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

“That will help prevent further former FARC-EP members from joining dissident groups. We look forward to seeing resources unlocked and timelines accelerated for crop substitution, rural development and the reintegration of former combatants. The United Kingdom encourages further progress in the implementation of the Peace Agreement over the coming months to support continued progress towards a sustained peace in Colombia. Colombia can definitely count on the United Kingdom's continued and deep support.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“The launch of plan Horus represents a bold and comprehensive response to security challenges in vulnerable areas and we look forward to seeing an ongoing approach to stabilization that is coordinated with police and civilian agencies. I think that will be vital for long-term stability. Turning to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, we would like to thank its staff, and Mr. Todd Howland in particular for his leadership at the Office. We welcome the appointment of his successor, Mr. Alberto Brunori. The Office has played a key role in supporting the peace process and we will continue to watch its work very closely. In the next weeks and months, it is vital that reintegration projects are active in all 26 areas for training and reintegration.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“The protection measures, including FARC participation and close protection of its leaders, are key steps in helping address that, and it is vital that the Government's strategy for security guarantees is properly resourced and coordinated with the police, the Office of the Attorney General and judicial authorities. I was reassured by what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General had to say about the arrest of the FARC leader. We would like to echo those calls for calm and for ensuring that the provisions of the Peace Agreement continue to be followed. One of our other concerns is the levels of violence against community leaders and human rights defenders. It is very good that the Special Investigation Unit of the Office of the Attorney General will be able to investigate those attacks.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“We also welcome the progress that has been made in implementing the Agreement, notably on structures for truth, justice and reparations for the victims of the conflict and the activation of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Special Unit for the Search for Persons - two very important steps. On the resumption of talks with the National Liberation Army, we welcome the return to dialogue, but I would also like to mention the very real challenges that remain for the implementation of the Final Agreement. Those challenges include continued insecurity in some of the areas affected by the conflict, and they can include violence and threats against former members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP).”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“I was very interested to hear from the Special Representative of the Secretary-General about some of the remarkable progress that has been achieved over the past three months, in particular his remarks with regard to the ruling and the banks. Those were an important steps forward. We also welcome the congressional elections in March, which saw the Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Comun (FARC) participate in Colombia's democratic process for the first time. We believe that this is indeed a key point in FARC's political transformation and a truly remarkable achievement, given the short time since the signing of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace in 2016.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“I think Colombia is to be congratulated on taking this tremendously important and historic step that ended 50 years of conflict. It is a huge achievement and serves as a global inspiration for others. It shows what can be done for peace when there is bold leadership. From its experience with Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom knows that the implementation of such agreements is very challenging. I think that it has proved to be no less challenging for Colombia. The United Kingdom is proud to stand with Colombia in support of the implementation process and the country can rely on us to do so in the months and years ahead.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“It is an honour to have Their Excellencies the Vice-President and the Foreign Minister of Colombia with us today. On behalf of the British people and Government, I too would like to begin by expressing my condolences to our colleagues of Cote d'Ivoire, to the family and friends of Mr. Tanoh-Boutchoue, and to our friends in Cote d'Ivoire and its Government and people. It is indeed a great loss and we send them all our condolences and sympathy. Turning to Colombia, it is very good to have the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia with us again. He and I have known each other for a very long time. I would like to thank him for his work and that of his entire team on the ground. This is a historic peace agreement.”
