YouSaid · the spoken record

Al-Shafi

lines on the record
26
first
2009-07-27
most recent
2010-01-27
sittings or episodes
3
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un-security-council

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  1. “In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the need to involve all of the Palestinian people in the peace process to ensure its success. The Palestinians must seriously pursue everything that will help to foster national unity in their own interest and guarantee a unified Palestinian territory, both geographically and politically. We would be remiss not to salute and express our pride in our brothers and sisters, the Palestinians, who remain steadfast in the face of occupation, injustice and oppression.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  2. “The Golan must be returned to Syria, just as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories must be returned to Lebanon. The establishment of a lasting, comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East can be based only on the principle of land for peace, the Madrid terms of reference, relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. The Arab Peace Initiative was reaffirmed at the Doha summit in March 2009, with a reference indicating that the Arab side will continue to bring it forward conditioned on its acceptance by the Israeli side. Therefore, the new Israeli Government must refrain from taking extreme positions. It must take advantage of the goodwill on the Arab side in order to end the crisis in the Middle East.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  3. “However, let me emphasize Qatar's rejection of such a concept altogether, because such settlement activity is fundamentally illegal and that growth is not natural, since Israeli public policy encourages the colonization of the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly East Jerusalem, by offering Government subsidies and incentives to encourage the transfer of its civilian population to the Palestinian territory, in contravention of international law. We must also note the continued Israeli violations of Lebanon's sovereignty, in contravention of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), and the ongoing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory and the Syrian Golan. We reiterate that the Israeli decision to annex the Golan is null and void.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  4. “The State of Qatar believes that resolution of the Palestinian issue can come only through the establishment of two States living side by side in peace and security. We believe that the Israeli Government's attempts to expand settlements, particularly in and around East Jerusalem, undermine efforts for a two- State solution based on the 1967 borders because they threaten the contiguity of the Palestinian territory, which is an essential component of a viable Palestinian State. The Israeli Government seeks to justify the expansion of settlements with what it calls natural growth.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  5. “Those attempts violate Israel's obligations, as the occupying Power, under international law, are contrary to relevant United Nations resolutions and undermine the foundations of a peaceful solution to the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. Furthermore, such measures disrupt international efforts for an alliance of civilizations. Israeli authorities continue to commit numerous human rights violations against Arab populations within the so-called Green Line and to defy the international consensus on the need to cease building and expanding the illegal settlements in an effort to annex more Palestinian land, de facto. Those actions undermine international mediation efforts, in particular those of the Quartet.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  6. “The claim that excessive military force can serve to protect the security of Israel is false, because the right to struggle for liberation from foreign occupation is a legitimate right that cannot be equated with military aggression by occupation forces. We stress our firm rejection of Israel's illegal measures in occupied East Jerusalem and its attempts to change the city's Arab identity, demographic composition, legal status and religious character. We stress that all such attempts remain null, void and without any legal effect. The international community must reject the attempts by the Israeli Government to desecrate Islamic and Christian Holy Sites, demolish houses in the city, expel its Arab residents and confiscate their identity cards in order to Judaize the city.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  7. “For its part, the Security Council has taken no concrete action on the recommendations in the report of the Board of Inquiry established to investigate the targeting of United Nations premises and facilities during that act of aggression (see S/2009/250). It seems clear to all that the continued military occupation is the root of the problem and that that occupation will not provide security for Israel. It causes the worst violations of human rights perpetrated against an unarmed and oppressed people under the pretext of combating violence and terrorism, when in fact it is one of the root causes of terrorism.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  8. “Although the Human Rights Council has acted in response to the events that occurred in the Gaza Strip last year and is still considering the issue, it is more incumbent on this Council to act, because the question of Palestinian lies at the heart of its mandate and is one of its main agenda items. The report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (A/HRC/12/48), mandated by the Human Rights Council to investigate war events in Gaza, has clearly shown the gravity of the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in Gaza. Our humanitarian conscience requires us to ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes do not go unpunished.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  9. “Israel's military forces have caused massive destruction and damage to various infrastructures in the Gaza Strip, whose population of over 1.5 million was already suffering from shortages of food and health supplies. The siege imposed on the Strip continues to hinder the access of humanitarian supplies and basic building materials to the Strip. The State of Qatar was one of the first countries to take the initiative to help our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip to overcome that humanitarian disaster. However, financial support is useless unless it can reach its beneficiaries.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  10. “We meet today a year after the Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, the so-called Operation Cast Lead, and the adoption of resolution 1860 (2009). The fact that one year has passed since that criminal operation does not mean that it has been forgotten. The crimes that have been and continue to be committed in Gaza and throughout the occupied Palestinian territories are violations of international law. They are subject to no statute of limitations and should not be forgotten, even with the passage of time. How can such violations be forgotten when they continue to be committed in various forms, in particular the unjust siege imposed on an entire people?”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  11. “Mr. Al-Shafi (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me at the outset to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your successful presidency of the Security Council for this month. I thank you for convening this meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, in the form of an open debate, which affords us the opportunity to participate. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco for his briefing. Allow me to associate my delegation with the statements made by the representatives of Egypt on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, of Syria on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and of Oman on behalf of the Group of Arab States.”

