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

“With merit and experience now agreed as the most important criteria for their selection, we urge the Committee to finalize the appointment of new experts as soon as possible, since delays in their appointment would lower the likelihood of the Committee's being able to attract the best possible team of eight for the job. Finally, I would like to associate the United Kingdom with the statement made by the representative of France on behalf of the European Union.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“My Government welcomes the fact that outreach activity that has taken place since the last briefing is moving away from basic awareness-raising towards more focused outreach, with greater emphasis on the development of national capacity to implement resolution 1540 (2004). That is often done in collaboration with relevant international or regional organizations whose interests overlap. I should like to say something also about the 1540 experts, given that other colleagues have raised that issue today. The United Kingdom also recognizes the vital contribution that the expert staff of the 1540 Committee continues to make to the Committee's work.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“With 159 States having submitted a first report, we are now at the stage at which quantitative progress is near completion, and therefore the focus is rightly moving towards the quality of the implementation. The Committee's focus on capacity- building and knowledge-sharing should support that. We look forward to the Committee's being able to further develop its clearing-house function for channelling assistance to States in need and matching requests with States providers of assistance, as well as intergovernmental organizations. A more qualitative focus will also mean that the Committee's role in monitoring and assessing the adequacy of measures implemented by States through continued reviewing of the national implementation matrices will assume more importance. That shift has similar implications for outreach activity.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“I take this opportunity to pledge my Government's full cooperation and assistance for the visit, and I hope that what CTED learns about how we implement our commitments under resolution 1373 (2001) can make a useful contribution to good practice. I should also like to welcome CTED's efforts to organize joint outreach events with the other subsidiary bodies of the Security Council involved in combating terrorism. This month's seminar in Nairobi is the latest example of that good work. Turning to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), my Government welcomes the Committee's report on the status of implementation. It shows the range of measures Member States are adopting to ensure full implementation of the resolution.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“The report that they produced in May on the global implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) provides us with useful benchmarks, and we particularly welcome the trend towards more targeted and focused visits that you, Sir, mentioned in your remarks. My Government is working with CTED to pioneer the first of those focused visits in the new format, and we are fortunate to be able to host Mr. Smith's team next week. We believe that it will be the first CTED visit to a permanent member of the Council and the first, also, to a developed country. We see that as a demonstration of the commitment of the United Kingdom and the Security Council to the universal implementation of the measures in resolution 1373 (2001).”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“In addition, we believe that we must continue to ensure that fair and clear procedures are strengthened in order to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the regime, and that we have adequate procedures for listing and de-listing. The European courts, as was mentioned in the statement made by the French Ambassador, have sent an important signal on the listing of individuals. We need to ensure that we develop our processes to address better the concerns that they raised. The consolidated list remains an important counter-terrorism tool, but it must be used effectively if it is to remain so. I should like to turn to the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) over the past six months. We appreciate their work.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“With respect to the 1267 Committee, my Government would like to highlight the need for the Committee to continue to work hard to improve the legitimacy of the list so that it reflects the current threat. We must continue to update the list at every opportunity that presents itself. The adoption of resolution 1822 (2008) earlier this year provided for important due process improvements. The inclusion of a review of all the names on the list is a very important mechanism if we want to maintain the validity of the list. We do not take our responsibility lightly here, and we believe that it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that there is a meaningful and proper review.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“I should like to thank you, Sir, for your briefing to the Council this morning and join other colleagues in conveying the United Kingdom's thanks to Ambassador Grauls and Ambassador Jurica for their briefings. I also take this opportunity to thank the staff and the experts of each Committee - I see that Mike Smith is here - for their time and the efforts that they put into their important work. I should like to pay particular tribute to Ambassador Grauls. This, I think, is his last session. I should like to pay tribute to his leadership of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). We will greatly miss him after December.”
