Global Policy Forum

The Swedish Presidency

1. Introduction

On 12 June 1997, the Security Council agreed that there would in the future be attached, as an addendum to its annual report, brief monthly assessments on the work of the Council which Representatives who have completed their function as Presidents of the Security Council may wish to prepare. The present paper constitutes such a report. It covers Sweden's presidency for the month of July 1997, and has been prepared under the responsibility of the Permanent Representative of Sweden.

The Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, Ambassador Peter Osvald, was President of the Security Council for the month of July 1997. During that month, the Council held 12 formal meetings and met in informal consultations on 19 occasions. Two formal meetings, on the Situation in Croatia and on Civilian police in peace-keeping operations, respectively, were presided over by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ms. Lena Hjelm-Wallén. The Council adopted six resolutions and issued seven Presidential Statements. The President spoke with the press after nearly every informal consultation and was frequently mandated by the Council to address specific issues of concern on the Council's agenda.

2. Thematic issues

The Swedish Presidency attached particular importance to the principle of openness and transparency in the work of the Council. In addition to meeting the press on a daily basis, the President of the Council gave detailed daily briefings to non-members on days when informal consultations were held. For the benefit of non-members of the Council, the Presidency also established the practice of announcing in the "Journal of the United Nations" the issues which had been scheduled for consideration under the agenda item "Other matters" in the informal consultations.

Particular efforts were made to improve the regular troop contributors meetings between members of the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop contributing States. Five such meetings were held in July. Following discussions between the Presidency and the Secretariat, a number of steps were taken in order to make the meetings more informative. These steps were widely welcomed and were seen by many as useful improvements which should continue to be implemented as a matter of practice.

In spite of such efforts, Member States rarely take advantage of troop contributors meetings to express views on the mandates and other aspects of the operations in question. This tendency should be reversed if the meetings are to be not only occasions for troop contributors to receive information, but also to be used as fora for troop contributors to provide real input to the considerations of the Security Council.

Peace-keeping is a core task for the United Nations and for the Security Council. 750 000 men and women have served over the years in UN peace-keeping operations. Some 1 500 have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their life as a result of service in peace-keeping operations under the operational control and authority of the United Nations. As a tribute to those men and women, the Security Council decided (in resolution S/RES/1121 (1997)) to establish the Dag Hammarskjí¶ld Medal, bearing the name of the second Secretary-General, who himself was killed on a UN mission to Congo in 1961. The medal was proposed by the United States and welcomed by all Council members.

Sweden drew the attention of Council members to the increasing importance of civilian police in peace-keeping operations. A majority of the conflicts on the Council's agenda today are essentially internal in nature, although many have a significant impact on international peace and security. They often call for a broad response by the international community, including peace-keeping as well as political, economic and humanitarian assistance. Civilian police perform essential functions in the new generation of peace-keeping operations, containing both civilian and military components.

The Security Council issued a Presidential Statement inter alia requesting States to make available at short notice appropriately trained civilian police (S/PRST/1997/38). Attention should subsequently focus on the follow up to the Statement: by States individually or in co-operation, as well as by all relevant parts of the UN system.

3. Five mandates

The Council in July unanimously adopted five resolutions on the mandate of peace-keeping operations in four countries: Croatia, Lebanon, Georgia and Haiti.

During the first part of the month much attention was focused on the situation in Croatia, with the expiry of the mandates of both UNMOP (Prevlaka peninsula) and UNTAES (Eastern Slavonia) on 15 July. Discussions confirmed the view that both missions had continued to play an important role for regional stability. Resolutions extending the respective mandates were adopted on 14 July in one formal meeting (resolutions S/RES/1119 (1997) and S/RES/1120 (1997), respectively).

Consultations on UNTAES centered around the timing of the drawdown of the military component and the gradual devolution of executive responsibility to the Government of Croatia. A compromise was reached and the final text also included clear messages to the parties, in particular the Government of Croatia, to take the steps required in order to reassure the Serb population with respect to the peaceful reintegration of the area. A few days later, the members of the Council accepted the departure of Mr. Jacques Klein as Transitional Administrator, and welcomed the appointment of his successor, Mr. William Walker.

