YouSaid · the spoken record

Delattre

lines on the record: 3,505
first: 2014-09-08
most recent: 2019-06-28
sittings or episodes: 443
sources: un-security-council

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“After seven years of war, there is no trust between the parties and little trust among international actors. It is therefore necessary to agree on clear parameters that can be shared by all. Those parameters exist.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Resolution 2254 (2015), which we adopted unanimously, has set a legitimate framework for action that we must all follow. The commitment made in Sochi is part of that framework. All of us - including the authorities in Damascus - have an interest in abiding by the framework, as it is the only way to achieve lasting peace. Let us make no mistake - if the process fails, it will be due to those who sought to derail the rules established by the international community and undermine the legitimacy of United Nations mediation. In that case - that is, if the committee were unable to meet - we would expect the Special Envoy to clearly and publicly attribute responsibilities. Although its establishment is crucial, the constitutional committee is only a tool.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“In that context, all the conditions are now in place for the Special Envoy to issue invitations to the 150 members of the committee as soon as possible, so that an initial meeting of the constitutional committee can be held in December, in line with the Istanbul summit declaration. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to ensure that the final composition of the committee is balanced, lest it lack all legitimacy. We will keep a close watch. No one - neither the regime, the Astana guarantors nor the opposition - has veto rights over the composition of the third list. The argument put forward by Damascus about respect for its sovereignty should fool no one and cannot be used as a pretext to violate its obligations and commitments.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“I know that Russia is also mobilized to implement the outcome of the Sochi Congress, adopted in January. We must now all give shape to that shared objective by honouring our commitments. It is important to note that the establishment and functioning of the committee are not in dispute. The rules of composition were set forth in the Sochi communique' within the framework set by resolution 2254 (2015). The Special Envoy has full authority to convene the constitutional committee immediately. The United Nations also has the power to appoint the list of committee members from civil society. There is no ambiguity in that regard. The Special Envoy therefore has our full support in moving forward independently and without external pressure.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“The establishment of the constitutional committee by the end of December should be the first step, and we hope it will be a catalyst. In other words, the creation of the committee could and should be the turning point that we have long sought - the first step towards real political momentum. The establishment of the committee by the end of December, at the latest, is therefore our main priority today. Of course, there are differences among us, but everyone around this table has called for the holding of the first meeting of the constitutional committee by the end of the year. France, Turkey, Russia and Germany expressed that idea clearly in a statement on 27 October in the communique adopted in Istanbul. On 27 September here in New York, the members of the small group on Syria also called for such a meeting.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): At the outset, I wish to thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, for his very detailed and informative briefing. On my own behalf and on behalf of France, I would like to once again commend his work and reiterate our full support for his tireless efforts. We have again reached a moment of truth in Syria. On 27 October in Istanbul, the Heads of State and Government of France, Germany, Russia and Turkey underlined their commitment to a lasting ceasefire in Syria. That truce offers a narrow window of opportunity that we must seize in order to generate real political momentum. At this key moment, all our efforts must now be focused on relaunching a comprehensive political solution to the Syrian crisis.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8406 (2018) · source
“The events that occurred a week ago must be a warning: in Gaza as elsewhere, the same causes always produce the same effects. If we do not deal with those causes, we will not succeed indefinitely in avoiding a new conflict. We therefore have a collective responsibility within the Council to act before it is too late. France will continue to spare no effort in that regard.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“Those advances further weaken the project ofa viable, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. With nearly 5,800 approvals, the year 2018 is close to reaching the record of 2012 in terms of settlements in East Jerusalem. There must be a fair and realistic solution for Palestinian refugees. In the wait for a negotiated solution, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East plays a key role, which is crucial to preserve. The goal must be to sustain the exemplary mobilization of the international community following the United States decision to suspend its contribution to the Agency. France is a friend to both Israelis and Palestinians. It has no other interest than peace in the region and the possibility for the populations concerned to live in safety and dignity.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“Allow me to revisit those parameters. They provide for two States living in peace and security, along safe and recognized borders, drawn on the basis of the 1967 lines, with possible territory swaps as agreed by the parties. In that respect, the decision announced last month to suspend the demolition of the Bedouin Village of Khan Al-Ahmar is a first step, but one that remains tentative and revocable at all times. We therefore ask the Israeli authorities to renounce it definitively. Khan Al-Ahmar is in an area that is essential to the Viability of the two-State solution. Jerusalem would be the future capital of the two States. Nearly 600 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem - Ramat Shlomo and Ramot - were approved earlier this month.