YouSaid · the spoken record

Secretary-General

lines on the record: 2,998
first: 1995-09-26
most recent: 2021-05-16
sittings or episodes: 363
sources: un-security-council

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“I and my advisers will continue to work with those elements, in dialogue with the parties and with regional and international partners. The elements include the following. The captured Israeli soldiers must be transferred to the legitimate Lebanese authorities, under the auspices of ICRC, with a view to their repatriation to Israel and a ceasefire. On the Lebanese side of the Blue Line, an expanded peacekeeping force would help stabilize the situation, working with the Lebanese Government to help strengthen its army and deploy it fully throughout the area. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Government would fully implement Security Council resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), to establish Lebanese sovereignty and control.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“The Government of Israel must allow humanitarian agencies access to civilians. And the democratically elected Government of Lebanon must be urgently supported in its hour of cr1s1s. 3 In addition to, and in parallel with, these urgent steps, we need to continue diplomatic efforts to develop, in the shortest possible time, a political framework which can be implemented as soon as hostilities cease. Most people in the region rightly reject a simple return to the status quo ante, since any truce based on such a limited outcome could not be expected to last. The mission has suggested elements to me which, in my opinion, must form the political basis of any lasting ceasefire, and on which they have conducted consultations with the leaders of Lebanon and Israel.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“Despite our assessment that a full ceasefire remains difficult to achieve at this time, I remain of the view that the international community must make its position clear on the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a far greater and more credible effort by Israel to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure while the conditions for such a cessation are urgently developed. Both the deliberate targeting by Hizbollah, with hundreds of indiscriminate weapons, of Israeli population centres and Israel's disproportionate use of force and collective punishment of the Lebanese people must stop. The abducted soldiers must be released as soon as possible, and in any event the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) must be granted immediate access to them.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“In short, the very Government which Israel wants to extend its control throughout the territory has itself become a hostage to the crisis, is less able than ever to deploy its forces in the areas necessary to control Hizbollah and is appealing to the international community for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Moreover, any analogy with Afghanistan under the Taliban is wholly misleading. Mr. Siniora's Government clearly espouses democratic values. It deserves, and must receive, all possible support from the international community.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“But while Israel has stated its military objectives to be to hit Hezbollah's infrastructure and physical strength, it has, in the words of the Lebanese Prime Minister, torn the country to shreds. As Prime Minister Siniora also said yesterday, no Government can survive on the ruins of a nation. The mission reports many of its interlocutors in the region as noting that, whatever damage Israel's operations may be doing to Hizbollah's military capabilities, they are doing little or nothing to decrease popular support for Hizbollah in Lebanon or the region but are doing a great deal to weaken the Government of Lebanon.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“Israel has confirmed that its operation in Lebanon has wider, more far-reaching goals than the return of its captured soldiers and that its aim is to end the threat posed by Hizbollah. The mission was informed that the operation is not yet approaching the achievement of that objective. Israel states that it has no quarrel with the Government or the people of Lebanon and that it is taking extreme precautions to avoid harm to them. Yet a number of its actions have killed or hurt Lebanese 06-4367] civilians and military personnel and caused great damage to infrastructure. While Hizbollah's actions are deplorable and, as I have said, Israel has a right to defend itself, the excessive use of force is to be condemned.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“It is clear that the Lebanese Government had no advance knowledge of the attack. Whatever other agendas they may serve, Hizbollah's actions, which it portrays as defending Palestinian and Lebanese interests, in fact defend neither. On the contrary, they hold an entire nation hostage and set back prospects for the negotiation of a comprehensive Middle East peace. I have already condemned Hizbollah's attacks on Israel and acknowledged Israel's right to defend itself under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. I do so again today. I also condemn Hizbollah's reckless disregard for the wishes of the elected Government of Lebanon and for the interests of the Lebanese people and the wider region.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“Meanwhile, we are bringing in additional humanitarian experts. Let me be frank with the Council. The mission's assessment is that there are serious obstacles to reaching a ceasefire and even to diminishing the violence quickly. On 13 July I dispatched an urgent mission to the region, led by my Special Adviser, Vijay Nambiar, and accompanied by Terje Roed-Larsen and Alvaro de Soto, whom the Council knows well. I sent them to urge all parties to show restraint and to explore ways of defusing the crisis. Mr. Nambiar and his colleagues returned to New York last night, and they are here with me now. I am very grateful to the Governments of Spain and of the United Kingdom for enabling them to cover so much ground in such a short time. Hizbollah's provocative attack on 12 July was the trigger for this crisis.