YouSaid · the spoken record

Byaje

lines on the record: 66
first: 2015-10-14
most recent: 2019-10-07
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“ECCAS values the AU technical support for our organ of early- warning system, which will help it in reaching its operationalization to the level of other regional organs and enable it to deliver on its mandate. In conclusion, let me reiterate the strong commitment of ECCAS to the importance of investing in the prevention of conflicts and relying on preventive diplomacy - instead of using force - in mediation efforts as the only viable path leading towards conflict resolution.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“In contributing to those initiatives, ECCAS will continue to push for regular COPAX meetings during the Summit of Heads of State and Government, while ensuring reporting on its work on a daily basis to inform the decision ofHeads of State and trigger action if needed. ECCAS commends the United Nations for recognizing the role of complementarity played by regional and subregional organizations, mainly in the pacific settlements of disputes. The AU reform gives an even more important role to the regional economic communities, and the ECCAS reform has taken into account all those changes and the contributions and new responsibilities assigned to them.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Among their stumbling blocks are the decision-making process and the lack of human, logistical and financial resources. There is therefore a great need to build their capacity to enable them to mount fast interventions in an emergency situation - often hampered by the tedious nature of decision-making, as it requires a green light from the Conference of Heads of State and Government to be put into motion. In order to meet those challenges, ECCAS urges our economic and financial partners to enhance the capacities of the Central Africa Early Warning Mechanism and of the Central Africa Multinational Force in the image of the AU Peace and Security Council or the Security Council.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“We witnessed a peaceful transition of power for the first time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has led to positive changes. The just-concluded national dialogue in Cameroon has sparked new hope in the resolution of differences affecting communities. At this juncture, it is important to mention that ECCAS is about to conclude an institutional reform that will boost the capacity of the Central Africa Early Warning Mechanism and the Central Africa Multinational Force, with a view to aligning them with the continental architecture. Currently, those two bodies are quite challenged, and their level of intervention minimized, despite their comparative advantage with regard to their proximity to the scene of action.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Some of the latest positive developments owing to the role played by regional organizations include the collaboration of ECCAS, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and neighbouring States in supporting the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. The panel of facilitators - made up of ECCAS member States and actors from neighbouring countries - as well as the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the engagement of the European Union in that process were instrumental in the implementation of the African Initiative road map and in easing tensions with armed groups, which led to the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Within the framework of subsidiarity, complementarity and solidarity, the AU, the United Nations, ECCAS and other regional entities have worked together to coordinate and harmonize their interventions in terms of prevention and addressing the root causes of conflicts. Allow me to illustrate some areas of collaboration and joint action conducted under regional arrangements with several examples that have yielded tangible results. Progress has indeed been achieved through several mediation, good offices and political missions that have eased hostilities and recently resolved political crises.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“It is urgent to realize that those changing realities of conflicts coming in sophisticated and multifaceted dimensions in the area of conflict prevention call for a drastic shift in our response. That is at the root of the new and innovative approach prompting the AU and its main pillars, namely, the regional economic communities and member States, to try to embrace other avenues and endogenous solutions to peace and security issues. In order to achieve that noble goal, Africa is leaning towards financing a major part of its own operations of maintaining peace while expecting assistance from this organ, which holds the responsibility of maintaining peace and security in the world. Pooling predictable resources to find adequate solutions to the challenges remains relevant in complementing efforts to be deployed.