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

“In the meantime, we commend Iraqi security forces for their brave fight against ISIS and will continue to support Iraq in that effort, in line with our strategic framework agreement. The United States looks forward to working with the new Government, once it has formed, to strengthen our strategic partnership on our many shared interests, including economic reform and anti-corruption measures. Inclusive and transparent institutions and systems, including the judiciary, are critical to the next Government’s formation and to Iraq’s future. I was proud to see Iraq participate in the Summit for Democracy in December. Now it is time for Iraq’s leaders to meet those commitments and set an example for the world.”
2022-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8975 (2022) · source
“After electoral and judicial authorities confirmed the vote tallies and adjudicated challenges, the Federal Supreme Court in December ratified the election results, thereby paving the way for Iraq to proceed with forming a new Government. As a result of those polls, an historic number of women and members of religious and ethnic minority groups won seats. Reformist newcomers have established themselves as a new force in Iraqi politics. Democracy has gained a stronger foothold in Iraq. Now it is time for Iraq’s leaders to come together and form an inclusive Government — one capable of and committed to addressing the aspirations of the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people need a Government of that kind because they need security. We have seen that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) remains bent on using violence to wreak havoc.”
2022-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8975 (2022) · source
“Before and after polling, the Iraqi people rejected violence intended to coerce and intimidate politicians, election authorities, journalists, women and activists. They rebuffed attempts by some to restore old power structures. They stayed strong in solidarity for democracy. The attack on the residence of Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi in November was the most visible attempt to thwart the democratic process and nullify the election results amid repeated threats of violence directed against Iraqi citizens working to safeguard Iraq’s democracy. Despite all those threats, the Independent High Electoral Commission, with assistance from UNAMI, implemented a secure, technically sound voting and counting process, monitored by international observers.”
2022-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8975 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Representative Hennis- Plasschaert for her briefing and ongoing leadership on this critical file. We truly appreciate the support of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to Iraq’s peace and stability. I welcome the Permanent Representative of Iraq to today’s meeting. The United States again congratulates the Iraqi people on successfully holding free and fair parliamentary elections in October that were largely peaceful. That is a testament to the Iraqi people and their desire for transparent and good governance. We remain hopeful that those elections will yield a Government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people and responds to their urgent needs.”
2022-02-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8975 (2022) · source
“In my remarks tonight, I said that we predicted Russia’s false flag attacks — the misinformation, the theatrical emergency meetings and the cyberattacks. But one piece had not come to pass. Unfortunately, while we have been meeting in the Security Council tonight, it appears that President Putin has ordered that last step. At the exact time that we are gathered in the Council seeking peace, Putin delivered a message of war, in total disdain for the responsibility of the Council. This is a grave emergency. The Council will need to act, and we will put a draft resolution on the table tomorrow. As President Biden said tonight, “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“This morning he warned us all that: “no one will be able to sit out this crisis if Putin decides that he can move forward with his aggression against Ukraine. Your Governments and your people will face painful consequences together with our Government and our people.” (A/76/PV.58) He is right. History tells us that, and we must confront this threat head on — in the Council, in the United Nations and in our capitals. The people of Ukraine are counting on us. Let us not let them down.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“We will do so despite a reckless, irresponsible permanent member of the Security Council abusing its powers to attack its neighbour and subvert the United Nations and our international system. This morning, in the General Assembly, we saw dozens of leaders from across the globe stand up to defend the Charter of the United Nations and Ukraine against Russia’s brazen attacks. We were proud to stand with them. Today I had the opportunity to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba. Many of those gathered here now were in the General Assembly Hall this morning when Foreign Minister Kuleba received enthusiastic and overwhelming applause after his remarks. Since he could not be here this evening, I would like to conclude by echoing his words.