YouSaid · the spoken record

Shearer

lines on the record: 106
first: 2017-04-25
most recent: 2020-03-04
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“The international community will likely lean on the side of caution, wary of repeating past mistakes. That, of course, is fair, but neither can we totally step back to wait and see what happens before making a commitment. Our actions can push South Sudan further towards sustainable peace; our inaction can help condemn it to failure. In the past weeks, its leaders have shown leadership. It is hoped that this will continue. It is imperative there be no reneging on the peace agreement or the ceasefire. International partners must remain engaged — both in solidarity and, at times, with pressure — to encourage compromise in order to achieve and maintain the unity. South Sudan’s future depends on the ability to compromise and maintain that unity.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“A better understanding will be possible in the coming months. Until then, the current UNMISS mandate is sufficiently broad, in my view, to continue activities to build durable peace and protect civilians. Nevertheless, there will be a need to focus on two areas, namely, the mobility of peacekeepers, which has improved, and plans are in place to enhance it further through increased riverine and air support, particularly during the rainy season; and the role of UNPOL and our Rule of Law Unit to expand its activities to better tackle impunity and support the shift to civilian law enforcement and accountability. Finally, the doubters are telling us that we have been here before. However, it is also important to acknowledge that these are changed circumstances.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“That requires a determined shift by both the Government and the international community to supporting programmes that promote self-reliance where appropriate. Yes, there are areas where humanitarian assistance is urgently required, but such interventions should be progressively more surgical and vigorously monitored. Fourthly, exclusion must end, which means that all South Sudanese are part of the democratic process, that civil society has a greater role and that there is a political space where it is alright to speak out and criticize. Those are the underpinnings of the upcoming constitution-making and election processes. The mandate of UNMISS is due for renewal. South Sudan, as we have heard and seen, is in flux as the new Government is established; therefore, it is premature to propose significant change.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“However, in parallel, South Sudan needs to address four issues that are the cornerstones of a properly functioning State. First, impunity must end, which will require increased support to police and the justice chain, from the collection of evidence through to prosecutions and court trials. Where crimes are committed, especially the number of sexually based offences, perpetrators need to be brought to justice. Secondly, corruption must end. That requires financial accountability and transparency. Government mechanisms exist but are often bypassed. For example, if Government workers and security services receive their salaries regularly every month, they will focus on their jobs, not on other activities to support their families. Thirdly, dependency must end.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“The floods contaminated water supplies, worsening health conditions, particularly for children, in areas that have sparse access to health resources. The flooding has also contributed to communal violence among pastoralists. It is no coincidence that the most severe food insecurity conditions, but also the heaviest fighting, are in Jonglei state, where livestock losses have undermined the social fabric, which is centred around the production of cattle. The threat of damage from locusts, amid South Sudan’s never-ending woes, is yet to have a substantial impact on the country. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is gearing up its preparations to spray to protect crops. A unified Government heralds the start of a new phase. The peace agreement, of course, will be the road map for the coming three years.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Nevertheless, the new Government faces a daunting array of challenges on day one that will test its unity. Most urgent is the need to move on the transitional security arrangements. The pretransitional structures are now redundant. The implementation of those measures is dangerously lagging. UNMISS has transported more than 250 tons of supplies to training locations to plug urgent gaps. But universally across sites, there is no registration, no substantial training and a shortage of supplies for those troops assembled. The new Government will also face a precarious humanitarian situation in many of its states. The anticipated improvement in harvest levels 12 months ago was quashed by the extensive flooding last year. Crops were destroyed, livestock were lost.