YouSaid · the spoken record

Hoxha

lines on the record: 1,795
first: 2014-02-19
most recent: 2023-12-29
sittings or episodes: 264
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

“UNDP projected yesterday that 90 per cent of the Ukrainian population could be facing poverty and extreme economic vulnerability, should the war deepen. In the event of a continuing, protracted war in Ukraine, almost one third of the population will fall below the poverty line and a further 62 per cent will be at extreme risk of falling into poverty within the next 12 months. Again, UNDP warned that 18 years of socioeconomic achievement could be lost. That would set the country and the entire region back decades, leaving deep social and economic scars for generations to come. Who in this Chamber or outside it then believes a single word from Russia about the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, because those terrible effects will be felt not only in Ukraine, but also in the entire world?”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“The International Court of Justice, the guardian of international law, ruled that there was no evidence to support Russian claims that Ukraine was committing genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Court called for the immediate suspension of any kind of military operations by Russia and entities, organizations or persons under its control. The question is: Will Russia respect the Court’s order, or will it unplug and cancel itself completely and entirely from international law? Beyond the human toll, the deliberate infrastructure and residential destruction and the large-scale humanitarian crisis, there is another major crisis: the economic impact of the aggression. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned that every day of delayed peace will accelerate a freefall into poverty in Ukraine.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“As was mentioned, the word “children” in large Russian script was painted on the ground outside the theatre. Everything must be bombed. Despite that gruelling picture, the main news is not just what I said. The main news is that Ukraine is holding out, Ukraine is resisting, Ukraine in winning and Russia is deep in the mud on the ground, morally, legally and internationally. We now know that for Russia to win this war of choice, it has to do to the entire Ukraine what it did to Grozny; it has to do to all Ukraine’s cities what it did to Aleppo; and it has to do to everything there what it did to Mariupol. Even after that, we will again be told here that it is not its fault. (spoke in French) It’s Voltaire’s fault. (spoke in English) Yesterday Ukraine won the first legal victory at the International Court of Justice.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“The Director-General of the World Health Organization, whose briefing we just heard, confirmed that there have been 43 attacks on Ukrainian health- care facilities, infrastructure and workers since the beginning of the invasion — in other words, two every day. Unfortunately, there are nearly a dozen conflicts in the world today. Out of 89 attacks on health systems around the world so far this year, 43 were in Ukraine alone. Attacking health-care facilities and workers is therefore becoming a tactic of war in Ukraine. Nothing is being spared. First, there was the maternity ward in Mariupol. Then there was a mosque. Yesterday Russians bombed the Drama Theatre in Mariupol, a shelter for nearly 1,000 citizens who were not able to flee the city.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“Special Representative of the Secretary-General Patten warns that abuse and the risk of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as trafficking, continue to mount amid wide-scale displacement. Several appeals for humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians went unheeded. Many people remain trapped in areas of conflict and, with essential services disrupted, are unable to meet their basic needs, including for food, water and medicines. For the estimated hundreds of thousands who remain, there is simply nowhere to go. They can be killed, even for queueing for bread, as happened. That is the angry and true face of the Russian aggression.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“Yet what we just heard from top United Nations representatives — not from the so-called Western hysteria — is soul-wrenching and coincides with the shocking media reports on the horrors of the war and the misery unleashed upon Ukraine for no reason. I will perhaps just recall the summarizing words of the Secretary-General when he said two days ago: “Ukraineisonfire.Thecountryis being decimated.” I ask colleagues to guess by whom. There are more than 3 million refugees in only three weeks — more than the entire population of my country; some 2 million people displaced internally; and some 12 million people affected in the areas hardest hit by the war. UNICEF has evidenced that since the start of the war, forced by this brutal aggression, every second a child has crossed the border of Ukraine.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“I thank Rosemary DiCarlo for her clarity and the very valuable information she provides every time she comes to brief the Council. I thank Mr. Mazou and Director-General Ghebreyesus for their sobering information. Three weeks into this unprovoked, unjustified, illegal and deadly aggression by Russia, the terrible facts are hardly surprising since they were anticipated nearly to the detail: massive casualties among civilians; mass graves; widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure; ruined homes, schools and hospitals; lives blown away by bombardments; and children’s dreams up in smoke. There is no need to describe this devastating situation.