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

“Lowcock's confirmation that the United Nations provides details of the locations of hospitals to the parties to the conflict, and I note with grave concern the international humanitarian law obligations that he cited, which should not be taken lightly. He asked the question: Who is bombing these hospitals? Whoever it is has a modern air force and precision weapons. Are the hospitals and other facilities being deliberately targeted despite the deconfliction mechanisms? It would be absolutely grotesque if non-governmental organizations and health workers providing coordinates to a mechanism which they believe is there to ensure their safety were finding themselves being the authors of their own destruction because of deliberate targeting by the regime.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“It will be good to get some answers for the people of Idlib from this meeting today. As we have heard, the regime offensive in north- western Syria has left 180,000 people displaced since 28 April alone and many killed and wounded. Since that date, at least 18 health facilities, including nine primary health-care centres and nine hospitals, and 17 schools have been hit by air strikes. That is a clear violation of resolution 2286 (2016) and of international humanitarian law. As the Belgian Ambassador asked, what has happened to the principles of proportionality, distinction and necessity? What is necessary? What is proportionate about bombing 18 health facilities, with a devastating effect on the local population that the Under-Secretary-General outlined? I was interested in Mr.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“I thank our briefers. We will hear from the representative of Turkey later, but I want to start by welcoming Turkey's efforts to agree to agree the Sochi ceasefire in September. As we welcomed that then, so we welcome now its efforts to restore that ceasefire and de-escalate. I think we heard very clearly from both Under-Secretaries-General why that is a matter of urgency. I also thank Kuwait for calling for this meeting, which is clearly needed. The situation in Idlib is so dire that I will not repeat our well-known position on the political process, which has not changed, nor indeed on chemical weapons. I want to use this meeting to focus purely on Idlib, the nightmare that is in Idlib and the slaughter that is happening in Idlib. Mr. Lowcock asked a number of questions; as he said, there are more questions than answers.”
2019-05-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8527 (2019) · source
“I thank the Ambassador of Peru in his capacity as Chair ofthe Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) for his briefing on sanctions and what the Committee has achieved. It was a very interesting visit, but a pity not being able to meet with Ansar Allah. I hope that that can be corrected next time. I will conclude by saying that I think that the Council is united on Yemen. I hope that we can find some way of concretely expressing the urgency behind the needed measures on the humanitarian an economic side, while giving our full support to Mr. Griffiths and Lieutenant General Lollesgaard to move ahead on first and second phases of the agreement, as well as the longer-term political solution, which is now extremely pressing.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“I think that the other shocking statistic was that only 20 per cent of the response plan is funded. I believe that it is incumbent on all Members of the United Nations to help OCHA with that and ensure that new pledges are made and that the pledges that have been are dispersed as fast as possible. That must be a priority for all of us as. As Ms. Fore said, we are very close to the point of no return. There is therefore urgency concerning taking action, which we should all reflect upon and report back to our capitals. The last thing that I wanted to say here concerns the stability of the Yemeni rial. I mentioned the economy earlier. We must have economic measures working properly so that that, in turn, facilitates the commercial imports of food and fuel, on which Yemen depends heavily.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“For me, it was the scale ofwhat the people of Yemen are facing that remains shocking. I therefore believe that we really owe it to Mr. Lowcock and Ms. Fore to make sure that the United Nations presence on the ground can do its job effectively. Whether it is the monitors or the humanitarian agencies, all the parties need to help ensure that the United Nations can do its job. That includes letting the United Nations in, in the numbers that Lieutenant General Lollesgaard mentioned. It includes getting rid of the access constraints. It includes approving travel permissions and operating agreements swiftly, including allowing access to the large number onemenis recently displaced in Hajj ah and Al-Dhale'e, and it includes making sure that the onward road access from Al-Hudaydah and Saleef ports and infrastructure remain protected.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“As my Foreign Secretary has also said, the risks remain real in connection with the stability of the peace agreement and to its ability to succeed and bring the sort of security and safety to the people and the children of Yemen that we all want to see. The attack is not just wrong, it undermines the trust needed to get to a resolution of the conflict. This is not the time for provocation, when we are so close to being able to make significant progress on the ground and unlock some of the economic, humanitarian and medical things that we all need to see. I think we need to bear that very strongly in mind. I also think that we all were horrified by the briefings and statistics provided by Mr. Lowcock and Ms. Fore. I will not repeat those statistics. Some of the individual human stories are absolutely heart-tugging.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“Fore underscores that this is not just about humanitarian concerns, but that is also about the ability of the Yemeni economy as a whole to revive and work properly. The Council has been concerned about that before. With regard to a political solution to the conflict, we all want to see these recent developments open up the path to the broader political solution that Mr. Griffiths and his team have been working so hard on, which is necessary in itself, but it is obviously even more urgent given what we have heard from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNICEF today. I want to move on, if I may, to the drone strike on oil-pumping stations in Riyadh province in Saudi Arabia. We condemn that drone strike by the Houthis.