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 call on Russia to use its influence with the regime to ensure that the United Nations and its partners can also provide assistance and protection for those who remain in eastern Ghouta. Whether civilians choose to stay or leave, it is essential that they be protected against attack and have access to the essentials to survive. This is not just a plea on the grounds of humanity; it is a requirement under international humanitarian law. It is thejob of the Council and all members ofthe Council to uphold international humanitarian law. Those who side with the regime in its actions are themselves guilty of violating that law. In concluding, I would like to highlight two further areas. The suffering of the Syrian people continues in Idlib, where civilians have been under attack by regime forces for many years.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8217 (2018) · source
“Humanitarians, health workers and first responders on the ground report that the regime is deliberately targeting them. That is illegal, and those who help the Al-Assad regime are complicit in that illegality. The situation continues even for those who are left behind. An estimated 150,000 civilians remain in eastern Ghouta. They suffer from acute food shortages and lack of medical supplies. They are afraid, and above all they remember how the regime punished the civilians who fled from eastern Aleppo in December 2016. That is why Ambassador Alotaibi's call for protection and registration is so urgent. We welcome United Nations plans to scale up support to deal with the dire situations in the internally displaced persons camps and collective shelters.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8217 (2018) · source
“Diabolical is a strong word, but there are no others to describe what is happening. The worst destruction and suffering has continued in eastern Ghouta. Those who support Al-Assad have not taken steps to help stop the violence. Instead, Al-Assad and his supporters have violated the strong words of the Security Council in resolution 2401 (2018), making mockery of the Council's authority, as Ambassador Delattre stated. Since 11 March, an estimated 100,000 people have left eastern Ghouta and are in makeshift reception sites in rural Damascus. Thousands more have been bused to Idlib. Because there is no independent monitoring nor provisions for civilian safety, those fleeing and those staying remain vulnerable and at risk of mistreatment and abuse by the regime, including being detained, disappeared or separated from their families.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8217 (2018) · source
“The Under-Secretary-General's briefing eloquently underscores why it is essential that the Council comes together to agree on concrete steps to allow the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to fulfil its mandate to ensure humanitarian assistance and protection for everybody who needs it. Ambassador Haley has laid the situation bare, Ambassador Delattre has set out the regime's intentions, and Ambassador Alotaibi has focused on the need for protection and registration. I support their calls. I will not rehearse a catalogue of suffering that we have heard expressed so eloquently today, but that omission should not be taken as any indication that the United Kingdom is not as horrified as others by what is happening on the ground. Specifically, it is diabolical that access is actually worse in the face of such suffering.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8217 (2018) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, both for being here today to underscore the vital importance of this topic and, in particular, for your very powerful statement. The United Kingdom supports your call for a referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. I also wish to express our thanks to the Under- Secretary-General for his continued efforts to keep the Security Council informed of the toll that hostilities are having on civilians in Syria. We also thank him for the heroic efforts of all his teams on the ground. Their efforts are much supported by most ofus on the Council.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8217 (2018) · source
“All parties must ensure that the conditions are in place for credible elections to take place, which means sticking to the electoral calendar and ensuring full implementation of the December 2016 political agreement, including ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Security Council should closely follow progress against these benchmarks in the coming months. Finally, I would like to stress that the United Kingdom strongly welcomes the language in the resolution on sexual exploitation and abuse. We fully support the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy and urge the United Nations to keep the Council fully informed on its progress in implementing that policy.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8216 (2018) · source
“We particularly welcome the resolution's clear focus on two priorities for the Mission - protecting civilians and supporting the implementation of the 2016 political agreement. As outlined in its strategic review, a whole-of-Mission approach will be needed to successfully deliver on those objectives. We also welcome the strategic review's focus on enabling MONUSCO to evolve so that it is flexible and agile and can respond to emerging protection threats. We welcome the proposals to unlock the Intervention Brigade. At the same time, we should keep these changes under review and make adjustments where necessary, including dealing with the question of temporary reinforcement. The resolution is clear that the elections must go ahead on 23 December and lead to a peaceful transfer of power in accordance with the Constitution.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8216 (2018) · source
“I would like to welcome you to the Council today, Mr. President, and to thank France for its work in facilitating the unanimous adoption of resolution 2409 (2018). I would like to concentrate on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) itself, which has a vital job to do. This is a crucial time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It stands poised on the verge of hope. With nine months to go before the elections, the country is facing increased insecurity and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in many areas. MONUSCO needs the strong backing of the Security Council now more than ever, so our unanimous adoption today of resolution 2409 (2018) is all the more important.”
