YouSaid · the spoken record

Secretary-General

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

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“I have urged Africans and non-Africans alike to summon the political will to rise to the challenge which together we must all confront. The time is long past when one could claim ignorance about what was happening in Africa or what was needed to achieve progress. The time is also past when the responsibility for producing change could be shifted onto other shoulders. It is the responsibility we all must face. Allow me to conclude by saying that the United Nations not only seeks, but welcomes, this responsibility. For we wish, above all, that this report should mark a new beginning in the relationship between the United Nations and Africa on these issues. Let us make that beginning today and together.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Concrete steps must be taken, and I have made a number of concrete recommendations towards this end. Let us never forget that it is the persistence of poverty that is impeding the full promise of peace for all of Africa's peoples. The alleviation of poverty must be the first aim of our efforts. Only then - only when prosperity and opportunity become real - will every citizen, young or old, man or woman, have a genuine and lasting stake in a peaceful future for Africa - politically, economically and socially. In this report, I set out to provide a clear and candid analysis of the sources of Africa's conflicts and why they persist. I have recommended actions and goals to reduce conflict and in time to help build a strong and durable peace.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Long-term success can be achieved only if African Governments have the political will to enact sound economic policies and to persevere in their implementation until a solid economic foundation has been established. Political will is also needed from the international community. Where the international community is committed to making a difference, it has proved that significant and rapid transformation can be achieved. With respect to Africa, the international community must now summon the will to intervene where it can have an impact and invest where resources are needed. New sources of funding are required, but so too is a better use of existing resources and the enactment of trade and debt-relief measures that will enable Africa to generate and better reinvest its own resources.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Democratic channels for pursuing legitimate interests and expressing dissent must be protected and political opposition respected and accommodated in constitutional forms. Secondly, Africa must summon the political will to take good governance seriously, ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law, strengthening democratization and promoting transparency and the capability of public administration. Unless good governance is prized, Africa will not break free of the threat and the reality of conflict which are so evident today. Thirdly, Africa must enact and adhere to the various reforms needed to promote economic growth.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Africa is an ancient continent. Its lands are rich and fertile enough to provide a solid foundation for prosperity. Its people are proud and industrious enough to seize the opportunities that may be presented. I am confident that Africans will not be found wanting in stamina, in determination or in political will. Africa today is striving to make positive change, and in many places these efforts are beginning to bear fruit. In the carnage and tragedy that afflict some parts of Africa, we must not forget the bright spots or overlook the achievements that have been made. What is needed is for those achievements to grow and multiply throughout Africa. Three areas deserve particular attention. First, Africa must demonstrate the political will to rely upon political rather than military responses to problems.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Poor economic performance and inequitable development have resulted in a near-permanent economic crisis for some States, greatly exacerbating internal tensions and greatly diminishing the Governments' capacity to respond to those tensions. Good governance is now more than ever the condition for the success of both peace and development. It is no coincidence that Africa's renaissance has come at a time when new and more democratic forms of government have begun to emerge and take root. What we have learned over the past decades is that, with political will, rhetoric can truly be transformed into reality. Without it, not even the noblest sentiments will have a chance of success. With sufficient political will on the part of Africa and on the part of the international community, peace and development in Africa can be given a new momentum.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“Whether in peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance or post-conflict peace-building, genuine and sustainable progress depends on three critical factors: a clear understanding of the challenge; the political will to respond to that challenge; and the resources necessary to provide the adequate response. Equally important is the understanding that peace and development remain inextricably linked - one feeding on the other, enabling the other and securing the other. The renunciation of Violence as a means of gaining or holding political office, or of gaining power, is only the beginning. Then must follow a renewed commitment to national development founded on sober, sound and uncorrupted economic policies. A number of African States have made good progress in recent years, but others continue to struggle.