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

“A couple of weeks ago (see S/PV.8714), the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe said that Ukraine remains the most pressing security challenge on the European continent. As highlighted in previous briefings by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, there has been some progress since President Zelenskyy took office and the last Normandy Four summit. The prolongation of the special status law, the repair of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, the exchange of detainees, the written agreement on the Steinmeier formula and additional disengagement areas and new crossing points have been agreed but still need to be implemented. However, I want to come back to the main point made by my Russian colleague. He accused Ukraine, saying that it had not implemented the Minsk package of measures.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Five years ago, the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements was adopted in Minsk and, as my Russian colleague underlined, were then put into resolution 2202 (2015) as an annex. The Normandy format has been active since then and met again at the highest level only a few weeks ago to make sure that the situation improves. Since the Minsk agreements five years ago, the situation has stabilized to a certain degree. There has been no further Russian occupation. However, the situation is still bad, although there have been fewer civilian casualties. I agree with what Heidi Grau said earlier with regard to each and every victim of this conflict being one too many.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“I must briefly go back in history to recall the Memorandum on Security Assurances in Connection with Ukraine’s Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, concluded between Russia, Ukraine and others in 1994, whereby Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a guarantee by Russia of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Six years ago, when the Ukrainian President fled Kyiv after he refused to agree to a European Union Association Agreement and there was public unrest, there was volatility in the country. Russia took advantage of the situation. It invaded Ukraine and occupied and annexed a part of it. Among other things, a Russian Buk anti-aircraft missile was responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17 and the death of 283 civilians.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Germany would like to welcome to the Council all the briefers, in particular Ms. Heidi Grau and Mr. Halit Çevik, who follow their Swiss and Turkish predecessors, Heidi Tagliavini and Ambassador Apakan, to whom I would also like to pay tribute today. I welcome the fact that Russia requested a meeting under this agenda item today, since today marks the five-year anniversary of Debaltseve. I will come back to that. Today is a sad day for international law and for Ukraine and its people.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“A sustainable solution can be achieved only by political progress, as agreed upon in resolution 2254 (2015). There is no sustainable military solution. The current offensive in Idlib must stop. In my national capacity, let me say that I add my voice to those who are deeply concerned about the recent escalation and the attack by Syrian regime forces against a Turkish observation post, which led to the death of several members of Turkey’s armed forces. I would like to underscore that such escalation is unacceptable.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“We also condemned the attacks perpetrated by Security Council-designated terrorist groups. However, counter-terrorism efforts can never absolve the parties from respecting their obligations under international humanitarian law. Despite the dire situation in the north-west, we should not forget the north-east. A total of 2.5 million out of 4.1 million inhabitants rely on humanitarian assistance. Safe, durable and unhindered humanitarian access is essential. As we heard in the Council last week, words have to be followed by deeds. We call on the Syrian regime and Russia to ensure the protection of civilians and to comply with international humanitarian law. We call for an immediate and fully observed ceasefire and full humanitarian access to all people in need.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“Civilians have the right to be protected from the horror of war, and warring parties have the obligation to ensure their protection. Once again, we recall that there are humanitarian obligations that need to be observed. There are rules to warfare; we should not forget that. More than 80 per cent of the people in need in the north-west are women and children. As the World Health Organization stated on Monday, at least 53 medical facilities are currently out of order. Providing help for the 2.9 million people in need of medical assistance becomes increasingly difficult every day. One of the main reasons for that is the ongoing bombardment of civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools. Those attacks are totally unacceptable. We, the co-penholders, condemn the violence and call for accountability for those responsible.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“As the Security Council, we must fulfil our responsibility to protect human life. More engagement, not less, is needed. We remain deeply concerned about the safety of the 4 million civilians in north-west Syria. The ongoing military offensive causes immense human suffering, death, displacement and destruction in the midst of winter. Families are literally left out in the cold, without protection, proper health care or shelter. Children are forced to leave school and spend their precious childhood fleeing from one uncertainty to the next. People flee with nothing more than the clothes on their back. Where do they go? The density of the population at the Turkish border increases every day because people move north to escape the fighting. Humanitarian assistance — for example, temporary housing — is urgently needed.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“More than 580,000 people have been displaced by the recent offensive around Idlib. Six thousand five hundred children are forced to flee every single day, totalling 300,000 since the beginning of December 2019. In Idlib, at least 53 medical facilities are currently out of order. Those are recent and truly shocking statistics from various United Nations official sources — not from the Internet or based on fake news. They are reliable and trustworthy sources. The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, recently said that public interest in the war in Syria has decreased significantly although violence, once more, is on the rise. As co-penholders, we will do everything to shed light on the humanitarian consequences of the war in Syria.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“I deliver this statement on the humanitarian situation in north-west Syria on behalf of the co-penholders, namely, Belgium and Germany. At the outset, let me thank our briefers, Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock, for their insight into unbelievable human suffering. Idlib is becoming more and more a symbol of carnage. Just a week ago, Mr. Lowcock described the humanitarian catastrophe (see S/PV.8707) in facts and figures. We do not see any improvement. Instead, numbers increase day by day, the suffering is compounding and we continue to stand idly by. From 1 February to 4 February alone, 34 civilians were killed, including nine women and seven children. Eighty-three civilians were killed in air strikes and ground-based strikes between 20 January and 30 January. Among them were 20 women and 33 children.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8715 (2020) · source
