YouSaid · the spoken record

Edwar

lines on the record: 16
first: 2018-05-22
most recent: 2022-05-17
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“I appeal to the international community, before it is too late, to take a well-considered initiative within a specific time frame to put pressure on the Iraqi authorities and political decision makers to work seriously towards ending the political standstill and the divisions among them, put the interests of the Iraqi people before their own narrow interests, and respect their commitment to international human rights conventions. It is also important to include civil society organizations in that initiative to activate their role in the defence of human rights, public freedoms and the rule of law, force an end to impunity and promote peaceful coexistence, transparency, accountability, good governance and sustainable development.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“Calls for reform and change launched by political decision makers are met with the old Iraqi saying that says that he who has proven himself cannot be tested. In the face of the bitter and precarious reality in which we are living, reform and change have become an urgent need to achieve stability, security and peaceful coexistence among Iraqis, in accordance with a new social contract that guarantees equal citizenship and embraces diversity, social justice and a peaceful transfer of power within the framework of a civil State.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“The current Government is meant to facilitate daily life, but its institutions are not performing their services because of the lack of a budget. The Parliament is also not functioning despite the fact that the Federal Supreme Court ratified the results of the election five months ago. Unfortunately, even the Federal Supreme Court, whose role is to interpret the Constitution, has in its recent decisions only solidified the political standstill, rather than contributing to resolving it for the benefit of the public. The crisis of the people’s mistrust of the ruling class and public institutions has deepened. Even in the October 2021 elections, the turnout did not exceed 35 per cent at most.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“Moreover, no investigation results have been published with regard to the pattern of assassinations and violent attacks against them; these attacks have merely been attributed to unknown armed elements. The fate of many detained and kidnapped activists and journalists, not to mention thousands of victims of forced disappearances, remains unknown, and the justice system has not taken any steps towards resolving their cases or bringing justice to their families. Meanwhile, those accused of serious crimes related to drugs and corruption are given light sentences, declared innocent or even granted special pardons. Democracy in Iraq has been reduced to five general elections that have developed non-democratic situations where there is ongoing harmony among the ruling political parties, but which has led to a political stagnation.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“Even their reform campaigns and their fight against corruption have been marred with massive corruption. The country’s sovereignty has been violated by continuous foreign military and security interventions. In my country, the rule of law has been replaced by the proliferation of arms within the hands of tribes and armed groups. Impunity is a prominent feature of our justice system. Therefore, citizens resort to tribal councils to resolve their disputes, rather than the courts of law. We are also witnessing the politicization of the justice system, whereby harsh rulings are issued against human rights defenders, journalists and peaceful protesters on the basis of malicious claims, including the application of the death penalty.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“Now, after nearly 20 years, the indicators circulated by United Nations agencies and international research centres show a dramatic decline in the economic, social, cultural, health and environmental sectors in Iraq under the current political system, which is based on sectarian and ethnic quotas and does not have any constitutional or legal foundations. It is controlled by political blocs that lack national vision to run the country. Moreover, these blocs have shown a lack of trust within their own parties and among the various parties and governing authorities and institutions. They have plundered the State’s resources and budgets for their narrow and personal factional interests and spread corruption and decay throughout the State’s institutions.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“In my capacity as a human rights defender and civil society activist in Iraq for many years, I have worked tirelessly with my colleagues since 2003 to rebuild social awareness on the values and principles of human rights and gender justice. We, as a civil society movement, have accomplished tangible successes in advocacy campaigns with regard to legislation, policies and programmes, as well as enhancing the demands for rights among youth, women, minorities and vulnerable communities. These successes have been reflected in the peaceful protests since 2011 and reached their peak during the popular uprising from October 2019 to 2020. We acknowledge that the process of change towards building a democratic system and good governance requires diligence, hard work and immense patience.”
