YouSaid · the spoken record

Tammsaar

lines on the record: 44
first: 2021-09-27
most recent: 2023-09-08
sittings or episodes: 8
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I believe it is our obligation to support and speak up for them. We will never recognize the holding of those sham elections nor their results, and we will ensure that those involved, including the Russian criminal leadership, are held accountable. We once again call upon Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. That is indeed the fastest and only viable route to lasting peace.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Federal Security Service officers placed in leadership positions organize the occupied territories’ forced integration into Russia, according to Moscow’s instructions. The people in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine are experiencing extrajudicial killings, large-scale repression, deportation and severe regression. Ukrainians are being forcibly Russified and stripped of local resources — a Russian tactic that the Baltic States know all too well. Credible reports, including by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, found evidence of widespread violations of the right to freedom of opinion and to peaceful assembly and of new sanctions for criticizing the Russian military. In conclusion, Ukrainians living in the occupied territories have staunchly continued to resist the occupying forces or are looking for ways to leave.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Members must ask themselves how they would vote in such elections if their family members had been held at gunpoint and their homes occupied by Russian armed forces or mercenaries with criminal track records, while also witnessing new atrocities on a daily basis. On Wednesday, at least 16 innocent civilians were brutally killed and many more wounded by the Russian shelling of a market in Kostiantynivka, a town in Donetsk oblast, just 30 kilometres from the front line. Russia aims to portray the so-called elections as a triumph of democracy in occupied territories. In reality, there is nothing more undemocratic. The strict occupation regime is upheld by the Russian military and Russian special services.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“Whether Russia likes it or not, the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya regions, along with Crimea and Sevastopol, are and will remain an integral part of Ukraine. By organizing elections on Ukrainian territory, Russia makes a shameless mockery of its position as a permanent member of the Security Council. The Kremlin is following a playbook it has used in other occupied territories. They threaten and intimidate civilians to vote in sham elections in the hope of legitimizing their occupation and suppressing Ukrainian resistance. Those elections organized by the occupying Power violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the Geneva Conventions. All the territories in which so-called elections are being conducted have witnessed Russian war crimes.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of the three Baltic States — Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Estonia. We also align ourselves with the statement to be delivered on behalf of the European Union. I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s briefing. I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary- General Miroslav Jenča for his valuable insights and principled position. The so-called elections held by Russia in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine are yet another grave violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Let me remind the Council that, last year, the General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions.”
2023-09-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9414 (2023) · source
“The only thing left for me to say is to reassure those present in the Chamber that we in the Baltic States will continue to support the Office of the Special Representative, UNICEF and other child protection actors in their efforts to protect the rights of children around the globe.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“The only thing that matters for Russian leadership, which, in spite of the internal power struggle, remains obsessed with Ukraine and with restoring Russia’s former imperial grandeur, is to erase a sovereign Ukraine from the map and exterminate the Ukrainian nation at any cost. Targeting children is an ugly but integral part of that inhuman plan. In conclusion, armed conflicts, into which children are involuntarily drawn, scar their lives forever and further fuel the cycle of violence. Although the childhood of targeted children cannot be salvaged, the perpetrators of those heinous actions must always be held fully accountable.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“On the day of the release of the report alone, which recognizes Russia’s engagement with the Special Representative on the use of explosive weapons with wide-area impact, three children were killed, among many civilians, by a Russian targeted ballistic missile strike against a restaurant in Kramatorsk. Therefore, a question should be posed. Does Russia care about those children who lost their lives? I am afraid the honest answer is “absolutely not”. And maybe that is the reason that the report remains rather vague on the practical measures agreed with the Russian Federation, while mentioning the numerous initiatives and steps Ukraine has implemented.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“According to the report, the armed forces of a permanent member of the Security Council do not only use children as human shields and attack schools where they are studying, but the Russian military, mercenaries and security forces also torture, abduct, rape and kill children on a daily basis during the military aggression, led by a criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court. We commend the Special Representative’s efforts to agree and implement the joint prevention plan with Ukraine and the joint action plan with the aggressor State, Russia. Yet Russia’s commitment is utterly unconvincing.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“Unfortunately, there is also an increase in the number of actors listed as parties committing grave violations against children. The most significant addition to the list of grave violations is the Russian Federation. It is beyond shameful that a Member State whose primary responsibility is to maintain peace and security in the world, a member that lectures us here in the Council about what is right and what is wrong, has itself committed 878 verified appalling cases of grave violations against children in Ukraine. The actual number is deemed to be much higher. Besides, that number does not include the thousands of children abducted or illegally deported from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of the three Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania and, my own country, Estonia. I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s Security Council open debate, and I thank the briefers for their briefings. Every year, the report on children and armed conflict provides us with a horrific overview of the violations committed against children around the globe. Sadly, this year’s report (S/2023/363) is no exception, as we are once again witnessing an overall increase in violence against children, as exemplified by more than 27,000 verified cases of grave violations committed in ongoing protracted conflicts — be it in the Lake Chad basin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or in the Secretary-General’s designated new situations of concern in Haiti and the Niger.”
