S/PV.7042 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Central African Republic to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2013/598, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Australia, France, Luxembourg, Morocco, Togo, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2121 (2013). I now give the floor to the representative of the Central African Republic.

At the outset, I should like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country’s accession to the presidency of the Council for the month of October. My delegation and I assure you of our full support in your work. I also pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Gary Francis Quinlan, and his country, Australia, for their leadership last month. On 14 August in this very Chamber, I spoke of the suffering and pain of my countrymen and pleaded for help in saving the perpetual crisis in the Central African Republic from oblivion (see S/PV.7017). I called for the Council, which is the voice of the international community, to be seized of the question of the Central African Republic and to make it a priority. Today, this has happened. Just a few days ago, we heard statements made in the General Assembly by representatives of several friendly States and the Secretary-General, and a high- level meeting on the humanitarian situation was held at the joint initiative of France, the European Union and the United Nations. On the heels of those events, resolution 2121 (2013), which was submitted by France and whose adoption a moment ago we welcome, represents a fresh start for the men and women of the Central African Republic. It represents the beginning of the end of their ordeal. The resolution retraces the evolution of the situation, sets a position, provides guidance, points to the road to follow ahead, indicates the means for reaching our objectives, and reflects perfectly the expectations of my fellow countrymen. My fellow Central Africans are fundamentally concerned about the the reaffirmation of the full sovereignty of the Central African Republic, which must live in symbiosis with its neighbours; the issue of protecting civilians, including children and women; the phenomenon of the Lord’s Resistance Army; the issue of rape and, more generally, the human rights situation; the transition; an electoral process leading to the establishment of constitutional law; the strengthening of the mandate and capacity of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic; and the Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique sous conduite africaine and its contribution to security to Bangui and to peace in the interior of the country. These are the concerns that they wish to share with the Council. The Council’s vote offers a glimmer of hope to the 4.6 million men, women and children of the Central African Republic and to those who have chosen to live within the country. They have been disoriented, live in constant uncertainty about the immediate future, and mistakenly feel forgotten by the international community in their hiding places in the bush, in their places of worship or just in their homes. Today, as Ambassador of a failed State, as recalled by the resolution, I am not proud of that unfortunate situation, but wish simply, along with my countrymen, to offer a heartfelt thank you in every language spoken here. The men and women of the Central African Republic rightly recognize the scope of the Council’s resolution, which restores their lost the freedom and dignity, and will pass this knowledge on to their children. That is why the men and women of the Central African Republic, who are forever indebted to the international community  — of which they are grateful members — and having reclaimed their State, will make every effort to share and consolidate the dividends of peace. They stand ready to do so when the duty of international solidarity calls them one day to the side of another member in distress. I wish to thank all our bilateral and multilateral partners: the Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the Central African Republic, the Economic Community of Central African States, the African Union, the European Union, the International Organization of la Francophonie, the United Nations and all its agencies, and the non-governmental organizations, whose personnel serve every day in difficult conditions, sometimes risking their life, providing aid and assistance to thousands of Central Africans in distress. To conclude, the Central African Republic would like to thank by name each of the 15 members of the Security Council represented in this Chamber: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, China, France, Guatemala, Luxembourg, Morocco, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, the Russian Federation, Togo, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland amd the United States of America. I thank them for their crucial vote, which restores to a people, including its women and children, their humanity and, quite simply, hope for the future.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.