YouSaid · the spoken record

Thomas-Greenfield

lines on the record: 1,605
first: 2021-05-27
most recent: 2023-12-22
sittings or episodes: 219
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

“My heart is filled with pain, and I know the same is true for many people around the world. We must work together to alleviate this tremendous suffering once and for all.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“Hamas must agree to additional pauses. That is how we can get additional aid in, save lives and get additional hostages out immediately. Today the Council spoke out, but we know that only progress on the ground can turn these words into action. The United States will continue to work with the United Nations, humanitarian groups and countries in the region to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, to secure the release of hostages and to work towards a lasting peace. There is no time to waste. We must find a path forward to end the misery we are seeing. It is unbearable to see a Palestinian child shivering in fear after their home was destroyed. It is unbearable to see the families of hostages experience such pain and grief as they frantically await and pray for their loved ones to return.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“Ultimately, while we are encouraged that the Council spoke out on this humanitarian crisis, we are deeply disappointed — appalled actually — that once again the Council was not able to condemn Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on 7 October. I cannot understand why some Council members are standing in the way and why they refuse to condemn these evils unequivocally. Why is it so hard to condemn Hamas for slaughtering young people at a concert, for burning families alive and for the reports of widespread sexual violence? I will never understand why some Council members have remained silent in the face of such evil. But we also believe the Council must continue to put its support behind the resumption of humanitarian pauses. Israel has made clear that it is committed to reaching another agreement. This is now entirely up to Hamas.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“We know much more needs to be done to address this humanitarian crisis and to lay the groundwork for a lasting peace. And let us be clear: Hamas has no interest in a lasting peace. Hamas is determined to repeat the horrors of 7 October over and over and over again, and that is why the United States supports Israel’s right to protect its people from acts of terror. And I will note that the resolution does not support any steps that would leave Hamas in power, which in turn would undermine the prospects for a two-State solution where Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under a single governance structure, under a revamped and revitalized Palestinian Authority. We must work towards a future where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace. That is the only way forward.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“And last week, we helped secure the opening of the crossing at Kerem Shalom for direct delivery of assistance to civilians in Gaza. This resolution puts the weight of the Security Council behind those efforts and bolsters them by calling for the appointment of a senior United Nations official who will work to expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale and in a sustained way. We know humanitarians are already doing the impossible, and we are there to do everything in our power to support their life-saving work. It is vital that, when implementing this resolution, the United Nations builds on the progress we have seen on the ground. And we look forward to this new official working with humanitarian actors and relevant parties, including Israel.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“Just yesterday, humanitarian groups released a report on the dire food security crisis in Gaza. And the word famine has started to enter the vocabulary of humanitarian leaders I have met with. Surgeries are being performed without anaesthesia. People are huddled in overcrowded United Nations shelters; others are sleeping in the streets. This resolution speaks to the severity of this crisis, and it calls on us all to do more. For our part, the United States has worked tirelessly to scale up the delivery of humanitarian aid through direct, persistent presidential diplomacy. In the beginning of this conflict, we helped secure an agreement to open the Rafah crossing. Last month, we helped secure a deal that led to an extended humanitarian pause, during which more than 100 hostages were released and additional aid got into Gaza.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“Today the Council has made clear that civilian and humanitarian facilities, including hospitals, medical facilities, schools, places of worship and United Nations facilities, as well as humanitarian personnel and medical personnel, must be protected. That applies to all parties to this conflict, to Israel but also to Hamas, a terror group that instigated this conflict and that wages war from inside homes, hospitals and United Nations sites and uses innocent civilians as human shields, an act of cowardice and cruelty. Today the Council made clear the need to ensure that humanitarian personnel and assistance — including fuel, food, medical supplies and emergency shelter assistance — can reach people in need. It is hard to overstate how urgent that is.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“Today the Council called for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities. I will note that this is the first time the Council has used that language — language we believe is critical to scaling up aid and underscoring the tough steps ahead as we work together to achieve a lasting peace. Today the Council has made clear that addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza needs to remain at the forefront of our agenda. Today the Council has made clear that all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally and that humanitarian groups must be able to access hostages, including for medical visits. Today the Council has made clear that all parties must respect international humanitarian law.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“This was tough, but we got there. Since the start of this conflict, the United States has done work tirelessly to alleviate this humanitarian crisis, to get life-saving assistance into Gaza and to get hostages out of Gaza, to push for the protection of innocent civilians and humanitarian workers and to work towards a lasting peace. Today’s vote bolsters those efforts and lends support to our direct diplomacy. I want to thank the United Arab Emirates and others for working with us in good faith to craft a strong humanitarian-focused resolution. It took many days and many long nights of negotiating to get this right. But today the Security Council provided a glimmer of hope among a sea of unimaginable suffering.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“I am not going to respond Russia’s rant — a country that has also created conditions that it is complaining about now in its unprovoked war in Ukraine. As colleagues can see, the United States did not support the oral amendment put forward by Russia. We believe that the humanitarian draft resolution before us (S/2023/1029) calls for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities. This is a strong step forward, and we believe that the Security Council should speak out though the draft resolution that has been put before us and move forward with a vote on it.”
