YouSaid · the spoken record

Apakan

lines on the record: 704
first: 2009-09-09
most recent: 2019-04-25
sittings or episodes: 101
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

“We have been going to border regions through Izvaryne more frequently than in past years. However, there are still some issues, which limits our ability to observe all of Donbas, particularly the non-Government side. I do not want to go through specific location names and details, but that is what we have experienced. In my briefing today, as well as in Minsk and at the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), I emphasized those points. Lastly, Ambassador Sajdik referred to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office statement on unilateral measures. I must say that I share Mr. Sajdik's views and the Chairperson-in-Office on that point. The meeting rose at 5.15 pm.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“Mr. Apakan: Actually, I have nothing to add to Ambassador Sajdik's explanations. In Minsk, our expectation yesterday was to reach a recommitment to the Easter ceasefire. To that end, there was an agreement on the date and timing of such a ceasefire. I am referring to the discussions of the working group on security. However, each side took a different approach to the text of the statement. I believe that they missed an opportunity yesterday. In response to the question by the Permanent Representative of Germany, I have to say that, with regard to access to southern areas of Donetsk, the non-Government side is a real issue for us. Our access and observation capacity is limited. I must add that there is also some limited access to southern border regions.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“members and the dedicated men and women with whom I have the honour to work. Before closing, I would like to underline that civilians deserve the chance to celebrate the current Easter period in peace. Weapons can be silenced if there is the will.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“The situation regarding access and freedom of movement for the SMM. has not improved. On the contrary, impediments remain, in particular in areas outside Government control in the southern Donetsk region and in areas close to the border. All those impediments are steadily eroding the Mission's ability to fulfil its mandated tasks. It is the responsibility ofthe sides to ensure effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE. I wish to thank the Security Council once again for the opportunity to share the observations of the OSCE SMM. I also wish to express my gratitude for the close cooperation with the United Nations agencies in Ukraine, both in Kyiv and in the field. I am also grateful to Ambassador Sajdik for his support to the SMM. I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleagues, SMM.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“The existing entry-exit checkpoints are insufficient to support the large volume of people moving across the contact line on a daily basis. I have described the struggle of men, women, children and in particular the elderly, having to move across precarious wooden ramps connecting the broken bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska. That remains the only entry-exit checkpoint in the entire Luhansk region. As members may recall, in February, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovak Foreign Minister Lajeak, visited the bridge and the area and highlighted the urgent priority of repairing it. A solution to that pressing issue needs to be found. The Mission continues to face a challenging security environment. Targeting of SMM. unmanned aerial vehicles and signal interference take place with worrying frequency.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“Incidents close to civilian infrastructure sites, including the Donetsk filtration station and the pumping station in Vasylivka, occur with increasing frequency. For six days, beginning on 12 April, tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the line of contact in the Donetsk region were left with limited access to water due to the damage to the pumping station's water pipelines. As I have mentioned in the past, sustainable solutions to ensure the protection of civilian infrastructure include the full withdrawal of heavy weapons from those areas as well as from populated areas. The SMM- facilitated local ceasefires used for the repair of civilian infrastructure must also be respected. In the past, I described the hardship faced by civilians. Their situation has unfortunately not improved.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“As I travelled in the Luhansk region, I saw people preparing for the Easter celebrations and visiting cemeteries. Those sites, located close to the contact line, need to be safe. We are calling on the sides to ensure that, as a matter of urgency, the sites are demined in the coming days. The SMM. remains a comprehensive security instrument. Its presence in the field is reassuring for those caught in the conflict. Through its monitoring, verification and reporting, the Mission contributes to the stabilization of the situation and facilitates the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The protection of civilians continues to be an issue. Much needs to be urgently done to improve the conditions of those living close to the conflict-affected areas. That is especially important with regard to vital civilian infrastructure.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“We have reported on casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure there, and I have called on the participants in the Working Group on Security Issues to enable the SMM. to have full access to the area. They are encouraging the sides to implement a phased withdrawal of heavy weapons from the populated areas. On Monday, I returned from a visit to Luhansk, where I joined a commemorative event marking the anniversary of the tragic incident in which our colleague Joseph Stone lost his life. On 23 April 2017, an SMM patrol hit what appeared to be an anti-tank mine on an unpaved road. Mine-related incidents have continued to claim the lives of civilians. This year alone, the Mission has recorded 15 civilian casualties due to mines, unexploded ordinance and improvised explosive devices, four of whom were killed and 11 injured.