YouSaid · the spoken record

Mills

lines on the record: 739
first: 2018-05-17
most recent: 2023-05-03
sittings or episodes: 121
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

“As the single-largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, the United States remains committed to responding to the unprecedented drought impacting more than 7 million people facing food insecurity. The warning on Monday that a famine is projected next month is a sobering call to action for us all. The Somali Government deserves recognition for tackling this deepening crisis with the urgency required, but it is a challenge no one country can address alone. The international community must take concerted action, while dedicating the necessary resources in order to prevent the growing loss of life and livelihoods. Such action should include efforts to bolster global food supply and strengthen food resiliency.”
2022-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9125 (2022) · source
“It is now critical that sufficient security be supplied to allow governance and services to be rapidly extended to those liberated areas, particularly given the group’s efforts — as we heard — to destroy water wells and other critical infrastructure as they fled Government forces. We are committed to using all available tools to fight terrorism, including providing direct support to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and to Somalia’s security forces, as well as utilizing the sanctions regime under the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992), concerning Somalia, to designate Al-Shabaab operatives who continue to threaten peace and security in Somalia and throughout East Africa. We urge other Member States to do the same.”
2022-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9125 (2022) · source
“We look forward to now seeing progress towards addressing Somalia’s serious challenges, including reconciliation among the national Government and federal member states, completing the review of the federal Constitution and achieving debt relief. As demonstrated by the horrific attack on 20 August at the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, the threat from Al-Shabaab remains a paramount concern. The actions of the Somali security forces who responded to and ended the attack were commendable. We strongly condemn the attack and, on behalf of the United States, I would like to offer condolences to the victims’ loved ones. The United States remains committed to supporting Somali-led efforts to defeat Al-Shabaab. We congratulate the Somali national security forces for their successful offensive to drive Al-Shabaab from the Hiraan region.”
2022-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9125 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Swan for his briefing and for his work as Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) over the past three years. His leadership has gone far to support Somalia’s efforts as it works towards a better future for its people. We commend his team’s work. Like others, we look forward to reading the UNSOM strategic review in October. Let me also thank our other briefers today, Deputy Special Representative Lortan and Special Representative Weber, for their informative and insightful presentations. Like others, the United States congratulates Somalia for the formation of its Government and looks forward to collaborating with the Government in support of efforts to extend governance, security and economic opportunities for the people of Somalia.”
2022-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9125 (2022) · source
“On a technical matter, we must clarify our position with respect to operative paragraph 22 of the resolution, which condemns the presence of these weapons, because the provision of resolution 1701 (2006) that calls for this area to be free of unauthorized weapons is not legally binding. “Violation” is therefore not the correct terminology. But that precise terminology aside, the United States shares the Security Council’s significant concern about the state of affairs in southern Lebanon, in particular Hizbullah’s threatening activities. With this resolution, the Security Council has made clear that Hizbullah’s continued massing of weapons must stop. In conclusion, we call on the Lebanese authorities to prevent such activities and on UNIFIL to fulfil its mandate by patrolling the entire area between the Blue Line and the Litani River.”
2022-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9121 (2022) · source
“Recalling that host Governments have primary responsibility for ensuring the safety and security of United Nations personnel and assets, we urge the Lebanese authorities to investigate attacks against peacekeepers, hold to account those responsible and proactively work to deter hostility towards peacekeepers. The United States underlines that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River must be free of weapons, except for those used by the Government of Lebanon and UNIFIL. The Secretary-General continues to document a proliferation of unauthorized weapons in this area.”
2022-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9121 (2022) · source
“The presence of firing ranges in UNIFIL’s area of responsibility — a serious escalation of Hizbullah’s open defiance of resolution 1701 (2006) — is also increasing tensions in southern Lebanon. We urge the Lebanese authorities, as the host State, to facilitate UNIFIL’s full and timely access to its entire area of operations, including the entire Blue Line, the firing ranges, Green Without Borders sites and containers, the tunnel sites and all other sites of concern to which UNIFIL requires access in order to fulfil its mandate. Ensuring that UNIFIL’s peacekeepers are able to move freely is also critical to helping mitigate the growing risks to their safety and security, which the United Nations has documented this year.”