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“Russia is bypassing it entirely and taking matters into its own hands. That undermines the institution and everyone who participates in it. The United States, Ukraine, its allies and partners across Europe, United Nations officials and every other member of the Security Council have all repeatedly implored Russia to engage at the diplomatic table. Instead, tonight Russia has brought its people, the Ukrainian people and the world to the brink of a conflict that will produce an untold amount of human suffering. I said it in the General Assembly this morning (see A/76/PV.58), and I will say it again tonight — every day, Russians should be asking themselves right now how many Russian lives Putin will sacrifice for his cynical ambitions. Responsible members of the Security Council will stand together, and we will stand with Ukraine.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“We are here tonight because we believe the rest is imminent. Now, over the past few weeks, Russia has called our predictions hysterical. Russia has said that we were lying. Russia has said that we were supplying the world with misinformation. Russia’s diplomats have even laughed in the face of the human suffering that we were sounding the alarm about, but what we said would happen has come to pass for all the world to see. Let us therefore be clear. Not all parties are culpable here. Calling for both sides to de-escalate only gives Russia a pass. Russia is the aggressor here. Russia’s attack on Ukraine is tantamount to an attack on the United Nations and every Member State in the Chamber tonight. The Security Council is charged with adjudicating threats to peace and security.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“No one could have predicted just how dangerous, inciting and far-reaching President Putin’s speech would be, with Putin arguing for taking the world back in time to an era of empires and colonies. Finally, we said the attack would come next and that we could expect communications to be jammed and cyberattacks to shut down key Ukrainian institutions. Last week, we attributed to Russia denial-of-service attacks against Ukrainian banks, and we saw similar activity this morning, targeting Government sites as well. And, in the last few hours, we have received very concerning reports of destructive malware placed on hundreds of computers and executed on at least some. After that, we said, would come the bombs, the missiles, the soldiers and the tanks. Already, soldiers have been deployed to the occupied region of Ukraine.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“We all saw that on Monday, with the State-televised Russian Security Council meeting held by President Putin — an orchestrated moment in which the Russian Government decided to recognize as “independent States” sovereign territory of Ukraine controlled by Russia’s proxies since 2014. Russia literally violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on live television before the world. We said that false proclamations would come declaring that Russia would need to defend Russian- speakers in Ukraine. We got that and much more from President Putin’s speech on Monday and during the speech of the Russian Ambassador before the General Assembly today.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“And we are here for one reason and one reason only — to ask Russia to stop, return to its borders, send its troops, tanks and planes back to their barracks and hangars, and send its diplomats to the negotiating table. It should back away from the brink before it is too late. Last week, the United States informed the Security Council and the world (see S/PV.8968) about what we expected to see unfold. We said that Russia would manufacture a pretext for an attack. We have since seen numerous false-flag events staged along the lines of contact in Donbas. We said Russia would theatrically convene emergency meetings at the highest levels of the Russian Government.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“I thank the Secretary-General for his strong stance and powerful remarks today before the General Assembly (see A/76/PV.58) and for his remarks tonight. A few moments ago, I spoke to President Biden, who asked me to convey in the strongest possible terms his and our steadfast support for Ukraine and for the urgent meeting the Security Council has convened tonight. Furthermore, he asked me to share that the United States and its allies and partners will continue to respond to Russia’s actions with unity, clarity and conviction. We are here tonight because we believe, along with Ukraine, that a full-scale, further invasion into Ukraine by Russia is imminent. Tonight, we are seeing the Russians close airspace, move troops into Donbas and move forces into combat-ready positions. This is a perilous moment.”
