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 is what humanitarian principles mean — humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence — and that is all they mean.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“We will expect them to provide the necessary authorizations and remove bureaucratic impediments so that aid can be delivered on the basis of the United Nations humanitarian principles. We will ask the United Nations to report regularly on the humanitarian situation in the north-eastern part of Syria. I call today on both Syria and Russia to give concrete assurances to the Council that any aid distributed by their representatives, or those associated with them, will be done on the basis of those most in need, and need alone, and that organizations registered and operating in Damascus, whether or not affiliated with the United Nations, will also get the permissions and the access that they need to deliver aid to Syrian people on the basis of those most in need, and need alone.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“We believe that the Council should be prepared to take action, including restoring cross-border access in the north-east, if the Secretary-General’s review concludes that alternative humanitarian access routes are inadequate to meet the humanitarian need of the population. The closure of the Al-Yarubiyah crossing places the responsibility for ensuring that vital aid reaches vulnerable populations in north-east Syria squarely on the Syrian authorities. The Russians said that was something the Syrian authorities could be relied on to do. I beg to differ, given the way Syria treats many of its people. This is worse than putting the fox in charge of a hen coop. The closure of Al-Yarubiyah means that we will need to monitor very closely the response of the Syrian authorities and the Russians, who have people on the ground.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“I doubt very much that it is the assessment of the 1.4 million people in the north-east of Syria who have been relying on this aid. Let me be very clear that the Russian Ambassador set out what he believes the inclusion of the reference to the General Assembly resolution means for the idea that the consent of the Syrian Government is needed for aid to cross over into Syria. It is not needed. The reference to General Assembly resolution 46/182 is in a preambular paragraph. It is not applicable to the cross- border situations of Syria. What is applicable are the humanitarian principles themselves. There are four: humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. That means the aid has to go to those most in need, and the General Assembly resolution says the United Nations is central to that effort.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“The World Health Organization estimates that health-service availability will be reduced by up to 50 per cent. Trauma care will suffer. Child health care will suffer. Immunization provision will suffer. A World Health Organization shipment through Al-Yarubiyah would provide over 700,000 people with essential medicines and supplies for three months. It is on its way and will arrive in Irbil on Sunday. The Russians like to say, and said to the press today, that humanitarian aid is coming from within Syria — and therefore border crossings are not needed. That is not the assessment of the United Nations. It is not the assessment of respected humanitarian non-governmental organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross or the Safe the Children Fund.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“It is not a political tool to be bargained with. It should be purely based on humanitarian need. As a number of speakers have said, the United Nations — the body charged by the international community with delivering humanitarian assistance and coordinating humanitarian efforts — asked for four crossings and 12 months. The diplomatic effort that went into negotiating the resolution cannot disguise the fact that it is in truth a woefully inadequate response to the situation on the ground. The exclusion of any border crossing into north-east Syria is, in our view, deeply regrettable. It puts the lives of thousands of civilians in Syria at risk. More than 1.4 million people relied on medical supplies through the Al-Yarubiyah crossing in the past year.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“But this day is potentially one of the saddest, because it is the first time that a Security Council member has chosen to play politics with humanitarian assistance — and not only play politics with the United Nations and humanitarian assistance. In doing that, Russia is playing dice with the lives of the Syrian people in the north-east. We are gravelly disappointed that, due to Russian’s decisions to approach the matter in this way, the Security Council has been left with no choice but to adopt a resolution that does not meet the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people. The humanitarian situation in Syria has not significantly improved and, to our deep regret, neither is there a significant improvement on the horizon. The urgent need for cross-border assistance continues, and not only in Idlib.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“The United Kingdom voted to abstain in the voting on resolution 2504 (2020). We will not vote to stop vital aid reaching Syria, but neither will we vote in favour of a resolution that reduces aid provision for vulnerable populations and puts lives at risk. Although four of the five permanent members of the Security Council abstained in the voting, we obviously did not do so for the same reasons. I will come back to that. Since the Syrian conflict began, in 2011-2012, the United Kingdom has committed over $3.5 billion to Syria’s humanitarian crisis. We have provided over 28 million food rations, over 17 million medical consultations and over 12 million vaccines. They Syrian people have seen many sad days since 2011.”
