YouSaid · the spoken record

Rice

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2005-10-31

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2013-06-19

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un-security-council

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1. “Intensive diplomatic efforts by the Secretary-General, his senior envoys and key staff in the field can pull adversaries back from the brink, especially when backed by a united international community. The United States continues to strongly support the robust use of the Secretary-General's good offices and special political missions to avert war. We strongly support efforts to build and strengthen the cadre of seasoned envoys. We welcome the United Nations recent efforts to work together with regional envoys and independent mediators when helpful. We urge the United Nations and other international actors to recruit more women as envoys, special representatives and chiefs of field missions. Thirdly, diplomacy requires leverage, and that means both carrots and sticks.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

2. “Too often, we resort to cookie-cutter solutions, as if each case were the same as the last, because we do not know enough and we are reacting too late. The United Nations knowledge should help us to act earlier and smarter. But the United Nations itself sometimes struggles to find the best experts, and itself has limits to its knowledge and information-gathering capabilities. The United Nations must therefore work more closely with Governments, regional and subregional organizations, non-governmental organizations, academics and other capable actors based on their comparative advantages. To be truly effective, it must be able to draw upon all sources of information. Secondly, we need vigorous, sustained diplomacy and mediation to prevent violence or its escalation.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

3. “Yet, as we dedicate ourselves to more comprehensive and long-term conflict prevention, we must be mindful that peace, prosperity and democracy cannot be achieved quickly or endure if imposed from outside. The solutions to the root causes of conflict must be home-grown. The United Nations cannot do what others must do for themselves, but it can play an indispensable supporting role. The United Nations has vital conflict prevention work to do on five fronts in particular. The first is early warning, information and analysis. The United Nations system has a significant presence in many countries where the conditions conducive to conflict are rife. The United Nations is thus well-placed to provide early warning of potential concerns and to help us better understand and anticipate what makes each situation unique.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

4. “We say that often, but today the Security Council has given that mantra greater definition. The draft presidential statement we will adopt squarely addresses the links between security and development. Moreover, it provides an outline for a comprehensive approach, including several core elements for long-term conflict prevention, including sustainable development, poverty eradication, national reconciliation, good governance, gender equality, the end of impunity, the rule of law and, I would argue, most notably democracy and respect for human rights. Those are the conditions most often found in peaceful societies. Their absence creates conditions conducive to conflict. We ignore them at our peril.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

5. “In countries where the average person earns only $250 per year - the poorest of nations - the scientifically proven risk of civil conflict within a five- year time frame is 15 per cent. By contrast, in countries with a per capita income of $5,000 per year - middle- income countries - the risk of civil conflict over the same five-year period is less than 1 per cent. Economic growth and development must therefore be viewed as key to our strategies for preventing conflict. It is especially difficult to prevent violence in societies struggling concurrently with crushing poverty, crumbling institutions, rampant discrimination and deep-seated suspicions among ethnic or religious groups. Any one of those maladies on its own is difficult to address, but the mix is combustible and requires a comprehensive approach.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

6. “Thank you, President Sleiman, for Lebanon's leadership in bringing us together today to discuss this very important subject. The late Dag Hammarskjold pursued a vision of a United Nations that would move from what he said was a "culture of reaction to a culture of prevention". That unfinished task lies before us today. Some 1.5 billion people now live in countries shaken by conflict, and few of those countries will see even one of the Millennium Development Goals met. The World Bank's annual World Development Report puts the cost of the average civil war at some $65 billion, or just over half of the global aid budget. While recent years have seen an unparalleled drop in global poverty, countries devastated by conflict and violence have been left out of that trend. Poverty is a major driver of conflict. Let me highlight just one statistic.”

   2011-09-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6621 (2011) · source

7. “We stand fully ready to assist Libya's citizens in building a new society based on democracy, pluralism and the rule of law.”

   2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6620 (2011) · source

8. “As a result, the Libyan authorities will be able to re-energize the Libyan economy while some measures are kept in place to ensure that previously frozen funds are released in a transparent and responsible way as the situation normalizes and the transition proceeds, and that they are released in the interests of the people of Libya. In the weeks and months ahead, we hope that the Council, in close consultation with the new Libyan Government, will respond to the situation on the ground by adopting further resolutions to provide support for the Libyan people. As Libya begins this new era, the United States offers our very best wishes to the Libyan people, who suffered for many years under one of the world's most brutal dictatorships.”

