YouSaid · the spoken record

Rowe

lines on the record: 128
first: 1994-12-16
most recent: 2007-01-31
sittings or episodes: 13
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

“My delegation would like to thank you, Sir, and members of the Council for giving us another opportunity to contribute to the open discussions on three issues, all of which are of special and direct interest to Sierra Leone. Earlier in the week, it was the scourge of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, followed by the equally disturbing but complex problem of children in armed conflict. Today, the focus is on the progress report on the recommendations of the Council's mission to West Africa, including Sierra Leone. Our participation today is also an indication of the importance that my delegation attaches to such visiting missions. Council members get to see first hand - albeit after armed conflicts have subsided - the situation on the ground.”
2004-01-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4899 (2004) · source
“Meanwhile, my delegation looks forward to the results of the comprehensive assessment now being undertaken by the Secretary-General of the scope and effectiveness of the response by the United Nations system to the issue of children in armed conflict, with a view to strengthening, mainstreaming, integrating and sustaining these activities.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The prescriptions we are preparing and administering are essential, but they must be accompanied by preventive measures. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Since the United Nations is now fully aware of the international dimensions of these phenomena, and in view of their implications for international peace and security, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to appeal to the Security Council to assume a more proactive role in the search for concrete and effective solutions, as well as preventive measures, for our children's sake.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In his final recommendation, in paragraph 105, the Secretary-General rightly suggests that greater and more concerted efforts should be deployed to end ongoing conflicts - conflicts that we agree are destroying the lives of millions of children. He adds that efforts should be made to address "the key factors that facilitate the occurrence and recurrence of conflicts". My delegation interprets this as a call for concerted efforts for the prevention of armed conflict. If indeed we are committed to the promotion and protection of children, particularly those affected by armed conflict, we should also deal with the root causes of armed conflict, especially those that are directly linked to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and in precious natural resources, such as diamonds from Sierra Leone.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The Sierra Leone delegation endorses the recommendations contained in the Secretary-General's report, especially those relating to concrete measures that the Security Council can take in the context of its responsibility under the Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. These measures should include, where necessary and appropriate, targeted arms embargoes and travel restrictions. However, effective monitoring mechanisms would have to be put in place. We wish also to recall Ms. Bellamy's statement this morning that funding should not entirely depend on voluntary contributions. She stated that resources need to be made available for child demobilization as early as possible, well before the DDR process. We attach great importance to this.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“These are "the new home-grown mercenaries" who, for one reason or the other, slip through DDR programmes, regroup and create new pockets of armed rebellion aimed at ruthless and protracted destabilization of the subregion. They are also the precursors of urban criminal elements in post-conflict situations. We note that on the list of recent advances towards the protection of children in armed conflict, the Secretary-General highlights, among other things, the fact that children's issues have been incorporated into peace agreements and peace accords. This is commendable, since those agreements also include provisions for disarmament and demobilization.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Articulating his vision of life after a brutal conflict, the young man also brought a message - a signpost, so to speak - which the Security Council should follow in devising ways and means of advancing the promotion and protection of the rights of children, especially those affected by armed conflict. This is a very important development in the area of accountability that should not go unnoticed. Although the rebel war in Sierra Leone and the recruitment and participation of child combatants is no longer an issue, and although disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes are under way in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, we are seriously concerned about the cross-border movement of armed children and youth in the subregion.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The crime of conscripting and enlisting and/or the use of boys and girls to participate in active hostilities is punishable under article 4 (c) of the Statute of the Special Court. This could serve as a deterrent to future attempts to recruit children for combat and for the purpose of perpetrating acts of sheer brutality. Just over a year ago, a young Sierra Leonean - a former child combatant - appeared before the Council to relate the story of his abduction and participation in what the Special Court for Sierra Leone has characterized as the "criminal enterprise".”