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

“We urge the Government of Iraq to make urgent progress in support of them, including by preventing armed groups from blocking their return to their homes and villages. As Iraq continues to make progress, efforts to stabilize areas liberated from ISIS, urgently address the plight of internally displaced persons and ISIS family members and further integrate Iraqis into the surrounding region must all be accelerated. With UNAMI's continued engagement, those efforts can help steer Iraq towards a bright, prosperous and stable future.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“The recent discovery of human remains in Samawah and efforts to positively identify them are a step towards reconciliation and healing between Kuwait and Iraq. We commend ongoing efforts to improve relations between Baghdad and Erbil. We note with concern, however, the continued disagreements over oil authorities and revenue-sharing and urge the Iraqi Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to resolve those issues as quickly as possible. Support for threatened religious and ethnic communities remains a top priority for the United States. Iraq's diverse diversity is critical to its richness and strength as a nation. We encourage UNAMI to continue engaging those communities across Iraq.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“We welcome and support UNAMI's role in that effort, including the signing earlier this month of a memorandum of understanding between UNAMI and the Government of Iraq to establish the Iraq Reconstruction and Recovery Trust Fund, in support of Iraq's own recovery and development framework. That is a positive step towards urgently addressing Iraq's immediate humanitarian stabilization responses and longer-term development needs by the international community, including improving the fulfilment of international pledges from the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, held in 2018. We support continued efforts by the Government of Iraq, UNAMI and the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the unresolved issue of Kuwaiti missing persons and property from the first Gulf War.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“Such efforts will help restore public trust in Government institutions and are crucial to paving the way for stability and prosperity for all Iraqis. We continue to prioritize restoring key services and infrastructure in areas liberated from ISIS control. Additional donations are urgently needed for the Funding Facility for Stabilization of the United Nations Development Programme and, as we announced earlier this year, the United States will contribute $100 million to that effort. We encourage other members of the international community to also step up and do their part. We welcome today's announcement by the Government of Iraq ofits $33 million pledge. Regional integration is a prerequisite to securing a peaceful and prosperous future for Iraq. Kuwait and other Arab neighbours have paved the way in recent months.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“We welcome the continued cooperation between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on provincial council election preparations scheduled for next April. The amendments to the electoral law passed in July by the Council of Representatives are a significant step forward in preparing for those elections. We urge the Government of Iraq to expand and expedite its efforts to register eligible Iraqi voters with the biometric voter registration system in order to prevent disenfranchisement. Also important to the long-term stability of Iraq is the commitment by, and ability of, the country's leaders to deliver essential civil and social services to its people, including health care, education and infrastructure.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“The Government of Iraq has the right to control its own internal security and the responsibility to protect itself against the corrosive effects of armed groups whose actions jeopardize Iraq's recovery and regional stability. We welcome progress on Government formation but note, as the Special Representative has, that none of the Cabinet positions and only two positions on parliamentary committees are filled by women. We urge the Government of Iraq to appoint qualified female candidates to senior decision-making positions. Continued action on anti-corruption measures is essential for long-term stability and economic growth in Iraq. We urge the Government of Iraq to strengthen its efforts going forward.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“As the Council knows well, the United States has long been concerned about Iran's malign activities and its destabilizing impact on the region, including in Iraq. Recent events have demonstrated that our concerns are well-founded. Iran's sponsorship of destabilizing armed groups in Iraq, operating outside Government control, undermines Iraq's sovereignty and threatens the safety of civilians. We call for those destabilizing armed groups to be removed from civilian centres and replaced with professional security forces that are responsive to Baghdad and responsible for enforcing the rule of law. United States forces operate in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi Government. We support Iraqi sovereignty and have repeatedly spoken out against any potential actions by malign actors inciting violence in Iraq.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“I thank Special Representative Hennis-Plasschaert for another informative briefing on the gains of the Government of Iraq in increasing stability and prosperity for its people. To achieve the enduring defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) and successfully stabilize those areas formally under its control, all communities in Iraq must feel secure. Security depends on removing destabilizing armed groups from liberated areas and replacing them with professional security forces that are responsive to Baghdad and enforce the rule of law. We strongly support the full implementation of Executive Order 237, announced by Prime Minister Al-Mahdi in July, which seeks to bring all popular mobilization forces under the exclusive control of the Government of Iraq.”
