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

“We need to tell each other the truth, quietly when necessary but firmly, and stick to our commitments to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework if we are to make a real difference this time. I have been having frank conversations with the leaders of the region and I intend to continue to do so in the coming months, including next week when I meet them in Nairobi. I encourage the members of the Security Council to keep the Great Lakes region high on their agenda and to maintain the current momentum, including perhaps through a visit to the Great Lakes region in the coming months. Let me conclude by warmly thanking the Security Council members, the Secretary-General and my United Nations colleagues, as well as regional and international partners, who have continuously expressed and provided support to my work.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I am fully aware of the challenges that the Governments of the region and the Security Council face in advancing peace in the Great Lakes region. My role, I hope, will be a modest but catalytic contribution to helping restore peace and build hope for the future in a complex environment. But such a strategy and the Council's engagement with the Great Lakes region will bear fruit only if all actors involved at the local, national, regional and international levels push in the same direction and if - let me reiterate - there is an immediate cessation ofhostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. I believe that there is some political momentum at the moment. We need to create and encourage space for dialogue, and support for tough decisions.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I will soon come back to the Council with further elements for the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, which will be built on three critical pillars: political and security, humanitarian and development. Elements of this strategy will include sustained confidence-building measures among leaders in the region, joint efforts with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for MONUSCO and international partners to support the national dialogue process in Democratic Republic of the Congo; cross-border development projects, with a strong focus on civil society, youth and women's groups; and modalities to support difficult mediation, building on the Kampala dialogue, within the limits of my mandate, including strict compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“They indicated a number of priority regional interventions in energy and transport infrastructure, agriculture, cross-border trade, economic development, and social sectors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Addis Ababa participants and also President Jim Yong Kim for his commitment of $1 billion in support of the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, which effectively turns it into a Framework for peace, security, cooperation and development. All these steps, although they may appear minor to the millions of people on the ground who are eagerly waiting to see peace established and their lives changing, are concrete affirmation of the determination of the international community to try new avenues for sustainable peace and stability and development in the Great Lakes region.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“The meeting was attended by Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning and Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of countries of the Great Lakes Region, regional economic communities, partner countries, international organizations and civil society organizations. This proved to be a very good forum for discussion, building on the historic joint visit of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to the Great Lakes region in May. Participants noted that deepened regional economic cooperation and integration and enhanced regional infrastructure and trade could foster economic inclusion and create opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged groups, women and youth, as well as strengthen political agreements by delivering tangible results.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I gave them the opportunity to suggest possible benchmarks and indicators, which were later submitted to the technical support committee for consideration. Perhaps I should explain that, not too surprisingly, the technical support committee is entirely male in its composition. I will continue to encourage women-led initiatives in the region through the establishment of a communications platform, through which experts and donors could provide technical advice and funds to women's projects in support of the "framework of hope". As President Kim mentioned, the second meeting took place on 18 and 19 July, in Addis Ababa. The African Union, the World Bank and my Office organized a ministerial meeting on regional approaches to development in countries of the Great Lakes in support of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“More than 100 women leaders from signatory countries of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework attended the conference, including the Gender Ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Members will recall that I made it clear from the beginning that, as Special Envoy, I intended to implement a top-down and bottom-up comprehensive approach, whereby I will be working, on the one hand, with political leaders and, on the other, with the people of the region to encourage peace, security and development. It was important to listen to the Great Lakes women's perspectives on the peace process, as women represent the majority of the population of the region and are, together with children, the first victims of the ongoing conflict.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I will present the benchmarks developed by the committee to the leaders of the region during the next ICGLR summit, scheduled for 31 July in Nairobi ahead ofthe next meeting ofthe regional oversight mechanism, which, as the Secretary-General has said, should formally adopt them in September here in New York. In the meantime, I will of course continue consultations with all those involved in the implementation process of the Framework to ensure that the proposed benchmarks meet their concerns. Two significant regional meetings took place recently, with positive outcomes that I would like to share. The first was the regional consultation on women, peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region, which I organized, in collaboration with Femmes Africa Solidarite and the ICGLR, from 9 to 11 July in Bujumbura, Burundi.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I am glad to report that the committee has made solid progress in developing benchmarks and indicators of progress. These may still be improved, but they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, with a clear indication of responsibilities. In accordance with its immediate mandate, the committee focused on regional benchmarks, but also provided critical inputs for international benchmarks and national benchmarks. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Committee and the leaders of the region who responded positively to my request to each to appoint one of their closest advisors to represent them in this work.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“At the regional level, the first meeting ofthe regional oversight mechanism took place in Addis Ababa on 26 May and established a technical support committee mandated to develop the benchmarks and indicators of progress for the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, among other tasks. The committee is made up of senior representatives of the signatory countries of the Framework, who have met twice so far, on 24 June and earlier this week on 22 and 23 July, under the co-chairmanship of my Special Adviser Modibo Toure and the African Union Special Representative for the Great Lakes, Ambassador Boubacar Diarra. Participants also included senior officials from ICGLR, the South African Development Community, MONUSCO and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“I very much hope - and I made this clear to President Kabila - that the national oversight mechanism will include a large cross-section of civil society in carrying out its mandate. At the same time, national reforms that the Democratic Republic of the Congo has agreed to implement under the Framework need to begin in earnest, and be supported by the international community. I would like to welcome the recent initiative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to launch a mineral certification programme in an effort to stop the illegal exploitation of minerals and prevent armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo from benefiting from it. This is an important first step, which deserves the full support of the international community.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Despite the security and humanitarian challenges that the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region are facing at the moment, I am encouraged by the initial progress in several areas and by the strong will demonstrated by the signatory countries to contribute to the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. Allow me to share some of the positive political steps that the signatories of the Framework and key international institutions have taken since February. At the national level, in May President Kabila established the national oversight mechanism, which will oversee the implementation of the commitments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the Framework.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“If fully implemented, both the Framework and resolution 2098 (2013) would help stabilize the situation on the ground and, more importantly, would pave the way to address the fundamental causes of the cycle of conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes. That is why I strongly believe that the signatories and guarantors of the Framework and the international community as a whole need to work intensively together to accompany the leaders and the people of the Great Lakes to transform what I call the "framework of hope" into a tangible reality.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“The stark reality is that those who suffer the most from the endless conflict and its atrocities are, and always have been, the civilian population first, particularly women, children and even babies. As the Secretary-General said in his remarks, hopes were high when the 11 countries and four important regional and international institutions signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region, on 24 February, and when the members of the Security Council adopted resolution 2098 (2013), in March. The Framework clearly gives the ownership and the responsibility to the leaders who signed it. I am personally very encouraged to see that their commitment to it is strong and resolute.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Like President Yong Kim of the World Bank, I remember the rows of people in Goma who lined the road holding pieces of paper, mainly in French, which said: "No impunity", "Peace now", "The fighting must stop". That, in essence, is the promise of the Framework, a promise of peace, security, cooperation and development. Sadly, there are credible reports of some activities in support of armed groups by different signatory parties to the Framework, which are contrary to the spirit and intent of the Framework. As the Secretary-General said, the Force Intervention Brigade, once it becomes operative, will be an important tool with a robust mandate, but it is only one part of a comprehensive approach that embraces security and development.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Not a day goes by without reports of killings, rape, sexual assault and the displacement of people in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reports are in the dry prose of the code cables or the slightly more descriptive style of journalists filing their copy. What strikes me is the lack of outrage and horror at the daily toll. It has become the accepted normal. But it is not normal and not acceptable. We committed to zero-tolerance to gender-based violence. Zero-tolerance needs to be implemented as a fundamental value of the Framework for Peace, Security and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“As we have heard, this high-level meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes takes place at a difficult time for the people in the region. The latest round of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has had devastating consequences yet again on the civilian population, both for those living in and around Goma as well as for the host communities and Governments of the neighbouring countries. Many cases of death, injuries, sexual violence against women and massive displacements of population are still being reported. That cannot be allowed to continue. The fighting must stop immediately, and all parties should exert maximum restraint to avoid a further escalation of the conflict. As the Council is aware, I have now served as Special Envoy for four months.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“Ms. Robinson: I am honoured to speak to the Security Council on this important occasion. I, too, thank the United States for convening this ministerial-level meeting, and Secretary of State John Kerry for presiding and for providing a strong statement as President (S/PRST/2013/ll). Let me reiterate my congratulations to Senator Russ Feingold on his appointment as the United States Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I look forward to working very closely with him. I also welcome the Secretary-General's appointment of Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Mr. Martin Kobler, with whom I have established a very good working relationship.”
