YouSaid · the spoken record

Biang

lines on the record: 1,385
first: 2021-12-09
most recent: 2023-12-21
sittings or episodes: 203
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

“It has even been strengthened in recent years, in particular in the areas of peace and security. I would like to mention the closer relations between the United Nations Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, in particular through regular consultations on crises and conflicts in Africa. In Central Africa, aware of its important role as an interface in peacekeeping, the Economic Community of the Central African States, under the leadership of President Bongo Ondimba, together with the international community, has finalized its institutional and organizational reform process so as to endow itself with the means to respond to the challenges it faces, in particular in the fields of peace and security.”
2022-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8967 (2022) · source
“The choice of this topic leads us to revisit and reassess the crucial role of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Against a security backdrop marked by multifaceted crises and exacerbated by an unprecedented pandemic, the number of calls on the United Nations and the increasingly regional nature of crises require the United Nations to strengthen its strategic cooperation with regional and subregional organizations to ensure effectiveness and greater connection to the realities on the ground. In Africa, the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union has had significant achievements in many areas.”
2022-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8967 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I thank you, Mr. President, for the initiative of convening this debate on issues that are so central for most African States. African States view regional and subregional organizations as key actors in responding to international crises and conflicts and increasingly advocate the prevalence of a regional narrative in the Security Council’s consideration of the items on its agenda. I thank United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Mr. Stanislav Zas, for their enlightening briefings. I also welcome the participation of States members of the CSTO in this debate.”
2022-02-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8967 (2022) · source
“The Islamic State continues to take advantage of social grievances and sexist stereotypes to inspire isolated actors and co-opt other groups. Their advances in Africa are particularly alarming. Supporting African countries in preventing and countering the threats posed by those groups should be a priority for the international community.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“The international community in its entirety is affected by Islamist terrorism; therefore, we must place particular focus on cooperating with countries directly affected by terrorist organizations, either on their territory or close to crisis zones. In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm my country’s support for the mandates of the various bodies responsible for counter-terrorism activities, including the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee. We wish to commend the unity that the Council has shown in the fight against terrorism, thanks to which we have observed significant progress. Attacks have been foiled around the world, and hundreds of terrorists have been brought to justice. Nevertheless, the threat persists and continues to diversify.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“Given the clear link between terrorist financing and organized criminal activity, whereby various forms of trafficking are exploited by terrorist organizations, the international community must maintain and step up its efforts to curb such forms of trafficking. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime appears to be a particularly appropriate agency for monitoring the proper implementation of existing frameworks, such as the 2000 Palermo Convention, and for supporting capacity-building in the most fragile States. Above all, we must consolidate international cooperation with countries affected by armed conflict and jihadism.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“We once again call for strong support for initiatives such as the Group of Five for the Sahel, with predictable funding. Today the connection between development and terrorism remains clear, especially in fragile States that often face political or security crises, poverty and a lack of prospects for young people, which create fertile breeding ground for the emergence of terrorist networks. The fight against terrorism also requires economic development, social justice and improved living conditions for the population. Increased development aid from the international community to countries afflicted by terrorism can also contribute to fending off that scourge. We must also strengthen the fight against cross- border trafficking, which is often used to finance terrorism.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“Given the changing faces of terrorism, the international community must adapt its means of combating the phenomenon by demonstrating zero tolerance for terrorist acts and their perpetrators. We must continue to work for a stronger and more effective international response through the broad and effective application of existing international tools and compliance with the numerous counter-terrorism norms, which must be regularly adapted as the threat evolves. It is imperative to strengthen international support for the most vulnerable States and be aware that, in the fight against terrorism, it only takes one weak link to undermine the international response as a whole. While the lack of action may be due to insufficient political will, it also depends to a large extent on the financial, human and technical resources available to States.