YouSaid · the spoken record

Lucas

lines on the record: 1,853
first: 1997-08-28
most recent: 2016-12-19
sittings or episodes: 261
sources: un-security-council

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“The current situation in the Middle East and North Africa makes it imperative that the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, demonstrates unity of purpose and act accordingly. We have the collective responsibility to deploy all efforts to see that policies favouring the resumption of negotiations are applied and that Israelis and Palestinians reach tangible results in agreeing to a two-State settlement, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“This systematic lack of direct and unified action by the international community and by the Security Council deliberately sidelines the issue and has continually diminished prospects for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We call upon the Security Council to uphold international law, fulfil its duties to advance a solution for the conflict and assist the Palestinian people to finally realize the freedom, rights and justice they have been unjustly denied and achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, security and coexistence. In conclusion, we will continue insisting on the need for consensus and decisive action on clear and sustained policies for resolving this protracted conflict.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“Since we joined the Security Council in 2015, there have been a number of initiatives, namely, the revitalization of the Middle East Quartet, proposals addressing the issue, including consultations with both sides, the convening of an international support group, the French initiative to hold an international conference to restart talks, considering the option of international protection for the Palestinian people, and pursuing legal, diplomatic and economic means to make it too costly for Israel to continue with its illegal settlement policies. However, none of these proposals were accepted or followed through upon.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“The report recently issued by the Office ofthe United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process underscores that the demolition of Palestinian homes and livelihood structures more than doubled in the reporting period, and that the demolitions as of mid-April already exceed the total of the previous year. On numerous occasions, Security Council members have stressed the illegality of settlement activity and expansion while agreeing that they constitute the single most damaging factor to a viable Palestinian State. Despite such judgments, some relevant members of the Security Council, while expressing condemnation of such practices, do not use their leverage upon Israel to stop the settlement expansion, which is in flagrant violation of international standards of human rights and international law.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“The unreasonable way that the Israeli Defence Forces deal with the Palestinians, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, the targeting of civilian social infrastructure, collective punishment action through home demolitions, rendering Palestinian families homeless and destitute and, most damaging of all, the continuing settlement expansion, are clear demonstrations of a systematic unwillingness to facilitate the return to negotiations and the resolution of the conflict based on two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“We regret the Palestinian divide, as it hampers the ability of the Palestinians to engage constructively in a search for peace, while the rhetoric of incitement to violence becomes an additional element detrimental to the prospects for peace. However, the reality is that Israel is the occupying Power, and its tactics continuously undermine the possibility of a two-State solution that meets the international community consensus as the most realistic and appropriate way to find a just and long-lasting solution to the conflict.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“One such long-standing conflict, which is an unfortunate example of the international community's shared incapacity to find a just and lasting solution, is the conflict in Palestine. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a most painful and divisive issue since the prospects of reaching a solution seem to be further and further away. The heavy-handed and discriminatory strategies employed by the Israeli Government have been revealed to be counterproductive by further alienating the two communities and fuelling radical and extremist elements on both sides. We note with concern that the reconciliation talks held recently between Fatah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions reached no consensus on the Palestinian issue.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“In order to effectively counter this rising threat, we must base our actions on the shared values embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law and humanitarian law. Unfortunately, these basic principles are violated time and time again, resulting in failure to build a world order based on the rule of law and the peaceful coexistence among nations and peoples. This state of affairs hampers the capacity to effectively address such drivers of violent extremism as the lack of proactive and just engagement with key communities focusing on conflict prevention and resolving long-standing grievances in conflict situations.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“In particular, the regional Powers should set aside their rivalries, stop fuelling conflicts in the region and take into account the wake-up call of terrorism at their very doorstep. We furthermore think that it is incumbent upon world and regional Powers to share responsibility and use their leverage to solve the outstanding conflicts in the Middle East, which are a major source of international friction and human suffering on an unbearable scale and an affront to any moral standards. The Middle East has been a breeding ground for terrorism. In last week's open debate (see S/PV.7670) on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts a consensus was reiterated that terrorism and violent extremism are global threats that transcend cultures and geographical boundaries.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“The deal closed in 2015 with the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear programme was undeniably a landmark in a region where diplomacy has been unable to score any meaningful success in the last quarter of a century. The glimpse of hope that we now witness in the region, with some apparent progress in the search of political solutions to the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, is, we hope, more than a residual by-product of the agreement reached with Iran and the understanding among great and regional Powers in solving that extremely complex issue. Political will and determination were instrumental to reaching a solution. It is our view that now great and regional Powers must build on the agreement with Iran and make it a real game-changer.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“First of all, we would like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing on the situation in the Middle East, a deeply destabilized region where conflicts rage and where finding solutions to the conflicts has been a tragic, failed endeavour. We welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Mr. Murray McCully, and thank him for his thoughtful insights. We endorse the statement to be made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. As Security Council members and States Members of the United Nations meet once again for this statutory quarterly debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, the overall political climate in the region has shown some signs of progress, however weak or elusive.”
