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

“The Dayton Accords remain vital to the maintenance of international peace and security because what was true when Dayton was signed in 1995 remains true today. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina is paramount and unquestionable. But as we have heard today, this hard-fought stability is at risk. We agree with the High Representative’s assessment that this is a dangerous path for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region. Local political leaders are using inflammatory rhetoric, threatening to prevent or boycott elections, and refusing to tackle corruption. The United States condemns this behaviour.”
2022-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9029 (2022) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. I thank the High Representative for his briefing to the Security Council today. I also thank Chair of the Presidency Džaferović for his participation in this meeting. The United States welcomes High Representative Schmidt’s report (see S/2022/374), which is in line with precedent and the requirements of resolution 1031 (1995). Moreover, his assessments are incredibly valuable. He has ensured that the international community is informed about the situation on the ground. He has done an admirable job under difficult circumstances, and especially as Europe’s security is threatened by Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. Twenty-seven years ago, the United States helped forge the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
2022-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9029 (2022) · source
“I thank Mr. Schmidt for his briefing. I would like to draw the attention of speakers to paragraph 22 of presidential note S/2017/507, which encourages all participants in Council meetings to deliver their statements in five minutes or less, in line with the Security Council’s commitment to making more effective use of open meetings. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”
2022-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9029 (2022) · source
“It is decided to invite High Representative Schmidt to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite His Excellency Mr. Silvio Gonzato, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2022/374, which contains the text of a letter dated 3 May 2022 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. I now give the floor to Mr. Schmidt.”
2022-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9029 (2022) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia to participate in this meeting. I request the Protocol Officer to escort His Excellency Mr. Šefik Džaferović, Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to a seat at the Council table. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Mr. Christian Schmidt, United Nations High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, to participate in this meeting. The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor”
2022-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9029 (2022) · source
“The Ukrainian people are fighting for their lives, for their future and for all of the values the United Nations holds dear. We stand with them and with the overwhelming majority of the international community in defence of sovereignty, liberty and democracy. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I would like to again draw the attention of speakers to paragraph 22 of presidential note S/2017/507, which encourages all participants in Council meetings to deliver their statements in five minutes or less, in line with the Security Council’s commitment to making more effective use of open meetings. I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“While we work to stop that blockade and hold Russia to account for its actions, we will all be called on to step up to prevent looming famines and provide more food and funding in the name of decency and humanity. We will focus the attention of the Council on that and other aspects of global food insecurity during the open debate we will convene later this month. On the second point, we must hold to account those in Russia who unleashed, perpetrated and ordered the war crimes committed in Ukraine. The United States supports a range of international investigations into the atrocities in Ukraine, including efforts by the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others. Make no mistake — we will see justice served.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“That brings the total we have committed thus far to over $688 million since Russia’s further invasion. That money will help our brave partners rapidly distribute food, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene kits, critical medical supplies and even cash to those who need it most in Ukraine. We must also be attentive to the way Russia’s war of choice is harming countries beyond Ukraine’s borders, from the arrival of millions of refugees in Europe to the global food crisis that is hitting African and Middle Eastern markets particularly hard. I suspect we will hear more details about that from our colleagues who are joining this meeting today. Russia is actively halting Ukrainian agricultural production and blocking the ports that once provided food to those in dire need.