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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“I also take this opportunity to recall the need to fully implement the Agreement of 31 December 2016, particularly with regard to measures aimed at defusing the political situation, such as the release of political prisoners and ending the prosecution of members of the opposition so as to allow them to campaign unhindered. Those measures are needed to provide the conditions for the holding of credible and peaceful elections. In that context - and this is my third and last point - MONUSCO has a key role to play in supporting the electoral process, contributing to the smooth holding of elections in a free, open and peaceful environment, and protecting civilians. Last year, the Council conferred upon MONUSCO an appropriate mandate to pursue those two strategic goals.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“The second key factor concerns the electoral environment and the return to a spirit of consensus within the framework of the full implementation of the 31 December Political Agreement. If the outcome of the elections is to be accepted by everyone, it is essential that they be held in an open and peaceful environment in which every candidate can announce his or her candidature and campaign freely without fear of reprisal. In that regard, I call once again for respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including, above all, the right to demonstrate, as well as the need for the proportional use of force in the context of law enforcement. It is crucial that the violations observed during the most recent demonstrations not be allowed to reoccur and that those responsible for them be brought to justice.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“The Independent National Electoral Commission has a crucial role to play in that regard, and we encourage it to work in a spirit acrof transparency and openness so as to build consensus on the technical aspects of the holding of elections. In that regard, we support the effective establishment of a team of international experts to support the electoral process, which the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the European Union, the United Nations and the International Organization of La Francophonie have agreed to dispatch. Trust, based primarily on transparency in the holding of elections, will therefore be the first key factor leading to success.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“Many uncertainties remain with regard to the holding of elections, including, for example, finalizing electoral lists after checking for duplications, while adhering to the prescribed deadlines; the registration process and timetable for Congolese citizens living abroad; the potential use of voting machines and ensuring that the process is transparent through appropriate measures; and the circumstances deemed appropriate for distributing electoral literature throughout the country. All those issues must be open to discussion by all stakeholders, including political parties, potential candidates and civil society.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has a crucial role to play in that context. I would like to highlight three key factors that will contribute to the smooth holding of elections before returning to MONUSCO's role. The first key factor concerns the trust of the entire Congolese people in the sound preparation of the technical aspects of the holding of elections and that the electoral timetable will be respected.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“The serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the recent increase in intercommunal violence and conflict must move the Council to act. The current instability is largely the result of delays and uncertainties related to the electoral process, which means that the holding of credible and transparent elections on schedule, while at the same time facilitating a peaceful and democratic transition of power, is crucial to the return to stability in the country. That is our shared priority. Accordingly, France stands ready to support the electoral process so that elections can take place in optimal circumstances and in close consultation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo's international partners, in particular the African Union and other countries of the region whose role is essential.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I would like to begin by acknowledging the presence of the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Leonard She Okitundu. I thank him for being with us here today. I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Leila Zerrougui for her very enlightening briefing, which underscores succinctly the critical historical moment at which the Democratic Republic of the Congo finds itself. The electoral cycle, which is beginning, will indeed be crucial for the future of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region as a whole. The challenge is enormous, while the situation is fragile.”
