YouSaid · the spoken record

Polyanskiy

lines on the record: 2,335
first: 2018-01-31
most recent: 2023-12-22
sittings or episodes: 300
sources: un-security-council

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“In that regard, we are guided by presidential note 507, which states that any member of the Security Council may be a penholder and more than one Council member may act as co-penholder. Individual members of the Council should not consider certain countries or even regions as their fiefdoms or act as their mentors on particular issues. We are ready for constructive interaction with Council members on that question. We would also like to recall once again the inadmissibility of the practice of introducing artificial deadlines into the Council’s work. It is no secret that the dates for the adoption of most Security Council resolutions are already known at the stage when the Council decides on its programme of work for the month.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“In recent years, the practice of considering thematic subjects in the Council has become more frequent, especially those that, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, fall under the competence of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other organs of our global Organization. That violates the well-established division of labour and distracts the Security Council from addressing its priorities, on which it can and should take concrete decisions. In the context of an even distribution of responsibilities in the Security Council, the question of penholdership deserves particular attention. We have consistently advocated expanding the circle of penholders, first and foremost to non-permanent members.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“We are convinced that those formats should be used only to enhance the awareness of Security Council members about issues on the Council’s agenda. At the same time, we do not support any hybrid formats, which risk introducing unpredictable and serious legal consequences for the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. We continue to draw attention to the Council’s excessive documentation workload. Every year the Security Council produces several hundred documents. The added value of some of them is, unfortunately, questionable. The often observed excessive micromanaging of resolutions is not helpful either. We are convinced that the final products of the Security Council should be concise, clear, easy to understand and, most importantly, action-oriented.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“As agreed when it was introduced, meetings held in the VTC format cannot be considered formal meetings of the Security Council procedurally, legally or logically. Accordingly, we see no need to institutionalize those temporary measures. In the event of a recurrence of a crisis similar to that of last year, we have experience and a solution, which is set out in the letters of the President of the Security Council, to which we can always return. We do not deny that VTC meetings have their advantages and we can continue to use them to convene informal meetings. In particular, they help to significantly expand the circle of those who can provide the Council with important information for decision-making. I am referring to mechanisms in the Council’s toolkit, such as the interactive dialogues and informal Arria Formula meetings.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“That same principle also guided our own presidency of the Council in October 2020, which was successfully carried out with the use of the newly installed plexiglass partitions in the Chamber. The COVID-19 pandemic provided us with an excellent opportunity to assess the important role of the Council’s face-to-face discussions of the international agenda. It has become clear that no alternative working methods can replace face-to-face interactions among Council members. I think all representatives will agree with me in that regard. We are pleased to note the Council’s gradual return to normal work in the Chamber. We are of the view that the video-teleconference (VTC) format used throughout 2020 and in part in 2021 worked only on a temporary basis and under extraordinary circumstances.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“However, despite the difficulties, the Security Council was able to prove its ability to adapt quickly and in a timely manner to the new situation. Temporary extraordinary measures were developed to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of its work. We strictly adhered to that modus operandi in the months that followed. As the situation in New York changed and the phases of reopening began, Russia advocated a swift return of Council members to the Chamber, subject to the necessary precautions. To that end, we supported the holding of the first in-person meetings of the Security Council in the Economic and Social Council Chamber during the presidency of Germany last July.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“We stand ready to assist the delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in that painstaking work. In our view, there should be no undue haste in doing so. Our efforts in that regard should be coordinated and focused on achieving consensus. We note the growing interest in the procedural aspects of the Security Council’s work on the part of its non-permanent members. That undoubtedly helps to develop best practices for the Council’s work. The year 2020 has been difficult for all humankind. The world has had to face a new and previously unknown challenge — the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The ensuing sanitary and epidemiological restrictions necessarily impacted the work of the United Nations, in particular the Security Council.