YouSaid · the spoken record

Türk

lines on the record: 621
first: 1992-11-16
most recent: 2023-08-17
sittings or episodes: 78
sources: un-security-council

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“We believe that that approach is a correct one. It is gradual and not yet fully supported. The abstentions in the voting tonight testify to this lack of complete support. However, we would like to appeal to all Council members to understand that the unity and resolve of the entire international community are the essential conditions for the success of the efforts for peace, and we believe that the resolution adopted tonight is a relevant contribution to that end.”
1999-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4003 (1999) · source
“Thus, they remain among the important concerns of the Security Council. Finally, the resolution addresses the search for a comprehensive solution. This solution will need to have an adequate political framework. In this context, the resolution refers to the recent initiative of the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight countries. The statement made by the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Eight on 6 May contains a comprehensive set of basic concepts from which a search for peace can start. These concepts need further elaboration and refinement, and the Security Council should play a role in this process. We hope that a determined effort in that direction will start before too long. Such a process will also enable the Security Council to address the causes of humanitarian crises, to which some speakers tonight have referred.”
1999-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4003 (1999) · source
“The discussion tonight has shown that there are distortions of fact and misinterpretations of international law. Therefore, it is important that the resolution adopted tonight set priorities correctly and clearly. That is the first of the two basic factors of this resolution's relevance. Secondly, the resolution contains an important element of potential which could help the Security Council restore its role under the Charter of the United Nations. Several members of the Security Council have referred in their statements to that potential. The resolution addresses a number of areas of humanitarian activity where humanitarian and security or political concerns meet. These issues need to be addressed both at the level of practical humanitarian action and at the level of political policy-making.”
1999-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4003 (1999) · source
“In the light of the discussion, and bearing in mind the content of the resolution just adopted, I wish to make a few observations. The resolution is important primarily for two reasons. First, it carefully defines the priorities of humanitarian action, which require the full political support of the Security Council. It defines an approach which merits political commitment and the sustained practical effort of the States Members of the United Nations. In addition to the inherent value of humanitarianism, the action dealt with in the resolution also represents a political priority. Most United Nations Member States already understand that. However, an additional emphasis on this priority, pronounced formally by the Security Council, adds to the understanding of the priority nature of these tasks.”
1999-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4003 (1999) · source
“It is now high time to take decisive steps towards its resolution and towards the establishment of the foundation for a durable peace.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“Furthermore, the Security Council is aware of the efforts of the Secretary-General and of his decision to send a humanitarian-needs-assessment mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, beginning in Kosovo. All these humanitarian efforts are essential. In addition, the Security Council is aware of the diplomatic efforts being made, including those led by the Secretary-General and those of the G-8 member States. All efforts for a peaceful resolution of the situation in and around Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, must continue with vigour and commitment, and the Security Council must be actively involved in this process. Let me repeat that the spiral of violence in and around Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, started many years ago.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“We wish to convey our sincere condolences to the Government and the people of China. The incident addressed today is part of a wider situation. The Security Council is actively seized of the situation in and around Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This is not a new situation. In fact, the vicious spiral of Violence started about 10 years ago. The humanitarian consequences of that situation are extremely serious. Council members are aware of the extent of the humanitarian disaster which has recently evolved in Kosovo and which is the result of the systematic policy of ethnic cleansing directed against the Albanian population in Kosovo. A draft resolution relating to the humanitarian aspects of the situation has been submitted to the Security Council, and we hope that the Council will take action on that draft resolution soon.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“It was with shock and distress that we learned about the tragic events yesterday in Belgrade, which led to the convening of the present meeting of the Security Council. We deplore the tragic incident reportedly caused by a missile which hit the Embassy of China in Belgrade and which caused the deaths and injury of Chinese diplomats and other civilians in the Embassy. We expect that the ongoing investigation by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will provide additional information with a View to establishing all the relevant facts. Information available at this moment is not yet complete. I wish to emphasize that Slovenia deplores every instance of loss of life, injury, destruction of property and other consequences affecting civilian populations in armed conflict.”