2008-11-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6015 (2008) · source
“There is a rich seam of evidence to show that the presence of deployed women peacekeepers helps to make peacekeeping forces more approachable to a local population, and that in turn facilitates their work. So we believe that we have to think creatively. Member States have a role to play in ensuring women's full and effective contribution during peace processes, in supporting local civil society efforts, in deploying more women in support of peace support operations and in identifying and proposing talented women for senior peacekeeping and peacebuilding positions. In turn, the United Nations needs to attract the appropriately qualified women from across the globe that we know are out there. This must be done for the credibility of conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes and to improve the likelihood of their success.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“In sixty years of United Nations peacekeeping, only seven women have held the post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General. As colleagues have noted today, in terms of boots on the ground, a measurement from April this year put the percentage of women military personnel in United Nations operations at only 1.9. Yet many militaries, including that of the United Kingdom and other troop- and police- contributing countries, from the South as well as from the North, have a much higher percentage of women serving and very many more women in senior command positions. So why not the United Nations? This is not just a question of resources but also one of effectiveness.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“First, he stressed the need to strengthen the international community's ability to offer coordinated and well-managed support to national authorities, in order to ensure a common strategy to drive integrated political, security and development activities. Secondly, he saw a requirement for increased national and international civilian capacities to plan and implement stabilization and recovery efforts. There is a pressing need for capable and talented personnel to fill those staffing and leadership positions. Against that backdrop, women appear to be a largely untapped resource. We hope that this issue will be addressed in the Secretary-General's report on post- conflict peacebuilding that was requested at the May debate, and we look forward to the appearance of that report.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“That means giving women within civil society and government the room to manoeuvre, giving them a platform from which to engage and the means to make their perspectives heard, and ensuring that they know that they are being listened to. The full engagement of women on the ground, with the direct contribution that they make to the stability of a society, underpins the peacebuilding process. That has been demonstrated time and again in the work of the Peacebuilding Commission. The international community also needs to better mobilize its resources, human and financial, in support of post-conflict States. At the open debate on post- conflict peacebuilding in May (see S/PV.5895), my Foreign Secretary identified this urgent challenge.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“The Council has very recently reiterated its concern about this, in its debate last month on mediation (see S/PV.5979). We hope that the report that was requested during that debate will address the reasons for this shortfall. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has talked of the challenge to peacebuilding in Liberia in the following terms: "My biggest fear is that a small group might succeed in trying to return us to conflict. It will always remain a fear until we have done enough in responding to the needs of the population." It is clear that mobilizing and enabling all available human resources within a country emerging from conflict is key.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“Women bring important skills and perspectives to the substance of negotiations and to practical peacebuilding efforts on the ground. Peace processes in which women are fully engaged are more likely to generate lasting solutions. And yet, often the constituency of women is neither represented among the assembled parties during a peace process nor employed as mediators. Despite this Council's recognition of the vital role that women can play in the areas of conflict prevention and resolution, the record of women's participation in peace processes since the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000) is poor. We heard some welcome news from the Under-Secretary-General today about certain appointments of women to senior positions. But it remains the case that, remarkably, there are currently no women engaged as Special Envoys of the Secretary-General.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“Let me join others in thanking you Sir, for holding this open debate on a very important issue. I would like to express my thanks, alongside my colleagues, for all the presentations that we have heard today, including from nongovernmental organizations, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General. I would also like to say at the outset that we align ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of France on behalf of the European Union. The role of women in helping to break the conflict cycle is multifaceted. Legitimate conflict resolution and peacebuilding need a fully inclusive process. More importantly, however, women's full participation is a question of effectiveness and of success.”
