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

“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his informative briefing. I also sincerely thank Ms. Hary for her presentation today. It has been a challenging month for the region, and the United States extends condolences to all Israelis and Palestinians affected by the ongoing violence. When the Council last convened on this issue (see S/PV.9309), it was against the backdrop of hundreds of rockets being fired at Israel by Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist groups. Those attacks posed a threat to civilians in Israel and harmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza. At that time, the United States reaffirmed its support for Israel’s inherent right to self-defence. We unequivocally condemned the attacks on Israel, and we called on all parties to exercise restraint in both action and rhetoric.”
2023-05-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9328 (2023) · source
“We must build on the work of resolution 2417 (2018) and 2573 (2021) and hold those who violate international humanitarian law to account. We must see our common humanity in those that are suffering. Let us do everything in our power to alleviate that suffering and to secure a more peaceful and just future for all.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“At the same time, we must all recognize that no amount of aid will meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable if it cannot reach them. Too often, warring parties intentionally block humanitarian access, and too often the very people who dedicate their lives to saving others are targeted. Last year, more than 250 humanitarian and health-care workers were killed. Many others were injured, assaulted or kidnapped. The kidnapping of medical personnel continues across conflicts. Targeting aid workers is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must be roundly and universally condemned. We must do more together to protect civilians facing armed conflict. We must encourage regional actors to get more involved in peacebuilding efforts.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“That could depoliticize the issue and ensure that we have timely information to act on. Conflict and hunger must be at the top of the Council’s agenda. That is why, when I started this job two years ago, I made that issue my country’s first signature event in the Security Council (S/2021/250). A year later, after Russia’s further invasion into Ukraine, we held an open debate on conflict and hunger during our May 2022 presidency (S/PV.9042). We must all do more to stamp out hunger and to save lives. For our part, the United States remains the largest donor to the World Food Programme, providing more than half of all contributions. And tomorrow I am looking forward to joining the Horn of Africa Conference 2023 to shine a brighter light on the dire situation in the Horn.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“Parties to the conflict must remove bureaucratic impediments in the Sudan that are delaying aid, and humanitarian cargo arriving in Port Sudan must be expedited and responsive to United Nations needs. The stakes could not be higher. Five years ago, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2417 (2018) in response to growing levels of conflict-induced hunger. As a result of that resolution, we now receive reports on instances where conflict is causing acute food insecurity or famine. But let us be clear. We are not getting all the information we need. The white notes the Council receives are irregular. Too often they are delayed. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we receive the white notes of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs twice a year. There must be a regular reporting cycle.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“Burkina Faso, Somalia, Burma and Ukraine face some of the fastest- growing displacement crises. And according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, fighting in the Sudan could displace an additional 1 million people. This past weekend, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that the Sudanese security forces have again agreed to a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangement. We call for both parties to fulfil their commitments under the seven-day ceasefire and allow for unhindered humanitarian access. Aid workers must be guaranteed safe passage. I take note, sadly, that at least six humanitarian workers have senselessly been killed since this war started.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“Last year, the Black Sea Grain Initiative facilitated the safe export of more than 15 million tons of food, including wheat, used for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. We must ensure that this life-saving aid continues to flow to those in need, including women and girls, older adults, disabled persons and other marginalized groups that are disproportionately affected by food insecurity. And I particularly want to thank the Secretary-General for his efforts to keep this channel open. The protection of civilians report also tells the bleak story of those who have been forced from their homes, unsure when or if they will be able to return. More than 100 million people have been forcibly displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, human rights violations and abuses.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“That is the human cost of Russia’s unprovoked brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, and we must never become numb to the senseless violence that one man, President Putin, has wrought. Of course, the war has also had a devastating impact on vulnerable populations in countries far from Ukraine. Millions more people have been pushed into food insecurity as a result of that conflict. Why? Because Russia has used food as a weapon of war in Ukraine. And for months and months, Ukrainian grain was blocked from leaving the Black Sea. It is grain that many countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, rely on. That is what makes the Black Sea Grain Initiative such a critical arrangement — one that has been a beacon of hope to the world.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“Today’s briefing paints a dire picture of life for too many around the world — a world in which civilians continue to bear the burden of conflict. Earlier this month, I read this year’s annual report on the protection of civilians (S/2023/345). It is a heartbreaking reminder of the enormous responsibility that the Council has to protect those in harm’s way. In 2022, the United Nations recorded nearly 17,000 civilian deaths across 12 armed conflicts, a 53 per cent increase compared with 2021. Those numbers, of course, will go up in 2023, owing to the situations in Ukraine and the Sudan. In Ukraine alone, the United Nations recorded almost 8,000 civilian deaths, although the actual number is likely higher.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“I particularly want to thank Switzerland for making the pressing issue of conflict-induced food insecurity a centrepiece of its presidency. It is also a very high priority for the Government of the United States. I thank Secretary-General Guterres for being here with us today and for his sobering report to the Council. I also want to express my deep appreciation to President Spoljaric Egger of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Ms. Aïchatou Mounkaïla, President of the Network of Women-led Organizations of the Lake Chad Basin, for their presence with us today. I welcome the many Heads of State and Ministers to the Chamber. Their presence reflects the importance of the issue to all of us.”
