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Polyanskiy

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2018-01-31
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2023-12-22
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un-security-council

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  1. The countries ofthe region have essentially achieved the impossible by restarting the negotiation process from scratch and for more than a year patiently helping the parties to find points of convergence. IGAD kept the initiative to revitalize the Agreement moving forward even when many of us had lost hope. We note that today the parties in the region continue to demonstrate the same united approach to the settlement in South Sudan as before, which is extremely important for further support to the peace process. Considering the South Sudanese people's sentiments and their increasing hopes for peace and welfare that the Ambassador of Sweden shared with us, we would like to urge all our Security Council colleagues to genuinely and practically continue to support the Sudanese peace process and the relevant efforts of regional organizations.

    2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8403 (2018) · source

  2. In that regard, we attach great importance to the signing by the parties on 12 September of the revitalized peace Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. Needless to say, the agreements reached will still require a significant clarification of the details, but that makes them no less important. The main thing is that the South Sudanese parties have shown their willingness to reach a compromise and their desire to settle their existing disputes by peaceful means. I would like to once again pay tribute to the coordinated mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which made it possible to reach a successful conclusion to the revitalization process for South Sudan's peace Agreement.

    2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8403 (2018) · source

  3. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Under-Secretary-General Jean- Pierre Lacroix, Mr. Sma'i'l Chergui, the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, and Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN-Women, for their detailed information about their joint visit to South Sudan. The Russian Federation has consistently held the view that the situation of women, like that of the country's entire civilian population, will significantly improve as the South Sudanese peace process advances. The key to stabilizing the Republic of South Sudan lies in a sustainable ceasefire and the start of an inclusive national reconciliation process.

    2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8403 (2018) · source

  4. We are already giving military and technical assistance to a number of the countries in the region and providing training for military and police personnel. We will continue to facilitate capacity-building for the armed forces of the G-5 Sahel with the aim of enabling their Joint Force to become an effective tool for the restoration and maintenance of peace in West Africa.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  5. We are convinced of the importance of further coordinated efforts, on the part of both the Africans and the international community, aimed at combating extremism in the Sahel-Sahara region. Military methods alone clearly cannot root out that evil. It is also essential to effectively counter the spread of extremist ideology, work constructively to tackle the acute socioeconomic problems plaguing the countries of the region and strengthen their State institutions, and we want to highlight the key role of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel in addressing those challenges. Russia is studying the possibility of adjusting its effective cooperation with the G-5 Sahel States in order to deal with the region's pressing problems.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  6. It will also be important to speed up the process of building military camps for the Joint Force, solve the problems of providing them with enough weapons and improve the training of combat personnel. Those issues cannot be resolved without ensuring stable and predictable funding for the Sahel States' joint military structures. We have seen that the funds are slowly reaching the region. Unfortunately, many of those who made financial pledges in this regard have not been in a hurry to fulfil them. And owing to a lack of funding, neither can the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali fully implement its mandate to support the Joint Force.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  7. Several military operations have been carried out, the staffing of military personnel is at 80 per cent, the establishment of a headquarters and secretariat is nearing completion and mechanisms have been created for financing them. We expect that concrete plans for the continuation of joint operations will be announced in the near future. In our opinion the Joint Force has already demonstrated that it represents a key factor in ensuring the stability of the region. Of course, much remains to be done. The 29 June terrorist attack on the headquarters of the Joint Force in Se'vare was naturally a heavy blow that has slowed the training process. At the same time, it served to reveal the Joint Force's weak spots. As we understand it, the relevant conclusions have been drawn and work has begun to address the errors.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  8. The number of new radical groups is growing, as is organized crime, which is actively exploiting the absence of any authority across vast areas of the region. The roots of these problems are well known. In the Sahel we are reaping the whirlwind sown by the collapse of statehood in Libya, the legacy of a crude foreign intervention. Practically speaking, we believe it will be impossible to stabilize the situation in the region without normalizing the situation in that country. We welcome the initiative of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) to create a Joint Force to combat terrorism and organized crime. In the 18 months of the Joint Force's existence, undeniable progress has been made.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  9. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Under-Secretary-General J ean- Pierre Lacroix for his informative briefing. The African vision for resolving the issues in the region, as outlined by Mr. Maman Sidikou, the Permanent Secretary of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel, and Mr. Pierre Buyoya, High Representative of the African Union for Mali and the Sahel, deserves the most serious attention we can give it. We are also grateful to the rest of today's briefers. We agree with the alarming opinions on the situation in the Sahel that have been expressed today. The level of the threats to security and stability in that part of Africa is unprecedentedly high. The terrorist underground that has established itself in the region is scaling up its operations and seeking to expand its geographical territory.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8402 (2018) · source

