YouSaid · the spoken record

Szczerski

lines on the record: 267
first: 2019-08-27
most recent: 2023-12-29
sittings or episodes: 42
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

“I can confirm that, in the conjunction with today’s brutal onslaught with Russian air strikes, Poland’s military recorded a serious incident in the morning hours of a violation of Polish airspace by a Russian missile. The event is right now under investigation by the Polish military and other competent security services. Poland is also conducting consultations on the incident with its allies and key partners. I am informing the Security Council about this incident because we clearly see it as an element of the situation created by the latest wave of Russian attacks. We request from Russia an explanation of this incident of violating Poland’s airspace and urge Russia to immediately cease this kind of activity provocation.”
2023-12-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9523 (2023) · source
“The war against Ukraine needs to end with just peace, which means peace acceptable to Ukraine as the country aggressed. The aggressor cannot benefit from the aggression. Instead, we need accountability for the war atrocities and damages it has inflicted. Against that backdrop, we once again call on all States that stand on the side of international law to take all the necessary steps to make Russia stop its aggression and withdraw from Ukrainian territory. That is the only way to prevent further deaths, injuries and devastation. That is the only way to stop an escalation of this large-scale humanitarian and human rights crisis that continues to take the lives of innocent civilians. I would like to conclude with an important statement.”
2023-12-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9523 (2023) · source
“We cannot just let it happen. Moscow clearly has not changed its goals. It wants to bomb Ukraine into subjugation and defeat. That evidently shows Russia’s absolute lack of respect for the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Poland continues to condemn Russian actions in the strongest terms possible. At the same time, we reaffirm our conviction that it is absolutely crucial to continue supporting Ukraine. Poland has done so since the very beginning of the war, and we will continue on that path. Russian imperialism has a tendency to remind us regularly about what it is: a global threat with far- reaching consequences. That global threat needs to be reckoned with before it plunges the world further into chaos.”
2023-12-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9523 (2023) · source
“We normally exchange messages of peace at this time of year. But today’s developments — the fiercest Russian air strikes in several months — once again demonstrate just the opposite, that is, the evil nature of the Russian war of aggression that has been bringing tears and destruction to Ukraine for nearly two years. It is against each and every norm of international humanitarian law that those air strikes escalated together with the onset of the harsh winter and that they are directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure and objects necessary for survival. It is even more deplorable that the targets of those deliberate Russian attacks are civilian infrastructure objects located hundreds of kilometres from the front lines, and that they are directed not against the military, but exactly against the civilian population of Ukraine.”
2023-12-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9523 (2023) · source
“Allow me briefly to touch upon the challenges resulting from the specific manufacturing methods or technology applied, such as illicitly converted small arms and light weapons — replicas, blank-firing or toy guns — and more advanced weapons manufactured through additive 3D printing. States should continue to highlight the existing and potential challenges and share their experiences and views on how to address them in the most effective manner. To conclude, we would like to underline that any external aggression against a sovereign country, such as Russia’s ongoing brutal and unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine, will inevitably lead to a massive use of small arms and light weapons and further exacerbate the negative trends that we have been discussing in this room today.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Countries that are ready and have the capacity to do so should be encouraged to increase their support for States emerging from conflict that are affected by these issues and should help them build sustainable capabilities in the area of the national management and control of small arms and light weapons. Such support would encompass assistance in developing legal instruments, addressing technical aspects and training, as well as the exchange of experiences. We would also like to stress that strong ownership on the recipient’s side significantly improves institutional capacity and effectiveness.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The United Nations plays a leading role in coordinating the prevention of illegal transfers at the global level and mitigating the negative influence of illicit small arms and light weapons on the livelihoods of our communities. While we have come a long way since the third Review Conference of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, which took place in 2018, negative trends with regard to the misuse of small arms and light weapons and the instability they create have nonetheless been rising since then. In that context, we look forward to the Programme of Action’s fourth Review Conference, to be held next year.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The proper management and control of flows of small arms and light weapons is not only an internal affair of States but also entails close cooperation with external partners. In Poland’s experience, cooperation with or within regional organizations such as the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has had a great impact. Regional groupings possess the know-how and resources that individual States may not have at their disposal or may find difficult to generate. That regional potential can contribute to strengthening control over small arms and light weapons and their circulation and possession, particularly with regard to stockpile management and physical security.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We believe that the Security Council could play a more significant role in addressing the threats and potential consequences of illegal flows of small arms and light weapons and should give special attention to the issue of the diversion of such weapons. All States should conduct any transfers of small arms and light weapons as responsibly as possible and ensure the physical security of such weapons by managing their stockpiles in line with international standards. The same applies to the safe management of stockpiles of conventional ammunition. Existing measures such as the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines should be strictly followed. The effective implementation of safety measures and standards contributes to decreasing the probability that small arms and light weapons may be misused or diverted.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“At the outset, I would like to thank your delegation, Madam President, for organizing this timely discussion on the impact of the excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons on international peace and stability. I also want to thank today’s briefers and to stress that Poland continues to strive to achieve the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes. We believe it is crucial to ensure equal opportunities for women in all decision-making processes, including on matters related to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, particularly as they are so closely related to the prevention and reduction of armed violence and armed conflict.”
