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 declaration be implemented by all parties without delay and in good faith, so that the Ukrainian State can re-establish its sovereignty over its territory. The OSCE's special monitoring mission has been asked to play an important role in implementing those de-escalation measures, and it is essential that it be allowed to act without hindrance. However, since the declaration's adoption we have seen two distinct attitudes. On the one hand, the Ukrainian Government has shown its good faith in implementing the declaration by drafting an amnesty law, launching the process of constitutional reform and accelerating the dismantling of barricades and armed groups in Kyiv.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“Some time ago, our Russian colleague denied their involvement in Crimea, while his President recognized it a few days later. No doubt, he will do the same with respect to current events in Ukraine. France strongly and unequivocally condemns those unacceptable attempts by Russia to destabilize Ukraine. We must halt this course of confrontation and work towards de-escalation. The joint declaration agreed on in Geneva on 17 April by Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union shows the way forward. It calls on all parties to refrain from violence and acts of intimidation or provocation. It provides for the disarmament of illegal armed groups, evacuation of occupied buildings and public places and amnesty for those who lay down their arms, with the exception of individuals with blood on their hands.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Feltman for his briefing. Since early April, the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated continuously. In several eastern cities, armed militants, acting in a professional and synchronized manner, have taken possession of public buildings. The similarity of the operations that were observed in Crimea is striking. The violence continues. Seven observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were taken hostage on 25 April. They must be released without delay. On Sunday, the mayor of Kharkiv was the target of an attack and is in a serious condition. We are witnessing a a subversive operation that has been planned, barely disguised and orchestrated by Russia. Russian special forces do not even hide anymore.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“The meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris on 5 March allowed for the reaffirmation of the international consensus in favour of unity, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon and for the reiteration of its support for Lebanon as it deals with the multiple impacts of the conflict in Syria. That commitment should be continued in humanitarian, economic and security spheres.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“In that context, it is crucial that the Council reiterate its support for the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon by calling for presidential elections to be held on schedule, in accordance with the procedures and the Constitution and recalling the importance of avoiding any vacuum at the head of the Lebanese State; by supporting the dissociation policy initiated by President Sleiman which should provide a framework for the future; and calling on the international community to mobilize alongside Lebanon so that it can cope with its crisis on its own.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Lebanon must not be drawn into the cycle of the Syrian civil war. We also recall the importance of the fight against impunity and welcome in that respect the role of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. We are pleased that the National Unity Government formed on 15 February was sworn in by the Parliament and that the latter has resumed its legislative activity. We welcome the new momentum in relaunching institutions, which should be sustained and consolidated, so that Lebanon can meet the enormous challenges it faces.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“France shares the concern of everyone, as expressed by Ms. Kaag last week, with respect to the alleged use of chlorine gas in Kfar Zita which caused several casualties and many wounded. It goes without saying that the responsible party for the use of chemicals will be held to account, as required by resolution 2118 (2013). I would remind the Council that we want all those who have committed mass crimes in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court for judgement. We are continuing our efforts in that direction. Finally, we must also send a message of support for Lebanon. In the light of the Syrian crisis, France welcomes the generosity of Lebanon and acknowledges the burden it has taken on in hosting more than a million refugees. It also notes that violations of civil peace in Lebanon and its sovereignty are unacceptable.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“The sieges ofthe cities, three-quarters of which have been led by the regime, have not been suspended or even cut back. Indiscriminate bombing and the policy of terror against civilians continue. All of that is unacceptable. At the political level, despite calls by Joint Special Representative Brahimi and the Secretary-General himself, Bashar Al-Assad will hold his triumphant re-election on 3 June, when the tragic parody of a presidential election will take place. The decision to hold such an election is contrary to the spirit and the letter of the Geneva communique (S/2012/523, annex). Meanwhile, civilians continue to be bombed and massacred. No legitimacy will come out of that phantom election in a country devastated, which takes Syria further and further away from a political solution.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Sooner or later, we will have to conclude that either we have to give up and leave the conflict to them or the international community will have to decide to intervene with all its weight to reach an agreement whose fundamental parameters are, after all, well known. It is a paradox that, on the one hand, we are able to draft a possible peace treaty in broad strokes, whereas, on the other, every peace initiative has failed one after another. I now turn to Syria, where the regime adds the absurdity of a parody of a presidential election to the infamy ofthe denial ofhumanitarian access. The second progress report of the implementation of the resolution 2139 (2014) presented last week is incontrovertible (S/2014/295). The situation of the civilian population has not improved.