YouSaid · the spoken record

Allen

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2017-08-15

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2020-12-07

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un-security-council

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1. “It is also encouraging that human rights remain an essential part of UNAMA's mandate, and I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Yamamoto for highlighting the United Nations work to support the meaningful participation of women in the upcoming elections. In that regard, I would like to thank Ms. Wazhma Frogh for her compelling briefing, and we pay tribute to her many years of tireless activism in support of women's rights in Afghanistan. Her invitation to brief the Security Council today demonstrates the importance that we place on those issues. The United Kingdom is supporting Afghanistan so as to prevent violence against women and girls, improve girls' education and ensure women's full participation in political and economic life.”

   2017-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8147 (2017) · source

2. “The only viable option for achieving lasting peace and stability is an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. The Taliban must choose to engage with that process. We welcome the actions taken by the United Nations, including by the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, to act on the recommendations in the strategic review of UNAMA, which recognized the importance of placing peace efforts at the forefront of the United Nations work. The Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation will convene its second meeting in early February, and we call on all parties to engage constructively with the Afghan Government through that process so as to give Afghanistan the best hope of achieving peace.”

   2017-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8147 (2017) · source

3. “The United Kingdom will spend up to $1 billion by 2020 to support the Afghan Government's work to improve security, the quality of life and access to education. I will take this opportunity to focus on three important elements of peacebuilding in Afghanistan: the holding of timely elections, the Afghan-led peace process and the protection of human rights. First, credible, inclusive and timely elections are essential for long-term stability. We remain committed, together with the international community, to supporting the Afghan Government's efforts to deliver parliamentary and district elections in 2018. We call on the Government and the electoral management bodies to deliver the elections that the Afghan people deserve. There is no purely military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.”

   2017-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8147 (2017) · source

4. “Ithank the Secretary- General and Mr. Yamamoto, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), for the latest report on the situation in Afghanistan (S/2017/1056). I also thank all of our briefers. As the Secretary-General's report acknowledges, Afghanistan continues to face many challenges to its peace and stability. However, it is important to recognize the significant progress that has been made. Some 6.4 million children now attend school, the country has a democratic Government, and Afghan security forces are fighting to protect their fellow citizens. We remain committed to supporting the Afghan people on their path towards peace and prosperity bilaterally and through the United Nations.”

   2017-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8147 (2017) · source

5. “Through such support, we help countries to strengthen arms control frameworks, implement better stockpile management procedures and tackle the drivers of terrorism, crime, poverty and exclusion, which fuel the demand for illicit weapons. I would like to conclude by looking forward to 2030. A report recently published by Small Arms Survey shows us how the world could look if we all implement violence reduction initiatives. If we embrace action, quell the conflicts and realize the peacful societies envisaged in Sustainable Development Goal 16, we could save 1.2 million lives. That outcome would befit the body charged with upholding international peace and security.”

   2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

6. “As we look ahead to the third United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and its International Tracing Instrument next year, it is important that we continue to encourage States to prioritize resources for stockpile security and surplus destruction. The United Kingdom is proud to provide technical and financial support both bilaterally and through regional and multilateral organizations, such as the African Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Commonwealth.”

   2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

7. “That means doing all we can to stop diversion, tackle corruption, dismantle trafficking networks and strengthen information-sharing. Since the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons was adopted in 2001, we have seen more and more States take action to improve stockpile management. That is a recognition of the impact on their communities of weapons diverted from national stockpiles to criminal activity, and of the devastating consequences of explosions of ammunition depots.”

   2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

8. “It is for those reasons that we were proud to adopt resolution 2220 (2015) and continue the Council's focus on that important issue. Outside of the Council, the Arms Trade Treaty is one of our most powerful tools in the ongoing fight to stop irresponsible arms transfers. The Treaty's vision of a globally well-regulated, legal trade in arms is one that the United Kingdom fully supports. Universalization, especially getting the right States around the table, must remain a priority. Greater participation would increase the treaty's influence, strength and reputation, and we encourage all States that have not yet done so to make ratification or accession a national priority. Universalization must go hand in hand with implementation.”

   2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

9. “For a country torn apart by a national level conflict, this is a price that South Sudanese communities cannot afford to pay. Armed fighting widens rifts between groups and entrenches issues, and community conflict-resolution is far less effective because of heavily armed groups. And the problem does not stop at the borders of conflict zones. Transfers of weapons and trained fighters spread the threat to neighbouring countries. We have seen that in Somalia, Syria and elsewhere. If we are to make any progress in tackling that challenge, we need to work collectively to strengthen arms control, destroy excessive stockpiles and tackle the drivers of instability and conflict that fuel the demand for illicit weapons.”

