YouSaid · the spoken record

Grandi

lines on the record: 204
first: 2017-11-02
most recent: 2023-10-31
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“Forced displacement will continue to be with us for some time and we need to manage it well. Some countries have adopted very good approaches, in partnership with donors - some Council members are big donors - but also with development actors, such as the World Bank and the private sector. Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Niger: there are many very positive examples in Africa and there are other examples as well. However, more often than not, support is insufficient. In that regard, I turn to the case of Venezuela. The Council has focused a great deal on what is happening inside Venezuela, and rightly so. I understand that, tomorrow, there will be a special meeting of the Security Council that will focus on that particular issue. In that respect, we are aligned with the rest of the United Nations.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“The Libyan coast guard is not an effective rescuer of people in the sea and the detention of refugees and migrants, under horrific and unacceptable conditions, is still the prevailing mode in the country. I really think that it is important, and we have learned that lesson, to be more strategic at both ends of those long flows. We must look at the root causes and why people are leaving, such as conflict and poverty. In Europe, where people inevitably will continue to arrive, we must try to establish a reception system based on an approach of shared solidarity, in spite of the difficult politics around it. My second point is about host countries. I know that political solutions are not easy in today's world, so we need to be realistic in our expectations.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“Then, if the Council is successful, there will finally need to be unified action to address the causes of conflict. It will be more difficult now, but it will be necessary if we want to avoid a protracted conflict, which no doubt would create further displacement and impede any action on refugees and migrants, with consequences that are difficult to predict. It is good to look at the lessons we have learned in Libya over the past few months. Lots of resources have been put into strengthening the coast guard to stem the flows towards Europe and not much else has been done by way of investment in bringing peace and stability to the country. That has not been effective.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“We tried to gain access, even under the current circumstances, to the detention centre where refugees and migrants are held. We have been able to relocate 150 yesterday or this morning to safety, but that is a drop in the bucket. Libya is indicative of the challenges that we face in many conflicts, for example in Yemen, which the Council discusses so frequently. There are insecurity and access issues faced by our personnel and relatively few resources. The most urgent need with regard to Libya is the Council's unified action to end the current military escalation and its strong call to spare civilians, including the refugees and migrants who are blocked in the country. I echo, in that regard, the appeal made yesterday by the Secretary-General.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“Libya is a case in point and I know very well that it is an issue on the Council's current agenda, given the events of the past few days. Let me talk about Libya from our perspective. As members know, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), we are working not only with internally displaced Libyans, but also refugees and migrants who are stranded there. Many of them fled other conflicts and now find themselves caught in another conflict. Security has always been very fragile in Libya. Now and over the past week, that security and those conditions are reaching a breaking point. We have reduced staff, like the rest of the United Nations. We do not want to leave, if it is possible to stay, but work is very difficult and dangerous. I visited twice and I have hardly ever felt such a sense of insecurity.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“I will quickly focus on three areas: first, a key function of the Security Council - solving peace and security crises; secondly, supporting the countries that host the largest numbers of refugees; and thirdly, working together to remove obstacles to solutions, in particular the return of people to their own countries. First, with regard to working together to solve crises, I will focus on the situation in Libya. However, before I go there, let me recall that, of the nearly 70 million people who are displaced or refugees, most are fleeing conflict. If conflicts were prevented or resolved, most refugee flows would disappear. Still, from where we are we observe very fragmented approaches to peacemaking and very insufficient approaches to peacebuilding. We see a lot of efforts to address the symptoms without addressing the causes.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“It is a crisis for a teenager who wants to flee war, human rights violations and forced conscription. It is a crisis for Governments in countries with few resources that open their borders to thousands of refugees every day. For them, it is a crisis. But to portray this as a global crisis that is not manageable, in my opinion, is wrong. With political will, which Council members represent at the highest level, and with improved responses, as enshrined in the global compact on refugees, which was adopted in December by the General Assembly as resolution 73/151, it is possible and urgent to address those crises. The Security Council has a critical role to play, as I have said in the past.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“Mr. Grandi: I thank you, Mr. President, for inviting me today and for representing a country that has been and is one of the strongest supporters of the refugee cause in your country itself, in Europe and globally. From where I sit, and no doubt from where members of the Security Council sit as well, times are very challenging. I will focus on those challenges seen from my perspective. I would like to flag, at the beginning, a context in which there is unprecedented stigmatization of refugees and migrants, a context in which traditional responses to refugee crises appear increasingly inadequate and a context in which there is a sense around the issue of an overwhelming crisis. I think it would be useful, before we start, to recall for whom this is a crisis. It is a crisis for a mother who is trying to flee gang Violence with her children.”
