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

“Let me start with the positives, and there have been positive developments on the political process. The dialogue committees from both the House of Representatives and the High State Council worked hard to secure agreements on amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement. This has taken courage and compromise, but of course it is only a start. Further commitment from all parties is now needed to sustain the momentum and move Libya forward. In doing so, we should not lose sight of what is at stake. It is a real chance now for Libya to establish a truly national Government - one that will enjoy the support of both the House of Representatives and the High State Council and that will be able to deliver for all its citizens.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“I welcome you, Mr. President, back to New York. It is a pleasure to see you at this meeting. I think your presence is a sign of your country's commitment to the people of Libya at this difficult time for them. I also thank Ambassador Skoog for all his hard work on the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, and Special Representative Salame for his thorough and fascinating briefing. It has certainly been an eventful two months sent he set out his action plan for Libya to the General Assembly. Under his guidance there have been important steps forward to revitalize the Libyan political process. Yet, in recent weeks, violence has escalated again. It is clear that Libya now faces a simple choice - a future of stability and security or a return to a past of violence and uncertainty.”
2017-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8104 (2017) · source
“We also welcome Qatar's efforts in the mediation process so far. As a Council, I am sure that we all stand ready to engage with Eritrea constructively, but this effort must be reciprocated. With that in mind, we have made clear in the resolution the route that Eritrea needs to take to fully abide by the arms embargo and to engage fully with the Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea, as well as the Monitoring Group, so that we can be satisfied of that. As penholder, we stand ready to support Kazakhstan as Chair of the sanctions committee to kick-start this engagement, and I hope that all Council members will join me in strongly encouraging Eritrea to come in from the cold.”
2017-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8099 (2017) · source
“Through these new and existing measures, the regime will continue to support the significant progress that Somalia has made this year, including at the London Conference in May, and we look forward to the December meetings in Mogadishu that will provide further important milestones towards achieving Somalia's stability and prosperity. These are efforts that we should all back. We will not allow terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab to undermine this progress through their indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Turning to Eritrea, the resolution recognizes the positive developments that have occurred this year. There have been no provocative actions on the Djibouti border following the withdrawal of Qatari forces, and we welcome the fact that the Monitoring Group has once again found no conclusive evidence of Eritrean support for Al-Shabaab.”
2017-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8099 (2017) · source
“In spite of those differences, the sanctions regime will continue its important work. In Somalia, it will continue to prevent the flow of illicit arms and funding to terrorist groups; it will help to preserve Somalia's resources for Somalia's economic development; and it will help to strengthen the Somali National Security Forces by giving them access to the necessary equipment and support to build a stronger weapons and ammunition management system. Through the resolution, we have also agreed additional steps to support Somalia. The text requests that the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea recommend further action that we can take against those who continue to put money into the hands ofAl-Shabaab by violating the charcoal ban, as well as on additional steps to prevent chemical precursors from reaching Al-Shabaab.”
2017-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8099 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption today of resolution 2385 (2017), which renews the Eritrea and Somalia sanctions regimes for a further 12 months. This is a Vital regime for the region - one that keeps guns and funds out of the hands of Al-Shabaab and helps to promote peace and stability across the Horn of Africa. We also recognize, however, that the Eritrea regime commands differing views among Council members, so as penholder we have worked hard to balance these views. The resolution adopted today is a measured text that acknowledges and attempts to bridge those differences. We are disappointed that some Council members could not support the resolution today, but I do thank all Council members for their cooperation and engagement in its drafting.”
