YouSaid · the spoken record

Cohen

lines on the record: 977
first: 2008-01-22
most recent: 2023-10-24
sittings or episodes: 157
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

“I thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing. We commend the people of the Sudan for their continued efforts to seek political solutions to their governance challenges and for putting in place a civilian-led transitional Government. This is not easy work, but it is the right work. We also recognize the important role that the United Nations, the African Union, Ethiopia and other international partners have played in supporting a stable transition in the Sudan. The recent transitional agreement provides a foundation for civilian and democratic rule in a clear path to timely elections. These commitments are all to the good, and we hope that they will be fully honoured. Additionally, we welcome Prime Minister Hamdok's focus on including women in all structures of power in the new Government.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8643 (2019) · source
“We hope that those concrete actions will lead to further de-escalation in Yemen and that they will help Special Envoy Griffiths and his team galvanize the political process. Too many people have suffered from that conflict for far too long; now is the time for concrete action.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“We understand that the Government of the Republic of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council have made important progress towards reaching an agreement, and we appreciate Saudi Arabia's efforts to facilitate that dialogue. We also welcome the announcement made by the Houthis on 20 September that they will suspend missile attacks against Saudi Arabia. It is our hope that this will serve as a stepping stone to United Nations-led efforts towards a comprehensive political settlement. We continue to call on all parties to exercise restraint, respect Government institutions underpinning economic stability, refrain from imposing bureaucratic impediments to the humanitarian response and allow humanitarian aid workers unhindered access to the civilians affected by the unrest.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“We are grateful to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and others that have recently dispersed critical funds towards humanitarian programming in Yemen. The United Nations must be able to conduct its work helping suffering Yemenis. Those much-needed funds will allow it to do so more effectively. As Under-Secretary-General Lowcock said, the only way to end the suffering in Yemen is to stop the war. In that regard, it is critical that we not lose sight of the goal of reaching a political solution in Yemen. We continue to support the work of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement and we are committed to the full implementation of the Al-Hudaydah Agreement, but that cannot come at the expense of progress on a broader political solution. The time has come to pursue both concurrently.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“Those efforts have saved millions of lives. We also know that sustenance is not enough, which is why the United States continues to support the health and economic welfare of the Yemeni population. We recently announced an award of more than $14 million to strengthen health systems in Yemen, which will reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality over the next three years. Additionally, we made a $25-million contribution to support UNICEF's emergency cash transfer programme, helping millions access goods and services in the local economy. Those contributions are just two smaller pieces of the more than $2.2 billion in United States humanitarian assistance to Yemen since 2015. While we are proud to be one of the largest humanitarian donors to Yemen, the needs are too vast for any one country to meet.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Griffiths and Under-Secretary-General Lowcock for their briefings. The United States remains committed to the people of Yemen as they continue to endure one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. We are concerned by recent reports of widespread and acute food insecurity in the country. It is unacceptable that 17 million people, more than the combined populations of three members of the Security Council, are in need of immediate food assistance. Of course, the situation would be much worse without international assistance. Significant portions of that assistance have come from the World Food Programme (WFP), to which the United States is the largest donor. We are thankful that WFP has extended its beneficiary reach from roughly 7 million to more than 12 million individuals per month in 2019.”
