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

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1. “The United Kingdom is playing a full part in the international deployments to try to combat this situation. We have a frigate of the Royal Navy dealing full time with piracy and two others frigates deployed in the area ready to act. We have also offered to support the upcoming European Union mission by providing the operational headquarters and by commanding the operation. Resolution 1816 (2008), due for renewal next month, authorizes those operations. We need to look carefully at it to ensure that the mandate for the naval operations gives those in the field the means needed to suppress and deter piracy. Addressing the piracy problem cannot wait until peace and harmony return to Somalia. Thirdly, as the Secretary-General's report notes, the humanitarian situation is getting worse again.”

   2008-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6020 (2008) · source

2. “Despite the best efforts of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ould Abdallah in mediating dialogue, the political process now looks fragile, not helped, it has to be said, by the divisions that have opened up within the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The recent reports of heightened violence and territorial advances by the Al-Shebaab movement suggest a worsening security situation. So the situation on the ground in Somalia is getting worse, not better. Secondly, security at sea is also getting dramatically worse, as colleagues have said. The incidence of piracy off the Somali coast has reached new heights in the last weeks. We deplore those acts of piracy, which can only make it even more difficult to bring stability to Somalia itself.”

   2008-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6020 (2008) · source

3. “I would like to join others in thanking our briefers today, perhaps above all, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), whose presence today is very welcome. I thank him for his contribution. We have seen the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/709). It gives us a thorough and realistic analysis of what is clearly a very bleak picture on the ground in Somalia. That situation on the ground seems to be getting worse in three different dimensions. First, in the area of security on land, our hopes had been raised by the Djibouti agreement, and the work to implement it was moving forward. But, the hope that Somalia was finally turning a corner after some 17 years of violence had not been followed through on the ground.”

   2008-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6020 (2008) · source

4. “An arms trade treaty would address the issue of irresponsible trade and would thereby contribute positively to international peace and security. A number of countries have concerns about the proposal, and those concerns must be addressed openly and honestly. But a properly regulated arms trade would be to the benefit of all: to our peacekeepers around the world; to law enforcement and security forces in Member States; to the business community that manufactures and sells arms and wants to do that responsibly; and, above all, to ordinary people whose lives are shattered by our failure to control the unscrupulous and irresponsible trade in arms. Thank you once again, Mr. President, for bringing this issue to the Security Council and for elevating our debate through your presence. 08-60919”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

5. “We have begun the process of withdrawing them from service and placing them in a destruction programme, and we have also added cluster munitions to the list of items prohibited for transfer. I would like to conclude my remarks by reaffirming the importance of the proposed arms trade treaty. Achieving such a treaty is a goal that you, Mr. President, have championed at the United Nations and in Central and Latin America, and I pay tribute to your personal commitment. An arms trade treaty has a significant role to play in ensuring collective international security. With one person killed every 90 seconds by a conventional weapon, the irresponsible trade in conventional weapons creates instability and has a direct impact on countries' ability to deliver sustainable development and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

6. “The United Kingdom is the third-largest donor to mine clearance programmes in affected countries, where anti-personnel landmines still pose a serious humanitarian threat. The United Kingdom also welcomes the successful negotiation, earlier this year at the Dublin Conference, of a new treaty that bans cluster munitions, a whole class of weapons. The end result is a Convention that will make a major contribution to addressing the humanitarian threat posed by such weapons. We plan to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December, in two weeks' time. My Prime Minister has made it a personal commitment to work with other countries to promote the widest possible adherence to the norms of the new Convention. We in the United Kingdom have ceased to use such weapons.”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

7. “Proliferation concerns are not only limited to nuclear technologies and material; other emerging technologies contain threats as well as opportunities, which is why the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention remain so important in this century. On small arms and light weapons, the United Kingdom welcomes the progress at the Biennial Meeting of States on implementing fully the United Nations Programme of Action, and collectively we have made real progress in the important field of anti-personnel landmines, covered by the Ottawa Convention. I would like to confirm the United Kingdom's strong support for the universalization of the Convention and for the worldwide implementation of its provisions on stockpile destruction and mine clearance.”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

