YouSaid · the spoken record

Naledi Pandor

lines on the record: 33
first: 2020-07-08
most recent: 2020-12-03
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“South Africa, as a co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Security Sector Reform with Slovakia, remains committed to achieving progress in this vital area of work, which is essential in fulfilling the Security Council’s mandate of maintaining international peace and security and in realizing a prosperous and peaceful world for all.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“That will also allow the Security Council to take stock and keep track of developments in this area of work and, in a holistic manner, draw from lessons learned in order to improve on the action that it takes in addressing security sector governance and reform in specific country situations. Against that background, South Africa has undertaken to update resolution 2151 (2014) to make it more relevant, taking into account the evolving situation regarding the realization of the objectives of security sector governance and reform.Let me conclude by reaffirming South Africa’s commitment to supporting security sector governance and reform initiatives.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“There are opportunities that we should explore to further advance security sector governance and reform. The United Nations should strengthen its collaboration with such regional organizations as the African Union, which has an established SSR architecture reinforced primarily by its security sector reform policy, its Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development and its steering committee on SSR. We also see merit in the Security Council placing security sector reform on its agenda as one of its key priorities and paying sustained attention to such reform in order to prevent countries from relapsing into conflict.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“A one-size-fits-all approach must be avoided, given the nuanced differences, needs and complexities of societies. In order to ensure that SSR is able to support long-term sustainable peace, it must be informed by and address the needs of the entire population with the active involvement of women and youth as well as civil society actors. Indeed, the full, equal and meaningful participation of women through the development of gender- responsive SSR strategies remains a vital component of any peacebuilding effort. It will contribute not only to ensuring inclusive processes but the consolidation of mutual trust between the population and security institutions. The success of any peacebuilding effort requires adequate resources. There is therefore a need to ensure predictable and sustainable funding for activities related to SSR efforts.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“We must continue to address such challenges that persist in security sector governance and reform as the misalignment between national priorities and the support provided by bilateral and international partners and poor coordination among partners and national authorities, with the result that SSR initiatives are ineffective. It is the prerogative of each State to determine its SSR approach, strategies and policies from inception through implementation to evaluation. In this regard, international community support must be well coordinated and conform to national priorities of the host State. This will be consistent with the principles of full national ownership and leadership that must guide effective security sector governance and reform.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“This is vital to enabling missions to discharge their mandates and hand security responsibilities over to the host State in a timely manner. We also observe that peace agreements facilitated by the United Nations and other regional organizations — such as those for the Central African Republic, Colombia, Haiti, Mali, South Sudan and the Sudan — are increasingly including provisions on security sector governance and reform. However, more remains to be done to ensure their effective and timely implementation. Consistent engagement and oversight by relevant stakeholders, including the Security Council, is required to address this lacuna.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“Since the adoption of the only Security Council resolution on the issue (resolution 2151 (2014)), which was initiated by Nigeria over six years ago, South Africa recognizes that meaningful progress has been made in advancing security sector governance and reform. However, gaps and challenges in implementation remain, presenting an opportunity for the Council and States Members of the United Nations to improve in this important area for peacebuilding.Notable progress has been made in the prioritization of security sector governance and reform in various peace processes. As a result, United Nations peacekeeping missions and special political missions are increasingly being mandated to provide assistance in SSR in close cooperation with the host State.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“As a troop- and police-contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping operations, South Africa has participated in the implementation of SSR mandates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and the Darfur region of the Sudan. South Africa, in its capacity as a Chair of the Group of Friends of Security Sector Reform, together with Slovakia, convenes regular engagements in coordination with various stakeholders to share experiences, lessons learned and insights in the area of sustaining peace and SSR with a view to strengthening the work of the United Nations in this area. We note, however, that it has been a while since the Security Council has considered SSR within the realm of its competence.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“Our national experience with SSR proved an essential component in entrenching democracy and sustaining peace in our diverse country. Political will and buy-in from all segments of society and a strong and transformative legislative policy framework contributed to the success of South Africa’s experience with SSR. It is within this context that South Africa continues to share its experiences with other States Members of the United Nations, in particular, African countries affected by and those emerging from conflict. Through our bilateral engagements, South Africa has provided policy, institutional and structural advice on reforming the sector and training security- sector personnel in Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and South Sudan, inter alia.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“This is an area that requires periodic reflection by the Security Council in the light of evolving security threats, including those that are asymmetric in nature, as well as measures that post-conflict countries ought to take to make progress and safeguard their hard-won gains. At the heart of security sector reform (SSR) is the expectation that a State should be able to provide security and protection efficiently and effectively to its population by developing policies, structures and security-sector institutional capacity. This is a necessity for conflict prevention and sustaining peace in post- conflict societies in the long term. South Africa recognizes that security sector governance and reform are different for every State.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“South Africa is honoured to preside over today’s meeting of the Security Council on security sector governance and reform, which we believe deserves the sustained attention of the Council, as it remains an integral aspect of conflict-prevention and peacebuilding efforts. We thank all the briefers for their insightful briefings, which will most certainly enrich the debate today, and all of Council members present for their participation. Key to South Africa’s approach to sustaining peace is a holistic perspective on conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and development, and sustaining peace. We took a conscious decision to advance the imperative of peacebuilding in post-conflict societies by convening today’s debate focused on security sector governance and reform.”