1999-05-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4000 (1999) · source
“We would have preferred such military action to be fully authorized by the Security Council; however, that was not possible for reasons that we explained during the discussions of the Security Council two days ago. In the present circumstances, it is important to be aware that, according to the Charter, the Security Council has the primary but not exclusive responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. At a moment like this, all the Council members have to think hard about what needs to be done to ensure the Council's authority and to make its primary responsibility as real as the Charter requires.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“It is true that each case is unique. However, the requirement of consistency in the interpretation and application of the principles and norms of the United Nations Charter demands at least some indication as to the specific justification for the approach proposed by the draft resolution in the present case. Such indication is sadly lacking and, as I mentioned before, cannot be replaced by the strong words we see in the draft resolution. For these reasons, the delegation of Slovenia will vote against the draft resolution proposed for action today. Before concluding, I wish to make an additional, general point. The use of force by the Belgrade Government against the civilian population created a situation that made the current military action inevitable.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The draft resolution fails to address the relevant circumstances and ignores the situation of necessity which has led to the current international military action. Furthermore, the draft resolution does not even address the stated reasons for that military action, let alone provide any argument against those reasons. Instead, in its third preambular paragraph, it describes that action as a "flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter". The political jargon of "flagrant violation" cannot conceal the lack of convincing argument. Furthermore, the draft resolution completely fails to reflect the practice of the Security Council, which has several times, including on recent occasions, chosen to remain silent at a time of military action by a regional organization aimed at the removal of a regional threat to peace and security.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The most dangerous among those violations is the ongoing massive military offensive by the military and security forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, affecting the civilian population in Kosovo. All these and other obstacles to the implementation of the resolutions adopted by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter are ignored in the draft resolution. It appears as if the draft resolution were intended to redefine the assessment of the factual situation contained in resolutions 1160 (1998), 1199 (1998) and 1203 (1998). Proceeding from such a fundamentally flawed factual assessment, the text tries to invoke some of the basic norms of the United Nations Charter.”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“Slovenia will vote against the draft resolution submitted for action by the Security Council today. The text represents, in our opinion, an inadequate attempt to address the situation concerning Kosovo. It takes a selective political view of the situation and lacks the objectivity necessary in a resolution of the Security Council. The draft resolution ignores the fact that several months ago the Security Council declared the situation in Kosovo to be one constituting a threat to peace and security in the region. Furthermore, the draft resolution ignores the fact that the Security Council has already spelled out the requirements for the removal of that threat and the fact that those requirements were flagrantly violated by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).”
1999-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3989 (1999) · source
“The responsibility of the Security Council for international peace and security is a primary responsibility; it is not an exclusive responsibility. It very much depends on the Security Council, and on its ability to develop policies that will make it worthy of the authority it has under the Charter, whether the primacy of its responsibility will actually be the reality of the United Nations.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Of course, resolutions 1199 (1998) and 1203 (1998) could be clearer, and one might have hoped that such resolutions would develop more completely the responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. Those of us who participated in the drafting of those resolutions know very well that the original draft texts were intended to do precisely that, and that, because of differences of views among permanent members, it was not possible to provide in those resolutions a sufficiently complete framework to allow for the entire range of measures that might be necessary to address the situation in Kosovo with success. That is another example of an imperfect world. I would like to make one more point by way of conclusion.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Nevertheless, the situation of necessity was very widely understood in the international community. I think that the historical lessons that can be drawn from that example should not be completely ignored today. I would also like to say something about Security Council resolutions: resolutions 1199 (1998) and 1203 (1998), which are applicable law in the case discussed today. The situation in Kosovo is defined by the Security Council as a threat to international peace and security in the region. This defines that situation as something other than a matter which is essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of a State. In other words, Article 2, paragraph 7, of the Charter clearly does not apply.