YouSaid · the spoken record

Ahmad

lines on the record: 388
first: 2000-03-09
most recent: 2023-11-29
sittings or episodes: 45
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

“They have also described systematic sexual violence, which, as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, I have been particularly moved by. The United Kingdom is supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations agencies to provide essential services to survivors of sexual violence, and an extra £16.7 million in funds were announced in June, which will support and drive accountability. In addition, this week we deployed an expert to advise on support for the safe collection and preservation of evidence — and this is vital and imperative — in order to bring the perpetrators of sexual violence to justice at the appropriate time.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes and endorses the call of Chairperson Faki of the African Union Commission for all parties to uphold their responsibilities under international law to protect civilians. He is, of course, right that a comprehensive and all-encompassing permanent ceasefire is absolutely necessary to pave the way for sustainable peace in Tigray. We will support the African Union in its efforts in pursuit of peace and stability in Tigray, Ethiopia and the wider region. Further, we encourage the United Nations system to consider how it can also assist as the situation develops, as part of a joined-up process and coherent strategy. Finally, Special Representative Patten and High Commissioner Bachelet have highlighted serious allegations of human rights abuses and violations.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“Denial of humanitarian access is a direct violation of international humanitarian law. At the same time, we, the international community and United Nations agencies, must be ready to respond. The response to date, frankly, has been insufficient. The ceasefire gives us the opportunity to address this and urgently increase the amount of aid reaching the starving people of Tigray. In that regard, the United Kingdom has already allocated £47.7 million. A full and sustained ceasefire will give all parties time and space to address the root causes of this conflict through both dialogue and, importantly, reconciliation and to initiate an inclusive political process.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“All sides — the Federal Government of Ethiopia, the Tigray Defense Forces, the Amhara militias and the Eritrean Defence Forces have an opportunity to end the cycle of violence and suffering. We urge them to take it, and we call on the Eritrean forces to withdraw, as requested by the Ethiopian Government. Our immediate priority has to be for humanitarian assistance to get through to those who require it. The restoration of basic infrastructure, including electricity, communications and banking services, and ensuring food and other needed goods can reach Tigray is essential to prevent further loss of life. Enabling humanitarian agencies to get visas for their staff and import communications equipment so they can operate effectively is imperative. Indeed, we have heard that today.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“But before I go any further, I want to pay tribute to the 12 humanitarian workers — and I am sure that I speak for every member of the Council — who have been killed since the conflict began. The protection of humanitarian workers, their offices and their equipment is a central tenet of international humanitarian law. Their work is especially vital in Tigray, where — as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has outlined and the Integrated Phase Classification data shows — at least 353,000 people are now in famine conditions. People have died from hunger, people are dying from hunger and people will continue to die unless they get the help they need now. This is a human- made famine and we need to act. In that regard, the United Kingdom welcomes the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Government of Ethiopia.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“I would like to begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Acting Under-Secretary-General Rajasingham for their expert insights and briefings today. Today is an important opportunity. It is right that the Security Council consider how to help end this devastating conflict and support all of the people of Ethiopia. I will not repeat the picture of suffering outlined by our briefers — it is stark and it is real. But after eight months of conflict, we remain deeply concerned by all that we have heard and seen. Instead, I want to briefly discuss three key issues — the immediate humanitarian situation, human rights concerns and the need for conflict resolution — so that Ethiopia can move on from this most tragic of conflicts.”