   2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

10. “They facilitate the most heinous human rights violations and abuses. They are the preferred instruments of war for those who carry out mass killings and rape. They equip terrorists and violent extremists. And where we find transnational criminals dealing in human lives, illicit drugs or illegal wildlife products, there is little doubt that we will also find small arms. Nowhere is that more apparent than in South Sudan. It is no longer soldiers who carry weapons. Small arms have become the norm. When they become violent, local-level disputes are resolved not with homemade, traditional weapons, but with guns. Even children herding cattle must carry arms to protect themselves and their livelihood. In that culture of weapons, local disputes now escalate faster and increasingly result in large-scale casualties.”

    2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

11. “I thank our briefer, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ms. Nakamitsu. Last year, 560,000 people died at the hands of small arms and light weapons. That is more than one death every minute of every day for an entire year. That is the tragic reality that the report of the Secretary-General (S/2017/1025) brings to life. Illicit small arms are tools of daily destruction. There is never a shortage. They are easy to acquire and they have an unparalleled impact on lives and communities. The Saferworld organization estimates that the majority of deaths from direct conflicts in the developing world are the result of the use of small arms. The hundred and thousands of deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. Illicit small arms add fuel to the fire of armed conflicts around the world.”

    2017-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8140 (2017) · source

12. “We therefore support the Secretary-General in deliberating over the appointment carefully. We call on Myanmar to engage with the special envoy, when he or she is appointed, openly and in good faith. I said at the outset that Special Representative Patten's briefing was a stark reminder that this is a human tragedy from which the Council must not turn away its attention. We cannot change the horrors and crimes that have already been committed. But that is all the more reason that the Council must remain engaged, must remain seized of the situation and must be ready to take further action if necessary to ensure protection, justice and progress.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

13. “Therefore, it is critical that longer- term plans be put in place to protect and provide for refugees in Bangladesh and internally displaced people in Rakhine state. It is critical, too, that those plans be properly funded. In addition to an annual $210 million programme for Bangladesh, the United Kingdom has contributed $79 million to the current United Nations humanitarian response plan in order to provide life-saving assistance and protection for the refugees and for Bangladeshi host communities. However, the plan is still only partially funded - and, in any case, runs out in February 2018. We encourage the international community to step up its contributions. Before concluding, I should like to turn briefly to the Secretary-General's appointment of a special envoy. It will be an important and sensitive role.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

14. “In that statement, we called for full and unhindered access to Rakhine state for United Nations agencies, humanitarian partners and the media. But the Government continues to severely limit access to Rakhine, making it impossible to deliver vital humanitarian assistance, or verify the situation on the ground. Regrettably, the situation means that we must continue supporting refugees where they are right now. The Government of Bangladesh, along with United Nations agencies and other humanitarian partners, continues to play a vital role in providing life-saving shelter and assistance. Unfortunately, it is likely that Bangladesh will need to play that role for longer than any of us would like.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

15. “The actions that they must take are already set out in the presidential statement agreed unanimously by the Council. Let us recall that, in the presidential statement, the Council called for the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to be invited to be a full participant in the returns process. Myanmar recognizes UNHCR's expertise, but has so far resisted giving it the necessary role. In that statement, we called for transparent investigations into allegations of serious human rights abuses and violations, not just because those responsible must be held accountabl but also so that refugees may have confidence in their eventual return. So far, all we have seen is a whitewash by the military.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

16. “There are continued reports of inter-communal tensions and arson attacks, as Under-Secretary-Feltman informed us. As we have said many times before, the violence and human rights violations must stop. While we recognize the desire to move forward quickly, we can support only returns that are safe, voluntary and dignified. That will require independent international monitoring to ensure that conditions are met. The rights of the Rohingya must be respected by the Burmese Government, including freedom of movement and access the basic services and livelihoods. They must be allowed to return home, and not remain in prolonged stays in internally displaced persons camps, and they should be given a pathway to citizenship. The responsibility for making progress lies primarily with the Government and the security forces of Myanmar.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

17. “We support initiatives that promise to build a better future for all communities in Rakhine, without discrimination and regardless of religion or ethnicity. The Commission's recommendations remain a particular important blueprint for the future, given their wide support. However, there remains much more to be done, and it is right that the situation remain on our agenda. I want to draw particular attention to the agreement concerning the voluntary repatriation of refugees. That is a step in the right direction. However, today's conditions in Rakhine state do not yet allow for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees to their homes, as that the Security Council called for last month. One thousand to 3,000 people are still fleeing in fear from Rakhine state to Bangladesh every week.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

