YouSaid · the spoken record

Barbara Woodward

lines on the record: 1,082
first: 2020-12-08
most recent: 2023-12-29
sittings or episodes: 263
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

“I would like to thank the delegation of Ukraine for sharing that video with us. The images are harrowing. Speaking in my national capacity, we are appalled by what we have seen and reiterate our solidarity with Ukraine. I now resume my functions as the President of the Council.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“I understand that we have solved the technical problems, so I suggest that we return to the video. An audiovisual recording was played in the Council Chamber.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“We will turn to the video once we have sorted out the technical issues. I thank His Excellency Mr. Zelenskyy for his compelling and powerful remarks. Speaking in my national capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom, may I express appreciation to the President for his leadership in war time and for the extraordinary fortitude and bravery of the Ukrainian people under this unprovoked and illegal invasion. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“I thank Mr. Griffiths for his briefing. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“I would just add that, as per the usual precedent, the Permanent Representative of Ukraine will also join the meeting in case of any technical issues. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; and Mr. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite His Excellency Mr. Olof Skoog, Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“I should like to start by taking this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to Her Excellency Mrs. Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates, for her service as President of the Security Council for the month of March. I am sure that I speak for all of us in expressing our deep appreciation to Ambassador Nusseibeh and her team for the skilful conduct of the Council’s business last month. In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Ukraine to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome the participation of His Excellency Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“The presidency will not refuse to host meetings in future. I hope that that now closes that point and we can proceed with the adoption of the agenda. The agenda was adopted. Letter dated 28 February 2014 from the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2014/136) Expression of thanks to the outgoing President”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“The deferral proposed was less than 24 hours and, to be clear, we share the view that this is an urgent situation, and we have, as I say, offered the Russian Federation either a separate meeting today or to combine it with this one. So as far as the presidency is concerned, we did everything in line with the provisional rules of procedure and with precedent. We have received no other complaints from Council members on the subject. I call on the representative of the Russian Federation.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“If I could respond to the points made by the representative of the Russian Federation, we did not reject his request for a meeting. We received his letter on Sunday, and it is the responsibility and obligation of the presidency to schedule a meeting. He specifically requested a meeting for a time on Monday. The presidency’s proposal was to schedule the meeting either alongside the meeting today — well within the 48-hour limit that is the convention of the Security Council — or to hold the meetings sequentially, one after the other. I understand that the Russian Federation turned down both proposals, but I wish to be clear that we did not reject the request for a meeting.”
2022-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9011 (2022) · source
“United Nations States Members sent an overwhelming message that Russia alone is to blame for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and for the shocks being felt globally. For the suffering to end, Russian bullets and bombs must stop, and Russian tanks and troops must go home.”
2022-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9008 (2022) · source
“But let us be without a shred of doubt. As the Secretary-General set out yesterday, the only way to end the suffering is for Russia to end the war. Global commodity prices were already on the rise before the invasion as economies recovered from the coronavirus disease pandemic. We now see spiralling energy prices and global food insecurity hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. Almost every Member State is now suffering because of Russia’s war. As David Beasley said, we now risk famine destabilization, and we risk having to take food from hungry children for starving children. Russia’s appetite for war is taking food off the world’s table. The United Kingdom welcomes General Assembly resolution ES-11/2, adopted last week.”
2022-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9008 (2022) · source
“There is an urgent need to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Ukraine. We note the Secretary-General’s announcement yesterday regarding the role of Martin Griffiths in pursuing a humanitarian ceasefire, and we are grateful for the latest data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme and the Secretary-General’s remarks yesterday regarding those they have been able to reach. We encourage all efforts to help the people of Ukraine, in agreement with the Ukrainian Government. The United Kingdom will continue to play its part. We have provided £400 million to support Ukraine, including £220 million in humanitarian aid. We call for close cooperation between United Nations agencies and other donors in order to ensure that this assistance reaches and protects the most vulnerable.”
