YouSaid · the spoken record

Haroon

lines on the record: 396
first: 2008-11-19
most recent: 2012-09-20
sittings or episodes: 41
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

“There is no option but to return to the negotiating table. The futility of the use of disproportionate force and unilateral action is beyond doubt. Efforts to create new facts on the ground that prejudice the outcome of negotiations should not be recognized; nor should they be acceptable to the international community. We should also learn from the half-hearted attempts, unfulfilled promises and aborted peace processes that we have so often witnessed in the past. Greater political will is required to bring the parties together and help them engage in a sustained negotiation process - in good faith and without preconditions - aimed at achieving, within a reasonable time frame, a comprehensive agreement on all permanent status issues.”
2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The priority accorded to this issue by the United States Administration - particularly the commitment of President Obama to personally pursue a peaceful resolution of the conflict and his call on all sides to live up to their obligations - has been welcomed by all. I think there is full recognition of the fact that a just settlement of the Palestinian question is central to ending the cycle of suspicion and discord that has undermined peace and security in the Middle East and has also strained the relations between neighbours in this land. The question is how to convert this international consensus into credible action that will bring to fruition this arduous search for peace. What we need is a transformative shift - not only in the political process, but also in the situation on the ground, since they remain interdependent.”
2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Their legitimate aspirations for freedom and dignity and an independent and sovereign State of their own can no longer be held back. While we have to address the immediate human rights, social and economic and humanitarian concerns and needs of the oppressed and besieged Palestinian people in the occupied territories, we must also create the conditions for an early resumption of negotiations and also avoid the risk of renewed conflict and bloodshed, which have so often affected lives for many generations. While little optimism is offered by the political developments in the region and the continuing grave situation on the ground, the international consensus and the call for peace are growing stronger in the new global political scenario.”
2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Mr. President, on behalf of the Pakistan delegation, I would like to congratulate you on your skilful steering of the Council's work during this month. Let me also thank the Assistant Secretary-General for his briefing and update on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, which is one of the most pressing and long- standing issues on the agenda of the Security Council and the United Nations. The statements that we have heard in this debate reaffirm the fundamental interest of the international community in a comprehensive resolution of the Arab- Israeli conflict leading to a just and lasting settlement of the core issue of Palestine. With regard to the latter, there is a clear sense that the current state of affairs remains untenable. The situation of the Palestinian people remains intolerable.”
2009-07-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6171Resumption1 (2009) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to say that the success of peacebuilding efforts will be gauged eventually by the tangible benefits and results on the ground, not merely by the organizational skill that we have to show here. We hope that this debate, which to us is part of the process that began in the Peacebuilding Commission last week, will contribute to that same objective, which is at the very heart of the Secretary- General's excellent report.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Strengthening the Commission and utilizing its full potential is therefore essential in advancing the peacebuilding objectives of the United Nations. For effective responses in the immediate aftermath of conflict, it would make more sense if the Peacebuilding Commission were engaged from the very outset of the involvement of the United Nations, particularly where integrated peacekeeping missions are deployed. The Commission also has a critical role to play in the follow-up to the Secretary- General's report. Full implementation of the report would also entail the engagement and contribution of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“But it would make a lot of sense to devote attention, from the very outset, to mobilizing international resources, especially through better management and the exploitation of natural resources, for the benefit of a country and its people. Peacebuilding is a complex undertaking involving parallel and coordinated efforts on the security, political, humanitarian and development fronts. The United Nations, with its wide-ranging mechanisms, capacity and expertise, is well-placed to coordinate and lead international action in this field - of course, with the support of other partners, particularly the World Bank. We welcome the commitment of the Secretary- General to improve the peacebuilding efforts of the United Nations. The Peacebuilding Commission, with its unique composition and specific mandate, has a pivotal role in those efforts.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The various recommendations contained in the report aimed at generating rapid, flexible and predictable funding would require cooperation and support from Member States, in particular from donors, as well as enhanced collaboration with the international financial institutions, which have not been so forthcoming to this institution in the past and which would need to show more operational flexibility in the assistance programmes for countries emerging from conflict, considering their plight and special circumstances. From the point of view of enhancing national ownership and capacity, it should also be very important that most of the funding also be provided through governmental channels.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Priority should be on identifying, tapping and harnessing the civilian capacities available nationally before resorting to regional or international expertise, as required. I would now like to remind my colleagues of what Mr. Brahimi said in this very Council on 20 May 2008. "We should have as many international staff as we need to get the job done, but not one single staff member more than that. Our goal in the mission, individually and collectively, should be from the outset to work ourselves out of a job." (S/PV.5895, p. 10) The most ominous gap, however, is in funding and resources.