YouSaid · the spoken record

Eckels-Currie

lines on the record: 103
first: 2018-02-22
most recent: 2018-08-28
sittings or episodes: 14
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

“Additionally, research shows that female participation improves dispute resolution. Women need to be at the table during peace negotiations. The United Nations should strive to include female representation in negotiating bodies and mediating teams. Finally, the United Nations should ensure that all peacekeeping training centres around the world include training to involve women in prevention and peacebuilding efforts. Without understanding the concerns of half of the population, conflict can never be resolved. Sexual violence primarily affects women, but at its heart it is an issue of human dignity. And it is an issue of how violations of human dignity - the denial of human dignity - have an impact on peace and security. As such, it is a vital issue of concern for the Security Council.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“The United Nations also has a role to play in countering violence against women in the field through our peacekeeping missions. Women talk to each other, and, more importantly, they understand each other. We should capitalize on this fundamental truth and do a better job of recruiting and including more women in peacekeeping. Unfortunately, only 4 per cent of uniformed peacekeepers are women. That number is even smaller in the most dangerous missions, where women are suffering the most. Deploying more women peacekeepers will provide valuable insights that male peacekeepers often cannot obtain. However, it is not just about numbers. It is also about the roles that women peacekeepers take on. Women peacekeepers should be encouraged and empowered to engage with local communities and bring value to the work of their missions.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“For example, last year former Special Representative Bangura proposed names to the Council of perpetrators who should be held accountable for their crimes, but nothing has been done. It is now time for the Council to use these tools to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. It is now time to end impunity for these criminals and show survivors and the rest of the world that the international community will respond. It is now time that Member States actively develop sanctions designations for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict. We can also designate criminals operating in conflict zones where we already have United Nations sanctions regimes in place. Taking those steps will not only end impunity for sexual violence and conflict; it will also help to deter future abuses.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“The United States has long urged the Security Council to address human rights as an issue of peace and security. Debates like the one we are having today do that in a powerful and undeniable way. This linkage should be apparent to anyone who has spent any time in conflict zones or the refugee camps that house the survivors. The sexual violence those survivors experienced is not random; it is calculated and designed to inflict punishment and fear on a community. Tragically, we could go on all day about the different aspects of this problem around the world, but we are here to discuss solutions. The Council has sanctions tools at its disposal to punish these heinous actors around the world, but unfortunately they are terribly underutilized.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Women and girls are the battlefield on which conflict is waged. A staggering 27 per cent of Congolese women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. And let us all understand why women have been targeted in so many conflicts. It is because violence against women is violence against families, and violence against families is Violence against whole communities. Survivors are stigmatized and isolated, families and communities are ripped apart, and entire generations are left less able to find peace and to reconcile with their communities. Sexual violence is the poisoned root of societies that are suffering endless conflict, poverty and dislocation. It is for this reason that we welcome today's debate. When we recognize the role of sexual violence in conflict, we recognize the link between human rights and conflict.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Sultana describes in horrible detail, in Burma, as we speak, the military is using sexual violence as a tool for ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and for terrorizing other ethnic communities across the country with impunity. And what does that mean? It means using mass rape, sexual exploitation and sexual slavery of women and girls - girls as young as 12 or 13 - to drive groups of people out of their homes. It means using the terror, stigma and shame of rape to drive families from their country, often from the only place they have ever known. As the mother of a precious nine-year-old girl, I find the horror of these crimes unfathomable. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence is a common tactic used by armed groups to punish and humiliate people allied with their enemies.