YouSaid · the spoken record

Kelly Craft

lines on the record: 426
first: 2020-03-31
most recent: 2021-01-20
sittings or episodes: 61
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

“[including] the major threats of infectious disease.” We cannot express our gratitude enough for the true emotions felt by Amany today and the fact that she is really defining public service and what it is to be a public servant, the heart of a public servant. I acknowledge that, and I truly felt that the small wins to her bring a huge perspective, as they do to all of us. I thank her so much for her briefing today.” The Security Council’s adoption of resolution 2533 (2020) provides a lifeline and hope to millions of internally displaced persons in north-western Syria who have relied on the United Nations cross-border humanitarian aid deliveries day in and day out over the past five years. They know now that they will continue to receive life-saving food, shelter and medicine for another year, including through the harsh winter months.”
2020-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/758 (2020) · source
“I would like to begin by thanking Under-Secretary-General Lowcock and Amany Qaddour, of Syria Relief and Development, for their briefings today. I would like to open with a quotation by Amany from the Cable News Network: “We talk about the ability to stay home and be on lockdown, and we see people rushing to stores right now. That is not something you have in Syria; you are not able to prepare for what appears to be an apocalypse and go get a month’s worth of food. You’re displaced, you’re out in the open in a tent that might not even have a door, and you cannot protect yourself from these threats ...”
2020-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/758 (2020) · source
“The Security Council must prioritize the pursuit of peace for a better future for Palestinians and Israelis, and that means speaking to the root causes of this conflict and its agitators. That way, we will help the Israelis and Palestinians and people across the Middle East.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“In fact, we have seen more discussion of the potential punitive responses against Israel, rather than discussion of productive ways to engage in peace and encourage the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table. Unless we can get the parties to engage directly, young people in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel will continue to suffer. So, I ask all members, what other options remain at this stage? Should the Council keep meeting, month after month, saying the same things, or are we actually prepared to contain Iran’s sponsorship of Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the creators of chaos and death? Are we ready to create a climate in which Palestinians and Israelis can settle their conflict? There can be no substitutes for direct negotiations between the two parties.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Arguably, this meeting and the meetings on the Middle East in the months to come should be focused on this great threat to peace and security. We can debate semantics and resolutions, but we must focus on how to instil hope in the young people in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. The status quo is a failure. We should be discussing how to get responsible Israeli and Palestinian leadership to sit down at the negotiating table. President Trump introduced his vision for peace to do exactly this, and to give the young people on both sides the opportunity for a prosperous and peaceful future. Some have rejected the elements of our plan, but no one has offered an alternative that is both realistic and credible.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Today Hamas pretends to function as a Government, employing violent intimidation tactics against any chance of a free press, civil society or freedom of expression. Hamas’s charter states “there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad”. They are willing to subject the Palestinian people to despair and perpetual conflict to fulfil their violent vision and appease the hegemonic aspirations of sponsors, such as the regime in Iran, than to forge a future of peace and prosperity. Trapped in such a cycle of madness, it is not surprising that the youth in Gaza have lost hope. What is worse is the prospect that the regime in Tehran is poised to unleash even more misery and bloodshed, not just in Gaza, but in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, should the Security Council allow the lifting of the arms embargo on Iran.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“In the past six months in Gaza, there have been more than 15 suicides and hundreds of attempts, the majority of the victims under the age of 30. Fifty per cent of close to 2 million people in Gaza are under the age of 18. They deserve a real future, not the path to misery that lies ahead with the current, inept leaders. Hamas killed and injured hundreds when they seized power from Fatah and the Palestinian Authority 13 years ago. They have instigated violence ever since and, to this day, silence voices of moderation and prospects for peace and prosperity for the Palestinian people. A number of factors contribute to the desperate situation in Gaza. However, the oppressive rule of a terrorist organization, Hamas, is at the centre.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“I thank Nickolay Mladenov for his briefing. As always, we appreciate the hard work performed by him and his team in finding solutions to this conflict. I also thank the other two briefers for their remarks today. While they are certainly entitled to their opinions, I would remind my Security Council colleagues, and those listening today, that that is precisely what much of their remarks were: their opinions. As Nickolay discussed, we, too, remain deeply concerned about the resurgence of the coronavirus disease in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. I want to share a tragic statistic with the Council that illustrates the negative impact of perpetual conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and the hopelessness caused by the neglectful and abusive Government in Gaza.”
