General Assembly Session 56 meeting 27

Mr. Mejdoub (Tunisia)

My delegation would like at the outset to thank the President of the Security Council for the month of October, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ireland, Mr. Richard Ryan, for his exhaustive presentation of the report of the Security Council, which is submitted to the General Assembly under the provisions of the Charter. Tunisia would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate once again the Syrian Arab Republic, Guinea, Cameroon, Mexico and Bulgaria on their election as non-permanent members of the Security Council. We are certain that these countries will not fail to contribute constructively to the work of the Council. Allow me also to congratulate us all on the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded this year to our Organization and the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.

The examination of the report of the Security Council has always been the main mechanism at the General Assembly's disposal, under the provisions of the Charter, to assess the activity of the Security Council throughout the period covered in the report. This mechanism also enables the General Assembly to identify the measures that should be taken in order to make the necessary improvements to the working methods of that body in a way that faithfully follows the letter and the spirit of the Charter and also meets the expectations of the Member States of the Organization.

The annual debate on the report is also an opportunity of which I think the Security Council should fully avail itself, by making concrete use of the innovative and constructive ideas that emerge in the course of this debate in order to enhance its effectiveness and credibility and to lend tangible form to its interaction with the General Assembly.

In this regard, my delegation takes note of the sustained efforts of the Council to improve its performance in carrying out its mandate in the field of the maintenance of international peace and security. This trend, which we support and encourage, consists in the following points.

The first is the enshrinement of the broadened concept of the maintenance of international peace and security, which now goes beyond traditional peacekeeping operations to include conflict prevention and peace-building. This approach is expressed in several presidential statements and resolutions of the Council that contain measures and specific recommendations to this end. Our Organization should from now on think in terms of prevention to head off conflict and spare human lives, not to mention the financial aspects. The Council shows a trend to hold brainstorming sessions, which can improve the work of prevention. This is certainly a step forward.

Second is effective cooperation with all of the concerned parties -- those who are part of the United Nations family as well as those outside this system, in particular regional organizations. We welcome and encourage this approach.

Third is more effective concentration on the conflicts in Africa and broadening the scope of their consideration by covering the general geopolitical framework of a given conflict rather than focusing attention exclusively on the country involved in conflict. This approach has been demonstrated specifically in the way the Council approached the situation in the countries of West Africa.

Fourth is the improvement in the concept of the sanctions regime so as to ensure that the goals at which the sanctions are aimed are obtained, while not harming the interests of third States and the populations of the countries hit by the sanctions. This tendency has been widely established in the sanctions regimes imposed on Ethiopia, Eritrea and Liberia, but not yet in respect of other countries; I shall return to this question.

The conclusion we have reached in reviewing this positive evolution is that the Security Council has effectively shown its capacity and its readiness -- provided that it has the necessary political will -- to react favourably and concretely to the ideas expressed by Member States of the Organization, which are capable of further enhancing its credibility.

We think that that constructive trend should be encouraged and promoted to ensure that the Security Council can play its central role of tackling all international peace and security matters on an equal footing. In that regard, my delegation would like to make the following points.

First, the Security Council must devote the necessary attention to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. The Council's responsibility remains vital; there is no alternative to it.

Secondly, my delegation also believes that the Security Council's primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security requires it to deal properly with the issue of Somalia, which remains practically absent from the Council's agenda, despite the obvious dangers posed by the continued lack of basic State structures in Somalia. Let us not forget that the Council's inappropriate handling of the situation in Afghanistan has led to that hitherto almost forgotten conflict taking on uncontrollable international dimensions and giving rise to a new type of political turmoil that requires a new approach by the Security Council to all hotbeds of tension, as well as new methods to deal with them.

Thirdly, on the issue of sanctions, my delegation -- like many other delegations -- regrets that the Security Council did not adopt the recommendations of the Working Group it established to deal with this issue. My delegation underscores once again the need for the Council to agree on the measures necessary for harmonizing sanctions regimes by establishing general rules identifying the criteria for the lifting of sanctions; specifying mechanisms the Council can use to assess the degree of implementation of the objectives intended to be attained by the sanctions; establishing time limits for sanctions and defining specific criteria for the renewal of sanctions; activating the provisions of Article 50 of the Charter of the United Nations; and, lastly, putting in place appropriate measures to prevent negative effects of sanctions from affecting civilian populations.

