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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“Their activities, often discreet, is immensely valuable. I would also like to highlight the indispensable work carried out by the Office of Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Adviser to the Secretary- General on the Prevention of Genocide. We can see that the new impetus spurred by the Secretary-General is starting to bear fruit. For example, in Madagascar last year, the mediation conducted by Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Madagascar, in close coordination with the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, made it possible to avert a political crisis that could have had tragic consequences. In that case, the unfailing commitment of the United Nations ensured that all international actors spoke with one voice, which was decisive.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“I warmly thank the Kuwaiti presidency for convening this meeting on such an important subject, and I welcome the presence of the Kuwaiti Minister for Foreign Affairs. I would like to begin by commending the Secretary- General for giving top priority to conflict prevention. France fully supports his vision, according to which we need to do more to head off conflict. We welcome the Secretary-General's reforms, which should enable the entire United Nations system to be more effective in preventing crises. I am thinking in particular of the strengthening of United Nations mediation capacities, for example through the creation of the High-level Advisory Board on Mediation. I also note that members of the Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers are being deployed increasingly on the ground, sometimes at very short notice.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I would first like to express my admiration and gratitude to our speakers, who are all extraordinary and tireless peacemakers. The briefings delivered by Secretary- General Antonio Guterres, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and Ms. Mary Robinson are particularly inspiring to all of us, as they reflect their exemplary commitment. With several days left before I leave New York in order to take on new responsibilities in Paris, it is a great honour for me to broach, in their presence, one of the major questions that has mobilized all of us during the five years that I have had the privilege to spend in this role. The question is: How can the United Nations better prevent conflict?”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“It is important that States take concrete steps to strengthen their implementation, which is why, together with Germany, France will launch a humanitarian call to action to which our Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, committed on 1 April, alongside his German counterpart, Heiko Maas. The universal ratification of the relevant conventions, such as the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Rome Statute, are part of that.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“In that context, France, which was a sponsor of resolution 2474 (2019), regrets that the text does not explicitly mention the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which is a crucial instrument for combating disappearances in times of peace as well as of war, and to guarantee the right to the truth. That is why France calls on all States to ratify it and cooperate with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Committee on Enforced Disappearances. In conclusion, my country solemnly reaffirms the importance of upholding respect for international humanitarian law as we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“In that regard, I would like to remind the Council of the November 2018 report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, Death Notifications in the Syrian Arab Republic, which describes the fact that tens of thousands of people are missing in Syria after being in the hands of pro- Government forces. Death certificates, when they exist, are a charade. They do not provide the credible response that is expected by families, who are left, sometimes for years, in uncertainty about the real circumstances of the disappearance and the fate of their relatives, or who cannot give them a burial once they have learned of their death. Those certificates issued by the regime cannot absolve it of crimes for which it still has to answer.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“No war or exceptional circumstances can justify them. The disappearance of a person is an extremely serious crime when it is the result of deliberate action by a State that is followed by a denial of that disappearance or by concealing the truth about the person's fate and whereabouts. Widespread or systematic enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity, and in that connection I want to emphasize the role of the International Criminal Court and the investigative mechanisms whose job it is to collect the evidence of such crimes. Those crimes are certainly not a thing of the past or of a particular region.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“After fighting has occurred, they report to the ICRC the location of the graves of the deceased, who are buried with dignity and in accordance with the rules of international humanitarian law. France contributes to efforts to identify and search for missing persons, whether civilians or combatants, keeping in mind the concerns ofrelatives. Those are the same obligations for parties involved in conflicts that France itself respects with regard to soldiers of its own who are missing in combat. At the United Nations, France supports recognizing disappeared-person status for Blue Helmets and developing a policy that takes that status fully into account. Respect for the families of the disappeared and the principles of responsibility, prevention and reparation are at stake. My second point is about the issue of enforced disappearances.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“State action has to be deployed in complementarity with all the dedicated mechanisms and humanitarian organizations on the ground. That is what France does in its areas ofoperation. French forces inform the ICRC systematically and as soon as possible about the people involved in hostilities whom they have detained, after they have been given a medical examination, and ensures the ICRC's access to them, in accordance with international humanitarian law. They also report their transfer to host countries and ensure that they have adequate guarantees from the authorities of the States concerned so that those who are being returned to them do not run the risk of enforced disappearance.