YouSaid · the spoken record

Pecsteen De Buytswerve

lines on the record: 949
first: 2016-08-23
most recent: 2020-07-28
sittings or episodes: 176
sources: un-security-council

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“Finally, the Council has specific tools to counter those who obstruct peace. Targeted sanctions have already been imposed and the Council must be ready to impose additional sanctions, as needed. We note that the situation in central Mali is continuously deteriorating. Terrorist acts and intercommunal violence are leading to an alarming downwards spiral. Atrocities at this scale are unheard of in a country like Mali, a country of peaceful intercommunal mixing and coexistence. Terrorists and aggressive militias cannot be allowed to take root. I therefore encourage the Government to exercise its sovereign power to ensure the security of its population by immediately disarming the armed militias and putting an end to impunity for all criminals. It must launch investigations and, when it does so, bring criminals to justice as soon as possible.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8547 (2019) · source
“My country knows that to reach a compromise that satisfies everyone and ensure proper ownership, including on the part of women and young people, it is sometimes better to invest a little time in the process in order to achieve a solid outcome, rather than impose arbitrary deadlines. Inclusive political dialogue is crucial for Mali. However, it obviously cannot be allowed to slow the implementation of the agreement. Those efforts and political courage are critical to carrying out State reform, but must be extended to the other major provisions of the agreement. I stress that this responsibility is incumbent upon three signatory parties and I urge them to make it a top priority. In addition, those measures will be meaningful only if they are long-term and enjoy the resources necessary to sustain them.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8547 (2019) · source
“The implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali has not progressed as quickly as we had all hoped. Belgium is deeply concerned about the delays in its implementation. Such delays serve only to bolster the enemies of peace, who are quick to denounce the path of dialogue and compromise as a dead-end and, instead, promote violence as an alternative. Such violence has now spread to central Mali and even beyond the country's borders. However, Belgium naturally welcomes the recent progress in the implementation of the agreement. With regard to the constitutional reform process, we understand how crucial yet delicate it is.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8547 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): First of all, allow me to thank Mr. Annadif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for his briefing and his unwavering commitment to peace and reconciliation in Mali, of which we are all aware. I would also like to welcome Mr. Tiebile Drame, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali, and thank him for coming all the way to New York to participate in today's debate. Since our last debate on the situation in Mali in March (see S/PV.8497), regrettably, more Blue Helmets and Malian soldiers have fallen in the line of duty and more acts ofviolence against civilians, which have been particularly shocking, have occurred in the country. I would like to honour the memory of all ofthose victims.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8547 (2019) · source
“That is particularly the case when women are involved as mediators, negotiators and witnesses in those processes. The meeting rose at 12.30p.m.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Engaging missions with communities, including local authorities, traditional or religious leaders and other relevant actors on the ground, helps to prevent local tensions from fuelling conflict and, more positively, helps to build peace through local reconciliation. Although community engagement is of course the primary responsibility of the civilian and police components, it is important that it also be supported by missions' military components. We welcome the efforts made in that regard within the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, for example. National ownership of mediation and prevention processes increases their chances of success.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Dialogue between countries in the same region and outside formal organizations can also have added value by possibly enabling convergence on measures to ease tensions, which would be very useful in the Middle East, for example. The United Nations could provide support for informal dialogues in this area as well. Thirdly, I would like to emphasize the importance of the link between prevention and mediation, including at the local level, and peacekeeping operations. Belgium supports the Secretary-General in his desire to increase mediation expertise within missions and strengthen partnerships with local and national mediation actors. Mediation needs an integrated, tailored and well-coordinated approach.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“The United Nations regional offices offer added value both for identifying risk factors and monitoring progress. We believe that more dynamic and probably more frequent informational meetings with the heads of those regional offices would be correspondingly more valuable. For example, we look forward to hearing the regional analysis of the Secretary-General's new Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. The regional offices are also an ideal vehicle for supporting or collaborating with regional and subregional organizations. We believe these organizations have a leading role to play in conflict prevention and mediation, and we encourage them to further develop their capacities in that regard.