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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“Ideally, of course, the newly elected Government should be in the driver's seat. But this is not always the case and may not be possible, particularly if State institutions are weak, the coffers are empty and the legitimacy of the Government is seriously challenged. This situation should, therefore, be taken into account when devising mandates for new peace-building missions or when revising the mandates or considering exit strategies for existing ones. Secondly, because of its multi-disciplinary nature, post-conflict peace-building often falls between relief and traditional development assistance, and therefore its needs go largely unmet because it falls between these two.”
2000-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4238 (2000) · source
“Addressing such a grave range of causes requires, on the part of the Government and the international community, not only difficult political decisions, but also a serious and long-term commitment, supported by the timely deployment of resources. Regrettably, as the case of Guinea-Bissau amply demonstrates, neither the Government nor the international community is always fully prepared or able to play an effective role. A number of institutional and political lessons can be drawn here. I will mention just a few of them. First, the political nature of many post-conflict crises requires action of the type which should normally be undertaken by a sovereign Government, but which the post-conflict Government may not always be in a position to undertake, owing to challenges from undemocratic forces.”
2000-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4238 (2000) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity, however, to urge the Government to manage the aftermath of the latest crisis within the rule of law and with due regard to democratic principles and national reconciliation. Let me now turn to the main subject of my remarks, which is the challenge of post-conflict peace- building and some of the lessons to be drawn from the United Nations experience in Guinea-Bissau. Post- conflict peace-building includes a range of measures intended to prevent a relapse into a cycle of conflict and instability. To be effective, it needs to address the root causes of conflict, not just the symptoms. In the case of Guinea-Bissau, these causes include weak State institutions, a disgruntled and highly politicized army, endemic poverty, a crippling debt and an insecure internal and external environment.”
2000-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4238 (2000) · source
“Let me begin by saying that I am very pleased to join the Council today for this important meeting on Guinea-Bissau, which could not be more timely. Last week's armed showdown between the head of the former military junta and the elected President, which nearly plunged the country back into turmoil, underscores the precariousness of the stability in that country, as in many others which are recovering from conflict. In this connection, I should like to thank the Council for taking a firm and timely stand last week, as well as those leaders in and outside the subregion who have contributed to the peaceful end of the crisis. I wish also to commend my Representative, Mr. Nana- Sinkam, for his tireless peacemaking efforts. The situation has improved, but requires close monitoring.”
2000-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4238 (2000) · source
“At the same time, the steps taken by the parties also offer indications about their willingness to cooperate and about the level of trust and political will. With our diplomats, military personnel and civilian staff taking up their positions, we have entered a period of higher stakes and intensified scrutiny of our actions. The people of Eritrea and Ethiopia, and many others beyond their borders, are counting on us to help. Together, let us rise to this challenge. I hope we will.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“Indeed, close coordination between UNMEE and the humanitarian agencies will be essential, and for that reason a system of civil-military liaison should be established as soon as possible. I trust that both parties will continue to cooperate with the mediators to the proximity talks, Algerian Minister Abdelkader Messahel and United States Special Envoy Anthony Lake, with a view to resolving the outstanding issues and achieving a comprehensive settlement. The United Nations stands ready to assist and my Special Representative is ready to take part in future talks in his capacity as observer. Allow me to conclude by noting that the beginning of any peacekeeping operation is a very sensitive time. The steps the United Nations takes send signals about our intentions, our effectiveness and, most of all, our resolve.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“The deployment of UNMEE is designed to help maintain peace between the two countries. The military observers on the ground are developing the capacity to verify the situation and discuss problems that might arise. This should help the parties to reduce mutual mistrust. One step that would contribute greatly in this regard would be the establishment of the military coordination commission, as called for in the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities. I am pleased to note that both parties have agreed with UNMEE that the first session of the commission could be held later this month. We must sustain this momentum, not least to gain additional support from the international community for the development needs of both countries. United Nations agencies are ready to do their part.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“We are continuing consultations with the Governments on the status-of-forces agreements and hope to conclude these as soon as possible. Both sides have agreed to open, on 28 November, the first land access route for the use of UNMEE's convoys and other activities. This is a most welcome development, since it is crucial that UNMEE enjoy freedom of movement and early access to the future temporary security zone. Further efforts will be pursued to establish air access routes. We are making progress in this regard and I will keep the Council informed. The ceasefire has held since the signing of an agreement in June under the auspices of President Bouteflika of Algeria. Thus far, both parties have shown a commitment to implementing this document. That is a real achievement.