Monthly Report on the work of the Security Council March 2001

MONTHLY REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

MARCH 2001

Overview of Security Council work in March 2001

The Security Council has consulted, debated and/or taken decisions on the following matters in March:

The situation in Burundi
Liberia – implementation of sanctions
Iraq – the UNMOVIC Report
Iraq – Oil-for-Food
The situation in Kosovo
Afghanistan – the humanitarian situation after the implementation of sanctions
Open meeting on following up the Millennium Summit
The situation in Macedonia
The situation in the DR Congo
Ethiopia/Eritrea – extension of the UNMEE mandate
Georgia - Abkhazia
Open meeting on Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Middle East
Sierra Leone – extension of the UNAMSIL mandate
The situation in Guinea Bissau
Somalia – the safety of aid workers
Briefing on the situation in Bougainville

Norwegian priorities – current matters

Conflict-prevention and peace-building

The Middle East: On 27 March, the Security Council deliberated a draft resolution submitted by the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) at the request of the Arabian group regarding the establishment of an observer mission in the Middle East. The main purpose of such a mission would be to protect the civilian Palestinian population. The draft was essentially identical to a motion that did not achieve the necessary support in December 2000.

Nine countries, including Russia and China, voted for the motion from the NAM group in the formal ballot. Norway abstained, along with France, the UK and Ireland. Ukraine did not participate. The USA exercised its veto for the first time in four years, pointing out that a vote on an observer mission at the present moment was both detrimental and unnecessary. The US representative further pointed out that the initiative for peace ought to originate in the region, not in the Security Council. A role for the UN Secretary-General in the peace process would call for a clear mandate from a united Security Council.

Prior to the ballot, Norway put in an intense and active effort together with the other Western European countries to draft formulations that would command the widest possible support and avoid a US veto.

During the deliberations, Norway sought a consensus on formultating a decision that would have a positive impact on the situation in the region. Norway emphasized the importance of achieving unity within the Security Council so that it could play an active and constructive role in the Middle East, and the importance of the UN Secretary-General being given a clear mandate for further peace efforts.

The Balkans: The Security Council’s discussions of the Balkan issue in March have focused on Kosovo, southern Serbia (the Presevo Valley) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Two regular meetings were held on Kosovo. Developments in southern Serbia and the FYROM also prompted a meeting with NATO’s Secretary-General, which were hosted by Norway, and a meeting with FYROM Foreign Minister Kerim. On 21 March, the Council adopted Security Council Resolution 1345 on the situation in the FYROM. The resolution strongly condemns violence, including terrorist activities, in certain parts of the FYROM and in certain municipalities in southern Serbia, carried out by armed Albanian groups. High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch also briefed the Council on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in an open meeting on 22 March.

Georgia: The situation in Georgia was discussed in a private meeting of the Security Council on 21 March. The question of Abkhazia’s status and the return of refugees were key topics. Norway expressed its support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and for the principle of Georgia’s territorial integrity. Norway gives substantial amounts in aid to refugees and internally displaced persons in Georgia.

Peacekeeping operations

In discussions of the extension of the UNMEE mandate along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Norway expressed satisfaction with the fact that personnel deployment in the area has taken place quickly and efficiently. However, Norway also expressed concern over the lack of progress in establishing a temporary security zone between the parties. Norway also emphasized that UNMEE must be accorded full freedom of movement in the area, and that both parties must provide UNMEE with complete information on their minefields along the front. Norway supported a six-month extension of UNMEE’s mandate, taking it to 15 September 2001. Norway also advocated an allocation of funds for border demarcation from the UNMEE budget. This issue will be subject to further deliberation by the Council.

In connection with the Council’s deliberations on the UNAMSIL’s mandate, Norway supported the Secretary-General’s recommendation to extend its mandate to 30 September 2001 and to expand its force to 17,500 personnel. However, Norway cautioned against focussing exclusively on the military aspects of the situation, pointing out that a focus also had to be maintained on the underlying causes, such as poverty and the need for a political process. Norway further emphasized the Government’s responsibility for extending civilian control in pace with the further deployment of UNAMSIL forces. In keeping with the Norwegian strategy for the follow up of the Brahimi report, Norway underscored the significance of the programme for demobilization, disarmament and re-integration in normalizing the situation in Sierra Leone. Norway expressed its wish to support this programme, and was also willing to consider contributing additional police personnel to CIVPOL if requested. Norway expressed concern for the refugee situation in Guinea, and called on the governments involved and the international community to do their utmost to bring the suffering to an end. In this regard, Norway expressed grave doubts about the sincerity of the RUF’s commitment to the cease-fire agreement and its desire for peace.

