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

“Had the international community failed to act in a timely manner, the toll on the economy, livelihoods and environment would have been detrimental to the entire process of stabilizing Yemen. The operation has averted what would have been the fifth largest oil spill from a tanker in history. That was made possible through the efforts of all stakeholders involved in the process, particularly the United Nations and all donors. The successful salvage operation offers us a lesson as to what concerted international efforts, coupled with the cooperation of local stakeholders, can achieve. It comes during the longest period of relative calm since the war erupted nearly a decade ago and is a vivid illustration of a peace dividend. It is a lesson that can be applied to the wider crisis in Yemen.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the members of the three African members of the Security Council (A3), namely, Ghana, Mozambique and my own country, Gabon. We thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and the Director of Operations and Advocacy of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Edem Wosornu, for their briefings. Our appreciation also goes to the civil society briefer, Ms. Amat Al-Salam Abdullah Abdo Al-Hajj, for providing us with her perspective. We welcome the participation of the representative of the Republic of Yemen at this meeting. The A3 welcomes the safe and successful transfer of more than 1 million barrels of oil from the decaying FSO SAFER to a replacement vessel.”
2023-08-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9396 (2023) · source
“The world is watching, and we must do everything in our power to address all issues that inhibit progress in the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013).”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“Finally, we commend the commitment and efforts of the countries contributing to the OPCW’s Trust Fund for Syria Missions. Such contributions help facilitate the work of the OPCW and make it possible for it to fully implement its mandate. The A3 encourages the parties to engage in a constructive and continuing dialogue. The completion of the elimination of Syria’s chemical-weapon programme is an important part of our common goal of international peace and security. We firmly believe that progress requires good faith on all sides. Only cooperation and consensus between the two sides can result in a just and definitive conclusion to the issue. We owe that to the Syrian people and to humankind as a whole.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“We are convinced that the Syrian Arab Republic’s exchanges and collaboration with United Nations bodies will be useful in building confidence and providing the necessary impetus to advance the various aspects of the programme and encourage further cooperation. However, the international community generally and the Council in particular must continue to be concerned about the potential re-emergence of chemical weapons and take the steps needed to accelerate action towards a world free of chemical weapons. The A3 remains committed to the norms established against the use of chemical weapons and supports all efforts aimed at eliminating their production, stockpiling or use. We reiterate our support for resolution 2118 (2013).”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“Moreover, we encourage Syria to complete the measures requested by the Executive Council 90 days ago to redress the situation regarding the 2017 chemical weapon attacks. Those measures are essential to shedding full light on Syria’s capabilities, so we call for enhanced cooperation between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and the Syrian National Authority. The amendment to the agreement signed by the Syrian Government, the United Nations Office for Project Services and the OPCW, extending its duration until 31 December, which will facilitate the Technical Secretariat’s mandated activities in the Syrian Arab Republic, concerning the complete elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme is likely to bring us closer to resolving the issue.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“We have taken note of the submission of the 116th report by the Syrian Arab Republic on activities carried out on its territory related to the destruction of its chemical weapons, as well as its chemical weapons production facilities, as requested by the Executive Council. In addition, the A3 welcomes the meeting between the OPCW Technical Secretariat and representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic on 22 and 23 June in Beirut, which represents a positive step forward in the implementation of the chemical weapons destruction programme in Syria. At the same time, serious issues remain unresolved. Syria has yet to provide sufficient information to enable the closure of all outstanding issues regarding its initial and subsequent declarations.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique would like to reiterate their full support for the Organization’s work as the main body responsible for ensuring the full implementation of the chemical weapons elimination programme in Syria. The report provides a sober account of both progress made and continuing gaps that persist. On the one hand, we must acknowledge Syria’s ongoing cooperation, including the recent six-month extension of the tripartite agreement facilitating the OPCW’s activities. That reflects a shared commitment to see this process through. It is in that sense that we welcome the conduct of limited in-country activities by a reduced team of the Declaration Assessment Team in Syria, as part of the OPCW Technical Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to fulfil its mandate, leading to reports communicated to the States parties in March and July.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council (A3), namely, Ghana, Mozambique and my own country, Gabon. We thank Director Adedeji Ebo for briefing us on the status of the implementation of the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. We welcome the participation of our colleagues the representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Türkiye in this meeting. We thank the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for its 118th monthly report covering the period from 24 June to 23 July (see S/2023/558).”