2020-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8700 (2020) · source
“Here I draw my colleagues’ attention to Article 2 of the Charter, which makes clear that nothing should upset the fundamental rights that the Charter sets out. I would like to close, if I may, by referring to the current situation in the Middle East, since that has featured in our debate today. My Foreign Secretary recently visited Washington, D.C., and I would like to reprise what he said there. He said that we recognize the danger and threat that Iran poses to the Middle East, and we recognize the right to self-defence. At the same time, we want to see tensions de-escalated. We want to find a diplomatic way through, and that is why the remarks that we have heard recently about a diplomatic solution are so important. It also means that the Government of Iran should be willing to consider and committed to a diplomatic outcome as well.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“We are a signatory to the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency code of conduct, which commits us to not vote against credible Security Council action to stop mass atrocities and crimes against humanity. But the fact that we do not all agree on the veto should not prevent us from making progress in pursuing other areas of Security Council reform. I want to say a word about State sovereignty and respect for equality, State sovereignty and the principle that countries are all equal and that stronger countries should help weaker countries. That cannot be used as an excuse for failing to address conflicts or violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. It is violence and conflict, and not our attempts to help Member States prevent them, that threaten State sovereignty.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“While we face new threats that the founders of the United Nations did not see, the responsibility that all parts of the United Nations hold remains, and the Secretary-General drew attention to that as well. It is a well-worn phrase, but with great power comes great responsibility, and I think that it is also something that we should bear in mind. The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, but others, including the Secretary-General, through Article 99 of the Charter, also have a vital role to play. I would like to echo what the Secretary-General said about Article 25 and the need to uphold the decisions of the Security Council in that context. A few people have mentioned reform and veto reform. Let me therefore set out the United Kingdom’s position.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“He did more than many people to set up the United Nations peacekeeping arrangements, and that is something which, like special political missions, does appear not in the Charter; rather, they are an excellent example of Member States working together within the framework of the Charter and in the context of the Security Council to address the challenges of yesterday and today. We believe that we need to retain that forward- looking spirit as we look for ideas to tackle the challenges of tomorrow, such as the rise in new technologies, which my Prime Minister referred to in his General Assembly address (see A/74/PV.4), the challenges of antimicrobial resistance or the impacts of climate change. Those were not foreseen by the drafters of the Charter, but they very much remain on our minds.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“Used in such a way, as we heard from the Secretary-General and others today, the Charter gives us what we need to help us head of crises, de-escalate confrontations and develop effective responses to conflict. Again, I draw the attention of our colleagues to the things that we are battling with in the Council, notably Libya, Yemen, Syria and tensions in the Gulf. We should not regard the Charter as a straitjacket. We want to have options for collaboration and action. We do not want to reduce those options artificially, because if we do we bring only detriment to the people we represent and serve. The Secretary-General and other colleagues have highlighted peacekeeping. If I may, I would like to pay tribute here to Brian Urquhart, who will be 101 next month.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“As we leave the European Union, the United Kingdom looks forward to having the United Nations as an even more important stage for British foreign policy, as an active and independent force, and we very much hope, as my Foreign Secretary has said, as a force for good so that we can cooperate with other colleagues to strengthen the security and prosperity that the United Nations has helped create over recent decades. In a world in which change is moving at an ever- increasing pace, the Charter should be seen as a framework around which we can construct our responses to those challenges. It should be an enabler, a point of reference and the constant source to which we turn in a world burdened with increasing complexity and uncertainty.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“But this mountain, with its bracing winds and global views, is the best place on Earth to be. (A/61/PV.10, p. 3) The rules-based international system, which the Charter embodies, is the best prescription to those bracing winds and the rocks rolling back down the hill. The United Kingdom has the honour of being a founding Member of the United Nations, like some other members here today. We share the belief in the rules-based international system and the United Nations role at the apex of it.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“The World Health Organization vaccinates hundreds of millions of people. In 2018, it vaccinated almost half the world’s children, and it has eradicated smallpox and is close to eradicating polio — the world is 98 per cent free. If the United Nations did not exist, we would have to create it. The Charter makes very clear the emphasis on States cooperating to harmonize actions to attain common ends. I hope that we can remember that Article of the Charter as we deal with some of these intractable issues of peace and security on the Security Council. I was very struck by what Mr. Kofi Annan said in his farewell address to the United Nations in 2006. He said: “Together we have pushed some big rocks to the top of the mountain, even if others have slipped from our grasp and rolled back.