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“Russia has consistently maintained that any changes in that regard should be aimed at really improving the effectiveness and efficiency with which the Council carries out its primary function of maintaining international peace and security. Resorting to ill-conceived initiatives that are not tailored to the specific nature of the Council’s work not only does not help to achieve results but, on the contrary, is often counterproductive. We welcome the efforts of the delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to improve the working methods of the Security Council. We have taken note of its intention to amend the note by the President of the Security Council S/2017/507, which is of great importance as a compendium of Council working methods and is actively used by non-permanent members of the Council as an important primary source.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“We note that for the second year running this debate has been held under the Estonian presidency. We support the importance of enhancing coordination between the Security Council and the wider membership. We trust that today’s debate, as well as the external assessment of the current state of affairs itself, will make a particular contribution to the activities of the Working Group and also help to provide it with new ideas, on the understanding, of course, that the working methods themselves and any steps to modify them are the preserve of the Council members. The issue of the Security Council working methods is very sensitive.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): At the outset, I would like to thank the briefers, Ms. Loraine Sievers and Ms. Karin Landgren, for their comprehensive briefings. We echo the colleagues who paid tribute to Professor Edward Luck and Ambassador Kenzo Oshima for their studies of the Security Council’s working methods. We also thank Ms. Rhonda King and the entire delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for their statement, as well as for their able leadership of the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions. For several years in a row, the Security Council has discussed its working methods in an open format, with the participation of a broad representation of States Members of the United Nations.”
2021-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8798 (2021) · source
“We call on the parties concerned, including the United Nations Office for Project Services, to take constructive action. In conclusion, I would like to once again call on our colleagues to cooperate in the common interest of general de-escalation in the region, including on the basis of relevant resolution 598 (1987), as well as the Russian concept for collective security in the Persian Gulf region.”
2021-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8797 (2021) · source
“We are convinced that the cessation of hostilities should be accompanied by a series of confidence-building measures in the political, military and socioeconomic spheres, which would help to alleviate the dire situation of the Yemeni people, which the United Nations characterizes as the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world. In that connection, we call on donors to provide the necessary financial support for United Nations humanitarian assistance. We also stress the need to fully lift the naval, land and air blockade of Yemen and the restrictions on the delivery of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods. We recall that the assistance provided must not be biased or discriminatory. We are convinced that a mutually acceptable solution, free from hidden political agendas, can also be found to the issue of the FSO SAFER oil tanker.”
2021-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8797 (2021) · source
“Finding a solution to the Yemeni crisis was discussed in detail during talks held in Sochi on 26 May between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ahmed Binmubarak, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen, who was in Russia on a working visit. We will continue to actively encourage the official Yemeni authorities, the Ansar Allah movement and other Yemeni forces to adopt a constructive approach and be ready to compromise when considering their differences. We welcome the constructive role of regional States in mediation efforts.”
2021-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8797 (2021) · source
“In that regard, we reaffirm our support for the relevant United Nations efforts on this issue. We are grateful to Mr. Griffiths for his work in Yemen over the years and for his attempts to find solutions and launch negotiations between the parties. It has always been a difficult task, and there is still too much work to be done to bring about peace. We are concerned about the ongoing violence in various parts of the country. At the same time, we see a common goal — a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the many problems besetting Yemen, its people and, to a large extent, its neighbours in the region.”
2021-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8797 (2021) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Mr. Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, for his overview of the situation in Yemen and the steps he has taken to revive the comprehensive negotiation process under the auspices of the United Nations. We also thank Mr. Mark Lowcock for his assessment of the humanitarian situation in the country, and we listened very carefully to Ms. Najiba Al Naggar. The Russian Federation is closely following the situation in Yemen, which is in its seventh year of acute military and political crisis. We have consistently advocated for the parties in Yemen to end the violence as soon as possible and move towards a peaceful resolution of their differences. There is no alternative to inter-Yemeni talks that take into account the interests and concerns of all.”
