YouSaid · the spoken record

Zinsou

lines on the record: 354
first: 2004-02-17
most recent: 2015-05-13
sittings or episodes: 46
sources: un-security-council

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“Those have included the development of precise criteria to guide the exit strategy, the establishment of UNIOSIL and the regional approach taken in peacekeeping operations. We particularly welcome that regional approach, which reflects an ongoing effort to control external factors affecting the situation in a given country. From the perspective of the mandate given to the Mission, we can take pleasure in saying that UNAMSIL has done its job. However, in reading the Secretary-General's last two reports, we are struck by his assessment of the political situation prevailing in the country. The newly restored security and stability stand in contrast to the clear threats confronting the country's future. Those threats emanate from the underlying causes of the conflict that roiled the country for over 10 years.”
2005-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5334 (2005) · source
“We have come a long way: from the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL), which was established in July 1998, to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), set up in October 1999, and now to the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), which is soon to become operational. Sierra Leone is without a doubt a peacekeeping success story. It is also an exemplar of cooperation between the United Nations and regional African organizations, which have demonstrated how useful they are. In that connection, the Secretary-General has highlighted some of the innovations that have characterized the Mission's disengagement process and the management of the subsequent phases.”
2005-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5334 (2005) · source
“Mr. Zinsou (Benin) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Ambassador Daudi Mwakawago, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Leone, for the briefing he has just given us in introduction of the Secretary-General's twenty-seventh, and last, report on the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) (S/2005/777). I should like Ambassador Mwakawago and all his predecessors to know how much my delegation appreciates their enlightened guidance of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. The withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone marks the end of the peacekeeping operation in that country.”
2005-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5334 (2005) · source
“A comprehensive report on the activities of the Working Group in 2005 is being completed and will be transmitted to the President of the Security Council as soon as possible."”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“It will highlight the characteristics of the peace and security architecture of the African Union and its subsidiary bodies; the most important initiatives for strengthening that architecture; the principles and priorities of cooperation with the United Nations in the field of peacekeeping; recommendations concerning the rules for the use of force and the full integration of the African peace and security architecture in the collective peace and security system established by the United Nations Charter; and the strengthening of the African Union's capacity in the area of peace and security. "To conclude, I would like to thank all members of the Working Group for the strong support that they extended to me in the discharge of my functions. In addition, I thank the Secretariat, in particular Mr. Ibrahim Gambari.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“We also had the participation of well-known personalities of international civil society such as Mr. Vasu Gounden of South Africa, founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, and Mr. Paul van Tongeren of the Netherlands, Executive Director of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention. "The report of the seminar will soon be issued as a document of the Security Council.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“Holding the latter seminar remains an urgent task that should be tackled as soon as possible under the incoming Chair, to whom I wish every success. "The seminar on cooperation between the United Nations and the African regional organizations in the field of peace and security was held on 15 December 2005. It was organized with the active support and the active and very effective intellectual participation of the Secretariat. The seminar provided an invaluable opportunity for deepening insight into the issue, with contributions from various personalities such as the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Commission, the President of the Security Council, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, and the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Hedi Annabi.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“It is true that that resolution, which was sponsored by the three African countries members of the Security Council, was not negotiated within the Working Group, because the resolution sought to establish a general framework for conflict prevention, taking into account African realities. Nonetheless, the resolution was made possible thanks to material collected by the Working Group. "Thus, it is understandable that the Working Group should seek an active role in following up the resolution's implementation, and that the Working Group has decided, in that context, to hold two seminars: the first on cooperation between the United Nations and African regional organizations in the area of peace and security, and the second on the formulation of comprehensive and coherent strategies for conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“Ibrahim Gambari, who was invited in his capacity as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa, and Professor Rubin of New York University made it possible to hold an in-depth discussion of important questions, such as how the Security Council's action can be triggered in situations that are not on its agenda, how information gathered by the early warning system can be used as indicators for the deployment of rapid responses to imminent conflicts and what practical crisis monitoring instruments can be established by the Security Council. "The conclusions of the policy forum are set out in resolution 1625 (2005), which was adopted by heads of States or Government at the Security Council summit on 14 September 2005.