S/PV.4351Resumption1 Security Council

Mr. Strnmmen (Norway): Let me start by expressing my delegation's appreciation of the presence here of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and of my friend Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta. I would also like to thank them both for their excellent statements on the latest developments in and the future of East Timor. Those statements bring to mind the achievements that have been made, but they also remind us that the task at hand has still not been completed. Norway welcomes the report of the Secretary- General on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) (S/2001/7l9). Let me underline our satisfaction with the report's very clear recommendations with regard to a future United Nations presence in East Timor. To ensure peace and the establishment of vital institutions, it is of crucial importance that the United Nations remain in East Timor until such institutions have been put on a solid footing. Norway therefore fully supports the recommendations put forward by the Secretary-General with regard to a successor mission to UNTAET, mandated by the Security Council and containing both a military and a civilian component. UNTAET has provided a platform for a successful transition in East Timor. In order to ensure that this process is seen through to a logical conclusion, we believe assessed funding is the only viable approach. Needless to say, the mission should be carefully designed to reflect the exact needs and challenges of a newly independent East Timor. As to the issue of a future exit strategy, we believe that instead of trying to fix a date for the withdrawal of United Nations personnel, the Council should seek guidance from resolution 1272 (1999) regarding establishing certain benchmarks for withdrawal. The period leading up to the elections on 30 August - as well as the immediate post-election period, including the drafting of the constitution - will be of great importance for the future State of East Timor. A lot has been invested, and a lot is at stake. Norway reiterates the importance of free and fair elections. In this regard we are encouraged by the innovative approach adopted by UNTAET in the pre- election phase. Let me also underline my Government's appreciation of the fact that the pact of national unity has now been signed. We consider this to be of great importance for optimizing the framework for a peaceful and democratic East Timor. Norway was among the international observers at the recent registration of refugees in West Timor. My delegation approves of the technical manner in which the exercise was carried out. The preliminary results suggest that the majority of the refugees currently prefer to remain in Indonesia. However, in our view it is likely that many will reconsider and opt for repatriation at a later stage. Norway attaches great importance to the instigation of criminal proceedings against individuals responsible for serious international crimes. We reiterate our stand that prosecution by national courts is a far better approach than the setting up of an international tribunal, which should always be the very last resort. We note with satisfaction the increased East Timorese participation in the Administration. However, we are still not at a satisfactory level, and we therefore urge UNTAET to use the remaining months of the transition to intensify these efforts. My Government is impressed by the work already done to create conditions for a sustainable independent East Timor. We would therefore like to stress the importance of continued economic support for UNTAET, the World Bank and the humanitarian and development agencies working in East Timor. For its part, my Government remains committed to providing its share of the overall costs. Finally, my Government takes note of the peaceful and democratic transition of power in Indonesia. It is of vital importance for both security and stability in the region that strong and peaceful relations between East Timor and Indonesia are established. Reconciliation and enhanced cooperation between the two countries are fundamental prerequisites. Let me conclude by once again paying tribute to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Vieira de Mello, and his staff, both international and East Timorese, for undertaking such a difficult task in a manner that gives hope for a smooth transition to an independent East Timor.

Mr. Cooney (Ireland): I would like to welcome Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and Mr. Ramos-Horta. Later in today's debate Belgium, as President of the European Union, will be making a statement to which Ireland fully subscribes. I make the following points in my national capacity. It is not an exaggeration to state that today's meeting takes place at an historic time for East Timor, as the country approaches elections to the Constituent Assembly, the drafting of the constitution and the achievement of independence. An enormous amount has been accomplished in the last two years, but as Mr. Vieira de Mello has confirmed today, much remains to be done. The Secretary-General in his report of last January stated that, once independent, East Timor would still require substantial international support through an integrated mission mandated by the Security Council and funded from assessed contributions. We are pleased to note in the current report that planning for such a presence is being undertaken by the Working Group on the Post- UNTAET Planning in East Timor, together with an Integrated Mission Task Force in New York. We also note from the Secretary-General's report that the plan will be refined to reflect the structure of an independent Government of East Timor, which of course will only become clear once the Constituent Assembly's deliberations have progressed. We strongly believe that the international presence in East Timor should be commensurate with actual requirements and calibrated to a careful timetable of scrutiny and review. In this context we have taken careful note of Mr. Ramos-Horta's appeal that the desirable downsizing of the United Nations presence should take full account of the ongoing needs of East Timor. The recommendation in the Secretary- General's report that international staff should act increasingly in an advisory capacity and in technical areas where local expertise has not yet developed is most sensible and worthy of further consideration. We believe that this assistance is vital for the process of Timorization, whereby East Timor will acquire the administrative strength and institutional capacity to successfully manage its own affairs. We agree with the recommendation of the Secretary-General that an effective human rights component should be an important part of the successor mission, and we are encouraged by the important human rights work currently being carried out by the Human Rights Unit of UNTAET. Yet despite the encouraging political developments, we remain concerned about the security situation in East Timor. In particular, as we were reminded on the weekend, the situation on the border with West Timor is of concern. In this respect we note the reference in the Secretary-General's report to illegal cross-border trade and movement, which have been associated with serious security incidents. This is deeply worrying. Equally disturbing is the concern expressed in the report that some militia elements have adopted a strategy of biding their time until independence in the belief that the international military presence will be removed from East Timor. The militias must not be given such hope, no matter how false or groundless. Moreover, they must be disarmed and disbanded. As regards the presence of international troops, we believe that the significant efforts of the international community should not be compromised or endangered by a premature reduction in military strength. Concrete decisions should not be taken at this time, particularly about the peacekeeping and policing components. We should reflect on the recommendation of the Secretary-General and monitor developments on the ground, especially during the election period. Before we make decisions in this regard we should await the report that the Secretary-General has said he will issue in October. We believe that, pending that report, the military component of UNTAET should be maintained in its present form until the new Government in East Timor has established itself. The long-term stability and prosperity of East Timor will be greatly enhanced through a close and harmonious relationship with its neighbour, Indonesia. These are challenging times for Indonesia, but there is no doubt that the international standing of the new Government in Jakarta would be significantly strengthened if it were to take early action in relation to a number of issues regarding its relations with East Timor. These include active implementation of the memorandum of understanding, concluded in 2000, on cooperation in legal, judicial and human rights matters. They also include cooperation with UNTAET and subsequently with the independent East Timorese authorities in prosecuting crimes against humanity and humanitarian law in East Timor, and the pursuit of an early appeal against the extremely light sentences given to the six individuals guilty of the murder of the three staff of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Atambua on 6 September 2000. Another such action would be an indication that those refugees who for the moment have apparently elected to remain in West Timor would, were they to change their minds, be allowed to return to East Timor in full security. Finally, we would urge full cooperation in investigating the allegations raised by Ireland in May that some women, abducted from East Timor during the conflict, are being held in West Timor in conditions of sexual slavery. Ireland is fully committed to a sustained involvement in East Timor, both bilaterally and on the part of the United Nations. Considerable and encouraging progress has been made in East Timor. This is a tribute both to the courage and vision of the East Timorese people and their leadership and to the professionalism and dedication of the staff of UNTAET. We are in a critical stage of the national self- realization of East Timor. We very much hope that when we look at the Secretary-General's next report, in October, further challenges will have been met, that the elections will have been successfully held and that the drafting of East Timor's constitution will be well under way. This is a crucial phase, and it is important that this Council continue to show its strong and steadfast support for East Timor.

Mr. Kulyk (Ukraine): Like previous speakers, I wish to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and the member of the Transitional Cabinet, Mr. Ramos-Horta, for their comprehensive statements containing deep analysis of the recent problems and the long-term tasks that lie before the Transitional Administration and the East Timorese on their way towards independence. The Ukrainian views are very much in consonance with what has been said around this table. I shall therefore confine myself to making a few remarks. The latest review of the situation in East Timor, including the report of the Secretary-General, enables us to draw conclusions about the progress made in the move towards independence. We are particularly pleased with the successful process of Timorization. In this regard, we view positively the activities of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). We consider the elections for the Constituent Assembly a key issue on the political calendar for East Timor at this stage. The elections on 30 August will pave the way to independence for the people of East Timor. It is necessary to ensure the holding of democratic, transparent and orderly general legislative elections. It is also extremely important to avoid violence and confrontation within East Timorese society after the elections. It will be essential to ensure the smooth formation of the Constituent Assembly and the new Cabinet and to maintain a peaceful environment for the debate over the first constitution of East Timor and the transition to independence. In this connection, we welcome the signing of the pact of national unity by 14 of the 16 political parties contesting in the elections. But we are concerned that the potential for communal or inter-party violence remains within East Timor over the transitional period. Therefore, we are interested in hearing what additional steps can be taken by UNTAET and the Transitional Cabinet to prevent the possible destabilization of the situation. Establishing the economic foundation for independence on the basis of a viable private sector remains another priority for us. It is gratifying to see the revitalization of the economic life of East Timor. Revenues from the Timor Sea will give an additional significant chance for strengthening East Timor's economic independence. The future Government will need to build on efforts by the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations by creating an environment favourable to attracting long-term investments. It is important that the financial programmes and projects that are being implemented or are getting under way in East Timor be focused on the future and adapted to the conditions that will prevail after independence. We believe that an indispensable step towards independence is the establishment of an East Timorese defence force, local police and an effective system of justice. If these tasks are not accomplished, all the other efforts to move towards independence may be threatened. The United Nations civilian police should maintain a substantial strength until the East Timorese police are fully trained and deployed. It is important to enable the East Timorese to play an increasingly greater role in enforcing public safety and in the defence of East Timor's borders. It is clear that the international presence in East Timor needs to be extended after the transition to East Timorese independence. In this regard, we fully share the relevant provisions of the progress report of the Secretary-General. We need a comprehensive, realistic and lasting approach to a successor mission. A considered exit strategy that is based on the continuing needs and aspirations of the East Timorese people is also important.

