YouSaid · the spoken record

Bahemuka

lines on the record: 28
first: 2004-01-20
most recent: 2005-10-27
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“Kenya also supports the Secretariat's recommendations to biennialize reporting on implementation of the action plan. That can be supplemented by interspersed thematic reports, which, we agree, will balance the implementation and policymaking cycles and make for more rigorous implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). In conclusion, let me highly commend the many women who toil daily in the fields of the United Nations system in the area of peace and security. I thank them for their dedication, hard work and commitment to the cause of the Organization. I encourage them to continue their work fearlessly and tirelessly, for the final objective is beneficial for all mankind.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294Resumption1 (2005) · source
“That coordination will build on local best practices and obviate the need to reinvent the wheel. At the intergovernmental level, I would appeal for closer coordination. The idea of working through the High Level Committee on Programmes, with the participation of all concerned organizations and components of the United Nations Secretariat, is a very good one. Our experience in using a system of lead agencies to ensure dialogue, as proposed in the report, suggests that such a plan has to be very carefully implemented. Institutional conflicts and jealousies may arise that can hamper any long-term gain for women. The same can be said for coordination within the United Nations itself. Appointing a group of focal points instead of one focal point may diminish the institutional rivalry that so frequently manifests itself in our work.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294Resumption1 (2005) · source
“My delegation thanks the Secretary-General and his staff for the very useful report on women, peace and security contained in document S/2005/636 dated 10 October 2005. The guidelines in that document covers areas dear to my delegation. Those include, inter alia, mainstreaming gender in peacekeeping and political affairs; monitoring compliance with international law; expanding gender-sensitive programming in disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, mine-clearance, reconstruction and HIV/AIDS prevention; institutionalizing women's participation in decision-making; and preventing and fighting against gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse. Regarding the enhancement of local women's capacities for peacemaking and peacebuilding, I would only urge greater synergy and energetic interface with local women's groups.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294Resumption1 (2005) · source
“I would like to thank the Romanian presidency for organizing this meeting on an issue that we hold very dear to our hearts. In his statement to the General Assembly on 17 September 2005, His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya placed women strategically at the centre of all development activities. Today, with the steady and sure progress towards the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission, the role of women in initiating, nurturing and consolidating post-conflict peacebuilding is a given. In our remarks during recent informal consultations, my delegation stressed the need to incorporate this important element early on in building the formal architecture of the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as the need to deepen the role of women in the implementation of programmes to empower them in post-conflict areas.”
2005-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5294Resumption1 (2005) · source
“That was recently demonstrated by the Security Council's visit to Nairobi, Kenya, to push forward the Sudan peace process in recognition of the suffering of millions of civilians in that conflict and in other African regional conflicts. The invaluable support that the United Nations has given to our regional organizations so that they can address these issues is highly appreciated. However, individual Governments, assisted by the international community, must also address the root causes of conflicts. It is crucial to establish early-warning mechanisms and take timely and appropriate steps.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“That application of double standards has left millions of children, women and men in need and without aid. Some emergencies are totally neglected. Today's single-minded focus on international terrorism steers international attention to a smaller number of crises. Action is therefore needed to deliver on commitments to guarantee the distribution of high-quality humanitarian assistance to all vulnerable populations, based on need and need alone. Finally, Kenya recognizes the important role played by the United Nations in general and the Security Council in particular in addressing conflict, especially in Africa.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The independent and impartial provision of basic needs to a population is meant to be a key part of the international community's commitment to protect that population. Every civilian caught up in an armed conflict has the right to receive food, water, shelter and medical assistance. The international community has a responsibility to provide funding and to apply political pressure on warring parties to ensure that, despite the conflict, vital supplies reach the most vulnerable groups. Not only are the current levels of spending and engagement inadequate, they are also not distributed according to the needs. An increasing number of donors are giving only to favoured crises. Humanitarian assistance is earmarked for certain countries and projects. That has to change.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Kofi Annan, the United Nations has paid more attention to the practicalities of protecting civilians in the past few years. Those steps are useful, but more work needs to be done. Only humanitarian protection in conflict situations has the principal concern of preventing or mitigating the most damaging effects of war on civilians. It is concerned with the way conflict is conducted and the way people, including refugees and displaced persons, are treated. Humanitarian protection is therefore driven by the real threats faced by communities and individuals. Although protection such as that provided by Operation Artemis is crucial to the survival of civilians caught up in conflict, their sustained survival depends on humanitarian assistance.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“The action required could vary according to the specific protection needed by civilians who are caught in conflict; that does not always have to be military support. Diplomatic pressure, negotiated access and other steps can save lives and allow people to live with dignity. The leadership of the Security Council in that regard is critical. It is the only body that can authorize action such as Operation Artemis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that can be indispensable to saving lives. Such interventions are desperately needed. They are practical proof of the existence of a committed international community that seeks to protect civilians whenever they are threatened. Led by the current Secretary-General, Mr.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We appeal for further discourse by Member States on this matter with a View to reaching consensus. On the other hand, the international community, led by the Security Council, must develop strategies to engage more persistently with regard to conflicts in order to help protect civilians in neglected crises. All possible tools must be made available, including intense diplomacy, support for the negotiation of access for humanitarian aid in extreme cases and the contribution of troops to United Nations-led peacekeeping missions with strong mandates to protect civilians. In addition, Governments and the United Nations should implement new, systemic procedures in order to best protect vulnerable civilians, especially women and children, in crises. When the international community has the will to help civilians, it often can.