United Nations S/PV.4265

Security CouncilFifty-sixth year

4265th meetingFriday, 26 January 2001, 10 a.m.New York

Provisional

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation ofspeeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Recordsof the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. Theyshould be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of thedelegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-178.

01-22844 (E)

������������������������������������

President: Mr. Mahbubani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Singapore)

Members: Bangladesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ChowdhuryChina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Shen GuofangColombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ValdiviesoFrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. LevitteIreland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. CooneyJamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. PrendergastMali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ToureMauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. NeewoorNorway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. BrattskarRussian Federation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. GranovskyTunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Ben MustaphaUkraine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. KrokhmalUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . . . . . Mr. EldonUnited States of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ms. Soderberg

Agenda

The situation in East Timor

Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (S/2001/42).

2

S/PV.4265

The meeting was called to order at 10.25 a.m.

Expression of sympathy to the Government and thepeople of India and of Pakistan in connection withthe earthquake affecting their countries

The President: At the outset of the meeting, Ishould like, on behalf of the Council, to express deepcondolences to the Government and the people of Indiaand of Pakistan in connection with the earthquakewhich occurred today in western India, resulting inconsiderable devastation and loss of life. I am sure thatmembers of the Council share my feelings on thismatter.

Expression of farewell to the outgoing LegalCounsellor for the United States Mission

The President: I should like also to take thisopportunity to bid farewell to Mr. Bob Rosenstock, theLegal Counsellor for the United States Mission.Mr. Rosenstock has been at the United States Missionsince 1964. I understand that in 1964, there were 115States Members of the United Nations. Today, there are189. Hundreds of representatives have come and gone,but Bob has stayed on to work on those issues that areso important to us all. I can say this with someconviction, because when I came here for the first timeas an ambassador, from 1984 to 1989, Mr. Rosenstockwas already a legend then. He should know thateveryone in this room will miss him when he leaves. Ihope the members of the Council will now join me in around of applause to bid farewell to a colleague whohas been with us for 37 years.

I give the floor to Mr. Rosenstock.

Mr. Rosenstock (United States of America):Thank you very much for that very touching comment.I see there are more speakers than even I have years, soI will be very brief and merely again express my veryprofound thanks for the extraordinary gesture on thepart of Security Council members, who — all of themout of order — applauded, which was even moreenjoyable, and I certainly do not raise a point of orderto it. Thank you again.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted.

The situation in East Timor

Report of the Secretary-General on the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in EastTimor (S/2001/42)

The President: I should like to inform theCouncil that I have received letters from therepresentatives of Australia, Brazil, Chile, Fiji, Japan,Indonesia, Mozambique, New Zealand, the Philippines,the Republic of Korea and Sweden in which theyrequest to be invited to participate in the discussion ofthe item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity withthe usual practice, I propose, with the consent of theCouncil, to invite those representatives to participate inthe discussion without the right to vote, in accordancewith the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

At the invitation of the President, Ms. Wensley(Australia), Mr. Viotti (Brazil), Mr. Valdés(Chile), Mr. Naidu (Fiji), Mr. Kobayashi (Japan),Mr. Wibisono (Indonesia), Mr. Santos(Mozambique), Mr. Mackay (New Zealand),Mr Manolo (Philippines), Mr. Kim Young-mok(Republic of Korea) and Mr. Schori (Sweden)took the seats reserved for them at the side of theCouncil Chamber.

The President: In accordance with theunderstanding reached in the Council’s priorconsultations and in the absence of objection, I shalltake it that the Security Council agrees to extend aninvitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules ofprocedure to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General andTransitional Administrator of East Timor.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

I invite Mr. Vieira de Mello to take a seat at theCouncil table.

In accordance with the understanding reached inthe Council’s prior consultations and in the absence ofobjection, I shall take it that the Security Councilagrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of itsprovisional rules of procedure to Mr. José Ramos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinet of EastTimor responsible for foreign affairs.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

3

S/PV.4265

I invite Mr. Ramos-Horta to take a seat at theCouncil table.

In accordance with the understanding reached inthe Council’s prior consultations and in the absence ofobjection, I shall take it that the Security Councilagrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of itsprovisional rules of procedure to Mr. Harri Holkeri,President of the General Assembly.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

I invite Mr. Holkeri to take a seat at the side ofthe Council Chamber.

In accordance with the understanding reached inthe Council’s prior consultations, and in the absence ofobjection, I shall take it that the Security Councilagrees to extend invitations under rule 39 of itsprovisional rules of procedure to Mr. Mark MallochBrown, Administrator of the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), to Mr. KlausRohland, Country Director for East Timor, Papua NewGuinea and Pacific Islands of the World Bank, andMr. Luis Valdivieso, Adviser, Asia and PacificDepartment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

There being no objection, it is so decided.

I invite Mr. Brown, Mr. Rohland and Mr.Valdivieso to be seated at the side of the CouncilChamber.

The Security Council will now begin itsconsideration of the item on its agenda. The Council ismeeting in accordance with the understanding reachedin its prior consultations.

Members of the Council have before them thereport of the Secretary-General on the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)for the period 27 July 2000 to 16 January 2001,document S/2001/42.

I should like to draw the attention of the membersof the Council to document S/2001/83, which containsthe text of a letter dated 25 January 2001 from Portugalto the President of the Security Council.

I would also like to point out that this opendebate, by virtue of its timing, by virtue of the fact thatwe will be looking into the renewal of UNTAET’smandate and also by virtue of the fact that we will havemany distinguished speakers this morning — includingthe President of the General Assembly, Mr. Harri

Holkeri, Mr. José Ramos Horta, who, I believe, will beaddressing the Security Council for the first time, andMr. Malloch Brown, as well as representatives of theWorld Bank and the IMF — suggests that we are goingto have a future-oriented and forward-looking debate.We believe that this debate should afford us anopportunity to start to sketch out a collective vision forthe future of East Timor, both in transition towardsindependence and after independence. We should alsodiscuss the role of the international community inhelping East Timor to achieve that vision.

I now give the floor to the Special Representativeof the Secretary-General, Mr. Vieira de Mello.

Mr. Vieira de Mello: Fifteen months after theadoption of resolution 1272 (1999), this is my lastbriefing during the current mandate of the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET). On this occasion, therefore, as we reviewwhere we have come from and where we are heading, Iwould like to express my gratitude to the SecurityCouncil for its unflagging attention and support to ourwork in East Timor, perhaps most graphicallyillustrated in recent months by its decision to dispatch amission to review the implementation of SecurityCouncil resolutions 1272 (1999) and 1319 (2000).

I would also like to note with appreciation yourwork, Sir, as current President of the Council, inorganizing this important debate and in gatheringtogether the key players here today, including thePresident of the General Assembly, whom we werefortunate enough to receive in East Timor only a fewweeks ago. We are grateful that East Timor has beenplaced at the forefront of the Council’s busy agenda forthis month. Singapore’s preparation for this, includingthe sending to Dili of a delegation to investigateconditions on the ground, is a model we should alladmire. We are particularly grateful for this.

Finally, although he needs no introduction, Iwould like nonetheless to say a word about my friendand colleague who is also here to brief the Council,East Timor’s cabinet member for foreign affairs, JoséRamos-Horta. It is fitting today, as we introduce to theCouncil the structural changes we have made to themission, most notably through the prefiguration of aneffective government of East Timor, that we have herewith us that country’s most dedicated and prominentspokesman of the past 25 years. I thank the Council forinviting him here to speak.

4

S/PV.4265

We knew from the outset that the unique demandsplaced on UNTAET meant that our task would not beeasy, although perhaps we failed fully to appreciate justhow complex our task would be. As has often beennoted, through resolution 1272 (1999) the SecurityCouncil gave UNTAET a mandate that wasunprecedented in its breadth, involving not onlypeacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, tasks thatare perhaps more traditional than the United Nationshas in the past been asked to perform, but also fullexecutive and legislative responsibility, including theadministration of justice, for governing East Timor andbringing it to independence.

UNTAET was called on to carry out this mandatein a country that had just experienced a trauma of atruly horrific nature. While grateful for the tributes toUNTAET’s accomplishments paid by the Secretary-General in his report, I am under no illusion that muchstill remains to be done to meet the high expectationsthat accompanied UNTAET’s arrival. Despite theenormous strides made in the past year, our overall taskis far from complete, even in such critical fields asinfrastructure reconstruction, particularly in the healthand education sectors, where our efforts have so farfallen worryingly short of that which is required.Moreover, in other areas, such as capacity-building, ourmandate is only just beginning to be fulfilled and ismany years away from completion. It is this sense ofreality — that East Timor will require the ongoingcommitment of the international community — that Iwould like to impress on the Council today.

What can be achieved in the coming year needs tobe put in the context of the fast-moving politicaltransition towards independence. At the heart of thisprocess has been the formation of a structure ofgovernment in East Timor, albeit transitional or interimin nature, through the creation of a predominantly EastTimorese Cabinet and the progressive delegation ofexecutive authority to that body, as well as theexpansion of consultative mechanisms through theestablishment of the all-Timorese proto-legislature thatwe call the National Council. Together with the steadyTimorization of government at all levels, and thecreation of a Timorese judiciary, we are taking what Ibelieve to be the most effective, most direct, andperhaps most audacious path towards fulfilling one ofour core tasks, perhaps the central one, which ispreparing East Timor for self-government.

Our initial model for UNTAET — namely, toTimorize the bureaucracy but to leave the politicaltransition until elections had been held — has thusevolved into a more sophisticated model whereby theEast Timorese now share much, if not most, of theresponsibility for the conduct of the transition. Only byallowing institutions to evolve in the direction ofprogressively greater East Timorese participation havewe taken the route most likely to produce enduring andstable governmental structures. The aim is to ensurethat the transition to self-government occurs graduallythroughout the mandate, rather than suddenly at themoment of independence.

Insofar as this mission has uniquely involved thecreation of a new government, UNTAET should in factno longer be seen as an international transitionaladministration, but rather as a support structure for theembryonic government of East Timor and otherinstitutions of state. These institutions are still indevelopment, but we should have no doubt that theyexist. As I noted at the beginning of my statement, thepresence here today of East Timor’s Foreign Minister,as it were, serves as eloquent testimony to that reality.This does not always produce neat or easy results;Cabinet debates — for example, on the political partiesregulation, which we adopted last week — are oftenprotracted affairs requiring compromise solutions.Moreover, as we now have true separation of powers,there is no guarantee that the National Council andCabinet will see eye to eye on all matters. Furthermore,the judicial sector — non-existent when UNTAETarrived — continues to face understandable butsignificant teething problems. Yet it is only throughpractical, and not just theoretical, preparation that thegroundwork for self-government can truly be laid. Thisconceptual and structural shift in the manner in whichUNTAET performs its mandate is the cornerstone ofour efforts to implement resolution 1272 (1999).

Another complexity we have faced, and one withwhich we have not always been able to deal aseffectively as we would have liked, has been thesystemic problem of needing to adapt traditionalpeacekeeping practices to modern, multifacetedgovernance missions. Nowhere is this truer than infinancing. I am not going to belabour this point, as it isalready well known, but suffice it to say that I amgrateful to the Security Council mission for havingnoted this dilemma in its report last November and forurging greater flexibility in the way in which United

5

S/PV.4265

Nations resources can be used. Likewise, I thank theSecretary-General for making this same observation inhis latest report, and also the President of the GeneralAssembly for his support in this regard.

UNTAET is very much an innovative mission. Itillustrates the general point that rules and proceduresmust adapt to the changing environment in which weare operating if the wishes of the Security Council areto be fulfilled. Many of the key tasks laid out inresolution 1272 (1999) now fall on the newgovernmental structures of East Timor to perform,rather than on UNTAET, as originally conceived. Wecannot expect that Government to perform those tasksadequately on what I call a “cruel” annual budget of$59 million, without being able to tap into UNTAET’smanifoldly larger resources.

The final phase of transition is before us. Keydecisions are about to be made regarding the details ofthe political steps which will lead to independence, inconformity with the general process I outlined to theCouncil here in November. I am sure that José willhave more to say on this, but what we do know is thatthere will be elections in mid-2001. Indeed, thepolitical standing committee of the National Councilhas been holding hearings on the electoral timetableand framework, and there appears to be a consensusforming in favour of elections on 30 August, togetherwith an electoral system combining both direct districtrepresentation and nationwide proportionalrepresentation. A final decision will be forthcomingsoon after the National Council resumes its session on12 February. These elections will be for a ConstituentAssembly that will have as its core mandate thepreparation of a constitution but that will, in alllikelihood, also assume legislative functions for theremainder of the transition.

The Assembly’s deliberations will be informed bybroad public consultations on the constitution, whichUNTAET will facilitate and support but which will beconducted by East Timorese. All thereafter is stillrelatively blank, with the canvas to be filled in by theEast Timorese themselves on the back of this foundingdemocratic act, though needless to say, in bringingdown the curtain on resolution 1272 (1999) and itssuccessor resolutions, consultations with the Councilwill indeed intensify. UNTAET, and not theGovernment of East Timor, will retain fullresponsibility for ensuring that the elections are fullyfree and fair, but what follows after — for example,

whether there are presidential elections, or whether theConstituent Assembly converts itself into the firstlegislature of East Timor after independence — are notdecisions for us to make, as they can be appropriatelyreached only by the East Timorese themselves.

What is clear, however, is that internationalpersonnel will be needed well beyond independence toprovide technical assistance, capacity-building andsecurity. It is an inescapable fact that in a whole rangeof key high-skill fields it takes a long time to trainpersonnel. Thus, East Timorese surgeons, of whomthere is just one at present, will, like any othersurgeons, take five to seven years to train. Many otherof the skills required in a modern state also take manyyears to acquire. There can be no short cuts or quick-fix solutions. For example, the Department ofInfrastructure believes that while it will be possible todevelop fully Timorized water and port servicesrelatively quickly, the skills needed to run a moderntelecommunications system will take longer to learn,and continued international support will be required inthe interim.

Or take as yet another example, the dearth oflawyers that has been one of many legacies left EastTimor by its recent history. Efforts to establish ajudicial system have already been significant, but theystill only scratch the surface, as the Security Councilmission itself noted. Or border control. While an EastTimor Border Service has been created, it is still in itsinfancy, and East Timor’s already meagre cofferscontinue to miss out on significant taxes due tosmuggling of goods across the border with West Timor.Here again, we will need to concentrate our effortsbeyond independence.

In his observations, the Secretary-General laidout our initial thinking on life after UNTAET and theneed for a seamless transition to its successor mission.More work is being done to develop a fully fleshed-outproposal. We intend to have this prepared in time forthe next donors conference in Canberra this comingJune and to be able to discuss this with the Council indetail at the time of the Secretary-General’s nextscheduled report to the Council on East Timor — or atany other time that the Council may determine.

In preparing for this mission, coordination will bekey if the mission is to be fully integrated andcompetition, duplication and confusion avoided.Coordination will be needed within and between the

6

S/PV.4265

United Nations and its agencies; the internationalfinancial institutions; the donors; you, the SecurityCouncil; and, of course, the East Timorese as the majorstakeholders. It is worth highlighting at this juncture —because I think it is not highlighted enough — that oneof the successes of UNTAET has been the remarkablelevel of cooperation and team-playing that has existedbetween all of the above, and how through thiscooperation the whole leas been much greater than thesum of its parts. We are all engaged in trying to achievethe same objective, and that unity has shone through inour work. Consequently, it is particularly appropriatethat both the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme — on behalf of all the agencies, who havebeen so central to reconstruction and rehabilitation inall sectors — and the World Bank and the InternationalMonetary Fund will be taking the floor here today inthis debate.

However, precise details are not yet possible.There are a number of reasons for this uncertainty.

First, as I have already pointed out, the politicaltimetable, including the date of independence, has stillto be finally determined.

Secondly, the level of economic and socialdevelopment that can be sustained depends crucially onthe budgetary resources that will be available to anindependent East Timor — particularly those that willbe generated by foreign investment, as well as from oiland gas resources in the Timor Sea. As regards thelatter, while it is not possible at this stage to make firmestimates, what we do know is that the petroleum towhich East Timor is entitled will, before not too long,generate revenues in multiples of East Timor’s currentbudget. The negotiations on this issue with Australiaare thus of paramount importance in determining theextent of East Timor’s future fiscal independence. I amoptimistic that an agreement may be reached in the nottoo distant future on many of the complex issuesinvolved here.

Thirdly, as will be its prerogative, the electedGovernment of an independent East Timor could wel1decide on significant changes of policy that will requirea reassessment of the skills and personnel needed byindividual departments and government agencies afterindependence.

One area worth highlighting is justice. In my lastbriefing to the Security Council — echoing theconcerns of the report of the Security Council

mission — I highlighted the resource constraintsbesetting the justice sector, particularly in the key areaof investigations into serious crimes committed in theperiod surrounding the popular consultation of August1999. At that time I made an appeal to the Council foradditional resources — an appeal I make again today.We continue to endure a parlous situation, in which thelack of even translators forces delays to trials.

This is not to say that progress has not been madefor prosecutions of defendants charged with seriouscrimes; the first indictment for crimes against humanitywas filed on 11 December. As a matter of fact, I evenread this morning that the first sentence was passed, if Iam not mistaken, by the court in Baucau, also on acrime against humanity. But this process desperatelyneeds an urgent injection of additional resources.Already, the target number of investigations establishedby the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit imposespractical limitations on the number of cases to be tried.We cannot risk leaving the public demand for justicedangerously unsatisfied by imposing further cutbackson our goals in this area.

The East Timorese skills base is changing fast,and that is yet another reason why it is difficult to beprecise about East Timor’s future needs. There isalready intense competition for the services of thelimited pool of East Timorese. To augment that pool,we continue to reach out, though with only limitedsuccess, to the diaspora. That pool is also rapidly beingtransformed as increasing numbers of East Timoreserise to the on-the-job challenges posed by Timorizationand by the opening of the University of East Timor andother tertiary institutions, as well as by the fact that wehave recently recruited civil servants who are nowtaking Government training courses and the fact thathundreds of students are going abroad on scholarships,particularly to Indonesia.

Two areas where resource gaps can already bereasonably precisely identified are those of securityand law enforcement. Since I spoke to the Council inNovember, just after a defence donors’ conference hadtaken place in Dili, the process of creating an EastTimor Defence Force has taken several important stepsforward. Draft defence legislation is close tocompletion, and recruitment is under way. In the nextfew days, possibly on 1 February, the guerrilla force —Armed Forces for the National Liberation of EastTimor (FALINTIL) — will cease to exist, and will bereplaced by the new Defence Force, of which

7

S/PV.4265

FALINTIL will form the core. Training of the first 600-man battalion will then begin, and is expected to becompleted by the end of this year. This is a historicnew beginning.

However, the force is not expected to be at its fullstrength of 1,500 regulars and 1,500 reservists untiltwo to three years hence. At least until then, therefore,there will have to be a continued — possiblysignificant — international peacekeeping presence. Inaddition, the security situation, particularly in theborder areas, will also influence the pace of ourdownsizing.

There have been a number of hopefuldevelopments on the security front since the SecurityCouncil’s mission in November. There has continued tobe some, although not enough, progress onreconciliation. Among the various initiatives sponsoredby the Indonesian Government and UNTAET sinceNovember have been further “go-and-see” visits, as wecall them, East Timor by pro-autonomy leaders andordinary refugees from the west, as well as a meetingin Denpasar between the National Council of TimoreseResistance (CNRT) and other East Timorese, on theone hand, and the pro-autonomy umbrella group knownas Unit Timor Aswain UNTAS on the other. We hopethat these will eventually produce significant refugeereturns. Nonetheless, one year since we made our firstoverture to the pro-integration leaders, we continue toawait true dividends. It is therefore with a sense ofrealism that we continue to seek a constructive solutionto this problem.

Some of the recommendations made by theSecurity Council mission that visited East Timor andIndonesia in November have been taken up by theIndonesian Government. Trials have started in Jakartaof individuals accused of inciting and perpetrating thekillings in Atambua on 6 September of three colleaguesfrom the Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Two leadingmilitia commanders, including the primary suspect inthe killing of two of our soldiers in late July and earlyAugust last year, are now in detention. This comingFebruary, the Indonesian Attorney-General, MarzukiDarusman, expects the new Human Rights Court tobegin processing the first cases against members of themilitary, as well as against the police, militia membersand the former civil administration of East Timor.Moreover, militia infiltration from West to East Timorhas fallen off, due largely to the robust actions of cur

military in September, October and November of lastyear, and the onset of the rainy season.

But the Indonesian military have also been takingsteps on the other side of the border. I personallywelcome the firm stance adopted by the newIndonesian regional military commander, Major-General Willem da Costa, with whom I had aproductive meeting two days ago in Denpasar, and Ivery much hope that this will lead to drastic anddurable change on the ground, including through thecomprehensive grounding of all remaining militias.This is a precondition for East Timor’s security — and,consequently, our ability to downsize our peacekeepingforce — as well as for humanitarian and otherinternational staff to return to West Timor and for theremaining refugees freely to decide whether or not toreturn home.

Moreover, in line with the Security Councilmission’s call for steps to be taken to ensure theeffective functioning of bilateral mechanisms,negotiations on issues arising from the Indonesiantransfer of its control of East Timor and the first fullmeeting of the Joint Border Committee are bothscheduled to take place in the next few days — to beprecise, on 30 and 31 January. We hope for and expectconcrete progress in these talks.

I cannot stress enough — and perhaps JoséRamos-Horta will have more to say on this point,because he has just visited Jakarta — that East Timor’sgreatest hope for a stable future is a secure land borderwith Indonesia, as well as a framework for lasting andfriendly bilateral relations with that neighbour. Withoutthese foundations of territorial security, East Timor willcontinue to have to divert scarce resources away frommuch more critical tasks.

In the area of law enforcement, too, we expectthat international assistance will be required wellbeyond the end of this year. Even after having put inplace measures to speed up the training of EastTimorese police, we estimate that this service will notbe able to operate on its own until late 2004. Theinternational civilian police will therefore need tocontinue to carry out their current mandate ofperforming law enforcement functions and providingtraining to East Timorese law enforcement officersuntil that time, albeit in gradually diminishingnumbers.

8

S/PV.4265

In this connection, it might perhaps be worthmentioning concerns over the manner in which wedeploy and use our civilian police resources inpeacekeeping operations of this sort — operations inwhich they have executive policing responsibilities.Based on my experiences in both Kosovo and EastTimor, I am increasingly of the view that theeffectiveness of civilian police in these complexoperations is not being maximized and that the time hascome when we must consider ways to reform currentpractice. I know my colleagues in the Department ofPeacekeeping Operations are reflecting on this subject.

To conclude, UNTAET will be judged not just onhow many schools it rebuilds or roofs it replaces, onthe calibre of the elections it organizes or on the peaceit maintains, vital though these achievements are.Rather, judgement will also rest on how successfullyUNTAET is able to assist the East Timorese in fullyrealizing their independence as masters of their ownfuture and their own democratic and independent State.Independence, of course, is much more than a politicalstate of being; the East Timorese have shown, moreeffectively than many, that they have always beenindependent in mind and spirit. But it is also a process,of which UNTAET is only a part. It is vital that afterUNTAET — after everything that all of us here haveinvested in this endeavour — we continue to remainengaged in nurturing this process for East Timor so thatit will become what we all wish it to be: a factor forpolitical, social and economic progress and stability inthe region as a whole.

The President: I thank Mr. Vieira de Mello forhis kind words addressed to me and my country.

I shall now call on Mr. Mark Malloch Brown,Administrator of the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme, to whom the Council has extended aninvitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules ofprocedure. I invite him to take a seat at the Counciltable and to make his statement.

Mr. Malloch Brown: I congratulate you, Sir, onyour assumption of the presidency this month. It is agreat pleasure and a great opportunity to come beforeyou today and contribute to this critical debate, and Iam grateful for the invitation. Speaking both asAdministrator of the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and as Chair of the UnitedNations Development Group, I think there are few

more important current tests of the United Nations thanhelping East Timor to full nationhood.

It is a test, as the Special Representative of theSecretary-General has just outlined, in which theUnited Nations has already enjoyed significant successand learned some tough lessons. Let me take thisopportunity to pay special tribute to Sergio Vieira deMello for his strong leadership and deep personalcommitment in helping guide the country through thisvery difficult transition. We, his colleagues, are veryproud of him, but not surprised by his success. Hisleadership has been key to providing a strong,coordinated response from the United Nations system.As the Council is aware, United Nations humanitarianand development agencies have been active in EastTimor since September 1999. Currently nine — UNDP(including the United Nations Volunteers), the UnitedNations Children’s Fund, the World HealthOrganization, the Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees, the International LabourOrganization, the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations, the World Food Programme, theUnited Nations Office for Project Services and theUnited Nations Population Fund — maintain apresence in Dili. As Sergio kindly pointed out, theUnited Nations country team, led by a United NationsDevelopment Coordinator, has, I hope, been able toprovide a dynamic resource and support in helpingcope with this, the first phase of the transition toindependence.

Now, we face a tougher question, as was justoutlined. How can we best support the process ofhelping move East Timor to a path of strong,sustainable development? The answer, I believe, lies inbuilding on the strong work which the United Nationshumanitarian agencies and others have begun with theircontributions, from overseeing the repatriation andreintegration of some 175,000 refugees to thedistribution of food aid to 180,000 vulnerable people.

We have already begun the work of building thatcritical bridge between emergency work and longer-term rehabilitation and development. United Nationsagencies and programmes have, in collaboration withdevelopment partners, including non-governmentalorganizations, spent some $136 million to addressshort-term needs while starting to build real capacityfor the future. Our collective achievements to dateinclude over 1,000 classrooms reroofed; a functioninghealth care system re-established; six power stations

9

S/PV.4265

and 120 kilometres of road repaired; the training of 200public servants, including judges, public prosecutorsand public defenders, and the rehabilitation of thecourts; the basic training of youth auto mechanics,electricians and carpenters, and the establishment ofnew employment centres; support for 60 national non-governmental organizations; and the provision oftechnical, administrative and management skillsthrough 500 United Nations Volunteers.

To help guide future policy decisions, the UnitedNations family has also undertaken a detailedassessment of future development needs. UNDP, theAsian Development Bank and the World Bank arecarrying out a comprehensive poverty assessment andUNDP will have completed a benchmarking nationalhuman development report in time for independence.We are also, I think, all trying to play a key role in thecoordination of the new development process,supporting the nascent East Timorese NationalPlanning and Development Agency and helping toensure a coherent response from the donor community.

But even as we reflect on what we have done, wemust be honest about acknowledging what has not yettaken place. The United Nations as a system has had adifficult time making real progress in the area EastTimorese people most need help in: building theinstitutional capacity to manage their own country andmeet the needs of their people themselves. For a nationof 850,000 people that started with just 60 qualifiedsecondary school teachers, 20 doctors and little in theway of effective systems of governance, that remainsan enormous task. But it is where the United Nationsdevelopment focus must now be turned, using ourskills and experience to help develop sound democraticinstitutions and a strong, accountable public servicewhile committing to remain on afterwards as a fulldevelopment partner.

That kind of capacity-building is one of UNDP’sspecial strengths and we have already been designatedby the Special Representative of the Secretary-Generalas the lead agency for capacity-building in support ofthe Transitional Administration. To that end, we havealready, in consultation with sister agencies and otherpartners, developed a broad plan of action to help dothis in East Timor in key areas, from direct support toleadership for transition, to human resources, toelectoral assistance and to the establishment of a fully-functioning justice system.

It is clearly a very ambitious agenda, but, I think,an achievable one. It provides a clear framework forthe United Nations system to prove how we canrespond to such challenges — in the spirit of theBrahimi report — in a more coherent manner builtaround shared objectives. We are committed toworking closely with the donor community, the BrettonWoods institutions, civil society and other partners toachieve it.

But we and this Security Council must also facethe fact not only that future funding remains uncertain,but that currently adequate resources are not beingmade available for this critical, forward-looking task ofcapacity-building. So, in closing, I would like to urgethe Council to help seek out new ways of eitheradapting current funding arrangements or establishingnew ones that ensure that the kind of issues I haveoutlined are not neglected, but are put, as they need tobe, at the heart of preparations for independence.

To fund the current Administration’s costswithout investing in building on East Timoreseadministration for the future is evidently short-sightedbut, nevertheless, in many ways, frankly, the sum ofour current approach. We now need a funding andprogramming strategy that builds towardsindependence, so looking beyond the present recurrentneeds.

