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

“I want to begin, as Cristian did, by expressing condolences both to the leadership of the United Nations and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and to the Government of Brazil for the tragic death of General Jabornady of MINUSTAH. I also want to echo what Cristian just said in thanking you, Joy, and your team for delivering a successful month of August. It was a busy month, but I think that, as President, you brought some welcome unity to the Council on several important issues, most notably on Syria. I want to focus on three sets of issues today. First of all, I would like to use this session to reflect on our successes this month and on how we can build on them. Secondly, I will have a look at where we were unable to find agreement, including some of the events in July.”
2015-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7516 (2015) · source
“Issues of organized crime and illicit financial flows linked to the drug trade are of particular concern to many Caribbean small islands. Here, too, we need to recognize in the Council the importance of international cooperation to tackle organized crime and the threat it poses to the stability of States. So let me conclude, Mr. President, by thanking you again for bringing this issue to the Council. It is an excellent example of how the Council, by working with partners, can look ahead and identify risks upstream. In doing so, we can pre-empt issues that could lead to instability and conflict, and address them together: conflict prevention in action. We hope that we will continue this approach with small island developing States in future.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“Through engaging with bodies such as the Alliance of Small Island States, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Caribbean Community and the Commonwealth, we can share our collective expertise to deal with these issues together. We saw the benefits of this approach at last year's SIDS conference, hosted by Samoa. There are some further opportunities for partnership in the months ahead. Just a week before the Paris Summit, many small island States will take part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where they will discuss climate change. A strong Commonwealth message on this issue ahead of Paris would be a welcome call for wider action. Beyond climate change, I look forward to the General Assembly special session on drugs, to be held in April next year.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“That is why we have committed $6 billion to climate finance between 2011 and 2016. It is why we pledged $1.2 billion to the Green Climate Fund and are committed to spending 0.7 per cent of our national income on development. The risk that climate change poses goes beyond our shores and those of small islands. Left unaddressed, climate change could constitute one of the gravest threats to international peace and security for generations. It is clear that we all need to make climate fragility a key consideration in our foreign policy planning, particularly in our partnerships with small islands. For it is through partnership that the United Nations can offer the greatest support to small islands.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“In the Pacific region, ocean acidification has damaged fish stocks, impacting both food security and economies, and in Marshall Islands, changing weather patterns have increased extreme weather events such as cyclones and king tides. If unchecked, these factors can lead to mass migration. Kiribati is already buying land in Fiji to help secure its future. We are already seeing real damage to economies, lost development gains, setbacks to the eradication of poverty and an increase in piracy and arms trafficking. These challenges affect small islands directly; they place additional burdens on neighbouring countries; and they can damage interconnected economies globally. As an island nation ourselves, the United Kingdom will not be immune to such climate pressures. Nor will we be passive in the face of the climate challenge.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“Sadly, the Council requires no introduction to the damage caused by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the consequences of which Haiti is still dealing with today. It is because of these vulnerabilities that small island developing States are often the first countries to face the impact of emerging global problems. They can be a bellwether for us all, so it is incumbent on the Council to pay close attention to their situation and offer our support in response. The challenges they face, if left unaddressed, could eventually challenge us all. Climate change is the clearest example. We have seen countless instances of climate change multiplying interlinked threats in small island developing States. For example, in Tuvalu sea-level rises and in Palau coastal erosion have degraded arable land and undermined food security.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“And through their membership of organizations such as the British Commonwealth, many bring shared history and values to bear on issues of mutual interest and concern. But as the Secretary-General and the briefers have made clear, small island developing States face significant challenge that are directly relevant to the business of the Council. Vulnerability to natural disasters and food and energy insecurities can all have a disproportionate and destructive impact on their development. In Grenada in 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused damage that cost double the island's entire gross domestic product. In March this year, Cyclone Pam left thousands homeless in Vanuatu and other Pacific islands.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important and unique debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General, the Prime Ministers of Samoa and Jamaica and the Finance Minister of the Seychelles for their instructive briefings, and all the other ministers for their presence here today. Let me begin, Mr. President, by applauding your initiative in bringing this issue to the Security Council. Small island developing States (SIDS) are a valuable part of our diverse United Nations family, forming more than a quarter of our membership. From the Caribbean to the Pacific, they are important partners on so many issues, whether they involve trade, migration or tackling crime.”