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Has that son or husband who was a member of the Syrian opposition been detained in the regime's prisons or killed under torture, like thousands of detainees? From Sri Lanka and Kosovo to Colombia, on every continent, conflicts have left thousands of missing persons in their wake. That is why it is essential for the Security Council to call on the parties to prevent disappearances, help the families of the disappeared reunite and enable the exchange of information about them and support for their families. They must also guarantee people's right to the truth. In order to do that, it is crucial to cooperate with the ICRC, whose excellent work I want to commend once again, especially the Central Tracing Agency, which runs the Family Links Network.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“The first is the need for the parties to a conflict to prevent and respond to this issue, which relates to the protection of those who have not participated or are no longer participating in the hostilities in an armed conflict, while the second is the crucial importance of protecting people from enforced disappearances, including in times of armed conflict. The starting point for our efforts in the Council is as much about the need to ensure respect for the obligations under international humanitarian law on the parties to an armed conflict as it is about a moral imperative. The suffering of the relatives of missing persons demands that of us. The pain of not knowing what has happened to a loved one is unbearable and inconsolable.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Reena Ghelani, Director of Operations and Advocacy of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, for their briefings and commitment. The issue of missing persons is inherent to all armed conflicts, but it has been particularly acute in recent years. That is why France welcomes resolution 2474 (2019), which the Council has just adopted and which powerfully reaffirms the obligations that flow from the international humanitarian law and human rights law on the subject. In that regard, I want to highlight two main points.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, and warmly congratulate him on his country's assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and for taking the initiative to convene today's important meeting. Like my German colleague, I congratulate the Permanent Representative of Kuwait and his entire team. It is to that country's credit, marked as it has been by a conflict that left thousands offamilies without news of their loved ones, that it has convened the Council to address the issue of missing persons in armed conflict for the first time. I would also like to thank Mr. Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Ms.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“That trend is unfortunately exacerbated by the current geopolitical polarization and by an erosion of confidence in the multilateral method and should be a cause for joint reflection. But I am confident, by nature and conviction, that this debate and our collective determination will enable us to pull ourselves together so that, amid increasing crises and threats, the Council can prioritize its mission of conflict prevention and resolution. The Council can count on the firm resolve of France in that connection.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“However, we must avoid excessive public meetings to the detriment of work on Council decisions. After five years in the Council, I regret to say that we are spending more and more time in the Chamber presenting our respective positions and less and less time in the consultation room deciding on joint action. Naturally, public meetings are very important and have the advantage of being transparent, but they tend to polarize positions at the expense of the consensus we seek in order to effectively make decisions and bring our influence to bear. We must therefore together seek the right balance. The five-year trend is quite clear. We now spend three times more time in public meetings than in consultations, while - even if not to the same extent - we negotiate and adopt fewer texts.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“We therefore strongly encourage the collaboration of the Council with regional organizations and we have called for meetings with the African Union, the European Union and this month, for the first time, with the League of Arab States. We also favour the organization of interactive dialogues or Arria Formula meetings, which significantly contribute to informing the Council on important issues and preparing the work on future texts. Further efforts are needed to streamline the ever- increasing programme of work in order to release time for crisis response, strategic reflection and substantive dialogue. We must be able to collectively disengage the autopilot in order to try in good faith to find points of convergence, which are necessary for any agreement. That is at the heart of our responsibilities.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“As penholders on several issues, a responsibility which we take very seriously, France has always ensured the participation of host States and troop- contributing countries, as well as the chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission's country configuration, where appropriate - as we did with Morocco in the case of the Central African Republic - and has always facilitated informal meetings with Member States to strengthen our joint analysis of the issues. In conducting discussions on the texts, we have always tried to give everyone enough negotiating time and to find the necessary compromises to ensure the Council's adoption of such texts, which has almost always been unanimous. Finally, beyond our current and future working methods, our priority must be to ensure the effectiveness of the Council's action in our daily practice.