YouSaid · the spoken record

Pierce

lines on the record: 1,742
first: 2006-06-20
most recent: 2020-03-12
sittings or episodes: 239
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 will not take up much of anyone’s time. I apologize to Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Rajasingham, who have had their briefings hijacked by this attention. I would like to thank everybody for their incredibly kind words and all their friendship and cooperation and that of all their missions during my time in the Council. I am incredibly lucky to have been able to serve at the United Nations. I am very proud to be part of the United Nations family. I cannot put it better than my own Foreign Secretary who says that the United Nations is a force for good. I think we can remember that every day as we go about our work. I thank everyone very much indeed.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“Again, I think that this is an issue on which we are drawing closer and closer to the precipice, so we really do need to take action. Lastly, if I may, I would like to say something about COVID-19. The last thing Yemen needs is an outbreak of that virus. I note the increasing restrictions that many States are implementing in the region. It is good to know that United Nations agencies are taking steps to ensure that the effect on their work is as limited as possible.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“We are very concerned that the Central Bank of Yemen may run out of foreign currency reserves in the next few weeks, which will of course have dire humanitarian and political consequences. Significant external financial assistance to the Central Bank on the scale of $1 billion to $2 billion dollars, we believe, is urgently needed so that imports can come in. I heard what Mr. Rajasingham said about the banknotes, which is obviously a situation that needs to be resolved quickly. The currency needs to stabilize so that ordinary Yemenis can afford the food and medical supplies they need. We look to the Government of Yemen to urgently come up with a credible and transparent plan that reassures potential donors of their investments to the Yemeni people.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“Again, it is incredible that we come here every month and every month we hear how precarious the situation with that tanker is, yet nothing gets done. So, while I know negotiations are under way to find a diplomatic way forward, I once again call on the Houthis to either allow the removal of the oil or allow a repair mission to proceed. Continued Houthi inaction on this issue is nothing short of reckless. They are playing dice with people’s lives and the environment in a very important part of the world. Such huge environmental and humanitarian damage must be avoided and all steps must be taken to that end. I followed with interest what was said about the economy.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“On the difficult issue of the operating environment for humanitarian actors, I know there have been some small signs of improvement in the north of Yemen, but much remains to be done. We call on the Houthis to deliver on the minimum operating requirements that the international community has clearly set out. The world’s worst humanitarian crisis cannot be allowed to deteriorate any further. We look to the United Nations and the international community to remain united in response to access constraints, which we saw was possible at the helpful donor meeting in Brussels on 13 February. Any plans to scale back assistance should be fully coordinated in order to limit the impact on Yemenis in need. I wanted to echo what Mr. Rajasingham said about the FSO SAFER oil tanker.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“Again, the United Kingdom urges and implores all the parties to constructively cooperate with Lieutenant General Abhijit Guha and the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement. There is one positive development in that there has been increased engagement between Saudi Arabia and Oman — at least, that is how it seems. Increased dialogue between regional actors is key for stability, not just in Yemen but in the region as a whole. Regarding humanitarian access, I think Mr. Rajasingham is absolutely right to cite the issue in the context of international humanitarian law. The fact that the number of children’s casualties has risen from one in five to one in four is shameful. It should horrify us all and urge us to redouble our efforts.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“We have to enter into more and broader negotiations that actually make tangible progress. The United Kingdom calls upon all the parties to please act in good faith, engage in the process and seize the opportunity to ensure that 2020 is the year we bring this dreadful conflict to a close. Mr. Griffiths has laid out the road map to that destination and we urge the parties to follow it without delay. I also want to echo what Mr. Griffiths said about his time in Ma’rib — the conflict cannot be solved on the battlefield. In that connection, I wish to mention the continuing obstructions placed on the Redeployment Coordination Committee by the Houthis. I note the announcement today that the Government of Yemen has suspended its participation in the Committee. Less engagement is not a route towards peace in Al-Hudaydah or Yemen as a whole.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“At the outset, I wish to thank Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and Acting Assistant Secretary-General Ramesh Rajasingham, as well as both of their teams, for all the work that they are doing under very difficult circumstances. We come here every month and hear these briefings, which normally swing between optimism and pessimism, but we all know the underlying realities of the situation in Yemen and the risks that the Yemeni people face. In that connection, I have to say that I find it astonishing that the kind of fighting that both Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Rajasingham have described today continues to take place. I want to begin by echoing both Mr. Griffiths’ and Mr. Rajasingham’s pleas to all parties for the fighting to stop and for de-escalation to begin. As Mr. Griffiths said, the process must be public, accountable and nationwide.”
