YouSaid · the spoken record

John Sawers

lines on the record: 590
first: 2007-08-28
most recent: 2009-10-14
sittings or episodes: 89
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

“That would be consistent with the Secretary-General's recommendations and would address the deeply worrying patterns that are set out in his reports. Secondly, it is vital that we improve the monitoring of the implementation of the Working Group's recommendations. We need better feedback on what works and what does not. The Secretary- General's reports to the Working Group should include concrete information on progress made by listed parties. That may require some additional administrative support from the Secretariat, but the impact would be significant. I would like to turn briefly to several conflict situations where we have particular concerns about the impact on children. My Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, is today visiting Sri Lanka with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“It is now time to address some of the wider challenges of the child protection agenda and some of the inefficiencies of the original model. We have said repeatedly that the Working Group does not make use of all the tools available to it in support of child protection. That needs to change in two ways. First, we strongly believe that it is time for the Council to expand the criteria for listing parties that commit abuses against children. That should be matched by measures to enhance the effectiveness of the Working Group. In particular, we should expand the monitoring and reporting mechanism's trigger to include both acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence and acts of killing and maiming that are committed against children.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding work that the United Nations agencies and funds continue to undertake in the cause of children affected by armed conflict. I would like to focus particularly on the untiring work of the Special Representative and her team and to recognize the pivotal role of non- governmental organizations and civil society groups in the field. That this strand of Security Council work achieves such impact on the ground is testament to their dedication and to Ms. Coomaraswamy's leadership. When the Security Council established its Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, it did so with a clear sense that the new structure would need to be able to adapt to changing realities.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I would like to start, Madam Minister, by welcoming you to the Council today. We are delighted that you are able to preside over this important meeting. I would like also to thank the Mexican delegation, and in particular Ambassador Heller, for the excellent Mexican leadership of the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. We associate ourselves fully with the statement to be delivered later by the representative of the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union. We welcomed the opportunity this morning to hear from the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, and from representatives of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and of UNICEF. We were also struck by the powerful personal testimony of Ms. Grace Akallo.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“They will also need to take account of the work being undertaken for a more rigorous and strategic approach to peacekeeping. With that in mind, we support the overall effort and this debate, and we support the conclusions set out in the draft presidential statement.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“This is particularly important for conflict situations that have been characterized by widespread sexual violence, and the United Kingdom looks forward to further discussion of this issue in the context of the Secretary-General's reports on peacebuilding and on women and peace and security. Mediation cannot be conducted in a vacuum. Mediation capacity must be a core part of any institutional architecture to address conflict, and we need to ensure that the right links are made between mediators and those engaged in the planning and implementation of peace agreements. In taking forward the report's recommendations, as Mr. Pascoe noted, the Secretariat will also need to take account of the conclusions of the forthcoming reports of the Secretary-General on peacebuilding and early recovery, which we hope will be comprehensive and ambitious.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“We need to ensure that every effort is made and every opportunity taken to improve the speed and effectiveness of mediation efforts. We need to ask a number of questions: Are the right mechanisms in place? Can we trigger the early launch of mediation efforts? Can we determine who is best placed to lead a mediation effort? And can we ensure that other actors support the person in the lead? My colleagues have talked about the need for increased numbers of women to be involved in mediation. The statistics in the report about their under-representation are striking, and we need to work much harder to ensure the full involvement of women, and of civil society generally.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“We therefore see it as an important and positive development that we are now seeing proper investment in United Nations mediation capacities. We welcome the General Assembly's decision to enhance the capacity in mediation of the Department of Political Affairs as part of strengthening its overall preventive diplomacy effort. With these new resources, we shall of course be looking for improved performance from Mr. Pascoe's department and the United Nations as a whole. We welcome specifically the establishment of the Mediation Support Unit and the assistance it has provided the United Nations and other mediation efforts. We appreciate the need for flexible resources, including for the early startup of mediation activities. But it is not just a question of resources. The report provides some useful principles for successful mediation.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“We have seen some clear successes, such as Kofi Annan's leadership of the international community's efforts in Kenya and President Obasanjo's engagement in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Pascoe rightly highlighted Special Representative Ould Abdallah's work to bring the political process in Somalia to a more positive stage, and President Campaore has played an important personal role in Togo and C6te d'Ivoire. But as the Secretary-General's report makes clear, there is much more that the United Nations can and should be doing, and we support that conclusion. The report's emphasis on early mediation is critical. Every effort needs to be made to put an early stop to an emerging crisis before it can develop into conflict and humanitarian emergency which places further strain on already limited peacekeeping resources.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this debate, which is timely. We are grateful to Burkina Faso for championing this issue in the Council and to Mr. Pascoe and his team for today's briefing. The Secretary-General's report (S/2009/ 189) and today's debate provide an opportunity to put the spotlight on what can be done to ensure that the mediation efforts of the international community - and especially of the United Nations - are more effective in helping to resolve conflict. It is important. The failure to generate durable peace agreements will lead to the continued scourge of conflict, which both the countries concerned and their neighbours can ill afford. The international community's recent record in supporting mediation efforts has been mixed.”