With regard to the Council's working methods, we noted with satisfaction the growing improvement in this regard, which has made the Council's work more transparent. That improvement can be clearly seen in the growing number of open meetings held by the Council, as well as in the closed meetings held pursuant to Articles 31 and 32 of the Charter. This improvement can also be seen in the strengthening of cooperation between the Council and troop-contributing countries, in the adoption of resolution 1353 (2001) of 13 June 2001, and in the private meetings held between the Council and troop-contributing countries in accordance with this resolution.

We have also noted a desire by the Council to improve its understanding of the situations it deals with by sending special missions to the field and by carrying out direct dialogues at the highest level with parties to conflicts. These measures have had a positive impact on the substance of the Council's decisions, which now respond better to the demands of the situations under its consideration.

The Security Council has also made sure that it keeps Member States informed through briefings given by Presidents about informal consultations.

Moreover, we have noted that some members of the Council have recently begun a trend whereby open meetings are held at the end of their presidency to assess the work of the Council. We note this new trend with satisfaction, because we believe that it contributes to greater transparency. We also believe that it is possible to further develop that practice so as to ensure we have a true mechanism for interaction between the Council and the other Member States of the Organization.

We have also not failed to notice the Council's efforts to strengthen interaction with the General Assembly by delegating some of its members to participate in the deliberations of the General Assembly Working Group dealing with the issue of Security Council reform. Given the Council's evolving and essential role on the international scene, we think that this practice also needs to be further developed and institutionalized, as it can be beneficial to Council reform and to enhancing its effectiveness, transparency and credibility.

Reforming the Security Council's working methods is not an end in itself. The ultimate goal of that reform is to strengthen the Council's capacity to properly carry out its responsibilities, given that all its decisions have direct and immediate effect not only on Member States, but also on individuals in every region of the world. The sole purpose of the interaction between the Council and the General Assembly that we are calling for is to ensure that the Council fulfils the hopes and aspirations of the international community and firmly establishes the foundations of an international legality that binds us all and to which all of us can turn in times of both war and peace.

We have all taken note of the Council's initiatives in that regard, and of its willingness to improve its working methods, including those concerned with the content and structure of its annual report to the General Assembly. In this context, we would like to highlight the great importance we attach to the work of the Security Council Working Group on Documentation and Procedures. We would like to take this opportunity to call on the Group to take into account the views expressed by Member States in this debate, as well as the ideas expressed in the General Assembly's Working Group on Security Council reform.

We have no intention of repeating yet again the criticisms made during this debate with regard to the format and contents of the Council's annual report, which, despite the importance given to it in the Charter, does not meet its intended objective of providing Member States with the information necessary to evaluate the Council's work. Criticism in that regard has already been made, and we are not going to repeat it. Those shortcomings must be rectified.

Worthwhile efforts have been made in recent months to deal with problems in order to strengthen our trust in the Council. Various ideas have been mentioned, such as transparency, which cannot be avoided in today's world, but also new notions, such as accountability and follow-up with regard to implementation of the Council's decisions. Those efforts should be encouraged, because they will give our Organization greater authority and credibility -- and, indeed, a greater degree of democracy. I very much hope that when we next consider this item we shall have encouraging answers.

In conclusion, I would like to refer to the fact that Ambassador Ryan, in introducing the report of the Security Council, emphasized that the members of the Security Council will consider all suggestions made during this debate. I reaffirm my country's commitment to work during the remainder of our term as a non-permanent member of the Council to promote the constructive ideas that emerge from today's debate. My delegation looks forward to coordinating its efforts in this area with the other members of the Security Council as well as with the rest of the membership of the Organization.