2015-07-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7499 (2015) · source
“Instead, all 298 people on board lost their lives in a remote part of eastern Ukraine - far from home, far from those they loved and far from those who loved them. They and those whom they left behind deserve justice. Despite Russia's actions today, we will not give up in our pursuit of that goal.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“It is damaging that Russia has chosen to block the best route to establishing a tribunal for that criminal investigation to reach a conclusion. It is through those investigations that we will bring those responsible to account - as resolution 2166 (2014) demands. The veto today will not prevent that. The perpetrators of that terrible crime should find no comfort in Russia's actions today. There must be accountability, and the international community now needs to unite to make that happen. Allow me to conclude by returning to the victims. To them, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-l7 was meant to be a routine flight to Kuala Lumpur: a business trip, a holiday or a stop-over before a conference.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“We therefore reject the Russian allegation that this draft resolution was an unnecessary and premature move, and that the Security Council should have waited for the investigations to conclude. An operational and fully staffed tribunal takes time to set up. Had we started that process today, the tribunal would have been ideally placed to act on the outcome of the investigations. Despite Russia's veto, the investigations will continue. The investigators have been exemplary in their professionalism and integrity, working in the most challenging circumstances. We reject any allegations to the contrary. Russia has been involved in both investigations. The Russian Federal Transport Agency has actively participated in the technical investigation and contributed material to the criminal investigation.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“The Security Council had an opportunity today to start a process that would have brought justice and accountability for the families of all those who lost their lives. There are clear precedents for the Council taking this kind of action: securing international support for the Lockerby trial, and establishing the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and another Special Tribune for Lebanon, among others. A year after the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17, this was precisely the moment to establish a tribunal - to send a clear and unambiguous message that the Council will not tolerate impunity and that the Council has a clear responsibility to address violent acts that constitute a threat to international peace and security.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“I would like to thank the Ministers of Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia and Ukraine for marking this occasion with their presence. The United Kingdom is deeply saddened, frustrated and disappointed that Russia has vetoed draft resolution S/2015/562 today. The draft resolution was about securing justice for the 298 people - including 80 children and 10 British nationals - who lost their lives on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17. Russia's veto disrespects the victims and insults their families. Through resolution 2166 (2014), the Security Council unanimously agreed that those responsible for that incident be held to account and demanded that all States cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. With its veto, Russia is not meeting that demand.”
2015-07-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7498 (2015) · source
“In reaching the agreement, the five permanent members of the Council, together with our German and European Union colleagues, showed a unity of purpose that is sometimes sadly lacking in other Council business on the Middle East. It is that spirit of cooperation and determination that we will need to harness for our work on the Middle East peace process and Syria. We have seen the consequences of our failure to do so for too long.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“All of us must work with donors, particularly in the Gulf, to help meet the basic needs of host communities and refugees. It is crucial that the Lebanese Government elect a President without any further delay, so that it can meet the needs of all Lebanese people. I would like to conclude as I began, by focusing on the timeliness of this debate. On Monday, the Council unanimously agreed on resolution 2231 (2015), on Iran's nuclear programme, bringing more than a decade of negotiations to an end. It is good for the region and good for the international community. We hope and expect that the agreement will herald a new era of positive Iranian engagement in the region.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“A Government that acts on behalf of all Syrians, one strong enough to defeat the threat of extremism, is long overdue. The consequences of not dealing with the crisis in Syria can be seen in the camps across neighbouring countries. Millions of Syrians are now reliant on the generosity of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the international community. Lebanon has accepted nearly 1.2 million Syrian refugees, increasing its population by nearly a quarter. We must recognize and help to alleviate the pressure that has created. The United Kingdom has given $296 million to support Lebanon. We are making a real difference by providing food, shelter and medical aid to the most vulnerable in refugee and host communities. But we are concerned that the Lebanese crisis response plan remains desperately underfunded.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“The recent briefing from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs made it clear that attacks on hospitals are still commonplace. That is barbaric and unacceptable. For too long we have heard distressing reports of the use of chemical weapons. The Council will soon have the chance to send a clear message to Al-Assad on that issue, and I hope that all members will support the draft resolution on a joint investigative mechanism when it is presented to the Council. It is clearer than ever that there can be no military victory in Syria; only a political solution can end the bloodshed. I look forward to the briefing next week by Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura. It is vital that we redouble our support for his efforts to bring about an inclusive political transition that operationalizes the Geneva communique (S/2012/522, annex).”