YouSaid · the spoken record

Menelaou

lines on the record

29

first

2014-10-28

most recent

2018-05-17

sittings or episodes

5

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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

1. “Lastly, the Republic of Cyprus is concerned with the serious escalation of the situation in Gaza, resulting in loss of life. The situation puts into even sharper focus the imperative need for the two sides to resume negotiations for a peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the framework of the two-State solution, which will be to the benefit of both Palestinians and Israelis and will contribute significantly towards peace and security for the whole region. Cyprus maintains the position that the final status of Jerusalem is to be determined through negotiations on the basis of Council resolutions.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

2. “It is significant that by virtue of its mandate, the Council will be able to do so without restrictions and with respect to all States. We see that development as eventually contributing to the suppression ofacts ofaggression, cited in Article 1 ofthe Charter as a primary purpose of the United Nations. We also seize this opportunity to encourage the ratification and implementation of the updated version of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Moreover, with regard to recent developments, we are seriously concerned about attempts to open the door of Article 51 of the Charter to the threat of terrorism in response to armed attacks perpetrated by non-State actors, which carries the potential for escalating violence and abusive invocations of self-defence.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

3. “They interfere with the authority of Cyprus to exercise its inherent and inalienable sovereign rights to explore and exploit its offshore natural resources, and they constitute a striking example of Turkey's gunboat-diplomacy methods, thereby endangering the peace and security of the region. While acknowledging the role of the veto as a tool that can provide the needed checks and balances among major international actors, Cyprus reiterates its unequivocal support for the code of conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We also welcome the historic activation of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the crime of aggression as of 17 July, thereby allowing ICC action following a referral by the Security Council.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

4. “With its universal and unified character, the Convention effectively regulates all activities in the largest space on the planet by setting out the legal framework within which all activities in the seas must be carried out. Considering that the UNCLOS provisions reflect customary international law, and are therefore binding on all States, we urge States to act in conformity with the Convention and refrain from actions in violation of Article 2, paragraph 4, of the Charter 4 prohibiting the threat and the use of force and promote the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. Turkey's actions in the Eastern Mediterranean have escalated to the threat of use of force.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

5. “That commitment is also the cornerstone of our policy of trilateral partnerships, which we have established with our neighbouring countries 4 Greece, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine 4 founded on our adherence to the need for stability and good-neighbourly relations as the bedrock for peace and prosperity for all countries and peoples in the extremely volatile region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Turning to the maritime domain, the same adherence to international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has the potential to both prevent and to resolve maritime conflict.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

6. “If those rules were applied today 4 in other words, if Turkey had implemented what it preaches 4 the main aspects of the problem, especially the international aspects, which form the heart of the issue, could be resolved fairly for all parties concerned and in the interest of international peace. The Republic of Cyprus remains unequivocally committed to the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes. Two examples of that are its steadfast commitment and continued support to the United Nations-brokered peace process in Cyprus and its acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

7. “Despite being legally binding, Council resolutions are unfortunately not always upheld. Council resolutions on Cyprus, for example, continue to be systematically violated. It remains our conviction, particularly when dealing with matters of peace and security, that the obligation to act in accordance with the Charter, and with international law in general, has the power not only to prevent conflict but also to resolve it. In the case of Cyprus, if the rules of international law had not been violated by Turkey, the Cyprus problem would not have arisen.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

8. “At the outset, I would like to commend the Polish presidency for convening this timely open debate on upholding international law within the context of the maintenance of peace and security. Cyprus aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union and wishes to make some additional remarks in its national capacity. International law and the Security Council are inextricably linked. The United Nations is founded on a legal instrument, the Charter of the United Nations, and all of its activities are based on the legal authority that instrument provides. The action of the Security Council itself has important international legal implications, such as those related to resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter.”

   2018-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8262 (2018) · source

9. “In conclusion, let me say that Cyprus applauds and endorses all initiatives undertaken to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea in the context of the United Nations, and remains committed to enhanced cooperation and synergies at the international and regional levels, in particular through cooperation with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Gulf of Guinea Commission. Last but not least, we fully recognize the nexus between maritime security and the need to promote economic development, eliminate poverty and support regional coordination mechanisms logistically and financially to respond to the challenges we face. There can be no security, stability or peace without development, equality andjustice in all respects.”

   2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source

10. “However, self-protection measures applied by ships and their crews are limited in effect if not combined with regional and international cooperation in law enforcement and preventive measures. In that regard, the Yaounde process needs to be firmly implemented and reinforced. Furthermore, a renewed United Nations focus on the issue of maritime crime in the region, possibly in the form of a new Security Council resolution, would be helpful in that regard.”