18. “The stark reminder - if anyone needed one - that Special Representative Patten has given us is of the horrors that Rohingya refugees have suffered. It is a stark reminder that this is first and foremost a human tragedy, on which the Council must keep its attention. Over the past month, we have seen some initial steps in response to the Council's presidential statement, which we welcome, in particular the recent agreement concerning the voluntary repatriation of refugees signed by the Governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh on 23 November. The Government of Myanmar's continued commitment to the Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State recommendations and to the development of Rakhine state through the union enterprise mechanism are also worth highlighting. We welcome the announcement of the new Rakhine Advisory Committee.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

19. “I would like to begin by thanking our briefers. In particular, I would like to say to Special Representative Patten how profound and incredibly moving her testimony to the Security Council was. Her concluding words that inaction must not be allowed to take place are vital for us all. I think she has brought to life a truly horrifying picture, and I commend her for that. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Feltman on his update on the situation one month after the Council adopted an important presidential statement (S/PRST/20l7/22) that included calls for an end to the violence, a safe returns process, humanitarian access and for the root causes of the crisis to be addressed. I am grateful to him for his continued engagement on the crisis. It is vital that the United Nations continues to remain engaged.”

    2017-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8133 (2017) · source

20. “Finally, we call on all our Malian friends and partners to redouble their efforts to implement the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, which is an imperative step in the pursuit of lasting peace and security in the Sahel.”

    2017-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8129 (2017) · source

21. “We urge the G-5 Sahel States to seize the opportunity presented by those offers of support in order to get the Joint Force up to full capacity as quickly as possible. We also strongly encourage those States to take advantage of the technical expertise available to them, which would positively contribute to their work on implementing a robust human rights compliance framework. We commend the Secretariat, under the leadership of Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, for its efforts to bring coherence and an overarching strategy to the overlapping work of the various development agencies on the ground. Any progress in security will be sustained only if backed by the delivery of services to populations.”

    2017-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8129 (2017) · source

22. “In Mali, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is doing dangerous and important work and faces pressing challenges. But where conflict and terrorism seek to divide us, it is right that we all work together and support each other where we can. That is why we voted in favour of resolution 2391 (2017). It sets out a clear framework for the support of the international community to the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, through MINUSMA, and a clear mechanism for international donations to support that important work. We welcome the pledges already made by international donors, as well as the role of the European Union in ensuring the effective distribution of that support. We are looking at where we can best lend our support as a matter of priority.”

    2017-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8129 (2017) · source

23. “Conflict continues to blight the lives of citizens in Mali and the Sahel, and terrorist organizations, including those benefiting from transnational organized cirme, persist in their threats to peace and security in the region. In June, in resolution 2359 (2017), we welcomed the deployment of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) throughout the territories of its contributing countries. We applaud the rapid and effective progress that has been made to make that Force a reality, which members saw for themselves on the ground earlier this year, while recognizing the important role that international support can play in strengthening the Force to its full capacity.”

    2017-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8129 (2017) · source

24. “Let me start by condemning the horrific attack on peacekeepers and host-country troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo yesterday and by offering my sincere condolences to Tanzania and to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is truly shocking that peacekeepers are targeted in that way. Our thoughts are with the families and the friends of the victims and with the injured, to whom we wish a speedy recovery. We are here today to discuss the humanitarian and security crises in Mali and the Sahel region, which continue to be of deep concern to us and have been discussed by the Security Council many times in the past.”

    2017-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8129 (2017) · source

25. “Our cultural protection fund is already supporting projects in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Egypt, the Sudan, Yemen and Turkey, but we are keen to support other projects across the Middle East and North Africa, so we are exploring the scope to extend the programme to other regions where cultural heritage is at risk. As the Secretary-General's report makes clear, world heritage sites and other iconic monuments and artefacts have been subjected to wilful destruction. We should and must do all that we can to prevent a recurrence of such acts. Civilization, education and our shared cultural heritage will prevail over destruction, barbarism and the division of terrorists.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