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“My delegation has listened very carefully to this important discussion relating to a subject which is not an easy one for any among us, and we heard the categorical words uttered by some concerning the question of the use of force by States. It is true that sometimes force is used without an explicit basis in Security Council resolutions. This is not a new phenomenon. It may be different from the kind of perfect world which we would all like to have, but it is a part of reality. I would like to refer to only one historical example. In 1971, in Asia, a State Member of the United Nations used force in a situation of extreme necessity. That was a case of the use of force without the authorization of the Security Council and without reference to legitimate self- defence.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Their apparent absence of support has prevented the Council from using its powers to the full extent and from authorizing the action which is necessary to put an end to the violations of its resolutions. It is our expectation and belief that the action which is being undertaken will be carried out strictly within the substantive parameters established by the relevant Security Council resolutions. We would also like to express our hope that a peace agreement on Kosovo will be reached in the shortest possible time. We will continue to actively support the endeavours of the international community to achieve a mutually acceptable solution under international supervision.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“This situation represents a case of massive Violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 1199 (1998) of 23 September 1998, which called for an immediate end to all military activity against the civilian population. The threat to international peace and security in the region is looming large. Today's meeting is a sombre occasion for various reasons. I wish to emphasize this: It is most deplorable that the Security Council has to meet to discuss the consequences of systematic and brutal violations of its own resolutions. This is the main source of our concern today. We regret the fact that not all permanent members were willing to act in accordance with their special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the United Nations Charter.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“The military activities and those of the special Serbian police forces in Kosovo against the civilian population have not ceased, despite the numerous demands of the Security Council in its resolutions and despite the commitments made by the Belgrade Government to that effect. On the contrary, in recent months and weeks, the military action against the civilian population has further escalated. The attacks have become more Violent, thus causing an even greater humanitarian catastrophe. According to the recent figures published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are already about half a million refugees and internally displaced persons.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“We believe that the political part of the agreement on the autonomy of Kosovo and the part on the implementation of the agreement constitute a whole and provide the only realistic way to stabilize the situation in Kosovo. The interim period of three years would also provide enough time to continue the search for a balanced and long-term solution, as well as for the restoration of and reconciliation among the Serbian and Albanian communities in Kosovo. Unfortunately, the efforts of the international community were in vain, since the Belgrade Government was not ready to agree to a political solution of the crisis.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Let me recall that, not long ago, the Council welcomed and supported the negotiating process conducted by the Contact Group in France, which aimed at reaching a political settlement between the parties and at establishing a framework and timetable for that purpose. Slovenia, for its part, has all along supported a peaceful solution to the Kosovo problem that would include broad autonomy for Kosovo with due respect for the internationally recognized borders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). Slovenia, through its Prime Minister, has been actively engaged in the efforts of the international community to achieve this aim. Slovenia supports the agreement prepared by the Contact Group on the basis of the results of extensive discussions with the parties during the course of the second half of 1998.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“Slovenia regrets that the developments in Kosovo have brought the international community to the point at which all diplomatic means have been exhausted and military action in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has become inevitable. The constant endeavours of the international community to achieve a diplomatic solution to the crisis and to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe of even greater extent have yielded no results. in view of this tragic moment for the peoples in that part of Europe, we would like to emphasize that the tragedy is the result and consequence of the erroneous policy of the Belgrade Government alone. The current situation was not inevitable. A diplomatic solution was not impossible.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“The situation being discussed today relates principally to Kosovo. The Security Council has been seized of the situation in Kosovo for about a year now. Throughout this entire period, the situation has been deteriorating and the extent of human suffering and humanitarian problems has been increasing. The threat of the situation in Kosovo to international peace and security has been growing. The Security Council has adopted three resolutions on Kosovo, all of them under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. They represent a clear expression of the will of the international community to assist in devising a solution and a framework for action in search of the solution.”
