YouSaid · the spoken record

Araud

lines on the record: 1,506
first: 2009-09-09
most recent: 2014-07-22
sittings or episodes: 220
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

“It is essential that the process provided for by the Constitution be pursued and that it lead as soon as possible to a coalition Government, if we are to expect Iraq to recover.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“France supports the State of Iraq in its fight against terrorism and believes that a sustainable response to the crisis must be primarily political. It is urgent today that conditions be created in Iraq for an inclusive political dialogue that brings together all communities in order to meet the challenges facing the country. The alternative is clear. Either there is no change in the governance of the country and we will then likely see the breakup of Iraq, or a national unity Government is promptly formed involving all communities and a political solution will prevail. The election of the new Speaker of the Parliament is a positive development, but much remains to be done to see a way out ofthe crisis.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“France is obviously deeply concerned about the progress of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which constitutes a threat to the integrity of Iraq and to the stability of the entire region. That progress could also further strengthen the attractiveness of the Syrian-Iraqi theatre for jihad candidates, who pose a threat to the international community as a whole. France condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by ISIL against ethnic and religious minorities and those who do not adhere to its barbaric ideology, including, specifically, the ultimatum given to Christians in Mosul, one of the oldest Christian communities of the world, with which France has maintained relations for several centuries. The ultimatum is a further illustration of the true nature of that terrorist organization.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“The dissociation policy and the 2012 Baabda Declaration provide the framework within which all Lebanese forces must operate. Faced with the Syrian crisis, France welcomes the generosity of Lebanon and underlines the burden that hosting more than 1 million refugees represents. Lebanon needs the support of its international partners. We also call on Lebanon to meet its internal constitutional deadlines. We recall the importance of the fight against impunity and welcome in that respect the role of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is expected to resume its activities on 18 June 2015. I conclude with a word on Iraq, on which the Security Council issued a statement to the press yesterday at the initiative of France.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Brahimi, whom we thank for his efforts. Our collective political objective remains the same, namely, a political transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian peopl, based on the full implementation of the Geneva final communique (S/2012/522, annex). Finally, France emphasizes that the thousands of crimes committed in Syria must not go unpunished. The Council was unable to agree on the French proposal to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court; nevertheless, those who are responsible for crimes in Syria, Whoever they are and whatever side they are on, should know that they will be judged. In that context, we must also send a message of support for Lebanon, which should not be dragged into the spiral of the Syrian crisis.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“All reports on the implementation of resolution 2139 (2014) are unequivocal. The situation of the civilian population has not improved. The sieges of towns, three-quarters of which have not stopped or even reduced owing to the regime, the indiscriminate bombing, including by barrel bombs, which is a direct and flagrant violation of resolution 2139 (2014), the torture, the policy of terror against civilians and the obstacles to humanitarian access continue. The adoption of resolution 2165 (2014) should improve the delivery of humanitarian aid, which must be sent by the most direct routes, whether through the frontlines or across borders from the neighbouring countries. However, only a political solution will bring an end to the conflict. France welcomes the appointment of Mr. de Mistura to succeed Mr.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“We must convince the man in the street in Tel AviV and Gaza that peace is not a leap into the unknown or capitulation but entering a new world. Rather than endlessly mending the engine of the same vehicle, as the negotiators - who, moreover, are often the same - have been doing for the past 20 years, we must change the vehicle. We need new ideas that seek, first, to break down the wall of fear, distrust and hatred that prevents any progress and leave a way out for the extremists on both sides. Until the man in the street demands peace, there will be no peace. It may be too late, I fear, but the entire international community will then shoulder the responsibility of the long tragedy that will be the future of the Holy Land. In Syria, the tragedy continues in a country that disappears a little more every day under the regime's bombardment.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Israelis and Palestinians will never achieve peace by themselves. The reasons are too numerous and, I would say, too evident for me to list. It is not a question, and I underscore this point, of resorting to some kind of pressure on the parties. That will not work. On the contrary, it is a matter of the entire international community proposing a positive agenda to the two parties to encourage them to move towards the path of peace. One side fears for its security and the other for its national existence. The Americans, Europeans and Arabs can all address those concerns. Integration, joining regional bodies, financial assistance, the guarantee of security and opening full diplomatic relations are all proposals to explore. However, there are others.