YouSaid · the spoken record

Abarry

lines on the record: 571
first: 2020-01-08
most recent: 2023-12-13
sittings or episodes: 81
sources: un-security-council

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

“In order to better support the subregion, UNOCA is therefore working in close coordination with member States of the ECCAS Commission to use its good offices, with support being provided for the development of regional strategies on issues related to transhumance, the fight against hate speech and climate change. It is our fervent hope that the elections planned for 20 December in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a country whose strategic importance in the region is a given — will be peaceful, in order to entrench democracy in the country and strengthen the process of building a central Africa of peace, stability and prosperity.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“We should point out that while it is possible to correct the deficiencies observed in several countries in the region, support from international financial institutions is more essential than ever to help their Governments meet their peoples’ pressing needs. I would like to conclude by saying that for the task of building on its positive momentum and addressing the challenges I have mentioned, the subregion has substantial assets — the abundant wealth that lies under the ground, the vitality of its young people and women and the relative political stability in a majority of its member States.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“Such concerted initiatives are necessary to preserve the security of a maritime route as important as the Gulf of Guinea is, and to effectively counter such illicit activities as trafficking in banned goods and trafficking in persons. We must therefore all remain committed to ensuring safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. In the area of climate action, I would like to emphasize that UNOCA is actively engaged in building resilience in the subregion in conjunction with regional actors, ECCAS and its member States, civil society and United Nations entities. Those efforts include analysis that is based on proof of the linkages between climate and peace and security, efforts aimed at preventing, mitigating and adapting to the negative consequences of climate change and to ensure that climate action supports peacebuilding in the subregion.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“I welcome the opportunity to point out that international support for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea has increased in the wake of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. Beyond the first decade of the Yaoundé process, the subregion must remain vigilant and step up its concerted efforts with other countries of the Gulf of Guinea, as well as with regional and international partners. To that end, UNOCA will continue to work closely with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, while also promoting partnership with the Group of Seven++ Group of Friends of the Gulf of Guinea with a view to providing coordinated support to stakeholders in the region.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“The sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the Niger, a member of the Multinational Joint Task Force, have also had an impact on the Joint Task Force’s mobility and coordination, which are so essential in this struggle. Maritime security remains a source of major concern for the subregion. In my briefing on the previous report, I mentioned that there had been a drop in the number of maritime security incidents. In this reporting period, the subregion recorded four maritime security-related incidents, including one hostage-taking. However, in that same period, the number of incidents registered in the ECCAS maritime zone was nevertheless fewer than in the ECOWAS maritime space.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“In the Lake Chad basin, despite the fact that the Boko Haram network’s spoiler capacity has been reduced, it has maintained its ability to operate, enabling it to continue its hostage-taking and other attacks on civilian and military targets. The fourth meeting of the Steering Committee for the Regional Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience Strategy for Areas Affected by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin Region was held in Abuja on 27 September. The meeting welcomed the convincing results achieved by the Multinational Joint Task Force, although we deplore the fact that once various areas are liberated it has been difficult for States to restore their authority, due essentially to a lack of resources.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“The groups have continued to attack civilians, teachers, medical personnel and hospitals and have gone so far as to impose curfews that restrict access to schools or have destroyed or closed them, in violation of resolution 2601 (2021), which the Security Council adopted in 2021. In that regard, I would like to sincerely thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, for her contribution to the work of UNSAC’s fifty-sixth session, which for the first time enabled a discussion of the issue of children and armed conflict in Central Africa.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“That coup d’état in Gabon follows on from those that have already taken place in the neighbouring West African subregion and entails a need for the international community, in particular the United Nations, to reflect on the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government on the African continent. In the reporting period, non-State armed groups and terrorist groups continued their violent actions through killings, hostage-taking and the destruction of infrastructure. In the past two months alone, Cameroon was the victim of at least three attacks perpetrated by separatist armed groups, which resulted in dozens of deaths in the north-western and south-western areas of the country.