YouSaid · the spoken record

Gertze

lines on the record: 230
first: 2017-01-10
most recent: 2023-10-24
sittings or episodes: 30
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

“It is only through legally established statehood that social normalcy, legal equality, economic opportunity and sustainable development can be realized. We therefore call for the urgent and unconditional implementation of long- standing resolutions and decisions in support of a two-State solution as the only viable plan by which both the peoples of Palestine and Israel can live side by side in peace and security. To have endured 75 years of oppression, suffering, instability, insecurity and occupation is inhumane. That must end — now is the time.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We advocate for conditions to be created for mediation and dialogue. Our own experience has taught us the value of multipronged approaches to pursuing liberation. While appreciating the diplomatic efforts being advanced by players from the region and beyond, we wish to caution that war starts where diplomacy fails. A ceasefire is necessary to create conducive conditions for and to build trust to support the safe release of hostages and reinvigorate the peace process. Finally, Namibia reaffirms its resolute support for the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation and the exercise of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self- determination and independence, with East Jerusalem as their capital, through political, diplomatic, peaceful and non-violent means.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Namibia condemns the abhorrent attacks on civilians, and strongly believes that the state of siege and the military onslaught with the stated objective to obliterate lives in the Gaza Strip amounts to a genocide, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. The international community cannot afford to be indifferent in the face of the human catastrophe that is unfolding. The attempts to enforce the mass displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are deplorable and must be condemned with the contempt they deserve. Those attempts to forcibly transfer Palestinians out of Gaza will only create an even bigger humanitarian crisis. In addition, it is imperative that humanitarian access be provided to enable the delivery of immediate humanitarian assistance commensurate to the needs of civilians in Gaza.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force against innocent civilians, including children, should be where we draw the line. Anything short of that is a tacit affirmation that might is right. The alarming escalation in tension and violence over several decades — specifically in 2023 — demonstrates the urgent need to address the root causes of the conflict without confining ourselves to 7 October as a reference point, as the conflict predates that fateful day. Israel continues to employ policies and practices that are contrary to relevant Security Council resolutions, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. As immediate courses of action, Namibia calls for an immediate cessation of the brutal conflict.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Equally, our commitment to international law, human rights and international human rights law has become increasingly perceptive and is applied selectively, given that, despite the nearly 80-year-long conflict between Palestine and Israel, there is still a refusal to acknowledge the prolonged occupation, settlement expansion and annexation as the root cause of the current crisis. While we have heard arguments about the legitimacy of Israeli security concerns, those can be juxtaposed with the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self- determination. United Nations reports give credence to the fact that there is a tendency to use policies that justify territorial expansion and security concerns as a pretext to justify the collective punishment of an entire population.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Namibia condemns the violence and brutal loss of life and extends its condolences to the loved ones, relatives and friends of all who have lost their lives in those horrific conditions. As the entire world, in particular the relatives of victims on both sides of the carnage, look to the United Nations, especially the Security Council, it is in the hope that it will fulfil the mission for which it was established nearly 80 years ago: to take responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. The failure of the Security Council to act in the current grave circumstances is not only disappointing but also affirms in its own way that there are significant inconsistencies in our application of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to address this agenda item. Namibia aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Senegal in his capacity as Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, on which Namibia serves as a Vice-Chair. My delegation is grateful for the comprehensive briefings provided by the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Tor Wennesland, and his Deputy, Ms. Lynn Hastings. For the past 17 days, the world has watched in horror as the unprecedented escalation of violence, brutality, indiscriminate killing and wanton destruction of livelihoods and property reached catastrophic levels in the conflict in the Middle East. That has resulted in carnage and a dire humanitarian situation that deteriorates by the hour.”
