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

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“I once again salute the leadership of the original sponsors of the Alliance, Turkey and Spain, and thank the Government of Brazil for hosting the meeting. Support for the Alliance keeps growing. We just welcomed the one-hundredth member, the United States. I hope that the Alliance's membership and work will expand further still. It is the right initiative at the right time. Our world is changing rapidly, and it is changing in unpredictable ways. We are growing more connected through migration, trade and technology, yet in some ways we are also moving further apart. Not only are countries coming into more frequent contact with each other, but many are themselves becoming more multicultural and diverse. To many, this enrichment is a matter of celebration; yet to others, it can be confusing and intimidating.”
2010-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6322 (2010) · source
“Mr. Prime Minister, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the United Nations. As this is your first visit to the United Nations in your capacity as Prime Minister of Lebanon, I wish you great success and hope for peace and stability under your leadership. I also welcome Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, Mr. Alistair Burt, to the Security Council. I thank you, Sir, for using Lebanon's presidency of the Security Council to have this discussion on intercultural dialogue. This is an important topic for Lebanon and for all Member States. It is especially relevant now on the eve of the third Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, which will begin Friday in Rio de Janeiro and to which I will travel directly from this meeting.”
2010-05-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6322 (2010) · source
“Peacebuilding is a complex and multifaceted undertaking. It requires significant amounts of human, financial and institutional resources. But the most important tool we can deploy is the political commitment of national and international actors. The Security Council has a central role to play. As peacekeeping mandates increasingly include peacebuilding responsibilities, I urge Council members to ensure that the resources provided are commensurate with the tasks assigned, and I urge them to use their great influence and experience to help peacebuilding achieve its potential.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“I am pleased to announce that this month the Fund will reach $200 million in allocations. With 48 donors and nearly $350 million in deposits and pledges, the Fund continues to make progress, including through the guidance provided by its Advisory Group. However, the Peacebuilding Fund's value is in identifying priority areas and helping to channel resources to them. By itself, it can not meet the financial needs of countries emerging from conflict. I therefore urge donor countries to increase their support as bilateral donors, through direct contributions to countries emerging from conflict and as multilateral donors, through the international financial institutions or United Nations agencies on the ground. The ongoing review of the peacebuilding arrangements agreed to in 2005 is an opportunity to strengthen our work in important ways.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“It is vital to have adequate and timely resources for early peacebuilding tasks, including, if necessary, the rapid deployment of standing police and other civilian capacities. Last year, the Peacebuilding Fund revised its terms of reference so that it would be better positioned to provide the kind of flexible, rapid and predictable resources envisaged in my 2009 report. Since its inception in late 2006, the Fund has provided resources to 16 countries. Eighty-eight per cent of this funding has gone to countries with either peacekeeping missions or political and peacebuilding missions. The Peacebuilding Fund also serves as a pillar of support for the Peacebuilding Commission, with approximately $106 million allocated to the four countries on the Commission's agenda.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“The Secretariat is working on a strategy to ensure that critical early peacebuilding tasks, carried out by peacekeepers and others, contribute to longer-term peacebuilding and development. In doing this, we want to draw on the assets of all partners, in particular those from the South. To this end and following through on one of the recommendations contained in last year's report (S/2009/304), I have asked the Peacebuilding Support Office to conduct a review of civilian capacities for peacebuilding. I have also appointed a Senior Advisory Group, chaired by the former Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Affairs, Mr. Guehenno. I understand that the Peacebuilding Commission will also provide input to this review, thus ensuring that we capture the Views of a broad and unique segment of the membership. Timely funding is essential.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“10-31721 We are bolstering our capacity to support viable peace processes that produce durable agreements. We are improving our tools for deploying and supporting peacekeeping operations, integrated peacebuilding offices and other field operations that take on peacebuilding tasks. We are paying more attention to the nexus between peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Peacekeepers themselves are, in an important sense, early peacebuilders. They seize the window of opportunity in the immediate aftermath of conflict. They are the first to set priorities. We must take advantage of their unique yet temporary presence while remaining aware that peacekeepers do not have the resources for long-term development.