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“The situation on the ground appears to have stabilized in recent weeks, but humanitarian conditions in both countries remain a source of serious concern. In Eritrea, there are more than 300,000 internally displaced persons, some accommodated in camps and others in host communities or scattered around the country. In Ethiopia, some 350,000 people have been displaced. The most critical obstacle to their safe return and the resumption of normal life is the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance along the border. It is therefore imperative to ensure early demining and to conduct mine awareness programmes in these areas. UNMEE, for its part, has begun to conduct demining surveys. Both Governments have established national commissions for de-mining. I hope the Council will give these efforts its full and timely support.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“As of today, some 120 United Nations military observers have been deployed to the two countries and the first troops Will begin to arrive soon. With the continued cooperation of the two parties, the deployment of UNMEE is expected to be completed by early next year, up to an authorized strength of 4,200 troops of all ranks, including up to 220 military observers. Military teams from several troop-contributing countries - Canada, Denmark, Jordan, Kenya, the Netherlands and Slovakia - have already undertaken reconnaissance missions for their deployments. You yourself, Sir, visited the area last week and I am interested to hear your assessment. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of the Netherlands for its generous support of this operation, as well as all other Governments that are making contributions.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“He has also met with the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), members of the diplomatic community and various United Nations officials, who will be working closely with UNMEE. In carrying out his assignment, Ambassador Legwaila expects to travel regularly between his two offices in Asmara and Addis Ababa so as to maintain close contacts with both parties as well as with the OAU. I have also appointed two senior officials as Deputy Special Representatives: Mr. Cheikh Tidiane Gaye and Mr. Ian Martin, who will reside full time in Addis Ababa and Asmara, respectively. The two deputies Will take up their posts shortly. The military deployment is also proceeding on schedule. The Force Commander, Major-General Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands, has assumed his functions in the mission area.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“It gives me great pleasure to join the Council and to provide it with an update on the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). This new operation holds great promise for the countries and the peoples involved, for Africa and for peacekeeping in general. We must get it right and I look forward to working closely with the Council to achieve that goal. My representative for Ethiopia and Eritrea, Ambassador Legwaila, has now taken up his functions in the Mission area. His qualifications are known to all Council members. Mr. Legwaila met in Addis Ababa with Prime Minister Zenawi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mesfin and other senior officials, all of Whom have pledged their support. Yesterday, Ambassador Legwaila arrived in Asmara and plans to have similar contacts with the Government of Eritrea there.”
2000-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4227 (2000) · source
“The Council recognized that peace is inextricably linked to equality between men and women and it declared that maintaining and promoting peace and security require women's equal participation in decision-making. I am here today to ask the Council to do everything in its power to translate that statement into action; to help ensure that women and girls in conflict situations are protected, that perpetrators of violence against women in conflict are brought to justice, and that women are able to take their rightful and equal place at the decision-making table on questions of peace and security. I am confident that Ms. King, Ms. Heyzer and others who will speak here today will help show the way.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“In all these areas, we have seen examples of women playing an important role - not least on my own continent, Africa. And yet the potential contribution of women to peace and security remains severely under-valued. Women are still grossly under-represented at the decision-making level, from conflict prevention to conflict resolution to post-conflict reconciliation. We are here today because we are determined to change that, and because we know that changing it is the responsibility of all of us - men and women alike. This Council, in its statement on International Women's Day this year, acknowledged that women and girls are particularly affected by the consequences of armed conflict.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“We in the United Nations know at first hand the invaluable support women provide to our peacekeepers, by organizing committees, non- governmental organizations and church groups that help ease tensions and by persuading their menfolk to accept peace. Partly for that reason, we are making special efforts to recruit more women for our peacekeeping and peacemaking missions, and to make all our operations more aware of gender issues. The United Nations has learned the hard way that peace and security depends on rapid response to early indications of conflict. We know that conflict prevention requires imaginative strategies. We know that conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peace- building call for creative and flexible approaches.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Civilians not only make up the majority of victims; they are increasingly the targets of conflict. From rape and displacement to the denial of the right to food and health care, women bear more than their fair share of the suffering. But women, who know the price of conflict so well, are also often better equipped than men to prevent or resolve it. For generations women have served as peace educators, both in their families and in their societies. They have proved instrumental in building bridges rather than walls. They have been crucial in preserving social order when communities have collapsed.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“Let me thank and congratulate the presidency of the Security Council for its initiative in holding this meeting on women and armed conflict. The theme chosen is crucial, for it brings together two vital parts of the United Nations mission. The Charter tells us that the Organization was created "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". It also proclaims the equal rights of men and women. We must live up to both challenges or we shall not succeed fully in either. As this Council knows better than anyone, the nature of conflict has changed a great deal in the decades since our Charter was written. The age of inter-State wars has been replaced by the age of ethnic conflict. Militias have multiplied, and small arms have proliferated. International law has been flouted.”