2022-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9121 (2022) · source
“Through the new mandate, the Council reaffirms UNIFIL’s authority to operate independently and to conduct both announced and unannounced patrols under the terms of its status of forces agreement with the Government of Lebanon and consistent with the terms of the mission’s mandate. That serves as an important reminder, given that the Secretary-General has reported that UNIFIL peacekeepers are blocked with increasing frequency from conducting their mandated tasks and accessing sites of concern. The proliferation of prefabricated containers placed by Green Without Borders obstructs UNIFIL’s access to the Blue Line and is heightening tensions in the area, further demonstrating that the so-called environmental group is acting on Hizbullah’s behalf.”
2022-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9121 (2022) · source
“The United States welcomes today’s renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for an additional year and thanks France, as the penholder, for its constructive engagement on the renewal. The United States appreciates the international community’s support for Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) during the country’s ongoing crisis. We are pleased to see the mandate reauthorize UNIFIL’s provision of non-lethal material and logistical support to the LAF. That will help the LAF to extend and sustain State authority in southern Lebanon, including by increasing joint activities with UNIFIL and accelerating the deployment of a model regiment.”
2022-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9121 (2022) · source
“Why else would the regime in Russia wish to end United Nations cross-border aid if not to subjugate the people of north-western Syria in the same way? In conclusion, the cross-border mechanism provides a critical lifeline of assistance. We urge all Security Council members to support and strengthen humanitarian access, both cross-line and cross-border. Ultimately, we reiterate that the only way to end the dire humanitarian crisis is through a credible, inclusive political process, as described in resolution 2254 (2015).”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“The United States welcomed the 14 truckloads of cross-line aid that moved from Aleppo to Idlib on 4 August, just as we welcome the more than 800 truckloads of aid moving through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing into Syria every month. The United States supports humanitarian access to all Syrians in need through all modalities. The Al-Assad regime and Russia cannot say the same. The regime and its Russian backers continue to block cross-line aid when it suits their cynical aims, including aid to the people of Tal Abyad, Ras Al-Ayn and Rukban. They continue to prevent baby formula and medicine from reaching the people of north-eastern Syria and to impede humanitarian access and independent monitoring in areas under regime control.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“The United States has long supported early recovery efforts across all parts of Syria, but we remain opposed to reconstruction in regime areas without authentic and enduring progress towards a political solution. There was broad support within the Council or a full 12-month reauthorization of life-saving aid through the renewal of the vital cross-border mechanism. Yet thanks to Russia’s obstruction and its imposition of a truncated six-month duration, Syrian families and humanitarians are already fearing what January may bring. They are stockpiling for the upcoming harsh winter and worried that aid may be cut off just as the cold and the snow descend.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“As we seek to build peace in Syria, it is as important as ever that we work to implement resolution 2254 (2015) in an authentic and enduring way. We urge all members of the Council, as well as the Al-Assad regime, to work diligently to implement those important steps and make progress towards peace, as well as to facilitate humanitarian access to the Syrian people, including through the cross-border mechanism that we authorized in resolution 2642 (2022). So far this fiscal year, the United States has given nearly $900 million in humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, with nearly $15 billion given since the start of the crisis. Our humanitarian aid includes early-recovery programmes across the whole of Syria. Those programmes help Syrians access livelihoods and basic services, thereby reducing their dependence on external aid.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“The United States military action was taken to protect and defend the safety of its personnel, degrade and disrupt the ongoing series of attacks against the United States and its partners and deter the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel or facilities. The United States also calls for immediate de-escalation in northern Syria. We remind all the parties that they have an interest in stability and security. We remain deeply concerned about the destabilizing impact that military activity has on the region, including the mass displacement of civilians, as well as on our efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“As we stated in a letter to the Council dated 26 August, on 24 August the United States undertook precision strikes against a facility in eastern Syria — a facility used by militia groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That action was in response to armed attacks against the United States and was taken in the exercise of the United States’ inherent right to self-defence, as reflected in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. On 15 August, Iran-backed militia groups had attacked United States forces at two locations in Syria. Those attacks followed a series of attacks by Iran-backed militia groups on United States forces and facilities in Iraq and Syria throughout 2022 and even before that, and all of which have threatened the lives of United States and coalition personnel.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“The regime should also be pursuing a nationwide ceasefire and securing the release of all arbitrarily detained persons in an organized and humane manner. If the Syrian regime is serious about a political settlement, the United States and the international community need to see concrete steps to demonstrate that Syria is following through on its announcement of amnesty, for example, by announcing where and under what conditions it has released individuals from prison or by issuing lists of names of individuals released and granted amnesty. Those important tasks should continue regardless of the status of the Constitutional Committee, and we urge the Al-Assad regime to make progress on them immediately. The Special Envoy mentioned the United States air strikes last week.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“The United States remains concerned about the unfounded and unnecessary delays in advancing the Constitutional Committee’s process, and we call for an immediate resumption of the Committee’s work. Delays prolong and increase the suffering of the Syrian people through no fault of their own. Russia has repeatedly told the Council that the political process in Syria must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led. We agree. Yet Russia is not practicing what it preaches, because it is holding up the Constitutional Committee owing to its own bilateral concerns that have nothing to do with Syria. Furthermore, the United States would like to remind the Council and the Al-Assad regime that there is more to resolution 2254 (2015) than just the work of the Constitutional Committee.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Assistant Secretary-General Msuya for their briefings today. Their reports about the lack of progress in addressing the Syrian political situation, as envisioned in resolution 2254 (2015), and the further deteriorating humanitarian crisis should obligate the Security Council to come together in order to hold the Al-Assad regime accountable for the decade of war that it has waged and its ongoing violations of international law. Yet Council unity on Syria is impossible because one member is repeatedly putting its narrow interests and those of the Al-Assad regime ahead of peace, stability and Syrians’ ever- growing humanitarian needs.”