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“We support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in its vital work, as well Mr. Mladenov's calls for donors to step up. Since last summer we have been one of the largest donors to Gaza, providing more than $26 million in emergency assistance, and we pledged an additional $31 million at the reconstruction conference in Cairo. Together we must work harder than ever to create conditions on the ground to foster a return to meaningful negotiations. In so doing, we can bring real improvements to those on both sides who have suffered for far too long. And the Council must be ready to play its part when those conditions have been created. That same approach is also desperately needed in Syria. For too long we have been briefed on the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs by the Al-Assad regime.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“Exports from Gaza should be allowed to increase to 2007's levels. The water supply should be doubled again, and restrictions on fishing, electricity and waste-water treatment should be eased. Action is needed from both sides. We call on the Palestinian Authority, led by President Abbas, to take concrete steps to return to Gaza. We urge him to advance reconciliation and demonstrate clearly that he is the leader of all Palestinian people. The international community has a vital role to play, too. All of us should urge donors to fulfil their financial pledges in order to aid reconstruction efforts in Gaza without delay. Of all the international pledges made in Cairo, only 27 per cent have so far been met. The United Kingdom is playing its part.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“Improving conditions in Gaza and the West Bank is a vital first step. Israel's recent plans to construct more than 900 new settlement housing units in the West Bank are clearly contrary to the goal ofpeace, and so are the plans to evict Palestinians from the village of Susiya. We are pleased that Israel has taken some steps to ease restrictions in Gaza, but increasing exports and doubling the water supply are not enough. The humanitarian situation remains unacceptable. More than 100,000 people are still displaced. Power outages last for up to 12 hours a day, and 120,000 people are still without a water supply. We need to see rapid progress in improving living conditions, the quality of life and the economic outlook in Gaza. The movement of people between Gaza or the West Bank and Israel should be eased.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate, and I welcome Mr. Nickolay Mladenov's presence and compelling briefing. The timing of this open debate, a year after the conflict in Gaza, is sadly fitting. Today is an important moment to remember all those who lost their lives, recommit ourselves to doing all we can to prevent further violence and extend that commitment beyond Gaza to Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East region. As we heard in the moving Arria Formula meeting earlier this week, the painful consequences of the fighting in Gaza continue to this day. It is increasingly clear that urgent action is needed to preserve the two- State solution and alleviate the impact of the occupation. The British Foreign Secretary saw that at first hand during his recent visit.”
2015-07-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7490 (2015) · source
“The world is now a safer place in the knowledge that Iran cannot build a nuclear bomb. I encourage all of us in the Council to show the same determination, courage and vision in supporting this project and pursuing our other top priorities, as the negotiators on all sides have demonstrated in getting us the agreement we have endorsed here today.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“We also need to take significant steps to support its implementation. In some areas, that will involve novel working methods for the Council. We will have to be flexible and imaginative, and get this right. The deal gives us the chance to change the relationship between Iran and the Security Council, and change for the better the dynamics in the region and beyond. We can now start the work of rebuilding a deficit of trust that has arisen over decades; we can start to normalize our relationships, which hold great promise for the future. We will also encourage Iran to play a transparent and constructive role in regional affairs, including in the current crises in Yemen and Syria. Iran has an opportunity to make a positive decision about its responsibilities in the region.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“As soon as Iran takes steps on its nuclear programme, it will receive comprehensive economic and financial sanctions relief, enabling it to trade more freely again with the rest of the world. Under full implementation ofthe deal, Iran will be treatedjust like any other non-nuclear-weapon State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We now need to look ahead and make sure that we all deliver on our commitments as we implement the agreement. That will not be easy. There will inevitably be difficulties and unforeseen obstacles, but we must live up to our commitments, act in good faith and try wherever possible to resolve together any problems in implementing the deal. The role of the Security Council will be important. We will maintain oversight in the implementation of the agreement.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“In some cases, progress is slow and situations remain unresolved, but while in the past we have met to call on Iran to respond to our concerns, today we can be proud that Iran has committed to taking actions to address those concerns. I am delighted that the Council has endorsed the deal unanimously. It is a good deal - good for the United Kingdom and the international community, good for the region, and good for Iran. If implemented fully, the resolution will address our proliferation concerns through comprehensive commitments on the part of Iran to limit its nuclear programme - commitments that will be verified through extensive monitoring and transparency.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of resolution 2231 (2015). The resolution endorses the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed in Vienna last week. It creates the baseline from which to recalibrate our broader relationship with Iran, and it is an opportunity for us all to re-engage economically and culturally with an important regional Power as it takes on its proper responsibility for improving regional stability. Today's adoption is an important milestone in the history of the Council, the culmination of negotiations that have taken place over more than a decade. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a landmark achievement, and I join my colleagues in expressing my congratulations and gratitude to everyone involved in that process. In the Council, we often call for the peaceful resolution of disputes.”
