Security Council – Work assessment under Viet Nam presidency (October 2009) – Letter from Viet Nam (excerpts)

   Letter dated 4 December 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

  I have the honour to transmit herewith a report on the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Viet Nam in October 2009 (see annex).

  The document was prepared under my responsibility, after consultation with the other members of the Security Council.

  I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Le Luong Minh

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Permanent Representative

    Annex to the letter dated 4 December 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

    Assessment of the work of the Security Council during the presidency of Viet Nam (October 2009)

  During the presidency of Viet Nam in October 2009, the Security Council went through an extensive programme of work and took action on developments in Chad and the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Sudan, West Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, the Middle East, Lebanon, Timor-Leste, Kosovo and Haiti. The Council adopted its annual report to the General Assembly for the period from 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009.

  During October 2009, the Security Council held 16 meetings, of which 15 were public ones, including an open debate on women and peace and security and another on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The Council held a private meeting under the item entitled “Briefing by the President of the International Court of Justice”. In addition, the Council held consultations of the whole on 11 occasions. The Council adopted five resolutions and three presidential statements, and issued six statements to the press.

  The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, Pham Gia Khiem, presided over the open debate on women and peace and security on 5 October. At that meeting, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 1889 (2009).

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   Middle East

    The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

  On 7 October, during urgent consultations of the whole, the Council exchanged views on the request of a Council member to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the report of the United Nations Fact-finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, headed by Justice Richard Goldstone (also referred to as the “Goldstone report”) (see S/2009/586). After intensive consultations, the Council decided to hold its open debate on the Middle East on 14 October, instead of 21 October as previously scheduled.

  At the open debate on 14 October, the Council was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, who said that political efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict had continued but there had been no significant progress on the ground. He confirmed the Secretary-General’s support for the work of the Fact-finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict and his call for credible national investigations into the conduct of the conflict without delay, which was echoed by a number of delegations that addressed the Council after the briefing. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, the Permanent Representative of Israel and 27 other speakers addressed the Council. Many speakers called for an end to all acts of violence and for strict compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as for the safety and security of all civilians, diplomatic and United Nations premises and personnel. They urged all parties concerned to rise to shoulder their mutual obligations under the road map, the Madrid te rms of reference, the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant Security Council resolutions, thus contributing to the peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestine and Arab-Israel conflicts, and the ultimate attainment of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. A number of participants expressed concern about the findings in the Goldstone report and the need to urgently address the continuing grave humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including the need for the long-overdue reconstruction process to commence. Regarding Lebanon, speakers reiterated their support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) and expressed the hope that a Government of Lebanon would be named soon.

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