YouSaid · the spoken record

Ohin

lines on the record: 110
first: 2012-02-21
most recent: 2013-04-15
sittings or episodes: 12
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

“Let me conclude by emphasizing the need for Africa to find locally generated structural solutions to address the deep causes of conflict. We believe that, if many proposed approaches have been doomed to failure or have at best had mixed results, it is because they were, for the most part, imposed from the outside on the affected populations, actors or victims of those conflicts. It is also important that the Council use conflict prevention mechanisms as much as possible, in particular as provided by the Charter in Articles 40 and 41. Employing such mechanisms will have the advantage of promoting early-warning systems and strengthening the role of the Security Council in conflict prevention, which is by far less expensive than peacekeeping.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Moreover, my country believes that it is essential to encourage and promote projects on the shared management of transborder natural resources, on the involvement of local populations on both sides of the border in border projects and, ultimately, on regional integration, which will help reduce tensions along borders. Togo believes that civil society organizations, while not substitutes for the State, have a key role to play in the culture of peace. Efforts should therefore be made to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations through an approach that includes participatory development, where institutional and policy changes respond to the deep and legitimate desires of the populations concerned.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“While States subscribe to the principle of the inviolability of the borders inherited from colonization, which is a principle adopted by the African Union, the demarcation of those boundaries has, for several decades now, led to structural conflicts on the continent. It is therefore important to remedy that situation by promoting peace, peaceful coexistence between divided communities and security in border regions and their economic development. In that regard, we urge the international community to further support the African Union's border programme, which is aimed at completing the demarcation of borders across the continent in order to reduce the risk of inter-State conflict over resources.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“It is therefore urgent to rethink the economic governance of African States through a change in mindset, as it is well known that the economic problems of Africa lie not so much in its poverty but, rather, in the mismanagement of its many riches. In addition, the benefits of those resources should be equitably shared, and that should not be limited to resources that can be mined. Land and water should be used in more efficient ways in order to provide opportunities, such as fishing, farming, grazing and agriculture, to all populations. Borders are also a major issue in Africa.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“In addition, African initiatives for democracy and good governance, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which are genuine tools for promoting democracy on the continent, represent major advances in the field. The full implementation of the provisions of those instruments and awareness- raising among the various national political actors could contribute greatly to the entrenchment of general democratic principles on our continent. The overhaul of States' capacities for political governance, and hence their ability to address political and social vulnerabilities, will not promote lasting peace if we do not, at the same time, seek to reduce Africa's endemic poverty. Situations of scarcity and poverty provide fertile breeding grounds for conflicts.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“That strategy must include a focus on promoting a democratic culture, on reducing poverty through an equitable distribution of the resources of the country and on swiftly implementing border demarcation programmes. With regard to the promotion of a democratic culture - the contest for political power being in Africa one of the major causes of many armed conflicts since independence - the promotion and strengthening of a democratic culture, guarantor of human rights, could help to reduce the risk of conflict by providing everybody with equal opportunities to participate in the management of public affairs. The creation of the United Nations Democracy Fund to assist countries that are seeking to establish democracy or to strengthen it is therefore a decisive advance along those lines.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“To that one must add the porous nature of borders, which facilitates the uncontrolled circulation of weapons that fuel rebels and other armed groups. Furthermore, ethnic problems are also accompanied by resource issues. A simple difference between two communities on both sides of a border can lead to tensions between States. When those areas have important resources, their management can cause even more serious misunderstandings. Given those conflicts, which have seriously hampered and, in the current state of affairs, continue to compromise development in Africa, it is necessary, in the framework of conflict prevention, to tackle them at the roots of the evil through a comprehensive global and regional approach.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“This is a matter, inter alia, of bad management of economic resources, the growing impoverishment of populations, increasingly difficult access to basic social services and a lack ofprospects for young people, whose numbers are rapidly growing. Those situations, which create a climate of social tensions and subsequently lead to the weakening of State structures, in many cases pave the way for the incursion of armed groups, often ethnic-based, into political life. They seize power even though they are not prepared for it. Another conflict factor has to do with the borders of most African countries, often drawn by the colonial Powers in an arbitrary manner to suit their exclusive interests. That artificial delimitation brought together fundamentally different peoples and divided others having the same cultural identity.