PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

 

Following emergency closed-door talks at United Nations Headquarters, French Ambassador Jean Marc de La Sablière told reporters today at a press conference that the Security Council was preparing a “swift and strong” response to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent test-firing of a series of missiles.

With tensions rapidly increasing throughout North-East Asia in the wake of Pyongyang’s test-launch -- which included one long-range missile that failed shortly after it was fired -- Mr. de La Sablière, whose country holds the 15-nation body’s presidency for the month, said the Council was prepared to follow Japan’s lead on the matter, but was aware that the international community expected a “swift, strong and effective response”, whether it be in the form of a Council resolution or a presidential statement.

Mr. de La Sablière, who also briefed correspondents on the Council’s work programme for the month, said the mood of the Council’s consultations on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had been one of “grave concern”, and there had been “an agreement in the room” that the Council should react firmly, noting that a meeting with experts on the subject would take place this afternoon to consider that reaction.  He added that Japanese Ambassador Kenzo Oshima, who had circulated a draft resolution that enjoyed the support of several countries, including France, would update the Council the outcome of that meeting later today.

A correspondent asked what the Council could really do, and whether this “big build-up” would only lead to a “fairly weak” presidential statement, especially since it had been reported that the body was deadlocked behind China and the Russian Federation’s opposition to a toughly-worded resolution.

Mr. de La Sablière replied that, while he could not say exactly what the Council’s reaction would be, speaking in his national capacity, he could say that France believed that the Council should react quickly, because the test-launch had to do with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was a “major player” in that proliferation.

“[France] wishes that the international community be united on the issue, and we also wish for the six-party talks to continue, but it is appropriate for the Council to react strongly,” he said, noting the quick rise in tensions in the region, and adding that Pyongyang must understand that the international community was gravely concerned by this “deeply disturbing” threat to international peace and security.  On what measures should be taken, he said that France believed that the dual-use goods issue should be addressed.  “The more difficult we can make it for North Korea to develop [its] technology, the better.” 

On the Council’s July work plan, he said the 15-nation body would be focused on several hot-button issues on the African continent, including the complex situation that had emerged in the fallout from the ongoing tensions in the Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region.  With Secretary-General Kofi Annan and African leaders still in talks with the Sudanese Government over its reluctance to allow a United Nations force to take over from the African Union and to support the recent peace agreement, he said the Council hoped that, soon -- perhaps by the end of the day -- Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir would grant such permission.

The Council would also be actively seized with the related instability in Chad and, more recently, in the Central African Republic, on which it planned to hold consultations this Friday.  Mr. de La Sablière said the Council was very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Chad, as well as the conditions of the country’s camps for refugees and internally displaced persons, which he had visited on a recent Council mission.  He said the security situation in the camps was troubling, that the camps themselves had been politicized, and that humanitarian workers were under constant threat.

He said that France was prepared to participate in any international effort or initiative that would be taken to address the security in the camps.   France had been pushing, and would continue to push, for that situation to be dealt with as soon as possible, whether within a United Nations, African Union or European Union framework.  “ France believes that these camps should be protected,” he said, adding that Chadian President Idriss Deby had told the Council that he did not have the means to simultaneously protect the country’s borders and the refugee camps, and had called on the international community for help.  Since the President was open to that help, concerned countries should move to help provide it. 

He went on to say that the Council would be closely following the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, slated to take place on 30 July, adding that he would also personally provide a briefing on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he had led a Council mission last month.  And, while the Council had not set a specific date to consider the situation in northern Uganda, it had been listed on the agenda ahead a report expected from the Department of Political Affairs.

France had always believed that that situation should be discussed in the Council, and Mr. de La Sablière had had a discussion with the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, on the matter last week to consider some of the recommendations in the report, one of which was the notion of appointing a Special Envoy for the issue.  If the Council took up the matter, it would be under its Lords Resistance Army (LRA) agenda item, which took a regional approach, and included northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and southern Sudan.

In addition, he said the Council would continue to encourage dialogue between the Transitional Authorities in Somalia and the Union of Islamic Courts, which had recently taken over the capital, and also continue to closely follow the situation in the Middle East, noting that the Arab Group was at this moment discussing its next moves following Friday’s meeting on the recent flare-up of violence in the Occupied Territory.

On Iran, he said the Council was waiting for a “clear and substantive response” to the package of incentives offered to that country in return for its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Among thematic topics to be considered this month was the protection of children in armed conflict, which Mr. de la Sablière said would be reviewed in an open meeting on 24 July.

In addition, he said, the first “straw polls” on the election of a new United Nations Secretary-General were due to be held in the middle of the month.

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