2023-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9451Resumption1 (2023) · source
“For that reason, we commend the efforts of the Egyptian Government and all stakeholders, including the Secretary-General, to initiate the Cairo Peace Summit, to be held tomorrow, bringing to the table a multitude of voices and perspectives on the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. To that end, my delegation encourages regular information-sharing between the Security Council and regional actors to enhance situational awareness and have clarity on nuances that are not obvious. In conclusion, the events of this week were a stark reminder of the urgent need for the reform of the Security Council, as it is untenable that the Council fails to respond appropriately and with a sense of urgency in times of crisis, especially when civilian lives are at stake.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Our world continues to evolve through ebbs and flows of polarization. In such a context, we look to the Charter of the United Nations for guidance on how best to embark on the pacific settlement of disputes. When we find ourselves in times of trouble, we should revert to the deployment of the tools enumerated in Chapter VI as our first line of defence to prevent armed conflict. Namibia wishes to highlight, however, that the peaceful settlement of disputes, is not a mere lofty ambition. Instead, it requires the setting of conditions that enable dialogue. Additionally, the correct set of players, enablers and interlocutors form the bedrock of success through diplomatic mediation efforts.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“In instances where that has proved difficult, we have resorted to the use of systems, processes and institutions at the national, regional and subregional levels. Similarly, we have consented to the jurisdiction of institutions such as the International Court of Justice. On one occasion, the Court ruled in our favour as it determined the need for the immediate end to our occupation. On another occasion, the Court did not rule in our favour, and we were required to be magnanimous and accept its decision. The Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace is commendable. It puts forward several ways in which the driving force for a new multilateralism must be diplomacy. It further recognizes the value of diplomacy as a tool for reducing risks in conflict, on the one hand, and managing heightened fractures, on the other.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Our own experience in Namibia has taught us the value of multiple approaches for the attainment of freedom and bringing about an end to colonial rule and occupation. For us, that anchoring is the key example etched in our minds of how diplomacy can facilitate the transition from tension to negotiation and, eventually, lead to peace and reconciliation. That process was neither easy nor swift, but it inculcated in us a spirit of openness to the notion that dialogue and diplomacy can work. For that reason, article 96 of the Namibian Constitution encourages the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means. That is the general disposition of Namibia in any conflict, and we have remained fervent advocates for the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Today we meet in the Security Council Chamber in a state of heightened tension amid a perilous war raging in the Middle East. Let us recall that it is this same Chamber that was created with a primary mandate to oversee and pursue the maintenance of international peace and security. This is the organ we look to, to do its best to ensure that dialogue through diplomacy and the facilitation of compromises between parties in conflict situations are the best armaments of peace. I thank the delegation of Brazil for organizing this open debate on the topic “Peace through dialogue: the contribution of regional, subregional and bilateral arrangements to the prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes”. I also wish to thank the briefers on the important topic.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The practice of unabated continued annexation and expansion of settlements is untenable, and if we well value the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, we must show true and consistent commitment to their just cause by acting with a sense of urgency.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“As we approach the seventy- fifth year since the Nakba, and as a just peace seems ever more remote due to rising dangers, the Security Council has a duty to prevent another such catastrophe, put stop to genocide, protect vulnerable people and pursue justice before it is too late. The responsibility of the United Nations towards the resolution of the question of Palestine is a permanent one. We therefore support and have full respect for all United Nations-mandated processes geared to bringing about a resolution to this complex question. The consistent flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian and international human rights law denies the Palestinian people their most basic rights.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We are attuned to the realities faced by the Palestinian people and cannot ignore them. They cause us deep pain, and it is for this reason that we make yet another urgent appeal to the international community, foremost this Security Council, to act. The occupying Power must be held to account for continued actions that are in violation of international law, international human rights law and the resolutions adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly. The Palestinian people should not wait any longer for their freedom, justice and an opportunity to peacefully coexist in a contiguous State in accordance with the pre-1967 borders.