Security Council meeting 4101

The President

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.

The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

Members of the Council have before them the ninth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA), document S/2000/24.

Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council has considered the report of the Secretary-General dated 14 January 2000 (S/2000/24) submitted in accordance with resolution 1271 (1999) of 22 October 1999.

“The Security Council commends the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the contribution they have made to the restoration of peace and security in the Central African Republic and for their important and tangible support for the holding of free and fair legislative and presidential elections, the restructuring of the security forces, the training of the police force and the launching of vital reforms in the political, social and economic fields in the Central African Republic. The Council expresses its thanks to all the countries which took part in and contributed to the success of MINURCA, particularly the troop-contributing countries.

“The Security Council recognizes the significant progress made by the Government of the Central African Republic in implementing the Bangui Agreements (S/1997/561, appendices III-VI) and the National Reconciliation Pact (S/1998/219), which are the foundations of peace and stability in the country.

“The Security Council strongly encourages the Government of the Central African Republic to do all it can to build on the progress made while the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) and MINURCA have been present in the country and to work with determination to strengthen democratic institutions, broaden the scope of reconciliation and national unity and promote economic reform and recovery. The Council urges the Government of the Central African Republic to continue to conform to the requirements of the economic reform and financial consolidation programmes agreed with the international financial institutions. The Council calls upon the members of the international community and on bilateral and multilateral donors in particular to give their active support to the efforts being made to this end by the Government of the Central African Republic. The Council wishes also to stress the importance of providing international assistance to the refugees and displaced persons in the Central African Republic and the other countries of the region in order to contribute to regional stability.

“The Security Council welcomes the promulgation by the Central African authorities of three laws on the restructuring of the armed forces and the decrees issued by the Government so that these laws can be implemented. The Council encourages the Central African authorities actively to prepare and to submit, with the help of the United Nations, specific plans for the holding of a meeting in New York to mobilize the financial and other resources necessary for the effective implementation of the programme for the restructuring of the Central African armed forces and the demobilization and reintegration programme. The Council calls upon the members of the international community to support these programmes.

“The Security Council welcomes in particular the decision by the Government of the Central African Republic to disband the Special Force for the Defence of the Republican Institutions (FORSDIR), and notes with satisfaction that FORSDIR will be replaced by a unit fully integrated in the national security forces, under the command of the Chief of Staff of the Central African armed forces, and that its mission will be strictly limited to protecting State authorities at the highest level.

“The Security Council also welcomes the decision by the Secretary-General, which has been accepted by the Government of the Central African Republic, to establish, for an initial period of one year beginning on 15 February 2000, the United Nations Peace-Building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA), headed by a representative of the Secretary-General, and encourages the Central African authorities and BONUCA to work closely together. The Council notes with satisfaction that the Office’s principal mission will be to support the Government’s efforts to consolidate peace and national reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions and facilitate the mobilization at the international level of political support and resources for national reconstruction and economic recovery in the Central African Republic; and that the Office is also tasked with monitoring developments in and promoting public awareness of human rights issues.

“The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep it regularly informed of the activities of the Office, the situation in the Central African Republic and, in particular, the progress achieved in political, social and economic reforms, and to submit a report to the Council by 30 June 2000 and every six months thereafter.”

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2000/5.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.