YouSaid · the spoken record

John Sawers

lines on the record

590

first

2007-08-28

most recent

2009-10-14

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89

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un-security-council

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1. “Despite Iran's refusal to engage thus far, the British Government urges Iran's leaders to take the opportunity to suspend its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities and to cooperate fully with the IAEA, paving the way for the suspension of sanctions and for the start of negotiations which would bring far-reaching benefits to the Iranian people and greater stability to the Middle East. If Iran does not take this opportunity, then, as the resolution makes clear, the Security Council is committed to implementing further additional measures.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

2. “They increase vigilance over the activities of Iranian banks, particularly Banks Melli and Saderat, which we believe are engaged in proliferation-sensitive activities; they introduce a provision for careful scrutiny of new commitments for export credits and guarantees to Iran; and they encourage Member States to inspect cargo to and from Iran where there are grounds to believe that prohibited items are being transported. By adopting this resolution, the Security Council has continued its incremental and proportionate approach, gradually increasing the pressure on Iran to address the widely shared concerns about its nuclear programme.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

3. “It is a matter of great regret that for the past 20 months Iran has ignored our offer. Iran's leaders should listen to what the international community is saying rather than misleading their people by misrepresenting our actions and misrepresenting the reports of the IAEA on their nuclear programme. I commend the efforts of the Director General and the officials of the IAEA, but Iran's failure to do what is required of them, as clearly stated by the IAEA, left us no option but to seek further measures in the Security Council. These further measures today strengthen the restrictions on individuals and entities closely associated with Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities and with its ballistic missile programme.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

4. “Overall, Iran has clearly failed to abide by its legal obligations under successive Security Council resolutions. The political statement agreed by the Foreign Ministers of the European Three (E3) plus Three, with the support of the EU High Representative, makes clear that we remain committed to a negotiated solution on the basis of the far-reaching proposals that the six countries agreed in Vienna in June 2006 and which, since that time, we have consistently urged Iran to accept. Our offer would give Iran everything it needs to develop a modern civil nuclear power programme, including legally guaranteed supplies of nuclear fuel. The offer provides Iran with a basis for a transformed relationship with all members of the international community, including with the United States.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

5. “This resolution is a necessary response to Iran's continued failure to comply with the requirements of the IAEA Board and the Security Council that, while we try to build confidence in Iran's nuclear intentions, Iran has to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activity and work on all heavy-water- related projects; has to resolve all outstanding questions; and has to implement and ratify the Additional Protocol. The progress that Iran has made with the IAEA addresses only one of those issues, and then only partially. Iran has refused to answer the most difficult questions about its past programme or to meet IAEA requests to interview named Iranian officials. And, as the IAEA reports, far from suspending its enrichment activities, Iran has intensified its efforts, including by trying to develop a new generation of centrifuges.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

6. “The British Government welcomes the very broad support for this Security Council resolution. Its adoption sends a clear message to the Government and the people of Iran. It underlines yet again that the international community is profoundly concerned that Iran might be intending to use its nuclear programme for military purposes. The United Kingdom does not have confidence that Iran's programme is for exclusively peaceful purposes. On the contrary, to us their nuclear programme only makes sense as part of plan to develop, at the least, a nuclear weapons capability.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

7. “"This will require further diplomatic efforts and innovative approaches. To that end, we have asked Dr. Javier Solana, the High Representative of the European Union for Common Foreign and Security Policy, to meet with Dr. Saeed Jalili, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and to address the interests and concerns of both sides in a manner which can gradually create the conditions for the opening of negotiations." That concludes the statement on behalf of the six Foreign Ministers. I should like now to make some remarks in my national capacity. First, I welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Iran. Many points he has made in his statement are open to clarification, argument and correction, but that would take a long time. Let me confine myself to the following points.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

8. “Our proposals will offer substantial opportunities for political, security and economic benefits to Iran and to the region. We urge Iran to take this opportunity to engage with us all and to find a negotiated way forward. We reiterate our recognition of the right of Iran to develop, research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in conformity with its NPT obligations. We reconfirm that once the confidence of the international community in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme is restored it will be treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear-weapon State party to the NPT. We remain ready to negotiate future arrangements, modalities and timing in this respect once the conditions for negotiations have been established.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

9. “We deplore Iran's continued failure to comply with its United Nations Security Council and IAEA Board requirements, in particular by expanding its enrichment-related activities. We note the progress made in implementing the IAEA-Iran work plan and the IAEA's serious concerns about the 'alleged studies', which are critical to an assessment of a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme. We call upon Iran to heed the requirement of the United Nations Security Council and the IAEA, including the suspension of its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. "We remain committed to an early negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and reaffirm our commitment to a dual-track approach. We reconfirm the proposals we presented to Iran in June 2006 and are prepared to further develop them.”

