YouSaid · the spoken record

Taye Atske-Selassie Amde

lines on the record: 47
first: 2020-05-27
most recent: 2020-07-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“We are also undertaking natural resource-conservation and -management activities, such as forestry development, and soil and water preservation. Last year, Ethiopia launched an ambitious afforestation programme, with a view to combating environmental degradation, deforestation and other effects of the climate crisis. Ethiopians from all walks of life responded enthusiastically, planting a record 350 million tree seedlings in a single day. The second planting season is under way in earnest, even despite the coronavirus disease pandemic. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate Ethiopia’s full commitment to accelerating the implementation of our international and regional commitments relating to the effects of climate change.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“In this regard, our 10-year national development plan emphasizes the importance of building a climate-resilient green economy. As part of that plan, this week, the above-average inflow of the seasonal rainfall in the Blue Nile made possible the impoundment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a monumental national project with enormous potential for regional integration. We are confident that we will soon reach an agreement with Egypt and the Sudan on its filling and annual operation, as an enduring symbol of cooperation and mutual interdependence. To mitigate and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and the deterioration of ecosystems, our development plan promotes climate-resilient green agriculture.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, as it develops a systematic approach to climate-related security risks, we hope that the Security Council will enhance support for AU-led efforts to tackle the effects of climate change in Africa by building on the existing AU-United Nations partnership on peace and security. The need for an integrated global approach and better coordination at national, regional and international levels in planning and responding to the impacts of climate change is critical. Ethiopia is experiencing the effects of climate change. Besides its direct effects, such as an increase in average temperature and a change in rainfall patterns, climate change presents the necessity and opportunity to switch to a sustainable development model.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“The Council, in collaboration with relevant regional and subregional organizations, could also incorporate building resilience, managing climate change-induced security risks and supporting national adaptation strategies into peacekeeping and peacebuilding mandates. Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change-driven security risks. The Council could, for example, partner with the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Economic Community of West African States and other subregional organizations to conduct a comprehensive study on the climate change-security nexus and recommend an action plan on how to address associated conflict risks.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“The United Nations can help fill the gap by strengthening efforts to build common understanding and improve context-specific resilience, and by bolstering regional and national capacity to develop and implement climate change-adaptation and disaster risk-reduction strategies. It is not a sheer coincidence that eight out of the 10 largest multilateral peace operations are deployed in countries with high exposure to climate change. Hence, United Nations in-country resources, including peace operations and special political missions, are areas where the Council could play a key role in strengthening the capacity for adaptation and mitigation.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“The transboundary nature of the impacts of climate-related disasters compels us to cooperate across borders and coordinate our adaptation strategies for natural resource utilization and management. In this regard, we are glad that the United Nations, in recent years, has given due attention to this issue. This is an area where, we believe, the whole United Nations system should continue to strengthen its capacity. Different countries face specific climate change-related risks. The least developed countries, while vulnerable to severe risks, also lack the necessary tools for forecasting and early warning, as well as risk assessment and adaptation.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Reducing these tensions and the security impacts of climate change requires taking concrete actions to enhance community resilience and redoubling multilateral efforts to meet our commitments under the 2030 Agenda, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The effects of climate change are not bound by national borders or the wealth of nations. All countries, large and small, rich and poor, are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. In fact, although their contribution is negligible, the least developed countries suffer disproportionately. It is a global phenomenon that requires an urgent and concerted global response anchored in the promotion of inclusive and sustainable development.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Although the causality between climate change and security is still being debated, its centrality to socioeconomic development is indisputable. Climate change- induced stresses are inextricably linked to overpopulation, rapid urbanization, industrialization and environmental degradation. As such, managing climate and security risks entails addressing the root causes of underdevelopment, competition over increasingly scarce resources and the degradation of ecosystems, which often lead to communal tensions or conflicts. Among pastoralist and farming communities, the threat of tensions over grazing land and water points turning into recurring violence is ever-present.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“Extreme weather events are exacerbating existing communal tensions, intensifying inequality and diminishing the availability of and access to life-giving resources. The very existence of entire communities and hard-won development gains are under threat. Millions already rely on annual emergency humanitarian assistance due to climate change-induced disasters. The trend is projected to worsen in the coming decades. Indeed, failure to adapt to the risks associated with climate change-driven extreme weather events jeopardizes the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our ability to end hunger and poverty, ensure access to sanitation and sustainable energy and guarantee decent work for everyone is dependent on concerted global actions against the impacts of climate change.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“At the outset, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the German presidency of the Security Council for organizing this important open debate. I would also like to thank the Assistant Secretary-General for his insightful reflections. We thank all the briefers. Climate change is one of the greatest threats of our time. Its multidimensional impacts are already upon us. Climate change-induced hazards, such as flooding, cyclones, strong winds, heavy rains, persistent drought and locust infestations, are decimating ecosystems on which millions of people depend for sustenance. The disruptive nature of these threats will affect not only human security but also our very existence.”