2023-12-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9520 (2023) · source
“In conclusion, as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General made clear, the transitional Government faces a number of choices — whether to achieve the commitments in the 2018 peace agreement that are necessary if it is to hold free, fair and peaceful elections in 12 months; whether to use its abundant public revenue appropriately, as it is not acceptable that two thirds of the Sudanese people are food-insecure; and whether to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence, accountable. Today we once again call on the transitional Government to make the right choices. Twelve years after achieving its independence and celebrating its hard-earned fight for sovereignty, it is way past time for the transitional Government to make the right choices. It is time.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“In addition to those efforts, UNMISS’s engagement on the peace process — both internally and externally — is bolstering that process, facilitating dialogue, educating on governance and electoral issues and fostering respect for the rule of law. Finally, we welcome the cooperation between UNMISS and South Sudan on women and peace and security issues, including this year’s national stakeholders’ conference on sexual and gender-based violence.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“To that end, we are grateful for the efforts of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to fulfil its protection of civilians mandate and, in particular, safeguard the more than 40,000 people in the Malakal protection of civilians site, noting the issues raised in the external assessment by Mr. Tamrat Samuel. We welcome UNMISS’s zero- tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and abuse and conduct issues, and we look forward to updates on the results of investigations following the September 2022 Al Jazeera report on sexual abuse by aid workers at the United Nations-run protection-of-civilians site in Malakal.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“And so, the transitional Government must start using public revenue transparently for appropriate public purposes. In addition, we remain concerned about the high level of violence, criminality and human rights abuses in South Sudan. Last week, we designated Gordon Koang Biel, Gatluak Nyang Hoth and Joseph Mantiel Wajang as responsible for systematic rape and other human rights violations perpetrated against women and girls during armed attacks in Leer County, Unity state. These armed groups use sexual slavery, including rape and gang rape of abducted women and girls, as an incentive and reward for combatants. This is unimaginably cruel. We call on President Kiir to fulfil his pledge to hold those who committed these unthinkable acts accountable.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“Future funding must be coupled with a renewed push on the South Sudan peace process and improved humanitarian access. In addition, I want to take a moment to talk about how the transitional Government is spending its own oil money or, more accurately, how the transitional Government is not spending its own oil money. The transitional Government has the resources to fund electoral institutions, the necessary unified forces, social services such as health care and a greater share of humanitarian assistance to its own people. It can also afford to pay for its own employees, both civilian and military, in a timely manner. The South Sudanese people have a fundamental right to know how their country’s oil money is being spent and to benefit from how their country’s oil money is being spent.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“I should not have to remind the transitional Government of its obligations to the people of South Sudan. They expect and deserve a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future. As the Special Representative just highlighted, the same issues identified six months ago remain unresolved. Basic questions around who will vote, how they will vote and for which levels of Government they will vote are all still unanswered. When the transitional Government has done so little to prepare for elections, providing additional funding for these elections sends absolutely the wrong message. Assessed contributions should not be going to an electoral process, which, without urgent action by the transitional Government, will not be free, fair or credible.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“I want to start by thanking Special Representative of the Secretary-General Haysom for his briefing today and for his leadership and participation at the United Nations peacekeeping ministerial meeting last week in Accra, where we met. I also want to thank Ambassador Biang for his briefing as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan and welcome the participation of the delegation of South Sudan in this meeting. I am saddened that so little has changed since the last time we gathered for this purpose. The United States wholeheartedly agrees that the root cause for delays in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, since its signing five years ago, is the lack of political will.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9507 (2023) · source
“In addition, those insights enable Member States to track whether the Taliban follows through on its commitments, including those involving counter-terrorism and human rights for women and girls, as well as unhindered humanitarian access, safe conditions for humanitarian personnel and the independent provision of assistance. Once again, the United States is grateful for the adoption of this critical resolution (resolution 2716 (2023)) and for members’ constructive engagement as we worked to renew it.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9506 (2023) · source
“The United States welcome’s today’s renewal of the mandate of the Monitoring Team under resolution 1988 (2011) for an additional year and the reaffirmation of the 1988 regime’s assets freeze, travel ban and targeted arms embargo. The result of today’s voting serves as confirmation of the continued importance of the 1988 sanctions regime in supporting peace and stability in Afghanistan. We know the 1988 Monitoring Team’s reporting remains crucial to understanding both the impact of the sanctions on the listed individuals and entities and the events on the ground in Afghanistan.”
