S/PV.5105 Security Council

I would like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Liberia, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2004/981, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. I would like to draw the attention of the members to documents S/2004/752 and S/2004/955, containing letters dated 23 September 2004 and 6 December 2004, respectively, addressed to the President of the Security Council, transmitting the midterm and final reports of the Panel of Experts on Liberia. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objections, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by show of hands. In favour: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1579 (2004). I shall now call on those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

We would like to thank Ambassador Akram for all his work on this issue. We are sponsoring this resolution as a statement of our strong support of the ongoing efforts of the United Nations to ensure peace and stability in Liberia and the region, and its recognition that premature lifting of sanctions at this time would threaten the re- emergence of armed conflict. We share the desire of other Council member States to see Liberia’s timber sector restored quickly as a source of legitimate revenue for the National Transitional Government. However, to accomplish that objective, we believe there must be security, transparency and accountability in the timber sector. At present, Liberia lacks the necessary institutional and financial mechanisms to ensure that forest resources are used for legitimate development. Consistent with its desire to help Liberia quickly re-establish the conditions under which forest resources can be used for the benefit of the Liberian people, the United States Government has allocated $4 million and is working closely with the Government and other donors to implement reforms in the timber sector through the Liberia Forest Initiative. It is critical that Liberia make a strong effort to implement those needed reforms, and I am pleased that, in the resolution adopted today, the Council has underlined the need for the Government to act boldly and quickly in instituting those reforms. Unfortunately, Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority has not yet implemented the reforms that have been called for. With the full cooperation from Liberian authorities, we believe that substantial progress can be achieved over the next six to eight months in many of the most important aspects of the reform effort. In coordination with other donors, we have outlined a critical path timeline of necessary actions and donor resources intended to fulfil these aims and address the principal concerns of the Council. We urge the National Transitional Government of Liberia to do its utmost to cooperate in this endeavour. In closing, the United States Government is actively engaged in assisting the Liberian authorities to restructure both Liberia’s timber and diamond sectors as a means to expedite, and not retard, the eventual lifting of sanctions, once necessary and appropriate control mechanisms have been established. It is essential that these key resources and the revenue derived from their export be used responsibly in the future to improve the lives of the Liberian people and not to perpetuate conflict, as in the past.

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.