2022-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9008 (2022) · source
“I join other in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Msuya and Executive Director David Beasley for their briefings. Today we once again heard the appalling impact on the Ukrainian people of President Putin’s senseless war of choice — 10.3 million have been displaced, with 73 confirmed attacks on hospitals and medical centres and 659 schools and kindergartens damaged. The devastation in Mariupol is almost beyond description. Civilians remain without food, water or electricity. People are reportedly resorting to drinking not just snow, but sewage water to survive. There are credible reports of mass graves and forced deportations of residents to the Russian Federation, as well as incidents of sexual violence and use of landmines. There will be accountability for those crimes.”
2022-03-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9008 (2022) · source
“As we have discussed, North Korea’s illegal nuclear and ballistic-missile programmes are in violation of numerous Security Council resolutions. The trilateral cooperation between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom will be fully consistent with the three parties’ respective non-proliferation obligations and will be pursued in a manner that preserves the integrity of the non-proliferation regime. We remain fully committed to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and worldwide.”
2022-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9004 (2022) · source
“The United Kingdom is clear that the Council’s measures against these illicit weapons programmes, including sanctions, are not targeted at the North Korean people. We fully support the delivery of humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable in North Korean society. We call upon North Korea to allow United Nations humanitarian workers to carry out an independent needs assessment and to allow aid to flow freely into the country. We urge North Korea to refrain from further provocations, engage meaningfully with the United States in dialogue and abandon all of its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.”
2022-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9004 (2022) · source
“We look to the Security Council to display the same unity and resolve to protect the safety of this and future generations as it displayed then. We look forward to constructive discussions on further measures proposed by the United States of America. We should urgently therefore consider further steps that the Security Council can take, including updated and targeted sanctions, to disrupt North Korea’s unlawful testing and illicit proliferation. We call on all Member States to implement fully the Security Council’s resolutions and enforce sanctions unanimously adopted in order to limit North Korea’s illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. As the North Korean Government continues to pour resources into weapons programmes, the humanitarian situation in the country may be worsening.”
2022-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9004 (2022) · source
“I join others in thanking Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. The United Kingdom condemns the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea on 24 March, as well as tests of new ICBM capabilities on 27 Feb and 5 March. This year alone, 13 ballistic missiles have been launched across 10 sets of tests — each a violation of Security Council resolutions. We are deeply concerned by the increased tempo of these launches and the growing capability they represent. Let there be no doubt — the clear threat that North Korea poses to international security is increasing. These violations of Security Council resolutions should be met with a firm and united response from the Council. The last time North Korea launched ICBMs in 2017, the Council responded decisively by adopting resolution 2371 (2017).”
2022-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9004 (2022) · source
“Russia’s draft calls for the protection of civilians, including women and children, but it omits the fact that Russia is bombing maternity hospitals, schools and homes. If Russia cared about the humanitarian situation, it would stop bombing children and end its siege tactics — but it has not. The General Assembly will soon vote on a draft resolution that makes clear that the only way to end the humanitarian crisis is for Russia to end its war. That draft resolution has been submitted not by the aggressor, as has the one we have here, but by the victim. It is high time indeed to remember that our first allegiance is to the human race.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“The United Kingdom is in no doubt that Russia’s invasion is triggering a wider humanitarian crisis. Worldwide, food, energy and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing, threatening — as the Secretary-General said — to spiral into a global hunger crisis. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn reminded us, it is high time to remember that our first allegiance is to the human race. The United Kingdom will not vote in favour of any draft resolution, whether here or in the General Assembly, that does not recognize that Russia is the sole cause of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe and is therefore key to ending it. Russia’s draft resolution (S/2022/231) calls for all parties to respect international humanitarian law. It ignores the fact that Russia is committing war crimes.