YouSaid · the spoken record

Sengwe

lines on the record
30
first
1992-11-13
most recent
1997-05-21
sittings or episodes
5
sources
un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

  1. “The bottom line is that, in an effort to protect the providers of humanitarian assistance, the Security Council should be careful not to take over or politicize the mandate of humanitarian practitioners; neither should it abrogate its own mandate of maintaining international peace and security by seeking to reassign it to humanitarian actors. By effectively acquitting itself of its mandate through mobilizing adequate political will to deal squarely with the political and military dimensions of conflicts, the Security Council will greatly enhance the safety, security and protection of humanitarian practitioners. This constitutes the basic role of the Security Council in this matter.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  2. “The General Assembly debate on the security and protection of United Nations and associated personnel and the pertinent Convention, which was adopted in 1994, are outside the purview of the Security Council. Just like humanitarian assistance, the question of refugees and internally displaced persons should not be politicized. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has performed excellently as a protector of refugees, and its mandate should not be diluted, not even to suit the pattern of zealous reform exercises.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  3. “While the mandate of the Security Council and that of humanitarian actors may display a degree of complementarity, it is vitally important to recognize that they are distinctly independent of one another and not interchangeable, and that one cannot substitute for the other. The impression must clearly be portrayed and conveyed in the operation field that humanitarian practitioners are not emissaries of the Security Council and that their mandate does not originate in the Council. Furthermore, by virtue of the great importance attached to it by all Member States, the question of humanitarian assistance, and the responsibility which all Member States and the international community in general have towards humanitarian actors, must be revisited time and time again by all Member States in the General Assembly, not in the Security Council.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  4. “Another precondition for effective humanitarianism is respect for its neutrality, impartiality and the overriding imperative to go to the aid of all victims and people in need of assistance. Failure to respect such fundamental norms, including the right of people to receive assistance and the right of humanitarian practitioners to provide it, will jeopardize the lives of people in need, as well as those of humanitarian workers. Similarly, the use of humanitarian assistance as a bargaining tool to achieve political objectives, however worthy, invariably breeds irreconcilable competition between the mandate of the Security Council and that of humanitarian practitioners.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  5. “It is harmful and unhelpful to all when humanitarian action becomes a substitute for political and other action required to resolve conflicts, and is made to operate in a policy vacuum. In such settings, humanitarian action is essentially in a no-win situation, as aid is diverted to assist warring parties, and humanitarian practitioners effectively find themselves on front lines that are considered too dangerous for well-armed peacekeeping troops. A prerequisite for effective humanitarian action, therefore, is respect for the fact that relief has a limited but vital role to play in minimizing suffering and mitigating the effects of war. It has neither the capacity nor the mandate to resolve cr1ses.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  6. “Half-measures are likely to do more harm than good. It can be argued - and the experiences of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda and Somalia bear witness to this - that when war strategies are designed to harm civilians, the issue of protection cannot be divorced or disentangled from the dynamics of the conflict. It is neither smart nor sane to send Blue Berets to a conflict to provide protection and to somehow assume that they can remain untouched by the ongoing conflict. The inevitable abuse of "safe havens" by warring parties, together with the culture of violence attendant upon war situations, has often led to the failure of those half-measures, since they fall short of dealing squarely with the dynamics of the conflict.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  7. “The Security Council, whose mandate it is to maintain international peace and security, should muster or mobilize the requisite political will to address the underlying political dimensions of such crises. This is the most important role of the Security Council, and it represents the best support the Council can ever provide to organizations concerned with the humanitarian dimension of conflicts. Whenever situations are allowed to fester, harm is done to the protection and well-being of endangered people are threatened, and the task of securing a viable and lasting peace is further complicated. Two basic conditions for the effectiveness of any Security Council action in this regard are that mandates should be appropriate to the tasks, and that the necessary authority and resources should be made available to missions.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  8. “The post-cold-war era has witnessed an unprecedented incidence of civil strife and internal warfare, in which the battle lines are hard or impossible to draw. In this type of strife, more people have been caught in conflict zones, and the targeting of civilians has been rampant. The phenomenon of weak or fragmented state structures, and the resultant redefinition of threats to peace, has given rise to a serious competition between state security and the well-being of citizens. In response to most, if not all, of these crisis situations, humanitarian organizations have demonstrated a remarkable capacity to mobilize resources quickly. As a result, humanitarian action has too often occurred in a political vacuum. It is important to point out here that humanitarian action cannot be seen as a substitute for political action.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  9. “The issue before the Council today is of the utmost importance, not only to the Organization, but to the international community as a whole. At the heart of international humanitarian assistance are men and women who identify and unconditionally respond to want and need. At the peril of their very lives, humanitarian practitioners have always and selflessly defied the inherent dangers of disasters and calamities, particularly man-made ones such as wars, and made it their mission and mandate to alleviate human suffering by mitigating the effects of war. Zimbabwe pays tribute to these selfless men and women, who are really the best among us, and laments the fact that we continue to lose some of them, and in increasing numbers lately, as a result not so much of natural calamities but of human irresponsibility, brutality and callousness.”

