S/PV.3661 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of May, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Juan Somavía, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of April 1996. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Somavía for the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda

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. 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 calls upon the parties immediately to cease fighting, to observe the cease- fire and to return Monrovia to a safe haven under the protection of the Military Observer Group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOMOG). It expresses its support for the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including the role of ECOMOG, the bring this conflict to an end. “The Security Council regrets that the deterioration of the situation in Liberia has forced the evacuation of significant numbers of personnel of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia. The Council reminds all States of their obligation to comply with the embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia imposed by resolution 788 (1992). “The Security Council stresses the importance it attaches to the ECOWAS Summit meeting to be held in Accra on 8 May 1996 and urges the leaders of the Liberian factions to reaffirm by concrete positive actions their commitment to the Abuja Agreement.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1996/22. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.