YouSaid · the spoken record

Beerli

lines on the record: 44
first: 2013-09-26
most recent: 2017-05-25
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Marco Baldan, an ICRC war surgeon who has worked in conflicts across the world: "As I stand in the emergency theatre, operating on patients riddled by bullets or torn apart by explosions, I wish a handful of the lead politicians in war-torn countries could join me. Would their decisions be different if faced, on a day-to-day basis, with the human cost of war, in its most raw manifestation? The tragedies I have seen so far in my career have left deep scars within me. Unlike many ofmy patients, my scars are invisible. Twenty years into my career, I muster up the courage to say, it does not have to be this way." Dr. Baldan is right. It does not have to be that way. The people here in the Chamber today have the power to make changes and to ensure that civilians are protected from the worst impacts of war and violence.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“The ICRC is grateful for this opportunity to reflect on this important report with the Council, and stands ready to assist States in their efforts to increase the protection of civilians in armed conflict. When we meet again in a year's time, we hope that the Secretary-General will be able to report favourably on three points: first, that there have been fewer armed conflicts; secondly, that improvements have been made in reducing the humanitarian consequences of military operations and in improving the protection of health care, especially in urban areas and in partnered operations; and thirdly, that measures are in place to increase early action and support for missing persons and their families. I would like to finish with the words of Dr.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“We urge the Council to encourage all States and parties to conflict to take early action to uphold families' right to know the fate oftheir missing relatives as provided under international humanitarian law and support their emotional, legal, social and economic needs. I also call on parties to conflict to take all possible measures to ensure the dignified and adequate management of the dead without adverse distinction and endeavour to facilitate the return of their remains to the families. Finally, I encourage parties to collaborate with the International Committee of the Red Cross and its Central Tracing Agency as a neutral, independent and impartial intermediary.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Finally, the ICRC was very pleased to see mentioned in the report the plight of missing persons and their families. That humanitarian challenge has been overlooked on the global humanitarian agenda for too long. Right now, we are seeing a new spike in the numbers of missing persons in armed conflicts. Last year, tens of thousands of families experienced the profound pain of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. Whether a person is unaccounted for after an attack because they were abducted, displaced or because their remains were buried in haste, their family is left waiting. It remains an open wound, which can last a lifetime. Under international humanitarian law, parties to the conflict must both prevent people from going missing and clarify the fate of those who do.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“There is an urgent need to implement the recommendations made by the Secretary-General and others, including the Health Care in Danger project, an initiative of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Debates like this one can play a part, as well as States" voluntarily reporting on their efforts to implement resolution 2286 (2016), but to influence behaviour on the ground, our work also needs to continue at the national and regional levels. We urge all parties to armed conflicts to issue specific military procedures so that health care systems are protected from attacks, threats and other violence, and that those supporting other parties to armed conflicts exert their maximum influence to ensure that their allies do the same.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Attacks can be direct, but they can also be the result of inadequate precautions to identify the location of facilities or an insufficient appreciation of the humanitarian consequences of military operations. They also result from an ignorance about the rules applying to health care or inadequate training. If there is a better understanding about why attacks happen, then authorities can take steps to stop them. Secondly, States must focus much more on the behaviour and attitudes of weapons-bearers, on respecting international humanitarian law and on increasing accountability for those who carry out attacks against health care. We need more organized exchanges on best practices so as to improve the passive protection of facilities and patients and on changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in weapons bearers.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“It happens in many places, but most recently in Yemen we have seen a deadly cholera outbreak, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of people just in the past few weeks. Much more needs to be done to stop violence against health care, which is carried out by States as well as non-State armed groups. Several States have nevertheless made progress in improving their domestic legislation to protect health care and enhance their military policy and rules of engagement. Other States are developing diplomatic networks to build increasing support for resolution 2286 (2016). Further action in two areas will make a practical difference. First, States need to gather data on why attacks happen.