26. “Our enforcement agencies are continuing their efforts to prevent elicit artefacts from entering or leaving the United Kingdom. Considering the size of the United Kingdom's antiques market, we hope this will continue to have a significant impact. We have also established a cultural protection fund, initially of $40 million, which is already helping to protect and conserve heritage at risk in conflict areas and providing the skills and expertise that are sorely needed to ensure that our shared heritage is safe for future generations. This will also play an important role in post- conflict situations and support reconciliation between communities and nations. We know that heritage sites that receive proper protection can produce economic, as well as social benefits, for example through sustainable tourism.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

27. “To secure progress, public funding needs to be matched by investment from philanthropists and the private sector. I commend those trusts and foundations that are already supporting work in this area. We need more organizations to follow their lead and work in partnership with national Governments, multilateral agencies and civil society to protect our shared heritage for the benefit of humankind. Allow me to take a few moments to discuss the United Kingdom's national actions in this area. Since the adoption of resolution 2347 (2017), we have ratified the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and acceded to both of its Protocols. This demonstrates the importance we place on responding forcefully to the destruction of cultural heritage by terrorists, looters and other malign forces.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

28. “We also welcome the education and awareness-raising projects listed in the Secretary-General's report. I would like to commend Italy for its leadership on cultural protection. In addition to unified international action through legal and judicial instruments, this kind of practical action is essential to support those countries most at risk. May I join others in congratulating Ms. Audrey Azoulay on her election as Director-General of UNESCO and in welcoming her today. We believe that UNESCO has a meaningful role to play in this area. We encourage the new Director-General to review UNESCO activity with a view to focusing resources on programmes and projects that will have the greatest impact and the demonstrable value for money.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

29. “As we have seen in Palmyra, in Nimrud and Timbuktu, these brutal groups do not limit themselves to demolition, but also profit in trading artefacts that should belong to all and not to selfish individuals. With this trade, they fund more of their activities, be they attempts to expand their territories, inflict terror abroad or disperse their propaganda. That is why we particularly welcome the International Criminal Court's sentencing of an individual for directing attacks against religious and historic buildings in Timbuktu, as discussed in the Secretary-General's report, and we encourage the Court to prosecute all individuals who contribute towards this crime to serve as a deterrent to those who may be inclined to similar actions in the future.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

30. “I thank our briefers and the Secretary-General for his report (S/2017/969). It provideds a comprehensive summary of the actions many of us have taken to protect cultural heritage sites since the adoption of resolution 2347 (2017) and, perhaps more importantly, of what more we can all do to prevent any further destruction. In recent years, with the explosion of conflicts across much of the Middle East and Africa, terrorists have endeavoured to destroy not only the ways in which we choose to live today, but also our heritage and the records of how humankind existed in the past. This attempt to annihilate cultures that are not their own - whether through genocide, ethnic cleansing or war crimes - all too often goes hand in hand with the destruction of cultural heritage and identity.”

    2017-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8119 (2017) · source

31. “The national dialogue must be held in support of the revitalization of the peace agreement - it cannot provide a solution in itself. I want to conclude by reiterating our plea to the leaders of South Sudan to stop the violence and to engage meaningfully in the revitalization process, to stop blocking and impeding UNMISS and the Regional Protection Force, to stop attacks against United Nations and humanitarian workers and to stop denying humanitarian aid from reaching their people, whom they are starving to death. South Sudan is at a crossroads, and we should do all that we can to support the region's efforts to ensure its leaders choose the right path.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

32. “As a Council, we should commit to return to this issue early in the new year in order to consider whether we have seen enough progress and whether there are individuals or parties that are blocking peace, and we should be ready to take appropriate action if so. Given the fragile situation in South Sudan, we are concerned that the Government is considering holding elections next year. There is no possibility that the conditions for good elections will be in place next year. Seeking to hold them when the conditions are not right is likely to drive further conflict. As the African Union and IGAD have stated, the timelines in the peace agreement must be revised to allow for a conducive environment for holding elections.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

33. “The United Kingdom stands ready to support the region's work to bring an end to the conflict and suffering in South Sudan, and we welcome the African Union Peace and Security Council's clearly worded communique of 22 September. The international community must use the full range of options to ensure that all the parties meaningfully and constructively engage. That cannot be an open- ended process that allows more delays, leading to more suffering for the people of South Sudan. As the African Union communique' of 20 September states, it must be clear that this is a final chance and that there will be consequences for not engaging.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