2021-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8812 (2021) · source
“Let me assure all Member States that we will continue to fund the Comprehensive Performance Assessment System, which informs decision-makers as part of an integrated policy performance framework. Like others, we remain committed to playing our part in Mali through the United Nations.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“The United Kingdom fully supports the efforts to adapt and improve the Mission as we seek to bring lasting peace and stability to Mali. Therefore, despite the volatility in the environment that we have seen through the continued presence of armed groups affiliated to Al-Qaida and the Islamic State, the United Kingdom will continue to support the Mission adaptation plan so as to deliver a more agile, responsive and adaptable force to meet these challenges. The United Kingdom is proud to play its part. At a system-wide level, we will continue to fund the implementation of the peacekeeping intelligence policy, which supports the non-clandestine collection of intelligence. This informs a whole-of-mission approach to planning, which improves both the safety of the Mission personnel and the protection of civilians.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“It is my hope and our belief that this three-year commitment will multiply our success; it will enhance the security and safety of all peacekeepers and embed peacekeeping reform. Lastly, the United Kingdom commits itself to supporting improved mission performance through its bilateral support and training offer to troop-contributing countries. To conclude, although MINUSMA’s mandate is complex and the scale of the challenge makes it the most expensive United Nations peacekeeping operation, nevertheless we must positively recognize that we are making progress. As we review that progress and agree the way ahead together, we must remind ourselves that MINUSMA is not itself a permanent solution but a route to a means to an end and to a more sustainable and long-standing solution.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“In that regard, as we reflect on the twentieth anniversary year of resolution 1325 (2000), it is highly incumbent on each and every one of us to be absolutely committed to women playing a full, integrated, effective and meaningful role at every single stage of this important process. To succeed, revised goals for the north, as set out in the mandate, must be both ambitious and, indeed, achievable. New benchmarks must help to restore State authority and tackle impunity in the centre. Recent reports and allegations of human rights violations must rally MINUSMA to protect civilians and encourage accountability — a point that was well made by Minister Heiko Maas. We will significantly increase our contribution this year through the deployment of 250 United Kingdom troops in a long-range mechanized infantry reconnaissance task patrol group.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“As we have heard today, MINUSMA continues to have an absolutely direct impact on the ground through its work to support the Malian Government and the signatory parties in implementing the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, emanating from the Algiers process. The recent legislative elections, coupled with the partial deployment of the reconstituted army in the north and the inclusive national political dialogue, including, most important, women’s participation, are indeed strong signs of progress. I therefore welcome the Secretary-General’s recent report (S/2020/476). As we move forward, we should continue to support MINUSMA and call on the Government of Mali to spare absolutely no effort in fully implementing all the requirements of the peace agreement.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“As the Security Council meets this month to look at the progress of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and indeed to renew its mandate, we, like others, wish to join those recognizing the immense sacrifices made by United Nations peacekeepers working for peace in Mali. In seven years, more than 200 personnel have lost their lives serving in MINUSMA. The scourge of the coronavirus disease now presents an added challenge for those who serve on the front line in this Mission. I wish to join with others and the Secretary-General in paying tribute to all our incredible peacekeepers who have lost their lives, including the two who tragically died recently in Mali due to this global pandemic. The work of peacekeepers saves lives.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“I thank Minister Le Drian and the French presidency of the Security Council for the opportunity to discuss the important topic of the situation in Mali. I am delighted that we have been joined by His Excellency Foreign Minister Dramé of Mali today. Let me also extend our thanks to their Excellencies Secretary-General Guterres and African Union High Representative for the Sahel and Mali Mr. Buyoya for reinforcing the importance of a coordinated international response. We further welcome the commitment of the African Union to Mali and the region, including to deploying African Union forces. Let me assure all colleagues that the United Kingdom remains committed to working with all members of the Council, through the United Nations and the new Coalition for the Sahel, as well as bilaterally, to support progress in Mali.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“Those who commit human rights violations, including against the Rohingya, must be held to account, and there must be unhindered humanitarian access to protect all communities from the effects of COVID-19. With regard to COVID-19, its potentially catastrophic impacts mount on top of the challenges facing civilians living amid armed conflict. We must now redouble our efforts to protect them, including from those who would seek to use the pandemic to their advantage. When opportunity to end conflict lies before us, let us reach for our tools, not our excuses. Let us get behind the Secretary-General’s call for a global humanitarian ceasefire. Let all parties to armed conflict lay down their weapons at this time and use the space to shield their people from COVID-19. Let us work collectively to build towards peace.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“With 80 per cent of the population reliant on humanitarian aid, it is crucial that parties comply with resolution 2451 (2018) and facilitate safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian response. In the long term, the best way to protect Yemen’s civilians is a comprehensive political solution to the conflict, and we therefore urge the parties to engage constructively with the peace process led by Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Martin Griffiths. In Myanmar, the recent escalation of the conflict between the military and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has led to a spike in civilian casualties, further internal displacement and restrictions on humanitarian access. We urge an immediate cessation of hostilities in Rakhine and Chin states.