Security Council meeting 4891

The President

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

Members of the Council have before them document S/2003/1146, which contains the report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council on the situation in Burundi.

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 reaffirms its full support for the peace process of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Burundi (the Arusha Agreement), calls on all the Burundian parties to implement their commitments and assures them of its determination to support their efforts in this direction.

“The Security Council welcomes the progress recently made by the Burundian parties, in particular by the signing, in Pretoria, of the 8 October and 2 November 2003 Protocols, and by the conclusion, on 16 November 2003 in Dar es Salaam, of the Global Ceasefire Agreement between the Transitional Government and the Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD) of Mr. Nkurunziza.

“The Security Council welcomes with satisfaction the formation of the new Transitional Government and the participation of the CNDD-FDD in the transitional institutions. It again urges the Forces nationales de libération (PALIPEHUTU-FNL) of Mr. Rwasa, the last rebel group that has not yet joined the peace process of the Arusha Agreement, to do so without further delay.

“The Security Council pays tribute to the efforts of the States of the Regional Initiative and of the Facilitation, in particular South Africa, in favour of peace in Burundi. It expresses its support for the mission of the African Union in Burundi and for its South African, Ethiopian and Mozambican contingents, and calls on donors to give it financial, material and logistical support as soon as possible.

“The Security Council welcomes the recent mission of the Economic and Social Council’s Ad Hoc Advisory Group, and calls on donors and the international financial community to mobilize during the next forum of Burundi’s partners for development, scheduled for 13 and 14 January 2004 in Brussels, and to honour fully the pledges made so far.

“The Security Council expresses its concern at the dire humanitarian situation of the population of Burundi and recalls that all parties involved are responsible for the security of the civilian population, which includes facilitating total, unrestricted and immediate access to the population for the humanitarian organizations.

“The Security Council condemns all acts of violence as well as violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and reaffirms its determination to support Burundian efforts to prevent such acts, based on the rule of law, in order to put an end to impunity.

“The Security Council takes note of the address made by the Burundian President, Mr. Ndayizeye, to the Council on 22 September 2003. It takes note also of the request made by the South African Deputy President, Mr. Zuma, on behalf of the States of the Regional Initiative, when he spoke before the Council on 4 December 2003, which is referred to in paragraph 71 of the latest report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Burundi, dated 4 December 2003 (S/2003/1146).

“The Security Council welcomes the Secretary-General’s decision to examine the situation with a view to submitting recommendations to the Council, and requests him in this regard to undertake, as soon as he deems it convenient, the appropriate preparatory work and assessment on how the United Nations might provide the most efficient support for the full implementation of the Arusha peace agreement.

“The Security Council takes note of the latest report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Burundi; it welcomes the work accomplished, in often difficult conditions, by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the staff of the United Nations Office in Burundi, and approves the recommendations of paragraphs 63 to 65 regarding the renewal of the Office’s mandate.”

This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2003/30.

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

Before adjourning the meeting, I would like to take this opportunity to offer a few words as Permanent Representative of Bulgaria, since this is no doubt the last public meeting of the Council before Bulgaria’s term in the Council expires.

Like others before me, I would first of all like to thank all the members of the Council for their support and their team spirit during these two remarkable years in the history of the Security Council. I would also like to thank the Secretariat for its excellent work, in particular Mr. Stefanides’s team, who have been extremely supportive to my delegation. I would warmly thank the interpreters and the others who have helped our work throughout these past two years. I also thank the security officers for ensuring our safety. I would also like to thank the representatives of the international media who provided coverage of the work of the Council and of the work of the Bulgarian delegation in a very responsible and professional manner.

In conclusion, may I say that Bulgaria is extraordinarily pleased to see Romania following us in the Security Council as representative of our regional group. Romania is a neighbour and friend of Bulgaria and, in its foreign policy, it pursues the same principles and holds the same values as we do. We are glad that our Romanian friends will follow us here in the Council.