YouSaid · the spoken record

Gamba

lines on the record
71
first
2017-10-31
most recent
2019-08-02
sittings or episodes
5
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un-security-council

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  1. “I am also encouraged by the process undertaken by the Government of the Sudan to develop a broad national strategy to prevent grave violations against children, building on the gains of its action plan. Replicating that initiative with Governments, as well as regional and subregional actors, is a promising strategy to foster a child-protection architecture focused on prevention and ensure common approaches and standards. Finally, resolution 2427 (2018), adopted by the Council just a few minutes ago, provides child- protection actors with political space to engage parties to conflict at an early stage, and is thus a milestone in our common journey to make Violations against children a thing of the past. Moving towards an era of prevention also requires the provision of adequate resources.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  2. “In that regard, I am happy to announce that, following presidential statement S/PRST/2017/21, adopted by the Council during last year's open debate (see S/PV.8082), my Office commenced a consultative process with United Nations partners to compile good practices and develop practical guidance on integrating child protection issues into peace processes. I am glad to benefit from the support of the Government of Sweden in that regard, for which I would like to thank Prime Minister Lofven. The tools that will be developed as the result will aim at enhancing our ability to mainstream children's issues in such processes to give early guarantees for the protection and reintegration of children, which may also serve to build confidence between negotiating parties.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  3. “Specific Member State initiatives, such as the ministerial conference organized by France to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Paris Principles and Commitments, the endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration by 15 States last year and the adoption of the Vancouver Principles, continued to shine a spotlight on the protection of children affected by armed conflict and catalyse support for this important agenda. I firmly believe that we must build on those advances to move to an era of prevention. Failing to assume this collective responsibility not only puts boys and girls at risk but may also reduce societies' ability to overcome conflict and to build peace. Preventing violations against children must therefore be an integral part of any strategy to reach and sustain peaceful settlements.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  4. “The full implementation of its action plan by the Government of the Sudan and the advances in the protection of children attained through the peace process in Colombia are testament to what we can achieve when political will and international support coincide. The Government of Iraq set out to develop an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen established a child-protection unit at its headquarters. The ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict by the Government of the Central African Republic in 2017 moved us one country closer to universal ratification.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  5. “While those responsible for grave violations must be held to account, we also must not forget that children who have been recruited should be treated primarily as victims and that detention should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest period oftime. I feel strongly that rehabilitation and reintegration - and not retribution - must be the centrepiece of our efforts when engaging with recruited girls and boys. Urgent action is needed to address those issues ifwe want to live up to our legal and moral responsibilities. Recent commitments by parties to conflict are a source of hope in that regard. Action plans were adopted in the Central African Republic, Mali and Nigeria.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  6. “Schools and hospitals continued to be directly targeted or were damaged as a result of indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas, denying tens of thousands of children access to education and health care. Similarly, broad-based denials of humanitarian access and attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel cut off children from essential aid, thereby further increasing their vulnerability. I am also concerned that children allegedly associated with armed groups, particularly those using tactics of extreme violence, continued to be detained in harsh conditions, often without charge and for extended periods.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  7. “The majority of these despicable acts were perpetrated by armed groups, although Government forces and unknown armed actors played an important part. A sharp rise in the number of abductions, coinciding with increased levels of recruitment and use of both girls and boys, was of particular concern. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab abducted over 1,600 children by threatening entire communities or targeting schools as places for recruitment. Surges in violence also resulted in elevated numbers of children killed or injured, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq and Myanmar, while Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighbouring countries continued to attack both military and civilian targets by using children to perpetrate suicide attacks.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  8. “Over the course of these past 13 months, I have had the opportunity to follow first hand the outstanding work undertaken by child-protection actors on the ground. These dedicated men and women are at the forefront of documenting, addressing and preventing grave violations against children in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for their commitment. Notwithstanding their efforts, I am profoundly shocked by the appalling number of grave violations perpetrated against children last year. Over 21,000 violations were documented by the United Nations, representing a significant increase over the previous year. Each and every one of these violations led to unspeakable suffering for children, families and entire communities.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  9. “Ms. Gamba: On behalf of the Secretary-General, who is currently attending the African Union-United Nations annual conference in Addis Ababa, I would like to thank Sweden and its Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Stefan Lofven, for taking the initiative to hold today's debate. In my own capacity, I would also like to also thank Sweden for its exceptional role as Chair of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed conflict and its dedicated support for the children-and-armed-conflict mandate. I also want to thank my close partners, in particular, UNICEF, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs and civil society. This is the second time I have had the honour to address the Security Council in the Chamber on the situation of children affected by armed conflict.”

