YouSaid · the spoken record

Aurelia Frick

lines on the record: 128
first: 2009-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the task, but we are encouraged that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has created such a strong impetus for finally eliminating slavery, and we stand ready to take that opportunity, together with everyone here.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Seventy years ago, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we agreed that no one should be held in slavery or servitude. Today more than 40 million people, predominantly women and girls, live in such conditions. That is unacceptable. We have joined forces with our partners from Australia and the United Nations University and created the Financial Sector Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Its task is to design a response so that actors in the financial sector can help eliminate modern slavery and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. I am proud to serve as its co-convener, together with Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“From Syria to Myanmar to Venezuela, the International Criminal Court is at the centre of the effort to fight impunity. Its creation 20 years ago was perhaps the most important advance in the recent history of international law. It fulfilled a vision that had eluded us for a century. Today it is an institution that is imperfect but, more importantly, indispensable. It is a telling fact that at a time when there seems to be a general questioning of the rules-based order, the ICC finds itself under particular attack from various sides. We need that Court more than ever, and more than ever, we must be ready to stand up for it. The issue of modern slavery and human trafficking is particularly disturbing to the Liechtenstein Government.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are confronted by a very different situation, with a similar massive accountability challenge, in the atrocities committed against the Rohingya population by the authorities in Myanmar, which are shocking to all of us. There can be no voluntary return for the hundreds of thousands forcibly displaced into Bangladesh unless we can ensure a credible accountability process. We now have a direct path to justice, because the International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that it can exercise jurisdiction over the crime of forced deportation. That creates a new and expeditious policy option for the 123 States among us that have joined the Rome Statute, in that we can now come together and refer the situation in Cox’s Bazar to the ICC. I hope that conversation will take place here in New York over the next few weeks.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It has the legal and political authority to build institutions and set policies that are game-changers. One such institution is the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011. We were proud to lead the way in its creation two years ago. Born out of frustration over a deadlock in the Security Council, it has quickly become a symbol of what the Assembly can achieve and a beacon of hope for Syria. At this critical moment in the Syrian conflict, our resolve to ensure accountability for the crimes committed will shape the country’s future.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It not only undermines the contents of those agreements, it is an attack on the rules-based order as such. It runs contrary to the pledge that we are all committed to under the Charter, that is, to respecting our obligations under international law. In the course of this debate, speakers have expressed their overwhelming support for the international rules- based order. That gives us hope and inspiration to tackle the challenges we are facing. Let us be clear. We have to work harder to make the United Nations fit for purpose. Most worryingly, we still have a Security Council that is least functional when it is most needed. While addressing our weaknesses, we must also make better use of our strengths, particularly the power of the Assembly.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It has been rapid and today has led us to a point where the fundamentals of what we have created together are under attack. The Charter is our main reference point as we reflect on the most pressing challenges of the day. One paragraph from the Preamble stands out this year: “We the peoples of the United Nations determined ... to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained”. Today more than ever we are challenged in our determination to do just that. Today we can no longer take it for granted that those conditions exist. The questioning of international agreements and norms in the areas of trade, climate change, disarmament, migration and human rights has one common thread.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Our very survival is at stake, and yet we are significantly behind in terms of what must be done. The Secretary-General is right to sound the alarm. That is one of his responsibilities. It is up to us, all of us, to act. All of this can lead to only one conclusion. We need more of the United Nations, not less. We need a United Nations that is more effective, cooperative and dynamic, more in tune with the times we live in, and yet our efforts have been distracted. We see tendencies to revert to a paradigm that resulted in enormous suffering in the past and would certainly be disastrous today. Wilful blindness, a disregard for realities, denial of the facts and appeals to fear and resentment are recipes for disaster. We have witnessed a downward spiral in that conversation.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In fact, for many of its Members, the United Nations is the world’s most important platform in that respect. That is also an agenda that we shaped together. We agreed on the right to development and made it clear that development, human rights and peace and security belong together. That effort has been crowned by the Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide our work until 2030. They offer a historic opportunity, and we owe it to our children not to miss it. The challenge of climate change is a perfect illustration of the indispensability of the United Nations. We ourselves have created a threat to our sheer existence as the human race and as individuals. The threat knows no national borders and makes no distinctions. We are all equally affected, and we can only overcome it together.