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Azerbaijani Permanent Representative attends UN Security Council debates on Timor-Leste and Somalia

23 February 2012 09:35 (UTC +04:00)

New York. Isabel Levine â€“ APA. Azerbaijan welcomed Timor-Lesteâ€™s progress achieved in the areas of rule of law, justice and human rights, and encouraged all stakeholders to seek to strengthen the capacity of national institutions.

Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev, Azerbaijani Permanent Representative to the UN briefed the UN Security Councilon February 22 .during an open Council debate on the latest situation in Timor-Leste.

According to APAâ€™s correspondent, Ambassador Mehdiyev commended the government of Timor-Lestefor its constructive response following the review of its national report through the Human Rights Councilâ€™s periodic review mechanism.

â€œFurther efforts towards establishing accountability for past serious criminal offences would have a positive impact on long-term peace and stability. Against the background of many challenges, the country still needed the assistance of bilateral and multilateral partners in order to fully realize its potential for equitable and inclusive sustainable growthâ€, he said.

Ambassador Mehdiyev also welcomed the Dili Development Pact between the government of Timor-Lesteand donor community in July 2011 and considered it essential that UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) continue to cooperate with UN agencies, funds and programmes, as well as with relevant partners, to support the Timorese Government.

Mr. Mehdiyev said that important progress had been made in preparation for the elections and important steps had been taken to complete the legal framework for that process, but â€œit is obviousâ€ that the security situation and stability on the ground remained a key issue in the run-up period.

â€œThe Police Joint Development Plan (PNTL) had made operational planning for the elections a priority and UNMIT police would stand ready to support the national police. It was encouraging that, since the PNTL had assumed full responsibility for law enforcement in March 2011, the security situation country-wide had remained stable and calm and the reported crime rate had remained low. The institutional development of the force must be strengthened and implementation of the Police Joint Development Plan supportedâ€, he said.

According to the Timor-Leste officials, the countryâ€™s capital of Dili was a bustling city where peace was palpable and the people were committed to ensuring it in 2012 and beyond.

Addressing the Council the countryâ€™s President JosÃ© Ramos-Horta, told the SC members that building peace must be block by block, community by community. He invited all Council members to come to Timor-Leste in 2012 to see the development of the country..

Ambassador Mehdiyev also made another speech on the situation in Somalia during the SC debates on February 22.

According to the UN officials, fuelled by more than $150 million in ransom payments last year, Somali-based pirates were extending their deadly reach farther out into the Indian Ocean. The debate urged the Security Council to consider a full range of legal, judicial and preventive measures to thwart their brazen attacks.

Ambassador Mehdiyev mentioned that the national efforts of the Somali government and other countries in the region and their commitment to combating piracy, the important prosecution role that they were playing and the measures they had adopted to effectively fight the spread of piracy were commendable.

At the same time, he said, it is important to ensure that national commitments were matched by strong support and assistance from the international community, including through contributions to the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.