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“It is therefore essential to fill the current political vacuum. But I would like to remind our American friends, as the President of the Republic has said to President Trump on several occasions, that a peace plan that fails to recognize the internationally agreed parameters, particularly with regard to Jerusalem, would be condemned to failure. Those parameters are not options or a menu from which we can choose. They are the indispensable foundation of any peace plan and any future negotiations. Throwing off those parameters, in particular where it concerns Jerusalem, is to take the risk of transforming a conflict of a territorial and political nature into an identity and religious conflict, which would make any compromise impossible and open a space into which all radical groups in the region would seek to rush.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“The promise oftwo States threatens to fade away before our eyes, like a desert mirage. That promise is deteriorating on the ground, as a result of settlements and the political and territorial fragmentation of Palestinians. But it is also vanishing from our minds, in the absence of a political horizon. Generation after generation, despair and fatalism are overcoming Palestinians and Israelis, who live in two parallel worlds and do not talk to one another. Accordingly, the dynamics can only be negative. Therefore this point must be hammered home: there is no viable or realistic alternative to the two- State solution. The unique territorial reality, which is taking shape before our eyes, would ultimately mean that the Palestinians give up their national aspirations and that the Israelis relinquish their democratic project.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“There will be no lasting peace in the region without agreement between Israel and Palestine, no viable Israeli-Palestinian agreement without a Palestinian State, and no Palestinian State without an agreement that allows for unity between Gaza and the West Bank under the aegis of the legitimate Palestinian authorities. Given the situation in Gaza since last March, the Security Council has never been able to speak with one voice. That deafening silence more incomprehensible by the day to the populations of the region, as it is to the world watching us. I would like to expand on my remarks regarding the Palestinian question as a whole. Twenty-five years after the signing of the Oslo Accords and 30 years after the Algiers Declaration, we are close to the point of no return.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“All actors must coordinate their efforts to that end. Ultimately, only lifting the blockade, accompanied by the necessary security guarantees for Israel, will make it possible to meet the needs of the population. Lastly, there can be no lasting solution to the crisis in Gaza without a reconciliation agreement, which must enable the Palestinian Authority to regain all its prerogatives in the territory. We support that goal in the framework of the efforts of Egypt and the Special Coordinator. We call on all parties to resume the dialogue to relaunch the process of inter-Palestinian reconciliation, as an extension of the agreement reached in Cairo a year ago. Let us also remember that Gaza is not a stand-alone territory and cannot be dissociated from the Palestinian question as a whole.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“The number of protests that have taken place and that continue along the separation fence is terrible: 170 Palestinians killed and nearly 6,000 shot since 30 March in the context of rallies fuelled by the desperation of the population. France has condemned the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force and called on Israel to respect the right of Palestinians to demonstrate peacefully, as well as its obligation to protect civilians under international humanitarian law. We have also condemned the manipulation of the protests by Hamas and other armed groups. To give immediate hope to the people of Gaza, we must first address the humanitarian emergency. The efforts of the Special Coordinator and all United Nations agencies to rapidly improve the humanitarian situation contribute significantly to such a response.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“The return to calm that we have now seen for almost a week needs to be perpetuated based on the 2014 security arrangements in order to prevent a new cycle of violence, of which the civilian populations would again be the primary victims. In that regard, we commend the efforts of Egypt and the United Nations Special Coordinator. The restraint seen since 13 November should be noted. It must be preserved regardless of the political cost for each side. Secondly, the most recent peak in tensions, the third since the summer and the most serious, is part ofa context of humanitarian collapse and political stalemate in the Gaza Strip. For more than six months, there has been a succession of violent incidents in Gaza against the backdrop of a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented severity.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“Given the potential consequences of a new conflict for the populations concerned, we join the Secretary-General in calling for calm and restraint on all sides. In a particularly tense context, we also stress the need to avoid any initiative and action likely to provoke an escalation. Between 12 and 13 November, nearly 500 rockets were launched towards Israeli territory in less than 24 hours. The fact that there were several victims is to be condemned. The intensity of those strikes is unprecedented, even during the conflict of 2014. We have condemned in the strongest terms such firing of rockets by Hamas and other armed groups at Israeli territory.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I would first like to thank Mr. Nickolay Mladenov for his briefing and his commitment day in and day out, and to reiterate France's support for him. Every day that passes reaffirms something that we regularly condemn before the Council: the false status quo that we are witnessing and which in fact masks a daily deterioration of the situation, which may at any time degenerate into an open crisis, as we have once again seen in recent days in Gaza. Today, I will specifically focus on Gaza, which is once again on the brink, by highlighting three main elements. First, between 11 and 13 November, the Gaza Strip was on the point of toppling into a new deadly conflict, such as the territory has experienced three times over the past decade.”
