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

“Difficulties in diagnosing and in the consolidation of data, particularly in crisis- and conflict-affected contexts, suggest that reported cases may not reflect the actual number of infected people. Furthermore, new and more infectious variants will likely further increase the transmission of the virus. Along with health and economic impacts, the crisis has the potential to cause other severe disruptions to societies. We have seen the deepening of pre-existing vulnerabilities and its impact on livelihoods, amplifying drivers of fragility and fuelling political and security-related instability. This is not just a health crisis. In the past year, we have witnessed how already complex situations of conflict, insecurity and vulnerability have continued to feel the strain of COVID-19.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union (annex 28) and would like to convey the following additional remarks. The current pandemic has further highlighted the need for collective action and solidarity in the response to global crises and emergencies. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) knows no borders, and its consequences are asymmetrical and diverse, with wide-ranging humanitarian, health and socioeconomic impacts, particularly on the most vulnerable populations. Indeed, 2.5 million lives have already been taken. Numbers are still increasing every day, and, to date, approximately 110 million people are confirmed to have been infected around the world.”
2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source
“Sustained economic growth, social development, education, employment and decent jobs, alongside the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, must therefore have a relevant role in addressing the underlying drivers of extremism and radicalization.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“An anti-terrorism coordination unit has been established, and several amendments to the relevant Portuguese legislation were approved and enacted, including the criminalization of travelling with the aim of committing terrorist acts and the criminalization of public incitement to terrorism through the Internet or other media. To conclude, let me reiterate that there is no simple solution to this multifaceted problem. Terrorist groups exploit to their benefit long-standing grievances in conflict situations, as well as economic, political, social inequalities and marginalization, and human rights and civil liberties violations.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Having assumed the presidency of the EU Council on 1 January, Portugal is looking forward to cooperating closely with the United Nations in the seventh review of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, due to take place in June 2021, during United Nations Counter- Terrorism Week. Portugal is committed to continuing to play its part in the fight against terrorism at the national level. Portugal is party to 18 of the 19 international legal instruments to prevent terrorist acts. In 2015, the Portuguese Government approved a new national strategy on counter-terrorism.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Portugal implements resolution 1373 (2001) through the European Union (EU) list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures, as set out in Common Position 2001/931/CFSP 931, adopted on 27 December 2001. That EU decision lays down the criteria for listing persons, groups and entities and defines the restrictive measures related to the freezing of funds and financial assets in full compliance with international law, including human rights law.S/2021/48 We welcome the work of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and express our determination to continue to engage in that endeavour bilaterally but also through the EU’s cooperation in external action.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Since 2001, the United Nations has adopted more than 30 important resolutions to counter terrorism. Portugal reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of all United Nations resolutions on counter-terrorism and welcomes resolution 2560 (2020), unanimously adopted on 29 December 2020. We also reiterate our full support for the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which is at the core of the United Nations response to terrorism, and note that in resolution 2560 (2020) the Security Council urged Member States to interact more with the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Sanctions remain an important tool in the international fight against terrorism, and we underline the importance of the prompt and effective implementation of all restrictive measures.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Information-sharing through the appropriate channels, countering the financing of terrorism, disrupting the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, preventing radicalization and successfully screening, and monitoring and rehabilitating returnee fighters must be at the heart of an effective response, complemented by effective work aimed at countering the wrongful use of the Internet and social media. The Security Council’s timely reaction, through the adoption of the landmark resolution 1373 (2001), drastically changed the global approach to counter-terrorism, placing barriers to the movement, organization and financing of terrorist groups and imposing legislative, policy and reporting requirements on Member States to assist in the global struggle against terrorism.