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 also would like to see progress on humanitarian and economic proposals at next week's meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of the International Assistance to Palestinians, and we call upon both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to deliver on their outstanding commitments. We reiterate the need for Israel to reduce its movement and access restrictions on the people of Gaza, and for Hamas to commit to non-violence and fully end its attacks on Israel. In order to see a long-term improvement in Gaza, momentum around Fatah-Hamas reconciliation needs to be maintained. The United Kingdom is supportive of Egyptian efforts to enable the Palestinian authority to resume control of Gaza. And we encourage all parties to engage constructively.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“Lastly, and as the French Ambassador said, there is an urgent need to address the awful and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The United Kingdom recently announced a new $49 million programme to support economic development in Gaza and in the West Bank. We have released $2.6 million to UNICEF to help provide up to 1 million Gazans with access to clean water and sanitation, and we have given $2 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross appeal to support emergency medical needs. We are supportive of efforts to reduce the conflict in Gaza. It is in everyone's interest that peace and stability prevail in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories. We fully support the efforts of the Special Coordinator to improve the situation in Gaza, and we urge the relevant parties to engage fully with his proposals.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“We have ourselves so far provided approximately $67 million to UNRWA, $59 million to its core services and $7.8 million in humanitarian aid in Syria. We hope that will help meet immediate needs and that programmes and services can remain uninterrupted. We call on the international community and other donors to follow that and step up support to UNRWA to ensure its vital services are not interrupted. At the same time, I would like to stress that, for UNRWA to have a sustainable future, it needs to continue to promote realistic and technical cost-saving reforms. The United Kingdom will continue to work closely with UNRWA and donors on how best to ensure the continuity of essential services to Palestinian refugees at this time.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“We therefore call on the Israeli Government, once again, not to go ahead with its plan to demolish the village, including the school, and displace the residents. I share concerns about the situation at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is facing severe financial pressure at a time of increased demand. We support a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement of Palestinian refugees. Until that point we remain firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. We are concerned about the impact the recent United States decision on funding. We believe UNRWA is a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees across the Middle East.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“The level and rhetoric of hatred in dehumanization on all sides is repellent, and also dangerous. The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned about the Israeli authorities' planned demolition of the village of Khan Al-Ahmar, which is located in an area of strategic importance for the contiguity of a Palestinian State. Its demolition threatens a major blow to the prospects for a two-State solution, with Jerusalem as the shared capital, by paving the way for settlement building in Area E-l. The United Nations has said that demolition could amount to forcible transfer in violation of international humanitarian law. The recent decision of the Israeli Supreme Court does not mandate demolition. Demolition remains at the discretion of the Israeli Government.”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“I thank the Special Coordinator once again for his briefing and for the work that he is doing to improve the situation and bring it closer to peace, as well as for all the hard work of his teams on the ground. The United Kingdom remains committed to achieving a two-State solution, leading to a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as a shared capital. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve that is through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and for all parties to focus on steps that are conducive to peace. As the French Ambassador said, some 25 years ago we concluded the Oslo Accords. It is doubly concerning, therefore, to see the recent developments on the ground on key aspects of resolution 2334 (2016).”