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“He has made a significant gesture of opening by publicly acknowledging for the first time that "the Holocaust was the most heinous crime in modern history". Those statements must be put to his credit, as they are a gesture of openness that can serve as a basis for the resumption of dialogue between the parties and to the revival of the peace efforts. We have just heard yet again from both sides the same arguments that try to pin the responsibility for the stalemate on the other. In truth, that repeated rhetoric, Council meeting after Council meeting, underlines once again - as if that were necessary - that the two parties are incapable of moving towards peace by themselves, even if the United States supports their efforts.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“It is not possible, on the one hand, to assert that Israeli-Palestinian agreement is impossible as long as the split between the two Palestinian movements persists, and on the other hand, to consider the inter-Palestinian reconciliation to be an obstacle when it occurs. France is ready to work with a Government of the Palestinian Authority as long as it clearly expresses its rejection of violence, its commitment to the peace process and acceptance of all agreements, in particular with Israel. Reconciliation defined on that basis would be a step towards achieving a two-State solution. The talks today are merely suspended. Mr. Abbas has undertaken before the leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization that the future Government rejects violence and recognize Israel.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Motivated by its historical responsibilities with respect to Christians in the Holy Land, France reaffirms its commitment to respect for places of worship, to which access must be guaranteed, particular during Easter, the most sacred period in the Christian calendar. It is in that context of crisis that the inter-Palestinian reconciliation agreement was concluded. We believe that the agreement could be a real opportunity, if it results, as announced by President Abbas, in the formation of a national consensus Government composed of independent personalities, under his direct authority, and in the organization of elections in the Palestinian territories.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Despite those efforts, non-compliance with commitments made in July resulted in the suspension of talks, following a scenario that has been repeated many times over the past 20 years. On the one hand, the fourth group of pre-Oslo prisoners was not released; on the other, the Palestinian Authority joined 15 international conventions. The announcement ofa freeze ofpayments of taxes and customs duties collected by Israel to the Palestinian Authority exacerbates the impasse and poses a major threat to the stability of the Palestinian territories. Those developments have occurred while the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Settlement has continued and accelerated; it more than doubled in 2013. Tensions worsened in Jerusalem, including on the Temple Mount and around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Robert Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, for his briefing. I will address in order the following topics: the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the situation in Syria, and finally Lebanon. After nine months of intensive efforts, the talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are now suspended. We are at the end of the nine-month period envisaged by Israel, the Palestinian Authority and United States Secretary of State John Kerry to reach a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Kerry and his team have spared no effort to advance the negotiations. We welcome that outstanding commitment.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Indeed, SSR is a complex process that is based not only on an accurate analysis of the needs ex ante, but also on a regular assessment of results and improvements to be made. That recommendation is made in the latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2013/480), and the Council must do its all to ensure that this evaluation exercise is conducted in a systematic fashion. It is important that the Special Representatives and Special Envoys of the Secretary-General take full measure of the importance of SSR and give it the place it deserves in their missions. Quality support to SSR is the guarantee of the success of those processes and, ultimately, a factor that favours stability and development in the countries concerned and thus a guarantee of their efficiency for the United Nations.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“In its national capacity, France has participated through its bilateral cooperation - conducted by the Security and Defence Cooperation Directorate - not only in Africa but also in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Haiti. We have also created, within the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a pool of national experts in security sector reform, which shows the importance we attach to SSR and justifies our decision to co-sponsor the draft resolution that will be adopted this afternoon. But the increased number of actors does not mean we can do without close coordination. Too often, support for SSR involves duplication of effort. The draft resolution is an opportunity to emphasize the necessary effort that is key to the success of SSR missions. Finally, we believe that the United Nations must develop a more coherent approach to SSR.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“SSR cannot give tangible results without the full support and cooperation of national authorities. The State must be prepared to commit itself to a thorough, long-term effort. Permanent and inclusive dialogue among the units in charge of SSR, civil society and authorities is essential. In addition, security sector reform must be based on close coordination between the host country and the various actors who support the programme. For several years, the number of actors involved in SSR has markedly grown. We are pleased to see the international community and Member States mobilize on those matters. The European Union has thus become a leading player. It is present in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo through advisory missions and training missions, and through its significant financial support .”