   2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6620 (2011) · source

9. “We look forward to the naming of a special representative of the Secretary-General to lead the new Mission, and we are encouraged by the Secretary- General's determination to get United Nations personnel on the ground as soon as possible. We wish to express our profound appreciation for the service of Special Envoy Abdel-Elah Al-Khatib, and we look forward to continued close cooperation with the Special Adviser to coordinate post-conflict planning for Libya, Ian Martin, as he works with the Transitional National Council on transition issues in the days ahead. The United States particularly welcomes the Council's decision to scale back and modify the sanctions that it imposed on Libya seven months ago in response to Al-Qadhafi's violence against his people.”

   2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6620 (2011) · source

10. “Through resolution 2009 (2011), the Council has unanimously affirmed its willingness to support the Libyan people in their efforts to restore order and bring about democracy. In this resolution, as well as in the General Assembly's approval earlier today of the Transitional National Council's credentials to represent Libya, we all stand witness to the birth of a new Libya. The resolution responds directly to the request from the Transitional National Council for international assistance during this period of change. We encourage the United Nations, including through its newly established United Nations Support Mission in Libya, to develop a close and collaborative relationship with Libya's new leaders.”

    2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6620 (2011) · source

11. “We hope and expect to be able to drawdown UNMIL's military presence next year. Indeed, we have drawn down UNMIL's authorized military strength in the past from 15,000 to far fewer than 8,000 today, but any further changes to UNMIL's configuration must be a decision that is made based on the facts on the ground, not on any artificial deadline. With Liberia's elections only four weeks away, now is the time to demonstrate unity - and we are glad that the Council has. With this resolution, we are expressing our solidarity with the people of Liberia and the region, while committing to a serious review of UNMIL's mandate, as conditions allow. 3”

    2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6619 (2011) · source

12. “We were not ready to predetermine Security Council actions on so important a matter as the drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), given the uncertainty surrounding the election and tensions in the region. As Special Representative of the Secretary- General Loj noted in her remarks to the Security Council (see S/PV.6610), Liberia's elections come at a critical time for the subregion, with the recent crisis in Cote d'Ivoire and the subsequent increase in security and humanitarian concerns along the Ivorian border. The past eight years have been the longest period of unbroken peace for Liberia in the past three decades. Most important, the elections are the first to be organized and run by Liberians. Now is not the moment to impose rigid timelines on UNMIL.”

    2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6619 (2011) · source

13. “We are pleased to note that Liberia has come a long way, both with the support of the international community and, especially, through the great efforts of the Liberians themselves to foster peace. We are committed to ensuring that peace is sustained. West Africa remains a volatile region, in which, unfortunately, the Council has had to authorize repeated interventions. The nations of West Africa are interdependent. Their economies will rise together as stability takes hold, or fall together if conflict, chaos and refugee crises repeat themselves. Resolution 2008 (2011) continues to support Liberia as it strengthens its own State capacity for security and the rule of law.”

    2011-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6619 (2011) · source

14. “We have made important progress in strengthening our implementation and enforcement of United Nations sanctions on Iran. We must now redouble our efforts to sharpen the choice for Iran's leaders to abandon their dangerous course.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

15. “We encourage all Member States to report sanctions violations to the Committee and the Panel of Experts. The United States remains dedicated to preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran's nuclear intentions are a major concern, not just for the United States but for the region, the Council and the world. Let there be no doubt that the United States is committed to a dual-track policy of applying pressure in pursuit of a diplomatic resolution of international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear activities. We also remain committed to working closely with our partners in the 1737 Committee, the Panel of Experts and the Council on this important issue. Our joint efforts will demonstrate the international community's resolve to address Iran's continued disregard of its international nuclear obligations.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

16. “We strongly believe that this report must be made available to all States Members of the United Nations as soon as possible, as it highlights information and best practices that can help States carry out their obligations. Furthermore, failure to circulate these documents contravenes the Committee's commitment to transparency and undermines the entire purpose behind having a Panel of Experts. We urge a prompt solution to this impasse. Since we last met, the United States, along with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, reported Iran's violation of paragraph 9 of resolution 1929 (2010), which prohibits Iran from launches using ballistic-missile technology. My Government stands ready to cooperate fully with the Committee and its Panel of Experts in their investigation of this violation.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