José Ramos-Horta, our friend and colleague andthe future Foreign Minister of East Timor, who is herewith us today — and to whom I think Sergio and Iwould both defer as the one with the decisive voice inthis Chamber on the future needs and goals of the EastTimorese — and his colleagues need our support fortomorrow even more than they need it for today. Thereis no more important task than to help them build thepeople and institutions of an independent East Timor.

The President: I now call on Mr. Klaus Rohland,Country Director for East Timor, Papua New Guineaand Pacific Islands of the World Bank, to whom theCouncil has extended an invitation under rule 39 of itsprovisional rules of procedure. I invite him to take aseat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Rohland: I am very pleased to have thisopportunity to address the Security Council. On behalfof the World Bank, I would like to express our sinceregratitude to the President of the Security Council forour invitation to this important meeting. I would alsolike to put on record our appreciation for the report of

10

S/PV.4265

the Secretary-General, the briefing of the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General and thevaluable analysis just provided by the Administrator ofthe United Nations Development Programme.

The United Nations and the Secretary-Generalhave shaped the historic process that we are about towitness and shown the way into East Timor’s future asan independent, sovereign nation. The Bank paystribute to this important historic undertaking.

East Timor is also very special to the WorldBank. We have been involved in working with the EastTimorese and their leadership and the United NationsSecretariat on economic issues since before the ballot.As a matter of fact, we started working with them asearly as February 1999. We were there immediatelyafter the violence. Many members know that resolution1272 (1999) was approved by the Council on 25October 1999, and we were out there with our jointassessment mission on 26 October 1999. We havefollowed the transition process and have workedclosely with the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) and the EastTimorese ever since.

I think it is fair to say that the transitional processin East Timor has seen many successes. Mostimportantly, the country has a high degree of internalsecurity and there are particularly good relationsbetween the international peacekeeping force and thepopulation. I pay tribute to the work of thepeacekeeping force and its predecessor, theInternational Force in East Timor (INTERFET), in thisregard.

We have succeeded in restoring core Governmentservices. We have started long-term reconstructionprogrammes, and that more quickly than in any otherpost-conflict situation that we have witnessed in thepast. For this we owe most to the East Timoreseleadership and the East Timorese people and theircommitment to build a new nation. But we also owe alot to Sergio Vieira de Mello, working on behalf of theUnited Nations, and to the cooperation of theinternational donor community and our colleagues ininternational financial institutions and United Nationsagencies. Again, I would like to put on record our deepappreciation for this.

I think this process, which started with our jointassessment mission in October 1999, has proved thatthere is a great spirit of cooperation among the

Timorese people, international participants and theinternational organizations. Yes, we have achieved alot. The process in East Timor was, by historicstandards, a very good one. We are on the road tosuccess. But we can improve, and we should improve.We should take on the lessons of the last 18 months tobe even better on the road to independence.

With all the success there have been social andpolitical tensions. Reconstruction and restitution ofGovernment services have not always met theexpectations of the population; they have not alwaysmet with the impatience of the population. Sometimesthe East Timorese themselves have not always felt thedegree of ownership of the process that is needed forthe transition to be successful. Let us build on ourexperience. Let us grasp the opportunity to improve.

In the Bank we are reviewing our supportprocesses. We want to see where improvements can bemade, and we will be working with UNTAET and theEast Timorese and drawing lessons that can be fed intoboth current operations and the planning of post-independence support. This review will start in a fewdays, and I am sure it will provide valuable lessons thatwe will discuss at the next donors meeting at Canberrain June, as Sergio Vieira de Mello mentioned.

Let me point to some of these preliminary lessonsthat we see as critical, and let me try to give someanswers to the question before you today. I think thatfirst we need to develop a clear and structured plan forthe transition and the post-independence mandate. Thepast year has seen rapid fire-fighting and reactions to acrisis situation. This was — and let me be very clearabout it — the right thing to do, given the enormity ofthe challenge that faced the Timorese and theirinternational partners in September 1999 andthereafter.

Now we need to take on a longer-term view. TheUNTAET-World Bank process donor meetingdocument outlines some strategy elements, but muchmore work is needed to identify and to time out othercritical steps. These details will need to be developedin the coming weeks, but I believe we can alreadydistinguish some key characteristics of that plan.

The plan needs to be in place as soon as possibleto enable mobilization of the right resources. It needsto focus on a small number of key objectives, not to tryto cover everything under the sun. It needs to be acollaborative effort with the participation of all the

11

S/PV.4265

development partners. It needs to be driven by the EastTimorese and supported by the internationalcommunity. It needs to be widely disseminated anddiscussed among Timorese and internationalGovernment staff, the Timorese population and thedevelopment partners. Everyone needs to understandthe path being taken. Finally — and Sergio Vieira deMello has already alluded to this — the plan will needstrong management monitoring to turn papers intoresults on the ground.

The area of administration, as previous speakershave pointed out, will be crucial to the transition. In anenvironment of devastated infrastructure andcommunications and with the total collapse of theState, the establishment of government functions hastaken more time than expected. This has involvedcritical bottlenecks in procurement and recruitment,bottlenecks that are about to be overcome.

UNTAET and the emerging East Timoreseadministration needed some time to develop a way towork jointly and to overcome difficult legal andorganizational issues to improve effectiveness. It iscrucial for the success of the first independentTimorese Government that it inherit an administrationwith efficient systems, capable human resources, clearroles and lines of accountability, an administration freeof corruption and undue political interference. TheTimorese therefore must already participate fully in theinterim administration between now and independenceto ensure that the State being built is the same one theywant for the future.

A smooth administrative hand-over will requireconcerted effort in recruitment and institutional andhuman capacity-building over the coming months, aswell as good advance planning for post-independencetechnical assistance.

We need to recognize that true independence isnot only political, but also economic. East Timor’sindependence will need to be based on sound fiscalmanagement that balances revenues and expendituresfor long-term sustainable development. Its centralfiscal authority and its national planning anddevelopment agencies are the key drivers throughwhich future support should be channelled to achievesustainability. This was the message of the donorsmeeting in Brussels. Cooperation between the UnitedNations, the national leadership, the Bretton Woodsinstitutions and bilateral donors is based on this

recognition. We need to integrate political,administrative and economic planning even moreclosely than was the case after the ballot.

East Timor needs a capable State, and it needs asustainable set of financial and public managementframeworks. Respecting the wish of the East Timoreseleadership to inherit a lean State is key in this period.We must particularly take care to avoid undertakingunsustainable capital projects which cannot bemaintained by the State in the future. We need to focuson a clear set of Government functions, and agenciesshould be appropriate to its development state. Weshould not replicate the situation of the proliferation ofagencies, as in many richer and more developedcountries.

Economic independence applies to individuals aswell as to the State. When I go to the districts of EastTimor, East Timorese people from every walk of lifetell me that they do not want dependence on aid. Theywant a chance to work, to start small businesses, to selltheir agricultural products. Private-sector recovery iscritical. It is also critical because the withdrawal ofmany international personnel in the months to comewill cause some job loss in public agencies and in theurban service sector.

We should take this seriously not only because ofthe hardships for the individuals, but also because ofthe links between security and economic development.More jobs, higher agricultural output, a strong privatesector and a functioning public infrastructure will allhelp to ensure a stable political transition. It will showthe population that they gain in an independent EastTimor.

On the downside, unemployment and a crumblinginfrastructure, in contrast, will act to destabilize thepolitical transition. To get the link between economicdevelopment and political transition right,synchronization is the key challenge for all playersaround this table and in the international community.

We should work together with the Timoreseleadership and with UNTAET and our colleagues in theInternational Monetary Fund to ensure that anappropriate economic stimulus is applied before thetransition and to strengthen budget allocations to socialservices and core economic infrastructures.

The coming month will be challenging, and we inthe World Bank stand ready to help in every way we

12

S/PV.4265

can. In addition to our continuing support, along withother donors to the Trust Fund for East Timor, we willoffer assistance for a fiscally sustainable civil service,wages and structures. We will offer assistance on anti-corruption strategies, so vital for a sound public sectorenvironment. We will work with the central fiscalauthority in improving budgetary processes, and wewould like to see the Trust Fund for East Timorinvolved in a mechanism to support a more integratedand sustainable budget for the new Government.

In the coming months, we will be discussingoptions in this regard with the Timorese, UNTAET, theUnited Nations and, most importantly, the donors to theTrust Fund for East Timor, whom I sincerely thank fortheir support over the last month and on whom I callfor support for the month ahead.

I wish to thank you once again, Mr. President, forproviding us with this unique opportunity to addressthe Security Council.

The President: I now call on Mr. LuisValdivieso, Advisor, Asian Pacific Department,International Monetary Fund, to whom the Council hasextended an invitation under rule 39 of its provisionalrules of procedure.

I invite him to take a seat at the Council table andto make his statement.

Mr. Valdivieso: It is a great pleasure andprivilege to have the opportunity to come before theCouncil today and contribute to this critical debate. Itis well known that we are very proud to be associatedwith the leadership of the United Nations in assistingthe East Timorese on the road to independence and totry to establish the necessary structures for securing thefuture welfare of their society.

The role of the International Monetary Fund(IMF) in East Timor has focused on helping the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET) develop a macroeconomic framework toguide economic decision-making and capacity-building, including developing institutions and skills,to help ensure that economic policies are implementedproperly and that the resources made available to EastTimor are efficiently used and appropriately accountedfor.

The support provided has been quite specialized.The support that we have provided under the strategiesthat we have recommended transcends the political

transition process. The idea is to establish a frameworkthat will endure after independence, so it is extremelyimportant that whatever is being created, even duringthe first month, should be sound enough to endure allof the difficulties that are likely to be encountered infuture during the transitional process.

The IMF will continue to stress the need forconsistent and credible macroeconomic policiesthroughout the initial humanitarian relief period, thesubsequent Transitional Administration, and the futureindependent East Timor. We will continue to stress theneed for enhancing capacity-building and for creatingadequate incentives for the private sector, because webelieve firmly that the development of a vibrant privatesector will be the engine of growth and prosperity andthe only possibility of fighting poverty in East Timor.

The strategy developed in conjunction withUNTAET, the East Timorese, other institutions, UnitedNations agencies and the World Bank, and incontinuous consultation with various donors andmembers of civil society, had three components. Onewas to ensure that there would be a payment system.Following the severe destruction of September last,there was no banking system and no possibility ofmaking any meaningful financial transaction. Thereforethat was one of the important elements. I think we havemade some significant progress that will remain foryears to come. Obviously, it will be under continuousmonitoring and will require further adjustments tomake sure that things function well.

The second important component of the strategyto ensure appropriate macroeconomic management wasthe development of a basic fiscal framework. There,the critical steps were to establish a central fiscalauthority, which eventually will become the Ministryof Finance, and, more fundamentally, the adoption of asustainable, consolidated budget. This budget is thenational budget. It is not the assessed contributionsbudget, it is not the budget that supports UNTAEToperations. It is the budget that supports the operationsof the local administration. We focus significantly onthat, but we have also broadened our perspective tomake sure that we monitor closely the inflow ofresources into the country, as an excessive amount ofresources give rise to distortions.

There have been important and significantdevelopments. They are very well documented and canbe found on the Web sites of the United Nations, the

13

S/PV.4265

World Bank, the IMF and various other agencies thatmaintain Web sites with all the various reports, so Iwill not go into detail about what the achievementshave been during these last 15 months of continuouscontact with East Timor. But let me just flag a few thatI think are important enough to keep in mind and that,as I said at the beginning, transcend the political cycle.

The first is the adoption of a currency as a meansof payment and the design of a framework for theoperation of banks. There are already two banks inoperation, and, hopefully, there will be more in future.There are a number of initiatives for micro-financialinstitutions, and there is also some interest in foreignexchange bureaus.

For the time being, there is no problem withrespect to the issue of monetary policy, as the currencychosen in the transition is the United States dollar. Itwill be up to a future independent Government of EastTimor to decide whether a different monetaryarrangement is suitable for its objectives.

With regard to fiscal developments, there was, forthe first time, a preliminary budget. For a post-conflictcountry to present a preliminary budget right at theoutset of operations is a very important development. Itwas rudimentary, but still a guideline to at least helpallocate resources in a somewhat sensible manner. Italso demands accountability, which is very important.

Subsequently, with the assistance of mainly theAustralian and Japanese Governments, the centralfiscal authority was staffed, and a very strong budgetteam was assigned to East Timor for about 15 monthsinitially. These people have helped to develop a verycomprehensive budget process, and now we are aboutto start discussions on the budget for fiscal year 2001-2002. I think that this has been very, very important. Imention the deficiencies in the design that need to betackled, but that will come with time and experience.Furthermore, there has been the development of a taxadministration body, which is implementing a policythat is being designed in consultation with the NationalCouncil and through public forum discussions. Someprogress has also been made in that very importantarea.

I think there has been some debate on the issue ofparticipation and ownership; it has been more and moreencouraging to see that the East Timorese are taking astronger interest. They are becoming better equippedby getting support from donors in terms of technical

assistance, and they are developing their own viewswith respect to various alternatives that are beingoffered to them for a system of taxation, a system ofpublic tariffs for utilities and so forth.

Budget execution is a different matter, because itdepends not only on having a budget but also on thespending agencies. This requires much more work. AsMr. Rohland indicated, they are having additionaldifficulties in procurement. There are some difficultiesin the execution that hopefully will be addressed. Butthese two developments in banking and paymentsmanagement — because there is no real monetarymanagement — and in fiscal management areencouraging. I think they will require future assistance,and we stand ready to support the United Nations untilthe transfer of the administration to a new EastTimorese government, and to support the future EastTimorese government.

With regard to developments in capacity-building, we will focus initially on making operationalthe institutions that we consider key for economicmanagement. We have provided comprehensivetechnical assistance, and I think that one of theimportant lessons we have derived from this situationis that there are very detailed blueprints on how tomanage these institutions, what functions and whattype of people are required. I think we are nowproposing that this model be replicated, so to speak, forother economic institutions that are being developed,such as the national planning agency and the ministryof economy, because it is extremely important that weknow ex ante what is required in terms of expertise, thetype of institution being built and the requirementsboth for today and for the future. As previous speakershave said, it is very important that we do not createsomething that later will become difficult to sustain,especially when the massive amount of externalsupport starts to decline.

We acknowledge that the process of building EastTimorese managerial capacity in the macro-financialmanagement area has been slow; it is quite aspecialized area. This will take time. We are now tryingto coordinate more closely with the World Bank, withthe Asian Development Bank and with other agencies,trying to make sure that we have a systematic approachthat will enable us to deploy qualified staff for thesecritical areas of macroeconomic management in themonths to come. We have already started somecomprehensive courses in Singapore. We have a

14

S/PV.4265

regional institute. We are trying to set up on-the-jobtraining approaches. All the experts that have beenrecommended by our institution have, as part of theirterms of reference, a capacity-building mandate, andthey have the responsibility to identify and train localcounterparts during their stay in East Timor, with aview to the latter eventually being in a position toassume their responsibilities, even though weanticipate that in these areas of expertise continuedsupport will be required for a number of years to come.

What are the major challenges that we see ahead?I understand that the Council President wanted thediscussions to focus on the future, but I think it isimportant to look at the past, especially in the area ofour concern, because we do not really believe that wehave to change the tune as independence approaches,since, as I said, the institutions that have been set upwill be required in any market-based economy. I thinkthe skills that are being developed will be required inthe future. Policies may change, and then there will bea need for developing analytical capacity and to ensurethat advice is understood, adopted and embraced by theTimorese, because the last thing we need would be thefeeling that things were being imposed. I think it isvery important that whatever they adopt be embracedand come from their own initiative. This dialogue isimportant. It will take time. It will be slower thanthings more familiar to us would have been. But I thinkthe dialogue is important, and we have to be tolerantand patient.

The challenges that we see ahead in the economicsphere are essentially in the area of the maintenance ofmacroeconomic stability. I think that many peoplebelieve it is sometimes too early to talk abouteconomic matters in a post-conflict situation; but it isnever too early, because normally what happens is thatin the rush of things, we make decisions that we maylater regret. One of our major concerns, for instance, iswage policy. In the rush of things, sometimes we wantto hire whoever is available at the moment, and wesometimes judge the adequacy of wage policy againstthe objective of trying to bring qualified people to helpus as soon as possible. But in the process we maydistort the wage policy for the future independentgovernment of Timor. Another possibility is that weembark on projects that may be too costly over time.This pertains to the whole issue of sustainability overtime. It is never too early to raise questions aboutsustainability. We are very concerned about that. I

think the challenge for East Timor will be tocontinuously go over every decision that is being takenand understand not only the short term benefits but alsothe future implications. This is something that we haveraised in meetings with donors. Very generous bilateralassistance is being offered, but we are asking donors tobe as specific as possible, with regard to what they arewilling to do today as well as the recurrent costsneeded to maintain in the future whatever is initiatednow.

Even though our friend Sergio Vieira de Mellosays that the budget is cruel, I think that the budget isrealistic and is consistent with the availability ofresources today and the medium-term potential of thecountry. That is precisely what forces us to askourselves continuously whether something that may bebeneficial today may be too costly tomorrow. It is notthat these questions should prevent us from makingdecisions; I think they have to be made.

So this is a very important challenge: tocontinuously have on the table the questions ofsustainability that are critical for macroeconomicstability. Without macroeconomic stability, we cannotexpect growth, and we cannot expect to be in a positionto address serious poverty problems.

The other serious challenge is capacity-building. Iam very pleased to hear, as our friend from the UnitedNations Development Programme indicated, that it hasa mandate to deal with this issue, which is so critical.We stand ready to cooperate with it in all areas of ourexpertise, and we will continue to support the UnitedNations and our Timorese friends in the futureindependent government of East Timor with whateverresources we have.

The final major challenge is the creation ofadequate incentives for the private sector. I think wehave here a unique opportunity to move away from thetraditional governmental structure that was set up,inherited from Indonesian times — that is, a largegovernment. I think this is a very good opportunity.But for creating the right incentives for private sectordevelopment, a lot has to be done. In a couple ofpublications we have presented in detail what we thinkwould be the immediate steps. I will be glad to makeavailable to all the members of the Council thereferences to these publications, which can also befound on our Web site.

15

S/PV.4265

We believe that for creating the right incentivesthere is an immediate need not only to maintainstability and to continue with a sensible fiscal budgetand fiscal approach; it will also be important to moveforcefully on developing basic legislation that is stillmissing, but not stopping at the level of legislation. Inthis regard, I fully agree with Sergio Vieira de Mellothat enforcement is as important as having the laws inplace, so the development of the judiciary has to gohand in hand with the development of legislation. Veryspecifically, we are very concerned about the need fordeveloping quickly commercial law, the labour codeand a foreign-investment law, because without thosebasic legal requirements and frameworks and theassurances that the rights of investors are going to beprotected, we cannot expect an appropriate response.

We are also watching with great interest theapproach followed in the political transition. This willalso help, because political uncertainty also affectsinvestment decisions. But I think two importantelements that were mentioned by Sergio Vieira deMello are the participation in decision-making and inthe legislative effort of the East Timorese. Theseelements are providing more and more clarity withrespect to where the country is likely to go, and this inturn is providing some assurances to some investorswho are already analysing the possibilities.

We believe that every effort should be made tocreate the right incentives for private initiative.Without that, I think we run the risk of creating anenvironment in which the Government will be forced totake up obligations that I think the East Timorese havea unique opportunity to decide not to put in the handsof the Government — in contrast to what hastraditionally been the case.

Once again, I really appreciate the invitation tospeak to the Council. We are very pleased and we standready to continue cooperating with the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor, ourTimorese friends, all United Nations agencies, oursister institution, the World Bank, and donors. We willbe glad to answer any questions and discuss bilaterallyany further issues that any of the members of theSecurity Council may have, or to present more specificbriefings as required.

The President: The next speaker is Mr. HarriHolkeri, President of the General Assembly, to whomthe Council has extended an invitation under rule 39 of

its provisional rules of procedure. I invite him to take aseat at the Council table.

Before giving the floor to Mr. Holkeri, I wouldlike to convey a special word of thanks to him fortaking time off from his busy schedule to address theSecurity Council. Rarely have Presidents of theGeneral Assembly addressed the Council. Indeed, ourresearch shows that the last time it happened wasprobably in 1946 — more than 54 years ago. So this isin some ways a historic occasion.

I invite Mr. Holkeri to make his statement.

Mr. Holkeri: I first wish to join you,Mr. President, in your expression of condolences to thepeople of India and Pakistan.

I am honoured to be able to participate in thisopen debate of the Security Council on East Timor. Iwould like to thank you in particular, Mr. President, foryour efforts in making it possible for me to address theCouncil. My participation in this debate is part of theefforts to foster closer cooperation and coordinationbetween the main United Nations bodies and actors.

I made a week-long visit to the South-East Asianregion from 10 to 17 January 2001, visiting Singapore,East Timor and Indonesia. My visit was at theinvitation of the Singaporean and IndonesianGovernments and of the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET). In EastTimor, I had a series of meetings in Dili, during whichI was briefed extensively about the activities ofUNTAET by the Special Representative of theSecretary-General and by other officials of UNTAET. Ialso met with local political leaders, including XananaGusmão, as well as with the Force Commander of theUnited Nations peacekeeping force and theCommissioner of the civil police. Finally, I had theopportunity to meet with the heads of United Nationsagencies and with representatives of the localdiplomatic community.

In addition to my programme in Dili, I paid ahalf-day visit to Suai, the site of a massacre in 1999,where I was given a briefing on the various aspects ofthe operation of the district administration and of theSector West peacekeeping force. In Suai, I haddiscussions with the members of the District AdvisoryCouncil and other local representatives.

The detailed account of my visit, including a listof all meetings, can be found on my Web site.

16

S/PV.4265

At the outset, I wish to pay tribute to the womenand men, civilian and military, who serve the UnitedNations in East Timor, and to commend the leadershipof Mr. Vieira de Mello. The working conditions —both in the physical and in the political sense — in theMission area are very difficult. It is crucial that theMission get all necessary support from Headquarters inorder to overcome these difficulties. In addition, closecooperation between all United Nations agenciesworking in this comprehensive United Nations missionis vital for a successful outcome.

The main purpose of my visit to East Timor wasto observe, in the light of our recent discussions on theBrahimi report, how a comprehensive and complexpeace operation works at the field level. The visitallowed me to assess at first hand the situation in EastTimor.

In East Timor there is a clear gap between theexpectations of the local population and what may beexpected to be a painstakingly slow process of nation-building. This is a gap common in post-conflictsituations. It exists both at the grass-roots level, asechoed by the everyday concerns of the people I met inSuai, and at the political level, as reflected by growingcalls among the local political leadership for movestowards immediate independence.

In a country that has never in its recorded historyenjoyed self-determination and democratic rule, thisdesire for an immediate solution is understandable. Butit should be tempered by a realization that buildingdemocratic institutions is, even under the best ofcircumstances, a complex and delicate task. However, Iam sure that the people in East Timor, who haveultimate responsibility for the future of their country,will remember this during the coming months, as thepolitical calendar brings them closer to independence.Furthermore, I trust that the Council will bear this inmind in its deliberations on the issue.

East Timorese society faces the fundamentalquestion of justice versus reconciliation. There seemsto be a genuine and commendable readiness among thepolitical leadership to move towards nationalreconciliation, with maximum inclusiveness of formerpro-autonomy elements now it West Timor. At thesame time, there is a strong body of opinion, especiallyat the grass-roots level, calling for justice as theprecondition for any true reconciliation. In my view,these views are not mutually exclusive. The pursuit of

justice is fundamental to nation-building and to anyUnited Nations peace operation. Those responsible forhuman rights violations and crimes against humanitymust be brought to justice. At the same time,reconciliation at all levels should be actively promoted.

Despite the commendable progress achieved, EastTimor will need the assistance and presence of theinternational community for a long time to come, bothto continue to maintain peace and to supportreconstruction and nation-building. We cannot afford toexit East Timor prematurely or without a well-preparedstrategy. The Timorization of the local administrationis crucial and should be pursued vigorously. But itcannot wholly substitute for international presence inthe near future.

United Nations peacekeeping is still needed toensure the safety and security of the population and theoverall stability of the country. It would be unrealisticand even irresponsible to expect or plan a quick pull-out. I also wish to emphasize that the operation must begiven the resources commensurate with its mandateand that these resources must be provided fromassessed contributions. In this connection, I also wishto express my support for the Council’s request forincreased flexibility in the use of assessed resourcesallocated to complex peacekeeping operations such asUNTAET. I will once again draw the attention of therelevant General Assembly bodies to this request.

The situation along the border areas betweenWest Timor and East Timor is of grave concern. Eventhough I did not have the opportunity to visit WestTimor, it became clear to me that much more needs tobe done to disarm and disband the militias. This isessential so as to allow the United Nations to return toWest Timor to deal with the refugee problem. It is alsoindispensable in order to stop the violence against thecivilian population, including women.

I should point out that during my discussions inJakarta with the President, the Minister for ForeignAffairs and other high-level officials, I was givenassurances of their cooperation and determination tofacilitate refugee return. They expressed their hope thatthe United Nations, especially the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),would soon be able to return to West Timor. As for mypart, I underscored the need strictly to implementSecurity Council resolution 1319 (2000). I alsoexpressed the hope that the relationship between

17

S/PV.4265

Indonesia and UNTAET would continue to be based onthe joint communiqué of 29 February 2000 and theMemorandum of Understanding of April 2000. Again,my interlocutors expressed their commitment to good-neighbourly relations with East Timor. As with anyUnited Nations peace operation, the success ofUNTAET depends on the full cooperation of all parties.

In conclusion, I would like, in recognition ofUNTAET’s performance, to stress the urgency of theneed to strengthen United Nations peace operationsthrough implementing the recommendations of theBrahimi report. Moreover, I would like to stress oneimportant commitment that the Council made whenadopting its recommendations on the Brahimi reportthat is relevant to our discussions today. The Councilundertook to ensure that the mandated tasks ofpeacekeeping operations are appropriate to thesituation on the ground, including such factors as theprospects for success, the potential need to protectcivilians and the possibility that some parties may seekto undermine peace through violence.

The President: Before giving the floor to thenext speaker, I should like, in the spirit of AmbassadorRichard Holbrooke, to say a special word of welcometo the seventh-grade class of the Convent of the SacredHeart — a class of which my daughter, Shelagh, isproud to be a member. I hope that the presence of theseyouthful spirits — the young ladies in the red blazersin the public gallery — will serve as a good omen forthe future of East Timor.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is Mr. JoséRamos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinet ofEast Timor responsible for foreign affairs, to whom theCouncil has extended an invitation under rule 39 of itsprovisional rules of procedure. Your presence here, Mr.Ramos-Horta, is itself historic. Until today, norepresentative of East Timor had addressed the Councilsince UNTAET was established. I am glad that the verydistinguished son of East Timor, a Nobel laureate, ishere to address us.

I give the floor to Mr. Ramos-Horta.

Mr. Ramos-Horta: I would like to join all othersin expressing my most sincere condolences to theGovernments and peoples of India and Pakistan.

At the outset, allow me to extend to everyone thewarmest greetings of President Xanana Gusmão, whoapologizes for not being here today in person. I am

conscious that I am a poor substitute for him and begthe Council’s indulgence.

I thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity toaddress the Council today. I am honoured to do so as aCabinet member for foreign affairs of the East TimorTransitional Administration and to speak on behalf ofall my Cabinet colleagues in East Timor.

I would like to take a moment to commend theSecretary-General for his leadership, compassion andstaunch commitment to East Timor. Without him andhis leadership, we would not be here today. We thankthe Secretary-General for everything he has done forEast Timor since he took office in 1997. I rememberthat he promised at that time that, during his term inoffice, he would see the conflict in East Timorresolved. He kept his promise. We take note of andcommend his report to the Security Council.

In 1999, he appointed one of his most competentand trusted international civil servants as his SpecialRepresentative. We thank him for having loaned SergioVieira de Mello to us and commend Sergio for hiscommitment, patience, hard work and, most of all, forhis friendship. Some have remarked that Sergio Vieirade Mello has aged much since he took up his latestchallenge. He is only a couple of years older than me,but I have to admit he looks much, much older and Iapologize to him for having caused him this earlyageing. When he referred in his speech to the energetic,robust discussions in the Cabinet and the NationalCouncil, I know he was being very diplomatic andusing British understatement. He was very polite to us.

