YouSaid · the spoken record

Pemagbi

lines on the record: 96
first: 2003-03-18
most recent: 2008-08-04
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“The assistance provided by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone for the construction of police barracks in the eastern and southern provinces of Sierra Leone is a very good and practical example of the role that the United Nations can also play in the administration of justice and the promotion of the rule of law. As my Foreign Minister told the General Assembly last week (see A/59/PV.15), the Government of Sierra Leone is struggling, with limited resources, to reform its own system for the administration of justice. The current state of the justice system is reflected in the latest report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (S/2004/724).”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“At the same time, they need incentives, such as decent salaries, if only as a weapon for eliminating corruption - that cancer in the body politic of many nations in the world today. That is why, in that connection, Sierra Leone appreciates the assistance of the International Military Advisory Training Team and the United Kingdom, not only for the training of our security personnel, but also for providing their communications and other logistical needs. The United Kingdom is also supporting, among other things, Operation PEBU, the new housing project for our security personnel.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation would like to add that while ratification of the Statute is an important contribution to the rule of international law, it is equally important that the Statute be incorporated into domestic law to deter impunity. Promotion of the rule of law and reform of the administration of justice system, especially in States emerging from conflict such as Sierra Leone, is very expensive. Respect for the rule of law cannot be separated from the problem of the availability of resources. It is not enough to recruit police, magistrates and other law enforcement officers; it is not enough to give them the best professional training, if they lack the means - the basic equipment and logistics - for doing the job for which they are trained.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We now have a functioning ICC; nevertheless, we must recognize that much remains to be done to establish a fully effective international criminal justice system, with the ICC at its heart. Respect for the rule of law within States, at the national level, promotes peace and stability. Equally, respect for the rule of law at the international level promotes international peace and security. Support for the ICC should be seen in that perspective. As the Secretary-General points out in paragraph 49 of his report, there is a great need for universal or near- universal ratification of the Statute of the ICC. In his statement to the General Assembly two weeks ago, he reminded us that every nation that proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it abroad.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Those observations and recommendations are consistent with the views of Sierra Leone that the rule of law is a necessary prerequisite for and an essential ingredient of justice and accountability. Sierra Leone believes without a doubt that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the instrument for bringing to justice alleged war criminals and reinforcing individual criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. The Government and people of Sierra Leone view those crimes seriously, and because of that we were among the first countries to sign and ratify the ICC Statute, whose objective is to promote the rule of law and deter impunity.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Sierra Leone particularly welcomes the opportunity to participate in this debate because of our bitter experience with the maladministration of justice and abuse of the rule of law before and during our civil war. For nearly 11 years we witnessed the commission of horrendous crimes that resulted in many deaths, injuries and the wanton destruction of property. The experience of my country clearly demonstrates that the absence of the rule of law creates an atmosphere in which egregious crimes against international law can be perpetrated with impunity. Sierra Leone welcomes the Secretary-General's report and endorses its observations and recommendations.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation warmly congratulates you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October. In the same vein, we commend your predecessor for his excellent handling of the affairs of the Council in September. We thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies (S/2004/616), and applaud you, Mr. President, for the priority you have given to the discussion of that topic, the significance and relevance of which are evident in every part of the world today. As the Secretary-General remarked in his address to the General Assembly at its 3rd meeting, on 21 September, "the rule of law is at risk around the world".”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Let me remind members of the Council that the experience of Sierra Leone has been extraordinary, as has been their response. But the fascinating story of their positive response will be incomplete without sustained support for the transition process. I therefore repeat my President's appeal to the Security Council and the international community to remain an active part of this critical post-conflict transition phase.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“The report contains a good account of the major concerns of Sierra Leone, including support for strengthening the capability of the security machinery, the Special Court, reviving the shattered economy to resume active development and to provide employment opportunities, and rebuilding institutions to reinforce Government authority - all as part of the post-conflict recovery process. My delegation merely wishes to re-echo our President's appeal for support for the national recovery programme, which in fact has provision for addressing many of the issues raised in the report. These are the foundation and building blocks of durable peace, stability and development. They are the tools that destroy the gear that can reverse our drive through transition. We need the Council's support for these tools.