2020-03-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8745 (2020) · source
“Many members who are in the Chamber today were there to attend and to speak, and we heard from leading Afghan women in politics and civil society. The Security Council has sent a clear message in this regard. We expect to see the effective and meaningful participation in the peace process of women as well as young people and other minorities. While any peace deal is ultimately for Afghans to decide upon, we affirm that it should protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all. Like Germany and others, we have a strong role in Afghanistan, both in military terms and in our development, political and economic work, and we are ready to support a peace deal and to stand by the Afghan people.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“We expect President Ghani, who was inaugurated yesterday, to unify the country and form a truly inclusive and diverse national negotiating team that includes women. We welcome the opportunity to work with him and his Government. We call upon all Afghan leaders to uphold their commitments to prioritizing inclusivity, unity and peace. Like the United States, we appreciate Mr. Abdullah’s statement on his commitments. We are strongly against the establishment of any parallel administrations or Government structures, and we call on all concerned to come together and resolve differences constructively. I should like to emphasize points about the role of women. This morning Afghanistan and the United Kingdom co-hosted a high-level event of the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“The United Kingdom was pleased to vote in favour of resolution 2513 (2020) and that it was unanimously adopted. Today Afghanistan stands at a critical juncture. The Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan, of 29 February, and the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States of America and the Taliban together mark a significant moment in the pursuit of peace. Now is the time for all parties to seize this opportunity for peace by entering into direct and fully inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations. Through the resolution adopted today, the Security Council has set out the way for all parties to get to that point, and we expect further confidence-building measures, including further reductions in violence.”
2020-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8742 (2020) · source
“We urge maximum restraint and peaceful dialogue on the part of all sides. There is space for hope and for a brighter future for the Iraqi people.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“As the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said, there are grounds for hope and we should not overlook the progress. But I want to echo what was said by the German representative in particular about corruption and the importance of tackling it. My last point relates to the Iraq-Kuwait file. I pay tribute to the work of the Kuwaiti representative, who is in the Chamber. As the United States and German representatives said, the recent developments on the file are very welcome. The United Kingdom remains committed to helping to strengthen relations between Iraq and Kuwait through the work of the Tripartite Commission, which we support. We stand ready to continue to support the next Government of Iraq as it continues to deliver on the legitimate demands of protesters and to implement crucial reforms.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Reports of forced and undignified returns of displaced persons are troubling, and I take this opportunity to recall that under international conventions all returns must be safe, dignified and voluntary. The United Kingdom is ready to support Iraq in delivering durable solutions, including on reconciliation, reconstruction and provision of services. It is particularly important that political instability and the protests do not distract from or prevent action being taken to address the grievances that drove the rise of Da’esh. Having heard the briefings today, we all know that recent months have been difficult for the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi people. There has been progress on key issues, including regional outreach, discussions between Baghdad and Erbil and reconstruction through the Funding Facility for Stabilization.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“I am proud that British troops in Iraq have trained over 100,000 members of the Iraqi security forces. Militia groups continue to threaten Iraq’s stability and risk escalating regional tensions. We condemn the storming of the United States Embassy in Baghdad on 31 December and the continued attacks by militia groups on military bases and diplomatic premises. The Government of Iraq has a duty to ensure the safety of all diplomatic premises in Iraq, but we urge all parties — and I want to stress that this includes Iraq’s neighbours — to show restraint and to avoid dragging Iraq into a conflict, which is not what the Iraqi people need. We are deeply concerned that 1.4 million Iraqis remain displaced and over 4 million Iraqis will need some sort of support and assistance this year.