YouSaid · the spoken record

Mushikiwabo

lines on the record: 55
first: 2013-02-12
most recent: 2014-09-19
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“Finally, Sir, we commend your delegation for introducing the presidential statement that was just adopted (S/PRST/2014/20). We also thank Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the entire team in the country for their dedication to the people of Iraq in such a difficult time and environment.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Thirdly, there is a critical need to ensure implementation of resolution 2170 (2014), of 15 August, and other relevant resolutions concerning the fight against terrorism. There is a lot that the international community can do, particularly this body, to stop the influx of funding, starting by the implementation of targeted sanctions. In that respect, countries of the region and beyond should also play an important role in preventing hatred and extremism and take the necessary measures to prevent religious radicalization. Before concluding, I should note that the rapid advance ofISIL in Iraq and Syria has led to the massive displacement of more than 2 million people, requiring increased humanitarian assistance. We therefore call on the international community to provide enhanced support to the affected populations and countries.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Secondly, we should take advantage of the existing building blocks. We acknowledge the active role played by the United States in building a coalition to fight the terrorist group. The upcoming Security Council meeting on foreign terrorist fighters that President Obama will preside over next week will be another opportunity to garner global support for the effort. We are also encouraged by the outcome of the Jeddah ministerial conference held on 11 September, which brought together States members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. We commend their resolve for a coordinated military campaign against ISIL. In the same spirit, we welcome the outcome of the international conference on peace and security in Iraq held on 15 September in Paris.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“We believe that the international community must act fact and act collectively to deny this terrorist group any hold to territory, any access to financing and any channel to recruitment, which has allowed it to kill children and adults, behead journalists and humanitarian workers, enslave women and girls and persecute religious minorities. There are opportunities upon which we can build our support for the people of Iraq and to eradicate the ISIL threat. First, there is the ability, demonstrated by the Iraqis, to come together and form an inclusive Government led by Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi. Indeed, unity among Iraq's communities is critical to ensuring any sustainable success against ISIL: the effort against that organization should be nationally led and owned, with the support of all.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“Its ongoing persecution of Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities for simply who they are may even amount to genocide. The unprecedented brutality of this group should and must reinforce our resolve to protect the many innocent civilians caught up in the cruelty they have had nothing to do with. We take this opportunity to express our condolences to all of the bereaved families. Baghdad is far from Kigali in more aspects than only geography. But the plight of many Iraqi people today is no different from that of many Rwandans 20 years ago. Faced with unprecedented cruelty, they looked to the world for help. I am the Foreign Minister of Rwanda and, as such, I carry Rwanda's experience of abandonment in 1994.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“I thank the United States for organizing this important debate on the situation in Iraq at this very challenging time for that country, the region, and indeed the world. Your leadership today, Mr. President, and the presence of a number of ministers in this debate are an indication of the will of the international community to honour its obligation to support and protect the Iraqi people against the threat of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). It is unfortunate that every time the Security Council defaults on its inherent responsibility, that of the maintenance of international peace and security, the human cost is just unbearable. We all know that the conflict in Syria has been a breeding ground for ISIL. That terrorist group has committed mass and gross atrocities that may amount to crimes against humanity.”
2014-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7271 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, Rwanda would like to call on all members of the Security Council to work closely and support regional initiatives in a true spirit of partnership, remembering that we have not just an individual but a collective obligation and responsibility to avert and combat the destabilizing accumulation and illicit manufacture, trade and circulation of small arms and light weapons.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“We would like to recognize the efforts of the Regional Centre on Small Arms based in Nairobi and the East African community's small arms and light weapons programmes, as well as other regional organizations, in their work in combating the illicit use and transfer of small arms and light weapons. We remain convinced that such regional efforts will help to ensure cooperation in addressing the illicit transfer and destabilizing accumulation and misuse of such arms and weapons.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“As a result, so far 42,266 arms and 52 tons of unexploded ordinance have been destroyed in the last several years. Reports to the Regional Centre on Small Arms have shown that Rwanda is ahead in the subregion in the management of stockpiles of arms and ammunition. We take this opportunity to applaud United Nations States Members that have signed the Arms Trade Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly on 2 April. My country was among the many that signed the Treaty when it was first opened for signature here at Headquarters. We are proud to be associated with the Treaty, which includes small arms in its scope and backs up prevailing international and regional instruments for the control and regulation of conventional small arms and light weapons.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“It is in recognition of the grave harm caused by the illicit manufacture, transfer, circulation, excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons that we emphasize the importance of regional and subregional cooperation, in regard to which Rwanda has subscribed to and ratified the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. Rwanda has also been party to a number of initiatives, taken at international, regional and local levels, that have culminated in lifesaving commitments. Rwanda has established and implemented a policy on firearms and ammunition that provides for measures regulating the import, transfer, brokering, marking and licensing of firearms, ammunition and munitions.