YouSaid · the spoken record

Robinson

lines on the record: 242
first: 1999-09-16
most recent: 2022-11-03
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

“The Elders commend the African Union-led negotiations that have secured a new cessation in hostilities, and we urge the Council to actively support that process in order to help turn the ceasefire into a lasting resolution of that devastating conflict. Now is the time for the Council to step up and speak with one voice. Only through sustained engagement to tackle the root causes of conflict and build just and sustainable peace will its mandate be fulfilled and the promises of the Charter of the United Nations delivered to current and succeeding generations.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“The agonies endured by Somalia’s people over the past three decades should compel all Council members to redouble their efforts to tackle the interconnected threats of violent extremism, conflict and the climate-change crisis. The links between conflict and climate change are also evident in Tigray, which I visited in 2016 as the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on El Niño and Climate and where I witnessed the great cooperative work done by the United Nations and aid agencies to counter the drought there, because there was no conflict at that time. Today communities in Tigray and northern Ethiopia are suffering from both conflict and climate shocks, with truly dire consequences.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“We therefore believe that integrating environmental analysis into the work of the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission must now be a priority. I first visited Somalia 30 years ago, in 1992, as President of Ireland, because of the food crisis there at the time. I returned in 2011 with Irish aid agencies, as famine had been declared. Now in 2022, Somalia faces its third famine in 11 years, as ever-greater climate shocks have been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict and terrorism. Last Saturday, at least 100 people were killed by explosions in Mogadishu, but the world barely noticed. Those were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and grandparents leaving behind grieving families, targeted by Al-Shabaab extremists.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“I am pleased that there has been increasing recognition among the members of the Security Council — albeit not yet consensus — concerning the security dimensions of climate change, and there have been some modest steps towards integrating climate-change considerations into United Nations peacebuilding operations, such as through the appointment of an Environmental Affairs Officer in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia. That is progress, but in The Elders’ view we must go much further. As the climate-change crisis becomes ever more acute across the world, similar roles should be considered for other United Nations peace operations. Last year, six of the 10 biggest United Nations peace operations — more than 80 per cent of United Nations personnel — were deployed in countries that are highly exposed to climate change.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“It is encouraging to see United Nations peace missions pushing for greater representation of women in the national security and defence sectors. Firmer action must be taken to deter and deal with the reprisals that women peacebuilders and human rights defenders face by providing targeted and rapid resources for responding to threats, as called for earlier this year by our President of the Council today, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs (see S/PV.9090). In the context of resilience-building within peace operations that addresses the root causes of conflict, I want to focus particularly on the climate-change crisis, a threat-multiplier and driver of conflict.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“Through the women and peace and security agenda, the United Nations has sought to promote the equal representation of women in peacebuilding and mediation processes, but the evidence tells us that there is a long way to go. Analysis by UN-Women of 40 peace processes since the end of the Cold War shows that, in cases in which women were able to participate, they had a strong influence on the negotiation process and there was a much higher chance that an agreement would be reached. In order to ensure both fair representation and the meaningful integration of the rights and perspectives of women and girls into peace processes, it is critical for women to be equitably represented in security and defence structures, as well as in peacebuilding and mediation.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“The Council should cooperate closely with regional organizations, but where they are unable to take effective action, the Council also has a responsibility to step in. From the outset, peace operations should be equipped to respond to the shifting conflict landscape we see today. As has been mentioned, there needs to be a more holistic focus on the underlying causes of conflict, from political and economic instability to poverty, inequality and the marginalization of minorities within countries. I am pleased that today’s debate has expressly acknowledged women and young people as two particularly important groups that are too often excluded from decision-making.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“We believe that the Council currently faces the greatest threats to global peace and security since its formation, including through violent conflict and its intersection with global environmental, food, energy and financial crises. The war on Ukraine has fully exposed the inability of the Council to respond to aggression by a permanent member against a non-nuclear sovereign State. Too often, Council members have acted to keep friends and regional allies off the Council’s agenda, which seriously undermines conflict-prevention efforts. The Elders support the principle of enabling regional organizations, such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to take a leading role in conflict prevention and resolution where they are best placed to do so, in their own regions, including through regional peace operations.