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

“We have talked a little bit about women's participation. There is a lot ofevidence ofhow important this is and, as efforts progress, we encourage women's involvement in all forums, whether they involve local or State-level negotiations in Kabul. Turning to the elections, as many other speakers have highlighted today, these are crucial for future political stability. We know that the atmosphere is already charged, three months ahead of election day, so I would like to call on all political actors to behave responsibly and constructively for the sake of Afghanistan's stability. We encourage the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to redouble its efforts, with the Special Representative at the helm, to support and advise the election management bodies.”
2019-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8555 (2019) · source
“The United Kingdom fully supports all efforts to convene a genuine political process to give Afghans the chance to decide the future of their country. This will, naturally, require the full support of the region as well as the international community. I therefore hope we can stay united in a call for intra-Afghan peace negotiations without delay and with the full involvement of both sides to the conflict, and the legitimate Government of Afghanistan in particular. I would like to echo what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said about calling on Member States to use their influence to encourage the Taliban not only to show the leadership and foresight required to engage in talks, but also to take the practical steps that are undoubtedly required on the path to peace.”
2019-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8555 (2019) · source
“The group will bring together women ambassadors and senior United Nations figures to work to highlight and protect the gains that Afghan women have achieved over the past 18 years. It is also a very good vehicle to give meaningful practical expression to resolution 1325 (2000) and to promote the participation of women in peace efforts and in public life. As we all know, there are two main themes of today's debate: peace and elections. We, the United Kingdom, share the interest of other Council members in reiterating that a political solution is the only way to end the conflict. The ongoing efforts of the Afghan Government and the United States - in particular the United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad - are making important progress towards a sustainable peace process.”
2019-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8555 (2019) · source
“We welcome the Special Representative of the Secretary-General back to the Council and thank him for his briefing. We also thank our Afghan colleague for hers. I am very pleased to welcome Ms. Samar back to the Council; I knew her well when I was in Kabul two years after she became the first civil society briefer on Afghanistan. I think it is now more important than ever that we hear the very strong voice of civil society, and we thank her for all her work on this vital dossier. The Afghan Ambassador already announced the joint initiative that Afghanistan and the United Kingdom have undertaken to launch a group of friends of women in Afghanistan. We are very proud to be part of this, as it is a very good joint initiative, ifI may say so.”
2019-06-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8555 (2019) · source
“That is the thing, not humanitarian assistance, that will make the biggest difference to the people in Idlib. Ihave two points on looking ahead. Ivery much share what the French representative said about reconstruction and elections. We provide humanitarian assistance. We will not provide reconstruction assistance. We will not be able to contribute to the eventual rehabilitation of Syria into the world community of nations without a viable, meaningful and sustainable political process. Lastly, again like the representative of France, I would like to reiterate that if chemical weapons are used again against civilians in Syria, we will join our colleagues in responding swiftly and appropriately.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“I would therefore like to know if those warnings were given and if time limits were set. If not, then why not? If, on the other hand, the attacks on the hospitals are not deliberate, what steps are being taken by the Syrian and Russian authorities to avoid such attacks in future? What are the weaknesses in their deconfliction systems that are allowing the attacks to happen? I have one last question: which units from both the Syrian military and the Russian military are involved in those attacks? I think that would be a very helpful piece of transparency for the Council to have. For the United Kingdom's part, we will continue to provide significant humanitarian assistance to help keep people alive. But there is no doubt that restoring a ceasefire and ensuring that all parties respect it is actually the critical thing that needs to happen.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“If people believe, as we will hear later today from both representatives, that they want to resolve this conflict, then they need to begin to address these questions. My first question is, are the attacks on hospitals deliberate? If they are deliberate, then I would be grateful for an explanation as to how such attacks meet the international humanitarian law core principles of distinction, necessity and proportionality. I would also be grateful to know why no warning was given to the hospitals, because under article 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention the protection to which civilian hospitals are entitled shall not cease unless they are used to commit acts harmful to the enemy. But the critical clause is that protection may, however, cease only after due warning has been given, naming a reasonable time limit.