YouSaid · the spoken record

Klimkin

lines on the record: 123
first: 2015-02-23
most recent: 2018-05-29
sittings or episodes: 11
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

“It is too early to say who is behind the attack, but with our knowledge of similar cases, we have strong reason to believe that Russia is willing to employ this and other tactics to destabilize Ukraine through acts of terrorism, subversion and political assassination. I would like to thank everyone once again for their support and solidarity with Ukraine. It pains me to speak of this issue, which is such a matter of life and death for many of my fellow Ukrainians. There is nothing I would have wanted more than to be able to tell the Council that we reached a resolution to the conflict. But since an end is unfortunately nowhere near in sight, we will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served and that the Russian State bears full responsibility for its aggression and withdraws from all occupied territory, both in Donbas and Crimea.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to once again express my gratitude for the messages of solidarity with Ukraine expressed during this debate. There is one more item that I should mention and that the Russian delegate has also brought up. We have just received tragic news from Kyiv. Arkady Babchenko, a Russian journalist and a well-known opponent of the Russian regime, has been killed near his apartment in Kyiv. Before arriving in Ukraine, he was compelled to leave Russia following attacks and threats against him and his family. He went to Prague and after that to Kyiv. He continued to struggle for a democratic Russia from Ukraine. Of course, Moscow has always considered him to be an enemy. Our police have already begun an investigation.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Russia is also trying to change the demographics of the peninsula. Since the occupation began the occupying Power has intentionally brought in a huge number of settlers. It has introduced settlers from a number of different regions and created intolerable conditions for the local population in an attempt to force them to leave. I want to remind the Russian delegation that this practice is a clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention. Time and again we have urged the Russian Federation to reverse its illegal occupation of Crimea and to stop its aggression, including by withdrawing its armed formations from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and fully implementing its commitments under the Minsk agreements. Until that is done, the issue of Russian aggression should remain a high priority on the Council's agenda.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“This is all about denying access for international human rights monitoring missions, showing the utmost contempt for its obligations under international law as the occupying Power and continuing the practice of compelling Crimean residents to serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation. These are examples of Russia's response to the demands of international community. And the list of violations is practically endless. Just two weeks ago, on 15 May, Russia opened a bridge across the Kerch Strait. We strongly condemn its action and consider it yet another violation of our sovereignty. Ukraine is grateful to the countries that have already denounced this attempt to cement the illegal occupation of Crimea. We urge all other States and organizations, including the United Nations, to support that position.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Russia continues to ignore the order that the International Court of Justice issued one year ago requiring it, among other things, to refrain from maintaining or imposing limitations on the ability of the Crimean Tatar community to preserve its representative institutions, including the Mejlis, as well as to ensure the availability of education in the Ukrainian language. Despite the order's very clear wording, an entire year has passed in which Russia has continued its ban on the Mejlis and its disregard for all of the provisions of the relevant General Assembly resolutions on Crimea.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Vladimir Balukh, a political prisoner in Russian-occupied Crimea, has been on an indefinite hunger strike since 19 March in protest of his sentence on fake charges. The real reason for his prosecution is simply his pro-Ukrainian stance and the Ukrainian flag he flew in his private yard. Emir Usein Kuku, Nariman Memediminov, Seyran Mustafayev, Edem Semedlyaev, Yassir Arbelaev and many other Crimean Tatars have become special targets for repression by the occupying authorities. They now need the support of all those who value freedom and human rights. I would like to take advantage of this important opportunity to urge Council members and the wider United Nations community to join our call to Russia to free them.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“My courageous compatriots are now fighting for their lives as well as for freedom and justice. On 14 May, Oleg Sentsov, a famous film director who has been thrown behind bars in Russia for opposing the illegal annexation of Crimea, addressed these very simple words to the people of Ukraine. "I, Oleg Sentsov, citizen of Ukraine, illegally sentenced by a Russian court and currently in prison in the city of Labytnangi, am declaring an indefinite hunger strike as of 14 Mary 2018. The only condition for its termination is the liberation of all Ukrainian political prisoners in the territory of the Russian Federation." He added that he is ready to die for the freedom ofthose of his compatriots who have been illegally detained and sentenced in Russia.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Today, in fact, Crimea is a huge military base that is often used for Russian interventions in distant lands, including Syria. The Syrian regime has returned the favour by sending a delegation to Crimea and by recognizing Georgian Abkhazia and South Ossetia, occupied by Russia, as independent republics. The occupation continues to be characterized by violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, the total suppression of any opposition and the systematic persecution of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians - anyone who is against the occupation, basically - along with killings and forced disappearances, intimidation and attacks on Crimean Tatars and on Ukrainian identity and culture. Political prisoners are now a sad reality in Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as in Russia itself, as a matter of fact.