YouSaid · the spoken record

Asselborn

lines on the record: 191
first: 2012-10-17
most recent: 2023-10-25
sittings or episodes: 25
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

“This point seems essential to me: that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law need to be an integral part of our counter-terrorism strategy if we want that strategy to achieve its aim. Otherwise, we run the risk of promoting a sense of injustice and impunity, which in turn fuels radicalization and the spread of terrorism. Now is not the time to fan the flames of violent extremism. On the contrary, we need to use all of the tools at our disposal at the international, regional, national and local levels to extinguish the noxious fire of terrorism.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Luxembourg has adopted a complete and consistent set of legislative and regulatory measures in the struggle against money- laundering and terrorist financing. We pay particular attention to their effective implementation. Those measures fully take into account the declaration adopted by the Financial Action Task Force on 24 October in Paris, expressing deep concern at the financing generated by and provided to the terrorist group Daesh. I would like to conclude by reiterating a point that the Prime Minister of Luxembourg already made two months ago at the Security Council summit held on 24 September (see S/PV.7272), which was echoed today by the Secretary-General.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Data-collection aimed at preventing the travel and transit of foreign terrorist fighters also involves strengthening information-sharing and cooperation among Member States. The European Union is already working on this, including through information exchange within its Schengen Information System and its work on providing data on passenger records. We intend to continue such efforts, particularly when Luxembourg assumes the presidency of the Council of Europe in the second half of 2015. The Monitoring Team's report rightly emphasizes that we must redouble our efforts to block terrorist groups' sources of financing, such as oil smuggling, donations, trafficking in antiquities, taxing populations living under their yoke and, worst of all, the despicable trafficking of women and children.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Based on that, we have begun to review and adapt our legislative and regulatory framework in order to take full account of the Council's measures addressing the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. The goal is to prevent those who want to leave to fight alongside terrorist groups from reaching conflict zones. We must also ensure that acts preparing, training and recruiting for terrorism are effectively prosecuted and punished. Lastly, our relevant authorities are working on a strategy to combat extremist radicalization based on both preventive and punitive measures, which will include establishing a mentoring and outreach network in close consultation with educational institutions and religious communities, and with the support of our National Red Cross Society.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“In the Security Council, the adoption of resolutions 2170 (2104) and 2178 (2014) has helped strengthen the international counter-terrorism framework aimed at containing the threat posed by ISIL, the Al-Nusra Front and the influx of foreign fighters. We must now work together to ensure that the measures outlined in those resolutions can take full effect. In that regard, I would like to thank the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate for their preliminary analysis and actions supporting the implementation of resolution 2178 (2104). For its part, Luxembourg has just completed a review of its entire legal framework in the light of the provisions of resolution 2178 (2014).”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Last year, a young couple and their child left Luxembourg for Syria, where the father of the family very quickly died in fighting between terrorist groups - such a waste, such a lack of respect for human life and such a terrible message for that man's child. The groups' extreme ideology is exacerbating sectarian tensions and helping to destabilize the region even more. Indeed, it is difficult to understand the attraction of such barbarity to anyone. The atrocities committed by those terrorist groups have shocked us all. I will mention only the most recent example, ISIL's disgusting execution of an American humanitarian aid worker, Abdul-Rahman Kassig, who was captured while he was working to help the Syrian people. We must act together to combat this threat, and our response must be commensurate with the challenge.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“While the terrorist phenomenon is certainly not new, the problem that such groups ravaging Iraq and Syria pose differs in nature and scale from threats that the international community has faced in the past. I thank the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to resolution 1526 (2004) for its most recent report (see S/2014/815), which does a goodjob of analysing that what distinguishes the threat posed by such groups is the nexus they have established between funding and control of large areas of territory and populations, as well as the support they get from the more than 15,000 foreign fighters, from more than 80 countries, who have joined their sinister cause.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Gary Quinlan, Permanent Representative of Australia and Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and resolution 1989 (2011), concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, and Ms. Raimonda Murmokaite, Permanent Representative of Lithuania and Chair of the Counter- Terrorism Committee, for their informative briefings and determined action. I welcome the presence here today ofmy Argentine colleague, Mr. Hector Timerman. I associate myselfwith the statement to be delivered later by the observer of the European Union. The threat of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Al-Nusra Front and Al-Qaida and its affiliates is a source of growing concern.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Mr. Asselborn (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I am grateful to you, Madam President, for taking the initiative to organize this open debate. Luxembourg, like Australia, believes the fight against terrorism and violent extremism is a priority. We commend the presidential statement we have just adopted at Australia's initiative, aimed at strengthening action on the part of the international community (S/PRST/2014/23). I would like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing on the United Nations response to the threat of terrorism, which highlighted the value the United Nations adds in this area. I also thank Mr.”
