UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Statement by H.E. Mr John Dauth, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Special report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Mission of support in East Timor
New York 10 March 2003
Mr President
Thank you for convening this open meeting on an issue of deep interest to Australia. I thank Under Secretary-General Guehenno for his briefing on the current security situation in Timor Leste and on the proposals for a freeze in UNMISET's Peace Keeping Force.
Before I address the Security Council on the proposals contained in the Secretary-General's report, I would like to note that Australia has recently concluded negotiations with the Timor Leste Government which open the way for the development of the valuable petroleum resources in the Timor Sea. Under the provisions of the Timor Sea Treaty, Timor Leste will receive 90% of government revenues from the Joint Petroleum Development Area. This will be a crucial element in promoting the long-term stability and prosperity of Timor Leste, to which Australia is committed.
Mr President
Australia is deeply concerned by recent security incidents in Timor Leste. They indicate that Timor Leste's transition to self-reliant statehood remains a difficult path, which requires the continued attention and support of the UN and interested states.
It is Australia's assessment that these incidents have been driven primarily by criminal motivations and internal political, economic and social factors. Some incidents have involved individuals and groups taking advantage of spontaneous events for their own purposes. Some have had a political motivation and involved the use of violence for political purposes. Others are likely to have involved the settlement of old scores. Poor law enforcement capacity has allowed some incidents to run out of control.
These are all issues for law enforcement -both preventative and investigative. We have no concrete evidence of external direction in the commission of recent incidents, although indications are that some of the individuals involved were West-Timor based ex-militia. We note that senior members of the Timor Leste Government have rejected the notion of external direction of these incidents. Australia is strongly of the view that UNPOL and the Timor Leste Police Service, not the Peace Keeping Force, should be the primary actors in responding to internal security.
It is in this context that Australia does not consider that recent internal security developments in Timor Leste warrant a freeze in Peace Keeping Force numbers at this time. We are concerned that a freeze would not address and may deflect attention from the more urgent issue of developing Timor Leste's law-enforcement capacity.
It is imperative that UNMISET address the shortfall in Timor Leste's policing capabilities and UNPOL weaknesses. The recent security incidents make clear that law enforcement will be a continuing challenge for Timor Leste, including beyond the period of UNMISET's mandate. We would therefore support a temporary freeze in UNPOL numbers and an amended schedule for the handover of policing authority from the UN to Timor Leste. This would allow a major reorientation of UNPOL's approach and a redirection of resources to focus seriously and systematically on capacity building within the Timor Leste Police Service. We also consider that the final report of the Joint Assessment Mission on policing, which was released publicly last week, provides the framework for a renewed UN-led effort in police development. Australia is willing to make a strong contribution to these efforts and encourage other interested countries to do likewise.
While Australia does not support a freeze in the Peace Keeping Force draw-down, we accept that security is an ongoing challenge. We would not wish the international community to unintentionally signal to elements within Timor Leste that our focus on and commitment to security in Timor Leste is wavering. Australia therefore supports a slower drawdown of the Peace Keeping Force than envisaged to ensure that the international community's commitment to Timor Leste's security is well understood. We would welcome a further UN proposal on a less sharp adjustment to the phasing and numbers of the Peace Keeping Force drawdown. However, we reiterate that this approach would only work if it is accompanied by a vigorous and sustained effort to address the shortfalls in Timor Leste's policing capacity.
Mr President
Australia recognises the importance of ensuring the UN's significant achievements in Timor Leste are not undermined by a deterioration in the security situation. At the same time, we are also concerned to ensure that UNMISET and interested countries implement appropriate responses to address these current problems. Australia, for its part, remains committed to assisting the UN and the Timor Leste Government in responding effectively to the current challenges to ensure Timor Leste's transition to a secure and self-reliant statehood.
Thank you Mr President.