YouSaid · the spoken record

Roed-Larsen

lines on the record: 386
first: 2002-09-20
most recent: 2009-05-07
sittings or episodes: 15
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

“On 11 May, the TFPI was informed that, until further notice, the Erez crossing would be closed to all except those holding diplomatic passports and visas. Holders of valid United Nations laissez-passer and service visas for Israel are now barred from entering or leaving Gaza, leaving significant numbers of United Nations staff stuck on either side of the boundary and unable to carry out their work. As of today, some United Nations staff members have been allowed to enter and leave Gaza. However, the core of the matter is that these policies are violations of the privileges and immunities of United Nations personnel. They run counter to Israel's international humanitarian law obligations as the occupying Power for the well-being of the people of Gaza.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“All international staff members who do not hold a diplomatic passport and visa will be subject to a car search and metal detector search on entering Gaza similar to, but more thorough than, the checks that are already in place for international staff members that are leaving Gaza. Secondly, all staff entering Gaza will be asked to sign a declaration that effectively attempts to abrogate Israel's responsibility for the safety and security of United Nations staff, facilities and equipment. On 9 May, the TFPI was informed that the declaration introduced on 8 May would not be applicable to United Nations staff, but that the Erez crossing would be closed to all foreigners travelling on tourist or work Visas issued to staff of non- governmental organizations.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Following the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on 30 April new security measures were imposed at the Erez crossing from Israel into the Gaza Strip, necessitating security checks, including interrogation and body searches, for all internationals not holding diplomatic visas. The average crossing time was extended from the normal 20 minutes to between two and two and one half hours, and in some cases up to nine hours. On 8 May, the donor grouping, the Task Force on Project Implementation (TFPI), was informed of a set of rules that would be imposed on a permanent basis. The Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories is the representative of the United Nations family on the Task Force, which has responsibility in the donor community for access issues. These rules include the following.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Its approach is to place security and humanitarian obligations on both sides while strengthening the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus on the basis of the new Palestinian Prime Minister's anti-terrorism programme. This grim situation is exacerbated in the Gaza Strip by a draconian closure regime recently instituted by the Israeli authorities that has resulted in the closing of Gaza to all but those with diplomatic passports. This new situation has been characterized by confusion caused by a lack of effective and appropriate communication from the Israeli authorities and a policy regime that has changed on an almost daily basis. The events of the past few weeks bear fuller description.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Such aid is merely slowing the ongoing economic decline and creating a system of dependency, and not providing support for essential sustainable development. In the face of rising misery among Palestinians, it is essential that the closure regime be lifted in a way that meets Israel's security needs while easing the plight of Palestinians. I would like to say in that regard that we must recognize that Israel is facing a troubling dilemma. In effect - if I may say so - they are "damned if they do and damned if they don't". Only an ending of closure can revive the Palestinian economy and improve living conditions. Such measures, however, might lead to an increase in terrorist attacks. My deep belief is that the road map provides the best way to bridge those concerns.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“There is strong evidence that water-related diseases have increased among rural communities, who have been forced to use contaminated water sources. Some 178 Palestinian communities have no water-distribution networks. More than $1 billion in donor assistance annually, notably food aid and budgetary support, has been critical in stopping the complete economic collapse of Gaza and the West Bank. In 2002 nearly 83 per cent of that total went to emergency and budgetary support, such as paying Palestinian Authority salaries. In the same period food aid distribution managed to stem hunger in areas where markets were severely handicapped and where income loss had impoverished large segments of the population.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“During the last six months of 2002 there was an average of 130 days of military-imposed curfew in each of the major towns of the West Bank. Movement restrictions handicapped Palestinian markets and production in 2002 by hindering both the local and the external marketing of goods. That has created a rapid deterioration in the productive sectors, in effect pushing the Palestinian economy out of production. It has been well documented that Israeli closure policies have dramatically reduced the number of Palestinians working in Israel, which is currently at nearly one third of pre-crisis levels. But domestic employment has also been hit hard by the current Israeli policies. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the water and hygiene situation continues to worsen.