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

“Women and girls, men and boys, are still being subjected to sexual violence every day: in Mali, where survivors are forced to withdraw complaints so that the perpetrators can escape justice; in Syria, where not a single person has been prosecuted for Da'esh's vile acts; and in South Sudan, where we see the continuing abhorrent use of rape as a sickening means of punishing communities. We know what needs to happen. We need to make ending sexual violence a key part of ceasefire deals. We need fewer women at kitchen tables and more women at negotiating tables. And we need even more women serving in uniform, because for too many survivors a man in uniform is someone to fear, not someone to trust. That is a lesson that needs to be heeded by Governments, by armed forces and, yes, by the United Nations and its peacekeepers too.”
2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source
“We have heard it many times before on our visits to South Sudan, the Lake Chad basi and, most recently, Colombia. We can also not forget the stories that we heard in that dusty camp of internally displaced persons in northern Nigeria: stories of women whose daughters had been abducted by Boko Haram, most likely forced into marriage and sexual slavery. And yet, as the Secretary-General's report (S/2016/361) clearly shows, those messages are not getting through. Not enough is being done.”
2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source
“I thank you, Mr. Minister, for convening and presiding over this important open debate. Let me begin by welcoming both Mina Jaf and Adama Dieng back to the Council and to thank them for their very important briefings this morning. I would like to pay particular tribute to Ms. Jaf for sharing her powerful testimony with us and for bringing the unique and valuable perspective of civil society into the Security Council Chamber. It is a perspective that we need to hear more often. The Council works best when its members are informed by the women and men most affected by the issues that we discuss in the Chamber. And sexual violence in conflict is no exception to that. As we heard today, ending sexual violence is central to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation. That is a message that should not need repeating in the Council.”
2017-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7938 (2017) · source
“The only things now lacking are for the Al-Assad regime to issue a facilitation letter and to pause its aerial bombardment of the area for long enough for the United Nations and its humanitarian partners to enter. If Russia is unable to ensure that the regime allows access, we call on the Security Council to act to ensure that the United Nations is able to deliver urgent supplies to Duma, in the first instance. I will reiterate now what I have said many times before. There can be no sustainable peace until there is a political transition. The Al-Assad regime bears overwhelming responsibility for the suffering of the Syrian people. I implore the whole of the Security Council to work in unity to end the conflict for the sake of the Syrian people.”
2017-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7931 (2017) · source
“There are urgent medical needs, shortages of basic food items and no water or power supplies. I finally support Mr. O'Brien's call for a pause in fighting to allow the United Nations and its humanitarian partners to safely enter eastern Ghouta. At the International Syria Support Group meeting in Geneva on 20 April, Russia committed to pressing the regime to allow the United Nations and its humanitarian partners to access Duma, one part of eastern Ghouta. What is the situation one week later? The regime has not acted. There is still no convoy. We owe it to the people of Duma to do everything we can to improve the situation. The United Nations has received the requisite assurances from the relevant armed opposition groups to allow them to deliver assistance to Duma and it has identified a safe route to enter.”
2017-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7931 (2017) · source
“All of them urgently require food, water and medicine. Roughly 5 million Syrians live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, but the only regime-besieged area to be reached in 2017 was Khan al-Shih where 6,000 people were reached with aid. The other besieged areas reached are Deir ez-Zor, besieged by Da'esh, where the United Nations carries out air drops and the four towns besieged by the Iranian-backed Hizbullah and armed opposition groups. That is a tiny proportion of aid reaching those people who are in most need of it. Let me be clear - the Syrian regime is using starve-or-surrender tactics. That is abhorrent and a clear breach of international humanitarian law. I am especially concerned about the 420,000 innocent civilians in the besieged part of eastern Ghouta, where supplies are rapidly running out.”