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“It is a reality that the African continent, particularly the Great Lakes region, where Rwanda is located, continues to be engulfed by internal armed conflicts facilitated by such easily accessible weapons. We know from experience that small arms and light weapons have neither a small nor a light impact on communities devastated by conflict, and we should therefore not be fooled by those adjectives.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“As we contemplate the danger caused by arms and weapons in the wrong hands, I would also like to express my sympathy and solidarity with the people of Kenya, neighbours of Rwanda, many of whom only days ago experienced a heinous crime made possible, in great part, by the accessibility of the weapons we are talking about today. As the Secretary-General says in his report (S/2013/503), it is an indisputable fact that the excessive, cruel and uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons poses a substantial threat to international peace and security, human rights and social development in many countries, including on our own continent, Africa.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“I wish to begin by congratulating you, Madam President, on your recent appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia. I personally look forward to working with you. Also, thank you, Madam President, for choosing the topic of small arms and light weapons for this high-level meeting of your presidency. We are all fully aware that the last time this threat was considered by the Security Council (see S/PV.5881) makes this meeting long overdue. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Secretary-General and the Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.”
2013-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7036 (2013) · source
“There have been enough speeches made and reports written. And there has been more than enough grandstanding, especially by unaccountable actors who seek profit and publicity from the region's misery. It is time for such forces to move aside and allow the Framework of hope to move forward. This is the time for accountable parties to stand up and step forward. Now is the time for action.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Furthermore, the international peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is entering unchartered territory with the deployment of an Intervention Brigade and unmanned aerial vehicles. United Nations peacekeepers must take great care to respect all the relevant international laws and adhere strictly to their mandate. Since the consequences of instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo fall so heavily on Rwanda, as has been the case during almost the whole of the past 20 years, we are eager to take full advantage of the historic opportunity for peace and security before us. Despite the serious risks I have outlined, we can see early and unmistakable signs of progress. A plan without action is just words, and when it comes to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, there have been enough words.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“However, while Rwanda views any alliance between the FDLR and FARDC as a threat to regional security, we will not allow those disturbing developments to derail our commitments to peace, as we have done in the past. I cannot stress enough Rwanda's goodwill and ongoing support for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. We believe it offers a realistic path to lasting peace and security for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region at large. But we must not veer off course and we must understand that that vision is only achievable alongside regional peace initiatives and a showing of genuine political will on the part of all affected States.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Rwanda is one of the 11 countries that makes up the expanded joint verification mechanism, by which developments in conflict-affected areas are examined thoroughly and with transparency and accountability. We therefore urge the Security Council to attach value to the work of the mechanism, so that its findings can inform the decisions we reach and the resolutions we agree to. On the recent collusion between the Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Forces armees de la Republique democratique du Congo (FARDC), Rwanda remains seriously concerned. The Security Council has received a letter from my Government that includes details on that issue, so I will not repeat the specifics here today. I would simply like to say that it is a concern that needs to be addressed.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“We have done so because we believe that it could help pacify the region and serve as a strong deterrent against the multiple armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, thereby allowing MONUSCO to carry out its responsibility to protect civilians and, critically, create the space necessary to implement the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework and facilitate other regional peace efforts. As Special Envoy Robinson has stressed in the past, the Framework is a shared endeavour, and its success depends very much on each party living up to its respective commitments. I would take the opportunity afforded by today's meeting in this Chamber to reiterate Rwanda's commitment to the Framework.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“To that end, Rwanda is working to boost regional cooperation through enhanced economic integration and close collaboration on cross-border trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and our other neighbours in the Great Lakes region. Just last month, Rwandan mining authorities seized 8.4 metric tons of smuggled minerals. They are now in the process of returning them to the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as has been our practice in the past. We are also exploring several other opportunities for economic cooperation, including a strategic bilateral project with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on our shared Lake Kivu. Finally, Rwanda supported and has been facilitating the deployment of the Intervention Brigade.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“In addition, as the Secretary-General mentioned in his report on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, the Government of Rwanda reported the presence of several high-ranking M-23 members who had crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo to seek refuge in Rwanda, including individuals sanctioned by the United Nations. When M-23 leader General Bosco Ntaganda surrendered to the Embassy of the United States in Kigali on 18 March, Rwandan authorities offered to facilitate his transfer to The Hague through the United States and Dutch Embassies in Kigali. We can all agree that the economic components of the Framework must be implemented alongside its political and security aspects.