YouSaid · the spoken record

Sison

lines on the record: 852
first: 2014-12-22
most recent: 2018-01-23
sittings or episodes: 124
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

“In the streets of eastern Aleppo, people are frantically digging through the rubble, as we have seen, with their bare hands to find members of their families and their children because there are not enough first responders. There is not enough rescue equipment to go around. The people of eastern Aleppo are literally dying in their streets. They are maimed and wounded by air strikes carried out by Russia and the Al-Assad regime, and they are unable to receive treatment because of the medieval siege that Russia and the Syrian regime have imposed. The plains of Dunant's Solferino have become the thoroughfares of eastern Aleppo. We must not become inured to these atrocities as Russia and the regime carry out this new offensive.”
2016-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7779 (2016) · source
“One medical worker told ajournalist this week that non-stop bombing in eastern Aleppo means that "hospitals have no more room to receive even one more case". A radiologist said that they are running short of drugs and respirators, and do not have baby milk, especially for newborns. Another doctor, Dr. Ahmed - who was so afraid of being targeted that he did not wish to use his full name - told a reporter that "we are carrying out a large number of amputations just so that patients can survive, because otherwise we do not have the means to treat them". Many of the wounded, he continued, are dying before the doctors" eyes. They feel helpless.”
2016-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7779 (2016) · source
“In his book A Memory of Solferino, Dunant recalled a scene of the battle that inspired him to push for change. He wrote, "[the] guns crash over the dead and wounded, strewn pell-mell on the ground. Brains spurt under the wheels, limbs are broken and torn, bodies mutilated beyond recognition 4 the soil is literally puddled with blood, and the plain littered with human remains". That was 1859. But let us consider the scene today in eastern Aleppo in 2016. Early this morning, contacts inside eastern Aleppo told us - as members of the Security Council have already heard - that two hospitals were reportedly hit by air strikes and shells, killing two patients and injuring many medical staff. There are obviously very limited options for medical care for the trapped civilians of eastern Aleppo.”
2016-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7779 (2016) · source
“I thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Maurer and Ms. Liu for their very moving briefings. The United States deeply appreciates the life-saving work of the International Committee ofthe Red Cross (ICRC) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and we commend their unstinting efforts to treat the sick and the wounded in the world's most brutal and dangerous places. We also pay tribute to all of their staff members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their determination to help others. As we all know, the creation of the Red Cross and the norms enshrined in the Geneva Convention can be traced back to June 1859, when the businessman Henry Dunant was so disturbed by a battle between France and Austria that he began a movement for the humane treatment of the wounded in conflict.”
2016-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7779 (2016) · source
“As Secretary Kerry quoted earlier in this session, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan had said my colleagues are entitled to their own opinions but not to their own facts. Let us just keep in mind the facts of who is prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people. The last speaker's statement was so full of untruths that I feel no need to say anything further.”
2016-09-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7774 (2016) · source
“Sami Sarwari was a musician on a scholarship who was so talented that he performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in 2013. Like many students arriving on university campuses this fall, Sami was looking forward to this new chapter in his life. And on Facebook, Sami checked into the American university of Afghanistan and posted "I'm in. Looking forward to a beautiful and bright future". He died a short while later when terrorists attacked his campus. But Sami's vision is what should animate all of us here today. With our sustained support, we will keep working towards a more stable, democratic and free Afghanistan, the future that so many young Afghans, people like Sami, want to build.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“And it will require the Afghan Government to renew its commitment to make the reforms necessary for international investments in these sectors to generate economic growth. Any precipitous decline in assistance will put at serious risks the gains that Afghans have achieved over the past 15 years. Members of the Council and the international community cannot forget that Afghanistan's security is our security. That was true in 2001 and it remains true today. When we commit to a more stable Afghanistan, we are committing to an Afghanistan that never again serves as a safe haven for terrorism. There are many Afghans committed to forging a better future. One of them was Sami Sarwari, a young student who was starting as a freshman at the American University of Afghanistan this year.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Thirdly, turning to Afghanistan's development, members of the Security Council share a strong interest in making sure that the economic conditions are in place to promote stability. That is why we are urging countries to participate and make concrete pledges of development assistance at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan scheduled for next month. The Conference will define the future of international assistance for the next four years, through 2020. We recognize that Governments already made generous commitments to sustain security assistance to Afghanistan at the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July. But security assistance is not enough. Achieving stability in Afghanistan will require us to renew our commitment to address the dire need for education, health care and economic opportunity.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“President Ghani and the National Unity Government should be commended for taking steps to root out corruption. The Government has worked to reopen criminal cases against those who stole money from the Afghan people, remove corrupt judges and other public officials and establish the High Council on Governance, Justice and Anti-Corruption, as Ambassador Saikal also noted. Earlier this summer, the Government inaugurated a new Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Centre, which is designed to shield investigators, prosecutors and judges from political pressure in sensitive corruption cases. If fully implemented, that will be an important step towards fighting impunity. We must encourage the Afghan Government to make similar efforts to resolve other pressing issues, such as electoral reform, and to follow through on its reform commitments.