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The United Nations has also been a place where we have developed human rights standards, the rules that guide the relationship between the State and the human person, individually and collectively. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights began that inspiring trajectory. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of my personal role models, made a decisive contribution to its conclusion. Seventy years later, there can be no question that every individual on this planet is entitled to enjoy all the rights reflected in the Declaration. An impressive number of groundbreaking treaties have been built on its foundations, a very proud record. More than any other, the area of human rights reflects the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, written on behalf of the peoples, not their Governments. Development became another key mission in this building.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“There was a strong focus on the most painful open wounds caused by the Second World War. The true dimensions of the horror of the Holocaust gradually became public knowledge, not least through the trials in Nuremberg, and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted as a result. Influenced by the vivid impressions of the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in its very first resolution (resolution 1(I)) the General Assembly set a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons. We are still far from achieving it, and the path so far has been rough. But we have finally charted a way forward by adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last year. I congratulate the 19 countries that have already ratified the Treaty, and we will do our best to follow suit.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We have yet to realize full gender equality in practice back home in Liechtenstein, and we will continue to look to the United Nations to set examples that guide us on our own path. The United Nations is the most important peace project the world has ever seen. It has shaped the way we have lived together for more than seven decades. It was created out of the belief that the world could not afford another armed confrontation between its most powerful States, with its devastating consequences for everybody. It was created on the basis of a collective system for the maintenance of international peace and security, based on common values and common purposes. The early years of the work of the United Nations illustrated the enthusiasm with which States seized the opportunity they had created for themselves.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is a great joy and personal satisfaction for me to see a woman presiding over the General Assembly. This is the tenth time that I have had the honour to speak in this historic Hall, and it is the first time in all those years that a woman has held the highest office here at the General Assembly. I salute her leadership, and we will support her. But it is also disappointing to see that the United Nations, which should be a trailblazer on the path of women’s empowerment, so frequently misses opportunities to make appointments that resonate outside this building. I am therefore all the more grateful to Secretary-General Guterres for his commitment to gender parity. His resolve has illustrated that that goal can be achieved relatively quickly.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“There are topics that make that task much easier, however; for example, climate change. Everyone understands what is at stake in that discussion. If we cannot live on our planet, no one will prosper, irrespective of nationality, gender or economic wealth. And no country, large or small, can tackle the problem on its own. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change does not end the threat of climate change, but it is our only realistic hope for addressing the issue together. I therefore experienced great satisfaction when I deposited Liechtenstein’s instrument of ratification earlier this week. Indeed, it is something I will be proud to share with my children.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Commitments have gone unfulfilled and strategies have turned out to be little more than empty promises. The achievements that nobody questioned 20 years ago are now under attack. The level of political participation has decreased, and the statistics on gender pay gaps are still shocking. Yet I remain not only committed but optimistic, simply because I strongly believe that many of our common goals will become achievable only if we indeed achieve gender equality. In the Sustainable Development Goals, the domestic and the international come together. If there is one area in which the United Nations must show the way, this is certainly it. The work of the United Nations can seem abstract. Explaining its relevance to our citizens at home and to our children can be a challenge.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The suffering that they cause runs counter to fundamental principles of humanity, the basic tenets of international humanitarian law and the dictates of public conscience. On Wednesday, I signed the Treaty on behalf of Liechtenstein as one of 50 signatory States. Together we extend a hand to those who so far have chosen to stand apart. We need their commitment to succeed in finally ridding the world of nuclear weapons. I have had the privilege to address the General Assembly eight times. On each of those occasions, I have talked about a particular aspect of the work of the United Nations that is of special significance to me — full gender equality. The progress made in the past few decades has significantly slowed, both internationally and back home. That is a disturbing trend.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Most of us remember the shocking pictures of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 from our history books. The United Nations was built on the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on the promise of “never again”, but, owing to collective complacency, we have not delivered on that promise. This week we have changed course for the better with the signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Without any doubt, it will take time to see the Treaty’s effects on nuclear stockpiles. Nevertheless, setting a number of important legal benchmarks that will become binding norms is great progress. Nuclear weapons are prohibited and should be eliminated. Their use can never be justified.