YouSaid · the spoken record

Richmond

lines on the record

31

first

1997-10-29

most recent

1999-08-27

sittings or episodes

7

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

1. “All those with influence over the parties must do everything possible to encourage them to resume negotiations. Pakistan, with its unique influence over the Taliban, has a particularly important role to play. Not long before the offensive was launched, Tashkent gave us a glimmer of hope that a negotiated settlement was possible. At Tashkent the Taliban and the Northern Alliance at last acknowledged the "six plus two" group as a valid mechanism which could help bring progress. Ambassador Brahimi should be congratulated for his efforts there and since. In the next few months, all concerned must find a way to build on Tashkent and lock the parties into a genuine negotiation.”

   1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039 (1999) · source

2. “Beyond Afghanistan, the region and the wider world are affected by the prospect of instability spreading from this conflict and the threat from terrorism and drugs. We must hope that the failure of the key objective of this latest offensive - to deliver a knock-out blow to the Northern Alliance - will have finally brought home to the Taliban and their supporters that further fighting is futile. They, and the Northern Alliance, must put the interests of the Afghan people first. The only way forward is to resume negotiations. Afghanistan's neighbours must face these facts and commit themselves wholeheartedly to a negotiated settlement. The first step should be an immediate end to military support. The Taliban should not have been given the means to launch their latest offensive.”

   1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039 (1999) · source

3. “The events of the last few weeks are further proof, if any more were needed, that there is no military solution to the problems of Afghanistan. Despite a month of bitter fighting, neither side has gained any decisive advantage over the other. As this war drags on, it is the people of Afghanistan who suffer most. They are tired of conflict and poverty. As Under-Secretary-General Sir Kieran Prendergast pointed out, the latest clashes have served only to add to their misery. We are disturbed at accounts of how the Taliban have behaved in areas they have captured. Tens of thousands of people are reported to have been displaced, many of them forcibly, by the Taliban. The Taliban have admitted to burning houses and crops. The separation of men of fighting age from their families is particularly worrying.”

   1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039 (1999) · source

4. “In carrying out his mandate tirelessly in difficult and often frustrating circumstances, he has shown the value of having an effective resident Special Representative in Georgia. Given the leading role of the United Nations in the peace process, we attach considerable importance to the early appointment of a well qualified successor.”

   1999-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4029 (1999) · source

5. “Although primary responsibility for resolving the conflict rests with the parties, the international community also has its part to play. The draft resolution before us shows the depth of the Council's concern at the continuing impasse. Members of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General need to consider whether we should become even more actively engaged in working for solutions. The United Kingdom remains committed to working with the Secretary-General's Special Representative, the Secretariat and the other members of the Friends Group, not least with the Russian Federation as facilitator, to support the parties in the search for a just and durable peace. In conclusion, I should like to record my delegation's appreciation for the work of the outgoing Special Representative, Mr. Liviu Bota.”

   1999-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4029 (1999) · source

6. “In this respect, the British Government regards the holding of self-styled Abkhaz elections as both illegitimate and unhelpful to the search for a settlement. The volatile security situation in Georgia is also a major concern. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist activities in Gali and other parts of Georgia and call on both sides to work actively to prevent further incidents and provocations. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and, in paying tribute to the Mission's work, we also acknowledge the valuable role played by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping force in cooperation with it, and stress the importance of the continued presence of the force.”

   1999-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4029 (1999) · source

7. “I welcome the presence here among us of the Foreign Minister of Georgia. The United Kingdom believes that a durable peace in Georgia will come about only if all concerned make a serious and sustained political commitment to achieve a settlement. The onus for doing this remains with the two parties. Both sides need to demonstrate the political will to break the current deadlock. An important first step is early agreement on the guarantees on security and legal status, which will make it possible for refugees to return safely and permanently to the Gali district. A comprehensive settlement must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Georgia. Any action which contravenes this basic principle is unacceptable.”

   1999-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4029 (1999) · source

8. “Second, the news that UNHCR has resumed the repatriation of Rwandan refugees is extremely welcome, but I would like to ask whether UNHCR anticipates problems over screening for ex-FAR and interahamwe, and if so, what arrangements are in place to deal with this problem.”