2013-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7011 (2013) · source
“In this framework of hope, we have an opportunity to get it right - to bring peace, security and development at long last to the region and its people. Now is the time to begin translating its broad commitment into tangible actions for peace. There are no guarantees that this new push for peace will succeed. However, we can be sure that, if it fails, the consequences will be grave. We can also be sure that, however determined I am personally to this challenging assignment, the new push for peace will not succeed through the efforts of one person or one brigade, or any other action taken in isolation. No - it will require an all-out concerted series of actions that are both serious and sustained, at the national, regional and international levels.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I reflected about that last week when Visiting the genocide memorial site in Kigali. As President of Ireland, I was the first Head of State to visit Rwanda in 1994 in the aftermath of the genocide. In the Hotel Mille Collines, where I stayed, there were still walls stained with blood. In 1995, I spoke of those horrors at the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, because it was a reality that had to be confronted. Only three years after that first visit after the genocide, I was back in Rwanda, attending a vibrant pan-African women's conference in a nation that was already on the mend and moving forward. Yet two decades later, that past is not yet fully behind us. Its echoes remain present in the horrific, cyclical Violence that continues to deprive so many of the secure and peaceful lives they deserve.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I also intend to work closely with the concerned authorities in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross to encourage the organization of a dedicated working meeting on refugees at a date to be determined. Finally, I am already planning my second visit to the region later this month. Let me conclude by reminding us of the tragic history that remains inescapably attached to this problem - one that still scars the Great Lakes and this very institution of the United Nations, and one that also fuels my own personal commitment to this assignment. Next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of the genocidal killings in Rwanda of 1994.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I am heartened that President Museveni will organize a Summit of the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region, probably in July, to take stock of the recent developments and define ways in which the region intends to work with the signatories and partners of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework. In the meantime, building on current initiatives and existing regional forums, including on a regional plan of action for resolution 1325 (2000) of my African sister, Bineta Diop, of Femmes Africa Solidarite', I intend to mobilize the women of the Great Lakes countries to play an active role in support of the Framework.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I am aware that given the short amount of time and the important events of the jubilee itself, the meeting may only take the process a small way forward. However, I intend to continue consultations with each and every signatory of the Framework on that matter, so as to present an approved set of benchmarks to the next meeting of the ll+4 oversight mechanism at the General Assembly in September. Just after the Addis Ababa meeting, on 26 May, I will head to Paris to attend a meeting of the International Contact Group on the Great Lakes Region on 28 May. I intend to encourage participants to coordinate their efforts more in support of the Great Lakes region.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“Those bilateral and trilateral economic initiatives are positive steps that could greatly contribute to the restoration of trust between the countries of the region. We need to support them, and I am very glad that already there is good will from the donor community and the international financial institutions, particularly the World Bank, to help the Great Lakes region. Looking ahead, as mentioned earlier, the African Union and the United Nations will be organizing the first meeting of the ll+4 oversight mechanism on 26 May in Addis Ababa. Between now and then, I will be working on a concept paper, to be presented to regional leaders, on how this regional oversight mechanism and its supporting technical committee might operate.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“In discussions in Pretoria with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, I learned about encouraging measures that the South African Government has taken or plans to take to boost its economic partnership with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its assistance to Kinshasa in sectors such as governance, agriculture, infrastructure and revenue collection. The good will of South Africa was confirmed in a telephone conversation with the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, and in a meeting with the Minister of the Presidency, Mr. Collins Chabane. They confirmed the strong support of President Zuma, who was on his way back from a meeting in Congo- Brazzaville at the time.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“There is room for further regional economic cooperation provided that trust is restored between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours. I was told that the last summit of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), which includes Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, was held almost 20 years ago. President Nkurunziza, who will host a CEPGL ministerial meeting next week in Burundi, has pledged to continue his efforts to revitalize that regional economic institution. As I was departing Kigali, Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, was flying to Kinshasa for consultations on joint economic projects and other peace and security matters. Those economic consultations had been underway prior to the straining of their relations due to the past year's crisis.