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“We should therefore work together, in the Council and with international partners, towards meeting the common goal to stabilize Libya, for the sake of the Libyan people, and help them to build a more peaceful, stable future for the country and its people and to support its stability, independence, territorial integrity and national unity.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“The concerning developments in Europe reinforce the sense of urgency of our call for the urgent and full withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya. The current political stalemate risks compromising the crucial progress made in the past months by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission. However, its action plan remains a fundamental blueprint for withdrawing all external forces, including foreign mercenaries, from the country, and it should be implemented without delay. The words of Ms. Shuaiter are a clear testimony that Libyans need and deserve a renewed momentum of democratic perspective. Narrow political interests with a negative impact on the political process and national reconciliation should not be allowed to come before the rights and wishes of the Libyan people.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“To this end, in reaffirming our full respect for Libyan sovereignty and for the United Nations- facilitated, Libyan-led and -owned political process, we fully support Special Adviser Stephanie Williams’ mediation, including efforts to agree the constitutional basis required to ensure that free, fair and inclusive elections take place as soon as possible. We encourage all Libyan stakeholders, including the leadership of both the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, to cooperate fully with the Special Adviser. Thirdly, political instability may have negative repercussions for the military track. The withdrawal of mercenaries and of all foreign fighters remains a key priority.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“Secondly, we strongly reiterate our commitment to putting the political and electoral process back on track. We must encourage the Libyans to keep the focus on elections, based on solid and shared constitutional and legal bases and within a time-bound framework. Elections cannot be postponed indefinitely, because they are essential for the sustainable reunification and stabilization of the country and key to fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the Libyan people, particularly the 2.8 million who registered to vote.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“Mobilization and movement of convoys of armed groups increase tensions and remind us of the sad scenarios that the Libyan people have faced in the past. They will not do any good and must not be repeated. Libya must not undo the gains of the past years. Anyone who undermines peace and stability in Libya or its political process must be held to account. At such a critical stage, it is essential that all Libyan actors and institutions pursue a consensual approach in all further developments. All decisions and initiatives must be perceived, by both internal and external stakeholders, as legitimate and compliant with constitutional and inter-institutional arrangements and regulations in force, starting with the Libyan Constitutional Declaration and the Skhirat Political Agreement.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“We call on all stakeholders to act constructively and in a transparent and inclusive manner. In that context, we are extremely worried by recent reports of violence, threats of violence, intimidation and kidnappings. Likewise, we are deeply concerned about the shrinking of the civic space in Libya, which also manifests in attacks against political activists, women human rights defenders and all civil society actors trying to make their voices heard. The killing in Misrata of Tayeb Al-Shariri, a blogger and civil society activist, is a crime, and those responsible for those hideous actions must be brought to justice. Albania echoes the Secretary-General in urging restraint and the need to abstain from provocative actions, both in words and deeds.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“Let me also thank Under- Secretary-General DiCarlo, Ambassador Tirumurti and Ms. Shuaiter for their remarks. I also welcome the presence of the Libyan Ambassador. Libya is again at a crossroads. The latest confusing developments call for caution, patience and restraint. In that regard, I would like to make three brief points. First, at this critical moment, the priority must be to preserve stability on the ground. All Libyan actors must refrain from unilateral steps, which may exacerbate political and institutional divisions. The current threats and attempts to disrupt oil production and to sell it outside of the formal channels are concerning and must not be condoned. All Libyan parties must allow the National Oil Corporation to continue its vital work for the benefit of all Libyans, as outlined in Security Council resolutions.”
