S/PV.4042 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Indonesia and Portugal 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 agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the letter dated 3 September 1999 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council, document S/1999/944. 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 successful popular consultation of the East Timorese people on 30 August 1999 and the letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Council of 3 September 1999 (S/1999/944) announcing the ballot result. The Council expresses its support for the courage of those who turned out in record numbers to express their views. It regards the popular consultation “The Security Council pays tribute to the extraordinary work of the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General. It also commends the courage and dedication of the Special Representative for the East Timor popular consultation and of the staff of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) in organizing and conducting the popular consultation in extremely difficult conditions. “The Security Council calls on all parties, both inside and outside East Timor, to respect the result of the popular consultation. The Council urges the East Timorese people to work together to implement their decision as freely and democratically expressed in the ballot and to cooperate in the building of peace and prosperity in the territory. The Security Council now looks to the Indonesian Government to take the necessary constitutional steps to implement the result of the ballot, in accordance with the Agreements of 5 May 1999 (S/1999/513, annexes I-III). “The Security Council recognizes that the Agreements of 5 May 1999 which led to the popular consultation of the East Timorese people would not have been possible without the timely initiative of the Government of Indonesia and the constructive attitude of the Government of Portugal. It commends the sustained efforts of the Governments of Indonesia and Portugal, through the good offices of the Secretary-General, to find a just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution to the question of East Timor, and expresses its appreciation to the Government of Indonesia for its cooperation with the United Nations in the process. “The Security Council condemns the violence in East Timor which both preceded and followed the ballot of 30 August 1999. It expresses its condolences to the families of United Nations local staff and others so tragically killed. It underlines the need for the result to be implemented in an atmosphere of peace and security without further violence and intimidation. In accordance with its responsibility for maintaining peace and security under the Agreements of 5 May 1999, it is for the Government of Indonesia to take steps to prevent further violence. It also looks to the Government of “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to report as soon as possible on the implementation of the ballot result, including recommendations on the mandate, size and structure of the United Nations presence in East Timor in the implementation phase (Phase III). This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1999/27. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.