YouSaid · the spoken record

Gonzalez Franco

lines on the record: 25
first: 2015-05-13
most recent: 2016-02-23
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-security-council

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“Finally, and without suggesting this is less important, we want to stress the necessary and urgent optimization of resources that should accompany any reformulation of the peacebuilding architecture. We believe that regardless of the modalities for reformulation, it would be unacceptable to think of yet another drain on financial resources without clearly defined objectives and results, as has happened in the past. The international community is already engaged in too many joint efforts, such as achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and a new climate change agenda, to stress only the most important, which require ongoing and increasing efforts in all areas and the maximal optimization of existing and future resources.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“In such cases, we could affirm that, given the absence of such a structure and objectives, the resources of States have not been efficiently used in the context of the weakening and exhaustion of funding sources. We therefore highlight the crucial importance of coordinating efforts to ensure that the effects and benefits of development are linked with those resulting from similar endeavours undertaken on the basis of the guiding principles of peacebuilding, as there is no doubt that the progress made in terms of development will inevitably have the effect of consolidating the prevailing elements that strengthen peacebuilding and improve post-conflict conditions.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“That can be achieved through budgets that are more needs-based, the more efficient management of available financial resources and better- trained human resources, all of this within a modern institutional framework that will enable us to sustain peacekeeping results. But above all, it will enable us to prevent a relapse into conflict. I need not remind the Council that billions of dollars have been allocated for quite some time now by the international community to programmes aimed at stabilizing post-conflict situations, without the necessary conditions for sustainability required to ensure that their effects are perceptible in the medium and long terms.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“But the level of attendance and interest in this debate underscores the commitment that every State made to the task of adapting its structure, procedures and multilateral approach to today's new requirements in order to make them clearly more effective. While the current peacebuilding architecture is barely 10 years old, the pace of events and the results we have achieved have brought us to the realization that where we are now is at the end of a phase. As a nation that promotes peace, we contend that complying with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations demands that we come up with new methods of work that include early warning systems and effective monitoring mechanisms.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“Mr. Gonzalez Franco (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish): On behalf of the Government of Paraguay, 1 would like to congratulate your country, Mr. President, on the way it has led the Security Council this month, enabling us to hold important debates on issues that demand urgent and thorough attention on the part of the membership of the United Nations. Today we meet to discuss its new peacebuilding architecture, an issue that is particularly important considering what a challenge it is to try to achieve settlements, peace and reconciliation for post-conflict societies. One might think that the importance of peacebuilding and its architecture is merely relative, vital only to those countries that endure the tragic experience of conflict.”
2016-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7629 (2016) · source
“We reaffirm that negotiation and political agreements in conflicts represent the best guarantee for protecting individuals and achieving lasting and sustainable peace. We emphasize that that is a matter in which the Security Council must play a major role. Finally, Paraguay reiterates its support for the view that all civilians have the right to be protected, and that, when referring to the most vulnerable, such as children, women or the elderly, the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution should serve as the basic guideline for all actions on the part of parties to armed conflicts.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“We are convinced thatpolitical will is one ofthe main factors needed to ensure that civilians, irrespective of their nationality or any other social, economic, cultural, religious or other condition, are protected and that their human dignity is safeguarded, particularly through respect for, and the enforcement of, international law and accountability, when those laws are violated. We appeal to States, in all situations, when faced with the imperative of military requirements, to always choose the humanitarian imperative to protect. In that regard, we encourage the Council to ensure that such a choice is made at every point in time, irrespective of who the parties to the conflict are.