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“That requires, above all, the political will and commitment, not only of national actors but also of international partners, to stand behind and implement a common strategy, not one that is divergent. While the latter need to demonstrate more understanding and flexibility to align their support with national priorities and to eliminate conditionalities, the former, on their part, also need to inculcate the required responsibility and values of governance that correspond to ownership and infuse confidence among all partners. The Secretary-General is right in saying - and this is very important - that investment in national capacity-building should be part of the entry, rather than - in that well-known and oft-used phrase - the exit strategy.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We believe that, in order to succeed, that endeavour must be people-centric, responsible to the specific needs and circumstances and designed to reinforce their confidence in and support for the peace process. The central objectives of establishing security, promoting inclusive political processes and reconciliation, delivering early tangible peace dividends and building national capacities for governance, economic recovery and development should all be sensitive to that human dimension of peacebuilding. While there is a fair degree of convergence on the principles and objectives of peacebuilding, the main challenge is to translate it fully into practice. The true test of the Secretary-General's report will be in the implementation of his recommendations.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It comes as no surprise that the report of the Secretary-General is structured around those central pillars of national ownership, with the good governance and honest and sincere purpose that are essential. That must also include international partnership, with sufficient resources and the will to understand, not dominate. Today, peacebuilding is an established component of the comprehensive approach to conflict prevention and resolution. It is a direct manifestation of the interlinkage between peace and development. The general principles of effective peacebuilding are well recognized. As the Secretary-General has observed, it entails a common strategic vision based on clearly defined and agreed national priorities, and coherent and concerted action backed by the required capacity and resources aligned with that strategy.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It is true that the challenges are immense in that period, but so are the hopes and aspirations of the people affected by conflict, who are determined to seize the opportunity of peace and to turn a new page for a better and more secure and prosperous future. That is what must happen. It is those people who have the greatest interest and highest stakes in peacebuilding. It is therefore only logical that they have full leadership and ownership over the process. However, since countries emerging from conflict face complex and fragile situations, and most often lack the capacities and resources to overcome the challenges on their own, it is incumbent upon the international community to help them to lay foundations for sustainable peace and development. That partnership is at the heart of successful peacebuilding.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Drawing on past experiences, a closer review of ground realities and expectations and an extensive process of consultations, the report outlines an agenda that can guide and better inform our collective action in forging more coherent, efficient and predictable responses to the peacebuilding needs of countries emerging from conflict. While the report's focus is on the initial two-year post-conflict period, it is good to note that it addresses a wide range of policy issues and practical tools in a manner that retains the broader and long-term perspective of peacebuilding. But since there is a proven risk of relapse into conflict within the first five years, it is important for the international community to devote particular attention to doing things right in the immediate aftermath of conflict.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Let me congratulate you, Mr. President, on Uganda's assumption of the stewardship of the Security Council for this month. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this discussion of the report of the Secretary-General on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict (S/2009/304). We thank the Secretary-General for his report, which contains an objective analysis of the challenges and opportunities of post-conflict peacebuilding. While the challenges addressed in the report may not be new, the value-added of this report is the fresh perspective and impetus it could provide on the ways and means of addressing these challenges in a more timely and effective manner.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165Resumption1 (2009) · source
“In conclusion, I would once again underscore the evolving nature of the counter-terrorism challenges we are facing and the usefulness of briefings such as those we have had today.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We have also benefited from the visits of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team to ensure effective implementation of the sanctions. Pakistan was a member of the Security Council when resolution 1540 (2004) was adopted. We joined the consensus because we concurred that there was a gap in the international rules relating to the acquisition and illicit transfer of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors. We also agreed that the matter was important and urgent enough to be addressed in an exceptional manner. However, we hoped that the arrangement would not be perpetuated at the cost of the revival and effectiveness of the multilateral disarmament machinery.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It also raises the questions of due process and effective remedy. A number of listings have been challenged in Pakistani courts. The publicly releasable case statements, comprised mainly of questions raised at the time of listing, might not be sufficient to win those cases. We will have to consider exclusive sharing of the verifiable evidence with the courts and the fixation of a time limit for the effectiveness of a listing. In Pakistan, we are doing our best to ensure the effective implementation of the sanctions regime. The democratic Government has left no stone unturned to ensure that those on the sanctions list are subjected to the assets freeze, travel ban and other sanctions elucidated in the relevant resolutions and domestic law.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We hope that one day the Security Council will contemplate combining different initiatives into a comprehensive counter-terrorism sanctions regime. Since the adoption of resolutions 1735 (2006) and 1822 (2008), a lot has been done to improve the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime. The Committee has done a good job by adding additional identifiers to the listing requirements. That will be helpful to ensure the effective implementation of the sanctions and will also reduce chances of mistaken implementation. The biggest challenge to the sanctions regime, however, comes from the increasing number of court cases. The preventive nature of the sanctions makes the listings very simple and enforcement-friendly. However, the legal community is more inclined to favour verifiable evidence that could be acceptable in a court of law.