    1997-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3778Resumption1 (1997) · source

  10. “The international community, for its part, must realize that the conflict in Somalia poses a threat to peace and security. It causes death and destruction and breeds refugees for whom we have to care. It affects the world economy and destroys our environment. The United Nations must do what only it is mandated to do by this, our global village: to maintain peace and security in the world. When history judges this generation, Somalia, Rwanda and others like them may speak louder than all other witnesses.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  11. “We therefore reiterate our call on the Somali people, particularly their political leaders and parties, to pursue and establish sustained and sustainable dialogue towards a lasting political solution. I cannot conclude my statement without appealing to the brotherhood of humankind and the global-Village spirit which His Excellency President Robert Mugabe of the Republic of Zimbabwe invoked in his statement on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. The people of Somalia must realize that the conflict in their country holds them and the rest of us in poverty and insecurity. They are harming not only themselves, but all of their neighbours in this global village. They have a responsibility to themselves and to the rest of the world.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  12. “The impression should never be created that those Member States which have a secure hold on political power and other resources will direct our global Organization to be involved seriously only in those conflicts to which they themselves are inextricably linked either by kinship to those who are victims or by physical or geographical proximity to them. As we call upon the United Nations to assist in promoting dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia, we acknowledge the fact that our Organization cannot impose peace on that country or, indeed, on any other. We realize that the Somali people are ultimately responsible for ensuring that peace returns to their country.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  13. “We therefore encourage the Secretary-General to continue carrying out quiet diplomacy in Somalia in consultation with the Organization of African Unity and the neighbouring States to try to determine how the international community can actively assist the people of Somalia. The complexity or straightforwardness of the issue should not determine whether or not the people of Somalia will receive help; neither should judgement be passed so easily on their worthiness or unworthiness of help. Whatever the assessment of the pros and cons of the matter might be, the people of Somalia are as much in need of help as the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If the United Nations is to maintain its image and credibility, it should steer clear of all appearances of double standards.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  14. “We encourage them to maintain their most fruitful endeavours in Somalia so as to prevent the recurrence of the dire humanitarian situation which prevailed in that country prior to the deployment of UNOSOM. in 1992. It is regrettable that the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Somalia will remain treacherously risky, and the benefits thereof will continue to evade certain needy communities in that country for as long as the conflict there remains unresolved. The people of Somalia and those who continue to risk their lives while delivering emergency aid to that war-torn country must not be let down.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  15. “The delegation of Zimbabwe appreciates the Secretary-General's efforts to keep the Council informed about the sad situation in Somalia. While applauding the Secretary-General's intention to maintain the United Nations Political Office for Somalia, we request that steps be taken to relocate that office to Mogadishu. We are persuaded that a political presence of our global body in Somalia will help re-establish the good offices that could trigger the resumption of an inclusive process of consultation and negotiation aimed at national reconciliation leading to the establishment of a broad-based national government. Zimbabwe commends the dedication and determination of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and other international humanitarian agencies in their valiant efforts to render assistance to the people of Somalia.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  16. “I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of March. May I also congratulate your predecessor, Ambassador Madeleine Albright of the United States, for the great interest she showed in African issues during her presidency of the Council. Your personal commitment, Mr. President, and that of the brotherly people of your neighbouring country, Botswana, to the cause of Africa's development, peace and stability is well known in our southern African region, particularly to those of us who have had the privilege of walking a mile or two with you. It comes as no surprise to us, therefore, that your unseared conscience dictated that you exhume and give another chance to the pleading SOS of the Somali people, which had been buried by deliberate forgetfulness and connivance.”

