YouSaid · the spoken record

Milan Milanović

lines on the record
20
first
2020-05-06
most recent
2020-07-17
sittings or episodes
2
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

  1. “This is exactly what is needed for the process of genuine reconciliation among one-time belligerents. I would like to reaffirm Serbia’s strong commitment and continued support to tackling the issue of sexual violence in conflicts.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  2. “Serbia’s criminal justice protects victims of sexual violence by way of prosecuting two criminal offences: crimes against the civilian population and the organization of a group and incitement to the perpetration of genocide and war crimes. The Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor was also established, and it has processed multiple cases related to sexual violence in armed conflicts. Serbia has therefore ensured, institutionally and in practical terms, the highest level of processing of these crimes and the protection of victims of sexual violence. It is exceptionally important that this be done by all parties currently participating, or that previously participated, in armed conflicts, because it is never too late to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure proper punishment.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  3. “The manipulation of numbers, however, does not contribute to the pursuit of justice, often leads to politicization, has a negative impact on the reconciliation process in post-conflict societies and, more often than not, brings no justice to, and does not indemnify, individual victims. Particularly problematic are attempts to establish a hierarchy of victims on an ethnic, religious, gender or some other basis. The number of victims of sexual violence in conflict diminishes neither the terrible effect of this type of violence on each individual victim nor the responsibility of States to punish the perpetrators and make it possible for victims to access justice.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  4. “The protection of witnesses, in general, and the protection of aggrieved parties, in particular, are of paramount importance to the process of establishing responsibility and punishing the perpetrators. It should be borne in mind that, in the absence of written documents, the main source of evidence in proceedings such as these is eyewitness testimony. Serbia’s experience in that regard indicates that, following the establishment of witness protection measures, victims of sexual violence in armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia have been encouraged to testify. All along, the Victim and Witness Assistance and Support Service has been instrumental in encouraging and assisting the aggrieved parties.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  5. “Developing a uniform methodology to ascertain and document the number of victims of sexual violence, to be used by Governments, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, expert circles and individuals, would help to create a uniform approach to assessing the number of victims of sexual violence in conflict. Encouraging victims of sexual violence to report the crime is the first step in detecting and punishing perpetrators and, consequently, in preventing the crime. Serbia is advocating for the establishment of a system of prevention through the inclusion of the gender dimension in national security forces and international peacekeeping missions.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  6. “The Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor and the Special Division of the Higher Court for War Crimes are the competent bodies addressing this issue at the national level. Yet prevention measures are not always sufficient. It is therefore necessary to establish a system that ensures that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice. However, victims are often not prepared to report incidents of sexual violence due primarily to stigmatization. The number of victims is therefore established subsequently by way of differing methodologies.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  7. “We commend the victim-focused approach and deem that the response to sexual violence in conflict should prioritize the rights and needs of victims. However, achieving the common goal at the global level must be supported by appropriate measures at the national level. The measures should be twofold, focused on the establishment of an efficient system of prevention and on the punishment of perpetrators. Serbia is a State party to the Rome Statute and supports the efforts of the International Criminal Court to prosecute crimes of sexual violence in conflict. It also fully cooperated with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in prosecuting crimes of sexual violence committed during conflicts in the territory of former Yugoslavia.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  8. “It was followed by a number of other resolutions and Security Council presidential statements, including resolution 2106 (2013), on the basis of which the Secretary-General’s reports on this issue are submitted every year. Serbia supports the efforts of the Security Council, the Secretary-General and other United Nations mechanisms, as evidenced by co-sponsoring, inter alia, General Assembly resolution 69/293 in 2015, by which 19 June was proclaimed the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Serbia also supported the adoption of resolution 2467 (2019), once again joining the global efforts aimed at eliminating this grievous type of violence and at punishing those responsible for the crime.”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  9. “I would like to thank Germany as President of the Security Council for organizing this high-level open debate, and I thank the Secretary-General for his report on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2020/487). Serbia aligns itself with the statement submitted on behalf of the European Union (see annex 25), and I would like to make the following remarks in our national capacity. Serbia strongly supports the activities aimed at preventing all forms of violence, including sexual violence in armed conflicts. Regular consideration of this issue within the United Nations with the full cooperation of all relevant actors, such as States, international organizations and civil society, is a prerequisite for wider and more efficient and effective action. The first steps in that direction were made with the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000).”

