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31

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2000-01-10

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2001-06-28

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un-security-council

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1. “It is in everyone's best interest to reach a satisfactory and final settlement of the situation between Iraq and Kuwait. A few months ago, we had a glimpse of hope when talks were resumed between the Secretary-General and the Government of Iraq. We still trust that the Secretary-General can provide an ideal channel of dialogue to improve the present sorry state of affairs and to help Iraq abide by the relevant United Nations resolutions, finally taking its full place once again in the community of nations.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

2. “At the same time there should be a gradual resumption of commercial flights to Iraq, with appropriate guarantees and controls. Of course, to make an improved sanctions regime function more effectively, all Member States must be determined to give the United Nations their fullest cooperation. Concurrently, the adoption of more transparent and effective authorization procedures would prevent rearmament without prejudicing trade, would liberalize the flow of civilian goods and services to Iraq, and would help redress the current imbalances. In that context, the interests of neighbouring countries have to be taken fully into account; their agreement is needed for any future arrangement. That is requested both as a matter of fairness and for the sake of regional stability. Ten years is a long time in both human and foreign relations.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

3. “Emergency measures are needed to stem the tide of epidemic, reverse the exponential increase in infant mortality and halt the outbreak of serious illnesses such as leukaemia and cancer related to the environmental degradation that has accompanied the now-10-year-old sanctions regime. It is therefore a matter of top priority that Iraq's medical and hospital structures be rehabilitated and that basic health and hygiene conditions be improved. To achieve a lasting amelioration of social conditions, the basic economic infrastructure must be revitalized. Measures must be devised to stimulate the supply of commodities and services and to facilitate economic cooperation, including investment in civilian sectors, starting with the water supply, sewage, energy, fuel and transportation.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

4. “Of the many aspects of the complex issue we are dealing with today, the humanitarian question is undoubtedly the largest and the most pressing. It is of the utmost urgency that there be a return to an appropriate dialogue on the fate of prisoners of war and of those missing in action, as well as on property that had been removed. In that connection, the foundations for the promising development of such a dialogue would be laid with immediate conciliatory gestures by the Iraqi Government. At the same time, one cannot but feel the greatest compassion for the innocent civilian population of Iraq, where health conditions, especially those of women and children, remain critical and cry out for a prompt and appropriate response by the international community.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

5. “To that end, we must promote the establishment of a climate of trust through the adoption of measures inspired, first of all, by respect for all the pertinent United Nations resolutions and by equitable and constructive initiatives. We also consider that the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of every State in the region deserve the respect of all members of the international community. In order for normal relations between Iraq and the international community to be re-established and for sanctions to be lifted, it is essential that the Iraqi Government show a spirit of full cooperation, first of all by welcoming the inspectors from the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and allowing them to do theirjob.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

6. “I wish to begin, Mr. President, by thanking you for convening this open forum, which gives United Nations Member States that are not on the Security Council the opportunity to express their views on one of the most sensitive issues of the day: the situation between Iraq and Kuwait. As I take the floor in this Chamber for the first time this month, I would like also to express the satisfaction of my delegation at seeing you, Sir, at the helm of the Council. The representative of Sweden has already make a statement on behalf of the European Union. Italy fully endorses it, and would like only to add a few remarks. It is Italy's strong hope that in the not-too-distant future the United Nations will be able to certify that the conditions are right for a full resumption of relations between Iraq and the international community.”

   2001-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4336Resumption1 (2001) · source

7. “That positive situation kept the constructive attention of the international community focused on Mozambique, as was demonstrated by the response to the natural disasters that struck that country last May. In a similar manner, the fact that the mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea was prepared for with, and accompanied by, intense political and diplomatic efforts on the part of the Organization of African Unity and the facilitators, allowed us to place greater trust in the outcome of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea from the outset. We have much to learn from the example of Mozambique in designing future peacekeeping missions and exit strategies that are able successfully to meet the situation on the ground and interface actively and rationally with the various national and international players involved.”

