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

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“The United States is deeply concerned about recent attempts by Russia and China in the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly to politicize and undermine the Security Council's unanimous authorization of cross-border humanitarian operations by proposing cuts to the mechanism's operational costs. Those attempts are at odds with the vital necessity of United Nations cross-border humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. The United States calls on all Council members, as well as its regional partners, to ensure that the United Nations has the operational capacity to implement cross-border aid deliveries through all agreed border crossings, in accordance with resolution 2449 (2018).”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“As the residents of Rukban prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, we call on Moscow to ensure Damascus's agreement to provide humanitarian assistance to Rukban immediately and to stop blocking commercial traffic into the encampment. Recent discussions among the humanitarian community and in the press have once again shined a light on the issue of cross-border assistance. Cross- border assistance remains a critical lifeline for more than 11 million people inside Syria. The Security Council must remain united in its support for the full implementation of the cross-border humanitarian mechanism authorized by resolution 2449 (2018) in December 2018.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“The United States will continue to work towards accountability and justice for those who have been arbitrarily or unlawfully detained and for missing persons in Syria. That will be necessary as the political transition in Syria moves forward under the leadership of Special Envoy Pedersen in line with resolution 2254 (2015). The United States strongly supports a third United Nations-led humanitarian convoy to the Rukban internally displaced persons camp. Unfortunately, as we have heard, the Al-Assad regime has denied the United Nations request. We also understand that commercial traffic into the encampment is blocked. It is unacceptable to starve the Rukban residents into submission. The United States condemns any attempt to prevent the United Nations from delivering humanitarian aid.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“During the Arria Formula meeting on the situation of persons with disabilities in armed conflict, held in December 2018, the United States made a commitment to raise the situation of persons with disabilities more systemically in the Security Council. We are very pleased to see the Council do that today. We want to thank Ms. Mustapha for sharing her story and her perspectives and for ensuring that Syrians with disabilities will never be invisible to the Council. For our part, the United States will continue to advocate for the needs of persons with disabilities when planning, coordinating and implementing humanitarian assistance in Syria and elsewhere. Numerous United Nations reports detail the Al-Assad regime's systemic, barbaric use of arbitrary detentions against hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“That includes providing services, reducing risks, creating a secure environment and challenging the norms that exacerbate Violence and conflict and perpetuate gender inequality. Finally, we urge the United Nations and Member States to invest in enhanced efforts to update early- warning indicators and the investigation, monitoring and disaggregation of reports on sexual violence in conflict with a view towards informing prevention, mitigation and accountability measures.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“The best long-term protection from sexual violence in conflict comes from building societies where women and girls are valued and their human rights are respected. That includes institutionalizing equal protections under the law and access to education and opportunity, which are essential to enabling women's participation in public life. We must also address the root causes of sexual violence, such as structural inequality and gender discrimination, which drive this crime and result in perpetual cycles of violence and injustice. In humanitarian and disaster-response efforts, it is essential that we promote safe communities and protect vulnerable populations from all forms of violence.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Our commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security begins with those most affected by war, violence and terrorism. By putting survivors at the heart of our work, we enhance our understanding of the barriers to security and are better positioned to build partnerships with communities that lead to justice and prosperity. We welcome today's open debate as an opportunity to recognize how we can support survivors in building the solutions that will help to prevent and eradicate sexual violence in conflict. The United States commends the work of the United Nations in that regard and looks forward to continued efforts that explore the entire cycle of conflict and gender-based violence.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Murad's home village. It is for survivors that we implement and fund unique rapid response programmes for extreme forms of gender-based violence, including the Voices Against Violence fund that directly supports Yazidi women and girls who escaped from ISIL. Ensuring that survivors have access to the resources they need to heal and recover is the first step in breaking the silence and stigma that they experience, changing the norms that enable and exacerbate violence in conflict and securing the justice they so deserve so that they can use their voices as agents of peace, live free from violence and have access to equal opportunities. Solutions require strategic responses that start with best practices learned on the ground, with actors across the United Nations system, civil society and Member States playing important roles.