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“If fully funded, it would help to make a substantial difference for at least 2.3 million people. In addition to highlighting the situation in the occupied territories of Donbas, it is really important that we maintain a special focus on Russia's occupation of Crimea. The Russian Federation's actions there constitute the most flagrant breaches of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations since the Second World War. They challenge the norms and rules of international law and create an atmosphere of fear and hatred. The occupation has resulted in the accelerated militarization of Crimea. Russia has more than doubled the strength of its military there and continues to prepare the Crimean military infrastructure for the deployment of nuclear weapons, including by refurbishing Soviet- era nuclear-warhead storage facilities.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“We stand for the full integration of the entirety of our Donbas, and we will welcome our compatriots back. In December 2017, my Government approved the State programme for post-conflict recovery in the country's eastern regions for the next three years. It focuses on boosting social and economic development in the conflict-affected areas, improving well-being and restoring normal life for the people who have suffered under the Russian occupation for the past four years. Naturally, in all this Ukraine is very grateful for the humanitarian assistance provided by agencies of the United Nations and bilateral partners. The 2018 United Nations humanitarian response plan will be even more instrumental in effectively addressing the needs of millions of those affected by the conflict in Donbas.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“One ofthe most important steps it can take is supporting the deployment of a full-fledged United Nations-mandated peacekeeping force throughout the occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk. We are confident that such an operation could contribute a great deal to establishing security, creating the conditions necessary for real progress on the implementation of the Minsk agreements, taking over responsibility on the ground and saving people's lives. That will open the way for progress in implementing further steps under the Minsk agreement, and of course in organizing and holding local elections, which we definitely need. We have sent this message before, loudly and clearly, and I would like to reinforce it today, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, which was in fact introduced at the initiative of Ukraine.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Russia has even failed to provide the security guarantees necessary for repairing and maintaining critical civilian infrastructure along the line of contact. The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is dealing with severe restrictions on its freedom of movement by Russia's military forces and their proxies. The intimidation of observers is now totally normal and takes place on an almost daily basis with no reaction either from Moscow or its occupation administration. In a nutshell, we can see that Russia and its ongoing military activity in the occupied territories remain a fundamental obstacle to any sort of peaceful option. As soon as Moscow decides to stop the violence - and so far there has been no such decision - the conflict will end. I urge Russia to take that decision.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“The Russian shelling has resulted in many losses among military personnel and the civilian population. We are talking about hundreds of tanks, howitzers, and multiple rocket-launched grenades brought by Russia into the territory of Ukraine. And I do mean hundreds, most of which remain unaccounted for. They are often found camouflaged and hidden, kept ready for further violence. The activities of the Russian occupation authorities are already causing an ecological disaster in Donbas. The shootings carried out by Russia in the vicinity of the Donetsk water-filtration station have rendered this critical infrastructure facility totally inoperable. The occupation administration's plans to shut off the pumps at the Yunkom mine, a site of Soviet nuclear tests in 1979, risk radioactive contamination of drinking water.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“I would therefore like to ask the Russian representative if the shell is from the so-called latest humanitarian convoy, if the Russian proxies bought heavy ammunition and weaponry at the local supermarket, of if they have been able to manufacture reproductions of all the weaponry coming into Ukraine. Unfortunately, I am making a rhetorical point and do not need an answer, especially from the Russian Federation. That requires feeling some kind of responsibility. Ukraine continues to be fully committed to peace and the Minsk agreements, and we urge the Russian Federation to do the same and to cease its persistent denials of its responsibility as a party to the conflict. We have just heard the Russian Federation's usual narrative, which really does have a devastating impact on the situation on the ground.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“The area, according to the United Nations, has already become the most mine-contaminated stretch of land in the world. One of the starkest reminders of the cost of Russia's aggression came two weeks ago. On 18 May, the Russian occupation forces used 152mm calibre artillery to shell residential areas in the village of Troitske in the Luhansk region. Two civilians, one of whom was a child, lost their lives. With regard to all the ramifications of the Russians' claim that they are not in Ukraine, I have a very simple illustration for the Security Council, a picture of Darya Kazemirova. Three days ago she turned 15, and just yesterday she was killed in the backyard ofher house by a 122 mm shell, prohibited under the Minsk agreements and shot by Russian proxies.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“As we speak here today in this Chamber, violence continues to ravage Donbas. The conflict has left 4.4 million people in a very dire humanitarian situation, and the humanitarian cost continues to mount. People lack access to all basic services and goods. Everything ~ critical water, electricity and transport infrastructure - has been destroyed. The same goes for health facilities and services. Retired people are unable to receive their pensions, because the Government of Ukraine cannot reach them directly. They have to cross into Government-controlled areas of Ukraine to receive the money they are owed. Daily shellings and armed hostilities are a reality for more than 600,000 Ukrainians living on both sides of the contact line.