2017-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7931 (2017) · source
“In April alone, we know that the regime or its allies have carried out aerial attacks on at least six hospitals and three schools in Syria - I repeat, six hospitals and three schools. That is utterly deplorable. I hope that others will join me in condemning all such incidents. All of us need to do everything in our power to bring the suffering to an end. I therefore ask my Russian colleague: What is Russia doing with its leverage to ensure that the regime stops attacking schools and hospitals? Once again, such attacks bring into laser focus the urgent and desperate humanitarian needs of 13 million people in Syria. I am especially concerned about the difficulty in reaching the 1.5 million people who live under siege-like conditions and the further 3.2 million in other hard-to-reach areas in Syria.”
2017-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7931 (2017) · source
“I thank Mr. O'Brien for his important briefing today and for all of his sterling work. I would like to begin as Mr. O'Brien did by wholeheartedly condemning the terrorist attack on desperate civilians as they were being evacuated as part of the four towns agreement. It is utterly tragic that over 120 people, including a very high number of children, were brutally killed. The United Kingdom condemns that terrible attack. We will work to ensure that whoever is responsible is held to account. I also wish to salute the unity and bravery of the humanitarian response, including the response of the White Helmets. Despite a ceasefire being in place since the end of 2016, we continue to witness terrible ongoing violence.”
2017-04-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7931 (2017) · source
“My answer is - no further at all. With that in mind, I call on regional countries to avert the suffering in their backyards. I remind fellow Council colleagues that it is incumbent on us to use every available tool to pull South Sudan back from the abyss. Dialogue is needed, but so is pressure. An arms embargo would prevent further devastation and re-arming when the rainy season inevitably slows the fighting. Targeted sanctions would remind those in power that a return to peace is the right alternative to the rape and killing of civilians. We hear month after month the same lack of commitment to peace on the part of all parties. We owe it to the people of South Sudan to end the horror and secure lasting peace.”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“Despite multiple statements made in the Council and the efforts of the United Nations, the African Union and IGAD to bring the parties together, we have collectively failed to bring about an end to the conflict. We are further from the IGAD peace agreement than ever. Yes, we have all pledged to do more. Yes, the Government of South Sudan has time and again promised peace, but the people of South Sudan are fed up with pledges and promises. They need action. We therefore strongly encourage the AU, IGAD and the United Nations to build on their commitment to working together by developing a clear joint plan of action to solve the ongoing crisis in South Sudan without delay. In conclusion, the question we each need to ask ourselves as we walk out of the Chamber is: How much further are we prepared to let the situation deteriorate on our watch?”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“We call on the Government of South Sudan for his immediate and unconditional release, and urge others to join that call. The violence in Wau is also an example of the unacceptable and chronic obstructions placed upon UNMISS by the Government of South Sudan. Despite repeated attempts, UNMISS has been prevented from patrolling in Wau and is thus unable to protect civilians. A continued lack of Government cooperation has also prevented meaningful progress on the deployment of the Regional Protection Force. The Council has heard time and again of the shocking impact that this conflict is having on the world's youngest nation. One example is the fact that at least one in every four South Sudanese has now been forced from his or her home since the outbreak of the conflict in December 2013 - what a damning statistic.”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“It is always difficult to deliver aid in a highly insecure environment like South Sudan. But, let us be clear, it is not only the presence of conflict that impedes the ability of humanitarian workers to address the ever-worsening food situation; it is the way in which the conflict is conducted, namely, the fact that it contravenes international humanitarian law. International humanitarian law was breached with the murder of three World Food Programme (WFP) employees in Wau. That was by no means an isolated incident. As Ambassador Ciss noted in his briefing, the murder of those WFP employees adds to the toll of 80 humanitarians who have been killed in South Sudan since December 2013. That must stop. What is also unacceptable is the news that the Government of South Sudan has detained without charge a WFP employee.”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“We also gave our support to joint United Nations, African Union (AU) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) efforts to bring the parties back to the peace agreement. We said that we would to those benchmarks and reassess; so let us do that. The lack of progress since that presidential statement a month ago is deafening. Fighting and violence in South Sudan have never been so widespread. Events that unfolded in Wau earlier this month are a distressing indication of the apathy of the parties to the conflict towards achieving peace by political means. United Nations reports detail clashes between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the opposition, which resulted in the SPLA seeking violent retribution against civilians in a community they believed to be in support of the opposition.”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“I would like to start by complimenting Mr. Shearer and the entire United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) team for the steps that they have taken to enhance the Mission's ability to fulfil its mandate, despite the hostile circumstances in which it operates. The situation in South Sudan is dire, but I want to recall what we, the members of the Security Council, agreed to on 23 March in presidential statement S/PRST/2017/4. We called for an immediate ceasefire by all parties. We called for steps to be taken to allow life-saving assistance to get to those in need. We called for the immediate removal of obstacles to UNMISS and the deployment of the Regional Protection Force.”
