YouSaid · the spoken record

Churkin

lines on the record: 3,923
first: 2006-05-16
most recent: 2017-02-02
sittings or episodes: 536
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

“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We are gathered here today to pay tribute to the memory of all the victims of the monstrous crimes committed in and around Srebrenica two decades ago. Before proceeding, Mr. President, I would like to ask you to call for a minute of silence to honour their memory.”
2015-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7481 (2015) · source
“If the delegation of the Ukraine does not see the difference between these crimes and removing children from an area of armed conflict for medical care, then we have nothing more to say. We are convinced that those children who were seriously injured, or those who needed, for example, dialysis, which is impossible to provide in many areas, do not consider themselves to have been abducted. It is also out of place to make such statements against Russia as those made by the representative of Georgia. The root of the problem, in that case, is Georgia's refusal to normalize relations with the newly independent States of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“As regards the destruction, a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report stated that in the Luhansk region, which is not under the control of the Ukrainian Government, about 60 per cent of schools were damaged and five schools destroyed. Nonetheless, according to OCHA the local authorities have managed to ensure that the children are attending school and receiving food. On the issue of abductions, the Secretary-General's report (S/2015/409) talks about the horrendous abduction of hundreds of children by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram, as well as the physical violence against them, their sexual enslavement and the ideological propaganda to which they are subjected. Many of the participants in today's meeting have spoken about the importance of putting an end to those crimes.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“The report of 28 May talks about the artillery shelling of Horlivka on 26 May. According to the mission's assessment, in this case the shells came from the north and north-west. That is where territory is located that is under Kyiv's control. Not only adults but also an 11-year-old girl died, and the monitors concluded that she died because of the shelling. Furthermore, on that day two children were injured, leading to their hospitalization. Mission representatives spoke to the children's mother, who was also wounded. These two localities, Telmanove and Horlivka, are located on territory that is not under the control of the authorities in Kyiv. We do not think that this information needs to be additionally commented upon.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Ms. Khvan (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): In his statement, the representative of Ukraine did not agree with information about the loss of children's lives in south-eastern Ukraine as a result of firing by the Ukrainian military, and accused Russia of having done that. In order to avoid the usual accusations of propaganda, let us look at the report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. One need only look at recent reports. The report of 6 June talks about the mission's visit to Telmanove, which was shelled by artillery on 4 June. The mission looked at 13 shell traces; seven ofthem, they concluded, originated from the west. They also Visited the local hospital, where the deputy head doctor said that the shelling had killed a 4-year-old boy in his home.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Furthermore, we welcome the decision to consider the abduction of children as another criterion for inclusion of parties to an armed conflict in the annex to the annual report of the Secretary-General on this topic. We hope that the new Security Council resolution will reinforce the reporting and monitoring mechanism and the activities led by Malaysia's thematic Working Group. Since its inception pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005), the Working Group has achieved a great deal in improving the situation of children in a number of countries affected by armed conflict. To ensure maximum efficiency in this work, it is important - and in this regard we fully support our Malaysian colleagues - to expand constructive cooperation with the Governments concerned.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Clearly, large-scale Violations against children, in various armed conflicts require that special attention be given to their rehabilitation - providing them with psychological, medical and legal assistance. The protection of children is the responsibility of Governments, and most States affected by armed conflicts are striving to improve the situation of children in their countries. They have a right to expect help in their efforts from the United Nations system as well as civil society organizations. We are encouraged that in today's resolution 2225 (2015) significant attention is given to issues of national responsibility for the protection of children, their rehabilitation and their reintegration.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Artillery and mortar attacks from Ukrainian forces destroyed kindergartens, schools, clinics, hospitals, maternal wards and orphanages. As a result of Kyiv's de facto economic blockade of territories not under its control, children in the conflict zone are deprived of food, drinking water, drugs and medical assistance. Large-scale humanitarian assistance provided by Russia to residents of the Donbas region is meant to help children as well. Since the beginning of the conflict, over 100 children have received expert medical treatment in Russia. Only a few days ago, group of sick children and their parents from Donbas reached Moscow by plane. There were 14 children in that group. They all suffer from various problems. Some have been injured by shelling and others are extremely ill.