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We are seeing armed groups that do not have standard command and control functions, that do not operate under standard military rules or procedures and that often use child soldiers, who are abducted to fight wars or who are kept on drugs. Those complexities not withstanding, the onus is still on the international community to uphold and enforce international humanitarian law to stop the suffering of civilians during conflicts. The issue of impunity should be addressed, and all actors - whether Government actors or rebels - must be made to understand that the international community will hold them responsible for any act in violation of international humanitarian law. We concur with the View of Mr. Egeland with respect to the International Criminal Court and the role it can play in addressing the issue of impunity.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Victims have been expelled from their homes and have often been denied access to life-saving food, medicine and shelter. Grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and blatant disrespect for humanity have been witnessed. The nature of conflict itself has also changed from the inter-State wars common earlier to internal conflicts and even terrorism. It is now very common to find situations where civilians have taken up arms against established Governments. Combatants now depend for survival on the support of civilian non- combatants. That creates a very complex scenario for the parties in conflict.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation would like to thank Algeria for organizing this very important debate. We thank you, in particular, Mr. President, for having found time to come and chair this very important debate for us. At the very outset, Kenya would like to acknowledge with appreciation the work and the brief presented to us by Mr. Egeland, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and other reports that have been made available to us, including the recent report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. While we recognize that international humanitarian law sets universally acceptable standards for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, the world has witnessed violent conflicts that have claimed the lives of millions of civilians and have left tens of millions of people permanently displaced.”
2004-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5100Resumption1 (2004) · source
“It must develop and disseminate to Member States, especially troop-contributing countries, effective guidelines to ensure sustained efforts in gender mainstreaming at all levels of peacekeeping operations. In conclusion, I wish to thank the Security Council most sincerely for remaining seized of this matter. It is through constant reflection and the sharing of experiences on the role of women in peace and security that the international community will successfully restore women to their rightful place at the peace table.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Kenya is aware of the fact that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has made great strides in promoting gender balance among peacekeeping personnel. Its current approach of establishing multidimensional peacekeeping operations, such as those in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan, has proved to be very effective in placing the focus on gender issues in peacekeeping. The incorporation of full-time gender advisers into peacekeeping missions has been very useful in that regard. Though gender balance is far from being attained, we have taken steps in the right direction. DPKO should redouble its efforts towards achieving that goal.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“That strength of women can be harnessed into seeking durable, peaceful solutions to conflicts. Women's perceptions and concerns must form an integral part of any peace process. We must break the traditional, stereotypical barriers that have consistently kept women away from negotiating tables. In that regard, it is gratifying to note that the United Nations has made significant progress in mainstreaming gender perspectives in peace initiatives. We thus welcome the recent development by the Division for the Advancement of Women of a framework of model provisions on promoting gender equality and a set of standards for mediators, facilitators and funding entities involved in peace negotiations. Those guidelines, we believe, will provide an invaluable tool to the facilitators of those processes.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Investing in women can pay dividends in the Organization's continued search for peace and security. Faced with entrenched discriminatory laws, policies and customs, many women are barred from playing a significant role in peace processes. It is incumbent upon the United Nations, other international bodies and national Governments to support the struggle of women for greater participation in those processes. Thus, we welcome the various initiatives enumerated in the Secretary-General's report, which seek to mainstream gender perspectives in peace processes by, inter alia, developing policies, action plans, guidelines and indicators aimed at promoting the role of women. During armed conflict, women often emerge as the only voices of reason and calm.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“In a nutshell, the resolution legitimized women's place at the peace table. For that milestone, Kenya is grateful to the Council and the various other United Nations bodies that worked tirelessly towards that end. Kenya expresses its deep gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive and balanced report (S/2004/814) on implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), presented to the Council for consideration. The report provides several illustrative examples of areas where tangible progress has been achieved. It also acknowledges the formidable gaps and challenges that stand in the way of implementation of the resolution. My delegation believes that drawing inspiration from our success so far will provide a source of strength in our efforts to tackle the remaining challenges.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“Those gestures, and many other initiatives by women all over the world, demonstrate the desire of women to attain peace. There is no doubt in my mind that women hold the key to peace in the world. Resolution 1325 (2000), adopted by the Security Council on 31 October 2000, reaffirmed the role of women in the search for peace. It recognized women's special vulnerability during times of armed conflict and stressed the need for their equal participation and full involvement in efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security. Most important, it underscored the need to mainstream gender perspectives in all initiatives for conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance, post-conflict reconstruction and reintegration.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation is greatly honoured by the opportunity to participate in today's debate on women and peace and security. Stories have been told in many forums of ordinary women whose love for peace drove them to spontaneously reach across battle lines to assist victims of war, and of women who disregarded ethnic barriers in civil wars and jointly demanded their right to peace. Stories have been told of women who overcame formidable political, cultural and economic obstacles to assert their place in peace processes. Some of us may vividly recall images of a group of women peace activists who, in recent peace negotiations on the continent of Africa, threatened to lock negotiators in the negotiating room and sit on the keys until peace was agreed upon.”
