YouSaid · the spoken record

Kaag

lines on the record: 35
first: 2018-03-08
most recent: 2018-12-05
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“We need a United Nations system that acts to sustain peace by ensuring that root causes are properly addressed in all strategies and mandates and by treating the wounds of conflict through transitional justice and accountability for the perpetrators of human rights abuses or through support for those who have suffered the most. Those will always be the priorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere and personal commitment to pursue those goals long after our Security Council membership. We will not stop. We will remain strong and steadfast, as always, as a partner in peace, security and justice.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“I would like to conclude by stating that the Kingdom of the Netherlands stands with Cote d'Ivoire, and indeed with Secretary-General Guterres, in its quest to reform the United Nations system. It is our quest to promote and ensure the implementation of an integrated approach by all of us and the system, along with the three outlined pillars. We have the tools to embark upon that task - the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. They are the ultimate prevention agenda. Together, it is incumbent upon us to promote a proactive United Nations system that acts to prevent conflict in a timely manner through improved risk analysis and early warning, one that acts to resolve conflict, including through better peacekeeping.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“Access to justice is also the focus of the ministerial meeting which will be held in The Hague on 6 and 7 February 2019. It is part of the third Justice Task Force Conference, which the Netherlands co-chairs with Sierra Leone, Argentina and the Elders. The rule of law and strong, inclusive institutions are good for business and for attracting and retaining investments. It is what makes it possible for a country to make the transition from an economy of war to an economy of peace. Respect for human rights is instrumental in all of that. We have seen time and time again that disregard for human rights leads to conflict. That is why we believe the Security Council should request timely briefings about human rights situations of concern. And it is why we supported human rights briefings on Syria, North Korea and Iran.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“An instrument that is often forgotten but very helpful in reducing inequality in post-conflict societies is the provision of psychosocial support to all those who have suffered trauma as a result of conflict. The Netherlands is proud to announce that it will host a conference on that particular theme in the latter half of 2019, drawing attention to the importance of psychosocial support and the political will to back it, as well as the financial means and capacity to provide assistance to those who need it the most and are the most vulnerable. Finally, following the principle of leaving no one behind, in order to ensure that everyone can participate and no one is truly excluded, societies need to develop strong and inclusive institutions, strengthen the rule of law and demonstrate respect for human rights for all.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“We need to safeguard agriculture-based livelihoods and secure the means to produce food - even or especially 4 during conflict. That requires innovative partnerships that also include the private sector and, of course, financial institutions. A second point we would like to address is inequality. Economic development must provide opportunities for all. Women and girls can and will be powerful agents of socioeconomic change, but we must provide them with equal opportunities, especially access to education, inclusive financing and land rights. As for children, the great challenge is to equip all children in developing countries - but particularly those in conflict or under threat of conflict - with the skill sets they need, no matter the group they belong to or the region they come from.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“That is particularly relevant when it comes to food security, which needs no further elaboration. This year, all countries around the table have shown the courage and political will to recognize that fact through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2417 (2018), on conflict and hunger. In that regard, I commend the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for taking up its mandated task earlier this year with respect to Yemen and South Sudan, the latter a country that turned seven years old this year and is home to 7 million people at risk of severe food shortages. Butthereisalsomorethatwecandoas aninternational community if we want to more systematically respond to food insecurity and the risk of famine.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“The Joint United Nations-World Bank study entitled Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict, highlights the importance of addressing inequalities and exclusion in ensuring sustainable peace. I would like to add environmental sustainability to that list. Three points are crucial in that respect. First of all, environmental sustainability is no longer optional within the menu of economic development. Over the past year, the Security Council has seen, in many countries, that climate change, food insecurity and water stress increase tensions, which ultimately may lead to conflict. Therefore, efforts to build up the economy after conflict must take those challenges into account to ensure resilience, energy transformation and innovative approaches to achieve those goals.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“That requires the collective effort of States, the entire United Nations system and international institutions, be they financial or social, to tackle the root causes and prevent instability from going down the line. Conflict prevention is the cornerstone of the integrated foreign policy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it has been a priority during our tenure on the Council. We have invested in timely risk analysis on climate change, as well as the failure and impact of the failure to respect human rights, which is needed to help not only prevent conflicts from starting or emerging but also to ensure a sustainable transition from conflict to peacebuilding and durable peace.