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“Food insecurity is a reflection of the crisis of solidarity that challenges us as representatives of the peoples of the world and as human beings. We must respond to it more effectively and in a concerted way without further delay. Now more than ever, it is time to tackle the root causes of conflict. It is also essential to promote dialogue, mediation and diplomacy to resolve the disputes and tensions that lead to armed conflict. Conflict prevention is a key factor in guaranteeing food security and stopping the indignity of famine.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“We must safeguard emergency food stocks, in particular by consolidating existing mechanisms for post- conflict prevention, resolution and consolidation and integrate them absolutely into food crisis management, in line with the provisions of resolutions 2217 (2015) on hunger and security, resolution 2573 (2021) on the protection of essential civilian infrastructure in times of conflict and resolution 2417 (2018) which calls on parties to conflict not to obstruct the proper functioning of food systems and markets in conflict situations, on the one hand, and, on the other, offers technical assistance to fragile countries both in the areas of stockpiling reserves and in appropriate technologies. It is clear that food insecurity is a threat to global peace and security and exacerbates humanitarian crises.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“The call to action by Secretary-General António Guterres to accelerate the transformation of food systems must be welcomed and supported by all of us. Secondly, we must strengthen emergency response mechanisms to deal with acute food crises by reinforcing early warning systems, providing emergency food aid and coordinating efforts among humanitarian agencies and Member States.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“In those regions of chronic instability, skeletal children are dying of hunger and are at the mercy of birds of prey. This situation is morally unbearable. We must respond as the Security Council to which the peoples of the world have entrusted the fate of their security and dignity. Our response must go beyond superficial statements and must be commensurate with the challenge. We must mobilize a global effort to address the effects of armed conflict on global food security and, ultimately, prevent the emergence of new hotbeds of famine. First, we must make a greater commitment to financing adaptation to climate change and invest more in sustainable agriculture and long-term food security. That involves supporting small farmers, improving agricultural infrastructure and promoting environmentally friendly farming practices.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“At the same time, armed conflicts trigger and exacerbate humanitarian crises, poverty and famine. Those factors interact and reinforce each other, creating a vicious cycle of unsustainable suffering. Resolution 2417 (2018), adopted by the Council on 24 May 2018, recognizes the close link between armed conflict and food insecurity. The persistence of hunger challenges not only our humanity but also reduces to a fiction the international community’s efforts to end armed conflict. In many parts of the world, notably in the Sahel, the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa, armed and terrorist groups are deliberately destroying food stores, burning fields, preventing farmers from cultivating their land and destroying food production infrastructure and food transport and distribution systems.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“The resulting shortages very often generate famine and the diseases inherent in malnutrition and contribute to unravelling the social fabric of entire swathes of humankind. Civilians, in particular women and children, are the most exposed to its impacts. When it is not used as a weapon of war, famine is very often a source of conflict and instability in fragile States. As Africans, we know of what we speak. On the African continent, over 80 per cent of people facing food insecurity live in conflict-affected areas. The recent United Nations report on food security and nutrition in the world clearly highlights the impact of famine on armed conflict, for which it acts as a catalyst, as it does for other threats to international peace and security, including climate change.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“By adopting the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, the nations of the world have clearly and unanimously enshrined in their social contract that war has rules and that belligerence is absolutely not a legal vacuum in which all cruelties and atrocities are permitted. That framework of war connects us to our humanity even in the most troubled times. We cannot and must not lose sight, at any point, of the fact that famine is shameful and a serious affront to human dignity. It is even more unbearable when it is planned or maintained, given that resources are not lacking, as noted by Ms. Ghelani. Unfortunately, in many battlefields and hotbeds of tension around the world, famine is used as a weapon of war. Through senseless calculations, access to food is often impeded.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I congratulate the United States of America on its presidency of the Council and on the initiative of convening this important debate, which highlights the link between food insecurity and armed conflict. I would like to thank Ms. Reena Ghelani, United Nations Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, for her valuable contribution. I listened carefully to the poignant briefings of Ms. Navyn Salem and Mr. David Miliband. Our debate is taking place a week after the United Nations Food Systems Summit, which raised universal awareness of the alarming scope of global famine and hammered home the urgent need to tackle it. Above all, our meeting comes at a time when international security is generating more questions than answers.