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“Convoys and evacuations take days and weeks, or months, of intense negotiation. They cannot be the norm. The only norm we should accept is Ukraine returning to its normal life, without Russian forces illegally on its territory, terrorizing and killing civilians, including so many innocent children. Here in the Security Council and at the United Nations, we can help Ukraine return to normalcy. We can do that in two ways: by supporting the Ukrainian people and their efforts and by holding Russia accountable. On the first point, we must address the immediate and dire humanitarian situation, both in Ukraine and outside of it. For our part, the United States announced this morning at the pledging conference in Warsaw that we will provide an additional $387 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“We all watched in horror as Russia laid siege mercilessly against civilians trapped inside and underground for weeks. This week, the United Nations and President Zelenskyy announced that over 100 Ukrainians had finally been rescued and reached relative safety. We applaud the role of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross in that rescue, and we strongly support the five convoys that the United Nations has sent to besieged areas. But we are concerned that attacks on the plant have reportedly resumed, with civilians still inside, and we will be following this situation closely. What we truly need is unhindered access throughout Ukraine so that the United Nations and its partners can reach everyone in need, and people of all nationalities can flee to safety.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“Russia is spreading pure disinformation. The truth is well known. Russia is the only perpetrator of this war. So, it is hard to understand why some Council members continue to call on all parties to desist. Let us call a spade, a spade. Members should call on Russia, explicitly, to stop its aggression against Ukraine. We have imagery that confirms the presence of mass graves in Bucha, and that is not just an unverified accusation on social media. It is a horrifying fact, one the world must now reckon with. Russia alone started this war, and Russia alone can end it. Silence the guns, withdraw from Ukrainian territory and embrace diplomacy. Recently, the eyes of the world have been trained on Mariupol, where hundreds of civilians have been taking shelter in a steel plant besieged by Russian forces.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“We have seen Russia brutalize civilian populations and attack thousands of civilian-used buildings, structures and vehicles, apartment buildings, schools, shopping malls, markets, cafés, trams, heating plants, grain silos, food storage facilities, hospitals, orphanages and a maternity ward. The list goes on. Russia has lied to the Security Council repeatedly with a wild string of conspiracy theories and disinformation, every falsehood more ridiculous than the last. Three months ago, Russian representatives told the Security Council they had no intention to invade Ukraine. Now Russia claims the attacks are not real or never happened. Russia has even claimed that Ukraine is attacking itself, that it bombed its own buildings, attacked its own people and assaulted its own democracy. Those lies defy all logic, all evidence and common sense.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“That string of attacks culminated on 28 April when Russia had the audacity to attack Kyiv while the Secretary-General was there to discuss humanitarian aid and peace. Russia has violated the Charter of the United Nations. Russia has ignored our unified, global call to end this war. The message we continue to hear loud and clear from Moscow is that Russia does not respect or believe in the United Nations or its Charter and will not be a responsible actor in the international system. Over the past 10 weeks — just 10 weeks — we have seen Russia continue to wage an unprovoked war against a smaller neighbour.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“There are no signs that Russia’s war against Ukraine is abating. Russia’s forces may have abandoned their attempt to capture Kyiv, but Russia continues to conduct missile strikes against Kyiv and terrorize citizens across Ukraine. Independent media reports have laid out a deadly pattern of attacks in the past two weeks. On 23 April, reports indicate that Russian missile strikes killed civilians in Odesa, including a three-month-old girl. Then, Russian missiles hit a thermal power plant and oil refinery in Kremenchuk the next day. The day after that, Russian forces attacked five railway stations across Ukraine. The following day, two rockets flew dangerously close to a nuclear power plant, posing colossal safety risks to the region.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States. First, let me sincerely thank the Secretary-General for his remarks and for his update from the region. I am so glad that he has returned to us safe and sound, and I know that he must be jet-lagged after his trip practically around the world. But his being at this meeting shows us the commitment that he has to this institution. I also thank Under-Secretary-General Griffiths and High Commissioner Bachelet for their remarks. And I thank our civil society briefer, Tetiana Luzan, for joining us at this late hour for her and for her powerful testimony today. I welcome the representative of Ukraine, as well as His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and other speakers who are with us today.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“I thank Ms. Luzan for her briefing. I would like to draw the attention of speakers to paragraph 22 of presidential note S/2017/507, which encourages all participants in Council meetings to deliver their statements in five minutes or less, in line with the Security Council’s commitment to making more effective use of open meetings. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its the agenda. I wish to warmly welcome His Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres, to whom I now give the floor.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine to participate in this meeting. On behalf of the Council, I welcome His Excellency Mr. Piotr Gliński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Ms. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Ms. Tetiana Luzan, Advocacy Coordinator at Right to Protection. Mr. Griffiths, Ms. Bachelet and Ms. Luzan are joining today’s meeting via video-teleconference.”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Council, to thank Her Excellency Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom, for her service as President of the Council for the month of April. I would also like to express the Council’s appreciation to Ambassador Woodward and her team for the skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”
