YouSaid · the spoken record

Blais

lines on the record

24

first

2018-05-22

most recent

2020-02-13

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3

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un-security-council

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1. “It engenders dignity and fosters trust and, as the evidence suggests, makes the possibility of achieving the aims of transitional justice more likely, which can only strengthen the State and society and lead to a more lasting and sustainable peace.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

2. “Innovations included monthly reparations disbursements that were paid to victims, who were also exempted from military service. Most recently, moreover, earlier this week, the Government of the Sudan announced several important decisions that promise to pave the way towards meaningful accountability for the Sudanese people. Canada welcomes those decisions. In conclusion, as the Security Council explores how to integrate transitional justice considerations and further build on its work, both in relevant country- specific contexts and across thematic areas, Canada believes that it will be critical to place victims at the centre of that effort. It is critical because it is empowering.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

3. “While reckoning with its own legacy, we applaud the Gambia’s efforts to foster such a process in Myanmar and contribute to the prevention of future atrocities committed against the Rohingya by launching proceedings against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. In Argentina, the State worked long and hard to confront past violations, including the disappearances of 30,000 people in the 1970s and 1980s. Innovations were adopted that put the needs of victims first, such as the truth trials that led to criminal trials and convictions and an active judicial system on victims’ rights generally. As highlighted by Ms. Bachelet, Chile embarked on large-scale truth-telling processes that identified victims and acknowledged the crimes committed against them between 1973 and 1990.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

4. “We are determined to bring the perspective that we have gained about the importance of reconciliation and a victim-centred approach into our work as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The first public hearings before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in the Gambia have begun. I believe that we will hear from the representative of the Gambia shortly. Those hearings are set to last two years, many of which will be televised. That is an incredible step. It will likely be a long and, at times, distressing journey full of sorrow and grief. We congratulate the Gambia for its commitment to a credible and inclusive transitional justice process and its engagement with the PBC. As Chair of the PBC, we hope to continue working with them this year and beyond.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

5. “We established two federal commissions: one documenting the history and lasting impact of the Canadian residential school system that separated children as young as 5-years-old from their families, punished them for speaking their own language and sought to extinguish indigenous cultures entirely and a commission into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls that examined the systematic causes of all forms of violence against indigenous women and girls, including, sadly, sexual violence. As Prime Minister Trudeau stated in 2017, the failure of successive Canadian Governments to respect the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada is our great shame. And for many indigenous peoples, the lack of respect for their rights persists to this day.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

6. “In seeking reconciliation with indigenous peoples in Canada, we are undergoing a very difficult, but necessary, exploration of our treatment of indigenous peoples and providing reparations for the harm that they have suffered. Their experience was mostly one of humiliation, neglect and abuse, including the economic disenfranchisement and exclusion from traditional lands of Inuit and First Nations Peoples and a systematic denial of the rights and history of the Métis.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

7. “While each country’s transitional justice path is shaped by its own unique history and cultural context, as we heard earlier this afternoon, the one striking advance in the field of transitional justice is that victims, often the most marginalized and vulnerable in society, have become visible and their dignity is recognized and respected. Transitional justice has helped victims and their families articulate their demands for justice and ensure that they are meaningfully engaged in shaping the legal and social policies that affect them. The centrality of the voice of victims and their families was critical to our own transitional justice processes.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

8. “We know that the recognition of responsibility is essential for a society to accept a history of widespread crime and abuse and for a lasting peace to emerge. That applies equally to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. (spoke in English) Justice is also about establishing a historical record on personal and institutional responsibility for mass atrocities, addressing gender inequality and social exclusion, providing access to remedies, reforming institutions and bringing about a degree of reconciliation between perpetrators and victims and guarantees of non-recurrence. Transitional justice has no magical powers. The journey to repairing harm is a process, not an event, and it can be painful and lengthy.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

9. “Ms. Blais (Canada) (spoke in French): I would like to commend Belgium for putting forward this crucial topic, which we hope will pave the way for us to explore how the Security Council can foster peace by supporting transitional justice initiatives in country-specific contexts. I would also like to thank Her Excellency Ms. Michelle Bachelet, Mr. Francisco de Roux and Ms. Yasmin Sooka for their thoughtful and insightful contributions to today’s debate (see S/PV.8723). We must identify victims. We must support victims. We must respond to their needs and ensure that they are at the heart of transitional justice. Canada’s foreign policy is based on the recognition of the importance of reconciliation and survivor-centred approaches.”

