YouSaid · the spoken record

Quinlan

lines on the record: 1,257
first: 2009-06-26
most recent: 2014-12-30
sittings or episodes: 160
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

“In April, the Council itself was shown the chilling photographic evidence, contained in the Caesar report (S/20l4/244, annex), documenting the widespread and systematic torture and execution on an industrial scale of detainees held by the Syrian regime. The Secretary-General has persistently called for accountability for the crimes we are seeing in Syria. The International Criminal Court was specifically established to ensure that those most responsible for the worst mass-atrocity crimes would be held to account, particularly in cases where their national authorities were unwilling or unable to do so domestically. The Syrian authorities have not only failed in that responsibility, they are themselves among the perpetrators of such crimes. The international community must therefore act.”
2014-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7180 (2014) · source
“The humanitarian crisis, the greatest in this century, is spiralling downwards. There is no solution in sight. All sides in the conflict, including the extremists and terrorists who have sought to hijack the opposition, are guilty of terrible crimes. There is a pervasive culture of impunity. No one is held accountable. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria has documented extensive evidence over the past three years against those who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has concluded that such crimes have been committed and over the past three years and has consistently called for referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
2014-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7180 (2014) · source
“Today the Security Council has again failed the people of Syria. The war there is now in its fourth year. The country has been broken apart, possibly irretrievably. Almost half its population of more than 20 million people have fled or been displaced. One family flees Syria every 60 seconds. We face a regime whose military strategy is based on the deliberate targeting of civilians through sieges, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, indiscriminate aerial bombardment, the targeted use of barrel bombs on residential neighbourhoods, arbitrary denial of humanitarian access and medical supplies, the targeting of hospitals and medical personnel, mass systematic torture, sexual violence and execution, forced depopulation of towns and cities and denial of humanitarian supplies to its own citizens not living in Government-held areas.”
2014-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7180 (2014) · source
“It is essential that we both close gaps in implementation and stay ahead of technological advances, to ensure that weapons of mass destruction materials do not end up in the wrong hands.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“The Caribbean Community's focal point for resolution 1540 (2004) is now supporting Caribbean States in identifying and filling gaps in their legislation in order to enable them to implement all of the Security Council non-proliferation, terrorism and sanctions obligations. To conclude, we have identified just a few proposals to realize the universal implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) in the years ahead. Those are not new, comprehensive or easy options to pursue. This is why the Committee, as called for in the presidential statement we adopted today, should develop a precise strategy for effective implementation as part of the comprehensive review due in 2016.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“Developing States, especially small developing States, need more coordinated guidance from the Council so that efforts to enact legislation and improve law enforcement helps them fulfil the range of Security Council measures to prevent terrorism, strengthen non-proliferation and implement relevant sanctions. Today's presidential statement (S/PRST/2014/7) recognizes the need to enhance cooperation between the non-proliferation and terrorism Committees, and there is certainly an appetite among States for that, as shown by the first open briefing held in 2013 by those Committees with the Financial Action Task Force on counter-proliferation and counter-terrorism financing issues. Regions are themselves driving better coordination - and we need to leverage that and benefiting from it.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“For instance, export and border controls to detect and combat illicit trafficking in weapons of mass destruction can also aid in the prevention of small arms, drugs and wildlife trafficking. It can enhance a State's disease surveillance network, support trade expansion and generate Government income. The case of Kenya leveraging 1540 Committee assistance to develop a comprehensive border management plan to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and arms and wildlife trafficking is an example of establishing synergies that will reinforce the relevance and sustainability of non-proliferation programming. There are also opportunities to better coordinate the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) with other Security Council obligations.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“Industry must be a genuine partner in our efforts to inform and strengthen export controls, in controlling access to intangible transfers of technology that could be used for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and in helping prevent proliferation financing. Together with Germany, we have submitted an effective practices paper to the 1540 Committee on our common strategic approach to engaging industry in national export controls, which we hope will be useful to others looking to strengthen their export controls. Thirdly, we need to overcome the challenges faced by developing countries in implementing resolution 1540 (2004). Part of the solution is to better harness the link between security and development.