2014-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7316 (2014) · source
“Indeed, Iran can and must play a positive role in the fight against extremism, whether in Iraq or Syria. To conclude, I would like to pay tribute to the exemplary work done by the United Nations humanitarian agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross and their personnel on the ground. I commend also the crucial activities ofthe United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq in terms of mediation and the promotion of respect for human rights, especially for people in detention and the protection of children's rights. I can assure the Council that Luxembourg, both bilaterally and through the European Union, will continue to support the consolidation of the rule of law in Iraq in order to contribute to full respect for human rights.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“It is now a matter of urgency to restart the national dialogue and the national reconciliation process, which are essential conditions for a return to peace and social order. Only balanced development that benefits all the ethnic and religious communities in the country will be able eliminate the root causes of injustice, violence and terrorism. Arab culture and civilization is being violated. Islam is being perverted from its philosophy ofpeace by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. It is essential that religious leaders continue to weigh in and promote the values and humanism of Islam. Allow me to also highlight the mention made in passing, which is nevertheless important, of the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“We must also step up our efforts in terms of humanitarian assistance and for the protection of civilians. We must enhance the work of the United Nations to halt the suffering of the Iraqi people. For its part, Luxembourg is providing financial support to the World Food Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help displaced persons. We believe that the improvement of the security situation will first and foremost depend on the progress achieved in the political sphere. The roots ofthe conflict will not be eradicated by force. In that regard, we welcome the inauguration of the new Iraqi Government of national unity, under the authority of Prime Minister Al-Abadi.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“It must take the necessary measures to help the Iraqi authorities to fight the scourge of ISIL and to end the suffering it inflicts on men, women and children in Iraq. We know what those measures are, because we have debated them right here, in the United Nations. On 15 August, we adopted resolution 2170 (2014) to impose sanctions on ISIL and to cut off its sources of financing. Next week, in the framework of a global anti-terrorist strategy, we will adopt a new resolution to counter the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. It goes without saying that we must also take security measures to counter and defeat the terrorist threat. We support the commitment of the coalition launched by the United States at the request of the Iraqi authorities and with the active support of the countries of the region.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Children as young as 15, 14 or even 13 years old are compelled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant to bear arms, arrest civilians and commit suicide attacks. The jihadists commit war crimes and crimes against humanity on a daily basis, including enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence and deliberate attacks against schools and hospitals. An ethnic and religious cleansing campaign is targeting the minorities in the north of Iraq, especially the Yezidis, the Christians and the Turkmen. In the face of those crimes, the extremism of this terrorist group, which is neither a State nor Islamic and which seeks to destabilize Iraq and the entire region, the international community must act.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“We all have before us the unbearable images of victims in agony, the bodies of children lined up, thousands of people trapped, without water or food, in the desert mountains near Sinjar, and the unspeakable, barbarous beheading of the two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and of British humanitarian worker David Haines. We have all witnessed the massacres and atrocities committed against civilian populations by the terrorists ofthe Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) during the fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi, the assault on Mosul, the conquests of Zumar, Sinjar and Ta] Afar and the seizure of Qaraqosh, Iraq's largest Christian city, which forced hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to flee their homes. The violence has reached an inconceivable level, magnitude and intensity.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Mr. Asselborn (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I am grateful for your initiative, Mr. President, to convene this ministerial debate at a time when the support of the international community to the Iraqi authorities and to the Iraqi people is more crucial than ever. I thank Nickolay Mladenov, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his briefing and for his service at the helm ofthe United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). I welcome the presence of Iraqi Minister for Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the international reconstruction conference for Iraq in Brussels in 2005 when he was Prime Minister of Iraq. I would like to thank him for his compelling and encouraging statement and to assure him of our full support. What has happened these past weeks is truly horrifying.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Its tally in terms oflives lost is overwhelming. More than 3,000 people have died in eastern Ukraine since the conflict began. Repeated attacks against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists and their external supporters claim new victims every day. The conclusion ofa fragile ceasefire on 5 September was a step in the right direction. Under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, talks are ongoing within the trilateral contact group, but we must now redouble our efforts. We are encouraged by the concrete steps taken by the President and Government of Ukraine to implement the commitments undertaken in Minsk. It is high time that the illegal armed groups to respect their own and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine, as was agreed in Minsk.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7269 (2014) · source