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“In this fortieth anniversary year of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Convention of 1977, the ICRC urges all States to recognize the positive impact that those particular rules make on the conduct of hostilities and reaffirm their very practical relevance to today's armed conflicts. One year after the adoption of resolution 2286 (2016), the Secretary-General's report clearly shows how the obstruction of access to, attacks and threats against health care remain at an extremely high level. We are not only seeing health workers killed or threatened, hospitals destroyed and ambulances denied access, but entire public health systems collapse. Communities are exposed to renewed epidemics, thereby compounding existing humanitarian catastrophes and causing long-term setbacks in the areas of public health and development.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Those partnerships may involve States' training, equipping and advising other States or non-State armed groups in armed conflicts. We urge the Council to remind all parties to armed conflict that Common Article 1 to the four Geneva Conventions requires them "to respect and ensure respect for the Conventions in all circumstances". Good practices are equally important in States" counter-terrorism activities amounting to armed conflict. The violations committed by the enemy must not result in the lowering of standards by States, which are still obliged to respect international humanitarian law. The law is vital and can help parties find practical solutions to humanitarian problems.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Returning to the report, we warmly welcome the Secretary-General's priority of prevention as an important part of his Office and the mandate of the Council. We agree that strengthening respect for international law is a prerequisite for halting the brutal violations that are driving endless cycles of violence. We urge the Council to continue to demand and encourage respect for international humanitarian law as the most immediate form of prevention. Preventing violations can instantly protect civilians on the ground and strengthen peacebuilding in the long-term. The Secretary-General's report correctly aligns respect for international law with good practices by parties to the conflict, especially in military partnerships. Today's armed conflicts are increasingly fought in alliances and coalitions, which develop partnered operations.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“In addition to the high risk of indiscriminate civilian death and injury, heavy explosive weapons can cause extensive damage to critical infrastructure, such as health care, water and electricity facilities. Critically, under international humanitarian law, civilians must not only be protected from attack and the impact of conflict, but also be able to go about their daily lives, but too often we see the fabric of communities being eroded. Children are unable to attend school. The sick cannot reach hospitals, and livelihoods are interrupted or cease entirely. When people live in fear and cannot safely continue their activities, they risk becoming marginalized, destitute and reliant on humanitarian aid.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“The ICRC endorses the three priorities of protection in the report and supports the call to focus on the particular challenges of urban warfare. The return of armed conflict to towns and cities has been a particular concern of the ICRC in recent years. Approximately 50 million people in urban areas now bear the brunt of conflict. The overwhelming percentage of people killed or injured by explosive weapons in populated areas are civilians. They are mothers, fathers and children who are not part of the fighting and simply wish to lead their lives, not fear for them. The ICRC advocates that all parties should avoid using explosive weapons that have a wide-impact area in populated places.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Our doctors helped to fit them with prosthetic aids after their limbs were blown off during attacks. Hayat was just three-years-old when an air strike destroyed her house, killing her sister and leaving her severely injured. As we meet today, I ask everyone to remember their names and the cruel hand dealt to them in the early years of their lives. At the ICRC, we see the daily realities of what happens when civilian populations are not protected during conflict and other situations of violence. There are millions ofpeople living in desperate and terrifying places, and there is no matter more urgent than their protection. The Secretary-General stresses that urgency in his report, which states that today the world faces a protection crisis of the highest order because of armed conflicts.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“It is a great pleasure for me to speak here on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). (spoke in English) It is a particular pleasure to speak alongside the new Secretary-General as he presents his first report (S/2017/4l4) on this subject. The ICRC greatly appreciates the strategic focus and energy that the Secretary-General brings to the critical questions of how to prevent and alleviate the suffering of civilians in armed conflict. My statement today shall focus on three areas: the strategy in the Secretary-General's report; progress in the implementation of resolution 2286 (2016); and our particular concern for a group that is often forgotten - missing persons and their families. Hayat; Ahmed; Samia - these are the names of some of the children that ICRC hospitals have treated recently.”
