S/PV.6686 Security Council

I want to thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to brief the Security Council on my reflections as Chair of both the Council’s Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003), concerning Iraq and Kuwait. In the realization of its mandate contained in document S/PRST/2001/3, the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations held several meetings to consider mission-specific and cross-cutting challenges faced by United Nations peacekeeping missions. First, the programme of work for the year focused on challenges specific to various United Nations peacekeeping missions and, of course, to cross-cutting issues such as transition and exit strategies, inter- mission cooperation and capacity gaps and development. The mission-specific discussions highlighted some of the core issues that continue to encumber the implementation of peacekeeping mandates, such as the transfer of personnel and equipment at the end of a mandate, operational coordination, the protection of civilians and the shortage of military helicopters. The discussions on thematic issues were also very instructive. On transition and exit strategies, the point was cogently made that peacekeeping and peacebuilding were both integral parts of the same process. It was understood that transition strategies referred not to the shift from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, but rather from peacekeeping to other configurations of the United Nations presence. To ensure that transition strategies are sensitive to the nuances encountered in the field, the need to avoid setting excessively rigid benchmarks for deployment or drawdown was also highlighted. In reviewing the concept of inter-mission cooperation, it was emphasized that such cooperation was not the panacea needed to fill in capacity gaps. Contemporary peacekeeping missions that share geographic proximity stand to benefit from interaction. Greater political buy-in, adequate equipment and resources, and strict adherence to the principles of democratic policing were identified as critical to bridging capacity gaps and surmounting capacity development challenges. At its final substantive meeting, the Working Group appraised the triangular relationship between the Secretariat, the Security Council, and the troop- contributing countries (TCCs) and police-contributing countries (PCCs). While the TCCs acknowledged an improvement in the triangular relationship, they noted that Security Council resolution 1353 (2001) envisioned more than information sharing. In that regard, they urged that the views of TCCs should be sought before an assessment mission was carried out, during strategic redeployments and at the start-up, transition and drawdown of a mission. I believe that it has been 10 years since the Council established the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations. Perhaps the value added by the Working Group is the platform that it has provided for enhanced informal interactive dialogue among the various stakeholders on generic and specific peacekeeping issues. By maintaining a flexible programme of work over the reporting period, the Working Group successfully accommodated the views and concerns of TCCs as they arose. The Working Group benefited immensely by drawing substantially from the issues that were of specific importance during our negotiations at the last regular session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly (C-34), held in March. I also believe that the discussions of the Working Group can enrich the debates of this Council during the crucial phases of a mission’s life cycle, especially the mandate renewal, mission planning and technical assessment stages. In that regard, the Working Group should continue to work in partnership with the Secretariat and the TCCs in incorporating case studies into its thematic discussions. We strongly recommend that such case studies be drawn from peacekeeping missions whose authorizations are set to expire in the months ahead, as well as missions in which strategic actions that can have an impact on the mandate are contemplated. The Working Group witnessed not only an improvement in the substantive participation of the TCCs at its meetings, but also their significant contribution to the framework of its agenda. Our obligation is to reciprocate that support by ensuring that the outcomes of our meetings are indeed translated into action by both the Council and the Secretariat. Regular reporting on the activities of the Working Group to the Council will be the first vital step in the right direction towards achieving that objective. Keeping the format of our meetings informal and further adapting it to a solution-oriented platform are indeed imperative. Bearing in mind that the concerns of the TCCs and PCCs are sometime as diverse as the solutions they proffer to existing challenges, the Working Group should also become a consensus-building platform. I believe that the Working Group will benefit immensely from proposals made by both the TCCs and the Secretariat. It is indeed my expectation that the final report of the Working Group will