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

“That is why I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and for his commitment to undertaking reforms of the United Nations peace operations that should significantly enhance the accountability, transparency, performance and responsiveness of those life-saving operations around the world. Reforms are needed because we need United Nations peacekeeping to succeed. This is not a challenge for the Secretariat in New York alone, it is a challenge for each of our Governments. That is why President Obama co-hosted a leaders" summit here in September on the issue on peacekeeping, to help muster new contributions, new capabilities and new tools, to allow peacekeepers to do their job more effectively and safely.”
2015-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7564 (2015) · source
“The world has changed, and so, too, has what the world needs of peacekeepers. That is why the Secretary-General's proposal on the implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (S/2015/682) is so important. All the more critical is our response to it. If, after receiving the report (see S/2015/446) of the High-level Panel, we end up repeating the same words and doing the same thing as we did before receiving it, then we will have not progressed very far. We need to make progress, we need to take decisions, we need to pony up resources and we need to engage.”
2015-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7564 (2015) · source
“Those challenges are real and require us to ensure that United Nations peacekeeping and peacekeepers have the right equipment, the right training and the right support to perform their mission safely and effectively. Peacekeepers operating in such environments require active engagement from the Security Council, even when it means that we, as the Council, must stand up to those who are willing to play politics with food and access and cooperation. Those tactics endanger civilians' lives, imperil the peacekeepers that we have deployed and frustrate the cause of peace. It requires leadership and commitment on the part of this body and Governments around the world. It requires clarity on how better to support the peacekeeping endeavour. It has been 15 years since the Brahimi report (see S/2000/809) was issued.”
2015-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7564 (2015) · source
“Today's tragic attack serves to further illustrate the dangerous environment in which MINUSMA is deployed. While the nature of the threats they confront may be different, operating in dangerous environments is not new to United Nations peacekeeping. United Nations missions around the world are carrying out robust mandates designed to advance peace and protect peoples. Peacekeepers are operating in environments where terrorists operate freely, where host Government hostility is so pitched that it sometimes resort to tactics like denying United Nations troops food and rations, and where armed groups control territory and terrorize civilians each and every day.”
2015-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7564 (2015) · source
“This morning many of us in New York woke up to the news of yet another terrorist attack, in yet another city, targeting yet another group of innocents. On behalf of the United States, I extend our condolences for those whose lives have been taken and offer our prayers for those whose lives still hang in the balance. We stand with the Government and the people of Mali and the nations and peoples of the world that are unwilling to bend to fear and will not flinch in the face of cowardly acts of terrorism. It does not scare us, it will not deter us, it only unites us. In Mali, the Security Council has deployed a peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), mandated with carrying out critical tasks that are essential to advancing peace.”
2015-11-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7564 (2015) · source
“We know and believe that the only future for Kosovo is one that is securely within the community of nations, including as a constructive member of multilateral organizations. In closing, I would like to once again emphasize that while the United States believes that the situation in Kosovo remains an important issue, these meetings are unnecessarily frequent. We repeat our request that the Security Council extend the Secretary-General's reporting period on UNMIK to every six months.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“That step will ensure justice for crimes that may have been committed and will build confidence in Kosovo's commitment to the rule of law. The United States has been a steadfast supporter of accountability throughout the countries of the former Yugoslavia, including through assistance to the Special Investigative Task Force and our support for the development of Kosovo's judicial and rule-of- law capacity. We will continue to support justice for all those who became victims during or following the Balkan wars. Finally, I would like to commend Kosovo for conducting a dignified UNESCO membership campaign, and applaud the high level of support given by so many United Nations Member States. The United States will continue to strongly support Kosovo's international integration and recognition.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“To say that violence, including the use of tear gas, inside the Assembly chamber is incompatible with a modern democratic State is a gross understatement. It must stop. We request that the Government of Kosovo address the situation and not tolerate any criminal activity within its democratic institutions. The people of Kosovo expect their elected representatives to return to work immediately to resolve the important political, economic and social issues facing their country, and they deserve no less. The Kosovo Assembly's approval of legislation to set up a specialist court outside the country is a critically important step. Kosovo has enacted the right legislation; now it must finalize a host State agreement with the Netherlands without delay.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“Initiatives of this type were unimaginable a few years ago and are the important outcome of the steady progress towards normalization. There is, of course, work that remains to be done. Speedy and comprehensive implementation of Kosovo's national countering-violent-extremism strategy is critical. At the same time, Kosovo needs to continue to pursue anti-corruption measures, including an e-procurement law, better information-sharing about indicted civil servants to facilitate suspensions, and amendments to the law to ensure the suspension of criminal political appointees. All of this will contribute to strengthening a democratic Kosovo free from corruption. The ongoing situation in the Kosovo Parliament is worrying.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“It is important that both Serbia and Kosovo reinforce their commitment to the dialogue by implementing those hard-won agreements from August, even as they begin to tackle new areas for future progress that were discussed in Brussels this week. These achievements were, naturally, significant, but we are also encouraged by lesser-publicized initiatives, such as the 13-14 November conference between Kosovo's and Serbia's Chambers of Commerce in Pristina. Business leaders met for two days to discuss opportunities in the construction sector. Kosovo's Chamber invited its Serbian counterpart and more than 30 Serbian business representatives to exchange knowledge, establish contacts and explore potential joint production with Kosovo businesses.