2017-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8099 (2017) · source
“In the face of an unprecedented need, it is clear that we cannot just do business as usual. We need a new approach, and we look forward to working with colleagues from the Security Council, UNHCR and elsewhere to achieve that new approach.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“In Turkey, we support the assistance that it is providing to refugees to prepare for the oncoming winter, and in the response to the crisis in Burma, it also has a role to play in the returns process, in cooperation with the Bangladeshi authorities. But to deliver all this and more, it is clear that UNHCR, like all the other parts of the United Nations, will have to reform, and I welcome High Commissioner Grandi's commitment to this. UNHCR has a central role working with other agencies in reforming the humanitarian system. It is important that UNHCR continue to work better and more collaboratively with partners on the ground, including with development actors. We want to see improved transparency, increased accountability to beneficiaries, more multi-year programming and a continued scale-up in the use of cash.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“We are also already delivering the sort of long-term response to refugees' needs that the framework recommends, including through job compacts to provide tens of thousands of refugees with the opportunity to work in countries such as Jordan or Ethiopia, as well as innovative education programmes and support for host communities and refugees alike. To make these approaches work, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a vital role to play in dialogue with Governments, partnerships with other actors, and giving advice and support where needed. In Jordan, we welcome the cash assistance that it is giving to refugees to meet basic food needs.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“That is why the United Kingdom strongly supports the aims of the comprehensive refugee response framework. It focuses on long-term, sustainable solutions. These help build the self-reliance of refugees and ease pressure on countries such as Kenya, Uganda or Lebanon, which have generously welcomed and hosted so many. The framework means delivering jobs, education and better services to refugees and host communities, while also better coordinating the international response. The United Kingdom actively supports this approach where the new refugee response framework is being rolled out.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“As Filippo rightly said, whether in Burma, in Syria or anywhere else in the world, the Council has a unique role to play in maintaining the peace and security that would have stopped that family and so many others like them from having to flee their home. We have a special responsibility also to hold to account those who do not respect international humanitarian law or refugee law and those who fuel displacement. Simply put, the stark number ofpeople in need today tells us that what we doing is not working. Refugees are spending longer and longer displaced, often in poverty, with a dwindling hope of return. A new global approach is now needed to tackle protracted crises, and a more comprehensive response is required to help the growing number of people currently displaced.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“Faced with such brutality, she had no choice but to flee with her husband and children, risking the journey to Cox's Bazar. She said: "When we got in the boat, we were scared, as water were getting in. I was scared that it would sink. People were crying." Her husband went missing as they fled. "I don't know if he is dead or alive", she said. Together with her children, she eventually reached safety, and I pay tribute to Bangladesh for the humanitarian assistance provided to her and to so many others. But that family's story has been repeated and repeated and repeated over the past months. Only two days ago, a boat carrying refugees to Bangladesh capsized, Claiming the lives of at least four people. It a story that will only keep being told until the conflict pushing them away is fundamentally addressed and they are allowed to return home.”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“At the outset, Sir, I wish you all the best in your month of the presidency. I also want to thank United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Grandi for his compelling, but concerning, remarks this morning. We meet today at a crucial time for global displacement, as the number of people forcibly displaced is at an all-time high since the Second World War and, sadly, the trajectory is only upwards. Today I want to share the story ofjust one of the 65 million people currently displaced around the world. It is the story of a mother from Rakhine state faced with the hardest decision of her life: to flee into the unknown or face the violence engulfing the province that she calls home. She told ajournalist last month: "We were happy, but now we are in this chaos; they are killing people and burning houses, and people are unable to stay".”