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“In this vein, and of particular concern, the deteriorating situation in Yemen and the tragic situation of children in Syria present yet another argument for the rapid resolution of these conflicts. Concerns for the safety of children should be a constant priority in any peacekeeping operation or counter-terrorism activity. Unfortunately, children continue to die because of armed conflicts throughout the world. We continue to be concerned by the plight of children in south- eastern Ukraine. As a result of an armed conflict that, as defined by the International Committee of the Red Cross, is not international in character, that country has seen mass violations of children's rights to life, security, safety, health, education and medical treatment. Since May of this year, in the conflict zone, over 68 children were killed and 176 wounded.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“The number of instances of killing children and of sexual violence and mass abduction of children continues to grow. Increasingly, these crimes have become hallmarks of today's armed conflicts. We decisively condemn violations of the norms of international law, international humanitarian law and international law relating to human rights and the rights of refugees with regard to children, regardless of who commits them. Both premeditated attacks and the indiscriminate or excessive use of force are unacceptable. Justifying civilian deaths 4 including those of children - by the unavoidability of so-called collateral damage is equally unacceptable.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Of particular concern is the new trend of violence against children carried out by terrorist organizations and other groups that espouse ideologies of extremist violence. The cynicism of Boko Haram is horrendous, characterized by its abduction of a large group of girls, an event that shocked the entire world. The weakening of State institutions in countries in the Middle East and North Africa has created a breeding ground for the growth of violent extremism and terrorist activity. Before the eyes of the world, the so-called Islamic State has seized large swathes of territory, declaring them a caliphate and establishing its order there. Children are among the first victims of such groups. Terrorist groups use the Internet and various social media not only to recruit children and young adults as fighters, but also as suicide bombers.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We are pleased to welcome you, Mr. Minister, as President of the Security Council and would like to thank you for having organized today's meeting. We are also grateful to the invited briefers for their comprehensive statements. We would like to single out the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Zerrougui, to protect children affected by armed conflict in various parts of the world. We have very carefully reviewed the Secretary- General's report (S/2015/409) prepared for today's meeting. We share its concerns regarding the dire situation of millions of children affected by armed conflict throughout the world.”
2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I will be very brief. Fortunately, the Secretariat has established detailed protocols for the Security Council that cover all the questions that the representative of the United States touched on just now and that save me the trouble of a more extensive reaction to her remarks.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“That kind of dialogue is absolutely crucial to full compliance with the Minsk agreement, which Russia continues to strive for.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“The crisis began with the externally supported campaign to overthrow a democratically elected President of Ukraine. It was exacerbated when efforts to implement the 21 February 2014 agreement failed. Political influences were also at work, followed by the terror in Odessa in May 2014 and the campaign we are seeing now in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Finally, in our discussion today we have heard a number of unfounded and extraordinarily polemical statements, but I would still like to suggest that this meeting has been helpful. We affirmed our commitment to the Minsk agreement and to resolution 2202 (2015). We think it important that various delegations called for direct dialogue between Kyiv, Donetsk and Luhansk. That theme was touched on even by the United States, although too timidly.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Unfortunately, the Council does not see that or Kyiv's many other actions that violate the Minsk agreements and impede the implementation of the political provisions of the package of measures. After the Sochi meeting with President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov, Mr. Kerry called upon Kyiv not to use force. Unfortunately, the request made by the representative of the United States was not heard. We would like United States diplomacy to be more consistent and to follow up on the pronouncements of its Secretary of State. We do not want to believe that there is a war party in Washington, DC, like that in Kyiv. We cannot agree with the statement by our British colleague that the crisis in Ukraine did not begin with the unification of Crimea and Russia.