YouSaid · the spoken record

Amos

lines on the record: 305
first: 2010-11-22
most recent: 2015-05-28
sittings or episodes: 26
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

“Between 150 and 300 third- country nationals still need to be evacuated from the city. There are an unknown number of seriously ill and injured people who also require evacuation assistance. The situation in the Western Mountains region, where an estimated 750,000 people live, has received less attention, but is also very concerning. Fighting has reduced access to food and medical supplies. Fifty thousand people have fled to Tunisia. Most of them are now residing with Tunisian host families, who have generously received them. The World Food Programme has delivered some assistance, and non-governmental organizations have taken great risks to reach the main towns of Nalut and Zintan with medical assistance. 11-3288] About 2,200 people are in refugee camps in southern Tunisia.”
2011-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6530 (2011) · source
“Medical facilities need supplies and more trained personnel. Humanitarian assistance has entered Misrata on an ad hoc basis, and humanitarian non-governmental organizations, especially medical organizations, are present on the ground. Over 5,000 metric tons of humanitarian aid has been delivered to Misrata, including food assistance, medical supplies and water and sanitation materials. The vast majority has entered through the port. More than 13,000 people, mainly third-country nationals, have been evacuated from the city by boat. Those operations have been successfully carried out on the basis of transparent notification of humanitarian movements to all parties to the conflict. Continued liaison with all parties is essential to maintain, and indeed expand, the scope and reach of humanitarian operations.”
2011-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6530 (2011) · source
“The Government of Libya has apologized for the incident and offered full compensation for the damage caused. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya has written to the Libyan Foreign Minister asking for a renewed commitment to safeguarding United Nations personnel and property, and he has received a positive reply. It is our intention to return as soon as possible to Tripoli and to open land access to Misrata, the Western Mountains and other affected areas. In Libya today humanitarian agencies are most concerned about people living in areas where fighting is taking place. In Misrata, which is at the forefront of our concerns, shelling and fighting have been ongoing in parts of the city for more than two months. Stocks are available, but some people are running short of food, water and other basics.”
2011-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6530 (2011) · source
“The longer the current situation continues, the graver the humanitarian situation will become. With this in mind, the United Nations has established a humanitarian presence in both Benghazi and Tripoli. The agreement I reached with the Libyan authorities in Tripoli on 17 April included a commitment that the establishment of a United Nations humanitarian presence in Tripoli would be fully supported. The agreement included the facilitation of security and other arrangements necessary for humanitarian agencies to assess and assist areas affected by conflict in the west of Libya. The Government has sought to facilitate our work as per that agreement, and it is unfortunate that our team has had to temporarily relocate from Tripoli for 2 security reasons, following the ransacking of United Nations offices there on 1 May.”
2011-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6530 (2011) · source
“Ms. Amos: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to provide an overview of the humanitarian situation in Libya to the Security Council. The conflict, the breakdown of State infrastructure and shortages of cash and fuel are causing serious problems to the population of Libya. Over 746,000 people, most of them third-country nationals, have fled the country. Some 5,000 people remain stranded at border points in Egypt, Tunisia and Niger. Approximately 58,000 internally displaced people are living in spontaneous settlements in eastern areas of Libya. Widespread shortages are paralysing the country in ways which will impact gravely on the general population in the months ahead, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. We do not have yet an accurate figure of the total number of casualties since the start of the crisis.”