This being the first time I have addressed thisCouncil since the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) wasestablished, allow me to extend to you, Sir, yourGovernment, your country and all members of theSecurity Council, past and present, our most heartfeltappreciation for the dedication, compassion and firmdetermination shown by all in the worst period of ourrecent past. It was their collective compassion andsense of responsibility that compelled the Council toact in a swift manner, thus bringing to an end theextraordinary injustice and suffering visited upon ourpeople.

I most sincerely regret that I have missed here byonly a few days our good friend, Ambassador RichardHolbrooke. He was a true friend of East Timor and ofthe United Nations. His intellectual brilliance, energy

18

S/PV.4265

and dynamic leadership will be missed. We lookforward to a close and fruitful collaboration with thenew United States representative to the United Nations,whoever it may be.

Before I continue, allow me to introduce someonesitting in the gallery. His name his Greg Smith. He isonly 11 years old. He is already in his second year ofuniversity, which I really envy. He began his work forpeace when he was seven, when he established his firstnon-governmental organization. Right now, he isextremely busy mobilizing resources for East Timor –textbooks, medical supplies and vitamins – both in theUnited States and in Australia. I thank him and hisparents for bringing him here. His mother had to leaveher job to work full-time handling his schedule.

We have come a long way since that fateful dayof 7 December 1975. A quarter of a century has passed;the world has changed beyond recognition; myths haveexploded and empires have come tumbling down;freedom and democracy have expanded; and EastTimor is free and now resurrecting itself from the ashesof war.

It has been a little over a year since East Timorwas liberated and UNTAET was established. Toillustrate the progress we have made so far, allow me toshare some thoughts. I arrived back in East Timor on 1December 1999, for the first time after 24 years inexile. Landing in East Timor in December 1999 was anextraordinarily mixed emotional experience of joy andpain: joy in celebrating the greatest gifts of all, peaceand freedom; and pain at so much senselessdestruction.

The scenes of the destroyed cities and townsreminded me of the black-and-white pictures ofHiroshima, London or Dresden after the Second WorldWar. I visited Bosnia in 1997. The destruction ofBosnia was horrific in scale, and yet the destruction ofEast Timor was even worse. Not much was left intact.What had not been looted and taken away wasvandalised and destroyed. Government services andinfrastructures were wiped out; civil servants,schoolteachers, medics, semi-skilled and unskilledworkers had fled, taken refuge in the mountains orbeen made hostage, maimed or killed. Not one singlepublic service was functioning; not one modest eatingplace or kiosk was operating. In September 1999, EastTimor was at the year zero.

One year later, as we travel around the countryvisiting towns, villages and the poor bairros of Dili andconversing with many thousands of my bravecompatriots, humble, poor and dignified, we repeat toourselves time and again: “What an extraordinarypeople. They deserve more. They deserve better”. Butwe keep telling them: “God has given us the greatestgift of all. He delivered us a miracle. He gave us ourfreedom. We triumphed against all odds, but He willnot make any more miracles. We must be patient; it hasbeen only one year since we gained our freedom. Wecannot do more”. And our brave people have beenunderstanding, patient.

While many international staff members havelived up to our expectations and illusions, displayinggenuine commitment, integrity and professionalism,the recruitment of civilian personnel could have beenmore careful and the assignments better planned. Muchwaste could have been avoided, but we understand thattime constraints and pressure did not leave enoughroom for those in charge of recruitment to be moreselective. This situation has been rectified and therecruitment process has now been moved to Dili.

Much progress has been made on many fronts.Schools have reopened. Hundreds of thousands ofbrand new books provided by Portugal are in the handsof children. Hospitals and clinics are functioning.Thousands of children have been immunized.Tuberculosis, a scourge that eats away at so many inEast Timor, is being confronted. In 2000, the economyregistered a real growth of 15 per cent, though we areconscious of its fragility. More than 1,800 businesseshave been registered and about 80 per cent are EastTimorese-owned. The negotiations on the Timor Seahave been conducted in a very friendly atmosphere andhave progressed. We are optimistic about reaching anagreement in the near future. We hope that oil and gasrevenue will soon flow into East Timor.

UNTAET has accelerated the participation of EastTimorese in the executive, quasi-legislative andjudicial branches of the transitional government withthe establishment of the East Timor TransitionalAdministration. Our compatriots are graduallyshouldering the responsibilities that come with self-determination. There are nearly 7,000 East Timoreseworking as civil servants throughout the country in awide range of areas, including police, education,health, border and customs services and in varyingdegrees of responsibility.

19

S/PV.4265

But it is not sufficient to delegate theresponsibility; it is essential to provide our people withthe necessary tools to accomplish their task. As mycolleague Ana Pessoa Pinto, Cabinet member in chargeof internal administration, noted at the donors’conference in Brussels in December, the tasks ofpreparing administrative cadres, strengthening localcapacity and developing human resources remainpriorities and require special attention. Our view is thatemphasis must be placed on recruiting as many EastTimorese as possible, but it is equally important toempower them in key positions.

Timorization, as we understand it, will not beachieved by continuing to have four to sixinternationals doing the job. We acknowledge thevaluable work performed by some dedicatedinternational staff, but we ask that the recruitmentprocess for East Timor be immediately reinforced andgiven all the necessary tools to accomplish this crucialtask.

Overall, power-sharing between UNTAET andthe East Timorese has worked fairly well, though therehave been some growing pains along the way. Thestructural and administrative ambiguity between theEast Timor Transitional Administration and UNTAETmust be resolved. We are working on these issues, andI believe we must stay the course. We do not believethat it would be in anyone’s interest to suddenlydisengage and not take advantage of the gains made byUNTAET.

This type of peacekeeping operation is new forthe United Nations and it is new for the Timorese. TheEast Timor Transitional Administration must be giventhe means and real authority to ensure that theinstitutional structures created can continue to functionproperly and effectively after independence.

I will now turn to the security situation.

Overall, East Timor is enjoying a period ofincreased stability, with the militia threat largelydormant. But we cannot become complacent. ThePortuguese, Australian and New Zealand battalionsstationed in the two most critical operational sectorshave performed extremely well and thus are instillingconfidence and tranquillity among the population. TheJordanian battalion based in the sensitive Oecussienclave has also performed efficiently through acombination of wise diplomacy and conventionalmilitary posture.

Sadly, as members know, last year Timoresegrieved alongside our international friends over thesenseless deaths of peacekeepers and humanitarianworkers in East and West Timor. We will alwaysremember these brave soldiers and the humanitarianworkers who paid the ultimate price for helping ourpeople. We are deeply grateful to the peackeeping forcefor its work to ensure peace and stability in East Timor.

The peacekeeping force has been the mostsuccessful pillar of UNTAET, and all units deservemuch credit, including those from Bangladesh, whichperform a vital role in keeping the roads and bridgesusable during our merciless rainy season.

Even though the East Timorese remain one of themost destitute people in the world, the rate ofcriminality among them remains one of the lowest.Political violence among emerging political groups hasnot erupted in the way that many people feared. Thisrelative peace is partly credited to the maturity andsense of responsibility of the political parties.

In the area of law and order, there is room forimprovement in the performance of the civilian policecomponent (CIVPOL). It could be reorganized alongthe lines of nationality, in the same manner as thepeacekeeping force. We believe that CIVPOL could bemore effective if the elements of a given nationalitywere to be assigned designated tasks and/or areasinstead of mixing different cultures, forms ofprofessional training and security doctrines. Forinstance, the Portuguese Rapid Reaction Unit hasearned the respect of all East Timorese for itsexceptional professionalism. It is a model to beexpanded and followed in other peacekeepingmissions.

We are cognizant of the fact that there will be areduction in the current strength of the peacekeepingforce after independence. But we are also encouragedby the assurances offered by several peacekeepingtroop-contributing countries that they are prepared toremain actively engaged in East Timor for as long asnecessary.

A premature withdrawal of United Nations forcesfrom East Timor would destabilize and derail theprocess. But we are conscious that the internationalcommunity cannot shoulder indefinitely theresponsibility for East Timor’s external security; hence,we have decided to create the East Timor DefenceForce. We are grateful to the Security Council for

20

S/PV.4265

authorizing UNTAET to undertake this additional task.Because our de facto President of East Timor hasalready addressed this issue, I will not elaboratefurther. I would only like to add that a defence force isonly one way to guarantee our national security. Wemust continue to reach out to our neighbours and forgeregional partnerships.

Among our own people there are still a fewelements that continue to refuse to accept the results ofthe popular consultation. I am speaking about themilitias that remain active along our border andcontinue to terrorize the refugees in the camps in WestTimor. However, in keeping with what the President ofthe General Assembly said, we will spare no effort inengaging the so-called pro-autonomy faction indialogue. However, those involved in, and who areaccused of, serious crimes must face justice. After all,there cannot be sustainable peace without justice.

In this regard, we commend Indonesia’sAttorney-General, Mr. Marzuki Darusman, for hiscourage and integrity in attempting to bring to justicein Indonesia those involved in fomenting, instigating,planning and carrying out violence in East Timor.

For the sake of justice for the victims, for thegood name of the Republic of Indonesia and for thesake of the universal struggle against impunity, wemust see to it that justice is served, regardless of thepower and wealth of the culprits.

We are committed to continuing the process ofhealing and normalization of relations with ourneighbour. My cabinet colleague Mr. Mari Alkatiri andI have just visited Jakarta prior to my arrival in NewYork. This was our first official trip to Indonesia ascabinet members of the East Timor TransitionalAdministration. We were warmly received by ourhosts.

We had cordial talks with President AbdurrahmanWahid, Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab, Minister forPolitical, Social and Security Coordination SusiloBambang Yudhoyono, the Minister of Settlements andRegional Infrastucture, Attorney-General MarzukiDarusman, Speaker of Parliament The HonourableAkbar Tandjung and other prominent members ofParliament.

President Wahid briefed us on his recentdiscussions with President Fernando Henrique Cardosoon a joint Brazil-Indonesia partnership to assist East

Timor in some specific areas, such as health. Wewarmly welcome such an offer, as it comes from aclose neighbour and a distant one, both of them majorregional powers with which we share a commonhistory.

We are aware of the situation in many parts ofIndonesia, the painful transition from a recent past ofabuse and repression to democracy and the rule of law.It is only to be expected that conflicting interests anddeeply entrenched classes and groups, includingcentrifugal forces, would collide in a country asethnically, culturally and geographically diverse asIndonesia, particularly as it emerges from decades of amilitary-dominated regime.

We can only express our sympathy and solidarityto that proud nation. The Indonesian people arefortunate in having an outstanding, moral man as theirPresident. In times of crisis and transition, nations needmoral and compassionate leaders. This is whathappened in India with Mahatma Ghandi, South Africawith Mandela and South Korea with Kim Dae-jung, tomention just a few cases.

Friends of Indonesia must redouble their effortsin assisting Indonesia and its leader PresidentAbdurrahman Wahid in continuing the progress madeso far in advancing reforms and democracy.

At the conclusion of my visit to Jakarta, at thepress conference, as someone who was very muchbehind the sanctions movement, I also called on thosecountries that still maintain sanctions against Indonesiato lift them, whatever they may be, particularly inrespect of non-lethal equipment, as a concrete way ofsending a goodwill message to the Government ofPresident Wahid.

I should like also to refer to our particularrelationship with the Indonesian province of NusaTengara Timur. Our relations with the centralGovernment in Jakarta will determine our specialrelationship with our neighbour to the West — NusaTengara Timur. We shall endeavour to normalizerelations with that Indonesian province, with which weshare a common and porous border.

A relationship of trust between Dili and Jakartawill enable the realization of our dream of ridding thetwo sides of weapons and of opening the border,allowing for the free movement of people and trade,sports and cultural exchange.

21

S/PV.4265

We are already inviting sports and cultural groupsfrom West Timor to visit us in East Timor. The nextArafura Games, in which East Timor will participatethis year for the first time ever — as we did in theSydney Olympics, though, I must admit, without muchsuccess — will be an opportunity for us to pursue thisprocess of fostering peace on the whole island.

There is resentment against the East Timoreserefugees in West Timor because of the internationalassistance targeted to the East Timorese. We mustfollow up on the idea, discussed by President Wahid,Prime Minister Antonio Guterres of Portugal andForeign Minister Alexander Downer of Australiaduring the Millennium Summit, of a consortium ofcountries to help West Timor develop its economy.Such an initiative, if realized, would go a long waytowards creating the conditions for a lasting peace andstability on the island.

We are conscious that this is going to be a longprocess, and those who share in this dream are awarethat formidable obstacles are in the way. However, ourfriends in Indonesia know that we must dare to dream,for even the most impossible dreams can be realized.

The plight of our people, many of whom arebeing held in squalid camps in West Timor against theirwill, remains an obstacle to the betterment of relationsbetween Indonesia and East Timor. However, in allfairness, we must commend the Indonesian authoritiesfor the efforts they have made in recent months tocurtail the activities of the armed gangs.

The security situation in West Timor hasimproved, even though we are still concerned at thepervasive presence of armed gangs in the refugeecamps. The Indonesian authorities must continue theirefforts to dismantle those gangs completely.

We urge the United Nations to dispatch toIndonesia, as soon as possible, a team of securityexperts to assess the security conditions in West Timor.The continuing presence of tens of thousands ofdisplaced persons in West Timor and of armed gangs inthe refugee camps are detrimental to Indonesia’s owninterests. Hence we believe the Indonesian authoritiesare serious in wanting to resolve this remainingproblem.

We are grateful to Indonesia for supporting EastTimor’s eventual membership in the Association ofSouth-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Our gratitude is

extended to all the leaders in ASEAN who haveexpressed their support to us in different ways.

In the course of the past year, President XananaGusmão and I visited almost all ASEAN membercountries. We attended the ASEAN ministerial meetingwith the Special Representative. We visited Japan,China, the Republic of Korea, Australia and NewZealand. In March, I will be leading another mission toJapan.

Beyond our immediate region, we hope that in thecourse of this year we will start developing relationswith other countries of Asia. We also have a visitplanned to some Arab and Muslim countries.

Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello has already elaboratedin detail the political calendar. However, I will sharewith the Council some thoughts that reflect thediscussions held in the National Council and my owndiscussions with many of my colleagues in the EastTimorese leadership.

A broad cross-section of society — politicalparties, church officials and non-governmentalorganizations — all have attended, and participated in,the hearings held by the National Council. Throughoutthese discussions, a common theme persisted: everyonewas committed to non-violence and to adherence todemocratic ideals and the rule of law.

There are a number of decisions that must betaken to reach the goal of independence, such as, whattype of democratic bodies should there be? Whatelectoral system should we adopt? Answers to thesepreliminary questions will lead to the first elections inEast Timor and will soon be provided by the Cabinetand the National Council after the current politicaldebates.

However, some important elements have alreadyconverged into a consensus, as Mr. Sergio Vieira deMello has articulated. We hope that by next month anational pact will have been signed by all parties. Letme elaborate a bit on the contents of the national pactas we have discussed them among ourselves.

The national pact will comprise not onlyimportant elements such as our commitment to non-violence and to the acceptance of majority rule, butalso a strong commitment to human rights and tosigning, upon independence, some of the mostimportant human rights instruments. It will also containsome important constitutional elements. This is

22

S/PV.4265

important in order to send a message to the EastTimorese society at large and to the internationalcommunity that no matter which party wins theelections in the course of this year, there arefundamental principles to which every party iscommitted, and there will be no change. Thesecommitments are in regard to our foreign relations andto foreign investments that are already in the country orthat will be coming into the country in the next fewmonths before independence. Whatever the outcome ofthe elections, the national pact is important in that itpermits everyone to participate in the political processthrough a number of solemn commitments with respectto human rights, democratic principles, foreignrelations, reconciliation and foreign investments.

The national pact will be signed by all and will befollowed by a constitutional conference that will debateand prepare the first draft of a constitution. Electionsfor a Constituent Assembly could take place at the endof August. Initially we had thought they would be inJune, but we were advised by many of our friends —experts from the United Nations — that June would betoo soon. Preliminary discussions have made usconscious of time constraints, and we are beginning toconsider deferring the elections until the end ofAugust, maybe to coincide with the second anniversaryof the popular ballot.

The Assembly, which will have plenary powers,would have two to three months to prepare, debate andvote on the Constitution. We are also conscious — andthat is the consensus in the leadership — that theConstituent Assembly should not repeat the mistakesmade by some countries, dragging on for months andsometimes a year or two, or three. Therefore we all —those participating in the political process in EastTimor — have reached a preliminary agreement thatthe Constituent Assembly should have two to threemonths maximum to deal with the draft constitution,which it will have before it as it begins its work.

We also believe — and this is a majorityopinion — that the Constituent Assembly, once it hascompleted its main task of drafting and adopting aconstitution — will convert itself into the first nationalLegislative Assembly. There have been precedents inmany countries wherein the constituent assemblybecomes the first legislative assembly, thus saving thecountry and the people from having to hold two orthree elections in one year. We should leave thedecision on a date for follow-up elections, including

presidential elections and a declaration ofindependence, to this electoral body. We hope that anew Government, a provisional Government, reflectingthe election results for the Constituent Assembly, willbe established.

We are aware that peace, although a reality inEast Timor, is still fragile. We are all equallyresponsible for its consolidation; it is not only theresponsibility of the peacekeeping force or of theinternational community. We, the East Timorese, areaware that we are all equally responsible forconsolidating peace in order to ensure a smoothtransition to independence.

I would like to conclude by saying that we aremoving forward towards establishing the basicframework of government and civic institutions in atransition period. As these institutions are theunderpinnings of all strong democratic nations, weneed to strengthen them in East Timor through targetedcapacity-building. We have heard the offers of the IMFand our friends from UNDP and other agencies, and ofthe World Bank, with whom we have had excellentcooperation and a personal relationship over the pastfew months in a really unique partnership that has beenvery beneficial to East Timor. Once again, I want toextend thanks to all — to Mr. Mark Malloch Brown, toMr. James Wolfensohn and to Mr. Luis Valdivieso, ourfriend. As you know, the IMF is not terribly popular inmany countries, but in spite of what Mr. Valdiviesorepresents, he has managed to charm everybody in EastTimor — and this despite some of the austerity advicehe is constantly giving us. We love him in spite of whathe represents. Thank you to all the agencies, those whospoke and those who are not present today.

We are deeply grateful to the internationalcommunity — to all of you sitting around this table andthroughout the United Nations community — for yoursupport for the reconstruction and developmentactivities in East Timor. We have had to rebuild ourcountry from its ashes. While we have made advancesunder UNTAET, we have further to go. Therefore, weonce again ask the United Nations to sustain itspartnership with the people of East Timor, so that ournation can pursue the development of its full economic,political and civic capacity. But in order to do this, weneed your continued support, so that we can operate ina secure and stable environment. This can be providedonly through maintaining a peacekeeping presenceafter the transition period. It will enable our forces to

23

S/PV.4265

ready themselves to take on our nation’s security. Withthe continued support and active engagement of theUnited Nations, we will pass these tests and reach thelight at the end of the tunnel.

Mr. President and members of the Council, wehope that you all will honour us in Dili on ourIndependence Day.

The President: I shall now give the floor tomembers of the Council. But before I do so, let me notethat we have had an exceptionally rich exchange ofviews. Many key points have emerged. It is clear fromthe briefings that have been given that, despite widerecognition as one of the more successful peacekeepingoperations, huge challenges remain. I think Mr. Vieirade Mello was being modest — or perhaps even moreimportant, realistic — when he acknowledged thatmuch still remains to be done. The East Timorese willneed ongoing commitment of the internationalcommunity for many years in support of the embryonicGovernment of East Timor.

Mr. Mark Malloch Brown of UNDP said that EastTimor needs our support for tomorrow even more thanfor today. The World Bank noted that we need todevelop a clear and structured plan for the transitionand post-independence mandate. The IMF explained indetail how a patient consultative process to developlong-term and sustainable financial institutions andprocesses is necessary. The President of the GeneralAssembly, Mr. Holkeri, noted that we cannot afford toexit East Timor prematurely or without a well-preparedstrategy. And finally, Mr. Ramos-Horta also told usthat, while he would not want the United Nationsforces to remain forever, a premature withdrawalwould be difficult for East Timor.

In brief, many major points have emerged, andwe hope that Council members will address them.

Mr. Eldon (United Kingdom): Mr. President,thank you in particular for bringing together such agalaxy of talent today — not only our distinguishedbriefers, to whom I am most grateful for their usefuland insightful contributions, but also the public gallery.It is a great pleasure to have the public gallery with ustoday.

I would like to join others in expressing mydelegation’s condolences to the Governments of Indiaand Pakistan on the recent earthquake.

In recognition of the long list of speakers we havetoday, I will shorten my printed statement. I shouldalso draw attention to the fact that the representative ofSweden will be speaking later in the debate on behalfof the European Union, and my delegation associatesitself with that statement.

Many of us in the Council have been closelyassociated with East Timor, particularly since theAgreement of 5 May 1999. The Secretary-General’sreport shows that an enormous amount has beenachieved in a relatively short period of time. But,Mr. President, as you have said, the priority now mustbe to look to the future. It is particularly noteworthythat recent months have seen a real effort to acceleratethe transfer of authority to the East Timorese.

The process of Timorization was not envisagedwhen the Security Council adopted resolution 1272(1999); it was, frankly, an act of great vision andimagination on the part of the Special Representativeof the Secretary-General. And it seems to be workingwell. In the United Kingdom’s view, the establishmentof the National Council not only is important in termsof accountability and legitimacy, but it is also a crucialcontribution to capacity-building for self-governmentin East Timor.

For all this and more, we owe a vote of thanks tothe Special Representative and to his staff for theirremarkable work in such difficult conditions. Weshould also remember the enormously valuable workdone by the International Force, East Timor(INTERFET) in re-establishing security in the territory.This is all the more important, since I gather that todayis Australia Day. I understand that Lt. Gen. PeterCosgrove, the former Commander of INTERFET, hasbeen named Australian of the Year, and frankly,nobody is more deserving of such an honour.

But congratulations should not lead tocomplacency. For there is an enormous amount still todo, both before the transition to independence in EastTimor and afterwards. East Timorese expectations arenot being realized in a number of areas, includinginfrastructural improvements. The statements of theSpecial Representative and the President of the GeneralAssembly implicitly recognized that fact. AlthoughMr. Rohland from the World Bank told us that thereconstruction programme in East Timor was thequickest ever, it was not quick enough. Realistically,we are unlikely to be able to deliver everything for

24

S/PV.4265

which the East Timorese people might hope. But theinternational community must do better in improvingthe delivery of the resources that are available. It is agood thing that the World Bank intends to draw out themain lessons of the Timor experience. I hope we willall learn them well.

I was also grateful for the information given bythe Special Representative and Mr. Ramos-Horta on thetimetable for elections and independence. The EastTimorese are understandably impatient to strike out ontheir own. But we also have to recognize that althoughthe process of building a new State is not a simple one,precision will be needed soon. Whatever the exacttimetable proves to be, independence by the end of theyear means that the time to complete the job is short.So it is vital that the next six months should see acontinued delegation of authority to the East Timorese.This must be accompanied by a real effort to transferskills to them through development and training, sothat they can be fully prepared for the administration ofan independent State.

This will be one part of a wider effort to buildcapacity in East Timor, which must become UNTAET’spriority in the next months. On this point, I would begrateful for Mr. Vieira de Mello’s assessment of thesuccess of Timorization in qualitative rather thanquantitative terms. This is relevant in the context ofJosé Ramos-Horta’s statement. Is the process effectivein terms of building skills and competencies, ratherthan just filling offices?

Political skills will also be crucial. East Timorwill shortly become the first newly independentcountry of the new millennium. It is important that itbecome a shining example to the rest of the world. Aswe have seen in José Ramos-Horta’s statement today,the territory is well endowed with political leaders. Butwe also need to get the political and constitutionalstructures right. First, the process leading up toelections must be inclusive and transparent; anddiscussions on the terms of the new constitution shouldinvolve a full range of representatives from all sectorsof society.

But if it is to move forward, East Timor must alsodeal with its past. When I travelled with the SecurityCouncil mission to East Timor and Indonesia last year,I was concerned at the rate of progress in building ajudicial system. As Sergio Vieira de Mello hasreported, some useful progress has since been made in

bringing to justice those responsible for crimes againsthumanity. It is particularly encouraging that this weeksaw the first successful prosecution by an internationalcourt in East Timor for the violence that surrounded the1999 popular consultation. But more needs to be doneby UNTAET and Indonesia to ensure that the judicialprocess remains credible and effective. UNTAET andthe international community as a whole must thinkthrough the timelines for the judicial process, whichcannot be allowed to drag on endlessly. The SpecialRepresentative has appealed for internationalassistance to help build the judicial sector. I would begrateful for any more detailed update he might wish togive us on the response to that appeal. And, as thePresident of the General Assembly has said, tocomplement the investigation and trial of seriouscrimes there must be a determined process of nationalreconciliation within East Timor, behind which thewhole of Timorese society must stand together. Again,I should be grateful to hear from the SpecialRepresentative, and perhaps Mr. Ramos-Horta, howthat process is maturing.

Another problem faced by East Timor is thetangible security threat that continues to exist on itsborder. As the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Mr. Ramos-Horta have said, a stableborder is one of the keys to East Timor’s future. That iswhy we agree that, despite the improvements reportedto us today, there should be no downsizing of theUNTAET military component at this stage, and that isalso why we believe that a significant United Nationsmilitary presence is likely to be necessary for sometime into the future.

But it is no good simply saying that securitymeasures must continue. Real progress has to be madein reducing the security threat. That the militias arestill active in the camps in West Timor is appalling. Noless worrying is the fact that large numbers of genuinerefugees continue to live in such difficult conditions inthe camps and are subject to serious intimidation, asthe Security Council mission saw for itself.

This problem must now be properly addressed,not only because it has direct implications for thesecurity of East Timor and the future structure of theUnited Nations presence in the territory, but also on theobvious grounds of pressing humanitarian need.

The successful “come and see” visit programmeover Christmas was encouraging, and we hope it will

25

S/PV.4265

lead to an increase in spontaneous returns. But moremust be done. We urge the Government of Indonesia totake steps to implement resolution 1319 (2000) in fulland without delay, to complete the planned registrationprocess and to facilitate the return of those refugeeswho want to go home to East Timor. Further delaywould mean that the refugees would remaindisenfranchised, which would have seriousimplications for the coming elections.

As you have reminded us, Mr. President, we mustlook to the future. It is clear to us that the newlyindependent East Timor will continue to need extensiveinternational support. We welcome the intention to startplanning for a follow-on operation now. The EastTimorese are and should be fully engaged in thisprocess. We look forward to receiving the detailedplans promised by the Special Representative as soonas possible, and to a further report from the Secretary-General later in the year. We have the time andopportunity to think carefully about how UNTAETshould evolve from its present state to a new operationthat will assist the East Timorese people to assumetheir rightful place in the community of nations insafety and security. That, as the Administrator of theUnited Nations Development Programme has said, is areal challenge. And though the funding aspects are notnecessary considerations for this Council, for the sakeof the East Timorese people and for the sake of theUnited Nations itself, we must get it right.

Mr. Chowdhury (Bangladesh): Before I beginmy statement, let me, like you, Mr. President, on behalfof the Government and the people of Bangladesh,express deep condolences to our neighbours, India andPakistan, for the loss of life and property suffered intoday’s devastating earthquake.

This morning, we listened with keen interest tothe important statements from the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General and Head ofthe United Nations Transitional Administration in EastTimor (UNTAET), Sergio Vieira de Mello, and fromthe United Nations Development Programme,Administrator Mark Malloch Brown. We thank theWorld Bank and International Monetary Fundrepresentatives for their statements outlining theinvolvement of their institutions in East Timor. Weheard very significant statements this morning from thePresident of the General Assembly, Harri Holkeri, and,if I may use this title, from the Foreign Minister of EastTimor, José Ramos-Horta. They have provided the

Council with useful perspectives on the prevailingsituation in East Timor — on developments so far and,more importantly, on the future of East Timor.

We particularly appreciate the kind presence ofGeneral Assembly President Holkeri among us, as hisviews, enriched by his recent visit to East Timor andIndonesia, offer us important inputs for the Council’sfuture course of action as well as that of the broaderinternational community. His underscoring of thefundamental question of justice versus reconciliation,in the context of East Timorese society, carries animportant message. Mr. Ramos-Horta’s perceptive andimportant first statement before the Council is verymuch welcomed by my delegation.