    2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source

11. “We have always been a keen supporter of the IMO as the principal international regulatory body on matters of maritime security and safety. We have ratified all international conventions developed by the organization in that respect. In the context of contributing to the call contained in the concept note before us (S/2016/321, annex) to share national experience and best practices, we wish to state that, at the national level, efforts against piracy and armed robbery are regulated by a particular law that includes West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The law empowers the competent minister to regulate the passage of ships through risk areas. Furthermore, when a ship is in a risk area, the master of the ship and its operator are obliged to implement additional measures and use any means to ensure the security of the ship and its personnel.”

    2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source

12. “Cyprus aligns itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union. I will also make a statement in my national capacity. At the outset, we wish to commend the Chinese presidency of the Security Council, as well as Angola and Senegal, for their initiative in organizing this open debate. We are also grateful to Assistant Secretary- General Zerihoun for his briefing. Cyprus is a maritime nation with a ship registry ranking tenth among international fleets. It is a major ship-management centre, representing 20 per cent of the world's third-party ship-management market. Hence, maritime security is vital to my country. Cyprus has been a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) since 1973 and a member of its Council since 1987.”

    2016-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7675 (2016) · source

13. “The Charter of the United Nations calls, inter alia, for saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war, reaffirming fundamental human rights, justice and respect for international law, promoting better standards of living and living together in peace. Those principles should serve as our torch everywhere in the world where problems continue to exist.”

    2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source

14. “In that regard, we remain cautiously optimistic that the current negotiation process under the auspices of the good offices mission of the Secretary-General will finally lead to a successful outcome on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles of the European Union, of which Cyprus is a member. If that successful outcome is to materialize, however, all parties involved, in particular those that constitute the source of the problem, need to acknowledge and assume their responsibilities and refrain from actions that constitute further violations of international law. They must realize that unproductive insistence on colonial era attitudes has no place in today's world.”

    2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source

15. “It has since remained a steadfast supporter of the Organization and of the international legal framework it provides, despite having witnessed first-hand, from the standpoint of the victim, several violations of the Charter involving international peace and security and regarding its sovereignty and the non-use of force. There are several Security Council and General Assembly resolutions validating those violations. Notwithstanding the numerous resolutions and repeated efforts to resolve the Cyprus question over the years, the situation has remained unchanged since 1974, with 37 per cent of the island's territory still under foreign occupation by Turkey. We acknowledge the need to look to the future.”

    2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source

16. “It also stresses, however, that at certain times the United Nations has failed to live up to the expectations of the world's peoples. We fully share that assessment, based on my country's experience. Previous speakers have referred to several examples of violations of the Charter of the United Nations in today's world. I will therefore take this opportunity to briefly reflect on the case of Cyprus, which is among the oldest issues on this organ's agenda. Cyprus joined the United Nations immediately after gaining its independence from British colonial rule in 1960.”

    2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source

17. “Cyprus aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union, and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We would like to thank the Venezuelan presidency of the Security Council for giving Member States the opportunity to exchange views on the Charter of the United Nations 70 years after the Organization's foundation. Cyprus attaches the utmost importance to the Charter of the United Nations and considers it to be the cornerstone of international law. In the concept paper (S/2016/103, annex), the Council presidency recalls some of the significant achievements of the Organization, most notably regarding the promotion of human rights, decolonization and economic and social development.”

    2016-02-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7621 (2016) · source

18. “In conclusion, let me reiterate our commitment to the women and peace and security agenda and the efforts to update it following the global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). I also express our full support for resolution 2242 (2015), adopted this morning, of which Cyprus was a sponsor.”

    2015-10-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7533 (2015) · source

19. “Fully conscious that sustainable peace cannot be achieved when we leave out half of the world's population, and of the fact that we, as well as the international community, have a long way to go in order to fully implement the women and peace and security agenda, we commit to continue, through our national action plan on gender equality for the period 2014-2017, to strive to eliminate deeply rooted stereotypes, among the main obstacles to gender equality, and to ensure women's active participation in peacemaking efforts, as well as to work to increase women's participation in public and political life, to redouble our efforts in support of women's increased participation in the peace process and to continue our consultation with civil- society organizations in order to ensure that women's voices are heard louder and with the attention that they deserve.”