2000-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4208 (2000) · source
“It addresses the root causes of the conflict, such as exclusion and genocide, as well as the tragic consequences of the war, including the plight of hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people. However, before this ambitious programme can be fully implemented, a number of obstacles must still be overcome, to which the Facilitator is now dedicating his time and effort. The United Nations is ready and willing to make its contribution to the success of these efforts - for the sake of the people of Burundi, but also for the stability and prosperity of a troubled region, which could find a source of inspiration in a successful peace process in Burundi for the negotiated settlement of its wider conflicts. I am grateful that Madiba is here with us today.”
2000-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4201 (2000) · source
“I would like to thank the Security Council for holding this meeting, which is very timely. Most of all I want to express my deep appreciation to President Mandela for travelling all the way to New York to brief the Council on the current phase of his peace efforts in Burundi. Thanks to President Mandela's work, the peace process has moved forward significantly. The signing of the Arusha agreement on 28 August, followed by the agreement on 20 September in Nairobi on the participation of the remaining three parties, is surely a very important milestone in Burundi's long and painful road to peace. Let me reiterate our gratitude to President Mandela for the invaluable contribution he has made. As you know, the Arusha agreement is a comprehensive blueprint for the reform of Burundian society.”
2000-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4201 (2000) · source
“I would like to stress the responsibility of the Council to focus on this matter. Let us together ensure that staff have the safety and security they need to do theirjobs.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“But where we are the answer, where only our unique universality and legitimacy can help a wounded and abandoned people return to a life of peace and dignity, we must be given the means to make the difference between life and death. The world looks to you, members of the Council, for an answer. Allow me to close by reiterating to the Council what I told the larger membership yesterday: that the safety of United Nations personnel, in both peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, is a matter of vital concern. Yesterday's fatal attacks on United Nations staff working in West Timor highlight again the dangers faced by men and women, military and civilian, who venture into the field for the United Nations, that is, on assignments and missions decided upon by the Council.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“We all know that the time has come to truly enable the United Nations to succeed in its missions for peace. Last March, I asked a Panel of distinguished veterans of peacekeeping and peace-building missions to provide frank and realistic recommendations to assist the Council and the larger membership in fulfilling that urgent task. Their report is before the Council in document S/2000/809, and I have already committed myself to implementing those changes for which I am responsible. It is my sincere hope that the Council will do the same. The United Nations and its peacekeepers cannot be the answer to every crisis, and every conflict, and every threat to human life. Nor can United Nations peacekeeping be a substitute for the political will of the parties to achieve a peaceful settlement.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“When all else fails and only armed intervention can save large numbers of people from genocide or crimes against humanity, there too the Council must summon the will and the wisdom to confront the agonizing dilemma which such cases pose to the world's conscience. Yet, in all these cases, summoning the will to act is only the essential first step; having the ability to act, and to act effectively and decisively, is the other imperative. We all recognize that too often in the peacekeeping operations of the past the path to failure was paved with good intentions and inadequate mandates. We all agree that, often, peacekeepers were asked to take on complex missions without the training, equipment, force structure or authority necessary to succeed.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“I am therefore pleased that Africa will be a focus of your deliberations today. Whenever possible, we must summon the will to act preventively, before a crisis reaches the point of no return. When that fails and the Council resorts to sanctions, it must summon the will and the wisdom to ensure, on the one hand, that those sanctions are effectively enforced and, on the other, that they reach their intended target without inflicting unnecessary hardship on innocent people. When we are asked to deploy a peacekeeping operation, we must ensure that it has a clear, achievable mandate and the strength and authority to defend itself and its mandate.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“This contradiction reflects what I believe to be a crisis of credibility facing the Council and the Organization in discharging its gravest responsibility: the maintenance of international peace and security. Too many vulnerable communities in too many regions of the world now hesitate to look to the United Nations to assist them in their hour of need. No amount of resolutions or statements can change that reality; only action can: prompt, united, effective action pursued with skill and discipline to halt conflict and to restore the peace. Only such determined action can restore the reputation of the United Nations as a credible force for peace and justice. Nowhere, members of the Council, is your commitment more urgently needed than on the continent of Africa, where millions are suffering daily from the ravages of war.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“It is an honour for me to welcome you to the United Nations for this historic meeting of the Security Council. You have come to New York to participate in the Millennium Summit, during which we will endeavour to give fresh impetus to the United Nations Organization for the century that is now beginning. (spoke in English) To say that the eyes of the world are upon us is both too little and too much. Too little, because the fate of future generations could be affected by the decisions of this Security Council Summit. Too much, because many in the present generation are losing confidence in the ability of the United Nations to make the difference between war and peace.”
