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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“In my latest report I have tried to show ways in which that may be done, and to encourage the Council to move decisively towards practical implementation. Since my last report eighteen months ago we have seen many important developments, including the beginnings of a real, if fragile, transition from war to peace in a number of long-standing conflicts. The transitions must be sustained. In many of them, greater emphasis on the protection of civilians may prove decisive. The protection of civilians does not stop with a ceasefire, but must continue in the immediate post- conflict phase.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“There exists an unambiguous linkage between improving the security of the individual person and securing and sustaining peace and preventing violent conflict. The work of the Security Council on this issue over the past three years has provided us with an all- important conceptual framework. We need to continue this work in formulating new policies, especially in today's fast-changing environment. But what we need most of all is practical action and a clear path from policy to implementation. We need to move forward and develop a more systematic approach to this issue. We need to build a solid structure through which analysis and policy and an awareness of best practices will translate immediately into practical action that makes a difference in people's lives.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“We are now in a position to learn from our experiences and take effective, practical measures to strengthen their protection. The question is whether we show the will and the determination to make protection an inescapable duty for all parties in conflicts. I know that Colombia is a country in which the protection of civilians remains a key challenge. The civilian toll has been terrible, and its effects can be seen in every aspect of civil life in Colombia. But Colombia is not alone in facing that challenge. No part of the world has been immune from this scourge. It is therefore fitting to have this discussion on Human Rights Day - a day on which we reaffirm our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and seek new ways of strengthening respect for individual rights and freedoms.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“It is a pleasure to see you in New York, Madame President. I am very grateful to you for chairing this important meeting on how to strengthen the protection of civilians in armed conflict. This question is among the most urgent and most important for this Council and for the United Nations as a whole as we seek to address the effects of conflict around the world. It is urgent because civilians account for the vast majority of victims of armed conflicts today. Millions of them are directly targeted, displaced from their homes, subject to appalling human rights abuses and denied assistance in times of war. It is urgent because we know that strengthening the protection of civilians is a key to achieving a sustainable peace.”
2002-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4660 (2002) · source
“The goal is to ensure the peaceful disarmament of Iraq in compliance with Security Council resolutions and a better, more secure future for its people. How this crisis is resolved will affect greatly the course of peace and security in the coming years, in the region and in the world. I commend the Council for acting today with purpose and resolve.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“I also wish to recognize those countries, especially members of the League of Arab States, who persuaded Iraq to change its previous position. It is important that Governments with influence on Iraq remain engaged in the efforts to obtain Iraq's compliance with its international obligations. The road ahead will be difficult and dangerous. But empowered by this resolution, the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency stand equipped to carry out their vital task. To succeed, they will require full and unconditional cooperation on the part of Iraq and the continued determination of the international community to pursue its common aim in a united and effective manner. This is a time of trial - for Iraq, for the United Nations and for the world.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“This resolution is based on law, collective effort and the unique legitimacy of the United Nations. It represents an example of multilateral diplomacy serving the cause of peace and security. It reflects a renewed commitment to preventing the development and spread of weapons of mass destruction and the universal wish to see this goal obtained by peaceful means. I commend the leaders and the Council members, who have worked so hard to negotiate this resolution. I know that it has not been easy to reach agreement. It has required both patience and persistence. But the effort has been well worthwhile. Whenever the Council is united, it sends a very powerful signal. And I hope that Iraq will heed that signal.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“The Security Council resolution adopted today has strengthened the cause of peace and given renewed impetus to the search for security in an increasingly dangerous world. The resolution sets out in clear terms Iraq's obligation to cooperate with the United Nations in ensuring the full and final disarmament of its weapons of mass destruction. It leaves no doubt as to what these obligations are or as to how they must be fulfilled. Iraq now has a new opportunity to comply with all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. I urge the Iraqi leadership, for the sake of its own people and for the sake of world security and world order, to seize this opportunity and thereby begin to end the isolation and suffering of the Iraqi people. If Iraq's defiance continues, however, the Security Council must face its responsibilities.”
