YouSaid · the spoken record

Norman-Chalet

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254

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2019-06-20

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2020-09-25

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un-security-council

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1. “The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document 8/2019/945, which contains the text ofa draft resolution submitted by the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. A vote was taken by Show ofhands. In favour: Belgium, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America The President: The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2501 (2019). The meeting rose at 3.10pm.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8686 (2019) · source

2. “There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers. Before I conclude the meeting, I would like to speak in reference to the statement made by the representative of the Russian Federation on today's agenda item. The Security Council presidency acknowledges the incorrect title of the item on the agenda for today's meeting . It will therefore be corrected in the record to reflect the correct title of the agenda item, as it appears in the provisional monthly programme of work of the Council, namely, "Peace and security in Africa: lntercommunal violence and terrorism in West Africa". The meeting rose at noon.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

3. “We believe that, working together both in the Council and with Governments of the region, there is no limit to the potential of West Africa and its people that can be unleashed. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I will now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

4. “The United States supports Nigeria's efforts to end violence, facilitate the swift and voluntary return of displaced communities and bring those responsible for abuses to justice. But I must reiterate the need for unhindered life-saving humanitarian access for relief organizations to serve the people of Nigeria, including the areas most affected by Boko Haram. We look forward to the advancement of cornerstone political objectives such as the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, emanating from the Algiers process. But we remain concerned that the Government of Mali and the signatory armed groups have made little progress implementing the Agreement. The United States is optimistic about our collective ability to make progress in this vital region.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

5. “In the Lake Chad region we provided nearly $470 million in assistance to address underlying drivers of conflict and counter terrorist threats. Our United States Young African Leaders Initiative invests in capacity-building to equip young leaders with the skills to build bridges in conflict and lead democratic societies. Our Prosper Africa Initiative supports trade, investments and livelihoods in urban and rural areas. And the State Department's Sahel Development Partnership offers a holistic approach to bolster resilience and counter violent extremism. Those are just a few examples of how the United States partners with West Africa to foster a more prosperous, democratic and stable region. But, in order to combat regional violence and enhance stability, we need greater commitment from Governments of the region.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

6. “First, a military response alone often fails to address the root causes of violent conflict. Societal resilience to the threat of violent extremism is born from community-led efforts. Secondly, all communities in West Africa and the Sahel should enjoy inclusive representative governance. That includes access to essential services and resources and accountability for leaders who fail to meet those needs. Thirdly, in order to maintain accountability, civil leaders at every level must have an active role in upholding the social contract between citizens and their Governments. This is not just talk. The United States administers numerous programmes to support those solutions. In 2017 and 2018 we provided more than $5.5 billion in support of long-term stability and security in West Africa.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

7. “That violence has most acutely affected civilians, reducing food security and displacing more than 900,000 people. When communities feel that they must compete for limited resources, or that they cannot rely on their Governments to provide basic infrastructure, economic opportunity and protection, they are more likely to become aggrieved. Citizens must have the confidence that their Governments can and will protect them. If not, they will seek out other means of protection, includingjoining violent or criminal groups. Good governance and capable and accountable security forces are critical to violence prevention. What should we do to reverse that trend and create the necessary conditions for peace and stability? The solutions are many, although I would like to highlight a few today.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

8. “It is with that latest attack in mind that we meet today to better understand how the international community can prevent violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel. In West Africa there has been an explosion in violent extremism and intercommunal conflict as jihadist cells attempt to take root. Those groups fuel violence by exploiting local grievances, a lack of State presence and existing intercommunal tensions. We have seen a dramatic uptick in the tempo and complexity of attacks against security forces in Mali and the Sahel, especially by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Boko Haram and Islamic State's West African Province also continue to terrorize the Lake Chad region. Meanwhile, the protracted conflict in Libya threatens to further destabilize an already-fragile Sahel.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

9. “I thank Mr. Chergui for his briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. I want to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Chambas and Ambassador Chergui for their briefings. I also thank Cote d'Ivoire for co-hosting this meeting with us. Today's meeting is a strong finish to that country's efforts over the past two years to highlight challenges in West Africa. Cote d'Ivoire has been a distinguished partner in this Chamber, and its voice will be truly missed. Let me also begin with words of condolence to our friends in the Niger who will join the Security Council in January. The deepest sympathies ofthe United States are with the families of the more than 70 soldiers of the Niger who were killed in the 10 December terrorist attack.”

   2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

10. “In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in the meeting: Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel; and Mr. Sma'il Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security. Mr. Chambas and Mr. Chergui are joining today's meeting via video-teleconference from Dakar and Addis Ababa, respectively. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. 1 give the floor to Mr. Chambas.”

