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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“Here too, as chief administrative officer, I have to take responsibility for the failings revealed, both in the implementation of the programme and, more generally, in the functioning of the Secretariat. The report also finds that many of these problems were rooted in an unclear demarcation of roles and responsibilities among the Council, the 661 Committee and the Secretariat - and in particular in the Council's decision to retain substantial elements of operational control within the 661 Committee, composed of national diplomats working under highly politicized instructions from their home Governments, yet willing to take decisions only when there was unanimous consent among all the 15 members. This, of course, calls for reflection by Member States. There are hard lessons for all of us to learn.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“First, the Committee notes that the programme did succeed in restoring and maintaining minimal standards of nutrition and health in Iraq, while also helping maintain the international effort to prevent Saddam Hussein from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Secondly, it observes that the wholesale corruption within the programme took place among private companies manipulated by Saddam Hussein's Government. More important, however, are the Committee's findings about the general management of the programme, which was characterized by weak administrative practices and inadequate control and auditing. Most important of all is the way those findings reflect on the system of decision-making, accountability and management throughout the Organization.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“And I am glad to note that that conclusion is reaffirmed. But I accepted then, and still accept, the conclusion that I was not diligent or effective enough in pursuing an investigation after the fact, when I learned that the company that employed my son had won the humanitarian inspection contract. I deeply regret that. The evidence of actual corruption among a small number of United Nations staff is also profoundly disappointing for all of us who work in the Organization. But, while I have not yet had time to study the full text of the report, I am gratified to see that two essential points are made in the preface.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“There can be few people, either in the Council or in the Secretariat, who will take pleasure in hearing or reading the conclusions that the inquiry has reached. Yet I believe we should all be profoundly grateful to Mr. Volcker and his colleagues for the work they have done and the report they have produced. I have no doubt - no doubt at all - that the Organization will benefit from it. My colleagues and I have only just received the full report, as Council members have, and therefore it would be premature for me to give a detailed response at this stage. But there are some things that I am ready to say now. The report is critical of me personally, and I accept the criticism. Earlier this year the Committee concluded that I did not influence, or attempt to influence, the procurement process.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“As members know, it was on my initiative, and with the support of the Council, that in April of last year, Mr. Volcker, Justice Goldstone and Professor Pieth were asked to conduct their inquiry. I took that initiative not with a View to deflecting blame or to forging a political weapon against anyone, but with the sole purpose of uncovering the truth. I was convinced that only by revealing the full truth, however painful, could the United Nations regain its credibility and establish what changes were needed. Mr. Volcker himself remarked, when presenting his first interim report, that few other organizations would have opened themselves to independent scrutiny as fully as this one has. And indeed, the truth as revealed in the successive interim reports of the inquiry and in this full report today is painful for all of us.”
2005-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5256 (2005) · source
“I assure the Council of my own strong commitment, and I look forward to working closely with it, on an urgent basis, to improve lives throughout this region where improvement is so badly needed.”
2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source
“And they call on all of us to practice prevention and to address root causes of conflict at an earlier stage. I welcome the recent efforts of ECOWAS and its members to address the complex challenges facing the region. There is growing cooperation among security agencies to crack down on cross-border crime. Efforts are also under way to protect children, to stem small- arms flows and to involve civil society groups more regularly in peacebuilding and other initiatives. I am also pleased at the constructive partnership that has emerged among ECOWAS, the United Nations system and other relevant actors. My Special Representative for West Africa, Mr. Ould-Abdallah - who is here with us today and his team will continue to do their part.”
2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source
“Youth unemployment levels are shockingly high, and the accompanying desperation carries a real risk of political and social unrest in countries emerging from crisis, and even in those that are currently stable. And there is very rapid population growth in the region's urban areas, where job opportunities are limited and social services are far from adequate. The report highlights areas that require immediate and longer-term action. Its recommendations are directed at a wide range of players, including the Security Council and other parts of the United Nations system, bilateral and multilateral development partners, the secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), individual Member States and civil society organizations. They place particular emphasis on good governance.”
2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source
“It details the efforts of the international community, including the United Nations Office for West Africa, to adopt a regional approach to peace efforts in the region and to implement the recommendations made last year by this Council. The region continues to face grave security challenges. Border areas are especially volatile, with populations at risk from illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons, recruitment of child soldiers, banditry, rape and environmental damage. The lack of funding for reform of the security sector, and in particular for the reintegration and rehabilitation phases of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation (DDRR) programmes, is disturbing, given their central importance.”
