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

“The challenge for the international community is to ensure that, in performing their essential function of speaking truth to power, journalists are not also exposed to deliberate, targeted acts of violence. That, I suggest, is the task - indeed, the responsibility - we should reaffirm today.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“Above all, journalists can play an important role in conflict prevention, horizon-scanning and early warning. In the absence of peacekeeping or observer operations and political missions, the international community relies on the media to inform and alert it to situations that are at risk of deteriorating into armed conflict, and that, I know, can be particularly helpful to the Council's elected members. We must all support the media as important actors that enable the United Nations and the Security Council to act in preventive mode. It is inherent in journalists' work that in war zones they assume a task that exposes them to danger. Indeed, they often seek it out, and, paradoxically, we benefit from that proximity.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“Media deaths, sadly, do not correspond to the intensity of combat. The large number of deaths in Syria and Somalia compared to those in other conflict zones emphasizes that different conflicts require different, tailored responses to protect journalists - an issue that should now be addressed by the Security Council at the country-specific level, for which we encourage the inclusion of specific language on the topic in the relevant Council mandates. It is not sufficient anymore that this issue be addressed only through a resolution that is now six and a half years old; it must be operationalized in the field, allowingjournalists access to their sources and, as the representative of Brazil has just stressed, allowing them to protect those sources and, in particular, to protect them from harm.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“On reviewing the list of the many media personnel killed in Syria over the past year, it is striking how many are not affiliated with traditional media organizations. International humanitarian law protects new media, such as Internet media, bloggers, online videos and other digital news sources, all now so ubiquitous in this digital age. But this democratization of content also means that, unlike traditional media, new media journalists and other practitioners may not have the same level of awareness of, and training in, respect of their rights or of the practical, protective actions they might take in conflict zones. We therefore strongly commend initiatives taken by the International Committee of the Red Cross and by non-governmental organizations such as Reporters Without Borders to fill that knowledge gap.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“Indeed, the presence of an independent media is essential to stress-test other reports of what is happening in conflict areas, and is an important check on the so-called official line, whether it be from host Governments, interested stakeholders or even the United Nations itself. We have been reminded several times in this debate that truth is often the first casualty of war. In speaking truth to power, journalists in conflict situations can help right that wrong. The flow of information and the expose of war crimes are crucial mechanisms for combatting impunity in respect of war crimes. Many of the important points that might be raised in relation to this topic are also, more generally, relevant to the protection of civilians. But today we should focus on aspects relating to the special characteristics of journalists themselves.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“We welcome your initiative, Madam President, in bringing truly relevant and innovative briefers to the Security Council. Journalists reporting on situations of armed conflict, like the briefers we have heard today, deserve credit for bringing to Headquarters the grim reality of armed conflict. Together with the United Nations own reporting, news media form part of the international community's decision-making matrix, as has already been made clear by a number of Council members, not least in respect of the decisions made by the Council itself. Media can also help transform and resolve conflicts, as the work of professional and citizen journalists disperses information, discloses wrongdoing and sheds light on atrocities.”