    2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8685 (2019) · source

11. “I thank Ambassador Wronecka for her briefing. We also express our thanks and appreciation for Ambassador Wronecka's leadership of the 1591 Committee over the past two years and for the hard work exhibited by her team in the fulfilment of its mandate. I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.”

    2019-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8684 (2019) · source

12. “In accordance with rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Sudan to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Ambassador Joanna Wronecka, Permanent Representative of Poland, in her capacity as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005), concerning the Sudan. I now give the floor to Ambassador Wronecka.”

    2019-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8684 (2019) · source

13. “The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today's meeting. I thank Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2019/15. The meeting rose at 3.05 pm.”

    2019-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8683 (2019) · source

14. “Over the coming year, we look forward to supporting his promotion of peaceful electoral processes, as well as his cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, so as to bring peace and prosperity to Central Africa. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. As there are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers, I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject. The meeting rose at 4. 35 pm.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

15. “The United States also appreciates the work done by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Fall to build regional support for the full implementation of the 6 February Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. The United States supports the agreement and believes it to be the best pathway to lasting peace, security and stability in the Central African Republic. In a spirit of reconciliation, we urge UNOCA to continue working in coordination with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, the African Union and neighbouring countries to rally regional political support for the timely and effective implementation of this agreement. We would like to again thank Special Representative Fall for all the hard work he does in UNOCA.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

16. “The situation in Cameroon warrants immediate action from all parties, including the African Union and regional Heads of State. As this month is about doing and not just talking, I want to briefly list a few helpful steps that could be taken to restore a measure of stability. We urge the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and our partners to take a more assertive role in resolving Cameroon's conflict and to continue to urge both the Government of Cameroon and separatist groups to enter into open-ended dialogue without preconditions, relinquishing their focus on a military solution. We also fully support the Swiss- led mediation process between the Government of Cameroon and the separatists, and we urge both sides to take concrete actions to move the initiative forward.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

17. “On 5 November, UNICEF reported that around 1.9 million people, most of them children, were estimated to need assistance. This is an increase of 80 per cent compared to last year and an almost 15-fold increase since 2017. We call on separatist groups and the Government of Cameroon to ensure humanitarian access to these areas to deliver life-saving assistance to those who now find themselves in need. We express our condolences to the family of a local aid worker, who was kidnapped and executed by unknown armed men on 30 November during the official conduct of his duties. We also call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, as well as the protections they provide.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

18. “Credible reports detail persistent human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary and unlawful detention and torture, all conducted with impunity. What started as a political and human rights crisis in the region has become a humanitarian situation requiring immediate attention. Parties to the conflict limit humanitarian access, and a worsening security situation has reportedly left as much as 65 per cent of the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon out of bounds to aid workers. Since 2016, when the protests in Cameroon started, nearly 3,000 people have died as a result of the ensuing violence, including 300 defence and security personnel. The conflict has created more than 500,000 internally displaced persons and nearly 50,000 refugees.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

19. “I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. I would like to join other colleagues in thanking Special Representative Fall for his briefing today. We commend his efforts to bring prosperity and security to Central Africa, and the United States is grateful for his work in Cameroon to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the Anglophone North-West and South- West regions. I would also like to thank Mr. Lezhnev for his candid assessment and concrete recommendations to address the challenges in the region. As the Council seeks to highlight the most pressing concerns to international peace and security, we must clearly state that we are increasingly concerned by rapidly worsening humanitarian and human rights situations in Cameroon.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

20. “I thank Mr. Lezhnev for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

21. “In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Francois Lounceny Fall, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, and Mr. Sasha Lezhnev, Deputy Director of Policy at the Enough Project. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document 8/2019/913, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Central Africa and the activities ofthe United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa. I now give the floor to Mr. Fall.”

    2019-12-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8679 (2019) · source

22. “We will not stand idly by when the international community unfairly criticizes Israel, especially when it fails to also condemn those who seek Israel's physical destruction and even deny its right to exist. Ifthe Council is truly committed to peace, we must be clear-eyed in evaluating what the real obstacles are to its attainment. Rocket fire that threatens the safety of Israelis and Palestinians on a daily basis is such an obstacle.”

    2019-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8669 (2019) · source

23. “There could hardly be a more significant or more self-evident barrier to peace. The United States remains committed to the cause of peace, and Monday's announcement does not alter this fact. We continue to believe that discussion between the parties is the path to finding a solution that works for both sides and promotes and protects the welfare of Palestinians and Israelis alike. But just as we are committed to the cause ofpeace, we are committed to Israel and its fair treatment at the United Nations. As Ambassador Craft has made abundantly clear and asked me to convey again today, the United States has always supported Israel in the past; we support Israel today; and we will support Israel moving forward.”

