YouSaid · the spoken record

Wehbe

lines on the record: 606
first: 1997-03-06
most recent: 2003-09-04
sittings or episodes: 78
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

“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): We are moments away from the Council's adoption of a very important draft resolution. We shall vote in favour of the draft resolution for reasons of unanimity and the unity of the Council. We are doing this with a view to halting Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. We have no intention whatever of transforming this meeting into an occasion to indulge in rhetoric, as the Israeli representative would wish. The Syrian record is well known to all members of the Council and of the Organization, and that record is an honourable one. When Syria succeeded in being elected to the Security Council it was with a majority vote of 160 Members.”
2002-04-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption2 (2002) · source
“When the Arab Group submitted the draft resolution, its objective was to call upon the international community to understand the trials and sufferings of the Palestinian people, the oppression they are suffering at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces. Syria's position in supporting the draft resolution reflects our genuine desire to see the Security Council assume its role effectively, and once again affirms the importance of unity in the work of the Council and of unanimous action to address anything that would endanger international peace and security.”
2002-04-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption2 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me, Mr. President, to express our great appreciation for all the efforts that you and the other members of the Council have made to unify the voice of the Council before the challenges faced by our region. The Council has acted, in View of the escalation of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and Israel's occupation of the cities of Ramallah, Tulkarm, Qalqilyah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jenin. In view of Israel's violation of humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, the position we shall be adopting by supporting the draft resolution before us is an expression of our firm support and our constant call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
2002-04-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption2 (2002) · source
“In conclusion, let me say that, even as we meet here to put an end to the Israeli aggression and to call for the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces, dozens of Israeli tanks have started to occupy the city of Nablus - a city of more than 120,000 people, now that Israel has completed the occupation of the city of Jenin. That is the situation following the adoption of the Security Council resolutions. What should the Council do now? We have submitted a draft resolution in blue. I urge all my colleagues in the Council to support the draft resolution, which simply reaffirms the call for the implementation of resolutions 1397 (2002) and 1402 (2002).”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“If Israel backed down from its position rejecting the initiative and if it put an end to its acts of aggression, the road would become clear for the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace; then an independent Palestinian state would be a reality and not a mere dream. My delegation, on behalf of the Arab Group, will submit a draft resolution on the implementation of previous Council resolutions. The Chairman of the Arab Group has already transmitted the draft text to you, Mr. President. The Arab Group hopes that the Council will adopt the draft resolution, because it believes in the role of the United Nations - represented here by the Security Council - in the realization of stability and security in the Middle East region.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Against this backdrop, it should be clear to everyone that Israel is openly pursuing a policy of State terrorism, including killing, destruction, assassination and detention. Israel wants to mislead the world regarding its acts of aggression by committing such acts under the guise of self-defence. The fact of the matter is that Israel is trying to defend its occupation of Arab lands, and attempting to impose its conditions on the Palestinian side by force. The message that the Council should send to the Israeli Government is the following: withdraw immediately from the Palestinian territories, lift the siege imposed on the Palestinian President and the Palestinian leadership and put an end to the killing of innocent civilians. The Council is well aware that the Arab States unanimously adopted a peace initiative at the Beirut Summit.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Water and electricity have been cut off and thousands of Palestinians detained. The houses of refugees who had already been displaced several times were demolished arbitrarily. Examples abound of the carnage committed by Israel against defenceless Palestinian civilians, who have been deprived of any protection. They are attacked and left to bleed to death. Pregnant women are not spared; some of them miscarried or gave birth at checkpoints. We do not believe that we need to repeat here the story of Bethlehem, the city of peace and the birthplace of Christ. It has been attacked, along with its churches and its mosques. The Church of the Nativity has been under siege, and a statue of the Virgin Mary has been destroyed.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“By continuing its aggression and its declared war against the Palestinian people, Israel is pursuing a policy of genocide, destroying everything in the path of its tanks, and mercilessly shelling Palestinian civilians, their homes and their infrastructure. Has the Council seen how the Palestinians have had to bury the bodies of their fallen victims and their martyrs in a mass grave in a parking lot? Has the Council heard about the family that has yet to bury one of its members, who was beheaded by the Israelis? This is but a drop in the sea. In addition, many Red Cross and Red Crescent officials have been killed, and ambulances have been prevented from reaching the injured. The Israeli army, under instructions from Sharon, has imposed curfews on the Palestinians for days at a time.