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Schulz - whom I warmly thank for giving me their speaking time for this debate, we have tried to be exemplary during our joint presidency of the Council by presenting our programmes and the outcome of our work to all States Members of the United Nations; by involving civil society stakeholders, particularly women, in our meetings; by doing our best to prepare our missions in Mali and Burkina Faso; and by encouraging speakers and Council members to be more concise, but especially to be more focused and interactive in their statements.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Similarly, the allocation of the chairmanships of sanctions committees to non-permanent members, in addition to allowing regular rotation, which is useful, is mainly intended to avoid possible deadlocks in conflict situations, which unfortunately are not lacking. We must also be careful that our attention to the adoption of new methods does not make us forget that we must first properly implement the agreed recommendations. France is actively striving to do so with all its partners in and outside the Council. With my German colleagues - Mr. Heusgen and Mr.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“But the work of collating, clarifying and codifying procedures and good practices must not be carried out at the expense of flexibility, which remains a guarantee of effectiveness and responsiveness, particularly in matters ofwar and peace, where human lives are at stake. In that respect, the principle of freedom for any member State of the Council to present a text at any time on any subject must absolutely be preserved, as it ensures that the Council will be responsive and that the majority of its members will always strive to reach a consensus. Any ex ante or automatic allocation of penholders would be detrimental to the effectiveness of the Council.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“In the immediate future, we are fully prepared to work with all members of this Council to continue and conclude the work that Kuwait has initiated to supplement the note by the President (S/2017/507, annex) known as note 507, which originated in a 2006 document (S/2006/507, annex) that Japan took the excellent initiative to revise twice, in 2010 (S/2010/507, annex) and 2017, for which I again congratulate the Japanese Ambassador. In that endeavour, we are guided by three key principles: effectiveness, transparency and inclusivity. The proposals on the table will certainly enable us to make progress in that direction, particularly by better integrating the members we will elect on Friday, the troop-contributing countries and the other Member States. We will work with all members to reach the necessary compromises.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“I broadly agree with his approach and my statement is intended to demonstrate that this debate should not pit the permanent members of the Council against the non-permanent members. France fully shares both the concern for efficiency and the desire to reform the Council and its working methods that the representative of South Africa expressed. I will not go into detail on our position, but I would like to point out that France is very committed to the reform of the Security Council in order to broaden its membership and thereby strengthen its legitimacy and effectiveness. It has also made proposals with Mexico for the voluntary and collective suspension of the use of the veto of permanent members in cases involving mass atrocities.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Finally, I welcome the participation of a very large number of Member States in the debate on this topic, to which France, which organized the first debate in 1994 (S/PV.3484), is very committed. I welcome especially the presence among us today of two Ministers for Foreign Affairs. With the annual debate on the Security Council's report to the General Assembly, this open debate is an important moment of reflection on our working methods, which we are conducting with all the Member States of the United Nations, who have entrusted our Council with the primary and distinguished responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. I have listened carefully to the intervention of our South African colleague, who was speaking on behalf of the non-permanent members of the Council.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“First of all, I would like to express my appreciation to you, Sir, for the organization of this open debate on the working methods of the Security Council and for your work over the past year as Chair of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Issues. I would also like to sincerely thank Ms. Karin Landgren, Executive Director of Security Council Report, for her very informative briefing and for the high quality of the work she has accomplished with her team, as well as Mr. James Cockayne, Director of the Centre for Policy Research at the United Nations University. I am very grateful to them both for the clarity and quality of their proposals, which make a very useful contribution to our exchanges.”
2019-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8539 (2019) · source
“Lastly, it is unimaginable to consider financing the reconstruction of the country, normalizing relations with the Damascus regime or lifting sanctions until irreversible and credible progress towards a political solution has been made. It would be not only a grave error in judgment but also a serious political mistake to believe that the Syrian tragedy is behind us. Given the new tragedy looming in Idlib - according to a very familiar script - no one will be able to claim to have been surprised. We call on each member ofthe Security Council to assume its responsibilities in order to prevent such a tragedy and allow for the establishment of a credible political process, under the supervision of the United Nations, to enable the country to embark on the path to stabilization and peace.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“It must include three elements: a nationwide ceasefire, the implementation of confidence-building measures to create a secure and neutral environment and the organization of free and transparent elections in which all Syrians can participate. Only concrete progress in the areas I have just mentioned will enable refugees and displaced persons to consider returning home. At the moment, the political and security conditions are not in place to allow a voluntary return in safe and dignified conditions under the auspices of the United Nations. That is reflected in the voluntary return flows documented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which remain very low to date.