    2019-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8669 (2019) · source

24. “Would they accept blame and criticism for the violence directed against them? Would they feel confident that there was a clear path to peace while these attacks persist? Of course not. And yet this is often what Israel is expected to endure. In just the past week, reports indicate that 450 rockets were fired into Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. What is especially notable is that these attacks threaten the lives ofIsraelis and Palestinians alike. This Iranian-funded terrorist organization has repeatedly attempted to undermine progress towards peace. It has intentionally attempted to disrupt periods of calm and ceasefire between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Both sides are affected by these terrorist actions. Schools in Israel and the Gaza Strip are closed, businesses have shut down and families are seeking shelter.”

    2019-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8669 (2019) · source

25. “The United States Government is expressing no view on the particular legal status of any individual settlement, nor are we addressing or prejudging the ultimate status of the West Bank. That is for Israelis and Palestinians to decide. The relevant question today then is, what real obstacles are preventing the Palestinians and the Israelis from sitting down to work towards peace? On that matter, we must note that the recent barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel represents a far greater barrier to peace. Just for a moment, I want each person in this Chamber to imagine what it would be like to live each day knowing that a siren could go off at any time, alerting them and their family that they have 15 seconds to reach a bomb shelter. Would anyone on the Council tolerate such an existence?”

    2019-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8669 (2019) · source

26. “I wish to thank Mr. Mladenov for his briefing. As always, we appreciate his team's hard work to fairly address these complicated issues. I also want to thank Ms. Hary for her briefing. I am sure that there will be further discussions today of our Monday announcement regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Ambassador Craft has already addressed this issue in writing, and I want to briefly take it up again today on her behalf. It is the position of the United States that the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law. We believe that this complex political problem can be resolved only through direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. I would like to be clear on our decision.”

    2019-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8669 (2019) · source

27. “The United Nations has a unique ability to foster peace and reconciliation around the world, and the United States believes that through mediation, accountability and justice for victims, the United Nations can make proper use of this ability. The Council and the United Nations can count on the United States to continue supporting these efforts, for the work of reconciliation in the name of human flourishing is nothing less than our highest calling.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

28. “Also in Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq is playing a pivotal role in partnering with the Government and the people of Iraq to advance inclusive political dialogue towards the aim of national and community-level reconciliation. In South Sudan, the United Nations Mission there has engaged in peace talks and is empowering communities to undertake similar dialogues, some of which result in conflict resolution at the local level. But while these efforts can help achieve some reconciliation, they are insufficient without a larger, Government-led effort to heal the wounds caused by the five-year war.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

29. “No segment of Iraqi society, including those from diverse faiths and communities, has escaped ISIS's terror. To begin a process of healing and reconciliation, we must develop a balanced and truthful account of events. Supported by the Government of Iraq and unanimously endorsed by the Security Council again this September, the United States continues to be a strong supporter of the mandate of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant to collect, store and preserve evidence of ISIS's atrocities, which may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

30. “To that end, we welcome the United Nations independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar's documentation of human rights abuses committed in Myanmar since 2011, including against the Rohingya in Rakhine state and against other vulnerable communities in Kachin, Shan and elsewhere across the country. I would also like to reiterate our strong support for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. As in Syria, the United States is deeply appreciative of the Burmese civil-society organizations that, under conditions of great danger, continue to document human rights abuses and pursue accountability for those responsible for atrocities. In Iraq, we must not waver from holding the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) accountable for the atrocities it has committed against all Iraqis.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

31. “We applaud the progress that the Mechanism has achieved in the last year, and we are proud to both provide an additional $2 million this year and support efforts to fund the Mechanism from the United Nations regular budget. We honour the resiliency of Syrian civil-society leaders who have risked their lives to document human rights abuses and protect the victims of atrocities. Their work is instrumental in promoting justice and accountability in Syria, both of which will be critical to any real solution to the conflict. In Burma, addressing security-force abuses of ethnic minority groups will be essential to meaningful reconciliation.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

32. “We also recognize the vital work of the United Nations Special Representatives and Special Envoys, as well as the United Nations fact-finding missions, to bring greater reconciliation to communities battered by conflict. We also recognize the role of women, as others have this morning, in advancing lasting and sustained reconciliation in peace agreements. There are many specific opportunities for this body to build towards reconciliation in our time, and I should like to address just a few of them this morning. In Syria, the United States firmly believes that the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria has a vital role to play in gathering information on serious crimes committed in the country.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

33. “It is great to see you here, Sir, with us today. I thank the briefers for their very insightful and concrete recommendations. It was good to have the Secretary- General here, as always. The birth of the United Nations delivered a powerful message of peace to a world shattered by war. Since 1945, this institution has been the world's pre-eminent multilateral forum for dialogue, debate and, perhaps most importantly, reconciliation. These are initiatives that the United States fully supports. We seek justice for victims and accountability for those responsible for atrocities. We create programming, provide technical support and elevate the voices of those who are most vulnerable, and we furnish significant funding for these efforts.”

