| UN Security Council Resolution 965 | |
|---|---|
 Aerial photograph of the refugee camp in Mihanda near the Mitumba Mountains | |
| Date | 30 November 1994 |
| Meeting no. | 3,473 |
| Code | S/RES/965 (Document) |
| Subject | Rwanda |
Voting summary | 15 voted for None voted against None abstained |
| Result | Adopted |
| Security Council composition | |
Permanent members | |
Non-permanent members | |
United Nations Security Council resolution 965, adopted unanimously on 30 November 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Rwanda, particularly resolutions 872 (1993), 912 (1994), 918 (1994), 925 (1994) and 955 (1994), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) until 9 June 1995 and expanded its operations. [1]
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security".
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a country in Central and East Africa and one of the smallest countries on the African mainland. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is in the African Great Lakes region and is highly elevated; its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year.
United Nations Security Council resolution 872, adopted unanimously on 5 October 1993, after reaffirming resolutions 812 (1993) and 846 (1993) on the situation in Rwanda and Resolution 868 (1993) on the security of United Nations operations, the Council stressed the need for an international force in the country and therefore established the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR).
Contents
The Security Council stressed the importance of achieving national reconciliation within the framework of the Arusha Accords. Monitors had been dispatched to Rwanda by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to monitor and prevent human rights violations from occurring and to facilitate the return of refugees. It was also noted that land mines had caused disruption to the civilian population and other humanitarian efforts.
The Arusha Accords, officially the Peace Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Rwandaand the Rwandan Patriotic Front, also known as the Arusha Peace Agreement or Arusha negotiations, were a set of five accords signed in Arusha, Tanzania on 4 August 1993, by the government of Rwanda and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), under mediation, to end a three-year Rwandan Civil War. Primarily organized by the Organisation of African Unity and the heads of state in the African Great Lakes region, the talks began on 12 July 1992, and ended on 4 August 1993, when the accords were finally signed.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nations that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The office was established by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1993 in the wake of the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.
A refugee, generally speaking, is a displaced person who has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by the contracting state or the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum. The lead international agency coordinating refugee protection is the United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The United Nations have a second Office for refugees, the UNRWA, which is solely responsible for supporting the large majority of Palestinian refugees.
It was reaffirmed that UNAMIR would: [2]
- (a) protect refugees, displaced persons and civilians at risk;
- (b) provide security and support to facilitate humanitarian aid operations;
- (c) help achieve national reconciliation;
- (d) contribute to the security of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda personnel and human rights officers;
- (e) assist in the training and establishment of a new police force.
The Government of Rwanda was urged to continue co-operation with UNAMIR and allow unimpeded access to all areas of the country. UNAMIR's efforts to increase its radio broadcasting capabilities was welcomed, as were the efforts of Member States, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations with regards to humanitarian assistance.
The Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was asked to make recommendations concerning the establishment of a mine clearance programme and to notify the Council of any adjustment in the logistic and personnel requirements of UNAMIR. He was required to report by 9 February 1995 and 9 April 1995 on UNAMIR's mandate and the situation in the country. Finally, the international community was called upon to provide resources to the Rwandan government.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali was an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from January 1992 to December 1996. An academic and former Vice Foreign Minister of Egypt, Boutros-Ghali oversaw the UN at a time when it dealt with several world crises, including the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide. He was then the first Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie from 16 November 1997 to 31 December 2002.
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.
The international community is a phrase used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world. It does not refer literally to all nations or states in the world. The term is typically used to imply the existence of a common point of view towards such matters as specific issues of human rights. Activists, politicians and commentators often use the term in calling for action to be taken; e.g., action against what is in their opinion political repression in a target country.
