YouSaid · the spoken record

Pressman

lines on the record: 643
first: 2014-10-24
most recent: 2016-10-19
sittings or episodes: 73
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

“Nationalistic rhetoric not only runs counter to the commitment that leaders have made, it also threatens the integrity of the country and the potential for much-needed economic assistance. The Dayton Peace Agreement guarantees the existence of both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. We strongly condemn any action that seeks to undermine the territorial integrity of the Bosnian State. Moreover, we are also concerned about democratic backsliding in the Republika Srpska, whose law on public order is a big and unfortunate step backward. The law seeks to control digital media and social networks by determining that the Internet is a "public space" and leaves individuals subject to prosecution if the Government determines that public order has been threatened as a result of their online activities.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“And he recently made statements calling into question the authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina's federal Government. He promised to put forward a resolution for Republika Srpska independence unless the entity was able to strengthen its autonomy by the end of 2017. That is an unfortunate about-face for a leader who, less than two months ago, committed to pursue reforms that would bring the entire country of Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to Europe. Those reforms focus on improving the country's socioeconomic and political conditions, with the goal of attracting investment and creating jobs. The reforms also address the needs on the ground and, once implemented, will provide tangible benefits to all the peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“As we reiterated to the Council last November, the United States fully supports the efforts of EUFOR to mentor the country's armed forces to ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina has the tools needed to respond to crises. We welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina's active contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations. The United States also shares the concerns of High Representative Inzko about a number of issues he referred to today, which he wrote about more fully in his report (S/2015/300, annex). One of our greatest concerns has been the continuing actions by Republika Srpska President Dodik that undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In March, Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats party decided to boycott the State-level Parliament.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“We will continue to work with Bosnia and Herzegovina's leaders to ensure the registration of the remaining properties so that the country will be able to activate its NATO membership action plan. We also welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina's efforts to address the issue of foreign fighters heading into Syria. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an integral member of the counter-Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant coalition and has provided needed ammunition to the Iraq security forces. We are also grateful for the country's active participation in our efforts to counter violent extremism. Bosnia and Herzegovina's armed forces have benefited greatly from the presence of the European Union military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR).”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“The country's 14 political leaders, its Presidency and its Parliamentary Assembly have endorsed a commitment to pursuing reforms necessary for Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance on the EU track, and the United States welcomes the EU Foreign Affair Council's decision of 21 April concluding the EU Stabilization and Association Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina. When it comes into force on 1 June, Bosnia and Herzegovina will have an opportunity to make real progress on its integration into the EU. On the specific issue of defence property registration, one of the conditions for ending international supervision of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we were pleased to see that authorities have made some progress through the registration of three properties in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“With elections completed and Governments formed, we encourage elected officials to take seriously the promises they have made to pursue an ambitious and necessary set of political and economic reforms, focusing on investment and economic growth as a priority. In that regard, statements by the respective Prime Ministers have been encouraging, and we are now looking for actions to back those statements, particularly in the implementation of badly needed socioeconomic reform. We congratulate the Bosnian Government's formal decision to commit to the EU integration process, and we commit to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's express goal of Euro-Atlantic integration.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“I thank High Representative Inzko for his work and his briefing today. We reiterate our support for him and his Office, as well as for the Council's mandate and the European Union (EU) military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we commend his continued efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On behalf of my Government, I want to congratulate the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina on some of the very positive progress that has been made since the Council met in November (see S/PV.7308), most notably the formation of a new Government following general elections in October 2014. Although the process has not been without some rough patches, this is a major achievement that must be acknowledged.”
