YouSaid · the spoken record

Hadjichrysanthou

lines on the record: 31
first: 2022-04-13
most recent: 2023-07-14
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“In that regard, the full, equal and meaningful participation and involvement of women in all efforts for the maintenance of peace and security is a sine qua non for the full implementation of the peace and security agenda, including in addressing conflict-related sexual violence. To conclude, Cyprus remains committed to continuing to work with the international community to strengthen the global response to conflict-related sexual violence in order to protect and empower women, girls, men and boys, in all their diversity.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“As a country that has experienced the atrocity of conflict-related sexual violence first-hand, Cyprus attaches great importance to the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence and joins calls to accelerate efforts towards their elimination. In that regard, Cyprus has adopted action plans and strategies related to gender equality, including legislative measures, highlighting and promoting the positive role of women as agents of change. It is imperative to address the root causes of sexual violence in conflict settings and of gender-based violence, which is deeply rooted in historical inequalities that perpetuate the problem.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The international community also has an obligation to ensure accountability for such crimes when national institutions are unable or unwilling to do so. The Security Council must use all tools at its disposal to support action against conflict-related sexual violence as a tactic of war. A survivor-centred approach must guide all our actions and responses to conflict-related sexual violence. We should always take into consideration that survivors are not a homogenous group. They have different needs and perspectives that we need to take into consideration in addressing the trauma that victims, survivors and their families are experiencing, including by ensuring access to medical care and psychosocial support.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“In that regard, Cyprus joins others in calling all parties to armed conflict, including non-State armed groups, to cease acts of sexual violence against civilians immediately and completely and to implement action plans to prevent and address sexual violence, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law and all relevant Security Council resolutions. Prosecution and accountability are key to ensuring long-lasting peace. Therefore, we need to strengthen legal procedures at the national, regional and international levels, ensuring that all victims of sexual violence, particularly women and girls, have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice. Addressing the culture of impunity is our common responsibility.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We note with concern that women and girls, constituting the majority of the victims of conflict- related sexual violence, are disproportionately affected by the gender digital divide. Cyprus recalls that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide. Conflict-related sexual violence is a peace and security issue and an impediment to the restoration of peace, requiring specific operational and policy responses. These heinous crimes should not remain unanswered and cannot be addressed in isolation. Member States have obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It is their responsibility to prevent and address such violence, protect and support survivors and bring perpetrators to justice.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Despite the progress made since the unanimous adoption of resolution 1820 (2008) by the Security Council in 2008, the abhorrent crime of conflict-related sexual violence continues, and impunity, regrettably, prevails in many cases. Victims and survivors are often living ashamed in the shadows, awaiting justice and redress. We are deeply concerned about the growing use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture and terrorism, including the severity and brutality of such incidents. Numbers cannot lie and are only the tip of the iceberg, since many cases remain unreported. These heinous crimes of conflict-related sexual violence can also be facilitated and promoted online, utilizing digital channels.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“At the outset, I would like to thank the British presidency of the Security Council for the timely organization of today’s meeting on the important issue of conflict-related sexual violence, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict for her insightful briefing. We reiterate our full support for her mandate. We also congratulate the members of civil society, who made invaluable contributions today. My delegation fully subscribes to the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union. I would like to make some additional remarks in my national capacity. Cyprus strongly condemns gender-based violence in all its forms and manifestations, online and offline, including all acts of sexual violence against civilians in armed conflict.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378Resumption1 (2023) · source
“It is our collective responsibility to amplify our efforts in achieving the full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) and adopt gender-sensitive approaches to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. Now is the time to translate our commitment to action.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Cyprus welcomes all 105 national action plans that have been adopted in relation to resolution 1325 (2000). Cyprus is one of those Member States, as we adopted our first national action plan in 2020. The action plan to be implemented for the period 2021 to 2025 consists of four pillars — first, women’s participation and empowerment; secondly, protection; thirdly, prevention and, fourthly, advocacy. Cyprus is determined to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and provide equal access to opportunities, including in the peace and security agenda. As we move towards the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we have many challenges to overcome.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“It is widely recognized that women have an indispensable role to play in the women and peace and security agenda, especially in prevention and conflict resolution. Still, we are experiencing a gap between the adoption and the full implementation of the women and peace and security agenda. The gloomy reality is that women are still excluded from peace processes and negotiating tables, which is detrimental to the efforts to achieve lasting peace and prosperous societies. Without the full, meaningful and equal participation of women in decision-making structures and negotiation processes, there is a risk that this objective will remain unaccomplished. In that regard, more actions are needed at the national, regional and international levels for gender mainstreaming and the inclusion of gender issues in the global agenda.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“It is undeniable that women and girls continue to be dramatically affected by armed conflicts; their rights are violated, and they are excluded from decision-making processes related to peace and security. Furthermore, we are witnessing the rise of conflict-related violence around the world. Women and girls continue to be exposed to sexual and gender-based violence — online and offline — while these acts of violence remain in many cases unpunished. In this regard, we need to step up our efforts as States. Sexual violence in conflicts cannot be addressed in isolation, nor can it be separated from the status of women and the deeply rooted inequalities afflicting them. Perpetrators of these acts should be held accountable, and justice must prevail.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“First, allow me to thank you, Madam President, for organizing today’s very important debate on the eve of International Women’s Day. My statement complements that of the European Union, to which we fully subscribe. Almost 23 years have elapsed since the unanimous adoption by Security Council of resolution 1325 (2000). This was a historic moment, as it was the first time the Security Council recognized the role of women in peace and security. As we come closer to the twenty- fifth anniversary of the resolution, it is imperative to take stock of what we have achieved so far, but mostly to consider where we need to be by 2025 for the resolution’s full implementation. Despite positive steps and progress taken since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), we are sliding back.”
