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

“That epitomizes the bare-faced hypocrisy that has come to characterize Russia’s conduct on the international stage. And in its pursuit of those weapons, Russia will violate Security Council resolutions, including resolutions that Russia itself voted for. Ukraine and the whole international community want a just and sustainable peace in line with the Charter of the United Nations, as Group of 20 leaders reiterated over the weekend. But the only peace that is just, lasting and compatible with the Charter of the United Nations is one that sees the full withdrawal of all Russian forces. Until then, we will continue to ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs to exercise its right to self- defence, in line with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. We are proud to support Ukraine.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“In short, Russia is employing the tactics of a bankrupt aggressor that knows its military cannot win on the battlefield and instead seeks desperate ways to inflict pain on civilians and put pressure on the international community. Therefore, let us call this meeting out for the farce that it is. Russia is once again misusing the Council in an attempt to obfuscate its responsibility for atrocities in Ukraine. Russia has convened the Council at the same time as North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, crosses the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea/Russia border for a meeting with President Putin. There is incontrovertible evidence that Russia is negotiating potential deals for significant quantities and multiple types of munitions from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to be used against Ukraine.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“Let me start by thanking High Representative Nakamitsu for her clear and expert briefing. This weekend, a Russian missile struck a car carrying humanitarian aid workers on the road to Bahkmut, killing two and leaving others badly injured — one of many attacks on those trying to deliver essential humanitarian assistance. Newly declassified United Kingdom intelligence reveals that Russia fired multiple missiles at a Liberian- flagged cargo ship in the Black Sea on 24 August. It is thanks only to Ukraine’s air defences, which shot down the missiles, that Russia’s attacks on that civilian ship failed. Russia’s bombardment of Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure has destroyed 280,000 tons of grain. That is enough to feed 1 million people for a whole year.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“We now have information that, this year, Russia aimed to host approximately 100,000 Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled territories to participate in a summer camp programme aimed at politically indoctrinating children to align with Russia. Ukraine is fighting for its future as a State. The only way that Russia’s war can come to an end is through a just and sustained peace that fully respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We call on the international community to support Ukraine until that peace is won.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“The Secretary-General condemned Russia’s attempted annexations. Now Russia is committing another violation of the Charter by holding so-called elections within those four oblasts and in illegally annexed Crimea. Russia claims it is protecting the right to self-determination. But as my Foreign Secretary has said, you cannot hold elections in someone else’s country. Not only are Russia’s actions illegal and illegitimate, but we have information that the Kremlin has predetermined the results of the sham elections across the sovereign territory of Ukraine that Russia temporarily controls. That gross deception will bring Russia no closer to justifying its war of aggression, just as Russia, in a year, has come no closer to expanding its control over the areas it has claimed in its failing invasion.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“I join others in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his very informative briefing. Let me first condemn another appalling Russian missile attack earlier this week on a market in Kostyantynivka, in eastern Ukraine. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians is a war crime, and those responsible must be held to account. Last year, in violation of the democratic will of the Ukrainian people and of the Charter of the United Nations, Russia attempted to illegally annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson. We saw Russian soldiers round people up to cast ballots at gunpoint for Russia’s so-called referendums. As my colleagues have said, the General Assembly emphatically rejected Russia’s actions. A total of 143 Member States denounced Russia’s blatant violation of international law.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“In attempting to defend the indefensible, Russia has increasingly used the Council as a platform for propaganda and disinformation. It has requested briefers on the basis of their willingness to defend or distract from Russia’s aggression, and it has allowed its narrative to seep into other important issues on the Council’s agenda. It is incumbent on all of us to maintain the Council’s authority, integrity and legitimacy — all the more so when the actions of one permanent member threaten them. We will continue to work with you, Mr. President, in your capacity as Chair of the Informal Working Group, and collectively with our colleagues around this table to maximize the Council’s effectiveness and uphold the Charter.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“Sometimes the Council is most effective when it holds frank discussions in private; when it does so, we should strive to agree press elements in the interest of transparency. And it means, most important, that all Council members have a responsibility to uphold the Charter of the United Nations. It is 50 years since the United Kingdom last unilaterally vetoed a Council draft resolution (see S/PV.2902). We are glad that General Assembly resolution 76/262 has helped ensure transparency and accountability when a permanent member blocks action to maintain international peace and security. By invading its sovereign neighbour and engaging in a brutal war of aggression, one permanent member has shown flagrant disregard for the Charter.