YouSaid · the spoken record

Francisco Duarte Lopes

lines on the record: 105
first: 2020-04-27
most recent: 2021-09-30
sittings or episodes: 16
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

“Tackling the adverse impact of climate change on international security will demand a broad and innovative perspective, both by individual countries and, perhaps more important, by the United Nations system as a whole. Given its historical role and concrete responsibilities, the Security Council must take a decisive lead in that effort.”
2021-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/815 (2021) · source
“The information gathered and shared by the Climate Security Mechanism across the United Nations system is crucial to that end. Women are disproportionately harmed by climate change. For that reason, not only must the United Nations policies be aimed at bringing that disparity to an end, but also the participation of women in sustaining and maintaining peace should be strengthened. More could be done to identify and strengthen the interlinkages between the women and peace and security and the climate and security agendas. It is also unequivocal that today’s children and youth will bear the brunt of the costs of not properly tackling climate change’s effects. They should therefore be included in these discussions, both when it comes to appraising the links between security and climate and when devising the necessary steps to address them.”
2021-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/815 (2021) · source
“One of the means to achieve that is continuing to mandate United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions to assess climate-related security risks and devise appropriate responses, including conflict prevention tools, and to take into account climate risks across United Nations early-warning and planning processes. The Secretary-General has called for a people-centred approach to this issue. That is important because the consequences of climate change do not affect everyone in an equal manner. The disparities are not only apparent among countries and societies, but also within them, along socioeconomic, age and gender lines. Consequently, the influence of climate change on security should be considered throughout the Council’s horizontal agendas.”
2021-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/815 (2021) · source
“Those phenomena are at the root of growing inequality, migration, increase in water stress and biodiversity degradation, tensions among increasingly vulnerable populations and more widespread recruitment by terrorist organizations. The Security Council and the United Nations system as a whole still need to assume a more direct role in addressing those risks, namely, by designing peacebuilding efforts with a view to strengthening the national resilience and capacity of the countries concerned to adapt to climate change’s adverse impacts.”
2021-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/815 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statements submitted both by the European Union (annex 8) and by the Group of Friends on Climate and Security (annex 17). In our national capacity, we would like to add the following points: The Security Council has the primary responsibility for ensuring international peace and security. As the impact of climate change is becoming increasingly felt around the world, we welcome the Council’s stance on the implications of weather- related events on security. Higher sea levels, more severe floods, longer periods of drought and increasing scarcity of resources are already taking a heavy toll in a variety of countries and societies, but most evidently in Africa and in small island developing States.”
2021-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/815 (2021) · source
“Specifically, the protection of civilians must be regarded as a cross-cutting priority throughout the conflict cycle, and host Governments should be supported in upholding their responsibilities in this regard. The transition or drawdown of a peacekeeping operation or a special political mission should be a sign of progress in achieving sustainable peace, and not a consequence of the fatigue or disengagement of the international community.”
2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source
“Through its advisory role, the Commission can provide informed and realistic peacebuilding perspectives during the consideration of peacekeeping operations and political missions’ mandates. The Peacebuilding Commission can also provide synergies and greater coordination within as well as outside the United Nations system, namely with civil society representatives and women’s and youth organizations. Transition planning should start long before transitions effectively take place. This is crucial to ensure national ownership of the process. Moreover, peacekeeping mandates should also be flexible in order to adapt to changing circumstances on the ground, which can be particularly volatile in fragility contexts.”
2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source
“For peacekeeping operations to also play a valuable role in preserving and consolidating long-lasting peace, their transitions and drawdowns need to be done in a coherent and effective way. Only with an integrated approach throughout the whole peace continuum, based on peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, can we guarantee sustainable peace. Peacekeeping mandates should continue to take into consideration peacebuilding activities from the beginning. The broader United Nations reform is also fundamental for successful transitions, enabling United Nations country teams to effectively widen their focus and prioritize the issues of development and support to national priorities. The Peacebuilding Commission, with its convening role, is instrumental throughout this cycle.”