2018-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8405 (2018) · source
“We therefore call on the parties to engage with the Special Envoy immediately, without conditions and in good faith. We call on all those involved to facilitate that work, and we welcome the recent announcements of support for the United Nations process made by stakeholders in the region. The quest for a solution is becoming more urgent every day. For millions of Yemenis, it is now a very real question of life or death. France will remain fully committed in that regard.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“As the Special Envoy indicated, several obstacles have been removed, such as the sensitive issue of the evacuation of wounded Houthis, which is an important step towards ensuring that the Houthis are present at the negotiating table. We therefore encourage the Special Envoy to continue discussions with all parties with a view to making further progress on confidence-building measures. The momentum must be maintained. We are ready to collaborate on a draft resolution to respond to the humanitarian emergency by fully endorsing Mr. Lowcock's five asks and supporting the efforts of Mr. Griffiths to reach a sustainable, comprehensive and inclusive agreement. In that connection, as Ms. Jarhum noted, women's participation in resolving the Yemeni crisis is essential.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“We also commend the work of the United Nations and all the teams involved to develop a single road map on the humanitarian dimension in relation to the World Bank, the humanitarian response plan and the new Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which must be adequately financed, as Mr. Lowcock indicated. Finally, I would like to reiterate France's full support for Special Envoy Griffiths. I thank him for his tireless efforts to resume negotiations in order to reach an inclusive and lasting political solution. France resolutely stands with Mr. Griffiths. We believe, again, that there is now a real window of opportunity to relaunchacrediblepoliticalprocess~the only solution to the crisis in Yemen. The humanitarian tragedy looming over the country must compel us to act.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“The Council must call for a lasting cessation of hostilities as soon as possible and ensure respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially ifit is critical to the country's economy. The access and delivery of humanitarian aid and imports, including between Sana'a and Al-Hudaydah, as well as the stabilization and recovery of the Yemeni economy, are essential, as was so eloquently voiced earlier. Humanitarian and medical personnel who operate in a high-risk environment must not only be protected, but must be able to plan their operations and implement them safely. I would like to reiterate our full support for the efforts of humanitarian actors, who work in particularly difficult conditions.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“The ongoing daily deterioration of the humanitarian situation is pushing us ever closer to total disaster, while the latest estimates point to widespread famine, a large-scale cholera epidemic and the possibility that several generations of Yemenis will be completely deprived of an education. In that respect, military pauses are a means of reducing the intensity of clashes and fostering a positive climate for the resumption of political discussions, but it is clear that we must go further. My second point is that it is more important than ever to respond to Mr. Lowcock's five specific asks. That must be our top priority.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“Despite the scope of the problems, there is a window of opportunity today that the Security Council must take advantage of by doing all it can to support the necessary cessation of hostilities and the Special Envoy's mediation efforts. In that connection, I would like to turn to the situation in Al-Hudaydah, which is the tipping point for the situation in Yemen, and touch upon the constant deterioration of the humanitarian situation. Recent clashes and bombardments, which have claimed the lives of many people, are endangering civilians, especially women and children, as well as endangering civilian infrastructure and blocking aid delivery routes.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, as well as Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, for their briefings, which provide us with a very clear framework for analysis and action. I also thank Mr. Beasley and Ms. Jarhum for their important briefings on the situation in Yemen, which is more worrisome than ever. France believes that, when confronted with the increasingly devastating humanitarian tragedy in Yemen, we have the collective responsibility, and now an opportunity, to put an end to the war and pave the way for a political solution.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“It represents an important setting conducive to encouraging balance and coordination between the political, security and development efforts. The situation in the Sahel today demands our full attention and effort. All the parties must do their part - the G-5 Sahel, by conducting the Joint Force's new operations in the next few weeks; donors, by ensuring that they make their financial contributions without delay; and the Council, by committing to revisiting its multilateral support for the Joint Force once it is fully operational. France will issue a press statement to that effect at the end of this meeting.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“The signing of a partnership agreement between the Alliance and the G-5 Sahel is also an important step that should make it possible to implement rapid-impact projects by the end of the year in vulnerable areas identified by the G-5 Sahel, in order to prevent them from plunging into instability. We also fully support the G-5 Sahel priority investment plan and call on donors to be ready for the donor coordination conference to be held in Nouakchott on 6 December. All of those projects should be based on the broader framework established by the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, which is intended to serve as a guidepost for avoiding any diffusion or duplication of effort. Lastly, we encourage the Peacebuilding Commission to maintain its strong commitment to the Sahel issue.