YouSaid · the spoken record

Mclay

lines on the record: 508
first: 2009-06-30
most recent: 2015-04-23
sittings or episodes: 72
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

“New Zealand thanks Nigeria for its continued leadership on the issue of security sector reform (SSR), a commitment that is all the more important because most Council-mandated SSR activities take place on the African continent. Nigeria's perspective-indeed, the experience of all African States-must therefore be prominent in any SSR setting. New Zealand welcomes today's proposed adoption of the first-ever stand-alone draft resolution on SSR. The draft resolution underlines the considerable progress we have made since the Council's first open debate on the issue in 2007 (see S/PV.5632).”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161Resumption1 (2014) · source
“They involve a practical and voluntary approach based on existing international humanitarian law and provide a resource for use by States to improve their own military policy and doctrines and to assist others to do likewise. Those ideas must, of course, exist within a much wider framework of initiatives. New Zealand grieves that children are still forced to see things that no child should see and to do things that no child should ever do. We again place on record our commitment to the urgent cause of protecting children from armed conflict and from the scourge of war and to maintaining the gains that we have already made. Above all, New Zealand is committed to achieving even better outcomes for children who are, through no choice of their own, deprived of their childhood by being forced into armed conflict.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“We also call on the Council to give greater consideration to providing better support for the Special Representative, United Nations agencies and Member States to enhance their ability to engage with non-State actors. The concept note for today's debate touches on one other aspect, on which I would like to focus: attacks on and the military use of schools. It has been referred to by many ofthose who have made statements. Education provides the foundation on which the next generation is built. New Zealand welcomes the Council's expression of concern about attacks on and the miltary use of schools but such violation continues. More must be done in response. The draft Lucens guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict deserve very serious consideration.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“In addition to the information already provided in the annex, the report should also detail the number of years that each perpetrator has appeared on the list. That would highlight the worst of the persistent perpetrators. The Council could also incentivize progress through, for example, periodic briefings of the wider United Nations membership in a special open session of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, which could highlight positive progress on a country basis and provide an opportunity to discuss lessons learned for use elsewhere. The challenge of reducing and eliminating the abuse of children in armed conflict is made all the more difficult by the fact that the large majority of violators are non-State actors. Progress cannot be made unless we develop techniques for influencing such groups.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“The Council's recent resolution 2139 (2014) was, among other things, a much-needed step towards addressing the humanitarian situation facing children in Syria, particularly as a consequence of attacks on schools and children's arbitrary detention. Despite commendable progress in some areas of the children and armed conflict agenda, serious problems remain in many places. We commend the Council for recognizing the need for innovative, practical solutions. But more innovation is required, and that should be regarded as an urgent task. For example, the number of persistent perpetrators is of particular concern. New Zealand suggests that the Secretary-General's annual report on children and armed conflict focus on and give even greater prominence to such perpetrators.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“What is required now is to further strengthen the political will and leadership of the Council. We must continue to reinforce the architecture on children and armed conflict, not least by adopting new initiatives and innovating in order to ensure effective follow-up and greater accountability. Today's debate provides a catalyst for new ideas, in the context of which we commend Ms. Zerrougui and her partners on their ambitious launch of the "Children, not soldiers" campaign, which New Zealand supports. The Secretary-General's recent report on children and armed conflict in Syria (S/2014/31) presents, in the starkest terms, the deplorable costs in young lives and lost futures exacted by that awful conflict. It is a reminder of the real cost of failure to act, and should galvanize the Council to redouble its efforts regarding Syria.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“I will deliver a shortened version of my statement; the longer version can go to the website. Luxembourg's presidency for today's debate is very fitting, given its tireless work on addressing the plight of children engaged in armed conflict. We thank Special Representative Zerrougui, Executive Director Lake and Under-Secretary-General Ladsous for their briefings, and above all we commend Mr. Alhaji Babah Sawaneh, whose address provided insights rarely heard by the Council and was powerful testimony to the fundamental importance of the issue. The abuse of children in armed conflict is regarded as abhorrent by the vast majority of United Nations Member States, and against that background New Zealand welcomes the consensus behind today's resolution 2143 (2014) as a proper reflection of the views of the wider United Nations membership.”
