YouSaid · the spoken record

Sameh Hassan Shokry Selim

lines on the record: 35
first: 2020-06-29
most recent: 2020-07-08
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

“It is imperative for the international community to exert every effort to help the Libyan people achieve stability in their country and find a path to peace. Egypt will provide its assistance and support to Libya, our direct neighbour, and its people, with whom we are bound by ties of fraternity, in their quest to guarantee the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of their State, with stable and efficient institutions of Government that serve all Libyans equally, and free of non-State actors and militias, which polarize society and destabilize our region. Our hope is to ensure that Libya remains free of foreign intervention and to assist that great nation in resuming its essential and positive role as a force for prosperity and stability in the Arab world and Africa.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Indeed, in his statement of 20 June, which was delivered in the military base of Sidi Barani in the Western Desert, President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Libya, insisting that all parties refrain from all military activity, thereby providing the opportunity for the resumption of the political process, involving all legitimate Libyan parties, to reach a Libyan-owned solution. This Security Council meeting presents us with a unique opportunity to call for an immediate nationwide ceasefire in Libya. This would be an important step towards the revival of the political talks in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations and within the context of the Berlin parameters.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Accordingly, attaining stability in Libya depends on reconstituting the Presidency Council and forming an independent Government agreed upon by all Libyan parties and approved by the House of Representatives, as well as disarming militias, combating terrorism, unifying the army and guaranteeing an equitable distribution of wealth. Egypt is resolute in its determination to preserve these foundational tenets of a political solution.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Support for extremism must cease and desist. It is incumbent upon us to put an end to the sources of aid and assistance from regional players that are obviously not keen on preserving the stability of the Mediterranean region. Resolving this issue and resisting these policies are essential to our efforts to protect the future of our peoples. Egypt’s principled position is premised on supporting a political solution for a unified Libya, as expressed by the Cairo Declaration issued on 6 June, which is in complete conformity with the conclusions of the Berlin summit and the relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as the decisions of the League of Arab States and the African Union.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“I therefore take this opportunity to reiterate the fact that Member States are duty-bound to combat terrorism in Libya, including by firmly and resolutely condemning any form of support or sustenance extended by any regional player to the forces of extremism. This situation is further aggravated by the transfer of extremist fighters from Syria to the Libyan territories by a regional player, as reported on a daily basis by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This is a very serious threat to the security of Libyans, as well as to the neighbouring States and both shores of the Mediterranean. Such threats constitute a clear and current danger to Egypt. We will not tolerate threats of this nature, as they approach our borders and are aided, abetted and actively supported by foreign intervention.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The last time I addressed the Security Council on the situation in Libya (see S/PV.7387) was in the wake of a terrible crime that shocked the conscience of humankind when 21 Egyptians, working in the city of Sirte, were mercilessly slaughtered by Da’esh terrorists in early 2015. That appalling act of barbarism impelled the Council to adopt resolution 2214 (2015), urging Member States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. I am dismayed, however, to report that Da’esh fighters are resurfacing in Libya and have recently reappeared in some cities of western Libya, especially in Sabratha.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“These forces of evil have often sought to extend their dark shadow over Egypt by infiltrating our western borders and have occasionally exacted the heavy price of the lives of dozens of men, women and children, often peacefully worshipping in mosques and churches. In that regard, it must be noted that such deadly infiltrations have dramatically decreased due to the efforts of the Libyan National Army to secure the eastern areas of Libya, thereby reinforcing the established norm that the responsibility of preserving the nation’s security must remain within the legitimate institutions of governance authorized to bear arms, not in the hands of irregular militias that seek to promote personal or ideological agendas at the expense of the Libyan people.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Contradictory visions for the future of Libya and aspirations of regional hegemony have complicated the efforts of the international community to realize our common objective of laying the foundations for a peaceful and prosperous Libya. Egypt has been steadfast in its support of every effort and initiative to reach a settlement of the situation in Libya. From Skhirat to Berlin, we have been actively engaged in the political process, including by facilitating contacts and negotiations among Libyan parties. Unfortunately, however, large swaths of western Libya have become footholds for extremism and safe havens for terrorist organizations.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“At the outset, I would like to congratulate France on its leadership of the Security Council during the month of June, and I am confident that the Federal Republic of Germany will effectively discharge its responsibilities during the month of July. I must also thank Germany for convening this important meeting on Libya and for inviting pivotal regional powers, such as Egypt, and other partners that attended the Berlin summit to participate in today’s meeting. Libya has been engulfed in an escalating crisis for almost a decade. This conflict is claiming countless lives in Libya, and continues, despite our best efforts, to constitute a serious threat to stability and security throughout a region by the heavy burden of innumerable challenges. The reason for this Libyan predicament, which bedevils the international community, is clear.