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

“That initiative focuses on areas that are critical to survival and to building a strong recovery, including global liquidity, financial stability and debt vulnerability, and I look forward to its conclusions next week. But we cannot continue with such ad hoc solutions to systemic, foreseeable global risks. The pandemic is a wake-up call for even more catastrophic challenges that may arise, starting with the climate crisis. If we meet those challenges with the same disunity and disarray that we have seen this year, I fear the worst. We need global governance that is resolute, coordinated, flexible and ready to react to the full range of challenges that we face. In a world of interconnected threats, solidarity is self-interest.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“Some middle-income countries face a crushing debt burden as they try to respond. From the start, I have advocated for a comprehensive global response package and for coordinated action on debt through the mobilization of all partners. We need the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support member countries through enhanced access to facilities and tools, and we need greater resources for the IMF and enhanced support for the World Bank Group and other financial institutions and bilateral mechanisms. In May, together with the Prime Ministers of Canada and Jamaica, I brought Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, representatives from the private sector and civil society together to launch an initiative on financing for development.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“Conflict, human rights abuses, humanitarian crisis and stalled progress on development reinforce each other and are interlinked. But our global response is more and more fragmented. We are not keeping pace with the world as it is. The institutions of global governance should work together in coordination to contain, mitigate and reduce risks of all kinds. Networked S/2020/953 multilateralism must extend beyond peace and security, encompassing the Bretton Woods institutions, development banks, trade alliances and more. The pandemic is heightening risks across the board. Humanitarian needs are growing, decades of progress on sustainable development are at stake and social unrest is increasing. Many of the countries in the global South have been left hanging, without financial and practical resources.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“Our focus on prevention, our efforts to enhance the peace and security architecture, the Action for Peacekeeping initiative in partnership with Member States and our drive to end sexual exploitation and abuse across the United Nations system are all aimed at meeting that challenge. I welcome resolution 2532 (2020), adopted in July, in support of my appeal for an immediate global ceasefire. We now need a united effort, led by the Council, to silence the guns around the world by the end of this year. The primary responsibility for making global governance work lies with Member States, including those on the Council. Reform of global governance cannot be a substitute for collective action by Member States to confront common challenges.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“I urge the Security Council to deepen our engagement by creating strong, formalized links and regular communications with the AU Peace and Security Council. That would enable the most effective division of labour, allowing for AU peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations, backed by Security Council mandates, with predictable funding guaranteed by assessed contributions. That is the only way in which we will build the coalition that we need to beat terrorism on the African continent and fulfil the African Union’s flagship initiative to silence the guns. We at the United Nations also have a responsibility to improve the effectiveness of global governance.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“We urgently need innovative thinking on global governance and multilateralism so that they are fit for the twenty-first century. First and foremost, we need a networked multilateralism based on strong links and cooperation between global and regional organizations, international financial institutions and other global alliances and institutions. Since I became Secretary-General, I have prioritized our strategic partnership with the African Union. Our relations are characterized by shared values, mutual respect and common interests. The partnership between the African Union (AU) and the United Nations is a model that we should emulate in our relationships with other regional organizations. We now have a strong AU-United Nations framework on peace and security on the continent.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the subject of global governance as it relates to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. A microscopic virus is now the number one threat in our world. The COVID-19 pandemic is a full-blown crisis in itself, unfolding against a backdrop of high geopolitical tensions and other global threats in unpredictable and dangerous ways. The pandemic is a clear test of international cooperation — a test that we have failed. It has killed nearly 1 million people around the world, infected more than 30 million and is out of control. That was the result of a lack of global preparedness, cooperation, unity and solidarity. The seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations reminds us of the achievements of our founders and calls on us to live up to their ambitions.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“My report in September will make suggestions to that end. COVID-19 is a human tragedy, but we can mitigate the impacts by the choices we make. More than ever, multidimensional, coordinated and conflict-sensitive responses and whole-of-society approaches are crucial. They are key to ensuring that peacebuilding and sustaining peace initiatives go hand-in-hand with inclusive and sustainable development, anchored in the protection and promotion of human rights, gender equality and the commitment to leaving no one behind. The world is looking to all leaders, including the Security Council, to address this epic crisis in ways that make a concrete, meaningful and positive contribution to the lives of people. It is our responsibility to deliver.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“We hope to approve $210 million in projects this year, but that is still far short of the quantum leap I have called for here in the Council and elsewhere. With a global spike in violence against women and girls, the Spotlight Initiative has repurposed some $20 million towards the COVID-19 response, much of this in fragile, conflict-affected or humanitarian settings. But this is only a fraction of what is needed to tackle what has been termed a shadow pandemic. Gender-based violence is a pervasive form of violence and insecurity that undermines our best efforts to build sustainable peace. I am heartened by some countries’ willingness to think about how we can achieve adequate and predictable financing for peacebuilding, which is the best defence against conflict, and build a more equal and sustainable future for all.