2017-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7951 (2017) · source
“Thirdly, they must prioritize and support effective partnerships between local authorities, service providers and humanitarian organizations to ensure resilient water services. Finally, the Council must ensure that the Council remains seized on the issue. (spoke in French) We thank the President for giving the ICRC the opportunity to speak to the Council today on such an important topic and for providing each one of us with water while we are here.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“Water is essential to a life with dignity, and parties to conflict, Government donors and humanitarian organizations must work together to support resilient urban services during armed conflicts. The ICRC welcomes the initiative of the delegation of Senegal to discuss such an important topic here today and we urge members of the Council to take the following measures on water and armed conflict. First, they must respect international humanitarian law and take into account the interdependence of essential services, such as water, health and electricity, and the cumulative impact of protracted armed conflict on essential water supplies for civilian populations. Secondly, they must recognize that dialogue on water needs between warring parties is critical, and they must help to facilitate it.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“Despite these clear rules for the protection of essential services like water, the ICRC continues to see populations suffer the consequences of a lack of respect for international humanitarian law. The risk of reverberating effects from damaged water installations is a reason why the ICRC urges parties to conflict to avoid using explosive weapons with wide areas of impact in densely populated areas. Even when aimed at achieving military objectives, the use of such weapons can incidentally damage vital infrastructure located in the vicinity of the targets, severely disrupting the provision of services on which civilians depend for their survival. Parties to conflict have an obligation to ensure that the basic needs of the civilian population are met and that their dignity is protected.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“International humanitarian law is clear on the humanitarian significance of water. It places various obligations on parties to conflict to protect water installations. International humanitarian law provides special protection for objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population, like drinking-water installations and irrigation works. Objects containing dangerous forces, such as dams, are also protected from attack. International humanitarian law also provides important general protection against attacks on civilian objects and attacks that affect civilian populations. Parties to conflict must take precautions in attack and refrain from attacks expected to cause excessive incidental damage and also consider the reverberating effects of their actions on civilian populations.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“Damaging attacks on electricity substations, water-storage installations and piping can render them unusable, cutting off tens of thousands of people in a single strike. Skilled personnel may also be killed, injured or displaced. Indirect impact is less obvious but equally significant. The lack of skilled personnel and shortage of critical supplies means no maintenance for essential infrastructure, which soon deteriorates to the point where water is unsafe or entire populations are cut off. In protracted armed conflict, this cumulative impact on services is hard to reverse. We have seen this phenomenon recently in Syria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo and the Central African Republic, where water services are severely reduced and we have resorted to water trucking.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“The rise in protracted urban warfare in the Middle East and increasing concentrations of internally displaced persons in urban areas in the Lake Chad Basin have caused an exponential increase in the scale and technical complexity of our water operations. Our water operations often see us working across conflict lines, as we repair pumps and pipes that are essential to all sides. Encouragingly, in several conflicts, opponents will cooperate on water when they will not cooperate on anything else, giving us the access and supply chains we need to keep the water flowing. Armed conflict has direct and indirect impacts on people's access to water and, over the many years of a protracted conflict, both types of impact have a degrading cumulative impact on water supply. The direct impacts of armed conflict are immediately obvious.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“When water supply fails, a civilian population has no option but to move. People are forced to leave their homes, leading to large movements of populations. The provision ofa safe, sufficient, regular and clean water supply is a humanitarian priority for the ICRC. In over 80 countries, our water teams work daily to provide water for populations affected by conflict and violence. We work with local authorities, commercial partners, local communities and national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to ensure our water programmes are sustainable. Last year, we covered the urgent water needs of 28 million people.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“Water points become strategic - whether they are rural wells in arid lands or pumping stations in sophisticated cities. In many wars, water systems are also caught up in fighting, becoming damaged, degraded or destroyed. Even when supply exists, accessing water can become extremely dangerous - especially for women and girls who have the responsibility in many societies for water collection. Children can spend hours queuing and collecting water when they should be at school. Water is directly linked to public health. Polluted drinking water or insufficient water for washing causes people to get ill, which puts additional strain on health facilities and medical personnel already struggling to cope with high demand and limited capacity. Water supply is also clearly linked to forced displacement and migration.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“I thank the Senegalese presidency for having inviting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to participate in today's important debate and give its views based on its experience on the ground. (spoke in English) None of us can live without water. We need water to drink. We need water to grow food. We need water to cook. And we need water to stay clean. Water is a basic human need and the most fundamental humanitarian requirement. Water is a symbol of life in the poetry of every nation. In the great musical culture of Senegal, the stringed kora of the Griot is made from the same gourd that people use to carry water. The Griot knows that water is for the body what song is for the soul. In the ICRC's experience, the vital importance of water often makes it ahighly contested resource in armed conflicts.”