Mr. Koonjul (Mauritius): The progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) brings much good and encouraging news about the ongoing political process in East Timor. It also brings to the attention of the international community the need for consistent and concerted action to ensure a successful transfer of authority from UNTAET to the new executive authority which will be set up after the election. We commend the Secretary-General for his report. We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Vieira de Mello, for his lucid and comprehensive briefing. We join other delegations in expressing our appreciation for his formidable and most constructive work in East Timor. We are also grateful for the briefing given to us this morning by Mr. Ramos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinet of East Timor responsible for Foreign Affairs. The political development in East Timor seems to be moving in the right direction, and the dream of independence culminating in statehood for East Timor is now only a matter of time. In the light of the progressive infrastructural development that has taken place during the past six months, and in view of the strong commitment of both UNTAET and the East Timorese to nation-building, we feel confident that the forthcoming elections scheduled for 30 days from now will proceed peacefully. We note with satisfaction that the majority of parties have signed the pact of national unity to carry out a peaceful political campaign and to accept the outcome of the elections. We are also pleased to note that the district constitutional commissions are conducting hearings on systems of government, basic rights and other issues related to the constitution. It is important that the population at large, especially civil society, be made to feel that it is part of this important political process. We hope that these consultations will lead to the preparation of a constitution tailored to the needs and legitimate aspirations of the East Timorese people. We also welcome the news that various sectors of the economy have generally seen improvements. However, appropriate funding and proper planning are still needed to ensure continued progress and sustainability. The pressing issues of security, resettlement of returnees and law and order need to be addressed urgently. We urge the international community to continue and to increase its assistance in these areas. My delegation appreciates the setting up of the Working Group on the Post-UNTAET Planning in East Timor, together with an Integrated Mission Task Force in New York on the modality of international support that would be required in East Timor after independence. We believe that the Working Group should take into consideration the findings of the inter- agency security assessment team and, in the light of its recommendations, suggest an appropriate plan of action. The positive developments in East Timor could not have been possible without the active cooperation of the Government of Indonesia. We urge the new leadership in Indonesia to pursue its efforts to implement all the measures called for by the Council in its resolution 1319 (2000). We also appeal to the Government of Indonesia to fully respect the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in legal, judicial and human rights matters, concluded on 6 April 2000 with UNTAET, especially section 9, which provides for the transfer of persons for purposes of prosecution. The task lying ahead is not easy, but it is not unattainable either. Bearing in mind the inexperience of the various new departments, we cannot, at this stage, afford an exit without strategy. The strategy is clear. We need to prepare the East Timorese people to take the responsibility for and the destiny of their newly born State in their own hands. This can be possible only if the Timorization process is accelerated in all sectors, through capacity-building in specific sectors of public finance, public administration, policing and maintenance of law and order. A sound and representative legislative system, an effective and efficient administrative body and an independent judiciary are fundamentals for a sustained democratic society and political stability. It is therefore extremely important to lay the foundation for and to consolidate the democratic institutions, which will ensure good governance and rule of law, respect for human rights and an independent judiciary in East Timor. It is equally important that a massive campaign be undertaken to educate the population at large as to their civic duties and obligations and also their rights in a free and democratic society. Mauritius supports the recommendation of the Secretary-General to adjust the international presence in East Timor, bearing in mind the situation on the ground in the period following elections, and we reaffirm the need for a substantial international presence in the country after independence as recommended in resolution 1338 (2001). The people of East Timor are on the eve of a new era in the life of their country. It is extremely important that they put aside all their differences and work together in a spirit of national reconciliation in the process of rebuilding their nation and shaping their economy. Likewise, it is vital for the international community to extend all the necessary assistance to the country and its new administration.

The President (spoke in Chinese): Now I will speak in my capacity as the representative of China. The Chinese delegation welcomes Mr. Vieira de Mello and Mr. Ramos-Horta in our midst, and we welcome their statements. We endorse the report by the Secretary-General. We are sincerely pleased by the significant progress achieved in the independence process in East Timor. We appreciate the active efforts made by the transitional authorities, especially in the transfer of power, to speed up the process of Timorization, as well as the fruitful work under the leadership of Mr. Vieira de Mello. As indicated in the report, East Timor is in a critical, final stage in the transitional period. We hope that the transitional authorities will continue to play their constructive role in helping the people of East Timor achieve self-government and self-sufficiency. In our view, United Nations peacekeeping operations should have a good beginning and a good ending. In considering the exit strategy, they should plan thoroughly and take a cautious approach. China endorses the analysis and consideration in the report of the Secretary-General. In our view, after East Timor achieves its official independence, the United Nations should maintain its considerable presence and retain necessary professionals in important departments in administration and management, provide assistance to the authorities of East Timor and maintain a considerable military and police presence. The input of the United Nations should also include corresponding financial support. All these are vital in ensuring the steady transition of East Timor and the smooth functioning of the new Government. As for the size, composition, mandate and method of work of the presence, it should base itself on the principle of high effectiveness and high efficiency, proceed from the actual needs of East Timor, and cooperate closely with the people of East Timor and respect their views. In order to achieve this smooth transition in East Timor, its economic and financial independence and its sound development are important conditions not to be neglected. We hope that the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the relevant agencies of the United Nations will continue their efforts in this regard. We also call upon the entire international community to provide generous assistance to East Timor. Recently, China offered gratis in-kind assistance to East Timor, mainly in agriculture and fisheries. We will provide capital for the building of a foreign ministry. We have also extended assistance in the training of management personnel and will continue to do so. We are actively considering sending medical teams to East Timor. We would like to join the international community in making contributions within our capacities to the peace and development of East Timor. I now resume my capacity as the President. The next speaker is the representative of Portugal. I invite him to take a seat at the Council and to make his statement.

Mr. Brito (Portugal): Portugal fully supports the statement to be delivered by Ambassador Jean de Ruyt of Belgium on behalf of the European Union. I would like at the outset to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and the Cabinet member for foreign affairs of the Transitional Administration in East Timor, Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta, for their comprehensive briefings. It is particularly useful for us here in New York to hear the latest developments in the transition of East Timor to independence from those whose everyday work is to ensure the thorough and smooth implementation of this process. It is a process that, I might add, should be led by the Security Council on the basis of an objective assessment of the evolving situation on the ground. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his report and to welcome the progress achieved in all areas by the activities of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) since the last briefing to the Council. We note, in particular, the progress in the recruitment of civil servants and the transfer of authority to Timorese people at all levels of administration. We strongly believe that Timorization is not just a method for the transfer of responsibility but also a matter of a transfer of skills. It is not just a matter of recruiting people into positions but mainly ensuring they have the minimum capacity to perform their functions. We encourage UNTAET to continue its efforts in this respect. Portugal shares fully the Secretary-General's view that after independence, East Timor will still require "substantial international support to be provided through an integrated mission mandated by the Security Council and funded from assessed contributions." (S/2001/719, paragraph 52) In that regard, we welcome the Secretary- General's recommendations for a follow-up United Nations presence in East Timor after independence, comprising both security and civilian components. We believe this is the only way to ensure continuity in UNTAET's work as it becomes clear that the broad and complex mandate handed down by the Security Council will not be fully achieved by the time of independence. Political and initiative stability are not just something desirable for East Timor; they are vital elements for guaranteeing the long-term security of the country. It will therefore continue to be a responsibility of the United Nations to ensure the establishment of a democratic and viable State in East Timor. This would be the best legacy that the United Nations, and this Council in particular, could give to the people of East Timor. Portugal notes with particular interest the involvement of the United Nations agencies and international financial institutions in the work of UNTAET, as well as in the planning process for the post-independence presence of the United Nations. However, useful and desirable further involvement of United Nations agencies and other institutions in East Timor has to be seen in a gradual and pragmatic way, and not as an instant recipe to solve the complex problems that East Timor has faced and will continue to face for years after its independence. In this context, we believe a number of core functions that emanate directly from the Security Council mandate, contained in resolutions 1272 (1999) and 1338 (2001), will still be the responsibility of this Council. We would also like to underline the Secretary- General's remarks on both the progress achieved and the plans for future training and the full deployment of the Timorese police service. Success in this endeavour is essential to ensuring an independent police force that respects human rights and guarantees the implementation of law and order in the framework of a democratic system. Portugal very much appreciates the Secretary- General's objective analysis of and recommendations on the military component of UNTAET. Despite some improvements in the security situation, we note with concern the remarks of the Secretary-General that "The ability of militias to operate and train unhindered in some areas continues to be of concern." (S/2001/719, para. 50) The Secretary-General also points out that the light sentences handed out to suspects in the murder of three workers of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Atambua "have encouraged some hard-line militia elements to plan the resumption of offensive operations designed to destabilize the situation in East Timor in the lead-up to the elections and independence". (ibid., para. 49) In this regard, Portugal welcomes the efforts of the Government of Indonesia to address the problem of the East Timorese refugees remaining in West Timor. We encourage the Government of Indonesia to continue such efforts and to find a comprehensive solution to this problem. We welcome the commitment already publicly expressed by the Indonesian Government to allowing the return of the refugees at any given moment, independently of the wish expressed by the refugee population on the day of the registration exercise that took place in June. A careful approach to the planning for the future readjustment of the military component of UNTAET is particularly important at this point in time. As we are meeting, the East Timorese political parties are in the middle of their electoral campaign. It is their first free and democratic campaign for the election of an Assembly that will be charged with the most important task in any newborn country: the writing of its constitution. It is fundamental at this point that no positions be taken by or signals sent from this Council that could have a destabilizing effect on the electoral environment. We should keep in mind the trauma and fears that the Timorese generally associate with elections and which are still very vivid in their collective memory. The coming years, as well as the writing of the constitution, are absolutely fundamental not only to the consolidation of democracy and self- government, but also to any decisions to be taken on the future presence of the United Nations in the country. These are really the processes that we should be focusing on at this point, as so much in future debates depends on their outcome. It is never too much to highlight the need for the constitutional process to go smoothly. Sufficient time will need to be allowed for discussions and consultations in order to ensure full ownership of the process by the Timorese. We have seen enough cases of virtually perfect constitutions, drafted with the help of international experts, being adopted but not actually working for the lack of local ownership. It is too fundamental a debate to be rushed. In conclusion, I would like to stress that we all know that the United Nations is not going to stay in East Timor indefinitely. We do not want that. The Council does not want that and the Timorese, I believe, do not want that either. UNTAET's mandate, however, must be fully implemented and if that does not occur before independence, then the United Nations and this Council will need to carry on their engagement beyond that time. This is not only a matter of moral debt to the Timorese; what is at stake is the very responsibility and credibility of the United Nations. Let us not forget for a moment the starting point of this process. As someone once noted, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Let me finally underline that, from our perspective, UNTAET has done an outstanding job to date. It has been a successful mission. Let us keep it that way. I am sure that we all share the same purpose and I can assure the Council that Portugal will continue to do its utmost to support all the efforts to bring East Timor to independence and to a lasting peace.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Australia. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