2020-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/736 (2020) · source
“Until the Al-Assad regime and its backers take the necessary and irreversible steps to implement the political solution necessary to end this conflict, as outlined in resolution 2254 (2015), the United States and our allies will stand with the Syrian people to ensure that the humanitarian aid they deserve reaches everyone in need. We will never back down, we will always have hope for their future and we will continue to stand with them.”
2020-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/702 (2020) · source
“To be clear, today’s outcome leaves us sickened and outraged at the loss of the Bab Al-Salam and Al-Yarubiyah border crossings. Behind those locked gates are millions of women, children and men who believed that the world had heard their pleas. Their health and welfare are now at great risk. Yet there is no question that the Council’s authorization of cross-border humanitarian access through Bab Al-Hawa for 12 months is a victory in the light of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China’s willingness to use their veto to compel a dramatic reduction in humanitarian assistance. This solemn victory must not end our struggle to address the mounting human needs in Syria — that fight is far from over. We fully recognize that the Al-Assad regime has not yet demonstrated that it is ready to end the war against the Syrian people.”
2020-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/702 (2020) · source
“Let us not be mistaken: resolution 2533 (2020) is not what the United States and a majority of the Council fought for over the course of the past six weeks — or, indeed, for the past six months. This resolution is also not what the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres and dozens of non-governmental organizations operating in Syria have repeatedly urged the Council to do. But the United States and the majority of the Council remained determined through nine rounds of voting this week to ensure that United Nations aid convoys, filled with food, vaccines and other humanitarian items, will continue to cross into Syria from Turkey for another year. We have given reassurance and hope to millions of Syrian civilians who have relied on the United Nations aid mechanism since cross- border operations started in 2014.”
2020-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/702 (2020) · source
“For weeks the Security Council has struggled to come to terms with the efforts of two of its members to end cross-border humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. Good faith negotiations were met with intransigence and contempt, and draft resolutions repeatedly faced inexplicable veto. But today the Council showed that resolve and unity is a powerful combination. Today the Security Council worked on behalf of the very people the Charter of the United Nations set out to protect. The United States thanks co-penholders Belgium and Germany for their responsible stewardship of this negotiation and once again thanks all of Council members who stood up for what was right. Today we saved lives.”
2020-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/702 (2020) · source
“Reforming UNSMIL now gives us the best chance to capitalize on battlefield changes in order to bring about a permanent Libyan-led, Libyan-owned political settlement and to reinforce the commitments made by world leaders in Berlin earlier this year. In the meantime, Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams and the entire UNSMIL team deserve our unified and unwavering support.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The fact-finding mission needs to investigate those findings through safe and unhindered access to Libyan territory, so that they may speak freely with witnesses to hold those responsible accountable for these acts. Finally, to ensure diplomatic success over the long term, we should ensure that UNSMIL is fit for purpose. Recent events in Libya offer a new chance — and a limited opening — for the United Nations to help achieve an enduring ceasefire. We should not squander this opportunity. It is not every day that the United Nations can act with speed to respond to an evolving situation on the ground.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Resolution 2510 (2020), like past resolutions, makes clear, in its eleventh preambular paragraph, that: “Libya’s oil resources are for the benefit of all Libyans and need to remain under the exclusive control of the National Oil Corporation.” Full stop. The Trump Administration welcomes the establishment of an international fact-finding mission to Libya to investigate human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, with a view to ensuring that the perpetrators of such abuses and violations are finally held to account. A culture of impunity has gone on for far too long as attacks on the Libyan people and civilian infrastructure continue. This has only been heightened by the recent and horrific discovery of at least eight mass gravesites in locations vacated by the LNA.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The situations in Sirte and Al Jufra remain of grave concern, and we should not underestimate the significance of those places for the control of Libya’s oil crescent. The United States is also closely monitoring the movement of Wagner Group mercenaries and their aligned foreign fighters from the Sudan and elsewhere to southern oil facilities. We have received reports that they have installed military equipment and mines to assist their forced takeover of the sites. These are examples of the continued violations of the arms embargo and clear violations of Libyan sovereignty. To achieve a peaceful outcome, there is one obvious solution: instead of sending proxy forces and military equipment to assert control over oil facilities by force, the parties must allow the National Oil Corporation to resume its operations immediately.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Ultimately, the Libyan parties must resolve this crisis through United Nations-facilitated political negotiations, with support from the international community in the Berlin process. All external actors involved in the conflict should abide by the commitments that they made in Berlin and immediately suspend military operations, halt the ongoing transfer of foreign military equipment and fighters to Libya, and allow local authorities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Let me be clear: there is no place for foreign mercenaries or proxy forces in Libya, including — as evidence makes clear — Russian Government proxies fighting alongside and in support of Libyan National Army (LNA) forces.