YouSaid · the spoken record

Rock

lines on the record: 178
first: 2004-02-26
most recent: 2006-06-28
sittings or episodes: 19
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 Security Council can count on Canada's support and encouragement as we work together to respond to those enormous challenges. (spoke in English) As I will be leaving my post to return to Canada on Friday, this is the last opportunity on which I will have the honour and privilege to address the Council. May I say, in departing, how very much I have appreciated these periodic opportunities to communicate directly to the Council the views and proposals that Canada wishes to put forward with respect to the Council's vital work. Please, Madam President, accept my expressions of gratitude and deep respect, as well as my warmest best wishes to the Council.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“(spoke in French) Member States, including those that are members of the Security Council, must demonstrate their willingness to ensure that populations at risk have access at all times to the greatest protection possible, that perpetrators of abuse are held accountable for their actions and that rights advocacy, monitoring and capacity-building become the watchwords of our efforts. The circumstances in which the protection of civilians must take place are complex and represent a formidable challenge for the United Nations and Governments, but one that can and must be met. The words spoken in this Chamber alone will not make that agenda a reality. Instead, concrete steps and the willingness to make flexible and pragmatic use of all the leverage available to us will enable us to meet our responsibility to vulnerable people and groups.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“Gathering it will be facilitated by the welcome creation of the new standing protection deployment mechanism by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and by the completion, in the coming months, of a standardized civilian protection monitoring and reporting mechanism for use by country teams. Canada has been pleased to contribute to both. Better information will also assist with mission planning, an area where continued improvements by the Secretariat are needed and where cooperation between troop-contributing countries, the United Nations and regional organizations is key.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“Sixthly, we must develop criteria to guide the use of force where diplomatic efforts do not prove successful in preventing gross and systematic violations of human rights and humanitarian law. Lastly, until those criteria on the use of force are adopted, the Council should focus on the design and use of tailored and robust multidimensional mandates for civilian protection where a physical international presence is required, backed up by the necessary means and capabilities and with follow-up on those mandates once they are adopted and missions are in the field. The key to the Council's success in acting early on threats to civilians is its access to good data on what is occurring on the ground. The Secretariat and agencies in the field have a crucial role to play in furnishing that evidence.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“We welcome the emphasis placed by the Council mission to the Sudan on the need for a robust United Nations mandate for Darfur to protect civilians in its discussions with the Government in Khartoum. Fourthly, there must be zero tolerance for impunity as regards the implementation of Security Council decisions. The Council should outline specific actions, with time lines and benchmarks for parties to a conflict, and then monitor their implementation, ready to apply penalties when actions are not taken. Fifthly, there must be strategic use of targeted sanctions to deter attacks on civilians. There must also be enforcement and monitoring of those measures when they are employed.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“While resolution 1674 (2006) was welcome, efforts to advance the subject must continue. Today, Canada would like briefly to look forward and to identify what might be the Council's next steps in strengthening that protection. First, there must be a more proactive response to situations where civilians are at risk, including the use of good offices, envoys, monitoring missions and preventive deployments to act as a deterrent. Secondly, there must be support for humanitarian and human rights agencies through strong and consistent Council resolutions and advocacy, promoting compliance with international law and helping to create an enabling environment. Thirdly, the Council must continue its vital periodic field visits so that it can raise civilian protection issues in the very places where civilians are struggling to survive.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“We were pleased indeed to see the endorsement of the concept of the responsibility to protect. We would like to ensure that the Council maintains its strong support for humanitarian access, which has been a critical issue in northern Uganda, Somalia and Darfur, and that the Council will consider appropriate actions when such access is deliberately obstructed. In addition, consistent with resolution 1296 (1999), we believe that efforts in relation to the question of the security of camps for refugees and internally displaced persons must not be limited only to existing peacekeeping operations. That issue is proving to be a key challenge in Chad, where the Council must consider concretely what can and should be done to address insecurity for the displaced in eastern Chad, as it impacts on Darfur, and of course vice versa.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“In this Chamber, Council members have repeatedly pledged that they and the wider international community will take steps to improve civilian protection, as they did again this April with resolution 1674 (2006). For its part, the Government of Canada will continue to monitor the implementation by the Council of its commitments, including in country-specific contexts, and to support work that enhances Council and wider international efforts to respond appropriately to the needs of civilians who may be at risk. Canada welcomes the Council's intention stated in resolution 1674 (2004), to give priority to civilian protection components in multidimensional peace operations, as well as the Council's strong statements related to the need to address sexual and gender-based violence.