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“The ceasefire and the free movement of opposition leaders across South Sudan have lowered the risk of violence, which has been confirmed by the security risk assessments conducted by UNMISS and its partners. Consequently, UNMISS has prioritized peacekeepers to hotspot locations and areas of return. Between five and eight temporary operating bases, at any one time, are being manned in remote areas. For example, the force presence inside the Bor protection-of-civilians site has been reduced by 70 per cent. That has freed troops to respond robustly to protect civilians against extreme intercommunal violence in Jonglei last week and this week. Our Pibor base has been reinforced to better protect 5,000 civilians who had fled there from adjacent areas and three temporary operating bases have been established in surrounding villages.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“In addition, the United Nations police (UNPOL) is expanding technical assistance and beginning to co-locate with the National Police Service to enhance policing capabilities. Yet, the dearth of health and education services in rural areas has discouraged returns. The imbalance between services in protection-of-civilians sites, for example, and outside is glaring. It needs urgent redress by humanitarian and development actors, including donors. The Bentiu protection-of-civilians site, for example, faces high numbers of unaccompanied children, who have been left at the site to continue their schooling while adults go back, simply because schools do not exist in their own villages. The protection environment has also changed.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Already, according to the International Organization for Migration, approximately 800,000 people have already come back since the signing of the 2018 peace agreement. The first joint statement from the new presidency — the President and Vice-President — last week urged people in protection-of-civilians sites and neighbouring countries to return home. The collective message is significant and timely, coming ahead of the rainy — and planting — season. The message, of course, puts the onus on the new Government to ensure that areas of return are safe for those who are coming back. For its part, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has stepped up its protective presence to build confidence in areas of return.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Relief was the overwhelming feeling expressed to us around the country, the consensus being that the priority is to form the transitional Government so that the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan — and the country — can advance. As we speak, parties are now negotiating over the allocation of ministerial portfolios. Meanwhile, non-signatory groups, through the mediation efforts of the Community of Sant’Egidio, committed to ceasing hostilities last month. The return to Rome next week will aim to bring them into the agreement. The new Government can prompt positive change. The number of displaced and refugees returning is likely to increase.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“I acknowledge the role of President Museveni of Uganda, General Burhan of the Sudan and the Heads of State of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, as well as South African President Ramaphosa and regional envoys Stephen Kalonzo and Ismail Wais, for supporting the process. But the progress is attributable to the political willingness of two men who put the interests of their country first — President Kiir, to make critical concessions, and Riek Machar, to agree to return to the capital that he left during fighting in 2016. We often speak of courage in war and battle, but peace also requires courage.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Mr. Shearer: Often when I brief the Security Council on South Sudan, the news is not encouraging. However, today is different. There have been positive developments that have moved the country further along the road to sustainable peace. On 15 February, President Salva Kiir, against the wishes of many of his supporters, agreed to a compromise to return South Sudan to its pre-2015 position of 10 states, although he added three administrative areas. With that shift, Riek Machar accepted the challenge to join a transitional Government in Juba, serving as the country’s First Vice-President, despite transitional security arrangements not yet in place. With the deadlock broken, four Vice-Presidents were sworn in at a ceremony in Juba, attended by senior leaders from the Sudan, South Africa and Uganda. The fifth was sworn in the following day.”