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“The professionalism demonstrated by the Kosovo police during these events is further evidence of Kosovo's progress as a welcoming, tolerant and multicultural society. As the Kosovo Force (KFOR) noted in its quarterly report, the Kosovo police were fully in charge of security and required no intervention on the part of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo or KFOR during the annual Serbian festival of Saint Vitus and the accompanying religious services at the Gracanice/ Gracanica Monastery. In addition, the Governments of Serbia and Kosovo should be praised for the important agreements reached in August on the general principles/main elements for establishing the association/community of Serb-majority municipalities and on energy, telecommunications and freedom of movement on the Mitrovica bridge.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“During this reporting period, we were encouraged to see the Government of Kosovo reach a number of milestones in the continued strengthening of its institutions and in establishing constructive working relationships with its neighbours. I would like to note a few of them. First, Kosovo took the very important step of signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union on 27 October in Strasbourg. This is progress, and it is a very important step for Kosovo on its path towards European integration. Secondly, earlier this month, the Kosovo police adeptly facilitated the visits of hundreds of displaced Kosovo Serbs to pay their respects to family members in cemeteries across Kosovo.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“I would like to welcome Special Representative Tanin back to New York and to the Security Council in his new role as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). I congratulate him again on his appointment and thank him for his briefing. I would also like to welcome First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dacie and the representative of the Government of Kosovo, Ambassador Citaku, back to the Council. The United States commends both of their Governments for their ongoing efforts to normalize relations through the European Union-led dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.”
2015-11-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7563 (2015) · source
“But no one should harbour any doubt as to the United States commitment and dedication to both Dayton and a Bosnia and Herzegovina that is whole and at peace. Bosnia and Herzegovina is at a critical juncture. Twenty years after the signing ofthe Dayton Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina has transitioned from war to peace. But we all know that peace is fragile and must be constantly nurtured by all who participate in the democratic sphere. Two paths lay before the country, one of stagnation and division and one of prosperity and greater integration with Europe. The international community must support Bosnia and Herzegovina as it pursues the reforms necessary for a successful and stable future.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“In recent months, words and rhetoric have regrettably turned into action with the passage in the Republika Srpska National Assembly of a referendum law directly challenging the Office of the High Representative and State-level institutions. As the High Representative warned the Security Council in his September letter (S/2015/84l, annex) and again in his briefing to us just this morning, the proposed referendum may represent the most serious challenge to the Peace Agreement in the last 20 years. It threatens to disrupt the achievements of the international community and of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina since the end of the war. The referendum is dangerous, it is anti-Dayton and it must not go forward. We hope that constructive dialogue will prevail, including through the structured dialogue on justice.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“We also continue to support Euro-Atlantic integration, as it is a cornerstone for security and stability in a previously troubled region. This year we marked 20 years since approximately 8,000 people were slaughtered in the mountains of eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those who perpetrated that genocide must be held accountable. We continue to be disturbed by statements made by some political leaders and groups that deny that a genocide ever took place. But let us be very clear: the escalating and divisive rhetoric coming out of the Republika Srpska, and in particular from Republika Srpska President Dodik. It threatens both the Dayton Agreement and the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“We look forward to the day when Bosnia and Herzegovina meets the objectives and conditions established by the Peace Implementation Council for the closure of the Office of the High Representative, but that day has not arrived. Again, that day has not come and the Security Council has reaffirmed that today. We encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina's leaders and all members of the international community to support the actions and reforms necessary to reach that milestone. As the High Representative has noted, the adoption of the reform agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a good step towards that future; it must not be allowed to falter. The United States strongly supports the European Union's initiative to advance quickly those important economic and social reforms.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“The United States fully backs the EUFOR Althea mission, and we are pleased that today the Security Council has adopted resolution 2247 (2015), which renews all authorities, each and every one, and carries forward all prior Council actions on EUFOR, the Office of the High Representative and NATO. We know that many in Bosnia and Herzegovina depend on the Dayton institutions and the Peace Agreement to ensure that their rights are protected. The presence of EUFOR, as well as the Office of the High Representative and NATO, provides reassurances that this trust is well founded and has the backing of the international community.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“I wish to thank High Representative Inzko for his leadership of the Office of the High Representative and his crucial efforts on behalf of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We again reiterate our strong support for his mandate under the Dayton Agreement as the final authority regarding the interpretation of the civilian implementation of the Peace Agreement. The United States joins members of the Council and the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in our continued support for the European Union peacekeeping force (EUFOR) mandate and would also like to commend the continuing work done by NATO through NATO headquarters Sarajevo.”