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Secondly, addressing Afghanistan's security challenges requires all of us to invest in promoting the country's political stability. Of course, tensions between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah have made that objective harder to achieve. But establishing a more effective working relationship between President Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah was always going to be a challenging effort. Despite their differences, the two leaders remain committed to a vision of a more secure, prosperous and inclusive future for the country. Both entered into a political agreement to reach certain goals. It remains up to the leaders ofAfghanistan to work out their governing arrangements. They must remain engaged and put the interests of Afghanistan first. When they do, we see that progress is possible.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Promoting peace also means that all countries in the region must work to end safe havens for militants and terrorists. One consequence of Afghanistan's insecurity is the challenge of internal displacement. Since early July, there has been a sharp increase in the return to Afghanistan of refugees and undocumented Afghans. We are concerned that some of those returns are not voluntary. Rather, refugees and undocumented Afghans are returning due to harassment, problems with local communities abroad and loss of opportunities for self- reliance. Afghanistan's neighbours must maintain their commitments to ensure voluntary and safe returns. We also encourage partners to consider funding the just- released United Nations $152 million flash appeal for refugees, which the United States is reviewing now.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“That is why NATO allies and partners recommitted in Warsaw in July to help Afghanistan develop the capabilities of its security forces through 2020. The international community can further help to end the conflict and enable a responsible drawdown by helping to establish a peace and reconciliation process among the Afghan Government, the Taliban and other armed groups. The Afghan Government deserves credit for working to foster that process, and the United States continues to explore all avenues to bring the Taliban to the table. We remain open to exploring new opportunities to nurture regional cooperation once peace negotiations are under way. And we encourage Afghanistan's neighbours in particular to support the Afghan Government in its pursuit of a negotiated settlement.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“According to reporting, authorities told his family that he died while trying to help his students escape. All of us need to step up to help Afghanistan and end this scourge. The United States is committed to helping Afghan security forces respond to such attacks and to counter terrorist groups. That is why President Obama decided to maintain approximately 8,400 United States service members in Afghanistan until 2017. As President Obama said, "It is in our national security interest that we give our Afghan partners the very best opportunity to succeed." In recent weeks, the Afghan military and security services have conducted offensive operations across the country and thus far have held major cities in this fighting season. It will nonetheless take years for Afghan security forces to counter terrorist groups alone.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“As Ambassador Saikal noted, a few weeks ago the world witnessed the Taliban's brutality during the attack against the American University of Afghanistan, which killed 13 people and wounded nearly 50 more. The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims. One of those killed was a law lecturer named Naqib Ahmad thulwak. As an undergraduate at Nangarhar University, he finished first in his class and went on to study here in the United States at Stanford Law School, where he served as a visiting student research scholar at the Afghanistan Legal Education Project and at Old Dominion University. He was about to start a doctoral programme at Oxford. Naqib returned to his country to help because he believed in it, and now he is gone.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Afghanistan's children are among the most vulnerable, as Special Representative Yamamoto just noted. Between January and June of this year, 1,509 children were killed or wounded. Behind those statistics, of course, are devastated and broken families left behind to experience suffering that stretches across generations. Take 25-year-old Mohammed Hassan, a construction worker killed in a 23 July suicide attack claimed by Da'esh against peaceful Hazara protesters in Kabul. When Mohammed was a child, according to a family member, he lost his father to Afghanistan's former communist Government. Mohammed's death leaves behind a 5-year-old son and a baby daughter, another Afghan generation suddenly fatherless due to violence.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“But now is not the time for the international community to disengage from Afghanistan. To the contrary, we must continue to work with the Afghan Government and its neighbours to advance a more secure, prosperous and inclusive future for the Afghan people. Let me point out three essential ways we can do that. First, we can redouble our commitment to Afghanistan's security. The United States condemns the increased attacks this year by the Taliban against civilians, humanitarian workers and the Government. The meticulous data collection of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has made clear the tremendous toll that that violence has taken on Afghanistan's civilians. According to UNAMA, 5,166 civilians were killed or injured in the first six months of this year - the highest six- month figure since 2009.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Yamamoto for his briefing, and especially for his focus on both opportunity and hope. The United States welcomes his appointment and thanks him and his team for their sustained commitment to the Afghan people. I also thank you, Foreign Minister McCully, for presiding over this meeting and for New Zealand's commitment to supporting Afghanistan, including through your country's contribution of personnel to train Afghan security forces. We also thank you, Mr. President, for reading out today's presidential statement S/PRST/2016/l4, which we believe accurately reflects the realities on the ground, in particular with regard to security and terrorism. As we all know, Afghanistan continues to face grave challenges.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“The United Nations monitoring and verification responsibilities will be critical to building confidence between the parties and preventing a return to armed conflict. With today's adoption, we are confident it will be up to the task.”