2020-03-04 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8741 (2020) · source
“Preservation of the ceasefire, as I said, is absolutely critical. Those choices will coincide with the dry season, a period historically associated with increased fighting. The joint meetings in recent days between President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar are encouraging, with both sides recommitting to the peace process. That has restored some of the optimism and momentum that were lost with the delays in the peace agreement. All parties now need to choose to follow up on their words, and their international partners should remain resolute in their support, as I am sure they will. The parties should move towards a transitional Government that can start planning for South Sudan's long-term future and ultimately for elections in the next three years.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“The World Food Programme's quick response used supplies that were pre-positioned for 2020, but those stocks will need to be urgently replenished and transported throughout the country. And with an estimated 72,000 metric tons of cereals lost, in addition to animals that have died and pasture that has been destroyed, the fear is about longer-term food needs. The flooding compounded pre-existing needs. The recently released humanitarian response plan for 2020 aims to meet the needs of 5.6 million people at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion. Sadly, the brief respite of the accompanying peace has been negated largely because of these natural calamities, and concerns about hunger in many parts of the country are again rising. In just two months, leaders will choose whether to form a transitional Government.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“However, some people admit privately that they would take up arms if ordered to by their leaders. The good news so far is that the ceasefire has been largely respected. But we must remain vigilant. A recent spike of intercommunal violence and clashes has raised tensions and risks spilling over into more serious political violence. Fighting around Maiwut, in the north-east of the country, for example, turned overtly political when the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition and Government forces backed different sides. Meanwhile, improvements to the humanitarian situation have been partly negated by flooding, which has affected 900,000 people, washed away crops, destroyed homes and contaminated water supplies. To their credit, the state Governments, humanitarian agencies and donors have responded quickly.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“Deferring this issue to a referendum will cost millions of dollars and present immense logistical difficulties, especially with one third of the South Sudanese population displaced. It also runs the risk of widening ethnic divisions. In the past few weeks I have talked to many people about the peace process during recent visits to the field. Whether it is in Koch, Lankien, Pibor, Bentiu or Bor, the message is remarkably similar. No one I spoke to wants to go back to war. One of those people is Bul Deng, a 24-year-old man who returned to Lankien after six years in a United Nations protection-of- civilians site because he believes peace is coming. He told me that he wants people to be a peaceful family and to live freely across the whole land, that peace is what everybody wants.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“However, where the sides do remain apart is on the second critical issue, that of states and boundaries, despite the very determined efforts by South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza. This issue has the potential to anger some and gratify others, depending on the outcome and the side each party sits on. Because power and access to resources are heavily vested in the states and in turn often linked to ethnic groups, this particular issue is politically charged. Resolving it will require a high degree of sensitivity, leadership and a willingness to examine contentious areas with open minds and to accept a solution that none of the parties may consider ideal. It needs courage.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“Transparency is needed to quell that suspicion, a point that has been made by the African Union, IGAD and the United Nations. This could take the form of a trust fund or a similar mechanism to provide independent oversight of finances. The agreement between the Government and the opposition reached in the past few hours to establish such a mechanism is encouraging, and the United Nations will offer its support to establish it, as it has done in other conflict settings internationally. Mr. Riek Machar's presence in Juba over the past five days for face-to-face discussions has been very encouraging and is essential to resolving differences, as we have all noted. As yet, however, there is no resolution of his uncertain status and he has yet to be given a South Sudanese passport.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“Inevitably, the concentration of forces anywhere can also create uncertainty and suspicion that each side is mobilizing forces for war rather than preparing for peace. The only way to overcome that suspicion is to accelerate training and reunification in order to maintain trust and confidence. The job of the National Pre-Transitional Committee is to ensure that resources get where they are needed. We in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan have signalled our willingness to provide additional logistical support on request. Last week, it was reported that Government funding has been distributed to various security committees, which is welcome. However, the exact amounts delivered and how they will be spent remains opaque.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“At that point, there has to be measurable progress in several areas. The first area is the reunification of forces. It is unlikely that everything will be completed before the deadline. Today's commitments by the two leaders have given further impetus to the process, but substantial progress will give all parties the trust and confidence they need to continue the reintegration and reunification process within a transitional Government. More than 76,000 have already gathered at cantonment sites, and careful vetting is needed to verify their status as ex-combatants. Another 12,000 are registered in Government barracks. So far, however, supplies to cantonment sites have been patchy, and in many places combatants have abandoned them to seek food, shelter and a means of income to support themselves elsewhere.