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“The regional initiatives have helped mitigate the impact of the crisis, and it is important that the international community, including the Security Council, acknowledge that role if we want to make progress under the renewed partnership to end the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as clearly spelled out in the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region. I intend to work closely with my African Union and ICGLR partners in Bujumbura and Addis Ababa to ensure that we have a coordinated and concerted approach. It is important that the people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Great Lakes region as a whole, feel that there is a peace dividend to enjoy.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“It is encouraging to see that the leaders in the region, particularly Presidents Kabila and Kagame, continue to talk to each other, either bilaterally or through the ICGLR. In Kampala, I had fruitful discussions with President Museveni and the facilitator of the Kampala talks, Minister of Defence Crispus Kiyonga. They both underlined that the dialogue remains a viable avenue to end the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. While recognizing progress on key points of the agenda of the dialogue, they spoke of stalemate in others, particularly on the issues of amnesty, integration and disarmament. We exchanged views on how to move the process forward. The ICGLR has played and continues to play a very important role under the leadership of its Chair, President Museveni.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I stressed the importance of the inclusiveness of such a national mechanism, which should involve civil society representatives and have the necessary expertise to play an effective supervisory role. Both President Kabila and his Minister for Foreign Affairs assured me that at least the architecture of the national oversight mechanism would be ready for the first meeting of the 11+4, to be held in Addis Ababa on 26 May. I am also glad to report some encouraging news at the regional level. As with President Kabila, I had frank discussions with Presidents Museveni, Kagame and Nkurunziza. All three stated their readiness to implement their commitments under the Framework and, as I said earlier, expressed support for my mandate as Special Envoy.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“It would be Vital that it operate in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law and with maximal consideration for the protection of civilians. Many in the humanitarian community, as well as officials in Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, expressed concerns about the need to manage the potential consequences of the military operations. I am glad to note that MONUSCO is already undertaking mitigating measures in that regard. President Kabila informed me that his Government was working on a plan of action for the implementation ofthe Democratic Republic ofthe Congo's commitments under the Framework, including on the composition and modalities of work of the national oversight mechanism.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I stressed at the same time that the Intervention Brigade, while an important tool, should be seen as one element ofa much larger political process aimed at finding a comprehensive solution to the crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although at an apparent stalemate for now, the Kampala talks are also part of the efforts towards a regional peace initiative, and I called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to remain committed to that process with a View to expediting it as soon as possible. The current focus on the Intervention Brigade, which in my View should act mostly preventively, as a deterrent, with limited strategic military operations, needs to be put in context to minimize potential adverse impacts.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“Equally important, I stressed that the implementation of the Framework was a shared responsibility and that success would be predicated upon each and every party living up to their commitments, given the monumental challenges ahead of us. My Visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular took place against the backdrop of tensions produced by M-23 statements in reaction to the upcoming deployment of the Intervention Brigade. In Kinshasa and Goma, the overwhelming majority of the Congolese I spoke to were enthusiastic about the deployment of the Brigade - a feeling that is understandable.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“While I was familiar with the issues and knew most of the leaders in the Great Lakes region before assuming my position, I undertook the visit in my new capacity first and foremost to listen to the concerns of those on the ground affected by the crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from the leadership to the ordinary citizens. I had frank and warm discussions with all my interlocutors. During my meetings with each leader and Government official from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries, we discussed in detail their commitments as outlined in the Framework, and I stressed that they should be fulfilled. I called upon civil society groups to encourage their Governments to respect their commitments and to hold them accountable.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I would like to state my heartfelt appreciation to all the officials and actors that I met during my visit, for their very warm welcome and their expression of support for my future activities as Special Envoy. The purpose ofmy visit to the region was threefold: first, to seek the views of leaders and others on the implementation of the Framework, particularly on the establishment of the oversight mechanisms and the development of benchmarks for the commitments of signatories; secondly, to encourage participation in the first meeting of the "11+4" oversight mechanism, planned for 26 May on the margins of the African Union jubilee summit, in Addis Ababa; and, thirdly, to share my Vision and approach for the Framework, which I shared with the Council at the outset of this briefing.