YouSaid · the spoken record

Kellenberger

lines on the record: 39
first: 2000-04-19
most recent: 2003-05-22
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

“A precondition for efficient coordination is always to have each actor trying to focus on his core competency and on areas in which he feels he has a competitive advantage. I think that is an important precondition for efficient coordination. I think that all of us humanitarian actors owe it to the donor community to avoid unnecessary duplication. We also owe it to the population of Iraq to carefully identify any gaps that may exist. I thank the Council once again for inviting me to participate in this meeting.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762Resumption1 (2003) · source
“There are administrative problems in some hospitals, and that is one of the reasons why, at an early stage, the ICRC was underlining very forcefully the importance of strengthening administrative structures in general and in the health sector in particular. I would like to tell the Council that I was encouraged by what I heard regarding additional measures to be taken in order to improve security in Iraq. As far as coordination is concerned, I would like to tell the Council that the ICRC, as an independent actor, has previous experience in coordinating our activities with those of United Nations agencies and other humanitarian actors. I think we have had good experiences in the past. I would simply like to say one thing with regard to coordination. Although it goes somewhat without saying, it is perhaps good to repeat it.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Mr. Kellenberger: I, too, would like to thank you very much, Mr. President, for the trust that you have placed in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has, indeed, maintained a strong presence in the field at the most difficult times. I would like simply to tell the Council that it can count on our organization and that we will continue to fulfil the mandate entrusted to the ICRC by the Geneva Conventions, which also cover questions such as persons who are unaccounted for - a matter that has been raised in this meeting. As far as health structures are concerned, especially hospitals, I said in my statement that in fact the hospital situation can vary widely from one place to another.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762Resumption1 (2003) · source
“We are looking forward to cooperating closely with the humanitarian agencies of the United Nations system and with other humanitarian actors while - and the Council is well aware of this - maintaining our full independence with regard to all actors. The ICRC will strictly respect the principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality in Iraq, as in all other operational contexts. If our organization has been able to conduct its activities for the past 23 years in Iraq, for the past 24 years in Afghanistan, and in many other places, it is because the institution is perceived as neutral, impartial and independent and therefore accepted by the local population and the different groups. Present and active in Iraq for 23 years, the ICRC will continue to assist the Iraqi population, in full respect of its dignity.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“In order to disseminate emergency information and to evaluate the situation, an ICRC team recently visited 10 of the country's governorates. As far as the legal framework is concerned, we are, in terms of international humanitarian law - as has been said before - in a situation of occupation. The applicability of the relevant provisions of the Geneva Conventions, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, and of the Hague Regulation is accepted by the occupying Power. Monitoring the application of these provisions will be one of the tasks of the ICRC. I thank the Deputy Secretary-General and other colleagues from the United Nations system for their kind words with regard to our institution, and it will be my great pleasure to convey them to our staff.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“In the course of the week of 11-18 May alone, ICRC medical teams visited about 10 hospitals in Baghdad and seven in the central region of the country. The situation in hospitals does vary widely from one place to the other. There is a clear need for medical supplies in order to treat specific diseases, such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. In order to fill the gap until the central drug- supply system is functioning again, ICRC has just placed a large order for pharmaceuticals to be distributed through the central pharmacy and monitored by ICRC. One of our main humanitarian concerns relates to the high number of accidents caused by unexploded ordnance and mines and to the potentially disastrous effects of the many weapons and large amounts of ammunition that are easily accessible across the country.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“Secondly, there are urgent humanitarian needs in specific sectors. Thirdly, beyond humanitarian emergencies, there are immense needs for repair and upgrades of infrastructures, in particular in the health and water sectors. If there is, in our assessment, no major lack of dry food at present, people are lacking fresh food, not so much because of a lack of supply, but because of a lack of money to buy. It is good news to hear that the payment of salaries or other financial incentives has now started in various places. We also understand that the lack of fuel in some parts of the country sometimes makes difficult the transportation of staff from different institutions or can reduce supply lines. A systematic evaluation of needs by ICRC medical teams in hospitals and other medical structures across the country is under way.