    2019-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8668 (2019) · source

34. “By engaging with armed groups, building trust and offering alternatives to violence, United Nations actors on the ground are able to open up new possibilities for sustainable peace. For our part, the United States continues to prioritize child-protection programming that is life-saving and essential for survival as well as longer-term recovery, resilience and healing. We will continue to invest in preventive and responsive programming to protect children from Violence. We know that the resumption of familiar, safe and nurturing routines, particularly within a family, helps children heal, build resilience and better cope with stress. The United States calls on all countries to join our efforts and increase contributions, so as to do their part to help children in need of safety, food and other life-saving interventions.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

35. “In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, efforts by United Nations child-protection specialists to work with the Government resulted in 14 armed- group commanders renouncing the recruitment of child soldiers, releasing all child soldiers from their ranks and allowing the United Nations to verify that commitment. In the Central African Republic, the engagement of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic with armed groups on action plans to protect children appear to offer the same inroads for education and change. In both of these cases, the immediate goal is to protect children from violations and abuses in the context of armed conflict.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

36. “While we acknowledge that the Working Group has achieved progress with the adoption of its recent Burma and Syria conclusions, much more remains to be done. The United States is committed to better integrating the children and armed conflict agenda when we discuss conflict situations in the Security Council. The United States will continue to address ways to strengthen the protection of children across all of the Security Council mandates. We further welcome the signing by the Syrian Democratic Forces of an action plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children in Syria. We also commend the efforts made by the Government of Yemen and the coalition to strengthen child-protection issues.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

37. “The United States remains deeply concerned about continuing violations and abuse against children, particularly in Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, the Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Syria. The United States welcomes the great progress achieved by the Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict in recent days to adopt conclusions on Burma and Syria with the consensus of all 15 Council members. We commend Belgium's leadership as Chair ofthe Working Group and for facilitating these important discussions. Moreover, the United States endorses the Working Group's conclusions reiterating that the regimes in both Damascus and Naypyitaw must immediately address the Council's calls to take steps to halt the recruitment and use of children.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

38. “The United States remains fully committed to the critical work of the United Nations and the Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict in ending the impact of conflict on children wherever possible to prevent their future involvement in war and to assist affected children in recovering from violent conflict. Our actions taken today to protect children from armed conflict will matter in the years ahead for future generations, as Ms. Kamara so eloquently said. Protecting children today means staving off future conflict and the radical radicalization to violence of scores of young people. We appreciate the particular focus on the needs of the disabled, making sure that they, too, are reintegrated.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

39. “The United States strongly supports UNICEF in its mandate to protect and assist children all over the world, including specialized support for the survivors of violence and assured access for children to a range of life-saving assistance, including nutrition, health, water and sanitation. Majok Peter Awan's testimony, as a former child soldier and now a United Nations child protection officer, is particularly inspiring for all of us here today. As the Secretary-General's report (S/2019/509) this year starkly makes clear, the number of children killed, kidnapped, maimed and used and abused is even more staggering today than it was when the Council began to collectively address children and armed conflict more than a decade ago.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

40. “I would like to join other colleagues in thanking Mariatu Kamara and Majok Peter Awan for their incredible determination and moving testimonies today, which, as others have said, take us beyond the discussions and compel us to act in a meaningful way. I thank them very much for being here and sharing their stories. Their advocacy has helped focus the world's attention to children in armed conflict and reminds us of our responsibility as Member States to protect civilians from harm, especially children. We are proud of the work of our partners to better protect children affected by armed conflict all over the world.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

41. “We congratulate Poland on its assumption of the Security Council presidency for August and for holding today's annual open debate as the first signature event of its presidency. Your presence here today, Mr. President, underscores the urgent need to collectively address the issue of children and armed conflict around the world. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Peru for its presidency in facilitating a productive month of July. We, too, would like to welcome Ambassador Zhang Jun to the Council. We also thank Special Representative Gamba and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore for their briefings today.”