8. “In the meantime, the United Kingdom has been undertaking innovative work to address some of the technical challenges posed by disarmament. We have reduced our nuclear arsenal to just 160 operationally available warheads and we have offered to host a conference for the permanent five to discuss the technical aspects of disarmament verification. On the other side of the coin, proliferation of the nuclear-fuel cycle poses grave dangers to regional and global stability, as it paves the way for the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology. Multilateral nuclear fuel assurances provide a possible way for States to enhance their collective security and their energy diversity by exercising their rights under article IV of the NPT, while avoiding proliferation of the most sensitive nuclear technologies.”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

9. “That is particularly important in the fields of conventional weapons and small arms and light weapons, and in the disarmament and demobilization of armed groups and their reintegration into their communities. The United Kingdom is committed to strengthening the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We will show zero tolerance for proliferation and we will work for a world free from nuclear weapons. There must be progress on both sides of that, on both nuclear disarmament and on non-proliferation and to support progress on non-proliferation, we need a reinvigorated approach to nuclear disarmament. We are therefore calling for further reductions in the major nuclear arsenals and for progress on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and negotiations towards a fissile material cut-off treaty.”

   2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

10. “We are working with partners to strengthen all pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to promote an arms trade treaty to implement high common standards for conventional arms exports, which are, of course, the weapons of daily destruction around the world. And it is why, for the United Kingdom, arms control, counter-proliferation and disarmament are about finding common ground to enhance our collective security, which is at the heart of everything we do at the United Nations, and especially here in the Security Council. The United Kingdom also welcomes the principle promoted by this debate of mainstreaming disarmament into development policy.”

    2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

11. “I would like to begin by thanking you, Sir, for convening this meeting today and to pay tribute to your lifelong commitment to disarmament, both regionally and globally. It is very fitting that, as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, you are here presiding over the Council with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. I thank you for being here. We also welcome back to the Council Vice- President Lewis-Navarro of Panama and thank him for his statement. Our thanks go also to Mr. Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, for his concise briefing. The United Kingdom shares the determination to look afresh at the challenges facing us in the field of disarmament.”

    2008-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6017 (2008) · source

12. “The United Nations has led the way in that area and we remain strongly supportive of the role that UNAMI is playing on a range of issues in Iraq. We welcome the Government of Iraq's decision to provide the United Nations with financial support to build a permanent mission in Iraq, and we believe that this reflects the United Nations key role in the future development of a stable, secure and prosperous Iraq.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

13. “We are in discussion with the Government of Iraq over a bilateral agreement that will provide the legal basis for both the fulfilment of those outstanding commitments and for the longer-term defence relationship. We look forward to its successful conclusion before the end of this year. The transition in our presence will mark a new chapter in our relationship with and our support for Iraq. We look forward to having a close and substantive bilateral relationship, while continuing to offer political and practical support to Iraqi-led efforts to build State capacity, improve security and the rule of law, and deliver economic opportunity for the Iraqi people. As conditions in Iraq improve, a close and productive relationship between it and international organizations becomes increasingly important to allow Iraq to achieve its full potential.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

14. “The recent decision to extend the European Union Rule of Law Mission for Iraq, which offers training and capacity-building in the criminal justice system, shows the European Union's continued commitment to support the rule of law in Iraq. I would like to close by outlining my own Government's support for the Government of Iraq. As set out by the British Prime Minister on 22 July this year, our armed forces in southern Iraq remain focused on two remaining key commitments: to train and mentor the Fourteenth Division of the Iraqi Army and to prepare Basra International Airport for transfer to Iraqi control. We remain on course to fulfil those tasks in the coming months, following which our military mission will change fundamentally to a normal bilateral defence relationship of the kind we have with other friends and partners in the region.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

