YouSaid · the spoken record

Šimonović

lines on the record: 287
first: 1997-12-19
most recent: 2023-12-12
sittings or episodes: 39
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

“National ownership of those efforts is fundamental to ensuring that the Silencing the Guns initiative is adapted to specific contexts and challenges. The illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and ammunition puts civilians at risk of atrocity crimes, destabilizes communities and limits wider socioeconomic development. By implementing effective measures to prevent the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons and ammunition, States can also limit the means to commit atrocity crimes. In that context, we would like to recall the landmark resolutions 2220 (2015) and 2616 (2021).”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Many of those risk factors are also outlined in the United Nations Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes. In that context, the African Union’s Continental Early Warning System, which has been instrumental in analysing emerging security threats, could be strengthened through the inclusion of reporting and monitoring of early warning signs of atrocity crimes. The coordination, harmonization and exchange of information between the African Union, subregional mechanisms and international partners could be further improved. Secondly, all Member States should uphold their responsibility to protect by taking effective measures to address the root causes of violent conflicts, including the demand for and illicit supply of arms and ammunition.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Many outbreaks of violence, conflict and atrocities are rooted in long-standing institutionalized discrimination, poor education, economic and gender inequalities, social exclusion, hate speech and violations and abuses of human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, as well as increases in illicit arms and ammunition trafficking and the growing impact of climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental pressures. Unequal access to justice, essential resources and jobs, as well as poor market access and terms of trade and a shrinking democratic and civic space, in addition to a lack of security- sector reform policies and unsustainable disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programmes, can contribute to creating an environment conducive to atrocity crimes.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by 2030 offers an opportunity for States to address issues closely related to the responsibility to protect and to atrocity prevention, including disarmament, the arms trade and accountability, as well as combating poverty, deprivation and inequality and promoting resilience and strong and stable institutions. In that context, the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect would like to make the following points. First, in order to adequately prevent and respond to the threat of atrocity crimes, it is essential to have a better understanding of the early warning signs.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The consequences of the devastating impact of the illicit transfer, diversion and trafficking of weapons and their ammunition across Africa can be seen today in a number of conflict zones. We note that the Silencing the Guns initiative is a key effort aimed at ending conflicts on the African continent and could play a significant role in reducing the risk of atrocity crimes by limiting the availability of illicit weapons used to commit them We congratulate Mr. Chambas on his recent appointment as the African Union High Representative for the Silencing the Guns Initiative.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“During the special meeting of the Economic and Social Council in January on social and economic measures to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, the Group of Friends of R2P noted that economic deprivation and widening inequalities are important risk factors that could lead to atrocity crimes. They can exacerbate competition over scarce resources and severely limit the capacity of the State to resolve domestic tensions peacefully. Over the past two decades the African Union and its regional mechanisms have enhanced their capacity to deal with conflict and crisis situations on the continent. Despite the progress made in preventing, managing and resolving conflicts, Africa remains home to crises that increase the risk of the occurrence of atrocities and jeopardize human, national and regional security.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), made up of 55 Member States and the European Union, which this year is co-chaired by Botswana, Costa Rica and Croatia. We would like to commend Mozambique for organizing today’s open debate, aimed at facilitating a deeper understanding of the contribution that socioeconomic factors have in promoting social cohesion, peace and stability, or, conversely, in triggering conflict.”