2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source
“But the Council must also be wise when it comes to exercising its power ofreferral, and more sensitive to regional concerns when considering issues of deferral. New Zealand is a strong supporter of models such as the hybrid courts in Cambodia and Sierra Leone. They have played a Vital role in developing national legal systems, in promoting the rule of law and in ensuring accountability. These and other models placed in a local setting allow far greater local ownership and participation, and can enable a greater level of reconciliation. New Zealand would therefore welcome their wider use in appropriate circumstances.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“A model that works in one place may not be right for another. But the Council must never lose sight of the need to address individual accountability in some manner. The International Criminal Court (ICC), ad hoc tribunals, regional courts and domestic institutions all play an important role. New Zealand supports the ICC, but we are looking for it to perform in a more sensitive and appropriate manner under its newly amended rules of procedure. Its ability to ensure accountability relies on its being not only independent, but also flexible enough to respond to the needs of its constituents. The Council also has an important role to play. It must be more supportive of the ICC in a practical way, so that the Court remains an effective accountability tool.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“First, support for the rule of law should be in partnership with the host country and must accommodate the needs and traditions of the various groups that might be involved. Secondly, support should include regional expertise, endorsement and participation. Thirdly, support should be provided under a clear legal framework, including a strong emphasis on consultation and coordination. Operating in such a manner would also focus rule-of- law activities on building the host country's capacity to meet its own protection obligations towards its citizens. Accountability is a critical element of the rule of law, as has been emphasized by many Member States. The lack of accountability undermines not only the rule of law itself, but also any prospects for reconciliation and sustainable peace. No two cases are the same.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“In that respect, New Zealand welcomes recent coordination efforts between the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the United Nations Development Programme; plans by the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group to increase cooperation and coordination; and the Secretary-General's suggestion that the Council consider mandating rule-of-law evaluation capacity in all of its missions. Such efforts will help the United Nations to focus on activities that have the greatest actual impact. To be effective, efforts to strengthen the rule of law must be tailored to the culture and traditions of the host country. In our practical experience, three key features contribute to a successful mandate.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“Through our participation in peacebuilding activities in our own region, New Zealand has learned that an early focus on building effective and accountable rule-of-law institutions is central to success. It helps shift power from those who might gain from conflict to those who would uphold good governance and the rule of law. Strengthening rule-of-law institutions also requires a long-term focus. Fundamental change, such as building the capacity of genuinely independent legal institutions and staff, moving law reform forward and strengthening engagement with traditional justice systems, requires a commitment lasting decades rather than just months. It is therefore vital that the Council provide the strategic direction and oversight that is needed to ensure that efforts are coordinated and sequenced, and are adapted to the context.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“In that regard, we recall that a major theme from last month's open debate on "War, its lessons, and the search for permanent peace" (see S/PV.7105) was the importance of building a genuine rule-of-law environment for sustainable peace. It is New Zealand's view that the rule of law must be a core priority in all mission planning. The initial phases of planning all peacekeeping operations must include effective early peacebuilding initiatives, not least by mainstreaming rule-of-law activities. New Zealand urges an integrated, flexible and mobile approach, supported by personnel capable of carrying out the functions required by very complex missions.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“New Zealand welcomes the commitment to the rule of law shown by the Security Council and thanks Lithuania for convening this very important debate. We now have a substantive body of Council resolutions, presidential statements and mandates emphasizing the importance of the rule of law as a key element in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The real challenge for the Council, and for the broader United Nations membership, lies in the substantive, effective and timely implementation of those principles. And that challenge is stark. For New Zealand, it is no longer acceptable to confine such discussions to an abstract legal principle. We must focus on the practical actions of the Council and the impact of those actions on creating and sustaining international peace and security.”