2016-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7673 (2016) · source
“Finally, we want to reiterate our position that resolution 1244 (1999) continues to be the applicable legal framework for a comprehensive solution to the Kosovo issue, through dialogue and negotiations, based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the framework of the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“Thirdly, we commend UNMIK's maintaining technical cooperation with rule of law-related institutions. UNMIK's continued facilitation of communication between the Kosovo authorities, INTERPOL and its member States has also been facilitating requests for mutual legal assistance from States that do not recognize Kosovo. We value UNMIK's role in facilitating dialogue between communities and officials and monitoring relations among them, as well as the maintenance of technical cooperation with the relevant institutions and international organizations.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“Secondly, with regard to human rights, we welcome the appointment of a Joint Working Group by Belgrade and Pristina on the persons unaccounted for in connection with events in Kosovo, while stressing the right of return for those Serbians, who were forced to leave their ancestral lands. We appreciate the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, held in Kosovo at the end of last year, aimed at raising awareness of gender-based violence and advocating for improved institutional responses. UN Women further supported the implementation of the the plan of action of the Kosovo Council on the survivors of sexual violence, aimed at ensuring their access to justice and providing joint training with EULEX on sexual violence for investigators, judges and prosecutors.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“However, despite those positive developments, we acknowledge how disturbing the Special Representative's briefing is with regard to the polarization of Kosovo's political landscape, which has reached unacceptable levels, while the extremes of political antagonism have clearly transgressed basic democratic norms. Moreover, also of great concern are the rejection by the opposition of the integration of the association of Serb-majority municipalities into Kosovo, the opposition to the agreement on territorial delineation signed with Montenegro, and the opposition's continued use of violence and inflammatory rhetoric, which is undermining the functioning of the Assembly of Kosovo.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“We will focus our intervention on three main issues. First, we will focus on key political developments. We highlight Belgrade and Pristina's commitment to continuing the high-level dialogue facilitated by the European Union and the progress achieved in the process of European integration with the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, which has been ratified by the Assembly of Kosovo. We also welcome the progress achieved in the integration into Kosovo of institutions of former Serbian civil protection personnel. Another positive note is the initiatives taken by business leaders within the chambers of commerce in Belgrade and Pristina, aimed at strengthening cooperation among business communities.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“We thank Special Representative Zahir Tanin for his briefing on the report of the Secretary-General (S/2016/99) on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). We welcome the participation of Mr. Ivica Daeie, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs ofthe Republic ofSerbia, at this briefing. We equally welcome Ambassador Vlora Citaku. The overall security situation in Kosovo remains stable in general, despite outbreaks of violence during political protests. We underline the fundamental role played by the United Nations through UNMIK in promoting security, stability and respect for human rights, as well as its cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), and its engagement with Pristina and Belgrade.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7637 (2016) · source
“Furthermore, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is an institution for both the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) with two branches, one in Africa and the other in Europe. The fact that there are no more fugitives under the ICTR jurisdiction and that the Tribunal was closed should not prevent the appointment of a principal from the ICTR. Taking into consideration that the essence of the Residual Mechanism is to bring together the experience of both international tribunals, the Mechanism should have a more balanced composition and not be restricted to the principals from the ICTY.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7636 (2016) · source
“He has performed remarkably as Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and should be subject to the same treatment as that of his colleagues President Judge Theodor Meron and Registrar John Hocking, whose terms were renewed. We noted with concern that the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals will be exclusively led by principals from Western Europe and other countries. We believe that the critical principle of equitable geographical representation was not taken into account, since the term of the only African principal of the Mechanism was not renewed.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7636 (2016) · source
