SECURITY COUNCIL, ACTING ON SITUATION IN AFRICA, CALLS ATTENTION TO IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTHENING EFFECTIVENESS OF ARMS EMBARGOES
Press Release
SC/6574
SECURITY COUNCIL, ACTING ON SITUATION IN AFRICA, CALLS ATTENTION TO IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTHENING EFFECTIVENESS OF ARMS EMBARGOES
19980916 Resolution 1196 (1998) Adopted Unanimously; Presidential Statement Encourages Enhancing Africa's Peacekeeping CapacityCalling attention to the importance of strengthening the effectiveness of arms embargoes as a means to diminish the availability of arms with which to pursue armed conflicts, the Security Council this evening encouraged each Member State to consider adopting legislation or other legal measures making the violation of arms embargoes established by the Council a criminal offence.
As it unanimously adopted resolution 1196 (1998), the Council encouraged the Chairmen of the Security Council Committees charged with monitoring arms embargoes in Africa, to establish channels of communication with regional and subregional organizations and bodies, in addition to other sources of information, including Member States, in order to improve the monitoring of arms embargoes through wider and regular exchange of information. It requested the Committees to make relevant information publicly available through appropriate media, including through the use of information technology.
The Council action this evening followed its consideration of the Secretary-General's report of 13 April on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in the continent (document A/52/871-S/198/318). Key recommendations of the report refer specifically to arms and arms trafficking, sanctions, refugees, structural adjustment, development assistance, debt and trade, the Security Council and international business and practices. The report was submitted in response to a Council's request made at a meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers last September to consider the need for a concerted effort to promote peace and security in Africa. Following its consideration of the report on 24 April, the Council adopted resolution 1160 (1998), by which it established an Ad Hoc Working Group to review all the Secretary-General's recommendations related to the maintenance of international peace and security in Africa and prepare a framework for their implementation.
By its resolution this evening, the Council stressed that arms embargoes established by the Council should have clear objectives and provisions for
regular review of the measures with a view to lifting them when the objectives were met.
Also this evening, through a statement read by its President, Hans Dahlgren (Sweden), the Council encouraged increased bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of peacekeeping, especially capacity-building, among Member States, the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) as well as subregional organizations in Africa. It also encouraged all States and organizations concerned to work with African States, in particular on the basis of African initiatives and proposals.
Further by the statement, the Council encouraged contributions, financial and in kind, aimed at enhancing Africa's peacekeeping capacity. It urged Member States to contribute to the trust funds established by the United Nations and the OAU to improve preparedness for conflict prevention and peacekeeping in Africa.
The Council also encouraged all those involved in enhancing Africa's peacekeeping capacity to ensure that training for and the conduct of peacekeeping give due emphasis to international humanitarian law and human rights, including the rights of the child, as well as gender issues. It also emphasized the value of training aimed at improving coordination and cooperation among military, police, humanitarian and other civilian component of peacekeeping operations.
The Secretary-General was requested by the Council to study ways to improve the availability of logistics for peacekeeping efforts in Africa. He was also encouraged to establish appropriate United Nations liaison with regional and subregional organizations and to invite those organizations and Member States to provide the Council and the Secretary-General with information on their activities in the field of peacekeeping.
The meeting, which began at 6:19 p.m., was adjourned at 6:29 p.m.
