S/PV.7294 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Argentina. I would like to begin by thanking all the Council members for supporting the initiative of the presidency to convene a wrap-up session. It is true that we hope to have wider participation by the membership, as my dear friend the Ambassador of the Russian Federation has said. However, it is also true that the Council, through its working methods, must provide for and generate greater interest, credibility and desire on the part of the broader membership to participate. When we were preparing to assume the presidency of the Council for the month of October, we decided not to overload the programme with activities beyond those provided by previous Council decisions or practice. Despite our self-restraint, we have had a very busy month, with 3 open debates, 12 public briefings, 1 private meeting and 15 informal consultations, as well as the adoption of 3 resolutions, the annual report of the Security Council to the General Assembly, 1 presidential statement and 14 press statements, 5 of which were issued in a single day. The three open debates  — on 21 October on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (see S/PV.7281), on 23 October on the working methods of the Security Council (see S/PV.7285), and on 28 October on women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289)  — although diverse, had at least two things in common. The first is the large number of non-members of the Council that participated in each of the three debates and the high level of interest that was generated, which demonstrates how important the international community considers those issues to be. The second is the consensus that emerged  — among the members of the international community, if not necessarily among the members of the Council — with regard to five matters. The first is that the Security Council should play an active and positive role in resolving the Palestinian question by supporting concrete initiatives aimed at making a two-State solution a reality, since that solution is the only one with the potential to put a definitive end to a conflict that has lasted too long and cost too many lives. The second is that the International Criminal Court makes a positive contribution to achieving our common goal of ending impunity for serious crimes under international law, and that the Security Council should be responsible for following up referrals made to the Court. The third is that the guarantees of due process are not only a human right of the individuals targeted by Security Council sanctions lists; they also contribute to the effectiveness of sanctions regimes, making them less vulnerable to challenges by domestic or international courts. The fourth is that, while improving the Council’s transparency and capacity for dialogue, and ensuring that it operates more efficiently, are important, it is vital that we acknowledge the international community’s expectations that we will continue to work for more democratized decision-making processes and more substantive and transparent interaction with the membership as a whole. And the fifth is that it is important to pay attention to the specific and multidimensional needs and abilities of women and girls who are refugees or internally displaced, by strengthening the gender perspective and focusing on women’s human rights when designing, implementing and monitoring policies for refugee and displaced women and girls, and implementing and translating the commitments made in resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions into concrete results. This should also include integrating gender into the post-2015 development goals and the reviews of the sanctions system, our peacekeeping operations and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, to be held next year. Many other situations occupied our attention during October: Syria in its three aspects — chemical weapons, the humanitarian situation and the political process, Mali, Somalia, Yemen, Lebanon, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, South Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Western Sahara and, once again, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We received two reports on sanctions concerning Somalia and Eritrea, and Côte d’Ivoire. We also held meetings with Force Commanders of the Organization’s peacekeeping operations, on Ebola and with the President of the International Court of Justice. The Council also renewed the mandates of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, the African Union Mission in Somalia — which included the renewal of the Monitoring Group’s mandate and the partial lifting of the arms embargo — and of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the only United Nations peacekeeping operation in Latin America and the Caribbean, in a country whose stabilization is a top priority for Argentina. Given the impossibility of discussing all of those issues, I would like to say something about the Security Council’s working methods. During October, the Council adopted resolution 2180 (2014), on Haiti, with four explanations of vote, and another, resolution 2182 (2014), on Somalia, with two abstentions and six explanations of vote, and on both occasions it failed to take the views and concerns of the countries of the respective regions into account. I believe that those are not good precedents, and that they certainly do not reflect the Council’s commitment to respecting regional leadership, as expressed in numerous resolutions and presidential statements on cooperation with regional and subregional organizations. Finally, concerning the situation created by the recent outbreak of Ebola  — which if left unchecked could jeopardize the hard-won progress that has been made in building peace in West Africa  — I think it is important that all of us, especially the members of the Council, learn to work collaboratively to find a comprehensive solution to the problem in coordination with the other bodies of the United Nations. That also means that the Council should not infringe on the purviews of other entities in the system that have the primary responsibility, and also possess the right tools, for dealing effectively with a crisis that is essentially a health and social issue. It does not mean that the Council should relinquish its own responsibilities regarding the potential impact that this tragic epidemic could have on security conditions in the affected region. We know that innovation is not always an advantage. However, we believe we missed a valuable opportunity when we were unable to organize a joint meeting between the General Assembly and the Security Council on the issue. Since this is the last meeting for the Argentinian presidency of the Council, I would like to heartily thank all my colleagues for their guidance and support, without which the work of the presidency would not have been possible. I would also like to wish Australia every success in its leadership, for which it can count on Argentina’s full support. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

I would like to thank you, Madam President, for being the seventh President to organize a wrap-up session this year, and the third to do it in a public meeting. As Rwanda has always said, these meetings provide a unique and regular opportunity for the Security Council to assess its work and examine its progress and effectiveness critically, and the format of a public briefing enhances our transparency vis-à-vis the United Nations membership and the larger public. Rwanda also appreciates the way you, Madam President, presided over the Council during Argentina’s second and last presidency in its current term. We particularly appreciate the fact that during the month of October you continued the so-called “Power formula”, introduced by the Permanent Representative of the United States in September, which is aimed at encouraging more interaction between Council members and briefers during closed consultations. We also offer our appreciation to your Deputy Permanent Representative and political coordinator, the engineer who made Argentina’s well-oiled machinery function this month. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Gary Quinlan of Australia on his assumption of his last presidency of the Council for the busy month of November. I have no doubt that in November the interactive formula initiated in September will be continued, since Ambassador Quinlan has in any case never been a man for following written scripts. As Argentina and Australia and the other outgoing delegations, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda, move slowly towards the end of their terms  — which I believe have been successful — we would like to reiterate our congratulations to our successors, Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela, on their election earlier this month, and to wish them success in their two years to come. Besides being an election month, October also saw the adoption of the annual report of the Security Council (A/69/2), for which Rwanda, as Council President for the month of July, was in charge of the drafting process. We would again like to thank our fellow Council members, as well as the Secretariat, for their invaluable contributions and support. As we stated when introducing the report last week (see S/PV.7283), Rwanda believes that a more analytical report, with an assessment of the Council’s effectiveness during the reporting period followed by a debate on the occasion of its adoption, would benefit the work of the Council in the future. It is in that context that Rwanda appreciated the discussion conducted last Thursday by Member States during the open debate on working methods (see S/PV.7285). We all agree that, pending the comprehensive reform of the Security Council, there is a need to continue improving the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of this organ of the United Nations entrusted with the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. As we stated in the open debate, we believe that improving our working methods will require extending the mandate of the Ombudsperson of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011), concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, to cover all Sanctions Committees, as well as enhancing dialogue and interaction between Council members and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in order to regularly consider all our standing issues related to ICC referrals and deferrals, in accordance with the Rome Statute. The Council should also strengthen its relations with the International Court of Justice. The private meeting we held yesterday (see S/PV.7290) with its President gave us an opportunity to appreciate the important role played by the Court in the pacific settlement of disputes between States. The annual briefing held this month with the Force Commanders of United Nations peacekeeping missions (see S/PV.7275) was critical for the Council to better understand the challenges that they face on the ground. We appreciate in particular the fact that the upcoming Australian presidency will organize in November a similar meeting with the heads of United Nations police components. During the meeting with Force Commanders, we were briefed on the delicate situations in various missions, such as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, which is no longer operating in a peacekeeping environment, as it is facing terrorist organizations against which it was not mandated, equipped or trained to fight. The situation of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is quite different. MONUSCO, which is one of the largest peacekeeping missions, was reinforced last year with the Force Intervention Brigade, mandated to neutralize armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda. Unfortunately, though, despite a clear mandate and a significant budget, MONUSCO has yet, some 15 years after its inception, to live up to the Council’s expectations or those of the Congolese. In that regard, while the Security Council should, when adopting resolutions, ensure that the peacekeeping mandates provided reflect the security context on the ground, it is also critical that it should ensure that the activities of missions are results-oriented, so that they can be held accountable. The situation in the Middle East was prominent on the programme of work of October, as it was in the preceding month. With the gridlocked Middle East peace process, the ongoing fighting in Syria, the rise of a barbaric terrorist organization named “the Islamic State”, or “Daesh”, and the increasing security chaos in Yemen, the Security Council seems unequipped or unable to have a significant impact on the situation in the region. Nonetheless, it is all too convenient to put the blame on the Council. This organ of the United Nations is not a separate or independent entity; it was created by us, the States Members of the United Nations; it is us. Therefore, as long as members of the Council, in particular the permanent members, together with other world and regional Powers fail to use their influence in New York and in the field to support the efforts of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security  — and we all know that they can — the Council will always be used as a scapegoat for international inaction. In conclusion, Madam President, as your country has successfully completed 22 months of membership, as well as two presidencies of the Council, I wish, without awaiting 31 December, to congratulate Argentina for its successful term on the Security Council. I wish to pay tribute in particular to you, Madam President, for your unique style and talents, for your commitment to the improvement of the working methods of the Council and to the promotion and protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations, and for your steadfast attachment to justice and accountability.