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“As Chair of the Australia Group, a multilateral export control regime, we welcome closer engagement between the 1540 Committee and the Group. The Group has now formally offered to the 1540 Committee assistance to interested States on the implementation of export controls related to dual-use chemical and biological agents and related equipment. Secondly, leveraging the role of industry and the private sector in preventing proliferation is crucial. The relevant sectors of industry must be made aware of the threats surrounding the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“First, in an environment where funding and resources are hard to come by, it will become ever more vital to leverage links with other United Nations instruments and multilateral non-proliferation and export control regimes. By inviting the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) to participate in the workshop for Pacific island States that Australia is co-hosting with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in May, the Pacific region is strengthening the implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction and controls on other materials and technology related to weapons of mass destruction more broadly.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“With today's increasingly complex landscape of international trade, technology and financial linkages, new avenues for non-State proliferation are opening daily. As we have just been reminded by the previous speaker, measures to prevent deadly pathogens from falling into the wrong hands must keep pace with expanding medical research and biotechnology. Control regimes and multilateral counter-proliferation efforts must remain relevant, capable and equipped to succeed. So how can we continue to strengthen the implementation of the resolution and tackle existing and emerging gaps? There are a number of steps we should take.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“The Security Council's response through resolution 1540 (2004) is still decisive for the international non-proliferation regime. Our adoption of resolution 1977 (2011) in order to further instrumentalize the global norm against the proliferation and use of such weapons has been essential, and we have made progress towards the universal implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), but the threat persists and has assumed new forms. Between 1993 and 2013, almost 2,500 incidents were reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency's nuclear and radioactive material Incident and Trafficking Database, including 16 incidents of illegal possession or attempts to illegally trade highly enriched uranium or plutonium. Others may have gone undetected.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“I thank the Republic of Korea and you personally, Mr. President, for holding this high-level debate, and for the Republic of Korea's leadership on resolution 1540 (2004) and efforts to promote global non-proliferation. I also thank the Deputy Secretary-General. As we all know only too starkly, the threat of terrorist groups acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction is not a hypothetical or abstract one. In the years leading up to our adoption of resolution 1540 (2004), international terrorist networks, particularly Al-Qaida, had unmistakably shown their intent and ability to commit mass casualty attacks and had signalled their intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Clandestine networks had significantly increased the prospect of non-State actors acquiring the materials and means to follow through on their intent.”
2014-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7169 (2014) · source
“Australia also supports the application of financial and travel sanctions against instigators of violence and perpetrators of human rights abuses in South Sudan. Those who stand in the way of peace must pay a price for their actions. Targeted sanctions are a lever to curb the protagonists' behaviour and bring them back to dialogue. In conclusion, while South Sudan's leaders are engaged in a bitter and bloody power struggle in the pursuit of their own narrow self-interest, the suffering of the South Sudanese people grows more and more acute. That is an unforgivable betrayal to the world's youngest nation. We must heed the crystal clear call to action we have heard today and accelerate the Council's response.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“My own country has provided over $10 million in emergency aid to date since the crisis began. We encourage Member States to give generously to the South Sudan humanitarian appeals. As the fighting in oil-rich Upper Nile and Unity states demonstrates, competition over natural resources and their revenues is another important driver of that conflict. The proliferation and ready availability of small arms, light weapons and ammunition is further fuelling the fighting. The Council has instruments, in addition to peacekeeping, that it can apply to mitigate the intensity of the conflict and bring a measure of protection to the people of South Sudan. We believe it is time for the Council to consider applying an arms embargo.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“We must work with the peacekeeping partnership - the Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries - to deploy the requisite peacekeepers much faster, and we must equip them with the mandate, tools and mobility they need to protect civilians adequately. The crucial next step is to expand the security footprint beyond the camps of internally displaced persons to protect more civilians at grave risk. And we support the proposed deployment of an IGAD protection force to allow IGAD's monitors to perform their task. With the spectre of famine looming, we must spare no effort to facilitate humanitarian access so that life-saving assistance can reach those people in most need. Any action to deny, delay or otherwise obstruct such access is unacceptable.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“That is why the United Nations exists. The commitment of the United Nations and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Johnson to the protection of civilians is a statement of their concern and determination to help the South Sudanese people. The Government of South Sudan must now state unequivocally its support for UNMISS and extend seriousfull cooperation to it. We must move urgently to recast the UNMISS mandate to give the Mission clearer, more focused priorities, with the protection of civilians at its core. The new mandate should reaffirm the neutrality and impartiality of UNMISS, and freeze most State-building tasks until the fighting stops and a pathway to genuine peace is established.