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“I thank Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed, Special Representative Patten and Ms. Sultana for their briefings today. The report of the Secretary-General on the rising levels of conflict-related sexual violence (S/2018/250) is chilling. We welcome the discussion today and hope that it serves as an impetus for the Security Council to take concrete steps to both ensure justice for survivors and help prevent these crimes from occurring. I thank the President for convening today's meeting. We should all be appalled at the level of sexual violence taking place in conflicts around the world. In war zone after war zone, horrific violence against women is not an unfortunate by-product of conflict but a weapon of conflict. As the Secretary-General's report details, and as Ms.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Once again, as Ambassador Haley said, if we do not change course now on chemical weapons, we will be fast approaching a new and far more dangerous reality for all of us. We must hold those who have used chemical weapons accountable and rebuild the global consensus that these weapons must never be used under any circumstances. As the Security Council, that is the goal we should be working to achieve, rather than using this Chamber to undermine the truth.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“Russia has a well-documented record of conducting State-sponsored assassinations, including previously in the United Kingdom. High-ranking Russian officials have themselves made clear in public statements that defectors and so-called traitors are legitimate targets for assassination. Yesterday, Russia tried to get the OPCW to adopt a decision that would have undermined its ongoing independent investigation into the Salisbury attack and that would have helped Russia to disguise its culpability. The members of the OPCW Executive Council overwhelmingly rejected Russia's proposal. Now Russia wants to try again at the Security Council. But the truth of Russia's involvement in the Salisbury attack remains, and the international community should remain united behind this truth.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“The international community has rightly come together to express its outrage and take action. The United States, the United Kingdom, NATO and 27 other countries have expelled, all together, over 150 Russian intelligence officers. That is a testament to the grave concern that we and our partners share for the attempts of Russia to undermine international peace and security. Meanwhile, Russia puts forward a series of conspiracy theories in an attempt to shift blame, with wild claims that the United Kingdom or the United States might be responsible. This disinformation and projection coming from our Russian colleagues is preposterous. Member States should not be fooled or led astray by these absurd efforts to dissemble from the facts. Russia is known to have developed military-grade nerve agents of the type used in the Salisbury attack.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“As the United States has made clear before, our support for the United Kingdom is unwavering, and we continue to stand in absolute solidarity with our British colleagues. We have stated previously, and do so again today, our firm belief that Russia is responsible for this chemical weapons attack on United Kingdom soil. Either Russia deliberately used this military-grade weapon or failed to declare and secure its stocks of this nerve agent. We strongly support the independent analysis of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that is under way, as well as the criminal investigation of the United Kingdom into the use of chemical weapons on its sovereign territory, and believe those responsible for the attack must be held accountable.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“It is an attempt to cast doubt on the attack in Salisbury, using phrases like "collective psychosis" and "propaganda war", and likening the media to a psychotropic substance that is used to manipulate the public. Russia also likened the response of any country that challenges the narrative of Russia to Nazi propaganda and Joseph Goebbels. This is not a tactic that is appropriate for this body. Let us remember the facts about what happened. We are discussing the egregious use of a military- grade nerve agent against two civilians in the United Kingdom - an attack that exposed hundreds of people, innocent bystanders and first responders to the effects of this agent. The fact that a permanent member of the Security Council was involved is especially appalling.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“Yesterday, the Council met on the tragic anniversary of the use of sarin gas in Khan Shaykhun, Syria (see S/PV.8221). Ambassador Haley urged us to use the meeting as the start of a renewed partnership and a renewed commitment to addressing chemical weapons. That is because, as she said, no one wants to live in a world where chemical weapons are used. We were reminded of the human toll of the devastation caused by chemical attacks and of the fact that we came together over many decades to build an international consensus banning these despicable weapons of war. Sadly, today's meeting is not about any of that. Instead, it is yet another attempt by Russia to use the Security Council for political gains.”