2017-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8083 (2017) · source
“My final point is that there is more that all of us around this table can do - both internally, in the missions and ministries that we lead, and externally, in the Security Council and around the United Nations. Internally, I commend to the Council the gender compact for the United Kingdom Mission that I launched this year. I encourage all to read it, steal its good ideas and apply them in their own missions. And outside our missions, we must practice every day what we preach in the Security Council. It is easy to talk about women and peace and security when that is the subject on our agenda, as it is today, but the challenge is to talk about it when our agenda is Syria or Somalia or South Sudan. We can all do better on that, and I encourage everyone to come together to do so.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“In the United Kingdom this year, Baroness Hale became the first woman ever to head our Supreme Court, which makes it the first time in our history that we have had women as our Head of State, Head of Government, and head of the most senior court in the land. This year we also appointed our first ever special envoy for gender equality, putting that issue at the heart of our foreign policy. But despite such historic steps, we have more to do. That is why next year we will be launching the United Kingdom's fourth national action plan, building on progress made, lessons learned and our discussions with civil society and focus countries.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“Alongside our Bangladeshi and Canadian partners, we will be launching a new global network of military gender champions at the 2017 United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference in Vancouver next month. We strongly support the Secretary-General's commitment to gender parity and his efforts to increase the number of women in peacekeeping. However, the women and peace and security agenda is about far more than numbers. We are concerned, frankly, about the fact that the Secretariat is deprioritizing gender advisers in United Nations missions, and we urge the United Nations to reinstate accountability through its compacts with United Nations leaders.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“That is why the United Kingdom has championed the prevention of sexual violence in conflict; why we launched the global principles on stigma in the General Assembly this year; why we are running 23 projects in conflict and post- conflict countries to support survivors, end stigma and deliver justice; and why we have contributed $2 million to the Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund. I urge others to contribute, too. Turning to peacekeeping, this year United Kingdom troops on large-scale overseas missions, whether for the United Nations or anyone else, are now receiving predeployment training on preventing sexual violence and on the women and peace and security agenda more broadly.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“We have helped women in parliament, civil society, the military and business to increase their voice, influence and participation, and we will keep doing so next year. But we also know that the agenda on women and peace and security is about more than work in individual countries. So many of the dangers that women face in conflict are shared ones that are found in every conflict, such as sexual violence and the stigmatization of survivors of such horrific crimes. And since they are shared challenges, we must all share in the response if we are to affect international change.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“And yet, year after year, session after session, Secretary-General's report after report, the actual implementation of this agenda still falls way too short. We have had resolution after resolution - eight of them since resolution 1325 (2000) - and yet the promise of that first historic text still remains unfulfilled. So I encourage everyone speaking later today to be specific about what his or her country has been doing since we last met in this format to make the women and peace and security agenda a reality - and then, ideally, to commit to doing even more. This year, the United Kingdom has worked to increase women's participation in conflict resolution in some of the most fragile countries in the world: Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“I would like to thank all our briefers and visiting Ministers for their remarks. I am particularly grateful that we have had the opportunity to hear a voice from civil society in this Chamber today, something that is even more vital at a time when so many such voices are being ignored, threatened or silenced around the world. That is great, and it is also great that so many people are attending the debate here today, but in the spirit of trying to improve still further how we do things here, I would like to make a few points frankly. We meet in this format once a year and repeat what we already know - that we need more women at the negotiating table, that peace deals stand a greater chance of succeeding with women taking part, that we must turn our words into action.”
2017-10-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8079 (2017) · source
“We have its findings; we have its reports and, whatever Russia's actions today, "the use of chemical weapons by any party will be carefully investigated by the Security Council, which will stand ready to take action under Chapter VII of the Charter" (S/PV. 7038, p.4), to quote Minister Lavrov again. We owe it to the victims to ensure justice.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“It is not the 11 members of the Security Council who did not support the Russian procedural shenanigans this morning who are breaking the Security Council's unity. It is Russia, which is protecting the Syrian regime, that has broken the Security Council's unity. The United Kingdom cannot and will not let Russia's actions today erode the norms that we have worked so hard to create. Russia's action will not stop us from working with our partners to find justice for the victims of chemical weapons and we will not let up in our efforts to prevent the use of these weapons by anyone anywhere. The work of the JIM. will not go to waste.