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Since 9/11, in 2001, the world has witnessed the largest-ever terrorist surge on a global scale, and terrorism has become a major source of concern on the international agenda, especially at the United Nations. This meeting comes at a timely moment as an opportunity to assess the progress made in creating legal and institutional mechanisms to combat terrorism and violent extremism and to identify possible challenges to international cooperation and emerging trends. The impact that the coronavirus disease pandemic has had on the proliferation of extremist ideologies online, as well as the use of new technologies as a vehicle to spread terrorist narratives globally, are among the most pressing challenges that we currently face.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“At the outset, I would like to thank the Tunisian presidency of the Security Council for having promoted this ministerial meeting to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and for having invited Member States to provide statements regarding trends, challenges and opportunities in global security. Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, deserves full condemnation, for it claims the lives of innocent people, destabilizes Governments, undermines societies, menaces economic and social development and prevents the full enjoyment of human rights. It poses a threat to global peace and security and therefore requires a firm and coordinated response at the global, regional and national levels.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“We should ensure that the process is inclusive, particularly with regard to women, and collectively strive for their full implementation by developing partnerships and mobilizing resources to that end. The ongoing review of the peacebuilding architecture also confirms the importance of the holistic approach of reforms undertaken and the need to focus on implementation.Through its convening and advisory roles, the Peacebuilding Commission presents a unique framework to ensure that our collective action is sensitive to these contemporary challenges and the need to bridge the action of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. We have the architecture, the plans and the foundations. We have multilateralism as the most reliable cement.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“The Charter of the United Nations stands the test of time as the Organization was built upon three interdependent pillars of equal importance — human rights, peace and security and development. A cross-pillar approach is therefore truly necessary. Having the United Nations deliver as one will be essential in the efforts to recover from the global impacts of the current pandemic. Building back better must mobilize the whole of the international community in a spirit of genuine cooperation, without silos or turf wars and without overlapping and wasteful duplications. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change clearly outline the road ahead.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“Even if these are not the direct causes of intercommunal violence and conflict, they are certainly drivers of conflict and insecurity. It is also true that countries that are already in conflict situations or in contexts of fragility cannot properly address these challenges on their own. It is not enough to adopt a reactive attitude towards international security. In line with the Secretary-General’s preventive agenda, early action mechanisms such as the Climate Security Mechanism are good practices, and their work should inform the work of all relevant United Nations entities, including the Security Council. A holistic approach to peace and security that bridges information, analysis and practices across the whole United Nations system is of critical importance.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“It is at the intersection between those areas, where the threats exacerbate each other, that we should focus our collective action. Portugal, a member of the Group of Friends of Climate and Security, welcomes the fact that these issues are being debated in the Security Council. Countries that are most in need, as well as populations in situations of vulnerability, are already aware of the impact on their security posed by emerging and complex challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, pandemics, hate speech, disinformation, terrorism and organized crime, among others. That is evident when persistent drought or erratic climate patterns cause food insecurity, when underdevelopment hinders responses to pandemics, when sea levels rise and when people are faced with threats to their very livelihoods.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“Let me start by congratulating Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for convening this timely debate. Portugal aligns itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union (annex 31) and would like to convey the following additional remarks. As per Article 39 of the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council is mandated to “determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression”. As the threats that we face change and evolve, so must the scope of the threats considered by the Security Council, so that it may carry out its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Climate change, for instance, is not only a sustainable development issue but also a security issue.”
