YouSaid · the spoken record

Pascale Baeriswyl

lines on the record

36

first

2020-11-03

most recent

2021-09-08

sittings or episodes

7

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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

1. “Lastly, to ensure successful transitions, adequate funding is essential. With transition contexts as one of its three priorities, the Peacebuilding Fund plays a unique role in this regard. As a donor, as well as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission and a candidate for the Security Council, Switzerland remains engaged in transition contexts.”

   2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source

2. “We encourage the Council to use all the instruments at its disposal, including new technologies, to strengthen the protection of civilians and human rights in contexts of transition. Third, peace operations and the wider United Nations presence must be equipped with mandates adapted to the transition progress. Independent strategic reviews of missions as recently requested for the United Nations Security Force for Abyei are relevant tools for the Council. The Council should ensure increased flexibility of United Nations missions to respond to emerging risks and needs. It should also support the strategic communication capacities on the role of the United Nations in order to manage the expectations of local populations, as outlined in the Action for Peacekeeping Plus initiative.”

   2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source

3. “It is in the Council’s interest to fully consider the recommendations of the Peacebuilding Commission in the contexts on its agenda. Second, given the risks associated with the transition and withdrawal of peace operations, protection of civilians and respect for human rights must be ensured at all times. The Government should assume its primary responsibility to protect. Strengthening its capacities is key. In that regard, Switzerland supports the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants as well as demining, for example in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Sudan. Our experience shows that meeting the challenges of protecting civilians requires a needs assessment, a common approach by United Nations agencies, and human rights monitoring.”

   2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source

4. “This vision should come from the host State and involve the various actors concerned, including civil society. The full, equal and meaningful participation of women should no longer be in question. The wish to transition to a less robust international presence should come from the host State first of all, which should be in a position to take on the tasks performed by the United Nations. The joint strategy on the progressive and phased drawdown of MONUSCO can serve as an example of a gradual transition. We call on the Security Council to consider national needs and prioritize tasks in the mandates through such a sequential approach. The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission can also support the establishment of national priorities in transition contexts, as the example of Liberia shows.”

   2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source

5. “Switzerland thanks Ireland for organizing this open debate and the speakers for their contributions. “Transitions and withdrawals of peace operations deserve our full attention in order to prevent a return to violence in countries concerned”. This imperative was once again emphasized at the third strategic dialogue of the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund held last week in Switzerland. We welcome the work of various United Nations actors to make transitions more effective and inclusive. Transitions do not imply a reduction of effort, but rather require increased engagement with peacebuilding instruments. Switzerland would like to highlight the following elements of a successful transition: First, any transition must be based on a strategic vision for the future of the country.”

   2021-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/783 (2021) · source

6. “Switzerland, as a member of the Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of Peacekeepers and as a candidate for a seat on the Security Council, will stay committed to protecting peacekeepers in the spirit of the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative.”

   2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

7. “It must be adapted to current threats and include modern technologies. Switzerland, for example, complements predeployment training with tailor-made training in the areas of IEDs and non-conventional weapons. Convoy protection, first aid and stress management in hostile areas are also included. In addition, Switzerland contributes to the Triangular Partnership Programme in the field of military engineering and supports the digitalization of the Core Predeployment Training Modules. For over 15 years, Switzerland has also supported the African Union’s training centres of excellence, which strengthen African peacekeeping capabilities.”

   2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

8. “These constitute a useful reference framework for the establishment of sustainable national ammunition management, which is essential in transition contexts. The diversion of contingent- owned equipment can also be used to build IEDs. The United Nations Manual on Ammunition Management helps to harmonize the management of contingent-owned stocks. Swiss experts participated in the development of this manual and support its implementation. The Security Council has an important role to play in strengthening ammunition management measures when mandating peace operations, through the training of authorities and peacekeepers and based on the Technical Guidelines and the Manual, especially in transition contexts. Thirdly, the training of personnel is essential to minimize security risks.”

   2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

9. “Furthermore, greater diversity within peacekeeping operations allows for differentiated access to local communities, including through the increased participation of women, and thereby helps obtaining a better overview of the situation. We encourage the Council to adopt mandates that allow for the extensive implementation of intelligence capabilities. Secondly, safe and secure ammunition management is essential to protecting peacekeepers and to preventing ammunition stockpiles from becoming a source for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Since 2015, Switzerland has been pursuing a political initiative to raise awareness of this issue. We have supported Mali and Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular and contributed to the development of the United Nations International Ammunition Technical Guidelines.”