“It is encouraging to see that Russia is also insistently demanding the same thing, as the representative of the Russian Federation has just stated, and that it too is thus working in that direction. Those who shot down Flight MH-17, those responsible for this heinous act, will be held accountable. Indeed, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted on 28 July the fact that this act could constitute a war crime. We welcome the work by the courts of the affected countries that have opened criminal investigations. All Member States must be fully involved in the efforts to establish responsibility for the tragedy. We owe it to the victims and their families, forjustice to be done, as was just energetically highlighted by Frans Timmermans. Let me conclude by emphasizing the urgency of ending the conflict in Ukraine.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7269 (2014) · source
“We welcome the serious and independent work of by the Board that led to the publication, on 9 September 2014, of an interim report containing the first results of the investigation. We regret that illegal armed groups have hindered access to the crash site in the days following the tragedy. That has wasted valuable time and made the investigation more difficult. We also regret that the work of the investigators on the site was suspended on 6 August due to the deteriorating security situation. Armed groups that control the site of the accident and the surrounding area must permit the investigation to resume without delay, giving full, safe and unhindered access to investigators. That is a key provision of resolution 2166 (2014).”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7269 (2014) · source
“It is essential to continue that work to enable the families and friends of all the victims to know with certainty the fate of their loved ones. In resolution 2166 (2014), the Security Council called for a comprehensive, thorough and independent international investigation into the accident in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines. The conduct of that investigation has been delegated by Ukraine to the Netherlands. We have full confidence in the investigation by the Dutch Safety Board, in cooperation with international experts of the International Civil Aviation Organization and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Chicago Convention.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7269 (2014) · source
“Mr. Asselborn (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I thank Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman for his presentation. I thank my friend and colleague Franciscus Timmermans, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, for the information he provided. I salute his commitment and that of Ms. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, and Mr. Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia. In adopting resolution 2166 (2014), the Security Council condemned the destruction of the Malaysia Airlines aircraft in Ukraine, which resulted, as we know, in the tragic death of 298 people. The Council expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of that disaster. It is clear that the absolute priority was the repatriation of remains and identification of victims.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7269 (2014) · source
“The regional organizations are also active and are mobilizing to improve the protection of children, as illustrated by the creation of a post of Special Envoy of the African Union for children in Africa. In the introduction to her study on the impact of armed conflict on children, Graca Machel underlined that children are "both our reason to struggle to eliminate the worst aspects ofwarfare, and our best hope for succeeding at it." That blend of idealism and pragmatism best characterizes the children and armed conflict agenda. I hope that the Council will be able to pursue its noble task of eliminating the worst aspects of conflicts and find practical solutions to end the violations and abuses committed against children.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“It comes on the heels of Chad's removal from the list contained in the annexes of the Secretary-General's report (S/2014/339), following its Government's implementation of the action plan it had signed. Allow me to commend here the determined efforts of the Chadian authorities to that end. In Myanmar, which the Council's Working Group visited last year, the armed forces have continued with the process of demobilization of children from their ranks, in line with their commitments. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the President has appointed his first Special Adviser for the fight against sexual violence and the recruitment of children.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Indeed, despite the reasons for concern - which, it is true, are many - the commitment of the international community as a whole has enabled progress to be made, which constitutes a real glimmer of hope, as Mr. Whitaker has just reminded us. Thanks to the tireless awareness-raising efforts of the Special Representative, Governments continue to undertake commitments, in particular to end the recruitment and use of children in conflict. In Yemen, an action plan was signed by the Government on 14 May, thereby bringing to seven the number of Governments committed to ending the recruitment of children. That is an additional encouraging sign for the success of the Children, Not Soldiers campaign launched by the Special Representative and UNICEF.