YouSaid · the spoken record

Simonovie

lines on the record: 206
first: 1997-12-19
most recent: 2019-10-28
sittings or episodes: 19
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

“Those in the camps are the 110,000 fortunate ones whom we feed and protect; the remaining almost 2 million are far worse off. There is, for example, a group of 260 displaced persons residing in an abandoned building in Malakal, hoping to find a place in our overcrowded protection-of- civilians site. After brutal attacks on them, and unable to reach our protection site there, those displaced persons, which included elderly people, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and children, walked 100 kilometres from Jonglei state. They are predominantly women, because a number of men have been killed. As their chief, who had been detained and tortured, himself told me, "Most of them have lost their husbands, have been raped, or both. But they hope for a better future for their children".”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“These could include cooperation in tracing missing persons; help in family reunification; and access to and the release of all conflict-related detainees by both sides under the principle of "all for all". Also, a free and inclusive dialogue is crucial for reaching sustainable peace and building a democratic society. Current restrictions on the freedom of expression against civil society and local media are in this respect quite disturbing. As Under-Secretary- General Ladsous mentioned, journalists have been detained and threatened, and newspapers have been confiscated and closed. Most recently, threats to close it down have even been made against the United Nations own radio station in the country, Radio Miraya. No effort should be spared for the peace to be reached sooner rather than later.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“It is of the utmost importance that the Council remain seized of the question of accountability for past and present violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in South Sudan. It is important to continue to encourage the Government to release the findings of its own investigations and to encourage the African Union to release the report of the Commission of Inquiry. Together, these reports may form the basis of an accountability process that can contribute to ending the cycle of violence and impunity and pave the way to reconciliation and sustainable peace. In the meantime, for peace to be reached, a conducive atmosphere is essential. To contribute to that, the Council may wish to encourage human-rights- centred confidence-building measures between the parties.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“The formal justice system, already very weak, has completely broken down in the conflict-affected areas. I heard from the Chief Justice that in the whole of the country, there are fewer than 200 judges. In Eastern Equatoria State, which is larger than many European countries, there are only two prosecutors. The National Chief of Police told me that 70 per cent of his police officers are illiterate, so he can rely on just 3,000 out of 10,000 of them to carry out law-and-order functions. When I was visiting prisoners on death row in Juba Central Prison, one of them complained to me that he should be immediately released because he paid the "blood money." The prison director had promised to release him if this could be confirmed.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“President Kiir assured me that the results of the national investigations into human rights violations following the outbreak of violence, presented to him in December 2014, will be publicly released soon - however, only after a peace agreement is in place. I welcome the accountability references in the recently signed Arusha and Addis agreements that outline the creation of a hybrid criminal court and the establishment of transitional justice processes, including truth and reconciliation measures and a reparations commission. Indeed, meaningful accountability for serious human rights violations committed during the conflict is the only way to prevent their reoccurrence. But to be able to deliver in this respect, there is a need to improve the security and justice systems.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“As a local civil-society activist told me, peace has always died when we ignored justice. The African Union (AU) has undertaken an important initiative with its establishment of a commission of inquiry into the human-rights violations committed in South Sudan following the outbreak ofviolence in December 2013. Its report has been submitted to the AU Peace and Security Council, but its consideration has been deferred, as that Council put it, until the imminent conclusion of the peace agreement. In his recent report to the Security Council (S/2015/ 118), the Secretary-General requested the African Union to urgently consider the report and its recommendations. I discussed the issues of command responsibility, accountability and combating impunitywith President Kiir in Juba and with Mr. Machar in Addis.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“They encouraged the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the troika of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to impose sanctions not on the country as a whole but on parties or individuals who refuse to sign agreements or respect peace. The Government has also undertaken important human-rights commitments, and I welcome the ratification of a series of international human- rights instruments. President Kiir has assured me that the ratification instruments will be deposited with the Secretary-General in the next few days. Let me now turn to the issue of accountability. There is broad acknowledgement, in and out of South Sudan, of the need to break the cycle of impunity with some concrete accountability measures.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“Owing to the fact that economic trade has been suspended, millions have also been lost by neighbouring States, and the international community has been investing in emergency relief instead of capacity- building and development. Prior to the conflict, South Sudan, a country rich in oil, had an annual per-capita gross domestic product of $1,045. In spite of that, its levels of illiteracy and child and maternal mortality are among the highest in the world. Some positive developments provide hope that the future may be better. Talking to people, I noticed an increasing desire for peace, justice, human rights, social development and political participation. Representatives of all 65 tribes met last week in Juba expressing similar demands.