Transcript copy: Briefing to media on the UN Security Council by Deputy Director-General Ambassador George Nene, Tuesday 29 April 2008, Union Buildings, Pretoria

 Colleagues,

We have come to the end of our second rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council. This has been a very busy month for the Security Council. During the month of April the Council dealt with a number of issues, some of which related to the renewal of mandates and conflict situations

As you know that membership of the Council brings with it a global mandate and responsibility to address threats to international peace and security, not just regional or sub-regional threats. During our Presidency, we continued to pursue opportunities to advance South Africa’s foreign policy objectives, in particular the advancement of peace and security in Africa including Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Sudan, Somalia, Western Sahara and Ethiopia/Eritrea. Beyond Africa, complex global security concerns still prevailed on the agenda of the Council, requiring the attention of all Council members; the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq and Afghanistan, Myanmar, Timor Leste and Kosovo.

As the role of the President of the Council is to ensure that the work of the Security Council runs smoothly, as country, we also tried to ensure that   outcomes to Council deliberations on all the issues on its agenda are balanced at all times.

While have constantly kept you informed of the deliberations of the Council on a number of issues on its agenda, we would also like to take this opportunity to just highlight some of the achievements during South Africa’s Presidency:

Strengthening the relationship between the UN and regional organisations, in particular the AU

The theme of South Africa’s first Presidency of the Security Council in March 2007 under the leadership of Minister Dlamini Zuma was: “The relationship between the UN and regional organisations – and in particular the African Union – in terms of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter”.  South Africa has decided to carry this theme through for the duration of South Africa’s two-year term on the Council. South Africa has linked the issue of cooperation between the UN and the African Union to conflict resolution efforts in the continent of Africa.

Two special events took place this month:

• Firstly, President Mbeki invited a number of Heads of State and Government of those countries i) that currently serve on the UN Security Council ii) that are members of the AU Peace and Security Council and iii) African countries that are on the agenda of the UNSC to an open debate on 16 April 2008.  The debate was attended by 11 Heads of State and Government, mostly from the African countries.
• Secondly, on 17 April 2008, the UN Security Council and AU Peace and Security Council held a joint meeting, at ambassadorial level, in New York

 Security Council Summit on 16 April:

The Security Council Summit provided a platform for African countries that are on the agenda of the Security Council to share their experiences of the UN and AU’s conflict prevention and resolution efforts.

The debate focused on:

1.The complex nature of some current conflicts and the need to respond timeously to threats to peace, taking into account factors such as the capacity and, at times, the limitations of regional organisations.

2. An exchange of views on ways to secure predictable, sustainable and flexible resources for Regional Organisations, in particular the African Union, to carry out the mandates of maintaining international peace and security.

While the issue of Zimbabwe was reported as have dominated the debate, only three countries referred to the issue, namely, UK US and the Secretary-General, Mr Ban ki-Moon.

After the meeting, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1809 (2007), which was drafted by South Africa. The resolution inter alia welcomes the Secretary-General’s proposal to set up within three months an African Union-United Nations panel consisting of distinguished persons to consider in-depth the modalities of how to support such peacekeeping operations, in particular start-up funding, equipment and logistics and to consider in-depth lessons from past and current African Union peacekeeping efforts;

 Joint Meeting between the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council (17 April 2008)

This was a follow-up to the meeting between the two Councils that was held in Addis Ababa in June 2007 when South Africa and the United Kingdom co-led a Security Council delegation to Africa. The meeting took place at the UN Headquarters in New York on 17 April.

This meeting was a visible sign of the willingness of the UN and AU to work together in the interests of international peace and security. The underlying logic behind this cooperation is one of comparative advantage. The joint AU/UN meeting on the 17th allowed an exchange views on how best to maximise the relationship between the UN Security Council and regional organisations – in particular the AU - and on specific measures to further cooperation in the fields of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and conflict management. The discussion between the two Councils focused on DRC, Somalia, Sudan  and Ethiopia/Eritrea. The outcome of the meeting was a joint Communiqué in which the two Councils expressed satisfaction at the ongoing efforts to strengthen their relationship. They also undertook to further assess regularly developments in the African Continent. The next joint meeting will be held in Addis Ababa.

