YouSaid · the spoken record

Mark Lyall Grant

lines on the record: 1,799
first: 2009-11-13
most recent: 2015-04-24
sittings or episodes: 275
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

“We have heard time and again in this Chamber the horrific scale of violations and abuses carried out against civilians by the Syrian regime over the past three years of the conflict: the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian inhabited areas; horrendous violations, including systematic murder and torture in regime detention centres; the arbitrary denial of humanitarian access to those in need; and the use of siege and starvation as a weapon of war. Today's draft resolution S/2014348 /offered Syrians the prospect of an end to impunity for the individuals who committed those atrocities. Holding perpetrators to account for their actions is a vital element of a sustainable peace. No settlement in Syria can be real or lasting without justice.”
2014-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7180 (2014) · source
“As we enter the second decade of the resolution, we must look for new and innovative ways to increase effective practices to support the resolution and to ensure that non-State actors never acquire weapons of mass destruction.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“I also encourage the Committee to work with a range of actors, including industry, civil society, academia and the private sector, to support States in their implementation of the resolution. Much has been achieved in the past ten years. To date, 172 States have submitted their national reports on the implementation of the resolution voluntarily, and the number of non-reporting countries continues to decrease. I take this opportunity to urge the 21 States yet to submit national implementation reports to the 1540 Committee to do so as soon as practical. Of those 21 States, 17 are in Africa. The reports are not as onerous as States may fear, and assistance is available in preparing them, including from the Panel of Experts and from regional partners.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“We hope that other States find that kit useful in ensuring that their domestic legislation is in line with the requirements of resolution 1540 (2004). The value ofthe 1540 Committee's Group ofExperts cannot be underestimated. In addition to performing the vital role of collating requests and offers of assistance, the 1540 Committee and its experts conduct country- specific visits to grasp the challenges of national implementation and to guide States towards sources of assistance. That direct engagement has increased the number of reporting States. I encourage Member States to take the initiative to reassess their compliance with the resolution, for example with greater use of peer-to- peer review.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“Under our 2013 presidency of the Group of Eight's Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction we hosted an outreach event for non-reporting States, involving two of the 1540 Committee experts. Some of the States attending have since submitted their first reports. The United Kingdom also supports the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in its work with a number of States. Through our Counter-Proliferation Strategic Programme Fund we have hosted outreach and awareness-raising workshops to help States develop domestic legislation that meets resolution 1540 (2004) requirements. That fund has also enabled us to collaborate with Canada and Indonesia to produce a national legislation implementation kit on nuclear security.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“That is why States must continue to implement resolution 1540 (2004) with the same vigour and commitment as when we first adopted it. Universal compliance with resolution 1540 (2004) is an essential component of the international non-proliferation response. The United Kingdom therefore strongly supports the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its work to achieve full implementation of the resolution. We will continue to do our part to bring that about. On 20 December 2013, the United Kingdom submitted our fourth national implementation report and our first national action plan to the 1540 Committee.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“I welcome Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to the Security Council today, and I thank the Mission of the Republic of Korea for organizing today's important debate and for Korea's leadership of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) as we work together towards the comprehensive review of the implementation of the resolution in 2016. I also thank the Deputy Secretary-General for his introductory statement. Ten years ago, we adopted resolution 1540 (2004). Since that day, non-State actors have not acquired weapons of mass destruction, indicating that the resolution has been effective. But we cannot rest on that as a measure of our success. We know that terrorist groups want to and intend to obtain weapons of mass destruction. As Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance".”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“With the continued fighting and the impending rains, the already acute humanitarian situation could become a humanitarian disaster. Famine lies around the corner. Millions could be condemned to untold suffering that would take decades to rectify. The needs are urgent and clear. The onus is on the international community to help meet those needs. We must increase the humanitarian response as quickly as possible. The British Government will do its part and has released an additional amount of approximately $65 million for the humanitarian response. The situation in South Sudan is urgent. The South Sudanese people have suffered far too long. The international community has the tools to alleviate that suffering. We must act and we must do so quickly.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“The focus, responsibility and priorities we give the United Nations Mission in South Sudan are only part of the answer. The ultimate responsibility lies with those leading the war effort. We must continue to send strong and clear messages that the international community cannot accept the current situation. We support the tireless mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in the search for lasting peace in South Sudan. Women and civil society must play a role in that. But those mediation efforts may need to be complemented by targeted sanctions against those who obstruct peace and by reducing the arms available to those involved in the conflict. Thirdly, the safety of millions of innocent civilians in South Sudan must remain paramount.