We wish to thank you, Madam President, for having convened today’s meeting. We appreciate in particular Argentina’s success in presiding over the Council during the month of October. We welcome the five countries recently elected to serve on the Council for the 2015-2016 term, namely, Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela. China is ready to cooperate closely with the new members in jointly contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security. I wish to focus on three of the issues that the Council took up during the month of October, beginning with the situation in the Middle East. The Palestinian question was the focus of the Security Council’s work in October. The Council held several public debates and emergency meetings on this issue. China attaches great importance to the Middle East peace process and is deeply concerned about the tension caused by the Palestinian-Israeli situation. China urges Israel to immediately cease its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, so as to create conditions conducive to confidence-building and the resumption of negotiations. We earnestly hope that the Palestinian and Israeli sides will show restraint and avoid any further escalation of the tensions or a relapse into outright conflict. Dialogue and negotiations are the only path to peace. Both sides must demonstrate political will and resume negotiations as soon as possible. The international community should consider carefully how to create synergies, mobilize resources and promote the speedy resumption of peace talks with a view to making progress on the Palestinian question and resolving the matter promptly and in a just and reasonable way. The Council’s inaction on this question should not be allowed to continue. We welcome the draft resolution circulated by Jordan on this subject. China supports the Council in discharging its due responsibilities and playing its rightful role by responding to the legitimate demands of Palestine and other Arab States as soon as possible. Second is the situation in Somalia. In October, the Security Council considered the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the humanitarian situation and piracy. It also adopted resolution 2182 (2014), extending the AMISOM mandate. China hopes that that resolution will be implemented fully and faithfully so as to help the African Union and the Federal Government of Somalia in the fight against Al-Shabaab and maintain peace and stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. China officially reopened its embassy on 12 October, which was a significant step taken by the Chinese Government in support of peace and reconstruction in Somalia. China will take this opportunity to pursue comprehensive and practical cooperation in various areas with the Somali Government and assist the country in achieving peace, stability and development. Third is the situation in South Sudan. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the international community recently stepped up their mediation efforts and good offices regarding the conflict in South Sudan. China has urged the two sides to the conflict to cooperate with IGAD in mediation efforts to bring an end to the violence and hostilities and to make progress in the inclusive dialogue, with a view to achieving a solution acceptable to all sides and giving hope to the Sudanese people. We support IGAD in continuing to play a leading role in mediation. We also welcome the fact that the countries of the region, such as Ethiopia, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, are playing a positive role and working in harmony with IGAD. The international community should, as soon as possible, implement its commitments and scale up its humanitarian assistance in South Sudan. China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the speedy restoration of peace and stability in South Sudan. In conclusion, I express in advance my best wishes to Australia for a smooth presidency of the Council during the month of November.

At the outset, I congratulate you and your entire team, Madam President, for the way in which you have led the work of the Security Council during the month of October. We appreciate the fact that you have kept the briefing format for the wrap-up session, a working mechanism that strengthens the transparency of this body. We would like to highlight two elements that we consider positive: the holding of the open debate on women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289) and the debate on working methods (see S/PV.7285). We appreciate the approach on the theme of women and peace and security, focusing on internally displaced women and women refugees, as an important step forward on this agenda and that of the protection of civilians. We believe that focusing on subjects from new perspectives that correspond to the challenges faced by the international system is a way of making the Council’s work more effective, as was demonstrated in the high number of States that participated in the meetings. We believe that the statements made in that debate will be used to guide the independent global study commissioned by the Secretary-General, pursuant to resolution 2122 (2013), particularly with respect to identifying the emerging issues linked to that agenda, such as the challenges raised by non-State actors, including terrorist groups. We also welcome the approach followed in the open debate on working methods that allowed us discuss the possible expansion of the mandate of the Office of Ombudsperson to other Sanctions Committees as a way to strengthen due process in proceedings. Similarly, we note the initiative to develop a follow-up mechanism for referrals to the International Criminal Court. With respect to the situation in Somalia, we are interesting in seeing how that can be addresed in the agenda from different points of view, which would allow the Council to act effectively. In that regard, we think it crucial that the humanitarian perspective not be set aside, not only in this case but also in all the situations on the Council’s agenda, in particular those that are not high profile, such as the case of Somalia. In that respect, we believe that this organ has a responsibility to contribute to finding solutions involving humanitarian crises. Likewise, we view favourably the measures adopted to strengthen and control the charcoal and arms embargoes established by the Council. We understand that such measures neither affect the rights and obligations established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, nor constitute a precedent, since they are based on a request made by the Federal Government of Somalia itself. We cannot conclude without referring to the adoption of resolution 2180 (2014) on the situation in Haiti, which my country supported despite the apprehensions that we share with other troop- contributing countries of the region. We maintain that position in the constructive spirit with which we have approached our membership on the Security Council, and as an expression of our ongoing commitment to the democratic process, the rule of law, the promotion of human rights, and the socioeconomic development of Haiti, where the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti has played and continues to play an important role. As we pointed out when the resolution’ was adopted, it is crucial to take the opinions of troop- contributing countries into account when we engage in reconfiguration processes. We believe that helps to make the Council’s decision-making more effective and more inclusive. Lastly, we wish Australia a successful presidency, and assure it of our support.