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The primacy of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people is central to resolving the question of Palestine. The right of the Palestinian people to self- determination is universally established and enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Our commitment to the United Nations Charter compels us to hold Israel accountable for the 56-year Israeli foreign occupation, which is also universally established. This occupation can be viewed through several prisms, including that of entrenched and systematic racial discrimination and persecution. As a country with a lived experience of colonial occupation, Namibia has a clear understanding of what constitutes apartheid, and the illegal colonial occupation that Israel is committing by all accounts constitutes apartheid.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The United Nations has been seized with the question of Palestine since 1947, when, through General Assembly resolution 181 (II), the Assembly decided to partition Palestine into two States, one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem placed under a special international regime. In this way, for the past 76 years — I repeat, 76 years — the United Nations has recognized a two-State solution in accordance with 1967 borders as the path towards just and lasting peace. In charting this path to peace, the General Assembly and the Security Council have adopted a broad range of resolutions that condemn Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem, calling it illegal and calling for a just and lasting solution that takes into account the legitimate concerns of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Allow me to congratulate the Russian Federation on presiding over the Security Council this month and for having convened today’s important meeting. I join speakers before me in welcoming Foreign Minister Al-Malki to this timely meeting, and I equally wish to thank the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process for briefing us earlier. I wish to align my statement with the statement delivered on behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and with the statement to be delivered on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Today’s open debate takes place against the backdrop of a year marked by a continuation of injustice, intensification of conflict and expansion of settlements.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Indeed, it is imperative to integrate gender perspectives into institutional reforms in post- conflict countries for the full realization of Africa’s longer-term vision in order to prevent the burden of armed conflicts and armed violence from falling onto the next generations of Africans.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We therefore strongly believe that the international community should be actively engaged in partnership with Africa to provide assistance in the areas of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, including for their adequate funding. Further efforts are needed to build institutional capacity to address the economic, social and humanitarian dimensions of post-conflict peacebuilding and to mobilize the needed attention and resources for individual countries. Finally, Namibia welcomes the progress being made in increasing the participation of women in peace negotiations and leadership roles towards resolving conflicts in Africa.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“As Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, and throughout our tenure on the AU Peace and Security Council, Namibia remains committed to advancing the peace-security-development nexus through dialogue, mediation and political consultations in our region and the continent, in line with the African Union’s aspirations. Namibia wishes to underscore the critical importance of peacebuilding as a foundation for sustainable development in Africa and the need to adopt a comprehensive, integrated approach to peace and development at the national and subregional levels. We would like to draw particular attention to the importance of Sustainable Development Goal 17, on partnership, in all our efforts towards building a more peaceful and prosperous world for all.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Understanding and addressing the root causes of armed conflicts in Africa to foster development, as well as the motivations that underline the radicalization leading to violent extremism, is crucial. Considerable emphasis must therefore be placed on good governance, infrastructure development, industrialization, agricultural modernization and the promotion of entrepreneurship, as well as on addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality. Those dimensions are crucial, bearing in mind the trends with respect to the continent’s changing demographic profile, its broader socioeconomic and environmental conditions and their subsequent impacts on sustainable peace and security.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“That represents a threat to longer-term recovery, reconstruction and development. With greater transparency, which could be achieved by better sharing of information within the continent, it may well become much easier to detect and disrupt illicit arms flows. International and African regional instruments that include legally or politically binding obligations and commitments provide an essential basis for preventing the proliferation and misuse of arms in Africa. There is a need for their scrupulous, systematic and inclusive implementation. Building national capacity for such action requires more dedicated international assistance in many countries.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Curbing illicit financial flows will make it more difficult to illicitly acquire small weapons, thereby contributing to silencing the guns. To us, “Silencing the Guns in Africa” is not merely a slogan. It is a priority that responds to the hopes and dreams of our continent and a critical aspect of the African Union’s decisions and partnerships for the socioeconomic development of Africa. It entails working hand in hand with all partners to make peace a reality, end human rights violations and effectively manage and prevent humanitarian disasters, including genocide. Incidents of illicit arms flows and diversions of arms continue to be recorded across the continent, in defiance of the AU and regional measures in place and the Security Council resolutions designed to prevent them.