YouSaid · the spoken record

Riecken

lines on the record

81

first

2011-10-28

most recent

2015-06-18

sittings or episodes

12

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

1. “We welcome the Secretary-General's recommendation to avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas and the Secretariat's efforts to develop practical measures and guidance to reduce their humanitarian impact. In that regard, we welcome the Secretary-General's initiative to study national practices, and we encourage countries to support him in that regard. Finally, we urge Member States who have not yet done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

2. “Austria actively supported the elaboration of the United Nations Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (General Assembly resolution 69/194, annex) and calls on Member States to use them. We commend the Secretariat's efforts, including the expert seminars organized in the past two years by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in London and Oslo, to raise awareness about the devastating humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons for civilians, including children, and to restrict their use in populated areas where they cause indiscriminate harm. Austria itself will host an expert meeting in Vienna on 21 and 22 September 2015.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

3. “Austria actively supported the consultations on the Safe Schools Declaration, adopted at the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools at the end of May. We are pleased to see how many countries have already endorsed the Declaration and encourage all other Member States to do so. Furthermore, Austria urges all parties to armed conflicts to use the Lucens Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. We strongly condemn the recruitment of children by armed forces. We support the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers and children affected by war and reiterate our commitment to the 2014 United Nations Children, Not Soldiers campaign. Monitoring and reporting on the detention of children for their association with armed forces or groups must continue.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

4. “Furthermore, provisions on child protection should be included in peace talks and agreements. Austria stresses the importance of fighting impunity and ensuring accountability under national and international jurisdictions. And we should pay special attention to the victims of armed conflict, especially girls. Crimes must not go unpunished, and their effective prosecution must be ensured through regional justice mechanisms and the International Criminal Court if efforts at the national level do not produce the expected results. Every child should have access to education, including in regions of armed conflict. Recent events have shown the timeliness of a focus on protecting schools against attacks and avoiding their use for military purposes.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

5. “We also welcome the hard and committed work of Special Representative Zerrougui, as well as that of UNICEF, the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Political Affairs and the Resident Coordinators as co-Chairs of the country task forces, along with that of the task force members and recognized partners in the field. Together with the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, chaired by Malaysia, they implement the Security Council's well-established framework for protecting children in armed conflict. The signing of action plans, especially with non-State armed actors, which make up the vast majority of listed parties, must be facilitated and efforts must made to implement them. The Governments concerned should play a supportive role in that process and allow the United Nations access to the relevant areas.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

6. “Austria fully aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union. In my national capacity, I would like to thank the Malaysian presidency of the Council for convening today's open debate. Austria welcomes the discussion's particular focus and condemns the extremely worrying rise in abductions of children by parties to armed conflict, in contravention of the applicable international law. We appreciate the Secretary-General's submission of his most recent annual report on children and armed conflict (S/2015/409), including the list of perpetrators in its annexes. We support his call to the Council to add abductions as a fifth trigger Violation for listing in the annexes, and therefore welcome today's adoption of a resolution (resolution 2225 (2015)) that adds abduction as a trigger.”

   2015-06-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7466 (2015) · source

7. “Therefore, States must strengthen accountability for attacks, in particular by vigorously condemning such attacks when they occur, by investigating them promptly and effectively in order to duly sanction those responsible, and by providing compensation to the victims where appropriate. We should therefore also consider how regional justice mechanisms, such as ad hoc tribunals and the International Criminal Court, based on its existing competence, can contribute to ensuring accountability if efforts at the national level do not bring the expected results.”

   2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

8. “Furthermore, it would be crucial for United Nations missions, agencies and offices to be better prepared to become the first points of contact for journalists under threat, especially in conflict situations. Taking into account recent experiences from the situation of non-international conflicts, Austrian authorities have responded to increasing expectations to ensure the protection to our own journalists reporting from conflict zones by introducing an identity card for journalists in accordance with article 79 of the Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions. Impunity for those responsible for attacks has been recognized as the biggest obstacle for the effective protection of journalists. Nine out of 10 crimes committed against journalists go unpunished.”