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“I hope that when Special Envoy Lavrentiev and Deputy Foreign Minister Vershinin go to Syria this week that they will be able to press the Syrian authorities on that and that they will be able to have success. Like other speakers, I would like to turn also to the situation against international humanitarian law and the situation of the bombing of the hospitals. That is a situation that is accelerating, and it is exponential. I look forward to what the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs can tell us next week, after its briefing. But in the meantime, I would like to hear some answers from the Russian and the Syrian representatives here today. I keep asking these questions, and I keep not getting answers; but I am going to carry on asking them because they are absolutely critical.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“People are being killed, but no advantage is being gained at all militarily. Other speakers have drawn attention to the fact that there is no military solution, and I agree very much with my American colleague on that. Along with the Polish representative, I want to call that out as a clear violation of the Sochi agreement and call for all parties to respect that agreement and go back to that ceasefire. In fact, I have to say that I find it incredible that President Putin agreed to the Sochi agreement with President Erdogan. Why the Russian Federation cannot persuade the Syrian authorities to follow it is therefore a mystery to all ofus. But, again, it is an inversion ofwhat ought to be happening.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“They have been targeted by Syrian regime shelling. I look forward to what our Turkish colleague can tell us about that later. However, I want to recall that Turkey has been one of the countries trying to help resolve the situation in Idlib, and the reward that it gets for that is to have its personnel fired upon. That is not just a sad commentary on the state of affairs in Syria, it is an absolute inversion of Member States' responsibility to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. As the Under- Secretary-General said, the damage that is being done to Idlib and its civilians far outstrips any degradation or necessity in respect of terrorist forces, like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and I think that she referred to a pointless stalemate. That is exactly what it is.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“I thank both Under- Secretaries-General for their respective briefings. Through them, I should also like to pay tribute to and thank all United Nations personnel and humanitarian workers on the ground in Syria and neighbouring countries who are risking their lives to try and make the situation better for the ordinary people of Idlib and Syria. I agree very much with a lot of what my colleagues said today. I therefore will not repeat it. I thank the representatives of Germany and Belgium for insisting on this meeting, which is much needed. I will not go into the political process, as the French Ambassador has said everything I would have said. On this occasion he therefore speaks for the United Kingdom as well. I want to start with the situation involving the attack on the Turkish observation post personnel in Idlib.”
2019-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8553 (2019) · source
“I note that not all the problems are coming from Houthi-controlled areas, and it is important to point that out, but ifI have understood Mr. Beasley correctly, there is a way to resolve those other issues on the ground, meaning that the Houthi problem is the biggest obstacle overall. I therefore appeal to anyone with any humanitarian instinct on the ground to work with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Programme to get this sorted, because as we have all heard, the people of Yemen cannot take much more.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“Beasley raised about the manipulation of aid is cynical, and in a way evil. When it is all over, the Yemeni people will remember who it was that tried to starve them of assistance. Not only for the sake of the people, but for the sake of the future stability of Yemen, it is therefore extremely important that this gets sorted out, and quickly. We should also consider what Mr. Beasley said about the existence of factions within factions as to who supports the impartial delivery of aid and who does not. I hope that other Council members will be able to join me in supporting the World Food Programme's efforts and calling on the Houthis to comply with resolution 2451 (2018) and facilitate unhindered humanitarian access. It is extremely important to convey that message strongly today.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“There is a cruel irony in the fact that Yemen is enduring what is currently the worst humanitarian disaster in the world while the appeals for it are underfunded. Between us, and appealing also to the wider United Nations membership, that is something we have to put right. For its part, the United Kingdom has made available more than half of its $300 million in support, and we are going to bring forward further funds where we can. To turn to the humanitarian arena, I think that the figures we heard from Mr. Lowcock are shocking. If this war continues until 2022, I do not think there are enough superlatives to describe how awful the human cost will be, and it is already awful enough. I think we Council members must redouble our efforts to help support humanitarian access. The issue that Mr.