YouSaid · the spoken record

Emyr Jones Parry

lines on the record: 1,334
first: 2003-07-29
most recent: 2007-08-10
sittings or episodes: 195
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

“The needs assessments produced in the run-up to the Madrid Conference highlight the enormous challenges. The serious security situation - which we are tackling determinedly - continues to impact on our efforts. And action will also continue to be needed to tackle the legacy of years of underinvestment and misappropriated resources, the legacy of sanctions and the huge level of unemployment. We will need to continue to react and adjust to the inevitable problems and challenges that will arise on the ground. But in spite of this, Iraq's potential is now immense. Already, working with the talented and creative people of Iraq as well as the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, we have begun to make a difference.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Supervision of Iraq's judicial system is carried out by the re- established Council of Judges, abolished by the previous regime in 1979. The penal code has been amended to include new rights: the right to counsel; the right against self-incrimination; the right to be informed of basic rights; and the absolute exclusion of evidence obtained through torture. In conclusion, Iraq is a country which has just come out of several brutal decades. It is almost impossible to comprehend the depth of human suffering that has occurred and the damage done by Saddam. It will take decades for the country to come to terms with that suffering. While this report has understandably focused on areas of progress, no one should underestimate the massive scale of the task ahead or how much more needs to be done.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“We hope Iraqi leaders will view this as an important and crucial part of introducing democracy. The presence of at least three figures now on the Governing Council has given women a base from which to work. However, much more needs to be done to ensure a sustained and powerful voice, especially in the Transitional National Assembly and the Interim National Government. The restoration of law and order rests, in part, on the development of a fully functioning and effective justice system. A central criminal court of Iraq is now up and running, with jurisdiction over serious crimes committed since 19 March 2003. Separately, more than 600 Iraqi judges preside over some 500 Iraqi courts. Some 300 cases have already been tried.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“The Coalition Provisional Authority and the United States and United Kingdom Governments are also facilitating efforts to strengthen civil society and human rights education - disseminating information and training and supporting the work of local non-governmental organizations. The newly formed Ministry of Human Rights is a clear signal that there is no place for oppression. We believe that those responsible for atrocities committed in the past should now be brought before an Iraqi-led process. Supported by the Coalition Provisional Authority, a Governing Council committee is drafting the statute and rules of procedure for a special Iraqi tribunal. On the issue of women, we are actively encouraging the broadest participation in the reconstruction of Iraq, in line with resolution 1325 (2000).”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Creditors should now cooperate in order to speed a fair and sustainable solution to Iraq's debt problems. I want to turn now to human rights, including gender, and the issue of justice. The extent to which human rights were disregarded by the previous regime is illustrated by estimates that as many as 300,000 people are buried in mass graves throughout the country. Investigation of those graves represents an extraordinarily difficult challenge which will take many years. As part of creating a human rights culture in post- Saddam Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority has enacted legislation prohibiting torture and cruel, degrading or inhumane treatment; outlawing discrimination by those holding public office; and ensuring secure and humane prison conditions.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“To further help in building their country, it is crucial that Member States rapidly fulfil the obligation under resolution 1483 (2003) to transfer funds of the Sll'V.4869 former regime to the Development Fund for Iraq. Many Member States are holding considerable assets frozen since 1990. Those funds should not remain idle. In addition, the international community will need to agree on a fair and sustainable solution to Iraq's external debt problems. The sooner that is done, the sooner Iraq can restore its creditworthiness and access to international capital markets to help finance reconstruction and development. The Paris Club has published an assessment of its members' claims on Iraq, while the International Monetary Fund has requested data from other official creditors.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“These actions, carried out in close consultation with the international financial institutions, should help give both the Iraqi people and the international community new confidence in the public finances and economic management of Iraq. Ambassador Negroponte mentioned how the international community has been coming together to assist Iraq's reconstruction, as clearly demonstrated at Madrid last month. The needs assessments produced by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Group and the $33 billion pledged in response will significantly assist the creation of a prosperous, free and democratic Iraq.