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“For those who want to shop or pray or simply go about their daily business, it can mean that they will not be deliberately targeted for terrorist attack. The protection of civilians during and after armed conflict is achieved through a set of actions - tangible and practical. Some of those actions can be provided by one's family and community. But critically, in so far as the Council is concerned, legal and physical protection must be ensured by one's State and, of course, supplemented by the international community as a whole. The Security Council's direct role in the protection of civilians as part of its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security is now well established.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“As members of the Council have seen for themselves during their field visits, on any given day in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Darfur, Colombia or Sri Lanka, Haiti or northern Uganda, protection can mean a world of difference to the men, women and children who are in need of it. It can mean being able to venture beyond their settlements to collect firewood without fear of sexual assault by armed militia. It can mean children being able to sleep with their families at night rather than travelling miles to seek shelter to avoid forced recruitment. It can mean that families can maintain their livelihoods and property because they have not become displaced or dispossessed. For those living in occupied territories, it can mean that their rights under international humanitarian law will be respected.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like first to thank you, Madam, and the Government of Denmark, not only for a very focused and productive presidency during a very busy and challenging month, but also for having brought us here today for this open discussion on a matter of such significance. Canada would also like to thank and acknowledge the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, not only for his briefing today, but also for the consistent and courageous leadership that he has shown on the issue of the protection of civilians throughout his term of office. I know that the members of the Council are aware, perhaps more than anyone else, that the protection of civilians is not an abstract political or legal concept.”
2006-06-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5476 (2006) · source
“I conclude by observing that the rule of law will take hold only if the international community, through the individual and collective efforts of States, is willing to follow through with the consistent implementation of the international legal norms and standards to which we have committed ourselves, many of which found their very birth here at this table. Our commitment must extend beyond our own individual responsibility to implement such norms, to our collective responsibility to assist those developing States that face real, practical challenges in achieving full implementation.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“The international community must have the will to act on the information that is generated by those mechanisms. The rule of law is an essential element in re- establishing effective and stable governance in countries emerging from conflict. It will therefore be among the priorities for the Peacebuilding Commission, which will convene its historic inaugural meeting tomorrow, 23 June. The delegations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand wish to recognize and to salute the crucial role played by the delegations of Denmark and Tanzania in the hard work needed to create the Peacebuilding Commission. We imagine to what extent the inaugural meeting tomorrow must produce feelings of pride and accomplishment for those delegations.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We agree that recent efforts to put in place due-process guarantees, including those related to the listing and delisting of individuals, are essential to the credibility of targeted sanctions regimes. We also commend the Council's attention to the guidelines developed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the humanitarian impact of sanctions. At the same time, we contend that sanctions must be monitored and implemented effectively. The international community must know more about the trade in natural resources that fuels conflicts, and about the trafficking, financing and transportation of weapons in violation of arms embargoes. It is our View that, to that end, expert panels and other monitoring mechanisms should be improved and strengthened.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“We are also grateful to the Governments of Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone for their cooperation, thanks to which Charles Taylor will appear before the Special Court for Sierra Leone; to the Government of the Netherlands for its agreement to host the trial; and to the Government of the United Kingdom for agreeing, subject to the approval of its Parliament, to allow Charles Taylor serve his sentence on its territory in the event he is convicted. (spoke in English) The delegations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand support efficient and effective sanctions regimes that are appropriately targeted at individuals and groups whose actions should be subject thereto.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“The delegations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand are proud to have taken a leading role in establishing and supporting responsible and fair mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court, to ensure individual accountability for such crimes. But the Security Council also has an important role to play in efforts to end the cycle of impunity. We welcome the action taken by the Security Council last week to facilitate the request of the Special Court for Sierra Leone to have Charles Taylor's trial transferred to The Hague.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Canada, Australia and New Zealand believe that the Council, having endorsed the concept of the responsibility to protect, must put that concept into credible and consistent practice. The Council must be 7 timely in its engagement and vigilant in its monitoring, and it must have the political will, when non-coercive options are inadequate, to have full recourse to its Article 42 powers, in order to provide protection to civilian populations at grave risk. Where the Council authorizes such action, we believe it should ensure that any operation is designed to maximize the prospects of success and that the use of military force is proportional to the threat. (spoke in French) We also believe that, in order to establish lasting peace in any conflict, it is important to bring to justice the perpetrators of serious international crimes.