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I met with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ms. Dlamini-Zuma, her Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Ambassador Diarra, and the Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Mr. Ntumba Luaba. In all the countries I visited, I also held extensive meetings with United Nations entities, including the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the United Nations Office in Burundi, the country teams, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the diplomatic corps and the donor community. Finally, in each place, I expanded my consultations to include civil society, in the broad sense of the term, and even more so women's groups, with whom I intend to work closely to implement my mandate.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I would have liked to have visited the other countries signatories to the Framework agreement but, regrettably, time and other scheduling constraints did not permit. Where I was unable to do so, I wrote to the leaders concerned and indicated that I would Visit more countries during subsequent trips to the region in the coming months. During my first visit to the region, I met with Presidents Kabila Kabange, Museveni and Nkurunziza, and had a long telephone conversation with President Kagame, who was out of the country. I also met with the Governor of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Paluku, and the Minister of Defence of Uganda, Mr. Kiyonga, in his capacity as facilitator of the Kampala talks between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23).”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I believe this new effort will have a chance only if many partners are coordinated and pushing in the same direction. I have summarized this personal vision of the Framework and my approach as Special Envoy in a document entitled "A framework of hope". I am sharing it with the Council today, as I did with all my interlocutors during my trip to the region. It reflects my own sense of the spirit of the agreement and how I can contribute most effectively to its implementation. Having made those introductory comments, let me turn now to a more detailed summary of my recent Visit, before leaving the Council with some concluding remarks. Between 28 April and 5 May, I Visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo both Kinshasa and Goma - Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and South Africa.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“As that process advances, it must bring hope to the people who are the victims and who will ultimately be its beneficiaries. As I carried that message with me around the region, I also made it clear that my approach as Special Envoy would be different. I will of course focus much of my energies on engaging with the leaders and the Governments of the region in order to build trust and help them translate their commitments into tangible plans and actions for peace. At the same time, I will also be working from the bottom up. I will be engaging with civil society, as I believe it will be essential to generate the broadest possible constituency for the agreement. If people are engaged and take ownership of the process, they can become a strong force for implementation.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“It includes mechanisms of oversight, both in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the region, to ensure that benchmarks are set and met. It has the support of 11 nations and the involvement of the four organizations that are its witnesses. It has emerged at this time precisely as a result of exhaustion with the continuing cycles of crises and a broad realization that there is a need for a new approach. That is why, as I made my first visit in this capacity to the region, last week, I described that agreement as a framework ofhope. For ifthis new attempt is to succeed where others have fallen short, there must be optimism and courage in place of cynicism. The Governments and the peoples of the region and the international community must believe once again that peace can be achieved and must take the necessary actions to obtain it.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“I believe we meet at a moment of renewed opportunity. There is a fresh chance to do more than just attend to the consequences of conflict or to manage crises of the kind seen again most recently last November. There is a chance to resolve its underlying causes and to stop it for good. Hope and possibility must now infuse what will be a very challenging process to implement the Framework for Peace, Security and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region, signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February under the auspices of the Secretary-General. There are reasons to hope that the new Framework can work. For one, it represents a comprehensive agreement requiring actions at all levels, by all who have responsibilities - nationally, regionally and internationally.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“Ms. Robinson: I am pleased and honoured to have this opportunity to speak to the Council this morning, following my first visit to the Great Lakes since being appointed on 18 March as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to the region. The Council's role in new efforts to forge peace will be crucial, and it has already taken important decisions. I look forward to close consultation with the Council and to its strong support moving forward. The reason I accepted the responsibility of Special Envoy is because I know this to be one of the longest enduring, most appalling human rights, women's rights, children's rights and humanitarian crises, with levels of death, violence and suffering that are totally unacceptable. This time we have to tackle it differently and sustain the political will.”