Secretary-General’s report on Small Arms

You will also recall that during our first Presidency of the UNSC, South Africa took the lead in the drafting of the Presidential statement on small arms. The Statement requested the SG to report on biennial basis to the UNSC on the issue of small arms. This report is now before the Council. It is significant that the report is considered by the Council during Presidency and will continue to be considered well beyond our membership of the UNSC. As the report of the SG was circulated late last week, it is anticipated that discussions on the draft will continue beyond our Presidency

ETHIOPIA /ERITREA

Currently the Security Council is also considering a draft Presidential statement based on the SG Special report on the UN Mission in Ethiopia/Eritrea. As you know that UNMEE has since February 2008, temporarily relocated to Ethiopia.  The Draft before the Council stresses that the primary responsibility for achieving a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the border dispute and normalizing their relations rests with the parties themselves and urges both sides to show maximum restraint and to refrain from any threat or use of force against each other and calls upon the parties to address forthwith the unresolved issues in accordance with the commitments made in the Algiers Agreements. South Africa supports the draft PRST.

 SOMALIA

France, Panama and the United States have put forward a draft resolution on piracy in Somalia. The sponsors of the draft are of the view that the Council must take action to confront the growing threat of piracy emanating from Somali territorial waters. The draft resolution authorizes states to take steps, under Chapter VII, to respond to the Transitional Federal Government’s request for assistance in deterring, preventing, and suppressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.  South Africa is still considering the draft resolution and has also referred it for legal opinion. The draft resolution will be considered in May.

 ZIMBABWE

A briefing on Zimbabwe by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe is scheduled for Tuesday 29 April. The discussion is expected to focus on developments in that country since the 29 March elections.

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)

Kosovo is one of the major issues that were considered by the Security Council during South Africa’s Presidency.

On 21 April 2008, the Security Council received a report from the Secretary- General on the activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). The report was presented to the Council by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNMIK, Mr Joachim Rücker. The meeting was also addressed by the President of Serbia, Mr Boris Tadic and Mr. Hashim Thaci, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, who addressed the Council in his private capacity.

Covering the period 16 December 2007 to 1 March 2008, the report is the first since Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) on 17 February 2008. It focuses on the political situation in Kosovo, especially relating to the Kosovo Serbs since the UDI, as well as the “normal” activities of the Mission. The most important part of the report is the Secretary-General’s observations, in which he intimates the difficulty the UN Mission faces relating to its mandate following the UDI – and increasing pressure with growing media reports that UNMIK will be replaced by the EU Police and Justice Mission by mid-June 2008, by which time the newly adopted Kosovo Constitution is expected to enter into force.

The divisions in the Security Council continued as members differed over the deployment of the EU Mission, and the notion that the UN would have to conclude its business and hand-over its authorities to the Kosovo Government by mid-June when the Constitution is expected to enter into force. 

While Council members generally agreed on the need for the Secretary-General to report regularly to the Council and that resolution 1244 (1999) and UNMIK should continue, Council members continued to apply differing interpretations of the resolution. Some (the US and European members of the Council) see resolution 1244 (1999) as consistent with the EU mission. Others (like Russia) feel that this is contrary to resolution 1244 (1999).

Adoption of Resolution 1810 (2008) on the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction by Non-State Actors

On 25 April the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1810 (2008), which renews the mandate of the 1540 Committee on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State Actors for three more years. This Committee assists UN Member States to ensure that they have national legislation and enforcement machinery in place to address the threat that weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems might fall into the hands of non-State actors, such as terrorists.

South Africa voted in favour of the resolution in the spirit of cooperation and to help secure a consensus decision in the Security Council. This is not withstanding the fact that the language in the resolution is far from ideal and does not fully reflect the view of the overwhelming majority of countries who believe that all weapons of mass destruction are illegitimate and that there is no grounds for claiming that these weapons are safe in some hands, but not in others. South Africa has always criticised the permanent members of the Security Council for remaining silent on the need for complete disarmament and for being selective regarding which cases of proliferation by States the Security Council addresses.

The second area where South Africa successfully intervened during the negotiations on the new resolution was to secure the inclusion of language on networks that are involved in the illicit transfer of nuclear related technology. Following the adoption of resolution 1810 (2008), we therefore look forward to the 1540 Committee reassessing the nature and source of the proliferation threat and realigning its outreach programmes and other activities accordingly.

Iraq:

Yesterday the Security Council heard a briefing from the UN Secretariat on the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and from the US on the military operations of the US’s coalition in Iraq.

Many Security Council members expressed grave concern regarding the ongoing violence in Iraq, which is impeding reconstruction and development activities, including the work of UNAMI.

South Africa reiterated its position that any resolution to the conflict in Iraq has to include an all-inclusive political process and national reconciliation, as well as constructive dialogue with all neighboring States.  We also expressed concern about the human rights situation in Iraq and called on all parties, including the multinational force, to ensure that human rights and international humanitarian law are applied, especially with regard to the use of force and the holding of detainees.  We noted in this regard that the latest UN reports once again highlight the mistreatment of detainees in Iraq.