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“Riek Machar's presence in Juba over the past week and during face-to-face meetings with President Kiir, has led to positive statements from both leaders in the past 24 hours. There can always be reasons for further delay. After all, there is no definitive or objective point where progress on the peace process can be agreed to be completely sufficient. But if the parties want to fully implement the agreement and form a new Government at the end of this 100-day period, they certainly can. It comes down to political will - the willingness to make concessions and to ultimately sit around a table within a transitional Government and make it work for the people. Again, it is about choices. The first test of whether that political will exists will be when the 50- day review is held in early January.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“In the past three months, Uganda has hosted and followed up directly on a tripartite meeting, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has met several times and there have been efforts by IGAD's Special Envoy for South Sudan and visits by South Africa's Deputy President. The Sudan itself has been engaged in the most recent discussions. The African Union has kept the country under constant review. Of course, the full 15 members of the Security Council visited Juba to engage and hear directly from the parties. What has been most striking is that there has been a unity of purpose among the international partners, and I am confident that will continue. The international engagement, together with Mr.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“While sexual violence remains a terrible problem, the 295 victims recorded in 2019 are substantially fewer than the almost 1,300 reported in 2018. Improvements in security have also prompted at least 645,000 people to return to their homes. But the choice to twice delay a transitional Government has dampened initial hopes, eroded some trust and confidence and caused people to suspect that the political will between the parties is waning. The choices that South Sudan's leaders make now will determine that country's future for generations to come. There has been no shortage of outside support to encourage South Sudan to head along the right path.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“Mr. Shearer: It is a pleasure to participate in today's meeting. As I am speaking to the Council today, one third of the lOO-day extension of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan has already passed. While this second extension has eased anxiety at least temporarily, because it maintains the ceasefire, it has also disillusioned many citizens who feel that more progress should have been made. Politics, after all, is all about choices. By choosing to sign the peace agreement last year, the parties kick- started a transformative process that has already paid dividends. The country has witnessed a steep decrease in civilian injuries, abductions and casualties.”
2019-12-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8689 (2019) · source
“As always, our efforts are in partnership with the laudable efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union. The peace process remains precarious, but progress is being made. Maintaining momentum is the absolute key, and that depends very much on the continuing goodwill of the parties as well as the collective and unrelenting focus of international friends to support the formation of a transitional Government.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“While the situation for many South Sudanese citizens remains bleak, the last year of peace has kickstarted a transformative process that is improving people's lives. This could not have happened without the ceasefire or the confidence generated by the peace process. The country's leaders and international peace partners deserve credit for this. Across the country I have personally witnessed former enemies once committed to killing each other sitting amicably across the table planning a future together. If South Sudan's leaders ever needed inspiration to reconcile and work in the country's best interests, they can find it under trees and in the tukuls where communities are coming together to build peace. I promise the Council that UNMISS is working alongside them to lay strong foundations so that peace can be sustained.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“Meanwhile, the salaries of civil servants, including teachers, health workers and police officers, are often months late. Criminality remains a serious problem, with random attacks on civilians, most commonly by unpaid soldiers and former combatants. The United Nations is also providing technical assistance to reform and rebuild the justice system, notjust to tackle criminal acts but to address the more pervasive issue of impunity. Mobile courts staffed by South Sudanese judiciary personnel, which have done an excellent job, have expanded beyond Bentiu and Malakal. In the next few weeks they will try hundreds of serious cases, including many cases of sexual and gender-based violence. The bottom line is simply this.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“Holding free and fair elections is not just about preparing logistically but will require the creation of a political space where parties can form, discuss policies and campaign freely. I say this because there is mounting resentment among South Sudanese towards elites amassing wealth while the people themselves remain some of the poorest in the world. The Government's budget this year is 46 per cent higher than last year, but with no indication of how a $496 million financing gap will be funded. There is little transparency about where oil revenue is being spent. The Ministry of Finance reduced health-care spending by 16 per cent this year, handing almost the entire burden of health care to external donors, and reports of Government expenditure have not been received since the first quarter of 2017-2018.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“However, the Government must take the lead in creating a safe environment and support communities so displaced refugees and others can come back with confidence and be safe when they come back. I should recall here that a South Sudan that is truly at peace will no longer need United Nations protection sites. The formation of the transitional Government provides an opportunity to lift our gaze from immediate challenges and look over the horizon towards the elections that are expected at the end of the three-year transition. Elections give the opportunity to resolve differences through democratic rather than violent means and to make a fundamental shift from deals done between elites to a duty to deliver policies by a Government that is elected by its people.