It is useful that the Council is reviewing thesituation in East Timor again after two months. Duringthis time a lot has happened, as the SpecialRepresentative outlined. In particular, there have beenconcerted efforts during the last six months toaccelerate the transfer of authority to the Timoresepeople through a determined and innovative approach,as articulated in paragraphs 47 and 48 of the report ofthe Secretary-General.

After more than a year of UNTAET’s operation inthe territory, a road map to East Timor’s independenceis now emerging quietly but surely. The Secretary-General’s present report attests to that. Bangladesh isespecially encouraged by the steps being taken for theefficient holding of free and democratic elections earlyin the second half of this year.

However, for East Timor’s successful transitionto independence, a few important building blocksremain to be put in place. The first is to continue theefforts to establish peace and security. This is crucialnot only for long-term reconstruction and development,but also for the return and settlement of refugees. Asthe Secretary-General reports, there has beenimprovement in the security situation. Although militiamovements remain a source of concern, we are happyto hear from the Secretary-General’s SpecialRepresentative that such movement has fallen off.Thanks largely to the robust and decisive action ofUnited Nations peacekeepers, the militia violence hasbeen curbed. In this regard, we expect an earlyconclusion of the trial, which began in a Jakarta courtthis month, of the suspects in the September killing.

The second element is the safe return of refugees.In this regard, we appreciate the concerted efforts made

26

S/PV.4265

by the Indonesian Government to work closely with therelevant agencies, especially the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees and theInternational Organization for Migration. The recentassurances of cooperation and determination given tothe President of the General Assembly during his visitto Jakarta will, we hope, facilitate and speed up allefforts aimed at the safe return of refugees to EastTimor.

We welcome the meeting between UNTAET andthe Indonesian authorities in West Timor last week.The last of the “come and see” visits by the EastTimorese refugees on 19 January demonstrated thepositive collaboration among all concerned.

The third element is effective donor support.Bilateral donors, international financial institutions andUnited Nations funds and programmes should all fulfiltheir pledges to the Trust Fund at an early date. Wehope that the donors’ meeting next June in Canberrawill produce results in this regard; it is critical forcapacity-building in East Timor, particularly in theareas of governance, the judiciary and basic socialservices. The Secretary-General’s report details thosewell. In that regard, Bangladesh would like toemphasize the need to pay attention to providingindigenous solutions to Timorese developmentproblems. For Bangladesh’s part, we are expecting aGrameen Bank mission to visit East Timor next monthto assist the Timorese in initiating micro-credit

programmes for poverty eradication and theempowerment of women.

Finally, by the same token, there is a need forongoing commitment by the international communityin post-independence East Timor. As all speakers haveemphasized, this is absolutely necessary for effectiveTimorization to take root. Last November, theSecretary-General’s Special Representative, SergioVieira de Mello, confirmed in this Chamber — and theSecretary-General’s report also brought this out — thatthere will be a need for an international presence in theearly years of East Timor’s independence. TheSecretary-General underlined areas such as thejudiciary, defence and police forces, where continuedinternational financial and technical assistance will beneeded. Bangladesh will continue to offer its humblecontribution in these areas as part of the broaderinternational support.

Effective support for the process of Timorizationis a major responsibility of the United Nations, as EastTimor comes out of conflict and engages inreconstruction and development as an independentState. As a member of the Council, Bangladesh willcontinue to contribute to this process.

The President: As it is now approaching 1 p.m.,I intend to suspend the meeting. We will resumepromptly at 3 p.m.

The meeting was suspended at 1 p.m.

United Nations S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Security CouncilFifty-sixth year

4265th meetingFriday, 26 January 2001, 3 p.m.New York

Provisional

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation ofspeeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Recordsof the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. Theyshould be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of thedelegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-178.

01-22877 (E)

������������������������������������

President: Mr. Mahbubani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Singapore)

Members: Bangladesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ChowdhuryChina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Shen GuofangColombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ValdiviesoFrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. LevitteIreland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. CooneyJamaica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. PrendergastMali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. ToureMauritius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. NeewoorNorway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. BrattskarRussian Federation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. GranovskyTunisia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Ben MustaphaUkraine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. KrokhmalUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . . . . . Mr. EldonUnited States of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ms. Soderberg

Agenda

The situation in East Timor

Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (S/2001/42)

2

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

The meeting was resumed at 3.20 p.m.

Mr. Ben Mustapha (Tunisia) (spoke in French):I wish to welcome Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, whounfailingly makes himself available, both in the fieldand in the Security Council, to keep it informed of theprogress achieved by the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) in carryingout its mandate in East Timor. I would also like tothank the Secretary-General for his exhaustive report.My thanks also go to Mr. Mark Malloch Brown,Mr. Klaus Rohland, Mr. Luis Valdivieso, Mr. HarriHolkeri, President of the General Assembly, andMr. Ramos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinetof East Timor, for having given us their assessments ofthe situation in East Timor.

Our meeting today is being held in a forward-looking spirit with regard to East Timor. We havereached a very important stage in the process thatstarted more than one year ago and that, more than everbefore, requires the unconditional and renewed supportof all the parties. What is at stake is the future of EastTimor, which we would all like to see secure, and thestability of the region as a whole.

Since it was set up more than a year ago,UNTAET has succeeded in discharging its mandate in anumber of areas, despite the difficult circumstancesunder which the Transitional Administration is doingits work. We note with satisfaction that the situation onthe ground has improved. To date, concrete results havebeen achieved in various areas, such as education,health, justice, public security and infrastructure.

Likewise, the information sector has alsoregistered definite progress, thanks in particular toRadio UNTAET and to the bimonthly Timoresenewspaper, which enables refugees to be betterinformed about the situation in East Timor and thusencourages them to take a decision as to whether toreturn.

We welcome these achievements, which confirmthe assessments made by the members of the Councilduring their visit to East Timor. It is also anopportunity for us to reiterate once again our fullsupport for Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello for the effectivemanner in which he has been carrying out work that,only a short time ago, seemed difficult to imagine.

Undoubtedly, there are still obstacles toovercome, and we consider that at this stage,

cooperation with the Indonesian Government is veryimportant in order to succeed in this endeavour and tocontribute to a calming of the situation in general. Theproven and affirmed will with which the Indonesianauthorities have dealt with the various issues that havecome up — such as those relating to the arrest of, andthe start of court proceedings against, suspects; thecollection and destruction of weapons; the disarmamentof the militias; the commitment to put a stop to theiractivities; and the return of refugees – attests to theircommitment to resolve issues that are still outstanding.We believe also that the international communityshould continue to lend substantial support to EastTimor in all areas.

UNTAET is a test case for the United Nations.The positive results it has achieved thus far are aninducement for us to make an additional effort toenable East Timor’s successful transition toindependence, thereby ensuring a smooth transition tolasting peace in that country – a peace that we mustnow build.

However, as was pointed out by the Secretary-General, East Timor, after independence, will still needvery substantial international aid, which will have to gofar beyond the type of aid normally given todeveloping countries.

I should like to take this opportunity of thepresence among us of Mr. Harri Holkeri, President ofthe General Assembly, to reiterate to him the SecurityCouncil’s request that he consider authorizing a moreflexible use of the resources provided for underassessed budgets in the case of complex peacekeepingoperations, such as UNTAET.

We are duty-bound to succeed in this transitionprocess, which is paving the way, in a satisfactorymanner, for the longed-for independence of the EastTimorese people. In this respect, the two-stage politicaltimetable presented by the National Council ofTimorese Resistance is an important element that weshould fully support, in order to give concreteembodiment to the political will of the Timoresepeople.

We are convinced that UNTAET’s presence isnecessary to prepare for the upcoming peace-buildingstage through the establishment of an integratedmission, to be led by a special representative of theSecretary-General. In this regard, it is necessary tobegin a thoroughgoing process of reflection on the way

3

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

in which this integrated mission will be managed inorder for it to obtain the expected results.

We believe it is important to lend our support tothe Secretary-General’s request for an extension ofUNTAET’s mandate until 31 December 2001, so thatthe Transitional Administration can achieve its goals.

Before I conclude, may I, on behalf of mycountry, convey condolences to the peoples of Indiaand Pakistan on the loss of life occasioned by theearthquake that has just struck these two friendlycountries.

Mr. Levitte (France) (spoke in French): I, in turn,would like to convey the heartfelt condolences ofFrance to the people and Government of India and ofPakistan on the occasion of the tragic earthquake thathas afflicted both countries.

I am particularly pleased to pay a well-deservedtribute to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in East Timor, our friend Mr. Sergio Vieira deMello. We appreciate the remarkable work done by theSpecial Representative and his team and their resolvein carrying out UNTAET’s mandate.

I should like also to thank the Administrator ofthe United Nations Development Programme, Mr.Malloch Brown; Mr. Klaus Rohland, Country Directorof the World Bank; and Mr. Luis Valdivieso, Adviser ofthe International Monetary Fund, for their statements.

For the second time this week, following the opendebate on the situation in the Central African Republic,the Council has the opportunity to work with eminentrepresentatives of international financial institutionsand of United Nations funds and programmes. This isan example we must follow. It is indeed essential topromote concertation, including during theconsideration of complex peacekeeping operations,among the major institutions with responsibilities inthe area of peace-building.

I should like also to pay tribute to PresidentHolkeri, who led a mission to East Timor with thedetermination and resolve with which we all arefamiliar.

I should like finally warmly to welcome Mr. JoséRamos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinetresponsible for foreign affairs. He told us that Sergiohad aged rapidly after coming to East Timor; I would

like to say to José that he himself never changes, and Ihave known him for 20 years.

We have heard his statement — the statement of aman of vision and wisdom. He has given us a realisticand ambitious vision of an independent, democraticEast Timor. Let us thank him for that.

There is no doubt that the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)will go down in the annals of the United Nations as anexemplary success. The report accurately describes theimpressive progress achieved in the past few months,particularly as regards the setting up of a Timoreseadministration, the functioning of public services andthe reconstruction of infrastructures.

But that is not the end of the story of East Timor.Yet another success remains to be achieved: the post-independence era. For the Timorese people,independence remains, most understandably, a growingaspiration. Not to respond to these expectations couldonly provoke uncertainty and frustration. We must sendthe Timorese an unambiguous signal of our trust in thefuture of their country. The political class in Timor hasdeveloped a partnership with UNTAET that deserves tobe encouraged.

It is up to the international community to help theTimorese to achieve their goal. A clear vision must beprovided to them. France is gratified that the Secretary-General, in paragraphs 4 and 50 of his report, confirmsthat independence by 31 December 2001 is the goal.The speedy transition is a positive factor; it avoids therisk of getting bogged down. Several examples ofsuccessful transitional authorities bear witness to thisfact. The United Nations Transitional Authority inCambodia lasted 18 months, and the United NationsTransitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia,Baranja and Western Sirmium lasted just under twoyears.

It is indispensable to accelerate as much aspossible the progressive emergence of Timoresepolitical and administrative power. Some notableefforts have been made. The figures speak forthemselves: over 7,000 Timorese officials have beenrecruited; there is a majority of Timorese in theTransitional Cabinet; and the Timorese budget has beenendowed with $124 million.

But more progress remains to be achieved. Lessthan a year before the date planned for independence,

4

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

UNTAET’s budget, the largest of all United Nationspeacekeeping operation budgets, still represents morethan 10 times the budget of East Timor. Therecruitment of upper-echelon and mid-level Timoresepublic officials remains too slow. More attractivetraining programmes and salaries must be proposed.Communications remain a serious obstacle todevelopment in the country’s interior, and healthservices are provided almost exclusively byinternational non-governmental organizations. Theeducation sector still operates to far too great a degreeon a basis of emergency aid. The viability of manyenterprises set up in the last few months still dependstoo much on the international presence. These are someof the many challenges that will have to be faced for anindependent Timor to be viable.

In dealing with these challenges, we will have toappeal increasingly to bilateral and multilateral donors,the World Bank, the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme and other funds and programmes,particularly those of the United Nations. The pledgesmade at the Brussels donor conference last Decembermust be honoured, and disbursements should beaccelerated.

East Timor should be a test, but it must be asuccessful test of the effectiveness, suitability andcelerity of actions and funding for peace-building.

Independence will bring about a profound changein the part played by the international community inEast Timor. Its action will have to be complementary tothat of the Timorese authorities and must no longerreplace them in any way. Independence will mean thedefinitive transition from peacekeeping to peace-building.

It is up to the Council to see to it that thetransition progresses as smoothly as possible. TheCouncil must make sure that the transition is preparedupstream. Our debate last November on the item “Noexit without strategy” can be applied perfectly to EastTimor. Thus, in the coming months, the Council shouldfrequently examine the mandate and the means ofUNTAET in order to make sure they are optimallyconsonant with the rapidly evolving needs of EastTimor.

France supports the Secretary-General’s proposalto renew the mandate of UNTAET to 31 December.This exceptionally long period for a peacekeeping

operation should enable UNTAET to calmly traversethe hectic political transitional period.

Such a mandate, however, should not preventmore frequent consideration of the means andobjectives of UNTAET. It might be useful for theCouncil to have more frequent updates on the situation.France hopes that a thorough consideration of theappropriateness of the means available to UNTAET, interms of the situation on the ground, will be carried outwithin three months, on the basis of detailedrecommendations from the Secretariat. In the draftresolution currently under discussion, France will makeproposals regarding such a consideration. For instance,we should consider the suitability of the operation inthe eastern parts of East Timor, where security seemseasier to ensure and where risks linked to militiainfiltration are not so great. Such a capacity to adapt toa rapidly evolving situation is an indispensableprerequisite for success in our international effort inEast Timor.

As for the form of the international presence afterindependence, France will examine with care therecommendations to be made by the Secretary-General.We will have to think carefully about the distributionof tasks among the various actors concerned.

In conclusion, I would like to put a few questionsto the Special Representative concerning preparationsfor the elections to the Constituent Assembly. How, inthe post-election period, does he see the part to beplayed by UNTAET, side by side with an electedConstituent Assembly? What changes in the mandatewill be required — or, at least, what changes toUNTAET’s mode of operation? Will return operationsbe accelerated to enable the refugees to participate inthe elections? Failing this, should we provide forvoting by mail? These are some of the questions wewanted to ask the Special Representative.

Mr. Prendergast (Jamaica): At the outset, onbehalf of the Government of Jamaica, my delegationwishes to express its condolences to the Governmentsand the peoples of India and Pakistan on the recentearthquakes that have occurred.

The Jamaican delegation joins in welcoming theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr.Sergio Vieira de Mello, to the Security Council today.We wish to thank him for his comprehensive update ofthe developments in East Timor. We are also pleased towelcome the President of the General Assembly, Mr.

5

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

José Ramos-Horta of the Transitional Cabinet in EastTimor, the Administrator of the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP) and therepresentatives of the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and the World Bank. This meeting today, withsuch broad-based participation, is indicative of theimportance the Council attaches to the development ofEast Timor in the broadest sense, including througheconomic and social development and reconstruction.

My delegation continues to attach importance tothe work of the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) as it seeks,inter alia, to provide security and maintain law andorder; to establish an effective administration; to assistin the development of the civil and social services; andto support capacity-building for self-government. Wehave observed the work of UNTAET, in collaborationwith the East Timorese people, in fulfilling theprovisions of resolution 1272 (1999), and we expressour unequivocal support for UNTAET as it seeks toprepare East Timor for independence.

The involvement of the East Timorese inadministration has been of critical importance to mydelegation. Capacity-building and training will ensurea sustainable future for East Timor. Mr. Vieira de Mellostated that the capacity-building mandate was justbeginning to be fulfilled. This is critical; and weencourage UNTAET to continue to forge ahead in thisregard. We also note that in the past six months therehave been concerted efforts to accelerate the transfer ofauthority to the East Timorese people, and we welcomethese efforts. We are supportive of the furtherprogressive delegation of authority until it is finallytransferred to the government of the independent State.

We agree that this is an innovative approachwhich requires a great deal of understanding andflexibility from all involved. It is of fundamentalimportance, as it fully meets the objective of preparingthe East Timorese for self-government. As Mr. Ramos-Horta rightly said, the delegation of responsibility isnot sufficient. The East Timorese need to be providedwith the necessary tools to build capacity and develophuman resources. The task of strengthening capacitymust remain a priority.

My delegation is particularly interested in theassertion in the Secretary-General’s report that there isa growing consensus among the East Timorese to seekindependence by the end of 2001 and possibly to hold

elections by 30 August. We agree that there needs to bea timetable which elaborates a time-frame formovement towards independence and, ultimately,independence. We attach importance to the stepsoutlined in the report of the Secretary-General, whichinclude nationwide consultations, decisions regardingthe Constituent Assembly, drafting a constitution andeventually the establishment of a Government. Weagree that a phased approach is the most practical routein this situation.

As a corollary to this, we believe that in order tomove ahead with the timetable, the security situationmust be dealt with, as must other logistical challengessuch as the organization of elections and the decision-making process. Taken together, these factors arecomplementary and can either advance or hamper theagenda for independence. We are of the view that theseissues must be dealt with in the most comprehensivemanner possible in order to lay a solid foundation forsuccess.

We wish to underscore the importance ofpromoting sustainability in the electoral process, tocome. We therefore support the establishment in thefuture of an electoral commission, comprised ofeminent Timorese and others, to oversee the elections.

My delegation, like others here, believes thateven after independence East Timor will still requiresubstantial assistance from the internationalcommunity, as it will no doubt be subject to theteething pains that many of our countries experienced.We agree that the international support required will gobeyond the kind of assistance normally provided to adeveloping country. There will be a range of areas thatwill need to be addressed beyond independence, suchas the judicial system and defence, as Mr. De Mellopointed out.

The security situation and the refugee situationremain of primary concern to us. With regard to theformer, we remain concerned at the incidents of militiaactivity, although they have decreased somewhat. Wenoted Mr. Vieira de Mello’s point that there have beensome developments on this front.

The refugee situation is also a continuing concernto us. We recognize that many continue to live indifficult conditions. We recognize the commitment ofthe Government of Indonesia to dealing with this andother problems, and we encourage them to continue totake steps to deal effectively with the difficult and

6

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

challenging situation in the camps in West Timor. Wenote that the registration of refugees will now takeplace in March, and we hope that this will contribute toaddressing the situation. The return of refugees to theirhomes in safety will contribute to reconciliation andrebuilding efforts and will ensure that they arereintegrated into East Timorese society.

It would be remiss of my delegation not tomention the work of organizations like theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bankand the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) in contributing to the rehabilitation andreconstruction of East Timor. We value theinvolvement of these organizations in East Timor overthe past year and wish to emphasize that their presencepoints to the importance of a broad-based andcollaborative approach to the development of EastTimor. We note their collaboration with UNTAET incontributing to local capacity-building and employmentcreation and, as Mr. Malloch Brown said, in building acritical bridge between emergency work and long-termdevelopment.

UNDP’s work in governance, poverty alleviationand reconstruction has undoubtedly contributed toadvances in East Timor. We are supportive of its workthere, and we are particularly interested in its efforts atreconstruction, supporting employment generation,vocational training and in the Joint Poverty AssessmentInitiative, which is being done in collaboration with theWorld Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Theinvolvement of the UNDP in East Timor demonstratesthe importance of the flexibility of UNDP’s mandate inaddressing the particular needs of developing countriesat different stages of development.

Similarly, the role of the World Bank in EastTimor has been of fundamental importance. We notethe range of programmes under the auspices of theBank, beginning with the short-term focus on thebasics, through to assistance in preparing forindependence. Of significance again to my delegationis the focus on building local capacity and ownershipof the development process at all levels through jointproject planning and broad consultation with the EastTimorese leadership and civil society, in order toempower the indigenous East Timorese institutions tocarry out the functions effectively on their own.

We wish to underscore the importance of theseparticular elements as political transition takes place, in

order to develop the administrative, human and socialcapital needed to manage a State.

The challenges in creating a viable entity in theinternational community are great, particularly as themovement towards independence looms larger. Werecognize the complexities, but we encourage therelevant actors to continue their efforts to ensure thatthe transition process is as smooth as possible.Effective collaboration between UNTAET, the WorldBank, UNDP, IMF, civil society and the people of EastTimor will ensure that the consultative process is asbroad as possible and takes into account differingperspectives.

We wish, in closing, to commend the work ofUNTAET, and we support the extension of its mandate.

Mr. Valdivieso (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish):First of all my delegation would like to express ourthanks for the report, which highlights the manydifferent activities that the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) has carriedout in so short a time. It is indisputable that thesituation in East Timor has been evolving at anextraordinary pace after so many years of politicalstagnation. Unfortunately, these so-rapid changes havebeen accompanied by some deplorable acts of violencethat could perhaps have been avoided if the transitionhad been more gradual. As many have said at varioustimes in this Chamber, the task assigned to UNTAETcarried with it great responsibilities, and my delegationcertainly joins all those that have paid tribute to Mr.Sergio Vieira de Mello and his entire team for theirtremendous efforts.

We are also grateful for the very interestingstatements made by the representatives of the UnitedNations Development Programme, the World Bank andthe International Monetary Fund — as well as thespecial statement of the President of the GeneralAssembly. As you yourself said, Sir, we can call theGeneral Assembly President’s appearance in thisChamber “historic”. We are also grateful for thepresence of and the statement made by Mr. JoséRamos-Horta today. We were very moved by histestimony and by his faith in the future of East Timor.

It is clear that the situation in East Timor nowrequires coordinated and integrated action from thedifferent bodies in the system charged with economicand social development, and — we can hope —increasingly less attention from those of us in this

7

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Chamber, who are primarily concerned withinternational peace and security. In this regard we arestruck by the contrast between the sad reminders ofwhat East Timor endured and today’s positiveatmosphere.

Bearing the aforementioned in mind, mydelegation believes that the Security Council shouldtake the necessary measures to enable UNTAET tocomplete its work successfully, without hurrying inways that might jeopardize the future of the emergingadministration in East Timor. Along these lines, weagree with the recommendations contained in theSecretary-General’s report published as documentS/2001/42.

We have noted the reports about the emergence ofan increasingly strong consensus among the populationin favour of achieving independence by the end of2001, after elections are held. In this regard we musttake into consideration that the Secretary-General hasnoted that the timetable is tight, and that a certaindegree of flexibility will be required.

We welcome the establishment of the NationalCouncil, as well as the concerted efforts to speed upthe transfer of responsibilities to the Timorese.UNTAET’s efforts to build the capacity for self-government among the Timorese so as to enable themto assume all the responsibilities of government isextremely important, and we must provide our fullsupport in this respect. Furthermore, we should alsowelcome the efforts to bring about a consensus on theholding of a national consultation regarding electoralmodalities and the composition of the ConstituentAssembly, which will draft the future constitution andbecome the first legislature of the independent State.We believe that it is important to emphasize thatUNTAET will be responsible for the conduct of theelections.

The incidents of violence among supporters ofdifferent political groupings are of great concern to us.These developments must be followed very closely anddealt with resolutely, because they do not augur wellfor the democratic future of the new State. In thiscontext, we believe that UNTAET must, as soon aspossible, set up the civic education programmes towhich the report refers in order to help prevent suchoutbreaks of violence.

The situation of the refugees still in West Timorremains a cause for concern, and every effort should be

made to resolve the problem quickly, including bycontrolling the militias. We welcome the fact that thetrial of the six people accused in the Atambua killingsopened on 11 January in a Jakarta court. As Mr.Ramos-Horta pointed out, there cannot be lasting peacewithout justice, which must be handed down regardlessof the power or wealth of those who committed thecrimes. Reconciliation cannot take place in anatmosphere of impunity. We also believe that UNTAETmust intensify its efforts to bring about reconciliationamong the Timorese people, including those whocontinue to favour the idea of autonomy.

No less important is the need for relationsbetween UNTAET and the Government of Indonesia,in particular the authorities of West Timor, to continueto improve. Furthermore, We welcome the new spirit ofcooperation between the leaders of East Timor and thecurrent Government of Indonesia.

My delegation fully shares the recommendationsof the Secretary-General to the effect that significanteconomic assistance from the international communitymust continue. We must ensure that the process will notresult in the creation of a State whose future is injeopardy from its inception. As the report makes clear,continued assistance will be necessary until the defenceand police forces have been consolidated and, evenmore importantly, the judicial system is fullyoperational. The United Nations and the internationalcommunity must continue to provide support in theperiod after independence.

Mr. Shen Guofang (China) (spoke in Chinese):First of all, I should like, on behalf of the ChineseGovernment, to offer condolences to our friendlyneighbours, India and Pakistan, for the tragicearthquake that struck their two countries.

I should like to thank you, Mr. President, forconvening today’s important meeting. I should also liketo welcome to the Security Council Mr. José Ramos-Horta, member of the Transitional Cabinet of EastTimor responsible for foreign affairs; Mr. Sergio Vieirade Mello, Special Representative of the Secretary-General; Mr. Harri Holkeri, President of the GeneralAssembly; and the representatives of the World Bank,the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the UnitedNations Development Programme, and to thank themfor their comprehensive briefings.

The recent developments in East Timor areencouraging. Security Council resolution 1272 (1999)

8

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

is being implemented smoothly. The United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)has made considerable progress in all areas, especiallywith regard to the involvement of the East Timorese inthe administration. Despite some current difficulties,we are gratified to note that, with the assistance of theinternational community, the East Timorese are beingprepared to run their own country. This is the result ofthe concerted efforts of UNTAET, various UnitedNations agencies and the East Timorese people, forwhich we express our sincere appreciation andadmiration.

In this context, I should like to express particulargratitude to Mr. Vieira de Mello for the tremendousefforts that he has made. His wisdom and skill haveensured the smooth implementation of resolution 1272(1999) and contributed to the great success of UnitedNations peacekeeping efforts.

Today, the Chinese delegation would like toemphasize several issues. The first relates to thesmooth transition to independence. The year 2000 wasan important one for East Timor as it made thetransition from turmoil to independence. We areheartened to note that, with the help of UNTAET, theadministrative framework has been established and theTransitional Cabinet and the National Council havetaken their initial shape. The Timorization of variousadministrative departments is taking place fairlyrapidly. The preparation for the establishment of thedepartments of defence and foreign affairs has alreadybegun, and these developments are truly encouraging.However, there are still difficulties with regard toreconstruction and the judicial and administrativeareas, which will require continued support andassistance from the international community. After allthe turmoil they have experienced, the East Timoreseare looking forward to achieving their fullindependence at the end of the year. We fullyunderstand the ardent desire of the East Timoresepeople to be the masters of their own nation, and wehope that their wish will be fulfilled at an early date.

The United Nations and the internationalcommunity as a whole should ensure the smooth andsteady progress of the process leading to independence.To this end, the United Nations should conduct fullconsultations with the East Timorese in preparing forindependence and should progressively and smoothlytransfer power to the East Timorese. The variousparties in East Timor should step up their efforts to

achieve unity and cooperation so as to lay a solidfoundation for the East Timorese to run their countryon their own in the future. The internationalcommunity should provide vigorous financial andtechnical support so as to fully enable the EastTimorese to run their country as they see fit.

Secondly, efforts should be intensified to developthe economy. East Timor is still confronted withserious economic difficulties. The daily per capitaincome for the East Timorese is less than $1, and theunemployment rate is as high as 60 per cent. Such anadverse economic situation will have a direct bearingon stability and the smooth transition to independencethere. We believe that, while helping to build theadministration and legal system, UNTAET should worktogether with the World Bank, the IMF and the relevantUnited Nations agencies to intensify efforts foreconomic reconstruction in East Timor. We hope thatthe funds pledged by the international community willbe made available as soon as possible so as to facilitatethe implementation by UNTAET of measures forrevitalizing the economy.

Thirdly, the most urgent task at hand is to bringabout national reconciliation and strengthen nationalunity. The problem of the refugees still stranded inWest Timor constitutes the main threat to theindependence process and stability there, and is themain obstacle in the way of improved relationsbetween East Timor and Indonesia. We are heartened tonote the increased high-level exchanges, visits anddialogue between Indonesia and East Timor. Theimprovement of such bilateral relations will beconducive to stability in East Timor, Indonesia and theAsia-Pacific region as a whole.

The refugee problem cannot be solved withoutthe understanding and cooperation of Indonesia. TheIndonesian Government has taken practical measuresand made some progress towards implementingresolution 1319 (2000), thus demonstrating its sincerityand resolve to settle this problem, which theinternational community should support and encourageso as to enhance Indonesia's capacity to do so. Withoutinternational assistance, Indonesia cannot solve therefugee problem on its own. The internationalcommunity must therefore assume its collectiveresponsibility to provide assistance in the search for acomprehensive, realistic, fair and lasting solution to therefugee problem.