   2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723Resumption1 (2020) · source

10. “If we want to achieve meaningful and sustainable conflict resolution, we must continue to work together - with United Nations agencies, regional organizations and civil society partners - to systematically and meaningfully engage and empower women and youth so that they can be the architects of lasting peace.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

11. “From Colombiato Yemen, fromAfghanistan to Guinea-Bissau, mediation and dialogue efforts that include women and youth have succeeded in reaching breakthroughs that would not have otherwise been possible. The United Nations has made major strides in strengthening inclusive mediation, such as through the establishment of a gender-balanced High-level Advisory Board on Mediation, the work of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ghassan Salame' to ensure greater participation by women in Libya's national dialogue process, and the efforts of Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to ensure that the perspectives of women of all political stripes are incorporated into the Geneva process. However, despite this wealth of examples, prejudice and intimidation too often deter women and youth from participating in peace processes.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

12. “In the third instance, the extraordinary work that Peace Ambassadors are doing in Mali is another example of youth- and women-led initiatives that are driving peaceful change in conflict-affected areas. Peace campaigns, such as those organized by the non-governmental organization Search for Common Ground, are using radio as a tool to ensure the transmission of accurate, constructive and conflict- sensitive information about women's needs and rights to the general public and local authorities. Those initiatives illustrate what effective conflict mediation looks like on the ground, day to day. It takes the form of community peace dialogues, early-warning monitoring, information dissemination and dispelling false rumours, and active political engagement.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

13. “In the second initiative, Canada has been funding efforts to intense the engagement of women, youth and churches in support of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led peace process in South Sudan. We are also sponsoring a gender advisor within IGAD whose task is to ensure that women's views are shared and incorporated in the peace talks. The constructive role of women, youth and churches has made an important contribution to the peace agreement that was signed in June. Incidentally, this was one of the topics discussed last month by young people from across Canada who gathered in Edmonton, Alberta, for the South Sudan Youth of Canada Conference.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

14. “(spoke in English) The United Nations, regional and subregional organizations and civil society are already doing excellent work to involve women in mediation at the local level. Canada is proud to be supporting three such initiatives The first is in Burundi, where women have historically played an important role as agents of peace. Canada is a donor to the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund, which has done exemplary work in mediation and peaceful dispute settlement. In partnership with UN-Women, the Fund established a nationwide network of women mediators who organize local-level dialogues, work with provincial and local authorities and organize community dialogues. In only two years, the Fund has enabled hundreds of women mediators to mediate thousands of local conflicts, often preventing disputes from erupting into armed hostilities.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

15. “The briefers today have spoken eloquently about the vital role that mediation processes play in conflict resolution and prevention. I would like to pick up on the issue of including women and youth, and express Canada's full agreement with the call by the United Kingdom and others for an increase in the number of women mediators. A growing body ofresearch provides evidence that, when women's groups strongly influence peace negotiations, an agreement is much more likely to be reached, while when women's groups are not involved or have minimal influence, the chance of parties reaching a peace agreement diminishes considerably. The involvement of women's groups is also associated with much higher rates of implementation once an agreement is reached.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

16. “Ms. Blais (Canada) (spoke in French): Allow me to start by thanking the United Kingdom for convening this important debate. Let me also thank the Secretary-General, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Ms. Mossarat Qadeem from the PAIMAN Alumni Trust for their thought-provoking briefing today. I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to civil society actors and human rights defenders around the world for their courage in pursuing peaceful solutions to conflict. I am referring to people like Chantal Bilulu, a Congolese human rights defender who was recently in Ottawa to launch Women of Courage, a project to empower women peacebuilders at the grass-roots levels in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Philippines, South Sudan and the West Bank.”