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“The then President of the Security Council, the representative of Brazil, addressed a letter to the Secretary-General (S/2005/188) on the issues to be discussed on that occasion. Those issues are of great relevance, and the debate's conclusions inspired subsequent activities of the Working Group. "The policy forum on enhancing the United Nations capacity for conflict prevention and the role of the Security Council, held on 13 June 2005 and organized in cooperation with the International Peace Academy and the Center for International Cooperation of New York University, focused on identifying the constraints that prevent the United Nations from playing an active and effective role in managing crises and stopping them from escalating into armed conflicts. "The active participation of renowned specialists such as Mr.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“The Council also requested the Secretary-General to include information on progress in implementing GEMAP in his future reports on the United Nations Mission in Liberia. The implementation of GEMAP merits special attention by the Peacebuilding Commission and can serve as a model for other countries facing similar difficulties. "The wrap-up discussion on the African dimension in the work of the Security Council, held on 30 March (see S/PV.5156), constituted an important milestone in the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group during 2005. The wrap-up meeting included an exchange of views on the situation in Africa and on the ways and means for the Security Council to implement new measures and increase the effectiveness of existing measures to address that situation.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“"During that meeting, the Working Group agreed that, while cooperation on this issue between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council should not be excluded, no action could be taken until the Economic Community of West African States and the National Transitional Government reached an agreement with the development partners on that programme. It should be underlined that in its resolution 1626 (2005) of 16 September 2005, the Security Council welcomed the signing, by the National Transitional Government of Liberia and the International Contact Group of Liberia, of the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Programme, which is designed to ensure prompt implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and to expedite the lifting of measures imposed by resolution 1521 (2003).”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“"On 29 June 2005, the Working Group held a meeting on the preparation and the adoption of the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Programme (GEMAP) in order to provide the National Transitional Government of Liberia with a strategy to aid its quest for transparency and accountability in the management of State resources, taking into account the recommendation made in the seventh progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (S/2005/391), of 16 June 2005.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“It mainly addressed the question of how to coordinate the action of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council to prevent economic crises from resulting in political crises and outbreaks of violence. As outgoing Chair, I would like to stress the need to keep that issue on the agenda of the Working Group, because the ideas considered during the aforementioned policy forum should be studied in greater depth.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“"The Working Group decided that the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission would definitively settle the controversial question of cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, bearing in mind the Council's tendency to draw a clear distinction between the areas of competence of the two bodies in the absence of a specific institutional framework for cooperation. Indeed, such cooperation and the need for it were generally recognized by Council members as a way of ensuring greater consistency in addressing complex crises in Africa. "To that end, the Working Group assessed the institutional approach of the United Nations in conflict resolution and the importance of peacebuilding in Africa from the perspective of practicality.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“In that context, the Chairman of the Group held frequent bilateral and multilateral consultations with representatives of States on the Council's agenda and with Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Africa and exchanged views with them on the problems facing those countries and on measures the Council could take that would be of assistance to them. "Bearing in mind the sensitivity of specific country-related issues, the Working Group agreed not to tackle them directly but rather to address them only within the context of the consideration of cross-cutting and horizontal issues included in the programme of work I mentioned earlier. Such issues were taken into account in the Programme of work of the Working Group.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“It met whenever it was deemed to be necessary to assess the situation and to consider possible contributions it might make. "In addition to the discussions held within the Working Group and within the Council, the Group held two major events: a policy forum on the role of the Security Council in enhancing the United Nations capacity for conflict prevention, held in the Trusteeship Chamber on 13 June 2005; and a seminar on cooperation between the United Nations and the African regional organizations in the field of peace and security. "It is well known that more than 60 per cent of the Council's time is dedicated to African issues.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“It therefore drew up a programme of work identifying some general issues and some more specific issues that had been raised in the Council in order to highlight the need to develop a comprehensive strategy for conflict prevention and to harmonize the approach taken to African questions by the United Nations and by the Security Council in particular. "Given the overall attitude that prevailed during the preparation of the programme of work, several Working Group members suggested that its implementation be spread out throughout 2005 and subsequent years, bearing in mind the possibility of adjusting the programme in keeping with the priorities of the incoming Chairman. "The Working group followed closely the discussions in the Council and supported its work on African issues.