  10. We are proactively helping the Central African Republic with the knowledge and support of the leadership and people of the country, and we would like our efforts to be duly reflected in the French draft. The fact that the concerns of our United States colleagues were meticulously and quickly addressed inspires optimism. Since their views were heard, please listen to ours as well. We are ready to continue to work on the draft text in a spirit of mutual respect so that a month from now, it will not be necessary to jeopardize the unity of the Council, which is so important to us and our friends in the Central African Republic, on the topic we are discussing today.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source

  11. The starting point must be an understanding that there is work in the Central African Republic for all who genuinely want to help the country finally get back on its feet, especially given that France and our Western partners generally have repeatedly told us that the Central African Republic is not an area to be competed over but rather a platform for collaborating on finding solutions that can extricate the country from its crisis. Now we have to live up to that premise and set aside reluctance based on past experiences, egotism and parochial national interests. Anyone who approaches the issue with good intentions should have no hidden agendas or fear of competition. Those are the principles that guide us.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source

  12. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We have just supported a so-called technical extension of the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic for one month. Today the Council has maintained unity on this issue, which is very encouraging. For that to continue to be the case in future, the French penholders will have to make major additional efforts if they still want to revisit their initial ambitious draft, which we have been discussing for the past month. That is quite easy to do.

    2018-11-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8401 (2018) · source

  13. We definitely believe that solving that problem should be seen as the main indicator for the country's stabilization and the withdrawal of MONUSCO, whose chief function, after all, is dealing with the security situation. It will be impossible to stabilize the situation in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo through military measures alone. The implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region must continue, along with assistance in strengthening State governance institutions and restoring social institutions in areas that have been liberated from the insurgents.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  14. The protection of civilians in the context of elections must be carried out with full respect for the basic principles of peacekeeping and without any interference in Kinshasa's internal affairs. I want to emphasize that the elections by themselves will not be able to resolve every single one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's problems. We must focus on addressing the underlying causes of the crisis. We urge everyone not to forget about the importance of continuing to fight the illegal armed groups in the east of the country, which still pose a threat to civilians and are capable of destabilizing the Great Lakes region.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  15. We agree that it is essential to ensure that Kinshasa provides reliable funding for the electoral process in order to avoid disruptions. We respect the Government's decision to rely mainly on its own resources in dealing with this issue and note that the next instalment of funds for pre-election needs was disbursed in October. However, we also want to point out that the logistical capabilities of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) should not be forgotten. As we understand it, the Mission's role in organizing and conducting elections should not go beyond the mandate established in resolution 2409 (2018).

