S/PV.4307 Security Council

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 document S/2001/294, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1347 (2001). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. Statement by the President

Since this is the last public meeting of the month and my last appearance before the Council in my current capacity, I wish to extend to all of the members of the Security Council and to all delegations our sincerest thanks for their efforts in assisting the Ukrainian presidency of the Council at all stages of the implementation of the programme we proposed for this month and beyond, for their spirit of goodwill and cooperation and for their good and thoughtful advice, even before our presidency started. I will be leaving New York with the feeling of “mission accomplished”. On behalf of my delegation, I also wish to thank the Secretariat and all the departments that once again displayed their traditional, unfailing readiness to provide us with very useful and detailed information. We also extend our thanks to the entire team led by Mr. Stephanides for their advice, professionalism, discipline and willingness to work literally 24 hours a day, including on weekends. We are particularly grateful for their always active and unwavering assistance in preparations for the Ukrainian presidency. I also wish to convey our most cordial gratitude to the interpreters for their wonderful performance during these long hours and days of our presidency. I wish every success to the delegation of the United Kingdom, which will be assuming this seat in the coming days. They, like us, will appreciate members’ fullest cooperation. Expression of thanks to the outgoing President Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom): I want to break with tradition, Mr. President, since you will not be present with us next week, and to express the Council’s pleasure at having you preside over our formal meetings during the month of March, as our colleague and as a close friend of all of us around the table. It has given us delight to have you among us and leading us with such clarity, calmness and wisdom during the month of March. I wish to congratulate you on that, Mr. President, on behalf of all the other members of the Council, and to wish to you all good fortune upon your return to your capital.

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