UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Statement by H.E. Mr John Dauth LVO Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Wrap-up session --May 2002
New York 31 May 2002
Mr President
One has to be optimistic about any institution that evaluates its performance publicly in meetings like this. In making my comments I acknowledge it is easier to pass judgement than it is to get it right from the inside.
I am happy to say that this month marked the culmination of a series of steps that the Security Council got right on East Timor. We have heard it often enough, but it remains absolutely true that the turn-around from the dark days of 1999 to the bright dawn of independence on 20 May, was one of the UN's great successes. What has been achieved is a tribute, first and foremost, to the East Timorese people; but it also represents the best that the multilateral system can deliver when the Security Council is resolute and works in partnership with others.
So what went right, and what did we learn? Let me quickly list just a few of the more pertinent points:
- First, in a crisis the Council must act rapidly and decisively, drawing on all the help it can get and working in partnership with those who have the means to assist.
- Second, Council mandates must be clear and robust. They must authorise firm action when needed. The Brahimi report underlined this, and it remains fundamental.
- Third, and this is sometimes overlooked: leadership counts. The UN system depends to an extraordinary degree on the skill and abilities of its staff in the field. In East Timor, both UNAMET and UNTAET were fortunate to have leaders of the highest calibre. Leaders must also be supported in a coordinated way. Integrated Mission Task Forces are therefore valuable.
- Fourth -and this too was in Brahimi -resources must fit the mandate. Under-resourcing is a false economy.
- Finally, the job isn't over till its over. Successful exit, ironically, has to rest on a commitment to stay -not for ever, of course, but till the risk of relapse has passed. Kieran Prendergast put it well when he said there is no point stopping a course of anti-biotics too early: cure the patient first, then stop. And in East Timor it is still too early to declare victory and leave.
Mr President
The destruction and violence in East Timor in 1999 was, sadly, only one of many events which remind us that conflict prevention must be a major priority for the Council and the UN. It was, therefore, very worthwhile to schedule the open meeting on conflict prevention and recovery in Africa on 22 May. Such discussions should have practical outcomes. In open meetings where many wish to participate, restraint in the length of statements -including by Council members, particularly where their interest in an issue may be more distant than that of non-Council members -is desirable. We must also be pragmatic about allocating speaking slots. There is no doubt, however, that open meetings of the Council are useful, reflecting, as they do, the broader necessity to draw on the views of all interested parties, particularly those making substantial contributions to missions. Consultations with TCCs and other forms of more detailed discussion are also valuable and necessary.
Mr President
Your note to participants regarding this meeting asked that we not congratulate Singapore. However, your delegation's commitment to helping maintain an ongoing and positive Council interest in steering the East Timor issue thus far must be warmly acknowledged; and, so too, your commitment to modernising the council's working methods and its outreach -including through your excellent website. So we thank you, Mr President, and pay tribute to your country's energy and persistence.