http://undemocracy.com UNDemocracy.com http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6199#pg002-bk05-pa02 Members of the Council have before them document S/2009/528, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by United States of America. http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6217#pg002-bk08-pa04 The three expert groups have continued to implement the common strategy on dealing with non- or late-reporting States through exchanges of information and joint visits, when appropriate, and in assisting Member States in submitting their responses to the three Committees on their implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Under that strategy, the three expert groups have jointly participated in two workshops organized by the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. One of those was a workshop for 11 States from the Middle East region and the other was for 13 States from the Caribbean and Latin American region. An expert from CTED participated in the regional workshop for Central American States organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which was held in Costa Rica from 8 to 10 September. Those workshops continue to provide an excellent opportunity for the three expert groups to assist Member States in understanding the differing but complementary roles and mandates of the three Committees. http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6217#pg007-bk02-pa01 Since May 2009, the representatives of the 1540 Committee and its group of experts have actively participated in 20 workshops and other meetings held outside United Nations Headquarters to promote the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Those outreach activities were held throughout the world: in Africa and the Middle East; in South-Asia and East Asia, including the Pacific Island States; in Latin America and the Caribbean; and in Eastern and Western Europe. The level of representation varied in accordance with the types of issues included in a meeting's agenda and the extent to which aspects of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) were addressed. http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6217#pg007-bk02-pa02 The 1540 Committee has continued to participate in the following four types of outreach activities. First are regional workshops devoted specifically to resolution 1540 (2004) and organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). One such workshop was held on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), focusing on capacity-building in terms of border and export controls; it was held for the Central American States in San José, Costa Rica, from 8 to 10 September. The Committee expresses its thanks to the Government of Costa Rica, as host; to UNODA, as the organizer; and to the European Union and the Governments of United States of America and Norway, as sponsors of the event. http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6073#pg002-bk08-pa04 Another particular concern is the spread of cross-border organized crime, especially drug trafficking. Taking advantage of porous borders and weak State and security institutions, criminal networks are increasingly using West Africa as a transit route for narcotics bound for Europe from Latin America. While criminal networks operated mostly with the complicity of low-level authorities in the past, today they are infiltrating State institutions, fuelling corruption and destabilizing the political and social fabric of nations. UNOWA has therefore stepped up its activities, raising awareness at all levels of leadership about the harmful impact of organized crime on governance and security. In conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and ECOWAS, UNOWA is also expected to play a lead role in coordinating United Nations inputs into the implementation of the recently adopted ECOWAS Action Plan on drug trafficking. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg001-bk03-pa02 The situation in Central America: progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg001-bk05-pa01 It has been several years since the General Assembly last addressed this agenda item, on the situation in Central America. That is, in fact, a source of satisfaction for us, since, in contrast to the situation of 15 or even 10 years ago, Central America is now a region at peace where democratic institutions and respect for basic human rights have been strengthened and where progress has been achieved in the economic and social spheres. Some of those advances may be fragile or insufficient, but there is no doubt that the current situation is incomparably better than the one which prevailed during the mid-1990s. For that reason, the most recent United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in the region -- the mission to Guatemala -- left the country in 2002, after ten years of fruitful work. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa01 As we commence this debate, I think we should not lose track of the historical background, as outlined by the preceding speaker, the representative of Guatemala. We should recall that this is an item that has been on the agenda of the General Assembly since 1983 and its earlier title showed that it dealt with procedures to establish a sound and lasting peace. The title of the item has changed, which is, I think, clear testimony to the progress reached in Central America in the past decade and the positive role that the United Nations has played, and continues to play, in supporting the dynamic of peace, democracy and development that the subregion has experienced. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa02 However, the strengthening of the peace process, which the General Assembly and the Security Council were examining in the 1980s and, even more, in the 1990s should not lead us to forget the needs of the subregion. Overcoming post-conflict situations is an arduous, long-term process, and in Central America there are still considerable challenges, such as combating impunity and transnational organized crime, but also eradicating poverty, especially in rural areas and among the indigenous population. Often, this is a challenge that remains in spite of very promising and positive macroeconomic indicators. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa03 Spain supports the regional perspective in looking at these challenges. Regional mechanisms of dispute settlement, along with United Nations support, have demonstrated their strong effectiveness in Central America. We are convinced that further deepening of Central American integration is essential to achieving economic and social development, as well as strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law in the countries that make up the subregion. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa04 Spanish assistance efforts in Central America have worked, and will continue to work, with this in mind. We will continue giving priority to assistance to democratic governance, citizen participation and strengthening civil institutions. Examples of this policy are the Cooperation Programme with Central America, put into place in 2003 and strengthened in 2006 with the Fund established by Spain and the Central American Integration System (SICA), and cooperation programmes based on commitments adopted at various Ibero-America summits, such as the one that recently took place in San Salvador. These were commitments that have led us to work more in such areas as combating gender violence, juvenile crime or impunity for violent crimes. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa06 As is reflected in the Secretary-General's letter that I just mentioned, the Commission, following the first year of its mandate, is at a crucial juncture. Its innovative character made it difficult to start work; however, after the initial months of getting up to speed, under the skilful, expert steering of its Commissioner, Mr. Carlos Castresana, it has already taken on significant cases. The support and commitment, both on the part of the Government of Guatemala and the United Nations Secretary-General, as well as of all the friends of Latin America, has become more necessary than ever for it to succeed. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg002-bk01-pa10 We would like to thank the Secretary-General for the information he has provided on this innovative initiative and we emphasize our support for the commitment and efforts made by the Government of Guatemala. It is essential to keep working to ensure that Central America remains on the agenda of the General Assembly as a key to progress and development and as an example of democratic consolidation. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_43#pg004-bk03-pa01 The Assembly will now take action on draft resolution A/63/L.18. Before we do so, I should like to announce that the following additional countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Iraq, Japan, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United States of America. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_57#pg002-bk03-pa03 One year ago, the international community as a whole welcomed the holding of an international conference at Annapolis convened by the United States of America to follow up an initiative by the Quartet. The Conference led to the resumption of the political process between Israelis and Palestinians and elicited an unprecedented level of political, economic and financial support by the international community for the Palestinian Authority, and subsequently led to substantial pledges at the donors' conference held in Paris in December 2007. The Committee joined the groundswell to relaunch the peace process and, in the context of its programme of work, worked to establish an environment conducive to advancing permanent status negotiations. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_74#pg007-bk08-pa01 I call on the representative of the United States of America, who wishes to speak in explanation of position on the resolution just adopted. http://www.undemocracy.com/securitycouncil/meeting_6220#pg002-bk07-pa02 Members of the Council have before them document S/2009/591, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_60#pg001-bk04-pa03 I now give the floor to the representative of the United States of America in explanation of vote. http://www.undemocracy.com/generalassembly_63/meeting_60#pg015-bk04-pa02 I now give the floor to the representative of the United States of America.