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“The exchange, which involves handling more than 2,000 tonnes of new notes, began on 15 October and is proceeding well. The central bank of Iraq is now independent. Unemployment remains a major challenge in Iraq. New public works have given jobs to many hundreds of thousands, while employment creation programmes have also been introduced. Nonetheless, high unemployment will only be sustainably reduced with the successful transition from a centralized State- dominated economy to a liberalized market-based economy. A credit facility for small- and medium-sized enterprises has been established to foster the growth of indigenous industry. Rules on foreign direct investment have been introduced to bring in new capital. And a new pro-trade tariff regime has been passed by the Governing Council.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Iraq's higher education institutes have received 97,000 applications for the 2003-2004 academic year, an increase of more than 50 per cent from previous year. All 22 universities have reopened, as have 43 technical schools. Turning to economic management, the Minister of Finance announced details of Iraq's 2004 budget on 13 October. For the first time in many decades, Iraq's resources are being used to pay for the needs of the Iraqi people, rather than to finance war mongering, oppression and decadence. Details of the budget, as well as of the status of the Development Fund for Iraq, are transparently available on the Coalition Provisional Authority web site. A new set of bank notes is replacing the two Iraqi currencies currently in circulation.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“In the health sector, which is a critical area, nearly all the 240 hospitals in Iraq are now functioning, and no longer is access to health care being used as a political tool. With the help of UNICEF, over 30 million vaccines have been procured and distributed by the Ministry of Health. An estimated 3 million Iraqi children under the age of 5 have been vaccinated, while over 100,000 pregnant women, nursing women and malnourished children have received supplementary high-protein food rations. In the education sector, most schools had opened by the end of June, with nearly 5.5 million children taking exams in June and July. The Coalition, together with the good work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), has rehabilitated 1,595 schools, with work on a further 200 ongoing - a programme employing more than 35,000 Iraqis.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“In the transport sector, Baghdad International Airport is being repaired and refurbished as part of a $17.5 million contract. The port of Umm Qasr is functioning at a much higher capacity than it had for many years, with its grain-receiving facility completely renovated. Work has also taken place on some critical road and rail infrastructure. With regard to communications, work is under way to restore damaged switches and to rebuild Iraq's fibre-optic backbone, permitting inter-city calling and the operation of communications networks for major utilities. Three mobile phone networks are expected to be functioning by January. The goal is to increase the number of Internet connections from 4,500 under Saddam to 50,000 by January, with further increases thereafter.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“In Baghdad over 1,700 critical breaks in the water networks have been repaired, 90 waste-pumping stations have been SANA-869 rehabilitated and city-wide rubbish collection has begun. Work is also under way outside Baghdad. With regard to electricity, work to improve power generation has lead to a peak in supply of over 4,400 megawatts, above the pre-conflict level. The goal is to reach an output of 6,000 megawatts by the summer of 2004, and 9,000 megawatts - which is 2,000 megawatts in excess of estimated demand - during the spring of 2005. With regard to fuel, there has been a steady upturn in the quantities of oil produced and exported from Iraq, rising most recently to some 2.2 million barrels per day, of which about 1.3 million were exported.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“Continuing where Ambassador Negroponte left off, I would now like to brief the Council on the main points relating to the provision of basic services, economic and reconstruction issues and human rights and justice. I will circulate separately a note that sets outs the details. I will therefore confine myself to the headlines. Following the fall of the Saddam regime, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) has worked to ensure the rapid restoration of distribution networks and basic services. By August, food distribution systems were fully restored and the CPA's efforts - in partnership with Iraqis and humanitarian organizations - focused on increasing water supply, electricity generation and oil production. With regard to water and sanitation, projects across the country are providing more and cleaner water to over 14.5 million Iraqis.”