Ms. Wensley (Australia): I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to contribute to the Council's ongoing consideration of East Timor. We very much welcome your efforts to ensure that this meeting has taken place in a timely fashion and under your own presidency. The overriding interest of the international community is to see the emergence of a stable, secure, prosperous and democratic East Timor governed by an effective administration. The United Nations, as mandated by this Security Council, will continue to have a clear and necessary role in the transition process which will bring that about. Good progress continues to be made, but as we once again assess this progress, informed by the Secretary-General's latest report on the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), it is clear that the task is still far from complete. I do want to thank the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello, for his comprehensive presentation this morning. I also want to extend Australia's continuing thanks to him and to all of the members of UNTAET for their dedication to establishing a solid foundation for East Timor. It is a mark of the progress made so far that an increasing number of East Timorese are involved in this process, including through the East Timor Transitional Administration. The commitment and determination of the East Timorese to develop the skills and capacity they need to govern and administer their own nation are vital ingredients in the continuing transition process. In this respect, we were delighted to see Jose Ramos-Horta here today and I would like to pay the tribute of my Government to him and to the commitment and the effort which the East Timorese people are investing in the establishment of their future nation. In his report, the Secretary-General has reiterated the need for a continuing substantial international presence if there is to be a successful long-term outcome in East Timor. My Government fully endorses this judgement. The solid start which has been made to the transition process must be seen through to its conclusion. The considerable investment in the process must be protected and made to work for a peaceful and sustainable outcome. It is Australia's firm view that a continuing United Nations presence after independence should be provided through an integrated mission comprising civilian, civilian police and peacekeeping components under a single Security Council mandate and funded from United Nations assessed contributions. This is the most coherent and practical approach which can be taken to handle the tasks and challenges which still lie ahead. As so many speakers have emphasized today, the size of this successor mission will, naturally, be substantially smaller than UNTAET. As East Timor's capacity in government and administration increases, and as security and stability on the ground improve, the requirement for international support will diminish. The overall costs of the international presence will be considerably less than those which have been necessary to establish the transition process to date. Nevertheless, continuing consistent sources of funding for the three components of civilian administration, civilian police and peacekeeping will be needed if we are to achieve a durable and fully functioning democratic State in East Timor. This will require a flexible and creative approach to the use of assessed contributions. The costs of the continued use of assessed contributions in the immediate post-independence period will be far less than the potential long-term costs if funding is withdrawn prematurely or if funding gaps appear. While we await the details promised in a further report in October, the Secretary-General's report has indicated that the United Nations successor mission will not be overly ambitious or costly. The international community has a responsibility to deal carefully with a situation that remains fragile and an emerging nation that is clearly yet vulnerable. The credibility of the United Nations, as my colleague Kishore Mahbubani emphasized so eloquently this morning, as the caretaker of East Timor's transition is at stake. Australia welcomes the outline in the Secretary- General's report of the likely shape and size of the overall international post-independence presence in East Timor. This outline takes us a step forward in the development of a clear exit strategy. The development of an acceptable exit strategy must underpin, and indeed will condition, the continuing post- independence United Nations presence. Australia strongly supports the Secretary-General's message that a flexible approach to planning is needed for all components of the post-independence presence. Decisions on how and when to adjust the United Nations presence must be guided by developments on the ground in East Timor. Again, in our view, this applies to all three components of the successor mission: civilian, civilian police and peacekeeping. On the civilian side, we note the Secretary- General's advice that the United Nations presence after independence should be significantly smaller than it is now. We endorse the Secretary-General's assessment that despite considerable progress in the recruitment of East Timorese civil servants, the administrative systems are new and fragile. In Australia's view, it will be essential to provide further assistance at a senior management level to complete effectively the work of that word that Sergio Vieira de Mello does not like - Timorization - and skills transfer in specific areas. This will be critical to the long-term success of the United Nations mission and will ensure the completion of the original United Nations mandate in East Timor to establish an effective administration. We note also the view of the Secretary-General that this necessary assistance will be limited in time. All these considerations reinforce our view that a flexible and creative approach to assessed contributions is required. Careful management of the reduction of the current level of United Nations involvement in the successor mission is as important as is careful management of the longer-term transition to a fully functioning Government. This is an issue that requires attention now and in the period after the 30 August election. We encourage UNTAET to continue to focus on its plans for the gradual transfer of responsibility and functions to the East Timorese Administration and the parallel reduction in its own role. It will be important for UNTAET to decide, within the scope of its agreed budget, which functions can be transferred to the East Timorese and sustained in the long term without incurring further costs. The transfer of assets from UNTAET to the new Administration will also require sensible decisions and careful planning well in advance of independence. We look forward to receiving more details on the planned reduction in the civilian presence in the Secretary-General's October report. We note and welcome the steady progress in UNTAET's phased plan for the development and training of the East Timor Police Service, and we support the gradual reduction of international assistance, in line with the law and order situation on the ground. We note the Secretary-General's advice on plans for the phased transfer of the international police force to a mentoring and monitoring role as local capacity improves. I noted in particular Sergio Vieira de Mello's emphasis on the mentoring side of things in his presentation this morning. This must be based on a clear strategy and a rationale for the development of the East Timor Police Force as a stand-alone force which will be sustainable financially in the long term. The peacekeeping component of the current and future United Nations presence remains critical to East Timor's successful transition to independence. We welcome very much the Secretary-General's clear and candid assessment of current security conditions in East Timor. It is also our firm view that the maintenance of security on the border between East and West Timor, by a United Nations peacekeeping force, is vital and is linked to all other aspects of the transition process going ahead smoothly. We support the Secretary-General's approach to management of the future size of the peacekeeping force as part of the development of a clear exit strategy. I want to reiterate what I have said before in this Council and to many colleagues - that development of this strategy and decisions on the peacekeeping force must take full account of the security conditions on the ground. We therefore endorse the Secretary-General's decision to keep the security situation under constant review to enable further recommendations on the future size of the peacekeeping force to be presented in a later report. The 30 August election is a major step towards East Timor's independence. Like others, we encourage all parties to contribute to the peaceful conduct of the elections and to a smooth and fair implementation of the result, and to uphold the commitments they have made in the pact of national unity. The election and the implementation of its results will also mark a very important new phase in this Council's consideration of East Timor. While all subsequent steps, and their timing, must be determined by the political situation on the ground, it is Australia's view that the establishment of the Constituent Assembly, and further decisions on the future shape of the East Timor Administration, should lead us to a point at which concrete decisions on the mandate for a future United Nations presence can start to be framed by the Council. Timely decisions by the Council will maximize the prospects of achieving a smooth transition from the pre- to the post-independence United Nations presence, including allowing troop- contributing countries to make their plans on future contributions and to facilitate the recruitment of suitable civilian personnel. We would want the Secretary-General's report in October to provide the Council with the basis to begin to formulate, in a substantial way, the mandate for the future United Nations presence. We continue to monitor closely the problems in the West Timor refugee camps. These obviously affect the security situation along the border and have critical implications for the overall situation in East Timor as a whole. We acknowledge the steps that have been taken by the Government of Indonesia so far to resolve these problems. We look forward to further intensified efforts by the new Government of Indonesia to bring about a comprehensive solution to the problems, including an end to militia intimidation. Justice, reconciliation and effective accountability are essential elements of long-term stability in East Timor. We continue to attach high priority to progress in all of these areas, both in East Timor and through the Indonesian justice system. We urge the Indonesian authorities to use the recently established ad hoc human rights court to prosecute violations of human rights that occurred in East Timor, both in the lead-up to and after the August 1999 ballot. UNTAET's own investigation of human rights violations is an important component in the achievement of justice for the East Timorese affected by the events of 1999. The international community will need to work to support much-needed capacity- building in the justice sector. We also encourage a coordinated approach by UNTAET and the East Timorese to the interrelated issues of justice and reconciliation in order to maximize the prospects of satisfactory results in both of these vital areas. Australia continues to expend considerable energy and resources, both through the United Nations and bilateral channels, to support the transition and the establishment of a viable independent State in East Timor. The recent conclusion of the new Timor Sea Arrangement between Australia, East Timor and the United Nations, to govern petroleum development in the Timor Sea, about which the Council heard this morning, is a strong example of that. The Arrangement should provide the future independent East Timor with a very substantial and long-term revenue flow to support its development. But, as emphasized by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General this morning, that does not obviate the need for prudent financial and economic planning. An early priority for the incoming East Timorese administration should be to engage donors and the international financial institutions, which contribute to its overall budget, in the development of a medium-term economic framework. In addition to its significant contribution to East Timor's future through the Timor Sea Arrangement, my Government is committed to a substantial bilateral assistance programme to reduce poverty and to build East Timorese capacity to govern a peaceful, democratic, independent nation. A substantial proportion of our bilateral assistance now and in the future will be devoted to capacity-building in areas which we see as critical to the future independent East Timor administration. The sort of things I am talking about are technical assistance to develop the central fiscal authority, including the preparation of sound budgetary and taxation frameworks; building capacity to plan and manage future elections; and assistance in developing legislative processes and support services and in training senior civil service managers. So far, the process of managing the East Timor transition has been a conspicuous success for the United Nations. It is our belief that, with continuing commitment and careful and prudent management, the United Nations can fulfil its substantial responsibility to establish, beyond independence, a fully functioning, democratic and viable State. If we maintain a steady course and if we continue to make the right decisions now and over the coming months, that will be the result. And I would point out that if we succeed, that outcome will have been achieved in a short space of time, from the minimum imaginable starting point - what Sergio Vieira de Mello described this morning as such a bleak beginning - less than two years ago, and in the face of very obvious and very considerable challenges. It is within our grasp and the grasp of members of the Council to deliver that outcome to the people of East Timor. The Council has delivered on its commitments and responsibilities so far. It must not fail the East Timorese in the coming critical phase.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker is the representative of Belgium. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. De Ruyt (Belgium) (Spoke in French): I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union - Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia - the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the European Free Trade Association countries belonging to the European Economic Area Iceland and Liechtenstein align themselves with this statement. I would like at the outset to welcome Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta. Through them, I would like to commend the institutions they represent for the considerable progress they have achieved over the past few months towards the implementation of resolutions 1272 (1999) and 1338 (2001). We have come a long way since the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) received its broad mandate in the autumn of 1999 to assume overall responsibility for the transitional administration of a greatly devastated territory. Now, less than two years later, the people of East Timor are firmly on their way to full independence. The elections to take place on 30 August will constitute the next step in building a sustainable nation. The European Union attaches great importance to the holding of free, fair and orderly elections and in that connection is sending a team of election observers to East Timor. In our view the elections are a milestone in the process of Timorization: of giving the people of East Timor ownership of their future. It goes without saying that we are counting on broad participation by the population. To that end it is essential that the civic and voter education process continue. We are encouraged by the signing by most political parties of a pact of national unity, which commits them to respect the principles of democracy, tolerance and respect for minorities, as well as the outcome of the elections. The European Union would like to see those same principles enshrined in the constitution. Indeed, elections will also promote the process towards the adoption of a constitution for East Timor, which will be the blueprint of the future East Timorese nation. Its importance must not be underestimated. The economic situation in East Timor remains difficult. Growth still seems largely dependent on the foreign presence and on agricultural subsidies. More must be done to create conditions for sustainable economic development. We agree with the Secretary- General's observation that property laws and a framework for commercial activity are needed to stimulate the private sector. The initialling by Australian and East Timorese cabinet ministers of the Timor Sea Arrangement was a big step in the right direction. We hope that, once signed and ratified, this and future agreements will contribute to long-term economic growth in an independent East Timor. For that to happen, it is also necessary that further efforts be made to develop the agricultural sector. Last week we noted with satisfaction the democratic and peaceful transfer of power in Indonesia. It is our profound hope that the new Government there will continue to implement the provisions of resolution 1319 (2000). In the past we have strongly insisted that Indonesia meet its obligations. The record so far has been uneven. Registration of refugees in West Timor recently took place. The initial results of the registration and balloting will surely reflect the refugees' choice at that point. Still, questions remain over the long-term intentions of refugees who have opted for now to stay on Indonesian territory. We hope that the doubts will be resolved, and we believe that those who eventually wish to return to East Timor will be able to do so in safety and security. We call upon the Indonesian authorities to cooperate with UNTAET and with the future East Timorese authorities in prosecuting crimes against humanity and humanitarian law perpetrated in East Timor prior to and after the 1999 popular consultation, including through the establishment of an ad hoc court in Indonesia. We further expect the Jakarta Government to carry forward the appeals procedure in the case of the murder last year in Atambua of three workers from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In resolution 1338 (2001), the Council unanimously stressed the need for a substantial international presence in East Timor after independence. In his report, the Secretary-General offers some specific recommendations, and further recommendations will be made in October. We agree that there is room for an overall reduction in the international presence. But such a reduction should take account of real needs on the ground and should take place in close consultation with the Timorese population. In that regard, we encourage efforts to identify areas where ongoing support is needed. We acknowledge the important role played so far by United Nations agencies, the international financial institutions and regional organizations, and we hope that their involvement will increase in the future. The militias in West Timor remain a potential threat to East Timor, particularly in the border areas. We need to be particularly vigilant during the election period. In other areas the East Timor society is confronted with problems of public order. In that respect, we encourage the development and training of the East Timor Police Service, which should play an increasing role in ensuring public security. Also, we should give full attention to the setting up of a strong judicial system. Great progress has been achieved towards the realization of an independent East Timor. The East Timorese people and the international community have invested a great deal in this process. These efforts must not have been made in vain. The international community has committed itself to maintain a presence in East Timor. We stress the need to carefully design that presence and reiterate that re-evaluations of such plans should take into account the security situation, the needs on the ground and the wishes of the population. We await with interest the new recommendations that the Secretary-General will make in this regard.

