YouSaid · the spoken record

Jean-Yves Le Drian

lines on the record: 34
first: 2020-06-11
most recent: 2021-08-09
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“And rest assured that France will remain strongly committed along with its partners to strengthen maritime security and defend the common goods represented by our maritime spaces.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“And this is the meaning of the conference of parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (Convention of Barcelona), under which the European Union and the 21 coastal States of the Mediterranean have agreed to make the Mediterranean a zone of low sulfur oxide emissions from ships. However, the protection of maritime areas cannot be achieved by local actors alone. The international community has a central role to play, particularly through the negotiations under way at the United Nations for the protection of biodiversity on the high seas. Mr. President, once again I would like to thank India for allowing the Security Council to play its role on all maritime issues.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“I especially welcome the joint work between UNODC and the European Union to develop a global programme on maritime crime and a container control programme. Lastly, I would like to highlight the environmental dimension and its connection to security. We must indeed protect the sea and oceans from the damage they suffer. The ocean is our common good. We all, both individually and collectively, have a responsibility to protect it and use it sustainably. Promoting the development of a sustainable blue economy, protecting the coral reefs, and supporting marine biodiversity including by combating overfishing and marine pollution, are the challenges we must face. Ensuring maritime security also means regulating traffic in order to limit the pollution of marine areas.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“And among examples of good regional cooperation, I would like to highlight the Yaounde Architecture and activities undertaken with the support of the Group of G7 Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++). For over 30 years, France has played a part in combating piracy in the region with the Corymbe mission. We are also combating threats at sea through the European Union with Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean and Operation Atalanta, which has significantly reduced piracy off the coast of Somalia. The work of the United Nations in this area is clearly essential. I welcome the mobilization of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which oversees the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, known as the Palermo Convention.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“As a maritime island state in the region, our country intends to contribute to the Indo-Pacific strategic framework it has just adopted on the national level. It wishes to continue to promote an inclusive space, based on law and multilateralism. The Indo-Pacific region is a priority for France and the European Union. That is why we have supported, and obtained, the development of a European Union strategy for the Indo-Pacific. It will be one of the priorities of the French presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2022. We are also pleased that it has been possible to conduct pilot operations in the Gulf of Guinea, with a capacity-building component for third parties.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“Secondly, the seas are the scene for new threats that we must face together, through cooperation. It has been said that we must counter piracy, terrorist acts at sea, organized crime, drug trafficking and wildlife trafficking constituting environmental crimes. The international community must provide the necessary means to combat these attacks and criminal activities, both in waters under the jurisdiction of States and on the high seas. France participates in various regional forums to assist its partners in this way. I am thinking in particular of the membership of France in the Indian Ocean Rim Association. In addition, since 20 May it will chair the Indian Ocean Commission, which is a key actor in maritime security and safety in the region, for one year. France is also becoming more involved in the Pacific.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“And in that regard, along with our European and Group of Seven (G7) partners, we have strongly condemned the attack targeted against the vessel Mercer Street on 29 July 2021, which led to the death of two of its crew members. The Security Council raised this issue at its meeting of Friday, 6 August. The international community must be extremely vigilant and continue its efforts to ensure respect for freedom of navigation in the region. And I remind you that to that end, for nearly two years, Europe has been making significant efforts to strengthen maritime surveillance and security in the Gulf. We are also highly attentive to the situation in all zones where the law of the sea and freedom of navigation are called into question, as is the case in the South China Sea, the Black Sea or the Eastern Mediterranean.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“First of all, I would like to remind you that above all, maritime security depends on respect for international law. The seas should not be a place of conflict among States. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea establishes the legal framework governing all activities conducted on the oceans and seas. And no State should derogate from it. France remains fully committed to freedom of navigation in compliance with its international obligations. “Freedom of navigation” does not mean “freedom of action” or “impunity”. Without respect for common norms, the seas would become an area of constant confrontation. We are thus firmly committed to reducing tensions and risks in the Arabian- Persian Gulf, through the maritime surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz conducted by eight European countries.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“I would first like to thank the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, for allowing us to discuss the important subject of maritime security here in the Security Council Chamber today. I also wish India a good and fruitful Presidency of the Security Council. The sea, our common good, is unfortunately subjected to predatory behaviour, crime and increasing pollution that affect its ecosystem as well as the millions of people who depend on it. Of even greater concern is the will of some States to turn the maritime domain into an arena of strategic competition, as in outer space or cyberspace, which is growing day by day. Maritime security is a major test of multilateralism and calls for increased mobilization by the international community. On that subject, I would like to stress three points.”