First, let me thank you, Madam President, for the able manner in which you have conducted the affairs of the Council this month. This wrap-up session provides us with an opportunity to assess the work of the Council during Argentina’s presidency. We are pleased to note that several country-specific briefings were held in the Council Chamber, thereby affording concerned delegations the opportunity to participate and speak under rule 37. Briefings by the Chairs of the Sanctions Committee were also held in public, providing interested delegations a chance to gain first-hand experience or knowledge of the issues under discussion. We see that as going a long way towards increasing transparency in the work of the Council, and allowing for greater engagement, not just with the wider membership but indeed with civil society, non-governmental organizations and private individuals as well. The briefing by the United Nations Force Commanders afforded Council members and the wider United Nations membership an opportunity to hear directly from the individuals responsible for carrying out the peacekeeping mandates authorized by the Council. The Force Commanders briefed us on three very important topics: the protection of civilians, the expectations for military contingents under a changed security environment, and the accomplishment of traditional mandates under that changed environment. The interactive nature of the meetings proved very useful, as Council members had the opportunity to ask questions and receive clarifications on operational and related peacekeeping issues. The adoption of the Council’s annual report covering the period 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2014 (A/69/2) was another significant development during the month. We commend the delegation of Rwanda for the tremendous effort that it put into preparing the report. We look forward to its presentation to the General Assembly on 19 November, and we will be interested in hearing the views of the wider membership on it. Strengthening the rule of law is a necessary corollary to the maintenance of international peace and security. Dialogue with international judicial institutions, particularly the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, afforded Council members the opportunity not only to discuss the administration of justice, but also to appreciate the various roles such judicial institutions play in complementing the work of the Council. On country-specific issues, we welcome the conclusion of the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations on the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons. It proves that, when united, the Council can achieve positive results. Still on Syria, we welcome the first briefing by Special Envoy Staffan De Mistura. It helped to bring the attention of the Council back to the political situation in Syria. We restate our conviction that the conflict in Syria and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered can be resolved only through negotiations leading to a political solution. With regard to Lebanon, we note that 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1559 (2004), the disarmament of all militias is yet to be achieved. The situation poses a threat to the peace, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon. It is critically important that all militias disarm, in line with the provisions of resolution 1559 (2004) and their obligations under the Taif Agreement. This being the last scheduled meeting under the presidency of Argentina, I would like — on behalf of the Nigerian delegation, particularly on behalf of my Ambassador and Permanent Representative Mrs. Joy Ogwu,  — to congratulate you personally, Madam President, and your very able team, led by its political coordinator Mario Oyarzábal, for the courageous and diligent manner you have managed your tenure this month. It has indeed been a very busy but productive month for you and for all of us. We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes to Australia, a Commonwealth country with which we share many things in common, and to give our support to its delegation when it prepares to assume the presidency of the Council in November.

At the outset, Madam President, allow me to congratulate you on your leadership in leading the work of the Council this month, and your entire team for its work. We welcome the initiative of the United States for having introduced a new way of conducting Security Council consultations, which you also decided to use, while providing several improvements. The method makes our meetings more flexible. We note with satisfaction that the debates organized on the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan (see S/PV.7276) allowed Council members to better understand the status of Abyei, with all the parametres and challenges represented by the elections to be organized by Khartoum in 2015. It was under your presidency, Madam President, that the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei to 28 February 2015. The related resolution 2179 (2014), presented by the United States, was adopted by the Security Council and welcomed by the Permanent Representatives of the Sudan and South Sudan. Regarding the Ebola crisis, we also acknowledge that your leadership has led to the issue’s having been considered twice by the Council and to important measures have been taken. The open debate on Ebola held on 14 October (see S/PV.7279), followed by consultations, allowed the Council and the entire international community to acknowledge that Ebola constitutes a genuine threat to peace and security, not only in the three most impacted countries but also for all humankind. We would wish to see the momentum of solidarity launched at that collective awareness- raising event to be maintained and strengthened so as to eradicate the epidemic at its source and to ensure that it does not spread to the rest of the world. In other words, the three most impacted countries should receive multifaceted assistance that will allow them to build upon their achievements in peacebuilding and economic development. The meeting with the Force Commanders of United Nations peacekeeping missions (see S/PV.7275) highlighted the tenuous nature of the conditions in which Blue Helmets carry out their missions. They increasingly face complex, hostile and unpredictable situations, and they are regularly targeted by non-State actors in the Golan, Syria, northern Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. Mandates must therefore be adjusted to take that new element into account. Regarding the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, we welcome the meetings convened by the Argentine presidency, which allowed Council members to clarify their stances on various matters. Nevertheless, a lack of consensus within the Council has meant that the Syrian and Palestinian questions have yet to find medium- or long-term solutions. Somalia has also been the subject of particular attention this month. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Special Representative of the African Union for Somalia and the Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia each described a hopeful outlook for that devastated country. The military success of Operation Indian Ocean and the political efforts under way in Somalia should lead to the holding of credible elections in 2016. My delegation believes that the Security Council should consider the effective implementation of resolution 2182 (2014), which, inter alia, prohibits the export of charcoal. On 23 October, the Security Council debated its methods of work (see S/PV.7285) so as to improve the effectiveness of its activities. This shed new light on the need to enhance the transparency and regularity of the sanctions regime. The participation in that meeting by many Member States demonstrates the interest attached to the matter by the broader United Nations membership. I cannot conclude without referring to the meeting held on 28 October on the theme “Women and peace and security — Displaced women and girls: leaders and survivors” (see S/PV.7289), which led to the adoption of presidential statement S/PRST/2014/21. We welcome the fact that all speakers recognized the central role that women can play in peace and security processes throughout the world and the need to protect women and to ensure their full and equal participation in all efforts in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in post-conflict peacebuilding. In conclusion, I wish to congratulate you, Madam President, and the entire Argentine team for the significant work accomplished, the relevance of the topics chosen and the tireless efforts made throughout your term. I take this opportunity to congratulate Australia on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of November; I assure its delegation of the full support of my own and wish it every success.

The activities of the Security Council in October have been marked by high intensity and productivity, to a great extent thanks to the initiatives and effective work of the Argentine presidency. I congratulate Ambassador Perceval and the entire delegation of Argentina on their success. The Security Council continued to closely follow the developments in the Middle East and North Africa. The situation there continues to be marked by high volatility, and its stabilization will be impossible without achieving a political and diplomatic settlement of the regional crises. That applies to new crises as well as to those that have dragged on for decades. Their sustainable solution will be possible only through inclusive dialogue, without intervention or the imposition of ready-made solutions from the outside. Unfortunately, there is no reason for optimism in the Middle East peace process. The situation in Yemen remains volatile. Iraq and Libya have reached a boiling point. As a result of blatant outside interference in Syria and irresponsible pandering to the armed opposition, a new regional threat has arisen in the form of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, which has even more global ambitions. The zone of risk now includes United Nations peacekeepers serving the region for decades. All of this demonstrates the danger not only to Syria but to the entire Middle East of pursuing the reckless destruction of the foundations of society and governance. We are encouraged by the first briefing of the Security Council by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, and by his assessments of the situation. We shall provide firm support to his efforts to move forward a political settlement to the Syrian crisis. Africa remained in our focus this month. On 24 October (see S/PV.7286), the Security Council adopted the comprehensive resolution 2182 (2014) on the situation in Somalia and Eritrea. In spite of its significant shortcomings, which made it hard for us to support it, we hope that the resolution will help facilitate peace in the Horn of Africa. The meeting on the situation in Ukraine (see S/PV.7287) underscored that it is only through inclusive, nationwide dialogue based on the Minsk protocol, the Minsk memorandum and the Geneva document of 17 April that the fractured Ukrainian society will overcome the far-reaching internal crisis and return to sustainable harmonious development in the interests of all political, regional and ethnic groups. Today, Ukraine is navigating a most crucial period that will require careful and balanced action and the Ukrainian sides to continue the political dialogue. In that regard, we call on all internal and outside actors to refrain from ill-considered, much less provocative declarations or activities. We note the meeting on the working methods of the Security Council (see S/PV.7285), which is traditionally a matter of great interest to the broader United Nations membership. It makes perfect sense that it was convened by the Argentine presidency, as Argentina heads the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. Indeed, in the past month the Working Group continued its active work. For our part, we actively participate in those endeavours, consistently call for increased transparency in the Council’s working methods, and encourage the implementation of useful initiatives. Due in large part to the unwavering efforts of the Argentine chairmanship in overcoming attempts at obstruction made by other Council members, the Working Group agreed upon an item initiated two years earlier, namely, a note by the President concerning statements made in the Council. It is our hope that the activities of the Working Group to strengthen transparency and democracy in the Council will continue. Some relevant initiatives remain on the table, including on the topic of conducting Arria Formula meetings and procedures for preparing the Council’s annual report to the General Assembly. In conclusion, I wish every success to the Australian delegation in harmoniously guiding the Council in the month of November.

