Statements and Speeches by Ministry Representatives 2004

United Nations General Assembly Fifth Committee - UN Advance Mission In Sudan

Statement By David Dutton First Secretary Permanent Mission Of Australia To The United Nations On Behalf Of New Zealand and Australia, 19 November 2004

Mr Chairman,

It is my honour to speak on behalf of New Zealand and Australia with respect to the budget for the UN advance team in Sudan. We wish to thank Mr Sach and Mr Kuznetsov for introducing the reports before us.

Mr Chairman,

The governments of New Zealand and Australia continue to be gravely concerned with the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights conditions in Darfur. We urge the Security Council to continue its efforts to resolve the conflicts in Sudan and to maintain strong pressure on all the parties to protect civilians and to work constructively towards a comprehensive, peaceful settlement To these ends, we are heartened by the signature in Nairobi this morning of the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ to conclude a final settlement by the end of this year and we welcome the adoption of Security Council resolution 1574.

Our countries are making a contribution to international efforts to resolve the crisis in Sudan through the provision of substantial funding for UN operations and support for the African Union’s mission.

Mr Chairman,

The UN Advance Mission in Sudan has a vital role - set out in the budget document - to assist the process of establishing peace and security in Sudan, to ensure effective humanitarian relief, and to support the African Union with planning and assessments for its mission in Darfur. The innovation of establishing an advance team to help prepare for an expected peacekeeping mission is also a welcome improvement to the planning and deployment process and has already demonstrated its value.

We support fully the Mission’s role and provision of the necessary funds for the period 11 September to 10 December. During informal consultations we would like to hear further details of how the Mission’s structure is expected to operate. It is crucial for the people of Sudan and the reputation of this organisation that the mission achieve its challenging objectives. Its structure must therefore be streamlined, with a clear chain of command.

Thank you.

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