    2010-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6265Resumption1 (2010) · source

  12. “It also condemns terrorist acts and reprisals against civilians and civilian targets, including hospitals and schools. During the attack on the Gaza Strip, Qatar was one of the first nations to call for the cessation of those practices and their investigation. It was also one of the first countries to strive to mobilize financial support to assist the civilian population affected by the hostilities. We reiterate our call on the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities and obligations to protect civilians in armed conflict, including foreign occupation, and to demand respect for its resolutions and the instruments of international law that provide the legal basis for the protection of civilians. We must always keep in mind that respect for international law is the true basis for a world of peace and stability.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  13. “We appeal to the Council to pay due attention to the recommendations of the Fact-Finding Mission and the report of the Board of Inquiry established by the Secretary-General to investigate the targeting of United Nations premises in Gaza by the Israeli army (S/2009/250). The targeting of civilians by a regular army equipped with the most sophisticated precision weapons in the world, in full view of the Security Council and without any response from it, undermines the basis of the Council's credibility in addressing the issue of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The State of Qatar attaches great importance to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and condemns all targeting of civilians in conflicts and under foreign occupation and their exposure to death and injury.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  14. “The report underscores that the Government of Israel admitted to deliberately destroying Hamas infrastructure, which in fact belongs to the 1.5 million Gaza residents who are already suffering under the protracted siege that has precipitated the worst and harshest humanitarian situation. The welfare of civilians in Gaza continues to be directly affected as a result of the obstruction of humanitarian access to the Strip and of basic commodities and construction materials to rebuild the infrastructure destroyed in the attack. The obstruction of humanitarian operations by the occupying Power has hampered education in the Gaza Strip. We call on the Security Council to duly prioritize the issue of the right to education in areas affected by armed conflict and foreign occupation and to include that topic in future Council deliberations.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  15. “That disregard has risen to the level at which civilians were directly targeted during the military aggression against the Gaza Strip last year and early this year. The report of the United Nations Fact- Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (A/64/490, annex), mandated by the Human Rights Council, details serious and clear violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law, specifically the Geneva Conventions and in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, which includes provisions on the protection of civilians under foreign occupation. What concerns us here is that those acts clearly violate Security Council resolutions and presidential statements on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  16. “First and foremost, the necessary laws must be enacted to protect civilians in armed conflict without discrimination and selectivity, in accordance with international law, in particular international humanitarian and international human rights law. Our region has witnessed and continues to witness a number of conflicts in which civilian lives are put at risk. The most significant of those is the Palestinian issue, which has threatened the security and safety of civilians for six decades. Despite developments on the political track of the peace process to resolve the crisis, civilians are increasingly vulnerable as a result of the growing disregard by the Israeli authorities for the protection of the Palestinian population living under its military occupation.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  17. “One reason is the culture of impunity, which we must address through zero tolerance as one of the main factors influencing the policies of warring parties towards civilians. A fundamental challenge to promoting the protection of civilians is foreign occupation. One cannot talk about the protection of civilians under foreign military occupation without addressing the root causes of their suffering and lack of security. Another challenge that must be addressed is the exposure of towns and villages in which military operations take place to the effects of such operations. Yet another challenge is that of civilians and international relief workers being killed or abducted by rebel elements in many conflicts. Thus, enhancing the protection of civilians is not solely a humanitarian mission, but one that requires efforts in several areas.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  18. “This milestone may be an opportunity to comprehensively review the efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians. Those efforts include the establishment of the Security Council Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians and the development of plans to address all forms of violence, including murder, mutilation and sexual violence, and to include protection activities in the mandates of peacekeeping missions. However, the substance of those Security Council resolutions and presidential statements has not been implemented as envisaged and desired. The main problem is the ongoing reluctance of many parties to armed conflict to fully comply with their legal obligations to protect civilians.”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  19. “Mr. Al-Shafi (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate and for giving us the opportunity to participate in the consideration of an issue arising from the primary purpose of the United Nations Charter. I also wish to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes for the importance that they attach to the issue. Many colleagues have mentioned that the Security Council has reached a milestone this year in the process of addressing the issue of the protection of civilians in armed conflict, namely, the tenth anniversary of the Council's first consideration of this topic through the adoption of resolution 1265 (1999).”

