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 fact, since acceding to the CWC in September 2013, the United Nations and the OPCW’s investigative mechanisms confirmed that Syria used chemical weapons against its own people in nine subsequent attacks. The Al-Assad regime has repeatedly lied to the international community and to the investigators examining the incidents. Syria has never provided a full accounting of its chemical-weapons programme, and despite its obligations under resolution 2118 (2013) to fully cooperate with the OPCW, it has repeatedly obstructed the OPCW’s work. For all those reasons, Al-Assad’s chemical-weapon attacks demand the Council’s continued attention. The Council cannot allow Al-Assad and his henchmen, who have killed thousands of people, to get away with those atrocities. To do so would endanger all of us.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“Piles of bodies lined the streets. The attack was a sickening milestone in the regime’s campaign of terror against the people of Syria. Less than a month later, and after broad international condemnation, the Al-Assad regime submitted its instrument of accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the United States and Russia adopted a framework for the complete destruction of the Syrian chemical-weapon programme. That was followed shortly thereafter by the Security Council’s adoption of resolution 2118 (2013). We now know that the regime never planned to comply with the CWC and that it wilfully hid chemical weapons from the OPCW.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“I thank Mr. Katoub for his briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United States of America. Let me start by thanking Mr. Ebo and the entire team at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for their leadership on this critical issue. I also deeply admire Mr. Katoub’s courage and his advocacy on behalf of the Syrian people. As Mr. Katoub detailed, 10 years ago, early in the morning of 21 August, the Al-Assad regime released sarin on Syrian civilians in the Ghouta district of Damascus. That brutal attack killed more than 1,400 people. Sadly, many of them were children. The world saw toddlers struggling to breathe and besieged first responders desperately trying to decontaminate their neighbours.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2023/508, which contains a letter dated 6 July 2023 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council, and document S/2023/558, which contains a letter dated 27 July 2023 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. I give the floor to Mr. Ebo.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic and Türkiye to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Adedeji Ebo, Deputy to the High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs; and Mr. Mohamad Katoub, Project Manager, IMPACT — Civil Society Research and Development. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda.”
2023-08-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9393 (2023) · source
“We must all urge Russia to cease its attacks on global food security and extend, expand and fully implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Furthermore, we must continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked illegal war against Ukraine. The Security Council cannot be silent. It is time to act. This is a pressing matter of international peace and security. The Ukrainian people need peace. The world needs peace. It is far past time for President Putin to silence his guns, withdraw his troops and end his brutal aggression.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“According to the United Nations, nearly two thirds of the wheat exported through this arrangement went to developing countries. Global food prices spiked to near record highs after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They rose again after the Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. And this past Monday, wheat prices spiked in response to Russia’s missile barrage against Odesa. The world is paying the price for Russia’s barbaric attacks, so let us not “both sides” this issue. Only one country — one country — is weaponizing food. Only one country is cynically using its grain as leverage in order to secure support from other countries, and only one country is responsible for the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“And as the Secretary-General has said, it has been a beacon of hope. We encourage him to continue his efforts to find a path forward to resuming the initiative. This initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye, lowered food prices for all. It has been critical to the World Food Programme’s humanitarian work in such places as Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. Further, the Black Sea Grain Initiative disproportionately benefited the developing world. As Mr. Khiari said, it was a lifeline to many. Russia will tell you otherwise. It will say that only Western countries benefited from this arrangement. But the facts are not on Russia’s side, and the Russians know it, which is why they have chosen not to speak in the Chamber today, which is another temper tantrum for not getting their way.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“One attack destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, which, according to the World Food Programme, is enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year. And on 23 and 24 July, Russia struck Ukrainian ports on the Danube, destroying grain-storage infrastructure at the port of Reni, just across the river from Romania. Russia’s attacks on Chernomorsk, a port that facilitates nearly 70 per cent of Ukrainian wheat exports to developing countries, caused damage that experts say will take at least a year to repair. Russia is hell-bent on preventing Ukrainian grain from reaching global markets, which is why it unilaterally suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Even though Russia never fully implemented the Initiative, that arrangement helped get food to those in need. This arrangement helped to get food to those in need.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“After Russia’s 19 July strike, Odesa’s city Government reported that one person died and eight people were injured, and this past Saturday, Russia’s attacks on Odesa killed one person and injured 22 others. My heart goes out to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the communities that have been rocketed by Russian missiles and drones and to the children who have endured so much needless suffering and violence. We all know Russia’s attacks have global consequences. These are attacks on the world’s food supply, on all who face hunger, malnutrition and famine, especially in parts of the world that can least afford it. Over the past week, the Russian military bombarded Odesa and other port cities.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his very sobering briefing. Earlier this morning, Russia wasted the Council’s time with another sham meeting (see S/PV.9385), and this one was cruelly ironic given that Russian forces destroyed Odesa’s historic Transfiguration Cathedral just this week with a targeted Russian missile. According to UNESCO, roughly 270 cultural sites have been damaged since President Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The loss of Ukrainian cultural heritage is staggering, and it is truly shameful. The attack on the historic Transfiguration Cathedral was just one of the many attacks that Russia has carried out in the Odesa region this week. The Kremlin’s campaign of brutality has been relentless, and the Ukrainian people are paying a heavy price.”