2023-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9366Resumption1 (2023) · source
“It is up to the responsible members of this body to counter Russia’s attempts to transform the primary venue of international diplomacy into a mockery and a platform for disinformation.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“We also support the Belarusian democratic movement and civil society and urge them to continue to stand for a free, independent and democratic Belarus and prevent their country from becoming another victim of Russia’s imperial ambitions. Finally, is it not telling that tomorrow, on the anniversary of Bucha massacre, Russia will assume the presidency of the Security Council? This is shameful, humiliating and dangerous to the credibility and effective functioning of this body. A country that fights a war of aggression against its neighbour, commits the most horrendous atrocities, threatens the world with nuclear weapons, and whose leader is a war criminal with a standing arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court should have no place in leading a body the primary purpose of which is to preserve international peace and security.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“We urge Russia to reverse this decision and abide by all of its commitments and to return to full compliance with the New START Treaty. Belarus has been supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine since the full-scale invasion started in February 2022. We note with regret that Belarus, under the regime of Lukashenko, is increasingly losing its sovereignty and is increasingly integrated into Russia’s military plans. We urge Belarus to stop acting as an enabler to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. We urge the Lukashenko regime to stop being accomplice to Russia’s desperate moves to threaten its neighbours and destabilize Europe.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“In 1994, Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in return to assurances given, inter alia, by Russia, that its independence and sovereignty of Ukraine would be respected and that Russia would refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russia blatantly violated the Budapest Memorandum as well as the United Nations Charter by occupying Crimea in 2014. Since then, we have watched how Russia has embarked on systematically undermining the international arms-control, disarmament and non-proliferation framework. It is time for the international community to recognize this destructive pattern of Russia and stand against it firmly. The suspension of the New START Treaty is a recent example of Russia’s reckless behaviour to undermine nuclear stability.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“This latest statement signals the desperation Moscow is facing on the battlefield as it pursues its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine. Under the threat of nuclear escalation, the Kremlin is hoping to deter Ukraine from exercising its inherent right to self-defence. It hopes to intimidate countries from helping Ukraine. Our response to Russia’s actions is clear and simple: nuclear blackmail does not work. We will not be intimidated nor deterred. We will continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes — until Russia has withdrawn all of its forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. Russia’s statement proves once again how unreliable, untrustworthy and worthless its commitments are to its partners and to the international community.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“I am speaking on behalf of the Baltic States — Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Estonia. I thank High Representative Izumi Nakamitsu for her briefing, and the presidency for this opportunity to address the Security Council. Little more than a year ago, Russia signed the joint Permanent Five statement reaffirming that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Last week, Russia reaffirmed this position in its joint statement with China and further committed to reducing the risk of nuclear war and easing tensions. Just a couple of days later, the masks were off again: Russia resorted again to dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric by revealing its alleged plan to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus.”