2023-05-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9327 (2023) · source
“Finally, I would like to note that the United States continues to engage with Sudanese civilian leaders, resistance committees and civil society to establish a civilian-led democratic Government as soon as possible. The United States stands with the people of the Sudan as they push for freedom, peace and justice under democratic civilian rule. And we continue to send a clear message to the Sudanese security forces that they should end this senseless conflict once and for all.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“For its part, the United States is committed to helping support the needs of the more than 250,000 people who have crossed into neighbouring countries in search of safety and the more than 840,000 who are displaced inside the Sudan and cannot leave owing to fighting, fuel shortages or fear. At the same time, we must not forget the needs of the 1.1 million refugees who were in the Sudan prior to the fighting. We appreciate and commend the work of the neighbouring countries that have welcomed Sudanese arrivals, and we encourage all countries to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers have access to protection and can eventually return to their countries of origin voluntarily and when conditions permit.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Humanitarian agencies, national non-governmental organizations, civil-society organizations, professional unions and neighbourhood- based resistance committees are going to incredible lengths to deliver food, provide medical care, resupply hospitals and support evacuations, but they cannot do that heroic work without unhindered humanitarian access. All parties must allow for immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for those in need or displaced by the fighting. We support the leadership of the United Nations in marshalling resources for the Sudanese people, including through the newly revised humanitarian response plan, and we look forward to closely coordinating our efforts.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“To that end, we are in close cooperation with our partners, including Saudi Arabia, the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States and our other partners in the Quad and the troika and the friends of the Sudan. The United States welcomed the 11 May Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of the Sudan, which recognizes the obligations of both sides under international humanitarian law to respect human rights and facilitate humanitarian assistance. Those obligations align with the goals and intent of the AU’s 20 April communiqué and support its forthcoming road map for de-escalation. As we work towards peace, the United States is committed to addressing the dire humanitarian needs on the ground. More than 24 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance, a 57 per cent increase over previous estimates.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Over the weekend, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that the Sudanese security forces agreed to a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements. We call on both parties to fulfil their obligations under the seven-day ceasefire and to allow humanitarian aid and relief assistance to reach those in desperate need. The United States remains committed to bringing about a sustained end to the conflict in the Sudan, which has inflicted immense pain and suffering on the Sudanese people. We have heard disturbing reports of attacks on civilians, air strikes on hospitals, sexual and gender-based violence and looting. We must all do our part to bring about peace and stability. And we must do so with urgency. There is no time to waste.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Let me thank Special Representative Perthes for his sobering briefing and take this opportunity to welcome the new Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Sudan, Ms. Nkweta-Salami, to her new role. I also welcome the participation of the Commissioner of the African Union (AU), the Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Permanent Representative of the Sudan in today’s meeting. The work that Mr. Perthes and his team have done to advance the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS) in the current environment is truly impressive and we appreciate the fact that they are operating under extremely challenging conditions. It is now more critical than ever for the Council to signal its full support for the Mission.”