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“We are gravely concerned about their fate, since the approach road to Tyre is now impassable and UNIFIL engineers have been unable to reach the area. UNIFIL now urgently needs a window of time in which to bring in stocks of food, water and fuel from Israel for its own personnel. If UNIFIL is to remain operational, it will also need to distribute fuel supplies to its positions within the next 24 hours. 06-43671 We are not going to desert the people of Lebanon in their hour of need. But we have to proceed with caution. As we come to their aid, our Department of Safety and Security has been coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of staff in the affected areas from all parts of the United Nations system, and their dependents. Most non-essential staff and dependents have been moved outside the country.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“But while they continue it is imperative to establish safe corridors for humanitarian workers and relief supplies to reach the civilian population. The humanitarian task facing us is massive and must be funded urgently. As early as next week I hope to issue a United Nations flash appeal, covering an initial response period of three to six months. Because of the continued fighting, restrictions imposed by Israel and the destruction of many roads, UNIFIL has no freedom of movement and is unable even to provide humanitarian escorts for displaced persons. Its personnel remain confined to the Naqoura headquarters and their positions in the area of operations. One UNIFIL staff member and his wife have been missing in Tyre since Monday, when the building they lived in was hit by an Israeli air strike and collapsed.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“Since the fighting began I have been in constant touch with regional and world leaders, both by telephone and during the Group of Eight (G-8) Summit in Saint Petersburg and my visit to Brussels. The G-8 issued an important statement, which the Council has seen. But, as I have repeatedly stressed, what is most urgently needed is an immediate cessation of hostilities, for three vital reasons: first, to prevent further loss of innocent life and the infliction of further suffering; secondly, to allow full humanitarian access to those in need; and thirdly, to give diplomacy a chance to work out a practical package of actions that would provide a lasting solution to the current crisis. I repeat: hostilities must stop.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“Based on preliminary information provided by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the national Lebanese Red Cross and the Lebanese Government, United Nations agencies are 2 currently working on the basis of a combined total of up to 500,000 people affected, comprising both internally displaced persons and those under siege. That includes nationals from some 20 foreign countries. According to extrapolations of the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior, those figures could likely double. In addition, Syrian authorities report that more than 140,000 people have now crossed into Syria, the majority being nationals of Lebanon, Syria and other Arab countries.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“The Israeli people, who had hoped that Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon - which was certified by this Council six years ago - would bring about security along their northern border, find themselves under constant Hizbollah rocket attacks, which every day reach further into Israeli territory. To date 28 Israelis have been killed and over 200 wounded. On the humanitarian front, conditions continue to deteriorate. Israeli operations have made it impossible for United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners to reach almost any part of southern Lebanon, even to assess needs, let alone to deliver the actual assistance needed. The lack of access and in situ assessments make it difficult to determine the exact figures of people in need.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“The bloody conflict that has engulfed Lebanon and northern Israel following the crisis triggered by the Hizbollah attack across the Blue Line on 12 July continues to rage. Almost every day brings a new escalation. The Lebanese people, who had hoped that their country's dark days were behind them, have been brutally dragged back into war. Already, over 300 Lebanese have been killed and over 600 wounded. The casualties are mainly among the civilian population, about one third of them children. Much of the infrastructure in Beirut and around the country has been destroyed. Lebanon remains under an Israeli military blockade, imposed by sea and air.”
2006-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5492 (2006) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to mention that on 8 June I received a letter from the Senior Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Jose S/l'V.5457 Ramos-Horta, on behalf of the Government, inviting the United Nations to establish an independent special inquiry commission "to review the incidents on 28 and 29 April and on 23, 24 and 25 May, and other related events on issues which contributed to the crisis". In response to that request, I am asking the High Commissioner for Human Rights to take the lead in establishing such a commission, and I will keep the Council informed of his progress.”
2006-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5457 (2006) · source
“I therefore appeal to the Security Council to stand united in supporting Timor-Leste's return to normality so that its citizens may resume their work of building a peaceful and prosperous nation. In that context, last month I dispatched My Special Envoy, Ian Martin, on a short mission to review the situation on the ground. Since his return last Friday, I have benefited greatly from his assessment, which he will share with the Council today. His report highlights not only the immediate security challenges facing Timor-Leste but also the complex political situation there and other problems faced by that country.”