The President (Spoke in Chinese): I thank the representative of Belgium for his statement. The next speaker is the representative of Japan. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Motomura (Japan): I would like to thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to participate in today's discussion. My thanks go as well to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello for his detailed briefing on the current situation in East Timor. I also wish to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Ramos-Horta. In fact our discussion has benefited greatly from the participation of both Mr. Vieira de Mello and Mr. Ramos-Horta, who have firsthand knowledge of the situation in East Timor. In the months since our last Security Council open debate on the situation in East Timor, in May, progress has been made towards the achievement of East Timor's independence, thanks in no small measure to the competent leadership of Mr. Vieira de Mello, the dedication of the United Nations staff and the constant support of the international community. We are delighted that the registration of voters has been completed and that the election of the Constituent Assembly will take place on 30 August as scheduled. As part of an open, fair and democratic political process, that election will be a significant milestone on the path to a viable East Timor. Although preparations for the election seem to be going smoothly, I would like to stress the importance of ensuring that the electoral process is conducted in an orderly manner. With their memories of the events of August 1999 still vivid, there is a widely shared concern among the Timorese population that the political process may not remain peaceful. Thus I welcome the pact of national unity by which 14 of the 16 political parties concerned committed themselves to respect the results of the election on 30 August and to defend the principle of non-violence. Their commitment to peace and stability is of essential importance. The international community, for its part, must remain committed to maintaining order in East Timor and extend the necessary assistance towards that end. Japan has made a contribution of approximately $1.2 million to the United Nations Development Programme for the election of the Constituent Assembly, and we plan to dispatch electoral observers to East Timor. My delegation commends the Secretary-General for his work in producing the well-considered report at this juncture. As for the United Nations presence once East Timor achieves independence, I strongly believe that the United Nations should continue for a certain period its military and civilian police presence for the maintenance of public order, as well as a minimum and indispensable civilian personnel presence to provide essential assistance for economic reconstruction and nation-building. The current situation in East Timor is extremely tenuous. It is therefore of utmost importance not to give a wrong signal which might exacerbate of the situation. In the longer term, a staged reduction of the United Nations presence may be required when the situation on the ground improves. This process of reduction, however, should be carried out in a careful and gradual manner. Therefore we support the Secretary-General's recommendation to maintain a flexible approach that takes into account the evolving situation on the ground. In this context, I look forward to the Secretary- General's recommendations on the composition and mandate of a peacekeeping operation to succeed the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) - recommendations to be contained in his report to be submitted to the Security Council in late October. I must take this opportunity to comment on the complex and difficult refugee problem. My delegation would like to urge the new Indonesian Government to make further efforts to comprehensively resolve the refugee problem in West Timor, based on an appropriate follow-up of the refugee registration process during the past month. In this connection we welcome the dispatch to West Timor of the inter- agency security assessment mission and look forward to its report. It is important for the international community to continue to provide the refugees with much-needed assistance in an effective manner. In order for East Timor to become a truly independent State, UNTAET's authority will have to be transferred to the East Timorese people, with the international community playing an advisory role. This, of course, cannot happen all at once on the day of independence. But it is imperative, during this transition phase, to foster a sense of ownership among the East Timorese and to help them develop the necessary skills and capabilities for governing a nation. The realization of an independent and stable East Timor is a challenge that reaches beyond the Asia- Paciflc context; it is in fact a matter of global significance. Therefore, the international community must remain committed to East Timor and continue to assist its people in their efforts to develop the capacities necessary for building an independent nation. Japan, for its part, will give high priority to human resources development in East Timor and will continue its joint efforts with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in this regard. In conclusion, I would like to stress again that the strong commitment of the international community is the key to maintaining public order and achieving a viable East Timor. I sincerely hope that the election of the Constituent Assembly will take place peacefully and will pave the way towards building a peaceful, democratic and prosperous East Timor.

