YouSaid · the spoken record

Nebenzia

lines on the record: 5,044
first: 2017-08-02
most recent: 2023-12-30
sittings or episodes: 461
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

“However, building that kind of long-term and sustainable peace is impossible without patient and pragmatic engagement with the de facto authorities on a wide range of issues. There is no alternative path. We believe that the effective implementation by UNAMA of the tasks conferred upon it also depends on compliance with an integrated approach. In that regard, we welcome the efforts of Special Coordinator Feridun Sinirlioğlu in preparing the independent assessment report (S/2023/856, annex) on Afghanistan, including his emphasis on the imperative of building a comprehensive dialogue with the de facto authorities on the basis of an integrated approach to resolving all the pressing issues mentioned.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“We must reject the politicization of humanitarian aid, unfreeze assets and expand assistance, with a view to ensuring Afghanistan’s subsequent economic recovery. We also continue to monitor developments concerning the rights of all Afghans in general, including the universal rights of women and girls to education and work. We take note of the statements by the de facto authorities and expect a speedy resolution of those issues. Other pressing issues include the formation of a truly inclusive Government with the participation of representatives of all ethnic and political groups in the country. We expect to see progress in that area as well. The Russian Federation fully supports the right and desire of the Afghan people to live in peace and stability. Stability in the region also depends on that.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“We are convinced that comprehensive international and regional assistance in eradicating that threat, including through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is imperative. To that end, such efforts must be ramped up and be undertaken consistently. The production of synthetic drugs is also a matter of concern. We are also closely following the humanitarian and socioeconomic situation in the country. We note the efforts being made by the United Nations and regional organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. We highly appreciate the contribution of humanitarian agencies and their personnel, who are willing to remain on the ground and help Afghans under any circumstances. It is clear, though, that those measures are not enough.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“Despite the efforts made by the de facto authorities, we continue to be particularly concerned about security risks, including those caused by the terrorist activities of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province terrorist group, which has grown in influence, and allied foreign terrorist fighters. We note that the terrorists purposely continue to influence the situation in an attempt to present themselves as a viable alternative force and undermine stability in Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries. Obviously, the actions being taken by the Taliban are not enough to completely eradicate terrorism. Meanwhile, the spillover risk of terrorism outside the country into Central Asia remains quite real. The drug problem is also closely linked to terrorism.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“We can see that they remain interested in developing broad, pragmatic cooperation. At the same time, it is clear that progress will hardly be possible if certain Western donors continue to place all responsibility on the Taliban alone, while demanding that they fulfil their obligations. How many more years will it take before they admit to themselves that attempts to use threats, pressure and blackmail are ineffective and inefficient? In the current circumstances, without constructive steps on their part towards Afghanistan, we are on the road to nowhere. We share some of the Secretary-General’s assessments on the situation in the country.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“More than 1.3 million internally displaced persons have returned to their homes, which is an unprecedented statistic. However, given the full range of the challenges and threats, as well as the myriad problems left in the wake of the foreign troops’ hasty retreat, Afghanistan’s people are in need of our sustained assistance and support more than ever. We have repeatedly spoken of the need for a realistic and comprehensive approach to Afghanistan that would enable setting aside all narrow interests and concentrate in earnest on the needs of the Afghans themselves, while relying on realistic assessments of the situation on the ground and the willingness of the de facto authorities themselves to respond adequately to the expectations of the international community.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“José Javier De La Gasca, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), and the civil society representative, Ms. Shaharzad Akbar. We are also pleased to see that representatives of the region will also be part of the discussion today. We have taken note of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/941) on the situation in Afghanistan. We would like to make the following points. During the more than two years that the Taliban have been in power, despite the strident claims of Western colleagues about a possible collapse, Afghanistan has stood firm. In the face of unprecedented unilateral sanctions and a humanitarian crisis, the country has not slid into another civil war or devolved into a black hole.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“Mr. Nebenzia (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We would like to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ms. Otunbayeva, and the Director for Coordination of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, for their briefings on the situation in Afghanistan. The Russian Federation supports the activities of UNAMA under the leadership of Ms. Otunbayeva, within the framework of the tasks conferred upon the Mission. We note Kabul’s interest in developing contacts with her. We welcome the United Nations commitment to maintaining its presence and providing the assistance needed to the people of Afghanistan. We listened closely to the briefings by the Permanent Representative of Ecuador, Mr.”
