YouSaid · the spoken record

Baptista Grade Zacarias

lines on the record: 36
first: 2022-05-19
most recent: 2022-11-03
sittings or episodes: 7
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

“In that context, we support the full implementation of the women and peace and security and the youth and peace and security agendas. Finally, the Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiative recognizes the key role of regional organizations in ensuring local ownership and promoting trust and dialogue. In that context, we hope a decision will be taken soon to ensure predictable and sustainable financing for African Union-led peace support operations. I would like to conclude by reiterating Portugal’s commitment to peacebuilding and resilient peacekeeping operations in order to ensure sustainable peace.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In that context, we fully support the peace and security reform proposed by the Secretary-General, including the Action for Peacekeeping agenda and its implementation strategy. As a member of the Peacebuilding Commission, we believe that effective peacekeeping should be combined with efforts aimed at preventing conflicts. Peacekeeping and peacebuilding must be undertaken together if they are to be sustainable in the long term. There is also a need to enhance the complementarity between the work of the Security Council and the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. Inclusivity is also essential to the sustainability of peace. The involvement of women and young people is crucial throughout those processes, particularly given the disproportionate impact on their lives of conflicts and their aftermath.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Portugal has tried to follow that approach, for instance, in our cooperation with Mozambique and support for Mozambican authorities in their national strategies, in particular in the context of the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado. While contributing to the training of Mozambique’s armed forces, we also supported initiatives related to Mozambique’s justice, security and defence sectors, as well as projects aimed at fostering employment for young people and women in the northern region of Cabo Delgado. We are fully committed to seeking ways to make peacekeeping operations more effective, while using an integrated approach that promotes national and local ownership and embraces the triple nexus of peace, development and human rights.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As such, we are well aware that peacekeeping has become increasingly demanding as we face new actors in more complex and hostile operational environments. That is particularly evident with regard to terrorism and violent extremism, which are on the rise in several parts of the world, especially in Africa. While militarized responses to terrorism and violent extremism can be effective in the short term, they tend to address the symptoms rather than the root causes of conflict. Political engagement at all levels is necessary to address grievances and rebuild trust between citizens and the State. An approach that involves the military, law enforcement and intelligence services must be complemented by measures to tackle climate change, build institutions, promote employment and build a just and inclusive economy.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Portugal commends Ghana for convening today’s debate and thanks the briefers for their insightful remarks. We fully align ourselves with the statement made earlier on behalf of the European Union. Others have said it before — peacekeeping operations are one of the most effective tools available to the United Nations in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security. We pay tribute to the Blue Helmets and honour those who have lost their lives in the service of peace. Portugalhasconsistentlymaintaineditsparticipation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. We are currently engaged in several missions, namely, in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Colombia.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181Resumption1 (2022) · source
“And we need to put an end to intimidation and reprisals against women peacebuilders. The right of women human rights defenders to participate in peace processes is non-negotiable. Any form of reprisal, harassment or arbitrary detention must be met with a response, and above all, accountability must be ensured. Portugal remains fully committed to the women and peace and security agenda, and you can count on our support, Madam President.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In Portugal, too, we are currently preparing our third national plan on women and peace and security and also our 2030 Development Cooperation Strategy, with the aim of fostering synergies between the two plans in line with the triple nexus. Protecting women against sexual violence and protecting the rights of women in situations of conflict all around the world are collective responsibilities. We therefore encourage collective action and the building of bridges with institutions such as UN-Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as with civil-society organizations. The work at the local level remains essential to build resilience. We need to focus on preventive diplomacy and mediation. We need to ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation at every stage of peace processes.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The Secretary-General rightly notes in his report (S/2022/740) that we are experiencing a reversal of generational gains in women’s rights and that it is up to us and to the Council to reverse that reversal. We must redouble our efforts to fight sexual and gender- based violence, put an end to human trafficking, protect migrant women and ensure women’s human rights to education and health. That intersectional and multilevel lens is needed in the women and peace and security agenda. The Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action, launched at the Generation Equality Forum in 2021, has strengthened the means at our disposal for acting on the triple nexus between peace, development and human rights.