2018-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8358 (2018) · source
“It was the Syrian Arab air force that shot down the Russian plane, and the proximate cause was the actions of Iran and Hizbullah on the ground. That ought to serve as a very powerful warning, not just to the Syrian authorities but also to the Russians and the Iranians of the prospect of something much wider and even more horrible than we have seen thus far in Syria. Lastly, the Special Envoy referred to Kofi Annan, and we will have a tribute to Mr. Annan in the United Nations later this week. This morning, a wreath was laid to Dag Hammarskjold, who is also one of the iconic Secretaries-General whom the United Nations has been fortunate enough to have lead it. We do them no credit if we allow this conflict to continue. In 2012, I was present for the historic Geneva II Conference on Syria. The best legacy we can offer Mr.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“Turning to the wider issues, as awful and horrific as the Syrian conflict is, the prospect of a wider, inter-State war is waiting in the wings. The Syrian people are not only being attacked by their own Government, they risk being drawn in and becoming the victims of a wider conflict. It is not legitimate to use the territory of Syria to fire missiles at Israel. The risk of miscalculation and misunderstanding that led to the downing of a Russian aircraft encapsulates, on a small scale, the much bigger and even more frightening risk of a wider miscalculation. In that regard, I would like to echo other colleagues who have voiced their condolences to our Russian colleagues for the loss of their air crew. I repeat, however, that the risk of miscalculation is incredibly high.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“We would like to know what the Syrian regime is doing to put that right. A large number of speakers talked about international humanitarian law and the principles of precaution, discrimination and proportionality. The United Kingdom absolutely upholds those principles. It is unbelievable that hospitals are being attacked, and even more unbelievable given that they are part of a deconflicted area. Last week, the United Kingdom announced approximately $40 million for Idlib. We hope that will help, but I want to go back to what the Under-Secretary-General asked - is it a reprieve or a stay of execution? It is a dreadful choice, but it has to be a reprieve. There are 3 million voices in Idlib and 18 million voices in Syria who will want to know why this cannot happen.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“We look for a date at to be set and we ask him to report back to the Council by 31 October. We look to the small group and the Astana group to make progress on coming together in support of the United Nations. I agree with what my Dutch and Swedish colleagues said about reconstruction money. There are 3 million voices in Idlib, and 18 million voices in Syria as a whole, who will want to know why progress cannot be made on the political track. Turning to the humanitarian front, we would like to hear from the Syrian representative why there are still problems with access and why there are still problems with safe passage, as mentioned by the Under-Secretary- General. I note what the representative of Equatorial Guinea said about scorched earth. It is a truly terrible situation, but he is right to draw attention to it.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“I will not repeat some of the assessments, but I would like to go on record as saying that the United Kingdom agrees with our American, Dutch, Swedish, Polish and other partners in their assessments. We wholly agree with them. I want to highlight in particular four points: first of all, I want to agree with what the representative of France said about the situation on the ground, but also what he said about the French, Americans and British taking our responsibilities if chemical weapons are ever used again. I want to talk about the political process: we want to see the constitutional committee convened. We look to the Special Envoy to do that. We believe he has all the authority he needs to pick the names and we trust him to do the best he can in the interests of the people of Syria and in the interest of peace.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“It needs to be developed and implemented and, as other speakers have said, Russia in particular needs to uphold it. We look to Russia to do that because Russia is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, with particular responsibilities for international peace and security. Russian needs to exert its influence on the Syrian authorities, otherwise the crimes that are committed against the Syrian people are committed in Russia's name. We heard earlier about the voices of Idlib. There are 3 million voices in Idlib who will want to know why the Idlib plan cannot be implemented. There are 18 million voices in Syria who want the Council to act to protect them. A lot has been said today, some ofit very familiar or common to those Council members who have spoken.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“Welcome you back to New York, Mr. President. I thank our two briefers, the Special Envoy and the Under-Secretary-General. Let me also repeat the thanks of colleagues for everything their teams do on the ground to help the people of Syria, who need them more than ever. We are very conscious this is a very difficult job for them to do. The conflict is seven and a half years old 4 it is longer than the Second World War. Over half a million people have died in Syria, millions have been displaced and chemical weapons have been used, including by the Syrian regime. I think we are running out of superlatives to describe the horrors of this conflict. We meet every month on Syria in this Chamber, but this time does feel particularly important. The Turkish plan for Idlib, which its officials have discussed with the Russians, is the crux.”