2002-11-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4644 (2002) · source
“Their analysis, insight and recommendations provide additional food for thought to this Council, as well as for the wider membership, the United Nations system and civil society. The world can no longer afford to neglect the abuses to which women and girls are subjected in armed conflict and its aftermath, or to ignore the contributions that women make to the search for peace. It is time that they are given the voice in formal peace- building and peacemaking processes that they deserve. Sustainable peace and security will not be achieved without their full and equal participation. Just as your work can promote gender equality, so can gender equality make your work more likely to succeed.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“If women are to play their full part in negotiating peace accords, mediating disputes, creating new Governments, rebuilding judicial and civil infrastructures and the many other activities that support peace, the world needs to make an investment in building up their skills for doing so. This will require both political will and a much larger pool of funding. In addition to my own study and report, an Independent Experts Assessment, commissioned by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), has been made available to you. Elisabeth Rehn and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf travelled to many of the world's conflict zones and talked to women and girls who have experienced the devastating impact of conflict firsthand.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Since the allegations leading to the OIOS report first arose, the United Nations has been determined to act firmly and quickly, not just in West Africa, but on a global basis. Improved systems for recourse, investigation and discipline are being instituted. Mechanisms for protecting those who depend on international aid are being strengthened, and strict standards of behaviour - expected of all United Nations personnel and our partners in the non- governmental organization community - are being adopted. I welcome those steps and reaffirm my commitment to working closely with all involved to ensure full and speedy action wherever necessary. Finally, the report emphasizes the need for extensive capacity-building.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“The United Nations and its Member States, in particular troop- contributing States, must do their utmost to ensure that an international presence provides protection and security for all people - women and men, girls and boys - and does not exacerbate inequalities or lead to an increase in violence against women and girls. The United Nations must not and will not tolerate sexual or other abuse by any staff - civilian, military or humanitarian. Two important steps in this direction are the investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) of allegations of sexual abuse in West Africa, the results of which were made public earlier this week, and the work of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“The legal framework is increasingly responsive to the experiences of women and girls in conflict, especially in cases of sexual violence, as we have seen in the important work being carried out by the international criminal tribunals. But much remains to be done, particularly to improve prevention and to combat impunity. The report recommends the strongest possible response to the sexual exploitation of women and girls, including prostitution and trafficking, which can occur in the context of peacekeeping, humanitarian activities and other international interventions.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“The report calls for greater representation of women in formal peace negotiations and for the incorporation of gender perspectives in conflict prevention activities and in mandates for peace- building and peacekeeping operations, including those set in motion by the Council. It also stresses the need to increase the appointment of women at the highest levels of decision-making, including as special representatives, deputy special representatives and special envoys. The report also points out serious gaps in the legal protections available to women. Certainly, advances have been made in recognizing women's rights.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Some women may be forced to follow camps of armed forces, providing domestic services or being used as sexual slaves. But if women suffer the impact of conflict disproportionately, they are also the key to the solution of conflict. Women's groups and networks at the grassroots level have provided many examples of the imaginative strategies and flexible approaches required for effective conflict prevention. They have worked tirelessly and courageously in preserving social order in the midst of chaos, and promoting reconciliation through informal processes that receive very little support. However, with few exceptions, women are not present in formal peace negotiations.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Towards that end, I would like to draw the Council's attention to a few issues. The report stresses that, while many of the experiences of women and girls in armed conflict are similar to those of men and boys, there are important differences. Existing inequalities between women and men, and patterns of discrimination against women and girls, tend to exacerbate their situation in armed conflict. Women and girls become particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation. Women and children make up the majority of the world's refugees and internally displaced persons. Even in refugee camps, which are meant to be safe havens, the vulnerability of women and girls may continue, especially if there is a proliferation of small arms.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Resolution 1325 (2000) has also galvanized the United Nations system into looking more critically at our own work, and at how we deal with gender perspectives not only in peacemaking, peace-building and peacekeeping, but also in humanitarian, disarmament and reconstruction activities. More importantly, women at the grassroots level around the world have found the resolution an effective tool in bringing greater attention to their needs and priorities and in supporting their efforts to contribute to peace processes. My report on women, peace and security, called for in resolution 1325 (2000), is now before the Council. It is based on the larger study distributed to the Council earlier this week. I hope that members will read it closely and sustain the momentum that has been generated.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Let me start by thanking you, Mr. President, for your initiative in holding this meeting on women, peace and security. Two years ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000), a landmark step in raising awareness of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and of the vital role women play in conflict resolution and peace-building. Since then, the Council has continued to devote close attention to this key aspect of international peace and security. It has used the Arria formula to hear directly from women living in countries mired in conflict. During missions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo and Sierra Leone, Council members have met with women's groups and networks, and last July the Council held a further open discussion on the issue.”