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Fear and stigma prevent survivors from coming forward. Ending impunity would help deter the recurrence of such crimes while ensuring survivors access to the justice they deserve. I would particularly like to welcome Ms. Nadia Murad, and I commend her for her bravery in the face of unimaginable terror and as a leading advocate for supporting the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (UNITAD). We support accountability for ISIL and other perpetrators of those crimes, and we are working with the Government of Iraq and other partners to help ensure that ISIL is held accountable. As the United States announced last year (see S/PV.8412), we are providing $2 million to support UNITAD's efforts, which include exhuming a mass grave in Kocho, Ms.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“It requires the engagement of all Member States and of the United Nations to support the efforts of those fighting to protect women, provide accountability and support survivors. It is for survivors that the United States invests in early warning and response initiatives to prevent sexual violence in conflict. The promise ofa future without the sexual violence that often accompanies conflict begins with supporting communities to partner with security and governance institutions to expand the effectiveness of prevention efforts. It is for survivors that the United States commitment to justice and accountability is at the heart of our response to this issue. As Special Representative Pramila Patten noted, despite widespread reports of sexual violence in conflict, such acts are often not investigated, let alone prosecuted.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“I would like to wish a warm welcome to today's briefers and to thank them for their very important contributions. Allow me to begin by offering the heartfelt condolences of the United States to the people of Sri Lanka for the Easter Day terrorist attacks that killed nearly 300 people and wounded hundreds ofothers. The United States condemns those attacks in the strongest terms. We stand with the Sri Lankan people, and we remain ready to provide our assistance to the local authorities as they work to investigate the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice. The United States is resolute in recognizing that conflict-related sexual violence is a matter of international peace and security that demands collective action to promote prevention, hold perpetrators accountable and support survivors. None of us can turn our backs on this issue.”
2019-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8514 (2019) · source
“Even with the significant events, the Government and parties should show measurable and sustainable progress on prioritized benchmarks, in particular, demonstrating the Government's ability and capacity to protect and provide for the Darfur people and addressing the root causes of the conflict. Absent such evidence of progress, the United States is supportive of the Council considering all options as we seek to bring long-term peace and stability to Darfur. The United States commends the people of the Sudan for their resilience and commitment to non-violence as they express their legitimate demands for an inclusive and representative Government that respects and protects human rights. The United States urges all parties to continue the process towards an inclusive, civilian transition, amid an atmosphere of restraint and calm.”
2019-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8513 (2019) · source
“Violence has also prevented United Nations peacekeepers from carrying out important prevention-and-response patrols. Despite those challenges, the United States strongly encourages the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to redouble its efforts to address the spike in violence and prioritize the safety and security of civilians. The joint United Nations-AU report on UNAMID's future, due in May, will be an opportunity to provide a set of prioritized benchmarks, while also recommending possible trajectories for the mission. The United States expects the strategic report to also consider the events of the past several months and weeks and their impact on the stability and security of Darfur.”
2019-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8513 (2019) · source
“We are concerned by the impact of the events in Khartoum on the security and stability of Darfur, including last Saturday's deadly attack on a camp of internally displaced persons that other speakers have cited, and we continue to receive reports of violence resulting from protests in Darfur. In addition, the United States is deeply concerned that violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid faction increased during the reporting period. We are also troubled that crimes against displaced persons and vulnerable civilians increased, and with them a rise in fatalities. Such violence worsens the possibilities for a humanitarian response in an already severe situation and has prevented humanitarian actors from accessing the most vulnerable to provide life-saving services and assistance.”
2019-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8513 (2019) · source
“We welcome you, Mr. President; it is great to have you join us in the Security Council today. Over the past days, we have seen a dramatic and significant series ofevents unfold in the Sudan. However, the demands of the Sudanese for a representative Government have not yet been met and the situation remains tense. Protesters and opposition groups are calling for a quick transition to civilian authority, and the African Union (AU) said on 15 April that it will withdraw the Sudan's membership if the transition is not made within 15 days. We agree with the Sudanese people that the first step is forging a new transitional body that includes the leadership and participation of civilians representing the diversity and breadth of Sudanese society.”