   1999-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4025 (1999) · source

9. “Our bilateral funding commitments to Africa remain strong, and our regular contributions to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), most recently $10.5 million last March, are largely unearmarked, so allocation is a matter for UNHCR. In light of the agreements signed in Lome and Lusaka - which, as Mrs. Ogata has pointed out, are a real opportunity to bring those long-standing conflicts to an end - I have one or two questions which I would like to raise. First of all, does UNHCR already have plans in place to assist the refugees currently in Guinea and elsewhere to return home to Sierra Leone? Has the process already begun, or, if not, what are the main conditions which need to be fulfilled before refugee return can begin?”

   1999-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4025 (1999) · source

10. “I should like to begin by extending the British Government's condolences to King Mohamed VI and his family and to the Government and people of Morocco on the death of King Hassan II. I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to his many achievements, notably his tireless efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. I would also like to thank Mrs. Ogata for an extremely helpful briefing. It is right that we are reminded of the number and the scale of the refugee problems in Africa, and of what is expected of this Council and the international community as a whole. The recent crisis in Kosovo has not altered in any way the British Government's determination to assist with the problems of Africa.”

    1999-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4025 (1999) · source

11. “I would like to conclude by reiterating the United Kingdom's strong support for the efforts of the Secretary- General, his Special Envoy, Ambassador Brahimi, and the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan. We hope that they will continue their work for peace in Afghanistan. Too often, they have been working against the odds. If they are to succeed, all States must give them their full and active support. We welcome the work of the "six plus two" in this regard and urge them to redouble their efforts. With all these points in mind, the United Kingdom will vote in favour of the draft resolution before us.”

    1998-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3952 (1998) · source

12. “Our first objective must be to get the factions back to the negotiating table. Both as a member of the European Union and through its bilateral programmes, the United Kingdom is one of the principal donors of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. We are committed to continuing that assistance. It is deeply frustrating that the factions - and in particular the Taliban - are preventing aid from reaching their own people. They must allow the safe and effective delivery of aid, in accordance with international principles, without further delay. The international community must also act to prevent the conflict from threatening lives beyond Afghanistan's borders through the export of international terrorism and illegal drugs. Afghanistan's record is one of the worst in the world in these areas.”

    1998-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3952 (1998) · source

13. “The call on all States to demonstrate their commitment to peace by stopping the supply of arms is as clear and strong in the draft resolution before us today as it was in resolution 1193 (1998). All Member States should comply with that call. There can be no question of the Security Council's taking sides in the Afghan conflict. The Secretary- General's report makes it clear that all factions are guilty of abusing human rights, violating Security Council and General Assembly resolutions and inflicting further suffering on the people of Afghanistan. The Council's responsibility is to the Afghan people. It requires us to increase the pressure on all factions to stop the fighting and to recognize that the conflict can only have a political solution which safeguards the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan.”

    1998-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3952 (1998) · source

14. “Following the massacres of prisoners of war last year, there is a grave danger that Afghanistan is sliding into a spiral of atrocities. This is why the United Kingdom strongly supports the Secretary-General's proposal to establish a unit of civilian monitors within the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UN SMA). We hope the monitors will be able to give early warning of ethnic or religious conflict in order to help prevent further gross violations of human rights. They will need the factions' full cooperation. We will be pressing the factions to work constructively with the monitors. It is deeply disturbing that some countries which profess to support peace in Afghanistan continue to prolong the war by supplying the factions with arms and funding.”

    1998-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3952 (1998) · source

15. “The Secretary- General's report (S/1998/1109) makes depressing reading. We have witnessed another year of conflict, population displacement and yet more suffering for the people of Afghanistan. Nor is it only the Afghan people who have suffered. The murder of the staff of the Iranian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif has been rightly condemned by the international community. The murders of Lt. Colonel Calo and other United Nations staff were also atrocious acts, demonstrating a total disregard for the brave efforts of United Nations personnel to bring hope to Afghanistan. The Taliban must cooperate in the investigation of those crimes. The further deterioration in the human rights situation in Afghanistan, including the latest persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, is particularly worrying.”