   2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

10. “I would like to begin by reading out the text of a statement which has been agreed by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, with the support of the High Representative of the European Union (EU). The statement reads as follows: "Today the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1803 (2008), reflecting the international community's ongoing serious concerns about the proliferation risks of the Iranian nuclear programme. This is the third time that the United Nations Security Council has sent a strong message of international resolve to Iran by adopting a sanctions resolution under Article 41 of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations on Iran's nuclear programme.”

    2008-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5848 (2008) · source

11. “My delegation hopes that the Security Council, in the weeks and months to come, can recover its unity of purpose on this issue and that the United Nations on the ground will continue to make its contribution to stability, security and prosperity in the Balkans alongside the European Union, NATO and others, with the active backing of the Security Council.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

12. “We are concerned about the violent demonstrations against some embassies in Belgrade and about the attacks on international offices in North Mitrovica. I began by saying that the Security Council was facing an extraordinary set of circumstances. It is not ideal for Kosovo to become independent without the consent of Serbia and without consensus in the Council. My Government believes that the unique circumstances of the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia and the unprecedented United Nations administration of Kosovo make this a sui generis case that creates no wider precedent - a point that all EU member States agreed upon today.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

13. “I do not want to repeat once again our views on the legal position but for the sake of clarity they are attached to the circulated copy of my statement. The European Union is committed to a better future for the region as a whole. My Government applauds the European vision for Serbia that President Tadic has consistently displayed. As the European Council said in December 2007, a stable and prosperous Serbia, integrated into the family of European nations, is important for the stability of the region. That is the future open to Serbia, and my Government calls on its leaders to look ahead and to focus on that prize. More immediately, we call on Serbia's leadership - religious as well as political - to encourage restraint, to refrain from provocative words or actions and to desist from punitive measures or threats against Kosovo.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

14. “Kosovo Serb leaders should work with the Government in Pristina and with the international presences. The Ahtisaari plan also commits Kosovo to accept extensive and continuing international supervision. NATO has agreed to continue to provide security in Kosovo, and the European Union has agreed to deploy a rule-of-law mission to oversee the buildup of Kosovo's capacity in this crucial area. One delegation has sought to argue that the European Union mission can deploy only with the express agreement of the Security Council. The United Kingdom disagrees. The EU has been part of the international civilian presence in Kosovo from the outset. The United Nations Mission has evolved and developed over the past nine years, adapting to changing circumstances within its original broad mandate without requiring any new decisions from the Council.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

15. “That speaks for itself. The United Kingdom urges Kosovo's Serb population to play a full part in the political, economic and social life of Kosovo. The United Nations Mission, the European Union (EU) and NATO will work to ensure that the commitments made by Prime Minister Thaci on 17 February and the far-reaching provisions to protect minorities in the Ahtisaari plan are implemented in full. Kosovo's progress towards the European Union will depend on, inter alia, how well it treats its minorities. We also expect the Serbian authorities and Kosovo Serb leaders to take no action to promote the separation of the north of Kosovo from the rest of the country. Excluding Kosovo's Government from majority-Serb areas of Kosovo will not be accepted.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

16. “When, in the middle of the final status process, the Government of Serbia changed its constitution to exclude any future for Kosovo outside Serbia, it effectively ended any chance of a negotiated settlement. The international community cannot be party to a settlement that is opposed by more than 90 per cent of the territory's population. Apart from anything else, that would be contrary to our overriding priority of upholding peace and security. My Government is convinced that the proposal of the United Nations Special Envoy for supervised independence, which the Kosovo Assembly has embraced and committed itself to implement, is the only Viable way forward. It commits Kosovo to protect its minority populations. Other than the Kosovo Serbs, all of them - the Roma, Jews, Turks and others - have endorsed the Ahtisaari plan.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

17. “Resolution 1244 (1999) placed no limits on the scope of that status outcome, and paragraph 11 (a) of the resolution is clear that the substantial autonomy which Kosovo was to enjoy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was an interim outcome pending a final settlement. Within two years of the resolution's adoption, a new, democratic, Government came to power in Belgrade. That Government and its successors have wrestled with the legacy of Milosevic's war crimes. They are right to argue that they should not be punished for those crimes. But equally, they have a duty to help resolve the problems caused by Milosevic, and they must accept that the legacy of Milosevic's oppression and violence has made it impossible for Kosovo to return to control by Belgrade.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

