YouSaid · the spoken record

Fernandez

lines on the record: 41
first: 1998-07-14
most recent: 2015-07-30
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“In conclusion, I would like to paraphrase the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Gaston Browne, who warns that not acting to address these challenges, not acting and doing nothing, will redound to the detriment of larger more secure States as they will be forced to cope with the agony of human displacement of determined refugees and the consequences of the human misery of people flooding their borders on a quest for peace and security. We congratulate New Zealand for recognizing that there ought to be a greater push at the highest level within the United Nations to highlight the peace and security challenges facing SIDS. Finally, as the saying goes, "men argue, nature acts". Let us hope that after today's debate the international community will join with SIDS to act.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“This debt burden poses peace and security challenges beyond our shores. A few years ago, the global financial crisis decimated capital flows, savings and investment in every small island State, resulting in negative growth and economies that are now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. For example, Antigua and Barbuda lost 25 per cent of its gross domestic product, and many other small island States in the Caribbean have also suffered from contracting economies. These are examples of the peace and security challenges that threaten the existence of small island developing States.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“SIDS are inherently economically vulnerable due to, among other factors, our remoteness, our limited ability to diversify, our heavy dependence on a narrow range of exports and the high costs of importation; for the most part, prices for essential goods such as food and fuel are highly volatile. These challenges are best illustrated by some of the major trade imbalances. For example, Caribbean SIDS have witnessed the erosion of our trade preferences with our traditional trading partners, which has resulted in an increase in the global market share of our trade competitors, while in some cases crippling some of the industries within the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda has been facing such a challenge for the past 10 to 12 years. SIDS, and in particular Caribbean SIDS, are regarded as some of the most indebted countries in the world.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“The peace and security challenges to SIDS are worsened by failure to build capacity and by insufficient financing for the implementation of strong policies and mitigation mechanisms. In addition, available resources are channelled predominantly to post-disaster operations instead of to disaster risk reduction. The impact of the international drug trade and the prevalence of small arms are also a significant security threat that requires collective international collaboration if we are to successfully tackle the problem. SIDS economies are also highly exposed to external shocks resulting from our heavy dependence on a few markets and the erosion of trade preferences within these markets.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“In the case of Antigua and Barbuda, because tourism accounts for 70 per cent of our gross domestic product, it is a matter of economic survival. Within SIDS, infrastructures and human health will be threatened by the effects of climate change. This threat is further magnified by the relatively small land masses of our countries and the fact that our populations and economic activities are concentrated in coastal areas. Our high dependence on coastal ecosystems for food, livelihood, security and protection from extreme events makes the threat of climate change all the more challenging. Furthermore, unresolved problems stemming from poverty, scarcity of resources, constrained governance, increasing crime and the demands of adaptation make SIDS even more vulnerable to natural hazards.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“The threats to the borders of SIDS, the shorelines of the Caribbean and the State of Antigua and Barbuda are real and present threats. To the concerned citizens of SIDS, these threats appear to be irreversible, but if acted upon with determination and zeal by the Security Council and regarded as high priority by the international community, these peace and security challenges can be curtailed, insulated and even reversed. Climate change and sea level rise are unquestionably the most urgent threat to the environment and the sustainable development of SIDS. Climate change, if not addressed, has the potential to threaten the peace and security of all SIDS, including their socioeconomic well-being, particularly since it could have negative impacts on the tourism industry, the driver of most of our economies.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“The current international security structures and mechanisms, in particular the Security Council, are not set up to adequately address the security challenges of small island developing States in concrete, actionable ways. The types of threats we face today, such as climate change, are not the same as those faced when such structures were created. Additionally, the geopolitical landscape has changed significantly, leading to changes in the nature of threats to our peace and security. They are not combative, not based on military considerations and sanctions. The threats to our peace and security go far beyond the military dimension; they are intricately entwined in the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainability.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“I welcome this opportunity to exchange views with all those present on international security matters that are of interest to small States and the larger, more powerful States and members of the Security Council. At a time when the Council's agenda is packed with a multitude of crises, conflicts and issues that threaten peace and security, and which are more headline-grabbing, the chance to share the perspective of the security concerns of small States is indeed welcome. Small island developing States (SIDS) face a multifaceted set of security challenges that require a pre-emptive response. Ours are not the type of challenges that easily grab headlines, yet they must be tackled to safeguard our very existence.