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“After decades of killing and other violations, there is a need for cultural change based on respect for human life and human rights. While it may take two leaders to end a war in South Sudan, it takes many for peace to become sustainable. The ongoing peace process and future political arrangements must include representatives of all ethnic groups, women, elders, religious leaders, young people and other civil-society actors. The conflict has not only affected civilians" civil and political rights; it has also had severe social and economic effects. Millions of dollars that could have been directed towards social development have been wasted, first on corruption and then on fighting over the spoils between two groups of army veterans and their leaders.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“Women sneak out of the United Nations protection site during the day to collect firewood and go to the market, and then return to the camp in the evening. Some of them, they told me, are being harassed and raped. Besides the conflict between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in Opposition, there are many local conflicts across the country between tribes and even within clans of the same tribe. They involve looting and cattle raiding, but also killings and sexual violence. There is widespread possession of illegal arms, including AK-47s, which only adds to the insecurity. Many Government officials told me that the people of South Sudan fought for decades for their dignity, independence and human rights. What I saw on my mission was certainly not what they were fighting for.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“They had nowhere to go, and both sides seem to be re-arming and preparing for a new military campaign. In Juba, I met people whose entire families had been executed, based primarily on their ethnicity, as well as women and girls taken as sex slaves after their husbands had been killed. In Malakal, there was a woman whose disabled husband, a doctor, was shot dead in a teaching hospital last April, along with hundreds of others. In Bentiu, I visited a hospital where in April a group of civilians seeking safety were herded into a small room and shot dead. Returning from the hospital, I encountered child soldiers and saw drunken soldiers at a checkpoint shouting and mocking a group of female civilians.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“Mr. Simonovie: Thank you for this opportunity to address the Council, Mr. President. A couple of weeks ago, I returned to South Sudan after a year's absence, visiting Government-controlled areas and those held by the opposition. Though the scale and severity of the conflict has recently declined, the number of displaced persons and refugees has continued to grow, reaching 2 million, with thousands more civilians dead. Further violations of humanitarian law and human rights have been committed by both sides, as described in public human-rights reports issued by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in December and January. There are more people, now more than 110,000 and mainly women and children, seeking our protection in our protection-of-civilian sites. Displaced people told me they were frightened.”
2015-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7392 (2015) · source
“Today's discussion has placed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on notice. The Council should carefully monitor developments in the coming months to see whether engagement with that country leads to real change, or whether it should take further action. The people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have endured decades of suffering and cruelty. They need the Council's protection, and the cause of justice, peace and security in the region requires its leadership.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“That is significant in establishing individual and institutional accountability, but it also invokes the international community's responsibility to take action to prevent and punish such crimes. An overwhelming majority ofMember States - those in the Human Rights Council and those in General Assembly - as well as victims, survivors and civil-society organizations around the world, have called on the Security Council to take action on this report, including by referral to the International Criminal Court and by adopting targeted sanctions. As we have seen this year, concerted actions by the international community can have a powerful deterrent effect and may begin to change the policy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. I believe that the Security Council can advance two crucial goals: accountability and engagement for reform.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“In March 2015, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will establish a field- based structure in Seoul, as mandated by Human Rights Council resolution 25/25. That will follow up on the commission of inquiry, boost support for the Special Rapporteur and serve as a hub for documentation, technical assistance and advocacy in order to promote accountability and improve human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Real change in the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will not only require reform; it also demands justice. For the first time, a United Nations-mandated body has described human rights violations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in terms of international criminal law.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“I hope that this process will be conducted in transparency and good faith, leading to truth and redress for the families. It will also be important to bring clarity to reported abductions from the Republic of Korea and elsewhere. All of those developments may present an opportunity for real change. Other countries in the region have shown in the recent past that it is possible to dismantle deep-seated structures of repression and receive assistance in reform, leading to new recognition and standing in the international community. My Office will naturally give all possible support to such progress, together with the international human rights mechanisms; and here I note that the Special Rapporteur should be invited to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea without preconditions.