2016-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7818 (2016) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for giving the ICRC this opportunity to speak at this important debate. I hope members have heard us encourage the Council's efforts to protect civilians and urge all States to find whatever consensus is possible to prevent and resolve armed conflicts as the single best way to protect civilians. Meanwhile, as armed conflicts go on, respecting the law is the single most impactful choice States and non-State groups can make to avoid civilian suffering.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“At the same time, we ask that a sharp focus of the Council's attention remain on the millions of internally displaced persons affected by armed conflict, many of whom die as a result of armed conflict. The need to respect and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law is urgent. States and non-State armed groups must comply with these laws, and close the existing implementation gap. The mere existence of obligations and prohibitions is not sufficient to prevent or put a stop to suffering or to deter future violations. The rules of international humanitarian law must be known, understood and implemented by the parties to an armed conflict if its purposes are to be fulfilled. This is a multifaceted process which requires that appropriate action be taken by actors at the national, regional, and international levels.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Clear recognition of the complementary albeit essential and lawful role that impartial humanitarian organizations - local and international - can play in meeting this humanitarian objective also needs to emerge from the Summit. Practical recommitments to the rules of international humanitarian law on access, protection and assistance will be particularly important in 2016 because of the unprecedented number of internally displaced people, refugees and vulnerable migrants that are fleeing and moving because of the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict. The ICRC welcomes the United Nations summit on managing large-scale movements of migrants and refugees due to take place in September this year, and we are committed to playing a significant role in its process and debate.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In this process, a concern to protect the dignity ofa person is fundamental. Questions of humanitarian access necessary to carry out protection and assistance activities is an aspect of international humanitarian law for which the Council has continued to express significant concern in 2015. These questions will be particularly relevant in 2016 as States prepare to make new commitments on humanitarian action at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May. At the Summit, the ICRC very much wants to see a significant and practical recommitment by States to their obligations to protect and assist the civilian population in armed conflicts.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The second main aspect ofcompliance that the ICRC would like to emphasize is the necessity for States and non-State armed groups to comply with their obligation to meet the basic needs of the population under their control and, if unable to do so, to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of relief for civilians in need, subject to their right of control. If these basic needs are not met, parties to armed conflict shall positively respond to offers ofservice made by impartial humanitarian organizations such as the ICRC and shall authorize their humanitarian activities, which include protection and assistance. Humanitarian activities are all those aimed at preserving life and security or seeking to restore the mental and physical well-being of victims of armed conflict.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“To address this humanitarian issue, States should make known their policies on the use of such weapons and explain how their use of explosive weapons in populated areas complies with international humanitarian law. We also ask that the upcoming third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which will address the development of a new urban agenda, take account of the risks faced by many millions of people threatened by armed conflict and other situations of violence in today's densely populated and fast-growing cities.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is one example that raises serious concern in terms of compliance, especially in urban environments. These weapons are prone to indiscriminate effects, with often devastating consequences for civilians. Many civilians are killed or injured by such weapons. Critical infrastructure on which civilians depend for their livelihoods and survival, such as power stations, water treatment plants and hospitals, can be continuously and cumulatively damaged so that they cease to be able to provide essential services to meet people's basic needs. Precisely for those reasons, the ICRC has urged that the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area should be avoided in densely populated areas.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Yet violations of international humanitarian law occur daily: explosive weapons are used indiscriminately in populated areas; civilian populations and civilian objects are deliberately targeted; civilian communities are forcibly displaced, trapped in lengthy sieges and deprived of the means of survival; women and men, girls and boys are regularly the victims of rape and sexual violence; schools are attacked or used for military purposes, leading to their loss of protection against attack; detainees are summarily executed, tortured, kept in inhumane conditions and denied due process of law. Such violations of international humanitarian law are well known to members of the Council and are often referred to explicitly in the Council's resolutions with an evident determination to end them.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Far too much civilian suffering in these last years has resulted from a failure of the parties to a conflict to take into account the protection of civilians in the conduct of military operations and to strike the appropriate balance between military necessity and humanitarian imperatives as required by international humanitarian law.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The misuse of weapons, direct attacks against civilians and civilian populations and indiscriminate attacks, starvation and displacement that become part of a military strategy and attacks against health-care facilities all too often combine to create civilian suffering that involves serious violations of international humanitarian law. In the ICRC's experience, much widespread harm and suffering caused by armed conflict is wrongly seen as an inevitable consequence of war when in fact it is frequently a violation of law.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“We also recognize that the single greatest contribution to ending the suffering of civilians in armed conflict is always the effective prevention and resolution of armed conflict. With that in mind, the ICRC urges the Council to find consensus wherever it can and to build the necessary political strategies that will prevent and end armed conflicts. Where there is no end to an armed conflict and when international humanitarian law applies, compliance with international humanitarian law is critical to ensuring the protection of civilians. The conduct of hostilities - the way armed conflicts are fought - is the key determinant of civilian suffering.