2009-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6108 (2009) · source
“We stand ready to work with all concerned to find ways to ensure that vulnerable people in Darfur and other parts of the Sudan continue to receive the humanitarian assistance they desperately need.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“But the actions of the Government of the Sudan have made it harder for us to do so in conformity with internationally accepted principles. We look forward to receiving the assessment report being prepared by the United Nations and officials of the Government of the Sudan on the impact of the expulsions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the Sudan. The Security Council will need to return to this issue when the report is available. One thing is certain: the United Kingdom will hold the Government of the Sudan responsible for the suffering that its decision causes. The people of Darfur have suffered enough from five years of war. It is inexplicable why their Government would want to add unnecessarily to their misery.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“We cannot rule out the possibility of this leading to civil disturbances and mass movements of internally displaced people. These decisions have consequences beyond Darfur. These could include the displacement of internally displaced people in the Sudan across the border into Chad. The decision to expel these NGOs has an even bigger impact in the southern regions of Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and Abyie, where the 13 NGOs affected provided the great bulk of humanitarian assistance. The United Kingdom is the second-largest bilateral donor to the Sudan. We have pledged Â£36 million to the Common Humanitarian Fund for this year. It is our single largest humanitarian effort anywhere in the world. We remain committed to helping the people of the Sudan.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“The reality, as I think we all know, is that some 40 to 50 per cent of humanitarian capacity in Darfur has now been removed. All but a few of the 237 international staff who used to work for the expelled NGOs in Darfur have left the Sudan. The local staff they have left behind remain vulnerable to duress and are not in a position to sustain the relief operations. Supplies of critical fuel and medicine are not being distributed; nor are new supplies being ordered, putting at risk the populations that the NGOs have been supplying for several years. In Darfur, within a period of weeks, this will inevitably mean increased risk of disease and malnutrition. The lack of water, food and shelter could increase insecurity, particularly in large, volatile camps such as the Kalma and Muhajariya camps, in southern Darfur.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“The expulsion of the 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the closure of three Sudanese NGOs are completely unacceptable. We join the Secretary-General and the leaders of many United Nations Member States in calling on the Government of the Sudan to reverse its decision. As the Secretary-General has said, expulsions will cause irrevocable damage to humanitarian operations in the Sudan. They also violate both the humanitarian communiques signed by the Sudan with the United Nations and the provisions of the recent Doha agreement, which the Sudan signed only a few weeks ago. The representative of the Sudan has said that only 13 out of 118 NGOs have been expelled and claimed that that represents only 7 per cent.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“I am grateful for the convening of today's meeting, which is timely given the very widespread concerns that my Government and others have about the future humanitarian situation in the Sudan following recent decisions by the Government of that country. I should like to begin by thanking the Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Khalikov, for his briefing on the situation in the Sudan as he sees it now. What he said raises substantial concerns in our minds about the prospects for the people in need in the Sudan. It is important to keep in mind that we are talking about the lives of millions of vulnerable people who need our support 09-27501 and who have been receiving it in recent years. The issues concerning the humanitarian situation should not be mixed up with wider political questions.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6096 (2009) · source
