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

“And the Rohingya who are in the camps in Bangladesh cannot go home until those matters are addressed. Although the Burmese authorities have previously claimed that 81 out of the 88 recommendations of the Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State have been implemented, there is very little evidence that sincere efforts have been made to address the acute deprivation of human rights, which lies at the root cause of that crisis. Although we previously welcomed the signing of the memorandum of understanding among the Government, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Development Programme, those United Nations agencies continue to be denied access to large parts of Rakhine. The conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation are manifestly not in place.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“Despite the objections of some Council members today, we believe that it is right that this meeting is taking place, and I will include in my remarks what should happen, in our view, after this meeting. I want to draw out two points in the mission's report (A/HRC/39/64) and Mr. Darusman's briefing today. First, I will address the situation in Rakhine, which is an enduring catastrophe. Human rights violations against the people of Rakhine, ethnic Rakhine as well as Rohingya, continue to this day. The Rohingya in particular continue to face daily intimidation; restrictions on their freedom of movement, access to markets, education and health care; continued discrimination; and denial of their right to citizenship. As the Chairperson said, the Rohingya Muslims who are left behind in Rakhine are not safe, and cannot be safe.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“I thank the Chairperson of the independent international fact- finding mission on Myanmar for that compelling, shocking and moving briefing. As I said on behalf of the nine Council members that called for this meeting, the briefing we heard today concerns allegations of the gravest crimes against international law: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. On this day in 1945, the United Nations came into being. We agree with the Chairperson: What is the United Nations for, and what is the Security Council for, if they cannot deal with some of the worst things that a Government can do to its own people? The Security Council has a solemn responsibility to consider those matters and decide how to proceed.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“As members of the Security Council, we are today faced with a situation that clearly endangers international peace and security, and also a specific request for the Council to act. It is therefore absolutely without doubt the Security Council's responsibility to hear the allegations concerning the gravest crimes under international law related to the situation and to deliberate on how to proceed, and so we vote in favour of holding this meeting.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“As we will hear, the Fact-Finding Mission's findings are of the gravest nature. The report concludes that "gross human rights violations" and "serious violations of international humanitarian law" have been committed in Myanmar since 2011 and that many of these violations "undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law". It makes a specific recommendation to the Security Council to ensure accountability for crimes under international law committed in Myanmar. Ensuring the prevention of such crimes - genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity - is one of the reasons why the United Nations and the Security Council were established in the first place.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“I would like to make a statement on behalf of the United Kingdom, C6te d'Ivoire, France, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden and the United States of America. Mr. President, we have read carefully the letter that you and other colleagues sent on 18 October (S/2018/938). We have requested the Chair of the United Nations fact-finding mission on Myanmar to brief us today. The report produced by the Mission (A/HRC/39/64) is the most authoritative and comprehensive account of the human rights violations that have occurred in the country since 2011. It details in particular the events that took place in Rakhine state on and around 25 August 2017 and led to the forcible displacement of more than 725,000 refugees across an international border into Bangladesh.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“I understand that the Russian Ambassador may also want to speak, so I am happy for him to proceed, if he would like to. I shall speak after him.”