2000-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4194 (2000) · source
“Leaders will also have to acknowledge - as increasingly I believe they do - that the international community can play a constructive role in internal situations, and that this can strengthen sovereignty rather than weaken it. And States will have to give the institutions that exist for prevention - from the United Nations to local community relations councils- the backing they so urgently need. We must make conflict prevention the cornerstone of collective security in the twenty-first century. That will not be achieved by grand gestures or by short-term thinking. It requires us to change deeply ingrained attitudes. I trust we will have a fruitful debate on this most urgent issue, in which this Council has an essential role to play.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Let me thank those Governments that have contributed generously to the Trust Fund for Preventive Action. Unfortunately, there are only seven of them - for a total of $7.4 million in three years. Yes, prevention costs money. But intervention, relief and rebuilding broken societies and lives cost far more. We must move from declarations of intent to real leadership at the political level. Leaders must recognize the need for preventive action - sometimes even before any signs of crisis are evident. They will have to sell prevention policies to their publics, even if the costs must be borne today and the benefits do not arrive for months or even years, and even then not in tangible form. How does one quantify, or even recognize, a conflict that does not occur?”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Prevention cannot be achieved by States alone. Civil society, including the corporate sector, has a vital role to play in defusing or avoiding conflicts- as we saw, to take just one example, in South Africa in the 1980s. I believe the time has come to review all these proposals, as well as those put forward by the members of the Council at this and previous debates. Let us agree on the most practical ideas and then let us act. There is no shortage of ideas for avoiding the sort of human suffering, killings and wanton destruction that has disfigured the twentieth century. But among Governments, which hold most of the levers of prevention in their hands, there remains a worrying lack of political will, either to show political leadership when it is needed, or to commit the necessary resources.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“It could also work more closely with the other principal organs of the United Nations. For instance, prevention issues could be put on the agenda of the monthly meeting between the Presidents of the Security Council and the General Assembly. This Council might obtain useful information and other assistance from the Economic and Social Council, as envisaged in Article 65. And, under Article 96, the Council can request an advisory opinion on any legal question from the International Court of Justice. Could the Council not make greater use of the Court's capacity to move conflicts from potential battlefields to peaceful arbitration rooms? In the same spirit, the Council could examine ways of interacting more closely with non-State actors that have expertise in prevention or can make a difference to it.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Greed may be one of the driving forces behind some of today's armed conflicts, but we are not helpless in confronting it. In my statement at the previous open meeting on prevention, I suggested a number of steps the Council could take. They include making greater use of fact- finding missions; encouraging States to bring potential conflicts to the attention of the Council; and setting up an informal working group or a subsidiary organ to study early warning and prevention. Let me now add a few more suggestions. I believe, in the light of recent experience, that some of the Charter's provisions relating to prevention have been underutilized. Indeed, the Council could hold periodic meetings at the foreign minister level, as provided for in Article 28, to discuss thematic or actual prevention issues.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“The Council too is playing its part. A recent and striking example was its decision to ban all direct or indirect imports of unlicensed diamonds from Sierra Leone, following the similar ban imposed on diamonds from the UNITA-controlled area in Angola and the ground- breaking investigation led by Ambassador Fowler. It has also requested me to establish an expert panel on the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am now in the process of doing so, and I hope this may soon enable the Council to take action to restrain such exploitation, as it has done in Angola and Sierra Leone. I also hope that the diamond bans will from now on be more strictly enforced and that the dealers will respond by cleaning up their business.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“More than 400 staff from throughout the system have gone through a new training course in prevention and early warning organized by the United Nations Staff College in Turin. I intend to continue to strengthen the information- gathering and analysis capacity of the Secretariat, and I look forward to a systematic exchange with members of the Council on ways to do this. Of course, all our work in post-conflict peace- building is in fact prevention, since it is designed to prevent the resurgence of conflict in countries that have escaped from it. This can be the hardest form of prevention, since conflict invariably leaves behind it a legacy of unavenged wrongs, unassuaged grievances and unachieved ambitions. I am pleased to note, however, that the Secretariat is not alone in taking prevention more seriously.