YouSaid · the spoken record

Ryan

lines on the record: 774
first: 1999-09-11
most recent: 2023-09-20
sittings or episodes: 93
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

“However, as Foreign Minister Cowen stated, yesterday's attack in Gaza was not a reasoned or proportionate response to the threat of terrorism. The use of air-launched, high-calibre missiles in densely populated areas can only result in large-scale civilian casualties. To suggest anything otherwise is disingenuous. The political and military leadership of a Member State of this Organization that decided upon yesterday's action in Gaza are fully familiar both with the destructive capacity of the ordnance used and the high density of civilian habitation in the precise location that was targeted. It behoves none of us to temper our outright condemnation of such actions. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims of yesterday's attack and our profound sympathy to the many injured.”
2002-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4588 (2002) · source
“Ireland associates itself with the statement that will be made later in the present meeting by the representative of Denmark on behalf of the member States of the European Union. Today's meeting takes place in the shadow of a further act of gross brutality and disregard for human life, of a kind which increasingly characterizes the situation in the Middle East. As Ireland's Foreign Minister stated yesterday, we fully accept the right of Israel to defend itself and to take necessary measures against those who plan or execute terrorist attacks. We reiterate here again our utter condemnation of such attacks on Israeli civilians. Our hearts go out when we see the bodies of innocents torn apart in this way.”
2002-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4588 (2002) · source
“None of us underestimate these challenges; nor do we underestimate the continued danger of possible reversal of Afghanistan's present course. We must continue to reassert our continued commitment to Afghanistan, with the shared objective of together breaking with the past, and together building a peaceful, stable Afghanistan to the benefit of its people and the other peoples of the region.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“We are very grateful to the lead nations, as well as to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), for their work across a wide variety of areas. Like many others, we remain concerned at the low level of participation in some army training programmes, which pushes further back the point at which an inclusive Afghan national army can begin to take responsibility for the country's security needs. We look forward to further details arising from sector-specific meetings in Kabul, and we welcome the United Kingdom's initiative in convening a meeting on drug control next week in Kabul. As Special Representative Brahimi has made abundantly clear this morning, there are great challenges ahead, as the transitional Government embarks on its work, and as the reconstruction of Afghanistan begins in earnest.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“We call on the Transitional Administration and the local leadership to take concrete measures now to combat such attacks. On a more general note, it is important that the benefits of stability, including reconstruction, be experienced throughout Afghanistan. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for leading as the lead nation in ISAF over the first six months of its life. We are very grateful also to Turkey for assuming the role of lead nation in ISAF. We look forward to continued cooperation with Turkey and with the other ISAF participants that have ensured the success of the force to date. We welcome the meeting which took place in Paris last week, in the G-8-plus format, which provided a valuable opportunity to assess the state of play in a number of key security sectors.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“The deployment of ISAF has had a profound impact on security in Kabul and its surroundings, an impact that was seen even before the force was fully deployed. The presence of ISAF has been an important pillar in the commencement of the reconstruction enterprise. However, the security situation, as Special Representative Brahimi made clear this morning, remains much more fragile in other parts of Afghanistan, and in particular in the north of the country. The wider insecurity is placing the relief and reconstruction effort in real jeopardy, in the considered judgement of Mr. Brahimi. We condemn unreservedly attacks committed against international aid organizations in recent weeks, including the horrific attack on a female aid worker.