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Early responses, including through mediation, following early warnings, are not necessarily the prerogative of the Security Council alone but can include, as appropriate, the good offices of the Secretary-General, his Special Envoys, representatives and resident coordinators. It can also take place outside the United Nations system, as we are currently seeing with Venezuela and Cameroon. But if need be the Council can send signals that help generate the political will to resolve a crisis and support these mediation efforts. However, that is possible only if the Council is duly alerted well in advance. That brings me to my second point. The information that the Council receives is worth more if it can include a regional dimension.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“It therefore makes sense that the Security Council should obtain information from all three of those pillars in order to assess possible threats to peace and security. It is not only human rights violations and restrictions on the political space, but also increasingly scarce natural resources, the degradation of the living space as a result of human activity, natural disasters and climate change that are all indicators of tensions that in the right circumstances can degenerate into conflict. The Council can and should use them as a basis for its analysis and action. In that context, Belgium supports the continuation of early-warning exercises and especially information exchanges between the Council and the Secretariat, including information related to the development and human rights pillars.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): I would first like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today's meeting. I also want to thank the representatives of The Elders, Ms. Mary Robinson and Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for their words of genuine wisdom, which should serve as an inspiration to us. Their words were also candid, and I believe they made us confront our individual and collective responsibility as members of the Security Council. Belgium has made conflict prevention one of its priorities. It is one of the foundations of the inclusive approach to the sustainability of peace, to which we subscribe. As you point out in your concept note for today's debate (S/2019/456, annex), Mr. President, the underlying causes of conflict come under various areas - peace and security, development and human rights.”
2019-06-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8546 (2019) · source
“Belgium especially encourages the ICRC's Missing Persons Project initiative, because it is specifically aimed at ensuring that information, advice and experience are more effectively shared and at developing technical standards that can benefit all States and actors concerned. In conclusion, Mr. President, I would like to congratulate you on convening this meeting and submitting the resolution that we had the honour to sponsor. Its adoption by consensus reflects the international consensus on the humanitarian issue of missing persons, which remains a global challenge and requires a coherent response.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“We believe that no effort to bring about reconciliation or peace can succeed when entire families are abandoned and given no information about the fate of their missing loved ones and with no prospect of reparation, leaving impunity to reign undeterred. Thirdly and finally, I would like to stress the importance of international cooperation in preventing disappearances and addressing their consequences. We must not only coordinate and exchange specific information on missing persons but also share experiences among the existing mechanisms. In that context, we naturally commend the tireless work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Central Tracing Agency.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Failure to comply with these obligations cannot be ignored. Enforceddisappearances,be itinasituationofarmed conflict or not, are unacceptable and may constitute crimes against humanity. In this context, Belgium welcomes the work of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and calls on States to accede to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to implement it in their national legislation. This international legal framework regulates States' obligations, including prosecuting and punishing perpetrators of forced disappearances and compensating the victims and their families.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“These include the registration of detainees, the facilitation of information exchange among separated family members, information-gathering on missing or deceased persons, the mapping of burial sites and graves and the appropriate handling of human remains for identification. These are often measures that are fairly simple but can have an enormous impact if implemented early in a conflict situation. Taking steps such as these means limiting human suffering, preserving the fabric of society and helping reduce feelings of resentment that could give rise to new tensions. This brings me to my second point. Many of these examples fall within the provisions of humanitarian law and human rights aimed at preventing the disappearance of persons and addressing the consequences of their disappearance.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Providing an adequate response to these challenges has a profound impact on our ability to create lasting stability and peace in post-conflict contexts. In Belgium's view, this response is based on three elements: first, prevention and the early management of cases of disappearance; secondly, the fight against impunity; and thirdly, international cooperation. First, the prevention and early management of cases of disappearance is, of course, in the interest not only of individuals and their families, but also of States. Without timely action, the work required to search for missing persons is doubled, as is the suffering of the families waiting for answers. It is important to understand what prevention means in practice, and we are pleased that resolution 2474 (2019), adopted today, outlines several concrete measures.