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“The new authorities, who have had the people’s support from the very first hours of the coup d’état, have shown their determination to give Gabon a new start by organizing consultations with the various social strata ahead of the holding of an inclusive national dialogue in April 2024. They also set out a 24-month timetable for the transition. Therefore, in coordination with the international community, and having consulted the authorities, we are working to establish a group of friends of Gabon to support those efforts effectively, in strict compliance with United Nations principles.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“As part of my good offices mandate, I drew the attention of the authorities at the time to the need for an inclusive, consensual and open process, which was the only way to maintain peace and social tranquillity and avoid a repeat of the regrettable events of 2016 in that country. Faced with the new political situation thus created, we have entered into discussions with the new authorities, with a view, in particular, to advocating a return to normal constitutional order within a reasonable time frame, following an inclusive transition that respects human rights and seeks to safeguard peace, social tranquillity and stability.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“That conference will lead to the establishment of a regional agency for humanitarian action and coordination and of a humanitarian solidarity fund. In that regard, I invite the various actors in the international community to contribute to the success of that conference. As I said at the outset, the coup d’état in Gabon on the night of 30 August was a reminder of the institutional fragility of certain countries in the subregion. It should be recalled that the coup d’état took place following a questionable electoral process marked by non-consensus- based reforms to the electoral framework and by the rejection of independent electoral observation, including that of the ECCAS, of which Gabon was nevertheless to be holding the presidency.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“Whether as a result of the activities of armed or terrorist groups, intercommunal conflicts or environmental crises, the humanitarian situation in central Africa is extremely worrisome. It is estimated that more than 2.6 million people are internally displaced in the subregion, more than 1.5 million face food insecurity and more than 42 million were in need of humanitarian aid in October, while resources to assist them are becoming increasingly scarce. Unfortunately, children are the hardest hit by those various crises. Aware of that alarming humanitarian situation in the region, UNSAC member States meeting at the fifty- sixth UNSAC session in Kigali adopted a declaration with a view to holding a regional conference early next year in Malabo.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“In fact, as part of my assessment of the impact of the Sudanese crisis on Chad, I accompanied Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on her mission to Chad from 17 to 19 July. That mission, which visited the refugee camps on the border between Chad and the Sudan, enabled us to assess the dramatic situation caused by the Sudanese conflict, the main victims of which are women and children. In that regard, I would like to pay tribute to the solidarity and generosity of the Chadian authorities and people, who continue to welcome those thousands of refugees in spite of their own difficulties. Clearly, only a resolution of the crisis in the Sudan will make it possible to address the humanitarian, economic, environmental and security impacts on Chad and other countries, in particular, the Central African Republic.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“The Sudanese crisis, which I mentioned in this very Chamber when presenting the previous report, unfortunately persists, wreaking its share of destruction and atrocities that are driving even more Sudanese to seek refuge in Chad and the Central African Republic. The conflict also entails its own security risks, with the influx of some 1,000 soldiers from the Sudanese Armed Forces who fled the fighting in Darfur into Chad, against a backdrop of tensions between the two countries. That influx of refugees also creates risks of intercommunal conflict. Despite United Nations efforts, the humanitarian response is proving insufficient to meet the needs of more than 1 million registered refugees, not counting those staying with host families.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“It was that new development that led ministers from the subregion, meeting in Kigali on 24 November, during the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC), to adopt the Kigali declaration on the prevention of and fight against unconstitutional changes in Central Africa. In that connection, a regional conference on the resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government is scheduled for early next year in Sao Tome and Principe. That conference will enable the subregion to lay the groundwork for a normative instrument designed to tackle that scourge.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“UNOCA played a major role in achieving that successful outcome. It should be noted, however, that despite that policy of outstretched hands, other political players and certain political and military groups have remained on the sidelines of the transition process, although negotiations are being facilitated with the support of the Community of Sant’Egidio to bring those groups back into the process. The challenges I mentioned here six months ago have been compounded by the unconstitutional change of Government on 30 August in Gabon, the host country of ECCAS and UNOCA.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“However, we must note with regret, following that process, the slight drop in the number of women registered in the new electoral roll. I would like to welcome the policy of outstretched hands adopted by His Excellency Mr. Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, President of the Transition, which has enabled many members of the opposition in exile to return to Chad and take part in political life. It was that policy of outstretched hands that enabled Mr. Succès Masra, leader of the political party Les Transformateurs, to return to Chad on 3 November, following an agreement signed with the transitional authorities on 31 October in Kinshasa, under the auspices of His Excellency Mr. Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and ECCAS facilitator for the transition in Chad.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“In Chad, despite the many challenges facing the country, including the humanitarian, security, environmental and economic impacts of the Sudanese conflict, the transition process will enter a crucial stage with the holding, on 17 December, of a referendum seeking to provide the country with a new constitution. Indeed, the adoption of that new constitution is a prelude to the organization of the various elections slated to take place in that country in 2024. Here, I would like to point out that one of the critical activities in the process, namely, the revision of the electoral roll, went smoothly. Approximately 900,000 new voters were registered with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“In Sao Tome and Principe, we continued to support the authorities in their reform of the justice and security sectors, in conjunction with ECCAS. To that end, in November I visited the country with the ECCAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, to validate the evaluation report, which is an important step that will enable us to support the Government of Sao Tome and Principe, in particular at the Peacebuilding Commission’s meeting on Sao Tome and Principe scheduled for January 2024. I would also like to welcome the announcement by the Government of Sao Tome and Principe of its intention to set up an independent national human rights commission, with the support of the United Nations system.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“Such efforts, which UNOCA is committed to supporting, are fully in line with the views expressed at the Conference of Ministers in charge of Gender and the Advancement of Women, held in Libreville on 25 May. I would also like to mention here that in the face of a rise in hate speech in the subregion and in accordance with resolution 2686 (2023), UNOCA, in collaboration with ECCAS, continued to support the development of a regional strategy to combat hate speech and violence in Central Africa. From 28 to 30 November, UNOCA therefore supported the organization of a regional conference in Douala, Cameroon, that brought together journalists and media professionals to discuss the causes and consequences of hate speech in Central Africa and the means of combating the phenomenon.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“In addition, 70 former combatants from the Lord’s Resistance Army have been voluntarily demobilized, and some have already been repatriated to Uganda, thanks to the support of the United Nations, including the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. That demobilization could help to significantly reduce armed violence in some parts of the Central African Republic. I was pleased to note the launch of the ECCAS Women Mediators Network with my Office’s support. The Network’s launch, which was made official at a meeting held in Malabo from 17 to 20 November, demonstrates the importance that the subregion attaches to the participation and inclusion of women in mediation and other political processes.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“I also commend President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola and African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation for his ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Several situations demonstrate the impact of the United Nations activities in the subregion. First, I am pleased to say that as part of the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic and the Luanda road map, hundreds of former combatants from the Central African Republic have been demobilized and are in the process of being reintegrated into various branches of the defence and security forces.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“I would also like to welcome the fact that during the reporting period, the States of the subregion demonstrated their mutual solidarity by committing jointly to achieving peace and stability. The Heads of State and Government of the subregion met at least five times over the past six months to discuss peace and security issues. In that regard, I would like to commend the personal commitment of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo and President Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, who have continued their role under the auspices of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in facilitating the political transitions in Chad and Gabon, respectively.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“As I said (see S/PV.9338) when I presented the previous report (S/2023/389), Central Africa is a region that has considerable potential with regard to its development and stability. That potential is first reflected in the resources emanating from the subsoil of the vast Congo basin forest, one of the world’s last remaining net carbon sinks and aptly referred to as the planet’s second green lung. I commend the States of the subregion for their willingness to contribute to the protection of the environment through the various initiatives launched to that end, including the One Forest Summit, held in Libreville, and the Three Basins Summit, which just took place in Brazzaville.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“At the outset, I would like to sincerely congratulate you, Sir, on your country’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and to wish you every success in your work. I am pleased to present to the Council today the twenty-fifth report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/934) on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). During the reporting period, I made successive visits to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Rwanda. I saw first-hand the positive dynamics and resilience in Central Africa, despite the many challenges facing the subregion.”
