YouSaid · the spoken record

Richard Mills

lines on the record: 205
first: 2020-10-27
most recent: 2021-05-26
sittings or episodes: 28
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

“Per the October ceasefire agreement, we call on Turkey and Russia to immediately initiate the withdrawal of their forces from the country and the removal of the foreign mercenaries and military proxies that they have recruited, financed, deployed and supported in Libya. The United States welcomes the Secretary-General’s 29 December report (S/2020/1309) on the ceasefire monitoring arrangements, which we believe set out the parameters for the United Nations to play a very facilitative role. The United States urges the United Nations to identify all the necessary and appropriate means to fully support the Joint Military Commission (JMC) efforts to safeguard the ceasefire and coordinate with Security Council members as appropriate.”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“It is critical that the Libyan people and the international community take all the necessary steps to prevent spoilers from standing in the way of the political transition. We believe that the Libyan nationwide ceasefire agreement that was signed in October remains the foundation for sustainable progress on the security, political, and economic tracks. The Libyans called for the removal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya within three months of the signing of the agreement. That period, as we have heard, expired last week, and the external actors who have militarily intervened in the conflict have wholly, completely, ignored Libyan demands. We call on all external parties, to include Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, to respect Libyan sovereignty and immediately cease all military intervention in Libya.”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“Raisedon Zenenga as the Coordinator of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, of Ms. Georgette Gagnon as Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator. We are confident this team can provide firm and steady guidance for the process ahead. The United States commends the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum for adopting its Advisory Committee’s recommendation of a formula for selecting a new executive authority. We now call on all parties to work with urgency and with good faith through the Forum to establish a new unified Government, whose mandate will be to implement national elections on 24 December this year, provide public services and transparently manage and distribute Libya’s wealth to the benefit of all its citizens.”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“Let me begin by commending, on behalf of the United States Government, Acting Special Representative Williams for her extraordinary leadership in guiding the United Nations political process over the past several months and generating the momentum that we are witnessing today on all the different tracks — political, economic and security. Her commitment and creativity have consistently found a way around the obstacles on the path to peace and security. We are also confident that her diligent work allows the incoming Special Envoy for Libya, Ján Kubiš, to quickly step into his new role and continue the critical progress that Ms. Williams began. The United States welcomes Mr. Kubiš, and we offer him our full support. We also welcome the appointment of Mr.”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“Likewise, all external actors involved in the conflict, as we heard from the colleagues who spoke before me, must cease their military intervention and withdraw from Libya immediately, as the Libyan people themselves demanded in their 23 October ceasefire announcement. The Security Council and the international community must remain engaged to ensure that Libyans can proceed peacefully and unhindered down a path towards national elections in December, so that they can reclaim sovereign control over their entire country. What happens next?”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“I thank Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Williams for a very useful briefing. So, where are we big-picture? The United States believes, as we just heard in Acting Special Representative Williams’ briefing, that Libya faces a critical turning point. A viable path to a unified Government, national elections and an end to the conflict lies ahead of us. The Libyan parties themselves must now seize the opportunity before them to select an interim national executive authority that moves beyond the status quo and answers the Libyan people’s call for transparent and effective governance.”