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  16. The question of the fairness of such decisions is not part of the Security Council's remit, although for the sake of fairness, we should point out that in reviewing lawsuits about electoral issues, the Constitutional Court has already reached verdicts in favour of opposition parties. We urge colleagues not to obsess about the situation regarding the Electoral Commission's decision to use electronic voting machines, which is the sovereign prerogative of the relevant Congolese bodies. As we were able to see at first-hand during the Security Council's visit, they are essentially printing devices for ensuring the rapid output of ballots in a compact form. It is our understanding that the Electoral Commission is already making logistical preparations for the holding of elections.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  17. In that regard, we call on the Congolese parties to adhere to the comprehensive political agreement of 31 December 2016. We do not deny how important it is to ensure that the Congolese authorities step up their implementation of confidence-building measures, and that also applies to the so-called emblematic cases mentioned in the political agreement regarding political actors living abroad. We once again call for respect for the sovereignty and laws of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, we urge the opposition forces to abandon negative agendas, play by the established rules of the game and respect decisions already handed down by the Congolese judicial bodies.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  18. As is evident in the Secretary-General's latest report (S/2018/886) and as we all had the opportunity to see for ourselves during the Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the technical and legislative groundwork for the elections is happening in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission's electoral calendar. It is important that once the electoral rolls had been audited, a final version, without duplications or inaccuracies, was published. We have noted the publication of the final lists of candidates, and we are pleased that half of the country's political parties have signed the election code of conduct. The political contest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is intensifying and its political forces are consolidating.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  19. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Ms. Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for her thorough briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the preparations for the elections to be held on 23 December. We also take note of the statement by Ms. Josephine Mbela. We continue to believe that holding the planned elections according to schedule will help reduce the political tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    2018-11-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8397 (2018) · source

  20. We are also ready to deploy experts to participate in the work of specialized police groups in United Nations missions and to consider the issue of Russian police officers' participation in such groups' projects, including jointly with other countries, in anglophone missions.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  21. The contribution of women to police work is also growing steadily in Russia itself, and in 2017, as promised, we trained a group of women officers to participate in police components of United Nations missions. Altogether, 35 women from Russia and a number of African countries participated in the course. The Russian Interior Ministry's United Nations- certified training centre is training police peacekeepers, including foreigners, on an ongoing and professional basis. Since 2000 it has trained more than 1,600 Russian officers and 500 foreign police peacekeepers, including commanders, from more than 50 countries. Russia has unique experience in the area of peacekeeper vocational training that we are ready to share.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  22. As a police-contributing country, the Russian Federation has continued to expand its contribution to United Nations peacekeeping activities and to deploy officers with the relevant skills to missions. Since 1992 more than 500 employees of various bodies in Russia's Ministry of the Interior have become police peacekeepers, and it is important to us that United Nations representatives have frequently noted their great professionalism. We were pleased to note that following the first United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit in 2016, Russia fulfilled the commitment it had made to doubling the number of its police peacekeepers. Today Russian police officers are active in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Kosovo, Haiti and Cyprus, and 20 per cent of them are women.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  23. In that context we encourage constant dialogue between the Security Council, troop- and police-contributing countries and host States on every aspect of the work of peacekeeping operations, including the planning and mandate-design stages. It goes without saying that for police to do their jobs effectively the necessary material, technical and human resources should be in place. Missions must improve their planning and management, increase their efficiency in using the resources they have and avoid unnecessary expenditures and duplication of functions. Where those processes are concerned, it is important that the Secretariat carefully consider the opinions and recommendations of police-contributing countries.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  24. It is a condition of success in this area that the principles of national ownership and respect for national sovereignty be observed. One can hardly speak of effective international support if a United Nations mission presence of many years has merely substituted the efforts of United Nations officers for those of the local police. Nor should we forget that it is local police who have the primary responsibility for ensuring the protection of civilians. The mandates of police components deployed in peacekeeping operations must be precise and realistic as well as taking into account country specifics and realities on the ground. The aims and scope of their deployment must also be able to be adjusted rapidly based on changes that occur in their host States.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  25. When their work is successful it can strengthen citizens' confidence in State institutions and create conditions conducive to a return to normal life while establishing the preconditions for lasting peace and national reconciliation. In providing such assistance on behalf of the entire international community, the police, like all United Nations peacekeepers, must unswervingly fulfil the Security Council's mandates and uphold the Charter of the United Nations and the basic principles of peacekeeping - the consent of the parties, impartiality and refraining from the use of force except in cases of self-defence and defence of the mandate. Establishing constructive and trust-based relations with the host country and taking their nationally determined priorities into account are extremely important components of effective mandate fulfilment.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  26. They do not just help to keep public order and support national Governments' efforts to protect civilians in the countries where they are deployed, they also play an important supporting role in reforming law-enforcement institutions and building national capacities in host States. More and more often they have to provide assistance in addressing issues such as combating organized crime, the illegal trade in narcotics, human trafficking and other security threats. It is often the police who serve as a link between the people of host States and their Governments as well as between the people and the peacekeeping presence.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  27. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank you, Mr. President, for convening today's meeting on policing issues in United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions. We are grateful to Mr. Alexander Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, and the Police Commissioners of the Missions in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti for their thorough and useful briefings. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to all police peacekeepers for their selfless service and conscientious execution of their duties, at times in extremely difficult circumstances. The importance of police work in United Nations peacekeeping today is clear to us all. As one of the agents of peacekeeping work, police officers carry out major tasks.

