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

“In parallel, we must not lose sight ofother challenges to peace, such as the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the recent cut in electricity supplies is exacerbating already perilous conditions: over 30,000 persons displaced and insufficient clean water to meet the population's needs, with most only getting water for a few hours every three to five days. Over 70 per cent of Gazans are now reliant upon the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations for its efforts to alleviate the suffering of those in Gaza. Ultimately, it is the decision of Hamas to choose violence and to reject the Quartet principles that lies at the heart of the tragedy in Gaza.”
2017-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8011 (2017) · source
“The relevant authorities must swiftly investigate all of those incidents. We call on all parties to show restraint and restore calm. We call on all parties to avoid provocation and, through engagement, to reach a solution that ensures the safety and security of the Temple Mount/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, one that upholds the status quo. We welcome the engagement between all parties to find a solution, and we welcome positive steps taken overnight. This is the path to de-escalation. This is the path all parties must take.”
2017-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8011 (2017) · source
“It should remind us all that the peace we seek is not impossible, no matter how far off it may appear, no matter the challenges ahead. It is a reminder of hope that the region desperately needs. One need look only to the recent abhorrent surge in violence to see that peace remains far from the minds of far too many. I condemn the horrific terrorist attack that claimed the lives of three Israelis during a Shabbat dinner last Friday. I deplore the tragic murder of two Israeli policemen at the Temple Mount/Al-Haram Al-Sharif the Friday before. A spiral of tension and violence has swept across the West Bank and Jerusalem in recent days. I am deeply concerned about the loss of life, including the deaths of at least four Palestinians, and deplore the violence that left hundreds injured in clashes over the weekend.”
2017-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8011 (2017) · source
“Let me join others in thanking Nickolay Mladenov for his briefing and his tireless efforts on this issue. As he has set out so clearly this morning, the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories continues to be of the utmost concern for the Security Council. After generations of hostility, blood and tears and in the wake of years of pain and wars, we are determined to bring an end to the bloodshed and sorrow. But such determination is not new. In fact, those words I just uttered come from the Washington Declaration, signed on this very day 23 years ago. That historic document started a process that created a historic peace between Israel and Jordan, a peace that would have been unthinkable decades before. The symbolism of this particular anniversary should not be lost on anyone in the Council today.”
2017-07-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8011 (2017) · source
“Should we fail in our efforts, South Sudan will enter into a fifth year of conflict. For a country that is only six years old, that is simply heart-breaking.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“The first priority for that must be to bring an end to the fighting. That will require a negotiated ceasefire or a cessation of hostilities agreement among a broad and meaningful range of armed actors. It will require national and local initiatives, and we must be clear that any actors blocking peace will face consequences. But, in truth, we have said all of this before. In this Chamber back in May (see S/PV.7950), I said that we were not yet fulfilling our responsibilities as the Council to the people of South Sudan. Two months on, that is, I am afraid, still the case. The parties continue to put violence before peace. That cannot continue. We have a unique window of opportunity before the end of the rainy season to make meaningful progress in South Sudan.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“In June we saw humanitarian access being blocked 100 times, the highest number in a month in 2017 so far. In addition, ceasefire monitors have been blocked on multiple occasions by Government troops from investigating incidents of reported violence. That is all in clear violation of the peace Agreement, and all at the cost of the South Sudanese people. Until we see the Government's actions match its words, the Council has no choice but to take measures to protect peace and security. For the United Kingdom, that means returning to the issue of an arms embargo on South Sudan once again. We must do all we can to stop the uncontrolled flow of weapons that is driving this violence. In parallel, we should continue to work with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to support their high-level revitalization forum initiative.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“Let us be clear: the violence is happening there, and it is not self-defence. It is a blatant infringement of the ceasefire that President Salva Kiir declared only a few months ago. Not content with misleading their people and the international community, the Government of South Sudan has systematically clamped down on the media and on access to information. Last Friday, Internet service providers in South Sudan were ordered to block media outlets with which the Government disagrees. The head of State television was reported to have been arrested for failing to broadcast President Kiir's Independence Day speech. The Government says it is committed to media freedom, but its actions speak otherwise. What the Government of South Sudan says bears no relation to what it does.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“Six years of their rule has left over half the population without enough food - 6 million people dependent on humanitarian assistance just to survive. Make no mistake: this is a crisis of human creation, a crisis that the leaders of South Sudan have had six years to prevent. But, instead of helping, they have poured fuel on the fire. We need only look at the ongoing fighting across the country between the Government and the opposition forces. In Pagak, for example, the Government offensive has displaced thousands of civilians into Ethiopia. Aid workers have been evacuated. The already desperate humanitarian situation has been made even worse. Yet when the Government is asked about Pagak, we hear different stories from different people. Some say there has been no violence there. Others argue that the offensive was for self-defence.