2023-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9509Resumption1 (2023) · source
“In order to do so, there is a need for better coordination between the Council and regional arrangements in addressing potential and current conflicts. For that collective task to be fulfilled, it is necessary that all peace enforcement actions are fully in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian and human rights law.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“One of the greatest achievements of Poland’s OSCE chairmanship was the mobilization of supraregional public opinion on conflicts in the organization’s statutory area by clearly defining who is the aggressor and who is the aggressed. We were successful despite Moscow’s continuous violation of OSCE rules, including the constant abuse of the consensus principle, aimed at paralysing the organization’s decision-making process — which we have all witnessed here in the Security Council as well. Poland strongly believes that regional organizations are capable of preventing, deterring and responding to armed conflict, in supporting the Security Council in its main task of maintaining international peace and security.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Regional and subregional organizations have the mandate to flag them and then pool national and regional perspectives and expertise together to tackle them effectively, thus neutralizing their potential as eventual triggers of destabilization. Finally, let me share with participants some points from the recent Polish chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which ended only last year. Owing to its comprehensive security concept and a special set of confidence-building measures, the OSCE has a great potential for meaningful contribution to the European security architecture.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“That is important to keep it in mind when discussing the current trend of “outsourcing” peace operations to regional organizations and country groupings. Having said that, vital contributions of organizations such as the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Caribbean Community, the Economic Community of West African States or the Southern African Development Community, to name just a few, when dealing with numerous political and humanitarian crises in their statutory areas, are undeniable. Secondly, regional organizations and partnerships’ contributions can be very constructive in mitigating the contemporary drivers of conflict. Climate change, scarcity of water, human trafficking, illicit weapons trade, terrorism and many others are usually of a transboundary nature.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Their narrower scope of operation and hence more detailed understanding often allows for early detection of brewing disputes before they erupt into open conflicts. That significantly enhances the chances of conflict prevention, which is always more desirable than conflict resolution. In the latter case, intimate knowledge of the background of the conflict lends itself to finding a more tailor-made approach to a peace enforcement action when such a necessity arises, which is also very productive. On the other hand, it is worth underlining that some regional groupings may lack the required resources and capabilities, making the task of peacekeeping or peace enforcement too burdensome for some of them.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Those include not only the European Union and NATO, but also the Three Seas Initiative, the Visegrad Group and the Central European Initiative, to name just a few. We believe that regional groupings around the world should be attractive partners for each other, bringing their region-specific expertise on development and resilience issues together. We encourage regional organizations from around the globe to become interested in each other’s work. With regard to the specific topics of peacebuilding and peacekeeping, I would like to touch upon the following three aspects. First, as has been mentioned today, regional security arrangements have great expertise in pinpointing the root causes of instabilities in their constituent areas.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Let me begin by thanking Brazil for organizing today’s debate on such an important topic as the contributions of regional mechanisms to international peace and security. Poland attaches great importance to conflict prevention and mediation through the activities of regional frameworks, echoing the words of the Secretary-General, who named them the critical building blocks for networked multilateralism. Poland fully subscribes to the tasks enumerated for regional arrangements in Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. We firmly support the complementarity of their efforts with the efforts of the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, in maintaining international peace and security. Taking all the aforementioned into consideration, Poland is very active in multiple regional cooperation formats.”
