YouSaid · the spoken record

Mcaskie

lines on the record: 133
first: 2000-11-28
most recent: 2007-01-31
sittings or episodes: 6
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

“Instead, it should define the way in which we frame our interventions to ensure that we can most effectively respond to the immediate needs of a post-conflict society and keep hard-won peace processes on a sustainable track.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“We are now closer to completing the staffing requirements for that stage of the Office's work, and will continue to discuss with members of the Commission their vision for the work of the Support Office, in particular in the context of this year's budget discussions. Under the leadership of El Salvador, in its capacity as Vice-Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, work on lessons learned will begin soon, with the establishment of a working group that will include broad participation by all Commission members. In the long run, peacebuilding must not be another layer of work for Governments or the United Nations or donors on the ground.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“It is in that way that the Commission can work inclusively to define its own objectives, enter into agreements with the countries under its consideration and provide guidance to the various actors as to how they can meet the broad goals of peacebuilding across the range of political, security, human rights and economic and social interventions - always under the lead of the country concerned itself. As I said, my Office is committed to supporting the Commission and the overall efforts of the international community in that important endeavour, including through extracting lessons learned and becoming the repository for peacebuilding advice within the United Nations Secretariat.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“Alone, it cannot address the peacebuilding resource needs of countries emerging from conflict. The role of the Peacebuilding Commission in marshalling resources will be much broader, although the Peacebuilding Fund - which has been set up rapidly and which has attracted very significant contributions from donors - is an extremely useful start. It is only by bringing all the actors together that the Peacebuilding Commission can fulfil its mandate to advise on and propose integrated strategies for peacebuilding and to identify critical elements of peacebuilding in the countries under its consideration, bringing them together under an integrated strategic approach.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“The Office must work with the players in the United Nations system, both in the field and at Headquarters, to ensure that the strategies of the Commission are applied to all relevant areas of the United Nations work. An important part of the Commission's mandate will be to marshal resources. While we all agree that the Peacebuilding Commission is not another donor forum, its work should generate significant additional resources for countries committed to staying on track for peace, to prevent their becoming, once again, the forgotten crises. The Secretary-General just announced, a few days ago, the first allocation under the Peacebuilding Fund - $35 million for Burundi - and will soon make an announcement regarding Sierra Leone. The Fund, however, can act only as a catalyst.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“Rather, it is the strategic way in which the Commission will work by bringing everyone together. 5 There is general agreement that, if it is to be most effective, the work must play out at the country level. The test of relevance for all of us will be to apply that approach in a way that will bring results for Burundi and Sierra Leone, in the first instance, and others as time goes on. The Chair and the Vice-Chairs will be working closely over the next several weeks with members of the Commission and with the Governments of Burundi and Sierra Leone to frame the next stage of the Commission's work, building on the first round of work accomplished so far. For its part, the Support Office will do everything it can to support the Commission in that important work.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“The creation of those new mechanisms - the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund - offers a new opportunity to address that critical and fragile period in the life of a country ravaged by conflict. For that to happen, the Peacebuilding Commission has an important role to play in bringing all the actors together. That means that it must and will take on board the work of the Council, as well as that of the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly, the United Nations agencies and all the partners, be they the financial institutions and other donors, the regional players, internal actors - such as civil society * and any others, as appropriate. That does not mean duplication; that does not mean overlap.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“Ms. McAskie: I thank the Security Council for the opportunity to be here today. I am very pleased to provide a short statement in my capacity as head of the Peacebuilding Support Office. The links between the Commission and the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council are critical, and I know that members of the Commission are exploring how to make the relationships among and between those bodies as effective as possible. How to deal with the critical post-conflict period has escaped our collective best efforts, despite several attempts to address the issue through transitional mechanisms.”