2019-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8513 (2019) · source
“For the past three months we have also expressed our strong concerns about continued postponement of the World Food Programme's mission to rehabilitate and reopen the Red Sea Mills. But today, as we heard from Mark Lowcock and a number of other speakers, the Mills are still closed and the food stocks within may be rotting. At this point, only the Houthis are blocking access to them, and they alone will be to blame if the food spoils. Our support for Martin Griffiths and Lieutenant General Lollesgaard remains steadfast. They, their staffs and the international humanitarian community are doing what they can to help the parties reach a resolution to the conflict and save Yemeni lives. We applaud the Yemeni Government for joining them in that effort, and we call on the Houthis to do the same without further delay.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“The Yemeni Government has been working with the United Nations Special Envoy for more than a month to identify redeployment terms that it can accept. We thank President Hadi Mansour and the Yemeni Government for their support for the Redeployment Coordination Committee. We appreciate the fact that the Houthis have finally agreed to the phase one withdrawal concept of operations, and we will be watching closely to see if they make good on that agreement. The Yemeni Government has demonstrated a clear commitment to the United Nations-led process. It is now time for the Houthis to show the international community that they too are serious about the United Nations process and the agreements that they themselves reached in Stockholm.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“I thank today's briefers, and especially the United Nations teams on the ground in Yemen, for their tireless efforts in exceptionally difficult conditions. Since December, the Council has urged the parties to demonstrate their commitment to a political settlement by redeploying from Al-Hudaydah in line with the terms of the Stockholm Agreement. While we should not minimize the importance of the Al-Hudaydah ceasefire, which is narrowly holding, continued violence risks jeopardizing the Stockholm Agreement. But the ceasefire is not an end in and of itself. Now is the time to seize on the momentum of the ceasefire and on the agreement on the concept of operations for the first phase of the withdrawal. We need to move to further talks to end the conflict.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“Colombia has also demonstrated its strength as a regional leader by supporting the legitimate interim Government in Venezuela led by Juan Guaido in hosting more than 1.5 million of the Venezuelans who have fled the man-made crisis in their country. More than 700,000 of those Venezuelans have been granted temporary residency permits, facilitating their access to social services and granting them the right to work. We are grateful for those efforts. The people of Colombia know better than most that peace is precious but fragile. The United States stands firmly with the people of Colombia as they build a strong and prosperous future.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“We welcome the Colombian Government's efforts to ensure that the law implementing the Special Jurisdiction for Peace complies with the 2016 peace accord and Colombia's Constitution, democratic institutions and obligations under international law. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring that Colombia passes a statutory law on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace as soon as possible in order to ensure that it has a solid legal framework in which to operate effectively and independently. The partnership between Colombia and the United States has never been stronger. The United States continues to work with the Colombian Government to dismantle criminal organizations and curtail narco-trafficking, including by halving coca cultivation and cocaine production in Colombia by the end of 2023.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“Ensuring meaningful justice for victims and accountability for the crimes committed during so many years of armed conflict is also vital to reconciliation. We welcome efforts to strengthen accountability for war crimes and human rights violations and abuses. Colombia must ensure that those responsible are held accountable, including, when appropriate, by the prosecution and imposition of sentences proportionate to the crimes committed. All who committed crimes f whether the FARC-EP, paramilitaries or State agents, including the Colombian military - should be held accountable. The United States considers the accord's transitional justice system, including the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, to be critical to meaningfully addressing war crimes and human rights abuses in Colombia.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“We support the Government's efforts to expand its presence in the conflict-affected areas to keep illegal armed groups and criminal organizations from taking the place of the Fuerza Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP) and creating new sources of violence. We also urge the Government to strengthen institutions and programmes to prevent the recruitment of children into armed groups. We too remain deeply concerned about the continuing attacks on social leaders and human rights defenders, and we encourage the Government to redouble its efforts to protect these vulnerable members of society and to continue to protect, support and empower recently displaced Colombians.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“I would like to welcome Foreign Minister Trujillo Garcia to the Security Council. Since the signing in 2016 of the historic Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace, Colombia has taken several important steps and has become an inspiration for peace, not just in the region but around the world. The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia has been vital to that success, and we welcome the Colombian Government's continued support for the United Nations. Colombia's implementation of the accord is now at a critical juncture, and much of the most difficult work lies ahead. Effective Government agencies that provide security and Government services in remote areas are critical to sustained peace.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“In the immediate future, we call on all Haitian actors to continue efforts towards a constructive and inclusive dialogue that aims to find lasting solutions to the current political and economic challenges. We are convinced that genuine dialogue and compromise, leading to a transparent and accountable Government, can best serve the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8510 (2019) · source