2018-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8381 (2018) · source
“We look forward to hearing from Martin Griffiths again in the Council. We last heard from him on 11 September (see S/PV.8348) following disappointing news from Geneva. We support his efforts, which have continued since then, and we look forward to further updates in the coming weeks on progress towards reaching agreement between the parties on confidence-building measures and a broader framework agreement. With regard to the four points that Mark made - some of which I have covered now i I think they deserve very urgent consideration by the Council.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“This includes the protection of civilians and the protection of civilian infrastructure. We have consistently made this clear in the Council, but I repeat it again today. Not only is it important that military operations proceed with regard to the principles of proportionality, precaution and distinction, but it is also the case that further damage to food infrastructure, such as mills and wheat silos, threatens already fragile food supplies. Fourthly and lastly, as we have made clear, only a political settlement will enable the worsening humanitarian crisis to be properly addressed and will bring long-term stability to Yemen. We call on all parties once again to engage constructively and in good faith with the Special Envoy's efforts to bring about a political settlement.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“Until that happens, we also suggest that the Government of Yemen pause the implementation of Decree 75, which is preventing staple goods, such as wheat, cooking oil and rice, from getting into the country at a time when they are most needed. Secondly, unhindered access for commercial and humanitarian food and fuel into and throughout Yemen is essential if famine is to be avoided. The conflict is cutting off important transport routes, including the main route between Al-Hudaydah and Sana'a, and alternatives have become more congested and more vulnerable. For their part, the Houthis should stop interfering with the humanitarian response so that food, fuel and medicines can reach those most in need throughout the north. Thirdly, it is essential that military operations be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“We need urgent action on the part of all parties on the economy, imports and access, and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. I want to highlight four issues in particular. First, with regard to the economy, we share the concern about the rapid depreciation of the Yemeni rial. Soaring prices are putting several basic commodities out of reach for many Yemenis, and the Central Bank is struggling to pay public sector salaries. We look to the Government of Yemen and the Central Bank to take urgent action to stabilize the rial, for example by issuing promised letters of credit to Yemeni commercial food importers.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“After air strikes in late July resulted in damage to the main sanitation facility and water supply, suspected cholera cases almost doubled, and that of course increases the risk of a new wave of cholera. Only the humanitarian response is containing an outbreak like last year's and a further disruption of humanitarian operations could have, as Mark said, catastrophic consequences. Mark asked for increased funding and more support to humanitarian operations. The efforts of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are welcome. As for the United Kingdom, we are determined to play our part. On World Food Day, 16 October, the United Kingdom announced a package of over $125 million, which we hope will help UNICEF tackle malnutrition in Yemen. But funding alone will not be enough to address the growing risk of famine.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“The scale is a very grave concern, and the fact that the crisis does not seem to be getting better is also something that the Council needs to take a deep interest in. I will not repeat the figures, but the fact that they are in the millions ought to be very salutary for us to think about, and in particular the acute malnourishment of nearly 2 million children under the age of five is a warning call. I understand that nearly 400,000 of those children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. That is a life-threatening condition and it requires urgent treatment. The highest number of severe acute malnutrition cases is in Al-Hudaydah governorate, where there are appropriateoximately 100,000 cases.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“I apologize to Mark Lowcock that a previous engagement delayed my arrival to the Chamber, but I thank him very much for another sobering briefing. It is very good that the United Nations can report swiftly to the Council, in line with resolution 2417 (2018), whenever the risk of conflict- induced famine and widespread food insecurity in armed conflict contexts occur. In resolution 2417 (2018), the Council expressed its intention to give its full attention to such information that the Secretary- General provides, and as we on the Council all know, Yemen has been one of those issues that the Council follows very deeply and about which it is gravely concerned. I am pleased to see that the Ambassador has joined us today. The numbers that Mark Lowcock has cited are truly horrifying.”
2018-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8379 (2018) · source
“It is the best way to ensure Israeli security, which is absolutely vital, and to achieve a just, fair, agreed and realistic solution to the Palestinian refugee question, in line with Council resolution 1515 (2003). The United Kingdom will continue engaging meaningfully to help bring this about. Finally, I want to say that I have concentrated today on subject matter that the Special Coordinator raised. I think I am right to do so. Other speakers touched on wider matters. I do not have time now to go into the issue of child soldiers, but I would just like to put on record that the United Kingdom shares the concerns about these child soldiers.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“They will help meet the immediate needs of the Palestinian people, but in the longer term UNRWA itself needs to continue to give priority to the implementation of cost-saving reform measures. We will continue to work closely with UNRWA and other donors on the continuity of its central services. In conclusion, like France, we consider ourselves to be a friend to both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Like France, we believe that the destinies of these two people are inextricably intertwined. Substantive peace talks between the parties leading to a two-State solution based on 1967 borders, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, is the best way to end this conflict and ensure a sustainable peace.