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): Allow me at the outset to welcome you, Mr. President, to preside over the Security Council today. I would also like to thank you for convening this meeting on the important issue of missing persons in armed conflict. I wish to thank Ms. Reena Ghelani and Mr. Peter Maurer for their briefings. As they highlighted earlier, this issue has a legitimate place on the Council's agenda. Indeed, the impact of disappearances on individuals, families and communities is one of the most devastating and persistent consequences of armed conflict. Uncertainty and the search for answers can span several generations, marking the history of entire communities and even running the risk of generating new conflicts.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Their participation is essential to achieving a just and lasting peace and reconciliation. We welcome the efforts of UNMIK and UN-Women in this regard. Since the adoption of resolution 1244 (1999) 20 years ago, Kosovo has made considerable progress, thanks to the presence of the international community. The United Nations and UNMIK in particular have played a key role in this regard. The European Union, which Serbia and Kosovo aspire to join, has also made a significant contribution through the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo. We believe that it is important for the international community to contribute to creating the conditions for the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“It is important that the parties implement all the commitments they undertook in the dialogue in order to create a climate conducive to the normalization of their relations. The conclusion of a comprehensive and legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations is the only way to achieve a lasting settlement of the dispute between the two parties and to guarantee regional stability. Such an agreement is also a condition for the European integration of Serbia and Kosovo. We encourage the participation of women both in the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina and in the Kosovar political process. It is important to include women in the various stages of the decision-making process and also to take their needs into account.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“These developments unfortunately reveal a climate of mistrust between the two parties. It is important that the parties refrain from any action or statement that may cause tensions. In this context, we reiterate our call to the Kosovo authorities to eliminate the 100 per cent customs duties on products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The future of Serbia and Kosovo lies within the European Union and will be attained through dialogue. We welcome the meeting between leaders of Serbia and Kosovo in Berlin, and we call on both sides to seize the opportunity offered by the next meeting in July in Paris to resume the dialogue under the auspices of the European Union. We hope that the Serbian and Kosovar leaders will show the necessary political courage.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): We have followed the most recent developments in northern Kosovo with some concern. We fully support the need to combat corruption and organized crime, which is part of Kosovo's reform agenda. We reiterate the importance of both sides respecting the rule of law in those efforts. It is important that the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) be able to continue its work in line with its mandate, without constraints and with complete independence. We await the results of UNMIK's internal investigation in order to clarify the 28 May incident. I would like to thank Legal Counsel Miguel de Serpa Soares for reminding us of the rules governing the immunity of United Nations staff.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8541 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): Belgium supports the extension of the arms embargo in Libya. However, it regrets and denounces the systematic violations that are currently being observed. Maintaining the embargo is essential in the light of the ongoing armed violence in Libya. Belgium calls on all actors in the Libyan crisis to respect the embargo, at the risk of contributing further to the deterioration of the situation. Belgium is of the opinion that there can be no military solution in Libya. I echo my British colleague in calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to a process of dialogue, under the auspices of the United Nations. I hope that our Council will speak out as soon as possible.”
2019-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8540 (2019) · source
“We see that strategic review as a unique opportunity for the United Nations and the Council to deepen our means of action in early warning and response mechanisms.”
2019-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8538 (2019) · source
“Given the comprehensive nature of the crisis, we all must respond to it at the level of the subregion, the region and the United Nations, as well as at the level of Member States and humanitarian, faith-based and civil society actors. The United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa is a key instrument for conflict prevention and early warning. That function guides the good offices of the Special Representative. In that regard, the Office supports inclusive, transparent and credible elections as essential factors for regional stability. In a few weeks' time, the Council will discuss a strategic review of UNOCA. The challenge will be to maximize the role of the Office in prevention, as I mentioned, while minimizing overlap with other United Nations activities in the region.”