2015-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7488 (2015) · source
“Finally, let me close by welcoming that the Council is holding this meeting in public. It is a pity that it is the first wrap-up meeting since the French presidency in March. These open sessions are important. And like the working practices I have described, they can bring greater transparency and greater engagement into our discussions and our decisions.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“Twenty years on from the Beijing Declaration, it is time for the United Nations to show leadership and embody the practices it encourages all of its Members to follow. Which brings me also to women, peace and security. There has been too little implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) in the 15 years since it was adopted. The United Kingdom sees the high-level review on women, peace and security in October as a chance to begin a new phase for this agenda; one focused on implementation and results for women affected by conflict. We want to see women at peace talks and real protection for the most vulnerable. Ambassador Oyarzun Marchesi will be leading the Council when we consider the issue in October, and I look forward to working closely with him and the Spanish mission, and with all Council members, to further the agenda.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“As I announced on my first day in April, the United Kingdom wants to see a more transparent, structured and inclusive selection process for the next Secretary-General. That means encouraging the broadest selection of credible candidates - men and particularly women - and setting a clear timeline for appointment. And it is the Council that must take the lead in this process, as it is the Council that has been mandated in the Charter of the United Nations to make the recommendation to the General Assembly. I think we need to accelerate our work on that, but also think about how we can broaden out and give all States Members of the United Nations and civil society an opportunity to assess the candidates' credentials. If all qualifications are equal, the United Kingdom believes that it is high time for a woman to lead the United Nations.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“So if we can make an extra effort to seek out common ground, if we can adopt some slightly more engaging working practices, maybe we will have a little bit more success in addressing the challenges ahead. And that is my final reflection. It is on the scale of the challenges which the Council and the United Nations, as a whole, will face in the coming months. The President set out a long list - Middle East, migration, conflicts in Africa - and one could add climate change, conflict prevention, achieving the sustainable development goals. It is clear that we have a lot to do. But in addition to all of those, I want to focus on two further issues of particular importance to the United Kingdom: the selection of the next Secretary- General and the review of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“And there are areas where we can agree, even on the most divisive issues like Syria. Through the Geneva communique' (S/2012/523, annex) we were able to agree that a transitional governing body is needed - one that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people. A strong, stable, inclusive Government in Syria is the only way to counter the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant; the Al-Assad regime has neither the legitimacy nor the ability to do so. And the moderate opposition cannot do so alone. So whatever our national starting point in that conflict, we must all come together to help Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura in his efforts to bring about a political settlement, which is the only way to find an end to that awful conflict.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“I know that others around the Council, and beyond, share this view, and both the peace operations review and the Office of Internal Oversight Services recommend that we have more open and honest conversations. So to do so, I believe we need to begin by looking again at our working methods and making them more engaging and interactive. For my second reflection, I have been struck by how the Council can make real progress when there is unity. And we have seen such unity on counter- terrorism and on the fight against Ebola. We are also seeing it on some of the hardest issues we face, such as Yemen and Libya. But as events in Ukraine and Syria have demonstrated, when the Council is divided, our response falters and people suffer. As we look ahead to the next six months, we need to redouble our efforts to find common cause on those issues too.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“And I think particularly when we are meeting in private, we need to break away from the predictable pattern of reading prepared statements out loud, and instead, properly engage with each other and briefers. Maybe even - shock horror - on a first-name basis that reflects our familiar and daily interactions. We should ask questions; we should interject. A dialogue should be an exchange, not a broadcast of views. If we do all agree on a point, then why does everyone need to say it? Why do not wejust say that we agree with someone else and move on? Otherwise we end up reading out talking points that have already been made by other people.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“On working methods, in my first couple of months here I have been struck by how formal our interactions can be, whatever the format, including in Arria Formula meetings, in so-called informal consultations and even in so-called informal interative dialogues. In all these forums, I want to ask everyone what we can do to be more responsive and more interactive with each other and with those briefing us. This month, for instance, we met a very broad range ofleaders, activists and specialists working in Somalia, Syria, the Sudan. We welcomed the Force Commanders to the Council. All of these individuals bring insights that are invaluable for our work. But the formality of our interactions with them can sometimes limit our ability to draw effectively on their experience.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“Let me begin by thanking you, Sir, and your team for your hard work this month, and for your invitation to hold this wrap- up session, which is a very welcome initiative. As your statistics made clear, it has been a productive month in terms ofproducts, but it has also been a challenging one when we consider the increased threats to peace and security around the world. I look forward in particular to hearing the reflections of other recently elected members of the Council, but as I am personally a new arrival, I thought that I would take this opportunity to offer my thoughts on the work of the Council on the basis of my first two months here. I want to share my impressions on three issues: working methods, the importance of Council unity, and the challenges ahead.”