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“But today there is also a process wherein the President is learning to work with the Parliament and vice versa. Between them, with the assistance of the international community, institutions are being built for the rule of law in a way that, slowly, a legal order is being put in place that is much more acceptable today than it was three to five years ago.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“It is both an honour and a privilege to be part of them, both for individuals and for the countries that contribute personnel for the noble task of contributing to defending peace in any part of the world where there is a need. 12-25487 In conclusion, I believe that we have an arduous task before us in Haiti. However, there is no denying, from the impression that I have developed during the eight months that I have been in my post, that this is a slow process that includes certain reversals but that, in the end, produces a degree of stabilization vis-a-vis living conditions, political activity, economic development and attention to social issues. Some things in Haiti are a matter of history, including the risk of authoritarianism and a winner-takes-all situation.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“I would like to say that those efforts by MINUSTAH, which include many positive aspects, are marred by the moral attributions that Haitian society attach to the effects of the cholera epidemic, which has resulted in more than 7,000 deaths, as well as the sexual abuse committed by military and police personnel members of our force. I personally believe that there can be no immunity with regard to crimes committed against minors, such as rape. I support a fair trial that includes protections for the rights of the accused. But they must be carried out in a transparent manner and include penalties adequate to the severity of the crimes. And there must be a lifetime ban against those convicted working with the United Nations, as the moral values intrinsic in peacekeeping operations are what gains them respect throughout the world.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“We are working to improve conditions for prisoners and are contributing materially to building prisons in Haiti. Last September, we announced that displaced persons still included 634,000 victims of the earthquake. However, that figure represented only a third of the original 1,800,000. We can today say that the number of displaced persons at the end of January stood at 515,000, a reduction of 120,000 since September. In our view, those are positive statistics, as those reductions have made it possible to identify new populations and resources and to abandon certain sites where habitation is increasingly difficult owing to a reduction in international assistance with regard to food, sanitation and supplies necessary for camp living.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“That is yet another reason that we are working hard to ensure that the Haitian President can soon count on a Prime Minister and that the State can function normally. That will help to reduce violence and will improve economic results, as has been shown in various situations that we have studied. Major efforts have been made with regard to human rights, correctional matters and humanitarian issues. The Council, which had an opportunity to visit prisons and camps, knows first-hand what is taking place. We are making strenuous efforts in order to make significant progress in this area. In recent months, our team of lawyers has succeeded in securing the release of 230 people who had been imprisoned without trial for many years. There is similar success with regard to prisons.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“A few moments ago, I said that MINUSTAH believes that it is essential for there to be a Government in Haiti. In the past, when there has been a President but no Cabinet or Prime Minister, violence has increased and economic developed has fallen off. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) projected that there would be 10 per cent economic growth in Haiti during 2011. But five months without a Government meant that, in the end, growth would only be 4.5 per cent. ECLAC projects 8 per cent growth in 2012, which, in the midst of the economic crisis, is quite high. We have no doubt that, if the President continues to be without a Government, growth in Haiti will decrease, resulting in serious harm to the Haitian people.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“We have told the President that he has a historic opportunity to organize transparent and irreproachable elections, with the assistance of the international community. We have also said that successful elections could serve to strengthen the socio-political consensus; conversely, delayed, contested or postponed elections will without a doubt undermine the efforts to promote the image of a stable and dynamic country looking towards the future. Last week, the President invited the entire diplomatic corps accredited to Haiti to a meeting intended to launch the electoral process. We view that as a positive sign. MINUSTAH, which is serving as the international community's focal point, will this week meet with Haitian technical experts in order to prepare pre-election steps.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“The Government has said that it wants Haiti to be open to business, and we have said that in this regard words must be followed by deeds. The Government has yet to address the issues of constitutional reform, elections, the creation of a land registry and a civil identification registry, a constitutional tribunal and a law on political parties. As I have mentioned, the Government has already completed some of those tasks, such as with regard to the Supreme Court, and has announced the upcoming establishment this month of the Superior Council of the judiciary, which will be responsible for discipline in the judicial system. All of that represents a significant step forward. We have said that Haiti must hold elections soon. The elections that were scheduled for November did not take place.