2018-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8198 (2018) · source
“It is also crucial to intensify our efforts to reach a political solution in the framework of the Geneva process and resolution 2254 (2015). It is the only way out ofthe conflict and the only way to prevent a looming escalation of tensions. France will not deviate from that path. The overall credibility ofthe Security Council and the responsibility of each of its members are crucially at stake today in the context of the Syrian tragedy.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“We therefore demand that the Syrian authorities submit without delay the necessary letter to facilitate the deployment of humanitarian convoys. Thirdly, it is extremely urgent to allow medical evacuations for the most critical cases, giving priority to children. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent indicates that 1,065 people need emergency medical evacuations. We have not a minute to lose. Finally, France considers it essential to create a monitoring mechanism to ensure the implementation of resolution 2401 (2018) and compliance with the resolution by the parties. We are working diligently to establishing that mechanism now. Those are the French proposals to address the urgent need to put an end to the bombing and protect civilians, who beyond resolution 2401 (2018), are protected under international humanitarian law.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“That goal requires more than just symbolic declarations or political posturing. At a minimum, it requires that humanitarian personnel be allowed to do their work. These workers are used to taking risks on a daily basis, but the parties must allow them to do their work. Given that the opposition groups have formally committed to doing just that, the regime must do so as well, and without delay. To that end, supporters of the regime, beginning with Russia, must bring the necessary pressure to bear. Our second proposal, by way ofa demand, pertains to the need to immediately open the relevant, clearly identified checkpoints - beginning with Wafideen - in order to allow the access of priority convoys of the United Nations.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“I note that the three main opposition groups present in eastern Ghouta as well as Nassar A1 Hariri, head of the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian opposition, have written to the Secretary-General and to the President of the Council to state that they would respect the truce. It is therefore urgent in the extreme - if I can put it that way - that the Damascus regime also unambiguously express its willingness to respect the Council resolution and to formalize it in writing. We have taken note of the Russian proposal of a daily five-hour humanitarian truce. It is a positive first step, but it is insufficient. We must go further. Resolution 2401 (2018) demands of the parties a minimum period of 30 consecutive days of cessation of hostilities. Respecting that demand is non-negotiable.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“There is therefore not a minute to lose because every minute that passes can turn lives upside down. At the conclusion of difficult negotiations, the Council managed to unite in the face of the gravity of the humanitarian situation and the escalation of the Syrian conflict in recent months. We must now work together, in the same spirit of unity, to effectively implement on the ground the resolution we unanimously adopted. This is my third message. Following yesterday's meeting in Moscow with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, France is putting forward four concrete proposals for making progress and for doing so without delay. The first is to ensure that all parties implement the cessation of hostilities that resolution 2401 (2018) demands.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“Hostilities must cease without delay in order to establish a lasting humanitarian truce for at least 30 days, in order to allow both the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of the wounded and sick. Let me stress this point. These demands are perfectly clear and cannot be distorted or reinterpreted. Contrary to what some would have us believe, the demands made by the resolution are absolutely clear. Our responsibility today is to implement, fully and in their totality, the provisions that we have unanimously adopted. If we do not that, what credibility can be given to our commitments? What credibility can be given to Security Council resolutions? The United Nations and its partners tell us that they are ready to deliver aid to the people of eastern Ghouta and other priority areas.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“No United Nations convoy has been able to reach the eastern Ghouta or any of the other besieged areas, no emergency medical evacuation has been carried out, no siege has been lifted. The Syrian regime is maintaining its stranglehold on the civilian population and is methodically pursuing its policy of destruction. More than 400,000 people remain under siege in eastern Ghouta, including 130,000 children. The demand sent by the United Nations to authorize a priority convoy for Duma, the main city in eastern Ghouta, has not received any response from the Syrian authorities to date. My secondmessage is this. The resolution adoptedby the Security Council on 24 February makes very specific demands on the parties.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): First of all, I want to thank Mark Lowcock and Jeffrey Feltman for their very clear briefings. I would like today to focus my remarks on our shared road map, namely, the full implementation of resolution 2401 (2018), which we adopted unanimously last Saturday (see S/PV. 8188). On behalf of France, I would like to express three main messages today. My first message is that we must not pay lip service. The situation on the ground remains dramatic and has not improved in recent days. Since the adoption of resolution 2401 (2018), the offensive against the eastern Ghouta has continued relentlessly. France, of course, strongly condemns these indiscriminate bombings, which affect inhabited areas and civil infrastructure. In this context, the disastrous humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“In concluding, let me say that we hope that the resumption of the political process will help to break this disastrous deadlock. Let us be cautious, in this context, to avoid creating divisions among us that could have serious consequences. The unity and commitment of the Security Council on this issue are prerequisites to arrive at this necessary resumption of the political process. France will continue to spare no effort to achieve that end.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“The more entrenched the conflict becomes, the more evident it appears that there can be no military solution in Yemen. The appointment of the new Special Envoy of the Secretary- General, Mr. Martin Griffiths, affords an opportunity for all parties to meaningfully re-engage, without preconditions, in the negotiations. We must continue to convey to regional actors a clear message about the importance of playing a responsible and constructive role in Yemen; this is critical. Our common goal must remain to arrive at a lasting cessation of hostilities and to encourage the parties to rekindle dialogue, with a view to arriving at a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement in a manner that respects the country's territorial integrity.