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“Obviously, the resulting security threat erodes the democratic foundation of the continent and imperils its people, who at the same time feel the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic. The issue of the return and resettlement of foreign fighters has emerged as a new terrorist threat and proven to be a real concern in Africa. The new threat is fuelled by the ability of groups to launch remote attacks outside their established sphere of influence. The Islamic State’s capability is based on considerable financial resources. The group’s move underground has been supported by the use of new modes of financing that rely on criminal practices, such as extortion, illegal trafficking of all kinds and smuggling.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“The Islamic State therefore remains capable of posing a sustained threat and undermining stabilization operations in many parts of the world, including the Arabian peninsula, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia. Africa has become one of the main fronts in the fight against terrorism. In its propaganda, the Islamic State increasingly vaunts its operations in Africa. The terrorist front in the so-called three-border zone in the Sahel is currently the epicentre of a war whose end no one can predict. The disturbing developments of recent months, with the activities of groups such as Boko Haram, the Allied Democratic Forces and Al-Shabaab, which claim affiliation with Da’esh, give reason to fear a contagion effect for the entire African continent.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“The information provided by the Secretary-General’s report provides several insights into the state of the global terrorist threat. First, the Islamic State has suffered significant territorial and financial losses but continues to maintain a large number of affiliated groups and small cells scattered throughout the world. Paradoxically, the move underground is likely to make the threat more difficult to define and disrupt. Secondly, the global Da’esh network continues to demonstrate resilience. The threat it poses must be assessed in terms of its ability to spread by considering the number of attacks, the persistence of its operational networks and their motivation to commit terrorist acts.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“Weixiong Chen, Acting Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, for their respective briefings, which highlighted the synergies among the various United Nations entities responsible for combating terrorism, resulting in the report of the Secretary- General (S/2022/63). Despite the setbacks experienced by the Islamic State since 2017 leading up to the total loss of its territory in Iraq and Syria, the global threat posed by Islamist terrorism remains very strong. The Islamic State’s transition underground and the actions of many other groups that have gained a foothold in the Middle East, Africa and South-East Asia make the fight against terrorism a major issue for international cooperation.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): Terrorism not only represents an attack against the life and dignity of the human person; it also, and above all, negates the principles of civilization, and therefore cannot be justified. No cause, ideology or religion can be used as a pretext for the atrocities perpetrated throughout the world — in Benin, Mali, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Syria, to list only the most recent examples. Terrorism has become the major security problem of the century, and its goal is always the same — to spread fear. In that regard, I thank Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and Mr.”
2022-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8963 (2022) · source
“My country intends to maintain that sense of restraint, shared by the African Union, with regard to the imposition of sanctions on States and will advocate that each situation be carefully assessed, taking into account existing mechanisms, including the Sanctions Assessment Handbook and the Field Guidelines for Assessing the Humanitarian Implications of Sanctions. Ultimately, international sanctions must remain an incentive or deterrent tool and not be used for punitive purposes. Their reversibility must be clearly defined and accompanied by political dialogue with the targeted Government. In conclusion, on behalf of my country, I would like to draw the Council’s attention once again to its duty to the peoples of the world, explicitly set out in the Preamble to the Charter. We have received our mandate on their behalf.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“The resilience of entities on which sanctions have been imposed and the feeling of distrust vis-à-vis United Nations representation seen in some regions, combined with the increase in the rally-around- the-flag phenomenon, calls on us to understand the repercussions of international sanctions. The Council must act with the greatest level of circumspection when adopting a sanctions regime against a United Nations Member State and always take into account the risk of seeing its people suffer from it. General Assembly resolution 59/45 reveals the degree of concern of the international community about the harmful effects of international sanctions.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“I call on the Council to unconditionally lift the arms embargo on the Central African Republic, which would help mitigate the humanitarian consequences for its civilian population. Regardless of their true purpose — whether it be to force the targeted country to change its attitude, prevent it from arming or financing itself by depriving it of the means to carry out actions the sanctions are intended for or simply to send the message publicly that the State or States imposing the sanctions disapprove of the targeted country’s actions, the result remains the same: the effectiveness of sanctions is lacking or far below expectations.