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“The legacy of a lack of accountability is among the drivers perpetuating the conflict. We welcome the African Union commission of inquiry and express our continued support to President Obasanjo and his team. It will remain open for the Council to consider referring the situation in South Sudan to the International Criminal Court once we have had the opportunity to consider the Commission's recommendations. As a Council, our obligation now is to help pull the country back from the brink, confronted as we are by grave and persistent human rights violations, extreme protection challenges and a worsening humanitarian crisis. The situation clearly invokes the principle of responsibility to protect. We commend the swift action of UNMISS to establish protection sites in the early stages of the conflict, saving countless lives.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“They must immediately commit themselves and their forces to a ceasefire and engage sincerely in the peace process led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). We commend IGAD and Ethiopia for their leadership and for the invaluable role they continue to play as partners for peace and stability in the region. We welcome the imminent release of the report of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on human rights violations. No party to the conflict should be under the illusion that there will be anything less than full accountability for the crimes against humanity and war crimes we expect it to detail. In accordance with the principle of command responsibility, leaders will be held to account for their subordinates' actions. Impunity cannot persist, nor can blanket amnesties be entertained.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“The image of slain child soldiers, their lifeless bodies still clutching AK-47s as they lay dead in the streets, is harrowing. Australia's Foreign Minister Bishop, along with so many other world leaders, has strongly condemned this violence, whose scale and intensity represent a grim new chapter of a brutal conflict that has already claimed the lives of many thousands of civilians and displaced more than a million. Until this cycle is broken, more atrocities will occur, inevitably, and many more lives will be lost, inevitably. Our message to all parties to this conflict is simple. There can be no military solution. President Salva Kiir and Mr. Rick Machar must uphold their responsibility to protect civilians, regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important briefing in the open Chamber. I would also like to thank High Commissioner Pillay and Special Adviser Dieng for their forthright and very disturbing briefings. Their visit was an essential one, and the Council itself must ensure that their immediate report back to us is instrumental. All of us have been appalled by the horrifying events in Bentiu and Bor, where just weeks ago hundreds of men, women and children were targeted in ethnic killings while seeking refuge in a hospital, a mosque, a church and a United Nations base - all places that should be inviolate, as they are protected under international law. The use of radio broadcasts to incite ethnic killings and sexual violence against women and girls is chilling and frighteningly resonant of mass atrocities elsewhere.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“But what is destructive is Russia's reckless interference in its neighbour's affairs - destructive of Ukraine's stability and territorial integrity, destructive of the Geneva agreement, destructive of regional security, destructive of the Charter of the United Nations and the laws governing relations between countries and destructive of Russia's own standing and credibility. We are at a very dangerous, manipulated moment, and Russia must immediately de-escalate the situation, ensure that militia groups desist in their armed rebellion, implement the Geneva agreement and demonstrate, as President Putin has claimed, that it has no further territorial ambitions on Ukraine. That certainly does not appear to be the case.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“Ukrainian authorities have given clear messages to militant groups as to what is required ofthem, as Interior Minister Avakov has said: "Free the hostages. Lay down weapons. Vacate administrative buildings, and get municipal infrastructure back to normal". That has not happened. In these circumstances, it is appropriate and necessary for the Ukrainian Government to take measures to try to ensure security and protect its own citizens in its own territory. We have seen a statement from Russia's Foreign Ministry earlier today describing - hypocritically, shamelessly - the policy of those who have supported Ukraine as "destructive".”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“They are calculated, cynical and highly provocative actions, obviously designed to undermine Ukrainian State authority, to intimidate and de-stabilize. They make a mockery of what Russia has committed to in the Geneva agreement. Ukraine itself is working to implement its Geneva commitments. It has submitted to Parliament a draft law and amnesty for protesters who surrender their weapons. It has initiated a process of constitutional reform aimed at decentralizing power. It has committed to holding a broad public debate on possible constitutional change. However, in response to the extreme provocation that Ukraine is facing, Ukrainian authorities have the right and responsibility to seek to reinstate State authority and restore public order over all their territory.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“We have seen further takeover and consolidation of control by armed militia groups over key facilities in cities and towns right across eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Sloviansk and Holivka. Orchestrated violence has today spread to Odessa. Journalists in eastern Ukraine have been detained. There are kidnappings and torture. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe observers, detained on 25 April, are still being held hostage a week later. That is an affront to the entire international community, and they must be released immediately. Those actions by pro-Russian groups are clearly not a legitimate protest or an attempt to protect Russian speakers from alleged or spurious threats.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“When we met on 29 April on the situation in Ukraine (see S/PV.7l65), we urged Russia to abide by the commitments it made in Geneva on 17 April, including to refrain from violence, intimidation and provocative actions. Since then, as Under-Secretary-General Feltman has just told us, the situation has further deteriorated severely. This planned and coordinated destabilization could not happen without external support. The shooting down of Ukrainian helicopters in Sloviansk today by surface-to- air missiles is dramatic further evidence of that. We are witnessing well-armed, well-trained personnel, using military weapons, who are intent on armed provocation.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“We urge Ukraine to extend the ICC's jurisdiction to crimes committed beyond that date and to accede to the ICC Statute. For its part, overwhelmingly, the international community remains united in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territory integrity and in its position that Russia cease its illegal intervention, interference and provocative actions in Ukraine. Statements by other Security Council members tonight are further confirmation of that. To conclude, Australia continues to call on Russia to meet its Geneva commitments, to allow Ukraine's elections on 25 May to proceed without interference or obstruction, which is the right of every sovereign nation, and to exercise its influence over separatist activists in Ukraine towards those ends. The crisis remains very dangerously poised.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“In those circumstances, it is appropriate and necessary for the Ukrainian Government itself to take measures to try to ensure security and protect its citizens in its own territory. It has shown considerable restraint in the face of extreme provocation, but it has a right to enforce the rule of law and respond in a manner proportionate to the circumstances. We welcome Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Lubkivsky's statement during his 25 April press conference at the United Nations that Ukraine would protect its people from provocation in a civilized manner so as to avoid bloodshed. We welcome Ukraine's recent acceptance ofjurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with respect to crimes committed in its territory from November last year to February 2014.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“We have also witnessed continued and extreme provocations, including military manoeuvres on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border and reported multiple violations of Ukrainian air space by Russian military aircraft. We have witnessed the deplorable shooting on 28 April of the Mayor of Kharkiv and the abduction and killing of a Horlivka City Council representative. We are seeing continued occupation of Government buildings by well-armed and coordinated paramilitary groups, including, today, the occupation of Government buildings in Lugansk. We are seeing the increasing intimidation of local populations and illegal detentions. Under-Secretary-General Feltman has just reported to us increasing reports of violence, with people killed, wounded, beaten and tortured.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“But what has Russian done since 17 April to honour its Geneva commitments? Disappointingly, all evidence at hand points to Russia's continued determination to promote instability and challenge Ukraine's authority over its sovereign territory. Russia's claims that it has no agency in or influence over the actions of armed militia groups operating in eastern Ukraine are not credible. The seizure of OSCE observers on 25 April in Sloviansk and their mistreatment and their continued detention is a deplorable and cynical act against impartial international personnel working to bring peace and stability to the region, an act clearly intended to impede the ability of all OSCE monitors to work in eastern Ukraine. We call for their immediate release.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“It has submitted to Parliament a draft law on amnesty for protesters who surrender their weapons. It has initiated a process of constitutional reform aimed at decentralizing power. It has committed to holding a broad public debate on possible constitutional changes and sought proposals for constitutional reform. It is working to disarm radical movements. The Ukrainian Government has also said that it will guarantee the rights of Russian speakers to use their own language. It has strongly condemned xenophobia, intolerance and anti-Semitism and begun an investigation into the distribution of anti-Semitic leaflets in Donetsk. It has invited all political groups to discuss ways to resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine and it has supported the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in its work to de-escalate tensions.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary- General Feltman for his briefing and his warning to the Council. Australia strongly supported calls for the holding of tonight's briefing to give the Council an up-to-date sense of the continuing destabilization and increased tensions in eastern Ukraine, much of which has evidently been sponsored and condoned by the Russian Federation. We, with the rest of the Council, welcomed the 17 April agreement reached in Geneva on steps to de-escalate the crisis, including commitments to refrain from further acts of violence and provocation. That was a positive development and, we hoped, a demonstration of serious commitment to reduce tensions and work cooperatively towards a diplomatic and political solution to the crisis. Ukraine is living up to its Geneva commitments.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7165 (2014) · source