“As I said before, we congratulate our Ukrainian friends on implementing the Minsk agreements. With regard to the statement of our Russian colleague, I missed a mentioning in it of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, where Russian rockets brought down a plane, killing 298 people. We all remember the Russian rebels celebrating the successful downing of the plane. To date, there has been no compensation paid by Russia regarding the victims of that incident.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“I am still a bit speechless after having listened to the fairy tale of our Russian colleague. I am under the impression that, if we continue our discussions about Ukraine, one day our Russian colleague will say that Ukraine invaded Russia and not the other way around. I hope that next time our colleague mentions the implementation of the Minsk agreements, he will finally react to what actually happened after the signing of the Minsk agreements, the most important provision of which was an immediate ceasefire, which was not upheld by Russia. Instead, Russia continued the fight against the city of Debaltseve. That was at the beginning of the implementation of the Minsk agreements and made it very difficult subsequently to convince the Ukrainians to believe in those agreements and implement them.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“They are continuously harassed and intimidated and their work is obstructed. We condemn the continued threats and restrictions of movement against the SMM. Those actions occur predominantly in the areas not controlled by the Government, that is, the areas invaded by Russia. We call on both sides to ensure unhindered access for the SMM, which continues to deserve our full support in carrying out its important mandate. I recall the briefing (see S/PV.8516) in April 2019 by the outgoing Chief Monitor of the OSCE SMM, Ambassador Apakan, who also confirmed the difficult circumstances under which they are operating and the fact that they were harassed primarily in the occupied territories. In that context, I deplore the difficult situation that OSCE finds itself in and note that SMM instruments were also attacked.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Together with France, Germany continues in the Normandy Format to ensure that the situation improves, and some progress was made at the Normandy Four summit on 9 December in Paris. We appeal to all sides to continue to implement the results of the summit. In that connection, I would like to congratulate President Zelenskyy on what he has done since assuming office with regard to the bridge and the implementation of the Steinmeier formula, as well as other gestures he has made. I also appeal to Russia to adhere to the Minsk agreements. As the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office mentioned earlier, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is the OSCE’s flagship operation. I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the observers, who are working under difficult circumstances.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Germany truly appreciates the fact that the Chairperson-in-Office’s first visit, very early on, was to Ukraine, where he visited Stanytsia Luhanska, whose bridge has on many occasions been the subject of discussions here. I recall our appeals to both sides to reconstruct the bridge to alleviate the plight of the people. It is wonderful that this is happening, and I thank the Chairperson-in- Office for the message he sent by going there. Germany remains committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is now six years since Russia invaded and annexed parts of Ukraine, the Crimea, and it still occupies part of Ukraine, in flagrant breach of international law.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“I would highlight all of those points and, in particular, one issue that is very close to our heart — that is, both the role of women in promoting the participation of women in Government and peace talks and protecting them, especially from sexual violence. I would like to focus on the first part of the presentation of the Chairperson-in-Office. The work of the OSCE is making a difference on the ground. We very much appreciate the fact that he focused on the protracted crises in the territory of the OSCE. He mentioned the Caucasus and reminded us of Moldova and Transnistria, where Russian troops remain, in violation of the 1999 Istanbul OSCE summit commitments. We can only promote and support the OSCE’s efforts. Over the past six years, the OSCE has invested more in Ukraine than in any other country.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Germany therefore very much promotes the partnership between the two organizations, which, after all, share fundamental principles and — as the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office stated — defend multilateralism, which is under threat. Germany engages financially and provides personnel to the OSCE, which we chaired in 2016. Germany also fully supports the programmes and thematic issues highlighted by the Chairperson-in- Office, including defending fundamental human rights, preventing violence against women, promoting good governance, as well combating anti-Semitism, organized crime, counter-terrorism and the spread of small arms.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“It is an honour to have here the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). I think it is very rare that the Security Council meets a person who is at the same time a basketball player, an artist, a Prime Minister and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. I welcome him to the Council. I followed very carefully what he said about the OSCE. He concluded by underlining the principles of the OSCE, which remain as valid today as when the organization was founded. Germany is a founding member of the OSCE and has been very supportive of what it believes to be a key organization. We also subscribe to what the Chairperson-in-Office said about the OSCE and the United Nations being natural partners.”