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“The international community must make use all of these mechanisms from now until the March deadline established in resolution 2423 (2018). We are also counting on the G-5 Sahel States to participate in the work of persuading all the Malian parties to come on board. On the development front, the priority is creating sustainable prospects for the people of the Sahel, especially its young people. With 500 projects identified and totalling more than â‚¬7.5 billion by 2020, the Alliance for the Sahel is aiming to mobilize donors and promote good practices to ensure that the assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations quickly, particularly in cross-border areas. The United Nations Development Programme in particular has a key role to play in terms of governance.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“We are ready to bring them to the Security Council as soon as the Joint Force is fully operational and we see the first results on the ground on the basis of the support that has already been provided. We will do it in the spirit of the quest for consensus that has always driven our efforts on this issue, but also because it is crucial that we provide the Joint Force with all of the support it needs. France firmly believes that this exceptional security commitment to stabilizing the Sahel should be accompanied by an equivalent level of mobilization on the political and development fronts. First, on the political front the priority is the eagerly awaited full implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. The Council has put in place a robust framework in support of the Malian stakeholders.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“It is also critical that additional resources be provided to finance the technical support that will enable the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali to provide logistical and operational support on the ground, which is not the job of bilateral contributions. The difficulties of generating and extracting international support, however, demonstrate that the mechanisms in place are not fully effective or capable of generating predictable, sustainable resources, which is crucial to scaling up the Joint Force in the short and medium term. We therefore fully support the Secretary-General's recommendations for enhancing multilateral support for the Joint Force by providing a robust mandate and implementing a logistics package.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“The decision of the Heads of State of the G-5 Sahel to relocate the headquarters of the Joint Force to Bamako must also be implemented as soon as possible. Given this unprecedented mobilization by the G-5 Sahel States, it is now the responsibility of the international community and the Council to provide them with effective support that corresponds to the level of their challenges. That includes, first and foremost, ensuring that the pledged financial contributions materialize without delay. Many have already disbursed their pledged funds or are drawing up contracts to do so, thanks to the central role played by the European Union in that regard. It is essential that countries that have not yet made their contributions do so as soon as possible.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“Lastly, I think of the fact that the Joint Force is intended as an essential link in the security architecture deployed in the Sahel alongside the national armies, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, Operation Barkhane and the European missions. The enemies of peace understood that when targeting its headquarters in Sevare during the tragic attack last June. For all those reasons, it is absolutely crucial that the G-5 Sahel States continue their mobilization in order to ensure that the Joint Force becomes fully operational as soon as possible. That is the priority. And the biggest priority of all is that new operations be conducted in the next few weeks.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“However, the achievements demonstrate that the process is well under way. It must be pursued with unity and determination. I am thinking first of the fact that the Joint Force is now an operational reality, with 4,000 men deployed, functional command structures and several operations across the sectors. I am also thinking of the establishment of a human rights compliance framework unparalleled on the continent and the progress made in setting up a police component, which makes it a noble model of an African operation. The steps taken by the Malian Government following the abuses committed in Boule'ke'ssi last May are part of that positive dynamic.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“In that context, it is the responsibility of the international community to support the States concerned in their efforts to respond to a threat to international peace and security that concerns us all. The establishment of the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, at the initiative of the States concerned, represents a historic initiative without any true precedent or equivalent. Given the magnitude of the task and the related challenges, we must duly assess and take stock of the significant progress made in barely more than a year. Of course, since it is precisely a key tool in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, everyone would have liked the process to have moved forward more quickly and for the G-5 Joint Force already to be fully operational. We all are aware of the considerable progress that remains to be made.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I thank President Buyoya, Mr. Maman Sidikou, Permanent Secretary of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel), Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Deputy-Secretary-General Pedro Serrano for their very enlightening briefings. I particularly welcome the presence around this table of Permanent Secretary Maman Sidikou, whose constant engagement we appreciate. The fragility of the security situation in the Sahel and the recent extension of the terrorist threat to eastern Burkina Faso must alarm us all. The G-5 Sahel States have shouldered their responsibilities by establishing the Joint Force and by developing of common priority investment programme, which demonstrate their commitment to security and development on the ground.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source