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Finally, most importantly, it is necessary to work for a political settlement, which is the only way to stop what we have seen on three occasions since 2008, that is, a tragic repetition of outbreaks of violence. Today is the last open debate on the Middle East in which I shall participate. Allow me to move for a moment from the bloody turbulence of a somewhat repetitive situation to recall the basic facts of the conflict. For 20 years, with infinite patience, resolve and imagination, we have tried to put an end to the conflict by convincing the two parties to negotiate directly without international intervention. God alone knows the number of initiatives and formulas that have been tried and proposed in vain. The time has therefore come to conclude that such laudable efforts have failed because the method was wrong.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Israel's security must be guaranteed, which, in particular, means a more effective fight against arms trafficking. Gaza must be able to resume its way of life, since poverty, despair and inactivity swell the ranks of Hamas more than they weaken it. It is therefore important to work towards lifting the blockade and the full implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access of2005, endorsed by resolution 1860 (2009). The European Union could contribute to that by reactivating the European Union Border Assistance Mission at Rafah, as France has proposed. It is clearly important to involve the Palestinian Authority in a way out of the crisis. The reconstruction efforts and the lifting of the blockade must be coordinated with Mr. Abbas.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“That will mean, first, an immediate end to the firing of rockets by Hamas on Israel, Whose security is an absolute right, and, secondly, an immediate cessation of the Israeli offensive. Israel is indeed targeting Hamas - an organization that France and its European partners has recognized as terrorists. However, the facts are clear. There are now more than 580 dead, 75 per cent of whom were civilians, according to the United Nations, many of whom were children. That violates the legal imperative to protect civilians. Yet we know that a ceasefire will not suffice. A lasting truce that addresses the root causes of the conflict and the legitimate concerns of the parties and allows a relaunching of the peace process must be concluded.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“As the President of the French Republic underscored, everything must be done to put an immediate end to the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza. As the Secretary-General has said, our immediate priority is the conclusion of a ceasefire on the basis of the Egyptian proposal, supported by the League of Arab States. Intense diplomatic efforts are under way in many regional capitals, led by several senior officials. The regional mediation efforts should be united. The Secretary-General, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, this weekend, and now Secretary of State Kerry are in or have visited the region. We hope that their efforts will quickly succeed.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“As on the previous occasions, in the current situation no one can win. Hamas cannot win because, by choosing to continue the escalation, it has achieved only one thing - the triggering of Israeli fire on Gaza. It did so deliberately, since Hamas knew what Israel's response to hundreds of rockets fired towards its territory would be. Israel cannot win because the ground offensive launched last week will only weaken but not dismantle the capability of Hamas or discredit it. It may even emerge stronger from the show of force in the eyes of a population that knows only Israel's missiles, soldiers and tanks. Finally, the civilian population of Gaza, in particular and once again, is the main victim with heavier casualties every day and the subsequent insecurity, exacerbated by the ongoing destruction.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his statement and associate myself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. I will talk about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the situation in Syria and, finally, Lebanon and Iraq. On the fifteenth day of open war between Israel and Hamas, the conclusion ofa ceasefire can no longer wait and must allow the resumption of efforts to achieve a fundamental solution. The toll is overwhelming. On the Israeli side, there is a population that lives in fear of rocket fire. On the Palestinian side, there are hundreds of dead and more than 100,000 displaced persons. Neighbourhoods such as Shujaiya have become symbols of the intense Israeli operations. It is the third offensive waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip since 2008.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Indeed, while that wall of fear continues and the feeling of each party that the other wants its destruction, nothing will be possible. The old formulas have not worked for the 20 years since the Oslo Accords were signed. The two parties are clearly unable to move towards peace by themselves. We need new ideas and the efforts of everyone to help them in that direction, which they are hesitant to take.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“It is therefore important to work for the lifting of the blockade and the opening of the border crossings, including at Rafah. In that spirit, France has proposed the reimplementation of the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Rafah, which would improve the living conditions of the population and support an effective return of the Palestinian Authority. Finally, it is above all necessary to restore meaning to a political settlement. I have already had the opportunity to say that the key features of such a solution are known. Yet no one is able to implement them. The relaunching and conclusion of the peace process are the only solution that exists. Europeans and Arabs, alongside the Americans, must mobilize themselves in order to effectively provide both parties with the assurances that they need to overcome their fears.