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Not defining a situation as an armed conflict implies the non-application of the norms of international humanitarian law, and can therefore lead to a lack of protection for civilians, particularly the most vulnerable civilians - those who, for the simple fact of being present at the wrong place or time, are trapped in conflicts between States and non-State or transnational armed groups or in conflicts between such groups, or have been subjected to kidnapping, torture, forced recruitment, inhuman or degrading treatment or displacement from their homes and separation from their families.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Such armed conflicts are now the exception. Unconventional conflicts are now the norm and, increasingly, it is civilians who indiscriminately suffer their consequences. ForParaguay,theincreasednumberofunconventional conflicts and the new technologies in no way challenge the applicability of the Geneva Conventions. We believe that the concern of the international community should be focused on developing their provisions and their Additional Protocols, in order to avoid legal gaps that could impede their implementation in given conflicts, which would be mainly to the detriment of the affected civilian population. For that reason, it is vital that the issue of defining an armed conflict be properly debated.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Mr. Gonzalez Franco (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish): Allow me, at the outset, to congratulate the Government of Uruguay on its initiative to convene this open debate on an issue that, unfortunately, is still current, even after the heartbreaking experiences of two world wars and countless armed conflicts. In an armed conflict, the protection of any individual who is not a party to hostilities is an obligation that the States at war cannot avoid, even if they are not parties to the Geneva Conventions, since that obligation is enshrined in international humanitarian law and is of a customary nature. Armed conflicts have been changing. Today, they have little in common with the conflicts of the nineteenth century, which took place on defined battlefields, far from populated areas, and were between armies ofdifferent States.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In the light of that, the Council must renew and strengthen its partnerships with the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies with a view to coordinating policies and efforts so that the Council's conflict prevention may have direct and indirect effects, based on its international peace and security functions. The gradual implementation of the development commitments is especially timely now, given the recent adoption here at Headquarters of the post-2015 development agenda. It is ourresponsibility, togetherwith the international community as a whole, to harmonize efforts towards the gradual strengthening of the progress achieved in development - just as we did 15 years ago with the Millennium Development Goals - and thereby significantly reduce the factors that influence the root causes of conflict.”
2015-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7561 (2015) · source
“I believe that many will agree that the root causes of conflict hamper and sometimes outright prevent the establishment of the conditions necessary for development. Building and strengthening development clearly requires peaceful and sustainable conditions over a relatively long period of time, during which a broad base of inclusion and social justice should develop, including equal access to public services. Moreover, the fostering of an environment conducive to development requires the gradual strengthening of social and political institutions to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, have access to the benefits of development. We must not forget that the Council, per se, lacks functions and mandates regarding development.”
2015-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7561 (2015) · source
“The fact that the Security Council has decided to convene an open debate on this issue not only reaffirms the crucial importance of the principles set out in the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals, wherein Heads of State and Government again reaffirmed that sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security and, furthermore, that peace and security is in serious jeopardy without the essential preconditions of development. There can be no gainsaying the growing role that the Council must play in terms of conflict prevention, through increasingly effective, efficient, decisive and active efforts, free of the operational constrains that could imply a political link, or vice versa, with some root causes of conflict being linked to certain States, or the marginalization of others.”
2015-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7561 (2015) · source
“Mr. Gonzalez Franco (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish): At the outset, allow me to convey my deepest condolences and express the full solidarity of the Government and the people of the Republic of Paraguay to our sister nations of Iraq, Lebanon and France following the barbaric attacks that struck those three nations during the past week, in which hundreds of their citizens lost their lives. Those attacks have once again tested the will and strength of the international community before the implacable scourge of terrorism. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to extend congratulations to the United Kingdom on its presidency of the Security Council, which has facilitated this open debate on security, development and the root causes of conflict - an issue of vital importance to many societies in the current international circumstances.”
