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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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“Russia must provide all necessary clarifications on the possible development of such a chemical-weapons programme. The increase in number of chemical attacks appalls the conscience of the world, violates the law and threatens our security. It is not only a major affront to the international community and to the Security Council; it also raises the risk of a terrible regression for all of us. Indeed, let us make no mistake. In Salisbury, Douma and elsewhere, the oldest and strongest foundations of our collective security have been deliberately violated, and thus put at risk, While the forums charged with speaking out and enforcing the law are systematically hampered. That is the heart of the matter. Let us make no mistake.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“A high-quality chemical agent, Novichok, considered to be militarily produced, was indeed used in Salisbury against Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The characteristics of this chemical agent, independently identified by each of the OPCW laboratories, and in particular its high level of purity, testify to a know- how that only a State could master. Its manufacture and handling require equipment and expertise that cannot be improvised. In the light of these elements, possible motives and precedents on British territory, the United Kingdom legitimately asked the Russian Federation to answer a series of questions. These questions have all remained unanswered for over a month now. We therefore call on Russia once again, since it claims to want to cooperate, to respond to the British questions without delay.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“I commend the United Kingdom's commitment to transparency and the way in which it has conducted this matter, in full accordance with the relevant provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. I recall in this regard that the Convention requires States to conduct their own investigations of an event occurring on their national territory and that the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is to play an independent and impartial assistance role. These provisions have been fully followed and respected in the matter before us today. I also reiterate our full support for the Director- General and the Technical Secretariat teams, whose commitment and professionalism I commend. The OPCW results, as they have been presented to us, now speak for themselves. They confirm the British conclusions.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I thank the United Kingdom for this very timely update on the circumstances of the chemical-weapons attack in Salisbury on 4 March. I also thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mrs. Nakamitsu, for her very clear briefing. The day after the hostile act of 4 March, France expressed its full solidarity with the United Kingdom, and I Wish to reiterate it here today. We unreservedly shared the British analysis that, on the one hand, it is highly probable that the Russian Federation is responsible for the attack and, on the other hand, there are no other plausible explanations for the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. We have drawn the necessary conclusions.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“Through this comprehensive and integrated approach, the draft resolution seeks to recreate a space for negotiation, establish potential areas of convergence and therefore - we hope - create the conditions for a truly diplomatic dynamic on the Syrian dossier. We all know how difficult the task is, but we hope that this approach will help us to break free of the impasse and open up the way to genuine negotiations. Given the interest sparked by our draft resolution and by the first constructive discussions it has led to, this new approach is, in any case, broadly supported and involves committing on this basis to deepened negotiations that require good faith in the goal to reach a conclusion, even though we are all aware of how challenging that will be. We owe it to the Syrian people who, in their diversity, await us in despair.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“The draft resolution also aims to recreate a mechanism for the attribution of responsibility with regard to the use of chemical weapons and to put a definitive end to the Syrian chemical programme. Finally, it requests that conclusive political negotiations be held under the auspices of the United Nations and with the support of Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, in accordance with resolution 2254 (2018). Finally, beyond the silo approach - which has led to so many impasses - the initiative France has taken with this draft resolution, alongside our British and American partners, articulates, for the first time, humanitarian, political and chemical aspects of the Syrian equation.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“The regime's recovery of eastern Ghouta, in the terrible conditions we know of, does not change those imperatives, which fall under international humanitarian law and resolution 2401 (2018), adopted unanimously by the Council. It is precisely those objectives that we strongly support in the context of the draft resolution submitted by France, the United Kingdom and the United States to members of the Security Council on Saturday and which was discussed at its first reading yesterday. Our draft resolution aims to achieve essential progress in humanitarian terms, fully consistent with the priorities expressed today. Given the catastrophic situation of the population, France has launched an emergency humanitarian programme of â‚¬50 million.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Specifically, that means that the Syrian regime must issue the necessary visas and letters of authorization to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other humanitarian actors, with three immediate operational objectives in mind. First, a sufficient number of humanitarian convoys must reach areas that are difficult to access or besieged, and the safety of humanitarian personnel must be guaranteed. Secondly, civilians that remain in eastern Ghouta must receive urgent humanitarian assistance and protection. Thirdly, assistance must be provided to displaced persons, including in the camps and host communities around Damascus, in the Idlib province and in the Euphrates region.