2008-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6005 (2008) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chairmanship of the OSCE for the efforts it has made in the cross-border area, as well as to say that we support the package of project proposals that is currently on the table in Vienna. We also agree that OSCE engagement must be fully coordinated with the United Nations, which is the principal coordinator of international involvement in Afghanistan.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“Its continuing engagement, in particular in ensuring the protection of minorities and respect for human rights, is of critical importance. It has a very valuable asset in its extensive field presence, in particular as the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo downsizes. We hope that OSCE engagement can reinforce the efforts of other international actors on the ground, above all those of the European Union. Turning to Afghanistan, we strongly support OSCE engagement on that country's northern border, including inside Afghanistan. That is helping to stabilize the country. The OSCE has a role to play in helping Afghanistan to secure its borders with the Central Asian States, to improve policing and to combat drug trafficking.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“As we said, the OSCE is uniquely placed to play that role, with its European and wider membership. It is important that we have mechanisms to monitor withdrawals. In order to monitor withdrawals properly, of course, proper access to South Ossetia is essential. I would also like to take this opportunity to call for the proper protection of the OSCE monitors who are on the ground, as well as to ask all parties to ensure that they have adequate protection to do the job that has been assigned to them. I should now like to turn to Kosovo, on which a number of speakers have touched. The OSCE is playing an important role in helping to develop a multi- ethnic and tolerant society in Kosovo. It has been there since the inception of resolution 1244 (1999) and has played a very encouraging role.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“We look forward to closer United Nations-OSCE cooperation on this issue and on humanitarian tasks, as well as in playing a role in support of the EU special representative for Georgia. We welcome the OSCE's being fully involved in the preparations for the Geneva conference. We are grateful to the Chairman-in-Offlce for his update on the negotiations on the OSCE military monitors. We share the disappointment of Belgium about some of the difficulties that those negotiations have encountered due to the objections of one Member State. However, what the Chairman-in-Office went on to say about the prospects for a positive result, building on his own contacts with Foreign Minister Lavrov, was very encouraging. We look forward to seeing genuine and sufficient access for the OSCE military monitors, in sufficient numbers.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“I would like to start, if I may, with something that the Minister did not touch on in detail, but which we think is important - OSCE support for the implementation of United Nations principles in tackling a number of serious horizontal issues. I am referring to such issues as counter-terrorism, small arms and light weapons and trafficking in human beings. I would also like to welcome Minister Stubb's work to re-energize the OSCE's efforts in the area of conflict resolution and crisis management, as well as his desire for closer cooperation with the United Nations. Obviously, I think, many people are interested at the moment in the issue of Georgia, as the Chairman- in-Office himself said. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his efforts throughout, including his role in helping to broker the six-point plan.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“I would very much like to thank the Chairman-in-Office for his briefing. I should also like to thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity today discuss the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its partnership with the United Nations. What the Chairman-in-Offlce said about partnership between the United Nations and the OSCE tracks very well with our thinking. I would also like to echo what was said on behalf of the French presidency of the European Union (EU) about the overall relationship between the United Nations, the OSCE 5 and those of us who have the honour to be members of all three organizations.”
2008-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5982 (2008) · source
“It is extremely concerning that there are reports of Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeepers doing nothing to stop or inhibit offensive movements by Abkhaz armed personnel. That, too, vitiates the purpose of international peacekeeping. We call on Russia to use its influence over those in Abkhazia who are intent on broadening the conflict. Finally, we have heard from a couple of delegations here this morning that they propose to bring forward action in the Security Council to support a cessation of hostilities. My Government will do everything it can to support those moves.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“We call for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected. We also call for humanitarian needs to be addressed. But that must not be used as pretext by the Russian authorities to keep their forces on Georgian territory or to insert further troops. We need urgently to establish an international presence on the ground to assist efforts at peace, monitor the ceasefire and help protect civilians. In respect of Abkhazia in Georgia, we express our strong support of UNOMIG and condemn hostilities in and around Abkhazia. These are in contravention of the ceasefire agreement of 1994. If it is indeed the case that Russian forces are moving on Zugdidi, then they should leave. All parties should honour their obligations under previous Security Council resolutions on Abkhazia.