1999-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3988 (1999) · source
“However, the final and lasting solution to the problems lies with the Congolese people and the peoples of other countries in the region.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Allow me to quote in this context an American politician, William Jennings Bryan, who, at the turn of the century, said, "Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." Today's open debate in the Security Council is the first concrete step taken here in the Security Council, but the final solution to the problem lies with the Congolese people themselves and with the other countries in the region, in particular the parties to the conflict. Support for the regional efforts for a peaceful solution to the conflict has to be rendered by the international community as a whole. The Security Council needs to play an active role now and at later stages.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Through the dialogue regional leaders should honestly address problems and face them. In this regard, Slovenia has supported and continues to support the idea proposed by France of an international conference for the Great Lakes region. We also agree that such a conference should not be a single event but a process that would include and address all the critical issues faced by the countries in the region. Such a process would include but would not be limited to the issues of security and power-sharing. Let me make a general concluding remark. Action is needed to end the war and to create an environment for the development, in all fields, of public life and of the lives of Congolese citizens.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“The international community needs to stress the importance of internal political dialogue among all political and civil-society actors in the country. The process of democratization should be carried out through the establishment of democratic institutions and the holding of free and fair and democratic elections as soon as conditions permit. A country's internal political situation of course is an internal affair of each sovereign State, but certain principles are of general importance and can be implemented. We would like to draw attention especially to the principle of power-sharing. Efforts aiming at the establishment of good governance and power-sharing merit full international support. The international community should strongly encourage the dialogue among the leaders of the countries in the Great Lakes region.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Furthermore, we wish to stress that all the military forces are responsible, in accordance with international law, for the humanitarian situation in the territories under their effective control. Furthermore, restrictions on the work of non-governmental organizations, media personnel and human rights organizations have to be eliminated so that assistance can be provided to the people in need. We believe that, notwithstanding the military conflict, steps for creating a normal democratic environment should be taken very soon. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo should create conditions that will allow a democratization process that is genuine and inclusive and that fully reflects the aspirations of all the citizens.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“We noticed with appreciation that a Ministry of Human Rights has been established in order to promote the much-needed respect for human rights in the country. We welcome today the presence among us of Minister Leonard She Okitundu, who spoke at the beginning of this meeting. We also welcome the cooperation of the Government with the Special Rapporteur Roberto Garreton, and we hope that this cooperation will continue and lead to satisfactory results. We wish also to express our strong hope that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other parties to the conflict will allow the relevant international agencies unhindered access to all persons detained within the territory of the country.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“From 30 December to 1 January, 500 civilians were massacred in the area of Makobola, in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And very recently, on 5 March, more than 100 civilians were massacred around the town of Kamituga in the province of South Kivu. Most often the victims are innocent civilians, children, women and elderly. The spread of the practice of genocide in the region must not be tolerated. Such violations of human rights and international humanitarian law against the civilian population require specific action to bring those responsible to justice. It is encouraging that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has already demonstrated its readiness to act.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“The United Nations should be ready to assist, when a ceasefire is reached, in the maintenance of the ceasefire and in stabilizing the security situation in the region. I wish to turn now to the humanitarian issues and to the problems of human rights. Slovenia strongly condemns violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We condemn massacres of the civilian population which have taken place mostly in the South Kivu province since the outbreak of the conflict in August 1998. In August we learned about the massacre in Kasika. Later, in November 1998, as we learned from reports, more than 1,300 civilians were killed in the towns of Samba, in the Maniema province, and Aketi, in the Orientale province.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Speakers before me have addressed the issues related to the search for peace. I agree with what was said. It is imperative that a ceasefire be agreed to immediately and that provision be made for an orderly withdrawal of all foreign troops and for the re-establishment of the authority of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo throughout its territory. All States must be called upon to respect the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. We encourage the African leaders, with the assistance of the Organization of African Unity and the Secretary-General, to redouble their efforts to achieve an early agreement on a ceasefire, which will open the way to addressing all the other problems.