2018-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8355 (2018) · source
“We heard from the Afghan ambassador and from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General about the peace process with Pakistan. We wish that process well. It goes without saying that peace is the only viable way forward for Afghanistan. We very much support the National Unity Government in its efforts in this regard. We hope that all other States will do their utmost to support the Government. The temporary ceasefire brought about by President Ghani was a very important moment, and it is regrettable that the Taliban have not responded to his subsequent offers. The Taliban need to demonstrate that their really do have the heart of Afghanistan as their main concern and that their concern is for the people of Afghanistan. They need to respond positively to the important offers made by President Ghani in February.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“That said, it is important that, in all the security, economic, human rights and development challenges that the Afghan people face, all sectors of Afghan society and citizenry come together to do the following things: to strengthen good governance, to uphold the rule of law and human rights, including the right to health, the education of women and girls, and above all, to be tolerant. I arrived in Kabul a week after the very sad killing of Farkhunda Malikzada, and I have never forgotten the intolerance and brutality that led to that sad outcome. Afghan communities need to invest in the future. They need to tackle corruption at all levels, engage in the economic liberalization necessary to attract foreign direct investment, and make tangible progress with their regional partners on regional cooperation.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“The Geneva Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan, which a number of speakers have mentioned, will, we believe, be an important moment for the Government of Afghanistan to reflect on progress made so far, but also to recommit to the necessary reforms, which are required to drive the sustainable and inclusive growth the Afghan people deserve over the remainder of the transformation decade. My Government is fully committed to the Conference and to playing its part in preparations that are now under way.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Bakhtiar and Ambassador Saikal that I remain an optimist about their beautiful but troubled country. Given what Afghanistan has suffered, given her state of development - she is one of the poorest countries in the world - and given that the main threat to Afghan security comes from insurgents who are supported from outside Afghanistan, I think we are all prepared for this to take a long time. The international community has been prepared for that and has prepared longer-term strategies.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, with respect to the security of voters, elections officials and election materials, my Government calls on all actors to respect the safety and lives of civilians who take part in the elections, and calls on those actors to refrain from violent disruption. We commend the bravery of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces for their work, and we know that it is a difficult time for them. We call on those illegally blockading provincial offices of the Independent Election Commission to disperse peacefully. Elections are only five weeks away, and it is critical that preparations be allowed to go ahead. Turning to wider matters, I had the honour to be British Ambassador to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016, so I would like to tell Mr.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“First, with respect to the voter registration lists, the election staff in Kabul has put a lot of effort into compiling and verifying the lists of those who have registered to vote. These lists should be published at the local level as early as possible, with the proper complaints mechanism in place to give the Afghan people time to check their details and register any complaints. Secondly, with regard to communications, an effective communications strategy from the election-management bodies explaining the progress that has been made and what further efforts are under way is important for the confidence of the Afghan electorate.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“We need to continue all our efforts to support the Afghan forces as they seek to combat those who would destroy communities and the lives of innocent, ordinary Afghan civilians. Today's debate is an important one. It is the last of the quarterly debates before the parliamentary elections on 20 October. I would like to focus on those elections in my statement today. Mr. Yamamoto highlighted the challenges of organizing these elections on time. We are also very grateful for the work of his team in supporting the Afghan authorities. All political leaders in Afghanistan should work to improve the process, not to undermine it. We call on them to cooperate to this end. At the moment, a number of critical issues on the elections remain unresolved.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and, through him, the entire team in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan for the work they do. I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for reminding us of the Kofi Annan story about the young girl. It is good to be reminded of the human dimension. It is therefore doubly pleasurable to be able to welcome Mr. Bakhtiar and hear his perspective, as well as that of the Afghan ambassador. Like other speakers, I would like to begin by condemning the recent terrorist attacks, including those in Nangarhar, and offering our condolences to all the families of those killed and wounded.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8354 (2018) · source