2022-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8996 (2022) · source
“The memorandum of understanding signed on 5 March must be implemented by all the parties without delay. Secondly, I reiterate that the kidnapping and detainment by the Houthis of Yemini nationals affiliated with the United States and the United Nations must cease immediately. Thirdly, I reiterate our condemnation of the seizure and detention of the United Arab Emirates-flagged merchant vessel and call on the Houthis to release the ship and crew, as the Council requested on 14 January.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“International humanitarian law is a centrepiece of international law that must be respected in every situation and in any conflict, including in Yemen. Civilians must be protected. The adoption of resolution 2624 (2022) represents a concrete commitment to peace and security in Yemen. Full respect for the arms embargo is a must if we want to stop the proliferation of arms in Yemen and avoid the danger of them ending up in the wrong hands or being used in cross-border terrorist attacks by the Houthis in neighbouring countries, as we have seen repeatedly, including last month. Let me conclude by reiterating three key issues. First, we praise the work of the Resident Coordinator in Yemen and the Dutch authorities in finding a sustainable solution to the issue of the FSO SAFER oil tanker in the Red Sea.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“Yemen belongs to all its citizens. An inclusive and credible process requires the full engagement and participation of civil society actors, women and young people, as well as marginalized groups, to move ahead from the infernal and never-ending spiral of violence towards a durable solution to the conflict. Regional actors play a key role in the resolution of the conflict in Yemen. In that respect, we welcome reports that the Gulf Cooperation Council is considering inviting all political actors in Yemen for consultations. That is the news I heard this morning. Agreeing to a ceasefire and respecting it is the starting point for seeking a different outcome of the situation in Yemen. That must be a priority.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“That is why reaching every one of them is critical. Yemen must not become and then remain a forgotten war due to inertia and fatigue, as Mr. Griffiths rightly mentioned. In that respect, we hope that the conference in Geneva will restore due attention to the Yemeni people and their urgent needs. There is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen. Only a comprehensive and inclusive political process can restore peace to the Yemeni people. We fully support the consultation process launched by Mr. Grundberg and call on all political actors and stakeholders to engage meaningfully. He must be granted full access throughout the country, including Sana’a, and he must be able to meet all political actors and stakeholders everywhere. The Council needs to be united in support of the work of the Special Envoy and his consultation process.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Grundberg for his detailed briefing. We commend his efforts to overcome the current political impasse and find a sustainable solution to the conflict in Yemen. We also thank Under-Secretary-General Griffiths for the information he provided, once again giving us the full picture of the devastating humanitarian and dire economic situations, in particular with regard to food security. The protracted conflict in Yemen has had a devastating impact on civilians across the country, as they suffer from destroyed critical infrastructure, a lack of basic services, widespread abuse and weak and fragmented governance. Nearly 400,000 Yemenis have died during seven devastating years of war, in many cases killed by indirect causes such as hunger. Seventy per cent of the fatalities are children under 5 years old.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“Sobolev, the representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, at that meeting, justifying the action: “The Nagy Government openly adopted a reactionary and fascist policy aimed at the complete liquidation of the people’s democratic regime in Hungary, at the restoration of the old landowner- capitalist system and the establishment of a fascist dictatorship.” (S/PV.754, para. 50) It was about the so-called fascists 65 years ago. It is about the so-called denazification now — the same discourse, the same actions, with their terrible consequences. Ukraine is a critical test for European security, including the OSCE. We must refuse a world according to Russia. We must determine the preservation and the enforcement of the rules-based international order. One man has started this war. One man can stop it at any time.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“We hope that the effects of such unprecedented sanctions will wake up the Russian citizens so as to see the reality through the terrible deeds of their army, not through the distorted mirror of propaganda; to understand why the whole world calls Russia an aggressor; and to feel for their neighbour, which is being savagely destroyed, cities that are becoming graveyards and children who are forcefully leaving their childhood behind because of such insanity. The sooner that happens, the sooner this war and any spillover threats will stop. Let me end by recalling the 754th meeting of the Security Council of 4 November 1956. History has recorded it as the day when a popular revolt in Hungary was viciously crushed by Soviet tanks — uninvited, of course. I will quote Mr.