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“What has not changed since the last time the Council met to discuss the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is the United States’ policy towards Libya. We continue to oppose all foreign military intervention in Libya. Finalizing an immediate ceasefire under the United Nations-led 5+5 ceasefire talks is key, as is compliance with the United Nations arms embargo by all Member States, including members of the Council. We urge Member States to continue to share information with the Panel of Experts on Libya on potential arms embargo violations. Success will require the Libyan parties to participate in ceasefire negotiations in good faith. They must support means to verify compliance once a ceasefire is established.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“I thank you, Minister Maas, for presiding over this meeting today. I also thank the Secretary-General for joining us today, along with ministers and senior officials of other delegations and regional organizations. Since the Council last met to discuss Libya (see S/2020/421), we have seen dramatic shifts on both the military and health fronts. On the military battlefield, fighting has led to territorial gains for one side and losses for the other, and, unfortunately, a continued influx of foreign fighters, weapons and materiel for both. And, on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) battlefield, we have watched Libya struggle to contain a rising number of cases, a challenge that the conflict only exacerbates.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“In the end, that work is critically important for creating a more peaceful world and it helps us to live up to the high expectations the world has for the Council. We must support and fulfil that mission.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“Real-time cooperation and information-sharing between mission components is critical to facilitating the timely identification, prevention and mitigation of threats to civilians and human rights abuses. There is room for greater integration among civilian and military mission components. Such integration should take place among the mission’s various analytical and reporting cells, as well as with non-governmental organizations and the United Nations country team. Integrating human rights into peacekeeping is essential to building the conditions to sustain peace. We cannot lose sight of that. As we reprioritize mandates, it will be important to fully support the protection and promotion of human rights so that those living in conflict-affected areas can have a better future for themselves and for their children.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“We are encouraged by increasing judicial accountability for wrongdoing and expect to see more progress in this area. We encourage other members of the international community to join us in supporting efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region to hold violators responsible for their actions. We also believe it is necessary to increase women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping missions, and the United States continues to push for an increase in recruitment. Women peacekeepers offer unique skill sets, perspectives and opportunities for engagement that can make peace operations with a civilian protection mandate more successful. Missions with protection of civilian mandates often face challenging decisions on ways to respond to threats against civilians.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“Thirdly, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, jointly with the United Nations Development Programme, supports the Central African Republic’s Ministry of the Interior and Internal Security Forces with a vetting process for police recruits and staff. The application of the United Nations Human Rights Due Diligence Policy is fundamental in that regard. Through this collaboration, the United Nations ensures that its support to the Central African Republic’s justice and corrections sectors is in compliance with international human rights standards. As Mr. Kitenge noted, armed groups and Congolese security forces have repeatedly violated human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“First, we would like to highlight the innovative and steadfast efforts of the human rights division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to release women and children from captivity, document violations and support South Sudan’s nascent institutions in respecting human rights. Those efforts are life-saving, and the United States fully supports them. Secondly, the human rights division of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali has documented and reported in central Mali on Government forces’ violations in the region. That is the first step to tackling impunity and holding Governments accountable. The United States values the independence and candour of that human rights reporting. Only when we improve accountability can we rebuild trust between Malians and their Government.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“We fully support the human rights divisions, joint protection teams and mixed gender engagement teams in peacekeeping missions. Although some members of the Council regularly attempt to cut human rights officers and funding from peacekeeping budgets, the Trump Administration will continue to advocate for their retention — their work is simply vital. These peacekeeping missions have clear mandates to engage in the promotion of human rights, and we have an obligation to support them in doing their work. There are several peacekeeping missions doing excellent work in the protection and promotion of human rights.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“That is why 154 Member States, including the United States, endorsed the Secretary- General’s Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. The commitments in part recognize that lasting progress in human rights is fundamental to advancing political solutions to conflict. Integrating human rights into peacekeeping enhances the impact of peacekeepers while helping conflicts recede. Peacekeeping missions’ monitoring and reporting on human rights violations is essential to creating the conditions for accountability, justice and, eventually, peace. The missions must work with host nations to develop human rights vetting procedures that build post-conflict security institutions that help sustain that peace.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“I thank High Commissioner Bachelet, Special Representative Shearer and Mr. Dismas Kitenge Senga. It is critical that the Security Council hear from civil society, including human rights defenders, and I am particularly grateful today that we were able to hear Mr. Kitenge Senga’s insights. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges to United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world. Mandates are being reprioritized as peacekeeping operations shift to focus on COVID-19 response. In the light of this, it is essential that peacekeeping continue to protect and promote human rights. Human rights are universal, and defending them is non-negotiable.”