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Nowhere is the discrepancy between law and implementation and between words and action more regrettable than when it comes to the suffering of civilian populations. Our heads of State or Government recently took a step to narrow that discrepancy and to fill a critical normative gap in international law on the need to protect civilian populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, when they adopted the concept of the "responsibility to protect at the world summit last September. The Security Council has followed up by adopting by consensus resolution 1674 (2006), on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, the first explicit Security Council endorsement of the responsibility to protect.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“I am pleased today to be speaking on behalf of the delegations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We welcome the opportunity to speak on the issue of strengthening international law. We are grateful to the Danish presidency of the Council for having chosen this topic as the theme for today's meeting. As reaffirmed by the Millennium Declaration (General Assembly resolution 55/2), the rule of law is of course the essential framework for advancing human security and prosperity around the world, and it forms the basis for relations among States. The rule of law requires not only the elaboration of obligations but also their implementation. As the Secretary-General noted in his report entitled "In larger freedom" (A/59/2005), without implementation our declarations ring hollow.”
2006-06-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5474Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Canada commits today that it will continue to cooperate with Haiti as an equal partner by fully respecting its Constitution, its culture and its diversity. We stress the need to work with a united Haitian people, moving towards true national reconciliation, and with national authorities who are politically inclusive and committed to working democratically towards political, economic and social development. The recent successes are encouraging for the future. Delays in other areas show the distance we have yet to travel. We must move ahead in partnership with the Haitian people, and that is why, despite the extent of the challenge Canada remains clear-sighted yet confident and determined to contribute to Haiti's development.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Future success will depend on MINUSTAH and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations continuing to reconcile the legitimacy of their presence and a United Nations Charter mandate with tighter coordination with all of the donors through the Interim Cooperation Framework mechanism and its sectoral issue tables. This will ensure the partnership of the Haitian authorities, optimize the various areas of expertise and consolidate international action. Future work in the fundamental and sensitive sectors of justice and security will also require that we be more sensitive to local realities. Canada hopes that the spirit of cooperation between the people of Haiti and the international community will increase in the coming months and years. The reforms ahead are going to take a lot of work.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“These reforms and the re-establishment of the rule of law in general are in line with a vision of sustainable development. They are also vital if some major human rights problems in Haiti are to be resolved. We must also stress the importance of including a gender-equality component once these reforms are developed and implemented. (spoke in English) Canada wants to congratulate all those who have demonstrated the flexibility and the commitment that will be required to fulfil the various responsibilities to be faced, given the enormous, indeed the colossal, challenges brought on by the instability that has prevailed in Haiti over the past few years.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Consequently, Canada will help in the preparations for each of these steps and ensure they are successful. For the moment, let us turn our attention to the short-term challenges upon which both Haiti and the international community agree. First, it is vital that the second round of elections be held on the scheduled date - 21 April 2006 - so the new Government can take office. It is also of utmost importance that local and municipal elections then be held quickly. Furthermore, comprehensive reform of the Haitian national police must be undertaken, as mentioned in Security Council resolution 1608 (2005). To ensure success, all parties involved must have a common strategic vision and a political will to move forward on policing and to properly begin the even more complex work of reforming the legal system.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“These include the second ballot of the parliamentary elections, the accession to office of the new President and his Government, and local and municipal elections. The renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) next August is yet another important step, this time in terms of what form the United Nations presence in Haiti will take after the elections. Various development initiatives coordinated by the Interim Cooperation Framework and developed in the medium term as part of a national poverty reduction strategy will also be implemented so as to mitigate the leading causes of insecurity and instability in Haiti. Completing these steps will solidify the success of the political transition and lay the foundations for sustainable development in Haiti.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“His ongoing dialogue with all Haitian politicians and his efforts to mobilize the international community have contributed enormously to laying the foundation for a constructive relationship between Haiti and the international community. Mr. President, the fact that you have initiated this debate on behalf of Argentina reminds us that there is a regional aspect to and regional solidarity with Haiti. This is imperative to the success of international efforts in Haiti. Therefore, we must ensure that there is full partnership with the Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community in the international community's involvement in Haiti. This Council meeting is being held at a time when there are still several crucial steps on the horizon for Haiti.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“Mr. Rock (Canada) (spoke in French): Allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this open debate on Haiti. We hail it as an indication that Haiti is on the international community's priority agenda, and it must remain there. I wish also to note the presence of President-elect Rene Preval among us and to congratulate him on his election victory. We wish him the best of luck in carrying out the important mandate that the Haitian people have confided to him. Allow me also to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Juan Gabriel Valdes, for his admirable work in Haiti in recent years.”
