Summary: February 22, 2001: Security Council. Open Debate on the situation in Angola. Statement by Ambassador Pierre Schori, Permanent Representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union (New York)
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European Countries associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, as well as the EFTA countries members of the EEA, Iceland and Liechtenstein, align themselves with this statement.
Mr. President,
The armed conflict in Angola has lasted for decades, causing the population horrendous suffering, creating a dire humanitarian and economic situation in the country and contributing to instability in the region. The responsibility for this situation rests primarily with UNITA under Jonas Savimbi. The European Union demands that UNITA puts an immediate end to hostilities, discharges its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol and abides by relevant Security Council resolutions.
The European Union also calls upon the Government of Angola to extend the state administration to areas previously controlled by UNITA, in a manner consistent with the principles of democracy, good governance and human rights. The European Union believes that the United Nations can assist the Government of Angola to achieve these objectives, in particular through the United Nations Office in Angola. The European Union remains deeply committed to a peaceful, political solution to the conflict in
the country. We welcome the initiative by the UN Secretary-General in appointing Dr. Ibrahim Gambari as his Special Representative and call upon all parties to the conflict to make every effort to assist him in this task.
Mr. President,
The failure of UNITA to accept the election results of 1992 and the ensuing breaches by UNITA of the Lusaka Protocol led to the adoption of Security Council resolutions 864 (1993), 1127 (1997) and 1173 (1998). The sanctions against UNITA, which clearly identified the movement as responsible for the continuing war, were adopted with unanimity by the Security Council and were welcomed by the international community. The sanctions were specifically targeted to put pressure on the UNITA leadership
and to reduce the capacity of UNITA to wage war while minimizing the effects on the people of Angola. Large-scale humanitarian assistance was provided continuously after the sanctions came into effect. Moreover, the sanctions were imposed only after repeated warnings to UNITA that measures would be taken if the rebel movement failed to join in the efforts to find a lasting peaceful solution, and were designed with clear exit strategies.
UNITA has consistently refused to participate constructively in the Angola Peace Process and has instead sought ways to inflict suffering upon the Angolan people. In this context, the European Union expresses its concern about information on the continuing use of mines by UNITA. Moreover, UNITA has continued to seek alternative methods to evade United Nations sanctions, thereby allowing it to pursue military activities and further hindering the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol.
The report of the Monitoring Mechanism, while confirming that significant and systematic violations have continued both from within and beyond the region, also indicated that sanctions were restricting the supply routes to UNITA and making imports more costly for the rebel movement. The European Union welcomes the work of the Panel of Experts and the Monitoring Mechanism, and believes that it has contributed significantly towards strengthening the implementation of the sanctions against
UNITA.
The European Union takes note that the Mechanism raised the question of UNITA-members trying to take advantage of the structures of the Schengen agreement to circumvent the travel ban imposed by Security Council Resolutions 1127 (1997) and 1295 (2000) and recognises that the Member States and the Union should study this in order to enhance the effectiveness of the sanctions. The European Union attaches considerable importance to the question of UNITA-representation abroad. Its member states
have, therefore, formally ended UNITA representation in their countries and have denied the entry or transit into their countries as well as suspended the visas or resident permits of UNITA representatives, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1127 (1997). An important tool in enhancing the effectiveness of sanctions against senior UNITA officials resides in the regular updating and improving of the UN list containing the names of those subject to the United Nations travel
restrictions and financial sanctions. In that respect, the European Union welcomes the input given by the Monitoring Mechanism to the Sanctions Committee and looks forward to the early publication of a new list.
Mr. President,
On 25 January, this Council discussed in an open debate the violations of the sanctions against RUF in Sierra Leone. In its statement that day, the European Union noted that systematic and deliberate violations of Security Council resolutions continue to fuel the long and bitter conflict in Sierra Leone. The international community can not disregard the fact that the actors violating the sanctions in Angola and Sierra Leone respectively, to a large extent are the same. As stated in the report
by the Monitoring Mechanism on sanctions against UNITA, there are many common elements in terms of arms, diamond dealers and air transport carriers involved in these conflicts. Thus, these situations must not be seen in isolation and measures must be taken in a co-ordinated manner. There is clearly a need to give urgent consideration to the establishment of a global certification scheme on diamonds and to the harmonisation of trade practices, such as statistics and custom codes. In this
context, the European Union reiterates its full support for last year's General Assembly resolution on conflict diamonds (A/RES/55/56).
The Monitoring Mechanism has made a wide range of important recommendations aimed at addressing violations of sanctions in the areas of arms and military equipment, travel and representation, diamonds and finance, and transport as well as on maintaining the effectiveness of sanctions. Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1295 as well as the Charter of the United Nations, the European Union takes further note of the recommendation that the Council should consider applying sanctions
against any government found to be intentionally and systematically violating them, and believes that this proposal merits further discussion in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and in the context of sanctions regimes in general.
As regards the Monitoring Mechanism itself, the European Union welcomes the extension on 23 January of its mandate to enable it to complete the tasks and the investigations it has undertaken in consultation with the Sanctions Committee. The work of the Mechanism is an important tool to keep up the pressure and ensure continued and strengthened implementation of the sanctions against UNITA.
The European Union would like to take this opportunity to express its full support to the new Chairman of the Committee, the Ambassador of Ireland, and welcome the commitment he has shown here today to an active pursuance of effectively implemented sanctions against UNITA. We would also like to pay tribute to the important work accomplished under Canada's chairmanship of the Angola Sanctions Committee of the Security Council.
Mr. President,
Effective implementation and monitoring of sanctions against UNITA can reduce its capacity to prolong the conflict in Angola, and by extension, enhance the credibility of sanctions regimes and the authority of the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. Member states should thus be ready to make available adequate resources for effective monitoring of sanctions. The European Union supports the ongoing deliberations within the Security Council on this issue, and encourages measures
aimed at strengthening the capacity of the United Nations to perform effectively this task. Wholehearted support should be given to the monitoring mechanisms, expert panels and Sanctions Committees and any future UN initiatives in this regard, and attention paid in order to avoid overlap and duplication caused by the simultaneous existence of different panels of experts.
In its concluding remarks, the Monitoring Mechanism notes that "only a tight control on the strict compliance with the sanctions will assist in forcing UNITA, at some time, to fully comply with the peace process it betrayed". The European Union fully concurs with this statement, and would like to stress once more its commitment to maintaining strong international pressure on UNITA and its leadership, in particular Jonas Savimbi, through the full implementation, by all member states, of United
Nations sanctions against UNITA.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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