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

“The major achievement of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum was an agreement to hold elections. That goal is not only still valid and achievable, but reflects the freely expressed will of the majority of Libyan citizens. We, too, are encouraged by the progress made by the joint committee of the House of Representatives and the High State Council towards establishing a constitutional framework for presidential and parliamentary elections. We welcome the news that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the President of the High Council of State will convene in Geneva this week to discuss the draft constitutional framework for elections. We urge them to work in good faith to bridge the remaining differences. That sort of leadership is desperately needed in Libya.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9078 (2022) · source
“Libya has reached a critical moment, and its leaders must choose a trajectory — whether to build consensus and foster unity that can lead to fair elections and stability or to wallow in the status quo and consign the Libyan people to uncertainty, stagnation and potential violence. Pronouncing that the road map of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum has expired does not in any way change the facts on the ground in Libya or break the political impasse. It in fact increases uncertainty and the potential for violence. It is also a distraction. For too long, Libyan leaders have given excuses and sought to delay elections in order to extend their time in power. A new fight over leadership will only delay elections further and prolong the instability.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9078 (2022) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. I also want to thank our civil society briefer for her very helpful and insightful report and recommendations. The United States is gravely concerned about the situation in Libya. It is appalling that small cabals of men, in most cases backed by weapons rather than popular legitimacy, have spent the past six months cutting deals and crafting schemes to determine who will be in power and who will get which spoils, while some 3 million Libyans are still waiting to exercise their right to vote for Libya’s leaders.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9078 (2022) · source
“We intend to provide additional support this year, and we also welcome the contributions announced at the 23 June UNRWA pledging conference. In order to support the Palestinian people, we urge all donors to provide robust, reliable funding and to join us in supporting reforms to increase the Agency’s oversight, accountability and transparency. Finally, the United States once again affirms its commitment to a two-State solution and notes the importance of an inclusive process, one that involves the participation of women, youth and civil society.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“In the meantime, we should not lose sight of the hardship facing Palestinian refugees. Some 1.8 million Palestinians were suffering from food insecurity in March of this year. More than 80 per cent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza are living in poverty and are struggling to afford the food needed to feed their families. Special Coordinator Wennesland has correctly taken note of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which plays a critical stabilizing role for the region, but lamentably UNRWA’s capacity to deliver food, education and health care to Palestinian refugees is hindered by its long-standing financial instability. The United States is the Agency’s largest donor, contributing $338 million in 2021, and we have already announced $79 million for 2022.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“We continue to stress the importance of accountability for Abu Akleh’s tragic death. The United States will not relent in our calls for transparent accountability for those responsible for this tragedy until justice is done. Separately, we are troubled by the ongoing practice of using human remains as a bargaining chip. Last month Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield met again with Leah Goldin, a mother whose son’s remains are being held by Hamas. We continue to be disheartened by the cruelty of denying a family the ability to properly mourn their loved one. Many Palestinian families also know this suffering, as there are Palestinian remains that have similarly not been returned to their families. Human remains must be returned to their families immediately and unconditionally.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“We once again call on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that increase tensions and undercut efforts to make progress on a negotiated two- State solution, such as settlement activity, demolitions, incitement to violence and evictions. President Biden will travel to the region in July to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to urge calm and explore ways to promote equal measures of security, freedom and opportunity for both Israelis and Palestinians. The current United States Administration continues to affirm its strong support for a two-State solution, which remains the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a democratic and Jewish State alongside a sovereign viable Palestinian State. We, like others on the Security Council, are concerned with the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“We also deplore the escalation of settler violence against Palestinians, including the death of Ali Hassan Harb, a Palestinian in the West Bank who was killed on his family’s agricultural land. We take note of the May 2022 report of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that found over a thousand Palestinians were injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces in 2021, seven times the number of those injured by live ammunition the prior year. We are also deeply concerned about the potential evictions at Masafer Yatta, which were upheld by Israel’s Supreme Court. We urge that these evictions do not take place.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his briefing. The United States continues to appreciate his tireless efforts to work closely with the parties to reduce tensions through dialogue. The current tension on the ground, as he mentioned, is palpable and dangerous. The United States has repeatedly registered its outrage over the string of terrorist attacks against Israelis this year, and we condemn the rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip again this month, which, as Council members know, broke a two-month pause in rocket fire from Gaza. Many Israelis, especially those who reside close to the border with Gaza, live in perpetual fear that they or their families could come under attack at any time. That must stop.”