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“It has also become evident that the authority vested in the Security Council in particular, in the Charter and in the United Nations as a whole is being continuously violated. This confirms the view - widely held among our peoples and countries - that selectivity and double standards on the part of the Security Council are the order of the day whenever the Council is called on to condemn Israel's policies and its continuous flouting of the Council's resolutions and authority, or its trampling of international law and international legitimacy. We do not believe that our delegation needs to describe the impact on international peace and security of the current situation in the occupied Arab territories and in the Middle East region.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“The primary objective of those policies is the continued Israeli occupation of Arab lands and the stifling of the aspirations of the Palestinian people to build their independent State on their land, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The international community expects that these continuous meetings of the Security Council will be able to put an end to Israel's arrogance and its violations of the most basic rules of international law and international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention in particular. Despite the fact that the Security Council has adopted numerous resolutions in recent years, months and even days, it has become clear that Israeli defiance of these resolutions and this legitimacy knows no end.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syria) (spoke in Arabic): The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic would like to express its heartfelt gratitude for the understanding of the members of the Council in responding quickly to convene this open meeting at the request of the Arab Group and the caucus of the Non-Aligned Movement. This meeting has been convened to discuss the tragedy that is unfolding by the minute in the Palestinian territories as a result of the barbaric and bloody Israeli invasion. The world has come to realize that the Israeli Prime Minister and his officials and army generals - who have made murder, destruction and hatred their profession - are trying to hide behind the pretext of combating terrorism. This is a failed attempt to justify the scorched-earth and genocidal policies that are being systematically pursued by the Israelis.”
2002-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4506Resumption1 (2002) · source
“We were hopeful that the Council would really - and we have made all efforts in that respect - keep its unity by not referring to resolution 1397 (2002), on which we have clarified our position completely and did not accept. This resolution does not fulfil even the minimum aspirations that we have; therefore it came out in very weak language. It does not achieve the aspirations of the Arab Group, and it does not help in dealing with the explosive situation in the region in a drastic manner. Based on all these considerations, we did not take part in the voting on this draft resolution.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“It is selective; it does not condemn the Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people, but it condemns the bombings. It links an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian territories, even naming them "Palestinian cities", to a ceasefire. This means that a withdrawal cannot be effected until the Palestinian Authority has implemented a ceasefire. Consequently, the resolution again treats the victim and the criminal equally. In addition, we do not find any condemnation of the Israeli terrorism in this resolution, about which we talked today in different ways and forms. In its operative paragraph 1 it calls for a "meaningful ceasefire", instead of asking Israel to withdraw immediately from occupied Arab territories.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Consequently we thought that the Council would deal with that resolution if there was any real, serious intent to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. The Arab Summit resolution has also affirmed the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. Syria supported that initiative and the establishment of that State, as has been clarified by the Arab peace initiative. Therefore, we believe that dealing with this very serious issue in this manner and in such haste, without even giving us time to consult with our capitals, is not an example we should follow as a way of dealing with things in the Council. It is clear that the resolution before us does not take into consideration the positive outcome of the Arab Summit.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): We affirmed in our statement this afternoon that there was an Arab Summit that adopted a peace initiative to end the Arab-Israeli conflict and to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in accordance with the resolutions of international legality. We had great hope that the Council would start its resolutions in the wake of that initiative on the Middle East with a resolution that would take into consideration and include that historic Arab Summit resolution on achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. But it is clear that the resolution before us is only a repetition of resolution 1397 (2002), on which we abstained, while there is a resolution adopted by the Arab Summit that deals with the peace process as a whole.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Ambulances are not allowed to help them or take them to hospitals. In conclusion, the Council must demonstrate a genuine and sincere will to discharge its role and responsibility, in particular as regards Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, and compel Israel to withdraw from Palestinian and Syrian land, as well as from what remains of Lebanese territory since 4 June 1967. We must not cooperate with Israeli policies that are hostile and destructive to peace.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“The very least that the Council can do is adopt a direct condemnation of Israeli policy and of its repressive measures, and call on Israel immediately to put an end to this policy, so that the international call for ending the occupation can be heeded and the established rights of the Palestinian people can be recognized. Resolutions that do not make a clear distinction between the aggressor and the victim and that tolerate and justify the actions of the aggressor can lead only to greater devastation and suffering. This is the message we must all understand deeply. We must remind Israel that it must respect international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, in view of the attacks that have been perpetrated since yesterday. Indeed, victims are dying in the streets today.