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Recruitment, murder, rape, abductions and attacks against schools are common. As the Special Representative, Ms. Zerrougui, has just recalled in her statement, more than 500 children have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the year. Close to 500 have also been killed during the most recent cycle of violence in the Gaza Strip during the summer. Leaving political considerations aside, one can only be outraged when the number of children killed during a military operation is as high as the number of combatants killed. It is simply beyond comprehension. I could go on and list many other conflict situations and give many more examples of grave violations against children, such as the abuses committed by Boko Haram, which has rightfully been added to the list of shame. But I would like to conclude on a more optimistic note.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Countless innocent children have lost their lives due to indiscriminate attacks on populated areas and indiscriminate bombardments by barrel bombs, the sole objective of which is to sow terror and despair among the civilian population. Others have fallen victim to deliberate attacks against their schools: 240 children have been killed or wounded in such attacks between April and June 2014 alone. That does not even include the children denied access to humanitarian aid and those detained and tortured by Government forces or even forced to fight in pro-Government armed groups, armed opposition groups and terrorist groups, first and foremost among which is the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Reports of abuses committed against children by ISIL in territories under its control, whether in Syria or Iraq, are increasing.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“In that respect, the Council must act in accordance with its prerogatives, including its ability to make referrals to the International Criminal Court. As I have just stated, wherever conflicts rage, children in particular are affected. A conflict of untold violence has been decimating Syria for three and a half years now. Far from diminishing, the fighting continues unabated. The month of July 2014 has been the most deadly for the civilian population since the beginning of the conflict. Among the victims, there are now well over 10,000 children. Thousands more have been maimed and will remain scarred for life, physically and psychologically.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“The persistence of violations and abuses committed against children in conflict situations is a stark reminder that the progress we make should be measured not only by the improvements we bring to our normative framework - however important they may be - but also by how the Council implements its decisions in specific contexts. Whether in country- specific resolutions, peacekeeping operations' mandates, sanctions regimes or the conclusions of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, the Council must be consistent and concretely apply what it has committed to in its thematic resolutions. The Council's credibility is at stake here. That is true also for the fight against impunity. Those who commit atrocities against children must be held accountable for their actions.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Schools and pupils continue to be the targets of deliberate attacks. School infrastructure is regularly looted or diverted from its primary purpose to be used for military purposes. Such acts deprive children, and the communities whose future and hope they represent, of a fundamental right: the right to education. The ignorance that results from a lack of education fosters intolerance and perpetuates the cycle of poverty, thus feeding the violence. I hope the Security Council will continue to give this issue the attention it requires in the spirit of resolutions 1998 (2011) and 2143 (2014).”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Forest Whitaker, Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation of UNESCO, for his commitment to the cause of children affected by armed conflict and for his truly moving statement. Six months ago almost to the day, we unanimously adopted a tenth resolution on children and armed conflict (resolution 2143 (2014)) during an open debate (see S/PV.7129) that I had the honour to preside over. However, despite the successive resolutions adopted by the Council and the progress they represent for the protection of children, children continue to pay a very heavy price in conflicts. From Syria to the Central African Republic, from South Sudan to Afghanistan and from Gaza to Iraq, children are killed, maimed or, depending on the situation, abducted, sexually abused or recruited, both by Government forces and non-State actors.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“Mr. Asselborn (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I would like to thank you warmly, Madam, for organizing this open debate on children and armed conflict during your presidency of the Council. I have to say that it is very difficult to speak after Sandra Uwiringiyimana's speech, a speech not only about atrocities but also about the hope that is possible when such children receive our help. I would also like to thank Ms. Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Ms. Brandt, the Deputy Executive Director General of UNICEF; and Mr. Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, for their enlightening presentations. I would also like to take this occasion to thank Mr.”