“Lastly, I would refer to the additional support that MINUSCA could provide to the Central African authorities to extend State authority throughout the country's territory - that being, as well all know, the key to success. We therefore hope that the draft resolution to renew MINUSCA's mandate for a year can be put to a vote quickly and that the Council will be able to extend it its unanimous support, in the interest of the Central African Republic and all Central Africans. That is the only aim that guides France, as it should be for all the other members of the Council.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source
“That draft resolution, to which I will return at the time of its adoption, includes several important elements relating to MINUSCA and the support the Mission will be able to provide to the authorities of the Central African Republic in their efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in the country. In that regard, I would first point to maintaining MINUSCA's format and robust mandate - clearly an essential point. I would also refer to the political support that MINUSCA will be able to extend to the African Union Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, as a unique framework for facilitating direct and inclusive dialogue between the Government and armed groups. There must be no ambiguity as to the central place of that African Union Initiative, as our draft resolution underscores.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): We are about to vote on a technical draft resolution (S/2018/1025) to renew the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for one month. It is indeed a technical need so as to allow one of the members of the Security Council to take the necessary steps in line with its domestic legislation in order to vote on the draft resolution that has been under discussion by the members of the Council in recent weeks. The negotiations on the essence of a new MINUSCA mandate have essentially concluded. As penholder, and with a view to facilitating consensus, we have sought tirelessly, in the framework of expanded consultations, the most exacting balance among the different positions voiced. I believe we have achieved that balance.”
2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source
“Finally, turning to the humanitarian situation in the Kasais, the return of thousands of Congolese people from Angola has significantly complicated the response to the crisis, in an area already ravaged by recent tensions. France commends the solidarity shown by the people of the region who provided assistance to the returnees, even though most of them are themselves living in difficult conditions. Also on this point, the country's partners must rise to the challenge and provide the necessary assistance to help the people concerned. On all of those points, you, Mr. President, may be assured of France's steadfast commitment.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“France encourages MONUSCO, specifically its Intervention Brigade, to ambitiously neutralize those groups and restore to the civilian populations of Beni the peace to which they aspire. Secondly, the Ebola epidemic is raging in that same region of the country, while the security situation has significantly complicated the response. France commends the courageous commitment of Congolese health services and international partners, including MONUSCO, in combating the epidemic. We encourage the Democratic Republic of the Congo's partners to respond to the call and fund the regional response plan. Otherwise, the risk of regional spillover is high. Along those lines, I would refer to the Council's call in resolution 2439 (2018) for ensuring access and safety for humanitarian and medical personnel.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“We will remain ready to support the holding of the elections, in particular through MONUSCO, should the Congolese Government so request. Similarly, the African Union has also reiterated its readiness to pool its resources and coordinate its efforts with those of MONUSCO in order to provide additional support for organizing elections. I would also like to briefly address three points that, although not related to the elections, remain especially important. First, regarding the situation in the east of the country, armed group activities, in particular by the Allied Democratic Forces, continue to jeopardize civilians, particularly around the town of Beni. We are aware of the situation in that particular part of the country.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“It is essential that the lifting of the ban on demonstrations be implemented throughout the entirety of the territory. The official campaign begins in 10 days' time. During the Security Council's visit to the Democratic Republican Congo, the Government undertook to ensure that all political activities would be free and unhindered during the time of the visit. For their part, the opposition leaders whom we met committed themselves to carrying out those activities in a peaceful manner. We call on all parties, both Government and opposition candidates, to honour their commitments for the good of the Congolese people. Finally, we respect the choice of the Congolese authorities to organize elections without external assistance.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“Through its Commissioner for Peace and Security, the African Union has called on all parties "to ensure calm and arrive at agreement to find viable solutions to candidate and ballot security, reach consensual solutions to issues related to the electoral register and to making the political space more inclusive, and ensure equitable access to public media for all actors". The Saint-Sylvestre agreement provides for the lifting of the general ban on demonstrations. Although some political meetings have been held in Kinshasa without incident, which France welcomes, the lifting is still awaited. Out in the provinces, we continue to see frequent instances of political rallies being prohibited, often on very short notice, with demonstrators being manhandled and arrested.