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Cohen

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2008-01-22

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2023-10-24

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un-security-council

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1. “We have consistently called on the Syrian regime to implement the many Security Council resolutions calling for unimpeded humanitarian access across that country. Nonetheless, the Al-Assad regime continues to obstruct aid to those in need, including in areas under the regime's control. We do this by condemning physical attacks directed against humanitarian personnel. South Sudan has for many years consistently ranked as the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers with blatant disregard for protections that should be afforded to them as civilians by all parties to the armed conflict. Attacks on health facilities and responders, including recent incidents in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo are unacceptable. They must end.”

   2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source

2. “We also believe that additional guidelines and policies should avoid inadvertently diluting principles of humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, we know that the laws of war are not always universally observed, with grave consequences for civilians in need of protection and humanitarian assistance. Mr. Maurer and Mr. Lowcock know these consequences all too well. The United States pairs its role as the world's largest single largest humanitarian donor with strong diplomatic efforts to promote respect for humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. We do this by speaking out against States that impede humanitarian organizations from meeting basic human needs.”

   2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source

3. “We congratulate Germany on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April and thank France for its productive presidency during a very busy month of March. We also thank the briefers and welcome the Ministers who arejoining us today. We thank the President and Minister Le Drian for convening this morning's Arria session and this afternoon's briefing on safeguarding humanitarian space. The topic is vital to improving our ability to save lives and ease the suffering of millions of people affected by conflict around the world today. The United States strongly believes that full implementation of international humanitarian law by all parties to a conflict is the best way to provide protection for civilians, including humanitarian personnel.”

   2019-04-01 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8499 (2019) · source

4. “We also work multilaterally through the FATF, the global standard-setting body that promotes the effective implementation of its standards through a rigorous peer assessment and follow-up process, to ensure States are taking action to combat terrorism financing, money-laundering and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In conclusion, we must continue to bring all of our tools to bear on combating terrorism financing around the world. Our collective efforts have had a tremendous impact thus far and, while there is much more work to do, today's unanimous vote reinforces the Council's resolve to suppress the financing of terrorism worldwide.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

5. “For example, the United States, together with its fellow co-Chair, Saudi Arabia, established the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, in Riyadh, to facilitate coordinated disruptive actions, information-sharing and capacity-building to target terrorist-financing networks and activities of mutual concern that pose national security threats to the United States and the Gulf. Together, we are countering evolving terrorist-financing networks, including those supporting ISIS, Al-Qaida, Hizbullah and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Since the Center's inception, in May 2017, we have implemented three rounds of multilateral designations, sanctioning 36 individuals and entities.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

6. “Social networks and tools cannot be tackled in isolation, or in any one corner of the globe. We cannot let proven terrorist groups such as Hizbullah continue to stay one step ahead of our international monitoring and counter-terrorism financing efforts. All of us must recognize Hizbullah and other such groups for what they are: a global threat to peace and security. The terrorist-financing threat that Hizbullah, ISIS and Al-Qaida pose requires employing the full range of tools highlighted in today's resolution. We enhance the impact of our individual efforts to counter terrorism financing by working with key international partners.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

7. “It also involves strong collaboration with the private-sector, non-profit and civil society groups to share and receive information on terrorist-financing threats. We must disrupt the financing of groups like Hizbullah that export violence and instability across the Middle East and have a long history of destabilizing activity that continues to threaten global peace and security. Hizbullah, which continues to fight wars on two fronts, in Syria and Yemen, uses an increasingly sophisticated array of tools and international networks of companies and brokers, including seemingly legitimate businesses, in the construction and pharmaceutical sectors, for example, to generate revenue, conceal the procurement of weapons and circumvent controls to disrupt money- laundering and terrorism financing.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

8. “The resolution adopted today also underscores the critical need for the full and effective implementation of all targeted financial sanctions flowing from the United Nations sanctions regime against ISIS and Al-Qaida pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), as well as from the domestic sanctions regime of each Member State pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), so as to fully disrupt terrorism financing. The United States employs a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism financing. We use financial sanctions, other financial measures and law-enforcement action to cut off terrorists from their sources of revenue and from the international financial system, which involves close coordination and information-sharing with our inter-agency and international partners.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

9. “The Security Council is clear in its intent when creating this obligation. As we have reaffirmed many times before, Member States must implement resolution 2462 (2019) in a manner consistent with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law. The United States supports the essential work of humanitarian actors and relief agencies that provide life-saving assistance to those suffering through conflict. We are the single-largest humanitarian donor worldwide and urge Member States to coordinate and strengthen risk-mitigation efforts, so that those in need can receive aid and so that the terrorists who cause their suffering do not benefit from such assistance.”

