S/PV.4097 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of February, I should like to take the opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, for his excellent service as President of the Security Council for the month of January 2000. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Holbrooke for the diplomatic skills, energy, talent and dedication with which he conducted the Council's business last month. Adoption of the agenda

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council's prior consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative and Transitional Administrator in East Timor. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Vieira de Mello to take a seat at the Council table. 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 report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), document S/2000/53. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special I welcome Mr. Vieira de Mello, and I now give him the floor.

I would like to start by congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency. I am honoured to have been invited to brief the Council under your presidency on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) for the first time and to introduce the Secretary-General's first report. Members of the Council have before them the report of the Secretary-General on the first three months of the Transitional Administration in East Timor, and I will ask members to bear with me if my presentation is slightly longer than expected, since, as members can imagine, we have attempted to cover a wide variety of problems and challenges in these first three months of the Transitional Administration. I trust the report conveys the situation that the vast majority of East Timorese face every day as they recover from the devastating violence of September last year. In that month, roughly 750,000 persons out of a pre- consultation population of about 880,000 were either internally displaced, if only for brief periods, or fled into West Timor, or were forced across the border into West Timor. In addition to losing their houses, an overwhelming number of East Timorese lost their possessions and their life's savings. In the aftermath of this devastation, they lacked food security, basic health care, potable water and sanitation. Virtually all public buildings were burned, damaged or ransacked; the services they had provided collapsed overnight. The telecommunications system was destroyed, along with many local radio networks. Electrical supply was disrupted and generators were damaged. Furthermore, the main airport in Dili became inoperative, and cross-border trade effectively ceased, adding to the Territory's isolation. The social and economic consequences of this upheaval are massive. East Timor was a poor territory before September 1999; it has been in a calamitous state since then. Roughly 80 per cent of the population is without means of support; yet prices of basic commodities are about double those of the pre-consultation period. The After so many years of turmoil and successive legal regimes, disputed claims on property are widespread. Not surprisingly, there have been growing signs of rising criminality and disaffection over the past months. While this phenomenon stems in good measure from widespread unemployment and youth left idle, there are also indications that local rivalries and long-standing conflicts may be re- emerging in the form of community and gang violence. In the face of these problems, the people of East Timor are justifiably impatient to see improvements in their lives. Towards that end, UNTAET has set itself a number of key objectives for its first six months. The extent to which it achieves these goals will be the measure of its success in meeting the high expectations of the people, repairing and redressing the damage of East Timor’s recent past and fulfilling the ambitious and, in fact, unprecedented mandate which this Council has given it. First of all, UNTAET must ensure the physical security of all East Timorese and their access to a fair judicial system within an environment of law and order. UNTAET must also support the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the repatriation of all those refugees who wish to return from West Timor and elsewhere, and sufficient resources must be made available to meet their shelter, health and sanitation needs during their integration. Meanwhile, basic administrative structures must be established at both the central and district levels, a civil service must be created and East Timorese at all levels must be empowered to participate fully in the decisions made and implemented through these structures. Furthermore, the country must be moved out of the phase of humanitarian relief, and basic public services must be brought fully on line. Reconstruction must start; I will come back to that in a moment. Health services and the education system must be put back on an even keel, and vital infrastructure, such as electricity and water-supply systems, must be fully restored. To sustain these efforts in the medium and long term, the economy as a whole must be put on a solid footing with basic regulatory fiscal and monetary structures in place. A series of regulations to allow for the resumption of normal economic and agricultural activity have been or will be passed in the near future, and a revenue base to sustain the Government must begin to be collected. Finally, during its first six months UNTAET will have to collect, catalogue UNTAET has taken a number of steps towards meeting these objectives, but the challenges remain huge. As the members of the Council are aware, in the border areas, and particularly in the enclave of Oecussi, militias continue to pose a threat. Eight cross-border incursions by militias into Oecussi have taken place in the past few weeks. I wish to reaffirm to the Council that the UNTAET peacekeeping force will deter or repel any such threats with the same firmness and determination as has the multinational force known as the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) up to now. At the district level in East Timor, law and order is of increasing concern, as public security is being undermined by a rising crime rate which reflects — I repeat — the widespread unemployment and the disruptions to the education and social systems that have left too many youth idle. In Baucau, for instance, which I visited earlier this month, gang battles involving hundreds of youths took place on an almost daily basis over the Christmas and New Year period. At present, only 480 United Nations civilian police are in East Timor, far below their full authorized strength of 1,610. The ability of the international civilian police to penetrate the society, understand the society and access local information is obviously very limited. So UNTAET is implementing measures to integrate local participation in police activities. As an immediate measure, over the next few weeks UNTAET will institute a police assistance programme, in which former East Timorese police officers of known quality are to serve as auxiliaries of our civilian police. This programme will be phased out once enough fully fledged East Timorese police are trained at the new police academy scheduled to begin operations in March. We have also entered discussions with the former Armed Forces for the National Liberation of East Timor (Falintil), which has indicated that it would be willing, unarmed, to lend its standing in the local communities to efforts to develop crime-prevention strategies through community education and provide intercession to reduce community tensions. It is also critical that the judiciary become fully functional. While 10 East Timorese judges and prosecutors have been appointed and are working, these judges have little practical experience on the bench and need further mentoring and support. Thirty more candidates for positions as judges, prosecutors and With regard to refugee repatriation, the Council has already been informed that the rate of return of refugees from West Timor has slowed down over the last two months as the rainy season has set in. The reasons for this are complex, stemming in part from militia intimidation in some of the camps and widespread misinformation, disinformation or lack of adequate information regarding the true situation in East Timor. But this slow rate of return, I believe, is also attributable to other factors, ranging from the lack of basic services and the destruction of infrastructure inside East Timor to genuine concern about the safety of returnees. Many people whom I spoke to last week in Atambua and Kupang, especially among those who were previously employed by the Indonesian administration — civil servants, soldiers and policemen — are hesitating until they are provided with a clear indication of their future benefits, if any, including pensions, as well as of their chances of joining the new East Timorese civil service. Once the reconstruction and development projects supported by the World Bank trust fund begin to come on line and to have a tangible impact in East Timor, these programmes will clearly also serve to support the return of refugees. Until then, however, there is an immediate need for funding through the United Nations and humanitarian trust funds for rapid start-up projects to provide employment and allow returnees and residents alike to set about rebuilding their communities immediately. This, I must say, is the greatest frustration of the East Timorese population at present and our greatest challenge. Since UNTAET’s establishment, very good progress has been made in developing consultative mechanisms to ensure the full participation of East Timorese in decision- making processes, particularly at the central level. The National Consultative Council, which I established in late November of last year and which is composed, as the Council is aware, of seven members representing the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT), the broad coalition that campaigned for independence, three The effective consultation established at the national level is also being pursued at the district level. This emphasis on consultation extends also to other mechanisms. For example, the Transitional Judicial Service Commission, composed of