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“First Russia denies everything and spreads dozens of versions that have nothing to do with reality. Once caught red-handed, it refuses to recognize the conclusions of investigative bodies under the pretext that it is not part of the investigations. It also complains about the fact that none of its weird versions of events are taken into consideration. Essentially, none of this is new, and that is a very sad thing. We have no doubt that the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 was a terrorist act. By 12 June, Ukraine will have submitted a memorandum to the International Court of Justice with additional evidence of Russia's violations of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The perpetrators of this and other crimes will be brought to account and justice will be assured.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“We all know that it is not only my compatriots whom the Russian troops on our territory are shooting and killing. Last week, Russia's role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-l7 was clearly exposed by the investigators ofthe Joint Investigation Team. As we all knew, but for which we now have full proof, a Russian BUK missile system was brought from a military base near Kursk. It shot down a passenger airliner and then returned to Russia. I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for his important statement in that regard. As it happens, Russia's reaction to the Joint Investigation Team's announcement did not surprise me at all. We have seen the same attitude where the chemical attacks in Syria and Salisbury are concerned.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“Thank you, Mr. President, for convening today's briefing and for your personal dedication to countering Russia's aggression against my country. My appreciation also goes to the briefers for their important presentations. And needless to say, I want to thank other delegations for their strong expressions of solidarity and their united condemnation of the Kremlin's revanchist policies. As the Russian representative began his statement, I thought he might have come to understand some important points, but as he started to reproduce Russian television's standard narrative, I realized that normal service had been resumed. I can therefore now continue with my statement, because we know all too well how everything started - with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We do not need to repeat those facts.”
2018-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8270 (2018) · source
“In my view, what it shows is that we must stop trying to find any excuse we can for any wrongful behaviour. That is my fundamental point, and Ijust wanted to take this opportunity to make it again.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“There we have one big rogue State and one smaller rogue State, and the difference is only one of scale. I also wanted to react to one point that in my view represents a twisted, irresponsible and astounding kind of logic. The Russian representative said that in a way, North Korea's nuclear and missile programme is a response to the exercises being conducted on and around the Korean peninsula. This year, Russia has been carrying out huge military drills in Belarus while trying to confuse everyone about their objective and scale. So, following Russia's logic, I should now call for my country to become a nuclear Power and develop a missile programme. In a way, that embodies an enormously irresponsible way of thinking that could trigger a worldwide nuclear arms race tomorrow.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I would like to respond to what the Russian representative said a few moments ago. With regard to the point about the proper format for addressing various issues, our basic view is that Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum on security assurances and various other legal written and unwritten commitments, which has created an atmosphere of impunity, which has contributed to the situation in which we now find ourselves. As I listened to your statement, Mr. President - in which the narrative was basically about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's violations of international law and sanctions, and its taking ofhostages - I realized that the same narrative, in fact, applies to Russia and its violations of international law and sanctions and its taking of hostages.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, along with its client North Korea's systematic provocations, has provoked a dangerously unbalanced situation in the international security system, undermining the effectiveness and reliability of the non-proliferation regime. If we are to prevent the world from sliding into a state of lawlessness, we must stand united in order to ensure respect for international law and accountability for violations of that law, regardless of whether it is violated by a recognized nuclear-weapon State or by those that, regrettably, desperately wish to gain such status. That is not going to happen.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The illegal occupation of Crimea and the ongoing Russian aggression in the Donbas region of Ukraine have left the low-enriched uranium research reactor in Sevastopol, two nuclear repositories and more than 1,200 radionuclide sources without due control of the Ukrainian national regulator. I wish to recall the legal framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards application in Ukraine, including in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. And when we talk about the importance of preserving and strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, we should also keep in mind that the continuing occupation of the territory of Ukraine by a nuclear-weapon State has resulted in the de-facto expansion of the geographical area of nuclear- weapon deployment.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Let me also stress that the Memorandum is deposited with the Secretariat, in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, and was certified by the Secretary-General as an international agreement. However, the obligations set forth in that document were insidiously violated by Russia - one of the signatories and the recipient of the nuclear weapons based in Ukraine until 1994. As a result, my country had its borders fundamentally violated in a blatant show of disregard for the norms and principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act and a number of other agreements, including the Budapest Memorandum.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Earlier this month we marked the twenty-third anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In return to the voluntary renunciation by Ukraine of its nuclear arsenal, three nuclear States committed to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine. The signatories of the Memorandum furthermore obligated themselves to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons would ever be used against Ukraine. Let me remind the Council that the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine by nuclear States was a precondition for my country's accession to the NPT.