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

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

“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): First of all, like my colleagues before me, I would like to express my condolences to the Government and the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in connection with the railway disaster in Kasai province, as well as to the African States affected by Cyclone Idai. We also mourn the victims of the horrifying natural disasters in our brother country of Indonesia. We wish the wounded and injured a speedy recovery. We thank Special Representative Zerrougui for her thorough briefing on the overall situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the work of the United Nations presence there. We listened carefully to Ms. Anny Tenga Modi's report.”
2019-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8486 (2019) · source
“They can be resolved only through peaceful political and diplomatic methods and by fostering a dialogue between the Naypyidaw and Dhaka authorities and representatives of all nationalities and faiths involved. We are ready to continue to assist the Governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh in resolving the situation regarding Rakhine in a spirit of equality and mutual respect. We once again urge all our colleagues in the Council and the States of the region to act responsibly and with restraint in order to avoid relapses into an escalation of the situation. In conclusion, we would like to thank our friends from Equatorial Guinea, whose presidency ends today and who have worked very hard and productively this month, and we wish our French friends, who will take over tomorrow, every success.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“In our view, the legal framework agreed on by the parties and the existing coordination mechanisms between Myanmar and Bangladesh enable immediate practical Steps to be taken on the issue. In our View it is counterproductive to delay the start of the repatriation process artificially and we do not support attempts to politicize the subject, which do not bring us any closer to resolving the problem of the Rohingya's return to Myanmar. We call on the United Nations staff on the ground to remember this. A great deal depends on their professionalism and impartiality. At this point we consider it a priority to ensure international assistance in mitigating the worst humanitarian consequences of the crisis. We also urge the Council to remember that the underlying problems in Rakhine state are multifaceted and complex.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“We want to point out the systematic efforts that the Myanmar authorities have made to implement the Annan Commission's recommendations with a view to achieving a comprehensive settlement of the crisis. We would like to take advantage of the presence in the Chamber today of the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh to once again pay tribute to the hospitality and patience of Bangladesh's authorities and ordinary Bangladeshis, whose efforts to provide the refugees with everything they need we should all support as actively as possible. We greatly appreciate the steps that have been taken to establish the infrastructure needed in Rakhine state for receiving and accommodating future returnees. We believe firmly that the key to resolving the refugee issue is to be found in the relations between the two neighbouring States involved.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“As far as we know, the authorities are willing to hold a peaceful dialogue with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army if it refrains from violence and separatist demands. Issues relating to the peaceful coexistence in Rakhine of members of the various ethnic and religious groups, including questions regarding the granting of citizenship, freedom of movement, access to social benefits and so forth, should be resolved in the spirit of the recommendations of the Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and should also take Myanmar's national legislation into account. For our part, we have consistently supported taking a balanced and non-confrontational approach to discussing the situation in this country and finding ways to normalize the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state, including solving the problem of displaced persons.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“A delegation from ASEAN's secretariat and its Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management visited Rakhine state at the beginning of February. The ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team has begun its work, and we support those efforts. The activity of the independent commission established by Naypyidaw to investigate human rights violations in Rakhine is gradually gaining momentum. The foreign members of the commission visited Myanmar again at the end of January. We are glad that the commission has not refused to engage in dialogue with international bodies, as the Special Envoy just noted. The ceasefire announced on 21 December of last year by the military command is continuing until 30 April.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“We express the hope that dialogue will continue between Myanmar and Bangladesh, including with the assistance of the Special Envoy, all constructive-minded parties and the entire United Nations system, in line with their mandates. We note with satisfaction that the recent visit to the region by the Special Envoy was overall carried out constructively. Ms. Schraner Burgener is absolutely right that it is necessary to build bridges, not burn them. She can count on our full support in that, as well as in building confidence and supporting direct dialogue between Dhaka and Naypyidaw. We welcome Myanmar's attitude to developing constructive cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We believe that regional organization can play a very positive role.