2021-01-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/97 (2021) · source
“In conclusion, let me add a comment on the mention of the Quartet by previous speakers: the United States looks forward to working with Israel, the Palestinians, Security Council members, the Quartet and the new United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process over the next several years.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“I think that reflects everyone’s understanding that peaceful cooperation among Member States in the Middle East is an important contribution to regional stability. The United States will continue to urge other countries to normalize relations with Israel, and we will look for other opportunities to expand cooperation between erstwhile adversaries. Yet we recognize that Arab-Israeli normalization is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians may not be the major fault line in the Middle East, but its resolution would nevertheless significantly benefit the region as a whole. It is the hope of the United States that normalization can proceed in a way that unlocks new possibilities to advance a two-State solution.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“At the same time, I must be clear: the United States will maintain its steadfast support for Israel. Under the Biden Administration, the United States will continue its long-standing policy of opposing one-sided resolutions and other actions in international bodies that unfairly single out Israel. The United States will also work to promote Israel’s standing and participation in United Nations bodies and other international organizations. We hope to be able to cooperate with Member States on these issues. On a final note, I also want to make clear that the Biden Administration welcomes the recent normalization agreements between Israel and United Nations Member States in the Arab world, as well as Muslim-majority countries. I was very pleased to hear those agreements praised by others speaking before me.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“In order to advance these objectives, the Biden Administration will restore credible United States engagement with Palestinians as well as with Israelis. This will involve renewing United States relations with the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people, which are relations that have atrophied over the last four years. President Biden has been clear in his intent to restore United States assistance programmes that support economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people and to take steps to reopen diplomatic missions that were closed by the previous United States Administration. We do not view these steps as a favour to the Palestinian leadership. United States assistance benefits millions of ordinary Palestinians and helps to preserve a stable environment that benefits both Palestinians and Israelis.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“However, these realities do not relieve States Members of the United Nations of the responsibility of trying to preserve the viability of a two-State solution. Neither should these realities distract from the imperative of improving conditions on the ground, particularly the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In this vein, the United States will urge Israel’s Government and the Palestinian Authority to avoid unilateral steps that make a two-State solution more difficult, such as annexation of territory, settlement activity, demolitions, incitement to violence or providing compensation for individuals imprisoned for acts of terrorism. We hope it will be possible to start working to slowly build confidence on both sides to create an environment in which we might once again be able to help make progress on a solution.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“This vision, as I know we have just heard, although under serious stress, remains the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a democratic and Jewish State, while upholding the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations for a State of their own and to live with dignity and security. Peace cannot be imposed on either the Israelis or the Palestinians. United States diplomatic engagement will begin from the premise that sustainable progress must be based on active consultation with both sides and that ultimate success requires the active consent of each. Unfortunately, as I think we have heard, the respective leaderships are far apart on final-status issues, Israeli and Palestinian politics are fraught, and trust between the two sides is at a nadir.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“I know that we have expressed our thanks before, but I would like to take just one more moment to express the gratitude and appreciation of the United States Government for the work and professionalism of Nickolay Mladenov, Tor’s predecessor. As this is the first time that the United States is addressing the Security Council on this issue since President Biden was inaugurated, and in the light of some of the comments that have been made earlier by colleagues and our briefers, I thought it useful to share with the Council some of the contours of the United States approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under President Biden. Under the new Administration, the policy of the United States will be to support a mutually agreed two-State solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian State.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“Let me at the outset join others in taking a moment to wish Foreign Minister Jerandi, who was supposed to join us on screen today, a swift, full recovery from the coronavirus disease. I also want to take a moment to welcome Mr. Tor Wennesland, the new United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. It is a complicated file he has taken over, but his broad experience — not only on the Middle East peace issues, but also on the wider region — means that he has a depth of understanding that the United States hopes will help bring about a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“In the face of enormous obstacles, Colombia has continued to move forward with that essential task. The United States will continue its partnership with Colombia in the service of a peaceful and prosperous future.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“Colombia’s transitional justice system is trying something truly innovative: to guarantee the rights of victims and support efforts to provide reparations, while providing some space for Colombian society as a whole to come to terms with the painful legacy of this conflict. The United States urges all parties to fully participate in truth and reconciliation efforts and to help ensure accountability so that Colombia can heal. We certainly welcome President Duque’s recent letter to the Council in connection with a potential role for the Verification Mission, and we look forward to the Council’s consideration of that request and the supporting details. In conclusion, let me say, implementing the peace accord was never going to be easy, or take place overnight.