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Reference is made, for example, to the establishment of the National Commission for War-Affected Children, which was initiated Mr. Otunnu, and the organization of the Children's Forum Network. Reference is also made to the "Voice of Children" radio project, which provides a platform for one of the 10 imperatives endorsed in the worldwide "Say Yes for Children" campaign organized by UNICEF about two years ago - namely, "Listen to children". An important development that is not in the Secretary-General's report, but that my delegation would like to highlight, is the fact that among the crimes alleged in the recent indictments at the Special Court for Sierra Leone is the use of child combatants.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation welcomes with appreciation the most recent report of the Secretary-General on the protection of children in armed conflict. The list of advances made over the past few years towards the protection of children affected by armed conflict is encouraging. It covers many of the important legal and political measures taken by States and international and regional organizations. The list and the report as a whole also affirm the crucial role that public advocacy, such as that undertaken by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and non-governmental organizations, can continue to play in the complex task of ensuring effective protection of war-affected children. In this regard, we note some of the measures contained in the report that pertain directly to the situation in Sierra Leone.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In short, it creates the condition in which children become the victims and perpetrators of such practices as rape, abduction, amputation, sexual slavery and wanton and indiscriminate killing. All children, whether or not they are currently affected by armed conflict, will be the principal beneficiaries of measures now under way to prevent, combat and eradicate the scourge of the illicit trade in these weapons - what one could describe as weapons of mass destruction because of the magnitude and devastation they have caused to human life and property. We are by no means exaggerating the linkage between the illicit flow of small arms and the terrible situation in which children find themselves in areas of conflict. This linkage is a reality; it is a challenge which we must all accept.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In our statement yesterday, my delegation spoke of the need to acknowledge that the illicit trade in those weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security. It is a threat that must been seen in the context of the unnecessary suffering that it has caused and that it continues to inflict on innocent children throughout the world, especially in developing countries such as Sierra Leone. From what we have experienced in Sierra Leone and other parts of the West African subregion, one has every reason to conclude that the illicit trade in and circulation of small arms and light weapons promotes extreme cruelty against and by children. It helps to create child combatants and child perpetrators of heinous crimes against not only adults, but also children.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We are grateful for your decision, Madam, to be present here today to lead our discussion on one of the most pathetic situations in the world today - that of children affected by armed conflict. I should also like to extend my delegation's sincere appreciation to two leading and dedicated advocates for children in the United Nations family: the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Carol Bellamy, for their informative and, indeed, instructive, account and picture of the situation of children victims of armed conflict. This meeting is the logical follow-up to that convened by the Security Council yesterday on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We also recall the latest comprehensive General Assembly resolution on the prevention of armed conflict, resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003. We therefore call on the Security Council to take those recommendations into account in its review and consideration of future activities pertaining to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Given the international dimension of most armed conflicts in the world today, and realizing the complex and deep-rooted causes of those conflicts, we believe that the Security Council should assume a greater role in the peaceful settlement of disputes. As a result, it would be averting war, as well as the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“However, we must admit that all those actions are essentially reactive. They have been devised in response to conflicts. In the view of my delegation the most effective and lasting means of protection that States and the international community can afford to civilians lies in the prevention of armed conflict. A culture of protection is inextricably linked with a culture of prevention. This morning we heard representatives from Guinea, Chile, China, Angola, Cameroon and Pakistan all make references to the idea of prevention of conflicts. In this regard, we recall the various recommendations of the Secretary-General for conflict prevention, including the 10 principles that he suggests should guide the Organization's approach to conflict prevention.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“That is a challenge the Security Council must meet as part of its responsibility in developing the culture of protection. The second element I would like to emphasize is this. We can establish legal instruments, develop appropriate guidelines and principles and establish special courts and tribunals. We can also continue to take concrete measures to separate civilians and armed elements in conflict situations and then give special attention to the specific needs of vulnerable populations such as women, the aged and children. We can facilitate the stabilization and rehabilitation of communities through disarmament, demobilization and resettlement programmes. All this can be done in the context of protection of civilians in armed conflict. Those are all laudable measures, and no one should underestimate them.