2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source
“This open debate on cross-border issues in West Africa comes at a critical moment for peace and security in the subregion. We see some signs of hope and encouragement. Yet we also see very worrying developments. As the current crisis in Togo reminds us, much remains to be done to establish peaceful, constitutional transfers of power as the region's norm. I urge all sides in Togo to exercise maximum restraint while efforts continue to find a peaceful solution to this crisis. The progress report that you now have before you reflects my serious concern about the perpetuation and indeed proliferation of conflict situations in West Africa.”
2005-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5131 (2005) · source
“Once again, I call on the Council to act urgently to stop further death and suffering in Darfur, and to do justice for those whom we are already too late to save.”
2005-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5125 (2005) · source
“This report demonstrates, beyond all doubt, that the past two years have been little short of hell on earth for our fellow human beings in Darfur. And despite the attention the Council has paid to this crisis, that hell continues today. The international community, led by the Council, must immediately find a way to halt the killing and protect the vulnerable. The full range of options should be on the table - including targeted sanctions, stronger peacekeeping efforts, new measures to protect civilians and increased pressure on both sides for a lasting political solution. I will do my part to help develop such a strategy. But the power and the responsibility to do something about this grave crisis are in your hands.”
2005-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5125 (2005) · source
“The Commission has also found credible evidence that rebel forces are responsible for serious violations, which may amount to war crimes. The Commission strongly recommends that the Security Council immediately refer the situation of Darfur to the International Criminal Court, to ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are held to account. It is vital that these crimes not be left unpunished. But the call to urgent action does not stop there. Even as the Commission was conducting its inquiry, and since then, attacks on villages, the killing of civilians, rape, pillaging and forced displacement have continued in Darfur. As others have said before me, while the United Nations may not be able to take humanity to heaven, it must act to save humanity from hell.”
2005-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5125 (2005) · source
“I am very pleased that the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, is with us today to present the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. I will leave it to her to give a full description of the report's findings and recommendations. But let me stress that this report is one of the most important documents in the recent history of the United Nations. It makes chilling reading, and it is a call to urgent action. The Commission has established that many people in Darfur have been the victims of atrocities perpetrated on a very large scale for which the Government of the Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible - including war crimes and, very likely, crimes against humanity.”
2005-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5125 (2005) · source
“It is good that the Council has chosen to work through African institutions, provided that members do not forget that the Council itself retains primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, as laid down in the Charter. What is happening in the Sudan - and in other African countries on the Council's agenda, such as Cote d'Ivoire - is a grave challenge not only to Africa but to all humanity. The United Nations must be fully engaged in helping to meet it.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“For far too long, war has inflicted misery and untold human suffering on the Sudan, distorting the allocation of scarce resources, discouraging foreign aid and scaring away both Sudanese and foreign investors. Peace can turn this situation around. Already, we in the United Nations are preparing a major, multidimensional operation to help build a lasting peace, and many donor countries have indicated their readiness to help the Sudanese realize a tangible peace dividend. But first, agreements must be finalized and signed. The engagement of the Council must impart a new sense of urgency to all the Sudanese parties. By meeting here in the region, the Council has made an important gesture of solidarity and support for the peoples and institutions of the new Africa.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“It is therefore time to convince the Government and its future partner, the SPLM, to conclude the Naivasha process and quickly involve all Sudanese stakeholders - the Government and armed and non-armed opposition groups - in a national conference to discuss the future governance of the country. We - the United Nations, the African Union and the whole international community - should join our efforts to help plan and support that process. The United Nations, through my Special Representative and other technical staff, in partnership with members of the IGAD Partners Forum and the Troika, will continue to do everything we can to assist the IGAD mediation and the parties to bring about a quick and successful completion of the Naivasha negotiations.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“The African Union mission has begun to deploy and has already achieved some successes. It now needs to move rapidly into the areas of Darfur where people are most in danger; and for that, it urgently requires means of transport, as well as financial and logistical support. All Member States with the capacity to do so must give the maximum possible support, so that the AU force, including the essential police contingent, can deploy swiftly and mount an effective operation on the ground. I have spoken of the need for a comprehensive approach. Only a comprehensive political solution for the Sudan as a whole offers any longer-term hope of stability in the country.