Negotiations on the UNMOP resolution were relatively smooth and uncomplicated. The operation was considered to play an important stabilizing and preventive role. When extending the mandate, the Council also called upon the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to implement fully their agreement on Normalization of Relations.

Following informal consultations on the situation in Lebanon, the Council, in a unanimous decision on 29 July (resolution S/RES/1122 (1997)), extended the mandate of UNIFIL for another period of six months, i.e. to 31 January 1998. As has been the custom over the years, a Presidential Statement was also issued at this meeting (S/PRST/1997/40).

On 30 July, in accordance with resolution 1086 (1996), the Security Council decided to terminate the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti (UNSMIH) as of 31 July 1997. At the same time, the Security Council approved the establishment of a new United Nations Transition Mission in Haiti (UNTMIH) (resolution S/RES/1123 (1997)) with a mandate limited to a single four-month period, ending on 30 November 1997. The objective of this mission of civilian police, supported by a military element, is to assist the Haitian Government in the professionalization of its national police. Thanks to the efforts of Council members and other members of the Group of Friends of Haiti to accomodate different views on the issue, as well as the constructive cooperation of several delegations, the Council was able to support unanimously the recommendations of the Secretary-General and adopt a resolution acceptable to all. In view of the need for significant international support to Haiti also on a longer term, the Secretary-General was asked to give his recommendations to the Council on the modalities of subsequent peace-building international assistance to the country.

Since the adoption of the previous resolution on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, on 30 January 1997, vigorous efforts were made by the United Nations, the Russian Federation, in its capacity as facilitator, the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General on Georgia and the OSCE to revitalize the peace process. Those efforts included, inter alia, direct contacts between Georgian and Abkhaz authorities. In June, a round of talks between the parties were held in Moscow to continue the work on the "Protocol on a Georgian-Abkhaz settlement". In keeping with Security Council resolutions on the role of the UN in achieving a comprehensive political settlement, the Secretary-General convened a high-level meeting in Geneva, on 23 - 25 July, to map out areas where concrete political progress could be made. This meeting was subsequently adjourned. It was decided that it would be reconvened in September. As the Security Council deliberated on the extension of the mandate of UNOMIG, the President of Georgia, Mr. Shevardnadze, was invited by the Friends of the Secretary-General on Georgia to an Arria-formula meeting to express his views on the conflict.

On 31 July, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for six months (resolution S/RES/1124 (1997)). Because of the continued tense situation, especially in the Gali region, the deadlock in the question of the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, continued mine-laying and other violent acts, as well as the precarious human rights situation, the Council would have to follow this matter closely. Given the close relation between UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force, the Secretary-General was also requested to keep the Council informed of any developments regarding the mandate or presence of the CIS force.

4. Other isssues during the month of July

4.1 Africa

As in previous months, a majority of the items dealt with by the Security Council in July concerned Africa. The Security Council followed with great concern reports of the deteriorating situation in Angola. In a statement to the press, the President of the Council condemned UNITA's action on 11 - 12 July, in which UNITA took seven members of MONUA's personnel hostage. Due to the increased seriousness of the situation, Council members again consulted informally on Angola on 18 and 22 July. On 23 July, a Presidential Statement was issued (S/PRST/1997/39) in which the Security Council expressed deep concern at recent destabilizing actions in Angola, in particular UNITA´s failure to comply with resolution 1118 (1997). The Council reaffirmed its readiness to consider the imposition of measures, unless UNITA immediately took irreversible and concrete steps to fulfil its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol. The Secretary-General was requested to assess the fulfilment in his forthcoming report, due 15 August.

This was a clear message to the parties, and in particular to UNITA. Council members remained deeply worried by developments and were expected to have to consider other measures if no improvement occurred, inter alia reviewing the pace of the drawdown of MONUA's military units with a view to making adjustments depending on the situation on the ground, as provided for by Security Council resolution 1118 (1997).