   2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

10. “As we heard from the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Billingslea, the resolution brings the obligations of Member States under Security Council resolutions further into line with the FATF standard on criminalizing terrorism financing. Specifically, the resolution obligates Member States to criminalize terrorism financing even in the absence of a link to a specific terrorist act, so that States are equipped to stymie the general operations of terrorist groups and individual terrorists. This new and very important global obligation will help ensure that Member States have the frameworks in place to utilize effectively an important counter-terrorism financing tool, the prosecution of those who knowingly finance and otherwise support terrorist groups.”

    2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

11. “The Council has come a long way to tackle the financing of terrorist groups, including by adapting our robust sanctions regime against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and Al-Qaida pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) to the evolving threat we face and adopting important resolutions, such as resolutions 2199 (2015), 2253 (2015) and 2368 (2017), which target the use of oil and antiquities by ISIS to raise funds as well as other illicit activities. The comprehensive resolution adopted today is an important step forward in adapting United Nations tools to address today's counter-terrorism financing threat.”

    2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

12. “We thank France for raising this issue in the Security Council and for its efforts to generate the groundbreaking counter-terrorism financing resolution we adopted this morning (resolution 2642 (2019)). We also thank our briefers today. The Security Council has been instrumental in building a global framework for Member States to counter the financing of terrorism, beginning with the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), which we drafted after 11 September 2001, which provides the foundation for our global counter-terrorism financing efforts.”

    2019-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8496 (2019) · source

13. “We support the work of the United Nations to undertake risk assessment and risk management strategies, and the Security Council's role in addressing specific challenges such as droughts, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity and ecological changes.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8494 (2019) · source

14. “However, given the context of the resolution and the United Nations activities in Somalia, we believe that the fifteenth preambular paragraph and operative paragraph 21 should focus specifically on assessing risks and developing risk-management strategies related to the impacts of drought, desertification and food and water scarcity, rather than on any particular potential cause of those impacts, such as climate change. The United States supports the inclusion of language in the UNSOM. resolution that highlights the adverse effects of specific natural disasters on the stability of Somalia. Droughts, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity and ecological changes can all negatively impact the stability of any nation. We can and should ask the United Nations and Governments to consider those implications as part of their planning.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8494 (2019) · source

15. “Today's vote on resolution 2461 (2019), supporting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), underscores the strong and continued commitment of the international community to supporting peace, stability and development in Somalia. UNSOM remains a critical partner to the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states in bringing about political, security and economic stability to the Horn of Africa region. We appreciate the efforts of the penholder in renewing this mandate. The United States believes that an UNSOM. mandate that precisely delineates the United Nations roles and responsibilities and that avoids language unrelated to the United Nations Mission is needed in order to foster a clear understanding among all partners of the Security Council's expectations in Somalia.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8494 (2019) · source

16. “That is why the United States recently announced its intention to provide $2 million in support of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria. We hope that fellow Member States will continue to support the important work of the Mechanism. To end on a positive note, the liberation of the territory in Syria once held by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham is now 100 per cent complete. Moreover, in an incredible display of commitment, 60 members of the international community came together this month to pledge $7 billion to humanitarian aid to Syria. The extraordinary nature of pledges this month reflects the recognition of the fact that this conflict and its impact on the Syrian people are far from over.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