2023-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9448Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Only by getting our act together and standing firmly by the rules we have all agreed to live by will we be able to prevent the current world system from disintegrating.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“Instead of playing a constructive role in United Nations processes, Russia’s main goal is to undermine the very existence of the rules-based international order, which Russia cynically perceives as the major obstacle to conducting its aggressive policy with impunity. It is very distressing that Russia has yet to show even a shred of goodwill or intent to end its aggression against Ukraine and that it remains deaf to our appeals to it to withdraw its military forces from the territories of the neighbouring country that it has occupied. Therefore, if we want to enhance the credibility of multilateralism, we should ensure that Russia will be held accountable for its violations of the very fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“When the global security system is degraded, all Member States, in particular those entrusted with special responsibilities, must act in such a way that the credibility of multilateralism is secured, not undermined. That is Poland’s call to everyone. Contrary to those expectations, Russia, while retaining its rights and privileges as a Member State, carries its destructive behaviour over into all the workings of the United Nations system. In other words, the Russian approach of aggression is not limited to the battlefield. We witness it on a daily basis here at the United Nations.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“Also among those killed in the attack was a worker for the Polish Humanitarian Action organization, who had been caring for the elderly there — another horrific example of the loss of life among humanitarian workers mentioned by the Assistant Secretary-General. It has been said many times in this Chamber that such disgraceful conduct does not befit a permanent member of the Security Council. Russia follows in the notorious footsteps of Muscovite imperialism by being a major disruptor of international peace and security while wielding power to block any meaningful response to its transgressions. That leads me to a broader observation: Russian actions undermine trust in the United Nations system — trust that we now so badly need.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“Poland’s position in that context remains firm and clear: we stand by international law, including the universal right to self-defence of those attacked, with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and call for respecting international humanitarian law. In the light of today’s discussion, Poland joins the international community’s firm condemnation of yet another massacre of innocent civilians conducted by the aggressor’s forces in the village of Hroza just a few days ago. Close to a sixth of Hroza’s population was wiped out in a single missile strike and, as we read in many reports, no family in the village was spared the horror of losing someone close to their hearts.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for giving Poland the opportunity to make a contribution to today’s meeting. I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for bringing us up to date on the current state of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Let me start by expressing Poland’s grave concerns about the erosion of the global security system. The current wave of violence in the Middle East, which started with the ongoing terrorist attack against Israel, only deepens and adds to the scale of insecurity caused by the war in Ukraine, which is the topic of today’s meeting.”
2023-10-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9431 (2023) · source
“From temporary housing units for internally displaced persons constructed by a Polish company and assembled by Ukrainian companies to the purchase by the Polish side of some 20,000 Starlink terminals for Ukraine, we gathered many examples proving that private-sector engagement makes humanitarian aid more effective and contributes to building community resilience. As we prepare for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, let us take seriously the commitment to leaving no one behind. We cannot allow humanitarian crises to condemn millions of people to a life without peace, security, development and human rights. Poland stands ready to cooperate with partners, including the private sector, to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Business entities donated in kind, cash and expertise at an unprecedented scale, and their financial assistance amounted to billions of dollars. In Poland, we have witnessed it directly. From the first weeks of the war, the Government of Poland cooperated with the private sector, which was involved in transferring humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but also in establishing logistical solutions. Many companies and corporations had established internal teams to respond to the war in Ukraine in the manner that was most beneficial from their business perspective.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418Resumption1 (2023) · source