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“They engaged productively in their second universal periodic review in the Human Rights Council and, for the first time, accepted numerous recommendations dealing with humanitarian assistance, women's and children's rights, health and education. Representatives of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea also held an unprecedented meeting with the Special Rapporteur. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea also indicated, for the first time, its willingness to accept technical assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Moreover, bilateral negotiations between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Japan have reopened the investigations into the alleged abductions of Japanese nationals.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“Comprehensive human rights violations on the part of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have had a significant impact on regional peace and security, from international abductions and enforced disappearances to trafficking and the outflow of desperate refugees. If we are to reduce tension in the region, there must be movement towards real respect for human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. That issue deserves the Security Council's fullest attention and action. Since the publication of commission of inquiry's report in March, with the prospect of action by the Council, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea authorities have shown promising new signs of engagement with international human-rights mechanisms.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“Representatives of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea have acknowledged the existence of what they term "reformatories". I firmly believe that with honesty, transparency and international assistance, we can find a way to dismantle the camp system and release and rehabilitate prisoners. Other countries of the region have shown that it is possible to release thousands of political prisoners and to roll back systems of administrative detention. The commission of inquiry has highlighted the connections between the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and security in the region overall. The sustained military focus and nuclear priority of the Government have been pursued at the expense of the economic and social rights, as well as the lives and well-being, of its people.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“Nationals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea who manage to flee the country may fall victim to trafficking networks, and women often face forced marriage or forced prostitution. If forcibly returned, they face persecution, torture, forced abortion, prolonged arbitrary detention and even summary execution. The commission expressed its deepest horror at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's political prison-camp system - kwanliso - whose inmates suffer deliberate starvation, forced labour, execution, torture, rape, forced abortion and infanticide. The commission estimated that hundreds of thousands of prisoners have perished in those camps over the past 50 years and that they currently hold 80,000 to 120,000 people.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“The Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has also used denial of the right to food to control and coerce its people. The actions of officials have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, according to the commission - particularly during the famine of the 1990s - and have inflicted permanent physical and psychological injuries on survivors. In November 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme found that 84 per cent of households - 8 to 9 families out of 10 - were not consuming enough food. According to the latest national nutrition survey, in 2012 28 per cent of children under-five suffered stunting from malnutrition and almost 1 woman in 4 had been so starved that she risked giving birth to premature or underweight children.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“In many instances, they constitute crimes against humanity. The report of the Commission (S/2014/276, annex) is before Council members today. Rarely has such an extensive charge-sheet of international crimes been brought to the Council's attention. It documents a totalitarian system characterized by the brutally enforced denial of the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, information and association. Songbun classification, which calibrates perceived loyalty to the State, generates extensive and damaging discrimination throughout the country. Where it intersects with gender-based discrimination, it increases the vulnerability of women and sharply limits their opportunities.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“That is the kind of compassion that we are seeking for the victims in the Korean peninsula today - victims of extermination, of murder, of enslavement and torture; victims of rape, forced abortion and other sexual violence; victims of persecution on the basis of political, religious, racial and gender grounds; people who have been forcibly transferred; those whose loved ones have been abducted or disappeared without a trace; people who have been deliberately starved for long periods of time. According to the Human Rights Council commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, those crimes have been perpetrated in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in a widespread, systematic manner, as deliberate policy directed by the highest levels of Government.”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“Mr. Simonovie: Let me mention that the High Commissioner is sorry that he could not address the Council today, himself. Earlier this year, the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea spoke very vividly in the Council about the "savageness and brutality" of crimes against humanity committed against the Korean people during the Second World War (S/PV7105, p. 57). Ambassador Ri Tong II listed massacres, abductions, forcible recruitment, forced labour and sexual slavery, which, he said "trampled on the dignity of Korean women and of the Korean nation as a whole" (ibid).”
