YouSaid · the spoken record

Elaraby

lines on the record: 820
first: 1992-01-06
most recent: 2015-10-22
sittings or episodes: 83
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

“Thirdly, the mission's task was very specific and, indeed, very complicated. As the Prime Minister of Qatar stated, never in the past had a team of civilian observers been dispatched to a State facing escalating protests by civilians calling for regime change. The mission was deployed to verify that the Syrian Government was fulfilling its commitments to end the violence and killing and to withdraw armed elements from cities and urban centres at a time when the political, military and security forces of that country were in control.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“It also sought to confront some painful humanitarian situations that could not be ignored, even though they exceeded the scope of the team's mandate. By way of example, the team delivered food to some areas, recorded witness accounts of human rights violations committed against Syrian citizens, and assisted in the exchange of the bodies of the fallen. Secondly, the report covers a limited and brief time frame. It does not address events during the nine months preceding the team's arrival in Syria, between 15 March and 24 December 2011. During that period, many events occurred, as did many violations that the team did not address as they lay outside its remit. That was not required of the mission. That must always be taken into consideration when assessing the work and findings of the observers.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“The resolutions of the League and the protocol itself refer to the immediate and complete cessation of acts of violence, the release of all detainees, the withdrawal of all armed elements from cities and the provision of unhindered access to Arab and international media. In that context, I should like to take up some fundamental points presented in the report in order to provide the appropriate temporal and political context. First, the Syrian Government should have met all of its commitments before the monitors arrived, so that the mission would merely verify implementation. However, since it did not fully meet all its commitments, the task of the team on the ground had to change. The team sought to demand that the Syrian Government immediately and fully implement its commitments.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“The head of the mission presented his first technical field report covering the period from 24 December 2011, the date on which the team reached Damascus, to 18 January of this year. The report was transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 22 January in order to inform him of the situation on the ground and the cooperation and consultations between our two organizations. The Council of the League of Arab States decided that, in the light of the conclusions presented in the report, partial progress had indeed been made in implementing some of the commitments undertaken by the Syrian Government. However, progress was incomplete and therefore insufficient. It was not what was required or, indeed, what was wanted.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“"Secondly, with concrete progress in the Syrian Government's implementation of its commitments, the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria would make the necessary contacts and hold the necessary consultations with the Government and all parties of the Syrian opposition in order to hold a national dialogue within two weeks of that date." In order to verify the Syrian Government's implementation of its commitments under the action plan, on 19 December 2011 the Arab League drew up a protocol establishing the legal context for the observer mission. Observers from all Arab States and relevant institutions were deployed beginning on 24 December 2011. The mission continued to deploy to all areas where demonstrations were occurring in 15 cities in Syria.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“The plan includes: "First, the Syrian Government is to put an end to all acts of violence, from whatever source, to protect the Syrian citizens; second, the release of those detained during, and because of, the current events; three, withdrawal of all armed elements from all cities and urban centres; and four, opening the door to all institutions of the League as well as Arab and international media to move freely in Syria in order to ascertain facts on the ground and monitor such events.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“Mandated by the Council of the League, I personally handed it to the Syrian leadership on 10 September last year. Thereafter, an Arab ministerial committee - again, mandated by the Council of the League and chaired by the Prime Minister of Qatar - Visited Damascus and met with the Syrian leadership on 26 October. Based on that initiative and those contacts, the Arab action plan took shape. The Syrian Government promised to implement it, and it was then adopted by the Council of the Arab League on 2 November.