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“On the same account, the CTED had promised to assist Pakistan in the capacity-building area. Our law enforcement agencies are in dire need of basic counter- terrorism equipment, including safety vests, night vision equipment, communications equipment, wireless interceptors and monitors. So far, not enough has been done in that regard. We trust that the Counter- Terrorism Committee and the CTED, under the able leadership of Ambassador Mike Smith, will soon be able to help us further in that area. The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee and its Monitoring Team have been assigned a difficult job. Some difficulties arise from the exclusive nature of the mandate, as there are tendencies to compare the successes of the 1267 sanctions regime with the failures of the resolution 1566 (2004) initiative.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“So far, I am pleased to inform the Council that 128 bank accounts and 747.08 million Pakistani rupees have been frozen on the instructions of that institution. We are implementing the comprehensive international standards embodied in the 40 recommendations and nine-special recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force. Money-laundering has been made an extraditable offence. This was a very important matter that needed to be addressed. We are an active member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and we have also decided to shortly become a party to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. We are also working on other important recommendations of the CTED, although some legal recommendations would require further studies to understand in terms of our own laws.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The team interacted with the representatives of relevant ministries, departments, law enforcement, security agencies and immigration authorities in Pakistan. The team, with its focus on capacity-building - which I think is the core of what needs to be done - and on implementation of Security Council resolutions, prepared a comprehensive report on the visit. The mission and the CTED are still interacting with us on the outcome of that visit. The Government of Pakistan has advanced quite substantially since then. We have initiated legislation. An anti-money-laundering law has been put into effect and has had substantial impact. A financial monitoring unit has been established in the State Bank of Pakistan - our central bank.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The problem is that the people had to move in order to save themselves from being used as human shields by the Taliban and the terrorists. A large number of the people have moved into camps. I am very grateful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Mr. Khalikov of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, who took immediate cognizance of the situation and are in Pakistan already. The announcement by the Secretary-General and the Department of Political Affairs are, for my delegation, a significant contribution and step forward, and with such measures the international community can help us regain some sanity in rehabilitating those people. In November 2006, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) visited Pakistan.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Well then, those so misinformed have not heard of the floggings, the executions, the slitting of throats, the taking away of youngsters of indeterminable age from various parents, or of anything else that could be considered barbaric. The Pakistan Army has moved. Unfortunately, there has been a very heavy dislocation of people in the process, and today over 2.5 million people, more than those displaced at the start of the Afghan situation, have unfortunately been forced to leave their homes and come down from the valleys into a blistering Pakistani summer on the plains, with temperatures varying from 45 to 50 degrees centigrade. It is a difficult situation, with widespread illness and disease, including stomach ailments and so much more, including death caused by heat.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“For too long, we hoped and stood and tried to remedy by international norms what these people were doing to the country, and today, Council members must be well aware that a few weeks ago the people of Pakistan, demonstrating in the streets of most of the country, proclaimed not only their opposition to those terrorists, but also forced their Government to take final action to terminate what those people had started in Pakistan. Today, as all are aware, in one of the most important valleys of the north-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, the Pakistan Army is confronting the Taliban, Al-Qaida and any other terrorists that have made the lives of these people very difficult. There is a common misconception that the terrorists are locally supported.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It deserves our unequivocal condemnation in all its forms and manifestations. The Government and people of Pakistan - our leadership, political parties and everyone else, including the common man on the street - are today facing and confronting the dilemma of terrorism in Pakistan. For too long, we waited for the norms of normal people and normal Governments and laws that are all-pervasive in their naturalness to take over and for these people to realize that what they are doing is not only condemnable, but is rending asunder the fabric of our nation.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I have to say, regretfully, that as this particular menace assumes a new dimension every year, we must face the scourge with ever increasing ferocity. But it is not something that we consider to be new. In the annals of history, very often we see that, as States become more civilized and make further progress and as civilization assumes a far wider foundation, there is a threat that arises from those who cannot keep pace with it or accept the decency, values and laws of civilized nations. Today, when we take a look at what surrounds civilized countries and those who aim to further civilize their countries, we can only say that terrorism has the most obscurantist face that any "ism" can have in this world. But today, we must recognize the fact that it is also an international challenge which, unfortunately, will not go away.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Let me start by expressing my felicitations to you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and on your very able handling of the Council this month. I would also like to remember and thank my colleague the previous President, Mr. Claude Heller, for his excellent work last month. I would like to thank the Chairmen of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for their briefings today. These are valuable briefings that give us a good opportunity for direct interaction between Member States and the Committees. The threat of terrorism today has become a reality of the century.”