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“My Office is about to release a periodic report on the effects of closure on the people of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and some preliminary findings are available. In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, poverty rates increased from approximately 25 per cent, in 1998, to 60 per cent - rising to 75 per cent in Gaza by the end of 2002. In the past two years unemployment rates increased more than 20 per cent, to 53 per cent, according to conservative estimates. Since the current crisis started, in September 2000, closure has led to Palestinian losses of $5.4 billion, one year's worth of national income. Closure continues to dominate the day-to-day reality of most people in the West Bank. Curfew, which restricts people to their homes, is the severest form of closure.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“We believe that the best way to ensure the security of Israelis is by resolving the conflict, precisely through the road map. At each briefing we have informed the Council about the situation regarding humanitarian and socio- economic conditions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. As we have stated on many occasions, the humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza has at its core the movement restrictions imposed by the Israeli security regime. Movement in and out of Palestinian population centres in the West Bank remains restricted due to more than 100 checkpoints and 300 to 400 ditches and earth mounds blocking roads. Those impediments prevent people from reaching medical facilities and from going to schools. Checkpoints and roadblocks are the single largest impediment to the Palestinian economy.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“The United Nations must, however, repeat the call on the Israeli authorities to abandon the use of excessive force in densely populated areas and to protect the safety of civilians and preserve their property in keeping with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law. It is important in this context to point out that illegal armed elements in Palestinian areas bear a heavy responsibility for violence that affects Palestinian civilians by basing themselves in civilian areas, contrary to international humanitarian law. I note that Prime Minister Abu Mazen has stated that his Government has the goal of disarming such groups. We also restate our opposition to extrajudicial killings and call on the Government of Israel to desist immediately from such acts.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Only hours after the presentation of the road map to the Israeli and Palestinian Prime Ministers, on 1 May, Israeli military operations in Gaza City resulted in the deaths of at least 13 Palestinians and injury to many more. Yet the killings of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of their property continue. House demolitions continue at an average rate of 70 houses per month, a trend that seems to be increasing. The amount of destroyed agricultural land increased by almost 100 per cent in six months. I wish to make it clear that we do not question Israel's right to self-defence in the face of repeated terrorist attacks.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Here we find a natural dependency between Israelis and Palestinians. The terror will not stop unless both sides take reciprocal acts in parallel. But such progress will require, first and foremost, determination, focus and will on the part of the new Palestinian Government. Rapid progress on that front will be an important test of the capability of the Palestinian Authority to take the steps necessary to implement the road map. Under the first phase of the road map, Israel is required to take "no actions undermining trust, including attacks on civilians" or "confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property as a punitive measure".”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Under the first phase of the road map, the Palestinian Authority is obligated to "undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks on Israelis anywhere". We, of course, recognize that Abu Mazen and Minister of State for Internal Security Mohammed Dahlan need assistance, as called for in the road map, to "rebuild and refocus" the Palestinian security forces in order to effectively provide security for Palestinians and to prevent terror attacks on Israelis. Support from the Government of Israel is necessary to help Abu Mazen and Mr. Dahlan to carry out that task. Reciprocal confidence-building measures are essential in order to create legitimacy and popular support for Abu Mazen's anti-terror policies.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“The Secretary-General has consistently condemned such cowardly and heinous terrorist acts. He has also recently called on the Israelis and Palestinians not to allow extremists who carry out such repugnant attacks to hijack the peace process and dictate agendas. Above all, terrorists should not have the power to hold hostage a process that has the potential of ending the terror, providing security for Israel and alleviating the plight of the Palestinian people. The groups responsible for terrorist acts should immediately cease all forms of violence and remove that obstacle to peace. The Palestinian Authority must bring to justice those involved in planning and carrying out those attacks.