Council members discussed the situation in Burundi on 17 July. They had before them the report of the Secretary-General contained in document S/1997/547. This was the first written report to the Council on Burundi since November 1996.

After a wide-ranging discussion, the President made a statement to the press, which in essence reiterated the points contained in the Presidential Statement on 30 May, 1997. Council members maintained their serious concern about the situation, while encouraging ongoing efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. They reiterated their concern about the involuntary resettlement policy and the serious human rights situation. They also emphasized the need to deal with the problem of impunity and to strengthen the national judicial system. There was a wide-felt feeling that the situation in Burundi deserved closer attention than had been accorded over the past months, during which the conflict in neighbouring Zaire dominated the Council's discussion of the Great Lakes region. The possibility of increasing the number of written reports as a basis for Council discussions was raised. There was wide support for efforts to increase momentum in the peace process, and for an active role for the United Nations, and in particular Ambassador Sahnoun, in support of the regional mediation efforts. On several occasions during the spring of 1997, Security Council members expressed concern about the human rights and humanitarian situation in Zaire, later the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In particular, faced with reports of massacres and other human rights abuses in the eastern part of that country, Council members expressed their support for the joint investigative mission set up by the Commission on Human Rights to investigate those reports. When the Government of the DRC raised objections with regard to the time-frame and composition of the mission, this caused significant concern.

On 3 July, the Secretary-General briefed Council members on his plans to appoint a team of experts to investigate the abovementioned reports of abuses. In a statement to the press, the President of the Council expressed the widespread disappointment among members about the response of the Government to the mission of the Commission on Human Rights. The members of the Council made clear their view that the mission to be sent by the Secretary-General would not change, override or take over the mandate of the mission of the Commission on Human Rights. To establish the truth and the facts was important; not only to the future national reconciliation in the D R Congo, but also for the relations of the international community with that country. Thus there were no objections among Council members to the Secretary-General's proposal, indeed there was wide support for it. On 30 July, Council members received an update from the Secretariat on planning for the dispatch of the Secretary-General's investigative team to the D R Congo. Council members were informed that the team leadership had not yet been established.

The above issue raised questions of principle regarding the cooperation to be accorded to UN human rights organs. While all agreed on the need to establish the facts, concern was expressed regarding possible precedents set for UN efforts to ensure the protection of human rights. Council members were determined to continue to follow this issue closely.

On 22 July, 1997, the President of the Security Council received a letter from the Secretary-General, informing him of the decision to appoint Mr Robin Kinloch Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council was expected to follow attentively the development concerning the UN presence in the D R Congo.

In a letter dated 18 July, 1997, the President of the Council received a request from President Patassé of the Central African Republic that the Council authorize the operations of the interafrican force, MISAB, in place to monitor compliance with the Bangui Accords of January 1997. Informal consultations began on 31 July on a draft resolution, presented by the African members of the Council.

Council members continued consultations on the proposal by the Secretary-General to send an international force to the Republic of the Congo, once conditions on the ground so permitted. They received a briefing on 3 July, 1997 by the Special Envoy of the UN and OAU for the Central African region and the Congo, Ambassador Sahnoun, during which the envoy appealed for the rapid dispatch of a force.

In response, Council members reaffirmed their support for the mediation efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. There was agreement in principle on the dispatch of an advance detachment to the Congo. Council members expressed their readiness to consider rapidly and constructively concrete proposals by the Secretary-General on the deployment to the Republic of the Congo of an advanced detachment. The urgency of dispatching a force was counterbalanced by delays in establishing the conditions on the ground set out by the Secretary-General, and difficulties in completing plans for a force in the format originally envisaged, under current circumstances. The Secretariat informed Council members that a UN peacekeeping operation appeared on reflection to be the most appropriate form of intervention. On 25 July, the Secretary-General dispatched a technical assessment team to the region to assist him in formulating concrete recommendations to the Security Council on the force required.