2009-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6128Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Furthermore, the injudicious use of Chapter VII creates the wrong impression that non-Chapter VII resolutions are somehow not equally binding. That, in our View, has damaged efforts for pacific settlement under Chapter VI. Experience has shown that Chapter VII measures are not always ideal and may further worsen and complicate disputes. On the other hand, Chapter VI measures seek to resolve disputes in a manner that is harmonious and cost- effective. That builds confidence and fosters respect for the sovereignty of Member States, leading to long- term and sustainable solutions. Member States therefore need to invest more in mechanisms for pacific settlement, promoting and preserving peace, based at all times on the principles of justice and international law.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“We hope that the international community, particularly the Security Council and the Secretary-General, will support this objective of durable peace and progress in our region. In order to have a holistic view, the Security Council should review the extent to which provisions of Chapter VI have been utilized and implemented. Needless to say, we cannot fully succeed in our efforts to strengthen the conflict prevention and pacific settlement dimensions if the Security Council is not able to preserve and reinforce the central obligation of Member States under the Charter to refrain from the threat of the use of force. Without repetition, I would like to endorse the position of the Non-Aligned Movement, especially with respect to the use of force, sanctions and enforcement measures.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The Security Council also instituted several mechanisms, including the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, the deployment of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, and the appointment of United Nations representatives who consulted the parties and submitted reports on how to resolve the dispute in accordance with the provisions of the Security Council resolutions. Those resolutions remain unimplemented to date. And hopes pinned on bilateral dialogue have not been fulfilled either. However, Pakistan remains steadfast in seeking a just and peaceful resolution to the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. We hope that India will agree to the resumption of the composite dialogue process between our two countries.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Closer to home, the Council need not be reminded that one of the earliest applications of Chapter VI of the Charter was in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan after it had been referred to the Security Council. Several Security Council resolutions, accepted by both India and Pakistan, provided that the final disposition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir would be made in accordance with the will of the people, expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“One is Palestine and the other Jammu and Kashmir, which are in ways the victims of such circumstances. It is manifest that those disputes are such that their continuance endangers the maintenance of international peace, security and harmony. On Palestine, the Security Council has been unable to implement its own resolutions, which has been a severe blow to its credibility. As the Council considered this question yesterday, it was evident that a renewed, serious and concerted effort was required to put the peace process back on track and to rebuild the confidence shattered by the recurrent resort to the use of force.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“While many of the recommendations in the report of the Secretary-General are focused on capacity- building and resources, important as they may be, I would like to underline that the effectiveness of mediation and other means of pacific settlement are more a function of factors that are largely political in nature. We may not be able to put the enhanced capacity to any use if, for example, we are not able to generate the necessary political will among the general membership, the members of the Security Council and, in particular, the parties to disputes to accept mediation or other means of pacific settlement and then demonstrate the commitment in good faith to following through with their obligations. Two of the long-standing situations on the agenda of the Security Council need to be mentioned here.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“In our own region, the jirgas, panchayats and other traditional mechanisms are considered useful and time-tested tools for mediation, conciliation and arbitration at the local level. As pointed out in the report, the need for professional mediation assistance is evident. One cannot agree more on the imperative of system-wide capacity-building, leadership and specialization in that field. Maintaining a pool of mediation experts and facilitating their deployment, when required, are recommendations of a practical nature. The establishment of the Mediation Support Unit and the standby team of experts is a welcome step. The requirement of further resources for Secretariat capacity may also be considered.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The United Nations has had some notable successes in the areas of pacific settlement and mediation, including with the support of regional organizations and other partners, particularly in Africa. The emphasis placed in the Secretary-General's report on early engagement and on processes addressing the root causes of conflicts is, in our view, one of the key lessons learned from past engagements. It should be accorded due priority in ongoing and future work, strengthening and making full use of the comparative advantages of regional, national and local capacities, for mediation, conflict prevention, reconciliation and dialogue are essential parts of the wider effort.