S/PV.7245 Security Council

At this meeting the Security Council will hear briefings by the representatives of Australia, Chile, the United States of America and my own delegation on the Security Council mission to Europe and Africa.

I am pleased to provide a brief report on the Council’s visit to Belgium on 9 and 10 August, the first leg of our recent visit to Europe and Africa. The purpose of our visit to Belgium was to commemorate the centenary of the commencement of the First World War, to pay tribute to the sacrifice of all those who served their countries during that conflict and to draw lessons from the conflict that could assist the Security Council in discharging its mandate to maintain international peace and security. A visit to the town of Dinant, the site of a massacre early in the First World War, provided a solemn start. On 23 August 1914, 674 civilians were killed in a deliberate attack by invading German forces. The Council viewed the museum commemorating that incident and learned that in 2001, 87 years after the incident, a reconciliation ceremony had been held, with Germany formally apologizing to the people of Dinant for the attack. The Council’s visit to the city of Leuven underlined the crucial importance of protecting cultural heritage in times of armed conflict. In August 1914, the deliberate destruction of the 600-year-old Leuven University Library and its unique 300,000 volume collection shocked the world. The stunning reconstruction of that building served as the venue for a stimulating discussion between Council members and academic experts on the lessons from the First World War, conflict prevention and approaches to reconciliation. The Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate in Ypres on the evening of 9 August was a revelation. The brief and powerful ceremony, which consists of the playing of the Last Post, a recitation for those who fell in the First World War and the laying of wreaths, has taken place every single evening since 1928 — a remarkable act of commemoration by the people of Ypres and of Belgium. The laying of a wreath by Australia and the United Kingdom on behalf of the Security Council constituted a formal act of remembrance for the losses of that conflict. The Council’s visit to Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, outside Ypres, on 10 August emphasized the horrific consequences of armed conflict. The cemetery contains the graves of over 10,700 soldiers killed in the First World War. A visit to the In Flanders Fields Museum provided further evidence of the magnitude of the destruction of that conflict and poignantly reminded us that, although said to be “the war to end all wars”, the subsequent 100 years have been repeatedly marked by armed conflict. The final component of our visit to Belgium — a visit to the Poelkapelle military base, where chemical weapons from the First World War continue to be dismantled and destroyed — served to underline the devastating impact of those weapons. Almost 100 years after their first use, ordinance from the First World War is still being uncovered every day. That was a timely reminder to the Council of the need to ensure the complete elimination of all chemical weapons and to reinforce the absolute prohibition of their use. The visit to Belgium starkly underlined for the Council the inherent futility of armed conflict and the dramatic scale of losses in the First World War. The Council witnessed the remarkable commitment by the people of Belgium to commemoration and the importance of the protection of cultural heritage. We were compelled to recall the first line of the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations — “determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. And, crucially, we were motivated to reflect on what more the Council can and must do to effectively discharge its conflict prevention responsibilities. In conclusion, I would like to express the Security Council’s sincere thanks to the Government and the people of Belgium, to the mayors of Dinant, Leuven and Ypres, to the Permanent Representative of Belgium, Ambassador Frankinet, and her Mission, and to the Secretariat colleagues who facilitated our visit. I would also like to thank the United Kingdom for arranging the visit and for extending to Australia the privilege of co-leading the Belgian component.

I thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership, as well as the Security Council Affairs Division, which made this historic mission possible. I will now present the report on behalf of the delegations of Chile and Luxembourg, which co-led The Hague component of the Security Council mission. On Monday, 11 August, members of the Security Council held a meeting at the Peace Palace, The Hague, where they exchanged ideas with Judge Peter Tomka, President of the International Court of Justice, and Judges Christopher Greenwood, Joan E. Donoghue, Giorgio Gaja and Julia Sebutinde, in addition to the Registrar of the Court, Mr. Philippe Couvreur. The purpose of the meeting was to express the Security Council’s support for the work of the International Court of Justice and to receive updates on its cases and other developments. Chile, which co-chaired the meeting, appreciated the opportunity to have an active interaction between the members of the two major organs. The President of the International Court of Justice welcomed the visit and noted that the Court supported the work of the Security Council through international law, referring to the current and historical development of cases that have been under the Court’s consideration. He stressed that, in addition to traditional topics such as sovereignty and matters of border delimitation, the International Court of Justice had devoted itself to addressing emerging issues. The discussion included the issue of the recognition by Member States of the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court and the execution of its judgments, regarding which the Court’s interlocutors confirmed that most of the judgments had immediate effect. They also cited examples of recent successful executions. Some Council members were interested in the relationship between the Court and other international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Others referred to the International Court of Justice’s advisory functions. The members of the Security Council reiterated their support for the work of the International Court of Justice and noted the importance of continued cooperation by conducting similar exercises, the next meeting of which could be held in New York. The members of the Security Council the held a meeting with judges and representatives of the international criminal tribunals and courts at The Hague established under a Security Council mandate or with its support. The purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm the relationship of the Security Council with those tribunals and to receive first-hand, updated information on their activities. Chile, as co-Chair of that meeting, highlighted the work of the tribunals that had contributed to developing a specific area of international criminal law and the fight against impunity. The President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia said that the creation of special courts represented a commitment on the part of the Security Council with international justice. The President also referred to the Tribunal’s completion strategy for its cases. Meanwhile, the President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon noted that his work was related to strengthening the rule of law and the fight against terrorism from the perspective of international justice. With regard to the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, the interlocutors discussed current challenges. The issue of funding the courts was addressed, and views were exchanged with regard to the tribunals’ independence. The members of the Security Council and judges and representatives of the tribunals welcomed the prospect of continuing mutual cooperation. With regard to the meeting with the International Criminal Court, the members of the Security Council had an exchange of views with Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the International Criminal Court, Mr. James Stewart, Deputy Prosecutor of the Court, and Mr. Herman von Hebe1, Secretary of the Court, as well as with the Chief of Staff of the President and the Head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division. The purpose of the meeting was to reaffirm the relationship between the Security Council and the International Criminal Court, to receive an updated report on its work and to look into the interaction between the Security Council and the Court. President Song highlighted the contribution of the International Criminal Court to the fight against impunity and the prevention of mass atrocities. He said that the Security Council could use its unique prestige to support the Court and the international system of justice. The three interlocutors of the Court focused their observations on various suggestions for closer cooperation between the Security Council and the International Criminal Court. They stressed the importance of expanding communication between the two organs, in particular when the Security Council addresses situations in which the Court was conducting a preliminary examination. They also said it would be useful to involve the Court in the thematic debates of the Council, especially when it considered the issue of sexual violence in conflict orthat of children in armed conflict. Improving communication with regard to sanctions and situations in countries could lead to greater synergies than currently exist between the Security Council and the Court. The Court interlocutors stressed the need for effective support for the implementation of Council resolutions that refer situations to the International Criminal Court. It is clear that the Court depends upon the cooperation of Member States. The Court’s interlocutors expressed their satisfaction with the support to international justice and to the work of the Court, included in the mandates given by the Security Council to missions, such as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. Finally, they welcomed any Council initiative to support requests for cooperation with the Court. It was pointed out that the Court had sent various communications to the Council with regard to verifying Member States’ lack of cooperation, all relating to the situation in Darfur. The members of the Security Council had an exchange of views with the Deputy Director-General, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Director- General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Mr. Malik Azhar Ellahi, Political Adviser of the Director-General and head of the fact-finding mission in Syria on the alleged use toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine. The aim of the meeting was to thank the Security Council for the close cooperation between the United Nations and the OPCW. An example of such cooperation was the joint mission OPCW-United Nations established to implement resolution 2118 (2013) and so that the Council could receive updated information on the progress in eliminating the chemical weapons programme of the Syrian Arab Republic. The Deputy Director-General of the OPCW thanked the Council for its congratulations and gave an updated report on the removal and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria. In response to questions raised by members of the Council on the deadline for the destruction of the 12 facilities for the production of chemical weapons, the interlocutors from OPCW stated that the destruction would be completed by the first quarter of 2015, but it was still a complex operation. Much remained to be done, and the Director-General of the OPCW would continue to provide updated information on that work in his reports to the Security Council. The support of the United Nations continued to be important to manage security matters. The Deputy Director-General stressed that there were many lessons to be learned from the joint mission of the OPCW and the United Nations. The OPCW fact-finding mission in Syria on the alleged use toxic chemicals, reportedly chlorine, is continuing and a report was expected shortly, while the safety of mission staff remain the highest priority. The Deputy Director-General recalled the clear mandate given to the OPCW in Syria: to guarantee the full destruction of chemical weapons, nothing more, nothing less. In addition, when it came to Syria, the Organization was interested in achieving universal adherence to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction. Finally, the members of the Security Council warmly thanked the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its generous hospitality and for facilitating its first visit to The Hague. During the visit, the members of the Security Council discussed issues of common interest with the Dutch Government. They were received by the Secretary-General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Her Excellency Mrs. Renée Jones-Bos, and later by the Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Mark Rutte, who thanked the Security Council for its adoption of resolution 2166 (2014) following the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, in Ukraine. In memory of the victims of the shootdown of the Malaysia Airlines plane, and expressing their condolences to the families of the victims, members of the Security Council laid a wreath at the commemorative monument for Flight MH-17 at Schiphol Airport before leaving for Africa.