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“Governments should also be capable of demobilizing and reintegrating ex-combatants, developing a professional security sector and protecting civilians from death and injuries caused by landmines. Thirdly, we must take a comprehensive approach. That means addressing the security, political, economic and social dimensions. It means engaging national, bilateral, regional and international actors, and it means coherence, coordination and common Vision. The United Nation continues to sharpen its work. We are building partnerships and synergies across the United Nations system and with regional and international actors, with an emphasis on early engagement. This includes a stronger partnership with the World Bank and other international financial institutions.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“Today I would like to emphasize three points in order to situate our discussion in a larger context. First, we build peace in the minds and hearts of people. This means delivering concrete peace dividends. Peace will not last unless people see real benefits in their daily lives: safety, justice, jobs and prospects for a better future. In this regard, our work must always be guided by the principle of national ownership. Secondly, peace will not endure unless Governments in post-conflict countries are able to perform the basic functions of the State and to ensure sustainable security. These functions include policing the streets, upholding the rule of law, establishing a functioning justice and corrections system and delivering basic services.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“Thank you, Minister Okada, for taking part in person in this very important Security Council debate and for focusing the attention of the Council on this important subject. I congratulate the delegation of Japan for its success in presiding over the work of the Security Council this month. In our previous debates, a consensus has emerged on some of the factors leading to success in post- conflict peacebuilding. The report on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict that I presented to this Council last July laid them out in some detail (S/2009/304). We must seize the crucial opportunity that is presented at the end of a major conflict. We must respond early and robustly. And we must then stay engaged over the long term. We have also agreed that our collective efforts must be tailored to the needs of each country.”
2010-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6299 (2010) · source
“Regional support for the peace effort and a regional approach to peace as a whole are both crucial. I will carry these messages to Libya. 10-2874] Let me assure the Council of my firm commitment, and that of the United Nations as a whole, to this agenda.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“No doubt, there will be tests. The parties themselves must take steps to meet obligations and build trust. Extremists and spoilers must see that the parties are determined to press ahead. Thirdly, the situation on the ground is crucial. There have been too many negative facts being created on the ground, and these need to stop. We need more positive facts, such as calm and restraint, reconstruction in Gaza and transformative change in the West Bank. Fourthly, while peace is in the hands of the parties themselves, the international community must continue to play a crucial role - supportive, insistent and, at times, catalytic. I felt a strong consensus on the way forward in Moscow, and a determination to review progress collectively and to work more closely with both parties and the region, including the Arab League.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I noted that there is an international consensus to address this question and that a crucial diplomatic process is under way. I emphasized the need to approach the matter in this context. At the Arab League summit in Sirte, I will brief Arab leaders about the Quartet meeting and my visit to the region. I will urge them to support the proximity talks. It is crucial for the Arab countries to help create a favourable atmosphere in which the talks can succeed. Let me close by stressing four key messages that emerged from my Visit. First, there is no alternative to negotiations for a comprehensive and just resolution of the conflict, and no alternative to addressing all the core issues for a two-State solution. Negotiations must start without delay. Secondly, we must not let negotiations be disrupted by provocations.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“My interlocutors expressed Israel's frustration with the situation in South Lebanon, where Israel believes that Hizbullah is rearming at an alarming rate. I understand Israel's legitimate security concerns and the importance of addressing them, along with the concerns of all parties, as efforts continue to achieve the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Lebanon. At the same time, I conveyed my belief that a genuine and viable peace process, leading to the end of the Arab-Israel conflict as envisaged in other resolutions of this Council, is the key to long-term stability in the region. The Israeli Government also raised another regional matter the Iranian nuclear issue. I share and appreciate Israel's concerns.