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“The case of the arms embargo in the Central African Republic is particularly striking. Plagued by persistent instability and continuous attacks by armed groups, the democratically elected authorities of that country have been deprived of their full capacity to acquire equipment that would enable them to deal effectively with armed groups that often have more sophisticated weapons and are scouring the country, while scuttling the authority of the State over a large part of the national territory. The situation is untenable for the people of the Central African Republic and unsustainable for the country’s immediate and distant neighbours, such as Gabon, which together with the Central African Republic, is part of a community of free movement of goods and people.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“There is a clear tendency to apply the same tools to dissimilar situations, the main concern being to act quickly in moulding of international acceptability. Of course, the impact of sanctions poses even more problems when they are unilateral, especially as pertains to their conformity with the Charter and international humanitarian law. That is what led the African Union, at its thirty-third ordinary session, to urge all States to refrain from coercive and unilateral measures, which impede the full achievement of economic and social development and affect the full enjoyment of human rights. Of the 14 current sanctions regimes, eight directly concern African countries — the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Guinea- Bissau and Mali.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“While most sanctions regimes provide for exemptions to meet the basic needs of those targeted, the fact remains that their goal is clearly to financially drain or harm the key economic sectors of the targeted entities. Such measures often affect the budgetary revenues of the States on which sanctions have been imposed and inevitably affect the overall economy and people’s standard of living. The wager undoubtedly is aimed at undermining support for the regimes under sanction in the hope that their people will blame them for their impoverishment. In most cases, such a wager is extremely risky. Experience has shown that it is illusory to hope to spare the population by targeting only the political leaders. Sanctions have become a commonly used instrument and are meted out automatically and systematically in their implementation.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Since 1966, the Council has put in place approximately 30 sanctions regimes, the imposition of which has proven to be a relatively inexpensive policy mechanism in comparison to armed conflicts, although it is virtually impossible to determine the exact level of action required for a sanctions regime to have an impact on the policy of the State under sanction. Increasingly, sanctions are limited to goods or target individuals and entities. Their scope includes arms embargoes, boycotts of goods, financial sanctions, such as assets freezes, bans on the sale of luxury goods, travel bans, the suspension of memberships in international or regional organizations and exclusion from political conferences.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I congratulate you, Sir, on Russia’s presidency of the Security Council for the month of February. I thank Under-Secretaries- General Rosemary DiCarlo and Martin Griffiths for their respective briefings. In convening the Council to discuss this topic, you are guiding us, Sir, in making the needed self-criticism on the effectiveness of the mechanisms provided for in Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance or restoration of human peace and security.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to echo the appeal made on Friday by the President of Ukraine, urging us to keep a sense of proportion and not to stoke panic.”
2022-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8960 (2022) · source
“The duality of rhetoric — alarmist, concerning the imminence of military action in Ukraine, on the one hand, and rejectionist juxtaposed to it, on the other — amplify the fragmentation of the Council at a time when the peoples of the world expect it to reach consensus and take resolute action to match the scale of devastation caused by the wars and crises that are ravaging several regions of the planet. The strength of the Council lies in its unity. It is unity, not fragmentation, that lifts the Council to the height of its mandate to serve the peoples of the world. We believe that diplomacy, in its most practical and efficient forms, is capable of bringing calm to the borders of Ukraine.”
2022-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8960 (2022) · source
“In the face of this particularly concerning escalation of tensions, my country, aware of what is at stake and the strength of the forces involved, calls on all stakeholders to show restraint and turn to dialogue and negotiations in order to preserve stability and peace in the region. This is the moment for the international community and its members to activate the channels of preventive diplomacy, in accordance with Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, devoted to the pacific settlement of disputes. It is obvious that the effectiveness of preventive diplomacy depends not only on the good faith of the protagonists, but above all on tact, composure and the framework of its implementation.”
2022-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8960 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her briefing. My delegation is closely following the situation on the borders of Ukraine and Russia and has received reports of a large-scale mobilization of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine, suggesting that military action is imminent. This alarming information is accompanied on the ground by real agitation, with the deployment of significant financial means and military equipment from countries friendly to Ukraine. The resulting verbal escalation and high tension are polarizing a great deal of diplomatic activity, which is reflected in various initiatives, including the Normandy format in the context of the implementation of the Minsk agreements.”