2022-05-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9027 (2022) · source
“Greater political will by the parties to support the mission on this issue will make a difference. We urge engagement with the local communities to facilitate the smooth functioning of UNISFA, the JBVMM and the redeployment of UNISFA to the vacated team sites. We also call on the Sudan to allow the mission access to Athony airfield. This is a matter of peacekeeper safety and security, and it is absolutely fundamental that UNISFA have the ability to provide medical or casualty evacuations if needed. The United States looks forward to working constructively with the Council to renew UNISFA’s mandate. We will continue to partner with all Council members, the Governments of the Sudan and of South Sudan, the people of the region, and all stakeholders to work towards the peace, security and prosperity of the region.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“So often we hear that the local populations have unrealistic expectations of United Nations peacekeepers because they do not fully understand the mission’s mandate. Additional community dialogue and intercommunal reconciliation efforts will improve trust and help prevent violence before it erupts. But this cannot happen if the United Nations mission is stonewalled in doing its work. UNISFA has still not been able to return to the team sites it had to abandon last year. Local communities have threatened the mission, restricted its freedom of movement and demanded its withdrawal. This is simply unacceptable. This makes it difficult for the mission to support the functioning of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) in this area, as the Security Council mandated it to do.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“That is essential to addressing security in Abyei. United Nations police have a central role in engaging local communities in their patrols and through awareness campaigns, including on gender-based violence. That underscores the mission’s need for more police to address criminality and a civilian deputy head of mission to strengthen dialogue with the parties, including on establishing the joint police service. We once again reiterate our call for the Sudan to issue visas for United Nations personnel and a civilian deputy head of mission, as mandated by the Security Council in 2019. UNISFA should also further its support of community dialogue and intercommunal reconciliation through outreach to local peace committees and to those who do not always understand what the mission actually does.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“We regret that there have been no meetings of any joint institutions or mechanisms, including of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, since the last time the Council was briefed on the situation in Abyei last year (S/PV.8887). It is simply unacceptable to resign ourselves to the status quo. To that end, we urge the appointment of a civilian deputy head of mission for UNISFA, which would enable the mission to better support the parties in their endeavour. The United States welcomes the engagement by the African Union to move us towards a solution. Secondly, we are deeply concerned by the recent violent clashes in Abyei in February and March, and we thank the mission for quickly reacting to restore order and increasing patrols. Going forward, we must improve community relations on the ground.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“While the mission is undergoing its reconfiguration into a new multinational force, UNISFA remains dedicated to carrying out its critical mandate to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Still, we know there is a great deal of work ahead of us. Today, therefore, I would like to discuss the need for renewed diplomatic engagement in Abyei, the work United Nations peacekeepers must do to address violence and disinformation and the importance of UNISFA forces having the access they need to complete their mission. First, let us be crystal clear: the long-term solution to this conflict can be worked out only through diplomacy. We encourage all parties to renew diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful and mutually acceptable resolution of Abyei’s final status.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“Let me start by thanking Under-Secretary- General Lacroix for sharing his update on the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) today. I also want to thank Special Envoy Tetteh and congratulate her on the assumption of her new position. We look forward to working with her in the course of activities on the Horn of Africa. As we prepare to consider UNISFA’s mandate before 15 May, we are grateful to hear how UNISFA has been dealing with all of the changes in the mission and recent developments in Abyei. I would also like to take this moment to welcome the presence of representatives of the Sudan and South Sudan here today. On behalf of the United States, I would like to voice our continued strong support for UNISFA, and I thank its personnel for their invaluable service in support of peace, security and stability in Abyei.”