9

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Fourthly, it will be necessary to maintain theUnited Nations presence in East Timor following theterritory's achievement of independence. UNTAET hasmade important progress towards preparing East Timorfor independence. We support the Secretary-General'srecommendation to extend UNTAET's mandate. Evenafter East Timor achieves independence, the UnitedNations should continue, on the basis of prevailingconditions, to provide it with the necessary support andassistance. The proposal made by the Security Councilmission, following its visit to the region, that theUnited Nations presence be maintained in East Timorhas won extensive support. We hope that UNTAET andthe Secretariat will continue their in-depth study of thisissue, sincerely heed and respect the views emanatingfrom East Timor and make concrete recommendationsfor maintaining the United Nations presence, includingmilitary and civilian police components, which thevarious parties can consider and prepare for.

In conclusion, I wish to stress that, as a closeneighbour of East Timor, China is ready to continue toassist it through bilateral and multilateral channelstowards independence, self-government andreconstruction. China is ready to develop bilateralrelations with East Timor on the basis of equality andmutual benefit so as to contribute to peace, stabilityand prosperity in the region.

Mr. Granovsky (Russian Federation) (spoke inRussian): On behalf of my Government, I offer ourcondolences to the Governments and peoples of friendlyIndia and Pakistan for the tragedy that has struck them.

At the outset, I wish to thank the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General, Mr. SergioVieira de Mello; the President of the GeneralAssembly, Mr. Harri Holkeri, the member of thetransitional Cabinet of East Timor, Mr. José Ramos-Horta; and the others who have been invited toparticipate in our meeting for their excellent statementscontaining deep analyses of the positive developmentof the situation in East Timor.

We believe that we have every reason to describethe results of the work of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)in various areas as impressive. Some of the most variedissues fall within UNTAET's purview, ranging from thestate of the infrastructure to the development ofpolitical processes. In this respect, we feel that it ispointless to attempt to determine which is the most

important. At the same time, we are convinced thatunquestioned priority should be accorded to UNTAET'sefforts to Timorize authority and to promote nationalreconciliation among the inhabitants of that part of theisland. Both these elements are of key importance tothe future of the territory because they will prepareEast Timor for self-government and help to create theatmosphere in which East Timorese society will haveto live.

In the Secretary-General's report, it is rightlypointed out that UNTAET is taking innovativeapproaches in solving the problems facing East Timor.We feel that we must pay due tribute to the staff of theTransitional Administration, and first and foremost toits head, Special Representative Sergio Vieira deMello, for his efforts in the search for creativesolutions and for his ability to take an innovativeapproach.

Naturally, the problem of refugees and theircamps in West Timor remains rather acute and we hopethat the Indonesian authorities will do everythingnecessary to halt as soon as possible the activities ofunits of the integrationist militias. At the same time, weconsider it necessary to note with satisfaction the goodlevel of cooperation between the Government ofIndonesia and UNTAET.

It may be concluded from the Secretary-General'sreport that East Timor is moving steadily forwardtowards independence. This is in accordance with theaspirations of the people of East Timor. We thereforesupport the Secretary-General's recommendation thatthe mandate of UNTAET to 31 December 2001 so thatthe Transitional Administration can successfullypromote the achievement of that worthy aim.

Mr. Cooney (Ireland): I would like to join withothers in expressing condolences to the peoples andGovernments of India and Pakistan for the sufferinginflicted by the recent earthquake.

I thank you, Mr. President, for calling this opendebate today. The representative of Sweden will shortlymake a statement on behalf of the European Union,with which Ireland fully associates itself. However, Iwould like to take this opportunity to highlight anumber of issues which Ireland, as an incomingmember of the Security Council, a troop contributor tothe United Nations Transitional Administration in EastTimor (UNTAET) and a country which has long

10

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

demonstrated a special concern for the people of EastTimor, considers to be of particular importance.

We have heard from a number of speakers today.I will not list them all, but I am sure that nobody wouldbegrudge my paying special tribute to Mr. SergioVieira de Mello, both in his own right and asrepresentative of all the men and women of UNTAETwho are currently serving in our name in East Timor.Nor can I fail to mention the moving contribution ofMr. Ramos-Horta. The statesmanship and generosity ofhis remarks concerning Indonesia set a standard thatcould usefully be emulated in post-conflict situationselsewhere.

Ireland has read the latest report of the Secretary-General and agrees with other delegations that hisSpecial Representative and UNTAET have achievedsignificant progress to date and that they must continuetheir excellent work. We fully support therecommendations of the Secretary-General and agreethat the mandate of the current mission should beextended to the end of this year.

As East Timor moves towards independence andinternational recognition as a sovereign State, it is clearthat the Timorization exercise remains central toachieving the aims of peace-building. When UNTAETwas established in October 1999, there was no historyof open and democratic political activity in East Timor.In a short period of time, significant progress has beenmade towards independence. A political structure isnow emerging with the development of consultativemechanisms, such as the East Timor TransitionalAdministration and the all-Timorese National Council.The UNTAET programme of promoting civiceducation, constitutional development, the rule of lawand political education, and in preparing the people ofEast Timor for democratic elections, has laid goodfoundations. As a result of the further development andintensification of this work, my delegation looksforward to the people of East Timor participating intruly democratic elections this summer, which in turnwill provide a solid foundation for the future.

Ireland welcomes the development of the judicialsystem in East Timor and encourages Member States torespond to Mr. Vieira de Mello's renewed call toprovide additional personnel for the investigation andprosecution of serious crimes. We also welcome thepositive steps taken by Indonesia to arraign before theircourts those militia members accused of crimes against

refugees and personnel of international organizations.We support these and other attempts to re-establishtrust and confidence among all the people of EastTimor.

But despite the many positive developments,Ireland remains concerned about the security situation,particularly the plight of refugees in the region. In thisregard, we strongly condemn the continued activities ofirredentist militia groups in West Timor and call onthem to end their attacks, in line with resolution 1319(2000). We welcome the efforts of UNTAET, theIndonesian armed forces and the Government ofIndonesia Task Force for Refugees to arrangeexploratory visits by militia leaders in 2001 to EastTimor.

We call on the Indonesian authorities to furtherincrease their efforts to eliminate militia action, whichserves only to damage the international reputation andstanding of their country. We hope to see an earlyimprovement in the security situation, especially in thewestern districts. As well as enabling refugees to returnhome safely, it is essential that the securityenvironment should enable a resumption ofhumanitarian efforts and ensure that elections can beprepared and carried out in a calm and safe manner.

We emphasize that objective assessments of thesecurity situation need to be made by UNTAET on aregular and ongoing basis, and that any revision of themilitary and security components of the Mission shouldbe made only in the light of real progress towardssustainable transition. The significant efforts of theinternational community, including the EuropeanUnion, should not be endangered by a prematurereduction of troops.

Ireland fully recognizes the desire of the peopleof East Timor to move quickly towards fullindependence. We believe an international presencewill need to be maintained after independence,including military, humanitarian and technicalexpertise components. We believe that such a presenceshould be mandated by the United Nations and shouldcomprise as wide as possible representation ofcountries. It will be important to include careful plansfor the progressive hand-over of defence and policingresponsibilities to the East Timorese authorities,keeping in mind the need to constantly evaluateprogress within the East Timor Defence Force and thelocal civilian police. We agree with the other

11

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

delegations at this meeting that the handover fromUNTAET to the newly established functioningstructures should be as smooth as possible and that aprecise exit strategy should be worked out in advance.

On a national basis, in addition to providingtroops to UNTAET and making financial contributionsto the United Nations and the World Bank projects,Ireland has a substantial bilateral programme ofassistance with East Timor. In this connection, we haverecently opened an office in Dili that is helping to drawup plans for assistance that include the post-independence period. Ireland is committed to spendingthe equivalent of $10 million, which will be focused onthe vitally important areas of education and agriculture,as well as the establishment of a proper justice system.

Ireland remains fully committed to supporting thepeople of East Timor both during the period oftransition to independence and, importantly, afterindependence has been achieved.

Mr. Toure (Mali)(spoke in French): Like thedelegations that have spoken before me, I wish to offerMali’s sad condolences to India and Pakistan followingthe earthquake that struck those two countries.

I wish to thank the Secretary-General for hisreport of 16 January 2001, and to welcome Mr. SergioVieira de Mello, Special Representative of theSecretary-General in East Timor, and thank him for hisvery instructive statement. My thanks also go to Mr.Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator of the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. KlausRohland, Country Director of the World Bank for EastTimor, Mr. Harri Holkeri, President of the fifty-fifthsession of the General Assembly, Mr. José Ramos-Horta, who is responsible for foreign affairs in theTransitional Cabinet of East Timor, and Mr. LuisValdivieso, Adviser of the International Monetary Fund(IMF), for their statements.

The United Nations Transitional Administrationin East Timor (UNTAET) is the first governanceoperation in United Nations history. Its main objectiveis to give the Timorese the bases of a viable democraticState and to provide them with the tools essential forits functioning in a reasonable period of time. I wish toreaffirm my delegation’s support to UNTAET for itsremarkable efforts in the political, administrative andeconomic fields, in East Timor.

As emphasized by the Secretary-General in hisreport, among the most important political elements inthese past six months has been the fact that more andmore Timorese want independence for their countrybefore the end of 2001. The will of the Timoresepeople is in keeping with the aim of the internationalcommunity, clearly stated in resolution 1272 (1999): tolead East Timor to independence in a period of two orthree years. That is why my delegation, whilesupporting the actions carried out within the context ofpolitical transition by UNTAET and the NationalCouncil, asks them to comply with the politicaltimetable, which will ultimately lead to theestablishment of republican institutions. We have nodoubt that UNTAET will succeed in taking up thechallenge of organizing transparent, honest, free anddemocratic elections.

From a security viewpoint, the infiltrations ofmilitia groups from West Timor, although they havediminished, is still a source of major concern for mydelegation. We believe that the dismantling of thesemilitias by the Indonesian authorities will certainlyensure the security and safety of refugees in the WestTimor camps and of international personnel.

In this respect, we express satisfaction with thedecision taken by the Indonesian authorities in WestTimor and local chiefs to encourage the rapidrepatriation of East Timorese refugees currently livingin West Timorese camps. From a humanitarianstandpoint, my delegation is of the view thateverything should be done to ensure that internationalhumanitarian organizations can return to West Timor tobring support to the thousands of refugees who arecaught in a situation over which they have no control.In order to do this, security conditions must beimproved and reinforced through bilateral cooperationforged between UNTAET and the IndonesianGovernment. It is imperative that the internationalcommunity do everything possible so that appropriateresources are made available to humanitarianorganizations for the benefit of refugees.

At the legal level, it is important to address theshortcomings of justice in East Timor. We believe thatjustice and national reconciliation will be critical to thefuture of an independent East Timor. Justice must serveas a foundation for national reconciliation. Withoutjustice there is no reconciliation. The mobilization ofthe appropriate resources by the international

12

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

community will also enable the justice system toappropriately carry out the mission assigned to it.

My delegation supports the idea, stated inparagraphs 50 and 51 of the Secretary-General’s report,of an international presence in East Timor after thecountry accedes to independence, in particular toprovide it with financial and technical assistance andassistance in the area of security.

In conclusion, I would like again to pay aheartfelt tribute to UNTAET for its positive work inEast Timor. It is crucial to maintain the momentum ofinternational support for East Timor’s transition toindependence. That support is fundamental for thesuccess of United Nations efforts in East Timor.Therefore, my delegation favours the extension ofUNTAET’s mandate for 12 months, until 31 December2001.

Ms. Soderberg (United States of America): Firstlet me commend you, Mr. President, for holding thismeeting, and I thank Sergio Vieira de Mello for comingall this way. It is a long way to come, and I think itsymbolizes his own commitment to working closelywith the Council, but also his personal stamina —having to travel so far and then sit so still all day long.We appreciate it, and I think this is a very usefuldialogue. Similarly, I think it is a pleasure to have Mr.Ramos-Horta here. He has become a well-known figureto us all, and I hope it will stay that way.

This meeting and the wide range ofparticipants — which I think is unusual for a meetingof this sort — and the various troop-contributors’meetings - thanks to the leadership of our President,these were some of the highest-level discussions — andvery frank discussions — that we have had with thetroop contributors — underscore the commitment ofthe United Nations as a family to support East Timorand the people of East Timor as they move towardsindependence and a secure a stable environment.

The involvement of the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP), the internationalfinancial institutions and particularly the GeneralAssembly, with the President of the General Assemblyhaving been out to the region, is, I think, anencouraging sign that we all realize that we have towork together for East Timor’s future. I think that bothMr. Vieira de Mello and Mr. Ramos-Horta can take aclear message back to the people of East Timor that theinternational community’s attention to East Timor will

not end with UNTAET’s mandate, when it closes downtowards the end of this year. I think that one of thehardest problems will be to keep the internationalcommunity engaged in East Timor. Once it has theimpression that the crisis is over, attention tends to goelsewhere, and I think everyone who has spoken heretoday is committed to ensuring that that does nothappen. I hope that that message will be stronglyconveyed to the people of East Timor.

Obviously, any plan that is developed would haveto be developed in close consultation with the peopleof East Timor, the first elected government and theUnited Nations. We certainly take notice of theSecretary-General’s view recommending an integratedmission under a special representative, mandated bythe Council and funded from assessed contributions.That is something that we will have to discuss in depthover the next month. I hope that you will stay veryengaged in that issue. It is one that we will certainlytake under advisement.

The United States, for its part, has its own troopsthere. We are assisting in the efforts and continuing tostrongly support UNTAET and the people of EastTimor. As you go through a really fascinatingtransition, I think that you are pursuing a veryambitious calendar that you have defined together,which the United States will certainly remain quitefocused on. To actually engage in the creation of anation and to watch that occur is a rare privilege for allof us. I think it is one that we will work on side by sidewith you. I found the trip we went on as part of theSecurity Council’s second mission out there justfascinating — watching the country being rebuilt fromthe ground up. I would certainly hope that the Counciland the various United Nations agencies stay verymuch engaged.

I think that there are going to be some keybenchmarks along the way. Let me just put them foryour consideration and discussion over the next year.There are four main ones, and I think that both of youare very well aware of them.

The first is the progress that has been made toincorporate the East Timorese into the transitionalgovernment. It is always important to be cautious incoining a new word, but the Timorization process, Ithink, is well under way, and the Council is stronglysupportive of the authority that Mr. Vieira de Mello hastransferred to the day-to-day governance of the East

13

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Timorese government, as well as of the involvement ofthe people of East Timor in that effort, which is a verydifficult one. I do not think that people pay enoughattention to how much has been done in this respectand to the priority that has been put on that.

The second is the holding of free and fairelections, which will be open to a wide range of partiesand candidates in East Timor’s successful transition toindependence. I would anticipate that a largeinvolvement of the international community would berequested in that respect. We would want to play a rolein that process to ensure that participation is as broadas possible in that process, so that the outcome has thestrongest possible support among the people.

The third point concerns the continued threat ofmilitia incursions and the potential for internalinstability between now and the foreseeable future, butparticularly in the period leading up to the elections.For that reason, we would support maintaining thecurrent ceiling on the troop numbers for UNTAET, andwe also support the mandate, which, we would remindeveryone, includes the robust Chapter VII authority. Icommend Mr. Vieira de Mello and the United Nationsleadership for their interpretation of the authoritiesthere. The use of forceful action by UNTAET inprotecting itself, I think, has saved an enormousnumber of lives and took some courage. I hope that thatwill become the norm for peacekeeping operations infuture — that they will not tolerate threats against theirpersonnel. I think that lives were protected through thetaking of that forceful stand, which we have beenstrongly supporting.

Lastly, the coordination of the bilateralprogrammes assisting the creation of the East Timordefence force will be key to maintaining stability afterthe United Nations presence leaves and throughout theprocess of building up an independent country. I thinkwe all took to heart your comments on how to moveforward with that programme, and I think that theinternational community will be very much lookingforward to working with you.

Just a few other quick points. José Ramos-Hortamade an interesting recommendation on thereconfiguration of the civilian police as nationalcontingents, as the peacekeeping forces are now. Whilecivilian police officers are currently assigned tomultinational contingents, switching to nationalcontingents is an idea that needs further study. But it

could well help move towards effective policing, andany other comments that either of you would have onthat would be useful.

Certainly one of the major points emphasized bythe Security Council mission in which I participated,upon its return, was the need for an independent andobjective judiciary and its link to the issue ofreconciliation, as justice is needed for reconciliationand vice versa.

We would appreciate any feedback on what willhappen with the serious crime investigations and theprosecution post-independence. I think that issomething that we should begin to prepare for now. Isthere anything else we should be doing to prepare forthat issue? Because certainly establishing the rule oflaw is going to be key in the transition to democracy.That is definitely the message we got: that as long asthere is a fair process, the chances of reconciliation aremuch, much greater.

I think it is also vital to note the importance ofcooperation with the Government of Indonesia on thisfront, and the American delegation, over the last fewmonths, has been pushing very hard for theGovernment of Indonesia to deepen its cooperationwith UNTAET on this as well as move forward onsome of the high-profile cases. It is worth noting thatthere are some important trials going on in Indonesiaright now, particularly that of Eurico Gutierres, whichis now under way. The international community will bewatching that very closely, as it will the trial of the sixwho are responsible for the death of United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) workers, aquestion this body has dealt with in the past. I thinkthat is a very significant step forward on that front, andhopefully it will help to move forward the wholeprocess of reconciliation.

With respect to the commitment of theinternational community, I think the presence here ofthe international financial institutions underscores theneed for those agencies to continue medium-termplanning for the development of the East Timoresesociety. As our French colleagues have underscored,encouraging the international financial institutions,United Nations funds and other concerned countries toincrease their activities there will be key to ensuringthat the resources are available to help the EastTimorese create the society that they need. We wouldappreciate any comments on what more we could do on

14

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

that front by taking advantage of the expertise of thevarious entities involved in capacity-building,development, nation-building — anything more we cando that is going to be key to ensuring that theinternational community does its part.

When we were in Dili in the fall, Mr. Vieira deMello made it very clear that he needed someadditional flexibility in how the assessed funds areused. I think that the comments made by Mr. Holkeri,the President of the General Assembly, onrecommendations that the Council, the GeneralAssembly and other United Nations bodies look atways to increase that flexibility are ones that we oweMr. Vieira de Mello. We have given him a verydifficult mandate, and we have to try to work with himto get the flexibility that we need.

In closing, I think that it is important to step backand look at how much has been done in East Timor. Ayear ago, there was a real humanitarian crisis going onin East Timor, and it has now moved from ahumanitarian crisis into the more political arena oftrying to build an institution and a government. I thinkthat it is largely to the credit of the United Nations andthe international community that that has happened, notto mention the people of East Timor. If one steps backand looks at what has happened in the last year, it isreally stunning. I was lucky enough to see it on theground, and I think it is important for the internationalcommunity to note what is happening there. Yourleadership, Mr. Vieira de Mello, has been key toshowcasing what the United Nations can do and how todo it right. You deserve great credit for doing it right.

There are still problems remaining, such as thatof the refugees in West Timor. I know that is not yourdirect insight, Mr. Vieira de Mello, but when we werethere before, you talked about the need to have a shipto be able to transport refugees back and forth. I knowthere have been meetings with some of the signatoriesof the letter to the Security Council President. Do youhave any insight on that matter, or if there is anythingmore we could do to try to move the refugees?

Let me just say in closing that I think the yearahead is going to be an exciting one. Even though it isdifficult to get back here to New York, I hope you willbe a regular visitor — both of you — and I commendyou for your tireless efforts.

Mr. Brattskar (Norway): Norway welcomes thereport of the Secretary-General on the United Nations

Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)and would like to express our support for theSecretary-General’s proposal regarding the extensionof UNTAET’s mandate. Norway would like to paytribute to the men and women of UNTAET, andespecially to the Special Representative of theSecretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, forundertaking a difficult task in a manner that gives hopefor a smooth transition to an independent East Timor.

There seems to be growing support among theEast Timorese people for seeking independence by theend of this year. It is therefore of great importance thatwe, the Member nations, support the work done byUNTAET so that it can fulfil its mandate as soon aspossible.

Norway follows the political developments inEast Timor with great interest and anticipates thatelections can be held late this summer under thesupervision of UNTAET. We would like to underlinethe importance of fair elections. East Timorese citizensliving in Indonesia, especially those living in refugeecamps in West Timor, must be given the opportunity tovote.

One of the most important challenges at thisstage, and in the process leading to independence, isthe participation of the East Timorese themselves in thebuilding of their future nation. In this respect, Norwaywelcomes the establishment of the East TimorTransitional Administration and the transformation ofthe National Consultative Council into a NationalCouncil, a broader and more representative body.

Norway believes that a United Nations presenceafter independence is needed. Such a presence must bebased on full respect for the sovereignty of East Timorand developed in full cooperation with the newgovernment. Once independent, East Timor will needsubstantial international assistance, both in terms offinancial assistance and in terms of a continued UnitedNations presence. Norway welcomes the suggestionmade by the Secretary-General in his report inforeseeing an integrated mission under a specialrepresentative of the Secretary-General and mandatedby the Security Council.

We feel that it is of particular importance thatboth the United Nations military component and thecivilian police force can undertake their responsibilitiesin an efficient way and in line with internationalstandards.

15

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Norway recognizes that all sovereign States havelegitimate defence and security needs. We thereforeendorse the decision to establish the East TimorDefence Force. To ensure the security of the people ofEast Timor, there should be a United Nations militarypresence also after independence until the East TimorDefence Force is fully established.

It is important that a national civilian police forcebe established as well. The role of this police forceshould be separate from the mandate and role of thedefence force. International civilian police should bepresent after independence until the national policeforce is fully recruited and trained and should assist thenational civilian police force under the auspices of theEast Timorese authorities.

Norway would like to take this opportunity tounderline the importance of a long-term developmentperspective in our common East Timor policy. We mustensure that the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the World Bank, amongothers, are given sufficient resources and opportunitiesto participate in the reconstruction process in acoordinated manner.

Norway would like to stress the importance of anintegrated approach with regard to political anddevelopment planning in East Timor. The developmentagencies should work closely with UNTAET in themonths to come and be given a central role in theUnited Nations presence after independence. Capacity-building must be an important focus in the planning forindependence. The presence and participation attoday’s meeting of UNDP, the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund were therefore mostwelcome. It was also very useful for the Council tohave an opportunity to hear the views of Mr. HarriHolkeri, President of the General Assembly.

I would like to take this opportunity to assure theEast Timorese people and the Security Council thatNorway has a long-term perspective regarding ourengagement in East Timor, in terms of both politicaland financial support. I am particularly glad to be ableto stress this point in the presence of Mr. JoséRamos-Horta, who is with us today as a member of theTransitional Cabinet of East Timor. Norway hasalready provided substantial support to East Timor andwill continue its support, taking due account of the factthat East Timor should not be overly dependent ondevelopment assistance. Our Minister of International

Development, Ms. Anne Sydnes, will travel to EastTimor next month to assess the need for futureNorwegian development assistance to East Timor.

Norway continues to be seriously concernedabout the security situation on the border withIndonesia, especially in the refugee camps in WestTimor. We urge the Indonesian Government to take thenecessary steps to fulfil Security Council resolution1319 (2000).

Norway emphasizes that the instigation ofcriminal proceedings against individuals responsiblefor serious crimes is an important prerequisite for theestablishment of lasting peace and reconciliation. Inthis respect, we are pleased to learn that theinvestigations conducted by the prosecution authorityare materializing in indictments.

Mr. Krokhmal (Ukraine) (spoke in Russian):First of all, may I express deep condolences to theGovernments and the peoples of India and Pakistan onthe occurrence of the tragic earthquake.

I would like to endorse the words of previousspeakers and thank the Special Representative of theSecretary-General, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, for hiscomprehensive briefing, in which he stressed the long-term tasks that lie ahead of the TransitionalAdministration in solving the problem of East Timor’stransition to independence. We are grateful to thePresident of the General Assembly, Mr. Harri Holkeri,for the important statement that he made today in theCouncil. We are also pleased to see here therepresentatives of international financial anddevelopment institutions. The information that theypresented was extremely interesting and useful. Webelieve it is significant that at this meeting of theSecurity Council we have a member of the TransitionalCabinet in the person of Mr. José Ramos-Horta.

In view of the impressive list of speakers, andalso in view of the fact that many of the importantissues have been very extensively covered in previousstatements, I would like to touch only upon certainimportant points. We fully share the view that it isnecessary to concentrate on a smooth transition tolegitimate power in East Timor and on a satisfactoryadministration in the context of the attainment ofindependence. In this respect, we would like to supportthe measures taken to strengthen the potential of whatis vitally important for East Timor in certain spheres.These were mentioned by Mr. Vieira de Mello and Mr.

16

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Brown of the United Nations Development Programmetoday.

An important contribution to strengthening thepotential for the management of East Timor was theestablishment of the Transitional Cabinet of theNational Council. At the same time, it is necessary torecognize that in order to set up a fully fledgedadministrative structure, much time and effort will beneeded. Undoubtedly the implementation of themeasures on the political calendar that has been agreedto for East Timor will be a key political event on thepath to the achievement of independence. It isnecessary to ensure the holding of democratic andtransparent general legislative elections. This will spurthe political organization of East Timorese society andbe a concluding stage in the process of nationalreconciliation.

We believe that an indispensible step towardsindependence and an important aspect of the transitionto self-rule is the establishment of an East Timoresedefence force, of local police and of an effectivesystem of justice. If these tasks are not accomplished,all the other efforts to move towards East Timoreseindependence may be threatened. Many delegationshave already pointed out that the development of good-neighbourly relations and cooperation with Indonesia isof great importance to the territory, as is support forachieving stability on the common borders and in therefugee camps. We were very pleased to hear this viewconfirmed in the statement of Mr. José Ramos-Horta.

Substantial progress in establishing the economicfoundations for independence is among the prioritiesthat will require further international efforts. In thisregard it is gratifying to see the revitalization of theeconomic life of the territory. We share the viewexpressed by the representatives of the World Bank andthe International Monetary Fund that East Timoreseindependence must be founded on a viable privatesector, which must be supported and stimulated inevery possible way. Special attention should also begiven to the development of agriculture, whichrepresents the largest share of the gross nationalproduct. We should also take into account thatapproximately 180,000 people still receive foodassistance in East Timor.

Last week the Council considered the question ofextending the mandate of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).

We agree with other delegations that the internationalpresence in East Timor needs to be extended at thisstage and into the period of transition to East Timoreseindependence. In this connection it seems to usimportant that the financial plan, as well as thecorresponding programmes and projects that are beingimplemented or are getting under way in East Timor,be focused on the future and adapted to the conditionsthat will prevail under independence. Ukraine willcontinue to support the fulfilment of UNTAET’smandate, so that an independent democraticGovernment can be established in East Timor.

In conclusion we would like to note theimpressive results produced by the activities ofUNTAET — results that members of the SecurityCouncil were able to observe firsthand during theirvisit to the region in November of last year. Mydelegation would like to pay due tribute to all thepersonnel of UNTAET, and in person to Mr. SergioVieira de Mello, for their outstanding efforts to carryout the complicated mandate entrusted to them by theUnited Nations.

Mr. Neewoor (Mauritius): Let me take thisopportunity to express our deep sympathy to theGovernments and peoples of India and Pakistan for theearthquake disaster they have just suffered.

We thank the Secretary-General for hiscomprehensive report of 16 January on the situation inEast Timor. We also thank Mr. Vieira de Mello, theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General forEast Timor, for his important briefing. We very muchappreciate also the briefing by Mr. Malloch Brown, theUnited Nations Development ProgrammeAdministrator; Mr. Klaus Rohland, the CountryDirector of the World Bank responsible for East Timor;and Mr. Luis Valdivieso of the International MonetaryFund. We warmly welcome the presence at thismeeting of the President of the General Assembly,Mr. Harri Holkeri, and Mr. José Ramos-Horta, adistinguished freedom fighter and member of theTransitional Cabinet of East Timor. We thank thesepeople for their important statements this morning.