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“It was very good that Mr. Griffiths was able to pass on the Government of Yemen's commitment in that it would be discharging its commitments on redeployment. That is a very important part ofwhere we are, and I completely agree that we also owe Lieutenant General Lollesgaard our deep thanks for what he has been able to achieve. I believe that the next stage with regard to that is obviously that the parties need to engage constructively with the General to finalize the outstanding negotiations to allow for the implementation of the first and second phases of the Al-Hudaydah agreement. It is very good news that a meeting should take place on 14 June among the parties in Amman to discuss the economic aspects of the Al-Hudaydah agreement. I think that what we heard from Mr. Lowcock and Ms.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“I would like to thank all the briefers, beginning with the Special Envoy. What we heard today is both uplifting and frightening. The British Foreign Secretary spoke about that this morning and asked me to pass on his thanks to the United Nations and its relevant agencies for all the heroic efforts, patience and painstaking diplomacy that have brought us to this point. He was able to see for himself the work in hand when he visited Aden in March. I will later address what that means for the dire humanitarian situation about which Mr. Lowcock and Ms. Fore told us; but, for the moment, I would like to concentrate on what we heard from Mr. Griffiths. I believe that we all have to welcome the initial redeployments by the Houthis from the three ports. They are significant steps, but they are part of the broader redeployments in Al-Hudaydah.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“In conclusion, the men, women and children who we ask our peacekeepers to protect should be able to trust that anyone in a blue helmet or a blue beret is ready, willing and able to deliver and, as necessary, defend the mandates set by the Council. Moreover, our peacekeepers should be able to trust that, before they are sent into some ofthe world's most difficult conflicts, they will be trained and equipped to the highest possible standard. The United Kingdom remains committed to meeting those standards in our own deployments and to partnering with other Member States to help them achieve those goals.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“That is why we were very pleased to co-host the preparatory meeting on training and capacity-building with Uruguay ahead of this year's Peacekeeping Ministerial. For our part, we will continue our efforts to better align our training and capacity-building efforts with the needs of our partners. The United Kingdom trains some 11,000 peacekeepers from around the world each year. We were proud to work with Viet Nam ahead of their first contingent deployment to South Sudan in 2018. We supported Viet Nam's efforts to train and prepare its peacekeepers to take over the level-II field hospital at Bentiu.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“If I may, I would like to use this occasion to urge the Secretariat to provide the Council with regular updates on such issues and what remedial action is to be taken, in the interest of transparency and accountability, and as set out in resolution 2436 (2018). I would also like to say a word about partnerships. Each Member State brings invaluable experience and expertise to peacekeeping; as such, more effective and efficient sharing of insights, lessons learned and best practice helps us all. To that end, we support the Secretary-General's initiative to develop a light coordination mechanism in concert with the Strategic Force Generation and Capability Planning Cell and a range of Member States, which will match training needs with training offers.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“Therefore, if any Member State fails in that respect, we believe it is right that they should be held accountable for the failure and learn all the necessary lessons from it. In that context, my Government reiterates its support for the Secretary-General's development of an integrated performance policy framework for United Nations peacekeeping operations. I would like to underline the importance of robust predeployment verification visits to ensure that uniformed personnel are fully prepared for their missions. Lieutenant General Martins Filho's briefing mentioned the important issue of field missions reporting contingent-performance issues to Headquarters.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“Peacekeepers should all meet required standards in basic military or policing skills - the so-called green skills; however, we believe that the best performing peacekeepers are those who are also well versed in blue skills, such as the protection of civilians, the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. The United Kingdom recognizes that, like all troop- and police-contributing countries, we bear the responsibility for training and equipping our uniformed personnel. If we fail to prepare them to perform to the highest standards in the field, we not only fail them, but we also fail the civilians they have been deployed to protect.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“As other speakers have said, the better trained the peacekeepers are, the better prepared they will be to perform to the highest standards. That will include ensuring their own safety and security. As has been mentioned, many of us attended that moving memorial ceremony yesterday, which was a stark reminder of the dangers that United Nations peacekeepers face on a daily basis. Better training will mean that peacekeepers are better equipped to meet the challenges of unpredictable, complicated and complex multidimensional mission environments. I would like to say a few words about performance.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for your presence here in New York; it is very nice to see you again. I join others in thanking Indonesia for focusing this debate on this very important issue, and I pay tribute to your country's role in United Nations peacekeeping. I also thank Lieutenant General Martins Filho and Mr. Holmberg for their briefings. The United Kingdom is proud to be one of the first Member States to endorse the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, in support ofthe Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative. Providing peacekeepers with comprehensive and high-quality training will help them deliver across all the other pillars of that rightly ambitious initiative.”