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“But at times, the United Nations has often suffered from an almost unbridgeable gap between the power of its central vision and the actual actions that it has been able to carry out. By “United Nations”, I do not just mean the United Nations bodies, but also, we, the Member States. And yet the United Nations takes action that directly affects the lives of millions of ordinary citizens. The United Nations has 13 peacekeeping missions operating in regions that are home to 1.8 billion people. The World Food Programme delivers food to nearly 87 million people in 83 countries, providing 15 billion meals. In 2018, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees supported 20.4 million refugees, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East supported a further 5.5 million Palestinians.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“I thank you, Mr. Minister, for coming here to be with us. I also thank all the other ministers who have honoured the Security Council with their presence today. I would like to say how nice it is to once again have Mary Robinson representing The Elders. I thank her for all the work The Elders do to uphold the Charter of the United Nations. We very much welcome as well the spirit of collaboration that the Permanent Mission of Viet Nam has brought to this enterprise, including on presidential statement S/PRST/2020/1, which the Council adopted today. We have heard many quotations from the Charter. Nobody could accuse the founding Members of a lack of ambition when they drafted the Charter.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“I will be brief. I have a practice in this Chamber of stepping in when I see criticism of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to defend the humanitarian wing of the United Nations, the members of which care far more about the Syrian people than their own Government and are working in extraordinarily difficult circumstances to save lives. Ithink that it behoves all of us to pay tribute to them for that.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8697 (2019) · source
“The United Kingdom voted against the Russian text because we will not negotiate with a gun held to our heads over a cynical offer that would save fewer lives than we know is needed and that the United Nations has very clearly set out as necessary. But it is important even at this juncture to look ahead, given how many lives remain at stake. The United Kingdom therefore hopes that the Council can pass through this sorry episode and return to discussions ready to identify a productive and effective way through that meets OCHA's needs before 10 January 2020, when the current mandate expires. I have previously said in this Chamber that Russia should not play dice with people's lives. Four million lives are at stake, and we need to keep that critical fact before us as we try and sort out this dreadful mess.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8697 (2019) · source
“The veto of the first draft resolution and the presentation of the second are not acts that address humanitarian concerns. They do not meet the formal written request of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to the Council. They do not help the millions of ordinary citizens in Syria whose lives are now in jeopardy, and they certainly do not help the United Nations or the cause of multilateralism. Now the responsibility lies with the Syrian and Russian authorities. It is they who will now be responsible for the people whose lives hang in the balance. I hope that the Russian taxpayers are feeling generous.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8697 (2019) · source
“The Russian Federation and China gave no credible explanation for their vetoes or for the cynical attempt to score political points by presenting a second draft resolution (S/20l9/962) that halved the number of crossings and halved the length of time. There is no justification for that. Indeed, the Secretary-General has said that we are seeing further deterioration of an already extremely difficult humanitarian situation for people throughout Syria, where over 11 million people remain in need of assistance. No one therefore can pretend that things are improving on the ground. I listened very carefully to what the Russian representative said, and I heard him say that his delegation was motivated "exclusively by the humanitarian aspects". Even by known standards, that statement is breathtaking in its hypocrisy.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8697 (2019) · source
“I echo the statement made by the representative of Belgium. Today is a sad, sorry and truly dreadful day for the people of Syria. It is a day that I hope the Council will never repeat. I would like to say once again to the Minister of Kuwait how much we appreciate the effort that his delegation put into this effort, and I am sorry that he should have to be here to see the outcome. The United Kingdom cast two votes today. We voted for the first draft resolution (S/2019/961) because United Nations cross-border assistance remains critical to the 4 million people who depend on it for the life-saving aid that is as critical today as it has been every year since 2014, when the resolution was first allowed to be adopted, as it has been each year until now.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8697 (2019) · source
“Finally, the United Kingdom, as a member of the Global Coalition against Da'esh, is proud of its role in the successful fight to liberate the territory held by Da'esh in Syria and Iraq. We remain committed to securing the enduring defeat of Da'esh. Much remains to be done, and we cannot lose sight of the threat they pose, even without territory. The group's dangerous and pervasive ideology needs to be eliminated.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“We welcome the fact that the ceasefire in north-east Syria continues, broadly, to hold, but we are concerned about reports of an attack near a school in Tell Rifaat, held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units, which killed at least 10, including eight children. We call on all parties involved to respect the ceasefire and their obligations towards civilians under international humanitarian law. I would like to say a few words about Syrian refugees. Syrians have a right to return to their homes voluntarily, in safety and dignity, in line with international humanitarian law. We support the United Nations judgement that conditions in Syria are not yet conducive to safe and dignified return.