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 start by thanking Special Representative Lyons and Ambassador Djani, in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), for their briefings. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Zadran and to thank her for her powerful statement and clear call for a peaceful future for the youth of Afghanistan. On 12 September, the Afghan people took a significant step on the road to peace, with the start of the Afghanistan peace negotiations in Doha. We welcome the commitment the two negotiating teams have shown so far, culminating in their agreement, on 2 December, on the rules and procedures for the talks. It is vital that the negotiations resume swiftly on 5 January. I would like to emphasize three points today.”
2020-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1274 (2020) · source
“Finally, ahead of their departure from the Council, I want to thank our humanitarian co-penholders, Belgium and Germany, for their tireless efforts with regard to Syria, for convening discussions when violence escalated, for trying to secure a ceasefire resolution on Idlib and for securing at least some vital cross-border access for aid into northern Syria. As we look to 2021, we should remain resolute in our collective efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria in line with resolution 2254 (2015).”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“With regard to the comments of my Russian colleague earlier (annex 12), Russia and Syria have consistently provided interpretations of the conflict that are not supported by the independent reports of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. On sanctions, I refer to our statement at the political meeting on 19 August (S/2020/823, annex XIII). The path to the removal of sanctions is clear. Rather than interfering with aid, bombing schools and hospitals and detaining and torturing its people, the regime must heed the calls of its population and engage seriously with Special Envoy Pedersen and the United Nations-led political process to achieve a peaceful end to the conflict.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“We are therefore concerned to see OCHA reporting in December that violence delayed the delivery of aid to 12,000 people in the north-west and prevented an agreement on cross-line delivery there. The regime also denied access to a humanitarian delivery partner that tried to deliver food to 220,000 people in the north-east. While that suspension was lifted this month, it should not have taken high-level interventions to allow humanitarian workers to deliver food to those in need without fear of injury or harm. The regime needs to acknowledge the scale and severity of the crisis and allow humanitarians to undertake their vital work. Any impediment is unacceptable.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“As the Global Humanitarian Overview 2021 sets out, more and more families are being forced to make unacceptable trade-offs to survive, including skipping meals, taking on unsustainable levels of debt and, at great personal risk in freezing conditions, travelling to areas where assistance is more assured.It is clear that efficient and effective cross-border and cross-line access is essential to meeting the needs of those 13 million Syrians. As the Emergency Relief Coordinator has said on multiple occasions, cross-border access is an essential element of the humanitarian response. With the loss of three border crossings over the course of 2020, the system is running at a much-reduced capacity. Aid entering through Bab Al-Hawa has never been more important.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“Resolution 2254 (2015) is also clear on the importance of unfettered humanitarian access in Syria. Earlier this month, the United Nations Global Humanitarian Overview 2021 showed that 13 million Syrians now require humanitarian assistance. As we heard, that is nearly 75 per cent of the Syrian population and an increase of nearly 2 million people over the past year. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that a protection crisis remains, with needs resulting from hostilities, widespread explosive hazard contamination, psychological trauma, gender-based violence and family separation, among other things. As winter takes hold, as we heard from Mr. Lowcock, there are continued gaps in aid delivery. The coronavirus disease continues to spread, and food insecurity continues to make life desperate.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“It is the responsibility of all parties to ensure that ceasefires are observed. Counter-terrorism efforts should be coordinated and targeted and should be pursued in compliance with international law, as set out in paragraph 13 of resolution 2254 (2015). As the Special Envoy emphasized, any return of refugees to Syria should also be in accordance with international law and should be safe, dignified and voluntary. If the Syrian regime wants refugees to return, it will need to convince them that they will not return to the status quo that led to and has sustained that conflict. If the regime changes its behaviour and engages genuinely in the political process, that will open the door to full resolution of the conflict. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock for his briefing.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“For without a new constitution free and fair elections that involve all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, cannot take place as envisaged in resolution 2254 (2015). Elections that do not meet those requirements would deny millions of Syrians the opportunity to take part in deciding the future of Syria and share in ownership of the political process as endorsed by the Security Council. Beyond the Constitutional Committee, parallel progress needs to be made on other aspects of resolution 2254 (2015). We welcome the Special Envoy’s engagement with Syrian women and civil society. Ceasefires in the north-west and north-east have averted the devastating levels of violence that we saw this time last year. But violence and hostilities continue, causing the needless deaths of civilians and others, including Turkish soldiers.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Geir Pedersen for his briefing today and his ongoing efforts to facilitate a sustainable resolution to the conflict through the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). The Special Envoy has the United Kingdom’s full support. We take note of the session of the Constitutional Committee. Any United Nations-facilitated meeting is an important opportunity for dialogue and building trust between the parties. However, almost five years after the adoption of resolution 2254 (2015), and after four sessions of the Committee, it is past time to start addressing the substance and the drafting of a new constitution. We urge the parties to engage constructively on substantive issues during the next session, in January.”