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“This has made humanitarian work by the United Nations and our partners precarious and difficult, if not impossible. Many innocent civilians continue to suffer as a result. This cannot be allowed to continue. The strongest warning to all the parties that are causing this suffering is essential. We cannot allow impunity. When crimes on such a scale are being committed, and when a sovereign State appears unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens, a grave responsibility falls on the international community, and specifically on the Security Council. So far, the Council has chosen to exercise that responsibility by demanding compliance with its mandatory resolutions, while giving its full support to the efforts of the African Union (AU) mediation and monitoring mission.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“It is encouraging that, in Abuja, the parties to the Darfur conflict have signed protocols on the humanitarian situation and on security. They must be urged to abide strictly by those agreements. The parties should also be pressed to maintain the momentum towards reaching agreement on political and other outstanding issues. The Council should send an urgent message to that effect to both the Government and the rebel parties, and to all States that have particular influence on them. Meanwhile, I regret to report that the security situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate, despite the ceasefire agreements signed earlier in N'Djamena and now reinforced in Abuja. Both the Government and its militias, as well as the rebel groups, have breached these agreements.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“The Sudanese from around the country and across the spectrum, including political parties, civil society and exiles, are going to have to come together to discuss the future of the Sudan and how the country should be governed. While it is proper that the Council should place its primary focus, in these particular meetings, on the conclusion of the north-south talks, the conflict in Darfur also demands its attention. The terrible situation in Darfur has been brought about mainly by deliberate acts of violence against civilians, including widespread killing and rape. Because of the magnitude and intensity of the human suffering in that region, the conflict remains a burning concern. The Council's draft resolution rightly reflects that concern.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“I particularly welcome the Council's promise of full support for the implementation of such an agreement and its offer of incentives to encourage the parties to do what is right for their people and the country. Both the Government and the SPLM. should be urged to work together to resolve other conflicts besetting the Sudan immediately after signing their agreement, as indeed they should, as members of the new Sudan Government. This kind of approach is needed because there is a general issue of governance in the Sudan. It is not just a problem of north and south, Darfur or Beja. Such conflicts cannot be dealt with in a piecemeal way. A comprehensive approach is required. Naivasha offers a good basis on which to build.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“I cannot help feeling that the formation of a north-south Government in the Sudan would add weight and impetus to the search for a settlement in Darfur and elsewhere and that it would have an important confidence-building effect. That is why, today, I re-emphasize to the members of the Council the importance of an early conclusion of the Naivasha process. I am confident that the Council will, in its collective and private discussions with Vice-President Ali Othman Taha and Mr. John Garang, as well as in the draft resolution that it will be adopting on the Sudan, encourage the parties to sign a comprehensive peace agreement before the end of the year.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“The speedy conclusion of the north-south talks would not only help curb the further spread of conflict to other parts of the country; it would also serve as a basis and a catalyst for the resolution of existing conflicts. Indeed, as I have indicated to the Council on earlier occasions, the Government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A have already agreed to use the relevant principles of the Machakos Protocol as a basis for resolving conflicts in other regions, including Darfur. Those principles were the basis for settling the conflicts in the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei. Another reason to conclude the Naivasha process speedily is that this would lead to the formation of a new coalition Government in Khartoum with a new army, one that would include the SPLM.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“Now, at last, the Naivasha peace process, so skilfully and patiently led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), offers real hope: real hope of an escape from that long nightmare and a chance to transform the Sudan's political landscape and system of governance. The Sudan's people have waited far too long for such a transformation. It is high time to conclude the negotiations between the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) and start implementing what has been agreed. The effects of delay are felt not only in the south, but elsewhere too, as conflict spreads to more parts of the country. The devastating conflict in Darfur is glaring evidence of this. That is why the time for decision is now. There is no time to waste.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“Allow me to start by thanking the Council's wise President, Mr. Danforth, for bringing us here to Nairobi. It was his initiative that brought us here. It is fitting that the Council should have taken the rare and highly symbolic step of meeting here in Africa. The Council has come to Nairobi primarily to discuss the situation in Africa's largest country, the Sudan, which, unhappily, is also one of the countries most affected by conflict. The Sudan is a country with very deep-rooted and complex divisions. In large parts of the Sudan, particularly in the south, the people have lived for decades in fear, hunger and misery, both natural and man-made.”