2013-05-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6960 (2013) · source
“But from a capacity-building point of View, and as a system as a whole, we have to recognize that in order to combat issues of conflict and the impact of conflict on civilians in the long term, we must be prepared to invest in ensuring that less developed countries have more support in building up their administration of justice, their rule of law, their own capacity in protecting human rights, and that this, then, should also be reflected in better regional approaches, as has been emphasized. Again, I find this a very rich and very practical debate, and I am very pleased indeed to have been able to participate.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“The ability of less developed countries to build their capacity in the administration of justice, rule of law and protection of human rights is vital to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, because if we look at the profile of conflicts, we see that a very significant number of them are in less developed countries; they have roots in poverty; and they have the profile that is reflected in the reports of the Secretary- General.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“Again, I would point to the need not only to understand the importance of violations of human rights as being at the root of conflict, but also building the capacity of countries to address issues of conflict. If I might digress to something slightly different that has been very much in my mind as I have listened to this debate, in Brussels on 14 May we will hold a special conference to focus on less developed countries.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“I believe that this is one of the challenges we face when looking at the protection of civilians in armed conflict. What are the gaps? As I said, we increasingly recognize those gaps in relation to internally displaced persons; those gaps are there. One of the gaps is reflected in the point made by the representative of the Russian Federation in saying that perhaps more account should be taken, in more depth, of each situation of conflict. Sadly, we have seen that addressing issues of conflict and making some progress does not necessarily last, and that countries can fall back into conflict. One of the responsibilities is to ensure that we look deeply enough.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“Again, I think it is a case of a coordinated approach, as has been emphasized by so many contributors to this discussion. The real prevention and embedding of a culture of protection comes from drawing on all components including, obviously, the human rights framework and sector. I also agree with the emphasis on responsibility of the private-sector actors, as I had said. We are increasingly learning of ways to ensure that there is not even indirect complicity in abuses of violations of human rights. The private sector itself is very engaged in looking at this area. Finally, I come back again to the contribution of the representative of Mali. The first point that was made was about this being a very good time for stock- taking and looking at gaps.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“I am certainly very happy to ensure that in any fact-finding that I personally carry out as High Commissioner, or that is carried out by the human rights mechanisms, perhaps more direct ways are found of ensuring that the Security Council gets that information as soon as possible and in the most direct way. If there is a task force established, maybe we could talk about methods of ensuring that that is very automatically and immediately available. I welcomed the emphasis of the representative of Colombia on the need to embed a culture of protection and the role of the Security Council in being a body that brings neutrality and impartiality. He referred to the fact that special envoys should offer specific recommendations, and referred in particular to potential forthcoming opportunities in the Great Lakes area and in Georgia.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“I again refer to the working reality that we are facing of the many gaps that exist in protecting the internally displaced and the important role of the coordinator of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Dennis McNamara, in working with Francis Deng, our Office, refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration and all the other bodies to try to fill those gaps; because it is our assessment that they still are not appropriately filled. I very much welcome the reference to the importance of a human rights component in mandates of the Security Council, and that that would hopefully be a funded component.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“In relation to the contribution of the representative of Ireland, in referring expressly to article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions he in fact reiterated the point I made that there are certain indispensable standards that apply to armed groups. I think that is a way by which it is possible to communicate the important principles and, as has been said, communicate them in local languages and reinforce that they cannot be departed from in any circumstances and that there is a rich jurisprudence in relation to that. The representative of Ireland referred to the important work of Francis Deng and to the guiding principles.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source
“Certainly, that is our experience in the human rights context - namely, that the subregional framework is a very valuable framework for promoting human rights values, sharing good practices and having a much more effective and concerted approach. This seems to be all the more important and all the more worth discussing, in every sense, in the context of the core issue of protection of civilians in armed conflict. I very much agree with the points that he made about the importance of the Moratorium on small arms. I think there are not only measures that can be taken in that context, but experiences that can then be used elsewhere. I think the Security Council could play a very important role by reinforcing the capacity of regional organizations and, then, sharing their good practices and building on that in other regions.”
2001-04-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4312 (2001) · source