“At the outset, we would like to say that we endorse the statements made by the representatives of Egypt and Senegal, and that we will uphold African solidarity in this matter. Angola will therefore abstain in the voting on the draft resolution on the appointment of the Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, for the following reasons. We acknowledge that Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is a professional with the highest level of competence and experience in the conduct of investigations and the prosecution of criminal cases. However, we also acknowledge that Prosecutor Hassan Jallow is an eminent jurist with the highest level of competence and experience.”
2016-02-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7636 (2016) · source
“We would like to underscore that what is at stake in the current review of the peacebuilding architecture is the entire strategy of the United Nations system for addressing conflict prevention, the root causes of conflict and the creation of sustainably peaceful societies in a context of diversity, challenges and continuing threats to international peace and security. Finally we would like to once again congratulate Venezuela on its excellent presidency.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“With regard to the responsibilities of the United Nations system, and based on the objectives I have just outlined, peacebuilding covers the Organization's three pillars and main organs, Whose activity must be better coordinated and harmonized, and more fully devoted to the prevention of armed conflict and maintenance of peace through the promotion of the values and principles enshrined in the Charter. Since, as such, peacebuilding cuts across all United Nations activities, it must be understood as an evolving concept based on the need to constantly adapt to the realities on the ground and to the time frames needed for political transitions in the wake of violent conflict.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“Based on that assumption, two aspects mentioned in the report are particularly relevant - the need for a change in the mindset on the role of peacebuilding in the United Nations system, based on the concept of sustaining peace, and the Vision that peacebuilding must aim to prevent the outbreak, recurrence or continuation of armed conflict, and must therefore encompass a wide range of political, development, humanitarian and human-rights programmes and mechanisms. Sustaining peace, according to the report, is a permanent task, before, during and after conflict, and requires that we adjust our approaches to peacebuilding.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“The third debate (see S/PV.7629) held this month discussed the review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture currently under way. It gave Member States an opportunity to express their views on this crucial issue at a time when negotiations are being conducted on a draft resolution on the subject, its links to conflict prevention and the need for the United Nations to strengthen its capacity in the area. The report (see S/2015/490) of the Advisory Group of Experts on the Review of the Peacebuilding Architecture points out that, on the peace agenda, peacebuilding is seen as a logical follow-up to peacekeeping and peacemaking, with the main objective of preventing relapses into conflict once peace settlements have been secured.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“The founding of the United Nations and the adoption of its Charter were remarkable achievements for the international community. The Charter's principles on the sovereign equality of all States and their duty to fulfil their obligations in good faith; the peaceful settlement of disputes; non-interference in other countries' internal affairs; refraining from the use or threat of use of force; and solidarity with preventive or enforcement action directed at any State by the United Nations have become pillars of international relations and common wisdom. However, the reality is far from rosy, and we continue to witness violations of those principles that constitute a major threat to international peace and security.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“In expressing the principled commitment of the Organization to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation in solving international problems and becoming a centre for harmonizing the actions taken by countries, the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter have become pillars of international law, establishing a system of collective security that, despite setbacks, has made the United Nations the main front in the struggle over the past 70 years to achieve a more peaceful world, based on respect for international law, human rights and cooperation among all peoples and nations, with the ultimate aim of strengthening universal peace.