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We wish to thank Ms. Christine Schraner Burgener, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, for her thorough briefing on the situation in the country. On the whole, we agree with her assessment and support the desire to continue shuttle diplomacy. We remain of the view that seeking to resolve the situation, including by ensuring the return of internally displaced persons and humanitarian assistance, must be done in a constructive and non-politicized way, above all bilaterally between Bangladesh and Myanmar. We note that international assistance must be provided to both Bangladesh and Myanmar impartially, while respecting the sovereignty of both countries.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“We have noted the conclusion on 6 December, through the mediation of the African Union, of a pre-negotiation agreement with the non-signatories to the Doha Document. We are sorry it did not last long. We view it as another concession on the part of the Government to the radical opposition, and we hope to see it produce serious rapprochement efforts from the latter. If Abdul Wahid Nour does not meet the African Union's demand that he take part in the negotiating process unconditionally, we are willing to consider the possibility of sanctioning him through the Security Council. We believe that establishing the necessary preconditions in Darfur will enable us to arrive at a full withdrawal for the mission in accordance with the time frame outlined for it in resolution 2429 (2018), which is the end of 2020.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“We deplore the fact that although the unreconciled armed opposition has forfeited its presence on the ground, it has continued its attempts to undermine the situation and incite new outbreaks of violence in the region. We have long known that the Darfur peace process has been stalemated thanks to the unhelpful negotiating position of the Sudan Liberation Army- Abdul Wahid. It is unfortunate that the Secretariat has continued to resort to false equivalencies by essentially refusing to admit that. We believe that flirting with the unreconciled opposition only harms the peace process and that the Sudanese opposition's external sponsors should not encourage the unreconciled opposition to hold meetings in their capitals and should work actively to convince their proteges to make more realistic demands.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“That is a goal of the transition concept of the functioning of UNAMID approved in the resolution, designed to support the people of the Sudan in launching the peacebuilding phase of the settlement in Darfur. We call on donors to fulfil their commitments made at the Cairo and Doha conferences in March 2010 and April 2013, which we believe, along with a relaxation of the unilateral sanctions on the Sudan, will undoubtedly help to normalize the socioeconomic situation in the Sudan as a whole as well as resolving issues related to the efforts for peacebuilding and consolidating security in Darfur. We are satisfied that almost all the provisions of the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur have been met.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“It is crucial to evaluate the prospects of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) solely in the light of the situation in Darfur itself. We will not support attempts to drag any other issues related to the internal situation in the Sudan into this discussion. As regards Darfur directly, given the positive momentum in the region, we believe it is important to continue the process of drawing down UNAMID's military component in accordance with resolution 2429 (2018). We share the view that in order to avoid relapses into conflict it is important to prevent a power vacuum in the region and focus on building the capacity of State institutions in Darfur.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“We note Khartoum's constructive role in resolving regional issues, including its contribution to advancing the peace process in South Sudan, and we should also single out the efforts of the Sudan generally and President Omer Al-Bashir personally regarding the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, which resulted in the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. I am sorry to be compelled to point out here that a number of our Western colleagues have once again used today's meeting on the situation in Darfur to criticize the Sudanese leadership regarding episodes that have nothing to do with that subject, which is a completely unacceptable tactic.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We are grateful to Assistant Secretary- General Bintou Keita for her detailed briefing on the situation in Darfur and her own impressions of her recent trip to the Sudan. We share our colleagues' assessments of the current state of affairs in Darfur and note the continuing generally stable situation in the region. We are pleased that there have been no major armed clashes there for a long time and that intercommunal conflicts are virtually non-existent. It is encouraging that on the whole the Government of the Sudan is successfully implementing its package of measures for collecting weapons from the population and is doing a great deal to normalize the situation in Darfur.”