2022-06-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9077 (2022) · source
“As the Secretary-General’s report highlights, the Wagner Group’s forces have rearmed ex-combatants, creating their own unaccountable proxy militias, and have interfered with MINUSCA’s operations, hindering the peacekeepers’ ability to implement mandated tasks. The illicit extraction of the Central African Republic’s mineral wealth remains a key driver of the Wagner Group’s activities, in addition to those of non-State armed groups and other actors. Promoting the responsible management of natural resources and combating related corruption are critical to peace and prosperity in the country. In conclusion, we once again call on all actors in the Central African Republic to lay down their weapons. The people of the Central African Republic deserve a political solution that will end their suffering.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“Independent investigations corroborate that account, including a recent Human Rights Watch report that confirmed that the Wagner Group has “summarily executed, tortured, and beaten civilians” across the country since 2019. We call on the Russian Government and the Government of the Central African Republic, through its special commission of inquiry, to investigate all allegations transparently and hold accountable those responsible for those heinous acts. We are deeply concerned about reports that the Wagner Group’s forces have detained and killed peacebuilders and former combatants who willingly participated in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. The Wagner Group’s assassination of Zakaria Demane in February shocked many Central Africans.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“My third and final point is about upholding accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses. Like others, we celebrate the progress of the Special Criminal Court, which recently opened its first trial. That is an important milestone in ensuring truth and accountability for those afflicted by conflict. Unfortunately, one of the worst offenders of human rights abuses is the Wagner Group, whose forces, which are referred to as “other security personnel” in the Secretary-General’s report, perpetrated 42 incidents of human rights abuses during the reporting period, affecting 165 victims, often in the presence of national defence forces.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“Lina Ekomo’s call for the Government of the Central African Republic to continue to advance the peace process, and I commend the leadership of Rwanda and Angola in supporting it through the regional road map The recent progress on disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation, such as the demobilization of more than 700 former members of the Lord’s Resistance Army, constitutes encouraging steps. All actors in the country must respect formal disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation processes, which are as fundamental to the success of the 2019 peace agreement as its other core tenets, including honouring President Touadera’s ceasefire and strengthening relations between the Central African Republic and its neighbours.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“And like others, we further condemn the disinformation campaigns targeting MINUSCA, which impede mandate implementation and put peacekeepers’ lives in danger. The second point I would like to make is that there is no military-only solution to the crisis in the Central African Republic. The only way forward is through full implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement and sustained State authority across the country that is responsive to the needs of Central Africans and to the issue of justice for victims. To that end, I echo Ms.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“As the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/491) notes, MINUSCA’s increasingly robust posture, coupled with joint operations with security forces of the Central African Republic, has successfully ousted several armed groups and safeguarded towns. My delegation also applauds Special Representative of the Secretary-General Rugwabiza’s initiative in addressing the scourge of sexual exploitation and abuse through enhanced training and accountability mechanisms. We remain concerned, however, about the fact that Central African armed forces, which in many cases in our assessment were probably directed by the Wagner Group, perpetrated 23 violations of MINUSCA’s status-of-forces agreement over the past four months.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“In the light of the briefings we just heard, my remarks today will address three themes — first, the contributions of MINUSCA towards peace and security in the Central African Republic; secondly, the need for continuing steps towards a political solution to the country’s conflict; and lastly, the continued human rights abuses and threat to regional stability from Kremlin-backed Wagner Group forces. First, thanks to the daily work of peacekeepers and the commitment of their contributing countries, MINUSCA has continued to make critical contributions to protecting civilians and supporting the implementation of the 2019 peace agreement.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“I would like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary- General Rugwabiza for her informative briefing. My delegation wants to start by congratulating her on a productive beginning to her tenure at the helm of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and to commend her for the leadership she is demonstrating. I also want to particularly thank Ms. Lina Ekomo for her very brave and compelling briefing today. It is important that we get ground truth from activists like her, and we thank her for appearing today.”
