YouSaid · the spoken record

Parham

lines on the record: 547
first: 2009-05-05
most recent: 2013-08-28
sittings or episodes: 90
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

“I thank Under- Secretary-General Le Roy for his presentation and welcome the fact that Under-Secretary-General Malcorra is also here with us for this debate. We are also grateful for the presentation by Mr. Antonio on behalf of the African Union and to Mr. Prodi for his contribution and for the work of the United Nations- African Union panel under his leadership. The issue of United Nations support to African Union (AU) peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate is important. The United Kingdom welcomes the opportunity to debate it here in the Council. Peacekeeping plays a vital role in the maintenance of international peace and security. In recent years, we have seen an increase in both the scale and complexity of the challenges.”
2009-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6206 (2009) · source
“Our goal should remain to enable Timor-Leste to stand on its own feet in facing the challenges ahead. Achieving that objective will require the continued engagement and support of the international community, including UNMIT. But given our overall objective, it is also right that the focus of our efforts is increasingly on the gradual transfer of responsibilities to the Timor-Leste authorities.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“The protection of human rights and establishment of robust accountability mechanisms is of central importance to the development of sustainable democracy in Timor-Leste. The Secretary-General's report confirms that a technical assessment mission will visit Timor-Leste to look at medium-term options for reconfiguring UNMIT. This will be an important opportunity to reflect on how best UNMIT can match resources to outstanding tasks, and we look forward to hearing the Secretary-General's proposals based on those recommendations. We recognize that any adjustments to UNMIT's police component should occur on a gradual, step-by-step basis, but it is also important that UNMIT's structure and size evolve to reflect progress on the ground, including the welcome improvements in the overall security situation.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“This is all evidence of Timor-Leste's increasing capacity in these fields. Notwithstanding the progress reported in a number of areas, I would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of doing more, and more quickly, to address the issue of impunity for those found to have been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. We note the valuable work being carried out by UNMIT's Serious Crimes Investigation Team, but the focus must now be on pursuing this work even more vigorously and processing outstanding cases more rapidly. We also continue to be concerned by the reports of human rights violations by Timor-Leste's national security forces. We urge that all possible steps be taken to investigate these allegations and hold those responsible to account.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“The progress in this area is a tribute to the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor- Leste (UNMIT) police component to help strengthen national policing capacity. I would like to express our gratitude to them and to the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for their valuable and ongoing work in this field. On security sector reform more broadly, we concur with the conclusion in the Secretary- General's report that greater clarity is required on the role and responsibilities of the national defence forces. The absence of such clarity has the potential to hamper the overall security sector reform effort. We are also encouraged by progress in the other three benchmark areas: justice and the rule of law, democratic governance and the concerted efforts being made in the field of economic and social development.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“In particular, the successful holding of local elections on 9 October was evidence of the relative stability and security that Timor-Leste now enjoys, and of the capacity of the body politic to engage in the democratic process in a committed but peaceful manner. We also welcome the progress noted in the Secretary-General's report with regard to the medium-term benchmarks for Timor- Leste. We are particularly pleased to see the successful resumption of policing responsibilities by local police in three separate districts. It is especially encouraging to note that no increase in crime or disorder has followed this transfer of responsibility. We look forward to the continued transfer of policing responsibilities to the Timor-Leste authorities in the remaining districts.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Khare, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Timor-Leste, for his briefing. I understand that this will be his last appearance before his departure in December, so I would very much like to thank him for all his efforts during his time as Special Representative and indeed before. I would also like to welcome Deputy Prime Minister Guterres to the Council Chamber and to commend his and his Government's efforts to deliver sustainable security and development to Timor-Leste. As the Secretary-General's report (S/2009/504) notes, there have been welcome signs of continued progress during the reporting period.”