2020-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/751 (2020) · source
“It should never be an object of competition or mistrust. In this spirit, Ethiopia will pursue an amicable solution through win-win negotiations. We also seek the understanding of our brothers and sisters from Egypt and the Sudan. We are confident that, under the AU-led process, we will reach a cooperative agreement in the coming weeks.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It would be regrettable if Ethiopia’s call today not to politicize or internationalize the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam were not heeded by the Security Council. We can only hope that the Council will choose to be on the right side of history, for in many ways the matter being dealt with by the Council today is deeply rooted in a colonial legacy. Let me conclude by emphasizing the fact that the Nile basin countries enjoy one of the oldest relationships in human history. The seeds of our common development were planted thousands of years ago. Our time-tested links through the Nile should provide us with the truth and faith to do what is just for the betterment of all of our peoples. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam offers a unique opportunity for transboundary cooperation among our sisterly countries.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Instead of pronouncing itself on this matter, the Council should defer to the African Union and encourage the three countries to return to the tripartite negotiations as the only means of finding an amicable solution to the remaining outstanding issues. We also hope the Council will be cautious not to amplify differences and undermine the AU-led process. In this momentous year marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, I wish to recall a moment in history when another Ethiopian leader, Emperor Haile Selassie, spoke before the League of Nations to make a moral case against the scourge of colonialism and the invasion of his country. He warned that “[i]t is us today, it will be you tomorrow”. Unfortunately, the League of Nations did little to heed that call.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Furthermore, Ethiopia believes that any future dispute arising from the use of the Blue Nile waters should be resolved in line with the principles agreed in the Agreement on Declaration of Principles, which provides for a mechanism that allows the three countries to address their grievances through “conciliation, mediation or [by referring] the matter for the consideration of the Heads of State [or] Government”. Ultimately, Ethiopia believes that any agreement must not in any way constrain its sovereign rights to future use and upstream development on the Blue Nile. Finally, the involvement of the Security Council on this issue risks hardening positions and making compromise even more difficult.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“But Egypt wants Ethiopia alone to shoulder the burden of drought. This is not acceptable. Water-use or dam-operation rules are dependent on the availability of water; hence operation rules must have special guidelines, catering to different hydrological conditions, including drought. The three countries must therefore agree on drought thresholds and cooperative mechanisms for sharing the responsibility for addressing and mitigating any consequences of drought and climate change.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“During the first stage of impoundment, which is a testing or trial phase, Ethiopia will retain only about one-tenth of the average annual flow of the Blue Nile. By contrast, every year twice the amount of the water retained during the initial filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is lost to evaporation from the Aswan High Dam. This is in addition to the wastage through water-intensive flood irrigation practices in Egypt. Water is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity. More than 60 per cent of Ethiopia’s surface area is dry land, with no sustaining water resources. On the other hand, Egypt is endowed with plenty of groundwater resources and has access to sea water, which could be desalinated for use. In any transboundary watercourse, drought management is the joint responsibility of all riparian countries.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“As a demonstration of its good faith, Ethiopia agreed to fill the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam reservoir over a period of four to seven years, although the dam could be filled in three years without causing significant harm to Egypt or the Sudan. Furthermore, Ethiopia agreed to postpone the second phase of the first stage of filling if annual inflow at the dam is below 31 billion cubic meters. The three countries have already agreed on the initial filling of the dam. Mother nature is in agreement, too. This year is an opportune time to begin impounding water in the dam reservoir. Currently, both the Blue Nile and the White Nile have above-normal flow. Lake Victoria is at a record-high level. The Aswan High Dam is also at its full supply level of 182 meters above sea level, which is a record high for the past four decades.