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“Another important moment in this month's programme was the debate (see S/PV.7621) on respect for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, which represented an opportunity for the entire membership of the United Nations to reiterate its attachment to them.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“Considering that the Security Council makes extensive use of sanctions regimes as an important tool in its attempts to restrict, impose specific changesinbehaviourordeterindividuals or entities in certain States who are regarded as threats to international peace and security, the sanctions committees will continue to play a substantive role as a strong political tool for the Council. Such powers involve the ability to enforce sanctions regimes and a constant need to ensure their improvement, particularly in their decision-making processes, adoption, targeting and enforcement and also in their lifting.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“I intend to highlight those thematic issues, considering their importance within both the general and the specific areas of work of the Council. The debate (see S/PV.7620) on working methods and general issues related to sanctions was an important contribution to efforts to further clarify that very sensitive issue. We commend the determination and perseverance of the Venezuelan delegation in issuing its concept note (S/2016/102, annex) on the subject, to which you referred at length, Mr. President, and which included pertinent and useful provisions regarding improvements on, among other things, transparency; selecting and preparing the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies; and the interaction and coordination between those bodies and the Council itself.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the delegation of Venezuela, on the way in which you have conducted the work of the Council in February. It has been a very busy and productive month. You have already discussed the Council's activities this month in detail, Mr. President, so my statement will be short and focused. We commend the coherence of Venezuela's programme of work through its promotion of debates on crucial issues of fundamental relevance to the Security Council's work, such as general issues related to sanctions and the working methods of the Council's subsidiary bodies; respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations; and the review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture.”
2016-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7633 (2016) · source
“Djibouti and Eritrea should engage in good faith, under the mediation of Qatar, to address the issue of missing Djiboutian prisoners. The Government of Eritrea should strengthen its cooperation with the Monitoring Group to address the issue. The situation of instability in Yemen and its proximity to Eritrea pose a threat to the country's security. We have doubts about information on Eritrea's decision to allow the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to use its territories in the fight in Yemen. It is our hope that Eritrea is not importing that conflict to its borders. To conclude, we encourage the strengthening of relations between Somali and Eritrean authorities with the Monitoring Group, whose work we fully support, stressing that the Monitoring Group should strictly observe its mandate and not extend it of its own initiative.”
2016-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7626 (2016) · source
“The suggestion of the Monitoring Group regarding the ban on charcoal is a constructive one and should be supported and implemented through cooperation among Somali authorities, States Members of the United Nations and the African Union Mission in Somalia, ensuring that it is not violated through corruption and falsified documentation. Regarding Eritrea, we are pleased to note once again that there is no evidence that the Government of Eritrea has been supporting the Al-Shabaab terrorist group. The Security Council should take note of that development and take decisions accordingly. With regard to border and regional issues, Eritrea and Ethiopia should cease all support for armed and rebel groups that affect the internal stability of both countries.”
2016-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7626 (2016) · source
“As we have done before, we reiterate our concern about the capacity, or incapacity, of Somalian authorities to control the territories liberated from the Al-Shabaab terrorists becoming a huge challenge to ensuring the participation of thousands of Somalis in the electoral process ahead, while remaining a source of instability with the resurgence of intercommunal conflicts. We take note with concern of the findings of the Monitoring Group regarding the illegal trade in Somali natural resources and its potential to fuel the conflict. We are of the view that, in this regard, the Security Council should adopt an unequivocal stance by strongly condemning it and taking further measures for its disruption, considering that the exploitation, management and sale of natural resources are the prerogative of State authorities.”