Allow me at the outset to extend to you, Madam President, and to your team my delegation’s gratitude and appreciation for your excellent conduct of the work of the Council this month, which has seen important international developments with respect to various items on the Council’s agenda. In addressing these wrap-up sessions, it has been customary for my delegation to avoid extensive consideration of the substantive issues before the Council and to limit our intervention to the Council’s working methods. In that regard, we wish to commend the manner in which the Council’s work was conducted this month, particularly in consultations. That format has been effective and fruitful, despite the fact that at times it has resulted in the extension of meetings beyond the regular time frame. Despite my statement concerning my delegation’s avoidance of current substantive matters before the Council, the events taking place in East Jerusalem and the escalation of actions on the part of Israel compels me to reiterate that the Council must bear its responsibility concerning those events with a view to putting an end to the escalation in the Palestinian territories, particularly in view of Israel’s actions in Al-Haram Al-Sharif. We thank the Council for its positive response to our call to hold an emergency meeting yesterday on the issue (see S/PV.7291). In conclusion, I would like to congratulate the Australian delegation on its assumption of the presidency next month and to wish it every success in conducting the Council’s work.

Let me first of all congratulate you, Madam President, and your entire team on the manner in which you have conducted our work in a month that has proved especially rich in activity. I also wish to thank you for convening this wrap-up meeting on our work for the month; the added value of such meetings can no longer be denied and fulfils the goal of transparency which we support. I wish to begin my remarks by noting the new challenges in peacekeeping. United Nations peacekeeping operations are more often intervening in complex situations in which there is little or no peace to maintain and an increased risk of asymmetric attacks directly targeting our peacekeepers. Multidimensional responses are necessary given the new context. We were able to discuss this on 9 October in the annual open debate with the military commanders of the peacekeeping operations (see S/PV.7275). The Force Commanders of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force provided the Council with their point of view from the field regarding the impact of these new challenges on fulfilling the mission mandates, whether due to more complex situations involving the protection of civilians or to deteriorating security or operational conditions. We were able to address some of those issues in greater detail during the course of the month in our discussions on the situations in the Golan Heights, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. These issues will be all the more critical when the Council discusses mandate renewals. That will be the case next month regarding the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. It goes without saying that discussions with the troop-contributing countries before the renewal of a mandate will be essential in considering their concerns and opinions. Moreover, next month we will have to identify solutions to assist MINUSMA in more effectively tackling its challenges in northern Mali. Similar issues may arise in the scaling- up of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, which is already facing a particularly complex situation. Above all, we welcome the Secretary-General’s announcement of his intention to establish a high-level task force to carry out a global study on peacekeeping, aimed at improved strategies in that area. Useful synergies could be developed in view of the review of the peacebuilding architecture planned for 2015. I also wish to briefly reiterate another topic of great importance — the fight against impunity and to promote justice. We believe that this is a fundamental aspect of the Council’s effort in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as in conflict prevention. In last Thursday’s open debate on working methods (see S/PV.7285), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and Ms. Kimberley Prost, Ombudsperson of the Al-Qaida sanctions regime, once again stressed the importance of justice and due process in the Council’s actions and the supporting role that the Court and the Ombudsperson can play. The annual private meeting of the Security Council with the President of the International Court of Justice (see S/PV.7290) also helped to highlight the complementary efforts of both institutions. This month we also spoke about several crises where the fight against impunity must be an integral if not a critical part of the quest for a lasting solution. That is the case of South Sudan or even in Syria. It will be crucial to establish at the right time who is responsible for the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in order to achieve reconciliation and a lasting peace. The poignant accounts heard during the public debate on the situation of women and girls displaced by conflict (see S/PV.7289) strengthens our conviction that the fight against impunity for perpetrators of crime, namely, sexual crimes, must be an integral part of any holistic strategy to support women and girls affected by conflict. Before concluding, I would like once again to mention a few other important topics that were on our agenda for October. First of all, with regard to Syria, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, reported this morning on the steps that have been taken towards finding a political solution to the crisis. We must support those efforts, given, above all, the suffering of the Syrian population and the refugees, but also given the growing impact of the conflict on stability for the region as a whole. At the same time, we must continue to stress the scrupulous implementation of resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014) to provide humanitarian assistance and relieve the population’s suffering. We must also remain vigilant when it comes to the complete dismantling of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. The Security Council cannot allow violations of resolution 2118 (2013) to be overlooked. As to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the open debate this month (see S/PV.7281) and the emergency meeting held yesterday (see S/PV.7291) have underscored the urgency of overcoming the deadlock. Greater tension in East Jerusalem is of the greatest concern to us. We hope that Israel will refrain from any additional step that would further reduce the chances of reaching a two- State solution. We call upon both parties to take the necessary measures to make progress towards peace. Other questions that were dealt with should be raised here, in particular the situation in Ukraine, the fight against the Ebola epidemic or even the hostilities that continue to ravage South Sudan and the Central African Republic. They will continue to motivate us in the weeks and months to come. The responsibility to steer our work will now fall upon Australia. I would like to wish every success to my colleague, Mr. Gary Quinlan, and to his team. They can count on our full support.

I thank the representative of Luxembourg for the great similarities that we share and for the lucidity and serenity she brings to the Council.