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“In this report, I have sought to identify the kinds of actions that most effectively and most lastingly may address those conflicts and resolve them. The significance of history and of factors external to Africa cannot be denied. But, more than three decades after African countries gained their independence, there is a growing recognition among Africans that the continent must look beyond its colonial past for the sources of and the solutions to its current conflicts. The proposals that I set forth today require, in some cases, new ways of thinking about African conflict. In others, they require new ways of acting.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“It is my aspiration that this report will add momentum to Africa's renewed quest for peace and greater prosperity. The report strives to do so by offering an analysis of Africa's conflicts that does justice to their reality and seeks answers in their sources. It strives to do so by proposing realistic and achievable recommendations which, over time, may reduce if not entirely end Africa's conflicts. And it aims to summon the political will of Africans and non-Africans alike to act when action so evidently is needed - the will without which no level of assistance and no degree of hope can make the difference between war and peace in Africa. The sources of conflict in Africa are as varied and complex as the continent itself.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“No one - not the United Nations, not the international community, not Africa's leaders - can escape responsibility for the persistence of these conflicts. Indeed, colossal human tragedies have taken place in Africa over the last decade - tragedies that could and should have been prevented. Not enough was done to address the causes of conflict. Not enough was done to ensure a lasting peace. Not enough was done to create the conditions for sustainable development. It is a reality that must be confronted honestly and constructively by all concerned if the people of Africa are to enjoy the human security and economic opportunities they seek and deserve. Today, in many parts of Africa, efforts to break with these past patterns are at last beginning to succeed.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“In those conflicts, the main aim, to an alarming degree, is the destruction not of armies but of civilians and entire ethnic groups. Preventing such wars is no longer a question of defending States or protecting allies. It is a question of defending humanity itself. Since 1970, Africa has had more than 30 wars fought on its territory, the vast majority of which have been of intra-State origin. Fourteen of Africa's 53 countries were afflicted by armed conflicts in 1996 alone. These accounted for more than half of all war-related deaths worldwide, resulting in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons. The consequences of these conflicts have seriously undermined Africa's efforts to ensure long-term stability, prosperity and peace for its peoples.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“The report that I present today is guided, above all, by a commitment to honesty and clarity in analysing and addressing the challenges of conflict in Africa. For too long, conflict in Africa has been seen as inevitable or intractable, or both. It is neither. Conflict in Africa, as everywhere else, is caused by human action and can be ended by human action. This is the reality that shames us for every conflict that we allow to persist and emboldens us to believe that we can address and resolve every conflict that we choose to confront. For the United Nations there is no higher goal, no deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing armed conflict so that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. In Africa, as elsewhere, the United Nations increasingly is being required to respond to intra-State instability and conflict.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“On 25 September 1997, the Security Council convened at the ministerial level to consider the need for a renewed and concerted international effort to promote peace and security in Africa. The Council requested that I submit a report on the sources of conflict in Africa and how they may best be addressed. I am pleased to submit that report today. Allow me, however, to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to the members of the Security Council for taking this unprecedented step for Africa. Of course, not all of Africa is in crisis; not all of Africa is facing conflict. Indeed, Africa itself has begun to make significant economic and social progress in recent years. But by showing the Council's concern for Africa's remaining conflicts, members have signalled their readiness to further that progress and make it last for all of Africa.”
1998-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3871 (1998) · source
“If this agreement is fully implemented and leads over time to a new day in the Gulf; if this exercise in diplomacy, backed by firmness, fairness and force, stands the test of time, it will serve as an enduring and invaluable precedent for the United Nations and the world community. If, ultimately, we have learned the right lessons of this crisis, then this planet's age-old prayer for enduring peace with justice may be within our reach. It was that prayer, from people of every faith and every frontier, that sustained me on my journey for peace in Baghdad. I pledge today, before this Council and the world, to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield in the fulfilment of my duty.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“The agreement was also a reminder to the entire world of why this Organization was established in the first place: to prevent the outbreak of unnecessary conflict when the will of the international community can be achieved through diplomacy; to seek and find international solutions to international problems; to obtain respect for international law and agreements from a recalcitrant party without destroying for ever that party's dignity and willingness to cooperate; to secure, in this case, through on-site inspections and negotiations, the assured destruction of weapons of mass destruction that aerial bombardment can never achieve.