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“We have worked hard together to build the international norms and conventions that have long prevented the use of chemical weapons. For decades it seemed as though the international community had reduced these weapons to a historical footnote from the First World War - no longer used, no longer a part ofa modern humane society. But now, what kind of message does this veto send to those who might consider using such weapons? What kind of message does it send to groups like Da'esh, the very groups that Russia says it is committed to defeating? We have heard a lot about breaking the unity of the Security Council. It is not the 11 members of the Security Council who voted in favour of draft resolution S/20l7/884 who are breaking the unity.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“Why has Russia brought an end to a Mechanism that it initiated and we all created and mandated when there are still questions to answer about sarin in Al-Latamneh. Russia called for the formation of the JIM; it negotiated its terms and it agreed its mission. Yet, when faced with the prospect of the JIM. revealing the truth, why has Russia alone chosen to shoot the messenger? It seems that, not content with spuriously questioning the JIM's methods and conclusions, Russia has now sought to silence them. Instead of respecting the professional and impartial work of the JIM, whose tireless efforts I pay tribute to today, Russia alone has chosen to abuse its veto to support a regime that has no regard for international treaties, no regard for the most basic rules of war, no regard for its own people.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“Instead, because ofRussia alone, that investigation is destined to come to a premature and unnecessary conclusion next month. Unless Russia changes its mind, as I hope it does, the report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism on Khan Shaykhun will be its last, despite the continuing evidence from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of other cases of chemical weapons use in Syria. I have often expressed my disappointment at Russia's actions on Syria in this Chamber. I have often expressed my frustration at their refusal to allow the Security Council to respond to the most heinous crimes committed in Syria, but today all I will ask is, why? Why has Russia alone stopped an investigation whose work is not yet complete?”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“A little more than four years ago in this very Chamber, a member of the Security Council proudly declared, "the use of chemical weapons by any party will be carefully investigated by the Security Council, which will stand ready to take action under Chapter VII of the Charter" (S/PV. 7038, p.4). "By any party" were wise words indeed. Does anyone know who uttered those words four years ago? Are there any guesses? It was the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Sergey Lavrov. Today, those words have lost all meaning. They ring hollow in this Chamber today, drowned out by Russia's veto - its ninth on Syria in six years. Today, we should have been extending the investigation that Minister Lavrov called for, allowing the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) another year to conduct its vital work.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“Secondly, on a point of practicality, we saw what happened a year ago when there was uncertainty about the future of the Joint Investigative Mechanism. Its staff left, its capability dwindled and it was unable to operate for some months. The only beneficiaries of a significant similar delay this time around would be the users of chemical weapons in Syria - Da'esh, the Syrian regime and their backers.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“Russia's procedural proposal is a cynical attempt to link two things that do not need to be linked and that should not be linked - the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, on the one hand, and its report, which is due imminently, on the other. Attempting to link the two, as Russia is doing, is politicization. Going ahead with the meeting and with the vote as planned is the way that the supporters of the draft resolution (8/2017/884) have attempted to avoid politicization. I think that we should go to great lengths to make sure that there is no politicization in the mandate renewal of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, and the best way to avoid politicizing such an important issue is to go ahead with the vote on the mandate renewal today, as planned.”
2017-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8073 (2017) · source
“Access restrictions are again a central cause of the crisis, with impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance at the federal and state levels, as well as hefty, illicit fees that limit reach and increase delivery costs. In conclusion, what we are witnessing in all of those countries is the return of hunger as a weapon of war. The destruction of farms, livestock herds and markets, the blocks on humanitarian aid and access for commercial goods are all deliberate tactics to decrease people's access to adequate nutrition and health care. We need to recognize that it is happening as a result of political decisions. So in turn, the Council must bring its own political pressure to bear on those responsible and hold them to account. We have the power and duty to influence their behaviour in the right direction.”
2017-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8069 (2017) · source
“Sustainable peace can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the violence. In Yemen, the gravest humanitarian situation today, food is the biggest weapon and lack of food is the biggest killer. The Council is being very clear this week about the need for increased commercial and humanitarian access into and across Yemen, including through increased capacity at all Yemeni ports, particularly Al Hudaydah. We also need to see public-sector salaries paid regularly across the country, starting with the health, water, sanitation and waste-management sectors to stem cholera and preserve essential Government services. It is only in Somalia that drought is partially responsible for the situation. Even there, the war remains the principal trigger of and contributor to the unfolding humanitarian tragedy.”
