YouSaid · the spoken record

Amil

lines on the record: 129
first: 2007-02-13
most recent: 2009-08-05
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“I take the floor to express our grave concern over the prevailing situation in the Gaza Strip and to reiterate our solidarity with the Palestinian people. Pakistan shares their pain and suffering in these exceptionally trying circumstances. The besieged populations of Gaza, who were originally dispossessed and driven from their own homes by the Israeli occupation, are being tormented once again by a brutal military campaign by the occupying Power. For 12 days now, the international community has witnessed in shock and horror the unimaginable human tragedy and grave humanitarian crisis that have unfolded in Gaza as a result of the callous, excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israel. 9 The killing of any civilian on either side is unacceptable. We have called for an end to the firing of rockets on Israel.”
2009-01-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6061Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Meanwhile, as we continue to host millions of Afghan refugees, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the international community need to do more for their early repatriation and their rehabilitation inside Afghanistan. Let me conclude by saying that, through mutual cooperation and the support of the international community, we can achieve our common objective of peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region. We have to succeed. We owe it to our present and future generations.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Foreign Minister Spanta is expected to visit Pakistan during this month. Pakistan will be hosting a meeting of a mini-jirga in Islamabad on 27 and 28 October. We expect that people-to-people forum to make a useful contribution towards bringing about peace and stability in Afghanistan. The Pakistan- Afghanistan Joint Economic Commission is expected to meet in Kabul in November. We are arranging to convene the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad in January 2009. We will continue to help the reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Of our total commitment of $320 million, $130 million has already been utilized on various socio-economic and infrastructure projects. Despite the shortage of wheat in Pakistan, we are fulfilling our commitment to provide 50,000 tons of wheat at concessional rates to Afghanistan.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“In his statement to the Council, Foreign Minister Qureshi outlined a vision of diversifying and strengthening this relationship. He called for overcoming suspicion and building trust and goodwill, a sentiment also echoed and reciprocated by Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta. I am pleased to note that we are firmly on that track. We intend to press forward on all possible avenues of cooperation. The recent meeting in New York between President Zardari and President Karzai and the meeting between the two Foreign Ministers have built upon the positive momentum of the earlier contacts at the highest political levels. The two sides have agreed on a comprehensive and constructive engagement on multiple tracks, including political, military, intelligence and economic cooperation.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Naturally, we expect reciprocity in such support and cooperation, based on goodwill and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and on a mutual commitment not to allow our respective territories to be used against each other. No foreign troops will be allowed to operate inside Pakistan. As my President said in the General Assembly, we cannot allow our territory and our sovereignty to be violated. Such actions are not helpful in eliminating the terrorist menace and actually serve to empower the forces against which we fight together. Our relationship with Afghanistan is rooted in history. It is a multifaceted engagement between our two peoples, who are bound by age-old fraternal, cultural and religious ties. The destinies of our two countries are interlinked.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“In his statement in this Council on 9 July (see S/PV.5930), my Foreign Minister outlined several steps, including matching military measures that can be taken by all sides to promote cooperative efforts based on shared responsibility and full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity in order to more effectively address the security challenge, including border control. We are determined to carry out our part. We remain committed to working together with Afghanistan and the international forces towards that objective. Pakistan will continue active cooperation within the Tripartite Commission, which has been recently re-energized.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“We are following a new holistic strategy against extremism and terrorism, employing political dialogue and socio-economic measures, but retaining the option to use force whenever required, as demonstrated by our ongoing campaign against terrorists and extremist militias in Baj aur. Pakistan's contribution in the fight against terrorism is well known. Much of the success against Al-Qaida and the Taliban has been achieved with our support and cooperation. If the number of soldiers deployed and sacrifices made is a measure, Pakistan alone has done more than the combined effort of the international partners in Afghanistan.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Afghanistan and Pakistan are together facing the brunt of the terrorist threat. We are suffering from its deadly impact on a daily basis. As President Zardari said in his address to the General Assembly (see A/63/PV.10), Pakistan is a great victim in the war on terror. We live with it, we are the target of terrorism, but we will never succumb to it. As a result of our role in the counter-terrorism campaign, the security environment on our side has deteriorated sharply. Thousands of innocent civilians have fallen victim to terrorism in Pakistan. The horrendous attack last Friday on a jirga in Orakzai Agency is the latest of those condemnable acts. Sensitive to the sentiments of our people, the new democratic Government is in process of reaching the national consensus necessary to confront and defeat the terrorists.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Along with Afghanistan, Pakistan will therefore be the primary beneficiary of peace in Afghanistan. It will enable us to restore calm in our frontier regions, whose traditional peace has been inflamed by war and instability in Afghanistan, especially after 2001, when many Al-Qaida and Taliban elements crossed the border into Pakistan. It will enable the dignified repatriation of the remaining Afghan refugees, an essential step for the security and stability of the region. It will enable our two countries to serve as the hub for interregional trade and an energy corridor, a strategic objective with immense potential for our economic development. Pakistan's commitment and support for the success of the international efforts in Afghanistan is, therefore, clear and resolute.