YouSaid · the spoken record

De Rivière

lines on the record: 1,783
first: 2006-04-28
most recent: 2023-12-30
sittings or episodes: 372
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 need to see an end to settlement activity, whether through the expansion or establishment of new settlements, the forced eviction of Palestinian families or the destruction of Palestinian structures and economic and humanitarian infrastructure in Area C in East Jerusalem, including schools. France recalls that resolution 2334 (2016) also calls on States to distinguish between the territory of the State of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. In line with its obligations, the European Union is monitoring its strict implementation. Faced with the ongoing deterioration of the situation, we must urgently restore a political horizon. Inaction brings with it a trail of violence and victims.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Wennesland for his briefing. Thirty years after the Oslo Accords, the pace of Israeli construction is increasing in the occupied Palestinian territories. France condemns that policy, which contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention and a number of Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2334 (2016). France will never recognize the illegal annexation of territories or the legalization of illegal settlements and calls on Israel to put an end to those practices. The policy constitutes an obstacle to a settlement of the conflict and to achieving a two-State solution. The Council should therefore ensure respect for its own resolutions, especially resolution 2334 (2016). The priority should be ensuring that unilateral measures cease.”
2023-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9425 (2023) · source
“The only reason for holding this new meeting appears to be Russia’s need to distract the Council’s attention and fuel speculation about the identity of those responsible for sabotaging the pipelines. The competent German, Danish and Swedish authorities have launched investigations aimed at establishing the truth of the matter. As we have already emphasized, we have no reason to doubt their seriousness and impartiality. Given the seriousness and complexity of the facts in question, we understand that ongoing investigations require time and thorough verification. We want those investigations to continue and reach their conclusions, free from political interference.”
2023-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9424 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): France expressed its concern clearly when underwater explosions hit the Nord Stream gas pipelines a year ago. We took seriously the reports that the explosions were the result of a deliberate act of sabotage, and our position is unchanged. These are serious matters that require thorough investigation. However, we can only wonder why Russia has requested a Council meeting on this topic for a fourth time. Since our previous meeting in July (see S/PV.9373), no new, credible or serious developments have come to light that would justify a new discussion on the issue. While expressing so much concern about damage to European infrastructure, Russia has continued to inflict massive daily destruction on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, power plants, hospitals and schools.”
2023-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9424 (2023) · source
“Nonetheless, a number of questions arise that must be answered if we are to ensure respect by all parties for humanitarian principles and prevent unwanted effects. Exchanges such as today’s meeting contribute to that, and we encourage them.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418 (2023) · source
“The response to the war on Ukraine and the commitment of the private sector to that response are examples of what can be envisaged in the future. In France and Europe, that partnership has been strengthened with the signing of agreements with businesses and companies that want to be involved in humanitarian efforts, which is commendable. Together with the World Food Programme, we are specifically mobilizing the private sector to take part in the work of the School Meals Coalition, whose first global meeting will be held in Paris in October. We must all be innovative, and the private sector can be a valuable partner, not just in responding to crises and disasters but in preventing and forecasting them. To that end, it is our duty to give thought together to modernization, innovation and the effectiveness of humanitarian action.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Miebach for their briefings. At the end of 2022, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that humanitarian needs for 2023 would increase to $51.5 billion, the first time that it had announced such an amount. Regrettably, as is often the case, other crises emerged — earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the crisis in the Sudan and, very recently, the devastating earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya. In addition, global food insecurity, caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, continues to worsen. The initial estimates fell short of reality. Theparticipationoftheprivatesectorinhumanitarian initiatives has considerably increased over the past 15 years. That is good news.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418 (2023) · source
“For more than a year and a half, the war has caused immense suffering for the Ukrainian people and catastrophic repercussions for the whole world, in particular for populations in vulnerable countries, especially in terms of food security. We reiterate our commitment to a just and lasting peace. That can be based only on respect for international law and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“In particular, we have transferred air-defence capabilities to Ukraine, helping it to defend itself from indiscriminate Russian strikes against its civilian infrastructure. The sole aim of that military aid is to enable the Ukrainians to defend themselves, so that credible negotiations can take place when Ukraine decides to do so. Our aim in doing that is to create the conditions for a fair and lasting diplomatic settlement in line with international law. France will maintain its support for as long as necessary, as it has committed to do with its partners, to help the Ukrainian people preserve their sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“All it would have to do is cease its aggression and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory, as requested by the International Court of Justice as early as 16 March 2022. Russia denounces the military support given by Western countries to Ukraine, a State it is attacking. However, to support its war of aggression, Russia is obtaining combat drones from Iran and missiles and ammunition from North Korea. In doing so, Russia is violating resolutions and sanctions unanimously adopted by the Council. Ever since Russia started the war, France, along with its partners, has chosen to support the Ukrainian people in the exercise of its right to self-defence, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We are legally supplying Ukraine with equipment to bolster its defence system.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank High Representative Nakamitsu for her briefing. Once again, by calling for a meeting on Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, Russia would like to shift onto others the responsibility for an illegal war that it itself started. No one is fooled by this attempt at disinformation. Let us not forget: it was Russia that started a war of aggression contrary to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It was Russia that decided to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This aggression and Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Ukrainian territories were condemned by the General Assembly by a very large majority. Let us also recall that it is up to Russia to put an end to this war, without prejudice to its own security.”