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“Albania supports the initiative to invoke the OSCE Moscow Mechanism in order to establish the facts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including due to the deliberate and indiscriminate acts against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Its findings, together with those of the commission of inquiry established by the Human Rights Council, should be presented to the relevant accountability mechanisms, as well as national, regional and international courts or tribunals. The massive sanctions imposed on Russia have ripple effects for the whole world, including for our own countries and citizens. But that is the price to pay so that Russia’s actions do not go unchecked and unpunished.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“While we are served here with all kinds of fantasies that melt like snow under the sun, the real concerns are the democratic values and principles of freedom on which the system is based. In that respect, the OSCE comprehensive concept of security connects the dots between domestic repression and external aggression. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are key aspects for security within and between States. We failed to prevent the pure, unprovoked and unjustified act of aggression committed by a serial violator of the rules and norms of the international order. We should not fail to make the aggressor pay for that and the crimes committed.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“We express our gratitude to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and the Czech Republic — I am probably forgetting some countries — for the incredible efforts that they are making in sheltering thousands of civilians forced to flee the massive bombardments and war atrocities. The OSCE is a key player for peace and security. It is an important platform to discuss issues related to comprehensive security, equipped with mechanisms, as well as confidence- and security-building measures. It remains as relevant as when it was created. It is clear that the overarching difference between Russia and the existing European security order, based on international law and OSCE principles, is a structural one.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“Now, three weeks into this war, we are left with the uninterrupted onslaught of breaking news regarding the devastation that Russia is unleashing with rage upon Ukraine and its people. For months, huge efforts were made by the international community, including the Polish chairmanship and Minister Rau himself, in seeking a peaceful solution. Every stone was turned; every possibility was used. The reality now clearly shows that those efforts were doomed to fail because the invasion was premeditated. It was a plan to be executed despite everything. It was a war that the Kremlin wanted.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“There has hardly been a more suitable and urgent time to reaffirm those fundamental principles, which for nearly five decades have stood as effective mechanisms for conflict prevention and de-escalation in Europe — until 24 February. In 2020, soon after Albania assumed the OSCE chairmanship-in-office, we were confronted with an invisible enemy that threatened the entire world. It went by the name of the coronavirus disease pandemic. We still do not know everything about it, but we know far too well what it did to humankind, to our way of life, to our countries and economies and, in many ways, to all of us. Two years later, as Poland started its chairmanship, the OSCE area was confronted with another threat, but, this time, everyone knew where it was coming from. We were warned about what was going to happen.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“We welcome the focus on safeguarding a comprehensive security order by defending the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter and the Charter for European Security. Those principles are neither negotiable nor subject to revision or reinterpretation. The commitment to human rights and the values of freedom and democracy, as well as support for its institutions, should continue to be an irreplaceable blueprint in the work of OSCE. We also welcome the work of the OSCE and the United Nations in the framework of the women and peace and security agenda and reconciliation processes in the Western Balkans.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“Let me thank the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Mr. Rau, and Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for the information provided. We welcome this timely exchange with the OSCE — one of the world’s largest regional security organizations — which brings together 57 participating States across three continents, bound by joint commitments. As an important pillar of the international rules-based order, the OSCE plays an essential role in addressing many of the challenges on the Council’s agenda. Therefore, collaboration and partnership between the two organizations are key and need to be strengthened. Albania fully supports the priorities of the Polish OSCE chairpersonship.”
