S/PV.3378 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Liberia 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 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 the fourth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia, document S/1994/588. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1994/594, which contains the text of a letter dated 18 May 1994 from the Permanent Representative of Liberia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. 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 welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Liberia dated 18 May 1994 (S/1994/588). "In this connection, the Council notes with satisfaction the full installation of the Council of State of the Liberian National Transitional Government "The Council commends the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) and the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) for their contributions to the demobilization and disarmament efforts in Liberia, a critical requirement of the Cotonou Agreement. "The Council notes with concern, however, the continued fighting among and within factions. Political differences and renewed violence among and within certain factions have caused the disarmament process to come to a virtual halt. The ongoing hostilities make it very difficult for UNOMIL to accomplish critical elements of its mandate and prevent the peace-keeping troops of the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOMOG) from carrying out their functions regarding disarmament and demobilization, a situation which directly threatens the ability of the parties to maintain the timetable outlined in the Cotonou Agreement and the communiqué of 15 February 1994. "In the light of these developments, the Council calls upon the parties to resolve their differences within the forum of the transitional government and the Cotonou Agreement, to end any hostilities and to accelerate the pace of disarmament with the aim of bringing it to a successful conclusion, all of which are crucial to creating suitable conditions for elections. The Council wishes to remind the parties of the importance it attaches to the holding of those elections on 7 September 1994. "The Council reaffirms its intention to review the situation in Liberia again on or before 30 June 1994 including the role played by UNOMIL, such review to include whether sufficient progress has been made in implementing the revised timetable of the Peace Agreement to warrant continued UNOMIL involvement, in particular, the effective operation of the Liberian National Transitional Government, progress in carrying out disarmament and demobilization, and preparations for the holding of elections on 7 September 1994. In accordance with the terms of its resolution 911 of 21 April 1994, the Council requests the Secretary-General to prepare options by 30 June 1994 regarding the future "The Council reminds the parties that the ultimate responsibility for the success of the peace process in Liberia rests with them and with the Liberian people. It urges them to respect fully the terms of the Cotonou Agreement and reaffirms its This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1994/25. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.