S/PV.3991 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of April, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Qin Huasun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, for his service as President of the Security Council for the month of March 1999. I am sure I speak for all members of the Security Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Qin 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 letters from the representatives of Guinea-Bissau and Togo in which they request 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 those representatives 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 Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 1216 (1998) relative to the situation in Guinea-Bissau (S/1999/294). Members of the Council also have before them document S/1999/369, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should also like to draw the attention of members of the Council to the following documents: S/1999/173, letter dated 18 February 1999 from the Permanent Representative of Togo to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; and S/1999/227, letter dated 2 March 1999 from the Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/1999/369) before it. If I hear no objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1233 (1999). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.