2020-07-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/674 (2020) · source
“The United States also continues to support the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict to address violence against women globally throughout this crisis. As we think about the future of pandemics and the impacts on international security, we must learn from our experiences in this regard and ensure that protections are in place to account for at-risk groups. Together with the United Nations and other international partners, the Trump Administration will continue leading the fight against this virus during this very crucial time. We will do all we can to ensure a safer world, a world more secure from infectious-disease threats, now and in future, because it is our responsibility to do so. Together, we will recover stronger.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Moreover, in contexts where women and girls are already at risk of violence, the necessary public-health measures put in place to battle the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, self- quarantining and stay-at-home orders, may further put them at risk of gender-based violence, particularly domestic violence. As part of our unprecedented humanitarian response to this pandemic, the Trump Administration proudly supports organizations that are responding to the increased risk of violence against women. Our increased efforts include programmes such as Voices Against Violence: The Gender-Based Violence Global Initiative, which provides emergency assistance to survivors and local civil society organizations.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Women make up more than half of the health-care force globally, serving on front lines around the world as medical professionals, emergency workers, caregivers and other essential personnel who are courageously stepping up and responding to the needs of those affected by this pandemic. We thank them for their work. We are all indebted to them for their contributions. Despite those contributions, however, the crisis has made a disproportionate social and economic impact on women and girls. In conflict areas, where women and girls typically have limited access to health-care facilities, those who contract the virus are particularly susceptible to dire outcomes.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“We also support the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire, while continuing to conduct legitimate counter-terrorism operations. We call on parties to conflicts to respect existing ceasefire agreements or to conclude new agreements that would help conflict-affected communities gain access to crucial aid and take steps to protect themselves from the virus. Furthermore, the international community must remain equally committed to maintaining our responses to ongoing humanitarian crises. This virus has not only claimed lives, but crippled economies and exacerbated already unbearable conditions for many around the world. Its impact has been acutely felt by vulnerable and marginalized populations, and they are counting on each of us now more than ever. We have also seen the crucial role that women have had in the COVID-19 response.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“This assistance is part of more than $12 billion that the United States Government has donated to benefit the global response, including vaccine and therapeutics development, preparedness efforts and humanitarian assistance. This is in addition to more than $170 billion in United States investments in global health and humanitarian assistance throughout the last decade. The global response of the United States to the pandemic is part of our All-of- America approach. In addition to the substantial United States Government assistance, the American people continue to show their generosity through private businesses, non-profit groups, faith-based organizations and individual contributions. This has been a true priority for President Trump.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The United States is leveraging our long-standing investments and years of experience through the Global Health Security Agenda, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the President’s Malaria Initiative and numerous other initiatives to assist our partners in combating this pandemic and to build sustained global health-security capacity to better prevent, detect and respond to future infectious disease threats. The United States has already made available more than $1.3 billion in emergency health, humanitarian and economic assistance to combat COVID-19, in addition to the funding it already provided to non-governmental organizations and international organizations.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The United States continues to lead the world’s humanitarian and health assistance response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working directly with Governments, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia and research institutions and other organizations responding on the ground so as to combat this virus in accordance with the International Health Regulations of 2005.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“As we have spent the last few months adapting our lives and working methods to stopping the spread of the virus, this is an opportune time to reflect on what we have learned, discuss the ongoing threat that health emergencies pose to international security and reflect on how we can fulfil our obligations to protect the most vulnerable communities. Early on, President Trump rightly pointed out the unquestionable need for complete transparency and the timely sharing of public-health data and information with the international community. Our recent experiences have only underscored that important point. Timely age- and sex-disaggregated data collection and accurate, science-based analysis of the origins, characteristics and spread of the virus also continue to be crucially important.