2011-05-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6530 (2011) · source
“I have recently discussed with humanitarian agencies and our partners the urgency of scaling-up our activities in C6te d'lvoire and Liberia to immediately respond to the needs of all affected people. We need to continue to make every effort to ensure that assistance is coordinated and provided in as coherent a way as 11-29790 possible. The people of Cote d'Ivoire deserve our support.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“It is important that UNOCI continues to robustly pursue the implementation of its protection-of-civilians mandate, including by deploying into areas where civilians continue to be at risk, and take appropriate action to deter threats. It is crucial that we remind President Ouattara that his Government and he as President must take seriously their responsibilities to abide by international law and to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection of all civilians. All armed groups also continue to bear responsibilities in that regard. Equally important is the need to avoid retaliation, end impunity and focus on reconciliation and social cohesion.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“While we can still count on Liberia to welcome Ivorian refugees, the Government is obviously concerned about the security and other economic and social impacts of the Ivorian refugee crisis on Liberia. Liberian authorities, United Nations agencies and our partner NGOs are doing their utmost to ensure that the response is adequate. But we still have a long way to go. It was clear to me from my discussions in Cote d'Ivoire that there are still many political challenges ahead. Those challenges and the current social tensions, which also impact on civilians, are likely to continue for some time. In this highly militarized context, I am concerned about the security vacuum in certain parts of the country.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Most of the refugees are women and children. They fled their homes with almost nothing. The Government of Liberia and the Liberian people need to be recognized for the welcome and support they have given refugees. The majority of refugees are staying in host communities, which also deserve assistance. People are sharing their homes and their limited supplies. Most of the people I spoke with needed more food and non-food items, shelter, water and sanitation and agricultural inputs. The ongoing crisis forced many Ivorians to cross into the more impoverished southern counties of Grand Gedeh and Maryland. Access challenges related to the upcoming rainy season are some of the factors worsening the current humanitarian situation in Liberia.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Overall, we estimate that about $300 million is needed to cover priority humanitarian needs. As of today, $57 million has been committed, which is only 15 per cent of what is needed. We need to act now to deliver more food, provide shelter and offer better medical treatment to those who are sick. We must not let down the people of Cote d'Ivoire and the region. I hope that Member States will redouble their efforts and respond to the needs in Cote d'Ivoire and the region. Cote d'Ivoire's neighbours - Liberia, Guinea, Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso - have between them taken in more than 140,000 people since the crisis began. More than 130,000 refugees are in Liberia. I visited a refugee transit centre in Toe Town, in Grand 11-29790 Gedeh county, which is situated along the Liberia-Cote d'Ivoire border.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“WFP, which manages the humanitarian air service on behalf of the whole aid community, plans to launch humanitarian flights to northern towns such as Bouake and Man, where relief agencies have relocated their operations. The World Health Organization has shipped additional supplies of kits to treat trauma injuries, malaria and infectious diseases, to support the people who fled Abidjan. The Food and Agriculture Organization is helping people to restart their livelihoods with seeds and tools. Numerous other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are also active on the ground. The humanitarian community launched two emergency action plans in January to raise funds for the humanitarian response in Cote d'lvoire and Liberia. Both appeals have been revised to reflect the greatly increased needs on the ground.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Gbagbo, UNICEF was able to make a delivery of medical supplies in Abidjan. It distributed essential medicines, blankets, tents and nutritional supplements to a health centre and a hospital in the Abidjan neighbourhood of Treichville. As soon as the security situation permits, it is essential that more aid workers get into all areas of Abidjan and that humanitarian organizations strengthen their presence where they are most needed. A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has just arrived in Cote d'Ivoire to strengthen humanitarian assessment, operations and coordination for the ongoing relief effort. Outside Abidjan, WFP is planning more airlifts in the coming days to provide food assistance to tens of thousands of internally displaced people.