2023-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9515 (2023) · source
“We thank the Secretary-General for developing the relevant monitoring options, which we are carefully considering. We trust that the Council will be able to take a decision, in the near future, on the option to choose, through a relevant resolution.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“At the same time, we have always maintained our position in favour of the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian State, within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security with Israel. Our approach is based on the international legal framework for a Middle East settlement, including resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council. In addition, we call for the implementation of the only Security Council product adopted to date on Gaza — resolution 2712 (2023), which, for all its weaknesses, at least contains a binding call on the parties to establish humanitarian pauses. We must ensure international monitoring of the implementation of that Council decision, under the auspices of the United Nations.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“With Washington’s encouragement, Security Council resolutions promising a State to the Palestinians have been sabotaged by Israel for more than a decade now, against the backdrop of illegal settlement expansion, the seizure of Palestinian land and property and the continuing long-standing blockade of Gaza, which has led to generations of Gazans growing up in complete isolation. The position of the Russian Federation is consistent. We value our historically close relations with Palestinians and Israelis alike. We condemn terrorist acts of any kind and the indiscriminate use of force against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We advocate the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the safety of civilians and the release of detainees.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Since the tragic events of 7 October, Washington’s policy in the region has reached a strategic impasse. The Hamas attack, for which there is and cannot be any justification, cannot be considered as separate and distinct from Israel’s actions to build and expand settlements on Palestinian territory, or the failed United States policy of ignoring the Palestinian question and the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians for a State of their own — such actions undermine the international legal basis of the Middle East settlement, including the two-State solution.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“However, despite the efforts of an absolute majority of the members of the Council, all draft resolutions submitted were blocked by Washington, which, instead of assisting civilians, is providing Israel with large quantities of weapons of all kinds that are used to kill Palestinian civilians. By now it should be obvious to everyone that stalling the collective efforts of the United Nations is not the result of any objective institutional problem, but solely because of the stubborn and egotistical ambitions of American leadership. It is no exaggeration to say that there is a global consensus on the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The only State, apart from Israel, that opposes it, pitting itself against the entire international community, is the United States.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“At the same time, the demolition of Palestinian homes without Israeli building permits in the West Bank continues, which are almost impossible for local residents to obtain. The illegal settlement policy in West Jerusalem, including the financing of the expansion of Israeli settlements, continues unabated. Such plans are approved by the Israeli authorities in parallel with the systematic destruction of Gaza. The scale of the human catastrophe in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone has compelled the Secretary-General to use his powers under Article 99 of the Charter of the United Nations and call on the Security Council to take a decision to stop the bloodshed.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Five Palestinians were killed in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the past 24 hours alone, as a result of an Israeli military raid. The day before, on 18 December, another 17-year-old Palestinian was killed in the Al Far’a camp. That brings the total number of victims of the so-called Israeli operations in the West Bank since 7 October to at least 293. In that context, we would like to underscore that Israel has been engaged in the cleansing of the West Bank for a long time, even prior to the events of 7 October, without there being any connection to the terrorist security threat, which is the slogan being used by West Jerusalem to conduct the unprecedented operation on the Gaza Strip.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Seven more people were wounded as they tried to protect their loved ones on church grounds. According to witness accounts, no warning or notification had been issued. On the same day, Israel carried out an air strike against the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, which is part of the church compound and which was designated as a place of worship since the beginning of the escalation. Such attacks continue as everyone is preparing for Christmas celebrations on 25 December. Given the catastrophe in Gaza, which is caused by the actions of Israel, events in the West Bank fade into the background in the media, but violence is also raging there. Israeli armed forces continue their armed raids, and brutal attacks by Israeli settlers persist.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“The Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, admitted that the catastrophe occurring on the Strip was the worst he had ever seen, in particular given that people had nowhere to go and that the stated goal of destroying Hamas was not feasible. According to media reports, Israel has dropped some 29,000 bombs on Gaza, which is comparable to the number of shells dropped by the United States and Great Britain throughout the entire military aggression in Iraq in 2003. We have received shocking reports from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem that on 16 December at the the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, which has been a refuge for the majority of Christian families since the beginning of the war, a sniper of the Israel Defense Forces killed two Christian women who were headed for the monastery.