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I therefore hope that we can pick that up in consultations. On the economy, the United Nations mediated a meeting in Amman between the Central Bank of Aden and Sana'a, that is, both branches of it, on enacting the revenue-management elements of the Stockholm Agreement. I want to endorse what the Special Envoy said about the importance of improving Yemen's economy and ensuring the payment of public-sector salaries across the country. We encourage both parties to continue to engage with the Special Envoy on the issue and to meet again to pursue an agreement. I also want to reinforce the importance of donor countries being able to support the United Nations in that regard, both in terms of foreign exchange and, as we heard from Mr. Lowcock, in terms of humanitarian aid and its disbursement.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“We need both parties to engage constructively with the United Nations, as I said earlier, on expediting the implementation of the Al-Hudaydah agreement. A return to military operations really would be catastrophic for the Yemeni people. We all know - I think that the Council has been very clear - that a political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. We must not lose sight of how to enable those broader political efforts. I think that we all know that a resumption of the political process needs to take place in parallel to further the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. I was very interested in what Mr. Griffiths had to say about the prisoner and detainee exchanges. Given the importance of that single issue to overall progress, I have to say I am slightly mystified as to why more progress cannot be made.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I want to condemn the Houthi attack on Abha airport. Twenty six civilians were injured. I want to express concern about the seeming link between the Houthis and Iran. I would also like to use this occasion to urge all parties to show restraint from retaliatory military actions. Escalations are not in the long-term interests of any of the parties. It is not in the interest of regional stability and security. And it is certainly not in the interest of the people of Yemen. On Al-Hudaydah, the initial redeployment of Houthi forces from the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Saleef and Ras Isa is very welcome, but we need the Houthis to complete the process by clearing mines and removing military manifestations.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I would like to draw the audience's attention to the fact that the Council was able to speak with one voice to that effect in its press statement (SC/13834) issued on 10 June. I therefore repeat that all parties have a duty to cooperate with the manifestations of the United Nations on the ground. I will come back to the aid question and diversion later, if I may. I want to talk about the military escalation. At one level, it is remarkable that the Al-Hudaydah agreement has held as long as it has, and we need it to continue to hold. We need Mr. Griffiths and Lieutenant General Lollesgaard to be able to continue their very important work because, whatever the problems in Yemen are, the fact that the agreement holds is very important to us. But the recent escalation in tension is extremely worrisome.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“When things do not happen on the ground that ought to happen on the ground, the people responsible for that - those responsible for not moving forward, blocking access and preventing aid getting through to starving people - need to know that they are not just acting against the people of Yemen and against the United Nations, but they are acting against the Security Council and its manifestation in New York, given the fact that the Council is charged by the membership with the maintenance of international peace and security. I therefore call on all the parties to redouble their efforts to work with those representatives on the ground, on behalf of all of us and the United Nations.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“As this is the first time that I personally take the floor during your presidency, Mr. President, I would like to welcome you to the position and pledge the United Kingdom's support for Kuwait during this month. I would also like to thank your predecessor. This is a very difficult set of issues, as we heard very graphically today. I want to start by making it crystal clear how much we support the United Nations. We support Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, Lieutenant General Lollesgaard, the Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Head of the World Food Programme. I think that I speak for all the Security Council when I say that, based on our discussions so far.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I missed the reception last night for which I apologize, but I thank him for a very important month. We very much look forward to working with and supporting Kuwait.”
2019-05-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8537 (2019) · source
“I do not intend to make a full explanation of vote, but I just wanted to thank colleagues around the table for the constructive approach they took in this negotiation, and to our African partners, in particular. I would also like to thank my expert, Nerys Cross-Smith, for bringing this to a good conclusion. I wanted to say that this is the first resolution we have tried following the Greentree retreat where we took an existing volume of pages and shortened it and hopefully put it into clearer language. So certainly from the United Kingdom side, we commit to the Council to doing that with all our future resolutions, including where we are renewing mandates. We invite colleagues to do likewise. Lastly, I would like to congratulate the President.”