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“ECCAS will therefore continue to work in tandem with the AU and the United Nations through the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa in building capacity to empower those agents of change, namely, women and youth, so as to ensure their equal participation in all efforts deployed to promote peace and security and in enabling them to play a central role in leadership and decision-making. Collaboration among all those actors is also needed to curb and eradicate the proliferation of small arms and light weapons ifwe are to silence the guns by 2020, create the necessary conditions for development to thrive and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Worth mentioning are also cross-cutting issues linked with human trafficking, smuggling and illicit cross-border trade, as well as arms proliferation. We note with concern long-standing traditions, such as transhumance and pastoralism, that have now become sources of conflicts, triggering instability and the resurgence of negative forces and armed groups looting natural resources. Battling those challenges in a holistic and inclusive manner has been promoted by all parties involved. In that regard, ECCAS lauds the meaningful involvement in preventive efforts by women and youth networks, which have proven to be a strong asset to rely on in order to achieve lasting peace.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“In that framework, the Heads of State and Government have vowed to enhance the promotion of peace and security at the highest level as a prerequisite to improve citizens' living conditions, security and stability in the region. However, preventing conflicts of different natures from erupting in the region, leading to social crises, and curbing systemic problems rooted in poverty and all sorts of exclusion, as well as governance issues at the root of political and institutional conflicts, have proven to be a tedious exercise. Tensions tend to escalate during electoral processes, while attacks related to terrorism and violent extremism and their corollary of forced migration, transnational crimes and maritime insecurity are on the rise, eating away all resources devoted to development.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“ECCAS, which focused initially on the promotion and enhancement of harmonious cooperation and balanced and self-sustained economic and social development in all areas, with the ultimate goal of realizing regional integration, was then compelled to reinforce its objectives in February 1999 with the creation of the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa (COPAX), whose core mission was to prevent and resolve conflicts in the subregion. Since its inception, COPAX has focused its action on the area of conflict prevention, early warning mechanisms and, more recently, strengthening cooperation with civil society organizations active in the area of conflict prevention. Political and diplomatic actions have also been conducted to counter and control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Before delving into today's theme, allow me to revisit briefly the security situation in Central Africa - a region prone to all sorts of conflicts owing to its geographic location at the heart of a volatile geopolitical landscape that is regularly marked by recurrent conflicts that adversely compromise peace and security, with a negative bearing on the subregion's community. It is worth mentioning that that alarming state of affairs has been in the making not as of today or yesterday, but mainly since the period from 1992 to 1998, during which seven of our 11 States members went through violent wars and devastating genocide, prompting the institution to embrace a new orientation in its objectives.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“In that respect, ECCAS acknowledges the milestones achieved in addressing issues that are impeding peace and security, putting forward conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy and good offices through our strategic partnership with the United Nations and the African Union (AU) and thanks to the assistance of our bilateral and multilateral partners, civil society and networks of women and youth. In that regard, my contribution to this debate will focus on three major points. I will first give a brief historical background on the involvement of ECCAS in peace and security issues. I will then highlight areas of cooperation with other entities, before concluding by looking at the remaining gaps and challenges, calling for concerted actions to speed up the implementation of initiatives aimed at preventing conflicts.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Mrs. Byaje: At the outset, let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this debate on peace and security in Africa, with a focus on the centrality of preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and the resolution of conflicts. We also wish to thank you, Sir, for providing this platform and opportunity to review the efforts made in this particular field with a view to enhancing collaboration and building more ties while also opening up opportunities for closer operational cooperation. The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) highly appreciates the contributions shared during this debate. Maintaining global peace and security requires collaboration among several actors.”
