YouSaid · the spoken record

Ramirez Carrefio

lines on the record: 1,445
first: 2015-01-19
most recent: 2017-10-31
sittings or episodes: 151
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

“As this is the first official meeting of the Security Council in the month of February, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Council, to His Excellency Mr. Elbio Rosselli, Permanent Representative of Uruguay, for his service as President of the Council for the month of January 2016. I am sure I speak for all members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Rosselli and his team for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council's business last month. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. The situation in the Central African Republic The President (spoke in Spanish): The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2016-02-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7617 (2016) · source
“We appreciate the visit that the Council conducted to Burundi and affirm that any action taken by the Security Council, not withstanding its differences with the authorities of the country concerned, must must be in line with Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. I also thank the countries that have indicated their active support for us as we assume the next presidency. We hope that we will live up to the example of our Latin American predecessor and hope to contribute to international peace and security from that position on the Security Council.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“We call on Council members that may have influence on those parties to uphold the agreement and remind them that it was agreed that they were going to begin discussions without preconditions. We have said that humanitarian issues would be prioritized once the peace talks began. Finally, I must mention the situation in Burundi. We have said on many occasions that we are particularly troubled that 60 or 70 per cent of the conflicts on the agenda ofthe sanctions committees take place in Africa. That indicates that our brotherly African continent continues to suffer the legacy of its colonialist past and all the divisions within its countries. It is in constant conflict.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“The situation in Yemen also needs to be tackled because the same factors underpinning the Syrian crisis are at play in the conflict in Yemen as well. Clearly there needs to be a regional vision for the solution to these conflicts. With regard to Syria, the enormous effort undertaken by the International Syria Support Group to promote the negotiations in Geneva is an extraordinary opportunity that I hope the Council will not squander. I think Mr. De Mistura deserves the full support of the Security Council. We are troubled that, at this stage, parts of the opposition still have not agreed on who will represent them and have put preconditions on initiating the dialogue.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“It is almost an army, and it represents the development of a new kind of war - one that uses social networks and appears capable of countering all coalitions formed to fight it. We believe that the Security Council needs to rethink its action in the face of this new phenomenon in the Middle East and make it a priority so as to address these issues one by one, without leaving any one out. We have discussed the issue of Syria. What has happened in Syria is a tragedy. We reject the use of starvation and siege against the population itself as a weapon of war. We repudiate the attacks on humanitarian agencies and on civilians. We condemn what happened in Madaya. But also we raise our voice in outcry against what is happening in Yemen. As I said, there are issues that are just not discussed.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“They have the same origin, and at some point we need to carry out an assessment of the Security Council interventions in those conflicts and what the results have been. Today, there are vast territories where State institutions do not exist, where there is no official institution of any kind nor any social fabric that could provide a response for these peoples in the face of the trauma of conflict. In Iraq, in Libya and in Syria, most of the State institutions have collapsed, and in the ensuing vacuum a new phenomenon has arisen - new in terms of its size. Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. Many countries around this table have suffered from terrorist acts. We have always condemned terrorism on principle, but the terrorism we are seeing today is highly funded with great military might.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Nor have we been able to promote Palestine becoming accepted as a full-fledged State Member of the United Nations, which is a prerogative of the Security Council and is one of the prerequisites for moving forward in negotiations, in the sense that it should be a given that two States exist. Otherwise, Palestine will continue to be subjected to disproportionate military action by Israel and to an unending settlement process. While we are gathered here, I would also mention the Palestinian youth and the Palestinian people who are being blockaded in Gaza. These people had expectations and trust in the international community that we have unfortunately failed to live up to. Also with regard to the Middle East, we need to recognize the situations in Iraq, in Syria and in Libya, which are all linked.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“I think the Security Council should truly make it a goal this year to propose a solution for the Palestinian people, because what is happening in Palestine is utterly in violation of international law. This has nothing to do with Israel, nor it is against the Israelis; we deeply regret the civilian deaths on both sides. This is more a question of international law and the need for the settlement activities in Palestine to end. There is a need for Security Council resolutions to be properly implemented. A response needs to be given to the legitimate concerns of the Palestinian people, with a solution based on the existence of two States.