2023-03-31 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9300 (2023) · source
“The way to peace must be just and based on respect for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. What is at stake is not just Ukraine’s existence and its status as a sovereign nation, but the survival of the international rules-based order and the Charter. If we let the aggression succeed, the global consequences will be much worse. That is why Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania strongly support President Zelenskyy’s vision for peace contained in his 10-point peace formula, which is based on the Charter of the United Nations and international law. If we want a just and sustainable peace, it is time for the United Nations community to support that vision and start implementing it.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Russia must provide the International Committee of the Red Cross with immediate and unconditional access to all Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is imperative to continue documenting and properly storing evidence of all atrocity crimes committed throughout Ukraine. There can be no impunity for Russia’s crimes in Ukraine at any level. We strongly support the establishment of an international tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine that has unleashed all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that have followed. The people who decided to wage the illegal war against Ukraine cannot go unpunished. We approach the tragic one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s war of aggression in Europe in the hope that it will also be the last and that in 2023 we will see the end of this brutal war.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Credible allegations indicate that rape is being used as a weapon of war by Russian forces in Ukraine, including against children. We underline the need for the United Nations to continue monitoring and reporting on conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. For those who have suffered from such crimes, we must redouble our efforts to provide them with the necessary comprehensive services, including physical protection and psychological support. We remain highly concerned about the reported mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russia’s armed forces, as well as by the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group. We demand that Russia stop those illegal acts and treat Ukrainian prisoners of war in full conformity with international humanitarian law.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Thousands have been separated from their families and deported to Russia from the occupied territories of Ukraine. We echo the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees when he says that giving nationality to and opening avenues for the formal adoption of children in a situation of conflict are violations of international norms and practices. Russia must stop those illegal practices immediately and ensure that those children, some of whose parents have been killed by Russian strikes or murdered by Russian troops, are safely returned to Ukraine and to their families and loved ones. We are deeply troubled by the risks of sexual violence and human trafficking to which unaccompanied displaced children are exposed.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Month after month we have witnessed appalling levels of destruction, as Russia has indiscriminately attacked civilians and civilian infrastructure and reduced entire cities, towns and villages to rubble, causing death, displacement and human suffering. The Russian forces are systematically and deliberately shelling and destroying energy and water supplies. Ukrainians have been left in freezing cold, deprived of shelter, light, heat and safe drinking water. Russia has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since the Second World War, forcing millions to flee their homes, with more than 8 million seeking protection across Europe. The effects of Russia’s invasion on Ukrainian children have been especially appalling and will be long-lasting.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Let me start by offering our heartfelt condolences to Türkiye and Syria and to the families of the victims of today’s devastating earthquake. We stand in solidarity with them and are ready to provide assistance. I speak today on behalf of the Baltic States — Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Estonia. I thank Under- Secretary-General Martin Griffiths for his briefing. I also want to express our thanks to all the United Nations agencies for their relentless work to ease the immense suffering of the Ukrainian people caused by Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion, begun nearly 12 months ago. It is hard to overstate the heavy humanitarian toll inflicted on the Ukrainian people by the full-scale war of aggression on Ukraine launched by Russia and aided by Belarus.”
2023-02-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9254 (2023) · source
“Let me take this opportunity to assure the Council that Estonia is fully committed to contributing to a renewed multilateralism that will make us better able to respond decisively to today’s numerous threats and challenges.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“There is a clear need for enlarging the membership of the Security Council based on equitable representation. In conclusion, I want to stress that in our view, one of the main threats to international peace and security at the moment is Russia’s full-scale aggression against its neighbour and Russia’s reckless nuclear blackmail. We need to stop the aggressor before it is too late and before the global consequences for us all and for multilateralism are much worse. That in itself would be an indispensable and urgent contribution to the reinforcement of an international rules-based system with the United Nations at its core.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“In the spring, Estonia was also a proud co-sponsor of the initiative that requires the General Assembly to convene a meeting after any veto has been cast (resolution 76/262). It was our important decision that has enabled the General Assembly to take a more active stance on international peace and security issues in cases where the Security Council is paralysed, as well as increasing the Council’s accountability and transparency. Estonia continues to advocate for a meaningful, results-oriented process for reforming the Security Council. The main goal of the reform endeavours should be a revitalized United Nations, with increased transparency and ownership of the Security Council’s work and greater accountability of the Council to the United Nations membership.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Security Council members, especially permanent members, have a special responsibility. Any permanent member of the Council that exercises the veto to defend its own acts of aggression against another Member State most seriously undermines the credibility of the Charter, the United Nations itself and the entire multilateral international rules-based system, and should therefore be held fully accountable. As a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) group and a supporter of the ACT code of conduct, Estonia insists that permanent members of the Security Council should not use their veto power to block Council actions aimed at preventing or ending mass atrocities.