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“However, the Prime Minister reiterated that Israel would not freeze construction in settlements in East Jerusalem. I stressed the need for all parties to do everything possible to facilitate proximity talks. My Israeli interlocutors acknowledged significant progress in the West Bank by the Palestinian Authority and their readiness to do more to enable progress, while also expressing the concern that peaceful protest not turn violent and the importance of restraint on both sides. I discussed Gaza with all my interlocutors. I called once again for the closure policy to be changed. I met the parents of Corporal Shalit, who pointed out that their son had been denied the basic right of any prisoner - that of third-party visits.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I have informed Israel that we will come back with more far-reaching proposals. A rocket fired from Gaza into Israel by radical elements a few days before my Visit killed a civilian. During my visit to the region, there were further rocket firings. While in Gaza, I condemned rocket fire and made a public appeal for non-Violence and Palestinian unity. In Israel, I met with President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defence Minister Barak and other senior officials. My interlocutors stressed that there was no alternative to direct talks if core issues are to be resolved. The Israelis stressed the positive steps taken by Israel, including the call for direct negotiations, the removal of obstacles to movement, the Government's commitment to a two-State solution, and the policy of partial settlement restraint.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“The only cement available in substantial quantities in Gaza today is smuggled in through tunnels. Those who work with smugglers can build, but the United Nations and others who use legitimate products cannot. I was pleased to be able to announce in Khan Younis that, after three years of closure, the Israeli Government has now approved the entry of material 3 required to complete 151 housing units in Khan Younis, carry out a water and sanitation project in Tel El-Sultan and repair the El-Bader flour mill. Israel has also agreed to expand the list of imports to include aluminum and wood. I welcomed that decision, but would like to emphasize that this is only a first and very modest step. One hundred and fifty-one units amount to far less than 1 per cent of the needs in the shelter sector alone, to say nothing of other needs.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I agree with them. "We are surviving, not living", one said. I was briefed by United Nations staff and by Gazans on the perilous state of the water and sanitation situation; on difficulties in every sector, from fishing and agriculture to health care and manufacturing; and on the limitations on travel and basic freedoms caused by the closure. What struck me most were the children, and what worries me most is their future. More than half of Gaza's population is under 18 years of age, and population growth rates are high. The schools of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East are a symbol of the commitment of the international community to ensuring that Palestinian youth receive an education, as is their right. We need to build more schools, but lack the materials.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I also met with representatives of two families that had been evicted from their homes. I made it clear that all settlement activity is illegal and that inserting settlers into Palestinian communities in Jerusalem is particularly troubling. It leads to tensions and undermines prospects for addressing the final status of Jerusalem. Yesterday's announcement that final approval had been given to build 20 settlement units in Sheikh Jarrah is unacceptable. In Gaza, I drove nearly a full circuit of the Strip. I saw destroyed houses and poverty, formerly functioning industrial zones and vast greenhouses lying in ruin, and a visible security presence of the de facto authorities. In Khan Younis, I met with a number of civil society and business leaders. They stressed that the closure of Gaza was morally unacceptable and counterproductive.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I received appeals for an end to incursions, the further removal of checkpoints, and more responsibility to be given to Palestinian Authority security forces in Palestinian- populated areas. We discussed the essential Palestinian commitment to non-violence and legitimate protest in that context. I expressed my concern about Palestinian prisoners and publicly urged Israel to release prisoners, as called for by the Palestinian Authority. 10-28741 I was deeply dismayed that four Palestinians under the age of 20 were shot and killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank during my visit. Israeli Defence Minister Barak assured me that Israel would investigate those incidents. I publicly condemned all such Violence and stressed the importance of protecting civilians.