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“I will just say that the Special Coordinator asked us to echo his three calls - for both sides to step back from the brink, for them to uphold the 2014 ceasefire and for Hamas to stop its provocations; for Israel to restore the delivery of critical supplies and use proportionate responses in their use of live fire; and for the Palestinian Authority to not disengage from Gaza. I am happy to throw the United Kingdom's voice behind his calls today and to make it crystal clear how strong our support is for the Special Coordinator. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was mentioned. In this regard, I would just say that we welcome the increase in donor contributions that was announced on 27 September.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“Like other speakers, we remain deeply concerned about the planned demolition of the village of Khan Al-Ahmar. I take this opportunity to again call on the Israeli Government not to go ahead with its plan to demolish the village. The decision of the Israeli Supreme Court did not mandate demolition, which remains at the discretion of the Israeli Government. We appeal to the Government not to proceed with the demolition of this village, which is located in an area of strategic importance for the contiguity of a future Palestinian State. Its demolition threatens the prospects for a two-State solution with Jerusalem as a shared capital because, as others have said, it would pave the way for building settlements in the E-l area. We have heard a lot of common themes from the speakers today so I will not repeat them.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“On terrorism, to quote a famous playwright: "The gunmen are not dying for the people; the people are dying for the gunmen." We ought to bear that in mind as well. We fully respect Israel's right to security. At the same time, as many speakers have said today, the situation in Gaza is unsustainable. There needs to be an immediate improvement in the humanitarian situation. We need political resolve to make these improvements. The reconciliation agreement of 2017 was a good start, but now all the Palestinian factions must implement that agreement. We strongly support the efforts of Egypt and the wider international community to secure this goal with some urgency. And we strongly support the return of the Palestinian Authority to administer Gaza. We continue to encourage all parties to work together to ensure that this objective is met.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“I would also like to make a general point that if speakers use a language for which there is no interpretation, that the presidency of the day stop them and ask them to speak in one of the Council's - or the Organization's - six authorized languages. Turning to the substance, I think Mr. Mladenov is right to remind us that every month we come here and talk about the same things while everything that we have heard today about the region shows how desperate and unsustainable the situation is. There are terrible, cruel and sad stories of deaths and injuries on both sides. These stories underscore the need for urgent progress to end what is a useless cycle of violence and a heartbreaking waste of life and ruined families.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“I want to join others in thanking Special Coordinator Mr. Mladenov for his briefing and for the work that he and his team do on the ground. I want also to thank Mr. El-Ad. Like the French and Swedish representatives, we think it is important that the voices of civil society can be heard in this Chamber, and he was invited by the Security Council. I wish to digress, ifI may, to make a point about non-Council-member speakers, building on the one I made yesterday. This is an open debate. It vitiates the point of an open debate if we cannot understand what is said in the Chamber, no matter who it is said by. I would therefore like to know at some point what the Israeli Permanent Representative said to Mr. El-Ad in Hebrew.”
2018-10-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8375 (2018) · source
“We do not need lectures from two countries that have done more than anyone else to contribute to the dire situation inside Syria. I therefore hope that when Member States ask to speak under rule 37 in future - and we want to invite them to do so for all the reasons of transparency and openness that we all subscribe to - they will stick to the agenda at hand. Mr. Cohen (United States of America); I would like to fully associate myself with the statement that the representative of the United Kingdom just made and to add that, in particular, coming from a regime whose behaviour and use of chemical weapons has driven millions of its own citizens to flee as refugees, that statement was outrageous, whether made here in the Council or indeed anywhere.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I want to take the floor again to make the following point. It is good that under rule 37 we can hear from Members of the United Nations that are not currently serving on the Security Council. But I really do think that delegations that speak under rule 37 should speak to the agenda item at hand. The agenda item today has been Syria. The situation in Syria is dire enough. I do not think it right that some representatives on this side who spoke under rule 37 used it to pursue personal and national agendas against other Members of the United Nations. The situation is bad enough in Syria that it deserves our whole attention. We ought to be working as a Council, supported by the wider membership, to support the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“We hope that he will give us unvarnished advice on what to do next. We hope that the outcome of that will be a way in which the United Nations can assist the people of Syria in coming to a political settlement, but we must also contemplate other scenarios, unless we see movement from the Syrian authorities. It is a defining moment. I hope that the Council will be able to support him fully, and I look forward to hearing his future account. I would like to close by expressing our deepest thanks on behalf of the British Government for everything that he has done in working for the United Nations on this most difficult of dossiers.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“To do otherwise would be to see the awful seven years that have bedevilled Syria repeated time and again until we are all locked in the most vicious of spirals. Syria needs to overcome the factors that, seven years ago, led in the first place to the conflict with which we are now all struggling. That cannot be done by ignoring help from the United Nations or by it turning its back on the international community. I hope that the Syrian representative will be able to transmit those messages to his authorities in advance of the Special Envoy's visit to Damascus. I will save a fuller tribute to the work of the Special Envoy for when we get his final thoughts and advice on what follows in the future after November. I welcome the fact that he has said that he will be honest, direct and clear. We look forward to that.