“However, if we want to have the private sector on board, on the one hand, we have to demonstrate the advantages of partnership in humanitarian response and offer private-sector entities a longer perspective in terms of investment and building their brand. On the other hand, the transparency and accountability of the partnership should be guaranteed. With regard to examples of best practices, Poland is impressed by the engagement of the private sector and its cooperation with the United Nations in operations following the earthquake in Türkiye, and we hope that such operations will also be carried out in the aftermath of the tremendous devastation that recently afflicted Morocco and Libya. The war in Ukraine has showcased good examples of private-sector involvement in aid.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418Resumption1 (2023) · source
“We therefore welcome this event and more exchanges on effective public-private partnerships, including sharing good practices, from private companies as well. Poland appreciates the efforts of the United Nations and its agencies to involve the private sector in providing humanitarian solutions. We welcome the establishment by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of a corps of dedicated private-sector mobilization staff. We also acknowledge the key importance of localizing humanitarian aid. Local entities and businesses know the specific characteristics of a given area, and they can more easily establish relationships with the local communities.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418Resumption1 (2023) · source
“At the outset, let me thank Albania for organizing this important open debate, and the briefers for their presentations. We live, it seems, in a state of permanent humanitarian emergency. The 2023 Global Humanitarian Overview gives us truly staggering figures. In recent decades, humanitarian emergencies have become more intricate and longer-lasting, while humanitarian disasters extend beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency or country. The complex character of humanitarian emergencies must be addressed through comprehensive and inclusive humanitarian actions. The only way to respond adequately is through timely, consistent, coordinated actions and the appropriate involvement of stakeholders, including the private sector.”
2023-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9418Resumption1 (2023) · source
“While we strive to maintain and restore international peace and security, we are forced to deal with a country — a permanent member of the Security Council — that continues to repeatedly break the most fundamental principles of international law. Its illegal actions have negative spillover effects for the whole international community. Consequently, we must defend the Charter, including the overarching principle of territorial integrity being discussed today. That is Poland’s main message of peace for the upcoming high- level week. The meeting rose at 11.50 a.m.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“While trying to create new political faits accomplis with a view to legitimizing its occupation in the eyes of the international community, Russia continues its brutal military aggression against civilians in many Ukrainian towns and villages. One of the latest such examples was its cruel attack earlier this week on a crowded market in Kostyantynivka. The Kremlin also continues to terrorize the global food supply through its continuing attacks against Ukraine’s grain storage and port facilities. In the context of the approaching high-level week of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, the behaviour by Russia that I have just described constitutes a fundamental challenge for the entire United Nations.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“That resolution specifically calls for “all States, international organizations and United Nations specialized agencies not to recognize any alteration by the Russian Federation of the status of any or all of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk or Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, and to refrain from any action or dealing that might be interpreted as recognizing any such altered status” (General Assembly resolution ES-11/4, paragraph 4). As we can clearly see, today that plea remains as timely and as wholly appropriate as it was one year ago. Poland cannot and will not accept the violations against Ukraine’s territorial integrity — or against any other Member State. We believe such acts to be explicitly illegal.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“It is creating an aggressive fait accompli situation, standing in opposition to the Charter of the United Nations. Russia’s acts are of a dual nature: political and military. The political acts are the plans to hold sham local elections as a follow-up to the sham referendums held almost exactly 12 months ago in the temporarily and partially controlled territories of Ukraine. The Kremlin is undertaking those actions in spite the fact that 143 Member States of our Organization clearly voiced their indignation with Russia’s pseudo- democratic practices in General Assembly resolution ES-11/4, entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”, which has been referred to today several times.