2014-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7113 (2014) · source
“Looking forward, we must acknowledge that, when the protection of civilians fails, all too often that failure is accompanied by grave war crimes and atrocities. As the representative of Italy has just emphasized, where States cannot or do not fulfil their obligations to ensure accountability for breaches of international humanitarian and human rights law, international mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, play an important role in preventing impunity. As we have seen so recently, there are important questions about when, and in what circumstances, such mechanisms should play their role. Therefore, Madam President, the debate on rule of law, which your country, Lithuania, has scheduled for 19 February, will be an ideal opportunity for the linkage between protection and accountability to be explored.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“But, as we have said previously, in addition to training and resources, actually implementing a protection mandate also requires common political will. Generating that willingness and coordinating protection-of-civilians activities across multidimensional missions is a complex task, and thus New Zealand supports a strong protection-of-civilians coordination capacity. Like Germany, New Zealand is convinced that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is one of the key factors threatening the safety of civilians - indeed, threatening the safety of the peacekeepers sent to protect them. Peacekeepers should be mandated to assist in tracking illicit transfers of small arms and in implementing restrictions on their movement in their areas of operation. That would have a real impact on the protection environment.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“The Council must ask which aspects of its current practice carry the risk of delay, and how they can be remedied, thus allowing it to respond to an emerging threat to civilians, even if it is already dealing with other crises elsewhere. It may also be that United Nations peacekeepers could be better trained and equipped to fulfil protection-of-civilians mandates. Peacekeepers might need the relevant enablers, including air assets, to enhance situation awareness, mobility and force protection. The finalization by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of tactical-level training material on the protection of civilians is very welcome, and its adoption by training centres and troop- contributing countries will further develop the capacity and capability of peacebuilders and peacekeepers.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Finding the political will to act is equally critical - in which regard the Council must be congratulated for its prompt action, in December, on South Sudan. But it is worth reflecting on how the protection needs of civilians in the Central African Republic and Mali might have been better achieved if the Council had sent missions to those countries much earlier in the evolution of their conflicts. Similar, lower- level missions were sometimes used in that way to good effect in the past. And they should be used again. Given its tremendous responsibility to civilian populations in danger - sometimes in mortal danger - capacity bottlenecks in the Council should never become a reason for delaying action.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“Events in South Sudan, with tens of thousands of civilians sheltering in United Nations compounds - the safe haven of the Blue Helmets, of which Slovakia has just spoken - and nearly 1 million people displaced, underline the importance of peacekeeping missions being better prepared and better mandated for implementing practical protection roles. New Zealand is convinced that protection works best when combined with prevention. That means that the Council must be better informed of emerging protection challenges. Early warning is one element of that. Regular briefings focused on emerging civilian protection challenges should be treated as essential, not just as "nice to have". But having been warned, are we prepared to act? Sometimes, even early warning is not enough.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“In short, we urge that the effort of those who sit at the Council table be focused on protecting real people in real conflict situations and on achieving results. It only adds to the tragedy in Syria that today we are debating the issue of protection in the abstract, instead of applying the energy of the Council to a real-life protection crisis that calls out for attention - and it is an agonized call, at that. Moreover, other real life situations demonstrate that conflict can easily re-emerge in countries where there is already a United Nations peacekeeping or special political mission. Experience is showing that such missions need much clearer guidance on fulfilling their protection mandates.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“New Zealand applauds the fact the Lithuania continues the tradition of elected Council members paying close attention to the issue of the protection of civilians. The updated aide-memoire adopted with today's presidential statement (S/PRST/2014/3) is a useful achievement. But we have to be realistic; it is only a modest step. There are already many generic statements from the Council on the protection issue. New Zealand believes that, at this time, the real challenge is finding ways to mainstream those thematic statements into the real-life situations on the Council's agenda and that we can meet that challenge by carefully assessing where the gaps lie between Council decisions and actual practice, and determining how to fill and close those gaps.”