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“We have voiced our concerns about the conclusions of the report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen issued on 15 February and have repeatedly condemned the ballistic-missile launches staged by the Houthis, specifically against Saudi Arabia. As we mentioned yesterday, France will remain galvanized on the question of the transfer of technology and ballistic material throughout the region in the months to come. This is an issue that the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, will address in Tehran during his visit on 5 March. In this critical context, France's demands are clear, namely, a ceasefire and secure, comprehensive and unfettered humanitarian access. This is not optional but an obligation under international humanitarian law that is binding on all parties, which we would stress to all parties to the conflict.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“Inspection efforts conducted by the United Nations verification and inspection mechanism to ensure that cargo entering Yemen does not contain goods that violate the embargo must continue. We continue to emphatically condemn any attempt to divert humanitarian assistance. Indiscriminate attacks against civilians must cease. International humanitarian law must be fully respected. The crisis also has an impact on security in the region. We are concerned about the continued deterioration of regional stability and security. Yesterday we voted on a technical roll-over of the sanctions regime, which will enable the Panel of Experts to continue their important work. However, we regret that the Council was not able to agree on the first draft resolution vote on (S/2018/156).”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“That access must guaranteed and sustained. The coalition's humanitarian plan is an encouraging step forward and should be commended. It is critical to ensure that it be effective and delivered in full cooperation with the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. Financial assistance for the Yemeni Central Bank is another step in the right direction in the light of economic difficulties that have just been mentioned. It is also essential that humanitarian and commercial goods transit through all ports, including Hudeydah and Saleef, and all airports, in particular Sana'a. The blockade must be lifted again to enable the greatest amount of predictability for humanitarian and commercial actors.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“Al-Qaida- and Da'esh- affiliated groups are also present and active as the primary beneficiaries of the prevailing chaos. The main victims ofthe many conflicts are civilians. The Yemeni people are plagued by a humanitarian disaster. Three quarters of the Yemeni people are in need of assistance. More than 2 million of them are displaced. More than 18 million are affected by food insecurity and at risk of starvation. There is dearth of basic necessities and health risks, such as diphtheria and cholera, remain high, as was eloquently mentioned earlier, at a time when health and medical infrastructure has been crippled. Our priority must be to address one of the worst crises in the world by delivering comprehensive, secure, unimpeded humanitarian access to the people affected in all Yemeni governorates.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“The situation in Yemen has become increasingly complex over recent years and weeks. Following the assassination of former President Saleh, a coalition of groups from the south of Yemen opposed to President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour has assumed control of the vast majority of Aden, where Government headquarters is located. That recent development has diminished the prospects for a political settlement, but should not serve to call into question the territorial sovereignty of Yemen, to which we are all deeply committed. There are several conflicts: between the Government of President Hadi and the Houthis, between the Houthis and the Arab coalition, between the supporters of former President Saleh and the Houthis, and between the groups from the south of Yemen and the Government.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): On behalf of F rance, I would like to warmly thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, for his excellent briefing, outstanding work, exemplary commitment, tireless efforts and his determination in spite of difficult challenges and risks to his own life. I would like to convey my country's profound respect and gratitude for his efforts. I also thank Mr. John Ging for his briefing, which again underscored the extreme gravity of the situation. I will focus my statement today on four main points - the political and security stalemate in Yemen, the ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the impact of the crisis on the region and the importance of an urgent resumption of the political process.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“Furthermore, we must continue to convey to regional actors the message ofthe need for a responsible and constructive role in Yemen. The goal of us all must remain to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities and, in support of the United Nations mediation, to encourage the parties to resume the dialogue with a view to a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement that respects the territorial integrity of the country. The unity of the Council in that regard is crucial. Individually and collectively, we each have a important role to play to that end.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“The coalition's humanitarian plan is a positive first step that should be welcomed and put in place in full coordination with the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. Our priority must remain to address the crisis, which is among the most serious in the world, by ensuring full, secure and unhindered humanitarian access to the affected populations in all governorates of Yemen. Finally, in parallel with our commitment to the humanitarian aspect, we must remain mobilized to launch new essential political momentum. The appointment of the new Special Envoy of the Secretary- General on Yemen, Martin Griffiths, provides an opportunity for all parties to meaningfully re-engage in the negotiations without preconditions.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“France will continue to be mobilized on the issue of transfers of ballistic technology and equipment in the region in the coming months. As the report of the Panel of Experts also shows, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in a very worrying manner. We are very concerned about the Panel's report on the massive violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law that have been committed. Continued fighting and strikes have resulted in the deaths ofmany civilians and injured many others. Yemen is in a situation of extreme humanitarian emergency, with severe food insecurity, and lack of desperately needed basic necessities and a severely affected health sector.