2019-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8606 (2019) · source
“As we approach the eighteenth anniversary of the 11 September attacks, Al-Qaida-linked groups continue to threaten stability in Syria, the Sahel and elsewhere. We must work together and employ all of our available tools to ensure that Al-Qaida does not consolidate power and once again threaten the United States, our allies and our partners. We have achieved substantial success against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. We cannot relent. The United States will continue to work with its partners to pursue, degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS and Al-Qaida.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“In addition to designations, there have been other important advances in recent months. In March, the Security Council adopted resolution 2462 (2109), which reinforced in advance the framework for countering the financing of terrorism. We express our appreciation to France for spearheading that important effort. The designations of ISIS affiliates and the adoption of resolution 2462 (2019) are significant developments, but Member States must act on them in order to make them meaningful. The United States urges all Member States to fully implement their 1267 sanctions obligations, resolution 2462 (2019) and all of the relevant Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions in support of the ultimate defeat of ISIS. Finally, while today's briefing focuses on ISIS, we must not overlook the ongoing threat of Al-Qaida.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“Beyond Iraq and Syria, ISIS affiliates continue to threaten other regions of the globe. The Secretary- General's report makes it clear that ISIS affiliates pose a serious threat from West Africa to South-East Asia and that, in some cases, those affiliates can serve as a hub for the further regional expansion of ISIS. For that reason, we are pleased with the decision of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in May to designate ISIS-Khorasan. Beyond highlighting the threat that ISIS regional affiliates pose, that designation allows the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) to target regional facilitators who otherwise have no link to the ISIS core. The United States looks forward to working with members of the Committee to designate more affiliates.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“The United States remains concerned about the concentration of those fighters in what are otherwise civilian displacement camps, and the potential for radicalization to violence where they are present. The United States encourages Member States to repatriate and prosecute their citizens as appropriate in order to bring those responsible for ISIS crimes to justice. We also support efforts to protect displaced persons and help them return to their communities. The coalition is committed to preserving the successes that we have achieved. To date, coalition partners have pledged more than $1 billion in stabilization programming in Iraq, which is key to securing military gains and stabilizing liberated terrain, in part by addressing drivers of violent extremism.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“Beyond its military successes, the global coalition takes on ISIS in four main non-military lines of effort through counter-financing, counter-messaging and public affairs, the detention and repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters and the stabilization of areas liberated from ISIS. The United States recognizes that the international community's work to defeat ISIS is far from complete, even after the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and the coalition remains committed to continuing the fight against ISIS. The Secretary-General's report highlights the large number of ISIS fighters and dependents in displacement camps and detention facilities in northern Syria and Iraq.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and Executive Director Coninsx for their briefings today. The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2019/612) on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) demonstrates the hard-won progress that we have made over the past several years, culminating in the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria in March. This accomplishment is a testament to the work of the global coalition to defeat ISIS, which now has 81 members. Coalition military efforts removed scores of ISIS leaders from the battlefield, including ISIS so-called ministers of war, information, finance, oil, gas and its chief external operations strategist and propagandist.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8605 (2019) · source
“To conclude, I note that for years this body has come together to discuss this contentious topic; but we have seen little success in making progress towards a solution that creates a lasting, secure and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians. The United States remains committed to pursuing a comprehensive peace through direct negotiations. We encourage all those present to keep an open mind regarding the United States efforts and to remain constructively engaged with our team as we move forward.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8604 (2019) · source
“In that vein, I recently met with the family of Hadar Goldin, whose body is being held by Hamas as a bargaining chip, along with the body of Oron Shaul. As we tragically recall, Hadar was killed during a ceasefire at the end of the 2014 Gaza conflict, and it has been almost five years exactly since his family began their struggle to have Hadar's remains returned. As the Special Coordinator noted, the return of those remains is an issue of serious humanitarian concern, and we urgently call for their return, which is long overdue, to take place now. We also cannot forget Avraham Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed, who continue to be imprisoned by Hamas. Their families must recover their loved ones. Those are the acts of a brutal terrorist organization, whose actions should and must be condemned.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8604 (2019) · source
“I also want to highlight Hamas' praise for those attacks, which is deeply disturbing. Speaking about the death of Rina Shnerb, a Hamas leader said, "I bless this operation and greet the hands of those who executed it". How can that be tolerated? And how can so many here at the United Nations refuse to condemn an organization, Hamas, whose leaders make such statements? This month we also continued to see rocket attacks launched from Gaza into Israel by Hamas and other terrorist factions, as well as armed infiltration attempts. That represents an alarming escalation, and we condemn those attacks. It is beyond time for Hamas to put the interests of the people of Gaza first by rejecting violence, instead of seeking to extract concessions through attacks and threats.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8604 (2019) · source
“Welcome you to New York, Mr. President. It is good to have you with us in the Security Council this morning. I thank Special Coordinator Mladenov for his briefing and his tireless efforts. I want to start by expressing our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rina Shnerb, who was brutally murdered in an improvised explosive devise attack while hiking in the West Bank with her family. Our thoughts and prayers are also with her father and brother, who were seriously wounded in the attack. That attack occurred just weeks after the murder of Israel Defense Forces Corporal Dvir Sorek. Attacks such as those undermine attempts to find a solution to the conflict and build trust between the parties. The perpetrators of those brutal murders must be brought to justice.”