2009-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6205 (2009) · source
“The proposed EU house in the north should enable the citizens of north Kosovo to more easily recognize the benefits that a European perspective can bring them - for example, European project funding, scholarship or business start-up opportunities and information about the European Union. The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting the international community's efforts to promote stability, reconciliation and economic progress in Kosovo so that it can advance towards an EU perspective in parallel with its neighbours.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“We also call on the Government of Serbia to continue to engage with the European Union to improve conditions for Kosovo Serbs. We welcome recent progress on the ground and look forward to further, early steps on customs, justice and other issues. We disagree with the view of the Serbian Government that conditions for successful local elections do not exist and regret that the Serbian Government will not support them. But we welcome the repeated assurances given by representatives of the Government of Serbia that Belgrade will not seek to punish those Kosovo Serbs who do take part. We believe that Kosovo's Serb community would benefit from the rule of law and the opportunity to play a part in running their own communities.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“Nothing in that cooperation diminishes Kosovo's status. One of the key challenges facing Kosovo in coming months is to ensure the success of the local elections. That will be achieved only by encouraging the participation of all of Kosovo's communities. Kosovo Serbs and their friends in the international community should recognize the practical benefits of decentralization and local elections. Whatever differences we have on status, we can surely agree that Kosovo Serbs need effective and legitimate locally elected leadership. Only through wide participation can there be viable local government that can secure funding for the benefit of its communities. The Government of Kosovo must reach out to all communities and do all it can to ensure Kosovo Serbs recognize the benefits that local representation will bring them.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“With UNMIK now having concluded its reconfiguration, more autonomy being given to Kosovo institutions and EULEX establishing a presence in all regions of Kosovo, UNMIK needs to ensure that it focuses on those areas where it can play a useful and relevant role. Equally, it is correct that UNMIK's resources should be commensurate with the size of its responsibilities. We welcome UNMIK's willingness to engage in a number of areas, such as assisting the Kosovo Property Agency, supporting Kosovo's engagement with external organizations where necessary, and promoting returns and reconciliation. We also underline our full support for the valuable work that EULEX is carrying out throughout Kosovo. We call on the Government of Kosovo to continue to engage constructively and pragmatically with UNMIK for the benefit of all people of Kosovo.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“It is important to note that a growing number of United Nations Member States - now 62 - have recognized Kosovo. Kosovo has also become a member of the five World Bank Group institutions with the active support of over 50 further countries that, while not yet formally recognizing Kosovo, have shown by their votes that they accept that the Republic of Kosovo is now a permanent fact on the international scene and should be allowed to play its part independently in relevant international institutions. Altogether, almost 60 per cent of the membership of the United Nations has now accepted the fact of Kosovo's existence. We hope that those that have not yet done so will soon follow their example.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“The Secretary-General's report illustrates that Kosovo is continuing to make good progress in a number of areas: the rule of law, security and community reconciliation. We acknowledge the contribution of the United Nations in achieving this progress. It is also positive that 317 Kosovo Serb police officers have been reintegrated into the Kosovo Police Service and that the Kosovo security force has now reached initial operating capability. We commend the role that the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Kosovo Force have played in achieving this. The United Kingdom welcomes the start of criminal proceedings against those involved in deliberate attempts to damage vehicles belonging to the international missions in Kosovo. As the President of Kosovo has said, such attacks are unacceptable.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“I, too, would like to join others Security Council colleagues in welcoming the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Mr. Lamberto Zannier; the Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Mr. Skender Hyseni; and the Foreign Minister of Serbia, Mr. Vuk Jeremic', to the Council Chamber today. I should like also to welcome the Vice Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria. I would also like to express our thanks to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report (S/2009/497) on developments in Kosovo over the reporting period and to commend the continuing efforts of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to help improve stability in Kosovo. We would also like to thank Mr. Zannier for his leadership and hard work.”
