YouSaid · the spoken record

Power

lines on the record: 1,841
first: 2013-08-06
most recent: 2019-07-09
sittings or episodes: 165
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

“He took a step back; he saw the group's Violent intentions for what they were and he decided to report the group to law enforcement. Without his action, those young men may well have made it to ISIL-controlled territory, where they could have taken part in the group's horrific atrocities. That young man's choice shows how a single changed mind - just one person who starts to think differently and more compassionately - can disrupt and ultimately stop a dangerous action by many people. That is a valuable lesson in countering violent extremism and, ultimately, it is what our efforts are all about.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“Of course, we must pursue other lines of effort in countering violent extremism in youth as well, such as strengthening laws and international coordination to stop the flow of young foreign terrorist fighters to battlefields, as we committed to do under resolution 2178 (2014), and enlisting the private sector in amplifying our message, as Google Ideas has done through the launch of its Against Violent Extremism Network, which has given a platform to more than 500 rehabilitated former extremists. We need to do more on all of these fronts. At the beginning, I spoke about the six young men from Minneapolis who were detained earlier this week. One of the main reasons that they were stopped from joining ISIL was that a young man who had originally planned to join with them experienced a change in conscience.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“While his action may at first glance look like a way of amplifying ISIL's message, in reality Karim's remix was a form of protest because ISIL's fundamentalist interpretation of Islam forbids music with instruments. By transgressing the groups rules, Karim's song encouraged others to express criticism as well, rather than be silenced by fear. Not only did his remix go viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of Views, but it also spawned countless other musical and dancing spoofs of ISIL chants, a potent form of counter-extremist messaging that kids can relate to.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“Thirdly, as others here have stressed today, we need to enlist youth themselves in leading this effort. Research shows that young people are more likely to listen to, and be influenced by, their peers. Yet too often we approach youth as the passive recipients of campaigns to counter violent extremism, rather than as active participants in shaping their strategy and spearheading their implementation. We have seen how powerful youth-led initiatives can be, including those that use satire. That was the approach Karim Farok adopted. An amateur Egyptian musician, Karim took an ISIL chant and remixed it into a pop song, posting his version on social media sites.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“Morocco is working to replace teachers and imams who promote violent extremist ideologies with ones who uphold the values of respect and dignity and who preach more moderate interpretations of Islam. Secondly, the trust and support of local actors is critically important. That includes not only Government officials but religious and civil-society leaders and even families. As the first and most important line of defence in protecting youth, communities need the tools to do their part. The Safe Spaces Initiative, a guide created by the Muslim Public Affairs Council to help communities implement a multi-tiered strategy of prevention, intervention and the ejection of violent extremist elements, is just one example of a resource that informs communities about how to be more active partners.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“With the backing of those imams and elders, students and teachers were given e-readers and allowed to download books that would previously have been considered haram, or sinful, such as works of philosophy and novels. She then organized workshops where she trained dozens of educators in how to teach the new material. While that is a narrow programme designed for a specific set of circumstances, Zineb's story nevertheless illustrates several key lessons about how to build efforts to counter violent extremism among young people. First, education is of course essential to developing the critical thinking skills that can empower youth to challenge Violent extremist ideologies. We have seen similar efforts undertaken on a broader scale by the Government of Morocco and others.