YouSaid · the spoken record

Secretary-General

lines on the record: 2,998
first: 1995-09-26
most recent: 2021-05-16
sittings or episodes: 363
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

“Central Asian countries bordering Afghanistan are now improving cross-border infrastructure, while Uzbekistan launched direct flights between Tashkent and Kabul last year. Several railway and power-line projects are creating physical connections between Afghanistan and its northern neighbours, including the Lapis Lazuli railway, which connects Turkmenistan with Afghanistan. Such projects have enormous potential to spur economic transformation. Security challenges continue to define much of the discussion surrounding Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Afghan Government's fight against violent extremism, terrorism and transnational organized crime has implications for the entire region and for the world. Responding to such threats cannot be the responsibility of the Afghan Government alone.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, increased trade is a prerequisite for growth, sustainable development and building resilience to external economic shocks. The personal contacts resulting from trade can also help dismantle informal barriers and increase trust. We should build upon civil society initiatives in that area to bring communities together across borders, including women's groups that mediate local tensions and develop joint infrastructure projects. In that context, Iwould like to highlight Kazakhstan's ambitious programme for Afghan students. More than 500 students from Afghanistan graduated from Kazakh universities and technical schools in recent years, and nearly 500 others are in the process of completing their studies. Kazakhstan has committed $50 million to supporting that initiative. Uzbekistan is on the same track.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“Finding joint approaches to managing shared water resources, including mechanisms to resolve disputes, builds confidence in bilateral and multilateral relationships. That can lead, in turn, to greater investment and prosperity for the benefit of all. Secondly, I was encouraged to see positive developments in energy cooperation, which is fundamental to promoting development and security. Several cross-border initiatives are now being planned, or are under way, including the Central Asia-South Asia power project, a natural gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India, and a new power transmission line running from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan. The United Nations family stands ready to support those initiatives and others that can bring greater investment and prosperity to the region.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“We must use those ecological disasters as examples to spur greater cooperation and action. Central Asian Governments have recently begun to intensify cooperation on water resources through bilateral water commissions and agreements. Those developments hold important lessons for Afghanistan, where water-dependent farming and agriculture make up nearly half the economy. The United Nations is promoting mediation and dialogue through the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. The Centre is ready to help modernize the regional legal framework on managing transboundary water resources, and is including Afghanistan in its efforts to build capacity in water diplomacy.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“Opportunities for intraregional trade are significant, and even modest improvements can result in substantial gains for all the people of the region. I am heartened by recent signs of change for the better. During my visit to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan last June, I was encouraged to see new bilateral and regional connections and better regional dynamics. First, new efforts are taking place to better manage the water resources that are fundamental to economic development in that region. Those resources are coming under unprecedented strain. As I witnessed during my visit, almost 30 per cent of Tajikistan's spectacular glaciers have melted over the past 10 years alone. The Aral Sea serves as aterrible warning ofthe consequences of mismanagement.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“In Tajikistan, for example, the poverty rate has been halved, from 81 per cent in 2003 to 31 per cent in 2015. But countries in the region can never achieve their full potential alone. All are landlocked, and many developed over decades as economically interdependent parts of a larger whole. Growth, increased employment opportunities and prosperity depend upon accelerated economic cooperation and integration. The common geography and history of Central Asian countries and Afghanistan and their strong cultural ties create enormous potential for mutually beneficial joint projects, trade and exchange. Despite the centuries during which the Silk Road was one of the most important trading routes in the world, trade among Central Asian countries has fallen to low levels since they achieved independence nearly 30 years ago.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“But sustainable and inclusive development is also an important factor in preventing and ending conflict and in sustaining peace Only by addressing the root causes of crisis, including inequality, exclusion and discrimination, will we build peaceful societies resilient to terrorism and violent extremism. The United Nations development system is engaged in supporting Governments throughout the region to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to invest in sustainable economic growth, including greater opportunities for young people, women and girls. Education, vocational training and jobs must be an absolute priority in national and regional development cooperation. Central Asia has made significant progress on sustainable development in recent decades.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“I welcome this debate, convened by Kazakhstan, as a sign of enhanced cooperation among Member States in Central Asia and Afghanistan. I also welcome the Security Council's continued support for Afghanistan, as demonstrated by its recent mission to the country. The entire international community has a stake in peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, and the countries of Central Asia have a particularly important role to play. Sustainable development is a fundamental end in itself, enabling people, communities and societies to flourish and fulfil their potential.”