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“This delegation particularly welcomes the recommendation on a regional approach to the problem and on the need for cooperation and positive relations between neighbouring States. We in Sierra Leone, for example, drawing from the experience of our conflict, will never feel safe and secure until our neighbours have peace and no one undermines the stability of the others. We believe, however, that the peace effort in the region should ensure that armed conflict does not spread further. We realize that this is not easy, but avoiding it will not in the long term be in the best interest of peace, stability and development in the region.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“In Sierra Leone, for example, the two elections held in 2002 - parliamentary and presidential - and the local- government elections held in May this year, constituted major progress in the political reintegration process. But by far the most critical aspect of reintegration, which can be called survival or economic reintegration, is yet to be fully accomplished because of the poor state of the economy. Education, skills and employment opportunities are the tools for that aspect of reintegration. Ignoring them can amount to leaving a vacuum in the peace process that can stimulate regeneration of the conflict. We therefore strongly support the mission's view that the link between security and sustainable development should be strengthened.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“What my delegation is advocating is a strategy of an integrated approach to the peace effort that not only conducts disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and then disappears from the conflict scene, but, as part of the peace process, also addresses the issues of the conflict and ensures a smooth transition from hostility to sustainable peace and development. As we all know, disarmament and demobilization can be a simple and straightforward exercise if the parties to a conflict are committed to resolving it. Reintegration is a much more complicated, expensive and multifaceted process, around which the issue of post-conflict transition revolves.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“Do we sincerely expect those already poor countries that are in conflict, or transiting from conflict to peace, where even the basic social services are a luxury, to fulfil their obligations under such declarations? Special assistance to those countries to help them to catch up is the only answer to their predicament. I have reminded the Council about those two intimately related issues to underscore the need to take a fresh and hard look at peacekeeping operations and peace processes, as suggested in the report.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“First, for about 15 years now, most of the time and resources of ECOWAS have been concentrated on conflicts in the region, almost completely diverting the attention of the organization from its original objective of regional economic integration and development. Thus, those conflicts have retarded national as well as regional development initiatives. The second fact I wish to recall is that it has not been easy even for countries in the region that have not been in conflict to pursue the goals of international development declarations, such as the Millennium Development Goals and the goals of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“My delegation is convinced that sustainable peace and political stability can return to that crisis- ridden region if the recommendations of the mission are implemented. We therefore urge all stakeholders, including the United Nations and other members of the international community, the Economic Community of West African States and the Governments and other parties to the conflicts in the countries in the region to cooperate in the implementation of the recommendations. My delegation would like to take this opportunity to remind the Council about two depressing facts concerning the conflicts in the West African subregion, careful consideration of which may provide added momentum to the long and tedious search for peace.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“Let me join previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the responsibilities of running the Security Council this month. We would like to associate ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of Ghana on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The delegation of the Republic of Sierra Leone wishes to express its profound appreciation to the Council for its assessment mission to West Africa, whose report (S/2004/525) we are here to discuss. The mission is yet another concrete indication of the Council's commitment to resolving the conflicts in the West African subregion. We salute members of the mission for the visit and the impressively prepared report.”
2004-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5005 (2004) · source