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“Zineb's project was focused on reaching vulnerable youth studying in the region's madrassas. Research showed that madrassa instructors were teaching only religious texts and focusing mainly on rote memorization. Zineb's programme aimed at broadening the curriculum to foster more critical thinking and reasoning skills, which help young people question, and ultimately reject, the narrow ideologies of terrorist groups. Zineb did not go directly to the schools, knowing that she would be turned away. Instead, she met repeatedly with imams and elders in Timbuktu and Gao, gradually earning their trust over cups of tea. When she eventually laid out the proposal to start book clubs in the madrassas, they accepted.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“As many members know, we look forward to a leaders' summit on the margins of the General Assembly in September to evaluate the progress that has been made and the challenges that most definitely remain to implement the White House agenda to combat Violent extremism. One of the participants in the White House summit was a young Moroccan woman, Zineb Benalla. Zineb works for the Arab Center for Scientific Research and Humane Studies, a non-governmental organization that, with support from the United States Agency for International Development, has helped lead an innovative effort to counter violent extremism in northern Mali. As Council members know, terrorist groups seized large swaths of the region in 2012 and continue to carry out attacks and recruit young people.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“That is one of the reasons why we look forward to the Secretary- General's plan of action to counter Violent extremism, which will, we hope, galvanize the United Nations to take a leading role in empowering and uniting Member States to tackle this very grave problem. That is also one of the main reasons that President Barack Obama convened a White House summit to counter Violent extremism on 19 February. More than 60 Governments took part in the summit, including most of the members of the Council, together with civil-society representatives from over 50 countries and private-sector leaders.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“It is not just ISIL that is aggressively targeting children and youth, but Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and other groups as well. There is a clear consensus that we - and by we, I mean, of course, not just the United States but all countries committed to combating terrorist groups - must make countering Violent extremism a central part of our counter-terrorism efforts. That is particularly true among children and teens, whose youth makes them especially vulnerable to recruitment. Yet even with increased attention to the problem, the reality is that we are being outspent, outflanked and out-innovated by terrorist groups intent on recruiting new young members. We have to catch up, for their welfare and our collective security.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“The group disseminates some 90,000 tweets each day, Its members and supporters routinely co-opt trendy hashtags to disseminate their messages. ISIL even reportedly developed a Twitter app last year that allows Twitter subscribers to hand over control of their feed to ISIL, allowing ISIL to tweet from the individual subscriber's account, thereby exponentially amplifying the reach of its messages. In February, ISIL published a polished 50-page online guide called the Hijrah to the Islamic State, which instructs potential recruits on how to make the journey to its territory, including everything from finding safe houses in Turkey to what kind of backpack to bring and how to answer questions from immigration officials without arousing suspicion.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“They had also in part been encouraged by one another, in what is known as peer- to-peer recruitment, through regular meetings to plan their trip and discuss their violent ideology. Their case is just one of the many recent instances in which young people have attempted to join ISIL or other terrorist groups. In some instances, as with the Minneapolis arrests, we have succeeded in stopping youth before they could reach their destination. In other instances, we have not, as happened in February, when three British girls of ages 15 to 16 travelled to Turkey and likely onwards to ISIL-controlled territory, where they presumably remain. ISIL is showing increased sophistication in recruiting young people, particularly in Virtual spaces.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“I thank His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II for joining the Council to preside over today's meeting. His presence here is yet another testament to Jordan's deep commitment to combating violent extremism among youth and people of all ages. On Monday, 20 April, six young Somali-American men, aged 19 to 21, were charged in Minneapolis with terrorism-related offenses. They had planned to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Five of the six were United States citizens, and one was a permanent resident. The young men had reportedly been inspired in part by another young Somali-American, Abdi Noor, who left the same city in May 2014 shortly after his twentieth birthday and joined ISIL in Syria.”