2021-06-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8797 (2021) · source
“We trust that our European colleagues will be able to make the right choice and overcome the many unfortunate trends that I have mentioned. The EU stands to gain from this new approach as would its international partners, including of course Russia and the other States Members of the United Nations that are interested in developing a constructive and effective type of cooperation with the Union, alongside other regional and subregional organizations.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“The main point is that the EU understands that in the modern world there is no place for hegemony and dominance. In the EU, there are many people who recognize the counterproductive nature of the confrontational approach adopted towards our country as well as the erroneous line that has been held in regions in our neighbourhood over recent years. The culmination of that was seen in the anti-constitutional bloody coup in Ukraine and the nationalism, neo-Nazism, Russophobia and antisemitism in that country. We trust that at the end of the day common sense will prevail and that we will be able to select a new balanced model for our relationship, with a focus on the principles of international law. This equal and honest cooperation is something in which Russia has already always been ready to engage.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“However, dialogue should be built on both parties having equal footing and mutual respect for one another. We have many questions that have accrued over recent years, which we would like to put to the EU, but we ask them while putting particular focus on specific facts. I would also like the EU to take that approach and refrain from promoting fake news or arbitrary accusations along the lines of “highly likely”. The EU can and should play a constructive role in Europe and around the world. We see here significant potential. We have highly valued, inter alia, the role that the EU has played as a coordinator of the commission to monitor the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. There are also other areas where there has been successful cooperation.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“Finally, we would note the ever more frequent attempts of our colleagues from the EU to promote — through various means, including through United Nations instruments — their own approaches on gender, human rights, climate and other topics, presenting them as allegedly universal and benefiting from consensus. There are an increasing number of examples of this practice, and I would like to immediately warn the Council that we intend to fight against it more adamantly and uncompromisingly, as it reflects efforts by the EU to replace international law with the so-called rules-based order. I would not want my statement to give the impression that Russia has a negative attitude towards the EU. That is not the case. We are neighbours on a continent, and we are interested in cooperating on ideology and on dialogue.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“In that regard, we would recommend to our European colleagues that, rather than playing up to Pristina, they should ensure that Pristina fulfils already agreed parameters, including finally creating a community of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo. Once again, we called on the EU not to deviate from the principle of impartiality during their mediation at these negotiations. The same wish also applies to EU policy in the Balkans as a whole. We call on our colleagues to be careful in their approach to decisions of universal application reached within the United Nations and to refrain from ignoring or selectively reading them, which could run the risk of undermining the legitimacy of a whole host of structures in the region.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“in this context, we still have questions about the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI, as one of its objectives is to assist in the fulfilment of the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. We called on the EU to tread very carefully in this region, which is still unable to recover from the forcible destruction of the Libyan State 10 years ago. A series of EU members were directly involved in that effort. We have great expectations from the EU as a mediator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, even more so given the fact that the General Assembly gave the EU a special mandate to this end. We must state that, so far, we have seen no significant results.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“On the contrary, it leans towards neocolonialism and causes affected States and all right- minded countries to unite to defend the interests of their own peoples and the basic principles of inter-State cooperation as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. Even in the context of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the EU did not heed the call of United Nations Secretary-General Guterres to suspend unilateral coercive measures for humanitarian purposes. This indifference to human suffering does nothing for the EU’s reputation on the international stage. The EU is an important regional player, and its assistance to the United Nations is necessary. However, the efforts of the EU should not go beyond the frameworks set forth in Security Council mandates.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“This gives rise to nothing but the gravest of concerns. The most obvious example of the line that has been taken by the EU is the actively development and then arbitrary application of illegal, unilateral coercive measures that have been approved in circumvention of the Security Council and of international legal norms. Contrary to the official statements on the targeted nature of these mechanisms, their unlawful nature substantially hinders the socioeconomic situation in affected countries and leads to falling standards of living for ordinary people. This has been confirmed by relevant studies by United Nations officials. Again, we would draw the attention of Brussels to the fact that this practice does not lead to a change in State policy.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“Promoting such dubious concepts as the “rules-based” order or imposing block approaches and attempts to present one’s own experience and achievements as a gold standard that other countries should implement at home bears no resemblance to multilateralism, and often leads to blatant interference in the affairs of other States. We would caution against the use of these approaches, for example, in relation to Belarus. Russia-EU relations at present are unfortunately at their lowest ebb in history. This is a separate issue and not the topic of today’s meeting. But I must say that, rather than adopting a careful and patient collective approach to seeking compromise and constructive solutions with partners within the General Assembly and Security Council, our European partners increasingly often choose a destructive unilateral approach.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“Therefore, among the priorities for cooperation between the United Nations and the EU, we see collective cooperation in countering cross-border threats and challenges, as well as fostering dialogue on counter-terrorism, to be of prime importance. This kind of cooperation has significant potential, and we fully support these approaches. At the same time, however, it is vitally important that cooperation between the United Nations and the EU lead to strengthening multilateral approaches to global affairs and not to erode or revise them. True multilateralism entails consistent support of the central role of the United Nations.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We welcome the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles, and we listened very carefully to his assessments. We are in favour of developing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations on the basis of the United Nations Charter, first and foremost its chapter VIII. Cooperation with the European Union (EU) is no exception, which should also be organized on this basis and within the framework of General Assembly resolution 65/276 of 2011. We also believe that regional structures should complement United Nations efforts in their areas of responsibility and within their mandates.”