2006-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5457 (2006) · source
“The sad events of recent weeks reflect shortcomings not only on the part of the Timorese leadership, but also on the part of the international community in inadequately sustaining Timor-Leste's nation-building process. We have learnt, at a painful price for Timor-Leste, that the building of institutions on the basis of fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law is not a simple process that can be completed within a few short years. Clearly, tremendous work lies ahead, both for the Government of Timor-Leste and for the international community, but, as I told the Timorese people in a video message on 1 June, the United Nations is determined not to abandon them at this critical time of need.”
2006-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5457 (2006) · source
“I am deeply concerned over the evolution of the situation in Timor-Leste since the incidents of 28 and 29 April. The violence and unrest that Timor-Leste has experienced in recent weeks is particularly painful because, in many respects, Timor-Leste is a child of the international community. Through four successive missions - the United Nations Mission in East Timor, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor, the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor and the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste - the United Nations has played a key role in laying the foundation for Timor-Leste's democratic institutions and processes. Today, those institutions and processes stand exposed.”
2006-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5457 (2006) · source
“His support for that vital mission is essential. Meanwhile, I appeal once again to all parties, and to the Government in particular, to show immediate respect for the ceasefire in Darfur and to prove by their actions their determination to honour the agreement they have signed. For its part, the United Nations - by which I mean the Secretariat, but I count on the support of this Council - will do everything in its power to help the Sudanese people close this tragic chapter in their history.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“It is clear from the work we have already done that a follow-on United Nations force will have to be much larger than the current AMIS and will need major logistical support from Member States that are in a position to provide it. The next step is a technical assessment mission to Darfur itself. During that mission, the United Nations and the AU will undertake a first-hand assessment of the situation on the ground and will consult with the Sudan's Government of National Unity and with the other parties on what is required to implement the peace agreement. No peacekeeping mission can succeed without the support and cooperation of the parties at the highest level. Accordingly, I have written to President Bashir to seek his support for the assessment and I hope very soon to be able to discuss it with him directly.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“Meanwhile, we must and will speed up our planning for the transition to a United Nations operation in Darfur - which was already requested by the Peace and Security Council of the AU as long ago as 10 March and authorized by the Security Council on 24 March in resolution 1663 (2006). Let us not underestimate the challenge that this implies. Helping to protect the people of Darfur and to implement the Abuja agreement will be one of the biggest tests this Organization bas ever faced - perhaps the biggest since those in Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia in the early 1990s. But it is a challenge we cannot refuse and, having accepted it, we cannot delay.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“They need to be very generous, starting right now. We cannot afford to lose a single day. I appeal to everyone in Darfur itself to help AMIS do its job. Attacks like yesterday's, in which an AMIS interpreter was brutally killed, must not be encouraged, condoned or tolerated by any of the parties. No less urgent is the need to raise more money for emergency relief. Right now, the region is facing the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Without massive and immediate support, the humanitarian agencies will be unable to continue their work, which means that hundreds of thousands more will die from hunger, malnutrition and disease.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“I believe, however, that we all now agree that this can only be a stopgap measure, and that, as soon as possible, AMIS must be transformed into a larger and more mobile United Nations operation, better equipped and with a stronger mandate. We are now mobilizing all our energies to make that happen. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is working closely with the African Union and AMIS to help meet its immediate needs. We have already dispatched staff to the region to work on this, and more will be going in the next few days. We aim to agree as fast as possible, with our partners in the African Union, on what additional resources AMIS will require to implement key points in the Abuja agreement, and then to hold a pledging conference, possibly in Brussels, in early June. But I appeal to donors not to wait for that conference.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“If this tragedy continues because of what they did, or failed to do, history will judge them severely. Next, we must do everything in our power to ensure that those who have signed the agreement actually implement it on the ground, and that the people of Darfur can survive the next few months. For that, they need both protection and sustenance, since, driven from their homes and farms, they cannot feed themselves. Sustenance for them also means protection for those who are bringing them relief. Right now, there is only one force on the ground that can even begin to provide protection: the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS). Therefore, our immediate priority must be to strengthen that force so that it can move ahead with implementing essential elements of the agreement and providing real security for the displaced people.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“We must also commend the African Union mediator, Salim Ahmed Salim, for his tireless efforts throughout the many rounds of negotiations; and Presidents Sassou Nguesso and Obasanjo, as well as their international partners - Bob Zoellick, Hilary Benn and many others- who deserve special mention for their decisive role in the final stages of the process. But this is not a moment for anyone to bask in congratulations or rest on their laurels. Darfur is still far from being at peace, as the events of yesterday have so tragically reminded us. There is a vast amount to be done, and no time to lose. First, there are significant rebel leaders who have not yet signed the agreement. We must all do what we can to convince them to choose peace over conflict for the sake of their people.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“Mr. President, let me thank you and all your ministerial colleagues who have made the effort to come to New York at such short notice for this meeting. That the Council is meeting at this level, and so promptly, shows that you all realize what a historic opportunity we now have to bring peace to Darfur, and how urgently we need to act if that opportunity is not to be lost. Let me start by congratulating the Government of the Sudan and the faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement that signed the Abuja peace agreement last Friday. It is they who have created this opportunity.”