“We are referring to those recommendations that could be applied to the Council's relations with civil society - relations that could enhance the work of the Council in the area of post-conflict peace-building.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We believe that the Security Council, as part of its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, should reaffirm the need to create and strengthen civil society networks. The Council should promote and support initiatives already in place, such as the Mano River Union Women's Peace Network, organized by women's organizations in the volatile region of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This meeting of the Council nearly coincided with the launching of the report of the Secretary- General's Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations- Civil Society Relations. The Council may wish to take note of relevant recommendations of the Panel.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Among other things, we need to strengthen or, where they do not exist, create networks of civil society groups at the national, regional and international levels. As The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the Twenty- first Century pointed out, the effectiveness of civil society is often hampered by a lack of coordination between groups operating in similar fields. My delegation believes that The Hague Appeal for Peace, as it relates to the role of civil society in peace-building, is still relevant. We would like to take this opportunity to recall that Appeal: in order to increase its effectiveness in this area, civil society should create networks that promote the building of coalitions and constituencies between civil society organizations.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Citizen education is equally essential in transforming a post-conflict society into a peaceful and stable democracy where all citizens are aware of their rights and responsibilities and where they stand up for those rights. While recognizing the role that civil society has played and continues to play in building peace in countries emerging from conflict, we must also emphasize the need to ensure that civil society is equipped to meet the challenges of peace-building. The proliferation of armed conflicts, especially in Africa, and the complexity of the problems created by those conflicts - particularly in Africa's least developed countries, such as Sierra Leone - require new strategies for meeting those challenges.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We are also aware of the need to get rid of weapons that may have slipped through the formal process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) - weapons that could be used either to rekindle armed conflict or as instruments of banditry or of some other social menace. That is where community arms collection programmes come in. The success of such activities at the community level depends on the active participation of civil society. The Sierra Leone police, in collaboration with civil society, has successfully conducted a community arms collection campaign outside the official DDR programme. It may be unnecessary to emphasize that civil society is absolutely indispensable in the process of creating a human rights-sensitive culture, especially after a conflict characterized by human rights violations.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It is therefore imperative that we mobilize all resources and institutions, including those of civil society, within and across States in the concurrent processes of building peace and preventing further conflict. The role of civil society in the reintegration of ex-combatants cannot be overemphasized, because their reintegration involves, first and foremost, their acceptance by members of their respective communities. Sierra Leone is aware of the fact that, as in other post-conflict situations, completing the disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants is a prerequisite for peace-building.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The peace-building process is not merely a response and a reaction to the consequences of armed conflict; it is also a proactive contribution to conflict prevention. In building peace, we are also preventing the recurrence of war. That is why the peace-building process should be taken more seriously. It is a process that demands collective effort on the part of the States concerned and the international community as a whole. As the Council itself has determined, most armed conflicts in the world today - including those described as internal conflicts or civil wars - have repercussions on the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Three representatives from civil society were also represented in the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources to promote national reconstruction and development. The act of signing a peace agreement is not enough. Disputes and conflicting views over the interpretation and implementation of the provisions of such an agreement could create obstacles in the process of consolidating peace. It may be necessary, therefore, as we found out in Sierra Leone, to create appropriate non-governmental mechanisms for dealing with such disputes. We made provisions in the Lome Peace Agreement for a Council of Elders and Religious Leaders to mediate in any conflicting differences of interpretation of any article in the Agreement or its protocols.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“While the Government had always maintained an open-door policy as far as dialogue with the rebels was concerned, those organizations were helpful in the implementation of that policy. The consequences of armed conflict do not discriminate between Governments and civil society. That is one reason why we share the view that representatives of civil society should be given an opportunity to participate, as observers, in peace talks. We in Sierra Leone went beyond that. We made a provision in the 1999 Lome Peace Agreement with the rebels for the establishment of a Commission for the Consolidation of Peace in which 40 per cent of the seats were assigned to members of civil society.”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation would like to join others in congratulating you, Madam, on your country's assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of June. Our participation in this open debate should be seen from the perspective of a country that has experienced a prolonged armed conflict and is in the process of building and consolidating peace. We in Sierra Leone have learned that the search for peace is not, and should never be, the exclusive prerogative of Governments. Civil society and other non- governmental organizations should be fully involved in peacemaking efforts. Who could forget the role that the civil society movement - comprising, among others, trade unions, women's movements and the Inter-Religious Council - played in facilitating informal but crucial contacts between the parties to the conflict in Sierra Leone?”
