Address to the Storting on the Norwegian follow up of UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973

                                                                                             Version francaise

 

Mr President,

Norway is taking part in military operations to implement UN Security Council resolution 1973 on an arms embargo, no-fly zone and protection of civilians in Libya.

Our F16 fighter jets have been in the air since Thursday, and around 120 women and men from the Norwegian armed forces have been deployed to Crete to support the operation.

The sanctions against Libya that have been adopted by the Security Council have been implemented in Norwegian legislation. The EU is working on further strengthening the sanctions regime.

We have provided NOK 50 million to alleviate the dramatic humanitarian situation due to the large flow of refugees, and we are considering further measures on a continuing basis.

Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in London to discuss the political challenges related to the Libya crisis and to secure a political framework that is shared by the countries taking part in the broad coalition.

Mr President,

In other words, Norway is taking part in the implementation of all the provisions of the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council on the Libyan crisis: the political, humanitarian, economic and military dimensions.

Our engagement follows a longstanding line in Norwegian foreign policy: support for a UN-led world order where the use of force is regulated by the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions.

The objective of this use of force is clearly set out in the Security Council resolution: To protect civilians.

The resolution authorises “all necessary measures” to protect the civilian population.

For the first time, the Security Council has referred to the principle of “responsibility to protect” to legitimise the use of force.

It is not a matter of a state’s internal affairs when such massive atrocities are perpetrated against civilians. 

The resolution is therefore historic.

At the same time it is important to underscore that:
In the face of the Gaddafi regime’s extensive use of military force against the Libyan people and the open conflict between the regime and the opposition, the international community has been confronted with an extremely difficult task.

How can we succeed in protecting civilians and at the same time promote a peaceful, political solution?

The UN Security Council resolution excludes the use of a foreign occupation force on Libyan territory. With this one reservation, the resolution on Libya authorises a very broad range of measures.

However, even this broad mandate is no guarantee of a rapid solution.
We must be aware that this could be a protracted and difficult operation.

The use of military force will not in itself secure a political solution to the complex conflicts in Libya.

Indeed, military intervention can in itself exacerbate the conflicts.
There must therefore be a very high threshold for the use of military force in international relations.

Mr President,

In the case of Libya, the world community had to choose between several far from perfect courses of action.

The absolute worst course of action was to take no action.

The Security Council had extensive information indicating that Libyan civilians were facing an acute crisis.

The world witnessed an authoritarian ruler responding to peaceful demonstrations with live ammunition and heavy artillery.

The situation was developing into a civil war. Colonel Gaddafi made it quite clear that he intended to quash the opposition and that no mercy would be shown.

The regime’s superior military forces had reached the suburbs of Libya’s second largest city, Benghazi, which has become the centre of the uprising.

The Security Council resolution and the resolute use of military force have probably prevented extensive atrocities against civilians.

Mr President,

Norway commends the UN Security Council for having taken responsibility.

It is encouraging that the Security Council was able to adopt such an extensive resolution without any of the permanent members using their veto or any other members voting against it.

At a time when the effectiveness of the UN institutions and their ability to take difficult decisions have been questioned, it is very positive that the UN has shown such decisiveness on Libya.

This confirms the key role the UN has in maintaining international peace and security.

Norway warned against the idea that a no-fly zone in itself would resolve the conflicts in Libya.

We promoted comprehensive solutions that combine the use of military force with a clear stance as regards finding a political and humanitarian solution to the conflict.

Our main concerns were taken into account in the Security Council resolution. Therefore Norway gave its immediate support to the resolution late in the evening of 17 March.

Two days later, at the summit in Paris, which was attended by a broad range of engaged states and organisations, I announced that Norway was willing to contribute to the implementation of military operations to protect civilians.

At the Paris summit, it was evident that this was a matter of hours.

If Gaddafi’s forces had entered Benghazi, little would have been achieved through air strikes alone.