East Timorese and UNTAET commissioners and chaired by Baucau Bishop Basilio do Nascimento, has held town hall-type meetings to discuss justice issues. I and other UNTAET staff have held many similar open information meetings and dialogues with East Timorese across the country. From the date of my arrival in mid-November, I have established a pattern of daily consultations with Mr. Xanana Gusmão and other members of the CNRT on all important matters outside the context of the Consultative Council. We have also developed regular dialogue with pro-autonomy groups, either in the margins of the Consultative Council meetings or through visits to West Timor and Jakarta, such as the one I paid last week. Results have been mixed in the dialogue with this latter group, with some pro-autonomy groups or militia displaying continued hostility towards the United Nations, as I experienced myself in Kupang, while others are not only open to dialogue, but keenly interested in strengthening communications and obtaining reassurances that could lead to their decision to return and participate fully, democratically and peacefully in the future political life of the country. Xanana Gusmão has gone out of his way in promoting reconciliation. Additional combined efforts, which I began discussing with him over the telephone yesterday, are, however, undoubtedly required. Through the Consultative Council and its sectoral committees, UNTAET has set about building the regulatory framework necessary to underpin the administration of East Timor in all areas, including the economy, local governance, justice, and public and civil services. In addition to the first regulation, which defined the legal framework applicable in East Timor during the transitional period, and a number of other decisions that were of a more administrative nature, regulations have now been enacted to establish the Judicial Service Commission that I mentioned earlier; a central fiscal authority, which is the embryo of the future ministry of finance; the central payments office, which is a proto-central bank; and the Public Service Commission. Regulations concerning the registration of commercial enterprises, the use of currency, the new legal tender and the licensing of foreign exchange bureaus have also been passed. In the coming weeks, regulations on a range of pressing issues will be tabled, including the organization of ports, the licensing and supervision of banks, and Government procurement procedures. The International Monetary Fund has provided us with invaluable support and advice from the very early stages of this operation. Regulations to establish a border control service, a prosecutorial service and sub-district-level councils are also being drafted. Also, a regulation to amend the currently applicable criminal procedure code will be necessary. Each regulation enacted since the establishment of the Consultative Council was drafted by technical committees in which East Timorese were in the lead, with UNTAET providing advice and support, and all have been adopted by full consensus. The effort to re-establish basic services and infrastructure and thereby move from the humanitarian The Tokyo donor conference in December, as members know, was most successful, with $522 million being pledged for a variety of activities in the next three years. I would repeat that the first six-month plan for reconstruction was formulated and submitted to a donor meeting in Washington last week. Notwithstanding the Bank’s real sense of urgency, UNTAET faces a gap in time which may well result in the perception among East Timorese during the next few months that little is being done to repair infrastructure, save for the United Nations own facilities, for which assessed contributions will be available. Therefore, quick advance disbursements against the World Bank fund, flexibility in the use of assessed resources, and generous bilateral contributions will be essential to prevent social unrest until the World Bank comes in full strength. As the members of the Council are aware, the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor, as well as the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry, submitted their reports last Monday. While it remains to be seen what mechanisms might be established to deal with this matter, UNTAET’s human rights component has assumed the lead in the coordination of the investigative process in line with the recommendations of both Commissions. Thus far, investigations into past human rights violations have been carried out by INTERFET, United Nations civilian police and other international actors. It is essential that the information from these sources be consolidated and catalogued. Over 300 bodies have been found, 71 different crime scenes identified and 71 bodies exhumed so far. In Liquica, a mass grave of up to 17 persons has recently been found; likewise, in Oecussi, a grave site of up to 60 bodies has been discovered. Further sites are waiting to be examined. The United Nations civilian police has registered a total of 467 murders alleged by eyewitnesses, which would point to the likelihood that further victims may yet be found. In the coming months, UNTAET will need to meet a number of serious challenges. First among them are the high expectations of the Timorese, who will have displayed tremendous patience regarding the slow pace at which the destruction of last September is being addressed. Also, East Timor has been sheltered from the outside world for the last two decades, and now the influx of foreigners, civilian and military alike, is proving to be a source of some tension and resentment. I am also concerned that our presence should not have an adverse impact, as I saw in other, similar operations in the past, on East Timorese society and culture, and for that reason I have issued a code of conduct drawn up in consultation with our East Timorese colleagues for all UNTAET staff to follow. Establishing a new East Timorese administration calls for the urgent creation of a civil service. As recently agreed in the National Consultative Council, we have this very week begun paying stipends to those thousands of individuals who have been engaged in voluntary civil- and public-service functions. This will be a provisional measure pending the recruitment of new civil servants against a new salary scale to be decided by the Public Service Commission over the next three months. In 2000 the civil service will employ only some 7,000 or so persons, and, clearly, the problem of unemployment will have to be addressed by other means, such as the rapid implementation of rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. I am confident that we can continue to enjoy the very strong support that the Council has thus far provided UNTAET, and that the Council will continue to be our greatest asset. In particular, East Timor will rely on the Council's assistance to ensure that the recent harassment along East Timor's borders will not be allowed to continue and that the pro-autonomy groups and political militias in West Timor accept the outcome of the popular consultation and opt for a moderate, democratic course of action. The remaining extremist groups and militias in West Timor should be disarmed and disbanded once and for all; I have discussed this once again with the Governor of West Timor, with General Kiki Syahnakri, regional military commander, and with the Government in Jakarta last week, and have been given assurances that this will happen. I also wish to urge members of the Council to use their influence to ensure that the Transitional Let me briefly report on the military situation. A carefully planned, progressive takeover of the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) by the UNTAET military component began on 1 February with the transfer of the entire eastern section to United Nations command. This gradual process will continue in the next three weeks, until full transfer has taken place in the latter part of February. I wish to pay tribute here to Major General Peter Cosgrove, with whom I have worked very closely indeed since my arrival, and to his officers, men and women of different contingents for INTERFET's remarkable achievements in restoring and maintaining security in East Timor and along its borders. As the Secretary-General indicates in his report, I shall remain very mindful of the Council's expectation of regular assessments of the necessary United Nations military strength with a view to achieving possible early reductions. In terms of the political future and the related timetable, it is premature to predict when a process of drafting a constitution should begin. This would lead, as members can imagine, to two other fundamental questions, relating to a regulation on new political parties and to another on elections. Given the urgent problems we now face, both humanitarian and relating to reconstruction, it is too early to politicize the environment and distract ourselves and the East Timorese from the many pressing issues to be faced during this initial emergency phase. I believe, however, that in the second half of 2000 we will start reflecting and perhaps acting on these issues — constitution, political parties and elections — and on a related calendar leading to independence. In conclusion, I would like to summarize what I believe is at stake for the United Nations in East Timor. As a remote country of some 800,000 people, with relatively few resources, East Timor is, in the final analysis, of little strategic importance. Nevertheless, the people of East Timor have fought and suffered for decades to achieve their independence, and until very recently they did so in the face of general indifference — Thus, I believe, the United Nations owes East Timor a debt. Equally, East Timor represents an unprecedented challenge for the United Nations. We are called upon to administer and govern a territory which is starting from nearly nothing in terms of resources. At a time of flagging confidence and growing cynicism with respect to the multilateral system, East Timor provides us with the opportunity to prove — to the East Timorese, who for so long were without support, as well as to ourselves — that UNTAET can be a paradigm of nation-building in future latest-generation United Nations operations approved by the Council.