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“We set aside â‚¬10 million at the end of2017 and financed a dozen projects for displaced persons and those wishing to resettle in Raqqa in particular, as well as emergency aid, restoration of basic services, health care and mine clearance. In Rukban, discussions with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent must lead to allowing the channelling and unloading of cargo by the United Nations, all while ensuring the safety of humanitarian personnel. As resolution 2401 (2018) has not been implemented, I wish to reiterate here, on behalf of France, our urgent appeal to guarantee rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syrian territory. That is indeed the key, along with the cessation of hostilities, to a real improvement in the humanitarian situation in Syria.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Lowcock described in his briefing, the city is faced with the challenge posed by the return of 90,000 people. The challenge is certainly a considerable one. However, we must note some positive developments, such as the reopening of schools and three functioning clinics, as well as the distribution of schoolbooks, to mention but a few examples. It is henceforth necessary to allow humanitarian actors to channel water, food and other responses to meet the basic needs of the population. Given the situation left behind by Da'esh in the city, humanitarian demining also presents a crucial issue that all else depends on and where efforts already undertaken must absolutely be continued and augmented. That is an effort in which France is fully participating.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Humanitarian access for people remaining in eastern Ghouta faces similar obstructions, especially in Douma. These are all tragedies and blatant violations of international humanitarian law. In Idlib, the arrival of tens of thousands of people evacuated from eastern Ghouta has further exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the province, which now hosts more than 1.2 million internally displaced persons. That means that we must be both active and vigilant when it comes to Idlib: active, in view of the very difficult situation that prevails there today, but also especially vigilant with regard to the risks of further outbursts of violence in the region. If we are not careful, the worst is yet to come in Idlib. With regard to the situation in Raqqa, as Mr.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Moreover, since 18 February, at least 1,800 people have been killed and thousands are suffering from often irremediable wounds. As Mr. Lowcock has just stated, the humanitarian tragedy in Syria remains a daily scandal and a permanent insult to the global conscience. Since 9 March, approximately 151,000 Syrians have been forced to flee eastern Ghouta. Between 90,000 and 100,000 of them were compelled to join the camps around Damascus, which have restricted access to basic services. To date, only 45,000 people have been authorized to leave the camps, where reception capacities are saturated. Despite the urgent situation, access to the camps is complicated due to the regime's intensified administrative procedures for humanitarian actors.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“That constitutes an key element of our draft resolution on Syria, which is still under negotiation among members of the Security Council. Despite the adoption of resolution 2401 (2018) and our repeated appeals, the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Syria is flagrant. The situation on the ground in Syria is a nightmare that sees no relief. As we have had the opportunity to highlight during each of the Council's meetings on the subject, the land offensives, sieges, indiscriminate bombings - including on schools and hospitals - and the use of chemical weapons against the people of Douma on 7 April have razed Syria to the ground, with complete disregard for international law. Resorting to terror as a tactic of war has led, as we all know, to horrific consequences.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to thank the Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Mark Lowcock, for his briefing, and once again commend his tireless efforts, as well as those of his teams, in responding to the urgency and gravity of the humanitarian situation in Syria. I would also like to thank Russia for requesting this briefing, which enables us to take stock of the humanitarian situation in both Raqqa and Rukban, a month and a half after the adoption of resolution 2401 (2018). I will say a few words on the humanitarian situation in Syria as a whole before addressing the specific cases of Raqqa and Rukban, and then finally reiterate our call for true assistance to their people by guaranteeing rapid and secure humanitarian access.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Finally, the unity of the Security Council is of vital importance, and we - individually and collectively - have a role to play in that regard. The robust and united support of the international community is indeed essential if we are to prompt the parties to resume the path of dialogue. Despite the scale of the difficulties we are experiencing, there is now an encouraging alignment of the planets that could create a historic opportunity to end the Yemeni conflict. Let us work together to bring about the conditions for such an outcome by supporting the Special Envoy. Council members can rest assured of France's firm commitment to that end.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“The arrival of Martin Griffiths gives the opportunity to all parties to re-engage seriously without preconditions in the negotiations. To carry out its mission, the Special Envoy must have access to all regions and countries where he wishes to go, without any party preventing or jeopardizing his movements. In the same spirit, we must continue to convey to regional actors a clear message on the need to play a responsible and constructive role in Yemen. We believe that everyone can contribute to a solution. Our common goal must be to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities and to encourage the parties, in support of United Nations mediation, to resume dialogue for a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement, while respecting the territorial integrity of the country.