2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source
“Portugal thanks Ireland, in its capacity as Security Council President, for organizing this timely open debate. To advance our common agenda and provide effective answers to traditional and future challenges, we need a twenty-first century United Nations – one that is more efficient, more nimble, more accountable and more delivery-oriented. Portugal fully supports the United Nations reform agenda. This, of course, includes the peace and security reform and the Action for Peacekeeping agenda, but also the overall reform agenda in its three strands, all of which are critical for successful peacekeeping transitions. We remain a staunch supporter of United Nations peacekeeping operations, as they truly are one of the most effective means at our disposal for maintaining peace and security.”
2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source
“We must intensify efforts to ensure an extensive and combined use of political, economic and social instruments, including official development assistance, in order to find better solutions for the continued and sustained development of the countries that are most in need and to boost national capacities to more effectively combat future risks.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“This requires greater capacity to carry out joint analysis and to share information among multilateral, bilateral and regional actors. We need also to strengthen national institutions, including through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, in order to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies, as envisaged in Sustainable Development Goal 16. In that regard, building national capacities to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime should be a priority. In Mozambique, for instance, Portugal has joined other international partners and has contributed financially to multilateral projects through United Nations agencies with a view to enhancing national capacities and supporting internally displaced persons. Security challenges cannot be faced through defence instruments alone or with a one-size-fits-all approach.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“In order to tackle the root causes of conflict, we must bear in mind the complexity of the situations on the ground and address fragility and other endemic circumstances that hinder sustained development and thus require further support from the international community. Post-pandemic recovery in Africa and around the world must consider the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This broad perspective of security and development implies linking conflict prevention, peacebuilding and humanitarian aid with poverty reduction measures. Partnerships between the various humanitarian, development and security actors on the ground will play a critical role, and must translate into effective coordination and cooperation, acting in a differentiated, articulated and global way, and combining the various instruments at its disposal.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“We have also channelled €3.75 million in bilateral cooperation, namely through the supply of medical equipment and training in intensive care. In order to achieve a fast, steady and resilient recovery, it will be necessary to speed up innovative and decisive joint action towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. Such action is particularly urgent given the setbacks in the progress and financing of LDCs and developing countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread exacerbation of tensions and political turmoil and increasing numbers of people living in extreme poverty, with rising levels of unemployment, particularly for women and youth. Poverty and inequality are some of the main triggers of social instability in any country.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Vaccination against COVID-19 must be treated as a global public good in solidarity with our partner countries — especially those most in need. Portugal has contributed financially to multilateral initiatives, namely the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility, which we have funded both through the European Union and in our national capacity and which has already supplied vaccines to African countries; the World Health Organization’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan; and other relevant instruments of global response, such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and the Global Vaccine Summit. Furthermore, Portugal has pledged to send to partner countries 5 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccine shots that will be made available to the country, which corresponds to 1.5 million individual doses.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Collective action and inclusive multilateral solutions to that end are critical, as is bolstering the effectiveness of multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, as well as its specialized agencies, funds and programmes. The World Health Organization will play a central role in that regard, and we support its reform with a view to strengthening international health regulations. The least developed countries (LDCs), developing countries and those in situations of vulnerability, namely in the African continent, have shown incredible determination in their national and regional responses to this health crisis. We need to ensure universal and equitable access to vaccines and medicines, as well as access to safe and effective diagnoses for all, if we are to effectively combat current and future pandemics.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union (annex 24) and would like to add the following points in its national capacity. The economic and social consequences of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have been felt around the world, but its impact is particularly acute when health services are already fragile due to ongoing conflicts. Only a global ceasefire, as called for by the Secretary-General and in resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021), will make it possible to guarantee that all countries, including those in contexts of fragility, are able to recover from the pandemic so that no one is left behind.