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“The promises need to be translated into tangible benefits for the Afghan people, which is the surest way to win their hearts and minds. We believe that an objective ground analysis of the development needs and full use of local resources and capacities must be part of the efforts to improve aid effectiveness for development in Afghanistan. A peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in the interests of regional and international peace and security. It is, above all, in Pakistan's vital interest. Apart from our Afghan brothers and sisters, no country or peoples has suffered more than Pakistan from the direct consequences of the decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan. We have hosted millions of refugees over the years. We have been afflicted with drugs, arms and environmental degradation.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“It would be useful in that regard if the report were also to shed more light on the efforts and measures the Mission has deployed, in terms of number and sophistication, to carry out its overall coordinating role to facilitate a more robust and delivery-oriented support process. We agree with the observation of the Secretary- General that in the end success depends on the full implementation of the commitments undertaken by the international community. The recommendation to bring about a political surge also hits the right chord. It underlines the need to look beyond the military option, which, though necessary, is not the sole solution. In our view, that should be complemented by an economic development and reconstruction surge.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Genuine national reconciliation can significantly boost Afghan and international efforts to bring about peace and stability in the country. Winning the support of the peaceful majority is essential to isolate and break the insurgency. We support the Afghan efforts for reconciliation as part of the comprehensive approach. The United Nations has a central role in the international efforts in Afghanistan. UNAMA is not merely an outpost, reporting on the situation on the ground. It has a well-defined mandate, and we appreciate the work being undertaken for its fulfilment.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“Short-term measures need to be complemented by comprehensive, durable and long- term solutions based on alternative livelihoods and development. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently reported, there is no point in reducing opium cultivation if farmers switch to cannabis. That is happening in some of the provinces that are opium-free, for example in the north. The issue needs to be seriously researched and addressed. The worsening humanitarian situation, particularly aggravated by rising food prices, has to be addressed on an urgent basis. In the battle for hearts and minds, that freedom from want is as essential as the freedom from fear, which unfortunately is also being negatively impacted by the rising toll of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“It is obvious that these problems are primarily rooted in Afghanistan and have to be addressed accordingly. Attempts to externalize the problems are obviously self-defeating, and we disagree with some of the remarks made by the representative of Afghanistan today. Apart from being incorrect and misleading, those remarks run counter to the constructive engagement between our two countries at the highest political level. Besides, security cannot be detached from the wider issues of reconciliation, improved governance, development and reconstruction. That myriad of challenges requires a collective effort based on cooperation and shared responsibility by all. Much more needs to be done on counter- narcotics.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“However, the report does not seem to be very clear on the reasons for the insecurity. While it provides some statistics, it is devoid of information on the multiple and complex factors that contribute to insecurity in Afghanistan. Moreover, it provides a myopic view of the cross-border issue, with an isolated reference that is not only unsubstantiated, but on which the United Nations Mission of Assistance in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has neither the capacity nor expertise for independent verification. We expect due caution to be exercised in that regard in the future. Security has to be addressed in all its aspects, including the threats posed by the Taliban insurgency, Al-Qaida, lingering warlordism, factional rivalries and criminal and other illegal armed groups, as well as the increasingly strong nexus with the drug trade.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“The challenge in Afghanistan is without doubt difficult and complex. There is no quick fix. It requires the sustained engagement and commitment of the international community in support of Afghanistan. With such support, considerable progress has been made in recent years. That foundation needs to be consolidated. A truly comprehensive strategy is required to address the remaining intricate challenges of reconciliation, security, drugs, governance and development. To ensure effectiveness and success, such a strategy must be built around and pursued with full Afghan ownership. Capacity-building in all fields and at all levels is an essential element of that strategy. In that regard, the report of the Secretary-General points out serious gaps and shortfalls, which must be addressed. Lack of security remains a major problem and concern.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“On behalf of the delegation of Pakistan, I would like to say how pleased we are to see China, a great friend, presiding over the Security Council. We wish you every success, Sir. I should also like to congratulate Ambassador Michel Kafando of Burkina Faso on his successful presidency of the Council last month, and to thank Special Representative Kai Eide for his briefing this morning. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion. The objective of durable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan is faced with daunting challenges. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/617) portrays a mixed picture and an overall deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. Four months after the Paris Conference, that is a cause for concern, and this is a time for reflection.”