    2018-11-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8393 (2018) · source

  28. The situation in Mali is a significant factor for African security generally. However, neither will it possible to reach a settlement there without normalizing the situation in the entire region. The Libya factor is still playing a negative role in that regard. The connections between the terrorists operating in Mali and in the region as a whole are becoming increasingly visible. In that regard, we support the concrete steps taken by the States of the Group of Five for the Sahel to form their Joint Force to fight terrorism and organized crime, and we hope that their role in ensuring regional security will increase.

    2018-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8376 (2018) · source

  29. Interethnic and intercommunal conflicts are becoming increasingly intense in central Mali, and the situation is complicated by the fact that the presence of the authorities in these areas is still at a critically low level. In that regard, we should note the results that MINUSMA has had in reconciling the hostile parties. We are also concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation. The number of people in need of help has gone up almost one and a half times over the past year, a very worrying trend. We call on all outside donors to fulfil their funding commitments for the humanitarian appeal. We should remind everyone that the desperate circumstances that Mali's young people find themselves in leave them with nowhere to go but to join the ranks of terrorist, extremist or criminal groups.

    2018-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8376 (2018) · source

  30. We welcome the signing on 15 October of a pact for peace between the Malian authorities and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. It is important that representatives of the Platform and the Coordination also announced their commitment to the document. We hope that it represents an additional guarantee that the parties will implement the road map and the Peace Agreement, as provided for in resolution 2423 (2018). While acknowledging the obvious positive developments in the work of achieving a settlement in Mali, we should not omit to point out some other and unfortunately less encouraging trends there. We are concerned about the sharp jump in the number of terrorist acts in the past three months.

    2018-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8376 (2018) · source

  31. We note Bamako's efforts to restore a State presence in northern Mali. The work on organizing municipal bodies has been stepped up since the summer and temporary administrations have been appointed in most districts. Importantly, the Government has begun to help to stimulate economic activity in those areas, which is the best antidote to new social disturbances. We also note that Malians are making efforts to reform the security sector. The emphasis here should be on implementing the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. Strengthening confidence-building measures and collaboration between the country's armed forces and the groups under the control of the Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad and the Platform should become the basis for restoring peace and order. We support starting joint patrols in Gao as soon as possible.

    2018-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8376 (2018) · source

  32. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank Under-Secretary-General Lacroix for his briefing. Russia welcomed the successful holding of presidential elections in Mali in July and August. We are pleased that the voting took place without serious violations or incidents, according to African and international observers. We are grateful to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for its timely provision of logistics and technical assistance for the preparation for the elections. We hope that the election results will contribute to restoring peace and achieving national harmony in Mali and will enable Malian society to cope with its ongoing problems and deal more effectively with the terrorist threat in the Sahara-Sahel region generally.

