YouSaid · the spoken record

DeShong

lines on the record: 88
first: 2020-01-08
most recent: 2021-11-22
sittings or episodes: 15
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Those elements must therefore be cultivated through a commitment to constructive and inclusive dialogue and the pursuit of consensus- based decisions to prevent further polarization and divisiveness. We are pleased to note that positive engagement on this file continues despite the impediments created by the coronavirus disease pandemic, and we look forward to the full resumption of all previously scheduled deployments. Until then, we commend the determination to conduct the important work as efficiently and effectively as is possible in the present circumstances. The clarification of all outstanding issues regarding the initial declaration remains essential, and we recognize the continued efforts of both Syria and the Technical Secretariat towards achieving a final resolution.”
2020-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8764 (2020) · source
“In that regard, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) bears a tremendous responsibility and must therefore take measures to make certain that its facets and activities are impartial, independent and free from politicization. Indeed, that is the only way to enable States parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to have full confidence in the organization’s capacity and for the organization to remain an effective multilateral body. There is no question that there are many diverging views on this issue; however, for progress to be made and for there to be full implementation of resolution 2118 (2013), it is imperative that there be trust, unity and cooperation.”
2020-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8764 (2020) · source
“I thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mrs. Nakamitsu, for her briefing. I would like to begin by reiterating Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ position that the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone and under any circumstances constitutes an abominable violation of international law. Chemical weapons do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and they cause unnecessary human suffering. Impunity for their use must not be encouraged through inaction, and the perpetrators of chemical-weapons atrocities must be held accountable. Accordingly, allegations of the use of chemical weapons should never be dismissed. Furthermore, investigations must be conducted thoroughly and in accordance with best practices to ensure that all findings are capable of withstanding rigorous scrutiny.”
2020-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8764 (2020) · source
“As the Office approaches the mandated timeline for its closure, as stipulated in resolution 2458 (2019), it has made tremendous strides towards the three-phase drawdown. We welcome the $4 million mobilized by the Peacebuilding Fund to facilitate the United Nations transition and the seamless transfer of UNIOGBIS’s residual mandated tasks to other United Nations agencies and partners. We were also particularly encouraged by the outreach efforts undertaken by UNIOGBIS to bring greater attention of the drawdown to States and entities in the region, which we also see as having an important role in filling the void that will be left by UNIOGBIS.”
2020-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8724 (2020) · source
“We have observed in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2020/105) that transnational organized crime, mainly drug trafficking, exists in Guinea-Bissau. We welcome the strategic national action plan on drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, developed by the country with the assistance of United Nations agencies, particularly the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. We also call on the international community to continue its support for Guinea-Bissau as the country continues to work on peacebuilding and sustainable development. We further call on the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to serve as a platform to mobilize such support. Finally, we wish to thank the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) for its commendable service in Guinea-Bissau during the period under review.”
2020-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8724 (2020) · source
“We urge the political actors in Guinea-Bissau to keep their focus on the noble tasks involved in leading the country towards progress and stability, which have been entrusted to them by their constituents. Parliament members will be required to put aside differences and work more closely with each other through a non-partisan approach in order to realize reforms in the country. In addition to those reforms, it would be remiss of me not to mention the socioeconomic improvements required in the country. The current situation in West Africa has shown that underdeveloped communities plagued by lack of economic opportunities and poor availability of social services are those most likely to be targeted by criminal and radical elements.”
2020-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8724 (2020) · source
“Commendations are also due to members of the international community, including the group of five international partners, in particular the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and civil society organizations, which provided valuable support during the electoral process. As noted by Special Representative Sori-Coulibaly, the result was contested. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines conveys its support for the internal legal process currently ongoing in Guinea-Bissau in relation to the election dispute and calls on the relevant parties to respect the process and act accordingly. We further encourage Guinea-Bissau to work, as a matter of urgency, towards the critical reforms and strategic foci outlined in the ECOWAS road map, the Conakry Agreement and the Stability Pact.”
2020-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8724 (2020) · source
“We also wish to recognize and welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Niger and to express our gratitude to Special Representative of the Secretary General, Ms. Rosine Sori-Coulibaly, and His Excellency Ambassador Costa Filho for their briefings. While gradually improving, the situation in Guinea-Bissau still presents some challenges, which, if not properly addressed, may very well lead to a regression in the gains we have seen in the country over the past few years. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines congratulates former President José Mário Vaz for completing a full term in office and Guinea-Bissau for the conclusion of relatively peaceful presidential elections.”