15. “As a participant in that process, the United Kingdom hopes that it can deliver concrete improvements in cooperation between Iraq and its neighbours on security, energy and humanitarian issues. Increased trade and investment between Iraq and its neighbours can also make an important contribution to stability and prosperity in the region, and that should be one focus for further engagement. We take this opportunity to reiterate that external support for illegal armed groups outside the political process in Iraq is unacceptable. We continue to encourage all those who have influence on the parties who provide such support to press for it to come to an end. As the European Union presidency has indicated, the European Union attaches importance to a constructive and forward-looking relationship with Iraq.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

16. “While the details of the quota for guaranteed seats for minorities have proved to be contentious, it is welcome that Iraq's political leaders have acknowledged the principle that minority rights should be protected in that way. We value and commend the work undertaken by United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in terms of both electoral assistance and in facilitating final agreement on the election law. The United Kingdom has consistently urged increased regional and international engagement with Iraq and we warmly welcome the recent arrival of ambassadors from five regional countries. We also welcome the important support provided by UNAMI to the Iraq Neighbours Group process.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

17. “We welcome the swift action taken by the Government of Iraq and are encouraged by the reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees this week that, as a result of that action, many families are now returning to the area. On the political front, the passage of the provincial election law in September was a significant step forward, as Mr. de Mistura said. The holding of the elections will mark another milestone in democratic progress in Iraq and should also contribute to the causes of reconciliation and good governance by giving those who boycotted previous elections the chance to be represented in local administrations.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

18. “We have heard about it in some detail from previous speakers, but it is worth recalling some of the key steps forward. In terms of security, this period has seen a further decrease in reported incidents of violence to a level as low as it was five years ago. The Iraq security forces have demonstrated increasing capability, as reflected in the fact that Iraq now has lead responsibility for security in 13 out of the 18 provinces. Further process in national reconciliation is required in order to ensure that those gains are sustained, and in that respect the Iraqi Government's assumption of responsibility for support to the Awakening movement is an important step. The United Kingdom shares concerns about the intimidation and violence towards Iraq's minority communities, for example the Christian community in Mosul.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

19. “May I begin by joining colleagues in thanking Special Representative de Mistura for his briefing on the Secretary-General's latest report (S/2008/688). I would ask him through you, Mr. President, if he could pass on our thanks to the United Nations team working in Iraq. They continue to do excellent work and have played a really key role in the progress we have seen, and which was so fully reported in Mr. de Mistura's briefing. I am also grateful to Ambassador Khalilzad for his presentation on behalf of the Multinational Force in Iraq (MNF-I), to which the United Kingdom continues to contribute over 4,000 troops. While Iraq still needs to overcome some serious challenges, it is with pleasure that we note the continued progress over the past quarter.”

    2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source

20. “We urge both Djibouti and Eritrea to enter a dialogue to resolve their dispute on the border peacefully. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue to use his good offices in an effort to foster a dialogue between the two countries. We also encourage those in the region to use their good relations with either party in support of a peaceful resolution of this unnecessary dispute.”

    2008-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6000 (2008) · source

21. “We reiterate the Council's message set out in the presidential statement of 12 June (S/PRST/2008/20), which urged Eritrea, in particular, to withdraw its forces to the status quo ante. It is deeply regrettable that Eritrea rejected the Secretary-General's good offices mission as carried out by Under-Secretary- General Pascoe. Should Eritrea continue to block international efforts to facilitate dialogue, determine future arrangements for decreasing the military presence and develop confidence-building measures, the Security Council will need to consider what steps it might take to break the impasse. We welcome the planned action by our French colleagues in this regard. The visit by African Union Chairman Jean Ping to Eritrea is a positive step, and we hope that that will prove to be a useful channel for making progress.”