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“She was the youngest person ever to become a mayor in Afghanistan, and one of the few women ever to have assumed such a position. Her example of courage and commitment in defending the principle that women’s rights are human rights should inspire us, especially in the context of a country where women are now not even allowed to leave their homes without male supervision and where girls have been banned from secondary schools. More than 20 years have gone by since the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000). Since then, our international framework has been made more robust, with nine other important Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security. However, we are witnessing a global backlash against gender equality, restricting women and girls’ full and equal enjoyment of all human rights.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We thank Gabon for convening this debate, as well as the briefers for their presentations and their commitment. Portugal aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the European Union and the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security. Our thoughts today are with all women and girls who are victims of the violence inflicted by armed groups — in Ukraine, the Sahel, Afghanistan, Syria and all other conflict situations around the world. Earlier this week, in Lisbon, we held a ceremony for the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe. That award recognizes individuals or institutions distinguishing themselves in the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. One of its laureates was Zarifa Ghafari.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“That might include, for example, replicating the Rabat training hub of the Office of Counter-Terrorism in other areas of the continent, recognizing the roles of victims of terrorism and their families and enhancing the ability of national authorities to prosecute and convict terrorism finance. In conclusion, let me reiterate Portugal’s full commitment to supporting sustainable peace and security in Africa.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Providing support to justice systems has also been a key step in ensuring that the gains made in peace processes can be sustained over the long term. Finally, we share the concerns expressed by other colleagues about the expansion of violence, extremism and terrorism in Africa. Here, too, we must tackle the problems at their roots. We need to strengthen human rights compliance. We need to strengthen resilience to climate change while helping to expand employment, particularly among young people. We need to push international financial institutions and multilateral development banks to do more, and in a more coordinated way, to address the difficulties around access to financing for sustainable development and climate action in Africa. We also need to learn from and scale up positive past experiences.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The partnership between the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union already plays a very important role in the support provided to regional organizations and arrangements on the African continent, and it can be further developed. Portugal encourages the Security Council to pursue the debate on predictable, sustainable and flexible funding for peace support operations undertaken by African regional and subregional organizations. Thirdly, for sustaining peace to be a successful endeavour, it must be inclusive. We support the full and meaningful participation of women, young people and civil society in all the areas that affect them. That is particularly relevant when we are talking about human rights, democracy, rule of law and good governance.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As a current member of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and a regular contributor to the Peacebuilding Fund, we have been pleased to note — as the PBC Chair rightly mentioned — the increased interest that countries and regions in Africa have shown in engaging with the Commission. That is further evidence that peacebuilding works. However, we need to ensure adequate, predictable and sustainable financing if we want to meet that growing demand. My second point is about the need to strengthen cooperation with regional organizations such as the African Union. Regional organizations bring with them a vast knowledge of the root causes of conflict and help ensure local ownership by promoting trust and dialogue.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Portugal remains a committed partner of Africa across the whole scope of the peace continuum. We participate in three United Nations peacekeeping missions — in the Central African Republic, Mali and South Sudan — and we are also present in eight of the 11 EU training missions on the African continent. Bilaterally, we have programmes aimed at supporting the capacity-building of our partners’ defence and security forces. We cooperate closely with our partners in areas of maritime security, particularly the Gulf of Guinea. Portuguese cooperation with African States has traditionally supported institutional capacity-building in line with the national priorities of partner countries, particularly in areas such as good governance, the rule of law, the security sector, education and health.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The impact of the pandemic, together with one of the most severe droughts in decades and the consequences for global food security of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has altered progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, with a particularly devastating impact on small island developing States and least developed countries, affecting their capacity to address climate change and conflict. Peacebuilding and sustaining peace cannot be approached from a security point of view alone. We also need to prioritize conflict prevention and peace consolidation programmes, including the promotion and protection of human rights with a joint commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Africa, in line with the priorities set out by the African Union.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“I would like to congratulate China on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and for convening this timely meeting. I also thank the briefers for their valuable insights. Portugal aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union (EU) and would like to add the following four points. Africa faces multiple security threats, the root causes of which are shared by many countries and include poverty, vulnerability, climate change and fragile institutions.”