2019-10-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8633 (2019) · source
“Finally, ECCAS counts on the support of all its partners in the implementation of the Kinshasa Convention so that we may eradicate arms trafficking in the subregion, devoting ourselves fully to development efforts and giving a decent and promising future to our young people. The meeting rose at 12.55 pm.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“We undoubtedly still face major challenges, but it is important to recognize that with the continued support of strong leadership and sustained political will on the part of the Heads of State of the subregion, as well as community ownership in confronting the challenges and a better sharing and exchange of information and best practices in the field of security, ECCAS is confident that Central Africa will be able to tackle its security challenges and guarantee a lasting peace that favours sustainable development efforts in the subregion. In that regard, ECCAS will continue to encourage exchanges among its members at the highest level and among young people in order to ensure the regular monitoring and assessment of the progress being made in joint projects and important issues on peace and security.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“Finally, we must continue to urgently address the scourges that are drawing in young people, such as terrorism, the narcotics trade and the sale of illicit weapons, in order to create a climate of security and stability that is favourable to investment and development. ECCAS will continue to involve all actors, including civil society, women's groups, young people and other regional communities with a View to building interregional security cooperation. Lastly, the building and restoring of lasting peace would also benefit from the solidarity and support of bilateral and multilateral partners in capacity-building initiatives that are aimed at conflict resolution and mediation.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“We must seek support in organizing training workshops and exchange programmes for young champions and leaders in the field of peace and security, and sending them to train other young people in their own countries. The private sector and civil society must be engaged in the training and recruitment of young people and go further by putting young people first as private sector stakeholders able to create stable jobs in the modernization of agriculture. We should improve access to land for young people and modernize the agricultural sector so that the work is less arduous and more attractive. We should provide microcredit financing to young people and support them in their initial steps in becoming productive agents.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“As part of its goal to establish a regional framework for monitoring the implementation of regional plans, ECCAS should, among other things, ensure that young people participate as key partners in decision-making in all matters that may affect them. We should assist ECCAS in its efforts to create a framework for ongoing dialogue among young people in the subregion, particularly with regard to regional integration, aimed at sharing experiences, good practices and lessons learned in creating jobs through entrepreneurship. We must support the countries of the subregion in developing reliable statistics to ensure that all young people are counted.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“That challenge requires ECCAS, above all and especially in view of the increasingly young population and the growing number of young people in the labour market, to do the following. We must develop the skills and competences of young people by giving them access to quality education and vocational training in order to prepare them for the new demands of the employment sector. We must invest in productive sectors with high growth potential so as to generate decent jobs areas, such as industrialization or agriculture. We should implement the instruments adopted by the African Union for young people as an effective and sustainable means of economic transformation. We must seek financial support for our efforts to implement projects for the empowerment of and job creation for young people.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“ECCAS' preferred solutions for promoting peace from a regional perspective include, inter alia, conflict prevention and crisis management by addressing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, pursuant to the Kinshasa Convention. With regard to today's theme, young people should play a lead role in peacebuilding by contributing more to activities planned under the Kinshasa Convention and strengthening prevention and early warning and response systems. I would be remiss ifI did not mention other possible solutions to optimizing the important potential of our youth in the structural transformation of Africa and the subregion, especially those aimed at counteracting the risks incurred by the marginalization of unemployed young people, who are insufficiently equipped to enter the labour market.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“However, achieving lasting peace first requires the elimination of the root causes of the conflicts that are plaguing the subregion, affecting first and foremost the lives of members of the community, especially those children and young people caught up in the vicious circle of violence being perpetrated by armed groups. Worse still, these destabilizing agents - driven by the desire to control of natural resources - commit unspeakable crimes, sow terror in their wake and strip and rob innocent citizens of their property, their rights and their dignity. Young people are paying a particularly heavy price as a result of rising unemployment and school drop-out rates, making them easy targets for the instigators of terrorism.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“I cannot fail to mention the African Union high-level meeting that took place on 11 and 12 October 2018, bringing together regional economic communities under the theme "Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020: actions for an accelerated response", with special emphasis on the gradual march towards peace through democratic transitions in certain countries. In that context, the General Secretariat of ECCAS has established very close collaboration with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) in implementing a project to support African States as part of the vision of "Silencing the guns in Africa by 2020: capacity-building in Central Africa".”