2015-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7561 (2015) · source
“However, at various points in the past we have seen this organ heed the concerns of the General Assembly or of non-member States, and in this regard it has incorporated suggestions, proposals or specific contributions to improve, correct or optimize its working methods. That is why we ask that the outcomes of this debate be taken up by the members of the Security Council.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“The Council's working methods must ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of this organ, which will require improving its capacity to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to issues that are vital to the maintenance of international peace and security. Paraguay expresses its firm desire for the selection of the next Secretary-General to be undertaken through a transparent, dynamic and inclusive process in which the Security Council and the General Assembly act in a coordinated and complementary manner. In conclusion, we know that some members of the Council believe that only they have the authority to choose their working methods.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“To this end, these subjects should be made known with sufficient time in advance. With regard to accountability, it is essential to recall that, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the members of the Council act on behalf of all States Members of the United Nations. This implies a particular and special commitment. Acting on behalf of everyone requires responsible action and, therefore, accountability. In this regard, we call for the annual reports of the Council to the General Assembly to contain a substantive analysis and not simply a list of facts or a summary of meetings and decisions adopted. Finally, let us address the issue of efficiency.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“The issue of participation is twofold. The first aspect of participation exclusively involves the States members of the Council, whereas the second involves non-members. With regard to the first, we believe that non-permanent members should participate on an equal footing with permanent members. The treatment of certain items as reserved and withheld exlusively for the permanent members and not to be addressed by non-permanent members is a discredit to the work of the multilateral system and restricts the rights of the latter as members of this organ. With regard to the second, Paraguay feels that measures should be taken to allow non-permanent members of the Council to participate in matters that are addressed by the permanent members, particularly when they involve issues that affect those countries or the Organization.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“Mr. Gonzalez Franco (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish): The Republic of Paraguay takes this opportunity to reaffirm our position on the working methods of the Security Council, as expressed in statements we have made in discussions on reform of this organ. Paraguay believes that in addressing the working methods of the Security Council, the key issues are transparency, participation, accountability and efficiency. Transparency is a feature that should permeate all levels of deliberation and decision-making in the Council. One crucial aspect in that regard is the holding of open meetings of the Council. As the Council works today, open meetings seem to be the exception and not the rule - a situation that prevents non-member States from having any effect on the Council, particularly in the adoption of its decisions.”
2015-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7539Resumption1 (2015) · source
“We also believe that existing mechanisms should be enhanced to encourage the destruction of obsolete and confiscated weapons and ammunition, for which it is necessary to have technical assistance from specific organizations and cooperating countries. In conclusion, we must remember that most of the victims related to small arms and light weapons come more from situations in which ordinary, everyday acts of violence are committed than from war situations, which makes us once again urge the international community to focus not only on conflict and post- conflict situations, but on the causes that allow significant sectors of our societies have access to a huge variety of small arms and light weapons with the tragic consequences that affect our citizens on a daily basis.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source
“There is also a high level of agreement on the predominant role that these weapons play in eroding and destroying societies. They increase armed violence and they undermine respect for human rights in general, and international humanitarian law in particular. The figure of over half a million deaths per year as a result of violent acts - many of them cases in which small arms and light weapons play a role - could continue to grow if corrective measures are not taken. Paraguay therefore considers it important to improve stockpile security systems as well as warehousing for firearms, ammunition and explosives in accordance with international standards.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source
“In that regard, role of international cooperation and assistance is vital, as is the setting up of a mechanism to build trust between States and cooperating entities. In addition, special mention should be given to the recent entry into force, in December 2014, of the Arms Trade Treaty, to which my country is one of the almost 70 States parties. In our view, recognition of this instrument by States is a sign of commitment in the area of disarmament, and in particular, the elimination of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and the serious consequences of their use. There is virtually no disagreement among members of the international community on the tragic consequences of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source
“Therefore, the mechanisms established under the United Nations Programme of Action and other complementary mechanisms are of crucial importance in efforts to counter that threat in a timely manner and to facilitate cooperation among States. The biennial report of the Secretary-General on small arms and light weapons (S/2015/289) is a commendable effort to synthesize the joint efforts taken by the international community to progressively eradicate the illicit trafficking in those weapons. While there are various examples of progress towards the gradual elimination ofthe illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, Paraguay believes that it is necessary to redouble efforts in the control of transfers, marking and tracing, the regulation of brokering and trafficking in border areas.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source
“For us, the fact that the Security Council has decided to organize an open debate onthis matter clearly indicates that there is a need to complement and coordinate efforts with initiatives being taken by Member States in this high-level political decision-making forum, and to link it with other, broader areas, such as the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. The serious scourges that are devastating a number of countries around the world - such as terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, among others are closely linked to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source
“Mr. Gonzalez Franco (Paraguay) (spoke in Spanish): At the outset, I would like to thank Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his report (S/2015/289), I also thank the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Mr. Karamoko Diakite from Cote d'Ivoire for their respective briefings. On behalf of the Republic of Paraguay, allow me also to congratulate you, Madam, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council, making possible this open debate on an issue that is currently of crucial importance to many societies around the world.”
2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source