YouSaid · the spoken record

Jonathan Allen

lines on the record: 336
first: 2020-03-31
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 49
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

“To deliver a robust global response, we must all continue to support the international system and the values and rules that underpin it. Tackling this pandemic and its grave effects on our shared parity and stability requires enhanced trust in national Governments, in international cooperation and in international agreements. High Representative Borrell and other speakers have raised the situation in Hong Kong. The United Kingdom is deeply troubled by the decision of the National People’s Congress of China to impose national security legislation on the people of Hong Kong. If China follows through on this decision, it would clearly violate Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and freedoms, as enshrined in the United Kingdom-China Joint Declaration.”
2020-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/489 (2020) · source
“Let me also welcome High Representative Borrell today and thank him for what was a wide-ranging intervention. I will try to respond to some, if not all, of the issues he raised. The United Kingdom left the European Union (EU) on 31 January. We continue to work closely with our European partners, and our outlook will always be global. We recognize the mutual benefits of international cooperation across all areas of the United Nations cross-cutting work to promote international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. As the world grapples with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it is clear that pandemics do not respect borders. Saving lives around the world requires a coordinated international response.”
2020-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/489 (2020) · source
“First is the importance of an enhanced and coordinated response to supporting Somalia in its fight against COVID-19. We should all do what we can. Second is the importance of the Security Council, the United Nations, the region, the African Union and the wider international community continuing to support Somalia to achieve progress on holding timely one-person-one-vote elections and moving ahead on security reform. Somalia’s future security and development depend on continued progress. And, finally, I reiterate our call — a call that the Council has made many times — for the Federal Government and the federal member states to work together to build a stronger and more peaceful Somalia.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“We welcome the recent positive steps to facilitate accurate reporting on COVID-19 by the Office of the Prime Minister. The media has a vital role to play in Somalia. We call for Somali journalists to be able to perform their work, and we call also on Somali leaders to ensure the political space is kept open. Reconciliation is central to Somalia’s State-building efforts. There has been some progress in Jubaland, South West state and Galmudug, but critical issues remain. We look to the Federal Government to drive forward reconciliation efforts, and we need to see high-level political dialogue with the federal member states. Such dialogue was already urgent, and it is even more urgent in the light of COVID-19. There is no room for division in the face of a common enemy. In conclusion, let me emphasize three points.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“It is vital that the Government, Parliament, the electoral committee, the joint parliamentary committee and the federal member states work together and take urgent and inclusive steps to help facilitate timely, constitutional and inclusive one-person-one-vote elections. There is no reason that COVID-19 should prevent the key preparatory work from taking place. This is the time for Government and opposition to put aside differences and find compromise. Decisions on the electoral code, seat allocation, the definition of constituencies and women’s quota and provisions for Somaliland and Benadir are needed urgently, and it is good to hear that we should see progress on these issues in the next few weeks. I want to express deep concern about recent actions taken to repress the media, with the arrest of journalists in Somalia.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“The independent assessment requested by the Security Council will help us decide how best to support Somalia’s post-2021 vision. Both the revised security strategy and the independent review should guide our decision-making in a timely fashion. The long-term goals of a Somali political settlement, including one-person- one-vote elections and progress on the constitutional review, remain unchanged. We are seeing progress on technical preparations for elections, and we welcome the United Nations efforts to enable Parliament to reconvene virtually, and AMISOM’s support on security.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“Somalia has recovered additional territory from Al-Shabaab, trained Somali security forces, developed a threat assessment and become a member of INTERPOL. There is now greater international engagement on the question of what security support in Somalia will look like after 2021. In March, the United Kingdom supported a Wilton Park-convened conference in Ethiopia. In April, the African Union and Somalia chaired a ministerial conference. We should build on that momentum. Somalia has also started the process of updating the Somali transition plan. Rapid progress in updating and, above all, implementing the transition plan is vital if Somalia is to meet its own December 2021 deadline to take over lead responsibility for national security.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“And I want to pay tribute to the ongoing commitment and sacrifices of AMISOM troop-contributing countries and the efforts of the Somali security forces. I want to echo the concerns of the United Nations Mine Action Service regarding the use of improvised explosive devices in Somalia. Such use is why the Security Council imposed a ban on components of such devices, and why we have recommended strengthening support on tackling IEDs in the AMISOM text. It is clear that COVID-19 poses significant challenges to Somalia. We need to recognize as much and that it should not distract us from supporting Somalia in safeguarding the gains made and making further progress on security, greater political engagement and elections. On security reform, there has been important progress over the last year.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“We want to urge all partners to respond to Somalia’s COVID-19 response plan, which calls for additional, aligned and coordinated funding. The United Kingdom gave $420 million in the last financial year to Somalia and, in the light of the response plan, we are now considering what more we can do. And I would also just like to mention that today the United Kingdom has announced a $25 million contribution to the African Union fund set up last month by President Ramaphosa to tackle COVID-19. Despite the pandemic and the Secretary-General’s calls for a ceasefire, Al-Shabaab continues to launch attacks. We strongly condemn the recent attacks in Mogadishu, including against the United Nations, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the international community.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“Let me, if I might, thank our briefers and commend Special Representative of the Secretary-General Swan for his relentless professionalism and commitment in difficult circumstances. I also want to thank Ambassador Madeira and Director Marcaillou. In the light of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), let me start by expressing our solidarity with Somalia in facing this global pandemic and by commending Somalia for the measures they have taken to contain the spread of the virus. I also want to welcome the work of the United Nations in coordinating a coherent response among international organizations, including the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and non-governmental organization partners.”
