YouSaid · the spoken record

Bencosme Castaños

lines on the record: 26
first: 2020-01-16
most recent: 2020-08-10
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“Nevertheless, the Dominican Republic, as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission, applauds the commendable work the Commission is doing on the ground at this unprecedented time, especially to mobilize funds, prioritize peacebuilding objectives, foster the participation and inclusion of women and young people in the political process and promote internal reforms in the country that are crucially needed to achieve lasting stability. We would not wish to conclude without commending all of Guinea-Bissau’s regional and international partners, especially the Economic Community of West African States, for their efforts and good offices and their vital ongoing support during the contentious 2019 electoral processes.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“In that connection, we urge the authorities to conduct thorough investigations into those and other human rights violations in order to bring those responsible to justice. Of particular concern are reports of police officers beating women and of the security forces engaging in excessive use of force and inhumane treatment, especially towards women and children, as they enforce confinement measures related to the pandemic.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“We deeply regret its actions, as they remind the Security Council that the army has not yet proved to be impartial or independent in an internal conflict. As a result, the humanitarian and security situation in the country has deteriorated, thus highlighting the essential role played by the armed forces and the direct negative impact on the population when they do not faithfully carry out their mandate. With regard to freedom of expression, we consider the recent acts of vandalism against the premises and equipment of Radio Capital FM to be reprehensible. Those acts, allegedly carried out by unidentified armed men wearing uniforms of the Guinea-Bissau National Guard, constitute a clear violation of the freedom of expression and the right to information and directly attack a cornerstone of democratic States.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“The year 2020 is also a critical one for Guinea-Bissau as it faces four major transitions, namely, the drawdown of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, the transfer of tasks of the United Nations country team, the transition to a new political leadership and the closure of the Economic Community of West African States mission. As such, as the international community’s involvement on the ground gradually diminishes, the responsibility falls more heavily on the local authorities to be accountable to their citizens and improve their quality of life. As indicated in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2020/755), there was clear involvement of the military during the political crisis following the 2019 presidential elections.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“Mr. Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): First of all, we extend our condolences to the Government and the people of the Niger for the attack committed over the weekend. We would like to thank the briefers for their briefings today. The way forward for the authorities of Guinea- Bissau is not easy. The current landscape is full of challenges, including the need for greater political dialogue, accompanied by urgent reforms, such as a constitutional review, the fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, a continuously deteriorating socioeconomic situation, worsening gender inequalities and the health effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic.”
2020-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8754 (2020) · source
“Before concluding, allow me to stress the importance of ensuring an inclusive peace process that fully takes into account the voices of all Yemeni people — whether in the country or in the diaspora — and those in vulnerable straits. In that regard, we wish to ask Ms. Alsaidy if the organizations that work with the disabled in Yemen have been given an opportunity to express their concerns directly to the parties to the conflict. If so, what has been the response?”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8753 (2020) · source
“If large-scale action is not taken, it is probable that a growing locust population will lead to a new re-invasion in the Horn of Africa and, possibly, India and Pakistan. The crops and pastures of millions of vulnerable people are being destroyed. The challenges and hardships facing the Yemeni people seem almost impossible to overcome. The country is reaching a limit. If the situation on the ground does not soon show signs of improving, the Council should evaluate more drastic measures to send a stronger message to resolve the conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. In addition to the recent positive developments with regard to the implementation of the Riyadh agreement, we urge all parties to adopt, without delay, the joint declaration presented by the Special Envoy.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8753 (2020) · source
“With regard to the environment, we regret to learn that the Houthis have not yet given the United Nations access to the FSO SAFER oil tanker. During the extraordinary meeting held mid-July to discuss the situation (see S/2020/721), participants reiterated the grave environmental and humanitarian consequences that would ensue in the case of an oil spillage to the sea. We urge the Houthis to allow the United Nations access to the tanker without further delay. The locust plague is another crisis that is affected by the current crisis. There are currently several control operations on land in Yemen, but aerial operations, which are the most effective way to curb the plague, are not possible.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8753 (2020) · source