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I will not go into a discussion with my Ukrainian colleague ofthe Charter ofthe UnitedNations, international law or international humanitarian law, for that matter, since too many of those instruments' provisions are being violated by the Kyiv authorities in their so-called anti-terrorist but in fact punitive operations in eastern Ukraine. I would like to make a few comments with regard to the statement made by the representative of the United States of America. In her statement, she raised a very surprising issue - that of the Kyiv authorities' provocation of hostilities by their systematic, months- long attacks on cities. Is this not a provocation?”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Even the capitals that are most loyal to Kyiv have begun to betray signs of irritation, saying that the Kyiv authorities have overstepped the bounds of decency in violating or simply ignoring the Minsk agreement. And military action is the most reliable diversionary manoeuvre, since one can blame anything on the war. This is a critical moment. If we continue to allow Kyiv to drag its feet in taking what are absolutely essential political steps regarding Donbas, the situation may again spiral out of control, with unpredictable consequences. We urge the members of the Council with influence over the Kyiv authorities to make every effort to ensure that this does not occur.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“And although they have yet to reach a final agreement, there has been progress on every issue under discussion, including on such complex subjects as the demilitarization of Shirokino and including mortars with a calibre under 100 millimetres on the list of excluded weapons. Definite progress has been made on the question of starting direct consultations between Kyiv and Luhansk and Donetsk on preparing for the holding of local elections. That raises the suspicion that it is precisely this positive news that is linked to the armed provocations being conducted against cities in Donbas. Perhaps Kyiv, particularly the so-called war party, has understood that it cannot continue to sabotage the implementation package forever.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“There have been numerous reports of sightings near Donbas of foreign mercenaries and private military companies. Is that not a direct encouragement to a resumption of hostilities, not to mention a clear violation of paragraph 10, which provides for the withdrawal of foreign armed forces, military equipment and mercenaries from Ukrainian territory? For all practical purposes, it is no secret that Kyiv has used the Minsk truce to rebuild and regroup its forces, which is why the latest outbreak of hostilities, while seriously worrying, is hardly surprising. However, we should not ignore the fact that it occurred after a series of very positive meetings between the Trilateral Contact Group and its working groups, most recently in Minsk on 2 June.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“In that regard, we ask that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission not simply focus on the violations of the ceasefire agreement and on determining who violated it, but also describe clearly what the targets of those attacks were and whether their victims were civilians or military units firing on residential areas. We must have a clear picture of what is happening in Donbas and who is committing violations notjust ofthe Minsk agreement but also of the norms of international humanitarian law. Against that background, it is surprising to see the indifference of our Western partners, who are usually so fond of pontificating about humanitarian issues. Furthermore, there is no end to the shipments of military supplies, including armoured vehicles, along with the hundreds of instructors sent to train the Ukrainian forces.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“On 3 June, a massive bombardment of Donetsk killed at least six civilians died and wounded more than 90, besides which there was firing from the town of Marinka, as has been mentioned today, which appears to have provoked the latest escalation of military action. On 4 June, when Telmanovo was attacked by Ukrainian forces, shells hit a playground, killing a year-old infant. Accusations have been levelled at the militias, but we can only ask ourselves why all we hear in statements from Kyiv is about military casualties, while there are reports from Donetsk and Luhansk of the death of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure - hospitals, schools, kindergartens and houses.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“For example, during the truce the Aydar troops in the Luhansk region switched to extorting and abusing civilians, including the elderly, trying to cross the line of contact on foot in order to get cash or buy food. After the Minsk agreement was reached on 12 February, a fair amount was done to implement important provisions on removing heavy weaponry, yet attacks on civilian towns and villages east of the boundary line nonetheless continued almost daily, terrorizing the local population. I will cite just a few examples. On 28 May, three people, including an ll-year-old girl and her father, died in shelling in Horlivka, and many of the town's residents were injured.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“The Ukrainian border guards and customs officers finally began recently to participate in monitoring them, something we have invited them to do from the start. It is encouraging that Switzerland recently contributed by sending a significant delivery of reagents for purifying drinking water. But the basic problem of difficult access for humanitarian assistance remains, thanks to Kyiv's bureaucratic obstacles. In addition to all this, the response to appeals for financing is at only 21 per cent. The Ukrainian Government has also been unable or unwilling to bring all the punitive battalions under its control, in accordance with paragraph 10 of the Minsk agreement. They continue to wreak havoc.