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“In all these places, distributions of food, water, sanitation materials and other relief items are still urgently needed. And we must also not overlook the grave psychological impact that these weeks of violence have had. People are immensely traumatized. They have witnessed terrible violence, and many have been directly targeted. The humanitarian response to the crisis has so far been severely impeded by the security situation around the country, which has prevented aid agencies from scaling up their operations and accessing those most in need. Some international United Nations staff stayed in Abidjan throughout the crisis; most relocated to Man and Bouake in recent days. Even for those who stayed, their movements were severely impeded by the lack of security. Immediately after the arrest of Mr.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Those that have stayed open do not have enough doctors, medicines or other basic equipment to meet the needs. Schools have been closed for months, leaving more than 800,000 children without access to education. Outside Abidjan, communities in the centre and north, including Bouake', have had to deal with the influx of the at least 800,000 people whom UNHCR estimates have been internally displaced. Many have been taken in by host families; others have gathered in spontaneous settlements. Heavy fighting in other cities has also had serious humanitarian consequences. In Daloa and Due'koue in the west, the south-western port city of San-Pedro, Abengourou and Bondoukou in the east, Tiebissou and the capital Yamoussoukro, medical centres have treated many people suffering from gunshot and machete wounds.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Although open conflict has ceased, there 3 continue to be reports of sporadic violence. Many families in the city are without food and are trapped in their homes, too afraid of the militias and the fighting to leave. Some have been forced by the violence to flee. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has already registered more than 130,000 displaced people in Abidjan. Entire neighbourhoods have been without electricity and water for weeks, raising concerns that cholera, which is already present in care d'Ivoire, could spread further. Food is difficult to find in the markets and shops, and prices have risen sharply. The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that malnutrition levels in Abidjan and around the country are rising. Many hospitals and health facilities have been unable to operate properly.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“The Council will hear from the High Commissioner for Human Rights that mass killings have taken place in several other towns and villages in the west of the country. These are in addition to the widespread and indiscriminate attacks against civilians that have occurred in Abidjan since violence flared up last December, including extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances. Sexual violence has been perpetrated particularly against women and children. Human rights investigations are ongoing, and the commission of inquiry requested by the Human Rights Council will deploy soon. It is vital that those responsible be held accountable for the crimes they have committed. There can be no culture of impunity. In Abidjan, many of the city's 5 million people are in crisis.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“In Due'koue', at least 255 people were killed in a massacre between 28 and 29 March, during which grave violations of international law took place. People told me harrowing stories about the executions and kidnappings that occurred. More than 27,000 people have been forced to find refuge at the Catholic mission in Duekoue', and there are another 1,000 displaced people at another site in the city. Some of them had walked 200 kilometres or more through the bush to reach relative safety. The camp exists because of the heroism of the pastor at the mission. It is being protected by United Nations peacekeepers, whose commitment to the mission of the United Nations is commendable. Their focus on the protection of civilians has saved many lives.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Ms. Amos: I appreciate this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Cote d'Ivoire, including findings from my mission last week to Man and Duekoue in Cote d'Ivoire, and Monrovia and Grand Gedeh county in Liberia. Despite the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo, the humanitarian situation in Cote d'Ivoire remains deeply troubling. The crisis that followed elections in November and the escalation we have seen in the past weeks have had far-reaching humanitarian consequences for ordinary people throughout C6te d'Ivoire and its neighbouring countries. These effects will not subside without a significant and sustained effort from the humanitarian community, and the combined efforts of the broader United Nations system in Cote d'Ivoire contributing to stabilization and reconciliation.”