   2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

8. “This guaranteed effective management of the crisis and ongoing contacts with the Security Council, as well as with the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna, which successfully monitored democratic and fair elections in the country. Your introduction to today's debate, Mr. President, mentions another United Nations success story: the mission in Mozambique. The peacekeeping operation there was preceded by an accurate assessment of the local political context, with the active contribution of an Italian non-governmental organization. This facilitated the maintenance of peace and the subsequent withdrawal of the international presence, accompanied by elections and ongoing social and economic reconstruction.”

   2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

9. “Troop-contributors were kept on the sidelines of the Security Council's and the Secretariat's decision- making, starting with the definition of the original mandate. When the crisis degenerated, the error was compounded with an even more ambiguous mandate, while ignoring the opinions of troop contributors. We also learned from another experience, this time positive, in Albania in 1997. Here the Security Council quickly authorized a resolution proposed by both Albania and Italy - both non-members of the Council - to prevent the deterioration of a political crisis that would have seriously threatened peace and security. A core group of countries was formed of participating countries.”

   2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

10. “This is why Italy is pleased that the Security Council adopted two days ago a series of decisions pursuant to the Brahimi report and the Secretary- General's action plan. These measures include a more regular and systematic involvement of troop- contributing countries in the Security Council's activities in every phase of a peacekeeping operation, from defining the mandate to implementing the relevant Security Council resolution, to changing a mandate owing to a mutating situation on the ground. Italy's heavy involvement in three very different peacekeeping operations has taught us some important lessons. In Somalia, the lack of a clear strategy and of a well-defined mandate led to the exit of the international presence. We are still suffering the consequences today.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

11. “Addressing the Security Council, the Secretary-General has underlined the importance of courses on early warning and conflict prevention given for some years now by the United Nations Staff College at Turin. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights are holding a course at the Staff College on peace-building and human rights for military and police personnel, with special attention to gender balance. Integrated strategies also entail the rejection of arbitrary sunset clauses. In fact, the United Nations must assure that conflicts have been settled before dismantling a peacekeeping operation. We must pay close attention to the definition of clear, credible and achievable mandates. Such a goal can never be reached without Member States who are willing to contribute personnel.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

12. “The Secretary-General's seminal report on the causes of conflicts in Africa underlines this critical nexus. We need to assure greater continuity between political and military action and the economic and social reconstruction, without which there can be no peaceful international pull out. Better synergy between the Secretariat and the relevant United Nations programmes and funds is essential to this goal. Let us also focus on elections as a crucial moment in complex peace operations. Exiting from an operation without first holding elections can be a recipe for failure. Here too the Brahimi report indicates concrete steps, such as strengthening the Department of Political Affairs Electoral Assistance Division. Another need frequently cited in the debate on peacekeeping operations is training.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

13. “In December 1999 the European Council, meeting in Helsinki, set the goal of creating, by 2003, a rapid reaction force of 60,000 soldiers for deployment to peacekeeping operations, including those launched by the United Nations. Last June in Feira the complementary goal was set to establish, by 2003, a rapid response team of 5,000 police officers ready for deployment as part of peacekeeping operations. This development will foster more intense collaboration between the European Union and the United Nations. Attention to economic and social aspects is an indispensable corollary to an international presence in crisis areas. This is even truer when we consider the close connection in developing countries between deeply rooted economic and social problems and the outbreak of conflicts.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

14. “In this light, let me draw your attention to the criminal justice system, a series of measures involving police forces, investigating magistrates, judges and incarceration. The Brahimi report makes a useful proposal to establish a system of transitional norms governing criminal law procedures in order to facilitate the work of those engaged in police and civil justice administration as part of complex peace missions. We have already experienced this need in Kosovo and East Timor. In terms of policing duties, within the European Union Italy has been involved in efforts to develop greater consistency and coherence of action.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

15. “The time has come to put an end to the law of the strongest and to affirm a form ofjustice that will gradually foster outgrowing the need for an international presence in crisis areas. We cannot exempt ourselves from concrete action. Prompt ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court is the best way for Member States to meet this need. International justice has both a preventive and a constructive function. It fosters reconciliation through the search for truth. Let us not forget that at the basis of the concept ofjustice lie the principles of impartiality, generality and abstraction. They guarantee that Member States' demands will be met and that there will be an effective transition from the emergency phase of a crisis to its resolution and the successful exit of the international presence.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