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“Against that frame of reference, I want to explain my proposal for including youth mobilization in the implementation of the Kinshasa Convention, together with the cooperation of our strategic partners, particularly the United Nations and the African Union, in the fight against arms proliferation. The joint framework within which those two institutions work with regional communities, including ECCAS, to consolidate peace and security by promoting synergistic efforts as part of the Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative deserves to be encouraged for many reasons. In that context, the twelfth annual United Nations- African Union joint consultative meeting on the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts took place on 11 and 12 March, with a special focus on the Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020 initiative.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“When the African Union adopted the Silencing the Guns initiative in 2013, it was in the wake of the 2010 adoption by the Heads of State of Central Africa of the Central African Convention for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and All Parts and Components That Can Be Used for Their Manufacture, Repair and Assembly, known as the Kinshasa Convention. The Convention, which entered into force on 8 March 2017, is aimed at helping States to effectively combat flows of illicit, devastating and destabilizing weapons, and contains provisions for the tracing and marking, transfer, possession, record- keeping and stockpile management of small arms.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“Despite the efforts that have been made to prevent conflicts, Central Africa is unfortunately seeing the expansion of many armed groups committing unspeakable crimes and continuing to make the ECCAS region a theatre for destabilizing conflicts that result from numerous underlying causes and paralyse socioeconomic development. Their common denominator takes many forms, such as marginalization and exclusion on a basis of ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status or region.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“That is why the theme of this debate, which is part of the Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020 initiative, is timely, because it is one of the top priorities of the Heads of State and Government of our subregion. The commitment to ending all conflict by 2020 is not only emphasized in the African Union's Agenda 2063 but, most importantly, is prioritized in its first Ten- Year Implementation Plan. On behalf of the Economic Community ofCentral African States (ECCAS), I would therefore like to make a modest contribution to this debate under the umbrella topic of peace and security in Africa, specifically by focusing on mobilizing youth towards the specific goal of silencing the guns by 2020.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“At the outset, Mr. President, I would like to congratulate your brotherly country, the Republic of South Africa, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October. I want to commend your choice oftopics for the Council's consideration this month, which are ofparticular interest to our subregion. I also thank all the members of the Security Council and the briefers for their constructive contributions to this debate. While the world today is facing multiple humanitarian crises arising from various natural and environmental disasters, it is fair to say that those in Central Africa are the result not only of such disasters but also of armed conflicts fuelled by the disproportionate proliferation of weapons throughout the region.”
2019-10-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8629 (2019) · source
“To that end, ECCAS welcomes the collaboration with its strategic partners, particularly the United Nations, the African Union and the other regional economic communities, as well as civil society and the private sector, in exchanging experiences and good practices. Finally, we welcome the support of those partners in pooling human and material resources at the regional, national and continental levels with a view to charting the way forward and identifying the collective actions to be taken to win the fight against sexual violence.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“To conclude, the ultimate goal of today's debate can be attained by adhering to the different preconditions that we have just cited. If we establish all the necessary circumstances, we will be able to arrive at practical solutions for transforming the negative experiences of victims of rape and sexual violence into positive developments so as to restore human dignity and eliminate once and for all violence against women and the structural obstacles to their economic, social and political empowerment and gender equality. ECCAS will continue its reach out to member States to encourage them to accelerate the implementation of their national plans on resolution 1325 (2000), as well as the legal decisions and instruments adopted to enable women to participate in all spheres of life.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“In order to address the root causes of all forms of violence against women and girls, the following essential steps have been proposed in some ofour member States' national plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), which should be encouraged and supported: first, allocating resources to prevent sexual abuse and mitigate its consequences, while raising awareness of violence against women in conflict settings; secondly, strengthening social justice mechanisms and creating institutional and legal frameworks to facilitate access to justice, while developing policies to fight impunity; thirdly, monitoring and evaluating progress; fourthly, prosecuting the perpetrators of such crimes and providing support and reparations to survivors of sexual violence; and lastly, ensuring that women are represented in the contingents deployed in peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, as well as in post-conflict building, and sharing good practices with local authorities.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Allow me to recall an example that was highlighted so eloquently by the representative of Rwanda, namely, the 250,000 rape victims of Rwanda - one of our member States - during the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994, who saw their hopes and dreams forever shattered, especially since the majority of them contracted HIV/AIDS. I am also compelled to mention the daily abuses suffered by women in the areas where armed groups thrive in our subregion. Such heinous and humiliating crimes, such as rape, sexual abuse and violence against women in times of conflict, rob victims of all dignity and lead to discrimination against them and stigmatization, while leaving them with moral, physical and psychological wounds.