2022-04-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9020 (2022) · source
“Let us therefore show the world what we have learned from decades of addressing refugee crises and humanitarian situations. Let us show the world that when Russia provoked the worst refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, the rest of the Security Council and the United Nations stepped up and helped those most in need.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“Supporting countries, partner organizations and United Nations agencies need to coordinate to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help the countries on the front lines of this refugee crisis and the millions of people fleeing violence. Yesterday the Secretary- General called for a humanitarian pause to enable humanitarian corridors to open. Every day I am asked if the United Nations and even the Security Council are irrelevant to the crisis. We know that the world is looking to the United Nations and wondering how to respond in the wake of Russia’s unconscionable actions. Supporting refugees and the countries taking them in is one of the most powerful and immediate ways that we all can help, and it is so important to ensure that the United Nations plays a key role in that.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“The United States is proud to be providing support for those important protection initiatives, both in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries such as Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. To that end, on my trip to the region, I announced $50 million in additional assistance to Moldova, much of which went to border management and anti-trafficking efforts. With so many lives on the line, we must all increase our vigilance and support for such initiatives, as well as resources for survivors and accountability for those who exploit the most vulnerable. We cannot let the world’s most nefarious actors take a horrific situation and make it worse. At the same time, we need to work together.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“Because refugees and other displaced people have limited access to resources and employment and often lack proper identification documents, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, violence and human trafficking. As we emphasized last week (see S/PV.9013), 90 per cent of this refugee population are women and children. They are at immense risk of being trafficked and exploited and experiencing gender-based violence, and we must do everything we can to mitigate those risks. I know that some countries, such as Poland and Romania, are conducting targeted awareness campaigns and are also taking specific preventive measures such as instituting checks at the border and facilitating access to shelter and transportation.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“I was particularly moved by the story of one, a young woman by the name of Blessing Oyeleke. She was a 25-year-old medical student from Nigeria who escaped Ternopil. Blessing had lived in Ukraine for five years, and she told reporters that coming to Ukraine was like a dream come true for her. One does not have to be a citizen of Ukraine to have one’s dreams dashed or one’s heart split in half. We are therefore beyond grateful to the countries that have shown such generosity and hospitality and let in all those who are fleeing for their lives. Finally, as Director General Vitorino made clear, we also need to address the threat of human trafficking.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“As we do everything we can to support Ukrainian refugees, all of us need to provide just as much support, protection and grace to the many third-country nationals fleeing Ukraine. As I have said before, refugees are refugees, no matter their background, their race, their religion or the country they come from. Regardless of their age, their abilities, their nationality, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity or creed, refugees are refugees, period. Upholding the human rights of those in need is a paramount concern, and I am proud that my Government has contributed to these efforts. National Geographic recently highlighted some of the stories of the refugees fleeing Ukraine, featuring some of the thousands of Africans, many of whom were students living in Ukraine, who had to flee the country.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“When I visited Moldova and Romania, I saw for myself just how difficult and disruptive it can be for societies to integrate so many refugees in such a short period of time. But I speak on behalf of many when I say that they have given us all hope for humanity. They have shown the world what it means to be gracious, hospitable, generous and kind — and what it means to be a good neighbour. I am so glad that many refugees from Ukraine are now being hosted by other European Union countries. That greatly alleviates the impact for all. For its part, the United States is welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians, and we are funding efforts to support all those who have fled Ukraine.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“As of the latest count, 5 million refugees have left Ukraine in search of safety. Of course, the number of people internally displaced in Ukraine is even greater. And, yes, these numbers are alarming. Today I would like to focus on what we can do to help both refugees and those front-line countries protecting people searching for safety. I want to start by thanking the countries that have initially taken in the vast majority of refugees: Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. These front-line countries deserve our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for their service and their sacrifice. They have opened their borders and their hearts to the people of Ukraine, and they have not just done the right thing, but they have also done the hard thing.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“I would also like to thank Deputy High Commissioner Clements and Director General Vitorino for their informative briefings on the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Right now, their agencies and non-governmental organization partners are doing such important life-saving work. Their teams are putting their own lives on the line as they work to assist others. We were heartbroken to hear about the Caritas Internationalis staff members who were killed in Mariupol. I met with the Caritas staff when I was in the region, and I saw the life-saving work they were doing. Their deaths are tragic and unacceptable. Humanitarian aid workers do save lives. They are impartial, and they should be protected, not shelled indiscriminately. As we have heard, Russia’s unprovoked, unconscionable war keeps generating new sobering milestones.”