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“When we ignore that fact, we see war-torn societies reaching fragile peace deals, only to fall back into armed conflict when international attention drifts away. And, as members of the Security Council and the international community, we find ourselves discussing missions, mandates and budgets to fix things that should not have been broken in the first place. It is in all of our interests to realize that sustainable peace and conflict prevention require an integrated approach, one that is sustainable and includes social and economic development from the outset - that is essential. But let me underline that the Kingdom of the Netherlands believes that the most successful form of prevention is to make sure that there is no need for the Council to address a particular country situation.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“In bringing its experience to the table, cote d'Ivoire provides valuable support to other countries and the Council, as highlighted in the examples given by the country's President. Like Cote d'Ivoire, the Kingdom of the Netherlands believes that it is essential for the Security Council to focus more sharply on equitable post-conflict social and economic development, reconstruction and reconciliation, as part of the broader international peace and security agenda. The Council was created to improve the lives of people - to provide men, women and children with an opportunity to live their lives in peace and security and to enjoy sustainable development. And peace and security are so much more than the absence of armed conflict.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“The Kingdom of the Netherlands reiterates its condolences on the death of former President of the United States of America George Herbert Walker Bush. (spoke in French): At the outset, allow me to thank the President of the Republic of Cete d'Ivoire, Mr. Alassane Ouattara, for having convened this important debate. (spoke in English) I also wish to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, for their contributions to today's debate. As we have heard, Cote d'Ivoire is an excellent example of a country that is no longer on the Security Council's agenda, but instead represents a valued member of the Council.”
2018-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8413 (2018) · source
“I am counting on the support of those present and look forward to working together to achieve that important goal. I now resume my functions as President of the Council.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“In conflict situations, it is up to the Council to follow up with early action, not only to prevent conflicts from exacerbating food insecurity in the short-term by ensuring humanitarian access, but also to save societies from the perils of a generation raised in hunger. We therefore need continuous engagement by the Council. Finally, humanitarian aid in itself is not a sustainable answer. It never has been. Only political solutions can truly end suffering. Therein lies the most important task for the Council. Hunger is the most avoidable of disasters. Starvation is the most heinous method of warfare. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the starvation of civilians becomes a crime of the past - a practice both forbidden and punishable.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Secondly, we should take a firm stance against violations of international law by holding to account those responsible for such Violations. That can be done within national jurisdictions; but where those jurisdictions fail, international mechanisms come into play. In such situations, the most serious cases should be referred to the International Criminal Court. Thirdly, we should step up our efforts to prevent food insecurity in conflict. The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme and their partners have the means and technology to issue early warnings, which they regularly report on.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Flouting the law of war not only turns these norms into hollow phrases; it erodes the rules-based international order itself. We cannot allow that to happen. Hunger caused by conflict as well as starvation reflect our collective failure, and the Council has a collective responsibility to address it and to prevent it from happening in future. For this we need a detailed framework for action. First, we should reaffirm the norms established over the past 70 years: the prohibition of starvation as a method of warfare, the protection of civilian objects necessary for food production, and, above all, guarantees for humanitarian access. International humanitarian law, which all warring parties are obliged to respect and comply with, defines our humanity. We must not allow those rules to unravel.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Under- Secretary-General Mark Lowcock said in a briefing to the Council on 28 February, so very recently, that without humanitarian access, "we will soon see even more people dying from starvation and disease than from the bombing and shelling". (see S/PV8195, p. 3) In Yemen as well, we see the denial of access having grave consequences for the number of people suffering from food insecurity. Clearly, the problem is not a lack of rules. Rather, it is the persistent failure of warring parties to comply with those rules. That is what causes civilians in conflict to suffer even more. Together, we, the international community, have agreed to regulate the conduct of warfare: to spare civilians in conflict to the greatest extent possible and to respect, above all, their human dignity.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“We see this all too often, in too many places. I recently visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the camp of Katanika, an older lady told me that all her family members had had to flee their villages, leaving everything behind. They do not have enough to eat and no longer have a way of producing their own food. Going back to their villages of origin is impossible: everything has been destroyed. In South Sudan, army checkpoints prevent aid convoys from reaching their destination. The recent report by the Panel of Experts stated in no uncertain terms that starvation was being used there as a weapon of war. Elsewhere, as in Syria, we witness situations that we would not have imagined possible in our era.