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“It is imperative that all parties engage constructively and provide unfettered access to humanitarian organizations. The humanitarian situation in the north-west remains particularly dire. It is therefore important that we, the Security Council, come together behind resolution 2504 (2020), on cross-border aid, when it is renewed in July. It is also crucial that we act on the findings of the United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry investigation into the appalling attacks in Idlib in 2019 and hold those responsible to account. The protection of civilians is also of paramount importance in Yemen. The ongoing conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives, and we must all continue to push the parties to the conflict to uphold international humanitarian law and protect human rights.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“We shall together shine the spotlight on individual responsibility and deter future atrocities. Our work together at the United Nations over many decades has furnished us with the necessary tools to stem conflicts. Yet too often we still hesitate to use them, even when the need is great. Nowhere is that need greater than when we look at the conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Myanmar. Protecting civilians in Syria should be an urgent priority for all of us. The United Kingdom Government continues to urge all parties to the conflict to do just that and the forces to uphold international humanitarian law. More than half the pre-war population is now displaced, and it is unacceptable that the Al-Assad regime continues to prevent aid from reaching millions of people who need it.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“One of the most pivotal steps we have taken together was the establishment of the Blue Helmets and the Blue Berets, deploying peacekeeping missions and special political missions to conflicts all over the world. To strengthen them further, the United Kingdom continues to support the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative. It is important we deliver on the commitments we made in the shared declaration and fully implement resolution 2436 (2018). Accountability is also essential for the United Nations, for our peacekeepers and, indeed, for ourselves. It is a fundamental part of providing protection for civilians. The United Kingdom Government values the contribution of the International Criminal Court to the fight for justice and unity by holding perpetrators to account for the most serious crimes of international concern.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“As the British Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and also as Minister for Human Rights for the United Kingdom, I can assure the Security Council that our commitment to leading global action to tackle these horrific crimes and support all survivors remains solid. It remains steadfast. When the United Nations emerged from the ashes of global conflict 75 years ago, we all collectively resolved to end such horrors. The United Nations has since become the heart of our international system based on our shared values and rules. Together, we have developed responses to conflict and measures to protect civilians, and we now recognize that our interventions must go beyond physical pain and that we must protect access to basic services and address psychological harm and, indeed, family separation.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“I thank our briefers, Peter Maurer, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and, of course, Secretary-General Guterres. The stark reality of today’s debate is that despite all our efforts — our collective efforts — civilians still bear the brunt of conflict. States have the primary responsibility to protect civilians, but too often they and other parties to conflict flout their obligations. The indirect consequences are death, injury, violence against children, torture and much more. In this year’s report (S/2020/366), the Secretary-General has again noted the appalling use of sexual and gender-based violence and attacks on places of worship.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“I assure you that the United Kingdom will continue to support access to sexual and reproductive health care for survivors of sexual violence around the world - that is a priority. If we are to have a survivor-centred approach, we cannot ignore that important priority.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Secondly, the resolution does acknowledge conflict- related sexual violence and its disproportionate impact on women and girls. Thirdly, it acknowledges the important role that civil society plays. But again, it must be made clear - and that is why I made this point in my original statement - that we deeply regret the language on services provided for survivors of sexual violence, recognizing the acute need for those services to include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care. We were very clear in that regard in my earlier statement. I support the efforts made by other Security Council members, including yourself, Mr. President, and the efforts that Germany and France will continue to make, as well as other colleagues, in ensuring that we keep this important priority on our agenda.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“May I first extend my congratulations to Germany on behalf of the United Kingdom for having achieved a successful outcome to resolution 2467 (2019). In doing so, may I also attach myself totally in support of the remarks made by the Ambassador of France in connection with the achievements behind this resolution, while also recognizing the important steps that remain for the Security Council in ensuring that we truly do put survivors at the heart of our approach. There are many achievements behind this resolution, including three key elements that I highlighted during my earlier statement. First, there is a recognition of the survivor-centred approach, although as our colleague from South Africa has just pointed out, more steps need to be taken to achieve true justice and accountability in that respect.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“It should be the basis of international action in preventing sexual violence in conflict. Yes, as we have heard today, words are important, but words alone do not provide justice and accountability for survivors. It is time to act, and we must do just that.