2023-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9505 (2023) · source
“With the invaluable support of Council members, we will ensure that violence, fuelled in particular by hate speech, which have marked elections in the past, are avoided at all costs. The peace and stability of the subregion depend on it. I would like to reiterate my firm commitment to supporting the States of the subregion and ECCAS in their efforts to build the prosperous Central Africa that we want and that is possible, given the abundant potential of the countries of that African subregion.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In that regard, I would like to pay tribute to the positive collaboration between UNOCA and the United Nations offices in the subregion, namely, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the Office of the Special Envoy, as well as resident coordinators and country teams, with whom my office works closely, including in the implementation of my good offices mandate. In conclusion, I would like to underscore that the coming months will be an important turning point for Central Africa, where crucial political and electoral processes must be held between now and the end of the year.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Although most countries have taken measures to mitigate the impact on consumers, we must be aware that a further deterioration in the socioeconomic situation could lead to an uptick in social upheaval, which would undermine the stability of the countries concerned. During the first nine months of my term of office, I have been pleased to note that coordination among United Nations entities in the subregion has been strengthened, with regular exchanges on political, security and socioeconomic issues.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“That is why I would like to call on the States of the subregion to put in place mechanisms that will help to ensure sustainable and long-term funding of the organization’s operations and activities in order to provide it with the resources to fully play its part. In that respect, I welcome the commitment of His Excellency Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, the architect of that reform, who has made its support one of the priorities of his mandate as current President of ECCAS. In addition to the challenges I have just mentioned, Central Africa is suffering from the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, which is leading to inflation and rising prices for basic foodstuffs and fuel and sometimes shortages.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Three years have passed since the implementation of the institutional reform of ECCAS, and I am pleased to note that since my most recent briefing, ECCAS has continued to play a central role on issues of peace and security in the subregion. Its active involvement in the search for solutions in Chad and Sao Tome and Principe are proof, if any were needed, of its renewed dynamism. The subregional organization has also continued to work to strengthen the political participation of women. The meeting of the ministers for women and gender of ECCAS member States, held in Libreville at the end of May, established a road map for the defence of women’s rights and their empowerment. However, the ECCAS institutional reform process requires sustainable financial support.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“My Office also continues to work closely with the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) on that issue, with a UNOCA/UNOWAS technical mission currently deployed in the four countries of the Lake Chad basin in order to assess the impact of violent extremism on the local populations. The security situation in Central Africa has also been marked by an upsurge in incidents of maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, underlining the need to strengthen interregional cooperation, particularly in the run-up to the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. I reiterate the readiness of the United Nations to support ECCAS, the Economic Community of West African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission in their efforts to strengthen coordination on this important issue.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“However, as the situation in the Lake Chad basin and the Sahel demonstrates, a purely military response will not be sufficient to address the root causes of insecurity. Political and socioeconomic measures are also necessary. Without them, armed groups will continue to exploit intercommunal conflicts, such as those linked to transhumance. The issue of cross-border management of the activities of armed groups was so aptly discussed at the fifty-fifth meeting of the UNSAC. I would therefore like to reiterate my Office’s readiness to mobilize the relevant United Nations agencies to support ongoing or planned regional efforts to address that issue.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Without a rapid and peaceful resolution to the conflict, the effects will be disastrous for the Sudan, but also for all the countries in the Lake Chad basin region. Faced with the continuing crisis in the Sudan, we must face up to the fact that our commitment and our solidarity with Chad are a matter of urgency. We must therefore act quickly to help this country. The joint military operations recently carried out by Chad and the Central African Republic on their common border reflect their desire to strengthen their bilateral cooperation to meet the common security challenges they face. In that respect, I encourage both States to make use of all existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms, in particular their joint cooperation commission.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Recent developments on the border between Chad and the Central African Republic and the impact of the Sudanese crisis on those two countries remind us of the urgent need to adopt a holistic approach to peace and security issues in Central Africa, a region already marked by the presence of a multitude of armed and terrorist groups, with a humanitarian impact, particularly for women and young people. I would like to pay tribute here to the extraordinary solidarity and generosity shown by the two countries, which have already taken in, respectively, 100,000 and 10,000 Sudanese refugees. The ongoing fighting in the Sudan is having devastating humanitarian consequences for Chad and the Central African Republic. For Chad, $129.8 million will be needed to care for the 100,000 refugees for six months.