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“We have already expressed our concern at the conclusions of the report ofthe Panel ofExperts on Yemen (see S/2018/68), which states that Iran is in non-compliance with the arms embargo imposed by resolution 2216 (2015). We have also expressed our deep concern about the Houthis' ballistic-missile launches into Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, which we have repeatedly condemned. I would like to be very clear on this point. We strongly condemn Iran's failure to comply with its international obligations under resolution 2216 (2015), which requires it to take all necessary measures to prevent the supply, sale or transfer - direct or indirect - of missiles and their components, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, for the benefit of individuals and entities subject to United Nations sanctions, in particular the Houthis.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): France welcomes the adoption of resolution 2402 (2018), which renews the Yemen sanctions regime. I would like to thank the United Kingdom, as penholder, for its efforts and commitment to seeking a consensus to renew the sanctions regime. We regret that it was not possible to reach consensus on the its draft resolution. As we have repeatedly said to all our Security Council partners, France's priority was to renew the sanctions regime. That is why we voted in favour of a technical renewal of resolution 2140 (2014). It was essential that the sanctions regime be maintained and that the Panel of Experts be renewed so that it could continue its work in the coming year.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“The second call is to use this truce as leverage to put an end to the spiral of violence in the Syrian tragedy and create positive momentum towards an inclusive political settlement in Syria. That must be our common ambition. There is a glimmer of hope today in that regard. Let us seize this fragile moment to begin to reverse the course of events, despite the magnitude of the difficulties ahead. As the Council knows, France is fully committed to that goal.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“This text is a potentially important step, but it is obviously not the end of the road. Let us be frank: the hardest part has yet to be done. Therefore, on behalf of France, I would like to launch a two-pronged appeal. The first is a call for the resolution to be fully and immediately implemented. We are all aware that pitfalls and obstacles abound. This is a reflection of the extent to which resolute and coordinated engagement by all members of the Security Council is crucial to ensuring that the provisions we have just adopted are implemented on the ground without delay. To put it even more clearly: if we do not put all our resources and energy behind the full implementation of this resolution, we know that it will not work. Above all, that applies to Russia and the Astana guarantors.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“More than ever, therefore, we must redouble our efforts to establish a neutral environment that will enable a credible political process and elections to be held in Syria, as part of the Geneva process and resolution 2254 (2015). France is ready to continue working tirelessly with its partners to that end. As we said yesterday in this forum, the elements for a regional and potentially major international confrontation have coalesced today. That is a risk that must be taken very seriously. We must therefore come together, as we have done today, to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe under way, prevent a spillover of the conflict and seek an inclusive political solution in Syria. These are three indissociable priorities, and our generation will be judged on whether or not we are able to put an end to the Syrian tragedy.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“We specifically call on the guarantors ofthe Astana process to assume their responsibilities and effectively ensure that the Syrian regime immediately cease its hostilities and ensure respect for the basic principles and rules of international humanitarian law and human rights law. It is urgent that humanitarian assistance reach without delay the people who need it. Every minute counts because every minute can lead to the loss of lives. Nothing would be worse than to see this resolution remain a dead letter. That is why France will be extremely vigilant on all those points over the coming hours and days. We all know that a return to stability in Syria is the only way to put a definitive end to the humanitarian crisis, for which a political solution is required.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“Let us make no mistake: a cessation of hostilities for an initial 30 days to enable humanitarian access to meet vital urgent needs is only the very first step. It is the minimal response to the repeated demands of both the United Nations and humanitarian actors, which have been conveyed for months by Council members, in particular by France. It is now up to the regime's supporters to ensure full compliance with the cessation of hostilities without delay and to respond to all requests for access to humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations in accordance with the text we have just adopted.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“I would like to thank the delegations of Kuwait and Sweden - which introduced the resolution, with our support - for their efforts, perseverance and outstanding work in arriving at a robust text. As by President Macron and the Secretary-General forcefully recalled last Wednesday, it is imperative and urgent to end the shelling of eastern Ghouta, Idlib and the whole of Syrian territory immediately. That was the thrust of yesterday's joint call by President Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel to President Putin during their demanding and close conversation on the issue. It is also the reason for our vote today. The resolution is the outcome of our concerted efforts, as well as a belated response to the violence unleashed against civilians in eastern Ghouta and elsewhere.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): France welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2401 (2018), which demands that a cessation of hostilities be established without delay throughout Syria, in order to enable humanitarian personnel to evacuate the wounded and to gain access to the population. The negotiations were arduous. However, despite their differences in approach, the members of the Security Council managed to prevail in the name of the humanitarian imperative. The resolution is vital in the true meaning of that word, since halting the shelling and evacuating the wounded are matters of life and death for thousands of Syrian people, especially in eastern Ghouta, which has been under siege by the Damascus regime for days.”