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“The Special Envoy will always be welcome in the Council at any time, but I hope that he will err on the side of keeping the Council updated as to how his talks are going. The Special Envoy mentioned the Brussels conference. I again want to be very clear: the sort of reintegration of Syria into the international community and the coherence and stability that need to flow from a genuinely representative political process will need money for reconstruction, including from the West. That is also a lesson of all conflicts that we have dealt with collectively over the past few decades. I take this opportunity to reiterate - as I am sure the Brussels event will - that we will not provide reconstruction assistance for Syria absent a credible political process leading to a settlement that is genuinely in the interests of all Syria's communities.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“We call on them to ensure sustained humanitarian access, as I said earlier, but we also call on them to put an end to policies and practices that create obstacles to displaced people and refugees returning home and rebuilding their lives. We call on them to start progress towards creating a safe and neutral environment, in which all Syria's communities, regardless of religion or ethnicity, can thrive and be fairly represented. Moving on to the Special Envoy's visit to Damascus. I hope that he goes with the Council's full support in delivering the Secretary-General's clear and direct message to the Syrian authorities. We thank him for the offer to come back to the Council and to brief us further. As others have said, it is of such vital importance that we seize this opportunity.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“Working with the United Nations on a broader political process is not a threat to Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity or unity. All the experience of the Council over very many decades - but, in recent times, from the Balkans to Africa and the Middle East - shows that where there is conflict that is as divisive, as awful and as damaging as the Syrian conflict has been for the past seven years, there needs to be a representative political process ifthe country is to be stable and coherent and, above all, for it to reintegrate back into the international community. I assume that the Syrian people really want those things. We therefore take the opportunity today to call on the Syrian authorities to put aside self-interest and to engage with United Nations and the broader political process.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I think that both those things are quite dangerous for the potential of the Syrian political process and that we should spend some time thinking through the consequences of there being no progress at all on the constitutional committee. Even at this stage, we would appeal to the Syrian authorities to make every conceivable effort to work with the United Nations to bring the constitutional committee into being along the lines that the Special Envoy set out. We completely agree with him and the Secretary-General that the United Nations cannot be involved in this Charade and that the constitutional committee must be a genuinely credible and representative process. As the French Ambassador said, it is not the only part of the political process.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“The Special Envoy described exactly how the constitutional committee should be constituted, how it might work and the sort of matters that it could look at. Under resolution 2254 (2015), that was supposed to have been set up within six months. Frankly, on our side, it defies belief that the Syrian Government cannot work with what the Special Envoy has set out. I agree with the United States representative that the fact that the Syrian Government cannot work with the constitutional committee as set out either calls into question Russian good faith in brokering that deal in Sochi in the first place or shows that the Russian Government does not have power and influence in Syria.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“There has been progress in certain areas, but it is not the case that aid is reaching all those who are truly in need. We therefore also call on everyone on the Council to redouble efforts to support the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Committee of the Red Cross and others in getting aid through. We call on the Russian and Syrian Governments to ensure that the aid is delivered on the basis of impartiality and need. As the Special Envoy said, Idlib represents not only the potential salvation of 3 million civilians but also a window of opportunity for the peace process. My United States and French colleagues set out very clearly how that could be taken forward. I just want to add the United Kingdom's voice to what they said.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I will start with Idlib, which represents a terribly important moment because 3 million civilians remain at risk there. We salute the work that the Turkish Government has done, working with the Russians to get the current situation in Idlib under control. If I may cite the Emergency Relief Coordinator, we hope that that is a reprieve and not a stay of execution. However, I think that everyone on the Council remains fearful that the Idlib agreement will not hold. My first point is therefore that the Council should do everything that it can to support the Special Envoy and Turkey in having the Idlib agreement be preserved, Secondly, as the French Ambassador said, the humanitarian situation still remains very difficult and very challenging.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“I thank the Special Envoy for his briefing and for all the work that he and his team do on the ground. I learn with personal regret of his intention to move on, much as I understand the reasons, and I will come back to that, ifI may. However, the Council and the entire United Nations owe him a tremendous debt because he has persisted with one of the most difficult portfolios that, I think, any representative of the Secretary-General can have in any conflict, and he has done so for four long years. We thank him very much for that. As I said, I will come back to that later. The war itself has gone on for even longer than his tenure. I think that he is the third Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, and the war has continued for seven very long, very gruesome and very awful years for the Syrian people.”
