YouSaid · the spoken record

Charles Flanagan

lines on the record
63
first
2014-09-24
most recent
2016-09-24
sittings or episodes
3
sources
un-general-debate

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  1. “As it is for the Department for Peacekeeping Operations, the safety and security of our personnel is a very high priority for us, and I warmly welcome the Secretary- General’s announcement that there will be a review of United Nations peacekeeping. That should ensure that the Organization retains the capacity to promote peace and stability internationally. The Assembly can rest assured that Irish men and women will continue to wear the blue beret with pride in service of the United Nations and in pursuit of a better world.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  2. “A sustainable political solution must be based on the principle of respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and with clear guarantees on border security, the disarmament of all illegal groups and the withdrawal of foreign forces. Ireland has a proud tradition of involvement in United Nations peacekeeping missions all over the world, beginning in 1958. Our troops have made an important contribution to international peace and stability; 82 of them have made the ultimate sacrifice. I take this opportunity to recall and salute all those who have fallen in United Nations peacekeeping operations since we met for the general debate a year ago. Today, some 370 Irish men and women are serving on United Nations peacekeeping missions, the majority in the Middle East. The environment in which they serve has become increasingly complex and challenging.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  3. “Ukraine is the most dangerous political crisis to occur in Europe for several decades. The situation there has profound implications for the viability and future of an international system that upholds the rule of law. The actions of the Russian Federation, first in Crimea and then in eastern Ukraine, clearly contravene a wide range of international agreements. We should remember first and foremost the deplorable violence that has been inflicted on innocent civilians in Ukraine over many months and the serious humanitarian crisis that has ensued. There can be no military solution to this crisis. We firmly support the path of diplomatic dialogue and welcome President Poroshenko’s peace plan. We were encouraged by the Minsk agreement reached earlier this month within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  4. “The gratuitous and almost casual approach to that most gruesome form of murder, beheading; the barbaric sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls; the base corruptness of putting military weapons in the hands of children; the scapegoating of people based on their ethnicity or religion, whether Christian, Yazidi, Kurdish, Sunni, Shia or Jewish — all of that, taken together, harks back to a mentality and a culture we thought had long been consigned to the dustbin of history. The rise of ISIS, the continued activities of Al-Qaida and the growing strength of Boko Haram make it clear that there is no room for complacency in the international community when it comes to the growth of extremism. We must unite and mobilize to confront this threat, and we must do so with a real sense of urgency.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  5. “All sides, particularly the Al-Assad regime, must comply with their obligations under Security Council resolutions 2165 (2014) and 2139 (2014), and put an end to their obstruction of vital humanitarian efforts and to obscenities such as besieging communities and attempting to starve them into submission. The growth of the extremism we are now witnessing across the region is a cause for significant concern and one that I know is shared by everyone in the Assembly. The bloodlust and inhumanity that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) is displaying in those countries has shocked and appalled all civilized people. The destruction and displacement of the ancient Christian communities of northern Iraq has been harrowing to witness.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  6. “While there is at least a clear vision of the difficult compromises necessary to achieve a lasting peace between the peoples of Israel and Palestine, the situation in neighbouring Syria appears at the moment to present an even greater challenge. Over the past three and a half years, almost 200,000 people have lost their lives at the hands of the State and militant groups in that vicious conflict. Ultimately, the solution to Syria’s civil war is not a military one. I strenuously urge all in the international community to fully support Special Envoy De Mistura in his efforts to promote a political settlement based on the principles of the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012. The flagrant violation of international law by all sides in the Syrian conflict must be confronted and referred to the International Criminal Court.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  7. “Equally, there must be assurances for all Israelis and Palestinians that they will not be subjected to indiscriminate violence, whether that violence comes in the form of rocket attacks targeting Israel or retaliatory strikes with devastating consequences for Gaza and its people. It is also now long past time for the attainment of a comprehensive peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. None of us is under any illusions about the difficult and painful compromises that will be involved. In essence, however, I believe that most Israelis and Palestinians recognize that the only true basis for peace and security between them lies in the realization of a just, negotiated two-State solution. It remains vital that all actions or policies that impede that prospect be avoided.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  8. “We are all indebted to Pierre Krähenbühl and his colleagues for providing an indispensable lifeline to the people of Gaza over many years. Our goal must be to ensure that there is no return to the recurrent cycles of violence that we have witnessed in Gaza and southern Israel on three occasions now, most devastatingly during July and August. Each cycle of violence appears to harden attitudes on both sides of the conflict, and yet, ultimately, no one can want peace more than those most directly affected by its absence. It is widely acknowledged that the achievement of a lasting peace requires that the underlying issues that gave rise to the most recent bout of violence must be definitively addressed. The closures and restrictions that have applied to Gaza for seven long years now must be brought to an end.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  9. “Moreover, Ireland supports an increase in the membership of the Security Council to more closely reflect regional balances as well as the current realities of population and economic weight in the world. The challenge of achieving peace in the Middle East remains as great as ever. As Member States, we must do more to assist the United Nations in its vital life-saving efforts in Syria and the many other humanitarian challenges confronting the broader region. I want to pay particular tribute here to the heroic role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and its brave and dedicated staff in Gaza, 11 of whom tragically lost their lives during the recent horrific conflict.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  10. “For the United Nations to meet the manifold, complex and grave challenges that are dominating this year’s session of the Assembly, the Organization must review its working methods and priorities. Resources must be directed to the areas of greatest need and used with the utmost efficiency. In particular, we must see new approaches to the work of the Security Council — something Ireland and its partners in the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group have been actively promoting. While Ireland would like to see the veto power in the Council ultimately abolished, we strongly welcome the initiative of France, supported by Mexico, to better regulate the use of that power by the Council’s permanent members.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  11. “We see a world beset by warfare and terror on many fronts. Heart-rending reports of escalating casualty and refugee numbers, the slaughter of innocents, the suffering of children and vulnerable adults in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine and many other conflicts dominate the news on our airwaves and television news and on the Internet. The people we represent in the Assembly rightly expect the United Nations to be a source of action. Regrettably, too often, they see an institution that seems hamstrung and stymied in situations where it needs to be both decisive and strong. It is not that we lack the necessary instruments; the many achievements of this great Organization amply demonstrate its capacity to act decisively and effectively when the necessary political will is forthcoming.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  12. “In my address this afternoon, I will focus on the conflicts that beset the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and I will do so in a way that reflects the foreign policy tenets of my country: first, dialogue and compromise as the solution to intractable conflicts between peoples; secondly, respect for the rule of law and solidarity within the international community when a democratic State is threatened; thirdly, a strong commitment to peacekeeping while preserving Irish military neutrality; fourthly, the critical importance of development; and last but not least, the promotion of human rights, in particular the rights of minorities and of women and girls in this troubled world. I will begin by outlining some thoughts on the importance of reform of the United Nations and its Security Council.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

  13. “It is my great honour to represent Ireland today at the General Assembly. Regrettably, this gathering comes at a dangerous time in global history. Delegates here represent a world facing many challenges, but they are challenges that can be tackled with unity of purpose and surmounted through strong leadership, especially from this Organization, the United Nations. Indeed, the United Nations must be at the vanguard of efforts to eradicate terrorism where it flourishes, to preserve the sovereignty of States where it is threatened and to promote and protect peace and human rights where those essential components of human dignity and human happiness are lacking.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)