2019-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8642 (2019) · source
“That is why we have provided more than $214 million in assistance to manage the effects produced on Colombia by Venezuela's man-made crisis. It is why yesterday in Washington our Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, welcomed Foreign Minister Trujillo and High Commissioners Archila and Ceballos to a high- level dialogue. It is also why Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, United States Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green and Presidential Adviser Ivanka Trump visited Colombia in September for the launch of initiatives designed to empower women and enhance economic development. The United States is committed to envisioning and realizing a better future for all Colombians, and we look forward to continued partnership with Colombia and its continued progress in implementing the peace accord.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“The Colombian Government's commitment to the equal dignity of all people is especially evident in its response to the crisis in Venezuela. The Government is currently hosting 1.4 million Venezuelan refugees and other displaced Venezuelans, driven from their homes by the chaos and violence sown by Maduro's illegitimate former regime. It is even granting citizenship to thousands of Venezuelan children born in Colombia. Colombia has also shown leadership by supporting interim President Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader. We are grateful for Colombia's leadership and generosity, and we want to be clear today that the United States is equally committed to peace in the country and the region. But we cannot merely endorse aspirational leadership as we address these challenges. We must practice it.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“With security in mind, the United States applauds the recent signing of a national non-violence pact, with President Duque and Special Representative Ruiz Massieu as witnesses. We urge all parties to honour the principles of that pact. We are also alarmed by the information in the Secretary- General's report (S/2019/780) that participants in crop-substitution programmes continue to be the target of threats, attacks and killings. We call on the Colombian Government to ensure their protection and boost economic development in areas with significant coca cultivation. The people of Colombia need viable alternatives to that crop. They need visible paths to dignity if they are to pull themselves out of an economic cycle that ultimately funds violence and impunity.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“However, while we understand that lasting peace is the work of decades, not days or weeks, several hurdles have slowed the implementation of the peace accords to a worrying pace. We note that some two thirds of former combatants still reside outside territorial areas for training and reintegration. A smooth transition period is needed, as the legal status of those areas has expired. We also remain deeply concerned about the reports of violence against human rights defenders and social leaders, as well as political candidates across the ideological spectrum. Particularly in the light of the upcoming elections, Colombia's first nationwide local elections since the peace accord came into effect, we reiterate our support for the Government's efforts to protect leaders and ensure that they can safely conduct their vital work.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“On the subject of aspirational leadership, we are encouraged by the efforts of President Duque Marquez to expand the Government's presence in conflict-affected areas and to bring hope to vulnerable populations through justice, security and opportunities for legitimate economic activity. Those efforts represent welcomed progress. President Duque and his Administration have also shown admirable resolve by expanding counter-narcotics efforts and working towards our shared goal of halving coca cultivation and cocaine production by the end of 2023. That resolve has produced modest but noteworthy results. Coca cultivation is estimated to have slightly declined in 2018 and the United States welcomes that news.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“I thank Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu for his briefing. We are also very glad to welcome Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo Garcia and Presidential Counsellor Archila to the Council again today. The 2016 Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace remains an inspiration to all of us and is a reminder of the enduring value of aspirational leadership. The United States will continue to support the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and we recognize the Colombian Government's commitment to the Mission.”
2019-10-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8639 (2019) · source
“The trip will allow the Council to see how our words and decisions are impacting lives on the ground and to appreciate first-hand how we can help deliver a measurably better life for every man, woman and child in South Sudan, and on the African continent more broadly.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“Such a draft resolution must also address concerns regarding adequate burden-sharing, fiscal transparency and adherence to United Nations standards for conduct in peacekeeping operations. Those principles will improve the integrity and fiscal health of AU operations, but, more important, they will allow the AU to deliver real peace and security to vulnerable populations. As we have heard throughout this high-level week from world leaders, activists and countless others, our words are ultimately empty if they are not backed by concrete actions; we could not agree more. We want to reiterate our commitment to doing more than speaking of peace and security in Africa. That is one reason that the United States has decided to co-lead with South Africa the upcoming Security Council trip to South Sudan.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“As many have highlighted here today, financing is one of the challenges confronting regional cooperation. That is certainly true in the case of African Union peacekeeping operations. We recognize the sacrifices that the AU and African troop-contributing countries are making, and we are aware of the challenges associated with taking on a greater role. The United States supports the United Nations and the AU's efforts to establish systems that offer predictable, sustainable and reliable financing for future operations. But any mechanism using United Nations-assessed contributions requires a deliberate approach, with the appropriate safeguards. Any draft resolution on that topic must address long-standing United States policy positions, including with respect to financial transparency and trade measures.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“We commend the peacekeeping deployment of ECOWAS and its support for the transition in the Gambia. We are also appreciative of the work of the African Union (AU) and Ethiopia in helping secure a civilian-led transitional Government in the Sudan. Those examples are encouraging. Regional actors should do even more to address the challenges that threaten stability. For instance, the anglophone conflict in Cameroon has led to the deaths of thousands and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. And, while we are also encouraged by the Government's announcement to hold a national dialogue, the region could do more. We also note that flagging regional cooperation in South Sudan has slowed the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“But the United States understands that that is only part of the continent's larger story - the millions of individuals with unique callings and limitless potential. That is why our support does not burden African countries with unsustainable debts or unreasonable expectations. The Security Council's common wish should be for Africa to be strong and vibrant, free from the limiting obligations that some might place on it. But strengthened vibrancy requires cooperation among regional actors. To that end, the United States applauds the recent efforts by African Governments and organizations to assume responsibility for achieving those goals. We are grateful for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has urged leaders to govern inclusively and abide by the election timelines in Guinea-Bissau.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“I would like to thank today's briefers for their presentations and thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to engage on the critical topic of peace and security in Africa. The United States is deeply committed to realizing a better life for all the people ofAfrica and demonstrates that through our robust bilateral programmes. The United States has spent more than one third of its worldwide bilateral development assistance in sub-Saharan Africa since 2011. We spent $13.4 billion in 2017 alone to support stability and prosperity on the continent. There are strong economic incentives for investment. Africa is home to six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies and over 1 billion consumers.”