2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source
“The concepts of permanency, privilege and special status should have no place in today's United Nations. The best way of ensuring the accountability of the Council to the general membership of the United Nations is through the addition of non-permanent elected members, subject to a periodic democratic test by their peers and the General Assembly. The United Nations is an indispensable instrument for the promotion of our shared goals of peace, development and human rights. We can attain those goals by following the essence of the Charter, which is cooperative multilateralism. Sustainable peace and security can only be achieved when principles have primacy over power. The world needs a Security Council that does not always mirror power realities, but that can also stand up for the weak and the powerless with moral authority and credibility.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“It would also have a positive bearing on the working methods, since regional representation would pursue larger group interests in the Council rather than individual interests. We are seeking a comprehensive reform of the Council. The real objective of improving the working methods is to have a Council that is more transparent, democratic, representative and effective, thus enhancing its legitimacy and credibility. The central and crucial question is whether we can achieve those objectives by enlarging the coterie of the powerful few, or by strengthening the democratic representation, role and influence of the general membership of the United Nations in the Security Council. We believe the latter is the right and the only feasible approach.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“As others have noted, those consultation mechanisms should involve a timely, two-way exchange of information and views, which should form part of the input for the Council's decision-making. While we preserve the central role of the United Nations, the relationship and interaction with regional organizations can and should also be promoted in accordance with the Charter. The Council's enhanced interaction with the African Union is a good example. The objective of such partnerships should be to promote coordination and coherence in policies in order to pursue the collective objectives of peace and security. Enhanced cooperation with regional organizations also strengthens the concept of regional representation in the Council. That has great potential to ensure wider representation of Member States in the Council.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“While we are far from implementing Articles 31 and 32 of the Charter, in the case of informal consultations, there have also been instances in which the most directly concerned parties were denied participation in open meetings. Increasing interaction between the Security Council and the general membership is a key objective. The Council's interaction and coordination with the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission is vital for a comprehensive United Nations approach to peace and development. As the leading troop-contributing country, Pakistan has a particular interest in enhancing the troop-contributing countries' engagement with the Council and the Secretariat.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“It was acknowledged in the Council's open debate on working methods 14 years ago that the public meetings had become more of a formality and everything was discussed and agreed beforehand in the informal or closed consultations. The current situation is no different. The Council remains a closed club. Informal consultations apart, the Council's real work and decision-making transpires often in smaller and more secretive conclaves, which in some cases exclude even some members of the Council. It is therefore not surprising that, despite a number of public meetings, there has been little tangible improvement in transparency and understanding of the decision-making process of the Council.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Double standards and selectivity, including in the implementation of the Council's own resolutions, threats and the use of force and other forms of coercion are equally disquieting. The provisions for the pacific settlement of disputes remain grossly under-utilized. In contrast, there is a dangerous tendency to have recourse - too often and too soon - to measures under Chapter VII of the Charter. That trend has even created the impression, though incorrect, that non-Chapter VII provisions are of a lesser value or are not binding. As regards the format of Council's open and closed meetings, there are arguments on the need to balance confidentiality and efficiency on the one hand and inclusiveness and transparency on the other. Irrespective of the preferences of Member States, we are nowhere close to the coveted balance.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Some other major unresolved issues, including in our own region, have lain idle on the agenda of the Council. However, on the ground, those are live issues. They pose a threat to international peace and security. Even on some important issues, which are on its active agenda, such as the Middle East, the role of the Council has been sidelined and viewed by many as ineffective and partisan. The determination of the Council's agenda depends to a large extent on the positions and priorities of the permanent members and major Powers. We have witnessed inaction and delay in the Council, even in the face of the most obvious acts of aggression and breaches of peace. On the other hand, there is proaction, even interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States, even in the absence of a clear threat to international peace and security.