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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“Effective peacebuilding requires input from all parts of the United Nations system and key partners. Peacebuilding is not separate from mediation, peacekeeping or development aid. It is all of these working together. The fourth refers to a common strategy. Immediately after conflict, everything feels urgent and there are many pressing needs. We need to align behind a shared approach with realistic priorities against which national and international actors can allocate scarce resources. The fifth message concerns predictable and credible delivery. Member States need to help ensure that we have sufficient international capacity to respond rapidly and flexibly to the most urgent needs: basic safety, security and services; strengthening the rule of law; supporting political processes; and revitalizing the economy.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165 (2009) · source
“I have seen the costs of a slow or inadequate response to urgent post-conflict needs. Yet, I have also seen the profound difference that a well-planned and managed effort can make. Let me highlight the five interconnected messages of my report. The first pertains to national ownership. Peace will not take root if it comes from outside. Building peace is primarily a national challenge and responsibility. The United Nations and the international community should play a catalytic and supporting role. The second message pertains to international leadership. Member States expect the United Nations to lead the international community. I have created a senior-level mechanism that will ensure that the right leadership and support teams are in place as early as possible. The third message concerns coherence.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165 (2009) · source
“The report focuses on that crucial two-year period when conflict has ended but insecurity often persists and peace is fragile. If peace is to be sustainable, the international community must make the most of that moment and provide the right support at the right time. Decades of international experience have taught us that, while every case is unique, certain types of support are almost always needed. Time and again, war-ravaged people have asked us to help them establish security and safety, restore basic services and core Government functions, support a political transition and jump-start economic recovery. These are not easy tasks. I have seen the difficulties first hand. I have travelled to many countries emerging from conflict, including the Sudan, Haiti, Liberia and Timor-Leste.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165 (2009) · source
“First of all, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for taking time to preside over this meeting on a subject of great importance to the United Nations. In May last year, the Security Council requested a report on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict. I am pleased to present my report (S/2009/304). It is the product of intensive, wide- ranging consultations. It sets out an approach to peacebuilding that is better resourced, managed and coordinated. The Peacebuilding Commission discussed it last week. I welcome its commitment to championing this important agenda. Building peace is about much more than ending war. It is about putting in place the institutions and trust that will carry people forward into a peaceful future. We often have a limited window of opportunity in which to do this.”
2009-07-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6165 (2009) · source
“As I mentioned in my speech, ultimately it is the people of Myanmar who will bear the cost of any lack of engagement and cooperation on the part of their Government with the United Nations and the international community. That is why Myanmar's leaders have a responsibility not only to their own people, but also to the members of the international community, to respond to the proposals I made on their behalf. The choice for Myanmar's leaders in the coming days and weeks will be between meeting that responsibility in the interests of all concerned or failing their own people and each member of the international community. The world is now watching closely whether they will choose to act in the best interests of their country or to ignore our concerns and expectations and the needs of their people.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“The continued support of United Nations Members for my good offices efforts and their engagement - particularly that of neighbouring countries and ASEAN members - with the Myanmar authorities have therefore become even more important and necessary. I welcome the continued support given to my efforts by the leaders of the G-8 last week, and their statement that they are "prepared to respond positively to substantive political progress undertaken by Myanmar". I also welcome the reiterated strong support extended to my good offices and personal engagement by the Group of Friends on Myanmar. 3 Now that I have conveyed in the clearest terms what is expected of Myanmar's leaders, it is up to them to respond positively in their country's own interests.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Secondly, none of the challenges facing Myanmar today - political, humanitarian or development - can be addressed on their own, and failure to address them with equal attention could undermine the prospects for durable peace, democracy and prosperity. This address was also an opportunity to stress my commitment, and that of the international community as a whole, to continued engagement. I clearly stated that Myanmar was not alone. In Myanmar as elsewhere, the United Nations works for the people - their rights, their well-being and their dignity. It is not an option; it is our responsibility. We cannot give up.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Like all other Member States, the more Myanmar works in partnership with the United Nations, the more it affirms its sovereignty. Before leaving Myanmar, I had the chance to publicly reiterate all my messages in a keynote speech to a large and diverse audience in Yangon. This was an unprecedented opportunity to ask openly the question that is before Myanmar's stakeholders today: How much longer can Myanmar afford to wait - and at what cost - for national reconciliation, democratic transition and full respect for human rights? My message, addressed to the international community as much as to the Government and people of Myanmar, was twofold. First, while Myanmar has a unique and complex history, the challenges it faces as a country in transition are neither exceptional nor insurmountable.