2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source
“We have no doubt that Iraqi political stakeholders will rise above their partisan interests to tackle the challenges before the country and that, i a spirit of unity, they will swiftly form a Government that reflects the Will of the Iraqi people. There is no miracle solution to resolve the numerous conflicts impacting the Middle East, but every chance we get we must do everything in our power to bring diplomacy back to centre stage. First and foremost, we must demonstrate to whom the international community's heart goes out. That is to the weakest, the victims, be they in Aleppo, Mosul or Gaza.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“I turn now to Iraq. We would like to condemn in the strongest terms the systematic persecution of ethnic and religious minorities by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and by armed groups associated with it. In particular, we are deeply concerned by reports of the treatment of the Christian population in Mosul. Those individuals are subject to unacceptable threats. We therefore fully support the press statement on the persecution of minorities in Mosul, adopted yesterday by the Security Council. The unity and stability of the region are threatened by the onward march of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Thus, a swift establishment of a new Government is of crucial importance.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Over the past month, deadly attacks have increased in Lebanon. That is the most worrying sign ofthe growing impact of the Syrian conflict on Lebanon. The effects of the presence and influx of Syrian refugees on the political, economic and social stability of the country are also significant, which is to be expected. Since April, the number of refugees from Syria officially registered in Lebanon crossed the threshold of 1 million people: one fourth of the Lebanese population. To grapple with those challenges, it is crucial for the Lebanese political players to elect as swiftly as possible a President to succeed Mr. Michel Suleiman. The election would bolster Lebanese institutions and help stabilize the country. The election would also facilitate the implementation of the disassociation policy in line with the Baabda Declaration.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Its implementation should allow for assistance to flow to between 1.4 and 2 million people in Syria who are to date still out of reach for humanitarian workers. That being the case, the implementation of Security Council resolutions will not be enough in itself to resolve the humanitarian crisis. The only lasting solution is the resolution of the Syrian conflict, which implies a political process that is Syrian-lead, along the lines of the Geneva communique (S/2012/522, annex) of June 2012. In that regard, Luxembourg welcomes the appointment of Mr. Staffan de Mistura as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria. That could breathe new life into seeking a political solution to the Syrian conflict. In conclusion, just a few words about the effect of the Syrian crisis on the countries of the region, particularly Lebanon and Iraq.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“We hoped that resolution 2165 (2014), adopted unanimously by the Security Council in the past week upon the initiative of Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg, would serve as a turning point. Pursuant to the resolution, humanitarian agencies of the United Nations are authorized to transport humanitarian aid in a cross-border manner by the most direct routes to those in need all over Syria. The consent of the Syrian Government is no longer necessary. Aid is to be distributed on the basis of needs assessments carried out by the United Nations, not by Damascus. Should resolutions 2139 (2014) and 2165 (2014) not be complied with, the Security Council should undertake supplementary measures, which is an essential element. We hope that this innovative resolution will allow for a true breakthrough on the ground.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“As for facts, the Bashar Al-Assad regime has been allowed to bomb schools and hospitals, to attack humanitarian convoys as well as medical personnel and to use starvation as a weapon of war against besieged people. The situation is most concerning for the 10.8 million Syrians, half of them children, who are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. More than 4.5 million Syrians are trapped in combat areas that are difficult for humanitarian workers to reach. Resolution 2139 (2014) was adopted by the Security Council in February. It has changed nothing. On the ground, humanitarian access continues to worsen, given the systematic obstruction by the Syrian Government.