I thank Mr. Vieira de Mello for the kind words he addressed to me.

At the outset, I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the office you now hold. It is good to see you in the hot seat so soon after your arrival in New York, and my delegation pledges to work with you, not only during this coming month but for the remainder of Argentina's term on the Security Council. It is very good to have you here. It is good also to see my very good friend Sergio Vieira de Mello back in New York and to hear such an impressive briefing. The systematic and objective-based approach that he has just outlined suggests that East Timor does indeed stand a very good chance of becoming the paradigm of nation-building that he mentioned. Long may that systematic, accurate and targeted management of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) continue. We do not have much time this morning, and I really want in my statement to concentrate only on two or three points. They are, first, our concern — and here we agree with what Sergio Vieira de Mello has said — that money is not being made available on the ground fast enough to allow reconstruction and other elements of the UNTAET package to get under way. The second is the security situation, on which there is mostly good news, but where there are some slightly worrying elements as well. And the third is our concern over the slow pace of civilian police deployment. On security, I think the Council owes a debt to both the International Force in East Timor INTERFET and UNTAET for restoring stability in the security situation. Secondly, the work that the UNTAET civilian police component have done so far is encouraging, but we are concerned about the rise in crime noted in the Secretary- General's report. Clearly there are a number of elements to this. I was particularly impressed by the fairly shocking statistic that Mr. Vieira de Mello quoted at the beginning of his statement: that 80 per cent of the population is now without means of support, whereas prices are twice as high as they were before the consultation. This requires a complex strategy. Clearly crime is likely to come down only when ordinary people in East Timor have a means of pursuing their livelihoods. But also it requires an effective civil policing operation to ensure that the gains already made in terms of security and civil society are not lost. The proposed start of civilian police training in March is therefore very welcome. Clearly, it is right that this should be targeted towards effective local law enforcement, and, clearly, it is good that UNTAET is now taking initiatives to bring more local police officers back on line. I would only add, though, that it is important that when those local police come on line they operate in accordance with internationally accepted standards. I hope that it will be possible for UNTAET to blend into the deployment of these people a suitable training element so that the police force can start off completely on the right foot. The progress on the establishment of the public administration is welcome, too. But here again I want to I hope that the Special Representative and the Secretariat will not hesitate to come forward if they feel that there is anything that members of the Council or the Council itself can do to speed that process along. Clearly, the sort of vacuum that Mr. Vieira de Mello has outlined is highly undesirable, and we must try to ensure that UNTAET's activities show a secular increase and get off to a very good start, not least — as the Special Representative has outlined — so that the United Nations can maintain the confidence of the Timorese people. Finally, I should touch on the issue of human rights, which Mr. Vieira de Mello has mentioned as one of UNTAET's key objectives, particularly in the context of investigating and safeguarding evidence of serious crimes during the unhappy period last year after the consultation. We welcome the publication of both the International Commission of Inquiry report and the report of the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in East Timor, known as KPP-HAM. Both reports illustrate graphically the seriousness of what happened in East Timor last year. The United Kingdom considers it vital that those responsible for the serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law in East Timor be brought to justice. At his meeting with Prime Minister Blair two days ago, President Wahid of Indonesia made it clear that Indonesia wants to see justice done. We very much welcome this commitment. All cases should be pursued vigorously, even if they lead to the top. The United Kingdom has offered support to that process. While we do not close off any options, we look forward to a credible legal process in Indonesia. It is important that the Security Council respond to the Secretary-General's letter of 31 January, covering the report of the International Commission of Inquiry. I am sure that you, Mr. President, will schedule informal consultations in due course on this matter.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for his kind words addressed to me.

I would like to associate myself with the words of welcome that have been extended to you, Sir, and to assure you that you will have our full support during the month of your presidency. I would also like to thank once again Mr. Vieira de Mello for the quality and clarity of his statement. The written report submitted to us is extremely detailed and has allowed us to get a clear and encouragingly positive picture of the work of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). At the same time, we are certainly pleased that the person who is responsible for this report and in charge of the United Nations operation on the ground is here with us today to confirm the indications given in the report and perhaps to respond to our questions. In fact, the situation is quite simple since a great deal depends on our faith in Sergio Vieira de Mello. We have complete confidence in him because we recognize that he has the energy, the capacity and the dynamism to successfully carry out his tasks, which he aptly described as a mission of cooperative architecture. It is not simply a question of filling a void or of temporarily administrating East Timor; the mission is to work on the ground with the East Timorese to create a new architecture. Once again, I think that Sergio Vieira de Mello is doing this work with all the efficacy for which he is known. Therefore, I have only a few questions to ask Mr. Vieira de Mello, since he has done all that was proposed. He is meeting with all the Timorese parties as well as visiting Indonesia, and he is doing his utmost to achieve what should be our common objective: the national reconciliation that will allow all those who have left to return. Furthermore, in this context I will limit myself to a simple little question. We make reference to those who are in West Timor, we refer to those who are in the refugee camps, we refer to the pace with which they are returning. However, since the beginning of this long affair, many Timorese have gone to other countries, much further away. Does Mr. Vieira de Mello have an idea how many Timorese have emigrated far from Timor, how many are not in As Mr. Vieira de Mello has noted regarding the possibilities for re-integration and for integration into the civil service — the foundation of all this depends on his efforts to promote national reconciliation, and I have no doubt that he and his team have already made progress, since the National Consultative Council has been created. But I believe he has stressed the two keys for absolute success: One is the question of human rights and justice, and the other is whether economic conditions will give all the Timorese people some assurance that they can work and live harmoniously in a reconstructed country. As regards the first element, to be brief, I endorse everything that Ambassador Eldon said. We recognize and appreciate that this duty of remembering what has happened and of seeing that justice is, fortunately, understood not only in Timor but also in Indonesia itself, as the report of the Indonesian authorities' inquiry indicates. This gives us real reason to hope. We want impunity to be rooted out and justice to be done, and we have noted with interest the voluntary effort that the Indonesian authorities are making in this regard. I believe that this gives us grounds for hope that we will be able to discharge that duty to ensure that justice is done — justice which is hoped for by the Timorese and desired by the international community — in a way that conforms with the aspirations of both the Indonesian authorities and the population of Timor. This, it seems to me, is a satisfactory recent development. As Ambassador Eldon said, we shall be discussing it again in our consultations, under the authority of the President of the Security Council. The second condition, the second key, is the economic situation. We must be able to provide some immediate prospects for acceptable living conditions for the inhabitants of Timor. In this context, we must acknowledge that there has been a succession of recent incidents, which Mr. Vieira de Mello has witnessed — indeed, he almost fell victim to them; I think he has had some difficult experiences — and which are the result of the deterioration of the economic situation. There will be no genuine return or reconciliation if those who are in camps are not clearly assured not only that they can be reintegrated, but that they can return to normal living conditions. The Special Representative referred to and welcomed the volume of contributions promised during the contributors' meetings. But he also emphasized that there have been delays in the disbursement or payment of funds, In this financial context, everything that could be done to decrease the financial burden on the United Nations force would be useful, as the savings could be channelled or redirected towards the civil adminstration, and the improvement of general security conditions would perhaps make it possible to reduce the size of the United Nations force itself and enable savings to be made. States could then direct their funding towards his administration. Those are my questions and comments to Mr. Vieira de Mello. Once again, I would like to thank him for his contribution and to reiterate once again our full confidence in him and in you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of France for the kind words he addressed to me.

Allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. We look forward to working very closely with you, and we believe that this month is going to be a very active and productive one. I should also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Holbrooke on his brilliant presidency last month. My delegation has taken a close look at the comprehensive and, I may add, sombre report of the Secretary-General, in document S/2000/53. This morning we have heard from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Vieira de Mello, who made a very helpful and, I must say, frank presentation to outline the situation in East Timor. We benefited tremendously from it. At the same time, we must say that he and his team are doing wonderfully well under very difficult circumstances. The Secretary-General called for his team to make strenuous efforts during the last three months, and I believe that that is what it is doing. I hope that his efforts will continue to bear fruit in the coming months. I have a few points to make. Taking into account your advice, Mr. President, that we should be precise, I would like to outline eight points. I am setting aside the My first point relates to public safety and the law and order situation. As has been mentioned by others, we believe that that is a priority which should be addressed. In this context, we urge that the full complement of the civilian police be deployed very soon. Last month we heard that only one fourth of the mandated strength is there. We believe it will be possible to expedite deployment and that that should be a priority. Secondly, we believe that the return of the refugees is also important. The facilitation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations agencies is very important. We would also like to request the Indonesian Government and others involved to facilitate this process. Thirdly, we believe that capacity-building is a key area. The United Nations should not be seen as calling the shots there. It should build the capacity among the local population so that it can take charge. In that context, we are very happy that the National Consultative Council is working very well, meeting regularly with the people from the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), who are helping them. We believe that the focus of this capacity-building should be on the area of human development and governance. I think that that is where the work of the United Nations has been fruitful in other countries, and that is what UNTAET should be doing there. My fourth point relates to the unemployment situation. As the report states, and as Mr. Vieira de Mello pointed out, 80 per cent of the population are without any means of support and 50 per cent are illiterate. Furthermore, as we read in today's Herald Tribune, the unemployment situation has resulted in violence. We read that 7,000 East Timorese lined up to apply for 2,000 United Nations jobs and that, finally, in frustration, they resorted to violence and rock throwing. I believe that this, too, is an area that we should address as effectively as possible. On education, we would like to see the focus on the education of girls. I think that that is something which should be built into the focus of the education efforts in East Timor. My fifth point concerns the judicial system and the civilian administration, which, I think, is the part of the capacity-building that we spoke about. I was happy to hear Sixthly, on reconciliation efforts, we are very happy that the Indonesian Government has been very forthcoming in this regard. Mr. Vieira de Mello's visit last month to Jakarta, and the proposed visit of President Wahid to East Timor, are very important signals that reconciliation efforts are being made in the right direction. My seventh point relates to human rights violations. I think that this is what we have learned from today's presentation, from the report of the International Commission of Inquiry and from the report of the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in East Timor, which the national Government of Indonesia prepared. All these reports point to serious violations of human rights, and we believe that that issue needs to be addressed. But a major concern of ours is that we should try to create a situation in which human rights are not violated in the future. It is important to take that into account. My eighth point relates to regional support. We believe that the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the other regional organization, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, should step forward to support development and reconciliation efforts in East Timor. I think regional actors and Powers can play a very useful role in this regard. Finally, when Mr. Vieira de Mello spoke about the challenge of beginning the infrastructural and developmental work planned for six months, he asked for a quick advance disbursement of funds. Yes, that is important, and we believe that it will be possible to work out a mechanism that will result in quick disbursement of funds. The United Nations is not very well known for quick utilization of the resources available to it. For East Timor we have a commitment of $522 million for 800,000 people. This is a major commitment, and it would be really frustrating to see the efforts falter and fail because of lack of disbursement of funds. I think this is what is important and believe that we, as members of the Council, cannot and should not allow this to happen. We should be careful not to allow the East Timorese enthusiasm for independence to sag at this point in time.

Like others, Canada wishes to express its deep appreciation for what we consider to be the remarkable efforts and achievements of Sergio Vieira de Mello. Mr. Vieira de Mello deserves special praise for involving the East Timorese so closely in the work of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and for working, through the creation of the National Consultative Council to build local capacity for security and self-governance throughout the territory. We welcome the constructive steps taken by UNTAET, the National Council of Timorese Resistance and the Indonesian Government to work together to speed the return of refugees, coordinate the establishment of checkpoints and refugee border crossings and otherwise limit the incidence of border skirmishes. We remain concerned, however, at continuing instances of West Timorese militias targeting civilians and International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) troops, and we take this occasion to ask the Indonesian Government to redouble its efforts to bring such acts of violence to a complete stop. Canada welcomes the release this week of reports of both the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor and of the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in East Timor. Canada has supported these parallel investigations, as we strongly believe in reconciliation through truth and justice. Indonesia will have the opportunity to prosecute its nationals for serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, and in this regard we are encouraged by President Wahid’s statement that there will be no impunity for human rights abusers. Canada joins Mr. Vieira de Mello and others in expressing concern over the recent rise in violent crime in East Timor and the potential for additional serious social problems resulting from dramatically high and persistent unemployment and a shattered infrastructure. In this regard, we fully support Mr. Vieira de Mello’s focused efforts to integrate East Timorese into UNTAET functions and decision-making processes. Canada is currently contributing a reinforced infantry company of about 250 soldiers to INTERFET. The naval support ship and the C-130 transport aircraft that were part of the Canadian contribution completed their missions and We are pleased, however, that the Canadian infantry company will rehat as Blue Berets on 21 February. As I have stated in both formal and informal meetings on several occasions, this could and should have been a United Nations peacekeeping operation from the beginning. Had that been the case, it would have been structured in a politically more congenial manner, and its significant costs would have been more equitably and more appropriately apportioned among member States. Five Canadian staff officers will remain with UNTAET, if they are required; but the bulk of Canada’s future contribution is likely to take the form of humanitarian assistance. Since last April, Canada has provided almost $7 million in support of the United Nations consultation process, humanitarian assistance and reconciliation efforts in East Timor. Canada is currently working closely with non-governmental and international organizations and, of course, with the East Timorese to determine the most appropriate form of longer-term future Canadian assistance to the people of East Timor. Miss Durrant (Jamaica): First of all, I wish to express my delegation’s pleasure in seeing you, Sir, preside over the Council’s deliberations during the month of February. We are sure that under your wise guidance and leadership the business of the Council will be conducted in an efficient and effective manner. You may be assured of my delegation’s cooperation. My delegation wishes to welcome the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in East Timor, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, to the Security Council. We wish to thank the Secretary-General for his very comprehensive report and to thank Mr. Vieira de Mello for his very lucid briefing on the work of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). We listened with great attention to his assessment of the situation there. We are aware of the monumental challenges facing him as he and UNTAET members, in collaboration with the East Timorese people, seek to lay the foundation for a transition to independence. As Mr. Vieira de Mello pointed out, the East Timorese have high expectations of the international community, and of the United Nations in particular. They face a perilous economic and social situation, with rising crime, high unemployment, over 80 per cent of the people Jamaica strongly supports the work of UNTAET and its unprecedented role in nation-building. Its role in establishing a viable, democratic and sustainable system of governance and public administration is critical. The participation of the East Timorese in creating and building these institutions is of fundamental importance, as this will create for them a sense of ownership of the process. It was therefore encouraging to hear from Mr. Vieira de Mello his assessment of the work of the National Consultative Council and of the participation of all relevant parties. We see this as a positive step towards national reconciliation. Some committees have already been established, and we look forward, over the next few months, to hearing reports of the establishment of the other committees and the work they are carrying out. We are encouraged by the cooperation of the Government of Indonesia and hope that the relations developed by UNTAET and the forthcoming visit of the President of Indonesia later this month to East Timor will lead to normalization of relations between Indonesia and East Timor. We hope that this will allow for the acceleration of the return of the refugees and the resettlement of those who wish to return to Indonesia. But while the rate of return of refugees has been encouraging, with over 130,000 having returned so far, the Secretary- General’s report indicates that conditions in the refugee camps are still a cause of concern, and for us the obstruction of access of United Nations personnel to the camps is unacceptable. We hope that this can be addressed speedily. So far, the cooperation and collaboration of the international community, as evidenced by the level of support demonstrated at the recent pledging conferences, must be commended. But we note that Mr. Viera de Mello has called for quick disbursement of these funds, and we hope that the international donor community will seriously address this. As far as the security situation is concerned, we are deeply concerned about the incidents of violence. These incidents have served to undermine the generally stable Mr. Viera de Mello referred to the need to re- establish prisons and for the work of the military police and detention centres of the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) to come under civilian operations, and we are therefore pleased to note the involvement in the training of East Timorese, both including judicial and civil service personnel, as well as other officials. The Secretary-General’s report also emphasized a number of positive developments, not the least of which is the establishment of the Transitional Judicial Service Commission and the Public Service Commission. We wanted to commend those countries that have offered training facilities for the East Timorese, and we believe that the whole question of human resource development is key to the progress of East Timor. We have noted the efforts that have been made in the restructuring of the education system, and we urge that a programme of adult literacy be incorporated into this. The fact that we have been told about the quick-impact projects with the World Bank, also involving the United Nations funds and programmes, should not make us lose sight of the fact that we need long-term programmes which will address the sustainable development of East Timor. We think it is very important for this long-term programme to be elaborated over the next few months. The Secretary-General, in his report, emphasized the need to produce tangible results for the people of East Timor by creating employment and providing a range of public services, while supporting the reintegration of displaced persons from West Timor. The failure to accomplish this could easily negate the efforts of all concerned to bring peace and security to the people of East Timor. In closing, I wish to express again my delegation’s support for the work of UNTAET and to wish Mr. Viera de Mello and his staff all success in their efforts.

