unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/04/89)
UN SECURITY COUNCIL -- TAKE 3
THOMAS R. PICKERING (United States) said that for more than a decade,
international efforts on behalf of Namibia had been focused on the United
Nations. Those efforts had produced resolution 435 (1978) by which the
Council had agreed to a plan for the internationally supervised transition to
full independence of Namibia through free and fair elections. Since adoption
of that resolution, members of the Security Council had worked closely and
constructively on the issue.
The United Nations settlement plan, first laid out in 1978 and approved
in resolution 435, had been the sole agreed format, accepted by all the
parties. All efforts since that date had been to bring the United Nations
plan to fruition.
He said many of the speakers in the debate had mentioned problems in
implementing the settlement. It was well known that the road would be a
difficult one, but a number of problems which had arisen since the first day
of the plan's implementation had successfully been averted.
It was necessary to continue to work together to help resolve future
problems should they arise, he said. Without co-operation, some of those
problems might prove irresolvable. Past experience had shown that the
combined, unanimous will of the international community would prevail on
Namibia's behalf.
The United States, he said, had worked closely with other members of the
Council, with other members of the United Nations and with interested parties
in Namibia itself, to bring the current debate to a successful conclusion.
His Government believed that the success of the Namibia settlement depended in
large measure on the unity and cohesiveness of the Security Council on that
issue.
He was pleased, therefore, to join in the unanimous adoption of the
present resolution, which represented a compromise among several strongly held
positions about Namibia.
He understood, based on recent consultations, that, in accordance with
past practice, any decision on actual deployment of additional civilian
personnel for UNTAG would be taken by the Secretary-General in appropriate
consultation with the Council, as had been done as recently as May 1989.
His country had joined compromise in the belief that unity in support of
the Secretary-General and UNTAG was crucial to the success of the settlement
plan.
The PRESIDENT said the Council had thus concluded the current stage of
its consideration of the issue.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
* Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501)
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