2022-03-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8992 (2022) · source
“The unprovoked, unjustified and premeditated act of aggression by Russia, once again with the complicity of Belarus, lack the legal or moral grounds that, by contrast, empower Ukrainians to fight heroically, stand ready to die for the ideals they believe in and the right to choose who they want to be — the shapers of their own destiny. In that respect, we welcome the conclusions of the European Council, which, among other things, has welcomed Ukraine’s resolve to join the European Union. Our hearts are fortified by the Ukrainian resistance — perhaps incomprehensible to the invader — which should be seen as an inspiration and a reminder that freedom always prevails over tyranny. Let us not forget: if Russia makes its way into Ukraine, it will not stop there; it will want more; and as history reminds us, aggression works like a drug.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“We are horrified by the catastrophic situation in Mariupol and other besieged cities, where civilians are starved; the use of cluster ammunition in urban areas, as we heard during the Under-Secretary- General’s briefing; the redoubling of blind shelling and bombardments; the more than 26 assaults on various health-related facilities, including ambulances, as confirmed by World Health Organization and at this meeting; and other outrageous and amoral acts, which constitute war crimes. Those are facts. Nothing seems to be going as planned in Ukraine.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“As we have heard many times here, including yesterday (see S/PV.8990), Russia has continued to support the regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, which has used chemical weapons against the civilian population. What should retain our attention and deserves our time is the escalating situation that is wreaking havoc on two countries, threatening a whole continent and disrupting the entire world. Fifteen days into the brutal invasion, the growing armoured might of Russia, with the open complicity of Belarus, has stalled before the steel-clad and indisputable right of a nation to defend its land. Russia’s goals are as abhorrent as the means it is using to achieve them.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Bellingcat reporting has brilliantly been able to make a direct and irrefutable link of the attempted deadly poisoning with GRU high officials. We should therefore be very worried that in spreading such disinformation, a crescendo of allegations about weapons of mass destruction could serve as yet another pretext for Russia to prepare the ground and use chemical or biological weapons during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, while accusing others. After all, Russia has accused Ukraine of genocide in Donbas, which is ridiculous. It has also accused Kyiv of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, which is outrageous. It has accused Ukraine of bombarding its own cities, which is preposterous.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“In any other situation, everyone would have thought that this was a joke, except for the fact that the joke is destroying a country, killing civilians and responsible for more than 2.5 million refugees and counting. That translates into 7,000 people per hour. Reportedly, that is also responsible for the death of several thousand Russian soldiers, but that is an issue for Russia and its people. It is all the more reason for an immediate ceasefire and making the space for negotiations. Secondly, Russia has a long and well documented track record of using chemical weapons, including in attempted assassinations and poisoning its own citizens, like the jailed opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, or the Skripals.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Therefore, Russia’s allegations are, in our opinion, a part of its information warfare — a false and unsubstantiated part of the usual propaganda, disinformation and conspiracy theories coming from Russia that are not worth our time. The Council should not be served with fantasies or starry-eyed stories but with independently verified and corroborated proof. That is not the case. However regrettable all that is, it is hardly surprising, since absolutely everything we have heard from Russia concerning Ukraine has been false, fabricated or distorted. All of it is in the public space and does not deserve mentioning, but the true Palme d’or goes to the Russian declaration of just two days ago, according to which Russia did not attack Ukraine. Well, as we saw last week the General Assembly has a different account.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Let me thank Under- Secretary-General DiCarlo and Under-Secretary- General Nakamitsu for the information they provided. I would like to make the following points. First, we are meeting at the request of Russia following allegations of an alleged programme for the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. We listened to the representative of Russia’s statement very carefully. Any issue with regard to weapons of mass destruction should never be taken lightly. As we just heard from Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu, the United Nations is not aware of any alleged programme inconsistent with international treaty obligations, including on chemical or biological weapons. We heard about health facilities in Ukraine. We have also repeatedly heard a firm rebuttal at the highest levels from both the United States and Ukraine.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“We remain convinced that the swift conclusion of the investigations into the use of chemical weapons in Syria serves, first and foremost, Syria and its citizens and will, in turn, enable the Council to more effectively support the Syrian people in their quest for a peaceful and better future. It is time for the regime to understand that. (spoke in English) Let me end where I started — in Ukraine. As we speak of chemical weapons in Syria, we are extremely worried by the claims from Kremlin officials about alleged chemical and biological weapon laboratories in Ukraine. We know how harmful such information can be. We consider it yet another false pretext that we have seen Russia repeatedly use to justify the unjustifiable and to excuse the inexcusable — its horrific actions in Ukraine.”