“We look forward to continued progress in tackling this problem. Recent developments in Somalia give us some grounds for cautious optimism. This is a country that has endured almost 20 years of conflict and humanitarian tragedy. The challenges that President Sharif and his Government will face in the coming months remain immense and we must urgently provide practical support to the new Government, as well as to AMISOM, if we are to help bring about the stability and security that the people of Somalia deserve.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“As the Secretary-General says in his current report, there remains uncertainty about whether a classic United Nations peacekeeping operation is the right tool to support the political process in Somalia (S/2009/132). We look forward to his next report in a month or so. The fourth area we need to pay attention to is piracy. We need to continue to work to ensure that security exists on Somalia's seas as well as on its land. We have to tackle both piracy at sea and its root causes on the land. We welcome the work of the Contact Group and agree with the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report, particularly on developing regional capability. On the operational front, the United Kingdom is providing the commander and the headquarters of the European Union naval mission off of the coast of Somalia.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) continues to play a critical role, by providing security in the centre of Mogadishu, key installations there, providing a base for President Sharif's Government to operate in the capital. I pay tribute to our brothers from Uganda and Burundi for their continuing commitment to this difficult operation. I would like to announce today that the United Kingdom will be giving this month an additional Â£10 million to the United Nations AMISOM. trust fund. That is in addition to the Â£5 million that we have already given directly to the African Union for AMISOM. We encourage others also to contribute. The Council will need to return in May to the issue of a possible United Nations peacekeeping operation.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“Over time, the new Government will need to establish wider justice and reconciliation processes, helping to create an environment in which different groups can live together. I encourage the United Nations Political Office and other United Nations staff to continue to work with President Sharif's Government and to make regular visits to Mogadishu. Thirdly, we need to create a secure environment in which the new Government can work. Some good work has been done, including by the United Nations Development Programme, in training the Somali police. There is still much to be done in strengthening the joint security forces. We warmly welcome their creation; this is the only long-term solution. We should all consider how we can best help.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“There are four particular areas where progress is urgently needed and which we believe should be the focus of the Council's attention. The first is tackling the humanitarian crisis. More than 3 million people need assistance in Somalia. The international community must continue to provide aid and support the Government in delivering basic security, employment and services, and the new Government needs to develop its own revenue streams and set its budget priorities. Secondly, there is the political track. We need Somali solutions to Somali problems, and the Djibouti process has given us a very good start on that. The international community must continue to support the new Government and also give that Government the space to act and to pursue reconciliation politically.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“They did not emphasize one of them, which was the smooth withdrawal of Ethiopian forces at the beginning of this year, but we can all recognize that that was an important step, as were, of course, the election of President Sharif, the formation of a new transitional Government and, in particular, the decision, highlighted by the Foreign Minister, to base the new Government in Mogadishu. President Sharif has also shown much personal courage in reaching out to the different factions in Somalia in an effort to establish political reconciliation, and in that he has our full support. While welcoming the progress that has been made, we should not underestimate the scale or complexity of the challenges that Somalia continues to face.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“I would like to begin by extending a particularly warm welcome to the Foreign Minister of Somalia on his first appearance at this Council. He and his Government are very welcome at our deliberations, and we congratulate him on his appointment. We also thank him for his well- considered, thorough and, if I may say so, well-judged statement. Of course, we also welcome our old friend, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and Mr. Lamamra, whom we have just heard speaking. All speakers have pointed to the encouraging developments of the last several months.”