“We are eager to establish a special political mission and look forward to the report of the Secretariat that is tasked in the resolution, which will facilitate the Security Council's consideration of a mandate. In the interim, we expect the Government of Haiti and MINUJUSTH to continue working together to achieve the benchmarks that the Council previously laid out until the drawdown of the Mission and beyond. The transition will mean a significant handover of responsibility back into the hands of the Haitian Government and its people. Now is the time for the Government of Haiti to step up and assume that responsibility. As a long-time partner and friend, the United States continues to support Haiti on that path, mindful of the challenges ahead.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8510 (2019) · source
“We were pleased to vote in favour of resolution 2466 (2019), on the final renewal of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) until 15 October 2019. This resolution will conclude the United Nations peacekeeping presence in Haiti after more than 15 years. On this occasion, we would like thank the peacekeepers who have honourably served in MINUJUSTH, and in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti before it. We remember and honour their sacrifices and efforts in support of a free, prosperous and peaceful Haiti. The resolution sets the stage for the transition to a non-peacekeeping United Nations presence.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8510 (2019) · source
“Success depends on our determined, coordinated efforts to improve peacekeepers' performance by championing women's participation in all aspects of our peacekeeping efforts.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“These important tools serve to catalyse commitments to increase the number of women in peacekeeping and enhance their recruitment, retention and deployment. We welcome the uniformed gender-parity strategy of the Department of Peace Operations for increasing the number of women in the military and police contingents of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We urge troop- and police-contributing countries and all other stakeholders in peacekeeping to support the strategy's objectives. Individually, we should all be taking steps to address the persistent barriers facing women peacekeepers and to overcome those impediments in our systems. Collectively, we should remove those barriers and advance the meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping through our resolutions and programmes.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“Our partner countries have increased the number of women military peacekeepers deployed to United Nations peace operations by 89 per cent since 2010, compared to a 7 per cent increase among countries that are not partners in the Initiative. The International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support programme has funded United Nations-led workshops for women peacekeeping police candidates, with a focus on improving communications, investigating and report-writing, driving and firearms skills. Since 2014 we have increased the number of francophone women police eligible to deploy to United Nations missions, almost doubling the number recommended for deployment from 36 per cent to more than 50 per cent. We encourage all Member States to adopt and revise, where appropriate, national action plans and strategies on women and peace and security.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“The United States continues to work with troop- and police-contributing countries through its Global Peace Operations Initiative and International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support programme, which strengthen international capacity and capabilities for executing United Nations and regional peace operations. More than 11,000 female military and police personnel have already participated in United States peacekeeping training events. In our Global Peace Operations Initiative partner countries, we are also investing in infrastructure, among other things by building women's barracks and latrines and removing barriers to women's effective participation and peacekeeping training.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“Security Council resolutions 2242 (2015) and 2436 (2018), as well as the Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative, charge us to expand opportunities for women in peacekeeping. As many previous speakers have affirmed, women improve the operational effectiveness of peacekeeping missions and can be important role models, both in the communities where they are deployed and within their own national systems, but we still have much work to do in overcoming their sparse participation in military contingents, police units and civilian support forces, let alone in addressing the paucity of uniformed women in the higher ranks of peacekeeping operations.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“Ithank you, Madam President, for convening today's open debate and for being with us in the Council this morning. I would also like to thank our briefers today. I reaffirm the United States commitment to the full, effective and meaningful participation of women in the United Nations peacekeeping operations. With its Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017, the United States became the first country to translate resolution 1325 (2000) into national law. That historic milestone demonstrates the commitment and leadership of the United States regarding the agenda on women and peace and security. We are also advocates for improving peacekeeping performance in general, and increasing the meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping is at the heart of performance.”