2002-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4635 (2002) · source
“Just as terrorism must never be excused, so genuine grievances must never be ignored simply because terrorism is committed in their name. It does not take away from the justice of a cause that a few wicked men or women murder in its name. It only makes it more urgent that the cause is addressed, the grievances heard and the wrong put right. As the United Nations unites to defeat terrorism in the months and years ahead, we must act with equal determination to solve the political disputes and longstanding conflicts which generate support for terrorism. To do so is not to reward terrorism or its perpetrators, it is to deny them the opportunity to find refuge in any cause, any country. Only then can we truly say that the war on terrorism has been won.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“As I have mentioned in the past, the CTC's unprecedented effort to review national reports on the implementation of international legal instruments relating to terrorism has stretched, almost to breaking point, the Secretariat's resources for processing documentation. Thirdly, we must sustain cooperation in the struggle against terrorism, on as broad a basis as possible, while encouraging subregional, regional and global organizations to join forces in a common campaign. In overcoming as elusive a transnational threat as terrorism, cooperation is essential. Fortunately, there has been some progress. The United Nations is committed to working with international partners in the fight against terrorism and to achieving unity of purpose and action.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Given the levels of inhumanity to which modern- day terrorists have descended, efforts to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have assumed new urgency. Other legal instruments - such as those that deal with transnational crime, narcotics and money- laundering - are essential to denying sources of finance for terrorist networks. States must ensure that these instruments are adopted and effectively applied. Moreover, the struggle against terrorism demands closer analysis of its links with crime, narcotics and the illicit trade in weapons. There may, in addition, be a need for the General Assembly to consider making more resources available to ensure that the work of the CTC is effective and sustainable over the long-term.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Secondly, we must deny would-be terrorists the opportunity to commit their dreadful acts. We can do this by supporting the efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor compliance with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001); by greater efforts to achieve disarmament, especially through strengthening global norms against the use or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and by giving technical support to States seeking to curb the flow of arms, funds and technology to terrorist cells. To be effective and sustainable, a strategy of denial must be grounded in both international and domestic law. It is not good enough to sign the key international instruments. We must implement them as well.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“First, we must dissuade the would-be perpetrators of terror by setting effective norms and implementing relevant legal instruments, by mounting an active public information campaign and by rallying an international consensus behind the fight against terrorism. To achieve effective dissuasion, it is essential to remember that the fight against terrorism is above all a fight to preserve fundamental rights and sustain the rule of law. By their very nature, terrorist acts are grave violations of human rights. Therefore, to pursue security at the expense of human rights is short- sighted, self-contradictory and, in the long run, self- defeating. In places where human rights and democratic values are lacking, disaffected groups are more likely to opt for a path of violence or to sympathize with those who do.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Last autumn, to identify the long-term implications and broad policy dimensions of terrorism for the United Nations, I set up a Policy Working Group on the United Nations and Terrorism. It combined the expertise of key agencies, programmes and departments within the Organization with that of independent specialists. On 28 June this year, the Group submitted a report with recommendations on steps that the United Nations can take. The report, which I made public on 10 September, contains proposals for a strategic definition of priorities to orient the Organization's work in this complex field. I endorse the three-pronged strategy suggested by the report. When approaching issues related to terrorism, the United Nations will set itself three goals: dissuasion, denial and cooperation.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Let me here pay tribute to the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Chairman, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, for its work in ensuring the implementation by all Member States of an effective counter-terrorism strategy. Through its work, the CTC has become an important agent for international consensus on counter- terrorism, calling for the effective implementation of the 12 international anti-terrorism conventions. Moreover, the CTC has helped to strengthen global capacity in this field through a coordinated programme of needs-assessment and technical assistance. Let me also say that I very much welcome the Chairman's intention to consult with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“By its very nature, terrorism is an assault on the fundamental principles of law, order, human rights and the peaceful settlement of disputes upon which the United Nations is established. Countering terrorism, therefore, is in the interest not only of States and intergovernmental institutions, but also of local, national and global civil society. This Organization therefore has a clear obligation to deal with this global threat. But it is also well placed to do so. The United Nations has an indispensable role to play in providing the legal and organizational framework within which the international campaign against terrorism can unfold.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Today's Security Council meeting reflects the Council's determination to confront reality rather than escape from it; to recognize an evil rather than excuse it. The Council's decision a year ago to establish the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was a swift and concrete reaction to the terrorist attacks of 11 September. It showed that the Council was willing to act, as well as speak, in defence of every country and every citizen threatened by international terrorism. Terrorism is a global threat with global effects. Its methods are murder and mayhem, but its consequences affect every aspect of the United Nations agenda - from development to peace, to human rights and the rule of law. No part of our mission is safe from the effects of terrorism, and no part of the world is immune from this scourge.”