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Here, as has been observed, what is more important is not so much What I came back with but what I left behind with the authorities. I have made clear my expectation and that of the international community that the Government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 elections inclusive, free 09-40115 and fair and to take necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future. In this connection, Senior General Than Shwe has pledged to make the elections free and fair. But I said then and reiterate today that it is up to the Myanmar authorities to translate this into concrete action, to ensure the inclusiveness and credibility of the process and to demonstrate Myanmar's commitment to cooperation with the international community.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Empowering the people to participate in their country's development is equally important for stability, democracy and prosperity, and for ensuring that Myanmar fully benefits from and contributes to the regional and global economy. My visit offered the clearest signal of the United Nations commitment to working with the Government and people of Myanmar to address issues of fundamental importance for the prospects of durable peace, democracy and development. While I stand ready to work to that end with all concerned, Myanmar stands to gain much from engaging meaningfully with the United Nations. To be able to convey this message clearly and directly to the highest level of Myanmar's leadership is a rare chance for the international community to be heard.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Just as the international community cannot hold humanitarian assistance hostage to political considerations, there is no justification for the Government's allowing humanitarian access to some of its people but not to others. Furthermore, my visit also presented an occasion to address Myanmar's development challenge. Here, too, we know from experience that peace and security can be affected by underlying socio-economic conditions. Accordingly, I proposed to the senior leadership that it enhance cooperation with the United Nations in order to address, through a broad-based process involving all sectors of society, the pressing development needs facing the country.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“While the Government has a primary obligation to address the concerns of all stakeholders, every 09-40115 stakeholder has a role to play and a responsibility to assume in the interests of the nation. On the humanitarian front, I saw for myself the progress made in one year in the recovery and reconstruction of the cyclone-affected region, thanks to unprecedented cooperation between Myanmar, the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In all my meetings, I stressed the need to consolidate and build on such efforts to ensure that assistance in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta is expedited and that humanitarian access is expanded to reach all vulnerable groups across the country.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“Addressing these three concerns, including with the support of the United Nations, is therefore essential to ensuring that the political process is inclusive and serves the interests of all the people of Myanmar in a way that can be broadly accepted by the international community. Meeting with Myanmar's registered political parties and ethnic ceasefire groups allowed me to listen to their views and concerns in this regard, which I also shared with the authorities. However, I also encouraged the two groups to remain constructive in the political process. Any successful transition will require overcoming the country's twin legacies of political deadlock and civil conflict. It is in the interests of all to ensure that any gains made so far become irreversible.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“I made specific proposals, with a particular focus on three outstanding concerns that, if left unaddressed, could undermine any confidence in Myanmar's political process: first, the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; secondly, the resumption of a substantive dialogue between the Government and the opposition; and thirdly, the creation of conditions conducive to credible and legitimate elections. From experience, the United Nations has learned that elections can be unifying or divisive, depending on the level of buy-in and the quality of the process.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“However, the United Nations engagement with Myanmar is broad and complex, encompassing as it does a range of fundamental issues of concern for the future of the country, which I was able to address during this visit. In my two meetings with Senior General Than Shwe and an additional meeting with the Prime Minister, General Thein Sein, I discussed extensively the need for Myanmar to take meaningful steps on the five-point agenda developed in the context of my good offices, as well as in humanitarian areas.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“At a time when there is much attention to the ongoing trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and on the eve of Myanmar's first elections in 20 years, it was necessary for me to raise those concerns and offer the help of the United Nations in 2 advancing national reconciliation, democracy, respect for human rights and sustainable development. At the outset, let me say that the refusal of the senior leadership to allow me to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was not only a deep disappointment but also a major lost opportunity for Myanmar. While this should not define our efforts, allowing such a meeting would have sent a constructive and conciliatory signal both inside and outside Myanmar.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“I thank the Security Council for this opportunity to brief its members at their request on my visit to Myanmar from 3 to 4 July 2009 at the invitation of the Government of Myanmar. I wish to thank all interested States members of this Council and in the Group of Friends of the Secretary- General on Myanmar for supporting my decision to Visit Myanmar at this time, and also for supporting my efforts in the context of my good offices. Whereas the objective of my first visit, last year, was to unblock the humanitarian situation caused by Cyclone Nargis, my objective this time was to engage Myanmar's senior leadership directly on a number of serious and long-standing concerns that I believe cannot be left unaddressed at this critical stage of Myanmar's transition.”