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“The situations are very different, but if the Russian actions are reminiscent of any party in that conflict, it is certainly not NATO that their actions remind us of. As other speakers have said, we endorse the strong statement of the Secretary-General last night. I would like to echo what the French presidency of the European Union said: we repeat our calls here in the Chamber for an immediate and unconditional end by all parties, irregular and regular forces, to hostilities. We call on the Russian and Georgian sides and all the other parties to engage with the international mediation efforts, those led by the European Union, the OSCE and the United States, and to withdraw to positions of before 6 August. We call for all to respect the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“Instead of cold war rhetoric, we need the Russian representative to give us answers to the following questions: Why can Russia not support a cessation of hostilities and a withdrawal of all armed personnel, including their own regular and irregular forces, to positions pertaining on 6 August? What are Russia's political and military intentions in respect of Georgia? And what are Russia's political and military intentions in respect of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, once the fighting has stopped? What we have heard today from the Secretariat casts doubt on Russia's claims that their actions are humanitarian or designed to uphold peace and security in the Caucasus. I would like also to reject the equivalence the Russian ambassador sought to establish between the situation in Georgia and that in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“Ambassador Churkin says there is no military solution, but we heard this morning from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin that the situation requires - and he used the present tense - a military intervention. We also heard from Prime Minister Putin about a "fatal blow" being delivered to the territorial integrity of Georgia. We are witnessing, it appears, a grave violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russian forces have certainly violated respect for the international norms of peacekeeping, and it is a gross distortion by Russia to claim peacekeeping duties as the reason for their actions. Those actions have gone beyond any reasonable, proportionate response.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“We appreciate that it is difficult to get authoritative accounts of what is happening on the ground, as UNOMIG has been forced to pull back and Russian forces throughout Georgia have, through their actions on the ground, caused international monitors to have to leave. Our embassy is having trouble getting access to its own premises in Tbilisi because of the Russian actions, and we understand that there are foreign nationals, including British nationals, who may be trapped in parts of the conflict zone. We look to all the combatants to protect foreign nationals and other civilians. We will need corridors so that they can be safely evacuated, and we hold all the combatants responsible for the safety of our citizens.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“She also said that Russian forces have told Georgia to negotiate a ceasefire with the proper person. Saakashvili has tried to contact Putin, but we understand that there has been no reply for several hours, and we heard from Ambassador Churkin why that is the case. I will merely make the obvious point that if leaders are not prepared to talk to each other, it is rather hard to see how peace efforts can move forward. We have heard disturbing reports that there will only be a ceasefire once the Georgians have committed to a non-use-of-force agreement and have withdrawn completely from South Ossetia. Meanwhile, there are reports that other speakers have referred to of Russian forces striking Zugdidi in Georgia proper and of Abkhaz armed personnel movements.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“As others have said, we are witnessing a grave escalation of the situation in Georgia. Further fighting has happened over night, and there has been further Russian bombing of Georgian territory. Russian naval vessels have moved closer, and there are media reports that they are tasked with preventing supplies to Georgia; there are concerns that supplies may not get through to other countries in the Caucasus. Overnight, Russian bombing included an attack on the military airfield near the civilian airport outside Tbilisi. In a meeting on 10 August with delegations from the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United States, the Georgian Foreign Minister confirmed that the Georgian side has pulled back from most of South Ossetia and that Georgia has disengaged from Russian forces.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for calling this meeting today. I also thank the Under-Secretary-General and the Assistant Secretary-General for their briefings. The Secretariat, the United Nations and the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) are doing a difficult job in very difficult circumstances. Before beginning my remarks, I would like to reject the allegation by the Russian ambassador that the Secretariat, and the Under-Secretary-General in particular, are biased. We have a convention in this Council that we rely on the information given to us by the Secretariat. An attack on the Secretariat is an attack on the institutions of the United Nations. And Russia, which is fast becoming a party to the conflict, is ill- placed to make such a claim, and it does it no credit.”
2008-08-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5953 (2008) · source
“My Government is pleased to support the efforts outlined by the representative of France, speaking for the European Union, setting forth what is happening on mediation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union, and I commend those efforts to the Security Council. We will continue to support them.”
2008-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5952 (2008) · source
“We support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and I would like to take this opportunity to call on all members of the Security Council and other colleagues to reaffirm that. I would also like to take the opportunity to reiterate calls for a ceasefire and for withdrawal. We look to the Georgians, the Russians, the South Ossetians and other fighters to desist from violence and to use all means to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers and of civilians. Humanitarian assistance cannot be used as a pretext for the presence of non-Georgian troops, and a return to the status quo ante, which is obviously desirable, must be such that it too is effective on non- Georgian as well as Georgian forces. We also call for international engagement in a South Ossetian peace process.”
2008-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5952 (2008) · source
“We expressed our concerns last night when we met on this same subject, and those concerns have only increased today with the disturbing news of an escalation in the fighting and of further casualties, including those involving civilians. The situation on the ground in unclear, but it is nevertheless dangerous and volatile. Among the events of today, we have seen reports of the arrival of armed personnel from other regions, reports of the bombardment of Georgian positions elsewhere on Georgian territory by Russian fighter-bombers and reports of the passage of ground forces from Russia through the Roki tunnel. The fighting continues, and it is a threat to peace and security in the region and beyond.”