2006-03-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5397Resumption1 (2006) · source
“The work of the Secretary-General, the work of DPKO, the recommendations of OIOS, the work of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping and the endeavours of troop-contributing countries over the past year have shown that, when we are mobilized, change can take place. That change must continue, because sexual and gender-based violence continues to threaten women's human rights and sustainable peace and security. Our rapid and effective action has never been more critically needed. Let us therefore commit ourselves anew to vigorous and focused action, so that we can protect those in vulnerable situations from abuse and exploitation and restore the reputation of the United Nations, and of all who represent it, for integrity and for honourable behaviour.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“For our part, Canada will ensure that the military, police and civilian personnel sent by our Government on United Nations missions are well trained, professional and fully aware of their responsibilities and of the codes of conduct. We know that all countries represented in this Chamber share the same objective: to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We will achieve that goal only if all troop-contributing countries ensure that the highest training standards are followed. We have heard time and time again of the so- called wall of silence with which Prince Zeid and his team have been met when broaching the topic of sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions. This wall of silence has kept many abuse cases from being investigated.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“We encourage the Committee to support the initiative of national investigation officers put forward by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), including the methodology for strong, direct and transparent action, while ensuring that national judicial processes are respected. We believe that it is imperative that early advice be given to a Member State when an allegation has been made against one or more of its personnel so that swift and effective action can be taken to investigate the allegation and to punish those convicted of these crimes. We are confident that the Special Committee will provide further options to implement the Secretary-General's policy and Prince Zeid's insightful report.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“As Under-Secretary-General Jean-Marie Guehenno stated this past October during the Council's open debate on resolution 1325 (2000), "Beyond pointing to a series of systemic weaknesses that account for such gross misconduct, [the] problem [of sexual exploitation and abuse] should be a wake-up call for all of us to attach even more importance to incorporating a gender perspective into our work". (S/PV.5294, p. 5) Canada would add that we must also closely examine how we can collectively agree on further implementation mechanisms - which may take a little longer to fully develop - and on how best we can support them. We strongly support the continued work of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations on this important issue at its upcoming session.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“We welcome the excellent and comprehensive report (A/59/710) delivered by our colleague the Permanent Representative of Jordan, Prince Zeid, a report that is a tangible demonstration of the desire of the United Nations to proactively follow through on the Secretary-General's commitment on this very issue. As a follow-up to Prince Zeid's report, DPKO has proposed a number of measures, including in particular: the requirement that public information campaigns be undertaken to combat the culture of acceptance which has developed in peacekeeping missions; and the furnishing of support to the empowerment of local women and girls. That latter recommendation is critical if those women and girls are to be in a position to protect themselves from sexual exploitation and to seek redress when it occurs.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“As of October 2005, more than 221 suspects from among peacekeeping forces had been investigated, 10 civilians had been fired and more than 88 uniformed personnel had been repatriated. The establishment of conduct and discipline units in some peacekeeping missions and at United Nations Headquarters is a very positive development. But the policy and the measures taken by the Secretary- General will succeed only if we, as Member States, take appropriate steps to ensure that our personnel deployed on peace operations are appropriately trained and are held to the highest standards of conduct and discipline. We look forward to the day when troop- contributing countries incorporate training on sexual exploitation and abuse in their pre-deployment training programmes.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“And although these crimes are committed by a small number of individuals, their abuse taints the loyal and professional service of our valiant United Nations peacekeepers, who daily put their lives at risk for others. (spoke in English) Over the past year, the Secretary-General and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) have made considerable efforts to ensure that progress is made on the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Canada strongly supports the measures taken by the Secretary- General to implement a policy of zero tolerance for sexual and gender-based violence. Significant steps have now been taken to bring alleged abusers to account.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“Mr. Rock (Canada) (spoke in French): Canada welcomes the opportunity to speak on this important subject. This debate demonstrates how seriously the United Nations and its Member States take the issue of sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping missions. While we consider primary consideration of the issue should remain with the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, where it most is appropriately carried out, we agree that the Security Council should be seized of this issue, and in that regard we welcome today's debate. Sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions is among the most appalling forms of breach of trust. It diminishes us all. It undermines the United Nations as an institution. It causes incalculable harm to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.”