The President (Spoke in Chinese): I thank the representative of Japan for his statement. The next speaker is the representative of the Philippines. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Manalo (Philippines): First of all we wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your fine work during your presidency of the Security Council for this month, and we thank the Council for the opportunity to participate in today's meeting on East Timor. I also wish to thank, through you, the Secretary-General for his latest report on East Timor, and Mr. Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and Mr. Ramos-Horta for their comprehensive briefings this morning. Two years ago we began a journey, the first ever by the United Nations, of creating from the ground a veritable political and economic functioning structure for East Timor. Today, the United Nations finds itself in the crucible of that journey, as we draw nearer to the much anticipated independence of East Timor. While substantial progress towards independence has been made during the past six months, the election next month remains an important litmus test of how the United Nations, under the leadership of the Security Council, has fared in its first true effort at nation- building. As an active participant in the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), our interest and hopes are second to none in seeing the United Nations and the growing local leadership in East Timor truly succeed in realizing the dreams of the Timorese people for viable independence and self- government. This aim should underlie our exit strategy. There are certain issues which the Philippines continues to believe are important. As we mentioned earlier, the forthcoming election should become a solid springboard for East Timor's move towards independence early next year. While fully convinced of the strong commitment of our United Nations officials and personnel who will oversee this activity, we believe that the election must not only be, but must also be perceived as, fair, clean and credible and have the widest possible participation of the Timorese people. On the issue of participation, we are gratified at the report that the registration process has been very good. Indeed, this is a strong basis to proceed with a truly participatory election. There is a body of research that suggests that countries in transition are in the greatest need of assistance and support. Disengaging assistance at the onset of a post-conflict situation or immediately after independence may therefore not be a wise course of action insofar as East Timor is concerned. An appropriate international presence and level of assistance should thus continue after independence. The details for a post-independence international presence in East Timor should be formulated on the basis of the needs of the East Timorese people and the conditions on the ground, and in coordination with the concerned actors. This pertains especially to issues such as the size of the civilian component and the police and military component of a successor mission. On this last point, it has also been gratifying to learn of the international support and commitment being shown for the establishment of the East Timor Defence Force, particularly with respect to voluntary contributions for training, infrastructure and equipment, all of which are necessary for developing a professional and modern defence force. The Philippines will be ready to assist, as appropriate, in the formation of the East Timor Defence Force. Meanwhile, a thoughtful management of the security situation through the United Nations peacekeeping force should be continued by UNTAET. However, to ensure continued peace and stability in the area, democratic institutions must also be established. We therefore support the Secretary-General's view that a successor mission should include a small team of professionals in various fields to continue Timorization and skills transfer, especially, in our view, in public administration and civil service for the purpose of developing capacity-building, which is necessary for self-government. Moreover, a sound economic infrastructure is needed for sustainable development and growth in East Timor. The country must be able to attract foreign investment and sustain investor confidence. There have been positive reports of growth in gross domestic product, although most of this appears to have been concentrated in Dili. This has attracted migration from the rural areas, causing unemployment in the capital. We therefore urge the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to encourage investments in rural areas to ease the unemployment problem and simultaneously increase rural productivity and growth. At the same time, private-sector participation must be enhanced. We are also awaiting with anticipation the promised benefits of the recently signed agreement between Australia and the Transitional Administration on the Timor Sea Arrangement. Based on the reported 90:10 sharing ratio in favour of the new country, the projected income from oil and gas, if properly managed, should be a significant addition of financial resources to East Timor and lead to new jobs and investment opportunities. Finally, while we may consider our efforts in East Timor as a success, the ultimate verdict will be drawn by history. We must avoid measuring progress in terms of how closely United Nations guidance is adhered to, for in the final analysis, the future of East Timor lies in the hands of the Timorese people.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Brazil. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and make his statement.

Mr. Moura (Brazil): Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this meeting. The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the United Nations as a whole can be proud of what has already been attained in such a short period of time, especially if one recalls the extent of the destruction following the 1999 popular consultation. The political skills and competence shown by Sergio Vieira de Mello in conducting UNTAET as well as the vision of the Timorese leadership have been instrumental to the success achieved. Let me pay tribute to Jose Ramos-Horta, who is here with us, for his central role in building a democratic East Timor. I thank also the Secretary-General for his report. As we enter the crucial stages of the transition to independence, the support of the international community becomes even more important, as eloquently expressed this morning by Mr. Vieira de Mello and Mr. Ramos-Horta in their comprehensive statements. Brazil agrees with the Secretary-General that, once independent, East Timor will require international support to be provided through a mission mandated by the Security Council and funded from assessed contributions. The Brazilian Government is committed to the efforts towards building a democratic and stable East Timor. This was the main thrust of the visit of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso to East Timor last January. President Cardoso personally presided over the launching of Brazilian cooperation projects in the fields of capacity-building, professional training and education. As a concrete follow-up to President Cardoso's visit, a Brazilian technical mission visited East Timor in May in order to identify opportunities for cooperation in the area of agriculture. We hope to build on our experience in South-South cooperation to strengthen the cooperation with East Timor and expand the areas covered by Brazilian projects. The problem of militia activities in and around the refugee camps of West Timor and in the border area remains a serious threat to the stability of East Timor. From time to time unidentified gunmen fire shots at United Nations peacekeepers and provoke violence. Fortunately, these incidents are today less frequent. This type of incident is a reminder of how unstable the situation might become if we do not keep vigilant. They also show the importance of maintaining a credible dissuasive capacity with a robust peacekeeping force. We are also worried about the fate of refugees in the camps of West Timor and look forward to the assessment of the security situation to be submitted by the Secretary-General. A secure environment is a precondition for the resumption of international assistance to the refugees and to allow them to decide freely about their own future and choose whether they want to remain in Indonesia or return to East Timor. The East Timorese are tired of violence and destruction. There must be a clear effort to bring to justice those who incite hatred as a political weapon to foster anarchy and chaos. The criminal justice system must be reinforced, and additional resources may be necessary to this effect. The first verdict delivered by East Timor's judicial system concerning a serious crime 4 the case of violence against women in Lolotoe - is an important development. We remain concerned, however, with the difficulties facing the United Nations Serious Crimes Unit, in charge of gathering evidence to prosecute perpetrators of grave abuses. For this unit to make a difference, it is important to overcome the current dearth of forensic experts, experienced investigators and interpreters. The solutions for security and law and order problems are multidimensional. Besides the most obvious reactions through military force and policing and the functioning of an efficient criminal justice system, we should not overlook the far-reaching tasks of nation-building. Sustainable solutions lie in the construction of inclusive and effective democratic institutions coupled with the creation of economic opportunities for all. Widespread inequality and high unemployment rates contribute decisively to fuelling violence, particularly in situations characterized by fragile democratic institutions. The organization of the forthcoming election for the Constituent Assembly will certainly be the first test case for the embryonic democratic institutions of East Timor. The support of the international community is essential to quell any possible attempts to jeopardize this election. It is also important to ensure a free, fair and transparent election in all its phases, from the political campaign to registration, balloting, accounting of votes and the certification of winners. It is necessary to create a solid basis for sustainable elections in the future, bearing in mind that further elections may be necessary this year in the light of decisions to be taken by the Constituent Assembly. Civic education and training is crucial now and will continue to be in the future. We note with satisfaction that registration for the election was completed, political parties are campaigning, and UNTAET is making an effort to draw more women into the political process. I will make a few additional remarks concerning the political process and the economy. As regards the political process, it is essential that political parties remain committed to settling their differences through institutional channels. The signing of a pact of national unity is a positive step, but its practice must follow suit. The logical questions are: is there any chance that those groups that did not sign the pact may embroil others in disorderly conduct in the run-up to the elections? What measures are being taken to prevent that from happening? In the area of the economy, growth has been fostered by the international presence. As independence approaches and the downsizing of the mission in East Timor is carried out, an important source of hard currency will certainly start to dry up. Since it is not possible to wait for the revenue from the Timor Gap, one important question is how to put in place export-oriented income-generating projects. This will probably not happen without arrangements to facilitate market access for East Timorese agricultural products. The international community has made the commitment to help East Timor build a solid democracy. For such commitment to become deeply ingrained in East Timorese society and shape its polity, it needs to be shored up by the improvement of the day-to-day reality on the ground, at the very grass roots level. To that end our efforts must be untiring.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of the Republic of Korea. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and make his statement.