2019-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8521 (2019) · source
“I would like to look ahead to a point when the current Syrian authorities will want to be reintegrated into the international community. Without such reintegration, Syria will never be stable or fully prosperous, which is all the more reason that there needs to be a credible political process. But I would remind the Council that the United Kingdom has been clear, and is still clear, that we will not consider providing reconstruction assistance absent that credible political settlement.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“Paragraph 4 of that resolution calls for the establishment of a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance. If I could ask, what is the Special Envoy's assessment of the Syrian authorities' progress in responding to the Council's request contained in that resolution? What has been done on the constitutional committee is a good step forward. Anything that can convene the international players in Geneva is to be welcomed. I can promise the Special Envoy that we will be supportive and pragmatic about that. But, again, we would call on those with influence over the Syrian regime to encourage it to engage seriously and constructively in the political process, including by creating conditions for humanitarian access.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“Turning to the political process, I think the Special Envoy has made very good efforts, and I thank him for those efforts. We support him as he continues onward, and I think he was right to say that he should work on the full range of issues under resolution 2254 (2015). I wish to recall that resolution 2254 (2015) was adopted in December 2015, which was 40 months ago. Forty months ago, the resolution set a deadline of six months. That is, 34 months ago, a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution was to have been set up. We really cannot allow the Syrian authorities to drag that process out indefinitely. We therefore definitely and strongly support the Special Envoy's drive to get that matter sorted out in the coming months.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“They are Syrians. And to date they have saved 115,000 lives. We therefore look to the Syrian authorities to abide by their international obligations in relation to chemical weapons and to refrain from using them. I would like to say something briefly about Idlib. Like others, we are very concerned by the frequent reports of the regime shelling areas in the demilitarized zone, and we understand that over 120,000 people have been displaced since February as a result. We look to Russia and Iran, which - along with Turkey - are the Astana guarantors, to ensure that the ceasefire agreed at Sochi is fully respected and that the current actions cease immediately. Let me be clear: not only do we want to see the ceasefire respected, we want to see those Member States with influence use that influence to ensure that the ceasefire is respected.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“Such use of indiscriminate weaponry is unacceptable, but what is particularly worrisome is that it seems to be a signal that the Syrian regime is not serious about the protection of the Syrian people. It would therefore be good to hear from the Special Envoy whether he thinks that calls into question the commitment to the political settlement. We have also seen some recent correspondence from the Syrians to the Security Council alleging activity by armed terrorist groups with the support of "foreign intelligence agencies". This is about chemical-weapon attacks, and there are more allegations that the White Helmets are involved. I have been very categorical in this Chamber - and I regret the need to be so again - but the White Helmets are a humanitarian organization. They are purely a humanitarian organization. They are very brave people.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“I thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria. I am going to be brief, but I do not want my brevity to be construed as a lack of interest. Simply, I think that many of the previous speakers have spoken very eloquently. Our colleague from the United States, for example, spoke about the political process. Therefore, ifI may, I will start with some points about the security situation. What the Special Envoy said about the troubling resurgence of violence worries us. There have been reports this morning that the Syrian authorities have deployed multiple barrel bombs in attacks in northern Hama, which I think is the first time such weapons have been used in over seven months.”