2022-08-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9117 (2022) · source
“As we have just heard, UNRWA plays an essential role in promoting regional stability, and it cannot do so without adequate funding. Many countries offer rhetorical support to UNRWA here in New York but do not match their words with financial support. We encourage Member States to provide robust, reliable funding to help address the Agency’s long- term sustainability, as the Commissioner-General has just outlined. In conclusion, we call on all countries to join us in our commitment to peace and security in the Middle East. We urge all parties in the Council and around the world to support efforts and initiatives that help meet the economic, political and humanitarian needs of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
2022-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9116 (2022) · source
“It is imperative that all stakeholders help to develop the conditions needed for negotiations on a two-State solution and embrace a political horizon that would support it, and that can be achieved only through direct negotiations between the parties. The Negev Forum highlights what can be achieved by working together to overcome shared challenges in the region. We believe the Forum can support the emergence of a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East. The United States also believes that those efforts contribute to tangible progress towards the goal of advancing a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The United States is committed to serving as a strong partner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and is proud to be the Agency’s largest single donor.”
2022-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9116 (2022) · source
“We urge Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activity, evictions and the demolition of Palestinian homes, incitements to violence and disruptions of the historic status quo at holy sites, all of which risk a resumption of violence. As President Biden reaffirmed while visiting Israel and the West Bank last month, the United States believes that “the Palestinian people deserve a State of their own that is independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. Two States for two peoples, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security. Both States fully respecting the equal rights of the other citizens. Both peoples enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity”. There are no shortcuts to statehood.”
2022-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9116 (2022) · source
“Those indiscriminate attacks are on Israeli civilians and recklessly put Palestinian lives in Gaza at risk. We condemn all attacks on civilians, including the 14 August shooting attack in Jerusalem on worshippers near the Wailing Wall. The United States values the role that independent non-governmental organizations play in monitoring human rights violations and abuses in the West Bank and Gaza, in Israel and elsewhere, and firmly believes they must be able to continue that important work. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, together with a strong civil society, is critically important to responsible, responsive and democratic governance. The United States remains concerned about the escalating tensions, especially in the West Bank.”
2022-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9116 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland and Commissioner- General Lazzarini for their briefings. We also appreciate the briefing by Mr. Levy. We welcome the continued maintenance of the ceasefire enacted on 7 August, as well as the resumption of fuel shipments to Gaza to ensure that hospitals and other public services can maintain critical operations. The United States would like to reiterate its appreciation to Egypt, Qatar, Jordan and the United Nations for their close engagement with all parties in order to prevent another escalation of the conflict. We mourn the loss of life, and we support a speedy and thorough investigation into reports of civilian casualties. We demand that terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, cease attacks on Israel.”