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“Since Russia invaded Ukraine 27 days ago, 3.5 million refugees have fled the country and another 6.5 million people have fled their homes within Ukraine. Twelve million Ukrainian people now need humanitarian aid. In Mariupol, Russia first bombed the maternity hospital. Then Russia bombed a theatre where children were sheltering from attack. Over 100,000 people in Mariupol are now under medieval siege. There is no drinking water or food for those trapped in the city. The United Kingdom is in no doubt that there is a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. As the Secretary- General said yesterday, the Ukrainian people are enduring a living hell. The United Kingdom’s offer of emergency and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine now totals around £400 million to help deal with the immediate need.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“Finally, as we look towards the convergence of religious holidays next month, the United Kingdom strongly discourages unilateral actions that may increase tensions. We reiterate our support for the historic status quo in the Old City of Jerusalem. That is the best means of preserving the right to peaceful worship for the three Abrahamic faiths. It is only through dialogue that we can improve stability across the region and build the foundations for peace. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to a two-State solution, based on 1967 lines and with Jerusalem as a shared capital.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“We continue to urge the Palestinian Authority to pass the necessary legislation to protect and advance women’s rights, and we reiterate our strong support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and its vital work to help Palestinian refugee children, including girls, fulfil their potential. The United Kingdom remains focused on work to improve the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza. We welcome the beginning of the electronic value-added tax pilot and ongoing work between the parties towards a more efficient tax system. The United Kingdom encourages both parties to continue to make progress on other priority fiscal issues and to reconvene the long-stalled Joint Economic Committee in order to enhance dialogue on economic issues.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence. In exercising that right, it is vital that all actions are proportionate. We welcome the dismantling of West Bank outposts by the Israeli authorities, including Maoz Esther, Givat Habaladim and Battir. The violence from settlers against Israeli security forces during the operations is inexcusable. Outposts are illegal under international law and Israeli law and are an obstacle to peace. As we celebrated International Women’s Day this month, we were reminded of the importance of ensuring equitable access to a quality education for all children and the power of educating girls as a tool for peace.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“I would like to thank the Special Coordinator for his briefing today. Let me start by once again reinforcing the need to prevent a return to the violence we witnessed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories last year. We share concerns about the escalating tensions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. We must all work to take steps to avoid exacerbating tensions. In that regard, we welcome the announcement by the Israeli Police Commissioner that there will be a pause on demolitions in East Jerusalem during Ramadan. We are concerned about the rise in security incidents and violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the death of nine Palestinians this month by Israeli security forces live fire. Where there are accusations of excessive use of force, we advocate swift, transparent investigations.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“As I said then, laboratories in Ukraine carrying out research on public health hazards are not a threat to international peace and security. By contrast, President Putin’s illegal and inhumane invasion of Ukraine is the most significant threat to international peace and security we face today. Today’s charade is really not worthy of a permanent member of the Security Council. The only thing the Council needs to hear from the Russian Federation — and we did not hear it yesterday, nor have we heard it today — is that Russia’s troops are leaving Ukraine. Ukraine does not want war. Russians and Ukrainians, soldiers and civilians, mothers and children are dying. Russia is isolated diplomatically, isolated economically and bogged down in Ukraine.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“I wish to join others in expressing our deep condolences to the Irish Mission and to the family of Jim Kelly. He was an exceptional and very well-loved colleague. We will miss him. I also thank Mrs. Nakamitsu for her briefing today. Only yesterday, the Council discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (see S/PV.8998). We heard from United Nations briefers about the devastating impacts on Ukraine, its people and its cities; on the region, to which 3 million refugees have fled; and on the wider international community, facing higher economic prices, as well as the consequences for countries in need of the Council’s attention. Today, however, we have had a rehash of amateurish disinformation that we discussed and debunked last Friday (see S/PV.8991). It was nonsense then and it is nonsense now.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“The International Court of Justice has issued a legally binding order, requiring Russia to suspend military action in Ukraine immediately. This week, perversely, Russia submitted draft resolution S/2022/231, which, among other things, calls for the protection of civilians, including women and children. This is cynical game playing in the face of human suffering. Just yesterday, in Mariupol, Russian forces reportedly targeted civilians taking cover from the onslaught, despite the word “children” written on the ground where they sheltered. If Russia really wanted to protect women and children, it would withdraw its troops from Ukraine and end this illegal invasion today.