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“That reality led to a great number of exchanges with a variety of organizations and stakeholders in the context of efforts to reform the United Nations and to enhance its effectiveness in the area of conflict prevention and resolution in Africa. "The Working Group felt, therefore, that it should take an active part in the debate, within the framework of its mandate, and contributed to forging a consensus on the important issues of relevance to it within the overall package of United Nations reform.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“"In 2005, the Working Group continued its activities in a new context. Indeed, the debate held in 2005 on United Nations reform placed particular emphasis on ways and means of meeting the challenge of preventing threats to our collective security. The question of conflict prevention and resolution elicited great interest in the context of the review of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, as a precondition for their realization. "Africa continues to suffer from crisis and conflict situations in several countries of the continent. It is facing complex difficulties that could cause countries emerging from conflict to relapse into violence.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“"Benin has also held the vice-chairmanship of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) since its creation in 2004. "In 2005, Benin chaired the Ad Hoc Working Group of the Security Council on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, which was established by the Council in March 2002 with the following mandate, which has not changed since its inception: to monitor the implementation of Security Council recommendations on conflict prevention and resolution; to issue recommendations aimed at enhancing cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, as well as between the Security Council and other United Nations bodies dealing with Africa; to consider, in particular, regional matters and issues arising as a result of various conflicts that affect the Council's work on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa; and to make recommendations to the Security Council concerning security so as to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and African regional and subregional organizations in the area of conflict prevention and resolution.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“My delegation spared no effort in working to break the impasse and to revitalize the Group. As a result, the Working Group was able to resume its activities with a revised mandate and has carried out a number of studies aimed at enhancing the work of the Security Council in the area of sanctions. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Mahiga of the United Republic of Tanzania. "My country has also held the Vice- chairmanship of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In that framework, it chaired its subcommittee C, charged with considering the reports of one third of the Member States.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“Madam President, I should like to beg your indulgence, as, in my capacity as the Chairman's assistant, I will be reading out his statement. Mr. Idohou was called on to carry out a very important function on behalf of our head of State: he is accepting a prize that is being awarded to my country. "I take the floor today with a certain sense of historical solemnity to carry out one of the most significant acts of the final part of Benin's mandate as a member of the Security Council - that of reporting to the wider membership on the manner in which Benin has discharged its responsibilities to this organ. "When my country began its tenure in the Council in January 2004, it was entrusted with the responsibility of chairing the informal Working Group on General Issues on Sanctions, a body that had been in a deadlock situation for several years.”
2005-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5332 (2005) · source
“In particular, integrated, multisectoral assistance is needed to eliminate narcotics structures and provide attractive and profitable alternatives. It is positive that the Afghan Government and the United Nations have clearly identified the fundamental principles that will contribute to strengthening international cooperation for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“We call for a strengthening of the military forces to protect humanitarian workers in order to speed up the process of rebuilding the country. In that regard, we share the concerns of the Secretary-General, who has highlighted the risks of a premature disengagement by the international community in the post-election phase. The irreversibility of progress depends on ongoing support for the implementation of the strategies and approaches adopted in the various sectors of activity to generate beneficial synergies for the recovery of the country. The international community must remain mobilized at the side of the Afghan people in order to maintain the momentum of reconstruction and to strengthen the ongoing reforms. It is essential to continue the partnership between donor countries and the Afghan authorities.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“The projections for the increase in strength of the Afghan army and police force give rise to optimism, as does the progress of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. We pay tribute to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and to countries that have contributed to measures to provide lasting security in the country. We urge them to continue their unceasing efforts to provide Afghanistan the means and human resources needed to consolidate the new order that is being established in the country. The rising power of the insurrection is a major challenge for all involved. The Secretary-General rightly draws our attention to the need to eliminate the sources of financing and external support of the insurrection. The negative impact of the insurrection on the humanitarian assistance activities is of concern.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“It is important to reinforce security when transporting the ballot boxes from the voting stations to the vote- counting stations. That will ensure that all the votes cast by the people carry their full weight in the choice of their representatives. Dealing with security problems is a crucial matter. We note that extremists and illegal armed groups continue to pose a major challenge to peace and stability in Afghanistan. We support the commitment of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to work alongside the Afghan forces to demobilize the illegal armed groups. The modalities for that demobilization must be tailored to the goals being pursued.