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“It is therefore incumbent upon the Council to order Israel immediately and unconditionally to withdraw from these towns and villages. The only guarantee of peace in the Middle East is the securing of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Anyone who deems sound and rational the Israeli logic of achieving peace before security is wrong, because peace does not bring security; the contrary is true. When peace prevails, everyone feels secure, but occupation cannot give rise to peace. The Syrian delegation reiterates the need for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility under the Charter and to seize this opportunity to act, on the basis of the historic decisions and resolutions adopted by the Arab Summit, in order to preserve what remains of its prestige in the eyes of the world and of the Arab people in particular.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“That people is being attacked by the Israeli army with the most sophisticated tanks available and by the Israeli air force and artillery; that army has not hesitated to destroy anything - old men, women, children, houses, farmland - in order to obliterate any trace of life. Israeli terrorism against the Palestinian people is the most comprehensive form of terrorism we know. Arabs on the whole condemn terrorism. This unprecedented level of terrorism is the bloodiest type there is, and we deem it as our main task to ask the Council immediately to appeal for an end to these acts ofIsraeli barbarism if we truly want peace in the area. The presence of tanks and cannons in Palestinian towns and villages is totally unjustifiable.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“I believe there is a direct link between what has happened today, on Good Friday i this "Sad Friday"- and the resolutions that the Arab Summit adopted and presented to the world that they might serve to achieve lasting, comprehensive peace on the basis of international legality and Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978). Those resolutions elicited great international support - and this is Israel's response to the Arab initiative. Now we must try to learn from and understand the true meaning and implications of these massacres of the Palestinian people.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Today Sharon is conducting a policy of destruction and assassination - a policy of destroying Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps. This is what we see on television and read about it in the press. To date, Sharon has killed 1,300 innocent Palestinians. This constitutes genocide against the Palestinian people. Yesterday, Sharon declared that Arafat was an enemy. What does "enemy" mean under international law? It means a person whom one can kill. These acts require the Council to condemn them, just as it has condemned the acts of other war criminals in other countries. The acts that Sharon has committed send a very unambiguous message and are a clear denial of the historic, enlightened resolutions adopted by Arab leaders at the Arab Summit in Beirut. Those resolutions are hardly one day old.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“He intends to continue colonizing the area, constructing settlements, confiscating Palestinian land and chasing the Palestinian people away from its land. As long as Sharon is able to do these things, he will persevere. Sharon is the person who ordered the massacres in Sabra and Shatila and then led a provocative visit to Al-Haram al-Sharif. In addition, it was Sharon who, unable to kill the leadership of the Palestinians, yesterday ordered the attack on the Palestinian Authority and on the very person who had led the peace negotiations. Sharon has called for either Arafat's arrest or his death. In an interview yesterday, Arafat declared that if Sharon wanted to kill him, he was ready to be a martyr. Therefore, now Arafat himself is backed into a corner * and even he will be a martyr.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Any debate in the Council on developments in the area that fails to examine the causes of the Middle East conflict - and I am referring to the Israeli policy of occupation, repression and assassination - would only encourage Mr. Sharon's terrorism. He would only see another opportunity to gain time and attack the Palestinian people in order to stifle its aspirations for freedom and independence, which are the same as those of any other occupied people before their liberation. Those who refer to Sharon's willingness to find peace are speaking of a mirage or illusion. He has never tried to conceal his true intentions and policies, which are as clear as the nose on his face. Sharon has no intention of withdrawing from the occupied territory.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“We hope that this meeting will give the Council a further opportunity to examine the wounds of the Palestinian people, because that people continues to spill its blood, as it has for more than 50 years. This problem did not crop up yesterday or today. The current suffering is the result of Israeli occupation and reflects only part ofthe general abuse perpetrated on the Palestinians by the State of Israel and its denial of their rights. We are not meeting to discuss the first act of aggression - it is another link in a long chain of terrorist practices carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people. If the Council wishes to condemn terrorism, it must also condemn Israeli terrorism. That terrorism is the occupation of Palestinian land and repression ofthe Palestinians.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): I regret the fact that I must take the floor today, on Good Friday. In Arabic, Good Friday is called "Sad Friday", and it is a sad day for more than one reason: many Palestinians have been killed. The President of the Palestinian Authority has been attacked in his very headquarters; the compound has been destroyed. The Security Council's immediate response to the request of the of the Arab Group - the convening of an emergency Council meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question - bears witness to a concern over and a readiness to confront the acts of killing and destruction perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people.”
