YouSaid · the spoken record

Christoph Heusgen

lines on the record: 300
first: 2020-04-16
most recent: 2021-02-11
sittings or episodes: 63
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It also means that we must respect the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and that we respect human rights. Unfortunately, we have not yet fully achieved those goals, and we are in fact in a very critical phase. Speakers before me mentioned that point. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in violation of the sovereignty of an independent country violates the United Nations Charter and shows that the law of the strongest is still sometimes operative. Unfortunately, over the last few years, we have seen a great deal of disrespect for Security Council resolutions, particularly with regard to the Middle East and Libya.”
2020-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/489 (2020) · source
“The time since 1945 has been the most peaceful period in European history. The European Union is therefore a truly historic achievement. The European Union was made strong by the rule of law and the strength of the rule of law, not by the law of the strongest. Conflicts in Europe are resolved peacefully at the European Court of Justice. This is how we want the United Nations also to succeed. We are deeply convinced that the United Nations can achieve the same results. What that means is that we actually do our job in the Security Council to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and through respect for the rule of law, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and resolutions by the Security Council, which, according to the Charter, are legally binding.”
2020-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/489 (2020) · source
“I welcome Mr. Josep Borrell to the Security Council. To see him in the Council triggers a bit of emotion for me because I had the pleasure of working for his first predecessor, his countryman Javier Solana, between 1999 and 2005, as the head of the policy unit. It was wonderful to work for the European Union (EU). Let me say that I subscribe to everything that Mr. Borrell said in his briefing. In his statement, José Singer Weisinger, Special Envoy to the Security Council of the Dominican Republic, mentioned the Schuman Declaration, which was one of the key moments of European unification after the Second World War. To see where we stand today in Europe, 75 years after the Second World War, we have to go back to 1870. In the 75 years between 1870 and 1945, there were three major wars in Europe, two of which were world wars.”
2020-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/489 (2020) · source
“The guidance note clearly states that medical equipment, including oxygen, respirators, personal protective equipment and ventilators, as well as medicines and other medical items required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, are not subject to direct restrictions on export, supply, financing or use in Syria. To be very clear, the primary responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria lies with the regime. By destroying medical infrastructure, by arresting doctors and nurses or by blocking humanitarian convoys, the regime is waging a war against its own people and then blaming those who have helped to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and have provided billions of dollars to United Nations organizations. Its position is cynical beyond belief.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“These sanctions specifically allow for the provision of humanitarian aid, including the medicines and medical equipment needed to respond to COVID-19 in Syria. As such, they do not affect the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need. The European Commission has published a detailed guidance note with regard to humanitarian aid and EU sanctions vis-à-vis Syria. It explains that EU sanctions do not stand in the way or impede the provision of humanitarian aid — in particular medical equipment and supplies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic — and that they provide for humanitarian exemptions.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“Those who committed and are still committing international crimes in Syria can thus not be prosecuted by the ICC. The recent start of the trial in Germany of two former officials of the Syrian regime’s security service charged with crimes against humanity sends an important message that those who commit crimes against humanity or war crimes cannot feel safe anywhere and will eventually be held accountable. So long as the Syrian regime does not change its brutal behaviour and does not end its grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, there will be no lifting of sanctions. Even if the Syrian regime and its supporters falsely claim otherwise, these sanctions are targeted at the Syrian regime and not at the Syrian people.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“We welcome the most recent reports of the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Investigation and Identification Team and of the Board of Inquiry, as well as the latest report of Amnesty International, which documents attacks on medical facilities and schools in north-west Syria. All these reports clearly show that the Syrian regime and its ally Russia were responsible for indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in north-west Syria. There has to be a follow-up to the findings in these reports; impunity for those responsible for these serious violations of international humanitarian law cannot be an option. It has, unfortunately, not been possible to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“We remain convinced that national reconciliation and sustainable peace in Syria will not be possible without justice and accountability. Germany therefore continues to support all efforts, in particular those of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, to ensure that the crimes and atrocities committed during the Syrian conflict do not go unpunished, that perpetrators are held accountable and that victims receive justice.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Governments around the world have released prisoners on humanitarian grounds. Unfortunately, it does not come as a surprise that the Syrian regime has, on the contrary, continued with arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture in its prisons. We call on the Syrian regime to allow immediate, unconditional and unhindered access for relevant humanitarian organizations to all prisons and detention facilities under its control, and to ensure adequate medical care and protective measures for all persons in detention in order to prevent COVID-19 leading to yet more loss of life and misery in Syrian prisons. The Syrian regime must inform the families of the tens of thousands of missing persons about the fate of their loved ones.