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“It must be noted, unfortunately, that that inadequacy, that structural and functional maladaptation of the State and of institutions bequeathed by colonialism and mechanically slapped on in Africa, continues to generate illegal struggles for power that in many cases are transformed into ethnic or religious rivalries that strengthen the feeling of belonging to a group, to the detriment of the national identity. Alongside political factors and those related to non-respect for human rights, to the absence of social justice or to the marginalization of some social groups, there are also economic factors. Those factors are no less important and to a very great extent have contributed to weakening the African State and to favouring the emergence of numerous conflicts.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Traditional institutions that were familiar to local populations were largely dismantled by the colonizer, and only the Western model of Government, not readily adaptable to the social realities of Africa, became widespread across the continent. The internal conflicts that break out in Africa are often rooted in that laborious apprenticeship in a model of Government and external political concepts for which Africans are not only unprepared, but which also they do not adapt to sufficiently.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“It goes without saying that following the redrawing of the map of Africa, which saw the emergence of new States created within the borders imposed by the colonizer, several factors, both internal and external, have contributed to the destabilization of State institutions and still today are at the root of conflicts on the continent. One could cite the contest for political power and the poverty of populations, which are often identified as primary causes of internal conflicts, as well as border problems, which have been at the heart of several inter-State armed conflicts since independence. Since gaining independence, African States have been confronted with the problem of the difficult choice of representative leaders.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Their complexity is due to the fact that they originate from a combination of multiple factors - political, social and economic - and to the fact that those deep causes must be sought not only in the legacy of colonialism, but also in ancient struggles for vital areas carried out by emperors or kings. It is therefore useful to identify all those factors, whose combined effects have had a negative impact on the peace and stability of States, and to provide States with the most appropriate solutions in order to halt their potential tragic consequences for the legitimate aspirations of a continent for lasting socioeconomic development.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“Mr. Ohin (Togo) (spoke in French): I would like to commend you, Madam President, on convening this debate on the prevention of conflict in Africa, a continent always beset by recurring conflicts. I would like to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive briefing on the question under consideration. The persistence of conflicts in Africa is a major obstacle to its socioeconomic development. While very often it is relatively easy to identify the immediate factors that trigger those conflicts, the deep causes underlying them are more complex.”
2013-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6946 (2013) · source
“A mechanism that brings together all the relevant actors under United Nations coordination must be put in place. Togo welcomes the new appointment by the Secretary- General of his Special Envoy for the Sahel and calls on him to work together with the other special envoys in the region, including the African Union High Representative for Mali, in order to seek solutions to the many problems facing the Sahel region.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“It is therefore imperative that the Council decide to restore hope to Malians, in particular those living in the north of the country, by adopting a new resolution that authorizes the deployment of the international support mission for Mali. With regard to the Sahel as a whole, Togo is, for its part, committed to making its contribution as a neighbouring State of certain Sahel countries for the success ofvarious initiatives, in particular by providing grain through the World Food Programme. As a country with access to the Atlantic, it already performs that function for the landlocked States within subregional bodies, such as the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. Beyond general mobilization, the problems of the Sahel require particular attention.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“The situation of those people calls to us to assume our responsibility to protect, since they are undeniably deprived of the necessary minimum to live in dignity. The duty to protect that we therefore need to highlight is justified by the fact that the minimum requirement for human security and the protection of people and property are necessarily closely tied to the existence of a secure State with stable institutions. In adopting resolution 2071 (2012), the Security Council took a decisive step and clearly indicated its readiness to uphold human rights and democracy over darkness, religious extremism and terrorism, and to favour dialogue over force. However, the armed groups in northern Mali have clearly chosen another path, namely, to disregard human dignity.