2022-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8990 (2022) · source
“We commend the professional and impartial work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and its Technical Secretariat to shed full light on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which is not in doubt. However, for more than a year, the OPCW team of experts has not carried out any verification on Syrian territory, and that is because Syria is hiding behind a response that is neither accurate nor complete under the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention. We demand full and unequivocal cooperation from the Syrian authorities with the OPCW Technical Secretariat and reject any efforts to discredit or politicize its work. Syria has no right to decide on the rules of procedure or the choice of inspectors. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by any actor under any circumstances.”
2022-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8990 (2022) · source
“Yesterday, the most vulnerable and defenceless people, pregnant women with their newborns, might have believed that they were in one of the most secure places one can image — a hospital, where one goes to heal and where one is taken care of. They were not. Russian bombs found them in a deliberate attack. We heard that it was a base for the Ukrainian army. What we saw were women in labour among rubble. We condemn that in the strongest terms. It is a crime, which should not remain unpunished, and no one should get away with a crime. (spoke in French) Less than a fortnight ago, we made an observation on this issue that has unfortunately become a constant, damning fact — the deliberate lack of cooperation on the part of Syria to respond to the demands clearly formulated in resolution 2118 (2013) (see S/PV.8943).”
2022-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8990 (2022) · source
“Let me thank Mrs. Nakamitsu for her briefing. I have a moral obligation to say a few words on what is happening these days in Mariupol before I return to Syria. There is this city of roughly half a million people in Ukraine — the country that for two weeks has been under a brutal attack from Russia. It is a city besieged, cut off by the aggressor, which has not been able to capture it and is bombarding it savagely. It is a city that has been left without electricity, water and food — whatever is needed to live — and where civilians are cutting trees to fight the cold and melting snow to drink and not die from dehydration. That is Mariupol — once a centre for industry and education in Ukraine, now a scorched earth, the face of the Russian aggression.”
2022-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8990 (2022) · source
“In November, together with the French Development Agency and the World Bank, we began implementing a major project to the tune of €51 million, aimed at supporting and promoting more inclusive and equitable growth by addressing the factors that deprive women of economic opportunities equal to those of men. The economic and social empowerment of women remains a major challenge for the economic development of any country. It is enough to recall that, depending on the country, between 20 and 50 per cent of the potential gross domestic product is lost due to women’s limited access to the labour market. I would like to conclude by saying that it is high time to finally go beyond words and commitments. We can no longer afford to waste time in realizing the potential of women as actors of peace and prosperity.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2021 ranks Albania twenty-fifth out of 156 countries, highlighting major progress in the area of political empowerment and economic participation and opportunity. One of the policies we are most proud of is the integration of gender into all stages of public budgeting at the central and local levels, making Albania the first country in the region to include gender budgeting as a tool to promote transformative financing for women’s equality and empowerment. Albania stands ready to share its experience.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“Access to funding needs to be simplified, administrative barriers dismantled and NGOs, women human rights defenders and peacebuilders trained in how to apply for grants. Actors at the grass-roots level can often make a big impact on the ground and have a multiplier effect, but their capacities to receive and absorb funding are often limited. That needs to change. In that regard, we welcome the work of the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, which has already disbursed hundreds of funds to small women’s organizations. (spoke in French) Allow me to say a few words about the situation in my own country. Albania has made significant progress in the empowerment of women and achieving gender equality at all levels.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“First, we should build stronger partnerships with international financial institutions, as we heard from the International Monetary Fund this morning, and the private sector. Partnerships are crucial to increasing women’s equal access to quality financial services, such as credit, savings, insurance and payment systems through better regulation, technology and financial literacy. At the same time, women-led enterprises and small businesses can play a key role in improving equality and access. Secondly, we should support the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry associations and corporations advocating for policies and programmatic solutions that enable women’s economic participation in conflict-affected areas.