    2020-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/727 (2020) · source

  10. “We believe that the policy of dialogue, good-neighbourliness and cooperation is second to none. Sadly, 25 long years after the end of the conflict, the devastation of the war has not been entirely overcome, as those who perished in it cannot be brought back to life. What we can and should to do to restore confidence in our future, however, is to condemn all crimes and bring their perpetrators to justice, while paying our respects to and empathizing with all victims of the conflict, irrespective of their ethnicity or religion. Only in that way shall we make progress on the road towards economic and political stability, lasting reconciliation and shared prosperity.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  11. “Strengthening regional cooperation by engaging in numerous activities and taking responsible positions in order to fulfil the justifiable expectations of all citizens continues to be the lasting commitment of my country. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of Serbia’s key regional partners. We welcome the economic progress being achieved in the region, which brings social development and well- being to all our citizens. As we did in the past, we shall continue to work with utmost dedication towards promoting regional cooperation. Let me point out once again that Serbia is firmly committed to peace, stability and reconciliation. As I said at the beginning of my statement, the solidarity that is our reality in this time of the COVID-19 crisis should extend beyond the crisis.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  12. “We also call on all actors involved in political processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as on the representatives of the international community, to demonstrate greater responsibility and forgo the rhetoric aimed at disqualifying other political actors, especially those elected legitimately in democratic elections. We believe that dialogue within the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only way forward in order to raise the level of trust and confidence and achieve a compromise solution for the future development of the country. As in the past, Serbia will continue to strive to make a maximally constructive contribution in that regard.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  13. “We call on all actors to demonstrate the required level of responsibility and to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric, mutual accusations and unilateral acts that are contrary to the letter and spirit of the Dayton Agreement. The Agreement came as a compromise and reflects a delicate balance, achieved the hard way, between opposing conceptions of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Subsequent attempts to favour any of the models proffered 25 years ago are not at all conducive to full and lasting stability in the country.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  14. “We are convinced that a functioning Bosnia and Herzegovina is just as viable without changing the fundamental principles of the Constitution of the country, if attention is focused on a package of reforms needed to proceed with European integration that is backed by the consensus that already exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia unequivocally supports active dialogue to solve all outstanding issues within Bosnia and Herzegovina. It believes that all key decisions relevant for the country’s future are to be taken following such dialogue and pursuant to agreements reached between the entities and among the three constituent peoples.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  15. “As a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Agreement, Serbia wishes to point out that, 25 years after its signing, it is important to reaffirm the validity of the Agreement, which put an end to a civil war and provided the basis for stability in both Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region as a whole. Accordingly, I would like to recall that the mechanism for a possible amendment of the Dayton Agreement is well known and implies consent by the two entities and the three constituent peoples. Insistence on or imposition of a solution either from within or outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina is unacceptable.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  16. “Serbia supports Bosnia and Herzegovina as one State with two entities — Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina — just as it supports all the decisions that the State makes in accordance with the competencies and agreements of its three constituent peoples: the Serbs, the Croats and the Bosniaks. Serbia will continue to develop good and active cooperation with both the central and entity authorities. We welcome the formation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s new institutions at the end of 2019 and the start of the work of the new Council of Ministers headed by Mr. Zoran Tegeltija.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  17. “Serbia therefore strongly supports each and every step made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in that direction. Serbia has invested much effort in stabilizing the situation in the region and will continue to do so in future. In that regard, respect for the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, which form the basis of the international order, is of paramount importance. Serbia’s position with regard to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina is well known, often reiterated and absolutely indisputable.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  18. “Let me point out once again that my country intends to continue to provide necessary assistance and to express its solidarity with Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries in the region. Serbia continues to be firmly committed to promoting good-neighbourly relations, with the ultimate goal of overcoming the negative legacy of the past and of building a shared future based on the principles of mutual respect. By its constructive and active engagement within the regional framework and through regional initiatives and mechanisms, it is striving to make a positive contribution towards achieving common interests. In this way, my country has proven that sharing common values leads to the achievement of shared goals, particularly those that bring us closer to European Union membership.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  19. “Our common fight against the pandemic has confirmed the importance of global and regional cooperation and of addressing the challenges that threaten development and stability, not only of our region, but also of the entire world. At these difficult times, we have witnessed remarkable friendship and solidarity between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and their citizens. In that context, let me mention the “green corridor” at the border crossing at Sremska Rača, opened in line with a decision of the Central European Free Trade Agreement Joint Committee to set up a faster system for the flow of goods among the countries of the region, including in particular humanitarian products. Serbia has made every effort to send necessary assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, including medicine and protection equipment.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source

  20. “I thank the High Representative for his briefing and the members of the Security Council and others for their statements. Today’s meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina takes place at a very challenging time as the international community is making enormous efforts to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This difficult time provides an opportunity for us to demonstrate that by acting together, in solidarity and with cooperation, we can overcome the difficulties the world is facing at present. Before I proceed with my statement, however, I would first like to express my condolences and deep regret to the families that have lost their loved ones to this dangerous virus.”

    2020-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/379 (2020) · source