NATIONS UNIES INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM MEMORANDUM INTERIEUR

TO: Mr. S. Iqbal Riza DATE: 23 January 2004 A: Chef de Cabinet REFERENCE: Executive Office of the Secretary-General

THROUGH: S/C DE: Joseph StephanidesjDfrector

FROM: Security Council Affairs Division, DPA DE: Security Council: Report on activities SUBJECT: OBJET: EXECUT!>'i OrK.'C OF THE CEir.ETARY-GENERAL

Attached please find, for the information of the Secretary-General, a note on the proceedings of the Security Council for Friday, 23 January 2004 .

cc: The Deputy Secretary-General Mr. K. Prendergast

JAN 2 62001 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

__ Friday, 23 January 2004 (A.M.)

FORMAL MEETING

Security Council mission to West Africa

At its 4899th meeting, the Security Council considered the Progress report of the Secretary-General on the recommendations of the Security Council mission to West Africa (S/2003/1147), and received a briefing by ASG for Political Affairs Tuliameni Kalomoh.

In his briefing, Mr. Kalomoh observed that appreciable progress continued to be made in implementing the recommendations of the Security Council mission. As concerned Guinea-Bissau, Mr. Kalomoh underscored that the political process for legislative elections was back on track with the commitment of the transitional Government for these to be held by March 2004, followed by presidential elections in 2005. In this context, he reiterated an earlier call by the Security Council that the international community remain fully engaged with Guinea-Bissau. With respect to Cote d'lvoirej Mr. Kalomoh noted that since issuance of the Secretary-General's report, ministers from the "Forces nouvelles" had returned to the Government of National Reconciliation. The fact that the peace process was back on track demonstrated the sustained commitment of ECOWAS and the international community, including the recent DPKO-led assessment mission to Cote d'lvoire to prepare recommendations on how the UN presence in the country could be reinforced. Regarding , Mr. Kalomoh noted that the report called upon Member States having promised troops to redeem their pledges as soon as possible, and he stressed that the deployment of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) outside of Monrovia would, by enhancing security, open up the country for humanitarian and other assistance. He reiterated the hope expressed in the report that the international community would demonstrate its full engagement in Liberia by ensuring the success of the February donor conference on the reconstruction of Liberia. Concerning Sierra Leone, Mr. Kalomoh cautioned that much remained to be done to ensure that the planned withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) took into account the Government's ability to assume primary responsibility for national security, and he recalled in this connection the Secretary-General's intention to send an assessment mission in February 2004 to study the issue of a residual UN presence. Mr. Kalomoh noted that the report contained an initial assessment on how to address cross-border problems, and that in coming weeks, the Secretary-General would submit a report containing recommendations specific to these problems. Mr. Kalomoh also indicated that in a follow-up to the recommendations of the Council mission to the region, the SRSG for West Africa was in regular consultations with UN political and peacekeeping missions in order to develop a strategy to address cross-border problems. Mr. Kalomoh affirmed in conclusion that having invested so much in the sub-region, it was important that the Council remain engaged to build upon the progress being made.

In their interventions, speakers - Council members, Ireland, on behalf of the EU and associated countries, the Syrian Arab Republic, Mexico, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Ghana, in his capacity as Chairman of ECOWAS, Japan, Cote d'lvoire and - acknowledged progress which had been made in each country of the sub-region since the Council mission in July 2003. Inter alia, speakers noted that the parties to the Linas-Marcousis Agreement for Cote d'lvoire were making progress towards fully implementing the programme for national reconciliation; the transitional Government in Guinea- Bissau was preparing for legislative elections; Liberia was attaining a further degree of stability, in part through the wider deployment of UNMIL; and Sierra Leone, with a strengthened army and police force, was exercising greater control over its natural resources.

However, speakers agreed that while West Africa was at a turning pointy difficult problems remained. Delegations concurred with the Secretary-General that the only viable way to ensure success in West Africa was through regional and multidimensional strategies in tackling cross-border issues, including through the reintegration of child soldiers; strengthening the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) processes; stopping proliferation of small arms and light weapons; halting the illegal exploitation of natural resources; reversing the culture of impunity; and addressing underlying causes of conflict. Speakers agreed that a coordinated approach on the part of the UN, the donor community and other partners was essential, including through the Mano River Union (MRU), and Germany, Brazil and Mexico stressed the need to revitalize political dialogue in the MRU States. In that connection, delegations looked forward to the Secretary-General's report on cross-border issues in West Africa, with hoping that the report would provide clear recommendations for the role of regional organizations in establishing a mechanism to address such issues.