    2018-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8305 (2018) · source

  10. “Politically, we must look at conflict prevention and resolution efforts in a different manner. We must recognize that children are at the heart of, and not at the periphery of, contemporary armed conflict. The children and armed conflict mandate has a vital contribution to make to the prevention cycle. In this regard, when peace is in its fledgling stages, child protection provisions must be included in ceasefires and peace agreements.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  11. “We also need resources within conflict settings. I call upon the Security Council to continue to request the deployment of dedicated child protection capacity to United Nations peace operations. This is vitally important, but something that is currently under scrutiny. It is a great paradox that this capacity is being reduced at the very time we need it the most. Without sufficient resources, we will not be able to deliver on the mandate given to the United Nations by the Security Council. These actors make a real difference in the lives of children and tangibly support senior civilian and military leadership in their efforts to protect children. Lastly, we need peace. While it might seem trite to say, it is the most effective way to prevent Violations against children.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  12. “First, we cannot continue to allow impunity to prevail. Member States must prioritize accountability to break the cycles of Violence and aid prevention efforts. We can all work to strengthen our support for justice systems of Member States affected by armed conflict. In particular, we should provide expertise on investigating and prosecuting crimes against children. As the Secretary-General has said, we must also enhance partnerships. I welcome the leadership and contributions of regional and subregional organizations regarding the protection of children, but I feel we can do much more together. Working with these organizations will be one of the key tenets of my mandate tenure. I truly believe that it will be a significant multiplier for our efforts and I hope I can receive the resources to engage in this task.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  13. “These programmes, led most notably by UNICEF in collaboration with many other actors, have helped release and reintegrate over 100,000 children since we first reported to the Security Council. I also encourage the Security Council to focus on the detrimental impact on children of the widespread screening of civilians in situations of armed conflict. While some children are detained on the basis of their association with an armed group, others are deprived of their liberty for significant periods owing to the area where they happen to live. Although Member States have an obligation to ensure the security of their citizens, we must not further Victimize children. It will only damage the future generation and create grievances. I would like to end by underlining some core efforts we can make to improve our response to violations.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  14. “They must be treated as such, and I urge the adoption of protocols for their handover to civilian child protection actors. We must also avoid stigmatizing these children. I am sure Mr. Shaikh will speak further on this issue. In my short time in this role, I have seen that the separation, demobilization and reintegration of children are Vital interventions. They are much more effective than mass detention at creating long-term security. We must give these processes every chance of success. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal for adequate funding from Member States to implement and sustain reintegration, reinsertion and reskilling programmes.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  15. “This is not necessarily a new challenge, but it is significant nonetheless. With so called Violent extremist groups, we have seen an increase in violations year upon year across the six grave violations. It is indeed a great challenge to put a stop to these horrors, but while there may be a temptation to adapt approaches to counter such armed groups, we must ensure that all responses are in line with international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. In particular, we must place precaution, distinction and proportionality at the heart of our military efforts. It is also important to recall the key tenet of the Paris Principles that all children allegedly associated with armed groups and armed forces are primarily victims.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  16. “Similar activities are being prepared for the next few months with Yemeni and Sudanese authorities, among others, to reinforce existing mechanisms, open new child protection units and provide additional training. I hope that these examples of cooperation and political engagement can be used as models by others. We need to roll out such best practices in as many situations as possible in order to better protect children. The Security Council has a vital role to play in aiding this endeavour. It can use the tools available to it to ensure that as many parties as possible are open to serious discussions with United Nations child protection actors on reducing and, indeed ending, violations. One particular issue highlighted in the report is that of armed groups that utilize tactics of terror or are considered Violent extremists.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  17. “Colombia has also been a bright spot, with the separation of children from the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo. And it would be remiss of me not to mention the strong progress by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which led to their delisting for recruitment and use of children. The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, also put in place several measures aimed at better protection of children. Those efforts were acknowledged in the annexes to Secretary- General's annual report. A technical team from my Office has just returned from Riyadh, where they met the Force Commander and reviewed and helped to strengthen those measures.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  18. “There are also a number of other steps that Member States have taken, such as ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child or endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration. I am very pleased that Yemen endorsed the Declaration on 17 October, and I hope that other Member States will follow suit. Making those commitments is an important first step, but we need to work together to ensure that those political pledges make a practical difference for children on the ground. We have seen that, when there is political will, working together has resulted in tangible progress. The report documents such advances in diverse situations - ranging from Nigeria, with the signing of an action plan by the Civilian Joint Task Force, to the delisting of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  19. “I firmly believe that every generation has its most acute shame when it comes to armed conflict. For example, the First World War witnessed the use of gas on soldiers - one of the many disgraces of that generation. What we have inflicted upon children in war zones in recent years will be our disgrace. We must take urgent action to address the use of children as expendable commodities by warring parties. In that regard, the recent announcement of additional commitments to protect children by Member States is a source of hope. In particular, I would like to highlight the Paris Principles as an important initiative that helps protect Victims of recruitment and use.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  20. “That is a horrifying number of boys and girls who were subjected to unspeakable acts, mostly by armed groups, but also by Government forces and unknown armed actors. Children were used as the fuel of war in the reporting period, and they have fared little better in 2017. Our most recent information indicates that the number of children recruited and used has remained at startling levels in South Sudan and Somalia. Attacks on schools and hospitals have been alarmingly high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conflict is ongoing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and child casualties are all too common. In recent months, armed groups and Governments have continued to delay and deny lifesaving aid to children. Sexual violence against boys and girls is also widespread in many countries currently experiencing conflict.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source

  21. “Ms. Gamba: I took up the position of Special Representative of the Secretary-General in May. This is the first time I have the pleasure ofbriefing the Security Council in the Chamber in that capacity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank France and its Foreign Minister, His Excellency Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, for taking the initiative to hold this debate. I will start by echoing the sentiments of the Secretary-General, and stress my worry at the information outlined in his report (S/2017/821). In my short time in this position, I have observed with grave concern the picture painted through the information collected by United Nations child-protection actors on the ground, including UNICEF, whose representatives are seated behind me. Over 20,000 violations affecting children were documented by those dedicated colleagues in 2016.”

    2017-10-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8082 (2017) · source