2022-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8960 (2022) · source
“The international community must rally to take action meaningful and dynamic to counter international terrorist groups and drain their breeding grounds to rapidly conclude the political process and find a comprehensive and viable solution to the Syrian crisis. In conclusion, let me say that terrorism is a global threat. Its ability to spread and grow is unquestionable, and we must be unwavering in our response and determination on all fronts to combat terrorism throughout the world.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source
“Such attacks, which have become part of the daily fabric of the Syrian people and are exacerbating the cycle of violence and the scope of insecurity and instability in the country, confirm the resurgence of the Islamic State’s ability to cause harm in the region, since it was defeated and expelled from its last fiefdom in the east in 2019. The number of victims and the scale of devastation resulting from such wanton violence must remind us of the compelling and urgent need to act with greater commitment in Syria. It is high time for the Security Council to revive an in-depth discussion on how to respond to the threat posed by Da’esh. Such a response must transcend the military dimension.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to thank Mr. Vladimir Voronkov for his briefing. The clarifications provided allow for a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State a few days ago against the Ghweiran prison, which held a number of jihadist prisoners, in Al-Hasakah, in northern Syria. Gabon firmly condemns those hateful acts, which can be added to the long list of such acts committed since the beginning of the Syrian crisis and deplores the loss of human lives and the unacceptable trauma suffered by the civilian population, in particular the women and children, living near the prison who were used as human shields during the fighting between the Kurdish forces and the jihadists.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source
“In those various configurations, what is important is to increase their independence and minimize their communities’ need for aid. We therefore must support the deconfliction mechanism. In conclusion, I would highlight the courage of humanitarian workers and express my country’s support for the various humanitarian organizations and their personnel, who, often under extremely difficult conditions and sometimes risking their own lives, continue to provide a ray of hope to the Syrian people on the ground and to help the victims. Indeed, their belief is that these are, after all, desperate human beings — people who should not have to continue to pay the price for unresolved conflicts. While we await a resolution to deadlocked political processes, their lives must continue. The Council must help them to live in dignity.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“While we note with interest some progress on the ground with regard to the opening of new border crossings for humanitarian aid, enabling many people to emerge from isolation, especially in the north-west, we must continue to work to perfect the network system for monitoring the implementation of United Nations projects through specialized agencies and third- party actors, as well as assessment and risk-reduction measures that enable adjustments on the ground. In that regard, the agreement among the various parties regarding cross-line operations in that area authorized by the Syrian Government clearly give greater hope of increased momentum in addressing the concerns of refugees and internally displaced persons considering returning home and providing humanitarian aid to those who returned voluntarily.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“Transparency and the involvement of all stakeholders at all levels, from the planning to the operational deployment of humanitarian aid, is essential in order to gain and maintain the trust of people and local authorities, particularly in the context of cross- border operations. Likewise, it is important to continue to establish and maintain measures to ensure the effective, traceable and rational delivery of aid. That requires strengthening norms and follow-up measures, adopting mandatory indicators, guidance documents and follow-up and assessment strategies tailored to the Syrian context.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“That situation is humanly untenable and morally unacceptable, even more so for women and young girls, who are exposed to sexual abuse in camps. The international community must be mobilized even more for Syria. In that context, the implementation of resolutions 2504 (2020), 2533 (2020) and 2585 (2021) is crucial to ensure that the available humanitarian aid reaches those who need it most. In that regard, I would like to echo the appeal just made by Mr. Egeland reiterating that that humanitarian aid should not be subject to politicization. I express Gabon’s support for the Secretary-General’s report on cross-border aid (S/2021/1030).”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“With a growing mistrust among the warring parties that undermine efforts to reach an agreement on a new Constitution, there is unfortunately no viable prospect for hope on the near horizon for more than 11 million Syrians in need of humanitarian aid. Despite that unspeakable situation, humanitarian aid flows to Syria are in sharp decline. The international pledges made at the Brussels conference on Syria in June 2020 remain far below expectations. That has resulted in an increase in the number of people living in food, insecurity, a lack of basic services, a clear reduction in access to drinking water, sanitation, health care, education and employment opportunities, which has reduced the vast majority of the Syrian people to living under the poverty threshold.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): The situation in Syria has brought us here again today to address the humanitarian issues. The briefing by Under-Secretary- General Martin Griffiths and the moving message from Jan Egeland paint a devastating picture of the extent of the needs and the tremendous humanitarian challenges in Syria. For the past 10 years, the Syrian people have been facing a crisis that has become internationalized. It is undoubtedly the greatest crisis of refugees and displaced persons in our time, worsened by the coronavirus disease pandemic, widespread military operations, in particular in the north-east, massive population displacements in the north-west, economic sanctions, air strikes by some belligerents and the collapse of the economy.”