17. “The United States encourages the 1737 Committee to enhance its efforts to actively implement its mandate. We are pleased that the Committee has concluded its review of the Panel of Experts' useful and informative final report. We are also pleased that the Committee has started to act on a number of the Panel's excellent recommendations. However, much work remains to be done. We urge the Committee to take steps to complete this work and implement the Panel's recommendations as soon as possible. I should also like to stress that my Government remains seriously concerned at the fact that the Panel of Experts' final report has not yet been posted to the Committee's website.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

18. “The Director General reports that Iran is continuing enrichment and heavy water-related activities, in defiance of both the Council and the IAEA Board of Governors. Iran still refuses to respond substantively to information regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran's reported installation of centrifuges at Qom constitutes yet another intentional violation of Security Council resolutions and a clear provocation. This is unacceptable. We condemn Iran's persistent refusal to fulfil its international nuclear obligations. Iran's actions underscore the continuing necessity of full enforcement of sanctions by the international community in order to motivate Iran to comply with those obligations and to deny it the ability to advance its proscribed programmes.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

19. “Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Council and thanking Ambassador Puri and the Indian delegation for their leadership last month. I would also like to thank Ambassador Osorio for his report and briefing today. We appreciate his continued leadership as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006). The most recent report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, released just last week, once again highlights Iran's failure to comply with its international nuclear obligations and its violations of several Security 11-48797 Council resolutions. Iran refuses to address outstanding issues related to its nuclear programme.”

    2011-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6607 (2011) · source

20. “We also need to become better equipped to anticipate and prevent the risk of conflict, including by building local and national capacities to respond to climate-related threats and to prevent them through diplomacy that helps Governments manage potential disputes over scarce resources. Our goal is clear. The Council needs to be prepared for the full range of crises that may be deepened or widened by the effects of climate change. The question is not whether we will be faced with climate-related threats, but when and how to respond. We need to be much better prepared to tackle one of the central threats of our age. It is past time for the Security Council to come into the twenty-first century and to assume our core responsibilities.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

21. “Old threats have not disappeared, but new threats are upon us, and they demand more of us than business as usual. The Council has shown an impressive ability in the past to embrace its responsibilities to combat new peace and security threats, as it has done over the past 20 years in adapting traditional peacekeeping tools to address new and more complex political and security crises around the world. Climate change is no different and demands nothing less. We need improved early warning systems to increase our lead time to take action. We need greater collaboration on the effects of climate change, especially at the local and regional levels, and better information about basic human needs - water, food, livelihood and energy - so that we can anticipate and prevent resource-driven conflicts.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

22. “Yet, this week we have been unable to reach consensus on even a simple draft presidential statement that climate change has the potential to impact peace and security in the face of the manifest evidence that it does. We have dozens of countries represented in this body and in this very Chamber whose very existence is threatened. They have asked the Council to demonstrate our understanding that their security is profoundly threatened. Instead, because of the refusal of a few to accept our responsibility, by its silence the Council is saying in effect "tough luck". That is more than disappointing; it is pathetic, short-sighted and, frankly, a dereliction of duty. The Council needs to keep pace with the emerging threats of the twenty-first century.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

23. “The United States itself is taking important steps through a range of initiatives to work with our partners to confront the growing challenges of global poverty, food insecurity, disease, water scarcity and depleted natural resources, helping lay the foundation for a more peaceful and prosperous future for all. Let me now address the role of the Security Council in this issue. While we recognize the essential work of the wider United Nations system and other partners in tackling the broader dimensions of climate change around the world, we also strongly believe that the Council has an essential responsibility to address the clear-cut peace and security implications of a changing climate. In the Council, we have discussed and addressed many emerging security issues, from the links between development and security to HIV/AIDS.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

24. “Let us remember that in the Sudan a decade ago, drought and rapid desertification are widely thought to have contributed to the conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, as they did a decade earlier in Somalia, where drought contributed to the crisis that eventually prompted the deployment of United Nations forces, with results that we all recall. To be sure, the mechanisms are complex and some effects of climate change are long-term, but the Security Council needs to start now, today, and in the days to come to act on the understanding that climate change exacerbates the risks and dynamics of conflict. And we need to sharpen and adapt our instruments to prevent and respond to such conflicts.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

25. “Climate change can further erode State capacity, especially in fragile States already vulnerable from past conflict, poverty, upheaval or disaster. As sea levels rise, small island States may well see their territory quite literally drowned, raising the spectre of new and previously unimagined forms of statelessness. We have just witnessed the birth of the world's newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan. South Sudanese leaders now tell us that agricultural production is one of their highest priorities as they work to consolidate peace. Yet that challenge is magnified by the unfolding humanitarian disaster caused by severe drought in the wider Horn of Africa.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