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Out of the 36 health facilities, until recently only eight were allegedly partially operational, but without water or electricity. The loss of personnel also speaks volumes about what is happening in Gaza — staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of the United Nations have been killed, along with entire families, including babies. Some 90 United Nations facilities have been attacked, some of them repeatedly, and 133 United Nations staff have been killed. According to United Nations data, it is the single-largest loss of life in the history of the United Nations.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Since the beginning of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, approximately 19,000 people have been killed with 70 per cent of the victims being women and children, and 90 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip — approximately 2 million people — have become internally displaced. Even the Israeli hostages are among the victims of indiscriminate Israeli actions. Add to that the total blockade of Gaza, including the disruption of communications and severe restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance. There are severe shortages of water, fuel and medicine in the Gaza Strip. Public order is on the brink of collapse. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirms that no one is safe in Gaza.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Mr. Nebenzia (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We would like to thank Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland and Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, Major General Gauchat, for their assessments of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, where for two and a half months an unprecedented massacre in terms of casualties has been taking place. Since the most recent meeting of the Council on this issue (see S/PV.9499), on 8 December, 10 days have passed and, in that time, the number of victims has increased even further.”
2023-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9513 (2023) · source
“Any other scenario will call into question the prospects for the JCPOA and lead to an escalation with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme which could have devastating consequences for the already tense situation in the Middle East. The Russian Federation is firmly convinced that there is no alternative to the JCPOA. An early launch of the Plan is the only appropriate path that would meet the regional and international security interests. We hope that the Secretary-General, who calls the JCPOA the best possible means of ensuring the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, will not allow any dubious, to put it mildly, elements in his reports which would jeopardize the already fragile prospects for a full-fledged restoration of the Vienna agreement.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Those countries are the ones that bear the primary responsibility for the failure to implement the nuclear deal, and they must align their policies with its letter and spirit. For its part, the Russian Federation is firmly convinced that Security Council decisions must be implemented in strict compliance with the agreed parameters. Any attempts by the United States and European parties to the JCPOA to revise them retrospectively are illegal, dangerous and undermine the very basis of resolution 2231 (2015). We expect the Western countries to abandon as soon as possible their policy of unilateral restrictions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Against that background, we reject attempts to use the reports by the Secretary-General and the Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) to spread unsubstantiated insinuations and, as a consequence, to raise tensions with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme. Today the United States representative did not say a word about the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015), or rather the United States’ failure to implement it, but rather focused on yet another round of allegations against Russia and Iran. The United States and European parties to the JCPOA will not be able to cover up for their own violations of the JCPOA and resolution 2231 (2015) through illegitimate unilateral actions or by raising tensions.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Regardless of the provocations of Western countries, the fact remains that no convincing arguments with regard to the violations of the so-called missile provisions of annex B have been presented. All the letters circulated within the Security Council and in the context of the team for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) were just speculations, suspicions and understandings. As we know, there were not and could not be any transfers to circumvent the provisions of resolution 2231 (2015). No evidence to the contrary has been provided, nor has any evidence been provided that the debris presented by the Americans and the British had been collected in Ukraine.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“By choosing to attend that event, representatives of the team for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) clearly overstepped their official duties as set out in presidential note S/2016/44 of 16 January 2016. We recommend that our American colleagues, who go on with regard to the Secretariat having a mandate to conduct investigations, study that document very carefully. We would also like to recall that the team for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) has neither a mandate nor the expertise to carry out verification, inspection or attribution activities within the framework of resolution 2231 (2015). The Secretariat’s actions that were conducted without the prior consent of the Security Council cannot serve as a basis for any conclusions or assessments.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Western countries are focusing in particular on the alleged transfers of Iranian drones to Russia for use in Ukraine and they continue to urge the Secretariat to violate Article 100 of the Charter of the United Nations by insisting on the conducting of so- called investigations. In that context, we were concerned that the Secretary-General’s report (S/2023/975) contained a reference to the private display by the Permanent Representative of the United States of debris of what were said to be drones allegedly downed in Ukraine. That display was an in-group gathering to which we and Iranian colleagues were not invited. Perhaps, for the organizers, the truth would have been hard to swallow. However, the Americans did invite Secretariat staff to their cosy get-together, and regretfully, the latter accepted that provocation.