2015-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7432 (2015) · source
“Resolving the Syria crisis and mitigating the unrivalled suffering caused by the conflict inside Syria and in neighbouring countries - and I thank Minister Judeh for Jordan's generosity in sheltering so many refugees from Syria - could not be more urgent.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“The crisis in Syria has also exacerbated Lebanon's security challenges, particularly those posed by violent extremist groups. The Lebanese security and armed forces have played a crucial role in countering these threats and defending the State's authority. We also commend the ongoing effort undertaken by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and Special Coordinator Kaag to prevent any escalation in hostilities along the Blue Line, an effort made all the more challenging by Hizbullah's dangerous actions, such as its acquisition and evident willingness to use weapons in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon area of operations.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“To that end, we welcome the renewed push by Special Envoy De Mistura to expand ongoing dialogue efforts and the Secretary-General's robust support for those efforts. As President Obama has said repeatedly, the only viable political solution is one without Al-Assad in power. He has no legitimacy and no role to play in Syria's future. Partnering with Al-Assad will not help us defeat violent extremist groups. It will only make them stronger. One reason it is so important to reach a political solution is the deeply destabilizing effect the conflict is having on Syria's neighbours, such as Lebanon, where one in four of the country's residents is now a Syrian refugee. Since the influx of refugees began, Lebanon's unemployment has doubled, and its schools have taken to teaching double shifts.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“He told of his unspeakable grief as he washed their tiny, lifeless bodies. If we members are appalled upon hearing such accounts, and I do not believe that there was a person in that room who was not shaken by Dr. Tenari's experience, we must channel our indignation into stopping more attacks like it from occurring. That begins with the Council enforcing the resolutions it has already adopted, such as 2209 (2015) and 2118 (2013), which the Al-Assad regime has repeatedly ignored. Ending those attacks also requires countries to stop propping up and arming the regime and instead use their leverage to help stop Al-Assad from gassing, barrel-bombing, torturing and starving Syrian civilians. Countries of the region and those with influence must come together to press for a political solution, which is the only way to end this wretched conflict.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“Since members of the Council adopted resolution 2209 (2015) on 6 March, condemning the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon, we have seen allegations of at least a dozen attacks involving the use of chlorine or other chemical agents. Last week, Council members heard first-hand from Dr. Tenari, who works in Sarmin's field hospital, which received more than 120 victims of just one of those attacks. There were so many victims, he said, that they were piled on top of one another on the floor. He told us about how he and his colleagues did everything they could to save three siblings, aged one, two and three years, with the hospital's paltry resources. He told of the doctors' and nurses' sense of helplessness as they tried to pump oxygen into the delicate chests of these small children.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“All parties have an obligation to protect Civilians, and all parties have an obligation, under resolution 2165 (2014), to enable the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to people throughout Syria by United Nations agencies and implementing partners. All civilians who want to leave besieged areas must be allowed to do so safely, without being detained, interrogated or separated from their families. The Al-Assad regime's assurances count for nothing, so international supervision for any relocation from Yarmouk is urgently necessary. We members of the Security Council have an obligation as well to ensure that the reported use of chemical weapons is investigated thoroughly and promptly and that those responsible are held accountable.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“Last month, Under-Secretary-General Amos told the Council (see S/PV.7418) that the United Nations estimates that 440,000 civilians are living in besieged areas, meaning most people cannot get out, and assistance cannot get in. Some aid groups estimate the total is much higher. In Dayr Al-Zour, another besieged city, ISIL has systematically blocked humanitarian access and even cut off the water supply for months at a time while regime forces have prevented residents from leaving. The Al-Assad regime and the terrorists use the suffering of Syrian civilians as just another tool to advance their position or undermine that of their enemies. This must stop.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“In Tadamon, a neighbourhood bordering Yarmouk, some of those who have managed to escape are sheltering in a school. Last week, a man there said, of the Al-Assad regime's siege in Yarmouk, "We lived inside a disaster. We were dying there, for two years and six months, with no water, no electricity." Another escapee said "We got out just as you see us, with nothing else. We ate animals and leaves." A woman named Fatima stood cradling her baby boy, born less than two weeks earlier in Yarmouk. Fatima told the officials she had fled because she feared her son would die if they did not get out. Siege is a tactic we see applied across Syria by both the Al-Assad regime and terrorist groups.