2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source
“Beyond the difficulties and dead ends, it is vital that all actors working to find a viable solution to the Syrian political crisis bear in mind the course set by the first paragraph of resolution 2254 (2015), relating to the preservation of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria. We would like to conclude by expressing our support for the work being done by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Geir Pedersen, in a complex environment, while encouraging all the stakeholders and actors in the subregion to demonstrate greater commitment to finding a solution for the peace process in Syria.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“It is clear that the political stalemate is casting a shadow over the efforts of the Syrian Government to enable the country to emerge from the isolation it is in, as well as its ability to attract foreign investors for the purpose of mending the social and economic fabric. Women have an important role to play in settling the political climate in Syria Ms. Hijazi’s poignant message is a plea that reveals the importance of that role. We note with interest the involvement of women in the peace process, particularly in the context of discussions with the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“After six rounds of discussions in Geneva, the negotiating parties have yet to agree on an outline for a national constitution that corresponds to the aspirations of the Syrian people. The fragmentation of the Syrian political class and the lack of trust among the various actors destroy any chance of giving substance to this dialogue, particularly within the Constitutional Committee, despite the hopes raised by its inclusive structure. It is important to stress that the absence of delays in the round of negotiations inherent in the Syrian political process should not be considered a blank cheque for apathy.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I would like to thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Geir Pedersen, for his insightful briefing. We understand the difficulty of his task, given the complexity of the issues at stake in Syria. We also listened carefully to Ms. Thuraya Hijazi’s briefing. Six years after the adoption of resolution 2254 (2015), there are still difficulties in implementing it. This situation has helped to perpetuate the torment and suffering of the Syrian people. A political solution is the primary path to achieving peace in Syria. It requires the establishment of a ceasefire, the restoration of State authority throughout Syria’s territory and the engagement of all the parties in a dialogue in good faith.”
2022-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8955 (2022) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my country’s full support for efforts thus far to implement the peace agreement and hope that the momentum generated during the process will be amplified as a result of the inclusivity and good faith of all parties.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“We express our appreciation for the gender approach taken in the peace agreement and encourage Colombia’s efforts aimed at providing adequate responses to the problems related to implementing gender-related provisions and to increasing women’s participation in the implementation of the agreement. We must take urgent action to put an end to sexual and gender-based violence committed against women and girls by ex-FARC-EP members and public security forces and to address the continuing very high femicide rate. Such acts are unacceptable, and we call on the authorities to take firm action against the perpetrators.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“It is therefore essential that the security of former combatants be strengthened in order to consolidate the implementation of the Final Agreement and avoid the insecurity resulting from the massive displacement of people fleeing the violence. With that in mind, we support continued dialogue between the parties within the framework of the National Reintegration Council in order to resolve the practical aspects that will allow for the effective reintegration of former guerrillas, including the judicial mechanism for resolving land disputes, reform of the agreement, reform of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in Colombia, and reforms of the land restitution process. We call on the two dissident FARC-EP groups and their leaders to lay down their arms and participate actively in the peace process.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“These reforms have a key role to play in accelerating the reintegration of former guerrillas and in ensuring their economic conversion. My delegation is concerned about the resurgence of acts of violence and crime that continue to be reported in certain localities and that are hindering progress in the implementation of the agreement, to the detriment of the population in localities where endemic violence is already a factor of fragility. These acts mainly target political leaders in the ranks of former combatants, and in particular minorities and people of African descent. In recent days there have been reports of the killing of up to 100 human rights defenders.