2023-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9415 (2023) · source
“Russia alone is responsible for this war and its consequences for the Ukrainian people, the Russian people and the entire world. It can end it by withdrawing its troops and allowing for a peaceful settlement, under the Charter of the United Nations, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The International Court of Justice ordered just that on 16 March 2022. Until then, France will continue to support Ukraine so long as is necessary to achieve that goal. We will continue to support the efforts of Ukraine to work towards fair and lasting peace.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“After more than 18 months of aggression, Russia continues to disregard international law and relentlessly and intentionally bomb cities and civilian infrastructure, which constitute war crimes. The recent attack on the Kostiantynivka market, which left at least 16 people dead and 32 injured, further attests to that. While the entire world is suffering from the repercussions of the war, Russia is methodically targeting the infrastructure needed to export Ukrainian agricultural products. The Izmail port, which has become vital since Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, has been targeted four times in five days this week. Russia is doing everything it can to undermine the efforts of Ukraine and the international community to deliver food to the most vulnerable countries.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Our meeting today brings us back to the fundamental question of respect for the Charter, international law and the conditions necessary for peaceful coexistence among sovereign States. The question concerns us all. Allowing Russia to pursue its aggression and seize the territories of a neighbouring country is tantamount to condoning war, as well as paving the way for further acts of aggression. In Europe as well as throughout the world, no country will be able to consider itself safe if we give free reign to Russia today. We cannot allow force to prevail over law. That is why it is imperative that every Member of the United Nations unconditionally reject the sham elections and thereby defend the Charter and its universal principles, which we have been called upon to do by the Secretary-General through Mr. Jenča.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Far from listening to the calls of the international community, Russia has chosen to pursue its dash forward violating the fundamental principles of the Charter, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Today it is pursuing its provocations through the holding of staged elections, which are as illegitimate as their predecessors, in the same illegally occupied territories. But that strategy is fooling no one. The so-called elections are a parody that has been staged by Russia to give a semblance of legitimacy to its attempts at illegal annexation. Those regions, like Crimea, are an integral part of Ukraine. France will not recognize the results of the sham elections, any more than it has in the past, which in no way represent the expression of the will of the Ukrainian people.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Jenča for his briefing. Almost a year ago, in October 2022, the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly membership condemned Russia’s illegal holding of so- called referendums in regions within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and the subsequent attempt to illegally annex the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya. As a demonstration of how Russia has isolated itself, 143 states at that time reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to the Charter of the United Nations (see A/ES-11/PV.14).”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“I am also referring to partnerships with the European Union (EU). EU member States deploy more than 5,000 personnel and EU operations and financial instruments complement the work of the United Nations and the African Union. The EU has also allocated €1.5 billion in support of conflict prevention and security efforts in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2021-2027.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9413 (2023) · source
“We continue to encourage a significant increase in the number of women in peacekeeping operations, particularly in managerial positions. The Accra ministerial meeting in December must reaffirm a political vision of peacekeeping. That will require the collective commitment of the Secretary- General, troop-contributing countries and all partners. The momentum generated by the New Agenda for Peace must be maintained. France will continue to play its full part. The future of peacekeeping lies in strengthening partnerships. I am referring to the partnership with the African Union and the financing of African peace operations from United Nations assessed contributions. France will continue its engagement this year to bring positions together and to make progress towards the adoption of a framework resolution.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9413 (2023) · source