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“But with different domestic, African Union and United Nations work under way in the area, it would be helpful for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to set out the different available tracks for accountability in South Sudan. In addition, we request OHCHR to consider a thorough investigation and to report on the atrocities recently committed in Bentiu and Bor. We also look to the Human Rights Council to take appropriate action in response to the human rights situation in South Sudan. Secondly, we must increase political support to the mediation effort. The international community, including the Security Council, must consider all available levers and tools in the effort to deter a devastating slide towards repeated mass atrocities and protracted conflict.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“They must take immediate action to curb violations and abuses of human rights, engage seriously in peace talks, and enable full humanitarian access. We have said that before, but those steps have not been taken, and the needs become ever more urgent. Looking forward, we need to focus on three areas of activity. First, we must end impunity. Accountability and justice are essential to national healing and reconciliation. Allegations of violations and abuse must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Those responsible must be held to account. We support the African Union commission of inquiry and look forward to the outcome of its investigations.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“On human rights, it is clear that serious abuses and violations have taken place and continue to take place as the conflict drags on. The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and the recruitment of children as combatants by both sides in the conflict are particularly concerning. UNICEF estimates that more than 9,000 children have now been recruited by both sides. I thank High Commissioner Pillay and Under- Secretary-General Dieng for delivering the urgent concerns of the international community to the leaders ofboth sides in the conflict. We expect President Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar to act immediately on those concerns. All political leaders must take full personal responsibility for continued fighting and the plight of the people.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“The very clear ethnic dimension to the conflict in South Sudan is particularly alarming. Just over two weeks ago, the international community commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. That meeting was a sober reminder of what can happen when, faced with clear evidence of atrocities, we collectively fail to act. The ethnic motivations behind targeted attacks on civilians in South Sudan should serve as a wake-up call to us all. The use of radio, for example, in Bentiu to incite ethnically motivated violence and sexual violence harkens back to the tragic events in Rwanda two decades ago. We must get better at using tools to counter that practice, including the United Nations own use of public information broadcasts in the country.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this meeting on the dire situation facing the people of South Sudan. I would like to thank High Commissioner Pillay and Under- Secretary-General Dieng for their timely Visit to South Sudan and for their briefings to us today. A million people have been displaced, and millions more are in need of humanitarian relief because of the unfolding conflict in South Sudan. Today, we have heard about chilling human rights violations and abuses, and the horrors go on. The South Sudanese people are bearing the highest costs and now face the risk of famine. Targeted attacks on civilians, including the recent attacks in Bentiu on those in hospitals and places of worship and targeting those under United Nations protection in Bor, demonstrate the extreme vulnerability of civilians in conflict.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“We urge Russia to throw its full weight behind the 17 April agreement and rein in the militant armed groups that it supports and that are responsible for the current crisis.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“Instead, what we are seeing in Ukraine is a torrent of disinformation and propaganda. Three days ago, all the members of the Council emphasized the importance of the 17 April agreement and its implementation (see S/PV.7I65). Abiding by that agreement remains the best way to de-escalate the volatile and dangerous situation in eastern Ukraine. It is therefore regrettable that Russia's presidential press secretary said this morning that Russia did not think it any longer possible to implement the 17 April agreement. Worsening instability in Ukraine is in no one's long-term interest. We urge Russia to step back from such rhetoric, to desist from its inflammatory propaganda and to commit to de-escalating a perilous situation.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“Armed groups stormed the Prosecutor's office in Donetsk yesterday, further increasing the number of Government buildings occupied since the 17 April Geneva agreement. We remain seriously concerned about the kidnapping and continued detention of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Vienna Document inspectors, and call on Russia to condemn this criminal act and use its influence over those who are holding the inspectors to bring about their immediate, safe and unconditional release. We are deeply disturbed by the reports of abductions and intimidation of journalists reporting from eastern Ukraine. The Council discussed the protection of journalists in an open debate last year (see S/PV.7003). One of its clearest conclusions was on the central importance of safeguarding a free media so that facts and truth can be told.