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“The United States applauds President Duque’s November 2020 meeting with former combatants, during which he reinforced his commitment to the reintegration process and to strengthening security measures for former combatants. It was a very important and vital step forward in addressing issues facing the reintegration process and security guarantees for former combatants. The United States urges the Colombian Government to continue to strengthen its presence in those rural areas and to hold those responsible for violence accountable. Accountability in all forms is essential to implementing the peace accord. In particular, transitional justice is at the heart of the peace process and will be central to its success in the coming years, particularly with the first sentences of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace expected later this year.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“Members of Colombia’s indigenous, Afro-Colombian, LGBTI and other vulnerable populations that have been among those most affected by the ongoing violence, as have Colombians who are working to address land and environmental issues. As the most recent report (S/2020/1301) indicates, those attacks have been concentrated in the rural areas where there is very limited State presence and there are illegal armed actors and illicit economies. While there are no simple answers to address those complex underlying issues, that violence has a direct and damaging effect on the reintegration process and the implementation of the peace agreement, and we join our other Council members and colleagues in saying it must end.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“In comparison to previous decades, we must say that Colombia has witnessed a significant nationwide decrease in violence, including in rates of homicides, kidnappings and other conflict-related indicators. Against the backdrop of a conflict that raged for more than 50 years, and that was unsparing in its violence, that is no small accomplishment. Yet, as the Secretary-General’s reports have also confirmed, during the same period since the signing of the accord, hundreds of human rights defenders, social leaders and former combatants have been killed, with 21 killings of former combatants in just the most recent reporting period, as we have just heard.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“The United States has provided more than $23.5 million in assistance for Colombia’s response to COVID-19, and we will continue to stand with the country in its fight against the pandemic. As many of my colleagues have mentioned, more than four years have passed since the signing of the peace agreement. As the Security Council has adopted five Security Council mandates in connection with the work of the Verification Mission, now seems to be an excellent time to reflect on what Colombia has achieved since November 2016 and to focus on urgent and ongoing challenges. What can often be often lost, I think, in the specifics of our discussions on this topic is the magnitude of the peace agreement, and the profound impact it has already had on Colombian society.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“In this context, the United States also wishes to acknowledge the Government of Colombia’s commitment to the implementation of the final peace agreement, particularly in the face of the daunting public-health challenges posed by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and as Colombia continues to generously host the 1.7 million Venezuelans who have been forced to flee disastrous and repressive conditions in their own country. As all the members of the Security Council know well, the pandemic in Colombia continues to worsen an already complex humanitarian situation and to strain available health-care and social services, particularly in conflict-afflicted communities and for members of vulnerable populations.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ruiz Massieu for his briefing and for the ongoing efforts of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. It is always an honour to have Foreign Minister Blum de Barberi with us; we thank her for joining today’s meeting. The Verification Mission has played a vital role in supporting Colombia’s peace and reconciliation efforts, and it should be proud of its contributions.”
2021-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/77 (2021) · source
“The United States reiterates the importance of humanitarian actors being able to conduct their work to deliver life-saving assistance, and we call on all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law. The Houthis in particular continue to obstruct aid and use it as a political tool, causing undue and immense harm to Yemeni citizens. It is critical that aid reach those in need, reliably and quickly, and we call on all parties to support relief efforts while also isolating and exposing Ansar Allah for the terrorist organization that it is. Let me end by again expressing my deep thanks to the briefers for their presentations today. I look forward to further discussion with Council colleagues.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“The Yemeni and Saudi Governments, as well as multiple experts, have directly tied this attack to Ansar Allah. And we believe and note the United Kingdom’s comments and strongly support them. I conclude by saying we are encouraged that the Houthis have finally agreed to the scope of the work for the United Nations assessment mission to the FSO SAFER oil tanker and that the United Nations Office for Project Services is planning to deploy the team in the coming months. We must now ensure that the assessment actually takes place and puts an end to months of the Houthis stalling. We urge the Houthis to ensure the assessment moves forward in a timely manner. Again, let me reiterate that we know that Yemen currently faces the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“I want to assure everyone in the Council and our briefers that their views and concerns are informing how we approach the designation implementation. We are listening. But we believe that this step is the right move to send the right signal, if we want the political process to move forward. Let me add that the United States joins the others on the Council in condemning the attacks in Aden on 30 December. I know we are all deeply saddened by the loss of life, and the United States expresses our sympathies to the families of those who were killed. As others have said, this horrific attack took place at a time when there ought to have been celebrating over Yemeni Cabinet officials returning to Aden. Instead, we heard about the tragic deaths.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“As we heard, as part of this effort, we will simultaneously, with the implementation of the designations on 19 January, have the Department of the Treasury be prepared to provide licenses, pursuant to its legal authorities, related to the official activities of the United States Government in Yemen. Those activities include our assistance programming funded by us, as well as our contributions — and I would remark, we are the largest donor and have a very important interest in seeing this unfold correctly — as well as to ensure that the official activities of other international organizations, such as the United Nations, continue. Let me say that I heard, with great respect, the comments from Executive Director Beasley, the Under-Secretary-General and the Special Envoy.