2003-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4869 (2003) · source
“In preparing for the conference, and deriving from it, the United Kingdom hopes that the framework of a coordinated and real contribution by the international community will emerge. I think we should be quite clear that if the conference is to bring real value, if there is to be a difference on the ground, then the international community will have to support and harness resources in support of the Great Lakes, to further peace and sustainable development and to underpin solutions which are now being achieved increasingly within Africa and by African institutions. The people of the Great Lakes and our friends in Africa demand and expect no less of us.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“Because it is through cooperation in practical areas of common interest that the tradition of working together will be developed and the scope and prospect of inter-State conflict much reduced. Developing regional trade and investment through the creation of free-trade zones, or even an internal market in goods and labour, can make a real contribution to economic development. Thus, a conference should begin a process, a process between and within the countries of the region and which covers all aspects relevant to post-conflict reconstruction, justice, rule of law, economic development, regional cooperation and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration - those practical issues basic to taking States forward to the sort of sustainable and continued development in enduring peace that they are now entitled to expect.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“We agree also with the Special Representative's recommendation that the conference itself should be part of a process, establishing a framework for lasting cooperation, and not be just a one-time summit. Ideally, the outcome would be a set of principles and actions which the parties would commit themselves to and then implement. We hope that the conference will come up with specific plans - and I very much agree with the approach put forward by the French Ambassador - plans on how to take forward the shared goals of the countries of the region in areas such as trade and economic development, demobilization of armed groups and the safe return of refugees.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“The proposed conference is not a substitute for the existing peace processes in the Congo or Burundi. But a Great Lakes conference which we all support should focus on the aftermath of conflicts, on building the foundations of lasting peace through the reconstruction of war- damaged societies. That is why we agree with the key themes identified by Special Representative Fall in his consultations in the region: peace and security, economic cooperation, good governance, democracy and human rights. It is primarily for the States of the region to develop those ideas further. We think that civil society can also play a part in the preparatory process.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“Our responsibility around this table, and that of the people who are listening, is to ensure that this time, unlike in the past, the international community plays its part and supports developments that should have, and are increasingly having, the full involvement and ownership of the countries of the region. As in so many other areas - hearteningly - at the moment in Africa, we need to reinforce and support African-led initiatives. My Prime Minister has underlined his commitment that the United Kingdom - and, we hope, the international community - should better address the problems of Africa and support the real efforts being made by Africans to find solutions to those difficulties. Real progress is being made to overcome conflicts, and those efforts will continue.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“The Great Lakes region has been ravaged by conflict, atrocity and suffering. The people of the region have been waiting too long for peace, stability and the prospect for a better future. The good news is that there has been significant progress in 2003 with regard to the present conflicts - progress in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. I would like to join others in paying tribute to the role being played by the countries of the region, by the African Union and by special representatives. There appears now to be a genuine beginning.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“I am very grateful to the President for his remarks earlier in the meeting. I am also grateful to colleagues for their expressions of sympathy over another ghastly atrocity. I understand that there is a suggestion that a draft resolution may be introduced on that subject. If that is the case, perhaps I could invite the presidency to consider whether some work by our coordinators or some other representatives might facilitate the drafting of such a resolution so that, if we are going to have one, we vote on it quite quickly. Like others who have spoken before me, we are very grateful to the Secretary-General for his report (S/2003/ 1099), as well as to those who have made their opening statements. I of course associate myself fully with the remarks of the European Union presidency.”
2003-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4865 (2003) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to recall the Secretary-General's words to the General Assembly's follow-up to the outcome of the twenty-sixth special session, in September: "We cannot claim that competing challenges are more important or more urgent. We cannot accept that 'something else came up' that forced us to place AIDS on the back burner. Something else will always come up. That is why we must always keep AIDS at the top of our political and practical agenda". (A/58/PV.3, p. 3) Two weeks before World Aids Day, let us send a clear signal of the Security Council's determination to help the Secretary-General maintain HIV/AIDS on that front burner.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“Let us open ourselves to this challenge and in doing so provide a powerful incentive to action in support of the Secretary-General's leadership on this issue. I would like to make three specific proposals: first, that in 2004, on the basis of a progress report from the Secretary-General, the Security Council should hold a further discussion on HIV/AIDS to consider how we might strengthen our response to Security Council resolution 1308 (2000). Secondly, we should draw on the experience of UNAIDS, DPKO, civil society groups and others in order to offer a clear evidence base for the links between peace, security and HIV/AIDS and, crucially, with suggestions for action. Thirdly, we should ask the Secretary-General to bring both strands together in a definitive assessment for consideration by the Security Council in 2005.