2016-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7768 (2016) · source
“Today's resolution will ensure the readiness of the United Nations monitoring and verification mission in Colombia by updating the mandate with details that were unavailable last January when resolution 2261 (2016) was adopted. The United States commends those countries that will be playing a role in the United Nations monitoring and verification mechanism to monitor and verify the bilateral ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities and the disarmament process. The stakes for the success of the mission are high. The recent killing of five human rights activists in Colombia, including the assassination of Nestor Ivan Martinez over the weekend, makes clear that the peace is still fragile.”
2016-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7768 (2016) · source
“As President Obama said, "Even as we mark the end of an era of war, we recognize that the work of achieving a just and lasting peace is only beginning. Yet just as the United States has been Colombia's partner in a time of war, we will be Colombia's partner in waging peace." Through resolution 2307 (2016), the Security Council makes clear that the United Nations also stands with the Colombian people as they work towards implementing the final peace accord. The agreement's successful implementation is integral to the hard work of securing a truly just and lasting peace, which all those gathered here today know is something that the Colombian people unquestionably deserve.”
2016-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7768 (2016) · source
“After nearly four years of negotiations and over half a century of conflict, the Colombian Government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) have reached a final peace accord that covers myriad complex issues. Today the United States welcomes the support of the Security Council to help Colombia implement its final peace accord with the FARC, and congratulates the parties for their sustained commitment to ending the longest-running conflict in the Americas, which tragically resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of kidnappings and displaced millions of Colombians. We also thank Cuba and Norway for the special roles they played as co-guarantors, as well as Venezuela and Chile, which supported the process.”
2016-09-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7768 (2016) · source
“The Council held its second and third straw polls in August, and we feel that the process is moving in the right direction. But we must stay focussed on our deliberations, despite the busy month ahead. Even as we plan for the arrival of many of our countries' leaders in just a few weeks, we look forward to continuing our efforts in September to identify the best qualified candidate to lead the Organization into the next decade. Finally, I would like to thank Malaysia for its superb leadership of the Council this month, and to offer our support to New Zealand as it takes up the gavel in the busy month of September.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“Those efforts will support the broader mission of UNMISS to protect civilians, monitor human rights, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and support the implementation of the peace agreement. We look forward to the Council mission that Senegal and the United States will lead to South Sudan starting tomorrow. Another challenge on the Council's docket that requires resolve involves the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Again, and more than once, the Council was required to meet urgently to address a new provocation by North Korea. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's actions, and the advancements in its ballistic-missile capabilities in particular, cannot be ignored. I would also like to mention our work on the selection of the next Secretary-General.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“It is essential that we come together to ensure consequences for those who have used chemical weapons in Syria. Another country where the status quo is unbearable is South Sudan. The Security Council took important action this month to respond to calls from key regional partners to establish a regional protection force within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Resolution 2304 (2016) sets out three priorities for the 4,000-strong regional protection force: first, facilitaing safe and free movement in Juba; secondly, protecting key facilities; and, thirdly, preventing attacks against civilians, the United Nations and humanitarian actors. The force will have the authority to use all the necessary means to carry out those responsibilities.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“As I said in the Chamber a little more than one week ago, while the United States condemns all parties to the conflict that use siege tactics, we must be clear that the Al-Assad regime and its international backers are responsible for the suffering of the overwhelming majority of Syrians living under siege. That leads me to a point I would like to make regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Just yesterday, we received a disturbing but important briefing from High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo and Joint Investigative Mechanism Head Virginia Gamba. We are reviewing the findings of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and United Nations. But, based on what we have heard, the case is strong and clear that a robust Council response is warranted.