    1996-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3641 (1996) · source

  17. “There can be no doubt, however, that the success of the peace process in Angola ultimately depends on the people of Angola themselves. We therefore once again encourage both the Government of Angola and UNITA to heroically resist the temptation to seek comparative advantage over each other and, instead, to seize this opportune moment to make a lasting investment in peace, for which current and future generations will for ever be indebted to them.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  18. “It should also be remembered that the attainment of political and economic stability in the southern African region can be realized only when the people of Angola turn their swords into ploughshares and peace is restored in that country. In accordance with its commitment to the United Nations peace-keeping effort and to its confidence in the resolve of the brotherly people of Angola to seek peace, the Government of Zimbabwe committed troops and civilian police to UNAVEM. III. We wish to commend all countries contributing troops to UNAVEM. III, and the United Nations and the international community as a whole, for coming to the aid of the Angolan people in their hour of need. It is our conviction that the extension of the mandate of UNAVEM. III is a prerequisite for the success of the peace process in Angola.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  19. “My delegation urges UNITA to rise to the expectations of the people of Angola and the international community and to hasten the process of quartering and disarming its troops. We also encourage UNITA to live up to its own public commitment by proceeding with the orderly and large-scale movement of its troops to the quartering areas without further delay or interruption, in strict adherence to the new timetable agreed upon on 12 January 1996 and in full cooperation with the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM. 111). My delegation, like others represented here this morning, is convinced that the quartering of UN ITA troops, as a first step, is a crucial component of the peace process.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  20. “However, when his King realized what the captain had achieved, he rechristened the area one of "good hope". Buoyed by the recent triumphs of peace in Mozambique and South Africa, and with our hopes further raised by the ongoing peace process in Angola, we are convinced that southern Africa has truly become a region of good hope after having navigated its way through recent perilous storms. Although the Angolan coast is not yet clear, we are heartened by the most welcome landmark progress made by the Government of Angola in implementing its commitments in the historic peace process. We encourage the Government of Angola to build on the momentum it has so courageously gathered.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  21. “May I also reiterate the Zimbabwean Government's sincere appreciation for the crucial role played by the Governments of Portugal, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, which together constitute a most functional consultative troika on the question of Angola. When the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe addressed the General Assembly at the Special Commemorative Meeting on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, he drew a most fitting analogy between southern Africa's current fortunes and the experiences of a fifteenth-century Portuguese seafarer named Bartolomeu Dias. When this Portuguese navigator experienced ferocious storms as he rounded the southern tip of Africa, he described it as a region of storms.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  22. “I wish to begin by congratulating you, Madam, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. May I also express our thanks and appreciation to Sir John Weston, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, for the most able manner in which he steered the work of the Council during the month of January. The Council is today considering a question of paramount importance to the Government and the people of Zimbabwe and, indeed, to the people of the whole southern African region. In this regard, my delegation wishes to express its gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive and most revealing report on the situation in Angola. Our thanks go also to the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Blondin Beye, who has continued to conduct the process of dialogue in Angola with abiding patience and optimism.”