2007-01-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5627 (2007) · source
“The challenge will be to bring all the resources and energies of society together to ensure the broadest possible approach, the most inclusive process and the most sustainable results. Women have a key role to play in building peace - in their own right, and not only because they are disproportionately victimized or because they are seen more naturally as agents of peace. Women's key role must be recognized because societies where women participate fully generally enjoy more peace, more prosperity and more opportunity.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“It is determined to make a difference in real terms by working with Burundi and Sierra Leone, and it will factor in elements related to the needs of women and girls as they pertain to resolution 1325 (2000) to ensure that the sustained attention and resources of the international community are effectively utilized. For the Commission to succeed, it must play a role in strengthening the understanding of the root causes of conflict and help countries identify the path to peace. A key to successful peacebuilding is to work with national Governments to ensure that consultations take into account the elements contained in resolution 1325 (2000), including those dealing with conflict resolution, protection and respect for human rights, and to ensure that these are at the core of the Peacebuilding Commission's work.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“The creation of new instruments dedicated to peacebuilding presents, as I said, an unprecedented opportunity, which must not be wasted, to do things differently. It provides a clean slate on which to re-write how we approach the needs of societies coming out of conflict. We cannot ignore the voices of the women from the time we broker peace onwards. Peacemaking is not just an exercise involving combatants; it must involve all of society. And that means women. The Commission is taking an extremely practical and substantive approach to its work.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“We have a better understanding now of how conflicts have a disproportionate effect on women and girls. What we do not yet demonstrate is that in addressing the roots of conflict and in reversing its effects we need a similarly disproportionate effort to address those effects. This will require the implementation of the recommendations before the Council in the Secretary-General's report. In closing, let me say that gender discrimination needs to be seen on a par with other forms of discrimination, and an international commitment and effort must be made to understand its roots and reverse its tragic effects. This will require leadership on the part of all of us, and accountability on the part of the United Nations system, both officials and Member States.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“We must remember that the Fund, while generous, will be limited in its resources and should be seen as a catalyst to launch peacebuilding activities that will require more sustained resources. We will collaborate with partners at the field level, including national authorities, to ensure that funding for peacebuilding activities, such as that provided to national institutions and that aimed at strengthening national capacities to promote peaceful resolution of conflict, is responsive to the needs of women with a view to promoting gender equality. Six years after the adoption of this landmark resolution, much has been done to recognize women's important role in countries affected by conflict. However, this debate recognizes that we still have a road to travel.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“Resolution 1325 (2000) can and should inform this work by being one of the fundamental underpinnings of the strategic approach mandated in General Assembly resolution 60/180, creating the peacebuilding architecture. Support to women emerging from conflict will also require the Commission's action in its role of resource mobilization for national peacebuilding plans. The Peacebuilding Support Office will play a role in developing effective resource-mobilization strategies which address the need for gender equality in peacebuilding. The recently established Peacebuilding Fund will also be able to contribute in furthering the practical aims of resolution 1325 (2000).”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“Peacebuilding is not another layer of activity; it is all about ensuring that what we, whether the country itself or all its partners, are doing is geared to supporting the country in staying the course with a view to sustainable peace. This represents an unprecedented opportunity to improve on past practices. What better objective than for us to get it right this time on how we include women and end gender discrimination and gender victimization? The United Nations presence already on the ground is the instrument of the new United Nations commitments on peacebuilding. It must work in close collaboration with national authorities, but also with all internal and external parties to peacebuilding: donors, institutions, regional and subregional political actors, as well as local players.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“To ensure that gender aspects and the provisions of resolution 1325 (2000) are taken into account in the work of the Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office will have to play a vital role and provide the Commission with the analysis it needs to meet its commitments to gender mainstreaming. In this, we will be informed by the ongoing work of the United Nations and its partners at the field level and at Headquarters, including taking advantage of the available gender specific policies and data that have been developed by humanitarian and development organizations present at the field level. The process, whether through the Commission or the Support Office, will work through existing field presences of the United Nations and Member States.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“The Commission is a unique intergovernmental forum, focusing on specific country situations, and it therefore has a comparative advantage which will enable it to provide strategic and practical support to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The Commission can play an effective role in empowering actors on the ground to facilitate and strengthen the partnership between Governments and civil society, including women's groups. The Commission can help build confidence and pave the way for transparent and accountable governance, by helping newly formed Governments to understand the extent to which modern concepts of democracy are based on ongoing engagement with civil society.