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“Member States must step up, and United Nations agencies must be able to carry out their operations in Gaza without disruption. Let me now turn to Syria. In the weeks since the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), with the support of the Al-Nusra Front, advanced on the besieged community of Yarmouk, the already desperate situation of its estimated 18,000 residents, most of them Palestinians, has gotten even worse. People long deprived of food, potable water, medical supplies and other vital humanitarian support now find themselves trapped between warring parties, which show a callous disregard for the welfare of civilians. Residents have reportedly been barrel-bombed by the regime from the air and shot at by ISIL and other armed groups from the ground. While thousands appear to have escaped, many thousands are still trapped.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“We welcome the arrival of the new United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, who brings with him deep diplomatic experience in the region and has already been meeting with key figures since he arrived on the ground about a week ago. We encourage all sides to work closely with him. We also strongly support United Nations efforts to encourage donors to disburse funds as soon as possible to meet the commitments they made in Cairo in October 2014. To support that effort, the United States has disbursed more than 95 per cent ofour Cairo pledges and provided additional money above our original pledge amount. However, although up 100,000 Palestinians reportedly remain displaced in Gaza, only a fraction of the funds pledged in Cairo have been released.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“The United States remains committed to a two- State solution that results in a secure Israel alongside a sovereign and independent Palestinian State and that can bring lasting peace and stability to both peoples. A two-State solution is the only way for Israel to ensure its future as a Jewish and democratic State, and it is the best path forward for Israel's security, for Palestinian aspirations and for regional stability. It is important that both sides refrain from any actions that could further destabilize the situation in the region and undermine the prospects of reaching a two-State solution. It is good that the parties have reached agreement on the transfer of Palestinian clearance revenues, an important step that will benefit the Palestinian people and help stabilize the situation in the West Bank.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“I thank you, Minister Judeh, for presiding over this meeting. Your presence testifies to the huge significance of the issues before us. On 8 April, two Israeli soldiers, a medic and a paramedic, were stabbed in the West Bank by a Palestinian man. On 20 April, a 28-year-old Arab municipal worker was stabbed in Herzliya, north of Jerusalem, by an Israeli who reportedly screamed "Death to Arabs". Those arejust two ofthe recent attacks that reflect the persistent and deadly tension between Israelis and Palestinians. It is critically important that leaders urgently re-engage in efforts to achieve peace, which is the most effective way to prevent such tension from escalating, as it has too many times before.”
2015-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7430 (2015) · source
“In response, the resolution affirms that all parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and it urges all parties to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need, including by working with the Secretary-General to establish humanitarian pauses. The Council cannot lose sight of the human consequences of this conflict. A legitimate transition in Yemen can be achieved only through political negotiations and a consensus agreement among all political parties based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and the outcomes of Yemen's National Dialogue Conference. The United Nations must continue its efforts to hold talks to find a consensus solution to this crisis, and all parties must commit to taking part in the talks. There is no alternative.”
2015-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7426 (2015) · source
“As a result, the United States strongly supports the adoption of today's resolution 2216 (2015), which imposes consequences on the Houthi and former President Saleh, demands that the Houthi cease military operations and calls on all sides to once again return to the negotiating table. The imposition of a global assets freeze and travel ban on Ahmed Ali Saleh and Abdulmalik al-Houthi, as well as a targeted arms embargo, ShOW that the Security Council will take action against those who continue to undermine efforts towards reconciliation. The resolution further recognizes the costs of Yemen's rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions.”
2015-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7426 (2015) · source
“For months the Security Council has clearly and unequivocally demanded that the Houthi withdraw from Government institutions, cease hostilities and return to Yemen's agreed-upon political transition. As recently as our 22 March presidential statement (S/PRST/2015/8), we condemned unilateral actions taken by the Houthi to undermine Yemen's security, stability and unity. In response, the Houthis, working in close coordination with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have intensified their military campaign, bombed Aden and extended their offensive to Yemen's south. Those actions have caused widespread violence and instability that threaten the security and welfare of the Yemeni people, as well as the region's security.”