2004-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4993Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We trust that the Council will give it the serious attention it deserves in the context of the threat that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons continues to poses to international peace and security, and the Council's primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In this connection, we recall that last year, in expressing concern about the continuing financial shortfall in our Multi-Donor Trust Fund for DDR, the Council merely urged the Government of Sierra Leone to seek actively the urgently needed additional resources for reintegration. We also recall that the DDR programme initiated and launched by the Government before the 1999 Lome Peace Agreement stalled miserably because of funding problems. While the Secretary-General is pleased to note the significant and encouraging progress achieved in the implementation of the various recommendations, Sierra Leone attaches special importance to the issue of secure funding for DDR from the assessed peacekeeping budget - an issue that the Secretary- General has underscored in the three concluding paragraphs of his report.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Timely and adequate funding is critical to the success of DDR programmes and efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. In the view of the Sierra Leone delegation, actions taken by the Council, as outlined in the latest report of the Secretary-General on small arms, have not adequately addressed the recommendation concerning the funding of DDR programmes through the assessed budget for United Nations peacekeeping operations. We continue to support the recommendation that the Council should consider strengthening the financing of DDR programmes through the expansion of measures covered under the budget for peacekeeping operations. We agree that this would ensure that DDR activities are not entirely dependent on voluntary contributions from Member States.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We note in paragraph 5 under recommendation 2 of the Secretary-General's report, that the Security Council, in welcoming the identification of arms traffickers who have violated arms embargoes established by the Council, has called on Member States to impose appropriate penalties on such violators. Sierra Leone believes that the Council should consider what action should be taken when States fail to penalize arms traffickers who violate the Council's arms embargoes. Recognition of the importance of DDR and related activities cannot be overemphasized. However, the Security Council should find a more practical and effective means of addressing the problem of shortfalls in funding DDR programmes.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“While prospects for peace and stability in the Mano River Union countries have improved considerably with the expansion of the United Nations peacekeeping operations in Liberia and the start of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme (DDR), we cannot afford to be complacent. The arms embargo must be scrupulously monitored. We note with satisfaction the observation that the Security Council has focused considerable attention on DDR programmes in United Nations peacekeeping missions. For example, reference is made in the report to the Council's call on parties to conflict in West Africa to recognize the importance of activities related to DDR in post-conflict situations, and specific measures for the collection and disposal of illicit and/or surplus small arms.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In this connection, we note the Secretary- General's observation in his most recent report, that while arms embargoes continue to be the most frequent sanctions measure imposed by the Council, they have proved to be extremely difficult to enforce. The Council should, as a matter of urgency, address the problem of lack of compliance by Member States, especially non-compliance that is attributable to inadequate legislation, lack of enforcement or technical capacity. We share the Secretary-General's suggestion that the Council should consider steps that could assist Member States in implementing the mandatory arms embargoes. Sierra Leone welcomes the decision of the Council to maintain the arms embargo against Liberia.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Therefore, as the organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, it must assume its responsibility in removing the threat. The Council must go beyond its presidential statements - statements in which it expresses support for such efforts as the drafting of the proposed international instrument on marking and tracing and the establishment of national registers of arms brokers and end-user certificates. These expressions of support for efforts undertaken by Member States and regional organizations are always welcome. They provide the political weight that is often needed to strengthen the implementation of such initiatives. However, in our view the Security Council should, for instance, seek other means of enforcing its arms embargoes.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The General Assembly's decision concerning an international instrument on marking and tracing came within four months of the First Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the 2001 Programme of Action To Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. The General Assembly has already made an invaluable contribution towards the eradication of the problem. The Secretary-General's most recent report (S/2003/l2l7) focuses on the Security Council's own contribution. In the view of the Sierra Leone delegation, the question is, "What should the Council do, or what is it obligated to do?" The fact is that Council should continue to acknowledge that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons poses a serious threat to international peace and security.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We consider that to be one of the most far- reaching decisions in current efforts to eradicate what has become another scourge in the world today, especially in Africa. For a country that has experienced the agony and the devastating effects of this inhuman trade, Sierra Leone wholeheartedly supports any action that is directed at the source of the problem - the manufacturing and supply channel. We do so not because we underestimate the need to deal more effectively with the so-called consumer side of the equation but, on the contrary, because we strongly believe that the firearms industry has not done enough, as far as legally-binding measures are concerned, to check the flow of these deadly weapons and to ensure that they do not reach non-State actors.”