    2009-11-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6216Resumption1 (2009) · source

  20. “Just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region can be achieved only on the basis of the principle of land for peace, the terms of reference embodied in the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The latter was reaffirmed at the Doha summit of March 2009, which also noted that the continued offer of the Arab Initiative was contingent upon the Israeli side's 09-42592 acceptance of it. The new Israeli Government must therefore refrain from adopting extremist positions. It must take advantage of the genuine Arab desire to end the crisis in the Middle East. In conclusion, my country's delegation reiterates the need to ensure the participation of all Palestinian factions so as to ensure the success of the peace efforts.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  21. “The general policy in Israel encourages settlement in occupied Palestinian territory, especially in East Jerusalem. It does so by offering Government assistance and incentives to encourage the transfer of Israeli civilian residents to Palestinian territory, in violation of international law. Israel continues to violate Lebanon's sovereignty, in particular its airspace, on an almost daily basis. In addition, Israel continues to occupy some Lebanese territory and the Syrian Golan Heights. In that regard, we reiterate that Israel's decision to annex the Golan Heights is null and void. We stress the need to return the Golan to Syria and to return the remaining occupied Lebanese territory to Lebanon.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  22. “This can therefore be considered as a deliberate act that aims to eliminate any chances of a permanent solution to the Palestinian situation and as a blow to international mediation efforts, especially those of the international Quartet. The State of Qatar believes that the solution to the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of two States, living side by side in peace. Qatar believes that the Israeli Government's attempts to expand settlements, especially those around East Jerusalem, undermine the chances of a two-State solution based on the 1967 borders. If the Israeli Government seeks to justify the expansion of its settlements by what it calls natural growth, then we stress that we categorically reject this concept, because settlement activity is illegal to begin with, and such growth is by no means natural.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  23. “We await the report of the fact-finding mission appointed by the Human Rights Council to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law perpetrated in Gaza. The Israeli Government must cooperate with that independent international mission and with its Chairman, who is known for his impartiality. The Secretary-General has briefed the Security Council on a summary of the fact- finding team's report. This team was formed over two months ago, and we are still waiting for the Council to take concrete measures based on the team's recommendations. Israeli authorities continue to build the separation wall and to expand their settlements in a quest to, de facto, annex more Palestinian territories. This threatens the contiguity of Palestinian territories, which is considered a basic requirement for a Palestinian State.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  24. “The Security Council periodically discusses the issue of the protection of civilians in armed conflict and a few days ago the General Assembly began its consideration of the responsibility to protect. Moreover, international organizations and non-governmental organizations continue to focus on the need to protect the human rights and human security of civilians throughout the world. Despite all this, the suffering of Palestinian civilians as a result of Israeli occupation and illegal Israeli practices not only continues but is also being intensified. Human conscience requires that we expose the truth about all human rights violations committed during that armed conflict. We must ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes do not go unpunished.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  25. “We continue to witness the effects of the recent Israeli military aggression on Gaza, the destruction and damage that it left behind and the deteriorating humanitarian situation resulting from the Israeli army's use of disproportionate force and banned weapons such as white phosphorus in heavily crowded residential areas, as well as its targeting of houses of worship, schools, hospitals and United Nations facilities. This is considered a war crime, and those responsible for it must be held accountable. Moreover, the new Israeli Government is moving ahead with its predecessor's obstruction of access to humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials. These extremely serious practices are targeting the population at a time when the international community's concern for the security of civilians is heightened.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source

  26. “Mr. Al-Shafi (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, Sir, I would like to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for this month and to thank you for convening this meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, in the form of an open debate, which gives us an opportunity to discuss the issue, which is of paramount importance for security and development in our region and throughout the world. I also express our appreciation to Mr. Oscar Fernandez- Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for the briefing that he presented on behalf of the Secretary-General.”

    2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source