2023-03-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9299Resumption1 (2023) · source
“It is the lack of political will in Serbia to forward information and enable access to archives that remains the greatest obstacle to achieving that end. Finding the remains of the missing persons and determining the circumstances that led to their disappearance is a matter of both human dignity and long-overdue comfort for the victim’s families, and an essential element in contributing to reconciliation. It is therefore very important, as the Mechanism transitions from an operational court to a truly residual institution, to increase awareness about the legacy of the former Tribunals. In that regard, we recognize the need to establish information and documentation centres with the support of the Mechanism. In conclusion, let me reaffirm our strong support for the important work of the Mechanism and its successful completion.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“The non-acceptance of the facts established by the Tribunals, as well as the denials of the work of the Mechanism and attempts to rewrite history, require our attention. The Government of Croatia has consistently condemned and will continue to condemn the genocide in Srebrenica and its perpetrators and enablers, in full accordance with the verdict of the International Court of Justice. The glorification of war criminals and the denial of the crimes committed, as well as non-cooperation regarding missing persons, are unacceptable. Resolving the fate and whereabouts of the remaining 1,821 missing persons is something that Croatia will continue to pursue with the full determination it deserves.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“We therefore want to stress again that meaningful cooperation is not a one-way process, and that alongside transparency and openness, standards of good practice must be upheld if States are to engage constructively when ensuring meaningful progress in cooperation. To that end, as we have already indicated during previous briefings on the Mechanism, Croatia is still waiting for Serbia’s response to our invitation to a fourth and final round of negotiations on a bilateral agreement on processing war crimes. The provisions of that agreement would prevent further misuse of the instrument of legal assistance. Unfortunately, instead of concluding a bilateral agreement, Serbia started a politically motivated trial against Croatian citizens that does not comply with international legal standards.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“With regard to the importance of cooperation between Member States and the Mechanism, which is a prerogative under resolution 1966 (2010), we are compelled to once again raise the issue of the Mechanism’s referral of Serbia to the Security Council for its continued failure to respect its international obligations by refusing to arrest the accused, Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta, for contempt of court, and by not transferring them to the Mechanism. Croatia is committed to constructive, transparent, non-politicized and evidence-based judicial cooperation with other neighbouring States in matters related to war crimes. In that regard, we were disappointed by the factual inaccuracies and contradictions in the Mechanism’s progress report, as well as the biased qualification regarding Croatia’s bilateral cooperation with other mandated States.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“Considering the fact that circumstances unfortunately did not allow the world to see the end of the Milošević case with a final verdict against him for the brutal crimes he committed and orchestrated, it is very important for the Stanišić and Simatović case to end with a judgment that clearly demonstrates the involvement of Serbia’s top authorities in atrocity crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I would like to thank Judge Gatti Santana, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, and congratulate her on her appointment. I thank her and Prosecutor Brammertz for their briefings today. Croatia is fully committed to complying with its obligations under resolution 1966 (2010) and will continue to support the Mechanism for the remainder of its mandate. Let me first address the cases that are still pending before the Mechanism. In the Stanišić and Simatović case, we hope that the Appeals Chamber will convict Stanišić and Simatović for their participation in a joint criminal enterprise and for crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as requested by the Prosecutor.”
2022-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9217 (2022) · source
“As a friendly and neighbouring country, Croatia will continue to extend unequivocal support to Bosnia and Herzegovina to successfully overcome its political and economic challenges and make progress towards membership in the European Union, which is the prospect that the greatest majority of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, irrespective of their nationality or ethnicity, wish for their future. The meeting rose at 4.45 p.m.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“That manipulation is of course contrary to the spirit of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement, equality of constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina and democratic standards in general. We sincerely hope that the political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to work on electoral and other reforms in good faith, and that further interventions of the High Representative such as this one will not be needed in the future. The actors of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be able to successfully resolve the differences among themselves.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“In that effort — in protecting the democratic stability and well-functioning of the State institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina — he deserves our full support, not criticism and accusations. The contested issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as elsewhere, should always be resolved in the spirit of mutual respect, cooperation and compromise. It is damaging for the stability of the country that, through electoral engineering and manipulations during these elections, Croats from Bosnia and Herzegovina have been deprived for the fourth time from having a legitimate representative in the Presidency. Mr. Komšić has been elected by the more numerous non-Croat voters, who voted strategically to get in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina both a Bosniak representative and the Croatian representative that they wanted.