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“I call on my friends and colleagues in Ethiopia and the Sudan to summon the spirit of brotherhood and kinship among our countries and peoples. Let us embrace the undeniable truth of our commonality and camaraderie. Let us grasp the opportunity that is before us to shape our fate, rewrite history and chart a new course of peace and prosperity for our peoples.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Indeed, as President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi declared in his statement before a joint session of the Ethiopian Parliament: “I urge us to lay the foundations for a better future for our children and grandchildren … a future where all classrooms in Ethiopia could have electricity … and where children in Egypt could drink water from the Nile as their parents and grandparents did … a future where the economies of both our countries would expand to absorb their entire labour force … with the purpose of guaranteeing a decent life to our peoples … so as to restore their standing among the family of nations given their glorious history and immense potential”. In conclusion, I must reiterate that we stand ready to exert every effort to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“This draft resolution is not intended to pre-empt or forestall any negotiations but to express, at the highest level, the keen interest of the international community in reaching an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its appreciation of the dangers of acts of unilateralism in this matter. While we continue to extend an unfailing hand of friendship to our brethren, we expect our kinsmen with whom we share the Nile River to reciprocate our good will and to act with responsibility. Much as we wholeheartedly support Ethiopia’s right to development, including through the use of our shared water resources, we believe that justice dictates that Ethiopia respect Egypt’s right to life.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Until our efforts are successful and an agreement is concluded, the Security Council should, as it discharges its duties, remain actively seized of the matter. In this context, Egypt has presented a draft resolution for deliberation by the Security Council that is consistent with the outcomes of the African Union Bureau meeting. It encourages the three States to reach an agreement within two weeks and not to take any unilateral measures in relation to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and emphasizes the important role of the Secretary-General in this regard.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It is therefore necessary for the Security Council and the international community to exert every effort and support every initiative that is intended to lift this looming threat and remove this ominous peril on the horizon. While our position remains that the only viable solution to the question of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is to reach a fair and balanced agreement, Egypt will uphold and protect the vital interests of its people. Survival is not a question of choice, but an imperative of nature. Accordingly, we call on the Security Council to encourage the parties to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and to refrain from any unilateral measures until such an agreement is reached.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, the unilateral operation of this mega-dam could have disastrous socioeconomic effects that would diminish every dimension of the human security of Egyptians, including food security, water security, environmental security and human health. It would also expose millions to greater economic vulnerability, leading to increasing rates of crime and illegal migration. It would reduce water quality, disrupt the riparian ecosystem, damage biodiversity and aggravate the dangers of climate change. That eventuality represents a serious threat to international peace and security. It could also have serious, if not seismic, political ramifications. Downstream States would find themselves in an intolerable situation and it would create an atmosphere of animosity between our countries and sow the seeds of discord between our peoples.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Any other understanding or interpretation of that commitment would reflect the lack of political will to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and reveal an underlying intention to impose an unacceptable fait accompli on downstream States and enforce the unilateral will of an upstream State on its co- riparians, and turn any talks into an exercise in futility. It is incumbent on the Security Council to take note of and welcome these outcomes of the meeting of the African Union Bureau and to call upon the three counties to comply with their commitments and pledges. Filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam unilaterally, without an agreement with Egypt and the Sudan, would jeopardize the interests of downstream communities, whose existence and survival depend on the Nile River.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“As such, it was agreed that intergovernmental technical negotiations will be held with a view to achieving this goal within two weeks. Moreover, during that meeting, Ethiopia committed not to take any unilateral measures by commencing the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam before an agreement is reached. That commitment can only be interpreted as an unequivocal undertaking to ensure that the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is executed in accordance with rules agreed upon among the three riparian States.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It was also suggested that any such document would not include a firm obligation to prevent the infliction of significant harm on downstream riparians. Moreover, in keeping with our principled position that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam must be filled and operated in accordance with a mutually beneficial agreement that promotes the common interests of our three countries, Egypt accepted the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa to hold a meeting of the Extraordinary African Union Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government on 26 June to deliberate this matter. The object and purpose of that meeting was to ensure that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam be reached expeditiously.