2015-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7555 (2015) · source
“Additionally, and importantly, we call on all countries to cooperate with the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea so that this vital body can carry out its mandate effectively. We also call on Eritrea to respond to the Monitoring Group's requests for information and permit the Group to travel to Eritrea. Eritrea's refusal to engage constructively with the Monitoring Group must change before we can take seriously Eritrean calls for these sanctions to be lifted. Somalis are laying the foundation for a more stable, representative and inclusive Government. The international community and the Security Council must remain engaged in order to ensure that Somalia and the region realize a more peaceful future, and we thank Council members for joining with us in sending that strong message today.”
2015-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7541 (2015) · source
“We therefore welcome the resolution's attention to those ongoing challenges to governance, and the importance that the Federal Government of Somalia has placed on addressing such issues expeditiously. The Federal Government of Somalia has sought greater international recognition and support for Somalia's challenges related to the extensive illegal fishing occurring in waters where it has jurisdiction. In recognition of that, today the Security Council acknowledges its concerns about the matter and encourages the Federal Government of Somalia, with the support of the international community, to undertake efforts to better address this practice. By supporting full implementation of the measures reflected in today's resolution, Member States will help to promote the long-term peace and stability of the wider region.”
2015-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7541 (2015) · source
“That is why the United States strongly supported language in this resolution that underscores the importance of stronger and more transparent legal frameworks and of ensuring regional administrations' participation as Somalia continues to make strides in its State-building process this year. The United States continues to support the Security Council's commitment to eliminating all sources of funding for Al-Shabaab, including by reauthorizing the maritime interdiction of Somali charcoal exports in order to enforce the Council's ban on such exports. Somalia is clearly a country blessed with rich natural resources, but without stronger legal frameworks and resource-sharing agreements, those potential sources of wealth for all Somalis risk becoming drivers of conflict.”
2015-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7541 (2015) · source
“The United States strongly supports today's resolution 2244 (2015), which targets many of the most serious causes of instability and insecurity in Somalia and mandates the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea to continue its important work. The resolution reflects the Security Council's understanding that the international response to the situation in the Horn of Africa must be comprehensive in order to be effective. As was highlighted during the Secretary-General's high-level meeting on Somalia during the general debate of the General Assembly at its seventieth session, Somalia's trajectory has turned from State failure towards State-building.”