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Rising levels of hunger and conflict will lead to greater migration, force displacement and put severe pressure on host countries in the region and beyond. The fact that this is happening in the twenty-first century, in an age of unparalleled progress, technological possibilities and wealth, is shameful. If people are the main cause of famine and food insecurity in conflict situations, then surely people are able to resolve this issue. This means that the end of famine depends on political will. Armed conflict affects food security in many ways. In modern warfare we see fields of crops being destroyed, bakeries burned and markets hit. We see parties to a conflict deliberately denying access to food aid for civilians in need. We see indiscriminate bombing that damages food sources and prevents civilians from reaching them safely.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“Last year, the Secretary-General called on the Council to take action in response to no fewer than four major new famines: in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria. These famines were directly threatening 20 million people: men, women and children. These and other examples of food insecurity have one important factor in common, and one alone: conflict. In our world of abundance, technology and big data, famine is completely avoidable. Where it happens, it is man-made. It occurs where people harm other people. Regrettably, so-called man-made famine is almost becoming a tautology. While all-out famine has been barely averted in the four countries I just mentioned, many people remain extremely food-insecure. This entails grave risks for regional stability, as conflict and hunger do not respect national borders or boundaries.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“I thank Mr. Beasley for his briefing, and, in my national capacity, both briefers for their very compelling story, narrative and clear call to action. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 1 should like once again to reiterate our thanks to Mark Lowcock and David Beasley for their comprehensive and informative briefings. It is very clear that one of the main causes of hunger is conflict: man-made conflict. After decades of a steady decline in the number of people suffering from malnutrition and famine, today we are faced with a dangerous setback, one that endangers Sustainable Development Goal 2, a world of zero hunger. The unthinkable is happening: hunger is again on the rise.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Mr. David Beasley, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme. Mr. Lowcock and Mr. Beasley are joining this meeting via video-teleconference from Dublin and Biel, Switzerland, respectively. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Recalling the Security Council's latest note 507 on its working methods (S/2017/507), I wish to encourage all participants, both members and non-members of the Council, to deliver their statements in five minutes or less. Note 507 also encourages briefers to be succinct and to focus on key issues.”
2018-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8213 (2018) · source
“I remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. I now give the floor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“I am confident that the Council will continue to support Afghan-led efforts to achieve peace, bring about and nurture stability, and reinforce inclusive, rights-based development in Afghanistan, a process that should be aimed particularly at achieving all gender objectives and goals. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“We strongly support the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, and we will live up to our promise to allocate 50 per cent of our support on budget, in close cooperation with other partners. Having said all this, I will now conclude. The progress made in Afghanistan over the past 17 years is impressive. I commend the work of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Yamamoto and the outstanding efforts and hard work of his team. I also very much welcome the decision of the Secretary-General to host the ministerial conference on Afghanistan in Geneva on 28 November.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, for Afghanistan to emerge sustainably from conflict, there is a need for a truly integrated approach, one that strengthens coherence between all sectors: political, security, development and human rights, central to all endeavours. This requires creative thinking, including in and by the United Nations system, supported first and foremost by the Security Council, but also the Member States. We should work jointly in the prevention of conflict and in support of durable peace and inclusive prosperity. The Kingdom of the Netherlands will remain a reliable and constructive partner for Afghanistan, focused not only on the security sector but also more broadly, and we have done so for 17 years.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“That is no small task, and it will require continued political courage, perseverance and assistance. Secondly, the international community should focus its energy on supporting the peace talks. Clearly, the solution has to be political. It will not be possible without true commitment and constructive engagement from all regional partners, and donor countries should be expected to unify their efforts in this regard. All too often, donors - and here we have to look at ourselves - have parallel and sometimes conflicting goals or objectives. Yet there is an obvious solution: for the Afghan Government to set the priorities and UNAMA to coordinate the One United Nations response effectively, inclusively and efficiently.