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“We welcome the progress made on electoral reforms and urge the Government of Iraq to continue engagement with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the international community to ensure that the new electoral reform law delivers on protestors’ demands, including for credible, free and inclusive elections. As the report of the Secretary-General (S/2020/140) highlights and as the Special Representative outlined, Da’esh remains a persistent threat to Iraq’s security, as well as to the region and the wider world. We therefore hope that Iraq and the international community can continue to work closely together to address that common threat. The Global Coalition to Defeat Da’esh continues its support to and close partnership with the Iraqi security forces, in full respect for Iraqi sovereignty.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Thousands of Iraqi citizens have protested to voice legitimate demands for political, economic and social reforms, but hundreds have been killed and thousands injured. The Iraqi people have the right to protest peacefully, and we are deeply concerned by the disproportionate use of force by security forces, including the use of live fire, and human rights abuses, including attacks on journalists. The United Kingdom urges the Iraqi authorities to follow through on their commitments to conducting credible investigations into the violence and holding those responsible to account. We also unequivocally condemn attacks on diplomatic premises. It is vital that protests remain peaceful. I would like to tell the Iraqi Ambassador that the United Kingdom stands ready to support Iraq in delivering crucial reforms that address popular concerns.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Regarding the latest setback, the resignation of the Prime Minister, I agree with the representative of the Dominican Republic — we need to appeal to Iraq’s leaders at this time to put the Iraqi people and the sound governance of the country first. The delay in forming a new Government that will command the confidence of the Iraqi Parliament and people is regrettable. The United Kingdom calls on all Iraqi leaders to put the national interest first and to work together constructively to support a new prime minister. Iraq urgently needs an inclusive and representative Government committed and able to deliver on the demands of the Iraqi people. That aim is all the more important given the clear dissatisfaction with the status quo shown by the large-scale demonstrations in Iraq since October last year.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“Let me join others in welcoming you to the presidency, Sir, and say that the United Kingdom looks forward to working with you and your delegation. I also thank the representative of Belgium for an excellent stewardship of the Council’s business during the month of February. Let me start by thanking the Special Representative for her briefing and her continued efforts, together with those of her Mission, to support and advise the Iraqi Government. Their work is important and, as we have all heard, it is a difficult time. She has our staunch support. While Iraq has made notable progress in recent years, as many speakers, including the Special Representative, have said, the past few months have been challenging.”
2020-03-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8739 (2020) · source
“There is a risk that it will not be able to step up to its responsibilities. I say again, for the record, texts cannot always be consensual unless we are prepared to accept the blandest, lowest-common-denominator text possible. If we do that then, again, we are not discharging our responsibility. Other colleagues around the table have compromised. We compromise on our ideal text when we engage in these negotiations in the interests of having the Security Council speak authoritatively. I therefore hope that this does not herald a shift in the way the Security Council does business. Again, for the record, even though two members did not vote for the resolution, it has been adopted and it therefore comes into force.”
2020-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8732 (2020) · source
“I am very pleased that resolution 2511 (2020) has been adopted, but disappointed that two members of the Council wanted to abstain when we have previously been able to have united agreement on Yemen. I am particularly disappointed that this took place after extensive negotiations this morning, reopening the blue draft. However, I want to pay tribute to you, Sir, and to our French colleagues for their help in getting us to a text that we had thought everybody could accept. I would like to put down a marker about a wider issue. There is a risk that the veto will become simply a negotiating tactic. If countries are going to engage in negotiations with us in detail and then not support the text, that in my mind is sharp practice. There is a risk to the Security Council in that sort of behaviour.”