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that a humanitarian conference on Yemen will be held by this summer in Paris in order to launch new initiatives for the civilian population and better protect them from violations of international humanitarian law. Naturally, we wish to be in close contact with the Special Envoy, Mr. Martin Griffiths, but also with Mr. Mark Lowcock, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as relevant United Nations agencies in order to prepare this conference properly. In that critical context, we must, alongside our humanitarian commitment, remain more mobilized than ever to support a new political dynamic - the only sustainable outcome to this conflict.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“Another top priority is to ensure full respect for international humanitarian law in order to protect civilian populations and humanitarian and medical personnel. The parties must respect the zones and periods reserved for the arrival of supplies and humanitarian and medical personnel. I am referring in particular to Sana'a airport. We remain concerned about the situation of displaced persons, and specifically about the vulnerability of over 3 million women at risk of sexual violence, as well as the threat of a new cholera and diphtheria epidemic in the coming months. The parties must help the United Nations respond to that danger in at-risk regions. France will remain fully mobilized to concretely improve the situation of the Yemeni population.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“That is a very good result, even though the gap has not yet been completely filled. In that context, access to humanitarian aid remains our main concern. It is crucial that all parties ensure rapid, safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance and commercial supplies to those in need. Access to all ports and airports, including the ports of Al-Hudayda, Saleef and Sana'a airport, must be fully assured and kept open. In that regard, we welcome the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which is intended to shorten the waiting time for commercial vessels. It is essential that supplies cover all needs, be they food, medicine or gasoline. The current coverage rate is still insufficient, especially for fuel.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“Let us also bear in mind that the continuation of the conflict benefits only terrorist groups, who use the chaos to strengthen and expand their presence. That is an important factor that must bring us together. The first victims of this conflict are civilians, in a context where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. This humanitarian crisis is among the most serious in the world. We have repeatedly welcomed the announcement of the Coalition's humanitarian plan, which is a positive and encouraging step. We also welcome the adoption of the recent presidential statement S/PRST/2018/5, which defines the humanitarian road map. Finally, the donor conference held earlier this month in Geneva enabled the mobilization of about $2 billion for the 2018 Yemen humanitarian response plan.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“France has consistently called on the parties to resume the path of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations without preconditions, because, as we all know, there is no military solution to the conflict. We also emphasize the urgent need to lay down weapons. In that context, the latest firing of missiles into Saudi Arabia is unacceptable and must stop. In addition to the gravity of those indiscriminate missile launches and their impact on regional security and stability, they reduce the potential of a political outcome in Yemen. We have repeatedly expressed our concern about the launching of Houthi ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea and have condemned those launches. In this extremely tense regional context, we call for calm from the parties.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): At the outset, I should like to thank Martin Griffiths for his very detailed and illuminating briefing and for his initial assessment of the steps needed to revive political negotiations in the difficult situation we are seeing. I would like to assure the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen of the full support and faith of France. I also thank Mr. Mark Lowcock for his efforts and for his briefing, which shows how worrying the situation is in Yemen. Today I will focus on three points: the growing intensity of the Yemeni conflict and the regional impact of the crisis; the ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation; and the need to relaunch the political process. We are all aware of the gravity of the situation in Yemen.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“It is now funding the establishment of a holistic treatment centre for victims of sexual violence in the Central African Republic. The international community, in particular the Council, must redouble its efforts in response to such odious and Vile acts. This is one of France's top priorities, including within the context of its feminist diplomacy. My country will continue to demonstrate the utmost respect for that call. As President Emmanuel Macron recalled, that requirement is the essence of our dignity. More than ever, France is committed and determined to act.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“On a broader scale, we commend the zero-tolerance policy of the Secretary-General with regard to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment. The United Nations must set an example, and the "UN Too" movement, which mirrors the Me Too movement, opens the door for concrete responses. As for France, to mention a few examples, we have established a whistle-blowing unit and training courses on various types of sexual violence for soldiers ahead of their deployment, as well as for magistrates. Last year, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs financed civil society projects to combat violence against women in Yemen and Nigeria, following similar initiatives in the Central African Republic, Cameroon and Lebanon.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Next, we must ensure that peacekeeping operations have the necessary capacity to implement their mandates. Protecting women is not optional; it is an absolute necessity that must be firmly anchored at the centre of operations. In that regard, the posts of gender advisers and women's protection advisers are crucial and must be preserved. Lastly, the Council must be able to address the issue of sexual violence in conflict more regularly - for example, by issuing press statements when instances of sexual violence are confirmed in theatres of conflict. Several United Nations initiatives should be commended and supported, such as UN-Women and Justice Rapid Response, which comprise a pool of experts to provide support to inquiry mechanisms.