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I was impressed by the efficiency of the security services and the signs of economic activity. I was also impressed by the Palestinian determination to build positive facts from the ground up as a complement to the political process. Palestinian statehood must become an emerging reality based on legitimate Palestinian rights, positive Palestinian actions and a negotiated political settlement. I confirmed to the Prime Minister the determination of the United Nations country team to continue and expand its support for these State- building efforts. International support remains crucial. It was also brought to my attention that almost all recent disturbances between Israelis and Palestinians have taken place in areas where Israeli forces are present in Palestinian-populated areas.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“The lookout and the subsequent briefing I received made the Palestinian dilemma quite clear. Palestinians need to be able to use more of their land for housing, agriculture, industry, water, construction materials and more. Yet, they have limited access to Area C and no role in zoning. Those restrictions prevent Palestinian economic and social development. I could also see the barrier snaking through the West Bank. I have strongly advised the Israeli authorities, while addressing their security concerns, to find a way to further ease the constraints that restrict Palestinian life and risk undermining the eventual viability of a Palestinian State. Despite these difficulties, the Palestinian Authority is making important gains, becoming more transparent, accountable and effective.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“Concern was expressed at changing facts on the ground, which prejudice the outcome of negotiations and undermine trust. The importance of Israel meeting its Road Map obligations - including those to freeze settlements, remove outposts and reopen Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem - was stressed. The Palestinian authorities emphasized their wish to see a greater Quartet role in defining the endgame, given the desire to avoid past failures. Indirect talks were viewed as a vehicle to achieving progress on 10-2874] substantive core issues in advance of a direct phase of final negotiations. Prime Minister Fayyad took me to the Al-Masyoun lookout point, on the border between Area A, which is under Palestinian administration, and Area C, which is under Israeli control.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“Thirdly, the Quartet expressed strong support for the Palestinian Authority's State-building agenda, which was launched in August last year with the goal of completing preparations for statehood in 24 months. Fourthly, the Quartet agreed on the need for an immediate easing of the closure affecting Gaza and restated its commitment to a durable solution to the issues of security, unity and crossings, as envisaged in resolution 1860 (2009). I carried these important messages to the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and their publics. In Ramallah, I met Prime Minister F ayyad and other senior figures. President Abbas was in Jordan recuperating from his recent fall, so I will meet him in Sirte. I was strongly assured of President Abbas's commitment to proximity talks and a negotiated settlement on all core issues.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“First, Quartet members stressed the need for proximity talks to move ahead and to become direct negotiations as soon as possible, with the goal of resolving all final status issues within 24 months. Secondly, the Quartet emphasized that the parties should respect the conditions that made proximity talks possible and act in accordance with international law and the Road Map. This includes a freeze of all settlement activity by Israel and fulfilment of security obligations by the Palestinians. The Quartet condemned the recent Israeli settlement announcement, reaffirmed the international position on Jerusalem, and agreed to closely monitor developments and keep under consideration any additional measures that may be necessary. Both sides were urged to refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“While in Moscow, I also signed a joint declaration with the Collective Security Treaty Organization aimed at strengthening cooperation on counter-terrorism, drug trafficking, conflict prevention and other areas. Tomorrow, I depart for Sirte, in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, to attend the summit of the League of Arab States. These missions take place amid continuing efforts to start Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks and a crisis of confidence spurred by the announcement by Israel 2 of its intention to advance planning for the construction of 1,600 new settlement units in East Jerusalem. The statement issued by the Quartet in Moscow reflected strong agreement on all main points.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I welcome this opportunity to brief the Security Council at this important juncture in our work for peace in the Middle East. As members of the Council know, I have just returned from Visiting Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, following the meeting of the Quartet in Moscow this past Friday. Before the Quartet meeting, I had a series of bilateral meetings with the Russian leadership, including President Medvedev and Foreign Minister Lavrov. I thanked the Russian Federation for its enhanced contribution to the United Nations agenda and activities, and we discussed the United Nations- Russian Federation partnership on regional and global issues.”