2020-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8732 (2020) · source
“The other thing that I wanted to say concerning reconstruction is to support what the French representative said. As the United Kingdom, we have given some $2 billion to Syria in aid since the conflict began. The reconstruction of Syria will be made infinitely harder by the wanton destruction that the Syrian and Russian Governments are carrying out now. So it will be for Russian taxpayers, possibly assisted by Chinese taxpayers, but it will be for Russian taxpayers to put Syria back together again.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“I was mentioned in the Russian intervention so I would like to respond. I listen very carefully to what the Russian military say, including in briefings to the Council. I am waiting for a Russian military official to answer the question of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: how can anyone justify carrying out such indiscriminate and inhumane attacks? But I also want to again record something that I have said here before. The Russian and Syrian military who violate international humanitarian law and bomb, or allow the bombing of, hospitals, medical facilities and civilians will one day be held personally accountable before the law for those actions. That is a very important point. They will not just be held collectively responsible. One day they will be held personally responsible.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“Pedersen said about the Constitutional Committee and the political process, we remain deeply disappointed at the stalling of the Constitutional Committee. It is hard to believe that not only do we have a barbaric situation on the ground, but that the Syrian authorities are actually hindering the political process. They should come to the table. I want to place on record once more the United Kingdom’s support for the United Nations Special Envoy in his efforts to restart the Committee, and I want also to assure the United Nations that the United Kingdom stands ready to support any United Nations-backed agreement and that we continue to support the Special Envoy’s work under resolution 2254 (2015).”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“Turkey has made efforts to seek a peaceful solution in Idlib and we are concerned about the impact of the escalation on Turkey, which has already borne the burden of hosting over 3.5 million refugees forced to flee Syria. I therefore look forward to hearing what the Turkish representative has to say later. I join the others in calling on Russia to end its support for this murderous campaign and the barbaric Syrian Government. I join the Secretary-General in calling for an immediate, genuine and lasting ceasefire in Idlib and for a lasting solution to the situation there. We once more call on Syria, Russia and Iran to observe their obligations under international humanitarian law and to give us an answer on what they are doing to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Turning to what Mr.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“We need to come off Astana and we need to work with the United Nations to get the political process under way and uphold resolution 2254 (2015). There is one area where I disagree with Mr. Lowcock, if I may. It is not that the Security Council is doing nothing; 13, possibly 14, members of the Security Council are ready to act, but what the Syrian Government is doing on the ground is protected by a Russian veto. This was not the purpose of establishing the Security Council and it was not the purpose of giving the five permanent members a veto — so that these innocent people on the ground could suffer not just once but multiple times under the cruelty and barbarity at the Syrian regime. I would also like to echo what my German and American colleagues said about Turkey. We need the attacks on Turkey to stop.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“What are they doing to uphold international humanitarian law? What are they doing to protect the people who were fleeing? Where do they expect those people to flee to? What are they doing to protect medical facilities and ensure that the people that Mr. Lowcock so vividly described get the help that they need? And when does this start to end? We have now heard that the Syrian Government has said that it will continue its offensive. How can the regime do that in the face of the accounts that we have heard today, when the entire international community — barring about three countries — is condemning it for what it is doing to the people of Idlib? I agree with the German and American representatives: Astana is not working. We have all given it a chance and we have waited in effect too long.”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“At the outset, we would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of those Oxfam workers mentioned by Mr. Lowcock who were killed. I thank Mr. Pedersen and Mr. Lowcock for their briefings. I agree very much with my German and my American colleagues. I am not going to rehearse the figures that Mr. Lowcock has so starkly set out, but I would like to echo High Commissioner Bachelet who asked how can anyone justify carrying out such indiscriminate and inhumane attacks. She also said that 93 per cent of the deaths since 1 January were caused by the Syrian Government and its allies. I would therefore like to put the High Commissioner’s question back to the Russians and the Syrians — specifically to their representatives in this Chamber today. How can they justify carrying out such indiscriminate and inhumane attacks?”