2019-02-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8468 (2019) · source
“Only the methods that the United States and States that support it use to interfere in the affairs of other countries remain the same - overthrowing regimes they do not like and showing no aversion to stooping to the dirtiest political provocations. Russia will never be resigned to that.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“Mamadou's words were confirmed by neighbours, who mentioned the official from the French Embassy among those who visited. I think no further comment is needed. Our American colleagues are evidently in a kind of provocationist frenzy, and after planning a flagrant and undeniable act of provocation on the Colombian- Venezuelan border for 23 February, they have now gone completely overboard and decided to traffic in insinuations and the dissemination of fake news right here in the Security Council. This situation is a clear illustration of the methods that our Western partners are using in the Central African Republic. As with Venezuela and Ukraine, it is not the countries they are worried about, it is the geopolitics. Everything in our world is moving and changing.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“The distorted facts were denied by the trader himself, Mahamat Nour Mamadou. He admitted that he was incited to this provocation by an internal security attache at the French Embassy in Bangui named Jacques Razafindranali who was also employed in the General Directorate for External Security of France's Ministry of Defence. In his interview with journalists from Afrique Media, he was quoted as saying, "I was a Seleka combatant. I lost my thumb in battle. After I was released, the French approached me and offered me a large sum of money to say that I had been tortured by Russians. They said that ifI did not say it they would kill me. They came a number of times to check that I was saying everything right. They promised to take me to France".”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“The Russian Embassy was not notified about their arrival and was unable to take the necessary steps with the Central African authorities. The upshot was that they were robbed and murdered. What happened is clear and undeniable. However, we are continuing our investigation together with the Government authorities, and all who are interested in the incident will be informed of the results. There is one more subject that we did not intend to talk about, but since our American colleagues touched on it, we feel compelled to. I will have to beg our French colleagues' pardon in advance. We did not bring it up. On 12 February, Radio France Internationale referred in a broadcast to a distorted interpretation of a United Nations report that Russian military instructors had allegedly tortured a 38-year-old Muslim market trader.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“In our view, the current circumstances in the Central African Republic urgently need constructive cooperation from all international stakeholders. There, unfortunately, we have problems through no fault of ours. Despite the positive opinion of what we are doing from the country's authorities and people, attempts are being made to denigrate Russia's efforts in every possible way. We are sorry to say we saw an example of such flagrant double standards today in our American colleague's statement, and I cannot let two of his criticisms of Russia pass without comment. The Russian journalists who died in the Central African Republic were sent there by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who found refuge in the West a number of years ago. He failed to provide them with the necessary protection, except for a large amount of cash.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“We pay tribute to the bravery of the United Nations peacekeepers and to the memory of those who have given their lives for the Central African Republic and for Africa as a whole. We have consistently advocated that the international community and especially the Security Council should support agreements that are reached through the mediation efforts of the African Union and other African frameworks, and should provide them with political, moral and material support. It is clear that the road to national reconciliation in the Central African Republic will not be an easy one, as its people are well aware. However, a critical first step has been taken to lay a foundation for developing solutions that can bring the country lasting peace. Supporting that initiative is our shared goal.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“Russia is ready to facilitate the process of national reconciliation in the Central African Republic in cooperation with the its leaders, the African Union and those of the country's international partners that are involved in the quest for ways to normalize its situation without hidden agendas or double standards. We will continue to support the Central African Republic's authorities in reforming the national security sector, including by strengthening its military capabilities and its armed forces' human resources. In a short period of time Russian military experts have been able to achieve significant results, training more than 1,000 Central African troops. We also intend to continue to expand our humanitarian assistance, particularly in providing the population with medical services.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“We want to emphasize that this important Agreement was made possible by, among other things, the talks between the armed groups held in Khartoum in August 2018 and mediated by Russia and the Sudan, which led to the decision to establish a united Central African opposition with the aim of achieving long-term, sustainable peace in the Central African Republic. Russia's collaboration in organizing the interactions in Khartoum was designed to align with the efforts of the African community, which is making a decisive contribution to unblocking crisis situations in Africa based on the African Union's principle of African solutions to African problems. For our part, we should say that we have listened carefully to the Secretary-General's call in his report (S/2019/147).”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“We see the holding of direct negotiations between the Government of the Central African Republic and key armed groups in Khartoum, under the auspices of the African Union and with the support of the United Nations and regional and international partners, followed by the signing in Bangui on 6 February of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, as a milestone in the modern history of the country. The forum was the result of efforts to harmonize every peace initiative related to the Central African Republic, affirming its international partners' determination to work together in the interests of the country's normalization for the long term.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“Onanga-Anyanga for his leadership of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), in which he has shown himself someone who can maintain his self-control in any situation, however critical. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the work of stabilizing the Central African Republic. We hope that his experience and knowledge will be put to use in the United Nations system and we heartily wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of the Secretary-General; Mr. Smail Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security; Mr. Koen Vervaeke, Managing Director for Africa of the European External Action Service; and Ambassadors Omar Hilale and Gbolie Ipo, the Permanent Representatives of Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire, for their briefings. We would also like to separately welcome Ms. Sylvie Vale'rie Ba'i'po-Temon, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Central Africans Abroad of the Central African Republic. We would particularly like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr.”