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Moreover, in letters circulated in the Security Council during the reporting period, the United Kingdom, France and Germany accuse Iran of failing to ratify the Additional Protocol to the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement of the IAEA while cynically and hypocritically omitting the fact that Tehran was to have taken steps in that direction after the full lifting of the illegal unilateral sanctions. We are no less concerned about the ongoing attempts by a small group of countries to spread a narrative about violations of paragraphs 3 and 4 of annex B to resolution 2231 (2015). They did not let up, even when the deadline for such restrictions had expired. Now they are trying to hold Iran accountable retrospectively.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“We would like to point out that no reference to article 36 of the JCPOA or the supposed launch, in 2020, of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism, which the Western parties to the JCPOA are trying to use to justify their completely illegitimate actions, is relevant here. The Russian Federation has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that the Dispute Resolution Mechanism was not launched as a result of the numerous procedural issues that have not yet been addressed.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“The decisions of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the EU to purposely disregard their obligations and unilaterally maintain the anti-Iranian restrictions, which they were supposed to lift on 18 October, are not very different from the actions of the United States in terms of their destructive effect on the implementation of the JCPOA and resolution 2231 (2015). The only difference is that Washington is not implementing the nuclear deal at all, while London, Berlin, Paris and Brussels are implementing it only in part. We once again are seeing a clear disregard for international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the authority of the Security Council. The Secretary- General, who, one would think, would defend those principles and who understands the real reason for the situation, is simply ignoring those facts.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“However, it is clear to any reasonable person on whose side of the court the ball is. We should remain mindful that Iran’s return to fulfilling its suspended voluntary obligations to limit its nuclear power programme can take place only with simultaneous reciprocity of the Western parties and the United States, whose actions led to the current situation. This approach is what Russia stood for from the very beginning, and ultimately, it was this approach that underpinned the comprehensive decision of the JCPOA Joint Commission. However, the United States and European participants of the Plan essentially sabotaged efforts to finalize this package and to agree on it. On top of that, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the EU chose to deal another direct blow to the prospects of a full-scale recovery of the JCPOA.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“The United States’ violations of the JCPOA and resolution 2231 (2015) have long since become chronic in nature. Unfortunately, the Secretary-General still prefers to ignore that obvious fact in his reports, limiting himself to modest appeals to Washington to lift anti-Iranian sanctions or to provide for exemptions. Similarly, the report (S/2023/975) simply disregards the actions of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the EU, which have, for years, followed the “bad example” of their friends across the Atlantic. I would not like to think that Secretary-General Guterres has thereby shown his personal solidarity with their actions. In fact, the text of Secretary-General’s report may give the deeply erroneous impression that Tehran bears the main responsibility for the dysfunctionality of the JCPOA.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Against that background, we must state that, in her statement, the Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015) once again regrettably preferred not to name the reason for the failure of the full implementation of the JCPOA, which everyone knows was the United States’ withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018 and its imposition of illegitimate unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. More than five years have passed, the American Administration has changed and the United States is approaching a new electoral cycle, but there have still been no real steps on Washington’s part to rectify the situation. American promises to abandon the policy of maximum pressure on Tehran and return to the nuclear deal have remained empty words. Furthermore, the situation is only getting worse.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“At that time, parties to the nuclear deal set aside political differences and took a truly pragmatic approach that accounted for the interests of all stakeholders and ensured that they had every opportunity to monitor the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the more time passes, the more we see that some of the States parties to the JCPOA, as well as the one State that simply withdrew from it, are trying their best to render obsolete this shared diplomatic achievement.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Instead of outlining the objective situation surrounding the Plan, European colleagues are trying to place the responsibility for the current crisis in the implementation of the JCPOA on Iran and doing everything they can to obscure the illegitimate and destructive measures taken by the United States, the European parties to the JCPOA and Brussels itself — in particular their violation of the commitments set out in the Plan amid the persisting unilateral anti-Iranian restrictions, which they were supposed to lift in October. The adoption of the JCPOA in 2015 was a unique example of what multilateral diplomacy can do in today’s world.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“Mr. Nebenzia (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Security Council Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015), Ambassador Frazier of Malta, for their briefings. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Frazier and her team for their efforts in preparing a six-monthly report (see S/2023/963) by the Facilitator for the implementation of resolution 2231 (2015), which the Security Council endorsed by consensus last week. We also take note of the briefing of the Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU), Mr. Olof Skoog. We regret the fact that his statement was far removed from the principles of impartiality to which the EU should adhere when carrying out its duties as Coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission.”