2014-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7353 (2014) · source
“The Council should send a clear message to the military commanders and the transition authorities that under international law they are criminally responsible for preventing crimes and punishing perpetrators. Finally, ahead of the elections, there is a need for national consensus that the future Government will be inclusive, that the development of all regions will be even, and that nobody will be discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation. That can prevent pre-electoral, electoral and post- electoral violence. The international community should encourage that to contribute to sustainable peace and security.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Major donors have suspended development aid because of the coup and the provisional character of the Government. However, they should now invest the same amount of money in humanitarian aid and community protection programmes in such areas as strengthening civil society, human rights monitoring, rebuilding schools and hospitals and reconstructing archives and registers. Fifthly, our Office has documented numerous human rights violations committed since December 2012. In order to prevent further abuses from being committed, these and other violations must be investigated through independent national or international mechanisms and the perpetrators held to account. In her statement last week, the ICC Prosecutor publicly expressed her readiness to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the commission of serious crimes, if necessary.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Such a force would also prevent foreign rebel groups, such as the Lord's Resistance Army or Islamist extremist groups, from finding a safe haven in the country. Thirdly, it is urgent to also reinforce the human rights component of BINUCA. In its current state, the human rights component does not have sufficient capacity to monitor, verify or report on human rights violations throughout the country. Strengthening the component will allow BINUCA to provide the needed support to both security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes and to the national institutions mandated to protect human rights, fight impunity and promote reconciliation. Fourthly, in order to overcome the humanitarian crisis that Under-Secretary-General Amos described, urgent international aid is needed.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Secondly, the deployment of a large international force with a strong protection mandate is therefore necessary to immediately provide security, protect the population throughout the country, restore the rule of law and create favourable conditions for free and fair elections within 18 to 24 months, as envisaged under the Libreville Agreements. The presence of 1,400 uniformed personnel of the International Support Mission in the Central African Republic, with a maximum strength of 3,500 uniformed personnel authorized by the African Union, is a step in the right direction, but a much larger and nationally more diversified force is needed to provide security and protect the population throughout the country.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“The problem is that Seleka forces distrust the former police and gendarmerie, while the population mistrusts the Seleka forces. It is therefore urgent to establish a credible and legitimate national security force composed ofa limited number of former regime security elements and Seleka forces. They have to be screened and vetted under international guidance to exclude perpetrators of human rights violations, and they must be properly trained. The remaining Sele'ka forces should be disarmed, and foreign fighters, especially those from Chad and the Sudan, must be repatriated. The promotion and protection of human rights should be mainstreamed at all stages of this security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process. However, it will take time.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“However, it does not meet international standards, lacks independence and impartiality, and does not have the mandate or capacity to address impunity appropriately. Civil society is therefore calling for an international commission of inquiry. If security does not improve, teachers and doctors who have taken refuge in the capital will not return to schools and clinics countrywide, more than 650,000 children will lose another year of schooling, and another crop will be lost. Rapidly spreading diseases, including malaria and malnutrition, may kill more than the conflict itself. Let me conclude by proposing six recommendations to the Council and the international community. First, a key priority is to swiftly provide security and protect the population from further human rights violations.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Accurate data on violations is difficult to gather due to a lack of access to areas outside Bangui for security reasons, and to the much-too-limited human rights monitoring capacity of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA). There is an urgent need to have credible and reliable information on human rights violations in order to respond effectively. To strengthen national monitoring and reporting, it is essential to urgently establish a national commission for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In May 2013, the transitional authorities established the national Mixed Commission ofInquiry to investigate human rights violations and crimes committed since 2004.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Most hospitals and schools are not functioning and have been looted. The Bambari court ofjustice, which I visited, is an empty building with no tables. Its doors and windows are broken, and remnants of official records and documents are scattered about the floor. Fear is pervasive everywhere. Victims, witnesses and civil society organizations spoke to me about their fear of being killed, physically or sexually assaulted, or looted. They spoke of their fear of speaking out, going to the fields or going home after dusk. Some do not even dare to go home at all, but remain hidden in the bush. In some areas, less than 20 per cent of seeds have been planted, and severe food shortages can be expected starting in early 2014.