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“That is our third major priority and inextricably linked to the first two. Only a political solution based on resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva communique (S/2012/522,annex) can end the suffering of Syrians and lead to the stabilization of Syria and the region in the long term. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has our full support in implementing all aspects of resolution 2254 (2015). The Special Envoy has made many efforts and it appears that a new agreement may now be within reach. It is the responsibility of the regime's sponsors to encourage it to engage in good faith in the process. However, the political solution cannot be reduced to the constitutional committee alone.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“It is also essential that the United Nations have access to people who have left the camp. We call on those who have the means to exert the pressure necessary on the regime to ensure that it complies with its obligations under international humanitarian law by authorizing the deployment of the convoy and, more broadly, by guaranteeing unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas under its control, in particular in the territories it has recently reclaimed in the south-west and in eastern Ghouta. Lastly, I am thinking of Al-Hol camp, where it is crucial that the United Nations have sustainable access, through the most direct and effective channels, to provide assistance to the more than 70,000 people in the camp. Lastly, only a lasting political solution can end the Syrian tragedy.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“The first is the need to protect civilians, including humanitarian and medical personnel. It is completely unacceptable for hospitals, including those that have been deconflicted, and schools to remain the target of attacks in the north-west of the country. The Council's silence on the issue, for reasons we all know, is as deafening as it is intolerable. I would like to firmly reiterate that attacks on hospitals and health workers constitute war crimes and perpetrators will be held accountable. The second priority is to guarantee immediate, safe, comprehensive, sustainable and unhindered humanitarian access to all Syrian territory, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law. A new aid convoy must be urgently deployed to the Rukban camp. That is an immediate and vital priority.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Behind the pretext of combating terrorism, the new offensive of the regime and its allies are part ofa desire to forcibly reclaim areas that remain outside of their control, as was the case for Aleppo and Ghouta. The threat of terrorism could become even greater due to the spread of elements that the regime is claiming to fight. With more than 40 civilian infrastructure sites hit, the targets and objectives of the offensive leave no room for doubt that the fight against terrorism can never justify such actions. Furthermore, I repeat, France will be extremely firm if chemical weapons are used again and stands ready to act. Secondly, respect for international humanitarian law is binding on all and non-negotiable. I am thinking here of two absolute priorities.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“The lives of more than 3 million civilians, including 1 million children, are at stake. A large-scale offensive would not only result in tragic humanitarian consequences but also represent a security threat and a migration risk for us all. We call on the signatories of the ceasefire agreement to honour their commitments to maintaining it. I recall that those commitments were reiterated by the Astana guarantors on 26 April. Russia, in particular, must exert all pressure necessary on the regime. Iran must also contribute by translating into action in Syria the commitment it made to the Council in a recent letter concerning its assistance on the issue of regional stability. Despite all the positive rhetoric, the offensive against Idlib is taking place right before our eyes.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (Spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Ursula Mueller for her very useful briefing, which once again shows that the humanitarian situation in Syria is steadily deteriorating and that we are witnessing another humanitarian disaster in the north-west of the country. I would also like to welcome the presence of Mr. Vershinin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia. We must focus our efforts on three priorities - the need to preserve the ceasefire in Idlib, respect for international humanitarian law, which is non-negotiable, and the need for a lasting political solution, which is the only possible solution to the Syrian crisis. First, preserving the ceasefire in Idlib must be an absolute priority for us all. Today's top priority is to prevent Idlib from becoming a new Aleppo.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Le Drian and his German counterpart Heiko Maas decided on 1 April (see S/PV.8499) to launch the international initiative Humanitarian Call for Action, so that the Council's resolutions can be transformed into concrete actions on the ground. As the German Minister said earlier, France and Germany hope that the Humanitarian Call for Action will lead to the adoption ofa declaration of commitment by States on the margins of the next session of the General Assembly to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. We owe it to the civilian populations whom it is our duty to protect.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In that regard, we must strengthen national capacities, ensure systematic, impartial and independent investigations, and in cases where national mechanisms are insufficient or inadequate, resolutely support the use of international mechanisms. They must be provided with the necessary resources, be able to rely on the full cooperation of States and include the involvement of local communities. On the twentieth anniversary of the inclusion of the protection of civilians in armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council, clarity and determination are therefore more important than ever. That is why Mr.