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“Certainly the United Nations and the world community lost nothing, gave away nothing and conceded nothing of substance. But by halting, at least for now, the renewal of military hostilities in the Gulf, it was a victory for peace, for reason and for the resolution of conflict by diplomacy. It underscored, however, that if diplomacy is to succeed, it must be backed both by force and by fairness.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“All of us can agree that sanctions have added greatly to the Iraqi people's suffering; that the expansion of the oil-for-food programme will reduce that suffering without diluting the disarmament regime; and that someday, sooner or later - and we pray sooner - a fully disarmed and peaceable Iraq would be able to rejoin the family of nations. The United Nations, founded even before the close of the Second World War, over 50 years ago, has an inherent obligation to remember that even the bitterest of enmities among nations do not last for ever. It is therefore not too early for us to think about reconciling peoples once their Governments are at peace. The agreement reached in Baghdad was neither a victory nor a defeat for any one person, nation or group of nations.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“With today's Council resolution, however, the Government of Iraq fully understands that if this effort to ensure compliance through negotiation is obstructed, by evasion or deception, as were previous efforts, diplomacy may not have a second chance. No promise of peace and no policy of patience can be without limits. This agreement tests as never before the will of the Iraqi leadership to keep its word. But it also serves as a call for this union of nations to look to the future, beyond the horizon and to the time when the disarmament process in Iraq has been completed.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“That means accepting all Security Council resolutions; cooperating fully with United Nations inspection teams; and according immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to those teams to every area, facility, piece of equipment, individual and means of transportation. Those areas include the eight sites delineated as presidential sites where members of UNSCOM. and the International Atomic Energy Agency will be joined by senior diplomats whom I will appoint. Iraq's complete fulfilment of these obligations is the one and only aim of this agreement. Nothing more and nothing less will make possible the completion of the United Nations-mandated disarmament process and thus speed the lifting of sanctions in accordance with the provisions of Security Council resolutions.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“We shall continue to fulfil our long-standing obligation to act with respect for the sovereignty and dignity of every member of the United Nations. We shall continue to strive to improve in every way the cooperation and effectiveness of every United Nations agency. That includes UNSCOM, which, I am proud to repeat, has already destroyed more weapons of mass destruction in Iraq than did the entire Gulf War, and which under this agreement remains in full operational control of the inspection process. For its part, the Government of Iraq must now fulfil, without obstruction or delay, the continuing obligations that it reaffirmed last week at the very highest level.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“The authority of the Executive Chairman of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) has been acknowledged and strengthened. Whether the threat to international peace and security has been averted for all time is now in the hands of the Iraqi leadership. It is now for them to comply in practice with what they have signed on paper. I am under no illusions about the inherent value of this or any other agreement. Commitments honoured are the only commitments that count. Indeed, this agreement, and today's Security Council resolution, will merely be empty words unless both parties now implement it fully, fairly, and without delay. For our part, the United Nations stands ready for that implementation.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“I went to fulfil my constitutional obligation under the United Nations Charter and my commitment to the General Assembly at the commencement of my term - a sacred, moral obligation and commitment to act, any time, anywhere, without seeking or accepting instructions from any Government, whenever that action may be helpful in reducing a grave threat to international peace and security. No one can doubt or dispute that Iraq's refusal to honour its commitments under Security Council resolutions regarding its weapons of mass destruction constituted such a threat. That threat has now been averted. The mandate of the Security Council has been reaffirmed. The full and unlimited access of United Nations inspectors to any and all sites has been restored.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“I wish to thank and commend the members of the Security Council for the action they are about to take in relation to the agreement that I secured last week from the Government of Iraq. If respected, if honoured, and if sustained, this agreement could constitute one of the United Nations most important steps in addressing the consequences of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait seven years ago. I should like to take this opportunity to make clear to the entire international community the nature, the demands and the promise of this agreement. I went to Baghdad with the full authorization of all members of the Security Council, in search of a peaceful solution to the crisis.”