2020-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/436 (2020) · source
“It is our hope that the positive cooperation we have seen in response to COVID-19 will translate into cooperation to achieve a negotiated settlement to the Middle East peace process.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The ongoing violence underlines the fact that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We urge continued calm in Gaza. Indiscriminate attacks against civilians are unacceptable. Finally, I would like to thank the Government of Israel for pledging, on behalf of Israel, $60 million to the international fund for vaccines at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations summit on 4 May. During this global crisis, cooperation is vital, and we continue to welcome the ongoing cooperation between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority towards tackling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as well as the important part played by the United Nations.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“We also remain concerned by the continued demolition of Palestinian property and the repeated incidents of settler violence. Perpetrators must be held to account. At the same time, we call on the Palestinian Authority to tackle incitement and anti-Semitism, which create a non-conducive environment for cooperation and negotiations. The United Kingdom strongly condemns the use of racist, hateful or anti-Semitic language. We remain deeply concerned by the ongoing cycle of violence. Recent weeks have seen the killing of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier in Jenin and the killing of a number of Palestinians across the West Bank. Among those Palestinians killed was 15-year-old Zaid Al-Qaysiya from Hebron, who died as a result of IDF live fire. Every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“The United Kingdom remains committed to achieving a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State, based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both States and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. We reiterate our call on the Government of Israel to halt any activity that makes peace more difficult to achieve. That includes the advancement of settlement plans, including in Givat Hamatos, Har Homa and in the E-1 area. All settlements are illegal under international humanitarian law. Settlement construction in those highly sensitive areas threatens to further undermine the viability of a future Palestinian State with its capital in East Jerusalem.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“As part of this, we look to the Palestinian leadership to offer detailed proposals for a settlement and find a means of restarting discussions with the United States, which retains a key role in the Middle East peace process. We are disappointed by the announcement made by President Abbas yesterday. Now is the time for more cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, not less. Security cooperation is particularly important. Instability is in no one’s interest except that of extremists. It is critical that both Israel and the Palestinian Authority work together to meet their obligations under the Oslo Accords and refrain from unilateral actions that could set back the cause of peace.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mladenov for his briefing. I would like to begin by welcoming the swearing in of the new Israeli Government. The United Kingdom looks forward to working with that Government on a whole range of bilateral and regional issues, not least peace in the Middle East. However, we remain deeply concerned about the prospects of the annexation of parts of the West Bank. Annexation of any part of the West Bank by Israel would be a clear violation of international law and would profoundly damage efforts to restart peace negotiations. We instead encourage the new Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work towards a lasting agreement based on a two-State solution. To that end, the United Kingdom appreciates the proposals that the Palestinian Authority has made for renewed dialogue.”