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“The Kyiv officials do not hide the fact that those restrictive measures are purely punitive, saying that the people of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics are being punished for their support of the volunteers. People have been cut off from social benefits and access to food and medicines is difficult, since commercial transport is not being allowed through. Kyiv has not reacted to the remonstrations of international humanitarian and human-rights workers regarding the fact that it is children and the elderly, the most vulnerable, who suffer. Thanks to humanitarian assistance from Russia, the people of Donbas are surviving in a literal sense. We have already sent 28 convoys with more than 36,000 tons ofhumanitarian deliveries in food, daily necessities and medicines.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“The package includes provisions on the right to linguistic self-determination, the creation of people's militias by decision of local councils, the expansion of local Governments' powers to appoint chief prosecutors and judges, and the conclusion of agreements with Kyiv in various areas, as well as the implementation of cross- border cooperation with Russia. Kyiv finally established a constitutional commission on 3 March that included foreign experts but not a single representative of Donetsk and Luhansk, whose proposals for constitutional reform were simply ignored. Kyiv's refusal to comply with the humanitarian and socioeconomic provisions of the package of measures presents the population of Donbas with serious challenges. The noose of the economic blockade around Donetsk and Luhansk is being drawn tighter and tighter.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“In violation of paragraph 5 of the package of measures, Kyiv has also not adopted the amnesty law which would prohibit any punishment for persons involved in the activities taking place in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Moreover, the Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly stated publicly that it does not intend to comply with that provision. One of the central elements in the implementation package is instituting constitutional reforms by the end of the year. The parameters of those reforms were outlined in Minsk with the active participation of the leaders of the Normandy quartet. Paragraph 11 states in black and white that decentralization must be implemented while taking into account the particularities of specific districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as agreed on with the representatives of those districts.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Instead, however, the Ukrainian parliament has introduced amendments that were not agreed to by Donetsk and Luhansk and which were not acceptable to them, and the territory itself was declared to be occupied, which completely subverted the agreements reached in Minsk. The amendments simply overlooked the adoption of the special status and did not provide for local elections. Kyiv has begun to toughen its rhetoric, saying that elections could only take place once the south-east of Ukraine was under its full control. Over all this time, Kyiv has refused to have direct dialogue with the representatives of Dombas, despite provisions for such dialogue in paragraphs 4, 9, 11 and 12 ofthe package of measures. This is one of the obvious reasons why it has been so difficult to start negotiations in the Trilateral Contact Group and its subgroups.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Therefore, here in the Security Council, we need to deal with the causes of the ongoing escalation. Almost four months have gone by since 12 February, yet what has been done to implement the package of measures? Pursuant to paragraph 4, on the first day after the withdrawal of heavy weapons, a dialogue should have begun on the modalities for conducting local elections in line with Ukrainian legislation and laws on the special status of Donbas, which were adopted back in the autumn of 2014. The Supreme Council of Ukraine - the Verkhovna Rada - was required only to adopt a law on this territory with respect to its special status.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“We wish to express our gratitude to Under- Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman, and the Deputy Chief Monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Mr. Alexander Hug, for their briefings. We share the great concern at the resurgence of military activity in Donbas. We need to take measures to stabilize the situation. In this regard, we welcome the efforts of the OSCE and the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination. The package of measures for implementing the Minsk agreements adopted on 12 February gives a concise and clear road map for settling the Ukrainian crisis. The Security Council unanimously supported the document in resolution 2202 (2015), assuming its part of political responsibility for settling the situation in Ukraine.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (Spoke in Russian): We have been discussing the situation in Ukraine since February 2014. At that time, there was an agreement between the President and the opposition. If that agreement had been implemented, Kyiv would have implemented constitutional reform by the end of last year and we would have observed a gradual normalization of and democratic development in Ukraine. Instead, a different logic has been in place, supported by people who want to see their political preferences for the future of Ukraine and its entire population prevail. This is the root of a tragic situation that has gone on for too long. We need to put an end to it. That is why the Minsk agreements exist.”