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“The stronger of the two, Israel, has to choose to accept the only possible way to live in peace, that is, the two-State solution, halting provocation and the expansion of settlements, or getting increasingly carried away in repeated military actions, which only exacerbate the conflict. As the Ambassador said, it is true: the truth and reality need to be seen as they are. We need to be forward-looking. For now, we hope that the Security Council will play its role to support efforts to put an end to the spiral of violence. After taking up the carnage in Gaza, I now turn to the Syrian tragedy. The conflict in Syria has claimed at least 160,000 lives and forced more than 3 million Syrians to flee their country. That reflects on the international community as a sad reminder ofits limits and divisions.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“The Palestinian people deserve to live in a dignified manner. The blockade draining life from Gaza for years must be lifted as an imperative. No one can live in the conditions imposed on the people in Gaza. For seven years, these people have lived besieged between three walls and the sea. They have survived solely thanks to UNRWA's aid and that of the international community. That is the only way that Israel can afford to subject 1.7 million Palestinians to those appalling conditions. Finally, there is a need to tackle the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“The absolute priority today is to immediately halt the suffering of Palestinian civilians on the ground. That requires the prompt conclusion of a humanitarian truce so as to care for the wounded, the displaced people and those trapped in the ruins. We place great hope in the mediation efforts headed by Egypt with the support of the Secretary-General and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. Those efforts will receive our full support. We also reiterate our support to UNRWA and its crucial work to lessen the suffering ofthe Palestinian people. Once a humanitarian truce is agreed to, a comprehensive and lasting cessation of hostilities will need to be negotiated. There is no other solution. The violence must stop. Actions that fuel hate and discord must be stopped as well. Suffering and humiliation must be halted.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“That has plunged the Gaza Strip into an unprecedented humanitarian and public health crisis without precedent, with even more tragic consequences than operation Cast Lead in 2009. All in all, the toll on children is perhaps the most terrifying. According to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 30 per cent of those killed are children. The fact that, as indicated by organizations on the ground, children die under Israeli fire than Palestinian combatants is yet a further reason for outrage. Under international humanitarian law, all parties have an absolute obligation to safeguard the lives of civilians caught up in the cross-hairs of a conflict. Of course, that obligation applies to Hamas and other armed groups that indiscriminately targeting Israeli civilians.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“As we meet, the Israeli offensive against Gaza has claimed more than 600 lives and more than 3,500 wounded, the majority of whom are civilians. Already an open-air prison, Gaza is literally becoming a graveyard for its inhabitants. Can there be any conceivable argument to justify such blood-letting and such disproportionate use of armed force against civilians? No, there is none. Clearly, the right of Israel to defend itself and protect its people is not disputed. We condemn in the strongest terms the rocket fire showered on Israeli cities. But Israel's right does not justify the despicable suffering inflicted on the civilian population of Gaza. More than 100,000 Palestinians are now living as displaced persons.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Mr. Asselborn (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I thank the Secretary-General for his live presentation from the Middle East, as well as the representative of the non-member Observer State of Palestine and the Deputy Representative of Israel for their statements. Luxembourg fully aligns itself with the statement that will be made shortly by the representative of the European Union. The Middle East today seems farther away than ever from peace, so much so that to speak of the Middle East means to speak of the conflicts there, as if the identity of the region has become inseparable from the wars tearing it apart. At its heart lies the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, which has, for seven decades, reflected the impotence of the international community. For two weeks, that conflict has once again tragically reminded us of our responsibilities.”