2015-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7541 (2015) · source
“The hybrid court proposed by the Agreement could play an important role in that effort, and the resolution reaffirms the Security Council's commitment to staying involved in the development of that institution. In conclusion, we know the profound stakes of securing peace in South Sudan. We have witnessed the devastating consequences of the violence - in the words of that Red Cross officer, of women and girls being abducted and raped and of people "literally running for their lives". It is the welfare of the South Sudanese people - a people who have already endured so much - that drove our collective efforts to support a peace Agreement, to press the warring parties to abide by their commitments, and to see that United Nations peacekeepers are equipped to do their part in its implementation. This resolution continues that important effort.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“Finally, the resolution affirms the Council's unwavering commitment to advancing accountability for the crimes that have been perpetrated against the people of South Sudan, including by providing support to the accountability mechanisms outlined in the peace Agreement. In this respect, the resolution responds directly to the 26 September request of the Peace and Security Council ofthe African Union, which asked the United Nations Security Council to support and assist its efforts to promote justice. In the context of this horrific conflict, justice is not a choice - it is a necessity. Ensuring that perpetrators are punished for their abuses and that victims have access to justice is an essential part of building a lasting peace, not an obstacle to it.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“If we are going to ask peacekeepers to risk their lives to protect civilians, monitor ceasefires and fulfil other duties under a mandate the Council has adopted, then surely it is our collective duty to ensure that they have the tools and technological capabilities needed to fulfil their mission and do so safely. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has told the Security Council precisely what it needs in order to keep troop and police contributors safe and empower them to do their job. It is incumbent upon the Council to deliver, as we have. History has repeatedly demonstrated how dangerous it is to deploy peacekeepers who are not adequately equipped to do what is asked of them.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“That is fully consistent with the strong warning issued by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in its communique of 26 September "that it will not tolerate any further violations and, in line with its previous pronouncements, expresses its determination to impose measures against all those who would impede the implementation of this Agreement". The resolution makes clear our shared responsibility to ensure that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is adequately equipped to fulfil its mandate in support of the peace Agreement. Eight of the 15 countries represented on the Council, including the United States, have troops or police serving in UNMISS.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“This resolution reflects the consensus we witnessed on 29 September at the high-level meeting on South Sudan, convened during the General Assembly's high- level week, when the international community spoke in a single voice about the critical importance of the signatories and other stakeholders fully supporting the implementation of the peace Agreement. However, while the resolution reflects that consensus and is focused on ensuring that UNMISS can fulfil its role in supporting the peace Agreement, some have attempted to distract from its aims. Therefore let me briefly respond to some of those criticisms. The resolution expresses our continued commitment to maintain pressure on both sides, neither of which has fully complied with its ceasefire obligations.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“The resolution asks the United Nations to provide, within 45 days, an assessment and recommendations to improve UNMISS civilian and force-structure capabilities so that the Mission can help implement the peace Agreement and the core tasks of its mandate. That review is essential for the Mission to better address the growing numbers of people in protection-of-civilian camps, the hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese in need of assistance, and the ongoing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, which must be rigorously documented and whose perpetrators must be held accountable.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“Resolution 2241 (2015) is the beginning of a process to ensure that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has the tools it needs to support the implementation of the peace Agreement, which is essential to ending the cycle of violence in South Sudan. Let me briefly highlight what thie resolution does. The resolution amends the UNMISS mandate to undertake a series of immediate steps to support the peace Agreement. No changes have been made to the Mission's core tasks of protecting civilians, monitoring and investigating human rights abuses and violations, and creating conditions in which humanitarian assistance can reach people in need.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“Those who are abducted may be forcefully married, enslaved or killed." Again, that is the account of the outgoing head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, an institution that is known for its neutrality. It aligns with similar reports from multiple sources - journalists, human rights groups, humanitarian workers, United Nations staff and others - of widespread atrocities against civilians, and in particular against women and girls. We are here today to support the hard-earned Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, and to respond to the fighting that persists in spite of repeated pledges by both sides to commit to peace.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“Earlier this week, the outgoing head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Sudan described the horrific attacks - including rape, abduction and murder - that his teams have observed in that country. Let me read some of what he told a reporter: "Civilians have been directly targeted, houses are burned, properties destroyed and the people are literally running for their lives." "We went to one village to distribute aid and our teams were told they had been attacked some days earlier, and 90 women had been abducted. After several days, only about 60 of them came back." "Women have been attacked while they have been seeking refuge.”
