YouSaid · the spoken record

Salah

lines on the record: 27
first: 2005-02-23
most recent: 2019-10-29
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“We implore all countries to stop exporting arms to our country when there is a risk that they will be used in violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including to perpetrate sexual and gender-based violence, in line with the Arms Trade Treaty. In conclusion, I would like to leave the Council with a slogan that rang out during our recent protests: "Freedom, peace and justice - revolution is the people's choice".”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Thirdly, support accountability and end impunity. The transitional Government must fully support an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate and hold to account all perpetrators of human rights violations, including sexual and gender- based violence. Omar Al-Bashir must immediately be transferred to the International Criminal Court. The transitional Government must ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women without any reservations. Fourthly, support civil society and ensure that women human rights defenders are able to carry out their work unhindered and without fear of reprisals. Stop the use of lethal and excessive force against male and female protesters. Fifthly, stop fuelling conflict.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“In conclusion, I urge the Security Council and the international community to take the following five steps. First, press the transitional Government, the Forces of Freedom and Change and movements of armed struggle to support the full, equal and meaningful participation of women. We call for at least 50 per cent representation of Sudanese women across all peace processes, in current negotiations and at all levels of Government. We urge the international community to support our demands in all its engagements with the transitional Government. Secondly, actively monitor the situation in Darfur and halt the scaling down of the peacekeeping mission until the security situation stabilizes, the protection of civilians - including those in internally displaced camps - can be ensured and the conditions for safe and voluntary returns are met.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Those women join the thousands of women and girls who have borne the brunt of the violence carried out across the country. Now women are saying, "Enough". It is time for accountability and justice for all crimes committed before, during and after the revolution. This is the least that can be done to honour those killed or who suffered atrocities. The strength of the revolution came from the representation of diverse voices from across the country. That inclusion is now integral to the legitimacy of the transition process. Unless the political process reflects the diversity of our society, women's civil society groups, resistance groups, ethnic and religious minorities, those who have been displaced and people with disabilities, then no agreement will reflect our collective aspirations.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“The widespread availability of weapons in my country is one of the factors fuelling violence and insecurity for all people, including women and girls. As members of the Council are well aware, accountability and access to justice have been all but absent in my country. The existing discrimination and inequality women face, coupled with conflict and violence over decades, have resulted in women being subjected to a wide range of human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence on an epic scale. Those crimes contributed to the indictment of our ousted President for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But violence against women did not end with the end of Al-Bashir's reign. As recently as early September, seven women living in the Shangil Tobaya camp for displaced persons in Darfur were raped by armed men.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“If we are not represented at the peace table, and if we do not have a meaningful voice in Parliament, then our rights will not be guaranteed, discriminatory and restrictive laws will remain unchanged and the cycle of instability and violence will continue. After decades of struggle and everything we risked to peacefully end Al-Bashir's dictatorship, gender inequality is not, and never will be, acceptable to the women and girls of the Sudan. I hope it is equally unacceptable to the members of the Security Council. The Sudan is one of the most highly militarized countries in the world. We do not need more firearms. Yet many Governments continue to sell weapons that directly contribute to and perpetuate conflict, ongoing violations of human rights and forced displacement.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Moreover, women's organizations are on the front line of meeting basic needs and protecting rights in conflict-affected areas, but security restrictions and obstructive administrative requirements prevent critical work from being carried out, in areas such as Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains in particular. Humanitarian access to Jebel Marra, a conflict area in Darfur notorious for the routine use of mass rape by security forces to terrorize women and girls, continues to be a major challenge to the provision of life-saving services for those communities. Given women's pivotal role in working towards peace and development, promoting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance to communities in need, there is no excuse for us not to have an equal seat at every single table.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Despite women standing ready to actively contribute to the political negotiations that began in April between the Military Council and the Forces of Freedom and Change, only one woman participated in the talks, and only after strong advocacy by women's groups. Now, unsurprisingly, women's representation in the current governance structure falls far below our demand of 50 per cent. We are sceptical that the 40 per cent quota on the still-to-be formed legislative council will be met. For the past 30 years, women's bodies and rights were policed, and the backlash was swift and violent when patriarchal norms were challenged. Women activists, politicians, human-rights defenders and peacebuilders continue to be systematically attacked and targeted, including through sexual violence, which has forced many women out of the country entirely.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Both women and men also faced sexual harassment and were raped. Women also faced retaliation from their own families for participating in the protests. Women served as key members of the Forces of Freedom and Change and helped shape coalitions such as MANSAM. and an initiative against the oppression of women. As part of the Forces of Freedom and Change, women helped to develop a road map for the Sudan's transition from military to civilian rule. However, despite that visible role, despite their courage and their leadership, women have been side-lined in the formal political process in the months following the revolution. Even in the past, when we achieved a seat at the table - women represented 31 per cent of parliamentarians in 2018 - they were often without real influence and left out of decision-making circles.