made to ensure its implementation, so that the vision of two States living side by side within secure and recognized borders can be realised and a just and durable peace is established in the region based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 1397 (2002).”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“There are extensive people-to-people contacts between us, and we have assisted the Palestinian National Authority in upgrading human resources and its nation-building capacities. That will continue to expand. We have recently seen the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister's reported statement on the assassination of President Arafat being an option. We note that the reported statement injects greater stridency in Israel's announcements. India joins the international community in urging Israel to exercise restraint in respect of any plan it may have that could adversely affect the safety of life and personal freedom of President Arafat or remove him forcibly from Palestinian territory.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“But its decision to persevere with the construction of a wall that cuts across a wide swath of Palestinian land, annexes agricultural areas, destroys dwellings and separates families is both unjust and illegal. Such actions can only increase the sense of despair and frustration among Palestinians and aggravate a situation already vitiated by the imposition of hardships and the suffering imposed by a regime of blockades and roadblocks. India has consistently supported the Palestinian cause. Apart from this having roots in our traditional ties with the Arab world, India's commitment to peace and stability in the region is a cardinal element of its foreign policy. As part of a broader traditional engagement with Palestine, thousands of Palestinian students have studied in India.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Targeted assassinations, acts of unwarranted violence, indiscriminate killings and the cycle of reprisals must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. They cannot contribute to a sense of security for any of the parties. The occupied territories continue to face the threat of economic collapse and social destitution. For the sake of the people of the region it is critical that the two sides, with the assistance of all other parties concerned, move resolutely forward in their search for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Israel has an obligation to exercise self-restraint and patience. It has resorted increasingly to extreme measures, such as extra-judicial killings and armed incursions in Palestinian areas. We are not unaware of the provocations Israel itself has been subjected to.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“That has led, inevitably, to continuing acts of violence and retribution against Israeli forces. India has always maintained that the only answer to the ongoing violence would be for both sides to resolutely move forward on the path of dialogue and reconciliation. There must be no wavering in the face of the gravest provocations posed by extremist elements on both sides, who seem to share a common goal, namely, that of denying peace to their peoples. We urge both sides to refuse to be provoked into responding by abandoning the path to peace. The few months of relative calm after the launch of the road map put forward by the Quartet offered hope to the peoples of the region and the world over for the prospect of peace. Unfortunately, the brutal reach of terror and retribution has negated each budding move towards peace.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Apart from serving no constructive purpose, it would negate all efforts towards reconciliation. More important, it is likely to lead to an increased wave of anger and resultant violence in the region. Such a move is bound to exacerbate the situation and could prove politically counterproductive. It would definitely have a negative effect on the Middle East peace process. Israel remains oblivious of the limitations of its uni-dimensional policy based on a military approach that relies on the might of the Israeli Defence Force, without recourse to a concomitant political approach. Its policy of military blockades, curfews and restrictions perpetuates continued dislocation of normal life, economic deprivation and loss of freedom and further demoralization of the Palestinian people.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“I wish to felicitate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also congratulate Syria for its steering of the Council's work in August. This open meeting of the Security Council has been convened at relatively short notice to deal with the increasing spiral of violence in the Middle East and the decision of the Israeli authorities to initiate action that could lead to the expulsion of President Arafat. India has consistently regarded President Arafat as the elected leader of the Palestinian people and as a symbol of their cause. His expulsion and removal from the scene would be indefensible in international law. It would represent an affront to the Palestinian people, as well as to the international community at large, and must attract the severest condemnation worldwide.”
2003-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4824Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The will of the international community to enforce the collective provisions enshrined in the Security Council's landmark resolutions against terrorist organizations and their supporters can be only as strong as its weakest links will allow.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source
“In concluding, I wish to congratulate Ambassador Mufioz, Permanent Representative of Chile, for his assumption of the chairmanship of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The Chairman has already shown considerable initiative in overseeing the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1455 (2003) as well as devotion to the international community's fight against the threat posed by Al Qaeda and the Taliban. We wish him and his delegation the very best in this noble endeavour. We cannot but agree with the conclusion that the Monitoring Group's work can be meaningful only if all States take concrete measures against the individuals and entities on the Committee's list.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source
“We fully support the proposal to supplement the Monitoring Group with additional human resources who could assist in the analysis of reports of member States. Inputs received in the form of reports by Member States will form a valuable database for the Committee. It is for this reason that the Monitoring Group needs to be adequately equipped to present the best analysis of this resource to the Committee. We also support ongoing efforts to secure the requisite coordination in the work of the Council committees established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and 1373 (2001), respectively. These could serve to avoid duplicating calls for information in areas where such inputs are already available with one of the two Committees.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source
“While, to some extent, this may well be the object of a jaundiced scrutiny by some, it is necessary for the Council to revise procedures so as to make it necessary for States to communicate their approval of such a listing within a very limited and defined period of time. As of 8 July, it appeared that only around 64 Member States had responded to the call in resolution 1455 (2003) for all States to submit an updated report to the Committee within 90 days of its adoption. In our collective effort to strengthen the fight against terrorism, the Committee should take measures to ensure that the tradition of prompt reporting is maintained and is followed up thereafter by a detailed analysis of the inputs provided by Member States.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source
“All of the aforementioned conclusions of the Group indicate the limitations of the sanctions regime when applied to nebulous non-State groupings such as Al Qaeda or the Taliban, which transcend boundaries and utilize non-formal systems to attain their logistical objectives. In the light of these conclusions, it is perhaps necessary that there be a more in-depth expert examination of new tools that could be applied to make sanctions more focused and effective against such terrorist groups. On the question of procedure, we note that, in some instances, evaluations of proposals for the listing of individuals tend to be coloured by extraneous considerations and political perspectives, thereby not only delaying but also discouraging States from making genuine recommendations.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source
“It has also commented on the ineffectiveness of the travel ban on members of Al Qaeda and on the continued use of small arms and light weapons and the possible flow of illegal weapons across States, resulting in increased attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan and the use of heavy-calibre weapons in the Afghan region bordering Pakistan - raising questions as to how and by whom such weapons and ammunition are being supplied. The nexus between drug smuggling and terrorism, the organized flow of arms across Afghanistan's borders and the increasing attacks on coalition forces tell their own tale of complicity and deceit.”
2003-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4798 (2003) · source