2019-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8604 (2019) · source
“The United States calls on the Sudanese authorities to follow through on their commitments in a timely manner so that UNAMID can continue to draw down its forces and a broad transition to peacebuilding can begin. The United States will continue to support the people of the Sudan in their pursuit of a future that they deserve, with a civilian-led Government that protects the rights of all Sudanese citizens and leads to free and fair elections.”
2019-08-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8603 (2019) · source
“UNAMID must have unhindered access to all team sites so that the mission can carry out its mandate. The Rapid Support Forces' delay in returning those sites to community-based institutions and their lack of cooperation with United Nations personnel is deeply concerning, and we look forward to hearing Under- Secretary-General's Lacroix's response to the question by the representative of the United Kingdom about the status of those sites. We welcome the public Prosecutor's establishment of the independent committee to investigate the 3 June crackdown by the Rapid Support Forces and the news that those allegedly involved in the 29 July shooting deaths during the El Obeid protests were arrested and are awaiting trial. It is imperative that all those responsible for violence against civilians be held accountable.”
2019-08-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8603 (2019) · source
“The international community now needs to see the speedy implementation of the 17 August agreement, including the formation of the Council of Ministers and the Legislative Assembly. In that regard, the inauguration of Prime Minister Hamdok and the Sovereign Council on 21 August shows progress towards the formation of a stable transitional Government. We look forward to seeing the progress of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) vis-a-vis its benchmarks in the September report of the Secretary-General. We expect all Sudanese stakeholders to cooperate with UNAMID with regard to the protection of civilians, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the return of internally displaced persons in line with international standards.”
2019-08-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8603 (2019) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Commissioner Chergui for their briefings. The United States congratulates the people of the Sudan on the 17 August signing of the constitutional declaration and political agreement between the Forces of Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council. We are encouraged by this first step in the establishment of a civilian-led transitional Government. The United States commends the mediators from the African Union and the Government of Ethiopia for their efforts to broker this landmark agreement. Our own special Envoy for the Sudan witnessed the signing, and the United States will continue to support its implementation. We are optimistic that those positive developments will bring peace and security to the Sudanese people.”
2019-08-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8603 (2019) · source
“Contrary to our Russian colleagues' outrageous assertions, we have made clear our interest in serious arms control that includes the Russian Federation and China, and it goes beyond treaties focused on limited types of nuclear weapons or missile ranges. We think that would be a more effective approach to addressing threats to international peace and security.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“That includes new delivery systems as China works to establish a new nuclear triad. China is also examining how hypersonic systems, air-launched ballistic missiles and low-yield nuclear weapons fit into its expanding nuclear arsenal. Those developments by the Russian Federation and China, coupled with their aggressive and coercive behaviours, are key drivers behind a deteriorating security environment. The United States will not and cannot ignore that reality. We will not stand idle. We will take the necessary steps to ensure our security and that of our allies and partners, and that includes testing and developing systems to respond to the challenges that we face, as well as being prepared to engage in what our President has described as a new era of arms control. The United States remains open to effective and verifiable arms control.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“The Russian Federation is also pursuing novel strategic nuclear weapons. Those include a nuclear- armed and powered underwater drone designed to destroy adversary coastal cities and ports in a radioactive tidal wave; a nuclear-armed and powered, ground-launched, intercontinental-range cruise missile; and a nuclear-armed, air-launched ballistic missile. Perhaps a better use of the Council's time would be to ask the Russian Federation to address the threats it poses to international peace and security. How many 9M729 missiles has it produced, and where are they? What exactly happened on 8 August in Russia? What caused the explosion? What system was it? And what purpose does that system serve? Meanwhile, China continues to rapidly increase the size of its nuclear stockpile through a rapid expansion and diversification of its nuclear arsenal.