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“It has outlasted the League of Nations by 51 years, and it has helped to prevent third world war. Our vision remains for a Council that is able to solve problems though interactive debate, building consensus, responsible and inclusive penholdership and decisions that have real impact on the ground. Realizing that vision means looking ahead to forthcoming threats to peace and security and being proactive in preventing conflict or deterring escalation, while using all the tools at the Council’s disposal. It means tackling issues head-on, even where they are uncomfortable for some. It means hearing from genuine experts, including civil society, who can enrich our deliberations. It also means striking a balance between transparency and confidentiality.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“Let me start by congratulating you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency and by wishing you a very productive month of September. Let me also start by thanking you for your role as Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions and for your team’s excellent stewardship of this important topic. On 17 January 1946, the Security Council held its first meeting — in Church House, in Westminster in the United Kingdom (see S/PV.1). In the 77 years since, the Council has worked to discharge its responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Dag Hammarskjöld, of course, said it best: “The United Nations was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell”. For all its faults, fractures and inefficiencies, the Council continues to play a vital role.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“Those impediments pose additional and entirely avoidable burdens on the humanitarian effort and, ultimately, on the Yemeni people. We urge the Houthis to lift the restrictions and allow unfettered access of humanitarian aid. Finally, the United Kingdom reiterates its call for the unconditional release of all Baha’is detained by the Houthis.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the recent deposit of $250 million from Saudi Arabia, as the first tranche of a generous $1.2 billion pledge of economic support. As Director Wosornu said, the Government of Yemen will remain dependent on external financing to provide basic services and pay public salaries until the Houthis stop their economic warfare and the Government can generate its own revenues. In spite of the relative peace in Yemen over the past 18 months, the humanitarian situation remains dire. We continue to see impediments to the free movement of female aid workers to deliver assistance to women in need, to independent monitoring and assessment missions and to the fair selection of humanitarian service providers. The humanitarian response is already severely underfunded.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“Taking encouragement from the achievement, the United Kingdom urges all parties to work together to build on the truce-like conditions in Yemen and pave the way for a United Nations-led Yemeni-Yemeni peace process. In particular, it is essential that the Presidential Leadership Council remain united towards one common goal: a lasting and inclusive peace for the Yemeni people. An inclusive peace process under United Nations auspices is the only pathway to permanently ending this war. Houthi attacks and continued threats to prevent oil exports from Government-controlled areas are having a severe impact on Yemen’s economy. Those attacks on the economy are attacks on the livelihoods and services for some of the most vulnerable people in Yemen. We urge the Houthis to stop those attacks.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“I would like to start by thanking Special Envoy Grundberg, Director Wosornu and Ms. Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj for their briefings. I would also like to join others in condemning the murder of World Food Programme staff member Moayad Hameidi and echo briefers condolences to his family and his friends. I also want to join others in congratulating the United Nations, the Dutch salvage company SMIT and all who were involved in the successful transfer of oil from the FSO SAFER tanker to the Yemen. The successful completion of that operation demonstrates what can be achieved when all actors work together in the interests of Yemen and its people.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“As we have heard, there have been attacks on humanitarian convoys in areas under RSF control. And we need to see the removal of bureaucratic obstacles, such as the restrictive customs procedures that are causing delays, and the issuance of visas and travel permits. The people of the Sudan have suffered for far too long. Those who have the ability to stop their suffering should spare no effort to bring an end to the conflict.”
2023-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9394 (2023) · source
“First, we need to see the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces put the interests of their people first, immediately end hostilities and enter into negotiations in good faith. In that context, we welcome the diplomatic efforts of regional partners, including the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the League of Arab States, to restore peace to the Sudan. Secondly, in the 11 May Jeddah Declaration, as we have heard, both parties committed to acting in accordance with their international obligations and to enabling and facilitating unhindered humanitarian access, in line with international humanitarian law. I congratulate OCHA on its extraordinary efforts to get humanitarian aid into the Sudan, but I also echo Ms. Wosornu’s calls.”
