Security Council encourages Bougainville parties to quickly implement peace settlement

Welcoming the signing earlier this year of a peace agreement for Bougainville, which ended 12 years of fighting, Security Council members today encouraged the parties to implement the plan as soon as possible in order to achieve a "definitive settlement" of the conflict.

Ambassador Moctar Ouane of Mali, the current President of the Council, said in a press statement that the 15-member body valued the efforts made by the Government of Papua New Guinea to integrate into its constitution the amendments resulting from the Peace Agreement and it encouraged the Government to pursue this endeavour.

In recalling the important role played by the United Nations Political Office in Bougainville, Council members underlined the need for a continuation of its activities, Ambassador Ouane said. They also noted that the Office's mandate now included weapons collection and disposal, as outlined by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Council members also "welcomed the work of the Peace Monitoring Group in support of the UN Political Office in Bougainville and the establishment of the UN Trust Fund to support the weapons disposal process," Ambassador Ouane said. "In this regard, the members of the Council encouraged the parties to implement as soon as possible the provisions of the Peace Agreement relating to the weapons collection and disposal plan, as a vital step to implementing the Bougainville Agreement and achieving lasting peace."

The weapons disposal plan is one pillar to the 30 August Peace Agreement, which lays out a blueprint for autonomy for Bougainville and a referendum to decide its future.