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“The overview presented to us on the preparations for the elections shows how Afghanistan is building on the achievements of the transition to make progress, drawing upon the effective partnership established with the international community. The achievements of that partnership are considerable in light of the difficulties described in the report. The question of securing the funding for the elections is a concern for the international community. Given the notable progress that has been made, it would be incomprehensible if the process were held up because of inadequate funding. We therefore urge the generous donors that are supporting the Afghan people to provide the additional support needed for a happy outcome to the transition process. Vote counting requires that we learn the lessons from the October 2004 presidential election.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“Mr. Zinsou (Benin) (spoke in French): We would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Jean Arnault, for the excellent introduction to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan (S/2005/525). We thank him for bringing us up to date on the latest developments in the country. The in-depth analysis of the situation in the report of the Secretary-General is particularly instructive concerning progress made by Afghanistan in the past three years and the stages that remain before the transitional process can be completed. My delegation has noted three central points for action that we believe deserve special attention by the Security Council: legislative elections, security problems and the importance of post-transition peacebuilding.”
2005-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5249 (2005) · source
“Given the central nature of this conflict, all progress on the ground will have positive repercussions on the whole range of situations that affect the region's stability.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“We are also concerned by the continued construction of settlements in the occupied territories. Ending the construction and dismantling those settlements are obligations under the road map, which is and remains the indisputable point of reference for carrying out the peace process. Here, we express our attachment to the main objective of the peace process: the creation of a Palestinian State existing side by side with Israel within fixed and internationally recognized borders. Disengagement from Gaza would be a decisive step in that direction. We urge all the parties involved to do their utmost to ensure the success of the process now under way in order to open up new prospects for the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“We also deplore the continued destruction of Palestinian property in the occupied territories and the resumption of the practice of the extrajudicial killing of Palestinian militants, in flagrant violation of the commitments undertaken at Sharm el-Sheikh. We call upon the occupying Power to put an end to that practice. For its part, the Palestinian Authority must take all appropriate measures to prevent attacks targeting Israeli civilian populations. The continued construction of the wall of separation despite the decision of the International Court of Justice constitutes a real challenge for the international community. We urge the Government of Israel to substantially implement the Court's decision, particularly with regard to halting the construction, dismantling the wall and returning property confiscated in that connection.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“My delegation is following this new crisis with great concern; it has already forced the Palestinian Authority to declare a state of emergency in the occupied territories. However, the agreements reached at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit allowed us to hope that the weapons would fall silent, which would permit the resumption of a frank dialogue between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority with a view to the implementation of the disengagement plan. It is essential to reverse this negative trend, which can only compromise the outcome of the operation, given the real risk of worsening tensions in view of the actions of the forces of the occupying Power and of the Palestinian resistance. In that regard, we do not understand the obstacles that continue to hinder freedom of movement and circulation in the occupied territories.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“James Wolfensohn, responsible for issues that do not concern security. We welcome the Secretary-General's decision to ensure that Mr. Wolfensohn has all the assistance he needs to establish an office in Jerusalem so that he can carry out his mandate. Those efforts by the Quartet clearly demonstrate the will of the international community to assist in the implementation of the disengagement, which is considered to be a stage of the implementation of the road map approved in resolution 1515 (2003) as a framework for the final settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and the end of the occupation. It is regrettable that those efforts are now being thwarted by the renewed outbreak of violence in Gaza with the approach of the occupying Power's disengagement, which is to take place in August.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“Mr. Zinsou (Benin) (spoke in French): My delegation thanks you, Mr. President, for having convened this open meeting of the Security Council to allow us to consider developments in the situation in the Middle East, including Palestine. We thank Mr. Alvaro de Soto, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, for his excellent briefing to the Council. We commend the efforts of the international community, particularly the Quartet, to ensure that the disengagement proceeds in a coordinated manner. We welcome the Knesset's decision to oppose any postponement of that disengagement. In that context, we express our support for the mission entrusted to two special envoys for the disengagement: General Ward, responsible for helping the Palestinian Authority set up appropriate structures for reforming the security apparatus, and Mr.”