“We also commend Iraq, Turkey and Egypt for their intake of Syrian refugees; international support for all these countries is necessary to manage the burden. During her visit, Foreign Minister Bishop encouraged Lebanon to maintain its policy of disassociation regarding the Syrian conflict. We welcomed the formation of the new Lebanese Government in February, which was a crucial step for the country's political stability. It will be vital that the Lebanese Parliament elect a president by 25 May, as scheduled, and that an incoming President can continue President Sleiman's efforts to unite all Lebanese and act as a force for stability during appallingly this difficult time.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“We commend the efforts of Special Coordinator Kaag and her team in assisting Syria to meet its obligations to remove its chemical weapons. It is essential that the final deadline of 30 June be met. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission authorized today to establish the facts about the possible use of chlorine in Syria must be given access to all it needs. The Australian Foreign Minister's visit to Lebanon and Jordan last week reaffirmed our very strong support for both countries as they face increasingly insurmountable humanitarian and security challenges as a direct result of the Syrian crisis. Last month, the millionth Syrian refugee crossed into Lebanon - a staggering 300 per cent increase over one year ago.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“It is the Al-Assad regime that has the primary responsibility for addressing the desperate humanitarian situation in Syria, but there is unavoidable evidence that it is not complying with resolution 2139 (2014). If this persists, the Council will need to take further measures. The Council has heard recently of further horrific crimes being committed in Syria. It remains essential that those responsible for such crimes- including those outlined in the Caesar report - be held to account. Australia also condemns terrorist acts perpetrated by the jihadist groups Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Jabhat al-Nusra, and the involvement of foreign fighters, including from Lebanese Hizbullah, in this conflict. Extremists have no place in Syria's future.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Despite the unambiguous language in resolution 2139 (2014), indiscriminate weapons continue to be savagely used by the regime against civilians. Some 240,000 civilians remain besieged, the vast majority by regime forces; millions more are in hard-to-reach areas, and are denied food and medecine. The Syrian military strategy, which deliberately targets civilians through indiscriminate aerial bombardment, barrel bombs and surrender-or- starve tactics, is unacceptable. The Syrian authorities continue to remove medical supplies from humanitarian convoys, and to put up bureaucratic hurdles that prevent the effective distribution of aid. We welcomed the opening of one Syria-Turkey border crossing in March, but there are at least seven more border crossings that could be opened or better utilized. That needs to happen now.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“But the Al-Assad regime's refusal to discuss transition in parallel with security talks - as Mr. Brahimi has proposed - demonstrates that it is not interested in serious negotiations, as does President Al-Assad's announcement he will run for re-election as President before substantive negotiations have even begun. The circumstances of the civil war in Syria - a completely fractured country - make genuine elections impossible. They will have no credibility in the eyes of the Syrian people and the international community, and will further undermine the prospects for a solution. The Syrian authorities must return now to the negotiating table. In the meantime, reality for millions of Syrians remains increasingly desperate and brutal.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“We urge both sides not to be diverted by mutual recriminations, but to maintain their political courage so that the immense efforts invested to date do not prove futile. The Syrian conflict has now entered its fourth year. Nearly half the Syrian population needs assistance; one-third has been displaced and over 2.7 million have fled as refugees to neighbouring countries. Last week, the Foreign Minister of Australia visited Jordan and Lebanon to see first-hand the tragic refugee situation created by this conflict. She announced an increase to Australia's humanitarian response targeted specifically at Syrian refugee children, who make up half the Syrian refugee population. A political solution is urgently needed, and Joint Special Representative Brahimi has made very sound proposals on how negotiations should be conducted.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“Those who work with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas in their respective Governments must also support the peace process by showing restraint, especially during difficult periods. We urge both sides to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions on the ground. And any Palestinian unity Government must uphold the principle of non-violence and accept previous commitments the Palestinians have made, particularly on Israel's right to exist. All rocket attacks towards Israel from Gaza must cease. The economic and security gains that a peace deal would bring to both sides are tremendous. Conversely, the fallout from failed negotiations would be devastating. A just and lasting two-State solution remains in the fundamental interests of both parties and the wider region.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Serry for his briefing. We have today arrived at the nine-month mark since final status negotiations resumed between Israel and the Palestinians in July last year. It was the most ambitious and substantial chance to secure a permanent peace in years. The extraordinary and singular nature of that opportunity cannot be overstated. We commend the persistence and patience of the United States in encouraging serious negotiations between both sides. The Israelis and the Palestinians - with the support of the international community - need to confront the urgency of the moment and reach an agreement for talks to continue. We commend the statesmanship and commitment that President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu displayed in launching negotiations last year, but we urge leaders on both sides to press on.”