2010-03-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6292 (2010) · source
“I will work more closely with all the relevant components of the United Nations system to bring impending threats to the Council's attention. In return, I urge the Council to ensure that early warning is followed up by early action. Together, let us prevent drug trafficking and organized crime from threatening international peace and security and all of our hard-won achievements across our agenda.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime continues to carry out important work in providing the evidence on these transnational threats and the technical assistance with which to respond. Transnational networks create vectors of violence that blaze trails of death and destruction through some of the world's most vulnerable regions. Crime prevention is conflict prevention. Together, they build safer and healthier societies. Criminal justice should figure more prominently in United Nations peacebuilding and peacekeeping. (spoke in French) In conclusion, we have to act without delay. In its most recent presidential statement on this issue, the Council recommended that I provide more information on transnational threats.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“As for building trust, experience shows that tackling common threats can build confidence and good-neighbourly relations between countries that may otherwise have their differences. Initiatives to share information on the drug trade in West Asia, Central Asia and the Gulf are among the examples of this happening. With transnational threats, States have no choice but to work together. We are all affected, whether as countries of supply, trafficking or demand. Therefore, we have a shared responsibility to act. I welcome the Security Council's presidential statement S/PRST/2009/32 of 8 December 2009, in which the Council called for the issue of drug trafficking and organized crime to be mainstreamed into the United Nations work throughout the conflict cycle.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“Regionally, States must share information and carry out joint operations. This is not always easy. A lack of capacity and a lack of trust often cause problems. The lack of capacity can be overcome. We have seen this in West Africa, where vulnerability to drugs and crime is being reduced thanks to the work of the Economic Community of West African States in support of the Praia process. The West Africa Coast Initiative, involving the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Political Affairs, is also a good example of the One United Nations approach. I urge the Council to support similar regional initiatives, such as the Santo Domingo Pact launched 10-25007 here at the United Nations today, which has the same aims for Central America and the Caribbean.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“This year is also the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. I urge the Council to sharpen that powerful instrument at the Conference of the Parties in October. One of the most important improvements would be the establishment of a monitoring mechanism. In this work, we should not focus only on what we are battling against; we must never lose sight of what we are fighting for - justice and the rule of law. We cannot fight fire with fire. The criminals use ruthless and exploitative methods that we can never contemplate. Human rights must always be at the forefront of efforts to control crime. My second key word today is "integration". Integration is essential at many levels. Nationally, agencies must pull together to fight all aspects of crime.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“2 (spoke in English) First, as to the global response, Member States have united to fight pandemics, poverty, climate change and terrorism. We can and must do the same to counter organized crime. Member States have already worked together on a number of important initiatives. These include the General Assembly's efforts against drugs, the Kimberley Process against blood diamonds, and the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. But there is so much more to be done against emerging threats, such as cybercrime, money- laundering, environmental crime and the dumping of hazardous waste. The Crime Prevention Congress to be held in April in Salvador, Brazil, offers an opportunity to explore how we can strengthen the legal and operational means to fight them.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“I thank the French presidency for having put today's important item on the Security Council's agenda. Transnational issues, including drug trafficking and organized crime, are increasingly present on the Council's agenda, clearly reflecting the gravity of the threat. Drug trafficking and organized crime have an impact on almost all United Nations activity, be it in the spheres of development, security, the environment or the rule oflaw. From a different perspective, however, this also means that all of our activities in every area could reduce the risk represented by transnational threats and their impact. Our response must therefore be global and integrated both within the United Nations family and as a family of nations.”