2005-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5230 (2005) · source
“We now need to consider how best to integrate forces that have remained outside the peace process. Such integration would make it possible, for example, to complete the collection of weapons remaining in circulation. In the light of what I have said, my delegation urges the United Nations to retain the ability to continue to monitor developments in the situation in Papua New Guinea after the closure of the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville.”
2005-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5222 (2005) · source
“But the completion of the peace process does not mean the resolution of all the problems facing the province on its path to sustainable development. The province's Government and its legislature should shoulder their responsibility to strengthen and ensure the viability of the autonomy arrangements that have been put in place. It is important for the Bougainville authorities to work to reduce the heavy dependence on subsidies from the central Government; that dependence results from the lack of local resources to meet the province's budgetary needs. We urge donor countries to continue to support the efforts of the Bougainville Government. We are confident that the new provincial Government will successfully manage its relations with leaders in the "no-go" zone.”
2005-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5222 (2005) · source
“This long-term endeavour was carried out in phases. Each phase, described by Mr. Turk in his briefing, was marked by real challenges. If today we are able to speak of the success of the peace process, it is because those challenges were met through an sustained approach implemented under the watchful and beneficent eye of the United Nations Political Office in Bougainville and its successor, the United Nations Observer Mission in Bougainville (UNOMB). The results are a tribute to their efforts. We also pay tribute to the people, the authorities and the leadership of Bougainville. We offer special commendation to the donors that helped the central Government to meet its obligations under the peace process. The United Nations should draw lessons from this historic experience in order to enhance its peacebuilding capacity.”
2005-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5222 (2005) · source
“Mr. Zinsou (Benin) (spoke in French): My delegation echoes the congratulations addressed to you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July 2005 and the tributes paid to Ambassador De La Sabliere of France for his excellent guidance of the Council's work last month. Our thanks go to Danilo Turk, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his excellent briefing on the successful conclusion of the Bougainville peace process. Here, the annals of the United Nations can reflect an indisputable success. That success was the result of the Organization's sustained efforts in Bougainville to provide ongoing mediation between the parties and to help them overcome their differences and build a new relationship based on mutual trust. An enormous distance has been covered since 1998.”
2005-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5222 (2005) · source
“We fully endorse that point. The Security Council should appeal for the establishment of a special programme to rescue countries whose situations are particularly tragic. In that regard, I associate my delegation with the call by the representative of the United Kingdom for concerted international action to prevent conflicts before they occur. The credibility of the United Nations, and in particular of the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, would benefit from the enhancement of their conflict-prevention capacities.”
2005-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5220 (2005) · source
“We do not understand why political considerations should impede the delivery of assistance to a country stricken by HIV/AIDS, given that the international community has established a Fund to combat that disease. Food aid should be used as a channel to revitalize societies affected by famine and malnutrition, particularly in countries in which extreme poverty is endemic. The international community must fully exercise its responsibility to protect populations under threat in vulnerable countries. It should recognize that peace and security are threatened by the protracted destabilization in sub-Saharan countries as a result of the combined effects of conflicts, climactic conditions, and the fight for survival and control of the meager resources available. Many delegations have stressed the linkage between poverty and conflict.”
2005-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5220 (2005) · source
“Agricultural subsidy policies stifle the rural sectors in developing countries, and the international community should be concerned about that. It should encourage the developed countries to undertake the necessary reforms to give the developing countries a chance of survival. The international community must see to it, in particular, that food is distributed throughout the world so as to mitigate extreme poverty and natural disasters. We welcome WFP activities on behalf of the countries affected by the pandemic of famine, especially in Africa. We welcome its emphasis on the distress of poor countries at peace, which do not receive the necessary support from the international community to promote their sustainable development. We believe that political disputes should not affect the delivery of humanitarian assistance.”