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Wane, and President Mogae for their briefings. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate the full support of the United Kingdom for their work and for the work of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. I would not normally take the floor before consultations, but the horrifying and entrenched situation in South Sudan compels me to speak out. Two weeks ago, the people of South Sudan should have been celebrating that young country's Independence Day. They should have been celebrating six years of progress, six years of a country learning to stand on its own two feet. But six years on, South Sudan is not standing. It is barely even crawling, stifled by its leaders, who would rather serve their own ends than help their country.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8008 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom continues to work with its partners, not just on sanctions, but in all our efforts to counter the terrorist threat. That means bringing Da'esh to justice, shutting down terrorist financing, managing the risk posed by foreign terrorist fighters and tackling extremism on line. This is a fight for the long haul, but together we will defeat the scourge of terrorism and our collective values will prevail, and the resolution that we have adopted today is a vital part of that effort.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8007 (2017) · source
“The fight against Da'esh will not end in Iraq and Syria. Even as we defeat them there, we must actively confront the threat that Da'esh, Al-Qaida and their affiliates pose in other parts of the world. And that is why United Nations sanctions remain an important tool, and why the United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of this resolution. It tightens our stranglehold on those groups and ensures that our measures are fit for purpose. In particular, we welcome the eight new designations adopted today. These designations include terrorist outfits, money-laundering companies, terrorist leaders and foreign terrorist fighters. The diversity of those fighters - from Syria, Iraq, Russia and Indonesia - really underscores that this is a global threat that requires a global response.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8007 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2368 (2017), which extends the United Nations sanctions against Da'esh and Al-Qaida. This adoption comes at an important moment in the international community's battle against Da'esh. The liberation of Mosul after a long-fought campaign represents a vital milestone in the battle against Da'esh in Iraq. I want to pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the Iraqi forces that made this possible. In Syria, operations against Raqqa have begun, and it is only a matter of time before Da'esh see its so-called caliphate crumble. But as we heard from Under-Secretary- General for Political Affairs Feltman in his briefing to the Council last month (see S/PV.7962), now is not the time for complacency. Instead, we must remain vigilant and resolute.”
2017-07-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8007 (2017) · source
“Do not hesitate. Recognize that the world is hungry for actions, not words. Act with courage and vision." Let us all act in that spirit.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“There are many issues we should address to realize fully the corporation envisaged in resolution 2320 (2016) * agreeing on mechanisms and processesl sharing standards and procedures, including on human rights, accountability and transparency; and establishing, as the Secretary-General reminded us again today, a source of sustainable and predictable financing for African peace support operations. We welcome the work that the United Nations has done with the African Union so far on that agenda, and we now need to see that work continue. I look forward to our visit as a Security Council to Addis Ababa in September. There is a lot more to do, but we cannot be deterred in our efforts to support peace and security in Africa. I would like to conclude by returning to the words of the late Nelson Mandela: "Do not look the other way.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“In parallel, we need more women working in missions, out in the field, reassuring local populations, gathering vital intelligence and contributing to more effective operations. Thirdly, we need to strengthen and deepen our existing partnerships. The United Nations and African Union relationship is critical for peace and security in Africa. As we have seen in Somalia, Mali and Central African Republic, that relationship makes such a difference to those most in need. We therefore applaud the work to make those joint efforts more systematic, and we are reassured that the Joint United Nations- African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security will lead to better cooperation and coordination.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“African nations provide over half of the peacekeepers deployed to African missions. I want to pay tribute to all of them for their service, so often in dangerous circumstances. The United Kingdom is committed to improving the planning of peacekeeping missions, the quality and quantity of pledges of troops and equipment and the performance of missions and troops on the ground. But that will count for little if we do not have the trust of those we seek to protect. That means, among other things, eradicating the corrosive spectre of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. We must implement fully the framework for action and resolution 2272 (2016) to uphold and enforce the highest standards of conflict - zero tolerance must mean zero tolerance.