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Quote: KAREN PIERCE ( United Kingdom) welcomed the adoption of the resolution, which her country had had the honour to introduce as one of the co-sponsors of the text. The tragedy in Darfur had gone on far too long. It was a great tragedy that the bright future offered by the Darfur Peace Agreement was not materializing and the violence had gotten worse and not better. She agreed with Mr. Bolton that the international community could not afford to delay any longer. Having done an extremely good job under difficult circumstances, the African Union’s mission in Darfur was struggling to cope, and the Union had called for a transition to a United Nations force. The adoption of the resolution today showed that the United Nations was ready to shoulder its responsibility. The transition to a United Nations operation was the only viable solution to the crisis, she continued. Based on the conversations with Council members, even the countries that had abstained did not have a fundamental disagreement with the issues of the text -- it was more about the timing. The United Nations force remained the best vehicle for the people of Darfur -- in fact, it was the only vehicle to bring peace and stability to the region. As for the Sudanese plan, it could not provide a solution, she said. It would be a military solution imposed by one of the parties to the conflict, violating the Peace Agreement itself. The resolution adopted today sent a clear message from the Council regarding the need for a well-equipped third party to ensure protection of civilians. Not that the text did not attach importance to the agreement from the Government of the Sudan. The Council looked forward to the Government giving its acceptance soon, and it had sent a clear message that it wanted to receive that agreement. If the Government was genuinely concerned about the well-being of its citizens, it should give its agreement. In that connection, she underscored that the United Nations force would act in support of the Government and wanted to act cooperatively with it. It would not infringe on the country’s sovereignty. The Council attached great importance to the continuation of the dialogue with the Government and wanted to bring it on board, and the resolution did not change that. She added that the Council had sought to consult with the Government of the Sudan before adopting the text, but it chose not to attend the meeting last Monday. The United Kingdom had drafted the resolution to be as acceptable to the Sudan as possible. There was, for example, no reference to the International Criminal Court in the text. Although the resolution contained Chapter VII elements, it was not under Chapter VII in its entirety. The resolution also stated that the Council remained committed to the sovereignty and independence of the Sudan. The United Kingdom would play its part in the efforts to find a solution to the crisis, she said. It had sent its special envoy to the Sudan last week, who had had to turn back after President Al-Bashir refused to meet with him. In that connection, she emphasized the responsibility of each State to protect its citizens and the responsibility of the United Nations to assist countries in that regard. She was pleased that today’s text was the first Security Council resolution to make an explicit reference to that responsibility. It was the primary responsibility of the Sudan to protect its own citizens. The Council was appealing to the Government in the strongest possible terms to allow the United Nations to provide its assistance. The Council was here to help the Sudan and not to threaten it –- to assist, and not undermine the country.