2019-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8467 (2019) · source
“Our overall view is that the situation in Burundi does not pose any threats to international peace and security, which gives us good reason to doubt whether it makes sense to keep Burundi as an item on the Council's overburdened agenda. We think that keeping the Council's attention focused on Burundi is becoming counterproductive and is basically there as a convenient excuse for the unreconciled opposition to complicate the country's internal political processes.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“We urge the authorities and the opposition to refrain from any negative rhetoric and to focus on preparing for the electoral cycle, especially given that despite the alarmist forecasts of various members of the opposition and Western experts, the acting President, Pierre Nkurunziza, has declared that he will not be participating in the election. Concerning the problems in promoting the inter-Burundian dialogue, we would like to point out that assigning responsibility for them to one side alone would be counterproductive and even dangerous. We have been closely following and supporting the East African Community's efforts aimed at relaunching a direct negotiation process between the Burundian parties. We also welcome any similar efforts made with Bujumbura's consent and for the good of Burundi.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“We view the constitutional referendum that took place on 17 May last year, in an atmosphere of calm and with the participation of an overwhelming majority of Burundi's population, as a key event in the country's political situation. We should remind the Council in that regard that a majority of voters - 73.26 per cent - expressed support for changing the Constitution and that the referendum was preceded by a democratic and transparent information campaign. The Russian Federation believes that the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections are a domestic issue for Burundi and that any outside interference in them would be completely unacceptable.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“We believe that its initiatives for revitalizing cooperation with Burundians, with an emphasis on issues related to the country's socioeconomic development and re-establishing donors' trust, are what is needed. Based on information we have received, including from Russian diplomats in Bujumbura, we have concluded that the situation in Burundi is calm and trending towards normalization. The improving security situation has been reflected in a significant drop in the level of violence, including the attacks on civilian infrastructure by the radical opposition. We should also note that the process of refugees' gradual return to Burundi from neighbouring States has begun, as my colleagues have already indicated.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Mr. Michel Kafando, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi, and Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, for their briefings on the evolving situation in Burundi. We listened with interest and gratitude to the report of Ambassador Jiirg Lauber, the Permanent Representative of Switzerland and Chair of the country configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). We note the balanced approach that the Commission takes to Burundi, which is one of the reasons why the PBC continues to be a channel for trustworthy communication with Bujumbura.”
2019-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8465 (2019) · source
“In general, it is hard to shake the feeling that raising the issue of anti-Government protests in Khartoum, which in itself constitutes interference in the country's internal affairs, comes under the rubric of geopolitical engineering and the West's well-known policies aimed at replacing regimes that it does not like. We all know what that led to in Libya, South Sudan and various other countries. We do not wish to hold the Security Council and the 1591 Committee hostage to our Western colleagues' geopolitical agenda. In conclusion, I want to once again underscore that any Security Council sanctions regime must be reviewed so that it can adapt to the realities on the ground. It was with that in mind that we agreed on resolution 2400 (2018), which clearly established the importance of holding such reviews regularly.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“The initiators of such so-called innovations are not acting based on the trends in the real situation on the ground but on their own narrow national agendas, which are often far removed from the interests of establishing peace in Darfur. A number of our colleagues today raised the topic of the protests in the Sudan. I would like to underscore that this subject is not related to the subject of our meeting. The objective of these kinds of tactics is clear. It is to create an impression that the Security Council has a mandate to discuss a purely national Sudanese issue in the context of the sanctions regime. I want to emphasize that this is no way corresponds to reality and nobody should be misled on the matter.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“What is more, we are already hearing so-called human rights activists sending signals in support of a de facto toughening of the Council's sanctions regime on the Sudan by making sexual and gender-based violence a separate listing criterion, expanding the capacity and powers of the Panel ofExperts ofthe 1591 Committee in this area, and linking the eventual lifting of sanctions on the Sudan to a resolution of the problem of sexual violence in Darfur. In our view, such a transformation threatens to turn on its head the whole point of the Sudan sanctions regime, which was introduced with a view to protecting international peace and security.