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“On a completely different level, it is regrettable to note the persistence of violations of human rights, in particular freedom of expression, in certain countries of the subregion. Indeed, as we marked the thirtieth anniversary of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, attacks on the lives and physical integrity of journalists must cease. I wish here to reiterate my commitment, as part of my good offices, to continue to raise awareness among the States of the subregion about the safety of journalists and access to information.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In that respect, I call on international partners to take into account the positions expressed by the Cameroonian Government in any initiative aimed at helping to bring about a peaceful end to the crisis and to lend their support to efforts to rehabilitate and rebuild the regions affected by the crisis. In Sao Tome and Principe, the authorities’ determination to reform the justice and security sectors was strengthened following the unfortunate events of November, confirming the country’s determination to tackle the structural problems that threaten its peace and stability by reforming the security and justice sectors. In that regard, the United Nations and ECCAS carried out a strategic assessment mission in the country, whose recommendations, once implemented, will help to ensure the country’s stability.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In the run-up to this important meeting, I will continue my commitment and my good offices with all stakeholders in order to promote inclusive and peaceful elections, as promised by His Excellency Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Gabon. In Cameroon, the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions has entered its seventh year, while the country continues to suffer attacks by violent extremist groups in the far North and the flow of Central African refugees into its eastern regions. During my visit to the country at the end of March, I noted the determination of the national authorities and, in particular, that of His Excellency President Paul Biya to pursue efforts to promote dialogue and rebuild the areas affected by the crisis.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In that respect, I welcome the good collaboration that exists between ECCAS and UNOCA to help create a more inclusive space for dialogue among Chadian political players. I would also encourage the countries of the region that are due to hold elections in the coming months to ensure that such elections are inclusive and peaceful. In Gabon, the UNOCA host country, the Government organized a consultative dialogue prior to the general elections scheduled for this year, at the request of the opposition. Although some parties did not take part, the political dialogue held in February resulted in recommendations for electoral reforms that led to a constitutional revision, the adoption of the electoral code and the establishment of the Gabonese elections centre.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In Chad, the transitional authorities have pursued with determination the implementation of the recommendations of the sovereign and inclusive national dialogue. In particular, a consultation framework for political parties and a national commission to organize the constitutional referendum scheduled for November to adopt a new constitution have been set up. Although functional, those bodies continue to be criticized for their lack of inclusiveness. As I stressed to the transition authorities during my visit to N’Djamena at the end of April, the inclusion of all political players and respect for freedoms are essential conditions for the sustainability and success of the transition process.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“In addition, the region has continued to pay particular attention to the political participation and representation of women in key positions, notably with the appointment of women to the posts of Vice President in Gabon and Angola and Prime Minister in Equatorial Guinea. In Equatorial Guinea, the last stop on my tour of the States under the UNOCA mandate, His Excellency Mr. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, expressed his commitment to preserving peace and stability in his country and did not fail to request the support of the United Nations in implementing his youth programme. Since I last addressed the Council, I have noted a growing number of calls for dialogue in the region to address the challenges of governance and human rights.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Similarly, the fifty-fifth meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC) was held in Sao Tome and Principe from 15 to 19 May, on the theme of “climate security from the perspective of prevention conflicts and the consolidation of peace and stability in Central Africa”, thereby confirming the collective awareness of the region’s States of the need and urgency to act. These efforts are all the more justified as the region continues to face the effects of climate change, as recently demonstrated by the terrible floods in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My thoughts go out to the victims of these floods and reiterate UNOCA’s commitment to supporting the efforts of the member States of ECCAS in order to help them meet those challenges.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“I am also thinking of the mobilization of the States of the region in favour of resolving the serious crisis that is prevailing in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the support of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) for the transition in Chad, through the facilitation entrusted to His Excellency Mr. Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I have also noted the active commitment of the States of the subregion to security issues, which led in particular to the holding of the first ECCAS summit on maritime security and the One Forest Summit, in which Heads of State gathered to discuss climate security, focusing on the preservation of the Congo basin.