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“We need to reconcile the urgent settlement of the Malian crisis, with its multidimensional aspects, with a comprehensive approach that takes into account the entire Sahel region, which must definitely be seen as part of a long-term effort. In that connection, we would like to reiterate Togo's serious concern about the situation in northern Mali and to call on the entire international community to consider implementing the universal principle of helping vulnerable populations. We make that appeal because there is certainly a conflict situation in northern Mali that is putting the people, in particular women and children, at the mercy of the abuses of extremist and terrorist groups, which are skilled in contemporary practices and prevent humanitarian access, thus sealing the tragic fate of thousands facing an acute food crisis.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“Those repercussions must be assessed in advance and must also be considered as the programmes drawn up for the Sahel are implemented. Secondly, we would like to recall that there can be neither development nor good governance without stability and security. As a result, we must at no time lose sight of that consideration. On the contrary, it must help to identify and deal with the underlying causes of the problem. Anyone talking about the Sahel today is clearly focusing on what is unfortunately happening in Mali, while bearing in mind the significant threats to peace and security in the north of that country and the humanitarian tragedy there, with thousands of refugees in neighbouring countries.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“We also welcome the existence of the European Union Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel, which stresses the fact that security and development are inextricably linked in Sahel and require close regional cooperation to allow for the growth of economies and poverty reduction. On that specific point, we would like to underscore two fundamental considerations. First, we must not lose sight of the impact of the situation in the Sahel on the regions of West, Central and East Africa and the Mahgreb with regard to the food crisis and insecurity. The definition of priorities and approaches to solutions and their modalities for implementation must take into consideration the repercussions on the other regions.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“Togo appreciates in particular the integrated approach adopted by our common Organization in the context of this strategy, which takes into account the complexity of the factors in play and the interwoven challenges to be taken up in the areas of security, socioeconomic development, governance, human rights and the humanitarian situation. For our part, we are pleased to note that the strategies developed by the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Economic and Monetary Union include vital components that will be taken into consideration in the United Nations strategy for the Sahel. Togo hopes that the strategy will be adopted very swiftly. At the same time, the strategy will have the merit of taking the transregional dimension into account.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“The convergence of these factors explains the multidimensional nature of the political, economic, security, humanitarian, human rights crisis in the Sahel, and justifies the international community's mobilization, not only by reason of the tragedy emerging on all of the aforementioned levels, but also given the central geographical position that the Sahel occupies with respect to other regions, and especially given the impact ofthe crises on neighbouring regions. In that respect, Togo welcomes the work undertaken by the Secretary-General to give the region an integrated strategic plan, whose principal objectives are to optimize United Nations action for the full resolution of the many challenges facing the region.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“However, as a consequence of the burden and nature of those challenges, neither could the structural problems be resolved in such a short period of time, nor was the resilience of the people strong enough to effectively address the recurring shocks of food crises due in particular to drought. In such conditions, it is not surprising that the region has become a breeding ground for many scourges, whose adverse effects could not be anticipated due to lack of wherewithal and resources. This state of affairs has jeopardized the progress made and destabilized the States involved and their structures. These scourges are transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking and weapons trafficking; religious extremism; terrorism and drought.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“We are pleased to note that this debate is in accordance with the debate held by the Council on 21 February, during Togo's presidency, on the theme of the impact of transnational organized crime on peace, security and stability in West Africa and the Sahel region (see S/PV.6717). Ten years ago, the countries and the peoples of the Sahel were perceived throughout the international community as being resolutely committed to stability, democracy and development. The progress achieved in those areas was favourable to its emergence from crisis, political reforms and economic growth policies to deal with the challenges resulting not only from historic, sociological and cultural hurdles, but also and above all from the austerity of nature itself.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“Mr. Ohin (Togo) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to convey my warm congratulations to the Kingdom of Morocco on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and for taking the initiative to organize this important meeting on the Sahel. I would also like to thank the Special Envoy for the Sahel and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for their clear briefings. The objective of this meeting, which is to explore ways of moving towards a more comprehensive and coordinated approach on the question of the Sahel, is very opportune, given the timing and context. The international community is today mobilized in various ways to find the most appropriate solutions to the many ills attacking the region.”