2017-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8069 (2017) · source
“We need only look to South Sudan, where fighters from each side accuse civilians of feeding or being fed by the enemy. Access restrictions, bureaucratic impediments and attacks on humanitarian workers continue to delay the delivery of lifesaving assistance, with more than 1,600 access incidents reported since the start of 2016 - that is, the delivery of food being denied to those most in need, at least twice a day, for nearly two years. In north-east Nigeria it is a similar story, with aid agencies unable to access many of those in need due to continuing fighting between Boko Haram and Government forces. As a priority, the Government of Nigeria must protect civilians and provide unimpeded humanitarian access. In parallel, the Government should set out clear steps for ending the conflict that do not depend on military measures alone.”
2017-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8069 (2017) · source
“In South Sudan, there are literally more people without food than with. More than half of the population - more than 6 million people - are severely food insecure. And in Yemen, as we heard earlier this week, more than 17 million people are now food insecure, nearly 7 million of whom are just one step away from famine. If only to deepen the tragedy further, in all four of those countries the impact falls most acutely on women, girls and children. As the Council well knows, the long-term solution to all those crises is ending and preventing conflict, but long-term fixes alone are no good when hunger kills in the short-term. We need aid to reach people in need quickly, and as the Council, we need to find the political will necessary to overcome the barriers that too often prevent that from happening.”
2017-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8069 (2017) · source
“Iwould like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. Eight months ago he issued an urgent wake-up call to the world as the threat of famine and the threat of millions starving to death loomed large over the people of Somalia, South Sudan, north-eastern Nigeria and Yemen. Today, thanks to his call to action and the global efforts that followed, famine has been kept at bay. And yet that is no cause for celebration. As the Secretary-General said in his briefing, the absence of famine is not the absence of need. Hunger by any other name is still hunger. In each of the countries I just mentioned, the need remains colossal - overwhelming, in fact - and even greater than it was in February. In Somalia, more than 3 million people are going to bed hungry. The same can be said for more than 5 million in north-eastern Nigeria.”
2017-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8069 (2017) · source
“Let us all work with the United Nations to make it a reality. My final point is that we cannot lose sight of long- term planning and strategic force generation. That includes more partnerships, more training and more capacity-building, so that we are moving beyond the immediate force generation to future strategic force generation, and so that we are preparing for future needs, not just filling the current capability gaps. As we do so, let us not forget that the military force is just one of the three pillars ofa mission. As missions become more involved in political work, we will all need to think about how we generate the civilian component and the policing component so that missions can play a role that has a significant impact, notjust in keeping the peace but in building and sustaining it too.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“For us, that means troops who are agile and mobile, willing and capable of moving to where they are needed at short notice. We know that this approach works; we have seen it in action elsewhere. I would like to praise the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Pakistani contingent there for their agility in relocating troops to hotspots where they are really needed for the protection of civilians. To help us anticipate future force requirements, we need rich, real-time data from the United Nations to inform Council decision-making. That analysis needs to be used also to inform force-generation decisions. We therefore welcome the call in resolution 2378 (2017) for the collection and analysis of data on peacekeeping performance. It is a really important step forward.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“As the mission's objectives are achieved and as political processes progress, force requirements will also change. We should be able to anticipate those changes and be agile enough to provide the capabilities required. That means moving away from setting arbitrary troop ceilings and instead moving towards a tailored approach that relies on better information on what capabilities are actually needed and when, so that we are more focused on the effects that we want the peacekeeping mission to deliver. For example, next month we will be discussing the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. Many here will no doubt advocate for an increase in the troop ceiling. But the United Kingdom is more concerned that the Mission has the right troops.