I thank the President for her strong leadership of the Council this month. You, Madam President, and your team  — Mario in particular  — have been excellent, and the United States thanks you for having guided us capably and for keeping us on track through a very busy month of October. Today I would like to share my delegation’s views on some of the areas where the Security Council has been productive this month and also look ahead to a few areas that will require our continued attention in November and beyond. But first, I would like to congratulate the Security Council class of 2015-2016 on their recent elections. We very much look forward to working with them. To begin our look back at the month, we must examine the Council’s response to the Ebola virus crisis in West Africa. The Council has recognized both this month, during the briefing (see S/PV.7279) from the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, Mr. Banbury, and at last month’s emergency session (see S/PV.7268), that the unprecedented extent of the Ebola outbreak has moved beyond a serious public health crisis. This highly complex emergency constitutes a real threat to international peace and security, and it requires all parts of the United Nations system to work together to beat back the epidemic. We have so much more work to do on that front. Secondly, the Council continued to follow the crisis in Ukraine. The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis and to the restoration of Ukraine’s full sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We welcome the Ukrainian Government’s active commitment to the Minsk agreements. The Government of President Poroshenko has taken steps to fulfil the Minsk commitments, yet the separatists have responded to those positive steps with a unilateral declaration to hold their own local so-called elections in November. That is unconstitutional and completely inconsistent with Minsk. On sanctions, we welcomed last week’s discussion on how better to impose and implement those measures (see S/PV.7285). Because United Nations sanctions are targeted at those most responsible for diverse threats, such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the use and recruitment of children in armed conflict and trafficking in conflict minerals, they minimize unintended humanitarian consequences. The United States welcomes the recent major improvements in the way that the Council imposes targeted sanctions, including enhancements to the fairness and clarity of listing procedures. The Council should also recognize the essential role that national procedures play in ensuring due process for listed individuals. We discussed more than once in this Chamber the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States remains fully committed to achieving a negotiated final status agreement allowing two States to live side by side in peace and security. That is the only viable way forward. If the parties choose to go down that path, we stand ready to support them every step of the way. Our meeting on women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289) underscored the importance of the subject. We especially welcomed hearing the inspiring words from Suaad Allami about her work to advance education and the rights of women in conflict settings. Speaking of conflicts, this morning we heard from Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Staffan de Mistura about the humanitarian and political crisis that continues to plague Syria. Those are areas where the Council must maintain strong focus. That leads me to several issues we are going to need to continue to concentrate on, particularly in Africa. As I mentioned, Ebola must be foremost in our minds. Ambassador Power, as you know, Madam President, was in the region this week to demonstrate United States support for the three countries most affected by the Ebola crisis and their efforts to combat this deadly disease and to drive increased support for the international response. The upcoming meeting on the United Nations Mission in Liberia will be a valuable opportunity to take stock of our response thus far. The Council adopted a strong resolution on Somalia last week that included an interdiction for suspected violators of the charcoal ban (resolution 2182 (2014)). Despite substantial progress, Somalia risks backsliding from recent gains as hunger and humanitarian concerns persist. More than 3 million people are now affected by drought and insecurity and, as was emphasized, supply routes are a key constraint to humanitarian access. In the Central African Republic, we must be vigilant in the face of attacks on peacekeepers working in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and focus on bringing an end to the violence there. In Mali, we have lost far too many peacekeepers to violent attacks from armed groups and we need to ensure that our peacekeepers have the equipment and capabilities necessary to carry out their mandate. Outside of Africa, the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues to be felt across the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. Foreign fighters and Syrian nationals who have been recruited and trained to fight in ISIL and other terrorist groups pose a threat to countries far from the battlefield. Australia’s planned ministerial meeting on counter- terrorism will provide a much-needed opportunity to continue our discussion on the practical steps to implement the most recent major counter-terrorism resolutions — resolution 2170 (2014), on the threat from ISIL and related groups, and resolution 2178 (2014), on foreign terrorist fighters. We look forward to working with the Council on those and other issues during Australia’s presidency. We extend our congratulations and good wishes to Ambassador Quinlan as he takes up those responsibilities.

I thank the representative of the United States for the fact that we were able to agree and express our feelings freely and authentically, with affection and respect. Please convey my regards to Ambassador Power.

I think it is worth reminding ourselves regularly that the Security Council’s primary responsibility is to act on behalf of the Members of the United Nations — all Members — to maintain international peace and security. In meeting that responsibility, the Council cannot and should not work in isolation. As this month’s programme has demonstrated, the Council’s effectiveness in discharging its responsibilities depends on a network of partnerships with other bodies and actors. We are grateful to the Argentine presidency for convening this session today and providing an opportunity to reflect on the performance of the Council in working with its partners over the past month. As highlighted by the Secretary-General’s considerable efforts in the past month to exercise his good offices in the interest of international peace and security, perhaps the most crucial partnership for the Council is with the Secretary-General. He has engaged extensively with parties to conflicts, including through visits in the past month to Libya, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and issued numerous statements encouraging those actors to choose the path of peace and de-escalation. Those actions improved the Council’s own efforts. Briefings by the Secretary-General, as at the Middle East open debate held on 21 October (see S/PV.7281), are always of benefit. The Council’s partnerships with the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General are also crucial. The Council relies heavily on the Special Representatives to implement the mandates that we establish and to report regularly on progress. Reports this month from Special Representatives and Special Advisers responsible for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen were central in shaping our thinking here in the Council and, importantly of course, our decision-making. Greater interactivity in consultations ensured that we derived the most from those meetings. We should continue that interactive practice. Likewise, greater interaction with the Department of Political Affairs is increasingly of serious value to the Council and is being seen as such. The trust central to the Council’s partnerships with a wide range of United Nations agencies was also evident in October. Briefings by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Somalia and Syria enhanced our understanding of those serious crises and will help guide our decisions. Strong presentations by UN-Women Executive Director Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka (see S/PV.7289) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Bangura, (see S/PV.7282) also added value to our deliberations. The peacekeeping partnership between the Security Council, troop contributors and the Secretariat is also fundamental to the Council’s work. In circumstances where United Nations peacekeeping is under unprecedented historic strain, the Council must be particularly attuned and responsive to the challenges faced by each peacekeeping operation. The annual briefing by the heads of military components held this month (see S/PV.7275) was a very effective demonstration of the peacekeeping partnership. The Council can learn a great deal from regular briefings by Force Commanders. We hope to have a similar briefing by the heads of police components in peacekeeping operations in November. The Council’s partnership with the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and its country-specific configurations is also important. The role of the PBC in assisting States emerging from conflict in order to prevent relapse is central to the Council’s conflict prevention role. We welcome the fact that briefings by PBC country-specific configuration chairs are becoming standard Council practice. Effective cooperation between the Council and regional organizations is an imperative. The joint communiqué between members of the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council (S/2014/400, annex), which we adopted in June 2014, stressed the fundamental importance of a close organic partnership between the two institutions. That was again highlighted in our work during October. In discussions on Somalia, Council members recognized the achievements of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The recent security gains demonstrated that the Council’s decision to increase AMISOM’s troop ceiling a year ago was the right one. At the subregional level, the mediation role of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development on South Sudan and the efforts by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to bring stability to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region are crucial. Despite all of this, however, we need to do more to ensure an optimal level of cooperation with the African Union. The importance of the Council’s partnership with key international judicial institutions was also on display, with a useful briefing yesterday (see S/PV.7290) by the President of the International Court of Justice on the Court’s dispute resolution work. That should make us reflect on how the Council might engage with the Court’s dispute resolution functions. Discussion during the working methods debate this month (see S/PV.7285), a significant agenda item under Argentina’s leadership, has highlighted once again how necessary it is to strengthen the current relationship between the Council and the International Criminal Court. The Council must work harder at that. Civil society is another essential partner for the Council. Humanitarian organizations look to the Council to support their work and to demand access and protection on their behalf. Human rights organizations provide crucial information that requires attention. Reports by groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria have been not just extremely valuable, but at times instrumental, sometimes bringing information to the attention of the Council and at other times sharpening our appreciation of what is happening on the ground. Analytical work by groups such as the International Crisis Group also assists. Argentina’s initiative in inviting Ms. Suaad Allami, founder and director of the Sadr City Women’s Centre and Legal Clinic, to brief the Council on women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289) was a very good example of bringing civil society voices into the Council. We need more of that. In conclusion, I want to refer to one other important, and indeed critical, partnership: the partnership between the presidency and all other Council members. I congratulate you, Madam President, for the serious and empathetic manner in which you, Mario and all your team have managed that partnership so successfully in October. We hope to follow your example in November. I thank those members who have spoken today with very hopeful references to our own presidency. Fortunately, that is still 31 hours and 40 minutes away, so I want to reaffirm my delegation’s continuing strong support to Argentina’s presidency.

