EU Presidency Statement - The situation in Liberia

Mme President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe associated with the European Union, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia and the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey align themselves with this statement.

Mme President,

Firstly I would like to thank the members of the Panel of Experts for the remarkable work they have accomplished. The report on sanctions promulgated by the Security Council concerning Liberia is a detailed and revealing document. We welcome the Panel's methodical and painstaking approach and the precise information which they have provided, and which we have examined with the greatest attention.

Allow me to stress, Mme President, that these sanctions were imposed with a clear aim: that of creating a propitious environment for the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Sierra Leone. A peaceful resolution implies that links should be broken between Liberia and the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), who have profited for too long from this external support to conduct a merciless war against the Sierra Leonean people. The European Union reiterates that the Liberian government has to respect the dispositions of resolution 1343 and that it is its responsibility to have the sanctions lifted.

The imposition of sanctions is also part of a more comprehensive strategy aimed at reestablishing security in the region. The international community cannot allow its efforts and the considerable resources, which it has invested in peace in Sierra Leone to continue to be sabotaged by maneuverings at regional level.

Unfortunately, Mme President, we are obliged to note that six months after the establishment of the sanctions regime, the Panel of Experts reports serious violations of that regime. In practice, rough diamonds are leaving Liberian territory and weapons are entering it, and despite the general effectiveness of the travel ban, 27 violations of it have been noted by the Panel. Moreover, revenues from the timber industry and the shipping registry have probably been used to buy arms in violation of the UN arms embargo. It is obvious that these violations are only possible thanks to the complicity of unscrupulous individuals and of certain countries. The Union believes that it is indispensable that those involved should be made to face their responsibilities and fulfill the obligations incumbent upon them by virtue of the United Nations Charter. Mme President, there should not be exceptions to the implementation of sanctions.

The Panel's report is an invaluable tool, which, we very much hope, will enable us to increase the effectiveness of monitoring of the sanctions regime. But we are aware that this is only one element in the equation. In fact, nothing can be achieved without the cooperation of a multitude of players both within the United Nations and elsewhere. In this respect, we think that to highlight sanctions violations is far from sufficient. The Security Council must send a firm and unambiguous message to all those involved, urging them to implement its decisions immediately and in full. Furthermore, some technical improvements could be made to the sanctions regime, particularly the examination by other bodies of some of its aspects, such as end user certificates for arms. The Union supports the recommendation to the Security Council to ask for a follow up report by the Panel of experts for next year.

Mme President,

Another important initiative is currently under way: the Kimberley Process, which aims to establish an international certification system for diamonds. The European Union strongly supports this initiative and hopes that the Process will present fruitful results at this General Assembly. This international certification system should make it possible to avoid any possibility of diverting traffic in conflict diamonds. We also believe that more transparency in diamond trading is required, particularly the regular publication of detailed statistics on imports and exports of diamonds.

In parallel with the problem of resources, there is also an urgent need to tackle the problem of arms from apparently never-ending sources. Once again, close cooperation is needed between member States, in particular in West Africa. The arms traffic must be curbed by more effective and systematic control mechanisms, backed up by a real will to implement them scrupulously. In this context, the European Union supports the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Moratorium on small arms.

Mme President,

The humanitarian impact of these measures cannot be minimized or ignored. In considering how to follow up these sanctions, account must be taken of the Secretary-General's report, which contains a preliminary assessment of the economic, humanitarian and social effects, which might arise from additional sanctions on the Liberian people. The European Union welcomes the fact that this aspect is being taken seriously into account. It supports the Secretary-General's proposal to envisage the creation of a mechanism responsible for regularly reviewing the humanitarian and economic impact of the sanctions imposed on Liberia, if the Security Council were to adopt additional sanctions. He quite rightly stresses that unintentional negative consequences for the civilian population should be avoided, and that certain erroneous views of the sanctions regime and its objectives should be refuted.

Mme President,

We are all aware of the importance of an effective dialogue at regional level in the context of the peace process. The European Union, in particular through the Special Representative of the residency for the Mano River Region, Mr. Hans Dahlgren, is supportive of a meeting between the Heads of State of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in January 2002, as proposed by Ministers for Foreign Affairs in September. It is clear that the results of the efforts, which have been made, will be reinforced by a wider approach at regional level. The European Union will continue its dialogue with ECOWAS and expresses its support for its efforts aimed at promoting peace in the sub region.

In conclusion, Mme President, we would like to reaffirm the importance, which we attach to increased respect for the sanctions regime. We would support any demarche or measure making it possible to curb the flow of resources and arms, which fuel the war and the violence to the detriment of any peace initiative and above all to the detriment of a people which invariably suffers its devastating effects.

Thank you, Mme President.

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