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“We have asked the United Nations to take responsibility for those combatants. It is important to note that Rwanda cannot bear that burden alone. We invite the international community to devise and implement a long-term solution for that group of former combatants. Rwanda has also worked with the United Nations to accommodate approximately 70,000 Congolese nationals who have sought refuge in Rwanda for more than 13 years now, and to take the necessary steps to ensure their safe return home as soon as possible.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“The Framework of hope, along with regional peace efforts, opens a special door to the kind of profound and necessary change that is needed for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and for the region as whole. Rwanda is eager to do its part and to live up to our commitments as a neighbour and regional partner, as well as through the Framework of hope. Allow me to lay out some concrete actions that my Government has taken so far in implementing the Framework. We have disarmed, interned and relocated away from our border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo more than 600 combatants of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23) who had crossed into Rwanda as a result of infighting in March. In his report dated 28 June (S/2013/387), the Secretary-General commended Rwanda for the positive role it played in that regard.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Having endured devastating conflict within our own borders nearly two decades ago, the people of Rwanda have worked tirelessly to rebuild a peaceful and thriving nation, but we are also very aware that our destiny is inextricably tied to that of our neighbours. Let me put it in the clearest possible terms: in order to secure long-term peace and prosperity for Rwanda well into the future, we need a peaceful and prosperous Democratic Republic of the Congo. As long as conditions persist that allow more than 30 rebel groups to roam in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo with impunity, or as long as men and boys see nothing in their futures beyond crime, violence and conflict, such a transformation will remain beyond reach.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I wish to assure all of them, as a team, of Rwanda's full cooperation in the common pursuit of peace for our region. While Rwanda is very pleased to support the presidential statement, we nonetheless would have loved to see efforts of the region included in it, in particular in support of the Kampala peace talks established under the auspices of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. Indeed, we would like the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Ms. Mary Robinson, to play an active role in seeing through the Kampala talks without any further delay so that we can move quickly to pacify the Kivu region. Her engagement would be a welcome and helpful contribution to moving forward. We have gathered today out of a shared determination to make peace in the Great Lakes region a lasting reality.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“It is a visionary, comprehensive and inclusive strategy to end decades of conflict and instability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. I also thank African Union Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra for his revealing briefing on regional efforts undertaken towards finding peace in the Great Lakes region. I also acknowledge the presence of honourable Ministers from countries of our region and from fellow Council members. Rwanda warmly welcomes the new United States Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mr. Russ Feingold, and the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General and new Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (MONUSCO).”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Let me begin by thanking the United States and, you, Sir, for having convened this most important debate in support of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, and for the presidential statement (S/PRST/2013/11) just adopted. Allow me also to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his informative briefing, and the President of the World Bank, Mr. Jim Yong Kim, and the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region ofAfrica, Ms. Mary Robinson, for their valued contributions and statements this morning. Taken together, their extraordinary efforts, exhausting travel schedules and financial commitments to regional development priorities amply demonstrate their sincere commitment to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework that we are discussing this morning.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 1.15 pm.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“It is Rwanda's sincere hope that, through this debate, and in many future forums, the Security Council will direct its focus and energies towards preventing conflicts rather than the mere day-to-day management of crises once they have erupted. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. The Council has before it the draft text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today's meeting. I wish to thank Council members sincerely for their valuable contributions to the draft presidential statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that they agree to that statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2013/4. It is so decided. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Both as a sovereign nation and as an African member of the Security Council, Rwanda will continue to uphold the principles ofjustice and fairness and to ensure that the independence and sovereignty of the continent is respected. Once again, I urge the Council and the international community to focus on the structural prevention of conflicts and to examine their underlying political, social and economic causes. We have no doubt that an enhanced partnership between the African Union and the United Nations will yield a better outcome for the prevention of conflict on the continent. In addition, the personal vision and commitment of the Secretary-General to Africa's peace and security will remain an important ingredient in that regard. I would like to conclude my remarks where I began.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“However, we do not believe that the International Criminal Court, as it operates today, plays a constructive role in preventing conflict; instead of delivering justice and preventing impunity, in practice the Court has shown itself subject to political manipulation from areas outside conflict zones as well as from competing factions within such zones. We cannot therefore support an international criminal court that condemns crimes committed by some and not by others, or that imposes itself on democratic processes or the will of sovereign peoples. Such a court cannot facilitate reconciliation, which is a vital precursor to peace.