2022-04-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9018 (2022) · source
“There is only a political and diplomatic settlement, and the Yemeni people are counting on our support to achieve success.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“We welcome last month’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and the Houthis, which provides for the transfer of FSO SAFER’s oil to a sound vessel, on an urgent basis, while a replacement export capacity is identified. In advance of a pledging conference in May, our Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is traveling in the region with United Nations Resident Coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly, to encourage financial and in-kind support for emergency efforts to avert a spill from the vessel. We have not had this much momentum in Yemen in a long time. It is critical that we continue to help the parties seize this hopeful moment, preserve the gains being made and lock in steps that can prevent a return to fighting. There is no military solution to this terrible conflict.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“The United States urges all countries to contribute more before it is too late. We also applaud Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for contributing $1 billion each to support the Central Bank of Yemen and an additional $1 billion in Saudi support for fuel imports and development projects. It is imperative that those funds be disbursed promptly to help stabilize the economy and facilitate the implementation of projects that will benefit the people of Yemen. But let us make no mistake — economic support is not a substitute for humanitarian support, and they are both essential to Yemen’s prosperity. Finally, now is the time to defuse the ticking time bomb that is the FSO SAFER. We are optimistic about the United Nations-coordinated effort to address the situation, but the need for funding and regional cooperation is urgent.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“The World Food Programme’s March report identified Yemen as one of the country’s most affected by wheat price increases and lack of imports from Ukraine. That is just another grim example of the ripple effect Russia’s unprovoked, unjust and unconscionable war is having on the world’s most vulnerable. Tragically, the World Food Programme has already had to reduce rations for some of the 8 million Yemenis who are food insecure. This is a moment for the world to step up. We welcome the Saudi announcement of a $300-million contribution to the United Nations humanitarian response plan, and the United States was pleased to announce a $585-million contribution just last month. Still, more help is needed as food shortages grow and prices rise. The United Nations appeal remains less than 40 per cent funded.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“We urge the parties to adhere to their agreement to halt all offensive military operations inside Yemen and across its borders and to freeze their positions on the ground. Already, we are aware of troubling reports of continued ground fighting. We call for restraint and for the parties to work through the United Nations to address their concerns, rather than resorting to accusations in the media. A durable end to the conflict will require all parties to engage in order to reach a compromise and choose dialogue over violence. That is the task ahead. While there is cause for optimism, millions of Yemenis still suffer from the ravages of war. Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine has made an already precarious food insecurity situation in Yemen even worse.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“We appreciate the recent talks hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which provided an opportunity for Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue. This has brought diverse members of Yemeni society together to discuss reforms and other initiatives that can strengthen governance, stabilize the economy and improve the lives of Yemenis, and in doing so, the GCC-hosted talks can also help bolster the United Nations-led peace process. This truce opens a window of opportunity for long-term and sustainable peace — peace that the people of Yemen desperately need. The party should turn their efforts to securing a lasting end to fighting and to participating in an inclusive, United Nations- led political process.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“Crucially, there are indications that access to food and other supplies will increase, thanks to the movement of fuel ships into the Al-Hudaydah ports in preparation for resuming commercial flights to and from Sana’a airport. The parties should continue to negotiate in good faith to discuss opening key roads to Taiz and other locations. Easing the flow of goods and people will reduce the suffering of millions of Yemenis. The United States also welcomes the announcement of the formation of the Government of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and of its support for the United Nations negotiated truce and broader peace efforts. We support the Yemeni people’s aspirations for an effective, democratic and transparent Government that includes diverse political and civil society voices, including those of women and other marginalized groups.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Grundberg and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths for their briefings and ongoing efforts. We are witnessing a moment of hope for Yemen — an opportunity to finally bring peace to a country and a people that have suffered for far too long. Today, I will outline the progress we are seeing on the ground and the work still ahead. First, the United States applauds the parties’ public endorsement of Special Envoy Grundberg’s call for a two-month truce. That is a hopeful first step. Movement towards a comprehensive ceasefire will require concerted efforts by the parties and the support of the Council to hold the parties accountable. We are also encouraged by the Special Envoy’s visit to Sana’a and hope that this is another example of the peace process moving forward.”