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“That has a direct negative bearing on the Council's efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy. Thus, we are often faced with questions as to whether the Council is effective in carrying out its core mandate, namely, the maintenance of international peace and security. Has it acted in accordance with the Charter? Did it reflect the views and interests of the membership? Did it adequately engage and consult the Member States directly concerned by an issue? A review of the Council's agenda and dynamics provides answers to many of those questions. In recent years, the Council has been relatively effective in addressing internal crises. Its record has, however, been less impressive in resolving inter-State conflicts. In fact, the Council does not deal directly with some of the major conflicts and threats to international peace and security.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Provisions for the pacific settlement of disputes, and enforcement measures when required, as well as cooperation with regional arrangements are all mentioned in the Charter. Enhancing the relationship with troop-contributing countries is an objective contained in Council's own resolution 1353 (2001). The General Assembly's Open-Ended Working Group on Security Council Reform has also deliberated extensively on these issues in the context of the so-called cluster II issues, and has made several agreed recommendations. Others have spoken on many of these issues, and I do not want to be repetitive. The crux of the matter is that these provisions, which are mostly agreed provisions, are not being faithfully implemented. In some cases, they are even misinterpreted and misused or abused.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“An example is Article 24, which, inter alia, requires that in discharging its duties the Security Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It also requires the Council to submit annual and, when necessary, special reports to the General Assembly for its consideration. Articles 31 and 32 provide for the participation of non-members of the Council directly concerned with an issue in the Council's discussions. There are other proposals that simply seek the implementation of the Council's own rules of procedure, which, by the way, remain provisional to date: rule 48, for example, which states that unless it decides otherwise, the Security Council shall meet in public.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Unfortunately, among the general membership there remains widespread dissatisfaction about the Council's work and its decisions. The main objective of those measures in enhancing the effectiveness and legitimacy of the Council is thus not being achieved. We are not sure whether the answer is in identifying a new set of measures. If we could only implement the existing ones, it might suffice. It is interesting to note that many of the measures mentioned in document S/2006/507 and other proposals made in the past and in today's debate regarding the working methods of the Council emanate directly from the United Nations Charter and its provisions relating to the Security Council and other principal organs.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Having watched the Security Council from both inside and outside, one can sense and appreciate the important work that it performs and the heavy responsibility that it carries. The Council has a wide- ranging agenda and is increasingly assuming a larger role in the management of international relations. Its scope of action extends from pre-conflict peacemaking to conflict management, peacekeeping and post- conflict consolidation. It is the only body that can make binding decisions and obligations and take enforcement action. Directly or indirectly, its work concerns and affects all Member States, who in turn are logically expected to follow and assess its work. No doubt, there has been some improvement in the working methods of the Council, and that is to be welcomed. But it is not enough.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The efficiency and transparency of the Council's work and its decision-making process are issues of great interest and importance to a large majority of the United Nations membership. The improvement of working methods is the part of the Security Council reform issue on which there is almost complete consensus among Member States, irrespective of their positions on the other aspects, such as an increase in the membership. Pakistan fully endorses the comprehensive statement made by the representative of Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. We hope that the proposals set out in that statement, along with other proposals made during this debate, will be given due consideration. I would like to take this opportunity to share a few thoughts.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“I would like to felicitate you, Mr. President, and the Belgian delegation for your skilful handling of the Council's work during this month. Let me also express our appreciation to Ambassador Le Luong Minh and his team for Viet Nam's successful presidency in July. The holding of this open debate on the working methods of the Security Council is a welcome step. The group of five small nations, which has made the issue of working methods its forte, merits our appreciation for seeking this debate. We also thank others who supported the initiative. In carrying out its duties under the Charter, the Security Council acts on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations. It is therefore only appropriate for the Council to know and understand how the general membership perceives its work and the methods it employs to carry out that work.”