2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source
“Lastly, I would like to stress that all our efforts to address the impacts that climate change is already having on the livelihoods of many people around the world must go hand in hand with a strong commitment to the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Protecting the environment and tackling climate change are essential to fostering peace and sustainable development. Our continued and firm support to the countries most in need is fundamental. However, even that will not be enough if we do not provide an urgent collective response to the existential threat of climate change and decisively reduce carbon emissions.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“As such, it is important to take into S/2020/929 consideration the ways that climate degradation may affect the full implementation of mission mandates, namely, with regard to the protection of civilians. Our efforts in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and the provision of humanitarian aid will benefit from having climate-sensitive approaches that are also context specific. Climate change affects us all, but its effects are felt more acutely in fragile countries, least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as by populations in vulnerable situations. Furthermore, better coordination among United Nations agencies on the ground, other international and regional organizations, host Governments and civil society is needed to respond pre-emptively to climate risks and to build resilience.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“In line with its responsibilities in the maintenance of international peace and security, we believe that the Security Council should pay close attention to climate-related security risks, taking on board the knowledge generated by entities such as the United Nations Climate Security Mechanism in order to better understand the interlinkages among climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace. The Security Council and the United Nations system as a whole also have a role to play in what concerns the operations on the ground. Most United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions currently deployed are located in countries particularly affected by climate fragility.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“The indirect effects of COVID-19 and its socioeconomic consequences can contribute to increasing tensions and may exacerbate existing drivers of conflict and further undermine social and economic resilience. The reallocation of both financial and human resources to support prevention and containment measures during the pandemic may also have an impact on the ability of States to respond to the challenges brought about by climate change and environmental degradation. We therefore welcome the inclusion of the security-climate nexus in the discussions of the Security Council.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“The situation in the Lake Chad basin provides a sobering depiction of the scale of the challenges brought about by those very interlinkages between environmental degradation and conflicts. Nevertheless, it is also a call for action and a cause for hope in the expressions of the resolve of the international community to come together and face those same challenges. Increased national and regional ownership is of the essence, as well as the fact that ownership must be complemented by the firm political will of the national and regional authorities and by the coherent, predictable and regular support of the international community. The current context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic makes such issues even more pressing than before.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“In certain contexts, climate change and environmental degradation can contribute to the outbreak of conflicts, which then further add to a vicious circle, as conflicts hinder the capacity of Governments to provide adequate responses to the disruptiveness brought about by climate change and environmental degradation. Conversely, conflict can be a driving factor for environmental degradation, fuelling once again a vicious circle that well illustrates the complexity of the interlinkages discussed today. Portugal advocates for the protection of the environment in armed conflict, as the environment is civilian in nature, and strongly condemns its degradation for military purposes, in accordance with international law.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“Climate change is an undeniable threat in the framework of international peace and security, particularly in contexts of fragility. It has a profound impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as on societies and economies around the globe, with dire humanitarian consequences. It is also a driver of forced migration, displacement and food insecurity. By increasing the threat of humanitarian crises and conflict, climate change and environmental degradation act as risk multipliers. Acknowledging that, Portugal’s Strategic Concept of National Defence recognizes natural disasters and climate change as potential threats to global security. It also highlights the need to improve national capabilities with regard to prevention, adaptation and quick response to climate threats.”
2020-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/929 (2020) · source
“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. Lastly, we should reach beyond the United Nations system towards civil society and academic organizations that have been gathering data and developing a thorough analysis of this nexus, as well as towards the field, in particular countries that are on the front lines of climate-related security risks and have access to invaluable empirical evidence.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Additionally, 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, understanding the interlinkages between climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace, and establishing adequate early-warning, risk prevention and management strategies. 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).”