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“However, there are certain problems that, due to national interests, particularly those of the Council's permanent members, become priorities to such an extent that a single topic is tackled four or five times in a month, when the reality is that there is a conflict throughout entire regions such as the Middle East that requires a shared, joint vision to resolve it. In this regard, I would highlight the question of Palestine. The issue of Palestine is very frustrating for us and a sign of the failure of the Security Council thus far to work in a coordinated manner. There is no consensus on the subject, and we have been unable to adopt a single resolution in the last seven years. New Zealand proposed a draft resolution. France is trying, and we are expecting a draft resolution.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“We think that the adoption of this resolution was one of the most important achievements in January. We wish to reiterate our thanks to the United Kingdom, which, in a very short amount of time, was able to facilitate a resolution that is to a great extent in line with the agreements that the parties reached during their last meeting in Havana. Unfortunately, while we have this encouraging news from Colombia, I must confess that we are not comfortable with the way the Security Council is addressing some issues and not others. The Security Council has a very clear mandate pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Indeed, through that action, the Security Council is taking on great responsibility to ensure that this culture of violence ceases, that weapons should be laid down and that other mechanisms ofwar that exist in Colombia should be dismantled, such as paramilitarism, the Plan Colombia and other phenomena that are closely linked to the conflict in that sister nation. For us, Venezuela, as everyone knows, our liberator, Simon Bolivar, was also Colombia's liberator, as he was the liberator of five other Latin American nations. For us, our army crossed borders only to liberate our Latin American brothers - never to attack any country. As the late President Chavez Frias once said, one of our strongest desires is to see peace - peace and social justice - for our Colombian brothers.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“I cannot help mentioning resolution 2261 (2016) on Colombia as an extraordinary success during your presidency, Mr. President. It is probably only we Latin Americans who can truly appreciate the significance of this step. For over 50 years, Colombia was plunged in a bloody war whose various origins were very closely linked to the social and political situation of all Latin American countries, in particular a violent period of years of political unrest following the assassination of the leader Jorge Elie'cer Gaitan Ayala. The fact that both the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo have asked for Security Council support to monitor and verify the implementation of new peace agreements is not just a recognition of the work of the United Nations.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Further, in the spirit of the statements of the representatives of Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia and Spain, who took advantage of the opportunity today to reflect on issues that we think are of vital importance in the Council, going beyond the narrower viewpoints of our national positions, we would like to add the following. First of all, we support the holding of these wrap- up sessions because we think that, above all, we as non-permanent members need to be transparent and accountable for what we do and say here in the Council, since we are here because we were elected by the General Assembly. We therefore support the accountability initiative as an activity that we will engage in this afternoon with other members of the Assembly.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Mr. Ramirez Carrefio (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): I must begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, for your excellent work in presiding over the Security Council as well as that of your entire team. We are grateful, Sir, for the way in which you led the Council this month, which began so explosively and has been so full of major issues that will continue to be priorities for us in the month of February. It is also a great pleasure to receive the presidency from a Latin American brother after 25 years of absence from the Security Council.”
2016-01-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7616 (2016) · source
“Let us not disappoint that trust. Let us not wait for the Palestinian people to rise up indignantly in a new intifada. Let us not wait for its youth to be ensnared by the violent extremism that plagues the region. There will be no peace or stability in the Middle East until the Palestinian question is resolved peaceably. Israel must respect international law, halt its violence and end its occupation of Palestine. We must act now. The Council must assume its responsibility, and certain of its members must show more political will, in order to resolve this question. We ought to contribute effectively to making the existence of the State of Palestine a reality i a free and sovereign nation in a zone ofpeace.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“The illegal actions of the occupying Power against the Palestinian people paint a picture of war crimes that must be put before international criminal justice in order to determine responsibility. The stalemate in the negotiations undermines the prospects for peace and creates frustration and hopelessness among the Palestinian population, which can be exploited by extremist groups to fuel hatred and promote their terrorist agendas. With each failure in the peace talks, the patience of Palestinian men and women is eroded - after having endured more than 50 years of an illegal and brutal occupation that has denied them their human rights and their right to self- determination - in addition to eroding the expectations of Palestinians in the international community and multilateral organizations for addressing their just cause.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“Moreover, we must address as soon as possible the repeated calls of the Palestinian National Authority that the population of the occupied territories be placed under international protection in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and resolution 904 (1994), thus ensuring the integrity of the men and women of Palestine in the face of the continuous and systematic aggression of the occupying Power. Let us act without double standards to judge severely the Israeli policy of systematic violations of human rights of the Palestinian people as well as of international humanitarian law, in the same way that the Council is ready to quickly condemn and punish other countries. Let us be consistent with our ongoing calls from the Council for accountability.