    2018-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8334 (2018) · source

17. “Today those considerations constitute a significant goal for peacekeeping mandates. That is major progress, but it is clear that our work is far from over. Today, let us recommit together to shouldering our responsibility to prevent conflicts, protect civilians, and hold perpetrators of serious international crimes to account. The Council should rest assured that Canada will do its part.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

18. “The protection of civilians must take account of gender issues in order to be effective. That is why Canada's second national action plan on women, peace and security includes measures to protect women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict, as well as to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by international personnel. We must also remember the special challenges faced by persons with disabilities in conflict situations, including their access to humanitarian assistance. We encourage Member States that have not yet done so to join the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. When Canada last served on the Security Council, in 1999 and 2000, we fought to put the protection of civilians on the Security Council's agenda.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

19. “For example, last November, we launched the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. They have so far been endorsed by 62 Member States and are a set of political commitments that take an assertive stance on preventing unlawful child recruitment in the context of peacekeeping operations. Canada also launched the Elsie Initiative on Women in Peace Operations, a pilot project through which we will develop and test innovative approaches to increase the representation and participation of women in United Nations peace operations. We firmly believe that this will lead to more effective missions. (spoke in French) Lastly, Canada is working to address the needs of women and girls affected by conflict.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

20. “United Nations peacekeeping has helped to provide protection to millions of vulnerable people affected by conflict. On the ground, we have peacekeepers in the United Nations missions in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who are working tirelessly with international partners to protect civilians. We will soon be deploying personnel to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, another operation where the protection of civilians is mandated as its top priority. However, as the nature of conflicts changes, so too must modern peace operations. Canada is therefore also promoting innovative approaches to enhancing the protection of civilians in peacekeeping operations.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

21. “Canada will also explore options for assisting in investigating and documenting gross human rights violations and abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, especially in Rakhine state. Additionally, in both Syria and Iraq, Canada is funding evidence collection, analysis and documentation efforts to support the future prosecution of members of Da'esh and other parties for war crimes or other violations of international law. Let me be clear. In order to achieve sustainable peace in conflict zones, including Syria, the transition out of conflict must be accompanied by an inclusive process of accountability that addresses serious violations of international law by all parties to the conflict. Thirdly, Canada is working to strengthen the protection of civilians through peacekeeping.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

22. “Canada is outraged that attacks on civilians, health-care facilities and medical and humanitarian personnel persist. We call on the Council to clearly condemn direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and demand that parties to armed conflicts comply with their international humanitarian law obligations and with Council resolutions. Secondly, Canada is acting to ensure accountability. In Myanmar, Canada is committed to working closely with other countries, international organizations and civil society to establish lasting peace and reconciliation, and a clear pathway towards accountability for atrocities committed in Rakhine state. Specifically, we are coordinating with international partners to support existing evidence-gathering efforts and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

23. “Just last month, under Canada's Group of Seven (G-7) presidency, G-7 Ministers for Foreign Affairs committed to using their support to State and non-State parties to encourage effective implementation of international humanitarian law. That will be achieved through practical measures such as seeking commitments from partners to enhance respect for international humanitarian law, helping them incorporate it into their doctrines, field training and rules of engagement, and also assisting partners in ensuring that their judicial structures are capable of effectively addressing their own international humanitarian law violations, should they occur. We urge the members of the Council and all States Members of the United Nations to undertake a similar commitment.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source

24. “Let me begin by expressing my delegation's sincere appreciation to the Republic of Poland for convening today's important and timely ministerial open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Canada recognizes the urgent need for sustained high-level attention to this issue. At a time when violence and conflict threaten international security, Canada is joining efforts to build a more peaceful and secure world while putting the protection of civilians at the forefront of our actions, and we are grateful for the opportunity to explain how. We do this first by consistently advocating for compliance with international humanitarian law with a view to strengthening the protection of civilians.”

    2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source