YouSaid · the spoken record

Rahman

lines on the record
129
first
1994-02-15
most recent
2018-04-23
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19
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un-security-council

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  1. “It did not contain the fighting or help protect civilians. It did not stop, but encouraged, aggression, leading to dismemberment and occupation. Most important of all, it was the main factor contributing towards the practice of "ethnic cleansing" as an instrument of war. Of course, the magnitude of all this should be placed in the context of, and measured against, the very real and valiant efforts made by the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to restore some form of normalcy to this devastated land and facilitate humanitarian assistance. Perhaps the greatest irony is that Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite this imbalance and unequal imposition, accepted the Contact Group's peace proposal, while the Bosnian Serbs continue to reject it.”

    1994-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3454 (1994) · source

  2. “Serbia and Montenegro has yet to demonstrate credibility by recognizing the successor States of the former Yugoslavia, which are sovereign Members of the United Nations, or, indeed, by showing respect for internationally accepted frontiers. It has yet to establish its bona fides in stopping human rights abuses or to cooperate with the international war crimes Tribunal that has been established. One of the fundamental ironies of this situation, which has for many of us defied rationality, legality and morality, was the imposition of a one-sided arms embargo on the weaker side despite clear-cut recognition of the Serbs' superiority in weapons. This has been compounded by the fact that none of the arguments justifying this imposition were borne out to any degree of validity. It did not enhance, but undermined, the peace process.”

    1994-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3454 (1994) · source

  3. “Violations of international humanitarian law of genocidal intensity continue, with little being done to stop or mitigate the heinous practice of "ethnic cleansing", which continues even now in areas such as Banja Luka and Bijeljina. 27 No one can doubt that the real tragedy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from its birth, was the single-minded pursuit of the goal of systematically dismembering that country to serve the cause of "Greater Serbia". Thus, despite acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) of the Contact Group's peace proposal, the Federal Republic's potential residual support to the Bosnian Serbs gives rise to intense suspicion necessitating close monitoring of borders. It has done little to shore up the confidence of the international community in a true change of heart.”

    1994-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3454 (1994) · source

  4. “The paramount objective of the world community remains to assist the parties towards a negotiated settlement that is just and viable, that will restore peace to the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that will at the same time preserve its territorial unity and integrity within its internationally recognized borders. Yet the reality is far from meeting that expectation. Seventy per cent of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still under occupation. Sarajevo, the capital, and other cities remain under siege and prey to slow strangulation. Safe areas and exclusion zones remain vulnerable to unprovoked attacks and indiscriminate shelling. Human rights abuses against innocent civilians abound.”

    1994-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3454 (1994) · source

  5. “I warmly congratulate you, Madam, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month and remain confident that your leadership will contribute positively to the outcome of the Council's work. I would also like to pay tribute to your predecessor, Sir David Hannay of the United Kingdom, for his successful conduct of the Council's work in October. The debate today, coming close on the heels of the General Assembly's adoption of its resolution 49/10 on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Bangladesh co-sponsored, is of crucial importance in pushing towards remedial solutions on a total front: political, legal, economic and humanitarian.”

    1994-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3454 (1994) · source

  6. “The stated objective of the international community has been to assist the parties in achieving a negotiated settlement acceptable to all sides. In view of the past history of backtracking and duplicity, which has resulted in creeping dismemberment of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we believe that we must intensify rather than ease the pressure for a settlement. Any obstacles in the path of a negotiated settlement must be met with the threat of intensified sanctions, the expansion of exclusion zones and, ultimately, the lifting of the arms embargo, so that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can exercise their inherent right to self-defence. We believe that anything less would be tantamount to appeasement and be a setback in efforts towards a negotiated settlement.”

    1994-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3428 (1994) · source

  7. “We have all repeatedly reaffirmed our support for the territorial integrity and political independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A vital corollary to this affirmation is that all actions and declarations made under duress with regard to land ownership be declared null and void, thus facilitating the return of displaced persons. In light of the situation, and while we support the strengthening of measures to tighten sanctions and the draft resolution on "ethnic cleansing", Bangladesh believes that any resolution that would lead to the easing of sanctions would not only be premature but also counter-productive. From a practical point of view we do not believe that it would be possible to successfully monitor the borders unless the presence of UNPROFOR is strengthened.”

