S/PV.5406 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Liberia in which she requests to be invited to participate in the consideration 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 consideration of the item, 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 Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2006/159, containing the tenth progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Liberia. Members of the Council also have before them document S/2006/202, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2006/184, containing a letter dated 22 March 2006 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1667 (2006). I give the floor to the representative of France, who wishes to make a statement following the voting.

As I stated here in the presence of the President of Liberia, France is determined to support the great efforts made by the Liberian authorities, and to fully support the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), whose role has been and continues to be critical for the recovery of that battered country. The French authorities, who officially received Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf at the beginning of March, have always made every effort to achieve that objective, and they will continue to do so. We are well aware of the consequences, for the entire region, of the Liberian civil war and its brutal atrocities. We must not now let down the people of Liberia. The renewed hope for a Liberia that is stable and at peace provides an opportunity for all of West Africa. Furthermore, France welcomes the arrest and the transfer to the special court for Sierra Leone of Charles Taylor. In this regard, we wish once again to pay a sincere tribute to President Obasanjo for his decisive action and to the Liberian authorities for their determination to ensure that justice is finally done. France is wholly dedicated to the stability and development of the African continent. It is shouldering all of its responsibilities, and is fully committed, alongside the African people, the Secretary-General and all United Nations personnel on the ground who are working for peace. That is particularly true in Côte d’Ivoire, where the difficult road that leads to unity and reconciliation is, for both the African and the international communities, a continuing cause for concern. My country believes that the Security Council must act in this matter in accordance with two simple principles. First, the stability of West Africa is a single integrated whole. Any attempt to separate the situation in Liberia from that in Côte d’Ivoire makes no sense. It is in that context that we need to carefully consider and adapt our efforts for each of those two countries. Secondly, the unity of the international community must be complete. In other words, the Council must pay particular attention to what Africans are telling us and to the Secretary-General’s recommendations. That is why my delegation, like the overwhelming majority of the Council, has, over the past few days, supported the following: with regard to Liberia, the gradual and reasonable reduction of the number of UNMIL troops, as proposed by the Secretary-General; and, with regard to Côte d’Ivoire, the maintenance in Abidjan of the UNMIL company, which has been deployed since February, as well as — and this is the most important aspect — the strengthening of the military and police forces of the United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), for which the Secretary-General, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and a near-majority of Council members have been calling for 12 months now. France finally agreed to endorse the draft resolution on UNMIL, which has just been adopted, because it contains a double commitment. On the one hand, UNOCI will once again be able, as soon as it proves necessary, to immediately benefit from the reinforcement provided by UNMIL. On the other hand, it is clear that by 30 April the Council will be taking a decision on strengthening UNOCI. That is, more than ever, essential as a corollary to the peace process set out in resolution 1633 (2005), which today is entering the most sensitive and most critical phase. The strengthening should be authorized as soon as possible, because the timetable for the process is tight and, as the Secretary-General has told us, the security situation in Côte d’Ivoire remains particularly volatile. My delegation notes that the Council has just made a firm commitment to settle the issue of the UNOCI troops by the end of April. My delegation will draw all the relevant conclusions in the Security Council in the coming weeks. France is convinced that the investment that can be made to ensure peace in Côte d’Ivoire will be a considerable additional guarantee of Liberia’s stability, to which we are extremely committed.

There are no further speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council will remain seized of the matter.