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“My report forthcoming next month — a key input to the 2020 review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture — highlights substantial progress in fostering a systemic focus on prevention and a multidimensional approach to peace, in closer alignment with the development and human rights pillars and humanitarian actors. Fourthly, we need to be flexible and tailor our approach to peacebuilding needs in the context of the pandemic. The Peacebuilding Fund has swiftly adjusted its work on the ground and identified new areas of support in response to COVID-19, seeking ways to shore up relations among communities, counter hate speech, reduce stigmatization and strengthen inclusion. Unfortunately, demand for the Fund continues to outpace supply.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“We also need to build ever-stronger partnerships with Governments, regional and subregional organizations, the private sector and civil society actors. And we must underscore the importance of ensuring that international financial institutions — the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and others — integrate sustaining peace as a priority and as a core element of COVID-19 recovery strategies and building back better. The Council’s ongoing collaboration with the Peacebuilding Commission is critical. Their complementary efforts can help marshal a collaborative response to the peacebuilding impact of the pandemic, drawing on lessons from previous health crises, such as the Ebola virus disease outbreak.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“Dialogue, especially with communities and marginalized groups, helps rebuild trust and enhance social cohesion. In particular, we must find avenues for far stronger engagement with women’s groups, who play such a pivotal role in securing peace at the community level. They are also critical rebuilders of trust, which is often absent in fragile and fractured communities, and without which public-health messaging and behavioural change to slow the pandemic simply do not take root. Young people are also essential to peacebuilding solutions. Thirdly, sustaining peace requires an integrated and coherent approach through strong collaboration among humanitarian, development and peace actors. For example, to sustain peace, we need to ensure that humanitarian challenges are fully addressed in a comprehensive way. Lebanon is a case in point.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“Yet, regrettably, in many instances, the pandemic did not move parties to suspend hostilities or agree to a permanent ceasefire. Last month’s adoption of resolution 2532 (2020), which demanded a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on the Council’s agenda, is a step in the right direction, but much more is needed to translate early gains into concrete action on the ground. The Council also plays an important role in bringing its influence to bear for an investment in prevention. In the current context that means several things. First, our responses to the pandemic must be conflict-sensitive, starting with a multidimensional analysis that looks at how the pandemic affects underlying risks that drive conflict. Secondly, inclusion is critical in the design of humanitarian and development responses to pandemics.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“The third is the weakening of the social fabric — represented in, for example, the narrowing of civic space and the closing of avenues for democratic process and legitimate expression of grievances. We have seen many peaceful protests and, in a number of countries, COVID-19 has been an excuse for harsh crackdowns and a spike in State repression. At least 23 countries have postponed national elections or referendums, and almost twice as many have postponed subnational votes. Despite challenges, the pandemic also creates opportunities for peace. The appeal for a global ceasefire earlier this year prompted positive responses from Governments and non-State actors across the globe. A number of conflict parties took steps to de-escalate and stop fighting.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“We know that conflict-sensitive and coherent preventative approaches that help address the health and humanitarian crisis will help deliver sustainable peace. But as we scan the horizon, I see three key dangers. The first is the erosion of public trust. Pandemics can undermine faith in Governments and public institutions. The perception that authorities are mishandling the crisis, not being transparent or favouring political allies can lead to public disillusionment in Government and its institutions. The second is the destabilization of the global economic order. I am particularly concerned about the effects of heightened socioeconomic vulnerabilities, fuelled by an unprecedented global economic crisis. Without concerted action, inequalities, global poverty and the potential for instability and violence could grow for years.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“As I highlighted in previous briefings to the Security Council, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated communities and economies throughout the world, affecting the poorest and most vulnerable the most. The pandemic not only threatens hard- won development and peacebuilding gains, but also risks exacerbating conflicts or fomenting new ones. Questions are growing about the effectiveness of health systems and social services, trust in institutions and systems of governance. All of this means that our commitment to sustaining peace is more urgent than ever. The challenges of this pandemic underscore, as never before, the imperative of coherent, multidimensional and cross-pillar responses reflecting the integrated logic of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“Let me begin by thanking the Indonesian presidency for convening this open debate on pandemics and the challenges of sustaining peace. The concept of sustaining peace is essentially about positive peace, as opposed to simply ending wars. In other words, it is the idea that the international community accompanies a country well beyond the point of simply putting down guns, to the point where people feel protected and represented — where trust and the social fabric are going in the right direction, and not in the wrong direction. But the unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) clearly risk pushing things in the wrong direction.”