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“For that agenda to succeed, the United Nations needs to diversify the way that it engages using development cooperation proactively to build peace and supporting more diplomacy, including mediation. As the Economic Community of West African States mediation in The Gambia showed, that means more cooperation with regional actors that have the right to experience and influence to deliver results on the ground. The Council and our colleagues in the African Union must demonstrate unambiguously to those who perpetuate conflict that there are severe political and economic consequences for doing so. Secondly, we must all be ready to respond when conflict does occur. Effective and efficient United Nations peacekeeping is one of our strongest assets to do so, and it is a shared asset.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“And we see that flame burn brightly in the work of organizations such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, which are helping African countries find common cause to overcome common concerns. The Council has a vital role to play in fostering that flame. To do so, I would like to propose three particular things that I think we need to do. First, we must all work together - the United Nations, the Council and the countries and organizations of Africa - to address the root causes of conflict. We spend too much time and money responding to crises, rather than preventing them. That is why the United Kingdom so strongly supports the Secretary-General and his sustaining peace agena and his increased focus on conflict prevention.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“For the people of the Kasai in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the people of South Sudan, that flame may appear almost extinguished and lost among the shadows of instability and conflict. But although the flame grows dim in parts ofthe continent, Mandela was right. It cannot be extinguished. We know that from the great strides made by countries like Cote d'Ivoire, which is moving away from years of war and now is looking ahead towards decades of peace. We see it in progress towards democracy like the elections in Somalia in February, where women won nearly a quarter of the parliamentary seats. That was a vital step towards one-person-one-vote elections.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“I thank the Secretary-General and Commissioner Chergui for their positive and constructive briefings this morning. It was also a pleasure to hear the interventions of the Foreign Minister of Senegal and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who reminded us that yesterday was Nelson Mandela Day. He would have turned 99 yesterday. I therefore wanted to begin with a quote from him from his book Long Walk to Freedom. He wrote, "Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished". Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished, and that flame does remain hidden for far too many people across the continent of Africa.”
2017-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8006 (2017) · source
“Faced with these provocations, we must toughen our resolve. The United Kingdom supports new binding measures to raise the cost further for these illegal actions. The Security Council should start work immediately on a new resolution to achieve this.”
2017-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7996 (2017) · source
“We will continue to encourage partners globally to take effective action to understand and, when necessary, disrupt the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's illegal proliferation and other sanctions-evasion activity. We will also work with allies and partners around the world to consider the fullest range of measures to increase diplomatic pressure. The primary responsibility lies with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but all members of the international community must further strengthen their resolve to enforce existing measures fully and effectively without delay. We also urge all States to comply with the Security Council's requirements for reporting on the implementation of measures. But as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's own statements of defiance make clear, even these steps will probably not be enough.”
2017-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7996 (2017) · source
“Amid reports of widespread hardship and human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Pyongyang's priority should be the health and welfare of North Korean people, not the continuation of the nuclear programme. We continue to urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to return to credible and authentic multilateral talks on its nuclear and ballistic programmes and to abide by its obligations under Security Council resolutions. The United Kingdom has today summoned the Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in London, conveying in the strongest terms our views of this reckless behaviour. We will also be redoubling our efforts with partners to seek strong enforcement of measures that aim to bring the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the right path. Increased vigilance is needed.”
2017-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7996 (2017) · source
“However, with this launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Council should note that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea clearly intends to threaten directly an ever greater number of States and indirectly the whole world. All such ballistic missile activity by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is in violation of binding Security Council resolutions, and any capability that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea develops to threaten the security of other States is of grave concern. Our response must be strong and clear. The international community must redouble its efforts. As the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom has said, North Korea strains every nerve and sinew to build nuclear weapons and launch illegal missiles, even as the people of North Korea endure starvation and poverty.”
2017-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7996 (2017) · source
“Like the previous speakers from the United States, Japan and France, the United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's flagrant violation of unanimous decisions of the Security Council. Despite our repeated condemnation and successive Security Council resolutions, the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has persisted in pursuing its illegal programmes in misguided pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. This is simply not acceptable. We have seen an unprecedented number of ballistic missile tests over the past year, including ground testing.”