2015-05-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7440 (2015) · source
“Junior Nzita was forced to become a soldier at the age of 12, and, as he so eloquently briefed us and wrote: "My childhood was not like other children's. It was stolen, confiscated and deprived of the love of my mother and the protection of my country". But Mr. Nzita's story is not only about loss; it is about what he has created. His organization provides support for marginalized children and helps to reintegrate them into society. Given the opportunity, he chose to make life better for others who have suffered what he has suffered. We must ensure that all children in all societies are shielded from conflict and have the opportunity to become leaders who can build strong, stable communities and carry out the important work of making peace.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“We are also speaking, frighteningly, of young people who leave behind their families and seek out conflict. Perhaps we can never understand what drove those three young girls to seek to join ISIL's campaign of cruelty and hate, but it merits our uninterrupted attention and unwavering resolve to stop. Whether victimized by terrorists or exploitative Governments, or armed groups, children deserve and need our protection. From better reporting to new accountability measures established by Member States to inclusive peace negotiations and robust demobilization efforts - we must make those policy choices here and in our capitals so that our children do not have to confront impossible choices in our stead.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“Those girls were likely lured by ISIL's false promises of righteousness and glory, while in fact all that awaits them, and too many like them, is terror, murder and suffering. The propaganda employed by ISIL in its effort to recruit terrorists is innovative, shockingly effective and prolific - and estimated 90,000 tweets and other social media responses per day. Even as we engage ISIL on the battlefield to win, we must also contest and expose ISIL'S malignant lies and its pernicious efforts to recruit and exploit young people from lands near and far. Therefore today, when we speak of children and armed conflict we are no longer just speaking of conflict chasing after children like the young girl who mustered the courage to escape into the forests from the murderous FDLR.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“There is an urgent need for more such work. I want to raise another choice, a terrible one, confronting some children today with which we must contend. We are increasingly seeing young people go to great lengths to join organizations intent on fomenting violence and instilling terror. Children are being lured into war zones tojoin terrorist organizations committed to a barbaric and violent confrontation with humankind and modernity. On 17 February, three young girls boarded a flight from London to Istanbul and reportedly crossed into Syria with the goal ofjoining the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). A family member of one of the girls described her as "an A-star student". Her family has publicly begged her, implored her, to come home.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“"I did nothing", she said, "I could not do anything to stop the rape." After seven years as s soldier, she deserted the group and ran through the forest for two days, avoiding certain execution if caught by the search party sent after her. Bilaterally and through our United Nations agencies, we must bolster the shortcomings in the DDR process so that children do not have to make the choice to continue fighting or to return to fighting simply because they are unable to escape and they see no other path. One programme - an $8 million DDR programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, funded by the United States in cooperation with UNICEF - is working to separate and reintegrate children from armed groups into safe, secure and stable communities. More than 1,000 children have been separated from armed groups to date.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“Child protection is an issue around which all sides should be able to agree, even if they cannot agree on much else, and it is a choice that warring parties can affirmatively make when making peace. Thirdly, we must be ready to receive children coming out of conflict with more robust disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes. Kidnapped at the age of 10 along with four other girls by soldiers of the Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), a Congolse told representatives of a non-governmental organization that when FDLR soldiers raped a woman in front of her, she had no choice.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“To that end, there is more that we can do at the United Nations in the common cause for children. First, we can insist on strong human rights reporting in peacekeeping missions, which includes accurate and timely information on violations and abuses committed against children. And then we can act on that information with all the tools we have at our disposal to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. Secondly, we can ensure that child protection issues are on the table during the difficult work of negotiating peace agreements. There has never been a conflict that did not involve children. The peace that we seek should be for their benefit.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“They have made significant progress towards meeting their goals, as documented in the latest report of the Secretary- General (S/2014/339). The United Nations has been given greater access to State security facilities and detention centres in order to identify and separate minors, and important new policies have been adopted. Of course, much more remains to be done. But tools like those can be helpful, and we encourage other Member States to establish legislation and employ similar tools to press countries to take meaningful action to address the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. We of course know that the solution to this problem is more complex than any single piece of legislation or act of bilateral pressure can solve, and the risk posed by non-State actors is great.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“The law goes further than publicly naming those countries; countries on the list can also be subject to certain restrictions on assistance provided by the United States Governments. We know those tools can work. Public listings and assistance restrictions, in coordination with the concerted engagement of other Member States and international actors, are useful tools and have helped to encourage Governments to take important action. In response to that kind of multilateral engagement, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed an action plan with the United Nations to end the unlawful use and recruitment of child soldiers within its armed forces, as well as sexual violence and other violations and abuses committed against children by the armed forces and security services.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“At an absolute minimum, we must ensure that national armed forces do not unlawfully recruit and use children. To that end, we applaud the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General and the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign, but recognize that this is a collective responsibility and a challenge that can be addressed only through difficult choices being made in capitals to take a stand against abusers. The United States is doing its part. In 2008, the Child Soldiers Prevention Act was signed into law in the United States. That law requires the publication of an annual list of countries whose countries unlawfully recruit and use child soldiers, or Governments that support armed groups that do so.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“I would like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General, his Special Representative Laila Zerrougi, Deputy Director Brandt, Ms. Bodin and Mr. Nzita for sharing their insights to day and for the work they are doing to safeguard the world's children. In this Chamber we make choices about international responses to conflict through our resolutions, the work of our peacekeepers, the weight of our sanctions and, sometimes, tragically, through our inaction. We have a duty to make choices so that children do not fact impossible ones. We have seen many worthy efforts to protect children, but we would not be doing our jobs if we did not use our time here today to focus on what we can do better. States Members of the United Nations must be held to the highest standards.”