2006-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5434 (2006) · source
“Days after the elections, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations operation in Haiti for a further six months. At the same time, it expressed its intention to authorize further extensions. It is right and, indeed, necessary that a multidimensional peacekeeping operation continue. Yet the efforts of MINUSTAH can tackle only the most urgent needs. We need generous and coordinated bilateral assistance to supplement and build on those efforts. The men and women of Haiti have demonstrated their faith in a better future. Let us work with the President-elect and his team and with the people of Haiti to ensure that they do succeed.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397 (2006) · source
“I am sure that the Council will join me in expressing gratitude to my Special Representative, Juan Gabriel Valdes, for his distinguished leadership. These developments should encourage us to even greater efforts in Haiti, which is only beginning its long journey towards a stable and democratic future. It needs and deserves our assistance to reach that destination. That means a vigorous partnership between the leadership and the people of Haiti on one hand, and the international community on the other. We all must reinforce President-elect Preval's efforts to encourage broad political reconciliation. Haiti's institutions of governance require generous support. So do the people of Haiti, who every day endure a level of hardship and insecurity that is unacceptable and also incompatible with the stability of the country.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397 (2006) · source
“It is good to see so many ministers here for this important meeting, and I am pleased to join the Council for today's discussions on Haiti. Let me start by extending a warm welcome and my congratulations to President-elect Preval. The first round of national elections that took place last month was a vivid illustration of the faith of the Haitian people in the democratic process and of their determination to make a fresh start. That was clear from the high turnout of voters who waited patiently to cast their ballots, and from the peaceful and pluralistic nature of the electoral process. Let me also recognize the important contribution that the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) made in helping to ensure the political space and security needed for successful elections.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397 (2006) · source
“I hope that the torch of leadership will pass to another Council member, so that we build on the momentum that has been generated in promoting cooperation with regional organizations in service of the peoples of the United Nations.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“In that spirit, I warmly welcome the world summit's recommendation that regional organizations consider placing their conflict prevention and peacekeeping capacities within the framework of the United Nations Standby Arrangements System. Likewise, the best-equipped troop contributors should remain ready to deploy where needed around the world, either through, or in support of, regional organizations or directly through United Nations peacekeeping. That would be a tangible demonstration of our collective commitment to partnership. May I conclude by thanking the Government of Romania for the strong interest it has shown on this issue during its tenure on the Council.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“We must also focus on the broader social and economic components of peace, using the new Peacebuilding Commission to draw together the contributions of many actors, including regional organizations, in support of common peacebuilding strategies. Fourth, and most important, we should reinforce a collective approach to security. The United Nations partnerships with regional organizations must provide the means to meet, rather than to avoid, our responsibilities under the Charter to provide an effective international response to violent conflict wherever it occurs. At times, a regional response may be the best way to end conflict or build peace. But on other occasions, the direct involvement of the United Nations, either alone or with regional partners, may be Vital. When it is, the Organization must be willing and able to act.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“We should reflect our understandings in formalized agreements, as envisaged in the summit outcome document. Some of these could be signed even at the operational level of our respective organizations in order to move forward pragmatically and maximize results. Third, we should deal with conflict in a holistic manner. We must focus not just on peacekeeping and peacebuilding but also on conflict prevention and resolution. The United Nations is looking to strengthen its mediation capacities as envisaged in the summit outcome document. And the stronger our capacity is, the more we can assist non-United Nations mediators, particularly partners in regional organizations.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“We in the Secretariat see our partnership with the African Union in peacekeeping as a strategic priority, and I welcome the commitment made at the world summit to support a 10-year programme to strengthen the capacity of the African Union. We now look forward to an open and productive dialogue with the African Union and other regional partners on how to implement this programme. Second, we should exploit our comparative strengths. Each of us may have particular capacities in responding swiftly or robustly, or in undertaking activities that are resource intensive or require long- term engagement. Let us make sure that we complement each other, rather than compete with each other. I hope that, through regular dialogue on our specialized competencies, we will gain a clear picture of who can bring what to the table.