17. “We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Al-Hol camp, where 70,000 civilians currently reside, 90 per cent of whom are women and children. Humanitarians are working around the clock to respond but are constrained by capacity. We encourage countries to contribute to the response, as the United Nations recently outlined in its emergency appeal for Al-Hol. Efforts to release the detainees held by the Al-Assad regime and Syrian opposition groups have stalled under the auspices of the Astana guarantors. Meanwhile, the regime continues to arbitrarily arrest, torture and execute detainees. The United States supports a United Nations-led approach to address detainee issues. A key component of accountability is recognizing the rights of victims and transitional justice.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

18. “Rather, for the past year, Syria's allies have obstructed the Council's efforts to ensure that the regime handles the issue of Rukban humanely and in a manner consistent with humanitarian principles. The United States appeals directly to the Russian Federation to work with us in finding a way to assist the Syrian people. We welcome increased coordination to facilitate the return of displaced persons, wherever they may be. However, such a process must be closely coordinated with the United Nations. IDPs should have access to accurate information as to what awaits them, including the availability of services, access to the civil registry, safe passage and physical safety at their destination. All Syrians seeking relocation must be protected from arbitrary detention.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

19. “The United States is gravely concerned by the recent escalation and by the Russian Federation and Syrian regime's joint strikes in the demilitarized zone. These attacks on civilian infrastructure and innocent Syrians, including members of the White Helmets, must end immediately. We have also heard from our United Nations colleagues that the food delivered to 42,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Rukban last month has already run out. The United States strongly supports the United Nations request for a third convoy to Rukban, and we call on the Russian Federation, as should the rest of the Council, to press the Syrian regime to allow humanitarian agencies access to vulnerable populations throughout Syria. We reiterate that the United States and its local partners are not impeding departures from Rukban.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

20. “We encourage Special Envoy Pedersen to finalize a political settlement by and through the Syrian people, and we must see the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015), including a political settlement, a nationwide ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access. In 2015, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2254 (2015), calling for the drafting of a new constitution within six months and an election in 18 months. We fully support the efforts of Special Envoy Pedersen to revitalize the political process without any further delay. A political process will be futile, however, unless hostilities end across Syria. Shelling and airstrikes have displaced more than 70,000 Syrians just since February.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

21. “The source of that suffering and the ultimate cause of the conflict is and has been the Al-Assad regime's violent crackdown on its own people. The Al-Assad regime and its allies must take concrete steps to de-escalate military operations and end forced disappearances, release innocent civilians held in detention and permit rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies across Syria. Meanwhile, a future credible, legitimate and pluralistic constitutional committee should have the opportunity to invigorate a political transition to leadership that will protect, rather than harm, Syria's citizens. As the Security Council, we should demand that the regime respect international humanitarian principles and human rights standards.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

22. “I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Director Rajasingham for their briefings today. After eight years of the Syrian conflict, we would like to remind members of the Council that this war started when the Al-Assad regime delivered the body of 13-year-old Hamza Al-Khateeb to his family - shot, burned and mutilated - after he had taken part in a peaceful protest in southern Syria. Unfortunately, Hamza's story foreshadowed the next eight years of suffering for the Syrians. The world will never forget the images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi's corpse drifting to the shore in the Mediterranean; five-year-old Omran Daqneesh covered in dust and blood in Aleppo; and countless children and others gassed in Khan Shaykhun and Douma, and those starved in besieged eastern Ghouta.”

    2019-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8493 (2019) · source

23. “At previous Council meetings this year the United States carefully described the threat of rising tensions in the Great Lakes region. I will not rehash them now, but it is important to remember that despite those challenges, a remarkable opportunity has been presented to the people of the Great Lakes, the United Nations missions working in the region and the Council. Let us build trust and confidence, and let us seize this opportunity for peace together.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

24. “For example, the December agreement, highlighted in the Secretary-General's report (S/2019/229), between military officials from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to conduct joint border patrols in insecure areas along their shared border, could serve as a new beginning for constructive cross-border cooperation. The repatriation of combatants from the Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda and the Mouvement du 23 mars is an additional positive example of intra-regional cooperation made possible by support from United Nations missions. New opportunities for regional economic integration and foreign direct investment could also be in sight. Regulators will need to tackle endemic corruption, particularly in the mining sector, to help stop the financing that fuels armed groups and makes peace so hard to achieve.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

