YouSaid · the spoken record

Heusgen

lines on the record: 867
first: 2017-10-31
most recent: 2020-11-12
sittings or episodes: 144
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

“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2020/680, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, the Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Uruguay and Viet Nam.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8748 (2020) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay to participate in this meeting.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8748 (2020) · source
“The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2534 (2020). The meeting rose at 10.20 a.m.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8747 (2020) · source
“In favour: Belgium, China, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Niger, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Viet Nam”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8747 (2020) · source
“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2020/679, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2020/524, which contains a letter dated 15 June 2020 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. A vote was taken by show of hands.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8747 (2020) · source
“I note that the representative of the Russian Federation is still able to speak in Russian. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the adoption of the draft annual report. May I take it that the draft report is adopted by the Council? There being no objection, it is so decided. This decision will be reflected in a note by the President of the Security Council, to be issued as document S/2020/666. The meeting rose at 10.15 a.m.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8746 (2020) · source
“I now give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation, whose delegation was responsible for drafting the introduction to this year’s annual report.”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8746 (2020) · source
“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will now proceed to the consideration of its annual report to the General Assembly, for the period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. The draft report has been provided to the members of the Council. The introduction to the draft report was prepared by the delegation of the Russian Federation, with the participation of the other members of the Council. The body of the report was prepared by the Secretariat. I should like to express my appreciation to the Russian Federation and to the Secretariat for their respective contributions. I should like to point out that the draft report was prepared in accordance with the note by the President of 30 August 2017 (S/2017/507).”
2020-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8746 (2020) · source
“Germany is co-Chair of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, and we actively participate in regional cooperation, in particular with the Group of Five for the Sahel, about which my French colleague will say more. In addition, we work on disarmament and arms export control and promote the Silencing the Guns initiative. However, what remains the most important is national action and national responsibility for counter-terrorism and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. It is very important that the values we demonstrate as Governments also strengthen our credibility in the fight against terrorism.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, it is important to include gender equality and a gender perspective in counter- terrorism efforts. We say this frequently — in fact, we said it yesterday in relation to Afghanistan (see S/PV.8742) — gender equality and meaningful participation in decision-making and peace processes are crucial. We should also mention sexual violence. We all remember the horrible acts of Boko Haram, a group that has abducted hundreds of girls. One issue that was new to me in reading the study, and which Mr. Dieye mentioned, is female radicalization. That is also something we have to look at. I do not want to take up too much time. We need to work on regional cooperation. That is clear.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“In other words, poverty does not automatically lead to terrorism, but on the other hand prosperity does not immunize societies and individuals against recruitment by terrorists. Thus, again, the key is prevention, respect for human dignity, the creation of an environment where young people can earn a living, support families and have opportunities for social, economic and political participation. Mr. Dieye also mentioned quality education in his presentation. The UNDP study calls for childhood education “enabling critical thinking, social cohesion, peace education and civic engagement values”. In that respect, what Ms. Mohammed said in her statement about the fact that thousands of schools are closed is rather depressing and extremely worrying because the spaces created in schools are not intended for the individual.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“Dieye that we should bear in mind, and that is that 71 per cent of the respondents in the study he mentioned stated that Government action, including human rights violations and disrespect for fundamental principles such as the rule of law, had triggered their joining a terrorist or violent extremist group. The authors of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study came to the conclusion that “dramatic reappraisal of state security-focused interventions is urgently required, including more effective oversight of human rights compliance, rule of law and state accountability”. We should take that advice very seriously. The study also points out that socioeconomic marginalization fosters radicalization, though it draws the very important conclusion that socioeconomic marginalization is not the main driver of terrorism.