2021-08-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/722 (2021) · source
“On all these subjects, France will continue to stand with Africa in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to the challenges it faces.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“At the Summit, it was decided that an unprecedented emergency financial package would be released, based in particular on the issuance of $650 billion in special drawing rights, with $34 billion directly benefiting African public finances. The Summit also made it possible to lay the foundations for a mechanism allowing the special drawing rights of developed countries to contribute to the financing of African economies. Sustainable development in Africa also comprises flagship projects such as the Great Green Wall project, to which the One Planet Summit last January gave new impetus. Collectively, we have managed to mobilize €16 billion to fight desertification while promoting employment through the Great Green Wall project.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“The democratic transition under way in the Sudan, with international support confirmed by the conference held this Monday in Paris, shows that real progress is possible. Finally, we must remain fully mobilized to support Africa on the path to sustainable development. This is all the more important given that the current crisis has unfortunately exacerbated poverty, inequality and food insecurity. The Summit on Financing African Economies, held yesterday in our capital, allowed the international community to contribute pragmatic responses to the financing needs of African States and to the structural underinvestment affecting the African private sector, with a view to breaking the cycle of over-indebtedness that holds back the entire continent and laying the groundwork for robust economic recovery in Africa.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“In the Sahel, a civil and political surge is necessary to ensure a return of the State and the deployment of basic services in the most vulnerable areas, in addition to military efforts, which must continue thanks to the surge of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel. This surge must be supported with increased and sustainable support, financed by mandatory contributions. The Sahel countries have clearly expressed their needs; the Security Council must meet them. With African States and African regional organizations, we must also focus on the fight against impunity, good governance and respect for human rights, all of which are the conditions for stability and prosperity, to which the people of Africa and the entire world legitimately aspire.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Those front-line personnel also include Blue Helmets; their vaccination is also a very important issue that we are carefully following. Within the framework of the COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative, a charter was adopted in November at France’s initiative to emphasise the importance of equitable access to vaccines. Equitable access requires a necessary discussion on the issue of intellectual property. Above all, it requires the lifting of major impediments such as restrictions on the export of vaccine components. This is very important. Our approach for several months now has been to work concretely on the blocking factors, namely, factories and know-how. Our second priority must be to support African peace and security initiatives.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“France is proud to have been the first country to provide COVAX not only with financial support, but also with additional doses, which were allocated according to the equitable framework set by the World Health Organization. Thanks to that, Mauritania had benefited from 100,000 doses as of April. Four other African countries will also be able to benefit from French dose donations by the end of the month, managed by COVAX, in addition to the COVAX allocations. As stated by President Macron, our goal is to provide COVAX with at least 500,000 donated doses by June. We must ensure that front-line personnel are rapidly vaccinated. Of course, that includes African health workers. That is why there was an appeal by France to its partners in February to request 13 million donations of doses to respond to this need.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“Our first priority must be to ensure equitable and universal access to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines for all Africans, who deserve more than pronouncements and vaccine nationalism. These vaccines must become, very concretely, a new global public good. The health of the African continent depends upon it; our health depends upon it. Within the framework of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative, financed at more than €2.4 billion by the European Union and its member States, the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility has already allowed for the distribution of nearly 19 million doses of vaccine to 42 African States.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“For more than a year now, we have been plunged into a crisis that has reminded us that solidarity is not just a requirement for justice but also an imperative for efficiency, because our health, our planet and our security are common goods that we can defend only together. That is why the international community has a responsibility to support the most fragile States, both to help them address the root causes of the crises they are going through and to build, with them, the path to sustainable and inclusive recovery. I am thinking in particular of our partners on the African continent, where a considerable part of our common future is at stake. We all know this.”
