YouSaid · the spoken record

The Deputy Secretary-General

lines on the record: 47
first: 2021-07-16
most recent: 2023-01-26
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

“The Secretary-General’s Fund remains the Organization’s leading instrument to invest in peacebuilding and prevention, in partnership with the wider United Nations system and together with national authorities. We cannot allow crises, of which there are so many, to divert funding away from these core efforts. I very much look forward to today’s debate.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Finally, the success of our collective efforts to advance sustainable peace worldwide will depend on adequate investment in peacebuilding. I am heartened by the unanimous adoption of resolution 76/305, on financing for peacebuilding, by the General Assembly in September 2022. The resolution emphasizes the need for greater political, operational and financial investment in prevention and peacebuilding efforts in order to sustain peace. The resolution also underscores the need to invest in local initiatives and in stakeholders active at the local level. That is essential for building societal resilience. I commend the commitment of Member States to achieving sustained, adequate and predictable financing for peacebuilding, including through the consideration of assessed contributions for the Peacebuilding Fund.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Thirdly, I underline the importance of the peacebuilding architecture, in particular the need to explore how the Security Council can further leverage the role and advice of the Peacebuilding Commission, which forges crucial partnerships and collective responses to peace and security threats, representing a valuable complement to the work of the Council. Increasingly, it provides advice on important thematic and cross-cutting agendas and it highlights country- specific and regional peacebuilding needs in countries and regions, including the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Great Lakes region and West Africa and the Sahel. I urge the Council to capitalize on the Commission’s comparative advantages in order to integrate crucial prevention and peacebuilding lenses more squarely into our work.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Youth, peace and security should be more widely reflected in the mandates of special political missions and peacekeeping operations. We also hope that the Council will consider hosting an annual open debate dedicated to youth, peace and security, as a platform for engagement with youth-led civil society and young peacebuilders, especially our women. Conflict prevention and conflict resolution efforts must be shaped through inclusive processes, involving the leadership of women and youth and reflecting their priorities. It is essential that all peacebuilders, including women and young people, are protected against reprisals and attacks resulting from their work.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“In the Secretary-General’s most recent report on women and peace and security (S/2022/740), he warned that the world is currently experiencing a reversal of generational gains in women’s rights. The percentage of women represented in political forums and peace processes has decreased in recent years. Military expenditures are growing, while funding for women’s human rights organizations is falling. We need transformational change to break that cycle, halt the erosion of women’s rights and ensure gender equality in order to build and sustain peace. Young people also play a key role in promoting peace, security and stability worldwide, as recognized by resolution 2250 (2015). To that end, all those involved in peace should support the establishment of dedicated regional and national frameworks for youth engagement in peacebuilding.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“It strengthens societal resilience and addresses structural inequalities, which are major risk factors for violent conflict. Among other things, inclusion means addressing fundamental gender inequalities. I have just returned from Afghanistan where I conveyed those messages to the de facto authorities. A society based on exclusion and repression can never flourish. A society in which the rights of women and girls are trampled on is no society at all. Women’s full participation in politics and the economy makes a society more likely to succeed. Sustainable peace cannot be built where the rights of women are ignored. On the global stage, we have made some progress on inclusion, but that progress is still far too slow. Women remain largely shut out of local, national, regional and international decision-making.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“All Governments must be prepared to take measures that address grievances and prevent violence. Inclusion will also be at the centre of the New Agenda for Peace. We know that inclusive processes are more likely to be effective and to bring about sustainable peace. Inclusion involves the meaningful participation of all constituencies and communities, particularly those traditionally underrepresented in peace and security processes, but also in the social, economic and political life of a country. That adds up to recognizing and ensuring, in the broadest possible way, that human rights are pivotal in the New Agenda for Peace. Secondly, investing in inclusion is not only right, it is wise. Inclusion leads to more public support and greater legitimacy.