2009-10-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6202 (2009) · source
“Our review is designed to ensure that our policies not only remain consistent with that resolution but also promote its implementation around the globe. We urge other Member States to do the same. We all have a role to play in ensuring that a full and effective contribution can be made by women during peace processes, that their needs are met as survivors of conflict, that their voices are heard in local civil society and that greater numbers of talented women are appointed to senior peacekeeping and peacebuilding positions. As a Council, we need to ensure that we are doing whatever we can to enhance women's vital role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, a role without which real and lasting peace will often be unachievable.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“In its resolution 63/311, adopted last month, the General Assembly gave strong support to the establishment of the entity. We hope that that will now be taken forward expeditiously. Secondly, we must increase the number and standard of national-level implementation strategies, drawing upon peer experience and the excellent examples set recently by Liberia, Uganda and Chile. And thirdly, we must finalize and agree indicators to measure progress. We need data on success or failure in implementing specific provisions. We need to know what works and what does not. Today's resolution should help kick-start those efforts. For our part, the United Kingdom is currently reviewing our national action plan for implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), one of only 16 of such national plans as the Deputy Secretary-General noted earlier.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“We have one year remaining before the tenth anniversary of that resolution. That will be an important moment for the Council. We will want then to take stock of progress and set an ambitious forward agenda. To ensure that there will be real progress to take stock of, in the year ahead we will need to, first, generate imaginative solutions to the many obstacles to implementation, making use of the whole United Nations system. The steering committee to be established under the chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary-General, which we have welcomed in resolution 1889 (2009) this morning, will play a vital part in this. We must see linkages across the system and fit responses to the gaps which are identified. The composite United Nations gender entity will also help achieve that goal.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“The playwright Aristophanes dramatized it for war-weary Athenians in his comic play Lysistrata nearly 2,500 years ago. Women have a pivotal role to play. Although often survivors of some of the worst effects of conflict, women are usually relied upon to form the foundation of a post-conflict society. They frequently perform this role with neither say over the peace process nor voice in any post-conflict planning. In resolution 1888 (2009), the Council took further steps to end impunity for the barbarous perpetrators of sexual violence against women and children in conflict. We now need to identify practical ways to assure women a central role in peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. That is, we need to improve our record in implementing resolution 1325 (2000).”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“It is about seizing what has been called the golden-hour window of opportunity at the point of emergence from conflict: the point in time when it is all too easy for a fragile peace to break; the point in time when we must ensure that all actors in society are empowered to contribute fully to the search for sustainable peace; the point in time when women could make such a huge and lasting difference if enabled to do so. The Security Council has agreed that we need to focus more attention on the linkages between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Ensuring the engagement of the local female population is one obvious such link: empowered women both make peace and build it. And incidentally, this is not a new insight - very far from it.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“The Secretary-General's report (S/2009/465) provides a depressing analysis of the many obstacles and challenges to women's participation. But we are heartened by the excellent effort led by the Secretary-General to address the lack of women in senior United Nations positions. He himself has appointed three of the nine women who have ever held the post of Special Representative of the Secretary- General, and he, of course, also appointed the Deputy Secretary-General, who is with us today. The numbers of women are growing steadily amongst key United Nations leadership functions in the field. But there has still never been a female special envoy. Today's debate, however, is about the particular contribution of women to peacebuilding.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“But nine years on from the adoption of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) we are glad to see the issue of women and peace and security receiving renewed attention in this Chamber with debates on different aspects two weeks in a row. We have come a long way since 2000. The resolution we have adopted today is an indication that these issues are acknowledged as central to many areas of the Council's work. But our consideration of these issues has also been prompted by the lack of implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). During last week's debate on sexual violence in armed conflict (see S/PV.6195), we again heard heartbreaking and harrowing stories. At an Arria Formula meeting which I chaired in June, we were reminded of the fact that women and women's civil society groups are all but excluded from peace processes and mediation.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“We are also very grateful to the Deputy Secretary-General, to the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, to the Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women and to the representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security for their insights and their advice and encouragement to us this morning. We have a saying in the United Kingdom that sometimes you can stand for ages and ages at a bus stop waiting for a bus to come, and then suddenly two or three come at the same time. And it feels a little bit like that on this issue in the Council at the moment.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“I would like to begin, Sir, by congratulating you and your delegation on Viet Nam's assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I would like also, through Ambassador DiCarlo, to thank Ambassador Rice and the United States delegation for a very productive and distinguished presidency of the Council last month. Ambassador Le Luong Minh has our best wishes for the often delicate task of presiding over the Council and discerning the balance of views among its members. I would also like to thank you, Mr. President, for personally chairing this debate on a very important issue. We are delighted to welcome you to lead us in this effort.”
