SIERRA LEONE: TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 8 UNSC

UNCLAS STATE 057091 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM SL XA XY SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE: TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 8 UNSC DEBATE ¶1. This is an action request. USUN may draw from the talking points in para. 2 for the June 8 UN Security Council debate on Sierra Leone. End action request. ¶2. Begin points: -- The United States thanks the Secretary General for his report and commends UNIPSIL for its continued work to support the people and government of Sierra Leone as they consolidate the peace they have built over the past seven years. The United Nations has been a key element in Sierra Leone,s transition into a stable, democratic country, governed by the rule of law. As Sierra Leone continues down the path toward prosperity, stability, and democracy, UNIPSIL will continue to play a vital role in prioritizing political dialogue. -- Although political violence threatened Sierra Leone,s progress in March, we are encouraged by the response of Sierra Leone,s political leaders and by UNIPSIL,s efforts to support the local police and political parties in restoring calm. We welcome President Koroma and opposition leader John Benjamin,s goodwill gestures of visiting each other,s party offices and inviting each other to be guests at important party events. Such visible displays of tolerance and respect are important to achieving long-term reconciliation. -- We also commend UNIPSIL for its role in encouraging dialogue between the two major parties and in mediating the interactive consultations that resulted in the signing of the April 2 &Joint Communiqu.8 The United States, along with others in the international community, supported these bipartisan negotiations, and we encourage the government and the opposition to continue to work toward full implementation of the &Joint Communiqu.8 --We welcome the progress Sierra Leone has made in strengthening its institutions and its rule of law capacity. The &Joint Communiqu8 calls on all parties to support and respect important state institutions, and the Secretary General,s report describes a continued trend toward respect for human rights. Though the Sierra Leone Police were unable to stop political violence against opposition party headquarters, they have since begun investigating individuals involved in the incident. -- The United States continues to support the Special Court for Sierra Leone as it fulfills its mandate. We are pleased to note that the Court has made additional progress, issuing sentences for Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon, and Augustine Gbao; and, with the exception of Charles Taylor, has concluded all but one appeal. -- Although we remain concerned about the trafficking of illegal narcotics through Sierra Leone, we welcome the important steps the Government of Sierra Leone has made to combat drug trafficking. UNIPSIL,s work to strengthen the Joint Drug Interdiction Task Force and the April 20-21 convictions of 18 people for smuggling cocaine into the country send a strong message to drug traffickers that Sierra Leoneans will not permit their country to be a haven for drug criminals. -- The Peacebuilding Commission,s (PBC) work in Sierra Leone continues to provide assistance for the country,s development. We are pleased to note that the PBC has funded fourteen projects and plans to have implemented all twenty of its projects by the end of 2009. Furthermore, the United States welcomes the Special Session of the PBC,s country specific configuration on Sierra Leone on June 10. We note that this is an opportunity to not only increase international support for the country,s peacebuilding process, but also to gain support for the President,s Agenda for Change. --We are concerned that should youth unemployment persist, frustrated youth may become a destabilizing factor in the country. We welcome UNIPSIL,s initiative to support the Government,s Youth Empowerment and Employment scheme, which aims to provide youth with apprenticeship and employment opportunities. -- UNIPSIL has the full support of the United States as it continues with the people and government of Sierra Leone to carry out its mandate. We are pleased that UNIPSIL has made progress in staffing the mission and encourage the UN to fill remaining positions expeditiously. CLINTON