2022-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9074 (2022) · source
“Let me conclude by noting that some countries on the Council have called for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, while ignoring that one country, Russia, started this conflict by illegally invading and attacking its neighbour. Russia alone bears responsibility for this war. Russia alone started this war, and Russia alone can end it. I say to our Russian friends that they should silence their guns now, withdraw their forces from Ukraine’s territory, speak truth and embrace diplomacy.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“We are also supporting a broad range of international examinations of the mounting credible reports of atrocities in Ukraine, including the examinations conducted by the International Criminal Court, the United Nations human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine and the experts’ missions under the aegis of the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to name just a few. That effort includes supporting the establishment of the Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. I would like to note that, just today, the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, is visiting Ukraine in order to see how, in addition, the United States can help Ukraine preserve and ensure accountability for the crimes being committed on its soil.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“The European Democratic Resilience Initiative, which President Biden announced in March, will provide up to $320 million in new funding to support societal resilience and defend human rights in Ukraine. There will also be a particular focus on accountability for war crimes and the other atrocities committed by Russia’s forces in Ukraine. Similarly, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States have formed the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group to advise the war crimes unit of the Office of the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine on the collection, the preservation and the analysis of evidence of atrocities to support the pursuit of justice for survivors and victims.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“We also know that Russia’s forces continue to deny safe passage to civilians fleeing violence, as well as the humanitarian organizations trying to reach those in need. Ukraine has suffered from Russia’s aggression since 2014. Before then Ukraine was a country at peace. Sadly, the atrocities committed by Russia’s forces have only multiplied since its full-scale invasion in February. As you noted, Mr. President, Russia also continues to flagrantly disregard the 16 March order of the International Court of Justice for Russia to suspend immediately its military operations in Ukraine. We cannot remain silent. I say to my fellow Council members that we must seek and achieve justice for victims.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“Since Russia launched its illegal and unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine, credible reports from a broad range of sources of atrocities committed by Russia’s forces against civilians have grown with every passing day. Bucha, Mariupol and Kherson will go down in history as the sites of horrific atrocities and human suffering. There are multiple credible reports, as we heard from our briefer, of Russia’s forces torturing and committing execution-style killings of people found with their hands bound behind their backs. And as we have discussed in the Council, there is also a multitude of reports of women and girls being raped — some publicly — and children illegally taken away to Russia and put up for adoption.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“We must all continue upholding peace and security, defending human rights and promoting the rule of law. That work must include condemning and combating real anti-Semitism in all its forms, as well as other forms of intolerance, discrimination, racism and xenophobia. We must uphold in the Council the Charter of the United Nations. We have a special obligation to do so and to respond to lies with truth. We cannot allow the rule of law to be replaced by the use of force. The Council must be clear that any attempts to change the internationally recognized borders of sovereign States through the use of force are unlawful, irresponsible and dangerous — a lesson drawn from the history of the Second World War.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“I think it is clear from what we have heard and what we know instinctively that aggressors use hate speech and disinformation to foment mistrust, agitate division and ultimately fuel their violence, as we are seeing Russia do as it wages its premeditated and unprovoked war against Ukraine. Let me be clear: we strongly reject Russia’s continued efforts to distort history for its own political purposes. The Security Council must do the same. The General Assembly has already rejected Russia’s false narrative and its disinformation with regard to Ukraine and other neighbouring countries, such as when it attempts to smear neighbours as “neo-fascists and “neo-Nazis”. Those lies are particularly egregious and harmful, as they really detract from serious critically important worldwide efforts to combat actual anti-Semitism and violent extremism.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“Let me start by thanking you and your delegation, Sir, for keeping a continued spotlight on accountability, in particular your focus on holding those responsible for committing atrocities to account. I also want to thank Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Nderitu, Ms. Tsybulska and Mr. Cohen for their compelling, useful and deeply disturbing briefings today. I believe those presentations provide another sobering look at how disinformation and the misuse of the Internet is fuelling the horrific suffering that Russia’s brutal and illegal further invasion of Ukraine is causing the people of Ukraine.”