“On that point, we believe that the monitoring and reporting mechanism on children and armed conflict is a fundamental tool that should fully reflect all the evidence. None of the parties to the conflict must be prematurely delisted while serious violations against children continue. We cannot leave children exposed to danger. Given the humanitarian situation, the coronavirus is blazing in Yemen like an uncontrollable forest fire. We have received reports that close to 100 health workers have died from the coronavirus — one of the highest numbers of deaths among heath workers worldwide. The pandemic, compounded by the nearly paralysed economy and the potential closure of vital humanitarian and development projects, could trigger a famine by the end of the year, as Mr. Lowcock warns. That cannot be allowed to occur.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8753 (2020) · source
“Mr. Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): We would like to thank Martin Griffiths and Mark Lowcock for their briefings. We would also like to express our gratitude to Ms. Wafa’a Alsaidy and Ms. Raja Abdullah Ahmed Almasabi for their very enlightening personal accounts. We cannot fail to express our serious concern at the fragile situation in Yemen. First, hostilities have increased and the situation in Ma’rib has worsened considerably in recent weeks. Shelling in civilian areas with a large concentration of displaced persons is completely unacceptable. We emphatically condemn the air strikes that took place on 12 and 15 July, killing 17 civilians, including 10 children.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8753 (2020) · source
“Thirdly, the Dominican Republic also hopes that the embargo will maintain pressure on the armed groups, discouraging them from committing crimes and violating international humanitarian law and human rights law. Finally, the Dominican Republic calls on the authorities of the Central African Republic to continue to make progress on the benchmarks by effectively managing their weapons and ammunition, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, so as to prevent them from falling into the hands of armed groups and being used against civilians, complete the peace and reconciliation processes under way and lay the foundations for a possible eventual lifting of the embargo.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8750 (2020) · source
“The resolution also addresses the need for the authorities of the Central African Republic to be equipped in order to effectively combat the armed groups and maintain peace and stability in the country. Secondly, the 12-month extension of the sanctions regime and the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which standardizes the regime’s cycle, will allow sufficient time for the authorities of the Central African Republic to fully implement the benchmarks, as well as for the Secretary-General and other actors on the ground to provide more comprehensive reports. Furthermore, it will prevent the renewal process from taking place in the middle of an electoral process, allowing the Central African Republic to focus its actions during the coming months on conducting peaceful presidential and legislative elections.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8750 (2020) · source
“Mr. Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): At the outset, we would like to congratulate France on its efforts to prepare and seek points of convergence among member States in order to reach consensus on the adoption of resolution 2536 (2020). The Dominican Republic voted in favour of the resolution primarily for the following reasons. First, the resolution maintains a balance by recognizing the efforts made by the authorities of the Central African Republic to achieve progress on the key benchmarks related to security sector reform, programmes for the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation of ex-combatants, and the management of weapons and ammunition, which were established as a guide for the Security Council in reviewing, suspending or progressively lifting the arms embargo.”
2020-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8750 (2020) · source
“Finally, we commend the Office of Counter- Terrorism, the Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for their work with Member States to strengthen their counter-terrorism policies and measures, as well as the processes for the repatriation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign terrorist fighters and their dependants, in order to reverse the cycle of violence and victimization that makes it impossible for societies to function effectively and to prevent the spread of violent extremism that leads to terrorism.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Consequently, we agree on the importance, in implementing repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration strategies, of continuing to improve the design of policies that are focused on the needs of the individual, as well as evidence-based, gender-sensitive and age-sensitive, with particular emphasis on the condition of victims, which should take precedence in the treatment of children, as stipulated in the Madrid Guiding Principles and other protocols, .”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“In that regard, we are concerned about the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the camps and detention centres, such as in Al-Hol camp in Syria, whose population, which is more than 70 per cent women and children, is exposed to deplorable conditions and a lack not only of basic food, water, medical care and education services but also of adequate support programmes to counter the risk of exploitation and radicalization. We acknowledge the challenges Member States face in conducting comprehensive risk assessments, minimizing stigmatization and determining possible criminal responsibility, while safeguarding and adhering to international law, including international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“As we have previously stated in the Council, we agree on the need to urgently and holistically address, on the basis of experience and best practices and with greater collaboration among Member States, the issues of protection, repatriation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of the most vulnerable, in particular women and children with ties to those terrorist groups, who are stranded in conflict zones, crowded camps and detention centres.