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Meanwhile, as was mentioned by a few speakers earlier today, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, while establishing useful jurisprudence, particularly in the area of genocide as a crime and rape as a weapon of war, has handled only 75 cases in 17 years. Another international tribunal, sometimes presented as a mechanism for conflict prevention, is the International Criminal Court, which was also mentioned earlier today. If any country in the world has reason to support a robust system of international justice, it is Rwanda.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Justice and reconciliation represent another important tool for conflict prevention in Africa. As the Council may be aware, Rwanda is commemorating this very month the nineteenth year of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi of our country. For Rwanda, justice and reconciliation are inextricably linked. After much trial and error, the Government and the people of Rwanda have come to embrace a home-grown system of reconciliatory justice known as Gacaca. Those courts, which closed their doors in June 2012, handled about 2 million cases in 10 years. Rwanda is in a position to share its unique experience with post-conflict societies, where it applies, of course, and as a means to bring about reconciliation and prevent further conflict.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Such targeted regional approaches allow us to address other issues that fuel conflict in Africa, such as artificial boundaries and the related issue of nationality and identity, and the remnants of our colonial past that act as conflict-enabling forces, as have been identified by other speakers today. The collaboration and partnership among the Security Council, the African Union and its subregional organizations is of the utmost importance. We welcome the strengthening of that cooperation over recent years, including through the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa. Ofcourse, we can do more, particularly in conflict prevention and resolution, while ensuring that the partnership is coherent, consistent and based on mutual respect.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“On regional and subregional integration, democracy and good governance are not the only tools for conflict prevention in Africa. Another is regional and subregional integration. The vision of the African Union is to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent, driven by its own citizens and capable of standing as a dynamic force in the world. We have sought to build a strong and prosperous African Union with each of its subregional building blocks being able to deal with its own conflicts without foreign interference and lift up the continent and its people. Take, for example, the recent efforts of such regional groupings as the Economic Community of West African States, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“One of those processes is the African Peer Review Mechanism, mentioned earlier, which assesses participating Governments against a set of agreed principles. It aims to promote and reinforce high standards of governance by analysing systemic or structural problems in countries under review and to provide advice and recommendations before crises erupt. The African Union Peace and Security Architecture was another milestone for integration and conflict prevention in Africa. It has established other important instruments, including the Panel of the Wise, the Continental Early Warning System and the African Standby Force. Should the Security Council not take careful note of those policy responses? Should it not ask how can we can adapt such initiatives and apply them on a global scale?”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“On democracy and political and economic governance, when the Organization of African Unity was transformed into the African Union, governance, democracy and human rights became a centrepiece of the emergent agenda. Those principles were enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The ethos of democracy and good governance embedded in the Constitutive Act sits alongside the guiding principle that peace and security are vital prerequisites for both. Furthermore, as some before me have pointed out earlier today, the AU has adopted processes that have at their core the promotion of governance as a conflict prevention tool, through building a more efficient, responsive and accountable public sector.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Of course, there are problems with inconsistent and poor implementation, and the African Union needs and has decided to do more and better. And yet, in my view, there is little doubt that the best initiatives for conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction are emerging from Africa itself, and the United Nations would do well to embrace those ideas. Much has been said in this Chamber today on the root causes of conflict in Africa. I will therefore limit my statement to three key points - first, democracy and political and economic governance; secondly, regional and subregional integration; and, thirdly, justice and reconciliation.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Those deep-rooted causes include the legacy of colonial rule for Africa, problems of nationality and identity, a lack of democracy and the rule of law, corruption and poor governance, foreign interference, poverty, famine and disease, and the exclusion of groups based on gender, ethnicity, religion, region and other criteria. Preventing conflicts is possible, provided that those elements are addressed and that leaders and stakeholders, together, do not shirk their responsibilities. Collective efforts in advancing peace and security in Africa have come a long way since the Organization of African Unity was founded, 50 years ago. Since 2002, when the African Union succeeded the Organization of African Unity, Africans across the continent have demonstrated a growing capacity for working together in reducing and preventing conflicts.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“The rationale behind the selection of today's theme lies in the unfortunate fact that around 70 per cent ofthe Council's agenda relates to conflicts in Africa. Clashes, whether between countries or peoples or between States and their citizenry, are not unavoidable. There can be no issue that the Security Council faces that deserves greater focus or urgent attention than the prevention of conflict. As we shift energy and resources from conflict zone to conflict zone, from crisis to crisis, are we truly fulfilling our mission if we fail to properly examine the factors that cause conflicts and crises to begin with? While each conflict has its unique causes and consequences, there is also a discernible pattern from which we can draw and apply lessons.