YouSaid · the spoken record

Rycroft

lines on the record: 1,262
first: 2015-05-12
most recent: 2018-01-10
sittings or episodes: 197
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

“He hid for days before being interrogated and imprisoned by the authorities for two years on suspicion of being a member of Boko Haram. Most of his friends had already been killed. I saw that cost in the eyes of a woman crying with her baby in her arms. I saw it in others who spoke of the murder of their husbands or sons, the kidnapping of their daughters, the burning of their homes. We heard from civil society how women were selling their bodies for sex just to eat. All these people brought home the horrifying consequences of the chaos and insecurity wrought by Boko Haram. I hope that together we brought some much-needed focus to the suffering, which been neglected for too long.”
2017-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7894 (2017) · source
“But before I do so, I would like to thank, on behalf of all of us, the Governments of Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Nigeria, as well as the United Nations, for having made this visit possible. I wish also to thank all Council members for making the most of the visit and an ambitious programme and for keeping up with it. IfI had been talking to the Council about security in the Lake Chad basin a week ago, I would have spoken about the statistics - the numbers: 20,000 people killed and 2.3 million currently displaced. What I could not have done was tell Council members their stories, the lives behind these numbers, the human cost of the fragile security situation. Last Friday, in Maroua, in northern Cameroon, with my colleagues, I saw that cost in the eyes of a 15-year- old boy whose village had been attacked by Boko Haram.”
2017-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7894 (2017) · source
“At this meeting, the Security Council will hear briefings by the three co-leads of the Security Council mission to the countries of the Lake Chad basin - Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Nigeria - namely, France, Senegal and the United Kingdom. The Deputy Secretary-General will then brief us on the actions that the United Nations is taking to address the security, humanitarian and development crises in the region. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom on the Council's visit. As co-lead for the Council's visit to the Lake Chad basin, I would like to focus my remarks this morning on the security situation, and my colleagues the other co-leads will tackle the other two big themes of our visit, which is the humanitarian and the longer-term development and root causes.”
2017-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7894 (2017) · source
“Amina Mohammed, who is taking part in our formal meeting today for the first time in her new capacity. She is very, very welcome. Also, as this is the first public meeting of our presidency, I should like to remind Council members and briefers that we will be using the red flashing light system to encourage all speakers to keep to time. When the light flashes, that is a sign to stop, not an encouragement to keep going. For all Member States, the light will begin to flash after five minutes, and for today's briefers, the light will flash after 10 minutes. For each meeting, we intend that the total amount of briefing time should not exceed 30 minutes. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2017-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7894 (2017) · source
“As this is the first formal meeting of the Council for the month of March, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on our collective behalf, to Volodymyr Yelchenko and his excellent team for their service in the presidency of the Security Council for the month of February. I speak for all of us, I am sure, in expressing our deep appreciation to Volodymyr and his delegation for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council's business last month. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. Security Council mission Briefing by Security Council mission to the Lake Chad basin region (2 to 7 March 2017) The President: On behalf of the members of the Security Council, I should like to pay a particularly warm welcome to the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms.”
2017-03-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7894 (2017) · source
“That includes the international, impartial and independent mechanism for Syria agreed on by the General Assembly last year. We must be able to demonstrate that the international system works and that we are able to bring those responsible for using chemical weapons to account. Anything less is not an option.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“Without a clear response to those flagrant abuses of international law, the Al-Assad regime is only going to be emboldened to preserve its chemical weapon capabilities and continue to use them. We should all be concerned about the reports of further use of chemical weapons in Syria, most recently in Aleppo and eastern Hama last year. In response to today's vetoes, Da'esh, too, will surely only be encouraged to continue using chemical weapons - something that Russia claims to oppose. And the longer-term credibility and utility of the Chemical Weapons Convention will also suffer. But the United Kingdom will not let Russia's actions today stop us from working with international partners to see justice done for the victims and to prevent the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“It undermines the confidence and trust of the ordinary Syrians affected by these horrific attacks, and that is no way to build the right conditions for successful political talks. Despite Russia and China's actions, I would like to reiterate our thanks to the JIM. for its work, and to the international partners who helped it. Because of that tireless work, we know without doubt that the Al-Assad regime and Da'esh used toxic chemicals as weapons against civilians in Syria. Those responsible for such attacks remain free and unpunished to this day. Today we had a chance to step up and begin to end that impunity. Instead, Russia and China have let down the people of Marea, Talmenes, Sarmin and Qmenas, and the wider international community that seeks justice for those horrific attacks.