YouSaid · the spoken record

Ritter

lines on the record: 36
first: 2005-12-09
most recent: 2007-06-25
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-security-council

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“The next stage of discussion would certainly benefit from a comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on the existing activities and capacities within the system and on the possibility of strengthening the civil component of peacekeeping missions in the area of good governance on natural resources management in all its aspects. In addition, such a report could elaborate on the possible relationships between specific resources and certain kinds of conflicts.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“It is therefore crucial that the Security Council support international and regional efforts to promote assistance to post-conflict countries that are rich in natural resources. The Council should in particular explore a possible stronger role for the Peacebuilding Commission in this respect and promote increased activities of other United Nations agencies and programmes, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. We hope that this debate will result in a presidential statement that gives guidance for further discussion.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Very useful work could be carried out within the United Nations system by establishing principles on the governance of natural resources, supporting existing initiatives and ensuring that the relevance of natural resources is taken into account in political efforts aimed at conflict prevention. The role played by natural resources in post- conflict environments is also essential. When combined with good governance, the exploitation of natural resources can have a stabilizing effect by generating economic growth and thus alleviating poverty. But it can also become a subject of transnational organized crime and thereby play a part in causing war-torn societies to relapse into conflict.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Experience shows that such sanctions need to be tailored to the circumstances of each individual case and to have clearly identified objectives, specified measures for implementation by Member States and conditions for their suspension or lifting. In fine-tuning future action against the background of past experience, the Council can continue to take effective measures in that respect. But we also believe that future discussions would benefit from an enhanced emphasis on aspects of prevention and early identification of situations where natural resources could contribute to the outbreak of a conflict. The debate can thus be framed in the context of relevant General Assembly resolutions as well as Council resolution 1625 (2005), adopted during the 2005 World Summit.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Of no lesser importance are situations where a natural resource is indispensable to cover the basic needs of a population or populations involved. That is of particular relevance in connection with water, an increasingly scarce resource for which there is already competition by consumers in several parts of the world. Access to water already plays a role in various current conflict situations. Efforts by the Council to solve them must take this aspect into account. As outlined in the presidency's concept paper, the Council's action in the past has been focused mainly on the role of natural resources once a conflict has broken out, usually in the form of armed conflict. Sanctions imposed by the Council with regard to certain commodities have contributed to conflict resolution in Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Within the United Nations system, the Kimberley Process is the best-known of such initiatives, since it was launched in response to situations on the agenda of the Security Council. There have been other very important initiatives dealing with the subject, as outlined in the presidency's concept paper. Their endorsement by the General Assembly, or perhaps by the Council itself, would certainly enhance their relevance and effectiveness. The Council may want to give particular attention to situations where the exploitation of a natural resource is an essential element of the national economy and may present the risk of great revenues being generated through the trafficking of natural resources and illicit commodities in a conflict environment.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“The way in which the exploitation of natural resources and the financing of conflict parties is interlinked, particularly with regard to the role played by non-State actors, is well documented. Natural resources can significantly influence conflict dynamics. They can be both one of the factors contributing to the outbreak of violent conflicts and a reason for prolonging them. As far as conflict prevention is concerned, we agree that the governance of natural resources is of crucial importance. In that respect, it is worth recalling that common article 1, paragraph 2, of the two human rights Covenants of 1966 is relevant in that regard and should be taken into account in all endeavours to establish regimes dealing with the governance of natural resources.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“Liechtenstein warmly welcomes the initiative of the Belgian presidency to hold an open debate of the Security Council on the topic before us today. We are also grateful to your delegation, Mr. President, for providing us with a succinct and substantive concept paper (S/2007/334, annex) to that end. This is an important initiative on a matter that has not been given sufficient attention in the past, and we hope that your initiative constitutes the first step in the ongoing involvement of the United Nations system in this regard. Given the early stage of the debate, consideration of this topic in other United Nations forums could also be useful, provided that there is the necessary coordination.”