2009-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6196 (2009) · source
“I would like to conclude by taking the opportunity to express our gratitude and thanks for the efforts of Special Representative Eide and all UNAMA staff, who continue to do vitally important work, often in incredibly difficult circumstances. The 18 August attack in Kabul that killed two UNAMA staff members and wounded a third is a tragic reminder of the very real dangers they face in carrying out their work. They will continue to have the United Kingdom's full support.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“In Helmand, close work with the Afghan authorities has resulted in a decrease in cultivation by one third, and the operations conducted this year under the trilateral initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provide grounds for cautious optimism at the regional level as well. Let me touch briefly on the issue of civilian casualties. The position of the United Kingdom remains as set out in previous discussions. We deeply regret - deeply regret - any civilian casualty. Each and every innocent life lost is a tragedy. As General McChrystal has made clear, protecting the Afghan population is at the core of our international mission, in stark contrast to the Taliban and their fellow insurgents, who, as the Secretary-General's report makes clear, continue to account for the vast majority of civilian deaths.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“As we look to further enhance UNAMA's ability to deliver on its mandate, it will be important to measure accurately the progress of the Mission and its role in delivering our shared objective, as well as that of the broader international effort. We continue to support UNAMA's plans to establish a more extensive presence across the country and look forward to hearing more detail on UNAMA's expansion plans, their resource implications and the setting of priorities. Despite the many challenges Afghanistan faces, it is heartening to be able to note the continuing positive trends in counter-narcotics, as Special Representative Eide himself noted earlier. Following the 19 per cent decrease in opium cultivation in 2008, it looks set to fall by a further 22 per cent this year.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“To that end, we hope there will be agreement to the proposal to convene a post-election conference in Kabul, co-chaired by the United Nations and the next Afghan Government, the aim of which should be to cement the international community's coordinated support for a new government programme. The United Nations, and more specifically UNAMA, will be at the heart of the international support to the new Government. Their ability to lead and coordinate the overall international effort is crucial to success in Afghanistan. So, we welcome the publication of UNAMA's strategic benchmarks and indicators of progress, which will be an important tool for measuring progress. We hope that those benchmarks will continue to evolve.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“As the Secretary-General's report notes, regardless of who wins the election, the crucial next step is the formation of a credible and effective Government that will deliver to the people of Afghanistan on the issues that matter: security, governance, justice, development and a workable programme for reintegration. Building the legitimate economy and pursuing the fight against corruption will also be key challenges for the new Government. We, alongside the rest of the international community, stand ready to support that Government in pursuing these priorities, focusing wherever possible on building Afghan capacity.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“The Secretary-General's report sets out some of the significant achievements, including the number of polling stations opened and the substantive tenor of the political debate. It also notes the reports of electoral fraud and irregularities. The only appropriate response to those reports is to allow the Afghan Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission to complete the electoral audit currently under way. We must be patient and allow that process to run its course. Their work is essential to ensure that the outcome of the election is credible and reflects the will of the Afghan people. They have our full support.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“These reports and these briefings are a key element of the Security Council's engagement with the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). When the Council met in June (see S/PV.6154) to discuss the last UNAMA report (S/2009/323), many if not all of us underlined the significance for Afghanistan of the August presidential election and the need for the United Nations to work with the Afghan authorities to ensure that they were credible, inclusive and secure. The fact that those elections went ahead, in what were very challenging circumstances, is an achievement in itself. Holding the first Afghan-led electoral process for 30 years was an important step along the road to creating a stable, secure and self- sustaining Afghanistan.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“Let me first express the thanks of the United Kingdom delegation to Norma Chan for her extraordinary service to the United Nations and to the Security Council over so many years, as well as for her kindness, efficiency and wise advice. Her shrewd and sometimes quite wicked sense of humour has enhanced our lives. We are immensely grateful and we wish her all the best. On the matter at hand, let me begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his latest report on the situation in Afghanistan (S/2009/475) and Special Representative Eide for his briefing today. I also welcome Foreign Minister Spanta and thank him for his contribution to our consideration of this item. It is important that we continue to have regular and frank discussions on the situation in Afghanistan.”