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“Russia will claim that we should be focusing on the use of chemical weapons by Da'esh. But we already have robust and comprehensive measures in place to combat Da'esh. Today's draft resolution would have reaffirmed our commitment to those measures and reiterated our condemnation of Da'esh. Russia will say that supporting this draft resolution would disrupt the Syrian political process. That is simply not true. The United Kingdom remains committed to working with Russia and everyone else, through the United Nations, to help the Syrian people reach a lasting political settlement. But not taking action against the use of chemical weapons undermines confidence in the international community's ability to tackle flagrant violations of international law.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“The Russians will say that this draft resolution was based on weak or flawed evidence, but the JIM. was a fully independent United Nations mechanism that Russia created. Russia agreed to the methodology that the JIM. would apply, and yet when it came up with an answer that Russia did not like, all of a sudden there was a problem. Russia's answer is that Syria should conduct its own investigation. The idea that the guilty party should investigate itself is absurd, and it is clearly on record that the Syrian regime has obstructed the JIM. investigation. Russia will claim that the JIM. does not meet a legal standard of evidence, but it was never intended to. As we all agreed, in resolution 2235 (2015), it was meant to examine the available evidence in an impartial manner and come to a conclusion.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“But instead of backing the draft resolution, we have seen yet again that Russia is prepared to abuse its veto power to stand by a regime that has no regard for its own people, that has no regard for the basic rules of war or international treaties, a regime that has indiscriminately bombed and besieged its own people, a regime that has turned chemical weapons on its own population, killing 6-year-old children like Mohammad. This is Russia's seventh veto on the subject of Syria in five years. What further evidence do we need that Russia will always prioritize the Al-Assad regime over the protection of the Syrian people? Today we have learned that they will plunge to new depths, that they would rather cover up for Al-Assad than prevent the further use and proliferation of chemical weapons.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“In resolution 2118 (2013) we all agreed - Russia and China included - that any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic would lead to the Security Council imposing measures under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. Thanks to those vetoes today, we have failed to do so. This was not a political text. It was a technical draft resolution in response to an impartial and factual report by the Security Council-mandated United Nations- Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). It was a report we all called for. It was an investigation we all supported.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“I am appalled that Russia vetoed today's draft resolution (S/2017/172), and I am surprised and disappointed that China chose to join it, at complete odds with the principles of non-proliferation that both China and Russia claim to support so strongly. As permanent members of the Security Council and as parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia and China have a clear responsibility to take action against the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. By vetoing the draft resolution today they have undermined the credibility of the Security Council and of the international rules preventing the use of these barbaric weapons.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“It is about taking a stand when civilians are maimed and murdered with toxic weapons - weapons used in complete disregard for the international rules and norms that we all claim to uphold. Therefore, in a moment, when we are asked to vote on this draft resolution (S/2017/ 172), I hope that all members of the Council will lift their hands in favour of this text, and do so with Mohammed in their minds.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“His lungs were crackling. His heartbeat and breathing stopped. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was performed, but all attempts to revive him failed. Mohammad died at two o'clock. He was six years old. Mohammed is why we are here today. We are here in the Chamber to begin to bring justice for him, for his family and for the hundreds, if not thousands, of other Syrians whose stories are all too similar to his own. This is not about politics. At its core this is not really about the Joint Investigative Mechanism or about the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - respectively, the JIM. and the OPCW, but forget the acronyms. This is not even about Syria. This is about taking a stand when children are poisoned. It is that simple.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“The Security Council is about to be asked a simple question: Will we take action against those who use chemical weapons in Syria? It is that simple. Will we take action on behalf of those whose lives have been destroyed by these senseless weapons? Will we take action for people like Mohammed Abdul-Razzuk Alhashash? Thanks to the testimony of those on the ground, we know that Mohammed was admitted to hospital at 1.30 p.m. on 21 April 2014. A couple of hours earlier, a Syrian regime helicopter had dropped two containers on his home town of Talmenes, exposing him and many others to a yellow toxic gas. After the attack, Mohammed was unable to breathe. He lost consciousness. On arrival at hospital he was intubated under mechanical ventilation. His face went red. Pink foam poured from his mouth. His pupils were dilated.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7893 (2017) · source