2015-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7532 (2015) · source
“One would have to go back to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's tenure as the United States Permanent Representative to find a Permanent Representative who has overseen the Council's operations as many times as you have yourself. We have benefitted from that wisdom and experience and we thank you, Madam, and the Nigerian delegation, for your leadership.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“The United States welcomes the collective efforts of the region and beyond to combat Ebola and its ongoing impact on communities across West Africa. We remain committed to getting to, and staying at, zero, as well as to helping the affected Governments rebuild and recover. We were especially moved by the briefing of Liberian epidemiologist and community activist, Dr. Mosoka Fallah, who spoke about the compassion and determination with which ordinary Liberians confronted the Ebola Virus head on. Finally, I would like to thank the Nigerian delegation for its leadership of the Security Council this month. Madam President, by my team's count, this is your fourth time at the helm of the Security Council.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“The Government of Burundi continues to dangerously frustrate restarting an open, comprehensive dialogue. This rejection of talks, coupled with the Government's obstructions of the activities of the African Union human rights and disarmament monitors and its divisive rhetoric, is extremely dangerous. It is time for the Government of Burundi to actively de-escalate the rhetoric and begin to advance peace through dialogue. The parties concerned, including the East African Community, agree that an inclusive and comprehensive political dialogue is the only credible route to re-establishing peace and stability in Burundi. I would like to thank you, Madam President, and your delegation for convening the 13 August briefing on Ebola (see S/PV.7502).”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Any derogation from this path must be met with a resolute and firm response. That is how we can collectively and best support this young nation at this critical time, as it has the chance to walk away from a bloody war. This month we have also been confronted by multiple horrific reports of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers sent to protect some of the world's most vulnerable people. Those reports require us to grapple with the shortcomings in how the Organization and some of its Members deal with the problem. If zero tolerance is to mean anything, we have to change our tolerance for the results of our collective efforts thus far. There is clearly much more that needs to be done, and done urgently. In Burundi, the United States continues to express its deep concern about the absence of any meaningful dialogue.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“We heard from the Deputy Secretary-General, to whom we express our gratitude for his leadership, and we worked to ensure that all actors were well aware of what the Council was prepared to do if progress on advancing peace was not made. On 26 August, due to the unified message of the international community, including the Security Council, a peace agreement the South Sudanese have been seeking for more than 20 months was finally signed. That, in and of itself, is not enough. Now begins the hard work of implementing the agreement. The Security Council must maintain the unity we have demonstrated on this issue over these past weeks and ensure that all the parties know there is only one path ahead, namely, the full implementation of the agreement that has been signed.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Last week we began that important conversation. This month wejoined United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Under-Secretary- General Stephen O'Brien in condemning the Al-Assad's regime's deadly air strikes against a market in Duma, a suburb of Damascus, one that came almost two years to the day after the regime used chemical weapons in the same area. The latest attack was appropriately the subject of the Council's focus, and the latest victims joined of thousands of innocent Syrians who have been killed by the Al-Assad regime's deliberate targeting of civilian areas, including mosques, schools and hospitals. In South Sudan, we have worked together to ensure that a peace agreement was signed by the relevant parties in support of the regional efforts made in that regard.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Fighting the injustice of human rights abuse is a cause to which all of our nations have committed. It is now time for us to both recognize what that means in its entirety and to champion it. The founders of the Organization envisioned - indeed, mandated - that the United Nations, in the words of the Charter, "be determined to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person". Last week, by convening, with Chile, the first discussion of the Security Council under the Arria Formula on ISIL's targeting of LGBT persons, we collectively took an important step towards realizing the Charter's ambition and living up to our responsibilities to stand up for those who are vulnerable in conflict. The first step of doing so is being willing to speak openly about it.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Even as we have acted to respond to ISIL's barbaric attacks on some of our civilization's great cultural artifacts, we had not acknowledged ISIL's gruesome targeting of people it perceived to be different, people it perceived to be gay. Last week that changed. If ancient relics deserve our focus - and they do - certainly so too do vulnerable populations being specifically targeted for stoning, torture and execution in conflict. This is not a cause of the West or a campaign ofthe left. To advance the protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in conflict is to live up to our obligations under the Charter of the United Nations. To borrow the recent words of the highest court of this country, "the nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times".”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Let me begin by joining colleagues and expressing our deepest condolences in connection with the passing away of the Force Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, Lieutenant General Jose Luiz Jaborandy, Jr. I know that his presence and leadership will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him in the Mission. In the approximately 70 years since the Security Council was first created, we and our predecessors before us have convened in various forums focused on various vulnerable populations impacted by conflict - children and armed conflict, women and peace and security. We have also taken action by adopting products aimed at protecting things - important cultural artifacts endangered by conflict in general, and the barbarity of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in particular.