2009-09-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6194 (2009) · source
“There are no further speakers on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 10.25 am. 09-49586”
2009-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6183 (2009) · source
“In favour: Austria, Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Japan, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mexico, Russian Federation, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Viet Nam The President: There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1884 (2009). I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.”
2009-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6183 (2009) · source
“Members of the Council have before them document 8/2009/431, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Belgium, Croatia, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. I wish to draw the attention of participants to documents S/2009/330 and 8/2009/407, containing the tenth report 2 of the Secretary-General on Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and a letter dated 6 August 2009 from the Secretary-General, respectively. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided. A vote was taken by show of hands.”
2009-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6183 (2009) · source
“In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the consideration of the item, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Salam (Lebanon) and Ms. Shalev (Israel) took seats at the Council table; the representatives of the other aforementioned countries took the seats reserved for them at the side of the Council Chamber. The President: The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.”
2009-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6183 (2009) · source
“At the outset of the meeting I should like to extend, on behalf of the Council, a warm welcome to the new Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Ertugrul Apakan. We look forward to working closely with him. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. The situation in the Middle East Letter dated 6 August 2009 from the Secretary- General addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2009/407) The President: I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Belgium, Israel, Italy, Lebanon and Spain, in which they request to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council's agenda.”
2009-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6183 (2009) · source
“I would like to say that we have heard today many valuable and thought-provoking views and suggestions on this subject of very grave concern. All of these helpful contributions will inform the work of the Council as it prepares a formal response to the Secretary-General's report over the next few weeks. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 5.35 pm.”
2009-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6180Resumption1 (2009) · source
“I wish to remind all speakers, as my colleague Ambassador Sawers did this morning, to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts in writing and deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. I now give the floor to the representative of Finland.”
2009-08-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6180Resumption1 (2009) · source
“For our part, we will continue to support the efforts of the Secretary-General and his good offices mission, and we welcome his ongoing personal efforts to start a reconciliation process in Burma. He remains the international community's best hope of breaking the deadlock. Each one of us must use whatever influence we have to encourage the regime to engage constructively and to convince them that the objectives that they say they seek - national unity, stability and economic development - are being inhibited by their actions. They must understand that their road map and the elections that they planned will have no credibility if political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, are prevented from playing their full part in the political process.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“As the Secretary-General has just said, the world is watching. The generals cannot have failed to hear loud and clear the strong messages that the Secretary- General delivered in Rangoon when he addressed ministers and the diplomatic and non-governmental organization community. They can be in no doubt about his disappointment and the disappointment of the international community as a whole. We urge the regime to engage constructively with the international community to meet our concerns. My Government has stated on many occasions that it remains ready to respond positively to real progress. It is deeply regrettable, therefore, that the regime has yet to take the steps that will allow us to do so. We remain committed to working with partners in a concerted effort to start a reconciliation process in Burma.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Her treatment by the regime is not the only criterion by which the regime should be judged, but it demonstrates the regime's fear of a free and fair political process and its unwillingness to engage with international opinion. The Secretary-General's visit was an opportunity for the Government of Burma to transform its relationship with the international community, which stands ready to respond positively to real progress. The regime's failure to take that opportunity has only served to isolate it further. We can only hope that we may yet see progress in the coming days; it is not too late. But if it does not come, and if we see an unjust outcome in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's trial, the international community will need to follow the Secretary-General's lead and respond robustly. The onus is on the Government to act.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“We welcome the fact that the Secretary-General was able to meet with ceasefire groups and all 10 of the registered political parties, including the National League for Democracy, but we echo the Secretary- General's disappointment at the Government's decision not to allow him to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself. It is a measure of their obstinacy and of their lack of commitment to genuine progress that they failed to grant that request, particularly at a time when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is subject to a trial widely acknowledged to be a travesty of justice. As the only political figure in the country to have received a popular democratic mandate, she has a central role to play in the future of a democratic Burma.