2022-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9106Resumption1 (2022) · source
“At the same time, the prevention of gender-based violence and discrimination against women and girls will benefit from a stronger investment in the protection of human rights and in human rights education and communication, as well as in women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership. Missions should differentiate target audiences and address certain communications specifically to women. Gender gaps in access to digital technologies should be considered. Messages must represent women and men equally and avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes, which are among the root causes of some ethnic conflicts. Ensuring gender parity among communications personnel, we believe, would make all the above much easier.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“We need to step up efforts to counter disinformation, misinformation and hate speech targeted at missions and peacekeepers. Human resources, adequate technology, tools, training and financing are key, as are good practices, such as the one in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s establishment of a WhatsApp group, with hundreds of influencers who help to cut misinformation and tell compelling stories about the Mission’s mandate, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic’s distribution of tens of thousands of solar-powered radios to local communities, facilitating their access to information. Better communication strategies may also provide better information about the level of protection that missions can provide to civilians.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“A public information assessment must be carried out prior to the launch of any mission to identify the most effective ways of reaching the local population. That is in line with the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiative, the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Principles and Guidelines and resolution 2594 (2021). Portugal participates in several United Nations peacekeeping missions, and it is clear that we are facing growing challenges related to misinformation and disinformation. That can have effects on the credibility and the perceptions regarding the efficacy and legitimacy of missions. It can also directly affect the safety and security of peacekeepers and the communities that they serve.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statements to be delivered by the representative of the European Union and on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of United Nations Peacekeepers, and would like to add the following points in its national capacity. First of all, I would like to thank Brazil for underlining, with this debate, the key importance of strategic communications in peacekeeping. Ensuring that peacekeeping missions properly communicate with local communities, host Governments and other stakeholders is crucial to fulfilling their mandates, protecting civilians and promoting the safety and security of peacekeepers. Designing a communication strategy is a task that should not wait until after a mission has started.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“In achieving that objective, the support of regional organizations can also play a considerable catalytic role. As this debate comes to an end, I want to thank you, Madam President, for bringing this matter into the Security Council. Let me assure you that Portugal stands ready to continue to push for the women and peace and security agenda — both nationally and internationally — not only by advocating it but also by implementing it from an integrated and horizontal perspective. The meeting rose at 5.20 p.m.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As an outcome, I would like to highlight that our development cooperation devotes more than one third of its bilateral assistance — about 35 per cent — to initiatives promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. We believe that approach contributes to implementing the women and peace and security agenda with a focus on prevention, namely, in contexts where political and social stability might face challenges, by building resilience and helping to further strengthen the role of women in society. That is also a priority for Portugal as a current member of the Peacebuilding Commission, in which we have been highlighting the need to support the action of women peacebuilders at the grass-roots level in a way that is aligned with and feeds into the respective national priorities.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064Resumption1 (2022) · source
“That is also our commitment in the scope of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, which in 2021 adopted an action plan for the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda, which is aligned with its strategic plan on gender equality and women’s empowerment. For its part, Portugal is implementing the third edition of its national action plan on resolution 1325 (2000), based on three main objectives: prevention, protection and participation. As a result of its long- standing commitment and action over the years, Portugal has included the women and peace and security agenda and a gender-equality perspective into its operational and strategic documents, namely, in its development cooperation, defence, security and justice sectors.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We must do more and be mindful of all women and girls whose fundamental human rights are under attack. We must support them in their plight and take stock of some of the direst situations, such as in Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar, and in Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Sexual violence as a weapon of war and a method of intimidating civilian populations must be brought to an end. It is paramount to fight impunity, reprisals, promote prevention and ensure accountability, bringing women into decision-making processes, diplomacy and political dialogue. Regional organizations must integrate those aspects into their work.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the European Union and by the representative of Canada on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security. In my national capacity, I want to focus on the commitment to respect for all women and girls’ human rights and their protection and fulfilment, and to underline the importance of women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace negotiations, peacebuilding and peacemaking. In that regard, I would like to stress the importance of including and mainstreaming the women and peace and security agenda within military doctrines, formative frameworks and practices of State and non-State actors. That is equally important at both the national and regional levels.”