2002-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4503 (2002) · source
“Steiner, since he assumed the leadership of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo to maintain the rule of law and fully to implement resolution 1244 (1999). We hope that we will be able to hear a detailed briefing by Mr. Steiner in April on the true direction of and latest developments in the situation in Kosovo.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“These must be represented equitably in political life if we truly wish security and stability to prevail in Kosovo. In this regard, I am pleased to note the declining murder rate, as pointed out by Mr. Annabi, and the measures taken towards the second weapons amnesty in Kosovo. While these developments coincided with the formation of the new Government and will promote security in Kosovo, they do not resolve the issue of whether it is possible for these conditions to prevail, particularly in view of the extremism espoused by certain elements there. We must find an answer to this very important question. We support the efforts made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“It will also help to establish an equitable security and political situation and lead to the continued economic and social development of all sectors ofthe population in Kosovo. As to the idea referred to by the Deputy Prime Minister of building a five-meter wall separating Kosovo from Yugoslavia, I found it very strange, particularly given that we live in an era that has rejected the erection of walls, such as the Berlin Wall, and rejoiced in its destruction. How can we now accept the erection of a new wall in that region? We welcome the initiative of releasing Albanian prisoners to Pristina, which has come about through the efforts of the Yugoslav Government, particularly those of Deputy Prime Minister Covie. We also wish to highlight the issue of the various ethnic minorities in Kosovo.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“At the same time, we hope that all groups and principal ethnicities will enjoy equal and fair representation in the Government so that stability may prevail in those institutions. It is only right that we take into consideration the concerns expressed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Yugoslav constituent Republic of Serbia. In doing so, we will promote stability in Kosovo in accordance with the agreements of November 2001. I wish to reaffirm the importance of focusing on the security situation in the light of these positive developments. This will require a redoubling of efforts to establish conditions conducive to coexistence among all the elements of society in Kosovo and to improve relations among all communities there, thus strengthening the reconciliation process.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“This was the first important step in the implementation of resolution 1244 (1999) towards breaking the impasse that has lasted for so long. It will allow the transitional entities in Kosovo fully to carry out their tasks in accordance with the Constitutional Framework. It will also strengthen the cultural dialogue among the many political parties in Kosovo, as Mr. Annabi pointed out in referring to the fact that the coalition Government is made up of representatives of all parties but one, which decided not to join the coalition but expressed its desire to participate. We hope that this desire will be fulfilled as soon as possible. It is also a cause of satisfaction to us that these transitional departments are to become ministries.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): Your presidency this month, sir, has been characterized by open debates on very important issues. I should like to thank Mr. Hedi Annabi for his very valuable statement on developments since 25 February. I would also like very warmly to welcome Mr. Nebojsa Covie, Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and to thank him for the very detailed statement that he gave to the Council on the latest developments in Kosovo and the Balkans. My delegation would like to express its satisfaction at the endorsement by the Kosovo Assembly on 27 February of Mr. Ibrahim Rugova as President and at the formation of a Government in Kosovo under the leadership of Mr. Bajram Rexhepi, in accordance with the coalition agreement of 4 March.”