2014-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7222 (2014) · source
“Its toll in terms of the loss of human lives is mounting every day. We must step up diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the crisis. The first priority is to establish a true and lasting ceasefire that is observed by all parties in order to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of President Poroshenko's peace plan. In that regard, we welcome the efforts of France and Germany, as well as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to promote dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. It is high time that all stakeholders, in particular the Russian Federation, cooperate in good faith in order to put an end to the crisis and so that 17 July appears in the history books as a day marked not only by the tragic deaths of 298 innocent people but also as a decisive turning point in settling the Ukrainian crisis.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“The international investigation into the tragic incident of 17 July must establish the facts and responsibilities. In the resolution just adopted, the Council rightly demands that those responsible for the incident be held to account for that heinous act and that all States fully cooperate with the efforts to establish responsibility. The Security Council must remain vigilant in that regard on the basis of the reports on the investigation made to it by the Secretary-General. We owe it to the victims and their families that justice be done and that the perpetrators of that criminal act be held accountable. The deaths of 298 innocent human beings leave a huge void. That disaster cruelly reminds us of the urgent need to achieve a de-escalation of tensions in eastern Ukraine. The crisis has lasted too long.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“Resolution 2166 (2014) clearly underscores that the bodies of the victims must be treated in a dignified, respectful and professional manner. All parties concerned must ensure that that requirement is immediately observed. We call on the Russian Federation to actively and unremittingly use its influence on the illegal armed groups so that they cease their actions and despicable manoeuvres to prevent a genuine and appropriate investigation. The Russian Federation must immediately bring its full weight to bear on those groups so that they cease to obstruct the investigation and to remove compelling evidence, in particular the remains of the missile used to bring down the plane. The bodies of the victims must be returned to their families and the black boxes must be handed over to the competent authorities.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“Those groups must comply with the demands of the Security Council and immediately provide safe, secure, full and unrestricted access to the crash site near the village of Grabovo, in eastern Ukraine, to the appropriate investigating authorities, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) special monitoring mission, and representatives of other relevant international organizations. The illegal armed groups must refrain from any further action that could compromise the integrity of the crash site, and immediately cease all military activities in the immediate area surrounding it. We welcome in this regard the decision by President Poroshenko to declare, with immediate effect, a unilateral ceasefire in a radius of 40 kilometres around the scene of the tragedy.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“Allow me to express a special thought for the Netherlands, a country with which we have close ties and which has been struck in a particularly cruel manner by this catastrophe. I salute my colleague and friend, Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans, who is with us today, and I assure him of our fraternal support in this difficult time. Everything must now be done for the full implementation of the resolution we have just adopted. We must support the efforts being undertaken by Ukraine - in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization and international experts, including representatives of States that have lost nationals on board the aircraft - to institute an international investigation into the downing of Flight MH-17. The behaviour of illegal armed groups present on the scene of the disaster is unacceptable.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“That was the least we could do to honour the memory of the 298 victims of this catastrophe - 298 lives lost to a crisis for which they bore no responsibility whatsoever and that has gone on for too long. On behalf of the people and the Government of Luxembourg, I would like to express our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the 298 individuals who were on board of Flight MH-17. Among the victims was a family living in Luxembourg - an Anglo-Dutch couple and two of their sons, aged 12 and 14. We share the grief of the people and Governments of the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, Ireland and Viet Nam.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source
“Luxembourg voted in favour of the resolution and co-sponsored it for three reasons: to condemn in the strongest terms the downing of a civilian aircraft of Malaysia Airlines above Donetsk oblast, Ukraine, on 17 July; to express our solidarity with the families and friends of the victims who were on board of Flight MH-l7, as well as with their countries of origin; and finally, to express our support for the ongoing efforts to shed light on this catastrophe through a full, thorough and independent international investigation in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines. Such an investigation is the only way to determine who is responsible for this unspeakable act. Despite everything that divides us on the crisis concerning Ukraine, the Security Council was finally able to reach a consensus on the resolution.”
2014-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7221 (2014) · source