2012-12-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6882 (2012) · source
“Consultations among the secretariats of the League of Arab States and the United Nations should, above all, include the Security Council with a View to deeper exchanges on all questions related to the maintenance of international peace and security, especially in the Middle East. Togo ardently hopes that this meeting will outline ways to strengthen cooperation between the Security Council and the League of Arab States with a view to ensuring effective action to resolve conflicts in the region. My country hopes to see the League of Arab States become an organization working for peace in close collaboration with the Security Council.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“These initiatives reflect the need for the League of Arab States and the United Nations to develop a promising partnership that will provide solutions to the challenges and transformations under way in the Middle East. Such cooperation could be developed by strengthening the mechanisms that could emerge from regular meetings, during which the two organizations could evaluate their partnership and agree on joint actions to prevent conflict or to seek appropriate ways and means to achieve lasting solutions to ongoing crises. Along those lines, my country believes that the establishment of a United Nations liaison office at the League of Arab States, such as that at the African Union, would be desirable because it could certainly help to bolster exchanges of information and facilitate bilateral meetings.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“That will undoubtedly require an updating of knowledge in all areas, particularly an enhanced climate of trust among the parties, as no today country or organization is fully capable of assisting a country or region to overcome a crisis. That objective formed the basis of resolution 2033 (2012) on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, in particular the African Union. We welcome the meeting held by the two organizations in July in Vienna, at which they agreed to strengthen their partnership in all areas, in particular with respect to the situation in the Middle East. Likewise, we welcome direct contact, on the one hand, between the Secretaries General of the two organizations, and on the other hand, among the specialized institutions of the League of Arab States and the bodies of the United Nations system.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“My country believes that the two organizations should further pool their efforts towards a settlement to that crisis and other conflict situations in the Middle East, such as in Yemen and Lebanon, and the nagging question of Palestine. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, my delegation would like once again to welcome the Arab Peace Initiative for a settlement of the conflict. The implementation of that plan could calm tensions in the region. In that context, we urge all the parties concerned to work with a view to its harmonious implementation. Cooperation between the League and the United Nations should be strengthened to ensure the necessary coherence among the initiatives and actions of the two organizations.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“Moreover, that cooperation should extend beyond the Syrian crisis to other situations and conflicts in the region, where the League of Arab States has not been very visible. The increased involvement of the League in the settlement of all crises in the Middle East crises is desirable, not only because it is recommended by the Charter of the United Nations, but also because the League can suggest possible solutions that take into account the cultural, historical and sociological ties among parties to the conflicts. While cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States has not yet achieved a solution to the Syrian crisis, it remains a framework for working together and seeking solutions in which the courage and resolve of its actors could prove beneficial.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“That cooperation has taken many forms, notably during the Syrian crisis, in which the Arab League's initiatives have been supported by the United Nations as a whole and the Security Council in particular. The appointments of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria in February, and of the Joint Special Representative in August, following the resignation of the Joint Special Envoy, are examples of the readiness and commitment of the Secretaries-General of the two organizations to work together to seek a solution to the crisis. The League of Arab States and the United Nations should continue to explore the ways and means necessary to help the Syrian people to end the tragedy that has already caused some 30,000 deaths and generated hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and refugees.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“That is not a choice, but a necessity that brings to mind a statement made by the former Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Chedli Klibi, during a meeting between the two organizations held in Tunis in 1983. "The League would very much like to consolidate and develop existing ties in all areas related to the maintenance of international peace and security, and to cooperate by every means possible in the implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations". The advantage of the League of Arab States in its ability to bring States together to address issues that fall within the remit of the Security Council shows that its cooperation with the United Nations is essential and should be strengthened.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States dates back to 1950 and is highly important, particularly now that the international community is facing all types of threats, including armed conflict, terrorism, humanitarian crises, crises linked to extremism, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The importance of the contributions of regional organizations to the maintenance of international peace and security, as stipulated by the Charter of the United Nations, no longer requires proof. At a time when serious conflicts and threats in the Middle East call for all available resources, it is more important today than ever to strengthen cooperation under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“Mr. Ohin (Togo) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to commend the German presidency of the Security Council for organizing this high-level debate on the Middle East in the context ofcooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States in maintaining international peace and security. I also thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary General of the League of Arab States for their respective briefings on the situation in the Middle East. Finally, I welcome the presence of my fellow Ministers for Foreign Affairs, which bears witness to the importance of the issue before the Council.”