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“The measures proposed include prohibiting the use of military uniforms and weapons, reviewing the pensions received by retired military personnel, ensuring the smooth conduct of this process, and liberating those areas occupied by the military. Yesterday, the Haitian Government convened an important meeting with MINUSTAH, seeking cooperation in putting an end to this issue once and for all. We asked the Government to formally declare the illegality of these groups and to proceed to identify retired military personnel who are owed pensions in order to distinguish them from the young people who are participating in such activities due to lack of employment. We are ready to assist and to mitigate the unnecessary tensions that these activities are raising.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“Another problem affecting the rule of law and security is the emergence of illegal military forces in the wake of programmatic campaign statements made by President Martelly concerning the restoration of the Haitian army dissolved in 1995. MINUSTAH and the international community have clearly told the Government that, without prejudice to the sovereignty of Haitian institutions, they will not lend support to such forces. We believe and have reiterated that illegal armed forces are unacceptable. The Government responded to our demands in a communique issued on 3 March, containing a five-point plan to regularize the situation.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“However, very serious challenges remain in ensuring security for the most vulnerable sectors, in particular with regard to domestic violence and the abuse of women. In order to be more effective against such crimes, we have increased patrols, trained police officers, set up solar-powered street lighting, and patrolled 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the main IDP camps. Today, 8 March, International Women's Day, I wish once again to affirm MINUSTAH's commitment to countering gender-based abuse and to contributing to the promotion of Haitian women in their daily lives and in their professional and civic roles.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“As is noted in the most recent and important Security Council resolution 2012 (2011) on Haiti, the reduction of the military and police components of MINUSTAH is to be completed by June, pursuant to the Secretary-General's reports and the resolutions of the Council. This has not affected security, and we have had an effective redeployment of forces. We have maintained the staffing levels of the United Nations police. There are fewer soldiers and formed police 3 units, but the same number of United Nations police, which remains unchanged. We trust that this will continue to be the case, given its important cooperation with the Haitian National Police. Political violence has virtually disappeared. Ordinary crime - principally murders - is relatively low compared to other countries in the Caribbean and Central America.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“However, for a country of 10 million people, it is still insufficient. Together with the international community, MINUSTAH has developed a support programme to ensure that, by 2016 - the last year of President Martelly's term in office - we will have provided professional training to 5,000 or 6,000 officials to endow Haiti with a significant Police force, thereby enabling a MINUSTAH drawdown by the end of that period. In the context of this five-year programme, we convened a special seminar between the Police and the international community in order to consider, assess and improve the efforts under way to ensure that the outcome will be highly positive.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“In this regard, we have been working for quite some time now, and I can assure the Council that, over the past six months, the MINUSTAH police, together with the Haitian National Police (HNP), has carried out 21,000 patrols and more than 31,000 actions in camps for refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Port-au-Prince and the provinces. Alongside the military component of MINUSTAH, the HNP has conducted operations to disband criminal gangs that posed one of the most serious challenges to stability in Haiti. Although the response of the police to security challenges has improved, much remains to be done. Our current task is to remove the obstacles to better police action and to strengthen the Haitian National Police. Today, the HNP numbers 10,000, which is nearly three times as many as in 2004.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“For us, however, it is more like watching a film that allows us to discern some progress. I stress the establishment of the Supreme 12-25487 Court because it is extremely important in moving towards the rule of law. We have worked to strengthen the rule of law and institutions, not just conceptually but physically. MINUSTAH has built 50 courthouses to ensure the effective provision of justice, and will build another 30 to complement its support for the judicial system in Haiti. Another fundamental pillar of the rule of law - apart from the judiciary, on which we continue to work- is the main instrument of the rule of law, namely, the police force.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“We are therefore working with Parliament and the Government to achieve the appointment of a Prime Minister as soon as possible. As to the rule of law and security, without solid rule of law institutions and an agreement on governability, it will be difficult if not impossible to lay a firm foundation for peace and security for all Haitians. Despite the slow pace, after five years Haiti finally has a fully staffed Supreme Court. The Court had no President or members for five years. No democratic judicial system can work without an independent and self-regulating judiciary. This progress is very significant when we consider all that has occurred in Haiti. The Security Council's visit provided members with a snapshot, as it were, that was in many instances quite upsetting.