2009-03-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6095 (2009) · source
“However, this also means that expectations for UNAMA are even higher and that it will be expected to deliver even more. An important area of that delivery has already begun, as I have set out. The reality of Afghanistan in 2009 is that all of those involved in the international effort, including the United Nations, are going to have to up their game. We are confident that, in Kai Eide, UNAMA has the leadership in place to rise to that challenge. Let me conclude by expressing the United Kingdom's appreciation for UNAMA's work over the past year. UNAMA's staff do vital work in difficult circumstances, and they and the Afghan people can count on the continued support of the United Kingdom.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“Despite all these challenges, we share the view of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative that there are grounds for optimism. One of those, as Mr. Eide set out, is the prognosis for poppy production in 2009, which is encouraging. If, as he cautiously predicted, we see a sharp decrease in overall production and a further increase in the number of poppy-free provinces, that would be a significant achievement. Another reason for optimism is the increase in the resources available to UNAMA. For some time, there was a gap between the scope of UNAMA's mandate and the resources available to implement it. UNAMA's new budget, agreed last year, means that gap has now been closed, and we welcome the new posts that have been filled and the additional offices that are being opened.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“There is no doubt as to the damage that reports of civilian casualties do to perceptions of the international effort in Afghanistan, but no one should be in any doubt that those engaged in the international military effort make strenuous efforts to ensure that they do not occur, and we have tightened our rules of engagement to this end. Where they do occur, we have improved our investigation and reporting mechanisms. In contrast, and as the Special Representative pointed out, the Afghan people and the international community in Afghanistan face an insurgency that does not care about civilian casualties. Civilians are used as shields and are now increasingly the target of deliberate attacks by the insurgents.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“UNAMA provides a link between the international civilian effort, the international military effort and the Afghan Government. This is not always an easy role to play, and we are well aware of the tensions that sometimes exist, but I commend UNAMA's work in this area, together with that of the International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan authorities, to deliver an integrated approach. On civilian casualties, we all deeply regret them whenever they take place, and it is important that we continue to discuss the issue frankly and transparently.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“It is vital that in 2009, international assistance to Afghanistan becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I took careful note of Mr. Eide's jibes against the international community for some of our failings on this, but we welcome the decision of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board to focus on five sectors, and UNAMA's efforts to identify priority projects and rally the donor community behind them. Equally important is UNAMA's work to develop a single Government database to track international contributions. There has been a major improvement in the mechanisms for aid effectiveness over the last year or so, and we paid tribute to the work that Mr. Eide and his team have done on that front. Our ability to continue to deliver a comprehensive strategy depends in large part on civilian-military cooperation and coordination.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“The Special Representative has set out the bodies and mechanisms that are being established to support the electoral process. We are encouraged that the Independent Electoral Commission in Afghanistan was able to conduct the voter registration process successfully and relatively smoothly. There is a crucial role being played by the United Nations Development Programme in providing technical support to enable the Afghans to run those elections, and the United Kingdom has provided more than Â£16 million in funding for that. We look to others to help address the current $100 million shortfall in the elections budget. Aid coordination and effectiveness constitute another challenge facing Afghanistan this year and are at the heart of UNAMA's mandate. This was addressed in the Special Representative's briefing.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“This year will determine whether we are going to move forward to achieve the goals of the international community or whether we are going to continue with the present insufficient degree of collective progress. Successful and credible elections will be vital to Afghanistan's future. We welcome the agreement reached on the August date and we urge Afghanistan's political leaders to reach consensus on the way to preserve stability and security in the run-up to the elections, which means stable government during that period. We must avoid a situation of continued uncertainty and disagreement in Kabul during what may well prove to be another difficult summer with the insurgency in the south and the east of the country. Elections have to be prepared properly in order to ensure their credibility.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“I begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his report (S/2009/l35) and Special Representative Eide for his briefing today, which painted a picture which we recognize: a difficult security and humanitarian situation, but with some encouraging signs of progress being made in areas such as the administration of the elections, the performance of the key ministries, counter-narcotics and civilian-military cooperation. It is often said that every year is a crucial year for Afghanistan, and that is probably even more true this year than it usually is, because not only do we have the presidential elections in August, but we have various other issues which are on the cusp.”