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“That could mean one country providing those skills while another supplies the supporting logistics, sharing the burden and increasing the availability of that niche asset. Such innovative smart pledges will be one of the issues that the British Defence Secretary will raise in Vancouver. Innovation also means incorporating modern technology to make peacekeeping more responsive and more effective. We have already made some progress on using unmanned aerial vehicles, but there are more technologies that we could be harnessing. To do so effectively, we need to be able to anticipate the future requirements of missions, which brings me to my second point. Put simply, United Nations peacekeeping missions are not meant to stay the same. They are meant to evolve as the conditions on the ground evolve.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“Our ultimate goal must be to give the United Nations the freedom to tailor the forces it deploys according to the unique circumstances of each mission's mandate. We made a good start towards that goal, including at the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Meeting in London last year. But as our Canadian colleagues pick up the battle, it is clear that there is more to do. Let me outline three steps that we need to take. First, we should not be afraid to innovate. We know that there are persistent gaps in niche capabilities, such as attack helicopters, specialist engineering skills and medical skills. We should not accept those gaps as an unavoidable reality, but instead look to countries to work together to rotate the provision of that scarce capability.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“I thank Mr. Lacroix, Ambassador Blanchard and Ambassador Bin Momen for their briefings. I would like to begin by paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women of United Nations peacekeeping. They represent the very best of the Organization. We owe it to them and to those they protect to ensure that peacekeeping operations have the right capabilities for the mission at hand. That means the right people, with the right equipment and skills, carrying out the right mandate. How often do we actually meet that standard? How often, instead, do we hear of peacekeeping operations having to rely on whichever forces are available, rather than on the forces best suited to the mission?”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8064 (2017) · source
“Both parties share a responsibility for ensuring that the ceasefire improves the safety and security of all Colombians. It is vital that they seize the opportunity that this ceasefire presents. We may not see another opportunity like it for both sides to work towards a lasting peace. Therefore, let us do all we can to support the Government of Colombia and the ELN in that effort. We can be proud today that the United Nations has been able to respond positively to the request of the parties. Through this adoption, we have again shown that the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, stand ready to support Colombia on the journey towards peace.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8063 (2017) · source
“As the penholder on the resolution, I want to offer my thanks to all Council members for their support in making it possible. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his recommendations, which outlined an effective and appropriate response to the ceasefire through the existing Verification Mission. I am also grateful to Special Representative Arnault and his staff for their quick work after the announcement on 4 September and during a complex phase of transition for the Verification Mission. We know that this is just the start and we recognize the challenges faced by the parties just to reach this crucial point after months of talks in Quito. if that peace is to be built and sustained, all oftheir efforts will need to continue.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8063 (2017) · source
“We meet today, just days after the first-ever bilateral ceasefire between the Government and the Ejercito de Liberacio'n Nacional (ELN). For the first time in over half a century, the guns between those two once-warring sides have fallen silent. That creates yet another historic opportunity for peace for the people of Colombia. It is testament to our unity of purpose on that issue that, in the brief time that has elapsed, the Council has come together to adopt resolution 2381 (2017), authorizing the United Nations Verification Mission to support the monitoring of that ceasefire. In doing so, the Council has once again shown that it is ready to respond swiftly, positively and unanimously in support of peace in Colombia.”
2017-10-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8063 (2017) · source
“It is also very encouraging that the parties have indicated that they would like the United Nations to play a role in verifying that ceasefire. It is a resounding endorsement of the United Nations work with the FARC peace process over the past year. We stand ready to support it in whatever way we can and look forward to further advice from the Secretary- General in due course. With our action today, we have shown that the Council remains fully committed to assisting Colombia on its journey towards peace. We have put a verification team in place, based on the Secretary-General's recommendations following close consultations with the parties. It is now up to Colombia - both its Government and its people - to show that all of the history that has been made up to this point will mean a lasting peace for generations to come.”