Resolution Adopted
The full text of resolution 1196 (1998) reads as follows:
"The Security Council,
"Reaffirming its resolution 1170 (1998) of 28 May 1998,
"Recalling the statement of its President made on 25 September 1997 (S/PRST/1997/46) at the meeting of the Council at the level of Foreign Ministers on the situation in Africa,
"Having considered the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General of 13 April 1998 on "The causes of conflict and the
Security Council - 3 - Press Release SC/6574 3927th Meeting (Night) 16 September 1998
promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa", which was submitted to the General Assembly (A/52/871) and to the Security Council (S/1998/318) in accordance with the above-mentioned statement, regarding the importance of strengthening the effectiveness of arms embargoes as a means to diminish the availability of arms with which to pursue armed conflicts,
"Stressing the principles of the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States,
"Mindful of the Cairo Declaration of 1993 (A/48/322, annex II), which stipulated that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution would have as a primary objective the anticipation and prevention of conflicts,
"Reaffirming the obligations of all Member States to settle their international disputes by peaceful means and stressing the primary responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,
"Recognizing that the International Commission of Inquiry established by its resolution 1013 (1995) of 7 September 1995 and reactivated in accordance with its resolution 1161 (1998) of 9 April 1998 is an example of a useful means for strengthening the effectiveness of an arms embargo established by the Council,
"1. Reiterates the obligations of all Member States to carry out decisions of the Council on arms embargoes;
"2. Encourages each Member State, as appropriate, to consider as a means of implementing the obligations referred to in paragraph 1 above the adoption of legislation or other legal measures making the violation of arms embargoes established by the Council a criminal offence;
"3. Requests the Security Council Committees established by resolutions imposing arms embargoes in Africa to include in their annual reports a substantive section on the implementation of the arms embargoes, on possible violations of the measures reported to the Committee and with recommendations as appropriate for strengthening the effectiveness of the arms embargoes;
"4. Encourages the Chairman of the Committees referred to in paragraph 3 above to seek to establish channels of communication with regional and subregional organizations and bodies, including in Africa the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (SACSQ), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in addition to other sources of information,
Security Council - 4 - Press Release SC/6574 3927th Meeting (Night) 16 September 1998
including Member States, already mentioned in the guidelines of the Committees, in order to improve the monitoring of arms embargoes through wider
and regular exchange of information with relevant parties in the region concerned;
"5. Reiterates its request that all States, relevant United Nations bodies, and, as appropriate, other organizations and interested parties report information on possible violations of arms embargoes established by the Council to the relevant Security Council Committees referred to in paragraph 3 above;
"6. Requests the Committees referred to in paragraph 3 above to make relevant information publicly available through appropriate media, including through the improved use of information technology;
"7. Welcomes the initiative of the Chairmen of the Committees established pursuant to resolution 864 (1993) of 15 September 1993 and resolution 1132 (1997) of 8 October 1997 concerning the situations in Angola and Sierra Leone, respectively, to visit countries in the region and invites other Committees to consider this approach, where and when appropriate, in order to enhance the full and effective implementation of the measures specified in their respective mandates with a view to urging the parties to comply with relevant Council resolutions;
"8. Expresses its willingness to consider, whenever it establishes arms embargoes, all appropriate measures to assist their effective implementation, and notes, in this context, that measures such as inquiries into arms trafficking routes, the follow-up of possible specific violations and the deployment of border or point of entry monitors may be relevant, in consultation with the countries concerned;
"9. Urges Member States, relevant United Nations bodies and agencies and other international agencies to consider the provision of technical and other assistance, in consultation with the States concerned, to facilitate the implementation of arms embargoes;
"10. Stresses that arms embargoes established by the Council should have clearly established objectives and provisions for regular review of the measures with a view to lifting them when the objectives are met, in accordance with the terms of the applicable Security Council resolutions;
"11. Requests all Security Council Committees established by resolutions imposing arms embargoes to consider, as appropriate, the application of the measures contained in this resolution;
"12. Decides to remain seized of the matter."
Security Council - 5 - Press Release SC/6574 3927th Meeting (Night) 16 September 1998
Presidential Statement
The full text of the presidential statement, to be issued as document S/PRST/1998/28, reads as follows:
"The Security Council welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 13 April 1998 on "The causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa", which was submitted to the Security Council (S/1998/318) and the General Assembly (A/52/871). It agrees with the Secretary-General that the credibility of the United Nations in Africa to a great extent depends upon the willingness of the international community to act and to explore new means of advancing the objectives of peace and security in the African continent.
"The Security Council, which has the primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations for international peace and security, expresses its commitment to exercising this responsibility in relation to Africa, and affirms that strengthening Africa's capacity to participate in all aspects of peacekeeping operations, including their military, police, humanitarian and other civilian components, is a key priority.