    2008-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6000 (2008) · source

22. “Our thanks go to President Guelleh for his very clear and informative briefing. It is good to have the Foreign Minister of Djibouti with us here as well. I am grateful to Ambassador Desta of Eritrea for his statement. I would like to begin by expressing my Government's deep sympathy with the concerns raised by President Guelleh. We understand the concern on the Djibouti side at the action of Eritrea and the burden that that has imposed on Djibouti owing to the need to divert scarce resources to help defend its position. The United Kingdom commends Djibouti for its constructive response in recent months and for cooperating with the Secretary-General's good offices. We look to Eritrea to take an equally cooperative approach.”

    2008-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6000 (2008) · source

23. “At the recent debate on mediation and the settlement of disputes that was chaired by President Compaore of Burkina Faso, we noted that peace agreements have fallen apart because of the lack of an implementation plan and because we do not have the right linkages between mediation processes and the critical recovery and peacebuilding phase. As the reports commissioned from the various Security Council debates are taken forward, it is imperative that we build coherence across the conflict spectrum so that effective peace agreements are forged, implemented and sustained.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

24. “Finally, we look forward to the Peacebuilding Commission feeding in its views to inform the Secretary-General's report that was requested at the 20 May debate on how the United Nations can improve its support for early recovery. The report provides an opportunity for the United Nations system to tackle the gaps of leadership, deployable civilian capacity and rapidly available funding that currently impede the international community's work on early recovery. The test will be whether, over time, we can reduce from the present level of 30 per cent the proportion of conflicts that break out again within five years of a peace agreement. But it does not end there.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

25. “That includes being alert to the impact that the oil and food price crisis, and now the financial crisis can have on peacebuilding. We should also be more creative at soliciting the Peacebuilding Commission's advice and support. To date, the Security Council has been largely reactive. It has referred to the Commission only those countries that have requested to be on the Commission's agenda, but the Security Council and the Commission itself could take more of the initiative and explore - with the agreement of the country concerned - whether the Commission could rapidly marshal resources to help address a new threat to recovery in a country that is not on the Commission's formal agenda.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

26. “As Ambassador Takasu said, the Peacebuilding Commission has to ensure that it is making a real difference on the ground. I look forward to the Peacebuilding Commission's continued briefing on the situations in the four countries on its agenda and its advice on what action the Council, as well as the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, should consider taking. To achieve that, I hope that the practice of holding monthly meetings between the Commission Chair and Security Council presidencies can be sustained to ensure that our respective work is aligned. It is important that the interaction between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission not become purely mechanistic. We need to be alive to new threats to peacebuilding and address them quickly.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

27. “I would particularly like to single out the leadership offered by our colleague, Ambassador Takasu of Japan, Chairman of the Peacebuilding Commission, and also the chairing roles of our colleagues from Belgium, Brazil, El Salvador, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. I should like to thank the Peacebuilding Support Office for its role, and we warmly welcome the appointment of Jane Holl Lute as the new Assistant Secretary- General. The annual report describes the Peacebuilding Commission's achievements, and also the challenges we still face. We have heard in this Council over the past year briefings on drug trafficking, elections, security sector and justice reform, transitional justice and land reform. To help a country out of conflict and into sustained stability, all those issues frequently have to be addressed.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

28. “I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important and very welcome debate today. I say "welcome," because peacebuilding remains at the heart of the Security Council's work. The thematic debate we held here in May on post-conflict peacebuilding, which colleagues have referred to, pointed to the shortcomings in stabilization and recovery efforts that exist here, particularly in the immediate aftermath of conflict. That debate back in May also highlighted the critical role of the Peacebuilding Commission, particularly for sustaining international engagement to ensure that countries do not lapse back into conflict. The year ahead offers an opportunity for us to address collectively the critical gaps that still hamper our peacebuilding efforts. Let me first commend the work of the Peacebuilding Commission over the past year.”

