YouSaid · the spoken record

Holmes

lines on the record: 557
first: 2007-04-04
most recent: 2010-07-07
sittings or episodes: 25
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

“Many speakers have also supported some or all of the practical initiatives we proposed - for example, on sexual violence, on cluster munitions and, in particular, on access, which encourages us to pursue the ideas and to try to turn them into the kind of actions which we seek to pursue in the future. I will not try to respond to all of the detailed points that have been made by individual delegations, but in some cases we will pursue them with those delegations individually, for example, some of the legal points raised by the delegation of Israel, with which we have some difficulty. Let me simply make one or two general comments. First, we have noted the calls for more systematic reporting by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and by myself as the Emergency Relief Coordinator on the question of access.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Mr. Holmes: This has been a long debate and I shall try to be brief, given the lateness of the hour. First of all, let me say that I am very grateful for all the comments we have heard today, the interest in this agenda and the concern for what often appears to be a deteriorating situation on the ground as far as protection of civilians is concerned. I also welcome the strong support expressed by many delegations for the centrality for this Council of the agenda on protection of civilians and a point made by the Secretary-General - its absolute priority.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781Resumption1 (2007) · source
“The United Nations in all its aspects certainly needs to do more to that end, but beyond that, the systematic implementation of resolution 1674 (2006) and the measures contained in an updated Council aide- memoire on the protection of civilians would show real commitment to the millions of victims. That would send a message whose impact would reverberate around all the conflicts that civilians face throughout the world.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“We believe this would help ensure a more consistent application of the aide-memoire and other protection of civilians concerns in the Council's deliberations, for example on the establishment or renewal of peacekeeping mandates and other relevant missions, the development of draft resolutions, and presidential statements. I realize that these are all significant proposals for the Council and its working methods and require further deliberation. Fundamental to the protection of civilians is the resolution of the conflicts which cause their suffering.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Finally, whereas the first years of establishing the protection of civilians on the Council's agenda were dedicated mostly to raising awareness of the issues and then to developing possible tools, we have now reached a critical new phase in our collective efforts to implement resolution 1674 (2006). Establishing a Council working group on the protection of civilians, as suggested in the Secretary-General's report, would mark this new phase. I am not suggesting the establishment of a heavy reporting mechanism similar to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflicts. Rather, we would like to see a regular forum for timely consultation on protection of civilians' concerns between the Council in its entirety and OCHA and other relevant departments.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Recording loss of land, homes, or property, upholding rights and entitlements, reinforcing the right to return as a means of demonstrating our non- acceptance of ethnic cleansing or sectarian violence, and mediating disputes in areas of return - all these should become standard measures, even while conflict continues. This means ensuring that mechanisms are in place at the national level to address such issues. And it means equipping peacekeeping missions with the mandate, tools and expertise required to promote and support these national efforts.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Denying access exacerbates malnutrition and disease, increases civilian deaths and prolongs human suffering. There should be no impunity for those responsible. Thirdly, there is the critical need to address more effectively, and much earlier on, housing, land and property issues, often at the origins of conflict and almost always a result of conflict, as people leave or are forced from their homes and their land. The resolution of such issues is inevitably linked to the achievement and consolidation of lasting peace and the prevention of future violence. In Darfur for example, after four years of conflict and continuing displacement, reaching common agreement on land tenure and compensation for the loss of property has emerged as a key element of a sustainable peace.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“To overcome some of the less obvious obstacles to access, we need to give serious consideration to the development of a standard moratorium on immigration and customs requirements for humanitarian workers and supplies. But in particularly grave cases, the Council should consider concerted advocacy and negotiation with warring parties for the establishment of "deconflicting" arrangements, for example, high- level diplomacy to promote humanitarian corridors or days of tranquillity where these can make a real contribution. Last but not least, the Council should hold situation-specific debates on access and even, where appropriate, consider referring grave instances of denial of access, as well as situations involving attacks against humanitarian workers, to the International Criminal Court.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“In Afghanistan, the WFP has suffered unprecedented attacks on its food aid convoys in the past 11 months. More than 30 incidents involving WFP trucks have been reported this year, against five in 2006. As requested by the Council, OCHA is developing a monitoring and reporting mechanism to facilitate more in-depth analysis of the causes and consequences of access constraints. This analysis will be annexed to future reports on the protection of civilians and included in my regular briefings to the Council. Such analysis will provide an important opportunity for action in response to particularly grave situations. It will also produce an expectation of action by the Council. And, in my view, justifiably so.