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“Russia stoutly supports, and indeed arms, the most repressive regimes in the world, notably Syria, a regime that brutally represses dissent without any sense of restraint or concern for the protection of civilians. Russia's synthetic indignation over Ukraine's proportionate and measured actions convinces no one. Russian claims that these are peaceful activists are simply not credible. Peaceful activists do not have the means or the capability to shoot down three Ukrainian military helicopters, reportedly using man-portable air defence systems. The use of such sophisticated weaponry against Ukrainian forces reaffirms our assessment that the armed groups in eastern Ukraine include professionals funded, equipped and directed by Russia. The situation in eastern Ukraine has continued to deteriorate.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“The actions undertaken this morning by Ukrainian security forces in and around Sloviansk appear to have been just that, in an effort to relieve the city from the armed groups, sponsored and controlled by Russia, that have been terrorizing the local population. We urge them to continue to make every effort to ensure that the risks to civilians are minimized. But let us be absolutely clear. There is no Council member sitting around this table that would allow its towns to be overrun by armed militants. None of us would abrogate responsibility for the protection of citizens on our own territory who are being intimidated and brutalized by heavily armed groups backed by a neighbouring country. Proportionate is not the same as passive. The scale of Russian hypocrisy is breathtaking.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“I congratulate the Republic of Korea on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of May. I would also like to thank Ambassador ngu and the Nigerian team for their admirable stewardship of the Council in April. Thank you for convening this meeting, Mr. President. The Russian Federation has described this morning's events in eastern Ukraine as a punitive military operation against peaceful activists. This is yet again a gross distortion of the facts. The Ukrainian Government has the right, and indeed the responsibility, to uphold the rule of law and protect its citizens in its own territory. Of course, in doing so it should at all times act in a proportionate and measured way.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“We urge Russia to abandon the dangerous course it is pursuing and to take urgent steps to implement the Geneva agreement. In the extremely difficult circumstances which now confront it, the Ukrainian Government is striving to take forward a programme of democratization and inclusive constitutional and economic reform that aims to correct the long period of misgovernment and corruption that preceded it. It is in all our interests to support this process. This is not about zero-sum game politics; it is about restoring stability to Ukraine and to the wider region and allowing all the people of Ukraine to determine their own future. We urge Russia to become part of this collective international effort.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“Finally, Ukraine has begun an inclusive process of constitutional reform on the decentralization of power. It has announced measures to guarantee the protection of the Russian language, and it has condemned instances of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, whereas Russian rhetoric continues to whip up tensions with false claims that the Russian language is under threat in Ukraine and allegations that the Kyiv Government is anti-Semitic. When one lays out the facts, they cut through the fiction of Russian propaganda. Having illegally annexed Crimea, Russia is now destabilizing southern and eastern Ukraine as part of its plan to undermine the ability of the people of Ukraine to determine peacefully their own future. In doing so, it is threatening international peace and security. But the doors of diplomacy remain open.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“Furthermore, while Ukraine has put a draft law to the Ukrainian Parliament that would provide amnesty for protestors who vacate Government buildings and lay down their weapons, Russia has not rescinded the order by the Russian Parliament to authorize the use of military force in Ukraine and will not condemn the widely reported abuses by pro-Russian armed groups in southern and eastern Ukraine. These abuses include at least 11 kidnappings, among them several Ukrainian and international journalists, and the torture and murder ofa Ukrainian local official and two other local people. The deplorable shooting yesterday of the Mayor of Kharkiv was another sign of the violence being instigated against those who have opted to support a united Ukraine.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“But in Sloviansk and other eastern cities, we continue to see, encouraged by Russia, heavily armed paramilitary forces armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Thirdly, the agreement called for all illegally seized buildings, occupied streets and public places to be vacated. The Ukrainian Government has been systematically and incrementally removing barricades around the Maidan and the protests there are gradually shrinking. By contrast, Russia has refused to use its influence to restrain armed groups in the east. In fact, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated on 23 April that Russia will not call for these illegal militias to put down their arms and vacate buildings. Instead, barricades and roadblocks in eastern and southern Ukraine have been steadily reinforced.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“For its part, the Ukrainian Government has acted with commendable restraint when undertaking measured and proportionate security operations to deal with armed groups illegally occupying Government buildings and forming checkpoints. The Ukrainian Government has the right and responsibility to uphold the rule of law and protect both its citizens and its officials on Ukrainian territory. Russia, on the other hand, continues its military manoeuvres and aggressive rhetoric. Secondly, the agreement called for all illegal armed groups to be disarmed. The Ukrainian Government started to collect illegal weapons almost as soon as it came to power. There are now no illegally armed protesters on Maidan Square and no armed self-defence groups patrolling the streets of Kyiv.