“The success of peacekeeping operations depends on the existence of momentum and strategy among the parties on the ground. Host States must facilitate the implementation of peacekeeping mandates, and they must not give in to the temptation to make the United Nations a scapegoat nor to the siren calls of mercenaries who proliferate human rights violations and plunder natural resources. The results seen in 2023 owe a great deal to the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. In 2023, France increased its efforts by allocating nearly €4 million in voluntary contributions. In particular, we have also supported the digital transformation of peacekeeping, efforts in strategic communications and the fight against information manipulation, as well as the fight against improvised explosive devices. France is also working to strengthen language skills.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9413 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Mr. Lacroix for his briefing. Despite the challenges of the past year, peacekeeping remains an irreplaceable instrument. It is often the only possible response to contemporary security challenges. Conflict prevention and peacebuilding are useful levers but are unsuitable once crises have broken out. To operate on the ground, a security presence remains essential in many cases. The role of the Security Council is paramount, and few organizations offer equivalent force-generation and logistical support capabilities. Where partnerships with host States are functioning, peacekeeping operations have continued to implement their mandates for the benefit of international peace and security.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9413 (2023) · source
“Despite those obstacles, France would like to pay tribute once again to the tenacity of the Technical Secretariat’s teams and their efforts to independently and professionally carry out their work. Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that the regime’s use of chemical weapons against civilian populations constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity. The international community cannot accept impunity in such circumstances. The fight against impunity is the cornerstone of the effectiveness and credibility of the chemical-weapon ban’s regime, and France will therefore continue to work resolutely with its partners to that end.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9411 (2023) · source
“I would like to remind the Council that the previous round of consultations took place in February 2021, that is to say, more than two and a half years ago. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that the regime continues to impose restrictions on the deployment of OPCW personnel in Syria. The OPCW must be able to fully implement its mandate, and the limited deployment of members of the Declaration Assessment Team is not a viable solution. Next month, 14 October marks the tenth anniversary of Syria’s accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is imperative that Syria stop obstructing the work of the OPCW and comply with its obligations if it wants to regain its rights and privileges under the Convention.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9411 (2023) · source
“Almost 10 years after the adoption of resolution 2118 (2013), in defiance of its international obligations, the Syrian regime has still not relayed all the information related to the status of its chemical-weapon stockpiles. We know, however, that they have not been completely destroyed, as evidenced by their use by the Syrian regime since 2013, which the OPCW has documented. The Syrian regime continues to obstruct the work of the OPCW Technical Secretariat. The latest report by the Organization’s Director-General, issued in late August (see S/2023/637), attests to that once again. The OPCW continues to await a response from the regime so that it can finally organize the twenty-fifth round of consultations between the initial Declaration Assessment Team and the Syrian authorities.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9411 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs for her briefing. We are meeting once again because the Syrian regime has used weapons of mass destruction against its own population. Independent reports from the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have established that on nine occasions. In January, the OPCW confirmed that the Syrian air force deliberately dropped two barrels of chlorine on residential buildings in the Douma area, resulting in the deaths of 43 people. Last month marked the tenth anniversary of the chemical massacre carried out by the Syrian regime on 21 August 2013 in the Ghouta area of Damascus, which claimed more than 1,400 lives.”