    2015-10-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7533 (2015) · source

20. “Among other things, in 2008, we helped establish a women's multicultural centre, with the aim of bringing together women from both communities in Cyprus and promoting gender equality, reconciliation and peace. Last April, we established a technical committee on gender equality in the context of the ongoing negotiations for a resolution to the Cyprus problem. That bi-communal committee will work towards making women's voices heard and promote gender equality at all stages of the peacemaking process. The work of the committee draws from the experience with, and the recommendations on, the women and peace and security agenda.”

    2015-10-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7533 (2015) · source

21. “Cypriot women's civil-society organizations have been increasingly active in efforts to achieve justice, reconciliation, peace and the reunification of Cyprus. Our recent historical experience has given Cypriot women an unfortunate but real example of the importance of the women and peace and security agenda. They have experienced the disproportionate effects of war. They have realized how crucial it is to make their voices heard, as well as the importance of being included in the peace process. Their own experience has made them active in international peace and humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Cyprus has consistently supported the activities of women's organizations in promoting peace and reconciliation.”

    2015-10-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7533 (2015) · source

22. “Let me congratulate you, Sir, on organizing this open debate. I shall read out a shortened version of our statement and submit the full text for the record. Cyprus aligns itself with the statement made on behalf of the European Union and would like to add the following comments in its national capacity. Resolution 1325 (2000) and its follow-up resolutions have beeen instrumental in promoting the women and peace and security agenda in Cyprus. They have served as leverage for reform through the increased involvement of women in the peace process and by increasing the number of women working in the foreign service and serving in senior decision-making positions in the public and private sectors.”

    2015-10-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7533 (2015) · source

23. “In conclusion, I would like to mention the words of Hester Paneras of South-Africa, the Police Commissioner of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur and the first woman to hold the top police position in a peacebuilding mission of such magnitude: "Opening up to alternative approaches is very important, but the most important thing is to show that it does not have to be like that. You can get out of it."”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

24. “During all those years, the country's struggle for reunification has borne the mark of the women's movement, as women have provided shelter and relief to victims in the aftermath of war, struggled to learn the fate of missing persons, participated in the international legal and political effort to restore the rights of the displaced, worked to raise international awareness and promoted a message of peace, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. Our recent history makes us sensitive to similar experiences worldwide. For that reason, Cypriot women have been particularly active throughout the years in international humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross and have made important contributions in solidarity and humanitarian aid campaigns.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

25. “The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is the first in the world to have a dual female leadership. As Major General Lund has mentioned, in order to face a challenge, it is important that the other 50 per cent of the population be represented in the peacekeeping forces. Being under foreign occupation for the past 40 years, my country has had direct experience of the disproportionate effects of conflict on women. One third of our population consists of internally displaced persons, deprived of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

26. “The presence of women in peacekeeping operations empowers women in the host community to serve as role models; enables women to train female cadets at police and military academies; gives women and children a greater sense of security; improves access and support for local women and focuses attention on the specific needs of female ex- combatants during the process of their demobilization and reintegration into civilian life. We note with pleasure that five women are currently leading peace operations, including Lisa Buttenheim of the United States in my own country. We are also pleased to note the appointment of Major General Kristin Lund as Force Commander of UNFICYP, the first woman ever to serve as Force Commander of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

27. “We deplore the fact that in current conflicts civilians and women are increasingly purposely targeted and that sexual and gender-based violence is deliberately employed as a war strategy. Numerous international and regional human rights and international humanitarian law instruments are aimed at protecting women during armed conflict, and yet today women and children make up three quarters of the refugee and internally displaced population. The role of women as leaders is essential in enabling their protection needs to be identified and responded to. Cyprus would like to take this opportunity to underline the important role of women in preventing and resolving conflicts. It is vital that peacekeeping operations work to improve the gender balance in peacekeeping mission staff, including at senior management levels.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

28. “It arises from an understanding of armed conflict's disproportionate impact on women and girls, and the importance of enhancing their contributions to conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Unfortunately, 14 years after the resolution's adoption, we are still seeing a gap between the aspirations of the global and regional commitments and the realities of peace processes. My Government remains committed to implementing resolution 1325 (2000) within the Cyprus peace process, where there is admittedly plenty of room for progress. My delegation welcomes the emphasis of today's discussion on displaced women and girls as leaders and survivors.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

29. “I am honoured to address the Security Council on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus on today's important topic, and we wish to warmly congratulate you, Madam President, on taking that initiative. Cyprus would also like to align itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union. Cyprus has direct experience of the subject under discussion through the role of women in the context of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and through women's role in our country's struggle for liberation and reunification. Resolution 1325 (2000) mandates that women should participate in making and keeping peace. The adoption at the highest level of such a resolution is testament to the Council's recognition of the gender inequities in that regard.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source