2004-11-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5080 (2004) · source
“Those include a justice sector mapping guide, support for the development of model transitional criminal codes and policy guidance for domestic and hybrid prosecutions. The United Nations system will continue to work in the coming months to implement the recommendations in the report that are directed at us. We are ready to play our part and trust that the members of the Council are ready to play theirs.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“The report notes that the establishment of the International Criminal Court offers new hope for a permanent reduction in the phenomenon of impunity - a hope that will grow stronger with each new ratification of the Rome Statute. The recommendations of the report are grouped together in section XIX. I hope it will serve as a practical aide-memoire for the Security Council, to help it pay due attention to the rule of law and transitional justice as it addresses the conflict and post- conflict situations before it. I have not forgotten my own responsibilities and those of the United Nations departments, agencies, funds and programmes. The United Nations system is working on important new tools to help strengthen our capacities to support the rule of law and transitional justice.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“Fifthly, where transitional justice is concerned, the best approach is usually not an "either/or" choice between prosecutions and truth commissions. Instead, a nationally determined combination of mechanisms will generally work better - including, where appropriate, traditional justice mechanisms. In some cases, international or mixed tribunals have been set up to address past crimes. Those tribunals have helped bring a measure of justice to victims, held at least some perpetrators to account, and helped remove extremist elements from power. They have also enriched the jurisprudence of international criminal law. But they have been expensive, and they have not contributed adequately to building sustainable national capacities for the administration of justice.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“Peace and stability can prevail only if the causes of conflict are addressed in a legitimate and fair manner - causes such as ethnic discrimination, gross disparities in the distribution of wealth and social services, abuse of power, and the denial of the right to property or citizenship. Indeed, justice, peace and democracy are mutually reinforcing. In fragile post- conflict settings, our efforts must advance on all three fronts. That requires strategic planning, careful integration and sensible sequencing. Fourthly, our approach to justice must be comprehensive. We must address the police, courts, prisons, defence lawyers and prosecutors, and we must be sensitive to the needs of civil society, including those of victims, women, children and minorities.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“Our support needs to be carefully tailored to the context and based on national assessments, national participation and national needs and aspirations. Secondly, we must be provided with the resources needed for a sustainable investment in justice. These resources must help build local capacity, but simply providing technical assistance is not enough. We must also help foster and sustain political will at the national level. We should therefore support domestic reform constituencies and facilitate national consultations on justice reform and transitional justice. Thirdly, we cannot forget the political context.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“The report reviews the tools at our disposal to help administer transitional justice and rebuild the rule of law in conflict and post-conflict societies - from national justice systems to the support given by United Nations peace operations; from the International Criminal Court to ad hoc international and mixed tribunals and truth commissions; from public-sector vetting to reparations for victims. As the report points out, the work of the United Nations in this field has taught us many lessons. The first is that, to be successful, peace-building activities must reflect international norms and standards. But that does not mean that we should uncritically import or impose foreign models. One size does not fit all.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“Mr. President, let me start by warmly welcoming you to New York and to the Security Council and expressing appreciation for your having convened this open debate. It could not be more timely. A few weeks ago, in the General Assembly, I said that reintroducing the rule of law, and ensuring confidence in its impartial application, is an essential part of resuscitating societies shattered by conflict. That principle lies at the heart of the report before the Council today - a report that reflects the coordinated efforts of more than a dozen United Nations departments and agencies, based on our own experience over decades of involvement in this field.”
2004-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5052 (2004) · source
“It is for that reason that I welcome the Council's intention to keep MONUC's strength and structure under regular review, and I sincerely hope that the Council will favourably revisit the issue of MONUC'S requirements in the future.”
2004-10-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5048 (2004) · source
“In view of that reduction, MONUC will have to review the scope of the support it can provide for the peace process, as my original recommendations were made on the basis of different assumptions. I have therefore instructed the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to review the tasks that can be performed by MONUC within the new ceiling with a view to revising the scope of its military and civilian police concepts of operation. I continue to believe that the total military and police strength recommended in my third special report is the minimum required to effectively meet the current challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2004-10-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5048 (2004) · source
“By the adoption of this resolution, the Security Council has taken an important step and has demonstrated its continued support for the transitional process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council's decision to expand the strength of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) by an additional 5,900 military and civilian police personnel will contribute to improving the Mission's operational capacities, which are severely under-resourced at the moment. I must remind the Council, however, that the newly approved ceiling of 16,700 in total falls well below the figure of 23,900 troops and 507 civilian police personnel that I recommended in my report to the Council (S/2004/650) of 16 August 2004.”