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“In October 2019, at the request of Egypt, the United States Government invited the three countries to Washington, D.C., for consultations. Ethiopia responded positively and in good faith, in the hopes that the presence of observers would help facilitate the negotiation. However, Egypt sought to impose unacceptable terms on Ethiopia by leveraging and instrumentalizing the process. Indeed, Egypt’s actions unfortunately muddied the waters even further. Throughout the course of the negotiations, Ethiopia has shown a great deal of flexibility in the tripartite process to build the necessary trust and confidence.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Ethiopia cannot harm Egypt and the Sudan through the dam because, if not releasing water is tantamount to harm, then building it in the first place would have been meaningless. We are all people of the Nile. Ethiopia therefore cannot harm Egypt without harming itself. The Agreement on Declaration of Principles clearly encapsulates Ethiopia’s firm commitment to the principles of transboundary water utilization. In fact, Ethiopia’s good faith efforts have been unprecedented in the history of transboundary rivers. My country does not deserve to be mistreated; it should instead be commended for demonstrating exemplary cooperation. Neither Egypt nor the Sudan consulted Ethiopia when they built dams on the Nile River.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“All these initiatives have failed to deliver the desired result because of Egypt’s intransigence and its insistence on historic rights and current use. Egypt’s consistent efforts to try to scuttle the tripartite negotiation has more to do with its own internal domestic situation than anything else. On the other hand, the Sudan knows full well the benefits of the dam, but we understand that the challenges of political transition with which the country is grappling at the moment are a factor. Be that as it may, Ethiopia has been guided by the internationally accepted principle of equitable and reasonable utilization and is not causing significant harm in building the dam.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It is to be recalled that various obstacles have been created to prevent Ethiopia from accessing international support. My Government is just coordinating a public-owned and public-funded project. Therefore, it has a solemn responsibility to bring this project to successful completion. From the very beginning, Ethiopia has taken unprecedented initiatives to create understanding with both Egypt and the Sudan on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam by establishing, inter alia, an international panel of experts and a tripartite national committee to implement its recommendations, and later a national independent scientific research group to formulate various scenarios related to the filling and annual operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“If there is a security threat to be discussed, it has to do with the fact that there are millions of Ethiopians living under the poverty line. The dam is meant to uplift these people and, in a way, it is averting a potential threat rather than posing any. Seeking social progress and better living standards for our people ― leaving no one behind ― is indeed consistent with the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals that we all aspire to achieve by 2030. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is also one of the megaprojects envisioned under Ethiopia’s efforts to realize the African Union Agenda 2063. I should also underline here why the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a people’s project, which is being built by Ethiopians from all walks of life with unprecedented zeal.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is an answer to Ethiopian mothers’ cries for help, so that they do not have to trek hours to collect firewood. The unfortunate reality is that pregnant mothers are still being carried on stretchers over long distances due to the lack of electricity to access life-saving emergency obstetrics care. The images of young girls with back-breaking loads of firewood on their shoulders are also a daily reality. Once completed, the dam will generate 15,700 gigawatt hours annually, bringing electricity and an opportunity for a dignified life to more than 65 million people who currently live in darkness. That is why we have emphasized again and again that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a development project and cannot in any way be a matter of security threat.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“This is why, for Ethiopia, accessing and utilizing its water resources is not a matter of choice, but of existential necessity. The unfortunate reality is that today, in 2020, tens of millions of Ethiopians still use firewood as a primary source of fuel, with severe consequences to their health and the environment. All rural households, where 85 per cent of Ethiopians live and nearly two-thirds of school children are, are forced to stay in darkness. By contrast, nearly 100 per cent of the Egyptian population, both in cities and rural areas, has access to electricity. Therefore, Ethiopia believes it has a national and moral imperative to do everything in its power to improve the lives of its people.