2009-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6094 (2009) · source
“It would also help provide secure funding for an African Union rapid deployment capability. We welcome this debate today as another important step forward for the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. Once again, we thank Mr. Prodi and his panel for their work and we support the presidential statement that the Libyan delegation has negotiated. We look forward to the Secretary-General's forthcoming report. I hope we will also have an opportunity to consider these issues during the forthcoming Security Council mission to Africa.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“I would highlight the need for a shared strategic vision between those involved in the maintenance of peace and security, the need for increased African Union capacity to manage operations at the headquarters level, the need for more effective logistics support and the need for a more coordinated approach to capacity-building. Those important issues require further debate and further work. We look forward to hearing the Secretary-General's views, taking into account the full range of financing options, in particular the need for start-up and early sustainment costs. One solution may well be a multi-donor trust fund for African Union operations, an idea that the United Kingdom has advocated before. The voluntary nature of such a trust fund would make it widely acceptable and encourage new donors to play a part.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“The Security Council, of course, retains the primary role in international peace and security and nothing can detract from that, but we want to see the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union enhanced, and that includes further work on how best to provide reliable and sustainable funding for African Union peacekeeping. As my Prime Minister Gordon Brown noted in the debate which preceded the adoption of resolution 1809 (2008) (see S/PV.5868), all those involved need to reach agreement on a way forward. A pragmatic approach is necessary to assure that we find a workable solution. The report of the panel led by Mr. Prodi makes an important contribution to that work.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“We are also supporting African Union operations in the field. The United Kingdom has already provided some Â£5 million to the African Union Mission in Somalia to support its crucial role in that country, and we are working to ensure that the peacekeeping mission receives further funding in the weeks ahead. We are committed to supporting the African Union and its growing peacekeeping role. Security Council resolution 1809 (2008) stressed the need for the United Nations to develop effective partnerships, in particular with the African Union, under Chapter VIII of the Charter.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“Many other African countries, not least the Sudan, face serious problems of poor governance and lack of respect for national and international law. Those cases all increase the burden on the African Union to uphold the rule of law and constitutionality in Africa, and it deserves our support in its efforts to address those problems. The United Nations-African Union joint Declaration of November 2006 and the Africa- European Union Strategic Partnership, backed by the European Union's African Peace Facility, are important contributions to building a better global peace and security architecture. The United Kingdom is playing a full part in that. We are helping to develop African peacekeeping capability through assistance in training thousands of troops and support to the African Standby Force.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“The United Nations has been central to meeting this demand, but the regional and subregional organizations have played an increasingly important role within the framework of Security Council mandates. No organization has done more than the African Union. I applaud its efforts, not only as a peacekeeper in Burundi, the Sudan and Somalia, but also for creating the conditions for recovery in Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere. In Kenya, the African Union played a crucial role in supporting Kofi Annan's mediation following the post-election violence. Since the Kenya crisis a year ago, Africa has faced a disturbing number of examples - in Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Zimbabwe and today Madagascar - where power is decided by force and violence rather than in accordance with constitutional requirements.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“I join others in welcoming you, Sir, to this Council, congratulating you on becoming the Permanent Representative of Libya and, in particular, on assuming instantly the role of presidency of our Council. You are very welcome here, Sir. I also extend my thanks to Mr. Prodi and his panel for the hard work they have put in to the report (8/2008/813) we are discussing today. It is a particular pleasure to welcome Mr. Prodi here today, as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa and Ambassador Lamamra from the African Union. Peacekeeping is central to the work of the United Nations and in recent years we have seen a rapid growth in the scale and complexity of the missions undertaken by the international community.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“The transfer and procurement breach those international obligations. The United Kingdom looks forwards to the Committee receiving explanations from Iran and Syria as to why the shipment was permitted by Iran as the reported State of origin and as to the involvement of Syria as the reported State of destination.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“But if Iran remains determined to isolate itself by ignoring the legally binding demands of the Security Council, then the international community must remain similarly determined to stand together to maintain pressure on Iran to meet its international obligations and to make clear to Iran that its choices will have a cost. The United Kingdom is grateful for the vigilance and cooperation demonstrated by the Republic of Cyprus in acting to prevent the transfer and procurement of arms and related materiel from Iran on the vessel MV Monchegorsk. That was a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1747 (2007), which requires, as Ambassador Takasu has set out, that Iran shall not supply, sell or transfer from its territory any arms or related materiel and that all States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“In 2008, the Governments of Britain, France, 09-26005 Germany and China, Russia and the United States - the so-called E3+3 - refreshed their broad-ranging offer to Iran of June 2006. That offer included help to develop civil nuclear power if Iran suspended enrichment and cooperated in a range of other areas. But Iran has failed to respond substantively to that offer and, so far, has not seriously engaged even on the suggestion of a freeze-for-freeze agreement. We and our partners in the E3+3 continue to pursue a dual-track strategy - sanctions to persuade Iran to change course and dialogue to lead to full negotiations if the Iranians suspend their enrichment- related activities. Once that has been achieved, we will be able to forge a more productive and positive relationship between Iran and the international community.