2008-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5968Resumption1 (2008) · source
“It was in keeping with our sincere commitment to that larger goal that, despite recent setbacks and the negative developments in the occupied territories, the OIC summit in Dakar welcomed the revival of the peace process and called for building on the momentum in order to reach a final settlement agreement before the end of 2008. It called also for the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian State. The OIC is ready and willing to work with the international community and the Security Council to realize this collective objective.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“We therefore urge progress on those parallel tracks to reach a just and durable settlement. Israel must withdraw completely from Lebanese land and the occupied Syrian Golan and comply fully with Security Council resolution 497 (1981). The OIC reaffirms its steadfast support to the Palestinian people for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and for a just resolution of the refugee issue in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 (III).”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“We call on the international community to fully support the ongoing efforts for intra-Palestinian unity and welcome the breakthrough achieved in Sana'a. The key to success in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict is in addressing its root cause, namely, the continuing Israeli occupation of the Arab territories. That is the leitmotif of the peace process, of which no aberration or unilateral alteration will be acceptable to the international community. The OIC calls for Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and all other occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict are addressed, including the Syria-Israel and Lebanon-Israel tracks.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The Council should ensure immediate and unfettered provision of adequate humanitarian assistance and of all essential goods and services in the occupied territories, in addition to enhanced economic, social and technical support from the international community, including for building State institutions and a security apparatus for the Palestinian Authority. Peace is indivisible. That is why the summit conference in Dakar, while reiterating the demand that the situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip be restored to what existed prior to the events of June 2007, once again stressed the need for national dialogue among the Palestinians to achieve reconciliation and restore unity in order to serve the Palestinian people's higher national interests.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The Security Council should thus make concerted efforts to bring about a rapid and tangible improvement of the situation on ground in the occupied territories, including through the release of prisoners and removal of all kinds of blockades and restrictions. It must ensure cessation of all policies and actions by Israel that seek to change the realities on the ground that could prejudice a final settlement, including the integrity and viability of the future Palestinian State. Israel must halt the construction of the illegal separation wall, freeze all settlement activity and dismantle unauthorized settler outposts.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Going beyond these crucial immediate steps, the Council must play its rightful strategic role in the pursuit of a comprehensive and durable peace in the Middle East. It must demonstrate the political will to ensure full and non-discriminatory implementation of its own resolutions and to respond effectively to non- compliance. It must reclaim its position as the focal point of international efforts, and promote synergy among different initiatives and the political, security and humanitarian tracks. The Council must be the principal guarantor of the understandings and agreements entered into by the parties, including their respective obligations under the Road Map, the implementation of which it must also oversee.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The Council cannot remain silent and marginalized as this crisis escalates, undermining international law, the sanctity of civilian life and the vision of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace enshrined in the Council's own resolutions. It is unfortunate and unacceptable for the Security Council to be deadlocked on even pronouncing itself in response to violence and deterioration of the situation on ground. The Council must condemn the killing of innocent civilians and violence, undertake measures to bring about an immediate ceasefire and its respect by all parties, ensure full compliance by Israel, the Occupying Power, with its obligations under international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and demand an immediate end to the siege of the Gaza Strip.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“Israel must be held responsible for its actions and their dangerous consequences for the civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territories. It is high time to ensure respect for the rule of law by putting an end to the impunity enjoyed by Israel. The OIC supports the call by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that incidents in which civilians have been killed or injured must be investigated, and accountability must be ensured. The OIC expects urgent follow-up action in that regard. The Security Council, in particular, must act in a credible, timely and effective manner in fulfilment of its Charter responsibilities to address the threat to international peace and security.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“This wanton use of force, collective punishment and terrorizing of civilian populations by the Occupying Power has no justification whatsoever. The OIC shares the international concern over further deterioration of the already dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip caused by the military escalation by Israel and its continuing illegal siege of the Gaza Strip. Similarly, illegal Israeli actions against the civilian population in the West Bank, including the continuing construction of new settlements and the wall, only fuel the cycle of violence, undermine the steps taken by the Palestinian Authority to establish calm and security, and threaten the prospects of peace. The international community must respond to this deliberate policy of escalation of the ground situation aimed at derailing the fragile peace process.