2013-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7003 (2013) · source
“We also highlight the important role that non-governmental organizations and civil society groups can play in drawing attention to some of the worst abuses, and their related role as an important part of the accountability landscape - sometimes, as the representative of Germany has pointed out, by putting themselves at considerable special risk. New Zealand welcomes the Council's consideration of this specific aspect of the women, peace and security agenda, and we urge that it give consideration to the specific issues we have raised and that it also remain seized of the wider agenda, including women's participation in political processes.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“But words alone are not enough, and, in appropriate circumstances, where national authorities are unwilling or unable to act, the Council should consider referrals to the International Criminal Court. Similarly, the Council should also consider the use of mixed tribunals and truth and reconciliation processes, and any judicial measures should be clearly victim- focused. We also encourage the Council to include this topic in its annual consultations with the African Union's Peace and Security Council. The perspectives and expertise of regional organizations are valuable in developing comprehensive strategies for addressing accountability for sexual violence in conflict.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“Building national capacity remains one of the best and most comprehensive ways to address sexual violence in conflict, so we very strongly support the assistance regarding national capacities being provided to various Governments by the Team of Experts. Indeed, to underscore its importance, we encourage continued further reference to the work of the Team of Experts in relevant Council outputs. Next, accountability for sexual violence does not lend itself to a one-size-fits-all approach. The Council must be agile, inclusive and open to considering alternative courses of action. Presidential and public statements from the Council give voice to the international community's abhorrence for sexual Violence and send a very strong signal that it will not be tolerated.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“We agree with Portugal and others that the United Nations, across its relevant divisions such as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, must continue its efforts to focus on supporting national efforts. We have received excellent information and recommendations from today's briefers and from Member State interventions, often, as I have said, with considerable passion. Against that background, I wish to make a few specific points. The Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict provides important technical assistance to national authorities attempting to bolster national civil and military justice systems.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“We welcome the United Kingdom's concept note (S/2013/335, annex) and the Secretary- General's most recent report on sexual violence in conflict (S/2013/l49), both of which correctly highlight that national Governments have primary legal and moral responsibility for the protection of civilian populations, including from sexual violence in conflict. Indeed, as the Secretary-General's report identifies, the lack at the national level of capacity to investigate and prosecute is one of the principal impediments to ensuring accountability for conflict-related sexual violence.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“New Zealand welcomes the presence of Foreign Secretary Hague, and the attention paid to this important issue by the Group of Eight and the United Kingdom in particular. We also welcome the presence ofthe Secretary-General and Special Representative Bangura, who has been a fearless advocate on sexual violence in conflict. We applaud the passion that they and many others have brought to this discussion. As my delegation said in the April debate on sexual violence in conflict during the Rwandan presidency (see S/PV.6948), it is vitally important that the Council send a clear message on the issue of sexual violence to the entire international community and that it does so through, inter alia, the strong statements made in debates like this.”
2013-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6984 (2013) · source
“The work of panels of experts and other United Nations activities in affected states must support and enhance national capacities. In short, New Zealand supports effective action by the Council, in partnership with others, and the use of its undoubted powers to address this important issue.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Peacekeeping missions and special political missions in conflict situations with a resource dimension should be specifically mandated to assist national efforts and boost institutions that can reduce the risk of future resource-driven conflict, which means that particular attention to resource regulation and the rule of law. New Zealand also draws attention to the potential for civil society and resource firms to play a positive role. In recent times, civil society has successfully highlighted the link between resource exploitation and conflict, and we are encouraged by voluntary, industry efforts to self-regulate through mechanisms such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. We also believe that the Council must pay more attention to the need for national ownership.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Well-targeted sanctions are very effective instruments for restricting the exploitation of natural resources, which are often used to fund armed conflict, and can be a useful tool to restrict funding for resource-related conflicts. Asset freezes and travel bans can deter spoilers. Sanctions can also support efforts to seek the post-conflict recovery of funds from illegal asset exploitation. And we support the call to improve information-sharing between sanctions panels and groups of experts, which, whenever applicable, should include cooperation with relevant peacekeeping missions.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“In our view, the combined effort of the whole United Nations system is required, so it is especially important that the Council adapt its methods to enable engagement with other appropriate organs. Similarly, interaction between the Council and relevant regional and subregional organizations must be improved to ensure better management of resource-driven conflicts. Supply chains and intraregional trade are often a key element of resource-fuelled conflicts, which makes meaningful interaction with the relevant regional and subregional organizations of crucial importance. But the fact remains that only the Security Council has the competence and the essential and effective tools to deal with resource dimensions of conflict - specifically, targeted sanctions and peacekeeping missions.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“We welcome the United Kingdom's initiative to convene this meeting, and regret that it was not possible for the Council to issue a formal statement on the issue. Extractive industries are often the last to cease operations during hostilities and among the first to return, and they are particularly tempting targets for non-State actors. Natural resources can incentivize peace spoilers. The natural resource dimension is a major challenge for international policymakers, but also presents opportunities to develop better Council tools for conflict prevention, and to improve its mandates to assist States emerging from conflict. We agree others who have stressed that the Council should not assume exclusive competence to deal with these issues.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“New Zealand joins those who have expressed outrage and sorrow at this morning's attack on the United Nations compound in Mogadishu, and offers its condolences to all who have been affected. It seems yet again that we are faced with a situation where, in determining their targets, Al-Qaida and Al-Shabaab have no scruples and recognize no boundaries. In its April presidential statement adopted under the Rwandan presidency (S/2013/PRST/4), the Council identified the risk of natural resources becoming a root cause of conflict in Africa. New Zealand considers this to be a global issue. Even in our own Pacific region, competition for resources has been a driver of conflict, so we believe that the Council must consider this issue in a wider context.”