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“As Russia claims that it is interested in a political solution and that the Astana format can move the United Nations-led political process forward, we urge Russia to use its influence over Damascus in this regard. Germany’s and the European Union’s (EU) position on reconstruction remains crystal-clear — we will assist in the reconstruction of Syria only when a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political transition is firmly under way. We also support the call by Special Envoy Pedersen for unconditional large- scale releases of detainees and abductees and more meaningful action on missing persons. The Syrian regime, which holds the overwhelming majority of detainees, must finally release political detainees on a meaningful scale, starting with elderly people, women and children and those with health conditions.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“We therefore call for a swift return to the political process and reiterate our full support for the efforts of Special Envoy Pedersen in this regard, including for adapting working methods that allow for the next session of the Constitutional Committee to take place soon despite the current Corona-related restrictions. We are all well aware that it is the Syrian regime that is obstructing and delaying the work of the Constitutional Committee. The Syrian regime must finally end its obstruction and start engaging seriously and constructively in the Constitutional Committee. We need substantive progress in the broader political process and the implementation of resolution 2254 (2015).”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“A genuine and sustainable nationwide ceasefire is a prerequisite not only for an effective humanitarian response to COVID-19 but also for a resumption of the political process. We stress the central role of the United Nations in reaching such a genuine and sustainable nationwide ceasefire, which is also already included in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). Sustainable peace, stability and security in Syria can be achieved only through a political process under the auspices of the United Nations, in line with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva communiqué of 2012 (S/2012/522, annex).”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“Germany fully supports the call by Special Envoy Pedersen for a complete and immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria and his active engagement with the Syrian parties and regional and international key actors in this regard. His call needs to finally be taken up. Given that the security situation throughout the country remains very fragile and that a major coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak would exacerbate the already alarming humanitarian situation, we need an immediate and lasting nationwide ceasefire. Since this has not been achieved yet, at the cost of innocent civilian lives, we encourage the Special Envoy to inform the Security Council about exactly which party is hindering an agreement on a lasting, nationwide ceasefire in Syria.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“We pledge full support once more for the work of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to investigate such crimes and look forward to the results of the trial of officers of the Syrian regime accused of crimes against humanity being held in Koblenz, Germany. In my national capacity, I would like to add that we have just provided another €22 million for the Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund, thus increasing our total contribution to the Fund in 2020 to €30 million. The Fund remains a key instrument to address the enormous humanitarian needs in the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Hence, from a humanitarian point of view, Germany and Belgium, echoing the Secretary-General’s call for more cross-line and cross-border access, think that the Council should consider urgently reopening a crossing point in the north-east of the country. The spread of the virus cannot be stopped by Council tactics, but only by test kits, protection equipment and ventilators. Finally, we renew our call for accountability for the most serious crimes under international criminal law. In that regard, we welcome the recommendation of the Secretary-General to appoint a senior independent adviser on the findings of the board of inquiry. The results of the board of inquiry must be followed up. Impunity for those responsible for these serious violations of international law is not an option.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“In the conclusions of his report, the Secretary-General underscores that three months after the removal of Al-Yarubiyah, the remaining gaps in assistance underscore the importance of using all modalities, cross-border and cross-line. In other words, three months after the closure, cross-line assistance via Damascus is falling woefully short, and COVID-19 only makes the situation more acute. The United Nations and non-governmental partners agree that the cross-line option cannot be adequately expanded and propose the reopening of a land crossing for greater amounts of cargo. The Council and its members cannot ignore the effects of closing the Al-Yarubiyah crossing. The facts and figures are indisputable.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“In the north-west, the ceasefire between Russia and Turkey seems to be holding, fragile though it may be, thus allowing for more humanitarian assistance than ever before to cross the border, although restrictions because of the pandemic are in place. To cite the Secretary-General’s report, in the north-east, only 31 per cent of the medical facilities that were previously supported by cross-border deliveries from Al-Yarubiyah were reached by recent cross-line supplies. In order to prepare for the worst, that is simply not enough. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, the weakened health system in north-east Syria has minimal capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all modalities are urgently required to prepare for and respond to the pandemic.