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“It is therefore a matter of Israel once and for all ceasing its acts of aggression, ending the occupation and sitting down to negotiate in good faith with the Palestinians for an inclusive and definitive politial solution to end the conflict in the framework of the two-State solution, including accepting the right of the Palestinians to live under internationally recognized borders, in accordance with the Charter and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council. Similarly, an equal footing for the parties is a crucial prerequisite for any fair negotiations. To that end, it is imperative that the State of Palestine be incorporated as a fully fledged Member of the United Nations. A decision in that regard would be a step in the right direction towards achieving a firm and lasting peace in the region.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“Faced with that situation, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela joins its voice to that of so many around the world demanding that the Security Council play a proactive role on this issue, in line with the responsibilities conferred upon it by the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security. Such a role should make it possible to address the Palestinian issue with determination and a sense ofjustice.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“We demand the end of that illegal policy against the civialian population in Gaza. Nothing seems to deter the systematic colonial actions of the occupying Power, with its construction of illegal settlements and destruction of Palestinian property. The illegal land confiscation, the punitive invasion and demolition of homes and the expulsion of Palestinians from their land are part of the list of grievances against the Palestinian people, particularly displaced persons and refugees. Such is the case with Israel's recent annexation of 370 acres of land near Jericho, in the West Bank, which were declared State-owned - act that has been condemned by the Secretary-General and on which the Council has not acted.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“The world contiues to be shocked by the devastating effects of the military operation Protective Shield, an act of aggression against the civilian population that killed more than 550 children and left behind thousands of other children handicapped and still hospitalized. Many have seen their futures cut short, as well as any immediate hope of being able to resume their lives in order to build a promising tomorrow. Even today, humanitarian organizations continue to report cases of children in Gaza with severe psychological trauma, despite the attention and care they receive in treatment centres. My country vigorously rejects the blockade of Gaza, which since 2007 has kept the population in a sort of ghetto that impacts the lives of millions of Palestinians, in clear violation of international law.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“At the same time, the number of the Palestinian men and women who are humiliated, attacked, persecuted and unjustly arrested by way of administrative detentions continues to increase. They are attacked by Israel's police and military forces, whose repressive attitude is a manifestation of the prolonged military occupation and the policy to colonize the territory. We join the demand that Israel immediately release imprisoned Palestinian children. Venezuela condemns violence wherever it comes from and in all its manifestations. Similarly, we condemn attacks against Israeli civilians, who have been victims of stabbings and other forms of violence. Since 2015, that number totals approximately 18 people, according to information from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“It is taking advantage of the inaction of the Security Council and its reluctance to take up its responsibility to identify Israel as a State that has committed war crimes and occupied territories of the State of Palestine, in violation of the resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly. Against that backdrop, the suffering of the Palestinian people is only increasing. Since October 2015, more than 160 Palestinians, including 29 children and 7 women, have been killed by the occupation forces and Israeli settlers living illegally on Palestinian land. Overall in 2015, regretably, there were more than 15,000 Palestinians injured in various incidents and attacks provoked by Israel.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“Unfortunately, everything seems to indicate that the calls of the Security Council to end the illegal occupation and the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Israeli Government, as well as to bring the parties back to the negotiating table, are not going to be translated into concrete actions to reverse this complex situation. The lack of political will in the Security Council to resolve the Palestinian question is clear. The occupying Power is openly and without fear of consequences ignoring the continued calls of the international community to end its illegal actions.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“Mr. Ramirez Carrefio (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): We thank you, Sir, for personally presiding over this very important debate of the Security Council. We acknowledge your presence, Mr. President, and we thank the Secretary General for his briefing. My delegation associates itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the Islamic Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. My country's statement will focus on the issue of Palestine, for we believe it crucial to resolve that matter in order to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East. As the Security Council once again takes up the Palestinian question, we take note of and condemn the ongoing acts of aggression by the occupying Power against the inhabitants of the occupied Palestinian territories.”
