3793rd Meeting of Security Council: Situation in Liberia

Security Council extends mandate of UNOMIL until 30 September at the 3793rd meeting of the Security Council.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:03:21
• Production Date: 27 June 1997
• Asset Language: Original; English; French; Spanish
• Personal Subject: SERGEY LAVROV
• Corporate Name: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES - ECOWAS; ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES MONITORING GROUP - ECOMOG; UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN LIBERIA - UNMIL
• Subject Topical: ELECTIONS; LIBERIA SITUATION; PEACE PROCESS; POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
• Geographic Subject: LIBERIA
• MAMS Id: 2427395
• Parent Id: 846868

Description

The Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) until 30 September, when it is expected to be terminated.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1116 (1997), the Council called upon Liberian parties to implement fully all of their agreements and commitments and urged all Liberians to participate peacefully in their country's electoral process, scheduled to culminate in legislative and presidential elections on 19 July.

The need for constructive collaboration between the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Liberian Independent Elections Commission and the international community in coordinating assistance for the elections was emphasized by the Council.

It also stressed the importance of close coordination between UNOMIL, the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) and the joint electoral coordination mechanism at all levels. It particularly stressed the importance of ECOMOG's continued provision of effective security for international personnel during the election process and of the needed logistical support to the Election Commission.

Emphasizing in the preambular part of the resolution that free and fair elections were essential to Liberia's peace process and that UNOMIL was mandated to verify them, the Council reiterated that Liberia's people and leaders bore ultimate responsibility for peace and national reconciliation.

The UNOMIL was established by Council resolution 866 (1993) of 22 September 1993 for an initial seven-month period to work with ECOMOG in implementing one of Liberia's early peace agreements and to observe elections in the country. With a mandate that was changed in subsequent resolutions, UNOMIL was the first United Nations peace-keeping operation undertaken in cooperation with a similar one already set up by another organization. The ECOMOG was created in August 1990 by ECOWAS in an effort to settle a civil war that began in late 1989. Total resources of some $133.4 million gross were made available to UNOMIL from its inception to the end of June.

For further details please see official record:
S/PV.3793

For further details please see source:
MEETINGS COVERAGE