2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source
“At the Alliance for Multilateralism meeting on 26 June, we, together with Heiko Maas, stressed that it is only through strong multilateralism that we will together overcome these many challenges. Being a multilateralist does not mean being dogmatic or idealistic; it means advocating the only effective method, because there is no alternative to a united front and cooperation in dealing with our common problems. France is determined to continue working in that direction.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“We also need a multilateral health architecture that is better adapted to today’s challenges. That means strengthening our collective alert capacity within the World Health Organization, the only universal public health organization, so that we can respond very swiftly to global crises. This also means that States must fully shoulder their responsibilities to ensure the effective implementation of the International Health Regulations, which is still too often lacking. We must also work to strengthen national health systems and their resilience. We need to continue our efforts to make universal health coverage a reality. These are all projects we need to get working on, drawing on all the lessons learned from the crisis we are going through.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The root causes of conflicts will only be worsened by the crisis resulting in growing inequalities, increased unemployment, loss of confidence in institutions, tensions regarding the distribution of natural resources, disorganization or disruption of supply chains, and the climate crisis. It is our collective responsibility to rethink the post-COVID-19 world and mitigate the economic and social consequences of this crisis to the greatest extent possible. In doing so, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement must guide our action. This crisis has confirmed — if there were need for confirmation — the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals by highlighting how interaction can be strong between health and environmental issues such as biodiversity and the climate.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Moreover, everything must be done to facilitate humanitarian access to vulnerable populations and to ensure that humanitarian and medical personnel and infrastructure are not targeted in attacks. We must therefore continue working to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. That is the reason behind the Call for Humanitarian Action, led by France and Germany within the framework of the Alliance for Multilateralism, with the ICRC’s support and backed by 45 States. We must also strengthen access to reliable information and fight more effectively to stop the spread of false rumours, infodemics and hate speech, which can feed on collective fear in today’s extremely fragile context. We cannot ignore the considerable socioeconomic impact of this crisis.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“France, both through its bilateral support and its work in multilateral bodies, has contributed to humanitarian action regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue working to meet needs in the weeks and months ahead. Together we must continue to support the full implementation of the entire COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, including by providing support to internally displaced persons and refugees and defending the sexual and reproductive health rights of women, who are on the front lines of the response to pandemics and whose rights must be upheld and reinforced. This will be one of the objectives of the Generation Equality Forum, which will be held in France in the first half of 2021 in partnership with Mexico and UN-Women, and will be another important step in promoting women’s rights.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I would also like to commend the outstanding work of the Blue Helmets, at times conducted in very difficult conditions. We must collectively support peacekeeping operations so that they can fully implement their mandates. France has recently deployed a decontamination team to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to provide expertise and technical support in fighting the pandemic, and we are ready to treat foreign soldiers working in peacekeeping operations who have COVID-19 and are in need of urgent care in our military hospitals. On a humanitarian level, I would like to pay tribute to the work conducted by humanitarian and medical personnel, especially ICRC workers.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I am pleased that, at the initiative of Tunisia — and I would like to commend Minister Nourredine Erray — and France, the Security Council has effectively addressed the threat to international peace and security caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic through resolution 2532 (2020), which it adopted yesterday. We now need to redouble our efforts to implement that resolution. France supports the Secretary-General’s call for a ceasefire, backed by nearly 180 countries and more than 20 armed groups as well as many regional and civil society organizations. This call must now be put into action. In Syria, Yemen, Libya, the Sahel and Afghanistan, the situation remains extremely unstable and civilian populations continue to suffer the consequences.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Mr. President, dear Heiko, I would like to thank you, my friend, for instigating this meeting at the start of the German presidency of the Security Council. I would also like to commend and thank the Secretary-General, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs for the outstanding work their respective organizations have done to collectively tackle this unprecedented public-health crisis. The Security Council, which, under the Charter of the United Nations — the adoption of which we has just celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary — bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, must address the destabilizing effect of pandemics. It was able to do so with HIV/AIDS in 2000 and with Ebola in 2014 and 2018.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I commend the commitment of the Secretary-General and that of his Special Representative, Mr. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, as well as that of the peacekeepers. Aware of its responsibility in this matter, France is eager to work closely with each member of the Security Council to reach a consensus on the renewal of the mandate.