Mr. Sun Joun-yung (Republic of Korea): Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on your presidency of the Council and thanking you for convening this open meeting on the important issue of East Timor. I would also like to thank Mr. Jose Ramos- Horta, the East Timorese Transitional Administration Cabinet member for foreign affairs, for his presence once again in the Security Council chamber. I would like to express special appreciation to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary- General, for his very useful briefing today and for his remarkable success in tackling the daunting task of a multifaceted peacekeeping operation in East Timor, which was explained in detail in the Secretary- General's report. With the upcoming election of the East Timorese Constituent Assembly in a month, my delegation is pleased that the preparation process has by and large been smooth. I would like to commend Mr. Vieira de Mello and all other international staff for their hard work on the election, including the preparation of a master plan for the election, the registration of voters and political parties with their candidates, and a number of other complicated tasks. Looking forward to the birth of an independent and democratic East Timorese Government early next year, as scheduled, the Korean Government has been extending its support for election management through contributing to the United Nations Development Programme Trust Fund and the dispatch of international observers and an international commissioner. In my delegation's view, the maintenance of political stability, especially during the transitional period after the election, will be crucial. In this regard, we welcome the agreement of most East Timorese political parties, in a pact of national unity, to conduct the election in a peaceful fashion and to respect its outcome. We strongly urge all political parties, including those not participating in the election, to make an effort to promote national unity. We are of the view that a wide range of issues related to human rights and justice must be resolved not only for the fresh start of a nation but also for its long-term stability and the reconciliation of its people. We are deeply concerned about the more than 100,000 refugees who have gone without the help of international humanitarian personnel for almost a year. All human rights violators and other criminals in and outside East Timor should be brought to credible justice as soon as possible. We hope that constructive collaboration between the new Indonesian Government and the international community be indeed realized on these issues. The planning of a future United Nations presence in East Timor after its independence will remain an important issue in the Security Council in the latter part of this year. My delegation appreciates the continuing efforts of the Post-UNTAET Working Group and the Integrated Mission Task Force at Headquarters to prepare plans for the future of East Timor. We fully agree with the Secretary-General's temporary report on the successor mission. While recognizing in principle the need for a reduction of UNTAET, we believe that a significant United Nations presence in East Timor should continue in view of the general situation in every field. Regarding the reduction of the troop and police components, we are particularly concerned about the uncertainty of both the external and internal security situations, which are difficult to predict at this time. While we agree with the temporary overall assessment contained in the Secretary-General's report, my delegation would like to emphasize again that the reduction should be implemented in a gradual manner and with a carefully thought-out exit strategy. After the election, we hope to be provided with more detailed and comprehensive security and threat assessments by the Secretariat. We also expect in October more specific recommendations from the Secretary-General regarding the successor mission to UNTAET in the post-independence period, including the reduced presence of United Nations peacekeepers. We hope to continue to participate in these important debates on East Timor and to be consulted, as appropriate, throughout the decision-making process. Let me conclude by expressing my delegation's appreciation to everyone in the United Nations system involved in the issues of East Timor for their hard work and devotion during this critical juncture for East Timor.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of New Zealand. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Hughes (New Zealand): May I express my delegation's pleasure at seeing Mr. Ramos-Horta here in the Council today, and also convey our appreciation to Mr. Vieira de Mello for his excellent briefing earlier today. I am sure we are all greatly encouraged by the progress made in the territory over the past six months. We congratulate the East Timorese people and the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) on their achievements in the face of enormous odds. Today, we stand on the verge of the next critical phase in East Timor's evolution: the elections to the Constituent Assembly in a month's time. We understand the apprehensions and even disquiet which may surround this event, but we are heartened by the signing earlier this month of the pact of national unity, whereby the political parties committed themselves to respecting each other and the election outcome and to defending multi-party democracy. We look forward to the East Timorese people expressing their will freely and peacefully in order to cement the next step towards regaining their independence for the first time in some 500 years. New Zealand remains very concerned, however, by the activities of militia groups and the threat they continue to pose to the goal of a stable and secure East Timor. It is depressing to read in the Secretary- General's report that some hard-line militia elements have been encouraged to plan the resumption of offensive operations by the derisory sentences handed out to the killers of three staff members of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at Atambua and by the insignificant jail term handed out to a well known militia leader. It is also of great concern to note from the report that some groups may be deliberately lying low until independence in the belief that the international military presence will then be removed. Clearly, it is essential that we should not, however inadvertently, send any signals that might encourage them in this belief. In these circumstances, it goes without saying that any decisions on adjustments to the United Nations presence - post-elections or post-independence - must be based on conditions on the ground, including a thorough security and threat assessment. They must also take into account the views of troop-contributing countries, as was recognized in the Council's resolution 1338 (2001) of January this year. The Government of Indonesia is to be congratulated on having carried out a refugee registration exercise last month. It was an important first step. New Zealand, along with others, stands ready to assist Indonesia in the next steps of repatriation and resettlement, but only in circumstances in which the security of international workers can be guaranteed. We urge the new Indonesian Government to move quickly to fulfil Indonesia's obligations to this Council to disband and disarm the militia groups in West Timor so that this can take place. While dealing with these issues, we would also like to take the opportunity to express our appreciation for recent efforts by the Indonesian Government to bring the killers of Private Manning to justice. We welcomed the visit to the crime scene in East Timor, and subsequently to New Zealand, of an Indonesian police investigation team. We look forward to cooperation between UNTAET and Indonesia, as the parties with jurisdiction, producing an effective trial and sentences commensurate with the seriousness of the crime. We remain aware, however, that there are other cases, such as that of Private Devi Ram J aishi of Nepal, that have yet to see progress. The Secretary-General also notes in his report that the Atambua verdicts are yet to be appealed and that the decree establishing an ad hoc tribunal for human rights violations in East Timor is still to be amended. We very much hope that the new Indonesian Government will give prompt attention to meeting international expectations in these matters. Both the Secretary-General in his report and the Special Representative in his briefing earlier today have addressed the question of a United Nations successor mission to UNTAET after independence. We fully share the view that it is wrong to equate East Timor's attainment of political independence with the establishment of effective administration. We welcome the fact that significant progress has been made in planning for an integrated mission mandated by the Security Council and funded from assessed contributions to succeed UNTAET, and we look forward to the Secretary-General's further report towards the end of October. As a troop contributor, we have already indicated to the Secretary-General our willingness to maintain a significant military presence with the United Nations in East Timor as far ahead as November next year. New Zealand strongly believes that the United Nations must equip East Timor to take full responsibility for its own affairs. We must also provide the people of East Timor with a clear understanding of the implications of right-sizing the United Nations presence over time. Above all, however, my Government is convinced that the Security Council must stay focused on and fully committed to East Timor. This operation is unique and in turn offers the United Nations the opportunity of an all-too-rare success. Comparisons are occasionally drawn with the operation in Kosovo and, certainly in terms of their complexity, the two share some aspects in common. But East Timor is very much the child of the United Nations, from the 1999 popular consultation onwards, in a way that other operations are unlikely ever to be. East Timor can and indeed will succeed as an independent State, but for some time to come a continuing United Nations presence will be critical to ensuring a return on the investment we have collectively made so far in terms of lives and financial and other resources.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Indonesia. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Widodo (Indonesia): Let me begin by congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. We are confident that your diplomatic and leadership qualities will enable the Council to carry out the tasks before it expeditiously and efficiently. Our gratitude also goes to Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh for his able stewardship of the Council last month. This meeting of the Security Council is important, as the Council is considering the future United Nations presence in East Timor after independence of the territory. We thank the Secretary- General for his report and also express our gratitude to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor, for his presentation this morning. My delegation is also pleased to have in our midst Mr. Ramos-Horta. Allow me to avail myself of this opportunity to contribute to this debate and share my delegation's views on the prevailing situation. In the final analysis, the whole issue revolves around the questions of maintaining and promoting the security of the territory. To that end, the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA) have been working hard to build a civil society through a nation- building programme. In this connection, the new Government of Indonesia remains fully committed to fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities regarding relevant international and bilateral agreements on East Timor. In the same vein, my Government will make efforts to resolve the residual issues, while at the same time forging a mutually fruitful bilateral relationship with the leaders of East Timor for the benefit of the Indonesian and East Timorese people. As I have the floor, permit me, on behalf my Government, to express our sincere gratitude to the Secretary-General and to all Member countries, including those represented in this body, for their good wishes. I also feel honoured to express our heartfelt thanks for the full support extended to the new Government of Indonesia in addressing the challenges ahead. One of its first priorities is to maintain its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability. Its foreign policy continues to be guided by the purposes and principles of the Organization. That being said, we find it unacceptable that the report justifies the need to maintain a robust United Nations presence in the border areas and in East Timor by claiming inaction by the Indonesian Government to disband militia groups. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Such claims do not reflect that Indonesia has indeed disbanded and disarmed what were at that time called militias. Undeniably, in any conflict situation, the process of disarming such groups is a complex and an arduous one, and its success is reflected in the lack of serious armed incidents that cause heavy casualties. We also feel perplexed over the assertion made regarding the training and the operation of militias; nothing specific in the form of evidence has been provided. Similarly, statements about "easy access" (S/2001/719, para. 50) to modern weaponry, the strategy of militias of "lying low" (ibid., para. 49) and "Hard-line elements" (ibia'., para. 50) operating from West Timor are made without any substantiation by concrete and detailed information. In this regard, Indonesia has requested UNTAET time and again to provide concrete facts concerning militia activity so that resolute action can be taken. But this has been to no avail; and suspicious attitudes, negative perceptions and innuendoes towards Indonesia continue. If the Organization were to pursue a policy of containment, rather than of active and peaceful engagement, it would, we are afraid, create a worsening of the situation, as demonstrated by the incident of 28 July 2001, when an Indonesian soldier was killed by United Nations peacekeepers. In this regard, Indonesia has lodged a formal and strong protest against UNTAET for shooting into its territory, which resulted in a fatal casualty. My Government was astonished when UNTAET radio recently broadcast news accusing a humanitarian non-governmental organization, operating under the name of Yayasan Hati, or the Heart Foundation, of abducting and providing military training to East Timorese children in Indonesia so that they could, in 20 years' time, launch military action against East Timor to retake this territory. The Indonesian Government categorically rebuts this accusation, following its investigation of the issue, as not being the case. For one, guided by the noble principles stipulated in the Charter, my delegation would like to assure all members of the Council that the Government of Indonesia has never harboured any intentions to engage in activities that endanger neighbouring countries. Nor do we bear any ill will towards the East Timorese people. On the contrary, we aim to develop and to strengthen ties of amity, friendship and cooperation, as well as good relations and neighbourliness with East Timor. In fact, Indonesia, as a Member State of the United Nations, granted the people of East Timor the full right to express their wishes on whether to part with Indonesia or to remain within its fold. Indonesia is committed to upholding justice, including in the case of the perpetrators of the Atambua killings. Indonesia strongly believes that the establishment of a robust civil society is a prerequisite to the maintenance and promotion of peace, security and harmony in the territory. So also is the promotion of reconciliation. In this connection, we highly commend the active role of the United Nations specialized agencies in supporting capacity-building for civil society. Moreover, it is imperative to strengthen programmes in the field of poverty alleviation, health and education and to promote the establishment of microfinance banks and the use of traditional mechanisms to resolve disputes and conflicts. True reconciliation is also a canditio sine qua non for the eventual establishment of a thriving civil society in East Timor. As clearly demonstrated in many instances of past and recent conflicts between parties, it is not inconceivable for them to overcome their hostilities, animosities, bitterness and vengeance and to agree to put the past to rest for the sake of peace and harmony for future generations. Indonesia is open to any suggestion leading to a final and viable shape for a United Nations presence after the independence of East Timor, so long as it does not compromise the legitimate needs and aspirations of the East Timorese people. But in considering a United Nations presence, Indonesia will not accept any justification based on ulterior motives.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker is the representative of Canada. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Heinbecker (Canada) (spoke in French): As we approach the 30 August elections, it is clear that East Timor has thus far made outstanding progress on the road to independence. The elections will be an important milestone and will surely help East Timor move forward in nation-building. While this process has been a success for East Timor, it has also been a success for the United Nations. But we cannot rest on our laurels. We are only at the beginning of the process, and the great progress that East Timor has achieved could be obliterated if we in the international community do not meet our commitments. (spoke in English) The security situation remains tentative, and we must see East Timor through. We agree with the representative of Singapore and others who have argued effectively and convincingly here that the transfer from the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) to East Timorese civilian authority must be managed carefully to ensure that the transition unfolds in a seamless manner. We also note that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, advocated this morning the cautious and thoughtful rightsizing of the international presence. He is right to argue that the successor mission to UNTAET ought to be funded by assessed contributions, and we agree with him and with others who have said so. We recognize that, in due time, United Nations involvement can be reduced, but the United Nations must stay the course for the time being and must withdraw progressively when we have confidence that East Timor's success and stability as an independent State will not be compromised. A factor that would contribute to that stability would be the curtailment of militia activity in West Timor: a culture of impunity exists there. We understand the challenges confronting the new Indonesian Government and the size of the job that faces it. We nonetheless urge that Government to bring to justice those guilty of the murder of United Nations civilian and peacekeeping personnel. Such people are there on behalf of us all, and we owe them justice. At this critical juncture, we must be vigilant to ensure that UNTAET functions in a robust and responsible manner. In particular, we see the continuation of the United Nations civilian police and the development of the East Timor Police Service as essential to safeguarding law and order in East Timor. However, despite the achievements of the United Nations civilian police in training and developing the East Timor Police Service, we have noted some developments with increasing concern. For example, although we agree that a small number of specialized police units will be necessary for crowd control and other public safety purposes, the number of East Timor Police officers scheduled to be trained for those units is worryingly high. Last week's report of the Secretary- General (S/2001/719) says that upon completion those units will consist of 58 officers, with others to assemble in task forces as needed. Yet we understand that 750 East Timorese police officers are to be trained for those units. To whom will those specialized units report once trained? What functions besides crowd control and public order, as specified in the latest report of the Secretary-General, will they fulfil? To what level will they be armed? What sort of training are they receiving, and why is the training not taking place at the Police College? Those are questions that have been occurring to my authorities in Ottawa. We believe that, in order to ensure that East Timor's developing security sector is effective, accountable and responsible, UNTAET's civilian police philosophy must adhere fully to democratic principles based on a community policing model. Focusing on training a large quasi-paramilitary force strikes us as a distraction from that goal. Our concerns with some aspects of police planning notwithstanding, we remain steadfast in our full support for UNTAET, and we thank Mr. Vieira de Mello and his entire staff for their dedicated work. The Security Council has an important responsibility before it: to ensure that the excellent job that Mr. Vieira de Mello and his team have done and are now doing is not prejudiced by a precipitous withdrawal.