26. “In many regions, climate change is already reducing the availability of food and water, threatening biodiversity and disrupting sea levels and weather patterns. As more powerful and frequent storms and floods lash coastlines and uproot populations, climatic changes can put even more pressure on scarce resources and expose vulnerable communities to greater instability. As too often happens, the most vulnerable will be the hardest hit. Post-conflict countries already struggle to rebuild their infrastructure, strengthen their institutions and overcome instability. Now, they must often grapple with extreme weather and protracted drought, which can drive already strained systems to buckle. Climate change can also slow or even reverse crucial development gains for ordinary citizens trying to break free of the shackles of poverty.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

27. “I want to thank the Secretary-General and Executive Director Steiner for their excellent and very important statements this morning. The United States welcomes today's debate, and we are grateful to Germany for its leadership in convening this critical and timely discussion, which aims to place climate change squarely on the global security agenda. President Obama was clear at the Secretary-General's summit on climate change nearly two years ago when he said that the security and stability of every nation and every people are in jeopardy. Our prosperity, health and safety are in peril. Time is not just moving ahead; time is running out. Climate change has very real implications for peace and security. Its effects are as powerful as they are complex, and many of them are already upon us.”

    2011-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6587 (2011) · source

28. “In this spirit, and with great hope for the future of the world's newest nation, the United States wholeheartedly supports South Sudan's application for membership in the United Nations. Congratulations, and we look forward to welcoming South Sudan.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

29. “The challenges are great, but they are by no means insurmountable. The Security Council has done its utmost to support this process, and the Council and my Government will remain deeply engaged in supporting the Republic of South Sudan at this critical juncture and into the future. My own country's history has taught us that it takes moral courage to attain freedom and make freedom's promise real for all citizens, and we have learned that this work is never done. We have great faith in the people of South Sudan. We expect that they will create a Government that works for the good of all people and for the stability of the region, and thereby create a country that strengthens this community of sovereign nations. As I said in Juba on Saturday, a nation born from conflict need not live in conflict.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

30. “On 28 June, the Government of the Sudan and the SPLA-North agreed to a framework of political and security principles for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, but the Government of the Sudan's commitment to that agreement has wavered. Both parties need to agree immediately to a cessation of hostilities. The Violence, the human rights abuses and the deliberate obstruction of access for humanitarian agencies must end. Given the ongoing hostilities and abuses in Southern Kordofan and the vulnerability of neighbouring Blue Nile, we deeply regret the Government of the Sudan's decision to compel the United Nations departure from those two states. The United Nations should be allowed to maintain a presence in those areas to help distribute humanitarian aid, protect civilians and implement any cessation-of- hostilities agreement.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

31. “A permanent resolution of Abyei's status remains elusive. Despite the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area and the imminent deployment of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, the situation in Abyei is still extremely volatile. An estimated 100,000 people remain displaced from their homes. Meanwhile, brutal fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the troops of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)-North has displaced more than 70,000 people in Southern Kordofan. The Sudanese army is continuing and intensifying aerial bombardments that are killing civilians.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

32. “The Security Council remains fully engaged in helping both countries towards their shared goals of peace and stability. On 8 July, the Council unanimously authorized the new United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS). UNMISS will assist the Government as it builds a new nation, including on issues of peacebuilding, development, security and protection. But as we all know, this moment of promise is also fragile and fraught. The Sudan and South Sudan must work hard to secure an enduring peace and two viable States coexisting as peaceful neighbours. It is vital that both countries work with the AU High-Level Implementation Panel to swiftly resolve all outstanding issues. The parties need to finalize arrangements on the border, citizenship, oil and other issues if they are to forge an enduring peace.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

33. “We are delighted that Vice-President Machar Teny-Dhurgon was here to represent his new Government at a meeting at which the Security Council unanimously recommended that his country be admitted as the United Nations 193rd Member State. We also commend the Government of the Sudan's decision to be the first country to recognize South Sudan's independence. We welcome all efforts to forge a relationship between the Sudan and South Sudan that is rooted in mutual respect and cooperation, and that strengthens the viability, security and prosperity of both States. By continuing on the path of peace, the Government of the Sudan can redefine its relationship with the international community and secure a brighter future for its people.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

34. “Last Saturday, I had the great honour of heading the United States delegation to Juba to celebrate South Sudan's independence. It was a deeply moving day. After half a century of war, at a cost of more than 2 million lives, the Republic of South Sudan can now finally determine its own future. The United States salutes the courage and the sacrifice of the people of South Sudan, who never abandoned hope. After so many years of bitter conflict, South Sudan's independence occurred peacefully and democratically through a referendum - a heartening way for the world's newest nation to be born. I welcome Vice-President Machar and congratulate the people of the Republic of South Sudan.”