2023-05-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9326 (2023) · source
“Lastly, I want to reiterate that there must and will be accountability for anyone, including military and political actors, who attempts to undermine or delay the Sudan’s democratic progress. The same is true for anyone responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and violations or abuses of human rights. The United States stands in solidarity with the people of the Sudan. We stand in solidarity with the humanitarian workers, who have continued to try to provide assistance. As we have repeatedly said to the Sudanese security forces, it is time to put down the guns and start talking.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“In addition to killing hundreds of civilians, the violence has also killed three World Food Programme (WFP) staff and an International Organization for Migration Sudan staff member, and we mourn with their families and colleagues. The suspension of WFP activities will directly affect countless others, but unfortunately the United Nations had no choice. Diplomats, including a United States diplomatic convoy, have come under attack, and our Embassy has been hit by direct and indirect fire. Such acts are reckless and irresponsible, and they are shameful. As all are aware, we have been consistently calling on the security forces to protect diplomatic personnel and facilities and civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, consistent with the Sudan’s obligation under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“We are also extremely concerned about the millions of Sudanese in need of critical humanitarian assistance. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the humanitarian needs in the Sudan were already at record levels before the recent outbreak of violence. Attacks on humanitarian aid staff, offices, vehicles, equipment and food stocks have disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations. Civilians are running out of food, water, fuel and other vital supplies, and many urgently need medical care. That is why there must be immediate, full, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to all in need.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“In just more than one week — and we have heard this repeated before — the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has killed more than 420 civilians, wounded thousands, endangered the lives of the Sudanese people, diplomats and humanitarian workers, and forced thousands of people from their homes. We are also gravely concerned about the growing reports of sexual and other physical assaults on civilians. The rival security forces must abide by international law. They must immediately commit to the safety, security and protection of civilians, diplomatic missions and personnel, United Nations staff and facilities, and humanitarian and medical personnel, including by ensuring the safe and secure departure of foreign nationals.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“The United States strongly supports the continued diplomatic efforts of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States and the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan to resolve this crisis. We also welcome the communiqué of the ministerial special session on the Sudan, held on 20 April, involving the United Nations, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the permanent five members of the Security Council and neighbouring and regional partners. Those are not separate messages — rather, that is the international community speaking with one strong voice, and it is time the Sudanese military leaders heard our collective call.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“This meeting should also demand the attention of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, because our message today is clear: the fighting must stop immediately, and as the Secretary-General just urged, the killing has to stop. In no uncertain terms, the United States condemns the continuing violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. We call on them to adhere to their latest commitment to implement and uphold a 72- hour ceasefire, which started at midnight on 24 April. We further call on the parties to the conflict to engage with regional and international partners and Sudanese civilian stakeholders. Together, they should form a committee to oversee the negotiation, conclusion and implementation in the Sudan of a permanent cessation of hostilities, as well as humanitarian arrangements.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“Let me thank Secretary-General Guterres, Special Representative Perthes, Assistant Secretary- General Msuya and Special Envoy Wais of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for their informative briefings. I want to thank Special Representative Perthes in particular for his efforts over the weekend to try to end the carnage and stop the fighting. I also want to welcome the participation in today’s meeting of the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. It goes without saying that we are disappointed that the Security Council did not meet again sooner on this crisis, as the situation in the Sudan demands our urgent attention. The people of the Sudan demanded our attention, and humanitarians needed to hear from us.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9310 (2023) · source