2022-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9069 (2022) · source
“More than ever, the people of the Sudan and the team at UNMISS need our unified support on the Council to move towards peace, justice and free and fair elections.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“Finally, although there has been some improvement over the last year, the United States remains concerned about the increase in violations of the status-of-forces agreement over the reporting period. That includes continued obstructions to UNMISS’s freedom of movement, the imposition of undue taxes, fees and restrictions on UNMISS and its contractors, and the arrest of two UNMISS personnel, in clear violation of the status-of-forces agreement arrest and detention procedure. We remind the Government of South Sudan that it has primary responsibility for ensuring the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and assets and that all violations of the status-of-forces agreement are unacceptable.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“The United States provides about $1 billion every year to support life-saving humanitarian assistance to the South Sudanese people. We join others in urging the international community to continue providing support to the people of South Sudan, who depend on the delivery of essential and life-saving humanitarian assistance. Let me join others in categorically condemning attacks on humanitarian workers that provide such life-saving assistance. No humanitarian workers should face threats of violence for simply trying to do their job. We call on the South Sudanese officials to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers and organizations, and, as Mr. Haysom noted, reduce bureaucratic impediments to delivering humanitarian assistance instead of putting new ones in place.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“In that regard, the United States shares the Secretary-General’s concern about the slow implementation and completion of critical elements of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan before the end of the transitional period in February 2023. And we call on the Government of South Sudan to fully implement the Revitalized Agreement, including finalizing security arrangements, completing an inclusive constitution drafting process, establishing and resourcing transitional institutions, and as we heard from our civil-society speaker, ensuring a free and open civic space for elections. As we also just heard, South Sudan is experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis in its history, and 8.9 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“In keeping with international law, we join others in calling on the South Sudanese officials and Government to hold to account all those responsible for committing violations and abuses in Unity state, and we stress that it is the primary responsibility of the Government of South Sudan to ensure the protection of its civilians, including women and children. We know that peacekeepers have a critical role to play in that regard as well, and we commend Mr. Haysom and UNMISS for the rapid deployment of peacekeepers. Their swift engagement at the local, state and national level to restore calm in Unity has saved lives. But as the Special Representative of the Secretary- General reminded us, no lasting and just peace will be possible without political progress.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“According to recent UNMISS reports, the incidence of conflict-related sexual violence in the first quarter of this year increased by 125 per cent compared to the same time frame last year. My delegation wants to make it clear that those involved in planning, directing or committing any acts involving sexual and gender-based violence can be subject to United Nations sanctions. The two permanent Member States — China and Russia — that routinely block sanctions nominations, place unwarranted holds or blocks on the reappointment of sanctions experts and generally seek to weaken the Council’s ability to effectively wield the sanctions tool should be mindful of the human costs of their actions.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“We are particularly appalled by the horrific crimes earlier this year in Leer county in Unity state, where, as we have heard, armed youth from Koch and Mayendit Counties, reportedly under orders from County Commissioner Koang Biel and Mayendit County Commissioner Gatluak Nyang, killed 72 civilians, raped more than 60 women and girls and assaulted humanitarian workers. We learned from a 25 April press statement of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) that some civilians were burned alive, while others, including a child, were beheaded. Two survivors of sexual violence recounted being repeatedly raped and gang-raped. Horrifically, such incidents of gender-based violence are all too common and continue to increase in South Sudan with impunity.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“I thank Mr. Haysom and Ms. Mudawi for their comprehensive briefings today, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for raising the possibility of a Council visit to Juba, which my delegation will consider. But in the meantime, we look forward to the visit to Juba by the end of the year by the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan. I thank Ms. Mudawi for her messages to the Council, to which we will give serious consideration. And I want to thank and appreciate in particular Ms. Merekaje for sharing her insights and her very important recommendations with the Security Council. The United States finds itself once again deeply disturbed to hear about another incident of brutal violence affecting civilians in South Sudan, including women and children.”