2023-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9386 (2023) · source
“The Council must remain deeply engaged on humanitarian matters in Syria. The United States is committed to doing just that. Special Envoy Pedersen asked us to stand up and meet the needs of the Syrian people, and that is exactly what we are trying to do. We will never waver in our support for the needs of the Syrian people.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“The United States is deeply saddened but not surprised by Special Envoy Pedersen’s briefing, which made clear that the political situation in Syria remains bleak. Make no mistake: the blame rests on Russia and the Al-Assad regime. Russia and the regime have put the Constitutional Committee on ice. They have rebuffed Special Envoy Pedersen’s efforts to launch a step-for-step process, and they have opposed or obstructed most efforts to advance other aspects of resolution 2254 (2015), including by voting against the General Assembly’s decision to create a new apolitical mechanism to address the fate of detainees and disappeared persons. The bottom line is this: given Syria’s shameful record, the Council cannot trust the Al-Assad regime to do the right thing on humanitarian access.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“We appreciate Under-Secretary-General Griffiths’ commitment to keeping the Council and donors apprised of the progress of his talks with the regime, and we are prepared for the Council to review any understanding he reaches to ensure it contains those elements. Anything less than what I have outlined today would necessitate the Council to seek a mandate to reauthorize the cross- border mechanism. More than 62,000 trucks full of life-saving aid — food, water, medicine and other essentials — have crossed into Syria since the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2165 (2014) in 2014. But today the humanitarian crisis has never been more dire. Twelve years of war and this year’s earthquake have pushed the Syrian people to the brink. The Syrian people are crying out for support and, more than anything, for peace.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Fourthly, the delivery of assistance must remain consistent with humanitarian principles, and the United Nations should maintain its ability to determine its allocation, including design and targeting, based solely on needs and consistent with the principles of neutrality and impartiality. Fifthly, any arrangement must maintain the cross- border monitoring operation originally established under resolution 2165 (2014) and avoid new reporting requirements for local partners or beneficiaries. All five of those elements are critical. They will bolster trust among donor nations and implementing partners, reaffirm that United Nations operations will be guided only by humanitarian principles, maintain and strengthen protections for partner and donor funding, and give humanitarian workers the predictability they need to save lives.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Secondly, it must maintain the whole-of-Syria response architecture. The United Nations should be able to continue to operate response hubs outside regime-held areas. And the regime should not interfere with access arrangements between the United Nations and local authorities in non-regime-held areas. Thirdly, access should be granted for as long as possible and must not lapse in the middle of winter. Guaranteed access is essential to providing the predictability and efficiency needed by donors, United Nations partners and the Syrian people. Given the overwhelming and persistent humanitarian needs in north-western Syria, there is no justification for short- term, ad hoc access guarantees.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“As Under-Secretary-General Griffiths continues to engage with the Al-Assad regime on the parameters of future United Nations operations, we must remember that the regime has a record of impeding United Nations humanitarian activities in Syria. We have seen that time and again for more than a decade. The unacceptable conditions and demands contained in the 13 July note verbale are consistent with that troubling record. And for that reason, the United States has joined other major donors in making it clear that any cross-border access arrangement must include five key elements. First, it must preserve the independence of operations. The United Nations should be allowed to engage with all parties on the ground, consistent with the way it delivers assistance around the world.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“Just today, reports indicate that Russia has carried out another round of attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure. Russia continues to wage war on the world’s food supply, which is having devastating consequences, especially for people in Syria and in countries across the Middle East and Africa. The Al-Assad regime’s announcement that it will allow United Nations aid deliveries through Bab Al-Hawa acknowledges the need for cross-border assistance, but it includes unacceptable restrictions that would hinder relief and put humanitarians, including United Nations personnel, at risk. I note that the regime’s opening of Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai did not include such restrictions. Additionally, the regime’s permission is for only six months, half the minimally necessary period recommended by the Secretary-General.”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“I thank Special Envoy Pedersen and Mr. Rajasingham for their briefings today. Over the past month, the Council has met several times on this issue, and we have done so because the humanitarian needs in Syria are so great and the stakes are so high. As we all know, the penholders, Brazil and Switzerland, made every effort to reach a compromise resolution on cross-border assistance, but one permanent member stood in the way of Council action. Let us be clear here. Russia is fully responsible for the lapse in United Nations cross-border deliveries of humanitarian assistance through Bab Al-Hawa. Russia refused to negotiate in good faith, and its veto was yet another reminder that Russia has little or no regard for the needs of vulnerable people (see S/PV.9371).”
