S/PV.5868
5868th meeting
Wednesday, 16 April 2008, 10 a.m.
New York
Peace and security in Africa
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): It is indeed a great honour, Mr. Mbeki, to see you personally assume the presidency of Security Council today. It is my pleasure to convey to you the greetings and support of your brother, Colonel Al‑Qaddafi.
We are also honoured to have with us heads of State or Government, ministers and heads of delegations. We welcome the presence of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Oumar Konaré, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. We certainly appreciate all of their efforts.
I congratulate you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting, as it paves the way for our meeting tomorrow with the African Union Peace and Security Council. We have set great expectations on that meeting, as the topic falls squarely within the core functions and objectives of our two Councils as stated in their statutes. The topic is very important and not enough time has been provided to expand on it. Therefore I shall provide a written statement for distribution and will merely stress some important points here today.
My country fully agrees with the statement made by the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Chairperson of the African Union, Mr. Jakaya Kikwete.
This proceeds from the important concept paper prepared by the presidency stressing the need for a practical movement ensuring effective long-term participation by both regional and subregional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security. The Charter, in Chapter VIII, specifically recognizes such a role for those organizations. Many international resolutions and declarations have stressed the importance of the participation of regional and subregional organizations — particularly with regard to conflict prevention and finding effective joint measures to deal with the root causes of threats to peace — as being fundamental international commitments and objectives provided for in the United Nations Charter.
My country, Libya, has been committed to the prevention and settlement of African conflicts and, as an African member of this Security Council, we have come to understand the urgent need for a more comprehensive international framework for such efforts. There has certainly been recognition of Africa’s development and its role in a collective security organization based primarily on the efforts of regional and subregional organizations in the prevention of disputes.
However, let me also state that, frankly, we continue to need to prove that practical measures must take precedence over rhetoric and that long-term conflict resolution remain the priority. The Secretariat continues to lack the necessary resources for logistical support of national and regional capacities, and therefore insufficient efforts have been made to prevent conflicts at their source. The price has been very high. We now face humanitarian situations with spreading tragedies and ramifications. We are also incurring enormous expenditures related to conflict management, as well as peacekeeping operations with no end in sight.
No one, of course, would argue that there is one simple prescription for prevention. Such an effort would require a diagnosis of the causes of such conflicts, which are complex and interrelated. The prescription is necessarily complex: internal, regional and, specifically, international.
Article 1 of the United Nations Charter includes, among the purposes and principles of the Organization, upholding principles of equal rights and self-determination for all peoples and assisting them in solving economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.
There has been increasing appreciation for the growing role of the African Union, under difficult circumstances, particularly since the establishment of its Peace and Security Council, as an entity entrusted with decision-making, in partnership with the United Nations. The Council has been active in many of the cases that have been raised here this morning.
Africa does not seek a narrow continental interest nor do we seek to be dealt with with modesty, as the late leader Léopold Senghor said. Africa’s security and development are an essential component of the collective global security system. Furthermore, the mandate and procedures of the United Nations Security Council cannot be separated from those of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
Structural strategies aimed at conflict prevention in Africa have evolved as a result of valuable reports submitted regularly by the Secretary-General, particularly since the end of the last century. Two important reports have been submitted in the past few months. It is now up to us to implement the recommendations set out in those reports and to capitalize on the exceptional momentum achieved thus far. In Addis Ababa last year, the foundations were laid for relations between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Annual meetings have been scheduled. Sharing experiences and information with regard to current conflicts and seeking ways to cooperate in order to prevent such conflicts have become established practices that are welcomed by all.
Finally, I believe that we must now begin our work to formalize a global-regional partnership, in which all United Nations bodies should be encouraged to participate. Such a partnership should guarantee, in the context of Chapter VIII of the Charter, the integration of resources, priorities, capacities and mandates, assigning them according to comparative advantages and areas of strength. Contrary to the notion that the United Nations must not provide funding unless it has control, it should provide support to the African Union and its security structure both logistically and financially. We hope that that will be the outcome of today’s deliberations. Only such a partnership will enable us to face the real challenges and, as stated in the most recent report of the Secretary-General, to develop more planned, consistent and reliable arrangements.
In conclusion, I should like to thank the delegation of South Africa for the draft resolution before us. We fully endorse it and look forward to its adoption at the end of this meeting.