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“We must establish the conditions for a lasting truce that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Israelis and Palestinians, in particular in Gaza - on the one hand, security, which is an absolute right, and, on the other hand, an end to the blockade and economic development, which are essential. Gaza must no longer be the outpost of those who want to destroy Israel or an open-air prison. We call on Hamas, first, to support the proposal for an immediate ceasefire, and then to pave the way for a final agreement by accepting the conditions set by the Quartet, namely, the recognition of Israel, the renunciation of violence and the acceptance of the agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority. In addition, Gaza must be able to resume a normal way of life, since poverty, despair and inactivity swell the ranks of Hamas rather than weaken it.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“It is urgent to stop the spiral of violence and a worsening of the disastrous human toll of the crisis. The French Foreign Minister, Mr. Laurent Fabius, is currently in the region. He has met the Palestinian and the Egytian authorities, whose mediation efforts we support. Tomorrow, he will meet the Israeli and Jordanian authorities. France also welcomes the role of the humanitarian agencies in Gaza, in particular the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization, which are alleviating the suffering and food insecurity of the Palestinian people. Humanitarian teams fulfil a sacred mission and must be able to act in accordance with the needs, with their safety guaranteed. However, a ceasefire is not enough.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“A few weeks ago, we were talking about our support for the peace initiative and dialogue between the parties under the aegis of the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry. Today, history is repeating itself and we are once again at war. In that context, as the Council and the international community, what should our priorities be? Our immediate and absolute priority must be to achieve a ceasefire. On the one hand, the firing of missiles by Hamas into Israel must cease. It violates international humanitarian law. On the other hand, the Israeli air strikes and ground offensive have already caused too many deaths, those of nearly 300 Palestinians, 80 per cent of whom are civilians, including 40 children. I recall that, under international humanitarian law, civilians should be protected.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his briefing. The events that we are witnessing are serious and, unfortunately, not unprecedented. In 2008, 2012 and 2014, on each occasion the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have been caught between the rocket fire that we condemn and the fire of the Israeli army, with all its victims. Each time, the Israeli people have suffered great distress. The history of the Middle East, more than any other region of the world, repeats itself. Once again, we are seeing a deadly spiral and the distancing of a peace that seems increasingly unattainable every time that serious efforts fail.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7220 (2014) · source
“In order to slow down the flow of weapons and fighters that cross through the Russian-Ukrainian border on a daily basis, we call for negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE in order to allow the rapid deployment of a monitoring mission at the border. Let this tragedy at least serve as a warning to all the parties. Once the bullets have been shot, they strike indiscriminately and escape all control. We have reached such moment. It should still be possible to avoid the worst.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“We also call for a sincere commitment from Russia, one that so far has been lacking. The day before yesterday, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union acknowledged that the many appeals made to Moscow to end its non-cooperative stance had not been heard. That is the reason for the European Union's decision to impose tougher sanctions. However, the strengthening of those sanctions has one and the same goal: to facilitate the emergence of a political solution. Our priority remains, first, to end the escalation and establish a lasting ceasefire that is respected by all parties. That is why we call on Russia to engage constructively in that endeavour and to bring its influence to bear on the illegal armed groups to lay down their arms and engage in dialogue. Separatist activity must end.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“Moreover, this unprecedented deterioration is also due to the presence of armed fighters coming from outside Ukraine. The question of outside support in terms of recruitment, supplies of materials and training cannot be avoided. The answer is too obvious. It is irrefutable. Weapon systems with significant firepower are being used, which can lead to tragic blunders. Those who are responsible for arming those who use those weapons bear the responsibility for this conflagration. As I said in an earlier statement, when bandits are given weapons we cannot be surprised that they behave like bandits. All those events point to the pressing need for full cooperation by the international community in order to stabilize Ukraine and ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“Moreover, a joint statement was adopted in Berlin on 2 July that provided for the quest of a lasting ceasefire via the meeting between the contact group and the separatists, strengthened border control on the Russian-Ukrainian border to curb the flow of weapons and fighters, and the agreement of the OSCE to participate in that effort. Nevertheless, today the situation continues to deteriorate. For several days, fighting has escalated in eastern Ukraine because the separatists have refused to clasp the hand being extended to them. Every day the attacks are ever more deadly. Weapons never used until now have begun to be used and have struck Ukrainian territory. Two Ukrainian planes were shot down in their own airspace. That could happen only if one of the parties possessed sophisticated anti-aircraft weaponry.