2019-05-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8537 (2019) · source
“They say that they want to protect the 3 million civilians in Idlib, but massive aerial bombardments of civilian areas and the bombing of hospitals, schools and civilian infrastructure are not necessary and are certainly not proportionate. That is the absolutely critical thing about international humanitarian law. There needs to be a distinction between civilian and military targets, and there needs to be proportionality. That is what we are not seeing, and that is why the Council is so worried about that.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Thirdly, I want to say that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) does not do the bidding of the United Kingdom and the United States in the manner in which the Syrian representative implied. OCHA, like all the United Nations, is impartial. It does the best job that it can, in terrible circumstances, for the people of Syria, and it would be better if the Syrian authorities supported OCHA in that work, rather than attack it. Lastly, there are more babies in Idlib than there are Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham fighters. Rather than talk about responding to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham provocations - no one is taking issue with the question of whether to respond to those provocations - the question is: How they are responded to? How do Russia and the Syrian regime respond to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham?”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“I am sorry for taking the floor again; I will be brief. I have been quite alarmed by what we have just heard in the last closing interventions. I would therefore like to be very clear about a number of things. First, I would like the record to show that I did not get the commitments that I was seeking. I want to be very clear that the Sky News crew is not a legitimate target. The targeting ofjournalists is not permissible, and I again call on the Syrian representative to pass that message on to his Government and give us a commitment that they will not be targeted, unlike the late Marie Colvin. Secondly, I want to repudiate the slander against the White Helmets. I have said many times in this Chamber that it is a humanitarian organization doing good work to help the suffering civilians in Syria.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“With regard to the issue as to whether there have been chemical attacks or not, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has fact-finding missions that can go and ascertain the answer to that important question.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“Fourthly, I would like to receive a commitment to let the third United Nations convoy into the camp in Rukban, as called for by a number ofus. Those commitments are not difficult to give. I think any Government that truly had the safety and interests of its citizens at heart would be able to give them. Finally, I would like to conclude by echoing what the French representative said about the peace process. It goes much further than just the constitutional committee - there cannot be any reconstruction assistance from our side until there is a sustainable and irreversible political process. I would also like to end by repeating what the French and United States representatives said about chemical weapons. We are ready to respond robustly if needed.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“As the representative of the United States said, that means that residents are forced to leave or face continued peril inside the camp. A third aid convoy must be allowed to reach the camp via the United Nations in Damascus. This is now becoming a desperate situation. Several colleagues and I asked some questions of the Syrian authorities at the previous meeting. We did not get any answers. I do not want to repeat those questions. I want to make it a big easier. I would like to ask today for four commitments from the Syrian representative on behalf of his Government. First, I would like to receive a commitment not to target journalists. Secondly, I would like to see a commitment to abide by international humanitarian law. Thirdly, I would like to see a commitment to abide by Security Council resolutions on the protection of civilians.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“The other thing that has deeply concerned us is the reports ofjournalists in Idlib being targeted last week. The latest was a Sky news crew on 23 May. I recall that in February a United States district court found the Syrian authorities responsible for killing The Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin in 2012. Journalists are another group of people who urgently requires the interest and protection of the Security Council. I want to say a word about humanitarian access in Rukban and Al-Hol. We need to see United Nations access to Al-Hol. We are also very concerned that the situation in Rukban is deteriorating. The humanitarian conditions are dire and are a direct result of humanitarian access having been blocked.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“I want to join other colleagues in calling on all parties to distinguish between civilians and civilian infrastructure, on the one hand, and military targets, on the other. In that context, I want to be clear that we condemn breaches of the ceasefire by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group. All combatants in a conflict - be they non-State actors or State actors - are bound by international humanitarian law. There is therefore no excuse at all for attacks on hospitals and other civilian targets. It is very important that we stress that the fight against terrorists is not carte blanche for conducting any attacks indiscriminately and that the fight must take place in a civilian-free zone. I therefore join others in again calling for the principles of distinction, proportionality and necessity.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“The international community will not let up on the pressure until those stipulations are met. There was a report in the press this morning that doctors at a maternity hospital in Al-Atarib, in the countryside around Aleppo, have reported multiple attacks in the area and have started to evacuate the hospital. I wonder if the representative of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) could say whether she knows that this report is correct or not, and if the hospital's location has been included in the deconfliction mechanism. One of the things we discussed last time was that deconfliction mechanism (see S/PV.8527). It is inexcusable that hospitals, schools and other infrastructure have been attacked despite OCHA's deconfliction mechanism.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for her briefing. Like others, we continue to be extremely concerned by the Syrian offensive in north-west Syria. I want to put on record how much we welcome Turkey's ongoing efforts to reinstate the ceasefire, de-escalate the violence and set up a working group on Idlib. As the French representative said, 3 million lives are at risk, and we do not want to see another Aleppo. One of the things that has worried us is that there was a declaration of a unilateral ceasefire by the pro- regime forces, but violence went on to increase the very next day - and has increased further in recent days. I therefore join others in calling for the ceasefire to be respected and calling on all parties to adhere to the Sochi ceasefire, respect international law and protect civilians and aid workers.”