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“The Secretary-General's report on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel notes that between July 2006 and June 2007 there were 507 violent attacks directed against United Nations personnel, 442 incidents of harassment and intimidation, 534 cases of robberies, 232 physical assaults, 126 cases of hijacking and 273 reported cases of arrest and detention by State and non- State actors. Those figures do not include similar attacks and incidents involving the staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who are often present in greater numbers and more places than United Nations personnel. During a similar period, attacks, for example, against United Nations and NGO staff in Darfur, increased by 150 per cent. Only last month, seven humanitarian workers were killed; ten vehicles were hijacked and seven convoys were ambushed.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“A recent example of this was the forcible detention of the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) by the Somali National Security Service in October. Elsewhere, the expulsions earlier this month of the Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar and the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Darfur, impede our efforts to provide assistance and protection in already difficult circumstances. Of particular concern is the fact that security incidents involving humanitarian staff continue to mount and to undermine our ability to provide life-saving assistance.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“The result is millions of people excluded from access to life-saving assistance and the minimal protection provided by the mere presence of humanitarian workers. Constraints on access should have consequences for those that impose them and not just for those who suffer from them. Alarmingly, in a number of the countries referred to in the report, already critical situations have deteriorated still further. In Somalia, for example, fighting in Mogadishu has led to an increase in the number of internally displaced to an alarming one million people, while thousands of others are trapped in their homes, unable to reach safety, let alone assistance. In the meantime, humanitarian agencies are increasingly treated with suspicion by the parties to the conflict and their activities impeded.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“The Council should send a clear message of deterrence by treating serious acts of sexual violence for what they are - war crimes and crimes against humanity that should no longer be tolerated. The second action is access - an essential, if not the most essential element of our efforts to provide assistance and protection. The Council has on several occasions underlined the need for all relevant parties, including non-State actors and neighbouring States, to cooperate fully with the United Nations in providing safe, timely and unimpeded access to civilians in armed conflict. Yet as the report brings out, constraints on access are many, varied and, in a number of places, the rule rather than the exception.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Also, as recommended in the report, in situations where local justice mechanisms are overwhelmed, the Council should look for creative ways to support States to hold the perpetrators of sexual violence accountable, for example, through the establishment of special ad hoc judicial arrangements. This would, I believe, be a particularly important step in relation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As I noted in my briefing to the Council following my mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September, to do justice to the women of that country, we cannot be satisfied with just treating the wounds inflicted by sexual violence; we have to find better ways to stop it.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“But combating sexual violence, and the impunity on which it thrives, requires a rethink of how we use the tools at the disposal of the international community and, in particular, the Security Council. We need, for instance, to look at referring situations of grave incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In addition, or as an alternative, we may even need to look at imposing targeted sanctions against States or non-State armed groups that flagrantly perpetrate or support such crimes. I fully appreciate that the latter, in particular, would be a complex undertaking. However, complexity cannot be an excuse for inaction in the face of these appalling crimes.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“The present report makes a number of proposals with regard to compliance with international humanitarian law in situations of asymmetric warfare, the use of cluster munitions and accountability. But I would like to focus my remarks today on four of the actions presented in the report: on combating sexual violence; on ensuring rapid and unimpeded access; a more systematic and proactive action to address housing, land and property issues; and the establishment of a Security Council working group on the protection of civilians. First, there is an unequivocal need for more concerted and innovative action to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict. The report contains a number of recommendations to this end addressed to Member States, with whom the primary responsibility lies for preventing and addressing sexual violence.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“It also often presents Member States with the daunting challenge of how to respond to such violence, particularly when perpetrated by non-State armed groups, whose members are often difficult if not impossible to identify. What is clear, however, is that any military response must itself comply with international humanitarian law as well as show respect for the human and cultural dignity of those already exposed to insurgent attacks. Previous reports on the protection of civilians as well as the Council's aide-memoire (S/PRST/2002/6, annex), have outlined a broad range of concerns and proposed actions. Unfortunately, as the nature of conflict evolves, so do the issues of protection.