2018-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8238 (2018) · source
“I would like to repeat something that I have said before. We respect Russia as a country. We have no quarrel with the Russian people. But we will always speak out against reckless and illegal behaviour on the part of the Russian authorities, whether it takes place in Syria or in Salisbury. Finally, when Christmas comes, I would like to buy my colleague the Russian Ambassador a subscription to an English book club. But as it is not Christmas, I would like to return his literary favour today. The Russian account of the behaviour of the United Kingdom and what is happening on the ground in both Salisbury and Syria is a rewrite of George Orwell's 1984, updated for the modern day and modern Russian methods. The meeting rose at 4.40 pm.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“Porton Down is a defensive establishment that conducts research and provides scientific and technical support to the United Kingdom Government in relation to protection against chemical weapons. Protective research is permitted under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Porton Down is full compliance with the Convention and is subject to regular inspection by the OPCW. Any member State is invited and permitted to conduct an inspection at any time. We received 16 questions from the Russian Federation under article IX of the CWC. The rules of the OPCW and the articles of the CWC make it Clear that we have 10 days to respond, and we will respond. With regard to President Putin, I am happy to clarify that I was referring to the early 2000s. With regard to Litvinenko, the polonium trail literally led all the way back to Russia.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“I will be brief. I was asked a number of questions by the Russian Ambassador. Ihave nothing to add to what I said in relation to the report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that has just been published and the way in which the samples were taken. I have nothing to add to what I said on the consular aspect. I would like to stress that the investigation in the United Kingdom is indeed independent of the Government. With regard to selective adherence with regard to the OPCW or the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), we are a State party in very good standing. On the question of Porton Down, the United Kingdom does not possess chemical weapons.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“We are also very willing to continue to keep the Council updated if the Council would like that. We are happy to do that in person, or possibly, so as not to disrupt the timetable, in writing. I should mention also that we held an open briefing for all Member States yesterday at the General Assembly, and there were a number of questions that we were able to answer.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“On 13 April, the Russian Federation transmitted to the United Kingdom a list of questions under article IX of the CWC. We will respond as soon as possible and certainly within the 10 days stipulated in the Convention. We will respond to Russia, which made the request, but we will share our response with all States parties. Furthermore, if the CWC allows, I will of course share it with members of the Council. Russia said that its requests were urgent, and it has asked us for an answer by no later than 17 April, which we have not done because we have 10 days to respond. However, we regret that Russia did not consider it urgent when we asked it for an explanation on 12 March. Our questions remain unanswered. That concludes the briefing I have to offer the Council today. We are at the disposal of the Council to answer any questions.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“It is quite clear both that it is suspected of involvement and that its behaviour has undermined its credibility on this. As I said before, this is an arsonist and firefighter trying to investigate his own fire. Russia has failed to establish any good reason under the CWC or otherwise why it should be involved in the United Kingdom's independent police investigation. I repeat what I said at the first Council briefing in which I took part concerning Salisbury (see S/PV.8224). We did go to the Russian Federation before we went to the OPCW to ask if this was a rogue attempt by one of its agents, and if so to cooperate with us in trying to get to the bottom of it and resolve the case. The Russian Federation did not agree to that request. Rather, it refused to take it seriously.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“On the substance of that allegation, the Director- General of the OPCW explained in his statement today that a sample separate from the samples taken from the Skripals and their environment was sent along with the samples taken from Salisbury to the designated laboratories for testing. That is called a control sample, and it is a routine procedure carried out in these tests so that the OPCW can test whether the labs' findings are accurate. The Director-General has confirmed unreservedly that there was no B2 in any of the samples taken by the OPCW in Salisbury. I believe that Russia is fully familiar with this procedure, so I would be grateful to know what motive Mr. Lavrov had in setting out this obfuscation. Russia continues to be asked to be involved in the United Kingdom's independent investigation.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“Sergei Lavrov, has claimed that traces of the toxic chemical BZ were found in the samples analysed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and this disclosed the location of one of the independent laboratories that the OPCW used. The OPCW itself has not disclosed the identity of the labs, nor have they published any information about BZ samples in the executive summary that they released to the public. So, it is an interesting question: How and why does Russia think it knows who tested the samples and what result they found? By making that confidential information public, Russia has in turn breached the confidentiality that States parties owe the OPCW under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“We have heard a number of allegations against the United Kingdom and against the findings from the Russian Federation. If I may, I would like to deal briefly with some of the most egregious. One accusation that we have faced today and in recent days was that Yulia had not been poisoned - that the British Government had in fact drugged her, put her in a coma and then injected her with the poisons that were found. That is more than fanciful; it is outlandish. That sort of thing may happen in Russia, but I can assure the Council that it does not and will not happen in the United Kingdom. Secondly, the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“They have been supported by a range of experts and partners, and they have gone through more than 5,000 hours of video footage. They have interviewed more than 500 witnesses. The British Government announced on 17 April that decontamination work in Salisbury is starting this week, and it will take some months to complete. In total, nine sites, including three in the city centre, have been identified as requiring specialist decontamination. That will involve a complex process of testing, the removal of items that could be contaminated and that might, in turn, harbour residual amounts of the agent. It also involves chemical cleaning and retesting. All waste will be safely removed and incinerated. Each site will not be released until decontamination is complete.