YouSaid · the spoken record

Nana Effah-Apenteng

lines on the record: 398
first: 2004-07-20
most recent: 2007-03-28
sittings or episodes: 50
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 hope that this arrangement will be broadened to cover cooperation with other law enforcement agencies at the multilateral, regional and subregional levels. The steps being taken to ensure that the United Nations system does not inadvertently enter into any contractual relationship with any individual or institution on the consolidated list are necessary, since such an unfortunate situation would undermine the credibility of the system of anti-terrorism measures that is in place. The attempt to review internal procedures with the aim of developing uniform procedures for all sanctions regimes is, therefore, timely and should be pursued as a matter of urgency.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“As a specific, operational body with its sanctions targeted at identified individuals and entities, the Committee needs to develop a strong global network of contacts with law-enforcement and security agencies at both the bilateral and multilateral levels so that it can discharge its mandate effectively. That requires serious cooperation and commitment from all Member States - which, we are gratified to note, is not lacking. It is in that context that we support the increased cooperation and the formalized arrangement between the Committee and Interpol, which culminated in the issuance by Interpol, on 6 December 2005, of the first four Interpol-United Nations special notices on individuals placed on the consolidated list.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“We believe that it is necessary for transparency and clarity in the Committee's working methods and decision-making process that the process be pursued to its logical conclusion: the complete revision of the guidelines. Since its inception, the Taliban and Al-Qaida sanctions Committee, set up pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) with the aim of implementing sanctions targeted at Al-Qaida, the Taliban and associated entities, has had an important impact on the global war on terror. That achievement can, undoubtedly, be attributed not only to the commitment of its membership and its secretariat, but also to the cooperation of Member States.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“We believe that this will not only help in coordinating the work of the three Committees for more efficient results, but will also ease the reporting burden on States. The war against international terrorism requires all States to muster the necessary political will, human and material resources to design innovative and effective approaches to confront and neutralize this menace. The only way to achieve this is to sustain our momentum and pressure, a task in which the CTC is playing a prominent role as the vanguard. It will therefore need our strong commitment and support in the coming years. With regard to the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, my delegation is pleased to note that work is proceeding on the revised Guidelines of the Committee and that agreement has been reached on a partial revision.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“In this regard, we wish to suggest that, in addition to CTC/CTED assistance to countries and country-to-country assistance, the CTC should consider organizing regional and subregional seminars for countries within particular areas. This one-stop approach would be a very efficient method of channelling technical assistance, where experiences, best practices and common problems could be shared. My delegation also wishes to call for the simplification of the reporting regime to make it more user-friendly. It is necessary to avoid a situation of reporting fatigue. For this reason, we call on the CTC, in consultation with the 1267 and 1540 Committees, to speed up the task of consolidation of the three reporting regimes, as recommended by the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1).”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“This could be due to the following factors; first, the lack of a sense of immediacy of the problem; and, secondly, the lack of capacity to meet the reporting requirements in some countries. On the first point, there is a need for all Members to be sensitized to the problem of terrorism as a universal plague from which no individual, and no country, is immune. Any feeling that the problem is remote is a dangerous illusion. It is this kind of false sense of security that provides opportunities for terrorism. On the question of capacity, my delegation wishes to express its appreciation to the CTC, CTED and its Secretariat for the advice and assistance they have been offering to individual countries from the developing world so as to enable them to meet their reporting obligations.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“Within this context, we welcome the process of the revitalization of the CTC and the consequent establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) under United Nations Security Council resolution 1535 (2004) to give expert advice and analysis to the CTC in the execution of its mandate. In this connection, we are happy to note that the CTED is now fully operational and has taken up its responsibilities. The core responsibility of the CTC in its monitoring role is to collate and evaluate States' reports in order to assess the level of their implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). It is evident that, while the commitment to fight international terrorism is not lacking, and is in fact universal, compliance with resolution 1373 (2001) has not been perfect.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“I wish, first of all, to thank the Chairpersons of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), the 1267 Committee and the 1540 Committee, Ambassadors Ellen Margrethe Loj, Cesar Mayoral, and Peter Burian, respectively, for their comprehensive briefings and for their leadership. The Counter-Terrorism Committee, established by United Nations Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) to monitor the implementation by States of anti- terrorism measures adopted by this Council, is the foremost tool in the arsenal of the international community in the fight against international terrorism. On this point, we need to stress the importance of getting all Member States to support the work of the Committee through cooperation and by providing the necessary resources.”