2019-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8538 (2019) · source
“Issues initially perceived as local or national often require regional or subregional solutions, either to prevent and deal with armed groups, such as the Lord's Resistance Army or Boko Haram, which continue to operate in some countries in the region, or to consolidate and safeguard early gains, such as the recent Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the situation in Cameroon. We share the Secretary- General's concerns regarding the humanitarian, security and human rights situation, whose negative impact on the region is well known. We also endorse the solutions recommended in the report. Dialogue must prevail, humanitarian access must be guaranteed and international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to the conflict.”
2019-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8538 (2019) · source
“The Council is regularly informed about the region or some of its member countries, but our biannual debates, such as today's, allow us to better understand the major developments and trends affecting the region as a whole, be it in terms of human rights or the humanitarian situation, the growing problem of transhumance management or the scourge of the illegal exploitation of natural resources. The report also shows the extent to which certain security challenges and threats, because of their cross- border nature, make regional analysis not only desirable but also necessary.”
2019-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8538 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to wish you, Mr. President, and your team every success in presiding over the Security Council. You can count on our full support. Iwould also like to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Francois Lounceny Fall for his briefing and substantial work, as reflected in the Secretary-General's report (S/2019/430). The work of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and its biannual reports are of an undeniable value because of their regional and thematic focus.”
2019-06-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8538 (2019) · source
“Lastly, we commend the work done by the Panel of Experts, which provides the Council with valuable input on the situation on the ground. I would also like to join others in thanking you, Mr. President, for the work done by the Indonesian presidency this month.”
2019-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8536 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): Belgium welcomes the extension of the sanctions regime, including the arms embargo, and the extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts on South Sudan. The sanctions regime continues to be part of the measures that are needed to contribute to the stabilization of South Sudan. We appreciate the progress made by the parties in the peace process. However, a great deal of work remains to be done during the extended pretransitional phase, including with respect to security provisions and internal borders. The parties must continue to work together to find consensus- based solutions. Prematurely lifting the arms embargo could have negative consequences, in particular for the protection of civilians. We do not want to have to shoulder such a responsibility.”
2019-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8536 (2019) · source
“The International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 has become a central repository ofinformation and evidence of the crimes committed in Syria and therefore has a crucial role to play in achieving accountability and justice. Several countries have brought criminal cases to their national courts, making use of the proof gathered by the Mechanism. Lastly, we support Mr. Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, in his efforts to reach a political solution in Syria on the basis of resolution 2254 (2015) and the Geneva communique of 2012 (S/2012/522, annex).”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“The United Nations and its partners must be able to provide needs-based humanitarian assistance to all its inhabitants without delay. The situation of over 28,000 people in Rukban remains dramatic. While a lasting solution is needed, we continue to advocate for a much-needed third humanitarian convoy. Camp inhabitants should be able to make the choice whether or not to leave the camp in a voluntary, safe, dignified and well-informed manner. The United Nations should have regular and continued access to the internally displaced persons and returnees at every stage, including at their final destination. No lasting peace in Syria will be possible without justice and accountability.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“We urge the parties to recommit fully to the ceasefire arrangements of the Russian-Turkish memorandum, signed on 17 September 2018, and urge the Astana guarantors to ensure that de-escalation takes place. We consider the Turkish-Russian working group to be a tool that can swiftly de-escalate the situation. Finally, we reiterate our call for a nation-wide cessation ofhostilities, in accordance with resolution 2401 (2018). Our concern also regards the situation in Al-Hol camp. While humanitarian partners have been able to scale up the camp's infrastructure, it remains overcrowded, with a population of more than 73,000 persons, of whom over 90 per cent are women and children who face particular protection challenges.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“As we mentioned last week, we acknowledge the considerable presence of members of United Nations- designated terrorist groups in Idlib and condemn their violent attacks. But the fight against terrorism cannot justify indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Counter-terrorism operations do not override the responsibility of parties to protect civilians or their obligations under international humanitarian law, as well as resolutions 2286 (2016) and 2427 (2018). We have also learned of reports of an attack on a press crew last week, and we wish to recall that resolution 2222 (2015) condemns all violations and abuses committed againstjournalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of armed conflict, and calls upon all parties to armed conflict to bring an end to such practices.