“We will continue to support a two-State solution and promote dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and we will continue to support all efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Let us do everything possible to ensure that the days, months and years ahead are brighter, more hopeful and more peaceful for all.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“Over the past two years, the United States has helped improve the lives of millions of Palestinians by providing hundreds of millions of dollars in contributions to UNRWA, but we are also concerned about UNRWA’s potential financial shortfall. If the international community does not step up, the consequences for regional stability will be grave and people will lose access to basic needs — and we cannot allow that to happen. All those who can give must give. Now is the time to make meaningful contributions to UNRWA and pursue further efforts toward the long- term stabilization of its finances. The United States believes that Israel and Palestinians deserve equal measures of security, prosperity and freedom, and we will continue to work towards those goals in tangible ways.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“The United States also remains concerned about the financial constraints that the Palestinian people face, and we urge our partners to take further actions to meet the needs on the ground. We welcome the inauguration of expanded operating hours at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, which will allow for easier travel by Palestinians and facilitate the transportation of goods. However, as many of us here know, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) — a programme that provides education, health care and relief and social services to the Palestinian refugees — will likely run out of funding this summer.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“We were pleased that the final week of Ramadan passed relatively peacefully, and I hope that all those celebrating had a joyous Eid with their families and loved ones, just as I hope those celebrating Passover and Easter were able to enjoy the holidays. Good-faith dialogue remains, without a doubt, the best path to stability. It remains essential. The United States applauds the efforts taken by the parties, along with the United States, Egypt and Jordan, to de-escalate tensions and build further trust through direct talks in Aqaba and Sharm El-Sheikh. Those meetings and the commitments the parties made were important first steps. Now we call on the parties to fully implement those commitments and look for opportunities for further confidence-building measures.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“We condemn this month’s rocket attacks by Palestinian militants from Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the attacks launched from Syria, which endangered civilians. Using Lebanon as a launching pad for rocket attacks against Israel only puts the Lebanese people at risk and increases the potential for further conflict, while the barrage of missiles launched from Lebanon also endangered personnel from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, who sought cover and protection from potential harm. The United States recognizes Israel’s ability — like any other country — to exercise its inherent right of self- defence. We are also deeply upset by the incidents in the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the convergence of Ramadan and Passover. All sides must respect and maintain the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, in both word and practice.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his informative briefing. As we heard earlier, today Israel marks the sombre holiday of Yom HaZikaron. We join our Israeli friends in commemorating the loss of those killed in past wars and terrorist attacks, and we unequivocally condemn terrorist attacks and all violence against civilians. This has already been a painful year for both Israelis and Palestinians, and we must all do everything in our power to reverse those worrisome trends. Just this month, an already tense situation nearly boiled over into a broader regional conflict. Thankfully, we were able to avoid that, but those stakes underscore the imperative for all the parties to exercise restraint in action and rhetoric in order to prevent a further escalation of violence.”
2023-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9309 (2023) · source
“We must forcefully address the situation in the Sudan, as we heard the call from the Secretary-General for peace and a cessation of hostilities. We must use our platform to call out aggression and human rights violations wherever and whenever we see them. We must renew our commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, to heal the climate and to end poverty and hunger. That is the brighter future we hope to build. We must rally behind the Charter of the United Nations, take our shared global challenges seriously, do everything in our power to be better neighbours and together create a more peaceful, more prosperous world for us all.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“And that belief gives us faith that it can be made better still. Our response to Russia’s flagrant violations cannot be to abandon this institution’s founding principles. Instead, we must recommit to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace and security and use those principles as guideposts as we strengthen the United Nations and make it fit for the purposes of the twenty-first century. We must reform this institution and support efforts, such as the Secretary- General’s ambitious Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) initiative, to modernize the multilateral system. We must not shirk our responsibilities to address threats by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to international peace and security.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“The United Nations needs reform — Council members have heard that. To support and maintain its fundamental principles, this body must evolve to meet the twenty-first century. As part of that evolution, the Security Council needs to better reflect today’s global realities. We must find credible, sensible and politically viable paths to that end. And while we work to forge those paths, those of us on the Security Council have a duty to do more and to do better. As all Council members know, in San Francisco last year, I announced six principles for responsible behaviour for Security Council permanent members. Those were standards we set for ourselves, that we welcome all to hold us to and that we encourage for other permanent members. The United States believes in the United Nations and in the Charter.