2022-02-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8974 (2022) · source
“The United States remains a committed partner of the Central African Republic, and we look forward to working with it to realize the promise of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, the republican dialogue and the country’s first local elections in 34 years.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“We commend the Government of the Central African Republic for its decision to lift immunity for the political opposition, and we welcome further progress towards the organization of an inclusive republican dialogue process. To further prepare for local elections in September, we call on the Government of the Central African Republic to launch and staff the Cadre de concertation and to implement the April 2020 decentralization law. That is an opportunity for the newly appointed Prime Minister, Félix Moloua, whom I want to congratulate here today.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“We are deeply concerned by reports that FACA and Wagner Group forces continue to target predominantly Muslim communities in their military operations. That poses grave risks to the country’s delicate social fabric, and it contributes to further destabilization. That leads me to my third, and final, point: there is no military solution to the crisis in the Central African Republic. That point was aptly made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. The only durable way forward is through the full implementation of the 2019 peace agreement, justice for victims and inclusive political dialogue. To that end, we call upon the Government of the Central African Republic to abide by its 15 October ceasefire and immediately stand up and enforce a ceasefire monitoring mechanism.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“In particular, credible sources have reported that Wagner Group forces in the town of Aigbado massacred more than 30 unarmed civilians on 16 and 17 January, and that included over 20 execution-style killings. Those forces are committing horrific acts and trampling over the human rights that we have fought so hard to preserve, including for the people of the Central African Republic, who deserve to have their human rights respected. We call upon the Government of the Central African Republic to cooperate fully with MINUSCA and other partners to investigate all allegations transparently and hold those responsible for such heinous acts accountable. The initial steps taken by the special commission of inquiry, led by the Central African Republic’s Minister of Justice, are positive. Now is the time to follow through on the investigations.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“That is simply unacceptable. Together, as the Security Council, we must call on the Central African Republic and the Wagner Group to stop threatening and obstructing MINUSCA personnel and their work. That leads me to my second point: we must address and take on the threat to human rights that the Wagner Group forces pose. National defence forces and Wagner Group contractors, referred to as “other security personnel” in the report, perpetrated over 40 per cent of all violations documented during the reporting period. For that reason, we find it hard to even think about lifting an arms embargo where arms could be used against innocent citizens.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“I know that they have been under attack — both physically and with disinformation — and I condemn those attacks in the strongest terms. MINUSCA has done a significant job attempting to restore security to the Central African Republic. As the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/119) notes, its increased operations ousted armed groups in Boyo, as well as other areas. However, we must remain firm in supporting the peacekeepers whom we have collectively sent into harm’s way, call out those who are willing to harm them and hold those individuals and entities accountable. In particular, we must address the disturbing news from the Secretary-General’s report that the Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA), working with the Kremlin-supported Wagner Group, perpetrated 17 violations of MINUSCA’s status-of-forces agreement in the past four months.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“I visited the Central African Republic several times in my former position as Assistant Secretary for Africa. I am saddened that the situation in the Central African Republic continues not to significantly improve, but I look forward to working with the Foreign Minister and her Government towards a peaceful solution to the situation in the Central African Republic in the future. Today I would like to address three aspects of the situation in the Central African Republic: the work and safety of MINUSCA; the threat that Wagner Group forces pose to human rights in the Central African Republic; and progress towards a political solution to the conflict. First, let me start by saying thank you to the women and men of MINUSCA and to the troop- and police-contributing countries for their commitment to peace in the Central African Republic.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“I would like to start by thanking Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ndiaye, African Union Special Representative Matondo and Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Caholo for their comprehensive remarks. As Special Representative of the Secretary- General Ndiaye’s time comes to an end at the helm of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), we commend him for his leadership over the past three years, and we wish him well in his next chapter. We look forward to working with his successor to further strengthen and support MINUSCA in the future. I also welcome the participation of the Foreign Minister of the Central African Republic.”
2022-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8971 (2022) · source