2017-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7930 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom's View remains that the two-State solution is the best way to achieve that goal and is ready to do all that it can to support that. We do not underestimate the challenges, but, if both parties show leadership, peace is possible.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“It is critical that the Palestinian leadership implement the recommendations of the Quartet's report and continue their efforts to tackle terror and incitement, strengthen institutions and develop a sustainable economy. We must continue to press Israelis and Palestinians to refrain from actions that make peace more difficult. It is because the conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the central issues in the Middle East that the United Kingdom supports a regional approach to peace. The changing regional context, the Arab Peace Initiative and converging Arab and Israeli interests present an opening. We recognize that additional impetus is needed, and we welcome President Trump's interest in working towards a deal that meets the requirements of both parties.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“As a strong friend of Israel and one prepared to stand up for Israel when it faces bias and unreasonable criticism, the United Kingdom urges Israel not to take steps that move us away from our shared goal of peace and security. It was because of our support for the two-State solution and commitment to Israel as the Jewish homeland that we voted in favour of resolution 2334 (2016), but we recognize that the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is deeply complex. Settlements are not the only obstacle to peace. The people ofIsrael deserve to live free from the scourge of terrorism and anti-Semitic incitement, which, as the Quartet report outlined, has undermined the prospects for a two-State solution.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom's long-standing position on the Middle East peace process is clear: we support a negotiated two-State solution leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State based on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both States, and a just, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. However, that vision grows distant. As the British Foreign Secretary said last month, the United Kingdom strongly condemns Israel's decision to found new settlements deep in the West Bank - the first such decision in more than 25 years. Such announcements run counter to international law and have seriously undermined the prospect of two States for two peoples.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“For instance, Major General Soleimani was photographed in Aleppo in September in a show of support for the Syrian regime. Such actions demonstrate that Iran chooses to complicate, not extinguish a conflict that has continued for far too long. This year marks 50 years since the Six-Day War. This year, either we move towards peace with the support of the region and the international community, or we face an uncertain and dangerous future. Unless the parties show leadership, including the willingness to make compromises, the risk of terrorism and instability will increase. Israelis and Palestinians cannot afford another 50 years of that.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom supports Iraqi Prime Minister Al Abadi and his Government in their fight against Da'esh and in their efforts to build a stable, secure and unified Iraq. Iran continues to play a destabilizing role in the region. That is most clearly seen in Syria. Iran has violated its obligations under international humanitarian law in Syria by failing to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into eastern Aleppo while it was besieged. Iran continues to provide substantial military and financial support to Hizbullah and the Syrian regime. As the Secretary-General's latest report (S/2017/244) makes clear, the leader of Hizbullah has stated that Iran supplies all of their weapons and missiles. Senior Iranian individuals listed under resolution 2231 (2015) continue to flout the travel ban imposed by the Council.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“But when the moment came for the Security Council to show leadership after the attack, it failed. We were stopped by one Council member who would rather prop up Al-Assad than seekjustice for the victims. We will not be deterred by Russia's use of the veto. We will continue to press for accountability in the Chamber. The international community owes it to the people of Syria. Any attempt to tie the hands of investigators will be defeated, just as the Iranian- Russian proposal in the OPCW was defeated today. As you said, Madam President, we must remember the interplay among the various conflicts in the Middle East region. For a start, we must not let up in our efforts to defeat Da'esh in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“I thank Nickolay Mladenov very much for his briefing. As he explained, peace for many people in the Middle East remains a remote prospect and a distant memory. Two weeks ago, we saw a horrific chemical-weapons attack on Khan Shaykhun in Syria. Environmental samples from the sites have tested positive for sarin. We are now almost certain that the Syrian regime carried out the attack using sarin. Yesterday, the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that the organization's incontrovertible evidence indicates the exposure of victims to sarin or a sarin-like substance. The United Kingdom Government supported the United States action in response, and we hope that it will deter any further barbaric chemical-weapons attacks.”