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“It may be recalled that it was not until August 2000, and long after the rebels had begun their heinous crimes, that the Security Council, in resolution 1313 (2000), authorized the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) "within its capabilities and areas of deployment, to afford protection to civilians under threat of imminent physical violence". The dilemma was that while it was the responsibility of the Government to afford protection to its citizens, its capabilities for doing so throughout the country were limited. What inference do we draw from this in trying to develop the so-called culture of protection? We realize that those who are called upon or deployed to provide protection to civilians are themselves becoming targets of armed attacks.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Imagine the number of innocent lives that could have been protected and saved in the beleaguered city of Monrovia, next door to Sierra Leone, a few months ago if the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had had the capacity to respond rapidly - and I emphasize the word rapidly - to the serious humanitarian crisis that was evolving in that city. By capacity we mean not just the humanitarian or physical or monetary capacity, but also the moral and political capacity to avert humanitarian crises and protect innocent civilians.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Often the capacity of Governments, including the Government of Sierra Leone, to comply with obligations of protection under relevant international humanitarian law in the face of rebel atrocities perpetrated with the support of external elements is extremely - extremely - limited. We welcome the assistance provided by the international community to facilitate humanitarian emergency assistance to areas where the population was caught in so-called rebel- controlled areas. Imagine the number of innocent civilians that could have been saved in Sierra Leone if, for instance, the democratically elected Government of Sierra Leone had had the capacity to respond to and avert rebel atrocities, including amputation, rape and many of the crimes now before the Special Court.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“In reviewing and updating the aide-memoire, especially in the context of peacekeeping mandates of the Security Council, my delegation would like to draw attention to two elements pertaining to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. First, we strongly believe that emphasis should be placed not merely on the obligation and responsibility to protect, but also on the capacity to provide protection. That applies to virtually all the internal and cross-border armed conflicts that have been raging, for example in our part of the world, the West African subregion.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“We understand, for instance, that the aide-memoire, which the Secretary-General once described as the centrepiece of a strategy for civilian protection, was usefully applied to the situation in Sierra Leone. My delegation believes that the authors ofthe document must also have learned from our experience in the difficult task of defending our people against the ruthless rebel attacks on the civilian population over a 10-year period. Indeed, the machinery established to address impunity - namely the Special Court - is itself unique in the annals of current and emerging international humanitarian law. Whether or not this hybrid court concept could be applied in other situations is debatable. Meanwhile, we are confident that its effectiveness as an instrument of protection will be realized in due course.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“First, we know that the tactics employed in deliberate acts of violence against civilians are changing rapidly. Secondly, as the Secretary-General reminded us recently, many of the political and legal instruments at our disposal for the protection of civilians in armed conflict are outdated. These periodic assessments by the Security Council should serve as a reminder of the need to adapt and update the appropriate instruments and guidelines to meet the new challenges posed by both State and non-State actors in areas of armed conflict. The Sierra Leone experience, covering more than a decade of rebel atrocities, is a chapter by itself in what has become a voluminous record of lessons learned in the area of civilian protection in armed conflict in the post-world-war period.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“We would also like to express our thanks to Under-Secretary-General Egeland for his comprehensive briefing this morning, and for the updated version of the aide-memoire, as well as the 10- point platform for future collective action on this matter, which is of serious concern to all States. As long as armed conflicts continue, incessantly, to take their toll on innocent people in various parts of the world, between and within States, and as long as some parties to such conflicts continue to ignore the basic principles of international humanitarian and human rights law, the Security Council must continue to undertake periodic reviews and in-depth assessments of measures that have been devised to ensure the effective protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“My delegation appreciates the opportunity that you, Mr. President, and the other members of the Council, have afforded us to make a modest contribution to this new debate on the important issue of the safety of civilians in armed conflict. At the outset, we acknowledge and commend the efforts of the United Nations system, in particular the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, in accentuating the benefits of developing a culture of protection in the international community. The Organization as a whole has come up with guidelines and principles, including the aide-memoire adopted by the Security Council last year, and various recommendations made by the Secretary-General himself, for alleviating the plight of civilians in areas of armed conflict.”