Speakers also commended the considerable efforts being made by ECOWAS and, noting that ECOWAS was reaching the limits of its resources, they agreed on the need for the international community to support and strengthen its capacity. In particular, speakers supported the upcoming joint mission of UNDP, the UN Office for West Africa and the European Commission to ECOWAS Headquarter in Abuja and also suggested ways to enhance the effectiveness of ECOWAS through external assistance and structural improvements. Among proposals put forward during the debate, Pakistan warned that neither sanctions nor DDR programmes, would yield results unless the incentives for armed groups to continue in their way were not removed. The United States (similarly, Germany) maintained that inter-mission support could create greater efficiencies. Ireland called on the leaders of the sub-region to engage in meaningful and constructive dialogue on the bilateral and sub- regional level. Delegations (in particular Benin, Ireland and Algeria) also welcomed the increasing cooperation between the Security Council and the ECOSOC on West African issues, and -_ Pakistan further suggested greater coordination and synergy among the Security Council, the ECOSOC and the General Assembly, •. including through a possible composite committee. Japan believed that all PKOs should have clear exit strategies at their launching. Romania believed the UN Office for West Africa should be given the responsibility to ensure regional coordination of all organizations involved. For instance, the ECOWAS moratorium on light weapons should be implemented in conjunction with similar endeavors being undertaken at the international level so as to make it more operational. Algeria, supported by Angola, stressed the need for the Council's sub-regional approach to be clear and action-oriented, and suggested that the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa might make some proposals to that end. Germany maintained that no efforts by third parties could be a substitute for the full and unequivocal commitment of national governments in the sub-region to national reconciliation, human rights, the rule of law and good governance.

Regarding the situation in Cote d'lvoire, a number of delegations called on the parties to fully implement the Linas- Marcousis Agreement and expressed support for the timely establishment of a UN PKO (including the United Kingdom, France, Romania, Angola, the Russian Federation, Pakistan, Chile, Ghana, Cote d'lvoire and Nigeria). Japan held that before the Council made a decision, the Secretariat should explain to non-members of the Council why it considered appropriate the number of troops that had been proposed to fulfil the mandates of the possible mission. He made the same request regarding the number of civilian police personnel, which would be proposed later.

Concerning the situation in Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, among others, urged the Council to come up with a robust, comprehensive economic rescue package for the country, which could be done with the assistance of the Bretton Woods institutions. Similarly, Ghana expressed the view of ECOWAS that Guinea-Bissau could not get back on its feed without adequate resources.

Regarding the situation in Liberia, a number of speakers looked forward the results of the donor conference on Liberian reconstruction to be hosted by the UN, World Bank and the United States in New York on 5 and 6 February. For its part, the United Kingdom stressed that the most important stabilizing factor in Liberia would-be DDR. Among others, Chile and Ghana endorsed the proposal for "the accelerated deployment of UNMIL throughout the country to promote security and facilitate the successful implementation of the DDR process.

Concerning Sierra Leone, Pakistan and others underscored the need for a cautious approach to the drawdown and withdrawal of UNAMSIL, and the Philippines and Sierra Leone, among others, -_ endorsed the projected assessment mission to Sierra Leone to evaluate the progress made in accomplishing the relevant benchmarks. Several speakers, including the United Kingdom, noted that if the benchmarks were not fully met, the Council must consider what residual UN presence would be required after UNAMSIL's departure. While Sierra Leone asserted that the Government's prospects for assuming full responsibility for the country's national security and safety when UNAMSIL left were good, there were a number of outstanding problems requiring urgent attention, especially the need for additional resources to strengthen the army and police. Angola held that the useful lessons learned in Sierra Leone could be the subject of a public debate in the Council held with the participation of those directly involved in UNAMSIL's work, and added that that meeting could take place following UNAMSIL's withdrawal.

Overall, Benin expressed the hope that missions by the Council would continue and would be more inclusive. Spain opined that the added value of the Council's missions largely depended on good follow-up to the recommendations that ensued.

LS/MB/SCSB/SCAD/23 January 2004

Programme of work

See Activities Report for the afternoon of 23 January 2004.