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“The next day, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O'Brien and Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura met with the Council and called for an immediate renewal of the cessation of hostilities and a pause to enable humanitarian access. Incredibly, largely because of the Syrian regime's obstruction, no inter-agency United Nations convoys were able to deliver assistance from 1 to 23 August, and from 23 to 29 August just four United Nations inter-agency convoys delivered assistance to besieged or hard-to-reach areas in Syria. We simply must see improvements in humanitarian access.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“I, too, would like to take a moment to recall the very moving Arria Forumula meeting that the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand and Ukraine hosted with us, where we heard directly from those who witnessed the siege in Aleppo. They were individuals who had worked so hard to try to relieve some of the terrible suffering there, including medical doctors and first-responder White Helmets. The scenes they described and images they shared showed clearly a humanitarian catastrophe of searing scale. Cutting off food and medicine to hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians undermines the cessation of hostilities and plays into the hands of violent extremist groups.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“As we head into September and a new General Assembly high season, it is appropriate for us to take a moment to consider some of the Security Council priorities we have addressed during the busy month of August, which we will need to continue to address moving forward. In particular, I would like to focus on the Council's work on Syria and South Sudan and to briefly touch on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and our ongoing deliberations on the selection of the next Secretary-General. As we have for so many months, in August the Council focussed on the political, humanitarian and security situations in Syria, as other colleagues have noted.”
2016-08-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7766 (2016) · source
“It serves no one's interests, except those of criminals and extremists, to prevent Kosovo from making the fullest possible contribution to ensuring its security and that of its neighbours. In conclusion, as we gear up for the annual high-level meeting of the General Assembly, we note the progress that Kosovo is making in its bid for recognition and, one day, membership in the United Nations. We applaud Suriname's recent recognition ofKosovo. We call on all Member States to recognize Kosovo and welcome the country's people into the international community as they strive to take their rightful place as a full-fledged Member of the United Nations. It is good for Kosovo, good for the international Organization and good for the international community. And it is inevitable.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“Laying a wreath in Staro Gracko to commemorate the children killed by ethnically motivated criminals in 2003 was a courageous step to benefit the country. We also welcome and encourage the important work that Kosovo is undertaking to address the serious problem of foreign fighters, which is a threat to us all and must be addressed collectively. That underscores the need for a responsible, inclusive approach to security challenges that fully integrates the entire region, including Kosovo, into the vital international institutions that are working to increase the security of our peoples. That must include INTERPOL, where we can cooperate and coordinate on issues vital to the national security of all United Nations States Members and where shared values bring us together.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“Progress in those areas will help attract foreign investment, thereby contributing to Kosovo's development. As the United States and Kosovo's international partners work with the Government to advance democratic and economic development, it is of serious concern that there are those in Kosovo who would seek to use violence and misinformation to derail the country's progress. The recent resumption, by some political parties, of the use of tear gas in the Assembly and the heinous attack against the public broadcaster have no place in a democracy. Such actions are counter to democratic values and threaten the welfare of the country and all of its people. We commend Kosovo President Thaci for his personal efforts to advance reconciliation.