Thank you, Mr. President, for scheduling today’s meeting and for initiating this very worthy mission by the Security Council. On behalf of Ambassador Power, let me thank all Council members for contributing to a timely and constructive visit to South Sudan. Special thanks go out to Ambassador Gasana and the Rwandan delegation for their strong partnership as co-leaders of that portion of the trip. The Council is a long-time friend of South Sudan. It is therefore fitting and fair to characterize the visit as an emergency call, given that the deteriorating political, humanitarian and security crisis unfolding there. In less than 24 hours on the ground we were able to hear from many key stakeholders and to convey the Council’s concern over the direction events had taken. We held candid and tough exchanges with President Kiir and Riek Machar and their senior advisers, delivering a number of key messages, including that there was no military solution and that the fighting must stop; that it was time to resume the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led peace talks and to develop plans for a transitional Government of national unity; that there must be accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations; and that there must be respect for and cooperation with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), including by not interfering with humanitarian access. We also clearly signalled that the Council was prepared to impose consequences on spoilers of the peace process. At the conclusion of those discussions, there was a sense of hope, but not confidence, that those leaders would take positive action. In one of the most striking portions of the trip, the Council travelled 325 miles to the north to Malakal to see the plight of the internally displaced first- hand. Imagine 17,000 civilians, across all ethnicities and demographics, living in the most difficult of circumstances at an UNMISS protection of civilians camp. We were struck by their resilience as they engaged with the Council on politics, security and the leadership of women, all while making their case for peace. Similarly, we heard very clear messages from faith-based civil society and women’s leaders during a meeting in Juba. In that dialogue, leaders stressed the importance of holding inclusive political talks. As well, they called on their leaders to allow humanitarian access to fight acute malnutrition, to commit to full accountability and to stop the war now. Let me conclude on South Sudan by reporting that the new Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Ellen Margrethe Løj, joined the programme in her designated capacity before officially starting work on 1 September. We were able to offer our staunch support for her throughout the visit. We also were able to see new UNMISS Force Commander, Lieutenant General Johannes Tesfamarium, and our troop-contributing countries in action, as well as to be briefed by Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General Raisedon Zenenga and Toby Lanzer on UNMISS operations and the humanitarian situation. Our message to all of UNMISS was to thank them for their courageous work and to tell them that they had the Council’s full support. Before I conclude, let me mention that the Council also used its transit time in Nairobi to meet with Kenyan President Kenyatta and to hold a joint meeting of the Council and IGAD ministers and representatives to discuss South Sudan and Somalia. Both meetings provide valuable insights as we continue to work closely with the region to bring peace and security in both countries.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. The Somalia leg of the trip was co-led by the United Kingdom and Nigeria. The visit focused on progress towards elections in 2016, including the participation of women; the security situation, in particular the campaign against Al-Shabaab; and the humanitarian situation. It was the first Security Council visit to Somalia since 1994. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Abdiwali Sheikh Ahmed and Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari warmly welcomed the historic visit and hailed the United Nations as a key contributor to the protection of Somalia’s sovereignty. Council members welcomed the progress Somalia had made over the past two years. We underlined the importance of unity in the Federal Government of Somalia. We reiterated the importance of the Government of Somalia holding a referendum on the Constitution in 2015 and democratic elections in 2016. We look forward to the Government of Somalia adopting key legislation, including on establishing the electoral commission. We also underline the importance of women’s participation in the peace and reconciliation process. Turning to the military situation, Council members were united in their praise for the bravery and sacrifices that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army had made in the pursuit of peace in Somalia. We reiterated our determination to end the threat posed by Al-Shabaab to Somalia and the region. We underscored in particular the importance of stabilization and the provision of basic services in areas recovered from Al-Shabaab. AMISOM and the head of the Somali National Army briefed the Security Council on plans for the next phase of their operations against Al-Shabaab. The AMISOM Force Commander reminded Council members of the importance of sourcing attack helicopters for their operations against Al-Shabaab. The Government of Somalia updated the Security Council on the measures it had put in place to manage the flow of arms in a more effective manner. In response, the members of the Security Council underlined the importance of complying with the Security Council’s requirements in the management of arms and ammunition. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia briefed the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Somalia. Council members expressed concern that the United Nations consolidated humanitarian appeal for Somalia was significantly underfunded, and committed to urging Member States to make a contribution to the humanitarian fund. Security Council members left Somalia with the feeling of optimism. There are undoubtedly immense challenges that remain, in particular on security. But I think it is fair to say that, if the Government follows through on its commitments to govern in the interests of the people of Somalia and puts aside its differences, then the Somali people could have the increased peace and prosperity that they so richly deserve. Finally, in my capacity as President of the Council, I take this opportunity to thank the Secretariat and all the co-leaders for their support in organizing the trip. I know that it was a gruelling five days, but I think that many of the themes, including around conflict prevention and accountability, are vitally important for our work here in New York. Travelling to South Sudan and Somalia has given all of us added insight into two conflict areas that we are directly addressing in the Council. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of the item on its agenda.