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“As such, we are exploring ways by which we can engage civil society in general, and women's organizations in particular, in supporting the process of peacebuilding. The Commission's advisory role places it in a strong position to draw attention to critical peacebuilding challenges on the ground, including the special needs of women and girls, ensuring that space is created for women's active participation in political, economic and social life, and strengthening the protection of the rights of women against discrimination, violence and persecution. The Peacebuilding Commission can act as a key conduit for promoting practical actions in support of women's needs and for promoting gender equality.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“In doing so, it will focus on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts for countries under its consideration. It is also tasked with improving coordination, developing best practices to ensure predictable financing and sustaining the attention of the international community on countries emerging from conflict. The Commission is examining ways in which it could benefit from civil society involvement in its deliberations. Civil society representatives participated in the country-specific meetings held on Burundi and Sierra Leone on 12 and 13 October respectively. Many Commission members favour more systematic involvement of civil society, including women's groups, in the work of the Commission.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“Protecting and empowering women in countries making the transition from violent conflict to lasting peace will require a deep understanding of gender discrimination. When we speak of the foundations for sustainable peace and development, women - as decision makers, as productive members of society, as caretakers and as heads of households - must be recognized as one of the pillars of that society. In achieving lasting peace beyond the mere absence of violence, we must understand the social and political fabric that makes up societies and forms the basis of communities. This requires recognition, not only of women's key roles, but also of their work and potential as agents of change. Members will note that the Commission itself is tasked with marshalling resources and proposing integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“Special measures continue to be required. Gender mainstreaming in the area of peacebuilding, and in particular in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, has been recognized by Member States in various resolutions. The resolutions establishing the Commission that were adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly called on the Commission to integrate a gender perspective into its work and encouraged the Commission to consult with civil society, including women's organizations engaged in peacebuilding. In the follow-up to Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to ensure that in supporting the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peacebuilding Support Office should integrate a gender perspective in all aspects of its work, taking into account resolution 1325 (2000).”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“The existence of a gender adviser in the United Nations Operation in Burundi, along with strong leadership from mission management and Headquarters management, had a direct impact on our work, for example, in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), in addressing the issues of women associated with armed combat, in elections, in addressing the need to support the commitments to 30 per cent targets for women in parliament and in addressing human rights issues for women. The absence of a dedicated gender adviser within the United Nations country team, however, gave us the example of how progress lags behind when special efforts are not made to ensure that development programmes are sufficiently gender sensitive. As this debate demonstrates, we are not ready to assume that women's issues will automatically be included.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“Ms. McAskie: I am very pleased indeed to participate in the Council's deliberations today on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. As a recently returned Special Representative of the Secretary- General in a peacekeeping mission, and now in my current role as head of the new Peacebuilding Support Office, that landmark resolution has had direct relevance for my work. The focus of my presentation this morning will be on the role of the newly established Peacebuilding Commission and on its support office, but I would also like to make reference to my experience as a peacekeeper. There is no doubt that the existence of resolution 1325 (2000) made an appreciable difference to our peacekeeping operations on the ground.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556 (2006) · source
“We must also recognize within that context, however, that each country must find its own path to reconciliation. Humanitarian actors are in a position to begin that process, and it is important to recognize that reality within such an international strategy.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“It has long been clear that humanitarian assistance alone will not provide a solution to crises. Unless proper and timely attention is paid to reconciliation, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, countries will slip back into the horrors of war, and the efforts of the humanitarian community - often at great peril for humanitarian workers, I should add - will be lost. As we know, 65 per cent of the countries emerging from conflict in Africa are slipping back into violence, and we cannot afford to be complacent on that front. It is therefore vital to have an effective, broad-based, international support strategy to ensure that humanitarian activities are reinforced with corresponding reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Effective conflict resolution and longer-term national reconciliation depend on processes of reconciliation and justice - something on which we are all agreed. Indeed, justice and reconciliation - as Mr. Kalomoh pointed out - must be seen as complementary. Both are vital to effective reconciliation in the broader sense. And, while amnesties provide an important measure for dealing with lower-level perpetrators, they must never be granted for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. In conclusion, we cannot expect reconciliation to be an easy or straightforward process. In many post- conflict countries, the brutal memories of past abuses take years to heal. Indeed, one of the most difficult challenges of reconciliation in post-conflict situations is how to focus on the future without ignoring the past.