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

“I would like to join others in thanking the Secretary-General for his report (S/2015/151), Special Representative Nicholas Haysom for his briefing and Ambassador Zahir Tanin for his remarks this morning. There have been significant and positive developments in Afghanistan since the Security Council last met in this format (see S/PV.7347). The International Security Assistance Force mission concluded operations after 13 years, and the Resolute Support Mission has now begun. That marks the end of a period of transition and the start of a period of transformation, with full Afghan ownership of its national affairs. I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all of the servicemen and servicewomen, international and Afghan alike, whose service and sacrifice have made that progress possible.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“The two organizations will continue to work together, complementing each other's efforts and thereby strengthening the purposes and principles of the Charter.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“When the Council failed to condemn Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea last year, the European Union delivered a clear message and backed it up with clear consequences for Russia. As Russia increased its support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine and the violence there escalated, the EU ratcheted up the sanctions regime. As Ukraine's economy suffered, the EU provided significant financial support. With the Minsk agreements, an end to the hostilities is possible, but implementation of the agreements needs to be verified and effectively monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, if trust is to be rebuilt. EU/United Nations cooperation has proved its worth on numerous occasions.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“That we may be close to a deal is in large part due to the diplomatic efforts of former EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, and I hope that under the guidance of High Representative Mogherini we will soon see a successful outcome to the talks. The EU is also supporting United Nations efforts in Libya and leading on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. While the EU can and does support the United Nations in a number of ways, there are situations in which the United Nations is unable to take action because of the position of certain Council members. In the face of such situations, the European Union can still speak out and act based on the shared values I have set out. This is particularly the case with regard to the situation in Ukraine.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“EU support to transitions has worked successfully in reverse as well. The EU force in Bosnia has taken the place of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there, supporting stability in that part of Europe and allowing the people of Bosnia to choose their own future. The continued presence of Operation Althea of the European Union-led peacekeeping force, with a mandate under Chapter VII of the Charter, is vital to preventing any return to the violent ethnic divisions that once plagued the region. Aside from peacekeeping, the EU leadership of the E3+3 negotiations with Iran on the nuclear dossier is another strong example of how our cooperation can help counter nuclear proliferation and preserve international peace and security.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“Among many other things, International Women's Day, celebrated yesterday, highlighted the role that women play in international peace and security, another issue to which both organizations give particular emphasis. By championing those values, both organizations contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. That is apparent in Somalia, where an African Union mission with United Nations and EU logistical and financial support has helped drive back Al-Shabaab and allowed for the re-emergence of a legitimate Somali Government working for the Somali people. In the Central African Republic, an EU force helped bridge the transition from an African Union mission to one from the United Nations. The European Union is also actively supporting the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“In 1945, Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations specifically encouraged regional arrangements to play their part in the pacific settlement of local disputes, and the following 70 years have borne out that foresight. The European Union, just like the United Nations itself, arose as a direct consequence of the Second World War. Building closer ties among European Union countries to foster mutual understanding and cooperation has led to a more secure Europe, which has delivered increased prosperity for citizens of EU member States. The echoes of Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations are clear to see in that progress. Both organizations champion human rights, the rule of law, development and the pacific settlement of disputes.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his statement this morning, and let me join others in welcoming High Representative Mogherini to New York to brief us today, in the first of many such briefings, I hope. At the outset, I would like to offer condolences on behalf of the United Kingdom to the families of those killed and injured in two terrorist attacks in Mali over the weekend, among them United Nations peacekeepers, United Nations staff and European Union (EU) delegation staff. The importance and value of the United Nations cooperation with the European Union and other regional organizations speaks for itself.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“Today's important resolution puts the Syrian regime on notice that if we receive further credible reports of the use of chlorine as a weapon then the Security Council will take action.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“It was horrific then and it is totally unacceptable in the twenty-first century. We cannot change the past but we can prevent the future use of these barbaric weapons. Resolution 2209 (2015) makes clear that use of chlorine constitutes a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Its use by the regime constitutes yet one more human rights violation. The regime's continued use of barrel bombs, starvation and denial of medical supplies amount to crimes against humanity. The United Kingdom as long argued that the situation in Syria should be referred to the International Criminal Court but, in the face of vetoes by two other Council members, that has not been possible.