Africa

In light of the Security Council’s focus on Western Africa, Norwegian State Secretary Johansen visited the region in the middle of March. In summary form, the focus of his visit was: (1) the regional context of the conflicts, including the role of ECOWAS, (2) the economic aspects of war and conflict, (3) the work of the Security Council, and (4) the political and humanitarian situation, including the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons, and access to these groups.

Norway took part in a briefing by Under-Secretary-General Hans Corell on establishing a special tribunal for Sierra Leone. The Security Council also held regular briefings on the situation in Burundi and in the DR Congo.

Sanctions policy

In his Foreign Policy Statement to the Storting on 20 March, Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland spoke of the principles for sanctions policy that Norway will work for in the Council. Targeting, effectiveness and a focus on the humanitarian consequences are keywords here. France invited the Council in March to consultations on a proposal to create a permanent mechanism for monitoring sanctions regimes.

Norway has maintained the need for effective monitoring of existing sanctions regimes, with a particular emphasis on counteracting their negative humanitarian effects.

For a number of years, the regime in Liberia has been destabilizing Western Africa through its support for RUF, the brutal rebel movement in Sierra Leone. Norway took an active part in the process of adopting sanctions against Liberia in an effort to stop its trade in diamonds and arms with the rebel movement. Norway was not necessarily prepared to let sanctions harm Liberia’s logging industry – a measure which was included in the original sanctions proposal – as we meant doing so would have negative consequences for the civilian population. Targeted sanctions against Liberia are necessary in order to lay the groundwork for a political resolution of the conflicts in Western Africa. The sanctions were adopted on 7 March and will go into effect on 7 May unless Liberia terminates its contact with rebel movements in the region.

Human rights and humanitarian issues

On Afghanistan, Norway supported the implementation of sanctions, having special regard for the fact that the these are targeted, and that according to the OCHA report of 23 March, the civilian population has not been affected so far. Norway brought up the issue of the safety of humanitarian personnel when Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, gave a briefing on his visit to Sierra Leone and Guinea. The detainment of personnel from the UN and Médecines Sans Frontiéres in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 27 March, added attention to this issue. Norway formulated elements of the Councils statement to the press which called for the immediate release of hostages and full respect for the safety of humanitarian personnel. In light of the hostage incident in Mogadishu, it is clear that the security situation is not yet conducive to a UN peace-building operation in the country.

Human rights and the rule of law were the topic of Norway’s statement in the debate on the situation in Guinea Bissau on 29 March.

Issues regarding Iraq

Dr. Hans Blix, executive chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), submitted the commission’s fourth quarterly report. Because the Commission has still not been allowed into Iraq, its activities have been restricted to preparatory work. In the debate that followed Dr. Blix’s briefing, all Council members expressed the view that Iraq must comply with the demands of Resolution 1284 and admit UNMOVIC inspectors. They strongly deplored Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with the UN, which is one of the conditions for the lifting of sanctions.

In his report, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reviewed the status of the Oil for Food programme. He emphasized Iraq’s lack of follow-up in significant areas. At the same time, he expressed concern at the number of contract applications placed on hold by the Sanctions Committee. In the ensuing Security Council debate, all members urged Iraq to cooperate with the UN and improve its implementation of the Oil-for-Food programme. One thing that was specifically urged was to step up oil exports. As chair of the Sanctions Committee, Norway’s representative stated that the committee intended to hold a new round of technical meetings for the purpose of reviewing the applications held back in each sector.

In its contact with other members of the council, Norway has advocated the consideration of more selective sanctions against Iraq, giving them a stronger focus on products likely to be used to develop weapons of mass destruction, and shielding the civilian population as much as possible from the effects of the sanctions. Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has called for a general review of sanctions practices in order to make it easier to import products in important humanitarian sectors and to improve control procedures for products with potential for being used for other purposes.