2020-05-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/430 (2020) · source
“COVID-19 has changed the world we all live in. It has changed the situation on the ground in Syria. I believe it means that we must be ready to change our approach. We must put aside our political differences and act on the basis of humanitarian needs to authorize temporary cross-border access through Al-Yarubiyah. And we must, of course, renew resolution 2504 (2020). There is no other responsible course of action.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“I wish to emphasize that, if the resolution were to not be renewed, then no one should have any illusions that the United Kingdom’s considerable humanitarian funding for the north-west would automatically transfer to delivery via Damascus, particularly as serious questions remain about assistance from Damascus reaching those most in need. A number of colleagues have talked about sanctions. Goods and medical supplies used for humanitarian purposes are not subject to EU sanctions, which are now part of the United Kingdom’s national legislation, and additional exemptions from sanctions are available for humanitarian activities in Syria. In conclusion, the evidence is clearly set out in the Secretary-General’s report. There remains a pressing humanitarian need across Syria. We must remember the millions of lives at stake.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“We believe that the mandate for the Al-Yarubiyah crossing should be reauthorized as a matter of great urgency for as long as COVID-19 remains a threat to Syria. Now let me turn to the north-west. If our objective is to save lives, then it is absolutely necessary that the Council renew resolution 2504 (2020) in a timely manner. Monthly truck crossings in March and April were more than double than over the same period last year. That increase in aid is in response to the increased humanitarian need within the region. The renewal of resolution 2504 (2020) therefore remains essential. There is no alternative.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“The United Nations has confirmed that, in terms of coverage or reach, cross- line access in the north-east has not improved since 2019, when the Al-Yarubiyah crossing was still operational. It is for that reason that in paragraph 19 of his latest report (S/2020/401), the Secretary-General said, “The pressing need to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the north- east has further and starkly highlighted the gap left by the removal of the Yarubiyah authorization”. This could not be clearer. There is a clear problem in the north-east, and the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have told us what the answer is. We must not play politics with this virus when it is in our gift to enable aid to get through and save lives.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“Well, the United Kingdom is deeply concerned about the potentially catastrophic impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Syria, as highlighted by the World Health Organization. There are 48 confirmed cases in areas controlled by the Syrian authorities, as well as confirmed cases in the north-east and reported cases in the north-west. There are probably already many more. We cannot know because of the lack of testing capacity. And as the United Nations scales up prevention and protection against COVID-19 in areas controlled by the Syrian authorities and in the north-west, it follows that it must be allowed to do the same in the north-east. So it is gravely concerning the gaps in medical supplies in the north-east have in fact widened at a time when facilities should be urgently scaling up to prepare for the virus.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“Let me just start, if I might, by saying that I think that it is really important that we try to keep the politics out of our humanitarian discussions. That is one reason that we separate out into political, chemical weapons and humanitarian meetings each month on Syria, to enable us to focus on the evidence and the facts as we grapple with how we keep people alive, which is surely the most vital responsibility that the Council faces. I have to say that I listened with sadness today to one representative whose intervention was an attack on those providing aid across Syria and those paying for it. I want to remind everybody that the biggest donors to the Syria appeal are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union (EU), including those areas under Al-Assad’s rule. So what does an evidence-based approach tell us?”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/427 (2020) · source
“Let me just ask one question, if I may, of Ms. Williams. I wonder if she could say whether there has been any change since the COVID-19 outbreak in the public mood, specifically in terms of public support for or in public attitudes towards the conflict, and whether there are any signs that the calculations of any of the parties to the conflict are being affected by that public view.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“We call on the Libyan National Army to engage substantively with the United Nations-drafted ceasefire document of 23 February, as the Government of National Accord has recently done. The United Kingdom reaffirms its support for Libya’s legitimate and internationally recognized institutions, as agreed in the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement and recognized by the Security Council. The United Kingdom is consistent in its belief that if the warring parties and their backers had the interests of the Libyan people at heart, they would cease fighting, halt attacks on civilians, and stop private or unilateral initiatives, and S/2020/421 instead get behind the United Nations and the inclusive political solution. It is the only hope, and it is what the Libyan people need and deserve after all these years of conflict.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I want to urge all Security Council members to abide by the resolutions of the Security Council, for which they themselves have voted. We condemn the blockade of oil facilities, which is harming the Libyan people and has led today to a loss of over $4 billion. Efforts to illicitly import aviation fuel into Libya are also unacceptable, and all parties must uphold the integrity and unity of the National Oil Corporation. There will not be a military victory, not least because the foreign actors involved in this war will not permit it. Therefore, an inclusive political solution, as set out at the Berlin Conference, offers the best hope for the stability and future prosperity that the Libyan people need and deserve.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“The report of the Secretary-General (S/2020/360) makes clear that the situation — including the death, injury and displacement of significant numbers of civilians — is not acceptable, and that civilians, including migrants and refugees, remain at risk. The intentional cutting of electricity, fuel, water or food supplies is a potential violation of international humanitarian law. We remain particularly concerned by further reports that external parties continue to provide materiel, equipment and mercenaries. All Member States must abide by their international obligations, including Security Council resolutions. In this regard, we note further reports of activity by the Wagner Group in Libya. Wagner Group activities continue to exacerbate the conflict and prolong the suffering of the Libyan people.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“Attacks in civilian areas, particularly on health-care facilities, show a complete disregard for international law, and they must cease. At a time when countries around the world are coming together in the face of a shared threat from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it is unconscionable that health-care facilities are among the civilian infrastructure targeted. I also wish to reiterate our continuing concern with respect to the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Libya. Ms. Williams highlighted a situation in which a million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“I thank Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams for her briefing. We hope that we will be able to agree on a permanent successor for her before too long. Through Ms. Williams, I would now like to thank her staff and all who are working so hard to try to end the conflict in Libya, in what are not always the most promising of circumstances or contexts. Let me start by sharing the deep concern Ms. William’s expressed about the significant escalation in hostilities in Libya. I think she described an unprecedented increase in direct fire in civilian areas, which is extremely worrying. The cost in civilian lives and the damage to civilian infrastructure is totally unacceptable.”