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“The recent food crisis in Africa is only one symptom of the effect of HIV/AIDS on human security. The Security Council must be clear that it is fulfilling its potential in working collectively with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council to ensure that the United Nations system's overall response is coherent, integrated and effective. Understanding more fully the link between human security and HIV/AIDS is a potential knowledge gap. We should act to close this. Only when our understanding of this issue is enriched through discussion and debate will we be able to pinpoint the full scope and range of the Security Council's potential role. But we need to minimize the threat we have just heard about, to United Nations peacekeeping and to societies where peacekeepers are operating.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“If I could turn to wider issues, I should like to quote the United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, at the special session on HIV/AIDS in September, when he described HIV/AIDS in the following terms: "more devastating than any terrorist attack or any weapons of mass destruction as cruel as any tyrant AIDS can destroy countries and destabilize entire regions." (see A/58/PV.4) The United Kingdom shares those sentiments. HIV/AIDS has enormous potential to unravel societies, destroy economies and roll back the development gains of the last 30 years. In the worst affected regions, and in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, it attacks the human resource base and erodes the institutional capacity that is vital to enduring stability and security.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“I think that it is indeed encouraging to hear of the progress which has been achieved. It is essential that the work of UN AIDS and DPKO continue with the full support and backing of the Security Council. But we also believe that it is important that more work be undertaken to identify the scale of the problem and the impact of the response so far. Consideration of lessons learned will help us to identify what more needs to be done, by whom and when.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“As a shrinking pool of adult workers is available, and as the number of orphans increases dramatically, it is not hard to predict a future in which many countries and regions will face severe difficulties maintaining their internal stability and increasing their global influence as they struggle to cope with the impact. All that undermines the potential for peacekeeping. We therefore warmly welcome and endorse the work of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and others in supporting Governments in their efforts to develop national strategies for raising awareness and to develop training programmes and testing and counselling services for controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS among civil and security services.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“But at the same time, we are placing greater emphasis on finding regional solutions to regional conflicts, including the deployment of peacekeeping troops from concerned regions. We know that, in some of the worst-affected HIV/AIDS regions, the infection rate in the general population can be as high as 37 per cent. But in some areas, we know that the rate among civil and military security personnel can be two to five times greater than the rate in the general population. Not only does this pose a risk to national security and stability, it also undermines the potential for regional peacekeeping operations in the worst-affected areas.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“In addressing that question, I should like to make three key points today: first, the need for an assessment of the link between human security and HIV/AIDS; secondly, the need for more thorough monitoring and evaluation of the progress being made towards implementing resolution 1308 (2000); and, thirdly, the need for substantive Security Council sessions to be scheduled in 2004 and 2005 to explore those issues further. Before turning to those issues, I should like to say something about HIV/AIDS and peacekeeping operations in the context of resolution 1308 (2000). It is now widely accepted that a nationally owned, multisectoral approach is necessary for tackling HIV/AIDS effectively. Such an approach should include the civil and military security sectors, as well as the health, education and other relevant sectors.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“It is not a question of who should act, but of whether collectively we all are doing as much as we can and as much as needs to be done. Of course, there are institutional sensitivities around this issue, but HIV/AIDS, from the very beginning, has been a sensitive issue - sensitive for individuals, for families and communities; sensitive also for our Governments and for regional and international institutions. But not addressing it will not make it go away. With that in mind, I believe that there is a fundamental question for the Security Council: can and should we be doing more to support the Secretary- General's leadership in combating the global emergency that is HIV/AIDS?”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“Cementing the collective political will to achieve this is our challenge, and we must act quickly. I have heard it argued that the Security Council has no business discussing HIV/AIDS, as though resolution 1308 (2000) did not demonstrate vividly why this pandemic affects international peace and security. People living in conflict are at greater risk of sexual violence. Demobilizing forces pose a particular risk. Military forces tend to have higher infection rates than civilians. If life expectancy is falling by a generation in a decade - let me repeat that: falling by a generation in a decade - how can that not be a threat to the security of the State? The United Kingdom believes that the scale of the challenge demands responses from the different organs of the United Nations and from its agencies.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“Mr. President, I should like to begin by thanking you for having taken this initiative and Peter Piot and Jean- Marie Guehenno for their respective briefings. It is timely that we should have this discussion two years after the Council's last discussion on HIV/AIDS, when the Secretary-General's latest report on progress towards implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS - adopted at the special session of the General Assembly - makes such stark reading. Simply put, we are failing to tackle the global HIV/AIDS pandemic effectively. We know now that the 2005 targets set by the special session of the General Assembly will not be met. Yet, more than ever, we know what must be done. This is unacceptable. We must bridge the gap between our knowledge and effective practice and implementation.”