   2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

10. “I thank China for organizing this debate and the speakers for their contributions. Significant progress has been made in reducing the risks for personnel deployed in peacekeeping missions. However, we still deplore the unacceptable number of casualties. Political progress in conflict resolution is the ultimate guarantor of security. In parallel, we must redouble our efforts to enhance the security of peacekeepers where political progress is slow, through the following measures: First, every operation requires an early-warning system to identify threats. To this end, we must strengthen intelligence in peacekeeping operations and make full use of the normative framework established by the Secretariat. The use of new technologies, such as drones or artificial intelligence, can help protect missions.”

    2021-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/501 (2021) · source

11. “It must also take into account the contributions of civil society and human rights defenders in post-pandemic reconstruction and sustaining peace efforts. We call on the Security Council to ensure the full implementation of resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021) across all country-specific situations on its agenda. Switzerland will remain a reliable partner in the joint efforts for conflict prevention and post-pandemic reconstruction in Africa.”

    2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source

12. “We encourage the Council to take full account of the Commission’s expertise in its work. Thirdly, the entire population must be included to build back better and sustainably. We must rebuild trust between people and State institutions. Women and youth are among the most affected by the consequences of this pandemic and, at the same time, are key agents of transformation. Even before the pandemic, Switzerland contributed to the creation of employment opportunities and the development of professional training for young people in the Great Lakes region. The Security Council must take into account the key contribution of women and youth to peace and sustainable development and provide them with increased support, including through United Nations regional mandates such as the Offices for West Africa and the Sahel and Central Africa.”

    2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source

13. “Switzerland calls on the Security Council to redouble its efforts to promote ceasefire agreements, in accordance with resolution 2532 (2020), in order to establish negotiating spaces and favourable conditions for post-pandemic reconstruction. Secondly, peace, development and human rights are mutually reinforcing in the context of a long-term response that addresses the root causes of conflict. The Peacebuilding Commission is ideally placed to promote coherence among the three pillars of the United Nations system and partnerships among multilateral and regional actors in support of the priorities of Member States and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. We welcome the exchange between the presidency of the Security Council and the AU Commission ahead of this open debate.”

    2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source

14. “To date, Switzerland has committed over SwF600 million to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in the health and other sectors. We also support the Centres’ Rumour Tracking Report, which combats the spread of false information about the pandemic. Like climate change, the pandemic is exacerbating existing conflicts and requires the full attention of the Security Council. Three measures are important to better respond to these challenges. First, an effective fight against the pandemic requires the cessation of hostilities and the prevention of new conflicts. In that regard, Switzerland supports various efforts in Africa and elsewhere, including for the prevention of violent extremism. Through the AU, we have supported the training of female mediators.”

    2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source

15. “Switzerland thanks China for organizing this debate, and the speakers for their contributions. The impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the African continent at the social, economic and political levels is profound, as the African Union (AU), through its Commission and its Peace and Security Council, has communicated since the beginning of the pandemic. Today’s interventions attest to this. Less than 2 per cent of vaccine doses distributed worldwide have been administered in Africa, and hundreds of millions of people on the continent are at risk of being left behind. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is playing a major role in the fight against the pandemic and the delivery of vaccines on the continent. We must ensure distribution in a spirit of solidarity.”

    2021-05-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/490 (2021) · source

16. “In conclusion, it is important to underline that complementarity between the Security Council and regional organizations should not mean that one should abdicate its responsibilities when the other takes on a crisis. On the contrary, the Council has important instruments at its disposal to create space for regional efforts, to assist them and to enhance their effectiveness. As a candidate for the Security Council, Switzerland will continue to be committed to prevention and synergies between the United Nations and regional organizations for a more stable and secure world.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

17. “Thirdly, the Security Council must use its mandate and the tools at its disposal to support prevention efforts at the regional level. In speaking with one voice, the Council can play an important role when it comes to strengthening political will to respond to early warnings. The Council must also support conflict resolution and observation mechanisms such as the Trilateral Contact Group and the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The Security Council mandate for Operation Althea also contributes, inter alia, to the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, and through it, to the specific role of the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including in arms control and security sector reform in the country.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

18. “Since 2015, Switzerland has supported the yearly high-level seminar on peace and security that brings together the African members of the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council and has become a privileged platform for exchanges to foster better coordination. Switzerland also welcomes the recourse to formal Security Council meetings on cooperation with regional organizations to discuss a variety of regions, as it did for the first time in 2020 in the presence of the Secretaries-General of ASEAN and the International Organization of la Francophonie. These meetings provide analyses S/2021/394 informed by the strong field presence of regional organizations and their interactions with all stakeholders, including civil society.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