The importance of bringing to justice those responsible for the genocide in Rwanda was highlighted in a Council briefing on the arrests in Kenya, on 18 July, and the week following, of a number of people indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Council members welcomed the arrests, expressed their gratitude to the Government of Kenya for its cooperation with the Tribunal in this regard, and reiterated their full support for the work of the Tribunal.

The electoral process in Liberia culminated on 19 July with the holding of general presidential and legislative elections. Given the importance of these elections for the peace and reconciliatory process of Liberia, and the important role played by UNOMIL, in close cooperation with ECOMOG, Council members closely followed developments in Liberia during the month of July, including through regular briefings and updates from the Secretariat.

Following the successful carrying out of elections, and as a response to the Secretary-General's letter to the President of the Security Council, stating his assessment of the elections as free, fair and credible, a Presidential Statement was issued by the Council on 30 July (S/PRST/1997/41). In the statement, the President welcomed the succesful holding of the elections and called upon all parties to abide by the results. The Council called upon the new Government of Liberia to protect democracy and to promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The Council met for informal consultations and held two formal meetings on the situation in Sierra Leone in light of the coup that ousted the elected president from power on 25 May 1997. At a formal meeting it heard the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the ministerial Committee of Four of ECOWAS. In a Presidential Statement on 11 July (S/PRST/1997/36), the Council called for the restoration of the constitutional order in Sierra Leone and gave strong support for regional efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the crisis in the country. The Council expressed its readiness to consider appropriate measures if those goals were not achieved without delay.

Council members continued to monitor the situation in Sierra Leone throughout the month and received regular updates on the regional mediation efforts. On 31 July, in a statement to the press, the President, on behalf of the Council, expressed deep concern over the breakdown of talks between the ECOWAS Committee of Four and the illegal regime in Freetown and reiterated the main elements of its Presidential Statement. The situation in Sierra Leone was expected to remain on the agenda of the Security Council for some time, as further measures could be considered in order to achieve a solution to the crisis.

A review of the sanctions against Libya was carried out on 10 July, in accordance with the provisions of resolution 748. There was no agreement that the necessary conditions existed for modifications of the measures of sanctions, which would thus remain in place. In a press statement, the President also noted, however, that a wide-ranging discussion had taken place. Among the documents referred to in the discussion were a letter from the League of Arab States and the OAU, and a letter in response to this, from the Permanent Representatives of France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara briefed the Council on 21 July on the direct talks between Morocco and Polisario. Progress had been made, but much work remained to be done. In a press statement, the President expressed Council members' support for Mr. Baker's efforts and called upon the parties to continue to work effectively towards a peaceful solution. Progress in the direct talks between the parties was likely to be an influential factor in the deliberations to come regarding the future scope and character of the presence of the UN in Western Sahara.

Council members continued to monitor closely the situation in Somalia. In a statement to the press, the President welcomed, on behalf of Council members, the dispatch of USG Kittani as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Somalia and expressed their support for the regional efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in that country. In the view of Council members, it was essential that all Somalia parties take part in the national reconciliation conference, planned to take place in November 1997.

4.2 Europe

The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained high on the agenda of the Security Council. On 28 July, the High Representative for the civilian peace implementation, Mr. Carlos Westendorp, briefed Council members on the current situation in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. The High Representative inter alia expressed his concern at the current slow pace of implementation. After the briefing, the President was asked to meet the press together with Mr. Westendorp, to express Council Members' full support for the High Representative and his team and to reaffirm the parties' obligation to implement all aspects of the Peace Agreement, including to cooperate with the International Tribunal in the Hague.

During the month, Council members were also kept informed about attacks against personnel of international organizations in Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 23 July, in a statement to the press, the President, on behalf of the Council Members, condemned in the strongest possible terms these attacks and called on the authorities of Republika Srpska to protect the international personnel and to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks.