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“And yet the reality is that there is a disturbing level of impunity for the commission of these acts. We must no longer accept this paradox. Human trafficking and modern slavery are not just crimes, they are also a profitable form of organized crime. We therefore see great potential here in applying the tools developed to combat other forms of organized crime. Following the money can lead us to the perpetrators of these crimes. In this regard, Liechtenstein is prepared to share the expertise it has acquired as a financial centre committed to international standards of transparency and accountability. The people whom we serve look to us to reduce risks and defuse tensions. Yet the world is spiralling towards a new arms race. We are facing increased risks of self-destruction, including the unspeakable horror of the use of nuclear weapons.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“He also understands now that there are kids who spend every single night thinking that their house might be bombed. We place high hopes in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration that we will adopt together next year. I echo the call of the Secretary- General: migration must be an option, not a necessity. Irregular migrants are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Human trafficking and modern slavery are perhaps the greatest human rights scandal of our time. They are also a global phenomenon and they particularly thrive in circumstances that create high levels of vulnerability. As is the case so often, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Many decades ago, we agreed on the abolition of slavery in all its forms. The relevant legal norm requires universal application.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“But there are numerous other factors that make people leave their homes. Today, unprecedented numbers of people are on the move across the globe. Across the backdrop of history, there have been various periods of mass migration and there is ample evidence that migration has been a positive and enriching factor for receiving societies. But mass movements of people and irregular migration in particular also tend to create anxiety and fear. Taking these reactions seriously is crucial to overcoming them. My son, Leonard, entered kindergarten last year. Two children in his group are refugees from Syria. As a mother, I reflected on how this might influence him and his development. What happened was that he quickly learned a few words in Arabic and he knows what a Syrian birthday cake tastes like.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Together, we represent a strong majority of States expecting effective action from the Council aimed at ending and preventing such crimes. This pledge could not come at a better moment. The Secretary-General has made prevention a key priority in his agenda, and applying the Code of Conduct works best when there is productive interplay between him and the Security Council. Never before have the needs for humanitarian assistance been as great as they are today. And never before have we seen such a significant shortfall in our response. The so-called forgotten crises are those that may need our attention the most. Yet our collective attention span barely does justice to even the most visible of emergencies. Armed conflict remains a key driver of displacement, human suffering and instability.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“A key to the Mechanism’s success will be strong support from us, the States Members of the United Nations — politically, by insisting on the importance of justice as part of political solutions; financially, by providing sustainable funding; and substantively, by sharing information and evidence of crimes that are in our possession. Accountability for the worst crimes imaginable, whether committed in Syria or elsewhere, is essential. But the truth is that there is no remedy and no compensation for these crimes. Prevention is the only effective form of protection. We look in particular to the Security Council for leadership. I thank the 113 States that have joined us in supporting the code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“But finally, late last year, we came together to create a real possibility for justice — the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, the accountability mechanism established by the General Assembly in resolution 71/248. The Mechanism itself will not conduct criminal proceedings against perpetrators. But it could be critically important in the preparation of case files for prosecution in courts with jurisdiction. This is a decisive step forward.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Let us enforce the prohibition of the illegal use of force by making it punishable in the highest court of criminal law we have. Next year, we will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the ICC. With jurisdiction over the most serious violations of international law, the establishment of the Court was an enormous achievement, but, today, it still lacks universality. There remains therefore a significant impunity gap. A very large number of people in the world do not benefit from its legal protection. These people must not be left without hope. They too deserve real prospects for justice. The people of Syria, for example, have suffered unspeakable violence. The crimes committed against them have been atrocious. And the silence with which we met those atrocities for so long puts us all to shame.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We have make a collective commitment to removing threats to peace and to suppressing acts of aggression. But today we often manage and contain armed conflict rather than preventing it in the first place. We must do better. This year we have the opportunity to take a historic step forward. For the first time since the creation of the United Nations, we can give an international tribunal jurisdiction over the crime of aggression. The most serious forms of the illegal use of force will be punishable. The tribunal in charge — and the centrepiece of our common fight for accountability — will be the International Criminal Court (ICC). I appeal to those assembled here today to live up to the commitment we made when we signed onto the United Nations Charter.