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“We call on donors to strengthen their commitment to Haiti through coordinated and sustainable actions. Haiti needs solidarity and support from all. We support UNICEF’s international advocacy as lead counsel on Haiti for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. The multifaceted crisis raging in Haiti must absolutely not be forgotten. To conclude, we reiterate our firm determination to continue to stand with the fraternal people of Haiti, and we encourage all political actors to choose dialogue and consultation in order to overcome their differences, bring peace to Haiti and build their future while also honouring the illustrious history that, in centuries past, made that valiant people proud.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“The A3 encourages joint initiatives undertaken by the country team and other United Nations stakeholders, including private partners, to implement the five-year cooperation framework for sustainable development signed on 19 April by the Haitian authorities and the United Nations. We are pleased that this framework is based on the link between peace, security and development, with a strategy to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, capacity-building and risk mitigation. Actions must be aimed at restoring the country’s productive capacity, providing employment opportunities for young people so that immigration is no longer the only way out, and enabling the country to respond to natural disasters and epidemics that cyclically imperil its social fabric.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“The A3 welcomes the holding of a meeting of the Economic and Social Council on 16 June and the presentation of the national plan for the recovery of the Haitian agricultural system, with the aim of bringing the country out of its critical food crisis. Child food insecurity must be tackled head-on in order to prevent it from worsening and to contain any long-term effects thereof. Every effort must be made to avoid sacrificing an entire generation of Haitians. Ghana, Mozambique and Gabon support the initiative by Secretary-General António Guterres to include Haiti in the 30 countries in which the Early Warnings for All initiative will be implemented. In the face of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, the Ebola epidemic and other threats, supporting Haiti in a sustainable manner requires vigorous, resolute and forward-looking action.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“Owing to the current critical state of emergency in terms of security, it is imperative to prioritize the financing of the joint programme to support the professionalization of the Haitian National Police. There is a dire need to raise the $28 million required to guarantee the security of the population. To date, only $17.7 million have been raised for that fund. The A3 calls for greater support for the justice sector, including the certification of judges and the reforms needed to enable the justice system to function properly. The conclusion of prominent court cases, which remain unresolved to date, is essential to regain the population’s trust and renew the social contract among Haitians.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“It is essential to combat violence in order to restore the authority of the State, rehabilitate economic conditions, stop human rights violations, rebuild the school and health-care systems and revive the economy. It is unacceptable that the Haitian people, including women and girls, have become the target of fighting between rival gangs. The scale of the violence is causing major population displacements within and outside the country, with more than 127,977 people displaced last March, according to the International Organization for Migration. The appointment of a United Nations expert on human rights is certainly welcome. The A3 calls for priority action to assist vulnerable demographic groups such as women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“The role of friendly countries, particularly that of CARICOM, is crucial. We welcome the good offices and other solidarity initiatives undertaken by this regional organization, in particular the establishment of a group of eminent representatives to facilitate dialogue among the stakeholders. Those actions must be rooted in the desire to help Haitians take their destiny into their own hands. The worsening violence, particularly in the Ouest department and the daily indiscriminate attacks on the population, including women and children, using snipers and other acts of barbarism, in violation of human rights, are unbearable. The emergence of vigilante groups and the ongoing violence in Port-au- Prince and beyond are equally worrisome.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“The participation of non-signatory groups and civil society, as well as that of many women, is the best way of paving the way, including through constitutional reform, towards the restoration of a political climate favourable to the organization of free and credible elections under conditions accepted by all. The A3 take note of the call addressed to the High Transitional Council to set up a group of experts to revise the Constitution and to organize popular consultations, as well as to set up a provisional electoral council with a view to holding elections. The people of Haiti must commit with greater courage and determination to rekindle hope and don the mantle of their historic resilience in a context of multiple crises — security, humanitarian, climate, political and governance.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“There is no need to discuss further the rampant insecurity that continues to seriously undermine the functioning of State institutions and the lack of resources available to the Haitian police to address it. What the Haitian people need today is urgent, concerted, targeted action to transform their daily lives, active international solidarity to break the vicious cycle of violence, large-scale mobilization of resources to implement the humanitarian response plan, estimated at $720 million, to help the 600,000 Haitians in need of humanitarian aid. On the political front, we support the efforts of the High Transitional Council for inclusive dialogue to reach the broadest and most representative consensus possible on the 21 December agreement, in particular through the holding of a national political forum on 23 and 24 May in Port-au-Prince.