34. “Those responsible will be judged by their actions, not their words. South Sudan is at a crossroads: its leaders are being offered a last chance to commit to peace and demonstrate that they care for their people and for their country, which they have repeatedly failed to do. Too many times ceasefires have been declared while gunshots continue to ring out, but the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) revitalization forum offers hope for the people of South Sudan. I would like to reiterate the United Kingdom's full support for that process and to thank both IGAD and the African Union for their hard work over recent months. IGAD Foreign Ministers and the Special Envoy have actively reached out to both the elites and civil society across the region as part of their revitalization process.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

35. “President Kiir's long- overdue decree ordering safe passage for humanitarian agencies is welcome. We hope that that will result in real improvements in getting assistance to those who so desperately need it, as physical restrictions - whether resolved or not - represent just the tip of the iceberg of the bureaucratic impediments, including the cost of registration fees and delays in receiving permits, which prevent humanitarians from reaching those most in need. Like others, we are extremely concerned that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to face significant restrictions of movement, including restrictions imposed by Government forces. We are particularly troubled by a disturbing trend of harassment, threats and physical assault on United Nations staff. That must stop immediately.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

36. “At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Keita for her briefing. Time and time again, we have voiced our despair at the depth of the suffering of the people of South Sudan. The scale of the numbers is deeply shocking: one third of the population has been forced to flee their homes and more than half the population lacks enough food to feed themselves and their families. Yet the parties to the conflict, including the Government, continue to mount offensives against innocent civilians. They are deaf to the misery of their own people. It is more important than ever that the international community show the people of South Sudan that we will act together to work for peace, even if South Sudan's leaders will not. Innocent civilians continue to pay the price for the failures of the political elite.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8115 (2017) · source

37. “The fact that slavery continues in the twenty-first century, despite all the progress that has been made in defending human rights, is reprehensible. Let us commit to working together to preserve our attention on this issue and sustain our action in order to ensure that this practice does not continue in Libya or anywhere else; it is only by doing so that we can hope to succeed in the maintenance of international peace and security. If members ofthe Council consider that a statement would be helpful, we would be happy to work with them on such a text.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

38. “Human-rights monitoring and the capacity-building of police are central to efforts to build stability and address trafficking by field missions. More broadly, we should consider how anti-trafficking is part of the sustaining peace agenda, which is all about using a cross section of United Nations tools to prevent conflict and build peace. It is clear that trafficking itself can be addressed only through a holistic cross-pillar approach on the part of the United Nations. As is always the case with today's frantic news cycles, the reports from Libya that have so shocked us all will soon be displaced by other headlines and eventually drop off the news agenda all together. While that is to be expected, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard of responsibility.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

39. “We are clear that the human rights situation in Libya can be improved sustainably only under the stability of a united and representative Government. A safe, secure and prosperous Libya that is able to confidently tackle the challenges in the region is in all our interests, and we continue to support the United Nations action plan for Libya. We must all recognize that it is not only the trafficked individuals and their loved ones who are directly affected by that horrendous crime. Violent extremists profit financially from the trade in human misery and use it to fund terrorist activity that affects us all. We must integrate our understanding of trafficking and modern slavery with our efforts to combat terrorism, and we must eradicate the use of slavery as a means to resource terrorist groups.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

40. “We have discussed the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of migration, as well as its consequences. With resolutions 2331 (2016) and 2388 (2017), we are now well equipped to take action. Instability creates a permissive environment in which criminal networks exploit civilians and migrants and operate trafficking networks for their own gains, including through the illegal detention of migrants. We will continue to support the Libyan authorities in improving conditions in the centres currently under their control, and in establishing oversight over the remaining ungoverned centres. The Council has seen recent progress in revitalizing the Libyan political process and taking steps forward to stabilizing the country.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

41. “I welcome the announcement by the Government of National Accord of Libya of an immediate investigation into that matter and its commitment to ensuring that those involved are brought to justice and that this vile practice is stopped. We reaffirm our support, working alongside Libya and international efforts, to bring to account those responsible for such crimes, and we encourage all Member States to continue to work with the Libyan authorities in pursuing allegations of human rights abuses to ensure that those individuals responsible are held to account. After several debates, the Security Council is well informed of the challenges that we face in tackling unmanaged migration, including through Libya. We are aware of the real vulnerability of migrants to trafficking and modern slavery. We want migration to be safe, legal and well managed.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

42. “I thank the briefers for updating us following the disturbing news footage that we all saw last week, showing migrants being sold into slavery in Libya. Today, let us stand together as an international community in our commitment to eliminating the abhorrent crime of modern slavery and human trafficking, and to safeguarding the lives and dignity of those who are most vulnerable. Like many Libyans, I share the disgust and grave concern at the news footage from last week. I am deeply concerned that civilians continue to suffer inexcusably from the conflict in Libya and that, in the absence of the rule of law, they can suffer human rights abuses of the worst kind.”