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“With regard to Serbia, I have already spoken about the need to fully implement dialogue agreements, and, with regard to Montenegro, Kosovo needs to ratify its agreement to demarcate their shared border so that Kosovo can continue advancing along its European path. At the same time, Kosovo continues to face serious economic challenges that demand greater action by its Government. While the Government has taken some steps to introduce policies to foster economic growth, we encourage more progress to improve governance, combat corruption, increase transparency and bolster the rule of law. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, which will help strengthenjustice and fight corruption there.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“We encourage Prime Minister Vueic' and President Nikolie to stay the course and carry on with the significant work that remains. Serbia's future prosperity lies with Europe and is dependent on a transparent and just society. In Pristina, the Biden family was honoured by the Government of Kosovo, which named a road after the late Beau Biden, who served in Kosovo with the Department of Justice in 2001, helping to establish judicial solutions and the rule oflaw. As Vice-President Biden noted, Kosovo has made tremendous progress since his previous visit in 2009. But as the Vice-President said, there is more work to be done. Kosovo's leaders have had to make very tough decisions for the future of their country. Kosovo's leaders need to continue to work with their neighbours.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“We call on the leaderships in Belgrade and Pristina to reinvigorate the dialogue process, including by rapidly reaching compromises and fully implementing the agreements Prime Minister Vucie and Prime Minister Mustafa reached in August 2015. The implementation of those agreements has lagged for too long. We call on leadership of both sides to uphold their political commitments and advance the dialogue without delay. Vice-President Biden recently visited Serbia and Kosovo, where he noted the important progress that both countries had made on the road to comprehensive normalization. In Belgrade, Vice-President Biden welcomed the progress Serbia had made towards its goal of EU accession and the difficult reforms it is making to get there.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“We continue to welcome European Union (EU) High Representative Mogherini's facilitation of the dialogue and commend leaders in both Belgrade and Pristina for taking the difficult decisions necessary to make progress in the talks. Thankfully, work has finally started to revitalize the Austerlitz Bridge in Mitrovica, which will remove barriers that, for too long, have perpetuated and reinforced divisions rather than bringing people together. We would like to thank NATO and the NATO mission in Kosovo for their support for security during the revitalization of the bridge and for continued essential work to ensure a secure and safe environment in Kosovo. We note with some disappointment that the pace of progress on normalization slowed over the past year.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“We urge fellow Council members to prudently adjust the reporting briefing period for UNMIK from three to six months. None of that should be construed as a lack of support for Kosovo, however. Indeed, the opposite is true. The United States affirms its support for Kosovo on its journey to becoming a prosperous and peaceful multi-ethnic democracy, fully integrated into the international community. We believe that, when Kosovo succeeds, the entire region succeeds. A democratic, stable and independent Kosovo is a force for regional stability. In that vein, we welcome Kosovo's and Serbia's efforts to pursue the normalization of relations through the European Union-facilitated dialogue talks.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“Over the years, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has assisted Kosovo in the development of multi-ethnic democratic institutions that uphold the rule of law and respect human rights. It is clear that UNMIK has largely fulfilled its mandate and should be further consolidated. We all receive weekly briefing notes from the field, and I draw the Council's attention to UNMIK's submissions as well. There is some excellent political reporting, it is true, but what does the Mission do? What are its remaining tasks? Do those tasks require 125 United Nations staff and other resources to fulfil them? As for the quarterly briefings, the Secretariat and the Security Council both have far more pressing business at hand.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“We welcome First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Daeie and Ambassador Citaku back to the Security Council for this quarterly briefing. First of all, I would like to start by taking a moment to congratulate the athletes from both of their countries for the excellent display of sportsmanship in Rio de Janeiro. We would like to welcome Kosovo to the international athletic community, it having participated in the Olympic Games for the first time under its own flag and bringing home, as we have heard, a gold medal in judo. We are sure that years of training and practice went into that winning moment. We also salute Majlinda for making her country proud. As the Council, we have also put years of effort into examining the situation in Kosovo.”