2020-02-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8724 (2020) · source
“That is the lens through which we view transitional justice — a medium to bridge a painful past to a peaceful future by listening to those cries that too often go unheard.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“On the issue of reparations, it must be emphasized that there should be no statutes of limitation that prevent restitution for mass atrocity crimes, especially where those historical injustices have left legacies of underdevelopment, intergenerational traumas and social inequities in their wake. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reiterates that the historical injustices of native genocide and chattel slavery, including the trans-Atlantic slave trade, compel all former colonial Powers to provide reparatory justice. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a young nation that reclaimed its independence only 40 years ago. Like many young societies, we understand that only by healing the collective memory enmeshed deep within our social fabric can we truly come to terms with our past indignities and embrace our future possibilities.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“To that end, we also welcome the African Union’s continental guideline for transitional justice, adopted one year ago, which takes into account the many-sided complexities of mass violence yet privileges local traditions when delivering justice and accountability. That comprehensive road map is a credible source of best practices and lessons learned that all members of the international community may find useful. Transitional justice safeguards institutional integrity and promotes structural improvements across the peace, security and development nexus. Well- designed transnational justice mechanisms help to restore public confidence in State institutions. They also foster normative realignments across societies as new precedents are created to provide accountability, rehabilitation and reparations to survivors of injustices.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Indeed, building trust and ensuring justice is a never-ending process. Transitional justice mechanisms should also be complemented by sustainable development initiatives that address the root causes of insecurity and empower people to live in dignity. The Security Council should more often seek to engage the Peacebuilding Commission’s strategic advisory capacities and, where necessary, make use of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund to address important governance gaps and to initiate projects and programmes that stimulate socioeconomic and political participation. We emphasize, however, that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, as others have said. Those initiatives must always be designed with respect for local customs and values.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Without reconciliation, our Council’s work to build a peaceful and prosperous world will remain futile. Transitional justice mechanisms should always form part of a larger political strategy that addresses the structural inequalities in conflict-affected societies, for the benefit of all stakeholders without discrimination. That inclusive approach should consider the different needs and abilities of all participants. Women, young people, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, the elderly, constituents of rural communities and civil society representatives must always be present as crafters, participants and beneficiaries of transitional justice initiatives at all stages of the conflict cycle — before, during and after the conflict.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“We wish to join other members in thanking Belgium for organizing this briefing. We also recognize and welcome the Foreign Ministers and Deputy Foreign Ministers present, and thank High Commissioner Bachelet, Father De Roux and Executive Director Sooka for their insightful and thoughtful briefings. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines welcomes today’s discussion on transitional justice — a critical component of building and sustaining peace in many settings. We wish to recall the Security Council’s discussion in November, under the United Kingdom’s presidency, on the role of reconciliation (see S/PV.8668). Transitional justice facilitates reconciliation by ensuring accountability for perpetrators and offering justice for victims. Without justice, lasting and sustainable peace will remain elusive.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“The practical guidance for mediators is an important document that can assist with mainstreaming child protection-focused action in confidence-building measures, security arrangements, governance and transitional justice systems and peacebuilding processes. We agree with the representative of Viet Nam that it should be a living document, constantly updated with examples of good practice. Children represent more than 20 per cent of our world population, but 100 per cent of our future. We cannot sit idly by while future generations face such uncertain prospects for life and livelihood. There can be no greater purpose to which we commit ourselves.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“We regard mediation as a key mechanism in securing remediation and reparation for survivors, as a strategy for sustainable healing and as a means through which to ensure violations against children are prevented from occurring in the first place. Mediation provides a space where parties to a conflict assume ownership and responsibility for the final resolution, thereby increasing the likelihood of a lasting peace. However, as noted in the guidance document presented today, that can be compromised in the absence of child protection-focused analyses, the requisite resource persons with child-centred expertise, tailored psychosocial and reintegration strategies for children and respect for the right of children to be heard.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“The rate at which children continue to be abducted, recruited and used in active hostilities, including as suicide bombers, has continued unabated in several conflict-ridden regions. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines remains particularly concerned about the recruitment and use of children. We are also deeply troubled by the high levels of reported cases of sexual violence against children, in particular girls, even while sexual violence in conflict remains underreported owing to stigma, lack of services and concerns over the protection of victims and survivors. That problem is exacerbated by endemic impunity and a lack of accountability for perpetrators at the individual, community and State levels. The Security Council has articulated frameworks across its various mandates to address accountability and reparation.