2006-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5379 (2006) · source
“We would also like to see the Council commit itself to strengthening its enforcement and monitoring mechanisms on arms embargoes and other targeted sanctions. In that regard, it is important that a new resolution should endorse the guidelines developed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the humanitarian impact of sanctions regimes. In conclusion, we strongly urge the Council to adopt a stronger resolution that goes beyond what we achieved five years ago and that focuses not on narrow national priorities but on the needs of populations affected by conflict. We are aware that we have made very significant demands of the Council and the entire international community in our statement today. Our respective countries are resolutely committed to contributing to the collective success of our efforts.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“We call on all countries that have not done so to ratify the Convention without delay and to sign and ratify the optional protocol to bring it into force. But pending its entry into force, we call on the Council to make the exceptional risk declarations in situations where doing so is justified. (spoke in French) As we have stated on previous occasions, we would like a new Security Council resolution to address other issues as well. Those include support for greater cooperation between the Council and regional organizations dealing with the protection of civilians; issues relating to disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; more pro-active engagement on the issue of natural resources and conflict; and reinforcement of the fundamental importance of access to humanitarian aid.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“Our delegations encourage the Council to draw upon that option. Identifying ways to improve the protection of displaced persons in northern Uganda is a specific case the Council must urgently explore, as more must be done politically to address the tragic cycle of displacement and violence. The deteriorating situation in northern Uganda has also resulted in an upswing in attacks on aid workers, not unlike other crises currently on the Council's agenda, such as Darfur. Neither the Council nor the General Assembly has ever declared that an exceptional risk exists in a given country. Thus our delegations warmly welcome the agreement on an optional protocol to the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which will lead to greater legal protections for United Nations and associated personnel.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“The workshop also reinforced the need for national Governments, United Nations agencies and troop-contributing countries to develop strategies to prevent and respond to instances of sexual and gender- based violence while the Council considers how peacekeeping missions can enhance the physical security of women and children at risk. While the Council has increasingly been attentive to the needs of the displaced, we wish to emphasize that such attention must go from words to deeds. In its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 1208 (1998) and 1296 (2000), the Council noted the value of technical cooperation in support of host countries in instances where refugees and internally displaced persons are threatened by combatants. We regret that the Council has not yet promoted such efforts in a specific context.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“Indeed, in a workshop hosted by Canada last week on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) with members of the Council, the Deputy Force Commander in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in MONUC, it became clear that greater attention has to be given to ensuring that missions can focus on their protection-of- civilians tasks without being overburdened with multiple other responsibilities, and that training programmes should be developed to help troops and police better understand what it means to participate in a civilian-protection mission.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“We also call on the Council to make greater use of its power to refer situations to the International Criminal Court and to make every effort in organizing its work so that such issues do not become the basis for political controversy. Clearly, accurate information is essential to assist the Council in that regard. The Secretariat must move quickly to improve its reporting, as promised by Mr. Egeland last December and as noted in paragraphs 50 to 52 of the report of the Secretary-General. We would also like to see the implementation of existing protection-of-civilian mandates more systematically monitored by the Security Council and the Secretariat. The aim must surely be to consistently draw lessons and good practices and to improve our collective effectiveness.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“This is why our leaders made a strong commitment at the world summit to respond, through the Council, to fulfil the collective responsibility to protect. As such, we urge Council members to take up the mandate conferred by the world leaders, especially as the Council looks to adopt a new resolution on civilian protection. Our delegations believe that a resolution should not only reinforce the Council's commitments under resolution 1265 (1999), but should also further clarify the Council's resolve to act, including through enforcement action under Chapter VII, in response to serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, should peaceful means be inadequate and should national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“In resolution 1265 (1999) the Council committed itself to respond to situations where civilians were being targeted or where assistance to them was deliberately obstructed. Our delegations firmly believe that, where such a response is justified, the Council's engagement must be timely, its monitoring must be vigilant and its political will must be sustained so that it can draw upon the full range of measures at its disposal in support of civilian protection, including, ultimately and as a last resort, the use of force where diplomatic efforts