2018-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8188 (2018) · source
“A widespread ground campaign directed against eastern Ghouta might well be the next deadly stage. The worst is also the expansion of the conflict. The combination of circumstances before us today might lead to a potentially major regional or even international confrontation. That risk must be taken very seriously. In the name of our shared values and interests, I call on every member of the Council to join and act together. We owe that to the civilians who are dying by the hundreds in the hell in eastern Ghouta. We owe it to the security of the region and of the world, which we have the collective responsibility to protect. We owe it to upholding the credibility of the United Nations, which is our shared heritage. Let us beware that the Syrian tragedy does not also become the grave of the United Nations.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“We have already said, and will say once again, that only a political, inclusive solution, established under the auspices of the United Nations through enabling a political transition within the framework of the Geneva process and resolution 2254 (2015), will end the suffering of the Syrian people in a credible and lasting manner. I should like to conclude with both a warning and an appeal. Not only has the situation in Syria reverted to the tragic darkest hours of the crisis, but, if we fail to react robustly and immediately - let us make no mistake - the worst is yet to come. The worst is the endless escalation of the humanitarian crisis that is crushing the people, any semblance of humanity and the very values underpinning the United Nations.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“At the same time, we must - and France stands ready to - redouble our efforts to establish a neutral environment that will allow for a credible political process and the holding of elections in Syria. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, France has consistently advocated for the priority of achieving a negotiated solution to the military situation and of finding a political solution that satisfies the aspirations of the Syrian people, ensures lasting peace and stops terrorism in its tracks. France will not deviate from the road map adopted by the international community.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“Accordingly, we have noted Russia's intention to propose changes to the draft resolution. We will consider them, but it is crucial that we quickly adopt the draft resolution so that a cessation of hostilities takes place immediately, as addressing the situation on the ground is of the utmost urgency. A cessation of hostilities is not a concession. It is the minimal form of response to the repeated requests of the United Nations and humanitarian actors, which have been communicated by members of the Council. Subsequently, it is up to the regime's supporters to ensure full respect and to respond to all calls for access to humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations under international humanitarian law. It is inconceivable to us that a Council member could be opposed to that.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“We called for the immediate establishment ofa ceasefire to enable medical evacuations and humanitarian access to the people. The Secretary-General also spoke resolutely along the same lines. As was recalled this morning by the French Foreign Minister, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, any lack of action is an indication of guilt. We must act swiftly, for the Council has the means at its disposal, if the willingness is put forth. Sweden and Kuwait, the commitment of which France commends, have proposed a draft resolution demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities to enable humanitarians to evacuate the wounded and gain access to the people. The draft resolution before us does not seem to me to be a political judgement. It conveys the humanitarian imperative that, as such, must bring us together.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“Its real intentions are indeed to annihilate any and all opposition and break the morale of civilians by indiscriminately massacring them. The offensive against eastern Ghouta, which has seen an unbridled acceleration in recent years - the worst of which is undoubtedly yet to come - has added to both the methods and consequences of the new Aleppo. Let us recall that in that city the intensification of bombing preceded a reconquest operation and unknown levels of violence that never sought to shield civilians or rule out the use of chemical weapons. We shall be particularly vigilant on the latter. Yesterday, through President Macron, France emphatically condemned the indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and civilian infrastructure.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“The reports we have received from non-governmental organizations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights are unbearable. Twenty eight attacks struck 20 hospitals in eastern Ghouta since January. More than 700 individuals are in need of urgent medical evacuation. Those evacuations are systematically blocked by the Damascus regime, which has been the case for months. More than 400,000 people, including 130,000 children, have been besieged for months by the regime as part of a siege that is reminiscent of the Middle Ages. We should make no mistake: the Syrian regime and its allies are brandishing the fight against jihadist fighters, the need for which no one is disputing, as justification of an offensive aimed at entirely different goals.