2022-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9064Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Full compliance with international humanitarian law, from all parties to conflicts, including non-State armed groups, must remain our guiding star across the board.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, a global breadbasket, is further disrupting commodity supply chains, contributing to a rise in food market prices and, by the same token, food insecurity across the world. That aggravates the humanitarian situation in the most vulnerable regions, such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, which already have to deal with conflict, the pandemic and climate change, in addition to poverty and inequality. Such global, interconnected challenges demand a strong multilateral response. The recently created Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance has a key role to play. We support it and look forward to its continued work. We have the instruments. We must use them, including in the Security Council.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We support the ongoing process developing a political declaration on the subject. We think of Syria and Ukraine. We think of Afghanistan, where last year more than 900 schools were destroyed, damaged or closed, with their rehabilitation hampered by the presence of explosive hazards. That figure is staggering and puts the future of entire generations at risk while disproportionately affecting girls. It reminds us of the need to implement resolution 2601 (2021), on safeguarding the right to education, and resolution 2573 (2021), on critical civilian infrastructure, among other resolutions. Thirdly, we note with concern the numbers on conflict-driven hunger.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In that context, I would like to reaffirm Portugal’s support for the International Criminal Court and for the call for the universal ratification of the Rome Statute. I also wish to reiterate our full support for the international human rights protection system, while underlining its critical role in ensuring accountability for human rights violations and abuses, as well as stressing the importance of early-warning mechanisms. The prevention of human rights violations should be everyone’s priority. We therefore welcome the prevention focus of the New Agenda for Peace set out in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and look forward to the next steps in that regard. Secondly, like others, we remain concerned about the disproportionate use of explosive weapons in populated areas and their impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statements delivered by the representatives of the European Union (EU), on behalf of the EU and its member States; Switzerland, on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict; and Croatia, on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect. We thank the United States for organizing this debate and would like to add three points in our national capacity. First, this discussion is essential, given the number of conflicts causing unspeakable suffering to civilians across the globe. Deliberate attacks against civilians constitute war crimes and, in some cases, crimes against humanity. They cannot go unpunished and demand accountability following investigations initiated by national or international institutions.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“It is also why we welcome the work of the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group and look forward to its next steps in accordance with other relevant initiatives like the Group of Seven Global Alliance for Food Security. The Group will be crucial — not only to addressing food- supply disruptions and spiking energy prices, but also to ensure that the measures that are now put in place do not undermine long-term stability.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“States have a core obligation to take the necessary action to mitigate and alleviate hunger in situations of conflict and are required to refrain from all discrimination in access to food, on any grounds. We encourage the Security Council to collaborate closely on the protection of human rights in this conflict with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the right to food. We all know that we can only be effective in tackling this crisis if we work together. That is why we support the General Assembly draft resolution promoted by Lebanon on the state of global food security, to be adopted on 23 May.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In the meanwhile, humanitarian actors have made extensive efforts to promote resilience among vulnerable communities, strengthening local production in countries at risk of food insecurity. We commend and support those initiatives. The private sector can also play a role in that regard, helping small farmers increase their productivity and improving sustainable value chains. Food is a human right. It derives directly from the right to an adequate standard of living, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Food-related policies must be embedded in a human-rights approach.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The people in the Mediterranean basin, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa are especially threatened by those effects. We must deliver immediate assistance to those in need, while supporting partner countries in their transition to sustainable agrifood systems. We should prioritize keeping trading food and fertilizers open, exploring alternative sources of food supplies, supporting agricultural production at acceptable costs and promoting access to short-term credit and to markets. Yesterday, at the United Nations Global Food Security Call to Action, the Secretary- General acknowledged the importance of engaging in ongoing dialogue in that connection, and we welcome such discussions.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. As other colleagues have pointed out before, climate change, inequalities and conflicts are the biggest drivers of hunger. Food insecurity had been on the rise before the pandemic, but Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the situation, destabilizing a region that is crucial to the global supply of agricultural commodities. That aggression has caused severe damage to storage infrastructure and agriculture processing facilities, prevented farmers from tending their fields and impeded the export of goods already harvested following the blockade of Ukrainian ports. And we must be clear that those disruptions are caused by war and not by sanctions. The higher prices faced by global food markets put those most vulnerable at particular risk, namely, in developing countries.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source