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“The fourth priority that should guide us is ensuring the effective protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, in accordance with resolutions 1738 (2006) and 2222 (2015). In its multipronged efforts in that regard, France sensitizes French and foreign journalists to high-risk situations. The fifth priority concerns the fight against impunity and the necessary prosecution of violations. First of all, civilians will be protected only if those who target them are punished. The Council must make more systematic use of individual sanctions against those responsible for violations of humanitarian law and human rights law, sexual Violence and serious violations against children. Secondly, justice must be done for the victims.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In that regard, we will continue to be especially careful to ensure that such personnel are not unduly prosecuted for activities carried out in strict compliance with the principles of humanitarian law. The third priority is to make the protection of children and women on the ground more effective. Much remains to be done in that major area. It calls for the deployment of child protection and women's protection advisers within peace operations. It also requires the universal endorsement of the Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups, also known as the Paris Principles, the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Learning the rules of the protection of humanitarian and medical personnel is also a key part of our training programmes, including in Africa, based on the training currently conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross at the Libreville Staff School. In Mali, the legal advisers of Operation Barkhane have conducted awareness-raising exercises for the Malian forces as part of regular training in the area of the law of armed conflict for several years. In accordance with resolution 2462 (2019), on countering the financing of terrorist acts, which was adopted during the French presidency of the Council, we are exercising great care to ensure that the measures implemented to combat terrorism do not adversely affect the activities of humanitarian personnel.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In that regard, let me recall what Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said at an Arria Formula meeting on 1 April, in the context of the French and Germanjoint presidencies of the Security Council, "Our responsibility is to find the operational means to ensure the protection of the men and women who embody the spirit of the 1949 Geneva Conventions on a daily basis." At the national level, France is committed to ensuring that the protection of humanitarian and health personnel is integrated into military operations, starting at the planning stage. The use of force can be authorized to protect them from hostile acts. With regard to humanitarian aid workers, our armed forces list health- care facilities in theatres of operation in order to protect them against targeted operations.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In that regard, France remains fully committed to the universalization of the Arms Trade Treaty, which has become a major pillar in the protection of civilians. France urges major arms exporters and importers to take a responsible approach to supporting the Treaty, which is key to curbing such weapons' uncontrolled spread and their deadly consequences for civilians. The second priority is protecting humanitarian and medical personnel and infrastructure. Just since the beginning of this year, the Office of Mission Support has reported more than 300 attacks on medical infrastructure or personnel. In Syria, along with the most recent strike on a health-care centre in Kafr Nabl this past Sunday, a total of 19 hospitals were targeted by a single offensive by the regime and its supporters in Idlib. That is clearly unacceptable.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“The necessary resources will have to be mobilized over time to support that kind of protection framework. The United Nations has an increasingly important role to play in that regard where regional peace operations are concerned. Accordingly, and without presuming to be exhaustive, France believes that the Council must redouble its efforts in at least five areas. The first priority is ensuring compliance with the relevant international conventions, foremost of which are the Geneva Conventions, whose seventieth anniversary we are celebrating. I am including human rights conventions under the same rubric, in particular the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the various treaties on arms control.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“My second point concerns the human rights due diligence policy, which is aimed at ensuring that peacekeeping actors are exemplars and encourages the acceptance of United Nations forces by local populations. That policy has taken on a new form in the human rights and international humanitarian law compliance framework of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel). In a very innovative fashion, the Security Council has made the protection of civilians an integral part of the operationalization of the G-5 Sahel Joint Force. We welcome the technical assistance provided by the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights enabling the G-5 Sahel countries to fulfil their obligations, and the financial support of the European Union.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“I would like to underscore two basic points, much of which my colleagues have already discussed, and discussed well. First, it is the mandates given to peacekeeping operations that have the goal of protecting civilians at their core. Thanks to the Secretary-General's efforts, the protection of civilians is implemented by all of the missions' components, military, police and civilian, including their human rights divisions. Those components are working in an increasingly integrated way. With casualty tracking, the performance measurement of peacekeeping operations takes the protection of civilians fully into account. We should build on that achievement by providing operations with the means to act with robust mandates and adequate resources.