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“ICRC drew the attention of the coalition and of the international community to this fact at an early stage - for example, in a public appeal I made on 11 April. Improving security and establishing functioning administrative structures so that people can go back to work and get paid remain top priorities. In fact, when I visited Baghdad in early May, that was my main message. ICRC remains concerned by the security situation in Baghdad and other parts of the country. Various incidents in recent days further show that main roads remain unsafe. An early analysis, based on our field experience, that Iraq was not faced with a general humanitarian catastrophe seems now to be widely shared. However, three considerations should be borne in mind. First, things could still go wrong if security is not improved. More has to be done.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“ICRC is presently fielding nearly 100 international and 450 Iraqi staff to implement this programme. ICRC, as lead agency of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Iraq, is also coordinating the activities of the national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in that country. Representatives of 33 different societies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies met on the premises of the ICRC delegation in Baghdadjust 10 days ago. When it comes to assessing the current humanitarian situation, it is essential to understand that it cannot be dissociated from the security context or from the current dysfunction of key administrative structures.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“These priorities will include, as may be expected from ICRC, visits to all persons deprived of their liberty; the protection of vulnerable groups, such as separated and unaccompanied children, the sick and wounded, internally displaced persons and minority groups; the re-establishment of family links; the prevention and resolution of issues of persons unaccounted for in relation to the present and past conflicts and violence; emergency repair and rehabilitation of vital structures, such as water, health and sewage facilities; the provision of medical emergency consumables and equipment; assistance to and support for public health structures; emergency food and non-food assistance to vulnerable populations; and awareness-raising activities related to explosive remnants of war and landmines.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“Over 6,000 have been released in the meantime. Efforts to gain access to all other interned persons are ongoing. There were also limits, both security- and staff- related, to the activities carried out by ICRC during the most intense phase of fighting. Whereas ICRC could carry out emergency work in Baghdad, the Basra region and the North during the most intense phase of fighting, it had no access to major cities between Basra and Baghdad, such as Nasiriyah, Karbala and Najaf. I would now like to say a few words about our present and future priorities in Iraq.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“Moreover, a careful review process has led us to the conclusion that, regardless of military developments, deficiencies in the health-care delivery and water adduction systems were likely to be issues of critical concern to the civilian population. In addition, it was evident that the outbreak of a full-fledged conflict would require ICRC to step up its protection work, notably by visiting prisoners of war and civilian internees. In other words, we concluded that the existing operational priorities were likely to keep, if not increase, their relevance. The course of events validated our choices. During the war, ICRC supported hospitals and health centres and effected emergency repairs on the water supply systems. As regards protection, ICRC delegates have so far visited over 7,000 prisoners of war and civilian internees.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“In terms of assistance, it is particularly relevant to note that support for medical structures, hospitals and health-care centres alike, has been at the forefront of our priorities for the past four years. The same applies to water and sanitation projects. ICRC was therefore pretty familiar with the country's health and water adduction and processing systems well before 20 March this year. Secondly, in October last year, our institution decided to increase its response capabilities in and around Iraq. The decision of principle was also taken to keep core teams of expatriate staff inside Iraq in the event of a war.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“Mr. Kellenberger: I thank you, Sir, for the invitation to share with Council members how the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been responding to the humanitarian situation in Iraq. I should like to start by highlighting two factors which played a defining role in shaping ICRC's response to the recent conflict in Iraq. The first is that ICRC has been active in Iraq without interruption since 1980, with bases in Baghdad, Basra and the North, where it has pursued both protection and assistance activities. Concretely, protection work has meant visits to and repatriation of prisoners of war from the Iraq- Iran conflict, as well as the search for information on people unaccounted for from the 1990-1991 Gulf War.”
