Statement by the President of the Security Council
S/PRST/1998/10
22 April 1998
At the 3874th meeting of the Security Council, held on 22 April 1998, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled ‘Letter dated 31 March 1998 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Papua New Guinea to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council’, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:
‘The Security Council, taking note of the development of the Bougainville conflict, strongly supports the Agreement on Peace, Security and Development on Bougainville, signed at Lincoln University, New Zealand, on 23 January 1998 (the Lincoln Agreement), contained in document S/1998/287, achieved by the Government of Papua New Guinea, the Bougainville Transitional Government, the Bougainville Resistance Force, the Bougainville Interim Government, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army and the Bougainville leaders, with regard to a ceasefire among conflicting parties.
‘The Security Council welcomes the extension of the period of truce, and welcomes further a permanent and irrevocable ceasefire which will take effect on 30 April 1998 as stipulated in the Lincoln Agreement.
‘The Security Council encourages all parties to cooperate in promoting reconciliation, so that the objectives of the Lincoln Agreement can be met, and urges all parties to continue to cooperate in accordance with the Lincoln Agreement, namely, to achieve and maintain peace, to renounce the use of armed force and violence, to resolve any differences by consultation, both now and in the future, and to confirm their respect for human rights and the rule of law.
‘The Security Council commends the efforts of countries in the region for the resolution of the conflict, and welcomes the establishment, as outlined in the Lincoln Agreement, of the peace monitoring group composed of civilian and military personnel from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Vanuatu, the mandate of which is to monitor the implementation of the said Agreement.
‘The Security Council notes that the Lincoln Agreement calls for the United Nations to play a role in Bougainville, and requests the Secretary--General to consider the composition and financial modalities of such involvement by the United Nations.
‘The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.’
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