2013-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6982Resumption1 (2013) · source
“Just as many Member States have assiduously addressed sexual violence in their domestic environments, so, too, must the international community be equally resolved to make good on its commitment to protect populations from that all-too-prevalent scourge. It can do that through the actions and decisions - and with the support - of the Council.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“It is clear that, all too often in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, instability resulting from the use of force has helped create a climate that leads to sexual violence. Too often in the past, the Security Council has been caught off balance by outrages against civilians. The experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows that the Council should, and can, find better ways to maintain appropriate engagement so as to enable the proper management of those risks. The host country, regional actors, regional and subregional organizations and troop-contributing countries must all be involved to ensure the best outcome in protecting civilian populations and reducing the incidence of sexual violence.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“Peacekeepers must be supported with appropriate training and resources to enable them to fulfil their protection mandate. We note, for example, that the Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is specifically mandated, in resolution 2098 (2013), to contribute to civilian security, which necessarily includes protection from sexual violence. We ask that MONUSCO's intervention operations be carefully monitored by the Council. Combat operations are inherently risky for civilian populations, no matter how principled the motivation, whether Blue Helmet or not. We must remember the recent reports in the Kivus about retreating troops committing extensive acts of rape and sexual violence.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“The Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda and the Mouvement du 23 mars have now been listed by the Committee, and that sends a very important signal. However, the Council should ensure that the criteria for listing are regularly updated and harmonized across the various regimes. The Council should move to implement the Secretary-General's recommendation that similar powers be given to the Committees responsible for Somalia, the Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire and Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb. It would be a useful step to add Guinea-Bissau to that list as well. The deployment of peacekeepers with an explicit mandate to protect civilians from sexual violence has been a very important step. But the challenge is to ensure that such deployment delivers results effectively in the field.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“Looking ahead, there is still great scope for improvement in the Council's work in particular cases, as is well illustrated by the experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where many women and children have suffered serious sexual violence. Sanctions can, in appropriate cases, play an important role in combating sexual violence. The recent actions of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with regard to listing entities responsible for sexual violence and explicitly linking the listing to sexual violence, is an important signal that carefully crafted and targeted sanctions will be used to combat the most serious and systematic incidents of sexual violence in conflict.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“In that connection, we are all the more pleased to note from the assessment in the Security Council Report cross-cutting report entitled Women, Peace and Security." Violence in Conflict and Sanctions that, despite ongoing controversy at the thematic level, the Council has, in country-specific situations, continued to apply the substance of the principles that it had previously developed on women and peace and security. That is good news. Even better news is the assessment that there seems to be an emerging trend, when new problems emerge, as recently they did in Mali and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to have explicit women peace and security language incorporated into mandates at the outset of a mission. We urge that that trend continue.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“We also join Portugal in the message that it sent to the victims of sexual violence. We think that that should be a message sent by the whole of the international community. The issue of sexual violence in conflict is a global problem, and in recent years its gravity has been demonstrated, in many cases, in Africa, most recently in places not far from Rwanda. Sexual violence in conflict is as complex as it is horrifying. Its occurrence does not necessarily correspond with the intensity of the related armed violence: in low-intensity conflicts and post-conflict situations, women and children can be at as great a risk of sexual violence as during the height of hostilities. That complexity requires that the Council carefully craft its responses in addressing and focusing on sexual violence in conflict.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“I thank the Secretary- General and Special Representative Bangura for their statements. I will deliver an abridged version of my statement in the interests of time; the full text will be distributed in the Chamber. New Zealand congratulates Rwanda, in particular its Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was with us today, for taking the lead on this very important issue in the Council. Rwanda is following in a proud tradition of several African countries that, during their presidencies, have been willing to stand up in the Council and highlight those problems, even though there are some, as we know, who would prefer that the Council spent its time on other matters. It is important that, yet again, Rwanda is demonstrating African leadership on an African problem.”