2017-04-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7929 (2017) · source
“We welcome the Secretary-General's commitment to Libya as one of his personal priorities, and we reiterate our full support for the central role of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in advancing the political process in Libya. As the penholder on this issue in the Council, we will carry on playing our part. We will continue to monitor the situation in Libya closely. We will support all efforts to reach a more inclusive political settlement within the framework of Libyan Political Agreement and we will work with the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord in their efforts to serve the people of Libya, because the continued support of the Security Council and the wider international community will remain vital if we are to secure a better future for all Libyans.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“We support early signs of progress to bridge political differences, including regional efforts Within the framework of the United Nations-led political process and reengagement by Libya's legitimate institutions, the House Of Representatives and the High State Council, with preparations for dialogue. We have a difficult and long road ahead, so we urge all parties to commit to progress. We underline our firm opposition to any attempt to disrupt the political process. All those who have a role to play, including those still outside the Libyan Political Agreement, must engage constructively and in the spirit of compromise. The international community, as Mr. Kobler reminded us, must continue to support them.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“Turning to my final point, the common thread in both the security and the economic situations is, of course, the political process, but I am pleased to reiterate here in the Chamber the United Kingdom's continued support for the Presidency Council and the Government Of National Accord, headed by Prime Minister Serraj, as the legitimate executive authorities under the Libyan Political Agreement, in line with resolution 2259 (2015). But as the security and economic instability illustrate, Libya needs urgent progress towards full political reconciliation now more than ever.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“There has been some progress, including the dispersal of the budgets in the early months of 2017 and the economic dialogue on the detail of fiscal and monetary policy now taking place in Tripoli, but it is clear that more steps are needed. Throughout, it is crucial that Libya's oil resources remain neutral and be used to benefit the whole country. The continued unity of the National Oil Corporation is essential to ensuring that revenues be used for the national good. We call for much-needed investment in the maintenance of oil infrastructure to help increase national exports and reduce the drain on the economy.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“It is a threat that extends not only across Libya but across the region as a whole. Such ungoverned spaces create conditions for human trafficking and criminal networks to profit from the political and security vacuum in parts of Libya. Irregular migration can only be tackled properly by a strong and stable Government. Turning to my second point, the economy also remains vulnerable to the volatile political and security situation. We need to see real improvements. The Presidency Council and the Central Bank must work cooperatively to address the liquidity crisis and ensure that public services like water and electricity are sustained throughout Ramadan. We need to see an end to parallel institutions undermining the Presidency Council.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“Such acts have no place in the Libya of today, and we are clear that the military and other security structures need to be under civilian and political oversight. As the Ambassadors to Libya of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States said last week, there is a difference between acts against the terrorist threat and acts that can lead to further deterioration in Libya. On tackling terrorism, it is important to recognize the defeat of Da'esh in Sirte, and I pay tribute to all involved and acknowledge the many lives lost in that effort. But in spite of that success, we are now faced with a threat that is dispersed across Libya. Those who continue to undermine effective governance in Libya are feeding the terrorist threat by creating ungoverned spaces.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“I thank Mr. Kobler and Mr. Skoog for their briefings. At the outset, I ensure Mr. Kobler of the United Kingdom's full support of his work and reiterate its commitment to the Libyan Political Agreement - the sole framework for a political solution to the situation in Libya. Sadly, as he has made clear, its implementation remains mixed, at best. I very much agree with all seven points of hos seven-point agenda. As the penholder for Libya, we see three interlinked areas of concern: security, the economy and the political process. In 2017, security has deteriorated significantly, particularly now in the South, where there are renewed escalating clashes, which are edging the country towards civil war. The United Kingdom condemns all such violence, as well as threats of military action and reports of gross human rights abuses by armed groups.”