2015-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7414 (2015) · source
“Any breach of the sanctions is a serious matter, violates international law and undermines the Security Council's credibility. The Committee's outreach work - advising Member States, answering questions and ensuring that Member States are well positioned to ensure the full and robust implementation of the sanctions - is of great importance.”
2015-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7412 (2015) · source
“The negotiations must find ways to advance our goal of ensuring that Iran does not now, or ever, acquire a nuclear weapon, and that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. The Committee must continue its essential work monitoring and improving the enforcement of existing sanctions. Similarly, the Panel of Experts must continue its vital work, investigating violations and following up on leads and clarifying sanctions obligations to Member States. Member States must also continue reporting to the Committee attempted illicit procurement activities in their territories in violation of therelevant Security Council resolutions on Iran. The pace and intensity of the Committee's work is critical and must continue. After all, responding effectively to violations is at the core of the Committee's mandate.”
2015-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7412 (2015) · source
“As we are all well aware, for more than a year, the P5+l countries have been engaged in a serious dialogue with Iran. Secretary Kerry and our negotiating team met last week in Switzerland with the P5+1 and their Iranian counterparts. Those discussions have identified serious and difficult issues. As President Obama and Secretary Kerry have made clear, we are working to see if we can arrive at a political framework by the end of March that addresses the major elements of a comprehensive deal. But let us be clear - the only reason we are engaging in those negotiations is to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. There are still significant gaps and important choices that need to be made in the negotiations. As we have said many times, no deal is better than a bad deal.”
2015-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7412 (2015) · source
“I would like to thank the Ambassador of Spain for his briefing. We also thank Spain for its leadership of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) in carrying forward its important work. The Committee's work has been an integral element of our broader diplomacy. It has helped countries to implement the four rounds of robust United Nations sanctions. With the support of its Panel of Experts, the Committee has investigated sanctions violations and assembled an important and impressive understanding of Iran's proliferation networks. It has also helped crack down on Iran's arms smuggling, stemming the flow of weapons in a volatile region. Through its active engagement, the Committee has directly supported ongoing efforts to address international concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.”
2015-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7412 (2015) · source
“As we navigate the many challenges and threats we confront, we will continue to rely upon and take great pride in our and the Organization's deep and enduring partnership with the European Union.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“Today, United Nations peacekeeping would benefit exponentially from a more diverse array of troop contributors and other forms of assistance. As Ambassador Power announced just hours ago in Brussels, that is why President Obama will be hosting a summit of world leaders in September in New York to help ensure that the United Nations and the world have the peacekeepers needed to address today's crises. The values on which the European Union was founded are the same ones that give strength to the United Nations. They are the values that catalyse our collective action and animate our pursuit of peace and security. They are the values that recognize the strength and diversity of expressions, richness in diversity of perspectives, resilience in diversity of belief and faith in the enduring promise of equality and freedom for all.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“That is why we must ensure that Iran cooperates seriously with the International Atomic Energy Agency. That is why we must stringently enforce the resolutions adopted by the Council. We must not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. When it comes to peacekeeping, all of us must do more. The Organization needs the support of advanced militaries now more than ever. We have seen the role EU civilian and military operations have played to battle piracy off the Horn of Africa, to train troops in Mali, to strengthen security in the Central African Republic, to build civilian capacity in the Niger. Twenty years ago, European countries were also leaders in United Nations peacekeeping; 25,000 troops from European militaries served in United Nations peacekeeping operations, more than 40 per cent of the Blue Helments at the time.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“We remain committed to working with the parties and all of our partners to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Despite some biased accounts of the facts on the ground that we have heard today, we continue to believe that final-status negotiations are the only way for the parties to reach a peaceful resolution. Of course, in order to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East, we must ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. Iran's nuclear programme is rightfully a matter of deep and serious concern for the entire world. We believe that diplomacy is the preferred route to our shared aim to ensure that Iran does not ever obtain a nuclear weapon. That is why we continue our critical work with the EU in the P5+1 negotiations.