2006-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5375 (2006) · source
“In conclusion, we wish to reiterate that only a negotiated settlement in which the rights and interests of all of Kosovo's minorities are guaranteed will provide the best tonic for peaceful co-existence in Kosovo, and for peace and stability in the Balkans as a whole.”
2006-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5373 (2006) · source
“We therefore take this opportunity to reiterate our support for the standards-before-status policy, which, in our view, establishes the preconditions for determining the extremely sensitive nature of the future of Kosovo. We should be careful not to unduly prolong the current impasse, so as to discourage the factions from hardening their stance on the issue. In the meantime, efforts should be intensified to identify, and deal with, those who are behind the recent unprovoked attacks on innocent people. Impunity should not be tolerated in the new multi-ethnic Kosovo that we all envision.”
2006-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5373 (2006) · source
“The recent smooth transition of power to a new administration headed by President Fatmir Sejdiu following the death of his predecessor, Mr. Ibrahim Rugova, and by the new Prime Minister, Mr. Bajram Kosumi, whose presence here we welcome, is also indicative of a new consensus for peace in Kosovo. Everything must be done to sustain the momentum. We are concerned that progress by Kosovo's Provisional Institutions and by the Kosovo Albanian leadership on standards implementation and on other major political processes has been too slow, as stated in the Secretary-General's report. In that regard, Ghana believes that the standards agreed for the achievement of a sustainable, multi-ethnic society can guarantee lasting peace, security and stability in Kosovo.”
2006-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5373 (2006) · source
“In particular, we are encouraged that the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government have taken root at the national, municipal and local levels. We hope that the minority groups, especially the Kosovo Serbs, will continue to be encouraged to involve themselves more actively in the political and reconciliation process. In that regard, UNMIK's tireless efforts to engage the factions with one another and with the authorities in Belgrade are equally commendable. Given the religious undertones of the conflict, we appreciate the efforts that are being made to repair and protect the Serb religious and cultural heritage. In view of the mistrust between the groups, much more attention should be focused on decentralization, the rule of law and improving the internal security architecture as confidence-building measures.”
2006-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5373 (2006) · source
“First, my delegation welcomes the participation of President Boris Tadic of Serbia in the Council's deliberations. We thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2006/45) and Mr. Soren Jessen-Petersen, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Kosovo, for his briefing and his excellent stewardship of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Ghana welcomes the achievements of UNMIK over the past five years, most of which were highlighted in the Secretary-General's report to the Security Council of 23 May 2005 (S/2005/335). Since then, considerable progress has been made, despite occasional setbacks. However, these are to be expected, given the volatile situation in Kosovo in the light of the apparently unresolved question of its future status.”