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“The hospital, in treating the patients, was able to stabilize them, ensuring that the patients could breathe and that blood could continue to circulate. They then needed to use a variety of different drugs to support the patients until they could create more enzymes to replace those affected by the poisoning. The hospital also used specialized decontamination techniques to remove any residual toxins. Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment that we have been providing, but both patients are at different stages in their recovery. Turning to decontamination and the investigation, as we have said before this has been one of the most comprehensive and complex investigations into the use of chemical weapons ever undertaken. It has involved 250 police detectives.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“At the moment, I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but ifI change my mind I know how to contact them." According to the medical update from the Medical Director at Salisbury District Hospital, in the four weeks since the incident in the city centre, the Skripals have received round-the-clock care from clinicians, and they have been able to draw on the advice and support from world-leading experts in this field. Because of the Skripals' right to privacy, I will not go into great detail about the treatment we have been providing. However, we can say the following. Nerve agents work by attaching themselves to a particular enzyme in the body, which then stops the nerves from working properly. That results in symptoms such as sickness, hallucinations and confusion.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“None of those stocks and production have been declared in Russia's chemical weapons declaration. It is clear that Russia is in breach of its obligations to declare its chemical weapons programme. If I may, I would now like to turn to an update on the Skripals themselves, their medical condition and the consular situation, before turning to the investigation itself. The Russians asked us to pass on the offer to provide consular services to Yulia, as well as their request to see her, and we have done that. Yulia herself said in a statement on 11 April: "I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“That programme subsequently included the investigation of ways to deliver nerve agents, including by application to door handles. Within the past decade, as I said, Russia has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichok under this programme. Thirdly, there is motive. Sergei Skripal was a former Russian military intelligence officer from the Main Intelligence Directorate. He was convicted of espionage in 2006. It is highly likely that the Russian intelligence services view at least some of its defectors as legitimate targets for assassination. We have information indicating Russian intelligence service interest in the Skripals, and this dates back at least as far as 2013 when email accounts belonging to Yulia Skripal were targeted by Main Intelligence Directorate cyberspecialists.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“No terrorist group or non-State actor would be able to produce that agent in the purity described by the OPCW testing. That is something that Russia has acknowledged. Secondly, I would like to refer to operational experience. Russia has a proven record of conducting State-sponsored assassination, including on the territory of the United Kingdom. The independent inquiry into the death of Alexander Litvinenko concluded in January 2016 that he had been deliberately poisoned with polonium; that the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation had directed the operation; and that President Putin probably had approved it. During the 2000s, Russia commenced programmes to test means of delivering chemical warfare agents and to train personnel from special units in the use of such weapons.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“Within the past decade, Russia has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichoks. Russia's chemical weapons programme continued after the collapse of the Soviet Union. By 1993, when Russia signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, it is likely that some Novichoks had passed acceptance testing. That meant that they could be used by the Russian military. Russia's declaration under the CWC failed to report work on Novichoks. Russia further developed Novichoks after ratifying the Convention. In the mid-20005, President Putin himself was closely involved in the Russian chemical weapons programme. It is highly unlikely that any former Soviet Republic other than Russia pursued an offensive chemical weapons programme after independence.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“First, if I may turn to the technical means, a combination of credible open-source reporting and intelligence shows that in the 19805 the Soviet Union developed a new class of fourth-generation nerve agents. In Russia, and then more broadly, they were known as Novichoks. The key institute responsible for that work is a branch of the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology at Shikhany. The code word for the offensive chemical weapons programme of which Novichoks were one part was "Foliant". It is highly likely that Novichoks were developed to prevent detection by the West and to circumvent international chemical weapons controls. The Russian State has previously produced Novichoks and would still be capable of doing so today.