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“Dieye mentioned, not enough money is spent on prevention. He gave us statistics on the much greater results yielded by one dollar spent on prevention compared to the large sums spent on crisis response. Of course, the long-term approach of making societies resilient has to be complemented by the work of law enforcement agencies and by security sectors that counter terrorism and prosecute perpetrators. Moreover, it is very important how that is done and how enforcement agencies act, that they be held accountable for human rights and that they respect the rule of law. I would like to pick up a figure cited by Mr.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“Mohammed that there are very complex situations, which necessitate complex solutions — or, as presidential statement S/PRST/2020/5 states, a holistic approach. In terms of what we must do, I see significant coherence in the responses provided by the briefers and other speakers, in particular the representative of the United Kingdom, and that is prevention. It is important to understand the reasons and drivers behind individuals, specifically young people, joining terrorist and extremist groups in order to then enable societies and individuals to become resilient to terrorism and extremist ideologies. What are resilient societies? They are societies that respect the rule of law and human rights, are inclusive and protect rather than marginalize minorities, ensure the meaningful participation of women and provide economic prospects. As Mr.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for putting this very important issue on the agenda of the Security Council. We heard from the three wonderful briefers as they gave a very bleak picture of where we stand with regard to terrorism. Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo mentioned Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida affiliates. Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye mentioned the arc of instability. And Ms. Fatima Mohammed mentioned that whole regions are at war, with infrastructure and livelihoods destroyed. She also mentioned the technological advances by terrorists, with the use of drone techniques, among others. Ms. DiCarlo, as well as others, including Mr. José Singer Weisinger, mentioned the number of victims, reaching into the tens of thousands, who have been killed. I agree with Ms.”
2020-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8743 (2020) · source
“We therefore ask for a strong mandate this year. As the two co-penholders, Indonesia and Germany are united in their determination to ensure that the Security Council continues to closely follow and support the peace process in Afghanistan as an expression of their responsibility as co-penholders.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“Those points are significant and must be implemented. We would have welcomed in the resolution clear references to the Afghan Constitution as well as to human rights and the importance of respecting such rights in general. For us, references to the Constitution and to human rights remain the indispensable basis for the future development of the country. We also stress the significance of the United Nations in the Afghan peace process. We hope in particular that, in this crucial period for the country’s future, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNAMA can soon commence her work. The UNAMA mandate will come up for renewal later this year. It is vital that the Security Council and the entire United Nations remain by the side of the Afghan people, especially Afghan women.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“We welcome the announcement of the negotiating team by the Government of Afghanistan and we hope that outstanding issues on the prisoner exchange can be resolved without delay. With regard to the negotiating teams, and I expressly mean both negotiating teams, it is key that what we always urge in general happens in practice, namely, that women are not a marginal but a substantive part of the negotiating teams. Regarding resolution 2513 (2020), we welcome that it calls for the start without delay of the inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations. It points out that the Security Council does not support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It contains references to the rights of women, youth and minorities. Lastly, it underlines the importance role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“We believe that the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States of America and the Taliban as well as the Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan, of 29 February, can be important stepping stones to peace in Afghanistan, which the country so urgently needs after 40 years of war. On this occasion, I would also like to pay tribute to the Government and the people of Qatar, who over the years have worked very hard to make it possible for that Agreement to be concluded. We also appreciate the very close cooperation with the Government of Qatar in organizing the intra-Afghan dialogue, which is so important in the future, since, for this process to now begin, we call for a rapid start of the intra-Afghan negotiations.