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“In order for United Nations peace operations to focus effectively on the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity, and not just their immediate symptoms, the Security Council should play a more proactive role and promote a whole-of-United Nations approach that supports just and sustainable peace, while making sure that peace operations draw on and complement the insights and experience of staff working in all parts of the United Nations at the country level. As a former Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, I am under no illusions as to how challenging that is, but I am equally aware of the risks of failure and fatalism.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“In preparing my remarks today, I was reminded of one of his insights that is particularly relevant to our discussion today, which was that the human family will not enjoy development without security, will not enjoy security without development and will not enjoy either without respect for human rights. Security, sustainable development and human rights should be the bedrock of effective and resilient United Nations peace operations, but we know there remain significant challenges in turning that core principle into practice. The Security Council needs to lead by demonstrating coherence, acting in the collective interests of the whole United Nations and working more closely with other parts of the Organization.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“Mrs. Robinson: It is an honour and a privilege to address the Security Council today in such distinguished company for this timely discussion, and I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Harold Agyeman, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ghana, for his generous invitation and convening efforts. I speak today in my capacity as Chair of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela 15 years ago, which works on tackling conflict and the existential threats facing humankind, including the climate-change crisis, nuclear weapons and pandemics. The Elders have a special bond with Ghana through the life and legacy of our dearly missed friend and former Chair, Kofi Annan.”
2022-11-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9181 (2022) · source
“Ban Ki-moon has spoken before and to the Security council about ways in which it can improve, including in the way press statements are made. Press statements should not require unanimity although that has been the required practice until now. I end by again thanking Ireland for inviting us, four of us Elders, to sit in the Chamber — two of us given the opportunity to speak — and for hosting a lunch that will allow further discussion about the important areas for which the United Nations Charter charges the Security Council with responsibility.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Members are not individuals when they come to the Security Council: they are members of the Security Council, they are the elected 10 and the permanent five, and they have to take the opportunity to forge a collective spirit and work together. The world needs them to work as well as they can despite all the deficiencies that have been mentioned, including the composition of this body, which is not representative of the real world, and yet it has great responsibilities and must uphold those responsibilities. I would therefore like to end by simply saying that The Elders of course support the restraint on the veto in cases of mass atrocities, which a number of countries — France, Mexico and other countries — have been putting forward. We would also like to see other reforms.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has in its recent report and in its special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C told the Council in no uncertain terms some things that Council members can certainly take on board. I was glad that there was a reference to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to the nuclear issue. As I said in my briefing, I am pleased that Ireland is raising the broad nuclear issue later this month. Perhaps I can end by recognizing that opportunities such as today’s meeting for the Security Council to stand back a little bit from its very tough agenda— I acknowledge that it has to deal with very difficult issues and that its members have different national positions — and to reflect are good for members’ collective commitment.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Climate change is a threat multiplier: with respect to any issue, climate change makes things so much worse. It is an existential threat. How could it not be seen as a security issue?” That was absolutely the response that I got from climate scientists. I therefore urge the Council to see climate change as a security issue, and I would urge members, if they do come together around a draft resolution, that they make it a strong resolution, because a weak Security Council resolution would not help at all. Since a strong resolution is needed, it may take some time for the implications for the world to be thought through in terms of really understanding the threat that is posed by climate change.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“What would, women and girls in the world think if we allowed the rights that women themselves had secured to be completely abolished by a military takeover, basically a coup, by the Taliban? It would be extremely shocking. It is therefore extremely important that we keep that in mind. I was also very glad that a significant number of Council members made reference to climate change. I know that we are increasingly having to deal with the issue and that there is an informal group co-chaired by Ireland on climate and security. Knowing that I had the opportunity to come and speak with the Council briefly today, I recently asked a number of top climate scientists how they would tell the Security Council to consider climate change a security issue. They said, “but how could it not consider it to be so?”