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“Since the adoption of resolution 2118 (2013) in September 2013, many welcome steps of been taken to destroy the Syrian regime's chemical-weapon stockpile. Yet nearly 18 months on, we are will still faced with the persistent credible reports of chemical-weapon use. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission concluded last December with a high degree of confidence that chlorine gas had been systematically used as a weapon. It also noted witness reports that these attacks were carried out by helicopter, which means carried out by the regime. We cannot accept this as a "business as usual". The use of chemical weapons presents a clear threat to international peace and security. it is a must exactly 100 years since the first recorded use of chlorine as a weapon of war, in April 1915.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“She was then taken to Russia, where she was charged with involvement in a mortar attack in Ukraine, which killed two Russian State television journalists - an attack which occurred after she had been detained. Then, in addition, in January 2015, Russian investigators said that they had opened a new criminal case against Ms. Savchenko for illegally crossing the border into Russia, which is pretty rich given that she was detained inside eastern Ukraine and then taking forcibly into Russia in the first place. Those are the facts of this case. The question I asked my Russian colleague, and I repeat it, is why is she still being held when there was an agreement in the Minsk agreements of 12 February that all prisoners would be released?”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“Perhaps I couldjust respond to my Russian colleague as he cited my question specifically. It was unfortunate that he left the Chamber before I actually spoke and perhaps it was mistranslated on the television that he was watching. The question I asked was not why Ms. Nadiya Savchenko had been arrested. I asked why she was still being held, given that Russia had agreed that there would be a full exchange of prisoners as part of the Minsk agreements. In terms of the facts on which he thought that I was not well-versed, perhaps I can share with colleagues some of the facts of Nadiya Savchenko's arrest. She was actually captured on 17 June 2014 by the Donbas People's Militia inside eastern Ukraine.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“Unless Russia changes its approach, we will have no choice but to maintain sanctions and continue our condemnation of Russia's flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and the human rights of its people.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“Russian military hardware remains in eastern Ukraine despite the agreement at Minsk to withdraw foreign military formations. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine details credible reports of "a continuing influx of heavy and sophisticated weaponry to armed groups in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as foreign fighters, including from the Russian Federation." The OSCE reported on Wednesday that an 83-vehicle convoy crossed the border from Russia at Donetsk. The Ukrainian Government has made clear that it has not authorized such convoys. They are therefore a clear violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and of international law. Should Russia wish to support the humanitarian effort, I urge it to donate money to the United Nations aid programme.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“We must send a united message today on the issue of access. The Minsk agreement calls for the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need. It calls for the OSCE to observe the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the border and the ceasefire. None of that can be achieved unless the Russian-backed separatists grant free and unfettered access to the territory they control. We welcome Ukrainian President Poroshenko's statement this week that the OSCE will be granted access by the separatists to 10 locations in the east. I look forward to Russia's confirmation that it will be support this commitment and that it will use all its influence to improve access for humanitarian deliveries. Russian so-called humanitarian convoys remain of grave concern. Some are clearly being used as cover for the delivery of military supplies.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“Savchenko remains in their custody they are fully responsible for her health and well-being. One year on from the illegal annexation of Crimea, we must be clear in our condemnation today of what the United Nations describes as "systematic human rights violations affecting mostly Crimean Tatars and those who opposed the March "referendum". The report details arrests, arbitrary detention and deportation of Crimean Tatar activists, denying them their freedom of religion and belief, their right to free expression and their right to peaceful assembly. The continued denial of access to Crimea to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities is of particular concern.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“More must also be done, as agreed in Minsk on 12 February, to ensure the exchange of all hostages and unlawfully detained persons who remain in captivity. That includes Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, being held in solitary confinement, who has been on an extended hunger strike. Recent reports indicate that she has had to suspend her hunger strike after 83 days without food amid serious concerns for her health. As part of the agreement, Russia committed to releasing all prisoners, and yet Ms. Savchenko and many others remain in captivity. That is a clear violation of the Minsk agreements. I would like to ask the Russian representative here today to explain to the Security Council why Ms. Savchenko is still being held. I would also like to remind the Russian Federation authorities that while Ms.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“The violence is having a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable, with women, children and the elderly increasingly caught up in the fighting. Thousands remain trapped in volatile locations like Debaltseve. Hospitals, schools and kindergartens have been deliberately shelled, and disturbing reports of sexual violence are on the rise. We call on both sides to respect international law, to ensure the safety and security of all in the region and to take active steps to ensure accountability for any violations and abuses of human rights. Sadly, investigations have been hindered by the separatists' refusal to grant access to the territory they control. We urge Russia to use its influence to overcome that situation.