2020-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1176 (2020) · source
“In an effort to avoid any measures that would challenge the integrity of the processes of the Council, South Africa will continue to encourage the States members of the Council to act responsibly and in a manner that promotes peace and builds confidence and trust among nations. South Africa will remain resolute in supporting efforts to resolve tensions between all stakeholders in the Gulf region and will always promote dialogue rather than antagonism in order to safeguard the gains already made in support of the maintenance of broader international peace and security.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“We wish to reiterate that South Africa views the JCPOA as one of most important diplomatic achievements in the area of nuclear non-proliferation since the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We believe that it is an excellent example of collective action to consolidate peace through cooperation and collaboration on the basis of a binding agreement. We are also of the view that the JCPOA has contributed significantly to the reduction of tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and remains vital in promoting peace, stability and the normalization of relations within the Gulf.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“It will allow for countries in the Gulf to work together to address broader issues, including countering terrorism and promoting sustainable development. South Africa believes, based on our own experience, that regional and intergovernmental organizations remain critical partners in resolving conflict and should remain impartial in the drive towards the peaceful resolution of conflicts. As a matter of principle, South Africa supports multilateral diplomacy, adherence to international law and the peaceful resolution of conflict. This is deeply rooted in its foreign policy, The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) illustrates how diplomacy and negotiations can resolve challenges between States prior to these evolving into full-scale conflict.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“We have seen the devastating impact that meddling by external Powers, especially in this region, can have on a State and its citizens. The lessons learned from the illegal, unauthorized invasion of Iraq remain a terrifying example thereof. The aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, which led to war and devastation, illustrates the consequences of countries resorting to unsanctioned military action, without due regard for international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. As the custodian of international peace and security, the Security Council should support any initiative by States in the Gulf region to work collectively to address the security situation and instability in the region. Such initiatives will lead to the restoration of peace and stability not only in the Gulf region but also the broader Middle East.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“It is in that context that we reiterate that sustainable peace and stability in the Gulf and the wider Middle East region requires an end to its core peace and security challenge, which is the occupation of Palestine. The international community, including countries in the Gulf region, should continue to work towards a just and peaceful end to the occupation, guided by the relevant United Nations resolutions pertinent to a viable two-State solution that will guarantee and safeguard the human rights and dignity of all people on both sides of the agreed Green Line. Approaches that seek to undermine the internationally agreed parameters and that do not take into account the views and aspirations of the Palestinians undermine the prospects for peace and justice.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“South Africa wishes to commend the Russian Federation for its stewardship of the Security Council for the month of October, and I thank you, Minister Lavrov, for having convened this meeting today to review the situation in the Gulf region. As we heard from the interventions already made, security in the Gulf is intrinsically linked to global security, given the significant economic role and strategic position of the region. It is in the interest of us all for the countries in the region to be able to address the heightened tensions and protracted conflict that has come to characterize the region for so long. The tensions between key regional players and their allies are disconcerting, as their actions spill over to the wider region and further destabilize an already fragile Middle East.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“We must therefore come to terms with the necessity of prioritizing sustainable peace through forums such as the Peacebuilding Commission, in cooperation with regional organizations and their peacebuilding counterparts and mechanisms, while also drawing on a system-wide United Nations multilateral effort. That is especially necessary as we work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to address the root causes of many conflicts we are facing. It is only through cooperation in the face of the temptation to look inward that we will emerge from the current pandemic the better and confront a new world with a renewed spirit of global cooperation.