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“We call upon those responsible to ensure the safe treatment and immediate release of the team, and we urge Russia, itselfan OSCE member, to use its influence to ensure that this happens without further delay. On 17 April, talks between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union succeeded in agreeing steps to reduce tensions. The United Kingdom welcomed that agreement and the opportunity it offered for restoring stability in Ukraine. But this opportunity has been spurned. Since 17 April, the actions undertaken by Kyiv and Moscow stand in stark contrast. Let us consider the facts. First, the Geneva agreement called for all sides to refrain from violence, intimidation and provocative actions.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“Russian nationals are not under threat in Ukraine - a fact that has been reaffirmed on numerous occasions, including by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission and by the Commissioner for National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This is deeply irresponsible rhetoric intended to threaten and intimidate the Ukrainian Government and provide a bogus pretext for further illegal breaches of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. As a result of Russia's activities, there has been a further marked deterioration in the security situation in eastern and southern Ukraine, as Mr. Feltman has just said. The United Kingdom condemns the abduction at gunpoint and public parading of an OSCE Vienna Document inspection team and its Ukrainian escorts.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“It has directed paramilitary actions in Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Lugansk and other towns in eastern Ukraine. Russian military jets and helicopters have made incursions into Ukrainian airspace. Russian armed forces have held further military exercises on Ukraine's border. These are all clear attempts to escalate tensions within Ukraine. These steps have been matched with intensified rhetoric. The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation has asserted that Russia has a legal basis to intervene in Ukraine in accordance with the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. This is a claim that takes Russia's distortion of international law to a new level. There is no justification or legal basis whatsoever for invoking Article 51.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“I am grateful to Under-Secretary-General Feltman for his briefing. The United Kingdom requested this meeting because we are deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in southern and eastern Ukraine and by the fact that the Geneva agreement of 17 April is not yet achieving its objective to restore stability in Ukraine. It is vitally important that the Security Council maintain its close scrutiny of events in Ukraine and the consequent threat to international peace and security. We will doubtless hear Russian claims that it is the actions of the Ukrainian Government that are destabilizing the south and east of the country. In fact, it is Russia that has taken further dangerous steps aimed at fomenting instability in Ukraine.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“These elections can have no value or credibility when held in a climate of fear, when non-violent opponents to Al-Assad have been detained or disappeared, and when millions of Syrians who live as refugees are prevented from voting. A clear route to credible elections exists through the establishment of a transitional governing body, as set out in the Geneva communique (S/2012/523, annex). We call on the Al-Assad regime to return to Geneva and to negotiate on the basis of the format and agenda proposed by the United Nations-League of Arab States Joint Special Representative for Syria, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. All Council members bear a responsibility to work for a negotiated political solution, and in particular to put pressure on Al-Assad to engage with the process in good faith.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“The international community must ensure that all those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity are held to account. The United Kingdom continues to call for the situation in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court and will continue to support the moderate opposition in their efforts to protect Syrians from the regime and from extremist groups. The Al-Assad regime's announcement of elections to be held on 3 June is a cynical attempt to sustain his murderous dictatorship. Elections will be conducted amidst regime attacks on civilians and hundreds of thousands living under regime siege in horrendous conditions.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“We raised our concerns in the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on 11 April, and welcome today's OPCW announcement that it would launch an investigation into these reports. We commend the work of the United Nations-OPCW joint mission, but the situation on the ground is concerning - missed Syrian deadlines, ambiguities in the declaration, alleged recent use of chemical weapons, and limited progress on the destruction of chemical weapons production facilities. As we approach the completion of the extraction phase, the joint mission will continue to have a vital role in ensuring that the Council is fully appraised on compliance with resolution 2118 (2013). The Syrian people deserve peace and justice.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“We urge the responsible authorities to maintain calm and avoid letting those with an extremist agenda dictate the atmosphere around the holy sites. Finally, let me welcome President Abbas's remarks on the Holocaust. The entire international community must stand united against those who deny the terrible truth of the Holocaust. The situation in Syria worsens every day. The regime continues to act with complete disregard for civilian life, humanitarian needs and resolution 2139 (2014). The Secretary-General has been very clear that the Security Council must act in the event of further non-compliance. Recent credible reports that chemical weapons have again been used by the regime in Syria call into question the regime's commitment to comply with its obligations and to dismantle its programme in full.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“The United Kingdom has consistently made it clear that we will engage any Palestinian Government that demonstrates through actions that it is committed to the principles set out by President Abbas in Cairo in May 2011. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned about the increase in tension and violence, leading to many deaths of Palestinians and Israelis alike. We condemn the further expansion of Israeli settlements and continued demolition of Palestinian homes, as well as the continued rocket fire by extremist groups in Gaza into Israel. Both are contrary to international humanitarian law. Increasing tensions around the holy sites of Jerusalem are also worrying. The status quo must be maintained and respected.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“These include a prosperous Palestinian State living side by side with a safe and secure Israel, normalized relations between States ofthe region, and a special privileged partnership between the parties and the European Union. By contrast, the consequences of letting this opportunity pass would be very grave both for the parties and for the region. With respect to recent announcements on Palestinian reconciliation, let me reiterate that the United Kingdom believes that in order to achieve a lasting peace, it is necessary to end the separation between Gaza and the West Bank and to reunite them under a Palestinian authority that is fully committed to peace with Israel.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“I should like to thank Mr. Serry for his statement and the representatives of Palestine and Israel for their contributions to this debate. Iwill focus my intervention on the Middle East peace process and Syria. The future of the Middle East peace process hangs in the balance. Both the Israeli and the Palestinian leaderships need to seize the diminishing opportunity before them and focus on the ultimate goal - a negotiated two-State solution to the conflict, which is so desperately needed for their peoples. During his recent speech to the Knesset, the United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron emphasized the transformative benefits of peace.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“President, for convening this debate and for submitting the important draft resolution to be adopted this afternoon. Building accountable and responsive security services in countries recovering from conflict should remain a priority for the Council so that everyone everywhere can live safely and free from violence.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Over the past decade, we committed $278 million to support security and justice programmes in 25 countries across various regions of the world. For example, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a United Kingdom programme has helped to improve the capacity and accountability of the Congolese national Police and of the internal security sector with a particular focus on the needs of women and girls. The United Kingdom treats security and access to justice as a basic service on a par with health and education and a fundamental right as recognized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. In all of the United Kingdom's security and justice activities, we take a people-centred approach, focusing not only on State security but also on how individuals experience insecurity and access justice. I thank you again, Mr.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Effective interventions in the security sector must employ the full United Nations toolbox f political, security, peacebuilding and development. To do that, we must strengthen the internal mechanisms within the United Nations, both in the field and at Headquarters, to coordinate security sector reform activities. In addition, the United Nations needs to deepen its partnerships with regional organizations, such as the African Union and European Union, which can play an important role in delivering key security sector reform tasks. The United Kingdom will continue to support security sector reform around the world. We have kept our promise to spend 0.7 per cent of our gross national income on overseas aid. We are the only Group of 20 country to do so. At least 30 per cent of that aid will be spent in conflict-affected States.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“We must focus on the most urgent issues to stabilize the situation. Secondly, missions cannot afford to de-link their good offices and political functions from their security sector reform tasks. The two are intimately linked. The Secretary-General's Special Representatives should work to generate the political space for security sector reform and gain commitments from leaders to drive forward that reform. Similarly, swift action in the security sector to reduce violence, protect citizens and build trust between citizens and State authorities can help reinforce ongoing political processes and national dialogues. If managed well, those efforts can be mutually reinforcing. Thirdly, United Nations missions cannot successfully take forward security sector reform alone.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Too often, we embark on wholesale reform of the security sector when the requisite political preconditions do not exist. We train, man and equip security forces without considering how that will impact the fragile political balance in the country or how those security forces are perceived by the citizens they are entrusted to protect. At times, our eagerness to get something done means that we do more harm than good and contribute to further instability. We can avoid those mistakes. First, as a Council we have a responsibility to provide missions with clearer, more credible mandates that are better sequenced and prioritized by the most urgent security-related needs. In the early phases of a mission's deployment, we should not aim for expansive security sector reform activities.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“In places such as Libya, Somalia and the Central African Republic, United Nations missions are grappling with security sector reform challenges in extremely fragile contexts. Our end goal should be to build capable, accountable and responsible security sectors with full national ownership. But in the early stages of a reform process, we need to be realistic about what is achievable and to prioritize and sequence interventions accordingly. In Violent and unstable contexts, security cannot wait for security sector reform. The immediate focus must be on reducing violence and protecting civilians. We must seek to stabilize the situation in the short term while working to create the conditions for sustainable political settlement and the longer-term reform of the security sector.