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“In parallel, the Climate Security Mechanism should be further strengthened in order to scale up its role in mobilizing knowledge and contributing to mainstreaming it across the United Nations system. Data gathering and analysis are key to ensuring that the Security Council has authoritative information on the impact of climate- related security risks in conflict settings and can develop tools, partnerships and early-warning capabilities that would support the timely assessment of, and response to, climate-related security risks in order to prevent the escalation of conflict. Closer involvement by United Nations agencies, funds and programmes would be added value.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“The Security Council itself has integrated the implications of the effects of climate change on peace and stability into a number of resolutions, and it has discussed this threat multiplier at a number of thematic debates and informal meetings. We believe that the time is ripe for the Security Council to deal with the climate and security nexus in a more systematic way. We encourage the Council to continue to mandate peacekeeping operations to consider climate-related risks in their activities. The United Nations and Member States should also strengthen capacity-building of the United Nations staff involved in those operations, thereby enabling them to better identify and deal with climate-related security risks.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“We need to understand peace and security in a holistic manner, taking into due account cross-cutting and multidimensional themes such as migration, women and youth, health and climate. Climate change is a major threat multiplier, particularly in already fragile regions. Competition over diminishing natural resources adds fuel to existing conflicts. Existing vulnerabilities are amplified by sea-level rise, excessive rainfall and prolonged drought, thereby increasing social and economic instability, which often leads people to move in search of better living conditions. Over recent years, the United Nations system has made progress in incorporating climate-related security risks into its analysis and actions. The Climate Security Mechanism is a good example of the progress achieved and the holistic approach that is needed.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement submitted by the European Union (see annex 18). As a member of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, Portugal also wishes to align itself with the joint statement submitted by the Group (see annex 21). In the midst of a global health crisis, which is rapidly unfolding to become a major humanitarian, economic and social crisis, the time when we recognized that climate change was the defining challenge of our time may seem distant. However, the climate crisis is still here. It will still be here when we defeat this pandemic, and it will continue to have an impact on international peace and security. This global pandemic should in fact remind us that we have to continue to look beyond the factors that we traditionally associated with peace and security.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“This national action plan complies with the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. In addition, Portugal is committed to greater legal and judicial cooperation on this matter, but also to expanding the presence and participation of women in military and security forces contingents. Every branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces has gender advisers. To conclude, Portugal looks forward to the outcomes of this open debate, which represents an opportunity to strengthen our commitment to fight against the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators.”
2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source
“It is urgent to implement specific strategies against acts of violence, namely, through cooperation with civil society, youth and women’s organizations, access to information and the use of new technologies. This commitment also includes the protection and promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights and providing victims with access to mental health care and to legal services. Portugal has a holistic approach to the women and peace and security agenda, based on the promotion of gender equality, the inclusion of women in conflict prevention, the training of armed forces and the fight against gender and sexual violence. My country has adopted its third national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2019-2020.”
2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source
“Resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, recognized the impact of armed conflicts on women, highlighting the importance of promoting the active participation of women peacekeepers and of including women in negotiations, decisions and policymaking, as well as ceasefire processes. The women and peace and security agenda has since become an important component of peace processes. This year we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000), an opportunity to increase our efforts to address structural gender inequalities, the role of women in peace processes and the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence.”
2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source
“These crimes represent serious violations and abuses of human rights and violations of humanitarian international law. Therefore, we must ensure accountability and fight against impunity, maintaining a zero- tolerance approach towards aggressors, whoever they might be. In this regard, Portugal would like to commend the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, for her work and efforts in strengthening the United Nations mechanisms to tackle conflict- related sexual violence as a peace and security issue.”
2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source
“My delegation aligns itself with the statements presented by the European Union (see annex 25) and the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security (see annex 20) and would like to complement them with the following points. As we all know, conflict-related sexual violence disproportionally affects women and children and is, unfortunately, used as a tactic of war, torture and terrorism in order to fulfil military, economic and ideological objectives. In this sense, we would like to recall that conflict-related sexual violence is not a mere consequence of war. Victims of conflict-related sexual violence can be subject to discrimination, sexual assault, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, human trafficking and forced marriages.”