2023-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9411 (2023) · source
“We call on all Member States, especially permanent members of the Council, to join the initiative, which has already been formally supported by 106 States. Guided by the goal of effectiveness and the spirit of compromise, which France has always embraced, we will continue to work as a responsible member of the Security Council.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“The strategies aimed at saturating the Council’s agenda are problematic because they hinder our capacity to respond. Showing proof of our responsibility also means making necessary compromises so that the Council can deliberate and make decisions in the service of international peace and security, as the Charter of the United Nations demands. None of us can hope to achieve 100 per cent of our goals. Multilateral negotiations do not work that way. And for the permanent members, showing proof of our responsibility means a reasonable use of the veto. Together with Mexico, France has put forth an initiative proposing the voluntary and collective suspension of the use of veto in cases of mass atrocities.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“France continues to shoulder its responsibilities by coordinating the Council’s work on a number of issues. We closely involve all Council members in that work and even regularly suggest that they draft texts jointly. The best working methods will never replace the spirit of responsibility and compromise, which remains essential to finding solutions to crises. Nevertheless, the Security Council has been used on several occasions in recent months and years as a platform for disinformation, with speakers delivering excessively long statements to put forward arguable or even fantastical positions. That misuse of the Council is dangerously weakening its authority and must stop. The Council’s time must be used in a spirit of responsibility.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“However, we must be careful to preserve sufficient space for consultations among permanent representatives, as those are the discussions that enable us to tackle the most difficult issues head-on and reach compromises. Our goal must not be to continue as a juxtaposition of 15 national positions, but rather to ensure that the Council can work united in determining its decisions and actions. Similarly, while the informal Arria Formula meetings are valuable, there are too many of them, and there is often a perverse used of them. We need to find a way of controlling how many such meetings are held, as well as how they are conducted. Thirdly, we must improve our collective work and together propose concrete solutions to all the threats to international peace and security that need to be addressed.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“We support the candidacies of Germany, Brazil, India and Japan as permanent members, as well as an increased representation of Africa, including among the permanent members. An enlarged Council could include up to 25 members. It is time to make progress on this issue. The discussions have been ongoing for years — now it is time to act. Secondly, we need to strike the right balance between public diplomacy and working behind closed doors. The current balance is not the right one. Public meetings are useful because they allow greater openness and transparency. The voice of women is also increasingly present, which we of course welcome.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council, and I assure you of France’s full support throughout the month of September. I thank you, Sir, for organizing today’s open debate and for your work in your capacity as the Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. The Security Council and the multilateral system as a whole are facing major challenges, in particular the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. To respond to those challenges, we need an action- and results-oriented Council. For the Security Council to be effective, it must first and foremost undergo reform to make it more authoritative and representative. France’s position on that is well-known.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410 (2023) · source
“That is the message that our Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna conveyed last week to her Israeli and Palestinian counterparts. She encouraged them to restore a credible political horizon on the basis of the only viable solution, that of two States living side by side in peace and security. She stressed France’s readiness to assist, the importance of respecting the commitments undertaken at Sharm El-Sheikh and the need to put an end to unilateral acts, which undermine any possibility of restoring trust. The United Nations has an important role to play in supporting those efforts. Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live in peace and security.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“We also condemn Israel’s continued colonization of the Palestinian territories, which contravenes international law, fuels tensions on the ground and constitutes a major obstacle to peace. France will never recognize the illegal annexation of territories or the legalization of informal settlements. We call on the Israeli Government to stop building new housing in settlements. And violence committed by settlers is unacceptable and must not go unpunished. The Council has a responsibility to defend the concept of a two-State solution and to enforce its own resolutions. It must mobilize to restore a political horizon, which alone will enable the rebuilding of trust and make the implementation of a two-State solution possible.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I thank Mr. Khiari for his presentation. The situation on the ground has not improved, and trust between the parties is at an all-time low. France is deeply concerned about the escalation of tensions. We condemn all attacks targeting civilians, Israeli or Palestinian. Given the heavy toll of military operations in Jenin, France would like to point out that Israel’s security imperatives do not absolve it from compliance with its international obligations under humanitarian law, including the imperatives of protecting civilians in the occupied territories and ensuring the proportionate use of force. France condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist acts against Israel and reiterates its unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
2023-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9387 (2023) · source