2020-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8714 (2020) · source
“Germany was very reticent about the lifting of the sanctions, not because we do not support the Government but because we are not yet convinced that the measures taken to secure weapons are sufficient. Some around the table have mentioned examples of weapon theft and looting, which has led to devastating repercussions in countries of the Sahel, other countries in Africa, in Afghanistan and elsewhere. It is for that reason that we are so reticent about lifting that embargo. The right conditions must be in place.”
2020-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8713 (2020) · source
“Spleeters, in his briefing, and others have said that States are under obligation to secure their weapons. An export control system that grants export licenses is needed. Tracing mechanisms are also required. In particular, embargoes and sanctions that have been agreed upon in the Chamber must be implemented and respected. I would again like to raise the issue of Libya. It is unacceptable that, in spite of the sanctions agreed upon by the Council, some States openly violate the embargo — and we see the effects of such actions in Libya every day. Lastly, I would like to briefly turn to the discussion we had in the Council a few days ago on the sanctions imposed on the Central African Republic (see S/PV.8712) .”
2020-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8713 (2020) · source
“With regard to what should be done now at the operational level, I agree with the remarks made by the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, who just said that it is now time to update resolution 2220 (2015), which we adopted in 2015. Secondly, several speakers have already said it, and I agree, that we must support regional activities. I would also like to congratulate Africa on its very important Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative, as well as on its regional activities. The representative of France just mentioned the Franco-German initiative on small arms and light weapons in the Western Balkans, which is essential for that region and can be replicated in others. Thirdly, we must request that States meet their obligations on the issue. The representative of China, Mr.”
2020-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8713 (2020) · source
“Nakamitsu and others explained very well that small arms and light weapons have consequences for sustainable development, terrorism and organized crime but also, in particular, women and children. I would like to echo all those who stressed that issue and requested the increased participation of women in discussions on this topic and, more generally, that women be included in all negotiations and talks concerning conflicts. With regard to the dimension, the French representative has just said that every year there are some 500,000 victims. By our estimation, there is a victim every 15 minutes, which perhaps adds to the number. It is unacceptable.”
2020-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8713 (2020) · source
“Mr. Heusgen (Germany) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also congratulate your predecessor, the Ambassador of Viet Nam. I commend your choice of the important topic that we are discussing today. It is a topic that is also very close to our hearts. Lastly, I commend Mrs. Nakamitsu and the Secretary- General for his report (S/2019/1011), which Germany strongly supports, including its conclusions. As Mrs. Nakamitsu said, first and foremost, it is an issue that is specific to almost each conflict. I therefore think that it is important that, in our deliberations when we discuss mandates, we include the specific aspect of small arms and light weapons in the mandates. Secondly, it is also a thematic issue. Mrs.”