2009-07-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6161 (2009) · source
“And no two-State solution can be reached if the situation between Gaza and southern Israel continues on its present destructive course or if Palestinians remain permanently divided. I call on the parties to honour all existing agreements and previous commitments and to pursue an irreversible effort towards the two-State solution, including by fully implementing commitments on the ground. I also believe that the international community's credibility is at stake. We are a long way from where we hoped to be when we embarked on a fresh push for peace less than two years ago. However, I take heart that there is a deep consensus about the scale of the challenge and the importance of meeting it. Let us move forward with confidence and resolve, knowing that, if we rise to our responsibilities, we will help the parties rise to theirs, too.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“I also look to Arab and regional countries to play a positive role regarding the internal Palestinian situation by urging all parties to turn away from Violence and weapons acquisition and towards reunification under one Palestinian Authority committed to the principles of the Palestine Liberation Organization and, indeed, to the Arab Peace Initiative itself. Like a bicycle that falls over when left at a standstill, the situation on the ground could easily deteriorate unless proper direction is given and real momentum is quickly generated. Violence and terror will not bring the Palestinians statehood and dignity, and settlement expansion and closure will not bring Israel security or peace.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“Arab countries have reaffirmed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, which offers Israel the opportunity for acceptance and security within the region on the basis of land for peace. This remains a key framework around which a comprehensive approach to peace can and must be built. I continue to believe strongly in the potential for activating the regional tracks of the peace process, alongside a rejuvenated Palestinian track, including between Israel and Syria, on the basis of land for peace. I support the convening of an international conference in Moscow.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“I can assure all Council members that we will continue to ensure the full integrity of programmes and projects. Indeed, the provisions of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009) - a durable and fully respected ceasefire, prevention of the illicit supply of weapons to Gaza, the reopening of the crossings in accordance with the Agreement on Movement and Access, and progress on Palestinian reconciliation under the legitimate Palestinian Authority - must be fulfilled. Efforts on these elements, as well as a prisoner exchange, remain the only way of meaningfully altering the dynamics on the ground for the better. Finally, let me emphasize the important regional context.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“Nearly four months after the conflict, in which 3,800 houses and two health-care centres were destroyed, and 34,000 homes, 15 hospitals, 41 health-care centres and 282 schools sustained varying degrees of damage, we cannot get anything beyond food and medicine into Gaza to assist a population that had been in the midst of a war zone. This is completely unacceptable. I call on Israel to respond positively to repeated calls to allow glass, cement and building materials into Gaza. In the aftermath of the war and given the level of human suffering now evident on the ground, I seek the support of all members of this Council and the Quartet for the United Nations efforts in Gaza. We are ready to work with local businessmen to help start action to repair and rebuild houses, schools and clinics.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“3 I remain extremely worried about the situation in and around Gaza, with internal Palestinian divisions and Israeli-Hamas tensions trapping the civilian population in a vortex of hopelessness. The United Nations continues to fully support Egypt's efforts to achieve reconciliation among Palestinian groups and is ready to engage with a Government that unites Gaza and the West Bank within the framework of the legitimate Palestinian Authority. As an interim measure, we would also welcome the establishment of practical mechanisms that could help Palestinians in Gaza focus on reconstruction, security issues and preparations for elections. I am convinced that the policy of continued closure of the Gaza Strip does not weaken Israel's adversaries in Gaza, but does untold damage to the fabric of civilian life.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“The Palestinian Authority must continue its efforts to consolidate progress in developing and deploying an effective security structure and the functioning institutions of a future State - work that Israel must facilitate. For its part, Israel should refrain from using excessive force that kills and injures civilians, as it did during the recent conflict in Gaza with such devastating consequences. Firm and full respect for international humanitarian law by all parties is indispensable. The beginning of Palestinian self-empowerment has been a key achievement of this past year's efforts and must not be imperilled by the financial crisis facing the Palestinian Authority. I appeal to donors, including in the region, to urgently meet unfulfilled commitments, including for budget support and Gaza's reconstruction.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“The time has come for Israel to fundamentally change its policies in this regard, as it has repeatedly promised to do but has not yet done. Action on the ground, together with a genuine readiness to negotiate on all core issues, including Jerusalem, borders and refugees, based on Israel's existing commitments, will be the true tests of Israel's commitment to the two-State solution. Ordinary Israelis continue to seek reassurance that a future Palestinian State will guarantee their right to live in peace and security. In this respect, indiscriminate rocket attacks that have caused loss of life, civilian suffering and damage to property in Israel are not only deeply unacceptable, but also totally counterproductive, and must cease.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“We should be as determined as we are patient, as insistent as we are supportive, and as principled as we are empathetic to the very real concerns of both parties. The parties need confidence that the process will address their vital interests. For that, they need confidence that commitments made will be commitments monitored and commitments kept. In this regard, I believe that there is a deep crisis of confidence among ordinary people on the ground, and for good reason. Palestinians continue to see unacceptable unilateral actions in East Jerusalem and the remainder of the West Bank - house demolitions, intensified settlement activity, settler violence and oppressive movement restrictions due to permits, checkpoints and the barrier, which are intimately connected to settlements.