2018-04-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8224 (2018) · source
“To echo our Ethiopian friends, that means the Council needs to take a more serious approach to conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy rather than waiting to act until a situation reaches a full-blown emergency. When conflict is the common denominator for so many places that are food insecure, this issue must be on the Council's agenda. The specifics of each conflict may be different, but we must acknowledge how often the denial or Violation of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms are at the root of these conflicts. If the Security Council is to live up to its mandate, we must be consistent, principled and strong in demanding that conflict should be no excuse for perpetuating hunger, and the prevention of such conflicts should be our highest goal.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“The United States continues to work closely with Nigeria and its neighbours to defeat Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa once and for all. But we need to make sure that the fight does not exacerbate food insecurity for civilians. That is why we urge Nigeria and the other Governments of the Lake Chad basin to step up their cooperation with humanitarian agencies. A successful response to the crisis depends on access to the communities in need throughout the entire region. We reiterate calls on Governments of the region to do all they can to help secure and maintain that access. They can also do more to bolster grass-roots support for the international humanitarian response by reinstating legitimate Governments across the region and reassuring the region's people that they have a just and secure future in their home communities.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“That is why the United States supported the delivery of mobile cranes to Al-Hudaydah port, and why we continue to promote the work of the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen. The United States welcomes Saudi Arabia's recent commitments to expand the delivery of humanitarian and commercial goods. We look forward to the plans for their development with humanitarian partners and encourage a rapid expansion of access. Hunger and conflict are also linked in the Lake Chad basin. The terror of Boko Haram and the West African affiliate of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) has devastated communities throughout the region. Their continued terror prolongs the humanitarian crisis and displacement of millions who face food insecurity and the very real threat of famine.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Fighting has decimated Yemen's economy, which means Yemen cannot import enough food for the country's people. Yemen is 90 per cent dependent on imports for food, so the disruption caused war, quickly leading to a devastating hunger crisis. There is no question that all parties must allow unhindered humanitarian access to help alleviate those needs. But for Yemen, humanitarian aid is not enough. Agencies like the World Food Programme cannot tackle hunger in Yemen on their own. We also need to protect the support and flow of life-saving commercial imports of food. If we improve humanitarian access and facilitate imports, we can start to address Yemen's dire needs.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“The Council has spoken at length about the Al-Assad regime's actions in Syria, and we will not repeat all the details here. But as we saw in eastern Ghouta, despite the Council's demand for a ceasefire, the regime decided to cut off deliveries of food and medicine and unleash an all- out assault on the nearly 400,000 people living there. Denying the people of eastern Ghouta food was a key part of the Al-Assad regime strategy. This is a barbaric tactic that any responsible member of the Council must stand up and condemn. We will not stop working to hold Al-Assad and his backers accountable for trying to starve the Syrian people into submission. Yemen has become the world's largest food security emergency by number of people in need. Again, the link between conflict and hunger is obvious.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Civilians who fear for their lives have chosen to stay hidden in marshes, eating nothing but plants in order to avoid being killed by armed groups. Although we narrowly managed to avert famine last year in South Sudan, the forecast for the year ahead has only worsened. The threat of famine will remain as long as the parties continue paying no regard to the basic welfare or basic human rights of the South Sudanese people. In Syria, the Al-Assad regime and its backers have relentlessly used sieges and starvation to pummel the civilian population in opposition areas. For years, the regime has denied even the most basic deliveries of food aid to hundreds of thousands of civilians in besieged areas, including right now, in blatant defiance of conflict resolution 2401 (2018).”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“At an absolute minimum, we must demand an end to medieval and barbaric siege tactics, arbitrary denials of humanitarian access and attacks that violate international law, humanitarian law and human rights law. The connection between these violations and threats to international peace and security is also undeniable, and an equally appropriate topic for the Council. In South Sudan, the situation became so extreme last year that famine was declared in certain parts of the country. The Government of South Sudan and other armed groups blocked the World Food Programme and other humanitarian agencies from reaching civilians with life-saving aid. For years, fighters from all sides slaughtered and plundered livestock, and they have assaulted and murdered women and children who leave internally displaced persons camps to search for food.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Relentless violence, which defines far too many conflicts today, drives countless civilians from their homes, fields and livelihoods. Fighters prevent food from getting to those in need or destroy the markets and the infrastructure needed to distribute food. This wave of hunger forces more people to flee their homes, who often cross borders in search ofways to feed their loved ones. Or they take up arms to fight back against the forces that are starving them. Fighting gets worse and then still more people go hungry. Therefore, conflict causes hunger and hunger leads to more conflict. This cycle is devastating, but because hunger and conflict is a man-made crisis, we have the power to solve it. We on the Security Council, together with all responsible Members of the United Nations, can act to keep civilians from starving.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“I would like to thank you, Minister Kaag, for joining us today and for convening this important meeting. I also wish to thank Under-Secretary-General Lowcock and Executive Director Beasley for their always cogent and pointed presentations. We appreciate their ongoing contributions to the work of the Security Council. The connection between hunger and armed conflict is undeniable. The majority of the world's hungry people today live in conflict-affected States, and that number is growing. That means people are starving not because of a drought or a natural disaster, but because conflicts are preventing food from getting to those who desperately need it. This is a man-made food security crisis. Hunger and war zones quickly turns into a vicious cycle.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“The United States strongly supports the holding of today's meeting and urges all Council members to support the procedural vote in favour of proceeding as planned today. The Russian Federation's continued efforts to obstruct the Council's work and its attention to grave and systemic human rights violations by the Russian Federation's allies are appalling, and the Council should not allow them to stand.”