2019-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8627 (2019) · source
“However we must collectively ensure that regional organizations reflect all elements of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, including engagement with civil society, while promoting a human rights-compliant rule-of-law approach to fighting terrorism. The United States is committed to working with our Central Asian partners and the broader international community to counter terrorism and prevent violent extremism.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“The United States also works to ensure that terrorists do not find safe haven online while we protect freedom of speech. We collaborate voluntarily with technology companies to share information in order to address use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. We urge regional organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States to look closely at revising how they address terrorism in order to better avoid conflating separatism, extremism and terrorism in their core documents. We also urge them to fully promote the observance of applicable international law. It is important for the United Nations to work with regional organizations to counter terrorism and prevent violent extremism.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“Those attacks must stop. Continued violence in Syria will only further terrorist radicalization and recruitment. We are indeed deeply concerned by the situation in Xinjiang, where more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been arbitrarily detained under the guise of counter-terrorism. Men, women and children in Xinjiang have been subjected to torture, forced labour and invasive arbitrary surveillance, solely on the basis of their religion and ethnicity. China, like all nations, has every right to respond to actual terrorist threats, but counter-terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to repress the peaceful religious practices of Chinese Muslims and an entire minority group. Preventing and countering terrorist radicalization and recruitment online and offline is a global concern.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“Efforts to counter terrorism that do not respect human rights ultimately breed resentment and violent extremism. When Member States or regional organizations conflate terrorism with non-violent political dissent, they do a disservice not only to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms but to our global effort to defeat terrorism. Unfortunately, that is the dangerous approach we are witnessing in Syria, where the Al-Assad regime and its allies justify air strikes on civilians, schools, ambulances and hospitals as legitimate counter- terrorism operations, which have killed over 1,000 people since April and left over 2,000 wounded. In more than 50 cases, Russian and/or Syrian attacks have hit medical facilities deconflicted by the United Nations, putting the Organization's credibility and civilian lives at risk.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“In addition to regional organizations, platforms like the C5+1 initiative, which includes the five Central Asian nations and the United States, have been useful in deepening counter-terrorism capacities and facilitating dialogue on efforts to repatriate, rehabilitate and reintegrate foreign terrorist fighters. Just yesterday, under the auspices of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, the United States co-hosted a side event highlighting the experiences of those that have repatriated their foreign terrorist fighters. But regardless of organization, forum or platform, all efforts to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with the United Nations must be conducted in line with Security Council resolutions, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and applicable international law.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“In addition to our collective efforts at the United Nations, we agree that regional and subregional organizations continue to play an important role in addressing the terrorist threat in Central Asia and beyond. As other speakers have noted, NATO efforts have expanded information-sharing, improving preparedness and resilience to terrorist attacks and increasing capabilities to defend against the use of technology for terrorist purposes. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has helped Central Asian partners implement Security Council resolutions on foreign terrorist fighters by holding workshops to address this threat, as well as introducing new programmes to counter violent extremism in the region.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“That is why the Council has taken a number of significant steps to address the evolving terrorist threat. We adopted resolution 2178 (2014) to prevent foreign terrorist fighters travelling to battlefields and resolution 2396 (2017) to deal with the challenges of them returning to our own countries. We also adopted several counter-ISIS financing resolutions and expanded the sanctions regime of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities in 2015 to include ISIS. However, we only added Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -Khorasan in Afghanistan to the 1267 list in May, and we need to designate the many more ISIS affiliates operating across the globe.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“We wish to thank Secretary-General Guterres and our other briefers for their presentations today. This is a timely discussion as we work together to address a problem that reaches beyond the capacity of any one State. Following the territorial defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, we are faced with the challenge of repatriating, prosecuting and rehabilitating many Central Asian foreign terrorist fighters who had travelled abroad to fight in terrorist groups. The United States commends the Governments of Central Asia for their actions to take responsibility for their citizens in Iraq and Syria and their efforts to repatriate them to their home countries. On that issue, we can do more together than we can alone.”