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Given cultural and social sensitivities, it is especially important that this work be carried out through local non-governmental organizations and women's initiatives, but with the full support of the political process and not as something separate. Finally, I should just like to refer briefly to the fact that one of the most disturbing aspects of the widespread sexual and other violence perpetrated against innocent civilians in armed conflict is that those crimes are committed in a climate of impunity - a topic that was fully addressed by my colleague Mr. Kalomoh. In post-conflict situations, reconciliation must be tempered with a clear commitment to ending impunity for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Beyond the devastating physical, psychological, emotional and social traumas suffered by women and children who are brutally attacked, those egregious crimes undermine cultural values and community relationships, and they can destroy the very ties that bind society together. I have already mentioned the particularly horrifying consequence with which many are faced: the spectre of HIV/AIDS. Helping the survivors of sexual violence - and their communities - to heal requires a concerted response by the humanitarian community. Humanitarian programmes that provide health, medical, nutritional and psychosocial support, trauma counselling, education and advocacy therefore become vital to reconciliation efforts.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The culture of youth violence witnessed in the Mano River Basin and in Cote d'Ivoire, for example, will continue to impede reconciliation efforts unless well-designed and well-resourced regional DDRR programmes are introduced to address the particular needs of young people brutalized by war and now left with no means of survival but the gun. In line with the mutually reinforcing nature of these issues, DDRR initiatives depend on reconciliation efforts for their success, because the reintegration of combatants is critically dependent on the ability of societies to accept them back into the community. The recognition of rape and other forms of sexual violence as weapons of war raises particularly difficult issues of reconciliation. Only now is the extent of deliberate, broad-based attacks on women and girls being acknowledged.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“I am thinking here, for example, of the UNHCR's Rwandan and Bosnian Women's Initiatives, in which women from across ethnic and party lines were offered the opportunity for vocational training and microcredit funding so that they could collectively begin the process of recovery and reconciliation themselves. We also have positive, practical lessons to learn from the reintegration of internally displaced persons in East Timor, where reception ceremonies based on traditional practices were held to foster the acceptance of those persons into their communities. In Angola, the regulamentos have proved an important tool for the restoration of property rights to the former internally displaced. Similarly, effective disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) can provide vital support to national reconciliation efforts.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Before closing, I should like to touch very briefly on some key issues of concern for humanitarians as they relate to reconciliation. Foremost among humanitarian concerns are issues surrounding the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and their reintegration into their communities. When members of ethnic minorities choose to return to still- fragile communities emerging from conflict, there is no more important role for the humanitarian community than ensuring that they are safe and protected and that they are helped to remain in their homes. Over the past 10 years, there have been successful and well-targeted humanitarian and recovery programmes to foster the commitment to reconciliation in practical ways.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Post-conflict situations also provide an opportunity to recognize and promote the important role of women in reconciliation efforts, as well as to address the gender inequality that prevails in many societies. Women's lack of equality in Africa, for example, is too often their death sentence, as they are forced to adopt survival strategies that increase their risk of contracting HIV. Women are also central to the response to HIV/AIDS and to other aspects of emergencies, but entrenched gender hierarchies all too often hinder appropriate responses. If we are serious about reversing that situation, we must return to women's control over their livelihoods and their bodies, and we must bring their needs and concerns into humanitarian planning and post-conflict responses at the strategic level.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“All sectors and elements of society - not just the fighting forces - need to be brought together to that end. In terms of the work of the Security Council, I think that this is an issue on which we could usefully focus: that political processes - peace processes - tend to ignore the vast swath of communities that have been affected by the crisis and that have a stake in the future; they should be at the table, not just the parties in conflict. The earliest possible involvement in reconciliation efforts of local community leaders - representing the range of interests and perspectives within a society - is critical. Civil society organizations in particular, which provide important channels for understanding the key concerns of various sectors of a society, can help to build bridges between divided and disaffected communities.