The attack on Benghazi had to be stopped while there was still time.

The consequences of not taking action could have been disastrous for the civilian population.

Since the summit in Paris, Norway has taken part in discussions in the inner circle of states that are implementing the resolution.

Norway is to be a consistently recognisable actor when the UN takes on difficult tasks; we participate and we shoulder our part of the responsibility.

Mr President,

Norwegian aircraft are currently operating from the same base as fighter jets from Qatar.

The marked support of Arab and African countries was decisive in securing the UN Security Council resolution.

The Arab League made it very clear that it wanted international engagement and a no-fly zone.

All three African countries in the Security Council voted for the resolution.

The coalition of states supporting the implementation of the resolution has broadened and now includes a number of countries from the region.

This is, in other words, a broad coalition.

The military command in charge of the military operations, on the other hand, must be well defined, decisive, and capable of coordinating such a complex task.

Our requirements for the command and control of Norway’s military contribution have been met. We have full control of how Norwegian forces are to be used.

Operations carried out by Norwegian forces are subject to Norwegian law and Norway’s obligations under international law, and Norwegian personnel are under Norwegian jurisdiction.

At this stage, our fighter jets are part of the US-led Odyssey Dawn operation.

Following NATO’s decision on Sunday evening, Norwegian aircraft will come under NATO’s established and tested command structure as of tomorrow.

NATO will thus have the main responsibility for all parts of the military operation to implement the Security Council decision.

In political terms, the coalition will be just as broad as before.

NATO’s contribution will be part of a broad international cooperation to follow up all aspects of the Security Council decision.

Mr President,

It is important for the military operation that it has broad support from Libya’s neighbours.

Norway has used its network in the Middle East and Africa to maintain regular contact with the Arab League, the African Union and individual countries in the region.

The meetings in London today are important for discussing the current situation on the ground, further follow-up of the UN Security Council resolution, and possible political solutions.

It is also important to establish a political framework to ensure a coherent follow-up and coordination of the international engagement in Libya.

There is no doubt that the use of military force by Western states in an Arab country is a sensitive issue.

There is still deeply felt anger about the invasion of Iraq among the people of the Arab world.

The coalition responsible for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1973 is far broader and enjoys firm support in the region.

We note that the operations have been welcomed by people in the Arab world.

This is understandable given that the objective of the resolution is to protect civilians against the actions of a brutal dictator – and this at a historic time when the people of country after country in the region are rising up against authoritarian leaders and demanding respect for democracy and universal human rights.

This is the backdrop to the current dramatic events in Libya:
The surge of popular uprising and change that is sweeping through the Arab world.

In Tunisia and Egypt, authoritarian leaders have stepped down in the face of popular uprisings.

The armies chose to side with the people. These countries have set out on the difficult path towards democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights – and we will do everything we can to support them.

In other countries in the region, popular protests are being clamped down on with brutal force, as in Syria and Bahrain.

In Yemen, support for a president who has held on to power for decades is dwindling.

In Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries more and more voices are calling for political and social reforms.

We condemn the use of violence and call for peaceful solutions by means of political dialogue and democratic reform.

We have not seen the end of the drama that is unfolding in the Arab world.

We hope that when the new history books are written, the events of 2011 will prove to have been the Arab world’s parallel to the dramatic upheavals that took place in Europe in 1989. 

Mr President,

Resolution 1970 sets out the Security Council’s unanimous decision to refer the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court for investigation of possible crimes against humanity in the light of the atrocities committed by the regime.

The Court has initiated its work, and is to report to Security Council by the end of April.

Many members of the international community have said that by using military force against his own people, Colonel Gaddafi has lost all legitimacy and should step down.

Norway shares this view.

Mr President,

The humanitarian situation in Libya is very serious.
There is a risk that it could deteriorate further if the armed conflict and civil-war-like situation persist.

The international community has a responsibility, since the aim of our engagement is precisely to protect the civilian population.