2017-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7927 (2017) · source
“Crucially, for the work of the Council, these vital tools help provide objective and professionally gathered information on how potential or active conflicts are evolving. Human rights are intertwined with so much of what the Council does. The United Kingdom welcomes this debate. The Council cannot fully discharge its responsibility, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, to maintain international peace and security without addressing human rights every single day.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“They send technical and operational support missions to Iraq and Kosovo, to name just a few from the last year. We welcome the interaction between the Council and the High Commissioner and his Office. The second is the Human Rights Council. Like many others, we are concerned when countries with poor human rights records get on to the Human Rights Council. Nevertheless, the Human Rights Council plays a central role in responding to human rights violations that pose imminent threats to peace and security. Every country, including the worst offenders, has a Universal Periodic Review. Each has to explainpolicies and actions. The United Kingdom particularly values the role the Human Rights Council plays in overseeing the Special Rapporteurs and other investigative mechanisms, such as commissions of inquiry.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“That includes his support for his predecessor's Human Rights Up Front initiative, which seeks to bring the United Nations system together, prioritizes human rights and promotes joint work on cross-cutting issues. It also seeks to ensure that the United Nations does all it can, notjust to respond to, but to prevent serious violations or abuses of human rights. We have seen time and time again how detrimental those are to peace and security. Two institutions of the United Nations are particularly vital to delivering this joined-up approach to human rights. First, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and his Office provide invaluable support to United Nations peacekeeping operations. They advise on mandates. They carry out strategic assessment missions to South Sudan, Liberia and Mali.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“He was eventually released, but when he returned home, he screamed at his own reflection in the mirror: he had not recognized himself - a ghostly skeleton of a human standing where he had once stood. That is an illustration of why repeated abuses of the veto in the Council, to block accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses in Syria, are so damaging. They reinforce the Syrian regime's certainty that it can get away with carrying out gross violations of human rights with impunity. The United Kingdom will continue to do its utmost to hold accountable the perpetrators of all such violations and abuses. That is why the United Kingdom also welcomes the Secretary-General's continued focus on prevention.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“The situation in Syria also shows the clear connection between human rights violations and conflict. A regime faced in 2011 by peaceful protests from its people responded not with reform but with repression and violence. We have seen where this has led: a civil war, a huge rise in violent extremism, death and forced disappearances, a refugee crisis, regional instability and even the use of chemical weapons against civilians. The story of Masri, a Syrian man is, sadly, just one example. He was arrested after participating in a peaceful protest at the start of the conflict. He was tortured, starved and interrogated over two years in four detention facilities and then taken to a regime hospital that has been described as a slaughterhouse. A rare survivor, he was taken back to the notorious Sednaya prison for another year of torture.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“Too often, after a conflict, the international community looks back and concludes that more should have been done at the outset and that warning signs had not been acted upon. All too often those warning signs involve human rights violations and abuses. Twenty-five years ago, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions reported on allegations of killings in Rwanda. A year later, his successor visited Rwanda and later warned the Commission on Human Rights of his fears of potential genocide. We all know now the consequences of the international community not responding decisively to those concerns. Today the international community is being asked the same questions and given similar warnings in South Sudan. We need to come up with better answers.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“I wish to thank you, Madam President, for having called this important debate. I welcome the clear Security Council support for discussing this issue. I also thank the Secretary- General for his briefing and strongly agree with all ofit. The United Kingdom is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is a cornerstone of peace, stability and security and a tool for conflict prevention. The Security Council has a clear role to play. This is necessary in order for us to do the job that the United Nations Charter gave us. It is absolutely not encroachment, for the reasons the Secretary-General so eloquently set out.”