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“Our goal remains to maintain the main achievements of the past 18 years, in particular regarding the rule of law and the constitutional and human rights of women, children and marginalized groups. We would like to congratulate President Ghani on the occasion of his inauguration yesterday. His commitment to national cohesion and the formation of an inclusive Government acceptable to all remain key. At the same time, we call on Afghan stakeholders to act responsibly in the interest of the country’s unity and to continue working towards democratic and inclusive governance based on the Afghan Constitution. In particular, we will not accept any parallel Government or the use of force to solve any political conflict.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“First of all, I would like to express our condolences for the victims of the most recent attacks, most notably in Kabul on 6 March. It is sad to see violence flare up again after some days of calm. Those responsible must be brought to justice. Let me affirm once again Germany’s commitment to Afghanistan. Together with Indonesia, we are the co-penholders on Afghanistan in the Security Council but, in addition to that, we will continue to be engaged in Afghanistan as the second-largest donor and troop- contributing country, which is also working hard to support the capacity-building of the Afghan National Police. We will continue to stand by Afghanistan’s side.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“Germany will continue to support the country through development aid. Just a few weeks ago we released a $5 million contribution to the UNMISS/United Nations country team reconciliation, stabilization and resilience trust fund, which supports community-based programmes, addresses underlying causes of conflict and provides socioeconomic incentives for peace; we would like to encourage others to join us.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“We must not allow impunity for the many crimes have been committed, including violations of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law and gross violations with regard to sexual violence. So my plea is to continue with the good work being done by the Sanctions Committee. Last but not least, let me also add my voice to those who have thanked Mr. Shearer and, through him, the entire UNMISS team and all humanitarian actors. We thank Betty Sunday and, through her, all of civil society for their brave work. They are the one who have suffered the most; women and children were the victims of this conflict, which lasted for too long. I would also like to thank the African Union, the regional organizations, South Africa and the Community of Sant’Egidio, which is doing an important job.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Concerning the future of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), again, we have to be careful that there not be a repeat of what happened in 2016, so I think we should keep the mandate as is. UNMISS must continue to support the peace process. Here I would also add my voice to those who have asked the Government of South Sudan not to put any restrictions on the movement of peacekeepers. On the mandate, the first priority needs to be the protection of civilians, and therefore I also support what Mr. Shearer said with regard to the mobility of peacekeepers and the support for the rule of law. On the sanctions regime, we must look at it to see if the lists have been updated, but I would warn again against getting rid of the sanctions. The sanctions were imposed for a reason; to achieve reconciliation, we need accountability.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“South Sudan is a rich country, but at the same time, as we heard from the representative of the United Kingdom and other countries, including Germany, millions are spent every year to support the country. So I think that what we can demand is actually that there be more financial oversight and transparency. Just to give the Council one concrete example from the public report of the Panel of Experts, the Ministry of Petroleum does not publish the names of the companies bidding to buy South Sudan’s crude oil. We know the crude oil, of course, is the country’s key source of income. So concerning impunity, the fight against corruption and ending exclusion, I can only subscribe to what Ms. Sunday said with regard to the need for a greater role to be played by civil society and also freedom of the press; that is key for a functioning State.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“However, I would also like, because members all sit on the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan, to look at the report of the Panel of Experts. The Panel reports regularly to the Sanctions Committee about the lack of transparency with regard to the funds released for the practical implementation of the peace agreement. It would be good if there were not this lack of transparency and the funds actually went into the training camps in the containment areas. We heard from Ms. Sunday about the situation on the ground in the training areas. The Panel of Experts also tracks the illicit exploitation of and trade in the natural resources of Sudan and has noted the lack of oversight of where the funds come from and where they go.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Reports of the International Committee of the Red Cross have noted that the fresh regional violence has erupted and that hundreds of civilians had to flee in Jonglei state. There was a great deal of violence, and that is, by the way, additional proof of the fact that climate change has a direct effect on security, because, as we also heard from the Special Representative, floods destroyed crops and livelihoods and led to communal violence. So what remains to be done? First, and I agree with the programme that David Shearer presented, impunity has to be addressed. There must be a continuing fight against sexual violence; we need to have accountability in that respect. Ms. Sunday also underlined this issue. With respect to corruption, financial accountability and transparency are key.