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“The Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, under its humanitarian programme, is highlighting the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law, of respecting and safeguarding humanitarian principles, and of guaranteeing humanitarian access in conflict situations. This includes ensuring the protection of civilians in armed conflicts and the protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Those issues will also remain, I assure you, relevant priorities for our action in the scope of the United Nations.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Monitoring and reporting processes are fundamental for decision-making on the ground, enabling more targeted strategies. Finally, promoting accountability and fighting impunity must reflect the consequences of the destruction, damage or rendering useless of indispensable objects, and not just the consequences of direct violence. Portugal remains committed to the defence of international humanitarian law and humanitarian aid principles and reaffirms the importance of the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, which provides a common vision that guides the action of the EU in humanitarian aid.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“This includes training in international humanitarian law within armed forces, an obligation under customary international humanitarian law, as well as under the Geneva Conventions and their Protocols Additional. The Security Council and the General Assembly have repeatedly recalled such obligation. Establishing dialogue and contacts with local actors facilitates the implementation of protection of civilians mandates, particularly regarding the protection of indispensable objects, as these actors have a unique understanding of the challenges and needs on the ground. It is also important to strengthen partnerships with international partners for humanitarian assistance and capacity-building. The International Committee of the Red Cross, for instance, is a key actor in the humanitarian and international framework.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“In the light of challenges, such of urbanization, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of the utmost importance that protection of civilians mandates in peace operations include clear objectives, as well as comprehensive, integrated and cross-cutting strategies directed to the entire conflict cycle that take into account the slow pace of rehabilitation and reconstruction processes in the post- conflict phase. The protection of indispensable objects should include a preventive, as well as a reconstruction, dimension. The protection of indispensable objects must be considered in post-conflict, rehabilitation and reconstruction phases as an important component in socioeconomic recovery and peacebuilding. It is essential to guarantee and reinforce training for all members of peacekeeping operations.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Despite the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire in March 2020 to focus on the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ongoing conflicts continue to harm populations worldwide. In this sense, resolution 2565 (2021) was pivotal in calling for strengthened international cooperation to facilitate equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines in armed conflict and post-conflict situations, and during complex humanitarian emergencies. I would like to share some ideas in view of some of the guiding questions of this debate. With a view to supporting the host Government in its primary responsibility to protect civilians, it is important to engage in dialogue and political advocacy, such as support for reconciliation, peace agreements or mediation, and capacity-building.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“The destruction, damage or rendering useless of indispensable objects has other significant implications within protection of civilians mandates by hindering humanitarian assistance. In the light of the above, the adoption of resolution 2341 (2017) was key in establishing the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist threats and enhancing international and regional cooperation. Resolution 2417 (2018) drew attention to the link between armed conflict and conflict-induced food insecurity; called on all parties to conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law regarding the protection of civilians; and condemned the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access to civilian populations.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“For instance, attacks on foodstuffs, crops, livestock, safe water and sanitation, as well as waste facilities, energy grids and key mobility infrastructure, such as airports, railways and main access routes, health and educational facilities, severely compromise the immediate and long-term well-being of populations. As such, already complex conflict situations quickly evolve into extremely dire humanitarian crises. This results in forced displacement, food insecurity and malnutrition, the propagation of infectious diseases, unmet medical needs and the obstruction of education opportunities. From this perspective, this is as destructive as direct violence and attacks on the population.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Moreover, addressing specific sub-themes of the protection of civilians is particularly relevant as new challenges emerge and conflicts become more complex. Protecting indispensable objects becomes a key task in the context of urban warfare, climate change and terrorism. In regard to material loss, the destruction of health and educational facilities is perhaps one of the most evident and harmful consequences of conflicts. However, conflicts can have much broader, complex and pernicious implications in terms of destruction, damage or the rendering useless of essential objects.