19. “Secondly, we need to intensify the flow of information between the United Nations, including the Security Council, and regional and subregional organizations. Coordinated action in preventive and cooperative diplomacy starts with information- sharing and joint analysis. In this sense, Switzerland welcomes the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, which provides the political basis for a more systematic cooperation, the annual consultative meeting of the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, and the joint field visits.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

20. “Switzerland hosts the Geneva International Discussions, which are co- chaired by the OSCE, the European Union and the United Nations, and which are assisting the political process relating to the 2008 conflict in Georgia. This effective coordination contributes to defusing tensions and meeting humanitarian needs. As a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Switzerland welcomes the enhanced cooperation on confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy provided for in the ASEAN-United Nations Plan of Action (2021-2025). The urgency of the current crisis in Myanmar requires both leading ASEAN action to engage in dialogue and facilitate a return to democracy, on the one hand, and continued commitment by the relevant United Nations bodies, on the other hand.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

21. “Let me highlight three priorities for action to deepen cooperation between the Security Council and the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, in order to enable preventive and confidence-building measures to reach their full potential. First, complementarity between regional organizations and the United Nations must be strengthened. Good practices developed at the regional level can serve as inspiration for international cooperation and complement it. I am thinking here of the OSCE’s comprehensive and cooperative approach, which establishes a clear link between security, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Regional organizations have instruments adapted to specific contexts so as to prevent the aggravation of tensions and to mitigate their root causes.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

22. “Switzerland thanks Viet Nam for organizing today’s debate. It also thanks the Secretary-General and the other briefers for their briefings. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is “our best option for reducing tensions in Europe and restoring trust”. This is how our Foreign Minister describes the world’s largest regional security organization. Regional organizations have an important role to play in conflict prevention and resolution. Several contexts on the agenda of the Security Council attest to this. To borrow the Secretary-General’s term, a “networked multilateralism” is necessary to anticipate and prevent risks and to formulate adequate responses.”

    2021-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/394 (2021) · source

23. “It supports the appeal made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and her tireless efforts while stressing that Member States have the primary responsibility to protect all persons from acts of sexual violence. Switzerland welcomes the various provisions in resolutions 2532 (2020) and 2565 (2021) in that respect but calls on the Security Council to engage more systematically in monitoring the implementation of those resolutions, including in the context of the geographical situations on its agenda. Furthermore, we would also refer to the declaration of the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security.”

    2021-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/375 (2021) · source

24. “Switzerland supports the efforts of the International Criminal Court to combat impunity for sexual and gender-based crimes. Switzerland also collaborates with national actors to facilitate access to justice for survivors in order to enable them to play a role in preventing and combating sexual violence in conflict. We call on the Security Council to pursue the fight against impunity with all means at its disposal. Thirdly, we must urgently address the challenges of preventing and combating sexual violence in conflict, which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus disease pandemic. Switzerland urges all parties to armed conflict to respect and ensure respect for the prohibition of rape and other forms of sexual violence, in accordance with international humanitarian law, human rights law and resolution 2532 (2020).”

    2021-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/375 (2021) · source

25. “First, we must take a community-based approach when taking care of survivors of sexual violence, including children born of rape. The rights and needs of survivors, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights, must be central to our actions. Switzerland concretely supports the strengthening of community networks and networks of solidarity with those affected, for example in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Great Lakes region. In accordance with resolution 2467 (2019), we call for support for all community-based prevention and response efforts, in particular those of civil society and local organizations. Secondly, we must address the persistent lack of accountability at the national and international levels for sexual violence in conflict.”

    2021-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/375 (2021) · source

26. “Switzerland thanks Viet Nam for having organized this debate and the speakers for their contributions. We are concerned about sexual violence in conflicts around the world. While the majority of survivors of sexual violence are women and girls, men and boys also suffer from such violence, as recognized in resolution 2467 (2019). The stigmatization and exclusion of victims can lead to even more unreported cases. As Nobel Peace Prize laureates Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad jointly told the Council ahead of the adoption of resolution 2467 (2019), “without the will of the international community and imposed consequences, [these] crimes will continue to be perpetrated”. Switzerland would like to highlight three priorities that should guide the collective mobilization against sexual violence and its consequences.”

    2021-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/375 (2021) · source

27. “Resolution 2532 (2020) was a crucial call for a humanitarian pause. The Council must strengthen its monitoring of the implementation of resolution 2532 (2020), including in the country situations with which it deals. Switzerland supports efforts to update resolution 2532 (2020) and address the current state of the crisis, in particular support for the delivery of vaccines to conflict areas and in peacebuilding contexts.”