2019-04-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8504 (2019) · source
“Despite all that they have endured, Abdullah and his family are still holding on to a vision of a future back in Myanmar. They say: "We want to go back but we want the United Nations to accompany us and provide security. We want to go to the village we come from - the same place. We want our belongings and our land. We want our right to move around freely like other citizens." That call must be heeded. It is time to put an end to the repeated, devastating cycle of violence, displacement and statelessness to invest in tangible, substantial measures that will start to overcome the profound exclusion that Abdullah and the rest of the Rohingya community have endured for far too long. It is the responsibility of the Government of the Union of Myanmar, but international engagement and support are key to making it happen.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Addressing the root causes ofthe appalling violence and systemic discrimination that has driven hundreds of thousands from their homes repeatedly over decades, and securing solutions to the current crisis will require substantial support to both Myanmar and Bangladesh. International political engagement, technical expertise and financial resources will be needed on both sides of the border, including for humanitarian and targeted development activities. Preferential trade arrangements, labour and migration pathways, innovative financing, enhanced national partnerships and expanded regional cooperation should also play a critical role. If solutions are successfully pursued, they have the potential to yield significant dividends across the wider region, while helping to prevent extremism, foster stability and spur economic development.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“There, around 120,000 internally displaced people, mainly Rohingya driven from their homes by intercommunal violence, are now in their sixth year of confined encampment. Granting freedom of movement, allowing them to return home and fast-tracking the confirmation of their citizenship would send a strong signal to refugees in Bangladesh that Myanmar is genuinely committed to taking responsibility for their protection and well-being, and to pursuing lasting solutions. As in the past, UNHCR stands ready to work the Government of Myanmar in those efforts, by providing technical advice and support on securing solutions for the internally displaced, voluntary repatriation, and resolving statelessness.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“The recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State are an important blueprint for a peaceful and inclusive future, and, therefore, for the sustainable return of refugees. I fully endorse the two- track approach envisaged in the report: the first focused on access to citizenship and the restoration of rights for the Rohingya, including freedom of movement, access to education and basic services, and to livelihoods; and the second on inclusive development aimed at improving the condition of all communities in Rakhine state, and on fostering peaceful co-existence. Refugees must determine the timing and pace of returns; building their confidence is crucial. Implementing the Advisory Commission's recommendations related to central Rakhine would be a concrete first step.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Humanitarian access, as the Council has heard, remains extremely restricted. UNHCR has not had access to affected areas of the northern part of Rakhine state, beyond Maungdaw town, since August 2017, and our access in central Rakhine has also been curtailed. UNHCR presence and access throughout the state are essential to monitor protection conditions, provide independent information to refugees, and accompany returns as and when they take place. Refugees must be able to return to a place of their choice, including the location where they previously resided. Temporary arrangements should be avoided. As we have seen in Myanmar and elsewhere, they have a tendency to persist for considerably longer than envisaged, and to take on a permanent character.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“In line with my mandate to support Governments to pursue solutions for refugees, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has extended an offer of support to both Governments, including by participating in the joint working group established for its implementation. The framework for return should eventually be defined in a tripartite agreement among the two Governments and UNHCR. Our offer of support remains open. The construction of infrastructure to support the logistics of return is important but should not be confused with the establishment of conditions conducive to voluntary repatriation. An end to violence and the destruction of property, and granting humanitarian access throughout Rakhine state - as called for by the Secretary-General - are critical, basic steps.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Conditions are not yet conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The causes of their flight have not been addressed, and we have yet to see substantive progress on addressing the exclusion and denial of rights that has deepened in recent decades, rooted in their lack of citizenship. But preserving the right of return and pursuing the conditions that will enable it to be exercised must remain a central priority. For that reason, I welcome the dialogue between the Government of Bangladesh and the Government of the Union of Myanmar on the voluntary repatriation of refugees, and the commitment to international standards on the voluntary, safe and dignified return, setf out in the arrangement agreed between them in November 2017.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Education and opportunities to develop skills and earn an income will be critical in order to avoid the deep despair that can set in when refugees are abandoned on the margins of societies. We must ensure that young people retain a vision of a future and that the ground is laid for eventual voluntary return. Failure to do that will inevitably lead to disillusionment and radicalization. It will also expose refugees to protection risks, including sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation. The causes of the crisis originate in Myanmar, and a genuine search for solutions must finally start. At the heart of it all is the restoration of rights, including the right of refugees to return home voluntarily, and in safe and dignified conditions. Let me be clear.