S/PV.4819 Security Council

As this is the first meeting of the Security Council for the month of September, may I begin by paying a particular tribute on behalf of all of us to His Excellency Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, for his very distinguished and very important service as President of the Council in the month of August. I am sure I speak for all of us in expressing our appreciation of the role which Ambassador Wehbe and Ambassador Mekdad both carried out. In particular, I would like to express every best wish to Ambassador Wehbe, who after a long period of service to his country at the United Nations in New York, is now going to move on to another part of the United Nations family. We have no doubt that he will continue to carry on his work with the same distinction in Geneva as he has done in New York. We wish him every success and the best of luck in that appointment.

I would not have wanted to intervene at this point in the meeting, but since this will be the last Council meeting I shall attend, I would like, Sir, at this very first meeting of your presidency to begin by congratulating you. I am confident that you will lead the Council’s deliberations this month with your well- known wisdom and diplomatic expertise. We know that you will lead the Council to success. This month is full of events, notably a meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers, who will be here in New York for the opening of the fifty-eighth session of the General Assembly. I would like to thank you wholeheartedly, Sir, for the kind words you addressed to me. I also take this occasion to thank all the Permanent Representatives on the Security Council, and the members of their delegations, for the cooperation and assistance they extended to me, as well as for the coordination they all undertook to ensure international peace and security. I wish each and every one of them success in their endeavours. Adoption of the agenda International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them documents S/2003/846 and S/2003/847, which contain the texts of two draft resolutions prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the two draft resolutions before it. If I hear no objection, I shall put the two draft resolutions to the vote now, one after the other. There being no objection, it is so decided. I first put to the vote the draft resolution contained in document S/2003/846.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1504 (2003). I now put to the vote the draft resolution contained in document S/2003/847.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1505 (2003). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.