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“Although some recommitments to the ceasefire were mutually agreed, they were short-lived, as I mentioned. Additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire are needed. Some concrete steps on humanitarian mine action, in particular around schools and kindergartens, have been taken in recent months. While such steps are encouraging, progress in other areas has remained limited since I last briefed the Council in February (see S/PV. 8461). No remedial action has been taken to address the worsening security situation in the disengagement areas. Particularly in the disengagement area of Zolote, civilians living in nearby villages have continued to be affected by the gradual re-engagement of forces and hardware.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“Achieving a sustainable ceasefire is a critical first step to addressing the broader security situation on the ground. Since the last recommitment to the ceasefire on International Women's Day, which was one of the shortest to date, the Mission has recorded more than 50,000 ceasefire violations, including about 15,000 explosions. Ceasefire violations were concentrated in four areas, namely, areas east and north-east of Mariupol, the Popasna-Pervomaisk-Zolote area, the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area and the areas south and south-east of Svitlodarsk. Since 8 March, the SMM. has recorded 238 instances of the use of weapons that should have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements. The discussion on the security provisions of the Minsk agreements did not yield substantial progress.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the security situation in eastern Ukraine. I will provide members with an update on the observations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), in particular with regard to the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the outcome of the recent discussions in Minsk. On 24 April, the sides did not reach any agreement in Minsk on a recommitment to the ceasefire on the occasion of the Easter holiday period. Ukraine had announced a unilateral decision to implement a ceasefire as of 18 April. I still believe that a mutual agreement can be reached for that important holiday.”
2019-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8516 (2019) · source
“The Special Monitoring Mission has reported its observations of vehicles bearing Russian flags, but has not identified their origin. I have to say that, in order to avoid any misunderstanding, there has been no reference in these reports to military units. I am referring to reports and not making any personal observation or judgment. These are the elements that we have reported over the course of four or five years. They are nothing new and have been reiterated on several occasions by the Mission. The meeting rose at 5.50 p.m.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Mr. Apakan: The question that has been raised has been handled in the daily and weekly reports of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. And if one goes through those SMM. reports one can observe accounts ofillegal activities, fighting, shelling and other ceasefire violations. In that regard, I would not like to make any comments here that would go beyond the scope of our reports, because the reports are based on established facts, and our teams are patrolling, monitoring and producing reports. That is the reason why instead of making a concrete and tangible observation here, I would like to refer to the reports of the SMM. In that respect, we have received reports of people in uniforms, claiming to be from the Russian Federation and other countries, as well as mercenaries.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“I wish to thank the Council once again for the opportunity to share the observations of the OSCE SMM. I also wish to express my gratitude for the close cooperation with United Nations agencies in Ukraine, both in Kyiv and in the field. In closing, I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleagues, the SMM members, and the dedicated men and women with whom I have the honour to work. I also wish to thank my colleague and friend, Ambassador Sajdik, for his close cooperation.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Challenges to our freedom of movement remain, in particular in areas outside Government control in the southern Donetsk region. It is the responsibility of the sides to make good on their commitments and ensure effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE - a commitment they made in the package of measures. The Mission will continue to support and facilitate the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The SMM. will also continue, according to its mandate, to monitor and report on the security situation, facilitate dialogue to reduce tensions and promote stabilization and normalization throughout the country. In that context, we have enhanced our patrolling activities to monitor on land the possible effects on the socioeconomic situation and potential implications related to developments in the Sea of Azov.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Crossing conditions must be improved and more such checkpoints should be opened, in particular in the Luhansk region. In his recent visit to eastern Ukraine, the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Slovak Foreign Minister Lajcak, highlighted the precarious conditions of civilians crossing the damaged bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska. Action is needed to ensure that the necessary repairs to the bridge become possible. The Mission continues to monitor and report on developments taking place in a complex security environment. SMM. unarmed aerial vehicles continue to be targeted and signal interference with their flights persists. More recently, on 4 February an explosion occurred about 100 metres from an SMM. patrol.