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“I am thinking in particular of the dialogue between the President of the Central African Republic, His Excellency Mr. Faustin Archange Touadera, and the President of the Transition and Head of State of the Republic of Chad, His Excellency General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, on the revitalization of cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, I salute the eminently positive role played by His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and African Union Champion for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, in facilitating the normalization process between the two countries, which led notably to the transfer of former President François Bozizé from Chad to Guinea-Bissau.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Since presenting the previous report of the Secretary-General to the Council, in December 2022 (see S/PV.9213), I have had the privilege of visiting the 11 countries that fall within UNOCA’s mandate. During my visits, I had the honour of being received by authorities at the level of Head of State in 9 of the 11 countries. I was also welcomed and briefed on the situation by the United Nations resident coordinators and their teams. In my exchanges with various political and civil society players, I was reassured by the fact that Central Africa is richer in opportunities and resources than it is in challenges. I also noted the preference shown by most States in the subregion for dialogue and consultation as a means of resolving tensions peacefully.”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“First of all, I would like to congratulate you warmly, Madam President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month of June and wish you every success in your work. I would also like to thank the President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States, Ambassador Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo, and the Regional Coordinator of the Network of Young Leaders for Sustainable Management of Central African Forest Ecosystems, Ms. Marie Tamoifo, for their participation in today’s meeting. I have the great honour today of presenting to the Council the twenty-fourth report of the Secretary- General on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).”
2023-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9338 (2023) · source
“Bearing in mind that the last elections in these countries were marked by violence, international support for national and regional efforts may be needed to ensure peaceful electoral processes. I would like to reiterate UNOCA’s commitment, within the framework of its mandate, to playing a full role in this regard, working in coordination with other relevant United Nations entities and in support of States and such regional organizations as ECCAS. To this end, increased support from the Security Council at the political level will be essential.”
2022-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9213 (2022) · source
“In this context, I am pleased to report that my colleagues from the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, the peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I have just held a coordination meeting from 29 November to 1 December in Luanda, Angola, during which we identified ways and means of “delivering as one” on meeting the challenges of peace, security and governance facing the region. I am also pleased with the good collaboration we are seeing with other United Nations presences in the region, including the resident coordinators and the country teams, which are important partners in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. In conclusion, I would like to point out that the year 2023 will be marked by important political processes in some Central African countries.”
2022-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9213 (2022) · source
“In both cases, ECCAS has expressed its willingness to work closely with the United Nations, as evidenced by the joint visit I made with the President of the ECCAS Commission, Ambassador Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo, to Sao Tome following the serious events that occurred in that country. I take this opportunity to welcome the participation of Ambassador Da Piedade Veríssimo in today’s meeting. For greater efficiency, the United Nations entities in Central Africa have initiated a tradition of regular consultations.”
2022-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9213 (2022) · source
“However, we must also remain aware that, if these young people are poorly trained or victimized by socioeconomic exclusion, they could be attracted to terrorist and criminal groups, thus becoming a factor of instability. Central Africa’s strengths also lie in the role and capacity of subregional organizations to promote a common vision on key issues, without which no progress is possible. I have therefore observed since I took office that ECCAS is showing a clear desire to play its full role as the Central African pillar of the African Peace and Security Architecture. Its will to do so has taken the form of rapid actions to support the political transition in Chad and preserve stability and democratic gains in Sao Tome and Principe.”
2022-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9213 (2022) · source
“I welcome the efforts of ECCAS to adopt regional strategies on maritime governance, maritime security and the blue economy, which will culminate in the first maritime summit of the subregion to be held in January 2023 in Kinshasa. Central Africa is clearly facing many challenges, but this subregion also has, as I said at the beginning of my briefing, many assets that, if properly exploited, could enable it to meet these challenges successfully. These assets are first and foremost Central Africa’s abundant resources, including its human resources and specifically its dynamic youth, whose average age is just over 17. Well-trained, supported, motivated and adequately involved in the management of public affairs, these young people are precious human capital that could enable us to rapidly achieve the objectives of sustainable development.”
2022-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9213 (2022) · source