I thank the representative of Australia for his invaluable contribution aimed at ensuring the Council’s debates are serious and profound, even on the most thorny and controversial issues.

I wish to congratulate you, Madam President, and the entire Argentine delegation, in particular Mario, for the brilliant stewardship of the Council, and your leadership and successful presidency during the month of October. We appreciate in particular your dedication to conducting interactive consultations, to reading out the Council’s press statements at stakeouts and to blitzing tweets before and after Council meetings. We thank Argentina for holding two important open debates, on the Council’s working methods (see S/PV.7285) and women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289), and the briefing by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations Force Commanders (see S/PV.7275). The Council will need to follow up on many ideas that were raised at those meetings. This month the Council dealt on an emergency basis with the evolving grave crisis in Yemen, the Ebola pandemic in West Africa, persistent ceasefire violations by illegal armed groups in the east of Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, including settlements in East Jerusalem. In fact, much of the work of the Council on crisis situations has been a matter of public record. This is fifteenth public meeting this month. I will therefore focus my remarks on a few working methods and important issues that the Council will have to address in the month of November. The Security Council of 2014 has been setting records for meetings in public. The past few wrap-up sessions, mainstays of privacy not long ago, have been held in the format of a briefing. That is welcome. We note the welcome practice of more and more chairs of Sanctions Cbriefing in public. It has not yet become a gold standard, but is surely not an exception either. We look forward to your public briefing, Madam, in your capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan. As the Chair of the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) and established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic, Lithuania stands ready to brief the Council and the United Nations membership following any significant developments in the Committees’ work, hopefully in November. The Council needs to improve the quality of exchanges between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the troop-contributing countries (TCCs), especially as the United Nations increasingly gears up for capacity-based peacekeeping planning. There must be a meaningful follow-up to discussions. In October, the Security Council held a frank and timely discussion with DPKO on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and we look forward to brainstorming with that Department on the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mali, as United Nations peacekeepers have sustained many casualties since September in the north of the country. Similarly, we believe we need to pay close attention to the capacity of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic to meet the challenges in the precarious situation in that country. We need a more systematic implementation of presidential note S/2013/630, on consultations with TCCs and police-contributing countries, and we must continue to build on that. We need to encourage more interaction when the Council has an opportunity to hear the views of the Force Commanders. We look forward to a discussion, suggested by the representative of Australia, with United Nations Police Commissioners in November. We congratulate the five new incoming Council members elected two weeks ago. As the heat and euphoria of the elections subsides, important preparations start immediately, in particular the preparation for chairmanships of subsidiary bodies on the Council. Lithuania had the task of kick-starting two Sanctions Committees, on Yemen and the Central African Republic, during the first four months of its Council membership. We are ready to share our experience with incoming chairs. Beyond that, we look forward to an early appointment of chairpersons of subsidiary bodies, in line with presidential note S/2014/393, agreed by the Council four months ago. In November, the Council will again hear a briefing by Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, on the relationship between Libya and the ICC. That should not be a routine exercise. We counted at least 37 Member States that took the floor, some of them on behalf of a larger group of States, at the open debate on the Council’s working methods (see S/PV.7285) with regard to the need to effectively address the relationship between the Council and the Court. It is difficult to overlook the overwhelming call for a follow-up mechanism. Nine years have elapsed since the first Council referral. No warrant of arrest has been executed. Do we aim to translate our statements on justice and accountability into a tangible pursuit to end impunity? A follow-up mechanism could include many elements, such as an obligation for all States to cooperate with the ICC; designation criteria for sanctions mechanisms; the streamlining of decision-making by the Sanctions Committees where Court processes intersect; incentives to prevent failures of cooperation; a follow-up forum; a financial provision; cooperation with regional organizations and responses to requests and orders from the Court. In the public meeting (see S/PV.7287) on Ukraine, on 24 October, many Council members called on all parties to the Minsk agreements to immediately implement them in full and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Secretary-General deplored the planned holding by armed rebel groups in eastern Ukraine of elections on 2 November, in breach of the Constitution and national laws. We call on Council members to condemn the holding of the so- called elections on 2 November in areas held by illegal armed groups of Ukraine and to call on parties to the Minsk protocol and the implementation memorandum to unequivocally distance themselves from such provocative actions, just as the Russian delegation reiterated moments ago. Those elections will seriously undermine the Minsk agreements. In conclusion, once again we thank the presidency of Argentina and congratulate the incoming Australian presidency and assure it of our full support.

I thank the representative of Lithuania for his delegation’s dynamism and consistency with regard to its positions on the Council.

Let me begin by congratulating you, Madam, and the Argentine delegation on your successful presidency for the month of October. The work of the Council has been excellently conducted thanks to your able, warm-hearted and passionate leadership and the diligent work of your team. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the five newly elected Security Council members  — Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela. The Council’s work this month focused, among others, on situations in Africa and the Middle East. With regard to Africa, we had valuable opportunities to review the situations in Somalia and Eritrea, as well as the work of the Somalia Sanctions Committee, on which I reported to the Council as Committee Chair. We believe that those discussions serve as a useful reminder that the sustained engagement of the international community remains critical to those countries’ paths towards stability. In particular, the adoption of resolution 2182 (2014), including the authorization of maritime interdiction, demonstrated the Council’s commitment to peace and stability in Somalia. The Council also remained vigilant on the situation in the Middle East. The last open debate on the Middle East (see S/PV.7281) allowed us to address that issue in a comprehensive manner, especially in the wake of the Secretary-General’s visit to the region, which reflected his unswerving efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Yesterday’s briefing (see S/PV.7291) was very timely as well, given the series of actions undertaken by the Israeli Government in East Jerusalem. With regard to the situation in Syria, given its gravity, this morning’s briefing (see S/PV.7293), the first by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, provided us with a new perspective on the situation in that country and the neighbouring area. For more than three years, the situation in Syria has been deteriorating, and today it is having a spillover effect on all its neighbours, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The Council’s consultations on resolution 1559 (2004) and on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, as well as this morning’s briefing by the Special Envoy, all pointed to a political solution to the Syrian conflict as the only viable way forward in the region. Turning to thematic issues, the open debate on women and peace and security (see S/PV.7289) was both timely and pertinent in the run-up to the 2015 high-level review to assess progress in implementing resolution 1325 (2000). We believe that meeting offered momentum to mobilize international attention and commitments with a view to the protection of displaced women and girls facing dire situations around the world. Another open debate this month, on the working methods of the Security Council (see S/PV.7285), also served as a valuable opportunity to consider ways to improve due process in sanctions regimes, as well as how to ensure follow-up of the Council’s referrals to the International Criminal Court. At the same time, the progress achieved and limitations with regard to the working methods overall were also addressed. In the light of that, it is necessary to consider how to follow up on some of the commonly raised points at the meeting through the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. This month we also heard an assessment of the Ebola epidemic by the Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response and we heard about its continued political and security impact in West Africa (see S/PV.7279). As a follow-up to resolution 2177 (2014), the meeting demonstrated the Council’s attention to the Ebola crisis, specifically through the issuance of a press statement (SC/11602). Finally, we would like to congratulate Ambassador Gary Quinlan and Australia’s team as they prepares to assume the Council’s presidency in November, even though it is still 31 hours away. We assure them of the Republic of Korea’s full cooperation.