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“I can understand why the representative of Russia does not want to discuss the human rights situation in the country because the latest report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine details a growing level of violations and abuse, including reports of arbitrary arrests, summary executions, torture and enforced disappearances. The report details indiscriminate shelling of populated areas, including deliberate attacks by Russian-backed separatists on civilians being evacuated through Ukrainian- controlled routes, and it highlights the human cost of the fighting - overburdened centres for internally displaced persons, collapsing social services and a growing scarcity of food, water and heating.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General Feltman, Assistant Secretary- General Simonovie and Director Ging for their timely briefings today. We share the briefers' grave concern at the situation in eastern Ukraine. This week the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that more than 6,000 people have been killed since April 2014. In that time, over 15,000 people have been wounded, and more than 1.5 million have fled their homes. It should trouble us all that these grim milestones have been met in less than one year and in spite of successive ceasefires. Behind those statistics lies a worrying and escalating humanitarian crisis that has further undermined the human rights of all those living in eastern Ukraine.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7400 (2015) · source
“We should be open to other such briefings, including from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Syrian activists, in future months.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The United Kingdom is determined to play its role. During her recent visit to Jordan, the Secretary of State for International Development announced a further $154 million of funding, bringing the United Kingdom's assistance for Syria's humanitarian reliefto $1.2 billion. That includes $145 million to provide education, protection and trauma care for children affected by the crisis, and to help prevent a lost generation of Syrians. I call on all Members of the United Nations to do their part and pledge further funding at the Kuwait conference. Let me conclude by again thanking the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Guterres, and Assistant-Secretary General Kang for their briefings. Their input and the input from experts on the ground are very useful for Council members.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“I call on all Council and non-Council members to join our efforts in that regard. We have been able to make a difference where we do have access. It has been over a year since the last reported polio case, and international assistance has averted starvation and mass malnutrition. However, funding is not keeping up with the needs on the ground. The needs of the Syrian people are growing at more than six times the rate of funding. The 2015 United Nations appeals for Syria and the region now stand at $8.4 billion, 40 per cent higher than last year. Kuwait has shown great leadership in agreeing to host a third international pledging conference for the Syrian crisis next month. We must match its leadership by pledging the support needed to meet the growing crisis. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“In particular, we must do all we can to avoid a tragedy such as that which took place in Homs. The Syrian regime must allow greater humanitarian access to besieged areas. More than 200,000 people now live their lives under siege, and 80 per cent of those people are besieged by regime forces. Another 4.8 million people remain in dangerous and hard-to- reach areas. Last year, the United Nations submitted twice as many requests for cross-line aid convoys than in 2013, and yet reached less than half as many people. A year after the adoption of resolution 2139 (2014), that is wholly unacceptable. We must preserve the few gains we have made with regard to cross-border access and be resolute in applying pressure on the Al-Assad regime to grant access to other areas.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Nor should we ignore the heinous acts perpetrated by ISIL and other extremist groups, which include sexual violence, kidnappings and torture. It is manifestly obvious that the situation in Syria should be referred to the International Criminal Court. A negotiated political transition based on the 2012 Geneva communique (S/2012/522, annex) is the only sustainable way to end the horror. We welcome the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria to establish a freeze in aerial and heavy artillery attacks in Aleppo, which may be a first step to a broader political process. We encourage Mr. De Mistura to work with both the regime and the moderate opposition in the development of that proposal. Experience shows, however, that we should not take the regime's promises at face value.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Al-Assad's regime continues to target civilians and use barrel bombs and chemical weapons indiscriminately. He continues to abuse those held in detention, recruit child soldiers, deny civilians access to essential medical supplies and collectively punish them through the denial of essential services such as water and electricity. That has created an environment that has spawned terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Al-Assad's actions, and others reported by the Commission of Inquiry, represent clear violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, and amount to crimes against humanity. As Assistant Secretary-General Kang has reminded us, we must end the shameful culture of impunity in Syria, and hold the perpetrators of those crimes to account.