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“The positive developments we have seen in Darfur suggest that the sanctions introduced 14 years ago have already served their purpose. There is an evident need a clear road map for lifting the Security Council sanctions on the Sudan. In the context of the planned drawdown of the peacekeeping contingent of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, we would like to point out that the previous Chair of the 1591 Committee made the very logical and timely recommendation that easing the sanctions regime should go hand in hand with withdrawing the Blue Helmets. Our experience in Eritrea has shown that when there is corresponding political will on the part of the Western members of the Council, it is quite possible to make substantive progress in lifting sanctions. Unfortunately, we have not seen any of that here so far.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“The signing on 6 December in Berlin of a preliminary agreement on the resumption of the peace process speaks to the commitment of the parties to achieving a lasting peace in the region through negotiations. In that context, we were disappointed by the unconstructive negotiating position of Abdul Wahid Al Nur. We have to acknowledge that attempts to woo intransigent actors are damaging to the peace process. We believe that the external sponsors of the Sudanese opposition should be more proactive in urging their proteges to take more realistic positions. As has repeatedly said here in this Chamber, sanctions are not an end in themselves but rather one of the tools in the Council's arsenal for advancing peace processes and encouraging political dialogue.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We have taken note the briefing of Ms. Joanna Wronecka, Permanent Representative of Poland, on the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan. We note the overall positive trend in the military and political situation and the settlement of the conflict in Darfur. The security situation is stable. Armed violence is on the decline. Large-scale clashes and intercommunal conflicts have ceased. Refugees and internally displaced persons are returning home. We see no alternative to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur as the basis for a political settlement in the region, and we welcome the measures being taken by Khartoum to implement it.”
2019-01-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8446 (2019) · source
“The views of the countries for which it was developed are crucial to achieving that. It will also be impossible to get anything done without properly coordinating the numerous assistance programmes for the region. Their effectiveness also depends on whether the entities that are present in the region - and I particularly have in mind those that are part of the United Nations system - are operating within their area of responsibility and taking into account the principle of division of labour. It seems to us that only through purposeful collective action that is carried out in appropriate formats and does not create conflicting areas of competence can we achieve the results we seek.”
2019-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8442 (2019) · source
“Military and counter-terrorism measures must be combined with efforts to strengthen State institutions, undertake systemic economic and social development, promote a culture of respect for human rights and the rule of law and provide jobs for young people. We greatly appreciate the activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and the Organization's specialized agencies in providing a broad range of assistance to the countries of the region. It is crucial to ensure that those efforts are closely coordinated with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other organizations. We consider it important to increase the effectiveness of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, since we feel that its potential has not yet been fully realized.”
2019-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8442 (2019) · source
“In that regard, the efforts of States in the region to combat the growing challenges are extremely timely, and that is all the more important in the current circumstances, when terrorist groups are increasingly actively coordinating their actions. We support the operations of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel and the Multinational Joint Task Force aimed at fighting Boko Haram, and we are providing assistance to African Governments through bilateral channels. We do not believe in the possibility of dialogue with terrorists, including Boko Haram. Unfortunately, security threats affect States' ability to deal with their socioeconomic problems, which is why efforts to ensure security and stability efforts have to be implemented as part ofa comprehensive approach.”
2019-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8442 (2019) · source
“We hope that the new electoral cycle beginning this year, which includes an even greater number of countries, will also take place in lawful and orderly conditions. We have to agree with Mr. Chambas that, despite the efforts that have been made, extremism, terrorism and organized crime, unfortunately, continue to gather strength in the region. As an epicentre of this kind of lawless activity, the States of the Sahel, to a significant extent, have become victims of the rogue actions of some countries that led to regime change in Libya. If the situation there is not stabilized, it will not be easy to achieve peace and stability in the Sahel, as many regional stakeholders have rightly pointed out. Eradicating terrorism is one of the top priorities on the African agenda.”