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I have the honour of making this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council (A3), namely, Ghana, Mozambique and my country, Gabon. I would like to thank Special Representative María Isabel Salvador for her briefing on the situation in Haiti. I also thank Ms. Gilles for her briefing. We welcome the participation in today’s meeting of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, on behalf of Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as well as that of the Foreign Ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The alarming situation and the multifaceted crisis in Haiti are well known to the Council.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“I believe that the adoption of resolution 2653 (2022) was a welcome initiative and that the Haitian people agree that the imposition of sanctions was an encouraging first step with a positive impact on the security situation. A number of the people I met expressed their expectation that the United Nations sanctions list would be expanded. Some of my interlocutors consider that United Nations sanctions could have a considerable impact on the behaviour of individuals who pose a threat to peace and stability.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“What was needed, they argued, was an integrated management of the crisis, including an inclusive political process, restoration of democratic institutions, institution-building and reform of the justice and security sectors. With regard to the last point, the Haitian National Police told us directly about their lack of capacity and technology. Along these lines, several of the people we met asked me about the prospects for a multinational force to help restore peace and security in Haiti. I replied that this question did not fall within the scope of the mandate given to me by the 2653 Sanctions Committee for the visit.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“I also met with the diplomatic corps and members of civil society, including women’s groups. I visited Elías Piña and Dajabón, two major crossing points between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where the Dominican authorities told me about the main problems their country faces as a result of the current context of insecurity and instability in Haiti. Almost everyone with whom the delegation met in Port-au-Prince welcomed the adoption of resolution 2653 (2022) and expressed their full support for the implementation of the United Nations sanctions regime. Some of the people I met told me that they hoped other individuals would be designated by the 2653 Sanctions Committee. Some of the people we met felt that addressing the current designated individuals was alone not enough to solve the many problems facing the country.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“María Isabel Salvador, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, and her leadership team. I met with the United Nations country team in Haiti, representatives of the diplomatic corps based in Port-au-Prince and members of civil society, including women’s groups. I am deeply grateful to all of them for their support regarding the organization and execution of the visit and for the open and informative exchanges that we had. In the Dominican Republic, I had the honour of meeting with President Abinader Corona, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence and the Deputy Ministers of the Interior and Police. In Santo Domingo, I was able to meet with the United Nations country team led by the Resident Coordinator ad interim.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“Its main purpose, as set out in the terms of reference adopted by the 2653 Sanctions Committee, was to obtain first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground following the United Nations-imposed sanctions on Haiti. I believe the visit helped to reaffirm the 2653 Committee’s engagement and commitment to working for the restoration of peace and stability in Haiti. In Port-au-Prince, I met with the Minister for Justice and Public Security as well as with the Minister of Economy and Finance and Customs, the Director General of the Haitian National Police, the Director General of the General Customs Administration and the members of the High Transitional Council. I was also able to meet with Ms.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“It is an honour for me to address the members of the Security Council, in my capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti, to provide a brief overview of my most recent visit to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, from 12 to 16 June. Due to the exceptional circumstances, I was not accompanied by members of the Committee during the visit, but that will not create a precedent for future field visits by Security Council Sanctions Committees. The visit took place almost seven months after the adoption on 21 October 2022 of resolution 2653 (2022), at a moment when Haiti is facing major political, economic, security and humanitarian challenges.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9368 (2023) · source
“It is important to restore trust among the parties and to refrain from any politicization of the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015). In that respect, the rapprochement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as the indirect talks held in mid-June in Oman between Iran and the United States, are steps in the right direction. I would like to conclude by reaffirming the importance my country attaches to the multilateral nuclear non-proliferation regime, with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as its central pillar, while reiterating our wish to see the implementation of the agreement return to a positive dynamic for all parties.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9367 (2023) · source