2020-08-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/799 (2020) · source
“On 10 August, we will mark the one-year anniversary of the attack in Benghazi that killed three of our dear colleagues, Hussein El-Hadar, Clive Peck and Seniloli “Tabs” Tabuatausole, and injured two others. The perpetrators of the attack have yet to be identified, but this tragedy will not discourage the United Nations from delivering on its mandate to bring peace, stability and prosperity to Libya and its people.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“In order to improve the transparent allocation of the country’s abundant resources, UNSMIL has worked tirelessly towards conducting an international audit of the two branches of the Central Bank of Libya. Unfortunately, the audit has not achieved the envisaged progress due to obstruction by several key national officials, despite Libya’s own judicial authorities having deemed the audit legal in June. I call on the Security Council to make full use of the necessary measures to ensure that this essential exercise is initiated as soon as possible. UNSMIL remains on the ground in Libya despite the difficult circumstances. The designation of a new Special Representative will greatly facilitate the Mission’s efforts, and I count on the Security Council to expedite the process.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Two days ago, the economic working group comprised of the Berlin conference participants held a virtual meeting with the Chair of the National Oil Corporation and issued a joint statement supporting the National Oil Corporation as it resumes oil production across Libya. Today, the National Oil Corporation declared its intention to lift force majeure on the eastern port of Es Sider to allow a tanker to load crude oil now in storage. It has further called for the immediate departure of all armed groups from Libyan oil facilities. I am confident that the Council will continue to support efforts aimed at lifting the oil blockade for the benefit of the Libyan people.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“As tensions simmer in central Libya, the United Nations has continued to engage with the parties to prevent the conflict from spreading to Libya’s oil crescent region, from which the country derives 60 per cent of its oil resources. The current blockade has already cost over $6 billion in lost revenues, damaged oil infrastructure and created the conditions for an historically high budget deficit of over 50 per cent of Libya’s gross domestic product. With the support of Member States, the Mission has undertaken mediation aimed at lifting the oil blockade, in place since January 2020, in order to spare this vitally important area from the full spectre of armed conflict and to alleviate economic hardship compounded by the conflict and COVID-19.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a cause of growing concern in Libya. In the month of June alone, confirmed cases grew seven-fold, bringing the total to 1,046 confirmed cases and 32 deaths. Amid acute shortages of testing kits, the true scale of the pandemic in Libya is likely to be much higher. I strongly encourage the Libyan authorities to endorse a comprehensive national preparedness and response plan, which is a critical step in ensuring a coherent and coordinated approach to combating the pandemic. Adequate resources must be made available to strengthen the country’s capacity to test, trace, isolate and treat people.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Since then, migrants and asylum seekers in Libya continue to be routinely subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, abduction for ransom, forced labour and unlawful killing. I am also deeply concerned about the risks faced by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who continue to attempt to cross the Mediterranean. Thus far in 2020, more than 5,000 refugees and migrants have been intercepted or rescued at sea and returned to Libya. Many of those intercepted have been detained, with an estimated 2,100 migrants and refugees remaining in official detention centres, sometimes in appalling conditions. The authorities must urgently strengthen efforts to find alternatives to detention in Libya and more sustainable solutions for vulnerable migrants and refugees.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“I welcome the decision by the Human Rights Council to establish an international fact-finding mission to Libya to look into human rights violations since the beginning of 2016 and promote accountability. I also note that the International Criminal Court announced that it would not hesitate to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. On 19 June, the United Nations responded to the written request from Prime Minister Serraj to support the investigation into the mass graves. The United Nations stands ready to advise on the conduct of investigations, the securing of mass graves and the establishment of national mechanisms to assist victims. A year ago last week, on 2 July, an air strike on the Tajoura detention centre killed at least 52 migrants and injured 87 others.