2003-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4762 (2003) · source
“In this regard, I feel that firm resolve on the part of the Security Council to take bold political decisions and create the conditions necessary for the humanitarian organizations to preserve their indispensable independence will guarantee effective implementation of our shared objectives.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“So it is the confusion between different modes of action that is causing us concern and appears dangerous. To each his own: the use of force is the domain of the military, and relief activities the domain of humanitarian agencies. I would not like to conclude without saying a few words about the sanctions which have been at the centre of the Council's debates this week. The ICRC has always been concerned by the humanitarian consequences for the civilian population; therefore, it cannot but express its appreciation for the decision to establish a working group on that topic, notably with a View to fully taking into account humanitarian consequences. It is essential to strengthen all aspects of complementary action if we are to bring about tangible improvement in the protection of civilians.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“We have noted, however, that peacekeeping operations are taking on an increasing number of humanitarian aspects. This trend entails certain dangers. In situations where peace is still fragile, United Nations troops may have to use force, which can create the impression that they are party to the conflict. This can cause them to be denied access to certain regions and thus to some of the victims. In general, the ICRC believes that coercive action, apart from affording protection for civilians, should create conditions that allow humanitarian agencies to operate, but without being associated with such action in any way. Being associated with coercive action would jeopardize the work of humanitarian organizations by undermining their credibility and their acceptance by the parties to the conflict.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The Council is to be commended for making provision, in the mandate of certain missions, for measures designed to protect civilians who are in immediate danger of physical violence. These innovative developments demonstrate the will to take concrete action. In the ICRC's view, the important thing is to distinguish between political and military action aimed at addressing the causes of conflict and humanitarian action aimed at addressing its effects. The law governing the right to use force, or jus ad bellum, must therefore remain clearly distinct from humanitarian law automatically applicable in the event of military operations, or jus in bello. The legitimacy of the cause being defended can in no circumstances exempt a military operation from the obligations laid down in international humanitarian law.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The question here is not the validity of coercive action in extreme circumstances. Such action is often a last resort, necessary to protect the civilian population. Indeed, it may be essential in situations where there are large-scale and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law. The States parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions have undertaken not only to respect, but also to ensure respect for, the rules set out in those Conventions. Coercive measures, however, should be envisaged only in extreme cases. The Security Council has numerous other means at its disposal for enhancing the security of populations, ranging from preventive deployment to the dispatch of peacekeeping or peace-consolidation forces.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The Secretary-General's recommendation that the Security Council consider the imposition of appropriate enforcement action in the face of massive and ongoing abuse was made in the context of a debate which became acutely pertinent following the action of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in the Balkans. Here I would like to share with the members of the Council a concern of the ICRC which has to do very much with the weight of words. The term "humanitarian" has often been misused. We have heard talk of a "humanitarian war" or even of "coercive humanitarian countermeasures", to cite only a few of the expressions that create dangerous confusion as to the respective roles and responsibilities of political actors on the one hand and humanitarian organizations on the other.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“In his report to the Security Council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, issued last September, the Secretary-General drew a clear distinction between recommended measures to strengthen physical protection and recommended measures to strengthen legal protection. I find this distinction useful and necessary, for we are all too aware of the limitations of legal protection alone. Speaking for a humanitarian organization that is present and active on a permanent basis in practically all situations of armed conflict, I would like to add in all modesty that this active presence and the will - the strong will - to maintain dialogue and contact with all parties to the conflict constitute an essential factor for protection in themselves.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Furthermore, it is most encouraging that the Council is disposed to establish a monitoring mechanism and that the major humanitarian agencies are associated with this initiative, which guarantee that the debate will not remain a virtual one. Security Council resolutions contribute to creating a culture conducive to the prevention of violations and the cessation of impunity for the culprits. We cannot but welcome this trend. However, these appeals will rapidly become empty words unless they are accompanied by practical and concrete measures intended to improve protection of the physical integrity of individuals.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“President, invited me to speak before the Security Council today, you asked me to outline the ICRC's views on the progress made in the Council since its debate on the protection of civilians that took place last year. I will do so with modesty, which is advisable in general, but particularly so for a greenhorn. But I will do so gladly. I would like, first of all, to stress how much we appreciate the growing importance that the Security Council attaches to the protection of civilians in times of armed conflict. The mobilization of the international community on this issue inevitably hinges on the Security Council's awareness of its urgency. The Secretary-General's excellent report and the numerous recommendations it contains also go to the heart of the matter and raise very pertinent questions.