2017-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8049 (2017) · source
“I want to thank the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Jean Arnault, and his team for their dedication and hard work over the past few weeks to put in place in all necessary preparations to enable the Verification Mission to start work on 26 September - the day after the first Mission finishes its mandate. I want to reiterate our thanks to Jean Arnault and the first United Nations Mission for a truly excellent job in supporting the FARC's laydown of arms. The Pope's visit to Colombia last week further reinforced Colombia's remarkable achievements over the past 18 months, and we welcome the most recent positive development, on 4 September, when the Government and the National Liberation Army signed a bilateral ceasefire.”
2017-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8049 (2017) · source
“As President Santos Calderon told us when we visited in May, the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement is irreversible. But irreversible and sustainable are not exactly the same. We have officially reached the hard bit now. While a laydown of arms more than half a century in the making is without question history, it happens in a moment. The reincorporation of the FARC into society will not happen instantly. It will be a process. It will require commitment. It will require sacrifice. It will mean putting aside differences that were born long before most Colombians. Sustainable peace will depend on the FARC's successful reincorporation into civilian life, so I am pleased that the United Nations will continue to be able to play a supportive role in accompanying the parties in the next crucial phase of implementation.”
2017-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8049 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom warmly welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2377 (2017). In finalizing the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, we have taken an important step in supporting the parties to consolidate the gains achieved over the past year as they implement the next phase of the peace process. It seems that each time that we meet in the Chamber on Colombia, there is another historical milestone to welcome. In July (see S/PV.7997), we welcomed the laying down of arms by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), and earlier this month (see S/PV.8041), we saw the FARC transform into a political party - the new Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Comun - at its inaugural Congress in Bogota.”
2017-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8049 (2017) · source
“The ongoing reports of torture, arbitrary arrests and sexual exploitation are deeply concerning and must stop. We therefore support calls for greater funding to strengthen the United Nations monitoring presence on the ground. Finally, the role of women in the crisis cannot be overlooked. We reiterate the Council's call for greater engagement between regional Governments, the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and women's civil society, as well as the deployment of a gender adviser to the MNJTF. In short, there is a lot more that all of us need to do. Six months on from our Visit we cannot afford to lose focus. I hope that through briefings like the one we heard today from Ms. Imam and Mr. Feltman we will all be reminded of what is at stake, just as we were in Maiduguri.”
2017-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8047 (2017) · source
“We also call on them to expedite all remaining registrations for humanitarian organization in the region, as the Secretary-General's report notes. We welcome the increased civil-military coordination in the humanitarian effort and urge that to continue. However, we deeply regret the raid on the United Nations red roof compound by the Nigerian military last month. Nevertheless, we do welcome the swift response by the authorities. It is clear that a long-term solution will be found only by addressing the root causes that led to Boko Haram's emergence, which I think was the main lesson for many of us on our visit. That search for longer- term solutions and root causes requires a regional plan to address the political, economic, governance, transparency and accountability issues. If such an effort is to succeed, it must respect human rights.”
2017-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8047 (2017) · source
“We have announced an additional $260 million over the next four years, as part of the north-east Nigeria transition to development programme. We all need to play our part. The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund was launched in February with an appeal for $1 billion this year. As of last month, that appeal is less than half funded. As the Secretary- General's report makes clear, insufficient funding from the donor community continues to limit the provision of food aid, development and recovery activities. Just as the international community must act, so too should Governments in the region. We look to the Government of Nigeria and affected countries to provide greater resources where they can and to further prioritize the humanitarian response.”
2017-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8047 (2017) · source
“Since we visited, the number of Nigerians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries has only marginally decreased, with nearly 2 million people still displaced in north-east Nigeria and over 8 million in need ofurgent, lifesaving assistance. While the number of forced returns has fallen, we have seen thousands of people pressured back into areas where they do not feel safe. It is therefore clear that we should all redouble our efforts to implement the commitments that we made in resolution 2349 (2017). The United Kingdom will play its part. We remain committed to partnering with Nigeria and its neighbours to degrade and defeatBoko Haram. We remain committed to helping people in need in the region, having scaled up our humanitarian support to $130 million this year.”
2017-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8047 (2017) · source