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Therefore, the international community should demonstrate a clear and uncompromising stance - and I would like to emphasize "uncompromising" - in defending international law, wherever or by whomever it is breached. That stance should not be limited to declarations on the ultimate necessity to defend human rights, peace and security. We need actions and prompt and adequate responses. In recent decades, we have witnessed the emergence of a number of volatile hotspots in different parts of the world. We have also seen a nuclear-weapon State successfully testing a technology, creating long-lasting destabilization and carrying out aggression against its neighbours * sovereign States. Unfortunately, my country has been affected too.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“More often, we witness a policy of unwillingness on the part of some countries to recognize that the North Korean regime represents a fundamental threat. Those who are looking for excuses for Pyongyang should realize that for people in Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries alerts with regard to North Korean missiles have become a fact of life. Just imagine how it feels to be jolted awake by the wail of sirens piercing the early-morning calm. Secondly, the appeasement of aggressive ambitions never works. Furthermore, perpetrators are only encouraged by concessions and inaction by the international community. We saw that previously in Europe in the 1930s, and see it today too in Europe and elsewhere.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The long-standing crisis on the Korean peninsula has global implications, and therefore raises a question as to what should be done by the international community to prevent the emergence ofa nuclear threat in future in other parts of the globe as well. In my View, the case of North Korea includes two important basic lessons for the international community. First, it demonstrates what can happen when weapons of mass destruction are obtained by irresponsible actors. Today Pyongyang blackmails the entire region- in fact, the entire world -by threatening to use its nuclear and missile capabilities, without any thought of possible consequences and repercussions. We therefore continue to witness emerging and further evolving challenges to the non-proliferation regime. Unfortunately, it is becoming harder for the Council to respond in unity.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The increasing militarization has already severely affected the livelihoods of its people, who continue to live under constant duress as they experience chronic shortages of even basic goods and services. Besides diverting resources from acute human needs to finance its missile and nuclear programme, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea continues to effectively evade sanctions. Recent developments, in particular the intercontinental ballistic missile launch last month, suggest that Pyongyang is not interested in the resumption of negotiations. We are of the view shared by many around this table that only the full implementation of the Security Council resolutions can bring us closer to changing that trend. Before that happens, the Council must stand ready to introduce additional measures in case of new provocations.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“In particular, it urged Pyongyang not to conduct any further missile launches or nuclear tests and to refrain from any other provocations. At the same time, the Security Council indicated the way out of the crisis, including by reaffirming its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, while also confirming the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's sovereignty and stressing the need for further work to reduce tensions in order to advance the prospects for a comprehensive settlement. What was the response to that resolution? Another missile test. Despite all of the political and diplomatic efforts to curb Pyongyang's aggressive ambitions, North Korea moved closer to having a fully functional nuclear arsenal.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I thank the Japanese presidency and you personally, Minister Kono, for convening today's briefing. Of course, I also thank the Secretary-General for his very useful update. The ongoing development of North Korea's nuclear and missile programme continues to undermine the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Recent developments prove that Pyongyang is arrogantly defiant in ignoring international law and the repeated calls to halt its illegal activity. Unprecedented provocative actions by North Korea in the past two years were met by the most robust sanctions regime in history. Resolution 2375 (2017), adopted unanimously in response to the sixth and most powerful nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a very clear signal to Pyongyang.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The international community has a collective responsibility to restore respect for international law and find lasting solutions to the most urgent threats to global peace and security. It is therefore ultimately the responsibility of the Security Council to spare no effort to achieve the overarching goal and prove that the non-proliferation system works effectively. Otherwise, the world map will be redrawn by newly emerged nuclear-weapon actors. It is the Council that has to remain determined and precise in preventing such a scenario from becoming tomorrow's reality.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“Just think of the impact to the global non-proliferation infrastructure. The recent drill on launching a massive nuclear- missile strike, which was conducted during the Zapad 2017 exercise, does not inspire any confidence in Russia. It can hardly be considered as contributing to strengthening international security in general, or the non-proliferation regime in particular. That is why we are convinced that the issue of providing non-nuclear-weapon States with effective negative security guarantees is not a platitude. The global non-proliferation regime will benefit immensely from enforceable security guarantees. Let us all be absolutely frank on this issue: empty proclamations do not convince anyone anymore.