“There has been really important outreach both by your Government, Madam President, and by the Government of the Republic of Korea, but, sadly, Pyongyang has not yet taken decisive steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. The Council debate next week will be a very important window of opportunity that should not be wasted. The United Kingdom is fully committed to supporting and assisting denuclearization in any way that we can. I hope that next week we can see very strong and firm Council unity in support of that goal and in support of full sanctions implementation.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“The Security Council has unanimously agreed a comprehensive set of resolutions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and publication of these reports is one of the commitments we have all signed up to. We therefore look to all colleagues on the Council to enforce those commitments strictly, and I would like to stress that reporting by the independent Panel is an essential tool for carrying out sanctions implementation to the full and ensuring that evasions are clamped down upon. On the United Nations Command, I take the points that have been made about history. As a number of colleagues have said, it is a legacy from the 19505, and it is highly unusual. All requests for shipments of material in the demilitarized zone must be scrutinized and checked for compliance with sanctions. It is important that such diligence continue.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“The cap demonstrates international commitment to upholding the rules-based international order. We call on all States, but particularly, given their special nuclear responsibilities, the permanent five members of the Security Council, to ensure that agreed sanctions are adhered to. You, Madam President, mentioned the Panel of Experts, and a number of colleagues have also referred to it. We think it is important that the report of the Panel of Experts should be submitted in its usual form. The Panel has produced an extensive and well-researched report, showing the extent of sanctions evasion by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“Our unanimously agreed sanctions measures clearly draw a distinction between legitimate economic activity and sanctionable offences. I very much welcome the assurances that the Chinese Ambassador set out today. We particularly need monitoring of coal and oil exports to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, for the reasons you, Madam President, set out when speaking in your national capacity. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has shown itself able to seek creative ways to bypass checks and violate sanctions. We support the United States assessment that the Security Council-mandated cap on imports of refined petroleum has likely been breached. We need to be vigilant about that aspect, which includes ship- to-ship transfers of refined petroleum to vessels of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at sea.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“I did want to add, in that context, that there is no equivalence between WMD possession and threats to use them and the various bilateral cooperative military exercises that we have seen between the United States and the Republic of Korea. I would like to echo other speakers before me in noting the fact that next week our leaders will be here for high-level week. These important questions will be discussed. People will be looking at the Council even more than usual to see our leaders take their responsibilities and deliver unity and progress so that this critical issue of WMD and nuclear proliferation can be properly addressed. Turning to sanctions, all evidence related to sanctions implementation is reviewed with care, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's neighbouring States have a particular responsibility.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“We do not debate how the Democratic People's Republic of Korea came to have nuclear weapons, but we all agree that it is vital to achieve denuclearization there. I will come back to that point in a minute, but it is a very serious issue. It has been hanging over the region and the world since the 1950s, and the Council has been united recently in trying to tackle it. We would appeal to all Council members to not put that unity at risk, but to continue efforts. I want to thank the Under-Secretary-General for her briefing. I think there have been, as she said, some important political developments. We welcome the upcoming trip of President Moon Jae-in, and we hope it will further encourage the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to take decisive steps towards denuclearization.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“I think the Swedish representative referred to it as momentous, and I think that is exactly the right word to use. What is happening on the Korean peninsula has the potential to affect the countries of the two colleagues sitting at the table, but if we can get it right - if we can succeed at non-proliferation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - then we can improve the safety and security of the region and the entire world. You said, Madam President, that the Council had adopted historic sanctions, showing historic unity. We have a real chance for success, and I find it very hard to comprehend why anyone, why one Council member, would put that opportunity at risk given what is at stake. The Chinese Ambassador referred to the 1950s and the Cold War.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“I would like to echo the Kuwaiti and Equatorial Guinea representatives in sending our condolences to all those around the world who have been affected by the recent hurricanes and flooding. I think the Kuwaiti representative was quite right in pointing out the link with climate change. It is one reason that the Security Council needs to stay abreast of developments on climate change. I thank him for raising that point. I have listened very carefully to what colleagues have said this morning. The unity of the Council has been critical on this issue, all the more so because on other issues, including those relating to weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), Council action has been blocked because of one Council member. We have a very significant opportunity to improve the strategic situation on the Korean peninsula.”