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The inability of the Security Council to take any substantive decisions on Russia’s unprovoked, unlawful and unjustified aggression against Ukraine demonstrates the urgency of Security Council reform more clearly than ever. It is vital that the Security Council remain relevant as a place where we can take action against aggressors, action to strengthen global peace and security and action to prevent or end wars — the founding idea behind the Council. We therefore still believe that the Charter in its entirety should be at the core of any attempt to renew and revitalize multilateralism, especially on matters of global peace and security, but also on issues related to human rights, the rule of law, gender equality, human dignity and equality among and within nations.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“The ways in which we respond to those challenges must also change. The Secretary-General has outlined his vision for the next 25 years of global cooperation in his Our Common Agenda report (A/75/982). We fully support his initiative to agree on how to reinvigorate multilateralism and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We also thank him for the details shared today on the New Agenda for Peace. The question, however, is how to reform multilateralism and strengthen international peace and security when one country — a permanent member of the Security Council — has launched an aggression and is conducting a bloody colonial and imperial war against its neighbour. Unfortunately, today we are all witnessing the most brutal violation of the Charter of the United Nations and its core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Estonia aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union later this afternoon. I would like to add just a few words in my national capacity. We thank India for organizing today’s important and timely debate. We also thank the Secretary- General and the President of the General Assembly for their briefings. Estonia fully supports the rules-based international multilateral system with the United Nations at its core, which is a system that has served us well. We therefore need to strengthen it, as we recognize that the world is not the same today as it was in 1945. There are numerous global, regional and local challenges in its way, and these challenges are more complex and interconnected — from climate change to cybersecurity to widening inequalities.”
2022-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9220Resumption1 (2022) · source
“Finally, it is critical to ensure that all the evidence of crimes and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in Ukraine continues to be collected in a manner that will hold up in independent, impartial judicial institutions. We are determined to ensure that all who are responsible for war or other atrocity crimes are held to account. But as has been said, the people who bear the greatest responsibility are those who decided to wage an illegal war on Ukraine. The aggressor cannot go unpunished, or others will follow its lead. We therefore call for establishing a special tribunal to close the current jurisdictional loophole and bring Russia’s top political and military leadership to justice for launching an aggression against Ukraine.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“We praise the Secretary-General and Türkiye for all their efforts to renew the grain deal and urge Russia to agree to its renewal beyond 19 November and to implement it in good faith. We strongly condemn Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its cynical accusations claiming that Ukraine is creating a dirty bomb, accusations that have been clearly and unequivocally refuted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. We urge Russia to immediately withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the premises of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which Russia is illegally controlling, and to stop its nuclear blackmail.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“Through its blockade of Ukrainian seaports and destruction of necessary infrastructure, Russia has caused a global food crisis and essentially weaponized food and hunger as a means of hybrid warfare. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, alongside the European Union-led solidarity lanes, has therefore been instrumental in stabilizing the global food market and providing food to millions of people in Africa, Asia and Europe. Russia’s statements claiming that Ukrainian grain is reaching only European countries and that its own grain and fertilizer shipments are prohibited by Western sanctions are fake, as we have heard United Nations officials attest to in the Security Council.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are continuing to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine to address the needs worsened by the winter and by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, along with demining assistance. We also urge Russia to give United Nations representatives and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the places of detention of civilians and military prisoners of war and to ensure access for the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission to Olenivka. The deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is a war crime. Children belong with their families and loved ones and must be safely and immediately returned to their homes. Russia’s unprovoked and brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has triggered issues of deep global concern.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“Denise Brown, to bring humanitarian aid to Kherson on Monday for the first time since the Russian forces took control of the city. As in other liberated areas, the Russian army left behind a trail of atrocity crimes in Kherson. The city was left without water, heat, electricity and communications. We urge Russia to give humanitarian organizations access to areas currently under Russian occupation so that the necessary emergency assistance can reach all in need in Ukraine. The winter is fast approaching in Ukraine, with temperatures expected to fall well below freezing point. By using missiles and Iranian-supplied drones, Russia’s deliberate strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities have by now left 7 million people without electricity.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“Russian missiles hitting critical infrastructure and residential buildings in Kyiv and a number of other Ukrainian cities yesterday once again proves that Russia is not interested in peace. During the heaviest wave of missile strikes against Ukraine since February, two Polish citizens lost their lives in an explosion that took place in the east of Poland. Allow me to extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives due to that barbaric attack. Notwithstanding the ongoing investigations, it is clear that Russia alone bears responsibility for the explosion as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine. We commend the swift actions of United Nations humanitarian agencies, led by Humanitarian Coordinator Ms.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“I speak on behalf of the three Baltic States, namely, Latvia, Lithuania and my own country, Estonia. We thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her most valuable briefing. Allow me to start by commending the immense bravery of the Ukrainian defence forces, who after months of Russian occupation took back control of Kherson on Friday. There is no doubt that, sooner or later, Ukraine will liberate all the occupied territories within its internationally recognized borders. Those territories are Ukrainian, and Ukraine has every right to defend them in full accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We are steadfast in supporting Ukraine’s efforts for as long as it takes and will continue providing strong political, military and financial support to Ukraine.”