2015-06-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7457 (2015) · source
“Resolution 1244 (1999) remains fully in force as a international legal instrument that is binding for all. It is still the responsibility of the Security Council.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“The European Union mediation in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the transfer of the UNMIK rule of law functions to EULEX do not mean that the United Nations role in the province is diminished. We welcome the cooperation established between Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zarif and Pristina. Given the broad spectrum of problems, we would urge UNMIK to fully implement its mandate by taking the necessary initiatives. To do so, it should be provided with all the necessary resources and staff. We are categorically against attempts to devalue the role of UNMIK and would urge the Kosovo-Albanian side to fully cooperate with the United Nations presence. In conclusion, we would like to confirm that Russia's stance on the Kosovo matter remains unchanged.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“We do not understand how such friendly recommendations can be married with the mantra of the rule of law. We insist on the need to achieve real progress in this area as soon as possible. We note the statement made in that regard today by Mr. Thaci. We confirm our position that the perpetrators of these crimes must be brought to justice, irrespective of their status. We should continue to decisively curtial the participation of Kosovans in conflicts in the Middle East, including in the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham and other radical organizations. We believe that this issue should remain a priority of UNMIK. The United Nations Mission is the main international presence in Kosovo.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“We are convinced that decreasing tensions between the ethnic communities would help give the community real powers, enabling it to insist on the rights of the Serbian inhabitants of the province. There have been delays in establishing the specialist court to investigate crimes carried out by the KLA, including the trade in human organs. It is odd that the establishment of such a body should be dependent on the adoption of legislative decisions in Pristina when Kosovo is clearly not ready to evaluate such a delicate matter objectively. This a negative legacy of the recent past. There have been reports of Western diplomats in Pristina trying to persuade Kosovans to adopt a text, written on their behalf, that would apparently produce better results than if this matter were brought to the Security Council.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“Furthermore, the slogans regarding greater Albania are of concern, as are the insinuations regarding the unification of Albania and Kosovo. The situation with regard to the Serbian minority in Kosovo is still of serious concern, including the ongoing inter-ethnic incidents and the cases of desecration of Serbian Orthodox sites. We consider the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with the mediation of Brussels, to be a useful instrument in assisting the stabilization of the situation. The protection of the interests ofthe Kosovo Serbs should be enhanced by the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities of Kosovo. An agreement was reached on this some two years ago. The lack of progress in implementing that agreement is a poor sign.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“We expect that, in addition to its mandate, the EU mission will also make an active contribution to solving these obvious problems in terms of the rule of law. We were astonished to learn that Skopje's information about the plans of the terrorists was apparently conveyed early this year to international partners who play a security in key role in ensuring Kosovo. That warning was ignored. The Macedonian incident shows inter-ethnic conflicts persist in the Balkans and highlights the high conflict potential of the region. The situation is also impacted by the absence of the rule of law in Kosovo as a result of the lack of the settlement to the Kosovo problem as a whole. This once again demonstrates the pernicious nature of staying silent and covering up the real situation in the province.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“The Kosovo problem is still very pertinent and continues to have a destabilizing impact on the whole region, as demonstrated by recent events in Macedonia, in particular the attack by uniformed bandits of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) on Macedonian border guards on 21 April, and by the incident in Kumanovo on 9 May, set off by the arrival in that town of a large group of radical fighters from Kosovo who planned to carry out a series terrorist attacks in the territory of Macedonia. The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is called to take action to restore security and order in the territory under its mandate. Under resolution 1244 (1999), the KFOR mandate includes demilitarizing the KLA and other military groups of Kosovar Albanians, ensuring public security and order, and carrying out commitments regarding border control.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We would like to thank Mr. Farid Zarif for presenting the report (S/2015/303) of the Secretary- General on the work of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and for his assessment ofprogress in the province. We welcome the participation of Mr. Ivica Dacic', First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, and we share his opinion. We have listened to Mr. Hashim Thaci's statement. We note that it contained a number of grandiose theories that have no bearing on assistance for Serbians and Kosovars in the province.”