2018-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8353 (2018) · source
“The United Kingdom has provided about $3 million to support the Secretary-General's efforts, and our voluntary funding has improved system-wide coordination and enabled robust vetting and mandatory predeployment training. It is also important that we have good communication so that we can focus on providing redress for victims. In conclusion, we need to be confident that our peacekeeping missions are fulfilling their mandates to protect civilians and we need to be equally confident that they are fulfilling their duty to protect our own mission personnel. We therefore need to fulfil our own duty to ensure that these missions are supported and given the necessary resources so they can do theirjobs.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“Checking that we know what works and continuous improvement requires a robust and objective evaluation ofmission performance. As you said, Madam President, processes must be transparent and we need better accountability. Between us, we have huge amounts of knowledge to draw on, and I hope that the Secretariat will be able to speed up the development of a comprehensive performance policy. Fourthly, we must recognize when we get it wrong. The failure to be transparent and maintain a culture of accountability can lead to shocking abuses, as Ms. Blakemore was able to outline today. We strongly support the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy and we look to its implementation.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“That mechanism needs to enable better matching-up of those that can provide capacity- building and equipment with those that need support. As the Under-Secretary-General mentioned, we need to do more than pay lip service to the role of women. We should make this a priority. At the London Defence Ministerial, some 63 countries, including many represented in this Chamber, called for the doubling of the number of women in military and peace contingents by 2020. I hope that we can all play a part in making that a reality. For the United Kingdom's part, we have launched the Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Staff Network, and we hope that it will promote ways to integrate gender perspectives into military planning and operations, and thereby improve numbers. Third is the feedback loop.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“In turn, we look to the Secretariat to use our peacekeeping resources effectively and to match capabilities to requirements. We often talk about the United Nations breaking down silos. I would just recall that in Darfur, there are some 27 different United Nations entities on the ground. That requires coordination, planning, a comparative advantage approach and a United Nations- wide approach. Secondly, we must make sure that it works. A number of speakers this morning have drawn attention to the critical importance of performance. Peacekeepers on the ground need to be equipped, capable and willing to do the job we ask of them. That means we need to strengthen training, both before deployment and as troops are in the field. We need the light coordination mechanism on training to be made operational as quickly as possible.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“The Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping initiative provides the basis for making a reality of getting more impact for our money. We are proud to have endorsed the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping and we encourage other Member States to join. I would like to highlight four particular areas where I think we should concentrate our efforts to have peacekeeping be more effective. First, we must get it right from the start. That involves planning. The Council has an important role to play in improving performance. That starts with the mandates we authorize, which need to be realistic, achievable and developed on the basis of frank advice from the Secretariat, as well as robust debate by the Council.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“We pay tribute to their sacrifice and we thank their families for allowing them to carry out the very difficult jobs they do. We, the Council, are responsible for their deployment. We need to do our utmost to improve the safety and security of all peacekeepers and to make sure that peacekeeping is as effective and efficient as possible. That means having high-performing peacekeeping missions. We need to get the best possible impact from the $7 billion we spend annual on United Nations peacekeeping, but I also want to say that we need to have multidimensional peacekeeping. I do not agree that missions should not look at human rights and humanitarian factors. These are conflict drivers; they are root causes; they need to be fixed. We cannot turn the clock back, so we need military, political and development solutions.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for convening this important debate today. I also thank the Under-Secretary-General and Ms. Blakemore for their briefings. I believe that there has been a huge amount of progress and important successful outcomes concerning the peacekeeping agenda over the past 10 years. At the same time, Sarah Blakemore's testimony reminds us that there is a long way to go, but I believe that it would be right to begin by joining my Swedish colleague in commending the 100,000 United Nations uniformed peacekeepers and the 14,000 civilian peacekeepers and their commitment to delivering international peace and security. The vast majority of these men and women are courageous and they operate in incredibly challenging conditions. As the Under-Secretary- General mentioned, 138 lost their lives last year.”