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Ethiopia’s repeated complaints over these projects since the mid-1950s have fallen on deaf ears. The first complaint was made by the Government of Emperor Haile Selassie regarding the 1959 agreement. Egypt ignored Ethiopia’s subsequent objections. Despite these historical facts, Egypt continues to accuse Ethiopia of taking unilateralist actions with respect to the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Ethiopia is not asking too much; it is seeking to correct past injustices and share this precious resource in an equitable and reasonable manner. Despite being endowed with abundant water resources in the Nile basin, for years, the people of Ethiopia have been deprived of their rights to use this resource to extricate themselves from abject poverty.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Needless to say, the Nile is as important to Ethiopia as it is to Egypt and the Sudan as a source of livelihood and economic development. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is conceived as a centrepiece of our national development aspirations. Ethiopia generates 86 per cent of the total average annual flow of the Nile waters, but it has never benefited from the river at all. The 1959 agreement between Egypt and the Sudan has apportioned the entire waters of the Nile between the two of them, with Egypt securing the lion’s share, leaving nothing for Ethiopia. That was the most unilateralist decision to have ever been taken concerning transboundary rivers. That is not all. In 1997, Egypt again took another unilateral decision and built the Toshka and Salam Canals, taking the Nile waters away from their natural course.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It also contravenes Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, which stipulates that parties to any dispute, among others, shall first “resort to regional agencies or arrangements”. Members of the Council are aware that, three days ago, the Extraordinary African Union Bureau of the Assembly of Heads of State held a meeting under the chairmanship of President Cyril Ramaphosa. As stated in the communiqué issued on 27 June 2020, the three countries agreed to resume negotiations and resolve the remaining issues through tripartite consultations, under “an AU-led process” in the spirit of pan-African solidarity and within the framework of African solutions to African problems. Therefore, the African Union is now seized of the matter, and it is only appropriate that the Security Council allow the AU-led process to take its course.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“Even if the three countries fail to resolve their differences on the outstanding issues, the Agreement on Declaration of Principles on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ― signed in 2015 by their leaders ― provides for dispute- settlement mechanisms, which are yet to be exhausted. Furthermore, the African Union (AU) has the necessary good will and expertise to help the three countries in bridging their differences and reaching a mutually acceptable solution. It is indeed lamentable, to say the least, that the principle of complementarity and subsidiarity between the United Nations and regional organizations, much talked about in this Council, was ignored when the issue related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was unjustifiably brought to its attention.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“It is bound to set a bad precedent and open a Pandora’s box. The Security Council should not be a forum for settling scores and for exerting diplomatic pressure. It is therefore regrettable that the Council has allowed itself to be politicized in this manner. As we have informed the Council, the tripartite negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and the Sudan have not yet been concluded. The three countries have in fact reached consensus on most of the prominent technical issues in the latest rounds of negotiation. That is why Ethiopia is of the view that progress is at hand and a mutually beneficial agreement is within reach.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“As a founding Member of the United Nations, Ethiopia’s commitment to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations has been solid and consistent. It has always been a staunch supporter of the principle of collective security and multilateralism. Ethiopia’s track record in this regard speaks for itself. It has always adhered to and actively supported and promoted these principles at the regional and international levels. In its entire history, Ethiopia has never caused a threat to any country. It has, rather, contributed to the cause of peace through its active participation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding since the early days of the United Nations up to this day. That said, let me be clear that Ethiopia does not believe that the issue being discussed today has a legitimate place in the Security Council.”