    1994-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3428 (1994) · source

  8. “Yet the violations of the cease-fires, the use of heavy artillery, the indiscriminate attacks on the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) personnel still continue. The common aim of enforcing a comprehensive cessation of hostilities and of extending safe havens all over Bosnia and Herzegovina is far from being realized. There is still a real need to take appropriate measures to strengthen UNPROFOR, to ensure prevention of further aggression and access to humanitarian assistance, and especially to ensure unimpeded access by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary- General, UNPROFOR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to many of the beleaguered areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

    1994-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3428 (1994) · source

  9. “I join my voice with those of others in congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency for this month. My delegation would also like to pay tribute to your predecessor, Ambassador Vorontsov of the Russian Federation, for the manner in which he conducted the work of the Council last month. Speaking at this late stage in the debate, I will be brief. Bangladesh remains deeply concerned over the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The past history of armed aggression, genocide, the series of acts that have led to indiscriminate bombings, the use of poisonous gases, "ethnic cleansing", the continuing violation of international humanitarian law shows that in this region human suffering is still writ large. We have all welcomed the cease-fire arrangements in Sarajevo and surrounding areas.”

    1994-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3428 (1994) · source

  10. “When realpolitik and the so-called realities on the ground are argued to be "fait-accomplis" which cannot be reversed, when "safe areas" are euphemisms for concentration camps whose continued protection becomes an exercise in futility, when aggression is permitted to be justified on the grounds that it would be too difficult to reverse it, then a very dangerous message is being sent out to the international community. It would mean a return to the law of the jungle. In this day and age and after all the lessons of the past, it would mean that the United Nations has surrendered all of its principles on the door step of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  11. “On the economic front and in the light of the Serbs' blatant aggression we fully support the strengthening and tightening of existing sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). On the humanitarian front, efforts need to be intensified to bring relief and medical assistance to the beleaguered people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially through the reopening of Tuzla airport. Longer term- rehabilitation and reconstruction measures need to be anticipated as of now, and efforts coordinated towards this end. In conclusion, the response of this Council on how to remedy the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains for all of us an acid test of the credibility of the United Nations and the faith that we have reposed in it.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  12. “While we welcome NATO's ultimatum and its decision to extend the Sarajevo exclusion zone model to other United Nations declared "safe areas" in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the need to coordinate and swiftly execute deterrence measures through air strikes must be made manifest to the Serbs. Utmost vigilance must also be exercised in containing the spread of 38 violence and aggression to other areas, especially Sandjak and Kosova. We fully support the strengthening of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia and - Herzegovina and in this regard welcome resolution 914 adopted this morning. I would like to reiterate Bangladesh's commitment and readiness to contribute one mechanized infantry battalion for immediate deployment.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  13. “In the light of the unfolding series of events it is now increasingly evident that the de facto arms embargo not only is unjust and discriminatory and an open invitation to the aggressor to continue its depredations but also directly contradicts Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and the inherent right of all nations for individual and collective self-defence. Any political solution, under these circumstances, can only be an imposition. The Serbs have hardly demonstrated their bona fides in seeking a political solution. The pursuit of its mandate by the War Crimes Tribunal must also be intensified and adequately funded. Accountability must be established.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  14. “We believe that any such peace initiative must have representation from the Organization of the Islamic Conference. To help maintain pressure upon the Serbs by the entire world society we also support the convening of a special session of the United Nations General Assembly at an appropriate time, to supplement and _ legitimize decisions of the Security Council. We have welcomed the conclusion of the Washington Agreement among the Bosnians and Croats as a vital first step toward an overall political settlement and believe that momentum in this regard must be regenerated. On the military and indeed legal front a crucial priority is to lift the arms embargo enjoined by Security Council resolution 713 (1991) on the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  15. “Delay accompanied by 37 dilatory measures has been tantamount to appeasement; it has not in any way deterred, but indeed encouraged the Serbs in their continued encroachment of territory and calculated violation of all agreements. Gorazde remains a tragic symbol of this off-again, on-again policy of delay in implementing decisions already taken. What is important today is for the Council to reinforce its will to take purposeful remedial action. This should encompass political, military, legal, economic and humanitarian measures in a concerted package. On the political front we welcome the Council's decision in resolution 913 (1994) to intensify efforts towards an overall political settlement that includes close consultations between the United States, the Russian Federation, the United Nations and the European Union.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  16. “Secondly, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina can in no way be categorized as a civil war. It is pure and simple aggression, the consistent, unflagging pursuit by the Serbs of a single objective - the dismemberment of a country to create a Greater Serbia. This has been accompanied by genocidal conflict which has taken a colossal toll of 200,000 civilian lives and the brutalization of hundreds of thousands of others. The Council's response to this situation has often been too little and too late. It has been characterized by post-facto rationalization, hesitation, piecemeal and ad hoc responses, lack of anticipation and lack of political will to implement decisions taken.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  17. “In reviewing the current situation obtaining in Bosnia and Herzegovina we would like to underscore certain essential points. First and foremost, what is at stake in dealing with this issue is not only the fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but that of all weaker and smaller States that belong to this Organization. At issue here is the credibility of the United Nations, especially that of the Security Council, in upholding the immutable principles of the Charter - the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all States, and particularly the non-acquisition of territory by force. As the Foreign Minister of Bosnia has underscored, respect for human rights and the sanctity of borders are integral elements to these principles and to the search for any viable political solution.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  18. “Let me first pay a warm tribute, Sir, to the devoted and dedicated manner in which your country's representative has conducted the affairs of this Council in this difficult month of April. We have been privileged to have the Foreign Minister of New Zealand preside over our affairs today. This Council Meeting is important, not only because of the serious deterioration of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole, sparked by events in Gorazde, but also because of the presence in this debate of the Secretary-General, of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and of the eight Islamic Foreign Ministers gathered here in New York to attend an emergency meeting of the OIC contact group on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bangladesh fully endorses the Declaration adopted by that ministerial meeting.”