2002-10-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618 (2002) · source
“Let us help the best on both sides, Palestinian and Israeli, to regain their passion for peace and the conviction that brought them so close to agreement two years ago. Let us resist the downward spiral into anarchy. Let us rebuild a centre that can hold.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“But I fear this vision will remain a distant mirage so long as our television screens - and the minds of all those involved - are filled with ugly scenes of death and destruction, whether in the streets of Tel Aviv or at the Muqata'a in Ramallah. More than 80 years ago, the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote of a time in his country when "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity." Alas, those words have been true of many times and many places since, and they seem all too true of the situation between Israelis and Palestinians today. But let us not resign ourselves to that state of affairs.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“The so-called sequential approach, which insists on full security as a precondition for progress on the political, humanitarian and institutional fronts, has clearly failed. Israel needs to understand that there will be no lasting security without a political settlement. And therefore, even while defending itself against terrorist attacks, Israel should cooperate actively with the Quartet's efforts to reach such a settlement within the next three years. The Palestinians, on their side, need to understand that there will be no settlement without lasting security for Israel. Both sides must be urged by all who have any influence over them to accept and act on those understandings so that at last there can be peace and security for both peoples, as part of a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“A policy based on forcing the other side to capitulate is a bankrupt policy. It is not working, and it will never work. It only encourages desperation. It weakens moderates and strengthens extremists. In the end there will have to be a political settlement, negotiated between the two peoples on an equal basis - a settlement in which, as this Council has said, two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders. Why not reach that end sooner rather than later? How many hundreds or thousands more have to die, how much more pain and misery must be endured before leaders on both sides find the Vision and the courage to accept the inevitable? Only a settlement on that basis can bring real peace and security to both peoples, and only a comprehensive approach can bring a settlement on that basis nearer.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“This too will set back the prospects for resuming the peace process. Once again, I appeal to Israel to take greater care to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians and to refrain from policies and actions that are in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. My Special Envoy is in constant contact with both parties and has repeatedly spoken to Chairman Arafat and other senior Palestinian officials in Ramallah. He met this morning with Foreign Minister Peres and is now in Ramallah with the Secretary- General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Abu Mazen. He is working in close coordination with the other members of the Quartet and key actors in the region. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not going to be resolved by military might alone, or by violent means of any kind.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Further misery is hardly a basis for progress, whether political, security or economic. The Quartet and our Arab partners in the region are working intensively with the Palestinian Authority to see that security and institutional reforms are implemented. But we can succeed only if the Government of Israel actively supports the process rather than hindering it. The systematic and literal grinding down of the Authority's headquarters in Ramallah, in which a further 10 Palestinians have been killed, is also likely to cause greater political instability in the West Bank and Gaza. Despite the re-imposition of curfews in most West Bank towns, it has already prompted mass demonstrations in a number of Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, and efforts to address key reform issues have been postponed as a result.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“It also repeated its call on the Palestinian Authority to work with the United States and regional partners to reform security services and combat terrorism. But how can the Palestinians respond to that call if what is left of the civil and security infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority, which is already gravely weakened, is now in the process of being destroyed? Surely, such destruction will only set back even further the prospects for implementing necessary reforms and ensuring real improvements in the Authority's security performance. Similarly, the continuing destruction of the capacity of ministries and municipalities to provide basic services such as water, electricity and education will hamper and even undermine efforts to meet humanitarian needs, whether by Palestinian or by international organizations.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“I have said over and over again that such acts are morally repugnant, and I say it again today. Each time those words have to be repeated, they become even more grimly apt. These acts are to be condemned both for the utterly unjustifiable loss of life, the pain and misery that they cause to innocent people and because they set back even further the prospect of a just and lasting settlement. They strike directly at that very hope which, as the Quartet agreed, is an essential driver of political progress. Once again, I urge all Palestinians, especially the leaders of all political factions, to renounce this wicked instrument of terror, clearly and irrevocably, now and forever. Last week, the Quartet recognized Israel's legitimate security concerns and repeated its demand that terrorist attacks be stopped once and for all.