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“The challenge is to begin implementing transformative changes on the ground and to kick-start a renewed and irreversible drive to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. The ultimate objective remains the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian State, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is fundamental to the well-being of both peoples, the region and the world. This Council, the Quartet, States in the region, the international community as a whole 09-33303 and I as Secretary-General must each play our full role. Security Council resolutions, previous agreements and obligations, and the Arab Peace Initiative give us the framework we need.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“The Council meets at the outset of a very important few weeks for the cause of peace in the Middle East. In this regard, I welcome and appreciate the participation of many distinguished ministers in this meeting, and I appreciate the initiative of the Russian presidency. After the inconclusive results of last year's negotiations and the bloodshed in Gaza, the past three months have witnessed almost no progress on the two key resolutions, resolutions 1850 (2008) and 1860 (2009), recently adopted by this Council. I hope that this meeting today will help provide direction and momentum. In the period ahead, United States President Obama will host the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and key regional parties in Washington, DC. I expect the Quartet to meet soon and to consult closely with members of the League of Arab States.”
2009-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6123 (2009) · source
“The Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups advocate a comprehensive approach to reintegrating children into their communities. Donor contributions can make this happen. I appeal strongly to parties to conflict to comply with international humanitarian law for the protection of children and all civilians. And finally, I stress the role of the Council in holding violators accountable. We must send a strong signal to the world that those committing appalling crimes against children in conflict situations will be brought to justice.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I urge Member States to allow contact between the United Nations and non-State actors with a view to ensuring the protection of vulnerable children. We need to work with such parties in order to prepare action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children. We need to engage them so that they undertake specific commitments to address all grave violations committed against children. I also urge all States that have not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to do so without delay. We have an impressive 193 parties to the Convention, but only 127 of them have ratified the Protocol. That instrument should be universal. Donors also have a special role to play.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I urge the Council to expand the trigger of the monitoring and reporting mechanism to include sexual violence and, if possible, intentional killing and maiming of children. That is a crucial first step towards accountability for those terrible crimes. We must also do everything possible to ensure that no matter how severely conflicts may rage, schools are always protected. We must support the efforts of our humanitarian partners to keep schools running in times of crisis and to safeguard the right to education. I call on all parties to conflicts to keep schools as safe zones for both boys and girls. All countries and all groups must put the protection of children in situations of armed conflict above politics.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“Of these, 19 are persistent violators, who have been listed for more than four years. I urge the Council to consider action to strike a blow against impunity and to stop those violators from continuing to victimize children. The protection framework needs to be strengthened. I recommend that the Council, at a minimum, expand the criteria for the annexes of my report to include parties that commit rape and other grave sexual violence against children in armed conflict. 3 Last year, the Council adopted a milestone resolution, Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), which focused specifically on sexual and gender-based violence. That was a crucial step. But it will have true meaning only when its provisions are translated into action.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“For my part, I have asked my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict to take those efforts even further. Later in this meeting, you will hear from Grace Akallo, a former child soldier. If, after all she has endured, she can come before this Council as an advocate for peace, Council members must respond to her courage and resilience with action. With that in mind, I want to focus the rest of my remarks on what I believe the Council should do next. My appeal is also directed at parties to conflicts and the broader international community. My latest report on the question of children and armed conflict is now before you (S/2009/158). Its annexes name 56 parties, including States and non-State actors, which recruit child soldiers and commit other grave violations.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“The testimony of the victims- their dignity even after such appalling violations - made me more determined than ever to raise my voice to decry their suffering and to demand action. Today's meeting again affirms that the plight of children caught in conflict zones is a threat to international peace and security. Since 1998, the Council has adopted six resolutions aimed at stopping the recruitment of child soldiers, the killing, maiming and rape of children, abductions, attacks on schools and hospitals and obstacles to humanitarian access. The Council has done more than adopt resolutions. It has established a working group on the topic, as well as a monitoring mechanism that reports to that group on grave violations against children in situations of concern.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“It is said that truth is the first casualty of war. When it comes to the youngest victims, what they lose first is their childhood. Fighting shatters more than infrastructure; it destroys the precious principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As bombs devastate schools, hospitals and families, children lose their right to education, health care and love. Far too many even lose their right to life. 09-31649 I have witnessed scenes of unbearable suffering. Never have I been so outraged as when I recently spoke with girls who had been sexually victimized during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Painful as it is to describe those atrocities, silence serves only to shield the perpetrators and perpetuate their crimes.