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“I would also urge here, through the Ambassador, that the promise be kept that 35 per cent of ministers will be women. I heard someone say with that with regard to the governors, we are not there yet. I would also urge the Government and the parties to see to it that 35 per cent of the governors are women. The second part of the agreement that has not been implemented yet involves the transitional security arrangements. I would recall what David Shearer said with respect to those arrangements: that in that area we are dangerously lacking and that we must make every effort to ensure that the process works well, that the arrangements are put together properly and that the proper training is provided, in particular with regard to readiness to counter sexual violence. Again, as I said, we need to be worried.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“When coming to the Chamber this morning, I walked with our colleague from South Sudan, who was in a very enthusiastic mood. I asked him why he is in such a good mood. He said, “well, do we not have a fantastic result here?” I said, “well, it was the third deadline that was finally met.” He said, “well, better late than never.” I agreed with that, but we have to recall that where we are today is where we were back in 2016, and in 2016 we also thought that we had a solution for the problem. I think therefore that we would be very well advised if we stay a bit wary. Let me also recognize that the leaders, this time, I would say, put the interests of the country and the people first. We all have to recognize that fact, and we have done so. But, as I said, we have to remain worried. There is still no Government.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Let me end, having seen the Ambassador of Kuwait in the Chamber, by expressing appreciation for what he said about the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq on the Kuwaiti missing. It is very important that, even after so many years, this work continues to be conducted.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“In addition, I echo what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said about the fight against corruption. It is unacceptable that it is, as she said, built into everyday politics. I also echo the call for providing access to humanitarian non-governmental organizations and relief workers. Let me end on the theme, again, of hope. If there is a new Government, if there is good governance, if the new Government allows civil society to flourish, if there is an inclusive electoral process, there is hope for the country and hope for an economic recovery. If the country is kept out of regional tensions, the fight against terrorism and extremism will also be successful.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Hennis-Plasschaert described it, we witnessed abhorrent human rights violations. I can only echo what she and the United States representative said before, the perpetrators have to be brought to justice. We cannot allow impunity. Returning to the theme of hope, we also hope that there will soon be a new Government. The responsible politicians have to overcome the political divisions and indecisiveness in their country. The country needs a united political class. As Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert has said, no prime minister can go it alone. Only when we have a new, strong Government will it be possible to rein in the criminal activities of armed groups, many of whom were responsible for the killings, kidnapping and violence against unarmed protesters and journalists. These criminal gangs have to be dismantled and reintegrated.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“After the very dangerous escalation we all witnessed in January, it is, for us, very important that we now see a de-escalation. We appeal to all stakeholders inside and outside the country to exercise maximum restraint. Iraq must not be dragged into regional confrontations; rather, it should be allowed to focus on post-conflict recovery, reconstruction and growth and on utilizing the economic potential it has, as Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert has outlined. Speaking of hope, the demonstrations we witnessed were also a sign of hope. We witnessed that there is a very vibrant civil society. There are many women now active in the country, which we support. We also support and appreciate the mostly peaceful demonstrations. But it is really unfortunate that we also had to witness the excessive use of force. As Ms.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“I wish the delegation of China well as it takes up the presidency of the Security Council for the month of March. I would also like to thank Mr. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, Permanent Representative of Belgium, for the Belgian presidency of the Council in February, although we did not win a prize. With regard to today’s topic, I welcome the Ambassador of Iraq. We are glad to have him in the Chamber today. We naturally recognize the difficult situation his country is facing. We heard Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hennis- Plasschaert’s account, which was at the same time hopeful and sobering, and I very much appreciate her briefing. I would like to pick up on her theme of hope, which is a theme to which we can subscribe. We hope, first of all, that the country will be kept out of regional tensions.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Instead of making cynical remarks about failing radiators, Russia should invest in and support the humanitarian efforts and assist the people who are suffering under the horrendous attacks by Syria with Russia’s backing. My Minister made it clear yesterday: “[W]e must step up our efforts to find a political solution. A regime that has been killing and torturing its own people cannot bring lasting peace and stability to Syria, and reconciliation without accountability for the terrible crimes committed will not work. Those who continue to fight in this war should finally realize that” (ibid., p. 9).”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8738 (2020) · source