2006-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5373 (2006) · source
“They are caused by men, by man-made institutions, by the way in which man has organized his society. What man has made, man can change. This organ, which has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, has been presented with yet another opportunity to make positive and decisive contribution towards the achievement of lasting peace and security, and bring to closure a long and protracted period of conflict and instability in the Great Lakes Region. Let us seize the moment to act. We support the draft resolution that has been prepared by the delegations on the region.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“By the same token, the role of the United Nations system in supporting the implementation of the Pact needs to be further strengthened. Such action in the region would be consistent with the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). My delegation earlier mentioned the success chalked up in the Burundi peace process. It is our considered view that Burundi is a classic case which provides a maiden and golden opportunity for the Peacebuilding Commission to exercise its mandate in helping a smooth transition from war to peace. Similarly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo could be considered by the Commission, in the event of the successful completion of its electoral timetable. We share the view that wars are not acts of God.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We therefore call for strengthened coordination and communications between the United Nations and the AU, particularly between the Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council in mediation and peacekeeping efforts in the Great Lakes region. Aligned to this concept of practical cooperation is the need to ensure that the time frame for the international community's coordinated intervention in crises identified in the region is shortened. In the past, Council members have had the occasion to urge African countries to adhere to the African Union Non-Aggression and Common Defence Pact, adopted in Abuja on 31 January 2005, and to sign, where appropriate, subregional pacts on peace, security, democracy, good governance and development.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Every conflict in the region has been identified as having cross-border linkages and effects. Consequently, a regional approach involving African ownership and international partnership needs to be enhanced. From this perspective the implementation of resolution 1625 (2005) on conflict prevention can be applied to the situation in the Great Lakes region. In a wider context, there is the need to further enhance the burgeoning cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) in accordance with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, and as recently reaffirmed at the world summit and in resolution 1631 (2005).”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We therefore endorse the Secretary-General's plea to the Security Council to convey a strong message of support for the International Conference on the Great Lakes region and to urge the parties to renew their commitment to respect both the spirit and letter of the Dar es-Salaam Declaration and to make every effort to hold the Nairobi Summit and sign the Security, Stability and Development Pact. It should also be possible for the parties to agree on a specific date for the second Summit within the coming weeks so that the meeting can take place soon after the end of the transition process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in June this year. Clearly, the process of achieving peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region requires a collaborative effort of regional and international proportions.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We also support the ongoing political and military pressure being exerted on such forces through joint operations by the Congolese Government and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). In the same vein, we welcome the initiatives of the Tripartite Plus Joint Commission, comprising Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, to increase dialogue among the countries in the region. It is evident from the outcome of the first Summit that only a comprehensive and integrated strategy, drawn up in a transparent way and with the participation of all the relevant stakeholders, would provide the best tonic for a durable solution to the myriad problems and conflicts that have bedeviled the region.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“The recent clashes between suspected elements of the LRA and United Nations peacekeepers in the eastern part of the Democratic republic of the Congo, which resulted in the death of eight Guatemalan soldiers and serious injuries to five others, serve to underscore the imperative need for forceful action to counteract the group's outrageous and violent conduct, which continues to pose a threat to peace, security and stability in the whole region. The Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda are to be commended for their very constructive engagement with the militias, leading to the peaceful repatriation of some FDLR members to Rwanda.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“It is on the basis of an agreement between the concerned parties, within this broad framework, that we can hope to resolve the threats posed by the continuing presence and activities of the foreign armed groups and militias, such as the Forces Democratique de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), the Palipehutu- Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and bring an end to the atrocities committed against the local population and attacks against United Nation personnel and humanitarian workers.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have taken their first brave steps towards a new era of democratic governance and enduring stability. We also consider as a decisive turning point in the peace process the First Summit of Heads of State and Government held in December 2004 in Tanzania, the most important outcome of which was the Dar es-Salaam Declaration of Principles on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region. The declaration is a bold attempt to tackle head on the issues that clearly constitute the foundation for lasting stability and sustainable development in the region.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“The Security Council has rallied the support of the international community in responding to the grave challenges posed by those disastrous conflicts. Apart from undertaking various field tours in the area, the Council has mandated the stationing of thousands of United Nations personnel, including peacekeepers, who have not only saved lives but also alleviated the suffering of many displaced persons, including the most vulnerable segments of the population, especially women and children. My delegation remains convinced that the desired breakthrough for peace can be attained in the Great Lakes region, as it was in Sierra Leone and Liberia, after 15 agonizing years of seemingly intractable conflicts. Now more than ever, sustainable peace seems very much within reach.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Let me first express my delegation's delight in seeing you, Madam, preside over the Council's deliberations. We commend your delegation for organizing this timely debate on the Great Lakes region of Africa during your presidency. My delegation would also like to welcome the various ministers of foreign affairs who have graced this meeting with their presence. For more than a decade, the Great Lakes region has been in profound turmoil. Through a game of shifting alliances, and because of geographical proximity in an area with porous borders, conflicts have tended to merge, thus giving rise to a huge zone of instability. That vast and resource-rich region has been the theatre of widespread conflicts that have brought death and destruction, displacement and great suffering to its inhabitants.”