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“We must always keep in view the plan's goals: a viable, sovereign and democratic Palestine; a secure and prosperous Israel; and a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region. The obstacles to those goals are numerous. Since the last briefing to the Security Council, 95 people have lost their lives to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - 79 Palestinians and 16 Israelis. That raises the total death toll since September 2000 to 2,648 Palestinians and 751 Israelis. On 29 April, the same day that Abu Mazen was confirmed as Prime Minister and his cabinet was approved by the Palestinian Legislative Council, a suicide bomber struck a pub in Tel Aviv, killing three and injuring dozens. On 24 April, a suicide bomber again tragically exploded a bomb in the Israeli town of Kfar Sava, killing one and injuring 13.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“These are necessary and positive beginnings, but - I will recall - they are only beginnings. Peacemaking is a long, difficult and painful process, not a single, spectacular event. We must temper optimism and hopefulness with the realistic understanding that the road map - and indeed the road to the road map - will be strewn with obstacles, as we have seen lately. Success will depend upon the good faith and performance of the parties and on the determination of the Quartet, key regional actors such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the broader international community. They will have to stay the course. Especially in these early days, we must continue to work hard for the implementation of the road map and to assist the parties to follow its path.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Mr. Roed-Larsen: It was with sadness that, on my arrival in New York, I learned of three suicide bombings against Israeli citizens in 24 hours. My heart goes out to the families of the victims of those senseless acts, which are unjustified on any moral or political grounds. It is my sincere hope that the parties will not be diverted from the quest for peace by this terrorism. Since the last briefing on the situation in the Middle East, on 16 April, we have seen the tentative budding of a new and fragile Middle East peace process. The events that led to this new beginning were the confirmation by the Palestinian Legislative Council of Abu Mazen as the first Palestinian Prime Minister and the subsequent presentation to the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority of the Quartet's road map for Middle East peace.”
2003-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4757 (2003) · source
“Without a political, negotiated settlement based on the road map and the two-State solution there will be neither security nor stability in the Middle East. We have a historic opportunity to establish a vigorous and determined front of peace when elsewhere in the region we are at the brink of war. That front of peace can be a source of long-term stability in the region. However, that requires dedicated attention and action from all of us. Without that, I fear, this opportunity will be lost.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“To seize that opportunity, three critical steps are nearing completion. The Palestinian step has been to appoint a credible and empowered Prime Minister, which once again can make the Palestinian Authority a partner for peace at the negotiating table. The international step has been buoyed by the decision of the United States to join the three other Quartet partners in agreeing to present the road map to the parties and to call for its implementation. The third and equally important step is the Government of Israel's return to the negotiating table. It has already reaffirmed its commitment to the two-State solution, which is embedded in the road map, and has expressed willingness to go back to the table to seek a peaceful solution based on those goals.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“This lesson should contribute to building trust between the two parties when, in accordance with the road map, they resume negotiations to implement resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and to build a comprehensive peace in the region. I hope the Council will forgive me for taking so much of its time, while other issues loom so large on its agenda. It is the nature of politics - particularly, I fear, in the Middle East - that fires break out all at once. As we move towards war in one part of the region, I trust we will not miss this opportunity to move towards peace in another. In closing, I reiterate that for the first time in two and-a-half years, I see a small window of opportunity to get back to the table, and out of the abyss of terrorism, violence, economic misery and general human suffering.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“I call on all parties concerned to maintain maximum restraint and avoid any action that could be interpreted by other parties as hostile. This is of particular concern and importance at a time when the region might go into a period of further instability and unpredictability. The situation on the Golan Heights has remained calm since our last briefing. The importance of continued respect for the terms and spirit of the Disengagement Agreement cannot be overstated. Both Israel and Syria have proven, over more than two decades, their ability and their desire to respect their mutual commitments. Although the Disengagement Agreement is limited in scope, full respect for its terms stands as proof that agreements can be, and indeed are, respected in the Middle East.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Since our last briefing to the Security Council, the situation along the Blue Line has remained tense but stable. However, I note with concern recent Israeli air Violations and Hizbullah anti-aircraft fire directed across the Blue Line. The Government of Lebanon continued to strengthen its presence in the south, with increased patrolling by the Lebanese armed forces and the joint security forces in southern Lebanon and in areas close to the Blue Line. I choose to interpret this as a reflection of a commitment of the Government of Lebanon to ensuring a calm environment in the south. Given the high level of tension in the region, any provocative action along or across the Blue Line at this time, such as air violations and anti-aircraft fire, could rapidly deteriorate into a destabilizing dynamic.