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“It is for the sides to take appropriate action to protect those sites. They must honour the agreed local ceasefires and arrangements. A failure to do so poses a threat to repair crews and SMM. monitors. To carry on with their lives, thousands of people undertake long journeys every day. They are forced to use the few entry-exit checkpoints to access basic services, receive pensions and visit family members separated by the conflict. We observe the consequences of the enduring hardships, particularly for the elderly, of the long queues in sub-zero temperatures. Since December, the SMM. has recorded 14 cases ofpeople who died from natural causes while waiting at checkpoints. Steps must be taken to facilitate access for medical staff to the grey zone between these checkpoints to provide assistance for civilians.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Concrete, positive steps in the field of humanitarian mine action, particularly around schools, kindergartens and entry-exit checkpoints, are needed. That could help prevent further civilian casualties from mines and unexploded ordnance. Raising awareness of those dangers is important, especially among children. Civilian infrastructure must be protected. Regrettably, incidents affecting sites of critical infrastructure, such as the Donetsk filtration station and, more recently, the pumping station in Vasylivka, have continued to occur. They cause damage and endanger the lives of the brave men and women who work in those sites for the benefit of their communities. The SMM continues to facilitate dialogue to enable the repair and maintenance of critical civilian infrastructure.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Particularly in Zolote, violence is spilling over to nearby villages on both sides of the contact line, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. Civilians must be protected. Measures that can improve conditions for those living in or close to conflict-affected areas are urgently needed. In 2018 the SMM. reported on the circumstances in which 43 civilians were killed and 194 were injured. In the first few weeks of 2019 we recorded four civilian casualties. All measures must be undertaken to prevent further casualties. The full withdrawal of heavy weapons, beginning with populated areas, should be a priority. That would reduce the impact of the conflict on civilians.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Areas where violence has been most intense, as before, remain concentrated around the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area, the Popasna-Pervomaisk-Zolote area, areas east and north- east of Mariupol and areas south of Svitlodarsk. Heavy weapons have not been fully withdrawn; they continue to be used. We are in Minsk, where tomorrow there will be a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group. I will again emphasize the need for a comprehensive ceasefire at the Working Group on Security Issues. There must be progress in identifying measures to strengthen the ceasefire. The disengagement of forces and hardware, agreed in the framework decision of September 2016, has not occurred. On the contrary, we have observed a re-engagement in the Petrivske and Zolote disengagement areas.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the security situation in eastern Ukraine. I will provide members with an update on the challenges in the implementation of the Minsk agreements, in particular the package of measures as we a mark a year since its signing. The latest recommitment to the ceasefire began on 29 December. That resulted in a significant decrease in the number of ceasefire violations - a demonstration that, if there is will, violence can be stopped. However, the numbers have again rapidly increased. Violence continues to fluctuate. On 5 February, for instance, the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) recorded almost 2,000 ceasefire violations, while yesterday we recorded approximately 1,300.”
2019-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8461 (2019) · source
“Their safety is our priority, and I have to note that, regretfully, threats to Mission personnel and assets, as well as restrictions on freedom of movement, continue, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government. The Special Monitoring Mission, an unarmed civilian mission, will continue to implement its mandate with impartiality. I wish to thank the Council once again for the opportunity to share the observations of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. I also wish to express my gratitude for the close cooperation with the United Nations agencies in Ukraine, both in Kyiv and in the field.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Recently, representatives of a local women's group living close to the contact line in the Donetsk region shared their greatest sorrow with the Mission: they could no longer regularly visit their children living on the other side of the contact line. As long as the components for armed violence are still in place, the risk for escalation remains. We need political will for a renewed impetus. The people of Ukraine in and around the contact line are looking for a normal life, peace and stabilization. In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the work of the members of the Special Monitoring Mission, the dedicated men and women with whom I have the honour to work.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Since the beginning of the year, the Special Monitoring Mission has corroborated the cases of 107 casualties among civilians. Most of those casualties were caused by either shelling incidents or mines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. Most of them took place in April and May. In the report of the Mission published today, we described how a couple, an elderly man and two boys suffered as a result of the current violence. Mines and unexploded ordnance litter the areas close to the contact line. It will take years, probably decades, to fully decontaminate those areas. Yet, despite explicit agreements on mine action, the Mission observes that new mines are still being laid. As violence continues, the conflict is reshaping peoples' lives, creating an artificial divide between communities.