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“We have therefore stressed the need for a pact for democratic governance that would facilitate consensus and provide solutions for Haiti's main political problems. We have worked for all of society: members of Parliament, political parties, unions, employers, the church and representatives of civil society. Today the President put forward a candidate for Prime Minister - the current Foreign Minister, Laurent Lamothe, who must be approved by Parliament. MINUSTAH is working in earnest to ensure that Haiti can soon again have a Government. The times when there has been no Prime Minister and no Cabinet in Haiti have seen a rise in insecurity and a clear decline in governability, with obvious negative repercussions for development.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“His resignation was a worrying and telling sign of the state of the governability of Haiti. The credibility and strength of democratic 12-25487 institutions depend on their ability to respond to political crises and to avoid negative cyclical situations, the majority of which are artificial, that threaten Haiti's progress towards democracy. As noted by the Council during its visit, throughout our mission we have emphasized the importance of avoiding such Government crises and of reducing disputes between the executive and legislative branches. Avoiding such unproductive conflicts must be part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of Haitian politics. The main problem is the severe difficulty encountered by the political class in achieving collective agreements that would allow consensus to strengthen institutions and public action.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“In order to move forward in strengthening the rule of law, public security and the socio-economic sphere, a major effort of the entire international community has been necessary for Haiti's reconstruction and the recovery of its institutions, the re-engineering of its police security structure, and broad cooperation and aid to stimulate socio-economic development. Our main goal is to ensure that present and future progress allows us to consolidate efforts to ensure stability and peace so that Haiti can overcome the situation described by President Martelly once and for all and so that the country can take off politically and socio-economically. With regard to the current political situation, the report of the Secretary-General mentions the recent resignation of Prime Minister Garry Conille after only four months in office.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“At least 84 per cent of university graduates live abroad." I wish today to highlight the relevance of those words, which dramatically reflect and unambiguously confirm a situation that Council members were able to observe during their recent visit to Haiti a couple of weeks ago. After the nearly eight years that MINUSTAH has been in Haiti, the results of peacebuilding and stabilization efforts are visible. However, the earthquake of 12 January 2010 was a serious setback caused by large-scale human and material losses, the traces of which Council members saw during their recent visit.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“I would like to start by quoting the speech President Michel Joseph Martelly delivered on 9 January on the occasion of the inauguration of the Haitian Parliament. In a moving speech, the President stated the following: "Eight million Haitians, out of an estimated population of 10 million, live without electricity. Five million cannot read or write and are in the dark both day and night. Eight Haitians out of every 10 are living on less than $2 a day. Two per cent of Haitians control 69 per cent of the country's wealth. With a working population that is put at 4.2 million, fewer than 200,000 have regular formal work.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“I would like to thank you, Sir, and the other members of the Security Council for having organized today's meeting, the purpose of which is to present to the Council the most recent report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (S/2012/128). I welcome today's opportunity to share with the Council an assessment of the most recent developments in the political and security situation in Haiti, and of the activities carried out by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) over the past six months in support of peacebuilding, political stability, the strengthening of the rule of law and recovery work after the earthquake of 12 January 2010. 2 I take this opportunity to welcome the presence of the Haitian ambassador.”
2012-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6732 (2012) · source
“Let me reassure the Council of my Government's determination to fulfil all its obligations under the Bangui Agreements, as well as the commitments made by my President in his letter to the Council.”
1999-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3984 (1999) · source
“Yesterday, the Constitutional Court rendered its decision that those opposition members who defected to the Government side have every right to do so. Therefore, the majority of the President's party in government is now official. The Bretton Woods group that has been in our country for the past two weeks has concluded its work satisfactorily and has indicated to the Government its agreement to reestablish economic cooperation with us. This morning, I was informed that the first vice- presidency of the National Assembly has been offered to the opposition. Once again, may I, on behalf of my Government, take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Council for all the help rendered to us at this difficult period of our history.”