2019-04-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8508 (2019) · source
“We will continue to sound the alarm on the dire humanitarian situation of the Venezuelan people, including in tomorrow's discussion. I thank you again, Mr. President, for convening today's meeting to discuss the situation for millions of displaced people around the world, who have the same hopes and dreams for the future that we all have: access to education for our children, basic rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship and, most importantly, safety and security to live our lives. The United States will continue to lead efforts to support that future.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“We wholly support the High Commissioner's discussion on finding solutions at the outset of a displacement crisis, addressing the root causes and the drivers of displacement and effectively managing movement due to multiple factors or mixed migration flows. As Secretary Pompeo said, the best way to help is to work to end conflicts that drive displacement in the first place. Seeking to resolve such conflicts is a core responsibility of the Council and one we must fully embrace. For over a year, we have sought to address the root causes of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela through this body, to no avail. To suggest to Venezuela's neighbours, which collectively host more than 3 million refugees, that the situation does not threaten regional security and stability is as erroneous now as it has been since the crisis began.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“We encourage the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and its partners to redouble efforts to monitor conditions of those who return to their areas of origin, both refugees and internally displaced persons. In that context, I would like to ask the High Commissioner for his non-politicized View of the current options for the Rukban camp residents, and to what extent he believes that they have a safe, voluntary and dignified option to return. We encourage States to avoid actions that could exacerbate displacement. Refugee returns are more likely to be sustainable if basic safeguards, such as legal rights, access to land, housing, social services and economic inclusion, are in place. They decrease the likelihood that refugees would need to seek safety across international borders again.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“In Turkey, nearly 4 million refugees have access to free health care, work and education. Thailand has granted nationality to over 30,000 stateless people, and Pakistan has started a national conversation on offering citizenship to refugees born there. We must avoid temptation to press prematurely for returns of individuals to countries or regions that they fled. Syria is one example where, as the High Commissioner just told us, most refugees are not ready to return. The conditions in many places ofreturn are not safe. We are concerned about the reports of involuntary returns in some contexts, and call upon States to act in accordance with their obligations under international law and to respect the principle of non-refoulement.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“We encourage non-refugee hosting countries and countries that do not provide humanitarian assistance to do more. We support easing pressure on refugee-hosting countries, including through third-country options, and facilitating opportunities beyond traditional resettlement. We also support efforts to improve conditions in countries of origin to allow for safe and voluntary returns. We commend the tremendous efforts of the many hosting countries. That includes countries that have opened the doors to an unprecedented plight of millions of vulnerable people from Venezuela and from Syria. We note the admirable steps countries around the world take to protect refugees. Ethiopia is expanding refugees' access to work, education and other basic services. Jordan has committed to allowing all children access to public education.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“The United States is committed to assisting those displaced by circumstances beyond their control. As such, we remain the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance worldwide. We are focused on providing assistance as close to refugees' homes as possible to help them until they can return home safely, voluntarily and with dignity. However, humanitarian needs vastly outpace the capacity of any single donor. We encourage other States, as well as development actors and the private sector, to increase humanitarian contributions worldwide. As many colleagues have said, the Global Compact on Refugees provides a basis for predictable response and greater burden-sharing among Member States. We support the Compact's primary objectives.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“In this broader context, we encourage the President and elected representatives of Haiti to work together in accordance with Haiti's Constitution to form a new Government to serve the Haitian people as soon as possible. We continue to support a constructive and inclusive dialogue among Government leaders from across the Haitian political spectrum, civil society, faith-based organizations and the private sector to find lasting solutions to the current political and economic crisis. We are convinced that genuine dialogue and compromise leading to a transparent and accountable Government can best serve the needs and the aspirations of the Haitian people.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“As his 1 March report states, unless there are mounting challenges to the Government's capacity to respond to the crisis, the HNP will be able to fully assume responsibility for the security and protection of Haiti by 15 October. The United States shares this assessment and notes that it reflects the will of the Government of Haiti to conclude the peacekeeping operation by that time. We do not believe that the Council should link MINUJUSTH's scheduled transition to legislative and local elections in Haiti, scheduled for October. Rather, the United States encourages the Government ofHaiti in support of its election planning.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“We look forward to continued updates from the Secretariat regarding the Secretary-General's recommended follow-on special political mission, so that the Council can establish the special political mission in a timely manner and ensure a smooth transition. The mission should include a human rights pillar that can further advance progress achieved by MINUJUSTH on human rights benchmarks. In the interim, we expect the Government of Haiti, together with MINUJUSTH, to keep working to achieve the benchmarks until the drawdown of the Mission and beyond. We expect a renewal of the MINUJUSTH mandate for six months, until 15 October. This timetable is consistent with the two-year exit strategy and the assessment of the Secretary-General.