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“The subsequent military assistance of some other countries from the region to the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has not brought a solution. Indeed, a military solution is very unlikely. A protracted military conflict in a vast area in the heart of Africa has the potential to become a long-term crisis and a breeding ground of widespread instability. The military action of the two neighbouring States against the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo represents a serious challenge to the basic principles of international law concerning the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. The entire international community has to express its concern and reject such practices, which undermine the fundamentals of the international order and of stability in Africa.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“The resulting instability was bound to affect security in the region. All these developments were unfortunate, and one can legitimately ask whether a more vigorous and committed attitude of the international community in 1996 and in 1997 could have made a difference. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo deteriorated seriously in 1998. The developments since August last year have been especially disturbing. The rebellion grew to large proportions. Military interference by two neighbouring States, while motivated by seemingly genuine security concerns, transformed the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo into a regional threat to international peace and security.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Those of us who had the opportunity to attend the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, in May 1997, will never forget the atmosphere of promise and hope which resulted from the change in the Great Lakes region at that time and which generated the atmosphere of optimism in Africa. However, much of that promise has remained unfulfilled to date. The allegations regarding crimes against humanity and massive human rights violations allegedly committed in 1996 and 1997 were not thoroughly investigated, and the cooperation of the new Government in that regard was not forthcoming. The political processes necessary to create conditions for power-sharing, for proper treatment of minorities and for democracy were not started. Much precious time was wasted and many opportunities were missed at that time.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Quite to the contrary, it is a situation on which the recent history of the Great Lakes region of Africa has cast some of its longest and darkest shadows. It is necessary to discern which among the causes of the current conflict need to be identified in the effort to grasp the situation with the necessary accuracy. Some of those causes stem from the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the subsequent developments which have affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then Zaire. In the aftermath of the defeat of the forces responsible for the genocide in Rwanda, the winds of change brought a new Government to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Government established in 1997 offered a promise of transition to democracy, the rule of law and political stability. These were positive developments.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“The situation in and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a situation of an armed conflict with far- reaching consequences. It is a situation characterized by human suffering and humanitarian problems which have reached dramatic proportions. It is a situation involving important, indeed, fundamental principles of international law and one affecting the long-term stability of a large part of Africa. For all these reasons, it needs to be considered most seriously and with the highest possible degree of intellectual and moral accuracy. All of us speaking today bear a heavy responsibility to ensure that the debate is serious, honest and productive. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not new.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“Slovenia welcomes today's open meeting of the Security Council, which is devoted to the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We consider that situation as one requiring the urgent attention of the Security Council and of the international community at large. Moreover, we consider the meeting today an opportunity for a genuine open orientation debate. The Security Council has already heard the Views of the delegation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which we welcome at this meeting. We look forward to hearing the views of all those Members of the United Nations that have chosen to speak today. The Security Council needs the input of the United Nations Members that are currently not members of the Security Council.”
1999-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3987 (1999) · source
“At this critical juncture in the history of Sierra Leone, the support of the international community is of vital importance. The presence of United Nations personnel on the ground would go a long way towards demonstrating the continued concern of the outside world for the predicament of the people of Sierra Leone. Slovenia therefore supports the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) and its re-establishment in Freetown, as envisioned by the Secretary-General in his latest report.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“In the years since independence, Sierra Leone has experienced a wide variety of attempts by its previous armed forces either to influence the political system or to dominate it altogether. Even the incarcerated rebel leader Foday Sankoh is a product of this culture of military praetorianism. As a corporal in the signals section of the old Sierra Leonean army, he was cashiered and jailed for seven years under suspicion of involvement in a coup plot in 1971. It would therefore be our hope that, through assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone, members of the international community could help in the construction of a new Sierra Leonean military, which would be mindful of its appropriate role in society and capable of defending the country.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“This dual-track approach is all the more necessary in the light of the publicly expressed determination of some rebel commanders to seize power at any cost. Nonetheless, emphasis should be placed on a negotiated solution. Despite the fact that the rebels have already violated two peace agreements, it is important that the RUF representatives bring their grievances and their plans for the future of Sierra Leone to the negotiating table. This would also be an opportunity to listen to their justifications for mass killings, widespread mutilations and other atrocities of international notoriety against a people they apparently wish to govern. In this connection, we strongly support the appeal of the draft resolution before us for the provision of assistance in the creation of a new Sierra Leonean army.