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“The Russian Federation is upgrading and diversifying its nuclear-weapons capabilities, and its total nuclear stockpile is likely to grow significantly over the next decade. That growth will be driven primarily by a projected increase in the Russian Federation's non-strategic nuclear weapons. The INF Treaty-violating 9M729 missile system is only one in a series of ground-, sea- and air-based Russian systems being modernized and developed with greater accuracy, longer ranges and lower nuclear yields in order to enable Russian nuclear strategy and doctrine, including limited first use of nuclear weapons. We believe the Russian Federation has up to 2,000 non-strategic nuclear warheads of various types. In comparison, the United States currently has a single non-strategic nuclear weapon: the B61 gravity bomb.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“The Aegis Ashore system does not have an offensive ground- launched ballistic- or cruise-missile capability, although it utilizes some of the same structural components as the sea-based MK 41 vertical launch system installed on ships. The Aegis Ashore vertical launching system is not the same launcher as the sea-based MK 41 vertical launch system, and the Aegis Ashore system did not violate our INF Treaty obligations. A more relevant discussion today about threats to international peace and security would focus on the fact that, while the United States works to reduce the number and salience of nuclear weapons, the Russian Federation and China did not follow the United States lead in this regard. To the contrary, they have moved in the opposite direction by developing and fielding new nuclear and missile capabilities over the last decade.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“They are a prudent response to ensure that the United States has the capabilities to defend our interests in the post- INF-Treaty world that Russia created and are the culmination of Treaty-compliant United States research and development efforts dating back to December 2017. Those efforts were never a secret, and, again, they were not prohibited by the Treaty. We have heard a narrative today that the United States had itself been in violation of the INF Treaty because of our recent flight test, which used the MK 41 launcher, which is also found in our Aegis Ashore missile defence system. This is categorically false.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“Now that the INF Treaty no longer exists due to the Russian Federation, the United States is taking the steps necessary to address the threat posed by the intermediate-range missile forces being deployed in ever-larger numbers by Russia and China, which the INF Treaty failed to hinder. Today there are no United States ground-launched intermediate-range missiles - zero. In contrast, Russia has developed and deployed multiple battalions of such missiles. China possesses approximately 2,000 missiles that would have been prohibited under the INF Treaty had China been a party to it. Furthermore, United States flight tests to develop a ground-launched conventional capability are neither provocative nor destabilizing.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“Russia now threatens to reciprocate if the United States positions intermediate-range missiles in Europe, but Russia had already fielded such missiles in Europe while the INF Treaty was still in effect. What we and our NATO allies know is that Russia has produced and fielded multiple battalions of 9M729 ground-launched cruise missiles throughout Russia, in violation of the now-terminated INF Treaty, including in western Russia, with the ability to strike critical European targets. Likewise, China threatens to target United States allies that host any United States missiles, even though China has already deployed thousands of intermediate-range missiles with the purpose ofholding the United States and our allies and partners at risk.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“As the Secretary said in his statement, the United States will not remain a party to a Treaty that is being deliberately violated by Russia. The other NATO allies also concluded that Russia had materially breached the INF Treaty. Let me repeat: Russia had materially breached the INF Treaty, and the NATO allies fully supported the United States withdrawal due to Russia's intransigence. We are here today because the Russian Federation preferred a world in which the United States continued to fulfil its INF Treaty obligations while the Russian Federation did not. Indeed, the Russian Federation and China would still like a world where the United States exercises self-restraint while they continue their arms build-ups, unabated and unabashed.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“I want to thank Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu for her briefing today. We should be crystal-clear about why we are here today. The United States entered into the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the Soviet Union in the late 19805, but more than a decade ago, the Russian Federation decided that it would break its Treaty obligations and pursue a missile system with a range expressly prohibited by the Treaty. Over the last several years, Russia developed, produced, flight- tested and now has fielded multiple battalions of its INF-non-compliant 9M729 missile system. In response, earlier this month and after six years of United States diplomacy to return Russia to compliance and preserve the Treaty, our Secretary of State affirmed the United States withdrawal from the INF Treaty.”
2019-08-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8602 (2019) · source
“Since 2018, the United States has been helping by providing more than $670 million in funding for food, water, health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene. We call on the international community to also help fund the humanitarian response.”