2023-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9276Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We have a collective responsibility to cultivate a culture of accountability to deter the commission of future crimes. Failure to do so will only undermine international peace, since it will embolden authoritarian regimes to commit more crimes.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We also stress the role of the International Court of Justice as an accountability mechanism for State responsibility under international instruments, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Cyprus recognized the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in 1988 and we encourage all Member States to do the same. Accountability through fair trials for the most serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law is the cornerstone of international justice. We must continue to build on the progress that international law has made so far and strengthen the rule of law through an effective and robust international criminal legal system. Above all, we must do better in enforcing the rules and utilizing the institutions we already have.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Security Council members are kept informed of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the situations on its agenda. In that regard, they can and must ensure accountability through referrals to the ICC if credible accountability mechanisms are lacking. Furthermore, the Council needs to ensure the timely execution of the Court’s decisions and of ICC arrest warrants in particular. Cyprus also believes that the time is right for the International Law Commission’s draft articles on crimes against humanity to be enshrined in an international treaty. The draft convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity presents an opportunity for the international community to coalesce around a common denominator and demonstrate collective action for atrocity crimes.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Today we therefore have a solid international criminal justice system, which includes national courts, ad hoc international tribunals and, notably, the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is an integral part of the international rules- based order and the central institution in the fight against impunity and in the pursuit of justice. Cyprus, itself a victim of aggressive war without any ensuing accountability, remains a strong supporter of the ICC and will continue to work for the universal ratification and full implementation of the Rome Statute, including the Kampala amendments on the crime of aggression. Cyprus believes that full cooperation between the Court and the United Nations is crucial.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union, as well as with the statement of the Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine, and we would like to make some additional remarks. The 1945 International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg established the bedrock principles of international law, such as individual accountability for crimes against humanity and war crimes, and above all it achieved clarity about aggressive war, which now constitutes an international crime. The body of law created in the aftermath of the Second World War decisively changed the course of international law and the protection of human rights.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Finally, before concluding, I wish to refer to the inextricable link between peacekeeping and the protection of civilians. We consider this component to form part of the mandate of every peacekeeping operation, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of host countries to protect civilians, and we would like to see the reporting and other capacities of peacekeeping operations enhanced in that respect.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Many of those civilians endure daily violations of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to privacy and family life, education, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and property rights. Moreover, the persistent harassment and intimidation of civilians often indirectly result in the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of an area’s indigenous population. Fourthly, accountability and the administration of international criminal justice for serious crimes is another area with room for improvement. By default, the Council should consider the referral of such situations to the International Criminal Court. At the same time, the Council should reject peace agreements that include amnesty for atrocity crimes, including sexual violence.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As a country subjected to all the foregoing aspects as a result of foreign aggression, we know just how powerful those phenomena are in upending the lives of civilians and solidifying the effects of the unlawful use of force. Secondly, the number of persons who are missing as a result of conflict is also exceedingly high, and the humanitarian nature of this issue is not always respected. We need better international cooperation frameworks and to strengthen search and identification mechanisms. We also need the Council to build on resolution 2474 (2019), and we need more robust provisions in Council resolutions on situations where the fate and whereabouts of missing persons remain unknown for decades, such as in Cyprus. Thirdly, the issue of civilians living under occupation has been largely overlooked by the Council.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In addition to upholding the prohibition of the use of force and ensuring a ceasefire, the Security Council must use all other tools at its disposal to protect civilians. In that regard, my delegation wishes to highlight the following areas of concern. First, the number of persons displaced by conflict continues to grow, with more than 80 million in 2021. We are particularly concerned about situations of protracted displacement, where we are convinced that the Security Council can take more robust action to ensure the right of return as early as possible, the respect for the property rights of those displaced and the prohibition of settling other populations in areas of forced displacement.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Let me begin by expressing our sincere condolences for the senseless violence in Texas yesterday. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, and wishes to make some additional remarks. We note the small reduction in civilian casualties reported by the Secretary-General in his latest report (S/2022/381). Still, the immense scale of suffering of the millions of civilians who have to survive in dire conditions, notwithstanding the clear obligation of States under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in armed conflict, remains alarming. The ongoing war in Ukraine is a demonstration of the tragic repercussions of conflict on civilians.