“We also call on the Secretary-General to continue his engagement, and we very much appreciate his presence in the Chamber today, which is proof of his commitment to this issue. We encourage him to personally continue to try to find a ceasefire without delay. A sustainable solution to the Syria conflict — I can only repeat this again and again — can be achieved only through diplomatic efforts. We need to go back to resolution 2254 (2015). We need to reach this political solution under the auspices of the United Nations. The Constitutional Committee must succeed. Instead of investing in bombs, warplanes and fighting, Russia should invest in these peace talks.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8738 (2020) · source
“The Syrian regime and Russia must fully abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and should return to the 2018 ceasefire arrangements and end the hostilities. We also call on Russia to continue negotiations with Turkey to bring about a de-escalation in Idlib and facilitate the start of a political process. We have said this again and again — we need a humanitarian ceasefire and we need it now. Germany, together with France, as my French colleague just said, is ready at the highest levels to work towards that goal with Russia and Turkey. The hope for a lasting ceasefire emanating from the Astana format appears to have been in vain. As others before me have said, the Astana format does not work.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8738 (2020) · source
“There is no military solution to the Syrian conflict or to other conflicts on the Security Council agenda. There are no military solutions; there are political solutions. Whenever these military solutions are undertaken, it is always civilians that are the victims. We see this in Syria, in Yemen and in Libya, where, also today, we saw attacks on civilian targets in Tripoli. The impact of the ongoing air strikes of the Syrian regime and its allies on the civilians in Idlib are abhorrent. I wish to quote German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas who said yesterday in this Chamber: “[I]ndiscriminate attacks against civilians are war crimes. Those responsible must be held accountable” (S/PV.8734, p. 8). He also said, “Conducting counter- terrorism measures does not absolve anyone ... from respecting international humanitarian law” (ibid.).”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8738 (2020) · source
“It was only yesterday that we spoke in this Chamber, and we did not think that we would be meeting again today. But we are witnessing a dramatic escalation in Idlib. The situation is becoming more worrying — more than 30 Turkish soldiers have been killed. Germany strongly condemns the attack. We express our deepest condolences to the Turkish Government and the families of the victims. We stand in full solidarity with Turkey. We see a risk for a wider regional escalation. I can only repeat what we have said numerous times in this Chamber: we demand that Syria immediately stop its military offensive against civilians and against Turkish forces. Further, we demand that Russia end its support for the military offensive by the Syrian regime.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8738 (2020) · source
“It was first and foremost the Syrian regime’s policy of brutal violence, repression and prosecution that caused this conflict and is still keeping Syrian internally displaced persons and refugees from returning home. We all know about the arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence and forced disappearance, extradition, killings of detainees and other grave human rights violations, which are at the origins of this conflict. I would therefore conclude with a plea to our Russian colleague to stop the support of Syria. If he tells the Syrians that there is no longer military support for the Syrian regime, it will have to stop the onslaught against its own population.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“There may be a situation if this continues that we will soon have more Syrians living outside of the country than inside of it, and those who remain are left in a country that is totally destroyed morally and physically. For a peaceful Syria, there is therefore no alternative but to go to a political process, to have the Constitutional Committee work, to have reconciliation in the country, to have, also, accountability for the crimes that have been committed. By the way, in this afternoon’s Arria formula meeting, we will hear from the Commission of Inquiry, which will focus on violations of children’s rights during the Syrian conflict and offer recommendations to all parties to the conflict on the way forward. This is the way we forward. Let us go back to where all of this started.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“We call for an immediate return to de-escalation. We always say that, when it comes to problems, there is no military solution to a problem if sustainable stability is to be achieved. I think we are confronted in this regard with a situation where Syria, Russia and their allies are trying to prove the opposite, that there is a military solution and that control of the territory of one’s country can be recovered by driving out a million people from the area. Overall, there are probably 3 million people in the area, and the attacks are continuing. This has to be stopped if we do not want to end up with the biggest humanitarian horror story of the twenty-first century.