2018-09-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8349 (2018) · source
“That is bound to require flexibility from all sides, but we all know, and we have said many times, that there is no alternative to a political solution. We support Mr. Griffiths and we would like to continue to support him to the hilt. We can offer Security Council members some press elements, if that would be welcome, as a way of expressing that the Council stands behind him at this time as he tries to bring all the parties back together. I think that what he said about the economy of Yemen just gives added urgency to an already desperate situation. I therefore hope we can all build on that.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8348 (2018) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for convening this meeting, which we appreciate very much. It was very good to hear from the Special Envoy. We appreciate the efforts he has made. We share his disappointment at the fact that the talks did not go ahead as planned, but it was good to hear that the consultations he did manage to hold yielded some positive outcomes. I think among those was the inclusivity point that Mr. Griffiths mentioned, particularly on the presence of women, which I think is excellent. But I urge all sides, including the Houthis, to get behind the process that the Special Envoy is leading, invest in confidence-building measures and engage in future consultations in good faith.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8348 (2018) · source
“It is precisely for these situations that the doctrine of proportionality under international humanitarian law exists. I therefore hope that the Council can come together over the coming days to talk further about how we can maximize the political process, building on Astana's efforts but as well having a very serious discussion about how we can avert an all-out military attack on the people of Idlib. The meeting rose at 12.50p.m.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“I will be brief, but I want to thank the Turkish representative for again setting out the Turkish plan. All of us have listened very carefully to the Astana briefers. We do not want to detract from the Astana efforts; we support any move that gets the political process under way. But we have heard only one plan today for trying to avert the bloodshed in Idlib and actually make a difference on the ground. I would urge all Security Council members to rally around the plan that our Turkish colleague has set out. What worries me is that instead we have heard a narrative that restoring full Syrian control over its territory is synonymous with fighting terrorists. For the people of Idlib that is not the equation. The people of Idlib are going to suffer terribly if this military assault goes ahead.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“Of course we agree with that, but the United Nations Special Envoy has told us that progress on a political solution is impossible if there is a military assault on Idlib, so I would like to know from Russia and Iran that they will heed those words, that they will stop the military operations, and that they will come to the Council and discuss with all of us, including Turkey, how exactly we can build on Astana to engage seriously in order to finally - six years after some of the worst horrors we have seen in war since the Second World War - bring that to an end and get a political process under way in Syria. I will be grateful to hear from Russia and Iran how exactly we can bring that about.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“We would like also to talk about how we can get together, through Astana or another grouping that works, to work out how the regime can work with the opposition to bring security and stability back to Idlib. I would like to know why the Council cannot spend time discussing how to build on the work of Astana to that end. This would not only provide a plan to rid the area of extremists, but would also provide the beginnings of a model for discussing a political process to resolve this conflict, which has gone on too long. Every speaker today has talked about the importance of there being no alternative to a political solution.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“We face a choice between an Al-Assad/Russia military assault on Idlib in which, as many colleagues have said today, thousands of civilians will die - we have seen in eastern Aleppo and eastern Ghouta what that looks like: the killing of children; attacks on schools and hospitals, even those in deconflicted areas; the barbaric use of chemical weapons - or allowing Turkey and opposition groups the support, space and time to separate out the terrorists and tackle them themselves. Turkey has a plan for Idlib, and it involves reaching an agreement with the Syrian opposition whereby the regime would refrain from attacking them while they combat terrorism. That is what we should be discussing today, but I think it was absent from the briefing we received from Russia just now.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“We urge them to work with us now to halt the attacks and protect the civilians of Idlib. There have been many inflection points that have come and gone on Syria. The Astana meeting, one would like to think, was another inflection point that would succeed. I think that it is very important that we can have this discussion and this debate today. We will soon hear from our Turkish colleague, whom we welcome to the Council. But I want to stay right at the start that we strongly agree with President Erdogan. This morning, he wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Al-Assad's solution to countering terrorism is a false one. He said that the plan to militarily attack Idlib will only create new hotbeds of terrorism. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham was an outcome and not the cause of what is happening in Syria.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“Ijoin my colleagues in expressing our condolences and solidarity with you, Madam President, your Mission, all our American friends and the citizens of this great city of New York for the losses of 9/11, and to all those countries that, like my own, lost their own nationals in the attacks. Speaking as someone who worked very closely with the American and other Governments in the aftermath of 9/11, I can say that I will never forget that day and that we will never cease to stand alongside them in the fight against terrorists and the unwavering campaign to protect our societies and defend civilians. The attacks of 9/11 came without warning out of the clear blue sky. The horror of Syria has been unfolding before us for more than six slow years. After 9/11, Russia and Iran worked with us.”