    1994-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3370 (1994) · source

  19. “We firmly believe that the need for a direct international presence in the occupied territories to ensure protection has become a pressing imperative. The international community has welcomed the peace process that has been initiated as the first step towards a comprehensive and durable settlement of the Middle East problem. The acid test for promoting this process is squarely to anticipate and overcome the actions perpetrated by those bent on derailing it. Half-hearted measures cannot create confidence; they can only set back the real hopes that have been generated by the peace process.”

    1994-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3342 (1994) · source

  20. “Any solution must address the real issues and not merely return to the status quo ante. The Council has a bounden responsibility to take further action in the light of its past pronouncements and of the maintenance of its credibility in upholding international law. Bangladesh fully supports the call for a resolution that will address the root causes affecting the occupied territories, particularly the issue of disarming the settlers and ultimately - and expeditiously - dismantling the settlements. The Secretary-General's offer to send United Nations observers appeared to be a step in the right direction. It was in conformity with the Declaration of Principles signed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in Washington on 13 September 1993 and with Security Council resolutions.”

    1994-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3342 (1994) · source

  21. “In the volatile situation prevailing in the occupied territories, and in the face of repeated outcries that such protection was absent and needed to be supplemented by an international presence, the horror in Al-Khalil represents yet another major lapse. The encroachment of militant settlers, their indiscriminate arming without any check and the encouragement of their increased presence was an invitation to inevitable violence. Remedial measures instituted by the Government of Israel following the 25 February act appear merely to paper the cracks. The policy of repression against the Palestinians continues, as evidenced by the subsequent deaths and the mounting numbers of those injured and wounded. The issue is tangible protection and the prevention of any recurrence of such atrocities.”