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Another disturbing element is the systematic and widespread destruction of public registries, from birth certificates to court and prison records. This is fuelling suspicions of an attempt by the Seleka coalition to modify the ethnic and religious balance, given the porous borders of the country. The lack of public records to establish voter lists poses an additional challenge to organizing free and fair elections in the next 18 to 24 months - an issue about which Special Representative of the Secretary-General Gaye has already spoken. Currently, while security in Bangui has improved, in the rest of the country the State is almost non-existent. There is no security or rule of law, and no police, prosecutors or judges, but unpaid Seleka forces are everywhere, often sustaining themselves through extortion or looting.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“While widespread attacks and looting of Christian places of worship by Seleka elements have been reported, there have been a number of initiatives to contain religious tensions, including the establishment of a platform for dialogue between Catholic, Protestant and Muslim religious leaders. When meeting with the Archbishop and the head of the Islamic community, I was encouraged to see that they closely collaborate to prevent confrontations and violence between religious groups. It is important to strengthen this collaboration in order to prevent a dangerous deepening of the religious divide. Some communities have violently opposed Seleka elements trying to arrest alleged suspects. This has in turn been met by ruthless retaliation by Seleka elements, including killings and the burning of entire villages.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“The abuses committed include extrajudicial killings, summary executions, forced disappearances, hostage-taking, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, grave violations against children - including killing, sexual violence, the recruitment of child soldiers, and the use of children as human shields - and the destruction and looting of private and public property, including hospitals, schools, administrative buildings and United Nations and other international premises. Retaliation measures against civil society activists and journalists who are critical of the transitional authorities have also been reported.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“The Bozize' regime's corruption and its neglect of and discrimination against the north of the country, which has a large Muslim population, are among the numerous factors that contributed to the rebellion. Many of the country's problems, such as the weak justice system and poor access to health and education, are not new. However, the conflict was marked by an unprecedented level of violence, looting and destruction. From December 2012 to March 2013, both Seleka and the former Government's forces committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, although the majority of the human rights violations and abuses were committed by Sele'ka elements. Following the seizure of power by Se'le'ka on 24 March, human rights violations committed by Sele'ka have continued until today.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“Mr. Simonovie: I thank you, Madam, for the opportunity to brief the Council. I visited the Central African Republic from 28 July to 2 August to discuss human rights challenges with the transitional authorities and identify ways to address them. My mission followed a fact-finding mission sent by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Central Africa from 19 June to 11 July to gather information on human rights violations committed from December 2012 onwards, in order to report to the Human Rights Council in September. During my mission, I met with the Prime Minister ofthe transitional Government and key ministers, as well as victims, civil society organizations, religious leaders, the diplomatic community and United Nations colleagues. The Central African Republic has been plagued by decades of fighting and instability.”
2013-08-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7017 (2013) · source
“In accordance with the letter and spirit of Security Council resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1960 (2010), OHCHR is in discussion with all relevant United Nations partners regarding the possibility of women protection advisers being located within the human rights components. Finally, let me commend this Council for its swift and decisive actions to promote the protection of civilians and to ensure accountability, which have undoubtedly helped to prevent further violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Wherever the Council establishes or renews the mandate of a peace mission, it is important to take into account the human rights situation. OHCHR stands ready to provide such information through the various Security Council mechanisms, especially the Security Council's informal Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“In recent years, almost every integrated peace mission has included a human rights component, appropriately reflecting our shared conviction that the maintenance of peace and security depends upon respect for human rights. This positive development must continue. The human rights components contribute to the protection of civilians in numerous ways, including through monitoring, public reporting and building the capacity of national authorities to strengthen respect for human rights and the rule of law. As far as sexual violence is concerned, the scale of the problem requires reinforced efforts.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“However, as we have recently discussed with the Minister of Justice, the current draft law needs to be amended to guarantee the inclusion of a sufficient international component and to protect the independence and integrity of the process. Let me now touch upon two further situations ahead of the Security Council's upcoming mission. In the case of Somalia, there is an urgent need to identify ways to strengthen protection of civilians in a highly insecure environment, including through reinforcing the capabilities of the existing peacekeeping forces on the ground. In the case of South Sudan, in defining a new mandate, detailed information on the human rights situation in all parts of the country should be taken into account. Equally important is the inclusion of robust language on human rights protection and promotion. Let me conclude.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“As requested in Security Council resolution 1975 (2011), the report of the commission of inquiry will be transmitted to this Council. These accountability measures must be accompanied by further reconciliation efforts. President Ouattara has requested OHCHR to advise the Government on the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission, and we are in contact in this respect. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in follow-up to the recent mapping report, the Government is preparing to establish a special chamber to investigate serious violations of international law, including mass killings, sexual violence and displacement, and to prosecute the perpetrators.