S/PV.5682 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council welcomes the announcement of the results of the presidential elections in Timor-Leste, and congratulates Mr. José Ramos-Horta on his election as President, and looks forward to working with the new Government to help build a better future for Timor-Leste. “The Security Council congratulates the Timorese people for demonstrating their strong commitment to peace and democracy, and commends the presidential candidates for the peaceful manner in which they conducted their campaigns. The Council pledges its continued support for the Government and people of Timor- Leste as they embark on another step aimed at strengthening the foundations of democracy and assume their rightful place in the community of nations. “The Security Council expresses its concern over the still fragile and volatile security, political, social and humanitarian situation in Timor-Leste. The Council emphasizes the importance of all parties continuing to work together in a spirit of cooperation and compromise in order to consolidate progress made by Timor-Leste in recent years and to enable the country to move to a peaceful and more prosperous future. “The Security Council expresses its sincere appreciation for the central role played by the National Commission on Elections (CNE) and the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) in preparing and organizing the presidential elections. It commends the Timorese National Police (PNTL) and the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) Police, with the support of the international security force, for providing security during the electoral process. “The Security Council commends the invaluable support provided for the preparations and holding of the elections by UNMIT and regional and international partners. It also expresses its appreciation for the role played by domestic and international electoral observers and encourages further such support for parliamentary elections. “The Security Council pays tribute to the donor community for the assistance they have provided to Timor-Leste and encourages the international community as a whole to continue to assist the country as it enters another stage in the process of peace consolidation, reconstruction and recovery. “The Security Council calls upon the Government of Timor-Leste to continue to confront the challenges facing the country. It underlines that while the manifestations of the current challenges in Timor-Leste are political and institutional in nature, poverty and its associated deprivations also contributed to these challenges. “The Security Council calls upon all parties in Timor-Leste to ensure that the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for 30 June 2007 take place in a free, fair and peaceful environment. “The Security Council expresses its continued support for the work of UNMIT under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Atul Khare, and encourages UNMIT, in accordance with its mandate, to continue to cooperate and coordinate with the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, as well as all relevant partners, to support the Government of Timor-Leste.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2007/14. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.