16. “These same issues were high on the Secretary-General's agenda in discussions with European Union leaders during his trip to Europe last October. And it is around such issues that United Nation-European Union relations can further develop. The rule of law is fundamental to the success of any comprehensive peace strategy, particularly in the phase encompassing the withdrawal of complex United Nations missions. Alongside the affirmation of the principle of the rule of law, I would underline Italy's longstanding commitment to the advancement of international justice, the chief guarantor of the rights of the weakest. We need higher standards of international legality. Far from representing a threat, this trend creates a safety net against double standards.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

17. “Peace-building in the context of an integrated strategy has two key dimensions: consolidating the judicial and public-order systems, and the reconstruction efforts that also seek to eliminate the economic and social problems at the roots of conflicts. These two aspects are complementary: they require both a holistic approach and specific concrete actions. A number of recommendations in the Brahimi report, such as the development of a standing rapid deployment capacity and the emphasis on the use of civilian police, dovetail with thinking currently under way in the European Union. The United Nations and the European Union have much to learn from each other in the fields of crisis management and conflict prevention.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

18. “Too often an exit strategy has amounted to little more than a quick escape route. We need a clear political vision to prevent the recurrence of another situation, such as the unravelling of the mission to Sierra Leone. We need to move beyond a logic that is dictated by emergencies or by partial, temporary interests. Instead, we need to build a functional connection between the conflict prevention phase and the possible action to be undertaken if a crisis degenerates into a threat to international peace and security. Such a strategy must also include provisions for peace-building, a stage that is essential to achieving sustainable peace once an operation has ended. Let us not forget that well-planned peace building can also have a preventive effect by stemming any potential relapses.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

19. “Let me begin by paying homage to the Dutch presidency of the Security Council for organizing today's open debate. This brainstorming session is an important complement to the Security Council's July debate on conflict prevention. It is very timely indeed and forces us to look beyond contingent factors in our reflections on peace-building strategies. Peacekeeping without peace- building is a headless torso. What we need, and urgently, is a comprehensive strategy covering conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peace-building. Such a strategy requires the coordinated efforts of all the actors in the United Nations system, especially in preparing exit strategies for peacekeeping missions. There can be no exit strategy unless a comprehensive strategy is already in place at the start of a peace operation.”

    2000-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4223Resumption1 (2000) · source

20. “Therefore it would be advisable, in the context of revising the rules that govern the application of sanctions, to make sure that they are directly involved. Their participation would lend authority, objectivity and competence to reports on the social and human impact of sanctions and on the most appropriate measures for dealing with it.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

21. “We believe that, in the interests of the United Nations and of the sanctions instrument itself, we must define a series of clear and precise rules through a broad and deeply rooted consensus since every country is eventually called upon to comply and to shoulder the resulting burden. Allow me, as a final consideration, to recall the importance that the specialized agencies can have in monitoring the effects of sanctions. In this light, the experience and competence of organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Commission on Human Rights are unquestionable.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

22. “By the same token we must avoid public debates which suggest that sanctions are adopted and maintained against the will of a large number of United Nations Members - not to mention reports by United Nations agencies and organs that criticize the results of sanctions and thus the work of the Security Council. Internal divisions of this nature undermine the prestige and the authority of the Organization and make it hard to grasp the true orientation and aims of the United Nations. This is why the debate over the criteria for sanctions management should not remain within the walls of the Security Council but should rather give rise to a moment of collective reflection also by the General Assembly on a concrete aspect of United Nations activity within the general framework of the reform process of the United Nations.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

23. “What we must avoid at all costs is allowing the unfortunate examples of recent years to prevent us from approving new sanctions in the future when they are opportune and useful out of fear that they might go beyond the bounds of the initial intentions. Such a development would in fact deprive the United Nations of an irreplaceable instrument that is essential to its policies. Furthermore, we must steer clear of the frankly troubling spectre of countries reluctant to support resolutions that do not reflect their sentiments or to which their national public opinion is opposed.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