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“The Government is steering a massive emergency preparedness effort. Nonetheless, international support must be stepped up to avert a catastrophe. The Kutupalong area in Cox's Bazar is now the largest refugee settlement in the world, with its own character, economy and emerging social structures. As we have repeatedly stated, resolving the crisis means finding solutions inside Myanmar. However, while they are pursued - as they must be - significant support will be required in Bangladesh. Humanitarian action and funding must be sustained but longer-term support will also be required to help the Government reinforce local infrastructure and economy and ensure access to opportunities for refugees and the communities hosting them.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“The Government of Bangladesh, together with highly- skilled national and local organizations, the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies with solid donor support, has mounted an impressive response. Yet conditions remain overcrowded and precarious for many, including for host communities. Disease outbreaks, including diphtheria, have been met with decisive action but remain a significant risk. We are now in a race against time as a major new emergency looms. The monsoon season will start in March. We estimate that more than 100,000 refugees are living in areas prone to flooding or landslides. Tens of thousands of particularly vulnerable refugees must be urgently relocated. Their lives are at grave risk. The foundation of existing shelters must be strengthened; bridges built and reinforced and new land found and made ready.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“"That is why we are suffering now." It has been almost six months, as we heard, since the current rapid and chaotic outflow of more than 688,000 refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh began, driven by violence and destruction, following decades of repression and exclusion. That movement has now been significantly reduced, but it still continues. Already this month, some 1,500 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh. The Government and the people of Bangladesh continue to receive refugees and provide them with protection and support. For this, they are to be deeply commended. With reports of insecurity continuing, as we heard from the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, it is critical that the border remains open and that those still fleeing are able to reach safety.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Forced labour, confiscation of crops and cattle and relentless incremental restrictions on their freedom of movement, their right to worship and their access to livelihoods constrained their existence. Last year his village was attacked. Houses were burned and others in his community, including his own nephew, were shot dead. Hiding nearby, he saw his own his own home torched. He had no choice but to flee again. And he is once again living in a flimsy shelter in Kutupalong refugee settlement, together with his family, despairing at the prospect of never being able to build a safe and stable life. "My decision to return was wrong", he said recently.”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Mr. Grandi: Abdallah is a father of eight from Buthidaung, in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine state. When he fled to Bangladesh in September last year he became a refugee for the third time. The first time was in 1978, when he came to Bangladesh as a young boy, and the second was in 1991. That second time he remained for three years and then, anxious to recover his home and his four acres of land, he returned to Myanmar as part of an organized voluntary repatriation operation. Back home, he and his family started to rebuild their lives. They had seven cows and were able to make a living. But, he says, around two years after his return, "hope started to fade away".”
2018-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8179 (2018) · source
“Council members will recall that UNHCR has also made specific recommendations for tackling trafficking, including by freezing assets, instituting travel bans, disrupting the supply of revenue and materials, and ensuring robust prosecutions. Too often, measures pursued in relation to the Mediterranean routes have centred on how to control, deter and exclude. This can have a dehumanizing effect and, more importantly, alone it does not help refugees and migrants to avoid exploitative, deeply harmful situations. A comprehensive set of political, security, humanitarian, human rights and development investments is needed. The Security Council's attention is welcome because its leadership is critical to ensuring that this happens.”
2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source
“Plans to establish a transit centre in Tripoli are progressing positively. Rescue at sea, in line with international maritime law and human rights standards, remains imperative. Support for Libyan border-management authorities, including the coast guard, must be accompanied by building adequate reception and asylum systems. I commend the Governments of Libya and the Niger for enabling a first transit evacuation by UNHCR of 25 refugees, who will be resettled in France. Additional evacuation platforms, resettlement places and other safe and legal pathways are needed along the entire route. I have called for 40,000 additional resettlement places in the 15 countries affected by these movements. To date, we have indications ofjust 10,500 places - an encouraging but still insufficient number.”
2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source
“Tackling these is linked to progress on political solutions and functioning governance structures. Meanwhile, UNHCR is playing its part, together with the International Organization for Migration. Progress is discernible, though still modest. Security remains volatile and access to key locations is still not possible, yet, working closely with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and with the support of some donors - to whom I am grateful - we are making progress towards expanding our scope of action. We are helping the authorities to address the needs of displaced Libyans and others affected by conflict, which is an important priority. We have also secured the release of almost 1,000 asylum-seekers and refugees this year, and reception and protection mechanisms are being incrementally strengthened.”