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Let me begin by thanking Albania for convening today’s meeting and for giving Poland the opportunity to actively participate in it. I also thank Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča for his very informative briefing on the current situation in Ukraine. We are meeting at an important moment. On one the hand, Member States have come up with various diplomatic initiatives aimed at finding a path to a just peace in Ukraine. Poland belongs to that group. Recently, together with the representatives of more than 40 countries, we took part in a summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, during which we discussed the peace formula proposed by President Zelenskyy. On the other hand, contrary to that and other Member States’ efforts, the aggressive party in the ongoing war, which is the Russian Federation, strives to achieve the opposite.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“The full implementation of that initiative and enhanced cooperation between the two organs represents much- needed progress that will lead to an improvement in the Council’s work. In that context, we believe that regular consultations between the Presidents of the Assembly and the Council would be of additional value. We firmly believe that a close link between the two organs should be fostered to enhance the overall effectiveness of the United Nations system. A more efficient, transparent, representative and accountable Security Council has been a subject of our discussions for years. While comprehensive reform remains an ongoing challenge, we can make significant headway by refining the Council’s working methods. Despite all the limitations, we want the Council to function as effectively as possible.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The nature of threats to peace and modern conflicts is complex. To address those challenges effectively, the Council must adopt a comprehensive and open-minded approach. It needs to adapt to the evolving nature of the global security landscape. It must not remain ensnared in the past that its current composition so clearly reflects. We therefore applaud the inclusion of far-reaching and comprehensive subjects on the Council’s agenda. That approach is especially timely because it addresses the fallout that we are seeing from every current conflict, including the fatal consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finally, Poland has consistently supported the veto initiative created by General Assembly resolution 76/262, which gave all Member States a platform to opine on the use of the veto in the Security Council.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“On the topic of participation, we advocate for all Council members, including the elected members, to have the capacity to contribute to the drafting process. We therefore call for making further adjustments to promote a more equitable distribution of penholder responsibilities and for strengthening the position of the 10 elected members. Secondly, broad topics such as the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, the situation of children in armed conflict, food security, nuclear safety, cybersecurity, risks related to the development of artificial intelligence, the women and peace and security agenda, environmental damage and human- made disasters all belong in the Security Council Chamber. They are integral to international peace and security and require the Council’s unwavering attention.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Article 35 of the Charter of the United Nations and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure provide the foundations for that participation, and any endeavours to stifle the diversity of the debates must be prevented. States concerned in the Council’s deliberations must be given the opportunity to voice their positions. During the intergovernmental negotiations on reform of the Security Council, a broad consensus emerged that the Council’s composition does not adequately reflect the contemporary global landscape. Given that widely shared view, we should make sure that Member States have the right to participate in the Council’s discussions. The active involvement of non-members not only reinforces the Council’s legitimacy but also safeguards the fundamental principles of multilateralism.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Nevertheless, we believe that the goal of enhancing the Council’s working methods remains a way to ensure that it can fulfil its primary mandate to maintain international peace and security more effectively. The implementation of note by the President S/2017/507 marks a positive step in that direction. The past 18 months of the Council’s proceedings have highlighted three critical aspects that should guide our discussions on the improvement of its methods. First, it is essential to ensure that non-members of the Council have a meaningful avenue for influencing the discussions on subjects that directly concern them.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Poland would like to thank Albania for convening today’s open debate and for diligently chairing the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, which is of particular importance when it comes to improving the Security Council’s practices and working methods. I also want to wish Albania every success in presiding over the Council in the month of September. We need the Security Council to function as effectively as possible, which seems especially challenging in the face of the persistent and blatant violations of international law by Russia, one of its permanent members, as evidenced in its ongoing aggression against Ukraine.”