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“I would also like to welcome the other Ministers present at this meeting and to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Peter Mauer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Mr. Federico Borello, Executive Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict, for their informative briefings. Let us be clear about the facts. Conflicts last longer and are becoming more complex, and their impact on civilians is as severe as it was during the era of major global conflicts. In Syria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Yemen, Burma, Afghanistan and Iraq, violence against civilians is being perpetrated on a massive scale. To counter that trend, the Security Council has adopted specific measures to protect civilians over the past 20 years.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Mr. Delattre (France) (spoke in French): I would first like to warmly thank the Indonesian presidency for organizing this vital debate on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the inclusion of the protection of civilians on the Security Council's agenda and to welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, who is presiding over our work. The contributions of your country and troops to peacekeeping and to the United Nations efforts to protect civilians are invaluable, Madam President. This debate is an excellent opportunity for all of us to take stock of the Security Council's action and the progress that is still to be made in this area. The Secretary-General's report (S/2019/373) and his ambitious recommendations should serve as our guide in that endeavour.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“We must not hold back from engaging in serious negotiations to implement the two-State solution, with both States living in peace and security within recognized borders, with Jerusalem as the capital. That is what the law says. That is the objective that France is pursuing, as a friend of Israel and the Palestinians, and it is on that basis that we will evaluate the initiatives that can be undertaken.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“That situation does not correspond to the aspirations of either the Palestinians or the Israelis, and it is emerging in violation of international law, including the resolutions of the Council. As we can see, the issue we are facing collectively is urgent and fundamentally political. We take note of the scheduled holding of an economic workshop in Manama on 25 and 26 June, at the initiative of the United States and Bahrain. France stands ready to support all efforts, including of an economic nature, as long as they are in line with the prospect that we have defined together: the establishment of a viable and independent Palestinian State, real conditions for the economic resurgence of Palestine and, beyond that, the construction of a stronger and more integrated regional economy.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“We cannot collectively afford to leave the refugee camps to themselves, at the risk of making them the ideal recruitment pools for terrorist groups that are active in the region. The situation in Gaza, with which I began my statement, cannot be dissociated from the Israeli- Palestinian conflict as a whole or from the two-State prospect. There will be no viable Palestinian State without Gaza and no lasting and just peace without a Palestinian State. On the ground and in people's minds, however, the acceleration of settlement activity undermines the foundations of the two-State solution. Today, we are inching ever closer to the point of no return. In addition to the facts, legal developments have led to the progressive application of Israeli law to the inhabitants of West Bank settlements.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“UNRWA's ability to maintain services is not guaranteed beyond summer, and the issue of the reopening of UNRWA schools will arise in August. The mobilization of us all will be crucial in the preparation for the donors conference, scheduled for late June in New York. France, for its part, has doubled its contribution to UNRWA in 2019. Our support for UNRWA will also require political mobilization for the renewal, in the fall, of the three-year mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly. Until a just, equitable, realistic and lasting solution to the Palestinian refugee problem is found in the context of a peace agreement, the UNRWA mandate will remain necessary, not only for the refugees themselves and their future and the stability of the region, but also for the international community.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“In that respect, Israel's announcement of the expansion of the fishing zone is a step in the right direction. In the Gaza Strip, where two-thirds of the population is composed of Palestinian refugees, the main humanitarian actor is UNRWA. In Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and the region, access to education, health and, for some people, food aid depends entirely on UNRWA. Beyond the humanitarian dimension, the dignity of Palestinian refugees and their ability to build a future are at stake. It is also a question of the stability and security of a region that has been shaken by crises, to which we cannot allow the addition of yet another factor of fragility. We must therefore respond to Pierre Krahenbiihl's call for us to maintain our level of collective financial engagement this year.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“Israelis and Palestinians alike have the right to live in peace, dignity and security. The efforts of Egypt and the United Nations Special Coordinator have made it possible to achieve a ceasefire, which must be consolidated and sustained. We call on the parties to exercise the utmost restraint in that regard. Beyond that, however, there will be lasting stability in Gaza only in the context of a negotiated settlement, including the full return of the Palestinian Authority and the lifting of the blockade accompanied by credible security guarantees for Israel. We also recall that the stabilization of the Gaza Strip requires an immediate improvement in the humanitarian situation in the territory, to which all stakeholders must contribute.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source