YouSaid · the spoken record

President Karis

lines on the record

13

first

2021-12-09

most recent

2023-09-20

sittings or episodes

2

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

1. “The veto initiative adopted last spring (General Assembly resolution 76/262) was a laudable significant first step, but more has to be done. There should be no right of the veto if there is a suspicion that the country casting it may have acted against international law. Estonia supports the French-Mexican initiative on veto restraint and the code of conduct of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group on not voting against resolutions aimed at ending mass atrocities, including the crime of aggression.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

2. “The United Nations cannot allow aggression to become a form of politics. Ukraine has presented its peace formula — the only comprehensive plan to overcome Russia’s aggression and all its consequences. The points of the peace formula reiterate all the basic principles of the Charter. An overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States voted for a just peace for Ukraine and protecting the Charter. However, the Security Council remains hostage of the aggression. It has become an unfortunate reality that the Security Council is unable to act decisively and fulfil its mandate. In order to ensure that the Security Council can carry out the tasks set out in the Charter, there is no other alternative than to adjust the structure and working methods of the Council, while further reinforcing the power of the General Assembly.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

3. “The human toll of the war extends far beyond Ukraine. By unilaterally leaving the United Nations- mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative and obstructing Ukraine’s grain export, Russia is using food scarcity as a tool to manipulate the world’s most vulnerable populations. Let me repeat loud and clear that we have never imposed sanctions on Russian exports of food to third countries. Russia and Russia alone is responsible for the war and for the millions of lives of people who face starvation, as Russia is destroying Ukrainian grain facilities, stealing grain from occupied territories and bombarding Ukrainian ports. Russia’s actions reveal its intention to manipulate the market and destabilize the international political climate by increasing the price of grain and forcing countries to become reliant on Russian assistance.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

4. “Since the Russian Federation’s large-scale armed attack on sovereign Ukraine began, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 27,149 civilian casualties in the country, including 9,614 people killed, 500 of them children. Those numbers are not bare statistics — they are people’s lives, broken destinies and lost dreams. For those who endure, there are no safe places, as homes, hospitals, food storage facilities and schools have been destroyed. Tens of thousands of children have lost their families or have been forcibly deported to Russia and Belarus, only to suffer abuse in re-education camps or be stripped of their Ukrainian roots and identity in Russian families. That disgraceful practice has been used by our neighbour in the past, in my country and in many other places.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

5. “A permanent member of the Council responsible for upholding international peace and security has launched a full-scale, unlawful and unjustified war on its sovereign neighbour, using its veto power to shield itself from accountability and shamelessly undermining the credibility of the Council and the authority of the United Nations. I call on all responsible Council members and all States Members of the United Nations to urgently reflect on how we can work together to fix that brutal ignorance of our Organization’s core principles. I am convinced that those responsible for aggression and conflict — even those with the right to veto in the Security Council — have to face justice, because a crime is a crime, regardless of who the perpetrators are or the power they hold.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

6. “President Karis: I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate, which is important not only for Ukraine but for all of us who respect the Charter of the United Nations. We cannot remain silent when multilateralism and international law, with the Charter at their core, are under unparalleled pressure. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine violates all the values we believe in. It violates the fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter while exposing the structural deficiencies of the United Nations and its Security Council.”

   2023-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9421Resumption1 (2023) · source

7. “We must prevent the unavoidable effects of climate change from contributing to the destabilization of countries and entire regions, which risks leading to new armed conflicts or worsening existing ones.”

   2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

8. “We reiterate that it is of the utmost importance that the Secretary-General receive a mandate to collect data and coordinate policy to that end. Regular reporting would be a major step forward towards developing tangible prevention measures. As mentioned many times before, women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change and are frequently targeted by terrorist groups. The recognition of the importance of women’s leadership and participation and the engagement of young people is key to developing strategies to counter terrorism and the effects of climate change. That is the only way to build resilient communities for everyone. In conclusion, we can no longer ignore such challenges, which pose a threat to international peace and security.”

   2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

9. “We believe that all mechanisms that help to reduce poverty, inequalities and adaptation problems brought about by rapid social, cultural and environmental changes also help to fight terrorism by nipping it in the bud. Countries that are facing armed conflicts have limited resources for initiatives that could bring the country out of conflict. Building climate-resilient societies requires a much more concerted international effort in order to ensure international peace and security. However, the Security Council has the relevant tools and the mandate to respond to climate-related security risks. It is time to go beyond the holding of thematic debates and take a more ambitious notion of climate and security. We need a Security Council resolution on climate and security. That is the only way to advance our discussions and make a difference.”

   2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

10. “That opens up opportunities for illegal trade and creates conditions for terrorist organizations to take advantage of the unstable situation and desperation of people. That is what we are also currently witnessing, for example, at the European borders. Social and economic conditions play a significant part in enabling the rise of terrorism and extremism. Therefore, in order to counter terrorism and extremism, we must understand and address the root causes at the national, regional and global levels — causes such as global inequalities, forced migration and the scarcity of vital resources, including clean water, agricultural land, et cetera.”

    2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

11. “Climate change, as well as other forms of environmental degradation, prepare the ground for social instability, conflicts, terrorism and extremism. They act as threat multipliers, amplifying security risks and provoking human rights violations. We therefore also welcome the activities of the Alliance for the Sahel in dealing with the consequences of climate change by increasing food security, as well as dealing with unemployment among young people. Tackling the root causes of terrorism is just one of the benefits when we make a global concerted effort to mitigate the effects of climate change. We see conflicts for natural resources within and among States. We also see people who have become desperate due to the loss of their livelihoods, homes, loved ones or hope for a better future.”

    2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

12. “Research has identified multiple pathways through which climate change interacts with political, social and environmental stresses to compound existing vulnerabilities and tensions. Rising temperatures and extreme weather put pressure on natural resources and undermine livelihoods, causing tensions and displacement. For example, in 2020, nearly 31 million people were displaced within their own countries because of natural disasters caused by extreme weather events and climate change. Again, persons in vulnerable situations were hit harder. The World Bank recently estimated that the total number of climate migrants could be as high as 216 million by the year 2050. Research indicates that, already today, most areas that experience net-negative migration also have high environmental stress and a low capacity to adapt to changes.”

    2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source

13. “President Karis: I wish to express my appreciation to the Niger for convening this important meeting today, and I thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, and the other briefers for their remarks. Climate change and terrorism pose a significant threat to international peace and security. The scope and intensity fluctuate geographically, but it is clear that both phenomena know no borders or continents. Allow me to start with a telling example — the case of the Himalayan glaciers. Scientists have described that dust blowing from as far as the Sahara is one of the main drivers of the accelerating melting of the glaciers. That, in turn, changes the monsoon patterns in the region and has upset the ecosystem in the Arabian Sea, leading to a near collapse of the fish stocks on which millions of people depend. What will those people do next?”

    2021-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8923 (2021) · source