YouSaid · the spoken record

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185

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2021-11-23

most recent

2023-12-11

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50

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un-security-council

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1. “The threat of weapons of mass destruction has evolved since the Council adopted resolution 1540 (2004). The United Kingdom remains particularly concerned about non-State actors’ attempted use of crude toxin weapons such as ricin. Key to maintaining the relevance of resolution 1540 (2004) and support from Member States is the delayed but ongoing comprehensive review. We are committed to supporting an inclusive and transparent process that gives all Member States and interested civil society organizations an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to discussions on the Committee’s future mandate. We urge all Member States to join us in offering full support for the Committee’s work.”

   2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8993 (2022) · source

2. “We would like to thank the Mexican Permanent Representative and his team for their hard work in chairing the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) the very clear briefing today. We also extend warm thanks to the Group of Experts that supports the Committee. Resolution 1540 (2004) has been a critical part of the multilateral non-proliferation architecture since its adoption in 2004. Since then, the Committee and its Group of Experts have reviewed more than 500 national implementation reports from 185 countries. The resolution remains an essential component of the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. We must remain extremely vigilant against the risk of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons being used by non-State actors.”

   2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8993 (2022) · source

3. “I just want to say very briefly that we strongly support resolution 2622 (2022). Resolution 1540 (2004) has been a critical part of the multilateral non-proliferation architecture since its adoption in 2004. The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its Group of Experts have reviewed more than 500 national implementation reports from 185 countries. We see it as vital that its work continue, and the United Kingdom therefore applauds Mexico’s efforts as Chair to secure an extension of the mandate. The meeting rose at 10.15 a.m.”

   2022-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8977 (2022) · source

4. “The United Kingdom wants to see continued cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, including on economic initiatives, to help boost the Palestinian economy and improve the lives of all in the occupied Palestinian territories. Doing so is beneficial to the safety and prosperity of Israelis and Palestinians alike. Finally, as we approach a convergence of Muslim, Jewish and Christian religious holidays in April, it is crucial that all parties commit to respecting the historic status quo and to taking steps to avoid exacerbating tensions so as to prevent escalation.”

   2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8973 (2022) · source

5. “We have witnessed tensions in Sheikh Jarrah, where scheduled evictions have led to violent clashes in the neighbourhood. We call once again for the halting of forced evictions and demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Such practices fuel tensions on the ground, and we urge a permanent end to settlement activity, which threatens the two- State solution. The United Kingdom opposes the authorization to legalize the Evyatar outpost in the West Bank. We recall that Evyatar has been a source of instability since May, and that such outposts are illegal under Israeli law and international humanitarian law. The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) fiscal crisis is worsening. Rapid action is needed to improve the situation. We continue to call on the PA to implement the necessary reforms.”

   2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8973 (2022) · source

6. “We are resolute in our commitment to Israeli security. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their inflammatory action against Israel. As we have heard again today, violence in the West Bank, including settler attacks against Palestinian people and property, is rising. It is the responsibility of the Government of Israel to provide protection to Palestinian civilians, ensure all such incidents are thoroughly investigated and bring those responsible to justice. We are concerned about clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians. Since the last time the Council met to discuss the issue (see S/PV.8950), two Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank. We urge restraint on all sides.”

   2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8973 (2022) · source

7. “My thanks go to the Special Coordinator for his briefing today. Let me start by welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Bennett’s recent visit to Bahrain. We are pleased to see the continuing positive relations between two long- standing friends of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom actively supports the pursuit of regional stability through normalized relations. We are committed to ensuring that normalization is an enduring success, and will continue to support efforts that bring us closer to that goal. However, the United Kingdom is concerned about the negative trends on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories, including an increasing level of violence and incitement to violence. The United Kingdom condemns the firing of missiles by Palestinian militants in Gaza at the start of February.”

   2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8973 (2022) · source

8. “We welcome any progress the Government has made with regard to meeting the Council’s benchmarks, but it is critical that the block on the Panel of Experts be lifted soon. Finally, if I may, I would like to add my voice to that of my Council colleagues to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for his tireless work and service over the past three years and wish him the best in his future endeavours.”

   2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source

9. “However, we continue to call for clarity regarding the attack on a United Nations police bus last November, which resulted in United Nations casualties and a civilian death. We are also deeply concerned about the jamming of MINUSCA’s GPS signals and satellite communications. That requires urgent investigation. Any delay in resolving the issue will put United Nations civilian and uniformed personnel at unacceptable risk. I would like to once again emphasize that the arms embargo exists to prevent weapons falling into the hands of armed groups and fuelling violence. It is not intended to prevent the Government from obtaining the equipment it needs for defence and security sector reform. Indeed, to date, the Committee has approved all exemption requests submitted under the framework of the arms embargo.”