2023-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9506 (2023) · source
“It would also expose Israel to the possibility of future attacks. We need the two-State solution, in which Gaza and the West Bank are reunited under a single governance structure — ultimately, under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. This is the only guarantor of a secure and democratic Israel. This is the only guarantor of Palestinians realizing their legitimate aspirations to a State of their own. This is the only way to end this cycle of violence once and for all. Progress will not come overnight. Peace is never easily won, and diplomacy requires hard work. But that must not deter us. Let us work together. We must commit to diplomacy. Let us do everything possible and, at long last, deliver on the promise of peace and the hope for a brighter future.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“We see it playing out online across social media, and we also see it in our communities, where hate begets violence. The violent attack on three students of Palestinian descent in Vermont was horrific. We all have a responsibility to condemn all of those attacks. Even as we focus on the immediate tasks before us, we must look forward to a better future so that the next generation of children will never know the horrors of terror and conflict, so that we can stamp out the distrust and the trauma that continue to plague the region and so that Israelis and Palestinians can secure a future free of Hamas and free of terror. Because let us be clear — an outcome that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would deny Palestinian civilians the chance to build something better for themselves.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Secondly, we are deeply troubled by the sharp rise in violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Extremists who attack civilians in the West Bank must be held accountable, and this violence must stop. President Biden has made clear that the United States is prepared to take action, including by issuing visa bans against those extremists. We strongly oppose the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, which undermines the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian State. Thirdly, we call on all parties in the region and people around the world to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that exacerbates tension and hate. That includes dehumanizing language. Over the past two months, we have seen a spike in antisemitism and Islamophobia.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“In particular, the United States does not want to see conflict in Lebanon, where escalation would have grave implications for regional peace and security and for the well-being of the Lebanese people. Restoring calm along the Israel- Lebanon border is of the utmost importance, and fully implementing resolution 1701 (2006) is a key component of that effort. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon plays a vital role along the Blue Line, and we expect that all parties will ensure the safety of peacekeepers. We also call on the Council to condemn in the strongest terms the recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which pose a significant risk to the maritime security of vessels. Such attacks must cease, and the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew must be immediately released.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“To those families, I want to say this: We will not rest until all hostages held by Hamas and other groups are released — every single one. Towards that end, we want to see this humanitarian pause extended. Israel has been very clear that it is prepared to continue the pause in fighting for every day that Hamas releases an additional 10 hostages. The ball is now in Hamas’s court. And if Hamas decides not to extend the deal, the responsibility will rest squarely on its shoulders. While the past week has been a source of hope, I want to raise three deeply troubling developments. First, we continue to be concerned by the possibility of further spillover of the conflict.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“I think about Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old girl who was freed this week but whose parents were killed by Hamas right in front of her eyes, and Yaffa Adar, an elderly woman, bravely showing her face steelily, now free, now able to smile once again. That is Hamas. Clearly there is no one too young or too old for its terror. Those are horrors it celebrates, and those are horrors some Member States still refuse to condemn. It is unacceptable, and it is outrageous. Even as we welcome the release of those hostages, so many others are not yet free, and their families are still living in hell, unsure when or if they will see their loved ones again. I think of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and his parents, with whom I met.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“The United States has urged Israel to take every possible measure to prevent civilian casualties as it exercises its right to safeguard its people from acts of terror. We know Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields, purposefully, cruelly putting Palestinian civilians in harm’s way. But that does not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect civilians consistent with international humanitarian law. During this pause, we have welcomed the release of hostages who were pried away from their families by Hamas. We have seen emotional reunions — children running to embrace their parents and families back together, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after weeks of agony. I simply cannot imagine what the hostages and families have been through. None of us can.