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“The functioning of this critical civilian infrastructure, which ensures drinkable water to the population of the area and beyond - over 300,000 people - is at risk. Ceasefire violations in the area have increased in recent weeks. Recently, employees of the station were wounded by gunfire. Since then the Mission has increased its presence in the area. New damage caused by shelling is exacerbating the deteriorating infrastructure, which requires regular maintenance and repair. Nevertheless, the Mission continues to facilitate dialogue on the ground with a view to establishing a window of silence that would allow that much needed repair work to take place. The Special Monitoring Mission also continues to document the cost of the conflict and cases of casualties among civilians.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Since the beginning of the year, the Special Monitoring Mission has recorded the use of weapons and artillery, including multiple-launch rocket systems, tanks and mortars, on over 5,000 occasions. All those weapons should have been withdrawn according to the Minsk agreements. A renewed effort is needed in that regard. The withdrawal of heavy weapons - including from specific sectors - in phases and beginning with populated areas, should be a priority. Such deadly weapons are often placed in residential areas and cause destruction and casualties among civilians. The Special Monitoring Mission remains ready to monitor and verify the withdrawal process. With regard to the protection ofcivilians and civilian infrastructure, I would like to highlight the situation of the Donetsk filtration station.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“We also see that areas that have remained relatively calm thus far are at risk of further flare-ups, namely, Horlivka. I am briefing from Minsk, where tomorrow, under the auspices of the Trilateral Contact Group, we will convene the Working Group on Security Issues. In that context, let me emphasize that there is an urgent need to agree on the additional measures that would make the ceasefire sustainable and irreversible. The disengagement of forces, which the sides agreed to complete under the September 2016 framework decision, has remained stalled. The lack of willingness to take the process further may erode the trust and the resolve of the sides. Violence is indiscriminate.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the security situation in eastern Ukraine. I will also provide an update on the challenges in the implementation of the Minsk agreements, the impact on civilians and the longer-term consequences of the ongoing fighting. Since January the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission has recorded over 100,000 ceasefire violations. Following a short pause in the level of violence during Easter, fighting increased again. Most of the fighting has remained concentrated in critical areas such as those around Svitlodarsk and Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region. Most of the kinetic activity recorded by the Special Monitoring Mission this year took place in those two hotspots.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Violence on such a scale, involving the loss of life, is unacceptable, and the protection of civilians must be paramount. Access to shelter, water, heat and medical care is limited in many areas. In that respect, the Special Monitoring Mission works closely with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The Mission will continue to implement its mandate with impartiality and in close cooperation with all sides, in the context of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We continue to support the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and thereby contribute to efforts towards peace.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“I should also mention that work is ongoing in the disengagement areas. In that context, I must say that the verification of heavy weapons is an important step that we are trying to achieve through monitoring, verification and reporting. It is also imperative that the Special Monitoring Mission be given immediate safe and unhindered access to the affected areas in order to verify that sides are complying with their obligations on the ceasefire and the withdrawal of weapons. I would also reiterate that the sides should try to prioritize the protection of civilians and the repair of infrastructure, which is also an immediate need. We will also continue to monitor the humanitarian situation, which remains a matter of deep concern.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Allow me to reiterate that the developments in the Avdiivka/Yasnuvata and Donetsk airport areas are of great concern. In that context, I welcome yesterday's joint statement by the Trilateral Contact Group appealing for strict adherence to a full and comprehensive cessation of fire, withdrawal into storage sites of all weapons regulated by the Minsk agreements, safe and secure access for members of the Special Monitoring Mission in accordance with the Mission's mandate, and, finally, the facilitation of efforts aimed at restoring water, electricity and heating supplies, including by way of the repair of infrastructure. I would like once again to say to the Security Council that a ceasefire is a basic requirement. We call for the immediate cessation of fighting. The withdrawal of heavy weapons is another imperative.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Instead of the disengagement of forces and hardware, we see the engagement of forces and a full range of hardware in areas where they are prohibited by the Minsk agreements. The Special Monitoring Mission's safe access and ability to conduct effective monitoring and verification continues to be restricted. The Mission needs full, safe and unhindered access. At the moment, our teams and monitors are facilitating local ceasefires in the area, in coordination with the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination - the joint military centre for Russian and Ukrainian officers. That window of opportunity, along with the ceasefires, as unstable as they may be, helped to allow repair crews to access the damaged sites. Those efforts are still under way. Local ceasefires show that, if they are willing to, the sides can stop fighting.