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“In doing so, I feel proud of the United Kingdom's contribution, above all in penning and securing unanimous support for resolution 2379 (2017), which ensured that we held the members of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) who perpetrated those crimes to account. We stand with the Government of Iraq, the survivors, Nadia Murad and others such as Amal Clooney who represent them. We totally support the work and efforts on the ground in Iraq of Karim Khan, Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team for the Promotion of Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL in Iraq. We look forward to their responses and their continued insights and expertise and, most importantly, to the testimonies of survivors. We should all remain focused on that key priority.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“We therefore endorse the call to Council members to provide more funding for the survivor advocacy networks, health-care professionals and psychosocial services that offer such support and that are making a real difference in the lives of survivors on the ground. I was going to end my statement today with a question for the briefers on how we, the international community, can do more to ensure that survivors of sexual violence have access to such holistic support. But through their testimonies we have heard many of the answers today. I would particularly like to respond to the testimonies we heard from the survivors and from Amal Clooney by saying that in thanking them for providing their insights today, I want to assure them that we will reflect on the contributions they have made.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“We want to see the Code incorporated into all donor funding requirements, and we hope that all members will sign up when we launch it formally at our Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative international conference, to be held in London in November. However, we should also recognize that for some survivors, achieving justice does not necessarily mean going through a formal court system, which is why we support the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation and Nadia's Initiative in developing community-focused redress for survivors. The United Kingdom recently funded a pilot project in that regard in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We also support Dr. Mukwege's plea for more holistic support for survivors.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“That is why we should tackle both conscious and unconscious bias within criminal justice systems and build the capacity of judges and prosecutors to gain a better understanding of conflict-related sexual violence and of the need to act, which is a priority, as has been illustrated by the testimonies we have heard today from Nadia Murad. We owe it to the survivors. That is why the United Kingdom is working with the Institute for International Criminal Investigations and with Nadia's Initiative to develop the Murad Code, an ethical code of conduct that will ensure that survivors give informed consent regarding evidence-gathering and are referred safely and confidentially to support services.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Accountability is key both to response and prevention - first, because achieving justice is a vital step in helping survivors to repair and rebuild their lives, as we have also heard again today, and secondly, because ending impunity, as we heard from Amal Clooney, is an essential deterrent to future violence of this nature. That is why the United Kingdom is committed to strengthening justice for survivors and holding perpetrators to account. That means not only ensuring that international standards and best practices for gathering evidence are upheld so that convictions can be secured, but also that survivors are not traumatized all over again.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Our international consultations have informed our efforts to put survivors at the centre of our approach, not only in how we respond to incidents that have already occurred but also, importantly, and as we heard from our briefers today, in how we prevent them from happening again. We have been pleased to work with like-minded partners, and I would particularly like to pay tribute to the close cooperation we have enjoyed with Special Representative Patten and her Office, as well as our joint visits, such as the one we made not so long ago to Iraq.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“We regret that the language on services for survivors of sexual violence, recognizing the acute need for those services to include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health care, including safe termination of pregnancies, did not meet with the support of all the Council members. It is important nonetheless that we maintain our consistent efforts in that respect and the progress that we have made on that issue, including through previous Council resolutions, most notably resolution 2106 (2013). Over the past several years, the United Kingdom has spent more than Â£46 million on preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence around the world, and I want to assure the Council that as our Prime Minister's special representative on this very issue, it is a personal priority for me.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“It encourages support for children born of sexual violence and recognizes that sexual violence also affects men and boys. The United Kingdom believes that survivor services should cater to all survivors without exception and welcomes the efforts made in the draft resolution to promote that very approach. Thirdly, the draft resolution emphasizes the role that civil society plays in efforts to address conflict- related sexual violence, including by tackling stigma, as well as its central role in the implementation of a broader women and peace and security agenda. However, the United Kingdom believes that more needs to be done.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“The proposed draft resolution builds on previous resolutions in developing an integrated, effective and international approach to tackling such grave crimes. There are three elements of the draft resolution that I wish to focus on in my statement. First, the proposed draft resolution rightly recognizes the importance of focusing on survivors' needs through a survivor-centred approach, a point again articulated by the Secretary-General in his contribution today. We believe that such an approach is key to all policies and programmes that aim to meet the needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual Violence and to avoid putting them at risk of further harm. Secondly, the proposed draft resolution acknowledges that conflict-related sexual violence has a disproportionate impact on women and girls.