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“As negotiations between Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political parties regarding the reform of the electoral law in line with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Court of Human Rights were deliberately and strategically obstructed by some of them, the only thing the High Representative could possibly do — to provide for at least some legitimacy of elections and to prevent blockades in the implementation of its results — was to intervene and amend some of the electoral rules that led to continued discrimination. The High Representative made the decisions independently, intervening in accordance with his mandate, when national political mechanisms failed seriously.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“However, most of them would agree that the electoral system of Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks justice and fairness for various reasons. To quite an extent, the democratic rights of the members of ethnic minorities are denied, and the rights of constituent peoples are — and have been — violated through electoral engineering.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“The difficult political and economic situation traps the potential of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s population, as the lack of prospects continues to motivate young people to leave the country. That trend should be reversed by undertaking the necessary reforms. In that regard, Croatia welcomes the recent recommendation that Bosnia and Herzegovina become an EU candidate country. The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina made surprisingly numerous and harsh accusations about the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and to a certain extent against Croatia as well. There are too many of them to address individually now, but they certainly deserve a general comment. Both the past and the present are seen differently by many people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“That reform should remove all forms of discrimination in the electoral process by ensuring the equality of all the constituent peoples through their legitimate representation in institutions at all levels, as well as the rights of all citizens, including their right to stand for election. That would be a major contribution to the country’s lasting political stability and an indispensable step for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European prospects, which are supported by an overwhelming majority of its population. Following the announcement of the election results, we invite the relevant political actors in the country to engage in post-electoral dialogue, with full responsibility. The Government and other institutions should be formed quickly and without unnecessary delays so that the country can focus on essential reforms.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“We regret that the election campaign was marred by warmongering rhetoric and hate speech. It showed there are still some political forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina that question and challenge the Dayton Peace Agreement and pursue power and dominance as their policy of choice, rather than dialogue and compromise. That remains a threat to the political stability of the country. Croatia supports the work of High Representative Schmidt, who has made a strong contribution as a stabilizing force during a delicate period for the country. That is reflected notably in his decision on the day of elections, which helped to alleviate some of the most pressing concerns about fair representation. It is now up to the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take this opportunity to continue the work of constitutional and electoral reform.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of November and wish you every success. Croatia fully aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States, and I would like to add some remarks in my national capacity. First of all, we would like to welcome the extension of the European Union Military Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR-Althea, since it has an important role in supporting stability and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia continues to be committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional set-up. Croatia took note of the recent general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2022-11-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9179 (2022) · source
“States must recognize the various roles that women play and take that into account in all conflict- and atrocity- prevention strategies. States must uphold gender equality and eliminate sexual and gender-based violence as part of atrocity prevention and ensure women’s full, equal and safe participation and leadership as a key element of fulfilling their responsibility to protect populations from atrocity crimes.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“We also call on Member States to work to prevent and respond to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination targeting women and girls. This includes Member States working to end impunity for serious crimes committed against women and girls and ensuring that all incidents of sexual violence are fully investigated, prosecuted and tried in a competent court and in accordance with international standards. By enhancing our understanding of the gender dynamics of atrocity crimes and their risks, including through consultation and meaningful engagement with affected populations, strengthened analysis, as well as monitoring and reporting, we can improve the effective implementation of the responsibility to protect.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and leadership must be integral to all efforts across the humanitarian, development and peace nexus, and gender equality and human rights must be a central part of all peace agreements. In this context, the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect would like to call upon all States Members of the United Nations to increase support for the women and peace and security agenda, resolution 1325 (2000) and all subsequent related resolutions, and to meaningfully contribute to their swift and full implementation. We urge all Member States to respect and fulfil all their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“When a gender perspective is applied, it often groups women with children as a vulnerable group. This is insensitive to the many ways in which gender permeates atrocity crimes. Gender-based discrimination and inequality, including the systematic oppression of women and girls, are important risk factors that can contribute to atrocity crimes. Addressing root causes of gender-based discrimination and violence, as well as hearing and elevating women’s voices on their unique experiences and needs in atrocity situations, can enhance prevention strategies and contribute to lasting peace. We underscore that women’s organizations play a key role in providing timely and sensitive early-warning information, resolving tensions among communities through intercommunal dialogue and countering hate speech and incitement to violence.