2016-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7610 (2016) · source
“The Council should ensure the inviolability of the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. The conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen have become veritable human tragedies linked to the collapse of States, the use of terrorism to overthrow Governments and the violation of the principles of non-interference and respect for sovereignty. The Security Council must increase its focus on a political solution to those conflicts as the most effective way of protecting civilians, who are caught up in them.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In conclusion, the reality is that, as long as our Organization continues to devote insufficient political attention and resources to prevention and greater attention and resources to respond to crises - while, once again, giving little in the way ofpolitical attention and resources to the reconstruction and recovery phase of States 4 we will be failing those civilians who are suffering from the brunt of the violence. We must move beyond the status quo and focus all our efforts on preventing conflicts in the first place and ensuring they do not recur. The Security Council must focus more on preventing conflicts rather than on fanning them. It should refrain from getting involved in them in pursuit of the national positions of its members.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Military patrols and the deployment troops constitute one of the most tangible guarantees of security that can be offered to local communities. All the activities I have just described, as a whole, can contribute significantly to the protection of civilians. However, in situations where the civilian population is under the imminent threat of attack, peacekeeping troops must always be ready to act assertively. Accordingly, they must always have the forces, equipment and necessary training to deal with those situations.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Likewise, the Security Council and the Secretariat must step up efforts to start inclusive and substantive consultations with troop- and police-contributing countries, ensuring that they fully participate in the tasks of planning and implementing mandates. We stress that such consultations should take place at the highest level, including with specialized personnel, experts and senior military officials in capitals in all operational phases of peacekeeping missions. In addition to the actions I have already mentioned, peacekeeping operations can also make an important contribution to protecting civilians by acting as deterrents. A mission's presence on the ground plays an important role in that regard.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The Organization's success with the strategies that do not involve the use of weapons in the protection of civilians depends on, to some extent, on its ability to forge strong alliances with such actors and work closely with local communities. Many non-governmental, national and international organizations that are committed to using strategies that do not involve the use of weapons to protect civilians are also working assiduously on the ground. In that regard, the United Nations should make use of such important resources, paying attention to the practices and capabilities of local communities and humanitarian organizations on the ground to create an environment that is conducive to the protection of civilians.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The quest for a political solution must guide the planning, deployment and withdrawal of United Nations peacekeeping operations on the ground. In addition, peacekeeping operations are committed to starting an open and impartial discussion with all the parties to a conflict in an effort to explore all other options that can be used as alternatives to violence, thereby promoting respect among all actors on the ground, regardless of their political ideology, ethnicity, religion or military affiliation. Humanitarian organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, play a fundamental role in that regard.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2.8 million people have been displaced and almost 450,000 are living as refugees. Wherever we look, we see an alarming and devastating, crushing reality that requires our attention and decisive action. When United Nations peacekeeping operations are present in conflict areas, they could play a key role in protecting civilians - all the while acting impartially to ensure their own safety and complying with their mandate, and with the consent of the host State. Strategies that do not involve the use of weapons must be at the forefront of United Nations efforts to protect civilians. Peacekeeping operations, as inherently political tools, can protect civilians more effectively and help build trust among the parties, ending conflicts and facilitating peace agreements.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The case of Palestine continues to weigh on the conscience of the Security Council because it is the most irrefutable situation illustrating the need for civilian protection - this, the long-standing Israeli occupation of the territories of the Palestinian people. In the conflict in Yemen, it is estimated that up to 15.9 million people - 60 per cent ofthe population - are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In Syria, the number of displaced persons stands at 6.6 million, while over 4.6 million civilians are living as refugees. In the Central African Republic, between 6,000 and 10,000 children have been recruited by armed militias in the past year, more than a fifth of the population has been displaced and 430,000 refugees live in neighbouring countries.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In Iraq, the number ofpeople requiring humanitarian assistance stands at 8.2 million. In Libya, violent confrontations between armed groups and militias has had a disproportionate impact on children. More than 400,000 people have been displaced from their homes and hundreds of thousands do not have access to humanitarian aid. Israeli attacks against the Palestinian population in Gaza in 2014 left more than 1,500 Palestinians dead, 500 of them children, and more than 1,100 injured. Five hundred thousand Palestinians were displaced from their homes and tens of thousands had their homes and livelihoods deliberately destroyed.