PRESS STATEMENT ON BOUGAINVILLE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s press statement on Bougainville by Security Council President John Negroponte (United States):

Members of the Security Council:

Heard a briefing from John Renninger, the Director of the Asia Pacific Division of the Department of Political Affairs on Bougainville, Papua New Guinea;

Welcomed the statement by the new Government of Papua New Guinea that peace-building in Bougainville is a national priority;

Also noted with appreciation the important role played by the United Nations Political Office in Bougainville, as well as the Peace Monitoring Group of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu;

Recalled that the Bougainville Peace Agreement, signed on 30 August, 2001, has three pillars:� autonomy, a referendum and a weapons disposal plan;

Encouraged the parties to work together to implement these provisions as soon as possible in order to achieve a definitive settlement of the conflict.� In particular, they considered critical that the agreed weapons disposal plan be implemented in full and on time and called upon all parties to redouble without interruption efforts to this end;

And took note of the importance of international aid in the support of the peace process on Bougainville and urge the international community to remain mobilized in this respect.

* *** *