Security Council

6105^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES SWEARING-IN OF INTERIM PRESIDENT IN GUINEA-BISSAU, NOTES

‘COMMITMENT’ TO CONSTITUTION AFTER ASSASSINATIONS OF PRESIDENT, ARMED FORCES CHIEF

In Statement, Also Welcomes 28 June Presidential Election;

Calls for Support for Commission of Inquiry Investigating Assassinations

Welcoming the swearing-in of Raimundo Pereira as Interim President of Guinea-Bissau, the Security Council today noted with satisfaction the commitment of the new authorities to maintain constitutional order in the country and to deepen national consensus on the transition and the electoral process in the wake of the recent assassinations of President João Bernardo Vieira and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Batista Tagme Na Waie.

In a statement read out by its President, Claude Heller ( Mexico), the Security Council welcomed the convening of the presidential election for 28 June 2009, and urged the Government and all political actors to create the best conditions for the holding of a free, fair, transparent and credible poll.  It further welcomed the assistance already provided by bilateral and multilateral partners to support the electoral budget, and called on the donors to continue to provide technical and financial assistance for the electoral process.

The Council took note of the final communiqué of the 26^th meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mediation and Security Council expressing the need to deploy military and police contingents to ensure the protection of the republican institutions, the authorities, as well as the electoral process in Guinea-Bissau.  In that regard, the Council invited ECOWAS to work in coordination with the Government of Guinea-Bissau.

Among other things, the Council stressed the importance of national reconciliation and the fight against impunity in Guinea-Bissau, and called on the international community to support the commission of inquiry established to investigate the assassinations of the President and of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

Condemning recent cases of arbitrary detention, armed attacks and intimidation, the Council also demanded “a full protection of human rights and fundamental freedom of the people of Guinea-Bissau”.  The 15-nation body also urged the Armed Forces leadership to ensure that its commitment to abide by the civilian authorities and respect constitutional order is fully honoured.

The Council reiterated the importance of the security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau and, in that regard, urged the international partners to continue to support the implementation of the quick-impact projects.  It also welcomed the convening of a round table on Guinea-Bissau’s security sector reform with a view to follow up the coordination and the implementation of the identified projects and programmes on such reform, to be held in Praia, Cape Verde, on 20 April 2009.

Seriously concerned by the growth in illegal drug trafficking, as well as transnational organized crime in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion, the Council members commended the joint action of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), among other United Nations programmes, together with INTERPOL, to help implement the ECOWAS Plan of Action against drug trafficking.  It also called on the international community to continue to support the implementation of the anti-narcotics operational plan, as well as of the ECOWAS Plan of Action.

The meeting began at 12:30 p.m. and ended at 12:40 p.m.

The full text of S/PRST/2009/6 reads as follows:

“The Security Council recalls its previous statements on Guinea-Bissau, and notes the latest report of the Secretary-General on developments in Guinea-Bissau and on the activities of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOBGIS) (document S/2009/169).  The Council reaffirms its support for the continuing efforts to consolidate peace in that country.

“The Security Council welcomes the swearing-in as Interim President of Guinea-Bissau of Raimundo Pereira and notes with satisfaction the commitment of the new authorities to maintain the constitutional order, following the assassinations of the President of Guinea-Bissau, João Bernardo Vieira and of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Batista Tagme Na Waie, and to deepen national consensus on the transition and the electoral process.

“The Security Council also welcomes the convening of the presidential election for 28 June 2009, and urges the Government and all political actors to create the best conditions for the holding of a free, fair, transparent and credible presidential election.  It welcomes the assistance already provided by bilateral and multilateral partners to support the electoral budget, and calls upon the donors to continue to provide technical and financial assistance for the electoral process.

“The Security Council takes note of the final communiqué of the 26^th meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mediation and Security Council expressing the need to deploy military and police contingents to ensure the protection of the republican institutions, the authorities, as well as the electoral process in Guinea-Bissau.  In this regard, the Security Council invites ECOWAS to work in coordination with the Government of Guinea-Bissau.

“The Security Council condemns recent cases of arbitrary detentions, armed attacks and intimidation, and demands a full protection of human rights and fundamental freedom of the people of Guinea-Bissau.  It urges the Armed Forces leadership to ensure that its commitment to abide by the civilian authorities and respect constitutional order is fully honoured.

“The Security Council stresses the importance of national reconciliation and the fight against impunity in Guinea-Bissau, and calls on the international community to support the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the assassinations of the President and of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

“The Security Council reiterates the importance of the security sector reform in Guinea-Bissau and, in this regard, urges the international partners to continue to support the implementation of the quick-impact projects.  It welcomes the convening of a round table on Guinea-Bissau’s security sector reform with a view to follow up the coordination and the implementation of the identified projects and programmes on security sector reform, to be held in Praia, Cape Verde, on 20 April 2009.

“The Security Council remains seriously concerned by the growth in illegal drug trafficking, as well as transnational organized crime in Guinea-Bissau and in the subregion.  It commends the joint action of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Department of Political Affairs/UNOWA, Department of Peacekeeping Operation and INTERPOL to help implement the ECOWAS Plan of Action against drug trafficking.  It calls upon the international community to continue to support the implementation of the Guinea-Bissau anti-narcotics operational plan, as well as of the ECOWAS Plan of Action.

“The Security Council calls on the international community to provide timely and adequate support for the implementation of the Strategic Peacebuilding Framework adopted by the Peacebuilding Commission.  It looks forward to a sustainable mobilization of resources for economic reconstruction and peace consolidation in Guinea-Bissau.

“The Security Council reiterates the importance of the regional dimension in the resolution of the problems faced by Guinea-Bissau and, in this regard, welcomes the role of the African Union, ECOWAS, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the European Union in the peacebuilding process.

“The Security Council commends the Representative of the Secretary-General and the staff of UNOGBIS, as well as the United Nations country team and the Peacebuilding Commission country-specific configuration on Guinea-Bissau for their contribution to peace, democracy and the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau.  The Security Council reiterates that it looks forward to receiving recommendations from the Secretary-General on how the United Nations presence in Guinea-Bissau should be reconfigured to support peacebuilding more effectively.”

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For information media • not an official record