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“But first we must begin. And the only way to begin, as President Bush and Prime Minister Blair emphasized last Friday, is for the parties to move beyond entrenched positions and to take concrete actions to achieve peace. Despite a number of concerns, the Palestinians have accepted the road map without reservations. I trust that, faced with this extraordinary opportunity to put an end to the misery and insecurity of the past two years, the Government of Israel will shortly do the same. This would allow the parties to move forward in a dialogue that would produce consensus on how to implement the Quartet's road map. The Quartet stands ready to support such a development with all necessary measures. Let me move now to developments on the Israeli- Lebanese front.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“In addition, because only a comprehensive peace can bring stability, security and prosperity to the region, the other tracks of the Middle East peace process will be revived. This will also been done in parallel, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Despite the continued distrust between the two sides, I am confident that there is now mutual recognition of the many imperatives that compel them to embrace a peace process once again. I strongly believe that it is in their mutual self-interest never to lose sight of the need to forge a common vision of their future. The road map defines that Vision and the steps needed to achieve it. To be sure, many details still need to be worked out. We welcome the parties' ideas about how best to implement their obligations and how the Quartet and others can assist them.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Israel must also immediately dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001 and, consistent with the Mitchell report, freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth. A second new and critical feature of the road map is that it clearly defines our final destination. In accordance with Security Council resolution 1397 (2002), the final negotiated settlement will result in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours. The settlement will resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and end the occupation that began in 1967 - a vital element of international efforts to promote comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“As the Secretary-General has repeatedly observed, every attempt to implement a sequential approach over the past two years has failed. So, first and foremost, the road map sets out reciprocal obligations for Israelis and Palestinians that they must implement in parallel. The road map requires immediate action by both sides. The Palestinian Authority must not only declare an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism, but also undertake visible efforts on the ground to prevent violent attacks on Israelis anywhere. At the same time, the Government of Israel must end actions that undermine trust, such as proactive security operations, attacks on civilians, confiscation and demolition of Palestinian homes and property, and other measures specified in the Tenet plan.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Under the road map and under the auspices of the Quartet, progress would be monitored and assessed on the basis of the parties' compliance with specific performance benchmarks. For more than a year, the Quartet has engaged in extensive consultations on developing the road map. Most of this has been internal, but the Quartet has also engaged the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, other Governments in the region and key international players. I believe that the text that ultimately emerged from the Quartet's meetings in December 2002 in Washington, DC, represents a finely tuned balance between the interests and capacities of all concerned parties. A number of features of the road map are essential to its successful implementation.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“It began with the Quartet Principals' meeting in New York last September at the Secretary-General's initiative and in his office. In that meeting, we decided that we should, in operational terms, spell out reciprocal steps to be taken by the parties in each of its phases. A key guiding principle was the Secretary-General's conceptual distinction between parallelism and sequentialism. No longer could we move through a process based on sequentialism. We had to pursue progress across the board and in parallel on all issues - security, economic and political. Critically, as we have seen so many times, no ceasefire can take hold if political progress and economic suffering are not simultaneously addressed.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Recent conversations I have had with senior Israeli interlocutors clearly show that there is now a will to go back to the table. With war in Iraq even more likely - perhaps almost here - it is imperative that the members of this Council demonstrate to the peoples of the region and of the world that their ultimate goal in the Middle East is peace. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict we must not be blind to or underestimate the challenges that lie ahead, particularly on the security front. But a door has opened, and we must now walk through it. I believe that President Bush's announcement last Friday that the Quartet will present the road map to the parties as soon as a credible and empowered Prime Minister is confirmed is an important step on which we must build. The development of the road map has been a lengthy and meticulous process.