    2011-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6583 (2011) · source

35. “Thus, the United States urged the inclusion in today's resolution of the Council's time- bound commitment to consider a broad range of options to increase pressure on persistent perpetrators. The Council's unanimous support for that commitment is an important step towards holding egregious violators accountable for their actions. Today, let us rededicate ourselves to working towards a world in which all children have the security, opportunity and hope that we seek for our own sons and daughters.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

36. “In Cote d'Ivoire alone, according to UNICEF, 224 schools were attacked during the post-election crisis, disrupting the education of some 65,000 children. The report of the Secretary-General documents such attacks. With today's resolution (resolution 1998 (2011)), the Secretary-General will have the mandate to name and shame those who perpetrate such attacks on a recurrent basis. Overall, we remain deeply concerned that persistent perpetrators continue their violations against children with impunity. Sixteen parties to armed conflict listed in the annexes to the Secretary-General's report have been listed for five years or more. That is plainly unacceptable.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

37. “Half a dozen groups from that country are listed in annex I of the report of the Secretary-General. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has failed to engage meaningfully with the United Nations to end abuses against children committed by its armed forces. As a result, child recruitment has risen in some areas. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo should move immediately to remedy those alarming violations, including by finalizing and signing a long-overdue action plan with the United Nations. This year's report also documents another appalling trend, namely, increased attacks on schools and hospitals, in particular in Afghanistan, C6te d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Burma, Pakistan, Yemen and the Philippines.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

38. “But the abuses persist, including by the Lord's Resistance Army and others. The Government of the Sudan and the Sudanese Armed Forces have not yet signed and implemented an action plan. Separately, we urge the former Sudan People's Liberation Movement to continue to implement its now-expired 2009 action plan, as well as to sign a formal extension of that plan. In Burma there are still child soldiers within the ranks of Government forces and armed groups. The Government of Burma has committed to stop the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to develop an action plan with the United Nations. We urge it to do so as soon as possible and to draw from the expertise of relevant agencies, such as the International Labour Organization and UNICEF. We are deeply troubled as well by the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

39. “We have built up our information-gathering capacity, including comprehensive reports by the Secretary-General. We have listed serious perpetrators and frankly examined individual country situations. All those steps by the Working Group help to keep such abuses squarely on the international agenda and to bring them to the urgent attention of national authorities. But, as we all know, a great deal more needs to be done. For instance, I have just returned from witnessing the birth of the Republic of South Sudan. Some progress has been made throughout the Sudan, notably the release over the past year of almost 1,200 children from the terror of armed groups. The United Nations has concluded action plans and signed memorandums of understanding with several groups in the Sudan.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

40. “Let there be no doubt: we are failing the world's children so long as so many continue to suffer such brutality and abuse. This is not to diminish the work that has already been done to assist children in armed conflicts around the world. Since 2004, the United Nations has signed 15 action plans in nine conflict zones, and concluded five of them. The Special Representative and United Nations agencies in the field have had a measurable impact on the ground. One of the brightest spots in the Secretary-General's otherwise depressing report (S/2011/250) is the number of child soldiers who have been released. An estimated 6,300 children were released from such servitude this year in the Sudan, Nepal, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burma and Sri Lanka. We have increased the spotlight on grave abuses.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

41. “We are grateful to you, Mr. President, as well as to Ambassador Wittig and the German Mission, for hosting this important debate and for your leadership as Chair of the Security Council Working Group. We also very much appreciate the important statements by the Secretary-General, Special Representative Coomaraswamy and UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake. Abuses against children in armed conflicts do not just tear at our hearts, they also rip the fabric of our societies, undermine our shared security and challenge us all to do far more to bring these outrages to an end. The toll never ceases to shock. According to a recent UNESCO report, between 1998 and 2008 an estimated 2 million children were killed in conflicts and 6 million were left disabled. Approximately 300,000 children are reportedly being exploited as soldiers.”