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing entail a gender perspective and have a gender impact. As a result, there is a complementarity and mutual support between the responsibility to protect (R2P) and mechanisms that address sexual and gender-based crimes. By improving prevention and protecting women and girls from all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, abduction and other crimes, and by including women in atrocity-prevention efforts, as well as by facilitating their role as agents of change, the United Nations and its Member States can take practical action to uphold the responsibility to protect. Analyses of situations in which there is a risk of atrocity crimes often fail to include gender and intersecting inequalities.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, which consists of 55 States Members of the United Nations and the European Union, and is co-chaired this year by Botswana, Costa Rica and Croatia. The women and peace and security agenda continues to play a pivotal role in advancing women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and leadership in all stages of political, peacebuilding and conflict-prevention processes, consequently making the processes more effective and inclusive. The inclusion of women is also important for successfully preventing atrocity crimes and for the effectiveness and sustainability of peace processes.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“It is deeply disappointing that crucial information is still not shared. We encourage the Mechanism to use the short time remaining at its disposal before the termination of its mandate to increase its efforts to help to resolve at least some of the roughly 10,000 unresolved cases altogether through cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and States within its mandate. Just 19 resolved cases based on the exchange of information in the past six months is simply not enough. At that pace, it would require more than 250 years to complete the process. In conclusion, let me reaffirm our strong support for the important work of the Mechanism and its successful completion. The meeting rose at 12.20 p.m.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“For years, Croatia has been waiting for Serbia’s response to its invitation to finalize the draft of a bilateral agreement on processing war crimes, whose conclusion would represent a significant step forward in our judicial cooperation. Instead, Serbia is initiating politicized criminal proceedings against Croatian citizens, which are at odds with the international standards of universal jurisdiction. With regard to Croatia’s bilateral cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, both sides should press to implement the bilateral agreement on cooperation in war crime matters more effectively and reduce the backlog in responding to requests for mutual legal assistance. Another important area of regional cooperation is tracing missing persons. Determining the fate of 1,839 Croatian citizens still missing is our long- standing priority.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“The glorification of war criminals and the denial of genocide are unacceptable. They increase the suffering of victims and take countries under the mandate further away from reconciliation. We especially condemn the consistent denial of the genocide committed in Srebrenica. Croatia is committed to constructive, effective, non-politicized and evidence-based judicial cooperation with other mandated countries in war crime matters. We reject some of the Prosecutor’s negative qualifications regarding Croatia’s bilateral cooperation with other mandated countries, and stress that meaningful cooperation is not a one-way process and that we expect other States to also actively engage and contribute to improving cooperation.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“We sincerely hope that the Appeals Chamber will acknowledge the necessity of ensuring the coherence of judgments rendered by the former ICTY and the Mechanism and will convict Stanišić and Simatović for participation in a joint criminal enterprise, as well as for all crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as requested by the Prosecutor. We hope that the Mechanism will complete its remaining work soon. The Rwandan fugitives have to be apprehended and put on trial. The Mechanism’s repeated referral of Serbia to the Security Council for the failure to arrest and transfer Petar Jojić and Vjerica Radeta must be dealt with effectively, as requested in President Agius’s report. The intimidation of witnesses is a serious crime that undermines accountability efforts, and it should be treated as such.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“Croatia was very surprised that in the Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović case the Trial Chamber established the existence of a joint criminal enterprise of Serbian leaders led by Slobodan Milošević, as well as their responsibility for crimes committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but did not list Stanišić and Simatović among them. That decision departs from findings in the ICTY verdicts against Milan Babić and Milan Martić for crimes committed in Croatia, which established the existence of a joint criminal enterprise in which Stanišić and Simatović, as Serbia’s top security officials, participated along with others, led by Slobodan Milošević.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I would like to welcome President Agius and Prosecutor Brammertz, and I thank them for their briefings today. Since this is the last briefing by Judge Agius as President of the Mechanism, I would like to express our gratitude for his tireless efforts throughout his mandate, and prior to that at the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Croatia also wishes the next President of the Mechanism every success. We will continue to support the Mechanism for the remainder of its mandate. Let me first address some pending cases.”