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Prevention and peacebuilding therefore will be at the core of the New Agenda for Peace through a comprehensive understanding of prevention, linking peace, sustainable development, climate action and food security. The New Agenda for Peace will be aimed at identifying additional ways to support national prevention and peacebuilding priorities and to channel the international community’s support to nationally owned violence-reduction initiatives that are human- centred, with a comprehensive prevention focus, that are grounded in the core notion of human security and that seek to build more resilient societies that can address existing and new forms of risks. Allow me to stress that all Member States are exposed to risks, and no country lives in a vacuum.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“The follow-up discussions on the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), scheduled for 2023, under the preparations for the SDG Summit and the Summit of the Future, open key opportunities to further a shared understanding of the pathways to peace. The New Agenda for Peace will provide a unique opportunity to articulate a shared vision for how Member States can come together to address those challenges and to honour the commitment they made in the declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations: “we will promote peace and prevent conflicts” (General Assembly resolution 75/1, para. 9).”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“The triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution does not merely threaten our environment. It also threatens to unleash destructive forces that drive wedges in our societies, erode social cohesion and ignite instability. As we embark on this discussion of peacebuilding and sustaining peace, I urge everyone to consider the fundamental role of sustainable development in securing peace for current and future generations. May I impress upon the Council four observations for building and sustaining peace that is built on a bedrock of inclusive, sustainable development. First, our efforts at achieving peace must be based on a shared understanding of peace and its pathways.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many millions more people — more than 200 million more — have fallen into poverty. An additional 820 million people — families, mothers, fathers and children — are going hungry. More women and girls are having their rights trampled on, erased from public life and constrained in private life. The global financial system is failing developing countries, and economies are failing to serve the vast majority of their citizens, except for a small elite. Those challenges are not just development issues. They pose a threat to our peaceful coexistence. Development deficits drive grievance. They corrode institutions. They allow hostility and intolerance to flourish. When we fail to meet the development needs of our time, we fail to secure peace for our future.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“There is only one route to durable peace — to the peace that withstands the crises of our times. It is the route of sustainable development. Inclusive, sustainable development that leaves no one behind is essential in its own rights. It is also humankind’s ultimate prevention tool. It is the only reliable tool that can break through cycles of instability to address the underlying drivers of fragility and humanitarian need. Investments in development, investments in people, investments in human security, investments in our shared prosperity are also investments in peace. And yet, our investments in recent years have fallen far short. As we approach the midway point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we see that our current progress is far off track.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Even before the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, conflict-affected countries were lagging on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Projections indicated that by 2030 more than 80 per cent of the world’s extreme poor would live in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In other words, conflict and poverty are closely intertwined. The pandemic has only aggravated that dire situation. The war in Ukraine is devastating the lives of millions of Ukrainians. It has also compounded a food, energy and finance crisis worldwide, especially among the world’s most vulnerable people and countries. Recalling the words of the Secretary-General, the world is at a key inflection point in history. Rethinking our efforts towards achieving sustainable peace is an absolute necessity.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to Japan for hosting this timely and important debate. Peace is the core mission of the United Nations. It is our raison d’être. That mission is now under grave threat. People’s sense of safety and security is at a low in almost every country, with six in seven worldwide plagued by feelings of insecurity. The world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War. Two billion people, one quarter of humankind, live in places affected by conflict. That is causing grave human suffering, both directly in conflict zones and indirectly, by adding to poverty and food insecurity and reducing access to education and health care. It is imposing severe constraints on people’s ability to fulfil their potential and contribute to society.”