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“This was demonstrated with chilling effect earlier this month when a suicide bombing in the northern Afghanistan province of Baghlan led to the deaths of scores of civilians, including many schoolchildren. Incidentally, let me take this opportunity to correct a misleading impression given by one sentence in paragraph 22 of the report, which was intended to say that suicide attacks are a feature in an increasing number of countries, mentioning Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel and Somalia, but which could be read as suggesting, incorrectly, that suicide attacks are increasing in each of those countries, including Israel, which is not the case. Targeting civilians shows blatant contempt for the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including its basic tenets: the principles of distinction and proportionality.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“And in Darfur, too, the humanitarian issues grow ever more worrying, as the violence increases once again, resulting in yet more deaths, more displacement and more relocations of humanitarian personnel. These are three situations of particular current concern. But, as reported to the Council before, civilians are also frequently the victims of attacks in places like Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka and Iraq. Such attacks are often aimed deliberately at instilling fear, destabilizing civilian populations and forcing displacement. Suicide attacks are a particularly disturbing manifestation of that, given their often intentionally indiscriminate nature.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Reports of civilian suffering in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, as a result of fighting between the Ethiopian forces and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels, are also of increasing concern. Likewise, in a different but similarly worrying context, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in Gaza, is reaching the limits of what is bearable for any community. The combination of access restrictions even for humanitarian deliveries, economic deprivation, Israeli military incursions and aerial attacks and intra-Palestinian violence is driving the civilian population into a situation where the risk of provoking even more violence and tragedy is only too evident.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“They risk random killing, violence and abduction, harassment and discrimination. They risk being forced to take up arms, sometimes even against their own families and communities, in the most brutal ways. They risk torture, rape and abuse. They risk, above all, being forced from their homes and their land, forced into a downward spiral of opportunities lost forever, lasting dependency and destitution in temporary and inadequate shelters that often become urban slums. A case in point is the growing toll on civilians in Somalia from fighting between insurgent groups and Ethiopian and Government forces. I urge all parties to the conflict to refrain from indiscriminate attacks affecting civilians. And I call on the Council to remind all forces of their responsibilities under international humanitarian law.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“Mr. Holmes: I am grateful for this opportunity to brief the Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and, more specifically, on the report of the Secretary-General (S/2007/643) before the Council today. I believe the specific recommendations for action in the report will be critical to more systematic consideration by the Council of protection of civilian concerns and the implementation of the Council's landmark resolution 1674 (2006). A leap of imagination is not always easy to make, sitting in this warm and comfortable Chamber, but let us remember the essential background. Throughout the world's conflict zones, people live under almost constant threat of being attacked in their homes, of having their lives, or those of their families, wrecked as they travel to work or to school, to visit the market or to worship.”
2007-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5781 (2007) · source
“07-39152 Finally, let me just repeat that I think it is clear from the debate that this is an issue of great concern to many Member States, and justifiably so. I take away the message that we need to go on looking for new ways to take effective action to protect civilians in armed conflict. As several members pointed out, this is an important criterion for judgement of the efficacy of the Security Council itself. Of course, it was very useful to have a reminder from the representative of Rwanda of what it is we want to make sure to avoid in the future. Let me conclude by saying that I recognize my own responsibility in this area and that I will do my best to fulfil it.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Several representatives mentioned the responsibility to protect and the agreement on that at the 2005 World Summit. Delegations mentioned it in different ways, which perhaps illustrates the complexity of this debate and the complexity of the discussion we face on how to implement the responsibility to protect. This is a debate which we clearly need to continue, and it will be continued this year, as already promised. I think my only comment would be that, in debating this issue, we should not focus too exclusively on the possible actions of last resort in the responsibility to protect. There are many stages before that in helping countries to exercise their responsibility to protect their own civilians.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“We, together with our representatives on the ground, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and others, are making every effort to ensure that the crossings can be opened as soon as possible. Without full opening of the crossings, in particular the Karni crossing, we face the possibility of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza in a few weeks' time because of lack of food and lack of medical supplies. Some supplies are getting through at the moment, but they are certainly not sufficient to deal with the problem. We are fully focused on that, and I can assure the Council that we will do our best to make sure that we can resolve those issues quickly.