2017-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7996 (2017) · source
“We believe the United Kingdom's proposal is the clear way forward for the Council to answer Prime Minister Al Abadi's call and we look forward to working with our Iraqi colleagues so that the proposal can be finalized as soon as possible.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“That is why the United Kingdom has launched a United Nations-led global campaign to bring Da'esh to justice that will show that Da'esh cannot act with impunity. It will act as a deterrent, both now and in the future, and help to strengthen global security. Time is of the essence. It is vital that we act now. We must start gathering evidence before it is lost or destroyed on the battlefield. I therefore welcome the discussions we have had with the Government of Iraq on this issue and the significant statement by Prime Minister Al Abadi calling, at the end of March, for "the United Nations Security Council to issue a resolution to prosecute Da'esh's crimes against civilians".”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“We are working with the industry so that, together, we take a more proactive approach to terrorist and extremist content online. Engagement so far has resulted in companies strengthening their terms and conditions and the announcement of a shared database that will catalogue known terrorist content from the Internet. We have also seen a public commitment from Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft to look at options for establishing an international industry-led forum focused on this issue. There is much more to be done, so let us call on industry to do the right thing and remove hateful extremist content from its platforms. Finally, if we are to defeat Da'esh, we must hold it to account for its actions, whether online or in the real world, and seekjustice for all Da'esh victims around the world.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“As we successfully degrade Da'esh in Syria and Iraq, we have seen its propaganda promote attacks elsewhere across the world. We have seen individuals inspired by these calls carryout careless attacks in the name of Da'esh. As it loses its caliphates, we are seeing its fighters flee. We must work together to deprive Da'esh of safe spaces across the world, tackling the threat of foreign fighters travelling to new havens or returning to home countries. We must also bring an end to their havens online. The pervasive spread of Islamist extremism online has gone on for too long. As one of the leads on the counter- Da'esh communications effort and, in partnership with Coalition countries, the United Kingdom has successfully diminished the quantity, but also the quality and the impact of that hateful propaganda.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“In Syria, operations against Raqqa have now begun. It is only a matter of time before Da'esh loses its so-called capital. But, ultimately, degrading Da'esh effectively will take time, patience and sustained effort from the international community, including the Council. It is an effort that goes far beyond military support and that is why the Global Coalition is supporting the Government of Iraq to restore security, governance and basic services across Iraq. Helping people rebuild their lives is the first step to winning the peace. To counter the longer-term threat of Da'esh, Iraqis need political reconciliation and reform, and in Syria, we need to see a long-overdue national political settlement and a transition to a Government for all Syrians. The threat we face is changing.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“The Council has a duty now to show the same courage, the same resolve as those ordinary men and women in the face of such brutality. That is why the United Kingdom is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition to Counter Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Our collective efforts are bearing fruit. Da'esh has lost over two-thirds of the ground it once occupied in Iraq and nearly half of that held in Syria. More than 2.5 million people have now been freed from their tyrannical rule. Make no mistake - we are defeating Da'esh on the ground. In Iraq, Mosul will soon be liberated. The Iraqi security forces, with the support of the Coalition, have successfully isolated Da'esh to a final holdout in west Mosul. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Iraqi security forces, people are already starting to return to their homes in liberated areas.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“I thank Under- Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman for his briefing just now. At the outset, let me express my condolences to the Government and the people of Iran following the terrible attacks yesterday. In recent weeks, the United Kingdom has stood firm through senseless terrorist atrocities that targeted innocent people in Manchester and London. These attacks show the worst of humankind. They seek to intimidate us, to divide us and to undermine our resolve. They fail every time. In response, ordinary people show the best of humankind. In the United Kingdom, we witnessed the men and women of our emergency services, as well as members of the public, show the greatest courage, even risking their own lives to protect others from attack.”