2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source
“Compelled to flee, but without legal pathways to safety, refugees are exposed to appalling harm, together with migrants, including torture, rape, sexual exploitation, slavery and other forms of forced labour, which proliferate where governance is weak and transnational criminal networks take root. That requires a comprehensive approach encompassing countries of origin, transit and destination. Strengthening refugee protection and offering solutions along the routes, including in Chad and the Niger, is key. UNHCR is stepping up its work, but dramatic funding gaps persist, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In Libya, some 17,000 refugees and migrants are in detention; many more are held by smugglers and traffickers, who are protected by well-known militias.”
2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source
“Mr. Grandi: The grave abuses perpetrated against migrants and refugees along the central Mediterranean routes can no longer be ignored. I am glad that the Security Council has decided to turn its attention to this compelling matter. More than 116,000 people have crossed the sea to Italy alone in 2017. We should not forget that many of those arriving, or who end up stranded or dying along the way, are refugees who are fleeing conflict and persecution - which is of direct concern to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As I said in my statement to the Security Council just a few weeks ago (see S/PV.8083), the international community's inability to prevent and resolve conflict is at the root of their plight.”
2017-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8114 (2017) · source
“Under-Secretary, for presiding over this meeting. I am very grateful for the fact that several members have invited me to return and brief the Council regularly. I remain available to do so any time the Council deems it necessary.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“I would like to reiterate that with respect to my request for support for our offer to Bangladesh and Myanmar to have a role in the discussion - leading, hopefully, to the voluntary and dignified return of refugees to Myanmar - that offer is put forward in a completely non-political spirit, as is always the case with our actions, in the spirit of being constructive, as mentioned by some delegations, so as to improve effectiveness when the return happens and to ensure that it is conducted on a voluntary basis and according to principle, and that it has international legitimacy. That is the role that my agency can play in that important development if and whenever it happens. I would like to conclude once again by thanking Italy and the Council for having invited me to this meeting and thanking you in particular, Mr.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“We should not forget that Bangladesh is already hosting 200,000 to 300,000 refugees from previous influxes, so it will soon be hosting almost a million people in a very overcrowded part of the country, which I have recently visited. We are, of course, engaged with other humanitarian and development actors in responding to the crisis in Bangladesh.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“I will therefore ask the Council once again - and members have expressedthat sentiment themselves - for support for this important process, through which we really have an opportunity to expand the range of actors involved in refugee responses, especially development actors and the private sector, and to improve the effectiveness ofthose responses and give impetus to the drive to find solutions to the refugee problem. I should like to stress that many Council members have raised, and rightly so, the gravity of the refugee crisis presently affecting Bangladesh, with the refugee flow from Myanmar. 1 also should like to join those who have thanked Bangladesh for keeping its borders open to receive more than 600,000 refugees in the space of a very short period of time - two months.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“As I reported yesterday to the General Assembly, which is more the forum for this type of discussion, we are conducting important applications of this framework in many countries hosting large numbers of refugees, such as Ethiopia, Uganda and many countries in Central America. What we learn from that application and what we are learning through informal consultations with Member States will be brought back to Members through a zero draft of a global compact early next year, for more formal consultations throughout the year in Geneva and eventually here in New York.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“I would like to reassure all members, many of whom have encouraged me and asked me to continue to improve the effectiveness of the work of my organization through internal reforms and participation in broader United Nations reforms led by the Secretary-General, that I can guarantee that that commitment to reform is very real and is already being enacted in practice. As many said here today, the process leading to the establishment - hopefully next year - of a global compact of refugees, parallel to a global compact on orderly and safe migration, will be a further opportunity to improve the type of work that we do and the responses to the refugee crisis through what the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants last year termed the comprehensive refugee response framework.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Mr. Grandi: I will be very brief, Mr. President, as you have already effectively summarized many of the themes that emerged from the discussion today. I would like to thank all delegations, which unanimously expressed support for refugees and for the work ofmy organization, including, in some cases, with very specific examples of support. I would also like to thank the Security Counicl for once again recognizing that refugee problems and problems of forced displacement can be resolved only through political action. I would like to encourage all of the members of the Council to remain focused on such action so that, when I meet the Council again, there will perhaps be a smaller number than the 66 million I reported today.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“I am fully committed to ensuring that the UNHCR plays its role, and I know the same is true of UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other trusted humanitarian partners. But giving hope to millions of uprooted people and avoiding a repeat of the recent massive outflows will ultimately rest on political solutions. We and they, the uprooted people, are counting on the leadership of the Council to help deliver those solutions.