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“We will continue to work with the EU and to use all available multilateral avenues to seek a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict, which has caused so much suffering to the Ukrainian people. The September Minsk agreements have been signed. The package of measures to implement the Minsk agreements has also been signed. Now it is time for those agreements to translate into changed behaviour. Both Russia and the separatists it supports are signatories to the Minsk implementation plan, and we expect Russia and the separatists it supports to honour the agreements they have signed. The European Union and the United Nations are key partners in the efforts to advance Middle East peace, including in their role as members of the Quartet.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“The fight against terrorism unites each member of the Council. We should be just as unified in our respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of fellow Member States. Over the past year, however, we have seen peace in Europe challenged in the most fundamental manner. Russia, a permanent member of the Council, has taken it upon itself to seize territory, sponsor instability and redraw the international borders of its neighbour Ukraine. We commend the actions the European Union has taken, including the imposition of sanctions, to exert pressure on Russia to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine. Those sanctions must remain in place until Russia fully implements its commitments under the Minsk agreements.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“Countering violent extremism, therefore, must be an active process of engagement at the local level providing services to those who need them, resources to those without them, building resilience in communities targeted for recruitment, and highlighting paths to peace for those being drawn down the roads of terror. Doing any of this is a lot harder than talking about it, and that is why the White House convened a high-level summit focused on countering violent extremism in Washington last month, to help share best practices, develop new strategies and seize opportunities. We are encouraged by the level of support and pledges already announced by our partners, including the European Union, to follow up on the principles and goals agreed upon at the summit. That is a challenge that we must confront, and we must succeed.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“While we speak often of countering violent extremism, and we all agreed in resolution 2178 (2014) that this is an essential element in responding to the foreign terrorist fighter threat, we know too little about what works and even lack a shared understanding of what it means. One Member State's countering extremism can become another Member State's definition of political repression. We should not gloss over the potential for manipulation, but neither should we shy away from tackling the problem of too many people, in too many countries, signing up with terrorist organizations that seek to threaten the very fabric of our civilized world.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“And when their depraved ideology manifests itself further abroad, whether in the offices of a French paper that expressed itself through satire or in the slaughter of innocents shopping in a kosher market, we must remain resolute in our determination to defeat this new threat to our global society and our collective freedoms. As such, we welcome the European Union's recent announcement of a â‚¬1 billion package to address the situation in Syria and Iraq and to advance the fight against ISIL. The EU's release of a regional strategy in February is a valuable addition to the international community's response to this crisis.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“Rational thought, diversity of faith and difference of any kind is used as justification for crimes so barbaric they shock our conscience. And yet, despite this unfolding horror, we see too many citizens of too many nations, including many of those represented around this table, travelling great distances to join this crusade of cruelty. If we are to advance the cause of international peace and security, if we are to protect the most basic freedoms of faith, expression and thought, if we are to prevail over terror, we must remain strong in our condemnation of, and united in our resolve to confront, those who facilitate, conspire or participate in the murderous work of ISIL and Boko Haram.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“I should like to welcome European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to the Security Council and to thank you, Mr. President, and the Secretary-General for your briefings today. As you rightly point out, Mr. President, we face pressing and unprecedented challenges that are as diverse as they are dangerous. Our approach to each of them underscores the depth and importance of our partnership with the European Union (EU), and I would like to discuss a few of these this morning. All of us, from countries near and far, have watched with horror as medieval barbarism has engulfed swathes of territory in Syria, Iraq and northern Nigeria. Boko Haram and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have demonstrated more than a zeal for cruelty; they have a professed disgust for modernity.”