It is indeed very heartening to read the report ofthe Secretary-General. Viewing the current situationagainst the backdrop of the recent traumatic history ofEast Timor, one feels extremely gratified to note thatnot only have peace and calm now been firmlyestablished in the country, but the people of East Timor

17

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

are heading towards achieving their cherished goal ofindependence, shortly and in a systematically well-prepared manner. Mr. Vieira de Mello and his UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET) team, who are working diligently andimaginatively to implement the UNTAET mandate,deserve to be complimented highly for doing such agreat deal in so little time. We also thank theGovernment of Indonesia for facilitating the process.

We see in the plan worked out by the UnitedNations Transitional Administration to take East Timorto independence in the next few months a blueprint fora successful new and democratic nation. We arepleased that the plans of UNTAET are proceedingaccording to an established time-frame in spite of manychallenges. We are particularly happy that the people ofEast Timor have been fully involved in the decision-making process from the very outset. We also note withsatisfaction that the people of East Timor are beingtrained and organized to take charge of theadministrative machinery and the institutions so vitalfor the success of a newly independent and democraticnation. This is a crucial factor in the preparations forthe independence of East Timor.

We are sure the people of East Timor understandthat with independence they will have to shouldercollectively as well as individually the responsibilityfor the well-being of all the people of their new nation.In this regard, the great responsibility always lies withthe political leaders, who by their own examples areexpected to inculcate in the people a culture of respectfor the democratic process and the institutions of thenation. We are glad to note that a multi-party politicalstructure is envisaged for East Timor. We welcomethis, as such a system works on the basis ofaccountable governance and responsible opposition.

We believe that East Timor is now poised toengage in the electoral process necessary for theconcretization of its independence. We wish that allEast Timorese, including those who currently findthemselves in West Timor as refugees, will be able toparticipate in the process, which must be inclusive. Inthis regard, we invite the Government of Indonesia toextend all the cooperation possible to facilitate theearly return of the refugees, whose return home isbeing obstructed by the militias in West Timor. Wefurther invite the Government of Indonesia to enter intoearly discussion with UNTAET to finalize a definitedate for the independence of East Timor.

Finally, my delegation wishes to thank all thecountries that are supporting the work of UNTAETthrough the provision of manpower and technical andfinancial support. We also express our appreciation toall the agencies of the United Nations system for thevaluable work they are currently performing in EastTimor. We recognize in particular the work done by theOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner forRefugees. We have no doubt that the largerinternational community and the international financialinstitutions will come forward to contribute liberally tofacilitate the process under way leading to theindependence of East Timor, as well as for thedevelopment agenda of the country after independence.

My delegation supports the extension of themandate of UNTAET for a further period of 12 months,until 31 December 2001, as recommended in paragraph52 of the report of the Secretary General of 16 January2001.

The President: I shall now make a statement inmy capacity as the representative of Singapore.

Although earlier I conveyed the condolences ofthe Council to the Government and the people of Indiaand of Pakistan, I should also like to add our nationalcondolences for the tragic loss of life resulting from theearthquake in the subcontinent.

I would also like to add my personal words ofwelcome to those already extended to Mr. Sergio Vieirade Mello, the Secretary-General’s SpecialRepresentative for East Timor, and to Mr. JoséRamos-Horta, the member of the East TimorTransitional Cabinet in charge of foreign affairs, and tothank them for being here with us in the Council today.We are also pleased to have been able to listen toMr. Mark Malloch Brown, the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP) Administrator, aswell as to representatives from the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund. In addition, we werehonoured by the participation of Mr. Harri Holkeri, thePresident of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifthsession, who has recently returned from a trip to theregion. Their presence and their briefings have givenus invaluable first-hand perspectives.

More importantly, their collective presence attoday’s open debate symbolically demonstrates thedirection in which East Timor is heading in the longhaul: a growing Timorization process to allow for asmooth transition to independence and an increasing

18

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

emphasis on reconstruction and rehabilitation effortsmoving towards sustainable development and goodgovernance, with the ongoing collective responsibilityof the entire United Nations membership to overseeand help ensure East Timor’s success. East Timor isvery much the child of the United Nations — a childwhich, as Mr. Vieira de Mello said earlier, is now at theembryonic stage of its development.

The United Nations has played a large part in theprocess that has led East Timor to where is today. It hasplayed a critical role in the East Timor issue for the lastquarter century, or longer. Since 1982, regular tripartitetalks between successive United Nations Secretaries-General, Indonesia and Portugal, aimed at resolving thestatus of the territory, have taken place at the request ofthe General Assembly. As the United Nationsshepherds East Timor towards independence, it is clearthat the responsibility of the United Nations for EastTimor is not coming to an end. As with parenthood, thereal test of the responsibility of the United Nations willonly just begin when the child is born.

In his report of 16 January 2000 on the progressof the United Nations Transitional Administration inEast Timor (UNTAET) since 27 July 2000, theSecretary-General has sketched a largely positivepicture of developments in East Timor. Mr. SergioVieira de Mello, speaking here today, has echoedsimilar views. We commend Mr. Vieira de Mello — agood friend of Singapore — for his tremendous effortsand those of his team. Singapore is heartened to hearabout the steady progress made in the reconstructionand rehabilitation of East Timor. UNTAET is, without adoubt, one of the largest and most complex operationsundertaken by the United Nations. In East Timor, theUnited Nations has not only to keep the peace but alsoto re-establish entire social systems and provisionalinstitutions from scratch. It is a massivemultidisciplinary, multidimensional task, by anyreckoning.

With the support of the international community,UNTAET has made progress in the important areas ofhealth, education and infrastructure. Efforts are alsounder way to revitalize the economy. UNTAET ishastening its critical Timorization efforts to help theEast Timorese people run their own country.Politically, UNTAET has successfully established aquasi-government: the East Timor TransitionalAdministration, with key Cabinet positions staffed byEast Timorese. East Timorese leaders have outlined a

political calendar setting out the important politicalmilestones. As the Secretary-General noted in hisreport, this timeline is ambitious but achievable.

However, Timorization must not only take placeat the political level, but percolate throughout theentire administration. As a far-sighted parent,UNTAET must build up the capacity of East Timor tostand on its own two feet and not develop a crutchmentality. While East Timor will look towards theUnited Nations for support and advice for some time,the United Nations must also listen increasingly towhat its child wants.

Nonetheless, it is clear that there is still a longway to go for East Timor. More needs to be done in thearea of security, where the refugee and militia problemshave not yet been resolved. The killing of UnitedNations personnel and the intimidation of refugees bymilitias cannot be condoned. Singapore calls onUNTAET and the Indonesian Government to worktogether to prevent such instances and to take all stepsto bring the perpetrators to justice. In this regard, weare pleased to note that both the Indonesian armedforces (TNI) and UNTAET have agreed to launch jointsecurity operations along the border of East and WestTimor. The ongoing trials in Dili and Jakarta ofsuspected militia members and leaders will also help toensure that justice is served.

Being a relatively young country, Singaporeknows from our very own experience that a stable andlasting foundation for a country cannot be builtovernight. The Security Council must therefore send astrong message of political support and engagement.The credibility of the United Nations would bedamaged if it were seen to have raised expectationsonly to leave before the job was done, and before itwas done well. A premature and precipitate exit from apeacekeeping operation poses the danger of thesituation unravelling and becoming worse than it wasbefore the operation was initiated.

It is often easy for us, sitting in the SecurityCouncil here in New York, to take a clinical view ofhalf an island at the far end of the earth. But let me beclear about the stakes that East Timor poses for theregion. The issue is not just the fate of East Timor andthe East Timorese, but that of the entire South-EastAsian region. East Timor’s future is intimately tied tothat of Indonesia — a large, diverse and complexcountry spanning the breadth of South-East Asia, with

19

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

over 17,000 islands and 210 million people.Indonesia’s fate is indistinguishable from that of theregion.

East Timor achieved independence at a time whenIndonesia was undergoing a profound political andeconomic transition. Its independence was aconsequence of the wrenching transformations thatIndonesia was itself experiencing. A decision takenunder these circumstances was bound to becontroversial, but East Timor’s independence is now anirrevocable fact. But it is also a fact that Indonesia’stransition is still ongoing. We cannot ignore either fact.A volatile East Timor could set back Indonesia’s effortsto return to normalcy. Political uncertainty andinstability in Indonesia would in turn have far-reachingimplications for the rest of the region and East Timor’sfuture.

However, both Indonesia and East Timor havespoken of reconciliation, notwithstanding the fact thatthere are still a number of outstanding issues to beresolved. In this regard, we welcome the positiveexpressions of good will towards Indonesia made byMr. José Ramos-Horta when he spoke here thismorning. We are of the view that, with good will andunderstanding between the newly independent EastTimor and its larger neighbour Indonesia, these issuescan be resolved amicably. Cooperation between themwill usher in a period of peace and stability for EastTimor and Indonesia and also contribute to stability inthe South-East Asian region.

It is therefore vital that the United Nations take along-term perspective on this issue and, as in all otherissues that the Security Council considers — forexample, Kosovo and the conflicts in West Africa —also recognize the regional context. I wish to quote thestatement made by Ambassador Chowdhury to theSecurity Council on 15 November 2000 on “No exitwithout strategy”. Before I do, however, let me notethat, when he spoke an hour or two ago, AmbassadorLevitte also reminded us of the debate on “no exitwithout strategy”. In November, AmbassadorChowdhury said:

“the parameters for the conclusion [of apeacekeeping operation] should include anobjective assessment of a given situation in themedium- to long-term perspective. Such anassessment should take into consideration thepolitical, military, humanitarian and human rights

aspects and the regional dimension”. (S/PV.4223,p. 8)

These are important considerations which we shouldalways bear in mind.

Attaining independence is the easy part. It ismore difficult to be successful at it. East Timor’sinterest would be best served by the full engagement ofthe international community in the rehabilitation anddevelopment of East Timor, even after itsindependence. Much of what UNTAET has achievedwould not have been possible without the resources andpolitical support extended to it by the United Nationsand by the international community. We cannot expectan independent East Timor to manage all of itsproblems on its own. None of the regional countries,including Australia and New Zealand, nor theAssociation of South-East Asian Nations have all thenecessary expertise and capabilities to deal with EastTimor’s enormous needs. The United Nations and theinternational community therefore have an importantresponsibility and obligation to East Timor to remainengaged, even after independence.

On this, we strongly support the Secretary-General’s assessment that East Timor will still requiresubstantial international support after independence.The President of the General Assembly, in his recentvisit to East Timor, also pledged his continued supportto UNTAET’s efforts in rebuilding the country. TheCouncil’s own mission to East Timor also returned toNew York in November 2000 with the view that astrong international presence would be required inpost-independence East Timor. We find the sameconclusions drawn in our own consultations with theEast Timorese and the Indonesian Government.

Singapore has contributed actively to theinternational and United Nations efforts in East Timorright from the start. We have sent our troops, doctorsand civilian police to participate in the InternationalForce in East Timor and UNTAET. Bilaterally, we haveprepared a comprehensive technical assistance packageto assist East Timor in all aspects of rebuilding itssociety. We are committed, within our abilities andresources, to continuing to support the internationaleffort to help East Timor get back on its feet.

United Nations peacekeeping has seen its fairshare of successes and failures. East Timor andUNTAET present a unique opportunity for the UnitedNations to show its ability to draw on the lessons learnt

20

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

from past experiences to make it one of the mostsuccessful peacekeeping operations in United Nationshistory. The challenges facing East Timor and thecommitment displayed by the East Timorese people areclear. With sufficient will and commitment, the UnitedNations and the Security Council can turn and rebuild adevastated and conflict-ravaged society and guide itschild towards becoming a peaceful, stable andproductive member of the international community andthe United Nations.

I now resume my function as President of theSecurity Council.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is therepresentative of Australia. I invite her to take a seat atthe Council table and to make her statement. I alsowish her a happy Australia Day.

Ms. Wensley (Australia): Let me add Australia’svoice to all those which have expressed sympathy tothe Governments of India and Pakistan for the deathsand the suffering which have been caused to so manyof their citizens by the serious earthquake which strucktheir region yesterday.

I want to thank you warmly, Sir, for arrangingthis open meeting of the Council, which has given non-members once again the opportunity to hear directlyfrom the Secretary-General’s Special Representative,Mr. Vieira de Mello, on developments in the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET) over the past six months, and his views onthe tasks and the challenges which must be dealt within East Timor in the coming year and beyond. I wouldlike to thank him for his thorough and characteristicallycandid briefing and to reiterate the AustralianGovernment’s appreciation of the excellent work ofUNTAET under his skilled guidance as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative.

We also appreciate the opportunity to hear fromthe United Nations Development Programme, theWorld Bank, the International Monetary Fund, thePresident of the General Assembly and, especially, JoséRamos-Horta. These presentations underlined in a verypractical and clear way the unique character ofinternational cooperation over East Timor andconveyed an evident commitment to seeing this effortsucceed fully.

The work of UNTAET, in close cooperation withthe East Timorese, over the past 15 months has set in

place many of the building blocks required for EastTimor to become a self-reliant independent nation. Therenewal of UNTAET’s mandate, which Councilmembers will consider following today’s substantialdebate, will be decisive in determining UNTAET’scapacity to continue to build on the work it has done sofar and, importantly, to focus on preparations for thenext steps, up to independence and beyond.

Australia certainly welcomes recent UnitedNations efforts to accelerate the transfer of authority tothe East Timorese. We agree with the emphasis in theSecretary-General’s report on maintaining the pace ofwhat has been called “Timorization” over the comingmonths. As a fundamental element of capacity-building, Timorization will remain critical to EastTimor’s successful transition to independence.Continued capacity and institution-building will beessential to achieving a timely transfer of authorityfrom the United Nations to an effective East TimoreseGovernment and administration.

In addition to this key task, UNTAET and theEast Timorese face other considerable challenges overthe next 12 months. One of these is to build the basisfor a transparent, democratic political system,including through the provision of adequate civiceducation — a point which, I noticed, the Ambassadorof Colombia also placed strong emphasis on in hisstatement earlier. Another is assisting the developmentof East Timorese capacity to maintain security, law andorder. The establishment of the East Timorese DefenceForce will be an important factor enhancing EastTimor’s capacity for self-reliance in security matters.But we also look forward to progress in the trainingand development of the Timor Lorosa’e Police Service,as independence approaches.

The prompt repatriation of remaining EastTimorese refugees in West Timor remains an importantand pressing priority for East Timor’s future stabilityand security. An end to militia intimidation, unimpededaccess to camps for humanitarian workers and acredible registration process all remain keyprerequisites for this to succeed.

As I have emphasized at every possibleopportunity, Australia considers it crucial thatinternational support for East Timor’s transition toindependence be maintained. Gains have been made,but there is significant distance yet to be travelled toconsolidate the good work of UNTAET to date and to

21

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

build the necessary foundations for an independentEast Timor that will take its place in the region and inthis United Nations, confident, secure and well-prepared to manage the many challenges of statehood.

For all these reasons Australia strongly supportsthe Secretary-General’s recommendation to renewUNTAET’s mandate until 31 December 2001. We arelooking to the Council to renew the current mandate interms that will secure continuity of its operation. Givencontinuing security concerns, maintenance of a strongsecurity component is particularly important. We feelthat troop-contributing countries will all need to remaincommitted to the UNTAET peacekeeping operationover this period. It is also our firm view — and I notethat we share this with a number of other speakerstoday — that any consideration of a reduction in themilitary component of UNTAET should be based on anobjective military assessment by UNTAET forces. It isthe situation and circumstances on the ground that mustbe the paramount determinant.

I would like to take this opportunity to noteAustralia’s appreciation for the outstanding leadershipthat Thailand is providing to the current UNTAETpeacekeeping operation.

Finally, on this question of the peacekeepingoperation, in recognition of the recent importantdiscussions on HIV/AIDS and peacekeeping in theCouncil, and indeed elsewhere ongoing in the UnitedNations system, I also want to highlight the importancethat Australia attaches to UNTAET peacekeepingoperation members being fully briefed on theprevention and control of HIV/AIDS and othercommunicable diseases.

The United Nations role in East Timor is notgoing to end on the day of independence, althoughobviously the nature of the Organization’s relationshipwith the East Timorese will change as soon as theyachieve a government of their own independent nation.We should therefore be thinking and planning now notjust for the renewal of this mandate, but for the periodbeyond independence, when it is going to be necessaryto ensure that the groundwork laid by UNTAET can bemaintained and developed by the new East TimoreseGovernment.

The Secretary-General’s report recognizes that anindependent East Timor will still require substantialinternational support, including military and civilianpolice components and support for civilian

administration. I reiterate that it is timely now thatMember States — and particularly troop-contributingnations — focus on the need for early planning andpreparation for such a presence, including possiblecontributions. My Government is certainly giving veryclose consideration to these matters, and we lookforward to ongoing dialogue with UNTAET, in turn inthe closest of consultation and collaboration with theEast Timorese, on the appropriate shape and mandatefor a future United Nations presence. East Timoreseinput on models for post-independence cooperationbetween the United Nations and East Timor willobviously be critical to the planning and thepreparations for the next phase in its transition.Ultimately, as we all recognize, it will be for the EastTimorese themselves to determine how they wish theUnited Nations to assist.

To contribute to this process of dialogue andconsultation, including with other international actors,Australia offers the following ideas on the futureUnited Nations role.

Any post-independence United Nations presencein East Timor will most likely be smaller thanUNTAET, and focused on the main task of assistingEast Timor with capacity and institution-building,including in the areas of financial management —about which we heard quite a great deal thismorning — judiciary, police, defence, health, educationand infrastructure. To this end, the mission should bestaffed by United Nations personnel with appropriateexperience and qualifications, capable of providingskills transfer to accelerate the localization of skills.The mandate for a new mission obviously should beconstructed to ensure that it has an appropriaterelationship with the new East Timorese Government.

A post-independence United Nations securitycomponent should, in our view, take the form of a BlueHelmet operation mandated by the Security Councilwith a clear end-state. The size of the peacekeepingoperation should be based on an assessment of thesecurity situation done much closer to independence.Diversity of troop contributions will remain important,and a wide range of international contributors,including strong regional representation, should beencouraged. In the field of law and order, assessmentsof the results of police training to date indicate thatUnited Nations civilian police will need to remainbeyond independence, and we would welcome anyfurther comments that the Special Representative might

22

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

be able to offer with respect to the results of the policetraining to date.

More broadly, in the area of security, I wouldmake two additional points that might seem obviousbut which we feel should not be underestimated. Firstconcerns the need for continued efforts to bring tojustice those responsible for crimes and human rightsviolations in East Timor, and in this regard, like anumber of my colleagues, I particularly note andwelcome the fact that the Dili District Court has justcompleted its first successful prosecution of a caserelated to the violence that took place in 1999. Secondis the importance of East Timor working actively tobuild positive relations with its neighbours, especiallyIndonesia. I note that this morning Sergio Vieira deMello emphasized this as a foundation stone for thefuture and that José Ramos-Horta laid special emphasison this and, indeed, indicated that the East Timoreseleadership is working very actively on this.

Finally, it is fundamental that arrangementsacross a range of areas, of which financial areparticularly important, support the transition to aneffective East Timorese Government and do not ceaseon the formal date of independence. In this context, weendorse the Secretary-General’s support forconsideration of increasing flexibility in the use ofassessed contributions allocated to UNTAET and itspost-independence successor. I think in this respect thatMark Malloch Brown’s strong call for a fundingstrategy is particularly relevant.

To conclude, I want to underline the two keypoints of my remarks. First, Australia fully supportsthe continuing UNTAET operation, including theprogressive transfer of authority to the East Timorese,as the path to a fully functioning independent State.Secondly, it is our strong view that it is important thatthe international community begin now to prepare thegroundwork for an appropriate United Nationspresence in East Timor after independence. In order tobe effective and to preserve all the gains made byUNTAET, the transition from one to the other must beas seamless as possible, in both organizational andfinancial terms.

Many of us here today have already made asignificant investment in the future of East Timor. Butthe long-term success of that future depends oncontinuing commitment to the UNTAET operation and

our willingness now to plan, prepare and commit forthe period beyond independence.

Let me assure the Council and Member Statesthat Australia remains committed to East Timor andready to do its part, working with the United Nations,the East Timorese and all other international playerswhich share that commitment.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of New Zealand. I invite himto take a seat at the Council table and to make hisstatement.

Mr. Mackay (New Zealand): Before I begin, Ishould like to join others in expressing condolences toIndia and Pakistan on the earthquake which has struckthem so tragically.

In opening, may I express my appreciation to Mr.Sergio Vieira de Mello for his excellent briefing thismorning. We are extremely fortunate to have aninternational civil servant of his calibre at the head ofthe United Nations operation in East Timor. May I alsorecord our great pleasure at the fact that Mr. JoséRamos-Horta is also taking part in the Council’sproceedings today. This is highly symbolic of theprocess we are embarked upon in assisting East Timorto come to independence, which was the choice of theoverwhelming majority of the people of the territory inthe United Nations-sponsored consultation inSeptember 1999. Finally, I would like to thank thePresident of the General Assembly for his perceptiveobservations on his recent visit to East Timor and therepresentatives of the development agencies for theirstatements this morning and their commitment to EastTimor.

New Zealand fully supports the proposedextension of the mandate of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)until 31 December this year, as recommended by theSecretary-General in his report. We do so as one of themajor troop contributors to the operation, providing abattalion group and a helicopter squadron for service inthe sensitive western border region. I am pleased tonote that we were able to advise the Secretary-Generalshortly before Christmas that New Zealand willmaintain its present level of military contribution untilMay 2002.

Today’s debate to consider the extension ofUNTAET marks an important milestone in the period

23

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

since the operation’s mandate was originally adoptedby the Council in October 1999. A great deal has beenachieved since then, particularly in the security andhumanitarian fields. This is a credit to the efforts of thepeople of East Timor, to Mr. Vieira de Mello and histeam as well as hardworking officials of the Secretariathere in New York, and to the contributions of MemberStates.

It is critical that UNTAET now build upon theseachievements. The Secretary-General and Mr. Vieira deMello have identified areas where further progress isessential. Chief among these, in our view, is theaccelerated transfer of authority to the Timorese. Thisis perhaps the most difficult challenge, but, despiteserious skill shortages among the Timorese people,UNTAET must make every effort to put them in thedriving seat. The day must come, sooner rather thanlater, when East Timorese are the ones makingdecisions, with United Nations staff acting as mentorsand providing guidance.

While gains have been made in guaranteeing EastTimor’s security, the threat posed by the militia groupsin West Timor remains and will continue to do so aslong as they are not disbanded. Moreover, themaintenance of security will be crucial for the conductof pre-independence political events, includingelections. New Zealand therefore strongly believes thatUNTAET operations, including the militarycomponent, should continue at present levels throughthe period of the extended mandate. The day when anEast Timor defence force might take over some ofthese responsibilities is still some way off. Futurereductions in United Nations troop numbers will haveto be based on a careful, objective military assessmentof the situation by those in the field. Such a decisionshould not be driven by extraneous issues such asbudgetary concerns.

Looking ahead to the post-independence period,we believe it is equally important for the internationalcommunity to continue to remain engaged ifUNTAET’s achievements are to be secured. We fullyendorse the Secretary-General’s tasking of UNTAET todraw up plans for an integrated operation, in closeconsultation with the Timorese and partnerorganizations, which might be considered by theSecurity Council closer to the time. Such an operationwill need to include a blue-helmeted securitycomponent.

Finally, I would like to record my Government’sappreciation for the actions by the Government ofIndonesia and the Indonesian armed forces which led tothe detention recently of Jacobus Bere, a leadingsuspect in the murder of Private Manning, who waskilled last July while serving with the New Zealandcontingent to UNTAET. Those responsible for thiscrime must be brought to justice. New Zealand and, Iam sure, many other countries represented in thisChamber will be following this case very closely.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of Japan. I invite him to take aseat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Kobayashi (Japan): Before I begin, I shouldlike to take this opportunity to express condolences tothe people of India and of Pakistan for the terriblelosses they have suffered as a result of yesterday’searthquake.

I would like to express my appreciation to you,Mr. President, for this opportunity to discuss thesituation in East Timor, as the mandate of the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET) is about to be renewed.

I would also like to thank Mr. Sergio Vieira deMello for shedding light on the important progress thathas been made and on the challenges that remain on theground. We wish to extend our warmest welcome toMr. Ramos-Horta, who has come to present to us theviews of the East Timorese people, which theinternational community must always respect and heedas it supports their nation-building efforts. We lookforward to welcoming him in Japan in March.

We also commend Mr. Holkeri, President of theGeneral Assembly, for his participation in today’sdiscussion, following his recent visit to the region.

We thank the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP), the World Bank and theInternational Monetary Fund for presenting their views.Their participation in today’s discussion illustrates themultifaceted nature of the activities of UNTAET, whichencompass not only military and police activities butalso a wide range of nation-building efforts.

Since the inception of UNTAET in October 1999,efforts to prepare for the independence of East Timorhave made substantial progress, with the competent andresourceful leadership of Mr. Vieira de Mello, thededication of United Nations staff and the constant

24

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

support of the international community, including non-governmental organizations, all working hand in handwith the people of East Timor. My delegation ispleased to know that, as a result of these efforts, thegoal of independence is now within sight. Althoughconsiderable work still needs be done, my delegation isconfident that, with the commitment and integritydemonstrated by those concerned, that goal will beachieved smoothly and successfully. Japan, for its part,remains fully committed to assisting the process to thebest of its ability.

Japan welcomes the progress highlighted in theSecretary-General’s report, including progress in thepolitical process, in infrastructure development and injudicial and human rights matters, and encouragesUNTAET to continue its efforts in all those areas.Japan fully supports the extension of UNTAET’smandate.

Today I would like to focus on the politicalprocess leading to the independence of East Timor andto share some thoughts on the post-independencephase. First, let me touch upon the political processtowards independence.

Japan welcomes the growing consensus amongthe East Timorese people on the political calendar forachieving independence. It is our fundamental positionthat the will of the people must be respected indeciding how East Timor should be governed. In thisregard, my delegation would like to reiterate thecritical importance of pursuing independence through apolitical process that is open, fair and democratic. And,in order to ensure lasting peace and security afterindependence, it will be necessary to establish apolitical system that is likewise open, fair anddemocratic. We are confident that Mr. Ramos-Hortaand other leaders of the East Timorese peopleunderstand the importance of these goals and will spareno effort in achieving them.

Although we understand the existence of possibletechnical difficulties, as mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report, we urge the United Nations to do itsbest to realize the sequence of political steps that are tobe agreed upon by the East Timorese people. At thesame time, we call upon the people of East Timor tounderstand that insufficient preparation can result incompromising the openness, inclusiveness and fairnessof the process. We also fully support the emphasis, asdescribed in the Secretary-General’s report, that is

placed on sustainability and capacity-building in theelection process with a view to enabling the EastTimorese themselves to conduct their future elections.

The issue of East Timorese refugees in WestTimor continues to be a source of concern. Effortsshould be made both by the Indonesian authorities andby the relevant United Nations agencies to solve therefugee problem as soon as possible. We should bear inmind that the political process towards independenceshould involve as many people as possible, includingEast Timorese refugees who are willing to participatein the nation-building process.

The recent violent incidents in connection withpolitical campaigning by the East Timorese parties aredisturbing. We call on the people of East Timor toensure that the political process towards independenceis orderly and peaceful, and we urge UNTAET to makeevery effort to assist them in this regard. Caution andsensitivity on the part of UNTAET are required indealing with this matter, but violence must not betolerated. Efforts to instil respect in the East Timoresepeople for the democratic process and its rules can alsobe useful. Japan is more than willing to help in thisregard and has decided to sponsor a seminar onelectoral law, to be held by UNTAET in February, withthe aim of promoting discussion and understanding ofthe electoral system among the East Timorese.

Next, let me comment on the post-independencephase. We share the Secretary-General’s analysis thatEast Timor will continue to require substantialinternational support after independence is achieved.Japan will remain committed to helping East Timor inthe post-independence phase. I would like to stress twoimportant points in this regard.

The first point is that after independence thetransfer of authority should be complete. In order toencourage East Timor’s self-reliance, it should be madeclear that with independence the responsibility foradministering the country will then rest with the EastTimorese, while the international community and theUnited Nations play an advisory role. This, of course,cannot happen all at once on the day of independence.But it is imperative, during this transition phase, tofoster a sense of ownership among the East Timoreseand to help them develop the necessary skills andcapabilities for running a nation. From this point ofview, Japan fully supports UNTAET’s policy ofaccelerated transfer of authority to the East Timorese

25

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

people and the so-called Timorization of theadministration. We strongly encourage the continuationof this policy.