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“As members of the Council are aware, Prime Minister Sharon's Government was sworn in on 27 February. The Prime Minister's new coalition brings together the Likud, Shinui, National Union and National Religious parties. No one underestimates the challenges facing Israel at this juncture in its history. Terrorism is still murdering innocent men, women and children in Israel's streets. Against the backdrop of violence and instability, the Israeli economy is in distress, with rising unemployment and increasing social problems, particularly for the poor. I commend the Prime Minister for standing by his stated commitment to the Vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, as outlined in President Bush's statement of 24 June 2002. It is towards achieving that Vision that we now must turn.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“The Task Force noted that the reform process was seriously hampered by Israeli mobility restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which both stymied its progress and undermined its credibility. Task Force members urged the Government of Israel to help facilitate the reform process, while also reiterating that it must minimize the impact of its security measures on the civilian population. The Palestinian Authority has started taking important decisions to restart negotiations. Now it is the turn of both Israel and the international community. Quite simply, Israel and the Palestinian Authority must return to the table in a negotiating framework with the Quartet road map as its starting point. Israel must also look at ways to ease the massive burden on the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank and Gaza.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Other key areas of reform were discussed in London on 19 and 20 February at the Quartet's Task Force on Palestinian Reform, which met at the capital level, with the participation of the Quartet envoys. Its overall assessment was that the Palestinian Authority has made impressive progress in implementing reforms under exceptionally difficult circumstances. Although the Task Force remained very critical of the lack of progress in the judicial sector, there was general consensus that financial accountability and market economy reforms continue to progress at a rapid pace. Task Force members also commended the Palestinian Authority for adopting a detailed and ambitious action plan for public administration and civil service reform.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Abu Mazen, a credible and well-respected leader, now has up to five weeks to present a new government to the Palestinian Legislative Council for approval. Hopefully his Government will be in place long before that. I believe that President Arafat, the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian Legislative Council deserve to be commended for this courageous and Visionary step, and for the other reforms they have undertaken, with full transparency and in close cooperation and coordination with the international community and the Quartet, which has kept in particularly close contact with the Governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan during this process.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Yesterday, after a near-unanimous decision by the Palestinian Legislative Council, President Arafat approved a bill of amendments to the Palestinian Authority Basic Law that creates the post of Prime Minister and defines his powers. The amendments to the Basic Law give the Prime Minister a number of powers currently held by the Palestinian Authority President, including appointing or removing cabinet ministers and other senior officials; convening and presiding over cabinet meetings; and supervising the work of Palestinian Authority ministries and other institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, which is responsible for public order and internal security. With the political blessing of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Central Council, he nominated Mahmoud Abbas - Abu Mazen - to the post of Prime Minister.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“I suggested at the London meetings that donors regularize weekly meetings with the parties at ministerial level as soon as a Palestinian Prime Minister and his cabinet are formed. The point to come out of this is that, if the current Israeli security regime remains, the Palestinian humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate at alarming speed. And this brings us to the only way out of this crisis - namely, a negotiated political solution. Sir, let me turn to the three key decisions that the key actors must take. I believe that the Palestinian Authority's progress in implementing reforms, particularly the establishment of a credible and empowered office of the Prime Minister, provides an opportunity to begin rebuilding a peaceful partnership of negotiations.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“They also stressed that Israel must do more to reduce the burden of security restrictions on innocent civilians and facilitate the provision of international assistance to communities in need. In this regard, I note with concern that the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in storage and other costs due to security clearance delays at Israeli ports and border crossings, some of which have lasted as long as 40 days. More broadly, donors stressed the urgent need to re-establish a tripartite effort involving Palestinians, Israelis and the international community, working in partnership to address these problems, along with the security and political issues that have spawned them.