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“But human rights are also embedded in the culture of countries, and that is the important message that the women of Afghanistan have given us. It was their Charter, not some external Charter. The Charter was their Charter. They praised Allah in launching it, which means that it was in conformity with their culture. Further, a great deal of progress was made in the Constitution, the laws and the policies of the country, which have helped at women and girls and increased the participation of women and girls in Afghanistan. I plead with the Security Council — and, as I said earlier, specifically with those countries that will be very actively dealing with the Taliban over the coming months — to remember that we have just marked, as the representative of France said, the holding of the Generation Equality Forum.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“With regard to the reference to international human rights and democracy and gender equality, I actually wanted to recall that visit to Afghanistan in March 2002 because I wanted to emphasize that human rights are not eastern or western or northern or southern rights. They are fundamental human rights, and every State, every State represented in this Chamber, has recognized that. Not only do States Members of the United Nations constantly refer in different instruments, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the Sustainable Development Goals, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but every country accepts the Universal Declaration. Most accept one or more of the additional covenants or the conventions. This gives a collective sense of their importance.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, and President Ernesto Zedillo was a member of that Panel. I think that the recommendations of the Panel were very well thought through especially because it did not see COVID-19 as only a health problem. It is obviously a health problem, but it is also so much more: it is an economic problem, a political problem and a social problem. That is why we urge the General Assembly to adopt a holistic declaration on COVID-19 because the pandemic is not something just for the World Health Organization. It is much more than that. It is for heads of States and Governments to live up to their responsibilities to address it. Hopefully that will take place shortly during the high-level week at the General Assembly.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“But perhaps it would be good if it were possible for the Council to consider as early a visit as possible and in a close dialogue and link with the African Union and its efforts in relation to Tigray. I was very touched by the fact that the representative of Kenya spoke of our mandate from Nelson Mandela. I have those words ringing in my ears at all times. He referenced a number of issues and spoke about the inequalities of COVID-19, as a number of others did. One of the inequalities that The Elders are particularly focused on at the moment is the inequitable access to vaccines, which, in our world today, is quite shocking. Two of The Elders — the two who have not taken the floor this morning, but who will be with us at lunch — are deeply involved with this issue.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“We certainly welcome that appointment; there is some concern that he may not be as well received on the Tigray side, but, hopefully, that will work. But we also, members will recall, in my address this morning, suggested — and we did this deliberately — a possible visit by the Security Council, because if members visit, they will go to Addis Ababa, and that would give the Security Council the opportunity to link with the African Union on this issue in a very, very visible way. I am aware that the Security Council has made a number of visits to the Sahel and Lake Chad and a number of visits to countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, when I served with my mandate on the Great Lakes, and that they have not been able to recently because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“I am going to give short answers, not very adequate ones, probably, at this stage; but, fortunately, Madam President, through the generous hosting by Ireland of a lunch for us afterwards with all four of my colleagues, you will be able to hear in particular from Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernesto Zedillo and hear more from Mr. Brahimi and myself in response to the questions posed, and there may even be more questions. Let me deal with some of them that I felt were very much to the point. First, let me touch on early questions posed by the representatives of the United Kingdom and Estonia about Tigray, specifically about the appointment of former President Obasanjo as High Representative for the Horn of Africa.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“In many ways, I felt that maybe having conversations of this kind or dialogues of this kind with The Elders from time to time gives members an opportunity to be on their very best behaviour as a Security Council; indeed, I feel that today they have been on their best behaviour, and that is good, because it shows that they have the capacity to perhaps find more in common than they sometimes do on a daily basis; when they are tackling the weeds of a problem, they may find that it is more divisive. Members asked a number of very relevant and very good questions.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“We believe that it actually is an opportunity to discuss and go back to the fundamentals of the Security Council and to both remind members and have them remind one another, because, as I listened, I was actually quite struck by the strong affirmation of many members in support of the importance of a coherent, integrated multilateral system and the fact that we need that in the world.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Mrs. Robinson: I would like to begin by thanking all members of the Security Council for the very warm way in which they have welcomed the contribution that both Lakhdar Brahimi and I have made, welcomed the presence of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernesto Zedillo, and welcomed the work of The Elders. We deeply appreciate this, because we are very passionate about our work; we are very committed to it, and it is a privilege for us to be able to brief. Members heard not very long ago from Ban Ki-moon, now one of my deputies but, obviously, also my former boss on at least three mandates, and we would hope to continue that relationship.