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“Funding shortfalls have had a real impact on the work of the United Nations and other agencies, such as the World Food Programme, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose exceptional achievements thus far will count for little in the future without sustained funding. There are continued and very heartening reports regarding the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes, with more than 1.2 million refugees returning to Afghanistan this year. However, funding shortfalls are jeopardizing assistance for those who are now returning, and who, on current projections, will continue to return in very large numbers in the coming months. Ireland has now made a contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“Ireland has already disbursed nearly half of its Tokyo Conference pledge of 12 million euros, a commitment spread over a number of years, in addition to over 2 million euros in emergency assistance so far this year. The disbursement of reconstruction assistance in a timely manner is essential if the people of Afghanistan are to see the dividend of peace. As Lakhdar Brahimi has said on many previous occasions, if the international community does not now disburse promptly the millions already committed, the billions for the future will not come into meaningful play. Beyond the massive project of reconstructing Afghanistan, there are also continuing acute humanitarian needs in the country, which must remain a donor priority.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“It is vital that their views and ideas be listened to and absorbed as we move toward the preparation of the elections to be held in 18 months. The Loya Jirga gave a particular opportunity to women to participate in the political process again. While this may have been a small step forward, it is, nonetheless, a measurable and significant one. We look forward to substantive participation by women in the consultation process leading to elections. Now that the Loya Jirga process has reached a successful conclusion, it is crucial that donors fulfil their commitment to Afghanistan, particularly through the early disbursement of pledges made at the Tokyo Conference. Afghanistan's ongoing needs remain acute, and disbursements now lag well behind pledges, as Mr. Brahimi has pointed out.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“The bringing to justice of the perpetrators, if it can be done, would calm the concerns of ordinary Afghans who continue to worry more broadly that their country may slip back into the pattern of violence that has proved so destructive over several decades. Other high-profile acts of political violence must also be fully investigated, including the death of the Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism last February. In Afghanistan, as elsewhere, violence and impunity must be faced head-on by the weight of international legal, moral and political standards and authority. The Transitional Administration marks an extremely important step on the road to a more representative form of government for Afghanistan. The Afghan people have been given a political voice again, after too long a silence.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“Notwithstanding the positive outcome of the Emergency Loya Jirga, there are watchful elements in Afghanistan who may still retain calculations of personal advantage in their favour from their various angles, but with the collective effect of sustaining disruptive action against the building of a real and lasting peace in the country. We must ensure that such calculations have no prospect of success. We condemn unreservedly the assassination of Vice-President Haji Abdul Qadir. That brutal tragedy marked a palpable spasm in Afghanistan's evolving political process. But we are very encouraged by the tenacious calm among a people who have refused to play into the calculating hands of the assassins. The Transitional Administration must now conduct a full and transparent inquiry into the assassination.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“While there may have been some imperfections in the Loya Jirga process, imperfections from which we must all learn, the simple fact that the Loya Jirga took place at all, and that it produced a clear outcome, is a testament to the will of the overwhelming majority in Afghanistan to break with the past and to begin the development of a political framework for an inclusive and multi-ethnic society. It is essential now that the Transitional Administration extend its authority throughout Afghanistan, enhancing its legitimacy and demonstrating to people throughout Afghanistan the dividend for all that peace can bring.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“The Bonn Agreement achieved by Afghan representatives just last December crossed a critical threshold at a time when Afghanistan approached collapsing into total chaos. Chairman, now President, Karzai, and the Interim Authority then began the very difficult work of coordinating the reconstruction of Afghanistan, including the establishment of political institutions and the creation of a process designed, historically, to allow ordinary Afghans to express their views. These are serious achievements, when we recall where we were in Afghanistan last autumn.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“I thank Special Representative Brahimi for his detailed briefing. We are very happy to welcome him today, as we look to the next phase of the international community's involvement in Afghanistan. My delegation thanks him, and through him the United Nations staff in Afghanistan, for the immense sustained contribution that the United Nations has made in helping to restore hope and confidence in Afghanistan. There is now a hardening foundation on which we will all continue to build. We would also like to thank the Secretary- General for his comprehensive report on the situation (S/2002/737), in which he lays out very clearly the challenges we now face. My delegation associates itself fully with the statement to be made shortly by the Permanent Representative of Denmark on behalf of the European Union.”