2015-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7426 (2015) · source
“The year 2015 poses extraordinary challenges for Haiti, but also extraordinary opportunities: an opportunity to break from past electoral cycles marred by fraud and disenfranchisement and the violence that both have historically engendered; an opportunity for Haiti's political parties to put aside their differences and cooperate to ensure elections that place Haiti's democracy on sounder footing; an opportunity to adopt more sustainable elections architecture; and an opportunity for Haitians to take a giant step forward towards sustained political stability and self-sufficiency. As they seize those opportunities, the Government and the people of Haiti can continue to count on the utmost support of the United States.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“We also support adding, without delay, medium-left helicopters to MINUSTAH's aviation component, which will make the Mission's forces more quickly deployable in large numbers to any location in the country in the event of a different scale of unrest than we have seen thus far. We also support the Secretary-General's call, echoed here today by the Special Representative, to ensure maximal visibility of MINUSTAH's forces, an objective well served by ensuring the Mission's leaders retain the flexibility to redistribute their forces as necessary to respond to evolving security conditions.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“When support from the military component is required elsewhere in the country going forward, it will be available thanks to the mobility that the reconfigured Mission will have. The overall security situation in the six departments where MINUSTAH military no longer reside remained stable in the reporting period. MINUSTAH continues to be an essential hedge against the risk of any future deterioration in security conditions, and the United States strongly supports a push by the United Nations, backed by Member States, to ensure the dispatch of an additional 300 international police forces to Haiti, as authorized but not yet deployed.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“But while we were in Haiti, we heard that every trained Haitian National Policeman or Policewomen was worth 10 international police. Moreover, even with the reported increase in crime and gang-related violence, Haiti's homicide rate remains well below the regional average. Incidents of violent unrest during the reporting period totalled only 215 events. In most of those cases, the HNP required no operational support from any MINUSTAH forces to manage the situation, and in only 16 per cent of all incidents of violent unrest nationwide did the HNP require some level of operational support for MINUSTAH's military forces. Most of those incidents took place in close proximity to the three locations where the military component will be based following MINUSTAH's reconfiguration.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“MINUSTAH should also work closely with the Electoral Council to identify any elements of Haiti's election planning, including the number and location of polling centres, that may make the process more vulnerable to violence or manipulation and to develop and implement corrective measures transparently and in consultation with Haitian political actors. The 2015 elections will not be Haiti's last. It is important to use each electoral cycle to improve Haiti's electoral system and to make it more sustainable. We note the generally stable security situation that the Secretary-General reported. That comes amid the continued growth and professionalization of the Haitian National Police (HNP), to which donors and MINUSTAH should continue to offer maximal support. The Haitian National Police needs to continue to grow in size and capability.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“The Mission should, without delay, catalogue the functions played in the last elections by each of its respective components, including the funds and programmes. It should identify any of those critical functions that each component will not be able to carry out in 2015, and it should work urgently across the United Nations system and with the Electoral Council, donors, Haitian and international civil society actors and the Government of Haiti to ensure that those functions are carried out effectively during this year's elections.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“The level of support provided by MINUSTAH, particularly its engineering battalions, for elections in 2010 and 2011 were part of the package of extraordinary measures that the international community took to help Haiti recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake, not an enduring precedent for elections this year or in the future. We join the Secretary-General's call on the Government to ensure the Electoral Council and other States institutions have adequate resources to administer elections in a manner that reflects Haitians' increased assumption of a responsibility so central to the exercise of sovereignty. The United States will do our part in support of that. Successful elections will require robust international support, of course, including from MINUSTAH.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“Continued inclusive political dialogue and preparations for elections that are transparent and ensure a level playing field will be required to sustain the generally stable security situation that the Secretary-General has reported. While MINUSTAH and the rest ofthe international community, including my Government, stand ready to support the administration of the elections, ultimately the responsibility for ensuring their success lies with Haitians: the Haitian Government, the Electoral Council, the political parties and the Haitian people themselves.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“That is why it is so important that elections take place this year as planned, and that the Government continue to use its extraordinary decree powers solely to administer elections and keep the State running. We also call upon all of Haiti's political leaders and parties to participate in elections and to ensure an atmosphere of peace so that all eligible Haitians who wish to vote can do so without fear for their safety. With the electoral decree in place and election dates set, urgent attention to preparing for and organizing the polls is required to ensure elections that are free, fair, credible and inclusive.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Honore' for her briefing and leadership. I also thank all the dedicated men and women serving in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), who are working with her to build a more secure and stable Haiti. The United States welcomes the recent progress Haiti has made towards holding elections this year, including the promulgation of an electoral decree on 2 March 2015, drafted by a new Electoral Council, drawn from civil society, and that Council's subsequent announcement of voting dates. While we commend President Martelly's efforts to promote an inclusive political process, including by forming a multi-party Government, the health of Haiti's democracy depends on restoring a functioning legislature without further delay.”