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“When judicial proceedings are impossible in the short term, we must ensure that mechanisms are in place to document crimes and enable proceedings at a later stage. The Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and the International, Independent and Impartial Mechanism can play that indespensable role. In addition, providing support to national authorities must go hand in hand with protecting civil society actors who work each day to combat sexual violence and assist victims, and who are themselves often threatened. The Council can now make its response more specific and effective. First, it can include sexual violence as a designation criterion, directly or indirectly, in all sanctions regimes. It must have genuine recourse to that tool. I propose that we work together to ensure that it is employed.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Such violence is also used as a threat to prevent them from participating in politics. France will therefore continue to call for a comprehensive response through the effective implementation of the women and peace and security agenda, as it did during the debate on 27 October 2017 (see S/PV.8079), under its presidency of the Security Council. It is not enough to be outraged; we must act. Today's excellent concept note (S/2018/311, annex) has inspired us to reflect on prevention. Effectively combating impunity is the best method of prevention. Every effort must be made to ensure that the perpetrators of sexual violence are tried by competent national courts and, failing that, by international criminal courts, including the International Criminal Court.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Victim support programmes, such as those established in Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, are essential. Social, legal and medical services, including psychological and social support, as well as dialogue within communities, are crucial. That response must be quick, as demonstrated by the situation in the Central African Republic, where men and boys are also victims. This struggle must also be part ofa comprehensive response to all the challenges that societies pose to the rights of women. It is all the more effective when women's participation in decision-making is assured and when real attention is paid to their economic and social emancipation. Sexual violence jeopardizes women's economic and social process, and many are forced to relinquish their right to land ownership, for example.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“The Human Rights Council and the General Assembly have already condemned that sexual violence, and the Security Council must ensure that justice is served against the guilty parties and that adequate assistance is provided to the victims. We must also be extremely vigilant with regard to the situation in Kachin and Shan states. The intolerable often takes root in intolerance. Sexual violence is very often exacerbated or even incited by discrimination, including that linked to gender, inequality between women and men, prejudice and stereotypes. Even after their liberation, victims are often pursued by those prejudices and face stigmatization. Sexual Violence must therefore be fought throughout the process, from prevention to rehabilitation and reintegration.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“We also note the end of equating rape with adultery in Afghanistan, the Sudan and Somalia. However, a great deal of progress is still needed. For example, it is incomprehensible that no individual associated with Da'esh or Boko Haram has been convicted, even though we know those terrorist groups have used sexual violence as a tactic of war on a large scale. Furthermore, local and national justice mechanisms, such as in Somalia or South Sudan, sometimes subject victims to a double punishment by forcing them to marry their aggressors. The statement by Ms. Razia Sultana, as well as the findings from the Special Representative's visit, refer to the systematic use of sexual violence as a tactic of war in Burma to terrorize the Rohingya and make them flee.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“That is the case, for example, in Syria, where sexual assaults are committed at crossing points and where sexual violence in besieged areas is described as systematic. The communities targeted are also forced to move, thereby finding themselves in new situations of vulnerability. At times, progress achieved has been swept away, as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an increase in violence has also led to an increase in verified cases. We condemn all those cases of violence with the greatest firmness. International justice must be able to convict the guilty. In that regard, we can highlight some progress, for example, the conviction last August of Colonel Becker for war crimes, including rape, committed in 2015 by his soldiers in Musenyi, South Kivu.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“I will start by making several observations on issues which are alarming before proposing an overall response and several concrete ways to strengthen our collective action against these hateful acts. First, despite the Council's efforts, we remain confronted with an intolerable situation. We are horrified by the number of cases of sexual violence mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/250), which still includes 51 listed parties, and by the sometimes systematic use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, a method of torture and a tool of terror. In the 19 situations examined in the report, sexual violence is also synonymous with restrictions on freedom of movement.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I want to start by thanking Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Pramila Patten, for their very insightful speeches, as well as Ms. Razia Sultana for her powerful speech, which should challenge us to reflect on this topic. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our full support to the Special Representative and her team of experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict to implement this agenda, which is a priority for France. At the outset, France aligns itselfwith the statements to be made by the observer of the European Union and by the representative Canada on behalf of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“It is for that reason that, together with our American and British partners, France will work with all members of the Security Council to submit a draft resolution on the political, chemical and humanitarian aspects of the Syrian conflict with a view to devising a lasting political solution to the conflict.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): The draft resolution submitted by Russia (S/2018/355) has just been categorically rejected. The result of the voting sends a clear message that the members of the Council understand the circumstances, reason for and objectives of the military action taken yesterday. The Council understands why such action, which has been acknowledged as proportional and targeted, was required. No one has refuted the fact that the use of chemical weapons cannot be tolerated and must be deterred. That is the key point. It is important that we now look towards the future. As I have just said, the air strikes were necessary and served to uphold international law and our political strategy to end the tragic situation in Syria.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“In that spirit, at the initiative of France and in line with President Emmanuel Macron's statement tonight, we will submit as soon as possible a draft resolution on those different aspects with our British and American partners. Today I ask Russia, first and foremost, to call on the Damascus regime to enter into a plan for a negotiated solution so that the long-lasting suffering of Syrian civilians can finally be brought to an end.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“In particular, it is essential and urgent that humanitarian convoys safely reach eastern Ghouta on a daily basis. Fourthly, we need a crisis-exit strategy, with a lasting political solution. We can sustainably resolve the Syrian crisis only through an inclusive political solution on the basis of the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015). We have been calling for that for seven years. It has never been so urgent to implement it and to relaunch genuine negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations with a view to achieving a political transition in Syria. Only that road map will allow us to finally emerge from the Syrian impasse. France is ready to tackle it, as of today, with all those who are ready to put all their efforts to that end.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“Let me recall those four imperatives. First, the Syrian chemical-weapons programme must be dismantled in a verifiable and irreversible way. We must spare no effort to establish an international mechanism for establishing responsibility, to prevent impunity and to prevent any repeat attempts to the Syrian regime to use chemical. Secondly, terrorism must be eradicated by permanently defeating Da'esh. That is a long-standing commitment that still requires genuine effort to ensure a definitive victory. Thirdly, there must be a ceasefire throughout the Syrian territory and humanitarian access to the civilian populations, as required by Security Council resolutions. We need full and unhindered humanitarian access in order to help people in need, in accordance with resolution 2401 (2018).”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“My country, which knew at first hand the devastating effects of chemical weapons during the First World War, will never again allow impunity for their use. We will never stop identifying those responsible, who must be brought to justice. That is the purpose of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, which we launched last January. Allow me to stress this point: last night's strikes are a necessary response to the chemical massacres in Syria. They are a response in the service of law and our political strategy to put an end to the Syrian tragedy. To be more specific, we have four imperatives on the Syrian issue that are in the immediate interest of Syrians, but also in the interest of the entire international community, as the Secretary-General reminded us, and I want to thank him for his briefing.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“The Organization's mission is "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained". This action was indeed necessary in order to address the repeated violations by the Syrian regime of its obligations - obligations stemming from the law, treaties and its own commitments. Finally, our response was conceived within an proportionate framework, with precise objectives. The main research centre of the chemical weapons programme and two major production sites were hit. Through those objectives, Syria's capacity to develop, perfect and produce chemical weapons has been put out of commission. That was the only objective, and it has been achieved.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“We cannot let the deadly genie of proliferation out of its bottle. We had clearly warned Al-Assad's regime and its supporters that such a transgression would not remain without reaction. We have acted in accordance with our role and responsibility. We have done so in a controlled, transparent framework, taking care to avoid any escalation with the actors present on the ground. The President of the Republic and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France have spoken on this subject. Some who for years have flouted the most elementary rules of international law now assert that our action is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. I would remind them that the Charter was not designed to protect criminals. Our action is fully in line with the objectives and values proclaimed from the outset by the Charter of the United Nations.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“By making such systematic use of its veto in the Security Council, Russia has betrayed the commitment it made to the Council in 2013 to ensure the destruction of the Syrian chemical arsenal. The Security Council's blockade of the mass atrocities committed in Syria is a deadly and dangerous trap from which we must escape. When it ordered the 7 April chemical attack, the Syrian regime knew exactly to What it was exposing itself. It wanted to once again test the international community's threshold of tolerance and it found it. In the face ofthis attack on the principles, values and rights that are the basis of United Nations action, silence is no longer a solution. We cannot tolerate the downplaying of the use of chemical weapons, which is an immediate danger to the Syrian people and to our collective security.