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“Water, food, fuel and other essentials are now reaching Palestinian civilians in the south and, crucially, the north. And this week, the United States is airlifting United Nations medical items, food aid and winter necessities to the region. Just yesterday, we delivered over 54,000 pounds of assistance to the humanitarian logistics hub. During the first five days of the humanitarian pause, we saw approximately 1,000 trucks enter Gaza, and there are more regular shipments of fuel going to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). But more humanitarian assistance is needed, much more. Therefore, we must do everything possible to scale up aid, and all parties must do everything possible to protect civilians, including UNRWA staff and journalists.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“I thank Secretary-General Guterres and Special Coordinator Wennesland for their briefings. I also join in welcoming the many Ministers with us here today. We are now on the sixth day of the humanitarian pause in Gaza — a pause that amid the darkness of a conflict that Hamas set into motion has been a glimmer of hope; a pause that, quite frankly, would not have been possible without the leadership of Qatar, Egypt and the United States. From day one, the United States approach to this conflict has been driven by direct, personal, presidential diplomacy. Diplomacy is hard. A lot of it takes place behind the scenes. And while the work we do in this Chamber is tremendously important, often times progress happens outside these walls. Take the humanitarian pause we helped to broker.”
2023-11-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9489 (2023) · source
“There is no shortage of humanitarian crises on our agenda. Still, we must not forget about the plight of the Syrian people. I met yesterday with a group of Syrian women who appealed to me for the Council’s support. We must do more, and we must give more. As the largest donor to the humanitarian response plan, the United States calls on all States Members of the United Nations to support the appeal. Most of all, we call on the Council to stand with the Syrian people as they fight for their fundamental freedoms and a more just and peaceful future.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“On that note, we also continue to call upon the Al-Assad regime to release, or at the very least clarify the fate of, the more than 150,000 people it has arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared. That includes extending amnesty to not only those charged with petty crimes, but also those in prison for politically motivated reasons. Finally, we welcome the six-month extension for United Nations access through the Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai crossings. We call on the regime to extend authorization for the Bab Al-Hawa crossing before it expires in January. Failing to do so makes planning, staffing and procurement less efficient. It raises costs for United Nations agencies and aid partners on the ground and leaves the humanitarian needs of thousands of Syrian civilians hanging in the balance during the cold winter months.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“As a result, the Syrian people continue to flee their homes in droves, with refugees showing no indication of a wish to return, not because of economic conditions, as the regime maintains, but because they fear regime oppression and torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, mandatory conscription and sexual and gender-based violence. We welcome the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice earlier this month, which order Syria to prevent acts of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and the destruction of evidence of such acts. That is vitally important in holding the Al-Assad regime accountable for acts of torture.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“To that end, we cannot allow the Al-Assad regime to distract our attention from protests in Al-Suwayda, where for months the Syrian people have exercised their rights to peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression and called for peace, dignity, security and justice. We support peaceful assembly, and the protesters exemplify the need for a Syrian-focused and Syrian- led solution to the conflict, in line with resolution 2254 (2015). Unfortunately, the Syrian regime has obstructed all attempts to achieve progress on the political track.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“It was in the interest of national defence that, earlier this month, we also designated Kata’ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and its Secretary-General as specially designated global terrorists. This terrorist group has threatened the lives of United States and Global Coalition personnel alike, in Iraq and Syria. Additionally, we designated six individuals affiliated with the Iran-aligned militia Kata’ib Hizbullah. Iran, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, has supported those and other militant groups. It has supplied them with training, funding and sophisticated weapons, including increasingly accurate and lethal unmanned aerial systems. That escalatory behaviour is unacceptable and does nothing to address the oppressive and dire economic conditions facing Syrian civilians today.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“What is more, the Al-Assad regime-led attacks, supported by Russian air strikes, concentrated in western portions of Idlib, have destroyed tents of displaced persons. We also condemn the attacks by Iranian-aligned militia groups on United States personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria. The mission of those United States forces remains to lead the international effort to defeat Da’esh. Just like any other Member State, the United States has the right to self-defence, as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We have therefore conducted targeted response strikes, and we stand ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats of attacks.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“I thank Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi and Director Wosornu for their briefings and for their unwavering commitment to bringing a sustainable peace to the people of Syria. During last month’s briefing (see S/PV.9459), we expressed concern about the multiple recent attacks by the Syrian regime and Russian forces in northern Syria. Those attacks killed scores of civilians, displaced over 120,000 people and destroyed vital infrastructure. It was my great hope that this briefing would be different — that we would not have to discuss more bloodshed, more displacement and more brutality. And yet, sadly, the Syrian regime’s ruthless bombing campaigns in Idlib and Aleppo governorates continue, killing hundreds more civilians.”