incorporate all of those proposals. The Security Council Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations has continued to grow in strength and relevance. In order to sustain its unique role in United Nations peacekeeping, we must make certain that no gains are lost by consolidating the progress achieved thus far. As we draw the curtains on an eventful year in global peacekeeping operations, we must relentlessly strive to ensure not only that United Nations peacekeeping is described as a global partnership, but also that it is objectively seen to be so. I have had the special privilege of chairing not only the Special Committee, but also this Working Group in the Security Council. It has allowed me to connect the dots. Allow me to say a few words in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003), which deals with the situation between Iraq and Kuwait. The Committee was established by Security Council resolution 1518 (2003) to continue to identify, in accordance with paragraphs 19 and 23 of resolution 1483 (2003), individuals and entities whose funds, other financial assets and economic resources should be frozen and transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq. While the Committee has not held any meetings this year, it has continued to consider the relevant issues brought to its attention. In particular, the Committee received a letter dated 27 February from the focal point regarding a delisting request for two persons included on the Committee’s list of individuals. A separate delisting request from a Member State had previously been submitted to the Committee for the same two individuals. On 3 June, the Committee agreed to remove from the list the names of the two individuals who had applied for delisting through the focal point. In a related development, a delisting request for a third individual, which had been submitted in 2007 by a Member State and had remained pending before the Committee, was also resolved. The holds that had previously been placed by the individual Committee members were lifted, and the individual concerned was removed from the Committee’s list of individuals on 6 December. I am pleased to report that the delisting of those three individuals has brought to a conclusion one of two separate matters that had been pending before the Committee since 2007. I remain hopeful that the second long-pending issue may also be resolved before the end of this year. The Committee received two communications dated 23 June from the Permanent Mission of Iraq proposing the addition of eight names to the list of individuals established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) and an amendment to the entries for two names already inscribed on that list. That request remains pending before the Committee. The Committee also received a letter, dated 22 June, from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait informing the Committee of Kuwait’s decision to transfer frozen Iraqi assets deposited in Kuwaiti banks since 1990 to the Development Fund for Iraq, in accordance with paragraph 23 of resolution 1483 (2003). The Committee received a letter, dated 5 May, from the Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations regarding the implementation of the arms embargo concerning Iraq. In its reply to the Permanent Representative of Australia, the Committee noted that its mandate did not authorize it to provide guidance on questions pertaining to the implementation of the arms embargo. In that connection, I would again wish to recall that the Security Council decided, in resolution 1518 (2003), that the mandate of the Committee would be kept under review and that the Council would consider authorizing the Committee to undertake the additional task of observing Member States’ fulfilment of their obligations in connection with the arms embargo on Iraq, as reaffirmed in paragraph 10 of resolution 1483 (2003). To date, the Committee has not been authorized to undertake any additional tasks in that regard. The remaining prohibitions on the supply of arms to Iraq, which exclude arms and related materiel required by the Government of Iraq, are therefore not currently accompanied by a Security Council mechanism, such as a committee or a monitoring mechanism with a mandate to oversee the implementation of those particular measures. I would like to conclude by recalling that the Security Council, in its resolution 1546 (2004), stressed the importance for all States to abide strictly by the remaining measures, and called upon the Government of Iraq to ensure that appropriate implementation procedures were in place. I would like thank the members of the Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations and the 1518 Committee for their constructive contributions and for the quality of their cooperation. I would also like to thank the delegation of India for having effectively fulfilled the function of Vice-Chair of the 1518 Committee. Let me also extend my thanks to the Secretariat for its tireless and diligent support. On behalf of the Nigerian delegation, I wish every success to the incoming Chairs of the Working Group and the Committee.