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“They must be flexible and responsive to our rapidly changing and integrating world, and they must be consistent with the Charter and advance its principles and purposes. I hope we can make progress in four broad areas. The first is the need to strengthen capacity. The demands for peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding are high and seem likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Increased regional activity, within the framework of the Security Council's primary responsibility for international peace and security, will be an important component of improved international responses to conflict. This is particularly true in Africa.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“That is why the Security Council has stressed the need to increase collaboration between the United Nations and regional organizations and has established the practice of meeting with them annually. To support those efforts, the high-level meetings between the United Nations Secretariat and regional organizations have now also been made an annual event, and a Standing Committee has been set up to maintain strategic direction and offer broad guidance on action at the working level. The world summit gave new backing to those efforts. The task now and the task ahead of us is to make sure that our cooperation mechanisms work as well as possible. They must be effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“The same trends are evident in our peacemaking operations and efforts. On important occasions, the United Nations has provided critical support to regional processes, as in Sudan, where the United Nations assisted the effort, led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, that secured the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and is now supporting the AU-led efforts on Darfur. On other occasions, regional organizations have provided Vital political and technical support to United Nations efforts, as we saw with the wide-ranging EU support for the recent United Nations peacemaking effort in Cyprus. In short, we are increasingly drawing on the resources and legitimacy of a network of multilateral mechanisms - regional and global - to provide collective responses to the peace and security challenges of today.”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“The United Nations and regional partners have coordinated separate missions side by side, as with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Afghanistan and Kosovo. In Kosovo, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU were also included as part of the structures of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Regional organizations have provided support within the context of a United Nations-led mission, as with the Organization of American States engagement in Haiti. Regional operations have provided bridging support until United Nations peacekeepers received reinforcement, as we saw with the EU operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003. And finally, as in Darfur recently, the United Nations has provided support to a regional operation, in that case deployed by the African Union (AU).”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“At last month's summit, world leaders supported a stronger relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations, as envisaged in Chapter VIII of the Charter. We need only look at the reality of contemporary peace operations to see why. Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic growth in the range of partnerships between regional organizations and the United Nations in support of countries emerging from conflict. In peacekeeping, those partnerships have taken many different forms. There have been transitions from regional operations to United Nations operations - as we saw in Liberia with the Economic Community of West African States - and from United Nations operations to regional ones, as we saw in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union (EU).”
2005-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5282 (2005) · source
“Fourthly, we must develop State capacity to prevent terrorism. That includes promoting good governance and the rule of law. In that context, I welcome the establishment of the United Nations Democracy Fund, and I thank the nearly 30 States that have provided it with generous support. Fifthly, we must defend human rights. That is essential if we are to prevent terrorists from unravelling the very fabric of the societies they attack. Finally, let us never forget the victims of terrorism. The Council has agreed to explore the possibility of an international fund to compensate victims and their families, to be financed in part with assets seized from terrorist organizations. I hope you will give this your active consideration. I hope too that you will give your full backing to all points of the strategy I have outlined.”
2005-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5261 (2005) · source
“We must all make clear, as all Member States affirm in the summit document, that terrorism, "committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes" (Ibid., para. 81), can never be accepted orjustified. Secondly, we must deny terrorists the means - above all, weapons of mass destruction - to carry out their attacks. The ongoing implementation of Security Council resolutions is critical. Five months ago, the General Assembly reached a milestone by approving the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. I hope States will accede to that convention without delay. Thirdly, we must deter States from supporting terrorists. All States must know that if they provide support for terrorists in any form, this Council will not hesitate to take coercive measures against them.”
2005-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5261 (2005) · source
“That is why, this year, on the anniversary of the Madrid bombings, I proposed, as you heard earlier, a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy for the United Nations. I am heartened that the world summit outcome document (General Assembly resolution 59/314, annex) has welcomed elements of that strategy and has committed to their early consideration at the sixtieth session of the General Assembly. The strategy consists of actions in five areas. First, we must work to dissuade disaffected groups from choosing terrorism as a tactic. That means that the international community should complete a comprehensive convention that outlaws terrorism in all its forms. It also means that civil society and religious leaders must raise their voices against terrorism.”