2020-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8727 (2020) · source
“I for one welcome the Russian Ambassador’s enthusiasm for Security Council meetings on Ukraine, and we look forward to other future opportunities to ask Russia what Russia is doing to ensure that the agreements are implemented. I would like to conclude by reiterating the United Kingdom’s enduring support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and territorial waters. The Ukrainian people deserve peace, and we will continue to hold Russia to account to that end.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“We therefore invite Russia to immediately cease the practice of sending uninspected “humanitarian convoys” across the border and to focus instead on facilitating the safe delivery of international aid, based on an agreed international mechanism, as foreseen under the Minsk agreements. We also look to Russia to ensure that the International Committee of the Red Cross has full and unconditional access to the detainees held in the non-Government controlled areas — access that, the OSCE has said, was denied as recently as January. Russia claims that it is not party to the conflict. In reality, Russia started the conflict in Ukraine. Russia continues to fuel the conflict in Ukraine, and people suffer because of it.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“In 2018 and 2019, Special Monitoring Mission long-range unmanned aerial vehicles observed military-type tracks on dirt-track roads between the border and a holding site in the non-Government controlled areas on no fewer than seven occasions. The culmination of those Russian actions has had a devastating impact on the lives of Ukrainian civilians. In the six years since the conflict began, more than 13,000 people, including approximately 3,500 civilians, have lost their lives and almost 30,000 have been injured. Some 3.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Russia bears a heavy responsibility for the ongoing suffering.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Ukrainian troops continue to die at the hands of separatists armed and sponsored by Russia. As recently as this morning, as other speakers noted, there was a sharp increase in violations of the ceasefire near the Zolote disengagement area. Despite the efforts of international demining organizations like the HALO Trust — an organization that my Government is proud to support — Russia’s proxies are planting yet more mines near the Petrivske disengagement area. We heard how the Special Monitoring Mission’s freedom of movement is severely limited, and we constantly see the Monitoring Mission’s reporting of sophisticated Russian equipment, such as the Zhitel jamming device.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“Russia’s only objective in Ukraine is to undermine that country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It wants Moscow rather than the Ukrainians themselves to define Ukraine’s future. We agree with Russia that local elections should pave the way for special status to be granted in parts of the Donbas region, but the local elections can take place only in proper conditions, and these conditions include a comprehensive ceasefire, unfettered access for the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the withdrawal of foreign troops. As we heard, that is a far cry from the reality we face today. Two months since the previous Normandy Four summit, ceasefire violations continue along the line of contact, including the use of heavy artillery.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“The Russian Ambassador spoke at length about the failure of others in fulfilling their obligations under the Minsk agreements. His account was largely a falsehood wrapped in a fiction inside a fairy tale. Rather than elaborate on where we believe the Russian account is misleading, I will say simply that I endorse what the German representative said in laying out all the areas of the agreements that Russia has violated. Rather than reining in its proxies in the non-Government-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine, Russia has furnished them with arms and personnel. Russia claims to act only in the interest of the Ukrainians living in those areas but does nothing to ensure the safe delivery of international humanitarian aid so desperately needed by many of the communities there.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“I thank our briefers who are joining us via video-teleconference from Kyiv and the Under Secretary-General. The Minsk agreements provide a road map to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The United Kingdom reiterates its firm support for those agreements and Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. I welcome the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs here today and thank him for joining us. The United Kingdom underlines its support for French and German efforts to facilitate a negotiated end to the conflict through the Normandy process. We welcome President Zelenskyy’s clear commitment to ending the conflict and the important steps that he has taken towards achieving peace through diplomatic means, including prisoner exchanges, his acceptance of the Steinmeier formula and progress on disengagement.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8726 (2020) · source