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“We must ensure that we do not perpetuate socially divisive institutions that leave no scope for reconciliation, either by inadequately funding and implementing humanitarian assistance or through the manner of our engagement in local capacity-building. As the Council is aware, humanitarians are often present in conflict situations when no one else is. It is our experience that, in countries recovering from conflict, peace and national reconciliation ultimately depend on attitudinal and behavioural changes within society. This is particularly the case where society has become polarized. Far too often, peace processes are seen as the prerogative of combatant forces, but lasting peace and national reconciliation will depend on developing a social climate that seeks to sustain peace.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Humanitarian aid must be consistently and equitably provided; legal and judicial mechanisms, international humanitarian law, property restitution, reintegration, reparations - all must be consistently applied if reconciliation is to have a solid base. Effective post-conflict reconciliation requires us to address not only institution-building, but also the root causes of the crisis, and Mr. Kalomoh has spoken on this issue. But at the root of most conflicts are issues of poverty, corruption, deliberate manipulation of minority groups, social inequity and exclusion, with certain elements of society denied access to political and social processes, property and education.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The need for massive humanitarian assistance will remain if reconciliation issues are not handled effectively and swiftly. It is therefore critical to ensure that reconciliation measures do not inadvertently exacerbate tensions and encourage a return to conflict. This could happen, for example, through inconsistent application of measures related to justice and impunity, property restitution, and reintegration. These are problems that have plagued peace processes in various countries, and, once again, I would use Burundi as an example. Indeed, consistency must be seen as one of the cornerstones of reconciliation in post-conflict situations.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“I believe that there is considerable scope to look further into ways to channel reconciliation efforts into the programmatic work of our agencies, bearing in mind the fact that the impartiality and neutrality of humanitarians provides us with a unique base from which to play an important bridging role. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies already play this role in their everyday work. The impact of reconciliation on the work of humanitarian agencies is the other side of the coin. A fundamental concern to humanitarians in post-conflict situations is the risk of a return to armed conflict if peace processes and reconciliation measures fail.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Our experience with the consolidated appeals process, however, reveals that, while donor countries are willing to support initiatives that address immediate humanitarian needs, the longer- or medium-term tools of reconciliation, such as education, health care and demobilization and disarmament, are often under- funded. This can serve to undermine post-conflict reconciliation in a number of ways. Inadequate resources for education programmes can result, for example, in generations denied access to education and left with poor prospects for the future, thus perpetuating the social divisions at the root of conflict. Burundi is an unfortunate salutary case in point.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“It is important, therefore, that schools and their teachers, health centres and their workers, local administrative offices, and local welfare and community structures not be neglected by the international humanitarian community, but that every effort be made to engage and sustain them through times of conflict. Rapid and effective responses to key transition needs are critical to national reconciliation efforts. If people are denied the fruits of peace - such as shelter, education, health care and employment - national reconciliation will be much harder to achieve.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The responsibility for this lies as much with donor countries and the international community as with humanitarian agencies. Mr. Malloch Brown referred to the work that the United Nations is doing on transition. I will not repeat his words here, but this is an important element in that respect. Post-conflict situations exemplify the importance of ensuring that adequate funding is provided not only for life-sustaining humanitarian assistance, but also for other programmes that will have a significant impact on national reconciliation. Effective peace and reconciliation processes require effective social and administrative structures.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“There was an example of a case in which we could have insisted that the United Nations should not provide protection until they themselves were providing protection to their own people. The humanitarian community must also ensure that it works with people and communities that are the victims of conflict, rather than acting on their behalf. Humanitarian assistance needs to be seen as an investment that enables people to rebuild their lives and sustains the very fabric of society, which will be essential to peace and reconciliation processes. A principled and strategic approach to humanitarian assistance is therefore required, so as to ensure that it is delivered in a way that does not perpetuate grievance or hamper longer-term societal and institutional development, the restoration of livelihoods and the strengthening of State legitimacy.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“This fundamental humanitarian principle can frequently be the most challenging, particularly in situations where we are denied access or where factions seek to manipulate and misuse humanitarian assistance to their own ends. The legitimacy of a faction's engagement in peace processes should be based on its commitment to unhindered humanitarian access. A very blatant example of this was the situation last year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie-Goma (RDC-Goma) was requesting protection from the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) - for it to come down to Kinshasa - even as it was perpetrating the most blatant violations of human rights, including sexual abuse, on the population in its own area.