2022-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9034 (2022) · source
“I urge the Council to do all it can to ensure that civilians are protected in line with legal obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and as fellow human beings.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“It is essential to protect civilians from harm by avoiding it in the first place. In conclusion, I come to the Council at a crucial time for the issue of the protection of civilians in Iraq. Successful elections following the liberation of areas under the control of Da'esh offer us a chance to move forward to build inclusive peace and justice. In that effort, the increase in all women fully participating should be respected. We must continue to focus on people, not bricks and mortar. As we look towards the future, I remain concerned about many other civilians, in particular in my region. Many live in great hardship because ofthe many ongoing wars. They live without protection in places such as Syria, Yemen, Libya and Gaza. I stand in solidarity with them and with civilians across the world who are suffering.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“National authorities, United Nations agencies and the international community must work with local actors to demand, determine and agree on an appropriate minimum package of support and assistance for communities. Humanitarian action, as well as longer-term assistance, must be conflict- and gender-sensitive in order to facilitate social cohesion and actively reduce conflict. It must address the long- standing structural drivers of conflict, which remain a problem for communities after return. All populations, civil society, women, youth and ethnic and religious minorities must be involved. It must also include communities affected by extremism. We must build community capacity for the protection of civilians, the early warning of conflict and address the legacy of violent extremism.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“But there must be accountability for all the harm committed in Iraq by all parties to the conflict. Accountability should not be limited to some people and some types of violations. All civilians deserve redress for their suffering. That must be clearly linked to the reconciliation efforts. The families of many Da'esh fighters have been badly treated and isolated in camps. Many of the children do not have any legal documents. Women's organizations deal with many cases of women who were forced to marry fighters and are now widows with children, but lack marriage and birth certificates. Many are threatened with death on the basis of honour. Many are at risk of suicide. Those women and children bear a huge stigma that must be addressed. They must receive rehabilitation and reconciliation assistance.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“We must identify the missing, recover the bodies and return them to their families. The missing Yazidi women and children must be liberated and allowed to return home. They, and many of the people who have suffered, have deep psychological trauma from their experiences. They need more help, which requires particular capacity-building in Iraq to improve local services, led by local organizations and local people. Civilians who have suffered must have access to justice and accountability. The resolutions in 2017 on Da'esh accountability and the joint communique committing to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence, signed in September 2016, are crucial documents. We welcome them, and I urge the Council to support their implementation.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“A team came forward to collect the bodies from Mosul and save the city from the spread of epidemic. I know of one nurse, Serour, whose sister was killed by Da'esh. She turned her grief and anger into spearheading that effort. In an old house, her team found a room containing 150 stacked bodies - men, women and children killed by shots to the head. The team has recovered 1,350 bodies, including the bodies of Da'esh fighters. The mission is dangerous. The bodies may be near unexploded bombs, and the smell of the bodies is unbearable. They collect the bodies and then transfer them to a cemetery without passing through forensics, which would facilitate the identification of the dead and missing. To date, there are still 3,000 reports of missing civilians in the old city. All of those efforts require the support of the Council.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“The bombardment waw constant, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes. People hiding had nothing to eat, resorting to eating the dirt around them. Women were forced to give birth alone and without any medical treatment. Injured people could not easily access hospitals; many died because they could not reach treatment in time. The departure of civilians from those areas during the operation was extremely risky. Mosul was reduced to rubble and turned into an open cemetery. There are no data or statistics on the numbers of the dead. We are now hearing accounts of bodies appearing in the river around Mosul. During those dangerous and tragic conditions, voluntary youth civil society initiatives emerged. Young people sought to collect medical assistance and medicine and to cooperate with military forces to deliver them to civilians.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“Our people have sacrificed a lot. We endured crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We suffered through the mass executions of tens of thousands of people, ethnic and religious cleansing of civilians, in particular the Yazidis, and sexual violence and sexual slavery of women and girls. Ten million of us have been displaced from our homes. Essential services, like water and electricity, are gone. Our hospitals, health centres, schools and social welfare institutions in Nineveh, Al-Anbar, Salahadin and Diyala have been destroyed. The operations to liberate Mosul were extremely fierce and costly. I was in daily contact with families and human rights defenders in the city who were hiding in basements. The fighting took place in densely populated areas, involving explosive weapons with wide-area effects.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source
“Ms. Edwar: I would like to thank Poland, in its capacity as President of the Security Council, for inviting me to participate in this debate. I have been working for 50 years as a women's and human rights defender across Iraq. For most of that time, I have been working to protect civilians living in conflict and instability, by helping them recover in the aftermath of violence and supporting the next generation of Iraqis to do the same. I co-founded the Iraqi Women's Network in 2004 and the Iraqi Al-Amal Association in 1992, which focuses on the rehabilitation of people rather than bricks and mortar. I come to the Council from a country filled with horror that has suffered for more than three decades from the scourge of war and siege. Over the past 15 years, civilians have been plagued by armed conflict, insecurity and violence.”
2018-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8264 (2018) · source