2023-11-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9487 (2023) · source
“Let me add one thing. The United States has never fired any weapons towards the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We are working with our allies to help them in the protection of their sovereignty against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s actions, which are based on paranoia about a possible attack by the United States. If there is anything that the United States wants to provide to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, it is humanitarian assistance for its people, not weapons to destroy them.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“I think that if either Russia or China wants to assist on the humanitarian side, they can do that, and can continue to do it bilaterally. On the humanitarian situation, I would just like to mention that we do remain deeply concerned. But I think if Council members look at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent actions, they will understand what its priorities are. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has allowed in Chinese and Russian diplomats. It has allowed in members of the World Anti-Doping Agency to enable its athletes to travel. But United Nations aid agencies are still forbidden from providing the humanitarian assistance that we know is needed in that country. I would once again like to express our sincere offer of dialogue without preconditions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea need only accept it.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“I also want to reiterate a statement made by my Chinese colleague in which he said that, “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s pursuit of self-defence cannot come at the expense of the security of its neighbours or the global non-proliferation regime”. Secondly, I would like to mention the Chinese-Russian so-called humanitarian resolution, which in our view applauds the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for not conducting intermediate-range ballistic-missile and ICBM launches. Sanctions relief in the face of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unprecedented launches would send only one signal, and that is disregard for the Council — and a violation of international law would be overlooked. I think that the Security Council cannot be engaged in that.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“And unlike its actions, ours are not prohibited by Council resolutions. We therefore strongly reject the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s disingenuous claim that its missile launches are merely defensive in nature in response to our bilateral and trilateral military exercises. And I think that the chronology of events reveals the truth, because by the time the United States and the Republic of Korea resumed large-scale exercises in August 2022, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had already conducted six intercontinental ballistic-missile (ICBM) launches that year, and its efforts to reconstitute its nuclear test sites were already under way.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for allowing me to take the floor once again, and I will try to be as brief as possible. We have heard 13 Member States sitting around this table call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease its unlawful testing. The message is therefore clear. It is a violation of Security Council resolutions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea claims that it is acting in self-defence, but as the Council knows, that argument really does not stand up here, as the military exercises of the United States and the Republic of Korea are routine and defensive in nature. And we intentionally reduce risk and pursue transparency by announcing the exercises in advance, including the dates and the activities — unlike the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its launches using ballistic-missile technology.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“Today we call on the Council to speak out once again to encourage the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to focus less on stocking an arsenal and more on stocking the pantries of the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, who suffer from severe economic hardship and malnutrition, and to accept the United Nations’ offer of support. We call on the Council to urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to engage in diplomacy and to exercise our responsibility to maintain international peace and security and uphold the global non-proliferation regime.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“What will it take for them to condemn Pyongyang’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes and associated global procurement network? For our part, the United States continues to call for dialogue on any topic with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, without preconditions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea can choose the time and the topic. But the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea needs to make that choice. In recent weeks, we have found common ground on shared matters of global peace and security. This issue should be no different.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“To add insult to injury, Russia is expanding its military relationship with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which, by Putin’s own admission, could include helping the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to build more satellites like the one launched last week. And our information indicates that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions that will be used to support Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. How many more times must we gather for briefings like this before Russia and China join us in demanding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes?”