2022-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9116 (2022) · source
“And we echo the words of the Secretary-General when we say that the electricity from Zaporizhzhya is Ukrainian electricity and that this principle must be fully respected. Finally, let me close by reminding my Russian colleagues that as we approach Ukraine’s Independence Day, the world is watching. This should not need saying, but I ask the Russian Federation not to bomb schools, hospitals, orphanages or homes. We will continue to pursue accountability for any and all violations of international law. Today, on the eve of the six- month anniversary of Russia’s invasion, we reiterate the message that we have shared with the Russian delegation throughout their country’s war of choice: end the suffering, end the bloodshed, end this war.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9114 (2022) · source
“And given the urgency of this situation, Russia must immediately follow the recommendation of Secretary- General Guterres and establish a demilitarized zone in the area surrounding the plant. This would allow for the Ukrainian personnel who are currently being held under duress to operate the facility complete a damage assessment and restore the facility’s impeccable safety, security and safeguards performance. A demilitarized zone would enable the team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to travel to the facility, conduct an inspection and assess the safety, security and application of safeguards to ongoing nuclear plant operations. We also call on Russia to agree to an IAEA visit to the facility in a way that will respect Ukrainian sovereignty.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9114 (2022) · source
“I will recall again Ukraine’s impeccable record of nuclear energy safety and security prior to Russia’s seizure of this facility. But we did not hear answers from the Russian delegation. Instead, what we heard were references to a hodgepodge of websites and tweets. And of course, that is a double-edged sword. As I would remind the Russian delegation, it was the Russian Ambassador in Vienna who just a few days ago tweeted: “No mercy for the Ukrainian people.” Nevertheless, a nuclear disaster at the plant is avoidable. Russia created this risk, and only Russia can defuse it. The solution is not complicated. Russia must end its unprovoked, unjustified war and withdraw its troops.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9114 (2022) · source
“Why on Earth is a nuclear facility being used as a staging ground for war by Russian forces? These questions can only be answered by President Putin. They could also have been answered by members of the Russian delegation who sit in this Chamber today. Only they can explain why Russia thinks it can redraw international borders by force, in contravention of the United Nations Charter. Only they can account for the atrocities they have carried out against the Ukrainian people: bombings of schools and hospitals, the killing of aid workers and journalists in execution-style murders, and the forced deportations of Ukrainian civilians through so-called filtration operations. And only they can explain why their troops recklessly attacked and seized control of this plant, pushing us to the brink of nuclear disaster.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9114 (2022) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. We commend the Secretary-General for his recent visit to Ukraine, and we greatly appreciate the continued efforts of the United Nations aimed at addressing the increasingly dangerous situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. The issue at hand today is not some abstract political debate, and this is not some far-off problem. As we speak Ukraine, neighbouring States and the entire international community are living under the threat of a nuclear catastrophe. People are understandably terrified. This includes people like Tamara Korolkowa, a 70-year-old grandmother who can see the plant from her apartment building. She has nightmares about the plant blowing up. As she told a reporter for National Public Radio: “All of us are just scared all the time”. And for what?”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9114 (2022) · source
“They must continue to permit ICC teams to travel within the country and cooperate with requests for evidence and other information and assistance, including through unimpeded access to key witnesses and by facilitating an enhanced ICC field presence. Those who are subject to arrest warrants by the ICC must face justice and be transferred to face trial. The United States will continue to stand by the Sudanese people in support of the ICC’s efforts to advance accountability.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“On that note, the United States would like to congratulate the Juba Peace Agreement signatories on the formation and graduation of forces for the joint security-keeping force. That is a significant step in improving the protection of civilians. As detailed in the Prosecutor’s report, the Sudanese authorities have recently facilitated visits by the Prosecutor and his staff and taken other steps to provide some assistance to their investigations in Darfur, which is very welcome news. Such cooperation must continue and must improve. As the Sudanese stakeholders work to find a way forward to address the current crisis, we strongly urge the authorities to continue to comply with their international legal obligations pursuant to resolution 1593 (2005) and to cooperate with the ICC.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“The United States commends the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in facilitating dialogue on a way forward towards full civilian rule. We will continue to support UNITAMS in the full implementation of its mandate, including the Juba Peace Agreement. We continue to be alarmed by the violence in Darfur, which has displaced more than 100,000 people. Intercommunal violence threatens social cohesion and diminishes the likelihood of peaceful cohabitation and the sustainability of the peace process. The need to protect civilians is urgent, as are inclusive security-sector reform and the establishment of robust international monitoring and reporting mechanisms.