2023-12-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9511 (2023) · source
“As a result, the Quartet was never given the opportunity to carry out the functions entrusted to it by the Security Council of our world Organization. An updated external support mechanism for negotiating the terms of a long- term, sustainable settlement based on the two-State solution should be truly representative and include those in the region who understand as well as, or rather better than, others how to achieve a just solution based on an agreed international legal framework. We are ready to engage in such work once the flames of the current regional aggravation have been extinguished. Unfortunately, there is a still a long way to go.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“We are convinced that the countries of the region — Arab and Muslim States — should play an important role in that mechanism. The Quartet of international mediators, which was essentially dissolved by a decision of the United States — as we know, it refused to work in that format — unfortunately did not include representatives of the Arab and Muslim world. It consisted of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations. To compensate for that shortcoming, long before the current events, we advocated that the Quartet should work in full coordination with the Arab League. Our Western partners, to put it mildly, responded frostily to that. The United Nations, unfortunately, has not taken the necessary initiative in that regard.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“We should also remain focused on preparing for the relaunching of the peace process on an internationally recognized basis, endorsed within the framework of the United Nations and underpinned by the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, which was put forward by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and supported by all members of the League of Arab States and the OIC. That relates first and foremost to the establishment of an independent, contiguous, sovereign Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting in peace and security with Israel. It is clear that, in order to move towards that goal, alongside the efforts made to address the acute humanitarian issues that I mentioned, a collective diplomatic mechanism will also need to be established.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Foreign Minister Lavrov recently held a meeting in Moscow with the members of the committee established by the decision of the 11 November Joint Extraordinary Summit of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in the Gaza Strip, held in Riyadh. Strongly condemning terrorism in all its manifestations, the participants spoke in solidarity in favour of establishing a sustainable ceasefire as soon as possible and ensuring the protection of civilians.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“And we would like to ask, how long will we have to wait for the results that working group? One of the options could also be to expand the mandate of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. That mission has more than 200 military observers, and the number of those who could be deployed could be increased, provided that there is a commensurate increase in resources. We urge the Secretary-General to work on that option or to propose alternatives. Speaking about the “tomorrow” of this conflict, it is also time to consider the day after tomorrow. There are many questions about the ways to rebuild Gaza and, in general, about the future long-term solution to the Palestinian issue, without which it will not be impossible to ensure a truly sustainable security situation for Israel. Russia is actively working in that direction.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“It is therefore important that ensuring the humanitarian pauses and addressing the acute humanitarian issues in the Gaza Strip become a prologue to a ceasefire rather than a de facto green light for Israel to continue the bloodshed in Gaza. There is only one way to address this — the Council needs to adopt decisive measures in this regard, the implementation of which can be ensured — unlike in any bilateral agreements — through an international monitoring mechanism. As a first step, we expect the Secretary-General, as stipulated in resolution 2712 (2023), to submit proposals as soon as possible on specific options for organizing a mechanism to monitor the resolution’s implementation. Today we heard from the Secretary-General about the establishment of a working group to work on this issue.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“In particular, it has not allowed Palestinians to return to the north of the enclave, and neither does it cover Syria and Lebanon. The main question therefore remains, what lies ahead for long-suffering Gaza and the other occupied Palestinian territories tomorrow? There is a high risk that, in the absence of a clear, verifiable Council decision on a ceasefire, this brief respite will be followed by a new round of violence, and the Gazans who received assistance during the pause will die under the renewed shelling. The unambiguous statements by representatives of the Israeli leadership about their plans to continue their intensive clearing of the Gaza Strip after the end of the humanitarian pause also point to the extreme likelihood of that highly negative scenario.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“My Council colleagues all understand very well that that is an open violation of resolution 2712 (2023) and Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations, yet they have not uttered a single word of condemnation about it — but they clearly would not have failed to do so in other country situations. That is yet another demonstration of their blatant double standards. Of course, we cannot help but be pleased that lives were saved as a result of the recent humanitarian pause and hostage exchange. But those steps were the result of an agreement among players in the region and have nothing to do with resolution 2712 (2023). That means that, while this arrangement offers a glimmer of hope, it is neither sustainable nor comprehensive.