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“One is immediate action for an immediate, full cessation of all acts of violence against and killing of the Syrian people, while at the same time maintaining the right of the Syrian people to expression by peaceful demonstration and for the Syrian security forces not to confront the demonstrations. The second pillar is a road map leading to a peaceful political settlement of the crisis through a national dialogue that includes all parties, all sects, all political currents and all segments of Syrian society in order to realize the aspirations of the Syrian people for a life of true democracy. In fulfilling that endeavour, since July 2011 the League has taken several actions and has put a number of initiatives to the Syrian leadership. The most important was on 27 August.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“Fourthly, all the resolutions of the League of Arab States - all the League's resolutions - have always stressed full respect of the security, sovereignty, territorial integrity of Syria and unity of the Syrian people. Our objective is therefore for the Security Council to support our initiative, not to take its place. The Arab plan is the fundamental mechanism for a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis, with international support and agreement from the Security Council. In our approach to the Syrian crisis, we have taken up two fundamental pillars.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“First, the fundamental objective of our initiative is an immediate cessation of all acts of violence against and killing of Syrian civilians, as well as the realization of the aspirations and demands of the Syrian people - demands for economic, social and political change, a move towards a correct political life in true democracy in which all fundamental rights and the rule of law are maintained, and a peaceful alternation of power. Secondly, Arab States aim at taking up the Syrian crisis in an Arab context. We are attempting to avoid any foreign intervention, particularly military intervention. Thirdly, the Arab endeavour proceeds from the need for a peaceful political settlement and, as I have stated, a rejection of any military or foreign intervention.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“I should like to thank the Council for having so quickly responded to the request from the League of Arab States to inform this Council on the outlines of the Arab demarche. The issue has been set out in detail by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Qatar. I shall repeat some points but will attempt to be brief. The latest decision by the League was on 22 January, on a road map for a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis. Before taking up the details of our initiative, I should like to stress some of the fundamental principles of the Arab demarche.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“We therefore believe that the first priority now is for the Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding that all parties - I repeat, all parties - immediately cease firing, protect Syrians and support the Arab plan of action for a peaceful political settlement of the crisis. Today's meeting has been convened in implementation of subparagraph 3 of Article 52 of the Charter of the United Nations: (spoke in English) "The Security Council shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies either on the initiative of the states concerned or by reference from the Security Council." (spoke in Arabic) It is in that very context that the League of Arab States has come to the Security Council.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“The security situation is increasingly grave and urgent in light of the escalation that Syria has witnessed in the past few days - the ongoing acts of violence, the shelling and firing and counter-shelling and counter-firing that have felled many innocent civilians in the Syrian Government's clear resort to an escalation of the so-called security option, in complete contradiction of the commitments it took on in the Arab plan of action as well as in the protocol signed by the Syrian Arab Republic and the League of Arab States on 19 December 2011, on the mandate of the League's observer mission in Syria.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“Allow me, Sir, to thank you and the members of the Security Council for your invitation to participate in this important meeting. The Security Council convenes today at a time when events in Syria are spiralling dangerously. This requires that international efforts be concerted with Arab efforts for a rapid, effective and decisive action, first to ensure immediate cessation of violence in order to protect the fraternal Syrian people, and secondly to begin, as soon as possible, the implementation of the road map for a peaceful political solution that rids Syria of its grinding crisis and achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people for change and reform - a move to a peaceful democratic life in which all segments of the Syrian people enjoy dignity and freedom, as called for by every Arab country.”