2011-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6513 (2011) · source
“Ms. Amos: I want to take this opportunity to thank Member States for the contribution they have made to the overall aid effort in Haiti and for their focus on the importance of coordination. In that respect, we in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are strengthening our operation in Haiti and our focus on the importance of coordination among the United Nations, its agencies and national authorities, with particular stress on national ownership. Member States have also focused on the importance of stable institutions and overall security to facilitate the aid effort and longer-term development. It is also important to continue paying attention to the protection of people from sexual violence. All of these remain important aspects not only of the humanitarian response but also of the ongoing development efforts.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“11-21162 We cannot expect that Haiti, the poorest and least developed country in the western hemisphere before the earthquake, will be rebuilt in one year, or even two. Humanitarian agencies are prepared to stand beside the poorest and most vulnerable Haitian people for as long as it takes to recover from this terrible past year, and through whatever the years ahead might hold. I thank the Council for its continued support.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Much more attention to the cholera response is needed if the improved response of the past weeks is to be sustained. The relief effort has helped millions of people, but it has not, and will not, provide the long-term solutions that are desperately needed. Accelerating recovery efforts must be the absolute priority for 2011. For humanitarian assistance to phase down, recovery and reconstruction need to pick up. The Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission is central to this effort. We welcome the increased strategic role of the Commission and its support to technical ministries and partners in defining national plans in key areas, such as housing, debris removal and health. But even with that happening, it is important to still be realistic about how long it is going to take to get everybody to where they want to be and need to be.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Malnutrition, chronically weak health systems, appallingly low literacy rates and widespread lack of access to clean water, sanitation and other basic services mean that humanitarian assistance is still an essential lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Haitians. Aid agencies are still providing water to more than 1 million people every day and food to 2 million people every month, as well as helping to keep over 2 million children in schools. These efforts need to continue at least through this year, which is why we have launched another humanitarian appeal for 2011, this time for $906 million - about 50 per cent less than we required in 2010. From that, $174 million is for the cholera response, only 27 per cent of which has been provided to date. We therefore need to scale up and do more, and do it quickly.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Nonetheless, today the overall case fatality rate has declined from a peak of 9 per cent to around 2 per cent overall, although there are still spikes in some regions. This indicates that while the infection is still spreading around the country, the treatment facilities and the intensive public information campaigns launched to educate people about how to protect themselves are working. In Port-au-Prince the mortality rate has dropped to 1.2 per cent. Continuing this work requires stability in the country. If aid supplies and aid workers cannot move around freely, or if sick people cannot reach help in time, the fatality rate will quickly rise again. There is still an urgent need for massive mobilization activities to promote prevention and early treatment.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“But the exercise highlighted the extremely serious vulnerabilities that exist for many of Haiti's poorest people, earthquake survivors and others. Also in October, the cholera outbreak was confirmed. The outbreak has spread nation-wide and affected almost 200,000 people, with over 3,700 deaths so far. Haiti has ideal conditions for cholera's spread: poor and non-existing water, sanitation and health care infrastructure in many urban and rural areas and the density of population, especially in the slums of urban cities. And because cholera has not been present in Haiti for over 40 years, knowledge of how to prevent infections was non-existent, and still is, especially in the remote parts of the country.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“At least five litres of drinking water per person are being delivered to 1.2 million people daily. Over 11,000 latrines have been constructed, providing many people with the first modern sanitation they have experienced in their lives. And over 1.1 million children are receiving daily meals through the national school feeding programme, supported by the World Food Programme. Sixty-eight per cent of damaged schools have been cleared of debris, allowing more than 2 million children to return to school. Over the past months, Haiti has been tested further by two shocks that required a major international response. In October, everyone working in Haiti pulled together to prepare the country for Hurricane Tomas. Thankfully, the hurricane did not have the devastating effect that had been feared.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Looking back at the humanitarian work done over the past 12 months, and taking into account the devastation that the earthquake caused and the pre- existing difficult conditions in Haiti, a great deal has been accomplished. The United Nations humanitarian agencies, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which gave unwavering support to humanitarian work even before the earthquake, without which far less would have been accomplished, the Red Cross and the non-governmental organizations we work with in Haiti have all played their part. Since 12 January 2010, some 1.5 million people have received help with shelter. Of those, about 800,000 are still in camps. The rest have been able to return home or have been provided transitional shelters or other arrangements.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Ms. Amos: Thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to speak about the still extremely grave humanitarian conditions in Haiti and for your continued attention to the situation there. The one year anniversary of the earthquake was an occasion on which we remembered the terrible tragedy that took the lives of more than 200,000 people, among them so many of our colleagues. We will never forget them or their sacrifices. 3 Those of us who are involved in the humanitarian response have also been taking stock of what has been done to help earthquake-affected people over the past year and charting the course for the next 12 months and beyond.”