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“And as the crisis persists, social and human rights organizations have noted growing Violence against women. I would like to emphasize that international aid alone cannot respond adequately to these problems. Its continuation is critical to avoid total collapse. But even if annual donor aid were to double from its current $1 billion, which is now poured in on an annual basis, it would have only a marginal effect on alleviating poverty rates. At last month's Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting of all major donors, the multilateral institutions and the parties, donors expressed their conviction that support to the Palestinian Authority remains the best short-term vehicle for addressing the dire economic and humanitarian situation.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“The town of Qalqilya is a case in point, where some 32,000 Palestinians are virtually surrounded by the separation wall, and access to and from town is limited to an eight-metre gate supervised by Israeli soldiers. In such circumstances, it is difficult to see how the minimum social, economic and humanitarian needs of the local population can be met. The aggregate social costs of these conditions are staggering - and very difficult to reverse. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip face near-total insecurity; they lack any avenue for improving their circumstances or addressing violations of their basic rights. In view of the prevailing circumstances, many adolescents see no reason to continue their education; school drop-out rates have risen markedly. In addition, teachers are reporting an increase in violent behaviour at school.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Well over 50 per cent of the private workforce has been laid off; and, according to UNSCO figures, unemployment now stands at 45 per cent. Bank credit to the private sector is drying up, and the Palestinian Authority currently owes private suppliers approximately $370 million in unpaid bills. Many Palestinians have turned to the agricultural sector as a coping mechanism. However, construction by Israel of the separation wall in the West Bank, coupled with severe movement restrictions, have denied many communities access to their land and sources of livelihood. This has the potential of creating communities wholly dependent on aid.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“The World Bank and my office, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories (UNSCO), presented our latest detailed assessment of Palestinian economic life. The findings are alarming. In just 27 months, closure and other movement restrictions reduced Palestinian gross national income by approximately $5.4 billion - the entire year's worth of income. Poverty, defined as less than $2 consumption per day, has increased from 21 per cent on the eve of the crisis, to 60 per cent today - and 75 per cent in the Gaza Strip. In addition, real per capita food consumption has dropped by up to 30 per cent since September 2000. The Palestinian private sector has been hit particularly hard in the last two years.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“I call once again on the Government of Israel to take more proactive steps to ensure that its military forces abide scrupulously by those principles, to re- examine their rules of engagement and to conduct a robust investigation of each and every civilian death caused by Israeli military activity. Like every other State, Israel has a right to self-defence. But that right must be exercised with caution, using reasonable means. The ongoing physical insecurity so acutely felt by Palestinians and Israelis alike is also creating serious economic insecurity. A massive infusion of foreign assistance has helped to prevent a total collapse of the Palestinian economy. Stark evidence of this crisis was presented last month in London to the primary forum for donors to the Palestinians, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“In one such operation in a refugee camp in Gaza, a woman who was almost nine months pregnant died when her house collapsed on her, and medical personnel were prevented from reaching her. Just this week, the American peace activist Rachel Corrie died after an IDF bulldozer ran her over. Perhaps the saddest and most telling statistic of the trauma being inflicted on Gaza: at least 22 children younger than 18 have been killed there in the past two months alone. As all four members of the Quartet have stressed - and stressed repeatedly - over the course of this crisis, Israel has an absolute obligation under international law to minimize harm to innocent civilians.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“During the past month, Israeli military forces conducted intensive operations in a number of Palestinian cities and refugee camps throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Those operations caused intolerably high numbers of civilian casualties - particularly in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) conducted its largest incursions since the beginning of the crisis. There are disturbing reports that the force used by Israel was excessive and at times indiscriminate. On a number of occasions, the Israeli military used powerful explosives to demolish the family homes of persons accused of attacks against Israeli targets, often causing substantial damage to adjacent buildings.