2004-10-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5048 (2004) · source
“The United Nations is also strongly supporting the AU's leadership of the political process. The only route to true long-term safety for the civilians in Darfur, and to the return of 1.6 million people to their homes, is a genuine political settlement. We all must help the African Union to achieve that goal. I call on the entire international community to make unambiguously clear to both sides that we firmly expect them to resume negotiations for a political settlement in Darfur, and that they must bring to the table the spirit of compromise necessary to reach agreement. I see that the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Konare, is here; we welcome his presence in the Council. The crisis in Darfur is not simply an African problem. It concerns the entire international community.”
2004-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5043 (2004) · source
“The African Union (AU) has assumed the great responsibility of leadership in both the security and political areas, and I warmly thank it for doing so. I am very pleased to see the Chairman of the AU, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, here with us in the Council. We must give the AU our unwavering support in word and in deed. The United Nations is supporting the AU's efforts to strengthen its operations in all parts of Darfur. Civilians are still being attacked. We must support the expansion of the AU's mission to help the people there. A proactive AU presence can help make them safer. But that will require substantial international resources - logistics support, equipment and financing. Every country that can help must help, and thereby give content and meaning to our own words of concern.”
2004-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5043 (2004) · source
“The tragedy in Darfur is one of the greatest challenges the international community faces today. The whole world is watching this tragedy unfold, and it is watching us. No one can be allowed to sidestep or ignore their responsibility to protect the innocent civilians. Our urgent task is to do everything we can to help protect the people of Darfur from further humanitarian suffering, terrible violence and human rights abuses, and to bring their agony to an end. The humanitarian emergency in Darfur is growing, and much, much more needs to be done to mitigate it. I take this opportunity to reiterate my strong appeal to the international community to respond urgently and generously to the humanitarian appeal for Darfur.”
2004-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5043 (2004) · source
“But there must be a reasonable balance between the risk to be undertaken and the substantive contribution that civilians are called upon to make. I ask for the Council's full support in ensuring the security of our staff - both by the provision of troops, where appropriate, and politically - when I propose new measures to the General Assembly, as I shall very soon. Peace-building requires a clear strategy, developed and executed by highly skilled professionals, grounded in local conditions and reflected in realistic mandates devised by the Council and, of course, supported by all parts of the United Nations system and fully backed up by this Council and the membership of the Organization as a whole. With that support, our work can succeed, and the promise of peace-building can be realized.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Fourthly, we must make sure that we have the best people available to carry out the tough assignments the Council gives them. I am speaking particularly of civilian staff. We need an international cadre of highly skilled civilians for peace-building, both technical experts and people with the ability to work closely with national actors and bring together the diverse perspectives of conflict management, State- building, development and transitional justice. I am proud of the unique expertise of the dedicated staff who support me in carrying out the Security Council's mandates. But, we need to be given the resources to enhance the quality and quantity of that expertise. Finally, I cannot conclude this topic without mentioning the security of United Nations civilian staff. Risk is an unavoidable part of our work.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“I am pleased that there have been improvements in the delivery of resources to post-conflict reconstruction. But the needs remain very great. United Nations peace operations are an excellent investment. In the entire history of the United Nations, just over $30 billion has been spent on our peacekeeping operations. That is just one thirtieth of the amount that was spent last year alone on global military expenditures. Thirdly, we need to make sure that our efforts are well integrated, since the various elements of peace- building are interdependent, and failure in one sector can mean failure in the rest. To that end, the United Nations, other international organizations, regional organizations, bilateral donors and NGOs must strengthen their institutional links and work together on the basis of shared goals and shared priorities.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“The tangible support of Council members, in a number of ways, will make the difference between success and failure for our current and future peace-building efforts. First, the Council needs to sustain its interest and focus on each and every peace operation. The bit-by- bit building of peace, from the ground up, may not grab headlines, but it must command the Council's vigilant attention and long-term commitment. Lack of interest or division in the Council is a recipe for unfulfilled mandates and unresolved problems, leaving the root causes of a conflict to fester and blow up again some day. We saw the bitter consequences of failed peace-building in Haiti and Liberia, where we are now engaged once more. We must not repeat those mistakes. Secondly, we need more resources, and we need to get those resources more quickly than we do.