S/PV.6010 Security Council

I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to members of the Council.

At the outset, Sir, I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month. We assure you of our constructive cooperation and we are confident of your successful management of the Council’s affairs. I would also like to express our appreciation for the efforts of our colleague the Permanent Representative of China and his team and for the efficient manner in which they guided our proceedings last month. We would also like to thank Mr. Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for his briefing and for the optimism that he has expressed with regard to the prevailing situation. Indeed, the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/662) and Mr. Mulet’s briefing are encouraging, as evidenced by Mr. Mulet’s observation that there were no major violations of the ceasefire agreement during the reporting period and that implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is slow, but steady. It is worth noting that there has been a noticeable improvement in the security situation in the area of operation of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS). The Abyei Road Map Agreement has continued to be implemented by the two sides under the supervision of the Mission. Moreover, the Joint Integrated Police Unit assumed its responsibilities in maintaining security after the departure of the forces of both sides from Abyei, and a Chief Administrator and a Deputy Administrator for the Abyei Interim Administration have been appointed. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are returning to the city voluntarily. Although their return continues to be slow, it is, nevertheless, a positive indicator. We have also noted a decrease in violence in Southern Kordofan among ethnic groups, a start to the integration of previously closed areas around Kauda and Julud, as well as the absorption of thousands of personnel of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) into civil service departments and police structures, as stipulated by the CPA. Also worth noting is the great progress in the redeployment of the Sudanese Armed Forces: 97 per cent of SAF personnel have been redeployed, according to UNMIS, although SPLA redeployment is still modest, barely exceeding 10 per cent. It is also encouraging to see estimates that 2.37 million refugees and IDPs have returned home since the signing of the CPA in 2005. Furthermore, we would like to commend the progress in preparing for the elections, with the completion of the national census and adoption of an electoral law. Moreover, discussions continue on the appointment of the members of the National Electoral Commission. We believe that the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme is a very important element in implementing the CPA and in guaranteeing stability. Thus, we welcome the holding of a round- table conference for donors this month to discuss ways to fund that programme. While those are all positive indicators that should be commended and welcomed, that does not mean that there are no challenges that require a great deal of effort on both sides. However, we are optimistic because of the spirit prevailing between the two parties and the fruitful cooperation that they have displayed. We commend the efforts of UNMIS to implement the various aspects of its mandate, in particular training police units, demining and raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. We also wish to commend the ongoing cooperation between UNMIS and various United Nations entities as well as the link that it has established with the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) and with other missions: those in Darfur, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad. We welcome the Sudanese Government’s appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate allegations of human rights abuses committed in Darfur since 2003. That is a positive step that the Security Council must take into account when assessing the existence of conditions conducive to progress in the peace process. Furthermore, we believe that the Sudan People’s Forum, a national effort to resolve the Darfur crisis, could lead to practical measures that would help to resolve the crisis. We express our support for the Forum and call on the international community, represented by the Security Council, to support it in every way possible. We also commend the efforts of Mr. Djibril Bassolé, African Union-United Nations Joint Chief Mediator, to persuade all rebel factions to join the political settlement process in Darfur. Last but not least, we agree with paragraph 81 of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/662), which states that “developments in the Sudan will be influenced to a large extent by the relevant activities of the International Criminal Court,” — such as the indictment of President Al-Bashir — “and its actions could have the potential to profoundly affect the work of the United Nations in the Sudan, including humanitarian efforts, and the ongoing peace process in the Sudan”. Therefore, we call on the Security Council to heed that clear warning and, at the proper time, to take the necessary decision, namely, at a minimum, to activate article 17 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of Costa Rica. I should like to begin by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Mulet for his briefing. Although it is still necessary to move forward in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the Sudan, particularly with regard to holding elections and a referendum and defining the terms for the distribution of oil revenues, my delegation welcomes the information about the progress made in implementing the Agreement. With regard to the elections, we are pleased at the news that the Government of Southern Sudan has formally requested United Nations electoral assistance. We believe that this is an opportunity for the Organization to play an important role in helping the Southern Sudan authorities to ensure that the elections are free and fair. In that connection, we hope to receive further information once the needs assessment mission has been carried out. Concerning the issue of Abyei, my delegation notes with satisfaction the news about the progress made in redeploying the forces that were in Abyei. However, it is important that the parties permit the report on Abyei to be finalized by the Ceasefire Joint Monitoring Commission so that measures can quickly be taken against those responsible for acts of violence and looting, in accordance with the conclusions set out in the report. We agree with the Secretary-General that it is important that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes be successfully implemented as a confidence-building measure. We regard as especially important the point made by the Secretary- General that confidence-building between the parties should lead to a sustainable downsizing of military capabilities to the benefit of social expenditure. As everyone knows, that is a view that my country supports, and it is on precisely that issue that we are convening the high-level Security Council event on 19 November. We welcome the news regarding the reintegration by UNICEF and the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) of 88 child soldiers and the pardon granted by the Government of the Sudan to 99 children who were arrested following the disturbances in Omdurman. My delegation recognizes the efforts of the Government of the Sudan with respect to the situation of children, but we cannot fail to mention our concern at knowing that there are still many child prisoners, a number of whom have been condemned to death. My delegation regrets that, as the Secretary- General’s report informs us, senior Sudanese officials have warned of possible grave consequences for UNMIS should an indictment against President Al-Bashir be handed down. In that connection, Costa Rica would like to recall that the Government of the Sudan must respect the independence of the judicial process and assist UNMIS in carrying out its mandate. Finally, my delegation supports the Secretary- General’s recommendation that the Security Council consider holding a thorough debate on provisions related to the protection of civilians in imminent danger. We have listened to and share the concerns repeatedly raised by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, troop-contributing countries and the humanitarian community regarding the lack of clarity in civilian protection mandates. We believe that it is now time that the Council, together with the Secretariat and the General Assembly, in particular the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, develop clear civilian protection guidelines that can be translated into realistic standards applicable to peacekeeping troops in combat situations. We hope that the forthcoming debate on the protection of civilians, to be held in December, will serve as an opportunity to discuss that important issue. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. There are no further speakers on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I now invite Council members to interactive and action-oriented informal consultations to continue our discussion of the subject.