Security Council rededicates itself to peaceful settlement of conflicts

The United Nations Security Council rededicated itself today to seeking the peaceful settlement of conflicts with a triple firewall strategy: preventing disputes from arising, preventing existing disputes from escalating into conflicts, and containing and resolving conflicts when they occur.

"The Security Council reiterates its commitment to make a wider and effective use of the procedures and means enshrined in the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations on the pacific settlement of disputes," a presidential statement declared at the end of a meeting devoted to the 15-member body's role in peaceful conflict resolution.

The statement, read by Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri of Pakistan, which holds the Council's Presidency for May, came at the end of an all-day session that began with a call from Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the use of imagination and influence in pre-empting volatile issues before they erupt into full-fledged threats to peace.

Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs Brian Urquhart, speaking before Member States gave their views, called for the establishment of a rapid reaction force in an era marked by violent non-governmental groups and factions which had little knowledge of, or respect for, the Council.

In such situations, it was essential for the Council to have some reliable and highly trained capacity for rapid reaction and deployment - the capacity to quell brush-fire violence before it developed into major conflict or genocide, he said. That was an extremely controversial issue, but impressive sounding decisions followed by sluggish and ineffective action both made bad situations worse and undermined the reputation of and public confidence in the UN itself, he added.

The former Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor, Jamsheed Marker, told the meeting the challenge was to reinvigorate the role of the UN, especially of the Secretary-General and his good offices, and of the Council in strengthening the mechanisms for pacific settlement of disputes.

He remained convinced that, notwithstanding an uncomfortable increase in the climate of unilateralism in international affairs, the Council together with the Secretary-General could play a crucial role in the peaceful settlement of disputes.

For his part, Judge Nabil Elaraby of the International Court of Justice warned against States which sought assistance from the Council to score points and extract verbal condemnations against their foes, rather than to achieve genuine reconciliation. "This situation has to be radically altered," he stressed.