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“More than 6 million internally displaced persons, as well as detainees and abductees, are living in conditions that make them extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 and other respiratory infections. Reading carefully the Secretary-General’s bimonthly humanitarian report (S/2020/327) and listening to Mr. Lowcock’s words, we can only conclude that access is crucial in order to stop the spread of the virus. But we have to face the facts: in Government-controlled areas, the United Nations was able to conduct only 25 per cent of the humanitarian missions it submitted for approval as a result of unrelenting bureaucratic hurdles and safety concerns.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“We bow our head to all humanitarian and medical workers throughout Syria. We need them more than ever in this humanitarian battle. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoys to the Middle East put it rightly: silence the guns, de-escalate tensions, reach out across conflict lines and facilitate humanitarian access and assistance wherever needed. Nine years of war have already taken an extreme toll. Nearly half of all health-care facilities have been severely damaged or destroyed, and there is a shortage of medical equipment and health-care professionals. The World Health Organization has counted 494 attacks on health- care workers and installations in the last three years.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“I deliver this statement on the humanitarian situation in Syria on behalf of the co-penholders, namely, Germany and Belgium. We would like to thank Under- Secretary-General Lowcock for his briefing today. As Mr. Lowcock mentioned, the Syrian city of Afrin was shaken by a devastating terrorist attack yesterday that reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including many children. We strongly condemn that crime, and our deepest sympathy goes to the families and the relatives of the victims. We wish the injured a speedy and complete recovery. Mr. Lowcock has once more given an insider’s perspective on what humanitarian work is about and how important humanitarian assistance is in places where we have to protect the most vulnerable populations, not only from conflict and hunger but now also from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“As long as the Syrian regime does not change its brutal behaviour and end its grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, there will be no lifting of sanctions. It is important to stress that the sanctions are targeted at the Syrian regime and do not affect the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need, as they contain specific provisions allowing for the provision of humanitarian aid, including the supply of medicines and medical equipment needed in order to respond to COVID-19 in Syria. We have specifically looked into allegations that EU sanctions were preventing the delivery of equipment for the treatment of COVID-19 in Syria, and we found out that that was not the case.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“There were reports that the Syrian national Hamadi Taha Al-But was tortured and murdered by mercenaries of the Wagner Group after being captured in June 2017 near the Al-Shaer gas field in central Syria. One of the perpetrators was identified as Stanislav Dychko, and evidence was reportedly submitted to Russian investigators. We would like to inquire about the current state of the criminal investigations by the Russian authorities into these alleged war crimes by the Wagner Group in Syria. The position of Germany and the European Union (EU) on reconstruction remains crystal clear. We will assist in any reconstruction of Syria only once a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political transition is firmly under way.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“To date, it has unfortunately not been possible to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) because of the Russian veto in the Security Council. For that reason, those who committed, and are still committing, international crimes cannot be prosecuted by the ICC, and they remain in power in Damascus. But, as the trial in Koblenz clearly shows, they should not feel safe and will eventually also be held accountable. We encourage other States to initiate similar criminal proceedings under universal jurisdiction against individuals suspected of the most serious crimes. We call in particular on Russia to contribute to the fight against impunity and to ensure that those responsible for torture and killing in the prisons and detention facilities of the Syrian regime are held accountable.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“There has to be follow-up to the findings of these two reports: impunity for those responsible for these serious violations of international law is not an option. We remain convinced that national reconciliation and sustainable peace in Syria will not be possible without justice and accountability. The trial of two former officials of the Syrian regime’s security service, charged with crimes against humanity, at the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz is an important step towards justice and accountability. For the first time, abductions, torture and abuse in Syrian prisons are being prosecuted before a court in Germany. That sends a clear message — those who commit crimes against humanity cannot feel safe anywhere.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“We will continue to support all efforts, in particular those of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 and the commission of inquiry, aimed at ensuring that the crimes and atrocities committed during the Syrian conflict do not go unpunished, that perpetrators are held accountable and that victims obtain justice. In this context, we also welcome the most recent reports of the Investigation and Identification Team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and of the Board of Inquiry.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“We have taken note of the regime’s announcement to do so but have yet to see evidence of actual steps taken in this regard. We also call on the Syrian regime to allow immediate, unconditional and unhindered access for relevant humanitarian organizations to all prisons and detention facilities under its control. In addition, we call on the regime to ensure the provision of adequate medical care and protective measures for all persons in detention, in order to prevent COVID-19 leading to still further misery and loss of life in Syrian prisons.