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“I pay tribute to the efforts of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to recognize the importance of the protection of civilians in their political reconciliation efforts in various conflicts in Africa. I think the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union in this area is increasingly important for the future; it was recognized as such in the recent agreement. As one or two speakers mentioned, we held a high-level conference in Dakar this year, on capacity-building precisely for these kinds of objectives. We would certainly be willing to repeat that in other regions. Several delegations referred to the current humanitarian issues in Gaza. I fully recognize the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“The representative of Japan suggested that there could be an updating of the aide-memoire adopted by the Council on the protection of civilians. I think that is a good suggestion which we might try to take up, perhaps during 2008. There was also a suggestion, I think by the representative of the Republic of Korea, that there should be a specific mechanism to look at how we deal with the protection of civilians in each particular conflict - to look at the specificities of each case. I agree that that is a suggestion worth taking up. Several speakers referred to the importance of the role of regional organizations in the protection of civilians. I agree that that role is important - and, indeed, increasingly important.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“I note in particular: the suggestion by the representative of Canada, speaking on behalf of Australia and New Zealand as well, regarding a better evidence base to enable us to measure progress towards protection objectives; the idea of looking at how far we are succeeding in implementing resolution 1674 (2006) on the protection of civilians; the idea of an annex to the Secretary-General's report precisely on issues of access, which I have already mentioned; and the suggestion that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations should cooperate even more closely than we do already on the question of peacekeeping mandates to ensure that protection concerns are fully included - and let me assure the Council that that cooperation is already extremely good.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Let me thank several Member States for the support they gave to the ideas that I put forward in a preliminary way with regard to taking a more systematic look in the future at the effect of the inclusion of protection concerns in peacekeeping mandates and what effect those have had on the situation on the ground and, similarly, to looking systematically and regularly at cases of denial of access for humanitarian workers, which, as many speakers have commented, is a fundamental point if we are going to do our job of attempting to protect civilians. I will look at how we can take these ideas further. I have also taken note of, and we will follow up on, other suggestions that were made during the debate, including some for the next report of the Secretary-General, in October.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Let me reassure those who have raised the point that, of course, I fully recognize the distinction between the deliberate targeting of civilians and other actions which result in civilian deaths. There is, of course, a heavy obligation on the part of those who are using force in areas where civilian populations are present to do everything possible to avoid those civilian deaths. Let me add that I also take full note of the statement made just now by the representative of Colombia.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Mr. Holmes: I shall be brief, given the hour. I have listened very carefully to the debate and to all the comments that have been made, and I welcome, above all, the commitment to this agenda of the protection of civilians; the recognition, I think, by all speakers of the need to do more to turn our words into deeds now and in future; and the general recognition that we need to be even more proactive than we have been in the past, not least in the field of conflict prevention. I should like also to take this opportunity to thank all those speakers who have paid tribute and recognition - here I am speaking on behalf of the humanitarian community as a whole - to humanitarian workers in the field, and the recognition of the sacrifices that they have to make, including, on too many occasions, the ultimate sacrifice.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Only where the international community is united and resolute can we hope to protect the defenceless, as we have the obligation to do.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“For my part, I will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to ensure that protection concerns are fully integrated into our mediation and peacekeeping efforts. I will also continue to engage this Council and Member States in seeking improved implementation of the resolutions on protection of civilians and more systematic inclusion of protection of civilians concerns in the work of the Council. I will also continue to bring situations of grave humanitarian concern to the Council's attention through briefings, through the reports of the Secretary- General, or where necessary, and pursuant to resolution 1674 (2006), directly through the Secretary-General.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“More broadly, while humanitarians can ensure survival and dignity to a certain degree; while peacekeepers can enhance the safety and security of affected populations; and while, together, we can help create a climate conducive to reconciliation, it is worth repeating again that only political solutions can end the vast majority of conflicts. The United Nations, including this Council and the Member States, must decide once and for all to invest more in conflict prevention, in facilitating political solutions through increased mediation capacity and support to help resolve conflict, and in immediate post-conflict measures to prevent rapid relapse into conflict.