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“How can we continue to contemplate that the potential of half the world’s population remains unexploited, when we know very well how much it could bring? Women’s economic inclusion and participation in the context of conflict prevention and recovery from crises have rarely been explored in the Council. We need to start looking at the women and peace and security agenda more broadly and find new and innovative ways to fully implement it while also following a human rights-based approach. Financing has come out as a core issue in moving the women and peace and security agenda forward, while all stakeholders must play their role. To close the financing gaps and promote financial inclusion, I have two proposals.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“Women remain excluded from public life and education in Afghanistan, where huge achievements are being unravelled; women and children are suffering from the never-ending wars in Yemen and Syria; women are being sexually abused in Tigray and South Sudan; women are being forcefully displaced in Ukraine and Myanmar; and women are being jailed for their activism in Belarus and the Sudan. The empowerment of women, the strengthening of gender equality and guarantees of women’s human rights in fragile settings can help transform vicious circles into virtuous ones by preventing conflict and ensuring peace with inclusivity and through development. Women must have their place at every table in decision-making processes, whether peace processes, peacebuilding activities, economic and pandemic recovery, business enterprises or democratic processes.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“We commend the work of United Nations entities, women’s organizations and other civil society organizations in supporting humanitarian efforts on the ground, as well as to ensure, at best, a gendered perspective to humanitarian aid. All of that could have been and can still be avoided. We call on Russia to stop the aggression, withdraw its troops from Ukraine and go home. We must redouble efforts to address gender inequalities, women’s human rights violations, sexual and gender-based violence and exclusion from peace efforts and decision-making, wherever they may occur.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“Today, our first thoughts and our hearts go out to the women in Ukraine, who are suffering from an unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression, the shelling and bombing of their homes and the presence of hostile foreign soldiers and tanks in their streets. Russia’s war of choice is ravaging a proud, independent nation and causing a humanitarian crisis that needs no description. Women in Ukraine are suffering and struggling, but they are also resisting and fighting for their country and for their freedom. We pay tribute to them. As of yesterday, 1.7 million people had been forced to leave Ukraine, most of them women and children, as well as the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless more have been displaced within the country. Today, they number more than 2 million — all in just two weeks.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“I thank you, Madam, for presiding over this meeting. I also express our appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for organizing this debate to shed a light on some integral parts of the women and peace and security agenda that are often overlooked, namely, relief, recovery and prevention. We are happy to see a concrete realization of the shared commitments on women and peace and security that we have prioritized together with the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Norway and Brazil. The date of today’s debate could not have been better chosen. Let me join other speakers in wishing everyone a happy International Women’s Day. Unfortunately, for many women across the world, that day is anything but happy. They suffer from conflict, hunger, economic and social exclusion, displacement, violence, poverty and health crises.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“When one behaves like a rogue State, one should not expect to be treated differently. Albania reaffirms its unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. This position was reiterated just a few hours ago by a resolution adopted by the Albanian Parliament.”
2022-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8988 (2022) · source
“She said, “My city is being shelled, but my mom won’t believe me”. Her mom, who lives in Russia, would respond to her call that she heard on television that the Russian army would never target civilians and that it is Ukrainians who are killing their own people. Twelve days ago, Ukraine was guilty because it exists. Now they are guilty because they do not surrender. What will tomorrow be made of for them? We call on Russia to come to its senses and stop. We call on Russia to halt its aggression and go home. The world knows what they are doing. What is happening is a global air-raid siren — a warning of how important multilateralism is, how much we need it to work and how essential it is to do everything possible to stop this war and make the aggressor pay for it.”
2022-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8988 (2022) · source