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Without clear priorities, particularly in the areas of security, the rule of law and immediate economic opportunities, the best-laid plans for long- term reconstruction and recovery will fail. I do not wish to sound pessimistic. On the contrary, peace-building can be truly successful, as we have seen in El Salvador, in Guatemala, in Mozambique and in Namibia, and more recently, in East Timor. I am also heartened that a number of our ongoing missions are making solid progress in helping peace to take root. But I am very conscious that we face enormous challenges: in Africa, where the demand for United Nations peace operations is huge, and in other places, too, including some very dangerous ones.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“And its goal is to build durable peace in societies shattered by war. That is ambitious indeed. We have learned from experience that international interventions, even those that carry the unique legitimacy provided by the United Nations, cannot quickly erase the noxious legacy of conflict. We therefore need to be realistic about what is achievable, and we must have a clear political strategy for success, based on a sophisticated understanding of the context and tailored to respond to it. That strategy must include benchmarks for progress towards the goal, not just of holding elections, but of building legitimate and effective States. And, since we have comparatively scarce resources, we must prioritize.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“Let me start by commending you, Sir, for taking the initiative to hold this open debate on civilian aspects of crisis management. This debate is extremely timely and the presence of so many foreign ministers is very welcome. Yesterday, in the General Assembly, I stressed the importance of the rule of law. Nowhere is its absence more keenly felt than in war-torn societies, and nowhere is its restoration more Vital to the maintenance of international peace and security. But that is far easier said than done. Peace- building is a complex business. It draws in many actors: not just the operations mandated by the Security Council, but also the vital work of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, of regional organizations, and of our non-governmental organization (NGO) partners.”
2004-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5041 (2004) · source
“We are also considering making the high-level meetings more frequent - perhaps even annual - so that we can focus on practical cooperation on key issues and can follow up more effectively. I believe that this would help strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations - not to mention between the Secretariat and the Security Council. In stabilizing war-torn nations, as in many other areas of peace and security, the United Nations needs the vital contribution of regional organizations. I therefore wish participants a fruitful discussion, and I hope that the Council will remain engaged in this crucial subject.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“We will soon discuss with our regional counterparts cooperation mechanisms for monitoring the effective protection of civilians in armed conflict, practical measures to build tolerance and to promote a dialogue among civilizations and lessons learned from field experiences such as military-civilian cooperation, policing, institution-building and confidence-building measures. I will keep the Security Council fully apprised of the progress achieved. I am committed to implementing the specific points contained in the frameworks that have been laid down. The next high-level meeting is scheduled for mid- 2005 and, of course, the President of the Security Council will participate, as in the past. That will provide an important opportunity to see how far we have come in implementing the decisions taken in previous meetings.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“To that end, my predecessor and I have engaged the heads of regional organizations in regular exchanges of views on issues of common concern, from conflict prevention, to peace-building, to international terrorism. We are also working with a wide range of regional organizations on electoral matters. The two most recent meetings between the United Nations and regional organizations established important frameworks for cooperation. The fourth meeting, on peace-building, in February 2001, together with the presidential statement of the Security Council at that time (S/PRST/2001/5), established a useful precedent for better interaction and cooperation. At the fifth meeting, in July 2003, participants agreed on a framework for cooperation to confront new challenges to international peace and security, including international terrorism.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source
“Clearly, the involvement of many organizations can be both a source of strength and a point of weakness in managing complex situations. Full integration is not always easy, due to different mandates, organizational cultures and leadership roles. So while our cooperation is being enhanced, we have to consider more thoroughly the comparative strengths of different organizations - whether global, regional or subregional - and move towards the creation of strategic partnerships that meet today's and tomorrow's challenges. Our cooperation with regional organizations is established across a wide range of activities, but it has often been ad hoc. I believe that more institutionalized channels of cooperation would help ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness and, perhaps, even economies of scale.”
2004-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5007 (2004) · source