2010-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6277 (2010) · source
“The countries whose missions they head illustrate the different phases in which United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding initiatives can find themselves, as well as the different models that exist and the different problems that they have to deal with. The activities of these three missions are invaluable, for they allow us to establish and build peace and give hope to millions of men and women. I hope that we will be able to learn the right lessons and extract the full benefit of what there is to be learned from all who will speak today.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“We need all these partners to be working coherently, with a shared sense of purpose. If stakeholders pursue competing individual agendas, all our efforts will suffer. We must guard against this risk. Our collective results will determine when and how a peacekeeping operation can exit. I urge that we explore how to ensure that the Security Council has the necessary benchmarks and information - 3 including the advice of the Peacebuilding Commission and the input of host Governments - to measure progress. (spoke in French) Three of my Special Representatives are with us today to give us the benefit of their great experience of and their thinking on transition and exit strategies.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“Such presences may have smaller footprints, but still have complex and demanding mandates. They require resources and the support of the Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the wider international community. This year's review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture is thus very timely. We should discuss the transition from the core security components of a peacekeeping mission to longer-term peacebuilding, and we should also reflect on how the Peacebuilding Commission can engage early. The engagement of United Nations country teams is critical throughout all phases of peacekeeping and peacebuilding, but the United Nations is only one of many international actors in peacebuilding. Regional institutions, bilateral partners and international financial institutions are also engaged.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“We must consider the prospects for socio-economic recovery. We must examine the risk that a country could backslide into conflict, and ask whether the security guarantee provided by uniformed peacekeepers is still needed. We must look at how to reconfigure our presence. Drawing down in one area, such as security, might require temporary strengthening in another. Peacekeeping missions should not stay longer than necessary, but we should also be wary of withdrawing prematurely only to have to return because of renewed violence. A key lesson of the 1990s was the need for some type of follow-on presence to protect gains and continue the process of building durable peace. In several recent cases, the transition has been made to a United Nations peacebuilding office, but other models, such as regional offices, could also be considered.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“His legacy lives on in a report whose recommendations remain valid today. A good entrance means that the very mandate of an operation addresses the root causes of a conflict. It means charting a path out of Violence through a solid and sustainable peace process. It means articulating a clear goal that can be jointly owned by national stakeholders and the international community. And it means the timely allocation of enough human and material resources - including, if necessary, the rapid 10-23786 deployment of standing police and other civilian capacities. Exits must be equally well considered from the very outset of a mission. In assessing whether and when a peacekeeping operation should be drawn down, we must look at the strength of national governance structures, including for security and the rule of law.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“For peace to be sustained, there must be an overarching strategy that unites the efforts of all United Nations actors and the international community, and that strengthens national capacity. The past decade has seen a continuous surge in United Nations peacekeeping operations. No one can predict the future, but in the years ahead we are likely to focus not so much on new missions, but on ensuring that current missions and their successor presences can help to consolidate peace and support lasting stability so that they can withdraw. To achieve this, a peacekeeping mission requires a good entrance. This was emphasized in the 2001 report to the Security Council entitled "No exit without strategy" (S/2001/394). Allow me to recall that one of the authors of that report, Andrew Grene, was among those who perished in the earthquake in Haiti.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“All of this is essential to addressing the roots of crises, sustaining peace and achieving a viable exit strategy for United Nations peacekeeping missions. The United Nations engagement in a country emerging from conflict will closely track the path that country takes. We are usually present well before a peacekeeping operation is deployed. We will usually remain well after the exit of our Blue Helmets. The post-peacekeeping United Nations presence might be a special political mission, a peacebuilding office or some other configuration. It might be large and multidimensional, or small and specialized. Whatever the case, peacekeeping activities must pave the way for what comes next.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“Last year, the Security Council held a series of valuable debates on mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Member States, the United Nations system and our partners have gained a common understanding of the challenges involved. I welcome today's debate as a further step in making the best possible use of all our tools and assets. The United Nations must be ready to help national authorities to implement peace agreements, re-establish 10-23786 core Government functions, restore the rule of law and achieve at least a minimum level of sustainable security throughout their territory. We must promote reconciliation and inclusive political processes, and help to provide basic services and to generate employment and economic activity.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“I should like to thank France for having taken the initiative to focus our attention on the crucial question of the transition and exit strategies of peacekeeping operations. In the broadest sense, our objective should be very clear. The Blue Helmets should themselves strive tirelessly to bring their own work to an end, but of course there is a great deal of time between the beginning and the end of an operation and many phases to go through. The road to follow is strewn with difficulties, dangers, setbacks and problems. (spoke in English) Over the years, we have learned many valuable lessons about how best to ensure the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding and, ultimately, to societies that can function and maintain stability on their own. Considerable work is under way to strengthen our response to conflict.”