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“That in turn suggests that a highly sophisticated laboratory - that is, a State laboratory - made the chemicals. The identification of the nerve agent used is an essential piece of technical evidence in the ongoing investigation. However, the Porton Down analysis and the OPCW report do not identify the country or the laboratory of origin of the agent used in the attack. I would like to explain the wider picture that has led the United Kingdom to assess that there is no plausible alternative explanation than Russian State responsibility for what happened in Salisbury. In our View, only Russia had the technical means, operational experience and motive to target the Skripals.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“I would like to say a word about the use of the term Novichok. It is a term that we use to describe such chemicals. We use the Russian term for such nerve agents. The OPCW report itself does not use the term Novichok. However, the point that I wish to make is that it is the chemical that we said it was. There should therefore not be any lack of clarity on that point. The report sets out the full forensic chain of custody. It sets out how there could be no contamination. It explains how the environmental samples are analysed by two laboratories and the biomedical samples by two further laboratories. Finally, the report notes the absence of any significant amounts of impurities in the chemicals that were detected. High purity is the description given in paragraph 11 of the executive summary.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“If I may, I would just like to stress that the report itself has been circulated without any redaction or amendment to the States parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). To underscore that point, I would like to underscore that the report to the members of the Executive Council is exactly the same report as the United Kingdom itself received. As the High Representative set out, the findings of the OPCW confirm the United Kingdom's analysis of the identity of the toxic chemical. It supports our finding that a military-grade nerve agent was used in Salisbury. As our investigation has found and as the OPCW has verified, the highest concentrations of the agent were found on the handle of Mr. Skripal's front door. It is therefore the chemical that we said it was. That has been confirmed by an independent mechanism.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“I would like to thank the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, who briefed us on the findings of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). On behalf of the United Kingdom, I would also like to thank the OPCW and its staff. The Security Council invited us to keep it updated. I thank you, Mr. President, for agreeing to this meeting today. We wish to brief the Council on the most recent stage in the investigation. I will also cover briefly findings, attribution and a refutation of some of the public statements that have been made by Russia against my country. This meeting is being held immediately after the meeting of the OPCW Executive Council in The Hague to which the High Representative referred.”
2018-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8237 (2018) · source
“I had intended to speak about the political resolution and next steps, but the French Ambassador has laid this out very clearly, and I have nothing to add to that but that I wholeheartedly support what he said. We call on all members of the Council to rally to the notion that we should use what has happened as an opportunity to get the political process back on track. We want to have a very good discussion of possible ways to do so at our retreat in Sweden where we will have the benefit of the presence of the Secretary-General as well. In closing, I would like to end with one of Edmund Burke's more famous pleas: "All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." We can all do something and I hope we will use the next days wisely.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“We urge the regime and its backers to facilitate access for the United Nations and humanitarian partners to deliver desperately needed assistance to the estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people in Douma and all those remaining in eastern Ghouta. Like other speakers, we too are concerned about the poor conditions in camps and sites where people from eastern Ghouta have fled. We look forward to a position where they can have freedom of movement and where they can be allowed to return home. In the meantime, they must be protected against regime reprisals, and we have, in consultations at an earlier stage, asked for more attention to be given by the United Nations, but also by the Syrian Government, to giving visas to United Nations staff who can go in and help perform a protection function.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“We are also contributing to the clearance of mines and explosives in Raqqa, and we are looking at ways to provide additional support to mine-clearance across Syria. Turning to Rukban, I would like to take the opportunity to commend the Government of Jordan for providing humanitarian access to the population, including the distribution of essential aid in January 2018. Further, we commend the efforts of United Nations humanitarian agencies that have been negotiating access from Damascus. I would like to emphasize the right of displaced civilians in Rukban in the so-called berm to protection and sustained humanitarian services and distributions, whether they are cross-line or cross- border, in accordance with humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“To date, we have committed $3.5 billion in response to the Syria crisis, and that is the United Kingdom's largest-ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We encourage all of us to do what we can to support United Nations appeals and we, too, will be playing an active role in the Brussels conference, which is to come. Turning to Raqqa, we welcomed the first United Nations assessment mission. The United Kingdom continues to provide humanitarian support to Raqqa and surrounding areas. Last October, we stepped up our support to north-east Syria by restocking hospitals and mobile surgical units and providing 145,000 medical consultations and 31,000 relief kits, which included cooking equipment and blankets. We helped improve access to clean water for 15,000 people.