2023-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9250 (2023) · source
“Inclusive, sustainable development is essential in its own right; it is also humankind’s ultimate crisis-prevention tool. The Secretary-General and I and the entire United Nations reaffirm our solidarity and commitment to stand with Haiti and its people and to support the country’s recovery towards sustainable development, democracy, stability and peace. For this new year, I call for unity and solidarity in support of a solution to the crisis in Haiti, led by Haitians and for all Haitians.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“There are many other crises around the world, but very few crises, if any, test our commitment and values like the one we are witnessing in Haiti. It is a test of the common humanity that should be at the heart of international cooperation. It is a test of our solidarity with people in deep suffering. During my visit in February, I spoke with members of civil society, students, women and girls. Those conversations gave me hope. Now we need to help Haitians keep that hope alive, for today and tomorrow. There is clearly an urgent need to respond to the most immediate needs. But Haiti will also need international support to address the structural causes of this crisis and break the cycles that have constrained its development for so long.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“I have seen it on the ground: that is absolutely essential if Haiti is to return to institutional stability and get back on the road towards peace and sustainable development. I reiterate the Secretary- General’s call for international support to the Haitian National Police, as set out in his letter of 8 October (S/2022/747). Despite the end of the siege at the Varreux oil terminal, there is a continued need for solidarity and action from the international community. Haiti’s people, like people everywhere, have a right to go about their daily lives without the threat of kidnapping, rape or murder, to access basic and life-saving services and to exercise their political and civil rights, including the right to vote in elections.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“The United Nations will continue to provide a voice for women and girls living in communities controlled by gangs, to work to reduce their vulnerability to violence of all kinds and to call for justice and accountability for the perpetrators of those heinous crimes. Secondly, there is an urgent need for international support and solidarity. Now is not the time for the world to turn away from Haiti. It is time to step up and turn the current crisis into an opportunity for Haiti to bounce back stronger. I urge every country with the capacity to do so to give urgent consideration to the Haitian Government’s request for an international specialized armed force to help restore security and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Allow me, in these brief remarks, to draw attention to two aspects of the crisis. First, Port-au-Prince and the regions beyond are suffering the worst human rights and humanitarian emergency in decades. As always, vulnerable communities are suffering most. For example, 90 per cent of cholera cases are in areas already suffering high rates of severe acute malnutrition. I condemn in the strongest terms the reports of widespread sexual violence by armed gangs. The harrowing accounts in the report issued two months ago by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights are a call to action and accountability.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Insecurity has reached unprecedented levels, and human rights abuses are widespread. Armed gangs have expanded their violent criminal activities, using killings and gang rapes to terrorize and subjugate communities. Gang violence is paralysing the country and obstructing the freedom of movement of people, goods and humanitarian aid. It has fuelled the resurgence of cholera, increased food insecurity to unimaginable levels, displaced 155,000 people and disrupted the education of thousands of children. The Secretary- General and the whole United Nations stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti during these extremely difficult times. Special Representative La Lime, His Excellency Ambassador Xavier Biang and Mr. Kim Ives will brief the Council on the details of the situation unfolding before the eyes of the world.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: I thank the Secu- rity Council for the opportunity to make introductory remarks on the situation in Haiti, a country that remains a priority for the United Nations and, more personally, for the Secretary-General and me. During my last visit to Haiti, in February, I was encouraged by the nationally led efforts towards recovery. I saw strong efforts to rebuild after the tragic earthquake that struck the southern peninsula in 2021. Efforts to eliminate cholera were yielding results. And there were high hopes that political negotiations would set a new course for stability and sustainable development. But at the end of 2022, Haiti is in a deepening crisis of unprecedented scale and complexity that is cause for serious alarm. Efforts to engage in dialogue continue to be made on a way forward.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“I would like to share with the Security Council the appeal I heard from many Somali leaders for the international community to keep up our sustained focus, support and partnership. The United Nations mission and country team are committed to ensuring this with the Council’s support, and with these efforts, I am confident that Somalia will continue to move forward. I hope to return to see the progress and meet the new Parliament with a minimum of 30 per cent women representatives in the near future.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“I made this second visit to Somalia because women’s political participation is a game changer in our efforts to achieve sustainable peace development and a more resilient and inclusive society. Women’s participation and representation in political life is a precondition for lasting peace in Somalia. The 30 per cent quota is a crucial first step towards the equal representation of women in all sectors of life, from business to public service, elections to appointments. As one federal state woman minister noted, women in Somalia account for over 50 per cent of the population, so the 30 per cent quota can only be the beginning. This point was echoed by a member of the state electoral implementation team, who observed that the Parliament is called the People’s House, so it should reflect that half of those people are women.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“Somalia has achieved considerable momentum with its electoral process. It is critical that this continues through the finalization of the Upper House elections and the start of the Lower House process. In this regard, I welcome the announcement of the electoral schedule for the Somaliland seats. Going forward, I urge leaders to prioritize the full implementation of the electoral agreement, establish concrete mechanisms to implement the 30 per cent quota and strengthen efforts aimed at protecting women from violence, including equal access to justice for all women. Somalis cannot move their country forward and build trust in institutions and elections without women’s equal participation. Inclusive elections will lay the foundations for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive country.