2019-05-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8535 (2019) · source
“It would be very good to have a sense of where the United Nations sees the key priorities there and how they relate to the national development plan. I would like to say a few words on the humanitarian situation. We wanted to have a humanitarian briefing because of the deterioration resulting from the drought. In some ways, the early warning indicators we see are worse than those we witnessed two years ago. We are about to announce additional support; we hope that others might be able to do likewise. We all know that there is a real opportunity here to help Somalia get back on track, but it has many components, one of which is cooperation with the United Nations. Obviously, the transition plan is important - in fact, critical. Anything AMISOM. can do to support transition priorities is also very critical.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“We all know that political agreements between the Federal Government and the federal member states are going to be at the heart of Somalia's stability and prosperity. In order to bring that about, it is very important that there be regular and constructive dialogue between the Federal Government and the federal member states, particularly on the constitutional review, the electoral law, the implementation of the security pact and the delivery of the transition plan. I was interested to see the prospects for the Somalia Partnership Forum, which will meet this summer. I believe that the Council would find it useful to have regular meetings and briefings so that we can help chart progress. It is important that we think about how we can support all sides being able to fulfil the agreed partnership principles in the Forum.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“The United Nations, Somalia and international partners there need to work in tandem to deliver the transition plan. Working in tandem, in cooperation and coherently together is a Vital part of the prospects for success, and we all want to get to a stage where Somalia leads on providing security for its people. The United Kingdom therefore really welcomes efforts to build the impetus in the AMISOM. mandate renewal that is currently ongoing. But I wouldjust stress that, in my experience, those things work best when troop numbers are aligned to the tasks that the troops must do, and not the other way around. As I said, 2019 is important. In fact, the next 12 months are probably going to be critical to making progress on political, economic and security reforms ahead of the elections in 2020-2021.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“The restoration of cooperation with the United Nations and the international community is very important. I know that the Somali Government has been thinking about that as well, and that is very welcome. The Assistant Secretary-General's last point shows why that is so critical. Somalia needs the guidance and technical capability of the United Nations to help it with some of the detailed issues that the Assistant Secretary- General mentioned. I would like to thank Mr. Zenenga for standing in and holding the fort down in the interregnum between the two Special Representatives of the Secretary-General. It is important that, on an occasion like this, something be said about the bravery of AMISOM in Somalia, as well as the great efforts made by the African Union, which we appreciate.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“I extend a huge thank you to our briefers Mr. Zenenga, Mr. Madeira and the Assistant Secretary-General. It is very good to have them, as those are the first briefings that we have had since the mandate renewal of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) (see S/PV.8494). I would like to start by saying that when we had the last meeting, many of us noted that 2019 would be a very important year for Somalia. I might even go as far as to say that it could set the trend for Somalia's development for years to come. I think an important signifier of that is the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and we hope that he can assume his post soon. We also hope that, in turn, that becomes an opportunity to reset the United Nations-Somalia relationship and to find a way forward on the Panel of Experts.”
2019-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8533 (2019) · source
“As penholder, we will continue to engage Council members on a way forward and the appropriate steps that the Council can take in support of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“We heard a little bit about Mr. Kartas from the German representative. We have supported the United Nations in that, and we continue to support the United Nations. We have heard reports of his safe release, but I would like to underscore that United Nations personnel carry immunity. They work for the United Nations, and the United Nations works for the benefit of all citizens in those countries where it is situated. We call on Member States to respect that. In conclusion, the safety of United Nations personnel in general is of great concern to us. A ceasefire and a return to the United Nations-led political process are the only way to end the bloodshed in Libya and chart a way forward before the situation collapses into an even more deadly and chaotic conflict.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“I want to urgently call on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure that civilians, civilian infrastructure, medical personnel, facilities and transport vehicles are protected. I want to underscore the obligations in resolution 2286 (2016) about not targeting health workers and detention centres. I want to stress the need for the greatest possible humanitarian access on the ground. The Special Representative mentioned the oil situation. We believe that it is essential that all Libya's oil exports remain under the supervision of the National Oil Corporation of Tripoli, in accordance with the Council's resolutions. Any attempt by the parties to the conflict to divert Libya's oil resources for their own ends again needs to be addressed by the Libya Sanctions Committee.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“I believe that we also need to remember that Da'esh and other extremist groups are capitalizing on the chaos in Libya to carry out opportunistic attacks, which ought to worry all of us, particularly those of us that are at direct risk from Da'esh-inspired terrorism. Continued fighting will continue to have a negative impact on the counter-terrorism agenda in Libya, and we need to keep in mind that the people who benefit most from that conflict are actually those extremist groups, which is another sobering point on which we all ought to reflect. I would like to say a few words about the humanitarian situation and oil. There have been reports ofthe targeting of civilians.