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“It is essential that those responsible for these unacceptable acts be brought to justice, as the Malian Government has pledged to do. As we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the women and peace and security agenda this year, I also recall the importance of the full, effective and meaningful participation of women, without whom there can be no lasting peace. Because MINUSMA acts in conjunction with other security entities on the ground, it is also important that adequate synergies be established. For the sake of the unity of the Security Council, we will advocate the extension of MINUSMA’s support for the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, as well as a clarification of how that support is provided beyond Malian territory. MINUSMA is doing an excellent job in one of the most challenging environments.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, we are still waiting to see the political and institutional reforms provided for in the agreement come to pass. In this context, let me reiterate that the peace agreement resulting from the Algiers process must remain our compass, and we must strive for its full and complete implementation. Those who oppose it, on whatever side, will face sanctions. The renewal of the MINUSMA mandate must also be an opportunity to recall our demands with regard to the protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law, humanitarian access, the upholding of human rights, and the fight against impunity. The Malian Government has announced investigations into several allegations of serious human rights violations, some of which have been alleged against members of the defence and security forces.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“In the negotiation of the new mandate, which will begin in the coming days, our priorities will be to confirm MINUSMA in its priority tasks: implementation of the peace agreement, support for the redeployment of the State, and the protection of civilians in the centre of the country. But we will also seek to set out in the new mandate the expectations we have for the Malian parties, both the Government and the armed groups. Five years after the signing of the peace agreement, the international community is still waiting to see significant progress from them. The actions of certain actors in blatant substitution of State authority in the north are not acceptable. They must continue to disarm under conditions agreed by the parties.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“Finally, we have continued our efforts on governance and the return of State authority with the Partnership for Security and Stability in the Sahel, launched together with Germany, and development actions, all within the framework of the Sahel Alliance. The month of June is of major importance for Mali, as it is the month of MINUSMA’s mandate renewal. Against the backdrop of persistent challenges facing the country, MINUSMA remains the best tool available for the international community to support the Malians on their path to peace and security. MINUSMA’s adaptation plan, which I invite all Member States to support, should further improve the Mission’s capabilities.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“We are working with the States of the Sahel, some of which are weakened but committed, and the international community has increased its support with the launch this year of the Coalition for the Sahel, which will hold its first ministerial meeting tomorrow. On the ground, this dynamic has resulted in the establishment of a joint command mechanism between the 5,100-strong French force, Operation Barkhane, and the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5) Joint Force. The results are in, with victories in the fight against terrorism, including the neutralization last week of Abdelmalek Droukdel, leader of the Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Task Force Takuba, which brings together various European special forces, has also been launched.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“However, despite these sometimes-hard-won gains, the situation in Mali and the Sahel remains extremely fragile. Terrorist groups are continuing their acts of harassment. The civilian populations and armies of the countries of the Sahel, whose courage and commitment I salute, are paying a heavy price. The humanitarian situation, aggravated by the coronavirus disease pandemic, continues to deteriorate, leading to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons and refugees. Reconciliation between different communities remains a challenge. Finally, climate change has made Mali and the whole region particularly vulnerable. But France is confident.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“The African force, the International Mission of Support in Mali, and then the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were deployed to secure the territory, and elections were held. Under the auspices of Algeria, the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali was reached. Since then, significant progress has been made in the implementation of that agreement. This year, for the first time in five years, a thousand soldiers of the reconstituted Malian army, which includes former rebels, returned to the northern cities, including the symbolic city of Kidal. Progress on other aspects of the peace agreement is still ongoing, whether it be on decentralization, development of the north or the participation of women in the peace process.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source
“As France has assumed the presidency of the Security Council for the month of June, it is a great pleasure to preside over today’s Security Council meeting on Mali. France thanks the Secretary-General for honouring us with his participation in today’s meeting. I also welcome the presence at this meeting of the High Representative of the African Union for the Sahel and Mali and of numerous Ministers. It is a sign of our collective interest in the situation in Mali and, beyond that, in the Sahel. First of all, I would like to discuss the progress made over the last eight years, for we must remember where we are coming from. In 2012, the north of Mali was occupied by terrorists, and a political vacuum had set in. In 2013, at the request of the Malian authorities, France intervened to stop the advance of jihadists towards Bamako.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source