    1998-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3952 (1998) · source

16. “The crisis in Afghanistan has recently had a direct impact on the international community. The United Kingdom joins in the strong condemnation of the attacks on United Nations personnel, including in particular the incident in which an Italian adviser to the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA) was killed. We extend our condolences to the family and to the Italian Government. We also condemn the capture by the Taliban of the Iranian Consulate-General in Mazar-e-Sharif. We call upon all concerned, and especially the Taliban, to cooperate in investigating the incident in Kabul and in doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the Iranian diplomats and other Iranian nationals who have been missing since the seizure of the Consulate.”

    1998-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3921Resumption1 (1998) · source

17. “One particularly worrying aspect of the current situation is the increasingly ethnic nature of the conflict in Afghanistan. In that context, we share the concern of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy and others about the consequences of the latest fighting for the Hazara community. We urge all factions to ensure the safety of civilian communities, to refrain from any acts of indiscriminate Violence and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by continuing reports of outside interference in the affairs of Afghanistan. All countries with an influence on the factions in Afghanistan should do more to promote the cause of regional stability by using their influence to prevent the supply of arms and other military support and to encourage the parties to negotiate.”

    1998-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3921Resumption1 (1998) · source

18. “The United Kingdom shares the grave concerns expressed in the draft resolution before us today, which it has chosen to co- sponsor. The recent fighting has only prolonged the suffering of the people of Afghanistan and, internationally, has threatened the peace and stability of the region. It has done nothing to achieve a lasting solution to the Afghan crisis. History, old and new, shows us that military conquest is not the answer. Only a political settlement, negotiated between the factions and accommodating the rights and interests of all Afghans, can achieve a durable peace. We therefore strongly support the demand that the Afghan factions stop fighting and enter urgently into negotiations, under United Nations auspices, aimed at creating a fully representative, broad-based government.”

    1998-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3921Resumption1 (1998) · source

19. “Neighbouring States have already expressed concern that further turmoil in Kosovo might spread instability beyond the borders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We owe it to them to take a firm line. The European Union favours granting a large degree of autonomy to Kosovo within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This must include meaningful self- administration for the local population. But the key is getting both sides to talk, and we will support a settlement on Kosovo's status reached by mutual agreement.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

20. “The Union already has a comprehensive arms embargo in place against the countries of the former Yugoslavia. We wish to see all other Member States taking an equally stringent position. This resolution is an expression of the international community's rejection of the policy of violence, whether carried out by military police or by terrorists. It is essential also that the international response to the crisis be a united and coherent one. We know, to our cost, from the early days of the Bosnian war, that international divisions undermine our efforts. The resolution we have adopted today sends a powerful signal to the authorities in Belgrade that the international community is united in its desire to see real progress on Kosovo and is monitoring events there closely.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

21. “Felipe Gonzalez as European Union Special Representative, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of the European Union's contribution to resolving the problems in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, and the European Union strongly supports the mission by Mr. Gonzalez as Personal Representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Chairman-in-Office for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The European Union believes that pressure must be maintained to bring the Belgrade authorities to the negotiating table. That means implementing forthwith the measures agreed at the London Contact Group meeting. Against this background, the European Union strongly supports the resolution which has just been adopted by the Council.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

22. “We urge both sides to engage immediately in genuine and unconditional dialogue, including with the participation of an outside representative. The European Union fully supports the statement made by the Contact Group Foreign Ministers in Bonn on 25 March. It endorses their assessment that while some positive developments have occurred - notably the deal on the implementation of the Education Agreement, which is a particularly welcome step forward - progress has not been sufficient to meet the requirements set out by the meeting of Contact Group Foreign Ministers in London on 9 March. The European Union has nominated Mr.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

23. “I would like to make a statement on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania - as well as the European Free Trade Association country, Norway, a member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement. The European Union is deeply concerned at the threat to regional peace and security posed by the situation in Kosovo. The international community must send a clear message to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Serbian authorities that the excessive violence by military police units, involving deaths and injury among the civilian population, is unacceptable. Equally, we condemn unreservedly all terrorist acts and call on those supplying financial support, arms or training to cease to do so.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