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“The starting point must be to ensure that adequate levels of humanitarian assistance are available in the most critical situations. The inability to ensure even minimal levels of assistance in immediate post-conflict situations will serve only to increase tensions and foster grievances, thereby undermining efforts at reconciliation. If we are not there to provide that assistance, the people remain at the mercy of warlords for their basic survival. Sadly, it is in the "forgotten" emergencies that the risks are greatest. The serious lack of attention and material support to countries such as the Republic of the Congo have consistently undermined local and national efforts at reconciliation. The humanitarian assistance itself must be provided equitably and efficiently, on the basis of demonstrable need.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Indeed, formal reconciliation processes and these grass-roots forms of reconciliation must be seen as complementary and mutually reinforcing. One can grow and evolve from the other. In the same way, we cannot afford to focus exclusively on political developments and peace processes in countries that are in transition from conflict to peace. Here I would refer to Mr. Malloch Brown's very good analogy at the end of his statement about the operating theatre; that has been very much the focus of our work. The broader humanitarian concerns must be addressed properly, and we must ensure that the international humanitarian response supports - and does not undermine - efforts to foster national reconciliation and the consolidation of peace. Getting humanitarian assistance right is an important building block for post-conflict reconciliation.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“When we hear the phrase "post-conflict reconciliation", we first think of formal reconciliation processes, some of which have been mentioned - truth and reconciliation commissions and so forth - and their role relative to criminal justice processes. These formal processes are undeniably critical to national reconciliation and sustainable peace. But some of the most powerful forms of reconciliation, in terms of restoring the social fabric and regaining national unity, will be found in everyday life: children of different ethnic groups sitting together at school, neighbours working together to rebuild their villages and health clinics, despite the fact that they were on opposite sides during the conflict.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“I will probably touch in my statement on some issues that have already been raised by my colleagues Mr. Malloch Brown and Mr. Kalomoh, but I will try to do so from the point of View of the humanitarian consequences and the humanitarian context. As we are all aware, post-conflict reconciliation is not an event, but an ongoing process. It can begin, and should be nurtured, in the immediate humanitarian response phase of a conflict, and can be informed by the neutrality and impartiality that humanitarians bring with them. Their message is one of putting the individual - the woman, the man, the child - at the centre of what the United Nations is there to do.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Ms. McAskie: On behalf of my colleagues in the humanitarian community, I should like to thank you very much, Madam President, for giving me this opportunity to address the Council on such an important matter. National reconciliation in post- conflict situations is a complex issue that we all know needs to be addressed comprehensively, taking into account a wide range of issues and perspectives. It is for this reason that I am pleased to be able to put before the Council some humanitarian perspectives on post-conflict reconciliation. Why is post-conflict reconciliation of concern to the humanitarian community? The simple answer is that it is an issue upon which our humanitarian work can have a significant impact. Conversely, it is an issue that can have a direct and significant impact on our humanitarian work.”
2004-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4903 (2004) · source
“Ms. McAskie: Certainly I support what my colleague has just said, and would also add that it is terribly important for us to keep a very close eye on the humanitarian and political situation in the surrounding countries, not only because of the impact on those countries themselves, but also because of the need to address these issues in terms of maintaining the stability of the peace process in Sierra Leone. It would be unfortunate if events in those countries were to derail the gains that have been made so far.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“Ms. McAskie: I am sorry that your troubles with time did not spare me, Madam President, but I am delighted to answer your question. The international community has been very generous worldwide, and I would not say that Sierra Leone has suffered any more than other countries in crisis. But if I were to say that there was a serious shortfall in Sierra Leone, I would have to say that there were serious shortfalls in many other crises as well. I think we could have done a lot much sooner if more resources had been available, but I would also say that it is also up to the international agencies to be organized earlier. If one looks at our response to more recent crises, the lesson that we have learned is that we cannot allow these things to drag on for years and years before we do something about them.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“That critical funding shortfall throughout the region will seriously hamper humanitarian agencies in their desire to meet basic standards of humanitarian assistance and also to move from relief to recovery, as agencies will be forced to limit programming to the most urgent lifesaving assistance. This is particularly critical at a time when the United Nations, along with the donors and other partners and, of course, the countries of the region themselves - the most important players in all of this - move from relief through transition and into development. The United Nations is gearing up on that aspect. Let me close by thanking you, Madam President, for the opportunity to address the Council on the important issue of the protection of civilians.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source