Mr. Alcalay (Venezuela)

I join earlier speakers in congratulating the Secretary-General on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which also went to the United Nations Organization itself. The award is an encouragement for us to continue to work to build a world of peace and security, particularly at this time when the impact of the terrorist acts of 11 September have generated such immediate solidarity in the international community in the struggle against the scourge of terrorism. In this context, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Security Council for its very swift response on the morning of 12 September, followed by the General Assembly the same day, with the unanimous adoption of a resolution by each body.

Venezuela considers the report of the Security Council to be extremely important, not only because the Council is a main organ of the United Nations, but because of the high expectations that have arisen in connection with the proposed changes aimed at ensuring a more analytical approach, which would certainly help to improve the content of the report.

The delegation of Venezuela thanks the Secretariat for its preparation of the most recent report, which details the Security Council's work over the past year in a comprehensive and in-depth way; a great effort has been made in this respect.

My delegation, however, would like to share some thoughts on the content of the report as they relate to two areas.

First, with regard to the content itself, the great deal of space devoted to discussions in the Council on items such as Africa, the Middle East, the question of Palestine, East Timor, Iraq and the Balkans shows the continued importance of such issues.

Another significant aspect is reform of the Council. The report shows that there is a continuing tendency for meetings to take place behind closed doors, which my delegation believes runs counter to the need to adopt democratic and transparent working methods. That need flows from the demands of the Millennium Declaration, together with reaffirmation of the right of all States to participate, members and non-members of the Security Council alike.

As for the Council's agenda, other important issues -- including those of children and armed conflict; HIV/AIDS and peacekeeping operations; and women, peace and security -- have become increasingly relevant. The Council, however, should consider such items in connection with their implications for its particular area of competence, namely, international peace and security.

The other area on which we would like to comment relates specifically to methodology, in particular the way in which information is handled and presented. My delegation would like to emphasize that, despite the major effort that has been made in preparing the report, we have still not seen the results, or the more dynamic relationship, that we had hoped for. This is particularly important given that today, more than ever, we must continue to effect a change in the international political, economic and social order so that we can focus more closely on resolving the most serious problems, in accordance with the objectives set out during the Millennium Summit of heads of State or Government, which took place last year here in New York.

We hope that the Security Council will in future be able to prepare its reports in a more analytical and constructive manner, so as to reflect the general orientation of its work. That would enable us to form a precise picture of its activities, and of its vision for the future, as they relate to the development of issues relating to international peace and security and their bearing on the general situation in international relations, which is the fundamental raison d'etre of our international Organization.

We are sure that considerable difficulties remain with this analytical approach. Nonetheless, we are aware that there is a desire to improve the preparation and presentation of the report, as evidenced by the work of the Security Council Working Group on Documentation and Procedures. We are sure that that work will soon yield results.

I would like to highlight the establishment of the counter-terrorism Committee, established under resolution 1373 (2001). This will provide an opportunity for the Security Council not only to bring the various countries of the United Nations together to combat terrorism, but to ensure a positive, effective, open and fluid interaction with all Member States with a view to building peace in the world.

In conclusion, we congratulate the representatives of Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and the Syrian Arab Republic on their election as members of the Security Council. We are confident that their efforts will contribute further to the work being undertaken by the current members of the Council.

Mr. Kuchinsky (Ukraine)

I should like to express my delegation's appreciation to Ambassador Richard Ryan, President of the Security Council for the current month, for presenting the annual report on the work of that organ for the period 16 June 2000 to 15 June 2001.

Let me also congratulate the representatives of Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Syria on the recent election of their countries to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council starting on 1 January 2002. My delegation would like to wish these countries every success in discharging their very important responsibilities.

It is true that the record of the Council is always mixed; there are, of course, successes and there are failures. The 12-month period covered in the report was no exception to this rule, and the General Assembly's evaluation of the work of the Council should adequately acknowledge both.

I cannot agree more with what was said yesterday by Ambassador Mahbubani of Singapore about the shift in political power within the United Nations family. Indeed, the sweeping changes on the world political scene of the last 10 years have led to the strengthening and the expansion of the powers of the Security Council, thus making it -- in contrast to the previous decade -- the most dominant and influential body, whose activities effectively shape international relations.