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Nevertheless, I urge all Council members to return to the fundamental basis for their mandate and to work tirelessly to find common ground and build consensus wherever possible. Every Council member should recognize that they have a common interest in upholding global peace, security and stability. That ought to be a guiding principle for the Council’s work in the years ahead.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The Council has failed to address persistent violations of resolution 2334 (2016), allowing the parties’ actions to undermine prospects for peace and a two-State solution. The Council should reaffirm its commitment to the resolution’s terms and take strong action to hold the parties accountable for violations. Member States should also encourage all parties to cooperate with the investigation by the International Criminal Court into the situation in Palestine as part of their commitment to the rules-based international system. On many of the issues I have just discussed, I recognize that real and serious divisions exist between members of the Council and that internal political divisions have unfortunately led the Council to fall short of its responsibilities in many instances.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Common ground among Council members can be found now on the need for strong action to ensure a comprehensive United Nations response to COVID-19, which is devastating in Myanmar, and the humanitarian crisis. The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy should also be empowered to work with the new ASEAN Special Envoy to find a political solution to the crisis through confidence-building and dialogue among all parties. Council members with influence on the Tatmadaw have a particular duty to encourage it to open up to the possibility of dialogue. Finally, on Israel and Palestine, the latest cycle of violent conflict this year has shown beyond doubt the need for a fresh approach by the international community that addresses root causes and is based on respect for international law.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The normalization and acceptance of an unlawful coup is not a route to regional stability. On the contrary, the military’s extension of the state of emergency and the continued unlawful detention of the National League for Democracy’s political leadership risk taking the country down a path of protracted civil conflict and cannot be tolerated. The Council must support and strengthen, not hide behind, the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has so far been unable to progress the implementation of its five-point plan agreed in April. I note the reports that there may now be agreement by the military to a humanitarian ceasefire until the end of the year, following engagement by the new ASEAN Special Envoy, and urge all parties to seize that opportunity.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The Council has been briefed on the severity of the humanitarian crisis and food insecurity that is directly resulting from the conflict, as well as on the horrific scale of human rights atrocities, including the use of sexual violence against women and girls as a weapon of war. The Council must take action to incentivize the parties to negotiate a ceasefire. Ending the fighting is the only way to cease the suffering. The Council could also consider making a visit to Ethiopia and Tigray in order to focus attention on the conditions on the ground and the urgent need for a political — not military — solution. A similar unity of purpose is needed on Myanmar, where, six months on from the military coup, the country remains in turmoil. The people of Myanmar do not want a return to military rule.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Article 34 of the Charter of the United Nations states: “The Security Council may investigate any dispute, or any situation which might lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute, in order to determine whether the continuance of the dispute or situation is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security.” That power of investigation should be used proactively by the Council to engage early in situations, before large-scale violence breaks out and hits the international media. On Tigray, the protection of women and girls must be a top priority as the conflict continues to escalate.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The latest science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has clearly shown the risks posed to planetary stability and human survival. While the Council has already started to grapple with climate change as a security threat, I hope it will now engage more decisively and with a resolution, as it is a core threat to international peace and security. On the role of the Council in preventing and responding to violent conflict, I urge members to use the tools at their disposal.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The non-nuclear-weapon States will be expecting the five recognized nuclear Powers to demonstrate concrete progress on their NPT commitments to pursue disarmament in good faith. Ensuring a successful review conference should be a top priority for the Security Council. We urge the Council to maintain the issue of nuclear weapons actively on its agenda. I am pleased that Ireland is organizing a Council meeting later this month to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. I urge the Council to use that opportunity to send a clear message of support for the Treaty’s entry into force. Urgency of action is equally needed on climate change, which is a threat multiplier to all the issues on the Council’s agenda.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The Elders are also alarmed about the existential dangers posed by nuclear weapons, as recent years have seen the breakdown of arms control agreements, the emergence of dangerous new technologies and cyberwarfare capabilities, and the serious risk of a new nuclear arms race taking hold among the nuclear Powers. We are also concerned about the failure to date to secure a new agreement between the United States and Iran on its nuclear programme. We reiterate our support for a full, unconditional return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The upcoming Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will be a critical moment for action.