PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

It was important that the sensitive and complex matters before the Security Council in October would be treated in a spirit which protected the unity of the Council and fostered consensus, the new President of the Council, Martin Belinga Eboutou (Cameroon), told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference.

A consensus should not be taken for granted, he continued, but should be built.  It required efforts, but was, however, important that the outcome smoothed away the differences.  Cameroon intended to preside in an atmosphere of impartiality, transparency and systematic consultations.  Consultations on a regular basis would be necessary to accurately reflect to world public opinion what was being done in the Council and to convey to the Council what public opinion expected from it.

He said the October programme of work, addressed during this morning’s consultations, consisted of the traditional issues of which the Council was seized, thematic questions and topical issues.  Iraq and the Middle East were among the current topical issues.  As thematic issues he mentioned the public open meetings on small arms (11 October), the role of women in armed conflict (25 October), and cooperation between the United Nations system and the Central African region in the maintenance of peace and security (22 October).  A meeting on the Counter Terrorism Committee (4 October) would take stock of the Committee’s achievements since its inception one year ago and trace future avenues for the Committee.  The work programme would be adapted according to current events.

Asked whether the complex issues mentioned might take precedence over traditional issues, Mr. Eboutou said October had 31 days, and the Council might meet any time it desired, including weekends.  The Council would adapt to circumstances, as there were not only traditional but also extremely urgent issues, and would “juggle” its timetable if the Iraqi question arose.

Every situation in which peace and security were at risk presented the same degree of urgency, he replied to another question. Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was just as important as peace in Afghanistan or elsewhere.  There was only one peace, he said.

Answering questions regarding planned discussions on Iraq, he proposed another press encounter tomorrow, after Hans Blix [Executive Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC)] had addressed the Council in consultations.  Consultations were under way, draft resolutions were floating around in capitals, “but the baby is still in gestation”.

Asked whether Mr. Blix had the authority to go to Iraq or should wait for a new mandate, he said Mr. Blix was operating on the basis of adopted resolutions.  Whether there would be new resolutions was up to the Council.

The issues mentioned [Iraq and the Middle East] were so sensitive, he answered in response to another question, because of the interests involved and their complexity.  They were also sensitive because of the seeds of division that were implicit if they were badly handled.  That was why they required more attention than other issues.

In reaction to another question, speaking in his national capacity, Mr. Eboutou said Cameroon, as a non-permanent Council member, did not feel excluded from negotiations on Iraq.  Non-permanent members had been approached, and there were discussions in small groups and bilateral consultations.  A Council decision needed the required majority to vote in favour, so the non-permanent members could not be excluded.

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