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“We also support the call by Special Envoy Pedersen for a large-scale release of detainees and abductees on humanitarian grounds. Bearing in mind that the overwhelming majority of detainees are held by the Syrian regime and that arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture for which the Syrian regime is responsible remain ongoing, it is important to move beyond one-for-one prisoner exchanges and to release political detainees at a meaningful scale, starting with elderly people, women and children and those with health conditions. Accordingly, we would like to recall United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Bachelet’s call for the release of especially vulnerable detainees to prevent a catastrophic spread of COVID-19.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“Sustainable peace, stability and security in Syria can be achieved only through a political process under the auspices of the United Nations, in line with resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva communiqué of 2012 (S/2012/522, annex). We therefore call for a swift return to the political process and reiterate our full support for the efforts of Special Envoy Pedersen in this regard, including for adapting working methods to the current coronavirus-related restrictions, so that progress can be made. In the end, the Syrian regime must finally stop obstructing the Constitutional Committee and start engaging meaningfully in the Committee and the political process more broadly. We call on Russia to use its influence over Damascus in this regard.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“In the end, we need a lasting nationwide ceasefire. This has become even more urgent in the light of the crisis caused by the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We will discuss the humanitarian situation and the impact of the pandemic in Syria later this afternoon. But there is one point that needs to be made right now: an effective nationwide humanitarian response to COVID-19 is possible only once a nationwide ceasefire is in place. The same goes for the political process under the leadership of the United Nations Special Envoy. We stress the central role of the United Nations in reaching the genuine and sustainable nationwide ceasefire called for in resolution 2254 (2015), keeping in mind that a nationwide ceasefire is a central element of the resolution and an important precondition for successful negotiations in Geneva.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“Germany fully supports the call by Special Envoy Pedersen for a complete and immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria. Although there has been a decrease in violence in the north-west, and the arrangements in the north-east are broadly holding, the security situation throughout the country remains very fragile, especially in the so-called reconciled areas. Nevertheless, the Syrian city of Afrin was shaken yesterday by a devastating terrorist attack that reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including many children. We strongly condemn this crime. Our deepest sympathy goes to the families and the relatives of the victims. We wish the injured a speedy and complete recovery. We will continue our efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict and an end to war, displacement, State persecution and terror.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/353 (2020) · source
“The role of young people as meaningful stakeholders in building peace must be recognized and promoted. The German youth delegates ask for youth participation to be diverse, inclusive, democratic, meaningful, timely and trusted. To conclude my statement, I would like to quote Eva Croon and Paul Klahre: “Encourage, promote and institutionalize the meaningful participation of young people in matters of peace and security” in the United Nations as well as in Member States.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“First, young people are a decisive pillar — as beneficiaries and as agents of change — in numerous projects in the context of our crisis-prevention and stabilization work. Across countries and continents, our world is witnessing a rise in youth engagement and even a so-called youthquake. We look at the young climate activists, for example, who are taking their activism from the streets to the digital world. This is very encouraging. Secondly, we look forward to the Dominican Republic’s draft resolution on youth and peace and security, with the aim of institutionalizing this agenda. Thirdly, and lastly, I would like to pick up a few of the recommendations of German youth delegates Eva Croon and Paul Klahre regarding the advancement of the youth, peace and security agenda.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“With schools closed and families confined to their homes, young people are being assigned additional tasks, providing for their communities, often based on the impression that they can bear increased health risks. In addition, with schools closed, young people in all parts of the world are being deprived of education, and young women and girls, in particular, are taking up care work at home, which often interferes with their education. The Secretary-General called for “an aggressive back-to-school strategy” in his report on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19. We can only underline and emphasize the need to heed that call. Before concluding, I would like to mention three very short sets of thoughts.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“Young women, especially, experience patterns of intimidation and harassment when exercising their political rights and participation in peace processes. These are attempts to silence their activism. In post-conflict as well as conflict settings, young women are particularly affected by sexual violence. All barriers to the political participation of young women need to be brought down.S/2020/346 Conflict-prevention and peacebuilding must therefore include diverse perspectives and involve youth from all backgrounds, including young women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; and young persons with disabilities. Let me say a few words on youth and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“Moreover, when it comes to humanitarian assistance, we attach particular importance to projects that involve young people and take their specific needs into account, for example, one in the Lake Chad region addressing psychological support, or another, which built an educational centre for Rohingya children living as refugees in Bangladesh. Still, the Secretary-General’s report paints a mixed picture. On the one hand are these very positive developments, but on the other hand huge challenges and injustices clearly persist, which can be real obstacles to sustainable peace. Let me refer to just a few. One in four young people are still affected by violence or armed conflict. They lack educational and economic opportunities, and their human rights are often violated and curtailed.