“I hope that gives an idea of some of the highlights - both of this month and next month - in terms of how we have been working closely together. There is one final part of the British presidency in March that I wanted to mention - the open debate to be held here on 14 March on modern slavery. That speaks to the point made by our Chinese colleague on understanding the root causes, getting underneath the skin of issues, and trying to find the link between development issues and security issues. The scourge of modern slavery is a good example of an issue that touches on a very wide range of other issues of concern to the Security Council, and is absolutely a threat to international peace and security. I would like to thank everyone for the good wishes for next month. I look forward to working with everyone and carrying on Mr.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“As I said, that was one of the things that made the Gambian example a positive one, and it is one of the things that we are seeking to do in South Sudan. I would also like to mention Somalia. In March the United Kingdom will be hearing from representatives of both the United Nations and the African Union about progress in that country. And, of course, tomorrow night, we will be setting off on a visit to the Lake Chad Basin to have a look at four countries: Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Nigeria, where there are a whole set of factors - political, security, governance, terrorism, environmental and surely many others - that we need to re-examine, working in concert with our colleagues from the African Union.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“We will be holding a high-level briefing on that issue on 23 March. In February, we have also heard about the worrying scale of violence against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is another example of an area where preventing things from getting worse should absolutely be at the top of the Council's list of priorities. In that regard, it is vital that those who are responsible for such violence be held accountable for it, and that we see progress in the political process. We look forward to considering those issues further during the British presidency. In all of these issues related to the continent of Africa, cooperation with the African Union and subregional bodies will be absolutely crucial.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“The Gambia provides a good example from January, wherein the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States all came together in a highly effective way to prevent a conflict there. On the other hand, in February we have heard that the situation in South Sudan has got even worse and that, on top of the political complexity of that country and the risk of genocide, there is now a certified famine - only the second famine anywhere in the world to have been declared since the year 2000. One hundred thousand people are starving in South Sudan, and 1 million are on the brink of famine. So, building on the work of this month, I think we need to do even more next month to ensure the Security Council is doing its utmost to support the efforts of the Secretary-General to bring peace to South Sudan.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“In addition to our working methods, I would also like to say a few words about what we do and the content of our work, and to look both backward to February and forward to the British presidency in March. The overarching theme for next month will be preventing conflicts in Africa. That is something on which the incoming Secretary-General has placed significant focus. I strongly agree with him that prevention is better than the cure, and that investing upstream before things worsen is a good thing to do in terms of time, energy, effort and resources, all in the pursuit of saving lives and preventing threats to international peace and security from spiralling out of control. We have already had both good and bad examples of that in 2017.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“You have also made sure that we were focused on action and that, in particular, some sort of action came of our conversations in the closed consultations room, whether that was a bilateral meeting between you and the Permanent Representative of a country that we had been discussing, press elements or press statements. Very clearly, pursuing an action-oriented approach is something the United Kingdom would like to follow as well. Moreover, I think you did a good job of bringing difficult and at times divisive issues to our attention, including the conflicts in Europe, from which your country is suffering most particularly. The manner in which you did that was highly effective, and I congratulate you and your team.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“I will remember February 2017 as the month in which my friend and colleague, Vitaly Churkin, passed away. I wish to once again pass on my condolences to the Russian team and to his family. February was also a month in which Ukraine did an excellentjob presiding over the Security Council, and I want to commend you, Mr. President, and your team, for the way in which you did that. I think a number of the workingmethodsthatyouinstigatedshouldbe continued. For example, your efforts to ensure the transparency of our work have been very effective. And, in response to the question posed by the representative of France, your involvement of civil society has been noteworthy, and something that the United Kingdom will continue next month.”