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“The SSR unit seeks to foster the fusion of two armed forces that clashed in the past. The goal is to set up a united and cohesive army. Training is therefore being conducted in the field of human rights, and support for equipping the forces is being provided. It is not easy. In South Sudan, we have failed. The United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan was present at the creation practically ex nihilo of police forces that have been committing human rights violations since December. That is unacceptable. It shows - as ifthat were necessary - the full importance of the Secretary-General's policies, in particular his due diligence policy on human rights. SSR missions cannot benefit from forces that are guilty of massive violations of human rights. The Council must now bear all the consequences of that.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Faced with the collapse of the State and with organized, stirred-up and manipulated intercommunal Violence, everyone feels threatened and no lasting political dialogue will be established if the citizens do not see police patrolling for their safety, judges prosecuting perpetrators of crime, and criminals going to prison. All those actions help build the security system that countries need and to which we can subsequently transfer our peacekeeping responsibilities. They are therefore the basis of our exit strategies. Of the 47 resolutions adopted by the Council in 2013, 24 make explicit reference to SSR, which is a sign that the Council will not be satisfied with a short- term response to crisis situations. For example, the SSR missions are central to the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“SSR can consist of defining a national security strategy or even a legislative strategy; it can also be a support for governance structures of security institutions or used to strengthen the competence and professionalism of the security services, which must evolve in a judicial and penal context that respects human rights. Among all the foregoing measures, the rehabilitation of police and gendarmerie services and relaunhing justice services are priorities. Because of their Visibility in everyday places, police officers and gendarmes are part of restoring the population's sense of security and trust in the State. We see that in the Central African Republic.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Nigeria for organizing this open debate, and you, Mr. President, for your statement. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his statement. In the context of the maintenance of international peace and security, security sector reform plays a primary role in two ways. It enables the establishment of the elements that contribute to lasting stability in post-conflict situations and prevents such situations from relapsing into violence. In crisis situations, the implementation of transparent, effective and fair security institutions, working within a system of good governance and respecting democratic principles and human rights, is essential to restoring a sense of confidence and to providing an environment conducive to the development of a State.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Before concluding, I would like to add one point that remains important for France. In peacetime, but even more so during war, access to sexual and reproductive health services is indispensable. We know that women and girls exposed to sexual violence run the risk of premature and unwanted pregnancies. The risk of maternal mortality in such circumstances rises tenfold. The refusal to provide abortion services represents a violation of one of the principles of international humanitarian law, which covers non-discrimination with respect to the provision of medical services to victims. Such discrimination, which adds a terrible injustice to women who have been the victims of sexual violence, must be brought to an end.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“We welcome the technical support being provided to the trials currently under way by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose mandate for the protection of civilians has recently been strengthened. None ofthose changes can take root ifwe do not fully implement the mandate established by the resolutions on women and peace and security by ensuring the full and complete participation of women in the settlement of conflicts. In the framework of its national action plan, France has launched programmes of cooperation on the matter of sexual violence and in favour of women's political and economic empowerment in Africa and the Arab world, in partnership with UN-Women, especially in Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“When States fail to comply, the International Criminal Court, whose jurisdiction is universal, can and must fulfil its role. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, impunity with respect to mass rapes has long been the rule. There has recently been a degree of progress. That is why we call upon the Congolese authorities to pursue their efforts to prosecute those responsible for the rapes in Minova, including the commanders of the Forces armees de la Republique de'mocratique du Congo, with the necessary rigour. An exemplary judgement in that affair would send a message to all Congolese troops that the era ofimpunity has come to an end.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The Secretary-General's list of shame exposes to the whole international community the parties that are using sexual violence in an orchestrated and systematic manner and provides United Nations missions with a solid basis for initiating a dialogue with such groups. We should draw the logical conclusions from such changes and prioritize the struggle against impunity with respect to sexual violence. That task redounds above all to Governments, which have the responsibility to prosecute and punish. We must be vigilant in that regard; too often, States announce with great fanfare - and development agencies fall into line with support - the establishment of special courts, special prosecutors and extraordinary laws, which serve only to cover up their lack of political will. We have witnessed that over many years in Darfur.