Security Council – Work assessment under Mexico presidency (Feb 2002) – Letter from Mexico (excerpts)

Letter dated 10 July 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the

United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to transmit the assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Mexico in February 2002 (see annex). The assessment was prepared pursuant to the note by the President of the Security Council dated 12 June 1997 (S/1997/451).

I would be grateful if this letter and the attached assessment could be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Adolfo Aguilar Zinser
Ambassador
Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations

Annex to the letter dated 10 July 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Mexico

to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Mexico

(February 2002)

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II.  Substantive matters

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D.  Middle East

1.   The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

38.   On 14 February, the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, was considered. In a press statement (SC/7302), members of the Council expressed concern at the continuing violence in the region and shared the expressed dismay of the Secretary-General at the attack on United Nations offices in Gaza. They said that they would continue to hold regular briefings on the situation in the Middle East.

39.   On 21 February, the President briefed Council members on his previous day’s meetings with the Arab Group troika, headed by the Permanent Representative of Yemen, and separately with the Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, both of whom had handed him letters requesting an urgent meeting of the Council to consider the situation in the Middle East (S/2002/182 and S/2002/184).

40.   On that occasion, it was decided to hold a Security Council briefing with the Secretary-General and the President of the Council as the only speakers and to postpone a public debate on the question to the following week.

41.   At the briefing held the same day, the Secretary-General said that although the news from the Middle East was cause for concern, there was still room for hope. He said that there were new proposals that must be considered immediately by the two sides and by the international community. He emphasized that ending the violence was the overriding priority. He said that the security problem must be addressed in conjunction with other political issues, particularly the question of land, and with economic and social issues, including the Palestinians’ worsening living conditions.

42.   The President of the Security Council said that the situation in the region entailed serious risks for international security. He expressed regret at the suffering of the civilian population, the loss of human lives and the destruction, and support for the United Nations presence in the region and for the Secretary-General’s efforts.

43.   On 26 and 27 February, in response to the requests from the Permanent Representative of Yemen and the Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, the Council held public meetings to consider the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The verbatim records of these public meetings were published as S/PV.4474, S/PV.4478 and S/PV.4478 (Resumption 1).

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