2018-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8216 (2018) · source
“It is a sad day today because it is the third anniversary of the conflict in Yemen, which is a conflict that has gone on too long, but it is also true that missiles fired into Saudi Arabia against civilians is dangerous and provocative, and will do nothing to help the conflict be resolved. It is against international law. We send our condolences to the Saudi people. We want to see the efforts of the United Nations on a Yemeni political process succeed. As the United Kingdom, we will give our every support to Martin Griffiths and the Secretary- General to that end.”
2018-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8214 (2018) · source
“Of course, I want to put on record our condemnation of the recent attempted assassination of Prime Minister Hamdallah. We take this opportunity once again to condemn all acts of terror. I also want to put on record that we are going to talk about improving the situation on the ground, but that will only take us so far. I agree with previous speakers who said that a political horizon is needed so as to keep the prospect of the two-State solution alive. We support peace efforts being advanced by the United States. We look forward to seeing a plan presented at the earliest opportunity. We encourage re-engagement by all sides. I also want to take the opportunity to follow my colleague from Kuwait and say something about the attack on Saudi Arabia by the Houthis this morning.”
2018-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8214 (2018) · source
“I offer very many thanks to colleagues for their warm welcome, as this is the first time I take the floor as the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom. It is an enormous honour to represent the United Kingdom. It is very nice for me personally to be back in New York. I see many good friends in the Chamber, including Ambassador Mansour. Today's debate is an important one, and I will save the bulk of my remarks for the consultations room, but I just want to make the point that improving the situation on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories remains vital, particularly in Gaza. We endorse what the Special Coordinator said about the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and about the legitimate Palestinian Authority.”
2018-03-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8214 (2018) · source
“We encourage all those involved to improve the engagement between the Haitian leadership and the international community on aid issues. Our objective will rightly be to secure a reliable flow of funding to Haiti. But it is also important that donors be coordinated and that assistance be well organized and targeted at priority sectors. Let me conclude by repeating our thanks to Special Representative Annabi and his entire team in MINUSTAH. We express our hope that he will pass on our thanks to the team. We also fervently hope that his assessment of an imminent turning point is fulfilled. We will work in the Council and with him to help bring that about.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“We urge MINUSTAH to continue to monitor and measures its progress against the existing benchmarks. This is vital to measuring progress in Haiti overall and achieving greater mission efficiency, and it is the only way that we can sensibly and carefully plan the next step. We look forward to reviewing progress against those benchmarks in six months' time. I would like to take this opportunity, however, to welcome the progress made in improving the capacity of the Haitian National Police. It is important, in our View, that the pace of recruitment and training is maintained and, where possible, accelerated. The approaching Washington donor conference represents an important opportunity to underline that the international community needs to help the people of Haiti to stand on their own feet.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“Lasting stability does, however, depend very heavily on security, and I would like to take this opportunity to put on record our admiration for the work of the outgoing Force Commander, Major- General Dos Santos Cruz. During his time in Haiti we have seen a significant improvement in the security situation. The re-establishment of government control in former no-go areas is a particularly significant achievement. MINUSTAH, under the Special Representative's able leadership, plays a significant role in the daily life of Haiti, and we acknowledge the Mission's support to the efforts of the Government. For the time being, the presence of MINUSTAH remains essential to the maintenance of security and stability. But it is also our overall objective to ultimately enable the Haitian authorities to assume responsibility for their own security.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“We also strongly encourage the authorities to use the expertise offered by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and other agencies on the ground to take early and concrete steps in the key areas. As other speakers have noted, securing lasting stability in Haiti depends ultimately on socio-economic development. As the Secretary-General says in his report, the current levels of poverty are incompatible with long-term stability. Cooperation with the international community is an essential part of making progress in this area. At the same time, we do need to recognize that it is not the role of MINUSTAH to deliver development, and that the lead must therefore be taken by other actors and organizations based on a sensible division of labour, no duplication, and proper coordination.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“However, sadly, overall progress has fallen short of that which we had hoped to see. In part, this can be attributed to the devastating blows dealt by the hurricanes and tropical storms of August and September 2008. We hope that, with the support of the international community, the efforts of the Government that were so seriously undermined by these calamities will be pursued with new vigour. The installation of the new Government and the appointment of Prime Minister Pierre-Louis in September was an important step forward. It offers the potential for much-needed progress in a number of areas. We urge the Haitian authorities to seize the opportunity and to continue their work proactively and constructively to address the constitutional, legislative and budgetary issues that are currently preventing progress in key sectors.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“As this is the first time I am speaking in the Chamber under your presidency, Mr. President, allow me to start by thanking Ambassador Dabbashi and Ambassador Shalgham for their stewardship of the Council this past month, by welcoming you, Sir, for this month and by pledging our support to you in all your endeavours. Turning to Haiti, we welcome the most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2009/ 129) and the fact that he and former President Clinton were able to visit. We are also very grateful for all the efforts from the Special Representative, Mr. Hedi Annabi, who has given us such a thorough and comprehensive briefing today. We concur with the Secretary-General's assessment, and, I think, the emerging assessment from this Council, that there have been some very positive advances.”