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, considering the economic toll the virus has taken on both low- and middle-income African countries due to resources to contain the effects of COVID-19, African countries may not be able to manage the debt service for a few years to come. These conditions undermine peace, stability and prosperity. South Africa maintains that it is in our collective interests for the United Nations to begin setting its sights on this grim reality by focusing the attention of United Nations agencies on the disruptive socioeconomic effects of COVID-19 on developing nations. In conclusion, sustaining peace depends on the overall political, social, economic and physical health of societies. In addition, we inhabit a world that is increasingly global and interconnected.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“In mostly developing nations, this scenario is likely to pit distressed citizenry against national Governments through heightened national protests, thereby threatening national security, peace and stability. Given the challenges that many African countries face with weak health systems, the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and peace and security in the COVID-19 landscape are dire. The linkages between public health, societal well-being, politics and the performance of national health systems are well documented in Africa, particularly in post-conflict countries and those experiencing protracted conflicts.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“The notion of a comprehensive response to the pandemic, which includes both additional efforts and resources, and the enhanced engagement of the Security Council in areas such as sanctions, will be key to the Council’s role in the broader global effort. It is for this reason that South Africa believes that sustaining peace amid a global pandemic requires concurrently addressing the confluence of factors that determine the context for peace to endure in these trying times. For Africa, in particular, countermeasures against the threat posed by the COVID-19 virus, such as stay-at-home and social distancing laws, have adversely affected informal economies on which many people’s livelihoods depend. Family incomes, in particular, have been jeopardized, deepening the social plight of countless people across the continent.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“It is for this reason that South Africa strongly supports the Secretary-General’s call for the waiving of unilateral coercive measures and sanctions in order to allow affected Governments and societies to have the requisite resources to secure the much-needed life-saving and medical supplies, and personal protective equipment to respond to the pandemic. We also support calls for debt relief and deferral, and robust support for recovery in Africa. South Africa has consistently held the position that sanctions should be used to support peace processes and not as a means of collective punishment, which is made all the more devastating in the context of a pandemic that even the most capable economies have been struggling to deal with.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“The WHO has also been working with affected countries and regional organizations such as the African Union to address the spread of COVID-19, thus exemplifying a global cooperative effort. While it is important to focus on post-conflict support in all peacebuilding efforts, we must be wary not to provide support, on the one hand, while inhibiting the adequate responses of Governments to protect their people from the pandemic and weather the economic difficulties and implications, on the other.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“In that regard, South Africa will continue to support the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire and a humanitarian pause in order to give due attention to the pandemic and attempts to mitigate its impacts, a call that has been reiterated and emphasized by the African Union. At this stage, we must acknowledge and commend the leadership and proactive action of the United Nations, which put in place measures to protect the health and safety of peacekeepers and to help navigate the effects of the pandemic. In that connection, we commend in particular the leadership and critical role of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its Director-General, Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in preventing and mitigating the broader public health emergency in which peacekeeping and other peace-related activities are embedded.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“It is crucial for the international community to continue to support countries affected by conflict in order to preserve those gains and sustain investments in stabilization and peacebuilding. Another impact area that will continue to require more attention is post- conflict reconstruction and sustaining the hard-won peace that has been achieved through the Council’s efforts and those of the broader international community over many years. We must not lose sight of what it has taken to assist those in conflict situations to extricate themselves from violence, destruction and insecurity, and what the adverse effects of renewed instability and the re-emergence of conflict would entail. These may be especially pronounced due to the adverse humanitarian impact of coping with conflict amid a global pandemic.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“We support the Security Council addressing the possible link between the pandemic and peace and security. This multilateral approach, which requires financial assistance, is of the utmost necessity given the intractable nature of global pandemics, in general, as well as the complex array of challenges that emerge from such a pervasive global phenomenon. It requires us to be aware of how deeply interconnected our world is and how solidarity and cooperation are becoming more and more indispensable. South Africa is deeply concerned about the potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on conflict situations that are currently the focus of the Council, particularly the potential to delay or reverse vital gains in peace and political processes.