2015-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7402 (2015) · source
“The United States urges the Chairperson-in-Office to continue the OSCE's critical work on this issue, and we encourage OSCE participating States to help uphold the commitments enshrined in the declaration. The United States, as an active member of the OSCE, remains fully committed to the important work of the organization. A strong OSCE is a good partner for the United Nations and a good partner in our cause of championing fairness, security, justice and peace.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“As such, it is all the more important that the OSCE has undertaken the important work that it has to address anti-Semitism and intolerance, including its declaration to enhance efforts to combat anti-Semitism, adopted at the Basel Ministerial as a follow-up to the commemoration in November of the tenth anniversary of the OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism in Berlin. And yet, despite all that has been unfolding across Europe at this 10-year anniversary meeting of the historic inaugural session, a third fewer countries showed up at the 2014 Conference. Of course, meetings and declarations will never alone quash hate, but they are important to focus our collective efforts, galvanize our collective will and force our collective action.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Lastly but importantly, in recent months we have seen what should be considered an alarming display of anti-Semitism in Europe, from the shootings at the Jewish Museum in Brussels, to the horrific anti-Semitic attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris, to the recent wide-scale desecration of a Jewish cemetery. Just as anti-Semitism in Europe is rising, so, too, must our will to combat and defeat it. For any organization that has a role in the maintenance of security and peace must also confront the kind of hate that undermines both, and anti-Semitism, as history has shown time and time again, is certainly that.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Dacie's efforts as Chairperson-in-Office to encourage implementation of those important decisions and to continue the work of OSCE field missions in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans on counter-terrorism issues, including countering violent extremism. We welcome more OSCE awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts, which promote a multidimensional approach to countering violent extremism, and we encourage collaboration among stakeholders, particularly in the areas of youth, civil society, gender, community policing and human-rights- compliant approaches to addressing terrorism andviolent extremism. We also thank the Chairman-in-Office for planning to host a regional expert-level summit in June to follow up on all of these efforts.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“The United States strongly endorses the Chairman- in-Office's focus on bolstering OSCE field missions and independent institutions such as the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Representative on Freedom of the Media. The OSCE's field missions contribute to our collective respect for human rights and the institutionalization of the rule of law. We also welcome the passage by the OSCE Ministerial Council in December 2014 of two decisions on countering the phenomenon of foreign fighters and countering kidnapping for ransom. We support Mr.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Protecting their access is important because reports of the OSCE's special monitoring mission to Ukraine have been a key source for timely and impartial information on the situation in the Donbas area and notably on incidents such as the downing of the MH-l7 plane, the appearance of weapons, troops and support flowing from Russia into Ukraine, and the shelling of civilian targets in eastern Ukraine. We commend the OSCE's efforts thus far and encourage the Chairperson-in-Office's continued dedication to monitoring the ceasefire and ensuring that all commitments made in Minsk are upheld, despite the very difficult conditions in which the mission works. He has the full backing of the United States, and, with the adoption of resolution 2202 (2014), the endorsement of the Security Council to implement the Minsk agreements.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“So if we are serious about improving cooperation between regional organizations and the United Nations, let us start with this: let us recognize that the work of the OSCE is critical to making the agreed ceasefire and any effort at de-escalation stick, as agreed by all 57 OSCE participating States, and let us take whatever action is necessary to ensure that all actors uphold their commitment to provide unfettered access to the OSCE in eastern Ukraine and that all parties respect the neutrality of its mission and its monitors.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“And yet, six months after the signing of the Minsk memorandum and protocol and almost two weeks after the signing of the Minsk implementation package, OSCE observers have yet to receive full access from the separatists to all areas to monitor and verify the ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and foreign fighters, or security along the border. Even today, after laying ruthless and deadly siege to the city of Debaltseve last week, approximately 30 to 40 kilometres beyond lines established by the September Minsk agreements, separatists have yet to allow the OSCE's special monitoring mission unrestricted and unfettered access to that city to observe the situation on the ground.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Under the terms of the Minsk protocol, OSCE observers are supposed to be allowed to monitor the ceasefire, monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons, and monitor the withdrawal of all foreign militarized formations, military equipment, militants and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine. Under the terms of the Minsk implementation package, OSCE observers are supposed to facilitate the withdrawal of heavy weapons, and monitor and verify the ceasefire regime and withdrawal of heavy weapons from day one.