2014-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7164 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, at its core, security sector reform is about ensuring that a State's institutions serve and protect its population. Support to security sector reform is increasingly and rightly an integral part of the mandates the Council authorizes. It is, effectively, our exit strategy. When done well, security sector reform's legacy is the stable and potentially transformational foundation it provides for long-term peace, security and development.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Building professional, accountable policing and law enforcement agencies focused on serving the community - and UNMIT supported such efforts well in its later years - can be central to restoring the rule of law and building trust in the authorities. We urge more Council focus on that, including in mandates. The United Nations can be uniquely placed to coordinate international support, but it needs to get better at coordinating its own policing assistance, including by harmonizing the various approaches adopted by different contributors to missions. The Police Division's new strategic guidance framework will contribute significantly to standardizing United Nations policing activities, including capacity-building.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Secondly, on policing reform, the Council has just authorized one of the largest police components in any peacekeeping operation, in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. In that country, rebuilding the shattered security sector is absolutely vital. When thinking of United Nations police, our minds often jump to images of formed police units patrolling. But let me emphasize the important part police and civilians in United Nations missions can play in supporting rebuilding and reform of host-State policing. Policing reform is often overshadowed by the higher-profile reform of militaries. Yet police are the public face of the security sector, the ones the population should turn to for protection, and the guardians, as the representative of Luxemburg reminded us this morning.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Finally, I would like to mention two particular areas of United Nations engagement on security sector reform. First, on sanctions, the Cote d'Ivoire regime, where lethal equipment importation is linked directly to the Government's security sector reform process, is one of the most striking examples of the nexus between arms embargoes and security sector reform. Embargoes can assist in stopping flows of weapons that could reignite Violence and in creating the conditions for the development of stronger security institutions. Groups of experts can provide invaluable support - for example, providing information on threats and illicit flows, which can help security sector reform design. We call for deeper cooperation among United Nations missions, Sanctions Committees and groups of experts on these issues.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“This informs planning by the Government and the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands on police reform and law and order. My third point concerns the role of the United Nations. Many SSR initiatives fail because of a narrow technical focus, but the United Nations can be uniquely placed to support a holistic perspective across the sector. UNMIT, for example, supported Timor-Leste's comprehensive security sector review, which led to new legislation for the security and defence sectors. Security sector reform is most effective when complemented by the development of strong democratic institutions. Those are inherently political processes, and today's draft resolution rightly encourages Special Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General to focus on security sector reform in their good offices roles.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“UNMIT's final stages were guided by a best-practice, jointly agreed transition plan, including a framework for the final assumption of functions by Timorese security institutions and the continuation of support by other partners. Separately, Australia has signed an innovative New Deal agreement with the Timorese Government, including a commitment to supporting Timor-Leste's goals for security sector reconstruction and reform across crime prevention and investigation, public safety and border control. My second point concerns measuring impact. We need to find new ways to evaluate the real impact of SSR, including public confidence in security services. In Solomon Islands, an innovative tool - the annual people's survey - covers perceptions of the police force.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“From a narrow conception of training and equipping institutions, we now view SSR as a process that needs to encompass the security architecture as a whole and is as much political as technical. I will focus on three issues. The first if national ownership. National authorities need to generate and drive a strategic vision for reform, but SSR is in many ways about the contract between the security sector and population, so to be effective it must have community buy-in. The involvement of civil society, including women's groups, is vital. How do we better foster such ownership and leadership? Second-generation SSR in Timor-Leste is a good example. The Government took strong leadership, with UNMIT and international partners - with their relatively small footprint - in support. There was significant community outreach.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“In response, at Timor-Leste's request, Australia, New Zealand and Portugal deployed an international stabilization force and, in August 2006, the Council mandated another peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). We must heed the important lessons of this and other experiences of relapse regarding the centrality that security sector reform (SSR) can have to long-term stability and how SSR should be supported. There is a very positive ending with Timor-Leste, which has made great strides in reforming its security sector, strengthening not just capacities but governance and civilian oversight. In March 2011, the national police resumed primary policing responsibilities after a phased handover from UNMIT. Our understanding of SSR has evolved - an evolution helped by the experience in Timor-Leste.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this debate and for your presence here today. I also thank the Nigerian presidency of the Security Council for all of its important efforts on the potentially transformational task of security sector reform. In May 2006, four years after Timor-Leste's independence, as the United Nations Office in Timor- Leste was preparing to withdraw, a crisis in the security sector sparked a political, security and humanitarian emergency. This was precipitated by the dismissal of nearly one-third of the Timorese armed forces, and saw the police and army fighting each other again in the streets. The unravelling of law and order left dozens dead and some 150,000 displaced.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“To conclude, the Security Council's debate on sexual violence may only take place once a year, but our work to end that barbaric practice - that crime - must be a daily commitment and attract our serious attention across the whole of our agenda. The Council must take every opportunity available and use every tool it has to end that abhorrent crime and provide survivors the justice and services they need to rebuild their lives.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source