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“The Avdiivka coke factory, which was providing the area with its main source of heating, has lost its power and water supplies. Repair crews have difficulty conducting repairs owing to the security situation. Efforts to ensure access in order to repair power lines and restore electricity to the coke factory and the Donetsk filtration station are ongoing. The Donetsk filtration station supplies water to the population on both sides of the contact line, and its protection is of the utmost importance. Further damage to Donetsk and other water filtration stations in the region could leave large parts of the Donetsk region without water. All of those factors demonstrate a blatant disregard for the obligations undertaken by the signatories of the Minsk agreements.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Most were in the Avdiivka and Yasnyuvata areas. The Special Monitoring Mission has also registered a steep increase in the use of all types of weapons regulated by the Minsk agreements, and the use of Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, mortars and artillery is particularly worrying. The use of tanks has also been observed. The sides' indiscriminate use of proscribed weapons has resulted in civilian casualties and considerable damage to civilian homes and essential infrastructure. The conditions for civilians who have remained in Avdiivka have reached emergency levels. The town lost electricity when power lines in the area were damaged. In the meantime, civilians, including the most vulnerable, have been left without heat in sub-zero winter temperatures.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Sporadic fighting has continued, with several spikes in violence recorded from November through January. Today the fighting in that triangular area is in its fifth day. The tension levels witnessed have increased during that period and the ceasefire violations are becoming more frequent and severe. Since 29 January, the intensity of the fighting in and around Avdiivka has been greater than in any similar period in recent months. On 31 January, the Special Monitoring Mission recorded thousands of explosions in Donetsk caused by incoming and outgoing mortar and artillery fire, including from multiple-launch rocket systems. On 1 February, there were almost 10,000 explosions in the Donetsk region. Today the situation continues to be tense and volatile. This is the highest number of explosions that the Mission has ever recorded.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the security situation in eastern Ukraine. I am reporting to the Council today on the significant escalation of violence that has taken place in the past few days. The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has seen a sharp intensification in fighting in the Avdiivka-Yasnyuvata-Donetsk airport area. That latest upsurge comes after months of sustained ceasefire violations, particularly in five hotspots in eastern Ukraine, including in the Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve areas, Horlivka, in areas east of Mariupol, around Shyrokyne, and in Popasna, Pervomaiske and Troitske, in the Luhansk region.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“The Council's support for the ceasefire and for the security of the contact line will also pave the way for progress in other areas, in particular the humanitarian, economic and political fronts. Thank you again, Sir, for enabling us to participate in this meeting.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I wish to thank the Security Council for giving us this opportunity to address it. The implementation of the Minsk agreements is important. From the security prospective, however, the first, second and the third provisions of the Minsk agreements are very much related to the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and addendum- proscribed weapons. We hope to re-instate the ceasefire in the coming days. We believe that will give us space to pursue disengagement, de-escalation and confidence-building measures on the contact line. It will also provide space to speed up demining efforts in priority areas. I hope that will also give us an opportunity to engage in more ceasefire mediation on the contact line.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“In close cooperation with the Trilateral Contact Group, the Special Monitoring Mission will continue to work towards the stabilization and normalization of Ukraine, on the basis of the principles and commitments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Allow me to repeat: a sustainable ceasefire is of central importance to the further implementation of the Minsk agreements. In that context, I should say that Ambassador Sajdik, in cooperation with the Special Monitoring Mission, is working on a truce for the festive season and the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday. We believe that will be an occasion for the sides to show visible and decisive action for tranquillity and a full ceasefire. Attacks the Special Monitoring Mission must stop. All signatories to the Minsk documents must live up to their commitments to safeguard and ensure the safety and security of the civilian Special Monitoring Mission. And the JCCC needs to act in line with the responsibilities assigned to it. Over the past week, I addressed three letters to the signatories of the Minsk package of measures in that regard.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Throughout the country, the Special Monitoring Mission is continuing its cooperative relationship in humanitarian matters with the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UNICEF to ensure the effective coordination of efforts on the ground. Armed formations along the contact line are standing too close together, and have recently moved even closer in some locations. That represents a violation of the Minsk agreements and must not continue. Disengagement is a necessity in the current situation. Military formations need to move further apart to stop the cycle of violence. Increased dialogue across the contact line and confidence-building measures can complement initiatives for disengagement.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“All civilians in the conflict area face great difficulties when attempting to cross the contact line. That disproportionately affects - I repeat - older persons, children and women. During recent months, several of the few official crossing routes have been closed for short or expanded periods. The closure of checkpoints in Luhansk region considerably limits the possibilities for people to reach their places of work, use the services ofhospitals and reach family members.