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“Despite sustained negotiations, there has been no breakthrough yet, and I continue to encourage Somali leaders to de-escalate tensions, find a compromise solution and continue the progress on elections that will strengthen stability across the region. The need for regional stability was also highlighted in meetings that I had with Presidents Kenyatta and Hassan, of Kenya and Tanzania, on my way to Somalia. Both Heads of State emphasized the need for increased and sustained attention by the international community to issues the stability in the Horn. It is clear that Somalia is a neighbourhood concern. Both the country and the region need a secure transition, so that they can focus on consolidating the dividends of peace and investing in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“She then called on the United Nations to redouble our efforts to support women’s opportunities, independence and participation in economic activities. My visit to Somalia took place at a time of heightened tensions among political leaders. In my talks with the President and the Prime Minister, I reinforced the message of the international community that Somalia must not return to the divisions and conflicts of the past. Both leaders committed to doing everything possible to avert a crisis by continuing dialogue, resolving issues peacefully and maintaining the momentum for the elections. Since then, the situation has evolved, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has briefed Council members on this.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“Women also called for constitutional reforms that would create a permanent solution by reserving a proportion of the parliamentary seats for women, and for women to be included in electoral committees as delegates and candidates. At the State level, the Federal Minister of Women and Human Rights Development, with whom I spoke, encouraged the United Nations to continue to support both the constitutional review process and a multiparty electoral system. She emphasized that this is the key to increasing women’s participation in future elections and political processes. There was also recognition that women’s economic empowerment is inextricably linked with political participation and directly impacts women’s ability to engage in public life.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“The women I met called for a concrete mechanism to ensure the implementation of the 30 per cent quota and for a move towards direct elections in the form of one person, one vote. The current format of indirect selection leaves political decision-making in the hands of clan elders, all of whom are men. Women called on their leaders to implement in full all political agreements related to the elections. That includes the political agreements of 17 September and 27 May, as well as the 22 August communiqué, in which leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia and the federal member states made a commitment to the 30 per cent quota for women.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“Those challenges are compounded by violence and discrimination. Women reported that, in some states, female candidates are unable to rent campaign offices — a simple and effective way to prevent them from being elected. Across the board, women spoke of the need for greater protection from intimidation, harassment and violence. Just three days ago, sadly, Ms. Hibaq Abukar, an adviser on women’s affairs and human rights in the Prime Minister’s office, was killed in a bomb attack in Mogadishu. I pay tribute to Ms. Abukar and all Somali women, who run the risk every day to fight for their rights. Women in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab face added security challenges that undermine their efforts to campaign openly.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“I also appreciated the Prime Minister’s leadership and the concrete actions he has taken to build women’s representation. Those include reducing candidate fees for women and appointing goodwill ambassadors to support and advocate for the 30 per cent quota with federal member state leaders. It was also encouraging to hear traditional elders acknowledge the central role of women in advancing peace and security in Somalia. All were committed to the issue of women’s inclusion, yet real challenges remain. Women themselves spoke of ongoing obstacles they struggle to face access to financial support to hold campaigns. They also lack the political networks and connections of their male peers. The political environment in general is not conducive to women representatives, and many male leaders continue to promote male candidates.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“While in Mogadishu, I met with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, members of the National Consultative Council, comprised of the Prime Minister and the federal member state leaders, members of the Federal Elections Implementation Team, state-level election implementation teams and the Electoral Disputes Resolution Committee, in addition to women’s groups, civil society and traditional elders, as well as representatives of the international community. Consistently and across the board, I heard a strong commitment to the principle of women’s equal participation and the 30 per cent quota. It was encouraging to hear from the National Consultative Council that it has agreed on measures to ensure the integrity, transparency and credibility of the elections, as well as the gender quota.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“The trip was undertaken in solidarity with Somali women’s calls for full and equal participation in political life, including through the implementation of a 30 per cent quota, and to express the support of the international community for timely, inclusive, peaceful and credible elections. Somalia reached a milestone in its 2016 elections, with 24 per cent of parliamentary seats taken up by women. Those figures demonstrate that progress is possible, even in the most difficult circumstances. But even so, they fall short of the commitment that Somalia’s political leaders made to achieve 30 per cent women’s representation in Parliament. Every woman matters. There is real concern that in the current elections to the House of the People, the levels of representation will decrease, despite promises and stipulations in electoral agreements.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: Let me begin by congratulating you, Mr. President, on Ireland’s presidency this month and to thank you for the invitation to brief the Security Council today. I would also like to extend my greetings to Ms. Shukria Dini, whom I had the pleasure of meeting during my visit. I commend the Council for its leadership on women and peace and security, and in particular the commitment of Ireland, Kenya and Mexico to prioritize this issue during their successive presidencies. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to travel to Somalia. That was the seventh mission I have undertaken in recent years on women and peace and security, and the first mission in person since the start of the pandemic. It is also my second visit to Somalia on this issue.”