2002-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4579 (2002) · source
“A third lesson certainly from Sierra Leone, and also, I believe, from East Timor, is that we must not be tempted, for budgetary reasons or for reasons of strain on capacity, to allow the components of relapse to reassemble themselves. I think that we now see more clearly from Sierra Leone, East Timor and other cases that transition from peacekeeping to peace-building and beyond is a continuum, as I think Sir Kieran was saying earlier, which includes capacity-building in the host State. Of course, that goes very far beyond the security and defence sectors alone.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Under-Secretary-General Guehenno covered the question of mandates. The case of Sierra Leone, like that of East Timor, demonstrates the key importance of strong and very clear mandates. We have learned from Sierra Leone that troop-contributing countries must have the clearest picture of their mission in the interest of efficiency, transparency and accountability. Our healthily developing procedures in the Council for consultations with troop-contributing countries before mandates are adopted or renewed show that this key lesson is being learned, but I believe that we must continue to develop our thinking and good practice in this regard.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“So rich was the discussion this morning on the theme of lessons learned that it was not possible, as intended, to have a discussion and exchange of views. But there are a few moments remaining, and perhaps, although I touched on these points during our discussion at lunch, I might be permitted to register my points of concern on the theme oflessons learned in this more formal framework. First, regarding the usefulness of Security Council missions on the ground in conflict regions generally: in recent years - including in Kosovo, East Timor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, of course, Sierra Leone - they have played an important part in galvanizing adequate response by the United Nations system, including the Security Council and the international community, to such conflicts.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Finally, on human rights, strong defence and promotion of women's rights is absolutely critical. The Special Rapporteur's briefing earlier this year and her report reconfirmed appalling levels of sexual abuse. Carolyn McAskie spoke with strength on this issue this morning, and I want to underpin her most important message and proposals.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“I believe that this very balanced approach, which, of course, takes cultural values and practice also into account, is very well suited to the case of Sierra Leone. I am also sure that it could also have relevance elsewhere in the region and more widely, as developments unfold. In our workshop, there has been a stress on staying the course, on tenacity. This clearly applies to the United Nations, in addition to lead States. In reality, this relies much less on voluntary contributions and much more on assessed funds. In reality, including for peace-building, we must be present on the basis of assessed funds. The support which has underpinned UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone and the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) are, I believe, clear examples ofthis conclusion.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“I agree with Sir Kieran Prendergast's comment earlier: his call for our support for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and civil society representation. In that regard, we have heard from General Diarra regarding ECOWAS. We understand that this presents grave difficulties for some neighbours and players and, indeed, that courage is called for on the part of many in these circumstances. The new United Nations Office for West Africa must also make a strong effort to assist, as it is surely just for this sort of challenge that we have established it. Wider involvement is called for too, such as the highly commendable Rabat process. Earlier, Foreign Minister Koroma covered the unique hybrid judicial process to address impunity, justice and reconciliation in Sierra Leone.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“However, we must ask whether it is enough, given the failure hitherto of President Taylor and his Government to respond at all adequately to the clear agenda set out to him by the Council, by regional leaders and by the international community generally. In truth, no single course of action will produce the solution. It will require linked-up, dogged and incremental action on the part of all the players - all of us. The United Nations must continue and, as necessary, strengthen its mechanisms and actions to achieve change in the behaviour of the Liberian authorities. I believe we are agreed that the regional and subregional organizations can also play their important part.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Ireland associates itself fully with the comments just made by the representative of Denmark on behalf ofthe European Union. The work of United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) cannot be completed until the interlocking violence and instability in the Mano River Union as a whole have been replaced by real peace and stability. I believe we all agree that the agenda followed by President Taylor of Liberia is now the critical contributing factor to the Mano River Union's profound problems. The imposition of targeted sanctions against the Government of Liberia until it verifiably breaks its links with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has played a role in reducing chaos in the region.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Given the importance of agriculture, which he has highlighted, does the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have a sense of the extent to which agricultural land is mined and therefore of the scale of the problem which we face in getting people back to the land to begin the urgent planting to ensure future food stocks? Secondly, I wonder whether Mr. Oshima can give the Council an idea of the sort of time frame that a resettlement programme would require, given the enormous numbers involved and the infrastructure and resource deficits that prevail at present.”
2002-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4575 (2002) · source
“The donor community can reasonably be expected to commit to further humanitarian support and action if it sees evidence of the systematic diversion of greatly increasing State revenues from natural resources into programmes to rebuild Angola for the people of Angola, the natural owners of those resources. We make the case that this should be done not only for the welfare of the people - the clear and absolute first priority - but also to strengthen the perceived legitimacy of Angola's institutions and State structures. We commend this message to the Government of Angola through its representatives here in the Council Chamber today. I would like to ask Mr. Oshima two brief questions.”
2002-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4575 (2002) · source
“The humanitarian operation in Angola is now one of the largest in the world. The situation on the ground demands it. Yet the new circumstances suggest that the limited approach pursued over past years must now change. The international community and the Government must work together to map the best way forward. Mr. Oshima's stress on the need for burden-sharing will find support among many donors and - we very much hope - with the Government of Angola. There is an enormous humanitarian deficit in Angola which cannot be bridged without the assistance of the international community.”