2011-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6471 (2011) · source
“Moreover, violations by one party, including non-State parties, do not permit or justify violations by any other party to that same conflict. Indeed, the nature of contemporary conflicts and the increasing prevalence of conflict in densely populated settings require ever more vigilance from the parties and determined efforts to respect and to ensure respect for their obligations under the law. I look forward to working with the Council in the coming years in addressing protection-of-civilians concerns and issues relating to humanitarian action more broadly, as well as working with individual Member States. I also look forward to continuing the practice of bringing particular situation-specific concerns to the attention of the Council following my country missions.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427Resumption1 (2010) · source
“And it should not be seen as judging or condemning the conduct of the parties. It is also completely separate from the determination of whether the use of force is legal and whether the actions of the parties comply with international humanitarian law and human rights law. Finally, reference has been made to the nature of contemporary conflict marked by the struggle against non-State armed groups in so-called asymmetric warfare. I acknowledge the complexity of those challenges and would emphasize that international humanitarian law is no less relevant in those contexts. 32 The law is very clear: all parties to conflict must at all times take the necessary steps to spare the civilian population and distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427Resumption1 (2010) · source
“I also took note of the support for improving monitoring against established benchmarks and indicators. I consider that a key gap in more successful implementation of protection measures on the ground and in reporting progress made in protecting civilians. I will report back to the Council on that in my next report. Some speakers have raised concerns over the inclusion of certain situations in the report of the Secretary-General and their characterization as situations of armed conflict. Whether a situation constitutes armed conflict is determined by the facts on the ground. It is determined on the basis of criteria developed in the jurisprudence of international tribunals. Such a determination does not affect the legal status of the parties involved; it does not equate the parties in any way.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427Resumption1 (2010) · source
“Many speakers have underlined the need for compliance by parties to conflict with their obligations to protect civilians and the significance, in that respect, of ensuring the accountability of those who violate the law. Attention has been drawn too to the importance of safe, timely and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need. I welcome the focus on compliance and access. However, if we are to succeed in improving both, humanitarian actors must be able to engage with non-State armed groups. A small number of States have expressed the concern that humanitarian engagement may afford such groups legitimacy. That is not supported by our experience. Only through engagement can we promote and seek improved protection for civilians and have consistent and safer access to those in need.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427Resumption1 (2010) · source
“Ms. Amos: In the interests of time, I will not respond to all of the detailed points that have been made, but I can reassure Council members that I have taken note of them. I would, however, like to respond to some of the recurring themes raised during the debate. First, I welcome the support expressed for the informal Expert Group and the interesting proposals from a number of States to expand its use and increase its utility to the Council. I also welcome today's adoption of the updated aide-memoire (S/PRST/2010/25, annex). I am encouraged that the majority of speakers have referred to the core challenges that we face in enhancing the protection of civilians and the need to redouble our efforts in that regard.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427Resumption1 (2010) · source
“As requested by the Secretary-General, we plan to develop indicators for systematic monitoring and reporting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The work of the Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict is of prime importance. We face a sobering reality, and yet progress has been made. I hope that the Council will continue to be seized of this matter and keep the protection of civilians at the centre of its agenda.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“The systematic application of the aide-memoire - an updated version of which has been adopted today - is crucial in that regard. So too is the continued use of the informal Expert Group and the consideration of other ways in which it could further inform the Council's deliberations. Those would be important steps in this direction. Finally, we must ensure an accountable approach. Systematic monitoring and reporting on the impact of our efforts to improve the protection of civilians is essential. We need to assess and report on the extent to which our actions are making civilians safer. That also applies to all relevant actors, not only peacekeeping missions, as well as all relevant situations, not only those in which peacekeepers are present.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Resolution 1894 (2009) expresses the Council's willingness to respond to situations of conflict where civilians are being targeted or humanitarian assistance is being deliberately obstructed, including through the consideration of appropriate measures at its disposal. I would urge the Council to extend that willingness to act to conflicts of which it is not already seized. These often raise many of the same, and sometimes more acute, protection concerns than we see in those situations already on the Council's agenda, and may equally warrant or demand Council attention. Secondly, we must ensure a consistent approach. We need greater consistency in the manner and extent to which the Council addresses protection in those contexts of which it is seized.