2008-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5952 (2008) · source
“We have been concerned to hear about reports of troops and other armed personnel from outside Georgia and South Ossetia moving into the region, and the United Kingdom calls on all actors in the region, whether they are State or non-State actors, not to escalate tensions and to exercise the utmost restraint at this time.”
2008-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5951 (2008) · source
“Before we came into this Chamber, members of the Council met in the Consultations Room. We regret that it has not yet been possible to agree on a Security Council statement on this issue. We hope that it will be possible in the days to come. But the absence of a statement tonight should not be taken as a sign that the Security Council is not engaged on this issue and is unconcerned about the direction that events are taking. On the contrary, this is a grave matter, and it is one that threatens stability and security in the region. I would like to use this opportunity to express our serious concern at the escalation of violence in South Ossetia, Georgia. I would like to take the opportunity to call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and take the opportunity also to call on the parties to immediately resume negotiations.”
2008-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5951 (2008) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all Member States to support both the United Nations work in Iraq and the work of the Government of Iraq. But above all, I would like to make it clear that we will stand by the commitment we have made to the people of Iraq to ensure that Iraq continues to develop as a democratic, prosperous and stable country, free from terrorist Violence and secure within its borders, and a stable presence in the region.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“Some of these include the need for progress on key nation-building issues, such as the review of the constitution and disputed internal boundaries; the provincial elections scheduled for later this year; the humanitarian situation, both inside and outside Iraq; developing the infrastructure essential for promoting and protecting human rights; and the need to support the maturing Iraqi democratic structures and institutions. We welcome the involvement of the United Nations in these issues and we will continue to work with the Organization to ensure that these challenges are overcome in a timely fashion. Let me conclude by saying that the United Kingdom remains committed to Iraq through our United Nations and coalition obligations.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“Of course, future decisions will, as they have always been, be based on the advice of our military commanders on the ground and will be taken in consultation with the Government of Iraq and our coalition partners. We expect a fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009 as we make the transition to a normal bilateral relationship with Iraq similar to those that we have with other key partners in the region. Sustainable progress in Iraq will be achieved only with continued support from the international community. As we have heard today, important challenges lie ahead.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“The Iraqis are now very much in the lead in Basra, and the over 4,000 British troops remaining in southern Iraq are focused on completing 13 key tasks in support of that Iraqi lead. Those key tasks include completing the training and mentoring of the fourteenth division of the Iraqi army in Basra, including through the embedding of around 800 personnel in the fourteenth division command structure; finalizing the preparation of Basra airport for civilian control; and continuing to develop the capacity of the Iraqi navy and marines to protect territorial waters, the port and oil platforms. As we complete those tasks, and as progress continues in those different areas, we will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“The British Prime Minister explained the latest United Kingdom plans in a statement made on 22 July 2008, but I would like briefly, if I may, to summarize those plans here. Ten months ago, we set out the key elements of our strategy for handing over security in Basra to the Iraqis and we set up stages for completing the tasks we had set for ourselves. The initial phase was completed when Basra was transferred to provincial Iraqi control in December of last year. That transfer reflected a judgement on our part that the Iraqi authorities and security forces were ready to take the lead in delivering security in Basra, a judgement that has been borne out by the Iraqi Security Forces' subsequent decisive action to establish the rule of law in Basra and to conduct successful operations, to which we were pleased provide support.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“As previous speakers have said, we recognize, of course, that progress is fragile and that we cannot take it for granted. Millions of Iraqis remain displaced, the infrastructure continues to suffer the impact of 30 years of mismanagement, and the level of unemployment remains too high. The attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk last week remind us that there are groups that are still determined to inflict violence and create instability. I would like to use this occasion, ifI may, to say a few words about the British role in Iraq, particularly in the light of some recent misinformed press speculation. It was very good, also, to hear from the Iraqi Ambassador just now how successful Iraqi-led military operations have been in parts of Iraq.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“The improved security situation has provided a platform for further essential progress on reconciliation. We have seen not only increased cooperation between Sunni communities and the Iraqi Government in areas such as Anbar and Mosul, and the return of the Tawafuq Sunni bloc to the Government, but also the passage of key legislation that is helping to embed democracy. The next stage will be provincial elections, which will reinforce the political progress made at the national level. They will allow those who did not participate in the last provincial elections in January 2005 to enter the political process and they will contribute to the political reconciliation that the Secretary-General rightly highlights in his report as required for long-term stability.