    1994-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3342 (1994) · source

  22. “We believe that the Council's focus must be directed to two crucial elements: first, to affix responsibility, and, secondly, to take purposeful remedial action. Whether the massacre was the insane act of a lone religious fanatic or carried out in conspiracy and collusion with others is not the question. The responsibility for protecting the Palestinian population and for anticipating and preventing such acts lies squarely upon the occupying Power under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which extends to all occupied Palestinian territories and of which Al-Quds Al-Sharif, Holy Jerusalem, is an integral part.”

    1994-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3342 (1994) · source

  23. “Let me express at the outset, Sir, our felicitations on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month. We are confident that under your able leadership the work of the Council will prosper. I should also like to pay warm tribute to your predecessor, Ambassador Olhaye, the Permanent Representative of Djibouti, for his successful conduct of the Council's affairs in February. The massacre in the Al-Ibrahimi mosque in AIl-- Khalil, Hebron, has fuelled anger, anguish and shock. We condemn this heinous act. We express our deepest sympathy to the bereaved families of the innocent victims of this senseless tragedy. Bangladesh is party to, and fully endorses, the statements of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Non-Aligned Movement member States that, inter alia, urged the immediate convening of the Council.”

    1994-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3342 (1994) · source

  24. “Bangladesh fully supports the triumph of the logic of peace over that of war, but peace must be justly and uniformly ensured, if necessary by the use of force. To that end, Bangladesh's position fully conforms with the declaration of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Contact Group on Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted at Geneva on 17 January 1994.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source

  25. “Those actions are: an effective cease- fire and a complete cessation of hostilities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina; the lifting of the siege of Sarajevo and of other "safe areas" and besieged towns; the withdrawal of heavy weapons and their regroupment under the control of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR); the facilitation of the unhindered flow of humanitarian assistance, including through vital access points such as Tuzla airport; and the provision of security to protect UNPROFOR forces. The determined pursuit and implementation of those immediate goals is an essential precursor of the ultimate objective of negotiating a just and sustainable peace acceptable to all parties, within the parameters laid down by United Nations resolutions and the immutable objectives of the United Nations Charter.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source

  26. “We welcome the forward steps initiated by the Secretary-General in his letter to the Secretary-General of NATO, as summarized in his letter of 11 February addressed to the President of the Security Council, to coordinate procedures for the initiation and conduct of specific air strikes and to delegate authority to his Special Representative with respect to air support for the defence of United Nations personnel anywhere in the Republic. That cover must extend to all other "safe areas" to prevent Serb diversionary tactics. A clear pattern of consensus has emerged on immediate actions that must be implemented.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source

  27. “The elasticity of that intent has been tested and fine tuned into an art by the Serbs, to their continual advantage. We welcome the Bosnian Government's agreement to withdraw its weapons voluntarily and to place them under United Nations control. The Serbs must be made to follow suit. Security Council resolution 836 (1993) provides a clear legal framework for using all necessary means, including air strikes against Serb positions, especially around Sarajevo.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source

  28. “One clear message emanates from this Council debate: an unambiguous call for action within the stipulated deadline to ensure the implementation of the ultimatum issued by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 9 February 1994 and of Security Council resolutions 824 (1993) and 836 (1993). Intent must be translated into realities on the ground, since one truth is now palpably evident: the cynical pattern of opportunism followed by the Serbs. They have extracted every advantage at the expense of a credulous and dilatory international community bent on the pursuit of a negotiated peace at any cost. If negotiations are indeed to be pursued in good faith, military balances must be preserved by determined action, not a mere commitment to act.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source

  29. “Mr. President, let me at the outset express our commendation on the successful way in which you have conducted the affairs of the Council for this month. My delegation also joins its voice to the tributes paid to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Karel Kovanda, for his important contribution in steering the work of the Council in January. The Council is meeting once again under the impetus of an unprovoked massacre in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The indiscriminate shelling of the Dobrinja area and of the Sarajevo market on 4 and 5 February 1994 has shocked a world benumbed by a continuous series of murderous atrocities. Bangladesh can only voice its helpless sympathy to the Government and the people of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina over this latest heinous tragedy.”

    1994-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3336Resumption3 (1994) · source