2019-04-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8520 (2019) · source
“Accountability should be sought through swift, transparent investigations. The new Israeli and Palestinian Governments have the ability to lead their people to a better future, free from violence. Leaders can either seize the opportunity to move forward and create a new dynamic, or they can continue with short-termism and self-interest, which will lead only to further deterioration for their people. At this holy time of year, following Pesach and before the start of Ramadan, we urge them to use their new mandates to pursue a lasting legacy of peace. It is up to us in the Council and the wider international community to support the parties in their efforts to achieve a just and lasting resolution.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“Such a move would be contrary to international law and destructive to peace efforts. With the current destructive dynamic between the parties, there is nothing to quell the incidences of violence that we continue to witness, which risks hardening extremist positions on both sides. We condemn in the strongest terms, and without equivocation, the terrorism of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. Settlement violence should also be wholeheartedly condemned, and the Israeli authorities have a responsibility to provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We are second to none in recognizing Israel's legitimate need to provide security, but we continue to have concerns about the excessive use of force by the Israel Defense Forces. Measures used should be appropriate and in line with international law.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“We encourage the Israeli Government to reverse its decision to withhold revenues, which undermines the Oslo Accords, as other speakers have made clear, and we encourage the Palestinian Authority to accept the remainder of the revenues on a provisional basis, since refusing all revenues will only harm Palestinians. The advancement of yet more illegal settlements is eroding the physical viability of a two-State solution. We condemn the Israeli authorities' announcement on 4 April of intentions to advance plans for more than 4,600 settlement units across the West Bank, which is the single largest settlement announcement in recent years, as many have noted. We are also deeply concerned about the pre-election comments made by Prime Minister Netanyahu in support of the possible annexation of at least some parts of the West Bank.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“Today, however, I want to join others who are calling for us to look forwards, not backwards. We urge the new Israeli and Palestinian Governments to seize the opportunity to reverse the current destructive dynamic, improve the immediate situation on the ground and strive to create the conditions conducive to negotiating a lasting peace. That should begin without delay and with renewed direct dialogue in order to find a solution to the current revenue-transfer crisis. The goal of a two-State solution is at stake. The current impasse on the transfer of clearance revenues poses a risk to stability and threatens the viability of a future Palestinian State. The United Kingdom firmly believes that prosperity and strong Palestinian institutions serve Israel's long-term security interests.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“We understand and respect the sensitivities about the Balfour Declaration and the events that have taken place in the region since 1917. We are committed, as I have just said, to establishing security and justice for Israelis and Palestinians through lasting peace. Just as we fully support and are proud of our role in the creation of the modern State ofIsrael as a Jewish homeland, so we fully support the objective of a viable and sovereign Palestinian State. There are two halves of the Balfour Declaration, the second half of which has not been fulfilled. The occupation is a continuing impediment to securing the political rights of the non-Jewish communities in Palestine that the Balfour Declaration also envisaged. To that extent, it remains unfinished business.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“Our understanding, shared by most Council members, continues to be that sustainable peace requires a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State, based on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both States and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. It will take the support of the whole international community to make such a historic peace possible. I understand that the Balfour Declaration was raised, and I would therefore like to set out the United Kingdom Government's position on it. The Balfour Declaration was written in the middle of the First World War. Its 100th anniversary was two years ago, in 2017. It is a product of its time.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“I would like to start by congratulating Prime Minister Netanyahu on being asked to form a new Israeli Government and Prime Minister Shtayyeh on the formation of the new Palestinian Authority Government. The United Kingdom looks forward to working with both of their Administrations to advance the objectives of peace and prosperity. I also thank our civil-society briefers. Like other Governments, the United Kingdom continues to encourage a just resolution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, in line with international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
2019-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8517 (2019) · source