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a heavy toll, first and foremost in human lives, but also economic growth, political momentum and social inequality. It has also demonstrated manifold failures of international cooperation. We must be proactive in learning from them and preparing for the next pandemic. The report of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Prevention and Response, entitled COVID-19: Make It the Last Pandemic, sets out a pathway for strengthening the multilateral architecture on pandemic prevention and response. The Elders have called on global leaders to make a political declaration at the general debate of the General Assembly later this month to commit to implementing fully the report’s recommendations.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“I call in particular on China and Russia, in their dealings with the Taliban, to encourage the Taliban to recognize that the participation of women in society and the education of girls on an equal basis with boys are non-negotiable and must be respected. Collectively, members of the Council have all been entrusted with a powerful mandate to act on behalf of the United Nations as the primary international body charged with maintaining international peace and security. As all know, that places heavy responsibilities on all members of the Council to not only reflect the immediate national interests of their national capitals, but to also work collectively in the global interest. A united and purposeful Security Council is needed now more than ever.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“They are fundamental human rights, which those Afghan women had reclaimed in accordance with their cultural values. In the almost 20 years since then, hard-won gains in gender equality and women’s rights have been secured through constitutional, legislative and policy changes. We cannot allow the women and girls of Afghanistan to be deprived of those rights, including the right to leave the country. Members of the Security Council cannot fail them. I was glad to see the letter that Ireland and Mexico, as co-Chairs of the Informal Expert Group on Women, Peace and Security, wrote to the Security Council in August, reminding the Council of its responsibility with in this regard. Resolution 2593 (2021), which was adopted on 30 August, is a good first step, but the Council must now go further.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“I was surprised to find that those women had been judges, lawyers, doctors and teachers who were active in their community before the Taliban. They had decided to launch their charter on International Women’s Day in the cinema they used to go to before the Taliban. It had been destroyed, but the women cleared about 15 feet of rubble, and the United Nations provided the canvas roof cover. The United Nations also guaranteed it would be safe, and the women therefore came without their burkas. On 8 March that year, I recall looking down from the podium, together with Lakhdar, at the bearded men who had taken the seats in the first few rows. We saw a woman further back stand, praise Allah and launch their charter. It was an important reminder that women’s rights are not Western rights.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“Mrs. Robinson: It is a privilege to brief members of the Security Council once again as Chair of The Elders, and I thank the Government of Ireland for inviting us to address the Council. I am honoured as well to be here together with my fellow Elders — Lakhdar Brahimi, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernesto Zedillo. Mr. Brahimi will focus particularly on Afghanistan, and I shall raise other issues of concern to The Elders. First, however, I would like to share a memory of my visit to Afghanistan as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in early March 2002. I met with Sima Samar, then Minister of Women’s Affairs, and Noeleen Heyzer, then Head of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, who had been helping about 95 women draw up their draft charter of women’s rights.”
2021-09-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8850 (2021) · source
“When Nelson Mandela addressed the General Assembly on 3 October 1994 (see A/49/ PV.14) as President of South Africa, he posed the following question. Given the interdependence of the nations of the world, what is it that we can and must do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere? In response, he suggested that a new initiative was needed — one that should inspire all of humankind because of the seriousness of its intent. The time for such an initiative to protect people and the planet is surely now. Future generations will neither forget nor forgive if we squander this opportunity.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“We need a change of mindset to enable a just transition to clean energy in a way that allows us to stay at or below 1.5°C of warming. We need to put a proper price on carbon. Every country needs to take seriously the report of the Global Commission on Adaptation, Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience, and build resilience in communities for the new normal that we are experiencing — an experience exemplified by the terrible bushfires in Australia. The calls for action are getting louder. Civil society is coming together for a People & Planet call to action in 2020 on 20 January, and the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day in April promises to see the greatest mobilization in human history.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“They have understood the importance of thinking globally and acting locally. They are bonded together by the threat that they see posed by the climate emergency. That bond has enabled them to reach out in solidarity, and even love, to those most vulnerable, most affected and least responsible for what is causing the climate crisis. They are asking us not to listen to them but to listen to the science. We should all take heed. The science of the climate crisis makes it imperative that we implement in full the voluntary commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the commitments of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We need a bold new vision in which every country, city and corporation commits to being carbon neutral by 2050.