2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source
“Portuguese military and police personnel meet the highest standards of training, with a strong emphasis on international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as the protection of civilians, the United Nations code of conduct and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. To conclude, as the Secretary-General has pointed out in The Highest Aspiration: A Call to Action for Human Rights, the best form of protection from different threats is to avert such threats in the first place. With that in mind, we call for the increased participation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the work of the Security Council. This would improve the Council’s early warning work and reinforce the prevention agenda.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“We would also like to point out our responsibilities as troop- and police- contributing countries with regard to our performance in the fulfilment of protection- of-civilians and human rights mandates. The Portuguese Quick Reaction Force in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic operates without caveats and has an important role in protecting civilians, in accordance with the Mission’s mandate of preventing massacres against civilians. Moreover, our police forces are also involved in joint patrols and capacity- building activities, drawing attention to human rights and gender issues, as well as cautioning local police forces about the need of a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse. Those activities build on the importance we attach to predeployment training.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“Safeguarding educational opportunities is therefore crucial to preventing child recruitment, as well as early and forced marriages. Specialized and dedicated personnel in peace operations is fundamental to mainstreaming women and peace and security and children and armed conflict considerations into the fulfilment of all mandated tasks. Moreover, all elements — civil, police and military personnel — of peace operations should pool efforts and resources, including through joint training. The coronavirus disease aggravates the situation of millions of people already affected by the scourge of war. In that context, we applaud the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“It is therefore essential, as set in resolution 1325 (2000), to include women in conflict-prevention, management and resolution mechanisms, as well as in the promotion of peace and security. This year, we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of that resolution, which is an opportunity to increase our efforts to further integrate a gender perspective into peacekeeping. The protection of children in armed conflict is also pivotal. With regard to the recruitment or use of children in conflict, we would like to point out the need to work towards the implementation of the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. Moreover, we would like to highlight the particularly long-lasting effect of attacks on schools, which put at risk the future of entire generations.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“With that in mind, during our most recent presence as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Portugal highlighted the close link between concrete actions to enhance peace and security and the protection of human rights. Human rights should be taken into account at all stages of conflict, from addressing human rights violations and abuses as one of the root causes of conflicts to protecting civilians during the deployment of operations, as well as in the pursuit of political solutions. In that respect, we highlight the importance of collaborating with civil society, especially regarding the reporting of human rights violations. Women are fundamental drivers of change.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement submitted by the observer of the European Union (see annex 25) and would like to add some remarks. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was issued in 1948, the same year in which the first United Nations peacekeeping mission was established. Despite that auspicious coincidence, it took decades before the creation of the first human rights component of a peace operation. Since then, human rights components have played an essential role in promoting and protecting human rights, fighting against impunity for gross human rights violations and abuses, and laying the foundation for long-lasting, sustainable peace.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“This COVID-19 threat knows no borders, which means that individualized answers will inevitably fall short of addressing the challenges with which we are faced. We therefore reiterate the call for global solidarity and a unified collective effort.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Portugal welcomes the Secretary-General’s policy briefs, which have focused on these and other contexts of vulnerability and provided action-oriented inputs. Since the start of the pandemic, Portugal has implemented cross-sectional response measures, which we would like to highlight. We decided to temporarily grant migrants and asylum seekers with pending applications a right to stay and access to rights and services. Our health-care services have been tailored to specifically addressing the needs of older persons and persons with disabilities related to COVID-19 or other conditions or illnesses. To address the increasing risk of domestic violence during confinement, services and helplines have been made broadly available, and victims’ support services have been strengthened.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, under the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge Mechanism, Portugal co-organized a flight to Sao Tome and Principe. At the heart of this pandemic, older people, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, children, refugees and persons living in poverty and deprived of liberty are in a particularly vulnerable situation, and their needs must be addressed. Moreover, mental health and sexual and reproductive health and rights need to be addressed as well. Women represent 70 per cent of the workforce in health services and, in some communities, women are the main caregivers and sources of livelihood for their families. We must ensure their well-being as fundamental drivers of change, particularly in conflict and emergency situations. This commitment also includes fighting domestic and sexual and gender-based violence.