2002-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4575 (2002) · source
“We commend Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the other United Nations agencies for their work in that respect, alongside the community of non-governmental organizations. The resettlement of internally displaced persons will be an enormous humanitarian operation. It goes without saying that the process must be completed with the consent of the internally displaced persons themselves. It will present an enormous human challenge and will raise important issues regarding the status of rights to land. We share Mr. Oshima's concern about the scale and the urgency of demining action. In this regard, we very much welcome decision by the Government of Angola to ratify the Ottawa Convention. Angola is the second-largest recipient of Ireland's emergency and humanitarian funding and will continue to be a priority for us.”
2002-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4575 (2002) · source
“We are very grateful, indeed, to Mr. Oshima for his briefing and for the information material provided. It has been more than five months since the Council discussed the humanitarian situation in Angola. Given the important developments, this update is therefore very timely and very welcome. The Angolan people now have the best opportunity in decades to begin a process of normalization. However, the new developments present huge new challenges of the sort detailed by Mr. Oshima. There are immediate needs that must be addressed now, and others that require a more deliberate approach over a longer time. The urgent nutritional and medical requirements of the population obviously cannot wait and must be dealt with immediately.”
2002-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4575 (2002) · source
“I have also set out some of the preoccupations of my Government, as well as legal factors underpinning our position and approach. Taking account of those principles and preoccupations, let me reiterate that we are open to a reasonable way forward that is legally and politically sound and that will quickly resolve the matter while meeting valid concerns. Ireland will pay the utmost attention to the views expressed by the wider membership of the United Nations at this meeting, in the conviction that any solution to the current impasse will need to preserve, not harm, the standing of the United Nations as a whole.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“We greatly regret the uncertainty that has been brought upon the functioning of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Stabilization Force. Beyond that, it would be a grave matter indeed if the current impasse in the Council were to affect a whole series of other operations as their mandates come up for renewal. There are a number of important, essentially free-standing, but now politically intertwined, factors involved here: the role of the Council and how it functions; the primacy and integrity of international law; the future of United Nations peace operations; and the crucial role that the United States has to play in support of those operations. Taken together, these factors present a challenge. I have described briefly the principles that guide Ireland's approach to that challenge.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“In addition, the Statute allows for a deferral by the Court of an investigation or prosecution pursuant to a request by the Security Council, as provided for in article 16 of the Statute. The development of international law is one of the great achievements of humankind in recent decades. International treaties have their own integrity, which must be protected. This, for Ireland, is a fundamental principle. The Security Council must respect the spirit and letter of this wider fabric of international law and international cooperation. In that connection, we are disturbed by the possibility that, if it is not handled adroitly, the present exercise could have adverse effects on the credibility and prestige of the Security Council itself.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“Nor can we agree to the mechanism that it has proposed, hitherto, to allay them. We consider that the Rome Statute of the ICC already contains adequate safeguards against politically inspired investigations or prosecutions before the Court. Military or diplomatic personnel from any country, including those from non- parties to the Rome Statute, who serve in United- Nations-authorized operations, are covered by those safeguards. The Rome Statute enshrines the principle of complementarity, which rightly accords priority to national judicial processes. In the context of peacekeeping, that priority role falls to the national judicial processes in the contributing State. The Statute also allows for bilateral agreements, such as those envisaged in article 98, paragraph 2.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“The recent exchanges in the Council have registered clearly with the broad international community that the United States Government has what it genuinely believes to be soundly based problems with the International Criminal Court and its impact on United States personnel serving in peace operations. At every stage during the past few difficult weeks, Ireland has confirmed that it will work with other members of the Council to achieve a pragmatic and reasonable outcome in response to the concerns that have been put forward by the United States regarding the operation of the Court and the position of United States personnel in peace operations mandated or authorized by the United Nations. While we understand the concerns of the United States, we do not feel that they are well founded.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“Ireland welcomes this public meeting of the Council. It provides a timely opportunity for a more inclusive debate on a complex and highly sensitive issue of central importance to all of us. Ireland subscribes fully to the statement that was made earlier in the debate by the representative of Denmark on behalf of the European Union. We are strongly committed to the Common Position of the Union concerning the International Criminal Court (ICC). Ireland has ratified the Rome Statute. We did so, having amended our Constitution, following a popular referendum.”