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“As we heard from Mr. Khiari, there was no notification of this action. This body is charged with maintaining international peace and security. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is undermining that authority. But it is how we respond that ultimately determines our credibility. And yet there are two permanent members that have been unwilling to condemn this dangerous, escalatory launch and others like it. On the contrary, this past July, senior officials from the Russian Federation and China attended a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea military parade. They celebrated alongside Kim Jong Un as he showcased his ballistic missile programme, a programme explicitly prohibited by the Council, on which they sit as permanent members.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“In addition to those launches, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has launched three satellite launch vehicles and 29 ballistic missiles, including four intercontinental ballistic missiles in this year alone. And now a North Korean reconnaissance satellite has been confirmed in orbit. Despite what we might hear today, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is not responding to United States or allied military activity. No, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has made its motivations clear. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is unabashedly trying to advance its nuclear weapons delivery system by testing ballistic missile technology, in clear violation of the Council’s resolutions. This reckless, unlawful behaviour threatens all of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s neighbours and all Member States.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for briefing the Council on this grave threat to international peace and security. Many times, the Council has urged the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to halt its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes. Many times, we have asked Pyongyang to reject provocation and embrace negotiation. Many times, we have opened the door to meaningful diplomacy, but time and again the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has flatly ignored these calls and indeed brazenly violated multiple Security Council resolutions. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s 21 November launch of a space-launch vehicle using ballistic missile technology was not even the latest in a long line of such flagrant violations. The very next day, Pyongyang launched another ballistic missile.”
2023-11-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9485 (2023) · source
“Even at this perilous moment, we must work towards a sustained peace and towards a future in which two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace. Women and girls can and must help chart that better future. With their support and leadership, I believe that we can at long last secure peace, freedom and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Lastly, on this day before Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving, recalling all the things that we are thankful for, we must not forget those who are suffering, those who are in mourning and those whose children are going to bed hungry. We must do everything possible to alleviate their suffering.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“Make no mistake: Hamas is not concerned about protecting any civilians, including any Palestinian civilians. No, they are deliberately and callously putting them in harm’s way, hiding behind the skirts of their women and innocent civilians. Still, that does not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect civilians, consistent with international humanitarian law, as it exercises its right to safeguard its people from acts of terror. Efforts to mitigate and respond to civilian harm are both a moral and a strategic imperative, and we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives at the United Nations Al Fakhoura school in Gaza. Any harm to civilians sheltering at protected sites is unacceptable.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“That will help to keep vital communications networks running and help the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) deliver humanitarian aid. But much more aid, including fuel, is needed urgently. As we heard today, Palestinian women also lack access to sexual, reproductive and maternal health care. And humanitarian partners have in many cases been unable to provide gender-based violence response services in Gaza. That is not for lack of trying. UNRWA is doing everything in its power to continue to provide those services, even in the face of grave danger. But those women and girls need more support and protection. The United States is committed to doing everything possible to help women and girls in all conflict zones, consistent with resolution 1325 (2000).”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source
“But let us be clear: we must also have the same compassion for the innocent Palestinian civilians who have been killed and injured during the conflict, for the innocent civilians, mostly children, under the rubble, for the people in Gaza who are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, water, food, shelter and other essentials, for the young girls who are no longer able to attend school, for the elderly who have fallen ill from a lack of adequate nutrition, and for those with disabilities who are unable to move. We must scale up our humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The Council knows that the United States continues to work with the United Nations and partners in the region to do just that. We are pleased to see the first deliveries of much-needed fuel following a commitment by Israel.”
2023-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9484 (2023) · source