Security Council meeting 4382

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative the Central African Republic in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

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

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

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 of 19 September 2001 (S/2001/886) submitted in accordance with the statement of its President on 17 July 2001 (S/PRST/2001/18), particularly his recommendations on how the United Nations might further contribute to the recovery of the Central African Republic.

“The Security Council expresses its appreciation of the continuing work of the Secretary-General’s representative, General Lamine Cissé, and of the United Nations Bureau for the Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA).

“The Security Council expresses its continued deep concern at the precarious situation in the Central African Republic. It reiterates its call on all parties for political dialogue, national reconciliation and respect for human rights in the spirit of the 1998 National Reconciliation Pact. In this respect, it has taken note of the appeals for national unity made by the Central African authorities.

“The Security Council calls on the Central African authorities to follow the internationally accepted standards for due process in the course of investigations and court trials of individuals involved in the coup attempt in May 2001. These procedures should be transparent and should not be allowed to aggravate the inter-ethnic relations in the Central African Republic. The refugees who left the country after the failed coup should be able to return in safety without fear of persecution on an ethnic basis.

“The Security Council encourages the international community to make a substantial and urgent contribution to the recovery of the Central African Republic and emphasizes that the efficiency of such a contribution will greatly depend on the efforts the Government of the Central African Republic itself makes to this end. The Council emphasizes that the crucial issues of external debt and payment of arrears of salary for civil servants need to be urgently addressed.

“The Security Council encourages the United Nations Development Programme and the international financial institutions, particularly the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, to consider, in consultation with the Government of the Central African Republic and the Secretary-General’s representative, ways of strengthening the capacities of the Government of the Central African Republic in the management of its economic and financial affairs, including through secondment of high-level experts. The Council invites the Secretary-General to keep it informed of actions taken in this regard when he presents his next report on the Central African Republic. In addition, the Council urges the Bretton Woods institutions to show exceptional solicitude towards the Central African Republic.

“The Security Council takes note with interest of the intention of the Secretary-General, in coordination with the Government of the Central African Republic, to extend the mandate of the United Nations Bureau for the Peace-building Support Office in the Central African Republic and to strengthen it in accordance with paragraph 29 of his report of 19 September 2001 (S/2001/886).

“The Security Council underlines the need to continue the restructuring of the Central African armed forces to enable them to fulfil their role effectively, loyally and impartially, in the service of the Central African people. It also recalls the importance of implementing an effective arms-collection programme. In this regard, it supports the recommendations in paragraphs 17 and 18 of the report of the Secretary-General.

“The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep it regularly informed of the activities of BONUCA and the situation in the Central African Republic, particularly in the areas of political dialogue, national reconciliation and respect for human rights.”

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2001/25.

At the last meeting of the Security Council, on the situation in the Central African Republic, held on 21 September, in my capacity as the representative of France I requested the Secretariat to give an assessment of the financial cost of the desired strengthening of BONUCA. The Secretariat has now informed me that the cost would be $1.4 million. Extending BONUCA’s mandate for the year 2002 would cost approximately $4.9 million.

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