I thank the representative of Jamaica for her kind words addressed to me.

We associate ourselves with the high assessment of the activity of your predecessor, Sir, the Permanent Representative of the United States, Mr. Richard Holbrooke, as President of the Security Council, and we express our warm wishes to you for success in your work in the Security Council during the month of February. We also wish to express our gratitude to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, for his extremely important and comprehensive briefing. In view of the constraints of time, I shall limit myself to stating our general political assessment of the situation, without going into detail on specific issues that have already been addressed in previous statements. In our view, the Secretary-General’s report on the initial results of the work of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) provides sufficient grounds for a satisfactory assessment. This conclusion is based on three fundamental factors that determine the current situation in the Territory: a substantive improvement in the security situation; secondly, the establishment of a mechanism through which the East Timorese are participating in decision-making and thanks to which, we hope, the process of national reconciliation will be strengthened; and thirdly, the successful establishment of a Transitional Administration under the skilled and wide-ranging guidance of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. Naturally, we are only at the beginning of the lengthy and complex path that East Timor will have to take to achieve independence and stable political and economic development. However, we believe a good start has been made. At the same time, we are concerned by repeated Ensuring security and establishing administrative governance are, naturally, important bases for the further normalization of the situation in East Timor. However, genuine stabilization is inconceivable without a normally functioning economy. We are gratified by the fact that the international community has responded speedily to East Timor’s needs. This is attested to by the results of the December donors’ meeting held in Tokyo. We believe this has established a positive beginning for achieving the objectives in the areas of civil administration, reconstruction and development. In conclusion, I would like once again to wish Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and all the UNTAET personnel the greatest possible success in their work.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for the kind words he addressed to me.

My delegation associates itself fully with the complimentary remarks addressed to you, Mr. President, and to your predecessor, Ambassador Holbrooke. My delegation is also pleased to see Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello here again to address the Council in this discussion of the issue of East Timor, and we thank him for his comprehensive briefing on the situation since he took up his position there. My delegation is gratified that the security situation in East Timor has greatly improved, despite some remaining problems, which, in our view, augurs well for the early and smooth transition of the Territory to independence in the not-too-distant future. We welcome the phasing in of United Nations peacekeeping forces, which we hope will be completed as scheduled. My delegation notes with concern reports of increased crime, which is attributed to rampant unemployment, poverty and the settling of past feuds. The situation must be addressed urgently and prevented from spreading, so that the culture of peace and rule of law will be in place, instead of one of violence and lawlessness. In this regard, we were gratified by the overwhelming positive response during the donor meeting in Tokyo last December. These funds must be mobilized quickly and effectively for purposes of the reconstruction efforts. We therefore welcome the Quick Impact Projects of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the road rehabilitation projects of the United Nations Development Programme, which have provided employment for local people. As regards the settling of old scores or vendettas between the opposing groups, serious efforts must be made to foster national reconciliation among the East Timorese, along with effective efforts in disarming former combatants of both sides. We would appreciate it if Mr. Vieira de Mello could say something about the issue of disarming the ex-combatants, if he has the time to do so. In this regard, my delegation calls on all parties concerned to step up their reconciliation efforts and to utilize the National Consultative Council for this purpose. We believe that traditional and local institutions, such as the Church and village elders, could and should also play a facilitative role. Malaysia is pleased to note the improved relations between East Timor and Indonesia. We hope that the planned visit of President Wahid to East Timor later this month will further improve these relations. As we have stated so often in the past, it is important for East Timor to undertake reconciliation, not only among its own people, but also with its immediate neighbour, Indonesia. We warmly welcome these positive trends. On its part, Malaysia looks forward to the upcoming visit of Mr. Xanana Gusmão and Mr. Ramos-Horta to Kuala Lumpur some time this month. We welcome any move by East Timor to integrate itself into the region. I am confident that the regional States will respond appropriately. Clearly, according to the briefing given by Mr. Vieira de Mello, a lot of work remains to be done to rehabilitate East Timor, which must be undertaken urgently in the face of rising expectations on the part of the East Timorese On the issue of human rights and their violation, we, too, believe that there should be a full accounting of what happened, so that justice can be done and those responsible brought to book. We also note, however, that Indonesia has taken concrete positive steps in addressing this issue. These are taken with seriousness and without fear or favour. I think this aspect should also be considered or factored in by the Council as it considers the report. In conclusion, we wish to commend the Special Representative and Transitional Administrator for East Timor and the entire staff of UNTAET for their outstanding work in very difficult circumstances.

I thank the representative of Malaysia for the kind words he addressed to me.

I thank the representative of Ukraine for his kind words addressed to me. I want to thank the Secretary-General for his interesting and comprehensive report on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). Let me also take this opportunity to thank Mr. Vieira de Mello for his briefing and the additional information he has provided. I want to state from the outset that, in my delegation's view, the report before us today reflects notable progress in virtually all areas of concern regarding the rebuilding and rehabilitation of East Timor, despite the challenges facing UNTAET. I have no doubt that most of these achievements can be attributed to the personal skills and dedication of Mr. Vieira de Mello. Of particular importance to my delegation is the urgency and vision with which he has established the National Consultative Council as a framework for involving the East Timorese in the administration of the Territory. That forum is crucial to the nation as well to confidence-building. The role of that Council in national reconciliation can also not be overemphasized. Another positive aspect of the report is the information regarding the continuing improvement of good relations between Indonesia and East Timor, which was enhanced by the visits of Mr. Gusmão and Mr. Vieira de Mello to Jakarta. The forthcoming visit of President Wahid to East Timor will provide an added dimension to these efforts, which are undoubtedly essential for cooperation between the countries. Examples of the positive results derived from the improved relationship, such as the release of East Timorese political prisoners and the possible official Indonesian representation in East Timor, are numerous in the report. My delegation is gratified at the overall security situation in East Timor. It is unfortunate, however, that negative aspects, such as the outbreak of crime and gang violence, mainly due to socio-economic problems, are on the rise. It now remains for UNTAET to address this problem urgently. We note the great influence of unemployment on the situation in the country, as well as the efforts under way to address the situation. It would be interesting to know what impact the programmes currently envisioned will have on the overall unemployment situation. Furthermore, The critical outstanding concern remains the plight of the refugees in camps in West Timor, their safety and their repatriation, if they so desire. It is disappointing to note that the militias operate in the camps and that they prevent the United Nations from moving freely in the camps. I note that Mr. Viera de Mello has again discussed the matter with the Indonesian Government. I would like to know if there are any visible efforts to curtail the militia activities. My delegation is gratified at the progress in the deployment of UNTAET, as well as the envisaged transfer from INTERFET to UNTAET. In this regard, we share the Secretary-General’s appreciation for INTERFET, for the excellent work it has done so far. We welcome the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor and have taken note of its conclusions and recommendations. We agree that everything should be done to ensure that the perpetrators of human rights abuses in East Timor are brought to justice. However, we have also noted the progress achieved thus far by the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry. At this stage, we think it would be more feasible to allow this process to take its course before further steps are taken by the international community. Finally, I wish Mr. Viera de Mello and his staff all the best in their work.