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“That is a 172 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of 2020. Since the beginning of the year, the World Health Organization has documented at least 21 attacks on medical facilities, ambulances and medical personnel. As battle lines have moved to central Libya, acts of retaliation have grown. Social media has been used to incite hatred and violence, further fraying an already fragile social fabric. After the GNA retook control of Tarhouna, numerous mass graves were discovered. I was shocked by this horror and, once again, remind all parties to the conflict in Libya of their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“As a result of the latest military activities in southern Tripoli and Tarhouna, almost 30,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, bringing the number of internally displaced persons in Libya to over 400,000. When LNA forces and associated mercenaries withdrew from Tripoli’s southern suburbs, they are reported to have planted improvised explosive devices and land mines, which have injured and killed civilians seeking to return to their homes, as well as personnel of humanitarian non-governmental organizations tasked with clearing the deadly devices. The United Nations is supporting national authorities in implementing risk education and awareness campaigns. Between 1 April and 30 June, UNSMIL documented at least 356 civilian casualties, including 102 deaths and 254 injuries.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The United Nations, the African Union and the League of Arab States — together with other key regional actors and organizations and the European Union — will continue to work closely together to support the people of Libya as they seek to consolidate their economic, security and political future. I urge your collective support. With respect to the Berlin process, three meetings of the plenary of the international follow-up committee have taken place this year, on 2 April, 13 May and 22 June. The next meeting is scheduled for this month. The political, security and economic working groups are all operational and contributing to UNSMIL’s ongoing efforts to facilitate a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned dialogue.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“The current discussions focus on areas of convergence, including: the departure of foreign mercenaries, solid counter-terrorism cooperation between military and security institutions across the country, disarmament and demobilization of armed groups throughout Libya and modalities for a possible ceasefire mechanism that would reflect the new reality on the ground. The United Nations will continue working with the parties to reach a ceasefire and resume a political process. In recent days, through a telephone conversation I initiated with Prime Minister Serraj and a call I received from Field Marshal Haftar, I made a strong appeal for both to engage fully in ensuring an effective ceasefire and to move swiftly in advancing the political process.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Yet, these openings are fragile given that the parties’ positions continue to be determined by military developments and support from external backers. Similarly, recent developments on the ground have yielded both parties’ agreement to reconvene the 5+5 Joint Military Commission to continue discussions on the draft ceasefire agreement presented by UNSMIL in Geneva in February. During this third round of talks, which resumed in June, my acting Special Representative has convened two virtual meetings with each delegation, where the practical key points of a possible consensus were reconfirmed.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“In addition, on Sunday, 5 July, unidentified air force planes launched an attack on Al-Watiya airbase. In this gloomy context, all opportunities to unblock the political stalemate must be seized. De-escalation efforts, including the creation of a possible demilitarized zone, are being undertaken by United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to reach a negotiated solution and spare lives. The political situation in eastern Libya has registered some movement, indicating renewed support for a political solution to the conflict, as seen in the 23 May initiative of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Cairo declaration of 6 June. The GNA has also been calling for national elections as a solution to the crisis.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Since my acting Special Representative last updated the Security Council on 19 May (see S/2020/421), we have witnessed the retreat of the frontlines of the Libyan National Army (LNA) in Tripoli, the takeover by the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Al-Watiya airbase, Tarhouna and Bani Walid. GNA units, with significant external support, continued their advance eastward and are now 25 kilometres west of Sirte, after two previous attempts to gain control of the city. The situation on the frontlines has been mostly quiet since 10 June. However, we are very concerned about the alarming military build-up around the city and the high-level of direct foreign interference in the conflict, in violation of the United Nations arms embargo, Security Council resolutions and the commitments made by Member States in Berlin.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Let me begin by thanking Minister Maas and the German presidency of the Security Council for the opportunity to update the Council on the situation in Libya in this expanded format. This important meeting — six months after the Berlin international conference on Libya — brings together Security Council members and the participants in the Berlin process and offers an opportunity to recommit to the principles agreed in Berlin and enshrined in resolution 2510 (2020). The conflict has entered a new phase, where foreign interference has reached unprecedented levels, including the delivery of sophisticated equipment and the number of mercenaries involved in the fighting.”