2023-09-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9410Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Not only has occupied Crimea served as a springboard for Russian military attacks against Ukraine itself, but it has also become a source of global negative implications of the Russian aggression in the form of threats to food and maritime transport security in the Black Sea and beyond. In conclusion, all three facts I referred to reinforce our appeal for just peace in Ukraine based on the United Nations Charter and a regional security architecture that respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all States.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“Finally, today’s discussion is timely and very much needed because of another event that took place yesterday. I am referring to the third summit of the Crimean Platform. Speaking to the participants at the summit, Polish President Andrzej Duda pointed out: “Nobody should have any illusions that the occupation of Crimea is a regional problem. It is a global problem. Unless we solve it together, we will de facto begin to agree to a new international security architecture and a new global order based on the law of force. Therefore, the de-occupation of Crimea and the restoration of Ukraine`s full territorial integrity are necessary preconditions not just for the security of the Azov-Black Sea region, but also for the stability of the whole global security architecture”.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“That act was a blatant violation of international law that resulted in the horrible experience of the Second World War. That is why today Poland is such a strong defender of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We know that their breaches always bring violence and suffering. And that is also why we are actively engaged in all initiatives to hold Russia accountable for its offences in Ukraine. All perpetrators should be tried before appropriate courts and damage must be compensated for, which we view as a prerequisite for ensuring lasting peace in the future. Poland is especially concerned about the fate of children in this armed conflict. That is why, along with Canada, we co-created in Kyiv a dedicated group of friends of children victims of this war.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“Secondly, today’s discussion is very timely because only yesterday we commemorated the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, often referred to as the Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. It is an especially bitter occasion for Poland and our region, as it is observed on the day in 1939 that Hitler and Stalin decided to define and impose the spheres of influence of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia in Central and Eastern Europe by having their Foreign Ministers sign a secret treaty — the so-called Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. That notorious agreement between the two totalitarian States paved the way for the joint aggression and occupation of Poland, the Baltic States, parts of Romania and today’s Ukraine starting in September 1939.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“We should all respect Ukraine’s inalienable right to defend its sovereignty while faced with unjustified aggression. While Poland reiterates its support for just and sustainable peace in Ukraine, we are convinced that it needs to be based on the sovereign consent of the aggressed party. Therefore, we believe that the key principles and objectives set out in President Zelenskyy’s peace formula should constitute a basis for ending the unlawful war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine. Poland welcomes and actively takes part in all developments concerning that initiative, which involves a growing number of interested parties, not only from Europe but also the Americas, Africa and Asia.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“The dramatic developments since the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 have demonstrated that that independence needs to be defended in the most literal sense of the word, namely, on the battlefield. Ukrainians prove on a daily basis that they cherish their independence more than anything else, and that is why they accept the ultimate sacrifice to heroically protect it. At the same time, Russia keeps trying to undermine Ukraine’s statehood and sovereignty by all means, including by the dissemination of disinformation and manipulation in the Chamber on many occasions, including today. Poland knows this experience very well. We regained our independence in 1918, only to be invaded by Soviet Russia within a mere two years. Repelling the Bolshevik invasion in 1920 became the very foundation of the then Polish State.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and to the other briefers for their very informative input. We already heard from several of the speakers how timely today’s meeting is. In line with that observation, let me point out three specific aspects justifying that point. First and foremost, today’s discussion is timely because it is being held precisely on the day that we celebrate the thirty-second anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Congratulations to the people and the Government of Ukraine. Poland is proud that we were the first country to recognize that fact, on 21 December 1991, the day after Ukrainians decided about it in a referendum.”
2023-08-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9404 (2023) · source
“Both the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in his Office, are allegedly responsible for the war crime of the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Poland strongly supports the mandate of the ICC and its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice for the sake of the rights of the child.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“It is even more appalling that the parties perpetrating those heinous acts are the Russian armed forces and their affiliated armed groups — forces belonging a permanent member of the Council that the world expects to be especially committed to upholding peace and protecting civilians. In conclusion, we welcome the fact that the report urges Russia to adopt measures to terminate and forestall such violations, while pursuing accountability. In that context, we find it symbolic that the very first arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the war concern crimes against children.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“We swiftly implemented comprehensive measures to extend support to Ukrainian children, ensuring their access to essential services such as education, health care and family benefits. Furthermore, since March 2022, we have proudly hosted the UNICEF Emergency Response Office in Warsaw. We highly value our collaborative efforts for the benefit of all children. We are deeply concerned about the forcible displacement of Ukrainian children to the occupied territories and to Russia. Such actions flagrantly violate the tenets of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Consequently, this year’s report explicitly references Ukraine as one of the countries with the highest incidence of grave violations against children.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source
“Still, from the perspective of an immediate neighbour of an ongoing war, let me focus on the situation in Ukraine. Poland has experienced the humanitarian fallout of Russia’s full-scale aggression, becoming a safe haven for the largest community of Ukrainian refugees, exceeding today 1.6 million individuals, with women and children constituting 90 per cent of that population. Those children brought with them horrific memories of the acts of their Russian aggressors, comparable only to the stories of the Second World War. We hear those stories again and again, listening to children deliver their testimonies in their own language, which makes them even more appalling.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366 (2023) · source