2009-04-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6101 (2009) · source
“We welcome the statement by President Tadie today that joining the EU is Serbia's strategic goal. We will do everything we can to help Serbia realize that goal. But it is worth recalling that the route to Europe lies through reconciliation, not retribution. It lies in acknowledging and overcoming the past and moving on.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I have been to Obilie and have seen the Kosovo Serbs who were driven from their homes. But there is a world of difference between those acts of violence in 2004 and the deliberate policies of the then Serbian Government towards Kosovo Albanians in 1998 and 1999. We do not hold the present Government of Serbia - still less President Tadie - responsible for those events. But the Government does have a responsibility to educate their citizens about the crimes committed in Serbia's name by Milosevic and others indicted by the Hague Tribunal. My Government's position on the independence of Kosovo is well known. Kosovo's independence is a fact. It is irreversible, and recognitions are continuing. We want to see both Kosovo and Serbia enter the European Union as neighbours on good terms with each other and with the rest of the European Union.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“With regard to the tenth anniversary of the NATO bombing of Serbia, I think we should spend a moment reflecting on why that was necessary. That NATO action was an intervention to avert an overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo. When an attempt was made at the United Nations to condemn NATO's action, only three countries voted in favour of condemnation. Serbia ignored several Chapter VII Security Council resolutions to negotiate and to cease its repression. That repression saw the Racak massacre, 800,000 people expelled and 10,000 people killed, according to United Nations figures. It does Serbia no credit to ignore those facts from 1998 and 1999. That is not to belittle subsequent violence. The United Kingdom unreservedly condemns what happened to Kosovo's Serb communities in 2004.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“For anyone's European perspective to be advanced, we need an even greater acceleration from the Kosovo Government, especially with regard to the rule of law and to returns, property and the reconstruction of the religious and cultural heritage sites. We need greater outreach to all communities. It must be visibly clear and practically demonstrated that all citizens of Kosovo will be treated equally. They deserve access to its services on an equal basis, and we look to the Kosovo Government to give us such assurances. We heard a number of statements this morning from President Tadie with which my Government does not agree. For example, we do not accept his description of the remit of the EU mission in Kosovo.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“The Kosovo Security Force will provide Kosovo with an appropriately sized, lightly armed, multi-ethnic and civilian-led internal security and civil protection capability. I would like to repeat once again that the Kosovo Security Force does not constitute any sort of threat to any of Kosovo's neighbours. Progress on returns, property, adjudication and reconstruction of cultural and religious heritage sites has continued. The European Union (EU) remains committed to fostering the European perspective of Kosovo in the context of the Stabilization and Association Process and to encouraging Kosovo's full involvement in regional initiatives and international forums in a constructive manner.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“EULEX has helped to ensure an effective response by the Police to the few instances of criminal and inter-ethnic violence that have occurred, ensuring their quick suppression. We welcome the start of the technical dialogue between EULEX and Belgrade over the transitional arrangements set out in the Secretary-General's November 2008 report to the Council (S/2008/692), and we urge the Governments of Serbia and Kosovo to engage constructively with EULEX over the implementation of those arrangements and to promote the benefits of positive engagement to all of Kosovo's communities. The Kosovo Security Force has been established and the Kosovo Protection Corps has stood down, in line with commitments made with the Kosovo Government and the international community.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“They are preparing to devolve some government competencies to local municipalities, including Kosovo Serb municipalities, and to establish new municipalities. These will help to protect the interests of all of Kosovo's minority communities. The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has taken up its mandate and is progressing towards full operational capacity. It is fulfilling its tasks of mentoring, monitoring and advising Kosovo's Police, judiciary and Customs, and that is helping to maintain law and order. That is essential to allow all of Kosovo's citizens to pursue their daily business. EULEX has also encouraged the establishment of an ethnically mixed Kosovo Police unit in northern Mitrovica.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“I wish to add the United Kingdom's voice of welcome to those of Security Council colleagues to the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mr. Zannier, to President Tadic' of Serbia, and to the Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Mr. Skender Hyseni, over a year after Kosovo became independent. I would also like to express our thanks to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on Kosovo over the period during which Kosovo passed its first anniversary as an independent State (S/2009/149). As we have heard this morning, there have been several positive developments over the period. The Government of Kosovo has continued to establish the legal and administrative apparatus of the State, in line with Kosovo's Constitution.”