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“As the Secretary-General notes, scrutiny must be the norm. I therefore welcome the Secretary-General's intention to request Secretariat departments directly involved in launching and supporting inquiries to undertake a review of the United Nations experience in these processes. In addition to the various recommendations aimed at the Council and Member States, the Secretary-General's report identifies three actions that are implicit yet fundamental to enhancing our collective efforts to bring about more effective 5 protection for civilians. First, we must ensure a comprehensive approach to protection.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“I would urge Member States to provide the necessary technical and financial support to national efforts, or for consideration to be given to the establishment of so- called mixed courts and tribunals, as we see in Cambodia and Sierra Leone, to support much-needed investigations and prosecutions at the national level. In other cases, the fault lies in an absence of political will. However, unnecessarily slow or ineffective national efforts must not hinder the pursuit of accountability, including at the international level. The mandating of international commissions of inquiry sends an important signal that violations will be pursued and victims heard. Yet, while their utility is clear, their establishment is often politically fraught. We need to find ways of using such mechanisms on a more consistent and less politically influenced basis.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“As emphasized in resolution 1894 (2009), the primary responsibility for ensuring accountability for violations of humanitarian and human rights law rests first and foremost with States. In practical terms that means disseminating information about international humanitarian and human rights law. It means training combatants and ensuring that their orders and instructions comply with international law and are observed. When violations occur, it means investigating and prosecuting those responsible. Regrettably, instances of disciplinary action and national prosecutions are in short supply, despite mounting allegations of serious humanitarian law and human rights violations in today's conflicts. In some cases, a lack of capacity is to blame.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“The Council's continued attention to access constraints is welcome. However, greater precision is needed in specifying the nature of the constraints and the actions to be taken to counter them. The Council must ensure enhanced accountability for grave instances of deliberate delays or denials of access for humanitarian operations, as well as situations involving attacks against humanitarian workers. That can be achieved by encouraging domestic prosecutions 10-64592 or through referrals to the International Criminal Court. In line with resolution 1894 (2009), I stand ready to bring to the Council's attention situations where humanitarian operations are deliberately obstructed, and to suggest possible response actions for consideration by the Council.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Bureaucratic constraints, active hostilities, deliberate attacks against humanitarian workers and the economically motivated theft of humanitarian supplies and equipment continue to undermine efforts to protect and assist those in need. In resolution 1894 (2009), the Council noted with grave concern the severity and prevalence of constraints on humanitarian access and the frequency and gravity of attacks against humanitarian personnel and their implications for humanitarian operations. It further stressed the importance of parties to conflict cooperating with humanitarian personnel in order to allow and facilitate access to conflict-affected populations. Importantly, the resolution reaffirmed the Council's role in promoting an environment that is conducive to facilitating humanitarian access.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“I look forward to the completion of the strategic framework that is being prepared by DPKO, in conjunction with other United Nations actors, to guide the development of comprehensive protection strategies by peacekeeping missions. This will, I hope, go a long way towards ensuring the necessary coordination and consultation between different actors and improve our collective efforts on the ground. Thirdly, approaches to protection must involve the participation of affected communities and build on their capacities. This should be incorporated into mission protection strategies. Access is a fundamental prerequisite to humanitarian action and yet, as the annex to the report demonstrates, it is frequently compromised.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Resolution 1923 (2010) on the situation in Chad provides useful examples in both these respects. Early consideration must also be given to the likely resource implications for the humanitarian and development actors that remain once a mission has withdrawn. These can be considerable. Member States must be fully aware of 10-64592 the need for increased voluntary contributions to support crucial ongoing humanitarian and development activities, especially those related to the protection of civilians. Secondly, the protection of civilians is a shared responsibility. Humanitarian workers and peacekeepers have distinct roles and responsibilities, but these need to be brought together in a coherent and strategic way.