2018-01-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8162 (2018) · source
“I believe that the current international situation underscores the need to reframe and modernize long-standing disarmament and non-proliferation priorities. Deepening divisions and persistent stagnation in this field are exacerbating international tensions and creating new dangers. As a contribution to reversing these trends, I intend to explore opportunities to generate new direction and impetus for the global disarmament agenda. I look forward to engaging with stakeholders on these issues in the months ahead.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“I appreciate the fact that, due to resource and other constraints, the implementation of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation commitments can prove difficult for some Member States. I therefore call on all States able to do so to provide the necessary capacity- building assistance. The development of practical confidence-building measures is an important means of achieving the United Nations mandate to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. However, they are not an end in themselves. Preventing, mitigating and resolving conflict requires comprehensive political solutions that include dialogue and negotiation and, in cases involving weapons of mass destruction, verifiable disarmament and non-proliferation.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“I believe that the United Nations can play a central role in assisting Member States in developing, augmenting and supporting confidence-building measures. The United Nations position as an honest broker allows us to act as a venue in which all parties can engage in dialogue, whether for the development of new norms and values or to resolve existing disputes and promote understanding. Going forward, the Security Council in particular can provide leadership by demonstrating unity and continuing to highlight the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as an essential means for building confidence. A measure that all Member States can undertake is the universal and complete implementation of all disarmament and non-proliferation obligations.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“From the ground- breaking verification protocols of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to the invaluable work undertaken by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, verification builds confidence. In that context, I welcome the establishment of a group of governmental experts on nuclear disarmament verification. Effective verification requires support for the entities tasked with monitoring and verification, in order to ensure that they can fulfil their duties in an impartial and professional manner. It also requires understanding that non-proliferation challenges are not static. The measures we use to overcome them need to evolve in tandem with the implementation of disarmament commitments.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“By removing the threat posed by weapons, arms-control and non-proliferation mechanisms provide the breathing space for dialogue, boost confidence in parties' intentions and lay the groundwork for building the trust necessary to end conflicts. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the ground- breaking arms-control agreements of the late 19805 and early 1990s that contributed to the peaceful end to the Cold War. It is therefore alarming to see historic accords such as the Treaty on Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces and the Open Skies Treaty under question. Effective verification mechanisms have proved to be some of the most successful and enduring types of confidence-building measures.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“Those measures are intended to "prevent or reduce the occurrence of ambiguities, doubts and suspicions" through the provision of annual information on national biodefence programmes, high- containment laboratories, legislative frameworks, and vaccine production. Unfortunately, participation has been less than satisfactory, with fewer than half of all States parties regularly providing information. For the measures to be truly effective, States must take full advantage of their benefits. Trust is essential, but confidence can be undermined by bellicose rhetoric, confrontational approaches, the absence of communication channels, and inflexible positions. Engaging in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms-control measures are in and of themselves confidence-building.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“The threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery are taking place in an environment of increasing military budgets and the over-accumulation of weapons - and they are coupled with a serious growth in regional tensions. In such a geopolitical context, confidence-building measures that support arms control, non-proliferation and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction are extremely important. By increasing understanding of others' positions and allowing information-sharing on, for example, military budgets, strategic outlooks and troop movements, they can help to decrease tension and avert conflict In the case of the Biological Weapons Convention, which does not have a formal verification mechanism, a system ofconfidence-building measures has contributed to enhancing transparency.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“That multilateral agreement, which is in the interests of the Iranian people and of the international community at large, should be preserved. In the Syrian conflict, the use of chemical weapons seriously challenges the global taboo against those weapons of mass destruction. If the use of chemical weapons in Syria is once again determined to have taken place, the international community will need to find an appropriate way to identify those responsible and hold them to account. Without such an avenue, we would be allowing the use of chemical weapons to take place with impunity. I hope the Council can return to unity on that issue.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“We need to build upon those small signs of hope and expand diplomatic efforts to achieve the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula in the context of regional security. Elsewhere, trust on nuclear and other issues between the United States and the Russian Federation continues to ebb. Vital strategic arms-reduction measures established during and after the Cold War are under threat. There seems to be no appetite to negotiate new nuclear arms arsenal-reduction treaties after the expiration of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, in 2021. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, on the Iranian nuclear programme, is also being questioned.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“I welcome the firm decisions that the Security Council has taken in response to nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in defiance of Security Council resolutions. They must be fully implemented. The Council's unity also creates an opportunity for diplomatic engagement. As I said to the General Assembly this week, I welcome the reopening of inter-Korean communication channels, especially military-to-military. That is critical to lower the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding and to reduce tensions. I am also encouraged by the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“Confidence-building measures such as resolutions 255 (1968) and 984 (1995), on negative security assurances, helped pave the way, respectively, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to its indefinite extension. However, despite the Council's efforts, the threat posed by weapons ofmass destruction remains - and, indeed, seems to be gathering force. Global anxieties about nuclear weapons are at the highest level since the Cold War. The situation on the Korean peninsula is the most tense and dangerous peace-and- security challenge in the world today. Iremain deeply concerned about the growing risk of military confrontation and the unimaginable consequences that would result.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“I am pleased to join the members of the Security Council for this timely debate, and I thank the Republic of Kazakhstan for convening it. Kazakhstan has a proud tradition of support for a world free of weapons of mass destruction and for the global non-proliferation regime. I thank President Nursultan Nazarbayev for his personal leadership on this vital issue. Kazakhstan's contributions include rejecting the possession of nuclear weapons and founding the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The Council, too, is instrumental in preventing the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction. As the Council declared in 1992 at its first Head of State-level summit on the issue (see S/PV.3046), the proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction constitutes a threat to international peace and security.”
2018-01-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8160 (2018) · source
“Let us work together to enhance the Council's focus on emerging situations, expand the toolbox, increase resources for prevention and be more systematic in preventing conflict and sustaining peace. Finally, let me emphasize the need for unity on the part of the Security Council. Without it, the parties to conflict may take more inflexible and intransigeant positions, and the drivers of conflict will push situations to the point of no return again and again. But with unity, we can advance security and well-being for all.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“The newly established High-level Advisory Board on Mediation has met for the first time to assess opportunities for engagement, and I expect it to begin its first formal, but discreet, undertaking soon. My own good offices are of course available to the Security Council at all times. The concept of human security is a useful frame of reference for this work, and I thank Japan for its long- standing advocacy. Human security is people-centred and holistic. It stresses the need to act early and prioritize the most vulnerable. Those must all be touchstones for our work. I welcome the efforts of the Council to explore new ways to monitor and address the risks of conflict.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“We must invest in social cohesion so that all people feel they have a stake in society. We also know that gender equality is closely linked with resilience and that women's participation is crucial to success, from conflict prevention to peacemaking and sustaining peace. Where women are empowered, societies flourish and peace processes have a better chance of taking hold. We must also do more to address the systematic violence faced by women before, during and after conflict, and to pursue justice for perpetrators as an essential part of post-conflict healing and recovery. Prevention also includes preventive diplomacy: efforts to respond promptly to signs of tension and to forge political solutions.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“Although hard to quantify and typically undertaken far from the media spotlight, prevention is a sound investment that produces ample, visible dividends. Development is one of our best instruments of prevention, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development gives us enormous potential. Development is an objective in its own right, and should not be mis-used in pursuit ofother aims. But the steps we take towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals will also help build peaceful societies. Respect for all human rights - not only civil and political rights but also economic, social and cultural ones - is an essential element of prevention. In the lead-up to the outbreak of widespread violence we often see increases in repression, the closing of space for civil society and the rise of sectarianism.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“It was with that goal in mind that I initiated three inter-linked reform efforts aimed at repositioning the United Nations development system, streamlining our internal management and strengthening the Secretariat's peace and security architecture. I have also sought to forge closer links with regional partners, including the African Union, the European Union and others. The Joint Force created by the Member States ofthe Group of Five for the Sahel is an important step in that regard, as is the Joint United Nations-African Union Framework for an Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security, signed earlier this year. Thirdly, prevention must be at the centre of everything we do. It is better to prevent conflict than to manage it - which avoids tragic human suffering and also saves money.