2020-07-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/686 (2020) · source
“Collective security and our shared well-being are under assault on many fronts, led by a relentless disease and abetted by global fragilities. Our challenge is to save lives today while buttressing the pillars of security for tomorrow. I remain ready to support the Security Council in any way possible as this body carries out its essential part of the response.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen carried out a first-of-its-kind large-scale virtual dialogue with more than 500 Yemenis, 30 to 35 per cent of whom were women, on the opportunities and challenges for peace in the country. Through the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19, we are addressing the most urgent health and humanitarian needs in 63 countries, although the plan is only 21 per cent funded and much more is needed. Since the beginning of the crisis, the United Nations family has mounted a comprehensive response, providing medical and material support on the ground, advocating for a global economic and financial rescue package and offering policy analysis across the key dimensions of the emergency. The pandemic has brought us all to a wide-ranging reckoning.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Our peacekeeping operations and special political missions continue to bring hope and stability to all corners of the world, supporting national authorities and vulnerable communities, including by ensuring that missions themselves are not a vector of contagion. We put in place a number of medical and other support measures to mitigate the spread of the virus within our missions and to protect our personnel. We also adapted the rotations of our uniformed personnel, for which we are grateful to troop- and police-contributing countries. We are also adapting our tools to the new circumstances. In Colombia and Libya, for example, we have been able to maintain a good level of engagement with the parties and other actors, using virtual and other means.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Health-care workers and humanitarian personnel have themselves been targeted for unconscionable attacks. The health pandemic has fast become a protection crisis. These wide-ranging risks require an urgent and united response, including from the Security Council. One hundred and eighty Member States and one non-member observer State endorsed my call for a global ceasefire, as did more than 20 armed movements and other entities and more than 800 civil society organizations. The call yielded some positive results, but these have since expired or in some cases broken down. The Council has an important role in bringing its voice and influence to bear on these situations, and I welcome its support, expressed in resolution 2532 (2020), adopted yesterday.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“Yet another risk for the long term is the shifting of resources away from gender equality initiatives, education and other economic sectors. Indeed, this could have intergenerational impacts, including on women’s rights and participation in political and peace processes. Most immediately, humanitarian needs have surged. More than 1 billion children are out of school. More than 135 million people could be on the brink of starvation by the end of this year. Routine immunization services are being disrupted on an unprecedented scale, raising the likelihood of major outbreaks of diseases such as measles and polio. The already acute vulnerability of refugees and internally displaced persons has grown more pronounced, particularly those living in confined and congested camps and detention facilities.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“My call to action for human rights is more relevant than ever and requires robust follow-up. We have seen the excessive use of force in relation to police lockdowns, curfews and other confinement measures. There are growing manifestations of authoritarianism, including limits on the media, civic space and freedom of expression. Populists, nationalists and others who were already seeking to roll back human rights are finding in the pandemic a pretext for repressive measures unrelated to the disease. Meanwhile, stigma and hate speech are on the rise, and an epidemic of misinformation online has run rampant. To help counter the spread of untruthful and harmful information, the United Nations launched the Verified initiative to increase the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information surrounding the crisis.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“At the moment, the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons, established by the General Assembly and endorsed by the Security Council, is the only instrument that provides a framework for the investigation of alleged use of biological weapons. Resolution 1540 (2004) and its follow-ups remain a key component of the international non-proliferation architecture and have provided an overarching framework to prevent the nightmare scenario of bioterrorism. Given the speed at which pathogens spread in an interconnected world, we must ensure that all countries have resilient and appropriate capacities to respond quickly and robustly to any potential global and deliberate biological event. I am also concerned that the pandemic is triggering or exacerbating human rights challenges.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“We also need to strengthen the Convention, which lacks an oversight institution and contains no verification provisions, by enhancing its role as a forum for the consideration of preventive measures, robust response capacities and effective countermeasures. Fortunately, the best counter to biological weapons is effective action against naturally occurring diseases. Strong public and veterinary health systems are not only an essential tool against COVID-19, but also an effective deterrent against the development of biological weapons. All of these issues must be on the agenda at the Convention’s Review Conference next year.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“The pandemic also highlights the risks of bioterrorist attacks and has already shown some of the ways in which preparedness might fall short if a disease were to be deliberately manipulated to be more virulent or intentionally released in multiple places at once. So, as we consider how to improve our response to future disease threats, we should also devote serious attention to preventing the deliberate use of diseases as weapons. The Biological Weapons Convention codifies a strong and long-standing norm against the abhorrent use of disease as a weapon and now has 183 States parties. I urge the 14 States that have not yet acceded to the Convention to do so without any further delay.