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The rekindled hope for peace is being dashed by the incessant military onslaught by Israel, the Occupying Power, against the innocent, defenceless and besieged Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular the Gaza Strip. The excessive and disproportionate use of force by Israel, including strikes by warplanes and ground artillery and targeted extrajudicial killings, among other grave breaches of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, are a challenge to the conscience of the world community. We are deeply grieved and distressed at the heavy civilian casualties including, women, children and infants, and the trauma being endured by the Palestinian people in the face of widespread destruction.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“It is based essentially on the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003), and the principle of land for peace. It is Israel's pattern of refusal to comply with these resolutions, which is hindering the achievement of peace and stability in the region. Unfortunately, it is the same behaviour of non-fulfilment of its obligations by Israel that is frustrating the understanding and objectives of recent important initiatives, at Annapolis and Paris, to revive the peace process, to end the occupation and to realize the two-State solution. This is a tragic state of affairs.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The summit reiterated its call on Israel to fully comply with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, to enable the establishment of the independent State of Palestine, to withdraw completely from the occupied Syrian Golan to the borders of 4 June 1967, and to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leaders proclaimed, once again, the common position on the overall settlement of the Palestinian question in accordance with the OIC and United Nations resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map of the Quartet, within the spirit of the OIC's constant commitment to the Middle East peace process. The framework for the Middle East peace process is well known.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The principled position of the OIC is rooted in its firm conviction in the supremacy of international law, respect for the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the principle of equal rights, self- determination of peoples, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The eleventh OIC summit conference, held in Dakar, Senegal, on 13 and 14 March 2008, reaffirmed the centrality of the cause of Al-Quds Al-Sharif for the whole Islamic Ummah. In the Dakar Declaration, the Islamic World reaffirmed its solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people to establish their independent State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). 7 The achievement of a durable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and the centrality of a just and lasting settlement of the core issue of Palestine in that regard is the shared objective of the international community, including this Council. The OIC has a strong and direct interest in the realization of this objective. It is manifested in our long-standing commitment and solidarity with the legitimate cause of the people of Palestine and all other occupied Arab territories.”
2008-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5859Resumption1 (2008) · source
“This approach will entail Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. We hope a peace treaty will be finalized before the end of 2008 and then be implemented quickly and earnestly. A just, lasting and comprehensive settlement of the question of Palestine is our collective objective and strategic imperative. It would have a positive impact on regional and international peace and security. Its early realization would require the full support and commitment of the entire international community. The Organization of the Islamic Conference will play its rightful role in this collective endeavour.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The participation of the Islamic countries in the Annapolis Conference in response to the invitation from the United States was solely to indicate their commitment to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine and in the Middle East. We welcome the commitment to the establishment of the Palestinian State and the agreement to start final status negotiations to resolve all core issues, including borders, refugees, settlements and Jerusalem. To be fair, these issues must be resolved on the basis of previous agreements, especially the relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Madrid Peace Conference terms of reference, the Quartet's Road Map, and the Arab Peace Initiative.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“The OIC calls for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting 5 peace based on international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. These resolutions require Israel's complete withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and all other occupied Arab territories, including the Golan and the Lebanese lands; the achievement of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination and sovereignty in their independent and viable State of Palestine on the basis of the pre- 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital; and a just resolution to the plight of the Palestinian refugees.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“There must be immediate and unfettered provision of adequate humanitarian assistance and of all essential goods and services in the occupied territories, as well as enhanced economic and social support from the international community. Support must be provided to the Palestinian Authority for building State institutions, including the security apparatus. Finally, efforts must be made to revive intra- Palestinian unity. The root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict is the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories. Human rights violations and recurring humanitarian crises are the direct consequences of the continuing occupation. An end to the occupation of all Arab territories is therefore a necessary prerequisite for peace.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source
“There must be an immediate cessation of military campaigns by Israel and an end to all violence by all parties. A rapid and tangible improvement in the situation on the ground in the occupied territories, is needed, as is an end to collective punishment, a prisoners release, a removal of all kinds of blockades and restrictions and an immediate end to the siege of Gaza. There must be an end to policies and actions by Israel that seek to change the realities on the ground that could prejudice a final settlement, including the integrity and viability of the future Palestinian State. This includes, inter alia, a halt to the construction of the illegal separation wall, a freeze of all settlement activity and the dismantling of unauthorized settler outposts.”
2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824Resumption1 (2008) · source