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“Most recently, since the October military takeover, the Sudanese people have themselves taken to the streets to demand a better future in which they can realize their aspirations for democracy and respect for human rights. In that regard, I would like to underscore my Government’s belief that resolving the Sudan’s political crisis will require the formation of a civilian-led transitional Government that can work to deliver on the promises of the 2019 revolution. United international efforts will be crucial in helping to facilitate an inclusive Sudanese-led dialogue aimed at restoring the Sudan’s democratic transition and civilian rule.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“At the heart of the case against him is the testimony of dozens of witnesses, many of whom still live in Darfur. Over the past several months, a lot of those witnesses, many of them survivors of violence, have travelled thousands of miles to The Hague to tell their stories in their own words. We agree with the Prosecutor that the Council must honour the witnesses and survivors by trying its hardest to ensure that their hopes for justice are realized. Their bravery in speaking to the widespread killing of civilians and the pillaging, abuse and destruction of communities in Darfur is inspiring. Of course, there is no shortage of courage in the Sudan.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“I thank Prosecutor Khan for his report and briefing to the Security Council today on the investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the situation in Darfur, including his moving insights from his visit and time spent in Darfur and Khartoum. My delegation will give great consideration to the recommendations that he has made to the Council today. Let me also say that we are very grateful for his hard work and for the sustained efforts of the judges, attorneys and staff of the ICC in their unwavering pursuit of justice for Darfur. As a result of the tireless efforts of the Court in April, the United States welcomed the beginning of the trial in the case against Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, the former Janjaweed commander now facing 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
2022-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9113 (2022) · source
“But of course, tragically, the regime’s most grievous transgression of all is still to the Syrian people — to the dead and injured, for whom there is no justice, to the surviving loved ones, for whom there is no comfort or closure, and to all those Syrians who still live in fear that Al-Assad’s chemical weapons might once again be unleashed on them at any moment. We continue to call on Syria to engage in meaningful cooperation with the OPCW and fully comply with its obligations.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“After 105 reports from the OPCW Director- General, the Technical Secretariat assesses that Syria’s initial declaration cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with its obligations. The OPCW attribution effort continues in the face of relentless obstruction by the Al-Assad regime and its supporters. We look forward to the release of the report of the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team on the use of chemical weapons in 2018 in Douma. We must recall that the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team has already attributed four separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria to the Al-Assad regime, in addition to the four chemical weapons attacks attributed to the Al-Assad regime by the former OPCW-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“Through deteriorating cooperation with the OPCW and the failure to hold the next round of consultations for more than a year, Syria has left unresolved the 20 issues in its still incomplete initial declaration. The Al-Assad regime and its supporters, in particular Russia, as we just heard, have repeatedly claimed that the OPCW is biased and unprofessional. That claim is absurd. The regime itself has amended its own declaration 17 times, but only after OPCW experts identified discrepancies between what the regime had told them and the clear, observable facts. Was the OPCW biased when it uncovered the discrepancies that the regime belatedly admitted to? The Security Council has a responsibility to address this issue seriously, and Russia shares in that responsibility.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“The regime has not completed any of the measures requested by the OPCW Executive Council in its July 2020 decision that the regime should declare the production and stockpiling facilities implicated in three chemical weapons attacks in March 2017, declare all of the chemical weapons it possesses and resolve all the outstanding issues with regard to its initial chemical weapons programme declaration. The regime has refused to grant all the visas requested by the Declaration Assessment Team, despite its clear obligations to do so under resolution 2118 (2013). It has also refused to participate in a meeting with the full Declaration Assessment Team outside Syria.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“The regime has also not provided the information requested in July 2021 on the declared chemical weapons production facility that was reportedly damaged in an attack in June 2021. Syria claimed that two chlorine cylinders implicated in that Douma chemical weapons attack were destroyed at that site as a result of the purported attack. But as we just heard from the High Representative, the regime has not responded to multiple requests for information or provided an explanation for the movement of those cylinders to the site of their purported destruction. The regime has not provided information or explanations on the Barzah facility of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre, where chemicals that can either be used as chemical weapons themselves or as precursors were detected in November 2018.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“I thank Mrs. Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, for her briefing. We appreciate her persistent efforts and those of the experts of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to provide independent, thoroughly researched and detailed information on Syria’s chemical weapons programme and its use of chemical weapons. I think we should take stock of where we are as we meet once again to address this issue. The Syrian regime has still not provided the information requested in October 2020 on the nerve agents produced and weaponized at a weapons production facility that the regime declared to not be involved in chemical weapons production.”