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“We agreed, in short, on the need for a process driven both by performance and by hope. That linkage is essential, and I cannot emphasize it too strongly. Yes, we need performance. But there must be hope, too. For without hope there will be no performance. So, far from seeing the first steps towards implementing the Quartet's vision, the events of the past few days represent a tragic step in the opposite direction. Until last week, there had been six weeks of relative calm in Israel itself, but during the same period in the occupied territory at least 54 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military operations. Then, in the space of three days, 17 to 19 September, we saw a bomb explode in a Palestinian school and two new suicide attacks perpetrated against Israeli civilians inside Israel.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“Less than a week ago, the Quartet met in this building and agreed on the need for a road map to achieve a permanent settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We agreed that it was essential and urgent for the Palestinians to take all possible steps to improve security by bringing an immediate end to violence and terror. But we also agreed that it had to be done within the context of an overall plan, which must address the political, economic, humanitarian and institutional dimensions of the problem. We agreed that the plan must spell out reciprocal steps to be taken by the parties in each of three phases, with a Quartet mechanism to monitor and assess each party's progress against specific benchmarks, culminating in the negotiation of a final and comprehensive settlement by 2005.”
2002-09-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4614 (2002) · source
“I call on the Council to strive even harder to ensure that the struggle ahead wins the widest possible support. All humanity has a stake in this fight. The United Nations must ensure that it is fought in unison and won in a legitimate way.”
2002-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4607 (2002) · source
“The past year has also given us hope that terrorism can be defeated if the international community summons the will to unite in a broad coalition. As the work of the Council has shown, the United Nations remains uniquely positioned to serve as the forum for that coalition, and for the development of those steps that Governments must now take - separately and together - to combat terrorism on a global scale. The legitimacy that the United Nations conveys can ensure that the greatest number of States are able and willing to take the necessary and difficult steps - diplomatic, legal and political - that are needed to defeat terrorism. Today, one year after the attacks, the importance of global legitimacy in the fight against terrorism has only grown.”
2002-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4607 (2002) · source
“Over the last year, it has fulfilled this role with patience, creativity and determination, showing by its actions how essential it is to defeat terrorism by building the broadest possible international coalition. On the very day after the attacks, the General Assembly and the Security Council adopted strong resolutions condemning them and calling on all States to cooperate in bringing the perpetrators to justice. Subsequently, the Security Council adopted unanimously a far-reaching resolution aimed at targeting terrorists and those who harbour, aid or support them. Under that resolution, Member States are cooperating in a wide range of areas - from suppressing the financing of terrorism to providing early warning, cooperating in criminal investigations and exchanging information.”
2002-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4607 (2002) · source
“Together, they represented a United Nations of world citizens, coming together in one city to seek a better future for themselves and for their families. Their deaths diminish all mankind, and all mankind must come together to restore the sanctity of the values we hold dear - tolerance, pluralism, peace and respect for every human life. The United Nations was founded to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and today the nations are united to defend humanity from a new kind of warfare. We are all called upon to defeat an enemy that makes no distinction between the weak and the strong, the high or the low - an enemy who sees as a target the entire edifice of international cooperation to which the United Nations is dedicated. No body has a more central role to play in meeting this challenge than the Security Council.”
2002-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4607 (2002) · source
“I am happy that you are here, Mr. President, and that so many Foreign Ministers are also here in this Chamber to mark this solemn occasion with us. September eleventh is one of those cataclysmic events - like the assassination of John F. Kennedy - that will stay forever fresh and Vivid in our memory. No matter how long each of us lives, we will remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news. Recalling that terrible, dark day, I wish to start by expressing my profound sympathy with the people ofthe United States, who suffered so grievously as a result ofthat terrible atrocity. I express my deepest condolences to the families ofthe thousands of men and women from more than 90 countries who were murdered that day and whose own lives have changed utterly.”