2017-04-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7926 (2017) · source
“We hope that, by the time of the review of the sanctions on Eritrea, due following the midterm report of the Monitoring Group, the Council will have some positive momentum to reflect on. To that end, we encourage Eritrea to take the opportunity for engagement, which the Council is once again offering.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“We welcome the increased engagement by Eritrea with United Nations human rights mechanisms, and we continue to urge Eritrea to engage with the Committee, its Monitoring Group and the Council. We should also recall that some serious outstanding issues remain. First, the ongoing mediation by Qatar is vital to ensuring that all Djiboutian combatants missing as a result of the 2008 conflict, including the bodies of any who have died, are accounted for and their families given all the information available. Secondly, the ongoing refusal by the Government of Eritrea to cooperate with the Monitoring Group, including by allowing them to visit Eritrea, means that we have no way of verifying the Group's lack of evidence for Eritrean support for Al-Shabaab or of understanding the concerns about support for other regional armed groups.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“In this way, this regime supports the Federal Government of Somalia's fight against Al-Shabaab alongside the bravery and sacrifice of the troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Now more than ever, Somalia needs our continued support. The consequences ofthe drought in Somalia are far-reaching, and we must all take action now to address the humanitarian crisis and preserve the political and security gains that have been made since 2012. Turning to Eritrea, I would like to commend the Chair for his great efforts and those ofhis team for their work to engage with the Government of Eritrea since assuming the role. The United Kingdom continues to urge the Government of Eritrea to comply with its international obligations, including compliance with the Chapter VII resolutions of the Council.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“But as several Security Council members said during the peacekeeping debate convened by the United States presidency last week (see S/PV.7918), we cannot defeat armed groups through military means alone. The political progress made by Somalia in 2017 has laid the essential foundations for peace, stability and growth, which will be so vital to ensuring that Al-Shabaab's support is choked off at the political and economic levels, as well as through the restrictions of the sanctions regime, which denies Al-Shabaab its revenue streams. The sanctions regime cuts offAl-Shabaab's funding. It preserves Somalia's natural resources for the benefit of its people and Somalia's economic empowerment, it tackles spoilers to Somalia's political progress, and it helps to support the development of Somalia's security forces.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“The regime makes it harder for illicit weapons to flow into Somalia, and it supports the Federal Government of Somalia to establish robust arms and ammunition management, accountability and transparency. These are key elements in wider security-sector reform, which is both essential and urgent to help make progress on this vital issue. In May, the United Kingdom will host the London Somalia conference, co-chaired by the Secretary-General and the Federal Government of Somalia. We will accelerate progress of security and agree the new international partnership needed to keep Somalia on track towards increased peace and prosperity by 2020. Central to this is continuing the battle against Al-Shabaab.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“I wish to thank you, Madam President, for having convened this meeting and for maintaining the Security Council's focus on preventing conflict in Africa. I also thank Kairat for his comprehensive briefing as Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea, and for his tireless efforts to advance the work of the Committee since he took on the role. As he has reminded us, Al-Shabaab remains a vicious threat to security in Somalia and indeed to the region. The sanctions regime remains in place to reduce that threat from Al-Shabaab and to tackle threats to peace and security. It does so first through the arms embargo.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7925 (2017) · source
“MINUJUSTH should be working toward a careful exit through the phased handover of responsibilities to the Haitian Government and greater reliance on the tools of the United Nations country team. I am glad that an exit plan will be developed from the very start of it deployment. Haiti is still fragile. It needs the support of the United Nations through a new peace operation in the short term and the use of other United Nations soon after that. We can never have an absolute guarantee of continued stability in any context. The experience of peacekeeping withdrawals in Haiti's recent past loom large. But fear of the worst outcome should not restrain us from pursuing the best, which is a peaceful, just and stable Haiti standing proudly on her own two feet.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7924 (2017) · source
“United Nations police units are still needed to uphold the security achieved to date, but the primary focus of the United Nations must now be ensuring that the Haitian National Police is able to perform that role itself. Support for Haiti's security capacities will not alone sustain peace in the country. As history has told us time and time again, it is the rule oflaw and the protection of human rights, not the capacity to use force that delivers long-term stability. It is welcome that the resolution launches a new peace operation, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), with the appropriate mandate and authorization to advance toward those very ends. Ultimately, however, the new Mission has one overarching objective, which should be to work tirelessly to establish the conditions for its own redundancy.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7924 (2017) · source
“The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2350 (2017). It is a good demonstration of how the United Nations should be sustaining peace by selecting the right tools at the right time for the right ends. As we argued on Tuesday, the Haiti of today is not the Haiti of 2004. It is a country on a trajectory toward greater stability. Peacekeeping troops performing a stabilization role are no longer the right tool in Haiti. The resolution bring the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to a close, and I welcome that. We thank all of the troops and all of the troop- contributing countries for their service to MINUSTAH. The United Nations holds other tools that are required for today's Haiti.”