2019-09-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8626 (2019) · source
“In conclusion, let me once again express my appreciation to the United Nations and other international partners for their support in strengthening the legitimacy of Afghanistan's electoral process and for supporting Afghanistan's peace process.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8613 (2019) · source
“We hope that the international community can expand efforts to address the drug problem. Finally, as Council members are aware, we are in the midst of a negotiation on a new UNAMA mandate. We must ensure that the renewal draft resolution provides UNAMA with clear, specific guidance to do its critical work, particularly during this pivotal period in Afghanistan's history. We strongly believe that this mandate is too important at this moment to have one Security Council member deny consensus for reasons having nothing to do with UNAMA. All of us must display discipline and political will to focus the mandate on the core issues that will empower UNAMA to support the Government and the people of Afghanistan.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8613 (2019) · source
“We have pledged $29 million out of the total $59 million in donor funding offered towards financing the presidential election and have supported the work of the United Nations Development Programme building the capacities of the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission. We continue to strongly support the role played by Afghan women in Afghanistan's economic, political and social advancement. The United States remains concerned about the high level of illicit narcotics cultivation and production in Afghanistan, including opiates and the growing ephedra problem. We appreciate the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, including the Research And Trend Analysis Branch, in continuing to draw the attention of Member States to this issue.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8613 (2019) · source
“Their sacrifices remind us of the importance of achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan, for too many Afghans, members of international security forces, foreign diplomats and others have lost their lives to indiscriminate violence. Regarding the peace process, the remarks made by President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo over the weekend and yesterday speak for themselves; I have nothing to add to them at this time The United States continues to support Afghan political and electoral institutions. We welcome the findings of the report of the Secretary-General on UNAMA (S/2019/703) that 9.6 million people have been registered to vote.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8613 (2019) · source
“I thank Special Representative Yamamoto, Executive Director Fedotov and Ambassador Djani for their briefings, as well as Ambassador Raz for her presentation today. The United States commends the continued hard work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in supporting the people of Afghanistan. We reiterate our deep sympathies and condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the terrorist attack on a wedding hall in Kabul, committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province on 17 August. We also convey our sympathies to the victims of recent Taliban attacks in Kabul, Kunduz and across Afghanistan, including attacks that claimed the lives of two United States service members, a Romanian service member and a Romanian diplomat.”
2019-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8613 (2019) · source
“As you know, Mr. President, the United States is the largest financial contributor to United Nations peacekeeping. Our long-term partnerships with troop- and police-contributing countries helped develop their institutional capabilities and better prepare, deploy and support peacekeepers. Peacekeeping is a shared responsibility that comes with shared costs. It is the responsibility of all Member States to step up their efforts to make sure peacekeepers are well-trained and well-equipped, and we encourage our partners to match our level of commitment. When we discuss peacekeeping performance, it is not about politics or pointing fingers. It is about improving peacekeeping on the part of stakeholders, including Member States and the Secretariat. We must all do our part to make peacekeeping as effective as it can be.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“The United States supports the United Nations in the repatriation of individuals who commit sexual exploitation and abuse, and of units that partake in abusive behaviour, including in cases were troop- and police-contributing countries do not fulfil their obligations under the zero-tolerance policy. Although there has been some movement in this area, we have not seen enough progress. The instances of peacekeepers engaging in sexual exploitation and abuse and the lack of information on accountability measures undertaken by their home countries erode trust and degrade the credibility of United Nations peacekeeping. Hearing about those cases in regular, formal briefings would allow us to address them before they become larger problems or recur. We also recognize that smart and adequate resourcing is essential to make peacekeeping effective.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“The United States calls on the Secretariat to provide mission performance assessment summaries in its written reports to the Council on individual missions. Those assessments should document examples of high performance as well as underperformance and accountability measures taken to rectify it. Now is the time, one year after the unanimous adoption of resolution 2436 (2018), to ensure its rigorous implementation. We strongly support the Secretary-General's efforts to implement his zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse. We urge all troop- and police-contributing countries to enforce it and swiftly address any criminal allegations.