   2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

9. “The Security Council has an important role to play in that regard and must regularly address the issue of the safety of journalists in a substantial manner, including in its country- specific deliberations. The Council should strongly condemn attacks against journalists whenever they occur as they are a direct threat to free and democratic societies. Austria encourages the Secretary-General to include more detailed information on the situation of and threats against journalists in his future reports on the protection of civilians. The Security Council should also make better use of the expertise of United Nations experts, including the relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council and UNESCO representatives, and invite these experts for briefings.”

   2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

10. “They have called upon all States to act on their legal obligations to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists, so that they can perform their work independently and without undue interference. Austria will continue to play an active role to raise political awareness of the problem. We also particularly welcome the significant efforts of UNESCO in implementing the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. While it is the responsibility of States to ensure that journalists' right to protection as civilians is respected, all parties to a conflict, including non-State actors, must comply with the rules of international humanitarian law as well as international criminal law, which establish clear obligations for individuals.”

    2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

11. “It must be emphasized that the clear majority of attacks against journalists take place in situations that cannot be qualified as traditional or typical armed conflict situations. Journalists reporting, for instance, on organized crime, corruption, protests and popular uprisings easily become targets of assault, arbitrary arrest, harassment or intimidation. Those attacks aim to silent critical voices and greatly impede the right to the freedom of expression. In recent years, the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council have shown increasing international awareness by adopting resolutions condemning attacks against journalists.”

    2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

12. “Austria fully aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier on behalf of the European Union. Let me thank the Lithuanian presidency for convening today's open debate. The protection of journalists is a priority for Austria. We are continuously witnessing high numbers of targeted and often deadly attacks on journalists. Over 600 journalists and media workers have been killed over the past 10 years, and attacks on journalists are occurring in virtually all regions of the world. We are particularly appalled by the unprecedented cruelty of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other terrorist groups. Since only the beginning of 2015, 30 journalists have been killed, according to the International Press Institute, either because of their reporting or simply because they were journalists.”

    2015-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7450Resumption1 (2015) · source

13. “These cooperation activities aim at capacity- building and knowledge transfer with regard to the management of national stockpiles, based on the International Small Arms Control Standards, as well as on the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines and on the reduction of surpluses of small arms and light weapons and corresponding ammunition. Austria is keenly aware that despite considerable efforts at the national and international levels, the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons continue to pose a serious threat to international peace and security. It is therefore right to put the pressing issue on the agenda of the Security Council. We call upon the members of this body to use this debate as an impulse for further work, which is urgently needed.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

14. “Hosting both the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which assists States in the implementation of the Firearms Protocol, and the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Austrian capital Vienna has become a focal point of international expertise on issues with a direct bearing on small arms and light weapons control. Incidentally, let me say that this is a strong point in favour ofVienna's current bid to accommodate the future secretariat of the Arms Trade Treaty. At the practical level, the Austrian Ministry of Defence is currently engaged in a number of long- term assistance projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Senegal. At the regional level, the Austrian Ministry of Defence also supports a number of respective activities in South-East Europe and East Africa.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

15. “Therefore, Austria is an active participant in the use of the important international instruments in the area, such as the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, along with the concomitant International Tracing Instrument; the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies; and most recently, the Arms Trade Treaty.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

16. “For instance, in operative paragraph 29 of resolution 1894 (2009), which Austria initiated, the Security Council noted: "the excessive accumulation and destabilizing effect of small arms and light weapons pose a considerable impediment to the provision of humanitarian assistance and have a potential to exacerbate and prolong conflicts, endanger civilians and undermine security and the confidence required for a return to peace and stability". All exporters of small arms bear a particular responsibility to promote the cause of effective small arms and light weapons control nationally, notably by implementing strict and effective export controls, as well as at the international level.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

17. “Austria's position on the issue is, of course, in full alignment with European Union policies, based on the 13 January 2006 EU strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. For Austria, a chief concern around small arms and light weapons has always been the impact of their unauthorized spread on the humanitarian cause of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. That concern has been acknowledged by this very body.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

18. “Austria is grateful to Lithuania for convening this important and timely meeting of the Security Council. The concept note (S/2015/306, annex) prepared for this meeting clearly delineates the problem and is highly useful for guiding the discussion. Austria fully aligns itself with the statement delivered today on behalf of the European Union (EU). The human cost of the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons is indeed appalling. The problem transcends national boundaries, making it absolutely imperative for States to cooperate with each other in order to effectively mitigate the situation.”