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“I recall the English philosopher Edmund Burke, who said that it is a general popular error to imagine the loudest complainers for the public to be the most anxious for its welfare. I think that might apply rather too much today. We are talking about resolution 2401 (2018). I do not have the full compendium of the British Government's activities on the humanitarian side in Syria, butI can say that in 2017 we gave $160 million to the United Nations appeal and in 2018 we are giving $138 million dollars. That compares to $5.5 million in 2017 and, as far as I know, zero in 2018 from Russia. We are one of the top three donors to the Syrian humanitarian response plan, and we are the second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian response in Syria since 2011.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“Before I start, ifI may make a request of the Secretariat - it would be very helpful, I think, for the Council to have either a briefing or a brief account of where the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Fact-finding Mission and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security currently are and what their forward plans are. Furthermore, it would be useful to know whether there has been any delay in their getting into Douma and an account of what has caused that delay. If it were possible to have that within the next 24 hours, I would be very grateful. Turning to the issue before us in this meeting, I would like to join others in thanking the Under- Secretary-General for his briefing. It is a pity that some speakers have used today's account of the humanitarian situation to make political points.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8236 (2018) · source
“That is a very important contribution that the Council can make for regional and international peace and security at a time when we see so many problems on so many other issues. I would like to conclude by urging all members of the Council to put our shoulders to the wheel to support the United Nations and to try to bring peace to Yemen.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“In particular, the Panel of Experts on Yemen mandated by resolution 2342 (2017) has concluded that missiles and related to material of Iranian origin was introduced into Yemen after the imposition of the targeted arms embargo. That, in turn, means that Iran is in non-compliance with resolution 2216 (2015). We strongly urge Iran to desist from destabilizing activity and we encourage all Member States to use whatever influence they have to ensure that the supply of missiles fuelling the conflict inside Yemen stops. I want to stress the Special Envoy's remarks about it being possible to make progress. We have within our grasp the ability to do something to help bring this conflict to an end.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“The continued Houthi missile attacks, including the use ofballistic missiles, at civilian targets in Saudi Arabia attract our outright condemnation. The deliberate targeting of civilian areas is abhorrent. It is against international law and against international humanitarian law. We call on all parties involved in the conflict to abide by their international humanitarian law obligations. And as the Under-Secretary General set out, that is still not being done to a sufficient degree. I also want to stress that it really is a national security threat to Saudi Arabia and that, in turn, is driving renewed conflict on the ground. So it is vital and I hope the Council can help ensure that all Member States fully implement the arms embargo that the Council has imposed.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“My second point is about access to Houthi- controlled areas where we see many severely malnourished children. The presidential statement adopted in March (S/PRST/2018/5) highlighted the importance of vaccination campaigns, as the Under- Secretary General said. Thirdly, I want to echo the call about paying non-military public workers. Families do not have the means to buy food. They do not have the means to buy medicine and half of the health facilities have closed. That is all contributing to a more desperate situation in Yemen than needs to be, objectively, the case. I would now like to turn to regional stability. The conflict's impact on regional stability is growing and it is dangerous. It puts Saudi Arabia at risk and puts Saudi citizens at risk.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“The Under-Secretary-General mentioned financial pledges, and I agree that the scale of the generosity from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are all quite remarkable. We ourselves, as the United Kingdom, have provided $250 million for this year and next. I think we all know that money alone will not be enough. We need to do more to get commercial supplies in. I was concerned about the foreign exchange problem, because in Yemen a lot of the food and supplies that go in need to come from commercial sources. Humanitarian assistance cannot manage the scale required. Commercial shipping needs to be able to go in as it is vital to water and sanitation systems. I do hope we can all find ways to urge collaboration in that regard.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“I hope we can, as an international community, pool all our influence and urge the parties to engage in good faith with the United Nations process. Although the conflict has some quite desperate humanitarian consequences, it is a solvable conflict. The Under-Secretary-General said that if we took swift and joint action, then we could make some very good progress. That is absolutely where we should put our efforts. As a Council, I hope that we can encourage people to grant full and unhindered access to Yemen for the Special Envoy, for his team and for the humanitarian actors. In that respect, the meetings that the Envoy laid out in the region, including in Sana'a with senior Houthi leaders, are extremely welcome. I would like to highlight a couple of areas for specific immediate action.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“I welcome the new Special Envoy and thank him for his briefing. I also thank Mr. Lowcock for his assessment and welcome our Yemeni colleagues. It is a desperate situation and it is clear, as the Special Envoy set out, that it can be resolved, ultimately, only through a political solution. I think we all agree on that. I think what the Under-Secretary-General said about the humanitarian consequences - particularly 8 million people being close to starvation and 1 million people at risk of cholera and similar illnesses - is absolutely shocking and ought to be a spur to action for the Council. I think the international community must do whatever it can to enable the Special Envoy to develop his plan at the pace that he has just outlined to us. I welcome the clarity and the elements ofthe plan he set out.”