2023-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9394 (2023) · source
“The humanitarian effects are made worse by credible evidence suggesting serious violations of international humanitarian law by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. As we have heard, that includes incidents of sexual violence and air strikes in populated areas, resulting in heavy loss of civilian life. There are also credible reports of the targeted killing of civilians and atrocities against specific ethnic groups in Darfur, with much of the bloodshed attributed to RSF units and allied militias. We welcome the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to start investigations into offences committed in the current conflict and call on the Sudanese authorities to ensure full accountability.”
2023-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9394 (2023) · source
“Let me start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Pobee and Director Wosornu of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for their very helpful updates to the Council. I want to start by echoing the alarms that we have heard today with regard to the conflict’s catastrophic impact on civilians in the Sudan, with an estimated 24.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. As we have heard, the availability of humanitarian access in the country is now some of the worst in the world. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to double down on their fighting, while the Sudanese people face rolling blackouts and the horrifying daily reality of decomposing bodies in the streets.”
2023-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9394 (2023) · source
“That inadequate gesture falls far short of solving the global problem that Russia has created. Let us be clear. The sanctions from the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union do not target food and fertilizer. They target Russia’s war machine. As President Ramaphosa of South Africa said, the Black Sea should be open. We call on Russia to rejoin the Initiative immediately. We know what we need to do to stop the soaring levels of hunger. Let us now turn that into action.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Secondly, we call on the parties to conflicts to abide by international humanitarian law and allow humanitarians rapid and unimpeded access to people in need. In the Sudan and Somalia, starving communities are surrounded by fighting and humanitarians cannot reach them to bring them food. International humanitarian law is our greatest defence against hunger in armed conflict and those who violate it should be held to account. Finally, we need to protect global food systems. The Black Sea Grain Initiative got nearly 33 million tons of grain into world markets. Russia’s decision to end the initiative has raised food prices, hitting the world’s hungriest people. Russia’s offer to give 50,000 tons of grain to each of six countries will not bring grain prices back down or help those facing famine in other countries.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“In that spirit, I want to join others in focusing on actions and to propose three. They overlap with those that have been proposed by others during the course of our debate, and in particular with those proposed by the United Nations Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator. First, the Council should take concerted action to tackle the drivers of conflict and invest in inclusive, sustainable peace. The Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace calls for renewed multilateral cooperation, and for putting women, who are uniquely affected by food insecurity, at the centre of peace initiatives. In Afghanistan, if they cannot bear to watch their children die, some mothers face a harrowing choice — to sell their children or starve. Congolese women in displacement camps are forced into sex work just to buy food.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Let me start by welcoming you, Madam President, and your team to the presidency of the Security Council, and thanking the United States presidency for bringing the issue of food insecurity back to the Council, following resolution 2417 (2018). I also want to thank Reena Ghelani, David Miliband and Navyn Salem for bringing their expertise and, critically, their proposals for action to the Council. As we have all heard, the number of people facing acute food insecurity has skyrocketed from 193 million in 2021 to more than a quarter of a billion today, with conflict as the main driver. Last week the Council met to discuss the United Nations warning on rapidly deteriorating food security in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. The message was clear — we must act now to prevent further deterioration.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“There are still a number of speakers remaining on the list for this meeting. Given the lateness of the hour, I intend, with the concurrence of the members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m. The meeting was suspended at 1.10 p.m.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“I shall ask the representative of Bangladesh to be brief, as we have a long list of speakers, and we are already preying on the kindness of the interpreters.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“May I once again remind colleagues, in the interest of conducting Council business expeditiously, to attempt to limit their remarks to three minutes? I now give the floor to Mr. Beresford-Hill.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“All Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in peace and security. That can only be achieved through a two-State solution. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I would like to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than three minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Flashing lights on the collars of the microphones will prompt speakers to bring their remarks to a close after three minutes. I now give the floor to the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“We urge Israel to desist from further settlement expansion, demolitions and evictions. Thirdly, the United Kingdom is concerned by the provocative visit and inflammatory language used by Israeli Ministers at Al-Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount today. We reaffirm our support for the historic status quo and Jordan’s role as custodian. The United Kingdom calls for all actors to respect the sanctity of the holy sites and avoid actions that undermine the cause of peace. Finally, the United Kingdom underlines its firm support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which has a stabilizing impact on the region. We call on the members of the Council to ensure critical funding gaps are filled, so that vital services continue to be provided to Palestinian refugees.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“We reiterate our condemnation of all indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including recent terror attacks in Tel Aviv and Kdumim. Secondly, we are appalled by the unprecedented scale of settlement advancement in Area C of the West Bank, which we urge Israel to reverse. Settlements are illegal under international law, raise tensions and undermine the prospects for a two-State solution. We also urge Israel to uphold its responsibility to protect Palestinian communities in Area C, particularly from rising settler violence that has recently led to appalling violence in Turmus Ayya and the relocation of the Palestinian Bedouin community of Al-Baqa’a. We are concerned by the forced eviction of the Ghaith- Sub Laban family from their home in the Old City of Jerusalem.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. I would like to start by thanking Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing today. I have three brief points to make. First, we are alarmed by rising violence across the occupied Palestinian territories, which this month culminated in Israel’s operation in Jenin. There have been 153 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank since January, more than the entirety of those killed in 2022. We support the Palestinian Authority’s independent role in securing Area A of the West Bank, as agreed in the Oslo Accords. We urge Israel to support the Palestinian Authority in that endeavour, and work collaboratively to ensure the safety and protection of civilians across the occupied Palestinian territories.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“Paul Beresford-Hill, Permanent Observer of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the United Nations. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Khiari.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite the following to participate in this meeting: Mr. Thibault Camelli, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations; His Excellency Mr. Maged Abdelfattah Abdelaziz, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations; His Excellency Mr. Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; and His Excellency Mr.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chile, Cuba, Egypt, Guyana, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Namibia, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Yemen to participate in this meeting. I propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to participate in the meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“It has already destroyed tens of thousands of tons of food and reduced Ukraine’s ability to store its upcoming harvest, pushing up global food prices. We stand with the people of Ukraine, as they rebuild after Russia’s attacks, and we fully support the United Nations continued efforts to bring food onto global markets. Russia is not even trying to hide the cynicism and cruelty of its illegal war. It is trying to bring Ukraine to its knees and to wear down the international community. But Ukraine will not be subjugated, and we will not relent in our support for Ukraine, including in the Security Council. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has left a wide trail of destruction across the country. UNESCO has verified damage to more than 270 cultural or historic sites, including libraries, churches, theatres, museums and memorials. Thousands of artworks and other artefacts have been stolen. Russia is imposing its laws and education systems in Ukraine, restricting Ukrainian media and indigenous languages and trying to indoctrinate Ukrainian children through forced transfers to Russia. Russia is seeking to destroy Ukraine’s history, identity and cultural heritage. With those strikes, Russia is also harming the world’s hungriest. By targeting Ukraine’s Black Sea and Danube ports, Russia is trying to damage Ukraine’s ability to export food.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. I would like to start by joining others in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his informative briefing. Since it terminated the Black Sea Grain Initiative last week, Russia has unleashed a new barrage of strikes on Ukraine’s towns and cities. On Sunday, Russia attacked Odesa’s UNESCO-listed city centre, injuring dozens, including four children. Among the buildings badly damaged, as we have heard, was the Transfiguration Cathedral — Odesa’s largest Orthodox church. The Transfiguration Cathedral has been bombed twice, in 1936 on Stalin’s orders and now by Putin’s order. That act of cultural and religious vandalism struck at the heart of the civilian community and was condemned by the Director-General of UNESCO.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“I thank Mr. Khiari for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Ukraine to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Khiari.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“We therefore continue to believe that action by the Council, with politics set aside, is the best way to ensure that access can continue to those who need it. Meanwhile, we urge Syria to live up to its obligations under international law and engage with the United Nations in good faith. Ultimately, the people of Syria, and the wider region, need a sustainable end to this conflict, in line with resolution 2254 (2015). We therefore encourage a resumption of Constitutional Committee talks in Geneva, without further delay or excuses. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Russia and Syria’s claims that they are driven purely by humanitarian considerations are therefore simply not supported by the facts on ground. North-western Syria is an active conflict zone where all parties, including the regime and Russia, continue to launch attacks, with civilians caught in the crossfire. The United Kingdom supports the ongoing discussions between the United Nations and Syria on lifting the conditions and letting the aid flow. It is critical for humanitarian access to be negotiated with all conflict actors, and to ensure that aid can reach the most vulnerable in accordance with humanitarian principles. The lack of a Security Council mandate also affects the longer-term early-recovery work that the Council has agreed is essential across Syria.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Although Syria has said that it has given the United Nations permission, the conditions that Al-Assad has set out make it unsafe to do so. The United Nations has been clear that the conditions that Syria has set out are inoperable and unworkable. They also undermine the neutrality, impartiality and independence of the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs. The crossings at Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai that the United Nations now has to use instead are currently open for only another 21 days and are not set up for the capacity that was using Bab Al-Hawa. When I was there myself on 8 June I saw 60 trucks cross, which is in contrast to the total of 18 that the United Nations has managed to get across in the past week.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. I would like to start by thanking Special Envoy Pedersen and Director Rajasingham for their briefings and for the work of their teams on the ground. Two weeks ago, Russia vetoed the nine-year- old United Nations mandate to provide humanitarian assistance to the 4.1 million people in need in north- west Syria (see S/PV.9371). Those 4.1 million people are now living in a state of limbo, not knowing if food and medicines will reach them in the coming weeks and months. As we have heard, during those two weeks not a single truck has crossed the Bab Al-Hawa crossing, where 85 per cent of United Nations assistance had previously transited. Not one truck.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“I thank Mr. Rajasingham for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria; and Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, Director for Coordination, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I give the floor to Mr. Pedersen.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Ukraine has made no demands. As Foreign Minister Kuleba said in this room, Ukraine wants nothing more than to make its food available to the world. Up to 24 million tons of Ukrainian food may now not reach world markets because of Russia. Russia’s actions have already raised prices, with immediate impact on the world’s poorest and hungriest people, and Russia’s latest demands are tantamount to holding the world’s starving hostage. We thank Türkiye, the United Nations and Ukraine for their efforts to protect the deal. We call on Russia to rejoin it and to end the war. Food is not a weapon. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“That is enough to feed 270,000 people for a year or to double the World Food Programme shipments under the Black Sea Grain Initiative to the Sudan and Somalia. Russia has destroyed dock equipment, making it harder to load grain on ships. And now Russia has gone further, burning food at the dockside and making threats to murder civilian sailors. There is no possible justification for those punitive acts. Moreover, Russia has benefited from the deal. Russian food exports are significantly above pre-war levels. Russian food and fertilizer exports have never been subjected to sanctions. The United Kingdom has worked with its banking and insurance sectors to facilitate transactions, and the United Nations has worked tirelessly to address Russian concerns. We know that Russia’s so-called reasons for ending the deal are nonsense.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. I would like to start by thanking Under-Secretary- General DiCarlo and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths for their briefings. My Foreign Secretary said on Monday in the Chamber (see S/PV.9380) that Russia’s termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative was taking food out of the mouths of the poorest people across the world. A total of 64 per cent of the 34 million tons of grain exported under the deal went to low- and middle-income countries. Unsurprisingly, Kenya called Russia’s withdrawal a stab in the back to countries in the Horn of Africa already affected by drought. Russian missile attacks on Odesa, Chernomorsk and Mykolayiv have destroyed more than 60,000 tons of grain.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“I take note of Mr. Khazin’s briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements. I call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“I thank Mr. Griffiths for his briefing. I now give the floor to the briefer requested by the Russian Federation, Mr. Khazin.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“Mikhail Khazin, an independent macroeconomist. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite His Excellency Mr. Olof Skoog, Head of the 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. I give the floor to Ms. DiCarlo.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine to participate in this meeting. Three other Member States also expressed interest in participating in today’s meeting, namely Estonia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Poland. They will submit their statements for publication in letters addressed to the President of the Security Council, which will be circulated. 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; Mr. Martin Griffiths, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and, as requested by the Russian Federation, Mr.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source