The tragic humanitarian situation in and around Kosovo, which has been at the top of the international agenda for some time now, continues to unfold. Meanwhile, the policies and practices of ethnic cleansing and deportation also continue unabated. Worse still, there appears to be no end in sight to …
The situation in Kosovo, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is a cause of great concern to my delegation. Like all peace-loving nations, we in the Gambia are very much attached to the sacrosanct principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
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Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for organizing this open debate on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a view to finding a way forward in that seemingly intractable conflict. Let us hope that at the end of the day the voice of reason will prevail over the logic of…
Please allow me, Mr. President, to also seize the opportunity at this first formal meeting of the Council following the untimely demise of the Amir of the State of Bahrain, His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, to express my delegation’s heartfelt condolences to the delegation of Bahrain, t…
The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic has been very instrumental in the search for peace in that country. It should also be recognized that the people of the Central African Republic made it possible for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) to be …
Mr. President, let me begin by commending you for your foresight, which led you to include this important issue in our programme of work for the month. Our meeting today takes on particular importance for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the presence among us of The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy…
Like previous speakers, my delegation would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting on a subject of common concern to the international community. We are also grateful to Under-Secretary-General Vieira de Mello for his comprehensive and thought-provoking briefing.
The question …
My delegation is grateful to Ambassador Dahlgren and, through him, to the Government of Sweden for the keen interest that they have always shown in Sierra Leone. Ambassador Dahlgren’s recent trip to that country is a clear testimony to his commitment as Chairman of the Sierra Leone sanctions Committ…
In his widely acclaimed report entitled “The causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”, the Secretary-General defined post-conflict peace-building as
“actions undertaken at the end of a conflict to consolidate peace and prevent a recurrence of arme…
It is a pity that things have to be this way. There is, however, no need to cry over spilt milk. The die is cast. This morning, when we looked at the options offered by the Secretary-General following the latest report of the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM), we thought that they constitut…
It will be recalled that following the recent visit to Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries by the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador Brahimi, my delegation, having listened to him with rapt attention congratulated him warmly on what he had been able to achieve durin…
My delegation is grateful to Mrs. Ogata for her comprehensive briefing on a subject of particular concern and interest to the international
As the High Commissioner has rightly pointed out, West Africa has had its fair share of conflicts, but, with the great regional efforts deployed so far, peace …
The appalling humanitarian situation in Kosovo has been haunting the collective conscience of the international community for some time now. It cannot be gainsaid that the present situation is a result of the wider underlying political problems that have plagued the area for so long. The key to a la…
My delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report. We find it to be very instructive in its analysis of the problem of protection for humanitarian assistance to refugees and others in conflict situations. We would also like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on arranging this o…
We are yet again faced with an urgent situation, but have limited options at our disposal to deal with a conflict that is seemingly intractable. We have seen it before: each time the situation in Angola is discussed, no sooner are our hopes raised than they are dashed again for one reason or another…
The situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, is still extremely volatile, notwithstanding the efforts of the international community to bring about peace in the area. My delegation was deeply disturbed by the recent events in May in the Gali district. We are particularly disturbed by the burning of houses co…
Let me at the outset express my delegation’s gratitude to the delegation of the United Kingdom for the timely initiative taken to come up with the draft resolution before us, geared towards the establishment of a United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL). Such a mission, in our view,…
Peace is a priceless commodity. For a region of the world that has hardly known any meaningful peace for so long, any action that is likely to raise questions, no matter how good the intentions might be, should be avoided at all costs in the interest of peace. This is why my delegation cannot but ex…
The rightful place for a child is certainly not in the battlefield, but in the classroom or on the playground. The Graça Machel report on the impact of armed conflict on children has been an eye-opener on an issue which constitutes a cause for serious concern. With the appointment of the Secretary- …
Let me begin by thanking the sponsors for the great effort that was put into the draft resolution before us and, indeed, for the high degree of flexibility that they have demonstrated throughout, in reaction to various proposals and counter-proposals, to arrive at a consensus.
The early adoption of…