    2018-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8376 (2018) · source

  33. The Russian Federation has consistently advocated for the importance of strict respect for States' sovereign right to manage their natural resources. Partnerships for their development should be mutually beneficial and based on unquestioning respect for the sovereignty of the host State. Those who claim the role of peacemaker and friend should have no hidden agendas or desire to take advantage of others' problems for their own mercenary, self-serving interests.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  34. The activities of various States and transnational corporations interested in getting access to the resource base of countries of the region is a significant destabilizing factor in a number of Latin American nations. Unfortunately, little has changed there in the twenty-first century, and the situations in Venezuela and Nicaragua are clear proof of that. We believe it is both dangerous and short-sighted to blame all the problems in countries that are rich in natural resources and that are openly subjected to outside interference and pressure, including through sanctions, on the poor management of those resources. Framing the question that way is one short step from direct military intervention. History can teach us ruthless lessons about that, but there are many who do not want to take those lessons to heart.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  35. The problems involved in controlling natural resources where the demarcation of maritime and land borders is concerned have the potential to become a source of inter-State conflicts, and there are many examples of that in Africa. Take, for instance, the situation concerning the ownership of major oil and gas fields in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Guinea, or the non-recognition of existing borders by the many tribes in the Sahara-Sahel region that have taken up arms to defend their rights to natural resources. The situation in South Sudan is another clear example in which both internal and external players are shamelessly trying to use the country's natural resources to enrich themselves.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  36. Suppressing this kind of activity would help to create the conditions for stabilizing the situation in the country and help it to develop. The question of revenue-sharing from oil and other mineral resources is a serious factor in Somalia's centrifugal tendencies and has been an obstacle to the completion of federalization in Somalia. The agreement signed in June 2018 between Mogadishu and the federal states on the rights to the ownership, management and the sharing of income from the extraction of mineral resources was an important achievement. However, doubts remain about the parties' willingness to comply with those agreements.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  37. We would really like to see Libya's national wealth serve the interests of ordinary Libyans, not foreign corporations. And we do not have to look very far to find other examples in the Middle East, where we have the destabilization of Iraq due to a foreign invasion in 2003, as well as the war in Yemen. In both those cases, however, it was terrorist forces that at various points in time got access to their natural resources and used hydrocarbons primarily in order to fuel their destructive activities. One of the reasons for the continuing turbulence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is the illegal exploitation and export of natural resources in the interests of large transnational companies conducted by illegal armed groups to finance their activities.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  38. The so- called international coalition, operating on Syrian land uninvited by the national Government and unsanctioned by the Security Council, has occupied the territory east of the Euphrates where oil and gas fields are located and together with its client structures has established what is essentially shadow hydrocarbon extraction. A policy aimed at reinforcing this state of affairs, Violating Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, is being carried out before our very eyes. After the acts of aggression against Libya in 2011, the country became a springboard for external players' struggle for its rich natural resources, and it is still in a fragmented state to this day, despite all of the efforts of the United Nations to implement a model for a political settlement based on unifying the country and its State institutions.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  39. And in our own era, behind the opposing parties to conflicts we find players from outside the region or global corporations, while loud slogans about the struggle for democratic values are a mere fig leaf for commercially driven efforts to take over one or another country's natural wealth. We believe that the right way to discuss this topic is in relation to situations in specific countries and regions. For example, the region of the Middle East and North Africa, rich in oil and gas reserves, has always been an area that big States have competed over. The energy issue was a significant contributing factor at the start of the period of shocks prematurely termed the Arab spring. The current crises in Syria and Libya are a clear illustration of the growing link between security and global competition for resources.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  40. As a rule, we see this kind of issue in countries with weak Government control over national mineral resources. However, armed conflict, whether domestic or international, can exacerbate the problems associated with their illegal exploitation, but we want to emphasize that such clashes are caused not by natural resources per se, but as a result of acts of aggression by various forces, and often external actors. In such cases, what we could term "delayed-action mines" laid down in colonial times play a significant negative role. Former imperial powers also made use during the Cold War of schemes devised in those far- off times for plundering territories under their control.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  41. Resolution 1625 (2005) and presidential statement S/PRST/2007/22 define the parameters for further work aimed at preventing the illegal exploitation of natural resources from fuelling armed conflicts. In our View, however, the Council's task in that regard lies not in conducting generic discussions but in ensuring strict compliance with the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of particular countries and regions. We consider it unacceptable to politicize these issues by artificially assigning them conflict-generator status and thereby creating a basis for potential crises or worsening existing ones. We see many examples of how natural resources can become the object of competition, including in the form of armed confrontations both within and between States.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  42. In that regard, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the States Members of the United Nations reaffirmed that each one of them "has, and shall freely exercise, full permanent sovereignty over all its wealth, natural resources and economic activity". Based on that principle, combating illegal activities in the extractive industries is also first of all both the prerogative and the responsibility of the Governments of the countries that own the resources. In that regard, the priority is assisting vulnerable States in strengthening their State institutions and applying sustainable environmental management models in the interests of socioeconomic development and trade.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  43. Mr. Polyanskiy (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): We thank the Secretary-General for participating personally in our meeting today and for his informative briefing on the subject. The aspects that the Bolivian presidency touched on today relating to the issue of States' sovereignty over their natural resources are extremely important and are apparent in many of today's regional conflicts, as was rightly noted. Strictly speaking, however, these issues are beyond the scope of the Security Council's remit and belong in the mandates of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the Second Committee of the General Assembly.