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“Therefore, as we have just renewed UNAMA's mandate through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2405 (2018), I should like to offer a couple of recommendations. First, we can build peace only through inclusive negotiations led by an inclusive Afghan Government. The right instrument - the Kabul Process - is in place. It is both Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and it is a peace and reconciliation mechanism. It deserves our support. Last week's gesture for peace made by the Afghan Government at the second Kabul Process conference was an important step in the right direction. The message is clear. The Afghans are taking the lead, and we will continue to support them. Afghanistan needs a functioning security apparatus and a workable and inclusive peace deal.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“For many Afghan women, however, their own situation remains too dire to overcome by themselves. Facing Violence, exclusion and discrimination, they will continue to need our support and helping hand in pursuit of needed assistance. It is clear that many positive changes, some ofwhich were mentioned earlier this morning, have taken place in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime. At the same time, many of the reforms remain vulnerable, occasionally fragile and by no means irreversible. As we all know, Afghanistan continues to face many problems, including high levels of violence, violent attacks, poverty, corruption, discrimination and, above all, the lack of opportunities for young people - the new generation.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“In modern-day Afghanistan, First Lady Rula Ghani successfully has advocated for women's rights. We hear of female judges and women in Government as ministers, deputy ministers, parliamentarians, and female police officers as was mentioned earlier. From 2013 to 2017, the female literacy rate nearly doubled. Statistics, however, also show that much remains to be achieved, especially for women and girls in rural areas. The courageous filmmaker Roya Sadat sold her wedding jewellery and an apartment to make a movie that speaks to gender inequality and specifically brings the issue of violence against women into the open, which was a courageous decision. The brave women in the film show us that with perseverance and will power almost anything is possible.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“There continues to be an overwhelming lack of negotiations in which women play a meaningful part, let alone a leadership role, but resolution 1325 (2000) is not only about political participation or representation. It is also about the protection of women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence, especially in conflict situations. That is the responsibility of us all - not only that of Member States, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, but of citizens in general. There should be no room for complacency, let alone impunity. There must be zero tolerance in every situation regardless of the circumstances. For women in Afghanistan, there are also rays of hope. In the days of Queen Soraya, in 1919, Afghan women were allowed to vote significantly earlier than in many other countries.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“The resolution is a political framework, thereby making clear that without women, peace will not stand a chance or thrive. It is a also clear acknowledgement of how women and girls often suffer and are particularly vulnerable in times of war and conflict, but it is also concerns their role, leadership and responsibility in bringing about lasting peace. Every country was encouraged to draw up a national action plan. A minority of 73 countries has done so, including, notably, Afghanistan with its very active Afghan women leaders' network. Worldwide, however, a great gap remains to bridge between the norms established for women and the bitter reality that women face, especially, but not only, in conflict situations.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We are discussing the situation in Afghanistan on an important historic day. On this day 110 years ago, 15,000 female workers marched through the city of New York demanding their rights. It is therefore a particular honour for me to speak before the Security Council today, which marks International Women's Day. For a long time, the Council has been attentive to women and peace and security. On 31 October 2000, the Council adopted resolution 1325 (2000) on that very subject. The Netherlands was then, too, anon-permanent member of the Council, and we contributed actively to its adoption (see S/PV.4213).”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“Infavaur: Bolivia (Plurinational State of), China, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, France, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America The President: The result of the voting is as follows. The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2405 (2018). Recalling the Security Council's latest note 507 on its working methods (S/2017/507), I wish to encourage all participants, both members and non-members of the Council, to deliver their statements in five minutes or less. Note 507 also encourages briefers to be succinct and to focus on key issues. Briefers are further encouraged to limit initial remarks to 15 minutes or less. I now give the floor to Mr.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite Her Excellency Ms. Joanne Adamson, Charge d'affaires a.i. of the delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2018/198, which contains the text ofa draft resolution submitted by the Netherlands. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2018/l65, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. A vote was taken by Show ofhands.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Pakistan and Turkey to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Security Council, I welcome Her Excellency Ms. Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Tadamichi Yamamoto, Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan; Ms. Habiba Sarabi, Deputy Chairperson of the Afghan High Peace Council; and Ms. Mariam Safi, Executive Director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies.”
2018-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8199 (2018) · source