2007-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5705Resumption1 (2007) · source
“We believe that the International Criminal Court (ICC) must play the central role in the efforts of the international community to end impunity and hope that the Security Council will give its full support to the ICC in that respect.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Preventive action can, however, be effective only if it is made clear that abuses against civilian populations, which are often carried out against their most vulnerable members, in particular women and children, are violations of international law that will not go unpunished. In that context, Liechtenstein wholeheartedly welcomes the first convictions for the recruitment and use of child soldiers rendered by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. That constitutes another significant step in the area of international criminal justice, which has expanded very rapidly, and is one of the most important developments in international relations over the past two decades. That historic judgement also strengthens the role of the Security Council its fight against impunity.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Without political solutions, civilians continue to suffer and humanitarian workers are faced with open-ended displacement. Liechtenstein supports the idea of strengthening the mediation capacities of the Department of Political Affairs. The early use of the Secretary-General's good offices can be an important tool for a comprehensive preventive approach to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We consider mediation to be a core activity of the United Nations, in accordance with its purposes and principles. An unequivocal and firm stance by the Security Council that there will be no impunity for the deliberate targeting of civilian populations would have a strong deterrent effect in any situation, and thus also serve as a very useful prevention tool. Prevention is indeed a key aspect of the protection of civilians.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“Where national authorities are unable or unwilling to ensure that such access is granted and respected, the Security Council must step in to create and maintain the operational space needed by humanitarian actors to provide assistance. In many situations, security is so precarious that humanitarian workers remain at considerable risk of violence. That is where the role of the Security Council in defining and facilitating the tasks and capacity of peacekeepers is crucial. At the same time, wider acceptance of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which provides for substantial expansion of the scope of legal protection for such personnel, is urgently needed. International protection for civilians, whether by peacekeepers or humanitarian workers, can only be an interim response.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“The decision of the 2005 Summit is complementary to earlier resolutions of the General Assembly, such as Assembly resolution 46/ 182, which stresses the primary, although not exclusive, responsibility of national authorities to protect their own populations. The principle of the responsibility to protect reaffirms that primary responsibility and complements it with the role of the international community when that responsibility is not met. That resolution also calls upon all States whose populations are in need of humanitarian assistance to facilitate the safe access of humanitarian actors to such people. All too often, that fundamental principle is neglected. Humanitarian access to the vulnerable is a vital stepping stone to the protection of civilians in armed conflict.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“That principle was first proposed by the High-Level Panel established in preparation of the World Summit of 2005 and has been taken up in the proposals on the working methods of the Security Council presented to the General Assembly last year that were prepared by the group of five small nations, to which we belong. The rest of the United Nations membership also has a role to play in making the responsibility to protect operational, in that they can bring situations to the attention of the Security Council in open debates and through other means, such as consideration in the General Assembly. Furthermore, article 8 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide allows any contracting party to call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take appropriate action.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“The formal recognition in the World Summit Outcome of the responsibility of the international community to protect civilian populations when their Governments fail to do so constitutes a major breakthrough in our common endeavour to prevent genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The main obligation for its implementation naturally falls on the Security Council. Diplomatic means such as targeted sanctions and embargoes, used in an effective way, should be employed at an early stage when violations against civilians prevail to signal the concern of the international community and to serve as a first step to protect. Collective action to prevent and respond to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not be made impossible by a non-concurring vote of one of the permanent members of the Council.”