2009-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6097 (2009) · source
“Thus, either now or at some later point, we would be very interested to hear how the United Nations might change its processes to improve the way in which it carries out this sort of thing in future.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“As I said at the beginning of my statement, it is important that this new, experimental integrated mission be properly evaluated to see if it can be used as a model in other areas. We obviously hope that it can. But, as I said, proper monitoring will be key to that. Lastly, I would just like to place on record our disappointment that, although UNIPSIL has finally deployed, it took such a long time to reach that stage. We recognize that the appointment of the Executive Representative also took a long time to be confirmed and that some positions in UNIPSIL are still not filled. We do not believe that, in a small mission such as UNIPSIL and in a country such as Sierra Leone - which still has its fragilities - that is a tenable way to proceed.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“Unless those three critical areas of work are taken forward, it will be impossible for UNIPSIL to deliver on its other targets. I have three questions that, I hope, the Executive Representative of the Secretary-General might be able to address in his later remarks. With regard to the assessment of peacebuilding so far and the objectives for this year, what other indicators of success does he think we should be following, and what other objectives, if any, would he like to see added for 2009? Secondly, we would be interested to hear a little bit more about the military coup in Guinea. What is its impact on Sierra Leone and on the work of UNIPSIL? Finally, I wish to make two process points. First, I would be grateful for an assurance that in the next report, there will be some agreed outputs and indicators of success.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“The United Nations has an important role to play here, and the Government of Sierra Leone should feel able to make full use of UNIPSIL in that regard. Some very good work has been done by UNIPSIL over the past few months. It has begun to work with the Political Parties Registration Commission and has made very good use of the election basket fund, and its work to help with the biannual review of the Peacebuilding Cooperation Framework has been very important for Sierra Leone's continued journey towards effective development. Along with others, we hope that UNIPSIL will engage in further high-level advocacy on countering the threat of narcotics, on conflict prevention and resolution and on ensuring that the Anti-Corruption Commission actually delivers.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“However, I do not want my brevity to be taken as any indication of a lack of interest in what is happening in Sierra Leone. On the contrary, Sierra Leone is an important partner for my Government and for the United Kingdom generally. There is great interest and support within the United Kingdom for Sierra Leone and its people, and the peaceful transition that has been made to President Koroma is to be welcomed. It was very good to be able to hear from Ambassador Touray about the prospects for constitutional change. We would like to use this occasion to urge the Government to reinvigorate coordination with its development partners, particularly in order to realize President Koroma's Agenda for Change.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“I wish to join my colleagues in congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for February and the French mission on its excellent stewardship of the Council last month. It is a great honour to welcome Mr. von der Schulenburg back to the Council in his new capacity as head of a very important integrated mission, the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), which is something of an experiment. Therefore, not only do we wish it well, but it is only natural that we should also follow its progress with great interest. In addition, I would like to thank Ambassador Majoor and Ambassador Touray for their briefings. We have heard a lot from previous speakers today. Much of what I wanted to say has been said by others, so I will be brief this morning.”
2009-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6080 (2009) · source
“To make sure that there is absolutely no doubt, I wish to stress that the intention of such implementation and such renewed impetus is not to replace Djibouti, but to reinforce it. For that, renewed efforts by the parties will also be necessary.”
2009-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6068 (2009) · source
“When the time comes for the Council to take that decision, my Government will look to weigh the following factors: the situation on the ground, particularly the political and security situation; the question of whether there is a sustainable peace that Blue Helmet troops can realistically keep; and what is in the best interests of United Nations peacekeeping overall. We will be looking to the Secretary-General's report to address those issues in full so that the Council can take an informed decision at the right time. Finally, the resolution provides for renewed impetus for the implementation of the Djibouti agreement, and the Secretary-General is asked to make recommendations, including on the option of an international conference to that end.”