2003-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4877Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The Special Court for Sierra Leone should be seen as an example of the type of mechanism available to the international community for addressing impunity, especially impunity related to the recruitment of children to commit heinous atrocities in conflict situations. We feel that the Special Court could be regarded as a court set up for our children's sake. As the prosecutor, David Crane, said recently, the children of Sierra Leone have suffered enough both as victims and as perpetrators. The objective is to prosecute not children, but the people, including those warlords, who forced thousands of children to commit unspeakable crimes.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The Sierra Leone delegation would like to take this opportunity to reiterate once again its appeal to all States, in particular manufacturers and their agents, to ensure, including through appropriate legislation, that these weapons do not get into the hands of rebel movements and other non-State actors. Security Council arms embargoes and travel restrictions against rebel movements are very important - we recognize that - but are certainly not enough, especially where sanctions monitoring mechanisms do not exist or are woefully ineffective. Finally, based on the Sierra Leone experience, my delegation would like to see in the draft resolution to be adopted by the Security Council following its discussion of the Secretary-General's report some reference to the question of impunity.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“That of course does not mean that we should downplay violations by States. The list indicates clearly, as far as we are concerned, that ways and means must be found for dealing more effectively with the role of non-State actors in the recruitment and use of child soldiers. This brings my delegation to a related issue that has been placed on the agenda of the Security Council: the illegal trade and transfer of small arms and light weapons. Many speakers referred to it this morning, and Switzerland and other delegations also spoke about it eloquently this afternoon.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“However, my delegation believes - and we would like to stress this point here - that we must also recognize that rebels and other non-State insurgent groups are not parties to those international instruments on the involvement or use of children in armed conflict. As we witnessed in Sierra Leone, notwithstanding the commitments rebel movements make in peace agreements, these forces, at least in the West African subregion, account, in our view, for most of the recorded abuses of international norms for the protection of children in armed conflict. We recall here the number of instances where the RUF rebel movement reneged on peace and ceasefire agreements. We observe that there are only four Governments on the "name and shame" list annexed to the Secretary- General's latest report.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Our ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is also a testimony to our commitment to, among other things, the relevant provisions concerning the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and the mechanism of accountability for crimes specific to children. We also share the view of the Secretary-General that the challenge today is to ensure their implementation on the ground, that is, compliance with these international norms. The list of violators contained in his report is indeed an important step forward in our efforts, as he puts it, "to induce compliance with international child protection obligations by parties to conflict" (S/2002/1299, para. 28).”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“My delegation strongly believes that the establishment of international norms prescribing the involvement of children in armed conflict, and strict compliance with those norms, are important steps in our collective effort to rid the world of this unconscionable practice. My delegation shares the view set out by the Secretary-General in his report that the codification of international norms and standards for the protection of children during conflict has made an impressive contribution to that effort. Sierra Leone has ratified the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We have also become a party to the African regional equivalent, the Organization of African Unity and African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“This underscores our concern that in the absence of adequate resources for implementing the Government's reintegration programme for ex-combatants, especially the thousands of demobilized child ex-combatants, those warlords will take advantage of the situation and recruit them again into the killing circus that has characterized the activities of the rebel movements in the subregion. We therefore endorse wholeheartedly the recommendation that the Security Council and Member States should be urged to provide sustained and adequate resources to the relevant organizations engaged in implementing DDR programmes for children.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“It is now the principal child protection and advocacy mechanism in the country. Although the scope of its work is relatively wide and covers different categories of war-affected children, the Commission is expected to address the special needs of former child combatants. My delegation takes note of the reference in the Secretary-General's report to the risk we face in Sierra Leone of losing thousands of former child combatants to the conflict across the border in Liberia.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Sierra Leone has also learned from experience that the problem of former child soldiers could be addressed through the establishment of an oversight institution for the welfare of children in a post-conflict situation. Beyond the disarmament and demobilization process, however, we have tried to ensure that the welfare of children and the protection of their right to develop in a peaceful environment are at the centre of government policy-making and resource-allocation strategies. Our thanks again go to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Otunnu. His ground- breaking 15-point agenda for action for the children of Sierra Leone paved the way for the establishment in January last year of a statutory National Commission for War-Affected Children.