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“We would also like to express our gratitude to those States Members of the United Nations which contribute their forces, logistical support and other forms of assistance to ECOMOG. The Security Council has always favoured a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Sierra Leone. Resolution 1132 (1997), adopted by the Security Council on 8 October 1997, specifically insists on support "for the peaceful restoration of the constitutional order" in the country. We therefore strongly support the willingness to negotiate with the rebels and commend the efforts of Special Representative Francis Okelo to facilitate such dialogue. But we also believe that, while the Government of Sierra Leone should continue to refine its policy with regard to negotiations with the rebels, it must also continue to rely on military action to maintain law and order.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“Much of the capital of Sierra Leone lies in ruins and the reconstituted Sierra Leonean police force has been literally wiped out. The destruction and mayhem would have been even greater were it not for the valiant efforts of the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which managed to check the rebel advance. The fact that a measure of order has now been restored to Freetown and its immediate vicinity speaks volumes about the vital importance of ECOMOG to the maintenance of peace and security in Sierra Leone. We therefore commend the ECOWAS countries for all the support they have provided to the beleaguered democratically elected Government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“Ambassador Dahlgren's insightful presentation contained a number of sobering warnings about the increased tensions in Sierra Leone and the intensified rebel activity in the north-western part of the country. In the following days, the prescience of these warnings was painfully corroborated as the rebels launched a series of attacks, which brought them back to the gates of Freetown. The most recent offensive of the rebel forces has been described as one of the biggest single calamities to have befallen Sierra Leone since March 1991, when members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) entered the country for the first time from the territory of Liberia. Resorting to their trademark habit of inflicting pain and misery on defenceless civilians, the rebels have killed hundreds of people and engaged in a veritable orgy of rape and rapine.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“Allow me to say first a word of condolence at the passing of His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the Amir of Bahrain. Shaikh Isa Khalifa was a pillar of peace in his region and commanded wide respect internationally. He will be missed by the international community as a whole. My delegation wishes to express its sincere condolences to the Government and the people of Bahrain and to the bereaved family. The last time the Security Council considered the situation in Sierra Leone in a formal setting was nearly three months ago, on 18 December 1998. During that meeting, the representative of Sweden, Ambassador Hans Dahlgren, briefed the Council on his visit to the region in his capacity as the Chairman of the Sierra Leone sanctions Committee.”
1999-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3986 (1999) · source
“At this critical moment for the efforts to stabilize Kosovo, the United Nations should not diminish its contribution to peace and security in that region. For all these reasons, we hope that today's vote on UNPREDEP will not be the last decision of the Security Council related to the need to preserve and strengthen peace and security in and around Macedonia. Slovenia strongly supports the idea of continued consultations among the Security Council members and with Macedonia. These consultations must lead to an arrangement acceptable to Macedonia and the Security Council members and should ensure the continued pursuit of the tasks which made UNPREDEP necessary. We are determined to contribute our share to such an effort.”
1999-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3982 (1999) · source
“It has been playing a Vital role in the stabilization of the situation along the Macedonian borders. Equally important is its civilian component, which is assisting in the efforts to ease the inter-ethnic tensions and in the application of the international standards of human rights. The fact that UNPREDEP operates successfully in a European hotbed of tension is of importance to the United Nations in its effort to maintain its global role. Such a role requires the presence of the United Nations in all the regions of the world where threats to international peace persist. The situation in the immediate vicinity of Kosovo, which continues to represent a threat to peace and security in the region, gives additional importance and urgency to the role of UNPREDEP.”
1999-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3982 (1999) · source
“We reiterate this point, which has been made by several Council members on a number of occasions over the past few months. Furthermore, today's experience has strengthened our conviction that there is a real need for reform of the Security Council, including the reform of the right of veto. We find ourselves in a situation in which we have to reflect seriously on the importance of UNPREDEP for the United Nations as a whole. UNPREDEP is a success story of United Nations peacekeeping and of the United Nations in general. It is a model of preventive deployment which should inspire the United Nations in dealing with a variety of incipient crisis situations in various parts of the world. In Macedonia, UNPREDEP has been operating since the country's independence.”
1999-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3982 (1999) · source
“The Council will have to think deep and hard to find a way to continue to respond to this and other urgent needs of the situation at hand. Today is also a sad day for the Security Council. The authority of the Council is being diminished as a result of a variety of factors, and Council members should make a special effort to reverse the current negative trends. It is essential that Council members deal with specific situations from the standpoint of ensuring peace and security in the world and from the perspective of the Organization as a whole. This is essential for the realization of the responsibility conferred upon the Council by the United Nations Member States and enshrined in Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations.”
1999-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3982 (1999) · source