United Nations S/PV.4981 Security Council Provisional Fifty-ninth year 4981st meeting Thursday, 3 June 2004, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Baja......................................... (Philippines) Members: Algeria ......................................... Mr. Baali Angola ......................................... Mr. Gaspar Martins Benin .......................................... Mr. Adechi Brazil .......................................... Mr. Valle Chile ........................................... Mr. Muñoz China .......................................... Mr. Wang Guangya France .......................................... Mr. de La Sablière Germany ........................................ Mr. Pleuger Pakistan ........................................ Mr. Akram Romania ........................................ Mr. Motoc Russian Federation ................................ Mr. Smirnov Spain ........................................... Mr. De Palacio España United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ..... Sir Emyr Jones Parry United States of America ........................... Mr. Holliday Agenda The situation in Liberia Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council resolution 1521 (2003) regarding Liberia (S/2004/428) Third progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (S/2004/430 and Corr.1) 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. 04-37373 (E) *0437373* S/PV.4981 The meeting was called to order at 10.10 a.m. It is so decided. I invite Mr. Klein to take a seat at the Council Expression of thanks to the retiring President table. The President: As this is the first meeting of the The Security Council will now begin its Security Council for the month of June, I should like to consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council is meeting in accordance with the Council, to Mr. Munir Akram, Permanent understanding reached in its prior consultations. Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, for Members have before them the report of the his service as President for the month of May 2004. I Secretary-General pursuant to Security Council am sure I speak for all members of the Council in resolution 1521 (2003) regarding Liberia, document expressing deep appreciation to Mr. Akram for the S/2004/428, and the third progress report of the great diplomatic skill with which he conducted the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission in Council’s business last month. Liberia, document S/2004/430. Adoption of the agenda At this meeting, the Security Council will first hear a briefing by Mr. Jacques Paul Klein, Special The agenda was adopted. Representative of the Secretary-General for Liberia, and then by Mr. Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of The situation in Liberia the National Transitional Government of Liberia. Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to At the end of those briefings, I will give the floor Security Council resolution 1521 (2003) to those Council members who wish to make comments regarding Liberia (S/2004/428) or ask questions. Third progress report of the Secretary-General As there is no list of speakers for this meeting, I on the United Nations Mission in Liberia invite Council members who wish to take the floor to (S/2004/430 and Corr.1) so indicate to the Secretariat as from now. The President: In accordance with the I give the floor to the Special Representative of understanding reached in the Council’s prior the Secretary-General for Liberia, Mr. Jacques Paul consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council Klein. agrees to extend an invitation under rule 37 of its Mr. Klein (spoke in French): I have the pleasure provisional rules of procedure to invite Mr. Charles today of reporting to the Council on the progress Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transitional achieved since the start of the United Nations Mission Government of Liberia. in Liberia (UNMIL). In so doing, I would like to There being no objection, it is so decided. introduce the two reports of the Secretary-General before the Council: the third progress report on the Mr. Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the United Nations Mission in Liberia and the report National Transitional Government of Liberia, was prepared pursuant to Security Council resolution 1521 escorted to a seat at the Council table. (2003). The President: On behalf of the Council, I (spoke in English) extend a warm welcome to the Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia, I am grateful to you, Mr. President, and to all the Mr. Charles Gyude Bryant. members of the Council for having graciously agreed to receive Chairman Gyude Bryant, who is a staunch In accordance with the understanding reached in supporter of UNMIL and whom I would like to the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the commend, in your presence, for the resolute manner in Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under which he has led the Transitional Government in these rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to difficult early stages of the peace process. His presence Mr. Jacques Paul Klein, Special Representative of the here today will give the Council the opportunity to hear Secretary-General for Liberia. 2 S/PV.4981 from the Chairman himself the steps taken by the of heavy ammunition and 3,900,000 rounds of small National Transitional Government of Liberia in ammunition have been collected and destroyed. implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, There are worrying signs, however, that some of and the Chairman’s vision for taking Liberia through the heavy weapons are not as yet being turned in for this period of transition to the October 2005 elections. disarmament. We are determined to ensure that, in the Given the state of chaos, insecurity and collapsed end, all such weapons are surrendered. Another governmental structure at the time we arrived in concern is that few non-Liberian combatants are Liberia seven months ago, our immediate priority was voluntarily disclosing their foreign identities. So far, to stabilize the country by progressively deploying only 82 have declared themselves. We expect more to troops throughout its entirety, disarming the armed gain confidence in the process and identify themselves groups through the disarmament, demobilization, once the arrangements for their repatriation and reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) programme, remuneration become clear. We are devising those and simultaneously commencing the restructuring of arrangements in consultation with the concerned the law and order institutions in order to create the United Nations agencies in the surrounding countries, necessary security environment, space for the preparing reintegration programmes should those implementation of other aspects of our mandate and to individuals choose to return to their countries of origin. facilitate the delivery of sorely needed humanitarian With the aspects of disarmament and assistance. I am pleased to report that the progress we demobilization progressing smoothly, the main focus is have made on these most pressing priorities has far now on preparations for the reintegration of disarmed exceeded our expectations. combatants. In collaboration with the Transitional The deployment throughout Liberia has greatly Government, United Nations agencies, non- improved security along its long and porous borders. governmental agencies and other parties such as the UNMIL now has a strong presence along the Guinean- United States Agency for International Development Liberian and Sierra Leonean-Liberian borders and the (USAID) and the European Union, short-term bridging northern part of the Liberian border with Côte d’Ivoire. projects have been devised to absorb demobilized We will have full presence on the border contiguous combatants pending the availability of a long-term with Côte d’Ivoire when the inbound Ethiopian and reintegration programme. The United Nations Senegalese battalions deploy to the south-east in mid- Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are June. currently developing long-term capacity-building programmes for 7,000 child ex-combatants, most of Similarly, UNMIL’s civilian police component is which will focus on education, skills development, gaining ground. It has expanded considerably to the apprenticeship and community-based support. areas beyond Monrovia, including Roberts International Airport and the main UNMIL sector Since we last briefed the Council, there has been headquarters in Buchanan, Gbanga, Tubmanburg and considerable progress in the area of security sector Zwedru. The civilian component of UNMIL, although reform and the rule of law. UNMIL has assisted in the authorized at 607 international staff positions, has only restoration of the judicial system. Seventeen courts 400 in place. This leaves me with a shortfall of 33 per have been reconstituted in Monrovia and its environs. cent. However, what they lack in quantity, they make Furthermore, in collaboration with the International up in quality. Committee of the Red Cross, we have assisted in improving