    2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source

28. “On the eve of the fifth anniversary of resolution 2286 (2016), Switzerland calls on the Security Council to ensure the protection of medical missions: it is unacceptable that attacks on patients, hospitals and medical personnel are increasing in the middle of a pandemic. The Council must also rigorously monitor its commitments to protecting civilians, including women and children. The Secretary-General should include elements related to vaccination in his next report on the protection of civilians. Thirdly, an effective fight against the pandemic undeniably requires the cessation of hostilities. Almost a year after the Secretary-General’s appeal, Switzerland calls for a collective effort and the conclusion of ceasefire agreements, particularly in Yemen, Syria and the Central African Republic.”

    2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source

29. “As a first step, its immediate objective is to achieve the vaccination of the most vulnerable groups, such as health workers, in all countries by June. Switzerland also supports the work of various organizations, such as the Global Vaccine Alliance, to provide technical support to low- and middle-income countries in the preparation of vaccination campaigns, as well as to ensure that they have access to diagnostics and therapies. Accordingly, Switzerland supports the overall efforts of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative. Secondly, Switzerland urges all parties to armed conflicts to guarantee humanitarian actors rapid and unimpeded access to affected populations.”

    2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source

30. “The continuity of essential health services and universal health coverage, including during armed conflicts, contributes to more inclusive societies, a key factor in sustaining peace. The longer the acute phase of the health crisis continues, the greater the risk that the pandemic will undermine conflict-resolution efforts and the peacebuilding and development gains of countries in transition. It is therefore important for the Security Council to actively support vaccination efforts, particularly in conflict zones and fragile contexts. Switzerland would like to highlight three priority areas for action. First, Switzerland welcomes the establishment of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, to which it contributes substantially as a self- financing country and as a donor to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment.”

    2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source

31. “Switzerland would like to thank the United Kingdom for organizing today’s important debate, and the briefers for their contributions. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to have an impact on international peace and security. It is evident that Security Council instruments, in particular mediation processes and the deployment of peacekeeping missions, have been affected by the crisis. In view of the magnitude of the pandemic, vaccines offer a way out of the acute phase of the crisis. Equitable distribution based on the principle of global solidarity is crucial to ensuring that no one is left behind. The international community must work closely together to secure the fair distribution of vaccines, especially in conflict and insecurity contexts.”

    2021-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/157 (2021) · source

32. “Several specific programmes have been implemented on the ground in the Middle East, Central Asia and West Africa. The Security Council’s support for preventive diplomacy, through United Nations special political missions and in cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, is based on the same approach and has significant further potential for development.The linkages between peace, development and humanitarian action are central to Switzerland’s foreign policy, including in its role as Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission next year and, if elected, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period from 2023 to 2024.”

    2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source

33. “An inclusive and human rights-based approach must guide efforts to build back better in the aftermath of the pandemic. The Peacebuilding Commission is ideally positioned to promote a coherent and coordinated response between the three pillars of the United Nations system and its principal bodies in line with the priorities identified by Member States at the country level. We call on the Council to fully take into account the Peacebuilding Commission’s contributions in its work. Thirdly, the common challenge posed by the current crises also opens up opportunities. The Blue Peace initiative launched by Switzerland is such an example. The joint management of shared water resources can reduce tensions and promote stable relations among the various States and stakeholders.”

    2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source

34. “To that end, we call on the Council to make full use of existing resources within the United Nations system, including the climate security mechanism, which brings together the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and field- level structures. Switzerland commends the commitment of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security and the establishment of the informal expert group of the Security Council on that issue. Secondly, as the Security Council affirms in its resolution 2532 (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the peacebuilding and development gains made by countries in transition and post-conflict countries.”

    2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source

35. “First, the effects of climate change threaten peacebuilding efforts and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in various contexts where high levels of inequality and vulnerability are present within the population. Climate change and natural disasters can result in the displacement of people and contribute to heightened tensions among different communities. We need to prevent such disasters and food insecurity. That is why, for example, Switzerland is assisting communities in Somalia in the implementation of an early warning network. A systematic analysis of climate change-related risks must inform the Security Council’s decisions, particularly in relation to the mandates of peace missions.”

    2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source

36. “Switzerland would like to thank Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for organizing this debate and the briefers for their contributions. The situations on the Security Council’s agenda are witnessing the negative impact of current challenges, such as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and climate change, on international peace and security. It is necessary that the Council recognize such linkages and strengthen its engagement as part of a holistic approach that engages the three pillars of the United Nations in order to be able to address the root causes of conflicts and insecurity. The following three areas of action call for greater engagement by the Security Council.”

    2020-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1090 (2020) · source