2005-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5261 (2005) · source
“I am honoured to be with you today. The subject you are debating - threats to peace and security - is a broad and complex one. There are any number of aspects fully deserving of your attention, including the need to prevent conflict in Africa. On the latter, crucial issue, I consider it thoroughly appropriate that at this summit you have reflected the priority it deserves, as is the case in the daily work of the Security Council. On this occasion I will focus my remarks on efforts to combat international terrorism in all its forms. Terrorism constitutes a direct attack on the values for which the United Nations stands: the rule of law, the protection of civilians, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and mutual respect among people of different faiths and cultures. We must be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism.”
2005-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5261 (2005) · source
“But the negotiators are leaving it perilously late. There is a grave danger that the opportunity will be missed. I hope that I am wrong.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“You want a Secretariat that is given clear instructions by Member States and then takes responsibility for its success or failure in carrying them out. The findings in today's report must be deeply embarrassing to us all. The Inquiry Committee has ripped away the curtain and shone a harsh light into the most unsightly corners of the Organization. None of us - Member States, the Secretariat, agencies, funds and programmes - can be proud of what it has found. Who among us can now claim that United Nations management is not a problem or is not in need of reform? On the contrary, as the Volcker report puts it, reform is imperative if the United Nations is to regain and retain the measure of respect among the international community that its work requires. Next week's summit gives world leaders a golden opportunity to enact such a reform.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“As the report says, one of the fundamental problems with the oil-for- food programme was that neither the Security Council nor the Secretariat leadership was clearly in command, and that turned out to be a recipe for the dilution of Secretariat authority and the evasion of personal responsibility at all levels. In future, the respective roles and powers of the different parts of the Organization must be clearly defined so that the Secretary-General knows precisely what is expected of him and Member States can hold him fully accountable for the results. As I told the General Assembly negotiators last week, I know that none of you want a Secretariat that can always blame its failings on Member States, or Member States blaming their failings on the Secretariat.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“Even more obviously, it is vital that we build a stronger and better-resourced oversight structure and ensure that it is fully independent both from the Secretariat and from political interference by Member States. One important element in this new structure would be the independent oversight advisory committee proposed in the draft outcome document submitted by the President of the General Assembly, which corresponds closely to the Committee's recommendation of an independent auditing board. But it is no less vital that the Secretary-General himself should be allowed to carry out his functions effectively, taking day-to-day decisions on the deployment of staff and resources without having to wait for prior approval from the General Assembly, this Council or their various committees.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“As the Inquiry's report says, we cannot be sure, however much we might wish it, that fresh emergencies will not sooner or later impose on us new tasks as complex as the oil-for-food programme. Therefore, it is vital that we review fully the rules governing our budgetary and human resources. The oil- for-food programme is only the most extreme example of the wide range of new types of operation that Member States have called on the Secretariat to undertake in the last 15 years. It surely illustrates the point that our rules must allow us to attract, retain and develop a cadre of professionals with appropriate skills to manage such operations, to move them from post to post in a fair and practicable way and to rationalize the budgetary process, which at present is far too heavy, time-consuming and bureaucratic.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“The Inquiry's findings underscore the vital importance of proposed management reforms, many of which are at this very minute being negotiated by Members in the General Assembly with a view to their adoption, as part of a broader agenda of political and institutional change, by next week's summit. As the Council knows, I have already embarked on new reforms in areas where I have discretion - reforms designed to improve the performance of senior management, to strengthen oversight and accountability, to increase transparency and to ensure the highest standards of ethics, notably by creating a new ethics office. But there are many key decisions that only the General Assembly can make.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“They are lessons about the importance of accountability, particularly of having clear lines of responsibility and reporting, so that all officials and all parts of the Secretariat know exactly where their responsibilities lie. They are lessons about oversight, particularly about the need for mechanisms to ensure that when oversight reveals deficiencies, someone takes prompt action to repair those deficiencies. And, above all, they are lessons about the need for the United Nations to maintain the highest possible standards of integrity and effective performance. We shall have to study all these lessons, and all the Committee's recommendations, with great care. It may well be that we shall have to propose specific new reform measures to put them into practice. But one thing should be clear right now.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source