2012-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6841 (2012) · source
“The United Nations must remain engaged in bringing about a political settlement to the crisis, and Mr. Brahimi will have the challenging responsibility of meeting the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. The tireless support of the international community, and specifically of the Council, is necessary to ensure that his mission is successful. We all agree that we need to provide relief to the refugees, but we are also all aware that the solution to this crisis is a political one. Therefore, we all know what remains to be done to achieve a lasting solution.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“The message that the Security Council has sent since the very beginning of the crisis, although it has not been successful in getting it implemented on the ground, is still relevant. The fighting needs to stop to provide an opportunity for diplomacy to convince all of Syria's community, political, ethnic and religious components to engage in dialogue in order to bring about a restoration of peace in their country. This notion of dialogue was supported by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, which continues to believe that the only possible way to put an end to the violence is an inclusive dialogue that brings about a negotiated settlement to effectively ensure respect for human rights for the entire population of the country.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“In that regard, we reaffirm that the provision of humanitarian assistance must take place within the context of respect for the sovereignty of Syria itself and respect for the neighbouring countries that are absorbing the continuous influx of refugees. The Syrian conflict cannot avoid being subject to the conventional rules of conflict resolution. Its settlement will necessarily entail dialogue, regardless of whether one party is a winner or a loser. Syria will need all ofits daughters and sons to rebuild. Syrians will have to live with the outcome of the tragedy that they are currently experiencing; but dialogue and reconciliation cannot be put off for much longer. That dialogue needs to begin now, and to do that the fighting must stop.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“Several months after the publication of the report, and following months of violations and acts that shock the conscious of humankind, we must conclude that such acts have worsened owing to the increasing intensity of the fighting and the use of military aircraft, the use of terrorist attacks and the perpetration of widespread massacres, with men, women and children indiscriminately being the victims. That litany of acts, which constitute violations of human rights, includes impediments to providing humanitarian assistance. My country calls on all parties to avoid such acts and commit to opening humanitarian passageways so that assistance can be brought to the populations that direly need it. Humanitarian workers must also be protected to be able to carry out that dangerous mission.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“The Security Council must send a strong and unequivocal message to all parties in that regard, for there can be no doubt that the forces who are fighting in Syria are continuing to commit serious violations of international law, human rights law and international humanitarian law. The report issued in February (A/HRC/ 19/69) by the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, mandated by the Human Rights Council, indicates that those violations are committed both by the governmental forces and by the anti-Government armed groups.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“From the viewpoint of my country, the strategies to be established need to include the adoption of national or regional measures to provide relief to displaced Syrians, both within the country and outside as refugees. At the same time, we need to firmly hold parties on all sides accountable for their responsibilities in terms of complying with the relevant international legal instruments of humanitarian law and international human rights law. Proven violations of that responsibility to protect, which is incumbent upon all parties, must be considered within the context of the fight against impunity and should lead to holding those responsible accountable for their actions before national or international courts.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“I would like to take the opportunity afforded by this meeting to commend the efforts undertaken to date by States, United Nations system entities and humanitarian agencies, as well as their staff, who, within Syria and in the refugee camps, are working to provide the relief and assistance to the populations that their status requires. Beyond the words of support and the efforts undertaken on the ground to help refugees and displaced persons, we need to define strategies to reorganize and support humanitarian action. That is the goal of this meeting, since all of the other initiatives to date with regard to a peaceful settlement of the conflict have failed.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“Hosting refugees is always a heavy burden, both for the host State and for the humanitarian organizations that work to provide assistance. The host countries cannot bear that heavy burden alone, and the full cost cannot be assessed without factoring in the insecurity that it leads to. My country therefore calls upon the entire international community to continue to remain engaged with regard to the tragedy currently taking place in Syria by providing increased material and financial assistance to meet the needs of Syrian refugees and displaced persons.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon in particular are accommodating a huge number of refugees, currently estimated to exceed 250,000, including women and children who have fled massacres, summary executions and all manner of abductions and violations of human rights. That situation is a genuine humanitarian disaster, both in Syria and in the host countries. From all standpoints, the situation is worsening as the fighting intensifies and the martyrdom of the Syrian people is heightened. In that regard, Togo would like to thank the host countries for the untold sacrifice that they are undertaking to protect and come to the assistance of the thousands of refugees arriving in their countries in dire need, some of them sick or wounded.