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“In recent months, United Nations peacekeepers have begun to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad is expected to withdraw completely by the end of this year. The protection and humanitarian implications of drawdown are context- specific. It is therefore essential that drawdown be based on the achievement of clear, context-specific benchmarks, including on the protection of civilians. Anything less risks instability, violence and further protection problems. In advance of mission drawdown, the Security Council should insist upon the articulation of benchmarks relating to the protection of civilians and on the establishment of a mechanism to measure and report progress against those benchmarks.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Measures of this sort can take us further from, rather than nearer to our goal of protecting civilians. From Chad to Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo to Liberia, to Sierra Leone and the Sudan, United Nations peacekeeping missions have had a significant impact on enhancing the protection of civilian populations. Important measures are being introduced to further improve the implementation of protection mandates by such missions, based on the recommendations of the November 2009 independent study jointly commissioned by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). Mr. Le Roy will speak to these shortly. I would like to touch on three issues in the Secretary-General's report. The first is mission drawdown.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Across donor States, the threshold of what constitutes direct or indirect, or intentional or non- intentional material support to designated terrorist organizations varies; so too does the manner in which these are formulated in humanitarian funding policies. The result is a complex web of bureaucratic restrictions demanding extensive vetting of partner organizations and, in some instances, explicit prohibitions on contact with designated terrorist organizations as a condition of funding. Humanitarian actors face potential criminal liability and prosecution for engaging with designated terrorist organizations in the course of, for example, securing the release of child soldiers or for simply delivering aid to civilian populations in an area controlled by such an organization.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“An increasing number of Member States appreciate the importance of engagement for humanitarian purposes, but this must translate into greater consideration of the possible humanitarian consequences of national legal and policy initiatives that effectively inhibit humanitarian actors in engaging armed groups for humanitarian purposes. I am increasingly concerned by the growing body of national legislation and policies relating to humanitarian funding that limit humanitarian engagement with non-State armed groups that have been designated terrorist organizations. In the United States, for example, domestic legislation defines "material support" in such a way that it includes advocacy, technical expertise and advice, even when such activities are aimed at bringing the conduct of these non-State actors in line with international law.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“Improved compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law will remain elusive in the absence of and full acceptance of the need for systematic and consistent engagement with non-State armed groups. Experience in Colombia, Liberia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, the Sudan and the former Yugoslavia shows that lives can be saved by engaging armed groups in order to seek compliance with international humanitarian law in their combat operations and general conduct, to gain safe access for humanitarian operations, or to dissuade them from using certain types of weapons.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“I would join the Secretary-General in urging Member States, United Nations actors, and international and non-governmental organizations to consider the issue of explosive weapons closely, including by supporting more systematic data collection and analysis of the human costs of explosive weapons use. I would urge also increased cooperation by Member States in collecting and making available information to United Nations and other relevant actors on civilian harm resulting from the use of explosive weapons. Policy statements outlining the conditions under which explosive weapons might be used in populated areas would also be invaluable.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“As the inhabitants of Baghdad, Gaza, Mogadishu, the Vanni region of Sri Lanka and elsewhere can attest, explosive weapons such as artillery shells, missile and rocket warheads and bombs can cause substantial and ongoing civilian suffering when used in populated areas. Civilians within the vicinity of an explosion are likely to be killed or injured by the blast and fragmentation from such weapons. They may be harmed by the collapse of buildings or suffer as a result of damage to essential infrastructure, such as hospitals and sanitation systems. And they live with the threat posed by unexploded ordnance.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source
“These have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, and some 100,000 people have been displaced. With limited humanitarian access, mostly due to Government restrictions, it has been difficult to gain a clear picture of the situation and of the numbers and locations of the displaced and other vulnerable groups. Where we are unable to promote and encourage compliance with the law, the Council must do more to enforce. This includes following through on the willingness expressed in resolution 1894 (2009) to respond to situations of conflict where civilians are targeted or humanitarian assistance is deliberately obstructed. I would like to draw particular attention to the concern raised in the report over the humanitarian impact of explosive weapons, particularly when used in densely populated areas.”
2010-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6427 (2010) · source