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“Members of the Council, I know, are well aware of those reprehensible acts. The United States is the largest global humanitarian donor, and we understand, we recognize and we hear the concerns that this designation will have an impact on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. As such, as Secretary Pompeo indicated, we are planning to put in place measures to reduce the impact of the designation on certain humanitarian activities and commercial imports into Yemen. I want to reiterate that we have expressed our readiness, our willingness, to work with the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations and other international donors to address those implications. Those conversations have begun and are continuing.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“I have to say, though, that the United States view is that it is sad, but true, that the political process, which has now been ongoing for many years, has produced limited results, despite the heroic efforts of the Special Envoy and his team. That compelled the United States to believe it had to look at additional steps to further the political process, without which, we agree, there will be no resolution in Yemen. So, as we heard, to that end Secretary Pompeo announced on 10 January his intention to designate Ansar Allah as a foreign terrorist organization under United States law. The Secretary took that action because Ansar Allah engages in terrorist activity — terrorism — including attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure and commercial activities.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“I want to thank the briefers and my colleagues for this important discussion today. I particularly want to thank our briefers for their willingness to be frank and share their honest views with the Security Council, and especially with the United States today. I will have more to say on that in a minute. I think, though, that given what we just heard, it is important that I begin by saying that the United States remains committed to working with our international partners and the Yemeni Government to bring peace and security to Yemen. We must not allow this war to continue indefinitely, and I know the Council fully agrees that this conflict cannot, and must not, become normalized. There is no military solution to the conflict, and we definitely support all efforts to bring the parties to a political consensus.”
2021-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/56 (2021) · source
“As the largest humanitarian donor to the Sahel region, the United States remains a steadfast partner to the Malian people, and we are hopeful that, in the months ahead, the country will move forward towards sustainable reform and progress on the Algiers accord benchmarks.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“We call for strong enforcement of that prohibition and for continued progress towards further professionalizing the Malian Defence and Security Forces. The United States urges the transitional Government to follow through to complete transparent investigations and prosecute cases of human rights violations and abuses in a timely manner. On the Algiers accord, the United States is encouraged to hear that women, in significant numbers, participated in the first meeting of the Agreement Monitoring Committee held by the transitional Government, and we hope to see women’s full, effective and meaningful participation, as my Irish colleague underscored (annex VI), in the implementation of the Agreement moving forward.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“The Government also should designate election authorities that are, and will be, perceived to be independent and technically competent to administer the polls. The transitional Government has taken a noteworthy step forward in fighting corruption by publicly stating its commitment to requiring public officials to declare their assets. That must now be enforced, and those who abuse public assets must be held accountable. The rule of law must also extend to human rights. We applaud the transitional President’s public commitment to improving the human rights record of Mali’s defence forces, and we take note of the Defence Ministry’s strict prohibition on the recruitment of children younger than 15 years of age.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“Thirdly, Malians must demonstrate a commitment to inclusive governance, especially the focused delivery of basic service programmes to Mali’s north, as is outlined in the Algiers accord. Holding free and fair elections within the next 14 months is vital to returning the country to a democratically elected Government. The United States welcomes the transitional Government’s recent assurances that the timeline for both the legislative and presidential elections will be well within the prescribed period. Malians deserve the opportunity to choose their own leaders, as my colleagues have said, and to ensure that the next elected Government has the necessary legitimacy to advance reforms. The United States urges the transitional Government to organize the elections in a credible and transparent manner and through a very inclusive process.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“The United States supports the reform agenda that the transitional Government and the African-led Transitional Support Group announced last November. That agenda focuses on security, governance, a renewed social compact, elections and the implementation of the Algiers accord — the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. The United States urges the transitional Government to focus its efforts on priority issues to ensure concrete progress by April 2022. What are those? First, free and fair elections need to be organized in the agreed-upon time frame. Secondly, Malians must tackle impunity — impunity for corruption — and they must address human rights violations and abuses. Progress in those areas is crucial to rebuilding the relationship between the Government and its citizens.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“I thank the Special Representative for his briefing. Let me begin by joining my colleagues in extending my deepest sympathies to the family members of those killed in the recent violence in the region, including in the recent terrorist attacks in the Niger, and the attacks against the French soldiers in Mali that killed five. The United States condemns those attacks and others like them in the strongest terms. As we heard from the Special Representative, the transitional Government in Mali has a window of opportunity to lay the foundation for a safer, more prosperous, more democratic country. The United States commends the steps that the Malian transitional Government has taken to deliver on its commitments to its citizens and to move forward towards those goals.”