2015-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7408 (2015) · source
“Imagine what it must feel like to be a little girl sitting in a car and to suddenly drive by those 40 women flying down the road in single file. Imagine how inspiring that must be. One of the team members, Malika Yousifi, wants to become the first Afghan woman to complete the Tour de France. She told a reporter, "Nothing will stop us." We believe that if she is given the chance, and if her country stays on the brave political path it has charted, Malika is right. Nothing will stop them. There is so much to lose and so much left to gain in these difficult days. The United States will support the Afghan people on every step of their journey to take their place as a stable, peaceful, independent and democratic nation.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“As everyone here knows, last week we marked International Women's Day. It was a day for marking a number of inspiring stories from around the world, including Afghanistan, a country where under Taliban rule women could not walk outside without a male relative and a burqa. Last week, members of the Afghanistan women's national cycling team were not only walking outside, they were racing down the country's roads on their bikes. Team members are pinched for resources but big on courage. Some drivers yell at them and threaten them, but they ride on. One day a man on a motorcycle reached out and tried to grab at the captain, causing her to crash and hurt her back. But today she is back on her bike, leading more than 40 women training with the team.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“The continued professionalization of the Afghan national defence and security forces, with robust, sustained international support, including through NATO's Resolute Support Mission, is crucial both to improving effectiveness and ensuring more faithful adherence to international human-rights standards. The abusive tactics reported to UNAMA and catalogued in its recent report on the treatment of Afghan detainees have no place in the pursuit of justice; nor does the complicity of justice officials who, according to the same report, overwhelmingly rely on confessions from defendants in criminal prosecutions, even when credible evidence suggests that such confessions may have been obtained through abusive tactics. That is why we applaud the Afghan Government's commitment to eliminating the use of torture.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“We see tremendous bravery exhibited by many Afghans. One unheralded group is the de-miners, who venture out day after day to clear minefields so that their fellow citizens are not maimed as they harvest their land or walk to school. Last year 34 de-miners were killed, including 11 killed by insurgents on 13 December while they were clearing unexploded ordnance in Helmand province. We see similar dedication in the legions of Afghan teachers who show up in their classrooms every day, despite threats and harassment, to give boys and girls the education they need to build their future and the future of their country. We also honour Afghan security forces, who risk their lives, and in far too many cases give their lives, protecting their fellow citizens. Their resolve and capabilities have improved a great deal.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“There were 714 children - kids - killed in 2014. UNAMA's reporting attributes roughly 75 per cent of all civilian casualties to the Taliban and affiliated groups. What statistics cannot capture is the immeasurable impact on the families of those wounded or killed. For example, UNAMA's report tells us that women, left as sole income providers after their husbands were killed or maimed, experienced lasting consequences, "with poverty forcing many women to give their daughters in marriage in exchange for debts or to take their children out of school often to work". That does not even capture the emotion and pain of all the losses. Afghanistan's leaders understand the far-reaching impact of violence on the Afghan people, which is one of the many reasons they have committed to bringing peace to their country i a goal we strongly support.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“Establishing the special electoral reform commission, which the two leaders agreed upon last fall, would be an important step towards that end. Making fundamental changes to a country's political and electoral system is challenging under any circumstances. Yet Afghans are undertaking that extraordinary task amid continued attacks by insurgents who seek to destabilize the country. UNAMA's exceptional reporting on the toll on civilians, which is a model for other missions, testifies to the impact of the violence on Afghan society, particularly on some of its most vulnerable members. Compared to 2013, civilian casualties increased by 22 per cent in 2014, civilian deaths rose by 25 per cent, the number of women casualties increased by 21 per cent and the number of child casualties by 40 per cent.