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“That political work is based on mechanisms that provide us with information and awareness, which are indispensable tools for action. Women protection advisers within peacekeeping and political missions are the cornerstone of that endeavour. In the Central African Republic, where the State has collapsed and everything needs to be rebuilt, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission has a strong mandate to protect civil and human rights, including with respect to sexual violence, thanks to the deployment of women protection advisers. In a second success, shame has changed sides. It now weighs on the executioner and not on the victim.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“France, as is well known, is working on a draft resolution that would make it possible to refer the main perpetrators and instigators of such crimes, whoever they may be, to the International Criminal Court. Although I have spoken of our failure in Syria, the fight against sexual violence has also had its share of victories. First, we have put an end to silence. From a silent form of evil that was understood to be an inherent part of war, we have made sexual violence an issue affecting international peace and security. In that regard, the creation of the mandate of the Special Representative has been critical to enhancing the international visibility of the issue. She can speak directly to Governments at the highest level and is able to present problems that they have often preferred to ignore.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank you, Madam President, for convening this debate. I also thank the Secretary-General, his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as Ms. Rhoda Misaka, representing civil society in South Sudan. I would also like to align my country with the statement of the European Union. Sexual violence is a weapon as old as war itself. Thanks to the action of civil society, our Council has been seized of the matter and broken the complicit silence that has surrounded that abominable crime. However, this is not the time to celebrate. We have failed to protect civilians in Syria. Women, men and children are being sexually abused there, even as we speak.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“It must stop shouting about an immiment civil war. No one is deceived by the scenario of the arsonist firefighter - an unsubtle picture and not even a real semblance of credibility. The situation is now extremely serious. A meeting that will bring together Russia, the United States, the European Union and Ukraine will be held in Geneva tomorrow. That event is crucial, and we call on parties to remain calm and to exercise restraint. In the case of failure or if Russia were to seek to avoid that meeting, new sanctions would be inevitable. That is not our preferred path. We will be firm. Fully legitimate authorities must be established in Kyiv. Elections must be held on 25 May, and we will not allow Russia either to prevent them from taking place or to discredit them.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“On Sunday, right here, it was ordered not to react. One cannot imagine that it would suffer without reacting to the aggression to which it was first subjected a month ago, condemned by the General Assembly in resolution 68/262, and which it is again experiencing in the east of the country. We welcome the restraint of the Ukrainian security forces, who seek to respond in a proportional way to the unprecedented destabilizing actions against them, organized from abroad. We call on Russia to commit to de-escalation and to condemning, together with the rest of the Council, the attempts at destabilization in eastern Ukraine. Furthermore, we call on Russia to stop trapping itself in a spiral to extremes that can lead only to tragedy. It must withdraw its troops from the border. It must cease its destabilizing activities.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“Today, the same disinformation continues. We are told of peaceful protesters, while again on the Internet one can see that they are heavily armed militia. We are told that there is no Russian intervention, while again on the Internet one can see soldiers without insignia, flaunting weapons with which only the Russian army is equipped. We are told that a fascist terror prevails in Kyiv, while we know very well that if we were to go to Kyiv we would see that calm prevails. We are told that Jews in Ukraine are threatened, while the two Ukrainian Jewish organizations themselves say that they are not threatened. I could mention many more examples, but never was a statement clearly so far from the reality that, thanks to the Internet, we all can see on the computer. Ukraine is cornered and under attack.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“They served as a prelude to an annexation unprecedented in the twenty- first century. Today, we are seeing a similar scenario in eastern Ukraine. In that regard, I believe that all Council members and all my colleagues here in the Chamber read the excellent article in this morning's New York Times, which describes how Russia has established its own virtual reality, which bears no relation to the real situation. My Russian friend's statement today shows, I believe, just how accurate and how true to the reality that article is. Let us recall the past. Participants will perhaps recall being told of 600,000 refugeees fleeing the Ukrainian terror, who seem to have disappeared from one day to the next. We were told that there were no Russian soldiers in Crimea, while on YouTube we could see lorries with Russian army number plates.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“Quite the opposite, the report underscores that the risk of human rights violations now threatens the Ukrainian and Tartar populations. The United Nations must continue to take note of the human rights situation in Crimea, which is an integral part okaraine, as the General Assembly recalled by an overwhelming majority. The report also underscores that the deteriorating conditions and human rights violations that preceded the holding of the referendum in Crimea on 16 March were the result of deliberate acts. The presence of soldiers in uniform without insignia, the seizure of public buildings, intimidation ofthe civilian population, journalists and human rights activists, the presence of foreign voters and the violent propaganda against Kyiv broadcast on Russian television channels were all coordinated and orchestrated acts.