2020-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/421 (2020) · source
“We note Amnesty International’s recent report detailing 18 attacks on medical facilities and schools between May 2019 and February 2020, which only adds to the evidence provided by the Board of Inquiry and the Commission of Inquiry. As with the chemical-weapon attacks carried out by the Syrian regime and detailed in the report of the Investigation and Identification Team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, those responsible must and will be held to account. In the meantime, such disregard for international humanitarian law must cease.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“While we welcome negotiated releases, we would note that one-for-one releases are insufficient in a context where the regime holds far more detainees than opposition forces do. I would like to emphasize once again — and for the record — that there cannot be any reconstruction funding from the United Kingdom without the regime’s genuine engagement with a credible and sustainable political process. Let me conclude by reiterating what I believe we all have said, namely, that the deliberate targeting of humanitarian infrastructure and civilians is never acceptable, whether it be through ground attacks, barrel bombs, air strikes or chemical weapons.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“Like others, we welcomed the formation of the Constitutional Committee last year, but it has been over a month since the agenda for the Constitutional Committee was agreed and nearly six months since its last meeting. We cannot let hard won progress on this front be lost because of lethargy and disinterest from Damascus. I call on Russia to bring its influence to bear on its Syrian clients. In order to support momentum and keep the progress alive, we encourage at least that the co-Chairs of the Committee urgently meet by videoconference to discuss outstanding issues, including how a full meeting can work in practice. We also urge the regime to make widespread releases of political prisoners and vulnerable people and to ensure that medical care is available for those still in detention.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“The problems facing the Syrian health sector and the economy are a result not of sanctions, but of the Syrian regime’s actions through its cronyism, corruption and brutal conduct of the war, which includes, I am afraid, politically motivated punitive restrictions on humanitarian aid. If the Syrian regime and its allies want to see removal of sanctions, then they know what they have to do: engage seriously with the Special Envoy and the United Nations-led political process to achieve a peaceful end to the conflict in the country. Now, with regard to the political process, we are disappointed that, despite the urgent humanitarian needs, the deteriorating economy and the continued threat of COVID-19, there still appears to be no urgency in working with the Special Envoy to achieve political progress towards a political settlement.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“There remains an urgent need for medical supplies and other necessary humanitarian aid to reach recipients in need without hindrance. We should not be dogmatic about the modalities of making that happen, including by renewing cross- border assistance to all areas that need it. We will have an opportunity to further discuss this matter tomorrow. As to sanctions, in support of what some others have said, goods and medical supplies used for humanitarian purposes are not subject either to European Union sanctions or United Kingdom national sanctions. Additional exemptions from sanctions are also available for humanitarian activity in Syria. I would just like to note that the United Kingdom and our United States and European partners are the leading donors for humanitarian aid in Syria, including in regime-held areas.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“We would be grateful for an update, including from our Russian colleagues, on implementation of those reconciliation agreements reached in summer 2018. It remains vital that localized ceasefires lead to a nationwide ceasefire, as called for by the United Nations Special Envoy and the Secretary-General. This is necessary not only to bring an end to this devastating conflict in accordance resolution 2254 (2015) but to enable full attention to be devoted to the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In that regard, we continue to support efforts led by the World Health Organization to confront the real risk posed to all parts of Syria by COVID-19. We recognize the efforts made by authorities across the country and urge practical cooperation among them all to confront a disease that knows no boundaries.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“I thank the Special Envoy for his comprehensive briefing to the Security Council today. We remain concerned about the security situation in Syria. While we are not seeing the levels of violence in the north-west today that we saw at the beginning of the year, we are well aware of the recent clashes between armed groups and regime forces south of the M4 motorway and the regime’s ongoing shelling of the Idlib de-escalation zone. The ceasefire in Idlib and in the north-east of the country must be upheld in practice and not in name only. We also fully condemn continued attacks by extremist forces, including Da’esh. We remain concerned about a rise in violence in the south of the country and the risk that this violence might cause reconciliation agreements there to fall apart.”