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Those examples serve to highlight the complete lack of humanity with which that terrorist organization operates and the threat to people under their siege. No one, no civilian, is safe from the demented violence perpetrated by ISIS and other terrorist groups. We must therefore work together and act decisively to eliminate the scourge. This new phenomenon means that the Security Council must adjust the mechanisms it uses to protect civilians. The number ofpersons who have been displaced as a result of conflict is at its highest since the Second World War. It is estimated that 38 million people are displaced within their own countries, and 19.5 million people live as refugees abroad. In the case of Afghanistan, there were more civilian casualties in 2014 than in any other year since 2009.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“We call attention in particular to the situations in Madaya, Kafraya and Fu'ah, which constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law. However, the conflict in Syria is brutal and the main enemy is terrorism, which continues to show contempt for human life. One example of such contempt was the attack perpetrated in August last year in Palmyra, when ISIS forces entered the city, killed all of the prisoners, murdered eminent archeologist and 81-year-old Khaled al-Asaad, and destroyed world heritage sites. Another example was the attack in Deyr ez-Zour last Saturday, when ISIS forces entered the city and murdered 300 people, most of them women, children and the elderly, simply because they were relatives of Syrian combatants.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“The level of brutality and pure disregard for human life and dignity that we see today in many conflicts in which terrorist groups are involved - especially in the Middle East and in Africa - is alarming. Groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), Boko Haram and the Al-Nusrah Front indiscriminately target civilians. They torture, kidnap, disappear and recruit civilians by force, driving them from their homes, separating them from their families and denying them access to the most basic human rights. The human cost of such actions is devastating over time. Venezuela condemns the siege against civilians in the armed conflict in Syria, regardless of who the perpetrators might be.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“In accordance with the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, civilians and people who do not take part in combat cannot, under any circumstances, be victims of attacks or violence. Particular attention should be paid to children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities and displaced persons. Unfortunately, in many of today's armed conflicts, the loss of life among civilians far exceeds that among combatants. Civilians who are in the midst of armed conflict require protection, in particular when those involved in the conflict are terrorist groups that operate outside the agreed norms and conventions of international law.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“Mr. Ramirez Carrefio (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): We are honoured to see a brother Latin American country presiding over the Security Council. We take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the way in which your country has been conducting the affairs of the Council during the month of January and for having convened today's important debate. We welcome the briefings made by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, Ms. Eveline Rooijmans, Senior Humanitarian Policy Advisor of Oxfam, and Ms. Christine Beerli, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. We acknowledge and congratulate the briefers on the outstanding relief work they carry out worldwide.”
2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source
“It is important that we maintain the momentum that was reached last December and that nothing stands in our way from continuing on the road towards peace. Finally, we reiterate our support for the efforts of the Special Envoy for the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, to bring about a peaceful political solution to this conflict and we await his report due next Monday. We must remain united in the Security Council in support of a political solution to the conflict as the only effective way to resolve the terrible humanitarian tragedy being experienced by the people of Syria.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“In December 2015, we held a ministerial meeting with the aim of promoting the paths towards peace and political dialogue. We must seize the opportunity that has arisen and decisively strengthen the peace process. The resolution ofthe humanitarian crisis in Syria is tied to the ceasefire set forth in resolution 2254 (2015) and the initiation of peace talks among the warring parties and among Syrians themselves. Furthermore, the Council must fulfil its role of overcoming the obstacles to restoring the peace that was snatched from the people of Syria. We call on all parties negotiating in Geneva to reach a political solution to this terrible armed conflict to act in good faith and without preconditions. We must coordinate our efforts and move together in the same direction.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“Unfortunately, it seems that the international community has not yet acknowledged the danger that the extremist ideas represent for the future of humankind, given the way some media have portrayed certain leaders of some of those groups as moderates, concealing their long record of intolerance and hatred, in order to advance the particular political agendas of a few stakeholders. We stress that the areas controlled by ISIS, the Al-Nusra Front and their allies are a genuine challenge for humanitarian organizations and for the international community. All efforts made to reduce the operational capacity of those groups will benefit the civilian population and help bring about a negotiated political solution to the conflict.