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“We also welcome the unambiguous messages on the need for political reform that the Secretary-General delivered directly to Senior General Than Shwe and the leadership of the State Peace and Development Council-messages which set out the international community's concerns and which the Council has expressed through its presidential statements. Those statements have made clear What needs to happen, including the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the resumption of an enhanced, time-bound dialogue among the Government, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political parties and ethnic groups, facilitated by the United Nations.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“I should like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General for his briefing on his visit to Burma. It required courage and determination on his part to proceed with the Visit. His decision had our full support; the wider international community supported it too. That support has been reflected in many recent statements, most notably the communique on Burma issued at the Group of Eight summit on 9 July, which the Secretary-General mentioned. We believe that, by going to Burma, the Secretary-General demonstrated in the clearest possible way the commitment of the United Nations to the progress of democracy, human rights and economic development in that country. The people of Burma will certainly have taken heart from the strong leadership that the Secretary-General has shown.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“We must work harder to achieve consensus on the extent and feasibility of protection activities. Finally, we would like to see the Council show genuine readiness to engage at the prevention stage of the conflict cycle, rather than at the resolution stage. As our Chinese colleague, Ambassador Liu Zhenmin, said earlier, it is important to tackle these issues upstream. This will require the Council to be more receptive to information, more willing to become seized of threatening situations and more ready to take appropriate early action. The United Kingdom stands ready to play its part in this.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source
“We should also make use of existing mechanisms to deal with these substantial issues. Like Ambassador Mayr-Harting, we are encouraged by the work of the informal Security Council Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians thus far. We have some ideas on how to enhance the format, for example by improving the timeliness of the Group's inputs to Council deliberations and the format and quality of documentation for the Group. An inherent part of the initiative on peacekeeping, which we are pursuing with our French colleagues, is the improvement of the information upon which the Council bases its decisions on mission mandates. We acknowledge that there has been at least a perceived disconnect between protection language in mandates and what is realistically achievable in the field.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source
“These meetings can be very valuable, as was, we believe, the Arria formula meeting we held earlier this week on the harrowing and pressing subject of sexual violence. Deployed military contingents are just one part of a larger equation when it comes to peacekeeping missions fulfilling their protection mandates. To date, we have relied on the flexibility of military actors, but no military in the world has a comprehensive doctrine on how to undertake the protection of civilians. Nevertheless, the outstanding protection work that United Nations peacekeeping personnel are creatively doing in the field provides many examples of good practice. Where individual missions have protection strategies and plans of action, we would like to see more detail about them in country reports.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source
“United Nations engagement with non-State actors presents an opportunity to embed an understanding of obligations under international humanitarian law without granting recognition or status to those parties. This is an opportunity that is too often missed. We look forward to seeing the results of the independent study which has been commissioned by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the implementation of protection mandates. It will be important for this Council to consider that report carefully as part of continued consultations between now and November. We sincerely hope that the General Assembly will consider that report too. We also support the Under-Secretary-General's suggestion of an Arria formula meeting focused on the experience of engaging armed groups.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source
“We intend to remain at the forefront of United Nations discussion and activity to ensure that the protection of civilians in Afghanistan remains high on the political agenda. As we noted in the debate on international humanitarian law held in January (see S/PV.6066), the Security Council must find new and better tools to follow up on our decisions and ensure that international humanitarian law is fully implemented and enforced in specific conflicts. The report rightly underlines the importance of supporting accountability measures at the national level. But we must also consider international accountability mechanisms to combat impunity, including referral to the International Criminal Court where appropriate.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source
“We welcome the commitments entered into by the Government of Sri Lanka to address a number of post-conflict issues, including the need for an accountability process to address violations of international humanitarian law and the grievances associated with them. We expect these commitments to be fulfilled. The Under-Secretary-General and some delegations have mentioned the situation in Afghanistan. Let me be clear that we deeply regret incidents in which civilians are killed as a result of actions by international forces. We have strict procedures and training regimes, frequently updated in the light of experience, intended both to minimize the risk of civilian casualties and to investigate any that do nevertheless occur.”
2009-06-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6151 (2009) · source