2003-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4859 (2003) · source
“I think that $1.5 million of that goes to support the important work of the Geneva Centre, about which we heard earlier. Finally, the United Kingdom looks forward to the completion of an agreed presidential statement, which is under preparation at the moment. It will be important in terms of highlighting the key issues associated with mine action for peacekeeping operations, assessing the progress we have made so far and identifying the way in which we can work together to move this agenda forward and tackle the large number of problems that remain.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“Improved economic development and opportunity to progress will contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Underpinning that is the psychological gain of removing an uncertain but real humanitarian threat to the population. The wide range of benefits to be gained from mine action in the context of peacekeeping operations and the wide range of stakeholders involved in the process highlight the need for effective coordination at all levels. The United Nations Mine Action Service is uniquely placed to perform that task, which is why the United Kingdom is committed to supporting its coordination role. We currently provide $16 million of annual funding in support of mine-action activities, most of which is channelled through the United Nations.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“Those examples demonstrate the benefits that mine action can bring as part of a peacekeeping operation, especially in terms of peace-building and post-conflict recovery and reconstruction. Those benefits include improved safety and security of United Nations workers, peacekeepers and affected populations, improved delivery of humanitarian assistance and access to vulnerable populations. Such action improves the environment for the safe return of refugees and improves opportunities through the availability of mine-risk education, thus enabling populations to better cope with the risks and to assist those that fall victim to mines. It should also bring improved employment and income opportunities through the restoration of land for productive use.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“Again, as the Under-Secretary-General pointed out, that training is basic to empowering peacekeepers, The establishment of a United Nations mine- action coordination centre within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), helped facilitate the effective cooperation and collaboration between the Lebanese national demining office and United Nations agencies, including UNIFIL. The result: dramatic progress, with over 33,000 anti-personnel mines cleared ahead of schedule. The emphasis placed by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on clearing key strategic areas to increase the capability of the United Nations has resulted in the clearing of roads, airfields and civic areas, which has benefited the local population.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“But those strategic developments must crucially relate to activities on the ground, and it is very welcome that mine action is being effectively integrated, or mainstreamed, as part of United Nations peacekeeping operations and mandates. As Under-Secretary-General Guehenno recognized, peacekeeping and confidence- building are benefiting from mine action. To give a few examples, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea was the first occasion on which a mine-action coordination centre was established as an integral component of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. We were pleased to contribute towards that effort by training Kenyan peacekeeping troops to conduct demining activities to International Mine Action Standards.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“And there have been other significant innovations, including the establishment of the Information Management System for Mine Action, which we heard about earlier; the United Nations operational framework for rapid response; and the Mine Action Guidelines for Ceasefire and Peace Agreements, as well as the work of the New York-based Mine Action Support Group, under the dedicated leadership of Germany, aimed at improving coordination of donor mine action activity. We welcome - and indeed support - all those developments. They have helped to create a more strategic, systematic and coordinated response to mine action issues at the national and global levels.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“The political, economic and psychological impacts of buried mines are very substantial. But, with approximately 15,000 to 20,000 landmine casualties each year, we clearly have a collective responsibility to take action and achieve effective, durable results. So it is reassuring to note today that there has been significant progress since the Council last considered this issue, in 1996. In particular, we have the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and a mine action policy which outlines the key principles of United Nations mine action - principles which have become the United Nations Mine Action Strategy for 2001-2005. In addition, thanks to our Canadian friends, the Ottawa Convention was a major step forward.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“As this is my first formal opportunity to do so, Sir, I wish you every success in the presidency and promise you the full support of the United Kingdom. Like previous speakers, I am very grateful for the briefings that we have received. We very much welcome the decision to convene this meeting. The need to do so was reinforced for those members of the Security Council who saw the substantial and courageous work being done in Kabul last week to get rid of the scourge of landmines in Afghanistan. Today's speakers have eloquently demonstrated that mine action plays a key role in underpinning peace processes and in assisting countries emerging from conflict by overcoming a serious and truly substantial risk to the whole process of post- conflict reconstruction.”