2023-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9383 (2023) · source
“It is not too late for Moscow to reverse its decision and extend, expand and fully implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative. I want to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations and Türkiye for all they have done to try to keep this arrangement alive. The Council and all Member States must come together and urge Russia to resume negotiations in good faith and end this atrocious war in Ukraine for the good of the world’s most hungry and for the good of humankind.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“Russian exporters are already benefiting, while millions who cannot afford higher-priced grains are suffering, especially in the Middle East and Africa. Let us be clear. Russia has zero legitimate reasons to suspend its participation in the arrangement. It would have us believe that sanctions have blocked its exports. That could not be further from the truth. It was exporting more grain than ever before and at higher prices. Russia is simply using the Black Sea as blackmail. It is playing political games and holding humankind hostage. The United Nations and Türkiye have said publicly that they want the arrangement to continue. Ukraine has said publicly that it wants the arrangement to continue. The world clearly wants the arrangement to continue. The eyes of the world are now on Russia.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“The arrangement has brought stability to global food markets and lowered food prices for all. It has bolstered the World Food Programme’s humanitarian work in places like Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. And it has facilitated the export of 32 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs, which is the equivalent of 18 billion loaves of bread. We also know that more than two thirds of the food exports through the arrangement went to developing countries. The first ship that left the Black Sea under the arrangement brought grain to Lebanon, and since then, thanks to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, ships have brought food into ports across Africa and the Middle East, from the Sudan to Ethiopia and Libya. But the very day that Russia suspended its participation in the Initiative, global grain prices rose sharply.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“Its actions fly in the face of everything that the Council stands for. From the earliest days of its unprovoked illegal war against Ukraine, Russia has weaponized food. Russian forces have turned Ukraine’s rolling wheat fields into battlefields. They have spoiled fields with mines and bombs, and they have stolen and destroyed vital agricultural equipment and infrastructure. Moscow must cease its attacks on Ukraine’s agricultural land and infrastructure. Even when Russia was party to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, it refused to fully implement the arrangement and often obstructed ships full of food from leaving port. But despite that, the Initiative was making a real difference. It was helping to feed the world. That is not trivial, as some may try to make us believe.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“The United States has information that the Russian military may expand its targeting of Ukrainian grain facilities to include attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea. Our information also indicates that Russia has laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports. We believe that is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and blame Ukraine for them. After more than 500 days of President Putin’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine, it is easy to become numb to Russia’s campaign of cruelty. But we cannot become numb. This is not normal. It is not the behaviour of a responsible country and a Permanent Member of the Security Council. The Council is charged with maintaining international peace and security. But Russia has upended peace and security around the world.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“On Wednesday the Kremlin unleashed missiles and drones on Ukrainian ports, killing and wounding civilians and destroying 60,000 tons of grain — 60,000 tons — which, according to the World Food Programme, is enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year. This week, Russia also announced that all ships proceeding to Ukrainian ports in Black Sea waters will be considered potential carriers of military cargo, which could have been avoided with the inspections that were provided for under the Initiative. And reports indicate that just last night Russia carried out yet another round of attacks in the Odesa region. Russia is waging war on the world’s food supply. It is waging war on the poor at a time when needs are so dire. As we have heard, people are angry. And people will die.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“I thank Under-Secretaries-General Griffiths and DiCarlo for their sobering briefings. I also want to express our appreciation to Ecuador and France for calling for this important meeting. It seems that every single week, Russia stoops to a new low. Last week, Russia unilaterally blocked the compromise draft resolution (S/2023/506) that would have extended cross-border assistance to Syrians in dire need. And this week Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an arrangement that has helped feed the world’s most vulnerable, particularly people in the Middle East and Africa. We heard from one of our briefers that that is trivial. But we should ask the people who are receiving that aid if they think it is trivial.”