2020-02-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8713 (2020) · source
“As a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Germany underlines its interest in the universal application of UNCLOS, which sets out the comprehensive legal framework for the conduct of all activities in the oceans and seas, including the implementation of arbitration rulings.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“Accordingly, we strongly support the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, established by the Human Rights Council, and its important work. We would also respectfully encourage ASEAN member States to seek further avenues, by way of regional cooperation, to effectively address such events in their region and to prevent their recurrence. Speaking of conflict prevention, which was also highlighted by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, I would like to pick up on what the Secretary-General of the United Nations mentioned, namely, the situation in the South China Sea.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“Myanmar) and the report of the Independent Commission of Enquiry, which were both released last week, we again urge ASEAN member States, the Government of Myanmar and the Myanmar military to ensure full accountability for all crimes and severe human rights violations that took place in 2016 and 2017. Impunity for those crimes must end. Returning to the statement by the ASEAN Secretary-General, in which he mentioned several times the promotion of women, an issue that I would also highlight and support. During our presidency of the Security Council last year, we worked together with the members to adopt resolution 2467 (2019), on sexual violence in conflict and accountability for perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence. We believe that accountability must be ensured and that a survivor-centred approach to justice has to be adopted.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“We welcome ASEAN’s growing commitment to finding solutions to the Rohingya crisis. We encourage and support ASEAN in capacity-building at the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. I would again like to pay tribute to my Indonesian colleague, who has been very active in that area. With regard to upholding international law and the United Nations Charter, in the light of the decision of the International Court of Justice with regard to the case Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“Germany also firmly believes in adhering to the United Nations Charter, the international rules-based order, human rights and accountability for violations of international law and international humanitarian law. We encourage ASEAN to embrace the universality of human rights in its regional policy. Germany and the European Union stand ready to work with ASEAN to share lessons learned. In his statement, the Secretary-General also mentioned the situation in Myanmar and the challenge posed by the Rohingya crisis. We take note of a very encouraging statement, which was released on the occasion of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers retreat a month ago, in which ASEAN acknowledged “the need for ASEAN to be more visible and to play an enhanced role in supporting Myanmar”.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“We now seek a strategic partnership with ASEAN. I listened closely to the contributions of ASEAN to the United Nations. I think that it has become increasingly clear from our many discussions that regional partnerships are important. We talk at length about the partnerships between the African Union and the United Nations and the EU and the United Nations. The ASEAN-United Nations partnership is also very important and can still be strengthened. My Indonesian colleague mentioned some of the areas in which cooperation can be strengthened, from security to climate change to disaster management. I would like to make a couple of points and start with the remarks of the Secretary-General pertaining to commitment to the United Nations and to the Charter of the United Nations.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“As a young diplomat, I remember working with the German Foreign Minister at the time, Hans- Dietrich Genscher, whose close friend was later the President of Indonesia, Mr. Habibie, who, as Minister of Research and Technology of Indonesia, was one of the promoters of ASEAN and of cooperation between the EU and ASEAN and Germany and ASEAN. President Habibie passed away last year. He was a very close friend of Germany. According to our notes, today we— Germany— have been the primary development partner of ASEAN since 2016. We signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in November 2019. We therefore happily remain a strong ASEAN partner. Turning back to the European Union, at the same time, we have always promoted cooperation between the European Union and ASEAN. That cooperation developed over time.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, for putting this item on today’s agenda as the culmination of your presidency. I must say that I was very impressed when I heard the remarks of the Secretary-General with respect to the achievements of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the years, in particular in economic terms, but also in other areas. At this stage, I would like to welcome all ASEAN Ambassadors present in the Chamber. The development of ASEAN was always very important to Germany. After the Second World War, it was key for Germany to integrate into the European Union (EU) in 1957. That was perhaps the best thing that happened for us. On the basis of the experience of European integration, we always promoted ASEAN cooperation.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8711 (2020) · source
“As my Indonesian colleague said earlier, we are here to save lives and, by sending that message and adopting a draft resolution that has weight, we will show the population that we stand with them. Secondly, it will send a very strong message to the spoilers, because Security Council resolutions are legally binding under international law. I urge all those around this table that have been dragging their feet to now forge ahead and adopt a draft resolution as soon as possible for the benefit of the people in Libya.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8710 (2020) · source
“Thirdly, I also wish to appeal to those who have influence over the Libyan parties to activate the Joint Military Commission, as that is long overdue. All those with influence should spare no effort in that regard and implement the other follow-up mechanisms that were agreed in Berlin. Fourthly, I listened very carefully to Mr. Salamé repeat an appeal that we have made on several occasions in the Security Council following the Berlin conference: that the Council should rapidly adopt a draft resolution that endorses the outcome of the Berlin conference, which would serve two functions. First, it will send a signal to the people of Libya that the Security Council will not abandon them.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8710 (2020) · source
“He highlighted the unfortunate suffering of civilian victims due to the parties not adhering to the ceasefire, thereby breaching the truce that they committed to in Berlin. Women and children are once again among those most affected. Secondly, I also share in Mr. Salamé’s dismay that certain countries that committed in Berlin to refrain from interfering in the armed conflict and the internal affairs of Libya are among those that are now delivering weapons, foreign fighters, ammunition and advanced weapons to the parties. I share Mr. Salamé’s anger and disappointment at the cynical behaviour of those States. As several speakers already mentioned, such behaviour represents a flagrant violation of international law.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8710 (2020) · source
“Let me first thank all those who have highlighted and supported the Berlin conference and the subsequent process. I wish to reaffirm that the conference was held exclusively in the interests of the Libyan people and in support of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Mr. Ghassan Salamé, in their efforts to bring peace to the country. Therefore, my intervention will be very brief, as we continue to support what Mr. Salamé is trying to do. At this stage, I would like to thank him personally, as well as his team, for their unwavering commitment to the Libyan people. First, I wish to state that I wholeheartedly share his frustration about the present situation.”