2017-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7892 (2017) · source
“We are also pleased that our Ambassador to the OSCE is chairing the OSCE Human Dimension Committee this year and working closely with the Austrian chairship. In conclusion, events in eastern Ukraine have reinforced just how important the OSCE is to international cooperation. The work being done there is vital to the beleaguered residents of Marinka and to all Ukrainians in the eastern part of the country. Sadly, events in Ukraine highlight the threats that countries in the OSCE area, and the rule-based system as a whole, continue to face. If we are to respond to them effectively, we must continue to strengthen the OSCE, and with it the Security Council's cooperation.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“Those issues include the protracted conflicts in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Nagorno Karabakh. We also value the vital role that the OSCE plays in risk reduction in the region, and we welcome the launch of the structured dialogue. We support the Chairperson-in-Office's focus on youth and radicalization, where the OSCE, with its cross-dimensional approach to security, can add real value. If the OSCE is to respond to those and other challenges, we must also continue to strengthen it. One way to do that is through strong appointments, and I am pleased that the United Kingdom has put forward an excellent candidate for the post of OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, in a sign of our continued commitment to the organization.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“As we heard yesterday, the long-term solution to the situation in eastern Ukraine requires Russia to end its destabilizing activities in the region, comply with its commitments under the Minsk agreements, withdraw its weapons and personnel, use its considerable influence over the separatists to bring an end to the killing and return Crimea to its rightful place as part of Ukraine. That is the only meaningful path to long-term peace in Ukraine, and until it is taken, the sanctions against Russia must remain in place. Beyond Ukraine, we should not lose sight of the Council's need to work closely with the Austrian chairmanship of the OSCE in resolving other issues affecting the region and in helping to protect fundamental rights and freedoms.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“It is thanks to them that we know that ceasefire violations have already reached record highs this year. It is unacceptable that the Mission continues to be fired on and face restrictions on its access. Such actions, so often perpetrated by the separatists, only fuel suspicions that they are concealing activity that is at odds with the Minsk agreements. I hope, therefore, that we can all be clear today that aggression towards monitors must stop and that the Mission must be given unrestricted access to all of Ukraine, including the disengagement areas and those parts of the border with Russia that are not under Ukraine's control.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“Residents there speak of daily sniper fire and shelling, and the daily scramble for shelter. For nearly three years, they have survived Without gas supplies in the face of plummeting temperatures every winter. Those are the consequences of Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. That is what happens when the rule-based system is attacked. We cannot allow it to become the new normal, and we must use all the tools at our disposal in response. The OSCE has a critical role to play, and I would particularly like to commend the role of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, working tirelessly under the able direction of Chief Monitor Apakan. It is thanks to the bravery of the OSCE's monitors that we know what is going on in places like Marinka.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“I would like to welcome Foreign Minister Kurz to the Security Council and thank him for his briefing today. His chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), together with Austria's hosting of the OSCE, as well as parts ofthe United Nations, showsjust how central his country is to international cooperation and the rule-based system. Sadly, as we heard here yesterday (see S/PV.7886), the rule-based system is under threat. It is a threat that we talk about often in this Chamber, but to the residents of cities such as Marinka, in Ukraine, that threat is a horrifying daily reality. For the past three years, the people there have lived in fear, subject to the daily unrelenting dangers that have become the norm on the front line in eastern Ukraine.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7887 (2017) · source
“Three years since the Maidan protests, we speak clearly in this Chamber today to reaffirm our total support for principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty as outlined in the United Nations Charter and the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Final Act. We speak clearly to say that we do and will not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea. I am proud to do so again today on behalf of the United Kingdom.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“Our own security has long depended on the strong partnerships of the Euro-Atlantic area, and we are therefore committed to strengthening those partnerships further, including by maintaining the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of our economy on defence. I strongly encourage all NATO allies to meet that target. NATO has responded in a coherent, comprehensive and measured fashion to Russia's destabilization and provocation. It has modernized its deterrence and defence posture as a balanced response to the instability and insecurity that Russia has attempted to sow, while also being open to dialogue with Russia.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“I should therefore like to just mention a few of the other conflicts. In Georgia, the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain unresolved, with Russian pressure showing no signs of dissipating. In Moldova, it is long past time for a comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, one based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova with a special status for the Transnistrian region. In Nagorno Karabakh, a peaceful settlement also remains elusive, owing to a high level of mistrust and lack of any political will to compromise. We support the efforts of the co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Across the continent, the United Kingdom will continue to be a force for peace in Europe through our membership in NATO, the OSCE and, of course, this Council.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“The three organizations from which we have heard today are playing a vital role in those efforts. In the face of great odds and escalating violence, the OSCE is bravely monitoring the line of contact in Ukraine; the United Nations is bringing vital aid and much-needed relief to those suffering; and, through sanctions; and the EU is bringing pressure to bear on Russia to meet its commitments under the Minsk agreements. But those organizations cannot do it alone. All sides must step up and make a ceasefire a reality, implementing the Minsk agreements in full. Sadly, the need for a peaceful political settlement extends far beyond the borders of Ukraine. In the interest of time, I will not mention every single conflict in Europe. The flashing light, after all, is meant to be a sign to stop and not one of encouragement to keep going.