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I have also expressed my position as the Secretary-General. We are now meeting with core groups under the leadership of the Deputy Secretary-General in close coordination with the World Health Organization. Member States have the full support and full commitment of the United Nations and I sincerely hope that with full global participation and support we will be able to overcome and combat the swine flu, which is now a very important challenge for us. In addition to the global financial crisis, climate change, the energy crisis and the food crisis; we are now experiencing this very serious pandemic. It requires the cooperation of the entire international community and I count on the leadership and commitment of not only Council member States, but the whole international community. Let me return to today's topic.”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I should like to thank you, Madam President, for your participation in, and organization of, today's important debate. You have shown great commitment to this issue, including as Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. Before I proceed with my remarks, I should like to say how relieved and encouraged I am by what you have just said with regard to the spread of swine flu. As this swine flu has spread to many parts of the world, including the United States, it has become another global challenge, which requires global coordination and support. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I wish to inform all of you that all United Nations agencies are now mobilizing their resources to play a leading role, led by Dr. Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization (WHO).”
2009-04-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6114 (2009) · source
“I look forward to constructive interaction with key Member States, including the members of this Council, AU members, troop-contributing countries and other stakeholders. The forthcoming retreat with Security Council members this weekend will offer a valuable opportunity to look at this issue in greater detail. The development of the African Peace and Security Architecture is crucial to an effective long- term approach to conflict prevention and resolution. This requires the sustained support of the international community, including the European Union and many bilateral partnerships. The strategic relationship between the United Nations and the AU is at the heart of this evolving framework and has the potential to affect millions of people on the African continent.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“A peacekeeping mission that is under-resourced can imperil the initial benefits gained by its deployment and can raise expectations without providing the means of fulfilling them. It was in this context that the panel made its recommendations to address issues of funding and resources. These recommendations have far-reaching 3 implications and will require detailed analysis, particularly in the case of assessed contributions, which need to be considered by the requisite United Nations legislative bodies and processes. Notwithstanding the complexities, the report offers a first step in a process through which these issues can be examined comprehensively while allowing us to develop a more effective partnership.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“Central to this analysis is the strategic relationship between this Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, which is supported by that between the United Nations Secretariat and the AU Commission. In both cases, the relationship has been much expanded, but it has yet to develop the responsiveness that will enable us to work together to prevent conflicts rather than only respond to crises. The Department of Political Affairs has instituted a series of desk-to-desk meetings with AU counterparts, and I hope that we can build on this initiative to quickly develop a more comprehensive approach for the future. Many of the challenges facing the African Union result from the difficulties it faces in securing the necessary resources to support both its deployments and its own long-term development.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“The role played by regional organizations in peace and security is indispensable to the work of this Council. I am encouraged by the progress we have made in our cooperative endeavours with the African Union Commission towards achieving peace and security in challenging areas such as Darfur and Somalia. Lessons learned from these endeavours will strengthen our cooperative work in the future. The African Union continues to develop its capacity for peacekeeping. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is supporting these efforts with a dedicated capacity and through specific programmes. The panel's report (S/2008/813), while outlining significant remaining challenges, offers various recommendations that draw on the lessons of the past and aim at an enhanced relationship in the future.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy, and to express my appreciation for his leadership of the panel, whose report on modalities for support to African Union peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813) is before the Council today. Last year's high-level debate on peace and security in Africa (see S/PV.5868), chaired by former President Mbeki on 16 April 2008, provided the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace 09-27161 and Security Council with an opportunity to look more closely at the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in ensuring peace and security in Africa. The panel's report, before members today, presents a number of ideas to strengthen that partnership with a view to improving our collective response to addressing conflicts in Africa.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“I am pleased to be able to participate in this meeting of the Security Council, and I welcome the opportunity to focus both on strengthening the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union (AU) and on efforts by the international community to further enhance the AU's capacity for peacekeeping. Before I begin, I would like to welcome you, Sir, as new Permanent Representative of your great country, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, and congratulate you on assuming your role as President of the Security Council soon after having taken up your new responsibilities. I assure you of my full cooperation and support in discharging your duties not only as President of the Council, but also as Ambassador of your country. Let me also take this opportunity to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr.”