1998-03-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3858 (1998) · source
“They have called for a new partnership involving developed and developing nations and the multilateral institutions. I welcome these initiatives. The United Nations stands ready to contribute to their speedy implementation. We have a wealth of international instruments, agreed at the intergovernmental level, focusing on African development priorities. Development is a necessity in itself; it is also the only effective, long-term guarantee of lasting peace and security on the African continent. Those are my views and my proposals. I stand ready to take whatever action the Council may require of me. Africa is showing the way. Today the international community is called to action. Let us work together in response. Let us respond by producing an operational agenda with clear and specific steps which we can take.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“If Africa is to face the challenges of the global economy, including the need to diversify its economies, secure wider access to existing markets and develop new markets, external assistance will be needed. Legal frameworks, infrastructure, education and training, transparency in business and in government affairs all have a part to play. Technical assistance and advice in such fields can make a crucial difference. Another urgent priority is to relieve African countries of their heavy debt service burden. The initiative of the Bretton Woods institutions for the highly-indebted poor countries is a step in the right direction. But more needs to be done. Members of the Group of Seven have expressed support for Africa's development agenda.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“Greater resources must be allocated to health, education, water supply and other basic infrastructure, as well as to capacity-building and job-generating activities. That is the approach of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. This is being put into effect by the United Nations operational arm and through the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for Africa. More assistance should be given to African countries to help create an enabling environment that will release the creative and entrepreneurial energies of their citizens, their non-governmental organizations, the private sector and society at large.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“Because the best way of ensuring peace and security in Africa is to promote sustainable development, I urge you to do all in your power to increase official development assistance to African countries. Africans and African Governments share the primary responsibility, which is to mobilize and maximize their internal resources. But, over and above the increasing flows of inward private investment, external financing, from both public and private sources, will continue to be of vital importance for years to come. Only a comprehensive approach combining poverty eradication and growth will succeed. Growth-oriented strategies need to ensure that the results of growth are equitably distributed. To alleviate poverty in the short run, and to eradicate absolute poverty, development assistance should be directed to poor rural areas.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“But the crucial underlying need is for security in the lives of ordinary people: security in the form of access to health, education, clean water and a decent standard of living. Security is no longer confined to preventing invasions. True security is built on a firm foundation of sustainable development. The pursuit of peace and security and the building of societies based on justice, democracy and human rights are not mutually exclusive. They are mutually supportive and reinforcing. Indeed, the goals of our Charter cannot be placed in order of priority. We have to pursue peace and security, and economic and social development, together and at the same time. Without peace, development is not possible; without development, peace is not durable.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“In several countries, United Nations peacekeepers are helping to ensure that armed conflict is replaced by the search for peace. Regional efforts have been important, notably in Liberia and in the Republic of the Congo. The United Nations has worked to support those efforts. I believe that there is scope for enhanced partnership between regional organizations and the United Nations in African peacekeeping. I welcome the initiatives of interested Member States to strengthen Africa's peacekeeping capacity. With your continued moral and material support, and undertaken in consultation with the OAU, such activities are beginning to make a real difference to Africa's capacity for peacekeeping. Peace-building embraces a wide range of activities, including rehabilitation, reconstruction, the maintenance of law and order, and good governance.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“I, for my part, will continue to bring to the attention of the Security Council developments relating to peace and security that require timely action to prevent conflicts escalating. After the unprecedented humanitarian crises of recent years, preventive diplomacy is not an option: It is a Vital necessity. That is why I ask you to support the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in its efforts to strengthen its capacity for preventive diplomacy. We have established a close partnership between the Organization for African Unity and the United Nations. We can build, therefore, on very firm foundations. The OAU has opted to concentrate on preventive diplomacy and peacemaking; the United Nations has experience and preeminence in peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and peace-building.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“There have been falls in per capita income, in the number of people with access to clean water, sanitation and health services, in school enrolment and in life expectancy. Africa is the only region of the world where, if present trends continue, poverty is expected to increase in the next century. We have dissected and debated Africa, and studied and summarized its challenges, for decades. Now is the time for action. We - and I speak not only of this Council but of the United Nations and the international community generally - must respond promptly and effectively to Africa's call. We must do so with specific measures and clear proposals for action. This is our agenda.