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“In this specific case, the protection of indispensable objects has a cross-cutting impact on the overall objective of protecting civilians. Moreover, it carries positive externalities by allowing us to address other related agendas, such as the women and peace and security and children and armed conflict. Attacks on schools have a particularly long-lasting effect, risking the future of entire generations and disproportionally affecting girls. In this context, the Safe Schools Declaration is a pivotal document, as is resolution 1998 (2011), urging parties to refrain from actions that hinder children’s access to education and to health services. Portugal is proud of the role it played in the resolution’s adoption during its term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council from 2011 to 2012.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Peacekeepers with a mandate to protect civilians have the authority and responsibility to provide protection where a Government is unable or unwilling to protect. Therefore, the protection of civilians is a fundamental pillar of conflict prevention and peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population are protected under article 54 of the Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which prohibits the attacking, destruction, removal or rendering useless of such objects. Discussions on specific sub-themes of protection of civilians are important, as they allow for a more detailed analysis of areas and issues of concern, resulting in more targeted strategies.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Portugal supports the development of comprehensive strategies for conflict prevention, namely, the promotion of sustainable development policies, aiming at consolidating peace and protecting civilians, fully respecting the primacy of political dialogue and international law. Only with an integrated approach, based on peace and security, sustainable development and human rights can we guarantee sustainable peace. As has been broadly demonstrated since it was first included in peacekeeping mandates 21 years ago, the protection of civilians must be regarded as a cross-cutting priority throughout the conflict cycle. One of the fundamental principles of protection of civilians mandates in peacekeeping is that protecting civilians is the primary responsibility of Governments.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement presented by the European Union (EU) (annex 32) and, in its national capacity, would like to add the following points. Portugal thanks Viet Nam, in its capacity as President of the Security Council, for organizing this open debate and commends it for establishing the protection of civilians and essential infrastructure in conflict areas as one of the priorities for its Security Council term. Deliberate attacks against unprotected civilians constitute war crimes and, in some cases, crimes against humanity, deserving due accountability. The destruction, damage or rendering useless of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population has negative impacts on the human rights and well-being of the population and ultimately on their right to life.”
2021-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/415 (2021) · source
“Initiatives such as FemWise-Africa are a good example of how to ensure women’s full, equal, meaningful and effective participation in preventive action. The new level of complexity posed by the coronavirus disease pandemic with respect to global peace and security has further underscored the importance of partnerships with regional and subregional organizations in our collective efforts. Regional organizations help ensure local ownership and add value to preventive action through shared cultural standards and experiences. In the context of the United Nations, as in the context of the European Union and of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, Portugal reiterates its commitment to the promotion of dialogue and peace, in close cooperation with other regional and international partners.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“The United Nations can facilitate the adoption of such measures, making use of its peace operations and United Nations teams on the ground and supporting regional and subregional organizations in that endeavour. Confidence-building measures and other preventive measures should take into consideration the nexus between security, human rights and development. Furthermore, they should integrate a climate perspective into conflict prevention, recognizing the role that climate change may have in exacerbating tensions and conflicts. However, no mediation, conflict prevention or confidence-building strategy will be successful and complete if we do not empower young people and women, ensuring that they have a seat at the table throughout all the phases of peace processes.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“In that context, mediation is a fundamental tool in the prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in post-conflict peacebuilding, as stated in the Concept on European Union Peace Mediation. The European Union (EU) is and will remain a natural strategic partner of the United Nations in conflict prevention and crisis management, as underlined in the Council Conclusions on EU Peace Mediation, adopted in December 2020. EU Common Security and Defence Policy civilian missions can play a valuable role in mediation support, in coordination with the United Nations. Confidence-building measures have a crucial importance throughout all parts of the peace process. They create an environment conducive to dialogue and help lay the groundwork for sustainable peace.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement made by the European Union (annex 21) and, in its national capacity, would like to add the following points. We would like to congratulate the Vietnamese presidency of the Security Council for having convened this debate, which is a timely occasion to reinforce the continued need to consolidate the shift in the United Nations from a culture of reaction to crises to a culture of prevention, as pledged in 2005 and repeatedly reiterated since then. The Charter of the United Nations itself champions the concept of prevention, calling on Member States to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace and, first and foremost, urging parties to settle their disputes in a peaceful manner.”