“Striking both civilian infrastructure and protected property is tantamount to committing a double war crime. By damaging the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, Odesa’s leading and largest Orthodox church, Russia has revealed its powerlessness, but it will not succeed in breaking up Ukraine by attacking its culture and destroying its heritage — quite the contrary. Russia must stop this headlong rush. Together with UNESCO, France will continue to support the preservation and reconstruction of this Ukrainian heritage, which is also the universal heritage of humanity. To ensure that no crime goes unpunished, our country will continue to support Ukrainian justice and international criminal justice. The Russian aggression against Ukraine is having catastrophic repercussions for the entire world.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“It is deliberately blocking exports from Ukrainian ports in order to drive up agricultural prices and boost the profits on its own exports. Because, in the end, it is the vulnerable countries that suffer from these actions, Russia compounds cynicism with irresponsibility. For its part, France will continue to provide aid to the populations affected by this food blackmail, through its deliveries of grain and fertilizers and through the European Union’s solidarity corridors. By targeting the historic centre of Odesa, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in January, Russia is seeking to destroy Ukrainian heritage and culture. The UNESCO listing obligates Russia to protect the city’s exceptional value, both for Ukraine and for humanity.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Mr. Khiari for his briefing. For over a week, Russia has been raining missiles and drones down on the Odesa region. These murderous strikes have but one objective: to punish Ukraine for its resistance to Russian aggression, which has kept Odesa a free city. Since ending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has launched a campaign of strikes on the port infrastructure of Odesa and Mykolayiv. Grain silos, warehouses and terminals are being shelled. At a time when over 700 million people worldwide are suffering from hunger, Russia has already destroyed over 60,000 tonnes of grain. Russia is once again using blackmail as a tactic and hunger as a weapon.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“We will support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. And we demand once again that Russia respect the ruling of the International Court of Justice of 16 March 2022 ordering the Russian army to return to Russia.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9385 (2023) · source
“In the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, the situation of members of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Crimean Tatars and Protestants has continued to deteriorate. A number of cases of persecution and discrimination have been recorded against Tatars in Crimea. Documenting the facts and combating impunity for the perpetrators of such abuses is therefore crucial. That is why France welcomes the work of the Ukrainian justice system, international justice and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine of the Human Rights Council. This meeting is nothing but a pretext to force us to look away from the atrocities that Russia is committing in Ukraine. We condemn Russia’s choice to once again exploit the issue of human rights and fundamental freedoms for the purpose of disinformation.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9385 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): This meeting is yet another diversionary exercise orchestrated by Russia as part of its disinformation campaign. I will therefore limit my remarks to the essential. To date, it is Russia’s actions in its war of aggression against Ukraine that have violated human rights. Numerous United Nations reports have already shown that they include intentional abuse, the bombing of civilian infrastructure and even the forced displacement of children. By asking for this meeting to be called, Russia is once again pursuing its propaganda agenda. Let us get the facts straight. It is Russia that is targeting religious sites, as we have seen in its strike on the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odesa.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9385 (2023) · source
“The regime must make concrete gestures so that a genuine political process can begin. No normalization, reconstruction or lifting of sanctions can be envisaged in the absence of a political transition within the framework of resolution 2254 (2015). Incidentally, by blocking cross-border access a few days ago (see S/PV.9371), Russia at the same time blocked the mandate given to the United Nations to engage in early-recovery activities. France reaffirms its full support for the mediation led by Geir Pedersen and calls on all players to support his step-for- step approach.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“While the earthquakes of 6 February have only worsened the humanitarian situation, Russia has not hesitated to take more than 4 million Syrians hostage by opposing the renewal of the cross-border aid mechanism. We support the efforts of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs to promote access to aid at a time when needs have never been so high. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate our position — the humanitarian response must not and cannot replace a political settlement. A return to stability in Syria and the region will be possible only through a solution that meets the aspirations of all Syrians. Resolution 2254 (2015) is a road map with clear parameters. The Syrian regime must commit to a political process as defined by that resolution, which was adopted unanimously by the Council.