    2015-05-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7442 (2015) · source

19. “The symposium's results will be published in a policy paper intended to sum up real-life expertise in conflict prevention, analysis, resolution and peacebuilding, and to provide recommendations on how to address the most pressing issues.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

20. “The global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is an important step in that direction and we look forward to the results of that important study. We must all strive to improve the protection of women and girls in situations of conflict or displacement, and the Human Security Network will continue to contribute to that shared goal. Finally, in my national capacity, I would like to add that as a contribution to UN-Women's campaign in the lead-up to the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as to the global study on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), Austria will host an international symposium in Vienna early next month.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

21. “We strongly support the deployment of women protection advisers and the designation of gender focal points in the United Nations peacekeeping and political missions, and believe that their positions should be provided for within the missions' budgets. To conclude, let me highlight the importance we place on reviewing our progress on women and peace and security next year in the context of the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In particular, on today's anniversary, we are looking forward to the high-level review in 2015 to assess progress at the global, regional and national levels in implementing resolution 1325 (2000) and especially to the renewed momentum we will gather to further strengthen and implement all our commitments on women and peace and security.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

22. “In that respect, we welcome the upcoming entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty, which mandates exporting States parties explicitly to take into account the risk of serious acts of gender- based violence or violence against women and children. Strengthening civil society, including grass-roots women's organizations and networks that provide assistance to victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflict, can enable the restoration of dignity and respect and provide the necessary skills, treatment and care to empower individuals to protect themselves and defend their rights. The Human Security Network would like to reiterate the importance of women's participation in all stages of conflict resolution processes.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

23. “We support the efforts to strengthen early warning and early action ability to prevent and respond to serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. I wish to highlight in particular that women's empowerment and participation are essential to any prevention and protection response. We need to strengthen our efforts to ensure that women in situations of displacement have access to resources, services, financial independence and decision-making processes. We need to develop tailor-made services for displaced women, foster gender-sensitive needs assessments and the collection of sex- and age-disaggregated data and to make progress in linking relief, rehabilitation and development. To improve the situation of women and girls, we also need to make better use of international legal and policy instruments.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

24. “We also call upon the members of the Security Council to use all means at its disposal to address sexual violence in armed conflicts, including making referrals to the International Criminal Court and other relevant actions. We welcome the clear global, regional and national commitments taken to tackle that. We also welcome the recommendations in the Secretary-General's report (S/2014/693), including those on steps that can be taken by the Security Council to reinforce and implement the prevention framework outlined in resolution 2106 (2013). We recognize especially the need to pay increased attention to improved protection and accountability for the full range of gender-related human rights violations.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

25. “While we note that significant progress has been made, especially at the normative level, we are deeply concerned that the progress has been hampered by a proliferation of new crises with outbreaks of violence and unprecedented levels of displacement, particularly affecting women and girls. Moreover, we are witnessing armed groups and violent extremist groups targeting women and girls in particular. Our group is deeply concerned about the use of systematic and widespread sexual violence as a tool of intimidation, retribution and social control, as well as the continued use of sexual violence as a means of displacing populations. We urge all parties to immediately cease such atrocities and to hold perpetrators to account.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

26. “It is an honour for Austria to speak today in its capacity as current Chair of the Human Security Network and therefore on behalf of the following countries: Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Panama, Switzerland, Thailand, Slovenia, South Africa as an observer, and my own country Austria. Let me first of all thank all speakers for their briefings and commend them for their important work. We also welcome the adoption of presidential statement S/PRST/2014/21 earlier today. I would like to express our strong appreciation for the focus of today's debate on refugee and displaced women and girls. The vast majority of displaced persons are women and girls who often face increased insecurity in their lives, health, rights and livelihoods and are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.”