“We continue to believe that the diplomatic table is the only place where responsible nations resolve their differences. That is the only place to preserve peace.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“President Biden issued an Executive Order today that will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions. Tomorrow the United States will take further measures to hold Russia accountable for this clear violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but we and our partners have been clear that there would be a swift and severe response were Russia to further invade Ukraine. In this moment, no one can stand on the sidelines. We must make it clear that an attack on Ukraine is an attack on the sovereignty of every United Nations Member State and the United Nations Charter, and that it will be met with swift and severe consequences.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“Other members of the Council — even those that often align with Russia on other matters — have been clear that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of every United Nations State Member, including Ukraine, should be respected and safeguarded, that this is a basic norm of international relations and that it embodies the purpose of the United Nations Charter. The sequence of events that Secretary Blinken spelled out for the Council last Thursday appears to be proceeding exactly as he predicted. Today President Putin has torn the Minsk agreements to shreds. We have been clear that we do not believe he will stop at that. In the light of President Putin’s latest actions, we must all stand up for the principles upon which the Organization was founded.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“If Russia invades Ukraine even further, we will see a devastating loss of life — unimaginable suffering. Millions of displaced people will create a refugee crisis across Europe. Nevertheless, Russia has declined repeated entreaties to state its intentions before the world, including by Secretary Blinken in the Security Council last Thursday (see S/PV.8968). President Putin is testing our international system; he is testing our resolve and seeing just how far he can push us all. He wants to demonstrate that through force, he can make a farce of the United Nations. We must act together in response to this crisis. Over the past few weeks, the world has heard the other 14 members of the Security Council speak with one voice, asking Russia to pursue diplomacy.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“But the rest of the world has moved forward. It is not 1919. It is 2022. The United Nations was founded on the principle of decolonization, not recolonization. And we believe that the vast majority of United Nations Member States and Security Council are committed to moving forward, not going back in time. The consequences of Russia’s actions will be dire — across Ukraine, across Europe and across the globe. In our past two meetings on Ukraine, I have mentioned that nearly 3 million Ukrainians need food, shelter and lifesaving assistance right now. The United Nations estimates that the humanitarian toll will expand significantly should Russia further invade. Already, Russian proxies dramatically increased shelling and artillery fire over the weekend, killing Ukrainian civilians and soldiers.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“Ukraine is in fact one of only four countries to have voluntarily surrendered their nuclear weapons. The United States and our allies have no intention of supplying nuclear weapons to Ukraine, and Ukraine does not want them. And then, President Putin asserted that Russia today has a rightful claim to all territories — all territories — from the Russian Empire; the same Russian Empire from before the Soviet Union, from over 100 years ago. That includes all of Ukraine. It includes Finland. It includes Belarus and Georgia and Moldova; Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Lithuania; Latvia, and Estonia. It includes parts of Poland and Turkey. In essence, Putin wants the world to travel back in time — to a time before the United Nations; to a time when empires ruled the world.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“Russia’s clear attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unprovoked. It is an attack on Ukraine’s status as a United Nations Member State. It violates a basic principle of international law. And it defies our Charter. What is more, this move by President Putin is clearly the basis for Russia’s attempt to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine. The consequences of this action will be felt far beyond Ukraine’s borders. We do not have to guess at President Putin’s motives. Today President Putin made a series of outrageous, false claims about Ukraine, aimed at creating a pretext for war, and immediately thereafter announced that Russian troops were entering the Donbas. He claimed that Ukraine is seeking nuclear weapons from the West. This is not true.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“Since the Second World War, the Charter of the United Nations Charter — the key tenets of which the Council is mandated to uphold — has stood as a bulwark to the worst impulses of empires and autocrats. Earlier today, Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, announced that Russia will recognize as “independent States” the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, the sovereign territory of Ukraine, an area controlled by Russia’s proxies since 2014. He has since announced that he will place Russian troops in these regions. He calls them peacekeepers. This is nonsense. We know what they really are. In doing so, he has put before the world a choice. We must meet the moment and we must not look away. History tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path.”
2022-02-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8970 (2022) · source
“We must build on our momentum to increase donor coordination and cooperation and to support efforts to improve the security situation in Haiti. BINUH serves an essential and ongoing role in Haiti. Let us continue to work together to provide the Haitian people with the support that they need and deserve.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“The Haitian National Police requires financial support; it requires equipment, training and consistent leadership. That will ensure its continued professionalization and strengthen its capacity to tackle gangs and improve citizen security. But as the Secretary-General’s report notes, policing alone cannot tackle Haiti’s security problems. The international community must continue broader efforts to support the rule of law in Haiti. We must provide support not just for law enforcement but also for the judiciary and for community violence reduction initiatives to help Haiti to create a functioning criminal justice system. We look forward to the release of the Secretary- General’s assessment of the BINUH mandate in April.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“We thank those countries that participated and reiterate how crucial it is that international contributions match Haiti’s critical needs. All of those conferences and gatherings demonstrate the international community’s concern for and commitment to Haiti. Haiti does not stand alone. The renewal of BINUH’s mandate will reaffirm our shared commitment to stand with the Haitian people as they work to address the ongoing political and security crises. There is much to be concerned about. Last year’s gang activity grew rapidly. And as we heard from the Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Haitians have been subjected to killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and forced displacement. Those responsible for these horrific acts must be held accountable.