2013-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6948 (2013) · source
“It would also provide a context for more sustained and effective Council leadership on conflict prevention and resolution, using, as we have urged in the past, the Council's tools under Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations. Above all, it would help to fulfil the promise of truly multidimensional and effective United Nations peacekeeping, which could address the root causes of conflict, and would be a tangible expression of the Council's commitment to Chapter VI and the peaceful settlement of disputes. That is what we seek of all peacekeeping missions, and with the right measures, that is what can be delivered.”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“We suggest that the Council could start with one or two situations on its agenda where there is at present no peacebuilding configuration, and could establish a configuration-type of format of its own, based on a partnership between the Council, the host State and others, as appropriate, as well as with the relevant United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme. A less formal configuration of that character would be a very powerful tool for better, collective United Nations engagement on the multifaceted issues that face almost every peacekeeping task. The right mix of political inclusivity and informality could permit the input of the relevant stakeholders, including host countries, donors, troop- contributing countries and United Nations agencies.”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“That said, its current practice is not well suited to complex situations where there are overlapping competencies and responsibilities. Key stakeholders outside the Council, and not least host countries, are often marginalized in its consideration of multidimensional mandates, and we join Egypt and others in saying that peacekeeping tasks must be aligned with the strategies of the host country in order to ensure national ownership. Better interaction with the relevant peacebuilding configurations is one potentially very useful step. But that is not always possible, because most of the missions with Council mandates are not countries that are on the Peacebuilding Commission's agenda. We therefore need to go much deeper in our search for effective tools for proper oversight of effective integration.”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“The second key requirement is for peacekeeping missions to be seen to deliver early and tangible benefits to host country populations, thus helping to build the mission's political capital with the host Government and other stakeholders. We have unfortunately seen too many instances where host Governments have simply lost patience with peacekeeping missions. So how can the Council manage United Nations peacekeeping missions in a truly multidimensional manner? Its mandate under the Charter is not unlimited. It cannot and should not be seeking exclusive competence over all aspects of a multidimensional mission, but given the intimate connection between the various causes of conflict, the Council still has a critically important role to play.”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“To enable the drawdown of costly peacekeeping missions, real and effective work is needed to address the root causes of conflict, and that requires a genuinely multidimensional approach on the part of the Council and the United Nations as a whole. Tasks such as security sector reform, extending the rule of law, establishing inclusive governance and creating early- impact employment and economic opportunities must all be part of the overall United Nations mandate. But to be effective, they must also be very well integrated. If they are not, we will continue to see the dreadful United Nations silo problems that in the past have sometimes rendered peacekeeping ineffective. The multidimensional elements of a mission must therefore be given the same prominence as is usually accorded the military presence of the peacekeeping force itself.”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“New Zealand welcomes the fact that Pakistan's Foreign Secretary has chosen to be present for this debate, and we join Luxembourg and others in applauding the fact that Pakistan, one of the principal troop-contributing countries (TCCs) of the United Nations, is taking the initiative to bring this debate to the Security Council, thereby demonstrating why it is so important to have strong TCC representation on the Council. It is also very fitting that this debate follows closely on the December debate on peacebuilding (S/PV.6897). As New Zealand stressed at that time, effective peacebuilding activities are vital during the peacekeeping phase, so we are very pleased to see that point emphasized so strongly in Pakistan's concept note (S/20l3/4, annex).”