2021-09-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8867 (2021) · source
“Ultimately, most of our work on protecting humanitarian space is done by humanitarian aid workers on the ground and in dialogue with parties to conflict, Governments and the communities affected. The international community owes humanitarian agencies and health-care and humanitarian workers its full and unwavering support in their difficult and often dangerous work.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“The Secretary-General further urges Member States to endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration, which aims to protect all educational institutions from the worst effects of armed conflict. He also calls on Member States to support the Health Care in Danger initiative of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aimed at preventing and ending violence against patients, health-care workers, facilities and vehicles and ensuring safe access to health care in armed conflict and other emergencies. In recognition of the enormous challenges faced by the humanitarian agencies, the Secretary-General has asked his incoming Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs to appoint a special adviser on the preservation of humanitarian space and access and to strengthen humanitarian negotiations in that context.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Several Member States have passed legislation to that effect in line with resolutions 2462 (2019) and 2482 (2019). The Council has included humanitarian exemptions in its Somalia sanctions regime. The Secretary-General urges others to emulate those good practices. Fifthly, the Security Council must use its influence to ensure that attacks against schools and hospitals cease immediately and that such facilities and their personnel are protected. The unprecedented health- care emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes the protection of medical facilities and workers more critical than ever. Member States should review and revise military policy and practice to ensure the protection of medical care and schools. They should refrain from and condemn the use schools for military purposes.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Thirdly, all Governments must protect humanitarian organizations’ ability to engage with all parties to a conflict, including non-State armed groups. Humanitarian agencies that engage with such groups are better able to negotiate access and establish humanitarian pauses or even ceasefires. Their personnel are safer, and they can deliver aid more effectively. When humanitarian agencies are perceived as part of a political agenda, that creates enormous risks for their personnel and reduces their effectiveness. Fourthly, counter-terrorism measures should include clear provisions to preserve humanitarian space, minimize the impact on humanitarian operations and ensure that humanitarian and health-care personnel are not punished for doing their jobs.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Preserving humanitarian space also requires that we do not blur the lines between military operations, political objectives and humanitarian efforts. Upholding the principles of humanitarian action — humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence — is essential to building trust with political, military, security and non-State armed groups and others. Secondly, investigation and accountability are essential to preventing attacks on aid workers. National authorities are in the lead, but when they are unable or unwilling to act, the international community, including the Council, can and must use all available mechanisms. Attacks on humanitarian workers are completely unacceptable and may constitute war crimes. They should be investigated and prosecuted accordingly. What goes unpunished will be repeated.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Members of the Security Council have a responsibility to do everything in their power to end attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets, to ensure and promote respect for international humanitarian law and to seek accountability for serious violations in line with the numerous resolutions on the protection of civilians, medical care, and humanitarian and United Nations personnel. The Secretary-General sees four main areas for action. First, there are practical tools available within and outside the Council to foster greater respect for international humanitarian law. When those tools are used systematically, we see results: examples including training national militaries, developing national policy frameworks and applying diplomatic pressure. The Security Council has the power to impose sanctions when there are no other remedies.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“They invest in conflict analysis to improve humanitarian access, and they are negotiating with parties to conflict to ensure equitable access to those in need. They improve training for their personnel, and they have a strong focus on local outreach and community engagement. All of those efforts work. Humanitarian assistance has never reached so many people so quickly. Humanitarian agencies and their donors deserve enormous credit for that. But even so, humanitarian needs are outpacing our capacity to meet them, turbocharged by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“All of those practices politicize humanitarian action, eroding the trust of communities and parties to conflict and, ultimately, curtailing the ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver aid. The best way to protect humanitarian space is by ending violence and conflict. That was the thinking behind the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire to focus on our common enemy: the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The United Nations is engaged around the world in difficult negotiations to produce lasting ceasefires and build sustainable peace. In the meantime, life-saving humanitarian aid needs to continue, and humanitarian organizations are making remarkable efforts to protect humanitarian space. They strengthen security systems and improve due diligence to reduce the risk that aid is stolen or diverted.