2018-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8373 (2018) · source
“The Partnership is recognized by the European Union (EU) as an official accompanying measure to the EU regulation. In conclusion, the role of the Council in tackling the problem of natural resources as a cause of conflict continues to be a very important instrument, which we should ensure that we use to the full.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“But otherwise, we end up with deplorable practices - from human rights abuses to the illicit financing of conflict. We want to help to address such issues. We believe that we should be encouraging compliance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Implementation of this guidance becomes mandatory for the largest importers in the European Union in January 2021, and I can assure the Council that, even after Brexit, the United Kingdom will remain committed to this regulation. We also support the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals, which is a multi-stakeholder initiative comprised of Governments, civil society and the private sector.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“We would be very willing to work with colleagues on the Council to try and advance such instruments. The Kimberley Process was also raised. The United Kingdom is proud to be a founding member of the Kimberley Process, and we support the current reform process, designed to make the framework even more effective. In addition to the Process, the United Kingdom is committed to strengthening the international framework for regulation of the trade in minerals linked to conflict. 1 would like to highlight the mining and trading of tin, tantalum, tungsten and, as I have already mentioned, gold. These minerals are key components for modern technology. Under the right conditions, the mining of such minerals can build both prosperity and security for local communities.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“We support the role of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in helping the Government to address that. We believe that we can also do more to identify and address risks related to natural resources in conflict through early warning systems and efforts to support countries to alleviate potential triggers. We very much appreciate the work of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in this respect. I share the French approbation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. There are also some other ideas that we believe are well worth exploring. Sweden had ideas around tax and audit and tackling organized crime, and China had an interesting idea around using the Peacebuilding Commission.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“A number of speakers also mentioned the Council's recent Visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We heard how the illegal exploitation of mineral resources by armed militias in the eastern part of the country is fuelling conflict and imposing suffering on the civilian population. The value of goods smuggled across the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo border exceeds that of formal trade, with gold the most valuable component. So I was very interested in the ideas that the French representative put forward about including gold in an enhanced regime. If we are to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we need to see an end to the smuggling of mineral resources.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“In United Nations peace operations, our responses should be tailored to the context. We need to pay attention to the underlying causes of conflict, including, where relevant, to support countries in overcoming issues pertaining to the nexus between natural resources and conflict. That said, I just wanted to respond briefly to what the Russian representative said. Not all interventions are driven by negative motivations. It is important that the Council and countries be ready to address crimes against humanity. It is important that they be ready to address grave human rights abuses and important that we be ready to address the imminence of overwhelming humanitarian catastrophes. So I just want to place on record that we reject his descriptions of why Western interventions have been made over the past years.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“A number of speakers mentioned sanction regimes, which can provide a useful tool for tackling the role of natural resources in perpetuating conflict. The Council has imposed sanctions on the trade in diamonds in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone, and timber, for example, in Liberia. Calibrated sanctions on trading charcoal from Somalia, oil from Libya and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the absolute prohibition of the oil trade with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham all have helped curtail the ability of spoilers to destabilize already fragile situations. But the success of these sanctions regimes, and hence our ability to mitigate or prevent conflict, relies on implementation by not only all Council members but also all of the other States Members of the United Nations.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“Population growth and climate change - and I wish once again to thank the Swedes for their excellent presidency debate on this issue (see S/PV.8307) - threaten to increase competition for natural resources and hence the risk of conflict. Sustainable Development Goal 12 calls for responsible consumption and production, which is integral to reducing the risk of conflict and achieving a sustainable peace. National responses have, unfortunately, proved insufficient in tackling such complex challenges. We believe that a multilateral approach is critical and needs to be based on international cooperation and respect for the rules-based international system, including the relevant parts of international law.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“The trade in diamonds has driven conflicts in countries such as Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone. 1 was very interested in what our colleague from Cote d'Ivoire said about the total cost of this being something like $50 billion per year, exceeding aid budgets. That is a very telling figure. Conversely, resolving disputes over control of natural resources can be a central pillar of peace processes. For example, oil was a crucial element of the peace agreement between Sudan and South Sudan. Beyond oil and diamonds, conflict over land and water resources is a growing risk.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“Like othercolleagues, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for having brought this subject back to the Security Council's attention. I think that we have heard a lot of common themes today. While natural resources often bring great benefits to a country, they can also contribute to the outbreak of conflict and feed the conflict cycle. We have already heard from other speakers that at least 40 per cent of all intra-State conflicts in the past 60 years have had a link to natural resources, according to the United Nations. Natural assets that ought to drive domestic economic growth all too often can be subverted and diverted. In Iraq, we have seen how Da'esh used oil resources to fund its campaign of terror. In Libya, competition for control of oil resources remains one of the key drivers of conflict.”