2020-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1257 (2020) · source
“And our third question: does the Director-General know of any other case in which it has been necessary for the Technical Secretariat to continually engage with a State party over several years in order to arrive at a declaration that is considered accurate and complete, in accordance with the CWC?”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“I have questions for the Director-General, which I will raise now, but he may prefer to answer them in the closed session, as is customary. Some have argued that Syria verifiably destroyed all of its chemical weapons in 2014 and that the OPCW has not been able to find any evidence to the contrary since then. How would Mr. Arias respond to that? Our second question is as follows. In some respects, Syria appears to be engaging in a process with the OPCW, and yet the verification of its initial declaration has been outstanding for seven years. How can Syria improve its engagement, and how does the Director-General assess the prospects of achieving a complete and accurate declaration by the Syrian Arab Republic as to its chemical weapons programme? What is needed in order to achieve that?”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“Only a year ago, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement that unanimously reaffirmed its strong support for the work of the OPCW (S/ PRST/2019/14). Just two weeks ago, the overwhelming majority of States parties from across all regional groups voted in favour of the OPCW’s budget, which included renewed funding for the IIT and other Technical Secretariat teams working on the Syria file. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the United Kingdom is well aware of the responsibility conferred on us by the States Members of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security. We will continue to act on behalf of the vast majority of Member States who believe in the necessity of protecting the long-held norm prohibiting the use of chemical weapons and holding to account those who violate it.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“The OPCW Technical Secretariat and its multinational personnel showed great professionalism and resilience under intense external pressure and scrutiny. That included, as we have heard, cyberattacks, such as the foiled attempted cyberattack by Russia’s Military Intelligence Service in The Hague in 2018, and a sustained disinformation campaign designed to undermine its credibility. Attempts to undermine the OPCW and its staff have intensified since the use of nerve agents in the Salisbury and Amesbury attack in 2018, the vote by the Conference of the States Parties to give the Technical Secretariat the role of attributing responsibility for the chemical-weapon attacks in Syria in 2018 and the poisoning this year of the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent from the Novichok group.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“Finally, I would like to reiterate the United Kingdom’s trust and confidence in the OPCW, including its work and dedicated staff. We have full confidence in the expertise of the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the robust methodologies of its Fact-Finding Mission in investigating the allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. It is not surprising that the individuals working at the Technical Secretariat hold a range of views, and a robust assessment process should involve debate and challenge. However, as the Director-General confirmed, the Technical Secretariat took all views, evidence and theories into account in reaching its considered overall judgment regarding the attack in Douma.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“Just as the OPCW Executive Council and the Conference of the States Parties have a role to play in upholding compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and their own decisions, the Security Council has a clear and distinct obligation to address Syria’s repeated breaches of resolution 2118 (2013). Those breaches include the use of chemical weapons, as identified by both the JIM and the IIT, the retention and production of chemical weapons in order to carry out those attacks and the failure to comply fully with the OPCW, including with regard to its initial declaration and ensuring access for the Investigation and Identification Team. We were unequivocal on the action that the Security Council should take in response to non-compliance with resolution 2118 (2013). Not to act would be a dereliction of the Council’s duty.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“In the light of that situation, we welcome the resolve shown by the OPCW Executive Council in adopting its decision of 9 July in response to the findings of the IIT on the 2017 chemical-weapon attacks carried out by the Syrian Arab Air Force in Ltamenah. In that decision, the Executive Council was explicit in stipulating that Syria had to declare the chemical weapons and facilities in its possession, acknowledge its chemical-weapon activity and resolve the outstanding issues related to its initial declaration. As Director-General Arias has once again confirmed today, Syria failed to comply with the decision, and that will now be addressed during the next part of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in April 2021.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“In addition, the unresolved issues related to Syria’s declaration include thousands of munitions and hundreds of tons of chemical agents that Syria has not accounted for. Until all of the issues are resolved, the complete elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons programme cannot be verified, as required under resolution 2118 (2013) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Given that the OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) and the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) have established that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on at least seven occasions since 2013, it is beyond dispute that the situation represents an ongoing threat to international peace and security.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“The Director-General’s report raises two important points. First, we note that the Declaration Assessment Team and Syria were able to close three outstanding issues related to Syria’s initial declaration. That shows that contrary to the assertions of some that the outstanding issues are artificial, they are in fact real and eminently capable of being resolved. Secondly, the report highlights the evidence collected by the Declaration Assessment Team since 2014 indicating the production or weaponization of chemical- warfare nerve agents at a production facility that the Syrian regime declared never to have been used for such production. That underlines the serious nature and importance of resolving the remaining 19 issues.