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, because Egypt is dedicated to exploring every possible avenue to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, it partook in the latest rounds of negotiations, which were held at the initiative of the Republic of the Sudan. However, those talks were also unsuccessful. It is Egypt’s belief that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam must be a legally binding instrument under international law, which must also include clear definitions establishing the threshold of significant harm that must be prevented, in addition to a binding dispute-resolution mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement. On the other hand, it was argued that mere guidelines of uncertain and ambiguous legal value that could be unilaterally adjusted should suffice.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“That led, after intensive negotiations in which the three countries fully participated, and for the first time after almost a decade of talks, to an agreement that was prepared under the auspices of the United States and with technical input from the World Bank. That agreement, which Egypt accepted and initialled on 28 February, but which Ethiopia rejected at the eleventh hour, provided a fair and balanced, win-win solution that promotes the interests of our three countries and preserves their riparian rights and equities. That agreement, which is annexed to our letter addressed to the Security Council dated 19 June 2020, is now available to the international community as a testament to Egypt’s good will and as evidence, beyond any doubt, that an equitable and fair agreement was available for the parties to sign.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“These include a treaty freely signed by the Emperor of Abyssinia in 1902, which prohibited the construction of any waterworks across the Blue Nile that affect the natural flow of the river, and a general framework for cooperation, also freely signed by Ethiopia’s late Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, and Egypt’s President in 1993, in addition to the 2015 Agreement on Declaration of Principles. Needless to say, all these treaties remain binding and in force. As construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam neared completion, and as every other path towards an agreement proved unsuccessful, Egypt called upon our partners in the United States of America and the World Bank to join our talks in an attempt to bridge the gap between our three countries.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It is also deeply disheartening that, throughout the winding path of these negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Egypt has been subjected to an unjustifiable campaign of unfounded claims that we sought to bind other parties to agreements from the dark era of colonialism. The reality, however, is that every treaty relating to the Nile that was concluded by Ethiopia was signed by its Government, free of any compulsion or coercion and as an independent and sovereign State.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Nor do we have unassailable guarantees regarding the safety and structural soundness of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. This means that, in the absence of sufficient scientific data, communities downstream of this great structure appear condemned to live in the dark shadow of a great unknown. If, God forbid, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam experiences structural failures or faults, it would place the Sudanese people under unimaginable peril and would expose Egypt to unthinkable hazards. Indeed, our concerns in that regard are not unwarranted. In 2010, the headrace tunnel of the Gibe II dam, constructed across the Omo river, collapsed within days of the completion of its construction.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It reconfirmed the legal obligation incumbent upon Ethiopia to conduct studies on the transboundary hydrological and socioeconomic effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and to undertake an assessment of its environmental impact. It also reaffirmed Ethiopia’s political commitment and its legal obligation not to fill the dam without an agreement with its two downstream co-riparians on the rules governing both the filling and operation, which would guarantee Ethiopia the hydropower benefits of this project while minimizing its many harms on downstream States. Regrettably, however, despite the fact that we contracted an international consultancy firm to conduct the studies on the effects and impacts of the dam, the process of undertaking these studies was obstructed and, as a result, they were never completed.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“We established an independent committee of hydrologists to provide impartial scientific analysis of the scenarios of the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Unfortunately, however, all those efforts came to naught. To overcome the hurdles facing our negotiations and invigorate these talks, on 23 March 2015 our three countries concluded the Agreement on Declaration of Principles between the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of the Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project. This treaty, the content and terms of which are unambiguous and unequivocal, was intended to provide greater political impetus and guidance to our discussions.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Moreover, in a testament to our enduring commitment to and abiding faith in the values of our African continent, we attended and convened several regional bilateral and multilateral summits and meetings with our other African brethren in a bid to facilitate the reaching of an agreement that assures Ethiopia that the dam will generate hydropower efficiently and sustainably, while limiting and minimizing the adverse effects and preventing the significant harm of this dam to downstream States. We also held countless trilateral meetings between the ministers of water affairs and their technical teams and many meetings of the ministers of foreign affairs to provide political support to these talks.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Because the two letters addressed by the Government of Egypt to the Security Council on 1 May and 19 June 2020 (S/2020/355 and S/2020/566) detail the successive stages of the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, I will recount only the main milestones of these arduous talks, throughout which we conducted ourselves with good faith and demonstrated a genuine political will to reach a fair and balanced agreement that preserves the rights and equities of all three riparian States that share the Blue Nile. Since Ethiopia unilaterally commenced the construction of the dam, our negotiations have included numerous trilateral and bilateral summit meetings between the leaders of our three countries.