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“To this day, the United Nations symbolizes great hope around the globe — hope for peace, hope for justice and hope for a life of dignity and decency, which represent the basic ambition of every human being. Yet fulfilling these hopes remains elusive for millions, and for millions of others those hopes have been shattered. Intolerance and nationalism were the drivers of the Second World War, and the Organization was founded in response to them. It is a place where we seek solutions together, instead of pursuing nationalist agendas. Only by embracing this understanding will we be able to achieve the best results at the United Nations. The horrors of armed conflict — the tragedy of the Second World War in particular — led the founding nations to pledge to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Mr. President, it is good to see you presiding over this session of the General Assembly. We know that we are in very able hands, and I look forward to working closely with you. We also salute the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, for his leadership. I am confident that he will chart an intelligent course for us to make the changes we wish to see in the United Nations. Mr. President, you have proposed for this session the theme “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”, which takes us back to the very beginning of the Charter of the United Nations, written on behalf of the peoples of the world.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The best-qualified person available should be offered the job. I would be very happy if that person was a woman.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We have achieved a new level of transparency, which is an important step forward. But we must be honest with ourselves; we have started at such a low level that there is still a lot of room for improvement. The opportunity to engage with declared candidates is welcome. It should also be a given. We now must ensure that the entire membership is consulted with respect to the appointment itself. We strongly believe in giving the next Secretary-General a single term of office. That would enhance the independence of the Office of the Secretary-General, as prior office-holders have confirmed. Finally, it is my strong personal wish to finally see a woman lead the Organization — an Organization that has been such a trailblazer for gender equality. We do believe that the appointment should be merit-based.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Modern slavery is not only one of the biggest human rights scandals of our times; it is also one of the biggest illegal business models. Liechtenstein will focus its contribution on disrupting financial flows and using relevant data for criminal prosecutions — in short, on following the money. We will also work towards a greater involvement of international justice mechanisms in the cases where national judiciaries systematically fail. I wish to pay tribute to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. We will remember him as a tireless advocate for the purposes and principles of the United Nations. We are thankful for his service. Effective leadership is a key ingredient for the success of the Organization. We have therefore invested a great deal in the selection process of the next Secretary-General.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Upon entering the United Nations from the North Lawn, one can see the monument erected to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. That is a dignified, important reminder of a terrifying crime against humanity. But let us not be misled into believing that the scourge has been relegated to the past. Over 45 million people today live in conditions that qualify as modern slavery, which generates billions of dollars. Every single country in the world is affected by it and virtually no perpetrators are held accountable — even though slavery is outlawed universally. Modern slavery is a complex phenomenon that affects all of us and should leave none of us indifferent. We all have a chance to make a difference as individual consumers and as policy-makers.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Court’s capacity to handle cases is limited, and there are still a significant number of States outside its jurisdiction. Among them are some that most warrant greater accountability, such as Syria. The crimes committed against its civilian population since 2011 are as atrocious as they are well- documented. The attack on the humanitarian convoy in Aleppo marks a new low. We understand that these atrocious crimes will be thoroughly investigated, as they should be. A peace process in a country must have a strong accountability dimension. That is the least we can provide after having failed the people of Syria for so long. The 2030 Agenda also deals with one of the defining human rights crises of our times — human trafficking and modern slavery.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We look forward to the extension of the Rome Statute, whereby the Court’s jurisdiction will expand to include crimes of aggression and the most serious forms of the illegal use of force will be criminalized. This will be a historic step, marking the first time since the creation of the United Nations that an international tribunal will have such jurisdiction. The necessary number of States has ratified the relevant Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute, and the activation of this ground-breaking regime is scheduled for 2017. I appeal to everyone to join the 32 States who have ratified these Amendments — and to do so soon. The Court is the strongest symbol that impunity is no longer an option. At the same time, it is also not a solution to all problems.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Accountable institutions, access to justice for everyone and significant reduction of corruption — all these are key ingredients for sustainable development. Justice is credible and effective only if it is delivered in an even-handed manner. Only if it is clear that nobody is above the law can the law prevail. Ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes under international law is therefore crucial. For almost 15 years now, the International Criminal Court has been the symbol of our pledge that even the most powerful are not above the law — that there will be no impunity for perpetrators of the worst crimes. We fully support the Court and are committed to helping to improve it.