    1996-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3628 (1996) · source

  23. “It would foster the spirit of accountability of the Security Council to the general membership, on whose behalf it acts, as called for in General Assembly resolution 48/264. In our View, the involvement of Member States would enhance the moral authority, prestige and credibility of the Council at a time when it appears that decisions to launch new operations are being made elsewhere. Having sat on this Council a few years ago, we realize the pressure upon the Council to respond to emergency situations. We are, however, convinced that meaningful consultations by the Security Council would increase the international community's confidence in the Council's capacity to execute, in a judicious and objective manner, its mandate as provided for in the Charter.”

    1995-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3611 (1995) · source

  24. “This style of decision- making excludes the entire membership in an era in which the virtues of democracy and transparency are being preached. It is time we implemented Article 44 of the Charter. My delegation supports the proposal to institutionalize the mechanism of consultations. This would allow Member States to be involved in the decision-making process by providing inputs to help the Security Council make the decision to launch a peace- keeping operation. The involvement of Member States would assist the general membership to understand the nature of the problems in all their aspects, determine the risks involved and assess the duration of a given peace- keeping operation.”

    1995-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3611 (1995) · source

  25. “My delegation's position on this and other issues was clearly enunciated in our statement at a plenary meeting of the General Assembly during the debate on reform and restructuring of the Security Council. It is, however, important to observe that, under current practice, it is the Council that decides to launch a peace- keeping operation and that therefore determines the mandate of that peace-keeping operation. Troop contributors emerge only after the mandate has been has been given. Member States thus are not able to influence decisions of the Council during the informal consultations which have become the hallmark of the Council's decision-making mechanism in the post-cold-war period. It is logical therefore to conclude that the general membership, on whose behalf the Council acts, has no role in determining the mandate.”

    1995-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3611 (1995) · source

  26. “It is our understanding that consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries are aimed at enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency and credibility of the Security Council. They complement the work of the Council. Zimbabwe, as one of the troop contributors, finds the current system of consultations between the Council and troop contributors unsatisfactory; there is certainly room for improvement. Current contacts between the Security Council and troop contributors are more briefings by the Council than consultations on substantive issues pertaining to international peace and security in order to enhance the decision-making process of the Council.”

    1995-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3611 (1995) · source

  27. “Allow me first to congratulate you warmly, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We are confident that your wide experience and well-known diplomatic skills will guide the work of the Council to a successful conclusion. I also express our thanks to your predecessor, Ambassador Salim Bin Mohammed Al-Khussaiby of Oman, for his able stewardship of the Council during the month of November. We appreciate the efforts Argentina and other interested delegations have made in spearheading discussions on the important topic of consultations between the Security Council and troop-contributing countries. These discussions are a continuation of the 1994 initiative by New Zealand and Argentina on the same subject.”

    1995-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3611 (1995) · source

  28. “This intrusive tendency by the Security Council and the institutional crisis it entails can hardly be coustrued as an auspicious development for our Organization.”

    1992-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3134 (1992) · source

  29. “My delegation has consistently held the view that the issue of human rights belongs to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly. We therefore wish to record our serious reservations about the appropriateness of inviting Mr. Mazowieck: to address the Security Council. It is only right and proper that the Rapporteur of the Comuission on Auman Rights should report to the relevant organ which appointed him. The growing tendency of the Security Council to interfere with the work of other United Nations organs is a cause of great coucern for my delegation at a time when efforts are being made to streamline the work of the United Nations and improve the functional capacity of its constituent parts.”

    1992-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3134 (1992) · source

  30. “My delegation would like to begin by expressing its satisfaction at seeing you, Ambassador Erdcs, presiding over our work during November. We have no doubt thai: your vast experience and We also take this opportunity to convey our heartfelt thanks to Ambassador Merimee of France for the inimitable manner in which he successfully guided the work of the Council during the difficult month of October. As we stated in this Council in August, the division of responsibility among the various organs of the United Nations is not by accident, its having been carefully crafted by the founding fathers of our Organization. On that occasion, my delegation underlined the need for the Security Council to exercise extreme caution in the interpretation of its own mandate a€ it is not to encroach upon the province of other organs.”

    1992-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3134 (1992) · source