2022-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9195 (2022) · source
“As our focus today is on women’s resilience and leadership, Estonia affirms its efforts to further advance the role of women. We will continue to support UN- Women, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund and the Offices of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict in their activities. To conclude, women are so often a decisive driving force of change, yet they also pay the heaviest price in times of conflict. We at the United Nations must work together to empower women and ensure their fair participation in building societies that are resilient, inclusive and peaceful. That is a sacred commitment we can make for future generations of women and girls.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“As a result, more than 12 million people, mostly women and children, have been forced to flee their homes. In addition to their massive death toll, women and girls have been subjected to rape, deportation, exploitation and abuse. In the face of those continuous horrors, Ukrainian women have demonstrated incredible resolve by taking leading roles in the political, military and humanitarian spheres in order to resist the Russian aggression. Unfortunately, there are numerous other examples. In Afghanistan, women and girls are still deprived of education, jobs and political and social rights. In Ethiopia, women and girls have faced mass displacement. In Iran, women are fighting for their rights, at the cost of their own lives, and they deserve our respect and support.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“First of all, I would like to commend Gabon for convening today’s timely and very important open debate on women and peace and security. Estonia aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the European Union and the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, and I would like to make a few observations in my national capacity. Estonia welcomes the Security Council’s annual open debate on women and peace and security and remains committed to standing firm in advancing women’s rights, security and leadership, as we did during our elected membership of the Security Council in 2020 and 2021. In February, Ukrainians woke up to shelling by the Russian army, which initiated an imperial conquest attempt similar to the grim practices of past centuries.”
2022-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9158Resumption1 (2022) · source
“For instance, the Treaty foresees the possibility of on-site inspections that can be requested if there are suspicious activities. In conclusion, the entry into force of the CTBT has clear benefits for international peace and security. Estonia continues to advocate its prompt entry into force. Further ratifications, especially by annex 2 States, would send an important message of the commitment to ending nuclear-weapon programmes for good.”
2021-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8865 (2021) · source
“It is imperative that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea take concrete steps towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. We call on it to avoid any further provocations and engage in meaningful discussions with all relevant parties to achieve lasting peace and security on the Korean peninsula. The CTBT has also provided the world with the most valuable global system for monitoring nuclear explosions. The International Monitoring System ensures that no clandestine nuclear test will go undetected and that the international community will be able to respond appropriately and swiftly. The system therefore serves as a strong deterrent against nuclear testing. Once the Treaty enters into force, additional verification and compliance measures will become available.”
2021-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8865 (2021) · source
“Although the CTBT has not formally entered into force yet, it has established a strong norm against nuclear testing. The Treaty has 185 signatures and 170 ratifications, which shows that almost every member of the United Nations has committed to ending nuclear testing and reducing the dangers posed by nuclear materials and nuclear weapons. Furthermore, since 1998, all States but one have de facto respected the global norm against nuclear explosions and observed moratoriums on nuclear weapons testing. Whenever a nuclear test was conducted, it was strongly and unanimously condemned by the Security Council. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s stated intentions and activities to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programme continue to be of great concern.”
2021-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8865 (2021) · source
“I thank Ireland for convening this very important meeting today in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). I would also like to thank Mrs. Nakamitsu, Mr. Floyd and Ms. Wangui Wanyaga for their most valuable insights and excellent briefings. For Estonia, the CTBT is one of the key pillars of the international disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. The Treaty significantly curbs the ability of States to obtain and further develop nuclear weapons, thus contributing to our common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. Regrettably, after 25 years, we still cannot celebrate the Treaty’s entry into force. For that, we need the remaining eight annex 2 States to sign and ratify the Treaty. We urge them to do so without further delay.”
2021-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8865 (2021) · source