2002-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4498 (2002) · source
“We hope that the composition of the new mission, as described by Ms. Frechette, and in the manner presented by Ambassador Levitte, represents new hope towards strengthening all of Ambassador Brahimi's efforts and those of his team in Afghanistan. We believe that the Secretary-General's appointment of two very competent personalities to be Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and the fact that each chairs one of the two major components - political affairs, and relief, recovery and reconstruction - are very encouraging and raise hope that this mission will be able to coordinate among the various agencies and to carry out its mandate under Ambassador Brahimi's leadership in the best possible way.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“We support the information in the report on Afghanistan's need for enormous international financial assistance in the near future in order to meet current humanitarian needs and to begin the process of economic recovery. The report states that current United Nations deployment in Afghanistan is not commensurate with the level of effort required and the role to be played in this game of the nation's future. Therefore, the proposal to erect a new structure of the United Nations presence in Afghanistan comes within the proper time frame and represents an urgent need for the Organization to play its role and to coordinate all of its efforts. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and his team for their arduous efforts in performing their difficult mandate.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“We express our great satisfaction with the pioneer girl students going back to school, raising hopes for a future of stability and normality. We also express concern with regard to the information in the Secretary-General's report on poppy cultivation in the eastern and southern areas of Afghanistan in spite of the Interim Administration's efforts and issuance of an edict prohibiting the cultivation, production, processing or use of illicit drugs. They require international financial assistance that would dissuade different Afghani groups from considering illicit drugs as a major source of income. Of course, dealing with this issue requires a long time.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“It should bear the responsibility for security of every part of Afghanistan, as prescribed by the Bonn Agreement. It should also be provided with all the logistical support it requires, because this is the least that we can give the Afghani people - international assistance that would enhance stability. The report makes clear the importance of the continuation of humanitarian assistance and of proper coordination among various humanitarian agencies and institutions. Deep concern has been raised by the drought that has struck many areas, in addition to the disaster last night, and by the blocked roads in mountainous areas of Afghanistan, thus threatening great loss of life and requiring immediate measures to prevent such a catastrophe.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“We also support his recommendations on training and equipping an Afghani security force under the Interim Administration, making all international efforts to set to rights the security situation currently dividing the various Afghani parties, and on deploying the Afghani security force efficiently and as soon as possible. In this regard, we would like to note the wish of the Interim Administration and the Afghani people to expand the area of work of the International Security Assistance Force - ISAF - because of the sense of security achieved in the region. We believe that the Council should consider this issue seriously and give it the importance it deserves. At the same time, we believe that a national army should be established as soon as possible, an army not based on ethnic criteria or any other affiliations.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“This instability is caused by the persistence of pockets of Taliban and Al Qaeda resistance and by the continuing confrontation between political and military rivals. We would like to express our regret that these confrontations have reached a level of ethnic violence between and among the different parties. The report notes many serious attacks on and violations of human rights based on ethnic motives. We support the Secretary-General's recommendation on making all efforts as soon as possible with the different Afghani leaders and their hesitant partners to participate in the political process.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“On behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic, I convey our sincere condolences to the people and Government of friendly Afghanistan for the catastrophe and for their losses. We also wish to thank the Secretary-General, the specialized agencies and other relevant entities that have hastened to provide assistance to all the victims of the earthquake. Security and stability in that country continue to be of major concern. Without the establishment of security, neither the peace process nor economic development and reconstruction can go forward. In this regard, we share the Secretary-General's concern over the ongoing instability of the security situation in many parts of Afghanistan, particularly outside major cities.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“Notwithstanding the emergence of these embryonic political institutions in a turbulent political atmosphere, we believe that they have been tested and made significant strides in various aspects of national life, including education, the fight against illicit drugs, the participation of women and the convening of the Loya Jirga, which represents the core of the political process. Its success will dispel the threat of another war looming over that unhappy country. With respect to Afghanistan, which has suffered for so long, I wish to associate myself with previous speakers in expressing our deep sorrow for the victims of the earthquakes in the northern regions of that country.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“We believe that the report provides the Council with an important opportunity to assess and to discuss ways of improving the situation in Afghanistan, which has suffered more than 23 years of domestic and external conflicts and their consequences, affecting all aspects of life in that country. Any assessment and discussion of the United Nations role in this area require us to address the various issues with great patience and specificity, given the sensitivity of the situation. We wish to express our satisfaction with the information contained in the report on the status of implementation of the Bonn Agreement and the establishment of the Afghan Interim Administration and its key commissions, which have had important political results.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“Mr. Wehbe (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): We are honoured and pleased to see you, Sir, presiding over this meeting to discuss issues relating to a great people and its country. This demonstrates your interest in and concern for Afghanistan, just as you have shown your interest in and concern for African affairs. Allow me to express our thanks to the Secretary- General for his comprehensive report on the situation in Afghanistan. We also wish to thank Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette for her briefing on developments in that country.”