I associate myself with the words of welcome addressed to you and the words of gratitude addressed to your predecessor. My delegation is grateful to Mr. Vieira de Mello for his impressive briefing, which supplements the already very informative report of the Secretary-General. We welcome the positive developments described in the report and the briefing, such as the improved security situation. It is no small matter that “for most people”, to quote the report, “there is now no threat of violence” (S/2000/53, para.2). We also welcome the work of the National Consultative We are satisfied about the good cooperation between the United Nations, international organizations, non- governmental organizations and donor countries. With the Secretary-General, we welcome the positive developments in the relationship between Indonesia and East Timor. It is clear that some negative aspects remain, and they all seem to be related somehow to the poor state of the economy. The increase of the crime rate and the re- emergence of long-standing conflicts within East Timorese society both seem to have to do with that. The situation in the camps in West Timor continues to be intolerable. It is not acceptable that the militias still operate there and that the access of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is restricted. We are also disappointed that border incidents continue despite the memorandum signed by the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) and UNTAET providing for cooperation in the border area and formalizing the deployment of United Nations border liaison teams. In this connection, we were interested to hear Mr. Vieira de Mello refer to his contacts with General Kiki Syahnakri, the Governor of West Timor, and we are interested to learn more about his assessment of this situation as well. It is clear that all delegations agree that those responsible for human rights abuses must be brought to justice. That is also the view of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia. We welcome the commitment of that Government to bring those responsible for human rights abuses to justice through Indonesia’s national judicial system.

I thank the representative of the Netherlands for his kind words addressed to me.

First of all I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. The Chinese delegation will fully support your work. We would also like to thank Ambassador Holbrooke and the United States delegation for their outstanding work last month in the Council. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report and Mr. Vieira de Mello for his comprehensive briefing. We are gratified by the positive evolution of the situation in East Timor. This progress would not have been possible without the joint efforts of the United Nations and all the parties concerned. We would especially like to express our deep appreciation to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Vieira de Mello, and to all the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) personnel for their outstanding work under difficult and harsh conditions. At the same time, we note that we should not be overly optimistic about the situation in East Timor. There are still great difficulties involved in reconstructing East Timor, particularly in rebuilding its infrastructure, building judicial institutions and establishing rule of law, and in creating employment. China believes that it has not been easy to come this far in East Timor, and this hard-won achievement needs to be nurtured. The most pressing tasks taken on by all the parties in East Timor should be to maintain stability and to persist in the reconstruction and reconciliation efforts. In this context, First, as regards smoothly transforming the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) into a United Nations peacekeeping operation, China has always advocated the settlement of the question of East Timor within the framework of the United Nations. We hope that the Blue Helmets will successfully take the baton from INTERFET as scheduled, and assume responsibility for ensuring the security of East Timor and helping create a stable environment for rebuilding the society. In particular, civilian police should be deployed as soon as possible. Secondly, regarding the gradual assumption by the East Timorese people of self-governance, the National Consultative Council of East Timor (NCC) is an effective mechanism by which the East Timorese people can participate in administration and decision-making in East Timor. As pointed out in the Secretary-General's report, UNTAET has benefited greatly from close cooperation with the East Timorese groups represented in the NCC. We hope UNTAET will continue its broad consultations with all the sides and will train local personnel with a view to the independence and self-governance of the East Timorese people. Thirdly, as regards maintaining the unity of the East Timorese people and continuing to promote reconciliation, we concur with the Secretary-General's observation that maintaining the unity of purpose that the National Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) has demonstrated so far will be a key element in ensuring a smooth transition to independence, and that the inclusion of pro-autonomy groups in the NCC was an important step on the path to reconciliation. We hope that the leaders of all East Timorese groups will continue to play a positive role in promoting the reconciliation process. Fourthly, regarding the active promotion of relations between East Timor and Indonesia, this will help enhance stability in the region and promote the settlement of unresolved questions, such as the safe return of refugees now stranded in camps in West Timor. The Secretary- General will soon make a visit to Indonesia and East Timor. We hope that his visit will foster further improvements in the relations between the two sides. Fifthly, China will continue to support and participate in relevant activities in the framework of the United Nations, so as to help East Timor make a smooth As the first stage in its assistance, the Chinese Government has provided $50 million yuan renminbi in grants in aid to East Timor. Within its means, China will continue to provide assistance to the reconstruction process in East Timor. At present East Timor is faced with the formidable task of rebuilding in all sectors. Helping East Timor make a smooth transition is a challenge for the United Nations. We are gratified by the good beginning that has been made and hope that all concerned will continue to maintain the present momentum of cooperation and help the East Timorese people overcome their temporary difficulties and rebuild their society in good time. Finally, I would like to say a few words about the human rights situation in East Timor, about which we are very concerned. We note that the International Commission of Inquiry and the Indonesian Government have both released reports on the human rights situation there. We also note that the Indonesian President has stated that his Administration will seriously study the Indonesian Commission of Inquiry's report and, in accordance with Indonesian national law, take action. We believe that the Indonesian Government is able and ready to conduct investigations, as well as to carry out prosecutions.

I thank the representative of China for his kind words addressed to my delegation.

Let me reiterate here my congratulations to you, Sir, on your accession to the presidency of the Security Council for the month of February, as well as our complete willingness to work with you for the success of your mission. I would also like to congratulate Ambassador Holbrooke on the success of the American presidency during the month of January. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report on East Timor and Mr. Vieira de Mello for his complete and clear account of how the situation in that Territory is evolving, its positive features and, above all, the remaining difficulties and tasks. Pleased as we are about the general situation on the ground, Tunisia nonetheless stresses the importance of the consolidation and national reconciliation of East Timor and of the establishment of peaceful, good-neighbourly relations between East Timor and its neighbours. Tunisia is also pleased by the arrangements for and the progress achieved regarding transferring the International Force in East Timor to the United Nations within an appropriate time-frame and under good conditions. I would also like to praise the goodwill that the Indonesian Government has shown in cooperating with the United Nations and its evident determination to develop good relations with all the parties. This positive attitude has been shown in actions the Government has taken to find solutions to problems arising from the crisis, including those related to violations of human rights. In particular, Indonesia's acts have included meetings with leaders and the liberation of political prisoners. In addition, it intends to establish cooperative relations in several fields, and has decided to establish a working group to speed the return of refugees to East Timor. We agree that there is a need to strengthen the capacities of the humanitarian organizations on the ground so that they can discharge their duties under the best possible conditions. In this context, effective coordination between the various agencies operating on the ground is designed to maximize results, as Mr. Vieira de Mello emphasized. Finally, I should like to welcome the financial support that the international community is providing for East Timor. That support is continuing to grow, as was demonstrated during the donors' meeting in Tokyo. Before concluding, I should also like to point out that we attach great importance to the efforts and the commitment being made by the international community to restore peace, stability and prosperity for the population of East Timor.

Mali is pleased to see you, Sir, presiding over the Security Council for the month of February. You may rely on my delegation's full cooperation. I would like to thank you for having convened today's meeting, which has provided us with an opportunity to hear Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Transitional Administrator in East Timor, explain the situation there to us with his customary rigour. This is a positive working method that we should continue to use, as it is a means of providing useful information to members and non-members of the Council, thereby contributing to the transparency of the Council's activity. I had several questions in mind, but taking the floor at this stage of the discussion, I find that some of them have already been dealt with by Mr. Vieira de Mello in his introductory statement and that others have already been raised by my colleagues. I shall not, therefore, repeat them, but confine myself simply to making a few brief observations. First of all, I should like to express satisfaction at the positive evaluation of the relationship between East Timor and Indonesia. In this context, the report of the Secretary- General contains very valuable information, especially on the exchange of visits between the two countries. With regard to governance and public administration, I should like to welcome the considerable efforts that have been made in many fields since the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was established to achieve progress towards creating a solid foundation for East Timor as an independent state. As for the economic and social prospects for East Timor, I should like to stress the need for the pledges made during the donors' meeting in Tokyo to be released as soon as possible so that UNTAET and its East Timorese partners can work more effectively and better meet the needs of the population of East Timor. From this perspective, we believe that it is important to maintain the excellent links of cooperation that have been established between the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions, non-governmental organizations and donors. With regard to human rights issues, I should like to express my delegation's concern about the human rights In conclusion, I should like to express our gratitude to the Secretary-General, his Special Representative, Mr. Vieira de Mello, and all those who are working to restore peace and promote reconciliation in East Timor.