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“President Putin’s war is causing suffering well beyond Ukraine’s borders. Thousands of students, many from nations around this table, have been caught up in the violence. The war is spiking food and energy prices, bringing further pain to countries in the developing world already suffering from the impact of the coronavirus disease, famine, conflict and climate change. Millions of refugees have been taken in by countries across Europe. Three weeks since the start of Russia’s invasion, one point should be clear in our minds. This is an unprovoked war of aggression, waged by Russia. Russia is responsible for the suffering that it has inflicted on Ukraine and beyond. Russia alone can end this war. One hundred and forty-one States Members of the United Nations have unequivocally condemned Russia’s illegal invasion.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“I join other speakers in thanking our briefers today. As we heard, it is three weeks since we met in this Chamber to make one final effort to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine (see S/PV.8974). It is three weeks since we were interrupted by the news that President Putin had abandoned diplomacy and chosen war. These have been three devastatingly long weeks for the people of Ukraine, for the 3 million people who have fled and for those who have stayed. As we heard from the United Nations, Russian forces are laying siege to populated cities and towns and indiscriminately shelling residential areas with high-impact weaponry, including cluster munitions. A total of 43 health-care facilities, including a maternity hospital, have been attacked, killing the most vulnerable and depriving civilians of access to medical assistance.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“And although there has been a reduction in civilian casualties, the Taliban needs to demonstrate that extremist groups are no longer able to flourish in the country. Let me be clear — the Taliban has a choice. The international community has made its expectations clear. We will base our approach on the actions the Taliban now takes. UNAMA will play a key role in supporting the rights of all Afghans, promoting an inclusive society in which women and girls participate fully. We are watching closely to see if the Taliban meets its commitments that girls return to secondary school at the end of March. In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to Special Representative Lyons and her team and reaffirm the United Kingdom’s solidarity with the Afghan people.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8997 (2022) · source
“And on 31 March, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Germany and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will co-host a pledging conference to raise funds for the United Nations humanitarian response plan. We encourage Member States to respond generously. Today’s adoption ensures that UNAMA will continue to play a key role in coordinating the United Nations response as it scales up across the board. Beyond the humanitarian crisis, we are particularly concerned about reports of reprisals against former Government officials and attacks and intimidation against minority groups and civil society. We are also concerned about detentions and enforced disappearances, in breach of international norms.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8997 (2022) · source
“Let me start by thanking Norway for its hard work as penholder on resolution 2626 (2022). Today the Council spoke with one voice in support of a robust United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) — to lead and coordinate urgent humanitarian efforts; to support the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls; and to hold the Taliban to account on its commitments. It is disappointing that one Council member decided to abstain, just when UNAMA’s work is more important than ever. More than 20 million Afghan people need urgent assistance. For our part, the United Kingdom has doubled aid for Afghanistan this financial year to $370 million.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8997 (2022) · source
“We strongly support OSCE efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh. The United Kingdom remains steadfast in our support and appreciation for the work of the OSCE and for Poland’s chairpersonship at this critical time.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“Ukraine and others invoked the OSCE Vienna Document Risk Reduction Mechanism to seek transparency from Russia and Belarus and to de-escalate the situation. Russia refused to engage. Moreover, of course, the OSCE has worked for years to support the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Russia is accused of the gravest war crimes — bombing schools, hospitals and homes and targeting families as they try to run to safety. We welcome action taken under the Moscow Mechanism to hold Russia to account. The OSCE fact-finding mission must be given full access so that evidence can be gathered. Finally, I would like to stress that we continue to support the vital role of OSCE field missions in Central Asia and the Western Balkans, including through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“President Putin’s war violates fundamental principles of both the OSCE and the United Nations: sovereignty, inviolability of borders, respect for territorial integrity and the peaceful settlement of disputes. This war is a threat to us all and to the systems we have built together to preserve peace. It is also a threat to the peace and security of the millions of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on agricultural, energy and commodity supply chains already profoundly disrupted by Russia’s invasion. We recognize the extensive efforts, as described by Foreign Minister Rau, undertaken by the OSCE to try to avoid that catastrophe. Russia was offered a chance to raise any security concerns in the Renewed OSCE European Security Dialogue, but said that it was not the right time. We now know that it was planning war all along.