S/PV.4282 Security Council

I should like to recall the decisions taken at the 4279th meeting, by which the Council extended invitations in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rules 37 and 39 of its provisional rules of procedure, as appropriate, to the members of the Political Committee for the Implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, as well as Zambia, the representative of the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the Organization of African Unity, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Security Council will now continue its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2001/157, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should like to draw attention to the following changes to be made to the draft resolution contained in document S/2001/157 in its provisional form. In the sixteenth preambular paragraph, insert the word “necessary” before the word “conditions”; and in operative paragraph 21, insert the words “it determines” before the word “conditions”.

I have no trouble with those amendments, but before we adopt this draft resolution, I would like it to be absolutely clear among all parties around this table that the basis for the withdrawal from Pweto — which is the subject of operative paragraph 4 of this draft resolution — the substance of that agreement among the parties is the lines that were agreed among the parties on 8 April last year of a 15-kilometre withdrawal from the lines originally held by the parties. I would be most grateful if the Chairman of the Political Committee could confirm to us very briefly now that the substance of the agreement amongst the parties for that first step of withdrawal in Katanga province is founded on the agreement of 8 April last, and on no other agreement since. If that is the case, then members of the Council will understand that further steps beyond that first withdrawal will need to be agreed amongst the parties in the work that they have to do subsequent to the adoption of this draft resolution and, we hope, before 15 May. I would be most grateful if the Chairman, Mr. Mudenge, could confirm that position to us.

I call on the Chairman of the Political Committee for the Implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, His Excellency Mr. Stanislaus I. G. Mudenge.

The positions as agreed by the members and declared by the parties are those positions that were declared, recorded and signed for on 8 April 2000 at Kampala. They are the positions that are found also in the Harare sub-plans. As far as the parties are concerned, there is no confusion as to which positions are intended, because they were initialled and signed for by every member. They are in documentary form, which I am sure the United Nations has had the advantage of possessing. So the positions are in no doubt.

In the light of that clarification, it is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/2001/157) before it, as orally revised in its provisional form. If I hear no objection, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution, as orally revised in its provisional form, has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1341 (2001). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.