2018-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8347 (2018) · source
“The United Kingdom is proud to be working in partnership with several countries to share best practices and develop capacities. In Nigeria, we provide technical assistance and equipment to key agencies fighting international and domestic financial and economic crime, and we work to raise public awareness of corruption. In conclusion, the United Kingdom will continue to support a concerted international response to end impunity for those engaged in corruption, to recover stolen assets and to empower citizens to stand up to and report corruption. That, in turn, will help prevent and resolve conflict. The United Nations has a crucial role to play in that response. We hope that all Member States will work together in order to get the better of corrupt leaders, businessmen and officials and ensure that there is no safe haven.”
2018-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8346 (2018) · source
“One of the most important outcomes of the summit, we believe, was the establishment of the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre. It brings together specialist law-enforcement officers from six countries to trace the assets and individuals involved in cases of grand corruption. Asset recovery is a critical part of efforts to tackle corruption and a fundamental principle of the Convention against Corruption. In 2017, we co-hosted the first Global Forum on Asset Recovery with the United States, the World Bank and UNODC. The Forum helped to move forward arrangements for returning stolen assets of more than $300 million to Nigeria. The Convention, in chapter VI, highlights the importance of technical assistance and information exchange.”
2018-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8346 (2018) · source
“But in today's interconnected world, as we have heard, it is vital that there be a properly coordinated international response. We are a very strong supporter of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and I would like to take this opportunity to urge all the countries that have not ratified the Convention to do so because it provides an excellent international framework to guide collective efforts. Fifteen years after its adoption by the General Assembly (resolution 58/4), we need to ensure that we maintain our momentum and focus on implementation and that the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly all ensure that their efforts in that regard are mutually reinforcing. In 2016, we hosted an anti-corruption summit in London in the hope of stepping up global action.”
2018-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8346 (2018) · source
“The fight against corruption therefore needs to begin in our capitals. I would like to highlight three steps that the United Kingdom has taken recently to strengthen our own defences. In 2017, we passed the Criminal Finances Act, which establishes new anti-corruption tools, such as unexplained wealth orders. This year, we announced that we would establish a public register listing the beneficial ownership of overseas companies, including in our overseas territories. That will help ensure that the United Kingdom is not used as a refuge by corrupt leaders, businessmen and officials. We have also established the National Economic Crime Centre, hosted by our National Crime Agency to task, and coordinate our overall law enforcement response.”
2018-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8346 (2018) · source
“In Syria, we have seen how a corrupt Government can generate grievances that lead to discontent and then to violence and then to conflict. In the Balkans, much ethnic tension has been fuelled by leaders not living up to their responsibilities. Studies of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Iraq, Nigeria and Afghanistan show how, once a conflict begins, it creates even more opportunities for bribery and other corrupt practices. That, in turn, undermines the rule of law, which fuels further conflict. Terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham or Al-Qaida, take advantage of corruption both to fund their operations and to attract recruits and promote their ideology. No country is immune from corruption, and I include my own country.”
2018-09-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8346 (2018) · source