2005-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5220 (2005) · source
“Mr. Aho-Glele (Benin) (spoke in French): I, too, should like to thank Mr. James Morris, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), for his excellent briefing on the food crisis in southern Africa. The points he made were very telling, in that they say much about the silent suffering of people in Africa. We pay tribute to the Secretary-General for having taken the wise initiative of dispatching the Executive Director of the WFP to the region. The guarantee of food security for people around the world should not pose major difficulties in terms of global food production. The challenge is one of distribution. In that respect, famine is the scourge that best highlights the dysfunction of the world system today. Clearly, that system compels poor countries to bear the brunt of the structural adjustments necessary for it to function.”
2005-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5220 (2005) · source
“This requires a long-term strategy to address the deep-rooted causes of conflict, which in turn means that we must consider measures to promote sustainable development, poverty eradication, national reconciliation, democracy and good governance. The protection of civilians is a key area in fulfilling the "responsibility to protect". The international community must remain vigilant so that it can do everything in its power to oppose the barbarism that some have no hesitation in making a way of life and an approach to the settlement of conflicts. The protection of civilians affected by armed conflict must be viewed as a major challenge to international peace and security.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“Egeland's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs need to cooperate closely, in coordination with relevant regional organizations and other structures, to set up an early warning network for critical situations requiring immediate action, for the purpose of protecting civilians from violence. We support the proposal that the protection of civilians be included in the mandate of peacekeeping operations, wherever they are deployed. An integrated and coherent approach in the overall activities of all actors is essential. In my delegation's view, an effective conflict-prevention strategy is another key element in the protection of civilians.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“Immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access is of crucial importance to provide victims with the humanitarian assistance that is often so desperately needed to save their lives. In that regard, the international community's fight against impunity should include among crimes against humanity the actions of those who in any way hamper access to humanitarian assistance. The International Criminal Court should prosecute such persons. Moreover, international bodies such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Mr.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“Here, I would note that my country is hosting a large number of Togolese refugees and that we have appealed for international assistance so that we can provide relief for them. To date, there has been no significant response to that appeal. We reaffirm the primary obligation borne by belligerent parties - whether States or non-State actors - to provide civilians with the protection required under international humanitarian law. Here, we would recall article 48 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which states that "In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants".”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“Moreover, deliberate violence against United Nations and humanitarian personnel and sexual and other abuse perpetrated against women and girls must also be harshly condemned. The specific situations just described by Mr. Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, indicate the scale and gravity of the assaults on human dignity perpetrated against civilian populations. We are grateful to Mr. Egeland for having placed special stress on the genuine risk of widespread humanitarian disaster not only because of the lack of security and the difficulty of ensuring humanitarian access to affected populations, but also, and above all, because of a certain indifference and the lack of appropriate financial resources.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“Nor is it uncommon for serious human rights violations affecting civilian populations to stem from unrestrained intercommunal confrontations motivated by ethnic hatred and to trigger flows of refugees and internally displaced persons. Likewise, the phenomenon of random violence above all affects the most vulnerable sectors of the civilian population: women, children and the elderly, as well as the humanitarian workers providing them with relief. We cannot here turn our backs on the particularly repellant cases of children forcibly recruited into armed bands and turned into war machines to perpetrate grave crimes against their own communities or used as cannon fodder to blaze a trail through minefields for fighting troops. We unreservedly condemn such crimes.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source
“But in recent years we have seen the emergence of a pernicious phenomenon: the constant erosion of respect for the norms set out in those instruments. In several parts of the world, the deliberate infliction of totally unwarranted random violence on peaceful civilian populations has become common, most often in the context of internal conflicts of varying intensity, in particular in Africa. The atrocities that civilians endure are totally unacceptable, whether they be committed by Government troops engaged in punitive operations, by armed rebels or by terrorist movements that defy Governments in their sovereign function of safeguarding public safety.”
2005-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5209 (2005) · source