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“We therefore call for global solidarity and a unified collective effort to cooperate and deal decisively with the challenges of this pandemic. It is important to pool resources efficiently, collaborating through pre-existing mechanisms for emergency humanitarian action and adapting these mechanisms to the COVID-19 pandemic. Development cooperation will also be key to help ensure that countries and communities, especially those most in need, are able to recover better. Under the EU’s Team Europe approach, we will continue to support health and sanitation capacity-building and efforts aimed at mitigating the social economic impacts of COVID-19. We have also contributed to the multilateral global response through several United Nations agencies, as well as the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and the Global Vaccine Summit.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Peacekeeping operations also must continue to promote dialogue, mediation and peace processes, as the global ceasefire may play a catalytic role in building trust between communities, providing a much-needed opportunity for silencing the guns. Concurrently, we need to maintain a steadfast commitment to peacebuilding efforts. In that context, amidst a pandemic, the forthcoming elections in some countries remain a challenge. We should also advocate the pursuit of global health security. Previous health crises have highlighted how cooperation among actors across the development- humanitarian-peace nexus and a whole-of-United Nations approach — both at Headquarters and in the field — are key to ensuring a coordinated and effective response.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Only a ceasefire, as called for by the Secretary-General and stressed in resolution 2532 (2020), can fully ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and the adoption of protective measures. Past pandemics have shown how important it is to ensure the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers and to provide adequate training. In these challenging times, good examples of how United Nations operations have been supporting local Governments and communities abound. Be it through the support of local authorities in disinfection activities in the Central African Republic, awareness campaigns in detention centres in Mali, or the distribution of radios in South Sudan, peace operations have shown their capacity to adapt.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“These countries also lack conditions to fully implement the recommendations put forward by the WHO. Existing inequalities can be a trigger that turn health crises into security crises, particularly in countries or communities that are less resilient. The exacerbation of already precarious situations, in which Governments may not be able to provide basic needs and services, may further erode the trust in local institutions, worsening the potential for increased instability and unrest. Moreover, in conflict situations, both warring parties and affected civilian populations are particularly exposed to pandemics. Militias, parastatal groups, and other non-State actors may also seize the context created by health crises to advance their own insidious goals.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“We therefore welcome the inclusion of the relationship between global health and security in the agenda of the Security Council. We also welcome the adoption of resolution 2532 (2020), thank Germany for convening today’s open debate and look forward to its practical outcomes. Past pandemics, such as the Ebola and HIV/AIDS crises, have showcased how public-health crises and security crises exacerbate one other. Portugal would like to draw attention to the specific impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in countries previously facing humanitarian emergencies. These countries are in particularly vulnerable situations — owing to armed conflicts, environmental crises, outbreaks of other diseases, migration, starvation, lack of access to adequate housing nor sanitation — to which the spread of COVID-19 poses amplifying risks.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Portugal aligns itself with the statement submitted by the European Union (EU) (see annex 30) and would, in its national capacity, like to add the following points. The global health crisis we are facing today is unprecedented in living memory. As we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, we should continue to expand our approaches to international security to respond to new and emerging challenges. Given the transnational reach of pandemics and the increasing interdependence of States, the greater part of the solution lies in international cooperation. The United Nations system has an important role to play in this regard, and the World Health Organization (WHO) remains key in enhancing solidarity and reinforcing health-care systems worldwide.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls can be successful only if both agendas are fully implemented. In line with what is being done on the women and peace and security agenda, we encourage the establishment of a network of United Nations youth and peace and security advisers and focal points to implement the youth and peace and security agenda at the country level, including in peacekeeping and political missions. Finally, Portugal considers that young people have a key role to play in the coronavirus disease pandemic, for example through volunteering, youth activism in social media, and raising awareness in the fight against hate speech. In Portugal, many activities, including workshops and webinars on youth and youth rights, remain ongoing.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source
“The outcome of the Conference and Youth Forum was the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes, which was welcomed in the youth resolution adopted in Geneva and in the Third Committee resolution on policies and programmes involving youth, adopted by the General Assembly last December as resolution 74/121. Among the several commitments set forth in the Lisboa+21 Declaration is the recognition of young people’s contribution to peace processes and conflict prevention and resolution. The Declaration also expresses the concern that, among civilians, youth is one of the groups that is most affected by armed conflict. The women and peace and security agenda and the youth and peace and security agenda are mutually reinforcing, especially when it comes to girls and young women.”
2020-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/346 (2020) · source