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker is the representative of Thailand. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Jayanama (Thailand): Let me first extend my delegation's appreciation to you, Mr. President, for providing an opportunity for non-members of the Security Council, including my delegation, to express our views on developments in East Timor. I wish sincerely to thank Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his comprehensive briefing this morning. I also welcome Mr. Jose' Ramos-Horta, who is here in the Chamber today. Thailand fully concurs with the Secretary- General's assessment in his most recent report (S/2001/719) that the past six months have been East Timor's most productive period. There is no doubt that this rapid progress was made possible by the collective efforts of the United Nations and the international community, under the able guidance of Mr. Vieira de Mello, in charting the course towards a self-governing and independent East Timor. Thailand, for its part, has played an active role in the peacekeeping operation and in development assistance from the very beginning. We have continuously contributed military and civilian police personnel in East Timor since the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), which was the predecessor mission of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). We are pleased to provide Lieutenant-General Boonsrang Niumpradit, the Force Commander of the UNTAET peacekeeping force. We will continue to be a working partner of the United Nations and the international community. While we recognize the remarkable achievements of UNTAET, it may be too early to proclaim it a success story for United Nations peacekeeping operations. It is pivotally important that UNTAET continue to build on its achievements as an example of a post-conflict peace-building mission. We believe that challenges remain and that developments over the next six months will be crucial to the future of East Timor. We believe that, in line with the report (S/2000/809) of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations chaired by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, which we all supported, the United Nations still has a role in steering East Timor towards the desired democratic path. We believe that the United Nations should have a clear exit strategy, as envisaged in the Brahimi report; this means that solid groundwork and appropriate conditions conducive to East Timor's self-development should be in place before the United Nations leaves. Even after the United Nations leaves, international assistance will still be needed. Thailand thus supports the Secretary-General's recommendations on the need for a substantial international presence in East Timor after independence. One of the fundamental elements of East Timor's attaining self-sustenance in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres lies in capacity-building. In this regard, Thailand has offered its assistance - technical, agricultural and public-health expertise - to help the East Timorese sustain themselves. We recognize that only a strong and stable East Timor will contribute to the political and economic stability of the region. We therefore urge the further enhancement and acceleration of Timorization in institution-building in the areas of governance, education, the judiciary, management and security. In this regard, we urge more East Timorese living abroad to return home to help in the development of an independent East Timor. One area in which UNTAET has achieved remarkable success is in the maintenance of security in East Timor through UNTAET's military component. But that task is, in our view, far from over. What remains of concern to us is the post-election monitoring of security. Any future reduction in the force should take into account the prevailing security situation on the ground and the development of the East Timor Defence Force. Finally, I wish to reiterate Thailand's commitment, within its limited capabilities and resources, to cooperating with the United Nations and the international community to assist East Timor on its path to independence and democracy. We stand ready to play our role in making East Timor one more United Nations success story.

The President (spoke in Chinese): I will now give the floor to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello to respond to the comments made and questions raised.