1999-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3984 (1999) · source
“This is my first opportunity to address the Council since you, Sir, assumed the office of the presidency. Permit me to congratulate you. Your tenure of office is almost over, but we have seen how you have performed with dignity, expediency and a great sense of fair play. You have my admiration and respect. I would like also to congratulate your predecessor for a job very well done. Obviously, in a democracy, it is important for the Government and the opposition to work together and to cooperate in furthering the interests of State. This must be encouraged by the Council and all of us. We should be careful, however, not to be seen as micromanaging the Government and attempting to distribute ministerial and/or parliamentary posts, as such an approach would not be helpful.”
1999-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3984 (1999) · source
“By helping to promote democracy in the Central African Republic through the involvement of the United Nations in the organization of the forthcoming elections, the Security Council will be spreading the democratic culture in the subregion. My Government is determined to cooperate fully, as it has indeed begun to do, with the independent and mixed Electoral Commission and with MINURCA to ensure that the elections are held in all serenity and transparency. My President is determined that the example of the legislative elections will be an encouragement to the United Nations for further assistance in the democratization process, which as other examples have shown, is not a one-time event.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“The draft resolution which the Council has just adopted will go a long way towards fulfilling the hope which the intervention of the United Nations in the Central African Republic has aroused in our people - and also in Africans throughout the continent - that the Organization has not as a matter of principle decided to consign African issues to consultation and debate without action. It will be a confirmation of the dedication of the members of the Security Council to the maintenance and the promotion of peace and security. The Council's action in the Central African Republic concerns not only that country, but the entire subregion of Central Africa, which requires a period of stability and peace so that it can fully contribute to the development of the African continent.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“The widely representative Government of National Unity has taken steps to improve the performance of the various ministries, and in particular those with responsibility for finance and economic development. Indeed, I can state here with some satisfaction that the collection of government revenues has doubled in the past 18 months. It is our hope that the Bretton Woods institutions, with which we are in negotiations for balance- of-payments and structural-adjustment support, will encourage those efforts.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“In this context, the assistance of the United Nations is indispensable in establishing a security structure that will guarantee lasting peace long after the departure of the United Nations Mission. This implies, as a major element, the creation of a well-disciplined, multi-ethnic and professional army, as envisaged in the Bangui accords. It is pertinent for me to mention that my Government has exerted itself to ensure the fulfilment of President Patasse's commitment to a transparent and accountable system of governance, which will accelerate the pace of national economic development and encourage our bilateral and multilateral partners to give the indispensable support that the country needs.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“That is why the Government and the people of the Central African Republic believe fervently that an enlargement of the mandate of the Mission to cover the entire country will enable the beneficial effect of its presence to be felt countrywide and therefore further accelerate the restoration of national peace, security and development. It goes without saying that for any country - particularly one such as the Central African Republic, which has gone through traumatic events for the past two years - security is crucial to the ability of the people to pronounce themselves in free and fair elections on who should represent them and to resume the economic activities which will improve their quality of life.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“Permit me therefore, on behalf of my Government, to express my sincere gratitude to our Secretary-General and to his Special Representative, whose leadership of MINURCA has been of the quality one would expect from the experienced diplomat and negotiator that he is. MINURCA's presence in our country, though confined to Bangui and its environs, has made a great difference in the preservation of peace and security. It has also proved to be indispensable in the promotion of mutual confidence among all parties in the country in the preparations for the forthcoming legislative elections.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“I believe that I can say without fear of contradiction that both the Council and the Central African authorities have played well their respective parts. The deployment of MINURCA within the short time given in resolution 1159 (1998) is a record for any United Nations peace operation and is indicative of what can be accomplished when there is a commitment to a peaceful process by the beneficiary of a Security Council action. It is also, I must say, testimony to the dedication of the Secretary-General and his staff, who spared no effort or personal exertion to ensure that the deadline was met.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source
“I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. When the Security Council adopted its resolution 1159 (1998) on 27 March 1998 and created the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA), it was both an act of faith and a challenge. It was faith in the ability of the Security Council to influence the course of events in Africa in pursuit of international peace and security, which is the principal responsibility of the Council. It was a challenge to the Central African authorities to live up to the promises made in President Patasse' s letter to the Secretary-General and thus help the Security Council to help the Central African Republic.”
1998-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3905 (1998) · source