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“As I address the Council, millions of severely traumatized children, their lives blighted by atrocities witnessed and deprived of education, are facing an uncertain future. Women are struggling to care for their children on their own, in makeshift shelters with little privacy, with their partners dead or missing. Elderly people see their lives drawing to a close in a country that is not their own. Thousands of people are stranded at borders, frustrated and confused by arbitrary and dehumanizing treatment and new barriers to entry, and suffer deep scars from the persecution they fled and the mistreatment they suffered in their flight to safety. International cooperation has the power to bring about real change to their lives.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“My appeal is that, as the members of the Council focus on the different tracks, hopefully leading to peace in Syria, they do not lose sight of the need to support refugees and countries hosting them. We must resist the pressure for premature returns, as that would be a destabilizing factor in that fragile context. On the other hand, voluntary and supported returns - when the time comes - will be a key contribution to sustainable peace. I wish to share my appreciation to the Security Council for the visits it has undertaken to meet refugees, internally displaced people and other crisis- affected communities. As I am sure those present will agree, listening to their voices is a profoundly moving experience, and also a powerful reminder of the responsibility that we all share to ensure that they are protected and their plight is resolved.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Signs of resilience are starting to emerge, and it is important that those be nurtured, especially if progress on de-escalation is achieved in parallel at the Astana talks. Meanwhile, significant obstacles to sustainable return persist, including ongoing military operations, insecurity and other protection risks; a lack of legal status and documentation; housing, land and property challenges; destroyed shelter and infrastructure; and a lack of services and livelihoods. International protection and support for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries must be sustained during this uncertain period. Yet, funding for refugee and resilience programmes has dropped, with only 49 per cent of the funds needed received so far in 2017. As a result, the situation of Syrian refugees deteriorates and pressures for onward movement continue to grow.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“In Iraq, despite military progress, grave protection challenges, including new displacement, forced evictions and revenge attacks, must be overcome to prevent further displacement and allow for return. Investments in security have prevailed so far, and with reason. Peacebuilding, recovery and stabilization are now critical to bringing communities together and guaranteeing a conflict-free future for a diverse nation. In Syria, civilians continue to bear the brunt of major military confrontations at key strategic locations. Meanwhile, fragile ceasefires and shifts in territorial control have restored relative calm to some parts of the country. Although there has been substantial new displacement, many internally displaced people and much smaller numbers of refugees have returned home this year, often to places devastated by the conflict.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“The support of the Security Council for that effort will be important, but what is crucial is to break the political stalemate. The announcement by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development of a high-level revitalization forum is welcome. I urge the Council to press further for time-bound, meaningful actions that can bring about a joint ceasefire upheld by all parties and the full and inclusive implementation of the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. I fear that failure to do so will mean that humanitarian efforts will soon reach their limit and more people will die. Finally and linked to my last point, protection must be sustained while solutions are pursued, including through support to host countries. Here, I turn to Iraq and Syria, where we are moving into a new and complicated phase.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“In South Sudan, the promise brought by independence has been tragically squandered. One-third of the population is displaced and abandoned by its political leaders. Two million South Sudanese refugees are now in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Sudan and Uganda. More than half a million arrived this year alone. The pressure on host countries is immense. The situation of the 2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan is also dire. More than 200,000 live in overcrowded, poorly serviced protection-of- civilian sites. Together with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, we are trying to identify alternative solutions so that the displaced can start to carve out a more stable existence.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Progress on citizenship for the stateless Rohingya is absolutely crucial, as will be community reconciliation and investment in inclusive development, benefiting all communities. The recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State are a recognized blueprint in those respects. It is critical that the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the international community at large work constructively to assist both countries. UNHCR stands ready to provide support and expertise, including through the joint working group discussed in bilateral talks between Bangladesh and Myanmar. We believe that our role is critical to ensuring that international standards are met and returns are sustainable. I seek the Council's support in conveying that message to the concerned States.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Very few displacement situations in the past decade have been brought to a definitive conclusion. One was in Cote d'lvoire. Early, resolute political intervention by regional actors brought to a grave political crisis a close. That enabled more than a quarter of a million refugees and large numbers of internally displaced persons to return home. But that is an exception, sadly. Only half a million refugees worldwide returned home last year. The peace process in Colombia offers hope, but has not yet translated into significant solutions for refugees and the internally displaced. In Myanmar, security and the establishment of respect for human rights and the rule of law in Rakhine state are essential prerequisites for the return of refugees.