2018-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8235 (2018) · source
“In conclusion, we join others in urging all Member States to implement the international protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict. That provides guidance on achieving accountability for this truly abhorrent crime, which we must all pledge to tackle.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Finally, I will broach justice and accountability, which other speakers have also touched upon. The survivors of sexual violence and children born as a result of rape must receive justice for what has happened to them. That is a critical element of our prevention efforts. There has been some important progress - for example, at the Kavumu trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo late last year, when 11 Congolese militia members were convicted of crimes against humanity for murder and rape against 37 young children. But there is much more to be done. Although Kosovo and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant are not mentioned in the report of the Secretary- General (S/2018/250), there continues to be a gap in justice and accountability for sexual violence cases from those conflicts.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“We are investing our development assistance in girls' education, as we know that it contributes to a safer and more prosperous world, reduces conflict and increases stability. My second point regards survivor stigma, which the Polish representative very eloquently set out. I will therefore not repeat what has already been said, but just say that we completely agree with the focus that he attributed to this area. The United Kingdom's Principles for Global Action: Preventing and Addressing Stigma Associated with Conflict-related Sexual Violence in Conflict is a practical guide that we have drawn up to raise awareness among policymakers of the challenges concerning this issue. We truly hope that the principles can be applied in all contexts where sexual violence has occurred.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“The first issue is the importance of education, in particular for girls. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by sexual violence in conflict, as we have heard from many speakers, including the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan and of C6te d'Ivoire. That is not to detract from the point that men and boys can also be victims, but it is women and girls who suffer most. Therefore, by extension, creating a global environment where gender equality and women's rights exist and discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and practices do not will obviously help to achieve that goal. The British Foreign Secretary has set a personal target for British diplomacy of helping other countries achieve 12 years of quality education for all girls.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Five years on from the global summit that launched that campaign, the United Kingdom plans to hold an international meeting in 2019 to maintain a global focus. We look forward to working very closely with everybody in the Chamber to achieve our common goals. I agree with our Russian colleague that sexual violence is one of the violations of international humanitarian law that also applies to non-State actors, which I think is incredibly important. We adopted the General Assembly Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Group of Eight Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict in 2013. I hope that, as work progresses in this area, we might be able to build on those two important documents. IfI may, I would like today to focus on three specific issues.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“Sultana in her fantastic work - I am very glad that we had the chance to hear about it before the Security Council undertakes a mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar - and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for her efforts and the very comprehensive briefing that she gave us today. I think it is really positive that so many Members of the United Nations want to speak in today's debate. With that in mind, I will be brief. Like others, we are committed to preventing, but also responding to, sexual violence in conflict. We launched the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative some years ago, which shows how central tackling sexual violence is to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“As a number of speakers have noted today, the Charter of the United Nations makes clear that the United Nations was established to protect the dignity and worth of the human person. We therefore join our other colleagues in thanking you, Mr. President, for convening today's debate. I emphatically appeal to all speakers not to politicize this issue - one of the worst afflictions we face in modern times. I think it behooves all of us to treat the issue as a common problem that we are all committed to mitigating and eventually eradicating. For the avoidance of doubt, let me say incredibly clearly that the United Kingdom salutes the courage of Ms.”
2018-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8234 (2018) · source
“The reason we took this action - our legal basis - was that of humanitarian intervention. We believe that that is wholly within the principles and purposes of the United Nations.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source
“I think it is obvious why we voted against the draft resolution. We support completely what the French representative laid out about next steps and we will work tirelessly to that objective, along with partners on the Council. The Russian Ambassador referred to myths. These are not our myths. The way forward in the Council has been blocked. The second of our own criteria for taking this action on an exceptional basis must be objectively clear. There is no practicable alternative to the use of force iflives are to be saved. In the 113 meetings of the Council on Syria, I think that has been demonstrated absolutely crystally clear. The United Kingdom believes that it cannot be illegal to prevent the use of force to save lives in such numbers as we have seen in Syria.”
2018-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8233 (2018) · source