I thank the representative of Mali for the kind words he addressed to me.

I congratulate you, Sir, on taking over the gavel as President of the Security Council. I apologize for being late, but I had the chance to have a good exchange of views with Sergio Vieira de Mello earlier this morning. In fact, I was delayed because I was trying to gain some additional American support for his mission and engaging in conversations in the Secretariat with the Secretary- General and his colleagues. So I apologize. I want to begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, for beginning this month by focusing on this issue. It demands our attention. This is a historically important transitional month in East Timor, and I want to commend our friend and colleague, Sergio Vieira de Mello, for his unceasing efforts, made under very difficult conditions in East Timor. I visited him myself in November and could see the difficult conditions he was operating under. I had only one question in my mind, which was how he managed to look as if his suit had just been dry cleaned and pressed, while everyone else in East Timor looked as though they had not cleaned their clothes in a month. This was a mystery which I cannot explain. He is taking very, very dramatic actions, and I believe that the first few months of the United Nations effort in East Timor give us hope that history will record this as another United Nations success. Of course, the final results are far from being in our hands. There are issues that we are concerned about, such as the growing unrest and crime in Dili. But I know that Sergio is working on these very aggressively. In his remarks, he stressed the importance of the World Bank, and we share that view. We urge the World I think that the consultative arrangements that the Special Representative has created with the East Timorese are excellent, and a model for people in other parts of the world. I also think that his recent trip to Jakarta and his frank and productive discussions with the Indonesian Foreign Minister and other officials have also been very productive. We are delighted that the Secretary-General will be going to Indonesia and East Timor and that President Wahid is also going to plan a visit to East Timor. I know, however, that reconciliation between Indonesia and East Timor is going to be undermined as long as the refugees in the camps remain in their current mode. We are deeply concerned that the number still appears to be over 100,000, despite the fact that there has been some movement out of the camps. We are deeply disturbed that the movement out of the camps has slowed to a trickle, and I remain extremely puzzled by the inability of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies to do more in this regard. I am told repeatedly that UNHCR is doing everything it can, but I find that hard to believe given the objective situation on the ground. But the real problem is not with UNHCR; it is with the Indonesian military, some elements of which continue to support the militia, even as they try to fight against the internal Commission of Inquiry report and the International Commission of Inquiry. I want to take this opportunity to express our strong support for the Secretary-General's call to encourage the Indonesians to conduct a more thorough investigation and to take action on their own. We support Attorney-General Marzuki and the other brave members of the Indonesian Government and the Commission of Inquiry with whom I met in Jakarta in November in their efforts for full accountability on an internal basis. The Indonesian Commission did impressive work, but if they cannot deal with their problem internally they must recognize that international pressure on them will mount, and the pressure for the recommendations as called for by the International Commission of Inquiry on East Timor for an international tribunal will also increase. I hope that people in Indonesia understand that the world is listening. The best way to avoid what they do not In conclusion, I want to simply stress again how strongly we wish to support the efforts of the United Nations in East Timor, and this will include additional actions that we are working on now with Mr. Vieira de Mello and with the Secretariat. Mr. Vieira de Mello, I am just delighted to see you back in New York, and I wish you all the best as you return this weekend to continue your mission of such great importance. We look forward to the day that you will come here and report to us a date on which East Timor will become, I believe, the first new nation of the new millennium.