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“Too often, economic development remains fragile. In some parts of the continent, vast movements of refugees and displaced persons continue. In some African countries, political instability and conflict have worsened. Nationalism is on the rise in some countries, with cleavages between ethnic groups as they battle as much for economic as for political power. Internal conflicts are threatening the cohesion, and even the survival, of those countries. The challenges of development are formidable. Of the 48 least-developed countries, 33 are in Africa. This year's Human Development Report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) shows that of the 45 countries in the "low human development" category, 35 are in Africa. Statistics reveal that the gains of the 19605 and l970s have been reversed in a number of African countries.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“This new realization also calls for a re-evaluation of the role of the international community in support of Africa's goals. It places responsibilities as much on the shoulders of Governments outside Africa as on African Governments. It challenges us to think precisely how best we can accompany the Africans on their path to lasting peace, stability, justice and sustainable development. In place of interventionism, it promises a mature relationship based on mutual support and trust. In place of papers, studies and documents, it offers the prospects of targeted assistance and support based on common goals and shared analysis. Formidable challenges remain. Despite all the advances that have been made, armed conflict, political instability and retreats from democracy are still preventing some African countries from moving forward.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“There is a new drive to democracy in much of Africa. Multiparty elections have underpinned democratic rule in some countries; in others, the democratization process is under way. The link between the democratization process and efforts to ensure social justice and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is recognized and understood. The Swahili proverb says, "you cannot turn the wind, so turn the sail". Africans are working the winds of change blowing around our globe and they are beginning to reap the benefits. As a result, there is a shift in perceptions. There is a new consensus that the primary responsibility for the solution of Africa's problems rests with Africans themselves, as we have heard from President Mugabe.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“I welcome the decision of the Council to hold a ministerial meeting on Africa. Africa, and Africa's relations with the rest of the world, are changing. Many developments are positive. It is therefore timely and appropriate for the international community to examine carefully how best it can support and assist Africa at this time of change and of hope. Ten years ago, many African countries were in crisis. Bloody conflicts raged in various parts of the continent. Economies stagnated. The spectre of famine, malnutrition and disease stalked several African nations. But now Africa has turned an important comer. Africa is rediscovering stability. Investment is returning to many African countries. Millions of Africans are recovering hope for themselves and their families as reform helps bring growth to African economies.”
1997-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3819 (1997) · source
“The Dag Hammarskjold Medal will honour the lives of all those - more than 1,500 - who went to distant lands in search of peace and paid the ultimate price while serving under the United Nations flag. It will remind us of the sense of duty, bravery and sacrifice of those women and men. And it will honour, too, the memory of a Secretary-General who himself lost his life in the cause of peace.”
1997-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3802 (1997) · source
“Over the next four years, 21 new operations were established, eight dealing with inter-State wars and 13 related to intra-State conflicts. The United Nations peacekeepers were called upon to perform new tasks. They were put in situations where there was no peace to keep. They were confronted by a broader and greater range of risks. They carried out their work with sensitivity and bravery, but their efforts were not always fully acknowledged. There were setbacks. Some people were quick to criticize. The shrill voices of those who sat in their armchairs and did nothing but complain that the peacekeepers were not doing enough became familiar. More than 750,000 women and men - military, police and civilians - from 110 countries have taken part in United Nations peacekeeping over the years.”
1997-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3802 (1997) · source
“I welcome this draft resolution. It provides a clear, focused and sympathetic way of honouring fully the memory of those women and men, military and civilian, including United Nations volunteers, who have lost their lives in the service of peace on United Nations peacekeeping operations. If anything, this recognition of their valour and sacrifice, in the light of the ever greater challenges that peacekeepers face, is overdue. Since the Blue Helmets were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988, there have been qualitative and quantitative changes in United Nations peacekeeping. In 1988, five United Nations peacekeeping operations were in existence. Four of them related to inter-State wars, while one concerned an intra-State conflict.”
1997-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3802 (1997) · source
“As we prepare for the overall verification contemplated by the various accords, I am pleased to acknowledge the support of the Security Council and Member States at large for what we all hope will become recognized as one of the Organization's success stories.”
1997-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3732 (1997) · source
“The adoption by the Security Council of the resolution before it will allow for the effective verification of one of the most crucial elements of Guatemala's transition to peace and reconciliation. The United Nations has been involved in the Guatemalan process since it was first asked to provide an observer to the peace talks in 1990. Since 1994 it has played a particularly active role, both through moderation of the peace negotiations and in the deployment of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala. The signing of the Agreement on a Firm and Lasting Peace in Guatemala City on 29 December 1996 opens a new chapter in the United Nations responsibilities.”