18. “In resolution 1244 (1999) the Security Council recognized that the human rights of the people of Kosovo and the stability of the region could be secured only if Serbia did not govern Kosovo. It established a United Nations mission to serve as Kosovo's interim government. That mission had two crucial tasks: first, to help Kosovo establish its own institutions of self- government and to pass authority progressively to those institutions; and secondly, to facilitate a process to determine Kosovo's future status, taking into account the Rambouillet accords, which had specified that such a settlement had to be based on the will of the people of Kosovo.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

19. “At the heart of today's controversy is a resolution adopted at this table in June 1999. In that resolution, the Council took an unprecedented step: it effectively deprived Belgrade of the exercise of authority in Kosovo. It did so because the then regime in Belgrade had not just unilaterally deprived Kosovo of its powers of self- government, thereby triggering a rebellion; it had tried in 1999 to expel the majority population from the territory of Kosovo. Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children were driven from Kosovo by the State security forces of Slobodan Milosevic. People being herded onto trains provoked images from the 1940s. The events of 1999 shape the events we see now.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

20. “Let me join others in welcoming President Tadic' back to the Security Council today. The presence of the Secretary- General is also very welcome. The Security Council meets today in unusual circumstances. A new State has been established in Europe against the wishes of its former parent State and against the wishes of a permanent member of the Council. That new State has been recognized today by many Governments in Europe and beyond, including my own. Formal letters of recognition have today been delivered to the President of Kosovo by British Government representatives. It is important to understand how this came about and to understand why the events of recent months, of yesterday and today, and of the weeks and months to come are inevitable as well as exceptional.”

    2008-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5839 (2008) · source

21. “That might involve use of targeted measures against perpetrators who refuse to undertake the actions we demand of them. Certainly, inaction should not be an option.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

22. “The United Kingdom fully supports the role of the International Criminal Court in investigating and prosecuting these and other violations and abuses against children in armed conflict that fall within its jurisdiction. To be relevant, the Security Council's work on children and armed conflict has to have an impact on the ground. As I have emphasized, progress has been made, but serious challenges remain. We must continue to evaluate our efforts and to monitor the implementation of our Working Group's conclusions. A number of persistent violators are mentioned in the report before us. The United Kingdom strongly believes that the Security Council and its Working Group should make full use of the range of options for addressing systematic violations, as set out in resolution 1612 (2005) and in the Working Group's toolkit.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

23. “Bearing in mind the Secretary-General's recommendation, we are ready to contribute to a review of the violations that trigger the listing of a party in the annexes of his reports. With that in mind, we are especially concerned that instances of sexual and gender-based violence during conflict, including rape, have increased, in particular, in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. There is evidence that rape is being used as an instrument of war in those regions to terrorize local populations. Further data collection and analysis is needed to provide a basis on which to hold those responsible to account. It is important that such crimes do not go unpunished.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

24. “The United Kingdom welcomes the fact that parties to conflict in countries such as the Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Burma and the Sudan are cooperating with monitoring and reporting mechanisms and have made progress on concrete time- bound action plans to stop recruitment of children and other violations and abuses. But greater engagement is needed. We would welcome further details on progress made in the development and implementation of the action plans of parties within Burma. We urge the Myanmar Government to adhere to its commitment to the Special Representative to cooperate in establishing a monitoring and reporting mechanism. All six grave violations outlined in the report continue to be of great concern to the United Kingdom.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

25. “The engagement of the Government of Nepal in preparation for the release and rehabilitation of child combatants is also welcome, although implementation of these plans is overdue. The decrease in unlawful recruitment of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a further positive sign. The cooperation of the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the International Criminal Court on the indictment of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo and Germain Katanga, and in the recent arrest of Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, is very welcome. Nevertheless, serious challenges remain, not least with regard to abuses perpetrated by illegal armed militia in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

26. “The United Kingdom supports the Secretary- General's recommendation to include child protection advisers within the mandates of peacekeeping and relevant political missions in future to strengthen monitoring and reporting. We also recognize the role of non-governmental organizations and civil society groups on the ground, which often operate at personal risk and without whose 08-2361] support this mechanism could not operate half as effectively as it does. We welcome this latest report, and we are pleased to note a number of positive developments. The recent evidence suggesting that active recruitment and use of children by armed groups in Cote d'Ivoire has ended is encouraging.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

27. “Thank you, Mr. Minister, for being here today and presiding over our meeting. Our thanks go also to your Ambassador, Mr. Arias, for organizing today's open debate on what we have all agreed is a crucial and deeply worrying issue. I join others in thanking our French colleagues for their excellent leadership of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. The United Kingdom is committed to playing an active role in international efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict. We welcome the valuable and high-quality work of Ms. Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. We are grateful to her for her briefing today, and also for the briefings by Ms. Veneman and Ms. Becker.”