2006-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5359Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We hope that the OSCE will also take advantage of the endorsement by the world summit of the need for enhanced cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, and strengthen its links with the United Nations as a whole, and especially with the Security Council.”
2006-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5346 (2006) · source
“We recognize that the OSCE has considerable experience in national minority issues, and we hope that that rich experience will be brought to bear in resolving some of the frozen conflicts arising from minority issues in its areas of operation. In that regard, we welcome the Chairman- in-Office's planned visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan with a view to contributing to the successful resolution of the future of Nagorny Karabakh. In the same vein, we hope that his announced visit to Kosovo will contribute to ensuring that the OSCE plays its expected role on the future status of Kosovo.”
2006-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5346 (2006) · source
“We also welcome the Chairman-in-Office's priority concerns, especially in the area of continuing the institutional reform of the OSCE, in order to strengthen the organization in the face of new challenges and threats to security, which is similar to what we are all dealing with at the United Nations now. The problems of human rights, trafficking in human beings, terrorism and crime are of concern to all States Members of the United Nations. The rights and concerns of minorities have been the bane of democracies and generated conflicts in many areas of the world, not only in Africa, but also in certain areas of Asia and Europe.”
2006-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5346 (2006) · source
“Like the previous speaker, we wish to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, in his capacity as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for his briefing. We acknowledge the instrumentality of the OSCE in the process of mending the schisms of the cold war and its potential, through its commitments, norms and principles, to effectively contribute to the quest for global peace and security. We are therefore heartened by its commitment to restoring balance amongst its security, economic - including environmental - and humanitarian activities.”
2006-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5346 (2006) · source
“In conclusion, I wish to emphasize that there is a lot of scope for improving the interface between the United Nations and ECOWAS. Mindful of existing potentials for fruitful collaborative work between our two organizations, ECOWAS looks forward to enhancing relations with the United Nations in providing the requisite leadership to promote world peace, security and development.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Protocols and memorandums have been put into place to provide the structures necessary to address such issues as the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, election monitoring, the promotion of trade and economic activities. We are positive that the implementation of these memorandums would contribute to creating the required synergy between both organizations. ECOWAS and the United Nations need to work together on disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration in trouble spots, such as Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. Other major challenges to be addressed are security sector reforms in most member States and consolidating gains made in the process of consolidating good governance in countries with weak political systems.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is therefore important to note the existing paradox that, while ECOWAS deployments are characterized by a lack of adequate administrative and logistics infrastructure, the United Nations peace operations have on occasion been described as too expensive. It stands to reason that the United Nations and ECOWAS need to find a middle ground and work out modalities to enhance the full benefits to be derived from ECOWAS capabilities by maximizing advantages in such areas as those of regional expertise, rapid response potential, over-the- horizon capabilities and a coherent headquarters. In the area of peace-building, ECOWAS finds itself seriously handicapped in executing peace- building programmes.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Most importantly, the doctrinal documents used by DPKO would greatly assist the recently established ECOWAS Mission Planning and Management Cell in planning operations, developing the appropriate formats for standard operating procedures and other operational documents. The establishment of the ECOWAS Mechanism has made military interventions much easier in recent years than they were in the previous decade. The mechanism was put to the test in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. In both cases, the collaboration of the United Nations, in terms of assistance, was very valuable. Both interventions were classical hybrid operations in which ECOWAS stabilized the environment as a prelude to United Nations deployment.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Such a task force, as in Cote d'Ivoire or the vanguard force in Liberia, would set the stage for subsequent United Nations intervention. In this connection, we seek further cooperation with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) because of the latter's enormous experience and better developed structures to conduct a thorough needs assessment of member States' armed forces to prepare them to play their envisaged roles. ECOWAS would also welcome the opportunity to work with DPKO and the Standby Force High Readiness Brigade to develop the structures of the force headquarters and logistics bases.