2019-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8442 (2019) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Mr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, for the information he has provided. We would like to assure him once again that Russia supports his personal efforts and the activities of his Office in resolving regional crises and issues of political mediation and assistance in improving State and human rights institutions, the quest for ways to achieve economic development and the fight against extremism and terrorism. It is encouraging that in the second half of 2018, elections took place in a number of the countries in the region in a generally calm atmosphere.”
2019-01-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8442 (2019) · source
“There is a need to support the implementation of the agreements reached in the first round of intra-Yemeni consultations and to provide further assistance to the mediation work of Mr. Martin Griffiths, including in the context of organizing a new round of negotiations early next year.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8439 (2018) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): The Russian delegation voted in favour of resolution 2451 (2018) on Yemen, which was submitted by the United Kingdom, based on the fact that it seeks to strengthen the agreements reached in Sweden through the mediation work of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Martin Griffiths. It is most important that the document was supported by the Yemenis themselves and regional players, whose opinion is crucial to ensuring the resolution's effectiveness. We trust that by continuing to work together in the future, we will be able to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire in the country and help the millions of Yemeni residents who are in dire need of some kind ofassistance.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8439 (2018) · source
“In that regard, we believe that it would be advisable to decide on the details concerning the implementation of the mission's reconfiguration only after the electoral cycle has been completed and the country has returned to the constitutional path.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“We believe that, at the present moment, the United Nations mission is a unique guarantor for national reconciliation. The Office is successfully undertaking projects for social development and building the capacities of law enforcement and the country's armed forces. At the same time, we must recognize the fact that, in many areas, its potential, above all in the political sphere, cannot be fully realized. In general, we believe that the reconfiguration of the Integrated Office needs to be approached in an extremely balanced manner. Any hasty drawdown of the mission's work would lead only to greater divisions within Bissau-Guinean society, degrade State institutions and result in an increase in drug trafficking and corruption.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“Although we wish to avoid dramatizing the fact that the appointments to the National Assembly have been postponed, timely elections on 18 November would have generated an important positive momentum for improving the overall climate. We now see that the situation in Guinea-Bissau is inching towards a perilous threshold, beyond which turmoil awaits both the country and its people. At this fateful moment, we call on all social and political forces to act responsibly and to proceed in a way that reflects national interests and leads to a prompt resolution of existing disputes. We have closely studied the report on the outcomes of the strategic assessment of the activities of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (S/2018/1086).”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Mr. Taye-Brook Zerihoun, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Ambassador Mauro Vieira, Chair of the Guinea-Bissau configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, for their briefings. The developments in Guinea-Bissau give abundant cause for concern. We regret the fact that the progress made following the establishment of a consensus- based Government in April has once again morphed into clashes among the main political forces. Against the background of pressing socioeconomic and humanitarian challenges, this is farming the flames of what is already a highly volatile situation in the country. We welcome the President of Guinea-Bissau's announcement yesterday of the decision to set 10 March 2019 as the new date for parliamentary elections.”
2018-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8438 (2018) · source
“We are all well aware that had there not been a violent coup d'etat in Libya in 2011, organized from the outside, perhaps we would not have to take up the difficult processes that are occurring in the region to a large extent because of it.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8435 (2018) · source
“We agree with those who have convened today's meeting that the numerous assistance programmes for the region need to be duly coordinated. The effectiveness of this coordination will depend on whether the structures already in place - first and foremost, those of the United Nations system - are adhering to their remit and upholding the principle of division of labour. In our opinion, it is only through collective, targeted efforts that are undertaken in the appropriate format and do not create a conflict of competences that we can achieve the desired result. The most important thing for us is that external assistance not turn into an imposition of blanket prescriptions using medicine that is alien to African States. All external interference should be excluded.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8435 (2018) · source
“We highly commended the work of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and the United Nations specialized agencies in providing broad assistance to countries on the African continent. It is crucial that these efforts be made in close coordination with regional organizations, such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and others. A positive role in mobilizing support for the Sahel region is also being played by the Peacebuilding Commission. We consider it important to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel. In our opinion, its potential has not yet been fully exploited. In implementing the Strategy, the opinion of those countries for which it has been developed is very important.”
2018-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8435 (2018) · source