2016-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7626 (2016) · source
“We thank Ambassador Ramirez Carrefio, Permanent Representative of Venezuela, for his briefing on the activities of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea. We commend the activities of the Committee. The debate organized recently (see S/PV.7620) by the Venezuelan presidency on the working methods of the Security Council's subsidiary bodies, particularly the sanctions committees, was a tangible contribution to refining and making the work of the sanctions committees effective. We still hope that the Venezuelan initiative will have a positive outcome through the adoption of a President's note on the issue. During the Uruguayan presidency, the Security Council debated in depth the situation in Somalia, developments in the country, challenges and prospects.”
2016-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7626 (2016) · source
“In the open debate on the Middle East (S/PV.7610), there was general agreement that the most pressing issue in the region is to defeat radical extremist groups in order to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. It is also absolutely necessary that we avoid a scenario in which ISIL consolidates an extremist rogue State in parts of Syria and Iraq as a breeding ground for terrorists. Political, diplomatic, military and economic cooperation must be intensified to start providing, in a short period of time, the tangible rewards of peace and stability to the peoples of the regions, who are increasingly desperate and disillusioned by the policy of double standards and inaction in the face of such catastrophic political, economic and humanitarian conditions.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“In the debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/PV.7606), the wider membership of the United Nations expressed its views on that critical issue. The conclusion drawn from the debate was that, despite the establishment by the international community, and the Security Council in particular, of a robust normative framework on the protection of civilians, embodied in several resolutions and presidential statements, and the strengthening of the protection of civilians and human rights mandates in peacekeeping missions, no improvement has been seen on the ground. More civilians continue to be abused, and human rights are violated before the very eyes of peacekeeping missions.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“The situation on the ground remains a matter of great concern, especially with respect to the ongoing rejection by the rebel groups of dialogue on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and the efforts of the African Union High- level Implementation Panel, and to the humanitarian and human rights situations. With regard to Somalia, during the meeting held yesterday (S/PV.7614), it was stressed that it is important for all Somali actors to focus on national priorities: the organization of elections in 2016, the fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, and the strengthening of Somali security forces. There are challenges that will require the continuous and strong engagement of the international community and commitment of the Security Council.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Boko Haram continues to spread terror, death and destruction in the Lake Chad Basin region, requiring the combined efforts of the international community to combat and defeat them. The situation in Libya has reached an impasse. The constitution of the Government of national consensus, as foreseen in the Peace Agreement, has not yet become a reality, delaying much-needed concerted efforts to combat the growing terrorist threat, mainly from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). As usual, discussions related to the Sudan revealed significant differences among members of the Council, making it difficult to reach an agreement on a press statement that, still pending, will take stock of the latest Security Council meeting.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“In spite of that, concerns remain on the importance of implementing, with renewed determination, the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, the reform of the security sector and State institutions, and the deepening of national reconciliation, against the backdrop of the steady drawdown of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire. The work, mediation and good offices of the United Nations Office for West Africa have played an important role in stabilizing the region. However, acts of terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime are serious threats to West Africa's security, while terrorists are a destabilizing force in the north of Mali and the Sahel region as a whole.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“In Mali, with regard to the implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement signed in May 2015, the commitment of the parties to the Peace Agreement and the progress made so far in its implementation - despite weaknesses, difficulties and serious threats such as the presence of terrorists and international criminal network - Mali deserves credit for the fact that the attainment of durable peace in the country is possible. The peaceful manner in whichjust and fair elections took place in Cote d'Ivoire and the virtuous cycle in which the country is apparently engaged are further instances of the substantial changes taking place.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Burundi has been plunged into escalating violence, and our expectation is that this mission by the Security Council will make some meaningful contribution to easing tensions in Burundi and facilitating a return to inclusive negotiations in the pursuit of a national consensus towards a better and peaceful future for the country. We thank the French Ambassador for the thorough information he provided to the Council on the Security Council mission (see S/PV.7615).”