    2008-10-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5997 (2008) · source

29. “The Secretary-General's report rightly highlights the range of challenges we face in Afghanistan. We will succeed in tackling those challenges only if we maintain a comprehensive approach. Security cannot come without sustained work on governance, development and capacity-building, and vice versa. Mr. Eide has also spoken recently of the need for the international community to demonstrate renewed energy and commitment to a lasting solution for Afghanistan. The United Kingdom supports that call and will continue to play its part in securing a stable and prosperous future for its Afghan friends.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

30. “Concern has rightly been expressed about civilian casualties, including in the Secretary-General's report. As I have said before in this Chamber, any civilian death is a death too many. That is why the international forces in Afghanistan go to great lengths to minimize the risk of civilian casualties, including by warning local populations of impending operations whenever possible. It is right, however, that we constantly re-evaluate and, where necessary, improve our procedures on the basis of experience. We should also constantly bear in mind the Special Representative's remarks about where the primary responsibility for civilian casualties lies. It lies with the insurgency and with those responsible for what he calls "asymmetric" attacks - that is, attacks aimed at civilians or heedless of civilian casualties.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

31. “All the challenges facing Afghanistan are rendered more difficult by the pernicious influence of narcotics. We have seen some progress this year, as the Special Representative pointed out - a 19 per cent decrease in overall opium production and an increase in the number of poppy-free provinces from 13 last year to 18 this year. We cannot be complacent, however. The growth in production in areas of poor security, such as Helmand, remains a real concern. The United Kingdom volunteered to be the lead partner country on counter-narcotics to help the Afghan Government, and it was no coincidence that we agreed that our forces should be deployed to Helmand, one of the most demanding provinces in terms of restoring security, which is an essential step to ridding the province of narcotics production.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

32. “The challenge for all of us is to enable the Afghans to deliver that vision for themselves. Progress has been made. The Afghan National Army is 65,000 strong and continues to grow, both in number and in professionalism. It already plays a central role alongside international forces in containing the insurgency. The significant progress it has made shows that Afghanistan has the capacity to deliver once it has the infrastructure in place. Elsewhere, we have seen less progress, particularly on governance and on tackling corruption. Building a professional police force is essential if we are to deliver the benefits of central Government to ordinary Afghans, and we need more progress in that area. The appointment of a new Minister of the Interior is a welcome step, as are the other ministerial changes announced last weekend.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

33. “That is for very good reasons, but it is a mistake to focus on security alone, or indeed in isolation from issues of governance and development. As many of those involved in Afghanistan have been saying for some time, the insurgency cannot be defeated by military means alone. We have heard that several times around this table today. The military effort will of course remain a crucial element of our approach for some time to come, as the Special Representative has said. But equally important are efforts by the Afghan Government, supported by UNAMA and others in the international community, to deliver effective governance, encourage economic growth and build an inclusive democratic process that provides a voice for all those prepared to pursue their goals through political means.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

34. “We shall take very seriously the eight steps that he has proposed should be completed in the coming six months. We look forward to agreement later this year on an increase in resources for the UNAMA mission to allow it to increase its crucial work on governance, on implementing the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, on aid effectiveness, on the humanitarian challenge and on improving United Nations and broader international coordination. That work is central to long-term success in Afghanistan, and UNAMA's work in support of the Government of Afghanistan to help prepare for elections next year is particularly important. Broad participation is crucial, and the United Kingdom welcomes the work now under way on voter registration. The focus of the international debate is often on security.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

35. “Thank you, Sir, for presiding over this very important debate. Let me begin by welcoming the Secretary-General's latest report on the situation in Afghanistan (S/2008/617) and by thanking Special Representative Eide for his briefing and for the leadership and commitment he has shown since his appointment in March. We commend him and his team for all their efforts in what we know are very challenging circumstances. We also welcome the contribution to today's debate made by Ambassador Tanin of Afghanistan. Strong United Nations leadership must continue to be at the heart of the international approach in Afghanistan. We welcome Mr. Eide's work to restructure and strengthen the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) so that it can better deliver in terms of our agreed priorities.”