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“France and Europe express their solidarity with the Syrian people in the face of this tragedy. Since 2011, France, the European Union and its member States have funded United Nations agencies and civil society actors to the tune of €30 billion in Syria and neighbouring countries. The seventh Brussels Conference on Syria, held on 14 and 15 June, mobilized €5.6 billion for 2023 and beyond. I should point out that over 90 per cent of the aid comes from Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. Russia, for its part, provides virtually no aid, here or elsewhere. The countries of the region, despite the challenge this represents, are taking in refugees. It is our duty to help them. Only a political solution can put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Mr. Pedersen and Mr. Rajasingham for their contributions. The war in Syria continues, as does the suffering of the Syrian people. Twelve million people have been displaced, millions of whom have found refuge in neighbouring countries or elsewhere, and 130,000 have disappeared. In that connection, France welcomes the adoption, on 29 June, of General Assembly resolution 77/301, establishing an independent international humanitarian institution to help the families of missing persons in Syria. France is also concerned about the regional destabilization caused by the production and export network of Captagon. That is now one of the main financial resources of the Syrian regime, which has now become a narco-State.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“For its part, France will continue, together with its partners, to step up its efforts to reduce the risks of food insecurity. It has provided assistance for food security, nutrition and sustainable agricultural development in the amount of €840 million in 2022. Yesterday, the Council of the European Union decided to reinforce the export capacities of the European Union’s solidarity corridors, which play a crucial role and have made it possible to transport 41 million tons of grain out of Ukraine since March 2022. Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative is amplifying the negative consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Let me repeat: none of this would be happening if Russia had not invaded Ukraine in the first place.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“By blocking exports from Ukrainian ports and driving up agricultural and food prices, Russia is increasing the profits from its own exports. It increases its revenues to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine. That is the reality. Russia is seeking to play the victim and is claiming to have been cheated by the Istanbul agreements. However, as the Secretary-General pointed out in his statement of 17 July, Russian grain exports have reached particularly high levels since last summer and its fertilizer exports are almost back to where they were before the invasion of 24 February 2022. France commends the efforts of the Secretary- General and Türkiye, which tried and continue to try, to save the Initiative. The United Nations has worked tirelessly to propose solutions. However, Russia has not even deigned to respond to their proposals.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“In the space of a year, that Initiative had enabled the export of nearly 33 million tons of grain, more than half of which went to low- and middle-income countries, and had resulted in a 23 per cent decrease in agricultural commodity prices. The World Food Programme had been able to export 725,000 tons of grain from Ukrainian ports to the countries most affected by hunger, notably Afghanistan, Yemen and the Horn of Africa. The closing of the Black Sea will increase the cost of humanitarian operations at a time when resources are already sorely lacking. Above all, it is likely to lead to inflationary effects, which will primarily affect the agricultural and food sectors, producers and poor households in the most vulnerable countries. Why has Russia made this choice?”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“As the Secretary- General reminded us yesterday, the destruction of civilian infrastructure is a violation of international humanitarian law. At a time when millions of people are suffering from hunger, Russia is thought to have already destroyed more than 60,000 tons of grain. It also announced, via its Ministry of Defence, that all vessels bound for Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea will be considered, as of midnight on 20 July, to be potentially carrying military goods or equipment. With those actions, Russia is committing yet more war crimes and once again using hunger as a weapon. In so doing, Russia is making a strategic mistake. France condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative. With that decision, Russia is assuming responsibility for global food insecurity and malnutrition.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Ms. DiCarlo and Mr. Griffiths for their briefings. France, along with Ecuador, called for today’s meeting because Russia crossed this week a new line in terms of cynicism and irresponsibility. We have all heard it claim over the past few months that it was very concerned about the situation of the poorest countries. After jeopardizing global food security and nutrition by attacking Ukraine, a few days ago it put an end to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Secretary-General stressed the serious impact that would have on the most vulnerable countries. Since then, it has been bombing the ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Mykolayiv and their grain terminals, which are civilian infrastructure.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“France is committed to promoting an ethical and responsible approach to artificial intelligence. That is the aim of the global partnership we launched in 2020. Within the European Union and the Council of Europe, France is working on rules to govern and support the development of AI. In the face of that revolution, the United Nations offers an irreplaceable framework. We welcome the ongoing work of the New Agenda for Peace and the forthcoming Summit of the Future, which will enable us to reflect collectively on those issues and draw up the standards of tomorrow. France will do its utmost to put artificial intelligence at the service of conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source
“We must therefore continue our efforts, within the Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, to develop a framework applicable to such systems. That framework would need to ensure that tomorrow’s conflicts respect international humanitarian law. Above all, generative artificial intelligence can intensify information warfare through the inexpensive mass propagation of artificial content or messages modulated according to the recipient. We need only look at the massive disinformation campaigns under way in the Central African Republic and Mali or those accompanying Russia’s war against Ukraine. Foreign electoral interference campaigns destabilize countries and call into question the foundations of democracies.”
2023-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9381 (2023) · source