United Nations Security Council Resolution 1272
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1272, adopted unanimously on October 25, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor
(Timor Leste), particularly resolutions 384
(1975), 389
(1976), 1236
(1999), 1246
(1999), 1262
(1999) and 1264
(1999), the Council established the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
(UNTAET) that was responsible for the administration of the territory until its independence in 2002.
to begin a process of transition under United Nations administration towards independence. The International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) was now deployed and continued co-operation was needed between the Indonesian government and INTERFET. Meanwhile, the Council was concerned at the deteriorating humanitarian situation as a result of violence in East Timor which had caused large-scale displacement of civilians and widespread violations of international humanitarian
and human rights
law.
, the Council authorised the establishment of UNTAET which would have full responsibility for the administration of East Timor and control of the executive
, legislative
and the administration of justice. UNTAET would also maintain law and order, assist in the development of the civil service
s, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance
, support capacity-building and establish an effective administration and conditions for sustainable development. The main components of UNTAET would consist of:
a governance and public administration component including 1,640 police; a humanitarian component; a military component with 8,950 troops and 200 military observers.
Additionally, UNTAET was authorised to take all necessary measures to fulfill its mandate
. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was to appoint a Special Representative
to head the operation and who would have the power to make new laws and suspend or repeal existing ones.
The Council stressed the need for co-operation between UNTAET, INTERFET and the local population with a view to the establishment of an independent human rights institution among others. INTERFET would also be replaced by the military component of UNTAET. There was a need for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, including the issue of refugee
s and displaced persons resettling in either West Timor
or East Timor, and acts of violence were condemned. The Secretary-General was to establish a Trust Fund to finance international assistance, and was requested to provide regular updates on all aspects of the situation in East Timor.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
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"....
1272, adopted unanimously on October 25, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(Timor Leste), particularly resolutions 384
United Nations Security Council Resolution 384
United Nations Security Council Resolution 384, adopted on December 22, 1975, noted statements from the representatives of Portugal, Indonesia and East Timor and recognized the right of the people of East Timor to self-determination and independence in accordance with the Charter...
(1975), 389
United Nations Security Council Resolution 389
United Nations Security Council Resolution 389, adopted on April 22, 1976, reaffirmed the right of the people of East Timor to self-determination. The Council called upon all states to respect the territorial integrity of East Timor and upon the Government of Indonesia to withdraw all of its forces...
(1976), 1236
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1236
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1236, adopted unanimously on May 7, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor including 384 and 389 , the Council welcomed an agreement between Indonesia and Portugal on the future of East Timor and a proposed United Nations presence to...
(1999), 1246
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1246
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1246, adopted unanimously on June 11, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor , particularly Resolution 1236 , the Council established the United Nations Mission in East Timor to organise and conduct the East Timor Special Autonomy...
(1999), 1262
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1262
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1262, adopted unanimously on August 27, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor , particularly resolutions 1246 and 1257 , the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in East Timor until November 30, 1999.The Security...
(1999) and 1264
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1264
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1264, adopted unanimously on September 15, 1999, after recalling previous resolutions on East Timor , the Council authorised the establishment of the multinational International Force for East Timor to restore peace and security in the territory,...
(1999), the Council established the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor
The United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...
(UNTAET) that was responsible for the administration of the territory until its independence in 2002.
Observations
The Security Council noted the decision of the East Timorese people in the Special Autonomy ReferendumEast Timor Special Autonomy Referendum
The East Timorese independence referendum was a referendum which was held throughout East Timor on 30 August 1999. The referendum's origins lay with the request made by the President of Indonesia, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 27 January 1999, for...
to begin a process of transition under United Nations administration towards independence. The International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) was now deployed and continued co-operation was needed between the Indonesian government and INTERFET. Meanwhile, the Council was concerned at the deteriorating humanitarian situation as a result of violence in East Timor which had caused large-scale displacement of civilians and widespread violations of international humanitarian
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
law.
Acts
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations CharterChapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
, the Council authorised the establishment of UNTAET which would have full responsibility for the administration of East Timor and control of the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and the administration of justice. UNTAET would also maintain law and order, assist in the development of the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
s, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
, support capacity-building and establish an effective administration and conditions for sustainable development. The main components of UNTAET would consist of:
a governance and public administration component including 1,640 police; a humanitarian component; a military component with 8,950 troops and 200 military observers.
Additionally, UNTAET was authorised to take all necessary measures to fulfill its mandate
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
. The Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was to appoint a Special Representative
Special Representative of the Secretary-General
A Special Representative of the Secretary-General is a highly respected expert who has been appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to represent her/him in meetings with heads of state on critical human rights issues...
to head the operation and who would have the power to make new laws and suspend or repeal existing ones.
The Council stressed the need for co-operation between UNTAET, INTERFET and the local population with a view to the establishment of an independent human rights institution among others. INTERFET would also be replaced by the military component of UNTAET. There was a need for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, including the issue of refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and displaced persons resettling in either West Timor
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
or East Timor, and acts of violence were condemned. The Secretary-General was to establish a Trust Fund to finance international assistance, and was requested to provide regular updates on all aspects of the situation in East Timor.
See also
- 1999 East Timorese crisis1999 East Timorese crisisThe 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by anti-independence militants on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence erupted after a majority of eligible voters in the population of East Timor chose independence from...
- Indonesian occupation of East TimorIndonesian occupation of East TimorIndonesia occupied East Timor from December 1975 to October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, a 1974 coup in Portugal led to decolonization among its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1201 to 1300 (1998 – 2000)
- United Nations Mission in East TimorUnited Nations Mission in East TimorThe United Nations Mission in East Timor was established by Security Council Resolution 1246 on 11 June 1999 for a period up to 31 August 1999...