2010-02-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6270 (2010) · source
“We are all accountable for delivering on that responsibility. I look forward to continuing to strengthen the ties with regional, subregional and other organizations as a crucial element in our work for a safer, better future for all.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“We identified areas in which there is room for improvement, including coordination and communication among our respective intergovernmental bodies and secretariats. We talked about the need for better clarity in mediation arrangements. We agreed that peacekeeping deployments need to strike the right balance between flexibility and efficiency. We stressed the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need in a timely manner and in accordance with existing principles. And we agreed to increase cooperation on peacebuilding. In all of these areas, the political will of Member States will be crucial. Coordination is not an end in itself. Our success will be measured not in terms of process or mechanisms, but in real improvements in the lives of those most in need.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“In the Americas, we have a strong history of cooperation with regional and subregional bodies on Haiti and Honduras, and more recently on climate change and in combating organized crime. In the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, we are working together on issues as varied as Afghanistan, Iraq, Fiji, disaster relief and drug trafficking, and on building up the capacities of such regional partners as the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Of course, in these agendas on all these many fronts, our aim is to achieve greater flexibility and to make the best possible use of each partner's comparative advantages. This week's retreat with the heads of international and regional organizations has given us both food for thought and specific ideas for strengthening our cooperation.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“In Africa, we are cooperating closely with the African Union and the subregional economic communities. We have worked hard to provide support to the African Union Mission in Somalia and to assist the Somali parties on the political and security fronts. In the Sudan, we are engaged in joint mediation and peacekeeping roles in Darfur, in improving the safety and access of humanitarian workers, and in assisting in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Our collective efforts also extend to the crises in Guinea, Kenya and Mauritania, and to the 10-year capacity-building programme. In Europe, we will continue to develop our wide-ranging relationship with the European Union and with such partners as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in the Balkans and elsewhere.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“As members know, the role of regional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security was written into the founding Charter of 3 our Organization. Chapter VIII foresaw a world in which regional organizations and the United Nations would work together on all continents, consistent with the principles of the Charter, to prevent, manage and resolve crises. By its actions over the years, the Council has made ample use of its authority to engage in global and regional partnerships, yet we can and must go further still. The United Nations continues to bolster its capacity to prevent conflicts and mediate solutions. We continue to improve our ability to deploy more effective peacekeeping, peacebuilding and humanitarian presences. These investments have positioned us to be a better partner to our regional counterparts.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“Hardly a crisis confronts us that does not require actors to cooperate at multiple levels - local, national, regional and global - in the search for solutions. That is why the relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations is so important. Those organizations are part of a new landscape, one in which the problems we face are so complex and interlinked that no one can work in isolation and no one can afford to do without the benefits of cooperation and burden- sharing. Around the table today are representatives of many of the key partners of the United Nations. Over the past two days, we had a very productive retreat. We discussed ongoing operations and we explored due avenues for cooperation. Throughout, there was a very strong sense that we are only beginning to realize the great potential of what we can do together.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source
“MINUSTAH engineers have also begun clearing some of the main roads in Port-au- Prince, which will allow assistance and rescuers to reach those in need. We will immediately release $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund. The Secretariat is following the situation closely. A more detailed briefing will be provided to the Security Council at the earliest opportunity. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the countries that have expressed their willingness and have already taken action to dispatch rescue teams and relief materials. Turning to the item on the Council's agenda, I thank the Chinese presidency of the Security Council for its initiative to hold a debate on a topic that is so vital to international peace and security.”
2010-01-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6257 (2010) · source