“We would also like to place on record our concerns about the FSO SAFER oil tanker and the vital necessity of dealing with the issue. We urge the Houthis to allow either the removal of the oil or a repair mission to proceed, so as not to hold the environment hostage. Continued Houthi inaction on the issue is nothing short of reckless.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank and pay tribute to the Panel of Experts for its tireless work over the last year and to say that the United Kingdom will work with others on the Council and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) to take forward its recommendations. The United Kingdom notes with concern the findings of the final report (see S/2019/83) of the Panel of Experts regarding weapons of Iranian origin in Yemen. We also recognize the Panel’s findings on the Abqaiq Aramco attack — the Houthis simply did not have the capability to conduct such an attack. The report’s findings on instances of intimidation and sexual violence against women in Houthi-controlled areas are also deeply troubling. That is unacceptable, and I hope that the Council will reiterate our condemnation of such actions today.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“I want to place on record how grateful we are for the work that the United Nations is doing to ensure that vital humanitarian work can continue. In those increasingly difficult conditions, it is vital that we as the international community continue to support those efforts in a coordinated and coherent manner. I would also like to put on record our concerns about the Central Bank of Yemen and the fact that it will imminently run out of foreign currency reserves, which will cause major economic, humanitarian and political consequences in Yemen. Significant financial assistance, on a scale of $1 to $2 billion, is urgently needed to prevent that. We look to the Government of Yemen to urgently develop a credible plan that reassures potential donors of their investments in the Yemeni people.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“Houthi restrictions have increased significantly over recent weeks, with increasingly severe intimidation of United Nations and non-governmental organization (NGO) humanitarian workers. In line with resolution 2451 (2018), humanitarian workers need to be able to conduct their work safely and without harm. Unless those restrictions and obstructions are lifted and intimidation ceases, there is a real risk that United Nations agencies and NGOs will not be able to deliver life-saving aid over the coming months. Urgent action is needed, and I also support what Mr. Lowcock said about the needs assessment. The Secretary-General’s statement on 12 February reiterates the importance of the humanitarian operation.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“In order to ensure the effectiveness of the peace talks in Yemen, as well as the sustainability of the peace, we encourage the development of a context-specific approach to women’s participation in the process, as called for in resolution 2493 (2019). I want to turn now to humanitarian access. We very much share the concerns that Mr. Lowcock outlined. His briefing on the reversal of the trend towards decreasing civilian casualties was sobering. We endorse his remarks on international humanitarian law, and I think that his warning about donors was also very salutary. The United Kingdom is increasingly concerned by access constraints and obstructions in Houthi-controlled areas in the north.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“The decrease in violence that began in October was welcomed by the international community and by Yemenis, but as the emergency Security Council meeting of 28 January acknowledged, the recent violence in Al-Jawf and Nihm is of very grave concern. Regardless of who started the violence, it is clear that the Houthis have sought to exploit the situation and that is unacceptable. Moreover, to pick up on something Mr. Lowcock said, the violence serves to underscore the fact that the conflict will continue until we can find a political solution. We therefore encourage the parties to redouble their efforts towards beginning political discussions.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“I would like to thank Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Lowcock, as well as Ambassador King, for their briefings. I want to state on record, once again, that we fully support the United Nations- led process and the United Nations efforts to bring peace to Yemen. We once again take this opportunity to urge all the parties to engage in good faith and work closely with the United Nations to bring the conflict to a close. In that regard, we welcome the 16 February announcement of an initial agreement on an exchange of prisoners, and, as ever, its implementation is key. We heard from Mr. Griffiths about the need for violence and suffering to stop if peace is to thrive.”