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We commend the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen international foresight and capacities to identify and adapt to new risks by providing leadership on the development of a New Agenda for Peace, as we believe strongly that there is a need to reconfigure the global peace and security architecture. Namibia also believes that it is critical to recognize the links between all the threats to peace and security in Africa. They include socioeconomic and climate challenges, combined with illicit financial flows and criminal activities, which further fuel conflict and instability across the continent. Illicit financial flows facilitate illicit flows of arms, particularly small arms and light weapons, to non-State actors such as rebel armed groups, terrorists and criminals.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Both organizations should clearly outline their roles according to their comparative advantages, including in peacekeeping in Africa. Africa has taken ownership of its security and development challenges and responses. Through its current membership on the AU Peace and Security Council and in its capacity as the incumbent Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, Namibia has endeavoured to make its humble contribution to strengthening the regional and continental peace and security architecture. During the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations in 2020, Member States pledged to strengthen global governance for the sake of current and succeeding generations.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Today’s meeting is another opportunity to applaud the enhanced cooperation and continued partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations, which represents an exemplary model of cooperation aimed at ridding Africa of conflicts and creates conditions conducive to growth, development and integration on the continent, as encapsulated in our continental objective of Silencing the Guns. My delegation appreciates the value derived from the continued partnership between the United Nations and the AU in all areas of peace, security and development, under the auspices of the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and the framework for the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s timely open debate, bringing into focus the value of integrating the development and security nexus at a time when the African continent is experiencing, on the one hand, protracted conflicts and a surge in the menace of terrorism and violent extremism, and on the other, multiple socioeconomic challenges. Namibia has strongly advocated for focusing on the inextricable link between peace and development. Peace remains an important precursor for development, and in turn, development cannot prosper without peace.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The injustice can be resolved only by implementing the parameters that have already been identified according to international law, United Nations resolutions and past agreements between the parties to fulfil the promise of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State, based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital and where the Palestinian people can realize their freedom and live in peace, stability and dignity. A just and lasting peace is the answer.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“From this Chamber, the Committee invites all Member States to attend this year’s commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to be held on 29 November in the Economic and Social Council Chamber. Let us use that solemn event to reiterate our steadfast commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Seventy-five years on from the partition plan by the General Assembly, it is high time to achieve justice for the Palestinian people. The Committee will continue to fully support all efforts to achieve the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The international community, including members of the Security Council, must act immediately to prevent the further deterioration of an already fragile situation. The only way forward is through visible progress towards a political horizon that puts an end to the Israeli occupation and brings about the realization of the rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination and independence, as well as a just solution for the plight of the Palestinian refugees. Palestine must become a State Member of the United Nations. It must take its rightful place among the international community. The people of Palestine need our solidarity.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Violations of international law, human rights abuses and violence push back the day when Palestinians will be able to enjoy their inalienable rights and achieve independence. It is imperative to restore calm and create the right conditions on the ground to bring about a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question — a key to sustainable peace worldwide. We welcome the recent signing of the Algiers declaration on national reconciliation by Palestinian factions, which constitutes a step towards national unity and the holding the long-awaited legislative and presidential elections in Palestine. We thank the Algerian Government for facilitating that important agreement. However, more work needs to be done. The status quo is unsustainable.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“A land, air and sea blockade is not the answer. We note with appreciation the international community’s generous contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); however, the Agency remains in dire need of sustainable and predictable funding to meet the urgent needs of millions of Palestinian refugees and thereby contribute to stability in the Middle East. We urge Member States to renew UNRWA’s mandate when it comes to the vote during the current session of the General Assembly, as well as to continue their financial support to the Agency, including the possibility of expanded United Nations budgetary support to ensure the continuity of its vital humanitarian programmes.