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“The protracted and worsening violence, as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said, certainly does not benefit ordinary people in Libya, and we really need to put them front and centre of what we are doing. I would like to turn to the arms embargo. All Member States have an obligation under resolution 1970 (2011). We know, as we heard earlier, that ships may even now be on their way to Libyan ports with arms. Flooding Libya with arms is only going to fuel escalation, prolong the conflict and retard progress towards the ceasefire. We therefore call on all Member States to implement the arms embargo in full, and we hope that the Libya Sanctions Committee will continue to do its good work looking at transgressions of the arms embargo.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“Secondly, we are extremely clear in our call, which I repeat today, for all those involved in the conflict to commit to an immediate ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access and a resumption of political talks facilitated by Mr. Salame. I would like to really stress those points, and I invite all Council members to do likewise, so that there is no doubt about the strength of feeling of the Council on those issues and the importance of unity within the Council. We are very concerned as the briefings, including from the African Union Commissioner, implied that the security and humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. As I said, that is alarming. There can be no military solution and there certainly will not be anything like a clean victory for any party in Libya.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“I thank Mr. Salame and Mr. Chergui for their briefings, as well as the German Ambassador for his report on the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya. We are very grateful that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General could be here in New York. That was a very sobering and quite alarming briefing he delivered. We take very seriously the warnings that you, Mr. President, have given. I want to set out three clear things right at the start, so that there can be no ambiguity. First, in response to Mr. Salame's appeal to the parties on the ground and his request for a very firm message from the Council, I want to express the United Kingdom's very firm support for Mr. Salame. The United Nations-led process is the only way to ultimately achieve the security and stability that all Libyans deserve.”
2019-05-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8530 (2019) · source
“I will be really brief. Ijust want to say one thing to my colleague the Russian Ambassador. I thank him for his queries about the World Health Organization. That suggests to me that we should get together with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and others to really drill down into what the problem is with deconfliction and the coordinates, because it obviously is a problem. But I want to say to the representative of Syria that first, I am not embarrassed, and secondly, I did not hear the assurances that I was asking for. I want to state for the record that I did not get the assurances that I was asking for about the civilians in Idlib and protection from air strikes. The meeting rose at noon.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“I believe that we need further information. We need to know if the hospitals are being deliberately targeted, we need to know if the deconfliction mechanism is not working, and we need to know what is going to be done to stop the attacks on the hospitals. Where are the assurances to halt attacks on hospitals, health facilities and schools in areas in which ordinary people, not terrorists, live? What is being done to stop those attacks?”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“I apologize for taking the floor once again, but I do not think that we have heard an answer with regard to the hospitals. I want to return to that. We are very clear. We do not support terrorism or terrorist acts, and we agree with the representative of Germany that the attacks on Russian bases should be condemned. I also wanted to say, however, that the Al-Assad regime is not leading and has never led the fight against Da'esh. It is the Global Coalition that cleared Da'esh from Raqqa. The Syrian Ambassador also talked about the Syrian regime only taking legal measures and having responsibility for protecting civilians in Idlib. I therefore ask once again: What is the answer concerning the hospitals? If only Russia and Syria are flying aeroplanes over Idlib, what is happening with regard to the targeting of hospitals?”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“I think that is a very good question. I believe that every parent in Idlib has the right to know the answer to that question. It is not a $64,000 question - to use the vernacular phrase. It is a question that is costing 160 lives in Idlib, and has cost 400,000 lives since the conflict in Syria began.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“Proportionality, distinction and necessity really matter, and they do not seem to be in evidence in Idlib. Russia has claimed that its so-called retaliatory strikes, in support ofthe regime, were "surgical" in their precision. I hope that I never need medical treatment in Moscow, if surgical accuracy means what we have seen on the ground in Idlib. Either those statements or the strikes are therefore wildly inaccurate. Russia must ensure that its own forces and those of its ally in Damascus strictly abide by international humanitarian law and the agreements and resolutions to which, as a member of the international community and as one of the permanent five members of the Security Council, it has agreed. There is one other question that struck me from the Under-Secretary-General, which is why the resolutions are not being complied with.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“But since we know that Russia and Syria are the only countries that fly airplanes in the area, I would like to know whether the answer to Mr. Lowcock's question is the Russian and Syrian air forces. I think we need answers today, and ifthe answer is the Russian and Syrian air forces, I would call on both Ambassadors here today to give us an assurance that the attack will stop and that there will be no more deliberate targeting of civilians in this manner in facilities that every single member of the international community has a duty to protect. The Belgian Ambassador also referred to the fact that counter-terrorist operations are not a license for indiscriminate attacks on civilians. I want to underscore that point as well. It is in the Geneva Conventions. It is a central doctrine of international humanitarian law.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source