YouSaid · the spoken record

Kelapile

lines on the record

81

first

2018-11-20

most recent

2023-02-14

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8

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un-security-council

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1. “The intensity of conflict has shown a decline; however, measured against the Fragility States Index, the continent remains prone to conflict, and global alert levels are significantly high. We have observed marked improvements in certain countries, while others show a slight decline. Indications from comprehensive inequality studies conducted by such competent United Nations bodies as the United Nations Development Programme have identified ungoverned territories that are pockets of hardship and constitute conflict hotspots - big income gaps and multidimensional poverty are among the factors that drive conflict in Africa. But to be fair, we must also acknowledge the positive indicators on which we can build. There is no doubt that Africa has great potential beyond its abundant natural resources.”

   2019-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8473 (2019) · source

2. “This debate is an important step towards taking the corrective measures required within the remaining time that we have leading up to 2020. The questions raised in the concept note (S/2019/169, annex) are therefore critical to enabling us to re-strategize to ensure that Africa has its own tools to do the job, and if not to adopt new strategic partnerships to effectively dissuade our communities from engaging in violence and criminal activities. It is the difficult choices that those communities have to make that in themselves generate the high demand for guns. A proper diagnosis of the factors that create human insecurity is key to addressing the root causes of conflict on our continent. The bigger picture of what constitutes Africa's existing challenges is already known.”

   2019-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8473 (2019) · source

3. “We support the necessarily ambitious goal of silencing the guns in Africa by 2020, which demands the collective efforts of Africa and the assured support of the international community and other relevant stakeholders. We therefore welcome the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2457 (2019) on this matter. We believe that creating an environment conducive to addressing the root causes of conflict would obviate the need to place peacekeepers in harm's way, thereby avoiding further loss of life among innocent civilians caught up conflict situations. As we begin to approach the year 2020, the deadline set by the AU, our delegation finds this to be a rationale for engaging in a self- evaluative exercise to assess progress made in achieving a conflict-free Africa.”

   2019-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8473 (2019) · source

4. “We congratulate the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Mr. President, on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of February. We thank you for convening this very timely high-level debate on a theme that is very important to the African continent. We also thank the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the African Union (AU) High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa and the Founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes for their briefings. Botswana places great importance on the overall objective ofachieving durable peace and stability on our continent.”

   2019-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8473 (2019) · source

5. “In conclusion, I once again reiterate my delegation's long-standing position and conviction that there is no alternative to the two-State solution. We believe that to be the only long-term solution that can provide a safer, freer and sovereign Palestinian State, along the pre-l967 international borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions. We reaffirm Botswana's solidarity with the Palestinian people, as well as our unwavering support for theirjust cause. We renew our call for strengthening the coordination of international efforts to promote a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the situation in the Middle East, in particular the question of Palestine.”

   2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

6. “We have the utmost faith in the international community's collective ability to put more pressure on the parties to resume dialogue and intra-Palestinian peace talks and relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Wenotewithregretthat, despite global condemnation and pronouncements from the Security Council and the General Assembly, settlement activities continue in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem. We reiterate that those actions violate international law and constitute a significant obstacle to achieving peace. Furthermore, we are gravely concerned about pockets of violence and tensions, which pose challenges to the deteriorated humanitarian, security and political situation, especially in Gaza.”

   2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

7. “In the interests of peace and protecting the lives of innocent civilians, we wish to echo the call for all actors to fulfil their obligations under various international instruments and refrain from any steps that could undermine the momentum of the negotiation process. We furthermore call for all the relevant United Nations resolutions, including resolution 2334 (2016), to be respected and given full effect, along with strict observance of basic international humanitarian law and human rights law by all parties to the conflict. In the midst of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and other affected areas, we implore both parties to cease hostilities, return to peace talks and refrain from exacerbating an already deteriorating situation.”

   2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

8. “We therefore urge the international community to strengthen efforts towards finding a negotiated settlement, facilitated by the Middle East Quartet, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Madrid terms of reference, as well as other actors, on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions. We furthermore encourage all peace-loving nations, especially those in the Middle East region with a better understanding of the dynamics to the conflict and leverage, to summon the necessary will and courage to work towards embracing dialogue as a means to a lasting solution. Certainly, both the old, who have endured the situation for far too long, and the younger generation in the Middle East, as anywhere else in the world, deserve a future of peace, tolerance and harmony.”

   2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

9. “Botswana's pronouncement on this subject in various forums has always been that there is merit in the two-State solution. We still believe that Israel and Palestine can coexist as two sovereign States that not only share a common border, but a common desire for peace, security and prosperity. However, we remain concerned by the ongoing impasse in the negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as that poses a serious threat to international peace and security and in the Middle East as a whole. We are of the view that there must be intensified efforts to eventually return to meaningful negotiations aimed at bringing about a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict.”

