GA - Statement by the President of the Security Council introducing the Annual Report
New York, 12 November 2009
Mr. President,
On behalf of all members of the Security Council, I would like to congratulate you on your election as President of the 64th session of the General Assembly. I am confident that, under your leadership of the General Assembly, cooperation between the General Assembly and the Security Council can be further enhanced and strengthened.
In my capacity as the President of the Security Council for the month of November, it is my honour to introduce the annual report of the Council to the General Assembly (Document A/64/..). The report covers the period from 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009. The introduction of the report was prepared by the delegation of Uganda which held the presidency in the month of July. On behalf of the Council, I wish to thank the delegation of Uganda for its efforts to provide a more informative, balanced and analytical report. The second part of the report, which contains useful statistics and data on the work of the Security Council, was prepared by the Secretariat. While there will always be scope to improve further the analytical depth of the introduction, it is also important to remind ourselves that the annual report in its entirety constitutes an important reference document for our work in the medium and long term. This should not be underestimated.
During the period under review, the Council addressed a wide range of regional, thematic, and general issues. It held 228 formal meetings, of which 205 were public, in addition to 18 meetings with troop-contributing countries. The Council also held 141 consultations of the whole. In that period, the Council adopted 53 resolutions and 43 presidential statements, and issued 35 press statements. During the reporting period, the Council’s extensive work was also characterized by an increase in the holding of open debates and open briefings. The Council undertook missions to Afghanistan from 21 to 28 November 2008, to Haiti from 11 to 14 March 2009, and to Africa from 14 to 21 May 2009, including visits to Ethiopia and the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, to Rwanda, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to Liberia.
We also recognize the initiative by the Permanent Representative of Uganda to organize an informal meeting with the General Assembly, at which Member States were given the opportunity to learn about the process of preparing the report and to comment on it in an informal setting. In this regard, I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the Council is paying particular attention to requests from the membership regarding its working methods. In the reporting period, the Council held for the first time an open debate on its working methods.
The introduction to the Annual report sets out in detail the Council’s activities during the reporting period and all the issues it addressed. The Security Council again faced a challenging and complex set of situations and issues posing a threat to international peace and security throughout the world.
The Security Council was regularly briefed and took appropriate actions on developments in conflict situations in Africa, including Chad, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, the Great Lakes region, Djibouti/Eritrea, Somalia, the Sudan and the situation in Western Sahara. Peacebuilding efforts in Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone were reviewed on a regular basis. In the cases of Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic and Sierra Leone, the respective Chairs of the Country-specific configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission also addressed the Council. The Council adjusted peacekeeping mandates and amended some sanctions regimes to make them more appropriate to the respective situations.
The situation in the DRC, in particular in the east of the country, continued to be a great concern, especially with respect to the protection of the civilian population. The instability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa required an increased attention by the Council. The Council extended the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and requested the Secretary-General to provide a United Nations logistical support package to AMISOM. The Council also adopted several resolutions on fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia. The Security Council remained engaged on Sudan, both with regard to the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan, and the situation in Darfur. In this context, it received two reports from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in accordance with Resolution 1593 (2005). The Council also adopted a presidential statement in which it expressed its deep concern over the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in a few African countries, and stressed the importance of expeditiously restoring constitutional order, including through open and transparent elections. During the reporting period, the Council addressed the unconstitutional changes of government or attempts thereof in Madagascar, Mauritania and Guinea Bissau, but also in countries outside Africa, such as in Fiji.
The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, received close attention by the Council. The Council remained engaged with the situation, holding urgent meetings, particularly with regard to the situation in the Gaza in the latter part of 2008 and early 2009, debates and open debates, including four at ministerial level. The Security Council adopted two resolutions, one focusing on support to the overall peace process and the parties’ agreed principles for bilateral negotiations; the other one calling, inter alia, for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, as well as the unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza. In a presidential statement, the Council’s president during May reiterated the Council members’ call for a just, comprehensive and lasting solution. The situation in Lebanon was also addressed regularly.