2015-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7448 (2015) · source
“Of course, in the fragile post-conflict situation in the Balkans, that phenonemon is especially dangerous. That has been confirmed by the recent outburst of inter-ethnic and interreligious confrontation in multinational Macedonia and neighbouring regions.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Hundreds of citizens have joined the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Jahbat Al-Nusra through Bosnia and Herzegovina, which serves as a channel for fighrers from Western Europe. We welcome the efforts of Sarajevo to increase the accountability of foreign fighters and their facilitators for their actions abroad. Last year, amendments were made to the criminal code to limit the recruitment of Bosniaks into ISIL and other illegal formations abroad. Bosnian law enforcement agencies are carrying out special operations to identify such networks and arrest local mujahids. At the same time, as practice has shown, such actions and measures remain insufficient and do not provide the necessary impact to reduce the influence of Islamists.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Secondly, such far-reaching decisions cannot be forced from outside; they must be the result of the sovereign, voluntary decision of the three constituent peoples. In conclusion, I wish to draw attention to trends that should raise real concerns, in the context not only of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but of the region as a whole. I refer to a growth of extremism among the Bosniak population in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other Muslim communities in the Western Balkans. That threat must be seen and assessed appropriately. The terrorist act in the city of Dvornik on 27 April, when an armed Islamist attacked a police station, is confirmation of that trend. Special attention should be devoted to the participation of Bosniaks in the conflicts in the Middle East on the side of international terrorist organizations.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Recognizing the importance of extending the European Union-led peacekeeping force Althea in order to maintain the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement, we oppose the use of the international presence as an instrument for accelerated integration of the country into the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In that regard, we are concerned by the fact that the High Representative is arbitrarily interpreting his mandate with respect to fulfilling civil aspects of the Dayton Agreement, and is pushing for integration into NATO and the EU. It is unacceptable, first, for the High Representative to set himself new tasks that go beyond the mandate of the Peace Agreement, the decisions of the implementation conference and relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“To achieve an objective picture of developments in the country, we recommend that the Secretary-General and the Security Council carefully familiarize themselves with the regular report of the Republika Srpska, which draws attention, inter alia, to attempts to gradually revise the Dayton Agreement towards greater centralization in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to undermine the constitutional autonomy of the entities and the functionality of the State as a whole.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“The High Representative should shake the habit of shedding factological light on what has taken place in Bosnia and Herzegovina and focus on practical steps to wind down this foreign protectorate, which is an insult to the sovereignty of the country. Such an understanding of the role of the international community is in keeping with the spirit of the twentieth anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“There is no end to the illegal and unjustified accusations against Bosnian Serbs, who are allegedly undermining the Dayton constitutional foundations, sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Such a one-sided philosophical approach will only distort the real state of affairs and aggravate the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It ignores in practice the claims ofother sides. Bosniaks, for example, speak in favour of unitarism, and Croats demand the creation of a third entity, which can be interpreted as a violation of the spirit of the Dayton Agreement. The High Representative gives the impression that his role is to find artificial reasons to continue the existence of an Office that has become outdated.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“The abolition ofthe Office ofthe High Representative is long overdue. In that context, the primary task is to conclude the implementation of the agreement of the "5+2" programme. The problems that have not been settled within that framework must be resolved by the Bosnians themselves through an inclusive dialogue and on the basis of agreement among all three constituent peoples. The exclusive task of the High Representative is to move the local parties towards such dialogue and to seek points ofunderstanding, but instead ofreporting on what has been been done towards the timely drawdown of the Office of the High Representative, the current report simply reiterates what happened in the country during the reporting period. It does not propose any constructive solutions. It looks for people to blame.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Mr. Churkin (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): Welcome Mr. Inzko, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. His regular briefing has confirmed that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains stable, which we View as the basis for the sustainable functioning of the country's institutions in strict compliance with the equality of the three constituent peoples, in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement. The establishment, on 31 March, ofthe new State and entity ruling bodies, following the elections in October, which took place democratically, has confirmed the ability of local actors to resolve their problems without the support of an international protectorate. It is important to continue the process of transferring full responsibility for the situation to Bosnians themselves.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Approximately 1,000 civilians have been killed, including 115 children. I would like to take the opportunity provided by the presence of Ms. Amos and Ms. Cousin to ask for an assessment ofthe humanitarian situation in Yemen.”
2015-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7433 (2015) · source
“Our basic hope now relates to the Geneva context, as planned by Special Envoy of the Secretary-General De Mistura. We are giving him all possible support in that regard. We hope that other conscientious members of the international community will do likewise. Given that today we are discussing humanitarian problems, we would like to express our deep concern with regard to the humanitarian situation in another country, namely, Yemen. The conflict there could become a Syrian one. Over the past month, the situation in Yemen has worsened significantly. According to the United Nations, there are serious issues with regard to the provision of water, food and energy to people. Many homes, schools and medical facilities have been destroyed. Two million children do not attend school.”
2015-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7433 (2015) · source