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“My country, which regretted that resignation, has nevertheless welcomed the quick appointment of Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi as Joint Special Envoy. I would like to reaffirm here our full support for Mr. Brahimi and to wish him every success as he carries out his mandate. Syria has now entered what one would call a civil war in which the people pay a heavy price. The clashes taking place in the urban areas, the number of dead, totalling in the dozens per day and already surpassing 25,000, and the pointless destruction of property have increased the number of displaced persons within the country as well as the number of refugees seeking safe haven in neighbouring countries.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“The inability of the Security Council so far to speak with one voice to address this crisis is deeply regrettable. Unfortunately, the various initiatives undertaken outside the Security Council have not succeeded in bringing about a positive solution to the conflict, undoubtedly they have often been conflicting. Moreover, the six-point plan of the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on Syria, Mr. Kofi Annan, was seen as the best way to end the crisis, particularly in that it had been agreed to by the parties involved. Given the ongoing violations of that plan and the surge in fighting with the use of heavy artillery and sophisticated weapons, typical of a conventional war and an internal armed conflict with serious international implications, the Joint Special Envoy decided to announce his resignation.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“Mr. Ohin (Togo) (spoke in French): At the outset, let me commend the French Government for the initiative to organize this meeting, which is focused on the humanitarian situation in Syria and its serious repercussions for neighbouring countries. I would also like to thank Deputy Secretary-General Jan Elliason and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres for their very detailed briefings on the subject. I also commend the presence of the Ministers from Syria's neighbouring countries of Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as the other heads of delegations attending this meeting. The Syrian crisis, which has already lasted for more than 18 months, is now in a complete stalemate with regard to a peaceful settlement.”
2012-08-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6826 (2012) · source
“It is sad to note that one of the assets terrorists enjoy is their networks actively cooperate within one another, whereas States are often slow to find their way to mutually beneficial cooperation. Togo believes that only joint initiatives at the bilateral, regional and international levels - all the while respecting the principles of independence and territorial integrity - offer hope for an effective fight against terrorism.”
2012-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6765 (2012) · source
“Ongoing cooperation offers the advantages of sharing information about types of terrorist attacks and of finding ways to cut off its funding and weakening its networks. Synergy and information-sharing among the various institutions engaged in the fight, as well as technical and financial aid, are essential in the short and medium terms to eradicating this relentless threat to all nations and all peoples. The most vulnerable countries, and those with the most limited resources, require capacity-building in surveillance, effective monitoring of the movement of people and goods across their borders, detecting prohibited items, confiscating dangerous materials and depriving terrorists of safe havens.”
2012-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6765 (2012) · source
“Rather, it lies in our ability to enact in a coordinated, efficient and effective way the many regional, continental and global instruments already in place. We must demonstrate a greater and unwavering resolve to prevent and combat terrorism, because when it takes root it can strike any and every country. In that regard, the report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (A/59/565, annex), convened by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2003, states that what threatens the security of any nation threatens the security of all nations, weak or strong. No State, no matter how powerful, can face alone the border-defying threat of terrorism. Cooperation must be our guiding principle in our fight to safeguard domestic and international security.”
2012-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6765 (2012) · source
“The adoption of resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004); the 16 global United Nations conventions to combat specific forms of terrorism around the world; and the 2006 United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy - all of which call for international actions to prevent and punish terrorist acts - speak for the resolute international will to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Through the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy - on which all counter-terrorism initiatives are founded - the international community has strengthened its capacities in surveillance, cooperation, coordination and harmonization of policies and practices for the prevention and suppression of terrorism. Today, the greatest challenge for the international community is not to adopt a judicial framework for the fight against terrorism.”
2012-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6765 (2012) · source
“The fight against terrorism calls for hard work based on, among other things, collective action and intelligence sharing to find and identify the perpetrators of the threat, to pinpoint their locations and to understand their strategies and goals. That work, which requires numerous skills and significant funding, cannot be carried out without cooperation. National initiatives must therefore complement those of other nations and fall within a framework of bilateral, regional and international cooperation and sharing of lessons learned. Fortunately, the international community has at its disposal many legal mechanisms and instruments for the maintenance of peace and security that can for the most part be used in the fight against terrorism.”
2012-05-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6765 (2012) · source