2021-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/47 (2021) · source
“We have made so much progress since the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), but much remains to be done, as we have heard, and we must continue adapting to keep our communities safe.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“That is why the United States will continue to object to certain countries’ actions to engage in mass detention of religious minorities and members of other minorities, engage in repressive surveillance and mass data collection, and to use coercive population control, such as forced sterilization and abortion. Governments, including Governments sadly represented in the Council, must not use counter-terrorism as a pretext for stifling freedom of religion or belief and other human rights and fundamental freedoms. Let me end by saying again, we thank Tunisia for its able chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. We look forward to working closely with the Council as we prepare for the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the CTED mandate renewal later this year.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Let me also say in response to comments from colleagues, the United States takes the threat from racially or ethnically motivated terrorist attacks very seriously, and we continue to take action to combat that particular form of terrorism. Last year, for the first time, the State Department designated a white supremacist group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. As colleagues have mentioned, history has also shown us over and over again that measures to prevent and counter-terrorism that come at the expense of human rights and the rule of law are counterproductive.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“While our coalition destroyed the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq, tens of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters and their families, including children living in untenable conditions, remain in camps and have not been repatriated. The United States has repatriated a total of 28 Americans from Syria and Iraq — 12 adults and 16 children, with six of those adults now facing criminal charges. We believe repatriating foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin is the most reasonable solution to prevent them from returning to the battlefield. It is not only the right thing to do from a security standpoint, but also from a humanitarian standpoint. The current situation in those camps is untenable, and we believe we can all, all of us, do better.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“That is why the CTC must continue to play an important role in protecting CTED’s independent reporting process and ensuring that the Council’s credibility is not eroded by politicized censorship. The Council and its CTC must further support CTED in its efforts to assist Member States and to ensure no one is left behind.S/2021/48 Twenty years into this global fight we have made tremendous progress, but there is still much to do. As many of my colleagues have just commented, the terrorism threat continues, it continues to morph and evolve, and we must adjust and redouble our efforts to prevent future attacks.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“The Council, as we have heard, also established the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), to monitor and assist Member States. Then in 2004, the Council created the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), to support the Committee and assist all Member States of the United Nations in fully implementing resolution 1373 (2001) and other counter-terrorism resolutions. Today the United States Government’s view is that those investments have paid off. CTED has been instrumental in that process. Its visits and the resulting reports from those visits provide Member States with a path to enhance their ability to implement the Council’s resolutions and, we believe, comprehensively prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Weaknesses in all our bureaucracies and all our security practices were brought to light. All Member States, including the United States, used that information to strengthen their counter-terrorism infrastructures. We learned that we needed new tools to fight terrorism, and we learned the hard way that we needed to change the way in which our Governments shared terrorist information internally and externally with partners. I think what is most important is that, at the time, we committed to addressing that transnational threat together, with whole-of-Government, whole-of-society approaches, hand in hand with partner Governments, civil society, international partners, private sector partners and with the full and equal participation of women and youth.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“Finally, it is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the horrific events of 9/11, but I just want to begin by remembering the innocent lives lost that day — all victims of terrorism — as well as remember with gratitude the heroic actions of the first responders who saved so many lives on 9/11. As we have all heard, in the aftermath of that horrific day the United States penned resolution 1373 (2001), and the Council swiftly united to adopt that pivotal resolution in order to prevent such devastating attacks and help the international community fight terrorism globally. Our view is that the resolution has been successful. It drove all Member States to adequately criminalize terrorism and provided a useful road map for building the necessary national, regional and international capabilities to counter terrorism.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“I wish to thank you, Mr. Minister, and the Tunisian delegation for having organized this important meeting. I also want to thank our three briefers for their useful and insightful presentations, especially Executive Director Akilu, whose comments on the relationship between civil society and Government in countering terrorism were very interesting and very important. I also just want to say how much I have gained from that and that my delegation appreciates the comments, the recommendations and the actions that have been recommended by the colleagues that have spoken before us. Those principles, actions and recommendations will certainly inform my delegation’s work with all present in the coming months and years on this issue.”