   2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

10. “Allow me to further use this opportunity to congratulate the State of Palestine on its historic election to the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China for 2019. Its election to that very important role demonstrates the confidence of a large number of Member States in the State of Palestine. There is no doubt that regional and other groupings - including the largest of all, the G-77 and China - play an instrumental role in ensuring a harmonized approach to multilateral engagements and better coordination among the United Nations main organs, such as the General Assembly and the Security Council. It is not surprising that a large number of countries, including my own, stands firm in solidarity with, and support for, the Palestinian people in their inalienable right to self- determination and independence.”

    2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

11. “It is our hope that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes will be tracked, found and brought to justice. My delegation conveys its sincere appreciation to your delegation, Mr. President, for convening this quarterly open debate on a matter of great importance to many of us, including my delegation - that is, the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine. I would like to thank the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, for his invaluable perspectives on this subject. My delegation aligns itself in advance with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.”

    2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

12. “At this juncture, allow me to convey our delegation's sincere condolences and sympathies to our dear brother and friend Ambassador Jerry Matjila and the people of South Africa on the passing of the former Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo. Representatives who knew him knew his contributions not only to the Security Council, but also in many other ways, including his leadership of the Group of 77 (G- 77) and China. My delegation further condemns in the strongest terms possible the recent acts of terrorism in Kenya and Colombia, both of which claimed many innocent lives and caused injury to many more. We also condemn the deadly attack on a United Nations camp in northern Mali, which claimed the lives of 10 peacekeepers from Chad.”

    2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

13. “At the outset, my delegation takes this opportunity to sincerely congratulate you, Mr. President, and your country, the Dominican Republic, on your election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the term 2019-2020. We also congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of January, immediately upon your election to the Council. In the same vein, we convey our deepest congratulations to the other new members of the Council: South Africa, Belgium, Germany and Indonesia. We wish them well as they assume their duties in this very important organ of the United Nations.”

    2019-01-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8449 (2019) · source

14. “We firmly believe that durable peace and stability represent the key foundation for achieving sustainable socioeconomic progress, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

15. “It would be remiss of me to end my remarks without advocating for the full participation of women, in particular, and of young people and other civil-society groups, in the prevention and management of conflicts on the continent. These groups, especially women and children, are not only vulnerable but also bring unique capabilities without which our attempts to effectively address conflict would be undermined. I would like to conclude by affirming Botswana's unwavering commitment to continuing to play its part and provide needed support to the international community's collective efforts to promote and protect international peace and security, particularly in Africa. With our uninterrupted track record of stability, our strong desire to see peace prevail on our continent remains one ofthe main objectives ofBotswana's foreign policy.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

16. “Finally, the role of subregional organizations is a very important pillar for the maintenance of peace and security in Africa. We fully recognize the efforts to bring peace to various parts of Africa by regional economic communities and other entities such as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Economic Community of Central African States, the Economic Community of West African States, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the East African Community. Our experiences with the SADC-mandated operations in countries such as Lesotho confirm that the involvement of such entities and their knowledge of local conditions and close cultural and ethnic ties across boundaries make them a main pillar of conflict resolution and management.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

17. “We also welcome partnerships such as that of the European Union with the AU, as well as the growing bilateral collaboration between individual member States, which will greatly enhance the prospects for peace and security in Africa. We see such joint efforts as indispensable to Africa's capacity development, particularly in strengthening the region's contribution to peace and security initiatives on the continent. We also want to underscore and express our appreciation for the United Nations support to the AU Peace and Security Council initiative to declare September of every year until 2020 to be Africa Amnesty Month for the Surrender of Illegally Owned Weapons and Arms, in line with the Silencing the Guns by 2020 initiative.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

18. “The Somalia case is therefore a good partnership success story, in that while it is an exception to the rule that the United Nations cannot provide direct financial support to operations sanctioned by other regional bodies, similar support by partner organizations should not be discouraged if it can bring the desired result. We noted with satisfaction the signing in April 2017 by the principals of the two organizations of the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, in recognition of the nexus between peace and security and development, and in January of the United Nations- African Union Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the 2017 Memorandum of Understanding on Peacebuilding.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

19. “2) This statement, we believe, recognizes that African countries and regional institutions such as the AU currently face serious gaps in their capacity to support their own peace operations. In that context, it is worth recalling that the peace dividend we are observing today in Somalia is in part the result of the bold and unprecedented decision taken by the General Assembly and its subsidiary Committees in 2009 to make an exception by authorizing a United Nations- funded support package for the African Union Mission in Somalia. That deliberate act of true partnership was a commendable step in providing critically needed logistical and life support to the Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers who, among others, were part of an AU-mandated mission at the time and braving a vicious Al-Shabaab insurgency.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

20. “Alongside many other Non-Aligned Movement member States, who collectively contribute some 88 per cent of peacekeepers globally, our delegation would like to take this opportunity to commend our fellow African countries, especially our now top contributor, Ethiopia, for taking this collective responsibility seriously. But Africa and other developing countries cannot do it alone, and it certainly requires enhanced capabilities from the international community. To borrow the Secretary-General's own words, "Enhancing African capacities is essential both in the context of our collective response to international peace and security challenges as well as for the African continent's own self-reliance." (S/PV8006, p.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