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“It should also be emphasized that the economic and social empowerment of women is at the heart of all the actions undertaken in the context of national plans, because it is indeed a cross-cutting issue in all sectors. It is therefore imperative, including in the areas of peace, security and inclusive governance, that a favourable climate be established to ensure that women participate actively in mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well as in post-conflict building efforts, while benefiting from laws that protect them in armed conflict.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“To that end, a change in our practices and actions in peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions, as well as in the protection of civilians, is essential if we are to eradicate the scourge. It is in that context that ECCAS is striving to consolidate early warning mechanisms to strengthen its capacities in preventing and managing armed conflict by advocating for the participation of women in peace and security processes. It is also for the sake of contributing to that effort that seven of its 11 member States have adopted national action plans on innovative resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. A regional action plan for the resolution's implementation has also been approved and adopted by member States.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Despite the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions, which have been crucial in raising awareness regarding violence against women and girls during times of conflict and in humanitarian environments in which they are regularly raped and abused with full impunity, nonetheless women and girls continue to be subjected to all kinds of sexual abuse in the midst of conflict, where the use of that inhumane and degrading practice has become the norm and rape is a weapon of war. It is urgent that we put an end to that trend in the name of the young girls, women and children who are seeing the world crumble around them without any hope of resuming a normal life or having their attackers brought to justice.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“It is a pledge of your firm commitment to address that worrying question with renewed vigour in order to finally move from words to deeds. The Economic Community of Central African States congratulates you, Mr. President, on this undertaking and takes the opportunity to commend the concrete initiatives taken by its member States, as well as their sustained political will, as evidenced by the implementation of laws, policies and mechanisms to address abuses of women in conflict-affected areas. ECCAS continues to assure its member States of its full collaboration in the process of aligning national legislation with regional and international instruments.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“On behalf of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), I would like to start by thanking the delegation of Germany for the excellent work carried out during its presidency of the Council during this month of April, and by wishing you, Mr. President, every success in the work that remains to be done. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, as well as all the other speakers who have preceded me, for their constructive contributions to this open debate. The choice of today's topic reflects your commitment, Sir, to the protection and advancement of women and girls against sexual violence in conflict situations, within the United Nations humanitarian framework.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“These practices could provide opportunities to increase awareness of the situation at hand and where necessary contribute to the accuracy ofthe information at the disposal of the United Nations that could lead to taking appropriate action.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“It is deplorable to note that in some of the countries on the agenda, many of the peacebuilding projects have either collapsed or failed owing to the absence ofa sustained funding model, as many of them had short financing cycles that could not be pursued beyond the immediate aftermath of the conflict. To offset this problem, we hope to see a more enhanced and more flexible Peacebuilding Fund playing a greater role in this regard. Despite the challenges in specific country configurations, we are nonetheless encouraged by the efforts deployed by the country-specific configuration Chairs, particularly the increased number of visits to countries on the agenda to interact with various stakeholders.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“Those include the enhancement of its advisory and coordination role, the marshalling of resources and continued advocacy on behalf of the countries on its agenda, as well as acting as a bridge between the principal organs of the United Nations, including the Council. We therefore call for continued advocacy on behalf of the countries on the agenda and deem it imperative to help underscore the political and socioeconomic progress made to attract assistance and/or investment aligned with national priorities. However, such priorities cannot materialize without predictable and sustainable financing.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“While other United Nations specialized agencies have played a greater role in those areas, the Security Council could still play a more proactive role, especially in countries on its agenda and/or where peace operations have been deployed. In that respect, the report of the Advisory Group of Experts summarily concluded that sustaining peace is not a peripheral activity for the United Nations, but a core task implicit in the Charter of the United Nations, which should be applied across the whole United Nations spectrum. The report further states, in its conclusion, that the Peacebuilding Commission needs to be revitalized so as to increase its ability to better support efforts to find sustainable and durable solutions.