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“Almost half of the Syrian population is displaced; 7.6 million people have fled their homes within Syria and 3.8 million have taken refuge in neighbouring countries, causing massive security, economic and social challenges for all of Syria's neighbours, particularly Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Those statistics have been heard many times in the Council, but we have failed to take the action necessary to put an end to this terrible conflict. Al-Assad's regime bears direct responsibility for the situation. Some Member States claim that terrorism lies at the heart of the conflict, but the Chair of the Independent International Commission ofInquiry on Syria was quite clear on that point last week when he said that terrorism was not the cause ofthe conflict but a consequence ofit.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“I would like to thank High Commissioner Guterres and Assistant Secretary-General Kang for their briefings and for the remarkable work that both the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are doing to alleviate the suffering ofthe Syrian people. I welcome the fact that we are holding today's meeting in an open format. It is vital that our horror at the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Syria and its neighbours, and our condemnation of Al-Assad and his brutal regime, be heard loudly and clearly outside this Chamber. Next month will see the start of the fifth year of the conflict in Syria. More than 220,000 people are dead and 12.2 million reliant on humanitarian assistance.”
2015-02-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7394 (2015) · source
“The Serbian chairmanship-in-office has made welcome efforts to bolster respect for OSCE principles despite continuing efforts by some States to undermine them. The Security Council must follow this example and ensure that further breaches of Minsk and further erosion of the principles that the Council shares are met with clear consequences. We will be working with our European Union partners to ensure that sanctions remain in place until Russia demonstrates a clear commitment to those fundamental principles.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Nearly a year on from the illegal annexation of Crimea, we are faced with a crisis that has expanded far beyond the Black Sea and now threatens the security of the region and the credibility of the Security Council. The pattern is familiar from Russian behaviour in Georgia and Moldova - agreements are reached, ceasefires arranged, territorial gains consolidated. In Ukraine, these agreements are systematically breached within days. The violence resumes, and the push for more territory begins again. Quite apart from the terrible human costs, these actions also have profound consequences for international relations. It is in no one's interests to return to an era where agreements between leaders become worthless. Organizations like the OSCE and the United Nations were founded on the principles of dialogue and respect for peace and stability.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“It can also permit the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to continue its important work in monitoring the ceasefire and other provisions of the Minsk agreements. But so far we have seen few signs of Moscow's willingness to engage constructively. Russia has refused to allow the expansion of the OSCE border observation mission to enable full monitoring of the international border, leaving hundreds of kilometres of border open to the flow of weapons and soldiers. It continues to block the OSCE, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the High Commissioner on National Minorities, from any access to Crimea.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“We recall how the separatists cynically and systematically undermined the September Minsk agreement. We recall how the line ofcontact was ignored and redrawn as the separatists seized an additional 550 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, and we recall how indiscriminate shelling of civilians brought the conflict to Mariupol and Volnovakha. As a signatory to the Minsk agreements, Russia needs to ensure that the separatist forces respect the ceasefire, and it must fulfil its own commitment to fully withdraw the heavy weapons it has supplied them with and its military formations from Ukrainian territory. Russian influence can also help expedite the full exchange of prisoners and guarantee the humane treatment of any soldiers currently detained.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“We welcome efforts by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to fulfil its mandate in difficult circumstances. We were gravely concerned by reports of aggressive separatistbehaviour towards the Mission on 22 February, when a separatist commander at the Kyivski checkpoint in Donetsk city threatened to kill the monitors. On the same day, an unmanned aerial vehicle of the Mission attempting to monitor compliance with the Minsk package in the area surrounding the Donetsk airport was deliberately and consistently jammed. Obstruction and threats to the Mission are unacceptable. The Council fully supports the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, and we should all unequivocally condemn the acts of separatists attempting to impede their work. The Council has seen that pattern of behaviour before.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Scores of Ukrainian soldiers were left dead or injured. The continued presence of Russian military hardware, including Uragan rocket launchers and T-72 tanks around Debaltseve, shows that Russia's commitment to withdraw foreign military formations, which was a key element of the Minsk agreement, has been disregarded. The OSCE reports that convoys are still crossing the international border and that shelling persists in Donetsk and Luhansk, in clear violation of the ceasefire. There have been some bright spots. We welcome the exchange of a number of prisoners this weekend between the Ukrainian armed forces and Russian- backed separatists. However, many more remain in detention, including the Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko. Clearly, that is not yet enough.