2019-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8601 (2019) · source
“As the country continues to work towards a one-person one-vote democratic system in preparation for the presidential election in 2020 or 2021, we underscore the need for close coordination between the Federal Government's electoral security task force, AMISOM, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia to provide voter security during each stage of electoral planning and implementation. We must also not lose sight of Somalia's ongoing humanitarian crisis. Poor rainy seasons have caused widespread crop failures, deteriorating livestock conditions and a heightened risk of drought-related diseases. An estimated 2.2 million people in Somalia face life-threatening food insecurity, and at least 5.4 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance.”
2019-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8601 (2019) · source
“The United States regrets that those important reforms have not yet been finalized or implemented. We urge all Somali stakeholders to earnestly commit to advancing those reforms. We applaud Prime Minister Khayre's reconciliation efforts among competing clans and the Federal Government and his support for the integration of local militias into Somalia's national security architecture. Somalia's success depends on continued productive collaboration between Mogadishu and the member states. The upcoming Jubaland presidential election provides an opportunity to reaffirm mutual respect between the central and state governments. We call on all parties to support a peaceful election and to avoid any interference in the electoral process.”
2019-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8601 (2019) · source
“We encourage both the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali Government to continue to work towards a conditions-based transfer of security responsibilities and international partners to closely coordinate in that effort. Similarly, the Somali police need ongoing capacity-building support to help stabilize areas reclaimed from A1-Shabaab. As our colleague of the United Kingdom noted, Somali officials must also cooperate and engage with the sanctions committee Panel of Experts to address shortcomings highlighted by that Panel that impede Somalia's progress. On the political front, the Federal Government's political and governance reform, including the draft electoral law and constitutional reform, offers the best hope for sustainable stability and economic growth.”
2019-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8601 (2019) · source
“I would like to thank all our briefers today and congratulate Special Representative Swan on his new role. His deep experience will be of great help to the international community in supporting Somalia in the challenging period ahead, through its political and security reforms, and we stand ready to support him. Somalia continues to face significant challenges on its path towards building a safe, stable and prosperous State, underscored by A1-Shabaab's recent attacks in Mogadishu and Kismaayo that killed the mayor and more than two dozen people, including two United States citizens. Despite those attacks, the reform efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia, with support from the United Nations, the African Union and international partners, offer hope that progress is under way.”
2019-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8601 (2019) · source
“As one of the largest humanitarian contributors in Yemen, the United States once again calls on all donors to step up assistance in Yemen and fulfil immediately the financial commitments pledged in Geneva in February.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“It is critical that the WFP and all humanitarian organizations be able to operate and provide life-saving assistance without the threat of diversion or corruption. We hope, for the sake of Yemenis in need, that the Houthis signing of that agreement means that the delivery of food aid will continue for the duration of the crisis. While humanitarian assistance will not solve the conflict, it is critically important to the millions of Yemenis whose lives depend on it. The stoppage and reduction of humanitarian programmes seen this year, as a result of severe funding gaps, underlines the need for immediate financial support for the Yemen response.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“Resolving the overall conflict and finishing the work initiated by the National Dialogue Conference is the best way for Yemenis to shape their political future. In addition to maintaining the ceasefire, it is essential that the parties continue to respect the Government institutions that underpin economic stability, such as the Aden branch of the Central Bank of Yemen, and that they allow humanitarian aid workers unfettered access to civilians affected by the unrest. We further call on all parties respect Yemen's territorial integrity. We are pleased to see a successful resolution to the negotiations between the Houthis and the World Food Programme (WFP) that enables the resumption of general food distribution in Sana'a city and prevents a worsening food security situation.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“Let me add our thanks to Special Envoy Griffiths and Assistant Secretary-General Mueller for their briefings and the tireless efforts of their teams. The United States is deeply concerned about the outbreak of violence and deadly clashes in Aden. Violence plays into the hands of those who seek to prolong this conflict, at the cost of the Yemeni people, and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis that the United Nations and others are working hard to address. We call on the parties to respect the rule of law, adhere to the agreed-upon ceasefire and participate in good faith in reconciliation talks proposed by Saudi Arabia. Dialogue represents the only way to achieve a stable, unified and prosperous Yemen.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“This includes peacekeeping predeployment training that we offer for troop- and police-contributors supporting the United Nations and regional peace operations. We have made the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as humanitarian personnel, locations and missions, a high priority in conflict areas, and we know that effective protection requires full adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties to conflict. The United States will continue our efforts to respect and ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions. We call on all Member States and the actors they support to comply fully with their obligations and to hold violators accountable.”