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“I would like to reiterate that the United Kingdom will not consider providing any reconstruction assistance without a credible, substantive and genuinely political process being firmly under way. I would now like to turn to Idlib. We remain extremely concerned about the continued air strikes there. We note reports on 2 December of attacks on the markets of Saraqib and Maarat Al-Numan, which killed at least 14 civilians. Attacks on hospitals, such as in the Al-Qah IDP camp on 20 November, and other civilian infrastructure are inexcusable and run counter to the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. Furthermore, it is unbelievable that the Syrian authorities would conduct more such attacks given the ongoing board of inquiry investigation. The United Kingdom looks forward to the board's update to the Council.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“That includes creating conditions for refugee return, preparations for free and fair elections in 2021 and the release of detainees. We are therefore deeply concerned to hear of the arrest of 174 people who returned to Homs from the Rukban internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, which happened despite having obtained clearance from the Syrian authorities and guarantees that they would be exempt from persecution. The Syrian authorities and Russia need to stay true to their word and respect the promises they have made. On torture, I do not think that I can put it better than the German representative did. These are truly horrific cases. They are unacceptable and need to stop. We support the Special Envoy in advancing all the other baskets of the political process.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“Pedersen is not able to share the full details of the negotiations and progress towards the reopening of talks during his briefings, not least because of time constraints, but we do believe that there would be merit in considering other means by which Mr. Pedersen could keep the Council apprised of the details. I once again thank Ms. Altalli for her briefing and would like now to turn to what she told us. The United Kingdom has always been clear that the political process should reflect a broad and diverse cross-section of Syrian society. We will need to remain mindful that a successful political settlement in Syria goes well beyond the Constitution. It is crucial that all elements of resolution 2254 (2015) be taken forward in tandem.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“We regret attempts by the Syrian authorities to introduce conditions widely accepted as unnecessary to intentionally stall the talks. We call on these authorities to respect the rules of the Committee and return to negotiations. We are also concerned that the Syrian authorities appear to be disassociating themselves from the Constitutional Committee in official statements and in the media, suggesting that the Syrian delegation represents, "the point of View of the Syrian regime but is not the regime itself". I would therefore like to ask the Syrian representative to allay these concerns by reaffirming to the Council that its delegation to the Constitutional Committee is indeed the "Government delegation". We understand that Mr.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“I once again thank the Special Envoy for all the work his team is doing and thank Ms. Rajaa Altalli for being in the Chamber today and sharing her story. I am very sorry for the suffering that she and her family have experienced. Like others, we thank the Special Envoy for his tireless efforts aimed at bringing peace to Syria, but the breakdown of talks during the second Constitutional Committee meeting is extremely disappointing. As we all know, if these long-awaited meetings are going to succeed, they require serious engagement and commitment from all sides. We support Mr. Pedersen's position that the Government and opposition Chairs need to agree on an agenda before a third round of the Committee can be convened.”
2019-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8696 (2019) · source
“At the right time, and if genuinely intentioned, this may be able to play a useful role, but I think both timing and intent are critical ingredients if any initiative along these lines is to get off the ground in the right way. We continue to hope that Iran will take steps to regain the confidence of the international community and assume its rightful role as a prosperous, responsible Power constructively engaged in the region. We respect the Iranian people. We have deep respect for Iran's civilization and the achievements of its past, but I urge Iran not to undertake any more actions that would take it further beyond JCPOA limits and instead to work closely and in good faith with other participants to implement its commitments fully and to help reduce the escalating tensions in that region of the world.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“The latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2019/934) details concerning evidence regarding the transfer by Iran into Yemen of unmanned aerial vehicles and optical sights for rocket- propelled grenade launchers. Such proliferation is destabilizing for the region and escalates already high tensions; it should stop. Current tensions in the region remain deeply concerning, further escalation is in no one's interest. I want to once again call for de-escalation dialogue and full respect for international rules. I note the interest of some members of the Council and of Iran in resolution 598 (1987), about regional dialogue.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“As the United Kingdom, France and Germany have made clear, we are confident that Iran bears responsibility for that attack. The Houthi claim of responsibility is implausible for a number of reasons, not least the scale, sophistication and range ofthe attack. We note the Secretariat's continued efforts to collect and analyse information on the weapons used in the 14 September attack, and we welcome the Secretariat's observation that the number of impact points at the oil facilities was consistent with the figures provided by Saudi Arabia and inconsistent with Houthi statements. We look forward to hearing the Secretariat's findings in due course. Iran has also transferred missiles to a number of armed groups, in violation of several Council resolutions, including resolutions 2231 (2015), 2216 (2015) and 1540 (2004).”