2023-07-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9382 (2023) · source
“And the United States will stand with them for as long as it takes, just as it will continue to stand up for the Charter of the United Nations and its principles as the basis for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“Over 140 Member States made clear that peace must be rooted in the United Nations Charter and in the fundamental principles of sovereignty, equality and the territorial integrity of States. But up to this point, Russia has shown no true interest in a just and durable peace. And as a result, the Ukrainian people continue to suffer, the world continues to suffer. I suspect — actually, I know — Russia will continue to follow its standard playbook and deny the truth about its war of aggression. It will continue to call bogus Council meetings and invite conspiracy theorists to brief us. It truly is shameful. But what cannot be denied is this: the Ukrainian people will continue to courageously defend their country.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“The security assistance, including weapons, that the United States and more than 50 other countries are providing is for Ukraine’s self-defence — self-defence to which Ukraine has an inherent right, as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The truth of the matter is this: Russia could end this war today by pulling out its troops. It is that simple. And this has been said by several of us in this Chamber. The United States refuses to give up on the urgency of peace, which is why, along with Ukraine and other Member States, we supported the General Assembly resolution that called for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” (General Assembly resolution ES-11/6). Russia tried to bully countries into voting against this resolution, but its efforts were in vain.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“These crimes have been well documented, and the international community has taken steps to hold those responsible to account, and there will be justice. On the night of the invasion, President Biden also said that the United States and our allies would respond in a united and decisive way, and this, too, has been borne out. We have stood united, never wavering in our support for Ukraine. Together, we have imposed sanctions on individuals and entities that provide political and economic support to Russia’s war efforts, and together we have provided and will continue to provide Ukraine with humanitarian and security assistance. We hear our Russian colleagues say that somehow this assistance is the reason the war continues. But, once again, Russia is trying to turn reality on its head.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“Russia’s forces have rained missiles down on Ukraine, causing unconscionable death and destruction. We have all seen the images of burned-out homes and schools and playgrounds. Russia’s forces have tortured civilians in detention, including through beatings, electrocution and mock executions. One woman I met in Kyiv could only share a portion of the horrors she experienced while in detention; it was still too raw, but the pain etched onto her face said it all. The United States has determined that members of Russia’s forces and other Russian officials have committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine: rape, summary executions, the deportation of Ukrainians, including children. The list goes on. Russia continues to deny these atrocities.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“And according to the United Nations, nearly two thirds of the wheat exported through this arrangement have gone to developing countries. As the Secretary-General said, “today’s decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere”. Of course, this decision follows Russia’s callous veto of a compromise draft resolution of the Security Council that would have extended life-saving assistance to Syrians in dire need (see S/PV.9371). In both cases, Russia’s cynicism is obstructing the will of the Security Council and the recommendations of the Secretary-General. We must all urge Russia to extend the cross-border mechanism into Syria and continue its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Over the past 500 days, Russia has waged a campaign of brutality on the Ukrainian people.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“Tragically, the world has watched this play out in horrifying detail in Ukraine and around the world. After all, the spillover effects of this needless war are profound. Just look at the harm Russia has done to the world’s food supply. By weaponizing food, Russia has exacerbated the global food security crisis, a crisis that disproportionately affects people in the Middle East and Africa. And today, in another act of cruelty, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was an arrangement that has brought stability to global food markets and lowered food prices for all. It has bolstered the World Food Programme’s humanitarian work in such places as Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing. As I prepared for today’s meeting, I thought back to the days leading up to President Putin’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was just over 500 days ago. For weeks, the United States, alongside many countries represented in this Chamber, had been sounding the alarm about Russia’s imminent invasion. But all Russia did was deny, deny, deny. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister told us to stop the hysteria. But only a few days later, we were all in this Chamber, in this very Council, when Russia launched its brutal war of aggression. That night, President Biden delivered a message that would prove prescient. He said that Putin’s war of choice “will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.”