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“In view ofthe repeated and proven violations by the Damascus regime of all the rules on which our security is based, France has consistently called for strong action by the international community. We have made every effort to ensure that these horrors do not remain without consequences at the United Nations and the OPCW and that they are stopped. The Security Council had undertaken by successive resolutions 2118 (2013), 2209 (2015) and 2235 (2015) to impose coercive measures within the meaning of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in the event of new violations. It has been prevented from acting in conformity with its commitments because of the vetoes systematically used by Russia.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“We all know them: Violations of all international chemical-weapons obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Syria has been a party since 2013, and the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which prohibits the use of such weapons against civilians; violations of the very foundations of international humanitarian law, namely, the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality; violations of successive Security Council resolutions 2118 (2013), 2209 (2015) and 2235 (2015) and, by the same token, of its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations; finally, the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations constitutes a war crime within the meaning of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. In August 2013, the Secretary-General even described the use of chemical weapons as a crime against humanity.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“We saw it in Aleppo, in Homs, in eastern Ghouta, For years, the Syrian regime has used the most terrifying weapons of destruction - chemical weapons - to massacre and terrorize its civilian population. We had another demonstration of this in Douma, as we had seen before in Khan Shaykhun, Sarmin, Telemens and Qaminas, where its responsibility was clearly established by the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). No one can say he or she did not know. For years, the Syrian regime has systematically and repeatedly violated all its international obligations. The list of such violations is long; it is overwhelming.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): A week after the chemical massacre in Douma and a day after last night's strikes, I want to say again straight away to those who pretend to wonder that France has no doubt whatsoever about the responsibility of the Al-Assad regime in this attack. This morning we made public a notice comprising information collected by our intelligence services. We dismiss those who try once again to challenge what is obvious and to disguise the facts before the world. For years now, Bashar Al-Assad, with the active support of his allies, has been devising a strategy of destruction designed to crush any opposition with contempt for the most basic principles of humanity and at the cost of the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Syria.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“It is the responsibility of those who believe, like France, in effective multilateralism led by a respected United Nations. We must stop the Syrian chemical escalation. We cannot allow a country to simultaneously defy the Council and international law. The ability of Damascus to violate all our norms constitutes a threat to international security. Let us put an end to it.”
2018-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8231 (2018) · source
“Only under those conditions can put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people, eradicate terrorism and work together for the stability of the Middle East. We have been calling for a political solution for seven years. May those who join us today in their concern about the consequences of the Syrian crisis finally force the regime to accept negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations. We cannot allow the most fundamental values and standards of humanity, such as those emanating from the Charter of the United Nations, be thwarted and flouted in front of our eyes without reacting. Those values and standards must be defended and protected. That is the reason behind our commitment - to restore the complete ban on chemical weapons set in stone within international conventions, and thereby consolidate the rule of law.”
2018-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8231 (2018) · source
“We ourselves demanded it by unanimously adopting resolution 2401 (2018) - thwarted the day after its adoption by the resumption of bombardments by the regime with the active support of its allies, including those within the Council who had subscribed to the truce. Resolution 2401 (2018) has lost none of its relevance, quite the contrary - full and unhindered humanitarian access to help populations in distress must be implemented throughout the territory. It is essential and urgent that humanitarian convoys can reach eastern Ghouta safely and that civilians fleeing hostilities or in need of medical treatment can be protected. Finally, we can only sustainably resolve the Syrian crisis within the framework ofa political solution and on the basis of the full implementation of resolution 2254 (2015).”
2018-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8231 (2018) · source
“It will also be essential to combat impunity for those responsible for the use of such weapons and, more broadly, for those who are responsible for the most serious crimes committed in Syria. France is fully committed to that endeavour. That is the purpose of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, which we initiated last January. We will also continue to support and assist all international mechanisms in their work to investigate the most serious crimes committed against civilians in Syria. In addition to the chemical issue, continuing violations of international humanitarian law must cease without delay.”
2018-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8231 (2018) · source