2020-05-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/420 (2020) · source
“I also note that prior to Ramadan, the Houthis promised to release members of the persecuted Baha’i faith. I call on the Houthis to release them and all who have been wrongly detained, including journalists — as indicated today by the Special Envoy. That is especially important in the context of COVID-19. Finally, let me finish where I began. I want to thank Mr. Griffiths again for his continued efforts. He was right to talk at the beginning of his remarks of bringing us hope over progress, just as he was right to say that the hope is realistic. I also call on all in Yemen to bring real hope to the Yemeni people.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Significant external financial assistance to the Central Bank is urgently needed to keep imports coming in, as the risk is now even greater due to the unpredictable secondary effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Government of Yemen must urgently put forth a credible plan to reassure potential donors of the implementation of the Riyadh agreement, with the Central Bank of Yemen remaining operationally neutral as negotiations proceed. We have talked previously in the Council about the devastating impact that an oil leak from the FSO SAFER oil tanker would have on Yemen and the region. I once again urge the Houthis to either allow the removal of the oil or to allow a repair mission to proceed. Continued inaction on this issue is reckless, dangerous and threatens an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“In the north, the Houthis must deliver on the minimum operating requirements that the international community has laid out clearly. Those include swiftly approving all sub-agreements, fully implementing the World Food Programme’s retargeting and biometric pilot, and allowing humanitarian agencies to operate independently and freely. Donors will be able to give funding only if such restrictions are lifted and humanitarian organizations are able to deliver assistance effectively. We are also supportive of United Nations agency efforts to do everything they can to reduce risk and ensure aid is reaching those in need. We remain extremely concerned that the Central Bank of Yemen will soon run out of foreign currency reserves, thus triggering an economic collapse with humanitarian and political consequences.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“I welcome the swiftly agreed Security Council press statement on 29 April (SC/14176) regarding that declaration, and highlight the ongoing risk of violent clashes in the south. All parties have confirmed their support for the Riyadh agreement, so I call on them to engage with the Saudi-led efforts by de-escalating and implementing their obligations under the agreement. We welcome Mr. Rajasingham’s announcement and details on the holding of a virtual humanitarian pledging conference on 2 June. We strongly urge all donors to step up and provide significant and timely humanitarian funding. The United Kingdom has provided over $1 billion in funding since the conflict began, and this year we will also be making a substantial pledge. However, I note with concern that unprecedented access restrictions remain throughout Yemen.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“During this particularly crucial time in the peace process, I note with concern the evidence documented in the 21 April letter submitted by the United States to the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolutions 2231 (2015) and 2140 (2014). That letter outlines evidence collected during two interdictions of vessels containing significant amounts of weapons and arms of apparent Iranian origin. I welcome the sharing of such information and encourage others to do the same. Such arms shipments pose a grave impediment to the cause of peace in Yemen and they must stop. The tragic situation in Yemen has been complicated further, to say the least, following the poorly timed declaration of the Southern Transitional Council.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Yemenis cannot wait any longer and constructive engagement in a United Nations-led process is the only way to achieve the peace they deserve. I also want to echo the Special Envoy’s comments on the importance of the inclusion of women in both the Yemeni Women’s Technical Advisory Group and in talks. In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak, I again welcome the unilateral ceasefire and its subsequent extension, as announced by the Saudi-led coalition. It is important that fighting does not hamper efforts to tackle the outbreak. That move, which has not been reciprocated, demonstrates the serious intent of the coalition to bring an end to this dreadful conflict.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Martin Griffiths’s proposals for a political framework and a nationwide ceasefire are truly the only game in town. There is no military option. We have proven that over several years. Those delaying agreements and talks are simply prolonging the misery of the people of Yemen for no obvious strategic or tactical advantage. The United Kingdom therefore resolutely supports Martin Griffiths’s efforts, and I welcome the close coordination of the Ambassadors to Yemen of the five permanent members of the Security Council to that end. I welcome Mr. Griffiths update that the Yemeni Government has responded to his most recent proposals. I urge also the Houthis to do the same. Martin says that they were engaged, but I think we need more than engagement.