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“It also left out Israel’s forceful raids in the West Bank and arbitrary air raids on Syria, as well as the growing tensions along the Blue Line with Lebanon, which could lead to a further expansion of the crisis in the Middle East region. Unfortunately, representatives of the Israeli leadership took full advantage of the United States-induced rift in the Council and did not hesitate to call the adopted resolution meaningless, declaring their intention to ignore it and to continue their clearing of the Gaza Strip, after which have followed new bombings of schools, hospitals, mosques and facilities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“A sustainable ceasefire is not just a moral imperative; it is the only guarantee of an effective humanitarian response, which simply cannot take place in the context of hostilities. The maximum that the Council has been able to produce in all this time is resolution 2712 (2023), a toothless resolution on humanitarian pauses. And without any mechanism to monitor its implementation, it is not surprising that it is not being implemented. Its initial positive message ended up being extremely watered down through the efforts of the United States, and it does not contain a demand for a ceasefire or provide for practical measures to ensure broad and unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need and the provision of assistance to those who are suffering.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Over these weeks, one extremely unpleasant fact has become obvious: to the West, Palestinians are second- class people, and the West is simply not interested in protecting their interests. That is the main reason for the problems that the Council has faced when making decisions. For almost two months, the international community, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and ordinary citizens have been calling on the Council to demand an immediate ceasefire from the parties. Russia has been saying that since the beginning of the escalation. We were the first, back on 16 October, to propose a draft resolution to the Council (S/2023/772) to that effect. A few days later, we proposed a second draft resolution (S/2023/795), but that call has yet to be acted upon.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, about the suffering of women in Gaza (see S/PV.9484), including types of suffering that men do not face due to physiological differences. Palestinian women in the enclave have to give birth in unsanitary conditions, under bombings, and they have to undergo major surgeries without anaesthesia or medication. Western delegations in the Council prefer to remain shamefully silent on the subject. What kind of supporters of the women and peace and security agenda are they, then? We see only hypocrites and unprincipled opportunists who, if political expediency requires it, are able to turn a blind eye to any crimes and, on the contrary, to look for them where they do not exist.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Western delegations take every opportunity to preach about equal rights, demanding that literally every product of the Security Council include the mantra about the need to ensure the meaningful participation of women in political decision-making processes. They demand that the gender aspect be taken into account, even in subjects that objectively have nothing to do with it, such as nuclear disarmament. Which women do they therefore care about? Apparently, it is not Palestinian women — they have been robbed of even the most basic rights to life and security. We all heard the chilling briefings last week by Ms. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN-Women, and Ms.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“And what about Palestinian children? Secretary-General Guterres has said that Gaza has become a graveyard for children. Those words would make any normal person shudder. More children have died in Gaza in one month of escalation alone than were killed in all the conflicts of the past few years. Every day in the enclave, dozens, if not hundreds, of children are killed or maimed. The Israel Defense Forces strikes are hitting schools and hospitals. Children’s basic rights to life and health are being trampled. I ask my Western colleagues, where are their appeals to the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants? Where are their efforts to create various commissions of inquiry and tribunals? Another telling subject is the situation of women.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“After two years of our special military operation in Kyiv, nightclubs are still operating and enjoying enormous popularity. By contrast, how many entertainment venues are operating in Gaza? Even asking that question is abominable against the backdrop of the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, food manufacturers and civil infrastructure in general. The residents of Gaza have no time for entertainment right now. My next point relates to the treatment of children. On camera, our Western colleagues hypocritically express much concern about Ukrainian children and do not hesitate to spread absolutely absurd and disgusting rumours about their abduction in order to smear Russia. Meanwhile, Russia is doing everything possible to protect children from the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis inspired by the West.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source