2002-07-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4568 (2002) · source
“I convey my Government's strongest support for the concerns expressed so succinctly and unequivocally by the The Security Council has thus concluded the Secretary-General in this regard. present stage of its consideration of the item on its”
2002-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4563 (2002) · source
“Ireland has ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and is therefore bound by its provisions. Ireland amended its constitution so that it could ratify the Rome Statute. We are also strongly committed to the Common Position of the European Union in relation to the International Criminal Court. The implications of the vote that was taken earlier are extremely serious - for the United Nations and this Council; for United Nations peacekeeping; and for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, we welcome Ambassador Negroponte's reiteration today of the United States commitment to peacekeeping in the Balkans and elsewhere. We note carefully that unambiguous commitment. We, the members of the Council, in meeting the situation that has now arisen, must seek to move forward urgently as best we can.”
2002-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4563 (2002) · source
“Ireland supports absolutely the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the authorization of the Stabilization Force. We therefore voted in favour of the draft resolution. We understand the concerns of the United States with regard to the International Criminal Court, in particular its concerns relating to United States personnel serving in United Nations missions. However, we cannot agree with the decisions at this point on the part of the United States regarding these concerns. We have said all along that we will work with others pragmatically to address these concerns, and that remains our position. We regret very much that this has not proved to be possible today due to an absence of agreement in the Council.”
2002-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4563 (2002) · source
“In addition to resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), we have the Saudi initiative, endorsed at the Arab League Summit in Beirut, we have our own resolution 1397 (2002), we have the proposals made recently by the President of Egypt and we have statements of vision by regional and international leaders. In effect, a virtual consensus has emerged in the international community. We need now to see the leadership and the statesmanship that would take advantage of this unprecedented moment in the history of the Middle East conflict and push it vigorously towards a just and lasting solution.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“It is also, therefore, profoundly in the interest of the entire international community that a lasting and just settlement is reached. The time has come to convene an international conference. The aimlessness and drift that have taken hold must be shaken loose. Every day that passes without constructive action magnifies the risk that further and perhaps far greater violence will be unleashed. There is no room for delay or preconditions. The three problems identified by the Secretary-General - occupation, violence and economic misery - have to be addressed, and addressed urgently, in parallel. The blueprints are there, in abundance.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“The only way to peace is through an agreement that meets the legitimate national aspirations on all sides. It is vitally important to put in place a framework for the long-delayed achievement by the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights and for the conclusion of a just and peaceful settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, who are fated to live side by side, and between Israel and all its neighbours. It is absolutely clear that the parties cannot now reach a settlement on their own. Current efforts on the part of the international community to help them find a way forward must be vigorously and urgently pursued. This is profoundly in the interest of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. This is not just a local issue, but one with major regional and indeed global implications.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“These attacks place in grave danger the physical security of Chairman Arafat, who is the elected leader of the Palestinian people, and therefore an essential partner in the peace process. They also militate against the efforts currently under way to achieve reform in the Palestinian Authority. It makes no sense to call on the Palestinian Authority to take measures to combat terrorism, while at the same time destroying the means necessary to implement such measures and refusing the political perspective necessary to support them. The present Government of Israel must be brought by its friends to a realization that its present reliance on close security control of the entire Palestinian people will not bring the Israeli people the security that they deserve. It failed in the past and it will fail again.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Acts of terrorism are not only deeply wrong in themselves; they bring great suffering on the Palestinian people, and do not bring forward by one day the achievement of their legitimate aspirations. Ireland condemns all such acts. The Government of Israel has every right to defend its citizens against terrorism. It must do so, however, through measures that are in accord with international humanitarian law. Repression and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories will inevitably breed more of the hatred and resentment upon which terrorism feeds. The violence and destruction carried out by the Israeli Defence Force at the Palestinian presidential compound in Ramallah are deeply reprehensible and, furthermore, are counterproductive.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Not to act now would be a dereliction of duty to the people of the region and to the cause of international peace and security. We and others have said many times in this Chamber that no solution will be found through terrorism or any other form of violence or through military action. Ireland, for this reason, calls once again for an immediate end to Israeli military occupation; for the full implementation of resolutions 1402 (2002) and 1403 (2002); for an end to all forms of terrorism; for full support for efforts by the Palestinian Authority to institute reforms; for an end to the harassment of the presidential compound in Ramallah; for the early convening of an international conference; and for support for the ongoing efforts of the "quartet" and regional actors towards a peaceful solution.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“My delegation fully associates itself with the statement to be made shortly by the representative of Spain on behalf of the European Union. The ever-deepening cycle of repression and violence in the Middle East makes it more than ever necessary to make rapid progress in the renewed efforts to reach a just, peaceful and comprehensive settlement. The situation in the Middle East is, as the Secretary- General has often said, one of the world's truly dangerous fault lines. Manifest injustice, instability, insecurity, a frozen political landscape: these pose an unacceptable and continuous threat to the region and to international peace and security. The international community has a clear responsibility and duty to move beyond rhetoric and language.”