2015-06-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7479 (2015) · source
“We call on all parties to the conflict to work together towards that goal. As the African Union Peace and Security Council set out in its communique, we hope that the Government of the Sudan will play a more constructive role with UNAMID. We all share the objective of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Sudan. Ultimately, a well- functioning mission that is able to fulfil its mandate will be in a position to leave safely much sooner, in the best interests of all parties. However, until the Government of the Sudan and the United Nations are working together to resolve the terrible situation in Darfur, we cannot consider an imminent exit for the mission. We simply cannot afford to lose focus. In renewing UNAMID's mandate for another year, we have taken the right step to prevent that from happening.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7475 (2015) · source
“Let us now set aside our differences and give our full support to UNAMID, so that it can continue its vital mission. UNAMID should now focus on improving its protection of civilians, conflict mediation and support for a peace process. We welcome that it will continue its important human rights role. Serious and unanswered allegations of abuses and violations of human rights have dogged the Sudan for over a decade. We encourage UNAMID to monitor, verify and draw the attention of the authorities to those reports as a matter of priority. UNAMID cannot continue forever. Through the resolution just adopted, we have set out that UNAMID's long-term planning should be based on progress towards a set of agreed benchmarks. A political solution to the conflict, starting with a cessation of hostilities, is fundamental to achieving those targets.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7475 (2015) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2228 (2015) renewing the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The need for that mission is greater than ever. As Council members heard so powerfully in the Arria Formula meeting earlier this month, the region saw, this past year, the worst suffering for a decade. Darfur now has more than 2.5 million long-term displaced people. The Sudan has the greatest number of internally displaced persons in Africa. Millions go hungry, and humanitarian access is too often limited by parties to the conflict. We remain deeply concerned at the growing reports of abuses and violations of human rights, including those that emerged from Tabit last year.”
2015-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7475 (2015) · source
“We are the second-largest financial contributor to the United Nations system, and we are the largest contributor to the Peacebuilding Fund, having provided $82 million since 2011. My final reflection from Bosnia is that the international community cannot want peace more than the people themselves. Political elites must rise above political, ethnic and religious divides and make tough choices in order to consolidate peace and move forward. Bosnia's leaders still grapple with that challenge, as do the leaders of many of the countries on the Council's agenda. But should they prove that they can overcome their differences, the Council must be poised and ready to give them its full support.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“International aid fell away, and Sierra Leone was punished for its success in reducing conflict. The spread of Ebola to Sierra Leone last year showed how fragile peacebuilding gains can be and how easily they are rolled back. So we must learn that there are no shortcuts to building durable, national institutions. It takes time. The World Bank estimates that making meaningful improvements to institutions takes between 10 and 17 years at a minimum. Long-term, predictable support is crucial. The United Kingdom is playing its part. We have kept our promise to spend 0.7 per cent of our gross national income on overseas aid, at least 30 per cent of which will go to conflict-affected States.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“We need to recognize that peacebuilding and State-building are not the same thing. The comparative advantage of the United Nations lies in forging and sustaining political deals to create the space for effective State-building, and that should be the primary focus of any political or peacekeeping mission. The third lesson is the need for sustained attention and patience from the international community in building a lasting peace. Nearly 20 years on from Dayton, the Council, the European Union, NATO and many others continue to support Bosnia's transition to a peaceful and prosperous State. Countries in the region also have a constructive role to play. Too often, however, our attention drifts. In 2011, Sierra Leone was categorized as an aid orphan by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“The second lesson I took from Bosnia is the primacy of a political process in building and sustaining peace. The Dayton Peace Agreement is not perfect, but it ended the war, which featured the worst fighting in Europe since the Second World War, and it gave the country a foundation on which to build. Just as the recent peace operations review recommends, our efforts on peacekeeping and peacebuilding must all start and finish with a political process. For those settlements to stick, they must be sustainable and inclusive, with women's involvement throughout, and they must be properly funded. In 2012, only 4 per cent of all overseas development aid to fragile States was spent on promoting inclusive politics. The majority is spent on reconstruction and service delivery.