2018-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8209 (2018) · source
“Russia, Iran and the Al-Assad regime have not complied with the Council's demands and have not silenced their guns. Unless we take action, they will stop at nothing to destroy eastern Ghouta and we will again fail to help the Syrian people.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“We would like to redouble our efforts in the Security Council to implement it, but the only way to change the situation on the ground is for all of us - every single one of us - around the table and each State Member of the United Nations to speak the truth about what is happening. The past four days should show us that when it comes to demanding a ceasefire, it is not enough to say that all parties should show restraint or commit to the ceasefire because in eastern Ghouta there is only one party dropping barrel bombs, gassing the Syrian people and denying deliveries of food and medical assistance. It is the Al-Assad regime, operating with the full support of Russia and Iran. On Saturday we stated that the only way to restore the credibility of the Council was to make the ceasefire a reality.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“That Russian argument makes a mockery of the Council and of international law. Russia also accuses the United States of somehow being responsible for humanitarian crises in Syria, but such accusations are ludicrous. The United States does not block humanitarian aid in any area. In fact, the United States has provided more than $7 billion in humanitarian aid in response to the crisis. The Council must not fall for Russia's misdirections. When the ceasefire was adopted unanimously on Saturday, including by the Russians, Ambassador Haley stated that our resolve to stand by our demands in the resolution would be tested. It has come to pass. Despite everything that has happened since Saturday, we are not casting aside the ceasefire in Syria; just the opposite.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“We know what Iran, Syria and the Al-Assad regime are doing because they have done the same thing in the past. It is the same playbook they used for Aleppo in 2016. Once again, we, including Russia, demanded in the Security Council Chamber that Mr. Al-Assad stop the bombing, and yet Russia, Iran and Mr. Al-Assad continue their attacks, defying the wishes of the Council and of the international community. Because we have been through this before, we know what Russia will say today. It will say that there are terrorists in eastern Ghouta so that the Al-Assad regime can bomb as ferociously and indiscriminately as it wants and kill as many civilians as it wants. That defies the principles governing the laws of war. The Al-Assad regime should not be allowed to bomb and starve its own people into submission under the guise of counter-terrorism.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“The cessation of hostilities is for at least 30 days 4 every day, all day. Russia does not get to unilaterally rewrite the terms of the resolution. It negotiated it and voted for it. Russia, Iran and the Al-Assad regime are not even trying to hide their intentions. They are asking civilians to leave eastern Ghouta on the false premise that they can then attack anyone left in the area as much as they would like. Let us call the actions what they are. Mr. Al-Assad and his allies want the civilians of eastern Ghouta to walk into the arms of a regime that has been attacking and starving them for the past seven years. That is not a humanitarian gesture. They do not care ifthe 400,000 people of eastern Ghouta suffer, as long as they can continue to pursue their military and political objectives.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“On Monday one human rights organization reported 18 attacks that defied the Council's demands. On Tuesday another organization reported at least 23 air strikes and four barrel bombs in eastern Ghouta. Syrians on the ground are reporting that Tuesday was worse than Monday with regard to strikes from the regime. How can that be? On the humanitarian front, as Mark Lowcock stated, the Al-Assad regime has allowed no deliveries of assistance into eastern Ghouta - not one. Opposition groups in the area have expressed their commitment to allowing aid in, but the Al-Assad regime still says no. Since we adopted resolution 2401 (2018), Russia has announced a daily five-hour humanitarian pause in the aerial bombing of civilians in eastern Ghouta, which is cynical, callous and in flagrant defiance of the demands ofresolution 2401 (2018).”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“Al-Assad might respect the resolution, cease hostilities and allow unfettered humanitarian access to all those who need it. Against all odds, we hoped that Russia would use its influence to ensure Mr. Al-Assad's commitment to resolution 2401 (2018). Once again, that hope has been crushed because so far, for the people of eastern Ghouta, nothing has changed. Despite the unanimous call for a ceasefire, the regime's attacks continue unabated. Hundreds of Syrians have been killed or injured since we adopted the resolution on Saturday. What is worse is that less than 24 hours after we demanded the ceasefire, there were reports that the Al-Assad regime again used chlorine gas as a weapon. Such attacks demonstrate Syria's complete and utter contempt for the Council and the United Nations.