I thank Mrs. Ogwu for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Salam.

I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the Council today in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia. In that connection, I intend to provide a brief overview of the work of the Committee during the current year. Over the course of 2011, the Committee held three formal consultations. At its first meeting, on 15 June, the Committee considered the findings and recommendations contained in the midterm report of the Panel of Experts. In that report the Panel of Experts recommended, among other things, that the Committee update the travel-ban and assets-freeze lists and explore, with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the preparation of INTERPOL-United Nations special notices for the individuals whose names are contained in the travel- ban list. Pursuant to the Panel’s recommendations, the Committee reached an agreement on a comprehensive update of the travel-ban and assets-freeze lists on 4 August. At its second meeting, on 19 August, the Committee also agreed on procedures on cooperation with INTERPOL in the creation of INTERPOL-United Nations special notices. The agreement was marked — the first occasion since 2005 — by the issuance of the first special notices for individuals on the consolidated list of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) to the effect that now the sanctions Committees will utilize the special notices mechanism. At its third meeting, on 30 November, the Committee considered the findings and recommendations contained in the Panel of Experts’ final report. Among its findings, the Panel of Experts reviewed the activities of Liberian combatants during the 2011 Ivorian conflict, to better assess the future disposition of those groups, currently residing in Liberia. The Panel observed that Liberian mercenary command structures in the Ivorian conflict were fluid and relied on an alliance of generals who often activated their own recruits, mainly drawn from unemployed Liberian ex-combatants. The Panel also obtained testimony concerning the substantive overlap between the military operations of Liberian mercenaries and Ivorian militias, whose forces were residing in Liberia and intermingling with Ivorian refugees. While those groups likely did not pose any immediate threat to Liberian or Ivorian national security, they could nevertheless attempt to destabilize areas along the Liberian-Ivorian border. This morning, with the unanimous adoption of resolution 2025 (2011) on Liberia, the Security Council noted with serious concern the lack of progress with regard to the implementation of the assets freeze and demanded that the Government of Liberia make all necessary efforts to fulfil its obligations. But, in the same resolution, the Council also renewed the arms embargo on all non-governmental entities and individuals operating in the territory of Liberia, as well as the travel ban for a period of 12 months. It also extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Liberia for the same period and requested the Panel to report on the implementation and present an evaluation of the measures on arms as amended by resolution 1903 (2009). The Council also decided to review the measures of the sanctions regime by the end of 2012, with a view to possibly modifying or lifting part of the sanctions in the light of progress achieved in stabilization throughout Liberia. The Committee has been committed to successfully discharging its mandate in close cooperation with the Panel of Experts, with a view to playing its part in making sustainable the peacebuilding process in Liberia, which still faces considerable challenges.

I thank Mr. Salam for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mrs. Viotti.