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“I suggest that it may also be useful to take a systematic look at the practical effect that the inclusion of protection of civilians in a number of peacekeeping mandates has had on the ground in order to draw the right lessons for future deployments. And if there is one thing we need to do above all, it is to end the culture of impunity which underlies so many abuses. Rule of law and judicial redress are crucial and should be emphasized in everything we do. In the particular case of sexual violence, more involvement of women in all aspects of protection, including peacekeeping itself, would make a real difference to attitudes.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“The humanitarian community continues to work hard to improve its performance in protection on the ground, through its focus on the issue, its monitoring and advocacy, awareness-raising and capacity-building, and devotion of specific staff to this cause. International presence on the ground, even an unarmed presence, can make a huge difference in inhibiting violence against civilians, which is why access and a keen interest in protection from those who have access are so vital. This Council has taken important steps towards better protection for civilians through its actions and its resolutions, the dividends of which are, for example, being seen in terms of more robust peacekeeping and more strategic and protection-related deployment of peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Killing humanitarian staff and arbitrarily denying access violates international humanitarian law. It also threatens the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people. I therefore propose that we should follow and assess more systematically the reasons for and consequences of such denials or restrictions and report instances of grave concern back to the Council, in accordance with resolution 1674 (2006). In conclusion, if I have portrayed a somewhat bleak picture in this briefing, the reason is that there is still a lot to be bleak about, and no room for the Council or anyone else to be remotely complacent about what has been achieved so far. Nevertheless, as I have also tried to suggest, the picture is not devoid of progress or even of a certain degree of hope.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“This month alone, we have seen the killing of two staff members of the Lebanese Red Cross at the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, the scene of fighting between Lebanese forces and Fatah al-Islam militants; the killing of a Medecins Sans Frontieres staff member in the Central African Republic after her vehicle was shot at, apparently by members of the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy; the killing in West Darfur of a staff member of Action by Churches Together- Caritas; and the murder of two workers from the Sri Lankan Red Cross. Let us remember that in 2006, 24 aid workers were killed in Sri Lanka, including 17 staff of Action Contre La Faim in a single horrifying act. The perpetrators of all these crimes are yet to be brought to account.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“In Sri Lanka, more than 600,000 inhabitants of the Jaffna peninsula have faced shortages of basic necessities since August of last year, when the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) restricted access to the peninsula by road and by sea, respectively. In Iraq, access for United Nations agencies and international N GOs is extremely limited throughout the country due to the high level of insecurity. If we are to do more to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis within that country, it will be important to establish an understanding with the parties to the conflict, regional actors and key Member States on the fundamental importance and inviolability of access and security for humanitarian workers. Elsewhere, too, we continue to see deliberate and unacceptable attacks on aid workers.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Of particularly grave concern are incidents of assaults against, and detention of, humanitarian staff and the killing of one non- governmental organization (NGO) and one United Nations staff member and 10 African Union personnel. Certain agencies and NGOs contributing to providing some measure of protection to the displaced and drawing attention to abuses have been harassed by the authorities. The Joint United Nations-Government of the Sudan communique agreed in April has begun to produce some results in terms of reductions of other so-called bureaucratic obstacles, which is most welcome, but there remains a long way to go.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“In all my encounters in the field, aid workers have emphasized access as the main prerequisite for humanitarian action, which, for millions of vulnerable people caught up in conflict, is often their only hope for survival. Yet frequently, and, I fear, increasingly, we see that such access is anything but safe and far from unhindered. In Darfur, the targeting and harassment of aid workers continues to place enormous strain on the delivery of life-saving assistance to millions of people. Between January and May of this year, more than 60 humanitarian vehicles were hijacked, usually by rebel groups of one kind or another, and 56 staff temporarily abducted. Thirty-one aid convoys were ambushed and looted, and 13 relief organizations forced to relocate due to attacks.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Even if peace can be restored, there is still the enormous challenge of returning home and re- establishing lives, sometimes after a few months but often after many years or even generations. As we see in northern Uganda and southern Sudan, that also involves addressing specific protection challenges if return is to be truly voluntary, safe, dignified and, ultimately, sustainable. Aside from the provision of basic services, these challenges include restitution of land and property, community reconciliation, and the painstaking clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance in areas of return. The third area I would like to emphasize today is access and security for humanitarian workers themselves. The Council has often underlined the importance of safe and unhindered access for humanitarian staff to civilians in armed conflict.