2023-07-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9380 (2023) · source
“I would also like to highlight the Secretary-General’s recommendation that the Security Council systematically monitor conflict-related sexual violence and include it as a stand-alone criterion for targeted sanctions. We must all increase accountability within conflict-affected regions, and we can do so by strengthening documentation efforts, passing relevant national legislation and changing institutional culture. The Security Council has spent a great deal of time discussing these issues, but we cannot discuss away the crisis. It is time for us to act. The most vulnerable — those trapped in conflict zones who want nothing more than the chance to live in peace and who yearn for justice — are counting on us. We must commit to action, and we must do so with urgency.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“This also means listening to those who have experienced sexual violence in conflict and responding to their unique needs, which will help facilitate their recovery and legal remedies. And this means creating supportive environments where survivors’ rights are respected, retraumatization is avoided and survivors have the resources they need to thrive. Finally, we cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities. There must be accountability. We heard Nadine. We heard Hser Hser. We must use our diplomatic tools to reduce impunity for perpetrators and deter future acts of violence. The United States is committed to exercising existing authorities to impose economic sanctions and implement visa restrictions.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“The United Nations and its States Members must apply conflict-sensitive and participatory gender analysis to ensure our interventions address underlying inequities. These inequities, when combined with weak or absent State institutions, can lead to widespread gender-based violence. It is therefore on us to continue to promote the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in decision-making roles at all levels of conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding. Secondly, we must adopt a survivor-centred and trauma-informed approach. This means providing survivors with access to medical care, particularly clinical management of rape, psychosocial support, reproductive health services and legal support.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“In Myanmar, the bodies of women extrajudicially executed by the military have injuries consistent with sexual violence. And the report of the Secretary-General (S/2023/413) highlights the shocking number of sexual crimes committed by criminal and illegal armed groups in a host of other countries, including in Haiti, as we heard earlier today (see S/PV.9377). The international community must do more to address this profound crisis. We owe it to the courageous survivors who have come forward and to those who have been silenced by fear to take swift and meaningful action. First, we must recognize that gender-based violence is fundamentally rooted in gender inequality. We must take on harmful gender norms, and we must empower women and girls in all their diversity.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“Finally, let me add our strong support for her participation in this meeting; we object to Russian Federation’s personal attacks against her for amplifying the voices of women. The United States is deeply committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence and all other forms of gender-based violence. We know that in conflicts around the world, sexual violence is often used as a weapon of war. In Ukraine, contrary to Russian objections and insinuations, there is ample evidence and horrific reports of Russian soldiers deploying sexual violence against men, women and children, with victims ranging from age 4 to over 80. In the Sudan, girls on the way to school are sexually assaulted by the Rapid Support Forces militia and armed nomads.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“I thank the United Kingdom for its leadership in preventing conflict-related sexual violence and for providing this incredible opportunity for us today. In particular, Mr. President, I am grateful to you for sharing your experiences in dealing with this issue. I also want to thank today’s civil society briefers for their powerful messages, especially Special Representative Patten, whose remarks were compelling. From signing frameworks of cooperation to leading the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict network, the Special Representative and her team have made a real difference. We proudly support the mandate of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, including through financial support, which last year was over $2 million, and we encourage other Member States to back this important work.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9378 (2023) · source
“We look forward to BINUH’s engagement with the Government and other stakeholders to tackle the crises, which compound the ongoing security challenges. Let us be clear: our work is far from finished. The adoption of this resolution renewing the mandate is a positive step, but we must do more. The United States will continue to work with BINUH, the Haitian Government and the international community to drive progress forward and help the Haitian people to secure a more just and peaceful future. We urge all Council members and all Member States to join us.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9377 (2023) · source
“The resolution encourages Member States to provide security support to the Haitian National Police through the deployment of a specialized force, acknowledging Haiti’s repeated calls for help from the international community. The mandate renewal also asks the Secretary-General to submit a written report outlining all the ways in which the United Nations can enhance the security situation in Haiti. That includes the potential for a peacekeeping operation, police training or a non-United Nations multinational force. The United States looks forward to the Secretary- General’s recommendations on how to do that most effectively. We also appreciate that the strengthened mandate seeks to address Haiti’s humanitarian and political challenges.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9377 (2023) · source
“The United States continues to stand with the people of Haiti in their time of need. As Secretary Blinken recently told the Caribbean Community at its plenary session, we are working with our partners to “help Haitian people shape their futures and restore the country’s democratic order”. Today’s reauthorization of the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) is an important step toward these goals, and the United States was proud to vote for the resolution (resolution 2692 (2023)) and to work closely with our co-penholder, Ecuador, to achieve a consensus text. BINUH continues to be a positive force in Haiti. It continues to support the Haitian National Police and address the gang violence that has plagued the Haitian people.”