I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to share my views on the work of the two subsidiary bodies that I had the honour to chair in the past two years, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004), concerning Côte d’Ivoire. Let me express at the outset my gratitude for the cooperation that the wider membership has extended to the activities of both Committees. We had an enhanced dialogue with all the concerned stakeholders, which contributed to the effectiveness of the Committees’ work. The sanctions Committee concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo has made important strides in recent years. Over all, the cooperation between the Group of Experts and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been positive. It has led to a fruitful exchange of views regarding the main aspects of the sanctions regime. The same goes for other countries in the region and relevant regional organizations. The Committee has strongly encouraged the strengthening of such channels of dialogue. I also hope that Member States, especially those in the region, will continue to inform the Committee about measures taken at the national level to implement the sanctions regime. I am glad to underscore that the sanctions Committee on the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also made its contribution to the fight against child recruitment and sexual violence. We heard briefings from Special Representatives of the Secretary-General on those issues. Special Representative of the Secretary-General Radhika Coomaraswamy briefed the Committee in May 2010 on the recruitment of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Margot Wallström addressed the Committee on 6 December, presenting information on sexual violence in the country. That was the first time that both of them appeared before a sanctions committee. I believe that their briefings provided important information for our work and I strongly encourage the continuation of such interaction in the future. The Committee has also strived to keep the sanctions list up to date. Building on information provided by the Group of Experts, Member States and the United Nations system, new listings were approved and information and narrative summaries regarding names already on the list were updated. We must also reflect on ways to make the sanctions regime more effective and consider alternative tools to better target individuals or entities that might not travel or hold bank accounts. It is also important to encourage the use by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of means of mass communication, such as radio, to help prevent criminal activities and disseminate information about individuals and entities that are sanctioned. The implementation of the due diligence guidelines will be a focus of the Committee’s work in the future. I hope that compliance with those guidelines will increasingly contribute to averting the risk of directly or indirectly financing illegal armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Committee should continue to interact with Member States and regional organizations, such as the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, in order to exchange views on this subject and discuss ways to raise awareness of the importance of following good practices in the area of natural resources. Another aspect that may merit the Committee’s continued attention in the future is the flow of weapons to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As the Group of Experts highlighted in its most recent report (see S/2011/345), it is essential that the international community support efforts to enhance local capabilities to mark and control the circulation of weapons in the country with a view to cutting off sources of arms for illegal groups. I now turn to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004) concerning Côte d’Ivoire. In the past two years, the Committee has continued to undertake tasks related to the arms embargo, restrictions on travel, the freezing of assets and the embargo on diamonds. In fulfilling its mandate, the Committee relied on the information and recommendations of the Group of Experts and on the reports of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire. The activities of the Committee were greatly affected by the post-electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, which, according to reports of the Group of Experts, led both the Government and the opposition to actively seek additional weapons and related materiel. New elements, including foreign mercenary forces, were drawn into the conflict, in violation of the sanctions regime. During the post-electoral crisis, the Committee followed the situation on the ground closely, with the assistance of the Group of Experts and the relevant resolutions adopted by the Security Council on the matter. In this regard, the Committee sought, within its mandate, to adapt its measures to the Security Council’s evolving decisions — for example, by taking appropriate measures to update the list of targeted individuals after the adoption of resolution 1975 (2011) added five persons to the financial and travel sanctions list, and by modifying, in line with resolution 1980 (2011), the exemption procedure concerning arms and related material, vehicles and technical training. Looking ahead, it is important to be aware that many challenges remain to full compliance with the sanctions regime. Sanctions-related issues that are still unresolved include the redeployment of State administration over the entire territory, the continued de facto presence of command zones in the north, slow progress in disarmament and reintegration, as well as the widespread availability of small arms and ammunition and the presence of elements from the former regime in neighbouring States. On this point, it is key that the Committee and the Council guard against backsliding in the progress made in Côte d’Ivoire. At the same time, there are positive signs, such as renewed cooperation between the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the Group of Experts, as well as increased recourse on the part of the Ivorian Government to the aforementioned exemption procedures set out in resolution 1980 (2011). In this context, I also trust that the Committee will continue to stand ready to grant travel-ban exemptions for those listed individuals who are indicted by the International Criminal Court, as was the case on 29 November with the transfer of former President Laurent Gbagbo to The Hague. In spite of a challenging situation, I am confident that the 1572 Committee will remain in close cooperation with the Group of Experts, a key actor in promoting compliance with Security Council measures and therefore in contributing to sustainable peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire. In closing, let me thank all the members of the Committees for all the support they have extended to Brazil and for their active and meaningful participation during the past two years. I would also like to express my gratitude to the members of the Secretariat, especially Mr. David Biggs, for their hard work and readiness to help. I am certain that both Committees will continue to strengthen their relationship with all Member States and relevant stakeholders, allowing for the increasingly effective implementation of their respective mandates.

I thank Ambassador Viotti for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Moungara Moussotsi.

On behalf of His Excellency Mr. Nelson Messone, Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations, I have the honour of reading out the report of the Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1636 (2005) concerning Lebanon. “In accordance with its mandate, the 1636 Committee is tasked with registering as subject to the travel ban and assets freeze imposed under paragraph 3(a) of the resolution individuals designated by the International Independent Investigation Commission or the Government of Lebanon as suspected of involvement in the 14 February 2005 terrorist bombing in Beirut that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. Also in resolution 1636 (2005), the Council decided that the Committee should approve exceptions to the travel ban and assets freeze on a case-by-case basis, register the removal of individuals from the scope of the travel ban and assets freeze measures in accordance with the resolution, and inform all Member States as to which individuals are subject to those measures. “On 1 January 2010, when Gabon took over as Chair of the Committee, no individuals had been registered. Similarly, during Gabon’s chairmanship the Committee held no meetings and listed no individuals as subject to the measures imposed under paragraph 3(a) of resolution 1636 (2005). We believe that the administration of justice in the Hariri affair will be an important element of peacebuilding in Lebanon, which is why we are of the view that with the successful transfer of confidential information on this subject between the International Independent Investigation Commission and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the 1636 Committee will undoubtedly be called on to play a more prominent role in the future, particularly given the developments in the investigation and judicial proceedings relating to the 14 February 2005 terrorist attack.”