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“The Government of President Ouattara must urgently adopt measures to restore the rule of law throughout Cote d'Ivoire and to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for the recent and ongoing violations, regardless of their political affiliation. The international commission of inquiry on Cote d'Ivoire that was mandated by the Human Rights Council arrived in the country on 4 May. It will conduct field investigations across C6te d'Ivoire and neighbouring countries and will present its findings to the Human Rights Council in June. OHCHR has established a secretariat to assist the commissioners, comprised of staff from our Office, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and UN Women.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“I would now like to mention briefly several other situations of current concern, where United Nations missions mandated by this Council already exist but where civilians remain at risk and where the question of accountability for violations of human rights requires attention. The first is Cote d'Ivoire, where we remain concerned about reports of sporadic fighting between pro-Gbagbo militias and the Forces Republicaines and of associated civilian casualties, including in the Yopougon district of Abidjan, where on Friday the human rights division of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire found 68 bodies in several mass graves.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“Also in the context of the fight against impunity, we welcome the recent release of the report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka, which concludes that there are credible allegations of a wide range of serious violations of international law committed by both Sri Lankan Government forces and Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the conflict. We urge the Government to implement the measures recommended by the Panel in order to bring relief to victims and advance longer-term reconciliation. We fully support the recommendation to establish an international mechanism to monitor national investigations and undertake its own, as necessary.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“Supported by a secretariat led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the commission of inquiry recently concluded investigative missions to Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. The commission will submit its report to the Human Rights Council next month. In Syria, we must prevent the ongoing violent suppression of mass protests from plunging the country into a full-fledged armed conflict. At the request of the Human Rights Council, our Office is preparing to dispatch a mission to Syria to investigate alleged violations of international human rights law. A preliminary report will be provided to the Human Rights Council in June, and full findings in September.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“Let me start by turning to three situations where the United Nations has no peace mission but where there is an immediate risk to human life or a need to establish accountability for human rights violations. The first of these is Libya. Concern for the safety of civilians in Libya led this Council to authorize all necessary measures to protect civilians and to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. In order to minimize civilian casualties, it is critical that all parties to the conflict fulfil their obligations to confine any attacks to military objectives. In a related effort to establish accountability, the Human Rights Council mandated an international commission of inquiry to investigate alleged violations of international human rights law.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“Mr. Simonovie: I appreciate this opportunity to address the Security Council on the issue of ensuring greater protection of civilians in situations of armed conflict, on behalf of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Since this matter was last discussed at the Council, in November 2010, the dramatic unfolding of events in the Middle East, North Africa and Cote d'Ivoire has clearly illustrated that the denial of human rights - including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights - is a root cause of discord, unrest, violence and, ultimately, armed conflict. Protecting human rights prevents conflicts, and accountability for violations of human rights breaks the cycle of violence.”
2011-05-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6531 (2011) · source
“Our recently enhanced cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions as well as our capacity to engage donor countries and other stakeholders such as non- governmental organizations and the private sector provide great potential for the Council to mobilize key players. That potential has yet to be put to its best use.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“Experience teaches us that investments in the rehabilitation of the justice system and in the rule of law are productive investments for a country. In the first phase, it facilitates the return of refugees and displaced persons as well as reconciliation, but it also helps to attract more bilateral and multilateral assistance. In the second phase, however, it is also very instrumental to track foreign direct investment when the time comes. In order to stay within the time limit, I will conclude by saying that the Economic and Social Council has great potential because of its coordination function, which encompasses the entire United Nations system. We can bring all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes on board.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source
“Demilitarization, which has been mentioned many times, is sustainable if job opportunities are created. The reintegration of ex-combatants into society relies heavily on job availability. Also, in Sierra Leone, infrastructure should be rehabilitated, and health and education systems should be substantially improved. As the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator clearly indicated, the strengthening of the overall security and justice system is essential for post- conflict peace-building in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. Civilians who have been deliberately targeted during hostilities require assurances if they are to return to their homes. The establishment of tribunals with an international element and of truth and reconciliation commissions, both of which are being launched in Sierra Leone, are encouraging in that respect.”
2002-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4577 (2002) · source