    2008-10-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5994 (2008) · source

36. “Ban Ki-moon said that Member States cannot continue to mandate ambitious peace operations without the necessary troops, money and materiel. It is our view that the Security Council needs a disciplined and strategic approach to the management of scarce peacekeeping resources. Missions should not be considered in isolation. We need to take into account ongoing and future peacekeeping commitments and be realistic about the resources likely to be available. We believe that it would be helpful in the weeks ahead for the Council to hear the Secretariat's assessment of the pressures faced by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at present on how collectively we can achieve a more strategic approach to peacekeeping.”

    2008-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5981 (2008) · source

37. “An expanded United Nations mission in Chad needs clear objectives, an achievable mandate, a sensible time frame for deployment, measurable benchmarks and a realistic end state that, once achieved, will enable the force to withdraw. We also question whether a force twice the size of EUFOR is needed. We also continue to have reservations about the case for a military presence in the Central African Republic. We share the concerns expressed by the Secretary-General in his report in that regard. We have yet to see persuasive evidence that such a presence would bring real value. We look forward to receiving the detailed advice on those issues that will be included in the Secretary-General's November report. In his address to the General Assembly yesterday, the Secretary-General highlighted the pressures on United Nations peacekeeping. Mr.”

    2008-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5981 (2008) · source

38. “I have asked to speak before the voting in order to make a number of points about the draft resolution before us. We share the concerns expressed at our previous meeting today about the regional and humanitarian 2 situation in Chad. We welcome the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, which is beginning to play an important role in building up policing capacity in both Chad and the Central African Republic. We agree that, in principle, a follow-on United Nations force should replace the European Union-led peacekeeping force (EUFOR) in Chad, and for those reasons we shall support the draft resolution. But there is much work to be done before the Council can take a firm decision on a new peacekeeping mission.”

    2008-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5981 (2008) · source

39. “To date, its cooperation with the Security Council and with the IAEA has fallen woefully short. Our offer remains on the table, but given the absence of cooperation by Iran, we have no alternative but to start a discussion with our partners on further measures, as signaled in resolution 1803 (2008).”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

40. “Thirdly, Iran must resolve outstanding issues of concern to the IAEA, including what the agency calls "the alleged studies", by delivering fully on all outstanding issues. It is self-evident that Iran has not met its obligations under those three resolutions. The offer of the EU 3+3 remains on the table, but it is of great disappointment that Iran has not engaged seriously, despite the refreshed offer from the EU 3+3 and the direct participation of a representative of the United States in the meeting with Iranian officials. Our objective remains a diplomatic solution to this matter and for the international community to be able to build up, over time, international confidence in Iran's intentions, but that requires a much more constructive approach from Iran.”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

41. “However, we do have very profound concerns about Iran's intentions for its nuclear programme. Taken as a whole, Iran's nuclear activities make no sense to us unless Iran's goal is to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Three steps are required of Iran. First, Iran must suspend all of its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. Iran continues to flout that legally binding Security Council requirement for a suspension. Secondly, Iran must fully implement the Additional Protocol and the other measures demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Without that, the IAEA continues to be unable to provide assurances on the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and it will not be able to determine whether the nature of Iran's programme is exclusively peaceful.”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

42. “Last month, the European Union adopted a new Common Position that will assist the effective implementation of those resolutions, especially with regard to financial vigilance, and includes rigorous reporting requirements for Iranian banks. As the report of Ambassador Grauls makes clear, there is no blanket ban on nuclear-related cooperation with Iran, and it is welcome that his briefing referred to a Member State following the required procedures before going ahead with work related Iran's civil nuclear power programme. We are not trying to prevent Iran having such a programme. In fact, we have offered Iran extensive support to develop its civil nuclear programme in the package provided by Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia and the United States, the so-called European Union (EU) 3+3.”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