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Based on the Vienna formula, Kosovo is eligible for membership in UNESCO as a result of being a member of two United Nations specialized agencies, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We believe that it is important and that all Member States should support Kosovo in this effort.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“In this vein, we repeat our call for all States Members of the United Nations to acknowledge the importance of Kosovo's membership in INTERPOL as a means to further facilitate law-enforcement cooperation on counter-terrorism and organized crime. It is in all of our interests to approve Kosovo's bid for membership at the INTERPOL General Assembly meeting in November. Isolating Kosovo from participation in the instruments of international cooperation on issues as important as this only handicaps our collective efforts. We also fully support Kosovo's bid for membership in UNESCO. Kosovo's membership in UNESCO would reinforce the importance that the international community places on the World Heritage sites in Kosovo and the responsibilities of Kosovo authorities for preserving those sites.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“We also commend both Serbia and Kosovo for their continued commitment to fighting terrorism and addressing the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. Both countries have worked to develop effective preventive and response mechanisms to counter violent extremism. We support efforts by both Serbian and Kosovo officials to find practical ways to cooperate on critical law-enforcement and counter-terrorism issues. To be effective, it is essential that international cooperation on counter-terrorism, countering violent extremism and law enforcement include all of the Balkans. That is why we fully support Kosovo's joining INTERPOL in the near term to enhance direct coordination between Kosovo and the international law-enforcement community.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“The parties are closer than ever to resolving the outstanding issues, including the principles for establishing the association of Serb municipalities, energy, telecommunications and freedom of movement on Mitrovica bridge. We strongly encourage both sides to find compromises on the outstanding issues from the 2013 Brussels agreement and reach agreements that improve the lives of Kosovo residents regardless of their ethnicity. We look forward to a positive outcome in the next round of the dialogue, on 25 August. Compromise on these issues will indeed be difficult but remains essential to advancing the aspirations of both Kosovo and Serbia to further integrate into European and trans-Atlantic institutions.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“While Kosovo has worked diligently to improve its judicial structures, the European Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) and the NATO-led Kosovo Force continue to play indispensable roles in building security and rule-of-law capacity in the country. Kosovo's judicial institutions will continue to need support to handle highly complicated cases related to terrorism, war crimes, human rights abuses, sanctions and corruption. As the end of EULEX's mandate nears, in 2016, consideration should be given to mechanisms for addressing outstanding cases and for continued support to Kosovo's judicial and law-enforcement institutions. Increased coordination between EULEX and KFOR is more important now than ever. As I mentioned at the outset, we have been encouraged to learn of progress towards normalization of relations through the EU-facilitated dialogue.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“Voting to establish this court was not easy politically; voting to advance accountability rarely is, but it is essential, and it was a major step forward in fulfilling Kosovo's international commitments and a clear demonstration of the commitment of the people of Kosovo to the values of human rights and the rule of law, values that we in the United States and our partners in the European Union and so many of us around this table hold dear. We applaud Kosovo's leaders for their vision and ability to put politics aside for the future of their country. But the passage of this law is only the first step. The Government must quickly conclude the negotiations on a host State agreement with the European Union (EU) and the Netherlands so that the specialist court can indeed be established.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“As a steadfast friend and supporter of the Republic of Kosovo, a sovereign, democratic and multi-ethnic State that exemplifies Euro-Atlantic values, we commend Kosovo's Government and Assembly for having passed the constitutional amendment and law to establish this specialist court, which will be able to issue indictments and try cases in connection with the evidentiary findings of the Special Investigative Task Force. There are serious allegations contained in these findings, including of war crimes and other crimes against humanity, and they deserve serious judicial examination.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“The last time the Security Council met to discuss Kosovo (see S/PV.7448), the United States made it clear that Kosovo must uphold its commitments to respond to allegations of serious crimes committed between 1998 and 2000, by adopting the legal measures required to set up a robust specialist court to adjudicate those cases. The allegations made by a few individuals must not be held against the legitimate aspirations and honour of the people of Kosovo. The best way to ensure this is to advance individual justice for the crimes that have been alleged.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source
“The Security Council should extend the reporting period for the Secretary-General to every six months. I would also like to thank Special Representative Zarif for his briefing. We commend him for his service and dedication to Kosovo and wish him well in his next assignment, in Liberia. We welcome also the appointment of Ambassador Tanin as the next Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. The United States has been a champion of accountability throughout South-East Europe for the crimes committed during the Balkan wars. Our commitment has been to the principle of justice and accountability for all as an essential ingredient to sustainable peace.”
2015-08-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7510 (2015) · source