2017-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7962 (2017) · source
“If we are not taking steps to address climate change, we are fighting with one hand tied behind our back. The Paris Agreement provides the right global framework for protecting the prosperity and security of future generations while keeping energy affordable and secure for our citizens and businesses. The United Kingdom played a major role in securing the Paris Agreement, and I am proud to restate in this Chamber today that we are wholly committed to it.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“So we need to see investment in institutions and infrastructure to deliver improved water security within States and between States. Building effective institutions and delivering better governance is just as critical as building infrastructure. The G-20 can play a critical role through diplomatic efforts, development cooperation and harnessing the potential of the private sector, Governments and communities to mobilize investment in water security. Finally, if we are to make progress on this issue before 2030, we need to see the bigger picture. Across the world, climate change is undermining water security. In almost all climate-change scenarios, the world's driest regions become drier, and across the globe flooding will become more common.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“But to tackle this problem on a global scale, we will need more than bilateral or regional action. We will need to work together, through this institution and others. Holding this meeting is an important step, but this effort needs to be sustained. We cannot solve it through one meeting a year. The Group of 20 (G-20) also has a role to play, including through incentivizing water cooperation. This is not an issue for just the developing world. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Global Water Partnership estimate that water insecurity costs the global economy $500 billion every year. And yet we fall a long way short of meeting the $198 billion of global investment that is needed every year for water governance and infrastructure.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“In South Asia, for example, the United Kingdom has provided $30 million towards water governance over the past five years. One billion people across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan rely heavily on just three rivers, and, despite facing similar problems posed by water demand and climate change, regional collaboration between these countries is limited. That is why we have supported a regional approach to these rivers in order to address the shared challenges of development and climate change. We are working with the World Bank's South Asia Water Initiative, bringing together different disciplines and experiences, technical and political, across the region, so that together we can identify and resolve challenges affecting these transboundary waters.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“Through the global goals, we all committed to deliver improved water security, improved access to drinking water and sanitation, and stronger transboundary water management. And yet the outlook for 2030 is fragile. We are simply not on track. The United Nations estimates that by the time we are supposed to have achieved Sustainable Development Goal 6, demand for water in many developing countries will outstrip supply by 40 per cent. If such scarcity is combined with weak governance, population growth, migration and climate change, we may face a potential upsurge in global conflicts in future. This, therefore, is a clear call for preventive diplomacy, as so many of my colleagues have already said. All ofus in this Chamber have a part to play.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“The stakes are high: more than three quarters of States Members of the United Nations share river basins with another country, and more than 2 billion people live in shared river basins in the developing world. Sadly, we know what can happen when the water runs dry. In Somalia, drought is driving the acute food shortage that threatens to tip over once again into famine. One powerful lesson from the last famine in Somalia six years ago was that famine is not simply about food but also about water. In north-eastern Nigeria, lack of water is exacerbating the man-made crisis, as we saw for ourselves when we visited in March. Thousands of displaced people, the majority of whom are women and children, have become sick from diseases spread by dirty water and poor hygiene as the conflict continues. We have to act, and we have agreed to act.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“At the outset, let me thank Council members for their words of condolence and support here and elsewhere following the horrific attack in London this weekend. The perpetrators sought to terrorize us, to divide us, but make no mistake: they will fail. Together we will defeat them, and we will need Security Council unity and activism against this terrible scourge. Turning to this afternoon's meeting, I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing, and I want to join others in paying tribute to you, Your Excellency President Morales, for your leadership in bringing this crucial issue of transboundary water security to the Security Council. It is an issue that we used not to discuss in this Chamber, but it is one that warrants our fullest attention.”
2017-06-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7959 (2017) · source
“Above all, if there is to be a long-term peace in Syria, there has to be full implementation of resolution 2254 (2017), as our Egyptian colleague has just said, and there has to be justice. There has to be justice for the people of Khan Shaykhun, for the people of Aleppo, for the people of so many places across Syria who have endured for so many years. Without these steps, there simply is not a credible plan. There is just the fiction that we have today. It is a fiction where ceasefire exists and yet bombs still fall. It is a fiction that has endured for too long.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“In light ofthese continuing atrocities, it is clear that the guarantors of the Astana process need to do more, so much more, to make the ceasefire and de-escalation zones a reality. This must mean a genuine end to the violence - a ceasefire in deed and not just in thought. It must mean effective and impartial monitoring mechanisms, ideally reporting to the Security Council, so that those who violate the ceasefire are named and held to account. It means sustained humanitarian access for the United Nations and its partners, with the United Nations being allowed to assess what each de-escalation zone needs. Those with influence over the regime must ensure that this access is given. It is long overdue.