    2014-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7289 (2014) · source

27. “While we welcome the progress made, we would like to point out that the overwhelming majority of parties listed in the report of the Secretary-General are armed non-State actors. We also call for more efforts to address impunity and to investigate, prosecute and punish all those who commit grave violations against children. Finally, the Human Security Network encourages States that have not yet done so to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

28. “The United Nations estimates that more than 10,000 children have been killed in the conflict, and the violations, including indiscriminate shelling, attacks targeting civilians and the killing, recruitment and use of children by armed groups, continue unabated. The emergence of new situations with worrying effects on children reminds us that violence against children is a common feature of conflict nowadays. Most recently, UNICEF reported on 7 August that 429 children had been killed "as a result of airstrikes and shelling" in Gaza. In Nigeria, Boko Haram's attacks on schools and schoolchildren are notorious. That reminds us of the particular vulnerability of girls in armed conflict, who are often used in support roles.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

29. “We would like to commend the Chadian Government for the various steps it took in 2013 that led to the de-listing of its armed forces and encourage it to take further measures to ensure the sustainability and effective prevention of violations against children. That progress is an important step towards achieving the goal of the Children, Not Soldiers campaign. In that regard, we also commend the Government of Yemen for signing an action plan in May 2014 to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the Yemeni armed forces. The Secretary-General's report also highlights the ongoing crises in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic and their devastating impact on children. Violence in the Syrian Arab Republic reached unprecedented levels in 2013 and remains an urgent concern.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

30. “Recent events have shown the timeliness of such a focus on protecting schools from military use, including as weapons storage facilities, and we therefore underline the Council's call on Member States to consider concrete measures to deter the use of schools by armed forces and non-State armed groups. In that regard, the Network also takes note with interest of the work on the draft Lucens Guidelines on the military use of schools. Although we remain concerned about the high number of parties listed in the annexes to the Secretary-General's report, including the 31 persistent perpetrators, we also acknowledge that there has been significant progress, which confirms the benefits and merits of the Security Council framework for the protection of children in armed conflict.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

31. “The Human Security Network welcomes the Secretary-General's recent annual report on children and armed conflict (S/2014/339), including the listing of perpetrators in its annexes. We welcome the hard and committed work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and UNICEF. The Human Security Network wishes to draw attention to the adoption of resolution 2143 (2014), which sets out practical steps to combat violations against children in armed conflict and to protect their right to education, including through preventive training in child protection for military personnel, police and peacekeepers.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

32. “It is my honour to speak on behalf of the members of the Human Security Network, namely, Costa Rica, Chile, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Panama, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand, South Africa as an observer, and my own country, Austria. The Human Security Network is an informal group of States that advocates a people-centred, holistic approach to human security, complementing the more traditional understanding of national and international security. Let me take the opportunity to thank the United States presidency of the Council for convening this important open debate, as well as today's briefers for their presentations and for sharing their moving experiences with us, and Luxembourg for its work and efforts as Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.”

    2014-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7259 (2014) · source

33. “Austria will also be hosting a United Nations training of trainers course on the protection of civilians and child protection in May this year. In addition to ensuring that peacekeepers have the right skills to implement child protection mandates, they themselves and their conduct need to adhere to the United Nations high standards. Vetting procedures, in particular the United Nations human rights screening policy, as well as the United Nations human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support to non-United Nations security forces, are important tools in that respect.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

34. “Child protection advisors play a crucial role not only as a single point of contact within the mission but also in reaching out to all stakeholders responsible for children's rights and often also in monitoring the implementation of action plans. In addition to the deployment of child protection advisers, ensuring appropriate training of peacekeepers on child protection is of critical importance. We therefore welcome the work carried out by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on developing training standards and are proud to contribute to the development of a specialized training for child protection advisers. Following the recent validation of the course materials, the first training course for child protection advisors will be held in the autumn of this year.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