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“These impediments include the lack of health-care and educational services in return areas; obviously, perceptions of security; and concern about the fragility of the peace process. The report's findings drew from wide consultations right across the community in Juba. It has enabled a shared understanding of challenges and is forming the basis of actions going forward, which are already being developed. To reflect the changing security environment, UNMISS peacekeepers are rebalancing their deployment, moving away from static type of deployment protection at protection-of-civilians sites to increase confidence-building patrols in areas to which people will be returning.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“However, administrative impediments are still too frequent. UNMISS has been blocked by the Government from accessing areas where civilians and convoys require protection, with 124 violations of the status-of-forces agreement lodged just this year. The relative calm has enabled more displaced people to return home. The International Organization for Migration has registered 594,000 returnees since the peace agreement was signed. During the same period, 17,000 people left UNMISS protection-of-civilians sites, while 180,000 remain. At the Council's request, as mentioned by the President, we have reported back on future planning for the protection-of-civilians sites, detailing the challenges ofprolonged displacement and the impediments to safe, voluntary and dignified return.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“The fact that displaced families and refugees are returning home means that more crops are being planted, and improved security has enhanced access to markets and to humanitarian access. According to the FAO, cereal production has increased by 150,000 metric tons in one year, an indication of what peace can provide. Still, 6.3 million people - or 54 per cent of the population - remain food-insecure and have limited access to health care. We have also noted that child malnutrition has in the short term, we think, increased. But we are seeing a change. The IPC severity map is, at least, becoming more orange and yellow rather than red. Humanitarian access has improved. Incidents are down 30 per cent from last year, and humanitarians are becoming more emboldened to reach out to remote areas.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“Opposition members are continuing to move and work in Juba, alongside their Government counterparts, to implement key parts of the peace agreement. There have been more than 130 different rapprochements across the country at the grass-roots level, which demonstrates confidence and commitment. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report - a UNICEF, World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report that measures food security - documents a slight improvement in food security. There are now 5 per cent fewer people facing crisis or acute food insecurity compared with last year. This, the report notes importantly, is directly attributable to peace.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“The Kiir-Machar dialogue last week called for a committee to address that sensitive issue, and we hope that is able to be resolved. Thirdly, the agreement provides for five vice-presidents, each leading a cluster of cabinet portfolios. Two months out from a transitional Government, these still need to be determined. Finally, I should mention that the non-signatories to the agreement need to move from violent opposition, in which they have been involved, to constructive participation. One year on, peace is beginning to pay dividends for the citizens of South Sudan. First, and critically, the ceasefire largely continues to hold. Political violence and subsequent displacement have decreased markedly.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“More fundamental differences also persist. The opposition foresees a newly constituted security sector, whereas the Government presumes that opposition troops will be subsumed into existing forces. A strategy for a unified security sector is therefore required. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has contracted an experienced retired general from the region to help parties determine the future security policy, including the size and shape of forces. Secondly, the Independent Boundaries Commission was unable to reach consensus on the number of states and boundaries. Resolution via a referendum, we believe, is implausible given the expense and time required. Instead, political consensus is needed.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“Publicly, the demeanour of the two men appeared conciliatory and they reportedly spent several hours in formal and informal discussions. Those meetings need to continue. Importantly, they recommitted to forming the transitional Government - a positive step because it maintains the momentum of peace and bolsters confidence among the people of South Sudan. The challenge remains, of course, to show tangible results. Three areas, in particular, require progress. The first is the unification of security forces. Of the 35 cantonment sites planned, 23 are now occupied by opposition forces and 10 by the Government. Troop registration has begun. Food, water and other resources are beginning to be delivered. However, many sites lack amenities and protection risks may arise in nearby villages if those shortfalls continue.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“Mr. Shearer: Just six days ago, we marked the first anniversary ofthe signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. At the official ceremony last year, I witnessed much jubilation and hope that the agreement signalled an end to war and the beginning of a new era of peace. The citizens of South Sudan had high expectations. Over the past year, their political leaders have met some, but certainly not all of those expectations. The recent visit of Mr. Riek Machar to Juba, at the invitation of President Salva Kiir, was an important development. The face-to-face meetings - which many of us believe are fundamental to moving forward - provided an opportunity to discuss critical unresolved parts ofthe peace agreement.”