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“Under its presidency of the Security Council in May 2003, Pakistan organized a debate on the role of the Security Council in the pacific settlement of disputes. In the presidential statement dated 13 May 2003 (S/PRST/2003/5), adopted in that debate, the Security Council, inter alia, underscored that the efforts to strengthen the process of the peaceful settlement of disputes should be continued and made more effective. The special focus on mediation, under the presidency of Burkina Faso last September and with the adoption of S/PRST/2008/36, was an important sequel to the consideration by the Council of the pacific settlement of disputes agenda. Let me thank the Secretary-General for his report (S/2009/l89), which has merits and deserves serious consideration.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The Security Council, in particular, has to make a wider and effective use of the procedures and means for the pacific settlement of disputes, particularly Articles 33 to 38 of the Charter. Indeed, it is that aspect of our work at the United Nations that transforms into action the commitment that we the people made in the Preamble of the Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. In the maintenance of international peace and security, that is what operationalizes the purposes and principles of the United Nations, beginning with Article 1 of the Charter, which, as a matter of fact, encapsulates well our deliberations today. Over the years, Pakistan has followed with great interest and attachment the discussions in the United Nations and the Security Council on the topic of the pacific settlement of disputes.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“May I congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. The Pakistan delegation welcomes the holding of this open debate. I am sure that, under your able guidance, this discussion will be productive and will contribute to our collective efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations in one of its central objectives - conflict prevention and the pacific settlement of disputes. Through the framework and vast spectrum of modalities envisaged in Chapter VI and other provisions of the Charter, the United Nations organs, acting in balance and harmony, can play an important role in preventing disputes from arising between parties, in preventing existing disputes from escalating into conflicts, and in containing and resolving conflicts when they occur.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108Resumption1 (2009) · source
“All Member States must throw their full moral, diplomatic, political and economic support behind its early realization. Indeed, that would have a positive impact on regional and international peace and security and help stabilize other simmering situations across the region. While remaining fully committed to the just cause of the Palestinian people, Pakistan will continue to play its rightful role in the collective endeavour to establish lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The international community needs to refocus its attention and to synergize its energies and its efforts to reinvigorate the peace process of negotiation and to address all core issues for a comprehensive and just settlement and for the durable solution for which the parameters already exist, namely, the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly, the principle of land for peace, the Madrid Peace Conference terms of reference, the road map, the Arab Peace Initiative and the principles set out at the Annapolis Conference. There must also be parallel progress on the Israel-Syria and Israel-Lebanon tracks for a comprehensive peace in the region. In conclusion, an early comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the core issue of Palestine, should be our collective strategic objective.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“But where is the moral outrage that translates itself into something tangible - a meaningful change in the lives of the Palestinians? While Israel deserves criticism, no less responsible is the international community, which is complicit in its inaction. The proverbial water off a duck's back rings true here. The attacks on the United Nations buildings and personnel itself showed complete disrespect. It was not the physical damage caused alone, but the icon that tumbled and crumbled with a lot of innocence inside. The Secretary-General's initiative for a Board of Inquiry is welcomed by us. But we must not lose sight of the larger picture. The general sense of pessimism around the peace process does not augur well.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I think the right to personal movement and unabated settlement activity are creating new aspects on the ground. The continuing inhumane and unlawful siege of the Gaza Strip has transformed it virtually into an open prison, where hundreds of thousands are living lives of abject misery, so near to the Mediterranean and the civilized world of the Greeks, where it all starts from, yet bombed into the Dark Ages. The world at large has witnessed much cruelty, and more cruelty, as a mere spectator: the haunting memories of the devastation inflicted on the innocent population of Gaza, the killing of five sisters through a shot in the window for no apparent reason. I do not know how anyone is going to justify any of that.