2012-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6710 (2012) · source
“Such internal reflection is needed to provide the Council with appropriate tools to carry out its responsibilities. It is time to embark on an action- oriented effort to gain common ground for internal reform. In conclusion, I should like to express my thanks, appreciation and gratitude to you, Ambassador Akram, and to the Mission of Pakistan. I hope that the process that you initiated will be a successful one.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Today, the Security Council made very important and relevant proposals to enhance its role in the pacific settlement of disputes. In fact, a wealth of relevant material exists in the archives of the United Nations. The worthy exercise initiated by you, Mr. President, in holding this special meeting should be pursued vigorously in order to translate existing ideas and proposals into agreed practice. In that context, I believe that the Security Council may find it appropriate to proceed on three parallel tracks. The first track is early involvement in disputes and active exercise of preventive diplomacy. I think there is general agreement on that; the main thing is to increase such involvement. The second track is always seeking to clarify legal matters. The third track is actively and genuinely reviewing the Council's working methods.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“The present Court has made it very clear that it is aware that political aspects may be present in any legal dispute before it: "The Court, as a judicial organ, is however only concerned to establish, first, that the dispute before it is a legal dispute, in the sense of a dispute capable of being settled by the application of principles and rules of international law, and secondly, that the Court has jurisdiction to deal with it, and that that jurisdiction is not fettered by any circumstance rendering the application inadmissible." (Border and Transborder Armed Actions (Nicaragua v. Honduras), Jurisdiction and Admissibility, Judgment, International Court ofJustice Reports 1988, p. 91, para. 52) So the question of the political aspects of disputes should not really prevent the referral of disputes to the International Court of Justice.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Many have said that disputes may be politically inspired or politically motivated. Even before the present International Court, the Permanent Court of International Justice tried to clarify that point by saying that a dispute is a disagreement on a point of law or of fact.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“There are three areas here: the first is wider acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice - as I said, to date, only 63 out of 190 States have accepted its jurisdiction; the second is more referrals of disputes to the Court by the Security Council, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 36 of the Charter; the third is the question of requests for advisory opinions. But if one looks at those three different approaches, one sees that the problem really is that disputes are not taken voluntarily to the International Court of Justice by the parties or through the Council, through the General Assembly or through the Secretary-General. By "through the Secretary-General", I mean that he can call upon the parties; he still does not have any authority to ask for an advisory opinion.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Here, of course, the Secretary-General's role is very important. His office holds endless potential in the area of the peaceful settlement of disputes; it has definitely surpassed the expectations of those who drafted the Charter in 1945 . One can now say that the office of the Secretary-General symbolizes one of the basic purposes of the Charter: to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of the common objectives of the United Nations. This morning, the representative of Germany, in referring to the settlement of disputes and their referral to the International Court of Justice, mentioned my name, saying that perhaps I should like to elaborate on that. So I shall do so very, very briefly.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Mr. Elaraby: For me also, sitting here today after four years' absence from the Security Council was definitely educational. We all heard comments and assurances from States members of the Council regarding the need to improve and enhance the Council's capacity in the area of the pacific settlement of disputes. The first step towards improvement is to recognize that every system has its defects. Many proposals were made here today, and the overall approach was that members must dedicate themselves to emphasizing their commitment to strengthening the Council. That is a point that should be regarded as very positive. In the area of preventive diplomacy, it was made very clear this morning by many, quoting the Secretary-General, that we must move from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753Resumption1 (2003) · source
“It is to be hoped that the outcome will trigger a genuine process of evolution worthy of the magnitude of the challenges facing the international community.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“I have some comments on the Office of the Secretary-General that are extremely important, but I will conclude, due to time constraints, by saying that the real challenge which the Council has to meet is how to adapt a 1945 design to the realities of the twenty-first century. The world faces a long road ahead, with many challenges which necessitate constant review and modification of practices and priorities, as well as flexible and innovative responses to new situations. Regrettably, our contemporary world is a far cry from being relaxed or balanced. States, therefore, have to be satisfied with a slow process of evolution, and not revolution. The purpose of this special event is to enhance the role of the Security Council in the pacific settlement of disputes. This is a tall order.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Court: first, that all States should accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court; secondly, that, when submission of a dispute to the full Court is not practical, the Chambers could be used; and thirdly, that authority should be conferred on the Secretary- General to request Advisory Opinions from the International Court of Justice. The Assembly established a Working Group of the whole to work towards their implementation; I presided over for that exercise for four years. Regrettably, in the end, all that could be agreed upon, in resolution 47/120 B, was to keep under examination all the recommendations of the Secretary-General concerning the International Court of Justice.