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“As we have stated many times in the past, such mass murder - such outrageous waste of life - cannot be justified on any grounds or by any cause. I call on the Palestinian Authority to bring to justice those involved in planning such attacks, and I call on the groups responsible to end their use of terror once and for all. If not, what is left of the Palestinian Authority security forces will have to confront those who murder civilians in acts that cannot be seen as political or justified by any means. Although the Palestinian Authority's circumstances are extremely difficult, it is the legitimate authority within agreed Palestinian Authority areas. Unless it exercises - with all means available - its monopoly on the use of force in those limited areas, it will have failed in its authority and leadership.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“The Government of Israel must also take immediate and serious steps to prevent harm to innocent Palestinian civilians and to alleviate the widespread suffering caused by its security measures. In order to move forward, however, we must have no illusions about where we stand. Since our last briefing to the Council, 162 people have lost their lives to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict: 135 Palestinians and 27 Israelis. That raises the total death toll since September 2000 to 2,502 Palestinians and 724 Israelis. The Palestinian Authority must do everything in its power to prevent the killing of innocents. On 3 March, the murderous suicide bombing of a bus in the Carmeliya neighbourhood of Haifa killed 17 people, in addition to the bomber, and injured more than 30, half of them seriously.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Notably, the completion yesterday of the appointment of a credible and empowered Prime Minister was a major step. Now we must see immediate efforts on the part of the new Palestinian Government to do everything within its power to curb terrorism and all forms of Violence and threats. Secondly, the international community, through the Quartet - that is, Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations - must introduce the road map, as agreed in its final draft in Washington, DC, on 20 December. That should be an agreed starting point. The parties will be asked to make contributions on how best to proceed with its implementation. Thirdly, the Government of Israel must sit down at the negotiating table on this basis.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“For the first time in two and-a-half years, I believe we have a real opportunity not only to begin rebuilding the shattered Israeli and Palestinian relationship, but also to finally start implementing a process that can lead to the realization of our shared vision and goals for peace and security in the region. But first, we need to get the parties back to the table. And that requires three critical decisions, taken in parallel by the key actors in this process. I am heartened to say that some of those decisions are, in fact, already on their way to being realized. First, the Palestinian Authority must make fundamental decisions on reform in order to re- establish itself as a credible partner for Israel and the international community.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“Mr. Roed-Larsen: Recognizing the urgency of the Security Council's concerns with regard to Iraq, I am grateful for the opportunity to brief the Council on the situation in a different part of the Middle East. This month marks two and-a-half years of crisis in Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip - two and-a-half years of mourning and insecurity, of political stalemate and economic ruin. Although this crisis is not new, the need to resolve it is as critical as ever, for it is also unpredictable and has the potential to destabilize the Middle East. At the same time, a door of new opportunity has opened. With the front lines of war rapidly appearing before us, it provides us with the possibility of a front line for peace. But to reinforce that front line requires Visible and Vigorous actions.”
2003-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4722 (2003) · source
“The success of any such arrangement is, however, contingent on a clear acceptance by both concerned parties. I will, and I believe we need to, encourage this non-violent diplomatic option in order to defuse the situation. We should not neglect the dangers facing the Middle East or the perils of inaction during this critical period. The peace process has been at a stalemate for more than two years, and the entire region has suffered tremendously as a result. The Quartet road map sets out a coherent framework for shifting the parties from violence and confrontation to negotiations and compromise. A consensus at the upcoming Quartet meeting must be our highest priority. This is not the time to hesitate.”
2002-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4668 (2002) · source
“They reiterated their desire to have some sort of mechanism using the good offices of the United Nations, in order to establish a diplomatic means for resolving future water disputes. They agreed to keep their water activities within the parameters defined in their report and to abstain from any unilateral action for the time being, and they committed themselves to notify the United Nations before going ahead with any such action in the future. They also seek to reach an agreement on water quantities, Via the United Nations as a third party, working with other key members of the international community. They are willing to install a measurement instrument - a water meter - after reaching such an agreement The Lebanese assurances are of course in anticipation of this mechanism becoming operational. I consider this a positive development.”
2002-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4668 (2002) · source