Mr. Vieira de Mello: I shall also speak on behalf of Jose Ramos-Horta in answering the questions that were formulated by several of the speakers. But let me first of all extend thanks to all the members of this Council and to the non-members of the Council that took the floor today for yet another unanimous expression of support for the East Timorese people and for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). Their strong support for the process we are leading - in particular the electoral process which is presently under way, as well as the formation after these elections not only of the Constituent Assembly, but also of the new, enlarged, all-Timorese transitional Government - and their support for the continued United Nations presence after independence, are, as always, a source of inspiration and encouragement for the people of East Timor, for their leadership and indeed for ourselves in meeting the many challenges ahead of us. East Timor and the United Nations know that they are privileged to enjoy such broad, unreserved support from the membership of this Council and from the membership of the United Nations as a whole. I can assure them that we shall continue to endeavour to deserve their confidence, which we never took for granted. On the question of foreign relations, and here definitely speaking on behalf of Jose' Ramos-Horta, the importance of relations with the region as a whole, but perhaps in particular with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), have been highlighted by a number of speakers. As Jose Ramos- Horta indicated, we came to New York in fact from Hanoi, where we were invited to attend the ASEAN ministerial meeting. We also had the opportunity - in addition to exchanging important ideas and views with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the future of East Timor and its relationship with ASEAN - to hold discussions with a number of partners of ASEAN, including your own Foreign Minister, Mr. President. It is also a priority for Jose' Ramos-Horta to establish within his department, which will soon become a ministry, the capacity to better manage relations with neighbours and, in particular, with ASEAN. That is also part of our overall capacity- building effort. The importance of relations with Indonesia has been highlighted by many speakers this morning and this afternoon, and we very, very much welcome Ambassador Widodo's confirmation that the new Government of Indonesia will stay the course set by the previous Government, led by President Gus Dur. Indeed, good relations with Indonesia are vital to the future of East Timor. I would like to touch on a few points in reply to a question posed by Ambassador Hume of the United States. We have made significant progress - indeed, in recent weeks i on the question of pensions for East Timorese who formally served in the Indonesian administration, and we are presently preparing a consolidated list of those former civil servants who will be entitled to pensions. But this entitlement - as I reported to the Council in the past - will cease on the date of independence. We are continuing discussions with the Government of Indonesia, which has made a very, very genuine effort to respond to the expectations of these civil servants, some of whom remain in West Timor as refugees and are unlikely to return to East Timor until this question is resolved. As for the question of refugees, many speakers also referred to this issue, and I would like to say at the request of Jose Ramos-Horta that the East Timorese leadership is of the opinion - and this is to a large extent confirmed by the outcome of the civil and electoral registration - that the total number of East Timorese refugees in West Timor is, at the most, 60,000 to 70,000. This is the assessment of the East Timorese leadership. The Indonesian Government that carried out a registration of the refugee population in West Timor on 6 and 7 June did a very thorough job, which was observed by a number of international observers. It has not yet provided us with final figures. They are still rechecking, double-checking the data obtained during that registration, so I am unable to provide the Council with any final and reliable estimate. But certainly the Government of Indonesia and ourselves believe that the fact that only a minority expressed an interest in returning to East Timor should not be taken as reflecting the definitive wishes of those refugees. On the contrary, we believe that the majority - up to 80 per cent of those who remain in West Timor - will eventually return. No doubt many will choose to do so after the elections have taken place peacefully, as we know will be the case. I must also commend the Government of Indonesia for very actively supporting all the initiatives that we have taken in terms of promoting the return of refugees from West Timor. They have established a commission known as Satgas, an inter-agency commission, and Major-General Willem da Costa, who is the commander of the ninth military region, which also includes West Timor, has personally accompanied my chief of staff, Ambassador Parameswaran of Malaysia, on many visits to West Timor, in order to provide the refugee population with accurate, objective information on the situation in East Timor and in order to counter the systematic disinformation being spread in refugee camps by some of the most extreme elements, which belong either to the political umbrella organization known as UNTAS, or to some of the hard- line militia groups. In recent days we have held an important meeting in Jakarta of the Joint Border Committee. This meeting covered a number of issues, including the question of a demarcation of the border between West and East Timor. In the discussions we held in Jakarta the Government of Indonesia expressed an interest in moving forward with this plan, which incidentally would significantly decrease the likelihood of incidents such as the one that occurred on Saturday. We welcome that. We have also discussed in Jakarta the question of the enclave of Oecussi, a subject that was raised by some speakers here today. We discussed arrangements for freedom of movement for the population of the enclave, in accordance with the joint statement signed between Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab and myself on 29 February of last year, during President Wahid's visit to East Timor. On the question of judicial cooperation, which was also raised by some speakers, I think I did state this morning in my presentation that it was important that the ad hoc human rights tribunal be finally established without any temporal restrictions to its jurisdiction. Unfortunately, as you know, the first decree issued by President Gus Dur, did impose a temporal limitation. We discussed this with the then- Attorney General, Marzuki Darusman, who indicated that they would be working on a second degree that would wave this temporal limitation. As you know, the Attorney General was replaced was Professor Lopa, who unfortunately died only a few days after his appointment. Now with a change of government, I believe that we must wait until the new attorney general is appointed to renew contacts with the Indonesian Government on this question. There are many other issues pending in the judicial area between us and Indonesia, and I cannot fail to refer to the question of the light sentences for the six individuals found responsible for killing the three United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) colleagues in Atambua in September of last year. Attorney General Marzuki had assured me before he left his functions that indeed the Chief Justice of Indonesia was planning to present an appeal to the Supreme Court with a view to correcting what was recognized by all, including the Indonesian Government, as unacceptable sentences of these individuals. On the question of the post-independence mission in East Timor, we have taken, obviously, very, very careful note of all the comments made here today. We have taken particular note of the request by several members the Council for a detailed report in October, which I have pledged we will submit through the Secretary-General to you, not only on the future size of our military and civilian police presence, but also on the question of the civilian presence in support of the new administration following the independence of East Timor. Let me open here a parenthesis, because the Ambassador of Canada referred to the question of civilian police in his earlier statement. I would like to reassure him that only a small number of East Timorese policemen who have, in fact, gone through the police academy are now being trained as the embryo of the future rapid response unit of the East Timorese police. International police should not continue to provide rapid response, particularly crowd control. This is a function that Xanana Gusmao, Jose Ramos-Horta and many other East Timorese leaders believe should be carried out - if at all necessary, God forbid - by East Timorese policeman. I can assure him that if they are being trained outside the academy, it is because, after their basic training, they require more technical training that is being provided by two of our supporters in the training of the East Timorese police force. Focusing on the civilian component of the post- independence United Nations presence, Ambassador Hume asked me what were the current figures of the international civilian presence as part of both the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the East Timor Transitional Administration (ETTA). The figures I can provide you with are the following. As part of the ETTA structure, we have at present 550 international staff and 606 United Nations Volunteers, most of whom are currently engaged in the preparation of the elections and will leave East Timor in the course of the month of September. Regarding UNTAET, we currently have 672 international staff and 217 United Nations Volunteers. As indicated in the Secretary-General's report, we are planning to bring the ETTA international staff in East Timor down to 25 percent of its present strength at the end of the current mandate of UNTAET and to downsize the civilian component of UNTAET to about 80 percent of its present size by that date. Ambassador Doutriaux of France and Ambassador Valdivieso of Colombia, as well as the United States, insisted on the importance of a greater participation of international agencies in supporting the new Government. I hope you will allow me to reply to Ambassador Doutriaux in French. (spoke in French) Ambassador Doutriaux asked me whether we were planning to involve intergovernmental organizations even further, in particular the specialized agencies of the United Nations system and international financial institutions. I can assure him that the answer is in the affirmative, as I noted in my introductory statement this morning. We hope that the agencies of the system will be in a better position to meet our needs in the post-independence phase than was the case at the very beginning of our mission. The international financial institutions are very much present and have provided us with invaluable support. I have in mind the World Bank, the Asian Bank for Development and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF, in particular, has assured us that it would continue to support us with specialized personnel in the area of finance and the future Timorese central bank. The Fund is represented in this room by Mr. Valdivieso, who once again reaffirmed to me the medium-term commitment of the IMF, well beyond independence, in these two fields, more specifically. We will also need by October to take stock of the resources which will be made available to us on a bilateral basis. We should therefore be in a position in October to present to you a comprehensive chart with a detailed description of these three civilian support elements for the new Timorese Administration: the multilateral component, the bilateral component and the one which we will be proposing to you for financing by United Nations mandatory contributions, if this Council were to agree with that. (spoke in English) The Ambassador of Colombia also put three very specific questions to me, to which I will try to reply. First of all, on the question of the interface between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a future possible Deputy Special Representative who might also wear the hat of Development Coordinator in East Timor, I am very happy that you put this question, Ambassador Valdivieso, because this is very important, not least for achieving what you and other members of the Council have called for, which is a more active participation of the United Nations system in the continued building of the new administration in East Timor. I know that my good friend Mark Malloch Brown, who visited us in February, fully supports this recommendation by the Secretary-General. As you know, this is a formula that we have tested elsewhere - in Haiti, in Tajikistan and also in Sierra Leone. There is, obviously, no conflict between the position of the UNDP resident representative, United Nations Development Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General. On the contrary, we believe that this would significantly contribute to a truly integrated United Nations mission after independence. As regards the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), I have been informed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that since such documents are negotiated with sovereign, independent Governments, this has not yet started but will certainly begin as soon as a sovereign Government of East Timor is in place. Undoubtedly, this UNDAF will be based on the medium-term economic development strategy that Mr. Ramos-Horta referred to this morning and that we shall start working upon immediately after independence, as well as on the human development report that I know UNDP is currently preparing. On the question of the security assessment mission, all I can say to Ambassador Valdivieso and the others who expressed interest in the outcome of that mission is that obviously that is outside my purview, but I have been informed that the Secretary- General will transmit the findings of the mission to the Security Council as soon as is possible. On the question of security, I shall start with the incident on 28 July. Early this morning I received a report on that incident, which led to the death of an Indonesian Armed Forces First Sergeant. I will not go into the details. We have agreed to establish a joint investigative team with the Indonesian Government to study the circumstances of that incident and establish responsibilities. Of course, we deeply regret any death on either side of the border, and we have every interest in shedding full light on that incident and in establishing relations of true and lasting confidence between ourselves, the new East Timor Defence Force and the Indonesian Armed Forces. But obviously, that incident, as we are all aware, is related to the broader question of security on the international border. I told the Council that this was a prominent item on the agenda of the Joint Border Committee, as it is on the agenda of all the bilateral meetings between our Force Commander, General Boonsrang Niumpradit, and General Da Costa on the Indonesian side. This morning Jose Ramos-Horta informed the Council of a number of initiatives that Xanana Gusmao, with our full support, has been taking with a view to engaging the more moderate leaders of militia groups in a dialogue that we hope will soon lead to their return, as well as the return of those refugees they claim to influence. And we know that they do influence them. Mr. Gusmao has had a meeting with two of those militia leaders on the southern border, at Salele, and he is planning to have two more meetings in early August. This has received the full support of the Indonesian Government, and this is the way forward within the broader context of the further normalization of relations between East Timor and Indonesia. This will also enable us to isolate those more extreme former or current commanders of militia groups that we hope will be dealt with once and for all by the Indonesian authorities; and we trust General Da Costa to do that. The representatives of Brazil and Ukraine asked me whether there was any likelihood that parties that did not sign the pact of national unity would disrupt the process. No, I do not think so. I think I can reply on behalf of Mr. Ramos-Horta that this is unlikely. We know the individuals and very small groups that remain determined to derail the process. We have them under very careful watch, and we shall not hesitate to intervene using all means at our disposal, particularly the penal code, to deal with that threat should it ever materialize in the coming weeks. The representative of Ukraine also asked me what other measures could be taken to prevent violence during and after the electoral campaign, in addition to the pact. We have adopted a regulation on electoral offences. We have the penal code, obviously. But we also have a strong military and police presence in the country, which was obviously not the case in 1999. But I must say that our strongest allies in maintaining a peaceful process before, during and after the elections are the East Timorese political leaders and the East Timorese people. I toured all the districts of the country before coming to New York and I noted with great satisfaction a high degree of maturity and vigilance on the part of the Timorese population, as well as on the part of the political party leaders who accompanied me on many of these visits. That is the most reassuring development in recent months in East Timor. The East Timorese may not know precisely what democracy is, but they certainly know what democracy is not. They reject violence in any form. They have been calling on leaders of political parties to abide strictly and scrupulously by the pact of national unity. I think political leaders have heard that call and will heed it. Let me once again thank you very sincerely, Mr. President, for giving this opportunity to Mr. Ramos-Horta and me to brief the Council and thank you again for your very strong support.

The President (spoke in Chinese): I would like to thank Mr. Vieira de Mello for the additional statement, clarifications and answers he has provided. I would also like to thank all the representatives who expressed their kind words to me in their statements. There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 6.05 pm.