24. “Therefore we need to rethink the sanctions mechanisms and bring them more into line with the goals they are supposed to achieve. We need to identify more precisely the instruments sanctions should use, exercising control over financial flows, military equipment and strategic assets and isolating political leaders, while at the same time guaranteeing the basic needs of the people. In other words, we need to figure out how to combine maximum effectiveness against political leaderships with the minimum impact on civilian life. In every case this selective, targeted approach should be backed up and strengthened by appropriate public information campaigns geared to help the democratic opposition and therefore provide a viable political alternative to standing power.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

25. “Within such countries, such initiatives can even lead to humanitarian disasters by fostering the gradual unravelling of the social fabric, which is often deprived of elementary support structures and can fall prey to illegal activities that have sprung up in response to sanctions. These processes can, paradoxically, support the very leaders that sanctions were supposed to bring down, since they can take advantage of smuggling activities and aid distribution to strengthen their grip on power and stamp out any and all forms of democratic opposition. Furthermore, the latest examples of sanctions regimes show that they can also create mounting problems for the neighbouring countries and trade partners of States subjected to sanctions.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

26. “Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this open meeting, which provides all United Nations Member States with the opportunity to participate in the debate on sanctions, an issue which is, indeed, of major interest to the broader membership. First of all, I associate myself with the statement made by the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union. Just a few hours ago in a speech to a seminar on sanctions, the Secretary-General reiterated his concern that the target of sanctions should be the political leadership and military structures responsible for grave violations of human rights and threats to international peace and security, and not the civilian population.”

    2000-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4128 (2000) · source

27. “Wherever possible we shall seek to involve non- governmental organizations and local Italian communities in order to help build and consolidate a grass-roots approach. We owe it to the African people affected by this scourge to deploy every means necessary to defeat the pandemic, without ignoring or disregarding the other serious problems affecting the African continent in the areas of basic needs, poverty, environment, infrastructure and development financing, which interact with this plight.”

    2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source

28. “The overall size of Italy's financial contribution to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa will be approximately $20 million in the year 2000, and it will be channelled through multilateral and bilateral programmes. A contribution of $8 million will be provided to the World Health Organization, in addition to the disbursement of $2 million to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Furthermore, bilateral emergency intervention amounting to about $5.5 million will be organized in the most affected African countries. Finally, we envisage, on a bilateral basis, about $4 million for a specific subregional programme for the Great Lakes area, in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.”

    2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source

29. “Our integrated strategy of support for the national efforts of African countries is based on the scientific knowledge and therapies developed in my country through a yearly allotment of resources amounting to about $163 million since 1993 in the field of research and related contacts carried out by Italian institutions, academic bodies and specialized hospitals. This cooperation strategy will focus primarily on actions of prevention through vaccination programmes and education and communication campaigns in schools, workplaces and the media; epidemiological surveillance; decreasing the rate of maternal transmission; assistance to orphans and families affected by HIV/AIDS; capacity-building; personnel training; and research support.”

    2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source

30. “Therefore, like a number of Permanent Representatives from other European Union member States who have already taken the floor, I will confine my remarks to a few factual comments and data on the specific contribution that Italy is planning to make for the year 2000 in the framework of the International Partnership against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Italian initiative is grounded in two specific areas of policy: first, the experience of Italy itself as a country which has been engaged with African countries for decades in development cooperation and official development assistance, specifically in fields related to health, scientific education and the environment; and secondly, the major flows of African immigrant workers that have moved to our country in the last 10 years, which have enhanced our ties with Africa.”

    2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source

31. “Italy, speaking also as a member of the European Union, welcomes the initiative of the United States presidency of the Security Council, which enlarges the notion of insecurity and of the response of the international community by opening the agenda of this body, with clear priority granted to the challenges arising from the African continent, in the broader context of the initiatives by the Secretary-General and the General Assembly on Africa. Furthermore, the important statement of the President of the World Bank this morning delivers clear and authoritative confirmation of the need for an integrated international strategy, which the present initiative has emphasized. Italy obviously subscribes to the statement made by the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union.”

    2000-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4087Resumption1 (2000) · source