These changes have brought about increasing demands from the international community for the reform of the Security Council. Ukraine remains realistic about the fact that the comprehensive transformation of the Council and its activities is not an easy endeavour. Slow progress in the working group of the General Assembly on Security Council reform has decreased our enthusiasm and expectations for quick results. Still, the Council, conservative as it is, cannot stay away from the ongoing transformation processes of our Organization, and we have to admit that it is gradually -- albeit not always consistently -- changing the way it acts. There is, I believe, growing recognition, including within the Security Council, that reforms are indeed indispensable if the Council wants to respond to the demands of the times.

During the period under review, the Council effectively continued applying to its work all the good traditions and innovative approaches of past years, thus strengthening and building on the trend towards greater transparency and better working methods. This is especially important in view of the close link between the accountability and the transparency of the Council. We note the increasing recourse to open meetings and the growing participation of non-members of the Council in the consideration by the Security Council of a large number of issues on its agenda. Of course, much remains to be done in this area, and we are still far from the desired results. We have seen a number of innovative proposals in this respect, and we hope that the Council will constructively consider these initiatives.

I would also like to take this opportunity to offer my delegation's full support for the proposals put forward by Singapore to improve the contents and the format of the Council's annual reports. We look forward to the forthcoming discussions in the Council's Working Group on Documentation and Procedures and we are ready to make Ukraine's contribution to that consideration.

It is important to recognize visible progress in the area of the reform of United Nations peacekeeping mechanisms. In the view of my delegation, close cooperation between troop-contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat is one of the major factors in conducting peacekeeping operations, at all stages, in the most effective manner. Against this background, we are satisfied with the real progress that was achieved in this field last year following the adoption of Security Council resolution 1327 (2000) and General Assembly resolution 55/135, both of which endorsed the recommendations of the Brahimi report, as well as the adoption of Security Council resolution 1353 (2001) this year.

At the same time, we agree that the new arrangements formalized in these resolutions are far from being exhaustive. In this regard, we expect that more will be done to find ways to improve the triangle of cooperation between the Secretariat, troop contributors and the Security Council.

In recent years, issues related to sanctions became the focus of attention of the international community and various United Nations organs. We note with satisfaction the effective expansion of the United Nations geography in consideration of various aspects of this issue, which continue to be addressed by an increasing number of United Nations bodies. I have to mention visible improvements in the Security Council policy in this area in past years.

Sanctions, however, will and must remain a necessary and important policy instrument in the hands of the Security Council. It is therefore of utmost importance that the Council apply a clear and coherent methodology for the imposition, application and lifting of measures under Chapter VII. In this connection, I wish to welcome the work done by the working group of the Security Council on general issues relating to sanctions, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Chowdhury of Bangladesh, which successfully endeavoured to elaborate such a methodology. The adoption and the effective implementation of its results should remain among the priorities of the Council's activities for the near future.

I welcome the intensified dialogue with regional and subregional organizations. It is a promising development. Regional action could not only ease the burden of the Council, but could also contribute to a deeper sense of general responsibility for the planet's present future, as well as to further democratization of international affairs.

In this context, we are satisfied that cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations has reached very high levels. In particular, we could refer to the examples of such cooperation in resolving the conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and in West Africa.

There are many other domains and dimensions pressing for urgent change.

The tragic course of events in the Middle East in the past year required the consistent attention of the Council. However, the effectiveness of the Council's reaction to the situation was once again undermined by its inability to act and put a stop to the ongoing violence and bloodshed in the Palestinian territory and in Israel and bring the parties back to the negotiating table.

This May the Council started reviewing its policy towards Iraq, trying to find a way out of the impasse, which characterizes the Council's decade-long consideration of this issue. We continue to believe that the necessary preconditions for Iraqi cooperation with the Council and the resolution of the Iraqi issue can and should be found outside the tightening of the sanctions regime, which has resulted in more than 10 years of suffering by the Iraqi people. We also emphasize that continuation of the dialogue between the Secretary-General and the Government of Iraq will serve effectively to achieve this goal.