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Last week, the Council adopted resolution 2202 (2015), which endorses a package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreement and underlines the importance of achieving a comprehensive ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. However, in the days since the agreement was signed in Minsk on 12 February, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has observed continuous breaches of the ceasefire that threaten to further destabilize eastern Ukraine and undermine the Minsk agreements in their entirety. Minsk called for a ceasefire to begin on 15 February, and for the withdrawal of heavy weaponry to start on 16 February. Yet within 40 minutes of coming into effect, the ceasefire was shattered by a Russian-backed separatist offensive on Debaltseve. On 19 February, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“I thank Deputy Prime Minister Dacic' for his briefing as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office. As he has stated, his chairmanship comes during the worst crisis of European security since the end of the Cold War. I should therefore like to focus my remarks on Ukraine and the OSCE role in that crisis. Over the past months, the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission 0 Ukraine, led by Ambassador Apakan, has been invaluable in giving some visibility to the challenges to peace and security that persist in eastern Ukraine. I pay tribute to the work of the OSCE and express our full support for the Mission and for Heidi Tagliavini, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Ukraine. We believe that its role should be greatly strengthened.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Let me conclude with the words of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He argued that "we will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights" (A/59/2005, para. 17). The United Kingdom fully endorses those words. The three pillars of the Charter are greater than the sum of their individual parts. They support each other, and success in one fosters success in the others. We cannot pick and choose which pillars the Council supports, nor can we focus on to the detriment of the others. To do so would be to ignore the lessons of the past 70 years and to invite future conflict.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“We support an agenda that will leave no one behind and will respect the equal rights of men and women. Enshrining those principles in the framework can only further our work on human rights and, in the long-term, ensure fair and inclusive economies and societies. The United Kingdom is proud to be investing 0.7 per cent of our gross national income in overseas aid. We are the only Group of 20 country to do so. As my Prime Minister David Cameron has said, this aid fosters a golden thread of development that allows countries to prosper and to avoid conflict. It helps create inclusive institutions, open societies and economies, and maintain the rule of law. The perils of not doing so can be seen in the events of the Arab Spring, the aftermath of which still undermines international peace and security today.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“In these instances, the Charter is clear about the Council's responsibility to intervene in matters that would normally fall within domestic jurisdiction. Ending impunity for human rights violations and abuses is also paramount to help reconcile communities and aid the settlement of disputes. No one can be above the law, and the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have important roles to play. The United Kingdom has long accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, but is the only permanent member of the Council to have continuously done so. We urge others to follow suit. We have an historic opportunity this year to tackle the causes of poverty through the post-2015 development framework.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“Over the past 70 years, as the Secretary-General spelled out, respect for human rights has become increasingly central to maintaining international peace and security. Last year, resolution 2171 (2014) affirmed that patterns of human rights violations and abuses can act as early warning signs for impending or escalating conflicts. As we look ahead to the next 70 years, we must embrace a reconception of international security that recognizes that human rights are integral to the Council's work on conflict prevention. The consequences of not doing so can be seen in Aleppo, in the camps of Yarmouk and in the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. When individual States can no longer ensure respect for human rights, they put their countries at risk of conflict and international peace and security are threatened.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“Peacekeeping is one such tool, and is a strong example of the flexibility of the Council in implementing the Charter of the United Nations. There is no mention of peacekeeping in the Charter, and yet today there are over 120,000 military and civilian personnel keeping the peace and protecting civilians on four continents, many in partnership with the African Union or the European Union. This year, we have the opportunity to further improve United Nations peacekeeping. The peace operations review will consider more effective protection of civilians, including better prevention of sexual violence. On this fifteenth anniversary year of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, we must recognize the disproportionate effect of conflict on women and the important role of women in peacebuilding.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“But threats are no longer confined to disputes between nation States, as the United Nations founders first conceived. These threats now exist irrespective of borders, in deep-rooted ethnic and religious divisions, in violent non-State actors and terrorists, and where Governments fail to abide by the rule of law and disregard the human rights of their citizens. These threats now undermine the sovereignty of States in a way we have never seen before. If left unaddressed, legitimate grievances can quickly turn to violence and disorder. We must recognize that preventive action and support from this Council can bolster sovereignty by helping States to address these issues. We must utilize all the tools at our disposal in order to do so.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for convening today's debate and for chairing it in person. I also thank the Secretary-General for his thoughtful briefing this morning. Seventy years ago, the Charter of the United Nations established the three founding pillars of the United Nations system: peace and security, human rights, and development. Since 1945, these pillars have provided a framework for the Security Council to tackle challenges our predecessors could never have foreseen. But these three pillars remain relevant today, and that is testament to their enduring value. Inter-State conflict remains a threat to international peace and security, as Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilization of eastern Ukraine graphically demonstrate.”