2009-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6092 (2009) · source
“With what we saw very much in mind, I have no doubt that the Council will take this opportunity to renew its collective commitment to Timor-Leste. For my part, I pledge the full support of the United Nations system in helping the Timorese people realize their hopes for security, stability and well-being.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“In that regard, I am pleased to note the productive tone and content of recent debates in Parliament, including the active and constructive role of the opposition, and of women in general. Prime Minister Gusmao, for his part, has shown laudable respect for the democratic process by personally presenting and defending his budget in front of Parliament every day for three full weeks. 09-24239 This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Organization's full-time presence in Timor-Leste. Our partnership has become strong and close. President Ramos-Horta's presence here today exemplifies the ties that inseparably bind the United Nations and Timor- Leste. Just over a year ago, the members of the Council and I had the pleasure of visiting that brave new country and seeing Timor-Leste's progress for ourselves.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“Government transfers to individuals have injected much-needed cash into the economy. Parliament has passed the budget, which projects considerable investment in infrastructure for the coming year. Indeed, the Government has designated 2009 as the year of infrastructure, to lay the foundations for Timor-Leste's future. Investing in infrastructure is crucial but, as we all know, infrastructure is not just a matter of roads, schools and power grids. It is equally a question of strengthening democratic governance and the rule of law. Without accountability, not only of the Government to its people but of the people to each other, there is no hope for a viable democratic State.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“I am keenly aware that a number of fundamental issues will require sustained, long-term attention well beyond the Mission's lifespan. In his last appearance before the Council, in 2007 as Prime Minister, President Ramos-Horta argued that a United Nations peacekeeping presence would be required until at least 2012, a date that now seems less distant than it did. Whatever the ultimate length of UNMIT's mandate proves to be, it is clear that bilateral partners, with the ongoing cooperation of the United Nations family, will have to ensure that long-term support. I urge them to do so, not least because, in areas such as police training and the development of military doctrine, bilateral expertise may be more effective than traditional United Nations means. I am heartened to know that the mood of the country has become very positive.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“I commend President Ramos-Horta for engaging all political actors and working to forge a unified effort on issues of important national interest. One of the main priorities in the year ahead must be the development of the security sector. A major step 09-24239 will be the gradual resumption of executive policing authority by the national police. UNMIT is working closely with the Government to plan a series of handovers based on agreed criteria. As the Timorese police begin that new phase of its development, United Nations police will remain fully in place to support, advise and intervene as necessary as a guarantor of security. My report to the Council includes a set of benchmarks for measuring UNMIT's progress in achieving its mandate.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“It stuck to its immediate priorities. By the end of the year, remarkable progress had been made in addressing the residual problems of the 2006 crisis. The petitioners reached a settlement with the Government. The vast majority of internally displaced persons have returned to their communities without incident. I have the rare pleasure of being able to say to the Council that more progress has been achieved than had been anticipated in my last report (S/2008/501). We begin 2009 with a clear horizon. The country can finally devote its undivided attention to the essential task of building the strong and durable foundations that are crucial for long-term stability and prosperity. That work will require the concerted efforts of all Timorese.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source
“It gives me great pleasure to attend this Council meeting and to present my report (S/2009/72) on the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). I am particularly pleased that President Ramos-Horta is with us this morning. At this time last year, we were all anxiously following the news of his medical condition in the wake of the tragic attacks of 11 February. His presence today, clearly in fine health and spirits, symbolizes the resilience of his young nation, which responded so maturely to that terrible event. My report on UNMIT comes at a watershed moment for Timor-Leste. In 2007, order was re-established; the security situation was stabilized, peaceful elections were held and a smooth transfer of power took place. In 2008, the country took in its stride a small but serious challenge to its stability.”
2009-02-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6085 (2009) · source