2002-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4607 (2002) · source
“The presence with us today of the South African Foreign Minister, as well as of Mr. She Okitundu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mr. Mazimpaka of Rwanda is particularly valuable because it enables you to engage directly with the Council and enables the Council to engage you on issues that are directly concerned with the implementation of the agreement. Of course, I look forward to a very serious dialogue not only here in the Council but also with the various United Nations departments. I think that reflects the value of the new partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. I am now eager to listen to the Foreign Minister of South Africa and to the representatives of the parties so that we can gain a full and detailed understanding of this important agreement and this implementation as soon as possible.”
2002-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4596 (2002) · source
“I have instructed the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to determine which actions it can take within its current mandate and resources to assist the parties to carry out the agreement. However, the parties need to be perfectly clear on the tasks to be performed and to provide the necessary information in order for MONUC to define its specific role. The Secretariat is also looking forward to receiving a team of experts from South Africa - in fact, I think they have arrived today - to discuss together the support that the process requires and how we move forward from here. I therefore expect to revert to the Council in due course with specific recommendations for MONUC after the Secretariat undertakes intensive consultations with the parties concerned.”
2002-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4596 (2002) · source
“I applaud President Mbeki for his important contribution to the agreement in his capacity as Chairman of the African Union. The two presidents have committed themselves to achieving peace and, specifically, to working with each other to achieve it. That is very encouraging. We must now quickly approach the parties in a pragmatic manner and urge them to take the steps required to operationalize the agreement as soon as possible. I believe that the international community must provide all necessary support to ensure the success of this initiative. The momentum established must be maintained and built upon. I hope this meeting of the Council can contribute to that.”
2002-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4596 (2002) · source
“I shall be brief this morning. Let me say how happy I am to see the representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda here this morning, as well as, of course, Minister Dlamini Zuma, representing South Africa, which co-facilitated this agreement. I believe that the signing of the peace agreement between the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in Pretoria on 30 July represents an important political milestone which could help pave the way towards a lasting resolution of one of Africa's most complex conflicts. The parties have indicated their determination to honour this agreement and to end the conflict. We, on our side, should do whatever we can to assist them in implementing the agreement.”
2002-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4596 (2002) · source
“Indeed, we should go in prepared for developments on the ground and have the stamina and the will to stay the course. I think that in Sierra Leone we did this. It holds lessons for us in other areas, too. Therefore, it is a question of effective preparation, adequate resources, enough analysis and information to anticipate how the crisis is likely to develop, and the resources and political will to stay the course until we have achieved our objectives.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“The combination of early command-and-control challenges experienced by the Mission, mistakes made in taking over from a subregional peacekeeping operation, lack of adequate preparation and an attempt to implement an ambitious mandate without adequate resources resulted in a costly crisis in May 2000. Lessons were learned the hard way from that tragic experience. But, thank goodness, the international community did not give up. The Security Council, the Secretariat and the troop contributors, as well as regional partners and individual Member States - in particular, the United Kingdom - took swift concerted action to correct the situation. I think that one of the other main lessons we learned from this is that when we get into these operations - in these fluid and ambiguous situations - we have to be prepared for the unpredictable.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“I think, Madam, that your initiative today in organizing a workshop on lessons learned in Sierra Leone and on how to develop a coordinated approach to the situation in that part of Africa is no less timely, and is extremely welcome. It comes at a critical juncture, when the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is about to begin a new phase of its operations there but when, at the same time, the escalating conflict in Liberia threatens to destabilize the whole area. The United Nations peacekeeping experience in Sierra Leone offers invaluable lessons, not only because of the success achieved so far but also, particularly, because of the trials encountered in the early stages of the Mission and how they were dealt with.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“Madam President, let me begin by welcoming you to United Nations Headquarters. I am very glad that you are with us today as we review the situation in Africa and in the Mano River subregion, and the lessons to be learned from our experiences in Sierra Leone. Indeed, if the prospects for Sierra Leone look so much more promising today than they did two years ago, that is in large measure due to the timely intervention by your own country, which helped to stabilize the situation. I too will be very brief, because I see that the head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is joining the Council in this seminar, and if I say too much, he either will have to repeat what I have said or will have nothing to say.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source