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“We all agreed that concrete and rapid steps must be taken to strengthen the Haitian National Police, and we all agreed on the need for political dialogue among all sectors of Haitian society. As members heard from Special Representative of the Secretary-General La Lime, that is essential to reaching agreement on a path to free and fair elections when conditions permit. As the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/117) notes, Canada hosted a ministerial-level meeting on Haiti in January, with 19 States and several multilateral organizations in attendance. In a statement issued after the meeting, Canada emphasized “the importance of strengthening international support and the coordination of international assistance”. Just this week, the Haitian Government held a reconstruction conference.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Representative of the Secretary-General Helen La Lime for her briefing on the situation in Haiti and for the tireless work done by her and her team in Haiti. The United States commends the efforts of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) to help Haiti through this most difficult period. As the Secretary-General’s team conducts its assessment of BINUH’s mandate, and as we look forward to a renewal in July, the situation in Haiti demonstrates just how vital the ongoing support of the United Nations remains. Over the past two months, the international community has demonstrated its commitment to addressing Haiti’s security situation as well as its political and economic challenges. In December, the United States convened a senior-level meeting with Haiti and its international partners.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“We call for Russia to cease confrontation and accept our invitation to dialogue. We will look forward to engaging at the negotiating table to discuss the response that the Russians sent to us this morning. I will end by saying what Secretary Blinken said today. He did not come here to promote war. He came here to prevent war and find a way to a peaceful solution.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“I had hoped that we would have heard from our Russian colleagues a response to Secretary Blinken’s call for Russia to announce today, without equivocation, that it does not plan to invade Ukraine. Instead, it was a continuation of the disinformation and rhetoric we have heard before and continue to hear. The Secretary of State laid out the facts. He laid out the facts that we see on the ground. There are facts that we all see very clearly on the ground. What we all see is escalation, including the decision by the Russian Duma to call for recognition of a separatist movement, in total disdain for the Minsk agreements. As stated, I hope that this will not go any further. Let me just say clearly to all members who called for diplomacy: we will continue to intensify. We will continue to escalate our diplomatic efforts.”
2022-02-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8968 (2022) · source
“We look forward to engaging in good faith with our partners on the Council to advance a more productive and positive discourse on those issues.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“It is also why we are now working closely with the Secretariat to establish a reliable banking channel. We call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of its own people by respecting human rights, defunding its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles programme and prioritizing the needs of its own people, the vulnerable North Koreans. We must do more to help countries implement sanctions effectively; reinvigorate the work of the Security Council’s sanctions committees and expert panels, which monitor implementation and provide critical reporting on conflict situations; and better integrate sanctions measures into broader preventative diplomacy, peacebuilding and conflict resolution strategies.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Specifically on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Council heard from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in its December briefing to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) that the principal barrier to sending humanitarian assistance into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s self-imposed border closures — not international sanctions, as our colleagues have alleged today. The United States remains committed to addressing the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is why we have continued to support the 1718 (2006) Committee’s swift processing of sanctions exemptions for aid organizations.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“I recognize that Council members may have ideological differences over when and how to use sanctions, but at the same time all Council members have voted in favour of sanctions that we know will address global threats such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. We also all share the same commitment to ensure that those measures do not harm innocent civilians. Building on those areas of agreement, I hope that the Council can find a way to work together to advance those objectives and minimize efforts to undermine critically important tools.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“It is well-established that sanctions imposed by individual Member States or groups of Member States are consistent with international law. Widespread and long-standing State practice, whether by the United States, the European Union and its member States or numerous other Member States, demonstrates that the sanctions imposed by individual States are a lawful and effective tool to respond to a range of actions. Therefore, we fully support partners and regional organizations, such as the European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, that impose their own sanctions in response to threats. We often coordinate with those partners and regional organizations when deadlock prevents Security Council action.