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“We are seeing a multiplication of political factions and non-State armed groups, with hundreds of armed groups in Syria alone. There is also an increase in the regionalization and internationaiization of conflicts. External military and financial support to conflict parties prolongs civil wars and fuels wider tensions as local fights become proxies for larger rivalries. Conflicts are more linked with each other, and with the worldwide threat of terrorism. And transnational drug smugglers and human traffickers perpetuate the chaos and prey on refugees and migrants. Secondly, the changing nature of conflict means rethinking our approaches, both how we work and how we work with others. Our efforts must be coherent, coordinated and context-specific. We must work across pillars and across the peace continuum towards integrated action.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“Cybersecurity dangers are escalating, as some of the same advances in technology that have generated so many gains have also made it easier for extremists to communicate, broadcast distorted narratives of grievance, recruit followers and exploit people. The number of armed conflicts has declined over the long-term, but in the Middle East and parts of Africa conflicts have surged. Conflicts are becoming more intractable. They are longer - more than 20 years on average - meaning that the people they displace are spending ever-increasing amounts of time away from their homes and communities. They are more complex, as armed groups compete for control over State institutions, natural resources and territory, and as extremist groups with absolutist demands leave little room for diplomacy.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“I thank Japan for using its presidency of the Security Council to focus on the increasingly complex drivers of armed conflict and instability. Let me also express my appreciation to the Government and the people of Japan for their hospitality during my visit to the country last week. I would like to make three main points today. First, we are seeing not only a quantitative but also a qualitative change in threats to international peace and security. The perils of nuclear weapons are again front and centre, with tensions higher than they have been since the end of the Cold War. Climate change has emerged as a threat multiplier. Water scarcity is a growing concern, as demand for fresh water is projected to grow by more than 40 per cent by the middle of the century. Inequality and exclusion fuel frustration and marginalization.”
2017-12-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8144 (2017) · source
“As the General Assembly has recognized, the Olympic Games can foster an atmosphere of peace, development, tolerance and understanding on the Korean peninsula and beyond. We need to spread and deepen that spirit of hope and possibility. Diplomatic engagement is the only pathway to sustainable peace and denuclearization. We must do everything we can to reach that objective and avoid a level of danger that would be unpredictable in its trajectory and catastrophic in its consequences.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Seventy per cent of the population of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is categorized as food insecure, and 40 per cent are malnourished. The 2017 Democratic People's Republic of Korea Humanitarian Needs and Priorities document calls for $114 million to meet urgent requirements, which is only 30 per cent funded. I ask all Member States, particularly those around this table, to carefully consider the humanitarian principles that underpin our work. The people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea need our generosity and help. Not long from now, athletes will gather in Pyeongchang for the Winter Olympics. I express my sincerest hope that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will take part.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I believe that the Secretariat adds strategic value in three key areas: first, impartiality; secondly, the voice and norms, values and principles for peaceful and diplomatic solutions, in line with international law; and, thirdly, offering channels of communication with all parties. The Organization is a key venue where all six parties are represented and can interact to narrow differences in understanding and promote confidence-building measures. As Secretary-General, I commit to protecting and strengthening those three areas. Security Council unity behind that effort is essential. I welcome the Council's humanitarian and human rights concerns. The Secretariat has consistently conveyed the importance of disassociating the peace and security situation from the humanitarian imperative.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The unity of the Security Council is an essential instrument to achieving the goal of denuclearization, and creates the space for diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving it in a peaceful manner. The Security Council's call in paragraph 30 of resolution 2375 (2017) is united to "further work to reduce tensions so as to advance the prospects for a comprehensive settlement". It also expresses "its desire for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the situation and [welcomes] efforts by Council members as well as other Member States to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue" (resolution 2375 (2017), eighth preambular paragraph). The Secretariat and I are the Council's partner in that effort, and my good offices will always remain available.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I reiterate my call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leadership to comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions and allow space for the resumption of dialogue on denuclearization and sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula. While all concerned seek to avoid an accidental escalation leading to conflict, the risk is being multiplied by misplaced overconfidence, dangerous narratives and rhetoric and the lack of communication channels. It is time to re-establish and strengthen communication channels, including inter-Korean and military-to-military channels. That is critical to lower the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding and reduce tensions in the region. Any military action could have devastating and unpredictable consequences.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“The Agency also continues to observe indications of ongoing mining, milling and concentration activities at the Pyongsan uranium mine and Pyongsan uranium concentration plant. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains the only country to continue to break the norm against nuclear testing. Its actions show blatant disregard for the will and resolutions of the Security Council, and undermine the international norm against nuclear testing and the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Resolution 2375 (2017), adopted in September, includes the strongest sanctions ever imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Those have included its first tests oftwo intercontinental-range ballistic missiles and tests of new medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. In September, two Hwasong-IZ intermediate-range ballistic missiles overflew Japan. No aviation or maritime safety notifications were given for any of those launches. The International Atomic Energy Agency remains unable to access the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to verify the status of its nuclear programme. The Agency monitors developments through satellite imagery; at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre, it has observed signatures consistent with the operation of a plutonium production reactor and reported centrifuge enrichment facility.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I will not repeat what he had to say, but I want to note that his Visit involved the first in-depth political exchange of views between the Secretariat and officials in Pyongyang in almost eight years. Indeed, his visit came at the end of a difficult year. This year, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted activities related to its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes at an alarming and accelerated pace. On 3 September, it conducted its sixth nuclear-explosive test, involving what it claimed was a "two-stage thermo-nuclear weapon". The test caused a seismic event of magnitude 6.1. Over the year, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has conducted 20 ballistic missile launches.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“Allow me to first thank the Japanese presidency, and to thank you personally, Mr. President, for convening this meeting. I would also like to acknowledge and welcome the many Ministers and other representatives around the table, as well as the participation of the Republic of Korea and of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in this important meeting. The situation on the Korean peninsula is the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today. I am deeply concerned by the risk of military confrontation, including as a result of unintended escalation or miscalculation. I know that the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs briefed the Security Council earlier this week on his recent visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2017-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8137 (2017) · source
“I also urge Governments, the private sector and civil society to support the Blue Heart Campaign and the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The international community's commitment is being tested. We need to show the world our determination to end human trafficking, help its many victims and hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“Better understanding of human trafficking markets and routes will strengthen analysis and prevention, and coordination will be crucial, including through the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons. Trafficking is also a development issue. Preventing the situations that lead to trafficking means addressing poverty and exclusion, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We must also do more to support the victims and survivors of trafficking. Indeed, they should be treated as victims of crime and not detained, prosecuted or punished for unlawful activities in which they were compelled to engage in order to survive.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“Along with the political declaration on the implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons (General Assembly resolution 72/1), which was affirmed by every nation in September of this year, we have built a framework for action rooted in international law. Cooperation, mutual legal assistance and information-sharing are the mainstays of our activities. The Council has before it my first report (S/2017/939) on the implementation of resolution 2331 (2016), which documents the ongoing work of Member States and many parts of the United Nations system. These efforts need to be intensified. We must make full use of the data collection, analysis, tools and technical assistance provided by UNODC and other United Nations actors, particularly those operating in conflict and post- conflict situations.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“According to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), increasing numbers of victims trafficked from Iraq, Syria and Somalia are appearing in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The Security Council has taken important steps against trafficking, including by unanimously adopting resolution 2331 (2016) last December and the draft resolution to be adopted this morning (S/2017/973). These texts call for the targeting of financial flows to traffickers. They urge every nation to adopt and implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“It is our collective responsibility to stop these crimes. We must act urgently to protect the human rights and dignity of migrant populations. That means bringing the perpetrators to justice; it means immediately increasing humanitarian aid; and it means helping the Libyan authorities to strengthen their own capacity to protect and provide for vulnerable men, women and children. But there is also an urgent need to create more opportunities for regular migration, to restore the integrity of the refugee protection regime and to increase the number of refugees resettled in the developed world. Slavery and other such egregious abuses of human rights have no place in the twenty- first century.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“I thank the Security Council, under the presidency of Italy, for convening today's open debate on trafficking in persons in conflict situations. Criminals and terrorists are capitalizing on and perpetuating the disorder and mayhem of conflict. To fund their crimes, they prey on the vulnerable. Their brutality knows no bounds. Sexual exploitation, forced labour, the removal of bodily organs and slavery are the tools of theirtrade. Terrorist groups such as Da'esh, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and the Lord's Resistance Army are forcing women, boys and girls into dehumanizing servitude. Committed in the shadows, these actions are serious abuses of human rights and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In recent days, we have all been horrified by images of African migrants beings sold as goods in Libya.”