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Many other States, however, have entered into compromissory clauses in multilateral treaties, which allow a State to refer a dispute to the Court on the basis of the prior acceptance of its jurisdiction. To date the court has delivered 76 judgements and rendered 24 Advisory Opinions. Only in a handful of cases were there any problems, and they were resolved at the end. It would therefore indeed be desirable to increase the acceptance by States of the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court. The Agenda for Peace contained three important proposals aimed at enhancing the role of the International.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“The first point to be made is that, at the present stage of the evolution of the contemporary international legal system, the role of international tribunals in general, and notably that of the Court, is dependent on the consent of States. The jurisdiction of the Court is anchored in the acceptance of States. The consensual nature ofjurisdiction no doubt is completely different in nature and scope than the role of courts of law in municipal systems, in which an individual can take another to court without the consent of the other party. Under the international system, a State must accept the jurisdiction of the Court. The Court has been handling many cases, but its jurisdiction is, unfortunately, accepted by only 63 States.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Size, population, military might, nuclear capabilities, or wealth? Secondly, how can the United Nations membership be required to sign off on a plan to increase the number of permanent members while the rights and obligations of the existing five are not defined and clarified? The matter must be addressed. Any enlargement of the permanent category is, in fact, a restructuring of the fabric and nature of international relations as a whole. I will now turn briefly to the International Court of Justice. As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, it bears a heavy responsibility for legality in the whole world. It is considered the guardian of legality.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“As Columbia University Professor Oliver Lissitzyn said some time ago, "The long-range purposes and policies laid down in the Charter must be given some protection against the possible short-range aberrations of the political organs. Power without law is despotism." At this juncture, before concluding my comments on the Charter, I would like to say a word about Security Council enlargement. The matter has been under consideration throughout the last decade. It has various aspects; I will refer to only two. Mathematically, an increase of the non-permanent category is long overdue. It must be considered. However, politically, the topic of permanent membership is fraught with unforeseen consequences and unanswered questions. Let me touch on two of these. First, which criteria should be followed in selecting permanent members?”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“It is high time for the Council to initiate a process such as the one it is considering right now, which is similar to the proposal that appeared in a letter dated 22 December 1997 (A/53/47), which was submitted by 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council. Due to time constraints, I will not read it. It is important to point out that the Council is not a free agent acting according to a private agenda outside the scope of international law. It is true that the question of judicial review or accountability of the Council is sensitive and controversial. The Charter does not contain a direct reference to be used for guidance. Yet, in the light of the gravity of the consequences of some decisions, the matter should be addressed.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“The Security Council could also consider strict application of the provision of Article 36, paragraph 3: "that legal disputes should, as a general rule, be referred to the International Court of Justice". That provision has been used only once, in 1947, in the Corfu Channel case - one resolution out of almost 1,500 resolutions adopted by the Council since its inception. The Council could also consider, whenever necessary, requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice to clarify legal questions. This has occurred only once, in 1970, with respect to Namibia.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“That requires strengthening the early warning information- gathering capabilities of the Secretariat and its fact- finding mechanisms in order to engage more actively in preventive diplomacy. To be effective in this area, the Council's resolutions have to be credible and sustainable. Hence, consideration has to be devoted to ensuring that resolutions authorizing the verification of facts be beyond the scope of the veto. The Council should consider the strict and faithful application of Article 27, paragraph 3, which provides that "in decisions under Chapter VI a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting". A State should not be allowed to be party, judge and jury at the same time.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Thirdly, on the operational level, the Council has been carrying out its responsibilities without the benefit of clearly defined rules. The scope of the veto has never been defined. Parties to a dispute are not enjoined to abstain from participating in decision- making. Rules of procedure are still, after all these years, provisional, never having been finalized. And the practices of the informal consultations have never been, as far as I know, institutionalized. In that context, and basing myself on my modest experience in the Council itself and in several United Nations committees dealing with this same subject, I would like to offer the following proposals regarding the work of the Security Council. The first step is to provide the Council with impartial and accurate up-to-date information.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Criticism, rightly or wrongly, has been levelled against the Council. An analysis of this criticism would reveal that, first, on the conceptual level, the Council does not act in a consistent manner as a norm-setting organ on the basis of a unified - albeit by necessity flexible - yardstick. This explains the many accusations of double standards, even in identical situations, which tend to tarnish the image and prestige of the Council and erode the essence of its authority. Secondly, on the institutional level, the Council sometimes acts as if it enjoys absolute and unchallengeable power to interpret the rule of law and the rights and obligations of States and resists accountability to any other political or judicial organ.