United Nations S/PV.4788 Security Council Provisional Fifty-eighth year 4788th meeting Thursday, 17 July 2003, 10.25 a.m. New York President: Ms. Menéndez .................................... (Spain) Members: Angola ......................................... Mr. Lucas Bulgaria ........................................ Mr. Tafrov Cameroon ....................................... Mr. Belinga-Eboutou Chile ........................................... Mr. Maquieira China .......................................... Mr. Zhang Yishan France .......................................... Mr. De La Sablière Germany ........................................ Mr. Pleuger Guinea ......................................... Mr. Boubacar Diallo Mexico ......................................... Mr. Pujalte Pakistan ........................................ Mr. Akram Russian Federation ................................ Mr. Gatilov Syrian Arab Republic .............................. Mr. Wehbe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ..... Sir Jeremy Greenstock United States of America ........................... Mr. Negroponte Agenda The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. 03-43075 (E) *0343075* S/PV.4788 The meeting was called to order at 10.25 a.m. between the Palestinian and Israeli Prime Ministers, and Palestinians and Israelis meet frequently at the Adoption of the agenda ministerial level to discuss such issues as security, prisoners, incitement, economic development, The agenda was adopted. investment and health. Credit for this progress should go first to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian The situation in the Middle East, including the Authority. They deserve to be commended for their Palestinian question courageous pursuit of the peace process. We urge them The President (spoke in Spanish): In accordance to continue meeting and to maintain the positive with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior momentum they have developed. consultations, and in the absence of objection, I shall The Quartet members, particularly the United take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an States, have assisted the parties to reach that point. The invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of United States has continued to demonstrate its procedure to Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen, Special commitment to this process by the recent visits to the Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and region of Secretary of State Powell and National Personal Representative of the Secretary-General. Security Adviser Rice, as well as by placing a full-time It is so decided. senior monitoring coordinator, Ambassador John Wolf, on the ground to work with the parties to fulfil their I invite Mr. Roed-Larsen to take a seat at the commitments. Quartet members stay in close touch Council table. with Ambassador Wolf’s team. My Office, together The Security Council will now begin its with other United Nations agencies, is monitoring the consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is situation on the ground, as we have for several years. meeting in accordance with the understanding reached We will continue to keep the Council informed of in its prior consultations. progress in implementing the road map. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a The ceasefire announced on 30 June was achieved briefing by Mr. Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Coordinator through the efforts of the Palestinian leadership and for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal with the particular support of President Mubarak of Representative of the Secretary-General. Egypt. We urge all Palestinian groups to adhere strictly to the ceasefire. We call on the parties to stay the I now give him the floor. course in the face of possible future violations of the Mr. Roed-Larsen: Since the last briefing to the ceasefire. The peace process is too important to allow Security Council, on 13 June, the revived peace spoilers to dictate its pace or to set its agenda. process based on the Quartet’s road map has made The Quartet — represented by Secretary-General encouraging progress. Hope is beginning to supplant Annan, United States Secretary of State Powell, despair after more than 1,000 days of violence and Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov and, for the European 3,500 deaths. Israelis and Palestinians are meeting Union, High Representative Solana, Foreign Minister regularly and working together at all levels. Those Papandreou and External Affairs Commissioner tentative steps are leading to more mobility for Patten — met on 22 June at the Dead Sea in Jordan. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Bethlehem and to This first meeting after the presentation of the road more security for Israelis. map to the parties and the Aqaba summit reaffirmed As agreed between the parties, the Israel Defence the role of the Quartet. The members took the Forces (IDF) have withdrawn from parts of the Gaza opportunity to assess the status of the road map. They Strip and the West Bank town of Bethlehem. That has reviewed the steps that should be taken by both sides in enabled the Palestinian Authority to begin to re- order to move ahead, as well as the support we in the establish control over those areas. international community need to give to the renewed peace process. In the statement read out by the A ceasefire that suspends attacks on Israelis has Secretary-General, the Quartet commended Palestinian been reached among Palestinian groups and is largely Prime Minister Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister being honoured. Regular meetings are occurring Sharon for their statements of commitment to peace, 2 S/PV.4788 and pledged support to the parties to carry out those Before I move on to the humanitarian situation, I commitments. The Quartet in turn reaffirmed its would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the commitment to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace pressing need to create and build momentum. Both in the Middle East based on Security Council sides need to take steps that build trust and confidence. resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 1397 (2002). Each needs to demonstrate to the other that progress The Quartet also stated that it looked forward to brings real and tangible benefits. Each needs to continuing to work together in close consultation with strengthen the capacity of the other to move forward the parties. through bold and courageous steps. To this end, we would strongly urge the Government of Israel to do I would also like to take this opportunity to say more in terms of prisoner releases and in easing the clearly that the commitment to a just, lasting and daily living conditions of the Palestinians. I can think comprehensive peace requires that progress also be of few actions that would do more to build real trust made on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks of the peace and confidence. Prisoner releases in Northern Ireland process. set an encouraging precedent in this respect. The challenges to the peace process remain Unfortunately, since the last briefing to the numerous. Since the last briefing to the Security Security Council, the humanitarian situation has seen Council 49 people have lost their lives to the little concrete improvement, despite the sharp decrease Palestinian-Israeli conflict, namely, 40 Palestinians and in violent clashes following the declaration of a nine Israelis. That raises the total death toll since ceasefire by Palestinian groups. The withdrawal of September 2000 to 2,755 Palestinians and 787 Israelis. Israeli forces from parts of the Gaza Strip has been There has been a sharp decrease in violent attacks and accompanied by some easing of restrictions on the incitement during this reporting period. Any fatality is movement of Palestinian workers and commodities. tragic and needless. We are therefore pleased that the But closures, curfews and checkpoints have not been progress in the peace process has saved lives and relaxed significantly in the West Bank. As a result, the lessened violence. economic deterioration in the occupied Palestinian A peace process is now under way. Terrorist territory and the human suffering of the Palestinian attacks are damaging to that process. The Palestinian people have not yet reflected the progress achieved in Authority has a specific duty to assume security these early stages of the road map process. Even with a responsibility, first in those areas from which the full Israeli withdrawal, improvements in living Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has withdrawn and later conditions will take time to manifest themselves. My in all the areas under its control. Israel and the Office, the World Bank and United Nations agencies international community should take steps and provide continue to monitor the socio-economic situation. We needed assistance to enable the Palestinian Authority to hope that steps will be agreed to by the parties in the fulfil its responsibilities. Israel should continue its near future that will pave the way for necessary withdrawals and refrain from any provocative acts that improvements in the humanitarian situation. could