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In addition, the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance, whose establishment and work we welcome, could go beyond the task of alleviating the current crisis and extrapolate lessons learned to create a blueprint for a comprehensive strategy to prevent and tackle similar situations. The Group’s analysis that 1.7 billion people live in countries whose economies are severely exposed to at least one of the three crises — food, energy or finance — shows how precarious the global situation is. The fact that a third of those people are already poor and 215 million are already undernourished points to a particular failure to account for multiple vulnerabilities. We therefore support a global call for collective action on food security, based on solidarity and the primacy of humanism in international cooperation.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In the first instance, the Council must act to stop the conflict while ensuring that its humanitarian impact on other conflicts is not exacerbated and that the food insecurity it generates does not create new conflicts or unrest. Given the significant reliance on Ukraine’s grain and wheat, we support efforts to reintegrate its agricultural production into world markets for the benefit of the producing country and the populations most at risk. Our planning, however, must incorporate solutions for a scenario in which food production comes to a halt as a result of conflict — something that cannot be excluded. Contingency planning could also seek to align grain stocks with countries’ needs, with particular allocations made to existing conflicts afflicted by food crises.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Through its resolution 2417 (2018), the Council condemned starvation as a weapon of war, reflecting the relevant obligations of States under international humanitarian law, while other related developments include the 2019 amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court that designated the intentional use of starvation of civilians as a war crime, including in non-international conflict. The second challenge remains unaddressed. The conflict in Ukraine, in addition to affecting its own population, has exacerbated food shortages in other conflict and non-conflict situations. It comes on the heels of the disruptions caused by a severe pandemic and the worsening impact of climate change, compounding disruptions to supply chains and increasing pressure on natural resources.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“My delegation is grateful for this timely debate on the issue of conflict and food security, and I would like to add some remarks to those made by the observer of the European Union. While the conflict-hunger nexus is a long- standing one, with millions having been affected for decades by hunger resulting from conflict, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme have reported a significant increase in acute food insecurity in recent years, confirming at the same time that conflict is its main driver. The challenge before us is two-pronged. First there is hunger that threatens civilians in armed conflict, including as a tactic of warfare, and secondly there is hunger that affects populations beyond a particular conflict situation owing to disruptions in the food production and supply chains caused by that conflict.”
2022-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9036Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As a country that has experienced the atrocity of conflict-related sexual violence first hand, Cyprus attaches great importance to the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence and joins calls to accelerate efforts towards their elimination. The crucial role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and the need for their full, equal and meaningful participation and involvement in all efforts for the maintenance of peace and security have been widely recognized, particularly by the Organization. What remains is for that to be translated into practice. Sexual violence in conflict is a grave human rights violation, which constitutes a threat to international peace and security. Curbing the root causes of conflict-related sexual violence is therefore not only a moral but also a strategic imperative.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Yet women continue to be excluded from conflict prevention efforts, post-conflict transitions and reconstruction processes. Post-conflict societies recover and rebuild more effectively when women participate in reconstruction efforts and their experiences in conflict are addressed. Responding to conflict-related sexual violence should include women in developing solutions to the factors that place them at risk. History, including in the case of Cyprus, has shown that the role of women in conflict resolution, post- conflict rehabilitation, reconciliation and sustainable peace is key. At the same time, the violence and degradation suffered by women in conflict situations remain largely unaddressed.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“While conflict-related sexual violence takes place in conflict settings, it still occurs within the broader context of gender-based violence and exists within a global climate of impunity, where gender inequality and women’s disempowerment play a highly significant role in its perpetuation. The second aspect is the primacy of survivors. Survivors should not be a voice alone. They must become the architects of strategies aimed at addressing conflict-related sexual violence. A survivor-centred approach cannot focus solely on providing support or promoting women’s empowerment. It must also address the economic, social and political structures that underpin their disempowerment. Post-conflict situations provide an opportunity for the transformation of societal structures in ways that ensure greater enjoyment of women’s human rights.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“While those are vital, we also need to establish solid prevention measures to stop sexual violence from occurring in the first place. Conflict-related sexual violence is preventable by systematic action. Placing prevention at the core of our approach requires a multifaceted, multi-level and multidimensional strategy that includes addressing the root causes of conflict itself. Investing in strengthening the rule of law and State institutions and in economic stability, infrastructure and social development, as well as addressing deep-rooted inequalities and ensuring women’s participation in all spheres, are central to that approach. At the same time, foundational to a preventive approach would be the recognition of the importance of two particular aspects. The first aspect is the continuum of sexual violence.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for organizing this important debate. My statement complements that of the European Union, to which we fully subscribe. I thank the Special Representative for her report (S/2022/272), and applaud the briefers for their courageous and compelling interventions. Sexual violence as a weapon of war cannot be considered as an inevitable consequence of armed conflicts, even though the history of that disturbing phenomenon is as long as that of war itself. Despite the increased attention to the women and peace and security agenda, we observe that significant gaps remain in effectively addressing the phenomenon. Strategies to address sexual violence in conflict have mainly focused on perpetrator accountability and survivor support after violence has already occurred.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source