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“We must move towards a free and transparent election, guaranteed by the presence of international observers. It would be unacceptable for the activities of violent groups to threaten the holding of that democratic step, which is essential to the country's future. We will not accept the result of that vote, the harbinger of great hope for the entire country, being disputed as result of any event devised from outside. I now come to my second point. The report draws a bleak picture of the impact of Russia's actions on the situation inside Ukraine. It describes the chain of events that led to the annexation of Crimea. It once again underscores that there was no threat to the Russian-speaking population of Crimea, a defence that is nevertheless upheld by Russia to justify its intervention.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“On the issue of languages and regional status, we encourage the Kyiv authorities to pursue their efforts to promote a return to reason, launch constructive and inclusive dialogue, and reassure the people regarding their place in Ukraine. The acting President has refused to repeal the law on official languages. This symbolic decision demonstates the will of the Ukrainian authorities to strive for the country's reconciliation. Ukraine can preserve the diversity that constitutes its richness and uniqueness. To that end, Ukraine needs our support. The first stage - the holding of the presidential election on 25 May - is key. We must support the Ukrainian authorities in order for the election to be held in the best possible conditions and ensure the representation of all.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): The report before the Council is damning for two reasons. First, it describes in the harshest terms the sorry tale of years of corruption and abuse on the part of former President Yanukovych and his predatory and criminal team. Is it any wonder that the Ukrainian population, exasperated by years of incompetence and corruption, rose up in protest? There was no foreign involvement there. The report also describes how the regime responded to legitimate, peaceful demonstrations with the use of force. The titanic task of restoring trust of all Ukrainians in their institutions lies with the new Ukrainian Adminstration. The report underscores that since the very first measures were undertaken by the new Administration, calm has returned to Kyiv.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“Whether or not we are Christian, it is difficult to not think about the original sin in human nature. Today, France honours the memory of all Victims of genocide, and reiterates its commitment to doing everything possible to ensure that the lessons of the mistakes of the past are heeded and that such atrocities do not recur, because such tragedies are still present and possible.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Crimes against humanity or war crimes are perpetrated before our very eyes, while the Security Council remains paralysed by the abusive use of the veto. That is why France is working for a voluntary code of conduct for the five permanent members to limit the use of the veto when such crimes are committed. We owe that in particular to the Syrian people. Rafael Lemkin called 70 years ago for international cooperation to free humankind from an odious scourge whose anomic, immoral and inhumane nature shocks the human conscience. In his lofty statement, my Jordanian colleague tried to attribute this scourge to fear. He may well be right, but the absolute horror of the crime attains a metaphysical level in touching upon the evil that is within each of us.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“In spite of such progress, tragic situations, such as that in Syria today, recall the ongoing need to improve our action. In that regard, I welcome the initiatives of the Secretary-General, including his policy of accelerated diligence and of limited contact with those against whom an arrest warrant or a warrant to appear has been issued by the International Criminal Court. The Organization must serve as a model. All tools must be mobilized - our human rights mechanisms; the network of focal points for the responsibility to protect, in which we participate; our horizon-scanning meetings in the Security Council, which are integral parts of our preventive diplomacy efforts that would benefit from being organized regularly. Tragic situations arise despite early warning and preventive action.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Adopted in1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was a precursor to the International Criminal Court; 58 years later, we finally adopted the Rome Statute. In the meantime, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda advanced justice. It was the first to recognize that acts of sexual violence could he acts of genocide. That jurisprudence has been used since then. It remains an essential factor for memory and reparation in reconciliation processes that can avert the cycle of reprisals. The International Criminal Court is permanent and operational. When atrocities are committed, as they are today in Syria, there is no excuse for inaction. The Council can refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“When a Government cannot or will not assume responsibility to protect, the international community must assume that responsibility, including by taking resolute and timely action. France is currently engaged in Mali and the Central African Republic, at the request of the authorities and under Council mandate, to assist the endangered populations. In those countries and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council has given the kind of robust protection of civilians mandate that UNAMIR lacked in 1994. That progress should be consolidated. The Council must continue to play its full role in implementing the responsibility to protect. As a member of the Group of Friends on Responsibility to Protect, France is in favour. To prevent is to bring to justice.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“One early aspect of progress to that end was the establishment of the Office of the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, led by Mr. Adama Dieng. Mandated by resolution 1366 (2001), his Office is acting as an early rapid-warning mechanism for the Secretary-General and the Security Council by bringing to their attention any situation that threatens to deteriorate into genocide. The briefings of Mr. Dieng in the Security Council on the Central African Republic have contributed to raising the awareness of the international community so that it can act urgently to prevent such crimes. We must continue to include him further in our work. To prevent is also to act. A second note of progress was the adoption in 2005 by the Heads of State and of Government of the concept of responsibility to protect.