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“In the Central African Republic, there are tensions due to attempts to use the pandemic as a pretext to postpone the holding of elections planned for the end of the year. Decisions on postponing or, indeed, proceeding with elections raise complex legal, political and public health challenges. Difficult as they are, such decisions are best made on the basis of broad consultations with all stakeholders to avoid fuelling political tensions or undermining legitimacy. COVID-19 has also made diplomacy more challenging. Mediation can be a very personal endeavour, an almost tactile reading of a person or a room. With movement restrictions limiting such contacts and with online discussions often the only alternative, it can be harder to establish the trust and nurture the willingness to compromise that are at the heart of preventive diplomacy.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“In other places, conflict actors — including terrorist and violent extremist groups — see the uncertainty created by the pandemic as a tactical advantage. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab continues to launch frequent attacks, with COVID-19 having no noticeable impact on its operational tempo. Rather, there is a risk that Al-Shabaab could increase such violence while the security forces focus, by necessity, on the pandemic. Many countries have had to consider how to move ahead with elections slated for 2020 while trying to manage the health crisis. Since March of this year, 18 elections or referendums have been held since the onset of the pandemic and 24 have been postponed, while the initial dates for 39 elections have been maintained to date.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“As pre-existing grievances and vulnerabilities become more accentuated and entrenched, the potential for instability and violence only grows. The pandemic is exacerbating gender inequalities, as women make up the vast majority of the sectors most affected. There has been an alarming spike in gender- based and domestic violence, and it is increasingly difficult for victims to report abuse, seek shelter and access justice. In some countries, fragile peace processes could be derailed by the crisis, especially if the international community is distracted. In Darfur, for example, the pandemic and other challenges have led to the repeated extension of the deadline for the completion of the Juba peace process.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I thank the German presidency for convening this important discussion. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues to profoundly affect peace and security across the globe. The consequences can be seen even in a number of countries traditionally considered as stable. But the impacts are particularly apparent in countries already experiencing conflict or emerging from it and may soon engulf others. The risks are diverse. Tensions are rising as a result of the severe socioeconomic fallout from the crisis. Trust in public institutions is being eroded further in places where people perceive that the authorities have not addressed the pandemic effectively or have not been transparent about its impact.”
2020-07-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/663 (2020) · source
“I encourage regional and international supporters of the two-State solution to help bring the parties back to a path towards a negotiated, peaceful settlement. I call on fellow members of the Middle East Quartet to take up our mandated mediation role and find a mutually agreeable framework for the parties to re-engage, without preconditions, with us and other key States. Leaders must act wisely and swiftly and demonstrate the will to advance the goal of a just and lasting peace.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“The goal is to achieve the vision of two States — Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable Palestinian State — living side by side in peace and security, within secure and recognized borders based on the pre-1967 borders and with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. I will continue to consistently speak out against any unilateral steps that would undermine peace and the chances for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through meaningful negotiations. Such actions also further hamper efforts to advance regional peace and to maintain international peace and security. I urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to commit to meaningful dialogue, with the support of the international community.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“Increased economic fragility as a result of the coronavirus disease pandemic, reduced donor support and the recent Palestinian decision to stop accepting clearance revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority risk increasing the hardship of the Palestinian people. As I said in February when I spoke before the Council and President Abbas (see S/PV.8717), I am fully committed to continuing to support Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict and end the occupation, in line with international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and bilateral agreements.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“I address the Council today with a deep sense of concern over the evolving situation in Israel and Palestine. We are at a watershed moment. Israel’s threat to annex parts of the occupied West Bank has alarmed Palestinians, many Israelis and the broader international community. If implemented, annexation would constitute a most serious violation of international law, grievously harm the prospect of a two-State solution and undercut the possibilities of a renewal of negotiations. I call on the Israeli Government to abandon its annexation plans. The Palestinian leadership has reacted by considering itself exempt from all bilateral agreements with Israel and the United States.”
2020-06-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/596 (2020) · source
“I commend France, Germany and the European Union for spearheading the Sahel coalition established at the Pau summit in January. The coalition provides a broader framework to coordinate security, development and governance initiatives in the region. Support for the G-5 Sahel remains vital. In that connection, I reiterate my call for a comprehensive support package, funded by assessed contributions, to allow for predictable and sustainable support to the Joint Force. I also call on the international community to continue to support regional initiatives, including those of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union. Building a politically stable and more secure Mali requires our collective and sustained commitment and MINUSMA’s continued support.”
2020-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/541 (2020) · source