2020-06-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/636 (2020) · source
“In this regard, my country will work towards the full adoption of the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups, the Safe Schools Declaration and the Vancouver Principles on Peacekeeping and the Prevention of the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers. Finally, I would like to conclude by reiterating Ethiopia’s firm and continued commitment as a troop-contributing country to ensuring the protection of children in armed conflict. We will continue to work with all the relevant actors to that end.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“Our troops are given intensive predeployment training on the protection of civilians, with special attention on protecting the most vulnerable groups — particularly women and children. We have also put in place mechanisms for predeployment orientation and after-duty evaluation in order to ensure accountability for any violations committed by our troops deployed in a mission. Ethiopia has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, its amendment and two Optional Protocols. Undoubtedly, international commitments are vital to further strengthening the Convention and bringing about the necessary changes in attitudes to create conditions for the protection of children in armed conflict.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“In that regard, we have noted the references in the report of the Secretary- General to the African Union Mission in Somalia and regional forces operating in Somalia, including the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, in relation to two alleged cases of violations. We reaffirm the need for a coordinated investigation with the troop-contributing countries and international forces concerned as well as relevant international and regional organizations. As a major troop-contributing country, Ethiopia has taken various measures to ensure the protection of civilians, including children, in areas where our troops are deployed. Our troops are guided by elaborate rules of engagement within the framework of our obligations under international humanitarian law.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“Ethiopia acknowledges the role of the monitoring and reporting mechanism in tracking violations against children in armed conflict, including in the context of peace operations. We believe that any alleged grave violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law should be properly investigated. In line with the provisions of resolution 1612 (2005), close coordination with national Governments, troop-contributing countries and relevant United Nations and civil society actors will enable the mechanism to properly verify the objectivity, accuracy and reliability of any information.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“We believe much more needs to be done to find durable solutions to the general living conditions and status of children affected by conflict and forced displacement. In this regard, strengthened support from development actors to countries emerging from conflict and to refugee-hosting countries remains vital. We believe the signing of action plans by parties to armed conflict is a step in the right direction. However, enhanced cooperation between the Council and regional and subregional organizations is critical to ensuring concrete implementation. In this regard, we would like to encourage the Special Representative of the Secretary- General to explore mechanisms for further strengthening the cooperation between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“We are also seriously concerned that the abuse of refugee and migrant children, including through trafficking, torture, sexual violence and ill-treatment in detention, remains unresolved. As one of the largest refugee-hosting countries, Ethiopia firmly believes in the need to treat refugees with special care, bearing in mind their basic needs in terms of access to shelter, food, clean water, health care and education, as well as the provision of official documentation. We are committed to the continuous provision not only of international protection, but also education and health services, to refugee children, including unaccompanied minors who are forcibly displaced as a result of armed conflict. This is why Ethiopia last year adopted one of the most progressive refugee policies in Africa.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“The monitoring and reporting on children and armed conflict by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 1612 (2005) and the signing of 32 action plans and other types of engagement with parties to conflict have played a critical role in further strengthening the protection of children affected by conflicts. Despite these efforts, however, grave violations of international humanitarian law committed against children in armed conflict persist. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2020/525) documents over 10,000 verified child casualties. It is totally unacceptable that children are still being subjected to gruesome killing and maiming, denial of humanitarian access, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and coercive recruitment and use.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“I would first like to thank the President of the Security Council and France for convening today’s open debate. I also wish to thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, Ms. Henrietta Fore and all the briefers for their informative presentations. Over the past 15 years, since the adoption of the landmark Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) on children and armed conflict, significant progress has been made in ending and preventing violations against children in conflict situations around the world.”