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“More than three years ago, Russia not only carried an act of military aggression against Ukraine but, by violating the Budapest Memorandum, it also demonstrated that the solemn promise of a nuclear Power to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine, to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine and to ensure that none of their weapons ever be used against Ukraine, except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, is now worth nothing. The Russian narrative that it did not breach the Budapest Memorandum since nuclear weapons were not used against my country is yet another cynical manipulation. Just think of the impression it made in the eyes of States seeking to bolster their deterrent potential.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“Brutal violations of international obligations, including under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, by Russia, which acceded to assurances of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, undermine the whole United Nations security system, based on the principles of international law. One could also recall, in that regard, the obligation of the nuclear-weapons States set out in the final document of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: "to fully respect their existing commitments with regard to security assurances".”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“We Ukrainians did that being convinced of the supremacy of fundamental international principles, such as the inviolability of international borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty. We believed that those principles were sacred to everyone. Two decades later we still hold those principles dear. Yet we came to realize, unfortunately all too well, that they are not sacred to everyone. I want to stress, in that regard, that violations of international law, including in the sphere of non-proliferation, constitute the single most significant threat to international peace and security. As members of the Council know, Ukraine is confronting aggression by a nuclear-weapon State, Russia.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“In the absence of the political will to do so, the situation can spiral out of control. There should be unavoidable accountability for each and every violation. The risks in this area arise not only from gaps in national legislation, but also from the rapid developments in science and technology, as well as e-commerce, along with the lack of awareness among academia, industry and civil society. Strengthening cooperation in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is therefore fundamental and absolutely essential. No part of the globe is immune to the risk of proliferation. In the 1990s, Ukraine voluntarily dismantled the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. I remember that time quite well, as my father was flying Soviet nuclear bombers and I started my diplomatic career on nuclear disarmament.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“How do we ensure the implementation of Council resolutions to prevent the spread of the most dangerous and destructive weapons? Indeed, the unconditional and faithful implementation of the relevant resolutions is a key prerequisite to reduce the level of threat and to prevent any kind of new provocation. Yet the Council is not always united and staunch in taking necessary measures for an effective, rather than formal, response. Breaches of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, as well as the use of other weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical weapons, should be treated by the international community as a clear danger. That is why I urge Council members to put aside differences and use every tool available to ensure full compliance with the relevant decisions.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“Unfortunately, we know how it feels from our own history when Soviet rulers created famine in Ukraine, selling grain for gold, using slave labour in camps to build up military capacity, and testing nuclear weapons on their own troops just to see how they worked. The nuclear ambitions of North Korea and its recent actions in defiance of Security Council decisions is an open challenge to the entire international community. In the Middle East, the use of chemical weapons - something that was considered unthinkable less than a decade ago - now represents a very clear danger. The task is therefore to reverse this precarious trend and prevent the world from sliding into a state of lawlessness. We must stand united to achieve a universal adherence to rules that we ourselves created.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“This is not just about proliferation, but is an indication of the broader problem of insufficient implementation of international law and of systematic violations thereof. The current state of affairs can suit only those who seek to undermine the very foundations of the international order. A lack of real accountability for defying international norms only encourages further breaches. North Korea is probably the most appalling case. Despite numerous decisions by this organ, the regime continues its nuclear and missile programme, keeping the entire region and its own people hostage. It seems that North Korea's leaders are prepared to sacrifice their own people, starving them to death, just to satisfy their rampant ambitions.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“Almost 50 years after its entry into force, the possible use of nuclear weapons remains a threat. Furthermore, some States still aspirte to develope their own nuclear-weapon capabilities. In addition, the Chemical Weapons Convention has been blatantly trampled - in Syria - for the first time in many years. I cannot fail to mention the growing risk of the most dangerous materials falling into the hands of non-State actors, whether intentionally or as a result of neglect or oversight. The mere fact that today we must again discuss how to enforce Security Council resolutions aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destructions clearly proves that the existing system of established norms and principles has been eroded.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today's meeting on this highly important issue at the request of the United States delegation. I also appreciate the substantive briefing by Under- Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu. For years the international community has been working persistently to establish a rules-based international order "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" - a phrase we all know too well. A whole range of international instruments were elaborated to that end, especially in the area of non-proliferation. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has become a key fundamental element of the system of collective security. Was it a major achievement? Definitely, yes. As of today, 191 States have adhered to the Treaty. Is it an ultimate success? Here I am not so sure.”