35. “As the results of the study entitled Education under Attack 2014, which was launched last week, clearly demonstrate, attacks against schools, teachers and students and incidents of the military use of schools are far more widespread and pervasive than previously documented and thus require more action. The Security Council should consistently, including in its country- specific work, condemn attacks against schools and their misuse. Against that backdrop, Austria welcomes the work by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack on the so-called draft Lucens guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflict. Last but not least, allow me to turn to the efforts by United Nations peacekeeping missions on child protection.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

36. “At the same time, we should not overlook the importance of United Nations engagement with and access to non-State armed groups and the continued efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for the conclusion of action plans with non- State actors. After all, they constitute the vast majority of all the parties listed in the annexes. The Security Council should also make better use of the tools available and must be prepared to take vigorous action against persistent perpetrators, for example through the use of targeted sanctions.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

37. “Yet more efforts need to be devoted to a systematic implementation of the Security Council resolutions and the mainstreaming of child protection concerns into the Council's work. Out of the 55 parties to conflict listed in the annex to the Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict (S/2013/245), the majority are persistent perpetrators that have been listed for at least five years, and 11 of them even for over 10 years. Austria therefore warmly welcomes the new campaign launched by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Zerrougui and UNICEF to end the recruitment and use of children by Government security forces in conflict by 2016.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

38. “We would like to sincerely thank Luxembourg for convening this important open debate today. Let me also express our appreciation for Luxembourg's leadership and tireless efforts on children and armed conflict in the Council. We welcome the briefings made, as well as the adoption of the resolution 2143 (2014) on children and armed conflict. Austria associates itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and the Human Security Network statement to be delivered by the representative of Greece. There is no doubt that the Security Council has elaborated an impressive and comprehensive framework for the protection of children in situations of armed conflict.”

    2014-03-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7129 (2014) · source

39. “The group of like-minded States reiterates its standing offer to further discuss any of the steps identified, both in the interest of strengthening the rule of law and fair and clear procedures, and in the interest of effective sanctions implementation. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Security Council in this regard.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

40. “We once again put forward that the Ombudsperson process should, on a case-by-case basis, be gradually extended to other appropriate sanctions regimes, in particular those with broad criteria for listing. We are of course fully aware that each sanctions regime and its underlying political situation is unique, and that some sanctions regimes are more suitable for such extension than others. We have already identified the Somalia/Eritrea and the Liberia sanctions regimes as opportunities to make such progress. We would like to respectfully invite Council members to consider this step when they renew the Liberia sanctions in December.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

41. “In this regard, we note yesterday's judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Al-Dalimi and Montana Management Inc. v. Switzerland, which concerns sanctions against Iraq. In that judgement, the Court considered that as long as there is no efficient and independent judicial review within the United Nations system, national courts will need to review the measures taken in implementing the sanctions. We reiterate our insistence that every individual or entity included on a Security Council sanctions list should have the right to be informed of the reasons for listing, the right to be heard, and the right to an effective remedy. Security Council sanctions regimes that grant fair and clear review procedures will benefit from improved credibility and effectiveness.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

42. “Since the Ombudsperson has in-depth knowledge and experience on sanctions matters, listed individuals and entities should be encouraged to petition the Office of the Ombudsperson before or at least while seeking legal remedies in regional or domestic courts. Generally speaking, the Ombudsperson procedure will provide much more expeditious review of listings than courts in most jurisdictions. Secondly, we would like to recall that the question of fair and clear procedures is not limited to the Al-Qaida sanctions regime; rather, due process standards and the rule of law apply in all situations in which the actions of the United Nations and its organs directly affect individual rights and fundamental freedoms.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

43. “All of those judgements show that the Security Council needs to explore additional measures in order to improve the quality of listings and, most importantly, to increase the available information on reasons for listings. In that regard, further avenues for increased exchange of information between Member States and the United Nations must be explored. We are convinced that the higher the quality of listings and the standard of review at the level of the United Nations, the less likely legal challenges will be at the regional and domestic levels. The group of like-minded States on targeted sanctions has made various proposals in recent years. In our view, it is crucial to encourage designating States to make all relevant information available.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