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“It has the assurances it needs from the opposition and it has the mandate to act. All of us around this table have agreed in countless resolutions that access must be granted, but instead the United Nations teams are forced to wait - not for aid, not for supplies, but instead for the regime's letters of approval, letters that never arrive. So the children continue to go hungry and the sick and wounded continue to die in pain. This is not about bureaucracy or paperwork; these are the cold calculating actions of a regime that chooses to starve its fellow Syrians into surrender. One can see why the United Nations judges that this kind of behaviour constitutes war crimes.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“At the end of April, the United Nations estimated over 620,000 people were living under siege in Syria, the overwhelming majority in towns and villages besieged by the regime and its allies. How can anyone claim there is a ceasefire in place when the equivalent population of Las Vegas is being besieged? Quite simply, one cannot. Going hand in hand with the continued attacks and continued besiegement is the continued failure to improve humanitarian access. As Stephen said, in the past two months, there has been just one aid delivery to an area besieged by the regime and that delivery was too little too late, providing supplies for the bare minimum of the population. It does not have to be this way. The United Nations is standing by ready to deliver aid and medicine to those in critical need. It knows the routes it will take.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“But the fact is that the Astana plans have done little to help the people of Syria, instead, so far, they have done a great deal to help the regime and its allies. The guns have fallen silent only where it has suited them. The guns have been deafening elsewhere. So, in some places, yes, there has been an overdue reduction in the violence, but only where it suits the regime. We need only ask the people of Dar'a governorate, one of the four so-called de-escalation zones, what the ceasefire feels like on the ground. Last week barrel bomb after barrel bomb, air strike after air strike, rained down on opposition-held areas there. Is that what the regime means by ceasefire? Is that what it means by de-escalation? And just as the attacks have continued, so have the sieges.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“I thank Mr. Stephen O'Brien for his powerful briefing and for all he does on this crucial issue. We are meeting today exactly five months since a ceasefire was declared in Syria. Sadly, as Stephen has set out, it is a ceasefire that exists in name only. The past five months have seen continued fighting, continued atrocities and continued destruction. Throughout civilians have been maimed and killed, starved and besieged. In towns like Khan Shaykhun, they have been exposed to the very worst of humankind. Like many others in this Chamber, we cautiously welcomed the ceasefire and the Astana agreements on de-escalation zones. After six years of fighting, we are all ready to support any genuine effort to bring an overdue end to the bloodshed.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7955 (2017) · source
“The parties to this conflict and their allies, as well other countries in the region and across the globe, must set aside politics and self-interest and respond at the most humane level, facilitating access and mobilizing resources to treat the cholera outbreak and ensure that food gets to those in need. In that spirit, I urge the parties, with the support of the international community, to redouble their efforts to reach a sustainable political settlement, ensuring that the people's protection, dignity and well-being are at the heart of any agreement. Working together, we can end one of the world's great humanitarian tragedies and put Yemen back on a path to survival and a future. The time is now.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7954 (2017) · source
“For as long as military actions continue, all parties must comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, and all States must exert their influence to ensure that the parties do so. The second is to ensure that all ports and land routes remain open for both humanitarian and commercial imports, including working to avoid attacks on Hudaydah and to reopen Sana'a airport. We need the mobile cranes at the port. The third is to preserve essential Yemeni institutions and ensure that civil servants are paid. This is no longerjust a question of politics or economics; it is about basic humanity, human dignity and, indeed, survival. Cholera is spreading at an unprecedented rate and famine is knocking at the door of millions tonight.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7954 (2017) · source
“A sustainable political agreement is the only long-term solution, and if it is to be achieved, there must be a reduction in violence, an end to violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and unimpeded access to those in need. The parties to the conflict and the international community, especially the Security Council, cannot allow the deadly combination of violence, inaction and indifference to condemn the Yemeni people to a bleak obituary. I call on the international community to immediately undertake the following actions to avoid irreversible consequences that will have a generational impact on Yemen and the wider region. The first is to ensure the protection of the Yemeni people.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7954 (2017) · source
“The Yemeni people face a triple threat of armed conflict, famine and deadly disease that has already killed, injured, displaced or otherwise affected millions, and it will spare no one ifit continues unchecked. The cruel irony, as I said at the beginning, is that these threats are man-made and could easily have been prevented. The international community, in concert with those parties to the conflict, now has an urgent duty to address those threats and bring Yemen and its people on all sides of the fighting lines back from the brink of complete disaster. As humanitarians, we will continue to do our job, but the Yemeni people also need the international community to do its job.”
2017-05-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7954 (2017) · source