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“We adopted resolution 2401 (2018), demanding a 30-day ceasefire for all of Syria, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to deliver desperately needed food and medical supplies, and immediate and unconditional medical evacuations based on need and emergency. Our goal was clear and simple. The Al-Assad regime and its supporters have been pummelling eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people live under siege and constant bombardment. Resolution 2401 (2018) demanded that the assault stop. That was the Council speaking in one, clear voice. The opposition groups operating in eastern Ghouta have made clear their commitment to the ceasefire. The Free Syrian Army, Jaysh al-Islam, the Al-Rahman Legion and Ahrar al-Sham all committed to implementing resolution 2401 (2018). Against all odds, we hoped that Mr.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“Every time the Security Council attempts to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria, we take a small leap of faith. I say "we" in reference to the Security Council. I speak of faith because all Council members and most States Members of the United Nations still genuinely try to uphold the responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, including abiding by and fully implementing Security Council resolutions. Despite the grim updates we heard today, we must maintain the hope that we can help the Syrian people. If we do not have that hope, we are wasting our time here. Just four days ago, the Security Council took another leap of faith.”
2018-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8195 (2018) · source
“Martin Griffiths, and hope that we will see real progress in 2018 towards a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict in Yemen.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“The Council must hold accountable those that, like Iran, violate sanctions, and ensure that Iranian military technologies, ballistic missiles, waterborne improvised explosive devices, sea mines, military unmanned aerial vehicles and other weaponry are prevented from reaching designated individuals and entities in Yemen. Doing more to address the severe humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people, while taking measures to prevent the free flow of weaponry into Yemen, is essential to paving the way for the political solution that we all agree is necessary. We need to see genuine engagement from the parties, and we are prepared to support all efforts to that end. In that regard, we look forward to working with the newly appointed Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“We saw the Russian delegation wield a veto yesterday to prevent the Yemen sanctions resolution from including a mention of Iran's activities in Yemen. However, the evidence shows quite clearly that ballistic missiles were Iranian in origin. Last month in Washington, DC, Council members saw at first- hand some of the evidence implicating Iran. Eleven Council members agreed with us that such concerns merited mention in the sanctions resolution, and only two Council members voted against it. We will continue to stand up and remind the Council that we have an obligation to call out malign and destabilizing behaviour whenever and wherever we see it. Iran cannot violate Security Council sanctions with impunity.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“The United States will continue to work with countries in the Saudi-led coalition to achieve additional improvements in humanitarian access. In addition to addressing Yemen's humanitarian concerns, however, we must also recognize the very real security concerns of Saudi Arabia. As we discussed in the Council yesterday (see S/PV.8190), it is incumbent on the Council to directly address verifiable threats to peace and security in the region, and the main culprit behind them. As the Panel ofExperts report (S/2018/68) makes clear, Iran is violating the targeted arms embargo laid out in resolution 2216 (2015). Specifically, the Panel found that missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels into Saudi Arabia last year were ofIranian origin and introduced into Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“We will continue to coordinate with the Saudi-led coalition, the United Nations, our international partners and humanitarian organizations to refine the Yemen comprehensive humanitarian operations plan, in order to ensure that it is thorough and coordinated with the international humanitarian response. The United States has provided more than $760 million in lifesaving humanitarian assistance since September 2016. We will continue to do our part to fund those urgent needs, as the United States always has. Similarly, we are pleased that the Saudi-led coalition has agreed to keep the port of Hudaydah open to all commercial and humanitarian goods, including fuel. The most efficient and effective way to get food and fuel to those in need is through that port.