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“I also pay homage to the 15 Blue Helmets of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) who were killed in the line of duty. The international community was not able to prevent or stop the genocide. The Council acted too late and did not do enough. And yet, the earliest warning signs had already been given, the first of which in a communique from General Dallaire of 11 January 1994. Fourteen years ago, we met in the Security Council to draw lessons from our collective failure. At that time, we asked the Secretary-General to draft an action plan to prevent genocide. Since then, our preventive mechanisms have been strengthened. Like my Argentine colleague, I shall return to this topic, which she addressed with deep emotion and thoughtfulness. To prevent is first and foremost to warn.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): I thank Rwanda for having organized this moment of gathering and commemoration in honour of the victims of genocide. The briefings oer. Eliasson and Mr. Keating will enabled us to draw a lesson from the past in order to improve our actions in the future. On this day of mourning, France pays tribute to all the victims of the genocide. More than a million innocent people were massacred because they were Tutsi or because they were opposed to the murderous folly ofa political ideology and system. Mass atrocities were carried out by militias, armed forces and civilians in violation of the very principle of humanity. The violence was planned; radios disseminated hate speech that will forever echo in our consciences.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“This is a crucial stage and we call on all parties to exercise calm and restraint. In conclusion, I would like to raise a final warning call. The danger that now faces us is the failure of all our concerted efforts to build an international order that is not based on force, for today it is force alone that is seeking to impose the law.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“We call on Russia commit to de-escalation and to condemn, along with the rest of the Council, the attempts at destabilization carried out by armed groups in eastern Ukraine. We also call on Russia to fully assume its role as a permanent member of the Security Council. Russia is a guarantor of peace and security in the world, both in the larger world and in its immediate neighbourhood. There cannot be two different standards. Russia must today put its full weight behind helping Ukraine regain stability. It must show itself up to the task ofplaying the role it wishes to play as a pillar of Euro-Asian stability. We hope that the proposed meeting on 17 April among Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union will be held and that it makes it possible for solutions to emerge.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“France has always been clear on the issue of the status oflanguages and regions. We encourage the authorities in Kyiv to continue their efforts for cooler heads to prevail, enter into a constructive dialogue and reassure people about their place in Ukraine. The future of Ukraine should not, and cannot, be up to anyone else but the Ukrainians themselves. We should support the Ukrainian authorities in organizing elections, under the best of conditions, that ensure that everyone is represented. Our message has always been clear that the presidential election scheduled for 25 May must be free and transparent and guaranteed by the presence of international observers. We reiterate our commitment to the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“It blocks the entry of goods at the border between Russia and Ukraine, no doubt in an effort to stifle a country it calls its brother. Finally, Russia is systematically bombarding Ukraine with a message of defiance vis-a-vis Kyiv via the airwaves and television channels, which, for many people who do not have access to various sources of information, is the only message they hear. It is against that backdrop that France commends the level-headedness of Ukrainian officials who, against that destabilizing torrent of events, seek to resolve the crisis through dialogue. That is the spirit in which Prime Minister Yatsenyuk visited eastern Ukraine with specific proposals in response to the real questions of people overwhelmed by propaganda who are disoriented and being exploited by radical groups.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“Those facts, which come to us through the waves of images on the Internet, are the same as the ones that Russia labelled a month ago as spontaneous demonstrations by local self-defence groups. No one believed it then, and we do not believe it today. One gets the impression that, in denying the facts, Russia is unaware ofthe existence of the Internet and that it serves to contradict its denials. Let us not forget that such protests were a prelude to the annexation of Crimea. Moreover, the build-up of Russian troops for several weeks now - under the guise of military exercises - casts an ominous shadow over eastern Ukraine. Further still, the economic pressure is becoming more biting. Without dialogue with the Ukrainian side, which it has taken by the throat, Russia has brutally raised the price of gas.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“Mr. Araud (France) (spoke in French): Since yesterday, we have seen the abrupt and simultaneous outbreak of violence in eastern Ukraine: nothing about it was spontaneous. France condemns the violence. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and dialogue so that a peaceful solution to the crisis quickly emerges. Everyone must work towards de-escalation. The scenario we are seeing reminds one of the events that took place in Crimea one month ago: simultaneous action by a small but trained group of aggressive activists determined to occupy territory, followed by the presence of disciplined, masked men wearing uniforms and armed with weapons of war that are not found in military surplus.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source