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I thank Foreign Minister Maas and welcome the launch of Germany’s presidency of the Security Council with a discussion of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the global scourge that continues to affect our lives every day. This is a very important issue, and we are grateful that Germany has taken it up on its first day in the presidency. We express sorrow for the deaths, illness and other adverse consequences, including challenges to health-care and humanitarian personnel, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General aimed at providing counselling and support services to United Nations personnel and their local and national partners involved in the urgent response effort.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Let me close with a direct message to the Syrian people — many of these people I met when I travelled to the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing in March: “The United States will not waiver in our commitment to you. We will do everything in our power to get you the aid and assistance you need, the basic needs, to survive, thrive and create a better future for yourselves and your families. I personally will not rest until every child, woman and man has their needs met. The time is now. We are with you, and we will remain with you.””
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“The Council has a moral obligation to the Syrian people to ensure that they receive assistance, to ensure that they survive, and to ensure the cross-border mechanism is more vital now than ever in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump Administration will answer the call to meet this obligation. We need everyone to answer this call. I urge all Council members to stand with us, and not to back down in the face of opposition from the Russian Federation as it acts to protect its political and military interests in the region. You know, Mr. President, at the beginning of my remarks, I asked a very simple question: Will we do the right thing to save lives, or will we allow people to die? I hope the answer to that question is evident to everyone because it really is that simple. I know where we stand, and I hope others will join me.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“As we have heard from our briefers, we must never play politics with the lives of the Syrian people. Syria is on the brink of famine. The number of reported COVID-19 cases, while still mercifully low, has already increased to five times what they were just one month ago, and we know there are not enough testing kits, personal protective equipment and medicine to prevent the disease from spreading in Syria. So, I want to ask all members of the Council how they can look at the situation in Syria and not advocate for a full renewal of the cross-border mechanism for north- western and north-eastern Syria? And, as Susannah stated, how can we bargain with the lives and the health of Syrians? It just does not make sense.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“They target the Al-Assad regime, not the Syrian people. Further, the Caesar Act provides for certain waivers, including a national security interest waiver and a long-term humanitarian waiver. The United States Government will continue to work closely with international organizations and the humanitarian assistance community to address any obstacles from our sanctions. We welcome conversations with partners to work through any challenges. As the largest humanitarian donor to Syria, the United States has provided $10.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to displaced and conflict-affected Syrians inside and outside of the regime’s control and throughout the region. The Caesar Act does not change this, and we will continue our support through our various international and Syrian implementing partners.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“Russia’s decision is completely unacceptable and is designed to erect new barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance, placing in serious jeopardy the safety and security of humanitarians on the ground. We are shocked that Russia would take such a dangerous step. I want to address head on the accusations that United States sanctions under the Caesar Act are undermining humanitarian access in Syria. Suggestions that our sanctions prevent humanitarian aid from reaching Syria are propaganda meant to distract from the horrors of the Al-Assad regime and its irresponsible economic mismanagement. The Caesar Act and Syria sanctions do not target medicine or food. They focus on significant transactions that support the Government of Syria or certain persons acting on behalf of the regime.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“That is why the United States is fighting to implement the Secretary-General’s recommendation to address the needs in north-eastern Syria through a combination of cross-line and cross-border aid. Restoring cross-border access through the Al-Yarubiyah crossing is essential as we all work with the United Nations to make cross-line deliveries more regular and impartial, not based on the whims of the murderous regime in Damascus. Troublingly, we understand that Russia has terminated its deconfliction arrangement with the United Nations, putting the lives of millions in north-western Syria at risk and further obstructing the delivery of United Nations assistance in this area.