    2011-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6581 (2011) · source

42. “The Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement North must return to the negotiating table in the coming days and agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities. We also call on the Government of the Sudan to work actively on agreements to bring peace and stability to the border and in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states.”

    2011-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6579 (2011) · source

43. “With this resolution, the Council has made clear that it is ready to authorize continued United Nations operations in Southern Kordofan and 11-40867 Blue Nile to support new security arrangements, and we will continue over the coming weeks to urge the Government of the Sudan to accept this. It is in its interest to do so. We hope that others in the international community will continue to encourage Khartoum to accept this. It is critical that the Government of the Sudan cooperate fully with UNMIS as it begins the process of withdrawing. We continue to be deeply concerned about the fighting in Southern Kordofan, the displacement of civilians and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.”

    2011-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6579 (2011) · source

44. “The United States deeply regrets the necessity to vote on this resolution to end the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS). We call on the Government of the Sudan yet again to reconsider its demand that UNMIS cease its activities in the Republic of the Sudan effective 9 July. The Mission has a critical role to continue to play in regional stability, especially in the two areas. The United States is sending a clear message, along with other Council members, that it wants the United Nations to remain in the two areas, especially at this critical juncture.”

    2011-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6579 (2011) · source

45. “We need to understand what we are voting on. Forgive me for interrupting. How would paragraph 1 be changed in this context - to put a period after UNMIS?”

    2011-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6579 (2011) · source

46. “Long- term electoral reform remains key to the country's democratic future. As we look to the 2014 presidential elections and beyond, we must ensure that we learn the lessons of the past several years, for the benefit of Afghanistan's democratic future. The year 2011 will be a pivotal one, capped by an international gathering in Bonn that will mark 10 years since the international community joined with the Afghan people to help chart a new path together. The past decade has seen great hardship and sacrifice, but it has also produced real progress. With common purpose and sustained commitment, we will continue to help the Afghan people build a more peaceful and prosperous future.”

    2011-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6574 (2011) · source

47. “We urge Afghanistan's political leaders and all Afghan institutions to act within their clearly defined areas of competence, in accordance with the Afghan Constitution and electoral law, preserving the necessary system of checks and balances between the judicial, executive and legislative branches. The United States has been clear and consistent about the need for Afghanistan to detect and deal with fraud related to the election process, in accordance with the Afghan Constitution and democratic principles, as provided for by the mechanisms of the Independent Election Commission. It is important that Afghanistan's Parliament fulfil its constitutional role on behalf of the Afghan people. Meanwhile, we must continue to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's electoral institutions.”

    2011-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6574 (2011) · source

48. “Finally, let me touch briefly on an important part of Afghanistan's democratic development - its electoral system. Last year's parliamentary elections, the first run by Afghans since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 , represented a historic step for the Afghan people. Afghan electoral institutions - the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission - demonstrated professionalism throughout the process. They performed admirably, despite a difficult security environment and allegations of fraud. We are consulting closely with Afghan officials and our international partners, including UNAMA, on the recent announcement by the special elections tribunal, which called for the electoral results of 62 seats in the Wolesi Jerga to be overturned.”

    2011-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6574 (2011) · source

49. “As Secretary of State Clinton said in February and as President Obama reiterated in June, the necessary outcomes of any negotiation would have to include a commitment by reconciling insurgents to renounce violence, abandon any alliance with Al-Qaida and abide by the Afghan Constitution, including its protections for women. As evidence of our seriousness, we champion the Council's decision to split the sanctions regime pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and to establish distinct sanctions for Al-Qaida and the Taliban. Resolution 1988 (2011) is an important tool for promoting reconciliation while isolating extremists, and it sends a clear message to the Taliban: There is a future for those willing to rejoin the fold of peaceful Afghan society.”

    2011-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6574 (2011) · source

50. “In the face of violence, terror and intimidation, as Ambassador Tanin noted, Afghans are defending their country, establishing local police forces, reopening markets and schools, and creating new opportunities for women and girls. We will continue to support them as they reclaim their country after decades of strife, long after our military mission has ended. Secondly, even as we pursue this transition to Afghan security responsibility, we are redoubling our efforts to pursue a peaceful end to this conflict. We support Afghan-led initiatives to reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. We have taken tangible steps to advance Afghan reconciliation and reintegration initiatives, including support to the Afghan High Peace Council and provincial police and reintegration councils.”

    2011-07-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6574 (2011) · source