2014-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7109 (2014) · source
“But given the challenges and expectations of today's world, real and substantial change is needed in the way the Council functions if it is to deliver on its responsibilities; and that is what New Zealand urges today.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“They have an inherent advantage in identifying emerging threats, they are better placed for early threat identification, they often know the players, and they have a greater stake in preventing conflict. The Council would be much better placed to respond to such threats if it had improved processes for engagement with regional organizations, and we strongly urge that. Much of what we achieve at the United Nations relies on momentum, so we encourage Council members to take to heart the many messages emerging from today's debate. The range of issues raised by Member States indicates our widespread interest in and concern about working methods. We know that takes time; we know that it takes energy.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“New Zealand also sees potential for a greater role for Council subsidiary bodies, particularly the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, to help facilitate more active Council roles in conflict prevention. That could lead the Working Group to focus more closely on subregional or country- specific challenges, or to act as a mechanism for more meaningful interaction on conflict analysis and preventive initiatives between the Council and regional and subregional organizations. Similarly, advances in working methods are needed to address wide concerns held outside the Council about its working partnership with regional and subregional organizations.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“The Council's monthly programme of work might be a useful aid to transparency, as was just emphasized by the representative of Costa Rica, but it must not become a procedural fetter on the ability of the Secretary- General or Council members to discharge their Charter responsibilities to prevent conflict. Discussions on emerging crises are often going to be very sensitive and are therefore not always best suited to formal Council meetings, and that reality could also be better reflected in Council working methods. In that same context, it is necessary to find better ways to engage with the States concerned.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We have a very open mind on the name, format and modalities, which for us are much less important than the underlying purpose of enabling the Council to look ahead and assess emerging threats to international peace and security, thereby facilitating early and effective responses in supporting or leading mediation and conflict prevention measures. The case of Syria graphically underlines what happens when there is insufficient attention to emerging situations at early stages. New Zealand also emphasizes that it is not just the Security Council itself which has responsibility for better using the available tools to facilitate effective preventive action by the Council. Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations allows the Secretary- General to bring emerging threats to the Council's attention - a power that should be used more often.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“As New Zealand stressed in this debate last year, preventive initiatives are less costly in terms of resources and lives than peacekeeping or peace enforcement, and are more likely to deliver lasting outcomes that address the root causes of conflict. The Council's attempts over the past year to better fulfil its preventive function by resurrecting horizon-scanning was an important recognition of a problem that must be addressed. We do recognize, however, that some States have concerns about that format.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Its slow reaction to unfolding political, security and humanitarian crises in Mali and in the Central African Republic are further examples. We are pleased, however, to observe some minor but positive changes. Presidential note S/2013/515 will be a useful aid to transparency. Wrap-up sessions are now convened with greater frequency, following Pakistan's lead in January. Last week's briefings direct from Addis Ababa and Entebbe were an obvious improvement in the use of technology. But much more must be done to enable the Council more effectively to perform its most neglected Charter responsibilities - those under Chapter VI, concerning conflict prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We thank Azerbaijan for convening this important debate, we congratulate Ambassador Perceval on her chairmanship of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, and we note that this debate has now become an annual fixture on the Council's programme. Having said that, we think that once a year is not enough; working methods are too important to be relegated to an annual discussion. Over the past 12 months, we have seen occasions when better working methods might have improved the quality and effectiveness of outcomes. The Council's engagement with troop-contributing countries while establishing the Force Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have been much better.”
2013-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7052Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Women and peace and security is the agenda item that will not go away, and with very good reason. As long as that remains the reality, New Zealand will continue to participate actively in the implementation of the women and peace and security agenda.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“United Nations field presences must fully engage with women in civil society and the community. New Zealand thus encourages a consistent practice of deploying gender advisers to peacekeeping missions, with their role continuing through any transitional arrangements to assist in post-conflict processes. In addition to the existing Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, which New Zealand is continuing to implement along with its regional partners, we are proceeding with the development of a comprehensive national action plan of our own. Looking ahead, we welcome the concept of an independent global study to assist in the preparations of the high-level review of resolution 1325 (2000) in 2015, and we believe our Pacific Regional Action Plan could provide a good example of regional action.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“The Council should also make clear that there must be prominent roles for women, both as leaders and as active participants in the consultative processes that establish transitional arrangements. New Zealand's experience, in its own region and beyond is that credible, informal and tradition-based justice systems have a demonstrated role in establishing accountability. In post-conflict societies, it is often informal justice mechanisms that are the most accessible forjustice, mediation and conflict resolution. While some informal and traditional systems struggle to adequately address women's needs due to inherent gender biases, examples from Africa show the value of local efforts to transform such institutions in a manner that allows for the full participation for women.