2019-09-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8621 (2019) · source
“In response, UNMISS has beefed up its presence in Yei and matched that with political engagement. The protection of civilians will continue to be a top priority, but our protection role will naturally diminish if there is peace. We can then look to adjust our troop requirements accordingly, while continuing our mediation and peacebuilding efforts. In two weeks, South Sudan will celebrate its eighth anniversary of gaining independence. With that sovereignty comes responsibility - an obligation that is acknowledged only rarely and that includes the leaders' use of the country's resources in the best interests of their citizens, not their own. The message from the people of South Sudan that we have heard in that regard is very clear. Leaders must live up to their responsibilities and give the people peace.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Today, the reason most commonly cited by IDPs for not wanting to leave a protection of civilians site is a reluctance to take their children out of school, not insecurity. In parallel, UNMISS is shifting its focus from static duties - guarding protection of civilian sites - to more long-range patrolling, concentrating on areas of return. A substantial component of UNMISS's effort is now devoted to protection of civilians site protection. Despite the reduction in political violence, fighting continues in Central Equatoria, causing ongoing suffering. Early next week, UNMISS will release a human rights report on the situation. Our investigations reveal atrocities committed by all sides against civilians, including killings, rape, abduction and looting.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Prior to the signing of the peace agreement, the number of people returning home each month averaged about 18,000. Since the peace deal was signed, that number hasjumped to 76,000 each month. Some families have returned under their own devices, but thousands of others - particularly those living in protection of civilians sites - will need assistance. Most wanting to go home are women and children without the ability or resources to leave without help. UNMISS, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and humanitarian partners are providing that support in line with international humanitarian principles and are following guidelines agreed by the humanitarian country team. A key challenge ahead is the lack of basic services within communities of return.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“In fact, there are many advantages to decisions made collectively within a transitional Government, because they will be made collectively and transparently and parties will be better held to account by citizens. The decision of the United Nations in 2013 to open its gates to people fleeing for their lives was one of the most noble actions the Organization has ever taken. It saved tens of thousands of people and remains at the heart of our protection of civilians mandate. However, our mandate also stresses the importance of supporting conditions for the safe, informed, voluntary and dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. So far, actual numbers of returns are relatively small compared to the 2.3 million refugees and the 1.9 million internally displaced, but there is a growing trend of return.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Leader-to-leader meetings, preferably held in Juba, are critical because trust and confidence cannot cold-start the day a new unified Government is formed. The Government should also meet its commitment to release the funding it pledged for implementation, as an example to other donors. The African Union, IGAD and the United Nations have been working collectively to support the process. We are strongly unified in our position that the most recent six-month extension should be the last one. We accept that some tasks may not be entirely complete by November- however we define "complete" - but that should not delay the formation of the transitional Government. We should see the peace agreement as a living document, not set in stone. There are no pre-transitional tasks that cannot be achieved within a unified transitional administration.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“The transitional Constitution, which incorporates the peace agreement, has been returned to the National Constitutional Amendment Committee for further updates. The Independent Boundaries Commission reported back last week; How its conclusions play out in the coming weeks remains to be seen. Security reform and the unification of armed forces has been sluggish, despite the much-appreciated efforts of IGAD Special Envoy Ismail Wais. UNMISS is providing political and technical guidance to help the parties in line with its new mandate. A fundamental challenge is the lack of regular face-to-face meetings between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. If former bitter enemies can put the past behind them and reconcile at the local level, their national leaders must do the same.