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“We would be grateful if the Department of Peace Operations would provide the Council with regular and formal briefings on outstanding performance in the field and examples of where peacekeepers could benefit from increased training. Those briefings could highlight many examples of significant progress towards developing peacekeeping guidelines, doctrine, standards and training materials, instituting a United Nations performance assessment framework and integrating and analysing performance data. Those briefings would align with the call of resolution 2436 (2018) for a more transparent and inclusive approach to improving peacekeeping performance. They would also allow Council members to better align our training efforts and receive feedback on the impact of the training we provide.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“Equally important, we seek to partner with the Secretariat to improve reporting, accountability and transparency efforts, as outlined in resolution 2436 (2018). We support the Organization's efforts to implement reforms that advance a culture of accountability in United Nations peacekeeping. Those reforms will enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers and civilians alike, increase the operational effectiveness of missions and hold peacekeepers accountable for underperformance. We appreciate and support Under- Secretary-General Lacroix's regular meetings with the Department of Operational Support and the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance to discuss peacekeeping performance in individual missions.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing. The United States adds its condemnation to the attacks in Burkina Faso, as well as our condolences to the families of the victims. We are deeply concerned about an increase in violent attacks targeting civilians in Burkina Faso. The United States recognizes the courageous work ofthe Blue Helmets in conflict zones around the world. Their service and sacrifice help countries navigate the path from conflict to peace. We welcome this opportunity, one year after the unanimous adoption of resolution 2436 (2018), to discuss how the Security Council can help peacekeepers effectively implement mandates, protect civilians, restore peace and return home safely to their families.”
2019-09-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8612 (2019) · source
“We have all endorsed the Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. One of those commitments is to pursue clear, focused, sequenced, prioritized and achievable mandates by the Security Council matched by appropriate resources. If UNIFIL is prevented from fully implementing its mission within the parameters of its current mandate, it is the Council's responsibility to adjust the mandate accordingly. We look forward to working with the Council over the course of the year, but I must reiterate that we need to see serious progress and cannot, and will not, accept the status quo, moving forward.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8610 (2019) · source
“In this renewal, we made serious efforts to address access issues. There was some progress, but we were unable to include a time frame for facilitating access, which is necessary for accountability. We must do more to ensure that UNIFIL has unimpeded, timely access to the entire Blue Line and to urge the Lebanese civilian leadership to address these concerns. The fact that UNIFIL cannot access all of the areas within its area of operations leads us to believe that it is time to re-examine the troop strength and begin the process of putting the mission on a trajectory toward right-sizing. In the year ahead, we will be scrutinizing the ability of the mission to implement its mandate, and we hope that the United Nations will take the assessment of the continued relevance of UNIFIL's resources and options for mission efficiencies seriously.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8610 (2019) · source
“The implementation of the arms embargo under resolution 1701 (2006) remains a top priority for the United States. While some Council members did not want to include language that was too prescriptive in this mandate renewal, in the coming year the Secretariat needs to take serious steps to build on the annex and increase the United Nations reporting on and ability to effectively monitor and verify the implementation of the arms embargo. As we made clear to the Council just a few weeks ago, we continue to see UNIFIL prevented from accessing areas of concern. Eight months after their discovery, UNIFIL still cannot access suspected Hizbullah tunnel sites on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line because Lebanese leaders have not directed their armed forces to investigate suspected sites with UNIFIL.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8610 (2019) · source
“The United States joined the consensus in support of today's renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). We commend France for the cooperative spirit in which it led this process. I also want to express our deep appreciation to the troop- contributing countries for their ongoing sacrifices in support of UNIFIL's critical work. We of course welcome the active approach that UNIFIL's leadership has taken to de-escalate tensions along the Blue Line and preserve the mission's vital access to it. The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to UNIFIL and to Lebanon's security, stability and sovereignty. We have a common interest in seeing UNIFIL succeed, but it continues to be prevented from fully implementing its mandate. We cannot continue to accept that status quo.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8610 (2019) · source