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The Government, for its part, also pledged to accord particular attention to the issue of child soldiers by mobilizing resources through the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Children and Armed Conflict, and through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other agencies, to address the special needs of these children in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process. I would like to pay tribute to the Special Representative, Mr. Otunnu, and to Ms. Bellamy of UNICEF for their untiring efforts on behalf of the children of Sierra Leone. We would also like to commend them for their statements this morning.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“In 1999 the Government of Sierra Leone insisted that its peace agreement with the rebel movement the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) must include an appeal to the conscience of the parties to recognize that the children of Sierra Leone, especially those affected by the conflict, in View of their vulnerability, are entitled to special care and protection consistent with the provisions of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“On the contrary, we say Sierra Leone has no more child soldiers only with a sense of relief; relief that our children, those who survived the atrocious rebel war, are free at last from the abominable practice of recruiting children to kill and be killed. As a country that has just emerged from a prolonged and brutal armed conflict in which children were both perpetrators and victims, we know from experience the immediate and long-term consequences of the abduction, drugging, training and deployment of children for armed combat. Experience has also taught us that urgent action must be taken to put an end to such practices, first and foremost through the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex- combatants.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Mr. President, my delegation would like to associate itself with the words of welcome and congratulation extended to you by previous speakers. We look forward to working with you in your capacity as the President of the Security Council and as the new Permanent Representative of France. Sierra Leone has no more child soldiers. We say this not with a feeling of pride. We have no reason to take pride in the fact that Sierra Leone is not named in the Secretary-General's latest report (S/2002/ 1299) among areas of conflict where children are still being recruited and/or used as child soldiers.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“In this regard, we fully endorse the Secretary- General's View that there is a general, clear need for all the stakeholders to agree on a realistic target date for the completion of the disarmament and demobilization of all combatants. We agree that as a first step, the RUF should provide, as a matter or urgency, full and complete information on the number of RUF combatants under its command and ensure that they comply with the DDR process. We urgently need a target date for disarmament and demobilization. The process cannot and should not be prolonged indefinitely.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Disarmament and demobilization are closely linked to the question of security in Sierra Leone, the protection of human rights, the unimpeded flow of humanitarian relief to victims of the rebel war and, of course, to the capacity of the nation to concentrate on rehabilitation and reconstruction of the economy and other aspects of the life and livelihood of the nation. The planting season is rapidly approaching. The farmers want to go back to their farms to grow food to feed the people. How can we speak of national reconciliation when the combatants are still holding on to their weapons? How can we expect the victims of atrocities to forgive, when the perpetrators are still equipped with the weapons of war?”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The President challenged all those who say "There is no more war in Sierra Leone" but who refuse to disarm, to remove the threat of war, namely the weapons. We hope that Mr. Sankoh and others have heard the message and will take immediate steps to accept the challenge. We also hope that he and others will heed the message which is emerging in this Council today. Mr. Sankoh should not hold the entire nation hostage. We know that thousands of former RUF fighters are ready and willing to disarm. Disarmament and demobilization remain the highest- priority issues on the peace agenda.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“He also explained the benefits of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants. In the areas he visited, and in response to his appeal, there was an impressive disarmament exercise by the Civil Defence Forces (CDF) which was not merely symbolic. The CDF told us of, and demonstrated, their willingness to disarm completely and speedily in the interests of peace in our country. We had hoped that the RUF and others would not merely reciprocate but would fulfil their obligations under the Lome Peace Agreement. President Kabbah has challenged all ex-combatants, wherever they are, to disarm for the good of the nation. He has challenged all the commanders to urge their men and women in arms to join in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR).”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The people of Sierra Leone are encouraged by this approach, which obviously complements the activities of UNAMSIL on the ground. I should like to add that the people of Sierra Leone also welcome the firm stand which the Secretary- General's Special Representative in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Olu Adeniji, has been taking in Mr. Sankoh's encounters with the United Nations. As part of the Government's confidence-building measures, President Kabbah recently undertook the first in a series of disarmament campaign visits to several parts of the country. He visited Bo, Pujehun and Kenema. He wanted to help break the cycle of distrust, suspicion and misconception. I want to emphasize the word "misconception", because there are certain misconceptions about the whole disarmament process.