2004-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4896Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation would like to join others in congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council the first month of 2004 and for your efforts to sustain the momentum of the attempt to rid the world of small arms and light weapons. The title of the agenda item under consideration by the Council is "Small arms". However the issue is, of course, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. As the Secretary-General states in his most recent report, the General Assembly recently took an important decision with a view to dealing with this issue: the establishment of an open-ended working group to negotiate 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
“All my delegation can say at this stage is that in reviewing any existing arms embargo the Security Council should take into consideration the prevailing situation and any continued serious threat to peace and security in the West African subregion as a whole.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“By resolution 1171 (1998) the Government of Sierra Leone was required to mark, register and notify a Security Council monitoring committee of all arms or related material imported by the Government through named points of entry registered with that committee. The Government complied with those requirements. At the same time, the Council prohibited States and their nationals from supplying or selling arms to non- governmental forces in Sierra Leone. However, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel movement was able to acquire a considerable amount of arms and ammunition to maintain its vicious campaign of death and terror, with the direct and indirect support of a network of international and regional arms dealers. In short, the embargo was deliberately and successfully violated.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Recognizing the importance of these issues, the Security Council had requested the Secretary-General to include in last year's report on small arms, among other things, an analytical assessment of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in such areas as availability, lines of supply, brokering, transportation arrangements and financial networks for these weapons. Again, this underscores the fact that the responsibility for dealing with controlling the illicit circulation of these weapons in the West African subregion is not ours alone. Finally, several speakers have referred to the role of Security Council arms embargoes and similar measures in controlling the proliferation of these weapons. This is one area that falls directly within the responsibility of the Council.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Therefore, the implementation of the ECOWAS Moratorium and similar regional initiatives should be seen in the context of continued collaboration between ECOWAS and arms-manufacturing States. The implementation of the Moratorium should also be considered in the context of efforts aimed at securing legally binding international agreements on the marking and tracing of small arms and light weapons. In the view of my delegation, those are core issues that must be actively pursued if we are to make any significant progress in curbing the illicit transfer and trade in these weapons. As part of the global approach, due consideration should continue to be given to the question of the adequacy of existing machinery to deal with the related problem of brokering.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Much ground has already been covered with regard to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa, which has been extended for a further three-year period. It is obviously in the interest of the member States of ECOWAS to scrupulously implement the Moratorium. The idea of extending it indefinitely or making it a legally binding regional instrument could also be in the interest of the Community. However, the fact is that virtually all the estimated 8 million illicit small arms in circulation in West Africa, including those that are in the hands of rebels, bandits and other non-State entities, were manufactured outside the West African subregion.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“In Sierra Leone the success of our disarmament and demobilization of ex- combatants, followed by the equally successful community arms collection and destruction campaign, was due primarily to the level of international assistance and cooperation extended to the Government and people of Sierra Leone. However, I should add that unless such cooperation is accelerated with regard to the reintegration component of the DDR programme, many ex-combatants could easily be recruited to fight in new and ongoing conflicts in the subregion. We recall that the Programme of Action of the 2001 Conference on small arms called for international assistance and cooperation in support of DDR programmes, as well as arms for development projects in post-conflict areas.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The characteristics of proliferation clearly indicate that national and regional measures are not enough to deal with the problem. Such measures and initiatives must be strengthened through sustained and effective international cooperation. Members of the Security Council may wish to comment on this and, if time permits, perhaps suggest how best the Council can further contribute to the implementation of the global measures already identified in the Programme of Action of the 2001 United Nations Conference held to promote the prevention, reduction and eradication of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. We acknowledge the critical role that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes play in that regard.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The current situation in the West African subregion compels us to reiterate to the Council and the international community at large that the illicit trade in and proliferation of those weapons, especially among roving bands of rebels that practice their deadly activities within and across national frontiers, is not merely a West African subregional problem. It is a problem that is inherently international. That will be the focus of my short contribution to today's discussions. We of course realize that it is the responsibility of States of the subregion to take all necessary measures at the national and subregional levels to prevent, combat and eradicate these weapons. However, we cannot, and should not, underestimate the international or global dimension of the problem and its implications for international peace and security.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“My delegation welcomes the initiative by Guinea, our good neighbour, to have the Security Council consider two interrelated issues that pose a serious threat to peace, human security and stability in the West African subregion. That initiative is timely because it reminds us of the efficacy of the Security Council, an organ whose primary responsibility is, and remains, the maintenance of international peace and security. Like every other man-made institution, the Council may have weaknesses. That notwithstanding, Sierra Leone continues to have faith in the United Nations as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. We also have faith in the Council's ability to contribute to our collective effort to prevent, combat and eradicate the menace of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source
“I wish to apologize for the absence of the Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone. He was looking forward to attending this meeting. Unfortunately, developments in his schedule did not make it possible for him to be here. I am therefore delivering this short statement on his behalf. Let me join previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. In so doing, I am fully conscious of the fact that you are occupying the chair during one of the most disturbing - and indeed one of the most critical - periods that the world has faced in the last three decades. My delegation would therefore like to commend you for the admirable manner in which you have been performing your difficult task under extremely tense circumstances.”
2003-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4720Resumption1 (2003) · source