2022-06-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9067 (2022) · source
“Regional organizations are an essential partner of the Security Council in its efforts to promote international peace and security, and that especially includes partners such as the EU. Let me conclude by saying that the United States affirms unequivocally the EU’s role as a crucial partner for the United States, the United Nations and especially the Security Council in the maintenance of peace and security around the world.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“I also want to say how strongly my delegation agrees with the High Representative’s comments about statements on both sides calling for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Statements claiming that all sides bear a responsibility to end the fighting may be diplomatically clever, but they are morally indefensible. History will judge. Finally, let me thank the EU for its continued commitment to the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina, Operation Althea. It is especially critical given the heightened political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the continued efforts to undermine the Dayton Agreement that we are seeing there. Operation Althea is an essential factor for stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the surrounding region.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“We welcome the EU’s efforts and are pleased that today, even as I speak, United States Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack is in New York meeting with delegations to pursue the call for action that came out of Secretary Blinken’s ministerial-level meeting on food insecurity last month (see S/PV.9036), an important step that demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our friends to addressing the crisis in food insecurity that Russia’s invasion has caused. Let me also say that we are heartened by how Ukraine’s EU neighbours have opened their borders to refugees of all nationalities during the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, and how the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive has ensured that all those fleeing into the EU receive its social and protection benefits.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“And I want to emphasize that to its credit, the EU has clearly demonstrated its support for the values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, with its actions to uphold the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity after Russia’s unjustified, unprovoked and illegal war on Ukraine. As the High Representative said, Russia’s actions are especially spiking global food insecurity. International sanctions do not target agricultural exports, despite Russia’s efforts to have people around the world, including members of the Council, believe otherwise. While Russia spreads disinformation, as we have heard, the EU is spending more than $1 billion in areas affected by food insecurity.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“Its coordination with allies in the United Nations, Mali and the Central African Republic creates important mechanisms for promoting stability and achieving our shared objectives. Similarly, the United States welcomed the recent adoption of resolution 2635 (2022) and its renewal of the vessel inspection authority that supports the United Nations arms embargo on Libya, and we applaud the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI for its use of that authority. Operation IRINI provides a deterrent to would-be arms smugglers, and it helps the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, as well as others, gather critical information.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for organizing this important and timely briefing on cooperation with the European Union (EU). The United States deeply appreciates the European Union’s contributions across the globe, which the High Representative just enumerated, including its cooperation with the United Nations and especially in concert with the Security Council. For example, as we know, the EU has played a valuable role in supporting Somalia through its support, first to the African Union Mission in Somalia and now to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. We appreciate the fact that the EU security engagement across Africa is so significant, with 11 of its current 18 missions deployed in or off the coast of Africa.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9065 (2022) · source
“They were not unavoidable, but were the result of deliberate choices by those in power who unleashed terrible violence against innocent civilians. The denial of historical facts and the celebration of those who committed grave crimes is an affront to the victims and the witnesses who have courageously come forward to tell their stories, and it is an insult to our common humanity. The United States will continue to speak about the legacy of these courts, and we will continue to stand by the victims and survivors of these terrible crimes.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“The Mechanism has an important role to play in that issue as a repository of the facts and evidence established through hundreds of trials. We applaud its outreach efforts, which include educational programmes and social media campaigns. But national authorities must also do more to combat the entrenchment of ethnonationalist sentiment and glorification of war criminals, which serves only to inflame tensions and prevent reconciliation and healing. Strong countries speak honestly about the past, even when it is painful, so that they can meaningfully address the root causes of conflict and move forward to a peaceful, stable future. We now know that the crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia were not accidental.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“We encourage those national jurisdictions to vigorously pursue accountability for atrocity crimes within their own systems, including by removing legal barriers to prosecution and mutual cooperation on outstanding cases. Finally, after the success of the Mechanism and its predecessors, the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, in proving that serious crimes, including genocide, were committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, it is very alarming to see political leaders, veterans groups and others rejecting facts established by the courts and distorting the past to amplify grievances and embrace war criminals.