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Officially, there are 50 reported cases, whereas United Kingdom-funded modelling suggests the number of Yemenis suffering from COVID-19 is already in the thousands. The United Kingdom has provided over $940 million since the beginning of the pandemic to support the global response to COVID-19, and has also pledged $2 billion to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, in order to vaccinate 75 million children against deadly infectious diseases around the world. But I also want to encourage the Government and the Houthi authorities to continue engaging with the United Nations to ensure an effective national response. We call on the Houthi authorities to be transparent in reporting cases so that the World Health Organization can identify requirements, procure equipment and ensure that supplies reach those in need.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“I thank Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Rajasingham for their briefings. I feel like we have been here, in this situation, before. We thank both briefers for their ongoing painstaking efforts in extremely difficult circumstances — Martin, for his resilience in trying constantly and consistently to shepherd the parties into talks, and Ramesh, for his long-term efforts and those of his team in what is one of the worst humanitarian situations in the world. So, it is with a very genuine sense that I thank them and their teams on behalf of the United Kingdom for what they are doing. As Yemenis reflect and offer each other Ramadan blessings, they are being hit by the plight of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“We must enable the United Nations to use all modalities for the specific purpose of preventing a health disaster for as long as the coronavirus poses such a threat. The United Kingdom is proud to stand with many others around the Council table as part of a decisive and coordinated action to tackle the spread and impact of the coronavirus in vulnerable countries across the globe. We must work together to do the same for Syria. We must give the United Nations and its humanitarian partners the best chance of being able to respond to the outbreak in all areas through all necessary modalities. Tackling this global pandemic invokes our common humanity. We should all think carefully about the actions and decisions that we can take.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Yet there are apparently only 35 intensive care unit beds in the whole of the region. As OCHA told us in the Security Council on 24 April, humanitarian assistance delivered by land or air has reached only 31 per cent of the health facilities previously supplied across the border via Al-Yarubiyah. That means 69 per cent of health facilities are not receiving the supplies that they need. Moreover, the urgency to address the pandemic is not reflected in the pace of approvals for cross-line assistance. As noted in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2020/327), the authorities in Damascus continue to take three to four months to respond to medical delivery requests to the north-east. With such a pressing need, we must work together. We must put aside previous political differences.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“The evidence is clear that the United Nations cross-border mandate must continue past July. The coronavirus knows no borders. It knows no front lines. It is a threat to all in Syria and beyond. Preventing it is a matter of humanity, not politics. We must ensure that no part of Syria is neglected in the effort to prevent, and prepare for, the potential spread of the virus. That is why we are so concerned about north-east Syria. Both the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organization have highlighted a dangerous void. The World Health Organization has confirmed the first death from COVID-19 in that area, and we know from what we have learned everywhere else in the world that community transmission is surely ongoing.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“Our money will install new hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps and increase access to clean water for those living in areas of armed conflict. As the third-largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the Syrian response, with more than $4 billion spent since the conflict began, we are urgently working to ensure that our significant humanitarian programme across Syria, including, of course, in those areas under the regime’s control, can most effectively address the direct and indirect consequences of the pandemic. We welcome the recent increase in cross-border aid into north-west Syria and the maintenance of the ceasefire agreed between Russia and Turkey on 5 March. That is helping humanitarian agencies to meet huge needs in Idlib and to focus on the threat of COVID-19.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“I thank Mark Lowcock for his briefing today. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned about the potentially catastrophic impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Syria. We have heard today that there are 43 confirmed cases, and there are likely already many more that are unknown because of the lack of testing capacity. The 6.2 million internally displaced Syrians face a particularly severe risk. Almost 940,000 of those are living in appalling conditions in the north-west. The United Kingdom is committed to playing its part to tackle the spread and impact of the coronavirus in Syria and other vulnerable countries across the globe. So far we have pledged more than $900 million to the international response to help end the pandemic. Of that funding, $350 million is helping to reduce mass infections in vulnerable countries.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/354 (2020) · source
“In 2018, following the adoption of resolution 2417 (2018), the representative of the United Kingdom concluded his statement by saying, “The lesson is clear: humanitarian aid can only ever be a sticking plaster. The solutions are political” (S/PV.8267, p. 3). That remains the case today.”
2020-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/340 (2020) · source