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I would like to thank Mr. Mark Lowcock for his enlightening briefing of the situation of the inhabitants of eastern Ghouta. Mr. Lowcock has said it all - the torrent of fire that is indiscriminately falling eastern Ghouta is relentlessly pushing the limits of horror and human suffering. There are no words to describe what is taking place in eastern Ghouta as we speak. The regime is not merely bombing its own people. It is methodically targeting hospitals and vital infrastructure for the population with the macabre aim of ensuring that the injured who have not perished during the shelling do not survive the wounds inflicted upon them. We must insist that the attacks against hospitals and health-care personnel constitute war crimes, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“The new international order, the proliferation of crises and threats and the tragic persistence of the wars and horrors that they leave in their wake - as the situation in Syria reminds us every day - demand that we reform our Organization in order to adapt it to the challenges of our time. That will require the Council to make demands of itself in order to find the means to overcome its divisions, with a View to ensuring that the purposes and principles of the Charter continue to be an effective guide for our action in the service of international peace and security. It is both our shared responsibility and in our common interest.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to say that respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter should not be a reason for rejected any reform of it at all. The Charter was reformed in 1965 in order to enable the Security Council to be expanded. It should be reformed again in order to adapt the Council's composition to the realities of the world today, and to ensure a fair representation of emerging Powers, while preserving its executive and decision-making nature. France is in favour of Security Council reform, and our position on it is well known. It includes an expansion of the two categories of members, for which we support adding a permanent seat for the members of the Group of Four and an increased African presence, including among the permanent members.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“That shows the strong potential for effective interaction among the various tools available to the Council when they are implemented strategically. I would also like to point out that the increasingly targeted nature of sanctions against individuals and organizations threatening international peace and security minimizes their impact on civilians. The Council has done a great deal of work in that regard, and the progress in recent years has been remarkable. Finally, as you said, Mr. President, Kuwait's experience of its liberation in 1991, which resulted from the joint work of many States with the authorization of the Security Council, showed that the use of force, in accordance with the rules of the Charter, is sometimes necessary to uphold international law.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“It is through the Council's consolidated and coordinated action with regional organizations on both the political and operational fronts that we will be able to respond to today's challenges to peace and security. Chapter VII of the Charter offers us another tool that does not require the use of force, by which, of course, I mean international sanctions, and here I want to stress that they are both coercive and incentive. They are intended to be reversible once the targeted individuals and organizations no longer threaten international peace and security or flout their international obligations. In this way, the incentivizing sanctions that the Council imposed on Iran paved the way for resolution 2231 (2015).”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“In the face of increasingly complex conflicts, our peacekeeping operations have to carry out difficult yet essential tasks, including, first and foremost, protecting civilians and promoting the political settlement of conflicts. While we have seen peacekeepers succeed in C6te d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste, for example, we are aware of the difficulties they have to deal with, and we must work collectively - with troop-contributing countries, the General Assembly, host States and regional organizations - to make peacekeeping an ever more effective tool, strategically and operationally. In that respect, it is particularly important to support the rise of our regional partners, who have become major players in the resolution of crises. Here again the Charter has proved its foresight, in Chapter VIII.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, and finally, where circumstances so require, the Council not only has the opportunity but also the obligation to use tools to enforce the purposes and principles of the Charter. Foremost among those tools are peacekeeping operations. Since 1948, 3,438 men and women have lost their lives in such operations, and I want to pay special tribute to their sacrifice today. We are all indebted to them for our safety. The principles by which the nearly 100,000 peacekeepers around the world today operate are at the very heart of the Preamble to the Charter - to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to work together to maintain international peace and security and to affirm our faith in fundamental human rights.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source
“Since 2013, the French President of the Republic has called for a suspension of the veto for mass atrocities - as an expression of the political, voluntary and collective commitment of the five permanent members of the Security Council with regard to their special responsibility. We have taken that initiative with Mexico and more than half of the States Members of the United Nations support that effort and that ambitious and pragmatic reading of the Charter. It is indeed our duty to stress that holding a permanent seat is a responsibility, not a privilege, and implies the exercise of that responsibility in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter. Allow me, Mr. President, on this occasion, to warmly welcome your country's support for this initiative.”
2018-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8185 (2018) · source