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“Turning to regional activity, during the last year there has been a continued increase in Iran's destabilizing activity around the Middle East, including activities that are inconsistent with resolution 2216 (2015) and other resolutions. In May and June we saw attacks on commercial shipping near Fujairah and in the Gulf of Oman. A thorough United Kingdom assessment concluded that both attacks were almost certainly the work of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Likewise, the Corps was almost certainly responsible for May's attack on the Yanbu pipeline, near Afif. In September we witnessed a large-scale drone and missile attack against Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. That was a reckless, destabilizing and completely unacceptable attack affecting more than 5 per cent of the world's oil and gas production.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“The definition encapsulated in the MTCR is the most objective, widely accepted standard of nuclear deliverability in the world. It is internationally recognized and observed by States that seek to prevent the proliferation of ballistic-missile technology capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. For many States, it is incorporated into their national legislation. The purpose of the provisions in annex B, paragraph 3, is to give the international community confidence that Iran is not developing technology capable of serving as a means of delivery for a nuclear weapon. In undertaking the activity described in the E3's communications to the Security Council, Iran is not providing this confidence.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“Turning to ballistic missiles, in November the E3 -France, Germany and the United Kingdom-wrote to the Secretary-General regarding Iran's development and testing of ballistic missiles and related technology. Over the past year, Iran has tested the Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile, unveiled the Burkan-3 medium-range ballistic missile and attempted to launch the Safir satellite launch vehicle. All of these actions are inconsistent with paragraph 3 of annex B of resolution 2231 (2015). Iran argues that the provisions in resolution 2231 (2015) are not legally binding. It has also taken issue with the E3's use ofMissile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) categories to define nuclear- capable missiles. We should be clear.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“As the United Kingdom, we have made clear our determination to find a way forward and to address Iranian non-compliance through the JCPOA, including the dispute resolution mechanism. That is not a step we want to take, but Iran's actions are leaving us little option other than to respond within the parameters of the agreement. Should we be forced down the path of triggering the dispute resolution mechanism, we would do so in order to find a diplomatic way forward with the aim of protecting the agreement. Iran faces a stark choice. It can either continue down this damaging path or take immediate steps to get back into compliance and rebuild international confidence.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“As we have said before, we regret the decision by the United States to leave the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions on Iran. We have said that at our most senior levels and on the public record, and we understand the impact this has had in Iran and on the Iranian people. Our commitment to the JCPOA and its instruments, including the procurement channel, is evidenced by our work as co-Chair of the Arak modernization project and with our E-3 partners on the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges. We therefore deeply deplore Iran's decision to reduce compliance with the JCPOA. We made our concerns clear at the Joint Commission on 6 December. Iran's actions are extremely serious. They are hollowing out the non-proliferation benefits of the nuclear deal and not all of them are reversible.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“I thank the Under- Secretary-General and the Head of the Delegation of the European Union. It is also very good to have our Iranian colleague with us. We welcome the Secretary-General's eighth report (S/2019/934) on the implementation of resolution 2231 (2014) and we offer our thanks to the Secretariat for its continued professionalism and its support to the Secretary-General in enabling the production of the report. When I spoke to the Council in June, I said that the United Kingdom remained committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan ofAction (JCPOA) (see S/PV.85 64), and that commitment stands. The JCPOA is critical to the wider global non-proliferation architecture and vital to our national security and the shared security of our partners and allies. We believe it is the best means for averting a nuclear-armed Iran.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8695 (2019) · source
“I therefore hope that we can find a way forward on the draft resolution so that the Assistant Secretary-General and her teams can do the job we have mandated them to do.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“Mueller said, is to adopt a draft resolution that brings genuine relief over a significant period of time, based on an end-state and not on an end-date, and which authorizes all the crossings that the United Nations believes it needs. OCHA is the component of the international system that we, States Members of the United Nations, have all charged with coordinating humanitarian efforts. We may not always agree with OCHA or the United Nations on every individual point or issue, but they are discharging their responsibilities to the membership and to the Syrian people to ensure that the assistance reaches the communities that need it the most. If the United Nations does not help these communities, there is no evidence at all to believe that the Syrian Government either wants to, can or will provide that assistance.