2022-06-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9062 (2022) · source
“The Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine can relatively quickly provide a broad overview of the violations committed, outlining their causes and consequences, but it can only help to launch legal proceedings. The International Criminal Court, as well as Ukrainian and other national criminal courts, can prosecute individual perpetrators, but those proceedings may take many years. Finally, the proceedings of the International Court of Justice also take years, but they may help to establish State responsibility. It is therefore important that the work of various mechanisms be well coordinated and that, taken together, their results successfully address various aspects of accountability for crimes committed, in Ukraine and anywhere else.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Therefore, combating impunity and promoting justice and accountability are important components of our responsibility to protect populations from atrocity crimes. Accountability mechanisms can take various forms. Fact-finding missions, investigative mechanisms, commissions of inquiry and hybrid and international courts and tribunals, including the International Criminal Court, as well as national proceedings in third States under the principle of universal jurisdiction, all provide complementary avenues to enable accountability when and where domestic justice systems prove insufficient. Let me illustrate how that works in practice with the example of Ukraine.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Concerning Croatia’s own experience in that regard, let me quote a recently deceased Brazilian International Court of Justice judge, Augusto Cançado Trindade, who stated that in Croatia, “it was not exactly a war, it was a devastating onslaught of civilians”. While that happened 30 years ago, we see the same patterns repeating themselves. We have a moral, political and legal obligation to step up the prevention of atrocity crimes and ensure accountability for perpetrators, should such crimes nevertheless occur. Accountability not only helps provide justice for victims but also prevents future atrocities. When pursued properly, it deters future violations and supports reconciliation processes and sustainable peace.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s open debate. I would also like to thank the briefers for their remarks. Croatia aligns itself with the statements to be made by the observer of the European Union and by the representative of Austria, on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Rule of Law, as well as the statement made by the representative of the Marshall Islands on behalf of the Group of Friends of Accountability following the aggression against Ukraine. I would like to add some additional remarks in my national capacity. We have witnessed far too often the inability of the international community to either prevent the perpetration of atrocity crimes or to punish them when they occur.”
2022-06-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9052Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The members of the Security Council should continue to take timely and decisive action aimed at ending and preventing atrocities and should not hinder credible efforts to that end. We call on the members of the Security Council to respond to, and address, the risk or commission of mass atrocities, noting in that context the initiatives on the use of the veto in the case of mass atrocities, including the French-Mexican initiative and the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group code of conduct. Finally, the surest way to protect civilians is by investing in the prevention of conflict and atrocity crimes through early warning and in the peaceful settlements of disputes, based on the principles of justice, human rights and international law.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Their needs and rights must be considered and addressed, alongside their full, equal, safe and meaningful participation. The Group urges the United Nations and other relevant actors to ensure that affected populations, including women and girls, are involved in the development, implementation and monitoring of civilian protection strategies and activities. Far too many civilians are killed in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks in today’s complex and protracted conflicts. The denial of humanitarian access exacerbates risks to civilians who struggle to meet their basic needs. The international community should make every effort to protect civilians and assist those impacted by conflict.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Accountability not only helps to provide justice and support for victims, but it is also key to efforts to deter future violations and abuses and supports reconciliation processes and the re-establishment of peace. Appropriate legislative and institutional arrangements, as well as compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, would significantly contribute to the prevention and alleviation of human suffering. Fourthly, support for the protection of civilians should be responsive to gender, age and other core demographic considerations. Security Council resolutions on women and peace and security note that armed conflict and emergencies have a disproportionate impact on women and girls.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“It is important to remember that indiscriminate attacks and attacks targeting medical facilities and civilian objects, including those that are indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, as well as attacks on the civilian population, including those who are humanitarian workers, may amount to war crimes. Thirdly, it is of the utmost importance that States that have not yet done so put in place appropriate legislative and institutional arrangements to comprehensively recognize and address violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, and hold those who commit such violations and abuses accountable.