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Indeed, the finger should be directed at the main stumbling block, the main obstacle that stands in the way of the peace process. That is why we welcome the Secretary-General's assessment that serious doubts remain about the commitment of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to the peace process. Events on the ground - as we have heard from Sir Jeremy - and certain utterances by the RUF leader, in our View, justify the observation - indeed, the conclusion - in the report that the RUF should immediately take convincing measures to dispel these doubts. In this connection, we welcome the statement which you, Mr. President, made to the press last week on behalf of the Council. In our View, it was a forthright message to Mr. Foday Sankoh to take disarmament seriously - and it is about time.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“We understand that he is leaving. He has done a fantastic job, and we wish him well in his new assignment. We have taken note of the Secretary-General's latest report, and the update provided orally to the Council by Mr. Annabi this morning, and we thank him for his clarification. We also acknowledge the general conclusion that the peace process as a whole has been slow and that there has been little progress in disarmament in the northern and eastern parts of the country. For its part, the Government of Sierra Leone has consistently demonstrated its commitment to all aspects of the peace process. Regrettably, as Ambassador Greenstock stated this morning, we cannot say the same for the other party to the Lorne Peace Agreement.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“I should like to thank him sincerely for giving members of the Council a lucid and candid assessment of the current situation in our country. His remarks were an unofficial but credible addendum to the report of the Secretary-General. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to commend the United Kingdom for sending such a high-level delegation to assess the situation on the spot. This latest initiative by the Government of the United Kingdom is exemplary and timely, especially in the context of what needs to be done in facilitating the peace process. Allow me to say a few words to Sir Jeremy about a compatriot of his. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to travel with High Commissioner Penfold, who is fondly called "Chief Komrabai" by the people of Sierra Leone. We went to B0, Pujehun and Kenema. Allow me to express our thanks to him.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“May I, through you, Sir, thank the Council for giving us the opportunity to speak in this meeting of the Council on the situation in Sierra Leone. It is a pleasure to see you, Sir. I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency this month and to thank you for your initiative in convening this open briefing. We believe that these meetings serve as useful barometres of the interest which the Council and the whole international community attach to the plight of the people of Sierra Leone and their fervent hope for lasting peace. Please allow me also to pay a tribute to your predecessor, the representative of Argentina, for directing the affairs of the Council last month. My delegation would also like to say a word of welcome to Ambassador Greenstock, who has just returned from Sierra Leone.”
2000-03-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4111Resumption1 (2000) · source
“President, but you will close with a summation. We believe that your summation should be made public; it should perhaps be issued as a document or a note - your note - to the Security Council for possible action by the Council at a later date.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The Organization of African Unity (OAU), for its part, has taken the bold step of discouraging military coups in the continent. This, in our view, is a preventive measure. The Security Council could supplement that by expressing in a resolution, or in a declaration, or in some form or another, its commitment to discourage Member States, especially members of the Security Council, from supporting rebel movements and the illegal supply of arms to overthrow legitimate, internationally recognized Governments in Africa. With some kind of solution to that effect in place, we believe it would help solve and, where possible, prevent conflict in Africa. Finally, I would like to follow up on what the representative of India said about the outcome of this meeting. We do not expect any formal resolution from the proceedings, Mr.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The same could be applied to other areas where recalcitrant actors use minerals to extend and bankroll terror and instability in the continent. Finally, we think that the Council should strengthen its partnership with Africa in the area of conflict prevention by taking action to dissuade Member States, starting with the members of the Security Council, including the permanent members, or some of the permanent members, from supporting and arming rebel movements, movements which destabilize many democratically elected Governments in Africa. These rebel movements exploit the legitimate grievances in some of our countries of some of our people - disaffected people - by launching armed conflict as a means of achieving political power for themselves.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We heard this morning and this afternoon about the roots of conflict in Africa - poverty, disease and so on - but we sometimes forget about the external factor, the role of State and non- State actors in fomenting conflict in our continent. There is some reluctance on the part of some of the powerful Council members to exercise vigilance and exert pressure when necessary on the merchants of death and destruction in the continent. On a related matter, we believe that the Security Council should build on the experience of what I think the Secretary-General described this morning as the Fowler ground-breaking work. I should describe it as the "Fowler formula" in Angola, regarding the relationship between diamonds and the lack of a solution to the conflict in Angola.”
1999-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4081Resumption1 (1999) · source