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“But as we work towards a political solution, it is imperative that we do everything we can to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the people of Yemen are met. First, the people of Yemen must have access to and be able to afford essential goods. Since Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed's last briefing, we have been heartened by the arrival of the four mobile World Food Programme (WFP) cranes funded by the United States. Now that they are in place at Hudaydah port, it is imperative that we work to reduce the time to offload much- needed supplies. The United States welcomes the continued efforts by the Saudi-coalition to address the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including a pledge to provide $930 million by 31 March to the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“Yemen is witness to the world's worst humanitarian crisis today, After three years of brutal civil war, 75 per cent of the population is now in need of humanitarian assistance. The most basic Government services are missing in many parts of the country. Houthi aggression, with the support of Iran, threatens stability in the region, and terrorist groups such as Da'esh and Al-Qaida have exploited this opportunity to pursue their twisted agendas. Only a political solution will provide the enduring peace and stability that the people of Yemen deserve, so we must do all we can to achieve that outcome. The leadership of the United Nations is absolutely essential, and the Council must give it full support to facilitate a successful political process.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed for his tireless commitment to resolving this conflict. The United States appreciates his leadership and advocacy for peace and security, especially his efforts on behalf of Yemeni women and children, the most innocent victims of this conflict. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and appreciate his commitment to stay engaged in this issue. We also thank John for his sober and sombre assessment of the situation on the ground. We are grateful for the work that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations agencies are doing to alleviate human suffering in Yemen. Now more than ever, it is critical that the United Nations continue its work towards resolving the situation in Yemen.”
2018-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8191 (2018) · source
“It is flouting its obligations under multiple Security Council resolutions as we speak, and it is making the world a more dangerous place. We will not hesitate to continue to make the world aware of Iran's misdeeds, and we will not stop until Teheran is stopped and peace is once more possible for the people of the Middle East.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“Russia, Bolivia, China and Kazakhstan sent an opposite but equally clear message. Instead of demanding accountability from Iran, they decided to shield Iran from responsibility. Instead of protecting their fellow Member States, they have declined to step in and defend partners like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And instead of insisting that Iran live up to its international obligations, they have invited Iran to continue promoting chaos in the Middle East. Their actions will not be forgotten, nor will they go unanswered. Today's vote was a deep disappointment, but this is far from the end of the road to accountability for Iran. Across the region, Iran is entrenching itself. We see this in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“It is in fact how we fulfil the mandate of the Charter of the United Nations to maintain peace and security. Today, preventive diplomacy has failed. We have rolled over the sanctions but we have not targeted the party that is destabilizing Yemen. The principles of the United Nations Charter have been betrayed and, as a result, the world is a step closer to a worsening confrontation in the Middle East. Our partners have spoken often about their desire to address the Iranian regime's regional misbehaviour in the context of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We thank those members of the Council who stood by this commitment today. Their votes in support of the United Kingdom draft resolution sent the clear message that they expect Iran to live up to its international obligations.