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“In Colombia, we support the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in their youth-led peace and reconciliation approach. In the Palestinian territories, we support efforts to create safe spaces for youth to initiate and run their own projects, while enabling them to constructively engage with their communities — for example, by establishing a community clinic for elderly persons with disabilities, by revitalizing community gardens or by developing and running awareness campaigns in their own communities. Let me also say in this context that Germany is currently the strongest supporter of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, which has a proven track record of engaging in projects that advance the inclusion of women and young people.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“The fact that Governments are stepping up projects involving young peacebuilders acknowledges the role that youth needs to play in building and sustaining peace. In this vein, we very much welcome the written advice on youth and peace and security submitted to the Security Council today, which encouraged the Peacebuilding Commission to continue youth and peace and security work in its respective considerations with a view to complementing and supporting efforts undertaken in the Security Council. When it comes to building and sustaining peace, Germany is funding a wide range of projects for youth in many countries, for example, in the Sahel region, particularly Mali. Let me cite just a few examples. In Burundi, we support a project strengthening trust and positive relationships between youth and the police.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“The report of the Secretary-General on youth and peace and security (S/2020/167) paints a mixed picture. On the one hand, we see some encouraging developments. In many countries, the political participation of young people is greater than it was five years ago. Young voices are taken more seriously, especially in conflict-prevention and peacebuilding processes. That is very good. Building perspectives for young people is crucial, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations. We would like to encourage all United Nations missions, peacekeeping and political alike, to adopt a mission-wide youth and peace and security strategy, establish focal points for this issue and regularly report on it. The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia is exemplary in this respect.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“As members of the Security Council, we have to take into account the ongoing volatility of the situation in Darfur and the continuing challenges with regard to security and protection of civilians in parts of the region when designing the envisaged follow-on mission to UNAMID. Working in close partnership with the Sudanese Government, we must find the best mechanism for addressing the remaining challenges in protecting civilians in parts of Darfur. Given that we have taken on this responsibility, we must continue to live up to it. To that end, we must be clear: any violence in the periphery, such as what we saw in west Darfur at the beginning of the year, has the potential to negatively impact the transition in Khartoum.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/336 (2020) · source
“With regard to the transformation of the United Nations engagement in the Sudan, we are not only at a historical juncture in the relationship between Security Council and the Sudan, but also in the middle of a complex transformation of the international presence itself in the Sudan. There is broad agreement that the current mission, the African Union-United Nations Mission Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), will be coming to an end, which means that the Security Council has the responsibility to manage UNAMID’s transition in a way that takes into account the needs of the country and its Government as well as the people of Darfur. It should also set an example for peacekeeping-operation transition processes in future.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/336 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, within the Security Council, Germany and the United Kingdom, together with all other members gathering at this virtual table, will make every effort to help open a new chapter in the cooperation between the United Nations and the Sudan. Our joint goal should be to provide the Sudan with a support mission that helps to consolidate the political transition in Khartoum, supports the ongoing peace process and prevents a relapse into conflict in Darfur. We are encouraged by the fact that the Sudan has explicitly asked for United Nations support, and Germany, as a penholder together with the United Kingdom, is carefully studying the Sudan’s requests.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/336 (2020) · source
“Under the courageous leadership of Prime Minister Hamdok, the new Sudanese Government has taken on the challenging task of opening up the Sudan and carrying out reforms. These tasks have become only more difficult with the onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic crisis in the country. Along with its international partners, Germany has supported and will continue to support the democratic transition in the Sudan and the transitional Government’s quest to fulfil the ambitions of the Sudanese people. Together with the transitional Government, we are closely coordinating within the Group of Friends of the Sudan on how we can best help to move fundamental economic reforms forward while protecting the most vulnerable. We acknowledge the steps that have been undertaken by the transitional Government in this regard.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/336 (2020) · source
“With regard to the transition in Khartoum and international support, it is very timely that the Security Council is discussing the situation in the Sudan in the month of the first anniversary of the peaceful revolution in the country that led to the ouster of the Al-Bashir regime. It is thanks to the civilian protest movement that the Sudan experienced that turning point in its history. By protesting peacefully and unremittingly, the country’s civil society, including a large number of women who held key roles in the protest, ushered in a civilian-led Government. The role of the region and the strong political involvement of the African Union were also of crucial importance.”