2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source
“This very timely meeting underscores the Security Council’s responsibility in maintaining humanitarian access, with the cross-border mechanism for humanitarian aid delivery into Syria being a concrete example. The role played by several peacekeeping operations in facilitating humanitarian assistance and protecting civilians and humanitarian personnel makes it possible to bring help and hope to the most vulnerable. Breaking the vicious cycle between conflict and food insecurity will continue to require the engagement and mobilization of the entire international community. I affirm Portugal’s continued commitment in that regard.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“In Mozambique, with more than 660,000 people displaced in the region of Cabo Delgado, according to estimates by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian partners and the international community should prepare for continued and significant needs in food assistance, as households focus on fleeing conflict-affected areas, not on agriculture or fisheries. The tragic attack on a United Nations/World Food Programme convoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February was a gruesome example of acts of interference in life-saving aid delivery in conflict contexts, an infringement of international conventions. Portugal condemns in the strongest terms all recent armed attacks on aid workers and facilities.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“Coordination among different actors on the ground remains of paramount importance to maximize the response capacity and to ensure immediate to long-term solutions, while increasing accountability to national and local authorities. Concurrently, we should promote inclusive and participatory processes on access to and governance of natural resources, including the participation of women, considering the disproportionate impact of food insecurity on women and girls. The development of early-warning/early-action systems that are risk-informed should also be fostered and complemented by shock-responsive social protection and by efforts to build resilience, helping countries and households to prevent, anticipate, prepare for, cope with and recover from conflicts.Allow me to draw attention to two concrete situations.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development International Network on Conflict and Fragility on the triple nexus approach has been conducting valuable work in that regard, encouraging lessons learned and the sharing of good practices. Furthermore, Portugal supports the designation of a United Nations focal point to help guide the implementation of resolution 2417 (2018), namely, by facilitating collaboration between United Nations food-related agencies, reinforcing preventive measures, including food security clusters, to improve coordination and ensure timely and accurate information on food and nutrition needs.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“In that context, initiatives such as the Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises, developed by the Committee on World Food Security of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, may provide relevant bases for further work. Such further work, in our view, should privilege an increase in triple nexus collaboration, bridging humanitarian, development and peace actors and capitalizing on the comparative advantages of each pillar, while taking into account their respective mandates, in order to reduce vulnerabilities and unmet needs, strengthen risk management capacities and address the root causes of conflict and food crises.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“No sustainable solution to food insecurity and famine in conflict-affected environments can be achieved without peace. Portugal therefore reiterates its support for full compliance with the call for a global ceasefire, as expressed by the Secretary-General and echoed by resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021), in the wake of the coronavirus disease pandemic, as it compounded an already alarming situation and increased vulnerabilities in countries with pre-existing food crises. Responding to food insecurity and famine in conflict-affected environments requires a comprehensive approach, focusing on the most fragile food-insecure contexts, particularly in protracted and forgotten crises.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement submitted on behalf of the European Union (annex 33) and, in its national capacity, would like to add the following points. In recent years, we have been witnessing an increasing number of violent conflicts and wars and their devastating impact on civilians, especially rural populations, and their means of survival, affecting their livelihoods, agriculture, infrastructures and economy and leading to hunger and malnourishment. Phenomena such as inter- and intra-State conflict, forced migration, displacement and food insecurity are mutually reinforcing, and the emergence of non-traditional threats to security, such as terrorism and climate change, inter alia, are further exacerbating that link.”
2021-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/250 (2021) · source
“We also welcome the establishment of an Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security within the Council.In addition, the analysis and awareness of climate-related security risks should be better integrated into the efforts of the United Nations and Member States towards preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding. For a more coherent approach, whereby the peace and security and development pillars of the United Nations work closer together, we must factor in the role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). Taking advantage of the PBC’s advisory role to the Security Council and of the welcome commitment of country-specific configurations to providing written advice in advance of Security Council discussions could also be a way to feed the climate and security nexus into the concrete discussions on peace and security.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“It is also crucial that we continue to bolster women’s participation in sustaining and maintaining peace as a goal in itself, as well as considering the specific impacts of climate change on women, who represent 80 per cent of people displaced by climate change. We recognize the benefits of mechanisms such as the climate and security mechanism, which should be further strengthened in order to scale up its role in mobilizing knowledge and in contributing to its mainstreaming across the United Nations system. Data gathering and analysis are key to ensuring that the Security Council has authoritative information to develop tools and early warning capabilities so as to prevent the escalation of conflict.