25. “Working together, the countries of the region can use the tools at their disposal, with the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Security Council and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to tighten their grip on destabilizing actors, not simply to protect civilians or provide humanitarian aid, but to eliminate conflict from the Great Lakes region altogether. Recent examples suggest that such outreach is already paying dividends.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

26. “We are committed to working with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to replace conflict with commerce and help permanently transform the Great Lakes region into an interconnected hub of prosperity. Now is the time for regional leaders who are also parties to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework to live up to their commitment to adhering to the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries and denying support or safe harbour to armed groups.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

27. “Reviewing many of the commitments made six years ago, such as to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries and strengthening regional economic integration, we see this agreement as every bit as relevant today. In fact, it may have new importance in the Great Lakes. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Tshilombo Tshisekedi is providing new hope that the status quo of insecurity and impunity will cease and that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will keep its commitments to further reconciliation, tolerance and democratization. The United States welcomes President Tshisekedi's announcements on key Congolese commitments in the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, including security- sector reform, the consolidation of State authority and economic development.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

28. “I thank Special Envoy Djinnit for his dedicated service ofnearly five years. His efforts have been deeply appreciated, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours. We are all aware not only of the enormous potential of the countries of the Great Lakes region but also of the history of conflict there that has destroyed millions of lives and deepened the distress that has endured for decades. Since 2013, the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region has provided a road map for rebuilding confidence and mutual respect at the State level.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8491 (2019) · source

29. “The United States Administration has made clear that there can be no peace agreement that does not satisfactorily address Israel's security needs in the Golan Heights.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8489 (2019) · source

30. “We agree that many factors have contributed to the situation and Gaza, but the international community needs to shine a light on Hamas's injustices, such as rocket attacks into Israel and encouraging and praising violence against innocent Israelis, and also how it treats its fellow Palestinian brothers and sisters. As Council members are aware, yesterday President Trump signed a proclamation recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory - a decision of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel. To allow the Golan Heights to be controlled by the likes of the Syrian and Iranian regimes would be to turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the Al-Assad regime and the malign and destabilizing presence of Iran in the region.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8489 (2019) · source

31. “Every one ofus around this table has a responsibility to condemn the rocket attacks, but we must also recognize that, in addition to terrorizing Israeli civilians, Hamas has failed to provide for Palestinians in Gaza and, most recently, has cracked down violently on Palestinian protesters. Over the past few weeks, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have come out to protest against Hamas and the dire economic and humanitarian situation in Gaza. Hamas security forces responded with sweeping arrests of and violence against protesters, including women and children. Journalists were brutally beaten, and 15 local journalists were jailed. According to Amnesty International, "[t]he crackdown on freedom of expression and the use of torture in Gaza have reached alarming new levels".”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8489 (2019) · source

32. “I thank Special Coordinator Mladenov for his sobering briefing. The United States strongly condemns the rocket attack on Israel from Gaza yesterday that injured seven innocent civilians, and we reaffirm Israel's right to defend itself. I think that we can all agree on the need for Israelis and Palestinians to work together, with the support of the international community, to improve conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, but this malicious and insidious violence is a clear signal from Hamas and others in Gaza who see such cooperation and progress as counter to their aims.”

    2019-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8489 (2019) · source

33. “We should seize this opportunity to add renewed momentum to our implementation of the resolution. We call upon the Secretariat to ensure that the Committee and, in particular, the Group of Experts have the resources that they need to recruit and retain the most talented capable personnel available in pursuit of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). I encourage my fellow members of the Council to join us in making resolution 1540 (2004) as effective as possible. The stakes are too high for us to do otherwise.”

    2019-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8487 (2019) · source

34. “We also encourage States in need of assistance in relation to implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) to submit their requests to the Committee and to remain in touch with the Committee as to the status of those requests. As we look forward to the renewal of the mandate of the 1540 Committee in 2021, we urge our fellow Council members to adapt to evolving proliferation threats that fall within the remit of resolution 1540 (2004). In particular, we should be mindful of emerging technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, which could be used as a means of WMD delivery, and synthetic biology, which is already reconfiguring the way in which life scientists conduct their research. The next two years will demonstrate the effectiveness of resolution 1540 (2004).”