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“At a time when the world is only beginning to understand the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts are being made in various international forums to deal with the multitude of adverse impacts, we thank Indonesia, through Minister Marsudi, for convening this Security Council debate to prioritize sustaining peace in the midst of pandemics. We also welcome the important and insightful briefings by Secretary-General António Guterres, Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ms. Sarah Cliffe, which have lent substantial weight to our discussion. South Africa has had to learn many lessons from the pandemic, such as the critical need for international collaboration and robust multilateral institutions, and the urgency of socioeconomic assistance in sectors that should be helping the most vulnerable.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“Such actions undermine the fundamental interests and rights of the Libyan people and detract from Libyan national unity. In that regard, South Africa reaffirms its commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of Libya and the preservation of its natural resources for the sole benefit of its people. We hope that this meeting will lead to greater success in the implementation of the agreements of the Berlin Conference.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Nevertheless, the parties to the conflict and external players continue to violate the embargo through the influx of weapons and foreign fighters to Libya. South Africa wishes to affirm the African Union’s strong condemnation of all forms of violations of the United Nations arms embargo by whomsoever. In that regard, the African Union has called on the United Nations, through the Security Council, to fully assume its responsibility to ensure that the embargo is effectively implemented and monitored as part of efforts to end fighting and create the necessary conditions for a permanent ceasefire. In conclusion, allow me to reiterate that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Libya and that external actors’ continued political meddling and military interference in the affairs of Libya must come to an end.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“It is vital to enhance the synergies of the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations as they work with common purpose to end the conflict in Libya. Under no circumstances should there be a military solution to the conflict in Libya. That must be avoided at all costs. We seek a peaceful solution and thus reiterate the support of South Africa and the AU for the conclusions of the Berlin Conference. However, we are increasingly concerned that several of the commitments agreed to six months ago in Berlin have not been respected or implemented. We should recall that at the Berlin Conference international partners committed to respecting the arms embargo and refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of Libya.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“To that end, South Africa welcomes the African Union’s decision to convene an inter-Libyan reconciliation conference in Addis Ababa later this year, coronavirus disease permitting. In the build-up to that conference, we appeal to all today’s participants to support that initiative. Through continued cooperation and collaboration, we can all collectively work towards a lasting political solution and reconciliation process, thus ensuring lasting peace. Our country, South Africa, and the Chairperson of the African Union, President Cyril Ramaphosa, supports the ongoing efforts of the African Union through its Peace and Security Council, its Ad Hoc High-level Committee on Libya and its Contact Group, as well as the work of the AU Special Envoy for Libya as they continue to engage with main stakeholders in Libya.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“We welcome that there will be an investigation into those atrocities and that those responsible will be held accountable. South Africa urges the parties to the conflict in Libya to heed the call of the Secretary-General and the African Union (AU) and to urgently agree to the implementation of a ceasefire with immediate effect. Furthermore, we call on all Libyan parties, community leaders and non-governmental organizations to commit to a constructive political dialogue and to work towards a sustainable and lasting political agreement. We reiterate that lasting peace and stability in Libya can come only through a political solution designed and owned by Libyans for Libyans.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for convening today’s meeting on the situation in Libya. The participation of ministers in today’s meeting reflects the gravity of the matter that we are discussing. The Secretary-General’s briefing clearly indicates the distressing security and humanitarian situation in Libya and their potential repercussions for peace and security in the region and on the African continent. The increased military build-up intensified by the foreign intervention we have witnessed over the past 14 months, coupled with ongoing hostilities, has had a devastating impact on the day-to-day lives of Libyans. That has resulted in injuries and deaths of innocent civilians, in particular women and children. The recent discovery of mass graves in and around Tarhouna attests to the nature of the atrocities being committed.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source