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“The Security Council can empower special political missions and peacekeeping operations with adequate mandates, capacities and training to address the vulnerabilities exacerbated by climate change, thereby ensuring that the focus on climate and security is maintained throughout the whole scope of the peace continuum. More broadly, we encourage the inclusion of the climate-security nexus in the horizontal agendas of the Council, with a particular focus on the women and peace and security and the youth and peace and security agendas. It is especially important that young people be given a voice when addressing the interlinkages between security and climate, as they will be the ones most affected by its consequences.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“Rising sea levels, increased susceptibility to desertification, periods of drought and resource scarcity already have serious implications for populations in situations of vulnerability, possibly leading to migration, exacerbating tensions over diminishing resources and, in turn, fuelling conflict. Many of those effects are already being felt in the Sahel, in sub-Saharan Africa and in small island developing States. It is crucial that peacebuilding efforts effectively contribute to strengthening countries’ national resilience and capacity to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“Climate change can only be fully addressed with the contribution of every country and by ensuring cooperation at the multilateral level. Portugal is strongly committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the context of the EU’s strategy for a climate-neutral economy in the same time frame. That is one of the guiding priorities of the current Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union. This year will be decisive in our fight against climate change, and we must step up our efforts in preparation for the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“As a member of the Group of Friends of Climate and Security, Portugal wishes to align itself with the joint statement submitted on behalf of the Group (annex 20). We welcome the fact that, in the context of the broader multilateral response to the existential threat of climate change, its impact on security as a risk multiplier is being addressed by the Security Council, which holds the primary responsibility for ensuring international peace and security. We hope that this debate will pave the way for a more systematic engagement of the Council on climate and security matters. Mitigating the impact of climate on security, especially in contexts of fragility, will ultimately be achieved by tackling climate change itself.”
2021-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/198 (2021) · source
“We were also one of the promoters of the resolution that was unanimously adopted last May at the World Health Assembly setting the main streams of work for the international response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We commend WHO’s work on the evaluation of vaccines in terms of quality, safety and efficacy and emphasize the need for equitable global access. In contexts of conflict and insecurity, efforts to distribute and administer vaccines against COVID-19 must be intensified so as to ensure access to vulnerable populations, without discrimination, and to protect the health professionals delivering them. The timely decisions of the Security Council will be instrumental to that end.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Only through joint efforts between States, the main international organizations, among which the World Health Organization (WHO) has a central role to play, and the private sector will we be able to ensure an effective and lasting response to this global health challenge and to its socioeconomic consequences. With that in mind, Portugal has responded swiftly to the appeals made by WHO, contributing promptly to the WHO Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan and to other relevant instruments of the global response to the pandemic, such as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and the Global Vaccine Summit. Portugal has also joined the COVAX Facility mechanism.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“United Nations missions — including peacekeeping missions — are fundamental in ensuring respect for international humanitarian law so that front- line humanitarian workers can do their job in the most challenging conditions. Peacekeeping operations have already, in fact, been playing an instrumental role in supporting host country authorities to contain the spread of the virus. What has been achieved so far is remarkable. Vaccine development is a complex and lengthy process that normally takes around 10 years, but researchers have succeeded in developing safe and effective vaccines in less than 12 months. We are determined to continue to cooperate and coordinate our action to tackle the pandemic and its consequences.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Access to and the supply, conservation, distribution and administration of vaccines will be demanding in all countries to various degrees, but that daunting challenge will certainly face greater bottlenecks in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. That will be a crucial test for the multilateral system and will require further complementarity in the action taken by the United Nations system. Just before the COVID-19 outbreak, the Secretary-General observed that geopolitical tensions were at their highest level in the twenty-first century. Those tensions not only limited the global response to the pandemic but also risked being exacerbated by the global health crisis. Resolution 2532 (2020), on fighting COVID-19 in the most vulnerable countries, demanded a global ceasefire.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“We have seen the crystallization of tensions and delays in the implementation of peace processes. Vaccination against COVID-19 must be treated as a global public good. That is not only a moral imperative; it is the only way to change the course of the pandemic. Vaccines must be made available worldwide, including in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, including its Advance Market Commitment mechanism for developing countries and the 5 per cent humanitarian buffer, is instrumental in that regard. Nonetheless, as vaccines gradually become available, challenges remain to putting into place the largest simultaneous vaccination programme ever designed worldwide.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source