2019-08-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8596 (2019) · source
“While Member States and parties to armed conflict are ultimately responsible for adhering to their international humanitarian law obligations, each of us has an important role to play in calling out violations and holding those responsible to account. We continue to push for greater compliance with the Geneva Conventions by other actors, and we are also firmly committed to respecting our own obligations. To this end, we support efforts to disseminate accurate information about international humanitarian law among all parties to conflicts. For example, the training of United States military personnel includes thorough coverage of international humanitarian law in principle and practice. We also incorporate adherence to international humanitarian law into United States training for international military partners.”
2019-08-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8596 (2019) · source
“They are a powerful articulation of international humanitarian law and have become synonymous with ethical behaviour In war. As States Members of the United Nations, we have several tools at our disposal to address violations of international humanitarian law. In certain instances of grave and systematic violations, war crimes tribunals have been important tools to hold offenders accountable. The United States is proud to have supported the establishment of the tribunals for Cambodia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the former Yugoslavia, as well as their subsequent work to punish some of the worst offenders of international humanitarian law. In other cases, however, obstacles to accountability remain. For the relevance of these Conventions to endure into the future, compliance and accountability are key.”
2019-08-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8596 (2019) · source
“The Conventions have played a significant role in shaping parties' behaviour on the battlefield and improving protections for combatants and civilians alike. Today's briefing is an important opportunity to reflect on the successes of the Geneva Conventions, and to deepen and strengthen international compliance with and enforcement of those obligations. Much has changed in the past 70 years. New technologies have emerged that allow for greater precision in many cases, but also more deadly force. The rise of terrorist groups like Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham has created new challenges as States work to defeat enemies who abide by no rules whatsoever. Today, the Geneva Conventions remain some of the very few universally ratified international treaties.”
2019-08-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8596 (2019) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, and welcome you back to the Council. It is excellent to have you with us today. I also thank Under-Secretary-General Serpa Soares, Peter Maurer and Professor Bellal for their briefings today. The United States would like to recognize and commend the vital role of the International Committee of the Red Cross in promoting the protection of civilians. Seven decades ago, with the horrors of the Second World War still fresh, representatives from around the world gathered in Geneva to try and change the way wars were waged. Building on an existing framework of law and war treaties, the resulting Geneva Conventions enshrined formal legal rules to govern the conduct of war.”
2019-08-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8596 (2019) · source
“We urge the sides to support confidence-building measures also proposed by the Special Representative as steps that could lead to a sustainable ceasefire and inclusive dialogue. We also urge both sides to allow humanitarian access via protected corridors. As it has often been repeated in the Security Council Chamber, durable peace in Libya requires a political solution.”
2019-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8595 (2019) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Keita for her sobering briefing today. The United States strongly condemns the attack in Benghazi that killed and injured United Nations staff members and a number of civilians. We extend our condolences and sympathies to the victims, their families and indeed the entire United Nations family. Today's violence in Benghazi underscores the need for an immediate reduction in violence and a prompt return to the United Nations-mediated political process. We welcome the United Nations Special Representative's call for a truce and commitments from the Libyan parties to halt military activities during the Bid Al-Adha holiday. All sides should now take durable steps to de-escalate and reduce the ongoing violence and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
2019-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8595 (2019) · source
“In a show of good faith to reinvigorate the political process, we strongly urge the Al-Assad regime and its supporters to take the concrete steps that I have outlined to address that issue. To Amina Khoulani, Dr. Hala and the hundreds of thousands of Syrians affected by the Al-Assad regime's practice of arbitrary detention, torture, disappearance and killing, the United States stands with them in their pursuit of justice and will spare no effort to bring the regime's torture to a halt. The Syrian people deserve an end to their suffering, a pathway to justice and a chance to live in peace.”
2019-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8593 (2019) · source
“And even those efforts have been undermined, as the regime has detained hundreds of former fighters in the past year who had signed so-called reconciliation agreements brokered by the Russian Federation. We ask our Russian partners, on behalf of the Astana guarantors, to consolidate the efforts of its working group, under the leadership of United Nations Special Envoy Pedersen, and to renew their commitments to negotiating the release of victims, pressing for an end to the regime's detention practices and strongly supporting mechanisms for truth and accountability. Progress on Syrian detainees is essential to the success of any political solution, in line with resolution 2254 (2015).”
2019-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8593 (2019) · source