2022-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9097 (2022) · source
“We look forward to working closely with Brazil and other partners to ensure that the peacekeepers we send into harm’s way are equipped with the needed strategic-communications tools to fulfil their missions.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“To mitigate these risks, effective communication strategies, as we have heard, must engage local media and other actors, proactively shape the mission’s public messaging in ways that will resonate with the local population, and address disinformation and misinformation head on. The United Nations Secretariat and peacekeeping missions may benefit from efforts to monitor sources of disinformation and misinformation and analyse country-specific and regional trends. Gathering such information at the mission and headquarters levels would equip the United Nations to calibrate appropriate strategic-communications initiatives to address this kind of disinformation and misinformation. In conclusion, once again we thank Brazil for its leadership on this important issue.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“We will let each Council member and troop-contributing country make its own decision. But, for that reason, I am pleased to point to MINUSCA’s weekly United Nations radio show as a best practice. As others have mentioned, this show provides a really useful platform for mission leadership, United Nations agencies, Central African authorities and locals to dispel rumours and counter disinformation about MINUSCA’s mandate and activities. However, the challenges in the Central African Republic remain considerable, and we must expand and amplify these efforts. The United States firmly condemns disinformation campaigns and incitement to violence against peacekeepers, as they contribute to a climate of mistrust, impede mandate implementation and undermine the United Nations core mission of maintaining international peace and security.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“This need is particularly pressing in the Central African Republic and Mali, where disinformation targeting the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali threatens peacekeeper safety and security and has undermined those missions’ abilities to protect civilians, investigate human rights violations and abuses, and facilitate political dialogue. In that regard, my delegation takes note of the comments of the United Kingdom delegation this morning, noting that this information, misinformation and disinformation has increased in both countries since the arrival of the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group in both countries. Is it mere coincidence, or is there causal link?”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“Fundamentally, any peacekeeping mission’s ability to engage in effective strategic communications rests on that mission’s ability to know what is happening on the ground and to produce timely and accurate reporting. This establishes United Nations missions’ reputations as a credible and impartial source of information, and that reputation is essential for United Nations missions to achieve every other strategic-communications objective. We welcome the ongoing efforts by the Secretary- General to bolster strategic-communications capacities both at United Nations headquarters and in the field, and in that regard, we welcome the Secretary-General’s proposals and recommendations this morning.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“Strategic communications are critical to ensuring effective implementation of peacekeeping mandates, enhancing the safety and security of our peacekeepers, advancing a comprehensive approach to the protection of civilians and the women and peace and security agenda, and to building trust among local communities, which is so important, as our briefers have emphasized. As the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiative clearly outlines, peacekeeping missions can help improve relationships with local stakeholders by publicly promoting successes, managing the local population’s expectations and addressing disinformation and misinformation that obstructs mandate implementation and ultimately threatens the safety and the security of peacekeepers.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“Thank you, Mr. Minister, for convening this discussion today. I also thank all the briefers for their insightful contributions. My delegation found the comments of Ms. Russo on gender and its value and use in strategic communications particularly thought-provoking, and so I thank her for those. The United States welcomes this forum as important for discussing such a timely and critical issue, and we thank Brazil for its leadership. I begin by echoing what many have underscored today.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9090 (2022) · source
“Russia stood alone, in complete isolation, and used its veto to punish the Syrian people. It bullied Council members and continued its merciless approach towards the most vulnerable. We now move forward knowing that the Council voted in solidarity today with the Syrian people and with the principles of humanitarian assistance. The commitment of the United States to the Syrian people will not end with this resolution. We will not turn our backs on those who have been suffering for more than a decade, and we hope that the other members of the Council will not do so either.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9089 (2022) · source
“When we talked to the United Nations and non-governmental organizations over the weekend, they told us that a temporary extension was better than nothing. And since our approach to humanitarian aid has always been driven by needs, we are listening to the experts on the ground. That is why we did not stand in the way of the resolution. In the coming months we will work with our humanitarian partners to stave off the worst-case scenarios that we have all been warned about, and we will take a hard look at our aid posture in Syria and do everything in our power to help those in need. As I conclude, I would urge that we not forget that the Russian Federation was the only Council member to oppose a straightforward 12-month resolution. Despite my Russian colleague’s comments, the entire Council voted last Friday.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9089 (2022) · source
“That is an immoral and cynical approach to humanitarian needs. Let us be clear: the first of the two six-month extensions that the Security Council decided on today will bring us only to January, which will be the very moment when humanitarian needs peak. The weakness of resolution 2642 (2022) is that it requires further action from the Council to confirm what should be automatic. But to fail to do so would be unconscionable. It would leave Syrians without blankets or fuel for heat in the dead of winter. It would deprive children of their education, since their schools will not have funding to plan for the second half of the year. We cannot lose sight of the gravity of this decision and what will be at stake.”
2022-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9089 (2022) · source