2020-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/336 (2020) · source
“These restrictions are unacceptable, as they cynically exploit COVID-19 to limit UNMHA’s effectiveness. UNMHA must be granted the access and freedom of movement it needs to ensure its operations, including the well-being of its staff. We also urge both parties to adhere to the Stockholm Agreement and cooperate to maintain stability in Al-Hudaydah. We hope the work of the Redeployment Coordination Committee can resume as soon as circumstances permit.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“The COVID-19 pandemic poses particular challenges to the operation and functioning of the Mission. The accommodations on board the United Nations ship docked off the coast of Al-Hudaydah makes the UNMHA personnel particularly vulnerable to a potential outbreak of the disease. We acknowledge the preventive measures and contingency plans put in place by the Mission, the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations with regard to a potential infection. However, there remain concerns about the possible need for medical evacuation. The situation is aggravated by the restrictions of movement put in place by the Houthis. Restrictions by both parties were already an issue before the current crisis. Using the pretext of COVID-19, their restrictions have become even more severe.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“At the same time, full access of international aid workers, medicine and medical supplies into Yemen must be ensured, and these items and personnel must be allowed to reach those in need. In addition to COVID-19-related preparedness and response activities, humanitarian staff must be able to continue providing critical life-saving humanitarian assistance. Commercial and humanitarian imports must also be allowed to enter the country. Respect for humanitarian principles and the safety of humanitarian staff remain crucial for life-saving assistance to get in. In this regard, we appreciate the tireless work of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We are also concerned about the current situation of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA).”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“The country is critically underequipped to face a highly contagious disease like COVID-19, while having to deal at the same time with recurrent outbreaks of cholera. Many health facilities have been destroyed as a direct consequence of the fighting. This is another stark reminder of the cruelty of this war. It also underlines the necessity that all parties fully adhere to international humanitarian law and human rights law and strive to protect vulnerable populations, in particular women and children, as well as the critical health infrastructure required to fight the virus. We recognize the enormity of the efforts to be made to help prevent the spread of the virus.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“Against this background, I urge all parties to immediately stop hostilities, return to the negotiating table and finally translate their professed willingness to talk into concrete action by agreeing to a nationwide ceasefire as a first step towards a comprehensive and inclusive political solution to the conflict. We call on the parties to follow the Special Envoy’s invitation to meet virtually, agree to his proposals and start meaningful peace talks on this basis. The escalation in the last few days runs counter to the Special Envoy’s tireless efforts. It brings even more hardship to the vulnerable and suffering populations, particularly in the light of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the first cases of the coronavirus disease have been confirmed in Yemen, all actors must now focus on limiting the spread of the pandemic.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“On the contrary, the crisis calls for cooperation, dialogue and a concerted effort to put the protection of human life at the centre of all our concerns. Against this backdrop, we fully support the de-escalation initiative that Martin Griffiths has already been pursuing for a couple of months now. We were heartened by initial positive responses to the call for a ceasefire. The release of prisoners has been an equally necessary and important step, but the Saudi- led coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen’s announcement that it would cease all hostilities for a period of two weeks has had no discernible effect on the ground. It has certainly not helped that we have not seen signs of a clear commitment on the part of the Houthis to also abide by a ceasefire. Instead, over the last few days, we have seen a resurgence of heavy fighting.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source
“More than two weeks ago, the Secretary-General called for a global ceasefire in the light of the spreading coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The situation in Yemen is no doubt a prominent case in point for the dire need for a ceasefire. Once again, however, the promises that we have heard in response to the Secretary- General’s appeal have been empty. If anything, the fighting in Yemen has intensified at the very moment when the COVID-19 crisis has reached the country. Five years into the conflict, far too many innocent Yemenis, including thousands of children, have lost their lives. We could not agree more with the Secretary-General’s position and the subsequent appeal by Martin Griffiths — the worldwide pandemic does not allow for greater suffering, increased fighting and more deaths.”
2020-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/313 (2020) · source