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste are successful examples of how the patient work of reforming a country's security sector as part of a broader effort to strengthen the rule of law is fundamental to countries' growth. Conversely, in many of the countries in which we have seen a relapse into conflict, such as the Central African Republic and South Sudan, the collapse or mismanagement of the security sector is often a major contributor to the violence. One of the most acute challenges facing the United Nations on security sector reform is how to take forward such reform when there has been a complete collapse in State authority, where political legitimacy remains contested and where serious violence persists.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for initiating and presiding over this important debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his informative briefing earlier today. When people are asked to rank what is most important to them, they respond that personal safety and security and trust in those providing that security are the highest priorities. Today we will recognize that fact with the adoption of the first-ever Security Council draft resolution on security sector reform. The United Kingdom is pleased to sponsor the draft resolution. When citizens are safe, countries are able to recover from conflict and to grow their economies.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“We remind Russia that it cannot use the situation in Ukraine, for which it bears significant responsibility, as a pretext for further illegal military activity. Our appeal to Russia is simple: stop interfering in the internal affairs of Ukraine, move your troops away from Ukraine's borders, rescind the authorization to use military force in Ukraine and enter into dialogue. The European Union wants to see Russia as a partner, as a friend and as an ally. A stable, peaceful and prosperous Ukraine is just as much in Russia's interest as it is in our own. Rather than pursuing a strategy of destabilization, Russia should take its place at the negotiating table and environment xplain its concerns. We hope that the quadrapartite talks scheduled for 17 April will provide just such an opportunity.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“The Ukrainian Government has acted responsibly throughout the crisis, even in the face of immense provocation, not least the illegal annexation of its territory and despite continuing interference from Russia. We therefore have confidence that Ukrainian security forces will continue to act proportionately and in the interests of all citizens of Ukraine. We have heard from the Permanent Representative of Russia today a new fantasy narrative about developments in eastern Ukraine. I have no doubt that future independent reports from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will prove that new narrative to be as false as the Russian narrative on Crimea has comprehensively been shown to be.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“We express particular concern as Mr. Simonovic' did in his briefing today about the arming of protesters and their transformation into quasi-paramilitary forces. Yesterday, the Ukrainian Government began an operation to restore law and order in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian Prime Minister stated that operations would proceed gradually, responsibly and prudently. The Foreign Minister emphasized that the operations were initiated only after all other means to resolve the situation had been exhausted. We have received assurances that the operation will comply fully with Ukrainian and international law, safeguard human rights and uphold Ukraine's international obligations.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“It says that the Russian State television and radio broadcasting company has been "disguising information about Kyiv events" in an attempt to justify Crimea's return to the Russian Federation. Moreover, the report states that greatly exaggerated stories and misinformed reports were "systematically used to create a climate of fear and insecurity" to support Russia's case for the annexation of Crimea. Turning to current events, the United Kingdom fully supports the right of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. Those Ukrainians who wish to demonstrate against the Government are entitled to do so, provided that they do so peacefully. But there is a line. Well-equipped paramilitary units armed with automatic weapons are not peaceful protesters. A legitimate sovereign State must insist on a monopoly of the use of force.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“The report also states, "the OHCHR delegation received many reports of vote rigging", including cases of non-Ukrainian citizens participating in the referendum, as well as individuals voting numerous times in different locations. Overall, the report expresses "serious concern about violations of the civil and political rights of the inhabitants of Crimea". It cites cases of abduction, unlawful arrest and detention, harassment and violence against peaceful demonstrators, arbitrary arrest and torture. It also expresses deep concern at the consequences of introducing Russian citizenship and estimates that 3,000 Crimean Tatars have been displaced. Lastly, the report contains damning evidence that Russia has used propaganda and misinformation to exacerbate tensions and destabilize Ukraine.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source
“Secondly, Russia bases its justification for the illegal annexation of Crimea on the legitimacy of the 16 March referendum. On 18 March, in his address to the Russian Duma, President Putin said, "a referendum was held in Crimea on 16 March in full compliance with democratic procedures and international norms". In stark contrast to that bold assertion, the report concludes that "the presence of paramilitary and so-called self- defence groups as well as soldiers in uniform without insignia, widely believed to be from the Russian Federation, was not conducive to an environment in which voters could freely exercise their right to hold opinions and the right to freedom of expression".”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7157 (2014) · source