2007-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5703 (2007) · source
“At the same time, we wish to stress that the United Nations, 10 years after the publication of the report, is lagging behind, given the high expectations in terms of its ability to alleviate the hardship of millions of children in armed conflict. The Security Council is best placed to change this public perception.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Equally important is the inclusion of all relevant conflict situations on equal terms. It is, in fact, difficult to understand how a differential treatment of grave violations of children's rights in various conflicts would be compatible with the universality of human rights and the principles of international humanitarian law. Political considerations must not override the fundamental rules of protection for the most vulnerable members of society. Liechtenstein has been actively involved in the development of United Nations mechanisms to address the plight of children affected by armed conflict since their inception. We will continue to do so as a member of the Group of Friends of children affected by armed conflict, and are therefore looking forward to the 10-year review of the Graca Machel report.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“This includes the gathering of information for key destinations that advance the ending of impunity, as well as in the areas of child protection and victim assistance. While recognizing that a comprehensive approach encompassing all of those aspects of the children and armed conflict agenda may be difficult to realize in certain places and circumstances, we wish to stress that the full use of the potential of the monitoring and reporting mechanism is in the interests of all actors involved - Governments, the United Nations, non- governmental organizations and civil society - as much as it is to the benefit of the children concerned. Enhancing the potential of the monitoring and reporting mechanism also entails the extension of its scope to all six categories of grave violations of children's rights.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Working Group, as well as all actors involved in the operation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism, for their efforts and commitment to help children affected by armed conflict. The independent review carried out by the Office of Internal Oversight Services acknowledges the important function of the mechanism in drawing attention to issues relating to children and armed conflict at the local, national and international levels. At the same time, we concur with the assessment that there is a need to clarify the intended use of the information gathered through the mechanism, in particular by identifying how it can service the information needs of various destinations for action in an efficient and effective way.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Council members, in particular the permanent members, have a special responsibility to show the necessary leadership in effectively ending impunity for all grave violations of children's rights in all armed conflicts. Targeted sanctions by the Security Council will have to be complemented by the work undertaken by the International Criminal Court and by national courts in bringing the perpetrators and instigators of such violations to justice. Resolution 1612 (2005) established the monitoring and reporting mechanism as an essential basis for the activities of the Working Group of the Council on Children and Armed Conflict.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“Last week the international community observed Universal Children's Day. Meanwhile, millions of children affected by armed conflict continue to suffer in many parts of the world. Addressing the extreme hardship of children affected by armed conflict in this open debate of the Security Council is therefore both a timely and very important initiative, for which we would like to commend the presidency of the Council. We also thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ms. Coomaraswamy, for her great dedication and full commitment to bringing this agenda forward and for contributing to tangible progress towards the era of application of all relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 1612 (2005). Full implementation of that resolution will depend, to a very large extent, on political will.”
2006-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5573 (2006) · source
“They might also have a positive impact on the level of reporting on gender-related issues to the Security Council, which is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, we consider such appointments as crucial for better implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The progress made in the representation of women in these leadership positions since the last time the Council met on this topic has, however, been disappointing. We are, of course, aware of the need to provide the Secretary-General with the names of potential, well-qualified candidates for such posts, and we invite all interested States and non-governmental organizations to join forces in gathering the necessary information. There is no doubt in our minds that there are enough suitable candidates for such posts. We just have to look for them.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“In the same connection, we also support the emphasis placed on closer collaboration with mechanisms for gender equality and advancement of women within countries, including women members of parliament and civil society. In fact, most United Nations entities that have contributed to the evaluation have signalled effective partnership with civil society as a challenge, especially in the field, and pointed out that the networking with women's organizations was inadequate. For many years now, Liechtenstein has been advocating the appointment of women as special representatives and envoys of the Secretary-General, because we are convinced that such appointments can play a catalytic role for the stronger involvement of women in peace processes, especially when those processes reach a more formal stage.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Despite the past efforts of many stakeholders, there seems to be a continued and widespread lack of awareness of the fact that women need to be enabled to play an active role in connection with armed conflict and peacebuilding. The United Nations and its operations on the ground are perfectly placed to utilize this largely untapped resource and, in this respect, we wish to commend the Secretary-General for his report on the implementation of the System-wide Action Plan (S/2006/770). In particular, we welcome the identification of strengthened inter-agency cooperation in the field as a priority area for further action to implement the Plan.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“While we commend the Security Council for its measures to further mainstream resolution 1325 (2000), we are concerned that, six years after the adoption of this historic resolution, the Council still has no systematic way of ensuring the integration of a gender perspective in its work. We therefore wish to join other delegations in calling on the Council to establish a focal point or an expert level working group on women, peace and security to ensure the systematic implementation and integration of resolution 1325 (2000) within its work, including in all resolutions that establish or extend peacekeeping missions and in terms of references for Security Council mission trips and mission reports.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“For this reason, we consider it crucial that the Peacebuilding Commission establish the necessary mechanisms to facilitate, together with the countries concerned, the participation of representatives of local women's groups and networks who are able to make the voices and priorities of women from local and rural communities heard in country- specific configurations. Such mechanisms will also have to encompass financial and other support to those groups and networks in order to enable their effective engagement with the Peacebuilding Commission. The Security Council could assume leadership in such efforts by setting the right example and increasingly listening to the voices of local women's groups as well. This would be a clear sign of its commitment to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“In fact, we have witnessed, in many processes of peace consolidation and institution- building, a common pattern of relegating family law and community dispute resolution to the traditional and customary sectors, putting them beyond the reach of the State. Quite often, those sectors show, however, strong resistance to the idea of equal participation of women in all decision-making processes, including peace processes. As long as such types of tacit arrangements between national and traditional authorities persist, it will be extremely difficult to translate national strategies for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) into concrete and sustainable action.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“I wish to commend the Japanese presidency of the Security Council for holding this open debate on the role of women in the consolidation of peace. This initiative is not only timely because of the sixth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), but it is also particularly important, because the Peacebuilding Commission has recently taken up its work and held its first country-specific meetings. The outcome documents of both meetings include references to resolution 1325 (2000). Whether such references will ensure the successful involvement of women in the peace processes in those and other countries will depend, to a very large extent, on the measures taken and promoted at the local level.”