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“A unilateral ceasefire, declared by Kiev on 20 June, hinted at a possible end to the general deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the east. On that same day, President Poroshenko initiated a comprehensive peace plan in order to arrive at a peaceful resolution of the situation. Furthermore, following their meeting on the sidelines of the ceremonies marking the Normandy landing, a process of almost daily exchanges between Presidents Poroshenko and Putin and Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande led to the start of a useful dialogue.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“We call for an independent international inquiry that would allow the facts to be established and to draw the necessary conclusions. We ask that all measures be taken to facilitate the work of the investigators on the ground. In particular, we expect the separatists to cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities in the investigation and to allow safe, immediate and full access to the investigators, in accordance with the decision made yesterday during the video tele-conference between the contact group involving Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the separatist representatives. A glimmer of hope had begun to dawn in Ukraine at the end of last month. With the election of Mr. Poroshenko, a process of political normalization had begun.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Feltman for his briefing. I wish to extend my deepest condolences to all the Permanent Representatives of the countries that lost citizens in this tragic event. I would like in particular to extend our condolences to our colleagues from the Netherlands and Malaysia. We also mourn with the people of the Netherlands. Yesterday a Malaysia Airlines flight with nearly 300 passengers aboard crashed in the separatist-controlled area of Ukraine, and the French President expressed his enormous sorrow at the announcement of the disaster. Today I reiterate France's solidarity with the victims' families in the ordeal they are experiencing. Given this tragedy and the already chaotic situation, France requests that all efforts be brought forth to shed light on the circumstances that led to the tragedy.”
2014-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7219 (2014) · source
“That being said, it does not complement or replace resolution 2139 (2014), all of whose requirements remain valid. In that regard, we recall that the Syrian authorities are using barrel bombs on a mass scale, which is a direct and indisputable violation of resolution 2139 (2014). The resolution has the practical, short-term goal of improving humanitarian work, but also emphasizes that the political transition that should allow for a response to the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people has still not taken place. Finally, the resolution welcomes the appointment of a new Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, whom France will support in his efforts to promote a solution based on the Geneva communique' (S/2012/522, annex).”
2014-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7216 (2014) · source
“It reiterates one of the main demands contained in resolution 2139 (2014), which is that assistance must be delivered by the most direct routes, be it through the front lines or across borders from neighbouring countries. But the resolution goes further. It opens four border crossing points from neighbouring countries that have been closed until now. That provision, based on the requests of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, could be decisive in reaching nearly 2 million additional people. Finally, the resolution innovates by introducing a convoy inspection mechanism so that the Syrian regime will no longer be able to object to the work of humanitarian actors on its territory. The resolution is a further step in the efforts of the Council to improve the conditions and efficiency of the work of humanitarian actors.”
2014-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7216 (2014) · source
“It was needed because the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners could do more and better if the Syrian regime did not arbitrarily close its borders, set up an ever-increasing number of bureaucratic obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid, or restrict the flow of assistance to prevent it from reaching areas controlled by the opposition. Resolution 2165 (2014) will allow for all of that to change, concretely, at least for some of those who do not receive the assistance they could and should receive. It reiterates some fundamental principles of humanitarian action, including the principle that assistance must be distributed without prejudice and without political motivation.”
2014-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7216 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): The Council has just unanimously adopted a new resolution on humanitarian access in Syria (resolution 2165 (2014)). I thank Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg for their efforts in preparing that text. The adoption of a new resolution was needed because the provisions of presidential statement S/PRST/2013/15 of 2 October 2013 and the provisions of resolution 2139 (2014) have not been implemented by the Syrian regime, as the successive reports of the Secretary-General have noted. It was needed because the tragedy continues in Syria, with a record that has progressively deteriorated for more than three years, claiming more than 170,000 victims, and causing more than 10 million Syrians to flee the violence or to require assistance.”