    2008-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5834 (2008) · source

28. “Of course, a comprehensive settlement in Darfur is impossible without a normalization of the regional security situation and relations between Chad and the Sudan on the basis of unconditional compliance by the States of the region with the existing agreements, in particular the agreement ensuring security in the border area. For its part, Russia is determined in future to constructively promote progress in the Darfur peace process on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Sudan.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

29. “That will require cooperation on the part of both parties. As experience has shown, and in particular the Visit of Mr. Guehenno to Addis Ababa, the current problems require constructive dialogue with the Sudanese leadership. We are pleased that, during the course of the meeting of the Secretary-General and the President of the Sudan at the margins of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, the need to hasten the deployment of the Operation and to immediately conclude the status-of-forces agreement for UNAMID was reaffirmed.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

30. “The Secretariat and the African Union have done an impressive amount of work to ensure that UNAMID can undertake its mandate in the time frame established by Security Council resolution 1769 (2007). We must work consistently to strengthen UNAMID's effectiveness, as was mentioned today by Mr. Guehenno. The problem remains of how to integrate the necessary helicopters into UNAMID. Russia is prepared to cooperate with its partners and the Secretariat to develop new potential options to solve that urgent problem. Of continued relevance is the Secretary-General's thesis that the effective functioning of UNAMID will depend to a great extent on the ability of the United Nations and the African Union to solve, in cooperation with the Government of the Sudan, comprehensive technical questions pertaining to the deployment of the Operation.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

31. “We believe that would lead not to weakening the Joint Mediation Support Team, but to strengthened coordination and effectiveness of its activities. We are seriously concerned by the intransigent stand taken by the Justice and Equality Movement. The question arises of the possible use of restrictive measures with regard to those rebel leaders who not only openly obstruct progress in the Darfur political process, but are also threatening the security of peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel. In any case, the Security Council must send them a very clear and firm signal on the immediate need to reconsider their destructive position. The transfer of authority from the African Union Mission in Sudan to UNAMID was an important milestone in the peacekeeping process in Darfur.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

32. “We highly appreciate the effective efforts of Special Envoys Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim in holding consultations with the Government of the Sudan and the Darfur opposition with a view to preparing the parties for negotiations on items of substance. We are pleased to hear that there has been significant progress in uniting the various Darfur rebel groups but there is a great deal of arduous work to be done to persuade the opposition to agree to their negotiation platform and the membership of their delegation. In that connection, we welcome the extension by the Secretary-General of the mandate of the mediator, Mr. Jan Eliasson. Of note is the idea to enhance the activities of the negotiation team of the Special Envoys through the appointment of a single negotiator.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

33. “We are very grateful to Jan Eliasson and his fellow Envoy Salim Salim for their efforts. We see some signs of movement in Mr. Eliasson's report on the positions of the respective rebel organizations. Despite the difficulties and frustrations, we need to keep up the momentum. But it is clear that - as some of us have said for some time - a longer-term perspective is needed and must be pursued on multiple tracks in parallel. We welcome Mr. Eliasson's intention to do precisely that. The deployment of peacekeeping forces will no doubt help to strengthen security, but cannot guarantee the comprehensive settlement of the situation. The key role in the political process, under the aegis of the United Nations and the African Union, rests of course with the parties involved, acting with the active support of the regional players.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

34. “The steps reported by Mr. Guehenno, and by the Secretary-General earlier this week, on the status-of- forces agreement and the deployment of non-African contingents are welcome. I am sure that I am not alone among Council members in expecting those commitments to be translated into facts on the ground without further delay. Other issues critical to the effectiveness of the mission remain outstanding, notably movement at night. The protection of civilians cannot cease when the sun sets. We look to the Government of the Sudan to resolve those issues promptly. I would welcome confirmation from Mr. Guehenno that the revised status-of-forces agreement will provide an adequate basis for UNAMID's effective operation. The second track is the political process, which in the long term is the only reliable path to peace.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