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Such expansion in number and geographical reach is accompanied by an expansion in technical capabilities, including unarmed aerial vehicles, satellite imagery and cameras in certain sensitive areas. Human suffering as a result of the conflict is increasing. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of the conflict remains one of the main problems. The plight of IDPs serves to underline the urgency for the sides to continue the peace process. Focused work on gender issues has been a priority for the Special Monitoring Mission. In the conflict area, women, older persons and children are suffering. Women throughout the country appear to be quick in self-initiation and demonstrate a resilient attitude towards the challenges in difficult humanitarian situations.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“The Special Monitoring Mission has been adapting its operations to the chaning situation and has further expanded its presence on both sides of the contact line. We have increased the number of locations from where we conduct our monitoring, and have increased our efforts to monitor the border areas not under the control of the Government. The Special Monitoring Mission is now operating out of 13 bases, on both sides of the contact line. More bases are needed, including in non-Government-controlled areas. The Special Monitoring Mission is ready to engage, but needs reassurances on safety and security from those in effective contol in the respective locations. Currently, the Mission has 700 monitors from 47 countries, with the aim of further expansion.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Therefore, we have temporarily imposed some restrictions on our patrolling. Impunity for people who threaten or violenty mistreat the Special Monitoring Mission, or who violate its freedom of movement, must end. The inaction of those who have committed to the ceasefire to withdraw weapons and to protect the Special Monitoring Mission presents a direct challenge to the letter and the spirit of the Minsk agreements. It undermines efforts made towards stabilization and normalization and endangers their further implementation. The Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) could be instrumental in addressing those challenges. However, the Mission's monitoring shows that the JCCC still has not significantly increased its effectiveness.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“The Special Monitoring Mission is also finding an increasing number ofweapons missing from permanent storage sites and from known weapon-holding areas. Many of those facilities are completely abandoned. Our observations suggest that many of those weapons are in use at the contact line. There are about 700 civilians living in and around the contact line. They are suffering. In that context, I should also underline the recent tragedy that took place in Olenivka. That is the reason we need the cessation of hostilities and a full and sustainable ceasefire, for the settlement of the problem as well as to lessen the suffering of the people. Direct attacks against the Special Monitoring Mission and its assets happen with impunity for the perpetrators. Serious security incidents have taken place recently.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“Mr. Apakan: I wish to thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to address the Security Council regarding the situation in Ukraine. Violence in eastern Ukraine is once again reaching a peak. The fighting around some hotspots varies in intensity over time. Days of relative calm are followed by periods of intense escalation. Just recently, from 11 to 17 April, the Mission has observed particularly intense violence between Avdiivka and Yasnuvata, to the north of Donetsk. This was the highest level of violence observed since August 2015. Armed violence also continues to take place around the cities onaitseve, Horlivka, Svitlodarsk and Debeltseve. An upsruge in ceasefire violations has also taken place in the south of Donetsk region and in Luhansk region. Heavy weapons are in frequent use.”
2016-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7683 (2016) · source
“But the political will for a full ceasefire and a political solution and peace must come from both sides. The next set of steps is clear and has been agreed in the Minsk documents. The Mission will continue to support the implementation of those provisions, in line with its mandate and with objectivity and impartiality.”
2015-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7576 (2015) · source
“First, the ceasefire needs to be kept by both sides and must be consolidated. Secondly, we are continuing to work on reaching consensus on the principles of mine action. Thirdly, heavy weapons need to be withdrawn; the sides already have a standing agreement on that issue. Fourthly, we must continue our work on the ground to facilitate the repair of critically needed infrastructure. Fifthly, if the situation on the ground allows, we stand ready to support the implementation of an eventual political settlement and will play our role in line with our mandate. In conclusion, all activities by the Special Monitoring Mission are guided by the aim of achieving normalization and stabilization in Ukraine. As our numbers expand, those efforts will be further strengthened.”
2015-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7576 (2015) · source
“Just two days ago, we opened a new permanent presence in Horlivka and Debaltseve, two areas right on the contact line, and we will open more. The Special Monitoring Mission is playing its part in the de-escalation on the ground. We have been present even under the most difficult circumstances and have facilitated and negotiated many local ceasefires. We have undertaken vital consultations to allow for critical infrastructure and utility repair work and will continue to do so. Freedom of movement for the Mission is also important for the verification process. Denials of access still occur, in particular in some parts of the Volta region. We need continued political support to address that problem. I would now like to look ahead and outline the main priorities for the upcoming period.”
2015-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7576 (2015) · source