   2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source

10. “The Wagner Group plays a destabilizing role in the country. Its presence undermines the work of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), to the detriment of the citizens of the Central African Republic. We call on the Government to ensure the full application in the country of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and that all perpetrators of violations or abuses are held to account. Thirdly, I would like to touch upon threats to the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers. We note the decrease in violations of the status- of-forces agreement in the latest reporting period.”

    2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source

11. “Secondly, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned about the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic and the ongoing threats to civilians. The high levels of displacement and conflict-related sexual violence, highlighted in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/119), are unacceptable. The ongoing targeting of humanitarian personnel and denial of humanitarian access must stop. Sadly, reporting shows that violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights by all parties to the conflict continue. The United Kingdom deplores the indiscriminate killings of unarmed civilians and targeting of the Fulani and Muslim communities by the Forces armées centrafricaine and the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, as we have heard from others.”

    2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source

12. “I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the African Union Special Representative and Mr. Caholo for their briefings. First, the United Kingdom is concerned about the fact that the continued violence in the Central African Republic undermines the chance for inclusive political dialogue. We urge all parties to respect the ceasefire. We also welcome the return of opposition parties to the republican dialogue process and acknowledge the immense efforts on the Luanda joint road map initiative. That is positive progress. The political agreement remains the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability for the citizens of the Central African Republic.”

    2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source

13. “We will continue to work with international partners in seeking justice and accountability for those who have fought alongside Da’esh. Any such justice mechanism must respect human rights and the rule of law, as well as ensure fair trials and due process. As a leading member of the Global Coalition Against Da’esh, the United Kingdom continues to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, and we continue to monitor closely the situation. Our work as part of the Coalition fighting the enduring threat posed by Da’esh will continue.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source

14. “In order to safeguard long-term stability in north- eastern Syria, the Security Council should work together and with the wider international community to explore options to ensure that we are coordinated in responding to those emerging challenges. The murder of four women in the Al-Hol camp in December 2021 highlights increasing threats against residents in the camps, especially women and girls, who remain vulnerable to exploitation, prostitution and kidnapping. We are deeply concerned about reports that children were put at risk by Da’esh during the attack in Al-Hasakah. It is vital that humanitarian actors be able to deliver assistance safely and for the camp administration, security forces and humanitarian agencies to agree urgent steps to improve the situation to protect all residents, especially women and girls.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source

15. “I thank Under Secretary-General Voronkov for his briefing. The evolving situation in north-eastern Syria over the past week demonstrates how, even without territory, Da’esh and its poisonous ideology continue to pose a threat in Syria, Iraq and the wider world. The international community must remain firm in its determination to counter and defeat it. Yesterday, we welcomed the news that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had retaken control of Ghweiran prison in Al-Hasakah. We pay tribute to the courage and sacrifices made by the Syrian Democratic Forces in their efforts against Da’esh and offer our condolences to the families of the SDF fighters killed.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8958 (2022) · source

16. “We reiterate the obligation incumbent upon all parties to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties, including by avoiding the use of indiscriminate weaponry in urban environments, and the United Kingdom will continue to call for those violating international humanitarian law to be held accountable for their crimes.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source

17. “Fact-finding, investigations and accountability in the case of abuse and attacks are particularly important, but any mechanism that sets out to support the protection of civilians and the facilitation of humanitarian aid depends on armed actors taking their obligations seriously, including through participation in the deconfliction mechanism. Without that, the necessary relationship of trust between armed actors and humanitarians is impossible By targeting schools, hospitals and emergency first responders, the Al-Assad regime and Russia have demonstrated scant regard for international humanitarian law throughout the conflict. The protection of civilians is paramount.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source

18. “As the board of inquiry set out in April 2020, it was highly probable that the Syrian regime and/or its allies were behind attacks against four civilian facilities — a school, a health-care centre, a hospital and a childcare facility. The United Kingdom has continued to call for accountability for those crimes and has condemned similar attacks throughout the conflict, including the attack on Al-Atarib hospital last year. It is clear from the summary of the Panel’s work that there remains a lot more to do. It is, of course, essential that the United Nations implement the Panel’s recommendations in Syria and beyond.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source