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“For 70 years now, it has been illegal to engage in an armed conflict, except in narrowly defined circumstances. We now can also hold the most egregious perpetrators of illegal use of force responsible. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the most comprehensive blueprint for action we have ever agreed on — a pledge to our children and to all future generations. It is also an ambitious promise that we can keep only it if we work together with resolve and persistence. All 17 Goals are of equal importance and they are all connected. We will treat them as such in our implementation effort, but we will naturally also place special emphasis on the areas where we feel we can make a special contribution. The rule of law, in particular, is a long-standing priority for Liechtenstein.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It offers the opportunity to change the political culture in the Security Council so that failures such as the one in Syria can become a thing of the past, and so as to make a significant reduction of forced displacement a reality. It goes hand in hand with the Secretary-General’s Human Rights Up Front initiative, which we warmly welcome. Armed conflicts also force people to flee, often in large numbers. Many conflicts can be prevented if competent diplomacy is decisive and timely. The world is looking to the Organization to mobilize, and too often it is disappointed. Getting serious about conflict prevention should be a priority for the next Secretary- General — with the necessary means provided by the Member States. But let us not forget that armed conflict is a violation of the Charter of the United Nations Charter in and of itself.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The facts speak for themselves, but many of us lack the ability — and often the courage — to speak truthfully about the facts. Exploiting fears in a search for short-term political gains is cynical. It is an unproductive game. We must do better than that. Mass atrocities are one of the main drivers of displacement; one needs only to take a look at the tragic situation in Syria and the massive displacement it has caused. Preventing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes will eliminate one of the main reasons why people are forced to flee their homes.The Security Council can enter a new phase of its history of engagement on these crimes, moving from shameful indifference to responsible action. One hundred and twelve States subscribe to the code of conduct on atrocity crimes of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The migration and refugee crises are at the heart of our debate these days, both here and back home. People around the world are on the move in unprecedented numbers. Some 65 million have been forcibly displaced in the last year. At the summit on Monday, we made an important collective statement that should shape our policies — migration should be a choice, not a necessity. The United Nations is the place to address the drivers of forced displacement. Our second challenge to frame migration as a positive force. Migrants contribute to diversity and global wealth. They bring fresh skills and dynamism to their host countries. If they are integrated successfully, they enrich societies. A positive narrative on migration is not difficult to present.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“He is now 95 years old and continues to fight for law, not war, as he has done all his life. His name is Benjamin Ferencz, and he has three pieces of advice for all of us: “Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.””
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“But migration and refugee flows are not simply a regional phenomenon, and by far the largest share of people who have left their homes are still in developing countries. A truly global discussion is therefore required, as well. The World Humanitarian Summit next year seems to offer a good and timely platform. 32/45 15-29816 02/10/2015 A/70/PV.25 We are confronting daunting challenges, yet to lose hope is not an option. Therefore, in closing, I would like to share with you the perspective of a man whom I greatly admire and who has extensively collaborated with Liechtenstein. In 1944, he landed on the shores of Normandy, he participated in the liberation of the concentration camps, and he led the prosecution in history’s biggest murder cases at the Nuremberg trials.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Finally, let me offer some thoughts on the unprecedented levels of the displacement of persons in the world, which is quickly turning into one of the biggest challenges for the United Nations. Countries close to the conflicts have been grappling with that issue for quite some time already. More recently, Europe has been impacted in ways that test the fabric of our region. Even though we are not a member of the European Union, Liechtenstein feels strongly that Europe is not just a continent. It is also a symbol of common values and a promise to address challenges together, irrespective of our models of political and economic integration. We therefore want to contribute to a sustainable solution based on international law and human rights. Regional approaches will remain key to such solutions.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The link between the ICC and the United Nations will soon get stronger, thanks to the Kampala Amendments on the crime of aggression, which will enable the ICC to help enforce a core provision of the Charter of the United Nations, namely, the prohibition against the use of force. The most serious forms of the illegal use of force are no longer merely breaches of the Charter; they also entail criminal accountability for those responsible for such acts. We are only a little over a year’s time and a handful of ratifications away from activating the Court’s jurisdiction over that crime. We look forward to more States ratifying the Kampala consensus. It will be a big step, both for international criminal justice and for the United Nations.