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“Women drew up a remarkable agenda in Beijing 25 years ago, but not enough progress has been made since to really champion equality, and both within and outside the United Nations women now face a backlash in marking that anniversary. I ask the Security Council in particular to give greater priority to the terrible problem of systemic violence and discrimination against women and girls, which is a cause of immense suffering. I call on the Council to implement its numerous resolutions dealing with gender inequality with full funding. That should start with resolution 1325 (2000), the twentieth anniversary of which we will mark this year. I also urge the Council to listen to the children and young people who have come together in their millions to strike for Fridays for Future.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“We need new ideas borne from a shared understanding that we need to reduce global carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. The Security Council should be a key player in shaping that new mindset, but unfortunately it is seen by many as not being fit for purpose. Too many members, not least those with the special responsibility of holding permanent seats, treat it as a forum for advancing their own narrow interests rather than a means of addressing common challenges. I address the Council today as a woman, and indeed a grandmother. If women had equal power in the world today, I believe that we would have a very different problem-solving way of dealing with the challenges that we face.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“The disappointing outcome of the twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid shows that there is still insufficient political will for urgent, collective action to avert catastrophe. We need a new mindset. There are those, for instance, who call for work to begin on a new fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, which is a bold and innovative idea that seeks to bring transparency, accountability and agreement to the cessation of fossil fuel production in a way that supports jobs and livelihoods. New ideas like those are needed. We need a new mindset that recognizes the urgency of the challenge the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change posed in its report Global Warming of 1.5°C.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“We sum those up as the four “Ds”: doctrine — every nuclear State should make an unequivocal declaration of no first use; de-alerting — almost all warheads should be taken off high-alert status; deployment — substantially reduce the one-quarter of all nuclear warheads that are currently operationally deployed; and decrease — dramatically cut the number of nuclear weapons in existence, with the United States and Russia reducing to a total of no more than 500 each. The Elders hope that instead of a new arms race in 2020, we will see a re-energized Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and an agreement between the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the New START Treaty until 2026. With regard to the climate crisis, The Elders recognize the need for a bold new initiative.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“The gravity of the current situation in the Middle East means that dialogue and negotiations are urgently needed, and I urge the representatives in the Chamber to consider what the United Nations can do to bring them to the table in the spirit of its Charter. What we need today is a new vision and bold sense of purpose on how we will tackle the scourge of war. With respect to nuclear arms control, The Elders have spoken out clearly and forcefully about the need for all nuclear Powers to get serious about disarmament and to pursue policies of nuclear minimization in order to preserve peace for future generations.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“Indeed, it is my understanding that Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, was due to address the Council today. He was going to speak about the role of the United Nations Charter in supporting international peace and security but has been prevented from doing so as tensions have risen between Iran and the United States. This is highly regrettable. It is precisely in times such as these that we need to hear the voices of all concerned. As the Secretary-General has reminded us, Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations requires parties to any dispute that threatens international peace and security to hold negotiations or use other peaceful means to resolve their conflict.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“Responding to those threats is critical, but made harder at a time when multilateral cooperation is being undermined by populism and nationalism. The Elders issued a statement in early December in which we urged all world leaders to acknowledge that effective multilateralism is in their own national interest, regardless of size or strength. Getting others to cooperate by means of internationally agreed mechanisms is less costly and more reliable than unilateral force. This collaborative approach is at the heart of the United Nations Charter, and the only way in which we can hope to tackle challenges such as the climate crisis and nuclear proliferation. We also need this sense of cooperation as the world seeks to address the recent alarming escalation of tensions in the Middle East.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source
“Mrs. Robinson: I am honoured to address the Security Council again as the Chair of The Elders at this important open debate. I thank the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the invitation. As we mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, I wish that the founder of The Elders, Nelson Mandela, could address the Council, in his powerful and inimitable voice, with his strong vision and purpose. Instead, the Council has me, with my Irish accent, trying to rise to the occasion. For rise to the occasion we must. At the start of a new year and a new decade, The Elders are clear that the world faces two distinct, existential threats: nuclear proliferation and the climate crisis.”
2020-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8699 (2020) · source