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“As the United States intelligence community has long known, Iranian weapons are getting into the hands of Yemeni militias, and these militias are using them to target the capitals of Yemen's neighbours. In response, the United Kingdom's draft resolution was a simple common-sense one. It called out Iran for giving the Houthis the tools to threaten Yemen's neighbours and to threaten freedom of navigation through the Red Sea. But this common-sense attempt to hold Iran accountable has failed, and all members ofthe Council should be aware of the potential consequences. The Panel of Experts warned that the Houthis' use of ballistic missiles against Saudi Arabia has "the potential to turn a local conflict into a broader regional one" (5/2018/68, p. 2). In the Council, we talk a lot about using preventive diplomacy.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“The report of the Security Council's Panel of Experts on Yemen (see S/2018/68) has laid out in devastating detail the evidence of Iran's ongoing destructive defiance of the Security Council's resolutions. The Panel has found significant evidence that Iran has violated the Yemen arms embargo established by the Council in 2015 in resolution 2216 (2015). Iran failed to prevent the transfer of ballistic missiles, related military equipment and unmanned aerial-vehicle technology to the Houthi militants. And how did the Panel know? It knew because the ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis, which struck near civilian areas in Saudi Arabia, were found to be Iranian origin.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“Today, Russia accused the majority of the Security Council of attempting to destabilize the region by supporting the United Kingdom's draft resolution (S/2018/156). This is perverse, when in fact Russia's veto today serves only to protect Iran's efforts to destabilize the region and spread its malign influence. The Security Council's failure to pass the United Kingdom draft resolution today has set back our collective efforts to promote peace in Yemen. Not all Member States are responsible for this egregious failure, but we will all have to deal with its consequences - continuing conflict and suffering in Yemen and the possibility of a wider war in the region.”
2018-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8190 (2018) · source
“The people of eastern Ghouta, United Nations officials, humanitarian and human rights leaders and, indeed, pretty much the entirety of the Council have answered: stop the bombing of eastern Ghouta and allow medical assistance in. The rest of the Council is ready to act. We urge the Council to move forward with the ceasefire and humanitarian draft resolution immediately.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, asked, "How much cruelty will it take before the international community can speak with one voice to say enough dead children, enough wrecked families, enough violence, and take resolute concerted action to bring this monstrous campaign of annihilation to an end?" UNICEF can hardly put words on a page. All UNICEF said in a haunting statement was, "No words will do justice to the children killed, their mothers, their fathers and their loved ones". The Secretary-General made his point clearly yesterday. He supports the cessation of hostilities because eastern Ghouta cannot wait. Yesterday Russia's Permanent Representative asked what we should do about eastern Ghouta.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“All 15 of us have spent the past three weeks negotiating that text, patiently attempting to work with each other, including the Russian delegation. We believed we had an agreed text. There are no surprises here. The United States is ready to vote on the draft resolution - right here and right now. All of us should be ready. Sweden and Kuwait have consulted everyone on that text. They have done their part. There is no reason to delay. Literally, the minute this meeting ends, the Council can take the clearest possible step to help - vote for a ceasefire and vote for humanitarian access. What the people of Eastern Ghouta need is not complicated, and do not just take our word for it. The International Committee of the Red Cross head of delegation in Syria summed it up, "This is madness and it has to stop".”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source
“Yesterday the Russian representative asked for the parties to present their views, and has put forward a deeply cynical one today. Those present have now also heard from the United Nations humanitarian leader and from people, like Bilal, Abdullah and Malik. The assault from the regime is relentless, and the suffering is overwhelming. The Russian Permanent Representative also asked that we "come up with ways of getting out of the situation." Yet it appears to be intent on blocking any meaningful effort to do so. None of us on the Council need to look very far for the way out. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our colleagues from Kuwait and Sweden, the way is sitting in front of us. We have a draft resolution establishing a 30-day ceasefire to help shield the people of eastern Ghouta and allow for deliveries of food and medicine to arrive.”
2018-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8186 (2018) · source