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“This reflects our unshakeable belief in our common destiny as Africans and confirms our conviction that the Nile river is not the exclusive property of Egypt or of any riparian State but the common heritage and sacred trust of all our peoples. Therefore, for almost a decade, Egypt has initiated and engaged in painstaking negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Our objective, throughout these arduous talks, was to reach a fair and just agreement that ensures that Ethiopia achieves its legitimate development objectives, while minimizing the harmful effects of the dam on downstream communities. We endeavoured tirelessly to reach an agreement that harnesses the developmental potential of this dam for Ethiopia, while limiting its many perils for Egypt and the Sudan.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“This means that if the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is filled and operated unilaterally in the absence of a mutually beneficial agreement that protects the lives and livelihood of downstream communities, it could place further stress on an already severely strained hydrological reality and endanger millions of people in both Egypt and the Sudan. Concurrently, however, we are unwaveringly committed to supporting our fellow African nations, especially in the Nile basin, including Ethiopia, in their efforts to realize greater prosperity. This is evident in the fact that Egypt has cooperated with every State of the Nile basin in constructing dams, in rain-harvesting projects, in digging water wells and in removing waterweeds that constrict the flow of the river.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“This harsh reality compels us to inhabit no more than 7 per cent of our territory along a slender strip of green and a fertile delta teeming with millions of souls, whose annual share of water is no more than 560 cubic metres, which places Egypt well below the international threshold of water scarcity. On the other hand, our brethren in Ethiopia have been endowed by divine providence with plentiful water resources, which include an average annual rainfall of almost 936 billion cubic metres of water, of which a mere 5 per cent flows into the Blue Nile, and 11 other river basins, some of which are shared with neighbouring States, all of which provide endless opportunities for regional economic cooperation and integration.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“As a responsible stakeholder, Egypt elected to bring this matter to the attention of the Security Council to forestall further escalation and to ensure that unilateral actions do not undermine efforts to reach an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, prejudice the riparian rights and interests of downstream States or, more alarmingly, endanger the lives of almost 150 million Egyptian and Sudanese citizens, thereby generating greater tension in an unstable region. We are therefore encouraged that the Security Council is holding today’s meeting. This reflects the commitment of its members to ensuring that this essential organ of the United Nations fulfils its responsibilities, as enshrined in the Charter. We in Egypt populate the most arid of the Nile basin riparian States and one of the most water-impoverished nations on Earth.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“As the body entrusted by the international community with the unique responsibility to maintain international peace and security, the Council is expected to exercise watchful vigilance to avert the escalation of tensions, to prevent the outbreak of conflict and to contain crises that threaten to prejudice the peace in a fragile region. We trust that, in discharging these duties and fulfilling its responsibilities, the Security Council will act with diligence and vigour to resist instances of unilateralism that could undermine the foundational tenets of our international system enshrined in this Organization’s hallowed Charter.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“While we recognize the importance of this project to the development objectives of the Ethiopian people, a goal that we share and support, it is essential to realize that this mega-dam, which is Africa’s largest hydropower facility, potentially threatens the welfare, well-being and existence of millions of Egyptian and Sudanese citizens. Therefore, the unilateral filling and operation of the dam, without an agreement that includes the necessary precautions to protect downstream communities and to prevent the infliction of significant harm on their riparian rights, would heighten tensions and could provoke crises and conflicts that would further destabilize an already troubled region. Accordingly, it is important that the Security Council consider this matter.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“The matter on which I am addressing the Council today is of the greatest consequence to the Egyptian people. Like our efforts to combat this global pandemic, it requires a commitment to upholding the spirit of cooperation and to recognizing that no nation is an island unto itself, entire of itself, but part of a community bound by a common destiny. A threat of potentially existential proportions has emerged that could encroach on the single source of livelihood of more than 100 million Egyptians, The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a colossal project that Ethiopia has constructed across the Blue Nile, could endanger the security and very survival of an entire nation by imperilling its wellspring of sustenance.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“At the outset, I would like to congratulate the President of the Security Council on his able leadership of the Security Council during a time of unprecedented challenges and daunting crises. Indeed, these are truly tumultuous times. Humanity is being tested by an invisible foe that has robbed us of countless souls, wrought untold economic suffering and brought life to a standstill across the world. But, as we face the scourge of this global pandemic and our frailty is laid bare before us, we are reminded of our common humanity. We are reminded that beyond the multitude of cultures and creeds and the diversity of nations and peoples, we are ultimately a single human family, the welfare of which demands that we look beyond narrow self-interest and promote the bonds of solidarity within our global community.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source