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“It is essential that dialogue among all parties continue to be pursued to respond to them and so that agreement is reached quickly on the conditions for preparing for the elections. All Congolese political actors involved in the elections, whether in organizing or competing in them, must rise to the challenge and heed the people's call for overcoming their differences and finding the broadest possible consensus. As the Council has frequently call for, fully and in good faith implementing the so-called relaxation measures called for in the Saint-Sylvestre agreement remains necessary.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“Electoral materials are beginning to be distributed throughout the country, provisional voter rolls have been published for everyone to review and the Government has once again begun to contribute to the Independent National Electoral Commission to enable it to operate fully. France welcomes the progress. However, that technical progress will be meaningful only if all candidates can compete freely in the elections and if the Congolese people have confidence that their vote will be fully recorded. Trust is therefore the key to success. Efforts have been made to reconcile Views on the use of machines for printing ballots and on the electoral register, and technical questions have been raised.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“As I had the opportunity to say during the Council's visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are at a crucial moment in the history ofthe Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are all convinced that there is now a historic opportunity, with the elections on 23 December, for the first democratic and peaceful transfer of power in the country. Successful elections - which is to say free, credible, open and transparent ones, in the context of a peaceful environment and the results of which are recognized by all - would undoubtedly give way to a new chapter in the country's history. It would pave the way for stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and would contribute significantly to creating the conditions for its development. Progress has been made to that end.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Ms. Leila Zerrougui, for her very informative briefing. On behalf of France, allow me to reiterate our full support for her commitment at all levels, as well as that of MONUSCO. I also thank Ms. Josephine Mbela for her insightful testimony on the expectations of the Congolese people with regard to the elections, especially the key role that women must be able to play. She can rest assured that her important messages have been and will continue to be heard.”
2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source
“It is so much easier to do that than to work to strengthen the United Nations, but it is at odds with France's demanding and humanist approach. France calls on all of its partners to recommit to the United Nations within a framework of renewed and exacting multilateralism, while working together and employing what our Foreign Minister, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, refers to as goodwill powers. Such commitment is at the heart of France's identity and action. That is why President Macron will host the Paris Peace Forum in two days' time in Paris, which will bring together all global governance stakeholders - Governments, institutions, civil society actors and citizens - to discuss major global issues and develop collective responses together. That is the challenge for our generation.”
2018-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8395 (2018) · source
“In the same spirit, France, along with Mexico, is taking the initiative - now supported by 101 Member States and could be implemented without delay - to suspend the use of the veto in cases ofmass atrocities. We call on all States Members of the United Nations, in particular the other four permanent members of the Security Council, to join our initiative. Given the considerable increase in the number of crises and global challenges, we do not have the right to simply yield to the temptation to withdraw and opt for unilateralism. Future generations will not forgive us, and they would be quite right not to do so. Multilateralism is a common good, whose positive effects are not always properly perceived or explained. Criticizing the United Nations - otherwise referred to here as UN-bashing - often guarantees a hollow victory.”
2018-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8395 (2018) · source
“The Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and UNESCO play an indispensable role that we must protect and strengthen. If our framework for action is to retain its legitimacy over time, we must develop and adapt it. I would therefore like to reiterate France's support for the reform the Secretary-General has initiated in three areas: the peace and security architecture, the development system and the management of the United Nations. We will defend expanding both member categories of the Security Council so that its composition reflects today's balances ofpower, remains legitimate in everyone's eyes and is strengthened as a forum for consultation rather than obstruction.”
2018-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8395 (2018) · source
“We achieved it through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the silent revolution to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. France will pursue that goal by focusing its 2019 presidency of the Group of Seven on combating inequality. On the other hand, we realize that reverting to the notion of every man for himself would mean simply giving up and preparing for future crises. Fourthly, the system's ability to evolve will determine its effectiveness in meeting the challenges of this century. Multilateral institutions must undergo reform and, in many cases, are doing so. However, we cannot accept their legitimacy or funding being called into question in the name of an ideological approach.”
2018-11-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8395 (2018) · source