    2018-10-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8372 (2018) · source

  44. We agree with the view of the regional Powers that resolving the problems of illegal armed groups in the Great Lakes region could be helped by improving the effectiveness of MONUSCO's Intervention Brigade. In that regard, we believe it makes sense to focus their main activity on the most problematic areas of the country. In conclusion, I would like to urge that we not relax our attention to ensuring peacekeepers' security and safety.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  45. We should not fail to note the significant progress that has been made in implementing the Framework's provisions. We welcome the launch of the mechanism for repatriating former combatants, which is unquestionably bringing positive momentum to relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. We sincerely hope that they will eventually be able to resolve that long- standing problem. It is encouraging that the problem of relocating the members of the South Sudan opposition who arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in August 2016 is close to being resolved. We also want to note Mr. Djinnit's role in supporting the effort to attract private investors in order to boost economic cooperation among the countries of the region and strengthen peace and confidence there.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  46. We are certain that this last issue should be considered the chief indicator of the country's stability and that decisions on the prospects and time frame for MONUSCO's withdrawal should depend on how it develops, since the Mission's main function is rectifying the security situation. It is impossible to stabilize the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo by military means alone. The implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region will have to continue in the eastern and Great Lakes regions, as will the provision of assistance to State authorities and the restoration of social institutions in the parts of the country that have been liberated from the rebels.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  47. The protection of civilians in the context of the elections must be carried out with full respect for the basic principles ofpeacekeeping and without interfering in Kinshasa's internal affairs. The elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are not a panacea in themselves. We must focus on the social and economic agenda and on resolving the underlying reasons for the crisis, while not forgetting how important it is to continue countering the illegal armed groups in the eastern areas of the country, which are still a threat to the civilian population and one that is capable of destabilizing the Great Lakes region.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  48. As we understand it, the logistical preparations for the elections are already being carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission. We agree that in order to avoid disruptions during the electoral process, it will be essential to ensure its sustainable financing. We respect the decision of the Congolese Government to rely largely on its own resources in that regard, while at the same time we want to draw attention to the logistical capacities of MONUSCO, which is ready to contribute to the efforts of the authorities at any time. However, MONUSCO'S role in organizing and holding the elections should not go beyond the mandate outlined in resolution 2409 (2018).

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  49. The election has also been advanced by the publication of the final list of registered candidates. We urge the opposition forces to abandon their negative agendas, take an active part in the election campaign and not expect the Security Council to evaluate the decisions of the Congolese courts. At this important stage it would be unacceptable and irresponsible, in terms of the future of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to try to sway the situation. That also particularly applies to the issue ofbringing in electronic machines for printing ballots, which is well under way, as we were able to see for ourselves. At the same time, however, we call on the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to make additional efforts to build confidence among the main political forces in the country.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source

  50. During our time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all the members of the Council expressed the hope that the timely holding of elections on 23 December will help to reduce the country's political tensions and stabilize the situation there. As we all had the opportunity to see for ourselves, the technical and legislative preparations for the December elections are proceeding in accordance with the electoral calendar established by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It is important to note that the electoral rolls were audited under the auspices of the International Organization of la Francophonie and a final version from which repetitions and inaccuracies had been removed was published in September. We welcome the fact that half of the country's political parties have already signed on to the electoral code of conduct.

    2018-10-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8370 (2018) · source