2009-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6068 (2009) · source
“As regards the assessed contribution element, we believe that the funding arrangement provided for in the resolution is workable, but we will need to monitor it closely and must not, of course, cut across General Assembly prerogatives. Secondly, the resolution provides for a second decision on whether or not to mandate a United Nations peacekeeping operation. That is an important point for my Government, based on Brahimi best practices and a comprehensive and realistic way forward.”
2009-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6068 (2009) · source
“I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for the advice that he and his staff have provided to the Council on this issue in helping us to reach a balanced conclusion. We believe that the current resolution offers a good way forward that takes account of the key relevant factors. Crucially, the resolution provides for enhanced support for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). AMISOM. troops are doing a difficult job in difficult circumstances, and we salute them for their work. This resolution authorizes a United Nations logistics mission, including equipment and services that will support the African Union (AU) peacekeeping operation in Somalia, and it requests the Secretary-General to establish a trust fund to ensure the continuity of funding for AMISOM.”
2009-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6068 (2009) · source
“I should like to speak in explanation of vote. Before doing so, however, I should like to join other delegations in paying tribute to Ambassador Khalilzad. The question of the situation in Somalia has been a genuinely difficult one for the Security Council to address. Many factors - related to the political, security and development areas - have needed to be weighed in making a decision, along with the imperative of building a peace to keep. I should like to express the thanks of my Government and our Foreign Secretary to the United States and Secretary Rice for all the hard work that has gone into this resolution, in particular their efforts to take into account the concerns of others, including those of the United Kingdom.”
2009-01-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6068 (2009) · source
“I think that the Permanent Representative of Uganda captured the problem well when he talked about the need for the Council to find some way to address non-State actors. I hope that that could be a theme of ours in 2009. I should like to conclude by mentioning the responsibility to protect. The 2005 World Summit Outcome is clear about the responsibility that falls to the Council under the responsibility to protect. There is not yet a unified view within the Council or within the membership at large about what the responsibility to protect means in practice, but I hope that the recent work done in that area, including by representatives of the Secretary-General, can shortly bring us to a common understanding of what needs to be done as part of our work to address the question of enhancing the protection of civilians.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Other things that we have been discussing include the informal Council expert group. We hope that we can create such a group to help the Security Council, under resolution 1674 (2006), to systematically address protection issues. The aide-memoire can be an important instrument underpinning the expert group's considerations. Likewise, we support the United Nations system's ongoing work to produce guidance for peacekeepers, as I said earlier. If we engaged in more systematic consideration of protection issues, such as through an expert group, that might also provide an opportunity for some creative thinking about how to deal with uniquely difficult situations. We heard about the Lord's Resistance Army today; we too are very disturbed by the recent reports of the high number of civilian casualties that they have inflicted.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“We now have good practice on which we can build, but we need a more systematic approach on this to ensure that protection issues are properly understood and that there is comprehensive United Nations guidance on how exactly to go about engaging in protection: what it means to take given decisions on a given day on the ground. We feel that practice here is somewhat incomplete and that more training for troop contributors in the field could be useful in that respect. Afghanistan was mentioned by the Under- Secretary-General and a number of other speakers. We very much regret the civilian non-combatant deaths and casualties there, and we send our condolences to the victims. I want to make it clear that we do not target civilians. We keep our procedures on targeting under rigorous review, and we will continue to do so.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to invite all Council members who, for one reason or another, opposed robust language in peacekeeping mandates on the protection of civilians and who opposed chapter VII authority to back up forces who undertake tasks for the protection of civilians to reflect on whether their actions, whatever the political justification may be, are actually, overall, aiding the Council's work on protection of civilians. The protection of civilians is not a role for which many militaries have traditionally trained. The implementation of Council directives on protection have been met with adaptation and flexibility by United Nations peacekeepers.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“The Council has been very clear that the primary task for the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) is the protection of civilians. We would like to see its unambiguous mandate in this respect translated into action on the ground. We would like to see the concept of operations adjusted to reflect the priority that the Council attaches to the protection of civilians. In turn, that requires an understanding of the specific activities that peacekeepers can conduct to turn Council language into reality. A while ago, it was incumbent on NATO and other nations to go into Bosnia to uphold the Dayton Peace Agreement. I think that was one of the first mandates in recent times to have had protection of civilians as one of its core tasks.