2004-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5066Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We will continue to support every effort by the Security Council and the United Nations to put an end to the climate of impunity in which crimes are committed against children in the context of armed conflict. In that regard, all parties responsible for crimes against children should be brought to justice.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We therefore look forward to working closely with the Security Council as it seeks to endorse the proposals for the establishment and implementation of an effective monitoring and reporting system, as contained in the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict. Considering the alarming reports of grave violations against the well-being of children and in view of the fact that more children suffer from the denial of humanitarian access, Kenya hopes that the Council will support the proposal to expand the list of violations under consideration beyond child-soldiering to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the situation of children affected by armed conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“My delegation is of the view that strengthening subregional initiatives to end practices which are harmful to children - including the illicit exploitation of natural resources, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, cross-border recruitment and the use of children in armed conflict - should be of paramount importance to all concerned. In View of the urgent need to strengthen child protection measures in situations of armed conflict, Kenya welcomes the proposals contained in the Secretary-General's report, and we hope that they will provide a useful basis for the way forward.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We especially wish to thank UNICEF, other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations such as Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, which has taken a lead role in negotiating with parties to conflicts to ensure the protection of children. Kenya continues to play an important role as mediator in regional conflicts, especially in East Africa and the Horn of Africa region. Many children affected by those conflicts are indeed suffering. In that regard, I wish to urge the incorporation of children's concerns in national and regional peace initiatives, agreements and efforts. As a regular troop-contributing country, Kenya supports pre-deployment training initiatives for peacekeepers in regional and United Nations peace operations.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We recognize that much more needs to be done to improve the situation of war-affected children. At a glance, a number of the ongoing armed conflicts around the world show a very disturbing picture of the suffering of the children who are caught up in those conflicts. The image of those suffering children strengthens Kenya's resolve to save them. My Government therefore supports the measures proposed by the Secretary-General to alleviate the suffering of war-affected children. We recognize that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes are key to the resolution of this issue. We also support the deployment of child-protection advisers in peacekeeping missions and the training of peacekeeping personnel in child protection and child rights.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We note with gratitude the role played by regional and subregional organizations and a number of civil society initiatives on this issue, and we call upon those organizations that have not yet done so to consider mainstreaming the protection of war-affected children into their policies. As we address this issue, which is very dear to us, we should not lose sight of the continuing violations of children's rights. Despite the existence of a strong and comprehensive body of legal standards which are aimed at the protection of children generally, and more specifically at children in armed conflict, Kenya regrets that many parties to conflicts continue to ignore these standards, often with impunity. This calls for a strengthened and enhanced international enforcement regime.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“We also thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Carol Bellamy, for UNICEF's continued efforts to address the plight of children around the world. We welcome the advances that have been made since 1998, when this issue was formally taken up by the Security Council. We are happy to note from the Secretary-General's report that children's issues have been incorporated into a number of peace accords. We welcome also the efforts and progress made so far by the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in creating awareness of the plight of children in armed conflict.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source
“On behalf of my delegation, Sir, I would like to express our gratitude to you for having found the time to preside over this very important meeting. As we gather here today for the annual debate on children and armed conflict, we need to reflect seriously on the direction we should take in the quest to protect our children - innocent victims of the wars that continue to ravage the world. My delegation wishes to express its appreciation to the Secretary-General for having established the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, in order to address critical issues pertaining to children affected by armed conflict. We commend the good work which has been carried out over the years by the Special Representative, Mr. Olara Otunnu, and his Office.”
2004-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4898Resumption1 (2004) · source