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“We are well aware of the atrocities committed against children, as chronicled in various Secretary- General reports, since the emergence of the children and armed conflict mandate, in 1996, and the Council’s subsequent adoption of 12 resolutions, between 1999 and 2018, on all six of the grave violations against children. However, it is worth reminding members that in 2019, in spite of our work and that of Governments, civil society, communities and families, the killing and maiming of children reached a global record since the monitoring system’s creation, in 2005. As we heard earlier from Ms. Becker, children also suffer the worst effects when schools and hospitals are attacked and when humanitarian access is denied.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“As signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and its Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines stands in solidarity with Security Council members in endorsing the use of child-centred, gender-aware and gender-responsive comprehensive strategies in peace processes and post- conflict settings. We welcome the production of the adaptable practical guidance for mediators as part of the Council’s essential child protection- and child empowerment-related peace and development work.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“We join other members in thanking the King and Queen of the Belgians for participating in this meeting. We welcome the Foreign Ministers of Belgium and Indonesia and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Estonia. We also thank Secretary-General Guterres, Commissioner Chergui and Ms. Becker for their briefings. With children constituting approximately half of the population of countries ravished by war and conflict and an estimated half of the world’s refugee population, remediating the disproportionate impact of armed conflict on children remains critical to the work of the Security Council.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8721 (2020) · source
“We welcome its seventh review, which will provide an additional opportunity to consider an improved and more effective translation of all its four pillars into concrete actions and measures. In our view, the issues being discussed here today can contribute to a meaningful outcome of the seventh review of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. In closing, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is of the view that the fight against terrorism calls for hard work based on, among other things, collective action and intelligence-sharing to find and identify the perpetrators of the threat, pinpoint their locations and understand their strategies and goals.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Formulated in keeping with and in support of, the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the Secretary-General in 2006, the CARICOM strategy incorporates prevention, deterrence, denial, disruption, defence and response. We welcome the common joint Caribbean Community- United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism high-level regional conference on counter-terrorism strategies and preventing violent extremism, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in March, as mentioned by Under-Secretary- General Voronkov. We are really looking forward to that event in the Caribbean. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy represents the most comprehensive and effective decision taken by the international community to eliminate that dangerous threat.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Action and operational plans must include gender-just approaches that centre on the participation of women; promote survivor-centred remedial and reparatory actions against sexual and gender- based violence; and address the overall differential involvement in, and effects of, terrorism on women, men and children. In that connection, there is a need to design actions that are attentive to the other forms of difference and inequality that produce the condition of dispossession often exploited by terrorist organizations. Global and regional security challenges have increased in recent years, becoming more complex, multidimensional and fluid. In response to the concerns of terrorism and in an effort to enhance and guarantee a safe and free region, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) counter-terrorism strategy was implemented in 2018.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“We also applaud the investigative efforts of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, including its role in collecting key documentary, digital, forensic and testimonial material in support of domestic proceedings to hold ISIL accountable for its crimes. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is of the firm view that addressing the multidimensional threats to international peace and security — in this instance those resulting from terrorism — requires gender-aware and gender-responsive analysis and action. Therefore, we really appreciated the briefing by Ms. Coninsx in that regard.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, like many other countries around the world, has put mechanisms in place to combat those scourges. The establishment of our financial intelligence units is a critical tool in that area. My delegation strongly supports the Accra initiative to address threats posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime in West Africa. The launch of a joint United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and INTERPOL project, to be implemented in 2020, to facilitate information exchange on foreign terrorist fighters in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East is one that we particularly hope will make a positive impact in the region.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“An estimated half to two thirds of the more than 40,000 persons who joined the so-called caliphate are alive. That means that foreign terrorist fighters are on the move, returning home or relocating to other theatres of conflict. Given the current assessment of the financial reserves available to ISIL at $100 to $300 million, we encourage all Member States to fully adhere to their obligations under resolution 2462 (2019). It is incumbent upon us to ensure that those financing, planning, perpetrating and supporting terrorist acts are brought to justice. At the same time, we wish to alert the Council to the fact that well-meaning but ill-fitting regulatory attempts to combat the financing of terrorism have had unintended effects on the banking system in small island locations.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“I, too, would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and Executive Director Coninsx for their briefings. We are especially grateful as well to civil society representative, Ms. Mona Freij, for her presence and briefing. We honour her work and the powerful words she shared, and we applaud her bravery and that of all the women who stand against the worst excesses of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh). Today’s meeting is undoubtedly an important opportunity for the Security Council to reaffirm its condemnation of all forms of violence, including terrorism. Indeed, despite all our efforts, terrorism remains a pressing challenge and one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. As noted in the Secretary-General’s latest report (S/2020/95), the issue of foreign terrorist fighters remains acute.”