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We call on Israel, as the occupying Power, to uphold its obligations to the Palestinian people in line with international law, including their basic civil rights and right to the freedom of expression. We also call on Israel to reverse its baseless decision to outlaw six Palestinian civil society organizations for being so- called terrorist organizations. We further call on Israel to fully lift its illegal 15- year blockade on the Gaza strip and to cease obstructing efforts to strengthen the foundations for a Palestinian State that coexists with Israel in peace and security. That includes putting an end to all policies that have resulted in the de-development of Gaza, which is paramount in reversing the steep deterioration of the socioeconomic situation in Gaza and undoing the fragmentation of the Palestinian people.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We call on Israel, the occupying Power, to adhere to its obligations, to reverse the trend towards the dispossession and forcible displacement of Palestinians and to halt the transfer of its own population to the occupied territory, which it continues to systematically carry out in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. Settlements and annexation are simply not the answer. The Committee condemns, in the strongest terms, Israel’s relentless targeting and shrinking of Palestinian civil society space. Civil society organizations are a pillar of democracy, and their ability to operate freely is a prerequisite for an inclusive society.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Such illegal actions reinforce hopelessness, undermine the viability of a two-State solution along the pre-1967 borders and are a flagrant obstruction of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. In her first report to the General Assembly, Ms. Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, notes the legality of the Israeli occupation as it has “proven not to be temporary, is deliberately administered against the best interests of the occupied population and has resulted in the annexation of occupied territory” (A/77/356, p.5).”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The consensus is clear: such provocative rhetoric and actions inflame tensions and threaten to ignite yet another needless cycle of violence. The Committee reiterates that the historic and legal status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem must be upheld and respected by all parties. The ongoing expansion of illegal settlements and settler-related violence needs decisive action. Last week, Israel approved hundreds of new settlement units in northern Jerusalem, adding to the plight of Palestinians, who suffer discrimination and dispossession in their own city, in flagrant breach of international law and the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Israeli military raids in Jenin and Nablus, as well as other areas in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, are exacerbating an already dangerous situation and leading to the killing and injuring of more civilians, including women and children. There is no justification for killing civilians. We urge an immediate lowering of tensions and the exercise of maximum restraint in full adherence to the law, including international humanitarian law, and reiterate the imperative of ensuring accountability for unlawful and excessive use of force, in accordance with international law. Violence is simply not the answer. The situation in Jerusalem deserves renewed attention. Repeated provocations and violations of the historic and legal status quo by Israel, the occupying Power, at Al-Aqsa Mosque must end.”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Mr. Gertze: On behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I congratulate Gabon on its successful presidency of the Security Council during October. I also thank Mr. Wennesland for his briefing. The Committee is alarmed by the dangerous escalation in Israeli military raids across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. That is dramatically destabilizing the situation and taking us further away from international consensus to achieve a just peace in the Middle East, as outlined in international law and countless Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, most recently in Security Council resolution 2334 (2016).”
2022-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9174Resumption1 (2022) · source
“A more comprehensive approach that takes security into account alongside the removal of structural inequalities across society is required. For as long as there is inequality based on gender in our societies, and without the full participation of women in society, neither peace nor prosperity can be ensured over the long term. The meaningful participation of women measurably strengthens protection efforts and deepens the effectiveness of peacebuilding.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In this regard, my delegation would like to reiterate that the need to better integrate considerations concerning small arms and light weapons (SALW) into the women and peace and security agenda remains a priority. We encourage States to consider how to integrate SALW control in their national action plans on women, peace and security. We also call on the Security Council to support the collection of data on small arms and light weapons, disaggregated by age and sex. For the full implementation of the women and peace and security agenda to occur, the full and meaningful participation of women in the political, economic and social aspects of States and societies also needs to occur. The inclusion of women in traditional security institutions alone will not help to ameliorate the gaps in implementation.