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“With the situation is as bad as it is, all we can do is support the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who has called for an immediate ceasefire. I would also echo actually what the representative of the United States has just said: basically, the Astana formula does not work anymore, and the United Nations has to step in. There is no recourse but to support what Geir Pedersen has said and what he is doing, but I also think that it is now time for the Secretary-General also to step up to the plate. It is an immense responsibility that we face here as the United Nations and as the Security Council, namely, to stop what is what is happening. We must spare no effort. We are also concerned about the escalation around the Turkish observation force, and we demand that the Syrian regime stop its attacks against Turkish forces.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“There is not very much I can add to what my American colleague just said and what was said by the two briefers at the very beginning of today’s meeting — this is a nightmare we are confronting. Let me add a couple of quotations to those already cited. In his statement of 17 February, Mark Lowcock himself said that if things continue as they do we are faced with the biggest humanitarian horror story of the twenty-first century. Looking at the pattern on the ground where it appears that the Syrian regime supported by Russia and other allies are primarily targeting areas where a high number of displaced persons have sought shelter, to quote Michelle Bachelet, it is cruel beyond belief that civilians living in freezing conditions are being bombed.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“Since my Russian colleague mentioned my intervention, I would like to give a very quick answer to one of the questions, namely, whether I believed that the separatists in charge in Donetsk and Luhansk were puppets of the Kremlin. Yes, I do believe that.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Someone then said that it was between the Normandy Four, and someone else said that the separatists had to sign, after which Mr. Surkov, the negotiator at the time, said that he would secure their signature. It took him about 10 minutes to get the separatists to sign off on the package. So much for the independence of the separatists from Russia.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“By way of example, 10 days ago the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said on his website that Mr. Pashkov would be the acting Prime Minister of Donetsk. Previously, Mr. Pashkov was the Vice-Governor of Irkutsk, which, to my knowledge, is in Russia. As to the second incident with regard to Russia’s role, according to the Acting Head of the General Administration for Migration Issues of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Ms. Valentina Kazakova, Russia has issued Russian passports to the 227,000 inhabitants of the separatists territories. Finally, let me explain to my colleagues Russia’s influence on the separatists. I was in Minsk, where the agreements were negotiated all night and the Minsk package was concluded.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Paragraph seven specifies the need to “ensure safe access, delivery, storage, and distribution of humanitarian assistance” and also sets forth the agreement that the last Normandy Four format that the International Committee of the Red Cross should have full and unconditional access to all areas of Ukraine. To this day, there has been no access beyond the line of contact. Here too, it is the separatists that have not implemented that provision. In addition, the provision concerning the withdrawal of all foreign armed formations has also not been implemented. Let me finish by touching upon one key point in the remarks of my Russian colleague, where he differentiates between Russia, on the one hand, and Donetsk and Luhansk, on the other. I do not agree with my colleague on this point.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“What we heard today and what happened today is very regrettable. The deaths were a result of the weapons that were not withdrawn in accordance to what is set forth in the Minsk package. The third paragraph of the Minsk package calls for ensuring effective monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). We regularly look at the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) reports, and there it is clear that the restrictions of movement for the SMM are due mainly to what the separatists are doing. Donetsk and Luhansk are responsible for 90 per cent of the documented incidents where Mission monitors cannot do their job.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“In that connection, I would like to repeat what our American colleague just said and what I have said before, but has not sunken in — the first paragraph of the package of measures asks for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire effective 15 February at 12 a.m. On 15 February at 12 a.m., Russian forces were still actively bombarding and attacking the village of Debaltseve, which is of strategic importance. So, from the very beginning, Russia has not implemented the Minsk agreements, and all of the challenges that the Ukrainian Government has had to face in the Rada to get all the laws implemented were related to the fact that Russia could not be trusted because it violated the first paragraph of the Minsk package of measures. The second point of the Minsk package is the withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both sides by equal distances.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source