I thank the representative of the Republic of Korea for the constructive, tireless and generous spirit he and his delegation have displayed. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): I would like to thank you and your team, Madam President, for your leadership and hard work during this month’s presidency. I could wax lyrical about that, like my Korean colleague, but that would not be very British. I would also like to thank you for convening today’s wrap-up session. It is once again commendable that the meeting is being held in public, and I hope that subsequent presidencies will repeat the open and transparent format. The Council covered an extraordinarily wide range of issues in October. They included a number of continuing conflicts in Africa — Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Abyei and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council also spent time on a number of issues in the Middle East, including Yemen, Syria and yesterday’s emergency meeting in response to the escalating tensions and risks surrounding the situation in Jerusalem. We discussed the Ebola crisis, which is now recognized to be a threat to international peace and security. We discussed Ukraine, where the separatists planned to hold so-called local elections this weekend, in clear violation of the Ukrainian Constitution and the Minsk agreements. All Member States should vow not to recognize them. And we had meetings with the President of the International Court of Justice and peacekeeping Force Commanders. Throughout the month, Madam President, you have stuck to the principle of openness and transparency, supporting the move of the Côte d’Ivoire sanctions briefing into the Chamber, and even allowing Malian television to broadcast live the statement of its Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Council at the beginning of the month (see S/PV.7274). You have also convened three very different open debates that have given a representative flavour of the nature and breadth of the issues before the Council. The open debate on the Middle East (S/PV.7281) represented the more traditional, geographically defined prism through which the Council engages on the maintenance of international peace and security. The open debate on women and peace and security (S/PV.7289) reflected how the Council has embedded a cross-cutting thematic approach in its work. The agenda on women and peace and security is now an integral part of the Council’s work and of its understanding of the nature of conflict today and how to resolve it. The open debate on working methods (S/PV.7285), the fifth consecutive debate on the topic, showed how the Council has been prepared more recently to open up its self-reflection to the wider membership. That trajectory of openness, transparency and reflection should be welcomed. It demonstrates a willingness in the Council to adapt the ways in which it considers matters of international peace and security and to remain open to hearing from a wider range of actors on all aspects of its work. While we can see that trajectory in the way the Council has dealt with the issues before it in October, we can also see areas where it has been unable to make progress. The Council has discussed the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo innumerable times since 1960, when the first United Nations mission, the United Nations Operation in the Congo, was established. We have been considering questions about Israel and Palestine since the 1950s. Even the relatively recent issue of Western Sahara has been on the Council’s agenda for nearly 25 years. But if we fail to resolve those old issues, we will not have the time to deal with the new crises and challenges that the world faces. That is why a renewed focus on conflict prevention must remain a central part of the Council’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. If we can take early action to prevent situations deteriorating, we may be able to avoid their becoming entrenched fixtures on the Council’s programme of work. But in order to create the space and time needed to take a genuinely preventive approach, we must find ways to avoid having repetitive discussions of entrenched issues. We must move some items off the Council’s agenda faster than new items are coming onto it. Some items on the Council’s formal agenda have not been discussed for 60 years, and we should stop pretending that we are trying to resolve them. That is connected directly to our methods of work. We require timely briefings from early-warning actors across the United Nations. We should develop more interactivity in informal consultations. And despite recent efforts, including yours, Madam President, in the month of October, those too often resemble a formulaic exchange of positions. We should also ensure that we are as efficient as possible in the conduct of our business. Unless we can improve those basic aspects of our working methods, an enlarged Security Council will simply not be able to function. Lastly, although it may be too soon to congratulate Ambassador Quinlan on Australia’s assumption of the presidency, I can offer the United Kingdom’s full support to Australia in its presidency next month.

I should first thank you and all your team, Madam President, for all the work you have done in October. In an extremely busy period you have led our discussions with great professionalism and energy, for which many thanks. It is always a challenge to be the final speaker and to produce a synthesis of a meeting that is itself a monthly synthesis, and I am not going to attempt it. There is a great deal that could be said, particularly about the Middle East, which has been the subject of two major public meetings, but today I am not going to revisit the statements my delegation has made on the various crises in the region — the peace process, the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, Lebanon and Libya — and will confine myself to five subjects: the Ebola crisis, Mali, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Council’s working methods. In its 15 October press statement (SC/11602), the Security Council noted that the Ebola epidemic is a threat to international peace and security, as well as how urgent it is that all international actors mobilize their resources on the ground in order to contain the epidemic. For its part, France is planning to build three centres, with a capacity of 200 beds, to combat Ebola in Guinea, the first of which will open in November in the eastern part of the country, the heart of the outbreak. We also plan to open a hospital for health professionals working to combat Ebola in Guinea, and the French Ministry of Defence will deploy 120 personnel in Guinea to train caregivers dealing with Ebola in dedicated centres. We are also participating in the European evacuation mechanism for infected international humanitarian workers, a key part of encouraging such workers to travel to the affected countries. Concerning Mali, the Security Council sent a clear message in its consultations on 8 October and its 17 October press statement (SC/11604). On the political front, the peace negotiations that are being relaunched in Algiers at the end of this month, through international mediation, represent a historic opportunity for peace in Mali. We welcome Algeria’s role as facilitator and the key part being played by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which will be responsible for supporting the implementation of any future agreement. The Malian parties, both Government and armed groups, should engage in the negotiations in good faith and a spirit of compromise. The goal is an inclusive and comprehensive peace agreement that takes every aspect of the crisis in Mali into account. On the ground, the parties must fully respect the ceasefire and commit to preventing attacks on MINUSMA. On the security front, the proliferating deadly attacks on MINUSMA require us to rethink how to ensure MINUSMA’s safety and effectiveness on the ground. We welcome the proposal of the Under- Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations for initiating a discussion in the Security Council on the subject. We must collectively find ways to enable MINUSMA to fulfil its robust mandate to stabilize northern Маli. Operation Barkhane has conducted counter-terrorism efforts in recent weeks, particularly in the North of the Niger, that have led to the arrest of those responsible for the attack that resulted in the death of a Senegalese peacekeeper from MINUSMA and destabilized the terrorists in their sanctuary by neutralizing many of them. Unfortunately, a French soldier was killed during the operation. The focus of Operation Barkhane efforts in Mali will shortly be shifted farther north, specifically to the region around Tessalit and Kidal. At the meeting on Ukraine (see S/PV.7287), all the members of the Security Council endorsed the Minsk Agreement as the cornerstone of the way out of the crisis and called on all parties to fully implement it. We hope that that unanimous signal from the Council will be paid heed, in particular by Russia. We welcome the calm conduct of the voting on 26 October despite the difficult conditions under which it was held. We also stress the importance of resuming national dialogue and implementing the reforms expected by the Ukrainian population and to which these elections should lead. We recall, as many other members of the Council have already done, our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. In that regard, we condemn the organization by the armed rebel groups in eastern Ukraine of their own elections on 2 November, in violation of the national Constitution. Such illegal elections would seriously go against the Minsk Agreement, and we call on Russia to use all its influence to discourage the separatists from moving forward with that effort. During our consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, shared concern was expressed regarding the slow progress on all topics at the centre of the Council’s attention. On the security front, the impasse in the process of voluntary disarmament of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda is now obvious. The Council had the opportunity to firmly express its position in that regard in a press statement on 3 October. We are counting on the commitment of the countries of the region to find a definitive solution to this problem, which has haunted the relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours for more than 20 years. The date 2 January cannot be pushed back. Plans must now be made for joint military action by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The Council recalled that neutralizing this group is a top priority for the international community. With regard to other groups, the Council welcomed the progress made but which too often remains too slow and too fragile. During those consultations, it was also recalled that neutralizing such groups was necessary but not sufficient for re-establishing lasting stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region. Compliance with commitments under the Addis Ababa framework agreement is more crucial than ever, and the Council is counting on all signatory States to comply fully in good faith with the obligations undertaken at the regional level. The Council also expects the Congolese Government to step up its efforts in implementing the necessary reforms. МONUSCO, Special Representative of the Secretary-General Kobler and Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Djinnit have the full support of the Council in supporting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the States of the region in the right direction. We regretted the recent decision by the Congolese authorities to expel the head of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We recall the great importance the Council attaches to the promotion and protection of human rights and the fight against impunity, and our full support for MONUSCO and the work of United Nations staff in that regard. Finally, the annual public debate on the working methods of the Security Council, held on 23 October (see S/PV.7285), was an opportunity to consider ambitious ideas. The outcomes of the Argentine chairmanship of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions have been universally welcomed. They were indeed substantive, under your leadership, Madam President, including a first presidential note clarifying the role of the drafter of resolutions. Another central topic of discussion was that of prevention, the broad support for which was clear from Arria Formula meetings, statements to the Council by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide. This consensus is going in the right direction and we hope that, in practice, members of the Council will not block rapid response actions to prevent the exacerbation of crises. The importance of regular contacts between the International Criminal Court and the Security Council received broad support. These contacts with the Council are maintained on a daily basis and enhanced follow-up would, of course, further aid in preventing violence. The debate also welcomed the work of Ms. Prost, Ombudsperson of the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. In conclusion, a great number of delegations — some 40 — either directly or through the group statements, expressed their support for the application in 2015 of the French initiative seeking to limit the use of the veto. I thank them warmly. Naturally, neither the French initiative nor the very useful measures we are implementing in favour of transparency in working methods are a substitute for comprehensive reform of the Security Council. I conclude by thanking once again my dear colleagues Marita and Mario for their presidency. We also wish the greatest of success to Australia, who will carry the torch from tomorrow night. I assure them of our full support.