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“I would like to start by thanking Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu and Director-General Arias for their briefings today. The Director-General’s presence, along with Mrs. Nakamitsu, underscores the cooperation between the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations on this issue affecting international peace and security. I thank Director-General Arias for his eighty-sixth monthly report (see S/2020/1152, annex) and for his update today on the work of the OPCW. Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease pandemic, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has spared no effort in attempting to take forward its mandated activities. We are grateful for the professionalism and dedication of the OPCW and its personnel. We take particular note of the updates on the work of the Declaration Assessment Team.”
2020-12-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1202 (2020) · source
“We urge the Central African Republic Government and all political actors in the country to ensure that the elections are inclusive, peaceful, free and fair. The United Kingdom has committed $640,000 to efforts to fund the elections through the United Nations and support the participation of women, youth and marginalized groups. But elections are, of course, only one element of democratic governance. We hope to see continuing efforts by all stakeholders in the Central African Republic aimed at strengthening political inclusivity, protecting and promoting human rights and meeting the needs of the population, including with respect to basic security and humanitarian needs.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“We express our condolences to the innocent lives lost, including the 70 civilians killed in Nigeria’s Borno state on 28 November. We welcome the efforts of the Multinational Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the region. We urge the Governments of the Lake Chad basin countries, with the support of international partners, to redouble their efforts to tackle the root causes of conflict, which should include efforts to demobilize and reintegrate former combatants, improve governance and mitigate the impacts of climate change on regional security. I would like to end with a few words about the Central African Republic. The upcoming presidential and legislative elections on 27 December will be an important milestone in the Central African Republic’s journey towards lasting peace.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“These elections were an important step towards decentralization. Inclusive dialogue remains, as does S/2020/1188 achieving a just, peaceful, and durable resolution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions that meets the reasonable demands of the moderate majority. All parties should remain engaged in good faith in dialogue and peacebuilding efforts, including the Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks between the Government of Cameroon and separatist groups. I hope that Cameroon’s international and regional friends and partners will also continue to support efforts to restore peace and security in the North-West and South-West regions. The United Kingdom also strongly condemns the terrorist attacks on civilians in Cameroon’s far north and across the wider Lake Chad basin area.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“Among the many reported acts of violence against civilians, the killing of seven children by unidentified gunmen in Kumba in October was particularly shocking. We continue to support the Secretary-General’s call on all actors not to attack civilians, and we call for an end to violence and for unhindered humanitarian access. The United Kingdom urges respect by all parties for human rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly. We continue to urge full cooperation by the Government of Cameroon with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. I commend the steps taken by the Government of Cameroon to address the crisis and respond to the recommendations throughout the dialogue in October 2019, including the holding of regional elections on 6 December.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“The conflict in that region has driven around 770,000 people from their homes and has forced 60,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring Nigeria. Only 30 per cent of schools are currently open. This conflict, compounded by the effects of COVID-19, has exacerbated humanitarian needs across the country. In September, the United Kingdom announced a further $6 million to fund humanitarian actors in Cameroon. That funding will provide vital assistance, including food, medical supplies and sanitation provisions to tens of thousands of vulnerable people, and brings our total humanitarian support to Cameroon in 2020 to $18 million. We remain deeply concerned by reports of human rights violations and abuses committed by both security forces and separatists in the North-West and South-West regions.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“As ever, it remains important that the countries of the region work together, with the support of the United Nations, to strengthen regional peace and security, protect civilians in conflict and promote human rights and resilience, as well as economic recovery. In that regard, I commend the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) for its ongoing conflict prevention and mediation efforts across Central Africa. I encourage greater coordination between UNOCA and United Nations country teams in the subregion, with a particular focus on strengthening early warning. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the ongoing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, as described by Special Representative Fall. The impact on civilians continues to be profound.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“On behalf of the United Kingdom, I want to express our thanks to Mr. Louncény Fall, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his continued efforts to support and promote peace, stability and security in Central Africa, especially in the light of the difficult circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We welcome the recent progress in the region, particularly the establishment of the new Economic Community of Central African States Commission. However, as Special Representative Fall has set out, Central Africa continues to face serious political, economic and security challenges, which have been exacerbated by the impacts of COVID-19.”