The Council intensified its engagement on situations in the Asian region, including Iraq, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Timor-Leste. In November 2008, the members of the Council undertook a mission to Afghanistan to get a first-hand assessment of the situation in that country. On Iraq, the Council followed developments in the country with improvements in the security situation, as well as the ongoing need to work towards national reconciliation. On Nepal, the President made a Statement on behalf of the Council (S/PRST/2009/12), which expressed concern about the political crisis in Nepal and underscored the urgent need for the Nepalese Government and all political parties to work together in a spirit of compromise.
In March 2009, the members of the Council undertook a mission to Haiti and assessed the country’s situation at a time when there appeared to be an opportunity to ensure stability and sustainable development. In April, the President delivered a statement in which the Council welcomed progress on consolidation of Haiti’s stability but also reiterated the need for security to be accompanied by social and economic development as a means of achieving lasting stability, and expressed its strong support for MINUSTAH and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in their efforts to improve stability and governance in Haiti.
As regards Europe, the Security Council followed developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Cyprus and Georgia. The Council did not adopt a resolution to extend the mandate of UNOMIG. In view of this outcome, the Secretary General instructed his Special Representative to cease the operations of UNOMIG.
Terrorism remained a top concern for the Council. The Council was quick to react to terrorist acts, wherever they occurred, including Mumbai, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Pakistan, among others. The work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) (the Counter-Terrorism Committee), the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) was considered extensively by the Council.
The Council devoted significant time, and close attention, to the consideration of thematic, general and other issues including peacekeeping, peacebuilding, mediation and settlement of conflicts, the protection of civilians in armed conflict, children and armed conflict, the strengthening of collective security through general regulation and reduction of armaments, and women and peace and security. Following a joint Franco-British initiative, the Council devoted particular attention to the current challenges encountered by UN peacekeeping operations. In the reporting period, it held two debates with the participation of troop- and police-contributing countries and financial contributors, as well as regional organizations. The relationship between peacekeeping and peacebuilding was a theme that was addressed both on country-specific as well as thematic debates, in particular the fact that peacekeeping and pecebuilding should go hand in hand.
Non-proliferation matters also received close attention by the Council, particularly in response to a series of actions by the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. This led to the adoption of resolution 1874, in which the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK was condemned in the strongest terms, while also extending the sanctions regime, including through new designations and the establishment of a Panel of Experts. The work of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda was discussed by the Council on several occasions, particularly in relation to their completion strategies.
Let me conclude with some general observations on the work of the Council during the reporting period:
- The Council increased its number of open debates and open briefings.
- Decisions by the Council were taken by and large unanimously. Council members made considerable efforts to preserve the unity of the Council. Only in a few cases was the Council unable to adopt resolutions with a unanimous vote, for instance on the Middle East and on UNFICYP. In one case, the Council did not adopt a draft resolution to extend the mandate of UNOMIG due to the use of a veto. The unity of Council’s decisions has also been preserved on procedural questions. The report also sets out instances in which the Security Council was unable to agree and, therefore, did not take action.
- Security Council missions constitute an important tool for the members of the Council to receive first-hand information on the work of UN missions on the ground and the challenges that they face. The experiences gathered contributed to the richness of the Council’s deliberations when addressing the work of specific missions, as well as cross-cutting issues such as the protection of civilians in armed conflict and sexual violence against women.
- The Security Council made efforts at strengthening its cooperation and partnership with regional and sub-regional organizations. Council members met with senior African Union officials during its mission to Addis Ababa. The Council also held a high-level debate on peace and security in Africa, during which it welcomed the efforts of the Panel led by Romano Prodi in preparing a report containing recommendations on strengthening African Union-United Nations cooperation. With the European Union cooperation has been continuously strengthened. The support of the European Union bridging operation in Chad to support MINURCAT was an interesting example of this kind of cooperation. The transfer of authority to a UN-led military presence in MINURCAT was successful.
In conclusion, on behalf of all Security Council members, I should like to thank members of the Assembly for this opportunity to introduce the Council’s report. I would also like to express my appreciation for the work of the Secretary-General and the Secretariat, who demonstrated their customary leadership and professionalism, and provided invaluable support to the Security Council, allowing it to fulfil its mandate.
Thank you.