2020-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8710 (2020) · source
“All efforts related to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 and the Commission of Inquiry have to be supported to ensure that none of the crimes and atrocities committed during the Syrian conflict goes unpunished and that all perpetrators are held accountable. That is what we need if we are to achieve national reconciliation and sustainable peace in Syria.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“Lastly, I wish to reiterate a point that I make here regularly and one which it still does not seem that our Russian friends understand. If we want to have lasting peace and reconciliation in the country, we need accountability. We need to establish responsibilities for the horrendous crimes that have been committed and we need accountability. Only that can serve as a basis for reconciliation in Syria. By the way, with regard to allegations of Germany applying double standards on the humanitarian front, my country is among the largest humanitarian aid donors to Syria.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“The Syrian regime has called ordinary citizens terrorists in order to create a pretext for their arrest and torture. Since last August, when we dedicated a Council meeting to the issue of detainees and missing persons (see S/PV.8593), there has, unfortunately, been no progress on ending those gravest of human rights violations. To the contrary, those violations continue throughout Syria, even in so-called reconciled areas. We must therefore push the Syrian regime to release the prisoners and ensure that families are informed of the fate of the tens of thousands of missing persons and that the United Nations or the International Committee of the Red Cross has unconditional access to all detention facilities under the control of the regime.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“The Russian Ambassador just spoke about provocations from Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, which may be true, but that does not warrant the indiscriminate attacks that we have been witnessing. A look at the area shows hospitals attacked and destroyed, markets destroyed and many civilians killed. That is why, in our view, the only solution is a political solution. We need to focus on one aspect that my colleague from Estonia just mentioned — the question of detainees. The Syrian regime has arbitrarily detained tens of thousands of innocent Syrians merely because they dared to make use of their freedom of expression. It has tortured thousands of innocent Syrians to death — and we have seen horrible pictures — merely because they dared to ask for political reforms and freedom in Syria.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that we are just taking this for granted and that the international community no longer raises its voice in protest. We must look at the fate of the Syrian children, who have suffered immeasurably. The latest report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic shows that their lives have been cut short by bombs and torture. They have suffered the consequences of detention and schools have been destroyed. Some children in Syria have never had any formal education. An entire generation threatens to be lost. At this very moment, children in Idlib are dying and being displaced and, in some cases, recruited to join armed groups.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“I have said before that if our Russian friends would stop providing military support to the Syrian regime for only two or three weeks, the Syrians would run to the Constitutional Committee, be constructive and come to a political solution. The real reason is that there is still the belief that peace, security, stability and the well-being of the people in Syria can be achieved by military means. That is why we see the military advance by the Syrian and Russian forces in the north-west of the country, where the city of Maarat Al-Numan was taken — very triumphantly, we hear. What does that mean in practice? It means that since the conflict in Idlib started, more than 1,500 civilians — including 430 women and 290 children — have died. Over the past two months, an additional 400,000 have been displaced.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“I too would like to thank the Special Envoy and the Deputy Special Envoy, who is here today, for their work and the report. I would like to begin my statement where the Deputy Special Envoy began — with the Constitutional Committee. For us, it is no surprise that, starting with the second round of talks, the Syrian regime decided to obstruct and delay its work. We must recognize that no agreement has been reached. I am not as complacent as my Russian colleague, who said that this was to be expected. I disagree; this should not have been expected. The conflict should have a political rather than a military solution.”