2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source
“I do not want to go into detail because I do not want to complicate the work of Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, who is now trying to reconvene political talks. I am sure that our ministers who will be here next week for the General Assembly will want to have many discussions about Yemen on the margins of the high- level week. I believe that that will be important. Lastly, I call on all sides once again to get behind the process that the Special Envoy is leading and urge them all to find the flexibility that it will require for the sake of the Yemeni people.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“We therefore need to collectively think further about how best the Council can help stabilize the humanitarian situation by helping stabilize the economic situation, or by dealing with the relevant United Nations and other agencies and countries that can help in order to do that. I would like to call on all sides to cooperate even more intensely with OCHA and the United Nations agencies on the ground to try and help steady the situation. I should like to conclude on the same point on which Mr. Lowcock ended by just reiterating the vital and overriding importance of the political situation. I will not recall the reasons for which the Geneva talks did not take the steps that we wanted them to take.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“That therefore means that the Al-Hudaydah and Saleef ports need to remain open and that the mills and the food storage facilities need to be protected so that the food supply is safe. I also wanted to join the Under-Secretary-General in his remarks about urgent action on stabilizing the economy. Since as recently as late July, the Yemeni rial has depreciated more than 20 per cent. That has halved the buying power of the people for food and other staples in comparison with one year ago. That is obviously increasing the vulnerability of families even to meet basic needs. Humanitarian Aid, as we heard, is overstretched, and even that is not enough because there are 29 million Yemenis liable to need our help.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“The second point concerns the flow of food, fuel and medical supplies into and throughout Yemen. It is critical that all parties facilitate that and that they work with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Mr. Lowcock's partners on the ground. It is also important that civilians can move freely and safely so that those who can travel can get out of harm's way as necessary. We have been deeply concerned about reports that military action is making the Al-Hudaydah-Al-Hajjarah road unsafe. That will hamper the flow of supplies from Al-Hudaydah to northern Yemen. It is Vital that onward supply routes remain operational. I should like to echo what Mr. Lowcock said: that cannot be done through humanitarian assistance alone. We absolutely need the commercial routes and supplies to be open and flowing.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“We are following the escalation of military fighting around Al-Hudaydah very closely. I wanted to pick up on Mr. Lowcock's statement and highlight just four areas. First, to reiterate once again - I think that everyone on the Security Council has done this, but it bears repeating - all parties to the conflict must do everything possible to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and demonstrate in practical terms their commitment to upholding international humanitarian law. I was extremely concerned to hear about armed groups' presence in humanitarian facilities. I believe that the Council should demand that they leave. Those facilities need to be maintained for the protection of civilians. All parties have responsibilities under international humanitarian law, and the Council looks to them to discharge those responsibilities fully.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for scheduling this important briefing today. I thank Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock. To pick up on one of his points, I also want to thank him for everything that his workers are doing on the ground, as well as all the other relevant United Nations agencies. I was very struck by what he said with regard to the large-scale nature of the relief effort, as well as by the fact that Yemenis are helping Yemenis. I believe that is important. It was a very sobering briefing, following the others that we have heard before. I was struck by his phrases concerning lives on the line, how close we are to famine and that we might even be losing the fight. That is obviously extremely serious news. It is grave distress inflicted upon the people of Yemen.”
2018-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8361 (2018) · source
“The recent deaths on both sides of the conflict, including the deaths of three Palestinians in Gaza over the past week and the stabbing of an Israeli in a settlement on 16 September, reflect the need for progress to end the cycle of violence. We strongly urge all the relevant parties to respect international law, de-escalate tensions, exercise restraint and prevent occurrences that could jeopardize the lives of Palestinians and Israelis.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source