The other point I wish to raise is the importanceof the international community remaining steadfast inits efforts to assist East Timor. Continuity is essentialin order to ensure that the efforts made thus far for thereconstruction and development of East Timor arefruitful. The necessary systems and mechanisms mustbe in place to ensure continuity in the provision ofinternational assistance. In this regard, the need foreffective donor coordination mechanisms remainsundiminished. These should include a framework forthe overall assessment and review of the assistance thatis being provided. The well-established practice ofholding donor conferences is one such mechanism. Acoordinating mechanism on the ground, such as therole currently played by UNTAET, to maintain dailycontact with the donors is also necessary.

Furthermore, in view of the profound shortage ofhuman resources in East Timor and its implications forthe transfer of the administration, Japan believes thatthe United Nations presence in East Timor afterindependence should include not only military andcivilian police components but also a capacity- andinstitution-building component to provide advice to theEast Timorese. Without such a component, the nation-building process could be seriously disrupted.

In conclusion, I would like once again tocommend the United Nations staff under the ableleadership of Mr. Vieira de Mello, the members of theinternational community and especially the people ofEast Timor as they work together to build a promisingfuture. Japan shares their hopes for a successfultransition to independence and remains determined tomake a genuine contribution to this endeavour.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of Sweden, whom I invite totake a seat at the Council table and to make hisstatement.

Mr. Schori (Sweden): First of all, I, like others,would like to express my deepest condolences to theGovernments and peoples of India and Pakistan, andparticularly our thoughts are with the families of thevictims of the catastrophe and those directly affectedby it.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of theEuropean Union (EU). The Central and EasternEuropean countries associated with the EuropeanUnion — Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia,Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakiaand Slovenia — and the associated countries Cyprus,Malta and Turkey, as well as the European Free TradeAssociation country member of the EuropeanEconomic Area, Iceland, align themselves with thisstatement.

I would like to commend the Secretary-General’sSpecial Representative, Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, andall the women and men of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET)and its partner organizations for their efforts to meetone of the greatest challenges facing the UnitedNations: leading East Timor towards independence.The EU reaffirms its solidarity with the people of EastTimor and its support for UNTAET.

In October 1999, the Security Council establishedUNTAET with the broadest mandate ever given to aUnited Nations peace operation, with responsibility forthe administration of a territory vastly devastated bythose unwilling to accept the results of the popularconsultation. In the light of the complexity of the task,the progress achieved has been considerable and meritsour deep appreciation. In the Secretary-General’s latestreport, which is contained in document S/2001/42 andis now before us, he concludes that the United Nationshas cause to be proud of what has been accomplishedin East Timor. The European Union agrees andencourages UNTAET to continue its work.

The European Union would like to take thisopportunity to stress the importance of learning fromthe UNTAET experiences. Some of the lessons learnedfrom East Timor are already reflected in the Brahimireport, which outlines a number of recommendations tobetter prepare the United Nations system for complexpeace operations.

The European Union pays tribute to the militarycomponent of UNTAET. While the situation in WestTimor continues to constitute a threat to the securitysituation in East Timor, the peacekeeping force hasdone excellent work on re-establishing and upholdingsafety and security throughout the territory of EastTimor. But this has not been without cost. TheEuropean Union would not like to miss this

26

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

opportunity to recall the tragic loss of the NewZealand, Nepalese and Portuguese peacekeepers.

At the same time, the European Union stronglysupports the gradual transfer to the East Timorese oflocal ownership of the maintenance of law and order.In that context, although it recognizes that that aninternational police presence will be needed afterindependence, the European Union encouragesUNTAET to accelerate the training process of the EastTimorese police force. The European Union expressesits appreciation for the excellent work of the civilianpolice in keeping law and order throughout East Timor.The Union is, however, concerned by reports ofincreasing criminality, particularly violence againstwomen.

During the past six months, progress has beenmade in integrating the East Timorese into all majordecision-making actions within the administration. TheEuropean Union particularly welcomes the inclusion ofMr. José Ramos-Horta, who is present here today, ascabinet member for foreign affairs.

The European Union would, however, like toemphasize the need to further strengthen nationalcapacity-building in all governance areas. TheTimorization efforts within the TransitionalAdministration must be pushed forward, and the role ofUNTAET should gradually change from execution toan advisory role. Greater efforts can be made tostrengthen capacity-building, including through on-the-job training. During the transition period it is essentialto involve the East Timorese, including women andyouth, in a broad, representative manner in the policy-making and administrative structure at all levels.

The European Union welcomes the effort ofUNTAET to inform the population of progress in thisrespect, but understands the natural desire of the EastTimorese to accelerate this progress.

UNTAET has now fully embarked on thetransition from emergency relief activities tosustainable development and administration building.Despite the difficulties encountered, the EuropeanUnion is pleased to note that significant improvementshave been achieved in providing schooling and healthcare.

The European Union takes note of the SecretaryGeneral’s comments on the judicial system in EastTimor, and welcomes the taking of the first measures

against those persons who committed serious crimesduring the violence in 1999. The European Union alsostresses the importance of strengthening East Timor’sjudicial system, which will be the guarantor ofdemocracy.

The EU welcomes the fact that the trial hascommenced in Jakarta against those accused of thedeplorable killings of three staff members of the Officeof the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) in West Timor last September. It alsowelcomes the arrest of the suspected perpetrators of thekilling of a United Nations peacekeeper. The EuropeanUnion calls on the Government of Indonesia tocontinue all necessary efforts to bring the perpetratorsof serious crimes committed during and before theviolence in September 1999 to justice. It also takesnote of the efforts being made by the IndonesianAttorney-General concerning the investigation ofhuman rights violations in East Timor, and calls on theIndonesian Government to follow the spirit of theMemorandum of Understanding signed with UNTAET.The investigation process and the bringing to justice ofthose responsible for the atrocities that followed thepopular consultation must not be delayed. TheEuropean Union also encourages the Indonesianjudicial authorities to continue their cooperation withthe Office of the High Commissioner for HumanRights.

The European Union emphasizes the importanceof a reconciliation process, and welcomes the contactsmade between some pro-integration leaders and theNational Council of Timorese Resistance (CNRT) andthe soon-to-be established Truth, Reception andReconciliation Commission. Furthermore, it believesthat there exists at present a sincere willingness to findways and means to re-establish trust and confidenceamong all East Timorese.

The European Union shares the Secretary-General’s appraisal of the timetable for East Timor toachieve independence late in this year, as well as theNational Council’s endorsement of a political calendarfor the transition to independence. The European Unionnotes that UNTAET will be fully responsible for theconduct of the elections, with the support of theSecretariat, in particular the Department of PoliticalAffairs’ Electoral Assistance Division. The Unionurges UNTAET to continue its efforts to ensure thatfree and fair elections and the establishment of theConstituent Assembly can take place within the time-

27

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

frame to be agreed by the mission and the EastTimorese people. The European Union stresses that thecomposition of the Constituent Assembly needs toreflect broad political participation and allow for anopen and truly democratic debate. The European Unionalso considers that the United Nations Secretariat has arole to play in conducting the elections andimplementing a broad civic-education campaign.

The European Union fully supports UNTAET’sand East Timor’s goal of developing mechanisms forgood governance. The value of a lean, efficient andtransparent administrative system as a means ofachieving a democratic and prosperous society cannotbe overstated.

Closely linked to the political transition is thesecurity situation in East Timor. Despite considerableimprovements there are still reasons for concern. TheEuropean Union reiterates its full endorsement of therecommendations in Security Council resolution 1319(2000), and urges the Indonesian Government tocontinue its efforts to implement the resolution withoutfurther delay. The Union also fully supports therecommendations made by the Security Councilmission to East Timor and Indonesia in its report(S/2000/1105) of last November.

The European Union strongly condemns thecontinued activities of militia groups in West Timor,which have a destabilizing impact on the transition toindependence in East Timor. It is therefore imperativeto finally put an end to these activities, in line withSecurity Council resolution 1319 (2000). The promptdisbanding of the militia groups is essential in order toresolve the refugee situation in West Timor. TheEuropean Union would like to recall the urgent needfor a quick settlement. This unresolved matter couldhave serious repercussions on the political situation inEast Timor and might be a factor that could jeopardizethe transition process.

The refugees must be given a free choice ofwhether to return to East Timor or resettle in Indonesia,including through a credible registration process. Theestablishment of security in the refugee camps, theresumption of humanitarian assistance, a resolution ofthe refugee situation and support for reconciliation areessential for the creation of lasting peace and stabilityin East Timor. The Union is deeply committed,together with the international humanitarian

organizations, to continue to play an active role in thisregard.

The European Union has noted the observation inthe Secretary-General’s report that it might benecessary to maintain what is now the UNTAETmilitary component after independence at a strength tobe determined in the light of developments. The Unionunderstands that a gradual downsizing of thiscomponent will take place only if an objectiveassessment of the security situation by UNTAET showsthat this is appropriate. It is crucially important thatsecurity assistance be provided for the independentstate.

The European Union welcomes UNTAET plansand the efforts of a number of interested Governmentsaimed at the establishment of an East Timor DefenceForce (ETDF) and notes that this will be drawninitially from the Armed Forces for the NationalLiberation of East Timor (FALINTIL). With regard tothose FALINTIL members who will not join the ETDF,the European Union welcomes the plans for thereintegration programme organized by the InternationalOrganization for Migration and the World Bank.

The role of the European Union as the biggestcontributor to the East Timorese development processwas most recently reaffirmed at the donors meeting inBrussels last December. The Union agrees that therewill be a continued need for development cooperationby the international community, and it is ready toassume its part in further assisting with therehabilitation of East Timor and its transition toindependence. The European Union recognizes the roleof the international financial institutions and UnitedNations agencies, particularly UNDP and the WorldBank, and encourages them to continue to play theirpart.

The European Union supports the proposal by theSecretary-General to extend the mandate of UNTAETuntil 31 December 2001 and looks forward to hisrecommendations on the plan for a new integratedfollow-on operation that would function in theindependent East Timor. It is important that no vacuumbe created in connection with the transition toindependence.

The European Union will continue to follow theprocess closely and to support the work of the UnitedNations and the Secretary-General. As stated earlier,we believe that there are reasons for the United Nations

28

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

to be proud of what has been accomplished so far inEast Timor. We must work together to ensure that theUNTAET mission becomes a success not only for theUnited Nations but, most importantly, for the people ofEast Timor.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of Chile. I invite him to take aseat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Valdés (Chile) (spoke in Spanish): Likeprevious speakers, I should like to express thecondolences of Chile to the Governments of India andPakistan for the tragedy that has affected so many oftheir citizens.

I should like to thank you, Mr. President, onbehalf of the delegation of Chile for convening thismeeting to consider the report of the Secretary-Generalon the situation in East Timor and to give our views onthe renewal of the mandate of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).Ensuring the success of the United Nations mission inEast Timor is the collective responsibility of theinternational community, and that is why this opendebate is so important. We must also take note of lastMonday’s meeting between the members of theCouncil and the countries, including Chile, thatcontribute troops to UNTAET. That exchange of viewsled to conclusions that will prove very useful for theCouncil when it must make decisions.

Chile takes particular pride in being associated,as a contributor to UNTAET, with the United Nationswork in reconstructing East Timor. Chile’sparticipation in United Nations peacekeepingoperations is a key element of our foreign policy, andthis was reaffirmed by the visit to East Timor lastNovember of Mr. Ricardo Lagos, President of theRepublic of Chile. I should like to pay special tribute tothe staff of the United Nations in Timor, under theleadership of Under-Secretary-General Sergio Vieira deMello, for their selfless dedication and admirable work.I should also like to welcome the presence in our midstof José Ramos-Horta, one of the most distinguishedleaders of the independence movement of his country,who has the unique task of conducting the process ofnation-building and transfer of power to the Timores,for which the United Nations is providing solidsupport.

We studied with great interest the reportsubmitted by the Secretary-General, and we fully share

its conclusions. The situation in East Timor and theprogress of the work of UNTAET must be seen fromthe perspective of the magnitude of the task that wasentrusted to this Organization. Almost two years ago,the United Nations was required to undertake, togetherwith the leaders and people of East Timor, theextraordinary task of building a nation-State — a taskthat is not normally among the responsibilities of anymultilateral institution and for which there were noprecedents or comparable situations in the history ofthe Organization. This task, begun under extremelyadverse conditions following a true tragedy for thepeople of Timor, had to be taken on, given theprevailing risks to regional peace and security.

The magnitude of the tasks was outlined thismorning by Sergio Vieira de Mello. Among them, theestablishment of the Truth Reception andReconciliation Commission, which is scheduled tobegin its work in the coming months, seems to us to beparticularly relevant. This marks a very significantdevelopment in the field of human rights in thatcountry; it is an inevitable requirement of anydemocratic transition. Chile can attest to the fact thatreconciliation will not be sure, nor peace real, withouttrue justice in the area of human rights.

At the same time, we have taken note of thecontinuing areas of concern, particularly the generalsituation with regard to security and to refugees, andthe militia problem. We are reassured by the positivesigns that we see in the bilateral relations between EastTimor and Indonesia, which are essential for theimplementation of Security Council resolution 1319(2000) on the collection of weapons and theelimination of the militias’ ability to make threats. Inthis regard, we also welcome the improvements in theimplementation of the recommendations of the SecurityCouncil mission relating to the expansion of theopportunities for bilateral consultation between the twocountries. Furthermore, account must be taken of therelations between UNTAET and the population and thelocal authorities so that the necessary measures can betaken to ensure that they remain as good as possible.As we have heard this afternoon, this will be crucial tothe transition and the successful conclusion of thedemocratic elections.

As regards the future, the main question ofconcern today is to determine whether the mainobjective of UNTAET has been accomplished, inaccordance with resolution 1272 (1999). The view of

29

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

Chile, based on the Secretary-General's report, is thatthis has yet to happen and that it is therefore essentialto renew the mission's mandate, at least for the rest ofthe year. We fully share the view expressed thismorning by the President of the General Assembly thatEast Timor will require the presence and assistance ofthe international community for a long time, be it inrelation to peacekeeping or to national reconstruction.

The opinion expressed by some in favour of arationalization of UNTAET and a reduction of itspeacekeeping resources could be very premature. Inview of the complexity of the current security situationin Timor and the time needed to organize the EastTimorese defence forces, we feel that the continuationof the Security Council's role is fully justified. Anychange or withdrawal of its current functions would, inour view, be a serious mistake.

At the appropriate time, moreover, we will haveto deal with the question of the support that East Timorwill require after its independence, which furtherunderscores the need for the Security Council tocontinue to be seized of the matter. We hope that theCouncil will approve the recommendations containedin the report, particularly the extension of UNTAET'smandate until the end of the year.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of Brazil. I invite her to take aseat at the Council table and to make her statement.

Mrs. Vioti (Brazil): I would like to associate mydelegation with the expressions of sympathy to theGovernments of India and Pakistan for the suffering andloss of life caused by the earthquake that struck thatregion.

I wish to thank you, Sir, for organizing this opendebate on East Timor. It shows the commitment of yourcountry and yourself personally to the objective ofbuilding a solid basis for the future independent EastTimor.

Allow me to express my delegation's deepappreciation to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello for hiscomprehensive presentation and admirable work. It isalso a great honour to have with us today Mr. JoséRamos-Horta, who has been a key political figure inthe construction of a free and independent East Timor.We listened with great interest to the personaltestimony of the President of the General Assembly, aswell as to the briefings of the Administrator of the

United Nations Development Programme and therepresentatives of the World Bank and the InternationalMonetary Fund.

Brazil remains committed to the efforts towardsbuilding a democratic and stable East Timor. This wasthe main thrust of the visit of President FernandoHenrique Cardoso to East Timor early this week. Iwould like to share with the members of the Counciland other delegations some information on thePresidential visit. The Permanent Representative ofBrazil, Ambassador Gelson Fonseca, Jr., whoaccompanied the President, will be in a position tocomplement this report upon his return to New York.

As President Cardoso stated in Dili, his visit wasintended to convey a message of solidarity to the EastTimorese people, whose struggle for independence andfreedom captured the hearts and minds of allBrazilians. In Dili, President Cardoso, accompanied byXanana Gusmão and Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, laida floral wreath at the monument in the cemetery ofSanta Cruz in honour of the victims of the struggle forindependence.

President Cardoso had extensive talks withSpecial Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and theEast Timorese leadership. He also attended a specialsession of the National Council. In order to underlinethe practical and concrete aspects of our assistance toEast Timor, he personally presided over the launchingof Brazilian cooperation projects in the fields ofcapacity-building, professional training and literacy.

During his visit, President Cardoso announcedthat the current cooperation could be expanded to otherareas, including public health, agriculture, assistanceregarding the establishment of regulations on oilprospecting, and use of satellite-gathered data fornatural resource assessment and environmentalmonitoring. With regard to the Brazilian participationin the peacekeeping force, the possibility of reinforcingour contingent with the addition of a field hospital unitis under consideration.

After visiting East Timor, President Cardoso flewto Jakarta, where he had a fruitful dialogue withPresident Wahid. In his cordial talks with PresidentWahid, President Cardoso brought up the issue of theEast Timorese refugees in West Timor and the need toovercome the security threat posed by the militias.Both Presidents agreed to study the possibility of jointcooperation initiatives to be mutually agreed by the

30

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

two countries with East Timor in projects designed tohelp in the efforts of reconstruction and reconciliation,as was also reported by Mr. Ramos-Horta in hisstatement to the Council.

It is important to start planning for a smoothtransition to self-government, and that includescreating the environment for self-sustaineddevelopment. It is not just a matter of ensuring politicalstability and putting in place the right regulations. Ithas to do with the need to ensure that the internationalcommunity does not turn its back on East Timor after itbecomes independent.

The creation of conditions for development willnot be attained in the short term and will requiregenerous international cooperation long afterindependence. This is the rationale behind our projectsin East Timor, which focus mainly on education andcapacity-building. Such programmes also have apositive impact on the preparation of the East Timoresepeople to take over the future democratic State of EastTimor.

The Timorization of the administration is underway. The efforts in capacity-building are starting tobear fruit with the training of police, judges and othercivil servants. But the obstacles ahead cannot beoverlooked. Less than 10 per cent of permanentmanagement positions have been filled. Managementlevels are of particular importance for the transition —these are the people who will be at the helm of theadministration after independence.

Allow me to state briefly Brazil's position on thepressing issue of the transition to independence and themandate of the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET).

Brazil supports the recommendation of theSecretary-General to extend UNTAET's mandate until31 December 2001. We look forward to receiving therecommendations of the Secretary-General concerningthe successor mission of UNTAET. It is clear, however,that regardless of the format of the new mission, theinternational presence will have to remain substantial.

Despite the impressive progress achieved byUNTAET under the able leadership of Sergio Vieira deMello, the situation in the areas of security, law andorder and public administration do not allow forscaling down the international presence. In thesensitive area of security, it is essential to maintain the

current level of troops until a reliable securityassessment by the people in the field provides thenecessary assurances for downsizing the force.

In conclusion, I would like to highlight the factthat, in East Timor, the United Nations and theinternational community have embarked on anunprecedented exercise of cooperation in nation-building. We are bearing witness to the birth of anation-State that will embody the universal valuesenshrined in several international documents adoptedunder the aegis of the United Nations. For such valuesto become deeply ingrained in East Timorese societyand shape its polity, they need to be shored up by theimprovement of the day-to-day reality on the ground atthe very grass-roots level. And to that end, our effortsmust be untiring.

The President: I thank the representative ofBrazil for her kind words addressed to me.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is therepresentative of Fiji. I invite him to take a seat at theCouncil table and to make his statement.

Mr. Naidu (Fiji): I wish to join you, Sir, and allothers who have spoken in expressing our sympathiesto the families affected by the devastating earthquakethat struck India and Pakistan.

Fiji is greatly honoured to continue to serve theUnited Nations goals in pursuit of global peace andsecurity. To this end, we have committed 195 of ourmilitary personnel in East Timor under the UnitedNations Transitional Administration in East Timor(UNTAET), and we acknowledge the Singaporepresidency for the Security Council initiative again toallow troop-contributing countries such as Fiji tocontribute to the discussion on this mission.

Fiji acknowledges the immense developments todate under the leadership of Mr. Sergio Vieira deMello, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, in furthering the Security Council mandate inEast Timor. The recent visit to Dili and Suai by thePresident of the General Assembly, Mr. Harri Holkeri,is a source of great comfort indeed to the EastTimorese and to Fiji. Suai is where Fiji soldiers arestationed. This gives us real hope that lasting peace andreal independence for the people of East Timor willultimately be attained. We recognize, therefore, that theextension of the UNTAET mandate is inevitable and

31

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

critical, and we commend the Secretary-General’svision in that process.

The slogan that you also referred to in yourstatement, Mr. President, “No exit without strategy”, isnow most apt for East Timor today. All United Nationsresources and commitments deployed thus far to assistIndonesia in the devolution of power to East Timor intheir collaborative path to full and free elections andindependence for East Timor would be wasted ifUnited Nations peacekeeping were withdrawn withouta proper consultative process with all stakeholders.

It will boost the morale of the people of EastTimor and cement their faith in the United Nations forits positive engagement in post-conflict peaceprocesses if United Nations presence is sustained. Aviable exit strategy may be taken in phases, eachpreceded by close monitoring and evaluation of thesecurity situation, needs assessment and appropriateresponses by development partner agencies with UnitedNations facilitation.

Despite relative peace in East Timor, crucialhumanitarian relief operations are severely hamperedby persistent and violent militia elements. Thissituation underscores the continuing need for UnitedNations presence in East Timor.

Fiji recognizes, however, that the United Nationsengagement in East Timor is two-pronged. Peacesettlement is the immediate goal. Perhaps the moreimportant objective is securing peace within a soundinfrastructural foundation to achieve a truly enduringsolution. If such a goal necessitates further extension ofthe UNTAET mandate, the Government of Fiji wouldfully endorse it. After all, it is a fact that peace andpoverty are mutually exclusive, and East Timordeserves not only good will, but also tangible financialand technical support to attain reasonable internationalstandards.

Now more than ever, the United Nations is beingcalled upon to provide military, civilian andinfrastructural leverage in the rebuilding andrehabilitation of East Timor at a time when her needsare greatest, to ensure that peace is profoundlybolstered by sustainability, thereby affording herpeople genuine opportunities to work towards political,social, economic and cultural independence.

Finally, Fiji would welcome future visitingmissions to East Timor that would include

representatives of troop-contributing countries, whichwill have greater beneficial effects as well as provide aboost to the morale of peacekeepers in the field.

The President: I thank the representative of Fijifor the kind words he addressed to me.

Before I give the floor to the next speaker, Iwould like to note here that José Ramos-Horta hasasked to say a few words. He has to catch a plane thisevening, and as we all know, getting to KennedyAirport on Friday evening can be very, very difficult.So I will give him a chance to speak before leaving forthe airport.

Mr. Ramos-Horta: Thank you, Mr. President, forgiving me the opportunity to essentially say many,many thanks to you, first, for inviting us to share in thedeliberations of the Council today, and to thank allCouncil members for their very kind words addressedto me, and in particular to thank them all for theircontinuing active engagement with the ongoing processof Timorization, capacity-building and security in EastTimor.

I would like to use this opportunity to answeronly one question that has been raised consistently by anumber of speakers. Sergio Vieira de Mello will speakfor all of us on all other questions in his capacity asSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General andhead of the United Nations in East Timor.

I would like to address the issue of security andviolence which has been raised, only to point out thatin the course of last year — one full year — there wereonly two politically related violent incidents. Neitherof them caused any deaths. This is only to put the issuein context, since some delegations raised with certainconcern the issue of political violence. This is theclarification. There were two politically related violentincidents in the course of twelve months, neither ofwhich caused any deaths.

In balance, the situation is largely very peaceful.But even when we address the issue of increasingcriminality, including common crimes, petty theft andso forth, according to the statistics of the civilianpolice, East Timor still records among the lowestcriminality rates in the world, even given one of thehighest rates of unemployment.

In view of that, in the context of security in theterritory, political violence is minimal. Criminality interms of common crimes and in view of the

32

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

unemployment rate is really not very significant interms of the peacefulness of the territory. This is toreassure Council members and other speakers that, byand large, the situation has been very peaceful andsuccessful in this regard.

I thank the Council once again and sincerelyapologize for not being able to stay longer. We havebeen given a ticket that does not allow changes. Inview of the constraints induced by the InternationalMonetary Fund on our budget, I cannot change myticket. I really have to leave.

The President: I thank Mr. José Ramos-Horta forhis remarks and I wish him a safe journey to his nextdestination.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is therepresentative of the Republic of Korea. I invite him totake a seat at the Council table and to make hisstatement.

Mr. Kim Young-mok (Republic of Korea):Before beginning my statement, I would like to join theprevious speakers in extending our deepestcondolences to the people of India and Pakistan at thetragic earthquake and the human and physical lossesresulting from it.

I would like to begin by extending mydelegation’s appreciation to you, Mr. President, for thetimely preparation of this debate and your personalinterest in East Timor, to which many Member States,including the Republic of Korea, attach greatimportance.

I should also like to take this opportunity tocommend and thank the Special Representative of theSecretary-General and Transitional Administrator forEast Timor, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and all themembers of international agencies for their laboriousefforts in helping East Timor to secure peace and builda new, self-sustaining nation.

I would like to express my delegation’s particularpleasure in having with us today Mr. José Ramos-Horta, Cabinet member for foreign affairs of EastTimor, who represents the aspiration of the EastTimorese people to peace and independence. Mydelegation also welcomes the contribution of Mr. HarriHolkeri, President of the General Assembly, to thisdebate, which is particularly valuable to us. We hopethat his exceptional presence today in this Chamber

will enhance the interaction between the Council andthe General Assembly.

As many speakers have already pointed out, thecontinued interest and assistance of the internationalcommunity is essential for the future of East Timor andfor the success of the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET), which, alongwith the United Nations Interim AdministrationMission in Kosovo (UNMIK), has become animportant test case of United Nations engagementbeyond its traditional peacekeeping mandates. In thisregard, my delegation supports the extension ofUNTAET’s mandate until 31 December 2001, asrecommended by the Secretary-General in his report(S/2001/42).

The Republic of Korea has committed itself tocontinuously supporting the United Nationsengagement in East Timor and is prepared to do so infuture. In this spirit, we have joined efforts with theinternational community since the very beginning of itsengagement in East Timor through the contribution oftroops as well as other human and financial resources.My delegation is pleased to note that the contingent ofthe Republic of Korea has been successfully operatingas a part of the military component of UNTAET.

With regard to nation-building in East Timor,tremendous work and resources are required, as theinformative and insightful statements made by Mr.Vieira de Mello, Mr. Ramos-Horta and other seniorofficials of various organizations have confirmedtoday. My delegation believes that, among other things,keeping the political process of integration active andeffective is a most important task at this juncture inachieving a stable and strong nation. In this regard, nomistakes should be made in securing stability in EastTimor at this particular time, when the country isconfronted with a major and crucial political calendarfor independence. In our view, the process should bedemocratic and inclusive and form a solid basis for anew Timorese government. The opportunity lyingahead of the people of East Timor is rare and precious.We understand that this process requires wisdom,patience and perseverance on the part of all EastTimorese.

In this daunting process, the internationalcommunity must spare no effort in helping the EastTimorese in achieving, as speedily as possible,complete Timorization in every field.

33

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

My delegation believes that the cooperation ofthe Indonesian Government is crucial in addressing thechallenging issues facing East Timor, such as removingthe threat of militias, the return of refugees, theprosecution of war criminals and the securing ofborders. My delegation believes that the cooperation ofthe Indonesian Government is crucial. My delegationtakes note of the fact that the Government of Indonesiahas done a great deal of work in this regard. However,we believe that there is room for strengthenedcooperation between the Indonesian Government andUNTAET. My delegation also hopes that the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR), which was withdrawn last September, willbe able to return to West Timor as soon as possible toallow for continuing assistance to, and the return of,refugees.

We also agree that East Timor will continue toneed the development cooperation of the internationalcommunity, in parallel with security assistance. Mydelegation supports the request of the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General for a certainlevel of flexibility in using the allocated resources,which would contribute to the capacity-building of theEast Timorese, expediting Timorization in all matters.