The continuing crisis in the Balkans is another example of the crucial current difficulties faced by the Security Council itself. The permanent attention to the situations in Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Prevlaka, has already given not only the necessary political message to the players in the Balkans arena but has also given an extremely important impetus to the democratic and stabilizing developments in that region. At the same time, the remaining problems demonstrate that the situation in the Balkans cannot be improved simply by paperwork, statements or declarations. The results of the activities of the Security Council over the period under discussion strengthen our belief that the successful resolution of the crisis in the region can be reached through a well-targeted regional peace-strengthening strategy, which has to be elaborated by the Council in close cooperation with regional organizations, first and foremost the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

During the reporting period, the Council successfully sustained the encouraging trend of the past couple years by making a major shift in its overall policy towards Africa and continued to be actively involved in responding to the conflict situations on the continent, for the lack of which it had been widely criticized not long ago. A significant contribution to this crucial task was made by the Security Council summit held on 7 September 2000. The presidential statement adopted at that meeting became an important contribution towards the development of a well-targeted strategy and shared vision in the maintenance of international peace and security on the continent and beyond, and of the deeper and broader involvement of Member States and the wider international community in this regard.

The follow-up actions of the Council were evidence of its willingness to translate the commitments made at its summit into practical results and an expression of the Council's determination to intensify efforts to this end. The major developments in this area have been marked by the increase of the United Nations peacekeeping presence in Sierra Leone, which every day gives more grounds for optimism; steady progress in the peace process between Ethiopia and Eritrea, assisted by the United Nations Mission; positive dynamics in the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which continues to receive the most active support of the Council; and the continuation of an active involvement by the Council in the peace consolidation efforts in Angola. The Council kept monitoring closely the developments in the peace-building efforts of Guinea-Bissau and the Central African Republic, and the restoration of stability and State institutions in Somalia.

With certain important progress having been made by the Security Council with regard to addressing some of the crises in Africa, it is important that this progress be followed by renewed commitments and the political will of the parties concerned to implement peace agreements and to work towards achieving sustainable peace.

By offering these remarks, my intention was to emphasize that the Security Council has a special role to play in establishing a new pattern of international cooperation as we enter a new era with new challenges.

Mr. Swe (Myanmar)

First, I should like to express our thanks to Ambassador Ryan, President of the Security Council for the month of October, for his introduction of the Council's annual report to the Assembly. Submitted under Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, this report serves as the most important link between the two bodies -- the General Assembly, where 189 sovereign States are represented, and the Security Council, which is entrusted by the Member States with the crucial responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. The report enables Member States to give their impressions on the work of the Council and review its effectiveness. For these reasons, we continue to attach importance to the present mechanism of annual reporting by the Council.

Although there are various other formats that the Council has devised over the years to inform the General Assembly membership of its important activities, the annual report remains the most useful package of information for the majority of States, particularly those States with limited human resources, regarding the wide-ranging activities of the Organization.

Before going to the substance of the report, I wish to make some observations on the format of the report and the efforts of the Council to strengthen its effectiveness. The report of the Council, as it is structured, is a comprehensive document containing many details. Despite the efforts by the Security Council to make it more analytical, we regard this as an area that needs further strengthening. It is in this regard that we share the views so eloquently put forward by Ambassador Mahbubani. The Members need more information on the thinking and the analysis behind the consideration of peace and security issues of which the Council remains seized. How the Security Council perceived these issues is more significant and valuable to us other Members than the description of the events in chronological order. We do attach some value to the facts and information provided by the report. However, we strongly wish to be informed of the conceptual reasoning that surrounded the consideration of each issue before the Council.

In this regard, we are encouraged that the report continues to provide us with the assessment of the work of the Council by its Presidents during their respective presidencies. Though these assessments are no substitute for a more analytical report of the Council, they give us information that helps us understand clearly how issues before the Council evolved and how the Council reacted to the unfolding developments concerning them. It is also from these presidential assessments that we are informed about the useful visits to the regions of concern by high-level United Nations officials and the considered views they share with the Council as to the further steps needed. We are grateful for these assessments, which make the work of the Council more transparent.