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“I thank the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Foreign Minister Rau, for his briefing, and Under-Secretary- General DiCarlo for hers. I would like first to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the OSCE staff and, in particular, to Maryna Fenina, a Ukrainian Special Monitoring Mission employee who was killed in the Russian shelling of Kharkiv on 1 March while getting medicine for her family. For decades the OSCE has worked to bring security to Europe, and yet we meet today in the middle of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — one OSCE signatory tearing up the rulebook and pursuing war against another — as if the Geneva Conventions and humanitarian law never existed, as Foreign Minister Rau said.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“Some 2.5 million Ukrainians have become refugees and 1 million children have been forced to flee from President Putin’s invasion. This is a war of choice that Russia needs to end. Russia has broken its commitments under the Charter of the United Nations, but we must not let it subvert the multilateral system itself. As the United Nations said today, Russia is now putting at risk the global framework for peace and security. The Security Council is responsible for addressing many serious conflicts around the world. We have important work to do. We do not sit in the Chamber to be an audience for Russia’s domestic propaganda, and we should not allow Russia to abuse its permanent seat to spread disinformation and lies and pervert the purpose of the Security Council.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“They said yesterday that a pregnant woman staged her injuries in the Mariupol hospital bombing. That was a grotesque lie. Russia is sinking to new depths today, but the Security Council must not be dragged down with it. Let us get back to the facts. Russia is invading Ukraine, in violation of international law. Russia is killing hundreds of civilians through the indiscriminate shelling of Ukrainian cities. It is using cluster munitions and thermobaric rockets — weapons designed to inflict maximum damage wherever they are deployed. It is targeting hospitals and schools and committing war crimes. Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are dead — deaths that will shatter the lives of the families they have left behind.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Russia has today brought into the Security Council a series of wild, completely baseless and irresponsible conspiracy theories. Let me put it diplomatically. They are utter nonsense. There is not a shred of credible evidence that Ukraine has a biological weapons programme. Ukraine is a State party to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, in good standing. As we have heard, its research facilities are established facilities, set up to deal with public health hazards. Today’s briefers have confirmed that point. That is yet another lie in Russia’s disinformation campaign. They said they would not invade Ukraine; they then invaded. Foreign Minister Lavrov then said they had not invaded, and he repeated that absurdity yesterday. It is a whole pack of lies. They said Ukraine was preparing a dirty bomb. That, too, was a lie.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“They were not the first casualties. Tragically, they will not be the last. Men, women and children, Russian as well as Ukrainian, will continue to suffer until Russia ends this brutal and unprovoked war. I thank you, Madam President, for convening today’s debate.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“I join others in highlighting the particular reversals that the women of Afghanistan have suffered since August. As we discuss the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, we will prioritize returning Afghan women to their full meaningful inclusion in Afghanistan’s economy and society. The United Kingdom welcomes today’s debate, which has underlined why economic inclusion should be an integral part of a holistic approach to the women and peace and security agenda, but I cannot finish without stating the obvious. Economic inclusion is no protection against bullets and bombs. That has been made horribly clear over the past 13 days, and just yesterday, we witnessed Russian shelling kill a Ukrainian mother and her two children, as they sought to evacuate the city of Irpin.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“We particularly welcome the theme of gender and climate at this year’s session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which is an opportunity to highlight the role women can play in advancing the climate change agenda after the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Glasgow, and ahead of the COP to be held in Egypt. In addition, the United Kingdom has committed with G-7 partners to new targets to get 40 million more girls in school and 20 million more girls reading by 2026. Overall, our vision is that all girls should get 12 years of quality education. Thirdly, we seek to strengthen partnerships here at the United Nations and here in the Security Council in support of women’s economic, social and political inclusion, while drawing on the experiences we have heard about.