“We therefore call on all parties to return to the negotiating table and to engage in good faith, with a focus on dialogue and cooperation, with a view to returning to the full implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) and achieving the objectives of nuclear non-proliferation that would guarantee lasting peace in the region and the world. It is important for each party to show commitment and flexibility. We welcome the visit in March by Director General Rafael Grossi, as well as the joint declaration between the IAEA and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are encouraging signals on the road to appeasement and dialogue. We also echo the Secretary- General’s encouragement of the JCPOA participants and the United States to remain determined to find a diplomatic solution.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9367 (2023) · source
“The lack of progress with regard to the comprehensive and effective implementation of the JCPOA and resolution 2231 (2015) remains a concern for the international disarmament architecture generally and for nuclear non-proliferation in particular. The worrisome developments mentioned in the report and corroborated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) draw attention to the need to ensure international peace and security and to guard against nuclear war. That is an overriding objective for which the Council is responsible. The JCPOA represents a significant step forward in the common desire to make the world safer and free of nuclear weapons. The Council must do more to preserve that achievement and avoid any backsliding, which would only increase the uncertainty surrounding our collective security.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9367 (2023) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Head of the Delegation of the European Union Olof Skoog for their briefings on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015). I also thank Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, Permanent Representative of Malta, in her capacity as Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015). The fifteenth report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) (S/2023/473) and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) underscores our belief in the continuing relevance of the Plan as the best diplomatic option for guaranteeing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme.”
2023-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9367 (2023) · source
“In conclusion, I reiterate our support for the efforts of Special Representative Gamba de Potgieter, while underscoring the importance of implementing international legal instruments and strengthening international cooperation to ensure better protection and a better future for children in armed conflict.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“Without a doubt, we must go beyond the significant progress made in talks between the United Nations and armed groups in order to better protect children in armed conflict. It is up to every State to guard against the spectre of violence against children by taking concrete measures. First, States must make national legislation on the protection of children as robust as possible and sufficiently dissuasive and ensure that, in times of conflict or peace, the perpetrators of atrocities or violations of children’s rights are held to account. Secondly, education and access to health care and the eradication of poverty and hunger are essential links in the prevention of violence against children. Education is a key lever in the fight against obscurantism, fanaticism and terrorism.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“We must ensure the implementation of the relevant legal instruments at our disposal to give full effect to the protection of children in conflict, in particular resolutions 1612 (2005) and 2427 (2018). In all conflict zones in which the safety and dignity of children are under threat, humanitarian access must be unhindered and the parties to conflict must strictly respect international humanitarian law and adhere to relevant resolutions of the Council, in particular resolutions 1998 (2011), 2143 (2014) and 2601 (2021). The partnership concluded between the United Nations and UNESCO to combat attacks on schools, with a view to guaranteeing quality education for all, is a lever for action that must be supported at the global and national levels.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“In some crisis-stricken countries, children are used as scouts at checkpoints to gather intelligence or plant improvised explosive devices. In crisis-affected countries, programmes to rehabilitate, reintegrate and assist children separated from armed groups must be systematically implemented, taking into account their age and gender as well as the progress made in repatriating them to their countries of origin and treating them as victims. The protection of children in armed conflict must remain a priority on the Council’s agenda. Children must be able to live anywhere in a stable and safe environment in which their fundamental rights are respected and protected.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“The Secretary-General’s report highlights a persistence and resurgence of gender-based violence, in particular rape, forced marriage and other kinds of sexual violence that have an impact on the physical and mental health of children. That is compounded by child labour, trafficking, smuggling and numerous attacks on schools and health facilities that are used for military purposes and deprive children of their right to education and health services. My country remains deeply concerned about the use of explosive devices on the battlefield. Such devices brutally kill and maim countless children. In Africa, many forcibly recruited children serve as combatants, scouts, mine testers, messengers and cooks. Some are used as human shields. Women and girls are used as sex slaves.