I thank the representative of the United States for his kind words addressed to me. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Argentina. There is very little to add to this very exhaustive and informative debate, but first of all, I cannot fail to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report and to thank Mr. Vieira de Mello for the very broad and useful information he has provided us. I would also like to express my delegation's thanks to the United Nations Transitional Administrator for the excellent work he is accomplishing in East Timor, and I would like to extend our congratulations to all the personnel of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) for their brilliant performance under extremely difficult conditions. Secondly, now that the transfer from the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET) to the military component of UNTAET is under way, the countries that participated in the International Force should be thanked. It is especially necessary to pay tribute to Major General Peter Cosgrove for his consummate professionalism and his courageous leadership of INTERFET. The United Nations has taken up a very important challenge in shouldering the burden for the administration and preparation of East Timor for independence. In the first three months, in close consultation with the Timorese represented in the National Consultative Council (NCC), UNTAET has managed to make progress in some key Along these lines, I would like to indicate my delegation's concern for the still-unresolved question of the refugees in West Timor and our concern about the conduct of some elements in the militias who continue to harass Timorese, particularly in the Oecussi enclave. Similarly, I would like to say that the growing social tensions in the cities of East Timor and the growth in the rate of delinquency are negative factors that could jeopardize social stability in the Territory. We agree with the Secretary- General and with other comments made today that these questions are intimately linked to the serious economic situation, the high rate of unemployment and the abysmal condition of public services. We hope that the highest priority will be attached to solving these problems. Finally, I would like to point out the importance for East Timor of normalizing its relationship with Indonesia and the need to promote genuine reconciliation between the peoples and the authorities of both countries. We trust that the exchange of bilateral visits will contribute to solving some of the pending issues and make it possible to find a solution to the problem of refugees and border control between East and West Timor. As regards the human rights questions raised several times during today's discussion, I agree with the idea that at some point the Security Council will have to examine in informal consultations the letter dated 31 January 2000 from the Secretary-General to the Council and to other bodies of the United Nations. I think that will also be an appropriate occasion to look at the letter of the Secretary- General to the Security Council also dated 31 January 2000 in which he transmits to us the letter addressed to him by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia on this subject. I now resume my function as President of the Council. I now give the floor to Mr. Vieira de Mello to respond to the observations and questions addressed to him and to make any other statement that he may wish to make. Mr. Vieira de Mello: Thank you all for your words of encouragement. Let me say how greatly strengthened and stimulated I feel after again meeting with you in this Chamber and hearing your supportive statements. I have taken note of all the observations and suggestions that you Mr. President, you have just asked me to respond to some of the specific questions that have been put to me, and I will do so with pleasure. Ambassador Eldon put a question to me that was also formulated in different words by Ambassadors Yel’chenko, von Walsum, Holbrooke and by yourself. He specifically requested me to provide the Council with an assessment of future potential militia activity and asked what could be done to tackle this problem. There are different ways in which this can be addressed. I referred, as does the Secretary-General's report, to the primary role of the Indonesian Government, in particular the Indonesian armed forces and the Indonesian police. I have mentioned to you that this has been raised repeatedly by both Major General Cosgrove and by myself, including last week, and the indications I have received, in particular from General Kiki Syahnakri, who is the Udayana regional commander based in Den Pasa, are encouraging. What we are dealing with are the remnants, the vestiges, of militia groups. These are small bands of 15 to 30 elements each, who have been particularly active, as you know, around the Oecussi enclave, both on its eastern and western borders. Most of these small groups appear to be under the command of one individual whose name is well known and is mentioned in the Secretary-General's report and which I have mentioned repeatedly; Major General Cosgrove has also repeatedly mentioned it to the military and civilian authorities of Indonesia. General Syahnakri promised me last week that this person would be detained. I have received this morning a report which indicates that he will in fact be interrogated by the joint investigative team of our civilian police on the basis of evidence gathered inside the Oecussi enclave, as well as by the Indonesian National Police, POLRI, who will fingerprint him and photograph him for further judicial action, we hope. General Syahnakri also reiterated to me all the steps he had taken since his appointment to search camps for weapons, to establish checkpoints — which I have seen with my own eyes — around refugee settlements in Atambua, as well as in areas close to the border between East and West Timor. He also indicated to me that despite his limited resources he would increase patrols around the Oecussi enclave on the Indonesian side of the border. All of this is extremely encouraging. I have Repression of these hard-core, hard-line, die-hard militia leaders is not sufficient. They must be deprived of their political base or of their political command and control structures. For that to happen I strongly believe that political dialogue must be increased and must be strengthened with the many different political leaders representing the pro-autonomy, pro-integrationist cause that continue to live and operate out of West Timor. I met with some of them last week. They have just held a congress, which was not entirely conclusive in terms of unifying the pro-autonomy groups and certainly not terribly successful, I am told, in terms of providing the moderate course of action which the Indonesian Government, UNTAET and Xanana Gusmão have been promoting, the broad majority support of pro-integrationist groups in West Timor. I am told that, unfortunately, it is still the hard line that seems to have prevailed, which further demonstrates the need for us to engage the pro-autonomy leaders in continued systematic dialogue. They must not be excluded. I think this would be a dangerous course of action. They must be involved. They must be reassured that if they opt for democratic, non-violent means, they can, they must return and engage in normal political activities in the new framework that we shall establish in due course for the functioning of political parties in East Timor. In other words, they should abandon their past aspirations, which were defeated by the majority on 30 August, look towards the future and work within the new framework we are establishing. Ambassador Hasmy asked me what could be done to disarm ex-combatants. I think I have indicated what General Syahnakri and his predecessor have been doing with the help of the Indonesian police and what additional measures he intends to take. As far as disarming inside the Territory of East Timor, as members know, the Armed Forces for the National Liberation of East Timor, Falintil, have been cantoned on the basis of the 5 May 1999 Agreement. They have been extremely disciplined. They have respected fully that Agreement. They are not allowed to carry their weapons outside the single cantonment area Ambassador Eldon also asked me to make sure that the new East Timorese police force will be trained so as to act in accordance with established international standards. I can assure him that that indeed will be part of their training in the new police academy, whenever we manage to repair and equip that academy because, as I said, that is one of our chronic problems: how to rebuild public buildings, where to find funds to rebuild and equip public buildings such as this academy, as well as the academy for the new civil service, and so forth. Ambassador Chowdhury asked me what we would be doing to accelerate the deployment of civilian policemen. This is an issue we have been discussing with our colleagues here in the Secretariat. We will have a series of meetings today and tomorrow to ensure the rapid deployment of the remaining 1,100 civilian police that we badly require. Ambassador Eldon, later supported by Ambassadors Dejammet, Andjaba and Holbrooke, asked me concretely what we could do in order to improve our ability to access those funds pledged in Tokyo in December last year. Let me limit my comments to reconstruction only. We will be discussing with World Bank officials today and tomorrow how to accelerate the implementation of the six-month reconstruction plan that I referred to in my presentation, while, of course, adhering fully to established World Bank procedures. I will be asking them if it will be possible to have the Bank agree to rapid disbursements of funds intended for reconstruction projects in the different areas we identified in early January without in any way interfering with the normal progress of the project formulation, approval, international tender and procurement process that the World Bank cannot deviate from. We will also discuss with them the possible allocation to the United Nations Trust Fund, as distinct from the World Bank trust fund, of some of the unearmarked pledges made in Tokyo. This would give us the possibility to proceed with badly needed Bilateral contributions — such as have been made by some countries represented in this room, for which we are most grateful — have enabled us to launch small projects that have kept electricity and water going, in Dili in particular, and have made possible the launching of some projects which Ambassador Hasmy referred to, particularly in terms of road maintenance and repair and a number of other infrastructure-related activities. Such contributions are welcome, and there are enough implementing partners — be they the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), other United Nations agencies or non- governmental organizations on the ground — that are more than willing to implement them in earnest. Finally, as I mentioned in my presentation, some flexibility in the use of assessed contributions for those expenditures that are directly related to the implementation of our mandate — which is to create a viable East Timorese administration — would also be welcome. The Secretary-General, for members’ information, has convened a meeting this afternoon, such is his personal interest in allowing us this flexibility — needless to say, with the support of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee. Ambassador Andjaba asked me what other job-creating prospects we could count on — private investment and so on. I am afraid that, in the very near future, such prospects are remote and minimal. There does not exist sufficient confidence on the part of private investors in the region and beyond for them to come in in any significant way and help us in this critical short term to deal with the problem of unemployment. My hope is, after contact with some investors in countries of the region — be it Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and, I am sure, others that Mr. Xanana Gusmão has visited in recent days, including countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and the Republic of Korea — that there will be, in the medium term, much interest on the part of private investors in coming to East Timor, but only after we have managed to establish a durable climate of stability and a proper economic and fiscal regulatory environment, which, as I indicated, we are actively working on. (spoke in French) He also noted that the resumption of economic activity would hinge on East Timor’s normalizing relations with Indonesia and with the western part of the island of Timor. I agree with him entirely. Ambassador Granovsky identified the connection between normalized relations and the resumption of economic activity in Timor. One thing is certain: all this will depend on the reopening of the borders between East Timor and the western part of the island. This is one of the matters that we shall be negotiating with Indonesia. Jakarta would like the borders to reopen as soon as possible, but that will come about only when security has been made credibly to prevail there — in other words, once the threat of incursions, such as those that have occurred in recent weeks, becomes a thing of the past, as we hope it will. Ambassador Dejammet also suggested that we try, as recommended in paragraph 18 of Security Council resolution 1272 (1999), to reduce UNTAET’s military component, which would allow us to reallocate its funding to governance and reconstruction. As I said in my presentation and discussed with General De los Santos, we periodically re-evaluate the security situation and, thus, our military requirements on the field. I would be the first to recommend to the Security Council that there be a gradual reduction in the United Nations military component. (spoke in English) Ambassador Chowdhury of Bangladesh, supported by the Ambassador of Jamaica, raised a number of issues related to education and adult literacy. I have taken note of their suggestions and will make sure that both are integrated into our plan of action for education in the year 2000 and in subsequent such plans. Ambassador Chowdhury also raised the question of the prevention of recurrence of human rights violations in the future. I can report that, on Tuesday in Geneva, I met Ambassador Chowdhury also mentioned the importance of the ASEAN countries and of the region as a whole in the reconstruction and development of East Timor. I think I have already addressed this in my reply to Ambassador Andjaba. Ambassador Shen Guofang referred to the importance of safeguarding the unity of the CNRT. I certainly could not agree more. That is a priority for all of us. That is a very important message from this Council. We have attempted to achieve that goal through the participatory way in which the National Consultative Council has been operating and through the consensus-building efforts within Last but not least — and I agree with those members who mentioned these visits as important in consolidating unity within the CNRT, and ultimately unity among all East Timorese, including those who campaigned for autonomy and integration — I would refer to the visit of our Secretary-General on 17 and 18 February. This will include a very brief visit to refugee camps in Atambua, which is a very powerful message that he will be conveying to those refugees, and is to be preceded by the visit of President Sampaio of Portugal and to be followed by the visit of President Abdurrahman Wahid. These visits, and many more that are scheduled for the month of February and subsequent months, will be extremely important in boosting this unity of purpose of the East Timorese people, which we are determined to cultivate and further support.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.