2020-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8716 (2020) · source
“We owe our continued peaceful existence to the rules-based multilateral system, where all regional and subregional organizations and their member States work together to advance our common interests of peace and prosperity for all. We recognize that the OSCE, as a key partner to the United Nations, has an important place in our global governance architecture. We extend our fullest support to the OSCE as it continues to promote peace, security and development.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“We hope that in 2020 all parties can work towards the full implementation of the Minsk agreements under the auspices of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group. Regarding other border conflicts, including the situations in Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria, we reiterate that the guiding principles of the Charter of the United Nations with regard to territorial integrity and self-determination for displaced populations remain sacrosanct. We welcome the OSCE’s mediation efforts for the comprehensive settlement of those disputes. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a small island developing State, as I said earlier, with an open economy and no standing army to insulate us against many of today’s complex security challenges.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“In observance of the 20-year milestone since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), our delegation welcomes the efforts to further implement the women, peace and security agenda in the OSCE region under Albania’s stewardship. On the crisis in the Ukraine, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reiterates that principles should guide all efforts towards a lasting settlement of the dispute. We welcome the recent efforts made with regard to confidence-building measures, including prisoner exchanges and new areas of disengagement. We emphasize that only through constructive dialogue and the consistent adherence to the principles of international law can a lasting solution to this crisis be crafted and implemented.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“The OSCE’s mandate exemplifies the very nexus approach that is so crucial for mitigating existing and emerging transnational risks. As a small island developing State on the front lines of the fight against climate change, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines considers it its solemn duty to raise the issue of climate-driven insecurity. Complex challenges such as climate change, with its attendant hazards, require multifaceted solutions. We welcome the multi-agency Environment and Security Initiative, within which the OSCE and other partners work to promote transboundary cooperation for environmental management and climate change adaptation. Women’s involvement is critical to political, peace and security processes. Their full and equal participation in all forms of political life is instrumental to well-functioning societies.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines thanks His Excellency Prime Minister Edi Rama for his briefing. We congratulate him on assuming the chairmanship of the dynamic and proactive Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and we wish him a very successful tenure. The work of the OSCE is undoubtedly commendable. As the world’s largest regional security arrangement, it serves as a platform for preventive diplomacy and multilateral cooperation across the peace, security and development nexus. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines welcomes that multidimensional approach to preventing conflict and ensuring lasting peace. Indeed, existing threats to international peace and security require comprehensive political strategies that address the root causes of conflict.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Member States must do all that we can to lessen this threat multiplier by supporting adaptation measures as a matter of urgency and by realizing our collective responsibility to reduce our carbon emissions for the sake of future generations and a lasting and sustainable peace. In that vein, it is important to note that young people comprise 65 per cent of the population of West Africa and the Sahel. The words of the late Vincentian poet, Daniel Williams, are apt in this context: “[O]nly the future is ours to desecrate. The present is the past, and the past our fathers’ mischief”. These words remind us of the weight we collectively bear in our quest to secure a bright and prosperous future for succeeding generations. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is committed to this goal and looks forward to engaging constructively to this end.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source
“We welcome the continued analysis of the link between climate and security made in the report of the Secretary-General, as well as any future further collaboration similar to that being pursued by ECOWAS and various United Nations offices on this issue of critical importance. The report of the Secretary-General contained in document S/2019/1005 makes reference to the adverse consequences of climate change in the Lake Chad basin and parts of the Sahel. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is gravely concerned about the impact of climate change in West Africa and the Sahel. In the immediate term, we need to mobilize to support climate adaptation in the region.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source
“We commend the entities and people who continue to engage on the humanitarian front despite the challenges and risks involved. We further encourage the support of the international community to take the necessary measures to sustain their noble work. Any solution to the instability that plagues various areas across West Africa and the Sahel region must meaningfully recognize and target the root causes of those conflicts. Strategies must therefore be comprehensive, incorporating elements of sustainable development, climate adaptation and resilience measures, along with human rights protection and promotion in line with national laws.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source
“Additionally, we recognize the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as the Economic and Social Council, which adopted a resolution last year on the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel. We would like to encourage this coordination among United Nations organs. One of the main objectives of pursuing a lasting and sustainable peace in the subregion is to enhance people’s lives. Unfortunately, we have learned from the reports of the Secretary-General, for example, his most recent report (S/2019/1005), and the briefing by Special Representative Chambas, that millions of people continue to be negatively affected by instability in the region in the form of displacement, food insecurity, the risk of acute malnutrition and a lack of basic services.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source
“We also welcome the political dialogues in Liberia and Senegal, the progress made by Gambia on constitutional reform and transitional justice, and the successful electoral processes in Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau. Notwithstanding this progress, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is troubled by the terrorist threat, the insecurity and the humanitarian and development concerns that persist in the subregion. In our opinion, UNOWAS is strategically placed to ensure synergy and complementarity among the security plans of various countries, thereby guaranteeing that a comprehensive vision exists to tackle the festering cells of violent extremism and organized criminal activities.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source
“First, allow me to extend my warmest congratulations to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam on assuming the presidency of the Security Council this month. Our thanks also go to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, for his insightful briefing. We express our support for the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), which continues to make valuable contributions to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, sustainable development and cooperation in the subregion. My country takes this opportunity to commend some of the positive advances witnessed in the subregion, particularly the commitment made by members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), along with Chad and Mauritania, to enhancing their engagement and cooperation in responding to terrorism.”
2020-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8698 (2020) · source