2017-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8053 (2017) · source
“In that regard, we see the potential for establishing closer United Nations ties with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that will contribute to the OSCE peace activities on the ground, especially when missions of that regional organization are deployed in an insecure environment. Ukraine also welcomes the initiative to appoint a United Nations Secretariat liaison on peace and security in Vienna, which could contribute to greater cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE on enhancing the latter's ability to enforce and keep peace whenever such a need arises. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Ukraine's unwavering commitment to the flagship activity of the United Nations for the years to come.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“Ukraine has learned lessons from its own experience of asymmetrical threats - the terrorist component of the hybrid war waged against Ukraine is evident. According to reports of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the situation in Ukraine, civilians have paid the greatest price for this conflict. Since 2014, OHCHR recorded 9,640 people killed - including up to 2,000 civilians - and 22,431 injured. The situation in Ukraine effectively proves that terrorism can be used as an element of hybrid war against sovereign States. Last but not least, we believe that the United Nations should build and enhance its strategic partnership with regional organizations and work alongside with them, while sharing its unique experience in peacekeeping activities.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“Sustainable de-escalation and implementation of other elements of peaceful settlement and peacebuilding, including holding elections, are not possible without a robust international security presence that can ensure and monitor the implementation of all security-related provisions until legitimate law-enforcement institutions are established. We believe that, when drafting missions' mandates, we should avoid sticking to the already outdated approach that deems most modern conflicts internal in nature. The objective reality is that most of them are, if not of inter-State, then definitely of cross-border or hybrid nature. Those changes in the nature of conflicts necessitate a review of the ability of the United Nations to respond promptly and efficiently to new challenges and circumstances.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“Given that the security situation on the ground could change swiftly and dramatically, such mandates must include provisions that enable peacekeeping operations to use force when there is a direct threat to its personnel or civilians, including terrorist threats. In that regard, the role of the Security Council is indispensable. Clear mandates is a primary precondition for the efficiency of peace operations. Peace missions also need means and resources for the effective monitoring and verification of ceasefires, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and full disarmament under the United Nations disarmament, demobilization and reintegration standards.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“Asymmetrical terrorist tactics not only threaten the population and peacekeeping personnel directly, but also target the critical infrastructure of host countries. In that regard, States suffering from terrorist activities should be provided with the necessary advice and expertise to develop or improve their relevant capabilities and strategies. Peacekeeping operations should play their part in that process. Another important aspect is the mandates given to peacekeeping operations. We believe that missions should be provided with clear, coherent, achievable and, at the same time, resilient mandates, sufficient to ensure security and public order, including stopping the illegal inflow of weapons and mercenaries.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“As a matter of principle, every uniformed peacekeeper who witnesses violence against a civilian should not hesitate to do everything possible to stop it. In the same context, let note the importance of drawing the right lessons from the violence in Juba in July and the way the Mission in South Sudan responded to it - especially helpful for preventing similar situations from occurring in the future, wherever United Nations peacekeepers are deployed, and for maintaining the credibility of, and confidence towards, the United Nations among the local population. Fourthly, at the current stage, United Nations peacekeeping operations are not suited for carrying out full-fledged counterterrorist measures. Indeed, counter-terrorist activities are a direct responsibility of each and every Government.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source
“My country is committed to the policy under which the protection of civilians is an overarching goal of United Nations peacekeeping. In May, Ukraine joined the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, a guideline based on a premise that peacekeepers must protect civilians from the threat of physical violence, including terrorist threats. It is also important that troop-contributing countries be provided with comprehensive, sufficient and timely information on the security situation on the ground. That is crucial if peacekeeping operation personnel are to be well prepared, including for making prompt decisions on the use of force in cases of imminent terrorist threats or threats to the civilian population.”
2016-11-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7802 (2016) · source