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“Using people as pawns is a strategy of weakness. Those are not the actions of a responsible country, and while Russia plays political games, real people suffer. I want to direct Council members’ attention to the gallery, where today we are joined by Paul’s sister, Elizabeth. I want Minister Lavrov to look into her eyes and see her suffering. I want him to see what it is like to miss one’s brother for four years, to know he is locked up in a Russian penal colony simply because Russia wants to use him for its own means. I am calling on Russia right now to release Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich immediately, to let Paul and Evan come home and to cease this barbaric practice once and for all. While Russia may be undermining the Charter of the United Nations and this institution, the rest of us can and must do better.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“In the past 14 months, Russia has weaponized global food supplies and obstructed the Black Sea Grain Initiative from achieving its full potential. Russia has breached its obligations under the New START Treaty and issued dangerous and provocative nuclear threats. Russia has violated universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, both outside and inside its own borders. It has violated international law. That includes the wrongful detention of American citizens: Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, Brittney Griner and now, Evan Gershkovich. Trevor and Brittney are now, thankfully, home safe and sound. But Russia has imprisoned Paul Whelan and is now detaining Evan Gershkovich to use as political bargaining chips, human pawns. Paul was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Evan is a journalist. He was just doing his job.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“One hundred forty-one United Nations Member States have made it abundantly clear: Russia’s full-scale invasion was not about self-defence. Russia simply wants to redraw international borders by force in violation of the very Charter of the United Nations. And that goes against everything this institution stands for. This does not concern just Ukraine or Europe. It concerns all of us, because today it is Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be another country, another small nation that is invaded by its larger neighbour. And what would we want the Security Council to do in response? Would we want to sit on our hands? No. It is the very reason the Charter of the United Nations was written in the first place. And, unfortunately, Russia has shown us, consistently, over the past 14 months, that this invasion is not an isolated incident.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“And yet, right when the world needed the United Nations most, we were plunged into a crisis of confidence. Our hypocritical convener today, Russia, invaded its neighbour Ukraine and struck at the heart of the Charter of the United Nations and all the values we hold dear. That illegal, unprovoked and unnecessary war runs directly counter to our most shared principles: that a war of aggression and territorial conquest is never, ever acceptable. And as we sit here, that aggression continues. As we sit here, Russian forces continue to kill and injure civilians. As we sit here, Russian forces are destroying Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. As we sit here, we brace ourselves for the next Bucha, the next Mariupol, the next Kherson, the next war crime, the next unconscionable atrocity.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“Those principles have been the basis for the greatest triumphs of the United Nations over the past eight decades. Despite the international system’s imperfections, our shared principles have helped us curtail nuclear proliferation, prevent mass atrocities and forge peace through negotiation and mediation. They have undergirded an international order that has helped us provide humanitarian aid to those in desperate need, to lift more than a billion people out of poverty and to prevent another world war. Right now as much as ever, the world needs an effective United Nations and effective multilateralism. Challenges such as the climate crisis, the global food- security crisis and the coronavirus disease pandemic are exactly the kinds of borderless challenges that we need the United Nations to tackle.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“I will quote from Article 1: “The Purposes of the United Nations are: “To maintain international peace and security… to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self- determination of peoples…to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems… [and] promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms”. Article 2, paragraph 4, states clearly: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State”. Territorial integrity, respect for human rights, international cooperation: those are our values. They are the shared, stated principles that we all agreed to uphold — all of us. It is our belief in them that binds us together.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“There are some things we are not meant to disagree about. There are some values and principles that are so fundamental, so critical to our purpose, that signing on to them is the price of admission to the United Nations. Those are the values laid out in the Charter of the United Nations, a Charter that we have all sworn to uphold and to protect, and it is quite clear what those values are. That little blue book is written in plain language. It spells out our purposes and principles in its very first chapter.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“Let me start by thanking Secretary-General Guterres for his remarks and thanking him and the entire United Nations system for all the efforts made to promote peace and security and to support the Charter of the United Nations. I also thank colleagues for coming together to talk about how we can defend the Charter and make multilateralism more effective. This is a serious topic, even if the meeting was convened by a Council member whose actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the Charter of the United Nations. At the United Nations, if one asks a difficult policy question, one gets 193 different answers. That makes our work challenging. But it is also right, because, after all, that is what the United Nations is all about: Member States can work through disagreements, find common ground and see where we can make progress together.”