Concerning the engagement of the internationalcommunity in a post-independent East Timor, mydelegation believes that, although the future of EastTimor will depend on the East Timorese peoplethemselves, a continued United Nations presence,including a peacekeeping mission, will be necessaryuntil East Timor achieves an integrated democraticsystem with the strong set of institutions that arenecessary to that end. We hope that discussions amongMember States on the future engagement of the UnitedNations with East Timor will continue. The Republic ofKorea, as an important troop contributor, welcomes anearly opportunity to consider an appropriate mandatefor and level of a peacekeeping operation, in parallelwith the changing environment in East Timor.

In closing, let me reiterate our hope that thepeople of East Timor will maintain their courage andvision in their efforts to achieve all these goals, for theinternational community, as manifested today, willremain committed to working with them. I would likeonce again to commend Mr. Vieira de Mello and thestaff of UNTAET for their achievements anddedication. The Republic of Korea, for its part, will

continue to be a friend to East Timor and to render itssupport for this noble cause.

The President: The next speaker inscribed on mylist is the representative of the Philippines. I invite himto take a seat at the Council table and to make hisstatement.

Mr. Manolo (Philippines): At the outset, I wishto join the other speakers in expressing condolences tothe Governments of India and of Pakistan in connectionwith the tragic earthquake that struck yesterday.

Mr. President, my delegation would like to thankyou for organizing this open debate, which comes at acritical time in the work of the United NationsTransitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).We also thank the Secretary-General for his lucid andcomprehensive report on the activities of UNTAETover the past six months. We also welcome thepresence of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General andTransitional Administrator; Mr. José Ramos-Horta; Mr.Harri Holkeri, President of the General Assembly; andthe officials of the international financial institutions,who all spoke today. We thank them for their valuablecontributions to today’s deliberations.

Allow me also, Sir, to pay tribute to thepresidency of Singapore in the Security Council and toconvey our congratulations for the work you haveaccomplished so far this month. In particular, theSingaporean presidency has given further impetus tothe work of the United Nations in East Timor byopening the Council’s discussions to non-members,especially to those who are participants andcontributors to UNTAET. This, in our view, reinforcesthe importance of the principle of close cooperationbetween troop contributors and non-members with theCouncil.

We also appreciate the fact that earlier this week,the Council presidency conducted formal, “triangular”consultations among troop contributors, the Counciland the Secretariat.

We are at a crucial stage as far as the situation inEast Timor is concerned. In February last year,UNTAET began the arduous task of helping the EastTimorese achieve self-rule. Less than a year later, weare now facing the real prospect of an independent EastTimor by the end of this year. This is indeed a laudablegoal, whose achievement will require the utmost

34

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

cooperation of all concerned. In solidarity with thisobjective, we support the recommendation of theSecretary-General to extend the mandate of UNTAETuntil 31 December 2001 in order to continue the taskthat will ensure that this aspiration for independencebecomes a reality for the Timorese people. For successin East Timor will stand as testimony to theunwavering vision and remarkable fortitude of theTimorese people, as well as the undaunted commitmentof UNTAET under the leadership of the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General. It will alsoserve as testimony to the importance of internationaland regional cooperation.

However, the road ahead will not be easy. Broadand intensive public consultations must be conductedto ensure the unity of purpose and constructivecooperation of all those with a stake in the future ofEast Timor. Furthermore, details of the plans for theConstituent Assembly and the election scheduled forthis summer must be finalized soon.

There are crucial factors that may affect thetimetable for these activities, the most important ofwhich remains the security situation in the territory.During the last six months, we have seen the deaths oftwo United Nations peacekeepers, as well as of threestaff members of the Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees. Several others have alsobeen injured. We therefore believe that a draw-down ofthe current level of troops in East Timor should not bepursued until the security situation is deemed to havestabilized. The extended mandate should not includeany reference to reduction of troops. Any futurereduction of troops in UNTAET should be made onlyafter a thorough assessment on the ground of thesecurity situation.

Security Council resolution 1319 (2000) calledfor steps to disarm and disband the militias. We wereglad to hear today that their activities, as well aspolitically motivated violence, have fallen off.Nevertheless, the security of the territory and therefugee camps in West Timor should continue to beaddressed closely. We welcome the trial that began inJakarta two weeks ago of the suspects in the Atambuamurders, and we commend the Indonesian Governmentfor cooperating with the United Nations efforts toimprove the security situation in the territory.

The Philippines is committed to participating inthe work of the United Nations in East Timor until the

Timorese people have attained their independence. Werecognize, however, that after independence East Timorwill still require substantial international assistance tosupport its efforts to promote development, meet thebasic needs of its people and build capacity. A post-independence scenario should also include thecontinuation of United Nations engagement in themilitary, police and civil affairs of the new state. Sucharrangements, we believe, would be required until thepolitical infrastructure of an independent East Timor isfully in place. We would hope, however, that before themandate of a post-independent United Nations effort inEast Timor is finalized, extensive triangularconsultations would be conducted, as in the case ofUNTAET. In this regard, the Philippines would beprepared to consider participating in a post-independence United Nations effort, depending on themandate that will be finalized by the Council. Such aneffort should have a clear mandate and exit strategyand effective regional representation. It must also bedeployed as a United Nations peace operation and,naturally, in accordance with an agreement reachedwith the new government. We look forward to opendiscussions and consultations on this matter.

The President: I thank the representative of thePhilippines for his kind words addressed to me and tomy delegation.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is therepresentative of Mozambique, whom I invite to take aseat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Santos (Mozambique): I wish to associatemyself with the expressions of sympathy to the peoplesand Governments of India and Pakistan for the naturaldisaster that struck the two countries, causing deathand destruction.

Allow me at the outset to join those who precededme in congratulating you, Mr. President, on yourassumption of the presidency of the Security Councilduring the month of January and on the brilliantmanner in which you are conducting the affairs of theCouncil. I would also like to pay special tribute to yourpredecessor, Ambassador Sergey Lavrov of the RussianFederation, for the exemplary manner in which heguided the work of the Council last month.

I wish to take this opportunity to once againexpress our profound appreciation to the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Mr. SergioVieira de Mello, for their relentless efforts and

35

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

dedication to ensure a smooth historical transition inEast Timor. Mr. Vieira de Mello's leadership has beencrucial in ensuring a good transition process. We thankhim for his informative briefing today.

We welcome the presence of Mr. José Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and determinedfighter for East Timor’s self-determination andindependence. We admire his courage, and we valuethe message he delivered today to the Council.

We want to take note with appreciation of thepresence of the President of the General Assembly atthis meeting; he made a very good gesture by joiningus here in the Security Council and sharing his findingsfrom the visit he made recently to East Timor andIndonesia. We also thank the Administrator of theUnited Nations Development Programme and therepresentatives of the World Bank and InternationalMonetary Fund for their briefings; they perform thetask of bringing sustainable development to EastTimor.

We are pleased to note that the security situationin East Timor is relatively stable. This is a factor thatwill certainly contribute decisively towards a smoothtransition to independence, bringing the people of EastTimor into the community of nations. In this regard, wewould like to praise the firm action by thepeacekeeping forces of the United Nations TransitionalAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) in dealingwith the threat to security posed by the activities ofmilitia infiltrated from West Timor. It remainsimperative to continue dealing decisively with theproblem of refugees and militia activity from WestTimor if the transition process is to remain on the righttrack.

To that end, the authorities of Indonesia andUNTAET must continue their cooperation in order toensure security in that area and allow the activities ofhumanitarian agencies, including the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, toalleviate the suffering of refugees. An informationstrategy must be designed to allow refugees in WestTimor to make informed decisions with regard to theirfuture.

We also congratulate UNTAET on fulfillingeffectively its mandate in several areas in East Timor.UNTAET has achieved considerable progress insensitive and vital areas such as training the EastTimorese police, deploying civilian police throughout

almost the whole country, developing a system of lawand order, public administration and initiatingeducation and basic health services.

However, the task of UNTAET, and indeed of theinternational community as a whole, remainschallenging. The transition in East Timor will besmooth only if, inter alia, the East Timorese policeforce is effectively trained in timely fashion to performits duty; if the refugee problem, associated with militiaactivity in West Timor, is dealt with; if a nationalpublic administration is put in place; if an effectivejustice system is established; and if infrastructure,including roads and power supply, is rehabilitated orconstructed. A lot needs to be done in these areas.

We welcome the consensus of the people of EastTimor to hold elections and attain independence duringthe current year. This represents the political maturitythat the people of East Timor have demonstratedthroughout their quest for self-determination and theestablishment of their own State.

The consultations within the framework of theNational Council of Timorese Resistance, involving allEast Timorese political actors constitutes an indicationthat the people of East Timor are committed to buildinga new nation founded on fundamental principles ofdemocracy, freedom and the rule of law.

It is now more pressing than ever to take stock ofthe progress already achieved and plan for the huge butcertainly surmountable challenges in the way of thetransition process in East Timor.

The international community must nowdemonstrate its solidarity with the Timorese cause bymaking available the necessary resources for the timelycompletion of the UNTAET mandate and lay thefoundations for a future independent State of EastTimor. As proposed by the Secretary-General,resources from assessed contributions must be madeavailable at adequate levels, and UNTAET must beallowed to use the resources in a more flexible manneras it prioritizes and discharges its complex mandates inEast Timor.

The current pace of implementation ofUNTAET’s mandate and of other projects byinternational organizations seems to indicate that astrong United Nations presence will be required in EastTimor after its independence. We are of the view that

36

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

such a presence should be adequately planned andgiven a proper mandate.

We are pleased to note that the elections that willprecede the declaration of independence in East Timorwill be conducted by UNTAET. It is of utmostimportance to build internal capacity in terms ofelectoral planning, with a view to allowing the EastTimorese to manage their elections in the future.

We also call on the international community tocontinue supporting East Timor after its independence,as the East Timorese build their own sustainablesystem of governance. The provision of technical,financial and other forms of assistance will be crucialin order for that nation to rise and stand among thecommunity of nations. This is a case in which we needto implement what we advocate as regards post-conflictpeace-building.

The right of self-determination is one of theessential foundations of international relations to whichMozambique has always attached great importance. Itis in this regard that my country is now giving to theEast Timor transition process a modest contribution: asmall contingent of civilian and military personnel inthat territory.

We look forward to welcoming an independentEast Timor to the United Nations.

The President: I thank the representative ofMozambique for his kind words addressed to me.

The last speaker inscribed on my list is therepresentative of Indonesia. I invite him to take a seatat the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Wibisono (Indonesia): I wish first to joinother speakers in expressing my delegation’s deepcondolences and sympathy to two friendly countries,India and Pakistan, for the tragic loss of life as a resultof the earthquake that struck the subcontinentyesterday.

I wish to take this opportunity to congratulateSingapore, and the other new members — namely,Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius and Norway — onjoining the Council. We are convinced that the newmembers will contribute new ideas and perspectives tothe work of the Council. I should also like to expressmy delegation’s sincere congratulations to you, Sir, onassuming the presidency of the Council for this monthof January. We are confident that under your able

stewardship the work of the Council will be brought toa successful conclusion.

Today the Council is considering an issue of greatimportance and profound interest to the internationalcommunity — namely, the issue of bringing a territoryinto nationhood. If it is successful in this undertaking,the world will, in the not-too-distant future, witnessEast Timor becoming the first nation to be born in thisnew millennium. In the meantime, our collectivesupport is deemed necessary, as it involves the complexand difficult tasks of nation-building, governance anddevelopment.

As part of the international community of nationssituated in close geographical proximity to, and sharinga common border with, East Timor, I should like toreiterate my Government’s firm commitment tobuilding a mutually beneficial and harmoniousrelationship with a future independent, democratic andstable East Timor. Therefore, we are fully committed toresolving all outstanding issues, including the questionof East Timorese refugees. To that end, Indonesia hasconsistently cooperated, as it will continue to strive todo, with UNTAET and its administrators, as well aswith the leaders of East Timor. Undoubtedly, theresolution of these issues would facilitate theattainment of my Government’s objective.

Its attainment, however, depends not only on theprevailing situation in East Nusa Tenggara, but also onthe situation in East Timor. While acknowledging theresults achieved by UNTAET thus far, we cannotignore the fact that some independent observers,including Xanana Gusmão, in his new year’s message,have been critical of UNTAET. These views, in ouropinion, reflect the aspirations of the East Timoresepeople and thus must be taken into account andconsidered constructively.

My Government has on several occasionsreiterated its strong belief that the key component toresolving the myriad of existing issues is the need topromote true and genuine reconciliation among all EastTimorese of all political persuasions — particularly inview of the fact that, in the past, political differencesamong them have usually led to violence. Thus,reconciliation has attained greater importance and mustbe pursued in all earnest if the potential of civil strifebefalling East Timor and its people is to be avoided.

For its part, Indonesia has facilitated and willcontinue to facilitate talks leading to reconciliation

37

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

among the East Timorese. The most recent of thesetalks were those held in Denpasar, Bali, on 18-19December 2000, with the assistance of UppsalaUniversity of Sweden. The fact that the leaders of thetwo groups participated in such an event was indeed amilestone and could pave the way for similarundertakings in the near future.

The repatriation of refugees and the earlyresolution of this issue is another aspect that needs tobe urgently addressed, as it is in the interest of bothIndonesia and East Timor, particularly when viewedfrom the perspective of ensuring stability on the islandof Timor. To that end, it is essential that anenvironment of calm and tranquillity, including jobsecurity and employment prospects, be advanced inEast Timor. Therefore, independent reports stating thatabuses, violence, intimidation and even killings wereperpetrated against pro-integration returnees, as well asminorities, are not conducive to their return. As a steptowards furthering their repatriation, Indonesiaconducted a pilot project of an ad hoc, spontaneousnature with former reservists of the Indonesian armedforces (MILSAS) on 22 November 2000, with theassistance of UNTAET and the InternationalOrganization for Migration. In this context, it ispertinent to note that since September 2000, theIndonesian Task Force for Refugees in East NusaTenggara has facilitated 4,000 spontaneous returns,conducted in close cooperation with UNTAET and aidagencies at the border.

It is undeniable that refugee problems aremultifaceted and have many dimensions. In theconclusion of its publication entitled The State of theWorld’s Refugees — In Search of Solutions, the Officeof the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesstates that

“The search for solutions does not dependon governments, international organizations andNGOs alone. It relies on the knowledge andcapacities of the refugees themselves, and ontheir determination to resume a more productivelife.”

The East Timorese refugees need to be reassured,not only as concerns economic development in anindependent East Timor, which is necessary forpursuing a productive life, but also as concerns thekind of development that will allow them to realizetheir human potential, retain their self respect, enjoy

physical security, meet their material needs, participatein decisions which affect their lives and, above all, begoverned fairly, under the rule of law.

In my Government’s view, these are theobjectives that should be pursued by UNTAET as theextension of its mandate is being considered, in thecontext of the principle of shared responsibility, ascalled for by the Millennium Summit Declaration, aswe begin the twenty-first century.

Furthermore, Indonesia is continuing itsendeavours to disarm the militias, through bothpersuasive and repressive measures, resulting in theconfiscation of hundreds of standard and home-madeweapons, including ammunition and grenades. TheIndonesian security apparatus is now in control of thesituation in and around the camps and along the borderwith East Timor. These endeavours have been laudedby Mr. Ramos-Horta, the Foreign Minister of EastTimor’s transitional government, as the measures haveresulted in a significant decrease in criminal activitiesand acts of violence by the so-called militias sinceSeptember 2000.

On the question of the registration of refugees,two rounds of meetings between Indonesia andinternational aid agencies were held in Jakarta todiscuss the necessary modalities for the resumption ofthe process; that resumption is expected to begin inMarch 2001. The tragic incident of 6 September 2000has, however, resulted in the area being placed underthe security phase five category, prohibitinginternational agencies from conducting operations.Undeniably, the present situation of the refugeesdemands an urgent response so as to alleviate theirplight. It is therefore hoped that the ongoingconsultations between Indonesia and the UnitedNations Development Programme ResidentRepresentative, as the security coordinator of UnitedNations personnel in the area, on the modalities forconducting a security assessment, in line with theprocedure established by the Office of the UnitedNations Security Coordinator, will result in the reratingof the phase five category.

During a visit to Geneva, Vice-PresidentMegawati Soekarnoputri and Foreign Minister AlwiShihab met the new High Commissioner for Refugees,Mr. Ruud Lubbers. Minister Shihab reaffirmedIndonesia’s commitment to ensuring security in therefugee camps in West Timor.

38

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

As a manifestation of my Government’scommitment to bring the perpetrators of criminal actsto justice, it should be noted that the judicial processbegan with several trials of the accused parties. On2, 8 and 15 January 2001, Eurico Guterres went on trialfor his role in inciting his followers to retakepossession of arms already surrendered to theauthorities in September 2000 and was thus chargedwith illegal possession of weapons. Meanwhile, the sixsuspects in the killings of the three UNHCR staff inAtambua were brought to trial in the north Jakartadistrict court. The first hearings took place on 11 and23 January 2000, and the judicial process is expected tocontinue in the coming weeks. Another suspect,Jakobus Bere, alleged to have killed Private LeonardManning, surrendered himself to the Indonesian armedforces authorities at the border in Atambua on9 January 2000 and is presently in police custody forfurther questioning. During this investigative phase,the suspect will be accorded due process of law.

In looking towards the future, Indonesia willendeavour to ensure that East Timor’s geographicallocation is reflected in the workings of the Associationof South-East Asian Nations. A further manifestationof Indonesia’s serious commitment to building amutually productive and beneficial relationship withEast Timor at all levels is reflected in the proposal ofPresident Abdurrahman Wahid to form a new regionalgrouping, called the West Pacific Forum, in which thenascent state of East Timor will find itself amidfriendly countries in the region, thereby assisting it inconsolidating the process of nation-building anddevelopment.

In conclusion, in the light of the foregoing, it isIndonesia’s sincere hope that the extension of themandate of UNTAET will focus on the future and meetthe challenges in a positive, balanced andcomprehensive manner, as well as fulfil the aspirationsof all the East Timorese people during the final phaseleading to independence.

The President: I thank the representative ofIndonesia for his kind words addressed to me and mydelegation.

I give the floor to Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello torespond to the comments and questions that have beenraised.

Mr. Vieira de Mello: I should like to express, onbehalf of Mr. José Ramos-Horta and on my own behalf,

our gratitude for the unanimous support — I think I canuse those words — for our mission and for theSecretary-General’s recommendations, contained in the“Observations” section of his report to the SecurityCouncil, including those relating to the extension of themandate of our mission until the end of this year. Thissupport will act as a very powerful incentive andencouragement to my colleagues in East Timor — EastTimorese and international colleagues alike, those fromthe various United Nations agencies and the non-governmental community, which continues to play acrucial role in the reconstruction effort — as well asthose here in the Secretariat. But, perhaps moreimportantly, this was a message of hope to the EastTimorese population large. This has been a trulyexceptional debate, and I wish to thank you personally,Mr. President, as well as your staff and yourGovernment, for the investment of energy, time andcommitment that I know you have made in the cause ofEast Timor.

On the question of the post-independencepresence, most speakers, including you, Sir, haveassured us that they wish the United Nations to remaininvolved and to continue to play a strong support roleafter East Timor becomes independent. This is of greatimportance to the Timorese people and the Timoreseleadership. I cannot overstate the importance of thismessage. Some members — in particular, China —have requested us to submit an in-depth study anddetailed proposals, which I am sure the Secretary-General will agree to do in the not-too-distant future,on his proposed structure and on the proposedfunctions and mandate of this follow-on, integratedUnited Nations mission in East Timor; and this willalso outline the role of other United Nations agencies,not least the United Nations Development Programme.

I am also grateful for statements made bydifferent speakers, including the President of theGeneral Assembly, on the question of flexibility in theuse of assessed contributions in East Timor for thebuilding of this new governmental structure.

On the question of security, I am grateful for thesupport we have received in the establishment of thenew East Timor Defence Force. As far as civilianpolice is concerned, the United States representativerequested my comments on the suggestions made byJosé Ramos-Horta on the use of national contingents.As I said this morning, our colleagues in theDepartment of Peacekeeping Operations are looking

39

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

into this question. I have made similarrecommendations to New York and I believe we canfind a new formula that will improve considerably theperformance of the international civilian policecomponent in East Timor.

I was also requested to provide the Council withmy own assessment of the results of the Timoresepolice training so far. My assessment is very positive.As a matter of fact, I think it is one of the areas inwhich UNTAET has been particularly successful, notonly numerically speaking, but also in terms of highquality and the degree of commitment of the new EastTimorese police cadets. I should also note that, so far,32 per cent of recruits into the East Timor police forcehave been women. The figures for February 2001 willbe 300 Timorese police officers, in various stages oftraining, in the streets of East Timor. As of February2001, a minimum of 100 police officers will graduatefrom the police academy each month, which will takeus by June to 800 police officers and another 200 in theacademy undergoing training. By December this year,the number of East Timorese policemen andpolicewomen in the streets of East Timor will haveincreased to 1,400. However, as I stated in mypresentation, this new police force will not be fullytrained and fully deployed before the year 2004.

On the question of Timorization, therepresentative of the United Kingdom asked me howwe could improve it in qualitative rather thanquantitative terms. Let me say that the assessment I canmake today is that Timorization has been excellent atthe top of the executive echelons, as well as in theproto-legislative that we have established. It has beenfair at the lower levels of the executive structure, thenew East Timorese civil service, as well as in thejudiciary. It has been poor in the senior levels of thenew civil service, which obviously are crucial for thelong-term success of our endeavours in East Timor.This is why we have agreed in recent months that thisshould be the focus of our attention for the remainderof the transitional period. This is due to many reasonsthat I will not enumerate here, but that I am suremembers of the Security Council are aware of.

On the question of the judiciary, therepresentative of the United Kingdom also asked mewhat had been the international response to the appealwe circulated here in late November. Well, it has beenlimited; in fact, only the United Kingdom has made anoffer of financial support. But our paper has been

recirculated by the Department of PeacekeepingOperations to the members of this Council, as well asto troop contributors, and I know that the Departmentwill be organizing very soon — next week, Iunderstand — a technical meeting with permanentmissions here in New York to try to explore with themadditional urgent support in response to our request,mainly in terms of investigative personnel. That iswhat we need – competent, trained human resources tohelp the Serious Crimes Investigation Unit completeinvestigations that have been outstanding for too long.

On justice at large, the representative of theUnited States also asked me how we could ensure thatthis process continues beyond independence. We cando this not only through the consolidation of the newEast Timorese judiciary, and in particular the SpecialPanel For Serious Crimes that has been created in theDili district court, but also, I should point out, throughthe creation — which has now been approved by EastTimorese civil society at large — of a truth andreconciliation commission. This is a very importantstep forward, particularly for crimes that do not fallinto the category of serious crimes. We are workinghard on the drafting of the regulations for theestablishment of this commission and I am hopefulthat, by March, it will be functioning, not only in Dili,but also in five subregions, as it were. In the remainderof the transition and beyond independence, this shouldbe a very important mechanism to satisfy the Timoresepopulation that justice is being addressed to theirsatisfaction.

On the question of civic education that was put tome by Ambassador Valdivieso of Colombia, I thinkJosé Ramos-Horta has already clarified that incidentsof a political character have been very few indeed. It isour hope that, through the adoption of the regulation onpolitical parties, the regulation on elections for theconstituent assembly, the pact on national unity — towhich Mr. Ramos-Horta referred this morning — and acode of conduct for political parties, as well as throughthe civic education campaign, which will be launchedand integrated into the electoral registration exerciseand will use the infrastructure that will be put in placefor the electoral registration process, we will be able tocontain any potential violence in the coming months.

The East Timorese people are highly disciplined,as we have remarked over the years and since ourarrival in East Timor, and they are determined to rejectviolence. They have acquired one fundamental right,

40

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

which is to live in peace, and they will exercise thatright. Moreover, the groups that might be at the sourceof this violence are very small. We know them and Ibelieve they can be neutralized through peacefulmeans, but also, if necessary, using our very strongcivilian police and military presence on the ground.

On refugees, many questions have been raised. Iwill not try to answer them all. Ambassador Wibisonopartly answered those questions, as far as theIndonesian Government is concerned, and we fullysupport the policies of the Indonesian Government onthis question. Many initiatives have been taken jointlywith the Indonesian authorities in recent months. I willnot enumerate them again, because time is very short. Imentioned a few in my presentation here this morning.I also told the Council that I discussed some ideas withthe new regional military commander, General DaCosta, only three days ago in Denpasar. We did thesame with the Director-General of Political Affairs inthe Indonesian Foreign Ministry and with the head ofan inter-agency task force of the IndonesianGovernment, who has visited us in Dili twice in recentweeks. I do hope that, with a stronger and bettercoordinated implementation of some of these ideas, wewill finally manage to address and resolve theremaining refugee challenge in West Timor.

As far as disinformation is concerned,Ambassador Wibisono is right in saying that rumoursare spread in West Timor that create artificial fear inthe minds of the refugee population as to how theywould be treated if they decided to return to WestTimor. We have been discussing with the Indonesianauthorities a new strategy to counter thisdisinformation campaign in the refugee settlements inWest Timor, and we are very much counting on theIndonesian police and the Indonesian army to help usspread objective and true information on the situationin East Timor. We have also agreed recently that wewill again be inviting the Indonesian media, fromJakarta and Bali, but also from Kupang in West Timor,to visit us and move around the country freely, as theyhave done in the past, so as to relay a more accuratepicture of the situation in East Timor to public opinionand the refugees in the West.

Finally, we are also hopeful that in the bilateralnegotiations on 30 and 31 January the question ofpensions for East Timorese refugees who findthemselves in Indonesia at present and who were civilservants under the Indonesian administration will be

satisfactorily resolved. That would be a very powerfulincentive for them to return home.

(spoke in French)

I will end by responding to the questions put tome by Ambassador Levitte.

With regard to the adequacy of UNTAET’s meansin relation to the situation on the ground over the nextfew months, he asked us whether any assessmentscould be presented within three months. My response isyes, of course, we can do this without any difficultybecause we had planned to provide regularassessments, particularly with regard to the militaryforce.

As far as the other two questions that were put tome — how, after the holding of elections, I see therelationship between UNTAET and the ConstituentAssembly and how we might need to change the wayUNTAET functions — let me say first that all Timoresepolitical leaders in have very clearly stated that theywill recognize unreservedly that the United Nationscontinues to exercise administration over the territoryup until independence. Therefore, my role is that of atransitional administrator. I think I said this morningthat a new Cabinet reflecting the results of the electionwill be appointed after the elections for the ConstituentAssembly, which should facilitate the interfacing of theexecutive with the legislative.

As I see it, one problem could arise if theConstituent Assembly, as I said this morning, alsoexercises legislative power before independence.Depending on the length of time until independenceand the scope of these powers, it is clear that we willneed, and I will need, to apply operative paragraph 1 ofresolution 1272 (1999) with a degree of flexibility anda lot of tact and balance, which states that theTransitional Administration will be empowered toexercise all legislative and executive authority,including the administration of justice. Clearly, withregard to legislative power, we must strike a balancewith this new Constituent Assembly, if, I repeat, it is toexercise legislative power before independence.

(spoke in English)

This concludes my remarks and replies to some ofthe questions. I am sorry that I have not answered themall, but it is very late and I thought I should addressonly those that were particularly salient or relevant tothe remainder of this transition. Once again, I thank

41

S/PV.4265 (Resumption 1)

members wholeheartedly for allowing us to take thefloor perhaps more extensively than would haveotherwise been the case.

The President: I would like to thank Mr. Vieirade Mello for his comprehensive responses, congratulatehim on the tremendous stamina he has shown and alsothank him for the kinds remarks he has made about meand my delegation.

There are no further speakers inscribed on mylist. The Security Council has thus concluded thepresent stage of its consideration of the item on itsagenda.

However, before adjourning the meeting, pleaselet me read a letter I have just received from thePermanent Representative of India:

“Dear Kishore,

“I am writing to you in your capacity asPresident of the Security Council. I understandthat at the open meeting of the Security Counciltoday on East Timor all speakers offered theirsympathies to my Government over the loss oflife in the earthquake in Gujarat. Since we werenot inscribed to speak, we were unableimmediately to convey our gratitude, but I wishto convey to you, and through you to all themembers of the Security Council and to the otherrepresentatives who spoke in the Council today,our gratitude for the solidarity and the sympathythat they had expressed in their statements.Regards.

“Yours sincerely, Kamalesh Sharma”

The meeting rose at 7.20 p.m.