2020-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8725 (2020) · source
“Not only does that risk the achievements of transitional justice being reduced to little more than lip-service in the eyes of those affected by conflict as they continue to experience a wide array of injustices in their daily lives, it presents a real risk of further cycles of conflict and insecurity. As transitional justice policy and practice continue to evolve, we should start to forge closer links with broader challenges to peace, justice and inclusion. Truth and reconciliation commissions in Kenya and Tunisia have shown impressive results in that space, while demonstrating that transitional justice mechanisms and mandates are well positioned to make an increasing contribution to addressing the root causes of conflict.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Notwithstanding those developments, the time has come to have a critical conversation about what transitional justice has achieved in terms of building peace that is sustainable and what more can be done. The root causes of conflict are persistent; their manifestations are as adaptable as they are pernicious. That brings me to my final point. We now possess evidence that, unless there is a proper response for dealing with wider social and economic injustices, the root causes of conflict are highly capable of morphing into other forms of violence and discrimination further down the line.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Transitional justice processes have assumed an increasingly victim-centred approach. More and more efforts have been situated in broader institutional reform, including security sector reform. Transitional justice initiatives in Afghanistan have demonstrated what can be achieved in terms of local-level reconciliation, even prior to the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. That breadth of application across such a range of issues has taught us that transitional justice has relevance far beyond the transition cycle traditionally associated with countries emerging from conflict. It can make inroads even amid ongoing hostilities, and its toolkit can serve States and communities long after a conflict ends.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Over the past 25 years, there have been significant developments in this field and many of the representatives round the table, in particular South Africa and Tunisia, have set out some of those developments in their countries, which was very interesting. Mechanisms and processes have been increasingly inclusive and nationally owned. The consultative, inclusive and independent manner in which the Gambia established its Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission has shown the benefits of national ownership to secure public confidence. I would also like to welcome the recent verdict by the Bangui Court of Appeal in the Central African Republic, holding accountable 28 individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity, related to the killing of 75 civilians and 10 United Nations peacekeepers in the Bangassou area.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“And I would like to welcome the decision of the Government of the Sudan to hold former President Omer Al-Bashir and others accountable, which will be a significant step towards a peace settlement in Darfur. The victims of human rights violations in Myanmar also deserve justice. It is difficult to see how Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh can return to Rakhine state if they are not confident that the perpetrators, the Burmese military in particular, will be held accountable. With respect to my second point, transitional justice began as an innovative way of enabling justice in post-conflict environments.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“Thirdly, I would like to propose that, for transitional justice to be more meaningful for sustaining peace, we need to find better ways and means of connecting it with social or socioeconomic justice. With regard to my first point, the United Kingdom believes that legal accountability for conflict-related crimes serves as a deterrent, punishment and a method for upholding victims’ rights. Without it, there can be neither reconciliation of communities, faith in the functioning of rule-of-law institutions nor respect for the rules-based international system. Those are the principles for which my Government stands. There should be no impunity for international crimes and no amnesty for gross violations. As a spokesman for the Sudanese Government put it on Tuesday (see S/PV.8718), justice cannot be achieved if we do not heal the wounds.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“May I join others in thanking Belgium for convening today’s important debate. I am very pleased that the High Commissioner for Human Rights was able to join us and brief the Security Council today. May there be many more occasions where that might happen. I also thank our other two briefers. I will make three short points. First, I would briefly like to state the reasons the United Kingdom considers accountability for conflict-related crimes so important for peace and security. Secondly, I would like to acknowledge some of the important developments in transitional justice policy and practice over the past two decades and their relevance beyond the traditionally understood transition cycle.”
2020-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8723 (2020) · source
“We want to see a ceasefire, we want to see the arms embargo upheld and we want to help the United Nations assist the parties in arriving at a Libyan-owned and Libyan- led solution. The United Nations might be front and centre of the international community’s efforts, but it is able to call on the support of the African Union, the League of Arab States and the European Union. On a general point, I want to stress again that the Security Council does not act only when parties ask it to act. The whole point of having the Security Council is that it can step into a situation and make its own decisions. That is why it is a sovereign Council. Furthermore, consensus should never mean, and has never meant, the lowest common denominator.”
2020-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8722 (2020) · source