1997-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3732 (1997) · source
“I have been most gratified to learn that the obstacles that stood in the way of the Security Council's being able to authorize deployment of a group of United Nations military observers to verify compliance with the agreement on the definitive ceasefire in Guatemala have been overcome. In recent weeks, the Secretariat has undertaken intensive consultations on this matter with the parties concerned and encouraged them to find the common ground that would allow passage of this resolution to go forward. I therefore welcome this opportunity to pay tribute to the constructive approach demonstrated by the Member States most directly involved and the efforts of the Group of Friends of the Guatemalan Peace Process in their support.”
1997-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3732 (1997) · source
“The United Nations runs the risk of being constrained in its choice of operations on the basis of criteria and reasons that run counter to the principles of universality and equality contained in the Charter. Some conflicts are in danger of being forgotten for reasons that have nothing to do with the suffering they cause but, rather, because they take place in regions to which the world pays less attention. The United Nations thus runs the risk of being accused of following two sets of criteria, of using a double standard in choosing its actions in the service of peace. I am sure that all of you here are well aware of all that. Your presence here today demonstrates in striking fashion the importance that you all attach to the multilateral diplomacy of the world Organization.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“The operations in the former Yugoslavia alone cost approximately $4.7 million per day. The current situation compels us to limit our action and to take drastic measures for the future. This, in my view, has two consequences, the importance of which must not be underestimated. The first is a financial consequence. It is leading the United Nations to reject for purely monetary reasons actions that would none the less be politically desirable. In a way, each of our peace-keeping operations is carried out at the expense of others. Hence, we risk allowing financial constraints to overtake political necessities. This brings with it a second consequence that is no less serious, because it is an ethical one.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“To this end, the process of reform which I launched at the outset of my term in office is under way and will continue. If we are to meet the challenges ahead, it is essential that the Security Council and the Secretariat should work closely together. For several years now the Council has succeeded in achieving consensus on most of its decisions. A spirit of cooperation prevails. So, too, the relationship between the Secretariat and the Council has become more interactive and dynamic, and we have to continue to work together in order to improve our methods and our actions. (spoke in French) It is in this framework that I wish to say once again that the implementation of peace-keeping operations is for me a subject of genuine concern, particularly because at present Member States owe the United Nations more than $3.4 billion.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“Along with its more traditional responses in resolving conflicts, the Council has taken pioneering positions on sanctions, preventive deployment, international war-crimes tribunals, confidence building, and through the many stages of democratization. The work has often been frustrating. There have been setbacks and there have been successes. But, overall, the example of the Security Council's performance should be an inspiration to all who must face the frequently agonizing decisions of this age of ambiguity and change. The ever-increasing and varied agenda of the Council has placed new demands on the Secretariat, which itself is adapting to the realities of today's world. As I have repeatedly stated, I am determined that the Secretariat should become more effective in carrying out the tasks assigned to it by the Council.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“New approaches will have to be adopted even as fundamental principles of international relations are maintained. The Security Council is itself an impressive example of the fact that the structures and mechanisms available to us can adapt and evolve to meet new challenges. In crisis after crisis over the past few years, the distinguished representatives who sit in the chairs you now occupy have been part of a transforming and positive process of change. The Security Council has been functioning more flexibly, continuously and creatively than ever before. Its work ranges across a far wider spectrum than in the past.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“To have so many distinguished individuals here is a welcome and impressive event. I express my gratitude to all of you for your presence. Given the complex world in which we live, meetings at this level are necessary. They help strengthen this organ, which today more than ever is playing the role envisaged for it by the Charter. Every great conflict of history has been followed by a time of reconstruction and transformation. New ways of solving problems need to be found. Here in this Chamber lie the responsibility and the privilege of seeking to shape the future under vastly changed international conditions. Experience over the past few years assures us that this task will not be easy. Patience and determination will be required. Cooperation is essential. Concepts must be re-examined. Institutions will have to be reformed.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“It is my great pleasure to welcome you today to this ministerial meeting of the Security Council of the United Nations. It is also an honour for me, Madam President, to greet you on this historic occasion - historic for two reasons: First, it coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of this Organization. Secondly, this is the first time that, at the ministerial level, a woman has presided over this body. This is an affirmation of the essential role that women must play at the highest level of international diplomacy. It is gratifying that this takes place so soon after the Conference on Women in Beijing, which was itself a landmark. This gathering of Ministers responsible for the conduct of the foreign affairs of States in every region of the world is significant.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source