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“And yet, remarkably, 89 per cent of those interviewed believe there will be lasting peace by the end of the year. We should be frank. The fighting has stopped because the leaders ordered their soldiers to stop. If it resumes, against the will of the people, it will be because those same leaders want it, and ordered it, to happen. In May, the parties unanimously decided to extend the pre-transitional period, thereby delaying the formation of a transitional Government until 12 November. While the postponement is disappointing, it does give time to resolve outstanding issues that might have otherwise derailed the peace deal. Implementation is frustratingly slow. Many benchmarks are still to be met. More compromise is needed, particularly from the Government, which holds the much stronger position.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“My observation is that the pace of dialogue and peacebuilding at the grassroots level is moving much faster than among the elites negotiating nationally. The country's politicians need to listen to the mood of the people and follow the lead set by the local communities. In that vein, it is a shame that the national dialogue process has so far failed to achieve the inclusivity required for a true consultative process. The strong desire for peace is echoed in results of a perception survey that we carried out, which interviewed 2,400 people in 10 different locations. The survey exposed the shocking impact of the conflict: 79 per cent of the people interviewed reported that members of their family had been killed. The same proportion reported family members forced to flee violence.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Helicoptering into Panyume in Central Equatoria - a proposed opposition cantonment site where tensions remain high - we were met by dozens of opposition soldiers. Their welcome was warm and we sat under mango trees together with hundreds of local people to talk reconciliation. We then flew to Yei, where we met with Government authorities, youth, women and religious leaders. The visit showed that, while groups are on opposite sides of the political divide, their experiences of war and hopes for peace are the same. That one example matches what my colleagues and I witnessed on many occasions in recent months across the country where the sides have come together. The desire for peace is palpable, and there is a fierce aversion to any renewed fighting.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“The most recent food security analysis, however, remains dire. Seven million people are facing crisis, or worse. But, for the first time in years, some counties saw slight improvements, where relative calm has enabled households to resume cultivation. Those positive signs come from a very low base. But it is a glimmer of what is possible with peace. It is vital that that trend continue. Since the signing of the peace agreement, more than 110 rapprochements have occurred in communities around the country. UNMISS has directly facilitated more than a quarter of them. I attended a number of those meetings, including a recentjoint delegation with the Special Envoy of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for South Sudan and the Chair of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Since the signing of the peace agreement, according to the International Organization for Migration, more than half a million people have done gone home, including more than 210,000 who have returned from neighbouring countries. Humanitarian partners report improved access to areas of need, although bureaucratic impediments continue to dog some operations. Their efforts have been assisted by the rehabilitation of 2,500 kilometres ofroads by the five engineering companies ofUNMISS and World Food Programme (WFP) projects. That has enhanced the ability to move food to remote locations in advance of the rains and cut down on expensive airdrops. Together with opening of river corridors and a reduction in illegal checkpoints across the country, WFP reports cost efficiencies of up to $113 million.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“Mr. Shearer: It is my pleasure to brief the Security Council on the two overarching areas of focus of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), namely, building durable peace and protecting civilians in South Sudan. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan continues to hold and, except for areas in Central Equatoria, the ceasefire is in process. Just that one simple reality of peace has produced significant change. The drop in political violence, based on the trend of past years, has meant that hundreds, if not thousands, of people are alive who would otherwise not be. Many displaced families have decided it is safe and time to return to their homes.”
2019-06-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8560 (2019) · source
“All of us - the parties and stakeholders, but most of all the regional partners - must drive the implementation forward and ensure that it is adequately resourced. The Government needs to play its part and contribute financially. The peace agreement is far from perfect, but it is the one that we have in front of us today and we are not going to get another chance at it. The cost of failure is unthinkable, so while responsibility lies primarily with the parties to the conflict, it is also beholden on us all to ensure that we make the necessary moves forward together to make the agreement a reality for the sake of the people of South Sudan.”
2019-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8480 (2019) · source