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Once again, we cannot but start this intervention by expressing our deep concern about the situation in north-western Syria, where a military campaign continues through indiscriminate and relentless aerial bombardment and shelling, including the use of barrel bombs. This has caused the deaths of innocent civilians, destruction through targeted attacks on numerous de-conflicted hospitals and schools, the displacement of 270,000 civilians, and despair. One million children live in this area. Many of those fleeing have been displaced several times before. These people are the most vulnerable to any military action. This use of force is incredibly cruel and completely unacceptable.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Thirdly, the United Nations and its partners should have safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to people in need, be it in Idlib, Al-Hol, Rukban or anywhere else, including through the use of the cross-border mechanism as mandated by resolution 2449 (2018). Fourthly, any return of refugees must be safe, voluntary and dignified, and continued monitoring of returnees should take place to ensure their protection. Fifthly, those who have committed violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held accountable. The humanitarian co-penholders have called for two meetings on Idlib in the past three weeks.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“I deliver this statement on behalf of the three co-penholders, Germany, Kuwait and Belgium. I would like first to thank Ms. Ursula Mueller for her valuable briefing. We would also like to thank the humanitarian workers in the field for their tireless efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, in particular in the currently very challenging environment around Idlib. We, the penholders, have five asks today. First, all parties should abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects. Secondly, the parties should recommit fully to the ceasefire arrangements of the Russian-Turkish memorandum signed on 17 September 2018.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“However, if progress at the national level is too slow or even non-existent, the Security Council must play its part and be more proactive in holding perpetrators to account, including by referring situations where the most serious crimes may have been committed to the International Criminal Court. The Council also has a responsibility to respond to the serious threat posed to civilians by explosive devices, that is, landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices. In the next few months Belgium will start working on concrete initiatives in this area.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In the interests of improving prevention, Belgium also supports the integration ofthe Framework ofAnalysisforAtrocity Crimes, published by the United Nations in 2014, into predeployment training for peace operations, in order to enhance troops' early-warning and atrocity-risk-assessment capacities. Finally, we note that respect for international law is first and foremost the responsibility of each State. With regard to the most serious crimes, that means the obligation to prosecute their perpetrators so that they cannot escape justice wherever they are. That is why we call on States tojoin the initiative to develop a multilateral treaty on mutual legal assistance and extradition for prosecuting perpetrators of the most serious crimes in national courts.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Peace operations have a key role to play in deploying child protection advisers, integrating child protection into missions and negotiating action plans with armed groups. Secondly, the Council must be better informed about cases of serious violations of international law and should make better use of the instruments available to it for documenting and investigating such violations. As the Secretary-General indicated in his report, civilian casualty tracking deserves more attention, as it is critical to supporting evidence-based advocacy, identifying the factors behind attacks that result in civilian casualties and preventing the recurrence of violations.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“In that context, it is a positive that the mandate ofthe United Nations Mission in South Sudan recognizes the importance of exploring techniques for the non-armed protection of civilians, including through community engagement. That could serve as an inspiration for other mandates. We should not forget that a lasting peace is built not between States but between peoples and communities. As the Secretary-General emphasizes, children require special protection measures. Failure to assume our responsibility to better protect children not only harms girls and boys living in insecurity, it also exacerbates the grievances between warring parties and diminishes their ability to resolve their conflicts peacefully.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“For my part I would like to discuss three concrete approaches - first, what peace operations can learn from the other actors' practices on the ground; secondly, the importance of concrete data for protection and thirdly, the responsibility of each State to ensure that the most serious crimes do not go unpunished. First, owing to the complexity of current conflicts, peace operations constantly face new challenges in their efforts to protect civilians. We must find better ways to overcome them. For example, could peace operations collaborate more effectively with civil- society organizations and learn from their experiences in community engagement?”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“We therefore thank you, Madam President, for your commitment to improving the effectiveness of protection on the ground, in the framework of the Council presidency. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Peter Mauer and Mr. Federico Borello for their contribution. Today we must move from principles to action. As Mr. Borello said, to do that we must define concrete ways in which the Council can be united in its work. Belgium aligns itself with the statements to be made by the observer of the European Union and by the representative of Switzerland on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (Spoke in French): The headlines remind us of the urgency of the protection of civilians. Recently in Idlib in Syria, more than 160 people have been killed and 180,000 displaced, including 80,000 children, while 83,000 people are trapped in a confined area with no shelter but trees. Twenty years of the protection of civilians in the Council has brought significant progress on this issue, and yet thousands of civilians on the ground are still dying as a result of wars that too often are in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. According to the Secretary-General's report (S/2019/373), in 2018 there were 28,000 victims in only six theatres on the Council's agenda.”