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“We saw two candidates put the country's future first, forming a unity Government and sustaining it as they confront shared challenges, including the formation of the Cabinet, electoral reform and peace and reconciliation. The United States calls on the leaders to put forward urgently a full slate of Cabinet nominees who meet the rigorous requirements that they establish and who can obtain parliamentary approval. We commend President Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah's shared commitment to prioritizing electoral reform. Last year's election exposed chronic weaknesses in Afghanistan's electoral system. Promptly identifying the necessary reforms and implementing them urgently and in a manner consistent with international standards is critical, including to ensure successful parliamentary and district council elections.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Haysom and Ambassador Tanin for their observations today. On behalf of the United States, I would like to thank Mr. Haysom and his team for their dedicated and humane work to help the Afghan people improve their lives, their institutions and their nation. Today's unanimous renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) shows the Council's ongoing support for their efforts and for Afghanistan. As we mark the beginning of Afghanistan's transformation decade, we have seen both encouraging advances and enduring challenges. Last year we saw Afghans take real risks and conquer fear to cast their ballots in an election.”
2015-03-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7403 (2015) · source
“I will be extremely brief. I would just refer Council members and anybody watching this meeting to the reports that have been prepared by the experts of the fact-finding mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. I would not myself deign to weigh in at the level of detail as somebody who is a diplomat and not a chemical weapons expert. I would note, however, that the Council, in the wake of the monstrous attack in August 2013, came together and did decide, very much with the Russian Federation's support and partnership, to take away one party's chemical weapons. It is a little strange to take away one party's entire stockpile of chemical weapons in the wake of a monstrous attack and then later claim that the party whose chemical weapons one has taken away is not implicated in that attack.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“Only the regime does, and we have seen them use their helicopters in countless other attacks on innocent Syrians using barrel bombs. In resolution 2118 (2013) the Security Council determined that "the use of chemical weapons anywhere constitutes a threat international peace and security". And today we have reaffirmed that any use of a chemical as a weapon, be it sarin or chlorine, is prohibited by the Security Council. As we approach the centenary the first use of chemical weapons on a large scale, at the battle of Ypres, the Security Council must continue to uphold the standards and norms against chemical weapons use and we must work individually and collectively to hold those responsible for such use accountable.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“The fact- finding mission concluded with high confidence that there is, "compelling confirmation that a toxic chemical was used as a weapon, systematically and repeatedly" (5/2015/138, annex 2, para. 29), in Syria between April and August of 2014. Further, the third fact-finding mission report lists 32 witnesses who saw or heard the sound of helicopters over three opposition-held villages - Talmenes, A1 Tamanah and Kafr Zita in north-west Syria - at the time of the attacks; the vast majority of interviewees either heard or saw barrel bombs falling. Twenty-six witnesses saw a yellow cloud or dust released from those barrel bombs upon impact and 29 smelled a chlorine odour. All of us, of course, know the smell of chlorine. So let us ask ourselves, "Who has helicopters in Syria?" Certainly, the opposition does not.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source
“Despite having acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Al-Assad regime has again demonstrated its brutality by turning to chlorine as another barbaric weapon in its arsenal against the Syrian people. Today the Council has made it crystal clear that the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon is no less evil than the use of any other chemical as a weapon. The Syrian regime's use of any toxic chemical as a weapon is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention and constitutes a violation of resolution 2118 (2013). The OPCW'S fact-finding mission was not mandated to assign culpability for the chlorine attacks. It was not mandated to do so, yet a couple of Council members are suggesting that the absence of explicit finger-pointing is a form of absolution. Let us look, instead, at what the report actually says.”
2015-03-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7401 (2015) · source