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Such attacks have claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers and innocent civilians. Weapons and funding continue to be provided to those groups, which seek to consolidate their actions and cooperate with transnational organized crime networks. The Dominican Republic again strongly condemns all terrorist acts as unjustifiable, barbaric and cowardly. We therefore extend our sincere condolences to the families and the countries affected by the attacks. We have recently noted with astonishment the increase in the number and scale of attacks perpetrated against members of the security and defence forces of Mali, the Niger and Burkina Faso.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“While there has been significant progress in the fight against terrorism, in particular the loss of territorial control previously held by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh) in the Syrian Arab Republic and the impact on its leadership from various operations, we remain extremely concerned about the ability of those groups to mutate into new modalities for inflicting pain and fear, in their zeal to demonstrate their relevance through inspired attacks and regional affiliates, becoming a covert network with aspirations of carrying out large-scale attacks. We continue to pay special attention to the threat posed by the number of foreign terrorist fighters at the disposal of terrorist groups, which take advantage of porous borders to carry out insurgent attacks on officials, infrastructure and checkpoints.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Mr. Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): We thank Mr. Voronkov, Under- Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter- Terrorism, and Ms. Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, for their briefings on the tenth report of the Secretary- General (S/2020/95). We also thank Ms. Freij for her moving testimony.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“We encourage the parties to commit to the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and a definitive ceasefire, while working on an inclusive peace process that will permanently open the door to new paths leading towards development and prosperity for the Yemeni people.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“We also wish to echo the representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines by expressing that any political process in Yemen must include the participation of women as well as men and fully take into account their needs. It is therefore crucial to provide safe spaces for women to make their valuable contributions. We are likewise concerned by reports about food security in the country. Against a backdrop of reduced access to income and decreased purchasing power, most Yemenis cannot meet their essential food and non-food needs. Under these circumstances, malnutrition remains a serious concern in many areas.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“The humanitarian situation remains alarming. In particular, we are concerned at the alerts issued by humanitarian organizations on the ground about a possible epidemic of dengue-related diseases. The climate situation, combined with the virtual collapse of water and sanitation services as a result of the conflict, has made it difficult to control this type of disease, which primarily affects children. We are further concerned at reports about food security in the country. The conflict in Yemen continues to restrict access to livelihoods and prolong the food- and nutrition-insecurity situation of the population for generations to come. According to reports from specialized agendas, agricultural production is well below average, and the prices of food and non-food commodities remain significantly elevated compared to pre-conflict levels.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“We urge the parties to continue cooperating under the auspices of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, and, in this regard, we stress that the parties must ensure there are no restrictions on the movement of Mission personnel within the city. Such restriction undermines the overall implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement, recently renewed by the Security Council unanimously in resolution 2505 (2020) (see S/PV.8701). We acknowledge the progress made in the prisoner exchange, with the release of 200 detainees by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. We also welcome the announcement of the facilitation of flights for health reasons from Sana’a airport to countries where patients can receive badly needed treatment.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“We reiterate as we have on other occasions that all parties to the conflict have an obligation to respect international humanitarian law and refrain from this type of indiscriminate attacks, which have greatest effect on the civilian population. We have listened very carefully to the reports of progress in implementing the Riyadh agreement and we understand that we must maintain the momentum to reach a broad and inclusive political agreement based on mutual respect and full implementation of the commitments undertaken. With regard to the implementation of the Hodeidah Agreement, we commend the ongoing work of General Guha together with the parties to improve humanitarian access.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“Mr. Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): We thank Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Rajasingham for their briefings this morning, which painted a very full and detailed picture of the political and humanitarian situation in Yemen. We express our gratitude to both of them for the immense efforts made in their respective fields to achieve peace and meet the pressing needs of the affected population. At the outset, I should like to recognize the progress being made in the talks between the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which have led to a partial de-escalation in hostilities. Notwithstanding that observation, we condemn the recent attacks, especially those targeting humanitarian infrastructure in Al Dhale’e on 22 December.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source