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As the first treaty-based international court with jurisdiction over the worst crimes under international law, it is shouldering a massive responsibility. In just over ten years, the Court has established itself as the world’s central player in the fight against impunity. It is an independent judicial institution and therefore does not engage in political calculations. Quite often, however, it finds itself forced to navigate a politically charged environment. We must, therefore, step up our support for the Court. More States should join the family of the current 123 parties to the Rome Statute. Consistent support should come from those who can, should or must cooperate with the Court, including the Security Council. We must also intensify and give greater assistance to national efforts to investigate and prosecute.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The fifteenth anniversary of the women and peace and security agenda, laid out in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), therefore marks a bittersweet moment. That agenda sets out a comprehensive vision for how to include women in peaceful solutions and how to protect them from the effects of armed conflict. It is in itself a remarkable achievement. Yet, we have, by and large, been unable to fulfil the promise made fifteen years ago. Girls born into a post-resolution 1325 (2000) world still suffer from abuse, sexual violence, forced recruitment and displacement. Let us take decisive steps forward when we meet later this month in the Security Council. These are turbulent times, not just for the United Nations but also for an institution closely affiliated with it, the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“How can one possibly make compensation for the slaughter of civilians, the mass rape of women or the brutalizing of children? Our primary objective must be to prevent those crimes from happening. That is a complex and long-term task, involving all parts of the United Nations system, but when volatile situations move closer to escalation, preventive diplomacy remains one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. Clearly, however, we need to make much stronger investments in it, both politically and financially. As we consider how we can sharpen our tools for conflict prevention and resolution, one conclusion is already clear. We must get better at including women and their perspectives in those processes.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“15-29816 31/45 A/70/PV.25 02/10/2015 The pledge is twofold. First, it is aimed at supporting timely and decisive action in the Security Council and at ending or preventing mass atrocity crimes — in other words, at being constructive. Secondly, it is aimed at not opposing credible draft resolutions put forward for the purpose of preventing such crimes — that is, at not being obstructive. Fifty-nine States have already made that commitment. I hope that many more will be on the list when we launch the Code of Conduct on 23 October, and I hope that that will give impetus to efforts aimed at finding agreement among the permanent members, who have the right of veto, in pursuit of the objective of preventing mass atrocity crimes. Preventing mass atrocities is so important because their effects are irreversible. They have no remedy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In other words, we are all in this together, both in times of success and in times of failure. Some of the Council’s most damaging failures have occurred in the face of atrocity crimes. Rwanda, Srebrenica and now Syria sadly stand out in that respect. When we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Organization later in October, we should clearly acknowledge the damage done, and we should commit ourselves, therefore, to taking decisive action in the future when it is needed. To that end, Liechtenstein has led the discussion in the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, which has resulted in a Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. That Code of Conduct is a voluntary political commitment that any State can enter into.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“There is no justification for the failure of diplomacy in Syria, with civilians suffering from unspeakable violence and terrorist extremism taking over an entire region. We should not look for justifications. We need to look for solutions. We need to do better. The maintenance of peace and security is at the heart of the Charter. Therefore, in the eyes of the world, the work of the Security Council has a decisive effect on whether the Organization as a whole is seen s a success or a failure. Like many others, we want the Security Council to act with resolve and be effective and be guided by a common sense of purpose. That is primarily the task of the Council members themselves. Others, however, must contribute, as well. The Council works on our behalf, and we are bound to carry out its decisions.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The United Nations continues to provide emergency relief, education, health care and other services to millions of people around the globe. The United Nations is the strongest symbol for human rights, the rule of law, gender equality and the protection of vulnerable populations. People around the world place their faith in the Organization, but all too often, they have been disappointed. It is true that the United Nations has a huge task. Mistakes are unavoidable, and at times, perhaps, the same can even be said of failure. Nonetheless, there can be no justification when the Organization fails at the very core of its mission. There is no justification when the very people who should be protecting civilians and children exploit them instead in the most abusive way possible.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, we must ask ourselves what would approval ratings be among the people of Syria, Haiti, the Central African Republic, Ukraine or Sri Lanka. Are we achieving the purposes of the Charter that we fought so hard for seventy years ago in San Francisco? There is much to be proud of even when just looking back at the recent past. The United Nations- led response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa saved thousands of lives, and it has prepared us to act with even more resolve in the future. The Millennium Development Goals have had a catalytic effect on our development efforts and paved the way for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1), a visionary blueprint for sustainable development.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)