2017-11-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8111 (2017) · source
“We should do our utmost to resolve the worst crises of the region, so that it can then continue to contribute its best. I count on countries in the Mediterranean and beyond to reaffirm their proud tradition of openness and solidarity.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“Along with the newly re-established Mali sanctions regime, I hope that those tools will be useful in supporting Governments and regions working towards peaceful transitions. All too often, responses to security challenges in the Mediterranean are undertaken largely or solely through traditional security arrangements or ad hoc solutions. Such approaches carry the risk of prolonging unacceptable status quos or worsening situations if not backed by efforts to address the underlying root causes. Our efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have an important role to play in that regard. The Mediterranean is a global junction of mutually enriching cultures, societies and economies. Yet violence and hatred are threatening that dynamism, to the detriment of the entire world.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“We must also address the worrisome increase in xenophobia and discrimination against refugees, migrants and minorities. That is a shared global responsibility. It is essential to re-establish the integrity of the refugee-protection regime on both sides of the Mediterranean and to increase resettlement and relocation programmes. Trafficking in human beings should not be isolated from trafficking in cultural property, drugs, weapons and oil, which benefit militias, terrorists and armed groups. The Libya sanctions regime restricts the movement of arms and related material into and out of Libya. The Panels of Experts on Libya and the Sudan have been investigating the financing of armed groups.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“The United Nations remains committed to providing all possible support towards a just, comprehensive and lasting resolution of the conflict through the two-State solution. A comprehensive political settlement in Cyprus would also mitigate political tensions in the region. Da'esh will continue to thrive unless the deep political roots of the Syrian conflict are resolved through a credible and comprehensive political process, as foreseen under resolution 2254 (2015). The security gains against terrorist groups in Libya, Iraq and elsewhere may prove reversible if we do not accelerate reconstruction and economic recovery. I commend refugee host countries for their generosity. There is a clear need to address the drivers of displacement.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“Long-festering regional wounds and sectarian divides have been made worse by atrocity crimes, terrorism, attempts to annihilate minorities, the plundering of cultural heritage, forced displacement and the use of chemical weapons. Libya's stability is vital for the region. Yet, after years of prolonged transition, the country's institutions remain deeply divided. The United Nations is committed to helping the Libyan people reach an inclusive political settlement. Instability in the Sahel region has contributed to an increase in irregular migration towards Europe. The United Nations will continue to support the countries of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-S Sahel) and the G-5 Joint Force, including through the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel. Achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians is also critical.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“Events over the past few years in the region have forcefully - and painfully - made that clear. Today the Mediterranean faces serious challenges on multiple fronts: the illicit trade in narcotics, weapons and petroleum products; large movements of refugees and migrants, who are preyed upon by human smugglers and traffickers; and maritime piracy. The narcotics trade is also generating deadly spillover effects, such as increased drug use and health crises. In parts of the region, fragility is being exacerbated by systematic violations of human rights and violence against women and girls. The Mediterranean is also suffering from severe environmental degradation and natural-resource constraints. In recent years, food scarcity and sharp rises in prices have led to social and political unrest.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source
“I thank the Italian presidency for convening this meeting. The word "Mediterranean" literally means "in the middle of the Earth". Figuratively, too, the Mediterranean has found itself, since time immemorial, at the confluence of civilizations, cultures, religions, trade and migration. Developments in the region continue to shape the history and politics of the world. The Mediterranean Sea provides immense economic resources, such as hydrocarbons and fish stocks, and invaluable trade routes. However, its benefits depend on stability and cooperation. Indeed, the situation in the Mediterranean illustrates that peace and security are inseparable from democratic, economic and social progress, and from the advancement of gender, youth, minority and human rights.”
2017-11-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8106 (2017) · source