19. “Civilians are being killed, maimed and forcibly recruited in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. We are particularly concerned about the continued use of besiegement and starvation as tools of war, as well as grave violation of children’s rights. In that context, I wanted to touch on the work of the Independent Senior Advisory Panel on Humanitarian Deconfliction in the Syrian Arab Republic and reflect on the executive summary of their work that was published yesterday. As the Security Council knows, the Panel was set up to build on the work of the United Nations board of inquiry, which investigated some of the appalling attacks against facilities either on the United Nations deconfliction list or supported by the United Nations in Idlib in 2019.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source

20. “I thank the Under-Secretary-General and Mr. Egeland for their updates. As we enter 2022, the twelfth year of the conflict, the Syrian crisis continues to deteriorate. As we have heard today, the humanitarian costs are clear — 13.4 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance across Syria. We will talk specifically about the very concerning situation in north-eastern Syria a bit later. In north-western Syria, there are 3.4 million people whose humanitarian needs can currently only be met by the scale of assistance provided by the United Nations cross-border mandate. Daily air strikes and artillery shelling continue, with 35 air strikes recorded in one week over the New Year period, including increased attacks against civilian infrastructure.”

    2022-01-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8957 (2022) · source

21. “Instead, significant energy is expended in the Security Council in spinning conspiracies and undermining the OPCW and the Chemical Weapons Convention, all to protect a regime at the expense of the Syrian people and international security. If that energy were expended in upholding Council resolutions and persuading the Syrian regime to meet its obligations, progress could perhaps be made towards resolving this issue. We therefore once again urge the Syrian authorities to take substantive steps to comply with its obligations, and we reaffirm our commitment to a Council united in ending the threat of chemical weapons in Syria.”

    2021-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8921 (2021) · source

22. “The outstanding issues therefore constitute an ongoing threat to international peace and security and a challenge to the Security Council’s authority. On 30 November, we commemorated the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. We should take this moment to remember the Syrians killed and affected by chemical weapons attacks perpetrated by the Syrian regime and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. We cannot undo the damage done, but we can — and should — ensure accountability for the use of chemical weapons, and we can — and should — demand adherence to resolution 2118 (2013) and the verifiable destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme.”

    2021-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8921 (2021) · source

23. “We regret that, due to Syria’s repeated refusal to issue visas requested for the Technical Secretariat, the Declaration Assessment Team has been unable to deploy to Syria for many months. As the Director-General observes in his report, the substance of the 20 outstanding issues on Syria’s initial declaration are a significant cause for concern, among them the undeclared production and weaponization of toxic chemicals, including nerve agents, and the unknown whereabouts of significant quantities of chemical warfare agents and precursors. The Syrian regime has been found by both the United Nations and the OPCW to have used chemical weapons on at least eight occasions during the conflict — and the actual number may be much higher, as we heard from others today.”

    2021-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8921 (2021) · source

24. “I would like to thank Mrs. Nakamitsu for her briefing. We also thank Director-General Arias for his monthly report (see S/2021/989), and we congratulate him on his reappointment last week as Director-General, demonstrating the overwhelming support of the States parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for his leadership. We also welcome the adoption of the OPCW’s budget, which will ensure the ability of the Technical Secretariat, including the Investigation and Identification Team, to carry out its important disarmament functions. This month’s report demonstrates yet again how the OPCW has attempted to discharge those functions, while Syria has again failed to engage on process, let alone on substance.”

    2021-12-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8921 (2021) · source

25. “We must also ensure that counter- terrorism measures comply with international human rights obligations and engage, wherever possible, with civil society partners. In that context, United Kingdom strongly supports the work of the 1267/1989/2253 Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). In particular, we welcome the work of CTED on the interrelationship between counter-terrorism and international humanitarian law and the valuable insights of its global implementation survey. In conclusion, the continued range of threats that we face means that the work of all of these Committees remains vital. Terrorism and proliferation are global issues, and we need a united, global response to them.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8915 (2021) · source

26. “We extend particular thanks to the 1540 Committee Group of Experts and especially value their detailed assessment of how States are implementing that resolution. Turning to the important work of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), and resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism, the United Kingdom reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms. But despite our global efforts, there remains a serious threat in many parts of the world, as we have heard. We must remain agile in responding to emerging trends such as terrorist misuse of technology and the rise of terrorism in new geographies, such as in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8915 (2021) · source