2021-06-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8792 (2021) · source
“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today’s meeting. I thank the Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2020/9. The meeting rose at 4.15 p.m.”
2020-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8766 (2020) · source
“We trust that the South Sudanese will be able to expeditiously reach an agreement on the whole array of issues, which will give the Security Council a reason to conduct an assessment of the sanctions regime, with a view to tailoring it to reflect the real situation on the ground.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“In that connection, we welcome the efforts undertaken by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union, the Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and the Republic of South Africa. It is important that their approaches continue to promote unity. That will help advance the implementation of the principle of African solutions to African problems. We believe that progress in settling the situation in South Sudan was not facilitated by stronger sanctions against the country or, in particular, the imposition of unilateral restrictions. A key component in that progress was the contribution made by regional mediators.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“All that has a positive impact on the rate of return of South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of origin. We attribute that primarily to the implementation of confidence-building measures and contacts between the opposing parties on the ground. It is important that they continue to respect the terms of the ceasefire. We call on the South Sudanese to strictly abide by those agreements. We also call on the non-signatory parties to the Revitalized Agreement to join the State-building process as soon as possible. We highlight the efforts of the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Italian Government to that end. We have repeatedly stated and reiterate today that the leading role in supporting the South Sudanese peace process must be played by regional actors.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“We believe it important that the parties be ready to overcome their differences through frank dialogue. We hope that all necessary formalities will be completed as soon as possible and that the transition agreements will continue to be implemented. We believe that only the full and complete implementation of the commitments undertaken by the parties will help to increase mutual trust and prevent the recurrence of past mistakes. We note the overall reduction in the level of armed violence and in the number of intercommunal clashes since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan of 2018. The improvement in the security situation has facilitated greater humanitarian access. The number of human rights violations has decreased.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“That was the result of the compromise agreements reached by the main parties to the South Sudanese process. We would like to highlight the important initiative of President Salva Kiir, who showed political will and made compromises on the administrative division of the country. We also note Mr. Riek Machar’s decision to join the process to form the Transitional Government of National Unity and assume the post of First Vice-President. We believe that the beginning of the formation of the country’s new governing bodies and the conclusion of the pre-transition period within the previously agreed time frame create the necessary conditions for South Sudan to move towards political stability and national reconciliation so as to successfully address the urgent socioeconomic development challenges for the benefit of all South Sudanese people.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We wish to note the briefing by Mr. David Shearer, Special Representative of the Secretary- General, and assure him of our full support in his work and the United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan that he leads. We also thank Ms. Betty Sunday for her briefing. We are also grateful to the troop- and police-contributing countries within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. South Sudan is a very young country at a crucial moment in its history. It is the task of the international community to provide the necessary support to the South Sudanese to overcome the challenges facing their country. Moscow welcomes the recent positive developments in the peace process in South Sudan.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Maintaining the sanctions, in the light of the withdrawal of the United Nations presence in the country, is perplexing and could undermine the credibility of the Security Council.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8736 (2020) · source
“In view of the developments in Guinea-Bissau since the presidential elections, we call on all social and political forces to act responsibly in order to overcome their differences as soon as possible and create conditions conducive to easing the political tensions. The resolution stipulates that in six months, the Council will take concrete steps to review the Security Council sanctions against Guinea-Bissau. In that regard, we would like to emphasize that the restrictive measures imposed in 2012 have nothing to do with the current situation in the country. As was again demonstrated by the recent elections, the armed forces remain out of politics. Constitutional order was restored back in 2015. We can therefore state that the sanctions achieved their objective long ago.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8736 (2020) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The Russian Federation voted in favour of resolution 2512 (2020), which extends the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). We expect, in line with that document, the restructuring and withdrawal of the mission by 31 December to be carried out gradually and in a responsible manner. The resolution envisages that the United Nations country team, which will take over from UNIOGBIS in 2021, will have all the necessary tools to facilitate the socioeconomic development and normalization of political life in Guinea-Bissau, including the implementation of the relevant Government reforms provided for in the Conakry Agreement and the road map of the Economic Community of West African States.”