    2019-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8487 (2019) · source

35. “As we prepare for this effort, we encourage all States that have not yet submitted their initial reports to do so without delay. We encourage those States that have submitted their initial reports to provide additional information on further steps taken to implement the resolution since the Committee's initial report. We call upon States Members of the United Nations that have not done so to appoint a national coordinator or point of contact for the 1540 Committee and to provide contact information for those designees to the Committee. That will allow for a direct communication network to be established between the 1540 (2004) Committee and the community of relevant policymakers throughout the Governments of Member States.”

    2019-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8487 (2019) · source

36. “The United States has provided more than $4 million towards the 1540 Trust Fund and hundreds of millions of dollars and non-proliferation assistance to partner countries. We will continue to provide support for this effort and we encourage our international partners to do the same. Resolution 1540 (2004) is the only legally binding instrument requiring United Nations Member States to adopt controls to prevent WMD proliferation. We encourage countries to engage the resources of the 1540 Committee. We call on the Committee to expand its outreach efforts so that countries are better equipped to identify WMD non-State actor vulnerabilities and effectively address them. Looking forward, the Security Council is required to complete its comprehensive review of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) by 2020.”

    2019-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8487 (2019) · source

37. “I thank Ambassador Djani for his briefing. As we have been reminded too many times sitting in this Council, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDS) and their means of delivery, including to terrorists and other non-State actors, remains a real and current threat. Today's briefing reminds us of the critical importance of fully and effectively implementing resolution 1540 (2004). We welcome the renewed energy that the Indonesian chairmanship brings to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). We also applaud the efforts ofthe 1540 Group ofExperts, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs for their steadfast efforts to support the effective implementation of the resolution.”

    2019-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8487 (2019) · source

38. “Finally, it has been two years since the murders of United Nations experts Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan. From the first time he travelled to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the demobilization of child soldiers, Michael Sharp was deeply committed to peace and reconciliation. We regret that he did not live to see the changes taking place today in the Kasais and wish we could still benefit from his thorough reporting and his thoughtful analysis. The United States continues to call for accountability for those responsible for those murders. We urge the Council to continue to give robust support to the follow-on mechanism of the United Nations in support of Congolese investigations.”

    2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source

39. “Turning to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, we are deeply concerned about rising tensions among Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, including reports of cross-border attacks. Given the history, these are especially worrisome developments. No one wins from a proxy war in the Great Lakes. The United States urges all parties to refrain from the use of violence and to respect the territorial integrity of all States in the region. We urge MONUSCO, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi to work more closely together as we refocus the peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

    2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source

40. “We urge President Tshisekedi to keep the commitments he has made to fully implementing this hopeful vision for the future of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We look forward to the naming of the Cabinet ministers who will help him carry that out. The United States is committed to helping the Congolese people create a more peaceful and prosperous Congo. We hope to work with the new Government to forge a more constructive relationship with MONUSCO. We would like to recognize and support the proactive decisions taken by MONUSCO's leadership, consistent with its mandate, to redirect efforts away from Kinshasa and towards the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, streamline the force and renew efforts to address the root causes of violence.”

    2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source

41. “He has also committed to working closely with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to neutralize armed groups and pave the way for MONUSCO's drawdown and departure. Just two months since this historic transfer of power, the Congolese people are already beginning to see positive developments. Last month, President Tshisekedi moved to arrest and prosecute police accused of firing on peaceful protesters. He has released prisoners of conscience and pledged to reform the Democratic Republic of the Congo's abusive national intelligence agency and close unofficial detention centres. Partly in response to that change, thousands of combatants are laying down their weapons in hopes of transitioning into a peaceful civilian life.”

    2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source

42. “I thank Special Representative Zerrougui for today's briefing and for her tireless efforts, which contributed to the first peaceful transfer of power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo earlier this year. I also thank Ms. Modi for joining us and adding her voice to those of other Congolese calling for change. Since taking office, President Tshilombo Tshisekedi has responded to this historic moment by committing to combat corruption and human rights by Democratic Republic of the Congo security forces, improve security, strengthen the Democratic Republic of the Congo's investment climate and promote development.”