21. “It is for this reason that on the occasion of today's commemoration of 20 November as Universal Children's Day, Botswana has joined others who supported that noble initiative in a letter addressed to the Secretary-General by the Permanent Representatives of Qatar and the United States calling for the prevention of the widespread abduction of children in conflict and crises. With a view to overcoming the many obstacles to peace and security on our continent, Africa has unquestionably demonstrated the determination needed to provide both financial and personnel support to peace operations.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

22. “Thirdly, at the local level, we believe that peacekeeping and peacemaking processes must always aspire to inclusive participation and to equitable economic distribution of the peace dividend as a pathway to building credible institutions and restoring good governance, democracy and the rule of law, bearing in mind the special interests of the most vulnerable groups in our societies, such as the innocent women and children who more often than not bear the bigger brunt of these brutal conflicts.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

23. “Apart from subsequent ongoing long-term development and peacebuilding support, peacekeeping is meant to be a temporary intervention measure whereby the United Nations and other international actors can support and facilitate efforts in such areas as national dialogues for peace. It is therefore within the purview of host countries' responsibility to help address the underlying drivers of conflict and meet the legitimate interests of their wider populations in order to sustain peace.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

24. “First, we share the view that in order to achieve genuine and sustainable peace, the primacy of local context and politics, as well as the underlying regional dynamics, must be fully taken into account. Clearly, peacekeeping contingents must support - and should benefit from - homegrown solutions as a guarantor for the required buy-in and future sustainability of the peace when peacekeepers have withdrawn. Secondly, it cannot be overemphasized that, ultimately, the primary responsibility for absorbing external peacekeeping assistance rests with the national actors themselves.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

25. “It is also important to note that as the Security Council mandates the respective operations, the Council must be mindful of the fact that while situations may seem similar, there could be unique characteristics in every case. In this context, close cooperation and collaboration between the penholders and the various key stakeholders, including the regional blocs and potential troop-contributing countries that may understand the situation better, must be ensured. We agree with the recommendations arrived at by the reports and several initiatives alluded to earlier, but we wish to further highlight some critical areas for reflection, particularly in relation to the effective maintenance of peace and stability in Africa.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

26. “Important cumulative lessons in countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone have shown that while a peacekeeping mission cannot go on indefinitely, it can nonetheless provide the countries affected a second opportunity to re-establish peace and rebuild sustainable economies. When interventions are better managed - through proper phase-to-phase transitions from peacemaking and peacekeeping to peacebuilding - the real end result is indeed achievable. While preserving basic principles such as consent by parties to a conflict, we must nonetheless resist the temptation of presumed cost savings through premature withdrawals, as history has taught us that sometimes the cost of future redeployment is even higher.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

27. “In that regard, my delegation wishes to reiterate Botswana's commitment to the various initiatives taken in that respect, which will go a long way towards strengthening the international community's response mechanisms in addressing issues of peace and security, especially in Africa, including the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (see S/2015/446); the reform of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission; and the Secretary- General's recent Action for Peace Initiative. There is no doubt that United Nations peace operations have proved to be a critical intervention instrument in building and sustaining peace and stability in conflict-affected areas.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

28. “The double jeopardy situation we face is that as a result, the African continent finds itself at cross- roads of competing needs in simultaneously dealing with conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, in parallel with the imperative to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union's Agenda 2063.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

29. “Despite the notable overall progress made over the years since the old days of frequent inter-State wars, Africa is still mired mainly in festering and active conflicts, some of which, of course, have delicate cross-border dimensions. This trend and the sometimes fragile peace agreements reached unfortunately have a great opportunity cost. Efforts to restore and rebuild peace are without a doubt an endless drain on the already scarce resources required to realize the socioeconomic aspirations of our continent.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

30. “As we engage in today's debate, my delegation joins others in paying a befitting tribute to all of the peacekeepers deployed around the world for their gallant efforts and commitment to sacrificing their precious lives to achieve peace and comfort for their fellow human beings. We have recently once again been reminded of the unavoidable price of peace by the regrettable loss of life of Tanzanian and Malawian uniformed personnel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As we mourn their heroic demise and convey our heartfelt condolences to their families and other loved ones, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that their loss and that of others before them was not in vain but will embolden our collective resolve and focus to enhance peace and security globally, particularly in Africa.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source

31. “Mr. President, my delegation joins others in warmly congratulating your country, the People's Republic of China, on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November. We particularly commend you and your delegation for having convened this open debate under the important theme "Peace and security in Africa: strengthening peacekeeping operations in Africa". We also thank the Secretary-General and the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Peace and Security, His Excellency Ambassador Sma'il Chergui, for providing invaluable insights in their briefings on the subject matter. At the outset, my delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by delegation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.”

    2018-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8407 (2018) · source