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“Through the 2X Challenge: Financing for Women, launched during the United Kingdom’s presidency of the G-7 last year, British International Investment and our partners committed to investing more than $15 billion over the 2021-2022 period to advance that agenda in developing countries. Such work includes supporting flexible working practices, access to leadership opportunities, financing and affordable products and services. However, in a context where only 25 per cent of women in fragile States have bank accounts, we also need to consider innovative interventions, such as microcredit loans. Secondly, we are partnering to promote policies designed to promote women’s inclusion, and their full and meaningful economic participation.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“The Government of the United Kingdom is committed to working with partner Governments, multilateral corporations and the private sector to support women in fragile economies in playing an equal role in the economy to access the benefits of trade, globally, and to establish economic partnerships as levers for equality. For example, in Jordan, where women face the compound effects of conflict, displacement and the impact of COVID-19, the development programmes of the United Kingdom provide cash transfers to refugees and at-risk Jordanian women. More generally, the United Kingdom and its Group of Seven (G-7) partners are leading the way in mobilizing public and private investments to advance gender equality and address persistent gaps in women’s economic opportunities, such as access to digital and financial assets.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“I welcome you, Madam President, to the Council and thank you for chairing today’s debate. Our briefers and speakers so far have eloquently highlighted the importance and the value of women’s economic inclusion for maintaining peace and stabilizing peace in post-conflict settings. Today’s debate is timely, as we grapple with the challenge of recovering globally from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, whose economic impacts fell disproportionately on women and girls, and risks, without effective intervention, having a long- term effect. Our theme today is partnerships. May I highlight three of them. The first, as Ms. Coulibaly highlighted, relates to the critical role of funding.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“We therefore appeal to the Russians to end their war before they bring even more tragedy to Ukraine and even more shame on their own nation. The great Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote that man is given not only one life, but also a conscience. I know that the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation has spoken under instructions today, but I ask that he report faithfully back to Moscow what he has heard in this Chamber — the urgency of the Security Council’s calls for peace.”
2022-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8988 (2022) · source
“Russia’s invasion has been met with fierce resistance by the Ukrainian people. In response, President Putin is directing a campaign of violence and cruelty against civilians. Let me be clear: we will hold Russia to account for its actions, and we will thoroughly investigate allegations of war crimes and violations of international law. In response to this tragedy, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom today announced a further $130 million of aid, which brings to a total the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine to $520 million. In addition, individual members of the British public have given over $130 million. This is intended to help Ukrainians in need and support neighbouring countries receive refugees. But as I have said before, what the Ukrainian people really need is an end to this invasion.”
2022-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8988 (2022) · source
“I would like to start by thanking Mr. Martin Griffiths and Ms. Catherine Russell for their sobering briefings. I also want to add my thanks and appreciation for the work of their organizations, the courage of their staff and the integrity of their reporting. Mr. Griffiths, Ms. Russell and colleagues have described in sobering detail the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine 1.7 million refugees — 1.7 million individual lives destroyed. And the United Nations expects this number to rise to 4 million in the coming weeks. We have seen the devastation caused by Russian missiles and bombardment, including reports of cluster munitions, in Ukrainian cities — apartment blocks torn apart, hospitals and schools in ruins, people left without electricity, food, water or shelter. We cannot turn the clock back.”
2022-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8988 (2022) · source
“One hundred and forty-one votes in the General Assembly and the unprecedented sanctions on Russia demonstrate the strength of the global response. Every day that this war continues, the destruction that it brings to Ukraine, the suffering that it inflicts on Ukrainian and Russian people and the risks that it poses to international peace and security increase. That must stop. We call on Russia to end this violence, withdraw its troops and enter into serious peace negotiations.”
2022-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8986 (2022) · source
“International law requires special protection for nuclear facilities, and it is difficult to see how Russia’s actions were compatible with its commitments under article 56 of the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts. It must not happen again. Even in the midst of an illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia must keep fighting away from, and protect the safety and security of, nuclear sites. President Putin said yesterday that the special military operation — or, as everyone else calls it, the war — was going to plan. Everyone around this table knows that that is not true. President Putin misjudged the strength, resilience and will of the Ukrainian people with regard to his invasion. He underestimated the world’s condemnation of his actions.”
2022-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8986 (2022) · source