2022-04-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9017 (2022) · source
“As late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright used to say, democracy is a parent to peace and common sense tells us that true democracy is not possible without the full participation of women. Let us therefore make democracy possible. Let us build those just an inclusive societies. And in the meantime, let us hold perpetrators accountable, take a survivor-centred approach and integrate gender equity in everything we do. As Nadia said, survivors do not want our pity; they want justice. All of the women who spoke today made recommendations to us. Let us pay homage to them and follow their lead.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“We need to advance gender-sensitive early warning and response and we must persevere in our promotion of the meaningful participation of women in decision-making roles, especially in conflict prevention and resolution and peacekeeping processes. When we integrate women and girls into atrocity prevention efforts, we do more to prevent those atrocities. It is that simple. In the long term, the best defence against conflict- related sexual violence is an equal and just society — one in which all women and girls enjoy respect for their human rights, we enjoy equal protection under the law, we have timely access to justice and we have the educational opportunities we all deserve.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“Centring our support around survivors while securing justice for them is the clearest and most powerful way to empower survivors to become agents of peace and voices of change, as we see from our colleague, Ms. Murad, across this room. I once again thank Nadia very much for bringing her voice to us today. Thirdly and finally, because all gender-based violence is rooted in gender inequality, we must advance the empowerment of women and girls in all of their diversity. To that end, the United Nations and all Member States should apply conflict-sensitive and participatory gender analysis to our interventions and work. We need to ensure that we are addressing the underlying societal norms and power relations that, when combined with weak or absent State institutions, lead to gender-based violence.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“It makes reconciliation more likely and it makes inclusive and democratic transitions possible. Secondly, we must defend and empower survivors through a survivor-centred approach. That means listening to survivors, responding to their unique needs and providing the resources and legal support they ask for and need. We have learned just how important it is to create a supportive environment to avoid re-traumatizing those who have experienced conflict- related sexual violence and to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. When we provide survivors with the resources they need to heal and to recover, we help them tremendously and we help break the silence and the stigma surrounding sexual violence in conflict, as well.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“We must explore ways to use the diplomatic tools we have, both as individual Member States and as a collective, to do everything we can to ensure that perpetrators do not get away with these acts of conflict- related sexual violence. That means strengthening quality, ethical and effective documentation efforts. We caution against any action that would duplicate or dilute the efficacy of our existing Security Council mandates and legal frameworks. We have the tools we need — we just need to use them. We cannot let ourselves get distracted from the urgency of accountability, especially in settings where we continue to receive reports of conflict-related sexual violence. After all, holding perpetrators accountable is not only the right thing to do. It deters others from enacting this violence in future. It strengthens the rule of law.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“The Council has spent a great deal of time discussing those issues and noting them with great concern. Well, now it is time for us to act. As we heard today, expressions of concern are not enough. First, we and all Governments need to hold perpetrators accountable. We must do more as a global community to actually implement the international commitments that we have all agreed to, as Ms. Patten said to us today. Governments, instead of denying these acts, must acknowledge them and they must address them. They have to stop intimidating victims, silencing their voices, silencing those who raise concern and advocate for them and hold those responsible, accountable.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“As I heard today’s briefers, I was recalling attending meetings in the early nineties with Somali women who were victims of violence in Somalia and hearing their horrific stories of rape and their plea to all of us to support them. And here we are today, hearing those same pleas from today’s briefers. The same acts of violence are still being committed around the world today. And women, like those Somali women that I spoke to in the 1990s, are sitting here listening to us today. On Monday, we outlined the threats to women and girls in Ukraine from Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war (see S/PV.9013). We cannot forget or look away from the way rape and sexual violence have been used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia, Syria and other conflicts around the world.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source
“I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this very important discussion today. I also want to thank Special Representative Patten for her remarks. The United States is proud to support the important work of the Special Representative’s Office. Most of all, I would like to thank the three briefers for sharing their powerful stories. Their courage and their strength are an inspiration to all of us. As we all know, sexual violence is a horrific and deliberate tactic in conflict. It is used to terrorize, to destabilize and to break communities and people down. Its impact ripples out far beyond survivors, and it fuels instability. Unfortunately, this unspeakable practice is not new.”
2022-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9016 (2022) · source