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“ECOWAS's peacekeeping vision to "define, build, organize and maintain a standby regional military capability in peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance to a level of self- sustenance in the area of troops and logistics support to enable it to respond to internal or external regional crises threatening peace and security, including terrorists and/or environmental threats" was approved with the setting up of a task force by the organization's Defence and Security Commission on 18 June, 2004. The approved establishment of the envisaged peacekeeping force, based on the creation of stand-by units, would consist of two models: a task force of 1,500 soldiers for rapid stabilization or pre-emptive deployment, to be known as the ECOWAS task force, and a brigade of 5,000 soldiers for a more sustained operation.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The Council of Elders, which is composed of eminent personalities in the region, is another component of ECOWAS's preventive diplomacy mechanism. So far, it has been engaged in election monitoring and special missions. ECOWAS believes that the relevance of that body could be enhanced and its preventive diplomacy efforts given added impetus if a formal process were established between the United Nations and ECOWAS to use their expertise. ECOWAS's policy on conflict resolution and management is geared towards creating rapid response and sustained peacekeeping capabilities. One of the organs established in the ECOWAS Mechanism to provide such capability is ECOMOG. It is a structure composed of several standby multi-purpose modules - civilian and military - in their countries of origin and ready for immediate deployment.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Areas of collaboration could include, first, a regular and structured exchange of information and documentation on respective policies and activities, subject to the rules of confidentiality existing in the respective organizations; secondly, a regular exchange of visits and the organization of working sessions between the heads and senior management of ECOWAS and United Nations agencies; thirdly, the designation by both organizations of dedicated focal points that would be responsible for monitoring and facilitating the implementation of cooperation arrangements between the two organizations; fourthly, the organization of regular follow-up working visits by focal points; and fifthly, attendance at meetings and seminars organized by each organization, by invitation and as appropriate.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Another important pillar of ECOWAS conflict prevention efforts is its early warning system. The organization's priority is to broaden its sources of information on conflict indicators. It is desirous to share information with OCHA and relevant non- governmental organizations with established information networks. It would be most helpful for a formal link to be established between the ECOWAS early warning system and that of the United Nations Headquarters and it agencies.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“ECOWAS is focused on the promotion of its Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as a key aspect of its conflict prevention policy, because the absence of those two components has served as a major contributory factor in the various conflicts in the region. Since ECOWAS started implementing the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security, the various organs of the Mechanism have enabled it to act in a more coordinated manner to prevent or mitigate the effects of emerging conflict. Examples of such action include ECOWAS's recent response to the situations in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Liberia. There is a lot of scope for coordination with the United Nations to strengthen the activities of ECOWAS's mediation and conflict resolution organs.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The relationship with UNOWA is particularly important because this memorandum is designed to strengthen cooperation between the parties with a View to contributing to improving the capacity of ECOWAS in conflict prevention; enhancing the preparedness and capacity to respond to emerging crises; encouraging a regional approach to conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict stabilization in cooperation with other partners in the subregion, including women's organizations; better addressing cross-border issues, in particular the plight of child soldiers and the use of mercenaries, human trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons; involving civil society participation in conflict prevention, resolution, peace-building and post-conflict recovery; and mobilizing the international community's support for peace and security in West Africa.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In order to actualize the stated objectives, ECOWAS has signed various memorandums of understanding with United Nations bodies, such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the West African Network for Peacebuilding. A draft memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) is expected to be signed soon.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The partnership between the United Nations and ECOWAS would be most enhanced if the United Nations were to provide the support required to enable ECOWAS to build the structures associated with the implementation of the ECOWAS Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Regional Security. I shall now turn to the subject of a framework for cooperation. Several initiatives have been undertaken in the past, or are in the process of implementation, to establish an appropriate framework for cooperation between the United Nations and ECOWAS in areas such as information sharing, capacity-building and fundraising. The overall objectives are to promote conflict prevention, conflict management and resolution and peace building.