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“It is therefore of primordial importance that the Security Council and the International Court of Justice, the two principal organs vested with the power to adopt binding decisions, act in tandem. The clarification of legal issues will always be conducive to resolving disputes. The equation devised by the Charter to ensure the pacific settlement of disputes, in the final analysis, hinges on the ability and willingness of every organ to perform its responsibilities in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and the principles ofjustice and international law. To encourage States to submit disputes to the Council, the Council's expected reactions have to be credible, predictable and reliable. The Council's shortcomings in those areas are a matter of record.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“The Security Council's responsibilities extend to all walks of life in our contemporary world. The Council holds the mantle of legitimacy for common efforts to ensure peace and security. It is the enforcement agency for the international community. The Council is vested with the power to adopt binding decisions. The latter responsibility is exercised through enforcing the judgements of the International Court of Justice and ensuring compliance with various multilateral treaties, whether in the disarmament or human rights fields. However, the Security Council's decisions are reached on the basis of power politics and accommodation, and not necessarily through the strict application of legal norms.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“The Security Council, as the organ vested with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, enjoys a central position. It has, under Chapter VII, unparalleled power. Experience, however, has shown that the highly advertised Chapter VII measures do not constitute a panacea for all situations all the time. As Secretary- General U Thant pertinently remarked in 1969, "The Chapter VII arrangements had been designed for situations where aggressors could be easily identified and where the 'good guys' of the international world would have no moral doubts about collectively fighting the 'bad guys'. But the situation that has prevailed since the Second World War defied such simplifications." That was written some 35 years ago. It is perhaps more valid today.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“I have a quotation - which I am not going to read - just to underline that he recognized that it is not necessary to regard the working methods indicated in the Charter as limitative in purpose: they may be supplemented by others under the pressure of circumstances. The working methods set out in the Charter have taken many turns. I will touch upon some of them. I now turn to the Security Council and its role. The Charter assigned the awesome responsibility of resolving disputes to three principal organs - the General Assembly, the Security Council and the International Court of Justice - and it had a role for the Secretary-General. Each organ had its responsibilities clarified in the Charter.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“As a point of departure, it may be appropriate to recall that the international community is living through an era of momentous change and is undergoing profound and drastic transformations and modifications. Human values and priorities are constantly evolving. The new realities that at present characterize our contemporary international system are bound to affect the United Nations. The need to adapt has been considered since the 1950s. As far back as 1959, the late Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, recognized the need to cope with the dilemma confronting the United Nations.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“Mr. Elaraby: It is indeed a privilege and a great honour to be invited, under rule 39, to participate in this special event. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and the Mission of Pakistan for taking the important and timely initiative of convening this meeting. Due to the constraints of time, I am obliged to limit my modest contribution to some reflections on the Charter design with regard to the pacific settlement of disputes, with special emphasis on the legal dimension. But I would like, at the outset, to make it clear that I am participating in this special event in my own personal capacity and not as a judge of the International Court of Justice. The views I express do not therefore necessarily reflect the position of the Court.”
2003-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4753 (2003) · source
“We support the idea that the Secretary-General should meet this request, and in view of the complementarity between the Council and the whole system of humanitarian protection I have mentioned, my delegation also said the Secretary-General should submit his report to the General Assembly as well, so that the Council and the Assembly may both shoulder their responsibilities without contradicting each other.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Thirdly, rules of engagement must also be clarified and rendered more specific, as they are the very foundation for United Nations forces in dealing with the parties to a conflict. We must ensure that tragic events such as those that occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not recur. Those rules should include the principles established in the traditional peacekeeping emergency operations which the United Nations began in Egypt in 1956. Those principles can be summarized in a few words: neutrality, self-defence and the ability to protect headquarters. Finally and in conclusion, the Security Council asked the Secretary-General to submit a detailed report containing practical recommendations on the means by which the Council could enhance physical and legal protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Having said this, I should like to revert to the role of the Security Council, to reaffirm what I have said at the outset and what was stated already by the Egyptian delegation, on what considerations should be taken into account in the determination of the mandate of any operation which has a military component and which reacts to humanitarian issues on conflict. First, we must draw a distinction between the responsibility and objective of the action and the responsibility and objective of the humanitarian effort. The Council should avoid the pitfall of leaving the humanitarian actions and discussions as an alternative to political or military actions. Secondly, this mandate must always include arrangements related to the voluntary return of refugees, their repatriation and their compensation for loss of property.