24. “Repressive police actions of the kind we have witnessed in recent weeks serve merely to undermine the moderates on both sides and to increase support for terrorists. The United Kingdom looks forward to the day when we can welcome the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into the family of democratic nations of Europe. But we cannot do so while Belgrade fails to meet the standards that the rest of Europe has set itself. President Milosevic has a choice: he must decide whether he wishes to consign the future of his State and its people to further isolation and mounting international pressure, or whether he wants to see progress in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's relations with the European Union and the rest of the international community of the kind already being made by its neighbours.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

25. “But terrorism cannot be a pretext for the use of force against a civilian population. Belgrade cannot pass off the repressive acts of recent weeks as purely an internal affair. Human rights abuses are a matter for us all. And we have a particular responsibility to reduce tension in the region before it causes instability in neighbouring countries. The United Kingdom does not support separatism or independence in Kosovo. But we expect Belgrade to grant Kosovo an enhanced status including self-administration. Getting the authorities in Belgrade and the Kosovar Albanian community to start a constructive dialogue without preconditions about the differences between them is the only chance of reaching a peaceful settlement.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

26. “Meeting again in Bonn on 25 March, the Contact Group concluded that while there had been some progress in the intervening period, included the belated agreement to implement the 1996 Education Agreement, the steps taken by the Belgrade authorities towards meeting the requirements set out in London did not go far enough. In adopting this resolution, the Security Council sends an unmistakable message: that by acting under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Council considers that the situation in Kosovo constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the Balkans region. It says to Belgrade that repression in Kosovo will not be tolerated by the international community; and to the Kosovar side, it says that terrorism - in whatever guise and for whatever purpose - is unacceptable. The United Kingdom's record against terrorism is firm.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

27. “The United Kingdom shares the deep concern expressed around this table about the violence and bloodshed which, in recent weeks, have once again visited this troubled part of the world. The resolution which the Council has adopted today is one element in a concerted international effort to prevent a repetition in Kosovo of the cycle of violence we have already seen elsewhere in the region. On 9 March the United Kingdom hosted a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Contact Group countries in London. The Group agreed a plan of action aimed at putting a stop to further violence and paving the way for a serious political dialogue between the authorities in Belgrade and representatives of the Kosovar Albanian community.”

    1998-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3868 (1998) · source

28. “We support his recommendations that the withdrawal of troops should be further postponed and that the mandate of MONUA should be extended to 31 January 1998. We will therefore vote in favour of the draft resolution.”

    1997-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3827 (1997) · source

29. “It must notify the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) of its force movements and refrain from aggressive troop movements or other military acts. We also share the Secretary-General's concern at Angola's intervention in Congo (Brazzaville). Angolan forces should be withdrawn immediately. If the peace process is to move forward, it is essential that greater trust be developed between the two sides. In this context, we welcome the announcement that a meeting will take place between President dos Santos and Mr. Savimbi in Angola in November. The Secretary-General is right to be concerned at the current critical stage of the peace process. We agree with him that the continuing presence of MONUA military units can help to maintain stability.”

    1997-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3827 (1997) · source

30. “We believe that, unfortunately, the time has come to apply the pressure on UNITA envisaged in resolution 1127 (1997). We do this not to punish UNITA, but to encourage it to keep its promises. We hope that UNITA will realize that delay does not pay and that it will quickly implement its remaining obligations in good faith. The Council is ready to lift these measures as soon as UNITA has done so. But first we need substantial action from UNITA, particularly on the extension of State administration, demilitarization and the transformation of Radio Vorgan. We do not accept that UNITA has no more troops to demobilize. UNITA must declare all of its remaining troops so that they can be properly demobilized. The Government of Angola also has its responsibilities.”

    1997-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3827 (1997) · source

31. “We postponed sanctions at the end of September because UNITA promised to finish its remaining tasks in the Angolan peace process. At the time, UNITA appeared to be making some welcome progress. Given the subsequent lack of progress, we can only conclude that those positive developments were concessions by UNITA simply to prevent the implementation of sanctions. During October, UNITA continued to fail conspicuously to meet its remaining obligations, despite being urged repeatedly to do so. In effect, UNITA broke its promises. Once again, as we consider the prospect of sanctions, UNITA is making welcome steps in the right direction. But they are not enough. The Security Council should not allow itself to be swayed again by last-minute gestures.”

    1997-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3827 (1997) · source