2020-06-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/594 (2020) · source
“Our revised refugee policy, which grants refugees more rights and the opportunity to be better integrated into society, has been hailed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as one of the most progressive refugee policies in Africa and a model for other refugee-hosting countries. Let me conclude by reiterating Ethiopia’s support for efforts to silence the guns in Africa and our firm commitment to fully implementing existing protection standards and strengthening compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“We are also taking concrete steps to increase the participation and leadership role of women peacekeepers. We believe that the protection of civilians, while important, cannot substitute for the primacy of politics to prevent the outbreak, escalation and recurrence of armed conflict. Building sustainable peace requires, first and foremost, addressing the root causes of conflicts such as poverty, socioeconomic marginalization and the exclusion of women, youth and minorities. I also wish to highlight that, as one of the largest refugee-hosting countries, Ethiopia continues to provide international protection to hundreds of thousands of refugees who have been forcibly displaced by grave violations resulting from armed conflicts.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“We are also committed to the full implementation of our obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. As one of the signatories to the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, a set of pledges covering the whole gamut of peacekeeping — assessment and planning, force generation, training and equipping personnel, performance and accountability — we have incorporated the protection of civilians into the training modules for all contingents. All our peacekeeping activities are also being evaluated in accordance with the principles of the protection of civilians and the Kigali Principles. We have established a continuous feedback loop and use the experience from the field to proactively improve training modules.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“The Security Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries must work together in line with our shared commitments under the Action for Peacekeeping initiative to reinforce efforts towards a better protection of civilians and, most importantly, to ensure the full implementation of that solemn objective. That entails making sure that peacekeeping missions are properly resourced and sufficiently equipped to fulfil their mandates, including by removing caveats. Ethiopia attaches great importance to the protection of civilians in armed conflict. As a major troop-contributing country to United Nations peace operations and African Union-led peace support operations, Ethiopia places great emphasis on deploying troops who have been adequately trained, vetted, equipped and instructed.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“Despite the overwhelming support from States Members of the United Nations, the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire received mixed responses. In that regard, it is regrettable that the members of the Security Council are not able to reach consensus on sending the right signal. Furthermore, multilateral institutions and the rules-based international order are under increasing pressure. To keep pace with these changes, peacekeeping must continually evolve and adapt to the changing global situation as well as to conflict and security dynamics. That means that we must be willing and ready to go beyond rhetorical commitments.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“Thirdly, sexual crimes and gender-based violence against women and girls are being deployed as instruments of war. Taken together, these changing dynamics of contemporary conflicts pose diverse and complex protection challenges for all peacekeeping operations. Unfortunately, these protection challenges have been further complicated by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As countries turn inward to save lives and mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, armed groups are eyeing an opportunity to expand their reach and influence. The pandemic has also impacted the capability of States, including by weakening trust in institutions that are providing service to the general public. Digital technologies are being weaponized to spread misinformation, sow discord and incite violence.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“First, conflict-affected civilians, particularly women and children, continue to bear significant direct and indirect consequences. Their livelihoods, places of worship, schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure continue to be targeted. Conflict-driven hunger is on the rise. These already vulnerable populations also have to cope with the dire consequences of climate change, including low productivity of subsistence farms, droughts, flooding and other natural disasters. Secondly, non-State armed groups are increasingly employing explosive devices to inflict incalculable suffering on populated areas, resulting in at least 17,904 civilian casualties in 2019. Terrorists such as Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram continue to recruit and forcibly abduct children to use in asymmetric warfare.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“The Council has also embraced the conceptual evolution of the protection-of-civilians mandates, taking concrete actions relating to the situation of religious minorities, missing persons and persons with disabilities in armed conflict, as well as the protection of civilians from hunger. There have also been efforts to advance the protection agenda through the development of policy tools and guidance at the United Nations and by Member States. However, those conceptual commitments are yet to be sufficiently translated into consistent implementation on the ground. The implementation of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative is serving as a vehicle to improve mandate delivery, including the protection of civilians. However, the following areas continue to require greater attention and more robust commitments.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source
“Let me at the outset express our sincere appreciation to the Estonian presidency for having organized this important high-level meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. We thank Secretary-General António Guterres, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ambassador Peter Maurer for their comprehensive briefings. More than two decades after the Security Council formally adopted resolution 1265 (1999), taking up the protection of civilians as an important thematic issue, civilians continue to suffer disproportionately from the devastating consequences of armed conflict. The United Nations reported more than 20,000 civilian deaths or injuries in 2019 alone as a result of armed attacks. Indeed, there has been some progress. The protection of civilians is now a key pillar of all peacekeeping operations mandates.”
2020-05-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/465 (2020) · source