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The second development is the positive and unprecedented decision to call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions to convene a conference of the States parties on 15 July this year in the United Nations Office in Geneva on measures to enforce the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory and to ensure its respect in accordance with common article 1. This would make it possible to hold similar conferences for follow-up and support and to monitor implementation of such conventions. Egypt believes that the holding of this important conference is one step forward to enhance international humanitarian law. Egypt is profoundly convinced that the Swiss Government, as the depositary State of the four Conventions, will spare no effort to ensure the success of the Conference.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Our delegation wishes here to pay a tribute to the very important role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross, particularly in disseminating these ideas and in trying to ensure respect for humanitarian law. Since last year, the world has witnessed two important events capable of promoting the implementation of international humanitarian law. The first may apply in theory: the adoption of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. We hope that it will be up to the task of punishing those who practice their violent activities without scruple. The Statue of the Court is intended principally to protect civilians and we hope that the punishment of perpetrators in these situations will serve to keep others from repeating such activities.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“These situations should be revisited and innovative responses considered to ensure that the victims - civilians in general and children in particular - receive help. Another important issue is the guarantee of protection for humanitarian personnel. Disquieting and deplorable are the current conflicts in which humanitarian agencies cannot intervene because human rights, safety and security are being flouted. When the safety of humanitarian personnel cannot be ensured, they cannot carry out their jobs. Many have suffered in the line of duty, being killed, injured or kidnapped. There must be greater sensitization in humanitarian affairs to the alleviation of human suffering.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In this connection, we would like State and non-State actors alike to commit themselves to sparing children the scourge of war and to ensuring that those who survive wars do not become vindictive in their suffering. Concerning the impact on civilians of sanctions imposed by the Council, I also wish to point out that these sanctions affect children first and foremost in the areas of nutrition, health, education and psychology. The sanctions that have been imposed in our times on certain States, such as Iraq, have had truly tragic consequences for the civilian population in general and children in particular, as well as on third countries, engendering bitterness and exacerbating aggressiveness.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We also support the practical recommendation made by certain speakers that the minimum age for the recruitment of soldiers be raised to 18. More than 2 million children have been killed, 1 million orphaned, more than 6 million severely wounded and more than 10 million displaced. This gives us pause and we must take it very seriously. We believe that the protection of children requires action at several levels. The key lies in full respect for human rights, especially those of civilians, and in the education of combatants on the rules for the protection of children. Specific rules must be added to the code of conduct on the protection of children. We must ensure that humanitarian personnel is trained in the protection of children in armed conflict.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Thus, the Council must accord equal attention to the peoples of the Balkans, Palestine and other occupied Arab territories where there have been displacements, isolation, demographic changes or any situation requiring international protection. It is also regrettable that the world must currently confront the phenomenon of the systematic exploitation of children, who are often compelled under different guises by force to participate in conflicts. It has been estimated that approximately 300,000 children are being used as soldiers in current conflicts. The Egyptian delegation urges all belligerents in the various conflicts throughout the world to respect children's innocence and ensure that it be preserved, for children are our hope for future peace.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“I cannot fail here to express my full satisfaction at the fact that certain members of the Security Council, including permanent members, have mentioned the need for the Council to act within the limits of its competence. We support their appeal to ensure that different yardsticks not be used in the area of human rights. The international community must grant equal attention to all situations in which there is loss of life or egregious violation of human rights, wherever they may occur and without bias for the political considerations of some members of the Council, particularly the permanent members, over the general concerns of the Council and the Members of the United Nations as a whole.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The international community should also ensure that the Council respect the fundamental criteria laid down in the Charter on the use of force solely under Chapter VII. Article 39 provides for the use force only when the Security Council determines the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and makes recommendations or decides what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42. There is a distinction to be drawn between the rules of international law on the protection of civilians in international conflicts, on the one hand, and in internal conflicts, on the other. This distinction can be based on legal as well as practical considerations.”
1999-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3980Resumption1 (1999) · source