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“She questioned the sustainability of any peace that half the population has had no role in building and she called for women to be put at the core of peacebuilding. New Zealand agrees. If it is going to deliver lasting and sustainable peace, then, as the representative of Austria just emphasized, transitional justice must incorporate the entire population. Women's perspectives must be included in the design, implementation and monitoring of transitional justice processes. Beyond simply being a just democratic principle, there are many tangible reasons for that. It builds trust in post-conflict justice institutions, and UN Women's research shows that women are more likely to report sexual and gender-based crimes to transitional justice institutions that involve women judges and officials.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“Hard tools, such as sanctions regimes that target perpetrators of sexual violence and appropriately mandated and trained peacekeeping missions, are effective instruments for the protection agenda, but the participation dimension of the women and peace and security agenda still requires targeted action by the Council. Indeed, the Council's role in addressing women's political participation in the peace and security agenda remains a challenge. That makes today's debate on the role of women in transitional justice even more important. In June, when the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, made her first statement to the United Nations family in her new role, she spoke of women not as Victims but as stakeholders.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“I will give a somewhat shortened version of the distributed statement. We thank the delegation of Azerbaijan for organizing today's very important debate and we welcome the Security Council's unanimous adoption of resolution 2122 (2013). New Zealand also associates itselfwith the statement to be delivered shortly by the representative of the Marshall Islands who will speak on behalf of Pacific Islands Forum. In 2013 we have seen a very real focus by the Security Council on the protection aspect of the women and peace and security agenda. The Council's high- profile debate in June (S/PV.6984) and resolution 2106 (2013) demonstrated solid progress in that regard. The Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, endorsed by 113 States, including my own, was a landmark.”
2013-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7044 (2013) · source
“They command our utmost respect, and all of us i the States Members of the United Nations, the members of the Security Council and the United Nations Secretariat - all of us - must heed their example and be active and equally courageous if we are to make a reality of the protection of civilians.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“We join Belgium in saying that access must not be denied. Civilians trapped in those conflict areas cannot wait for the successful conclusion of a political process before they get assistance. We join Estonia in saying that preventing access by deliberately attacking humanitarian workers is a war crime, and ensuring accountability for such violations, as has been emphasized by many in today's debate, is an important role of the Security Council. There can be no impunity. Finally, on this World Humanitarian Day and its very sad anniversary, it is important that we all pay respect to the many humanitarian workers who have risked - and far too often lost - their lives in trying to alleviate the suffering of civilians.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“As Emergency Relief Coordinator Amos made clear, the situation in Syria remains a glaring example of where the Council is quite simply failing both to support the approaches advocated by relevant regional organizations and to live up to the standards that it set for itself in its own thematic statements on the protection of civilians. In those circumstances, it is important for each of the 15 members of the Council to be seen to be working to address practical protection needs. Under this agenda item, we must also emphasize the ongoing importance of ensuring the safety of humanitarian actors and their essential access to zones where they can alleviate suffering. We have heard Under-Secretary-General Amos's repeated calls for access to civilians trapped in Aleppo, Horns and other parts of Syria.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“We echo calls from the Secretary-General, Ms.Pillay and earlier by the United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovie, that the Council pay more attention to that issue. As we heard last week in the Chamber from Valerie Amos (see S/PV.7017), it is now critical that the Council deal with the African Union's request for support with real urgency. The Council must do more than just address the protection of civilians as a thematic issue. It must be more fully engaged in the implementation of this agenda item in practice, in the field and within the country-specific situations on its agenda. It must also do more to lend practical support to the protection efforts by regional organizations.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“Secondly, we welcome the Council's decision last week to emphasize the role of regional and subregional organizations, bodies with huge potential for improving practical outcomes in the protection of civilians. The Council must support their efforts. Thirdly, we note an approach of using force robustly for the protection of civilians within the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as another marker of the growing commitment to the protection agenda. Fourthly, the African Union's decision in July to establish a new peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, with a robust protection of civilians mandate, is particularly welcome. We are acutely aware of the ever-deteriorating, increasingly perilous situation of civilians in that country.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“Indeed, we look forward to the Secretary-General's report later on in the year and to an additional debate focused on his recommendations. Nonetheless, it is important to recall that, since February, when the Council adopted a presidential statement under the leadership of the Republic of Korea (S/PRST/2013/2), we have seen a number of important and positive developments relating to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The first was the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty on 2 April 2013. That was a landmark step, with really significant implications for the protection of civilians, who can always be threatened by those possessing conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons. New Zealand was proud to work closely with partners in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific to help to achieve that result.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“Thank you, Madam President, for convening this debate, which is so significant. Today's briefings by the Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and the reprentative of the International Committee of the Red Cross remind us that this agenda item is constantly relevant to the Security Council. They also remind us of mini-conflicts where the Council continues to struggle for leverage and where the United Nations as a whole is not delivering what is expected of it in its Charter. Therefore, no one should be overly concerned that the Council has already focused on this thematic issue, as recently as earlier in 2013.”