have proven futile and where States are not able to meet and discharge their responsibility to protect their own populations. Indeed, the United Nations Charter confers on the Council the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“But on the other side of the coin, the Council remains reluctant to engage in countries where we believe there are good reasons for the Council's involvement. That reticence is frustrating to those of us who wish to see greater use of preventive diplomacy. What is more, when the Council does indeed engage and where troops have been deployed, the Council and the United Nations membership as a whole sometimes fail to ensure that missions are adequately equipped and resourced to fulfil their assigned tasks. We are concerned as well that the Council has been inconsistent in the messages it has sent in response to war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as in the monitoring and enforcement of its own resolutions. The continued impunity of militias in Darfur is a serious challenge to Council credibility.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“And so, five years on, how should we assess the work of the Council? Our delegations would respectfully observe that there are areas in which the Council must do more. On the one hand, the Council has made significant strides to build and strengthen the repertoire of actions that it can take in support of civilian protection. Peacekeeping missions have been given express mandates to use force when civilians are under attack. Targeted sanctions have been applied which take into account humanitarian considerations. Fact-finding missions to regions of interest have been undertaken. The Council has made a referral of a particular case to the International Criminal Court (ICC). And greater emphasis has been placed on issues related to humanitarian access.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“Impunity for violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including acts of sexual and gender- based violence, are leaving a painful legacy for war- torn societies to manage. In some instances, such as in northern Uganda, there is an urgent need for Council action. Once again, we call on the Council to place northern Uganda on its agenda. I note the recommendation in that regard by Jan Egeland in his presentation this morning. Security Council resolution 1296 (2000) and its companion text, resolution 1265 (1999), ushered in a new and important Council idiom. In each, emphasis was placed on addressing the legal and physical protection needs of civilians in international peace and security deliberations, and on the commitment of the Council to ensure that those issues are at the forefront of its decision-making and of its action.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“I have the honour today to speak on behalf of Australia and New Zealand as well as Canada. I thank members of the Council, and in particular the United Kingdom, for convening this open meeting on the protection of civilians. May I first express our strong support for the statements made and the positions advanced by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, and by the Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jacques Forster. The Secretary-General's report (S/2005/740) effectively outlines the main trends in civilian protection. It makes sadly evident to us all that the picture presented is a grim one. The deliberate death and displacement of civilians remains an active aim of combatants in a significant number of conflicts.”
2005-12-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5319 (2005) · source
“We therefore strongly encourage more open cooperation with civil society and look forward to working in coming months for the more extensive participation of civil society in United Nations conflict prevention efforts.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“Finally, as we move to implement the outcome of last week's summit through the establishment of both the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, we need to ensure that their structures and mandates permit them access to the most relevant and timely information and expertise available on country situations, including that provided by civil society organizations in the field. By involving civil society from the start we can be sure that our efforts will be based on valid information and be mutually supportive. In conclusion, Canada strongly believes that civil society organizations are not only the eyes and ears of the international community on the ground but also our collective conscience.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“That approach could lead to the Council's timely consideration of those issues and a more rapid and effective Council response. Secondly, monitoring and reporting mechanisms that are in place for specific situations should clearly identify the mechanisms through which civil society groups can channel information to the Security Council for consideration or intervention. An excellent example of that is the recent adoption of Council resolution 1612 (2005), which establishes a monitoring and reporting mechanism for children in armed conflict and expressly includes the participation of the relevant civil society organizations. The Council should consider applying that model in other areas of its activity.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source
“(spoke in French) Today, I would like to focus on three of the more concrete ways in which we can collectively move ahead in the coming months to better incorporate civil society organizations and maximize our effectiveness in that regard. First, the Council has already begun to avail itself more frequently of civil society expertise and information through the Arria - formula mechanism. We welcome that but would strongly urge the Council to deepen that trend. For example, it could consider a more proactive use of informal meetings and broad consultations with civil society groups, not only to gather information on situations already of interest but also to allow groups to sound the alarm on newly emerging conflicts and issues of concern.”
2005-09-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5264 (2005) · source