27. “This year, we also conducted our first national risk assessment of proliferation financing, which we will use, working with the private sector, to bolster national efforts to counter proliferation financing. We would be pleased to work with partners to tackle that risk internationally and would welcome more focus on the issue in the context of the 1540 Committee. We also welcome the work of 1540 Committee on a comprehensive review of the resolution under which it operates, despite the constraints posed by the coronavirus disease pandemic. That review is a key opportunity to raise Member States’ awareness of their obligations under resolution 1540 (2004), which we urge Member States to fulfil.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8915 (2021) · source

28. “I thank the Committee Chairs for their excellent briefings today. Many thanks also go to Tunisia, Mexico and Norway for the leadership they have shown in the Committees this year. Let me begin my remarks on the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). The goals of resolution 1540 (2004) are clear and unarguable. Preventing the proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons is essential work for all of us. It is therefore critical that the Committee be able to carry out its work unhindered. We must ensure that the architecture established by resolution 1540 (2004) promotes its full implementation. We have been pleased to play our role in upholding that goal through our chairing of the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8915 (2021) · source

29. “We note the ground gained towards persecuting senior leaders of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) by the Financial Crimes Unit within UNITAD. The United Kingdom supports UNITAD’s ongoing focus on investigations into the crimes committed by ISIL against minority communities and into the development and use of biological and chemical weapons by ISIL. We will therefore continue to support UNITAD’s work to address the heinous crimes committed by Da’esh. It is vital that we collectively hold perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to account.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source

30. “For example, the strengthening of legal and judicial frameworks is essential for the prosecution of Da’esh crimes, and this is an area where UNITAD can add particular value to national efforts. The United Kingdom encourages UNITAD’s other efforts to support the Iraqi authorities, including through specialist training provided to Iraqi judges, capacity-building efforts and the sharing of evidence in financial investigations. We look forward to seeing continued efforts to secure an evidence-sharing mechanism that would provide assurances on the use of the death penalty and ensure that the Government of Iraq can move ahead with prosecutions. We also welcome the progress that UNITAD has made towards establishing a legal basis for the prosecution of perpetrators for the horrific mass killing at Badush prison in 2014, as we have heard today.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source

31. “First, I should like to welcome Christian Ritscher’s appointment as Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and the momentum with which he is taking forward the work mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2379 (2017). It is clear from the crimes described today by the Special Adviser and from the powerful words of Nadia Murad that he quoted how important it is to hold Da’esh to account. We continue to strongly support the work of UNITAD to that effect. We also welcome the significant efforts of the Government of Iraq to progress accountability for Da’esh perpetrators, as the Special Adviser said. Above all, we commend the close collaboration between UNITAD and the Government of Iraq.”

    2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source

32. “The Security Council will continue to monitor any attempts to undermine the election process, and we call on all political parties, candidates and others to exercise patience and understanding in the post-electoral environment. Finally, we would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for her update on missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property. We welcome the commitment of Iraq and Kuwait to making progress on this important file. The United Kingdom stands alongside the people of Iraq and looks forward to the peaceful formation of a Government that will deliver meaningful reforms to address the needs and concerns of all Iraqis.”

    2021-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8910 (2021) · source

33. “Early, credible elections were a key demand of the protest movement in 2019, and we welcome the fact that the Government of Iraq has been able to deliver a technically well-managed election. We also welcome and strongly support the focus of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Ms. Kabashi and of the Iraqi Women’s Network on progressing women’s participation in the political process. Thirdly, we welcome the continued work to ensure that electoral appeals are fairly heard. We urge respect for the legally defined processes and the rule of law after the Federal Supreme Court has ratified the electoral results.”

    2021-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8910 (2021) · source

34. “We also condemn the repeated and coordinated efforts to discredit both the election results and the efforts of UNAMI, as well as threats of violence against the Mission and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Such threats are unacceptable. We stand with the Iraqi Government, security forces and people in their rejection of political violence and strongly support the Prime Minister’s call for calm and restraint. Secondly, we remain strongly committed to the democratic process of Iraq. The United Kingdom welcomes the positive assessment of the international UNAMI election monitors and congratulates the Government of Iraq and the Independent High Electoral Commission on the notable improvements in transparency, electoral process and procedure.”

    2021-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8910 (2021) · source

35. “I thank the Special Representative and Ms. Kabashi for their excellent briefings. The United Kingdom offers full support to the continued work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. I would like to make four quick points supporting what others have said. First, I would like to reiterate the United Kingdom’s condemnation of the 7 November assassination attempt against Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi. The United Kingdom deplores the use of violence to settle election-related grievances. I echo what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has said on this.”

    2021-11-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8910 (2021) · source