2023-04-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9308 (2023) · source
“As members just heard from the Assistant Secretary-General, Kim Jong Un could alleviate his people’s suffering immediately by allowing international aid organizations to re-enter the country, and also by investing in his people’s well- being instead of his unlawful weapons programme. The repressive political climate of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea allows the Government to divert such a large share of its resources to weapons development without comment from his population, and it is not the responsibility of the international system to fund a humanitarian programme that allows for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to use its own money to fund a programme for weapons of mass destruction.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“Australia has stated it does not and will not seek nuclear weapons and remains committed to its international non-proliferation obligations. Australia is a non-nuclear-weapon State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and will remain so, as the Australian Government has consistently made clear. Secondly, we heard that it is only the United States condemning the actions here in the Council. If we go back, and all members can look at their statements, there was hardly a Council member who did not condemn those actions. It is being roundly condemned, except for a couple of countries. And they know who they are. Thirdly, there were comments on sanctions. The humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is of its own making.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“I was not sure that I wanted to take the floor again, but I think that it is important that I correct some of the comments that were made by our Russian colleague. I would like to do that on three points. First, with regard to the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America (AUKUS), we have said over and over again in the Council that the AUKUS partnership is intended to enhance peace, security and stability. Russia’s assertions that our trilateral partnership presents a proliferation risk are simply false, and they know it. Under AUKUS, Australia is expected to acquire conventionally armed nuclear- powered submarines to modernize its submarine fleet. Russia and China already operate nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“The United States will continue to seek a dialogue with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and engage in good-faith negotiations with all Council members. But if we fail to act, I fear we will be in the same meeting in the not-too distant future, no closer to our shared goal of denuclearization. Let us do everything in our power to change course, and let us come together once again on this urgent matter of international peace and security.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“And, according to private-industry estimates, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea stole as much as $1.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2022 alone. The Panel has cited dozens of investigations into instances of actors in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea targeting financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges in South-East Asia, Africa and South America. Such activities directly contribute to the country’s unlawful WMD and ballistic-missile programmes, including the 13 April launch. Instead of using the money to feed its people, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is using it to fuel instability. It continues to choose ammunition over nutrition. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has made its intentions clear. It is now time for the Security Council to do the same.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“And long-range ballistic-missile tests such as that conducted last week threaten not only the region, but the entire world. This is not a bilateral issue. It is a threat to every single one of us. Today I also want to shine a spotlight on some of the revenue-generating activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — activities that are conducted globally to fund its unlawful weapons programme. For example, we know that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducts malicious cyberheists and other illicit financial activities. According to the 1718 Panel of Experts reports, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea attempted to steal as much as $2 billion between 2015 and 2019 through cybermeans.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“Our lawful efforts to defend against the repeated escalatory actions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea do not in any way justify its unlawful behaviour. Furthermore, United Nations Command has established United States-Republic of Korea military- exercise notification protocols to mitigate the risk of misinterpretation or miscalculation. That approach stands in stark contrast to the reckless, unannounced and unlawful ballistic-missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which pose a threat to international peace and security. Every member of the Council reaffirmed this threat in the unanimous adoption of resolution 2680 (2023) in March, renewing the mandate of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006).”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“The two Council members responsible for the inaction also continue to defend the behaviour of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Time and time again, they draw false equivalencies between the unlawful ballistic-missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and lawful, defensive and pre-announced United States-Republic of Korea joint military exercises. But a simple review of the facts disproves that narrative. After all, by the time the United States and the Republic of Korea resumed large-scale exercises, in August 2022, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had already launched 31 ballistic missiles, including six ICBM launches. And its efforts to reconstitute its nuclear test site were well under way. Let me be clear.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“There was a time when all the members of the Council came together to make it clear that there is zero justification for proliferators and their unlawful WMD and ballistic-missile programmes. The United States believes that the Council has a responsibility to once again send that kind of strong, united message. And we believe that the Council must do everything in its power to prevent the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from carrying out future unlawful ballistic-missile launches or a seventh nuclear test. But we remain deeply frustrated, as I know many other Member States are, by the continued inaction that is quite simply unacceptable and that undermines the credibility of the Council and the entire international non-proliferation regime.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source
“Once again, Pyongyang launched a missile without warning, endangering civilians, civil aviation and maritime traffic. Last week, its State media claimed that its new solid-fuel ICBM “promotes the effectiveness of its nuclear counter-attack posture” and makes its offensive military strategy more attainable. That aggressive rhetoric demonstrates the continued dedication of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to advancing its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic-missile programmes. In years past, there was no question as to whether the Council should or would respond to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s violation of multiple Security Council resolutions.”
2023-04-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9305 (2023) · source