2003-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4858 (2003) · source
“We must continue to support the wider United Nations in its efforts - remember that these efforts are carried out by all parts of the United Nations family - and continue to welcome and demand briefings and progress reports such as those we have received today. But above all, we should pledge ourselves to continue to place gender in the mainstream of our work, actively seeking all opportunities to do so and remaining in the truer sense actively seized of this matter.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“The United Nations Secretariat and Member States can both usefully contribute to best practice, and that should also include the possibility of widening this agenda and strengthening the coherence of our work with women with other pressing concerns related to the rights and protection of civilians - women and men, girls and boys - in conflict and post-conflict situations. These are complex but very vital issues and there are no easy answers. The Council must continue to focus on implementation. It must hold to account all those responsible for implementing resolution 1325 (2000), us included.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“This might be the right time for our experts, supported by the Secretariat, to examine in more detail whether such a mechanism would be useful. An approach that is more coordinated between all the actors, the United Nations, the Member States, non- governmental organizations and other parties, is also very necessary. Undoubtedly more resources are required, as well. Improving the situation for women in conflict will not come about just with fine words in New York. The Presidential statement adopted on the second anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) asks for a comprehensive report in 2004.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“We have heard today encouraging accounts of the positive impact that women are having and can have. The Council has a key role to play, both in giving real meaning to the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) and holding both the United Nations system and ourselves to account. The Security Council should, where appropriate, include gender in resolutions, mission mandates and progress reports. The recent resolutions on Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cote d'Ivoire are good examples of that, and we must maintain this momentum. As the Ambassador of Chile pointed out earlier on, in the past year, the United Kingdom joined a number of Member States in suggesting that the Council might establish a mechanism through which it would monitor its own progress on these issues.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“Women now make up over a third of the new national assembly in Timor-Leste, with two female cabinet members and a 30 per cent female police force, and a survey published earlier this month stated that the country with the highest percentage of women parliamentarians is now Rwanda. But we know that women and children remain the vast majority of those killed, wounded, abused or displaced in conflict. So what should the international community do next, and what is our role as Council members? Conflict prevention is a huge field, but the role of gender is immensely important within it. We need to keep saying that until it becomes second nature. We must also remain committed to raising awareness of the positive role that women can play in peace-building and reconciliation, not just seeing women portrayed solely as victims.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“The whole question of mainstreaming and getting this into the bloodstream of our overall effort remains basic. And that is why we are currently evaluating the work supported through the pools, including looking at gender aspects and what we have tried to achieve so far. Now, what impact are these and other efforts having? Are we still only scratching the surface? I think it is evident that we need to work much harder at measuring the impact of our work and, indeed, in doing more of the work. But there are some encouraging SlgIIS. The International Criminal Court has shown its willingness to include within its remit certain crimes against women.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“We are also working with the Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, a non-governmental organization that supports grass-roots activities in countries where there are multinational peacekeeping operations. But as well as funding specific gender initiatives, we insist that all activities supported through these pools must integrate a gender perspective. We have seen that well-targeted funding, even at a modest level, can make a big difference, for example, encouraging women to play an active role in Afghan politics by providing childcare facilities in the main parliament in Kabul. Those things in themselves may sound very small, almost trivial, but for the women actually involved, they represent the difference between being able and not being able to participate.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“In 2001, the United Kingdom Government created two conflict-prevention pools, totalling together more than $200 million, to bring together the resources and the expertise that all departments in London bring to conflict prevention. That meant that the work of the Ministry of Defence, the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and, centrally, the Cabinet Office all came together to try and produce one concerted, coherent, focused and strengthened effort to tackle conflict prevention. Those pools have enabled us to give direct support to United Nations activities, including helping DPKO to prepare a field manual for gender mainstreaming in field operations and enabling the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to gather information on women's peace- building and gender justice initiatives.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“Once that is complete, we will share that with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). My predecessor in this seat, Jeremy Greenstock, is today working hard to get the women of Iraq more fully and actively engaged in the reconstruction effort there. United Kingdom teams working in Iraq are being briefed on the importance we attach to this, and in a recent round of briefing meetings in London, Jeremy discussed the situation of women in Iraq with the United Kingdom Minister for Women, as well as meeting a visiting delegation of Iraqi women and representatives of United Kingdom non-governmental organizations active specifically in this field.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“We have identified a number of avenues for action, both directly on our own part and through support to key partners. For our part, we have introduced compulsory training on gender, child protection and human rights issues for all United Kingdom personnel embarking on peacekeeping missions. We have set about actively searching for and deploying female officers and experts to peacekeeping missions and other conflict prevention and conflict resolution missions. Most recently, for example, we have deployed female police officers to Sierra Leone and sent a senior gender expert to Baghdad to work there with the Coalition Provisional Authority. We are developing a database of suitably qualified United Kingdom-based women with experience in conflict prevention and conflict resolution work and who are willing to join missions overseas.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source
“It has also become a beacon of hope and a rallying call. Few Security Council resolutions have resonated so widely and so deeply in the heart of civil society. As a Council, we cannot turn away from our commitments or dash the hopes that we have raised. In the three years that have passed since we adopted resolution 1325 (2000), we have returned to this discussion on a number of occasions. We have also been helped by the very useful report (S/2002/ 1154) and recommendations given to the Council by the Secretary-General last year. But the question is, how far have we actually got in implementation? Some progress is undoubtedly being made, but much evidently remains to be done. I would now like to say a few words about the contribution that we in the United Kingdom have been trying to make.”
2003-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4852 (2003) · source