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Secondly, compliance with international law is fundamental to the protection of civilians and civilian objects. Many civilian deaths, as well as suffering and displacement, could be avoided if all parties to conflicts respected international humanitarian law and human rights. Some States have effective programmes in their armed forces to comply with international humanitarian law. However, we are witnessing attacks directed against civilian infrastructure, including health-care facilities and schools, some in violation of international humanitarian law.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“First, the Group of Friends demands that all parties allow and facilitate, in accordance with the relevant provisions of international law and consistent with humanitarian principles, the full, safe, immediate and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, equipment and supplies and the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, including by lifting arbitrary bureaucratic impediments to humanitarian operations, allowing the flow of humanitarian aid and services into conflict areas and protecting humanitarian and medical actors and civilians from attacks. When protecting humanitarian access to all people in need in conflict settings is a matter of international peace and security, the Security Council should continue to play a constructive role in encouraging the protection of humanitarian access.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Moreover, we have increasingly witnessed States Members of the United Nations and other parties to conflicts engage in the deliberate denial of humanitarian access, including by blocking the passage and delivery of humanitarian assistance and services or deliberately attacking humanitarian and medical workers and assets, in violation of international humanitarian law. That has an alarming impact on vulnerable civilian populations, who face neglect, grave protection risks, potential starvation, significant public health crises and an increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence. It is in that context that the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect would like to stress the following points.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Nevertheless, we note that more than 100 million people are currently displaced as a result of conflict, atrocities and persecution worldwide. The commission of systematic, egregious and widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, in situations of armed conflict endangers the peace and security of the entire world. Today’s debate on the protection of civilians and safe and unhindered humanitarian access shines a critical light on a defining challenge in many situations where atrocities have already occurred or where there is a high risk of atrocities being perpetrated. In conflict settings, active hostilities severely constrain and jeopardize humanitarian operations, hindering efforts to meet the basic needs of populations.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, consisting of 55 Member States and the European Union and this year co-chaired by Botswana, Costa Rica and Croatia. Today we bear witness to a continuing and pervasive erosion of respect for civilian lives and objects and an appalling disregard in some regions for the norms and laws that States established to avert the impacts of armed conflict. As a result of such disregard, on a daily basis we are witnessing great levels of human suffering and a high risk of mass atrocity crimes being perpetrated against civilian populations. All Member States have committed to the responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.”
2022-05-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9042Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The prevention of sexual violence in conflict should start at home and in peacetime, and we therefore support the Secretary- General’s call for an emergency global action plan on violence against women, as reflected in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982).”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“For example, in Croatia, survivors of sexual violence perpetrated during our homeland war are entitled to financial reparations and special care packages even if the perpetrators have never been found or brought to justice. We are ready to share our practices and experience with this victim-centred approach. In conclusion, the Secretary-General’s report warns that when it comes to conflict-related sexual violence, impunity remains the norm. We therefore support the Security Council in systematically incorporating and applying sexual violence as a designation criterion in United Nations sanctions regimes in situations where such crimes are persistently perpetrated.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In order to avoid post-conflict legal shortcomings in the prosecution of rape, we call on all States to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court or to align their laws on sexual violence and rape with general recommendation No. 35 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on gender-based violence against women and with the model law on rape proposed by the Special Rapporteur. The definition of rape as based on lack of consent, and the abolition of statutes of limitations in that regard, are crucial to preventing it in war and in peace. Furthermore, for victims who are unable to seek compensation through the judicial process, it is important to provide other victim-centred solutions.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016Resumption1 (2022) · source