2014-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7216 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to call for the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel not to be just another theoretical document, disconnected from reality. The problems plaguing the Sahel are too serious for us to let that happen. The United Nations strategy must be genuinely at the service of the States and peoples of the Sahel and should lead to practical solutions.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“Five million children are threatened by a risk of serious malnutrition. The development of desert areas should be a major focus of our efforts, in support ofpastoralism and the development of infrastructure to open up those spaces. We welcome the commitment of international partners in that area. The decision of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in February in Rome to launch a consolidated appeal for the Sahel for $2 billion over three years is innovative. It is the first time that a multiannual approach has been adopted. It adds to the major commitments of the World Bank and the European Union. France, the largest bilateral donor in the region, has also decided to increase its commitment to â‚¬900 million for the period 2014 to 2015.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“As members of the Council know, France is very involved in helping the countries of the region. We intervened directly at the request of the Malian authorities and in support of our African partners. The Elysee Summit for Peace and Security in Africa in December 2013 provided an opportunity for African countries to intensify their cooperation in order to strengthen their security capabilities and their ability to respond to crises. For its part, the United Nations can contribute to that effort. In the humanitarian and development areas, extreme poverty is a root cause of problems in the Sahel. That is compounded by a fast-growing population, which weighs on the development of those countries. In 2014, the number of people suffering from food insecurity in the region is estimated to be over 20 million.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“The platform is the only forum that brings together all the countries ofWest Africa and the Maghreb, as well as the international and regional organizations concerned. Thirdly and most important, the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel must lead to concrete projects in all areas. In the area of governance, the next year will be marked by a large number of elections in the Sahel and West Africa, which are all tests for the robustness of these States. The task of the United Nations is to assist States wanting such assistance in organizing the deadlines in a transparent and credible manner. In the area of security, the Secretary-General recalls that the terrorist attacks in the Maghreb and Sahel grew by 60 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, which includes 230 incidents throughout the region.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“In addition, international partners have developed their own approach to the Sahel; for example, the European Union has its own strategy for the Sahel, as do the African Union, ECOWAS, and the World Bank, with its Sahel initiative. We must ensure that those multiple initiatives are coordinated in an efficient manner. In that context, the United Nations and the Special Envoy can play a role of good offices to bring together the regional and international efforts in the Sahel. In that context, the coordination platform for the integrated strategy in the Sahel, implemented on the occasion of the visit of the Secretary-General to the Sahel in November 2013, is a unique framework. It is being chaired by Mali for two years, and the United Nations and the African Union provide the secretariat.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“Secondly, the United Nations should help all stakeholders to coordinate their efforts for the Sahel. A good example in that regard is the Malian crisis. The coordination among all international actors is not obvious. Yet it is essential if the parameters ofa lasting peace in Mali are to be defined. The United Nations and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) have a key role to play in that process, as the Security Council has pointed out. Across the Sahel, many initiatives and forums bring together the countries of the region in different configurations - the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, "countries of the field" and the Group of Five for the Sahel, among others.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“That does not make sense to respond to problems that are transnational in nature, be they issues of security or climate or related to the situation of nomadic peoples of the Sahel. Next, a common approach by all United Nations agencies is also essential in all areas. Terrorism feeds on governance and development problems. Conversely, security issues have a negative impact on economic growth of the States of the Sahel. Without security there is no development and without development there is also no security. I commend the United Nations on those two aspects for the work it has accomplished in the last two years under the coordination of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa. His work has provided a good foundation for a regional and integrated approach by the United Nations.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahel for her statement and wish to express to her, on behalf of France, our full support in carrying out her new mandate. The crisis in Mali, which has marshalled a large part of our energy for more than a year, symbolizes to the extreme the fragility of the Sahel. What is the added value of the United Nations to help the Sahel countries to face those challenges? The United Nations strategy should respond by striving to attain three objectives. First, the strategy must define a common transnational approach to all agencies. The approach should be transnational because the United Nations response to the problems of the Sahel with regard to humanitarian, security and development issues has long been segmented according to States.”