South Africa also remains concerned that repeated findings of serious irregularities with regard to the disbursement of funds from the Development Fund for Iraq and oversight over oil sales and contracts have not been acted upon by the Security Council. This is despite the fact that the Security Council set up the oversight mechanisms that are reporting on these irregularities under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. During the more than a year of South Africa’s membership of the Council, the Council has not even met to discuss the issue, despite repeated calls to do so from South Africa, the Russian Federation and others.

Palestine:

This is a monthly issue on the agenda. Another area where we feel that the Security Council is not fully discharging its responsibilities under the UN Charter is with respect to the crisis in the Middle East.

During the most recent meeting of the Council, as reported during our last media briefing, the Council failed to adopt even the most minimalist press statement expressing concern over the humanitarian situation due to the position of the US. This was despite a shocking briefing by the UN Secretariat on the dire conditions throughout Palestine – and particularly in Gaza – and the revelation that the UN can no longer guarantee essential humanitarian aid to the affected civilian population due to the Israeli military siege and the interruption of fuel supplies.

 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 Question:  Ambassador the situation in Zimbabwe we were told right at the beginning when we went on to the Security Council that it was our view that Zimbabwe should not come before Council because it is not an issue that involves peace and security, it is not a threat to the region.  I understand that this is simply a briefing and that this has become something routine.  What will our statement be?  Will we as chairman have something to say or will we simply be presiding over proceedings?  And could you name the official who will actually be briefing the Council?

Answer:  First, the person who will be briefing the Security Council is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe. 

Depending on the report itself, our deputy Ambassador will listen in on the report while Ambassador Kumalo will be chairing.  Should there be a need for South Africa to say anything, we will.  But if we find that there is no need we may not.

We are not yet privy to what the Secretariat is going to say.

Question:  Ambassador, if you could just let us know, you mentioned the small arms issue, we apparently opposed these moves to establish a ban on cluster bombs.  I wonder if you could explain why that is the case, if that is the case.

Answer:  Small arms are not associated with cluster bombs.  And the Security Council has never discussed cluster bombs.  That’s a discussion for another forum on cluster bombs, where Defence takes the lead and we give the diplomatic back-up to whatever the Defence advises on.  But that’s not for the Security Council. 

 Question:  Is it our understanding or our belief that the Zimbabwe issue is not a threat to peace and security based on the assumption that there is no post-election intimidation or violence against opposition voters in the countryside of Zimbabwe? 

Answer:  As it happened last year, I’m sure you are aware that Britain has always tried to make sure that the issue of Zimbabwe comes to the Security Council in this form, as a briefing during our presidency.

I don’t know why they didn’t wait for their presidency of the Security Council.  They waited during March; they didn’t want to bring it up then.  All the same, it is a briefing.  Britain brought it up, supported by many countries.  So it is just a briefing as it was done last year.

South Africa in principle can never be opposed to a briefing to the Security Council.  All member states of the Security Council are entitled to know what is happening in any country, especially where there are areas of concern that that country may have.  It is just a briefing we will chair as we would any other issue that may come up on the agenda of the Security Council.

Question:  Ambassador on the Zimbabwean question.  What do you think is the motive behind the British bringing up this matter whenever we are chairing the Security Council?  Generally, does this signal a move or intention on their part to embarrass South Africa?  And how are you dealing with this attitude from Britain?

Answer: I don’t think that we’ve made a determination that there is motive by the British.  So we don’t know whether there is any motive.  Whether it is coincidence or not, it is up to you to judge.  But it has come last year during our presidency and it has come this year during our presidency, maybe it is just a coincidence of events.

Question:  Ambassador, just the mechanics.  I know that the Secretary-General of the MDC is in New York.  Does he actually get to address the Council or does he speak to the members on the fringes of the Council?  And how does this briefing work?  Do they actually go into the main chambers or do they do it in the side room?  What format does this take, is it an open meeting with the public and the media listening in?

Answer:  As far as I know, just as the Human Rights Commission sits, many non-state actors that would be MDC included, lobby on the fringes of the meeting.  For now, I’m almost sure that they are not part of the speakers’ list.  It means that they are lobbying on the fringes of the Security Council or of the UN General Assembly.

Normally, unless specified in the request by countries like when we requested an open debate on the issue of Iraq when we chaired the G77 and China, which opened the Security Council to member states. 

This one is a briefing to member states by the Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs.  It happens in the chambers of the Council, and then the president of the Council in agreement with members of the Council will brief the international community through press.

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
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29 April 2008