"The Security Council encourages increased bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of peacekeeping, especially capacity-building, between Member States, the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) as well as subregional organizations in Africa. It welcomes the efforts already undertaken by the United Nations and Member States to promote greater transparency and coordination in multilateral efforts to enhance Africa's capacity for peacekeeping. In particular, it welcomes efforts to implement the recommendations in the report of the Secretary-General of 1 November 1995 on "Improving preparedness for conflict prevention and peacekeeping in Africa" (S/1995/911) and to follow up the outcome of the meetings organized by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in December 1997 and May 1998. It encourages all States and organizations concerned to work with African States in particular on the basis of African initiatives and proposals.
"The Security Council encourages contributions, financial and in kind, aimed at enhancing Africa's peacekeeping capacity. In particular, it urges Member States to contribute to the trust funds established by the United Nations and the OAU to improve preparedness for conflict prevention and peacekeeping in Africa.
"The Security Council affirms the role of the United Nations in setting general standards for peacekeeping, and urges compliance with existing United Nations guidelines, including through the use of the Ten Rules Code of Personal Conduct for Blue Helmets, which were elaborated following a request by the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (A/51/230). It encourages all those involved in enhancing Africa's peacekeeping capacity to ensure that
Security Council - 6 - Press Release SC/6574 3927th Meeting (Night) 16 September 1998
training for and the conduct of peacekeeping give due emphasis to international humanitarian law and human rights, including the rights of the child, as well as to gender issues. It requests all those conducting peacekeeping operations in Africa to pay particular attention to the situation of children in armed conflict, as appropriate, both in mandates for and reports about such operations.
"The Security Council supports the efforts of the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations as well as Member States in the field of training for peacekeeping.
"The Security Council welcomes the readiness of the United Nations to act as a clearing-house for information on available training initiatives. It particularly welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to establish a United Nations database on training. With the aim of strengthening Africa's peacekeeping capacity, the Security Council requests the Secretary-General to pursue these plans, and to include in the database information about African needs in this field, possible regional and extra-regional contributions to assist in achieving this goal, and available expertise on training. It encourages Member States and regional and subregional organizations to contribute information to the database. It encourages the Secretary-General to consider possible further uses and broadening of United Nations databases, for instance in humanitarian crises.
"The Security Council also welcomes the proposal of the Secretary- General to establish an informal working group composed of African and non-African States directly involved or interested in the provision of training assistance.
"The Security Council emphasizes the value of training aimed at improving coordination and cooperation among military, police, humanitarian and other civilian components of peacekeeping operations. It encourages the Secretary-General and Member States to engage international and non- governmental humanitarian organizations, as appropriate, in peacekeeping training activities.
"The Security Council underlines the importance of the availability of appropriately trained personnel and relevant equipment for all components of peacekeeping operations. In this context, it encourages increased participation by Member States, in particular from Africa, in the United Nations standby arrangements. The Council further encourages the use of United Nations Training Assistance Teams as a useful tool in support of national peacekeeping training. It recognizes the value of joint training exercises, as well as the establishment of partnerships between States whose contingents require equipment and States and organizations that are able to assist them. It also encourages the exchange of lessons learned from previous operations.
Security Council - 7 - Press Release SC/6574 3927th Meeting (Night) 16 September 1998
"The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to study ways to improve the availability of logistics for peacekeeping efforts in Africa.
"The Security Council stresses the need for it to be fully informed of peacekeeping activities carried out or planned by regional or subregional organizations and underlines that the improved flow of information and the holding of regular briefing meetings between members of the Council, African regional and subregional organizations involved in peacekeeping operations and troop contributors and other participating Member States have an important role to play in helping enhance African peacekeeping capacity. In that context, the Council encourages the Secretary-General to establish appropriate United Nations liaison with regional and subregional organizations and invites those organizations and Member States to provide the Security Council and the Secretary-General with information on their activities in the field of peacekeeping."
* *** *