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“While Governments may create systems around the delivery of humanitarian aid, it is essential that those systems support aid rather than blocking it. Likewise, every country needs to take action against terrorism. But every country also has the responsibility to make sure that its counter-terrorism efforts do not undermine humanitarian operations. Humanitarian organizations report ever more frequent attempts to interfere in their selection of beneficiaries or partners. There are growing pressures on organizations that negotiate with non-State armed groups, an essential element of impartial humanitarian operations. Some counter-terrorist legislation may even criminalize humanitarian and medical activities. Conversely, political and military actors may portray humanitarian assistance as part of the counter-terrorism agenda.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Since late June, just one convoy of aid has been able to enter Tigray, where an estimated 2 million people are displaced and 5.2 million need humanitarian assistance. A second convoy is now on its way. In Afghanistan, aid workers, particularly women, face increased attacks, harassment and interference in their work. In Yemen, there were more than 350 incidents involving restrictions on humanitarian organizations, personnel and goods in just two months earlier this year. Our humanitarian agencies often negotiate with Governments or parties to conflict that undermine or completely reject their work. We are all too familiar with many of the strategies that they use, from restrictions on the movements of humanitarian staff and supplies to long visa and customs procedures, delays at checkpoints and high taxes and fees on humanitarian supplies.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Around the world security incidents affecting humanitarian organizations have increased tenfold since 2001. Such incidents include shootings, bodily and sexual assault, kidnappings and raids. In the five years since the Council’s landmark resolution 2286 (2016) calling for an end to impunity for attacks on health-care systems, workers and patients have suffered thousands of attacks. The World Health Organization has recorded 568 incidents affecting the delivery of medical care in 14 conflict zones so far in 2021. That has caused 114 deaths of health-care workers and patients. Such attacks include shootings, shellings, threats, the removal of equipment and the militarization of medical facilities. Meanwhile, it is becoming ever-more difficult to provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to people in need.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“This hurricane of humanitarian crises is compounded by a relentless wave of attacks on humanitarian and medical workers and the imposition of ever-narrower constraints on humanitarian space. The Secretary-General urges the Council to take strong and immediate action to support its numerous resolutions on the protection of civilians, humanitarian and health-care workers and humanitarian space. Three weeks ago, humanitarian aid workers Yohannes Halefom, María Hernández and Tedros Gebremariam were brutally killed in Tigray while working for Médecins sans Frontières. That was just the latest in a string of attacks that have killed 12 aid workers in Tigray since the start of the conflict in November 2020. Many more have been intimidated, harassed and detained.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“Twenty million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and 5 million are face-to-face with famine. Schools and hospitals, which should be safe havens, are not spared. Scores of Afghan schoolgirls were killed or injured in one of this year’s most heartbreaking attacks. Last month’s attack on Al-Shifa hospital, one of the largest in northern Syria, killed 19 civilians, including three children. One missile reportedly hit the emergency room, while another landed in the delivery ward. We are in uncharted waters. The sheer scale of humanitarian needs has never been greater. This year alone, the United Nations and our partners are seeking to reach 160 million people with assistance — the highest figure ever.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source
“The Deputy Secretary-General: I would like to bring greetings from the Secretary-General, on whose behalf I am delivering these remarks today. We are facing a bloody surge in humanitarian crises around the world. Civilians in conflict zones are paying the highest price. From the Tigray region of Ethiopia we have heard credible reports in the past few months of executions of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detentions, sexual violence against children and forced displacement on a massive scale. In Afghanistan, brutal attacks killed at least 24 civilians, including five health workers during just one week in June. Civilian casualties in the first quarter of this year increased by 29 per cent as compared to last year. The increase for women was 37 per cent. In Yemen, on average at least five civilians are killed or injured each day.”
2021-07-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8822 (2021) · source