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is important to point out that ECOWAS, as its name denotes, was established to promote cooperation and development in all fields of economic activity for the purpose of raising the standard of living of its peoples, of increasing and maintaining economic stability, of fostering closer relations among its members and of contributing to the progress and development of the African continent. Those purposes, however, cannot be achieved in an unstable environment. Cognizant of that fact, ECOWAS is therefore desirous of working with the United Nations in the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter to create a political, economic and social environment in its member States that is stable and secure.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“To that end, we have, over the years, shown that regional organizations such as ours should quite appropriately be the primary focus in the management of conflict in their respective regions, but not without the support and active collaboration of the international community. I will therefore briefly outline the concrete framework of both ongoing and envisaged efforts to promote cooperation between the United Nations and our regional organization, within which ECOWAS deems cooperation with United Nations in the area of peace and security capable of yielding the best results.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“I have begun with that recollection because, in ECOWAS's experience at the time, our expectations that the United Nations would quickly intervene in Liberia, and subsequently in Sierra Leone, to help halt the escalation of those conflicts at their outset, in the spirit of Chapters VI and VII of the Charter of the United Nations, were not met quickly enough. ECOWAS consequently undertook to commit itself to resolve those conflicts without the requisite experience and structures - with the attendant mixed results. As a result of those experiences, we have wholeheartedly identified with efforts to focus on an enhanced strategic partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations to coordinate efforts aimed at ensuring stability. We welcome all forms of assistance to develop the capabilities of ECOWAS.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Before ECOMOG was deployed, on 7 August 1990, 225,000 Liberians had flooded into Guinea, 150,000 into Cote d'Ivoire and 69,000 into Sierra Leone. About 5,000 people had been killed, and about 3,000 Nigerian, Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean citizens were being held hostage by the National Patriotic Front of Liberia rebel movement. It may be of interest to note that the legal instrument available to ECOWAS at the time were the Protocol on Non- Aggression and the Protocol on Mutual Assistance in Defence Matters, which were both strongly anchored in the prevailing view that there should be no interference in the internal affairs of member States.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“They create terrible humanitarian catastrophes, as in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The potential for a similar eventuality exists today in Cote d'Ivoire. External interventions to stop such violence quickly have therefore become increasingly imperative. The reality is that such interventions cannot be tidily done, and are sometimes done against the expressed wishes of one party to the conflict or the other. It will be recalled, for example, that the human carnage that accompanied the outbreak of the Liberian conflict in 1989 led to what was rightly foreseen as having potential implications beyond the borders of that country. That compelled ECOWAS to establish the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in order to intervene militarily.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The Security Council will recall, that, beginning with the conflicts of the 1990s in Liberia and Sierra Leone, ECOWAS has both witnessed and participated in the transition from the traditional concept of peacekeeping - involving the interposition of troops between consenting belligerent parties - to the contemporary, evolving concepts of peace operations that are informed by such concepts as peace- enforcement, peace-building and so on. The latter is a feature that has characterized the post-cold-war era, where most of the conflicts involve Governments fighting anti-government armed factions, or factions fighting their way to power or the complete normative collapse of States, as we saw in Liberia. Those low- intensity conflicts are often very brutal and destructive.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Nana Effah-Apenteng: At the outset, allow me to convey to you, Mr. President, my delegation's pleasure at the convening of this timely thematic debate of the Security Council on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in stabilization processes. We also thank you for gracing the occasion with your presence. It is heartening to note Romania's remarkable presidency of the Council so far, and we wish you the best for the remainder of the month. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would like to place on record its gratitude for having been invited to participate in this debate. I must, however, apologize for the inability of Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, to participate in this meeting, due to other pressing engagements.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007Resumption1 (2004) · source