2019-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8534 (2019) · source
“The scope of international support for Somalia is remarkable, but we must ensure that the support provided is coordinated and transparent, particularly with regard to bilateral cooperation programmes. It is essential for all partners of Somalia to work together to the same purpose.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“Since Belgium is also a federal country I cannot overemphasize the importance of maintaining close and constructive relations between the Federal Government and the federal authorities. That kind of cooperation is crucial to making federalism an effective system that can address the needs of citizens in a framework of good-faith dialogue among the various levels of governance. Unfortunately, electoral issues remain a source of discord and tension. The elections in Jubaland are rapidly approaching, and we must therefore be particularly watchful. The Somali National Army has decided to launch operations to secure the Lower Shabelle region, which should be accompanied by stabilization measures. I welcome the creation of an interministerial task force to prepare for that, and I would be interested in having more information on the next steps.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) (spoke in French): I would first like to thank all the speakers for their briefings. Despite the fact that Somalia is going through difficulties, we should also acknowledge the positive developments there and the efforts that have been undertaken. For example, we can probably call the meeting held in Garowe from 4 to 12 May between the Federal President and the regional presidents encouraging even if the hoped-for results have not yet been materialized. I salute President Farmajo for his commitment to resuming dialogue and encourage him to follow up on the Garowe meeting as soon as possible. The report ofthe Secretary-General (see S/2019/393) lists other positive points, such as the Federal Government's commitment to economic reforms and the biometric registration of Somali National Army troops.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“It is in that spirit that we will continue to oppose any unilateral initiative that is at variance with those values and principles.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“It can be achieved only by respecting international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions. There is no alternative to a negotiated two-State solution, based on the coexistence of two States, with the city of Jerusalem as their future capital, in accordance with internationally agreed parameters. Those parameters must be the basis for any comprehensive, just and lasting peace plan that addresses both Israel's concerns for its security and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians for a sovereign, democratic and viable State. The Council has a key role to play in helping to create an atmosphere that is conducive to dialogue, while ensuring compliance with its previous resolutions and international law.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“The demolitions and subsequent displacement of people are an integral part of a policy of colonization that is illegal under international law and constitutes a serious obstacle to just and lasting peace. Belgium firmly condemns the colonization policy and its related measures and demands respect for resolution 2334 (2016). The settlement policy undermines the viability of a two-State solution, with two States living side by side in peace and within secure and internationally recognized borders. That is why any credible initiative to revive a peace process must be accompanied by measures to halt colonization, reverse the current trend and allow Palestinians full and free access to their resources and rights. Bridging the gap between the parties is a matter of urgency.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source
“Resolving the crisis in Gaza demands fundamental change, including lifting the blockade and fully opening the crossing points, while taking Israel's legitimate security concerns into account. A political solution to the crisis also requires returning full control of the territory to the Palestinian Authority. We therefore call on all the parties to engage constructively in intra-Palestinian talks on reconciliation. Unity is in the interest of the Palestinian people and of peace in the region. In the month of April alone, 63 houses and other structures were demolished in East Jerusalem, reflecting the ever-increasing pressure on the Palestinian population of the city.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8532 (2019) · source