2014-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7203 (2014) · source
“France will continue its efforts in that direction within the Council. It will also continue to support the many initiatives on all such areas taken by the Secretariat, in particular, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, whether in drawing up mandates or considering strategic reviews or at regular briefings. Like my colleague from Luxembourg, I cannot conclude without commending the commitment of peacekeepers of all nationalities, who sometimes pay with their lifes for their dedication in the service of peace. On this occasion, I would like to pay tribute to them.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“The recent presentation by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on the first results of the experiments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo convinced us of their usefulness and relevance, and we should pursue them. Inter-mission cooperation is another avenue. When unforeseen events threaten to destabilize a country, cooperation between missions is an appropriate response that can help missions that need them to strengthen troops and equipment in a timely way. We should pursue this line of attack further; this is about budgets as well as efficiency. Our discussions today should enable peacekeeping operations to make advances that render them more robust, more flexible and able to create conditions that are conducive to successful political processes wthout making the countries concerned dependent on peacekeeping activities.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“We should therefore step up our efforts to make peacekeeping operations more flexible in both directions. On the one hand, that means displaying an ability to deploy rapidly that is not always the case today, as the example of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali shows. On the other hand, a peacekeeping operation should be able to draw down its military personnel in order to restore to the host State its responsibilities, and it should be able to do it rapidly and to propose such action itself. That flexibility also depends on making the best use of modern technologies. We welcome the experiments being done with the tactical use of surveillance drones within MONUSCO and soon, we hope, in other theatres too. They will enable us to ensure not only forces' security but also to economize on personnel.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“In regard to the subject of languages, I would like to make my annual plea to the Secretariat - which I am doing as I reach the end of my term, without much hope of being heard - that it is perhaps more useful to have personnel who speak the language of the country concerned than the language of New York. In other words, in French-speaking missions it is perhaps more useful to recruit French speakers than people who can write reports to New York in English. We know perfectly well that the Secretariat does in fact make it a priority to choose English speakers. At the other end of the spectrum, a peacekeeping operation must be adaptable in the peacebuilding phase too. It must be able to adjust its approach, adapt the size of its civilian staff and support the host State or the country team and donors in taking over responsibility.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“It is up to the Council to ensure that those efforts are reflected in its decisions, first of all, but also in the actions and the structure of the resulting operations, and in the renewal of every mandate, which should be not a routine matter but a tool for the dynamic management of a peacekeeping operation. Fourthly, peacekeeping operations must be flexible as well as stronger. They have become major machines with staffs that can exceed 20,000. Deploying such organizations is a challenge, particularly in emergency situations. Its complexity is further complicated by the constraints imposed by certain resources, such as force multipliers, logistical support, military and civilian expertise, trained personnel - including in the area of languages - and, especially, funding.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“That requires the United Nations to develop its expertise in those areas, at the very least in order to better coordinate international action and assist the authorities on the ground. That is a challenge that the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic will have to deal with when it deploys there. Clearly, peacekeeping operations cannot and should not be a substitute for the efforts of countries themselves or of international donors. That is not their job. On the contrary, they must always be focused on enabling an emergence from crisis and re-establishing both the local authorities and the United Nations country teams at the heart of peacebuilding efforts.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo also emphasizes the degree to which this approach depends, beyond its mandate, on a peacekeeping operation's management team, on the force's capacity and on the attitude of the troops deployed on the ground. In South Sudan today, everything should take a back seat to the need for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to protect civilians. Thirdly, peacekeepers should provide support to the host State's authorities while preserving the goal of achieving a transition that can consolidate its emergence from crisis. If a State is failed or fragile, peacekeepers can legitimately help to restore the State's authority and assist it, particularly with disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, security sector reform and justice.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“Twenty years after the genocide in Rwanda and the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, the United Nations has made significant progress in putting the protection of civilians at the heart of peacekeeping operation mandates. In environments that are complex and, as the military put it, non-conducive, robust implementation of peacekeeping operation mandates, in general, and the protection of civilians, in particular, is essential. We have seen the relevance of this approach in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the Force Intervention Brigade created within the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“More often than not we find ourselves in ambiguous situations that range from a tacit halt to hostilities to a ceasefire disputed by armed elements, but the challenge still lies in initiating and concluding a process that leads to a lasting peace. In that context, the role of a peacekeeping operation is simultaneously military - it must stabilize the security situation and deter potential troublemakers * and political, in supporting, facilitating and backing up a peace process, including by addressing the root causes of the conflict. One cannot work without the other. Secondly, peacekeepers' operational priority must always be the protection of civilians. Civilians are the first victims of modern conflicts.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his statement and the Russian presidency for taking the initiative to organize this debate among the Security Council, the Secretariat's peacekeeping officials and troop- contributing countries, whose commitment I take this opportunity to commend. I associate myselfwith the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. I would like to make four points. First, despite some of the new contexts in which they are deployed, the role of peacekeeping operations is still to bring a peace process to a successful conclusion. There is no doubt that the classic situation - of a theatre of war where a peace agreement has already been signed by the time an operation deploys - is now an exception.”
2014-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7196 (2014) · source
“In other words, if for example, citizens of a Member State of the Security Council were to participate in operations on Syrian territory, the International Criminal Court could prosecute them. The exemption in paragraph 7 does not protect terrorists, no matter what they nationality may be.”
2014-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7180 (2014) · source