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I never fully understood the words "one step forward and two steps back" until this particular part of the world proved to me that this is something to be believed. We have seen hopes repeatedly dashed and international incidents created out of relatively small events. We have seen the stark violation of international law and United Nations resolutions. We have seen draconian policies and practices. We have seen the fragmentation and the absolute fracture of Palestinian society. We have seen walls built. Amazingly, the greatest wall in the world, the Great Wall of China, could not keep the marauders out for too long, but certainly kept a lot of people in who could not escape the vicious practices of many empires. Does this create hope? Does this create a better system? Does this create something that the world can be proud of?”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“It is more regrettable because it comes from a people who should be known in history for their resilience, their fortitude and their courage. Those beliefs do not make you weak, they make you strong. But strength does not come through dominating others. That is why a little, defiant David shot the sling that killed Goliath. The issue was, however, that he remained a personable person and remembered that his strength was not to be used to inflict harm on the innocent. That is a lesson we should take from history. The unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict remains a severe thorn in the side of the United Nations and the world community. There is a lack of any tangible process. We hear of the peace process, we hear of road maps. It is amazing.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The one thing that the various books and various prophecies have revealed is the enormous fortitude, enormous patience and enormous caring for the people of God. Are we all not the children of God? We are. Therefore, I feel that this is the time to make the statement that one would expect better. The world looks upon Israel as a role model in the West. How many children do we know in homes across America and Europe who play with little toys that can sometimes cause immense damage? How many do we know about who have actually, through an incendiary device, accidentally killed thousands of people, even in the city of New York? Yesterday they had a day of remembrance for many people who died due to a fire. To retaliate, then, with the might of an empire, with thousands killed in a reprisal, this is regrettable.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“At one stage, after the very horrible persecution of the community, when registers were drawn up in Spain, the Muslim caliphs who at that time ruled Jerusalem invited the first return of the diaspora back to Jerusalem. It was the Ottoman caliphs who reinducted, at a later stage, a member of the community into the Jerusalem council. This is history. I believe that to give this a tinge of a holy war, as I read in the papers today, is a sad, sad statement. It is an even sadder statement because, in many ways, as I have said earlier, some of the very strong leads for civilization come from the Jewish community. Its travails are a part of history. Who has not read Leon Uris? Have we not all sympathized with what happened? Then, if you have faced all this, how can you inflict such things on others?”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“As a person who read about the Warsaw ghettos, who read The Diary of Anne Frank and who enjoyed the great music that they created internationally and the very strong traditions of culture that they brought to the Abrahamic religions and communities as their forerunners, I know that they were in many ways a model of fortitude. Those who had faced an Armageddon surely would know better than to create one. I read in the press recently the statements of young, idealistic soldiers of the Israeli army and saw how they spoke about how a fervour of religious war was encouraged in them to make them go out and face the Gaza Strip and what was happening there. It is a sad day when we play these games that create divisions in the world. I know for a fact that Muslims have a long and old tradition.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“1, too, would like to thank Mr. Lynn Pascoe for his briefing this morning. It is also a pleasure to see you, Mr. President, presiding over this meeting. A lot has been said here today. A lot has been expressed in terms of a lot of hope and in terms of what the future holds. I believe that peace is slowly becoming a word in the world lexicon of diplomacy that actually means "do nothing", and that is a very sad comment on where mankind is headed. I know for a fact that the Jewish community faced a horrible diaspora. I read about it in history. As a historian, the way they were dispersed was abhorrent to me.”
2009-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6100Resumption1 (2009) · source
“The declaration provides a comprehensive framework to take the Pak-Afghan partnership to higher levels in the political, economic, security and social fields. I may mention that, despite our constraints, Pakistan is also making a significant contribution to the reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan. We have pledged $320 million for that purpose, of which $170 million have already been spent on various projects in diverse socio-economic sectors, training, capacity-building and infrastructure. Let me conclude by saying that Pakistan will be the primary beneficiary of peace and stability in Afghanistan, which is also the collective objective of the international community. We hope that today's debate will further promote this objective, to which Pakistan remains deeply committed.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source