35. “First, on the peacekeeping side, as others have said, the transfer of authority from the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) to the African Union- United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is a welcome step. We in the British Government are committed to doing all we can to make UNAMID and effective mission. But it still faces significant challenges. Those include, first, the sourcing of enough troops and equipment, including helicopters. In that connection, my delegation will continue our efforts in support of the Secretariat. The second challenge pertains to enhancing the support infrastructure required to maintain a large mission in a difficult environment. And the third challenge has to do with inconsistent cooperation from the Sudanese Government and bureaucratic obstacles to making things happen on the ground.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

36. “In particular, what has come through is the interdependence of progress on the security track and progress on the political track. We have to persist with both in parallel. I am just receiving some worrying reports of a further downturn in security in western Darfur. There are reports of attacks on villages by Sudanese Government forces, including aerial bombings, and extensive loss of life. That is further destruction to the process in the region. It is of great regret that that is happening. We call on all parties to bring an immediate end to this fighting. It will be helpful if, at the end of this discussion, Mr. Guehenno could give us any further information that he may have on events today. I think this continued fighting only serves to underline the need to make progress on all four tracks facing us in the Sudan, in Darfur.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

37. “Allow me to begin by joining my colleagues in saying how much we will miss Ambassador Mladineo at the Council. We very much enjoyed her presence and wish her the very best of luck in her next position. I would also like to join others in thanking Mr. Eliasson, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, and Under-Secretary-General Guehenno for their briefings this morning. The Council was closely engaged on Darfur throughout 2007. The scale of the crisis and the impact it has on the lives of millions of people and the stability of the region fully justified that engagement. I wish I could say that our efforts in 2007 have made the task in 2008 less formidable. But as both briefings we heard this morning indicate, that is not the case.”

    2008-02-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5832 (2008) · source

38. “We welcome the recent efforts of the League of Arab States and we look to all those with influence to use it responsibly and for the common good of all Lebanese. The United Nations has an important role to play in achieving the just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East that we all seek - first, as a member of the Quartet; secondly, through UNIFIL and other United Nations operations; thirdly, as a provider of humanitarian aid through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; and fourthly, as a facilitator of progress. The United Nations voice should be heard, and the Security Council should play its part. To do that, we must ensure that our discussion adds value and is seen to support progress towards our common goal: a comprehensive peace in the region.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

39. “The United Kingdom is alarmed by the deteriorating security situation in Lebanon. We have witnessed the roadside bombs that killed Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj and Captain Wissam Eid. We witnessed the roadside attacks against cars belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United States embassy, and the Katyusha rockets that were fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. We condemn all such terrorist attacks. We were also disturbed by the civil unrest on 27 January, in which a number of demonstrators were killed. It remains essential that political divisions be reconciled and that the election of a president be allowed to proceed without outside interference.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

40. “We welcome the decision of the Israeli Government to resume fuel and food supplies to Gaza, and the Palestinians must address Israel's security concerns and put an end to the launching of rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza against Israel. I would like to express my Government's concern over the situation at Rafah and our support for the Egyptian Government's response. We welcome Prime Minister Fayyad's proposal that the Palestinian Authority take control of the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossings. I encourage all concerned to work, as a matter of urgency, for the normal operation of the crossings. We in the European Union have made clear that we stand ready to play our part at Rafah once conditions allow. On Lebanon, I would like to recall the press statement that you, Sir, issued yesterday on behalf of members of the Council.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

41. “Annapolis launched the peace process, and now we must make continuous, steady progress to our goal. It is not evident that the parties are yet achieving that. The situation in Gaza continues to be of serious concern to my delegation. The Security Council held extensive discussions on that over the past week, during which I made clear the United Kingdom's concern and my Government's position. We condemn the near daily rocket attacks out of Gaza, targeted at Israeli civilians, and we recognize that Israel has a right to self-defence against such attacks. But the closing of all crossings and restriction of the supply of fuel, food and other goods in order to create suffering among the civilian population is not the right response.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

42. “We in the international community have a responsibility to do whatever we can to support the Israeli-Palestinian process, a process that has the agreed goal of a viable Palestinian State living side by side with Israel, with both countries enjoying peace and security. I am not sure whether debates such as this, which generate more heat than light, are a useful contribution to that process. But for our part, the British Government will continue to offer political and practical support to both the Israelis and Palestinians involved. One example of that is the United Kingdom's co-sponsorship of the private investors' conference to be held later this year in Bethlehem, as part of our commitment to work with others to help develop a Palestinian economy supported by the private sector. We cannot be sanguine.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

43. “I would like to begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General Pascoe for his briefing to the Council, the second on the situation in the Middle East in just over a week. As we have heard, the Israelis and the Palestinians continue to hold high-level bilateral negotiations. Mr. Olmert and President Abbas met again as recently as 27 January. We see those regular contacts as a demonstration of the political determination of the two leaders. That is invaluable, especially when events on the ground threaten to derail the peace process. We commend both men for their political leadership and encourage them and their Governments to continue.”