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“I would like to join other Council members in reiterating the call for an immediate and durable ceasefire, condemning all acts of violence directed against civilians and condemning all acts of terrorism. What we and others need to see is the full implementation of resolution 1860 (2009). I would also like to pay tribute to the United Nations and other workers who are trying to bring stability, peace and help to Gaza in what are obviously extremely difficult circumstances. We have heard a number of speakers raise various conflicts which are on our minds at the moment. In addition to Gaza, I would like to bring up the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Events there have emphasized the scale of the task we face. Obligations are not being met.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“I want to say at the outset that I have listened very carefully to the debate today, and I have also listened to the national experiences that Council colleagues have described. I must say that I do not agree with all the characterizations of situations that we have heard today. But I do not want to turn this of all meetings into a political debate, so I will not go into detail. I would simply like to place on record that we do not share all those characterizations. The Under-Secretary-General rightly led off with Gaza, and this is very much at the forefront of everyone's minds, as we have heard today. We discussed it also in last week's meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (see S/PV.6062). The civilian population now is all the more vulnerable because it cannot flee.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Let me join others in thanking the Under-Secretary-General for his briefing today. We share many of the concerns that he has raised, and the aide-memoire that we have gathered to adopt today shows the weight of consideration that the Security Council has given to this issue over the years. But I think we need to apply some perspective: Have we really come far enough? Given the perilous situation in which many civilian populations find themselves today, it is imperative that the Security Council proactively ensure that this issue remains at the forefront of our work. We are very grateful to the peacekeepers who take on the vital protection function. But we should not forget that it is the parties to an armed conflict who bear the primary obligation under law to protect civilians.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“That report is an opportunity to put in place a more effective international response to assisting countries in the immediate aftermath of conflicts. That is a response that can provide coordinated, prioritized and adequately resourced support to national efforts.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source
“I would be grateful if the High Commissioner, in his response, would say something about the evolving thinking of UNHCR on voluntary return. I know that in certain circumstances there has been a debate within the Organization and elsewhere in the international community about whether refugees should be encouraged to return only to their places of origin - that is, their original homes - or whether they should be allowed to resettle in majority communities in their own country. It would be interesting to hear if there is any update on that debate. I would like to turn, as my last point, to peacebuilding. We welcome UNCHR support for and involvement in the upcoming report of the Secretary- General on post-conflict peacebuilding and early recovery.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source
“I was also pleased to hear the responsibility to protect and the need for effective prevention mentioned. It is clear that members of the Council do not yet have a unified view about how to take the responsibility to protect forward. It is in its early stages. It is a new concept that we all need to work hard to elaborate and operationalize in an effective manner in order to get help to where it is most needed and help Governments discharge their primary responsibility to protect their populations. We would welcome, in connection with responding to and preventing protection crises, more regular and ad hoc briefings to this Council by the High Commissioner. In turn, we believe we should make better use of UNHCR expertise when we formulate mandates for peacekeeping operations.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source
“I know from personal experience that in the latter situation, it is important to have an integrated approach if we actually want to get success on the ground. But what he said about the distinction was something that might offer fruitful grounds for work in the future. We talked a little bit today about the changing causes of forced displacement. The High Commissioner raised some very interesting questions on that. It seems to my Government that the current protection framework is adequate, if it is implemented. I think that is another important point. In terms of prevention and response, the increasing complexity described by the High Commissioner raises again the issue of the need for effective partnerships. The protection of civilians in conflict is also a theme that many people will be interested in today.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source
“We strongly support the responsibilities of UNHCR for internally displaced persons and other populations affected by conflict, as part of the inter-agency cluster approach. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the High Commissioner to see what can be done to deepen the involvement of UNHCR with the cluster approach and to further develop its relationships with other stakeholders. We expect good things to come out of the UNCHR/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs retreat, and look forward to hearing more about that. That leads me to another point the High Commissioner made about the potential distinction between the work of UNCHR when a conflict is ongoing and its work alongside other agencies in the aftermath of that conflict, when the immediate situation has been eased.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source
“We also condemn acts of violence and terror directed against civilians in the region. My Foreign Minister, along with the French Foreign Minister and others both inside and outside the Council, are still in New York, searching for a way forward as a contribution to resolving the conflict. I would like to take this occasion, more generally, to recall the commitment of my Government to upholding the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and to support the mandate of UNHCR to protect refugees and find durable solutions to their plight. We know that the majority of people uprooted by conflict and violence do not cross international borders, but nevertheless can find themselves in situations of extreme vulnerability.”
2009-01-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6062 (2009) · source