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Where children are deprived of access to education and adequate health care, the effects of displacement can last a lifetime and ruin future generations, too, with camps becoming the frame of reference for what is normal. For too many of the world's displaced, the experience will translate into a permanent loss of livelihood, culture and opportunities, and turn into chronic destitution. Life in a camp, even when basic needs are met, is a life of misery: inactivity and boredom are profoundly debilitating and commonly lead to increasing politicization and militarization on the part of those concerned, thus perpetuating cycles of violence and further reducing the chances of returning to peace, stability and normality.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“As I heard and saw for myself in the camps that I visited in Africa, becoming displaced often marks only the beginning of further frightening challenges to survival. These include continuing insecurity; occasionally, as we have seen in Darfur, repeated displacement through attacks on camps; and exposure to further serious risks, especially in militarized camp settings, such as gender-based assaults and forced recruitment. Despite the efforts of relief agencies, displacement too often leads to hunger and illness, both physical and mental. It erodes human dignity, as individuals and families become dependent on others for their survival.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“And in Sri Lanka, 300,000 people have been internally displaced during the last 15 months due to hostilities. Overall, it is estimated that so far this year an additional 1.5 million people have been internally displaced by war in those and other countries. While displacement is as old as war itself, that does not mean that we should accept it as inevitable. On the contrary, we must look for better ways of preventing the conditions that lead to displacement, as well as trying to deal with the results. That includes emphasizing, in our actions and resolutions, the right to voluntary, safe return and the rejection by the international community of the results of ethnic or sectarian cleansing. To do otherwise would be to condemn millions to lasting misery and degradation.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“In Darfur, the ranks of the internally displaced continue to swell, with over 150,000 people displaced during the first five months of this year alone, bringing the total number again to well over 2 million. More than 237,000 people have also fled Darfur for neighbouring Central African Republic and Chad, countries which are also confronted by large internally displaced populations of 212,000 and 150,000, respectively. In the Central African Republic, the figures have increased by more than 60,000 in the last six months. In Somalia, the intense violence in Mogadishu between March and early May displaced some 390,000 people, to add to the many hundreds of thousands long-term displaced. There may still be as many as 700,000 IDPs in Cote d'Ivoire, despite recent political progress.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“07-39152 A second area of particular concern is the continuing displacement of civilians as a result of, or sometimes as the very purpose of, conflict. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that there were an estimated 9.9 million refugees at the end of 2006, an increase in the global refugee population for the first time since 2002 - primarily because of refugee flows from Iraq - as well as 24.5 million internally displaced persons, all people deliberately forced from their homes and normal lives, or having had to flee to avoid violence and conflict and to meet their basic needs and those of their families. In Iraq, UNHCR currently estimates that there are 2.2 million people internally displaced, while a further 2.2 million have sought refuge abroad.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“The United Nations recently launched United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, a coalition of 12 United Nations entities that aims to do just that, as well as to support national efforts to prevent sexual violence and respond effectively to the needs of survivors. Combating gender-based violence also requires still greater stigmatization of such violence by national courts and the ICC as a particularly grave form of war crime and crime against humanity. Last but not least, the United Nations itself and Member States must do still more to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping forces operating in the name of the United Nations and to ensure that there is no impunity for those responsible.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“That is vital, as is the International Criminal Court's recent decision to investigate cases of rape in the Central African Republic. Nevertheless, the nature of sexual violence and its consequences demand that we, the United Nations and its Member States - particularly those within whose borders such crimes are committed - do much more to prevent and respond to them and to hold to account their perpetrators, as well as the commanders under whom such crimes are committed. That requires more robust coordination and more coherent action by United Nations agencies and their partners.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Only a handful of those cases have ever been the subject of ajudicial process. In its resolution 61/134, the General Assembly urged all Member States to take effective measures to address gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies and to make all possible efforts to ensure that their laws and institutions are adequate to prevent, investigate and prosecute acts of gender-based violence. The Council, in its resolution 1674 (2006), condemned in the strongest terms all sexual and other forms of violence against civilians in armed conflict, in particular women and children. The Council undertook to ensure that peace support operations work to prevent such violence and address its impact where it takes place.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source