“The second question is whether the Syrian representative can give the Council a clear assurance that the Syrian authorities will respect the ceasefire that is in place in Idlib.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“I thank Ms. Mueller and Ms. Mustapha for their answers to Ambassador Pierce's questions. We have taken note of what they said, and we will follow up on those points. I believe the representative of Syria responded to one of the three questions that we put to him. With your permission, Mr. President, I would like to put the other two questions to him once again, and I will repeat them. I think almost every delegation here today raised the issue of the situation in Rukban, and we just heard from the Assistant Secretary-General that the United Nations has learned from the Syrian authorities that it is not possible for the United Nations to deliver its next convoy. Could the Syrian representative explain to us and to the Council why it is not possible? That is the first question.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“What are the Syrian authorities doing to address the situation of persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls and those in the worst hit places, like Aleppo and Idlib? I would really like to know the answer to that question and we hope for some positive news. The third question is about the lack of access for humanitarians to Rukban camp. Thirteen children have died of preventable causes recently. Why is it "not possible" to allow unconditional United Nations access to that camp? My fourth question is to ask for an unequivocal assurance from the Syrian authorities, through the person of the Syrian representative today, that the ceasefire in Idlib will be respected without qualification.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“We ask them to support it in the Fifth Committee and to allow it to have the funding it needs so that the cross-border assistance can proceed, as the Council has intended and has set out. The rest of my questions, ifI may, are addressed to the Syrian representative, who, I noticed, does not look at women when we speak. Ithink that is quite interesting. I would like to ask him a question given what we heard from Nujeen about persons with disabilities and in recognition of the fact that, throughout the United Nations, issues relating to persons with disabilities have always been non-political. They have always been areas where every Member State can cooperate. It is not a political issue.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“If there is one thing that the Council can do, it would be very useful to get a sense of what she would like it to be. I would also like to address some questions to other speakers. Ihave four questions. The first one is easy. It is to ask our Russian friends not to keep telling lies about the White Helmets, which is a volunteer humanitarian organization. We have had this debate in the Council several times, and it has been proved beyond doubt that they are not terrorists but humanitarians. That is the first question. Leading on from that, we appeal to our Russian and Chinese friends, who were talking about progress on the ground in Syria, to support the United Nations monitoring cross-border mission.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“We are very interested in access trends. We would like to know what the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs considers the key access improvements in the past three months and where the challenges still lie. Secondly, ifI may, I would also ask a question of Nujeen Mustapha. She has come all this way to tell us her story. We heard that there are 175,000 persons with disabilities in Idlib alone. The story about having to hide in the bathroom brought the situation to life for everyone in the Council and clearly illustrated the human cost that people in Syria are facing. What is it that we in the Security Council could most do to help her and all those in the situation in Syria that she faced in Aleppo? What should it mean for us tomorrow, the day after and in six months' time?”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“I join others in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Mueller for her briefing and to pay tribute to her teams on the ground. I would also like to add our voice to those thanking Nujeen Mustapha for such an amazing and compelling briefing, for telling her story and for sharing it with everyone here. I think that we all found it very moving and that we owe it to her to try and make a reality of some of the issues we have been talking about, such as how to make life for the Syrian people better and bring the crisis to an end. I will come to that in a minute, if I may. On the political process, I would just say that the United Kingdom shares in full the statements made by the representatives of the United States, France and Poland so I will not rehearse those arguments. Instead, I would like to ask some questions, first, of Ms. Mueller.”
2019-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8515 (2019) · source
“In our view, the Council should be ready to take stronger measures ifthere is no progress by our next meeting. I would like to follow that up in today's consultations.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“I would also like to pay tribute to the Permanent Representative of Belgium and his Mission for all the work that they have done regarding children in the Yemeni conflict. We need to consider very carefully what he told us. We heard a very graphic account from Ms. Luqman of what the continuing conflict means for individuals. I think she is quite right to hold the Council to account and to ask us to work with the United Nations to do more. We will take that very seriously and will do what we can. Finally, I wantedto endbyreturning to the Stockholm Agreement. It was designed to build confidence and to prepare the road for a comprehensive political process to end the conflict. That is a very important goal. The stakes are too high for us to let that fail.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“There have been some very welcome pledges from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They have just announced dispersing $200 million of the pledges that they have made. But there is still a $1.5 billion-dollar funding gap in the humanitarian response plan. For our part, we have pledged $300 million and we have brought forward our disbursement so that we can support the United Nations. But I would like to encourage all donors today to disburse their funds rapidly and to pledge additional funds throughout the year. Turning to the very powerful testimonies that we heard from the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Ms. Luqman, I thank them for placing the focus on children. Today is a very good moment to reflect how desperate the plight of children is in Yemen.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“I wanted to turn to what Under-Secretary-General Lowcock said. I think that it is shocking that we cannot get access to the Red Sea Mills after all this time. After the last briefing (see S/PV.8464) we were very hopeful but it is very disappointing to hear that those obstacles still continue. I just want to echo Mark's call that if it is possible for the grain to be salvaged, even at this late stage, we should look to the parties to redouble their efforts to work with the United Nations to ensure that can happen. Clearly, the contrast between the figures that he provided regarding the 80-per-cent drop in humanitarian assistance and what we know is already the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world is extremely alarming. I am running out of superlatives to echo how worrying that is.