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“We shall highlight and briefly touch upon the African issues considered this month - namely, the Security Council missions to Burundi, Mali, cote d'Ivoire, Libya, the West African region, the Sudan and Somalia - and on two important moments of the Uruguayan presidency: the debate on the protection of civilians (see S/PV.7606) and the one on the Middle East (see S/PV.7610). Less than a year ago, the Security Council conducted a mission to Burundi, which was viewed then as a success story for a country that had emerged from armed conflict and was on its way to consolidating peace, national reconciliation and economic and social reconstruction. This month, however, the reasons for visiting the country were quite different.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Mr. Lucas (Angola) (spoke in Spanish): I congratulate you, Mr. President, and the delegation of Uruguay on your guidance of the work of the Council this month. (spoke in English) In our view, more than these formal wrap-up sessions by Security Council members - in which we repeat much of what was said in consultations, briefings, debates and open debates - we consider that the interactive dialogues that the President and Council members hold with the wider membership of the United Nations are a more useful tool for the Council's work.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“The first World Humanitarian Summit, to be held in May in Istanbul, will be an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to international humanitarian law and to contribute to strengthening the protection of civilians. Let us take full advantage of that opportunity.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“At the same time, a zero-tolerance policy should be implemented. Troop- contributing countries have an important role to play in ensuring that their personnel understand their responsibility in terms of protecting civilians and that they are properly trained for that task. In that context, we commend the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, established in May 2015. Finally, as we have said more than once in the Chamber, we must bring to justice those who have committed the worst types of crimes against civilians. The fight against impunity must be at the very heart of our efforts in order to redress past wrongs and to prevent future atrocities.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Timely information should be provided to the Council by the Secretary-General, by the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect, by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict and her colleague, the Special Representative of the Secretary- General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, in line with Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Human Rights Up Front initiative. All that is extremely important. Another key element should be the constant streamlining of peace operations. We hope that the review initiated by the Secretary-General will contribute to strengthening the capacities of United Nations peacekeeping missions, whose role in protecting civilians is essential.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Alas, almost 400,000 Syrians still live in besieged areas, over 4.5 million people live in areas difficult to access and 13.5 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance. This should not continue; this cannot continue. We all agree that the best way to protect civilians is to do everything possible to prevent a conflict from erupting. It is therefore essential that the Security Council should make use of all the tools at its disposal in the area of prevention.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“On the one hand, they are trapped between Government forces, who do not hesitate to indiscriminately bomb densely populated areas, schools and hospitals, to use barrel bombs and to try to vanquish besieged cities through famine, as the images of Madaya bear witness to so very painfully and, on the other hand, by extremist bloodthirsty groups like Daesh, which have sprung up in the course of the conflict and which attach no value to human life. About two years ago, the Security Council demanded in resolution 2139 (2014) that all sieges be immediately lifted; it demanded rapid, secure and free access to all humanitarian agencies; it recalled that to use starvation against civilians as a method of war is prohibited by international humanitarian law.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The regularity with which it is being trampled on is a matter of grave concern. The disdain for the protection of civilian populations - despite the fact that this is at the very heart of international humanitarian law - is an affront to our conscience. But civilians are not only deprived of their right to be protected. It is much worse than that: in the conflicts that we see around the world, civilians are often deliberately targeted in order to spread terror and force entire populations to leave their homes. For nearly five years, the conflict in Syria has demonstrated in all its cruelty the kind of violations to which civilian populations can be subject to.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Ms. Lucas (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I would like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General and the Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross for their contributions to this important public debate that the Uruguayan presidency had the excellent idea of organizing. I would also like to thank Ms. Eveline Rooijmans of Oxfam for her briefing, which has informed our debate. Luxembourg associates itself fully with the statement made by the observer of the European Union, as well as that by the representative of Switzerland on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. Allow me now to highlight a few points in my national capacity. To say that international humanitarian law is not fully respected in the majority of armed conflicts that we see around the world is an understatement.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source