2002-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4497 (2002) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to the Governments of Norway and of Canada for their efforts to sensitize public opinion to the importance of the protection of civilians in time of war. I would also like to pay tribute to you personally, Mr. President, and to the other members of your delegation for the humanitarian qualities you demonstrated in preparing so well for our discussion of this matter.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“It is both important and necessary for us to stress this fact in Security Council resolutions that relate to armed conflict in all parts of the world. How can the Council fail to stress the importance of the implementation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War? The aide-memoire annexed to the draft presidential statement refers to 30 resolutions and six presidential statements relating to the maintenance of international peace and security and the protection of civilians, including women and children, and others in armed conflict. But what about the practical implementation of those resolutions and presidential statements? Hence my comment that our appeals are confined merely to this Chamber.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“People - including those under foreign occupation - particularly civilians suffering from the scourge of war and armed conflict attach great importance to our continued deliberations in this respect and to our determination to ensure the implementation of agreements, recommendations and international instruments to protect them and to ensure that conditions are in place to enable them to live a dignified life until such a time as their suffering can be ended. However, sincere political will is essential to ensure respect for these international laws, resolutions and instruments, in particular the principles of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which is applicable to the protection of civilians under occupation.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“We must commit ourselves to the Charter and to other international instruments, including General Assembly resolution 46/182, in a way that demonstrates respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, their political independence and their national laws. Such instruments should not be used for political purposes. Syria supports the bringing to trial of those who commit the crime of forcibly transferring peoples under occupation from their land and replacing them with others, which is a grave violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“Why does the Council not send a letter to the occupying force, telling Israel to stop the killing and destruction, to put an end to the carnage and to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories, as called for in the relevant Security Council resolutions? The Syrian Arab Republic supports safe and unimpeded access to civilian populations in need of assistance. However, it is necessary to stress the need for the organizations providing international assistance to be unbiased and objective. We would like to congratulate the International Organization of the Red Cross and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which are making every effort to meet that goal.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“Were their bodies not thrown in the alleys? Were not Red Cross and Red Crescent ambulances prevented from transporting injured Palestinians, including many pregnant women, many of whom died at the checkpoints set up by the Israeli army? Did they not prevent many women in labour from reaching hospitals? Many of them gave birth at those checkpoints. Are they not human beings? Does international humanitarian law no longer apply when the subject is Palestinian citizens and Arabs who are defending on their own land their right to life, liberty and dignity? Palestinian civilians are unjustifiably being killed at the very moment when the Council is discussing the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“As a practical example of what is happening in the Middle East, do you not see as I do, Sir, the gravity of what is occurring in the occupied Palestinian territories and all the other occupied Arab territories? The Palestinian people is suffering, as Mr. Oshima stated in his intervention. Have not the forces of Israeli occupation killed more than 1,000 Palestinian civilians in the past few months alone? What did we, the Security Council, do to stop the advance of the Israeli tanks into Palestinian refugee camps, where they crushed the bones of scores of Palestinians? Even after yesterday's adoption of Security Council resolution 1397 (2002), the Israeli Prime Minister ordered the tanks to reoccupy Ramallah, where the headquarters of Chairman Arafat are located. Did not Israeli forces mutilate the bodies of those killed in the conflict?”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“In these many conflicts, particularly those in Africa, Central Europe, the Middle East and Afghanistan, millions of civilians have been killed without justification. The world has been thoroughly confounded. However, too often, the Council's repeated appeals have not gone beyond the walls of this Chamber. Even worse, they have not prevented numerous instances of carnage in full view of the world. That in no way means that we are blaming any party. It is only an attempt to spur our collective efforts so that we can address and resolve the essential problem. The positive effect of preventing the death of one single civilian in an armed conflict would undoubtedly exceed that of thousands of words, statements and resolutions. Let us be more frank. Let us ask some questions that shed light on this question.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source
“Even though the majority of States have ratified the Convention, its provisions remain largely unimplemented in armed conflicts. The international community must therefore accelerate implementation of international instruments in a serious manner, to provide the civil and legal protection demanded by international humanitarian law. We have carefully listened to the statements made in this meeting. They primarily expressed the international community's concern for protecting civilians in armed conflict and for ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law. These statements have been impassioned calls to put an end to the hysteria the world has witnessed during the past few months and years.”
2002-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4492 (2002) · source