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In this regard, through the establishment of the International Women’s Peace Centre in my country, we have taken on the challenge of further conceptualizing and operationalizing women’s influence in peace processes. Through general advocacy for the women and peace and security agenda, networking and partnerships, and through capacity-building and training, the Namibian Government has remained committed to elevating Namibian women to full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes. The proliferation of armed groups and small arms and light weapons continues to play a key role in the outbreak and escalation of modern armed conflicts, which now consist largely of internal conflicts and civil wars.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The resilience of Namibian women during our country’s 30-year-long struggle for independence from the apartheid South African regime lies at the core of Namibia’s early and engaged involvement in the initiation of resolution 1325 (2000) 22 years ago. Not only did women provide food, shelter and moral support, but they also led political initiatives, including through petitioning international organizations such as this one in the 1970s, essentially challenging old beliefs and binary stereotypes of active males versus passive females. Namibia continues to maintain an active and engaged leadership role in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Namibia thanks you, Madam President, for organizing this important open debate on the issue of women and peace and security. As we commemorate the twenty-second anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) this month, we are encouraged, as always, by the overwhelming support for this agenda item. Violent conflict disproportionately affects women and girls, intensifying pre-existing gender inequalities and discrimination. Women are active agents of peace in armed conflict, yet their role as key players and change agents of peace remains largely unrecognized. Acknowledging and integrating their different understanding, experiences and capabilities into all aspects of peace operations is essential for sustaining peace.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We call on the Security Council to maintain the momentum regarding discussions related to climate and security, as that nexus poses the next frontier of emerging threats for the world.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source
“Given Africa’s political commitment to countering the effects of climate change, we urge the Security Council members to support those efforts through investments in climate-information services and disaster risk reduction, including early-warning systems and adaptation measures for critical sectors, and by creating the necessary frameworks that will enhance risk analysis, capacity-building and operational response. By strengthening the capacity of African Member States to develop more integrated responses to climate-related security risks, we empower African countries to lead the dialogue on their own security threats with full local and regional ownership. In conclusion, let us be proactive on this discussion. Climate change and its threat to peace and security is no longer a far-fetched tale of a fictional dystopian world.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source
“African countries have demonstrated the necessary political commitment to fighting climate change. By 2021, all African countries had submitted their revised nationally determined contributions. Furthermore, the African Union, through its Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, has played an exemplary role in bringing attention to climate change issues at the level of Heads of State and Government. The Committee has been providing political leadership and strategic guidance on Africa’s discussions on climate change by advocating for a common African position on climate change. That approach has ensured coordination surrounding climate decisions, including on migration and security.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source
“Despite the fact that developed countries have been the largest contributors to climate change, its costs are borne by the poorest communities and countries, mostly developing countries. Those countries are the most dependent on climate-vulnerable sectors and have the least capacity to adapt. We therefore call on developed countries to take the lead in raising both mitigation and financial ambitions in the fight against climate change. Africa needs support for climate-resilient technology to support the economic future of countries like Namibia that depend on agriculture, but are faced with challenges, such as adverse weather patterns and scarce water resources. While the Security Council has been cautious regarding such discussions, let us recognize Africa’s leading response to the threat of climate change.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source
“Desertification is a silent, invisible crisis that is destabilizing communities on a global scale and whose effects are increasingly felt globally as victims become refugees, internally displaced people and forced migrants or turn to radicalization, extremism or resource-driven wars for survival. Today land restoration and mitigating the effects of drought can contribute to better security, since the disenfranchised populations can enjoy prosperity arising from land-based jobs, better food security and better health. The arid and dry-land scenes of desolation and deprivation that we witness today can be turned into oases of peace, stability and prosperity tomorrow.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source
“However, in triangulating the link among climate change, conflict and development, we can clearly recognize how climate change interacts with other intervening variables, such as social, political and economic marginalization, water scarcity, food security, resource competition, low economic development, population displacement and migration, among other things. When debating the security dimension of climate change, the Security Council has not always been forthcoming in establishing a direct link between desertification, land degradation and drought and ongoing violent conflicts in Africa. It is no coincidence that 100 per cent of migrants moving towards Europe from Africa and the Middle East region during 2015 came from highly vulnerable dry lands.”
2022-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9150 (2022) · source