2013-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6903 (2013) · source
“So I welcome the Secretary- General's identification of the interaction between the Peacebuilding Commission and Security Council as another practical area where working methods improvements would enhance effectiveness, and I urge that this Council carry forward that idea into its 2013 discussions on reforming working methods. Finally, as they will be leaving the Council in a few days, Mr. President, I would like to convey New Zealand's warm thanks to our friends from Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South Africa for their tireless work on behalf of us all. They have done us proud.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“The United Nations will struggle to be a credible and effective contributor in early peacebuilding settings, unless it is substantially better at deploying the right people with the right experience in a more timely manner. I echo and commend the Secretary-General's recommendations to promote further improvements in the way the Peacebuilding Commission and the Security Council work together. Indeed, those recommendations take us, I think, back to last month's debate on Council working methods, when we proposed that the Council focus on practical changes that would improve its effectiveness.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“Premature cost-cutting is a false economy; too often it simply transfers costs to vulnerable civilian populations, and before long, the United Nations has to return to expensive peacekeeping. Like Luxembourg, we welcome the Secretary- General's reference to the initiative of the Group of Seven Plus countries, including Timor-Leste, which have emerged from conflict, and they deserve our respect and admiration for their efforts now to help others. We particularly support their five peacebuilding goals, and we urge that this Council take each of those goals to heart as key benchmarks when constructing or reviewing mission mandates. I also join others in stressing the importance of improving the United Nations capacity to rapidly identify and deploy relevant civilian capacities.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“In the context of inclusivity, we join Brazil and Luxembourg in welcoming the Secretary-General's focus on the role of women in peace processes. As for sustained international support, Timor- Leste comes quickly to mind, particularly following the smooth transition of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste over the past year. We should not forget, however, that, in 2006, we all failed Timor- Leste. We underestimated the importance of sustained international support, and the Timorese paid an unacceptable price. Although Timor-Leste will not be on the active 2013 agenda, its experience teaches us that this Council should not prematurely wind back international support for United Nations peacebuilding. The lesson is clear.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“The report tells us that the accumulated experience of the United Nations reveals three key elements of peacebuilding methodology that really do work: inclusivity in political settlements and processes, institution-building, and sustained international support. We should reflect, I think, on how different might things have been in the situation in Syria, if the United Nations, including this Council, had much earlier applied those three concepts, particularly inclusivity. When we look at the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and should consider how much better things might now be in the Kivus if the United Nations had insisted - much earlier and much more firmly - on real political inclusivity and on building effective institutions.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“But it is no less vital that there be effective peacebuilding from the very earliest phases of peacekeeping operations, which raises issues that have not yet received sufficient attention from this Council, and we urge that, in 2013, it should return to that unfinished business. There is another point about peacebuilding that was only implicit in the Secretary-General's report, but is right at the heart of this Council's responsibilities and should therefore, we believe, be highlighted, namely, the vital role of the peacebuilding methodology of not only preventing relapse into conflict, but also preventing and containing conflict in the first place. That is touched on in the report's introduction, and we urge that, in future reports, such a wider applicability of the methodology should be expanded.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“We thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this debate. We also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his commendably brief and focused report (S/2012/746) and recommendations, and Ambassador Momen, Chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission, for his briefing. However, as we read that Secretary-General's report, we cannot escape the conclusion that the United Nations discussion of peacebuilding is still beset by its continued focus mainly on post-conflict environments. It is, of course, vital that once a conflict is over, the United Nations play a key role in helping prevent a relapse, and the Secretary-General has demonstrated that the United Nations is developing some very useful methods in that regard.”
2012-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6897 (2012) · source
“At a time when many national action plans are up for review, New Zealand is very pleased to acknowledge that, as we continue to develop our own plan, we are learning much from the experience of many others. Overall, however, we must all continue to push ahead with the women, peace and security agenda through ongoing and enhanced collaboration among Member States, international, regional and subregional organizations and civil society. New Zealand will certainly play its part in that important endeavour.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“In that regard, we particularly commend the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago in bringing to the United Nations the issues of women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, and we are very pleased that this year's First Committee draft resolution (A/C.1/67/L.35/Rev.1) was adopted by consensus. We hope we can make further progress, drawing on the positive outcomes from this year's United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. New Zealand particularly highlights the importance of further research and analysis to improve our understanding of the role that women can and must play in that area.