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“It is imperative that OSCE observers be allowed to operate safely and be granted unfettered access to all areas in order to effectively monitor the terms of the ceasefire and the subsequent withdrawal of heavy weaponry, foreign troops and mercenaries, in accordance with the Minsk agreements and resolution 2202 (2014), which we just adopted last week. Under the terms of the Minsk memorandum, OSCE observers are supposed to be allowed to monitor and verify the ceasefire, and monitor and verify security zones in the border regions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“Of course, OSCE engagement and focus cannot alone turn commitments on the many papers that have been signed in Minsk into tangible realities on the ground, though the OSCE can, uniquely, shed light on those who undermine the path to peace. So it should come as no surprise that in addition to repeated attacks on Ukrainian positions well past the agreed line of contact, repeated failure to withdraw foreign fighters and military equipment, and repeated failure to pull back heavy weaponry, Russian-backed separatists have also repeatedly frustrated the access ofOSCE observers to the very places they have pledged to ensure such access. This must end.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“I would like to welcome the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Minister Dacie, to the Security Council and thank him for his briefing on OSCE activities under Serbia's leadership. The partnership between the OSCE and the United Nations is critically important, and we welcome the opportunity to hear about OSCE priorities. The OSCE has taken on a very difficult and important set of responsibilities in Ukraine, and we strongly endorse the Chairman-in-Office's continued focus on brokering peace in Ukraine and serving as an impartial observer to the September 2014 agreements and the February 2015 implementation package signed in Minsk.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7391 (2015) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to stress that, while the United States believes that the situation in Kosovo remains an important issue and and there is much work to be done to advance the dialogue, there is important work to be done to discuss issues critical for long-term stability, reconciliation and development in the region. There is little, however, that such regular briefings contribute to those issues. We reiterate our preference that the Council extend the reporting period for the Secretary-General to every six months.”
2015-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7377 (2015) · source
“We welcome next week's high-level meetings in Brussels and we hope that the session on Monday will lead to concrete progress that will directly benefit the citizens of both countries. The United States commends Serbia and Kosovo as well for their work in combating foreign terrorist fighters, as demonstrated by their attendance at the first ministerial-level plenary session of the counter- Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant coalition, held in Brussels in December. Kosovo's dedication to that effort is also apparent in the recent work to arrest and prosecute foreign terrorist fighters in Kosovo and by the introduction of a law to criminalize participation in such activity.”
2015-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7377 (2015) · source
“The use of violence against religious pilgrims, as we unfortunately saw in Gjakova/Dakovica on Orthodox Christmas, is clearly unacceptable. All sides must guarantee the freedom of movement for local populations. To that end, the Kosovo Force and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo continue to exercise indispensable roles in facilitating a safe and secure environment. The United States notes the visit of Prime Minister Vucie to Kosovo in January, and the cooperation of Kosovo authorities to provide protection. That act was another step towards the normalization of relations. The European Union-facilitated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and the implementation of the April 2013 Agreement continue to be critical elements of building a strong, inclusive and multi-ethnic democracy in Kosovo.”
2015-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7377 (2015) · source
“Additionally, we encourage efforts by Kosovo to undertake the measures necessary to encourage the return of those displaced, both internally and outside of Kosovo, as a result of the conflict, including by adjudicating property claims and enforcing court decisions. We will continue to urge Serbia, Kosovo and all States in the region to increase cooperation at their shared borders. Such cooperation will advance the rule of law, increase security and counter criminal activity, including smuggling and trafficking in persons. We again condemn the actions of those who seek to oppose the work of building inclusive democracy in Kosovo by committing acts of violence of by sowing tension, mistrust and fear among communities.”
2015-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7377 (2015) · source
“The importance of a fully representative, fully participatory and multi-ethnic Government and Parliament cannot be understated. With respect to the protests, let us be clear: all citizens have the democratic right to protest, but violence is illegal and unacceptable. We condemn all acts of vandalism to public and private property, and the intimidation ofjournalists and television crews. All citizens of Kosovo should exercise their democratic rights, and they should do so legally and responsibility. We encourage the new Government to move quickly to address the socioeconomic challenges in the country. Economic growth and new employment opportunities will demonstrate to the citizens of Kosovo, regardless of ethnicity, that they have a prosperous and free future at home, thereby stemming the tide of migration out of the country.”
2015-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7377 (2015) · source