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“The report also repeats previous statements regarding the total absence of cooperation by Iran in connection with issues that give rise to concerns about a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme. In the light of that, the United Kingdom calls upon Iran to answer the IAEA's questions and implement the transparency measures in the IAEA reports. We further call upon Iran to implement and ratify promptly the Additional Protocol and to implement all measures required by the Agency in order to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme. The United Kingdom has made clear many times that we do not deny Iran's right to civil nuclear power under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran now has more than 5,500 centrifuges installed, of which about 4,000 are actively enriching uranium for which Iran has no plausible civilian use. Iran has also refused access to IAEA inspectors to the heavy water reactor at Arak for the second time in a row. That is of particular concern because the design of the reactor at Arak is ideally suited to producing plutonium that could be used for nuclear weapons. The IAEA report makes clear that Iran's refusal to allow access has made it difficult to report in any meaningful way on the construction of the reactor, as requested by the Security Council.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“I would like to join others in thanking Ambassador Takasu for his first report to the Council and express my delegation's thanks to him and his team for accepting that important responsibility and for the excellent start that they have made in leading the Committee's work. The United Kingdom continues to have serious concerns about Iran's nuclear programme. The latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was issued last month, makes clear that, in defiance of Security Council resolutions, Iran has refused to suspend all its proliferation and sensitive nuclear activities, namely, its uranium enrichment, related activities and various heavy water projects.”
2009-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6090 (2009) · source
“It is vital that we consider all the elements of our security as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and in subsequent OSCE commitments. They include human rights, good governance and the rule of law as the fundamental elements of European security.”
2009-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6088 (2009) · source
“My minister made clear at the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in December that we are open to further discussions. The security relationship between Russia and Europe is very important to us all. We look to further information and analysis from our Russian friends as to why a new treaty is needed to enhance security. We do not exclude that, but we are studying the idea and are willing to consider participating in a high-level meeting once there has been fuller discussion and preparation on that issue. May I close just by saying that we are fortunate in Europe to have strong multilateral institutions. The OSCE is a crucial member of that grouping, together with NATO, the European Union and other trans- European institutions, and they help provide real security on our continent.”
2009-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6088 (2009) · source
“We welcome the Chairperson-in-Office's efforts to find a compromise based on OSCE principles and we encourage all the participating States to cooperate in that process. We also believe that there is an important role for the OSCE in what has been called the unresolved conflicts i in Nagorny-Karabakh and Moldova- Transdniestria - and the idea of the Chairperson-in- Office to appoint a special representative for them is helpful. If we could entice the Chairperson-in-Office to say a few more words at the end of this discussion about the prospects in those two regions, I think that would be helpful. I apologize ifI am not here to listen to the answers, but my delegation will certainly be interested in them. The Chairperson-in-Offlce mentioned Russian ideas to enhance European security. We are studying those carefully.”
2009-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6088 (2009) · source
“It continues to play a very important role in Kosovo, less so these days in Bosnia but still an important role in the Balkan region, and we are encouraged by the growing cooperation of the OSCE in Afghanistan, where support for elections and other issues in which the OSCE is involved is very welcome. The Minister mentioned Georgia as a priority for the OSCE at the moment. The United Kingdom welcomes the agreement that the Chairperson-in-Office secured to extend the presence of the 20 additional military monitors until June. Obviously, our goal is to find a basis for renewing the mission's mandate that will allow access throughout the areas of concern, including inside South Ossetia.”
2009-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6088 (2009) · source
“May I be the first to thank Minister Bakoyannis for her full briefing today and for taking the trouble to come to us and for setting out the priorities of the Greek Chairperson-in-Office throughout 2009. She is welcome with the Council here today. As one of a number of countries around the table which was a founding member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and before that the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, we hold the work of the OSCE in very high regard and importance, both in terms of the security work that the OSCE does and the human dimension, including through the work of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, that the Minister has set out for the Council. We have also seen the OSCE play a very valuable operational role across the Balkans.”
2009-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6088 (2009) · source
“The United Kingdom strongly believes that a strong and stable Iraq that is at peace with its neighbours and has taken its rightful place in the international community will make a crucial contribution to strategic stability and peace throughout the Middle East.”
2009-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6087 (2009) · source