2017-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7924 (2017) · source
“Russia has the sort of influence over the regime that could bring its use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs to an end, and could lead to a real ceasefire that would then lead to the resumption ofserious political negotiations on apolitical transition. Those Foreign Ministers indicated that if Russia took those steps, the international community would be ready to work with it to bring peace to Syria, defeat Da'esh and terrorism and reconstruct Syria. That is the choice that Moscow has in front of it. The world now waits to see if Russia will respond to the G-7 and assume its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council to help put a stop to the Al-Assad regime's use of chemical weapons and to work with the international community to bring this tragedy to an end.”
2017-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7922 (2017) · source
“We will continue to work with our international partners to put an end to any use of chemical weapons and to seek justice for all the Victims of these heinous chemical attacks. We will gather at the OPCW in The Hague tomorrow to discuss how best to support a credible international investigation that establishes who was responsible and paves the way to hold the culprits to account. The catastrophe in Syria is not the way things have to be. Yesterday, Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven (G-7) and key regional countries came together in Italy to discuss how to move forward from last week's tragedy. They gave strong support to Secretary Tillerson's visit to Moscow today to discuss how Russia could work with the international community to end the tragedy of the war in Syria.”
2017-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7922 (2017) · source
“When those images and videos were broadcast across screens around the world, my team received a message from another child - Bana Alabed, a 7-year- old Syrian girl from Aleppo who, with the help of her mother, has given the world a window into the conflict through Twitter. The message she sent was simple. It was that we can make a difference. We must demand justice for the children. She is one voice, but one that echoes the Views of millions of Syrians. Demandjustice for the children. The heartbreaking truth is that a little girl's plea will not be heard in this Chamber. Not today. But regardless of the veto today, we should trust those words. We will hold the regime to account.”
2017-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7922 (2017) · source
“Today's veto is even more regrettable given that Russia was the architect of the 2013 agreement to dismantle Syria's chemical-weapon programme, an initiative that has demonstrably failed. Russia cannot now possibly claim that it opposes the use of chemical weapons. Russia has seen the same pictures that we all saw just days ago in this Chamber. How could anyone look at the faces of lifeless children and choose to veto a draft resolution condemning those deaths? It is indefensible that Russia has chosen to protect the perpetrators of those attacks rather than work with the rest of the international community to condemn them.”
2017-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7922 (2017) · source
“This afternoon, Russia's Foreign Minister also called for such an investigation, yet Russia has vetoed a draft resolution that would support that investigation. Russia's messages are mixed, and its aims confused. The Fact-finding Mission in Syria of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Syrian people need our political support, something that we as the Security Council should have been able to give. The United Kingdom will continue to give that support and, regardless of today's vote, the work of the OPCW will continue. We have once again encountered a Russian veto - the eighth time that Russia has used its veto to protect the Syrian regime.”
2017-04-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7922 (2017) · source