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“The United Nations continues to play a vital role in Iraq's development as a democratic and stable country, and on behalf of my Government I would also like to thank the United Nations and the whole of its Iraq team for the important work that they do. As the Secretary-General acknowledges in his report, and as echoed by most of the speakers today, thanks to operations led by the Iraqi Security Forces with support from coalition troops, violent incidents across Iraq are at their lowest level since 2004, and more generally the security situation across the whole of Iraq continues to improve. The Iraqi Government has taken tough action against armed groups and militias, regardless of sectarian affiliation, and Iraqi security forces are delivering on their responsibilities.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“I join my colleagues in welcoming you, Mr. President, to your role as President of the Council for the month of August, and express our thanks to Ambassador Le Luong Minh and his team for the excellent way that they guided the Security Council last month. I would also like to join colleagues in thanking the Under-Secretary-General for his presentation on the Secretary-General's report. We also thank the United States representative for his presentation on behalf of the Multinational Force in Iraq. It was very good to see the Iraqi ambassador here again today, and I express my thanks to him for the work that his Government is doing and for its cooperation with the coalition forces, which are pleased to work with strong Iraqi leadership.”
2008-08-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5949 (2008) · source
“UNMIN has played an important role in supporting the peace process, and we look to the Government of Nepal to make full use of the Mission's expertise over the next six months.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source
“We also agree with the Secretary-General that there should be no need for UNMIN to continue its arms monitoring function beyond the next phase of its mandate. It is in the interest of neither Nepal nor the United Nations for UNMIN to remain any longer than is necessary. It is also clear that the precise timetable for UNMIN's withdrawal will depend to some extent on the willingness of the political parties to create the conditions for that withdrawal. That means, in particular, through implementation of the 25 June Agreement. The Security Council must, in our view, make clear its expectations of the parties in that regard. I should like to conclude by offering our thanks to Ian Martin and his team. We welcome his decision to remain to see UNMIN through the next and final phase of the process.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source
“This will significantly reduce staff levels, but it will also ensure the retention of the core capacity in monitoring analysis and political engagement to allow UNMIN to support Nepal's peace process at the Government of Nepal's request during the next six months. It is important that the Mission continues to be responsive to the requirements of both the governments of Nepal and this Council and is able to reduce its presence further, as soon as it is appropriate. We welcome the letter and the subsequent clarification that the Permanent Representative of Nepal has been able to provide. We fully support the extension of UNMIN's mandate for a further six months and we hope negotiations on the draft resolution to achieve this can be concluded quickly, so that we can adopt it early next week.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source
“We therefore believe that swift and full implementation of the 25 June agreement is a priority. This will require the reconstitution of the special committee provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. It will also mean that, in accordance with article 146 of the Interim Constitution, the inclusion of representatives of the Assembly's political parties. The United Kingdom agrees that UNMIN will be well- placed to support this work through the monitoring of arms and armed personnel and through the work of a special political mission and, more generally, the Special Representative. My Government welcomes the proposed reconfiguration of UNMIN.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source
“Any further delay in forming the government risks undermining the people of Nepal's confidence in the democratic process and we hope, therefore, that we can all recognize the importance of encouraging the parties to work together, to respect the mandate given to them following the elections and to establish a government that can start to tackle the important challenges facing Nepal. We stand ready, for our part, to support that new government. We agree with the Secretary-General that the future of former combatants continue to be an issue of special concern. A constant theme of the Secretary- General's report on UNMIN has been the need to take early action to resolve this issue, and it is disappointing that, so far, the parties have been unable to reach agreement on this important question.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source
“Nepal's elections created the most diverse and representative assembly in the country's history. The result is a huge credit to Nepal and also a huge opportunity - a real chance to strengthen Nepal's democratic institutions and address the issues that fuelled the conflict. However, as the report makes clear and as we heard from the Special Representative, challenges, of course, remain. Despite elections and prolonged negotiations between the parties, it has not been possible to reach agreement on the formation of a new government. The announcement of the election for a new president on 19 July represents progress, but there does seem a continuing lack of trust and consensus between the parties.”
2008-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5938 (2008) · source