2020-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8736 (2020) · source
“We trust that, with the assistance of the renewed composition of the Panel of Experts, we will be able together to turn the page and to build constructive relationships with our Somali partners.”
2020-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8735 (2020) · source
“For this to happen, there is a need to clearly understand that all the concerns of Somalia’s sovereign authorities must be given full consideration. The reality on the ground is such that, if we do not do so, Somali stakeholders and external forces are unlikely to deem it necessary to defer to the authority of the central authorities. In that case, all our efforts to provide political, economic and humanitarian assistance will be in vain. The Federal Government in Somalia must not have the impression that the Security Council is biased in its work. In that regard, we welcome your January visit to Somalia, Mr. President, as well as the initial contacts with the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts in Mogadishu.”
2020-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8735 (2020) · source
“We support further multifaceted assistance to Mogadishu to improve the operational readiness of the Somali army and the African Union Mission in Somalia, which bear the main burden in combating terrorists. Last year, the Council imposed additional restrictions on the supply of improvised explosive device components to the country. We trust that such measures will work smoothly. However, we would like to underscore that we do not see sanctions as an end in and of themselves — only as a way of assisting Somalia’s authorities to achieve peace and stability in their country. With regard to relationships between the Committee and its Panel of Experts and the Federal Government of Somalia, we would very much like such contacts once again to take on a normal tone.”
2020-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8735 (2020) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your informative briefing on the work of the Committee over the past four months. The Russian Federation fully supports Mogadishu’s efforts to achieve domestic political and socioeconomic stability and to counter the main security threat in Somalia, namely, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. We note that the arms and charcoal embargoes against Somalia continue to work. Those bans have proved to be a fairly effective tool for cutting off the channels that supply the extremist and terrorist forces. At the same time, the partial lifting of the arms embargo on the supply of weapons to the Somali security forces has had a positive impact.”