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“This system is proving to be a promising foundation for lasting reconciliation and peace. The recent agreement signed between the Colombian President and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court marks the commitment of the national authorities to pursuing the implementation of this important component of the peace agreement, in close cooperation with the United Nations. With respect to the comprehensive rural reform component, which is one of the key pillars of the Final Agreement, my delegation commends the significant investments made by the Colombian State — over $2.6 billion for rural programmes for numerous projects representing 58 per cent of the total provisions in this sector. We encourage the Colombian Government to move forward with the expected reforms, particularly in the area of land tenure.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“This year marks a turning point in the implementation of this historic agreement for Colombia, with the organization of the second elections since it was signed, to be held in March, for the legislative elections, and in May, for the presidential elections. We note with interest the establishment of the institutions permitted by the agreement to allow for the proper development of these elections, including the transitional electoral tribunals designed to guarantee the transparency of the process. We encourage the actions that are being taken on the ground to promote the participation of all populations, including ethnic minorities, particularly in regions that were excluded because of armed conflict. We welcome the encouraging results of the innovative transitional justice system created by the agreement.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Carlos Ruiz Massieu for his updated report (S/2021/1090). I also thank Ms. Luz Marina Giraldo for her moving testimony. I welcome the presence among us of Mr. Emilio José Archila, Presidential Adviser for Stabilization and Consolidation. Five years after the signing of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, which opened up great prospects for peace and gave Colombia a better political and economic dynamic, we note that the dialogue between the parties to the agreement continues to be the reference point for its implementation, despite the persistent challenges, the effects of which have been aggravated by the coronavirus disease pandemic.”
2022-01-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8951 (2022) · source
“That is why we welcome the historic meeting in Israel on 28 December 2021 between the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Israeli Minister of Defence, Benjamin Gantz. We hope that the outcome of that meeting will give new impetus to international efforts for lasting peace in the region.”
2022-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8950 (2022) · source
“We support the vision of a Palestinian State coexisting with the State of Israel, within pre-1967 borders, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. To revive such prospects, my country calls on the Middle East Quartet and all stakeholders in the region to intensify their efforts to encourage Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume dialogue in good faith. The dialogue should be inclusive and involve all segments of society, including women. The creation of a Palestinian State is indeed a key step in concluding the peace process. Such peace will have an impact on the entire region. The futures of Israel and Palestine are inextricably linked. Therefore, only constant, earnest and direct dialogue between the parties will enable a lasting solution to be found to the conflict.”
2022-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8950 (2022) · source
“The unprecedented financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority and the budget issues of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East increase the urgency of the situation faced by the international community. We therefore call upon all parties to show restraint and refrain from aggressive rhetoric and unilateral actions, such as the settlement policy conducted by Israel and attacks on Israeli civilians, which will lead only to a further escalation of violence. Such acts are obstacles to the two-State solution and stability in the region. Gabon calls for the revival of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for genuine and lasting peace, based on the application of the rules of international law.”
2022-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8950 (2022) · source
“As we assess the situation in the Middle East in the light of recent developments in the region, we note that, despite several efforts made to promote peace and stability in that region of the world, genuine prospects for peace and development remain in jeopardy because of ongoing violence and tensions. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict is part of that tragic situation. The year 2021 was marked in particular by the 11- day war between Israel and Hamas during the month of May, which left many dead or injured. The year 2022 began with the violation of an already fragile ceasefire — Israeli strikes on Gaza and rocket fire on Israel. The humanitarian and economic situation in the Palestinian territories remains disturbing.”
2022-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8950 (2022) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I would like to begin by offering our condolences to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for the victims of the unacceptable missile attack against civilian infrastructure in Abu Dhabi. My country firmly condemns that attack. We welcome Norway’s commitment to the Middle East peace process. We also welcome Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland to today’s meeting and thank him for his very informative briefing. We followed with interest the briefings by Nada Majdalani and Gidon Bromberg on issues related to water sharing and advocacy on climate security.”
2022-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8950 (2022) · source