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“In 2017, the Council adopted resolution 2393 (2017) with 12 votes in favour, with three abstentions, and in 2018, the Council adopted resolution 2449 (2018) with 13 votes in favour, with two abstentions, I therefore repeat that it is not at all clear why the situation should be deemed by some to be so drastically different today. I would also join others in making a real appeal for us to examine the penholder text and do the very best we can to protect the Syrian people. This is a humanitarian briefing. There are some very important humanitarians around the table today. The most important thing we can do, as Ms.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“The penholders are trying to find a way through on this very important issue so that as many of those 4 million lives as possible can be saved and their suffering relieved. But it is not clear to us what has changed since last year, when the Council adopted resolution 2449 (2018) on cross-border access to Syria. What has changed to justify such a dramatic reduction in cross-border assistance, down to two border crossings in only six months, as other members of the Council have proposed? In the past, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2165 (2014) on cross-border access, as well as resolutions 2258 (2015) and 2332 (2016).”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“The humanitarian situation is getting worse, and 4 million people are at very grave risk, which is why, exceptionally, cross-border assistance remains needed - and it has been needed since 2014. That is set out clearly in the Emergency Relief Coordinator's letter to the Security Council, and in correspondence from others over the past few days. Having heard the Assistant Secretary-General's briefing, we have no doubt that the fewer than four border crossings in less than 12 months have led to saving fewer ofthe 4 million lives at stake, which means more suffering for the Syrian people. Turning to the impending draft resolution, as others have said, the representative of Germany set out in his statement why his delegation drafted it the way it did, and we respect that.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“But that is not due to the international community; it is due to the Syrian authorities and the countries that give them the most support. In particular, I think we need to look at Idlib and Rukban, the added upcoming pressure of winter, as others have said, the targeting of civilian objects around Idlib and the need for international humanitarian law to be upheld. Terrorism is no justification for violating the Geneva Conventions. We say it every time we meet in the Chamber, but it remains as true today as it did when the Geneva Conventions were first drawn up. But the worst situation of all, I believe, is the one that the Assistant Secretary-General outlined in her briefing.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“For various reasons, since 2012, the international community has not served the Syrian people as well as we might have, despite some specific heroic efforts involving the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations and such volunteers as the White Helmets. I would like to once again salute, through the Assistant Secretary-General, the work that OCHA and the other humanitarian agencies do to help the Syrian people. And now, as others have noted, after seven long and terrible years, the political process may finally have an opportunity to turn the corner. We, of course, support that effort and will do what we can to help Special Envoy Pedersen deliver results to that end. However, we are very sad to relate that other areas on the ground have not made such progress.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“I join others in welcoming the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait to the Security Council. His country has made an outstanding contribution as a donor and as a member of the Security Council. It has been an honour to work with his country's delegation, which has always focused on the heart of the issue, whether we are considering international peace and security or, as we are doing today, the relief of human suffering. I thank Kuwait very much for everything that it has done for the Security Council. We share the concerns that have been expressed around the table, and I think they follow a common theme.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“The United Kingdom supports the holding of a pledging conference in 2020 to address the financing gap and identify development priorities for the remainder of the transformation decade. We therefore welcome the work that UNAMA is doing with the Afghan Government in preparation for the 2020 ministerial conference on Afghanistan and the initiation of discussions with potential hosts for that event.”
2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8687 (2019) · source
“We welcome UNAMA's continued engagement around the elections with national and international partners and likewise support its call for transparency, impartiality and independence as the results are processed. It was good to see that the Independent Election Commission will be able to move forward with recounts in the remaining provinces. We hope that the process will unfold expeditiously and transparently and look forward to preliminary results. My last point is on Afghanistan's economic development needs. Regardless of what happens in the months ahead, Afghanistan will continue to have considerable economic development and humanitarian needs, as the Indonesian representative so clearly set out. Financial commitments made at the Brussels summit in 2016 will run out next year.”
2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8687 (2019) · source
“The Taliban needs to show that it is serious about peace, the Afghan people need respite from the awful violence and we need to create a conducive environment for the crucial intra-Afghan talks to succeed. I have mentioned the vital role that women have to play in the peace process and join my colleagues in underscoring that once again. I wish to commend UNAMA for the launch of the nationwide global open days on women, peace and security at the symposium in Kabul in October. My second point concerns the Afghan presidential elections. We join others in calling on all stakeholders to respect and uphold the integrity of the electoral management bodies as they work to complete the process and deliver the results in a timely manner.”
2019-12-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8687 (2019) · source