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“As he said, the fact that agreements on the concept of operations for phase 1 have been achieved is helpful. I do not think that we underestimate the scale of the task. The Special Envoy referred to the fact that it would be the first time that there have been voluntary withdrawals in the Yemeni context. We appreciate the scale of the task. But, at the same time, we want the parties to be aware that the lack of implementation is very worrying, and we urge them all to put in place whatever steps need to be taken to achieve the full implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. We also look to the parties to remove all impediments to the United Nations ability to operate effectively in Al-Hudaydah. We will have a couple of questions to follow up on when we go into closed consultations.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“I thank all the briefers. I will divide my remarks between what we heard from Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and what we heard from Ms. Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Ms. Luqman, Chairperson, Food for Humanity. They all made compelling points. I thank Under-Secretary- General Mark Lowcock, Mr. Griffiths and Lieutenant General Lollesgaard, Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, who we will hear from later, for their tireless efforts to push the implementation of the agreements reached in Stockholm. The testimony of Ms. Luqman was very powerful, but we know that the United Nations has been working very hard for implementation. I believe that I speak for everyone in the Council in saying that it really wants to stay united behind the Special Envoy in pushing for that.”
2019-04-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8512 (2019) · source
“I know that there have been developments on that issue, on which I am sure the Foreign Minister will update the Council on.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“I think that everyone is very well aware that the sustainability of peace depends on transforming the Colombian countryside and meeting citizens' needs for viable and legal livelihoods. But it is also important the international community support Colombian efforts. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Special Representative of the Secretary- General because the areas of progress identified in the Colombian peace process are a very important part of how we view these regular meetings. For the British Government's part, we recognize the progress the Government has made and are fully committed to working alongside it as it builds sustainable peace. We will continue to support it. The Foreign Minister was here a few weeks ago and we talked about the recent objections that the President had outlined (see S/PV.8450).”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“That is something in which the Council has been interested before. The recent regional sessions of the National Commission on Security Guarantees are a positive step forward, but I think we need to see more concrete actions in order to improve security on the ground. That might include the views of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General with regard to stronger State presence in rural areas. Thirdly, we welcome the initial successes of the territorially focused development plans and crop- substitution initiative. But I think that our overall point is that we would like to see the pace of implementation of the peace process increase across the country. There have been some delays, as set out in the Secretary- General's report ( S/2019/265).”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“There are three areas we would like to highlight, which we believe deserve the Government's urgent attention. The first is one is the transitional justice system. We agree with the Secretary-General that the discussion surrounding the Special Jurisdiction for Peace has become more polarized. We hope now that the Jurisdiction will get legal and political support to build on the progress it has made. We also hope there might be a stronger legal footing for it in order to boost public confidence in the peace process and bring about the national consensus to which President Duque Marquez is rightly committed. Secondly, I would like to echo the concerns about human rights defenders and social leaders and the fact that they continue to face killings and threats at the hands of armed criminal groups competing for territory.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“I would like to welcome the Foreign Minister since that was not prohibited in the list of things you said we could talk about, Mr. President. With respect to the briefing, I think that it is a very good thing that we have Ms. Salamanca here today because it is an important reminder of the role that women's organizations have played in the peace process. What we have heard today from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General shows that the peace accord continues to set a positive example for the rest of the world. The commitment of the Government is very welcome, as are the steps taken towards the reintegration of former fighters and rural development crop substitution. The Government is clearly trying very hard to find national consensus on issues that are deeply polarizing.”
2019-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8511 (2019) · source
“I apologize for taking the floor again, but I cannot allow those allegations against the Bank of England to go unaddressed. I reject completely the allegations made by the Venezuelan Ambassador. He has made them before. I wrote to the then President ofthe Security Council - the Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea - on 21 February, rejecting the allegations (S/2019/176). I will have that letter circulated again and we will put it on our website. But for the benefit of the record, the Bank of England's reputation is world-renowned. It operates to the highest standards. It has operational independence from the British Government.”
2019-04-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8506 (2019) · source
“I know, Mr. President, that you do not want to prolong this. I do not want to get into a tit for tat, but the money was not stolen from a British bank. It is very important that we correct such falsehoods.”
2019-04-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8506 (2019) · source