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“According to the report of the Secretary- General (S/2023/363), children are the victims of murder, maiming and physical violence, abduction, denial of humanitarian access and recruitment and use in terrorist organizations in various regions of the world affected by armed conflict. The year 2022 was particularly horrific for children in various conflict zones throughout the world. There were 24,300 violations of children’s rights, 2,985 murders, 5,655 cases of maiming, 7,622 instances of recruitment, 3,985 abductions and 2,496 detentions for actual or alleged association with armed groups. Those numbers must be said outloud for us to grasp the gravity of the situation.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I congratulate the United Arab Emirates on its outstanding presidency of the Security Council in the month of June. I congratulate you, Madam President, and the United Kingdom on your assumption of the presidency of the Council this month, as well as on convening today’s important debate on children and armed conflict. The briefings provided by Special Representative Virginia Gamba de Potgieter and Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi are particularly serious and alarming. The moving testimony and recommendations given by Ms. Violeta underscore the gravity of the situation.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“My country reiterates its support for the Director- General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and calls on the parties to respect the five principles guaranteeing nuclear safety and security. We are opposed to any politicization or trivialization of the nuclear issue. Nuclear power plants are civilian infrastructure protected by international humanitarian law. Diplomacy must prevail over the mindset of force and the proliferation of weapons, which will fuel escalation of the conflict. My country calls on the warring parties to facilitate safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to all areas in need. In conclusion, we reiterate our call for de-escalation and good-faith negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.”
2023-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9364 (2023) · source
“Both sides’ announcements of offensives and counter-offensives give reason to fear a more serious toll in terms of loss of life and mass-scale population displacement. The recurrent attacks carried out by the warring parties against the Zaporizhzhya power plant raise the risk of a nuclear catastrophe, while, at the same time, the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, as a source of ecological, human and economic insecurity, continue to loom. My country condemns the use of all forms of weapons with indiscriminate effects targeting civilian populations and infrastructure, including remote-controlled weapons that unnecessarily inflict suffering on populations and serve to further terrorize them.”
2023-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9364 (2023) · source
“Mr. Biang (Gabon) (spoke in French): I thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her informative briefing. We listened attentively to Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Bowes and Mr. Radchenko. After 16 months of war, Ukraine remains immersed in an unprecedented spiral of violence. The war has led to terrible human suffering and a humanitarian situation with devastating consequences. Against that backdrop, the food and energy crises are the making the prospect of achieving lasting peace even more remote. According to the most recent report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 24,862 civilians have been killed and 1,000 health facilities have been attacked; and, according to UNESCO, 260 sites have been damaged.”
2023-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9364 (2023) · source
“We call for the greater involvement of States that have influence on the parties with a view to achieving a lasting political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is worsening tensions throughout the region.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“We call for Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza completely, in accordance with resolution 1860 (2009), in order to allow unhindered access for humanitarian aid. We reiterate our call for funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in order to guarantee the Agency’s stabilizing action at a time when it urgently needs to restore its operating capacities. In conclusion, Gabon reiterates its call for restraint, dialogue and a cessation of hostilities. We urge the parties to respect the Council’s resolutions, in particular resolution 2334 (2016), and to implement the commitments made in Aqaba and Sharm El-Sheikh.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“To that end, Gabon reiterates its support for the vital role played by the Kingdom of Jordan in its official custodianship of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites. We urge all parties to refrain from all forms of inflammatory rhetoric and posturing and other provocations that could reignite tensions. The situation in Gaza remains particularly difficult, marked by restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza. Those restrictions are contributing to the precarious living conditions of more than 2 million Palestinian residents. Although the movement of goods across the two borders has increased and the number of exit permits issued by Israel for work purposes rose sharply during May, the conditions for eligibility for exit permits remain drastic.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source
“We reaffirm that the policies of settlement and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes and demolitions of those homes are not only contrary to international law but also increase tensions and therefore create major obstacles to the realization of a two-State solution. We urge sincerely for efforts to achieve that solution and to build a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. At the same time, respect for the historical and legal status quo of the holy sites of Jerusalem is critical to the peaceful coexistence of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. It represents a key consensus that neither party should call into question, which would jeopardize the possibility of dialogue in the Middle East peace process.”
2023-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9361 (2023) · source