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Since peace and development are the two great responsibilities of the United Nations, that gives this Organization a special role to play. Since taking office, I have attempted in various ways to adapt the Organization to play that role. The Department of Political Affairs, which I have designated as the focal point for conflict prevention within the United Nations system, has set up a Prevention Team that meets regularly to identify situations where United Nations preventive action could help. Other United Nations departments and agencies have taken similar measures to strengthen their preventive capacity. I have established a Framework for Coordination to improve interdepartmental and interagency links. We are working more closely with regional organizations.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“So-called ethnic conflicts occur between groups which are distinct in one or more of these ways, when one of them feels it is being discriminated against, or another enjoys privileges which it fears to lose. Increasingly, therefore, we see that democracy, human rights, good governance, justice and the rule of law are not rewards to be claimed at the end of the development process, but essential ingredients of development itself. While we do not see poverty alone as a sufficient cause of conflict, we consider it no accident that the majority of wars today are fought among the poor. Social despair provides fertile soil for conflict, especially when irrigated with undemocratic governance and violations of human rights. As I have said before, the best form of long-term conflict prevention is healthy and balanced economic development.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“It is not just a matter of putting in place mechanisms such as early warning, diplomacy, disarmament, preventive deployment or sanctions - necessary though all these may be, at one time or another. Effective prevention has to address the structural faults that predispose a society to conflict. A recent study by the United Nations University suggests that simple inequality between rich and poor is not enough to cause violent conflict. What is highly explosive is what the authors of the study call "horizontal" inequality: when power and resources are not equally distributed between groups that are also differentiated in other ways - for instance, by race, religion or language.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“In Article 1, paragraph 1, the founding fathers made it one of the primary purposes of the Organization "to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace". It is high time we gave prevention the primacy, in all our work, that those words imply. But how? There is by now a consensus that prevention strategies must address the root causes of conflicts, not simply their violent symptoms. It is also widely understood that, since no two wars are alike, no single prevention strategy will be effective everywhere. There is no panacea. Prevention is multidimensional.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“We should all be grateful to you, Mr. President, and to your country's admirable Permanent Representative for convening this second open debate of the Security Council on conflict prevention. Interest in this subject is on the rise - and with good reason. In the last decade alone, 5 million people lost their lives in wars - mainly internal ones - and great suffering was inflicted on countless others, most of them civilians. We struggle to relieve the suffering and to resolve the conflicts. But everyone agrees that it would be far better to prevent them. We can do better. Indeed, the Charter requires us to do better.”
2000-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4174 (2000) · source
“Africans are facing up courageously to the appalling problems of their continent. They rightly look for help to the rest of the world, especially to its more powerful and prosperous States, and most especially to the Council, which began the year with such a strong reaffirmation of its commitment to Africa. This Organization has made a commitment to the people of Sierra Leone. We now face a test of our resolve to abide by that commitment. More than that, the plight of Sierra Leone and its people has become a crucial test for the fundamental solidarity between peoples, rising above race and above geography, which is the most basic guiding principle of this Organization. Mr. President, I plead with you: let us not fail Sierra Leone; let us not fail Africa.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“I am not necessarily opposed to that, but whatever mandate is decided, the first priority for the Council must be to ensure that we have the capacity to carry out the tasks that its mandate implies. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) offer of troops is very important in this respect, but it is contingent on financial and logistical support from other Member States. I hope - I should like to say, "I trust" - that that support will now be forthcoming. A degree of regional or subregional specialization in handling security issues is quite natural and healthy, but it cannot and must not be seen as a substitute for the overall responsibility of the United Nations, and of this Council in particular. It is a refrain that the Council has heard from me before, but it has never been more pertinent than it is tonight.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“I am also greatly encouraged by the willingness of subregional leaders, expressed at their meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, not only to contribute more troops to Sierra Leone but also to re-engage themselves politically in the quest for long-term peace and stability. We must cooperate with them in reassessing the political situation and in finding ways to reactivate the peace process. The new troops could perhaps form the nucleus of a rapid reaction force, which I remain convinced would be the best way to provide UNAMSIL with the combat capability it needs. I know that West African leaders, among others, have also called for a revision of UNAMSIL's mandate, to give it a clear enforcement role.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“That said, the logistical difficulties we face should not be underestimated. Our logistics staff is working very hard. They have arranged at very short notice for some 120 to 150 flights into Freetown's Lungi airport, using a variety of aircraft to bring troops, equipment and supplies from several different countries. While most of these flights will use United Nations-chartered aircraft, we are very grateful to those Member States that are assisting us with this effort. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has made an invaluable contribution by securing the airport. The presence of British troops, even for a limited time and with a limited mandate, is a very important stabilizing factor.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Given that new situation, we have to consolidate and reinforce our troops so that they can defend themselves and their mandates effectively, and so that they can help stabilize the situation. I am glad to say that additional troops are on their way, including units with battle experience and with combat equipment, such as artillery and helicopter gunships. I thank the troop-contributing countries for making these units and equipment available more rapidly and in greater numbers than had been anticipated. In fact, when all these troops have arrived, the military component of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is likely to exceed the maximum authorized by the Council in resolution 1289 (2000). I hope that, in the circumstances, the Council will be willing to set a new and more generous limit.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“It must embrace the plight of all those they are there to help, namely, the people of Sierra Leone, now threatened with yet another round of fighting and inevitably fearful that the atrocities of past years will be renewed. It is vital that the world should not now abandon the people of Sierra Leone in their hour of greatest need. They are entitled to expect not only humanitarian assistance - which United Nations agencies are continuing to provide - but also some protection. Let me remind the Council that our mission was configured as a peacekeeping force. It was neither designed nor equipped to be an enforcement operation. And it was attacked by one of the parties that had pledged to cooperate with it, before it had been properly deployed.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“It is deplorable and unacceptable that the same RUF should now not only interfere with the disarmament process but arbitrarily detain members of the United Nations mission. Once again I would remind Mr. Sankoh that he is responsible for the action of forces under his command. He will be held accountable for their actions, and for the safety and well-being of all those who have been detained. I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all United Nations personnel, and I thank all those, in particular the leaders of neighbouring countries, who are working to secure that outcome. I am glad to confirm that two United Nations military personnel were released earlier today. But it must go without saying that our concern is not limited to the safety of United Nations peacekeepers.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“I commend the Council, and other Member States represented here, for the sense of urgency they are showing in dealing with this grave crisis in Sierra Leone. This is entirely appropriate, given the very serious challenge which that situation now presents to all of us in the international community. As of this moment, several hundred United Nations peacekeepers - the great majority of them Zambians - are still being detained against their will in various parts of Sierra Leone. These are soldiers who came to Sierra Leone not as enemies but as friends and peacemakers, under the terms of an agreement negotiated and signed by both parties, including Corporal Foday Sankoh on behalf of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The United Nations peacekeeping mission was asked, under the agreement, to manage the disarmament process.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“To answer their call is our most important obligation under the Charter, and it is my hope that this debate will give further impetus to our efforts to do so.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“In future conflict situations, it may be necessary to consider temporary security zones and safe corridors for the protection of civilians and I welcome the Council's readiness to consider the feasibility of such measures. However, I must emphasize that, in situations where the consent of the parties is not forthcoming, such security zones require the presence of a credible force. This open debate of the Council bears vivid testimony to a growing recognition that our first duty in any conflict is to protect innocent civilians, who have no part in the fighting, who have nothing to gain from its persistence and who have no choice but to rely on the international community to help them in their most desperate hour of need.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Such efforts have included the provision of material support to local security services in Kenya and Tanzania and an arrangement in the refugee camps in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that enabled Swedish police officers to work in partnership with the local police. Efforts have also been made to relocate a number of refugees away from borders in Albania, Guinea, Liberia, Chad, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Zambia, on the border to Angola, UN HCR cooperates closely with the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme to move refugees to other locations either through airlifts or by road.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“I welcome the Council's willingness to consider the future establishment of preventive missions, including the dispatch of monitors and fact-finding missions, when we know that they can truly make the difference between the peaceful settlement of disputes and violent conflict. Where a conflict has already led to a mass exodus of a civilian population, a critical element in enhancing their protection lies in improving the security of the refugee camps. This was the focus of the third recommendation I wish to note today. Since the introduction of my report, UNHCR and others have taken a number of initiatives in relation to the security, civilian and humanitarian character of the camps and settlements.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source