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“We commend the Office of the Prosecutor for announcing its findings of the death of two Rwandan fugitives, Mpiranya and Munyarugarama, both of whom had been charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. As we heard, four fugitives remain at large. The United States continues to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest of those individuals, and we urge all countries to cooperate with the Mechanism’s efforts to bring them to justice. We commend the Mechanism on its efforts to support the relevant investigations and prosecutions in domestic courts addressing atrocity crimes. We continue to support the Mechanism for the indispensable role that it plays in ensuring that perpetrators do not enjoy immunity and that victims and survivors are not left without justice, even as the Mechanism winds down.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“The United States joins others in continuing to urge Serbia to turn over those indicted by the Mechanism. We also note the importance of the ongoing investigations and proceedings related to contempt charges against individuals from both Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Those proceedings are a critical part of the Mechanism’s work, as the integrity of court proceedings is fundamental to the delivery of justice. We look forward to the pronouncement of the appeal judgment in the contempt case against Fatuma et al. later this month. As the judicial activities of the Mechanism continue to draw to a close, the United States is mindful of the importance of finding durable solutions for relocating individuals who have been acquitted or released, and we encourage Member State cooperation in that respect.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“In particular, my delegation would like to thank President Agius for his dedicated years of service as President of the Mechanism and all the contributions he has made to the institution, which we have no doubt will continue as he transitions from President to judge. Owing to the commendable efforts of the Mechanism, we continue to see it achieve significant success, despite the challenges of operating during a pandemic. Over the next year, like many others, we look forward to the advancement of the proceedings in the trial against Félicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of the Rwandan genocide. We also look forward to the conclusion of the appeal in the case against Stanišić and Simatović, former members of the Serbian State Security Service.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“I thank President Agius and Prosecutor Brammertz for their briefings on the efforts of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to bring perpetrators to justice for the atrocities committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. We heard from the President this morning some of the challenges faced by the Mechanism — operational challenges, morale challenges and challenges relating to the coronavirus disease pandemic. We are therefore particularly grateful for the commitment and the hard work of the judges, attorneys and staff in Arusha and The Hague, as well as in the field offices in Sarajevo and Kigali, despite those challenges over the past year.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“As the Council stated previously, the transitional Government must respect the status-of- forces agreement. Restricting MINUSMA flights, movements or access, especially over vast swaths of central Mali, limits MINUSMA’s ability to anticipate, deter and effectively respond to threats and to protect civilians. MINUSMA’s inability to fully operate due to Mali’s restrictions leaves Mali vulnerable. We urge the transition Government to fully support and coordinate with MINUSMA. The Mission is there specifically at the request of the Malian authorities to help extend State authority, mitigate intercommunal violence and deter the ability of terrorists to harm civilians. The United States stands ready to continue its support for the people of Mali and for MINUSMA. We are committed to the stability and security of Mali and the Sahel region.”
2022-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9061 (2022) · source
“The Malian authorities have still refused to allow MINUSMA access to the site to conduct an independent investigation. That is unacceptable. MINUSMA must have immediate access to all sites of reported attacks to conduct the investigations, which are mandated by the Council itself. The alarming increase in allegations of human rights abuses and violations is exactly why the United States continues to warn countries against partnering with the Russian-backed Wagner Group, whose forces are widely reported to commit egregious human rights abuses everywhere they deploy. The Wagner Group will not bring peace to Mali. Instead, the Wagner Group will only divert natural and economic resources away from Mali’s fight against terrorism. Thirdly and lastly, Mali must allow MINUSMA to do its job.”
2022-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9061 (2022) · source
“Transparent and inclusive processes that respect diverse perspectives and freedoms will be critical to building a strong foundation for the future. Secondly, we are deeply troubled by the recent report of MINUSMA and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights detailing the human rights crisis in Mali. The report documents a dramatic increase in human rights violations and abuses against civilians by both terrorist groups and the Malian armed forces with “foreign security personnel”, otherwise known to most of the world as the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group forces. The Malian authorities are fully responsible for the actions of their security partners. Last March, reports emerged about the horrific massacre and mass graves in Moura.”
2022-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9061 (2022) · source
“It is equally urgent that the Malian authorities restore constitutional rule by holding timely elections. We welcome the continued engagement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with the Malian authorities to support efforts to restore constitutional rule. We encourage the transitional Government to continue to be responsive to ECOWAS. The United States acknowledges the announcement by Mali’s transition Government of a 24-month transition timetable, starting in March 2022. We do not endorse that timeline as final, but we acknowledge that it responds to the Council’s call for a clear and unambiguous commitment to a transition timeline. We urge Mali and ECOWAS to reach agreement in particular on a robust monitoring mechanism with tangible benchmarks for the remainder of the transition.”
2022-06-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9061 (2022) · source