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“Further, the crossing is critical to ensuring the provision of adequate support to the people and the communities recovering from the scourge of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) in eastern Syria and in helping prevent ISIS from re-emerging in Iraq and Syria. We cannot mistake the one-off deliveries and one-off approvals from Damascus as real progress towards improving and sustained humanitarian access. The United Nations continues to tell us that cross-line deliveries are insufficient and that large gaps remain between what is needed by millions of Syrians and what Damascus approves. We should trust and we should act on the United Nations assessment.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“This is why only a handful of the cross-line convoys have reached north-eastern Syria since January, and why the people inside the Rukban camp for internally displaced persons have had to go for months without United Nations shipments of food and other supplies — basic needs. Because the Al-Assad regime will not permit the United Nations to replace cross-border provision of medicines and medical supplies via the cross-line mechanism, Al-Yarubiyah remains the most viable and effective option for the United Nations delivery of such needed supplies and services. Once again, these needed supplies and services are basic — they are basic needs. Its closure undermines the United Nations response and the response of all actors that rely on United Nations- imported supplies.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“We must take action to save lives because Al-Assad, his regime and his allies have failed to meet their basic responsibilities while waging war against the Syrian people. They have turned humanitarian aid into a weapon of this war for almost a decade. As we speak, the regime’s despicable starve-and-siege tactics are heavily restricting the United Nations internal cross-line assistance efforts to places like north-eastern Syria, Rukban and rural Damascus. These communities rely on cross-line aid approved by Damascus, but they receive it only when it is politically expedient for Damascus to provide the approvals.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“The answer is clear to the United States, as it should be for every member of this Council. We must authorize the United Nations continued use of both Bab Al-Hawa and Bab Al-Salam for 12 months, the mandate of resolution 2504 (2020) for 12 months, and temporarily reopen the Al-Yarubiyah crossing into the north-east to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Our position is based on fundamental humanitarian imperative and basic human decency. It is based on our obligation to feed the hungry, tend to the sick, do all we can for those who are suffering and in need and meet basic needs. This is a responsibility each of us shares as we consider the renewal of resolution 2504 (2020). We — and I mean we, as in each one of us — must make the right choice.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“I too thank Susannah Sirkin for challenging the duties of the Security Council — the moral duties of the Council. I also thank Mark Lowcock for his briefing today. I could hear the urgency in his voice, and he knows the time is now and the urgency of the moment, so I thank him for once again being with us today and being on that emotional rollercoaster. I can give him our word that, as Christoph said, we promise to do better the next time — we will do better this time. In only 11 days, the Council’s mandate for the life-saving cross-border humanitarian aid mechanism will expire. Eleven days. I cannot overstate how important the Council’s decision will be to millions of people throughout Syria. And the decision before the Council is simple. Will we do the right thing and save lives or will we allow people die?”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/635 (2020) · source
“We encourage all countries to build on their substantial progress in prior negotiations and the compromises that led to that progress, and further call on all countries to refrain from making any statements or taking any actions that would undermine the goodwill necessary to achieve an agreement. We strongly believe that, with constructive dialogue and cooperation, a solution is within reach, and we reaffirm our commitment to remaining engaged with the three countries until they conclude a final agreement. We look forward to receiving further reports on this very important issue.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“We commend the Government of the Sudan and Prime Minister Hamdok’s Administration for the ongoing efforts to encourage this process and bring the parties together, including by hosting talks earlier this month. The United States takes note of the recent efforts of the African Union to facilitate additional discussions among the three countries on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. We acknowledge the efforts of South African President Ramaphosa to bring this issue before the Extraordinary African Union Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. We recognize that this issue is before the Council because time is short and the window to achieving such an agreement may be rapidly closing.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam poses a unique opportunity for this part of Africa, where droughts, desertification and economic underdevelopment have befallen generations of people. An agreement on the Renaissance Dam has the potential to transform a region that is home to over 250 million people, expanding economic opportunities through transboundary cooperation and regional integration. Increased food security, improved energy access and expanded agriculture projects are just a few of the transformational benefits that the dam can afford the region. The considerable work by Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan over the past several months shows that it is possible to reach a balanced and equitable agreement that takes into account the interests of the three countries if there is a commitment among all to do so.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source