2006-10-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5556Resumption1 (2006) · source
“One of the most tragic aspects of our collective failure to adequately protect civilians in situations of conflict over the past five years is, as the Secretary- General's report points out, the fact that women and children have continued to suffer extraordinary hardship and violence. It is high time to reverse that trend and to take effective measures that have a tangible impact on the ground. The adoption of a strong resolution on the protection of civilians, which also responds to the need for more consistent and accurate reporting of protection-related incidents, would certainly go a long way towards achieving that goal.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“Such a firm stance by the Security Council was expressed by the adoption of resolution 1612 (2005) on children and armed conflict. Our leaders welcomed that resolution as a landmark decision and reaffirmed their commitment to promote and protect the rights and welfare of children in armed conflict. We commend the convening of the first meeting of the Council's Working Group, and look forward to the full information of the resolution. In order to assess the progress made in that regard, we would welcome a decision by the Council to hold an open debate on the issue during the first quarter of next year.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“There is now a close and well established relationship between the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, as a result both of the adoption of a Relationship Agreement between the two organizations and of the Security Council's referral to the Court of the situation in Darfur. Prevention is, indeed, the key aspect in the protection of civilians. Preventive action can be effective, however, only if it is made clear that abuses against civilian populations, often carried out against their most vulnerable members, in particular women and children, are violations of international law that will not go unpunished. An unequivocal and firm stance by the Security Council that there will not be impunity for such crimes would have a strong deterrent effect in any situation and would thus serve as a very useful tool of prevention.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“In particular, article 8 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which was adopted on this day in 1948, allows any contracting party to call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take appropriate action. The achievement concerning the responsibility to protect makes the absence of a reference to the issue of impunity in the World Summit Outcome even more anachronistic. More advances have been made in that area than in most others. Transitional justice is an inevitable element of any serious discussion of post- conflict situations.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“That responsibility leads almost inevitably to the conclusion that collective action to prevent and respond to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not be made impossible by a non- concurring vote of one of the permanent members of the Council. That principle was proposed by the High- level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change and has been taken up in a draft resolution on the working methods of the Security Council prepared by a group of countries including Liechtenstein. The rest of the membership also has responsibility in this respect, in that it can bring situations to the attention of the Security Council in open debates and by other means.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“We invite all States to become parties to both the Protocol and the 1994 Convention, in order to strengthen and universalize that important legal regime. The recognition of the responsibility of the international community to protect civilian populations when their Governments fail to do so constitutes a major breakthrough in our common endeavour to prevent genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The main obligation for its implementation naturally falls on the Security Council. The Secretary- General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide can play an important role in that respect. The Council must ensure that disgraceful inaction, as was seen in the case of the genocide in Rwanda, cannot occur again.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“They range from the affirmation of the responsibility to protect and a particular emphasis on the pressing need to adequately address all forms of violence against women and children, to the resolve to increase the protection of internally displaced persons and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian actors to populations in need. The call of our leaders to conclude negotiations on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel was also of particular importance. We are pleased to note that the General Assembly adopted that Protocol just yesterday, providing for substantial expansion of the scope of legal protection for such personnel.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source
“I would like at the outset to apologize for the fact that Ambassador Wenaweser, the Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein, is unable to be here because he is attending a briefing being given by the Secretary- General at this very moment. The world summit made it clear yet again that the protection of civilians in armed conflict is a major challenge for and concern of the international community. Several important decisions were taken by our leaders at that summit and are reflected in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (General Assembly resolution 60/1).”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319Resumption1 (2005) · source