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The Security Council has the possibility to support and practice confidential engagement for the respect of the law, in Syria and elsewhere. On behalf of the civilians that the ICRC serves in armed conflicts around the world, I urge the Council to do so. All the foregoing suggests that much more needs to be done to resolve armed conflicts. In that regard, the emphasis in last year's High-level Independent Panel on United Nations Peace Operations on the primacy of politics and the need for political solutions to be in the driver's seat of United Nations efforts is important and timely. The ICRC welcomes the Panel's recognition that the protection of civilians is a core obligation of the United Nations.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In terms of violations of the law, that conflict is emblematic of a restrictive interpretation of humanitarian space, of the illegal use of weapons and of the use of illegal weapons, all of which have led to dramatic displacements of people, in turn putting pressure on neighbouring States' basic services and their social fabric. The link between the suffering and the lack of respect for international humanitarian law could not be clearer, when you talk to the severely malnourished people of Madaya, Fu'ah and Kafraya, as my colleagues have done over the past weeks. Women, men and children have died, and unless full compliance with international humanitarian law is assured, many more are at risk of dying. Today, the overwhelming humanitarian needs necessitate that the sieges be lifted immediately.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The ICRC continues to believe that the current legal framework for the protection of civilians remains relevant and that the main challenge in protecting civilians centres on greater compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties to armed conflicts. For the ICRC, working on the ground with the victims of armed conflict, it is obvious that political action ultimately determines the fate of civilian populations. If there no political solutions to armed conflict can be reached, then many millions of people will continue to endure the personal tragedy and humanitarian consequences of armed conflict for years, decades or even lifetimes. This year, we will mark the fifth anniversary of the Syrian crisis. Syria has in many ways become an emblematic conflict, with immense suffering on the part of the civilian population.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Ms. Beerli: I thank you, Mr. President, for inviting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to address the Security Council on the subject of the protection of civilians, a subject that the Council has put at the centre of many of its resolutions, including on Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, the Central African Republic and the Lake Chad region. In 2015, ICRC operations reached more than 40 million people, including more civilians than ever before in its history. Regrettably, we see the underlying trend of increasing humanitarian needs as likely to continue over the next year. International humanitarian law on the protection of civilians in international and non-international armed conflict is clearly established and binding on all parties to armed conflict, State and non-State alike.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In the light of this, continuous capacity-building efforts are required to ensure that military police and security forces and other weapon-bearers use weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. In this regard, the ICRC can provide practical support to States in the training of Government forces. It also promotes respect for international humanitarian law by non-State armed groups. It is crucial for the international community to do far more to address in a comprehensive manner the terrible and long-lasting human costs of the widespread availability and misuse of small arms and light weapons. The safety and well-being of millions of people around the world depend on this”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“This requires developing a comprehensive strategy that includes reducing the vulnerability of people and communities at risk from small arms violence, helping victims, providing training in international humanitarian law and human rights law for weapon-bearers, and violence-prevention strategies specific to the context. Within this approach, effective protection from the misuse of arms requires improved respect for the law, including international humanitarian law, in situations of armed conflict. Enhanced respect for the law can increase people's safety and security and thereby contribute to reducing the demand for weapons in response to danger.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“It establishes a global norm to prevent arms transfers when there is a manifest risk that war crimes or serious violations of human rights will be committed. In parallel, States must continue to comply with similar or stricter rules under regional instruments regulating arms transfers to which they are party. Unfortunately, a look at a number of current armed conflicts reveals an evident gap between the transfer criteria expressed in those instruments and the practice of some States. The problem of small arms and light weapons must be addressed in a holistic manner.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“At three international conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent over the past 10 years, States party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 have recognized that their obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law requires adequate measures to control the availability of weapons. To uphold that obligation, we call upon the Security Council to ensure that small arms and light weapons and their ammunition do not end up in the hands of those who may be expected to use them in violation of international humanitarian law or human rights law. In particular, we urge the Council to call upon all United Nations States Members to promptly sign, ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty. The Treaty is a historic achievement.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“The threat to civilians remains even after armed conflicts have ended. The indirect impact includes disease, starvation and abuse, which increase when humanitarian organizations are the object of attack and are forced to suspend operations or leave a country. Human suffering continues, often for years, after hostilities are over, as the widespread availability of these arms engenders a culture of violence, undermines the rule of law and threatens efforts at reconciliation. It is imperative that States do much more to address the impact of the poorly controlled availability and misuse of small arms and light weapons.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“Ms. Beerli: I am honoured to address the Security Council on the impact of the illicit transfer, accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. In its operations to protect and assist the victims of armed conflicts and other situations of violence worldwide, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a first-hand witness to the devastating costs to civilians of the easy access to, and misuse of, small arms and light weapons. Those are the weapons of choice when men, women and children are deliberately targeted, raped or forced out of their homes and their property is destroyed. The proliferation of small arms and light weapons prolongs conflicts, facilitates violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, and puts civilians at high risk of death or injury from weapons- related violence.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source