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Member States, including even those on the Security Council, sometimes prove unwilling to uphold the Charter of the United Nations by implementing their binding obligations. In such situations, the United States and many other countries in the world are prepared to use the legitimate regulations of our sovereign currencies and domestic financial systems as economic leverage to address urgent global challenges such as nuclear proliferation, human rights abuses and violations and corruption. We are concerned that some Council members and other Member States have used this discussion to criticize and delegitimize the sanctions imposed by individual Member States, with some even arguing that such sanctions are unlawful. The United States categorically rejects that position.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“They make it harder for the two to work as intended. We need to work together to fix that. When Member States wilfully ignore sanctions, ignore sanctions evasion activity or fail themselves to live up to the commitments we have all made to enforce those measures, they undermine the utility of those tools and the work of the Council itself. Meanwhile, it is the legal and moral right of individual Member States or other multilateral groups to impose sanctions on their own, where appropriate, to achieve those important ends. The United States, to be clear, far prefers to impose sanctions by multilateral means, such as the Security Council. But as we all know, often the Council can become deadlocked, undermining its ability to maintain international peace and security.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Together, we can use targeted sanctions to discourage attacks on humanitarian aid workers or organizations, medical workers and United Nations personnel. That includes using targeted sanctions to address attacks by paramilitary groups such as the Wagner Group, the actions of which curb access to the most vulnerable populations in humanitarian crises, exacerbate or prolong conflict and increase suffering. That leads me to my third and final point. Too often, the Security Council’s routine work on sanctions is blocked or undermined by our own members. Certain Council members have blocked critical designations of peace process spoilers, high-profile terrorists, human rights abusers and sanctions evaders. They have blocked the routine appointment of members of panels of experts on sanctions, including experts in humanitarian affairs.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Secondly, the Security Council should continue to use sanctions, when appropriate, to improve the lives of people in conflict zones, protect civilians and promote the peaceful resolution of disputes. We hear regularly from victims asking us to impose sanctions on human rights violators in their country. The key is to work together to ensure that those sanctions are effective. If done properly, sanctions can minimize suffering and counter political corruption, violence, abuse and repression. They can prevent weapons from falling into the hands of those who would use them to target civilians, while exemption procedures allow legitimate actors, such as host Governments, to secure the resources that they need.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Those individuals will argue that the people are being hurt, but the truth is that they are being hurt, and they are the ones responsible for hurting ordinary people. We welcome more Council discussions on this topic. We encourage the sanctions committees to monitor impediments to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and engage with non-governmental organizations and other aid providers — engagement that some Council members reject — to prevent and address any unintended impact of sanctions. In the meantime, the United States will remain in constant dialogue with its humanitarian partners, United Nations agencies and others on how to ensure that sanctions do not impact their work.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“In certain cases, humanitarian exemptions can strengthen sanctions by ensuring that their economic costs are more effectively targeted. We have routinely done that in the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006), on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in Yemen and in Somalia. Most recently, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2615 (2021), which the United States introduced in December to establish a humanitarian carveout for the Afghanistan sanctions regime. Such carveouts were important to help to ensure that life-saving humanitarian aid continued to flow to people in dire need. It ensures that the pain of sanctions is felt most acutely by the leaders, entities and individuals being targeted, not ordinary citizens or those trying to help them.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Today I want to outline three ways in which we can ensure that sanctions are effective and as targeted as possible: by committing to minimalizing unintended consequences; by working together as the Security Council to deploy sanctions when we know that it will help civilians; and by not undermining sanctions and exacerbating the situations that makes such measures necessary in the first place. First, we must do everything in our power to ensure that sanctions are effective and targeted and minimize unintended consequences. The United States is fully committed to that and to taking steps to protect the delivery of humanitarian aid. In fact, the United States led efforts in every instance in which the Security Council established a humanitarian carveout or a process for humanitarian exemptions to sanctions.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“They have slowed the development of certain capabilities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes. They constrain the resources of those who would spoil peace processes, threaten United Nations peacekeepers, commit atrocities and obstruct humanitarian assistance. Like any tool, sanctions can be used effectively or poorly, but that is a reason to deploy them carefully, not to condemn them entirely.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source
“Let me join others in welcoming you, Mr. President, to the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and I wish you the best success. I also want to take this opportunity to again thank Norway for a successful presidency during the month of January. I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths for their briefings and remarks. Sanctions are a potent tool and, as the Council heard from Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo, they can be a vital tool to deter and address threats to international peace and security and, ultimately, enhance the security of vulnerable civilians. They make it harder for terrorists to raise funds via international financial systems.”
2022-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8962 (2022) · source