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“Those laws were designed to quash dissent and target women, particularly from the most marginalized and working-class communities, such as tea- and food-sellers, whose working tools could be confiscated without explanation, who faced fines and who could be jailed. Women and young people were at the forefront of the recent protests, often outnumbering men and accounting for 70 per cent of protesters. I was one of many women chanting, singing and walking with my fellow male and female citizens through the streets. Women led resistance committees and sit-ins, planned protests and disobeyed curfews, even in the midst of a declared state of emergency that left them vulnerable to security forces. Many were tear-gassed, threatened, assaulted or thrown in jail without any charge or a fair trial.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“My statement will focus on two key issues: first, women's meaningful participation and the protection of women's rights; and, secondly, accountability and disarmament. Women of all parts of the Sudan have played an important role at pivotal moments in our history - in opposing colonial rule and fighting for the right to vote as well as in recent struggles against the dictatorship of Omar Al-Bashir. It also took extraordinary courage to fight for basic rights - to wear trousers, to leave their hair uncovered, to voice their opinions on social media without fear and to share a meal with male friends. All of those acts were criminalized by the former regime's public-order laws.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“I stand before the Council today to tell my story, which is one shared by thousands of women and men of the Sudan who left their homes, schools and daily work to take to the streets and face bullets and tear gas, risking their lives and their livelihoods to demand the end of the dictatorship. My journey here was forged by countless Sudanese women who fought for peace and justice in our communities for decades, well before we arrived at this important moment for the future of the Sudan. I would not be here if it were not for them. I address the Council as a member of MANSAM, a coalition of Sudanese women's civil and political groups, and on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“I am honoured to be here in the Security Council from the Sudan, which is today full of hope for peace, freedom and justice. My name is Alaa Salah. I am 22 years old and I grew up in Khartoum. Before the revolution, I was a student of architectural engineering. I did not grow up around politics, but in an ordinary middle-class family. My mother is a designer, and my father owns a construction company. As I would walk to university every day, I would see my fellow citizens around me struggling to obtain food and medicine, half of the country living in poverty. How could I not become political? Our struggle for bread became a struggle for our freedom in December 2018.”
2019-10-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8649 (2019) · source
“I would nevertheless ask the Security Council to remain vigilant and cognizant of the specific needs of children, as well as of the central role they play in the future of humankind. I am certain that, together, we shall be able to build a world fit for children.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“2) Protecting the rights of children, while at the same time ensuring that justice is done is an essential basis for bringing about and maintaining sustainable peace in conflict and post-conflict situations. Secondly, UNICEF calls on the Security Council to guarantee that child protection elements be included in all peacekeeping missions and that the protection of children be taken into account in Council debates pertaining to the establishment of new peacekeeping missions, such as in Darfur. By working together we will be able to guarantee that our responsibility towards children is fully met. Children are far too often victims of war, and it is our duty to protect them. Together, we have already made enormous progress in this area, as Mr. Olara Otunnu has pointed out.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“(spoke in French) The experience of UNICEF in a large number of countries in conflict has confirmed that there has been significant progress in the protection of children in armed conflict. But, unfortunately, much progress remains to be done. Two actions come immediately to mind. First, we must ensure that justice is done for children whose rights have been violated. In that respect, I would like to repeat the words of the Secretary-General in his statement to the Security Council with regard to the situation in the Sudan. "The Commission strongly recommends that the Security Council immediately refer the situation of Darfur to the International Criminal Court, to ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are held to account. It is vital that these crimes not be left unpunished." (S/PV.5125, p.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“We can further protect children by preventing the recruitment of children in armed forces and by working to secure their release, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration. We should seek commitments from parties to refrain from recruiting and using children and should negotiate the release of children who have already been recruited. In Burundi, through the Child Soldiers National Structure, with the support of UNICEF and other partners, more than 2,000 child soldiers from the Forces armees burundaises and allied civil defence militias were demobilized. The demobilization, reintegration and rehabilitation of child soldiers are crucial to ensure that children are not re-recruited.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“We need to enhance community-based measures to monitor the situation and needs of the victims, improve their immediate security and provide them with immediate, compassionate and committed support and protection. We need clear standards of behaviour for all peacekeepers, pre-deployment training on sexual exploitation and abuse and prosecution of perpetrators. I urge the Council to take action to ensure that peacekeeping forces adhere to the rules, monitor and report on sexual violence and are held accountable for their crimes. We can also protect children by working to stem the flow of small arms and light weapons and by advocating against the use of indiscriminate weapons such as landmines and cluster munitions.