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The ICRC commends the efforts made by the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo and after the Gulf War, but urges it to heed the plight of families in other contexts which may attract less attention from the media. Indeed, the ICRC suggests that the issue of persons unaccounted for, and its own role in that regard, be systematically included in peace accords. The ICRC is convinced that the incorporation of humanitarian issues, such as missing persons, prisoners of war and detainees, can strengthen post-conflict peace-consolidation efforts. I shall now speak about the role of the Security Council. When you, Mr.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Apart from the mental suffering caused by this uncertainty, there can also be serious legal and economic implications. Tracing missing persons has always been at the heart of the ICRC's mandate, and in the aftermath of fighting, it is one of its priorities. One practical way of ascertaining the fate of persons reported missing is to negotiate access to places of detention with the authorities concerned and to hand them lists drawn up on the basis of statements of the missing persons' families. In this task the ICRC is often aided by the national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which are invaluable partners both within the country concerned and abroad. Humanitarian law bears witness to the importance that States attach to the issue of missing persons, but the relevant rules have yet to be properly applied in all conflict situations.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Examples of these activities are the identification and registration of unaccompanied children and follow-up of their cases, representations to secure the release of children held in detention, physical or psychosocial rehabilitation, and the restoration of family links. The ICRC cooperates, and intends to continue to cooperate, in an effective manner with other agencies in the field and with Governments. The ICRC and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement will carry on working to improve the situation of children in times of conflict, in accordance with the Plan of Action adopted at the twenty-seventh International Conference. I should now like to refer to missing persons. For families, one of the most tragic consequences of war is not knowing what has happened to loved ones.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Before Beijing + 5, a film produced jointly with the BBC, a radio programme and a new brochure on women in war will be prepared and ready. It is impossible to broach this matter without recalling Canada's special commitment to the issue and the role played by the Canadian Government and Red Cross Society during the twenty-seventh International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The plight of children in times of armed conflict has been a source of concern for the ICRC for many years. The Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols afford children general protection as members of the civilian population. There are also a large number of provisions affording them specific protection. All of our field operations comprise activities aimed at protecting children and at ensuring their health and safety.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Improving the protection of women and girls in times of armed conflict is a priority for the ICRC. Indeed, this resolve has taken shape in a project entitled "Women affected by armed conflict". The ICRC is currently drawing up guidelines for its operational activities relating to protection and assistance for women in times of armed conflict. This commitment takes the form of a four-year programme covering, among other things, the dissemination of the rules of humanitarian law protecting women and the issue of sexual violence. The ICRC has also undertaken to make sure that all its activities take account of the needs of women and girls, on the basis of a study which is nearing completion. An intensive awareness-raising campaign is under way in the media.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“These three principles have no merits on their own but are designed to allow us to do our job in the field as effectively as possible and also to have, through that presence, an adequate early warning capacity. I should like now to say a few words about particularly vulnerable categories of persons. As concerns women in war, the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols afford women, as civilians, the same general protection as men. However, these instruments recognize the necessity of offering women specific protection because of their special needs. Despite these rules, women continue to suffer and, all too often, to be the targets of violence in armed conflicts. The parties to conflict are obliged to ensure the protection of, and respect for, women. It is high time for that protection to become a reality.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The main thrust of this initiative is to clarify the concept of protection as understood by humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law. In regard to displaced persons, the ICRC has drawn attention to the untoward consequences that can result from the simple transposition of long-term solutions appropriate for refugees onto persons displaced within their own country. That being said, I remain convinced that cooperation and coordination between the different humanitarian actors can and must be improved. In this effort, the ICRC can be counted on to act in the interest of the victims without compromising its independence, neutrality or impartiality.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The ICRC, concerned to achieve maximum efficiency, takes part in the examination and formulation of strategies designed to strengthen consultation and cooperation with other humanitarian actors, in particular the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations specialized agencies and others, so as to ensure complementary action and avoid duplication of work. This cooperation and coordination takes place laterally and on the operational level in the field. The ICRC endeavours to promote harmonization of the approaches of the various humanitarian agencies. Since 1996 it has held four workshops on the protection of victims of armed conflict to help enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian and human rights organizations.