    2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source

43. “We look forward to working with our fellow Council members in the coming months on a more complete resolution that would extend the Mission for a longer period, which I believe the entire Council agrees that UNAMA and the people of Afghanistan deserve. We hope that in subsequent negotiations China will focus on how best to advance peace and security in Afghanistan rather than using Security Council resolutions as a platform for inappropriately promoting self-serving initiatives.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8485 (2019) · source

44. “However, we are deeply disappointed that the Council was not able to come to a consensus on a resolution renewing the Mission's mandate for a full year. China held the resolution hostage and insisted on making it about Chinese national political priorities rather than the people of Afghanistan. As a result, the Council had no choice but to accept a short-term technical rollover. When the Council considers important issues of international peace and security, such as the situation in Afghanistan, it cannot allow the national initiatives of one Member State to derail negotiations. In this case, the issue was China's demand that the resolution highlight its Belt and Road Initiative despite its tenuous ties to Afghanistan and known problems with corruption, debt distress, environmental damage and a lack of transparency.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8485 (2019) · source

45. “The United States voted in favour of resolution 2460 (2019) today to extend the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for six months, and we would like to thank the co-penholders, Germany and Indonesia, for their diligent efforts. Let us be very clear about our very strong support for UNAMA. The United States fully supports the Mission's role in Afghanistan's peace process, electoral reforms and coordination of international assistance. We reiterate our steadfast commitment to advancing the prospects for peace in Afghanistan. That is reflected through our intense diplomatic engagement, led by our Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, to build momentum towards intra-Afghan dialogue to end the long- standing conflict.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8485 (2019) · source

46. “Building on the accomplishments of resolution 2436 (2018), on peacekeeper performance, we are pleased that in this resolution the Council reaffirmed its support for developing a comprehensive and integrated performance policy framework that identifies clear standards of performance for evaluating all United Nations personnel working in and supporting peacekeeping operations. In conclusion, there is no bigger supporter of the people of South Sudan than the United States and we believe that the renewed UNMISS mandate will help create a path to long-term stability and security in the country.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8484 (2019) · source

47. “As we have stated before in the Council, we call on South Sudan's leaders to fully adhere to ceasefire agreements, negotiate security arrangements and power-sharing agreements, agree to transparency standards for financing the peace process, take action against gender-based violence, stop obstructing ceasefire monitors, permit unhindered humanitarian access, release all political prisoners, establish the African Union hybrid court and open up the political space for peaceful dissent.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8484 (2019) · source

48. “We remain deeply concerned about the lack of political commitment on the part of the parties at the national level to fully implementing all the Agreement's tenets. Having seen previous agreements in South Sudan fail to hold and the country fall back into conflict and instability, the United States and the people of South Sudan expect the country's leaders to demonstrate a clear commitment to implementing the agreement in both word and deed.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8484 (2019) · source

49. “The United States thanks Council members for their efforts to strengthen the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) in order to ensure that the Mission supports the people of South Sudan and their pursuit of lasting peace, security and stability. The mandate reinforces the core mission of UNMISS, which is to protect civilians, support the delivery of humanitarian assistance, monitor and investigate human rights and support the peace process. Importantly, it also calls on UNMISS to strengthen its activities aimed at preventing sexual and gender-based violence, in response to the growing trend of horrific sexual violence in South Sudan. The position of the United States on the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South has been clear and consistent.”

    2019-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8484 (2019) · source

50. “We express particular appreciation for the EU's financial contributions of stipends to the African Union's forces in Somalia, which have been key to significant progress on both the security and political fronts there, and we encourage the Somali security forces to take ownership of their security. We support the EU's view of a conditions-based drawdown of AMISOM. troops. In closing, the United States affirms unequivocally the EU's importance as a crucial partner to the United States, the United Nations and particularly the Security Council in the maintenance of peace and security around the world.”

    2019-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8482 (2019) · source