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“I now take the floor in my capacity as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of my country, Rwanda. (spoke in English) I have been honoured to preside over today's very important debate on the theme "Prevention of conflicts in Africa: addressing the root causes". Allow me, first, to express my sincere gratitude to the Secretary- General forjoining us earlier today. I also welcome the presence of my colleague, His Excellency Mr. Elliot Ohin, Minister of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Togo, as well as His Excellency Mr. Tekeda Elemu, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, who is representing the Chairperson of the African Union (AU).”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“I now give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia, who will speak on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“We believe that it is the right time for the Security Council to strengthen its cooperation with the African Union and its subregional organizations in order to achieve better results in conflict prevention. I now give the floor to the Secretary-General.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“AS the President ofthe Security Council, I hope that this important meeting on the item entitled "Prevention of conflicts in Africa: addressing the root causes" will be an occasion for the Council to revisit the concept and practice of conflict prevention as currently understood within the United Nations system. Recalling the theme, today's briefing aims at examining how we can move from a day-to-day management of conflicts and develop a culture of conflict prevention through skills, mechanisms and institutions that address the root causes of conflicts in Africa. The African Union has identified various factors and root causes of conflict on the continent, and it has established institutions and mechanisms to address them.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“I wish to warmly welcome the Secretary-General and the representatives present in the Chamber. Their participation is an affirmation of the importance of the subject matter under discussion. Under rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite His Excellency Mr. Tekeda Alemu, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, representing the Chairperson of the African Union, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2013/204, which contains a letter dated 2 April 2013 from the Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General transmitting a concept paper on the item under consideration.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Fourthly, and related to subsidiarity, is that the international community should increase investment in strengthening national judicial capacities, which is the best way to make justice relevant to local communities and sustainable. I conclude by once again restating Rwanda's firm commitment to enhancing the protection of civilians in armed conflict, and we express gratitude to the women and men protecting those in need, especially on our continent, as well as those who have laid down their lives in the name of international peace and security.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source
“On accountability for crimes against civilians, I wish to emphasize four important points. First, justice must be timely. Nearly two decades after the genocide in my country, the international judicial process has yet to conclude. Secondly, rendering justice to victims should be the only objective of accountability mechanisms, keeping political considerations out of the process. Justice should not be and cannot be selective or used for political expediency. Thirdly, more careful attention should be paid to the principle of subsidiarity when choosing the most appropriate venue for judicial proceedings. Justice is best rendered at home.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source
“Rwanda is a leading contributor of female police officers to United Nations peacekeeping missions, and we have seen these officers combat gender-based violence and raise awareness in the communities they serve in ways that have made peacekeepers better able to do so. Ensuring that all necessary capabilities are deployed in support of peacekeepers is critical to their ability to protect civilian populations. In late 2012, Rwanda contributed military utility helicopters to the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan , extending the Mission's area of influence and contributing to a safer environment for civilians. We also support calls for peacekeeping missions to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to preserve the civilian and humanitarian character of refugee camps.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source
“For example, within their areas of patrol with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, Rwandan peacekeepers have introduced an energy-efficient stove that was developed in Rwanda back in the year 2000 to protect the environment. Because the stoves use less firewood, women and children do not have to venture as far to collect wood, thereby reducing the risk of brutal attacks and rape that often accompany their search. Another example is increasing the number of trained female peacekeepers. Female peacekeepers are often better able to intervene in specific situations concerning women and children, particularly in specific cultural contexts.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source
“On peacekeeping, my country Rwanda welcomes the continued development of strategies to protect civilians and operational baselines through the guidance of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. Rwanda currently contributes to seven United Nations peacekeeping missions. In line with the lessons we learned about rebuilding after the genocide, we do not approach peacekeeping as an exclusively military task. We believe that early peacebuilding is critical to the success of missions, and that adequate resources should be directed to complement uniformed personnel as they fulfil their mandate to protect civilians. Effective measures need be neither costly nor controversial.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source
“I believe that the best way to enhance the protection of civilians in armed conflicts is to move from a mindset of conflict management to one of prevention. Moreover, individual States and United Nations peacekeeping missions must become more sensitive to often subtle forms of incitement that lay the groundwork for crimes against humanity, and work to curtail it before it is too late. I would like to address two further aspects of the core challenges identified by the Secretary-General in his 2009 report (S/2009/277) - first, enhancing the implementation of protection mandates by United Nations peacekeeping missions, and secondly, enhancing accountability for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917 (2013) · source