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“We recognize the noble efforts of the humanitarian agencies in Syria, whose work takes place under difficult conditions owing to the same conflict in which the country and its people have been plunged in extremely poor conditions. For that reason, we condemn the attacks against personnel and the facilities in which they carry out their noble work. It is unacceptable that humanitarian personnel be military targets by any of the parties. Over the past five years, we have seen how the country and its population have suffered the ravages of terrorist groups, making Syria a place where they try out and promote their savagery in order to impose their totalitarian vision.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“We would like to express our appreciation for the work carried out by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and OCHA, which, in coordination with the Government, has enabled humanitarian assistance to reach the populations of Madaya, Kafraya and Fu'ah. In less than two days, 200 volunteers and aid workers dispatched 45 convoys to Madaya to reach 40,000 people, and another 18 convoys to Kafraya and Fu'ah intended for approximately 20,000 people. In that context, it is important to draw attention to the safety guarantees that must be upheld by non-State actors to ensure that the assistance reaches the civilians in need, and not the fighters. Similarly, the parties must guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian workers in such difficult conditions.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“Yacoub El Hillo, OCHA Resident Coordinator, on the delicate situation of more than 42,000 people in the vicinity of Madaya, who are at risk of starvation, as well as the more than 20,000 people in Kafraya and Fu'ah, who unfortunately do not seem to have aroused the same interest. We welcome the positive response of the Syrian Government, as indicated in the joint statement, to facilitating access to humanitarian convoys. In that regard, we have heard reports of a second delivery of assistance to Madaya, Kafraya and Fu'ah in the last few hours. We hope that this coordination and cooperation will be extended to the entire Syrian territory.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“On many occasions our country has expressed its dismay about the dire humanitarian situation in Syria. When the Council met to renew the mandate of resolution 2191 (2014) last December (see S/PV.7595), we expressed our interest in seeing the humanitarian assistance mechanism reach the ares most in need. Based on the most recent report of the Secretary- General, dated 11 December 2015 (S/2015/962), more than 212,000 people remain under siege by ISIS, the Al-Nusra Front and associated groups. We await a strategy by OCHA for tackling that problem. In that context, we are concerned by the statement by Mr.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“We believe that humanitarian assistance must be focused on meeting all the needs of those on the ground and those who have crossed the border to other countries in search of security. It is therefore vital to have the support and consent of the Government of Syria, as established in United Nations resolutions. The main enemy of Syria and the region is the self-proclaimed Islamic State and the other terrorist organizations operating in that brotherly country. The world witnessed the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) when Palmyra fell and ISIS went in and destroyed the heritage of humankind, slaughtering people in its path, including the world-renowned archaeologist Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad, while the world watched in astonishment and the Security Council stood by in silence.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“The Syrian Government is responsible for protecting its citizens, and it has done so in areas that are under its control and even areas beyond its control. That is a fact that has been reflected in United Nations reports. It is our hope that cooperation between OCHA and the Syrian authorities will continue and be strengthened beyond what we are now seeing. However, we are concerned by the fact that whatever is done in this tragic situation is never enough and that there are hundreds of thousands of Syrians under siege by various non-State armed groups and terrorist groups, with whom one cannot even negotiate to make them respect international law and international humanitarian law. We therefore regret that the Syrian humanitarian issue has been politicized since the conflict began.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“Mr. Ramirez Carrefio (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): We are grateful for the briefing on the work of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and for the work carried out by Ms. Kyung-wha Kang, together with Mr. Stephen O'Brien, in leading that office. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the siege tactics carried out by any of the parties to the conflict against civilians, which violate international law and international human rights law and constitute a war crime. In Syria, there is a complex war with a high level of violence and a diversity of actors in the armed conflict. In addressing such a sensitive issue, therefore, we must do so in a balanced way and refrain from politicizing human rights and ensure that such siege practices are put to an end.”
2016-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7605 (2016) · source
“To conclude, we call on all parties to the Libyan conflict to show their sincere commitment and political will to reach a political solution to the situation. We urge the parties that have not signed the Agreement to join this effort for peace, stability and development. The priority should be the well-being of the people, the preservation of their human rights, respect for their self-determination, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and national reconciliation among all Libyans, without preference for any group and regardless of political, ethnic or religious positions.”
2015-12-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7598 (2015) · source