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“Last month, the Secretary-General provided an assessment (S/2019/198) of where the United Nations and Haiti stand with achieving the goals and benchmarks of MINUJUSTH. The dashboard is always a very helpful tool in seeing that. We agree with his assessment that Haiti is on a positive trajectory, with improvements in the professionalism and efficiency of rule-of-law and security institutions, as well as in the protection of human rights. We also agree that the HNP has been increasingly self-sufficient in providing security across the country. That brings me to the upcoming transition, as we prepare for the final renewal of the MINUJUSTH mandate.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“We commit to continuing to work with the Government of Haiti to further address the country's significant challenges, which include isolated allegations of unlawful killings by police, the excessive use of force by police, arbitrary detention, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, ajudiciary subject to corruption and outside influence, physical attacks on journalists, widespread corruption and impunity and human trafficking, including forced labour. The United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) has a central role in promoting human rights. Its task to strengthen national human rights institutions is essential to promoting the rule of law, democratic institution-building and security in Haiti. It contributes to ensuring accountability as well as respect for human rights, including of women and children.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“As we have stated on several occasions, the HNP can further enhance its effectiveness by increasing accountability and transparency. As we note in our human rights report, there have been improvements in the still very problematic prison and detention conditions. We also not the progress made in filling positions in Haiti's judiciary. The United States welcomes Haiti's progress in promoting respect for human rights.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“We rely on the information gathered by the human rights teams of various peacekeeping operations and honour the courage of peacekeepers on display as they carry out their task. The United States has just released its annual country reports on human rights for 2018. When we document human rights issues, we shine a spotlight on the plight of victims and show our commitment to exposing perpetrators. Through ongoing monitoring and exposure of human rights challenges, we use our influence and power to help promote human rights and fundamental freedoms and effect change by Governments and societies. We have seen positive change in Haiti. The Haitian National Police (HNP) has taken steps to impose systematic discipline on officers found to have committed abuses or fraud.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“I am glad to be the first to be subjected to the hourglass test. We would like to thank Foreign Minister Edmond forjoining us in the Security Council today. The United States welcomes this opportunity to address human rights, not only in Haiti but in the broader context of peacekeeping operations. Promoting respect for human rights, as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is a central goal of our foreign policy. The protection of human rights helps secure peace, deter aggression, promote the rule of law, combat crime and corruption, strengthen democracies and prevent humanitarian crises. Human rights are inextricably linked to both the mission of the Security Council and to United Nations peacekeeping operations.”
2019-04-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8502 (2019) · source
“We welcome the joint initiative between Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross aimed at strengthening the implementation of international humanitarian law, which included multiple rounds of dialogue designed to allow States to share best practices in a non-politicized, non-country-specific setting. We hope this type of exchange can continue. Finally, the United States calls on Member States to implement domestic frameworks, including counter- terrorism laws and sanctions, in a manner consistent with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law.”
2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source
“The work that the United States has undertaken to ensure that civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian locations and personnel are protected in some of the world's most fraught conflicts is important, but it cannot replace the full adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties to conflict. We encourage Member States to engage more closely with non-governmental and faith-based humanitarian actors that can provide valuable insights about how to ensure the most vulnerable are protected and receive assistance.”
2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source
“A thorough understanding of international humanitarian law in principle and practice is fundamental to the training of United States military personnel at all levels. We further integrate international humanitarian law topics and principles into training that we provide to international military partners. For example, international humanitarian law principles are actively addressed in peacekeeping predeployment training that we provide to partner troop and police contributors deploying to United Nations and regional peace operations.”
2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source
“We do this by opposing resolution language that would require the "full consent" of affected States for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need. States that use humanitarian access as a cudgel to deny starving women and children of food and water or prevent desperate people from having access to life-saving medical care cannot be allowed to rely on a resolution by the United Nations to justify their actions. And we do this by correcting outrageous, dangerous and baseless allegations against humanitarian workers like those Russia consistently levels against the heroic White Helmets in Syria. Many of us are deeply engaged in protecting humanitarian space, but we can all do more. The United States supports efforts to widely disseminate accurate information about international humanitarian law among all parties to conflicts.”
2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source