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“A more appropriate response would be for Russia to honour its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including by withdrawing its troops and equipment from Ukraine and using its influence over the separatists to implement the ceasefire and heavy-weapons withdrawal agreement. Until all such commitments are met in full, Russia will remain under sanctions from the European Union and Group of Seven States. Put simply, we cannot stand idly by in the face of such aggression. The Council has a responsibility to sustain the peace won in Europe seven decades ago, to ensure that the rules-based international order - most notably the Charter of the United Nations - is respected and upheld by all countries. We have a responsibility to ensure that wars waged across battlefields are ended through dialogue pursued across tables.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“The territorial integrity of your country, Mr. President, has been flagrantly violated, leaving up to 10,000 dead and millions displaced. At the heart of that disregard for sovereignty lies the Russia Federation and its world view that thinks Moscow's interest can and should prevail over the sovereign and democratic choices of independent countries. It is a world view illustrated by Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and continued support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Only a few days ago, Russia recognized passports from the so-called People's Republics in Donbas under the guise of humanitarian assistance for a conflict that Russia itself instigated.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“I thank our three Secretaries-General for their briefings today. The three organizations - the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) - are all playing a crucial role to preserve peace and security in Europe, and we are grateful for all of the work that they do. Everything that we do in the Security Council has come about as a direct result of conflicts in Europe. More than seven decades since the Second World War, we should be proud that Europeans now enjoy a level of stability and prosperity that would have been unthinkable to our grandparents' generation. As we heard so clearly in the meeting on Ukraine earlier this month (see S/PV.7876), instability and insecurity persist in Europe. The borders of Europe are threatened today in a way not seen since the Cold War.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“Like others, I should like to express my deepest personal condolences to the delegation of the Russian Federation and to the family and friends of Vitaly Churkin. Vitaly was an exceptional diplomat and a truly remarkable man. We disagreed on many issues, but I always found him to be an honest and decent colleague, no matter the issues, no matter the positions. It has not really sunk in yet that he has died. I will remember him every day. My thoughts go out to Irina, to their children, to their family, to Petr, to all the members of the Russian delegation, to all Russian diplomats everywhere. I will always remember the lessons that I learned from Vitaly. He was a diplomatic giant, a maestro of the Security Council. May he rest in peace.”
2017-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7886 (2017) · source
“As today's resolution identifies, stronger international partnerships are vital at a time when the functioning of infrastructure relies on cross-border networks and supply chains. The sharing of information, early-warning networks and expertise will strengthen our common approach. The Security Council needs to stay abreast of the evolution of the terrorist threat and respond to it. Just as we act to prevent conflict, we should also act pre-emptively to prevent terrorism. Today we have put another building block in place to strengthen our common effort. Because of our efforts, terrorists intent on stirring chaos have another hurdle to cross. Because of our efforts, our societies are little safer than they were yesterday.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“Working together we can ensure not only that international security standards keep pace with the terrorist threat, but also - crucially - that they are implemented effectively on the ground. Finally, on partnerships, the critical infrastructure that we need to protect is largely owned by the private sector, and can also form part of complex international networks and supply chains. Preparation and protection of infrastructure are simply good intentions if we fail to work across sectors to achieve them. Each side has its part to play. Private companies are responsible for ensuring that their infrastructure is protected and that essential services are maintained, just as Governments have an obligation to ensure that industry is managing these risks fully and responsibly.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“As recent reports by the Secretary-General show, there continues to be a serious and enduring threat from international terrorism to our transport networks, specifically to civil aviation. Three billion passengers reach their destinations by air every year. The past year offered us too many reminders of the risks they face: attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul, the destruction of the Russian Metrojet aircraft over Sinai and the explosion on board a Daallo Airlines flight from Mogadishu. It was to combat such threats that the United Kingdom authored resolution 2309 (2016), and why today we echo our call on States to work with the International Civil Aviation Organization.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“Threats to our infrastructure can come from many sources: terrorism, criminality or natural hazards. In reducing the risk to our infrastructure, the United Kingdom takes an all- risks approach. That means developing plans that can be used to respond to many types of disruption or threats to life. Measures taken by States to prevent unlawful or criminal interference in our infrastructure can also serve to help prevent terrorist attacks. It is in part because of the strong measures we have taken that terrorist threats to our infrastructure are being mitigated. Secondly, on protection, the threat to some elements of our national infrastructure may be aspirational, but there is one area where the threat is very real and very high, that is, transport.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“We must redouble or vigilance to ensure that we are ready to defend the systems that allow our societies to function. We therefore wholeheartedly welcome the action taken by the Security Council today to adopt resolution 2341 (2017). The resolution raises the profile of this important issue, calls on States to improve preparedness and strengthens our cooperation in protecting the security of our people and our critical infrastructure. If we are to truly tackle this threat, I believe we need to focus on three things, namely, preparation, protection and partnerships. First, on preparation, it is vital that plans for protecting our critical infrastructure be comprehensively developed, maintained and tested. We echo the call of the resolution for States to develop their own strategies to prepare and respond to any attack.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“I am most grateful for the analysis shared by the briefers this morning. I join others in paying tribute to you, Mr. Minister, for your leadership in bringing this important issue to our attention. The terrorist threat has evolved over the past decade. We face increasingly complex threats as terrorists acquire new knowledge and new technology. Not content with simply killing innocents, terrorists seek to destabilize, demoralize and disrupt our way of life. Critical infrastructure, be it a transport system, a communications hub or a power grid, represents an attractive target for these sinister actors. The fact that those responsible for the attack on the Brussels metro and airport last March had also invested time and surveillance on a Belgian nuclear scientist should concern us all.”