    2019-08-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8591 (2019) · source

42. “Finally, the reinvigoration of the political process in line with the resolution 2254 (2015) must start with a verifiable ceasefire across all of Syria, and in particular in Idlib and northern Hama. Until then, the United States will continue to apply pressure through all available means in order to isolate the regime and its allies.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

43. “There is both a humanitarian and a political imperative for advancing progress on improving transparency and access to regime prisons and securing the release of those Syrians arbitrarily detained by the regime, especially women, children and the elderly. Progress on detainee issues, as Special Envoy Geir Pedersen has said, could be a confidence-building measure to generate trust among the Syrian people, the Syrian-opposition representatives and the Al-Assad regime that will help create momentum towards a political solution. Accordingly, in the coming weeks, the United States intends to call for a Security Council briefing on the topic of detainees and missing persons in Syria in order to mobilize urgently needed action on this issue.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

44. “However, it is important to recall that many who remain in Rukban are choosing to stay in the most difficult of humanitarian conditions because either they cannot afford to pay for their own transportation out of the camp or, as was noted in the United Nations assessment in February, they do not wish to return to areas under the control of the Al-Assad regime out of fear of reprisal attacks, forced conscriptions, despite Russian-brokered deals to the contrary, and arbitrary detentions. The plight of Syrian civilians arbitrarily detained by the Al-Assad regime is one humanitarian issue that is often overshadowed by the barbarity of the regime's military campaign in broad daylight, the continued forced-starvation siege of Rukban and the ongoing restrictions on United Nations access.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

45. “The United States also remains gravely concerned about the fate of the thousands of civilians in Rukban. Although as many as 17,000 people have voluntarily left the camp, according to United Nations estimates, as many as 24,000 people remain there and have systematically been denied aid because of bureaucratic delays by the regime and the Russian Federation since the last United Nations convoy reached the camp in February. The United States also strongly urges the Russian Federation to expedite and secure, on behalf of the Al-Assad regime, all the necessary regime approvals for a new United Nations assessment team and aid convoy to Rukban immediately. The United States affirms the right ofthe internally displaced persons in Rukban to make their decisions to leave the camp voluntarily.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

46. “The United States is also deeply concerned by United Nations reports that the military operations in north- west Syria are impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid to 3 million civilians in Idlib governorate. Those communities are deeply dependent upon United Nations cross-border aid. The United States calls on all Security Council members and our regional partners to ensure that the United Nations has the ability to freely implement cross-border aid deliveries throughout all agreed border crossings, in accordance with resolution 2449 (2018). There is no substitute for the United Nations cross-border operations, set forth in resolution 2449 (2018), through all four authorized border crossings, and it is particularly important now, given that we are witnessing a deteriorating humanitarian situation in southern Syria.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

47. “The United States fully supports a full and independent investigation into attacks that have hit health facilities in north-west Syria and also continues to encourage United Nations humanitarian agencies to provide any data and information they have on reported attacks on health facilities to the International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanismto Assist inthe InvestigationandProsecution of Those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, for further action and to ensure that those actions are appropriately documented.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

48. “The latest offensive on Idlib has gained the regime and its allies nothing and serves only to further escalate and destabilize the region. We appreciate the participation of Susannah Sirkin from Physicians for Human Rights in today's briefing. Accountability cannot be optional for the perpetrators of violence in Syria, in particular the regime's latest attacks, which have hit known health facilities.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

49. “The United States offers its condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the three ambulance workers killed over the weekend and the four White Helmet volunteers - Amir Al-Bunni, Anas al-Dyab, Mahmoud Al-Ali and Zuhair Al-Rajou - recently killed as they attempted to save victims of the air strikes. The United States forcefully condemns those devastating impacts on civilians in the strongest possible terms and calls for an immediate end to ongoing hostilities. We urge the Al-Assad regime and its allies to immediately return to a ceasefire in the area and allow for unhindered access to address the humanitarian disaster created by the air strikes as outlined in resolution 2254 (2015) and numerous other Security Council resolutions. We have said it before and must say it again: there is no military solution to this conflict.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source

50. “Indeed, when the Al-Assad regime and Russia repeatedly attack hospitals and other civilian objects - many of which, as the parties have been informed in advance, are sheltering vulnerable civilians - it is difficult to deny that the sustained pattern of strikes on markets, hospitals and bakeries is anything but a deliberate act. The United States also condemns the killing and maiming of humanitarian actors, such as ambulance drivers, health workers and White Helmet volunteers by the Al-Assad regime and its allies' campaign. The United States will not waver in our support for the courageous work that White Helmets and all medical workers and humanitarians do in Syria every day. Doctors, nurses ambulance drivers and White Helmets are not terrorists and deserve our protection.”

    2019-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8589 (2019) · source