2023-07-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9377 (2023) · source
“As I said earlier, this text was a compromise, and in so many ways it was the absolute minimum that we could achieve. But the United States and other Council members supported the co-penholders’ draft resolution in the spirit of compromise. And Russia could not even do that. Now Moscow must answer to the international community, and its delegation to the Security Council has to answer to the Syrian people. It will have to go before the General Assembly and explain why it neglected the dire humanitarian needs of more than 4 million Syrians. Russia will have to try to justify the unjustifiable. We cannot accept this obstruction. We must keep at this. The Syrian people are counting on us, and we must all urge Russia to come back to the table in good faith. There is no time to waste. Lives hang in the balance.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“This is really a sad moment. It is a sad moment for the Syrian people, and it is a sad moment for the Security Council, save for one country. What we have just witnessed — what the world has just witnessed — was an act of utter cruelty. The majority of the Council stood together to extend this humanitarian lifeline to save lives, but one permanent member blocked this draft compromise resolution (S/2023/506), and I just have to ask why. Russia has not lived up to its responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council, which is beneath the dignity of this body. This is a gross affront to the values we all hold dear, to our efforts to advance peace and security, and, above all, to the Syrian people who have endured so much needless suffering and violence at the hands of the Al-Assad regime.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“The United States will vote in favour of the draft resolution, and we will encourage all Security Council members to do the same.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“The United States and the vast majority of Security Council members supported a 12-month extension. While we will support today’s compromise draft resolution, we know that it does not fully meet the needs of the moment. Going forward, we will continue to work with our partners to meet the immense needs of the Syrian people. The bottom line is this: there is no legitimate or humanitarian justification for voting against this draft resolution. None whatsoever. We must extend this critical lifeline, and we must ensure aid continues to reach the Syrian people during the cold winter months. Let us therefore put aside geopolitical gamesmanship. Let us do the right thing. Let us do the humane thing, and let us continue to provide life-saving assistance to the Syrian people.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“Al-Assad has reportedly told the United Nations and some members of the Council that he is amenable to keeping those additional border-crossings open beyond 13 August, but he has yet to make that commitment publicly or call for an extension of the mechanism. If the regime fails to follow through, we will bring that to the top of the Council’s agenda during our presidency of the Security Council in August. Council members have my word on that. This text is a compromise and, in many ways, it really is the bare minimum. This draft resolution falls short of what United Nations officials and humanitarian leaders called on us to do. It falls short of what meeting the needs on the ground require. The Secretary-General and NGOs on the ground have urged the Council to extend the cross-border mechanism for 12 months.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“The United States has lived up to its pledge to support for cross-line aid deliveries and early- recovery efforts, but nothing can replace the scope and scale of cross-border aid. And after the earthquakes in February, which temporarily closed Bab Al-Hawa, just as needs spiked, we saw how insufficient one border crossing point is. For that reason, the United States, together with humanitarian organizations and other Member States, called for this draft resolution to expand the cross-border aid mechanism to include all three border-crossing points currently in use, namely, Bab Al-Hawa, Bab Al-Salam and Bab Al-Rai.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source
“We know that the cross-border mechanism is one of the most closely monitored and inspected crossings in the world. And I saw that first- hand during my two visits to Bab Al-Hawa. And we know that the humanitarian situation in Syria has never been more dire. Twelve years of war and this year’s devastating earthquakes have pushed the Syrian people to the brink. This is the moment to increase our support for vulnerable Syrians. Following the earthquakes, we therefore surged assistance to the region. The United States is the single-largest humanitarian donor to the Syrian people, and we need others to step up and join us, especially right now, as the United Nations humanitarian appeal for Syria remains grossly underfunded. But let us be clear. No amount of aid will meet the needs of the Syrian people if the aid cannot reach the Syrian people.”
2023-07-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9371 (2023) · source