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Draft resolution S/2019/328, which is before us today, is a positive contribution to much-needed efforts to move the agenda forward. The United Kingdom is supporting the draft resolution, which was proposed by Germany, because time after time in this very Chamber we have heard shocking reports of conflict-related sexual violence, like those we heard today. I am sure I speak for everyone in this Chamber when I pay tribute to the likes of Nadia Murad and Inas Miloud for their brave courage and testimony, which they have presented once again today. The impact of crimes of sexual violence on countries, survivors, communities and families is very clear and it is our responsibility, as the Security Council, to respond to that challenge.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Allow me first to extend my heartfelt thanks to Germany and to you, Mr. President, in particular for your personal efforts in prioritizing discussion on this important issue before us today - conflict-related sexual violence - and for gathering such knowledgeable briefers. I am sure I speak for everyone in this Chamber and beyond, when I say that our biggest thanks go to our briefers, in particular to those courageous survivors of sexual violence in conflict. Once again, we have heard compelling testimony that, despite the considerable momentum that has been built on this very issue since the adoption of resolution 2106 (2013) and others, as well as the launch of the United Kingdom- 1ed Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative over seven years ago, there is still so much more to do.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“As we step up our engagement over the coming years, the principles of frank and open partnership will be central to our approach, both with the people and Governments of the region and with our broader international partners. I look forward to working with many here, the Government of Mali and all partners to achieve our shared ambitions and our shared goals.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“The issues that we are discussing here today have major long-term implications not only for the security and prosperity of the people of Mali but also for the broader region and, indeed, for Europe. That is why the United Kingdom is stepping up its engagement in the Sahel. We already work with countries of the region to support peace, development and prosperity. We are the region's third largest humanitarian donor. We are enlarging our Embassy in Mali, which spearheads our work on the very issues that we have been discussing so far today. We are also establishing new embassies in the Niger and Chad and building a broader stability and development programme.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“Where MINUSMA's military operations are concerned, we are worried about the fact that the Mission still spends too much time and money on resupply and force protection rather than protecting the Malian people. We want to support the Mission in making longer-term cost savings so that it can free up capacity, because that is crucial to saving lives. Finally, we should all recognize that MINUSMA is not a permanent solution but a means to an end, which is the achievement of sustainable peace in Mali. We all need to work together across the whole United Nations family to achieve that. I want to conclude by underlining the importance that the United Kingdom attaches to progress in Mali and the broader Sahel region.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the recent attacks on MINUSMA personnel, and we would like to express our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. As we approach the June renewal of MINUSMA's mandate, the United Kingdom wants to work with everyone here today to build on recent progress and further enhance the effectiveness of the Mission. In particular, we want to see a mandate that enables it to continue to focus on its core task in the north and its areas of strength. MINUSMA has had the greatest political impact when it has used its good offices to defuse tensions and enable agreement to form around the tough compromises necessary. Those compromises are absolutely essential to peace, and we believe that the Mission can do more in that area, particularly in central Mali.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“I commend the Government of Mali's commitment to holding a constitutional referendum before the end of June. In order to give the reform process the best chance of success, we would urge the Government to ensure that it is properly inclusive, involving genuine consultations with all signatory parties to the peace agreement and all sectors of Malian society. We also welcome the Prime Minister's clear commitment to stabilizing the situation in central Mali. We hope that he can give assurances that the Government's plan will be both truly comprehensive and properly funded, in order to ensure its effectiveness. MINUSMA plays a crucial role in Mali in extremely challenging circumstances.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“Nevertheless, while progress in recent months has been more encouraging than in previous years, the United Kingdom notes that the report of the Secretary- General (S/2019/207) highlights a number of areas in which progress has not matched the benchmarks set out in the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). It is clear that more still needs to be done to ensure that Mali is able to achieve long-term peace and stability. Even where positive steps have been taken, more fundamental changes are required to achieve peace, sustainable development and prosperity. That is particularly the case with constitutional reform, decentralization, security sector reform, economic development in northern Mali and the meaningful participation of women in the peace process.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“Let me start by thanking you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting and the Secretary-General for his comprehensive and informative briefing. Like many others, I am also looking forward to haring Prime Minister Maiga give his perspective on the challenges that his country faces. However, I would like to begin by addressing the Prime Minister, on behalf of the United Kingdom Government, by offering our sincere condolences for the tragic deaths of more than 160 people in the most recent violence in Ogossagou. Given the ongoing security challenges, we particularly welcome the recent steps that his Government has taken to implement the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, including on the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process.”