2015-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7389 (2015) · source
“Finally, it will be recalled that this crisis began with Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. As we approach the first anniversary, we must not let events in eastern Ukraine distract us from Russia's blatant disregard for the Charter of the United Nations through its illegal annexation of Crimea.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source
“We call on Russia to deliver on the promises it has made. Russia has committed to the implementation of the Minsk agreements at the highest level. That commitment needs to be reflected in actions on the ground. We also call on Russia to use its undoubted influence over the separatists to ensure that they meet their commitments in full. Until we see such actions, international pressure must remain on Russia and its separatist proxies. The Council must play its full role in ensuring that there is complete compliance so that stability can be restored and to guarantee the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine. That must include regular and close monitoring of the ceasefire and a willingness to take further steps in the event that it is not implemented.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source
“In parallel, we look forward to progress being made towards local elections, special status legislation, the release of all hostages, and the urgent distribution of humanitarian assistance on the basis of an international mechanism. The resolution we have adopted today reaffirms resolution 2166 (2014) on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, in which the Council demanded that those responsible be held to account and that all States cooperate with the efforts to establish accountability. Let me be clear that the amnesty provided for in the Minsk package does not apply to those who may be found responsible for that dreadful crime. The Council must scrutinize closely the implementation of the Minsk package and use its influence to prevent any repetition of what we saw last autumn.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source
“We therefore call on Russia to use its influence on the separatists to cease their onslaught against that town and abide by their commitments. It is vital that the ceasefire be respected in full and upheld across all of eastern Ukraine. But the ceasefire is only the first step in a series of obligations set out in the Minsk package. We also expect to see the withdrawal of heavy weapons by both sides over the next two weeks in order to create an effective security zone. As the Minsk package makes clear, this process should be facilitated, monitored and verified by the OSCE. It is welcome that the Ukrainian armed forces have already set out their withdrawal plan to the Monitoring Mission. We call on the separatists to show the same commitment to that crucial element of the Minsk package.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source
“It is totally unacceptable that separatist leaders have made statements claiming that the ceasefire did not apply to Debaltseve, where they were clearly intent on making further territorial gains, and it is deeply concerning that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission has not been given access to the town. The press statement that the Council has just agreed (SC/11784) makes clear our collective, grave concern over Debaltseve and our unified call for OSCE access. The actions in and around Debaltseve are not the actions of a party interested in peace. We recall how a Russian-backed separatist offensive brought to an end the ceasefire agreed in September - a cynical effort to undermine the September Minsk agreements and create new realities on the ground.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source
“The ceasefire has now been in place for two and a half days. Reporting from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) suggests that it has been respected in the majority of the Donbas. However, intense fighting continues around Debaltseve, where heavy shelling and street-by-street fighting have resulted in scores of casualties. This flagrant disregard of the ceasefire is deeply concerning and risks undermining the Minsk package in its entirety. The fighting for Debaltseve must stop, and any detained soldier must be treated humanely.”
2015-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7384 (2015) · source