43. “We believe that sharing information and best practice is a useful and constructive way to improve overall implementation, and by providing additional information about Iran's financial institutions, we believe we can help Member States make better informed decisions on how to carry out their obligations under resolution 1803 (2008), including the call for Member States to exercise vigilance over certain institutions. We encourage all members of the Council to be transparent and to inform the 1737 Committee of the actions that they have taken to implement the relevant resolutions. That is particularly important given the efforts Iran is making to evade the Chapter VII sanctions.”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

44. “I should like to join my colleagues in thanking Ambassador Grauls for his report and for his work chairing the very important Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). My delegation will continue to support him fully in securing the full implementation of resolution 1737 (2006), resolution 1747 (2007) and resolution 1803 (2008). In order to assist in that task, the United Kingdom, together with our colleagues France and the United States of America, circulated the list of Iranian banks referred to in the report.”

    2008-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5973 (2008) · source

45. “It was only because of the position of the Russian Federation that the Council was unable to endorse the plan drawn up by the United Nations envoy in accordance with that resolution. In contrast, Russia has taken just three weeks to move from military intervention, in defiance of numerous resolutions of this Council, to a unilateral re- drawing of Georgia's borders, with no political process. The actions of Russian forces in Georgia following 7 August and the hundreds of thousands of Georgian refugees give the lie to the idea that that was a humanitarian intervention.”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source

46. “The military action in Kosovo in 1999 was a multinational operation; its purpose was to avert an impending humanitarian crisis, in pursuit of objectives set out in Security Council resolutions; and it took place only after all other peaceful avenues had been exhausted, including a major international conference on Kosovo's future, whose outcome was blocked by Serbia, and following further atrocities committed by Serb forces. There followed nine years of United Nations administration and further exhaustive diplomatic efforts, before Kosovo, with extensive international support, moved to independence after the final status process called for by resolution 1244 (1999).”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source

47. “I am sorry to intervene again, but I shall do so very briefly. I have heard nothing this afternoon that leads me to change the statement I made earlier, but I just want to respond to the parallels that, not for the first time, our respected colleague Ambassador Churkin has sought to draw between Russian actions in Georgia and the NATO intervention in Kosovo in 1999. I am afraid that that assertion of Ambassador Churkin simply does not stand up to scrutiny.”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source

48. “It is unacceptable that, over two weeks since the agreement was signed, Russian forces continue to occupy parts of Georgia well beyond the conflict zones. We look to Russia to facilitate the deployment of international observers, as prefigured in point 5 of the six-point plan, to speed up the Russian pullback. The use of force, violence and intimidation against civilians and de facto annexation cannot be the basis for a peaceful and durable settlement to this or any other conflict. Future arrangements in South Ossetia and Abkhazia can be agreed only through international negotiations involving all the parties, as envisaged in point 6 of the six-point plan. The United Nations has already expressed its willingness to help take forward this initiative, in cooperation with other international actors.”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source

49. “Tuesday's decision by Russia will encourage those in South Ossetia and Abkhazia who are bent on violence and intimidation, and there is already credible evidence that they have accelerated their work. We call on Russia to do three things: first, to abide by international law as the basis for resolving this crisis; secondly, to act now to ensure full and free humanitarian access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia and to prevent violence and intimidation against ethnic Georgians - and that does not mean requiring ethnic Georgians to accept Russian citizenship as the price of remaining in South Ossetia; and thirdly, to implement urgently and in full its undertakings under the six-point agreement, including withdrawal of its forces to the positions occupied prior to 7 August.”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source

50. “It is in direct contravention of the founding principles of the United Nations and is in defiance of numerous resolutions adopted by the Council. It is also a flagrant breach of point 6 of the agreement signed by President Medvedev. Condemnation of Russia's actions has come not only from the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7), Russia's partners in the G8, but from many parts of the international community, as the enormous implications of Russia's actions sink in. Russia's decision has grave humanitarian and political implications. We have heard justifications for Russia's actions based on the need to prevent humanitarian catastrophe. But what we have seen in recent weeks is ethnic Georgians being pressured to flee from their homes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.”

    2008-08-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5969 (2008) · source