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“The development of a systematic mechanism to monitor and report on violations of the rights of children in armed conflict that is linked to response will represent a significant step in that direction. We thank Mr. Olara Otunnu very much for that initiative. In addition to developing effective monitoring and reporting procedures and an effective system of justice for children, we need to pay specific attention to some of the most hideous crimes confronting children. Sexual violence has often been regarded as a routine part of conflict, but it can no longer be dismissed. We must respond to the crime of sexual violence as a matter of urgency.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“The time has come to subject those who recruit and use child soldiers to the full force of national legal systems and the International Criminal Court. UNICEF is committed, with all of our partners, to ending impunity and to addressing accountability. Our protection mandate and human-rights-based approach to programming demand that we work towards the full protection of children's rights, including monitoring of violations and advocating that those who commit violations be held responsible. Another way to protect children's rights in conflict areas and to better address accountability is by improving our understanding of the problems facing children and women affected by armed conflict.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“Olara Otunnu, despite the best efforts of UNICEF and other local and international humanitarian organizations, children and women continue to face ongoing violations of their rights. The Security Council has the ability to take decisive action to protect children in situations of armed conflict by translating the commitments of international legal and other standards into action. Several targeted measures recommended in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict are helpful to the realization of that objective and should be considered by the Council, including: close monitoring of, and reporting on, States' compliance with international standards; holding perpetrators accountable; and a strong focus on the rights of all children, not only during a conflict but also after it ends.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“UNICEF provides assistance before, during and after conflict, working to protect and support children, families, communities and Governments. At all times, we work closely with many partners, often at great risk to our dedicated staff. In Liberia, the back-to-school campaign has enabled more than 600,000 students to return to school, renewing a sense of stability and hope for communities across the country. In Somalia, amidst continued instability, UNICEF has helped to establish 10 regional child protection networks and has mobilized 80 communities, enabling Somali children to experience an enhanced protective environment. In Afghanistan and in Nepal, against a backdrop of violence, we continue with our programmes in health, education and, particularly, protection. And yet, as noted by Mr.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“The impact of armed conflict on children is everyone's responsibility, and it must be everyone's concern. Allow me to express, on behalf of UNICEF, our deep appreciation for the Council's continued commitment to addressing the alarming situation of children in armed conflict. We thank Council members for their continued support, which has ensured that the peace and security agenda includes children affected by armed conflict. Unfortunately, the situation of these children is not improving, a harsh reality that the Secretary-General's report on children and armed conflict (S/2005/72) underscores. Allow me to provide a snapshot of UNICEF's activities on behalf of children affected by armed conflict around the world.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“Sexual abuse and exploitation, wielded as weapons of war, inflict lasting psychological wounds and contribute directly to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Such horrors etch themselves into young minds, with terrible consequences for children's values, identity and beliefs, and for their ability to function as leaders and decision makers in the future. Yet children remain our greatest hope and our most precious resource in the struggle to rebuild war-affected communities and to promote peace and security over the long term. We must do more to protect them. As Graca Machel observed in her landmark study of 1996 (A/51/306), our collective failure to protect children must be transformed into an opportunity to confront the problems that cause their suffering.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“Today she has gone back to class, and she enjoys playing basketball with her friends. She says, "I have to study a lot, because I want to be a doctor later on. I think you know why". (spoke in English) Armed conflict exacts a terrible toll upon children. Caught up in conflicts that have multiple causes and little prospect of early resolution, children's rights continue to be violated. They fall victim to disease and malnutrition and are subjected to forcible displacement and brutal violence. Whether they are drawn in as fighters, deliberately targeted as civilians or forced to become perpetrators of atrocities themselves, it is children who bear the most appalling consequences of armed conflict. Violence has uprooted more than 20 million children from their homes and deprived them of basic services, including food, shelter and education.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“There were many other girls and boys there that had also been kidnapped, and we were all afraid. We did not know what was going to happen to us. A short while later, a group of vehicles took us to the town of Masiaka, where the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) has a lot of supporters". Alison worked there as a "housekeeper" for the Commander. She tells us simply that she had to do the cooking, wash dishes and do the laundry and that she had to carry heavy loads for the Commander, but we know the truth. She tried to escape several times but was re-captured each time. The day after one of her escape attempts, to punish her the Commander engraved the letters "RUF" on her chest with a razor blade. It took weeks for her to recover. Since then, she has been released and has tried by all means, including surgery, to make these marks disappear.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source
“I would like to congratulate the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Olara Otunnu, for the excellent advocacy work he has been doing for several years in order to advance the cause of children in armed conflict. I would like to begin by telling Council members the story of a young girl named Alison, a child of Sierra Leone. That is not her real name. She is an ordinary girl, 16 years old, and interested in everything that girls of her age throughout the world are interested in - school, sports, boys and the latest fashion. However, since she was kidnapped at the age of 13, she only thinks about one thing: survival. Alison recounts, "I was forced to walk through the mountains around Freetown, and I was brought to a house where I was shut up for three days.”
2005-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5129 (2005) · source