“We also reiterate the call made by the United States and other Council members during our recent meeting on detainees for the Al-Assad regime to immediately release innocent civilians held in regime prisons and to grant impartial and independent international entities access to detention centres in order to begin building mutual trust and the basis for reconciliation that is needed for a lasting peace. Until then, we will continue to apply pressure through all appropriate means to isolate this murderous and corrupt regime and its allies.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“We believe that this mechanism will be a viable way to secure and stabilize the border and ensure continuity in the efforts of the Global Coalition. The United States stands with Turkey in calling for the preservation of the 2018 Sochi agreement, as agreed by Turkey and Russia last September. We call upon all members of the Council to help ensure that efforts to establish a true de-escalation zone take hold, accompanied by a ceasefire across all Syria, in particular in Idlib and northern Hamah. Progress on a political track is unrealistic unless those conditions are met. Of course, no path forward is possible without the cooperation of the Al-Assad regime and Russia. We call on both to end their Violence in Syria and join the international community in a process that will result in the final stabilization of the country.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“The United States strongly supports the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria to establish the constitutional committee, which should be led and launched by the United Nations as an integral part ofresolution 2254 (2015). The inability ofthe Astana guarantors to deliver on the constitutional committee for the past two years shows that the regime and Russia are content to use this format to slow political progress. We call on the members of the Astana group to halt their futile attempt to seize ownership of the political process and instead put their full support behind the Office of the Special Envoy. On 7 August, the United States and our Turkish counterparts committed to establishing a combined joint operations centre and implementing this security mechanism in north-eastern Syria.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“We continue to call for full humanitarian access to Rukban and the immediate delivery of critically needed aid, as well as the ability for displaced persons to depart in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner to the location of their choosing if they wish to do so. We do not support forced relocations. Further, it is important that the Syrian regime permit regular access for humanitarian agencies to reach all displaced people in need, including those in Rukban. Repeated failures by the Astana guarantors to maintain a ceasefire between the Al-Assad regime and opposition groups, such as the one two weeks ago, demonstrated that the format is incapable of truly preventing violence or making substantive gains towards a political solution and other mandates of resolution 2254 (2015), including the release of detainees.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Throughout the country, more than 6 million internally displaced persons have yet to return to their homes because of continued Violence. Millions more live in constant fear for their safety and security, while also lacking basic necessities and a way to provide for themselves and their families. The United States calls on all members of the Council, as well as our regional partners, to ensure that the United Nations has the ability to freely implement cross-border aid deliveries through all agreed border crossings in accordance with resolution 2449 (2018). There is no substitute for cross-border operations, and it is particularly important now that we are seeing a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Idlib.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“These attacks make it impossible to believe that the regime and Russia are being honest when they say that they are not pursuing a military solution to this conflict. We object to the offensive launched by the Al-Assad regime and its allies under the false pretence of counter- terrorism operations. We know what counter-terrorism operations look like and, although we agree that there is a terrorist problem in Idlib, what we are witnessing is not counter-terrorism but, rather, an excuse to continue a violent military campaign against those who refuse to accept the Al-Assad regime as it is. Therefore, we call upon the United Nations to move swiftly with the board of inquiry responsible for investigating attacks on medical facilities in north-west Syria. The dire the situation in Syria is not limited to Idlib.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“As Under-Secretary- General Lowcock emphatically stated moments ago, there can be no justification for that. We saw this tragic story unfold yet again when a targeted air strike in the Ma'arat Hurmah neighbourhood in southern Idlib took the lives of two humanitarian workers, a paramedic and an ambulance driver. Even more barbaric, a White Helmet volunteer who rushed to save their lives was himself killed in an infamous double-tap air strike. Meanwhile, the past week has seen escalating violence and the regime's capture of Khan Shaykhun, the same town that was Victim to a sarin attack by the regime in April 2017 that killed nearly 100 people. The United States supports calls for a resolution to address the situation in Idlib.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“The report notes that hundreds of civilians have been killed or injured due to air strikes and shelling since May, and more than 400,000 people are estimated to have fled their homes to escape from violence. The overwhelming majority of those displaced are moving to densely populated areas close to the Turkish border in northern Idlib governorate, where humanitarian assistance is overstretched. Attacks by the Al-Assad regime, Russia and their allies in north-west Syria continue and have increased in recent weeks. The number of civilians killed, injured or displaced from their homes continues to rise. The Al-Assad regime and its allies are causing devastating harm to civilian infrastructure, including to schools and medical and water facilities.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source
“Let me thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Under-Secretary- General Lowcock for their briefings. As Secretary of State Pompeo stated in this Chamber last week (see S/PV.8600), we appreciate the opportunity to use the Security Council to confront the complex challenges of the Middle East. There are few places with challenges today greater than those in Syria. In the recently published report on the situation in Idlib, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reconfirmed that, despite the denials of Al-Assad and his supporters, the greater Idlib area has around 3 million Syrians, roughly 20 per cent of the country's remaining population. More than half the civilians there are children.”
2019-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8609 (2019) · source