I thank Ambassador Moungara Moussotsi for his briefing. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ivan Barbalić.

As outgoing Chair, I am pleased to brief the members of the Council on the activities of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. Bosnia and Herzegovina has continued the efforts of previous Chairs to further promote the transparency and efficiency of the Council’s work, including the implementation of presidential note S/2006/507. This year, the Informal Working Group held five meetings in which the members considered issues such as streamlining summary statements, redistributing items on the Security Council’s yearly programme, and ways of enhancing interaction between the Informal Working Group and the wider membership. At the beginning and in the later part of the year, the Informal Working Group considered the issue of streamlining summary statements of matters of which the Council is seized. In that context, we examined possible means for reducing the items on the list under the Council’s active consideration. This is not an easy task, since it has to be carried out with extreme care vis-à-vis the countries concerned. This ongoing process will be addressed in January 2012. In addition, the Informal Working Group focused on redistribution of reporting and mandate cycles in order to create a more even distribution of the Council’s annual workload. It is clearly apparent, for example, that June, July and December are more densely scheduled than other months. We are of the view that this exercise will be an important contribution to improving the Council’s working methods. The Informal Working Group was briefed by the Council’s secretariat branch and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on the administrative, financial and political implications of redistributing the mandate cycles of peacekeeping missions. Taking note of the views expressed, we believe that the exercise will take 18 months to implement, with close coordination among Security Council members, Member States and the Secretariat. As the outgoing Chair, we warmly invite the incoming Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions to build upon the work initiated in that regard. With a view to improving and, in a way, demystifying some practices of the Security Council, we organized what we called a “special meeting” of the Informal Working Group, at which the Security Council Secretariat Branch briefed members on the unknown or misunderstood working methods of the Security Council. We also had a presentation by the Security Council Practices and Charter Research Branch on the Security Council repertoire website. The repertoire is a record of the proceedings of the Security Council that serves as an institutional memory of the evolving practice of the Council on constitutional and procedural matters. As I mentioned previously, one of the principal issues that the Informal Working Group has been engaged in is the issue of further increasing the transparency of the Council’s work. Thus, together with Japan, the preceding Informal Working Group Chair, we organized a workshop on working methods for the general United Nations membership, where we introduced the new 507 President’s note (S/2010/507), comparing it to the old 507 note (S/2006/507). Also, as Chair of the Informal Working Group, I participated in the meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly, at which we shared the Council’s experience and good practices in the domain of documentation, working methods and organization of work, with a focus on summary statement streamlining. Based on the past year’s experience, I would like to conclude by highlighting two recommendations for the future activities of the Working Group. Bosnia and Herzegovina believes that, in the future, the primary focus should be on the following areas. First, taking note of the increased number of calls for interaction between the Informal Working Group and the wider membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina has suggested that the Group hold regular briefings on Security Council working methods for non-members of the Council. With pleasure, I can confirm the members’ dedication to more transparent relations with the wider membership. Therefore, we intend to organize the first such briefing in a week’s time. We are convinced that such interaction is to the common benefit. Secondly, it is of vital importance that the redistribution of reporting and mandate cycles initiated by Bosnia and Herzegovina remain a priority on the agenda of the Working Group next year. Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to all members of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions for their constructive approach and cooperative spirit.

I thank Ambassador Barbalić for his briefing. On behalf of the Security Council, I should take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Chairs for the manner in which they have discharged their important responsibilities on behalf of the Council. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.