2016-08-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7760 (2016) · source
“In conclusion, we look forward to working with everyone in the coming months to thoroughly evaluate what more can be done to address the range of the WMD proliferation challenges we all face, including proliferation by non-State actors.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“The universal implementation of, and adherence to, the CWC, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Terrorist Bombing Convention and resolution 1540 (2004) is the best defence against the development of chemical and biological weapons and their acquisition and use by non-State actors. Finally, we fully understand the desire to do everything we can to combat the spread of chemical and biological weapons, but we believe that proposals that call for the establishment of a new convention on the suppression of chemical and biological terrorism are misleading and are founded on the false premise that there are legal gaps in the existing international framework to combat the use of chemical and biological weapons by non-State actors.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“To combat that threat, the United States believes we need to apply the multifaceted tools we have within the existing international framework to include the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and resolution 1540 (2004), which, among other things, obligates States to secure chemical weapon-related materials. In addition, we should utilize, and where necessary bolster, the existing capacities of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to address the threat from non-State actors' use of chemical weapons.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“From the first summit, in Washington, DC, in 2010, to the fourth Summit, concluded this year, more than 50 world leaders and four international organizations have worked together to prevent nuclear terrorism and to counter nuclear-material smuggling, thereby catalysing efforts to secure and eliminate nuclear and other radioactive material. We share the concern voiced today about the use of chemical weapons by Da'esh/ Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“The full implementation of the resolution will disrupt the illicit activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including disrupting the repatriation of currency from prohibited arms sales that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea uses to fund its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Despite those challenges, when Member States have been unified and determined in their efforts, we have been able to make important progress towards addressing non-proliferation, including with respect to non-State actors. More generally, the Nuclear Security Summits have been key venues for dialogue, where the United States has led international efforts to improve nuclear security.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“But Syria is not the only place where we face non-proliferation challenges with respect to State actors. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which has conducted four nuclear tests in this decade and is the only State to test a nuclear weapon this century, continues to ignore the Council's repeated calls to stop such actions - which are without question a threat to international peace and security. Just in the past week, a Japanese newspaper reported a Democratic People's Republic of Korea statement that they had reprocessed nuclear fuel into plutonium and were producing the highly enriched uranium necessary for nuclear weapons. The Security Council has adopted five resolutions, most recently resolution 2270 (2016) in March, imposing sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“Syria is a State party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the use of chemical weapons by the Al-Assad regime violates the Convention, as well as resolution 2118 (2013). We have made clear our assessment that the Al-Assad regime has repeatedly used chlorine as a chemical weapon against the Syrian people. We remain deeply concerned that such attacks appear to be continuing, including some this past month that media reporting indicated involved the use of chlorine dropped from helicopters. Against that backdrop, we look to the final report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism later this month. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria must be held accountable for their actions.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“The situation in Syria, for example, only underscores that we need to pay attention to both non-State actors and States that are operating in defiance of global non-proliferation norms. In fact, recent events in Syria highlight that the use of chemical weapons by both State and non-State actors threatens our collective security. As we have stated before, the United States condemns in the strongest terms any use of chemical weapons. Yesterday in the Council (see S/PV.7757), I noted that 21 August marked the three-year anniversary of the gruesome chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, Syria. The United States remains determined to pursue accountability for that attack.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“We believe those proposals will strengthen resolution 1540 (2004) in the areas of implementation, assistance, cooperation and outreach. For example, we have urged the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) to share more openly the information that Member States provide about non-proliferation efforts. We also want to see the Committee improve its communication plan to make the information more accessible to Governments and to the public. That is especially relevant in today's discussion, because we hope that, with our combined efforts, we can work to make resolution 1540 (2004) an even better vehicle for clamping down on evolving non-State actors and WMD threats. The WMD proliferation threat remains ever-present.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“While most countries have taken many steps to implement their obligations under the resolution, persistent and important gaps remain. The United States has strongly supported a robust second comprehensive review of resolution 1540 (2004), due for completion at the end of this year. We greatly appreciate Spain's leadership throughout the review. We believe that resolution 1540 (2004) is of fundamental importance to international security. In fact, the United States has taken the lead and is looking for ways to revitalize the resolution framework. In our view, it is important for all countries to engage in that effort. We have been an active participant throughout the comprehensive review, submitting 25 proposals during the open consultations on resolution 1540 (2004) in June.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“It has helped prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and the abuse of legitimate trade and scientific cooperation for such purposes. Nonetheless, the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery remains real and continues to evolve, as one of our briefers today, Mr. Gregory Koblentz, detailed this morning in a very interesting, but also very sobering, statement. State and non-State actors continue to use chemical weapons in the Middle East, and nuclear and radioactive material has been stolen or appeared for sale on the black market. Meanwhile, the bright promise of synthetic biology also comes with attendant perils, and the increasing availability of drones expands the potential for their being used to deliver biological, chemical and radiological materials.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“I would like to thank Malaysia for organizing today's meeting, as well as to especially thank you, Mr. Hamidi, for being with us here today. Your presence, Sir, underscores the significance of the issue. It is important to recall the achievements that the Security Council has made in the area of non-proliferation, including through the framework of resolution 1540 (2004), which focuses on non-State actors. But we must also focus on what the Council must do to confront the proliferation threats that certain States, including Syria and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, pose to the international community. Since 2004, resolution 1540 (2004) has become the foundation of our global non-State-actor counter- proliferation architecture.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source