2019-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8497 (2019) · source
“Through the United Kingdom-led Centre for Global Disaster Protection, we are working with developing countries to increase their preparedness, and indeed resilience to climate change and natural disasters. In conclusion, there is no doubt that climate-related security challenges are real; they are here and they are now. We must work together to ensure the United Nations system is able to holistically consider climate risks in decision-making and, most important, integrate them into mission planning and ultimately into implementation.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“Getschel, I would say that I am sure her suggestions have caused us all to reflect, and that, from a Commonwealth perspective, I have the opportunity to host youth ambassadors from the Commonwealth in London next week. I will certainly be reflecting very strongly on her suggestions and recommendations in the coming days. In economic terms alone, this makes sense. Investing and preparedness to respond will on average cut in half - yes, half- the cost of deploying humanitarian aid in the wake of a disaster, and it can also speed up crisis response by up to two weeks. Resilience also presents a huge opportunity for supporting employment and spreading prosperity, which of course accelerates development and ultimately enhances security.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“The task now is to ensure effective implementation and, importantly, integration into our development, peacebuilding and humanitarian work. The United Kingdom welcomes the piloting of a mini- mechanism to ensure that information is available to United Nations reporting, but it should explore ways to go further, for example, by improving the coordination and integration of United Nations agencies and missions that manage climate-related security risks on the ground. Finally, we must invest in resilience. The United Kingdom will lead efforts aimed at increasing resilience, ahead of the Secretary-General's climate summit this year, while collaborating with a range of actors to launch what we hope to be genuinely transformational actions. Again, to Ms.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“In our view, the United Nations needs to enhance its approach to climate security in three important ways. First, with respect to information-sharing, we must make better use of the climate risk data available in the private sector and, importantly, in civil society. We must integrate that data into decision-making across the entire United Nations system. Secondly, we need to consider all risks, including climate-related risks, in a holistic way and when planning and implementing solutions to peace and, indeed, security issues. As mentioned by Mr. Heiko Maas, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, the Security Council has started to reflect that in recent resolutions, in particular - I agree with him - on the issues of Lake Chad, Somalia, the Sahel, Mali and Darfur.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“We must now accelerate global action to meet the commitments that we have made, and we must heed the call of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to increase our ambition. That includes through our existing partnerships. For example, last April in London, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting reaffirmed its commitment to the Paris Agreement and to pursuing efforts to limit the increase in global average temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. I, too, pay tribute to Poland's leadership at the twenty-fourth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In that vein, we strongly commend the Secretary- General's efforts to refocus the United Nations on the urgent need to address climate change.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“Research by the United Kingdom's independent Climate Change Committee, in collaboration with the China Expert Panel on Climate Change, recently concluded that we have significantly underestimated the social and, indeed, the economic risk of climate change. That risk, of course, threatens us all. It is therefore important that we all contribute to the solution, including through discussions such as the important one we are having now. In Paris in 2015, the international community rallied together to find a shared solution to this shared and common problem. As the British Prime Minister has said, the Paris Agreement is a vital pillar of the rules-based international system.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“We have also sought to strengthen our work within the Caribbean region to build resilience by bringing together resources, capabilities, assets and expertise to show a collaborative and strengthened response to the challenge posed by extreme weather events. We all acknowledge that climate change is not an abstract, theoretical risk. It is real and is happening now. Severe weather events that used to happen, as was often said, once in a century now occur two or three times in a decade, sometimes more often. They impact essential resources and drive people from their homes. They threaten sustainable development, including our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and to trade, and they exacerbate conflict and instability. The situation is in fact much graver than previously thought.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source
“I, too, visited the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Irma, where the devastation but, more importantly, the determination of the people left a deep and lasting impression on me. Our Prime Minister, Mrs. May, has said that there is a clear moral imperative for developed economies to help those that stand to lose most from the consequences of man-made climate change. Through our International Climate Fund, we support cleaner economic growth and have helped more than 21 million people to prepare for the risk of increased droughts and floods. Between 2016 and 2020, we pledged to provide at least $7 billion in support to the Fund, and we aim for a balance in our spending on adaptation and mitigation.”
2019-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8451 (2019) · source