2021-01-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/48 (2021) · source
“The United States continues to support the work of the OPCW to rid the world of the threat and the scourge of chemical weapons. It is time for the Al-Assad regime to uphold its commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is time for accountability for the Al-Assad regime’s past crimes. And it is time that the Syrian people — and indeed all the globe’s people — be allowed to live in a world free of the threat of chemical weapons.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source
“We, as Council members, must call on all countries to support that decision, which is aimed at promoting accountability for the Al-Assad regime’s actions. Over the past several months, we have seen Russia accelerate its public campaign to discredit the OPCW and its work. But neither the Council nor the world is fooled. One can say a thing, I think, loudly and repeatedly, but that does not make it true. What is true is that the Al-Assad regime has used chemical weapons against the Syrian people. The OPCW has demonstrated that credibly and objectively, corroborating the findings of countless Syrian and international human rights groups and other documenting organizations. We urge Russia and the Al-Assad regime’s other defenders to encourage Syria to come clean about its chemical-weapons use and its current chemical-weapons stocks.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source
“We continue to call upon the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to take appropriate action when its current session reconvenes this spring and to send a strong message to the Al-Assad regime that the use of chemical weapons, in direct contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention obligations, has consequences. The United States, along with 45 co-sponsors from countries around the globe, submitted a draft decision to the OPCW Conference of the States Parties in response to Syria’s brazen and repeated violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and its failure to fulfil the measures that were requested by the Executive Council in July.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source
“In response to the Investigation and Identification Team’s past findings of Syrian chemical-weapons use, the OPCW Executive Council adopted a decision in July 2020 requesting that Syria take measures to redress the situation. In October 2020 at the OPCW and just last month in a briefing to the Council (S/2020/1202, annex II), OPCW Director-General Arias informed us that Syria had failed to complete any of the measures set forth in the July OPCW Executive Council decision. That was of course sadly unsurprising, but the world is still waiting for Syria to complete those measures.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source
“Moreover, accountability is also a confidence-building measure as part of the broader political process that we called for in resolution 2254 (2015), which will bring stability and peace to Syria and the Syrian people. The United States firmly supports the impartial and independent work of the OPCW. Given what I know will be said by my colleague who intervenes after me, let me be clear that we applaud the OPCW’s leadership, the Technical Secretariat and the credible, objective and professional manner in which it carries out its mission. The OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team has diligently carried out the work of its mandate and we look forward to its future reports.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons by the Al-Assad regime, often in urban areas where civilians live and work. Al-Assad’s chemical-weapons use is not in dispute. His chemical-weapons use is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of fact, confirmed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). It is incumbent upon the Council to hold Syria to account for its use of chemical weapons and its obligations under resolution 2118 (2013). We support all efforts towards accountability. They are essential to bring long-overdue justice to the victims of the Al-Assad regime, who need and deserve the international community’s support.”
2021-01-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/22 (2021) · source