YouSaid · the spoken record

Rooijmans

lines on the record
8
first
2016-01-19
most recent
2016-01-19
sittings or episodes
1
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “Just yesterday, a Syrian woman sent me this message: "There is nothing dignified in what is happening to my family and my friends right now, except that we are still here and have not given up". Her resilience is enormous. However, she and all those in conflict-affected countries, need concrete measures. It is action that we need now more than ever.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  2. “In fact, many of the elements that are needed to protect civilians have already been agreed, whether it is international humanitarian law, the Arms Trade Treaty, Security Council resolutions condemning violations in Syria, the women and peace and security agenda, or peacekeeping mission mandates. A critical missing piece is implementation, the action that world leaders need to take to turn the rhetoric into reality. Without the follow-through by the Security Council and by Member States, resolutions and agreements ring hollow and civilians such as Rabab feel abandoned 4 and rightly so. We must also continue to find opportunities for civilian voices to be heard by those in power: at Arria Formula meetings, when the Security Council visits conflict-affected countries, and here in this very Council Chamber.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  3. “Peace operations must also take a more people-centred approach, as recommended by both the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (S/2015/446) and the Secretary-General's action plan. For this people-centredness to become a reality, a fundamental transformation in terms of approach, action and culture needs to happen. A critical element thereof is engagement with communities, in particular with the women, in a safe and respectful manner. A people-centred approach in peace operations also means employing more women, in particular among uniformed staff - that rate currently stands at a poor 4 per cent - and in leadership positions.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  4. “Adhering to this Treaty means that Member States make all arms transfers subject to observance of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Failure to protect civilians has forced nearly 60 million people to flee their homes, more than at any other time since the Second World War, often taking risky and at times fatal routes as they search for safety. All countries have commitments under international law to provide assistance and protection to those seeking asylum, no matter where they are coming from. Where there are peacekeeping missions to protect civilians, troop- and police-contributing countries must fully subscribe to and implement their mandate, and be willing and allowed to act, and use force if need be, in the face of threats to civilians.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  5. “We urge parties to conflicts to refrain from bombing or shelling populated areas. Member States should support the process under way to negotiate an international instrument to clarify international humanitarian law with regard to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. We cannot reiterate often enough the importance of prevention. When civilians face violence, such as in Burundi currently, it is critical that the Security Council act upon the early warnings in a timely manner. The Security Council must implement the resolutions that already exist. On Syria, for example, it has condemned indiscriminate attacks, besiegement and deliberate blocks to life-saving assistance; it must now ensure that these demands are heeded. World leaders must also implement the Arms Trade Treaty.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  6. “In South Sudan, deadly fighting has left tens of thousands dead, more than 2 million people displaced and even more going severely hungry. At the same time, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan is facing difficulties in implementing its mandate of protecting civilians across the country. These are just three of the many places around the world where civilians are under threat, trapped in conflict every day. Let us keep those civilians at heart and in the forefront of our minds today as we discuss protection and as we find ways together to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality, and between what the international community has already committed to doing and what is actually happening. Let me share a few examples. World leaders must recommit to upholding international humanitarian law.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  7. “Some 14.4 million people are food insecure, and this is not because of natural circumstances but because of the fighting and insecurity. Rabab, a 33-year-old woman who now lives in Amran with her eight children, told Oxfam recently: "Our kids are scared, we are tired and homeless and we keep moving without knowing where we will end up. We need the foreign Governments that are supporting this war to work together to end it. Enough blood! Innocent people are dying daily, and for what? In the name of what, exactly?" In Syria, every month, every day, there are reports of more barrel bombs and mortar and missile attacks, and of starving civilians in besieged towns. Close to 300,000 people have been killed since 2011, and more than half of the population have fled their homes.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source

  8. “Ms. Rooijmans: This meeting today is an extremely important one, as it serves as a way for the Security Council - and the global community - to take stock of their performance on the protection of civilians. Sadly, the report card is bleak. I speak today on behalf of Oxfam, a humanitarian and development organization. Two out of every three women, men, and children we work with are affected by violence and conflict, and the protection of civilians is at the heart of our mission. In our experience, what people we work with call for is not just relief; it is protection. Yet every day - from Yemen to South Sudan - we witness the failure to protect civilians and its human impact. Yemen, for example, has seen more than 8,000 civilian casualties since the start of the conflict.”

    2016-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7606 (2016) · source