2020-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1188 (2020) · source
“We commend the Sudan’s commitment to enabling humanitarian access to refugees fleeing the violence in Tigray. Funding from the United Kingdom is already helping new refugees from Ethiopia to receive emergency assistance. However, more is needed. We encourage Member States to support the United Nations in assisting the Sudan to respond to these increased needs. Finally, as this is the last meeting on the Sudan before its Council tenure ends, let me express our thanks to Germany for its excellent co-penholdership over the past two years. Germany’s commitment to peace and stability is unwavering, and we look forward to continuing our close partnership in support of the Sudan.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source
“We urge the Secretariat to conclude the appointment process and continue to work with the Government of the Sudan to expedite the full establishment of UNITAMS throughout the Sudan.I commend the continued support that UNAMID is providing to the Government of the Sudan, particularly in the areas of peacebuilding and capacity-building. We call on the United Nations, working with the Government of the Sudan and the country team, to ensure that the transition from UNAMID to UNITAMS is responsible, sequenced and sustainable. In this regard, let me reiterate the Council’s expectation that UNITAMS and its integrated country team be the primary beneficiaries of UNAMID assets. I would like to briefly comment on the impact of the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, on the Sudan.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source
“As the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) prepares to withdraw, we urge the Government to develop more responsive and representative rule of law institutions in order to build trust with local populations and ensure stability in conflict areas. The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS) was established to support the Sudan’s transition. The delays in appointing a Special Representative of the Secretary-General to lead UNITAMS are preventing the provision of such support.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source
“The World Bank’s support of the Sudan Family Support Programme will help mitigate the negative impact of some of the economic reforms. As the largest bilateral donor to the programme, we are playing our part with a pledge of $105 million. Turning to the security situation, the United Kingdom welcomes the Government’s commitment to fulfilling its protection of civilian responsibilities and to ensuring unfettered humanitarian access. However, we cannot ignore the significant security challenges that remain. Persistent intercommunal violence, as well as intermittent clashes between the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid and Government forces, are continuing. We echo the Secretary-General’s call for the Government of the Sudan to expedite its preparations to protect civilians in line with its national protection of civilians strategy.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source
“We urge all stakeholders to support this promise of peace through the swift and full implementation of the agreement. We take note of the requests in the agreement for United Nations support and call for further engagement between the Government and the United Nations in this regard. Whilst significant steps have been taken to overcome a multitude of challenges, as we have heard, much more remains to be done. Exacerbated by the coronavirus disease, the economic situation has continued to deteriorate. Humanitarian needs are increasing, and violence has spiked in conflict areas. Regarding the socioeconomic situation, the United Kingdom welcomes the World Bank and International Monetary Fund support for Government efforts to alleviate the dire economic situation.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source
“I wish to thank Under-Secretaries-General DiCarlo, Lacroix and Khare for their briefings. I would like to start by commending the commitment of the civilian-led Government of the Sudan to continuing to make welcome progress towards its goal of becoming a fully democratic State. Prime Minister Hamdok and his Government have implemented a number of critical reforms. Of particular note is the removal of fuel subsidies and progress towards the ratification of key international human rights norms. We urge the Government of the Sudan to continue on this path by implementing all necessary economic reforms and ensuring full respect for fundamental human rights. The United Kingdom also applauds the signing of the Juba Agreement for Peace in the Sudan on 3 October. This agreement is a clear demonstration of the priorities of the new Sudan.”
2020-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1183 (2020) · source