In this connection, the idea of monthly public wrap-up discussions on the work of the Security Council is a useful initiative. We strongly believe that this process enhances the effectiveness of the Council in the long run. My delegation would like to express its support for the Council's initiatives, through these wrap-up discussions, to bring more transparency and openness to its work.

The Council's openness and transparency in its work can only strengthen its credibility, as well as its efficiency and effectiveness. The involvement of all concerned in the consideration of peacekeeping operations also enhances the Council's commitment to transparency. We are therefore grateful to observe the steps taken by the Council to strengthen cooperation between the troop-contributing countries, on the one hand, and the Security Council and the Secretariat, on the other. These steps, by promoting a transparent relationship between the three actors, will foster a new spirit of partnership, cooperation and confidence. In this context, we believe that the unanimous adoption of Council resolution 1353 (2001) will further strengthen the partnership.

The effectiveness of the Council depends in large measure on the implementation of its relevant resolutions in conflict situations. The implementation process encompasses many key actors, such as various United Nations agencies, those on the ground and relevant communities of the country or the region concerned. The successful implementation of a Council resolution clearly needs the full support of these key actors. The Council's initiative to enlist the support of the key actors through its missions to conflict areas is commendable. We believe that such high-level missions will send a clear message to all concerned that it is the strong wish of the international community to see the issues resolved.

Concerning the substantive side of the report, we find that the Council remains seized with many conflict situations and crises. Due to the lack of political will of the parties concerned, long-standing problems remain on its agenda. In this regard, the Council's continued efforts to focus on specific issues that have a negative bearing on a conflict situation need to be encouraged and maintained. We are pleased to observe that the Council, in the period under consideration, engaged in debates on very relevant issues, such as women, peace and security; HIV/AIDS; the protection of civilians in armed conflict; and children in armed conflict. We believe that these thematic discussions will contribute to strengthening the Council's effectiveness.

With regard to peacekeeping operations, we are heartened that the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (A/55/305) has been comprehensively reviewed by the Working Group established by the Security Council. Security Council resolution 1327 (2000), adopted in response to the report of the Panel, contains useful recommendations submitted by the Working Group. We ardently hope that the recommendations will go a long way towards effecting needed changes in the peacekeeping operations of the Organization.

Let me now make a few comments on the issue of sanctions. When the framers of the Charter of the United Nations considered sanction provisions for inclusion in the Charter, they had the best of intentions and the noblest of thoughts in making sanctions regimes a primary tool of peace enforcement. At the same time, resort to sanctions regimes under Article 41 of the Charter, be they comprehensive or otherwise, has never been an easy task. The simple reason is that a sanctions regime has unintended negative and collateral impact.

Primarily due to the severe impact of sanctions, it has been accepted that sanctions should be a last-resort tool in peace enforcement. We are encouraged that many reviews of sanctions regimes have been conducted both within and outside the United Nations system to make them a more effective tool, rather than a blunt instrument. Despite these reviews, there has been a general feeling that improvements are still needed in the way sanctions are being applied. Questions still linger as to how long a sanctions regime should stay and what and who could objectively determine that a country concerned has complied with the demands of the international community. We strongly feel that the lifting of a sanctions regime, especially a comprehensive one, should be governed by objective considerations.

In this regard, we are pleased to observe that the Security Council established a Working Group to develop general recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of sanctions. At the same time, while we recognize the progress made in the Working Group, we are discouraged that major aspects of the sanctions issue, such as time limits for and the lifting of sanctions, remain outstanding. Given its importance, we wish to urge that further steps be taken to make progress in this respect.

Before concluding, I wish to convey our warmest congratulations to the five newly elected members of the Council: Bulgaria, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Syria. We are confident that they will be able to contribute to the successful implementation of the Council's primary functions. On our part, Myanmar is ready to cooperate with them, as well as with other members, in the discharge of their heavy responsibilities.