2017-02-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7882 (2017) · source
“Sanctions against Russia cannot be lifted until that happens. It is for the people for Ukraine to decide their country's future. Ukraine must be allowed to make its own sovereign decisions.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Most recently, the international community - through the General Assembly resolution on the situation in Crimea in December - sent the same clear message to Russia. And earlier this week, the entire Security Council, including Russia, expressed the very same thing in an agreed statement (SC/12700): that we support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine But Russian words are not the same as Russian deeds. We need to see Russia comply with its Minsk commitments. We need to see Russia stop equipping and arming the separatists and, instead, use its influence to make sure the separatists meet their Minsk obligations. And we need to see Russia withdrawing its force from all of Ukraine. That includes Crimea, the illegal annexation of which we do not, and will not, recognize.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“We support the continued efforts of France and Germany within the Normandy format towards securing full implementation, and we are extremely grateful for the enormous investment that they have made in the process to date. Let me conclude with this final thought. We frequently hear from the Russian Government - as we did today - that all the problems in eastern Ukraine are the consequences of actions by the Ukrainian Government. That is simply not the case; it is an inversion of reality. The responsibility for the inception and continuation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine lies squarely with Russia and the separatists it supports. As the British Prime Minister made clear in Washington, DC, last week, the United Kingdom will continue to stand by Ukraine in full support of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“The use of those weapons, from and against civilian areas, is not only in disregard of the Minsk agreement; it is also an abhorrent rejection of the norms of conflict. They must be withdrawn from the line of contact, as stipulated in the Minsk agreements. We also need to tackle the underlying causes of the fighting. It is clear that any solution to the Ukraine crisis must be political, not military, as we all recognized in resolution 2202 (2015). The Minsk agreements are the only meaningful path to long-term peace in Ukraine. Let us therefore urge all sides to recommit to meeting their full obligations under the Minsk agreements.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Iwant to pay tribute to the efforts ofthe Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination to bring about a truce to allow crucial repairs. Theose efforts will help to restore vital utilities and to allow for the evacuation of civilians. I urge all parties to support those efforts and to facilitate access to the area for humanitarian actors. But such actions are just a band-aid on a bullet wound. For any fragile short-term truce to become a comprehensive and sustained cease-fire, all parties most show restraint. That means in particular ending the extensive use of high-caliber indiscriminate weapons, such as Grad rocket systems.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“And those events have not come out of the blue. They are not new. The Council knows all too well the root causes of this violence and instability. This is what happens when Russia disregards the sovereign right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny. This is what happens when Russia undermines the territorial integrity of Ukraine by illegally annexing Crimea. This is what happens when Russian military personnel stand side-by-side with separatists whom they have equipped, armed and trained. And, this is a reality that the Security Council cannot, must not, accept. We need urgent action to bring an end to this upsurge in violence before it spirals out of control.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Let me take this opportunity to welcome you, Sir, in your role as President of the Security Council for the month of February. I commend you for the start that you have made, and I support your proposal for a draft presidential statement on this important issue. As our briefersmade clear, Sir, we begin your presidency - sadly - in troubling times for eastern Ukraine. The worrying upsurge in fighting in that part of your country should concern us all. It is claiming yet more lives, both civilian and military. It is aggravating the suffering of those living there, forcing more to flee their homes. There is no end in sight. In cities such as Avdiivka, people talk of an endless salvo of artillery and rockets. They talk of failing electricity and falling temperatures, of burying loved ones in the snow.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source