2002-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4552Resumption1 (2002) · source
“None of us underestimates the great challenges that lie ahead as we move towards the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the establishment, next month, of the Transitional Government. We have made great strides in just six months, but we must sustain our commitment so that our combined commitment and determination will overcome any reversals that may lie ahead.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“While there have been strongly positive developments with regard to the rights of women and girls, very serious problems remain. We are especially concerned at reports of abuses against ethnic Pashtuns, which have continued over a number of months and have provoked further population flows. It is essential that ethnic Pashtuns be able to participate fully in the emergency loya jirga. Ireland is also greatly concerned by reports of serious human rights abuses in Shibergan prison. The conditions in the prison are clearly unacceptable, and it is essential that those detained there be treated humanely and be provided with adequate medical care, pending the rapid resolution of their status.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“More widely, the effective functioning of the Afghan Interim Authority and its successor institutions depends for the foreseeable future on sustained external support. It is in the interests of the international community to ensure the stability and effectiveness of Afghanistan's institutions so that there is no risk of a return to the vacuum that proved to be so destructive in the past. We welcome the news that work is proceeding on the creation of a Human Rights Commission. We believe it is essential that this Commission, as well as the Judicial Commission, be established as rapidly as possible. We look forward to the outcome of the human rights workshop to be held over the coming days. Human rights must continue to be placed at the forefront of United Nations efforts in Afghanistan.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“The World Food Programme made extraordinary efforts last autumn and winter to ensure that famine did not strike in Afghanistan. Now, the WFP is faced with the possibility of a break in its food supplies just before this year's harvest. We urge Member States to disburse their contributions to these key humanitarian agencies as soon as possible, so that the achievements to date in the humanitarian field are not reversed. Under-Secretary-General Prendergast's report of refugee-return levels is very heartening. However, we must bear in mind that that this positive process creates its own challenges, including in the area of the humanitarian needs of large numbers of these happily home-bound Afghan people.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“We warmly welcome the decision of Turkey to take over the lead-nation role for a period of six months. The extension of the ISAF mandate signals clearly the international community's continued engagement in Afghanistan. However, while providing a secure environment for the reconstruction of Afghanistan is essential, we must not lose sight of the fact that Afghanistan is still experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. Before reconstruction can go forward, basic humanitarian needs must be met. We have reports that a number of key United Nations agencies, as well as other organizations, are on the brink of severe funding shortfalls. We cannot now allow funding shortfalls to place the heroic achievements of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, among others, in jeopardy.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“ISAF had an immediate and positive impact in Kabul even before it had reached its full strength. ISAF's presence has restored much of Kabul's bustle and energy, and the stability of Kabul and its surrounds have facilitated the commencement of the reconstruction effort. The security situation in other parts of the country remains considerably more fragile, and, as Under-Secretary- General Prendergast and others have pointed out, ways must be found to ensure that the benefits of stability are not restricted to Kabul and its immediate environs. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for acting as lead nation in ISAF over the past six months, and for the tremendous effort of all ISAF participants, in ensuring successful deployment and immediate effectiveness on the ground.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source
“The success of the emergency loya jirga, and the selection of a transitional Government, will mark an extremely important stage in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement, and in Afghanistan's transition to a more representative form of Government. The success of this process would have a profound impact on the reconstruction effort already under way in Afghanistan. It is essential that donors make every effort to disburse the very generous pledges made at the Tokyo reconstruction Conference so that the dividend of peace can clearly be verified by the Afghan people. Ireland fully supports the draft resolution due to be adopted today, which will extend the mandate, without change, of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for a further six months.”
2002-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4541 (2002) · source