2013-08-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7019 (2013) · source
“In Chapters VI and VIII we have the tools, and New Zealand urges that, by working together, the Council and regional and subregional organizations should put them to very good use.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“To make progress on this important agenda item, we believe that the Council must take a step that would involve cultural change. Formats like the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa could be a very useful entry point for forging the kind of partnership we are suggesting. But, for that to be meaningful, working methods must be adapted to allow regional and subregional organisations and their members to be meaningfully engaged. We are convinced that only through active conflict prevention under Chapter VI and effective engagement with regional and subregional organizations under Chapter VIII can we hope to reduce the demand for hugely expensive peacekeeping operations; and, above all, we must address the enormous human, social, environmental and financial costs of armed conflict.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Such ties can be crucial for generating the trust and engagement required for successful mediation, and they can prove useful in supporting civil society constituencies for building and sustaining peace. At the global level, only the United Nations has the power to levy assessed contributions from all Member States, but this Council can also bring into play other assets, such as institutional weight and impact and the capacities of Member States with wide experience of similar issues in other parts of the world, and it can provide neutral perspectives. A real partnership along those lines, including the hybrid missions advocated by Egypt, could also be very useful in reducing the incoherence that sometimes bedevils conflict prevention, with overlap between the United Nations, bilateral and regional organizations and actors.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Instead, New Zealand would like to see a focus, by the Council and by regional organizations, on building practical partnerships at a much earlier stage of an emerging problem. The Security Council and regional organizations should be working together in conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict resolution. We therefore echo Ethiopia's call on behalf of the AU for more effective, results-focused consultations with the Council and regional organizations. Regional actors can, as the representative of Egypt has just emphasized, contribute in-depth knowledge and longstanding relationships with key local stakeholders, with whom they often share linguistic, cultural and historical ties.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“To achieve this, the Council must be perceptive and flexible in responding to particular situations. Sometimes, effective cooperation and partnership will require urgent Council political action of a preventive kind. Sometimes it will mean the consideration of strong deterrent measures. Other times it will require the use of the Council's unique capacity to provide financial, logistical and even military support to assist regional efforts. Sometimes it will require decisions to deploy a full-scale United Nations operation. Right now, the model developed for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur is causing dissatisfaction on all sides, and that is hardly surprising, given its history.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“But we also share African concerns, as just voiced by the representative of Egypt, that the Security Council is simply not doing enough to respond to the hopes and expectations of the African Union (AU) and African regional and subregional organizations. There seem to us to be two distinct elements to the problem. First is the concern that, sometimes, the Security Council can overshadow and effectively marginalize the AU and other regional institutions and, conversely, in other cases, the Council is often too passive or is not responsive in a timely manner. It is not enough for the Security Council to adopt statements of good intention. What is needed is a new, practical willingness to extend the Council's capacity to interact in a collective way that builds real partnerships with the regions.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We would say that proper use of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations can be a critical contributor to international peace and security, as expounded this morning by the Secretary-General and others. But we also share the realism expressed today about the need, in difficult cases, for regional efforts to be backed up or supplemented by the United Nations and the Security Council in particular. We also share the African Union's optimism, as expressed on its behalf by the representative of Ethiopia, that its African Peace and Security Architecture can address regional challenges.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source
“New Zealand congratulates Argentina on the priority it has given to this very important issue. We recognize and applaud the strength and relevance of the Latin American regional organizations that are represented here today. In the Pacific, we are also very well served by our own regional organizations, which have restored security when Violence has threatened lives and stability. Just last month, in Honiara on Solomon Islands, regional leaders celebrated the success of the 10-year-long Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. We therefore share the sentiments expressed today about the importance of strong and effective regional institutions and their competitive advantage through proximity, in-depth knowledge, commitment and local accountability.”
2013-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7015Resumption1 (2013) · source