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“Secondly, we must continue to push for an enhanced role for women in political-level peace discussions, both as mediators - again as highlighted by the representative of Sweden 4 and as principal political actors. That can be best achieved through the increased political representation of women in both elected and appointed posts, a point that was highlighted by Croatia among others. We are pleased at the growing acknowledgement of the need to address the negative impact of armed violence on women and the need to integrate gender perspectives into disarmament policy and practice, particularly with regard to small arms and light weapons. For most ofus, those arms are indeed the real weapons ofmass destruction, killing over halfa million people each and every year.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“Indeed, we emphasize the need to mainstream gender perspectives across all issues in the peace and security agenda. We also welcome the Secretary-General's report on women and peace and security (S/2012/732) and draw attention to several points. First, in planning for the transition phase in peacekeeping missions, we must ensure that we do not lose gender expertise and the United Nations-led advances for women, peace and security. It is critically important that the full women, peace and security agenda be considered as part of the planning for drawdown and handover, as has just been highlighted by the representative of Sweden in her statement.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“We particularly note the important role played by women's organizations in our own region. They were vital components of peace processes in Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands. And we anticipate that Papua New Guinea will speak on that in some detail shortly. As Luxembourg highlighted in its statement to the Council, that was also the case in Timor-Leste. Again in our own region, in September of this year, we were very pleased to see the launch of the first Pacific Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, on which occasion Prime Minister Puna of the Cook Islands underscored the contribution that Pacific women's civil society organizations had made to the development of that Plan. We repeat that sentiment in this forum today.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“New Zealand appreciates the opportunity to mark the twelfth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) and thanks both last month's President, Guatemala, and now India for organizing this very important debate. It is appropriate that this particular debate should focus on the role ofwomen's civil society organizations. Resolution 1325 (2000) was neither created in a vacuum, nor did it result from the foresight of Member States. Rather, it was women's civil society organizations that were particularly instrumental in the initial passage of resolution 1325 (2000), as the culmination of many years of active campaigning, and they continue to play a key role in ensuring the inclusion of gender perspectives in all United Nations debates on peace and security issues.”
2012-11-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6877 (2012) · source
“After that debate, the Council and interested non-members might consider establishing a dialogue group to address this and other procedural issues on an ongoing basis. We offer this as a constructive, practical proposal for engaging the wider United Nations membership in this important issue, while at the same time leaving the ultimate decisions to the Council itself. We make that proposal - indeed, all the suggestions we have offered - in recognition and acknowledgement of the open and constructive spirit in which you, Mr. President, have convened this debate.”
2012-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6870 (2012) · source
“The legal responsibility for adapting the Council's working methods rests, of course, with the Council itself, but the wider United Nations membership has a strong political, moral and often financial interest in how well the Council functions. As the concept note says, these matters concern the United Nations Member States as a whole. And so, with such engagement in mind, we propose that in 2013 there should be an open Security Council debate focused on options for improving the Council's working methodologies under Chapter VI. That debate could be preceded by an informal interactive dialogue with non-Council members, which would better inform the open debate and could also result in an outcome document that the Council itself could adopt.”
2012-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6870 (2012) · source
“Likewise, despite concerns expressed over many years, there is still the problem of participation in the Council's work by those with a real interest in the issues under discussion. The Arria Formula and interactive dialogues are useful formats to extend participation, so their use should be commonplace and not an exception. As another way of extending participation, we would urge the Council to consider, adapting as appropriate, the Peacebuilding Commission's (PBC) example of country-specific configurations. The PBC precedent as a whole probably is not applicable to Security Council processes, but there is still much that could be learned from that model.”
2012-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6870 (2012) · source
“We consider that horizon-scanning briefings should be a regular feature of the Council's programme of work. Past Council members have raised the important issue of the interdependence between security and development and the overlap between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We commend Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Turkey and others for keeping those discussions before the Council. But despite their best efforts, the Council's outcome documents rarely get past the point of problem definition. Everyone seems to agree that there is a problem, but the working methods reforms required for the Security Council to work in partnership with others and to implement solutions are still not being addressed.”
2012-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6870 (2012) · source
“We admire South Africa's efforts and determination to transform the output of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa from the theoretical to the practical, but despite those efforts, the Working Group's potential is still not being realized. Indeed, we would like to see a full-scale review of the structure and functioning of all the Council's standing and ad hoc committees, working groups and commissions. We believe that much of their work could be greatly improved. Likewise, we welcome the United Kingdom's initiative to use horizon-scanning to improve Council capacity for Chapter VI action. But that has largely fallen by the wayside - so much so that in 2012 this Council is much less systematically briefed by the Secretariat on developing situations than it was in the past.”
2012-11-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6870 (2012) · source