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“To take one last example - and I am mentioning only some of the most striking examples - in Afghanistan, where it has 70 expatriate staff and over 1,000 national employees, the ICRC is assisting thousands of displaced families and families who have returned to their places of origin, and 23,000 more in Kabul where the head of the family is widowed or disabled. In addition, over 150,000 people receive medical care thanks to the programme of support for hospitals. Altogether, the ICRC provides full or partial support for more than 30 surgical units and runs five limb-fitting centres. These needs are so enormous that they could never be covered by a single organization.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the ICRC is supplying about 200,000 vulnerable people with food and other relief, not to mention the support given to the medical infrastructure, the ICRC's efforts to gain access to persons deprived of their freedom, and the distribution of safe water to hundreds of thousands of people. In Colombia, where it has been working since 1969, the ICRC has set up, in cooperation with the Colombian Red Cross, an aid programme for displaced victims of the internal conflict. In 1999 the ICRC alone gave emergency assistance to some 170,000 displaced people.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Millions of people are terrorized and forced to flee for their lives, or are driven from their homes and sometimes resettled against their will in camps or villages. Today the ICRC affords protection and assistance - often the two cannot be separated - to some five million displaced persons. Africa is particularly severely affected. In Angola, the new upsurge in fighting has caused a mass exodus from rural areas into towns. The ICRC is providing aid in the form of food, medical assistance and agricultural rehabilitation for some 330,000 displaced persons and residents in the Huambo and Kuito areas.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“An equally worrying fact is that members of regular armed forces, if they are without resources because they have not received their pay, may resort to all sorts of excesses in order to survive. The aim of humanitarian law is to protect the civilian population as a whole against attack, whether targeted or indiscriminate, and against acts of violence and abuse of all kinds. Humanitarian law also provides specific protection for certain categories of victims, such as women, children, internally displaced persons, refugees and persons reported missing. The work of the ICRC, therefore, cannot be limited to certain categories; it encompasses all victims, while taking into account their particular vulnerability. Violations of humanitarian law perpetrated against civilians cause mass population movements.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The survey strongly reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the distinction between civilians and combatants, the cardinal principle of humanitarian law. In practice, however, that distinction is tending to become blurred. Indeed, civilians have become the primary victims and often the very object of war. Various reasons, mainly ethnic, religious, economic and social, are put forward to explain this phenomenon. Those causes are compounded by other factors, such as the emergence of paramilitary groups, whose members may have had no proper training and whose actions may be unpredictable, sometimes committing atrocities and becoming easy targets themselves.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“For this protection to be effective, all States must ratify the humanitarian law instruments, such as the 1977 Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions. Furthermore, it is crucial that States adopt national implementation measures and give instruction in the law, especially to their armed forces. These various aspects of legal protection are vital and we are glad to see that they are mentioned in the Secretary-General' s report. Despite all the horrors that we witness and are often powerless to remedy, and despite the obvious limits to what is known as legal protection, we are convinced that humanitarian law is as relevant as ever. This was one of the conclusions of a major survey, entitled "People on War", carried out by the ICRC last year among the population of several countries, most of which had been affected by war.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“The ICRC's action is rooted in international humanitarian law. As guardian of that body of law, the ICRC endeavours to ensure that it is respected by all parties involved in conflict, be they Governments or non-state entities. Through its presence in more than 80 countries, the ICRC establishes a dialogue with all actors in conflicts with a view to creating a relationship of trust, thereby securing the practical implementation of humanitarian law and making sure that we have access to all victims of armed conflicts in order to protect and assist them. The protection of civilians is at the centre of that law. I would, however, like to point out in passing that humanitarian law also protects combatants, in particular those placed hors de combat: prisoners of war and sick or wounded members of the armed forces.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source
“Mr. Kellenberger: I thank you, Mr. President, for your invitation, which attests to the recognition of the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in an area at the core of its concerns: the protection of civilian populations in armed conflict. It gives me particular pleasure to take the floor under your presidency, Sir, as you are a convincing promoter of the concept of human security - a concept close to my heart. The importance of taking the humanitarian dimension into account in maintaining international peace and security is now generally acknowledged. The open debate that took place in March at the initiative of the Bangladesh presidency is evidence of firm commitment to pursuing that course. That commitment should be translated into even more tangible measures.”
2000-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4130 (2000) · source