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“We share the views expressed in the concept note (8/2016/586, annex) relating to how supporting institution-building and ensuring national ownership have helped to lay the foundation for sustainable peace. We also believe that the processes of democratization, the rule of law, unity and reconciliation, as well as inclusive social economic development, help to build a society resilient to conflict and should be viewed as key pillars when addressing the root causes of conflicts. It is regrettable, however, to note that the Council tends to react more to ongoing conflict rather than deal effectively with vital aspects such as prevention.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“For countries on the Peacebuilding Commission's (PBC) agenda, as well as for other countries in which peacebuilding activities are ongoing, the relapses into conflict lead one to question whether local political mechanisms, capacities and conflict dynamics have been taken into account in the formulation of peacebuilding programmes. The deteriorating developments in some countries in Africa are, unfortunately, very concerning, especially with regard to those that had achieved a degree of progress earlier. There is a need for the international community, in general, and the United Nations, in particular, to adopt targeted post-conflict measures that address the root causes of a particular conflict, while, at the same time, respecting the specificity of each situation.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“If we look at the trajectory of my own country, Rwanda, during the past 22 years - that of a failed State in a post-conflict situation, which has become one of the many contributors to peacekeeping operations - we can rightly state that peacebuilding is an important process, not only in dealing with the aftermath of conflicts but also in laying the foundations that sustain peace, thereby contributing to long-term conflict prevention. However, as the recently concluded review of the peacebuilding architecture has indicated, peacebuilding is both a political and technical process and the United Nations continues to struggle to close critical gaps as it tries to apply existing top-down technical strategies to the political realities on the ground, which has led to its inability to fill the gaping hole identified in 2005.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“The parallel reviews of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture - the report of the Advisory Group of Experts (S/2015/490) and the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (S/2015/446) - and the global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), coupled with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (General Assembly resolution 70/ 1), afford the United Nations with the opportunity to rethink how to adequately and strategically engage in the effort to sustain peace.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“I thank you, Sir, and your delegation for organizing this important debate. Allow me also to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Her Excellency Ms. Amina Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Kenya; and His Excellency Ambassador Smail Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union (AU), for their briefings. This debate is indeed timely in the light of the numerous relapses and the two conflicts raging in our beautiful continent, Africa. We therefore believe that recommendations generated by discussions of this nature can significantly contribute to the improvement and streamlining of practices in peacebuilding and provide stakeholders with adequate responses aimed at curbing the proliferation of conflicts.”
2016-07-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7750 (2016) · source
“Its devastating effects linger forever. In Rwanda, we have been battling them for the past 21 years. Luckily, we have been gifted with an enlightened leadership that, in tandem with the Rwandan population, has conducted numerous consultations and national dialogues to address the multifaceted challenges it faces, including ending impunity and preventing its future occurrence. Rwanda will diligently continue to do its part and expects the international community and the United Nations to do theirs.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“We hope that Member States will discourage such practices in their territories in order to avoid similar incidents. In conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity, to thank the ICTR judges and staff for their contribution to humankind in the fight against impunity. We wish the best of luck to those who will still continue to work for the Residual Mechanism and assure them of Rwanda's continued cooperation. Let me also thank Chile for its leadership in chairing the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals. Allow me to end this statement with the following words - prompted by a tweet I read this morning, stating that the Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda has claimed more lives in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo -just to stress the following message. Genocide is not an ordinary crime.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“Another important point that was overlooked pertains to the compensation of the victims of the genocide for their loss. That remains a dark spot on the Tribunal's legacy when compared to that of the Gacaca courts, which recognized and honoured victims, and provided compensation for their looted and destroyed property. Let me emphasize the need to fight genocide and its ideology, and reiterate our belief that giving a media platform to an individual convicted of the crime of genocide is wrong and unethical. The recent media interview with the unrepentant mastermind of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Jean Kambanda, was not only an insult to the victims but also a platform to spread Kambanda's evil motives, which remain fresh in the memory of many Rwandans.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source
“We believe that there should be no ambiguity in the understanding of the matter. In the aftermath of a conflict, archives help to transfer historical realities into a shared understanding of the past. The primary beneficiary should be the sole proprietor of such materials. I would emphasize that those archives are a part of our history, and it is of paramount importance that they be preserved in Rwanda for the sake of future generations. Rwandans, as the people most concerned by those historical records, which constitute the most thoroughly depicted and comprehensive account of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, are indeed entitled to them. We hope that all stakeholders will understand the legitimacy of our request and do us justice.”
2015-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7574 (2015) · source