44. “The Ombudsperson has made a substantial contribution to the fairness and effectiveness ofthe Al-Qaida sanctions regime. In particular, the Office of the Ombudsperson has enhanced listing and delisting procedures and improved the accuracy of the Al-Qaida sanctions list. The Ombudsperson process is a success story. Within a few years, it has envolved from a necessary initiative to a well-established safeguard for due process. Nonetheless, challenges persist on the way forward. First, the judgement of the European Court of Justice in the case of Commission, Council, United Kingdom v Yassin Abdallah Kadi of 18 July has made it evident that the existing listing and delisting procedures cannot be the end of the line. It is important to keep in mind that other regional and domestic courts have come to similar conclusions.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

45. “It is therefore important to note that all Member States, most recently during the High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law in September 2012, have recognized the need to further develop fair and clear procedures for United Nations sanctions regimes. The like-minded group commends the concrete actions taken to date by the Security Council to address serious due process concerns regarding the Al-Qaida sanctions regime. In particular, we congratulate the Council on its decisions to establish and subsequently to strengthen the Ombudsperson process. We would like to reiterate our full support for the work of the Ombudsperson, Ms. Kimberly Prost. She continues to fulfil her mandate with the required independence and impartiality, as well as with remarkable integrity and commitment.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

46. “I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor in order to speak on behalf of the group oflike-minded States on targeted sanctions. That group is comprised of Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and my own country, Austria. As is well known, our group aims to support the efforts of the Security Council to enhance the fairness and transparency of its various sanctions regimes, thereby contributing to their credibility and effectiveness. We thank the Committee Chairmen for their informative briefings. We welcome this biannual occasion to engage on this important set of Council measures, which are binding and have significant implications for the entire membership of the United Nations.”

    2013-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7071 (2013) · source

47. “In conclusion, Austria wishes to thank Norway for the initiative "Reclaiming the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law", which is aimed at the identification of practical measures and recommendations to improve the protection of civilians in armed conflicts. We look forward to the fourth regional workshop of the initiative, organized jointly by Austria and Norway, which to take place next week in Vienna.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

48. “As announced last year, Austria has developed an interdisciplinary training course on the protection of civilians, which is open to national and international participants. The training course was piloted in December last year in Stadtschlaining, Austria, with the participation of senior decision-makers of the armed forces, police, civilian administration and other civilian stakeholders and experts. In the light of the successful accomplishment of the pilot course, Austria has decided to run the course on an annual basis, with the next one to be held late this year. Austria will also continue to cooperate closely with the Secretariat to support the ongoing shaping of the protection of civilians training landscape for all operational levels.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

49. “Therefore, in the Swiss letter of 14 January (S/2013/l9, annex), Austria, together with more than 50 countries, asks the Council to act upon its responsibility and to urgently refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. Austria shares the recommendation of the Secretary-General that explosive weapons with a wide area impact should be avoided in densely populated areas due to the appalling civilian suffering that they cause. We believe that there must be more systematic data collection in that respect. On the issue of civilian casualty recording by parties to armed conflict, Austria would like to reiterate the suggestion made in the statement by the Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians last year that the next report of the Secretary- General provide an overview of existing practices (see S/PV.6790).”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source

50. “Since the adoption of resolution 1894 (2009), more than three years ago, significant progress has been made in implementing the provisions of the resolution, which relates to peacekeeping operations with protection mandates, and equipping such missions with the tools necessary to effectively implement their mandates. The elaboration of protection-of-civilians training modules is one such important step. In other areas, however, the assessment is less positive. In resolution 1894 (2009), the Council not only affirms its strong opposition to impunity but also underlines its own role in ending it. As for the situation in Syria, the Security Council has not lived up to that commitment.”

    2013-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6917Resumption1 (2013) · source