Council members continued to follow closely the situation in Albania. It discussed the reports from the Multinational Protection Force on two occassions. The first discussion was held on 8 July, shortly after the second round of elections i Albania. After the consultations, the President in a statement to the press expressed Council members' satisfaction with the holding of elections and their appreciation to the countries participating in the Multinational Protection Force, which had played an important role in creating a secure environment for the elections. The mandate of the Multinational Protection Force was to expire on 12 August, 1997.

The first round of direct talks between the leaders of the two communities on Cyprus took place outside New York under the auspices of the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus briefed the Council on 14 July. In a statement to the press the same day, the members of the Council welcomed the positive spirit of the first round, and urged the two leaders to uphold the process of direct negotiations and to respond constructively to suggestions made by the Secretary-General's Special Adviser. The Security Council continued to be ready to extend its active, firm and full support to the efforts of the Secretary-General and for the continued sustained process of negotiations leading to a comprehensive settlement.

4.3 The Middle East

On 30 July, in a statement to the press, the President, on behalf of the members of the Council, expressed shock and outrage at the terror bombings that took place earlier that day in Jerusalem. Council members condemned the act and sent their condolences to the families of all those killed and injured in the tragedy. While noting that the bombing occurred just after the announcement of the resumption of bilateral negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials, they reiterated their support for the Middle East peace process and urged all parties to work for peace.

On the question of the implementation of resolution 1111 (4 June), which provides for the extension of the so-called oil-for-food mechanism, concern was expressed by some Council members that the non-export of oil from Iraq could lead to a lack of funds available for humanitarian goods, as provided for in the mechanism. The President was asked to contact the Permanent Representative of Iraq on this matter. The Iraqi Permanent Representative stated that his Government's understanding was that the period, during which export of oil should take place, started when the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that all necessary arrangements had been undertaken, including the establishment of a new Distribution Plan (a reference to operative paragraph 13 in resolution 986 (1995) was made to support this opinion). Iraq asked for the Council´s support for its reading of the provisions in the resolutions. Security Council members made reference, however, to operative paragraph 1 of res. 1111 and conveyed to the Iraqi ambassador, through the President of the Council, that the exporting of oil did not require finalization of the new Distribution Plan.

4.4 Asia

The already precarious situation in Cambodia took a dramatic turn with the ousting, on 4 - 5 July, of First Prime Minister, prince Ranariddh, by the Second Prime Minister, Hun Sen. After some days of intensive consultations the Council could agree on a Presidential Statement condemning acts of violence, urging respect for commitments under the Paris agreements and supporting efforts inter alia by ASEAN to promote dialogue (S/PRST/1997/37). A subsequent press statement appealed to the parties to abide by the Paris Agreement, in all its aspects, including the respect for human rights. The President's view was that the situation in Cambodia would merit continued close attention by the Council, especially during the period leading up to the holding of elections, in 1998. On 3 July, the President of the Council made a statement to the press regarding the transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. On behalf of Council members, he welcomed the smooth and peaceful way in which the transfer took place.

In Afghanistan, the fighting continued to escalate throughout the month of July, prompting the Security Council to express its grave concern and call for an immediate end to the hostilities. In a Presidential Statement, the Council also called upon all Afghan parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and to work together towards the formation of a broad-based, fully representative government (S/PRST/1997/35). The Council urged the cessation of all external interference in Afghan affairs. The statement furthermore voiced the Council's concern at the continuing discrimination against girls and women and other violations of human rights. The Council reaffirmed its full support for the efforts of the United Nations in Afghanistan, in particular the activities of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan (UNSMA). The Council continued its close monitoring of the situation in Afghanistan, inter alia through regular updates from the Secretariat. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, was requested to brief the Council upon his return from a short-term mission to Afghanistan and the region at large.

Significant steps towards peace in Tajikistan were taken through the signing of peace accords in Moscow on 27 June. Council members received information about the contents of these accords and of the parties' request for UN assistance in implementing commitments under the accords. The Security Council was faced with the possibility of having to consider the expansion of the UN operation in Tajikistan in order to respond to this important request.