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“The challenge for the Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the whole United Nations system is to find the political will to act early. Early action can prevent enormous suffering. It is also cost-effective. Our failure to prevent conflict has contributed significantly to the $19.7 billion in humanitarian needs and nearly 60 million refugees we are now dealing with and has resulted in an $8.5 billion peacekeeping budget. No conflict-affected State has achieved any of the Millennium Development Goals. As the British economist Paul Collier has said, "War is development in reverse". Given global trends, our ability to eradicate poverty will be wholly dependent on our ability to reduce Violent conflict. That is why Goal 16 of the sustainable development goals is so critical.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“But as we prepare to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, we should also recognize the considerable progress that the country has made since 1995, and we can learn wider lessons from the international community's experience there. I recognize that every conflict is unique and solutions cannot be cut and pasted from one context to another, but I believe that as a Council we can draw four key lessons. The first is that we need to do even more on conflict prevention. In the Balkans the international community failed to act early. We knew about some of the horrors that were being committed, but lacked the political will to take action. Today, we live in an age of immediately accessible information. We should never claim that we did not know a conflict was brewing.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“Let me begin by thanking Ambassador Patriota and Ambassador Skoog for their briefings today and for all their hard work, past, present and future, in chairing the Peacebuilding Commission. I would like to take this opportunity to talk not about peacebuilding in theory but peacebuilding in practice, and in particular I will draw some lessons about peacebuilding from a country that has played a prominent role in my own career, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nearly 20 years ago I served in the British delegation to the Dayton peace talks and later as British Ambassador to Bosnia from 2005 to 2008. I witnessed the progress made in building and sustaining peace following years of bloodshed. Bosnia still faces challenges - dysfunctional politics and high unemployment, to name but two.”
2015-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7472 (2015) · source
“Should it fail to seize this opportunity, Iran faces further years in isolation, to the detriment of its people, its economy and its standing in the region. We hope that will not be the case. In order to help secure a better future for Iran, we will continue to make every effort to find a comprehensive agreement. We look to Iran to do the same.”
2015-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7469 (2015) · source
“A negotiated settlement with Iran that is durable and verifiable and that addresses our proliferation concerns is the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. A comprehensive deal with Iran is in all our interests. For the international community it would provide reassurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes at a time of great instability in the region. For Iran, it would mean, ultimately, the lifting of all sanctions imposed as a result of Iran's nuclear programme. This would have a huge impact on Iran's economy and would improve the day-to-day lives of ordinary Iranians over time. Furthermore, it would present a real opportunity to reset relationships with the international community.”
2015-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7469 (2015) · source
“Turning to the work of the Committee, I am grateful for the crucial role that it plays in supporting the enforcement of the relevant Council sanctions measures on Iran. We also welcome the ongoing work of the Panel of Experts and the Council's decision to extend the Panel's mandate until 9 July 2016. We support the Committee's continued guidance and assistance to Member States and international organizations. But we are disappointed at Iran's continued failure to respond to past requests from the Committee for information on various incidents of concern. Once again, we urge Iran to engage constructively with the Committee on those requests. The United Kingdom remains committed to finding a peaceful and lasting negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear issue.”
2015-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7469 (2015) · source
“Important political and technical issues still need to be resolved before we have a final agreement. Diplomats and technical experts from the E3+3 and Iran are currently meeting in an effort to finalize a comprehensive agreement by 30 June. In parallel to those negotiations, the E3+3 and Iran have been implementing their commitments under the Joint Plan of Action. I thank my fellow E3+3 members for their support in that effort. But as this report reminds us, while negotiations continue, the bulk of sanctions remain in place and must continue to be enforced in full. That includes all United Nations sanctions and all obligations on Member States arising from Council resolutions on the issue. The lifting of sanctions should act as an incentive for Iran to conclude the negotiations on a comprehensive agreement.”
2015-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7469 (2015) · source
“I thank the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) and its Chair, as well as the Panel of Experts, for their continued work in supporting implementation of the Council's resolutions on Iran. This briefing comes at a crucial moment for Iran. Negotiations between Iran and the E3+3 on a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear programme will reach their conclusion in the coming days. We hope that a deal can be reached by the deadline on next Tuesday. The E3+3 and Iran agreed on the key parameters for a comprehensive agreement in Lausanne on 2 April. That was a major milestone and formed the basis for what could be a very good deal - one that is durable and verifiable and will, if fully implemented, address our proliferation concerns. There is, however, much to be done in very little time.”
2015-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7469 (2015) · source