The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I could not resist the pleasure of taking the floor one more time under your presidency, Madam President. The representative of France just said that all members of the Council have called for the full implementation of the Minsk agreement on Ukraine. We should have liked that to be the case, but unfortunately it is not because when the Minsk agreement was made, the Russian delegation swiftly proposed the adoption of a statement to the press in support of it. However, we came up against attempts by a number of delegations to rewrite the Minsk agreement. They proposed amendments to the simple and brief statement in support of the agreement that would have rewritten the content of the agreement. The Council therefore did not take a stance in support of Minsk agreement. We have, unfortunately, heard similar attempts made in certain statements to rewrite the agreement reached between the Kyiv authorities and the representatives of the south-east. These statements distort the idea behind the Minsk agreement and paint the intentions of the people in the south-east to hold elections on 2 November in a disingenuous light. We have heard similar statements in Kyiv and some Western capitals. This requires us to make an important corresponding clarification. In line with the Minsk agreement achieved in September between representatives of the President of Ukraine and representatives of the militias in the south-east, with the participation of Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) , it was agreed to hold such elections between 19 October and 3 November. The law signed by President Poroshenko on 16 October regarding the so-called territories and their special autonomy, establishing 7 December as the date of the elections, runs counter to the Minsk agreement. The date of 7 December was included in the law arbitrarily and unilaterally, without any discussion with the militias. Moreover, that law cannot be applied in practice, as it does not define the specific regions of its coverage. This issue must remain pending until an additional decision is taken by the Verkhovna Rada. Such a decision cannot be made because Kyiv withdrew its signature to the document defining the boundaries between the Ukrainian forces and the militias. The statement issued by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine concerning the refusal to carry out the law signed by President Poroshenko on 16 October is not constructive. There have been constant violations by Kyiv of the Minsk agreement on other matters as well. Shelling continues of areas controlled by the militias, in violation of the ceasefire. Promised acts of amnesty and security guarantees for militia negotiators have not been enacted. The provisions on the decentralization of power and the continuation of the national dialogue are not respected. The Kyiv authorities have totally undermined the improving humanitarian situation in the Donbas and placed artificial obstacles in the way of humanitarian convoys from Russia. Against this backdrop, the position of the militias regarding the holding of elections, in particular those of 2 June, is justified and fully in line with the Minsk agreement and its provisional timelines. There is an urgent need for a full-fledged governing body in south- eastern Ukraine to resolve practical issues relating to daily life and law enforcement. Efforts to resolve the situation in south-eastern Ukraine are being undertaken in the most difficult and unfavourable conditions. It is important now to do our utmost to support the tenuous ceasefire, the onset of the economic and humanitarian rebuilding of the region and the launch of sustainable political dialogue. Attempts to impose artificial ultimatums and reduce the whole package of the Minsk agreement due to just one aspect, such as the date of the elections, or to use the conduct of either side as a criterion could undermine the entire process of peaceful resolution, making it hostage to certain geopolitical ambitions. We cannot rule out the possibility that those who put forward such ultimatums are seeking to undermine the Minsk agreement, just as the agreement of 21 February was undermined, and creating a pretext to settle the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine by force. The Russian side firmly calls for such a turn of events to be averted and for everything possible to be done to ensure that the elections of 2 November are a step towards the further normalization of the situation and a comprehensive settlement of the internal Ukrainian crisis. We recall that, before the beginning of the Minsk process, the militia leaders publicly stated their negotiating positions, which in part stressed that the conduct of free elections on those territories, based on the principles of national self-governance, would pave the way for joint efforts to retain a united, economic, cultural and political space in Ukraine. Russia will help to ensure that the winner in the elections for leader of the south-east adheres to that line. We expect specific actions for the voluntary implementation of the Minsk agreement from the Ukrainian authorities, Western partners and the OSCE. Today there is an opportunity to use the 2 November elections, not for a reckless and unjustified exacerbation of the confrontation, but rather to move things along in a constructive way with a mutually respectful dialogue and a search for compromise on the basis of a balance of legal interests of all Ukrainian parties, as required by the document signed in the framework of the Minsk process.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. As this is the last scheduled meeting of the Council for the month of October, I should like to express the sincere appreciation of the Argentine delegation to the members of the Council; to all of my colleagues, in particular the “W-6” — the six women Ambassadors to the Council; to the Permanent Representatives and their respective staffs; and to the secretariat of the Council for the warm support it has given us with professionalism and a great deal of patience. It has been a very busy month. We have reached consensus on important matters, while other issues are still pending. The text prepared by the secretariat says that we could not have done it alone, and that is true. The Council’s work is not the work of a single person, or of five, six or seven. It is the work of all, hard work and an immense responsibility. We value the support and positive contributions, as well as the constructive criticism, of every one of the delegations and the representatives of the Secretariat, as well as all of the relevant conference service officers. As we end our presidency, I am sure that the members of the Security Council will speak in a single voice in wishing the delegation of Australia very good luck for the month of November.