2020-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8708 (2020) · source
“I would like to make a few final points. We very much are in favour of elections in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. It is very important that the Palestinian Government be democratically based. I echo what Ms. Mueller said with regard to the terrible humanitarian situation. In that respect, I would again like to confirm our commitment to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). We believe UNRWA is crucial for regional stability and the provision of humanitarian assistance to schools, health systems and hospitals. To date, no one has explained to me what other agency Palestinians could turn to in order to go to school or to the hospital, if not to UNRWA.”
2020-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8706 (2020) · source
“They are all summarized in the most recent resolution adopted on the matter — resolution 2334 (2016). According to that resolution and previous ones, settlements are illegal under international law. Annexations, which have been announced and are now part of the Israeli election campaign, are a violation of international law. That is also true of changes to the status of Jerusalem. That, too, is a violation of international law. One sometimes forgets that resolution 2334 (2016) is a very balanced resolution, which condemns all acts of terror, violence against civilians, incitement, provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric. Germany condemns all attacks on Israel. The firing of rockets from Gaza is not acceptable. Germany is steadfast in its commitment to Israel’s right to self- defence and its proportionate response to attacks.”
2020-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8706 (2020) · source
“One point I would like to highlight, which is also very important in the context of our debate on the Middle East, is our appeal to Iran to finally recognize Israel and its right to exist. I would like to pick up where the Observer of Palestine ended and remind the Security Council about the debate held a week ago (S/PV.8699). The Council issued a presidential statement (S/PRST/2020/1) in which we expressed our respect for international law and stated that international order must be based on international law. We must respect that statement and implement it. As I have said before in this organ, international law is not à la carte. We are all therefore called upon to implement the resolutions adopted by the Security Council. That is binding international law. Among those there are several resolutions on the Middle East.”
2020-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8706 (2020) · source
“I would like to start where my colleague of Belgium ended, by referring to the common position of the European Union, which will be expressed later in our discussion. As the Ambassador of Germany, I would like to echo the remarks made by the Ambassador of the United States about the Holocaust and the fact that we are commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz. In that context, it is very important for us never to ease up on the fight against anti-Semitism. With regard to the remarks made by my colleague of Israel, I would like to echo what he said about respect for the Iranian people and about the conduct of Iranian policy, in relation to respect for human rights and foreign policy, in support of terrorist movements in the region.”
2020-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8706 (2020) · source
“Griffiths said, we can launch a formal political track. Germany will continue to support Mr. Griffiths and OCHA. We will remain one of the main humanitarian donors. We will also continue to contribute substantially to the Yemen humanitarian response plan. On the political track, we are also ready to support the process by facilitating meetings at various levels.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“With regard to respect for humanitarian aid workers, there are reports that humanitarian aid agencies have been bombed. Prisoner releases continue. We are also very concerned about reports of ever-increasing violence against women and of the repression of women. As we do at almost every meeting, we encourage Mr. Griffiths to insist on the participation of women in political talks. I would like to commend OCHA for all its work. At this stage, I would also like to commend all humanitarian aid workers and non-governmental organizations for continuing to do their very important work in extremely difficult conditions. Let me end by supporting and highlighting Mr. Griffiths’ optimism. I hope that he is right when he says that 2020 will bring peace to Yemen. I hope that a political solution is reached so that, as Mr.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“I would like to highlight the comments made by my Tunisian colleague and the Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The lack of respect for international humanitarian law that we have witnessed in Yemen and in other areas is something we all need to be concerned about. Germany has highlighted that point for the past two years while it has been a member of the Security Council. I would like to encourage OCHA and Mr. Griffiths to continue their work and demand that access be granted to humanitarian workers for the purposes of opening up humanitarian corridors and starting mercy flights. People who are severely injured need help and there are hospitals around the world ready to treat them. It is unacceptable to prevent them from flying there. What kind of barbarism is that?”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source
“He mentioned the military de-escalation and some political progress in Al-Hudaydah with regard to the prisoner release. Nevertheless, there is no reason for complacency. I was appalled when I heard about the attack on the Red Sea Mills, a site we have been discussing over the past couple of years and which my American colleague also mentioned earlier today in her statement. Those responsible for these kinds of attacks show an incomprehensible degree of cynicism and barbarism. The OCHA Director, my American colleague and the Ambassador of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines all reminded us that we are still facing the largest humanitarian crisis on the globe, with more than 15 million people in need of humanitarian aid. We therefore continue to be concerned.”
2020-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8704 (2020) · source