    2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source

43. “To the Syrian Government, I say that evidence has been carefully gathered of the inhuman crimes it has committed. Russia is protecting Syria for now, but the day will come when it is held accountable for its actions before international law and its victims will get the justice that they deserve. There is no middle ground in the Security Council when it comes to chemical weapons. We must condemn the use of these weapons in Syria and support the Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify those responsible. To do otherwise is to effectively condone these appalling attacks and undermine the international architecture that we collectively designed to stop them.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

44. “Today, to the cost of the people of Syria and to the cost of the international consensus against chemical weapons, that promise remains unfulfilled, and Russia continues to protect Al-Assad and his regime. I therefore call on the whole Council to renew the JIM's existing mandate, which has delivered the rigorous and conclusive findings that we are discussing today. There is more work to be done. The OPCW fact- finding mission has now reported evidence of likely sarin use in nearby Latamneh on 30 March. We need to support the JIM. and enable it to carry out its important work. The draft resolution that Russia has circulated today is not a serious attempt at renewal. It is a cynical ploy to discredit a professional, independent and impartial body. Russia is trying to shoot the messenger to cover up for the crimes of the Syrian regime.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

45. “The crater from which the sarin emanated was created by an aerial bomb dropped on 4 April, and, most tellingly of all, sarin found at the scene in samples supplied by the Syrian regime contained the same unique - unique - signature found in the chemicals handed over by the Syrian regime to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2014. The Russian representative suggests that sarin can be easily made, or home-made. Perhaps Mr. Mulet could please explainjust how complex it would be to recreate that sarin exactly to the unique chemical signature of the Syrian regime. In 2013 Russia promised the world that Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

46. “In their report, they set out the rigour with which they approached their task; how they had received information from 12 Member States, including the Syrian regime itself; how they had scientifically corroborated that information; and how they had consulted numerous independent experts and scientists. The JIM. reached its conclusions not on the basis of any one single piece of evidence. Rather, it built its case on the totality of evidence available to it, as any professional, rational investigation would do. And those conclusions are clear: aircraft of the Syrian air force were in the vicinity of Khan Shaykun on 4 April between 6.30 am. and 7 a.m., at the time munitions were dropped on the town.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

47. “It has done so thoroughly, impartially and professionally, and today, presented with its findings, we must speak with one voice to condemn the use of chemical weapons by Da'esh and this attack on Khan Shaykun by the Syrian regime. We must hold those responsible to account, but experience to date suggests that we will not be able to do that. Russia continues to deny what happened. Since the attack on that morning in April, Russia has advanced a contradictory series of hypotheses and claims, moving from one to the next as soon as it is proved untrue, as it seeks to prevent the Council from holding the Al-Assad regime to account. Faced with science and fact, Russia has had no answer but fantasy and fiction, and it has provided no evidence for its claims. The investigators have looked at the evidence.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

48. “Last year we were told by the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) that the Syrian regime had carried out three poison gas attacks and that Da'esh had used sulfur mustard. And yet some on the Council doubted the conclusions of that investigation, an investigation that they themselves had set up, with a methodology they had approved. In February, action in the Council was vetoed. We now have another report from independent United Nations experts mandated by the Council. The report sets out a clear conclusion: on 4 April, the Syrian regime used sarin against its own people in Khan Shaykun, just five weeks after the Council was prevented by Russia from taking action on Syria's use of chemical weapons. The Joint Investigative Mechanism has done what we as a Council asked it to do.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

49. “May I say that I am grateful to our briefers for their clear explanation of the facts this afternoon. I want to thank the head of the Leadership Panel, and through him his whole team, for their committed, impartial and expert work over the past five months investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. As we have heard so clearly today, those investigations have reached a clear, unmistakable conclusion. Syria, a State Member of the United Nations and a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, has used chemical weapons against its own people. The use of such weapons by anyone, anywhere, is unacceptable, and we condemn their use by both the Syrian regime and by Da'esh. These are weapons that more than 190 States have come together to outlaw, weapons that have no place in the world today. And yet we have been here before.”

    2017-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8090 (2017) · source

50. “I also wish to encourage even greater efforts within United Nations police components to consult with communities, including women, and ensure that their views and needs are fully part of their day-to-day work and their reporting to the Council.”

    2017-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8086 (2017) · source