    2008-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5827 (2008) · source

44. “The Palestinians must address Israel's security concerns, and the Israelis must take steps to reverse the current humanitarian situation. My Government has provided significant humanitarian assistance and financial aid, and we will continue to do so. But it is clear that money will not be enough. There needs to be strong leadership at the political level to move forward, and we look to Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to provide that leadership.”

    2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824 (2008) · source

45. “The Security Council must play its role in persuading the parties of the need to break this cycle of violence. The rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza into Israel are unacceptable. The number of Palestinian civilian casualties caused by Israeli military action is unacceptable. People on both sides are suffering. Israel has legitimate security concerns, but the solution is not to cut off supplies. Similarly, the Palestinian argument is not advanced by launching rocket and mortar attacks. The actions of both sides are counterproductive to the stated objectives of the leaders of both sides. Neither justice for Palestinians nor security for Israel will be achieved by firing rockets and cutting off fuel.”

    2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824 (2008) · source

46. “That is a welcome step. But it is crucial that further steps be taken to halt the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We call on Israel to work with all parties to reopen the crossings and to allow basic humanitarian supplies and civilian trade to flow. There is a peace process in place. The recent meeting in Annapolis gave us reason to hope that there could be an end in sight to this conflict, and we support the goal of an agreement in 2008. It is encouraging that bilateral meetings between Israelis and Palestinians have continued. However, the political process does not take place in a vacuum. There is a very real risk that the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation will undermine the progress being made at the political level.”

    2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824 (2008) · source

47. “Let me begin by saying how much we appreciated the very clear briefing by Under-Secretary-General Pascoe. The situation in Gaza has been of growing concern for many months, and the latest escalation is extremely grave. We share Israel's frustration and its anger at the continued rocket and mortar attacks aimed at its civilians, as described by the Israeli representative today. Israel has a right to defend itself from such attacks. But it is not acceptable that Israel should respond to these attacks by taking action that is designed to cause suffering to the civilian population of Gaza. The British Government cannot condone Israeli closure of the crossings. We have taken note of the announcement yesterday by the Israeli Defence Minister that Gaza would immediately begin to receive fuel for electricity and humanitarian aid.”

    2008-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5824 (2008) · source

48. “On the contribution of the region to supporting progress within Iraq, we commend the agreement reached at the Iraq neighbours meeting in Istanbul in November to establish an Iraqi-led support mechanism for the neighbours process, with United Nations support. The support mechanism now needs to begin to work as soon as possible to help to translate the commitments made by participants in the neighbours process into concrete outcomes. I might say that that applies in particular to countries from which insurgents continue to pass into Iraq. At the international level, the United Kingdom remains committed to supporting Iraq through ad hoc forums such as the expanded neighbours' ministerial process and the European Union.”

    2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source

49. “To that end, we welcome the approval by the Council of Representatives of the revised law on de-Baathification and the law on pensions as steps very much in the right direction. We echo, however, the Secretary-General's observation that more needs to be done to meet the challenges of reviewing and adopting a constitution acceptable to all Iraqis and passing legislation on provincial powers, elections and hydrocarbons. Success in those areas will require leadership from the Government of Iraq and the willingness of all political parties to work effectively together in the national interest within the Council of Representatives.”

    2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source

50. “As the Secretary-General's report sets out, and as Ambassador Khalilzad and the Special Representative have emphasized, the second half of 2007 saw welcome progress in terms of Iraq's security, in part as a result of the Iraqi population's rejection of extremism and extremist groups. To be sustained, that progress on security will have to go hand in hand with progress on political reconciliation. Each is indispensable to the other. Iraqis should drive reconciliation forward. The international community will stand by them to help facilitate and support it. We continue to encourage Iraq's political leaders to work with each other in a spirit of collegiality and to build on existing agreements, to strengthen participation and decision-making, to improve the performance of Government and to facilitate the passing of laws.”

    2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source