2020-02-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8735 (2020) · source
“We do so through targeted contributions to the relevant funds of the World Food Programme. We also intend to continue to train Somali civilian personnel. In conclusion, I would like to assure the Council of our country’s firm commitment to continue working intensively in the Security Council to resolve the crisis in Somalia, while respecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“We are convinced that, in order to tackle the terrorist threat in Somalia, there is a need for effective joint efforts to build a unified national security architecture. Progress in this area should be decisive with a view to handing over responsibility for the security of the country to the Somalis themselves. The process should also take into account developments in the situation on the ground. At the moment, we agree that the African Union Mission to Somalia is an extremely important player in fighting Al-Shabaab. The international community should continue to take steps to increase the operational readiness of the African peacekeeping units and the Somali National Army. Considering the complex humanitarian situation in Somalia, Russia continues to provide assistance to the country and to Somali refugees in neighbouring countries.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“We are seriously concerned about the significant increase in terrorist activity by its fighters and their use of ever more sophisticated improvised explosive devices. In that regard, we would like to recall that in August 2019 our delegation asked the United Kingdom, as penholder on Somalia, to organize a briefing to the Council by the Director of United Nations Mine Action Service on the threat posed by those devices in Somalia; we could have heard from him today. However, unfortunately, our request fell on deaf ears. We still believe that the issue of improvised explosive devices warrants just as much attention as other aspects of the situation that we have considered today.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“We agree with the assessment in the Secretary- General’s report (S/2020/121) that the lack of a constructive dialogue between Mogadishu and the federal member states remains a significant factor that hinders political progress and national reconciliation efforts in Somalia. Indeed, without the resumption of that dialogue, the numerous problems facing the country risk remaining unresolved. We call on the Somali authorities to step up their efforts to establish links with the authorities of Jubaland and Puntland and to resolve political differences in Galmudug. We believe that a significant contribution to resolving those issues could be made by setting up a permanent mechanism for communication with the federal member states, including Somaliland. Al-Shabaab continues to pose a major threat to the country’s security.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“The most significant achievement was clearly last week’s adoption of the very important electoral law. We also welcome the consultations launched in Mogadishu earlier this month to revise the federal constitution. Furthermore, we would like to welcome the contribution of the Federal Government to normalizing the situation in the Horn of Africa as a whole. The reaffirmation at the end of January by President Mohamed Farmajo and the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea of their commitment to earlier agreements as well as the plan of action that they adopted are a good illustration of that. At the same time, much remains to be done. We trust that the Somalis will continue to honour their commitments.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We are grateful to Mr. James Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and Mr. Francisco Madeira, Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia, for their comprehensive briefings. We would also like to thank Mr. Dan Smith, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, for his briefing. Russia fully supports the efforts of the Federal Government of Somalia to achieve domestic political and economic stability and to implement democratic changes. We continue to closely follow the situation in the country and the steps taken by its authorities to prepare for this year’s key event — the general elections. We are pleased to note that the Somalis have managed to achieve progress in that regard.”
2020-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8731 (2020) · source
“The primary task of finding a format and modalities for dialogue that are acceptable to all warring parties comes first. In that context, we welcome the targeted efforts of international mediators, which are in line with the priorities of BINUH. We will continue to work to ensure that the outcome of the Security Council’s efforts leads to a genuine normalization of the situation in Haiti and to strengthening its sovereignty and self-sufficiency.”
2020-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8729 (2020) · source
“Regrettably, Haiti is a clear example of how the foundations of governance are undermined in the heat of political struggle. This should have a sobering effect on those who continue to promote reckless schemes to weaken the foundations of statehood in other Latin American countries, with potential risks for the entire continent. We see no alternative to negotiated settlements in overcoming disagreements in the States of the region that have faced domestic political challenges, whether in Haiti or elsewhere. We categorically reject double standards and interference in Latin American affairs. What is needed today is responsible international support for Port-au-Prince in order to ease social tensions and prevent Haiti from sliding into a full- fledged internal conflict.”
2020-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8729 (2020) · source
“With the withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Haiti’s political leadership and law enforcement agencies have not only gained greater independence from international assistance, but have also assumed full responsibility for the country’s fate and the security of its citizens. The Government and society have entered a critical phase of development that will not be any easier than before. Awareness of national responsibility will inevitably lead to an increase in social activity. At the same time, we must avoid simplistic conclusions about the root causes of what is happening, which is primarily due to chronic and unresolved critical socioeconomic problems, rather than the political ambitions of opponents.”
2020-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8729 (2020) · source
“In such a critical period in the country’s history, resources and time must not be squandered on tasks whose success will ultimately depend on the country’s political stability. We take note of the report’s assessment of the work of the Haitian National Police. That institution currently has a special responsibility. At a time when the path of mutual understanding has yet to be taken, society must see police as reliable defenders. It goes without saying, however, that the inalienable right of all Haitians to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression must be exercised in strict compliance with national legislation. The challenges facing Haiti are not unique.”
2020-02-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8729 (2020) · source