International aid organisations are still being denied access to parts of the country controlled by the regime, and this makes it extremely difficult to reach people in need of assistance.

Denying aid organisations access is also a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

There are challenges in areas controlled by the rebels too, and the ongoing hostilities are making it even more difficult to reach people in need.

Close to 400 000 people – most of them foreign nationals – have fled Libya.

More than 75 000 people have already been helped to return to their home countries.

It is likely that the flow of refugees out of Libya will continue as long as the fighting continues.

Norway’s NOK 50 million contribution will be used to assist people in need in the border areas, to evacuate foreign nationals, and to provide emergency medical aid and other humanitarian assistance.

Norway is working to ensure that humanitarian measures are given higher priority, and speed is of the essence. This includes humanitarian access, respect for humanitarian principles, and mobilisation of political and financial support for necessary humanitarian efforts.

I am pleased that the EU has become so strongly involved in the humanitarian field. This is also important for keeping the coalition united.

Humanitarian objectives figure prominently in the Security Council resolution, and were important in securing support for the resolution. The resolution demands that both parties to the armed conflict fully respect international humanitarian law and human rights.

As is often the case in conflicts and crisis situations, women and children are being hit disproportionately hard.

In chaotic situations where people are forced to flee, women are particularly vulnerable, for example to systematic sexual abuse.

It is vital that we take into account the particular needs of women and children in our humanitarian efforts.

Mr President,

We must now focus more closely on the political processes.

This was high on the African Union’s agenda during the meetings in Addis Ababa last week, where Norway took part.

Norway supports the African Union’s work to promote a political process that respects the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people and keeps the country united.

The Arab League is also engaged. In Norway’s view, it is essential that these regional organisations and Libya’s neighbours take responsibility and lead the way.

The international community must work towards a ceasefire, the withdrawal of military forces, access for humanitarian aid organisations and the start of a political process towards reconciliation and extensive reforms.

It is the Libyans themselves who are responsible for political developments in their country.

Political solutions for Libya must have broad support in Libya.

Libyan society is divided along tribal and regional lines. But one task the various parts of the country share is that they must find their future place within the framework of Libya.

Any negotiation process must take this perspective. It must therefore be inclusive.

The longer the fighting lasts, the slimmer the chances of achieving lasting stability and peace become.

A protracted civil war or incipient state failure would be disastrous for the civilian population. The resulting instability would threaten Libya’s neighbours and the North African region as a whole.

It is precisely to prevent this from happening that the regional organisations in Libya’s neighbouring area should play leading roles during the next phases.

The rest of us must show respect for and support these regional processes, and refrain from attempting to control them. At the same time we must ensure that all actors adhere to the Security Council resolutions.

Mr President,

In Libya, military might has been at the forefront of our efforts during the past few weeks.

The international forces have succeeded in implementing the arms embargo and no-fly zone.

We have significantly weakened the regime’s military capacity.

We have succeeded in preventing attacks on the civilian population.

Human lives have been saved.

This shows that it was right to implement the military measures and that it was right for Norway to contribute.

But it is highly uncertain what the future holds.

Acts of war are still taking place, and the military situation is unresolved.

The civilian population is still vulnerable.

In other words, our task is not yet completed.

Mr President,

Let me conclude by expressing our joint appreciation of the task our women and men in uniform have taken on. They are well trained, well equipped, and well coordinated with our allies.

I am impressed by the way the Norwegian armed forces have met this challenge. This shows that we have succeeded in restructuring our armed forces to increase their ability to respond at short notice by organising and deploying personnel and equipment to carry out new, demanding tasks.

I commend the courage and sense of responsibility our forces are showing.

Those who are now participating in the effort to protect the civilian population in Libya have joined the more than 500 men and women who are engaged in demanding missions in Afghanistan and in other international operations Norway is part of.

We are proud of the job our soldiers are doing. They should know that they have our full support.