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Lack of security, especially in Libya, complicates these efforts, but working in coordination with the United Nations Support Mission there, we are expanding our presence and making progress. In parallel, strong, collective action is needed to tackle the horrific abuses perpetrated by traffickers and to identify and prosecute them. I commend the important initiatives already undertaken by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, the European Union Naval Force in the Eastern Mediterranean and others. I wish to ask the Council to also consider the use of sanctions against known senior figures and companies engaged in trafficking. Fourthly, sustainable peace is critical to securing solutions to displacement.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“A third and growing area is addressing complex migratory movements in fragile, unstable situations. These frequently take place where institutions are weak or absent and violent extremism and criminal networks have taken hold. Along the Central Mediterranean route to Europe in particular - stretching from sub-Saharan Africa through Libya to Italy - refugees and migrants continue to face grave exploitation and abuse. Together with the International Organization for Migration, we are working on a comprehensive set of protection and solution interventions in countries of origin, transit and asylum, addressing the drivers of these movements, strengthening the capacity of countries to address refugee and migratory flows, and expanding resettlement and other legal pathways.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“As displacement escalates, we count on the Mission to once again play an important role - for example, in increasing access and enhancing security in Kasai, as humanitarian efforts are scaled up. And, as in other operations, such as in South Sudan, Darfur Mali, and the Central African Republic, peacekeepers contribute to the safety of humanitarian staff and help enhance our access, including through security escorts, health facilities and evacuations. We must preserve the neutral, impartial character of humanitarian action, but these examples show that it is often necessary and indeed possible to work with peacekeeping missions in a manner that draws on our diverse strengths for the protection of civilians we are all mandated to serve. That is a key perspective for the Council to consider in its discussions over mission mandates.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Responding to refugee crises in Africa, generally speaking, continues to be frustrating, as they are often generated by conflicts suffering from a deficit of political attention, and they are made more difficult by a serious deficit of resources. A second area relates to the critical role of peacekeepers. In the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, as in other countries, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in that country has played an important role in enhancing security and enabling displaced people to progressively rebuild their lives. However, fresh and ongoing conflict is driving further displacement. Over 100,000 Congolese refugees have fled in the past year alone, and internal displacement has swelled to over 4 million people - 50 per cent higher than just two years ago.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Ongoing conflict along religious grounds has once again driven over 1 million people from their homes, with internal displacement up 50 per cent since January. I fully support the Secretary-General's call for fresh efforts to build peace through dialogue, and his reminder to the international community to support the courage and resilience of the Central African people. The situation in Burundi also demands renewed attention. There are 420,000 refugees from Burundi in the region. The Government of Tanzania has been publicly encouraging returns, and UNHCR is working closely with both Governments to ensure that these are voluntary, safe and dignified. But without concerted action to build stability inside Burundi, further conflict, as well as internal displacement and refugee outflows, may occur.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“We are making significant progress, but a full response to today's massive displacement can be achieved only through action to restore security, resolve conflict and build peace. I wish to draw the Council's attention to five areas where I see particular scope for the Council's engagement. The first area is prevention. Prevention is possible. Decisive action last January helped resolve a political crisis in Gambia and allowed refugees to return home quickly. We need more such concerted efforts. Early action is critical to addressing the causes of conflict and to avoiding deepening displacement crises. Displacement, on the other hand, is a symptom of a new or worsening crisis. A current example is the Central African Republic.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Many refugee-hosting States, particularly those neighbouring conflict zones, keep their borders open and generously host thousands - sometimes millions - of refugees. But certain States - often those least impacted by refugee flows, and often wealthy ones - have closed their borders, restricting access to asylum and deterring entry. Last year's Summit for Refugees and Migrants, and its concluding New York Declaration, called for comprehensive responses to refugee flows, extending beyond humanitarian action and leading up to a global compact for refugees. Since then, important steps have been taken in pursuit of this vision by Member States, development institutions such as the World Bank, civil society and the private sector.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“The focus is on short-term interests rather than on long- term collective stability. Have we become unable to broker peace? I ask this question here in the Security Council - whose raisons d'etre are peace and security - because I see the direct impact of these failures every day on the lives of tens of millions of people who have been forced to abandon their homes, with grim prospects ofbeing able to return, sometimes for generations. When I meet refugees, their first question is not about food or shelter, but about peace and security - because it is security, and peace, that will convince them to return home. And weaknesses in international solidarity are also eroding protection for those who flee.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source